Have fun, a nice middling sized chapter to read, someday I will own characters, but unfortunately not these, they already belong to Rowling.
Chapter 9, Resetting the Board.
***********************Hogwarts, Main Hall*****************************
September 7, 2004
7:00am
Fortunately for Harry, today, Tuesday, was the lightest day on his schedule, today, he only had a double Muggle Studies in the morning, followed by an hour of DADA class work, with Dumbledore's "practical" DADA work immediately following. Dumbledore had added the practical portion, after finding that due to the lack of actual spell work done in the subject last year, many of the students were well behind where they should have been. Though Harry and his friends were not among that number, he welcomed the additional practice, and after all it only would help with his grades. The Muggle Studies that he and Hermione shared was also cake more or less, as both of them were muggle raised, and were taking the class for it's appearance on an Auror application. Ron had yet to make an appearance however, he was still probably sleeping off Neville's potion.
Harry looked across the breakfast table mounded over with food at Hermione, with a slightly guilty feeling, he could see the bags under her eyes, from yet another night of little or no sleep. If Riddle doesn't get us, the lack of sleep will, he thought sadly. "Coffee, Hermione?" Harry asked softly, as he knew from experience that she usually had a headache if she didn't get any sleep.
"Thanks,hu..Thanks Harry" Hermione replied distractedly as the morning post owls started swooping down to deliver the mail. The owl delivering her copy of the Daily Prophet settled in front of her and extended a leg for payment as it dropped the paper on her thankfully, empty plate. Feeling around in her pocket Hermione, found only some pocket lint, "Dang, Harry, I..." Without another word, Harry pulled some change from his pockets and gave it to her, smiling to himself as she paid the owl then whipped out her planner to write a note to repay Harry.
Mione, I really don't care if you pay me back. Harry thought to himself as he picked at his bacon. Just as he looked back up to Hermione, she exclaimed loudly, "OH SHIT" then realizing where she was quickly dropped her voice before anyone could figure out where that came from. "Hermione?" Harry asked amusedly only to lose any sense of amusement with her next words.
"Harry...they escaped, all the ones we put in Azkaban...They're out" She slammed down the paper. Harry looked into her eyes and saw fear in her suddenly pale face. Without another word, she got up and ran from the room, leaving her books behind. Harry scanned the article for a second, only noticing two names in particular, Lucius Malfoy, and Antonin Dolohov.
He's the one that almost killed her...Harry jumped up to follow, "Ginny" he pointed at Hermione's books and his and ran after her, not waiting to see if she would watch the bags.
"Sure Harry" Ginny replied, but he was already gone.
As Harry reached the hallway, Hermione was nowhere in sight, "Damn it Hermione, I'd think you were a kneezle instead of your damn cat, sometimes," he muttered. "Screw it, APPERO MARADUER'S MAP" Harry incanted quickly and his father's map appeared in his hand. With a quick wand tap, as he looked around the hall, no one was about, Harry said quietly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." From the corners inward, the seemingly blank sheet of parchment filled itself in with a map of Hogwarts. Little moving dots indicating people, ghosts and several familiars appeared in the schematic hallways and rooms. Harry spotted a rapidly moving dot labeled, "Hermione Granger" heading out the front doors. She's heading for the lake, her tree. Hermione had tended to study when she could under an old oak tree near the lake, and she also liked to think there. A fact that normally caused Harry sly delight, because of the other purpose of the tree over the years, that of carving certain initials into, and she had never noticed until he had pointed it out. The tree had a special place in his own heart, especially due to a certain heart with the initials, LE and JP intertwined in it, probably carved with a certain magical utility knife in his possession. Harry quickly blanked the map, shoved it into a pocket of his robes and headed for the lake.
Back in the Great Hall, Ron had finally showed up yawning, and plopped down in the seat that Harry had just vacated. Without looking around he grabbed the nearest platter of bacon and shoveled some onto his plate. Dumping eggs onto his plate he finally looked around and saw his brothers, Ginny, Neville and Pavarti all looking at him. "WHAT?" Ron asked, his mouth full of eggs.
"You didn't notice that both of your best friends have rushed out and left their books, which by the way, you had to move to sit down?" Ginny replied incredulously.
"No, why would they do that?" Ron asked with a shrug, stuffing some bacon into his mouth.
"Well, Ronald" an airy voice came from behind, then beside him as Luna sat down, "Probably because the Death Eaters, we captured at the Ministry last June, escaped early this morning...I always knew the Death Eaters were in league with the ice-breathing Spanish Corkeles. Here." Luna slapped a copy of the prophet down in front of Ron, then at everyone's look, she said she hated the Prophet, "What, we have to know what the enemy is saying right? After all the Prophet still isn't talking about Fudge's army."
Everyone admitted silently that she had a point, somewhere in there, as Ron picked up the Prophet and read the indicated article, "Yeah so they escaped, why would she freak?"
Amazingly it was Fred who answered, "For the love of Merlin, they mention Dolohov by name, Ron"
"So?" as he crunched his bacon.
"Dolohov is the one who damn near killed her." Ginny growled in response.
"I guess I'll see them later then" Ron replied, as both Ginny and Luna rolled their eyes exasperatedly, shaking their heads as one. Fred and George just got up to head to Dumbledore's year seven DADA class; not bothering to speaking to their brother.
"WHAT?"
*********************Hogwarts, Grounds by the Lake*********************
Hermione was sitting under the oak tree, with her back to the castle, watching the ripples spread in the lake from where the squid had just poked a tentacle above the water. As she watched, the ripples turned to a brilliant purple wave of light snapping towards her, and as they seemingly hit her, she felt as if she were falling backwards, her chest on fire. Her eyes were locked on the lake, and she was shivering slightly despite the warm weather. She didn't notice the clear blue day or the birds chirping cheerfully. She didn't even notice Harry's hurried footfalls as he ran up.
"Mione," Harry snapped seeing her under the tree, then with a total lack of response from her, "HERMIONE" gently shaking her shoulder as he dove in beside her.
"Ha, Ha, Harry? " She stammered in reply finally realizing he was here. "I'm sorry." Turning to him, and brushing a lock of hair from her eyes
"For what?" Harry replied looking into those scared brown eyes
She dropped her gaze from his, ashamed for her reaction, "For running out like that, I thought I had buried it, I hadn't really had the nightmares for a few days...I just keep seeing that spell coming my way..." She dropped off as Harry pulled her into his shoulder, after a few minutes she stopped shaking, but she didn't speak for several more.
"You have no cause to apologize, It's my..." Harry started the familiar refrain, only to be stopped abruptly.
"Oh no you DON'T HARRY" Hermione fired back, backing off from him to stare him down, the fire driving the fear from her eyes, only to stop at his tiny grin. "Oh damn it" she muttered falling back into his shoulder.
"Sorry Mione, we've gotten so good at blaming ourselves that I thought I'd use it." Harry shrugged their combined shoulders.
"We are pretty good at it aren't we?" She asked rhetorically, to which Harry just sat silently. RING, the bell in the castle sounded loudly, "Damn I'm missing Runes" Hermione started to get up only to be pulled back down by Harry.
"It'll wait Hermione, you aren't in shape for classes yet." He said, concern flooding his voice.
She took a deep breath and tucked back in beside him, "Umm, ok, you are probably right."
"Don't worry I'll write you a note, I'll say it was a security emergency or something." Harry said with a thoughtful tone.
With a snort, "What emergency?"
"Well you see, we lost all the brains in the castle when you ran out and I had to find them." Harry replied softly to which she just laughed bitterly at his pitiful joke.
"Thanks Harry...do you think we can stay here for a while?" She asked and got a silent nod in return.
Harry and Hermione sat out there alone for another hour, until Ginny found them and left their bags, silently, to a mouthed "thanks" from Harry. Hermione never noticed her presence, she just kept looking out at the lake. Finally at about a quarter to ten, Harry pulled her to her feet and they trumped off to Muggle Studies. Fortunately, neither had to think in this class, and Harry even managed to score ten points by knowing just what a microwave was used for and how it worked.
Lunch passed quickly, Ron acknowledged their presence, with an ill-timed joke, that Harry, just looked at him for and fortunately Hermione either didn't hear or just ignored. I am slightly worried about this afternoon, since Dumbledore has these practical sessions now scheduled in addition to what he has in class already. Harry thought as they got up to go to the DADA practical.
"Good afternoon class" Dumbledore began, with what Harry could tell was false cheer from where he sat in his front seat with Hermione next to him. Though just how he knew he didn't know, he just did. Ron was with Neville over at the next table over to the right, with Pavarti and Lavender to the left and Dean and Seamus behind them. "As I'm sure you have noticed, I, due to what I saw last week during reviews, have scheduled mandatory practical sessions for the time being for the 4th -7th year classes, so you have more or less another double. If I see enough improvement, we will drop back to the normally scheduled class" As he turned to write today's lesson on the board, he caught sight of a raised hand, "Yes, Mr. Boot"
Terry Boot, one of the other "brains" in the year, looked at the Headmaster expectantly, "Sir, what about the Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban this morning, is there any danger to us here?"
Dumbledore turned fully to the student, but not before catching sight of Hermione's pale face and Harry's slightly angry expression at the question. Shaking his head, "I would expect that Voldemort will not attack the school at this time, if that answers your question Mr. Boot" he replied consolingly.
Harry could tell that it didn't, but Terry fortunately didn't push the point. The rest of the class on shield theory went well, and Dumbledore paired them up for the practical. He was having them review shielding themselves from an attack, something they all should have been able to do, at least with a simple protego in third year, but that he had found many couldn't do, or had forgotten how to do, in last Friday's double. Of course, this should have been cake for the members of the DA and especially for the six that went into the Ministry last June and it was, except for Hermione. As Dumbledore watched carefully, he noticed that while Harry had no problem blocking the spells that she sent his way, either his aim was really atrocious today, or he was missing her, just barely, with every shot. Which was good for her sake, as Dumbledore doubted that she had successfully raised a shield yet. Dumbledore walked over to Harry and Hermione, ducking an errant stunner along the way from Zacharias Smith as he passed where he was dueling with Ernie McMillan. "Hold a moment, Miss Granger" he said bending close to Harry. In a whisper, "Harry you shouldn't pull your shots." Standing tall and in a normal voice, "Mr. Potter work with Misters Longbottom and Weasley for a bit, I need Miss Granger's assistance" Crooking a finger at her, he beckoned her to follow him to a quiet corner, with all of the stunner shots and crashes of impacts on shields and the walls, no one could hear them if they tried. Even so, he dropped his voice, "Hermione what is it? The escape?" he asked concern in his voice, which he might not show to every student.
"Yeah" she breathed, "how did you know?"
"You mean besides, this half-arsed note that Harry sent me to try to get you excused from Runes this morning" Dumbledore held up a crinkled piece of parchment in Harry's familiar handwriting. "I excused you by the way, however I will not repeat that understand?" he asked sternly, though the twinkle that had blossomed in his eyes when he drew out the note never left.
"Yes, Sir" I can't believe that Harry, would try to make up an excuse for me...yes, you can, a different voice responded to her inner dialogue, which sounded so remarkably like Harry's that she turned for a second to see that Harry had summoned a silver shield for protection, Where'd he learn that? She wondered distractedly, only to watch Harry have to vanish it at a headshake from Dumbledore, Harry shrugged in response as if to ask What? of the Professor. Thanks Harry, like you forgot that you weren't to do stuff like that.
After Dumbledore had silently made Harry go back to a basic protego, I know you did that to distract me, Harry, she's not in trouble, but you might be, not that you care, "Are you ready to continue?"
"Yeah" Hermione said as she took a steadying breath.
"Then go back and remind Mr. Potter why one shouldn't show off." Dumbledore whispered back as he strode to the back of the class, where Draco, kept stunning and enervating Goyle, Goyle never even starting to get his shield up in time, even when Draco would count to ten before casting the spell.
"Thanks Harry" Hermione said with a smile then snapped a stunner at him, which he deflected, barely.
The rest of the week went by quickly, after dealing with the initial shock Hermione had no problem with the rest of her classes, even managing to score almost fifty points for Gryffindor by herself, split between her DADA, Dangerous Creatures, Transfiguration and Charms classes, which barely offset the damage Ron, Neville and Harry managed in the next days double potions class. Though to be fair, that really wasn't Harry's fault, she thought annoyedly as she watched Ron hover in front of the Gryffindor goal rings on the Quiddich pitch, Harry lost the extra ten points, because Snape said that he cast an incedio spell on Neville's fire, when Ron spilled his potion and caused it to flare up and catch Snape's only clean robes on fire.
Just to be fair to everyone, Ron and Harry had called tryouts for Friday at five, but all of Gryffindor tower and the rest of the school as well, to be real, already knew the line up. Fred and George, having returned to repeat their seventh year, were already in at beaters, even though Harry insisted on letting others try out. After Sam Parkinson, and Nancy Fleet, both somehow managed to knock themselves out either with their own bats or the bludgers, no one was sure, not even Harry who had been watching, the rest of the Gryffindors who had thought about trying out for that position left. All except Neville and Seamus who had easily made it in as backups for the twins. The only positions technically up for up for grabs were chasers, so far the only ones that had survived both Ron knocking quaffles back at them, hard, with broom saves, and his brothers shooting bludgers at them were Pavarti, Lavender, Ginny and a small second year, Scott White.
In the end, the lineup was as expected, Harry did give the White boy a spot as back-up to the chasers, and followed recent Gryffindor tradition, with an all female chaser line up. Ron of course picked his brothers as beaters, but he did it in front of Neville and Seamus, explaining that he wanted them both as back-ups, and that he would rotate them in this season. Neither of the two rejected boys quibbled, the Weasley twins were as great legends at their positions as Harry was at his.
"So Hermione, can we go to Hogsmeade this weekend or do we have to study?" Ron asked as they all walked from the locker rooms where he and Harry had changed back to muggle clothes, since it was Friday afternoon.
"Well Ronald, I can, and Harry can, but you, Mr. Prefect, have the duty this weekend." She replied smugly. "And Harry is taking the map and cloak with him just in case you get ideas."
"Aw hell, Hermione, the head girl likes you, can you talk to her?" Ron whined.
"Last time I looked, Cho hated me, which is at least partially your fault if I remember correctly." She replied turning from him with a hidden smile for Harry.
"Harry? She's your ex?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Whose even madder at me, also at least partially because of you. Hell, if she could she would have made me work this weekend too, except only Dumbledore can give me assignments." Harry shrugged as Ron stomped off to try to change Cho's mind. "Why would I take the cloak Mione, I'm not planning on sneaking around." Hermione reached up, though not much she was only an inch shorter than Harry, and gently whacked him on the back of the head, "OW."
"That didn't hurt, you big baby. Besides, you if anyone should, should listen to Mad-Eye, always be prepared, anyway we'll bring the prat back some treats." She shrugged as she walked off towards the castle and dinner.
Catching up as she entered the Great Hall, Harry objected in a whisper as they reached the Gryffindor table, "Ron can't break the protection wards I put on my trunk, Mione, I'm not stupid." Harry sat down in a slight huff though he didn't quite understand why. He relaxed as she apologized with a shrug.
***********************Hogsmeade******************************
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Fred and George, along with the rest of his tower mates waved at Ron as they rode away to Hogsmeade. Ron kicked at some rocks mournfully, and headed back into the castle. Hermione as she had the night of their arrival, carefully didn't look forward to see the Thestrals pulling the coaches, and Harry once again, unconsciously acted to shield her from the sight.
"So what do you want to do?" Harry asked Hermione and Ginny after the three had spilt off from the others, with a promise to meet at the Three Broomsticks for lunch. Getting answers, of "the bookstore" and "Quiddich supplies" at the same time from the two girls, Harry broke out laughing, only to stop at glares from the pair. "Sorry" he said apologetically, "Actually I need to go both places so I'll flip a coin to see which is first," Pulling a galleon from his pocket, he looked at Hermione, "Mione?"
"Heads" Harry flipped the coin and sure enough it landed heads up.
With pursed lips Ginny followed along to the bookstore only commenting briefly, "You know it really isn't chance with a wizard flipping" to which Harry just whistled tunelessly. After they had entered the bookstore, a branch of Flourish and Blots, Hermione went to a back rack of Charms books, while Harry and Ginny perused the DADA and Quiddich books. In a low voice Ginny turned to him, "you did change that flip, didn't you? Not that I care actually."
"Can't say" Harry replied as he picked up a book on delayed curses and their use in traps, and went to pay for it, reaching into his pocket as he went.
Ginny watched Harry step into line behind Hermione, where she was picking up a book called Charming Everyday Items for Noneveryday Purposes. Bull, she thought fighting to keep an smile off her face, now if they would only ever break down and pay attention, my brother is going to be a problem though, I can already see it. Hermione exchanged a brief word with Harry as she finished and walked over to were Ginny waited.
At the counter Harry paid for his book, and a little more, with a murmured conversion with the attendant, he arranged for a present for Hermione's birthday, the Monday after next.
After both Harry and Ginny both paid for their purchases at the Quiddich shop, Harry refills for his servicing kit and new goggles for Ginny, they all headed to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. After lunch and several rounds of butterbeers, Hermione nudged Harry and motioned towards the door. With muttered apologies Harry followed her out onto the street.
"I just wanted to take a walk ok?" Hermione asked softly, Dean had started to ask Neville about the Ministry fight.
"Sure Hermione, where to?" Harry replied, understanding instantly.
"Sirius' cave?" She replied hesitantly, not meeting Harry's gaze.
"Umm ok" Harry said and started off slowly towards the edge of town and the cave Sirius had hid in. Passing the Shrieking Shack on the way, Harry looked up and said without looking at her, "Funny how so much of our history is bound up in this little area."
Hermione knew that he wasn't talking of the history of Great Britain or even wizard kind, "sure is." After another few minutes they reached the series of caves where Sirius and Buckbeak had made their lair during the whole Goblet of Fire debacle. With tears almost, but not quite, escaping from both of their eyes, they entered the cave. Trash was strewn everywhere, there had been no house-elves to clean up after Buckbeak, or the even messier, if possible, Sirius.
Harry choked up a little at seeing old Daily Prophets from the time, including one that hung on the wall that Sirius probably used a sticking charm, on showing Harry after he had tied with Krum for the first task. After they both puttered about the cave, looking for a while longer, Harry muttered wearily, "let's go Hermione." As they left, Harry grabbed her hand to help her down the trail and curiously didn't drop it until they were almost back in the town proper. Even more curious was that Hermione never objected or even thought about it until much later.
They decided on returning to the town proper to grab some treats for Ron and head back, which they did. Finding Luna and Neville at the carriage stop, the four of them piled into a coach together. Technically there's at least another four hours until the last coach back, which is of course when everyone else will come back. Neville said that he was tired, and Luna thought she had sensed a bad omen or something. Harry just waved them all aboard, at least Neville's reason made sense; he was tired too.
Stepping through the portrait to the Gryffindor common room, the four of them smelled an overpowering sour smell, overlaying a sharp odor of a different kind. With a raised eyebrow, Harry led the other three, the girls now holding their noses, around the couch. Harry found what he had been dreading, as had seen pretty well all the 1st and 2nd years, outside as they came in. Ron was passed out facedown on the couch, snoring softly, a bottle of Finnegan's Old Reliable Fire Whiskey on its side in a mixed puddle of spilled alcohol and puke. "Aw crap he's toasted." Harry groaned and he poked Ron in the ribs with his wand.
Ron rolled over, revealing another bottle that he had been cradling under him, also empty. "HERMY, LOONY, NEV BUDDY, HARRY, HARRY HOW ARE YOU DOING" Ron shouted with the air of the truly sotted.
Hermione's eyes flashed at the "Hermy" but she turned to Harry with forced calm. "Harry we have to sober him up and clean up this mess before a house-elf other than Dobby happens through or worse, we can order Dobby to not say anything, but..."
"I know, Neville and I will try to sober this dufus up, and you guys try to start on cleaning up, unless you can whip up a sobriety potion quick Hermione?" Harry asked hopefully.
Hermione should her head angrily, "No, I can make it of course, but it takes a week to cure, unless you want to steal some of Poppy's stock?" Harry shook his head in response, he could of course, but inside he sort of felt Ron deserved the Muggle means of sobering up quickly.
"Oh sure leave the girls the cleaning" Luna replied, though she at least had a grim smile when she said it. "I really wish that I had some of those Venusian Wombats that live in the forest they like vomit...I should buy some new quills..." Luna muttered, as she pulled her wand from behind an ear, as usual not quite totally here.
Neville chuckled, "You can pick up idiot there if ya want."
"No" Hermione replied feverantly. "We'll start here." She pointed her wand at the puddle, "SCORGIFY"
"Fair enough, Neville" Harry and Neville, careful so as not to get any puke or booze on themselves, gingerly picked up Ron and drug him to the boy's bathroom. With a wave of his wand, Harry turned the shower on full cold, and they tossed Ron under the shower fully clothed. After a few seconds Ron started sputtering as the cold water started to clear his head.
"Christ Harry" Ron moaned and tried to get out from under the shower, only to be stopped by a firm hand from Neville pushing him back under the spray. "Neville I'll curse you."
"I doubt you could manage the wand movement, doof, here drink this." Harry replied to his threat with a cup of coffee he had summoned. After Ron had drunk the entire cup, "Ok Ron?"
"Fred and George gave it to me, they said it was cut down." Ron replied weakly, from where he stood shivering in the freezing water.
Harry glanced up at the heavens as if to ask for strength, "Ron you drunk two bottles, if it was cut one to ten it wouldn't have mattered. Neville stay here, I'll go help the girls clean up." Neville nodded as Harry ran back to the common room, to see that Hermione and Luna had gotten rid of the puke, spilled booze and bottles but not the smell. Waving his wand at the common room windows, he opened them, and using a small wind spell, Harry used the resulting breeze to clear the air somewhat, though some smell still remained. In answer to her unspoken question, "the twins."
"Ohh, they're dead" She replied already thinking of the things she would assign them, a deadly glint in her eye.
"Leave it to me Mione, you can come though, and they think a prefect is bad." Harry gave a quick smile then dropped it as some first years started to come back, already commenting on the smell. The first years, however were already experienced enough to not challenge Hermione's lethal glare, and they quickly went to their stairs and vanished. Soon after the first years vacated, Neville came back in supporting a somewhat sober, though damp Ron.
Hermione caught sight of the bedraggled redhead, took a deep breath as she seemingly levitated from the couch were she had been sitting with Harry and Luna. In three quick strides she crossed the common room and stood about six inches from the visibly wobbling wizard. McGonagall would have been scared of the look she gave Ron. "RONALD WEASLEY" She hissed coldly, "What the hell were you thinking? Drinking Firewhiskey, underage, by yourself, when you were the prefect on duty, what if something had happened, what if? HUH?" She took another breath as if to store up energy to continue, but Fred and George, unwisely decided that right now would be a good time to return to the castle. She wheeled to them, and as they saw her coming, identical looks of fear crossed the twins' eyes.
Harry had time to mouth a quick "take him to bed" to Neville and headed after her to prevent Hermione from killing one of them or worse, getting herself expelled. Hermione fortunately had the presence of mind to have this discussion at least semi-privately, she grabbed Fred's, or maybe George's ear, and drug one half of the tag team to a side storage room off the main common room. The other twin looked as if he wanted to escape, but froze at Harry's gaze. "I really wouldn't mate, best to take it, now go." Harry pointed at the room and followed the desultory Weasley into the room. Harry closed the door, and with a small wave of his wand, "Silencio".
Hermione gave him a look of silent thanks and turned to the trapped duo, her expression changing like weather on the plains as she faced them. In an icy tone, she began, "What were you idiots thinking?"
"What?" Fred said with a small smile, placatingly waving his hands, all the while trying to figure out which scheme had just got blown without wrecking any others in the process.
"He's a sixteen year old boy, what were you thinking giving him firewhiskey?" She snarled turning on him.
"Ohh that, well he was bored and he wanted to try it, Hermione, and it wasn't like he'd cause any problems." George replied with a small smile.
Harry who had been quiet until now, glared at the two. He recognized their usual tactic of trying to confuse the subject, while he privately thought it wouldn't work on Hermione, and that he also knew that while he wasn't nearly as mad as the brunette prefect next to him. He also knew he would given a choice, side with her, unless she's really wrong, Harry thought to himself with an inner grin, though it carefully never touched his lips or eyes.
Hermione huffed and Harry thought he distantly heard a slight growl, like Crookshanks before he sprang on a mouse. Harry laid a hand on her arm, and she glared up at him, but remained silent as he interjected. "Listen you two idiots."
"Wait Harry, you're not a prefect" one of the twins objected, only to quickly realize that too was a mistake.
Harry went on as if they never spoke. "Did either of you idiots pay attention to Dumbledore's speech where he explained that I have prefect powers in the case of security issues with the school? Should I inquire into just how you two routinely break that security to smuggle in certain contraband items? Did you also remember that my father was one of the original Marauders, and that you really don't want to push it? You will cheerfully take whatever punishment Hermione decides on, though I will stipulate she does not refer the matter to the Professors unless necessary. Hermione. NOX" Harry cast a light-extinguishing spell and the room plunged into darkness.
Hermione waved her wand and relit the room lights, the door, had never opened and there were no windows, but Harry was gone, a fact that rattled the twins a bit. Hermione, for her part, went on as if nothing had happened, as the twins kept glancing around for Harry, who had seemingly vanished into thin air. With a small, dangerous smile, "You two will, get up every morning for a week and clean the common room by hand, before the elves get to it. I will know. You will also go and collect every bottle that you sold to a Gryffindor, and pour them out, and you will return the money." Hermione stood, staring them down, silently daring them to say anything. But for once neither did, they just nodded and she pointed at the door and they left, off to the task of loosing their own money. "Harry" she whispered after they left, glancing around the room, only to damn near jump out of her skin at a gentle tap on her shoulder. She spun and saw Harry's grin seemingly hanging by itself in midair, and then with a flash of movement, he reappeared messy hair first, slowly fading into view.
"Disillusionment Charm" Harry said answering the question she was sure to ask. "Two months of Mad-eye are good for something after all."
"Harry"
*************************Riddle Mansion***********************
The flickering light of torches illuminated a dark, cave-like room under the ancient house. In the shadows at the perimeter of the room, many, many dark-robed, masked figures stood silently, both male and female perhaps up to a hundred. Standing at the center of the room, a tall thin man, with the hood of his robes pulled forward to mask his features, stood silently looking down on twelve figures kneeling before him. A curious red glow emanated from under the hood. With a hissing breath, a high thin voice, utterly devoid of any humanity addressed the twelve. "Lucius, Antonin, I sent you along with Bellatrix on a simple errand, to recover a prophesy from a schoolboy, and I end up having to reveal myself, and you still manage to be captured by a bunch of children. Bellatrix" Voldemort paused, turning to the black-haired witch on his left, "what should we do with them." He asked slowly drawing out each word, distinctly and with an air of threat.
"Send them back perhaps" She replied her voice dripping with scorn, oblivious to the fact that one of those kneeling was her own husband.
"Perhaps, but as I am feeling generous this night I will give you a chance to redeem yourselves, Antonin, it occurs to me that we haven't visited St Mungo's in quite sometime, surely there are friends there that would enjoy a visit."
"Aye, my Lord," a deep voice with a faint Slavic accent responded gleefully, happy at his reprieve.
"The wizarding world knows I'm back, so be it, its time to remind them why they feared me in the first place. Go."
*********************Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts*****************
A thin, slightly balding red haired man appeared in a rush from the emerald flames in great fireplace in Dumbledore's office. There had been no official word, yet, but privately Albus did not want to see the Sunday Prophet this morning. Arthur Weasley straightened his glasses, and stepped aside, as the first of his two-man security detail appeared after him. Arthur, unlike the previous Minister, really didn't appreciate the trappings of the job, he had taken it because it needed to be done, and Dumbledore had convinced him to apply, though the increased paycheck, had helped fix up the Burrow a bit and finally replaced the missing Ford Anglia, that was still somewhere in the forbidden forest. He was privately convinced that the two Aurors, at least, that his undersecretaries made him travel with could have been put to a better use, after all the primary target in this war wasn't him, but a young man, probably less than a mile from here at this very moment.
As he stepped in front of the gigantic oak desk, Dumbledore glanced at him over the top of his half-moon speckles, "How bad, was it?" In a flat tone, communicating amply that he really didn't want to know, but felt he should. Dumbledore, in many ways shared Harry's occasional guilt, that somehow he should have prevented the casualties, that through some act, he could have stopped all this, that he should have squashed Tom almost fifty years before, when he was still in school, but he banished these thoughts as he concentrated on Arthur's reply.
"Bad, but not quite as bad as it could have been" Arthur replied with a frown, his eyes reflecting the pain that he had just seen at St. Mungo's. "From eyewitness reports, it looks like Dolohov, and about ten other Death Eaters, apparated in and started randomly killing staff and patients. Currently twenty are dead, including five Aurors that were visiting the survivors of the Azkaban breakout. It would have been much worse if they hadn't happened to be there." Arthur's expression turned almost frantic, he gripped the edge of Dumbledore's desk so hard the veins popped out on the back of his hands and his glasses slipped down to the end of his nose. A sudden thought had crossed his mind, so terrible he almost couldn't bear to say it, but he had to. "Albus, between the breakout at Azkaban, and last night, I don't know if I have enough forces to cover everywhere that needs to be covered. If V..Voldemort, were to attack say, Diagon Alley and here say, you could very well be alone against him for a very long time." Arthur had never let himself think of that possibility, not really, the closest he had come was when the note had arrived about Ron, Ginny and the others at the Department of Mysteries last June. Behind him, Dumbledore heard one of the portraits gasp, but turning quickly he couldn't tell which one.
(A/N: Once again, I apologize, for seemingly making Ron look like a dufus, I'm sorry, the problem was I'd already written a joke dealing with the firewhiskey incident in the sequel and had to actually show the incident. Just for that, Ron has already gained at least two chapters, in which he is highlighted in this book and the next, so to be fair. Ron's talents will come into play soon.)