Chapter 20: Climax ***************************Hogwarts***********************************
(A/N Sorry it's not the climax of the story, just of a plot point :))
March 15, 2005
7:45am
"Honestly, Harry," Hermione glared at her "protector." "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." She turned and continued to walk to Runes, making sure she was turned away from him as a tiny smile flitted across her face. Ever since Ron had been poisoned, and Harry and her had arguably been attacked in the library, Harry and later Ron, when he awoke, had followed her around like pair of guard dogs. Or a pair of guard cats in their case actually. Hermione thought with an inner grin. She kept walking, noting with a trace of amusement mixed with just a touch of annoyance, that except for other Gryffindors, most other students did watch their step around her. Even Malfoy had gotten the hint that it would not be wise to fool with the "mudblood," so far anyway.
"I know Hermione," Harry replied as he followed along. He didn't turn to go though, he just kept following her along. His eyes flitted from side to side, almost as if he were Alastor Moody Jr. "Its just that I couldn't stand it if you..." Harry whispered, hoping that she didn't hear as he realized that he actually said that sentiment out loud. Harry was walking down the hall, his hand in his robe pocket, resting on the hilt of his wand.
Hermione had heard his murmured comment, and she bit her lower lip, nervously. As they reached the door of the classroom, she stopped and turned to him, stepping out of the way of Pavarti, who also had Runes with her. "You are going to be here when I get out...aren't you Harry?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, trying not to laugh at his slightly nervous expression.
"Well you did ask if I would carry your books at the start of school," Harry replied, trying to crack a joke. After a long pause, he sighed, "Bloody hell...you know I will be, and I don't care if you're mad, Hermione." The bell rang and shaking her head sardonically, Hermione went into the class before Professor Glyph closed the door.
Sitting in her normal seat, Hermione pulled quill and parchment from her overstuffed bag, and started taking notes. However, today notes were on automatic, as she thought over what she had heard, or rather hoped she had heard. Harry...her thoughts racing, what am I going to do with you, I don't need babysitting. Ahh...but you don't mind it do you? That second, slightly annoying voice that sounded just like Harry replied, she could just imagine a tiny Harry, on a miniscule firebolt flitting about her head, a thought that caused her to let out a tiny giggle. Glyph glared at her, but Hermione, faked a tiny cough, and she went back to writing on the board. You've got it bad, girl...Tiny Harry continued, and she responded. I do but...Honestly, I can take care of myself. He has enough to be getting on with. The tiny Harry voice, just chuckled in her head.
********************Room of Requirement*****************************
Outside, Harry had gone to the Room of Requirement and just stood, dead still in the center of the room, breathing lightly. Finally he spoke, "Room, I need a dueling partner." Instantly a dark, hooded man with a wand in one hand and a long black blade in the other appeared. "That's more like it." Harry smiled coldly, "Appero Sword, Protego Duelus" The dual incantations, summoned the Gryffindor sword to his hand and activated the protection wards for the room. Harry gave his shadow opponent a slight bow, and the room exploded into action. The fake Voldemort, snapped a green bolt at Harry's head, which he dodged, and blocked the follow-up sword swing easily with his own.
The combatants started circling, Harry snapped a pair of stunners at Voldemort, which were blocked, as he expected. And with a breath, he charged, Harry snapped a high cut at his target's neck. Blocked. He in turned blocked a series of three strikes at his head, right side and left leg. All one handed, as he was hoping to get in a spell in.
"EXPELLIARMUS" Harry was suddenly hit with the surprise spell, his wand went flying, but he managed to keep a hold on his sword. The following swing of the fake Voldie's sword missed, as Harry flipped over to the side. As he shot through the air, "ACCIO WAND" Harry screamed. His wand shot to his empty hand, "IMPEDIMENTIA." The fake froze and was knocked back a step taken by surprise, and in another instant, it was over. The sword of Gryffindor slid though the provided opponent, and he vanished in wisp of smoke. Harry stood looking at the empty space just occupied by the image of his enemy and panted.
"It won't always be that easy, Harry." Remus Lupin said as he leaned on the wall near the door. He had come in during the duel, and stood watching, not uttering a word. Just for an instant he had gone for a wand before he realized what was happening, though.
"I know Remus...I knew you were there." Harry replied, "ENVESCO SWORD." Harry's blade vanished, back to where it came from. "So Moony, how did I do?"
"It's risky fighting with only one hand on the sword, but you needed a wand too, so it's a wash." Lupin sat down heavily on a just-appeared couch, and faced Harry. Harry sat down opposite him on another new couch. "Why are you up here Harry, I know that you already had training this morning?" Harry just shrugged in response, "Girl problems?" Lupin asked slyly, and chuckled at Harry's glare. "Harry, I know that you are following her around like a guard dog, or cat in your case...don't worry, I've only told Nymph and she won't tell."
"I have to try Remus, they almost got us, and they did manage to poison Ron..." Harry replied tiredly.
"Harry, you may be the most dangerous wizard in this castle...no really..." Lupin added with a tight grin, "and I know you love her, but she's going to get pissed at you my boy." Lupin laughed.
Harry just grinned and shook his head, "Way ahead of you, she already blew up at me last week. We've already reached a compromise, I still go to classes with her; I pretty much all ready did. We almost have the same schedule anyway. She reminded me this morning in fact, that she could take care of herself." Lupin smiled at him and got up. As he turned to leave, a comment from Harry stopped him, "Remus...can you teach me to ride the motor Sirius left me?"
"Sure Harry" Remus laughed, "Though I don't know how the Grangers would take you picking Hermione up on a motorcycle." Harry's eyes crossed at the thought and he chuckled.
"Only if the gods smile on me, Moony." Harry got up and paced over to the door, next to the werewolf. 'Besides, it would be more appropriate if I picked her up on a broom, wouldn't it?"
Lupin nodded; smirking, "So are you going to tell her?"
Harry sighed, replacing his wand he walked out of the room, "Remus, I will take on Voldemort, or any dark creature or Death Eater you can name, but I'm afraid of a sixteen year old girl..." Looking down at his watch. "I have to go, I said I'd meet her outside of Runes." Harry took off down the hall without another word to the Marauder.
"It's only because you are a sixteen year old boy" Remus replied to his back, though well after Harry had already left. "and I wish that's all you had to be."
*************************DADA #1****************************
1:00 pm
"Mate." Ron whispered urgently from Hermione's far side. Harry glanced over at Ron, annoyed. This was his favorite class after all, and it did also have the additional charm that something he learned here, really might just save his life. Even so Harry gave a little shrug, which Ron took as meaning to go on. "Harry...what about quid...""
"Mr. Weasley" Dumbledore muttered over his shoulder, having just appeared there. "Since you are so eager to contribute. Why don't you demonstrate the technique you were assigned to learn." Dumbledore stepped back and looked at Ron, expectantly, studiously ignoring the bushy-haired witch to the side with her hand up.
"Uhh, sir. I ahh" Ron replied hesitantly. It was only Harry's hand on Hermione's arm under the table that kept her from either turning to glare at Ron or jinx him. She had spent two hours last night teaching Ron, or at least trying, the charm to increase one's strength, similar to the effects of certain potions. But Ron had only paid slight attention, and had spent the evening also working on Quiddich strategies for the Slytherin game this weekend. In all fairness, Harry had also worked on Quiddich strategies, but he could already do the spell, so that really didn't count.
"Ego fortitudo" Hermione mouthed behind Dumbledore's back as he turned to conjure a set of weights. She mimed the wand movement, in a subdued manner.
Reluctantly, Ron stood up and faced the rest of the class. With a wand movement close to Hermione's but a pronunciation, not quite that what she had tried to surreptitiously pass along. "Ergo fortitudo," Ron incanted. Instead of the gold glowing effect that should have enveloped him, a bolt of orange light shot outward.
"PROTEGO" Harry snapped, and the bolt that was headed directly for Hermione and him, whined off and smashed a chuck out of the ceiling. Ron's ears erupted red to match his hair, and a smattering of laughter broke out. "You ok?" Harry whispered to her under the cover of the laughs. Hermione just nodded, eyes grinning.
"That will be enough" Dumbledore pronounced, and Ron sat down gratefully. "As we seem to have difficulty with the assignment, I would like three feet on strengthening potions and spells...due Friday." The usual groans echoed in the room, and Harry gave his friend a covert glare.
The class finally finished and packing their books Hermione leaned over to Ron, "Honestly Ron...we spent hours on that spell last night. And I really needed more homework." She added sarcastically.
"But you love homework Herms" Ron replied with a smile, trying to ingratiate himself.
Her eyes flashed, and Harry bit off a curse, and quietly placed his books in his bag. "Ronald..." Hermione snarled, lowly, "I love learning...not writing three feet on a subject that I've already studied...and don't call me Herms." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, "come on Harry, I guess we need to go start an essay." Stalking out, she took off obviously for the library.
"Come on Ron, let's go" Harry muttered, and led his friend in chase of his other one. As the pair headed down the hall, several steps behind Hermione, quietly discussing the strategies for this weekends climax of the Quiddich season, a low drawl echoed down the hall after them.
"Potty, Weasel, are you still trying to figure out how to beat us this weekend? You really should just follow Granger's example there and just concentrate on the homework weasel there got you. You need all the help you can get Weasley." Draco smirked, his usual bookends holding up either side. Pansy was off to one side, glaring balefully at Hermione, who was standing with an eyebrow raised, hand on her hip. Mere inches from where she had her wand concealed.
"Back off Ferret." Ron snapped, wheeling to face him. Ron strode back to Draco, flexing his fists as he went. Harry for his part, had a bad feeling. His eyes snapped back and forth, and unconsciously his ears started seeking out any aberrant noise, weary of an ambush. "Last I looked, you had never beaten Gryffindor as long as Harry was actually playing."
"Yes...shame that, that old fool Dumbledore let Potty and your littermates play again. The pitch smelled so much better with them gone." Draco laughed, then stepped back suddenly as Ron sprung at Draco. Flinging out a hand Harry stopped Ron's sudden rush.
"Let's go Ron, it's not worth it." Harry murmured, and using main force, he turned Ron back onto their original course. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione sigh slightly. But of course; Draco just wouldn't, couldn't back down.
"Diffindo" Draco snapped, and from behind, the strap of Harry's bag was cut, causing his books, parchments, ink bottles and other supplies to tumble out as his bag crashed to the floor. "Now what are you going to do Potter?"
Harry gave off a great sigh of annoyance more than anything and slowly turned to face Draco. "Malfoy...go away, you don't want to duel me" Harry's hand hovered near his wand, but he didn't draw it, yet. Let's see...tickling charm, no, dancing, nope, not enough fun. I could vanish his clothes, I wonder if you can vanish someone else's wand? Never tried. Have to ask Mione. Harry mused in his thoughts as he stared down Malfoy, and watched Malfoy's minions out of the corner of his eye, even though he knew that he was covered, no matter what. Oh, hell, screw it, With a blindingly fast draw, Harry's wand magically appeared in his hand, "Incendio." Harry glanced at Malfoy then without another word, he twirled and started back towards the library.
"You missed Potter" Malfoy laughed at his back.
"Look down Ferret-boy"
"What, bloody hell" Draco screamed as he looked down and noticed that his shoes were on fire. Quickly summoning a stream of water to extinguish the flames, he shouted down the hall after the trio. "We'll see just how you and you friends like it after the game, Potter." With that, the platinum-haired Slytherin scampered away, Pansy following her master like a puppy. Crabbe and Goyle stood, glaring at the trio for a second, but as Hermione acted like she was reaching for her wand, they too spun and bolted away.
"What was that all about?" Harry muttered to himself the trio started off again.
***************************Quiddich Stadium, Hogwarts*********************
March 19, 2005
1:00 pm
The final match of the year had finally arrived. The day was bright and clear, but the heavy winds of March had set in. Harry and Ron's robes were flapping in the breeze, like great wings, and over to one side, Ginny was shivering in the wind as she stood talking to Fred and George. The stadium was already packed with fans. A chorus of Slytherins had tried to start singing, but had been shouted down, even though Gryffindor and Slytherin had each beaten the other two houses, almost everyone else hated Slytherin. The Gryffindors were clustered around the North goal; and strains of Weasley is Our King, already wafted from that end. McGonagall had already gone down into the Gryffindor stands twice to confiscate WeasleyWhizBangs that had been shot at the Slytherins across the way. Going into the game, Gryffindor lead the point standing by twenty points, an approximate tie.
"Are you ready for this one mate?" Ron asked with a grin as he and Harry led the rest of the team from the locker rooms to the pitch. "We win, McGonagall gets to keep the Cup in her office for next year." Harry glanced at him, and rolled his eyes. He didn't respond, as something was bothering him in the back of his mind, some clue that he knew he should pay attention to.
"Yeah, Ron...I'm fine." Harry replied, flatly. "Are you going to take the flip then, Hooch says I can't go out there with Malfoy, something about temptation?" A tiny grin flitted across his face, but was dampened immediately. Ron smiled at him and headed for the center circle. Watching his friend go, he felt a familiar presence come up from behind. "Mione" Harry murmured, a grin in his voice.
"Hey Harry." Hermione said softly as she meandered up. With the benefit of long experience, "what's wrong, the game, you'll crush them."
"Thanks for the sentiment, but something's wrong I just don't know what." Harry replied with a vague sense of foreboding. But before he could go on, another came along. Floating above the crowd, a giant lion head meandered over to Harry and Hermione.
"ROAR" "Harry, have you seen Ron?" A blue-eyed, dirty blond witch asked with a happy expression. "I was going to give him this talisman to keep off the Quaffle- weevils, that Malfoy has infested the Quaffles with." Luna stood, a hip cocked, as she absently petted her hat. Oddly the thing seemed to like it. The Weasley is my King sweatshirt she wore was awfully tight, either it had shrunk in the wash or she was looking for attention.
"Um, Yeah, Luna, he went to go take the toss." Harry replied, with a shrug, his eyes laughing. Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing outright. "ROAR" the lion head went off again.
"Ok, Harry I guess I'll just go up to the stands, I should be able to zap any weevils from there, when they pop out." Luna replied brightly and turned back and headed off to the Gryffindor stands.
As she left, Hermione started laughing the instant she was out of range. Harry joined her instantly and they kept laughing until Harry stopped, holding his side. "You'll be up in the stands?" Harry asked, still half laughing.
"Of course, I'll be in my normal spot," Hermione replied instantly, neither of them noticing the person in the green and black robes, that gave a brief smile at hearing that pronouncement as they passed by. "Besides I guess I better make sure Luna doesn't start shooting spells." Hermione turned to go, but with a sudden urge, she wheeled, kissed Harry on the cheek and headed off to the stands. She waved to Harry as she left, Harry just stood there with a slight look of shock.
"Bye Hermione" Harry whispered, then with a visible effort he turned and walked to the pitch, joining the rest of the Gryffindors in waiting for Ron. Ginny turned and smiled at him as he joined her, Fred, George, Ginny, Pavarti and Lavender.
"So Harry..." Ginny said quietly with a huge grin. She rubbed her forefingers together in front of her and giggled.
"Shut up Ginny" Harry growled, in response, giving the tiny witch a glare worthy of the bushy-haired one. As Ron came over she shut up and put on an air of attention to her other Captain and incidentally brother.
"Ok team, " Ron started by looking at each of his team in turn. "All we have to do is play. These Slytherin pukes don't have a chance. Ginny, Lav, Pavarti...steal every chance you get, but be careful, Crabbe and Goyle may not have a single functional brain cell between them, but they'll be gunning for you. Fred, George, cover them."
"What about Harry and you, bro?" George asked with a small, grim smile. He and Fred hung on Ron's words as they fingered their beater's bats unconsciously.
"I don't think it would be...amiss if you just happened to cover us as you had time, but concentrate on the chasers." Harry replied seriously, as his eyes flicked around the stands and the stadium. "It's my job to get the snitch, if I keep moving I'll be ok, and as long as the bludger hits Ron in the head, he'll be fine." Everyone except Ron laughed at the joke, though he did crack a smile.
"All right, you bloody blokes, let's get in the air." Ron shouted as he threw his legs over his broom, and took a weaving, meandering course towards the north goal to the cheers of the Gryffindor fans.
But not before the parting shot rang out after him, "Ron if you think, I'm a BLOKE, you really need instruction!" Lavender yelled after him as she, Ginny and Pavarti mounted their brooms and took off. The girls chortled as they rose to the air over the pitch, and began circling.
"You, know..."Fred smirked, "She does have a point."
"Yep, Lets go" Harry kicked off and shot into the air, barrel rolling as he passed the Gryffindor stands. He gave the stands a jaunty wave as he passed, receiving waves in return from the rest of his roommates, Luna and Hermione in passing.
"WELCOME TO TODAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR THE 2004-2005 SEASON" Leslie Jordan cried from the commentator's box nestled in the Gryffindor stands. Leslie gave the introductions as McGonagall peered out over the stands on the lookout for trouble. "GRYFFINDOR GOES INTO TODAY'S GAME WITH ONLY A TWENTY POINT LEAD, SO IT'S ANYONES MATCH." A see of spectators in red and gold, erupted at the words, and the lion hat ROARED.
"So Potter, how does it feel to be a loser?" Draco sneered as he too awaited the start of the game. He did a little barrel roll and laughed.
With a puff on her whistle Madame Hooch started the game, and released the balls. Dodging a bludger, Harry took off in pursuit of the snitch, Malfoy trailing closely.
"AND THE QUAFFLE IS UP AND...WEASLEY HAS IT...SHE PASSES TO BROWN, PATIL, BROWN...WEASLEY, AND SCORE! TEN-NADA GRYFFINDOR!" Jordan screamed, and the Gryffindor crowd went wild. On the pitch the Gryffindor girls turned and head back down the pitch, going after the quaffle again. The Slytherin chaser line charged Ron and under the cover of two bludgers at his head, they were able to score.
Back in the center, Crabbe shot a bludger at Ginny, who dodged it, as Fred shot it back where it came from, only to be nailed by a second shot by Goyle knocking her spinning from her broom to the ground. Hooch blew the whistle and the game stopped. Ginny hopped back on a broom, and looking daggers at the bookends of idiocy, she took once again to the sky, as her brothers circled the Slytherin beaters threateningly. She took out her frustrations by quickly scoring two more goals on the Slytherins further opening the Gryffindor lead.
"AND WEASLEY GETS HERS BACK..." Jordan crowed as McGonagall glared at her. Leslie gave a little shrug, but she didn't look abashed, far from it. McGonagall waited until Leslie turned back to the game, and let a small grin escape, onto her lips.
"ROAR" Luna's hat went off, magically amplified so as to be heard everywhere. "GO RON," She screamed. On the field, Ron blocked two shots in a row, the second, be beat off with a broom save that snapped the quaffle straight back at Lavender, who flipped it to Pavarti. Pavarti, ducked under two converging Slytherins, who crashed together and spiraled from the sky. She snapped the quaffle to Ginny who charged the Slytherin keeper. At the last second she backhanded the quaffle to Pavarti, who fired a snapshot at the leftmost goal and scored. The Gryffindors scored two more goals as the Slytherin chasers rejoined the game, and then it was over.
Suddenly, Harry spotted the snitch, hovering near the base of the Gryffindor stands, "Bye Draco" Harry laughed and snapped inverted, the superior acceleration of the firebolt almost violating a couple of laws of physics as it slammed Harry from 0 to almost 150 in three seconds.
"Oh Hell, no" Draco snapped and headed off in pursuit, almost going prone on the broom. His and Harry's cloaks whipped in the wind like giant wings, as they jockeyed for position. Crabbe, across the way, hammered a bludger at where Harry and Draco would intercept the snitch.
"GO HARRY" Hermione screamed, leaning on the rail to look down at the snitch, almost a hundred feet below. Jumping up and down, she clapped wildly, her hair bouncing up and down. Across the pitch, a wand poked covertly out of a set of green and black robes. Under Hermione's feet, the wood at the edge of the stands, under her feet crumbled, and the rail she was leaning on snapped with a thunderous crack. "WAHH", THUMP, Hermione's feet fell into nothingness, and as they slipped out from under her, her head smacked the stands, rendering her unconscious and falling. Behind her, a couple of third year girls let out a horrified scream.
Below at the same instant, Harry snatched the snitch, and almost without pause, the bludger, so graciously donated by Crabbe smashed into Harry's catching arm, snapping it with a pop heard across the stadium, Harry glanced up at Hermione's scream, and without thinking he slid his broom under her path and grabbed her with her other arm, just feet above the pitch. Harry's good shoulder wretched out of socket, as he bit through the pain and took the landing in a tumble, rolling, carefully shielding Hermione from harm, even at the cause of even more to himself. The pair came to a stop, Hermione lying on top of Harry.
Her eyes blinked open, and through the blinding pain Hermione blinked down at a pair of brilliant jade eyes. "Thanks Harry..." Hermione whispered. For an endless moment they lay there looking at each other from a few inches away. Without another word, or perhaps a thousand, just not uttered, Hermione slowly started to lean forward, her face tracking like a missile towards his.
"HARRY, HERMIONE..." Ron shouted, and with a gasp, the spell was broken. Behind Ron, Ginny and the twins ran up. Ginny giving her brother an odd look, and she unlike him, had noticed. "Are you alright?" Hermione glanced up at them with an oddly guilty look, to which Ginny raised a questioning eyebrow.
"No, Ron." Hermione groaned a bit and ran her hand over the spot on the back of her head. Her hand came back covered in blood. Below her, Harry's right arm was hanging oddly, and his left shoulder was throbbing, to her gentle touch. "I don't think either one of us is." Slowly and carefully, Hermione rolled off Harry, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed.
"Thanks, Mione." Harry said, and then moaned a bit, in a pained voice, "Do me a favor, check and see if I caught the snitch, Hermione, I can't move those fingers right now."
"I'm the one who should thank you Harry" Hermione replied, rolling her eyes at his behavior, very gently she peeked in his right hand, "You caught it Harry." Harry smiled at her and just lay on the pitch, staring up at the sky. Hermione rolled on her back and lay beside him. Behind Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor team, a crowd was rapidly approaching, lead by Dumbledore, Hooch and Pomfrey.
"OUT OF THE WAY, OUT OF THE WAY" Madame Pomfrey cried as she ran ahead and crouched beside the two Gryffindors. "Potter, Granger, what am I to do with you two?" She mused as she gently examined Hermione's head. "You look fine, Miss Granger, but I'm keeping you in the infirmary tonight." Turning to Harry, she waved her wand over him, and cast a quick charm. Looking at the results, her lips pursed. "Let's see Mr. Potter, broken right wrist, dislocated left shoulder, two cracked ribs...about average for a Saturday." Harry and Hermione glared at her joke, "I will have to keep you this evening as well." She turned and looked at the crowd behind her. "Albus, if you could..."
"Certainly Poppy," with a flick of his wand, Dumbledore levitated the pair, and walked slowly behind them as he lead the school med-witch, along with a parade of well wishers to the infirmary. "Good catch, Harry...both of them" Dumbledore whispered out of the side of his mouth as they reached the castle.
"Thanks," Harry replied as he passed out.
***************************Hogwarts' Infirmary**************************
9:00 pm
"Harry, are you awake?" Hermione whispered over to him as she rolled over on her side to face him. As usual when more than one of the trio was in their second home, they were side by side. Ron, as the last of the well-wishers, had just left. Ron had obviously been wanting to go to the party, the party that would probably not end until sometime tomorrow. As McGonagall, after seeing to her injured students, had proclaimed loudly that Serverus owed her drinks at the Three Broomsticks and had last been seen heading for the main doors of the castle. Snape had growled, but followed anyway after he had checked to make sure his galleon supply was adequate for tonight's debt.
Harry turned his head to face her, and gave her a small pained grin. Poppy had already repaired his arm, but the ribs that he had broken when he took the impact instead of Hermione and the shoulder that he had strained when he caught her still pained him. "Yeah"
"Harry...thank you." She murmured, careful not to summon Madame Pomfrey. Hermione's eyes were soft, and Harry thought he could see a trace of a tear in the corner of one. A small wince crossed his thoughts at the sight, but he carefully kept it from his face.
"Just doing my job, ma'am," Harry replied softly, "you ok, Mione?"
Hermione nodded, "Just knocked me out, you know I have just as hard a head as you do."
"Its not a contest, Hermione" Harry chuckled, then with a wince grabbed his side, "Oww." Harry shook off her concerned look.
"You know how I hate to loose, Harry..." Grinning at her Harry closed his eyes and went to sleep, as Hermione replied. Hermione watched him, concern in her eyes for a moment longer as she too fell asleep, facing him as he faced her.