Chapter Number: 06
Chapter Name: Gremlins on the Wing
Harry had never been on a plane, but when he saw the compartment they were supposed to be in, he knew that this trip must have had cost a lot. The compartment was very spacious, with few seats, only a third as many as there were in the same area in the economy class, but Harry did not know that. The plush comfortable looking leather seats had a lot of room, both in front and the back. There was big screen that Harry assumed was used for in-flight movies.
* I'll ask her later *, he thought.
The soft carpet and expensive looking lacquered wall, made Harry feel very guilty for accepting the gift that Hermione's parents had given him. 'It must have had cost them a lot of money' - he kept thinking, and they had only known him for less than two months.
When Harry approached their designated seats, Harry was amazed at the number of buttons that were there. He could identify fair few of them easily, the rest looked, well for a lack of a better word odd. " Which seat do you want, Hermione?" he asked finding the two designated seats for them.
" Well, I like to see the plane take off..." she said, thinking deeply about the question like she always did, no matter how trivial the question was, "... but since this is your first trip, you take it this way. I'll take it on the way back." She gave him a large smile that warmed his heart. It made him feel oddly enough, safe and secure. He thought about all the times Hermione had smiled like that. There was just so many. It was a good thing, since he had so many miserable things happen to him over the years, he was glad that Hermione wad stood by him through it all. The only time she had made him angry was when she told Professor McGonagall about the firebolt. She had assumed that the Firebolt was a gift from the convicted killer, Sirius Black, his godfather. In truth he did send the broom, but he was innocent.
Harry scolded himself for doubting Hermione. She was always the smartest in their pack. * Ron...*, thought Harry. Well Harry knew that Ron could be a jealous git, but when it really came to the crunch time he was always there, Loyal. His thoughts then turned to the twins. It hadn't been a dull moment in Hogwarts, with them around. It was going to be a shame that they would leave at the end of the year.
Feeling himself settling into the soft seat, Harry's thoughts drifted back to the early morning discussion that he had with Hermione. He had expressed his concern over the amount of money that Hermione's parents had paid, but he was surprised to hear that the trip was not going to cost as much since it had been arranged by a friend of the families.
Somehow in amongst remembering good times, the image of Cedric at the ball with Cho appeared before his eyes. He remembered wanting Cedric to fall off the face of the earth then. Ironically it had come true, but not without baggage. Though Harry knew, it was not his wish, which resulted in Cedric being dead, he could not help himself but think. Harry's thoughts turned to the duel he had with Lord Voldemort, in the graveyard. His mind analyzed the information from that day - he did that everyday. He wanted to come to a conclusion other than the one he had come up with, every day of the week, for the last two months.
Hermione noticed the strange expression on his face. For a while she was unsure of what to do. * He looks scared... No. That's not it. Maybe I should ask him *, she thought, concerned.
" Harry" said Hermione, as she leaned closer to Harry sitting next to her.
" huh..." answered back a puzzled Harry.
" You have this... err.. look on your face. I don't know what you're thinking but it's making me nervous. "
" Oh" said Harry as if that should make her feel better.
" So..." Hermione said in her frustrated voice. " tell me."
" Tell you what?" Harry was always a bit clueless. One should excuse his slowness though. That long summer of studying had to take a toll on him somehow.
" What were you thinking about?" said Hermione as she paused a little waiting for Harry to tell her something, but when he didn't she continued, " I swear I won't tell anyone. Not even-" but Hermione was cut off in mid sentence.
" Okay...Okay... You aren't going like this, but I'll tell you anyway" said Harry as he took a big breath before sitting up to continue. "I don't think Vold- you-know-who was very strong when he attacked me last year... I already told you that part."
More strange expressions passed Harry's face. "...What I didn't tell you was how strong he really was. I doubt he had the same powers at the end of last year as he did when he killed my parents, before he disappeared leaving me behind. Do you want to know what's even worse?"
Hermione tried in vain to sound not to be disturbed by this news, but her counterpart knew her a bit better than she thought.
" What?"
He knew she was afraid when she asked the question, but she would ask it anyway, so that he could get it off his head. Harry thought of dismissing the conversation, but decided that Hermione would think he did not think she was brave enough. " Remember the first year, when we had to get pass fluffy..." Harry paused a second for Hermione to recall the events, before continued.
"...I think when Vold- you-know-who attacked me last year, he was much weaker than he was back in our first year. He could have had killed me if he waited, but decided waiting too long might give me an opportunity to escape, or give enough time for his death eaters to turn on him. With my protection gone I really wasn't much of a threat to him. I shudder to think how powerful he really can become..."
Hermione gasped at the news. She could hardly bring herself to believe it. If what Harry thought was right then he would not be able to survive an encounter with a fully powered the dark lord, much less defeat him. She had the romanticized idea that Harry would one day be the greatest wizard in the world, but she now started to fear for his life. Her body started to shiver slightly.
When Harry noticed her shiver. He gently took hand and used his thumb to stroke across the back of her palm. Hermione felt the panic dissipate, as a wave of warmth started to wash over her. Seeing that Hermione had returned to her normal demeanor, Harry stopped and whispered to Hermione. " Don't worry. Everything will be alright."
Harry did not give a reason why, or how it was going to be all right. But Hermione believed in him. When the final bit of the panic left she joined Harry in watching the three gremlins on the wing of the Airplane. Seeing the gremlins caused a flash back...
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.... OK. So does anyone know what gremlins are?" asked Professor Lupin.
" Those ugly creatures that go on the wings of aeroplanes and try to crash them..." asked a muggleborn Hufflepuff called Jemi.
"...err...no... close, but not exactly..." Professor Lupin looked around again. Hermione still had her hands up. She was not going to put it down until he asked her.
"... Anyone?" He looked pleadingly at almost everyone in the class. "... Anyone but Hermione? There's a prize for the person. An extra day at Hogsmede with three other friends".
When no one else put up their hand, Professor Lupin turned to Hermione "...Oh, OK. Hermione - but no trip for you."
Hermione was not unhappy at all, Ron was a different case altogether different, as she put down her hand and said, " Gremlins are fun loving creatures with an odd obsession. They love to get as high as they can off the ground and then jump. They don't have any protective devices to save them from jumping. The reason why was a bit odd to say the least. When they crash into the ground below, they split apart into bits. It takes them a fair few days, for all the bits to get back together, at which time the they repeat the process all over again."
" Excellent answer Hermione. From what Jemi said, it's clear that a lot of wizards and witches have misconceptions about the..."
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As Hermione relaxed, as much as she could do so under the circumstances, into her seat, she saw Harry take out a book. She knew the book almost intimately; its size, shape and texture were so familiar to her that, had she tried to picture it in her mind she would have no trouble at all. Before she knew it she was asleep - with a slight smile in the corner of her lips, happy in the fact that someone else other than her liked the book to read it when they did not need to.
~o0o~
Hermione woke up after a few hours into the journey and there was at least another hour left of it. Most of the people were sleeping or enjoying the last part of the in-flight movie (You've Got mail). She turned her head to the window to see Harry sleeping comfortably on the seat next to her, his mouth was open a little bit as he was drooling slightly. She could not help but grin a little.
*Something to tease him about * she thought smiling.
Then she noticed that the pages of the thick book were turning by themselves. The gasp she made caught the attention of the Harry - who was reading the book in his Astral form.
Harry had been so absorbed in his reading of events leading up to the great wizarding war between the Druids of England and Mages of She'orn in the late 1100's, that he did not realize that Hermione was awake. But as soon as he heard her gasp, he regretted not telling her about reading books when he was in Astral Projection. Her face had a mixture of emotions on it ranging from amazement to disbelief to fear.
Harry made a split second decision to tell Hermione right there and then about it. When he snapped open his eyes, he saw the look on her face had not changed in the time between his waking up and him stopping the projection. He wasn't sure whether or not it was because he had returned to his body, almost instantaneously that her face still held the same expression of fear and disbelief.
" It was me..." he said to softly when he was back.
" Huh?"
Hermione paid no attention to what Harry had said, so he repeated, " I was reading the book."
" How?... What did you say?..." even as Hermione said this her brain was rushing to finish analyzing what Harry had just told her. Once she realized the implications of his statements she was right royally angry.
" ... I don't believe this! HARRY POTTER! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?" Yelled Hermione, managing to get attention from quite a few people, some sleeping others not.
" shush...." said Harry, trying to get Hermione to reduce the pitch of her voice. " ...calm down. I only found out a few days ago and I was going to tell you when we got to Morocco." said Harry in a low voice to emphasise the need for secrecy. " Think about it. I can now literally study in my sleep. Besides didn't you wonder why I wanted to I want to do Automatic page turning Charm on all my books?... even the small ones. " Harry paused just long enough for Hermione to think about what he had just said and then stared again before she could ask anything else again. " Hermione... I'm really sorry. I should've told you about it when I foun -" he stopped in mid sentences and the tone of voice suddenly changed into total regret, " I'll do anything... Just name it?"
Hermione was not to be satisfied that easily. She wanted to know exactly when and how he learned that he could (rather the charm could sense him) do this. After about fifteen minutes of groveling and detailed explanation, Hermione was calm again.
" You know if you had told me before I would have had Mrs. McDougol put those charms on the books" said Hermione.
" I don't want anyone knowing about my powers just yet." He paused before solemnly saying, "Not even Ron."
Hermione was surprised. * He tells Ron everything. Why would he not want to tell him about the powers... Oh! No! They didn't have another argument did they...but when could they have ha....*
" Why?" she asked frowning. " You didn't have another fight with him did you?".
" No. You remember last year... remember when he was acting like a big baby that I got to be a champion and he didn't. I had to risk my life in the first task to get him to realize I didn't put my name in it... I don't want that to happen again... and then there's a chance that Vold-you-know-who would come after me too soon, if he knew I was gaining strength - if I'm getting stronger at all."
" You really thought this through...haven't you?" asked Hermione, amazed at just how much thought the "reckless Harry Potter" had put into thinking about the situation. * Well... You grow up really fast if there was a mad man...no mad thing after you... * thought Hermione bitterly as she looked at Harry.
" I guess..." said Harry, then he could not resist adding something more, "...you're rubbing off on me."
Hermione gave him a playful punch before the two friends drifted off topic and started to talk about a variety of other subjects. The subjects were as varied as each second to an hour. They also talked about brooms and Quidditch, and Harry was all too happy to fill her in on some of the finer points of the game. Hermione had many misconceptions about the game and Harry was glad to rectify them.
As time wore on the time for their arrival drew closer. The excitement of exploring a new country could be seen very clearly on Hermione's face, but their landing was a bit bumpy because of the strong winds, but aside from that there was no trouble on the flight.
Errors? Grammar? Plot hole? Anything you want to tell me about?