Chapter 32
Dedicated to: BLAH! No one, again…
Note: The story is almost done. Please be patient.
"Hermione? Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry asked. His face was blurry.
"Ungh..." groaned Hermione. She sat up. "Where am I?" her vision was clearing. "In the hospital wing. You fainted." "Oh." Hermione said. "Want to talk about it?" Harry asked, sitting next to her on the bed. "Not really. I guess I have to though." Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah. I guess you do. You've never said what happened between you and Viktor." "It's a long story." "I've got time. I talked with Dumbledore while you were still out. He came in here. I didn't want to leave you." Hermione smiled at Harry. "You remember how I went and visited him that summer?" "Yeah." "Well, he's nice and everything. Even if he still can't pronounce my name right." "How old is he now?" Harry asked. "I think 21." Hermione said. "Anyways, we had some. problems." Hermione said. "Your average dating problems." She continued after taking a deep breath. "He wanted to do. things that I didn't want to. He put pressure on. I knew he cared about me, but then his shyness went away. He was a different person." "Um. Hermione." Harry said. "Did I do that too?" Harry went red. "I mean, with what we did on spring break?" now he was really red. "No." Hermione said, blushing too. "I've known you longer. You weren't pressuring me. You asked once. I guess I was ready. So, everything unfolded. For us, I mean. Not like me and Viktor." "Does it hurt? Thinking about what he tried to do?" Hermione didn't answer. "I'm sorry." Harry said. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. Hermione didn't want him to let go, but he did. "Are you okay to come back to the common room now?" "Sure." Hermione replied. Harry took her hand. Hermione slid off the hospital bed. They walked out of the hospital wing.
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"Attention!" rang Voldemort's voice from all around the palace. "Dinner will be served in the dining room in 5 minutes!" His voice echoed throughout the halls. Draco's door burst open. "March, boy!" Lucious Malfoy snapped at his son. His son was no where to be found in the room. He looked towards the bathroom door and saw it was closed. Lucious Malfoy breathed out through his nose. Draco heard his fathers footsteps get closer to the bathroom door. He shoved the quill and parchment under the shower rug. "Draco! Get your ass out here!" Lucious said, banging on the door. "Coming, father." Draco said, flushing the toilet to fake being using it, instead of writing a letter in secret. He opened the door. "Get downstairs now." He said. "Yes, father." Draco said. He walked briskly ahead of his father and down the stairs. Lucious looked into the bathroom. He stepped in and looked around. Seeing nothing unusual, he walked out of the bathroom.
Everyone was packed in the dining room, sitting at the long table. Ophielus sat on Voldemort's right, the Malfoy family on his left. Nellie sat next to Professor Midrigge. They all conversed nicely as the sound of silverware echoed throughout the dining hall. Draco didn't say a word. Professor Midrigge talked softly to Nellie. Voldemort seemed to be enjoying himself, playing footsy under the table with her. Professor Midrigge kept kicking him.
After dinner, Draco went to his room. His father watched his back. Draco's mother took a hold of her husbands arm. He looked down on her. "Let him go." She said. Lucious ripped his arm from her hand and walked into the room. She silently followed and slowly closed the door. Draco pressed his ear against the wall. His parents were starting to argue. "I'm doing what's right!" His father was yelling. "No you're not! How can you say that? He's unhappy! I'm unhappy! You've ruined everything!" "I haven't ruined everything! It's that damn kid! Harry! If it wasn't for Miss Pyscho Psychic, none of this would be happening!" "It's not about the kid! It's about our son! You're ruining him! What you did when he was just 15! Ruining him by not letting him live a life!" "I AM letting him live a life! He can live any life that he wants, just not with that girl!" "Do you remember what house I was in? Do you remember?" There was silence. "Do you?" "Ravenclaw! You were in Ravenclaw!" "And Ginny is in Gryffindor. There's hardly a difference. Your father didn't even want you to marry me. You're just like him! Just like him! I won't let you make Draco that way too! If Aurora was still here you would have done the same to her!" "Don't talk about her!" Lucious yelled loudly. Draco turned away from the wall and went back to the bathroom to finish the letter.
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The next morning at breakfast. Harry had to do a Viktor check. He looked into the Great Hall. "Is he there?" Hermione asked. "He's at the top table. You'll be okay." Harry assured her. Three more days until the duel would begin, but everyone was ready for an earlier strike. Ron came in near the end of breakfast. "Hi!" he said. "You see anything?" Harry asked him. "The Unicorns are acting up and Leila says the fairies are hiding. That's about it. The moon isn't affecting all of them." Ron told Harry. He nodded. "Morning, Gin." Ron said to his sister. "Hi." She mumbled. "So, Ginny." Ron said, trying to have a nice conversation. "How are you this morning?" "Fine." Ginny said. "Anything you uh... Want to talk about?" Ron asked. He leaned over, trying to read the letter that was next to Ginny's cereal bowl. Ginny slapped her hand down on it. "No." Ginny folded the letter up and put it in her bag. "You sure?" Harry asked. "Yes." Ginny said. She picked up her bag and left the Great Hall. "You shouldn't have done that." Hermione said. "Prying into her business." "Hey! Our family is under that protection charm, don't I have a right to be curious about what's going on?" Ron said. "You do, but it's her business. If it was family matters, you would have gotten a letter from your mother." Hermione. "You're right." Ron said. "It's just that.." Ron looked at his shoes. "What?" "I'm trying to be a good brother." Ron said, looking up. "She's my only sister, and I'm the only one around Hogwarts to look after her. I just want her to be safe." "I think we all want everyone to be safe. You want to come to Dumbledore's office with me?" "Nah. I have to catch up on my homework." Ron said, picking up his bag and heading out of the Great Hall. Harry turned towards Hermione. "I guess you don't want to come." He said. "Why?" Hermione asked. "Well, he'll be there." Harry jerked his head towards Viktor Krum at the head table. "But we need an organizer." "I don't know. I don't know if I can face him." Hermione said. "Hermione, remember when I went to see Cho? I had to face my past. I couldn't hide from it any longer. Come to the meeting. We need an organizer, and you're the best one I know." Harry laid a hand on her shoulder. "All right. As long as you're going." Harry grinned. "The meeting's at 1 o'clock. We're meeting in here." Harry left the Great Hall.
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"Attention!" Dumbledore said. "This meeting will come to order!" Ministry wizards and other duel delegates were seated in the Great Hall. All the teachers sat on either side of Dumbledore at the Head Table. "We've called his meeting to attention because in approximately 3 days, we will join together in a great duel against the Dark Lord. We need to be ready in any case. He could strike today, tomorrow, or on the scheduled day." Dumbledore took a long pause. Then he continued; "We have witches and wizards from the Ministry and Beauxbatons are here to assist us in our battle. It's not a war, just a duel to save the fate of the wizarding world. The chosen delegates will be positioned later tonight to keep an eye on the school. There will be no classes tomorrow or on any of the following days until the duel begins and the duel ends for the safety of the students." Dumbledore nodded at Harry. Harry stood up and turned to face the delegates. He sucked in a shaky breath before nervously addressing them. "The goal for us. Is not to kill. We want to prove to the Dark Lords followers that the things Vol-, You-Know-Who did were wrong and what they did to please him, was also wrong. Don't result to the Un-Forgivable curses unless the situation calls for it. We recommend stunning spells, anything to keep the enemy from reducing our allies." Harry looked towards Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded. Harry began to sit down but a Ministry Wizard raised his hand. "Yes?" Dumbledore asked, motioning Harry to remain seated. "What should we do when it comes to confrontation with the Dark Lord?" asked the Wizard. "Our main achievement is to be worried about are the followers. Leave the Dark Lord to those who have scores to settle." Harry could feel everyone's gaze land on him. Harry looked at the wall. There was silence. Dumbledore stood up. "Where is our organizer? Harry?" "Uh, Hermione?" Harry said to Hermione, who was sitting quietly next to him. Dumbledore motioned Hermione to go up to the front. Hermione slowly went up to the Head Table. "We need you to position the chosen delegates to their posts." Dumbledore told her. Hermione swallowed hard and then nodded. Professor McGonagall handed her the list of Delegates. "Richard Donaldson?" Hermione said, slowly. A man with gray hair stood up. "You're to be positioned by the.." Hermione looked at the delegate application. "By the south side of the lake." Hermione read. Mr. Donaldson bowed and left the hall. "Uh. Ophielus Midrigge." Hermione looked around for her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "She's not here." Dumbledore informed her. "But she is aware she is Greenhouse duty." Hermione nodded. She assigned 2 more aging men and a woman to the main gate. A couple was assigned to the outskirts of the forbidden forest. The application said they were secret-keepers. Hermione then assigned 3 people to the other woods on the opposite side of Hogwarts. "And..." Hermione went pale. "Viktor Krum.. You're positioned by the back doors along with. Miles Hebdon." Hermione gave the list back to Professor McGonagall and hurried back to her seat next to Harry. "Are we all clear?" Professor Dumbledore asked the remaining wizards and witches. They nodded in unison. "You are dismissed." Everyone left the Great Hall.
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"Master? The caravans are ready." "Good, good. We will leave a day earlier. Tomorrow we'll plan. Inform the followers in the morning." "Yes Master."
Note: YAY!!!! We're almost there!!!!!!! Please be patient!
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