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Intervention Part II: Il Nemico del mio Nemico by fenriswolf
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Intervention Part II: Il Nemico del mio Nemico

fenriswolf

Intervention Part II: Il Nemico del mio Nemico

by FenrisWolf

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DISCLAIMER - Harry Potter and all ancillary copyrights are the property of JK Rowling and her authorized agents. I own nothing but the original characters that are the products of my fevered imagination. If I could make money off this, I wouldn't be working for Walgreens.

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Sorry for the long delay between updates, but RL takes precedence over writing at times, and frankly, I'm working slowly because I don't want to make any missteps with the plotline. The outline is mostly in my head, and is still evolving even as I write. Please be patient, and I will try not to keep my readers waiting too long between chapters.

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Chapter One - The Journey Begins

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Harry and Hermione were still reading through the special edition when the first sounds of other people stirring reached them. A few minutes later Molly appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, stopping in surprise upon seeing the couple sitting there. "Oh! You two are up awfully early. What's the matter, couldn't you sleep thinking about…what's that?" she asked, finally noticing the papers.

Harry tipped the paper up so she could see the headline. "It's finally started," he said grimly. "There were a series of attacks last night."

Molly's face paled. "Oh, no! How bad was it?"

"There aren't too many details at this point," Hermione answered, looking up from the center pages. "Just that there were half a dozen confirmed reports, with attacks on both wizards and muggles. There's also unconfirmed reports of at least a dozen more sightings, as well as incidents on the Continent."

Molly settled heavily into one of the kitchen chairs and accepted the paper Harry offered her, her hands shaking as she started to read for herself. "Arthur was afraid of this," she said distractedly. "It's been too quiet since that business at the Ministry, and there have been signs..." She bit her lip, obviously debating whether or not she should say any more.

"Let me guess," Harry said, his tone flat as he filled in the silence. "The Order's heard evidence that Voldemort's continued recruiting, replacing the people who were caught back in June? Probably pureblood wizards known to share his views dropping out of sight?" He snorted at the surprised look on Molly's face. "I know I was out of it a good part of the summer, Mum, but thanks to everyone I've been doing a lot better, and even if Hermione might not think so sometimes," and here he flashed a quick smile at his fiancée to show he was joking, "I do actually think things through now and then. What happened at the Department of Mysteries was just a setback, no one really thought it would stop him for good."

"Yes, well," Molly replied uncomfortably, "that's not something you should be worrying about. You should be concentrating on school, not thinking about fighting Dark wizards-"

"Mum…Molly," Harry interrupted her, "I know that's how you wish things were. Heck, I wish that's the way things were, that all I had to do was go to school, and worry about keeping my grades up so I don't upset my girlfriend too much, and maybe keeping the Quidditch and House cups in Professor McGonagall's office. I wish the only enemies we had to worry about were Draco Malfoy and the slimy gits that hang onto his coattails, and a certain greasy-haired Potions professor. And I wish the only battles I had to fight were the ones with all the blokes at school when they realize just how incredibly lucky I am to have Hermione at my side." He grinned as his fiancée blushed, giving her hand a squeeze.

"But wishing it won't make it happen," he continued, his tone turning serious. "Whether we like it or not, there's a war starting up for real, and the other side doesn't give a hang how young we are. You lived through the last war, you know better than we do just what they're capable of doing. He doesn't care if someone is seven or seventy; if you're in his way, you're dead. And some of his followers are even worse; twisted as he is, Tom still has a reason for every act of torture and murder he commits. It's probably a reason only a maniac like him would understand, but it's still a reason. A lot of his followers are just in it because it means they can play their sick games as much as they want, and Voldemort's 'crusade for pureblood purity' is just the excuse they use to indulge themselves."

He looked up over Molly's head; while he'd been talking Ron, Luna and Ginny had come downstairs and, having heard his words, were now nodding in agreement. "I'm not saying we're ready to run out and start hunting down Death Eaters; we all learned that the hard way last June just how much we all still have to learn. But pretending we aren't going to end up in the thick of it not only isn't logical, it's dangerous!"

Molly watched, her eyes bright with unshed tears, as Ron, Luna and Ginny moved to stand behind Harry where he sat at the table, unconsciously showing their support for his position. "You've done all you can, Mum," Harry continued, "but it's time and past time for us to stop pretending we're just kids. And maybe that's not such a bad thing!" he added with a bit of a smile as he glanced in Hermione's direction. "Maybe, if enough people step forward and refuse to knuckle under, we can cut Voldemort and his flunkies off at the knees before they get as strong as they did last time around. And who knows, once we kick his pasty white arse for good and all, maybe we can see about supplying you with a few grandchildren to spoil, so that they'll be able to have the childhoods we had to put aside." He grinned as Hermione, and though he couldn't see it, Ron both turned bright red, while both Ginny and Luna giggled.

The Weasley matriarch recognized the truth in Harry's calm words, the knowledge becoming even more real as she saw the maturity underlying the youthful expressions on the faces of her children-no, on the faces of the young adults she'd raised. Through no fault of their own the burdens of adult responsibility had settled on their shoulders far earlier than she would have preferred, and a feeling of pride filled her heart as she saw the way they accepted that burden. They understood the serious nature of what lay before them, but they would not let it crush their spirits. It was a moment every parent longs for and dreads; longs for because it meant that they had fulfilled their duty as a parent and raised a person capable of standing on their own, and dreads because in standing on their own they would look to themselves, and not their parents, for the answers to life's questions.

All this passed through Molly's mind in an instant, and she sniffled a little and smiled at the slightly nervous expressions of her two youngest. Young adults they might be, but they were still her children, and wanted her approval even if they felt they no longer needed her permission, and she realized that of all the gifts she'd given them over the years, this simple act was probably the most important.

"All right, my dears," she said at last, including all of her children, blood and adopted, "I've been telling you for years that you needed to learn how to stand on your own two feet someday, I guess I just didn't realize that 'someday' had come…and I couldn't be more proud."

~~~~~~

Despite the unwelcome, but not unexpected reports of the resumption of Death Eater activities, the plans for the trip to King's Cross Station and Platform 9 ¾ remained more or less unchanged, though there was a heightened level of security. The residents of the Burrow traveled via a secured Floo connection to 12 Grimmauld Place, where they were to be met by a pair of Ministry cars escorted by a team comprised of Order members as well as a number of trustworthy Aurors.

Once they had all arrived at the safe haven of the Order's headquarters, Kingsley brought everyone up to date on what had been learned about the attacks. "It might not seem like it from the way the Prophet is reporting it, but we actually got off pretty easily," he said once the newcomers had disposed of the soot that was an unavoidable side effect of Floo travel. The dark-skinned Auror hesitated briefly before continuing, and Harry and Hermione shared an amused glance as they realized that Shacklebolt had been waiting for Molly to throw one of her snits about information that was 'inappropriate for children'.

When no such tirade materialized, he relaxed fractionally and said, "All the attacks seem to have been carried out by new recruits, with no sign of the more dangerous of You-Know-Who's followers, or him either for that matter. And with all the publicity there's been over the last couple of months about His return, most high-risk families, those with Muggleborn wizards, or mixed marriages between Muggles and wizards, have been on guard."

Hermione's face paled. "My parents! I wasn't at home, they'll be targets-"

"Don't worry, Miss Granger," Kingsley interrupted. "Even before the Ministry finally admitted that You-Know-Who was back, Dumbledore had the Order placing protective wards around the homes of those who were considered to be especially at risk, and the parents of a prominent Muggleborn such as yourself certainly qualifies, even without your relationship with Harry. And now that the Ministry is cooperating instead of obstructing, we have the manpower to do some real good. That's why the two Death Eaters who tripped the wards at your home are now in custody."

Harry felt the guilt echoing across his bond with Hermione and drew her close, offering his support by both physical and emotional means even as he kicked himself for his own selfishness and lack of foresight. He knew the only reason Hermione had thought so little about her own parents over the summer was because she'd been worried about him, and once their Bond had been formed they'd been so wrapped up in discovering each other that all other thoughts had pretty much flown. As for Harry, he had so little experience with having relatives that cared about him, and about whom he cared in turn, that worrying about Hermione's parents just never occurred to him, a fact about which he was now heartily ashamed. His upbringing might be a reason for such thoughtlessness, but it was no excuse, not if he wanted to be the kind of man Hermione deserved.

"I should have been there," Hermione was still muttering quietly as he held her. "They needed me, and I should have been there…"

"Hermione, shhh," he murmured, getting her attention. "Seems to me that not too long ago you were pounding it though my thick skull not to beat myself up for things I couldn't change. Do I have to do the same thing for you?" He smiled as she managed something between a sniffle and a chuckle and shook her head. "All right then; your parents are okay, according to Kingsley, and we'll just have to do whatever it takes to make sure they stay that way. All right?"

"But Harry, we'll be at school," Hermione pointed out, her voice still colored with concern. "And my parents are Muggles with jobs that keep them out in the open. What's to keep another attacker from getting to them? The Order doesn't have the resources to guard them every second of the day. The Ministry might, but would they even bother for Muggles?"

"I'm afraid she's right, Harry," Shacklebolt interjected. "The Ministry's spread too thin as it is, and while the Order will do what it can, we just don't have the people to guard them 24/7. I suppose we could put them in protective custody, but that's at best a temporary solution."

"And they wouldn't accept it if you offered," Hermione stated, her expression growing more worried. "They aren't about to give up their lives because of a bunch of terrorists, no matter how dangerous it is, they're too stubborn for that."

Harry's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution that would ease his fiancée's worries and that could be managed within the resources that were available to them. The problem was, he knew so little about what was possible in the wizarding world. In the Muggle world, of course, if people were, what was the term, 'high-profile targets', and they had the money, they would just hire-

Harry's gaze sharpened and he snapped his eyes over to the senior auror. "How do I go about hiring bodyguards?"

"Bodyguards?" Kingsley echoed, his expression blank.

"Yeah, bodyguards, hit wizards, aurors for hire…whatever they're called in the Wizarding world." Harry clarified. "Not everyone is good at self defense, some of the losers we've had as Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers is proof of that. Muggles hire bodyguards for that stuff, what's the wizard version?"

Shacklebolt nodded as he caught Harry's meaning. "There are some firms that contract out guards for prominent Wizarding families. A lot of Aurors and Hit Wizards go into that line when they retire from the Ministry; a couple of my instructors started their own firm a while back, told me I had a job wherever I wanted one.." He started to frown. "The only trouble is, the competent ones are expensive, and you don't want to hire somebody who sells their services too cheap; either they're no good at what they're supposed to do, or they'll sell you out the first chance they get."

Harry smirked and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "I don't think money's a problem," he replied as he removed several of the vault vouchers he'd picked up at Gringott's during his last trip there.

"Bloody Hell, Harry!" Ron gasped when he recognized the scraps of parchment. He was well over his jealousy of Harry's money now that he really understood just what it had cost him to have it, but sometimes it still came as a surprise when he connected his friend's shabby appearance with the bulging vault he knew he had at the goblin bank.

Harry ignored his friend's outburst and quickly endorsed the vouchers before handing them over to Kingsley. "There's 2000 Galleons to start with, and I can arrange for more as needed. Can you find someone who's willing to protect Muggles, and whose competence you trust?" At Kingsley's nod he glanced at his fiancée and asked, "Hermione? Is this okay with you?"

She thought for a minute, biting her lip before she nodded. "I'll write my parents a letter and explain the situation to them. I'm sure they won't object so long as the guards don't disrupt their routine too much. But Harry, how am I going to explain how I arranged this? They know we're dating; well, Mum does, but if you start spending a small fortune to keep them safe, they'll begin asking questions we aren't ready to answer yet."

Harry frowned; family relationships were still largely a mystery to him. He knew he had a perfect model of how not to behave in the Dursleys, and while the Weasleys were wonderful, there was little there to base the behavior of a potential son-in-law on, since none of the brothers who were likely to be playing that role any time soon lived at home. 'Then again,' he thought to himself with an inward smile, 'maybe that's a sign not to use them as a role model.'

Deciding to put off for the moment what he couldn't figure out that day, Harry shrugged and said, "Just tell them it's being arranged through the Order's resources; if things go according to plan, we'll be seeing them over the winter holidays anyway, and we can explain it all to them then. Maybe finding out that you have a rich fiancé will help cushion the shock that you have one at all!"

The others laughed as Hermione punched him in mock outrage, but he could feel her tension easing through their Bond as Kingsley continued to brief them on the previous night's attacks.

"Of the dozen reported attacks on high risk Wizarding targets, only three had any kind of success, and even there it was limited. One Muggleborn witch was killed and a Muggleborn wizard ended up in St. Mungos. A mixed couple, Muggle and Wizard, were hurt when they escaped by jumping out of a second story window. The other nine attacks were a wash, with some of the new Death Eaters reported injured, and three of them actually taken prisoner."

"Sounds like you were right when you said these weren't some of You-Know-Who's sharpest followers," Luna said, her head cocked at a quizzical angle. "I wonder why they had so little supervision?"

Ron gaped at her in surprise. "What, you want them to do better at killing people?"

"No, but it's important to understand the reasons behind your enemy's actions, that way you have a better chance of outsmarting them," she replied logically, and then spoiled the effect by adding, "Father says you have to understand the feeding habits of the needle-nosed Norgrucks or you'll never find their prey, the crumple-horned Snorkacks."

A couple of the aurors who accompanied Kingsley snorted, not having been exposed to the young Ravenclaw's eccentricities in the past, but their superior didn't join in their amusement. "Incompetent or not, they were still dangerous enough where plain Muggles are concerned. The reports were still surfacing on Muggle attacks when we left the Ministry, so we don't know how bad it was yet." The upbeat mood the earlier reports had generated faded as the other heard the unspoken statement, that even untrained Death Eaters were deadly when it came to unprotected Muggles.

Thus it was a somewhat subdued group that entered the vehicles for the final leg of their journey to King's Cross Station. Kingsley, Molly and a young Auror with the unlikely name of Reginald Poppington-Smythe escorted Ron, Luna and Ginny in one of the vehicles, while Remus, Tonks and Arthur Weasley provided the security contingent for the car that carried Harry and Hermione, along with all the teens' luggage. Arrival at the Muggle side of King's Cross was much the same as in previous years, with Wizarding families attempting with varying degrees of success to blend in with the Muggle population, but once past the barrier and onto Platform 9¾ it was a different matter.

For the first time Harry could remember there was a visible security force present, with witches and wizards who were clearly separate from the crowd of returning students and their families keeping a weather eye out for trouble. In addition he spotted a number of Hogwarts professors scattered through the throng ostensibly chatting with the parents of their charges. He also noted with grim amusement a definite separation between the majority of the students and those members of Slytherin House that he quantified as Junior Death Eaters. Malfoy and his cronies had always been standoffish, keeping their 'less worthy' classmates at a distance by means of an aura of smug superiority, but for the first time it seemed the feeling was mutual, with even members of their own House that didn't share their attitudes keeping their distance.

Harry was snapped out of his reverie by a tug on his arm as Hermione pulled him towards the cars. "Come on, Harry, let's get settled in while there's still time to find an empty compartment!"

Glancing around, he noticed Ron headed off towards the other end of the train where several of the professors were standing. "You coming, mate?" he called, curious as to his friend's intentions.

"Be along in a few, there's something I need to check on," Ron called back distractedly. "Just save me a seat, okay?" he finished, walking off without waiting for a reply.

"Well, that was odd," Harry muttered to himself, and then dismissed the matter from his mind as he concentrated on making his way through the crowds with the trolley holding his and Hermione's luggage in tow. A short while later they were ensconced in the second to the last car along with Luna and Ginny, their trunks and various carriers and cages safely secured for the journey. The two fifth year girls were having a quiet conversation broken with occasional giggles while Harry and Hermione took the opportunity for a little snuggling, Harry with his back braced firmly in the angle where the rear facing seat joined with the outside of the car, while Hermione nestled comfortably within the circle of his arms. The tensions created by the morning's news slowly drained away as they settled into the beginning of a new year.

"Seems odd, doesn't it?" Harry murmured as he inhaled the fresh scent of his girlfriend's hair.

"Mmm?" Hermione replied distractedly, too wrapped up in enjoying the comforting feel of her boyfriend's arms around her to make a more detailed response. She'd dreamed of travelling on the Hogwarts Express like this for far too long to miss a moment of it.

"Well," Harry continued, "it just seems like no time has passed since someone opened the door of my compartment looking for a lost-"

"Anyone seen Trevor?" a familiar voice interrupted, drawing their attention to where Neville stood in the doorway, a grin on his face and the ubiquitous toad safe in his hands. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. There room for me in here?"

"Plenty of room, join the party," Harry replied with a smile, lifting a hand from Hermione's waist long enough to wave the other boy in.

Hermione spotted the youngest Weasley's slight blush and smiled. "I'm sure Ginny won't mind scooting over, will you, Ginny?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Ginny's blush deepened for a second as she threw a mock glare at her friend before turning a smiling face towards the new arrival. "There's room under the seat for your trunk, Neville, and yes, there's plenty of room for you. The only other person we're holding a spot for is my good-for-nothing brother."

"Oi! I resemble that remark!" a familiar voice called from beyond Neville, and for several minutes confusion reigned in the compartment while trunks and bodies were shifted about. Once they were all settled, though, it was Neville's turn to really notice the dynamics of the couples in the compartment. When he'd seen them last it had been in Diagon Alley and the changes in their various relationships hadn't been on public display. Now, however, in the privacy of the train compartment, it was a different matter.

Neville's eyes widened as he realized that Harry and Hermione were not only sitting much more closely together than was usual, they were actually holding hands. "What the…Hermione, Harry, are you two--?" he asked, his gaze clearly riveted on their interlaced fingers. They nodded and smiled, which elicited a huge smile in turn from their fellow Gryffindor. "That's brilliant! And about time you two stopped dancing around each other." He was still looking at their joined hands when Harry's grip shifted and the glint of light off the setting alerted him to the presence of Hermione's ring. Whistling, he continued, "Merlin, Harry, you don't waste any time!"

Harry, there was no other word for it, grinned. "What can I say, once Hermione got fed up with me being a blind prat who couldn't see what was right in front of him and gave me a wake-up call I couldn't ignore, I wasn't about to take any chances on her getting away…best thing that ever happened to me," he added, giving her a quick peck on her blushing cheek.

"Yeah, well, you may have been blind, Harry, but no one else in Gryffindor is going to be surprised. Disappointed, maybe, but not surprised."

"What do you mean, 'disappointed'?" Harry asked, puzzled.

Hermione made the tsking noise she usually reserved for when Harry or Ron were being exceptionally dim. "Honestly, Harry, half the witches at school have a crush on you, of course they're going to be disappointed that you're off the market." She smiled at his dumfounded expression. "I'd tell you how many times I've caught girls sighing over your picture, but I don't want you to get a swelled head."

Neville chuckled as Harry flushed in embarrassment. "Don't sell yourself short, Hermione, a lot of the guys are going to be unhappy, too."

Hermione's expression changed from one of amusement to shock, while Harry's darkened. "What-what do you mean?" she stammered. "No one's interested in me that way!"

Neville laughed at their reactions, and by now both Ron and Ginny were starting to join in. "Let's just say you've been the subject of a fair amount of speculation, especially since the Yule Ball," he continued. "Guys like to make comparisons, and trust me, you rate pretty high."

Harry was definitely glowering now. "So how come I never heard her name mentioned?" he growled.

It was Ron who answered. "If you could see your face you'd know, mate! You look ready to curse someone into cutlets just thinking about it, it's no surprise that Seamus or the others never mentioned her around you, same as they never mentioned Ginny around me."

"Hermione's not my sister, Ron," Harry pointed out rather unnecessarily, considering how close they were sitting together. "Seamus, huh?" he added under his breath, his thoughts turning the various hexes he could use on the suddenly loathsome Irishman.

"It doesn't matter, Harry," Hermione interjected; she could feel his protective instincts rising, and while they sent a little thrill running through her, she didn't want him to get into trouble over them. "Everyone will get used to us being a couple soon enough. You know how the gossips work, we'll be a source of excitement for a couple of weeks until something else comes along to distract them."

Neville nodded, and then added, "Well, if you don't want to be mobbed by well-wishers and gossipers before we even get off the Express, you might want to hide that ring under a concealment charm, at least until we reach Hogwarts. You two being a couple will be big news, even if it doesn't come as a surprise to the ones that know you. But engaged as well? That's going to raise a few eyebrows, that is!"

Hermione bit her lip and traded a look with Harry, who nodded. Neither of them was interested in keeping their relationship a secret, even if they could, but spending the next several hours being gawked at by busybodies would make the ride exceedingly unpleasant. Separating their hands she said, "You'll have to do it, Harry, my ring is on my wand hand."

"All right," Harry said, drawing his wand from his robe pocket. "What charm do I use?"

"Just tap the setting three times and say 'Averto Os'," she answered. A moment later her ring was hidden from view. She felt a brief pang, but consoled herself with the knowledge that a quick 'Finite Incantatum' would reverse the charm whenever she wanted.

With that bit of drama past, Neville turned his attention to where Luna had perched herself on Ron's lap. "You two as well?"

"Not exactly," Luna replied, her head tilted and resting on Ron's shoulder as he turned Weasley red. "Ronald was even harder to get through to than Harry, but I endeavored to persevere."

Neville quirked an eyebrow at Ron, who flushed an even darker shade of red. "Hey, what can I say? I never was too smart where girls were concerned."

The conversation drifted on to speculation about the coming school year as everyone settled into place for the trip. At the end of it the two couples were demonstrating their grasp of the concept of the efficient use of limited space, with Hermione snuggled up close to Harry while Luna perched on Ron's lap. This freed up enough space for two owl cages and a cat carrier, while still leaving room for Ginny and a shyly smiling Neville to sit side by side. Outside the compartment they could see last minute arrivals scrambling to find empty seats as the shrill sound of the engine's steam whistle sounded the five-minute warning. The minutes ticked by in idle conversation and speculation about the coming year, until the lurch of motion and the rumbling of the tracks indicated that they were underway.

Harry watched as the train moved out into the countryside on the first leg of its journey north to Hogwarts. Within the compartment Ginny, Neville and Hermione were involved in a three-way conversation that only occasionally drew Harry attention, while Ron was whispering in Luna's ear and earning the odd laugh from his girlfriend.

A chance remark from Neville reminded Harry of earlier events at the station. "So, Ron, did you take care of whatever it was that made you rush off and leave us on the platform like that? What was that about, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing important," Ron said off-handedly, "just something I needed to clear up with Professor McGonagall before we left. I knew she was going to be here, so I held off writing so I could talk to her in person." He spotted the looks of disbelief on his friends' faces and smiled, his features projecting a forced innocence no one believed. "What? I'm not in trouble, honest!"

"Ron," Hermione said warningly, "You should know by now that trying to keep secrets to yourself is a Bad Idea. Now, what's going on?" She fixed her second best glare on him and then felt the satisfaction of watching him begin to squirm.

"Oh, fine then," he said at last, his voice coming out in a huff.. "I was saving this as a surprise, but nooo, Miss Bossy Britches has to have all the answers up front." Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out something shiny and metallic. "Here, Harry, catch!" he finished, tossing the item to his friend.

Harry's Seeker reflexes kicked in and he snatched the object out of the air before it could strike either him or Hermione, his other hand still keeping her steady on his lap. Opening his hand his eyes widened at the sight of the polished badge with the bold letter 'P' in the center. "What the-Ron, what the devil-?"

"Oh, Ron, you lost your Prefect status?" Hermione sighed, her tone shocked and disappointed. "But why, I saw your OWLs, they weren't that bad! What did you do wrong?"

"I didn't do anything wrong," Ron replied grumpily. "Something else more important just came up, that's all."

Hermione stared at him, her eyes widening in shock. "Are you trying to tell me you just gave up being a prefect?" she asked, her tone full of disbelief.

Ron opened his mouth to answer as Harry interjected, "You have to admit, mate, that doesn't make much sense, not the way Mum fussed over it when you made prefect in the first place."

"Well, I did, and once I explained my reasons, Mum was okay with it. Besides, she's got Ginny to fuss over instead," Ron pointed out rightly, as Molly had made a huge to-do when her youngest child had received her own prefect badge in her letter. "And you have to admit, I wasn't all that hot as a prefect anyway; I just figured this way you two could have a bit more time together. Besides, we all know Harry should have had it in the first place."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, both secretly pleased to note there was no hint of Ron's old resentment in his voice; apparently their friend really was outgrowing his old insecurities. They'd noticed it before, of course, but it still came as a bit of a surprise when the reactions they'd come to expect failed to surface.

"All right, I'm sorry I ruined your surprise," Hermione apologized sincerely, making a mental note to try and tone down her bossiness where Ron was concerned since he apparently was outgrowing his need for it. And besides, he had Luna to take care of him now, just as she had Harry upon whom to focus her attentions. "So are you going tell us the rest of it? As in what was important enough that Mum was all right with you giving up your Prefectship?"

"Well, you see, Professor McGonagall owled me because there was another job she had open for me, but my grades weren't good enough to justify holding down both being Prefect and this new job. I had to choose one or the other, and, well, given the choice…" He pulled another badge out, a familiar gold-coloured one emblazoned with the Gryffindor House coat of arms, and with an ornate letter 'C' engraved in the center.

"Mate! You made captain of the team!" Harry cried in pleased surprise. "Way to go!"

"Thanks, Harry," Ron said with a grin. "Professor McGonagall said that I if I applied my talents at strategy and tactics to something other than beating the pants off everyone at Wizard's Chess, We might be able to sweep the Quidditch Cup, especially with you back as Seeker."

"What about that lifetime ban?" Harry asked with a frown.

"I dunno, but McGonagall seemed to think it was a given that it would be lifted, no questions."

"Well, we'll see," Harry temporized, not certain he would have time for Quidditch this year even if allowed to play, not that he was going to tell Ron that at this point. The last thing he wanted was a row over his 'responsibilities to his House' lasting all the way to Hogsmeade Station.

"Hey, speaking of Prefectures, did you hear about Malfoy?" Neville asked suddenly, his expression excited by the news he'd remembered.

"No, but I'm guessing he had his Prefect's badge yanked, along with that cow Parkinson," Hermione replied. At Neville's surprised look she huffed, "Honestly, after his behavior last term, he's lucky not to have been expelled. His Inquisitorial Squad violated so many school rules I wouldn't know where to begin listing them for prosecution."

"Yeah, well, you're right," Neville admitted, his high spirits deflating a bit at the ease with which she'd guessed his news. "I saw Zabini earlier, he already had his robes and badge on, and if Malfoy's lost his badge, I can't believe Parkinson kept hers. I wonder who was appointed in her place?"

Hermione considered what she knew of the Slytherin House political dynamics for a moment. "I'd guess it'd go to Daphne Greengrass. She's never been part of Draco's little clique, and she's at least been civil the few times I've talked to her." An idea occurred to her and her mood brightened perceptibly as she turned to her boyfriend. "Harry! Remember the Sorting Hat's warning about uniting the Houses? This could be our chance to do something!"

"What do you mean?" he replied, puzzled at the direction her thoughts had taken.

"Well, with Draco's crowd out of favor, there may be some Slytherins who can be approached about joining the D.A., and things like that. If there's a real power struggle in Slytherin, the ones like Zabini who aren't supporting V-Voldemort will be looking for allies of their own, that's what they do. If we offer them an alternative support system, maybe we can lure some of them away by showing them that they have other choices."

"Maybe, maybe not," Harry temporized. "They may not be ready to sign up as Junior Death Eaters, but they still buy into that old "Purebloods should rule the world" crap."

He was surprised when Neville spoke up. "It's not that simple, Harry," he said, his tone somewhat hesitant, but with more conviction than his friends were used to hearing from the shy boy. "There's more to the whole Pureblood versus Muggleborn thing than you're thinking."

Harry looked at his schoolmate in surprise; he was so used to him being the diffident, insecure butt of many of the Slytherins' pranks, it was easy to forget that he came from a Pureblood line every bit as respectable as any in Salazar's House. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, according to my Gran, it's more about traditions than it is about bloodlines," Neville replied. "The old families are pretty conservative; they think Muggleborns will try and force their ideas of how things should be done down everyone's throat if they get a chance, and Wizards will lose what makes us different from the Muggles." His gaze flickered briefly to Hermione, and while no mention was made of S.P.E.W., the meaning was clear.

And clear to no one more than Hermione herself, who flushed at the implied criticism. "Yes, but surely, if there's injustice-" she started; only to be interrupted at the compartment door slammed open.

"Well, well, look who we have here, Scarhead and his loser friends," the familiar-and much loathed-voice drawled. Draco posed in the doorway, with Crabbe and Goyle flanking his shoulders as always, though for a change the expressions of the two Slytherins who served as Malfoy's muscle were more nervous than threatening. "I'm surprised, Potter, that they're willing to be near you after the way you almost got them all killed last year," the narrow-faced Slytherin boy continued, his washed-out grey eyes glittering with malice.

Ron flushed and started to rise, but Harry just groaned and rolled his eyes. "For Merlin's sake, if you have to annoy us, at least come up with some new insults," he responded, his tone one of dry amusement, earning coughs, smiles, and at least one smothered laugh from his friends. Ron stopped, halfway to his feet, and then settled back down into his seat to watch the show even as his hand surreptitiously went to his wand. "I mean, really," Harry continued, "can't you at least pick up a copy of 'So You Want To Be An Arrogant Wanker' and lift some new material? Because the stuff you're using is getting pretty ripe."

Malfoy continued to glare at Harry, two brighter spots of pink appearing on his otherwise pale cheeks. "Think you're so clever, don't you, Potter? You still haven't learned respect for your betters, still setting yourself up as being just as good as real, pureblooded wizards." His glance flickered to where Harry held Hermione's hand. "And still planning on compounding the crime against your blood that your father committed as well," he continued with a smirk of his own. "My mother didn't believe you'd go through with it, but she doesn't know you like I do. I imagine there are some others who will be very…interested…in the news as well."

Harry's amused attitude vanished in an instant at Draco's implied threat, and even his friends shivered at the sound of his voice as he replied, "Be very, very careful, Malfoy; that's not a line you want to cross, trust me on that one. You won't like what happens if you do."

Draco's smirk turned into a nasty grin as he realized he'd hit a nerve. "Oh, now I'm scared, Potter; what're you going to do, get the Mudblood to take House points away from me?"

The Slytherin was given a temporary reprieve from learning just how Harry would respond when a familiar voice snapped from the corridor beyond the doorway. "Malfoy, you no longer have an excuse for loitering and blocking traffic! You and your stooges find yourselves a compartment and settle down, or you'll be setting a new record for going on report to your House master for detention!"

After a last glare at the occupants of the compartment Draco turned and stalked off with Crabbe and Goyle in tow. A few seconds later the owner of the voice replaced him in the doorway and glanced around. "Any problems in here?" Cho Chang asked, her Head Girl badge flashing brightly in the light from the compartment's windows.

Her expression grew a touch colder when she realized just who was occupying the compartment. A look of faint disgust crossed her features at the sight of Luna sitting on Ron's lap, but all she said was "Granger, Weasley, Prefect's meeting is in ten minutes; don't be late." Her gaze deliberately skipping past Harry, she noticed the badge adorning Ginny's robes and added, "Creevey's two cars back, Miss Weasley; if you don't want to have to explain the duties of Fifth Year prefects to him, make sure he doesn't miss it." Her gaze swept past Harry again without making contact, and a moment later the compartment door slid closed.

"'Miss Weasley'?" Ginny asked, her tone mimicking the Head Girl's. "Circé, she sounds worse than Percy did, I didn't think that was possible! I guess I'd better go round up Colin; see you there, 'Weasleys?'" she finished with a grin, nudging Harry and Hermione as she rose.

Ron chuckled as Harry frowned and Hermione made tsking sounds. "Giving up that badge is looking smarter all the time; better you than me, mate."

"That's a matter of opinion," Harry grumbled as he got to his feet, helping Hermione to rise as he did so. He dug out his robes and pinned his new badge to the front, hoping that the Ravenclaw seeker wouldn't use their past as a reason to make things more difficult than they had to be.

~~~~~~

As it turned out, the meeting went far smoother than Harry expected. Aside from a momentary grimace when she saw Harry enter the car with the badge on his robes, Cho remained completely professional, working with the Head Boy, a Hufflepuff named Stebbins, to outline the duties of the new fifth year prefects, as well as bringing the sixth and seventh year prefects up to date on their own responsibilities.

One bit on news Harry found especially welcome was that, as one of the rewards for taking on their responsibilities, the sixth and seventh year prefects were allowed to visit Hogsmeade on any weekend when their own duties didn't conflict. By informal agreement the seventh years went on Saturdays and the sixth years on Sundays, but the schedules were flexible so long as the patrol shifts at Hogwarts were covered.

Harry smiled inwardly at the idea of being able to spend some time with Hermione away from the prying eyes and ears that were bound to follow them once their Bond became general knowledge. Slipping off to the Three Broomsticks for a private evening became a far more likely scenario if the inn wasn't packed to the rafters with fellow students all looking to do the same.

The only real surprise at the meeting was the identity of the new Slytherin Sixth Year prefects. As Neville had observed and Chang had confirmed, Malfoy and Parkinson had been defrocked, and none of their cronies had replaced them. Instead it was indeed Blaise Zabini who was wearing the badge, and Hermione's prediction that Daphne Greengrass was the likely candidate for the female prefecture proved correct. The two Gryffindors were surprised and cautiously pleased, however, when the two Slytherins proved to be politely spoken towards them; standoffish, true, but polite.

~~~~~~

After what seemed to Harry to be an inordinate amount of nitpicky little details that could have just as easily been covered informally, the meeting drew to a close. Chang and Stebbins dismissed the prefects, reminding the fifth years one last time that they would be responsible for orienting the first year students Sorted into their Houses. There was a generally relieved sigh as meeting dissolved, the various students going off to enjoy the remainder of the ride with their friends.

Before Harry could leave the compartment, a hand fell on the sleeve of his robes. "Potter, could I have a word with you?" Zabini asked, his tone courteous and his face giving away nothing as regards to his emotions.

Harry glanced at Hermione, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. Drawing her alongside him, he allowed the compartment door to swing closed and turned to face the two new sixth year Slytherin prefects. Blaise's eyes flickered to where Harry still held Hermione's hand, but aside from a small tightening of the skin around his eyes, gave no indication as to how he felt about the Muggleborn witch's presence.

The club car echoed oddly now that it was virtually empty, the rattling of the train's wheels against the tracks made more noticeable in the silence. Harry settled onto one of the benches, with Hermione still by his side. He waited until Blaise and Daphne sat as well, and then asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Blaise hesitated for a moment, glancing at his companion who nodded at him with a frown, before taking a deep breath. "Look, Potter, I know you have no reason to trust us, or anyone from Slytherin for that matter, but after some of the things that went on last year, well, we thought it might be best to try and clear the air between us."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Harry replied neutrally after a pause of his own.

"Don't play stupid, Potter, it doesn't suit you," Daphne interjected with a touch of asperity that reminded Harry oddly of Hermione when she was annoyed. "We're talking about Draco-Sodding-Malfoy and his little clique of junior Death Eaters. Some of us think you might have the notion in your head that everyone in Slytherin supports You-Know-Who's agenda. We're hoping to correct that idea."

"Why? I mean, why should you care what I think about Slytherin House? I'm just one student; I don't have a powerful Family backing me up. What does it matter what I think of you?"

Blaise just snorted as he picked up the conversation. "Let's cut to the chase, Potter; we both know you've never been 'just one student'; even before you came to Hogwarts, you were the Boy Who Lived, and your reputation has only grown since then. It might not be official, but everyone knows you're Dumbledore's apprentice in all but name. And last year when that fat toad Umbridge took over, you organized the students of the other three Houses to learn what she wouldn't teach you."

"I can't take credit for that one," Harry demurred. "That was Hermione's idea, I just followed the plans she came up with."

"But the students came to learn from you, not her," Daphne pointed out. "Face it, Potter, whether you like it or not, you're the one the other students look to when they're choosing up sides and they don't favor You-Know-Who."

Harry winced; this was one of the things he hated most about his fame, the way it caused others to latch onto him when making up their minds about what was happening in the wizarding world. Frankly, he didn't know which bothered him more, those who supported Voldemort and automatically chalked Harry up as a target, or those who denied the Dark Lord's genocidal principles and just assumed Harry would lead them into battle. Either way the choice was taken out of Harry's hands, all because of a prophecy uttered by a batty, incompetent Seer in a seedy, disreputable tavern before Harry was even born.

Oddly, Harry realized that the Slytherin's comments didn't bother him as much as they would have in the past, and he realized it was because he now knew the prophecy's contents that it was so. In the past there'd been no satisfactory answer to the question that Harry couldn't help asking: 'Why me?' And while he couldn't pretend that the answer he now had was a satisfactory one, at least it was an answer, one that eliminated at least some of the frustration he felt over his life.

All this flashed through Harry's mind in a matter of seconds, and he realized that Zabini was waiting for some kind of a response to Daphne's remark. "I guess," Harry shrugged at last, still uncomfortable with the idea but no longer denying it. "Say you're right, and I am some sort of leader; what does that matter to you?"

"We want in."

Harry was completely nonplussed. "Excuse me?" He asked. "You're telling me that part of the House that pretty much defines the whole Pureblood superiority attitude wants to hook up the people who are standing foursquare against that?" He found himself snorting derisively as he started to get to his feet. "I thought you told me I shouldn't play stupid; now I'm supposed to be stupid enough to fall for that? Make up your minds!"

"Harry, wait a minute," Hermione interjected, tugging on his hand to resume his seat before turning her attention to Blaise and Daphne. "The first thing we need to clear up is what exactly do you mean by 'we'? I don't mean naming names, I don't expect you to just give up information like that without any guarantees, but if you want us to take you seriously you have to give us a rough idea as to how many of your House go along with what you're saying."

The two Slytherins whispered together for a few moments, clearly comparing notes. Finally Blaise answered, "Openly, as in willing to be recognized as part of our faction, maybe a quarter of the House. There's perhaps another eighth that agree with us but won't stick their necks out without some guarantees that doing so won't lead to them getting their heads chopped off. Another quarter of the House is solidly backing Malfoy's faction, and the rest are neutral."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "That eighth you mentioned, the ones who won't stick their necks out; I'm betting that they're really ready jump towards whatever side shows the biggest advantage. So what you're saying is that you have two more or less equal factions, yours and Draco's, and the block that holds the balance of power can change sides at a moment's notice, right?"

"If you put it that way, I suppose you're right," Blaise admitted.

"I'll take it a step further," Hermione added. "The only reason that you're talking to us now is that the fallout from Umbridge's dismissal has weakened Draco to the point that the swing block is thinking of changing sides. And that's the only reason you're talking to us now."

"Well, obviously," Daphne answered, her tone making it clear how unnecessary she felt it was to be going over observations that any Slytherin-bound pureblood learned at their wetnurse's breast. "We're Slytherins, that's what we do; we go for the main advantage."

"All right then, let's look at it that way," Harry replied, picking up the thread of the conversation as a slightly wicked gleam appeared in his eye. "You're looking for an alliance that's to your advantage. You're thinking that, now that Umbridge is out and the Ministry's policy of denial's been discredited, it's time to try and break Malfoy's control of your House, and because you want to get in good with what you think is going to be the winning side. What's in it for us if we accept?" Harry felt Hermione stiffen at his bald question, and silently urged her to hold her remarks until they were alone, and felt the wave of grudging acceptance return to him though their bond.

From their own stance, the Slytherins saw nothing unreasonable in his query; if anything, it seemed to relax them, it being the sort of thing they could expect from one of their peers. "That's a fair question," Blaise acknowledged. "For starters, we can control a lot of the rivalry between our Houses; not all of it, we're not Gryffs or Puffs, but the worst of it, especially the hazing of Muggleborns, that we can control. For the rest…Potter, you're from an old Pureblood family, one of the oldest in Britain, but you were raised by Muggles, so you don't know the traditions. Granger, you're Muggleborn yourself; I expect you may have read up on Pureblood customs, but that's not the same as being brought up to it. It'd take more time than we have right now to cover all the possibilities, but I can promise you that having allies among the old Pureblood families can't hurt. Ask Brown and Patil, hell, ask Weasley, they're all Purebloods, they can tell you what formal alliances can mean."

Harry glanced at Hermione, looking for her opinion of what Zabini was saying. Her expression was pensive, and he could almost feel the process as she reviewed what she knew of the customs to which the Slytherin youth was referring. Finally she nodded, giving her imprimatur to the decision he was already considering. Turning back to Blaise and Daphne he said, "I'll want to talk it over with the others first, but if what you say is true, I think we can work something out we can both live with." He stood with fiancée and offered his hand, shaking Blaise's firmly, and then smiled as after a moment's hesitation Daphne did the same thing with Hermione. This year was definitely going to be different…

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AUTHOR'S NOTE - PART II - Well, that's the end of Chapter One. Chapter Two will take them back to school, through the Sorting, and Harry's first meeting with Dumbledore concerning advanced training and the like, and perhaps a little chat with a Ferret about attitudes. Please be patient; I won't be updating any where near as fast as I have in the past, but I am working on it, I promise!