A/N: Thank you all for your continued support and interest. This chapter is quite short and I realize not too much happens in it, but Chapter 10 will be up very soon as compensation, and I promise a few more characters, events, and action are to come in the near future. Please stick with the story until then as every story has its slow chapters and its quick ones.
Thanks again and please take the time to review! Reviews are highly appreciated.
-Casey (padfootmoony13)
Chapter 9- The Dark Den Discussion
The den was just as gloomy as the rest of the old house. Ancient velvet drapes hung in front of the windows, floor to ceiling, blocking any chance of light. There were bookcases lining the walls, stacked high with thick, heavy books with leather bindings. Three moss-green, high-backed arm chairs and a large old couch all gathered around a wooden coffee table with serpents carved along the edges.
As soon as Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the room, Ron closing the heavy French doors behind them, a soft hoot greeted them. Hedwig sat perched on one of the chairs, as Ginny said she was, head cocked to one side as she looked over her shoulder at her new company. Harry came forward and stroked her soft feathers, as she clicked her beak happily. Meanwhile Ron and Hermione wandered further into the room, squinting in the dark as they glanced all about the den. Hermione ambled over to one of the bookcases, running her hands along the dusty spines, attempting to read the titles.
"Ugh," she said, "I can't see anything. Would someone please light a lamp or something? I left my wand upstairs."
Harry scanned the walls, but found no lamps in sight.
"There aren't any," he said. Just then a loud crash rang through the room and Harry jerked his neck around to see what caused the noise.
"Oops, sorry," said Ron, smiling nervously at a broken vase on the floor. "I didn't see it."
"This is so stupid," said Hermione, walking over towards one of the windows. "Let's just draw the curtains." She fumbled to find a crack separating the curtains and then flung them wide open to the sides, exposing an incredible sight.
Instead of the dark night outside, with several run-down houses lining the street as there really was, there was a meadow full of bright flowers, with a stream running through it.
"Oh, wow!" Hermione gasped, marveling at the sight before her.
Harry walked over to the window, standing next to Hermione.
"I've heard of this spell," Hermione said, continuing to stare out the window. "You can enchant the windows to project whatever image you'd like; I've read about it in Enchanting Enchantments."
Good old Hermione; of course she had read it somewhere. She had read everything somewhere at some point. What always amazed Harry the most was how she managed to remember it all.
"So what were you going to tell us Harry?" Ron asked, stretching out on the couch.
He and Hermione came and sat down by him, in two armchairs, Hermione sitting cross-legged on her chair, looking intently at Harry, while he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
"Well, you won't believe this but…" he began. Harry told them everything. He explained what had happened on Privet Drive; the Dementor attack, how his Aunt reacted, the Ministry officials coming to destroy his wand, going back to retrieve Lupin. Ron and Hermione were the perfect audience; they gasped at the right moments, they worried at the right moments. They both looked completely petrified; Ron stared at Harry with his mouth hanging open the entire time, ash faced, and Hermione rung her shirt bottom around in anxiety, eyes wide and never leaving Harry.
After about 20 minutes of relentless explanations, Harry said, "So, what do you think?"
Hermione and Ron, who were continuing to stare at him as if mystified with what they were hearing, both relaxed slightly as they tried to help him out. Ron leaned his head back on the arm of the couch, looking up towards the ceiling.
"You were right, I don't believe it," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Well, it does make sense, I suppose," Hermione began, eyes concentrated on the table in front of her. "I mean, I know we never suspected it, but everything fits together."
Harry watched her curiously, as she stood up abruptly, pacing the room back and forth and gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"Think about it. Harry, your mother was a wizard and so of course it's possible for your Aunt to be a Squib, and she wouldn't want you to know, because she hates wizards and she's probably a bit ashamed of what she is."
"And that explains why she seemed to know more than she let on; she's been in contact with wizards," Harry said, telling them what he thought.
"Plus, she's not just in contact with wizards," Ron began, twirling his legs around down onto the ground and sitting up. "She's in contact with Dumbledore. That counts for something."
Hermione continued pacing the room, saying, "Well, of course she is Ron. If she's in contact with the wizarding world at all it would be with Dumbledore. He's the one who knows most about Harry and his connections with his Aunt."
"Hold on a moment," Ron said, forehead wrinkled in concentration, "Why do you have to go back to the Dursley's every summer?"
Harry's thoughts immediately flashed to the Prophecy, but he decided there was no harm in telling them what Dumbledore had said regarding his stays at the Dursley's.
"Dumbledore told me it was because of my Aunt, and her blood protection. Apparently, I'm safe from Voldemort there, and staying with her for a little while gives me a bit of protection all year long, or something," he said.
"Oh," Ron said, leaning back on the couch again.
"What about all that extra protection, that Animagus cat looking after me?" Harry asked.
Hermione stopped pacing the room and sat down in the chair next to Harry.
"Harry, you already knew people were looking after you during the summer. What's really important with the extra protection was Lupin's comment about needing protection for your relatives."
Harry looked at her, questioning, "Why do you think they need protection? Do you think Voldemort will come after them?"
Ron took in a sharp breath at Voldemort's name and Hermione flinched a little, but they didn't say anything. They were becoming used to it.
Hermione said, looking meaningfully at Harry, "He just might. Harry, if you have protection through her, then there's a good chance that V-V-Voldemort will take action against her."
"But he doesn't know," Harry argued.
Hermione said, "Not yet, and let's hope it remains that way. However, Dumbledore and the others must be taking special precautions just in case."
Harry felt another pang of uncustomary fondness towards his Aunt, accompanied with sympathy. She was putting more than her comfortable, wizard-free life at stake by keeping him; she was jeopardizing her own life, and the lives of her family.
The three of them sat in thoughtful silence for a few minutes, none of them speaking. After a while, Hermione said slowly, "I wonder what will happen with your trial, Harry."
Harry groaned and slouched back in his chair; he suddenly felt extremely nauseous. He had completely forgotten all about the trial; he dismissed the entire Patronus Spell issue after they escaped with his wand intact.
Apparently Ron noticed the sick look on Harry's face, because he said, scooting down the couch out of Harry's projectile zone, "You don't look so good, mate."
Hermione looked concernedly at Harry. "Don't worry too much, Harry. I'm sure everything will be fine; they won't destroy your wand; they can't. Besides, you had a reasonable excuse for performing the spell."
"You make it sound so simple," Harry said miserably. "But unfortunately, you forgot to mention the fact that we left six ministry officials unconscious in my Uncle's home. And I've been warned before."
"True…" Hermione said, and then she sighed. "I suppose all of our hopes rely on whether Percy decides to convict you or not."
"Yeah, well don't count on it," Ron said heavily. "He doesn't exactly love Harry after all. You aren't likely to sway him from the rules."