Thanks to everyone who reviewed, they mean a lot to me! Thanks to those who didn't as well, because it means a lot that my story's being read, at least. Here's the latest chapter!
I did post a chapter on Sunday, in case you missed it. From now on, it's back to the Thursday updates for now.
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Chapter Thirty Four: Valentine's Day in Hogsmeade
The next two weeks passed faster than Harry would have liked. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he should have expected that, as he was dreading the Hogsmeade weekend for once. The entire DA was ready, and they had divided into the two groups - those staying in Hogwarts to watch the forest, and those heading down to Hogsmeade.
Classes themselves were blurring together at a rapid rate for him. Though he was able to stay on top of his homework for the most part, he would have been the first to admit that it was only because of Hermione's help that he managed it. He hadn't held a single Quidditch practice in that time, however, and was wondering vaguely if it was something he should have done.
However, it didn't hold his thoughts for long before they drifted back to the first true test of the full DA. To be honest, he was beyond worried about it, and knew that there was something he should have done by now. Lying in bed with Hermione fast asleep curled up with him, sleep was normally an easy thing to come by... but the Friday night before the Hogsmeade trip was not cooperating.
Dumbledore! Harry sat upright in bed rather suddenly, causing Hermione to flop down directly onto the bed instead of on him as she had been. She moaned a little, but curled up almost into a ball and pulled the blankets up, all while not waking up. He sighed in relief and looked about inside the curtains for... well, he didn't know quite what he was looking for exactly.
When his eyes rested on his glasses, he put them on and then eased himself out of bed to avoid disrupting Hermione any further. Pulling on the robes he had used that day, he grabbed both his belt and cloak and hurried to the door, putting them both on as he flew down the steps of the boys' dormitory.
I've got to tell Dumbledore what's going on! That's all I wanted last year when Sirius was in trouble last year, but he wasn't around. Now that he's here, I almost completely forget to talk to him! His hood up, he pushed open the portrait and darted into the corridor and out of sight of the Fat Lady before she even had a chance to wake up and figure out what was going on. I guess we're all on edge about it... `Mione didn't think of it either, and she's usually the first to suggest talking to him!
He was never more thankful for Kailyn's lessons than just then, when he slipped into a classroom noiselessly, just evading Filch's lantern light. In his haste to meet with the Headmaster - despite the lateness of the hour - he hadn't even thought of grabbing his invisibility cloak.
"Canary Creams," he whispered to the gargoyle statue. "Ton-Tongue Toffee... Ice Mice - no, he'd have changed it by now - Foolum Sleepers..." He stopped guessing when the gargoyle sprang to life and started to turn to the side. Before he could just jump in and climb the steps, he noticed that there was someone already standing there.
"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "I would say that this is a surprise, but in fact, I've been expecting you for quite some time. Shall we?" he asked, motioning Harry inside and up the steps ahead of him.
"Thanks, sir," Harry said with a nod, even though the bottom was dropping out of his stomach. Someone else had probably already spoken to him, and the Headmaster was probably upset that Harry hadn't come to him sooner. He felt especially bad about the whole affair, given how he had yelled at him before for keeping the truth from him...
"Have a seat, Harry," Dumbledore motioned once they were inside. Noticing his glance to the sleeping phoenix, he smiled to Harry. "I would welcome you to wake Fawkes so you might say hello, but I suspect he would not appreciate the gesture as it is intended."
"Right," Harry said a little uncomfortably, sitting down and looked across the desk. "Er... you said you were expecting me... what about?" He figured it best to start from scratch, and that was the best spot he could come up with quickly.
"I do not know," came the reply as Dumbledore looked over his half moon spectacles at Harry. "I simply saw you leaving your dormitory, and given that you are, in fact, the only student out of bed at the current time, I assumed there was a purpose involved. Given how you ended up in front of my office, I believe that guess was correct." He then leaned back and picked up a tin sitting on his desk. "Care for a confectionary of some kind? I have a few to chose from..."
Harry couldn't keep the grin off his face at the offer, but he shook his head anyway. He doubted any other Headmaster anywhere else would be taking the night time excursion in nearly as much stride. "Well, sir, I wanted to ask your opinion on something, and give a warning, as well."
"This has to do with the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow?"
Harry had forgotten how difficult it could be on occasion to talk with the Headmaster, given his apparent ability to know what was going on before you said a word. "That, or maybe the Forbidden Forest," he said after a moment of thought. "We're really not sure which, but those were the only things we could come up with."
"We, Harry?"
When Dumbledore spoke, Harry couldn't help but notice his gaze flicker to the badge upon his cloak before back to his face. "Uh... I mean Hermione and me, that's all. And I wanted your suggestion - we're planning to keep our eyes open tomorrow, and splitting up who stays here and who goes, you know? We heard this from a forgotten source, though he is not aware that we did," Harry said carefully, not sure why they weren't speaking directly - there was no one else in the office, and Dumbledore approved of the DA. He figured that if they couldn't speak about the DA, he shouldn't mention Snape specifically, either.
"Indeed?" When Harry nodded, Dumbledore sat forward and pressed his fingers together. "I, too, heard from a forgotten source some interesting information regarding an unknown trip. If you are looking into it, I must warn you to exercise caution - few of our friends will be available to help, as many are busy protecting a special interest of mine."
Before Harry could say anything else, a soft buzzing interrupted the silence. After a moment, he realised - with a bit of a red face - that it was his two-way mirror that was emitting the sound, and he pulled it out. "Excuse me a moment, professor," Harry asked, looking down to the mirror to find Hermione looking back to him. "Hi."
"Where are you, Harry? I woke up and found you gone, and so I waited for a while, figuring you'd be in the loo, but..."
"I'm just updating an old friend about tomorrow," he said meaningfully. Her eyes opened wide in surprise, and then she nodded.
"Good idea!" she said hurriedly. "Look, I'll wait up for you, er... in the common room where we were before, okay?"
Harry did not miss the chuckle coming from across the desk when he nodded his agreement. "I won't be long, `Mione. Don't worry."
When she broke the connection, Dumbledore spoke softly. "I apologise for the evasiveness, Harry, for I know how much you dislike such a thing. I simply wanted to test how you could respond in uncertain circumstances. You did very well, by the way."
"Uh, thanks, I guess, "he said with a shrug. "You understand why I came, then?"
"Yes, and rest assured that I, too, have known about it since Severus discovered the timing. He is staying in the castle as well." The Headmaster suddenly looked more serious than Harry could remember from recent times. "As you know, I leave first thing in the morning for a meeting with the Wizengamot. I meant what I said about lack of manpower, Harry. If you see anything happening in Hogsmeade, I would like you to activate your marvellous coin that Miss Granger prepared for you. One is in the employ of an ally, who will see to it that things are dealt with."
"The DA is split up, too," Harry admitted. "Half of us are going into Hogsmeade, while the rest are staying here. Since we weren't sure where whatever it is was going to happen, we thought that best."
"Indeed," Dumbledore said softly. "Incidentally, I am highly impressed with your actions recently, Harry. I believe congratulations are in order for perfecting your animagus form, am I correct?"
Harry grinned and nodded. "Hermione named me Tor," he added as an afterthought.
"And just what did she name Mr. and Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood, and Mr. Longbottom?"
While the fact that Dumbledore did know about the others was startling, the fact that he didn't seem upset was certainly welcome. "She didn't name them, but their names are Talon, Gem, Heat, and Prince, in that order," he admitted. "They know to keep their ability quiet, sir, don't worry."
"The six of you have a special bond, Harry, that I would not think of trying to break. It is your friends that give you your strength, after all. And your choices that make you who you are."
"So you aren't upset at me for it, then?"
"If I was to be upset about it, you wouldn't be the appropriate target, would you?"
Knowing he couldn't possibly get away with a lie didn't stop him from trying. "Of course it was me. I spoke to them after the first DA meeting, and have worked with them since."
"I would remind you that I am aware of most of what goes on in this school, but I doubt it would do any good by this stage, if you haven't remembered it thus far. However, I believe both you and Miss Granger would make excellent teachers, if that was where your hearts lay in the end."
The fact that Dumbledore stood up and motioned to the door told Harry that it was time to leave, a fact that he was only too happy to follow. With a quick nod, he opened the door before closing it again behind him, catching a glimpse of the Headmaster standing to walk into a side passage that he hadn't noticed before.
Once returning to the bed he and Hermione had taken to sharing freely, he reassured her that all he was doing was warning Dumbledore, but nothing else was wrong. He just hadn't wanted to wake her, that was all. It took them almost an hour to settle down again in bed to sleep, only this time, sleep claimed them both rather easily - it was almost four in the morning, after all.
As Harry woke up on Valentine's Day, thoughts of a romantic day were relatively far from his mind - the mission was more important. Both he and Hermione had spoken about it days earlier, and had decided to hold off on anything special until after the Hogsmeade trip. They knew they couldn't afford to be distracted.
*Morning already?* He blinked in surprise at hearing Hermione's plaintive meow and looked down to find her eyes upon him as she smiled softly at him. *You seemed lost in thought, sorry.*
*I'm just worried about today, that's all. Dumbledore doesn't seem too worried, though he did tell me to keep a hold on my DA leader coin.*
She nodded and sat up slowly, stretching to relieve tension from the night, to try and force herself awake faster. Harry grinned and ran a finger along her bare stomach - her blue camisole had ridden up - and she let out a giggle as she doubled in on herself.
*Harry!* she hissed, looking back to him. Rather than reprimand him further, however, she leaned closer and gave him a gentle kiss.
The curtains surrounding their bed suddenly gave a shudder, and they both looked to them in surprise. Hermione pulled the blanket a bit closer to her, wrapping herself up in them, before she nodded to Harry.
He pulled an edge of the curtain aside, letting the morning light flood in on them in an instant. He squinted in the light, and then noticed Ron's silhouette standing next to the bed. "Hey mate. Problem?"
"Uh, yeah!" Ron said in surprise. "We leave for Hogsmeade in an hour, and you said you wanted to talk to the teams before heading out, remember?"
"What?" Hermione asked, sitting forward so she could see him too. She ignored the fact that his face suddenly turned bright red at seeing her there. "An hour?"
"You both missed breakfast. Lavender said that she couldn't seem to wake Hermione either, but assumed she'd be up shortly - I guess Fred and George's invention works well, right Hermione?" Ron asked. "Never mind," he corrected. "Look, you've got to get moving if you don't want to get caught. I'll leave now, so there's no one else here, got it? I'll be up again in ten minutes, so make sure you're both ready! After that, I make no promises to not letting something slip to anyone I see in the common room that Hermione's been using a Foolum Sleeper tablet on her bed."
Once the door shut, Harry flopped back down on the pillow, shaking his head as he looked to Hermione. "Guess we sort of slept in, didn't we?"
"You guess... Of course we did!" Hermione said quickly. "We were up a bit later than anticipated, while you did something that makes perfect sense, by the way. And now I can't go to my dorm to get clothes for the day, or even take a shower, since my roommates are surely waiting downstairs, and would see me!"
"No problem," Harry said with a shrug. "We can both use a Scourgify spell on each other to save the trouble of a shower - since you can't cast it on yourself to the same effect - and you can change in here. Surely a couple of pieces of your clothing are here, right?"
She bit her lower lip suddenly and sat there for a moment, obviously thinking quickly. "Alright," she said finally. "But you know cleaning with Scourgify means we have to strip down completely, don't you?" She was slowly starting to turn red at the thought of it, and her words made Harry blush instantly.
"Uh... I guess I didn't think about that..."
*It's okay with me if it's okay with you,* she purred softly. He looked back to her quickly in surprise, and she looked away from him to try and hide her embarrassment - though she failed rather horribly. *I mean, I didn't intend on seeing you starkers for a while, and I sort of thought when I did it would be under better times, and we might be able to do a few things together when we were starkers and...*
*Mione, don't worry,* he interrupted her rambling. *Look, we both know where we, er... sit on this, so it's no problem. I'm not going to tell you that I don't want to see you strip down - I can't lie to you, and quite frankly, I'd love to see it - but now's not a good time to be doing anything about it...*
*Right,* she said resolutely. *In that case, we strip down, cast the spells on each other, and then get dressed again?*
*Let's find our clothes first, shall we?* She nodded quickly again and crawled over him to reach into his trunk. She jolted up just a little when her leg brushed against his middle, allowing her to feel just how hard he was at the moment, and knew that she was rather wet herself. Now is not the time to be thinking about that! she scolded herself fiercely as she tossed Harry a fresh set of boxers and his robes, and then pulled out a pair of knickers and a bra for herself before grabbing another set of robes.
Although neither had much to take off - Harry just his boxers, and Hermione her camisole, silk pants and knickers - it did take them a couple of minutes by the time they managed it, neither looking in the general direction of the other.
Finally Hermione cleared her throat, making Harry jump a little, and they turned towards each other slowly. She really couldn't help herself, and glanced down quickly before looking back up to his face again just as fast. She noticed with a wry grin that he had done likewise, and now was focusing on her face completely, trying to not even look to her breasts at all, let alone further down.
*I... I'll need my wand,* she muttered, and he nodded slowly - keeping his eyes up as he did so, and fumbled on his night stand for it. She wasn't planning on admitting to being pleased by what she had seen, and even thinking that caused her to stutter. Once she had it, she said the incantation softly, and a soft glow covered Harry.
*Right,* he purred. He then held up a hand towards her, sending a mix of a thrill and shiver through her system at what he might be reaching for, before he repeated the word himself. "Scourgify," he whispered, and she felt the soft light surround her body, too.
*Harry, that was...*
*I know, I know,* he interrupted quickly. *But it's not the best time to talk about it, really, because the longer we sit here like this, the more I really want to pull you closer to at least hold you, if not... well... a bit more than that, and we really don't have the time right now.*
*And I don't think we really want to go that far just yet anyway,* she added softly.
*I just wanted to hold you, not much more.* He looked away from her then and grabbed for his boxer shorts before she reached out and touched his arm, making him drop them in surprise.
Wordlessly, she scooted over so she was closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her even closer, lifting her off the bed and into his lap. She focused on the feeling on simply existing in his arms like that, and not on the feeling building lower down. She could certainly feel him against her, and suspected that if she stayed where she was much longer, then he would probably know just how much she was enjoying the sensation when she started dripping on him.
Harry kissed her lightly - though he obviously was holding back, considering how much he put into the brief contact, and the flutter of his heart that she felt from their proximity when they pulled apart.
They were dressed a minute before Ron came back inside, and Harry had just tossed Hermione her green cloak and was doing up his belt around his waist. Once that was secure, he checked his wands and dagger before throwing his own cloak over his shoulders easily and following Ron back downstairs. Although checking was rather routine for him by this stage, he took extra caution this time, knowing that the day could bring some difficulties.
"Everyone's waiting in the first floor Transfiguration classroom, next to the Great Hall," Ron explained softly. "At least, all those not in Gryffindor." It quickly became apparent just how many of the DA were from Gryffindor as they all walked down the halls together, strangely silent the full way. Their team badges were all pinned on their cloaks and robes, and their solidarity was a sight indeed.
Entering the classroom, Harry finally released the hold he had on Hermione's hand, and she squeezed back gently before letting go herself and walking over to Ron and Luna. It took almost no time at all for everyone to stop moving and to look to Harry for direction. They all knew that there was a strong possibility of trouble in the next few hours, and needed his guidance.
That fact was a little hard for him to swallow, but he forced himself beyond that so he could speak. "Dumbledore is aware of what's going on," he said in a soft voice, well aware that that was all that was needed for him to be heard suddenly. "He commends us for our efforts, as well, but he does suggest we remain cautious."
"What's he doing about it, then?"
"He won't be doing much, given that he's probably left already for the Wizengamot meeting," Harry explained easily. "However, there will be several people watching the Forbidden Forest from the castle. That said," he added quickly, holding up a hand. "I think it best if we stick with our original plans on splitting up, with half staying here and the rest going to Hogsmeade."
"So Group Woods has a bunch of professors to watch out for them, who is watching out for Group Town?" Colin asked. The different group names weren't exactly original, but they did portray what was needed. "It doesn't make much sense for you guys not to have someone, right?"
"I don't know who it is," Harry admitted. "But if you feel the coins go off this afternoon, you'll know something's going on. So will our aide... whoever it ends up being. Apparently, Dumbledore managed to get a hold of one of our coins." He paused for a minute to look around at the two distinct groups. "Any other questions?"
"Yeah, one," Dean admitted. "Was there a reason both you and Hermione were late this morning?"
"It's time to disperse," Harry countered easily, rather than replying to the question that had received a few laughs from the group. "We can't all stick together all the time... but around four in the afternoon, I want both teams to meet up fully again. Once we come back from Hogsmeade, if nothing's happened - or even if something has - I want us all to gather again, understand?"
A resounding yes was his answer, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud of the group of witches and wizards who were standing up for what they believed in. He was also a little worried about it... but he figured he had a good reason to be, too.
"Stay safe, everyone."
The teams that they had developed in the DA practices were mostly thrown out for this plan, much to the chagrin of Ron and Harry both. Despite that, everyone did keep their badges pinned to their clothes, just in case.
Those going to Hogsmeade from the teams were arranged into couples, though. Aside from Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Luna, Dean and Cho were going together - much to the surprise of everyone save Harry, as Dean had asked him earlier if he minded (he only wished Dean the best of luck). Aside from the six of them, Terry and Julia were also going, and they would be travelling with Dean and Cho for the most part, making two teams of four.
Everyone else was staying in the castle, and had elected Neville as the leader, without so many words. Harry, for his part, couldn't have been happier for his dorm mate and friend.
By now, Filtch's muttering under his breath as they passed him to go to the carriages down to the village were barely worth noting at all. Harry couldn't help but be a little worried about what the day would bring, but Hermione seemed to realise this without him having to say anything, and gave his hand a little squeeze of support, to which he smiled thankfully.
The eight students all stopped just outside the carriages and looked to one another, unsure of what was to happen now. Finally, Harry took Hermione's hand and nodded to Dean, Cho, Terry, and Julia. "Keep a look out."
"You too," Terry offered in return. With those simple words, the two groups split ways, with Terry leading his group down the long streets of Hogsmeade, leaving the four others still standing where they had been dropped off.
After another moment's silence, Luna suddenly squawked loudly, and then laughed out loud at the very concept of what she had just done. Now that they were watching her, they saw her pop another animal mimic candy into her mouth, at which point she reared back and roared like a lion.
"Well, that reminds me," Ron said, putting an arm around Luna and starting to guide all of them into one of the shops that was about in the middle of town. "I need to pick up a couple of things from Zonko's... might be going out of business soon, after all, so I should get what I can now!"
"Are your brothers really doing that well with their foolish inventions?" Hermione asked in surprise as she sidestepped out of the way of a couple of over anxious third year students.
"Seems to me," Ron said after declining to pick up a couple of `Misspelling Quills,' which made the users misspell every fifth word they wrote. "That you are hardly in a position to be calling their inventions foolish, Miss I-use-one-every-night-so-I-can..."
"Enough, Talon," Harry hushed him quickly, eyeing the group of fifth year Ravenclaws that seemed to be listening in on their conversation suddenly with great interest. "Yeah, I'll take a few fake talons," he covered after catching Ron's eye. "Great for costumes, aren't they?"
"Blood replenishing potions work wonders with them, too," Ron agreed, making his way to the counter, leaving Luna looking through rows and rows of odd coloured sweets, laughing at a few of the names.
A few minutes later found the four of them back on the streets, walking down away from the castle slowly. Harry had one hand in Hermione's still, with the other hidden beneath his cloak, inside his pocket. He was fingering the galleon in his cloak pocket, trying to wonder just when he'd have to call it into action.
"This is probably the first time the four of us have gotten together for anything like this, isn't it?" Hermione pointed out as she started steering them across the street towards Scrivenshaft's, deftly ignoring Ron's protests of visiting the place.
"Well, you and Luna didn't always get along, if I recall correctly," Harry countered with a grin. "Seems to me you said she was a bit loony, didn't you?"
"I still say that," Hermione replied with a grin to Luna. "But now I mean it in the best possible way."
"Thank you," Luna said sincerely as she pulled her wand out from the holster at her side to tuck it behind her ear again, where she was used to keeping it. "And stop complaining, Ronald, I need a few new nubs for my quills, I've run a few down to nothing recently with notes to you."
No matter how many times he saw it, Harry still found it amused watching his best mate's face turn the exact same shade as his hair.
"Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of students here today?" Harry whispered from the entrance to the Three Broomsticks about an hour later, after finishing in Scrivenshaft's and taking their time going back up the road. Looking around the packed room, it was clear that there was no argument to be had - there was barely any standing room, let alone anywhere to sit nursing a warm butterbeer. "Let's come back a little later, shall we?" he suggested, waving discretely to Terry and Julia, who he saw had managed to obtain a table near the back.
"Anyone have anywhere else they really need to go?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, it is Valentine's Day, so we should visit Madame Puddifoot's, right?" Luna asked dreamily as she started to pull Ron down the street almost in a rush. He pulled away frantically and started waving his hands, which was still a better reaction than Harry had - he had frozen stiff on the spot, leaving Hermione giggling at him as she poked him in the side and failed to get any reaction at all.
"Please tell me you're joking!" Ron begged, clasping his hands together. It looked like he was completely willing to go down on both knees to continue to beg, but Luna just laughed.
"I wouldn't dream of stepping in there today," she said, a little more serious than usual suddenly. "I was just teasing Harry. Besides, the jiltron tend to gather in swarms around the pink confetti and shiny heart shaped flakes."
Harry met Hermione's eye then, and it was obvious that they were both trying desperately not to burst out into laughter.
"Well, I, for one, have to go to Honeydukes - I'm actually surprised Ron didn't suggest it first," Harry said, nudging his friend with a shoulder. "You love going there first most of the time, right, given how it's closer to the castle than Zonko's?"
"Yeah, but..."
"No worries then," Harry cut his objection off. "I've got a promise to keep, after all."
"After the sweets, I'd like to go to Gladrags Wizardwear," Luna said softly. "I need a new set of dress robes for next year, mine are getting a little tight."
"No complaints from me," Ron whispered into her ear, making her giggle. While both Harry and Hermione had heard her laugh quite a few times before, hearing her giggle was an entirely new experience that neither could quite say if they enjoyed or not.
"You never did tell us what you were getting for Ron, Harry," Hermione said softly as he held the door to the sweet shop open for the others. "Remember? Ginny and I couldn't make it out..."
"And I don't intend on telling you now, either," Harry said with a wink to her. "I think you'll be able to figure it out if you think about our friend for just a minute alone," he added as he left her to go to the counter himself. She watched him talking in low tones with the kindly witch who was working that day, and saw her surprise at his request.
"Oi, Hermione, you still with us?" Ron's voice brought her attention away from Harry very suddenly, and she turned to both he and Luna. "Good, thought I'd make sure. Don't look now, but there's a snake coming up behind us."
Although she didn't want to admit it, beneath her cloak, she had a hand on both her dagger and her wand, ready to draw both in an instant if either was needed.
"Well, Potter, I see you've finally learned a little sense," Malfoy's sneering voice said from behind her, causing her to tense. "You've ditched the Mudblood, but now you've just got to get rid of this filthy Weasel..."
She drew her wand in an instant and whirled on the Slytherin before he could finish what he was saying. She knew in her heart that he'd be going after Luna next before making fun of Harry directly, but that didn't matter right then.
The feeling on the green cloak whirling around as she spun was exhilarating, but not nearly as much fun as seeing the shocked look on Malfoy's face to find her wand pointing directly at his face, and to find that he hadn't been talking to Harry at all, but had simply assumed he was due to the green cloak everyone was used to seeing Harry wear these days.
"You know, Malfoy, I was starting to think you were actually learning something this year," Hermione said in a tired voice, but she kept her wand pointing squarely between his eyes. "What, with Talisien around punishing you for every insult, and Harry blasting you off your feet each time he hears you... I guess you're slower than I thought."
"Mark my words, mudblood... you're the next one on the list," Malfoy said, surprisingly calm despite the apparent danger facing him. "My father will make sure you pay dearly for your interference. And don't worry... you won't be alone for long in death - Potty Potter will be joining you soon enough."
The two stood squarely against each other before Hermione sensed Harry's presence beside her again. She was vaguely aware of Ron saying something, but the blood rushing past her ears made it difficult to hear exactly what.
When Harry suddenly pulled Malfoy aside and draped an arm over his shoulder, she could barely believe her eyes - apparently neither could Malfoy, given how stiff he had gotten suddenly. "I will say this only once, Malfoy, so please pay close attention," Harry said softly, an impossibly hard edge to his otherwise calm voice and demeanour. "I have a rather long blade hidden beneath this cloak that I would love to test on a certain part of your anatomy - provided I had a chance of finding it, that is. If you don't leave my friends and I alone - now! - then I may have to test my skills to see just how effectively I can `cut you down to the size of an ant,' provided you aren't already that size, if you get my drift... Clear?"
Paler than usual, Malfoy appeared to have heard Harry perfectly clearly, and when Harry pulled away and walked back to his friends, exposing a turned back to his enemy, the prefect of Slytherin was in too much shock to actually take advantage of it.
Once outside, Ron held out a hand to stop Harry, clapping him on the shoulder. "Mate, that was, by far, the single most greatest thing I've ever seen you do."
"Better than taking on a dragon two years ago?"
"Yeah."
"Better than being the youngest seeker on a House team for over a century?"
"Yup."
Harry shrugged and turned to both Hermione and Luna. "If I knew that was all it took to impress him, I wouldn't have risked my life all these times..." That was as far as he made it before he cracked into laughter, the two girls joining him almost instantly. Ron, for his part, looked a little embarrassed - meaning he was beat red again - but he laughed along with them.
"Just one more stop that we have to make then," Ron managed once they were all under control again. "Then I say we head to the Three Broomsticks again. I'm starving!"
"If we're going to go back up that way anyway, I'd rather see the place where Harry learned the truth about his godfather first," Luna said softly, looking to Harry rather than Ron this time. "If that's alright with you..."
"Of course," he replied in equally soft tones before putting an arm around Hermione and giving her a quick kiss. "Let's go look at some clothes, then. I think I need a pair of wizarding boots or something - my trainers are starting to wear a little thin after all Kailyn's shoved us through. If you want a pair too, then it's on me, got it?"
"Thanks," Hermione whispered back, returning the kiss before breaking away to simply hold his hand again. With a grin, the two started walking towards the only clothing store in Hogsmeade, Ron and Luna trailing only slightly behind, lost in their own conversation.
Although Harry was fully intending on holding the door open for the four of them, his chance was taken from him as he found the door already being held open for them by the one person they had understood wasn't going to be in Hogsmeade.
"Afternoon all," Talisien said cheerfully, nodding to each of the four in turn as he stepped out, holding the wooden door open behind him. "Just needed to drop off a shipment of gloves from the forest - Tirduain knows I was planning on being here, so rather than send the parcel our usual way - " The four students looked to each other quickly as though trying to guess just what that meant. " - He asked me to deliver them in person."
"Right. Enjoying Hogsmeade, sir?" Harry asked with a grin. His nerves had been on edge ever since he and Hermione had left the dorm room (and if he was honest, a bit before that, too...), but seeing the Wanderer was doing wonders to help him relax. If Talisien was in town, then that meant they were safe.
"It's no Corinthian marketplace, but it's not bad," he said with a shrug. The elf then leaned in a little closer. "Verisi eqoeol carten, Ave wi Tebarewe. Lewer wey yir faqiya - sor ale wey don palotanir arote jiog." He then straightened again. "I'm heading down towards the little tea shop at the edge of town to have a look about there."
Although the words Talisien had spoken had confused Harry - despite the fact he knew what they meant - he had a sudden question that he couldn't resist asking. "You don't happen to have a spare galleon, do you?" Harry asked as the thought suddenly came to him.
"Can't say that I do," Talisien replied. "I need the only one I have left - something important to deal with later, is all." He gave no more time to reply before he had flitted out of sight and the door shut with a soft squeak, with the four students inside the shop.
"What was all that about?" Ron asked quietly, though it was obvious he wasn't the only one curious. Luna was the only one who didn't seem overly concerned, but the fact that she was still with them and not looking for some odd creature that they doubted existed (or at least, would have doubted before that year) said that she wanted to know as well.
"We're here to get a few things, remember?" Harry asked pointedly, motioning with his eyes to the group of students already inside. Most of them appeared to be girls in either third or fourth year, though there was a few older students of both male and female variety as well.
"Right," Luna said dreamily. "Ronald, would you mind giving me a hand? I want something red and bronze, with a hint of blue and gold..."
"But you're not sure?" Ron asked with a grin as he followed her, but not before he glanced to Harry with a meaningful `you'll-tell-me-later' looks.
Harry nodded and Hermione pulled him towards the counter, were the elder wizard was sitting unpacking a small wooden box of dozens of pairs of gloves. "He said to stay on our guard," Harry whispered as he knelt down before the counter to pick up one of the dropped pairs of gloves. "And that he knows something is coming - which is why he was sent down. Beyond that..."
"What?" Hermione asked when he trailed off.
"These gloves are quite nice," Harry said, meaningfully looking to Hermione. She glanced down to see that they appeared to be made out of simple leather - though made with the utmost precision nonetheless. The index finger and thumb were actually cut off, however, to allow the most feeling from the two most sensitive parts of the hand. What she noticed most thanks to the way Harry was holding them, however, were the small runes lining the inside of the wrist.
"How much are these gloves, anyway?" Hermione asked as she turned towards the wizard. The elderly man seemed not to have heard her for a moment before setting down the few still in the box and looking down towards her.
"Those gloves, my dear?" he asked softly. "Those gloves are not for sale to just anyone. They are very rare, and very hard for me to come by. I'm sorry, but..." he trailed off suddenly as he looked up to just who was holding them. "My word..."
Harry sighed inwardly as the shopkeeper's eyes flicked to his forehead and the telltale lightning bolt scar. Resigning to the scene that was sure to follow, Harry lifted his bangs to show him the scar fully.
"Harry Potter," he breathed. "My word..."
"So, how much are these gloves?" Harry asked when Hermione poked him discretely - though he guessed by the apparent age of the wizard before them that she could have hit him right in the face and he wouldn't have really noticed much.
"For you, Mr. Potter... yes, I could sell a couple of pairs to you. No more than that, though... I'm terribly sorry, but like I was telling your lady friend, they are..."
"Hermione," Harry corrected him. When the wizard seemed confused, Harry motioned to the brown haired witch beside him. "Her name is Hermione Granger."
"Ah... right. I would be willing to sell you both a single pair, though I'm afraid it will set you back a little," he explained. "Perhaps I can interest you in a different pair?"
For his part, however, Harry happened to like the feel of the gloves in his hands. "No, we'll take a couple of pairs," he said easily. "Also, could you add her robes to my bill?" he asked, pointing out the blonde Ravenclaw witch who was walking towards the changing rooms with Ron right behind her. "She's a friend of mine." He then looked to Hermione. "I've been wondering just how I'm going to get rid of some of the gold Sirius left me," he explained with a sad, worn smile. "Looks like clothes is one place, right? Anything you need? I offered you boots earlier, didn't I?"
"Oh, Harry, I couldn't... honestly... I mean, I could use a pair, but... no..."
"'Mione?" Harry said softly. When she looked up into his eyes again, he smiled softly to her, his smile filled with a touch more warmth this time. "Please?"
She sighed and nodded. "Alright, we'll see what we can find then," she conceded. "You know Ron's going to flip at this, right?"
"He won't make a scene inside," Harry said with a grin. "We might call him Talon, but his claws aren't that sharp."
It took almost an hour before Luna had picked out a set of robes that she really liked. Harry was of the opinion that she had made up her mind within a minute or two, but enjoyed showing Ron what she looked like in various other outfits. This opinion was only strengthened when Hermione whispered to him that the robes she ended up with were the first ones she had picked out in the first place.
All told, Harry left his old trainers behind, given that he didn't think he could really get them back on his feet after wrenching them off this last time. He ended up with a pair of black dragonhide boots that came halfway up his shins. He had been a little concerned that such a thing would detract from his ability to move quickly, but had been surprised to find his movement was actually a touch better in the end, rather than worse.
Hermione had picked out a pair of dragonhide boots as well, though they looked more like trainers than boots, really. Rather than being pure black like Harry's, they were a rich brown that Harry secretly thought matched her eyes almost perfectly (almost, as nothing inanimate could ever truely be compared to something so expressive).
One thing he did not do, however, was tell anyone the total tally of their purchases - although he did promise to himself that he would find out just how much a new, state-of-the-art broom would cost, and see which of the two bills would come to a higher amount...
"So, what's the deal with the gloves, anyway?" Ron asked as they started back towards the head of town to the Shrieking Shack. "And just what did Talisien say to you, mate?"
Hermione was the one who spoke up first as she pulled on her pair of gloves. Harry had put his on in the store as soon as he had paid for them - he ended up needing to sign a form allowing for the withdrawal from his account in the end. He didn't know how it worked exactly, but was sure that if he asked Hermione, she could explain it to him at some stage.
"The gloves have runes etched in around the wrist, and are from the elves," she explained. "The runes actually allow for a better grip - while wearing these, you can't drop something by mistake, or fumble or anything like that, either."
"Wicked," Ron said with a grin to Harry. "So, those are replacing your Seeker gloves, then?"
"They most certainly are not, Ron!" Hermione answered before Harry had a chance to speak. "That would be a most unfair advantage - I know it's not in the rules, but that would be so close to cheating you might as well be Slytherin!"
"Actually, I was going to ask Madame Hooch for her opinion of them first," Harry admitted with an apologetic glance to Hermione. "But the real reason I bought two pairs - one for me and `Mione - is our daggers. These'll let us use them a lot better, without being worried about fumbling around with them."
"Mate, if what we saw the other day is any indication, then you've got nothing to worry about anyway," Ron said with a grin.
"But it sounds like they will help," Luna added. "Thank you for the robes, Harry, though I did bring money from home to cover them anyway."
"I figured you did, but I wanted to," Harry said with a shrug before stopping and turning completely towards Ron. "Look, Talisien said to keep our eyes open, alright," he explained. "So we've got to stay on guard."
"Anything else?" Hermione asked, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. The fact that he instantly tensed told her the answer before he even had a chance of trying to deny it.
"He called me the Lightning Child," Harry whispered.
"He did?" Hermione asked in surprise, cutting off a response from both Ron and Luna this time, causing Ron to grin to Harry, though Harry did not return the look at all. He was obviously bothered by the name. "That's great, Harry!"
"Huh?"
His lack of an intelligent reply went completely unnoticed by her. "In nature, lightning is a changing force - very powerful, with the potential to be very dangerous, but beautiful and strong at the same time. To be called a Child of Lightning by an elf is a compliment - it means he views you as someone who can and will bring about a drastic change - in this case, for the better, of course."
No one said it, but it was clear they were all thinking it - the prophecy.
After a moment of silence, Ron grinned again, though this time at Luna. "I told you she was mental," he said spryly. "She's memorised the whole library by now, I'm sure. Who else could have known all that?"
"I did," Luna admitted, catching the others off guard completely. "Though he could have been calling him by the attribute, too - his scar. Sometimes elves name others by a recongisable feature about them."
"So what, Hermione would be Child of Books?"
"And Ron Child of Idiocy?" Hermione quipped back.
"Yeah, that's about the size of it," Luna admitted, which ended the conversation in a bout of laughter as they continued towards the Shrieking Shack down the deserted road.
The four stopped at the large wooden and wire fence before the house. To one side, the fence continued to prevent anyone from falling down the relatively steep cliff to the small valley below, but the other side opened into the forest. As Ron animatedly described to Luna exactly what they knew about the Shack itself, as well as the experiences they had had within its confines, Harry and Hermione both looked to the woods almost together before looking back up the street. Something felt decidedly off, but neither of them could say just why.
After another hour or so, during which time the feeling of unease slowly passed again, the group finally decided to give the Three Broomsticks another try - half of the students had probably returned to the castle by then anyway, as it was wearing on in the afternoon. As they turned, however, Luna's bag got caught on the fence, and before anyone could stop it, her robes spilled out and down the cliff face.
It was like watching them fall in slow motion, the way not one of them moved at all to try and catch them. By the time they finally settled at the bottom, the shock had worn off, and Harry and Ron had both pulled out their wands to try and summon them back. Before they could do so, though, Hermione grabbed both of their arms.
"Using a summoning charm on clothes doesn't work," she explained, looking a little upset at the fact. "Think about it - if it did, in order to disrobe anyone, all you'd have to do is accio their clothes, right?"
*I never thought of trying that before,* Harry purred before he could stop himself. While Hermione looked shocked, Ron looked almost sick by comparison.
"Oi, mate, do me a favour and don't talk to her in kneazle when whatever you're saying is surely meant for only her ears - I don't care for any images of the two of you together, got it?"
Harry nodded and then looked down the cliff. It was obvious that it wasn't going to be easy to get down there, especially given the state of Ron's shoes. While in relatively good condition, they weren't meant for climbing by any means.
"I'll go get them," Harry volunteered after a minute. "With my gloves, I won't slip as easily, and I've got new boots, so I might as well break them in, right?"
He exchanged a quick glance with Hermione, who was biting her lower lip in thought again, and waited to see her nod slightly. With a grin, he then pulled off his cloak and swung it over the edge of the fence as he crawled beneath the old wooden planks.
"Be back in a minute," he promised, grasping the edge of the rock and starting to make his way down. Although he had never really done anything like mountain climbing before, he found that it was something that came relatively easily to him. His boots had excellent traction, and he always seemed to find the footholds that he needed. He didn't delude himself, though - he knew his gloves were helping a lot, too.
Once at the bottom, he pushed away rom the rock and landed on the much softer ground, in rather long grass. As he crouched down to cushion the impact, his left hand brushed against both his wands and his dagger hilt again. Although it was a completely accidental thing, it gave him a sense of ease that he hadn't felt for a while.
Spotting the lost robes, he scooped them up and spun them around to bunch them up into a long, single piece of clothing that he could tie about his middle. Once the knot was finished, he walked back to the cliff face, looking up to the others. He could see them talking to each other, while watching him at the same time.
Harry was about halfway up the cliff when he noticed that something felt off. Looking up, he was surprised to see his three friends were no longer leaning over the fence watching him. Straining his ears, he could have sworn he heard shouting - and not the shouting he was used to between Ron and Hermione, but a more base, horrifying screaming.
As his own fear wrapped itself around him in an instant, he gripped the rock firmly in one hand as he dug into his robe pockets for the leading gold galleon. His fear only doubled as he remembered - the galleon was in the pocket of his cloak, not his robes! And his cloak was sitting on the edge of the fence at least fourty feet above him!
"Accio cloak!" he cried, pointing upwards to it, even though he knew it was a pointless gesture. Hermione had just explained it to the group of them a short time ago, but he didn't care. He had to try it at least.
He never stopped to analyze how the dark green fabric was suddenly on his shoulders again, the clasp done up around his neck as normal. He had pulled the coin out right away and activated it five times in an instant - it was hot in his own hands, so he knew it was surely hot enough for anyone else to notice it, too!
Shoving it back into the pocket, he redoubled his efforts to climb when a scream tore through the air. It was not a scream he had ever wanted to hear, but it did tell him exactly what was going on.
At the current moment, at the top of the cliff, Hermione was under the Cruciatus Curse.
Cursing himself for his own stupidity, he leapt back from the cliff and transformed into his lyra form in an instant, flapping his massive transparent blue wings faster than he ever had before. The rock blurred in front of him as he shot up into the air, high above the village of Hogsmeade already.
With a feral growl, he shot down again, changing back into himself just before any of the eight Death Eaters who had surrounded his three friends had a chance to notice him. Ron and Luna were already stunned and bound, but Hermione seemed to be putting up a rather large fight still. Although currently still under the horrifically painful curse, she still had a hold of her wand.
The moment the curse was broken, Harry struck with a loud cry. "Stupefy!" he shouted. "Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Iredes!" The first two red jets of light struck the two closest Death Eaters to Hermione, but the next two attacks missed entirely as they all turned to deal with him, leaving Hermione on the ground in more pain than she had previously thought possible. The last attack was a blinding white light that Harry was sure he didn't recognise, but it hadn't done much good anyway.
"So, the baby Potty finally decides to join us, does he?" one of the Death Eaters asked in a baby voice. "There goes the thought that he actually developed some brains!"
"Bellatrix!" Harry shouted angrily, feeling power building just beneath the surface.
"Among others," a snide voice answered. Harry had heard that voice before, and neither time he had heard it, had it been pleasant. "Stay down, insolent wench!" the senior Malfoy said harshly, turning back to Hermione to curse her again.
"Do not touch her, Malfoy!"
Harry was starting to wonder where anyone else was - surely they were making enough of a scene by now to have been noticed, and he had activated the galleon, right? His element of surprise was gone, and he seriously doubted his chances against the six fully trained Death Eaters, who were now moving to circle around him, were very high at all.
"We're not after you today, Potter," Malfoy said calmly, keeping his wand trained on Hermione rather than on him. "Just a few of your friends. I must say, it was enjoyable listening to the mudblood scream, don't you think?"
"This is no time for games, Lucius," Bellatrix said fiercely. "Let's just stun him and finish here."
Harry barely had time to draw his wand up in front of him to summon a `protego' shield before the blasts struck hard. The first three came from behind, making him immensely pleased that he had drawn the shield in an arch like Snape had suggested - it strengthened the shield from behind more than the front that way.
The next three came from directly in front of him, and Harry actually managed to duck beneath the first stunner before the next two struck his shield, making it shatter. Before he had time to respond, two voices from beyond the circle broken his concentration. "Expelliarmus!" To his amazement, the Death Eaters parted like the wind at the sound of the voice, and the white jets of light struck him fully in the chest, blowing him backwards.
Part of him expected to crash into those behind him, but they, too, had moved aside, leaving only the old fence to break his fall. Unfortunately, the fence didn't break the landing, but the landing did break the fence, sending him careening over the side of the cliff again. He felt his wand still in his hand, and was just about to transform to an lyra again when a stunner struck him fully, and he knew nothing else for quite some time.
---------------------
Hermione groaned as she picked herself up. The two Death Eaters that had sent curses at Harry hadn't noticed her movement, and to her surprise, Malfoy had finally taken his wand away from her to deal with Harry.
Her plans of attacking them from behind fell to the wayside when she saw Harry blasted over the edge of the cliff, and she screamed out in horror as someone sent a stunner after him to knock him out.
No one actually reacted as she ran to the edge of the cliff to look down, watching his limp body falling fast to the bottom. "Wingardium Leviosa," she muttered, pointing her wand at his body. He slowed instantly, and landed silently at the bottom of the cliff on the grass.
"You're coming with us now, mudblood," Malfoy said easily, levelling his wand at her. "You and the two pureblood traitors are needed. Course, you're coming just to destroy Potter - we could never have a better use someone as filthy as you!"
"Crucio!" Hermione cringed, but was surprised when she felt no pain wash over her. Opening her eyes again, she saw Bellatrix holding the curse on Malfoy. She broke it after he collapsed on the ground. "I told you, enough games!"
"Very well, Bella," he replied from the ground, pointing his wand at Hermione. "Stupefy."
"Protego!" she replied instantly, sending the curse harmlessly into the air above them. "Expelliarmus!"
Her own spell was shot back at her so quickly that she had no time to react, though it didn't have nearly as much power as it did before hand, and only managed to knock her to her knees, taking the wind out of her.
"Enough of that, mudblood," Malfoy said, lifting his wand towards her again. "One more time... Stupefy!"
Although she felt the stunner hit her fully, she didn't lose consciousness as she had expected. Instead, she was suddenly lifted up off the ground and thrown over the edge of the cliff much like Harry had been a few minutes earlier. She frantically tried to think of a way to slow down her own decent - as casting the levitating spell on one's self rarely worked properly - but lost her train of thought as she started to slow down suddenly.
She landed softly next to Harry, and turned to him quickly to see if she could revive him. He didn't look to be injured much at all, aside from a few bruises and scraps, but she had to make sure. She didn't want to risk enervating him if he was in too bad a shape.
Her sharp ears picked up new sounds coming from the top of the cliff now. "You aren't supposed to be here today!" Malfoy sounded quite scared, which brought a smile to Hermione's lips. "Severus assured us that you'd be stuck in the castle!"
"I would never sit back and allow this to happen," a determined voice replied. She recognised it as Talisien, and felt a sigh run its course through her. With him around, surely they were finally saved again - well, him or Dumbledore, but with the Headmaster away, the elf was just as good, if not better with his own experiences behind him.
An odd sound that she couldn't distinguish ripped the silence next, followed by a loud cry of horror or pain. "Take the two, and run!" This time, it was Bellatrix again, and she sounded to be hurt badly already. Two pops later made a sinking feeling wash over Hermione this time. She heard Talisien curse something in a language she couldn't understand - she assumed Ancient - followed by another shout of pain, and then silence again.
It took all of twenty seconds of listening, at which point she felt her own system being overcome by what had happened. She couldn't explain it later, even if she could remember everything, but a sense of peace gripped her suddenly, and she knew nothing else as she closed her eyes and laid down next to Harry.
-------------------------
All around him was a cloud of confusion. He barely knew who he was as he lay there with his eyes closed. After a few minutes, he noticed he was warm, though not unbearable so... it was a comforting warmth. A soothing warmth.
A Hermione warmth.
With that thought, more thoughts and images rushed forward into his mind unbidden. He knew who he was again, but as his thoughts continued through the day that he had just spent in Hogsmeade with his friends, he found himself wishing that he didn't.
Harry cut off that train of thought as he felt Hermione shudder in her sleep, as though fighting off a bad dream. After being hit at least twice with the Cruciatus Curse, that fact wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.
Aside from holding Hermione a little closer, he didn't move at all. He was starting to catch bits of voices, saying something close by, but he couldn't make out just what it was. As much as he wanted to open his eyes, to sit up, to say anything, nothing seemed to respond except an urgent need to hold Hermione and not let go.
It was another three hours before he woke up properly.
When he finally opened his eyes, it was to a full room. It was also to a room that he knew far too well as it was - the Hospital Room in Hogwarts. He knew Hermione was lying next to him still, though this did come as a bit of a surprise, given how strict Madame Pomfrey usually was about such things.
No one said anything as he looked around the room to see who all was there. He had expected to find the school healer next to his headboard, and he wasn't disappointed to find her there - and as he had suspected, she didn't look pleased with the amount of people in the room. Beyond her stood Dumbledore, looking graver than Harry could remember seeing him in a long time. That was enough to turn Harry's blood cold. Something really bad had happened, and his fears of not seeing Ron and Luna were probably about to come true.
To his surprise, he found Snape standing next to Dumbledore, then Minerva and Talisien. Beyond them stood his godfather and Tonks. Sitting in a chair at the edge of the room was the tall and still impressive looking Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry never had questioned the wizarding views on white and black people, as no one had ever commented on it to him before, and so he didn't think of it upon seeing the strong Auror. He was quite pleased to see him, though. With Lupin, Tonks, and Shacklebolt around, he knew that the Order was involved already.
On second thought, that didn't please him one little bit.
The rest of the room was filled with members of the DA, all of whom looked rather withdrawn and anxious. Ginny's eyes were puffy and red, and she still had tear stains on her cheeks, which only managed to send Harry's stomach plummeting any further. Colin was standing resolutely next to her, but he seemed scared too.
That was the word he was looking for. Yes, everyone looked worried, but they also looked scared. Almost terrified. Harry wondered vaguely if they were scared of him, of his reaction, or of something else entirely.
"It is good to see that you are awake at last, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "Would you mind attempting to wake Hermione as well? I feel she will want in on this conversation now, rather than having you repeat it to her later in its entirety."
Harry nodded grimly and turned to Hermione. It was only then that he noticed that he was dressed in a hospital gown, and he only noticed that because Hermione was too. She looked so at peace sleeping next to him in the bed that they had jokingly suggested having his new engraved in the headboard several times in the past.
Despite being in front of a room full of people, he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her gently on the lips to wake her, rather than do anything else to manage the task. She responded after a moment, and he pulled away right away, letting her fog addled brain wake up quickly.
Hermione woke with a start when she actually opened her eyes, but didn't say anything as she, too, took in everyone who was around them. Once she had pulled herself into a sitting position, both looked back to Dumbledore again.
"Neither of you are experiencing any dizziness? Lightheadedness?" he asked kindly.
"No sir," Harry said after a brief glance to Hermione. "Not that it matters right now anyway," he added after another moment of silence. The tension in the room was so thick that he was surprised there weren't any cases of accidental magics being used, though he figured Dumbledore was probably ensuring that fact.
"Indeed," the Headmaster said softly, looking around to the others.
"Are they dead?" Harry whispered into the silence after another pregnant pause.
To everyone's surprise, it was Snape who answered his question. "They are still alive, Potter," he said in an almost detached voice of feigned indifference. "And should remain so for a while at least."
"Then where are they?" he asked quickly. "What's being done to help them?"
"Mr. Weasley and Miss. Lovegood..." McGonagall said slowly. "Were taken by You-Know-Who's followers. We do not know where they are now, but we do have people looking for them."
"You mean the Order is trying to find them?"
"There are people in this room as of yet unaware of such a group, Potter," Snape sneered. "You would do well to keep your mouth shut on such matters."
"I would trust my life with anyone in this room," Harry replied instantly.
"And so would I," Hermione backed him up.
"Your father trusted his life to a friend, too," Snape quipped back. "And we all know where that got him!"
"Enough, Severus!" Talisien said quickly, making a cutting motion with his hand. "I do not know why you insisted on waiting in here with the rest of us if you are only going to goad both Harry and Hermione with your outdated grudge!"
"Here, here!" a few members of the DA said loudly, though when the Potions Master looked back to see who it was, he couldn't figure it out.
"I was merely stating a fact," Snape replied in an almost subdued voice for him. "And I am here because I am sure that both Potter and Granger would have sought me out later if I did not tell them right away that I have no idea where your friends are, but they are still alive nonetheless."
"That fact has now been stated," Talisien said easily, looking at him pointedly. "And I believe your presence here would now be more of a hindrance to the thought process of many in this room."
Snape didn't see fit to reply to the elf has he spun and stormed out of the Hospital Wing. "Thanks, Professor!" Harry called after him just before the door shut, shocking the others with the motion. At their glances, he shrugged. "He's right, we would have tried to find him to get the information from him later."
"How long were we out this time?" Hermione asked softly.
"This time?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Miss Granger was awake a few hours ago, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said stoically. "She told the Headmaster a few things then before falling asleep once again with the aide of a dreamless sleep draught."
"That's what that was?" Hermione asked. "You said it was chilled pumpkin juice!"
"It didn't work anyway," Harry pointed out. "She was still having a nightmare when I woke last time."
"You were awake earlier?"
"Does it really matter?" he countered, not sure where the question had come form in the first place. "Can anyone tell me... sorry, us what's going on?" he asked, fixing his question as Hermione grasped on of his hands beneath the sheets.
"There was an attack in Hogsmeade," Talisien said softly, and all eyes swirled to him instantly. Clearly, no one had expected him to answer the question, but had expected Dumbledore to field it as usual. "I was told that something big would happen, but I didn't know where or when. By the time I arrived, I fear that I was too late."
He sighed and pulled down his hood, letting Harry and Hermione get a good look into his eyes before he looked away. Although a few of the DA had been startled by the scars on his left cheek, no one actually said anything about them. They might have seen them before during the November Ball, but that did seem like ages ago, and several not in the advanced class had forgotten about them.
"A flaw in the coins you use, Harry, is that they are not good warning devices. While excellent for scheduling times, as they were meant for, they can only say something is happening when you warn in advance like you did two days ago," Talisien explained. "They can not tell anyone where you are, or how great a danger is lurking nearby."
"I knew that would be a problem!" Hermione said, obviously furious with herself suddenly. "I just knew I should have used a location spell in addition to the Protean Charm, but I didn't have time the first time, and I didn't even consider it this time... wait, two days?"
"The coins are something to worry about later, Hermione. And yes, two days," Dumbledore said softly, motioning for Talisien to continue his tale then.
"When I arrived, I found eight Death Eaters attacking Hermione. Ron and Luna were already tied up and stunned, and there was no sign at all of Harry, though I gathered quite quickly where he was thanks to Hermione's cries," Talisien said. "Before I could react, she was taken beyond their reach by her bracelet, and..."
"Her bracelet?" Dean interrupted.
"What about it?" Hermione asked, looking at the band of gold on her wrist as she pulled her hand out from under the covers. The bracelet meant a lot to her, more than most in the room would ever discover, but what did he mean?
"There are elven magics at work in that bracelet, Hermione," Kailyn offered. "Didn't Harry tell you when he gave it to you in the first place?"
"My dagger!" Harry cried loudly before the witch in bed next to him could reply. "Where's my dagger?"
"On your night stand with your wand belt," Madame Pomfrey said in an almost tired voice. "I would have rathered remove such things from near a patient, but the Headmaster can be quite insistent at times, refusing to listen to my recommendations as a Healer..."
"I'm glad he did this time," Harry said softly in return, glancing to Dumbledore in thanks. "I can't get too far away from it, after all."
"After Hermione was taken over the cliff, what happened then?" Terry asked when silence again fell. Harry looked to him quickly, and wasn't surprised to see a guilty look on his face. Looking to the others in the DA, he saw that the sixth year Ravenclaw wasn't the only one who wore such a look.
"Bellatrix LeStrange and Lucius Malfoy apparated away with Ron and Luna," Dumbledore answered this time.
"What about the other Death Eaters?" Cho asked.
"Dead," Talisien said resolutely. "Unless any of them can live without the lower half of their bodies."
Rather than an awkward silence, this remark was followed by a rather grim one that was finally broken by Lupin. "What happened to your friends, Harry, was not your fault," he said.
"No?" Harry asked, anger building in him in a second at the words he had heard after every tragedy that happened around him. "Not my fault? Weren't they taken because they were my friends? Wasn't that why they sent me over the cliff, and tried to take Hermione too?"
"According to what Malfoy told Hermione," Lupin explained easily, though his eyes were still shining with worry and pain. "They were simply after two underaged purebloods. Snape seems to agree with that theory, and that they wanted to take Hermione to get to you, but failed in that attempt. It would seem that Ron and Luna were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I don't buy that!" Harry said angrily. "I can't! Wrong place, wrong time? Ha! Anywhere with me seems to be the wrong place, doesn't it? Same with anytime!"
"No, Harry," Hermione said softly from beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder this time. Her touch instantly made him look to her, and he felt his anger fading almost instantly as he met her rich, warm earth eyes. He almost resented her ability to take his anger away, but he knew it was an important one anyway. He just hoped it wouldn't have a bad effect on her this time. "It's never the wrong place to be with you, nor the wrong time. Voldemort is trying to break you, break us with this. We can't let him win."
"We won't," Harry promised, his voice hard as steel. "He's not going to get away with this." He looked away from Hermione, and met the eyes of everyone in the room one by one. "I promise that."
"Harry, it is not the time to go galavanting across the countryside in search of your friends," Dumbledore suggested. "It is currently the time to let the Order do their work in trying to get any information on where Voldemort is hiding." He then turned to McGonagall. "Really, Minerva, you simply must get used to at least hearing the name."
"Dumbledore is right, Harry," Kingsley said from the corner of the room as he stood up. Harry was suddenly reminded that Hagrid wasn't in the room - probably because he wouldn't have fit with everyone else present - as the Auror was a rather tall, strong man himself. "We will find him. I managed to find Black after all, even though I found out the truth just after confronting him."
Oddly enough, it was the Auror's mention of Sirius that made Harry actually start to believe that the Order would be able to find Ron and Luna.
"What does Voldemort want with two underaged purebloods, Professor?" Hermione asked Dumbledore, shaking Harry from his thoughts.
"That, my dear Hermione, is a question with a good many possible answers. Unfortunately, each is as improbable as the last."
"There's only a few things he could need them for," Tonks said, her voice a bit more restricted than normal. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, but then she was obviously upset by what had happened as well. "And none of them are good things for them."
When Harry yawned despite himself, he knew at once that it was a bad idea, as it sent a spasm down his body, making him shiver quite suddenly. His hope that Madame Pomfrey had missed the action was worthless, though, as she threw up her arms. "That's it! Everyone out for the night! I'm keeping these two here so they can get a good night's sleep, and then they can return, and you can continue this conversation then!" she insisted, pointing to the door.
Although practically the entire DA objected - as well as Lupin, actually - Dumbledore simply nodded and walked to the door, opening it and motioning outside. As everyone filed out quietly, Ginny made her way over to the bed quickly.
"He'll be alright, won't he?" she whispered to them, tears in her eyes again. The sight was almost enough to tear Harry in two - Ginny had been so strong ever since her first year, and now she was almost a wreck...
"I'm sorry, Gin," he whispered back. "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop this from happening..."
"I'm sorry too," Hermione offered. "If only I was a little faster, or a little less concerned about Harry. I should have been paying closer attention, but..."
"No," Ginny whispered fiercely, throwing herself onto the bed to hug them both at once. "No, it's not either of your faults!" she said loudly this time. "If you hadn't gone after Harry, Hermione, you would have been taken too! It's not your fault!"
After she finally pulled away - or rather, was pulled away by Madame Pomfrey - both smiled at her. "Thanks, Gin," Harry said softly, and Hermione nodded the same.
And then, as suddenly as it always seemed, they were left alone in the Hospital Wing. The Healer had left two goblets of a pink liquid next to their bed, but neither of them took them. Instead, without any words being exchanged, Harry took Hermione into his arms, and the two cried. They cried for each other, they cried for the DA, they cried for the Order of the Phoenix, and they cried for Ron and Luna.
They cried because they had failed them, and because it was the only release that they had available to them. When Madame Pomfrey came in to check on them an hour or so later, she had to use a drying charm on the pillow beneath Harry to clear away the tears, as well as on his hospital gown from where Hermione's head was resting. Then, picking up the still full goblets, she muttered something about the inequities of war and the unfairness of those who suffer, and then retreated to her own room again just as silently as she had come in.
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Until the sun sets upon a broken world…
The Shadows
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