Unofficial Portkey Archive

Title: Harry Potter and The Panacea - Chapter 02
Author name: Falcon
Author email: falcun_21@yahoo.com
Category: Schnoogle
Sub Category: Action/Adventure, Romance, Humor
Keywords: H/Hr
Rating: R
Summary: Two years have gone by since the end of Harry's final year. Voldemort is dead. Harry has withdrawn from the wizarding society after defeating Voldemort and graduation from Hogwarts, but still keeps in contact with Ron & Hermione through owl post and occasional visits. Ron is a Chudley Cannon. Hermione has been working at Hogwarts since their final year with all the Professors. Sirius has been acquitted of all charges against him and is the Transfiguration Professor. Professor McGonagall is the new Headmistress replacing an ill Headmaster Dumbledore and Flitwick is the Deputy Headmaster. Lupin is reinstated as the DADA Professor after Moody's retirement.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR, and I ain't making no money off them. This story is made up of my own original ideas, and any resemblance to anyone else's is strictly coincidental, and unintentional.

Chapter 2

Harry awoke the next morning at 6 a.m. He tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but he reminded himself that he had work to do. He threw off the covers, and vaguely wondered when he had gotten under them. Harry stood up and stumbled into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, and let the water get hot while he attended to other matters. He stripped bare, hopped in the shower, and closed the clear glass door. His eyes were closed, and his head was leant forward against the wall, as the hot water coursed down his lean, muscular body. Harry was on autopilot, his body was awake but his mind wasn't. If it had been, then he would have remembered that he was no longer alone in the house, and he would have remembered to lock the door. As it were, he had just put shampoo in his hair, and was scrubbing his body, trying hard to ignore how his body responded to the slightest touch, when the door opened and Hermione walked in.

Harry didn't even notice that she was standing in the doorway staring, until he turned around to put back the soap.

"Yaaaaahhhhh! HERMIONE!"

Hermione's eyes were very wide, and she stared at him. "I-I-I-I am s-s-s-soooooo sorrrrry!" she stammered, but made no move to leave.

"HERMIONE! GO!" Harry yelled, and tried to cover himself, but that just drew her attention, and her eyes grew wider. He could have swore that he heard her mutter "Wow," but maybe he had gotten soap in his ears, and if she had said it, she didn't repeat it.

"Sorry Harry," she blushed crimson, and bolted from the room.

Harry slammed the door with a wave of his hand, and looked down at his body. "Thanks a lot," he muttered. He grabbed the shaving cream, and lathered his face. He harbored the faint hope that he'd slip and cut his throat while shaving, so he wouldn't have to face her. His hopes were dashed, when all he achieved was a slight nick on the point of his chin. He wrapped a towel around himself, grabbed his night - clothes and went back to his room. Harry hurled his sleeping attire on the bed, grabbed clean clothes from his dresser and closet, and got dressed.

He went to the kitchen to find that Hermione had already made coffee. He fixed two cups and went to his study. Harry found Hermione there with her nose buried in a huge book. She blushed when he sat down beside her.

"Morning Hermione. Sleep well?"

Hermione's blush grew brighter. "Actually no, I didn't. I had a weird dream that I saw you naked in the shower, and I couldn't look away." She giggled nervously, "I know it was a dream, because it's way to soon in our relationship for me to see you naked, I mean that just shoots down our agreement."

"Hermione."

"Yes?"

"You're babbling."

"Oh, sorry. It's just that-."

Harry put his finger to her lips. "Shhhh. It's alright. We're even now. I used to watch you, now you've seen me."

"Bu-but."

"I'm serious, it's no big deal," he said. "In fact, I think its good that you saw me. Now we're on equal footing, and can really start our relationship anew."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Harry smiled. He put his arm around her and squeezed. "Plus, now we both have something to look forward to," he said, grinning wickedly.

"HARRY!"

"What? It's true," he wriggled his eyebrows.

"I'm sure," She giggled. "If you did happen to see me naked, you might be surprised. I've changed some things since graduation, and not everything is like it was," she hinted.

It was Harry's turn to gasp, as his mind automatically leaped to conclusions.

"Well uhm." He was at a loss for words. "Hermione, I did not need to know that."

Hermione smiled. "I know. Makes you wonder doesn't it?"

"Yes it does." Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to double-check the bathroom door when I take a shower won't I?" she smirked.

"Speaking of locking the door, didn't you hear the shower running? Why'd you just walk in?"

"I was half asleep, and it didn't register."

"Uh huh."

"It's true!"

"I'll bet." He said. Harry started to say something else, but the look in her eyes told him that he'd regret it. Unable to resist though, and more than a little curious, he pressed on. "So, like what you saw?"

Hermione gaped and turned various shades of red. "HAROLD JAMES POTTER!"

"You know that's not my name Hermione," he smiled. "C'mon, you can be honest with me."

"The only thing I'll say is that I'm glad you shaved. Other than that--use your imagination," she smiled slyly. "Now, when do you want to make that trip to Hogwarts?"

"Nice evasion of the question," Harry smiled. "But to answer your question, anytime is fine with me."

"Good, then we should go as soon as possible." She stood up, "I'm going to go get dressed. You gather the notebooks."

"Alright." Harry said as she walked off. He set about his task, and when he finished, he settled down with his coffee. His cup was almost empty by the time she returned. He grabbed her bag, and stood up. "Ready?"

"How are we getting there? I meant to ask earlier, but it slipped my mind."

"I'm going to Apparate us--." He held up a hand to forestall Hermione's protest. "Yes, I know we can't Apparate on Hogwarts' grounds, but I can Apparate us into the Hogsmeade tunnel right before it enters the grounds."

"Oh," she frowned. "You said Apparate US? Harry, a Witch or Wizard can only Apparate themselves, not another person."

Harry looked a bit uncomfortable. "I can."

"You can? When did you find this out?"

"It's a funny story actually. When Sirius and I were in Rome, he met a woman, an incredibly beautiful, and wealthy woman. They went out every night, parties, Balls, dinners. You name it. Well, Sirius being the man that he is, he was staying with her at her house. We were unaware that this woman was married, and to a very powerful and dangerous man. I was out early one morning, and I overheard someone mention the Brit staying with the "Countess." That wasn't her title, just a nickname that she was known by." He explained.

"Anyway, the Brit comment caught my attention, so I listened closely. It seemed that the "Count" had heard his wife was dallying with another man, and he wanted him dead. The two men talking were to tell the "Countess" bodyguards to kill the man. I waited until they left, then used the portkey I had given Sirius to lock onto his location. He and the "Countess" were still asleep, and boy was I relieved to see that he was at least wearing his underwear! She was completely nude, and I admit I found myself staring so long that I kind of lost track of time," Harry admitted the last part with a sheepish grin.

Hermione frowned. "I take it that you liked what you saw."

"Oh yeah," Harry's eyes took on a far away look. "Exquisite," he whispered.

"As you were saying," she said, with a hint of annoyance.

"Wha-OH!" he said. "Where was I? Oh yeah! I was about to wake him, when I heard footsteps on the stairs. With no time to think, I grabbed his clothes, and his hand and basically willed us back to my hotel room. I was very surprised to see that it worked. I put him on the bed, then woke him up and explained everything. He decided that he had had enough of Rome, and suggested we go someplace else. Quickly. "

"I'll bet." Said Hermione dryly. "Did that happen often? Sirius meeting some woman and staying with her I mean."

"Yeah, I was surprised, but it seems that when he was on the run he survived by meeting women and staying with them. I watched him work, and the man is the MASTER. He had women giving him their phone numbers, addresses, room numbers and heck, I even saw one woman wriggle out of her panties, write on them and stick them in his coat pocket. AND, this was only ten minutes after meeting him!"

"Wow!" Hermione said, amazed. "I can see their point though. He is charming, very handsome, and incredibly sexy."

"I knew you were going to say that. Every woman we met said that."

"Hmm. I wonder if I should be offended that he's never came on to me?"

"HERMIONE!"

"What?"

"He-he-he's 42!"

"Yes, but he doesn't look a day over 32, and that's only 13 years older than me. I'm well within his age range, why doesn't he show me the same attention he shows Athena?"

"Athena?"

"The new Arithmacy teacher Athena McGonagall. She's Minerva McGonagall's youngest step-sister." Hermione explained. "She's taller than me, with glossy black hair and large chest."

"How large?"

"At least 38D."

"That's definitely his type," Harry said. "I saw all kinds of women come on to him, but the only ones he targeted specifically were dark haired and buxom."

"Still, I find it odd that he flirts with every woman he sees, except me."

"Hermione, believe me, he noticed you."

"Then why doesn't he flirt with me? I'm not saying I want a relationship with him or anything, but when I see him flirt with every attractive woman except me, it's insulting." Hermione frowned. "It's not that I want him coming on to me or anything, but at least a compliment every now and again would be nice."

"Hermione, I asked him to behave around you."

"Why?" she asked.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he's very experienced with women, and knows how to get what he wants. It's conceivable that if he flirted with you, you might take it to mean more than he meant, and offer something he wasn't trying to get. Now here's the problem, if you offered, he would take it. I've learned this much over the past few years, Sirius does not turn down a willing woman."

"Oh. Do you think Athena is just a passing fancy then?"

"I couldn't say. I'd have to see them together to tell." Harry said. "Now, ready to go?"

"Sure, I'll meet you there."

"Whoa!" Harry said quickly. "You can't Apparate there."

"Of course I can," said Hermione.

"No, I put up spells to stop anyone from entering the tunnels."

"Oh. What do I do then?"

"Put your arms around me, close your eyes and hold on tight. The wards won't harm you if you're as close as possible to me."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Wards? Harry, those are very dangerous. I hope you were careful when you set them up."

"I was. They won't harm anyone coming through the tunnels, but they will prevent entrance into the tunnels. If someone other than me tries to Apparate into the tunnels, the wards will hurl that person thousands of miles away. I set the ward up kind of like a portkey, but it's only activated by the energy of Apparation."

"Ahhh. Very clever."

"I got the idea from something you said in 7th year. You mentioned that with Dumbledore's power, he should fix the spells that keep people from Apparating onto Hogwarts' grounds so that they repel those with evil intent. Or something like that, it's been a while and I just remembered the basic idea."

"That's close enough," said Hermione. She wrapped her arms around Harry's middle and buried her head in his chest. "Ready when you are."

Harry took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. "Okay, here we go." He wrapped both arms around her, and they disappeared. Unlike regular Apparation, Harry didn't make an audible "pop" when he Apparated.

Harry kept a close eye on Hermione during the trip. He had never tried to transport anyone through his barriers before, but theoretically it should work. He released her as soon as they arrived. He grabbed her face and stared into her eyes.

"Are you okay? Everything feel normal?"

"That was different." Hermione said breathlessly. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy. "What was that Harry? That didn't feel like normal Apparation."

"Technically, it wasn't Apparation. It was more of a teleportation mixed with Apparation combined with a portkey effect," he explained. "Takes some getting used to."

"I'll say! I feel tingly all over."

"It'll pass in a few minutes." He put an arm around her waist to steady her. "Just lean on me till it passes."

Hermione looked around while her body recovered. "When did you add all the torches?"

"Months ago." He said, "I nearly took the top of my head off on a low spot, and after that I decided it was too dangerous to go through the tunnels without light of some sort."

"Ouch. I bet that hurt," she said.

Harry rubbed the top of his head in memory. "It put me on the floor."

"Oh poor baby," teased Hermione. "I'm feeling better, we can go now."

"Okay." They continued on their way. Harry kept his arm around her waist and an eye on her even though she claimed that everything felt normal again. He was very worried about any possible side effects. "You let me know if anything feels different in any way."

"Harry, I'm fine." She insisted. "But I'll be sure to let you know if I feel anything out of the ordinary. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay," he reluctantly agreed. They reached the end of the tunnel, and she discovered that he had changed the chute into stairs. They climbed to the top, and Harry opened the secret entrance inside the witch's hump. Harry hopped out first, then reached back and gave Hermione a hand.

They were headed for the library when Hermione snapped her fingers. "I need to go tell McGonagall that we're here and that we'll be using the library."

"You want me to come with you?"

"That's okay, you go head without me." She started to turn away, but suddenly she spun and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See ya there." Hermione took off down a side corridor, leaving Harry standing in the hallway rubbing his cheek.

"Uh…Okay," said Harry. He continued to the library, wondering how long it would take Hermione to talk to the Headmistress. He entered the library, and looked around for Madam Pince. Not finding her at her desk, he searched the room. He heard a stifled giggle as he passed the Restricted Section. Harry stopped dead in his tracks. Curiosity pushed manners aside, and he peeked in.

Lying on the floor, his pants around his ankles, was Sirius Black. Luckily, Black's lower body was covered by the half - dressed woman lying on top of him. Harry quickly averted his eyes, and cleared his throat. Both people jumped guiltily, and hurriedly arranged their clothing. "Harry! What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, once he'd sorted himself out

"I could ask you the same thing," said Harry, looking pointedly at the flushed young woman.

Sirius Black did something then that was completely out of character for him. He blushed. "Uh…yeah, about that. I'd really appreciate it if you kept this between us." He scratched his head. "I mean…If this got out, we could…we could be in big trouble."

Harry snickered. "Is there any other kind when you're around?"

Black frowned. "Dammit Harry! Will you be serious!"

"I can't be Sirius, you're Sirius." said Harry, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

"Blast it Harry! Stop doing that!" Sirius said through clenched teeth. "Now is not the time."

"Sorry, could resist."

"I know, I know. Could you please put a sock in it though?"

"Yeah, okay, I won't tell anyone," he thought a moment, "well, except Hermione."

"NO! Harry, you can't tell her of all people! She'll run to McGonagall, you know she will."

"Nah, she's lightened up a lot. She won't care that you were shagging in the library." He paused. "Actually, she'd probably think it was sacrilegious, so maybe I won't tell her."

"Good man Harry." Sirius said. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you to my fiancée Athena McGonagall."

"Your fiancée? When did this happen?"

Sirius blushed again. "Few minutes ago," he mumbled.

"Ahhh, that's why you were-."

"Uh…yeah."

"I got ya." Harry turned to the lady. "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"The pleasure is all mine," said Athena.

Sirius choked at her words, and Harry coughed to cover a laugh. Athena appeared oblivious to the byplay, and attempted some small talk.

"So Harry, what brings you to Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I'm helping Hermione do some research."

Sirius perked up. "Really? Over what?"

"She's been asked to write a revised edition of Hogwarts: A History."

Black's eyebrows shot up and Athena gasped. "Wow! I'm impressed!" he said. Athena simply nodded in agreement. "Although I'm not really surprised, she is brilliant after all."

"Yes, she is." Harry said, with just a hint of a smile.

Sirius' eagle eyes caught it however, and he looked hard at his godson. "Whoa, what's with the grin?"

"Grin? What grin?" Harry asked, turning red.

"Ah ha! What's going on with you and Hermione?"

"Nothing. What makes you think something is going on?"

"Harry. I know that look." Said Sirius knowingly. "Something is up with you and Hermione."

Harry's blush intensified, and he scuffed the floor with his boot tip. "It's nothing, we're just talking about dating. No big deal."

"Uh huh. C'mon Harry, you can tell me," Sirius grinned.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now." Harry said, cutting his eyes towards Athena.

"Oh. Okay, Be sure and let me know if you need help with your research."

"Sure thing Sirius." Harry started to turn away, but stopped halfway. "Oh, Sirius. I wanted to thank you for the present. I haven't had a chance to go look at it yet, and it will probably be a while until I do."

"That's okay Harry. It shouldn't be rushed, take your time." He looked at his watch, then at Athena. "We'd like to stay and talk more Harry, but we have brunch scheduled with Minerva. Later."

"Later Sirius." Harry turned to Athena, then, as Sirius had instructed him during their travels, he bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you." He grinned suddenly. "Welcome to the family!"

"Thank you," Athena smiled. She took Sirius arm, and led him away.

Harry watched them leave. He turned back to the Restricted Section, waved his hand, and all traces of their indiscretion disappeared. He went to the History section and started grabbing books that dealt with the past thousand years. There sure were a lot of them too. He walked through the history section placing spells on the most likely ones. As he passed them, they flew off the shelves and lined up behind him. Harry had amassed an incredible amount of reading material by the time Hermione joined him.

She stopped dead when she saw the mountain range of books stacked as high as her head.

Harry was buried deep in the center of the pile. He heard Hermione muttering as she studied the labyrinth.

"Harry, are you in there?"

He stood up and looked over the tops of the books. "Here I am."

Hermione circled the pile. "How do I get in there?"

Harry smacked his forehead. "Hang on, I'll get you."

"How?"

"Just relax, close your eyes and trust me," Harry said. He watched Hermione follow his instructions. He raised his hand, and she rose slowly off the floor. When her feet were level with his eyes, she floated over the wall of books and to him. Harry gently lowered her to his side, and told her to open her eyes.

Hermione looked around. "Wow, this is a lot of books."

"Yeah," said Harry. He sat back down and resumed reading.

Hermione grabbed the closest book, seated herself across from him and started reading as well.

Harry looked up from his book a few minutes later. "Hermione. What took so long with McGonagall?"

Hermione set her book aside. "I had to tell her that you were here with me, and that it was a secret. She told me that the library was at our disposal, and if we needed any help to just ask. That led to a discussion about how my book was coming, and whether or not I could teach a few classes this semester. I told her no, because our research would be taking up almost all of our time."

"Ahhhhh," said Harry, and went back to reading.

They read continuously, only stopping to take notes. Minutes turned into hours, and Harry's stomach alerted him to the fact that it was time to eat. He checked his watch and was surprised to see that they had worked well past lunch, and it was close to four o'clock in the afternoon.

"You ready to knock off for the day Hermione?"

"Yeah, let me finish writing these notes, and I'll be ready to go." Hermione scribbled furiously in her notebook for a few seconds, closed it and stood up. "Okay, I'm ready," she said, stuffing the spiral into her bag. "But what about this mess?"

"No problem, I'll take care of it," Harry said. He blew on his fingertips then made a lifting motion with his hands. The piles of books rose from their places, and attached themselves to the ceiling.

"That's one way to do it I suppose. But what if Madam Pince comes in, isn't she going to see them up there?"

"Hermione, after growing up around you, do you honestly think I haven't thought of that? I used a personalized invisibility spell, and only you and I can see them."

"Of course, I should have known better. Now, let's get out of here and head home."

They left the library, and went to the humpbacked witch. Harry opened the secret entrance, and helped Hermione inside.

"Home. It has such a nice sound to it." Harry said quietly, as he closed the witch and followed Hermione down the stairs.

"What was that Harry?"

"Nothing. Just talking to myself," Harry said, as he caught up with her. "Any ideas on what we can do tonight?"

"A few. We can go over our notes and see if anything stands out. I know how much you love correlating data." Said Hermione with a grin.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that."

Hermione laughed softly, and Harry was struck by the musical quality of her voice. For a moment, he fought the urge to drape his arm across her shoulders, but then he gave in. She jumped slightly at his touch, then relaxed and snuggled into his side. They walked in silence back to the Apparating point. Harry transported them back to his house, and they separated, he to the kitchen for a snack, and she to the bathroom. He gathered some crackers, cheese, and a couple of bottles of soda and went to the study. He set down the food, deposited himself in his chair, and was getting ready to eat when Hermione walked in.

"Harry!"

"Huh?" Harry looked up with a cheese cracker poised half way to his mouth.

"Don't you dare ruin your dinner!"

"I was just going to have a quick snack." Harry said, "I'm starving."

"No! I'm going to make spaghetti, and I don't want you ruining your appetite. Now put those away."

Harry frowned, but did as she said. Hermione followed him to the kitchen. He returned the cheese and crackers to the refrigerator, but while his back was turned, he popped a chunk of cheese into his mouth.

"I saw that!"

"Damn." He muttered through a mouthful of cheese. He swallowed, and turned back to Hermione, a big grin lighting his face. "When did you get X-Ray vision?"

Hermione snorted, "What X-Ray vision? I just know you Harry."

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that." He said. "What was that about spaghetti?"

"I'm going to make spaghetti for dinner. Would you like to help?"

"Sure! Just tell me what to do."

"Okay, first tell me that you have all the ingredients. If not, we have to go to the market."

Harry looked in the cupboards, dragging out various materials. Hermione looked over the items.

"Hmm… Pasta, ground meat, bread, butter, and garlic salt." She frowned, " no spaghetti sauce. I don't suppose you have any tomatoes or tomato sauce either."

Harry burrowed even further into the cabinets until only his legs were sticking out. "Nope," he called back. "No tomato sauce in here."

"Guess it's a trip to the market then," she said. "You want to come with me, or stay here?"

"I'll stay here and get things started. Besides, I don't know what you need." He said, scratching his head.

"Oh, okay." Hermione raised her wand, and summoned her purse. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She disappeared with the customary "pop."

Harry set about getting dinner started. He smeared butter on the bread and sprinkled garlic salt over it. Breaking the noodles, he set them in a pot to boil, and put the meat in hot water to defrost. He wanted it warm enough that by the time Hermione got back it would be ready to cook. Giving everything a quick glance assured him that the only thing left for him to do was to set the table. Grabbing two plates, silverware, and napkins, he set their places. Harry set the garlic bread on a tray, and slid it into the oven. He set the temperature at 200 degrees, and seated himself at the bar.

It wasn't long before boredom overtook him, and he was looking for something else to do. Reading was out of the question, he had done far to much of that lately. His eyes fell on a large butcher knife, and he picked it up. He tossed it into the air, and deftly caught it by the blade. He balanced it on its tip in the center of his palm, and held it there with his mind. Harry moved his hand from under the utensil and caused it to spin rapidly. He called another equally large knife from a drawer and set it to spinning in the opposite direction. His eyes narrowed, and he spun the blades even faster. They were spinning at such a rate that they had become invisible. He eyed them for a moment, judging speed, distance, and rotation. Quick as a blink, he reached out and caught both by their handles. The knives spun through his fingers, into the air, and right back into his waiting hands. It was a disturbing way to pass the time, but since he was Harry Potter, he was allowed to do disturbing things. He hadn't been playing long when his attention wavered and he dropped one of the knives. He tried to regain his concentration, but it was no use. He hurled the knives into a cutting board hanging above the sink, got up and went to the bathroom.

Harry leaned on the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His mind was a jumble and he found it hard to concentrate. His thoughts kept settling on Hermione, and how right it felt to have her by his side again. Thinking about her got parlayed into thinking about their quest, which led to thoughts of Dumbledore's illness and its cause. He felt so guilty about not telling Hermione the truth, but he was afraid of how she would react. Only three people knew what really happened that night, and two of them weren't talking. And once again, what was meant for him had happened to someone he cared about. What made it worse, was that this time it really was his fault. He decided that since Hermione had dropped everything she was doing to help him, then the least he could do was level with her and hope she didn't overreact.

Harry's eyes settled on the little bit of his scar that was visible under his hair. The constant reminder of what it meant to be Harry Potter. He pulled his hair back from his face and studied it. As he had aged, so had his scar, it was faded and didn't stand out from his tan skin like it had when he was younger. It was still noticeable, but combing his hair to the right so that it fell over his right eye concealed it perfectly. He shook his head, clearing it of all disturbing thoughts and went back to the kitchen. He walked in just as Hermione got back. Fortunately he stopped before he walked right into her apparation point. As it was, he got there in time to pluck the bag from her hand as soon as she arrived.

"Allow me to take that." Harry said.

Hermione brushed her hair back from where it had come undone from her ponytail. "Thanks Harry." She looked around. "You've been busy."

Harry emptied the bag. "You get everything you needed?"

"Yes." Hermione started adjusting the stove's settings. "I see the noodles are almost done. She turned the heat down a little more before giving the ground meat her attention.

Harry wanted to say something, do something to help, but the sight of her puttering around the kitchen preparing dinner struck a chord deep within him and he had to resist the urge to walk up and wrap his arms around her. He settled for staring at her, his gaze traveling up and down her body while she worked. Without warning, he found himself imagining what it would be like to caress her while she cooked. His eyes narrowed and his mouth grew dry. In order to keep his thoughts clean, he started talking, and he didn't care what he said.

"I ran into Sirius and Athena today."

"You did?" said Hermione stirring the meat in a pan. "What's the verdict? They serious or not?"

Harry snorted laughter. "Oh they're serious alright."

"Really? It's about time." She poured the spaghetti sauce into the pan with the meat. "Where'd you run into them at?"

"Library." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Hermione I need to tell you something, and I want you to promise me that you'll try not to overreact."

Hermione wiped her hands on a dish - towel and turned to face him. "This doesn't sound good."

Harry cleared his throat. "I'm the reason Dumbledore is dying."

"Harry! We've been through all this before. Anytime someone gets hurt protecting you, you go on one of your patented guilt trips. When are you going to realize that the people that defend you do so of their own free will? It's not like you made Voldemort's spell hit him!"

Harry grimaced, "Actually, I kind of did."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What?" She folded her arms across her chest. "I think you had better explain."

"Okay. When I told you that I was close enough to hear the curse, I was only telling half the truth." He winced in anticipation, but she did nothing but narrow her eyes. "The curse was meant for me. Voldemort fired it at me and I swung Excalibur to intercept it. The sword's blade sent it back the way it came and Voldemort dodged. Dumbledore didn't. It hit him full on, and he screamed. Voldemort watched him crumple, and his distraction allowed me to get close enough to attack. I waited for him to turn around, and when he did I impaled him with the sword." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "I was face to face with him, our eyes locked. He tried to speak, but all that came out was blood bubbles. I twisted the blade and his eyes bulged. Somehow, he managed to croak out a prophecy. He said that in the days of my quest, a child would be born that would be his gateway back to the realm of the living. I told him I would save Dumbledore, and that I was sending him to Hell. I yanked the sword from his chest, spun and took off his head." He paused to look at Hermione. She stood there with her mouth hanging open. "Anyway, I just wanted you to know the whole story."

Hermione stared at him for a long moment, not saying anything. "I'm glad you decided to tell me," she said finally. "Just because you hit the curse back at Voldemort and it hit Dumbledore instead does not make it your fault. You couldn't have known that it was going to hit Dumbledore."

"That's just it Hermione! I shouldn't have intercepted the curse."

"But it would have hit you, and then you'd be the one dying."

"No! You don't understand. The curse wouldn't have affected me."

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

"Hermione, I was wearing the scabbard! I was protected!"

"Whoa Harry! I think you'd better start from the beginning."

"Do you remember telling me that Excalibur was embedded in a stone in the cemetery, and that it was disguised as a cross?"

"Yes."

"Well, you were right. I never saw so many crosses in my life. I thought I'd never find the right one. Fortunately, I spotted one cross that seemed slightly out of proportion and I touched it. The illusion vanished, and in my hand was Excalibur. I started towards the area where Dumbledore and Voldemort were fighting, but the sword wouldn't let me move. Then out of nowhere, I hear a voice in my head. It told me to look at the top of the boulder. I did, and there was a scabbard and harness. I picked it up and the voice told me to put it on. I did as it instructed, and it said that as long as I wore it, nothing could harm me."

"That's incredible!"

"Yeah." Harry said bitterly. "I should have listened, instead of trying to get Voldemort with his own spell. I should have let it hit me, shown him that his magic was useless against me, then killed him. Now, because of me Dumbledore is dying!"

"Harry, calm down. I'm sure Dumbledore doesn't blame you."

"No, he doesn't. But he should! I blame me, so should he! So should you!" Harry scrubbed his face with his hands. "But he's not, and neither are you."

"No, I'm not angry, but keeping secrets is no way to start a relationship. Is there anything else I need to know? Anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Well, I thought I'd tell you about my travels over dinner, and if I think of anything else I'll be sure and let you know.

"Thank you." Hermione stepped closer and looked up into his eyes. "Harry, all I ask is that you keep me informed about what's going on in that head of yours." She poked him in the forehead as she said the last bit. "I can't help you deal with things if I don't know what it is you're dealing with."

Harry took her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a light kiss to her fingers. "Thank you for understanding."

Hermione nodded. "I'm going to need that back if you want dinner tonight." She said, gently tugging her hand free.

"What? Oh! Of course." Harry blushed. "Now that I've made a complete ass of myself, I think I better leave you now." He didn't give her the chance to say anything else, and bolted from the room.

Harry ended up in the living room, and found himself staring at the object he had just finished discussing. He walked over and laid his hand on the hilt. Immediately, Excalibur awoke.

"Master?" Said the voice in Harry's head. This time, the voice wasn't so masculine, and it wavered as it spoke. Harry knelt down and rested his hands on the pommel. He closed his eyes, and suddenly he was resting under a huge tree, next to a tranquil lake. "You are troubled." The voice came from the lake, and as it spoke a beautiful young woman arose from the azure waters. She looked exactly like Hermione.

"Yes Callie. I am troubled." Harry said. He stood up and wrapped his cape around the nude girl.

"Tell me what troubles you master."

"It's Hermione. I have this very strong instinct telling me not to become intimate with her just yet. But I have an even stronger instinct that wants me to go ahead." They were having this conversation telepathically, so anybody watching wouldn't think Harry was talking to himself.

"Master, it has been my experience from observing those I've known that when a basic instinct is in conflict with any other instinct, it is best to ignore the more primal one. Something deep inside you warns that to become intimate would be dangerous, so you must heed that feeling."

"Not dangerous Callie, disastrous."

"You are a strong warrior and the most powerful sorcerer that I have ever encountered. You will do what is right."

"How can you trust me so completely? You never did before."

"I have touched her. She who's form I took from your mind the first night we met, and she trusts you implicitly. How can I do less?" The Hermione look alike smiled.

"Thank you Callie. You've helped a lot. I also wanted to thank you for not appearing to her like this." He indicated her nakedness.

"I could not even if I had wanted to. It would have been far too traumatic for her to meet me like this. When I am touched, I take the face of that person's special someone. In this manner, I won't upset the person too much when I communicate with him. It also enhances the bond between the two of us."

"Yeah well, thanks for at least getting dressed for her."

"I took the form she was thinking about. You, as you were a day ago." Callie cracked a devilish grin. "Her mind is a much cleaner place than yours is."

"Hey! I'm not that bad."

"I know, I'm teasing. As I told you once before, I was created by the Lady of The Lake. It was she that first gave me form, and my natural form mirrors hers. The Lady never wore clothes, and neither do I when I take female form. I can't. The first male I met was Merlin, then Uther of Pendragon and then Great Arthur himself, and now you. I appeared to them in The Lady's form, but you had a special someone even though you weren't aware of it yet, and that was Hermione. She was the first female that had ever touched me other than The Lady, and I sensed that you were her special someone. I couldn't very well appear to her in your nude form now could I?"

"No, and I thank you for that." Harry laughed. An idea struck him suddenly, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out a question. "Callie, the first time we fought together, I used you to intercept a spell. Did you recognize it?"

Callie shuddered and pulled the cape tighter around her. "I did indeed. It was the most terrible of curses. The Mortificare Deteriorare: The Wasting Death. A curse so horrible that not even Merlin himself would dare to use it."

Harry was shocked. All this time, he had someone that knew all about the curse that was ailing Dumbledore right under his nose and he hadn't even thought to ask her. "Why? Why was Merlin afraid to use it?"

"The Wasting Death does not kill outright. It causes the body to waste away, the senses to stop working, the flesh to rot, the muscles to wither, the…"

Harry held up a hand to stop her, his face turning slightly green. "I don't need the list of symptoms Callie. Tell me more about the curse itself."

"The spell was old, very old even in Merlin's time. It was feared more than all the Unforgivable Curses combined. The Imperio Curse happened on a daily basis, The Cruciatus Curse was a means of interrogation, The Killing Curse was used in battle constantly. But no one dared use the Wasting Death. It had the bad habit of rebounding onto the caster. One had to have incredible power and hatred to even attempt the spell. When I felt the power behind that curse aimed at you, I feared for your safety. Even though you wore my scabbard, and used me to intercept it, I wasn't sure you would come from the encounter unharmed. Never have I felt such power! It is well that your power far exceeded that of Voldemort or you would have perished.

To lose concentration during casting would cause the spell to afflict the caster instead of the target. The Wasting Death did not cause death, but instead prolonged the life of the afflicted. The stronger the person afflicted, the longer their torment. In the entire known history of magic, only Merlin himself ever found the cure for it."

Harry perked up at that. "He did? What was it?"

"That I do not know. I'm aware of only two of the ingredients needed, and from what Merlin told Arthur, one is incredibly dangerous, and the other is incredibly inconvenient." Harry had sat up, and was listening intently.

"Go on, what were they?"

"The most dangerous one was the boiling blood of a FireDrake."

"A what?"

"Firedrake. It's a type of Fire Dragon. They are very rare."

"Great! Where do I find this rare type of dragon?"

"They're not rare in numbers, but rare in occurrences. They live around volcanoes, and reside in molten rock. They are by far the most dangerous creatures in the world. Nothing made by mortals can withstand the wrath of a FireDrake. I have never even heard of one being killed in all of my existence."

"Obviously Merlin found a way."

"No, he didn't make the cure, he found it."

"You said, "nothing made by mortals can withstand the wrath of a FireDrake." I take that to mean that in order to get the blood I need to use something made by an immortal. Right?"

"Yes. There are many artifacts scattered throughout the world that were made by immortal hands." Callie puffed out her chest proudly. " I happen to be the most powerful. The other ingredient is most inconvenient for a wizard. You must cast a summoning spell that will alert the Alicorn Nation that you need their assistance."

"What's so bad about that? Summoning spells are child's play for Hermione. She can cast them in her sleep." Harry said, and then scratched his head. "What's an Alicorn?"

"An Alicorn is a very aggressive, very skittish flying unicorn. It's not the summoning spell that is inconvenient; it's the agreement that goes with it. When you summon an Alicorn, you are agreeing to refrain from performing any magic at all from the time you summon it until it has completed its task. The Alicorn Nation will respond to the summons by dispatching the nearest Alicorn. The Alicorn will only make contact when it is satisfied that the summoner is trustworthy. If the agreement is broken, the Alicorn will disappear without making contact, and the Nation will not respond to another summons."

"Wow! No wonder it's inconvenient. Still, tell me how to summon the thing."

"You cannot. Only a virgin female can summon an Alicorn."

"Aha! That's why that little voice warned me to keep my hands to myself! Hermione has to perform the spell to summon the Alicorn! Then what?" Harry was fairly bouncing up and down on his knees.

"An Alicorn can only be approached by the virgin, and its only weakness is magic, which is why they demand that no magic is used. I wish I could tell you more, but Merlin is the only one to know them all. He found the cure in a book, and was telling Arthur where, and what all the ingredients were, but Arthur grew bored and ordered him to get to the point."

"What was his point?"

"Merlin was trying to tell him that he was going to write both the curse and its cure in another book. That way the cure would not become lost again."

"What book did he write it in? Do you know that?"

"Yes. Merlin's Memoirs or something like that. It shouldn't be that hard to find, it was very popular reading for wizards a thousand years ago."

Harry eyes were very wide as he absorbed all this information. "Thanks Callie. I'm going to go tell all this to Hermione so we can start looking for that book. At least now we have a name to go on." He stood up and escorted her back to the lake. The cape slid from her body as she slipped beneath the waters.

"Oh! By the way, do you know what happened six hundred years ago that would cause a number of rare and priceless books to go missing?" Harry called after her.

Callie's voice rose from the waves. "It is part of your history Master. Search your memory."

Harry stood up and patted the pommel in thanks. He headed for the kitchen, and found Hermione finishing up dinner. "Hey, I've got great news!"

Hermione turned, the pot of spaghetti in her hands. "Really? Grab that pan of garlic bread, and tell me about it."

Harry did as she asked, and followed her into the dining room. He sat down the pan, while she placed the pot on the table. He pulled out her chair for her, and then hustled back into the kitchen for their drinks. Harry popped the tops on two butterbeers, and poured them into glasses. He was tempted to just take the bottles to the table, but decided that even though they were home, Hermione deserved a little bit of class. He placed the glasses on a tray, and took them back to the dining room. He presented her drink with a flourish.

"Your beverage Madam."

Hermione giggled as she took her glass off the tray. "Thank you."

Harry went back to his chair, and started fixing his plate. When he finished, they said Grace and began eating. He was debating on how much to share, and decided that he would go ahead with his planned dinner conversation, and save the curse stuff for later.

"I know I told you I had great news, but I'd rather wait until after dinner for that if you don't mind."

"That's fine, I can wait."

"Thanks. I had planned on telling you about my travels."

"That's right! I can't believe I forgot." Hermione smacked her forehead.

Harry scratched his head. "Hmmmm…After we graduated, I went back to the Dursley's one last time."

"Oh Harry! You didn't!"

"Yeah, I did." Harry said grimly. "I had a lot of unfinished business with them. I told them that if it hadn't been for them, I could have had an almost enjoyable childhood, and that when I had children of my own I damn sure knew the way NOT to raise them. I also told them about my fortune that was under their noses the entire time." He laughed. "You should have seen their faces!"

"I can imagine."

"Anyway, I gloated a bit, threatened them with bodily harm, and in general made an asshole out of myself. I figured since they had been doing it to me for my entire existence, turn about was fair play. I gave them a small glimpse of my true power, and…" Harry paused.

"And?" Hermione asked.

"I made Dudley wet himself."

"You did what?"

"I scared him so bad that he wet himself. Right in front of his parents and Aunt Marge."

"Harry. That was beneath you."

"I know, I know. I felt a little bad, but he had it coming. I went back outside, hopped on Sirius' motorcycle that he gave me as a graduation present, and headed home. When I got there, Sirius told me to get packed, we were going on vacation. I didn't ask where, because I didn't really care. I wanted to send you postcards, but Sirius told me the idea of vacation is to take a break from everything you know. Well, first we hit Paris, stayed there a couple of weeks and I received my first introduction to Sirius' lady killer charms. That man is James Bloody Bond! Everywhere we went, ladies threw themselves at him. He'd make a date with one for one night, and someone else the night after. Then we hopped over to Rome for a month, and Sirius met the Countess. After that fiasco, he decided that Italy wasn't really safe for us, and we took off for Athens. We traveled by plane, train, boat, car, broom, and even walked during our travels. We weren't in Athens long before Sirius upset a powerful follower of Hecate. He was seeing her daughter, a girl that was only a year older than I was at the time. We left Greece in a hurry, and decided to see the sights of the Orient." Harry paused to take a long drink from his glass.

"Wow! You certainly got around didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that's only half of it. I didn't really care for the Orient very much, although I did pick up some nice souvenirs." Harry snapped his fingers suddenly. "That reminds me! I bought you something, and completely forgot to give it to you!" He rushed from the table and tore open a hall closet. He took a large box from the top shelf and hurried back to the dining room.

"Here it is. I'm sorry I forgot, but right after I got back I bought this place, started renovating, and then received word of Dumbledore's illness." He handed her the box, and sat back down. "You can open it now if you like. Or you can wait till I've finished with my story."

"I'll wait. I've been waiting for this story longer." Hermione assured him.

"Well, after the Orient, we took a boat ride to Australia and I got to meet the Crocodile Hunter. Turned out, Sirius stayed with them in his dog form for a few weeks while he was on the run. Anyway, wasn't much to do there, so we headed for America. We visited Hollywood, The Grand Canyon, The Medicine Wheel, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Charleston, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and this really eerie cave with tiny mummies wrapped in bandages with their eyes open. That place gave me the creeps. The magic in the air was palpable."

"What is the Medicine Wheel? And mummies?"

"The wheel is a circle of stone much like Stonehenge, but instead of being arranged like Stonehenge, it's arranged in the pattern of an old wagon wheel. The Native Shamen claim that it was built in by: The Men Who Had No Iron, or The Little People, because they were there too. I was struck by how powerful the aura around it was. Muggles don't notice anything, but the Shamen do, and Sirius and I did. It was like…I can't really describe it, but I could tell I was in a place of incredibly old magic. The mummies were the same feeling, with a slight tinge of sorrow. I couldn't help but wonder who had put them there. The mummies were about a foot and a half tall, about the size of Leprechauns, and I think they were the Little People the Shamen spoke of. Either way, I'm not going back to that cave anytime soon."

"Spooked you that much?"

"Yeah, you try staring into faces of people that have been dead for who knows how long, and the bad part is…the eyes are still alive!"

"What?"

"The eye's aren't decomposed, they look just like mine do or yours do. Still bright blue, just like they awoke from a nap. The magic there was almost overwhelming, and I didn't stay long."

"Did you say 'blue eyes'?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, do you know anything about them?"

"Not a lot, but I have come across mention of some very powerful Leprechauns that left Ireland thousands of years ago. Nobody knows why they left, but there has been speculation that they had a vision, and it called to them."

"That makes about as much sense as anything else does. After the cave, Sirius decided that I needed to experience life American style. We rented a small apartment, and spent our days watching television. That's how I managed to learn the American accent so well. I can do Scottish, a bit of Irish, I am zee ow' do you zay terrible at the French, and can do passing well with Australian. I would do a Mexican one, but I can't do it without thinking about the little mouse cartoon that I learned it from." He chuckled, but then gave into the urge. He made his voice higher and nasal. "Holy frijoles! I'm Speedy Gonzales! The fastest mouse in all Mejico!"

Hermione laughed at the impersonation. "That was spot on! I recognize that character from television I watched on one of my family's numerous vacations to the States."

"I'm glad you like it. We stayed there for about five months, and then we came back here. I bought this shack and started constructing the lower levels. I had just completed the second floor when I got an owl from Dumbledore. I was owling you and Ron every week, but I didn't get any in return owls from him. Then I started researching spells to help Dumbledore fight this illness. I managed to transfer a portion of my power to him, and that's what's kept him alive for the past two years while I've been searching. Every now and then, I get an owl from his daughter, asking me to come and see him. When I do, I give him some more power to sustain him until my next visit."

"Harry, how can you transfer power to him? I've never read of such a thing being possible. One can transfer ALL one's power to another person, but there isn't a spell that allows a person to share their power. It either all or nothing."

Harry blushed, and looked down and the table. "One thing I learned early on is that the rules don't apply to me Hermione."

"What? How is that possible? You're a Wizard, albeit a powerful one, the rules apply to everyone."

"I'm not a Wizard Hermione. I'm what is known as an Arch Mage."

"Harry! That is not possible! It takes years of studying for an adult Wizard to become an Adept, and decades to become a Mage! How can you be an Arch Mage?"

"My father came from a long line of Mages. It was expected that he would have become one in time, and the only reason he attempted to face Voldemort was because he had begun his Adept training and thought he might stand a chance. He was wrong. However, with all his power running through my veins, it was inevitable that I too would one day reach Mage status. But something happened that caused a considerable boost to my power."

"Voldemort." Hermione said.

"Yeah. When his curse backfired, it transferred all his powers to me, and combined with my latent powers inherited from my father. That boosted my power quite a bit more."

"I'll bet. That must have sent your power level through the roof!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It did. I learned that Voldemort was a Mage too. That's why no one could stand against him except Dumbledore. They're both Mages, although Dumbledore was slightly stronger due to being older and studying longer. I am the first Arch Mage in centuries."

"Wow!" Hermione's mouth had fallen open. "I know I seem to be saying that a lot, but it's the only coherent thought in my head. Just wow!"

"How do you think I felt? I learned all this during 7th year, before we spent those four days in the library researching Excalibur's location. Then I began training with Dumbledore, and learned how to use some of my power. Then, when I got back from vacation, some new ones appeared and that's why I didn't visit you like I wanted, I wasn't in full control of the new ones yet. I found this out the hard way, I had originally wanted this place to be a two story, but the power got out of hand and suddenly I had way more space than I had planned. So I made it a three story instead. I can happily say however, that I haven't blown anything up in at least six months, so I'm finally safe to be around."

"That's nice to know." Hermione said dryly. "Harry, you have to be careful. I've never even read about someone with as much power as you have. Can you really control it?"

"I've spent the past two years getting a handle on it, now I can honestly say that I am in full control of it." Harry grinned sheepishly. "Except of course when I get excited."

"I guess I'll have to remember not to get you excited then." Hermione smiled.

"I can do without that kind of talk." Harry frowned. "It's not conducive to my self control at all."

"I'm sorry, I'll behave." Hermione pouted.

"See that you do. Just being near you is taxing my resolve, and that little voice is screaming in my head. And if that doesn't persuade you, think about all the damage I could do if I get too excited. Now, I'm immune to my power, but you're not. I don't want to see what charbroiled Hermione looks like."

"Oh. I wasn't aware that it was that volatile."

"And then some. I'm hoping that by the time we cure Dumbledore, I'll be able to function like a normal man without incinerating you."

"I guess we'll just have to get you acclimated to my touch in increments then. We'll start out with just little things like holding hands. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yeah, I can take that and probably a bit more. I just don't wanna chance hurting you."

"Okay. We'll move at your speed then." Hermione changed the subject suddenly. "What was your great news?"

"Oh that! I found out a possible name for the book that contains the curse and cure. It's called Merlin's Memoirs, or a play on those words."

"Wow! How did you learn this? You were only gone for a little while, not nearly long enough to go back to the library."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I got this strange urge to ask Excalibur, and miracles of miracles it knew what I was talking about. It told me that Merlin's book was very popular reading among wizards a thousand years ago."

Hermione got up from the table and walked over to Harry's chair. "How long have you been researching this spell?"

"Uh…off and on, I'd say around a year."

Hermione smiled sweetly, then gave him the mother of all Stooge slaps to the back of his head.

"OW! HERMIONE! What was that for?" Harry asked, rubbing his head.

"You've been researching this spell for around a year, and you had vital information at your fingertips the entire time? Why didn't you ask Excalibur before? I thought I taught you better than that Harry." Hermione admonished.

"You did, but it never even occurred to me to ask the sword. I mean, how many normal people go around asking their weapons for advice?"

"You are Harry Potter, the abnormal is normal for you." Hermione smiled.

"This is true." Harry admitted nodding his head. " I just wish I had thought to ask sooner! All that tedious reading could have been avoided!"

Hermione laughed. "Poor Harry! You had to learn for no reason. Perish the thought!"

"Ha ha. Laugh it up fuzzball." Harry grinned.

"Fuzzball! Ooooh! Star Wars quotes," Hermione cracked her knuckles. "Why you stuck up, half witted, scruffy looking…Nerfherder!"

"Who's scruffy lookin'?"

"You are!"

They dissolved into laughter.

Harry stopped first, wiping tears from his eyes. "It's just not as much fun without Ron to do Chewie."

"I know. I really miss how much fun the three of us used to have."

"Don't worry, I got a feeling that we're gonna need him for at least one of the ingredients."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We need the boiling blood from a Fire Drake, and from what Excalibur said, we're gonna need all the help we can get!"

"A Fire Drake? Harry, those things are dangerous!"

"I know. According to Excalibur, nothing can withstand the wrath of a Fire Drake except…objects not made by mortal hands."

"Wow. That's going to be a tough order to fill."

"Yeah it is. We also have to summon an Alicorn for something."

"An Alicorn?" Hermione asked, "What's that?"

"Way I hear it, it's an extremely aggressive flying unicorn. It only responds to a particular summons, and will not tolerate any magic used from the time it is contacted until after it has completed its task."

"That's odd."

"Not really. They're only vulnerable to magic attacks. Which is why no magic is allowed at any time from first contact till the thing has left."

"Anything else?"

Harry flushed, but since he had come this far, there was no turning back. "Uhmmm…Itcanonlybesummonedbyafemalevirgin." He said quickly.

"Oh my!"

"HERMIONE! You CAN summon the Alicorn, can't you?"

Hermione turned scarlet, and nodded. "Y-y-yes." She stammered.

Harry blew out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Whew! That's a relief! I didn't want to tell you that part because I wasn't sure how you'd take it. You had me worried for a minute there."

"Harry Potter! Are you saying that my virtue was a question mark in your mind?"

"Uh NO! Of course not! I-I-I didn't…" Harry wasn't helping his situation any, and decided the best way out of it was to distract her with something else. "My little voice wouldn't have told me to keep my hands to myself if you didn't have your virtue."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You were still wondering though." It wasn't a question, and Harry was unsure of how to get out of the hole that seemed to be getting deeper no matter what he said.

"Hermione, I'm sorry." He gave her his best, lost puppy look.

"That's not going to save you Harry! You questioned my virtue and I am appalled. How could you think such a thing?"

"Well, I didn't mean to think it."

"I'm sure you didn't, but deep down you still wondered and that's what bothers me."

"Hermione. Pumpkin, I nev…" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off quickly.

"What? What did you call me?"

Harry looked nervous. "Uh… Pumpkin? Is it too soon for me to say that? ForgetitItakeitback!" he said, when her expression changed from curious to something he had trouble reading.

"No. No, I like it. Pumpkin. Why Pumpkin though?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know it just seemed to fit. Plus, remember that pumpkin pie we tried to make in 7th year?"

Hermione laughed. "How could I forget? We got it all over us when that beater you enchanted to stir it went crazy."

Harry was pleased that his plan to throw her off the previous subject was working so well. "Hey, I couldn't help it. That was one of those times when my power got away from me."

"Really? What caused you to lose control of it?"

Harry frowned. "You know, I haven't been able to figure that out? It was the first time one of my spells went haywire, and I have no idea why."

"Maybe it was an indicator that your powers were getting much stronger than you were used to." Hermione offered.

Harry shrugged. "I guess. That does fit in with the events that happened later that year. First the pie incident, then the research for Excalibur, and those four lovely days in the library," he scowled in memory, "and then my training with Dumbledore."

Hermione giggled. "Poor Harry. You've spent the majority of the past two years researching one thing or another. Ever consider a job in a research field? I'm sure you'd be good at it. What with all your experience and all."

"Not funny. Why don't you open your present instead of picking on me?"

Hermione pinched his cheek. "But you're so cute when you're feeling picked on!"

Harry playfully slapped at her hand. "I am not!"

"Are too!" Hermione ruffled his hair, making it stick up even more than usual.

"Hey!" Harry said, trying to stop her. "I just got it to lay down!" He attempted to smooth his wayward locks, but Hermione stopped him.

"Don't," she said, "I like it wild."

Harry stopped trying to fix his hair. "Really? I thought you liked clean cut guys."

Hermione blushed. "I do, mostly. But I…" She turned around and faced the wall. "Uh…Harry!"

Harry spun to look at her, and an incredible searing pain ripped through his head making him cry out. He stumbled from his chair, and hit the floor on his knees. Through the blood running down his face, he could make out writing on the wall. His eyes refused to focus, and rolled up into his head. Harry slumped sideways, his head coming to rest on the seat of his chair. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Hermione scream.

"HARRY!"

Author's Notes: Please read and review. I'll take any kind of constructive criticism. I really need some good constructive criticism. If you like it, tell me why & in detail. If you don't like it, tell me why & in extreme detail. I'll even take flames, IF they are constructive. Remember, the more reviews I get the faster I can get out the other chapters! = )