Chapter 28
Dedicated to: Kristine! Sorry I haven't dedicated a chapter to you! :(
Hermione sat at the table in the hotel room. Tom the innkeeper brought her up a butterbeer. Hermione was a wreck. "Come now." Tom said. "I'm sure Harry will be back shortly." He sat down with her. "But you read what happened. There are old Ministry wizards down there, cleaning up the scene." Hermione took a long sip of her drink. Just then, the door handle rattled. Tom got up and opened the door. Harry walked in, looking very tired. "I'll leave you now." Tom said to Hermione, and went back to his Inn keeping duties. Tom closed the door after him. Harry pulled off his jacket and stuck it in the closet. Tears began to slide down Hermione's face as she stayed sitting at the table, turning the mug around in her hands. Harry came and sat down next her. "I guess you know what happened." He said softly. Hermione nodded. There was a long silence in which Harry put his hand over hers. There was more silence. Hermione felt a tear drop on her hand. She looked up and discovered Harry had begun crying. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked. "Cho's dead." He said. Hermione pressed her lips together. There was more silence. "I saw Sirius last night." He added. "You did?" Hermione said. "What did he say?" "He said we have a week." "A week? Until what?" "Until Voldemort launches out his plan. That's why I was gone so long. I had to talk the old Ministry wizards into gathering the forces we need." "Forces? Are we going into war?" Hermione said. "I wouldn't call it a war. But a big wizard duel." Harry got up from his chair and walked over to the window and closed the curtains. He walked back over to Hermione and knelt down by her. She immediately started crying again. "Hermione. What are you thinking." "About what you had said before. Cho's dead. How does that make you feel?" "Well, sad and relived." He admitted. Harry took her hand and looked at the ring he had given her. "Do you remember what I said when I gave this to you?" "Yes." Hermione said. "That you loved me and didn't want anything to happen to me." She said. "Right. And I still mean that." He said. Harry stood up and brought Hermione to her feet. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Harry let go of her hands and went to open the door. "You! What are you doing here?" Harry said. Draco Malfoy shoved his way into the room. "Malfoy!" Hermione said. "That's right Potter. I never thought I would be shallow enough to do this but.. I need your help." Draco said. Silence. "You need, my help?" Harry said slowly. "Yes. Is that so surprising?" Draco snapped. "Kind of." Hermione said from behind Harry. "Explain." Hermione said. She dragged Harry out of Draco's way and let him enter further into the room. "I need to know everything your Godfather knows about being a Secret Keeper."
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"How do you.." Harry started. "Hello!!!!!!" Draco said. "My father went to school with them. And you know what side he's on. He knows all about Sirius Black and Wormtail being secret keepers for your family." "Then why ask me? You could just go and ask Wormtail-" "I can't." Draco said. "Why? And tell us why you want to know this information anyways?" "Because... Because.. Voldemort's going to go after my girlfriend." He blurted out. "You have a girlfriend?" Hermione said. "Yes. "Who-" "Ginny Weasley." Draco said, going very red. Harry and Hermione were stunned. "Yeah, yeah, I know." Draco said. "All right. If it's for Ginny and her family, we'll do it." Harry stuck out his hand and Draco shook it. "Where can I find him?" Draco asked. "Look in Diagon Alley for a big black dog. When you find him, tell him Harry sent you. Explain our deal and he'll help you." Harry said. Draco turned and reached for the handle. "Tell me something." Harry said. Draco turned around. "Do you love her?" He asked. Draco paused. "Yes. Yes, I do." He said. For once, he felt equal to Harry. "Take good care of her." Harry said. Draco nodded and left the room. Harry locked the door behind him. "That was so weird." Hermione said. Harry walked over to her and put his arms around her. Hermione hugged him back. "I love you." She whispered into his shirt. Harry buried his face in her hair. "Hermione?" he said. "Hmmm?" "Remember.. Remember.." Harry went red. Hermione stared up at him. "Remember what?" She asked. "Remember when I said I believed there was a first time for everything?" He smiled mischievously at her. "Oh yes. I remember." She responded with an equal mischievous grin.
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"Where is that boy? And that girlfriend of his?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Probably still in his room." Ginny said, swirling her scrambled eggs around on her plate. "I'll go get him." Mrs. Weasley said. She wiped her hand on a dish towel and headed up the stairs. "Ron? Ron? Wake up Ron." Mrs. Weasley called tapping on the door. She opened up the door. "Ron!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. "Huh? Wha--?" Ron said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. His mother was standing horrified in the doorway. Ron realized that he wasn't wearing any clothes, considering he had to transform last night. "Mom! I can explain! Well, no. Actually I can't but. It's not what you think!" Ron yelled. Leila woke up next to him and began to sit up too, holding a sheet up to her. "All right Mister!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "You're ground from. from." "From what Mom?" Ron said, raising an eyebrow at her. Mrs. Weasley went red. "You're grounded from sex for a MONTH!!!!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. She slammed the door and stomped down the stairs. Ron laid back in the bed. "Well. It's only a month." Leila said to him. "Leila." Ron said, turning his head to look at her. "We haven't even done anything of the sort." "Oh yeah." Leila said. "You're right."
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"Master?" Wormtail said, walking into the parlor. "Yes?" Voldemort said. He stopped his grooving and turned off the radio. "Well, your order came in." "It did! OOoooooooooooOOOOOOOH!" He squealed and clapped his hands. "Come, my dear! Let's see!" Voldemort grabbed Professor Midrigge's hands and pulling her off the couch. He dragged her outside to the backyard. "Where the hell did you get those!" Ophielus yelled, glaring at Voldemort when she saw the dozen jet black Unicorns. "FedEx of course." Voldemort said. Ophielus glared at him. "All right. There's a known herd of black Unicorns in Albania. They were shipped here." He said. "Why?" She demanded. "Why? WHY?" Voldemort said. "How else am I to launch my sneak attack on Hogwarts?" He said. "We have 3 caravans ready. We'll ride through the desert." "You mean that deserted wasteland outside of Hogsmeade?" Professor Midrigge asked. "Of course. Now." Voldemort turned around. "Wormtail! Contact the Dementors and order them to place the Unicorns in their stalls!" He began to laugh. "They'll be so surprised." He said. "Come, by dear. Lets celebrate with some champagne." Ophielus reluctantly followed him inside.
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School was back in session. To those who knew Nellie's secret could tell that she really was pregnant. She sulked alone in her room and did her homework there. Neville would visit her. "When do you think he's going to come?" Neville asked. "I don't know. Soon probably." Nellie said. "I hope not. We need all the time we can get." He said.
Hermione received an owl after the days classes. "What's up?" Harry asked. "What the." Hermione said as she read the note. "Crookshanks has detention." She said. "Its from Filch? Wonder what Crookshanks did wrong?" Ron said. "Seems like he got friendly with Miss Poppy while we were gone on Spring Break." Hermione said. "That's just wrong." Ron said. "I have to take him to detention. See you guys later. I hope you finished your homework so you don't have to copy off mine." Hermione picked up Crookshanks, who was lying at her feet, and exited the room. "I hate to say this but I'm glad to hear those words again." Ron said.
"I mean, she's always out for our best interest, but hasn't bugged us yet." Ron turned to Harry. "What did you do to her?" Harry went red and cleared his throat. "We can't stay the same forever." He said. "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ron. "Well, I would always be the one that would have the problems, and try to find out things. And you would always be the one who would go with me. Hermione would always try to stop us, but she would help us out too." "I guess you're right. We have changed some." Ron picked at his fingernails. "Harry." Said a voice from the portrait hole. "Professor Dumbledore!" Harry said, standing up. "Harry, would you come with me please?" Dumbledore asked. "All right." Harry got up and walked through Hogwarts with the headmaster. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day." He said. "Oh. Okay." "The Minister of Magic contacted me toady." "Fudge? But I thought he was killed in February." Harry said. "Well. Not exactly." Dumbledore said. "It was all over the Daily Prophet." "Someone else died in his place. You know all about the Polyjuice potion." "Right. Then who died in his place?" "My brother Aberforth. He took the Polyjuice potion and became Cornelius Fudge. And Fudge turned into my brother." "Oh. So Fudge is still alive?" "Yes. Now Harry, I want to show you something. No one else but me and few Ministry Wizards know." "And now me." Harry said. Dumbledore took Harry out onto the school grounds. Near where Harry had seen the dragons for the Triwizard Tournament in his 4th year, Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped a tree. The tree's trunk opened wide and entered into a secret grove. Dumbledore stepped through, Harry following him. "Harry." Professor Dumbledore said. "Have you ever wondered what happens to famous witches and wizards, and those who have been Voldemort's victims?"
Oooooooooooh!!!!! Sorry this took so long!!! Maybe because I've been typing other stories. At least it's done.
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