The return of the evil school work...grrr.....it's biting into my fic writing time.
Some of you may or may not know about the Alerts problem that PK is having right now...so for those of you that didn't know I was updating, this is Chapter 8 (in case you've missed earlier ones). There's another cliffhanger at the end of this chapter (I know, I know), so I just wanted to warn you all in advance. But, just like the one with the Dursley's, you'll be surprised at the outcome of this one too.
One other thing, for those of you who have been reading the trilogy faithfully, you' notice that there's a major continuity error in this chapter. I'm not saying what or where it is (if no one notices, more power to me). I'm going to erase the counter-proof from the trilogy, so the change is now canon in my timeline.
---------------
Chapter 8: Hogwarts and Back Again
"Why am I so nervous about this?" Harry asked, standing outside the Great Hall at Hogwarts for the first time in a month.
"Because it's Snape," Hermione replied.
"Remember what happened the last time we were standing in there?" Harry asked with a smile as they began the familiar walk down to the dungeons.
"How could I forget?" Hermione asked as Harry took her hand in his. "I'm wearing this bloody three-kilo ring on my hand."
"It doesn't really weigh that much, does it?" he asked.
"Of course not, I'm just having you on," she replied.
"You can have me on anytime you want, you know," Harry said in a mischievous tone of voice.
"Not here," Hermione replied sternly, though she was smiling. "You wouldn't want Snape to come find us in a compromising position, would you?"
"You make a strong argument," he said as they arrived at the potion master's office. "Ready?" Harry asked, taking a deep breath. Hermione nodded, and he knocked on the door.
"Enter," came the reply in Snape's usual drawl.
"You sound quite amiable today, Professor," Harry said. "Did you win the lottery?"
"Spare me the pleasantries, Potter," Snape said, although there was the tiniest hint of a smirk playing on his features.
"What will you be teaching us?" Hermione asked, taking off her cloak and hanging it up on one of the rusted iron pegs on the wall.
"Strangely enough, something Potter already has experience in brewing," Snape replied. "Antidotes." Harry looked at his teacher and arched one of his eyebrows.
"The Vulnero Draught?" he asked.
"The very same," Snape said. "Though you'll find that it's much easier to brew the antidote to the normal version of the potion than the version I made."
"Version you made?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.
"Yes, Granger, the version I made," Snape replied. "And before you ask, yes. It was the one that was forced down your throat several months ago." Hermione huffed at this, but made no further comment. "Let us begin then."
Many hours of stirring, listening to instructions, and conversing silently in their heads later, Harry and Hermione had managed to brew an antidote for the Vulnero Draught successfully.
"Very good," Snape said, peering into their cauldrons. "Here. Fill these." He handed each of them a medium-sized flask.
"What are we supposed to do with them?" Harry asked after filling his full of antidote.
"What, Moody didn't tell you?" Snape asked, frowning. Harry and Hermione shook their heads and the potions teacher gave a sigh of disapproval. "I must remember to thank him."
"Professor?" Hermione asked.
"Well I suppose you'll have to leave them here, until next week," Snape said distastefully. "Moody was supposed to instruct you two to buy potions belts, but I guess it must have slipped his mind."
"What for?" Harry asked. Snape frowned at him.
"For being the son of Lily Evans, you can really be unintelligent sometimes," he growled. "What would be the purpose of brewing these difficult and strenuous antidotes if we just threw them out afterwards?"
"Um...."
"You're to buy potions belts and wear them here the next time you come, along with every minute of every day after that" Snape said. "You'll each carry around the antidotes that you brew with you. In your line of business, one never knows when they might need the remedy for some of the more vicious types of poison, do they?"
"No sir," they both said at once.
"Very good," Snape replied. "You're dismissed. Same time next week." Harry and Hermione nodded before moving to clean up the remainder of the potion. "Leave it. The Order could use it, so I'll fill up more flasks after you leave."
"Er...right then. See you next week, sir," Harry said, as he and Hermione departed from the office.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Hermione asked.
"I'll admit, I thought it was going to be much worse."
"Well, if you're still feeling under the weather about it, I bet I can find a way to make you feel better," Hermione suggested. "Race you home?"
"If you insist, Granger," Harry replied with a playful smile on his face. They quickly sprinted up the stairs and out of the castle before finally getting off the grounds and disapparating to Grimmauld Place, only to end up on top of the bed together at the same time.
=====
"Soooo?" Harry asked in a very immature voice.
"So what?" Remus responded, sipping at his tea.
"So, what's the deal between you and Rose?" he asked. "Or did it not work out?"
Remus sighed and glanced around the seating area in the small restaurant in Diagon Alley. Ever since Harry had learned about the old Marauder's blossoming relationship with the blond woman, he had been aching to pester Remus with questions ever since. Hermione had suggested that he have that conversation without her, so she was off with Ginny on a shopping spree to help take the young Weasley's mind off Draco.
"We've seen each other a few times," Remus replied. "But I wouldn't go so far as to say she's my 'girlfriend'."
"Well, how have your 'dates' gone, then?" Harry asked. Remus shrugged.
"As well as they could, I suppose," he said. "We pretty much just came down and talked over tea."
"What'd you talk about?"
"Oh, nothing exciting," Remus said, picking up a small biscuit and biting off a piece. "We talked about how Dells keeps hounding on me to get over to Gringott's to chat with the goblin liaison office, but he's making me do it on my free time, and what with helping Arthur and the kids move out of you-know-where, I haven't had any time to do it."
"You know Gringott's is just down the street, right?" Harry asked teasingly. Remus gave him a fake scowl. "So are you going to ask her out formally?" he questioned with a sparkle in his eyes.
"You ask more questions than James," Remus said with a laugh. "I suppose I will in time. It just seems hard that anyone would like me given that I'm...well..."
"Trust me Remus, I know how you feel," Harry said after his surrogate godfather trailed off. "For so long I was convinced that Hermione was crazy for loving me because I nearly got her killed in fifth year. Sixth and seventh, too, come to think of it. The point is that when you find the person you're meant to be with, they don't look at the lycanthropy or the scar on your forehead."
"Yeah...I suppose you're right."
"I know I am," Harry replied smugly.
"You know, you reminded me of Sirius just then," Remus said with a smile.
"How so?" Harry asked.
"The night before your parents got married," Remus began. "James was as nervous as Neville in front of Snape. I never thought I'd see the day when Sirius Black gave valuable philosophical and romantic advice to anyone, but he helped your father warm his feet back up."
"Never knew he was such a romantic at heart," Harry grinned.
"Oh don't get me wrong," Remus smiled. "Sirius was a prat through and through. But he did have some warm fuzziness in him."
"You know he'd kill you for ever saying something like that," Harry said with a smile.
"And I'm sure I'll pay for it once I pass on too," Remus replied.
"You know, speaking of my parents' wedding," Harry said, a thought coming to him. "Do you know what happened to their wedding bands?"
"No," Remus said sadly. "Last I heard, Dumbledore was in possession of them."
"My aunt gave them to me the day she and my uncle and cousin arrived," Harry said, crossing his arms.
"You're kidding me," Remus replied, his eyes widening.
"Not at all," Harry said. "Up and apologized for treating me like scum during my pre-Hogwarts years, and gave them to me."
"That's very uncharacteristic of her, from what I remember," Remus said.
"Tell me about it," Harry said with a shrug. "She also told me that Vernon has a brother who's a wizard."
"Really?" Remus asked, becoming very interested.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Didn't know much about him though. She said that he went to Durmstrang after changing his name."
"What'd he change his name for?" Remus asked.
"Wouldn't you if you were a wizard and part of that family?" Harry countered.
"I suppose."
"Hey, did you hear what the twins did to Malfoy after he broke up with Ginny?"
"I vaguely remember hearing about them plotting something, but I never found out," the old Marauder said with a hint of eagerness.
"They put bulbadox powder in his shorts," Harry laughed. "You should've seen him the next day, he was walking around with a limp looking like he had just gotten off of a horse."
"Talking about my ex-boyfriend?" a voice behind Harry asked. He turned around to see Ginny and Hermione standing there, arms laden with shopping bags, most of which were marked 'Madam Malkin's'.
"Have a good time?" Remus asked.
"Pretty good," Hermione said. "Although I still think that some of the things Ginny bought were-"
"Presents for myself and my next boyfriend," Ginny interrupted, blushing slightly.
"It's probably best that I don't hear about that," Remus said with a smile. "Since your mother would hex me into next century for not telling her right away if I did find out." Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all smiled at this. "Well I think I'd best be off," Remus said looking at his watch. "I should really go into Gringott's, since Harry made a point of telling me that it's right down the street. I'll see you two during the week?"
"We'll stop in and say hi," Hermione said. Remus smiled before turning to Harry.
"Don't worry," Harry said, reading the werewolf's mind. "My treat."
"Thanks," Remus said. "My treat next time."
"Whatever you want," Harry smiled. Remus nodded and disapparated with a soft pop.
"Well then," Hermione said. "Shall we go home?"
"If you two are all done shopping?" Harry asked. Both girls nodded. "All right," he said, putting down a few galleons on the table. "Let's get going."
They walked to the Leaky Cauldron where Ginny said her goodbyes and flooed to the Burrow, leaving Harry and Hermione standing in the near-empty pub.
"Race you home," Harry grinned before disapparating with a pop.
Hermione rolled her eyes before apparating into her and Harry's bedroom, only to be ambushed from behind by him upon arriving.
"I win," he whispered with a smile, while kissing her neck gently.
"Well it wasn't really fair, you had a head start and...ohhh..."
"So what did you buy?"
"Besides our potions belts?" Hermione asked with a grin.
"Besides our potions belts."
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Hermione asked, turning around to face him.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it looks positively stunning on you," he replied kissing her. "Though, come to think of it, whatever it is would probably look better strewn about on the floor."
"Well, we'll have to test that theory, won't we?" Hermione asked huskily.
"Sounds like a plan."
=====
"You know, you two, you really ought to fix yourselves up afterwards before presenting yourselves in public," Tonks said with a grin as Harry and Hermione walked through the door to the basement kitchen about an hour later, looking slightly dishevelled.
"And just what are you insinuating?" Harry asked, pretending to be angry, even though a smile was creeping up on his face, and Hermione's ears were turning a pretty shade of pink.
"You know what I'm insinuating," Tonks replied gleefully. "Where have you two been all day?"
"I went shopping with Ginny and Harry talked with Remus about Rose," Hermione replied, walking over to the sink and pouring herself a glass of water.
"Who's Rose?" Tonks asked.
"Remus' new love interest," Harry replied, as he summoned a butterbeer from the pantry. "They seem to be hitting it off." He muttered a quick freezing charm on the drink before taking a long sip.
"Really?" Tonks asked skeptically. "What's this woman like?"
"Seems nice enough," Hermione replied. "Kept Moody from surprise attacking us on our first day."
"Hmph."
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, though he had an inkling of an idea already.
"Nothing," Tonks said a little too quickly. "So this woman works in the ministry?"
"Yeah," Harry replied. "What does she do again, Hermione?"
"I think she said she was the new Senior Assistant to the minister," Hermione replied.
"Oh. Her," Tonks replied.
"What's wrong with her?" Harry asked.
"She gave everyone in the auror and mysteries department along with all the heads evaluations when Percy was elected," she replied. "Bit of a snob, if you ask me. That's why Remus now has that oaf of a boss."
"Remus' boss is a new hire?" Harry asked, slightly surprised.
"Well, from what I gather he's been around for a while," Tonks said. "But he got promoted after the regime change."
"I wonder what Remus thinks of that," Hermione chuckled.
"Who knows," Tonks replied. "So, Harry, looking forward to Sirius' commemoration?"
"That's right, that's next week!" Harry said snapping his fingers. "I can't believe I forgot."
"We'll you've been busy these past couple of weeks," Tonks replied nonchalantly. "Arthur and Molly are actually a bit nervous about attending."
"Because Percy's going to be the one awarding the Order of Merlin?" Harry asked. Tonks nodded.
"They still haven't spoken since he left them," she said. "Or so Arthur tells me."
"I still find all of his behavior of late strange," Hermione said. "He's giving Sirius this wonderful ceremony, he gave Draco the scribe position -"
"Wait, what?" Tonks asked.
"Percy made Draco the official scribe when he was named Minister," Harry said. "We just found out about that last week."
"That makes no sense whatsoever," Tonks said. "Draco was hired in foreign relations. Why promote him to scribe?"
"How should we know?" Harry said.
"I don't know!" Tonks exclaimed waving her hands frantically. "It just makes no sen-"
"IS ANYONE THERE?!" a loud voice screeched from the fireplace. Whirling around, Harry saw the familiar face of Ginny Weasley sitting in the fireplace.
"What's wrong?" he quickly asked.
"We're being attacked!" she said, terror evident in her eyes.
"Is Voldemort there?" Harry asked.
"I don't think so," Ginny said frantically. "Just hurry up and get over here!" Before any of them had time to answer, her head was gone.
"Tonks, get to Diagon Alley and alert Fred and George. Then go and find anyone and everyone else you can. We have to get over there now," Harry said frantically.
"I'm more experienced than you," Tonks argued. "You go tell Fred and George."
"That may be true, but I can't die thanks to a nifty little prophecy hanging over my head," he retorted.
"He's right," Hermione said. "I'll help you." Tonks frowned and tried to think quickly, but Harry interrupted her thought process.
"We don't have time to argue, Tonks, just do it!" And with that he disapparated with a pop.
---------------
Thar you have it. I realise this is by far the shortest chapter I've written since Part I, but the muse was awfully
unkind to me this week. I promise to make up for it in future chapters. Adios!