Hi JKR, thanks for letting me play. On to the story.
Chapter 11, First day jitters.
*****************Hogwarts, here there and anywhere********************
September 12, 2005
6am, Gryffindor common room.
The portrait hole opened silently. Harry stepped through the hole in exercise gear, having obviously just been working out in the Room of Requirement. He looked distracted, as if his mind was filled with many conflicted thoughts running through his head. He was not so distracted this time, however, that he did not notice Hermione sitting facing the fire with her back to the entry hole. He walked up to her and collapsed onto the couch without saying a word.
"Hi Harry." She muttered as Harry sat down on the couch next to her, and Crookshanks jumped up, rubbing to be petted. They both sat for several minutes without saying anything. Lavender and Pavarti came down from their dorms on their way to breakfast and passed Harry with a wave, though neither commented; both glanced at Hermione on the way through.
Finally Hermione spoke, "Hun, you can say something. I'm not going to bite, not even those two" referring to the departed girls. "I didn't talk to Lavender when she said hi on the way to the bathroom earlier so she probably thinks I'm mad at them."
"Then what's wrong? And how long have you been down here staring into the fire?" He responded worriedly, shifting nervously on the couch.
"Long enough to see you leave to go beat up ghosts, love" She responded distractedly, and leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder, still keeping her eyes on the flickering flames. "Did you kill them?"
"Yeah, but they come back every night, you?"
"When will this be over?" she replied, not answering his question. "We both have lost almost everything."
"Except each other." Harry finished for them both.
Hermione looked at him, and a single tear escaped her brown eyes. Harry's stomach sunk, as he couldn't take away her pain. His own had long been a companion, but he would do anything to not have to share its like with her.
As if to answer his unspoken feelings, she said "Harry you are not at fault, we have already had this conversion, I may love that you are the hero, but you can't do everything. Besides you being here is better therapy than any potion or Muggle physiatrist."
"But, I..."
"Shh..." Hermione placed her index finger to his lips to quiet them and followed, with a quick kiss.
"Anyway as to your original question. Our first classes, are today, how can I teach those little kids to defend themselves. I know what Dumbledore said, but still, I should have known. I..."
"Hermione" Harry cut her off before she truly got started, "I'll repeat it, and if you don't believe Dumbledore then believe me, after all I have no stake in the matter." She snorted and Harry continued. "You are the smartest, most capable witch in twenty years. And..."
"You mean that I'm not the greatest witch ever, well." She interrupted with a false huff and a now slightly smiling face.
"Well there was my mum."
With those words she threw a couch pillow at him. "Thanks dear."
"You probably shouldn't have said that, we have double potions this morning."
"Greaaaaaaaaaaat".
**********************Hogwarts Dungeon level******************************
9am
Harry, Ron and Hermione, sat down at their usual table in the back. Professor Snape had always preferred his classroom in the dungeon, due both to his personality, and the fact that the sometimes-explosive potions were probably best kept away from the rest of the school. This predilection for the dark, dank under levels, to this day, kept alive rumors that he was a vampire, however after Harry had tested this by "accidentally" mixing in garlic in a potion that Snape was to test by ingesting, the three friends now just assumed that he was some other dark creature.
Snape was a nominal member of the Order, and curiously since the events of fifth year the relationship between Snape and Harry and his friends had thawed somewhat. Snape still maintained his public animosity towards Harry, deducting points whenever remotely possible (or when it wasn't) against imagined sins. Harry however had started feeling a grudging respect towards the Slytherin head, as a double agent for the Order, he still had not been found out by Voldemort. Once that Harry had realized that Snape had immediately gone looking for Sirius that night of the Ministry raid, based only on Harry's visions, and without regard that his cover might be blown, Harry had seen that Severus could set aside his hatred for awhile, as much as he might loath to do so.
As to Snape's point of view, he really didn't have much of a choice; Dumbledore had finally interceded, and publicly demanded that he get over his animosity towards Harry. And anyway, Harry and Hermione were his star students, much to his chagrin. Both had Os on their OWLs in potions and led the class all last year. Ron had scraped by with an A on his OWLs, and constantly battled on border between the acceptable E and the A grade that would disqualify him for the NEWT level class. In fact it was only on the orders of Dumbledore that Ron was in the class at all, and Harry and Hermione constantly battled to help him keep his grade up to at least an E, in his essays and exams anyway. He still generally did terrible with the potions in class. So basically Snape ignored them. He had even held off from harassing Ron and Hermione in their grieving. It wasn't as if he had to show off to a load of Slytherins like he had in years past. Only Malfoy and a couple of other Slytherins had been able to keep a grade high enough to stay in the class.
Snape swept dramatically into the class, and without a pause for breath, began in his usual brisk manner. "Today we will create a Multitude potion, the ingredients are on the board", he pointed his wand at the board and letters started to appear. "Does anyone know the effects of this potion?" As Hermione's hand shot up, "Anyone that is besides Miss Granger that is?"
Harry actually knew the answer, as after he had received his O in potions he had actually started studying, which delighted Hermione, at the same time as it annoyed Ron, but he kept quiet, as he just liked to make Snape let her answer the question. Anyway if he answered it Gryffindor would probably somehow end up losing points.
"Fine, Granger" Snape said with a grimace, "let's have it"
Hermione responded with a smirk only Harry could hear, "Sir, the purpose of the Multitude potion is to create temporary copies of a mammal, it does not work on lesser animals. It is often used by wizards to create copies of themselves in case they need to complete several separate tasks at the same time. It has also been used by Aurors, who will create it ahead of time to use it if needed to combat several adversaries. The effect of the potion lasts one hour at which time all the copies reintegrate with each other."
"Correct, Granger" he responded with a grudging nod. "As I don't want copies of you running around, I will test the potion on mice. Three to four copies will receive an E, five or more receive an O, any fewer fail. You have one hour."
After an hour, Snape called a halt and all of the students bottled some of their potions and took them to his desk, where he had a box of mice. Malfoy had been throwing glances at the three all class, but had kept quiet. But now as Harry and Hermione took their potions up to the desk to have them tested, Malfoy slipped over to Ron and muttered something in an undertone. Just as Snape tested both potions, both created six mice each, Ron exploded in the back, yelled, "BULLOCKS!" and pointed his wand at Malfoy.
BANG!
A pure white ferret sat where Malfoy had been standing.
"Bloody Hell," Both Hermione and Harry muttered as one under their breath.
"WEASLEY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING! Come here now boy." Snape yelled at the back of the room and Ron trundled up. "One hundred points from Gryffindor and detention with Flich for two weeks. And you two," as he turned to Harry and Hermione, "another fifty points each for not stopping him."
Harry and Hermione just stood there, as they didn't want to make it worse.
"Mr. Martin take The Ferret up to Madame Pomfrey, class dismissed." And Snape swaggered to his office, slamming the door and knocking several bottles to the floor from a nearby shelf, where they shattered with a crash, and spilled their contents together. The multicolored puddle started smoking and several students standing nearby hurriedly left.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley" Hermione snarled in a rather good imitation of Molly Weasley "What the FUCK do you think you were doing, doing that in front of a teacher, especially Snape."
Ron thought, She does a good Molly; I wonder if Ginny has been helping her, though mum would have probably dropped the "FUCK", I guess we have corrupted her, with a carefully concealed grin.
Ron replied perplexedly, "But he told me that he thought, Ginny and Neville, made a cute couple, though with the moans she was giving off in the Owlery the other day, he wasn't sure she wasn't a cat, I mean he was lying right?"
Ohh Merlin Ron and I thought Hermione was dense sometimes, and like you have room to talk, with Luna and all, it was only what a month until you two were in the sack? Harry thought and meeting Hermione's eyes he saw the same thoughts Cool I guess we can really read each others minds!
Hermione smiled to Harry and then like an axe her expression fell and she turned back to Ron in an undertone. "Ronald, Snape can't be seen to have anything but hatred towards us. It could get him and us killed. You git, get out of here"
And with this comment, Ron shook his head and stumped off towards his divination course that he had to take for credit hours.
"Well, love one good thing did come of this."
"What?" replied Hermione half afraid of the answer.
"At least it got him to practice Transfiguration"
'You..." Hermione muttered, exasperated, then leaned over and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. With a shared sigh they walked off holding hands, escaping the dungeon for another day.
*************************DADA Classroom #2***************************
1:45 pm
Harry sat on the professor's desk in the DADA classroom. He had watched a little of Hermione's class with the second years, and she had been doing great, She was always teaching us anyway, making Ron and I find the answers for ourselves, well sometimes anyway, He corrected himself. Now I guess we find out if I can do this. Harry looked up as Dumbledore walked into the empty classroom. "Hello Professor"
"Hello Harry, I would like to talk a moment if I may?"
"About this morning in Snape's?"
"Professor Snape's if you will Harry, anyway that is not what I came to talk about, however the points that Severus took from yourself and Hermione have been restored. The punishment for Ronald stands, however much Malfoy may have disserved it, and I do not doubt that he did, only so much leniency can be shown to any of the members of the Order without raising suspicions that we cannot afford right now. Relate this conversion to Ronald when you can and apologize for Snape and myself. He says that he probably would have done the same if it were his sister under discussion."
"Snape has a sister?" Harry said looking amazed.
"Yes, Harry he did" Dumbledore responded ignoring the second verbal gaffe. "As to my original purpose, I came to ask you if Sirius had ever mentioned members of your family other than your parents."
"No..." with a puzzled expression.
"Then if you will I would like to speak to you, alone, after dinner."
"All right Professor, I was supposed to get with Ron to discuss Quiddich strategies, but since I guess he is in detention tonight I'm free." Harry replied, still puzzled.
"I'll look for you at eight then, the current password is tropical skittles. If you don't mind I would like to stay for a bit of your class, I assure you that you won't notice me."
"Sure, Professor." Harry replied, but as he looked around, Dumbledore had disappeared.
RING
2:00 pm
The classroom rapidly filled with first year students. As there was not a lower level teacher last week, this was their first class in DADA. As was usual in the lower level classes, the room was filled with students from every house, though once again Harry noticed that the Slytherin crop seemed sparse this year. Well Professor Dumbledore did say that many of the families with "questionable" ethics might have elected to send their children other places than Hogwarts this year.
From the class Harry heard whispers of, "Who's that, he seems pretty young to be a professor?" "Is that?" And a couple of embarrassing "He's so handsome."
"All right settle down." Harry motioned to the crowded classroom and a hush fell, as the students waited to see what would happen next. "My name is Harry Potter, and it looks as if I will be teaching this course this term. Now I am not much of a bookworm..." At that the rear door silently opened but nothing visible came in. Like I can't feel you there Mione!
I know he "heard" back. With a slight smile he went on. "So today I thought we would get right to it. What we will practice today is often the first spell taught in DADA, as it can often end a fight before it starts. The spell is the disarming charm. The incantation is expelliarmus. The proper pronunciation is very important, as you wouldn't want to use expellianus." Several of the faster students got the joke, and broke out in laughter. As they explained it to their slower fellows a general sense of mirth was felt in the classroom.
As he "heard" a laughing HARRY! He went on. "Anyway lets pronounce it all together now. Without wands if you please "
"EXPELLIARMUS"
"Excellent, again."
"EXPELLIARMUS"
"Very good." My God, I'm channeling Remus as he flashed back to third year for a second. "Ok any questions?" A single hand shot up belonging to a girl with brown hair. "Yes, Miss?"
"Madeline Pierce, sir, however I read in the textbook that the effectiveness of this spell depends on the strength of the wizard casting it, how could it help us against someone much older and more powerful than ourselves. After all since You-Know-Who came back, first years like ourselves don't stand a chance do we?"
My god, she has a sister.
Harry felt Hermione's interest in how he would answer this question and also knew he would pay dearly for the sister comment, so he took a breath and responded to the question in best way he felt how to, directly. "Call me Harry, if you call me sir or professor or such, I'll be looking around for Dumbledore, the whole time. Miss Pierce, Lord Voldemort" the usual flinching and cringing, "is not invincible. This spell has been used against him successfully, and anyway there are other threats than him about."
"Harry, sir, who has used it against him successfully?" Madeline continues.
"I have" Harry said softly, then more loudly "if you all would move against the walls, thanks." And with a wave of his wand and a muttered incantation he transfigured the desks into soft mats on the floor. "Now if you would I would like you each to pair off and practice disarming."
The students paired off and began attempting to disarm each other. Harry immediately noticed that Madeline Pierce had paired off with the Evans kid that he had met on the train and that she succeeded in performing the charm after only a few attempts. This went on for the rest of the class with occasional missed charms ruffling his hair and knocking books off shelves. The bell rang, indicating the end of the class, without anyone going to the hospital wing, which in DADA was always a good sign.
Harry dismissed them and transfigured the desks back to normal, as Hermione appeared out of the air and smiled at him. "You did good, I had to enervate Crookshanks in my class after one of the Slytherins stunned him. I am so going get fur over all my robes for that. By the way." She kissed him on the cheek and stepped back a step, holding his hand, "You are so going to PAY for that my god she has a sister comment."
"I agree Miss Granger" Dumbledore said as he appeared and Hermione nearly hit her head on the rafters. "You did a good job today Harry, I'm glad my thought of using you two was a good one. Good day to you both, Harry I will see you later? Yes?" And with that Dumbledore walked out the door.
"Sorry Hermione, I thought he had left" Harry apologized.
"It's ok, Harry, what does he want to talk to you about?"
"No idea. I'm kinda afraid to ask."
**********************Headmasters Office, Hogwarts. ************************
8:00pm
Harry had just arrived at the Headmaster's Office after walking Hermione to the library. He just wanted to make sure she was safe, though of all the people here, she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He walked to the library and after finding Luna and Ron there "studying" he left her with a brief hug and ran to the other side of the castle so he wouldn't be late. By now Harry had mostly gotten over his anger with Dumbledore over the events of his fifth year, where once he would have been purposefully late to such a summons, now he made sure he was on time. He still disliked Dumbledore keeping secrets from him for his "own good" and he was afraid that this was one of those talks.
Harry sat down in his usual chair it's pretty bad that I have a "usual chair in the Headmaster's office, he thought. And waited.
"Hey Fawkes", Harry said and Fawkes crooned in return. With a slight grin, Harry got up, walked over to the bird and stroked his feathers. "So my friend, how does it feel to have an order of evil fighters named after you?" Harry asked the bird.
"He is actually a member of the Order himself" Dumbledore responded to the question from the door to his private quarters. "Just like the core in your wand, each of the medallions you and I and your friends wears contains one of his feathers. It links us and gives us the ability to pass the wards around our protected sites. Harry, before I relate the reason I asked you here I would like to know something, I'm afraid it is somewhat personal and I am sorry for that. During your class today, I felt as though at times you and Hermione were sharing thoughts, were you? I could feel the thoughts passing by but don't worry I could not "hear" them if that's what they were."
"Yeah, Professor, we can sometimes. It's not like when I was receiving thoughts from Riddle though, when Hermione or I share thoughts, it just happens, Riddle's always seemed forced if that makes sense." Harry replied with a sigh.
"Yes, it does Harry, if you don't mind when do think this started?" Dumbledore asked with a somewhat worried expression.
"I'm not sure, the first time I remember it for sure was for a second at Hogsmeade last year during the attack and then I heard her when her and Tonks were jumped at her house. After the aftermath of the funeral we sorta can do it at will more or less." Harry replied uncertainly. "But we have always known what each other was feeling more or less now that I think about it."
"Good" Dumbledore shot back, as his expression visibly relaxed, he walked over to his desk and sat down. Harry followed to his normal chair and Dumbledore continued. "It was after you suddenly mastered your Occlumency last year then. You already know that Hermione has proven to be a natural occlumes, neither Snape or myself were able to force ourselves into her mind, and I dare say that she would fight us out even more strongly if it was to help protect you."
With this comment Harry felt briefly ill, but Albus went on. "That was not the original reason that I asked you, but I asked as it might be related as to what I am about to tell you now. And I am sorry that that what I am about to say is the last secret that I have kept from you, that I am at liberty to reveal. I will understand if you are angry after I relate it, but I could not have let you know until your mastery of Occlumency was confirmed, and with Hermione sharing your thoughts, hers as well."
He paused and took a sip of the hot chocolate that had appeared at his elbow. "Would you like some?" At a nod from Harry, a second, steaming cup appeared. "Harry the ability to share ones thought with ones mates, is not common, a least not as it is with yourself and Hermione. I, and many other powerful wizards can project thoughts into others minds. However the difficulty is more and more intense depending on the strength of the wizard or witch with whom you attempt to communicate unless they specifically let you in. It is a quandary, that people with the least magical power, muggles, would seemingly be the least difficult to communicate with, however that is a one way street as they have so little magical ability they cannot project their thoughts beyond their own skulls. Of course they can be probed, but that is a different matter entirely. I on the other hand, can project thoughts into others heads, but those skilled in blocking such thoughts could conceivably block even myself. I could also pull images from some weaker minded wizards though advanced Occlumency, but I dare say is that even I would have difficulty with doing so with either you or Hermione."
He paused, took another sip and continued, "You two on the other hand, seem to put forth no effort at all to perform this. Your parents could do this with each other also at times, however it was only after they had, ahem, had relations and at that time they had been together almost twice as long as yourself and Miss Granger." The faintest twinge of pink colored Dumbledore's cheeks at that statement.
Harry met his eyes with an expression of astonishment, "Professor, I really don't want to ask you this but... How or why would you know when my parents would have had, um, relations? I mean I don't think that is something that is normally shared with one's Headmaster?"
Dumbledore actually looked nervous but responded to Harry's question anyway. "Your father proposed soon after that event. At that time he related that these powers had cropped up."
"I see...but I don't see Professor, why would he have told you?"
"Because I was his Great-Great-Grandfather and I suppose he wanted to tell me why he wanted to get married so intensely. Though they were in love anyone could tell. In fact it was almost funny how they carried on. We used to catch them all the time, ahem, anyway I would like to imagine that is how you and Hermione would be if not for the circumstances...without all the catching of course." Dumbledore finished with a mixture of amusement and sadness.
Harry sat silent for a long moment assimilating yet more assaults on his worldview. Dumbledore had promised that he would tell Harry everything he wanted to know unless he couldn't per some other promise he had made. Of course Harry had never asked him if he was related to Harry or about his parents relations had he? "Professor, granddad, hell what do I call you anyway? Why did you wait to tell me this, Did Sirius know? Does Remus? Honestly I don't know if I am really peeved at you or happy probably both." Harry gasped out.
"For now Professor, in public, in private whatever makes you comfortable, Harry. Sirius did know, somehow Remus has never been told; so don't hold this against him Harry. Harry I am sorrier than I can express about the Dursleys, I was so afraid that Voldemort's initial defeat had been a trick and after the prophesy you were needed and..." Dumbledore trailed off suddenly as a tear fell from his face.
Surprisingly Harry was not angry. Sure he had suffered at the Dursleys, but it had also helped mold him into who he was and if he had not been who and what he was who was to say that he would have even met Hermione and Ron, and if he had would they have been together? Who knows? "It's ok Grandfather." Harry said deliberately. "What is done is done. I assume that I have to keep this a secret too" with some disgust in his voice at the thought of keeping another secret from Ron and especially Hermione. In fact he probably couldn't do it, when it came to her if he had to.
"It's up to you Harry, but I do propose that you hold off for a while, at least until it sinks in." Dumbledore replied with a shrug, for once he wasn't sure about why he had told Harry, it had just seemed the proper time.
A/N: There ya go, god I love those plot twists. In case you hadn't noticed earlier, the different colored italics are for different peoples thoughts, blue Hermione, Red Dumbledore, Black for Harry and everyone else except Voldie who is green.
Next Chapter Hermione's birthday.