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"I'm beat." Ron said as he collapsed onto the couch.
"I can barely feel my legs." Harry responded, limping over to an empty armchair. "Doesn't it seem like more stunners come from that contraption every day we have to use it?"
"This stuff seriously makes Wood's quidditch practices look like a walk in the park." Ron groaned as he tried to make himself more comfortable.
"I don't know what you two are talking about. It has gotten a lot easier throughout the week." Hermione grinned from ear to ear from the glares that the boys gave her. "I would have thought that quidditch practice would help make this stuff a piece of cake."
"We are in shape, sort of." Harry retorted. "Wait a second, how are you okay with all of this?"
"Yeah, I thought you were just a 'make the time tables, do the homework, and read loads of books' kind of girl." Ron said with a grin.
Hermione looked to her two best friends. "You guys have seen just how big Portland can be. It requires a lot of walking when you want to get somewhere."
"'Mione getting exercise other than lifting heavy books in the library? That's rich." Ron said with a snort.
"I'll have you know that Alex and I used to go on morning runs all the time!" Hermione huffed.
"Tonks you mean? She can barely walk without tripping. You two probably make quite the pair." Ron held his stomach as he laughed.
Hermione's mouth gaped open and closed like a fish. It was clear her temper was rising and fast. "I...I could run circles around you. If you weren't so bloody lazy, doing nothing but playing chess and eating, then maybe…"
"Me lazy? You're the one who does nothing but…"
"…you would be able to dodge those stunners and not be such a…"
"…sit on your snooty little arse thinking you're all high and mighty with your book smarts and…"
Then silence.
Their mouths were moving, and they were both red in the face, but at least Harry could hear himself think for one second. It felt so much like old times, but only now he could freely shut them up as often as he wanted. It took a couple of seconds for both of them to focus their death glares on him instead of each other, but he was unfazed.
"Okay, I know we have been enjoying this 'just like old times' sentiment we've been having, but this," he pointed between Ron and Hermione, "is going to stop. You've been fine so far. We're older, and for the most part, more mature. Can we please act like it? If not for me, then at least for my pounding headache?"
Hermione looked at Harry sympathetically, instantly sorry for causing him the added stress. Ron too looked a little bit sorry for what had transpired. "So can I lift the charm?"
They both took one last threatening glance at each other before looking at Harry and nodding. "Now if you two don't behave yourself, I'll have no problem putting you both in time-out." He smirked.
"Yes mum," they chorused and fell into a fit of laughter when they realized that they had said the same thing.
"Good one you two, good one." Harry said with a shake of his head.
"Well I am going to get that new defense book I got that Flourish and Blotts yesterday. Some of us like to be prepared." Hermione said.
"It's a shame you left 'Mione. They probably would have engraved your name somewhere in the building for buying the most books," Harry laughed, causing Hermione to roll her eyes in response.
"Hey Harry..? I knew you were the 'Boy Who Lived' and everything but you really don't have to show off your wandless magic in front of us." Ron grabbed Hermione's book that appeared on the table and tossed it over to Hermione.
"I didn't do that…" Harry said in disbelief, "at least I don't think I did."
"Well if you didn't mate, then who did?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. Could you have done it?" Harry asked while trying to remember if he really did summon the book.
Hermione stared in shock at the two boys' lack of logic, her mood dissipating from shock to annoyance really fast.
"No, no, not me," Ron said shaking his head.
"Well I'm almost sure I didn't do it." Harry was completely perplexed.
"Ahem." Hermione intoned nastily. Her hands placed on her hips in annoyance.
Both boys looked up at her. "What is it?"
"Are you two really that daft?" She wondered aloud.
Hermione muttered something under her breath as she looked to both of the boys.
Almost instantaneously the boys yelped out in pain as the stinging hex struck each of their bodies.
"Bloody hell 'Mione, what was that for?" Ron shouted, rubbing his stomach where the hex had hit him. "Oh…" He said as it dawned on him who had summoned the book.
"How come you didn't tell us sooner 'Mione?" Harry asked, trying to massage the sting away.
"The same could be said about you Harry. You didn't tell me that you could do it either." She said in a huff, settling down into her chair to read her book.
"Look 'Mione, I'm sorry, but I was having secret training with Dumbledore all last year. Only a select few knew, and that was by accident because I sometimes do it without thinking." Harry confessed.
"And what about you?" Hermione's eyes narrowed over her book at Ron. "You can do it too I take it and just 'neglected' to mention it?"
"Oh no, not me. The sidekick doesn't get cool powers like that. I'd have thought you'd have figured that out by now." Ron grumbled. The negativity in his voice was apparent.
"Oh cry me a river and then build a bridge and get over it Ronald Weasley. I won't tolerate your little pity parties." Hermione said icily. "I think if you were in Harry's shoes and had a sadistic dark lord after you, you'd be thankful that you could even use a wand. Be grateful."
Ron's gloom seemed to be whisked away by the sass and brusqueness of Hermione's response. After a minute or two he responded, "You're right, as usual. Sorry mate." He said, nodding his head in Harry's direction.
"Boys," Hermione murmured under her breath.
*~*~*
"I hear you lot have been doing well at your physical training. That is good, but not good enough." Moody rasped loudly to the group in their new day of training.
"Thank Merlin," Ginny muttered. Even though her ankle was healed, she still ached all over.
"Does this mean we finally get to do something other then get stunned all day?" Ron asked causing Neville to chuckle.
"Mr. Weasley, you are always going to be working with stunners. Do you really think that Death Eaters would stop throwing stunners at you just because you are tired of them?" Moody asked, his eye whirling around before settling on him.
Ron and Neville shook their heads, instantly swapping their laughter with sheepish looks.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He shouted.
"Today is the day we get to practice some defensive skills," Moody said, "and I've brought in some reinforcements for help. Nymphadora."
"Moody, please, it's TONKS!" Tonks shook her head in resentment, her hair a bright shade of blue. She hated when people called her by her first name.
Almost instantly the group's spirits picked up. They didn't mind working with Moody, but he did scare a few of them.
"So let's have you girls go with Nymphadora and the boys with me. When we're done with this, we'll split into teams and have a little battle." Moody barked out his instructions that weren't taken lightly.
"TONKS!" She whined.
The whole group had been looking to this for two reasons. One they knew it would be very helpful in their fight against the Dark Lord and his followers and two it would allow them to not have to do physical training for a session.
"If you guys make too many mistakes, you will have to do physical training." Moody said as if he could read their thoughts.
The group broke up quickly into their mini-groups for the day, the boys following Moody's limp and the girls after the mass of blue hair.
"Alex!" Hermione said with a grin.
"Herms!" Tonks replied with a shake of her head.
The two girls met with a warm embrace. "I can't help it Tonks. You'll always be Al to me now." Hermione smiled.
"Come on 'Mione we better get to work because certainly don't want you guys doing training under Moody's clock. It is not pretty trust me." Tonks grimaced in remembrance.
"Okay, but just so you know we must get Ron badly in our little game of war. He was poking fun of us really badly today." Hermione replied as the girls made their way over to the far side of the room away from the boys.
"Oh he did, did he?" Tonks asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"What did that git say now?" Ginny asked with a roll of her eyes. She knew how much of a prat her brother could be.
"Basically that Al and I were slow and couldn't keep up with him." Hermione huffed, the words bringing back the anger from earlier.
"Ronald, definitely has a way with his words doesn't he?" Luna said with a sigh.
"Oh I have an idea…he won't know what hit him." Tonks huddled the girls up as the conspired what it is they were going to do.
*~*~*
Dumbledore strolled in but no one noticed since they were preparing for their mock war. He conjured himself a giant purple chair to sit in until the group had finished.
"Okay, the rules are as follows. One, fight fairly," Moody said as his eye swiveled around.
"Moody, I really don't think we have to worry about this lot," Tonks chimed in.
"Nymphadora, please, let me finish. Two, use as many defensive spells as possible, which in turn would make it to where you have to use some stunners towards the other side so they have something to defend. And lastly, no disarming spells."
"This should be easy enough." Ron whispered to Harry and Neville before the fighting began.
"On your mark, get set, FIRE!" Tonks yelled into Moody's ear with so much force that she made him bark out several obscenities that were instantly drowned out in the chaos that ensued.
Each side had paired off to start in on the stunning. Neville had been shot by Hermione before he realized it was coming so he wasn't able to put up a defense against her. Hermione grinned, happy that things were going to plan. Harry saw this as he dodged a spell, sent an erratic stunner at Hermione that she easily dodged, and got Neville back on his feet. Unfortunately he forgot to put up some sort of shield when he helped his friend up, and Ginny and Hermione sent stunners his way. He was an easy target.
Luna had managed so far to dodge the array of spells being sent her way thanks to Ron. She assumed he wouldn't show her any mercy, but he was relentless. After dodging what would have been her sixth stinging hex, Luna tripped and couldn't get up before she was hit by a stunner.
Ron seemed to silently gloat that he finally managed to stun his girlfriend, but dropped quickly to the ground as Hermione sent a stunner whizzing over his head. She threw up a quick shield and restored Luna.
As Luna got to her feet, Ginny met her and Hermione to face Ron.
There seemed to be silence amongst the three of them. Only a look to Tonks was needed, followed be a trio of nods.
Suddenly there were three blasts of stunners sent directly at Ron. Time seemed to slow as his eyes went as wide as could be when he saw he was being ganged upon. His attempt to conjure up anything remotely protective was futile. The shield shattered, and he flew back several yards as a result of the threesome's power.
"Alright, that's enough." Moody said.
"And the winner is the girls!" Tonks declared causing the girls to dance around and give some high fives to each other.
"What's wrong ickle Ronnikins? Can't keep up?" Hermione grinned smugly as she held out her hand to pick up her friend off the ground.
Ron muttered something inaudible underneath his breath and reluctantly grabbed Hermione's hand.
"Well done everyone, well done." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "I see you are all making great progress."
"Professor, are we going to discuss how Harry is supposed to defeat Voldemort?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledore shook his head, with a smile. "Always on top of things aren't you Miss Granger?"
Hermione blushed a bit at the headmaster's words. "I'm just a bit anxious to see what you've come up with."
"Well why don't you all take a seat and we'll get started." Dumbledore said, with a nod of his head to Harry.
Harry sighed and wandlessly conjured a chair for each of his friends. He didn't like showing off like this. It certainly wasn't his style.
Everyone except for Ron and Hermione seemed to gawk at Harry's increased skills at wandless magic as they took their seats. They knew not to say anything though. The flash of red radiating from his face was enough to convey the message.
Soon all eyes were on Dumbledore, awaiting his plan for the defeat of their enemy.
"First off I'd like to commend you all on such a grand display of loyalty and friendship to Harry. I know that you will all play a huge role in what is to come. I do fear however that the time is running out of our favor. His complete nonexistence from the world right now can only mean that he is growing in power. We will have to strike soon, and we will have to strike fast before it is too late." Dumbledore's words seemed to punctuate the silence that was amidst them.
"What did you have in mind professor?" Neville asked, surprising the group with his outspokenness.
"I'm glad you asked Mr. Longbottom. Everyone has heard the contents of the prophecy?" Dumbledore was greeted with a wave of nods of agreement amongst the group, "Well, we need to figure out what this power that Voldemort 'knows not' is. Any suggestions?"
Harry groaned inwardly. Leave it to Dumbledore to turn something like this into a class discussion. "We know that it has to be me Professor. I have to be the one to defeat him."
"But Harry, we know your wand will do absolutely no good against him. You know that first hand." Ron spoke up.
"What about hurting him physically? You know, hand to hand?" Neville suggested.
"Do you really think that Harry will be able to get close enough to him to hit him?" Ginny asked, her tone showing the likelihood of that happening was slim to nil.
"Well that's what we're going to be there for right? To help get Harry alone with Voldemort." Luna added.
"Yes, but what then?" Harry muttered, "It's not like I'm going to be able to just poke him in the eye with my wand."
"Bloody hell, why didn't I think of this before?" came a mutter from one side of the group. Hermione's arm shot up, her body almost bouncing in excitement. This resulted into multitudes of eye rolls. "Yes Miss Granger?"
"Professor, isn't there a potion that melds souls? That way we could meld someone with Harry's soul for the battle give him increased power, and the ability to use another person's wand to finish him off." Hermione looked up to the headmaster expectantly waiting to see if she was right.
"I do say you are on the right track Miss Granger. Where did you learn about this potion?"
"I think I remember Professor Anderson, my arithmancy professor, going into detail about it in Gullveig last year. I will have to go to the library right after this to do some more research, but I do think this will work." Hermione turned to face Harry, a huge smile on her face.
All Harry could do was smile in return.
"So who would melt with Harry?" Ron asked.
"Meld, Ron…with a d." Ginny retorted. "That is a good question though, who is going to meld with Harry?"
"Well that is what the research is for Miss Weasley." Dumbledore replied. "Alright, now that the research has been set, you all may go. I believe there is some food waiting for you up in the kitchens, I am sure you know how to get there."
The trio looked to each other remembering the many times that they had to tickle the pear.
Hermione raised her hand again. "Will we be able to use the library afterwards?"
"Of course and no note is needed." Dumbledore stood looking at Hermione with his usual twinkle in his eye. "I will be waiting for news on your research."
Everyone seemed to take that as the sign that their discussion was finished. They meandered out into the dungeon, making their way towards the kitchens.
"Hermione, where are you going?" Harry asked, reaching out to her as she picked up her pace in the opposite direction of the kitchens.
"To the library of course. Food can wait." She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before leaving him in her wake.
Harry shook his head with a grin as he ran a hand through his unruly hair. He was so glad she knew all that she did. She would definitely be the one that would help him win this war.
"That's quite the girl you have there mate." Ron came up behind him, shaking his head with a chuckle as he saw the mass of bushiness rush off towards the library.
"Don't I know it."
**A/N: Woo, another chapter down…finally. We're really truly sorry for the delay. We're finally going to get to some real action next chapter. We'll find out just what this potion has in store for our hero, and whether or not it'll work for him. Thanks for sticking with us through all of this. We appreciate it so much!**