A/N:
Okay, so our first duel is in chapter 7 of this installment. I've long been told that duels are the best part of my writing, but unfortunately this is a short one, and not to exciting. Mostly just some fluff and a few new characters are introduced. R/R!
Cheers!
*****
Chapter 7
An hour later the couple stepped off of Harry's motorcycle and into the Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron was a famous place to wizards, and it was located in the heart of muggle London.
The broken down, shabby, old building fit right in with the exhaust-filled streets of muggle London. No one would have ever given the unimpressive building a second look - unless that person was a wizard of course.
They stepped inside of the building and the place was immediately quiet as night, it wasn't everyday that they saw Harry Potter, much less see him holding hands with a girl.
Harry blushed and walked past all of the stares and whispers, meeting the inn-keeper Tom at the bar.
"Hey there Tom, could we get two butterbeers please?" Harry asked politely.
Tom smiled at him and replied, "Coming right up Harry."
Harry and Hermione just talked quietly over their butterbeer, oblivious to the world around them. When finally finished, they went out the back alley and into the wonder that was Diagon Alley.
Hermione squealed in delight and pulled Harry over to Florish and Botts, the bookstore. "Harry, come on, we need to get our books, and there's also a revised Hogwarts, A History coming out soon, and I want to figure out all of the details."
"Okay Hermione," Harry said, giving her a smirk. "I'm starting my watch and however long we spend in here we're going to spend the same amount of time in Quality Quidditch Supplies."
Hermione rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed. Nearly an hour later, bags filled with books such as; Animagi Transformation, Advanced Arithmancy, Standard Book of Spells Grade Six, and Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, they finally left and headed for Quality Quidditch Supplies, but first stopped in at Ollivander's.
"Hmm," Hermione said curiously. "It says we need to stop by Ollivander's to pick up our weapons for Advanced Weapons Training. I wonder what kind of weapon we'll get?"
Harry played along with her, although he already had a pretty good idea of what weapon was in store for him, and it was laying in Dumbledore's office.
"Ahh, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger, I expected that I would be seeing the two of you in here." Harry and Hermione exchanged a nervous glance, they both believed that Mr. Ollivander always seemed to know a little to much about everything.
"As you no doubt have guessed, Mr. Potter, your weapon awaits you at Hogwarts." Harry smiled and nodded, giving Hermione an 'I'll tell you later' look after she gave him a confused glance.
"But for you, Miss Granger, hmm, I believe, maybe, yes, this should do well…" The old, gray-haired man pulled a boomerang out from his storage area. Hermione looked at it curiously, but accepted it nonetheless.
The weapon glowed faintly after Hermione took it, proving that she was meant to be its owner.
"The boomerang is a powerful weapon, Miss Granger," Ollivander said in an unnerving mysterious voice. "Only the greatest of wizards can master the use of one. I hope that you will be up to the task Miss Granger, because we have hard times ahead, oh yes, very troubled times await us indeed…"
Hermione hurriedly paid the man ten galleons for the weapon, and the two hastily left the shop. Harry had always gotten a bad vibe from Mr. Ollivander, no matter how nice he always seemed.
Their next stop was finally the Quality Quidditch Supplies store. Harry was in awe looking around the shop, just window shopping. He noticed a new broom that would be coming out soon, the WindScyther, but he refrained from buying it. Instead he purchased a book about all of the spells and enchantments that could be placed on a broom.
Hermione was ecstatic to get away from the Quidditch store, and hurriedly pulled Harry to the pet store where she had gotten Crookshanks, as she needed to buy the cat some more food and toys. Harry, making sure Hermione was well out of earshot, crept up to the counter and spoke in a whisper to the clerk.
"Hey, do you have any white-snow owls in stock?" The man gave him a curious look, and then nodded. "Yes actually, although we haven't carried any since we sold our last one about six years ago," Harry grinned to himself, knowing exactly where that owl was now. "We just received another one last week, would you like to purchase it?"
Harry nodded eagerly. "Please have it delivered to Hogwarts, Gryffindor Tower, on September 19. On a note attached to it, please write, Happy Birthday, From Harry." "Okay, that will be forty-three galleons."
Harry gladly paid the money and left the shop much happier a few moments later with Hermione, who was wondering what he was so glad about but decided to not ask questions.
A few minutes later they found themselves a few meters away from a small building with a statue of Peeves in front of it. There was a sign in front that read 'WWW - For all of your pranking needs'.
Harry and Hermione grinned and walked into the store, forgetting that they were holding hands.
They were reminded the second they walked in and the entire store gasped. Around the place they saw Seamus Finnigan with Dean Thomas, the Patil twins Parvati and Padma, and Lee Jordan, a black, dreadlock-haired boy that head been in the same year as the Weasley twins. And there, behind the main counter, stood Fred and George Weasley, two of the greatest pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen, and each wearing an identical evil grin.
"Oh, honestly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes at all of their lock-jawed friends. She turned to Harry, and they both smiled and brought their lips together in a sweet kiss.
The store erupted in cheers and Harry heard the most unfortunate sound of a camera clicking rapidly, and the couple turned to see Colin Creevey snapping away at their kiss.
Harry put a hand up to stop the noise. "Look guys, Ron's still in Romania, and he doesn't know yet, so please don't tell him before we get the chance, alright?" He finished staring directly at the Weasley twins, who were still smirking evilly.
"Fred, George, don't forget I already spent one night in Azkaban this summer when I lost my temper, you don't wanna make it two, do you?" Harry gave them a wicked smile and they both audibly gulped before the shop returned to normal.
The two were, of course, bombarded by their friends with questions. "It's about bloody time mate!" Seamus said in his accent that made the Patil twins go weak at the knees. "So when did you finally ask her?" Harry responded quickly, "I didn't ask her really. It just sort of, you know, well happened."
That answer seemed to please everyone, and Harry and Hermione were split apart by their respective sexes, everyone wanting to know how great a kisser the famous Harry Potter was, or how 'hot' as Dean put it, that the perennial bookworm Hermione Granger was under her robes.
Harry glared at him for this, and explained that they had done nothing more than kiss and that it would stay like that for a long time to come. This disappointed Dean, but he was promptly shut up when Harry asked him how good Ginny was within earshot of the twins, who both glared at Dean expectantly.
"Harry buddy, would you come here for a minute please?" George asked him, motioning him back to the 'experiment' room. Harry gulped but complied with little hesitation, giving Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek before following the twins back.
"Here you go Harry," Fred said, shoving a small box of what looked like hollow balls into his arms. "Those are our latest invention, not even released to the public yet!" George's eyes grew as he took over the explanation for his brother. "Each of those balls, when thrown on the ground and busted open, will temporarily transform into a living replica of any Hogwarts staff, ghost, or poltergeist." George seemed to get even more excited as he continued. "We charmed them so that they would have the same personality of the person they transform into, although they only last for a couple of minutes, and they're totally random as to who will pop out of them. It's a great way to scare the bloody hell out of everyone in the astronomy towers after hours though huh?"
They both grinned as Harry tucked the box into his bag and they walked back out into the store. Harry immediately met up with Hermione and they walked off together into Diagon Alley, Harry refusing to tell Hermione what was in the box.
"Well, that's all of our school shopping then," Harry said as they walked out of Madam Malkin's robe shop. "I reckon we go back to the Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat, what do you think?"
Hermione pretended to think about it for a moment before replying in the positive, and they were making their way back to the Leaky Cauldron when Harry suddenly got a really bad feeling in his gut.
Without thinking he threw Hermione to the ground and yelled, "GET DOWN!" As a beam of red light flew over the top of them.
Harry quickly rolled onto his back and, pushing off the ground with his hands, flipped up to face an impressive-looking man in the middle of a now abandoned street.
The mystery man wore short black robes (Harry assumed this was so he could duel without having to worry about tripping on them) and a blood-red undershirt. The robes were sleeveless, and Harry looked at the man's long, semi-muscular arms, and was fairly surprised to see that there was no dark mark on his forearm.
The man stood at roughly six-five, and couldn't have weighed a pound over 170. He had the blackest hair Harry had ever seen, making his own raven-colored hair look like Christmas in Canada. Every inch of the white man's body seemed to be busting out with muscles - none were huge, but all were more than enough to be intimidating.
Harry, wand pointed straight at the man's heart, spoke first. "You aren't a death eater, but your obviously evil. Who the ruddy hell are you?" The man's clean-shaven face broke out into a wide grin, bearing teeth that the granger's would have been proud of.
"My name is Kris Giggs, and no, you are correct, I am, not, in fact a death eater." A few people in the crowd breathed sighs of relief, Hermione now had her wand drawn at Harry's side. "But I am superior to them."
That was all Harry needed. "Expelliarmus!" The man laughed and dodged the spell with ease. "Get the girl out of here Potter, she is not fit for a true duel." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but a quick look from Harry and she shut it, then walked over to the nearest bench to watch, nervously and angrily clutching her robes with her sweaty palms.
The man laughed again. "And now we begin, Mr. Potter." With a flick of his wand, they were completely surrounded by an impenetrable magical barrier, now no one on the outside could help either one.
"Time to meet your parents Potter. Kriptify!" Harry's eyes widened in horror as a beam of red light no smaller than three feet in diameter shot towards him. But thanks to his quidditch-honed reflexes, he was able to dive quickly to his right.
"Stupefy!" Harry gaped at Giggs, who simply waved his wand and evaporated the spell into thin air. 'Well there goes half the energy theory' Harry thought to himself, but he was quickly pulled from his thoughts when forced to dive left in order to dodge another kriptify, which Harry assumed to be a very powerful form of the normal stunner spell.
Harry attempted another stupefy, but Giggs only laughed and evaporated the spell again. "You'll need something more powerful than that to get past me Potter! Imperio!"
Harry once again felt the sensation of not having a care or worry in the world, but he knew how to stop this. The voice was saying, come to me, come to me, and Harry, suppressing a grin, threw the spell off but followed the instructions as if he was still under the spell.
When he was only five feet from Giggs, he stunned the young man (he couldn't have been a day over thirty) by raising his wand and yelling, "Expelliarmus!" The astonished man's wand flew from his hand and into Harry's. Outside of the magic bubble, Harry could hear excited cheers and whoops from the crowd, but Giggs only gave him an evil smirk.
"Very impressive Potter, very impressive, but it is time for this to end. Draconis Firius!" And with a backup wand that he had hidden in his cloak, Giggs sent a fire spell directly at the unsuspecting Harry, hurling him twenty feet back into the barrier and onto the ground.
Giggs laughed and he evaporated the outer shield. "Until next time Potter," And he pulled a slab of rock from his robes, then muttered "portus" into it and disappeared.
The last thing Harry heard before passing out was Hermione's terrified voice screaming his name…
Chapter 8
Harry opened his eyes groggily and tried to survey his surroundings. Everything was hazy and swimming in and out of focus. "Mmm," Harry groaned in annoyance. "Glasses, where…"
Harry tried to move his arms around to look for them, but he found that they were far to heavy for that kind of movement. Luckily, someone slipped the glasses onto his face for him. Harry smiled when he saw that it was Hermione.
Or, at least he tried to smile, but he found that he was far to tired to make any muscle movements. Hermione grasped his hand tightly, tears of happiness flowing down her front.
"How…what, last thing I remember…" He was silenced by Hermione placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Shh, Harry, you're gonna be okay now. You're safe, here, with me."
"Where, where is here?" Harry asked, the words not being quite as clear as he had hoped they would, but they conveyed the message nonetheless. Hermione smiled at him and held his hand tighter.
"You're in St. Mungo's Harry. You've been out for nearly two weeks, that duel with Giggs really took a lot out of you." Harry stared at her in what he hoped was an expression of utmost disbelief. "Two-two weeks?" He croaked.
Hermione nodded and burst into tears. "Yes Harry, it's been so long," She sobbed. "I thought that I had lost you Harry. After Giggs left, I was so scared Harry, you were burned so badly, but the medi-wizards here treated them fairly quickly. I got you here as fast as I could Harry. Oh I was so afraid you wouldn't make it!" She was sobbing hysterically into his chest now. "I-I can't live without you Harry, I don't know what I would've done without you. Oh Harry!" She pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you so much, promise me you'll never leave me!"
Harry held on to her tight, wishing that he could hold her forever. "I promise Hermione. I love you."
Harry was finally let out of the hospital some time later, only one day before he would be leaving for his sixth year at Hogwarts. He hadn't had many people visit him, really only Hermione and her parents. When he asked about this, Hermione told him it was because they didn't want news leaking that there had been a major battle with a non-death eater in the middle of Diagon Alley.
Ministry hit-wizards had arrived on the scene moments after it happened, and Harry was told that they issued a massive memory charm so that none of the spectators would remember the duel. In fact, all memory of Harry and Hermione having even been at Diagon Alley had been wiped, excluding the memories belonging to the shop clerks and Harry's friends. He was told that this was all for his protection and that Dumbledore would be filling him in on the details when he arrived at Hogwarts.
So on September the first, Harry and Hermione, all possessions in tow, made their way through Platform 9 ¾ and towards the Hogwarts Express. They saw no sign of Ron, so they decided to take an empty cabin and wait for him. They wanted to get the news that they were together to him as soon as possible.
About five minutes after they were seated, Ron and Ginny came in. "Hey guys, we've missed you so much!" Ginny squealed, giving them both huge hugs.
Harry decided to get right down to business. "Okay Ginny, please leave for a few minutes, Hermione and I need to talk to Ron. Alone." The message in Harry's tone was clear, and the youngest Weasley sibling left without another word.
Ron sat down across from the two, eyeing them dangerously. "Okay, what is it?"
"Look Ron, I'm not going to beat around the bush here, so I'll just come right out and say it." Harry took a deep breath. "Hermione and I are a couple now Ron, and not just any normal one, we're in love. You're our best friend, and we wanted to tell you as soon as we could."
Ron stared at them at a complete loss for words. Finally he raised one hand towards the door, and looked at Hermione. "Out. Harry and I need to talk alone."
Hermione gulped and nodded, leaving quickly before the fireworks began. Harry quickly locked the door and put a sound-proof charm on it as well. He braced himself for Ron's outburst, which came immediately.
"Damn it Harry! You know I fancied her! I was going to finally ask her out today! How could you do this to me!?"
Harry took a deep breath and replied. "Look Ron, some things happen for a reason, and Hermione and I-"
"NO! I don't wanna hear it! You just have to have everything don't you!? You're the bloody famous Harry Potter! You have all the fame, the quidditch talent, you could have any girl in the wizarding world! You have everything! Now you have to have Hermione too!?"
Harry stood up in a rage. "Damn it Ron! You're so thick! I don't have a bloody thing! You have parents, brothers, a sister! I don't have any of that! I would give up everything to have what you have Ron! You don't know what it's like to grow up with people that hate you! You're so bloody lucky and you don't even appreciate it! Hermione is the only thing I have in this world that I want! I could give a damn about everything else!"
Ron glared at Harry, but Harry noticed that his expression had softened a bit. "But why do you have to steal the one thing that I want right out from under my nose!"
The glass in the compartment shattered under Harry's anger, but neither of them acknowledged it. "I didn't steal her Ron! She was never yours! And she isn't 'mine' either! She's her own bloody person!"
Ron glared at him before spinning around and storming out of the room. Hermione and Ginny came in a few moments later, and Hermione winced at the sight of the broken glass. "That bad huh?"
Harry nodded and plopped down on the seat nearest him. "He'll come around." Ginny said, taking the seat opposite Harry and Hermione. She smiled at them sweetly as they cuddled together. "By the way, congratulations. We all knew that you two would end up together someday, we just weren't sure when. In fact, I think Dean and Seamus had a pool going, I wonder who won?"
Harry and Hermione gaped at her. "Was it that obvious?"
Ginny giggled. "Yes, even when I still had my superhero crush on Harry I knew that you two would end up together. It was especially apparent after the Department of Mysteries, but there were signs before that."
The couple looked at her expectantly. "Oh please, you guys are the smartest witch in the school and the most powerful wizard in the school as well. You two were so blind sometimes that it was funny." She giggled again. "Hmm, let me see…well the biggest one was how you two always seemed to talk without words, you always seemed to look at one another and know what the other one was thinking. And then there was the whole thing in that battle. Everyone but Ron knew then that you two would be together. The way Harry clung onto your robes when we were in danger Hermione, how he made sure that you were the safest when we were in danger. When he left Ron being strangled to death with a girl he hardly knew and then was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when Hermione was hurt. It was just so obvious, it seems that the almighty trio were the only ones oblivious to it."
Harry raised his eyebrows at Ginny. "The 'trio'?"
Ginny giggled yet again. "Yeah, that's what everyone calls you three. It's like you're some kind of untouchable club or something. I think it's sort of catchy though."
Harry and Hermione shrugged and snuggled closer as more of their friends came in. Luna Lovegood was first, and she gave Harry and Hermione an authentic smile when she saw them together. "Ah, it's about time. I swear I thought that snorckaks were going to come back to England before you two realized what you had."
She smiled and sat next to Ginny, pulling out a copy of 'The Quibbler' and reading it upside down, a dreamy expression on her face. Neville came in next, and was totally unsurprised to see the two holding hands and snuggling, he merely smiled at them and took a seat next to Ginny.
Suddenly Padma Patil came into the cabin, looking crossly at Hermione. "Earth to Hermione? Prefects meeting, remember?" She stopped and gasped when she saw Harry and Hermione's intertwined hands. "Oh! Well sorry to break up the love fest but we've really got to go."
Hermione, for the first time in her life, groaned at the prospect of Prefect duties and kissed Harry lightly on the mouth before leaving with Padma.
After a few moments of excited talk about quidditch and the sort, Dean and Seamus came in, both wearing smug expressions. "Hey there Gin," Dean said, sitting next to her and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, causing her to flush red.
"Hey, look we can't stay, but I just thought I'd let you know that I'm organizing a football team for Gryffindor, all of the other houses are getting one as well. I owled Dumbledore about it over the summer and he agreed. I've got to stay in shape for West Ham and all you know! So I was hoping you guys would play?"
Harry shrugged and nodded to him. "Sure, I'll try it. As long as it doesn't interfere with Quidditch that is." Dean nodded excitedly. "Nope, it won't. All our games will be on the quidditch pitch, we'll even have a cup for it, just like quidditch!"
After a few more minutes of excited talk, Harry's dorm mates left as Hermione returned, on the verge of tears. Harry quickly stood up and pulled her into his arms.
"What did he say Mione?" Hermione sobbed into his shoulder. "He-he said that he doesn't want to talk about it and that he hopes I'm happy that I snagged the great Harry Potter."
Harry felt his anger reach a boiling point, but he forced himself to be calm. "It'll be okay Hermione. He's just a little jealous, that's all. He'll get over it in time. You guys always have these rows remember? In a few days this will all be in the past and we'll be the best of friends again, okay?" She smiled at her boyfriend. "Yeah, I know."
Five of the sextet that had been at the Department of Mysteries battle just a few months ago spent the next few minutes playing various wizard games until a pretty girl that looked somehow familiar to Harry knocked on their compartment.
She came in and asked nervously, "Er, I know that you don't know me, but I can't find anywhere else to sit. Could I please stay in here?" "Sure-" "Hold on a minute." Harry cut off Neville quickly, looking the girl over. She had that same build, the incredibly dark black hair, those striking blue eyes…
"Is your name Giggs?"
Hermione snapped to attention, suddenly recognizing the girls features. The young witch looked completely terrified at the two wands now pointed straight at her chest.
"Y-yes," She squeaked. Harry's eyes flared.
"I met your father a few weeks ago. I was in Mungo's for three weeks!" The power and anger in his words scared everyone in the cabin, and the girl's knees buckled as she fell to the ground in tears.
"I'm so sorry! I've never met my father! I was just told that he was a dark wizard and that he had left me on an orphanage doorstep when I was just a baby. I swear that I have nothing to do with him!"
Harry slowly lowered his wand, the girl's tears draining away his anger. He slowly walked up to her and put his hands gently onto her shaking shoulders. "Hey," He said softly. "I'm sorry, I overreacted. I had no idea, I grew up without my parents as well."
He slowly rose to his feet, bringing the girl up with him, she had ceased crying now, and was trying to straighten herself up. "Okay, this is my girlfriend Hermione Granger," He said, pointing at Hermione, who smiled and waved in return, her own wand back in her robes. He pointed to the rest of his friends in turn. "That's Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and I'm Harry Potter."
The girl gasped when she heard Harry's name, but didn't say anything. "Okay, come on, later I'll introduce you to some more of our friends. We're all in Gryffindor House, except for Luna, she's in Ravenclaw. We were just about to start a new game of exploding snap, do you want in?"
The girl, who they found out's name was Katrina, nodded and they played games and laughed and joked the whole rest of the way to Hogwarts.
"Firs' years, firs' 'ears o'er 'ere!" Came a very familiar voice, and Harry turned to wave at Hagrid, the Hogwarts game keeper who also happened to be a half-giant.
They made their way to the carriages that were pulled by thestrals - a type of horse that is only visible if the one looking at them has witnessed death before. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand in support as he fought back the tears.
"Eww, those horses are ugly!" Katrina stated suddenly, causing all of them to turn and stare at her. "What?" She asked, a slight hint of nervousness in her tone.
"Um, Katrina, people can only see those horses if they've seen someone die before. Who did you see?" Katrina flushed red and looked at the ground. "Er, well, I don't really like to talk about it."
Not another word was spoken until the six were finally seated in the Great Hall, which was decorated just as spectacularly as ever. Ron finally came over and sat down next to Harry, swallowing his pride.
"Hey there mate," Harry said smiling and pointing at Katrina who was nervously standing in the midst of many first years, even though she would be entering her sixth. "That's Katrina Giggs, we met her on the train. She's really nice."
Ron's mouth dropped at the sight of the beautiful black-haired woman, and Harry and Hermione shared a knowing smirk.
"Ackelry, Stewart."
Came Professor McGonogall's voice, officially starting the sorting ceremony.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table nearest the Gryffindor's exploded in cheers, and the ceremony continued.
The sorting went along quite normally until…
"Evans, Mark."
Chapter 9
Harry snapped his head to see the young wizard after hearing his name. 'No, there's no way…'
There was. Mark Evans, a boy that had been bullied by Dudley for years, had come to Hogwarts. He turned to Ron and Hermione excitedly.
"I know that kid! He lives in Little Whining!" Hermione gasped and put a hand over her mouth in surprise, while Ron just shrugged non-caringly, obviously still upset by Harry and Hermione getting together.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat's voice echoed throughout the entire great hall, and the Gryffindor table exploded with applause. The young boy was very nervous at first, but his eyes lit up when he saw Harry beaming and waving at him.
"Mark! Come sit over here with us!" Mark smiled back at Harry and preceded to sit down next to him, receiving several jealous stares from the other first years.
Harry smiled at him. "Hey there, welcome to St. Brutus'!" Mark laughed nervously and looked around in awe. "So that's why the Dursley's hated you so much! Cuz you're a wizard! I know they hate anything that's abnormal, so obviously they'd hate you."
Harry grinned at him and introduced Mark to all of his friends. "Well Mark, this is my girlfriend Hermione Granger, the red heads are Ron and Ginny, him with the black hair is Neville, the one with the sandy-blonde hair is Seamus, and the black one is-" "Dean Thomas!" Mark exclaimed excitedly, surprising everyone.
Mark hurriedly shook a very flattered Dean's hand. "Oh, I love West Ham! I was at your debut when you scored that awesome goal against Man-ure." At Mark's alias for Manchester United Dean broke out into uncontrollable laughter and Hermione scowled at him.
"Hey, I happen to be a Man U fan, thank you very much. And you are to, aren't you Harry?" Harry shifted uncomfortably under Hermione's gaze and shook his head. "Er, no, I actually have to go with West Ham on this one. I don't know anything about any football teams really, except that Dean plays for one, so they're my fave I suppose."
Hermione huffed but said nothing, and a quick kiss on the lips (they had still not done any kissing in the way of the French) she lightened up and listened to the rest of the ceremony over Dean and Mark's excited chatter about how well West Ham would do this year in the Premiere League.
After the last student was sorted to Hufflepuff, Dumbledore rose to speak. "Alas, another year is upon us, and I have a few beginning of term announcements that I would like to make. First of all, all students should know that the Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds," His eyes glanced over the trio when he said this, and the three grinned at one another, privately promising to venture in there on at least one occasion this year.
"Also, our caretaker Mr. Filch," He motioned to a scary looking old man at the back of the hall, standing next to an equally terrifying cat. "Has asked that I inform you that the list of forbidden items has been increased to well over six hundred, and may all be viewed on his office door - or also in the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes jokeshop in Diagon Alley." This got many laughs from the crowd, all remembering the greatest troublemakers since the Marauder's themselves.
"I would also like to announce, that in addition to the inter-house quidditch cup, we will also be holding a new inter-house football championship this year as well." Dumbledore smiled as all of the muggle-borns erupted in loud cheers at this news, while many of the pure-blooded wizards wore confused looks upon their faces. The Slytherins didn't look happy at all.
"Now, for one last thing, on a much graver note." All the cheering ceased immediately as Dumbledore spoke. "As you all know, Voldemort has indeed, risen once again." Many gasps were heard at the dark lord's name. "I believe we all should show our appreciation to six of our own students who all walked away from a duel with ten death eaters last year."
The room fell into a hush. They could probably guess three of the names, but were eager for the rest. "Firstly, Miss Virginia Weasley, showing great courage when faced with adversity." A polite applause, Harry noticed that Draco Malfoy, along with his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, were absolutely fuming. "Also, Luna Lovegood, who showed a great mind to help a friend out of a dangerous situation." There were surprised whispers and murmers along with more polite applause.
"Neville Longbottom, one of only two students to see the fight through to the very end, and also permanently blinding a death eater in the process." Huge applause greeted Neville, everyone impressed at what he had done.
"Next, Mr. Ronald Weasley, for showing true friendship and courage." Polite applause for Ron - he hadn't done anything spectacular. "And also Miss Hermione Granger, who showed true loyalty and bravery despite her protests, and for keeping a cool mind during the battle, and ultimately helping the sextet find what they were looking for." Applause and curious whispers followed Dumbledore's statement, everyone wondering what they had been looking for.
"And lastly, there is no possible way to convey into words what Harry Potter did in that battle. He kept all of his friends alive, and endured a cruciatus curse for their safety," A few people gasped, looking at Harry in awe, who was looking at his feet in shame. They didn't know that he had also been on the giving end of a cruciatus curse as well.
"And also for once again, dueling with the dark lord and living to tell about it, that is after of course, dueling with the death eater Bellatrix LeStrange and emerging victorious." Harry blushed brightly as the entire hall gaped at him in awe, unbelieving that he had won a duel with one of Voldemort's inner circle.
"Harry also lost something dear to him at this battle." Harry shot his head up and looked at Dumbledore, wondering whether or not he would tell them about Sirius. "Harry's godfather, Sirius Black," Many gasps and other various noises of disbelief rang throughout the hall. "As I was saying, Sirius Black, an innocent man condemned to 13 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, lost his life in the battle to save Harry and his friends. He was a great man, and although the Ministry will tell you that he was a murderer, I assure you that this is not the case. Sirius was a great wizard and a great man and friend to all those who knew him. I ask all of you to raise your glasses and drink to the man that was Sirius Black."
Just like they had at the end of fourth year, everyone raised their glasses and spoke Sirius' name, although many of them did so with a look of doubt still on their faces.
"And lastly, let the feast begin! Tuck in!"
With that food appeared on all the platters in the Great Hall, and the students dug into their plates excitedly. Most talking about the things that Dumbledore had said only a few moments ago.
"Wow Harry," Mark said admirably as they started to eat. "I had no idea that you were such a great wizard. People must really like you around here." Everyone in the immediate vicinity broke out into hysterical laughter.
"Yeah," Seamus chuckled. "You could say that." At Mark's confused expression, Harry told him his entire life story, and Mark was in awe by the end of it.
After a few more laughs and joyful conversation, they finally left the Great Hall for bed, except for Harry, who headed straight to the Headmaster's office.
"Ahh, Harry, I was waiting for you. Tongue Toffees." At Dumbledore's words the gargoyle sprang to life and they made their way into Dumbledore's office.
The sorting hat had already been brought back and was placed on an old shelf that was nearly as old and ragged as the hat was. Harry eyed the huge telescope behind Dumbledore's desk, as well as Fawkes, the headmaster's pet phoenix.
Harry surprised Dumbledore by conjuring a chair for himself and sitting down, then waited for his mentor to take his seat behind his desk. Dumbledore smiled at him.
"Very impressive Harry, I am impressed. But I am afraid that our conversation will not be a pleasant one." Harry fidgeted a little in his seat, but said nothing. "As punishment for your actions this August, you have been revoked as both Quidditch Captain and Gryffindor Prefect." Harry opened his mouth to say that he was already neither of those things, but Dumbledore cut him off.
"I am well aware Harry, that you do not fill either of these positions, but you would have had it not been for the events of this summer. However, I will allow you to choose your replacements."
"Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom." Harry replied without hesitation. He knew that Ron was a brilliant strategist and would be great at conceiving new plays, while Neville was becoming a powerful wizard and was as responsible as any other person Harry knew.
Dumbledore nodded and smiled slightly. "Two excellent choices, Harry. I will allow you to inform your replacements tonight." Harry nodded. "Now, I understand that you and Miss Granger have been working on a few things this summer, aside from your relationship?"
Harry blushed and Dumbledore chuckled a little, only stopping when Harry spoke up. "Yes, we have discovered that my birth date is in the 'Arithmantic Riddle' that was discovered a few weeks after my first defeat of Voldemort. We found this very important and I request that I be enrolled in Professor Vector's N.E.W.T. Arithmancy class immediately." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
Dumbledore nodded again. "It will be done." Harry took a deep breath and handed Dumbledore his notes on physics. "Hmm, a few good ideas in theory, but I am afraid that you are incorrect with your assumptions on the killing curse. It does just that, kill. It drains the wizard of all energy, rather than overflow it." He shook his head sorrowfully. "No one knows where the energy goes, but I see that you have been making progress with it, and I daresay that you will eventually find the answer, and possibly even the cure."
Harry both smiled and blushed at Dumbledore's compliment. "But sir, then what happens when a spell is evaporated into thin air? I saw Kris Giggs do just that when I dueled him." Dumbledore gave Harry a look of helplessness. "Yet another thing that I do not know Harry. I was not even aware of that spell myself until I heard what had happened in Diagon Alley."
He shook his head sadly again. "I know nothing of this Kris Giggs, Harry. He never attended Hogwarts or any other wizarding school that I contacted, so I believe he was either privately trained or he trained himself. I believe that the latter is more probable, but I have no evidence to support this."
Harry shook his head, hating the fact that he had now inherited a new enemy that he knew nothing about. "Professor, what about his daughter? Why was she brought here?"
Dumbledore sighed gravely. "I am afraid that we only recently discovered her magical capabilities, it was mere coincidence that she was discovered at the same time as her father made himself known." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then again, perhaps not. Only time will tell Harry. Oh yes, and before you leave, I must give you some terrible news."
Harry tensed up, ready for about everything except for what Dumbledore said next. "Your Firebolt was destroyed by Dolores Umbridge before the end of last term. I am truly sorry Harry."
Harry felt the tears welling up in his eyes. His last link to Sirius, his firebolt, gone. Taken by the evil toad woman that had been the Hogwarts High-Inquisitioner the year before.
Harry simply nodded and left the room in a rush, finally allowing the tears to come. Sirius, his dead godfather, had given him that broom in his third year after his Nimbus 2000 had been destroyed by the whomping willow, which was where Harry found himself now.
'Wait a minute…' Harry thought to himself, staring at the huge tree whose limbs flapped fiercely at all things that came its way. The whomping willow, the tree that had revealed everything to Harry, the truth about Pettigrew and Sirius, where Lupin had spent his youth as a werewolf.
Harry smiled, maybe he wouldn't lose his link at all. He transfigured a long stick (he had done quite a lot of reading over the summer) and used it to prod the knot at the tree's core. "Reducto!"
A branch was exploded off the tree and landed at Harry's feet, plenty big enough for his purposes. He smiled and turned back to the castle, carrying the branch over his shoulder and whistling, heading for his trunk in Gryffindor tower where a certain quidditch book he had bought in Diagon Alley waited for him.
A/N:
There ya go! Hope you liked it! Chapters 9-11 will go up either later today or tomorrow, once again depending on whether I can resist the urge to post everything at once.
Preview:
Big fight between Ron and Harry, a duel, some humor, and a few other surprises.
Cheers!