Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Harry Potter. They are the property of J. K. Rowling.
Hermione Granger awoke from the best night sleep she'd ever had. Her brown eyes fluttered open, and she snuggled closer to the warmth next to her. It was then that she noticed that someone was in her bed with her, and the only thing she was wearing was the blanket on top of her.
At first, she was apprehensive, but then her memories of the night before kicked in, and a warm smile spread across her lips. Lifting her head, she saw a familiar face tucked into her pillow. Harry was still sleeping, but his arms were wrapped tightly around her.
'Hmm, now how to wake him up.'
Thinking of the perfect idea, Hermione wiggled around until she was lying on top of him. Bending down, she let her lips brush against his, hoping that her Prince Charming would awaken under her kiss.
It took only a moment before Harry responded, and he caught her mouth in a tender kiss. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by two big, brown eyes, and the greatest smile that he'd ever seen.
"G'morning sleepyhead," Hermione giggled.
"Good morning indeed. What a pleasant site to wake up to."
"Smooth talker." She shifted her body again, and Harry sighed as her soft curves brushed against his sensitive skin.
"You're wonderful, sweetheart."
"Thank you, you're not too bad yourself." Harry brought her closer to him and kissed her lips gently.
"Want to stay here for the rest of the day?" His eyebrows quirked up seductively, and he grinned wryly.
"Now, that's a serious temptation…especially since you can't move unless I get off you."
"Says who?" Harry sat up, and Hermione ended up sitting astride his lap. She was surprised at his latent strength. He moved back against the headboard and situated her across his legs.
"You're full of surprises," she laughed.
"You have no idea…" His hands began roaming around her body, and Hermione felt the sensations beginning to rekindle inside her. His touch was so gentle…so soothing. His caress was like a whisper in the wind.
"Hermione!" a voice called.
The mood was completely broken, and Hermione's head snapped around in horror. That was Lavender's voice! She calmed down slightly when she saw two large curtains in front of her bed, but how had they gotten there?
"Y-y-yes?" she said hesitantly, hoping that her friend wouldn't open the curtains.
"What's wrong? You sound tired. Did Harry wear you out last night?"
"Lavender!"
"He…he…he…just kidding. I'm going down to the common room to see Ron; I'll be back after lunch okay?"
"Sure, I'll see you then." Hermione's head fell down on Harry's shoulder, and she sulked.
"Oh brother, now everyone in Hogwarts will know that you're here."
"No, they won't."
"But how can you be sure?" Hermione asked looking at him worriedly. Harry just gave her a goofy smile.
"Remember that spell that I cast last night?"
"Yes, why?"
"When I sealed the room, I put a special sanction on my lock. The door could only be opened by either you, me, or someone who would not disclose what they saw."
"But…does that mean that Lavender saw us…" Hermione's face nearly turned purple.
"Relax Herm, she and Pavarati walked in after we'd fallen asleep. They woke me up, and I put those curtains up to keep out their prying eyes."
"You're a genius, Harry!" and she hugged him tightly. His kissed the top of her head.
"Well, I am in love with the smartest girl at Hogwarts."
As happy as Hermione was, she could feel something nagging at her brain. She knew that Harry couldn't stay here indefinitely.
"When do you have to leave?" she asked while drawing designs on his chest.
"In a few hours. I need to go before someone finds me. I could just imagine what would happen if Malfoy or Snape found me here."
"I don't want you to go!" Hermione gasped and hugged him tightly. Harry was surprised at her sudden outburst but clutched her tightly.
"Sweetheart, I'm never far away from you. I know that this is hard; it's hard for me too. I hope that this will be over soon, but until then, we both have to persevere."
After holding each other for another hour, Harry and Hermione got out of bed and dressed. Harry gathered his few belongings and picked up his Invisibility Cloak off the floor.
"Do me a favor? Say goodbye to Ron for me?"
"Sure, but I know that he'd want to tell you goodbye too."
"I should go before everyone gets out of lunch; it'll be easier to slip out." Hermione buried herself in his arms.
"Tell me that I'll see you again…soon."
"I can't make any guarantees, sweetheart, but I promise you this 'You will always be a part of me'."
"And you a part of me." Hermione knew how true that was - especially after their actions the night before. A part of Harry would always be inside her. He drew her close, and their lips touched in the most romantic of kisses.
"I love you."
"I love you." Reluctantly, Harry let her go and grabbed his cloak. "Goodbye for now," and he quietly slipped out the door.
"Until the next time, my love."
Springtime around Hogwarts meant several things: trees and plants growing back after a long winter's rest, warmer weather returning to the castle, and for sixth and seventh year students, the N.E.W.T.S. had arrived. They were every Hogwarts' student nightmare, but they were required for graduation. The sixth years took it as a practice, but the seventh years were for real.
Spring was also a time of romance at Hogwarts. Ron and Lavender had become an item over the passed several months. Helping out Harry and Hermione so much had led to their own kindling romance.
Meanwhile…in a darkened house on the far side of Britain, a hooded figure approached its master.
"My lord?"
"What is it, Wormtail, I'm busy right now." Wormtail, better known as Peter Pettigrew, cowered under the burning red eyes of his master.
"Sir, our informants have completed their intelligence; the rumors were true."
Lord Voldemort stood up from the large chair that he was in and let out a sadistic laugh. His ghostly white skin and bald head made him looked like a zombie.
"When Lucius told me that he had gotten Harry Potter expelled from Hogwarts, I couldn't believe it. I was sure that Dumbledore or Fudge had some plan behind all this. Are you certain that it is true?"
"Yes, my lord, Lucius has spoken with his son many times over the passed few months, and Harry Potter has not been seen at Hogwarts once since just after the New Year."
"Something just doesn't add up about this. What's our status on our plans?"
"My lord, your followers are poised to raid Azkaban within the next week. We have received no word from the giants however. The trolls will be easy enough to control, but the centaurs will not cooperate with us."
"No matter, neither the giants nor the centaurs would dare to openly oppose me; they're not strong enough." Voldemort smiled an evil grin.
"So…Harry Potter was kicked out of Hogwarts. Well then, I guess I could kill him the easy way or the hard way."
"What do mean, master?" Wormtail asked.
"It's quite simple. If Potter is no longer at Hogwarts, then he is no longer under Dumbledore's protection. That old goat has been a thorn in my side long enough. We could hunt the boy down and kill him, but it would take a good number of our resources. On the other hand, we could make him come to us by taking away what he loves most."
"Sir? You don't mean…"
"Avery…Crab…Goyle!" Voldemort shouted, and three men appeared at his command.
"Listen carefully, all of you. If Hogwarts' tradition hasn't changed, the entire Ministry of Magic attends their graduations. It would be a perfect target for us."
"But, my lord, if I may, what does this have to do with Potter?" Avery asked.
"You imbecile, don't you see. That boy loves Hogwarts. If it is danger, he will come back to help; it's in his nature. Yes, I can kill two birds with one stone. Potter won't be able to resist coming to save his friends. I can kill him in front of the entire Ministry of Magic; that will be the end of their insolence."
"An excellent plan, master," Wormtail quickly agreed.
"Shut-up, you pathetic excuse for a man. Avery, contact Lucius and inform him of our plans. Crab, Goyle, summon my followers. Our time has finally come."
Hermione sat beside Ron in Advanced Transfiguration. They were supposed to turn the pillow in front of them into a cat or some other type of small animal. She was trying her best, but every time, the cat came out with either no legs or only one or two.
"Dammit, why can't I do this?" she hissed. Ron was taken aback; Hermione never swore.
"Relax Herm, it's just practice okay. Take a deep breath and calm down. Come on, you can do this stuff in your sleep."
"Sorry Ron, I'm just a little on edge right now." The red-haired young man cracked a small grin at her.
"Don't mention it…" he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "…I miss him too." Hermione perked up and smiled brightly. She picked up her wand and went back to transfiguring her cat/pillow.
The door to the classroom opened and in walked Professor Dumbledore himself. The old man pushed his glasses up on his nose and smiled at the class.
"Excuse me, Professor McGonagall, could I see Miss Granger please?" Hermione almost swallowed her tongue. Had she just heard what she thought she heard?
"Certainly, Professor," replied Minerva McGonagall who had a surprised look on her face as well. Hermione gathered her things and followed the headmaster out of the room.
"Come with me," he merely said and led the young woman down the hall.
Hermione remained silent as she followed Dumbledore down the various hallways and passages. Finally arriving at a large gargoyle statue, he whispered 'lemon drop', and the statue moved aside.
"Come inside, Miss Granger." Hermione had always wondered what his office had looked like, and she readily followed.
Harry had told her a few times what Dumbledore had in his office, but she was still stunned by the beautiful collection of paintings and trinkets around the large room.
"What did you want to see me about, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.
"Relax, my dear, you're not in trouble; I merely brought you here to talk that is all." She visibly relaxed.
"What do wish to know?"
"Ah, I believe that is the question that you have for me?" he said with a toothy grin. "You have a great many questions, child, now you may ask them."
"Well…I…" Hermione looked down at her hands. There were so many things buzzing through her mind that she couldn't decide.
"Perhaps I should start by telling what I told Harry so long ago. The true reason why he survived Voldemort's attack all those years ago." The young woman's jaw dropped.
"Sir…why would you tell me this?" His smile only widened.
"I sense a growing sadness within you, Hermione. It has been there since Harry left here, and it has affected both you and your performance since. Tell me, why do you miss him so much?"
"Because…I…I love him, professor. And he loves me as well. We both tried to ignore it for so long, but when he was hurt, I couldn't stand not telling him anymore. We tried to keep our feelings private, but I'm sure that you know that didn't exactly happen." Dumbledore chuckled lightly.
"You two remind of James and Lily during their sixth year. That was when their relationship became serious, but it wasn't nearly as unusual."
"Hermione, listen to me carefully, I am going to tell you the same thing that I told Harry, but I must ask you not to tell anyone about it. I held him to the same promise, and he kept it."
"I promise, sir," she replied.
"Very well." Dumbledore proceeded to tell Hermione what had happened to Harry the night that Voldemort attacked his home - why he really survived, what happened with Gemstar, and why his power was growing so rapidly.
Hermione could only listen in wonder as Dumbledore continued with his story. She'd always associated the unbelievable with Harry Potter, but this was well beyond that.
"So, Harry's abilities will continue to increase as he ages?"
"Yes, but they will climax on the day he matures. I knew that it would be only a matter of time before Voldemort returned to kill Harry so he and I agreed to a plan."
"What do mean 'a plan'?" Hermione asked with a concerned look.
"Let me explain…"
*Flashback to Harry and Dumbledore's first meeting*
"Harry, listen to me carefully. The plan that I have in mind will put you at great risk, but it is the only alternative that we have left. I intend to draw Voldemort out of hiding."
"How do you plan on accomplishing that?"
"We must give him a ripe target; it must either you or Hogwarts. But if we gave him both, he can't resist. Harry…that is why I must ask you…to leave Hogwarts."
"Leave! But this is the closest I've ever had to a home." Dumbledore hated having to ask him this, but he had no other choice.
"Harry, listen carefully, if you were to leave, I know that Voldemort would get word of it. He would attack Hogwarts because he knows that you would come back to protect your friends. That way, he can destroy both you and the school at once. After that whole fiasco with the TriWizard Tournament and what you told me about him, Voldemort believes that you are no threat to him, but you are still a nuisance regardless."
Harry sat staring at his hands. Professor Dumbledore was asking him to give up the one thing that made him proud of who he was. But at the same time, he felt responsible for Voldemort's actions. He would die if the evil wizard destroyed Hogwarts.
"All right, sir, what do want me to do?"
"Good, my boy, you've grown in a man."
"I don't want to leave here, professor, but if helps to stop Voldemort, I'll do it."
"I'm glad to here that, but there is more to my plan. You cannot just disappear from Hogwarts; Voldemort would recognize my actions in an instant. The only other option is for you to be forcibly removed from here."
"You mean expelled!"
"Exactly. If you were expelled from Hogwarts, not only would Voldemort's lackeys carry it back to him, but they would probably legitimize it even more. The only thing is, I'm not quite sure how to go about it. Minister Fudge won't allow you to be simply 'thrown out' - not with your reputation. It would have to be for something incontrovertible."
"Well, I won't kill anybody if that's what you mean." Dumbledore chuckled at his comment.
"Don't worry, Harry, I would never ask that of you, and frankly, I doubt you'd do it anyway."
"What should we do then?"
"We will bide our time for the moment. As I told you, I believe that Voldemort will not attack until the summertime. But we must act by Christmas, or there won't be enough time."
"Listen Harry, while you are gone, I'm going to arrange for you to continue learning magic. You must be trained to duel and learn to defend yourself properly against high-level magic. I could be fired for even suggesting this, but I trust your judgment. I know that you will learn to control your power."
"Professor Dumbledore…I know that I haven't always followed the rules, but I try to respect what you've built here at Hogwarts. I know that the Ministry of Magic doesn't always like me, but I…"
"It's all right, Harry, I understand. I know that you act on your instincts; it is a quality that few wizards possess at such a young age."
"Sir, if I may ask, why am I being ask to do this? I mean, I know I was given a gift and so forth, but aren't you strong enough to defeat Voldemort? Haven't the two of you always equaled each other?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes and removed his glasses. He had hoped that Harry wouldn't have asked that question.
"To be frank, my boy, the answer is no. In my prime, yes, Voldemort and I were equals in abilities and power. He chose to learn spells and curses that I did not, but I was still able to counteract him. Now however, I've grown much older, and from what you've told me, that evil wizard has been reborn to the height of his power."
"You mean you can't beat him!" Harry gasped hardly believing his mentor's words.
"I can slow him down, but I cannot defeat him. That is the only reason why I have asked this of you. I wouldn't dare putting you in danger if could take Voldemort out myself. I and the other professors can protect Hogwarts and the students, but if he shows his true power there is nothing that I can do. My only hope is that you can realize the true potential that resides in you."
Harry Potter sat there stunned speechless. Not even Dumbledore, the greatest good wizard that the world knew was not capable of destroying the Dark Lord. It was all up to him. The young man sat there feeling numb. His hands were trembling, and he crossed his arms as his mind raced with images. Once again, he would have to face the dark wizard himself.
*End flashback*
Hermione's jaw was stuck to the floor by the time Dumbledore finished his explanation. She'd always thought that no matter what Harry was destined to become that Dumbledore would be there to protect him. Now, she realized that the headmaster could no longer shield her lover from the darkness that wanted to destroy him.
"Professor Dumbledore, what should we do now? Shouldn't Hogwarts be evacuated?"
"We cannot make any sudden moves, or Voldemort will not attack. When the time comes, the students will be safe that I promise you, but for now, things must remain normal."
"Sir, if I may ask, just where is Harry right now? He hasn't told me in any of his letters."
"As well he should in case Voldemort's followers intercepted Hedwig. He is somewhere safe - not even the Dark Lord can find out where he is. Harry is preparing himself for the challenge ahead; that is all I can say."
"You mean he's…"
"Yes, Harry will be returning to Hogwarts shortly…as will Voldemort. My guess is that his target will be our graduation ceremony."
"Of course, the entire Ministry of Magic attends it," Hermione gasped.
"Well done, Hermione, I see you understand."
"Professor, why did you tell me all this?"
"Because I felt that you deserved to know. I could tell that it was killing Harry to hide something from you so I decided to let you know. Do not tell him that you know his secret, Hermione."
"But why sir?"
"Harry is under tremendous pressure right now. If you told him what you know now, he would put himself under even more stress, and he wouldn't be able to concentrate. He needs to remain focused, but he'll become distracted if he feels that you're worrying about him."
"I…I understand. I won't tell him then."
"I know this is hard, Hermione, but you must understand. Right now, Harry Potter may be the only hope that the world of magic has left. Myself and other professors can support him, but he is the one who must make the choice. It is up to him to decide how far his magic goes."
"Professor Dumbledore, thank you for trusting me with this; I promise not to tell anyone."
"Thank you, Miss Granger, you may go now."
"Yes sir."
Hermione walked out of Dumbledore's office and felt her chest tighten. Why…why did Harry always have to face the deadliest wizard of all time?
'Because he's Harry Potter!' her own mind screamed back at her.
"Harry…" she whispered out and felt her heart tense, "…please, my love, come back to me soon."
Meanwhile, at the house of Albus Dumbledore, Harry's training was entering its final level.
"All right, Harry, go!" Sirius shouted at him.
Harry Potter was seated on his Firebolt waiting for the order. He shot up into the air while his three trainers attacked him from both above and below. His task was to dodge their attacks and curses without any counter magic.
"Okay, boy, here we go!" Moody's wand emitted a pillar of fire, and Harry rolled over on his broom to avoid it.
Lupin and Sirius joined in, and the three men held nothing back as they attacked the young wizard.
Harry barrel-rolled, banked, and swerved in and out as he ducked a lightning bolt, then a giant boulder, then a magically created cyclone, and lastly a combined attack consisting of a tidal wave barreling through a wind tunnel.
"The boy can fly!" Remus said admirably as Harry avoided the attacks.
It began again, but this time, Remus and Moody levitated into the air. Harry stopped moving and hovered about fifty feet above the ground.
"You shouldn't have stopped moving boy!" Moody shouted as he launched a fireball at Harry. Lupin launched a fury of razor-sharp icicles at him from the other side.
'Come on…come on…a little closer…' Harry murmured to himself. He was deliberately waiting.
At the last moment, Harry propelled himself off his broom and into midair. The Firebolt then moved out of the way. The two spells hit and cancelled each other out.
"Accio Firebolt!" The broom came at its master's summons, and Harry remounted it.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry disarmed his two aggressors then zoomed down to where Sirius was waiting on the ground.
'The boy never learns; you never attack head-on!' Sirius groaned as he saw Harry heading right for him. 'Very well, if I must.'
Harry continued to advance, and he carefully watched the older man's movements.
'Easy, Harry, wait for him to make the first move.' The minute he saw Sirius' wand raise he knew what was coming.
"Exploda!" Sirius shouted. The spot where Harry Potter sat on his broom exploded in a fury of flames.
"Sorry, my boy, but I've told you not to do that," Sirius said with a shake of his head. Suddenly, a small pop was heard.
"I remember!" Sirius snapped around at the sound of Harry's voice. The sly dog, he'd disapparated. "Petrificas Totales!" It was too late. Sirius' body came to a halt, and he hit the ground with thud.
"That was a little too close," Harry sighed and took a deep breath. He waved his hand, and Sirius' body was released.
"Well done, Harry, excellent misdirection." Remus stated as he and Moody walked up to the pair.
"Blimey, I'd say the boy's finally getting it!" Moody grinned and let out a drunken laugh.
Harry smiled in appreciation, but he knew that his time was running out. It was only a few more weeks until it was time. Time for him to return to Hogwarts. Time for him to face Voldemort one last time.