A/N for those who have seen this story before, there is another scene at the end.
Chapter 27: Malfoy vs. Dudley
*******************#12 Grimmauld Place, London********************
January 30, 2006
5am
"Do you bloody well know what time it is?" Nymphadora Tonks asked with a huge yawn, as she and Remus Lupin arrived from the floo connection to Hogwarts. Remus didn't comment, he just looked annoyed, it was early, and Tonks along with himself, Harry and Hermione had been up until 1:30 working up a combined exercise for the underclassmen in DADA for today. They had been supposed to work on it during the day Sunday, but events had precluded that idea. He merely nodded at the others in the room, tiredly. Alastor Moody, Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley had already been waiting in the parlor, Minerva and Arthur nursing cups of conjured coffee. No one else, not even Dobby or Winky were present in the house this early morning.
"What are we waiting for?" Remus asked, with a yawn.
"That would be me." Came a wry reply in a deep voice, as Dumbledore appeared, silently, behind Tonks.
"WOTCHER" Tonks snapped, as she jumped like a scalded cat. "Don't do that."
"I thought Aurors were supposed to be unflappable, Nymphadora." Dumbledore replied dryly. "I am sorry for the hour but it was chosen carefully. Both that, and the fact that only the six of us are, here are the important criteria."
"Albus?" Minerva asked the question all of them were wondering.
"The loss of the Grangers, and Percy, the attacks on the Burrow, Privet Drive, here and the attack on Diagon alley in January all have several things in common. First they all were either a direct assault on Harry or his loved ones." Looking at Arthur, "I am sorry Arthur."
"It's okay Albus, Harry is also a son of mine in heart if not blood. Any attack on him is an attack on me and mine. And Hermione is my daughter now in blood and law as well as in heart, this war is a blood feud now, even putting aside the attack on the Burrow, you know that. And we are not forgetting the Burrow." Arthur Weasley replied with a furor unusual to him.
"Yes, Arthur, there is no longer any other choice for any of us in this room. However that unfortunately leads us to my second point. The other common factor in all of those attacks is that only members of the Order knew of those activities or places. This is especially so in the case of the direct attacks on Harry or Hermione or their loved ones since this summer. I informed the Order to be ready when Harry and I took the trip to Diagon alley just in case we needed them. As Harry himself said, only members of the Order, the Weasley family and Draco Malfoy and his cronies knew that Hermione was now with him this summer. And finally, the Grangers, and Privet Drive, and this house, are all unplottable to those who had not already known their location. Someone in the Order had to give up their location, or in the case of the attack here arrange for the tracking charm on the Prophet. There are only twelve members I absolutely trust, well fifteen if I count the Longbottoms and Hagrid, the six of us here and the six that went in to rescue Sirius in the Ministry. Hagrid, of course, is above suspicion in this matter, however his particular talents will not be useful in this matter, and so I will not tell him, he has no need to know, I am afraid as of yet."
"What do you mean Albus?" Remus asked, slightly unbelievingly.
"Yes, outside of myself, you, Nymphadora, Minerva, Alastor, Arthur, Neville, Luna, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and of course Harry, any of the members are suspect. That is why we are here at this hour, for as much as it pains me, I do not wish to let Harry know yet that very possibly, someone he knows and trusts is at least partially responsible for the death of his uncle, Hermione's parents, Percy, and very possibly Sirius, and direct attacks on him, his friends and his loves. I lost James and Lily that way, I refuse to loose another generation of my family the same way."
Remus and Tonks were slightly shocked at that last statement, as they had not yet been let on the secret, but they said nothing. Everyone else already knew. Without another word, they all got up to return to Hogwarts, or in Arthur's case, the Burrow.
With a grin that showed his fangs, a sudden thought flashed across Remus' mind. "Albus before you leave, a happier thought, what's the pot up to on the pool, and when does everyone have?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled for the first time in it seemed far too long. "I believe that it's two hundred galleons now, and I have the night before graduation. You?"
"The fourteen of next month" Remus replied, "and I already lost the other pool to you."
"The ides of March" Minerva replied.
"April Fools" said Moody with a toothy grin.
"What's this pool about?" Tonks asked confusedly. To which Remus leaned over and whispered the answer in her ear. "OHHH, I can I get in on it? I'll take May 23rd. "
After everyone else but Remus and Dumbledore had left, Remus put his hand on Dumbledore's shoulder, "Wait a second Albus."
"Yes Remus?"
"I know that Harry is of age, and that I never was really his guardian, but you are going to have to tell him, and very soon or I will, Albus, because first, he deserves to know, and second, you more than anyone else, know the price we've paid to try and keep secrets from him."
A great sigh, "Actually I will tell him this evening, I just wanted to let all of you know as soon as I figured it out. I know that it almost has to be an older Order member, not one of the student members. And in fact, I am sure that we have two problems, actually"
"Two problems?"
"The assault on the Granger's was no doubt facilitated by a rogue member of the Order, but if you think back the only Order members that actually saw Harry and Hermione together at the time that they first dropped their pretences were in this room tonight, as far as I know, none of the others knew yet that they were a couple. I'm sure that Tom had an assault on the Grangers planned as part of a generalized plan to hurt Harry, but the timing points to Draco's or one of his cohorts initiation of it."
"You mean?"
"Yes, Harry was right that night of August 31, and I am afraid that that matter will come to a head before the year is out. I had hoped of redeeming Draco, he could be a great force for light, but I am afraid that he may have fallen too far. Now I fear that he may push Harry or Hermione or one of the others too far on orders of his father or Riddle, and I am afraid that will be his last error." Dumbledore frowned and turned to leave once more, but stopped once again and looked back at Lupin. "Remus, I would like you and Nymphadora to go along with Harry and Hermione to Vernon's funeral tomorrow. I will arrange to have a few others present discretely, but I trust you two to keep them safe...you know the stakes. And as I just presented, I trust you two."
Remus nodded and sighed. "Of course, Albus."
*****************************Hogwarts***********************************
Great Hall
7:30 am
This was a very weird breakfast, if Harry didn't know better he would think he was in one of his nightmares. Outwardly the breakfast was normal, the trays were pilled high with eggs, bacon, toast, and all of the other usual breakfast items. The students were sitting at their respective house tables shoveling in food. The teachers were at their table, with Dumbledore at the center and the others sitting to either side, in more or less their usual places. Even Hermione was tucked in next to Harry eating some eggs, which was usually a sign that this wasn't a nightmare, as if it were, she would be gone. No the weird sights were two additions. First, sitting next to McGonagall was his Aunt Petunia, she wasn't talking much, occasionally asking for someone to pass something or other, but she was dressed in witches robes and amazingly they seemed to suit her for some reason.
The other odd addition was currently across the table from him, taking up space normally occupied by two separate Gryffindors. As no one had known what to do with Dudley, they stuck him in Gryffindor, Which is probably causing Godric to roll over in his grave right now. Harry's annoyed thought bittered his morning. Since Dudley was Harry's age they put him in with the 7th years that were one-person light anyway, as Harry was Head Boy.
Dudley had been reasonably quiet and well behaved, he had only tried to threaten Ron for snoring once; he was quickly reminded that the rules were much different from Privet Drive. Most especially after Harry was woken at three in the morning to go to the seventh year dorm to sort out the disturbance after, he and Hermione had just gotten to sleep an hour prior. Whether it was Harry's annoyed words, or the fact that the both the Head Boy and Head Girl's eyes were slightly glowing in the dim room was immaterial, the point that his size met nothing here, he would behave or else was amply communicated. Immediately after the duo left, Ron took pity on him, ambled over and explained to him some of the rules and several other things about Hogwarts, that Harry had not yet had the time to do.
Dudley was currently shoveling in food as fast as he could, still disbelieving that he could basically eat as much as he wanted. Ignoring his piggish cousin, Harry leaned over to Hermione, "Damn I'm tired. What time do we have the joint classes with Tonks and Remus?"
"One till three, it makes both of our classes a double, and the third though fifth years a triple since they already have an hour in the morning."
"And we already have double potions with our favorite professor." Harry replied sarcastically, "anyway, it wouldn't have been so bad if dufus over there," nodding towards Dudley, "had the brains to know that threatening a wizard over his snoring in the presence of three of his friends who are also wizards, is a bad idea."
"If you had slept in instead of dragging us out of bed to go work out it might have been ok." Hermione stated a little peevishly.
"I would have thought that the reason for that was obvious after..." Harry broke off after seeing her face go blank out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, God, Mione I'm sorry." He blurted out.
"It's okay Harry," Hermione murmured in response, Harry gave her a quick hug around the shoulder and quickly dropped his hand to hers under the table. He would have held her forever, but certain Professors tended to frown on that. McGonagall had seen, but did not comment, or even draw her lips tightly. She could pretty well guess what had just happened, and she would not say anything, in fact she would have probably put up with a great deal more. Hermione turned her head and thanked him with her eyes, but likewise was still.
"You ready Dudley?" Harry asked to which a grunt was returned, he had to escort Dudley back to the Gryffindor dorm and then still make Potions on time. "You go on ahead Hermione."
"No I'll go with you." She replied, after any time spent with Harry was good, even if his dammed cousin was there.
Leaving the Great Hall behind, Harry, Hermione and Dudley took off towards Gryffindor tower. Harry and Hermione were as usual holding hands, and even Dudley had the brains not to make a point about it. However others were not as smart.
An aristocratic drawl called out from behind them. "Potty, oh Potty." Harry and company kept walking; they did not have time for this. "Oh and I see your mudblood, is okay after your little adventure last Friday."
Harry!
I know he shouldn't have known about the attack on the Durselys , Dudley is here under a cover as an exchange student, and Aunt Petunia is said to be a visiting witch, an old friend of Dumbledore's.
"Oh I didn't know that they allowed such large pets here, what about that fat muggle you have there?" Malfoy continued, to the accompaniment of raucous laughter from Crabbe and Goyle.
Even Dudley somehow knew that he was being insulted; he turned and charged Malfoy. Draco who had been on the receiving end of several punches, kicks, etc in his time at Hogwarts, mostly from Harry, Ron or Hermione, for some reason did not register a threat, perhaps because after all Dudley didn't have a wand. However Dudley did have fists and his right one crashed on Draco's nose, breaking it in a splash of blood. Malfoy howled, pointed his wand "Petrificus Totalus" Dudley fell over frozen in mid stride.
Crabbe and Goyle should have had their wands out to cover Harry and Hermione, instead of gawking at their leader's bloody nose, but they quickly learned their mistake, with two bolts of red light, they fell to the ground unconscious. "You can't do that" yelled Malfoy, "Protego"
He was only slightly more successful than his cronies, his shield blocked Harry initial stunner, but Hermione's full body bind got through a second later. Walking over to the two paralyzed people on the ground, Harry waved his wand at Dudley, "Finite" and released him. Harry stood over Malfoy and shook his head, as he was looking down on him Hermione came up behind Harry.
"Malfoy, you moronic arse. Harry was right, are you just stupid or are you just insane?" She muttered to Malfoy and walked over to check on Crabbe and Goyle.
Dumbledore, McGonagall and a couple of other professors came running up at the commotion. Seeing the three incapacitated students and Dudley getting up off the floor he looked at his Heads and motioned them over to him and McGonagall, whose lips were thin as she glared at them, hands on her hips. "Harry?" Asking a question in a word.
"We were walking Dudley back to Gryffindor tower, when Malfoy and his partners in crime came out from behind us. Hermione and I ignored them, but Malfoy called Dudley a muggle pet or something and Dudley charged him. Draco, for some reason let Dudley get close enough to punch him, which he did." Harry stated motioning to the now unbound Malfoy. "Malfoy did Dudley with a full body bind. We stunned Crabbe and Goyle, and we dropped Draco with a double past his shield." Harry summarized. "I will let you probe me to verify if you want."
"That will be unnecessary, Harry, I will take this up with their head of house, speaking of whom, I believe that you have class with about now." Dumbledore scribbled a note on a scrap of parchment. "You two, finish escorting Dudley to Gryffindor Tower and give the note to Professor Snape, I have instructed him that I will review any detentions or loss of house points today, so you should be safe but don't dawdle." With that Dumbledore and McGonagall, walked over to the miscreants and stared balefully down.
Harry and Hermione quickly got Dudley to his feet and on his way to the tower. As they paused at the entry, Harry gave the password, "lionheart" and the portrait swung open silently. As they made to leave, Dudley turned to Harry.
"Harry", he began quietly, "thank you for saving me from those Dementors, after you left that summer, Mum came and explained that to me, but she never explained anything else, and I had to hide that she told me about them from Dad. What did that boy call me, I've heard you use the word, but it never really felt like an insult before."
Harry grimaced but answered. "Dudley, I, we..." at a nod from Hermione "do not have time to explain things to you right now, but I promise that we will this evening ok? If you need anything, just say the name Dobby and someone will show up to help you. Do not make fun of or tease, or anything to him, ok?"
"Uhhh...Ok."
Dudley entered the Gryffindor dorm, while Harry and Hermione hurried down eight floors to Potions. "You know Dobby will scare the shit out of him, the first time he pops in right?" Hermione muttered as they jogged to class.
"Yeah," Harry replied with a grin that she shared.
They entered Potions twenty minutes late, and handed the note to Snape before he could generate a snide comment. Seemingly ignoring the fact that his prize student, Malfoy, was absent, Snape just waved them to their seats, pointed at the board and sat back down. The potion today, as was the case everyday, anymore, was a complicated one, the Potion of Harmony, a potion that should allow an entire room who hated one another to get along for up to four hours. Due to their late start, both Hermione and Harry barely got their potions completed before the time allotted. Both of the potions seemed correct, they were the proper color and consistency. However Ron's, who had kept bothering them during the class trying to find out why they had been late, was smoking slightly and giving off occasional sparks, though it was the proper color at least.
Ron immediately pumped them for information as soon as they exited the dungeon, "Ok spill, I assume that even Dumbledore wouldn't give you a note just to get in some extra snogging time." That comment was immediately rewarded with a McGonagall-like glare from Hermione.
"No Ron," Harry said with a deep sigh, trying once again to head off a squabble, reflecting once again how his two best friends never seemed to fight when Luna was around to moderate Ron. "We were walking back to the tower with Dudley when Draco jumped us. I assume that you noticed that he wasn't in class?"
"No not really."
"Oh for the love of Merlin, Ron, never mind, Mione and I need to go talk to Hagrid about his creatures for today's joint class and you might as well come."
"Ahh no, I'm going to go study." Ron replied, hastily checking his watch and walking off.
"Off to go snog, more like it," Hermione muttered to Harry after Ron receded out of sight.
"If we had time, that's...." Harry hurriedly broke off a sentence for the second time today at her expression. "I'm sorry Hermione, what's wrong?"
"Honesty, it's not you, love, at breakfast, I was just tired, and then when Malfoy, you know." She rambled in response.
"Ok then," Harry leaned over and drew her shoulders into him. "Lets go see what creatures Hagrid has to inflict on our poor students today."
***********************Head Student's Common Room***********************
8pm
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Luna were setting on two couches that faced Dudley who was sitting in an overstuffed armchair to form the short leg of a triangle. Hedwig and Crookshanks were also present, with Hedwig perched on Hermione's shoulder opposite Harry, while Crookshanks was curled up in Harry's lap.
"Ok Dudley, I promised explanations and I'll give you what I know, if you have any questions, ask us, Ron and Luna are also here to help. I'll start off with your question from earlier, yes I'm sure that you have heard me use the term before, muggle is not an insult, it's just the term that Wizards use to describe non-magic using people. The boy who insulted you is Draco Malfoy, whom is somewhat of an enemy of mine. The funny part is that he was not technically correct when he called you a muggle."
"Uhh" from Dudley.
"See Dudley, technically you are or rather should be a wizard. Madame Pomfrey examined you when we brought you in and have the markers for being a wizard in your genes, but they don't seemed to have expressed themselves at puberty like they normally would. Like mine did or the others in the room did. Do you follow me so far?
"Uh...Sort of, but if I'm not what am I, I heard someone call Hermione there a mudblood, am I one of those?" Dudley responded quietly.
Harry started to speak, but Hermione just squeezed his hand to silence and she answered the question. "No Dudley, you are not, I am...technically, however that is an insult, a very grave insult and should never be repeated ok?" Dudley who was rapidly gaining a sense of survival here, just nodded in reply. "That term," she spat, "is used to describe persons like myself whose parents were both muggles. Certain people think that it is important that one be pure-blood like Ron and Luna here, though they don't think it is important at all." To which both Ron and Luna nodded vigorously. "Those people look down on people like myself and to a lesser extent to people like Harry and yourself, Harry is what they call a half-blood, with a muggle mother, though she was muggle born witch like me and a pure blood father. You are what they would probably call a quarter-blood, because your mother was a muggle born witch and your father was purely a muggle. Understand?"
"Yeah, I guess" from Dudley. "What about Mum, I mean if she was a witch..."
"Her reasons are hers Dudley, I know why she pretended to be a muggle, but I must have her give her reasons to you herself." Harry responded, with a small shrug.
"Why was my father killed by those wizards, and what was that strange green skull over the house?" At this question everyone except Dudley looked at each other, and mutely raised their eyebrows. Dudley hasn't been able to use any magic, but he could see it? He couldn't see the Dementors on Privet drive, could he?
"Dudley before I answer that, could you see the Dementors when they attacked us?" Harry asked hastily.
"No not at first then I could sorta see an outline for a second then nothing, I did see this deer though, I know because I saw one in a zoo once."
"Stag," Harry automatically corrected, then turned and caught Hermione's eyes. Help? Can muggles see a patronus? He says that he might have caught a glimpse of a Dementor, but even when he got real mad at Draco, he didn't exhibit any magic, and Petunia's wand did nothing for him at all, no sparks, no nothing.
I don't have a clue, if the wizard genes are there, they express themselves at puberty, and I can tell you from how he was looking at me that that had occurred. I saw Pomfrey's report to Dumbledore, and he's not a squib, the genetic markers are dominant in him not recessive so they should have expressed themselves normally. I've never read any occurrence were they didn't but no matter what Ron thinks I don't know everything...Yet Hermione finished with an mental grin.
"Dudley that image of a skull, was the Death Mark, it's used by Lord Voldemort and his followers to mark a...kill, and only wizards can see it." Harry explained.
"But I saw it, and who is this Lord Voldemort bloke anyway." Dudley asked confused, as Ron flinched, just a hair.
"As we said earlier you have the markers to be a wizard, but so far you have expressed no magic. With what you have said being able to maybe see the Dementors and Prongs, and the Death Mark, maybe you are just a really late bloomer? I don't know, tomorrow please go back to Madame Pomfrey."
"That nice lady in the hospital? You know it was funny you had a bed named after you and Ron there and Hermione...."
WHAT? Hermione snapped with a thought strong enough to make Harry wince. Oops, sorry love.
That's ok, and no I didn't think it was funny either. " Yes that...nice lady in the hospital and tell her what you've told us about being able to see things ok? As to your other question, Voldemort is an evil wizard who murdered my parents along with many others."
"How many?" Dudley asked because he didn't know any better.
"Too many" responded Hermione with a look that even Dudley could figure out meant to drop the subject. Harry could feel a slight tremor where she sat next to him, or maybe that was he?
"Ron if you don't mind if you could please take Dudley back to the main common room, Dudley If you have other questions I'll answer them later ok?" Ron just nodded and he and Luna quietly led Dudley away, down the staircase to the main common room.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't think he would go there." Harry said thoughtfully.
"It's okay, I suppose he does deserve to know, anyway we have homework that we need to be doing anyway." Hermione finished with a pseudo McGonagall glare.
"Yes, ma'am." Harry chuckled as he ducked a pillow.
******************Harry and Hermione's Room*********************
January 31, 2006
3am
After finally finishing their homework and after a quick patrol aided by the Marauder's Map, Harry and Hermione had settled down to go to sleep. Fortunately, that was all they had contemplated, for after they had been asleep for a couple of hours, Harry snapped awake at a soft tread. Harry's eyes flashed open and after a second he slowly grabbed a wand from under the pillows, snapped it outward, only to have his wrist grabbed gently, but firmly. "What the...."
"Lumos" a soft light suddenly glowed, revealing Dumbledore's bearded face.
"Merlin." Hermione groaned as the commotion had also awoken her. Fortunately for her she had slept in sleep pants and a t-shirt so it wasn't too revealing for her Headmaster, who had just appeared in the room.
"Don't worry Hermione, I won't tell Minerva, though I'm sure she already knows. I've won that bet already." Dumbledore chuckled. He then turned slightly and pointed his wand at the door, and muttered an incantation, but instead of the quick white flash he was expecting, the area around the door flashed a deep red color for a second. With a cocked eyebrow, he gave an odd look to Hermione as he perched on the edge of the bed.
"Umm we didn't want to disturb anyone with our nightmares." She replied sheepishly.
"Bet?" Harry asked to get Dumbledore off the scent.
"Ummm, never mind," Dumbledore, muttered seeing Harry and Hermione's wondering faces in the wandlight. "Unfortunately I had to take this step, because of promises that I made to you Harry, and the fact that you also deserve to know Hermione."
"What?" The two asked together.
"I went back and examined the various attacks against you and yours, and when I did one thing was obvious, Tom had help. In each case someone either had to provide him the location, or in the case of Grimmauld place slip a tracking charmed item inside." Dumbledore said grimly.
"There's a traitor in the Order?" Hermione whispered as Harry wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Yes, Hermione, I'm afraid so. It's the same way we lost Lily and James." Dumbledore replied in a tone that amply communicated his age.
"Pettigrew is on the run with Voldemort." She countered with a sliver of hope.
"A new one I am afraid." Dumbledore replied sadly, "I'm sorry to have to share this news with you two in this fashion, but it was the safest way, at this moment the only members of the Order that I am sure are not either out right traitors or under the influence of the Imperious Curse are yourself, and Harry..."
"Why do you trust that I'm not under the curse, I'm not but..." Hermione replied with a mix of fear and curiosity.
"Well dear girl" Dumbledore replied with a small smile for her, "Voldemort himself couldn't possess Harry, and with the two of you in there together...As I was saying, in addition to you two and myself; Remus, Nymphadora, Alastor, and Arthur are above reproach along with Ginny, Ron, Neville and Luna. The reason is simple; all of those named have had someone they care deeply for taken from them by Voldemort and his fiends. We have too much motivation to defeat Riddle for a curse to hold for long. I assume that the rest of the Weasleys are also above reproach, however they have not yet been informed. I would like for you to find a way to quietly pass this message to your friends, perhaps at the Weasleys' franchise in Hogsmeade, if you can get them to close it early on a Hogsmeade Weekend."
"When is it?" Harry asked his memory wasn't too together in the morning.
"Well I believe that it's the weekend of the Valentine's ball." Hermione replied. "You never did have much luck on that weekend."
"No shit dear." Harry muttered, with more than a touch of sarcasm. Hermione gave a tiny laugh, inappropriate to the topic, as she kissed the side of his head. Harry replied to Dumbledore finally in a normal tone, "I guess that's the plan, I'll send Hedwig with a note to Fred and George, to have a "private" showing of their wares to their major investors that weekend, and have Bill and Charlie show up."
"I had always wondered where they got their start up funding, Harry" Dumbledore replied with a grin. He got up to leave. "Oh by the way, very good job with the silencing charm, even I wasn't able to detect it in operation until I tried to cast another, I dare say that if that had been performed in a class of mine I would have to award points...Harry, did I ever tell you that your Great-Great-Great-Grandmother was also Head Girl at Hogwarts." With a wink, Dumbledore disappeared without a sound.
As soon as Dumbledore was gone, Harry's head crashed back on the pillows, "Busted"
***************************Little Whinging, Surrey*************************
January 31, 2006
3:00pm
A cold wind blew over the faded grass of the cemetery. A minister stood at the head of a dark, oak coffin. A wreath of flowers lay on top of it, with a picture of Vernon in his Sunday best centered in the horseshoe. Vernon's true popularity had shown through in death, not many had shown up to the funeral, no one from work, or any supposed friends. Of his neighbors on Privet Drive, only Arabella Figg had shown, though it was an open question whether she was there as a member of the Order or as an actual mourner. Aunt Petunia was dry eyed, now, as she stood in the front row, dwarfed by the huge presences of Dudley on one side and Aunt Marge on the other.
Across from that Trio, Harry and Hermione stood quietly. Both were dressed as muggles, of course, Harry in a somber, black suit that had seen too much use this year, Hermione in a black dress. Despite his feelings towards Vernon, he had been family of a sort and Harry and her had come with Petunia and Dudley to the funeral. Next to them, Lupin and Tonks stood, both dressed similarly to the Heirs. Tonks and Lupin had been chosen as they were the most suitable for bending in with a crowd of muggles, and as Harry and Hermione's not so secret bodyguards, even though they really didn't need them. The minister nodded to them as he started in with his service, he was actually a wizard that Dumbledore knew, whom he had arranged to lead the service as a favor to Petunia.
Aunt Marge had spent almost the entire service alternately gazing at the picture of her brother and glaring over at Harry and Hermione. Her retainer, Colonel Fubster stood at ease behind her. But besides those few people, the cemetery was empty of any other visible individuals. Harry could sense at least four other wizards spread around the graveyard, his animagus abilities discerning their breathing, or catching their scents, which were not disguised by the invisibility cloaks they wore. With a slight pang of annoyance, he knew that they were Lupin and Tonks' backup, there to get him and Hermione away safe at all costs, if this funeral was part of some long convoluted scheme of Voldemort's to kill them.
Finally the Minister finished and shared a quiet word with Petunia. Harry sighed as he turned around to talk to Tonks and Lupin, Hermione clutching his hand tightly as yet another was put to rest in this endless war. Lupin nodded as he briefly placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and walked away, Tonks' hand clinging to his arm. I'm sorry Mione; you could have stayed at Hogwarts. Harry said in his thoughts, as his eyes met hers.
A ghost of a smile flitted across her face as she returned the gaze, it's ok Harry, but lets get out of here soon. Harry nodded absently, his eyes flicked over to Petunia, still standing over the coffin and she nodded slightly in return. Both of them were absorbed in their own world, both only subconsciously scanning for danger. It was because of that, that the heavy footsteps behind Harry were unnoticed until with a sudden jerk, a large, florid hand fell on Harry's shoulder and spun him forcefully around.
Around him, Harry could see or feel at least five hands start to dive for hidden wands or other weapons, with a small, hidden gesture he signaled that he was ok and he felt the relaxation of his friends and guardians. With a small, tiny sigh Harry looked into a pair of small, piggish eyes. Aunt Marge was standing, a dark look on her puce face and the wisp of a mustache quivering in anger. "Hello Marge" Harry said evenly, calmly, tiredly.
"What the hell are you doing here, you ungrateful little bastard?" Marge growled like one of her prized bulldogs. Behind her Fubster stood, the short, stocky, former officer stood at a pose almost like attention. "Come to gloat now that my brother is dead. Glad that he's just like your worthless parents?"
"No," Harry replied softly. Behind him, Lupin was carefully brushing a piece of invisible lint from the front of his suit, looking down so as not to look at the horrid person that had just insulted his best friends and by extension their son. Next to Harry, Hermione was not so outwardly calm, He bit back a wince as her fingers tightened on his, but she didn't utter a sound.
"What do you mean no...boy, No that he's not like your worthless good for nothing father, or you bitch of a mother..."
"Shut up Marge." Harry interrupted quietly, dangerously. Marge was even more of a Muggle than even Vernon had been, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck didn't even flicker as a bare trickle of power started to flow, only to be ruthlessly dampened by Harry himself. Behind Marge, Mrs. Figg had looked over at the brewing confrontation, and had led Petunia and Dudley towards several dark sedans that were parked at the curb. A certain white owl settled in the braches of a tree above and behind Harry. Hedwig looked down on the rotund Muggle with a pitying expression, clearing wondering when her person or his mate would squash the little bug.
"I'll have you know, boy, you dare to show up here, and bring your whore with you..."Marge's voice suddenly failed her. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound escaped. Harry had never touched a wand, his were still concealed beneath his suit jacket and Hermione's were currently strapped on her thighs under the skirt of her dress, but the effect was the same.
"Marge" Harry muttered, glancing around. Unknown to her or her companion, she and Fubster were the only two actual muggles here, but Harry was more or less blind to the irony. "You have no idea whom you are talking to, I will have you keep a civil tongue when you are talking to others, or you will not like the consequences." Harry absently flicked his fingers and the spell was lifted.
Marge glared at Harry, "I will speak my mind..."
"Then, I am afraid that our words are at an end." Harry replied and spun to leave, but as he did Marge once again reached out and grabbed for him, but missing his shoulder, grabbed Hermione's bicep, hard. If Marge had any clue, she would have surely dropped the matter there, as the hard muscle underneath the dress should have warned her that this girl wasn't as she appeared. And if that hadn't worked, the instinctive move that caused Hermione to spin away from her and Harry, and the reflexive strike that was halted before it was more than a muscle quiver should have shut her up. But despite all her glowering, she like her brother had only ever been a bully, a jackal, she had never found out just what happened when the lions strode out onto the plain.
"Ma'am..." Hermione hissed, softly, "where I grew up, one does not place their hands on others without permission." Hermione flowed forward, and Marge involuntarily took a step back from the witch who maybe weighed a third what she did.
"You are just like Petunia's sister, she was an uppity little bitch too..." Marge snarled, but to her surprise Hermione let out a soft laugh.
Hermione looked over at Harry, and slowly and deliberately walked over to him and kissed him softly. Marge's face was suddenly fuchsia as Hermione turned back to her. Though it was probably a trick of the late afternoon sun, the girl's cinnamon eyes suddenly looked as if they were filled with a soft, blue glow. "Thank you Marge." Hermione replied, lowly, "I don't know if you could have come up with a better compliment." Hand in hand with Harry, Hermione led them towards the cars and home.
A/N There you go. Sorry its been a bit, but I've been out of town. And as to that, I thought up that last scene while on the road listening to POA on CD. I hope you like it, it originally wasn't in the chapter. Next Chapter, Harry and Hermione let the rest of the inner circle in on Dumbledore's suspicions and Hermione drags Harry to the ball...okay he goes willingly.