Harry Potter and the Galator
Chapter 7
Back to Hogwarts
Mrs. Weasley was about to wake Ginny and Hermione up, but decided to wake the boys first. When she opened the door to Ron's room, she was all choked up with the sight she saw. Instead of waking them up, she decided to let them sleep in longer and wake up on their own. She headed downstairs to start breakfast instead. She couldn't help but wonder if Harry had finally found someone he'd be willing to give his heart to. She would not interfere and will have to do her best to just watch the two young people figure it out for themselves.
Harry was dreaming of Hermione again. Only this time he was wearing the galator and he and Hermione were sleeping in the same bed. He woke up suddenly and felt the weight of Hermione's head still on his chest and her arm still draped over his middle. They stayed that way all night long. He couldn't help but smile to himself. He looked over and saw Ginny still asleep and Ron right next to her. He wanted to wake him up so bad, but if he moved, he'd wake Hermione and was enjoying himself much too much at that moment. He kissed Hermione's head. Now that he liked he thought. Waking up with Hermione next to him snuggled in his arms. What am I thinking about he thought? This is your best friend! Snap out of it, will you?
Hermione slowly awoke and realized she spent the whole night near Harry, not only near him, but practically on him. Her insides were warm and she looked up to find him smiling down on her. She wanted to bolt out of the room as she felt heat rising up her face.
"Good Morning 'Mione," he whispered.
"Morning Harry," she managed to let out.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Er. Yes thanks and you?" She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that she had the best sleep in a very long time, but she decided against it.
"Never better."
"Harry, do you know what time it is?"
"Hold on, let me check." He took his watch from the nightstand. "It's almost nine o' clock."
"Holy cricket! I've never slept this late." He always liked it when she was flustered. She looked so cute. Oh would you stop it he told his thoughts.
"Hermione, Calm down. You'll wake Ron and Ginny."
"Oh, right. Sorry," she answered back down in a whisper.
"That's okay. We're awake now." Ron told them. "You guys were already asleep when I got back so I didn't bother to wake you."
"Thanks. Boy that must been some long letter, eh, mate?"
"Well, it was and then mum caught me and put me to work. Did I miss anything?"
"Not really. I just told 'Mione about my birthday presents from Stone Henge."
"So, what do you want to do today?" asked Ginny. They were all in deep thought when Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway.
"Oh, good you lot are awake. Better go eat your breakfast."
"Did you come earlier Aunt Molly?" asked Harry.
"Yes, but you lot were just so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you." Harry and Hermione turned bright red. They knew they were in a very friendly position.
"Oh," was all they could answer her with.
"Come on. It's a beautiful day out. I'm sure you lot can find something better to do than being cooped up inside all day."
The rest of the day was spent de-gnoming the backyard, water fights, and lots of teasing especially for Ron as he tried unsuccessfully to keep his mind off of Lavender. They played a friendly game of quidditch - boys versus girls. (Hermione got over her fear of flying a broom just last year.) They let the girls win. Harry's golden snitch, which he received from Sirius last year for Christmas came in handy for play and practice. Of course they took breaks in between for lunch and necessary nature breaks. The girls even offered to help with supper, but Mrs. Weasley would not hear of it. She wanted them to enjoy their last day of their holiday.
They slept the same way they did the night before except Harry was in between Hermione and Ginny. Mrs. Weasley found them that way the next day when she woke them up to get ready.
"Holy Cricket!" exclaimed Hermione. "I can't believe I woke up late again."
"Hermione, it's seven o'clock," Harry pointed out.
"You know that's late for her, she usually wakes up at dawn for some reason beyond my understanding," Ginny added.
"Maybe you were just too comfortable where you were sleeping," Ron commented with a smirk and earned a glare from Hermione, a giggle from Ginny and a smile from Harry.
"You're just sore 'cause Lavender couldn't come over and maybe sleep next to you!"
"Oh don't start you two. It's too early for me to referee. Let's just get up and get ready before your mum comes up here and box our ears."
"Yeah, come on 'Mione. Let's take the bathroom before the boys stink it up." Ron hit Ginny with the pillow.
"Who you calling stinky?!" Ron exclaimed. So a pillow fight was started. The boys were winning until Harry fell off the bed and Hermione on top of him. Her face turned almost vinaceous.
"I guess we'll call it a draw." Harry managed to let out just as Mrs. Weasley walked in the door.
"Are you lot still not ready?" she exclaimed with her hands on her hips. The four of them froze as feathers from the pillows flew around the room. "What were you doing?" Harry and Hermione suddenly stood up flushed but not before Mrs. Weasley saw them on top of each other on the floor. Hmm. She thought. Wonder if they've told each other how they felt yet?
"Er.." answered Ron. "We were just waking each other up mum."
"Well, now that you lot are up, will you please get ready and go down for breakfast so that we won't be late for the train. Remember, we still need to meet Hermione's parents at King's Cross for her trunk."
"Come on Ginny, we'd better grab the bathroom first," exclaimed Hermione as she rushed past Mrs. Weasley still hoping that she had not seen Harry and her on the floor. Ginny followed quickly.
After breakfast, Ron, Harry and Ginny re-checked their trunks to make sure they had everything. Hermione helped Ginny and got what little clothes she had bagged up including Harry's shirt and robe. They found an outfit from Ginny's closet that fit her though a little too snug in some places. She didn't mind and Harry certainly did not mind at all, but couldn't help imagining all the reactions the male population will have when they see her. They packed up their trunks in Mr. Weasley's new car courtesy of the Ministry. Although he kept his current position as a Minister of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, he was also acting as Minister of Magic in Cornelius Fudge's absence. No one still knew what happened to him after the last confrontation with Voldermort. Some were saying he was ashamed to show his face because of his own lack of judgment the previous year that he went into hiding. Some thought Voldermort had captured him and others simply thought he was dead some where. The rest of the Ministry appointed Mr. Weasley as the Minister of Magic until they could determine Mr. Fudge's whereabouts and consider whether he was still fit to do his job.
They arrived at King's Cross with enough time to meet up with Hermione's parents and some lengthy good-byes.
"Now, Hermione. You be good and have a little fun this year." Mrs. Granger told her daughter as she eyed Harry walking away with Mr. Granger carrying Hermion's trunk. Ron was busy with Lavender's parents and Ginny met up with her friends in her year and not to mention busy trying to keep a lookout on her new love interest. She was made fifth-year prefect, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it even though their parents loved to fuss about it. Harry stayed with Hermione and met with her parents.
"Hermione, sweetheart, take care of yourself and don't study too hard." Mr. Granger told her when he and Harry returned from taking her trunk to the baggage compartment. This surprised Harry. I guess they knew how much she studied he thought. They were actually telling her to relax a little. "Harry, you make sure she doesn't study too hard," he told Harry.
"Dad!" Hermione exclaimed blushing a little with embarrassment.
"I will Mr. Granger," he answered as he flashed a smile towards Hermione. The train gave a warning signal.
"Well, we'd better go," Hermione said. "Bye mum. Bye Dad" she told them as she gave them each a hug.
"Bye dear." Mr. and Mrs. Granger said.
"Bye Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger" Harry said as he extended his hand out to them. Mr. Granger took his hand and gave it a firm shake, but to his surprise and Hermione's as well, Mrs. Granger gave him a hug.
"Take care of my little girl," she whispered.
"I certainly will." Hermione stared at them suspiciously and then grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him towards the train as she waved to her parents.
"'Mione slow down. You're going to take my arm out of the socket," Harry complained. She waited until they were on board before she asked him the nagging question in her head.
"Okay. What did my mum tell you? And don't lie. I'll know if you lie to me."
"Well, since you put it that way, I'm not going to tell you," he teased as they arrived at the compartment to interrupt Ron and Lavender's snog session.
"Ahem!" Hermione and Harry said in unison.
"Would you like us to find another compartment?" asked Harry with a wink towards Ron.
"No!" Lavender exclaimed to Ron's disappointment. "I still haven't heard the rest of the California adventure."
"It's okay Lav." Hermione interjected. "The other parts of the story aren't something the boys want to hear."
"Oh, but we MEN do." Harry answered with a twinkle of laughter in his eyes knowing some parts of it already.
"Well, I'm not telling until you tell me what my mum told you." Ron and Lavender shared a knowing look.
"Well, I'm not telling you, so I guess you and Lav have to wait until you get to your own dorm." He answered defiantly. In truth, he didn't want to tell her what her mother told her to keep her intrigued and because he wasn't exactly sure why Mrs. Granger had told him what she told him. He didn't want to reflect on it just yet. Maybe she saw something like the feelings he was struggling with about Hermione. Who knew? But right now he didn't want to know. He was a little afraid to know.
"Well, since you two ruined my mood, might as well sit down and join us," Ron told them jokingly. His motive was to observe the both of them more to confirm his and Lavender's theories about their friends' feelings for each other. Lav still gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.
"Honestly Ron!" she whined.
"What?" he asked oblivious to what he was being reprimanded for. Harry and Hermione chuckled as they sat opposite the couple that was in the process of getting into an argument. They enjoyed watching them fight over little insignificant reasons. Ron usually lost most of the arguments only because he gave in so that they could have their snogging make-up session.
The rest of the ride was uneventful except for the traditional visit from Draco Malfoy flanked by his bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. The expression on his face was priceless, however, when he saw Hermione and his jaw dropped. The foursome laughed so hard at Malfoy's lost for words. He actually walked away without insulting any of them.
They arrived at the Hogsmeade train station and rode the horseless carriages towards Hogwarts while the first years rode the boats with Hagrid. They did talk to Hagrid first and gave him a big hug. He was a little teary eyed when he saw them. He couldn't believe how much they'd grown.
They took their places in the Gryffindor table while they waited for the sorting ceremony to be completed so that the feast could begin. They noticed that there were more students sorted into Gryffindor this year and less in Slytherin. Either the sorting hat was losing its touch or more of the new generation wizards and witches were becoming braver and less ambitious. After Professor Dumbledore's yearly announcements of the forbidden places, the feast began. Ron as usual ate with gusto as Lavender glared at him. Hermione and Harry ate normally and stole glances at each other throughout the meal. The only people who seemed oblivious to their glances were the two of them. Everyone else in the Gryffindor table noticed, even the first years.
"Is she Harry Potter's girlfriend?" Megan asked Ron and he almost spit out his pumpkin juice.
"What makes you say that?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe because of the way he keeps looking at her like some lovesick puppy?" Ron guffawed this time and earned a glare from Professor McGonagall and a little elbow from Lavender.
"Sorry, I'll let you know when I find out officially okay." He smiled at Lavender who also heard their conversation.
At the end of the feast, the students were all excused. As prefect, however, Hermione had to leave and lead the first years toward the Gryffindor tower. Ron and Lavender went to their private place they'd discovered with the help of the Marauder's Map. Hermione and Harry knew where it was, but they decided to give them their privacy in that place. They usually went back to the dormitory at a decent hour so Hermione as a prefect never threatened to take points away from them. She just didn't want to deal with writing up the reasons as to why she would be taking points off for them. For one thing, what would she put: 'They were off snogging somewhere.'
Harry took this opportunity to talk to Professor Dumbledore about his healing abilities. He walked towards his office. He stood outside the gargoyle for a while trying to figure out what the password was before it just opened for him and he stepped in.
"Well, Harry. This is a nice surprise. I didn't expect a visit from you quite so early in the year."
"Well, professor. I'm just a little confused and anxious about a new discovery that I thought I'd tell you now. And don't worry, my scar has not hurt all summer long."
"Okay, that's good news. So what bit of discovery do you have to tell me, my boy?"
"Well sir. I have come across the powers of healing. Not with potions or with the wand, but with my own hands." This didn't surprise Dumbledore a bit. It was as if he expected that bit of news.
"And, what confuses you about the powers?"
"I understand that it's a rare gift, and I am just confused as to why I have it."
"Well Harry, have you read 'Discovering Merlin' yet?" Now how in the world did he know about that he thought? "I believe you'll understand more about your gift when you read that book. The power of healing is somewhat hereditary you know."
"Excuse me sir, but did either of my parents have the power? Do you think it was transferred to me from Voldermort like my Parseltounge gift?"
"No, neither of them did. But you may have inherited it from one of your ancestors. I doubt you got it from Voldermort."
"Were all the witch and wizard who did have the power come from the same bloodline then, sir?
"Yes, they were. Although at times it skips a few generations, the power stays with the family. It would truly be amazing and a miracle if a witch or wizard receives the gift outside of the family bloodline." Harry was more confused more than before he went to him.
"Thank you sir."
"Harry, one last piece of advice. Look into your ancestry to discover answers."
"Thank you again sir."
"You're welcome Harry. It's nice to see you again. Oh, and Harry if there are other things you'd like to talk to me about, I am available for you. And I am sure Sirius would be available for advice as well." Now what did that mean Harry thought? Did he know about my other problems?
"Thank you sir. I'll keep you in mind and it is nice to see you too. And thank you again for the birthday present." With that he walked out of the door and went back to the Gryffindor common room. He thought about all the things that Dumbledore told him. I wonder what he meant by looking in my ancestry he thought? Darn I forgot to ask him about the Galator. I guess I will ask him some other time. One mystery at a time he thought.