Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry watched the teachers decorating the ballroom for the dance. The room was being made up to look like a forest of crystal. Small, free floating balls of light hovered about 15 feet up. The effect on the crystal branches was dazzling. Harry sighed. He had a date with Hermione. Finally. Why had he taken so long to ask her? "Bugger all, I'm a coward sometimes" he admonished himself.

Harry felt something smooth and cool touch the back of his hand. An enchanted crystal deer was nuzzling it. He smiled. The teachers were really going all out. It made him a little sad to know it was all being taken down again. The teachers thought it was best to test out their designs before the actual date of the dance so they could work out any problems. His thoughts were interrupted by Ron running toward him. The youngest Weasley brother had an ear to ear grin on his face. Without a word Ron grabbed his hand, dragged him out into the hallway and into the boy's bathroom. Ron bent over for a moment so he could catch his breath. "Harry," Ron said in between gasps, "You'll never believe this." He brought his voice down to barely above a whisper. "I found what we were looking for!"

"Huh?" Harry replied, confused.

"I was in the library getting a book for class, when I dropped my triggle root. It rolled under the bookcase and when I went down to get it I found this," he exclaimed as he proudly pulled a book from his bag. In blue metallic lettering the title read 'Magical Artifacts Throughout History'. Harry snatched the book out of Ron's hand and began thumbing through it. "They must have missed it when they took all those books down."

They finally found the chapter they needed. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he turned the pages. After reading it Harry slowly closed the book like he was in a trance. After a long silence Harry swallowed. "Do you know what this means?"

Ron nodded. "We could bring back your parents....."

Harry let out a puff of air. "We could bring back everyone Voldemort killed."

Hermione stared longingly at the new indoor swimming pool being added on to the back of Hogwarts. Of course all the new construction was being made to match the castle. New types of lessons would soon be had by students of Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Spell Casting. The teachers of those classes had asked for a pool so they could teach about things pertaining to large bodies of water without having to resort to trudging all the way down to the lake. It was also advantageous in case of rain.

Hermione couldn't wait. Hagrid had been going on and on about teaching them how to ride Argots. She had heard about them but she had never seen one, not in person anyway.

Hermione's thoughts drifted to the other night. She'd been waiting so long for a date with Harry. She was happy but also a little worried. Her nightmares about Harry's death made her jump at every little sound. Well, things hadn't happened like in the dream anyway. He had asked her out. Not the other way around. Maybe it was just a dream after all.

Hermione was just about to head down to lunch when she heard a sound behind her. Suddenly a bouquet of violet orchids was thrust in front of her face. Once she got over the momentary shock she lowered her nose to the flowers and drank in their scent deeply. She took the flowers and, blushing furiously, turned around to thank Harry. Only it wasn't Harry, it was Draco. She scuttled backwards and fell over a chair, landing with an unceremonious thump on the floor of the empty classroom.

Draco smiled in such a way that Hermione began to taste bile rising in her throat. "Certainly not the reaction I was hoping for," Draco feigned being hurt.

Hermione glared at Draco. "Just what do you think you're doing!" she hissed.

"Well, since my attempts to win you over fairly were going less than stellar I decided I needed to be sneaky," he explained, suddenly becoming very interested in studying his fingernails, "Of course you like them."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Of course I do NOT!! Get out of here now!" she said as she stood up.

"You might want to take that back," Draco warned, narrowing his eyes.

"I said OUT!!!!" Hermione yelled as she threw the flowers in his face.

Draco was instantly furious. "Why you insolent little mudblood!" he raged. "You should get down on your hands and knees and thank the stars that a full blood wizard is even interrested in you!" He stepped closer. "Now...thank me for the flowers," he said ominously.

"No!" Hermione yelled indignantly.

Draco was so angry his body shook. "I had actually lowered myself to the level of trying to woo this halfling and STILL she denies me?!!!" The word came out of his mouth before he had even thought it. "Crucio!"

George turned and looked behind him at the tap on his shoulder. He saw Harry, who had a look of concern on his face. "George. Have you seen Hermione?"

"Mope. Avwent ween er," George replied through a mouthful of steak.

Harry sighed heavily. "I'm sure she's around Bro," said Wendy as she walked up next to her brother. "You know Mione. She's probably studying and not bothering to watch the clock."

Harry smiled. "You might be right," he said with a bit of worry still apparent in his voice.

"C'mon. We'll go look for her," Wendy said thumbing toward the doors.

Harry nodded and the two Potters began their search. Wendy spotted Lavender walking up the hall. "Lavender, have you seen Hermione?"

Lavender thought for a moment. "I think I saw her heading for the old study room."

Wendy snickered. "See," she said to Harry, "told ya. Let's go tell her ta get her butt in gear." Harry looked at her blankly. She sighed in frustration. "I meant we need to tell her to get moving."

Hermione writhed on the cold stone floor of room. "This can't be happening. Oh God please let this be a nightmare," she begged in her mind. The pain was like a fire that burned through her very soul. "Harry...please help...."

Harry and Wendy were walking toward the study room when they heard a crash. Harry got into the room first and what he saw made his blood boil. Hermione was twitching so badly that it looked like a seziure. "How DARE you!!!!!" he screamed at Draco. Hermione stopped spasming at once. Draco looked up at Harry with surprise. Harry raised his wand and yelled, "Accio wand!" Draco's wand flew into his hand. "Razorum!" Instantly a cut appeared on Draco's left cheek. Harry yelled the spell again and again.

Draco was starting to bleed profusely. "Harry! HARRY! That's enough! You'll kill him!" Wendy yelled. When she saw this wasn't working she grabbed Harry's wand out of his hand. She then pointed her wand at Draco and said, "Aura copula." Ropes of light bound Draco and he toppled over onto the floor. During all this Harry had kept trying to get his wand back, but quickly found out that Wendy was stronger than she looked. "C'mon Harry. He's not worth goin' ta Azkaban for," she said soothingly. Harry just stood there, ridgid. Somehow Wendy knew he wouldn't do anything else so she went over to Hermione and used her pocket knife to sever the ropes. "Harry. Why don't you go get Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione suddenly found the strength to speak. "No. We're not telling anyone."

Everyone's eyes went wide. "Mione are you nuts?" Wendy asked.

"We can use this against him," she said as she stood up shakily. She turned to Draco with an angry glare. "You hear me you trash. You ever do anything to anyone at Hogwarts again and I'll have Dumbledore expel you. Go to Madam Pomfrey and tell her you fell in the thorn grove. That'll explain the cuts."

Draco glared at everyone as Harry reversed the rope spell. Realizing they had him dead to rights, he threw a chair against the wall in frustration, and began to leave when Harry grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall. There was a murdurous look in Harry's eyes. "If you ever go near Hermione again, I'll break you in half," Harry said warningly.

Draco stormed off down the hall. The Potters kneeled down next Hermione. She collapsed into Harry's arms and sobbed silently.

.........TO BE CONTINUED
========================================================================================

I know that was a little heavy but I thought it was a good plot point plus it will play a role in the sequal to this fic.

Aura copula- Roughly means "light ropes" in latin.