Chapter 29, Dreams of Despair
***********************Library Hogwarts************************
February 15th 2006
10pm
Hermione had her head down in a book. That in and of itself was not too unusual for the brilliant Head Girl of Hogwarts, while her boyfriend and various other duties and responsibilities may cut into her time, like NEWTs, teaching DADA classes, Quiddich, Head Girl duties, and getting ready for that pesky apocalyptic battle with the most evil wizard in the last 1000 years, she still found time to just read for the sake of reading. Since Harry and her were now Head Boy and Girl they had unrestricted access to the restricted section of the library. Which was good, as it was rumored that Hermione had read the rest of the library already.
Not quite She thought to herself, but I'm working on it. Walking down the stacks, running her fingers over the old dusty tomes, she spotted an interesting book, Combat Magic, use of Unforgivables, Lethal Spells, and Familiars in Both Wanded and Unwanded Magic. Opening the book to the table of contents, she noticed a section on flame spells. Turning to the pages indicated, Hermione witnessed a moving illustration that sent a brief chill down her spine. The spell shown was the flame wand, a spell with the verbal incantation of 'Flamous" that projected a wave of purple flame. The spell was often lethal to weaker wizards and caused burns and usually nerve damage to the target. This was the spell that Dolohov used on her that night at the Ministry, that had he known, it had almost won the Death Eaters the day and the war. That had defeated her for the night and had almost defeated Harry by driving him to panic.
With a sigh she drove that tired thought from her mind. The wizard and witch that had fought that night were long gone, the two that remained were much more powerful and much more hardened to the war, a fact, which caused a single tear to fall from her eye. Dolohov had in the end paid for that transgression, with the only coin he could, his life.
Hermione wiped the tear away quickly and tuned to another chapter, one on Familiars and their historical and present usages in battle. She read this more eagerly as it was far more interesting, and much less depressing, than the previous article. There was an illustration on the first page of the chapter of an owl that looked much like Hedwig, riding the shoulder of what appeared to be a cat the size of a full grown tiger. She read:
The use of familiars in combat is an ancient tactic predating the formalized usage of magic. In modern practice, however, the Familiar is often seen as just a pet or perhaps a convent animal to practice transfiguration. The main exception to this practice are the Owls that are often used to carry messages in the wizarding world and so often have this double role. To use the familiar in combat the familiar has to be of particularly high intelligence and has to have bonded to the wizard or witch to whom he or she is owned by very strongly. It is also often common for these familiars to bond strongly to the wizard or witch's mate, obeying or defending him or her as if it were their primary bonded partner.
Okay that's cool, but how would you use Crookshanks or Hedwig in combat, not that I'd want to? She read on, now increasingly interested.
In Historical times, often large familiars such as winged horses, great cats, and very large magical birds were common, however these have fallen out of favor in modern times.
Of the familiars commonly associated with wizards in the modern era, avian forms such as large owls, phoenixes and other birds of prey have been used in recent times to blind, distract or disarm opponents. See examples, Merlin and Samantha (Owl, Great) and Dumbledore, Albus and Fawkes (Phoenix, Fire).
That's right, Fawkes did attack the basilisk to blind it so Harry could fight it. And we know that his song is at least distracting to Riddle, he fears it. Hermione remembered with sudden insight.
Of the other types of familiars most commonly found in modern wizardry, the cat or its related cousin the kneazle are most often found. It should be noted that the kneazle and cat are perfectly capable of interbreeding and usually produce offspring of large relative size and higher intelligence than normal for these already very intelligent breeds.
No shit, really. She thought sarcastically.
The cat familiar can be used in direct combat against foes, as unless altered the claws and fangs can be dangerous. However the cat familiar becomes truly dangerous with the use of a combat transfiguration. This transfiguration usually takes the form of increasing the cat's size to that of a great cat such as a lion or leopard, which converts the attack of the familiar from annoying to, dangerous to outright lethal. The basic temperament of the familiar is unchanged however; the familiar will still obey its bonded partner, making it perfectly safe for the wizard's friends and allies to remain in close proximity. The incantation for this transfiguration is beyond the scope of this tome, and in any case has not been documented for the last 1000 years. It should also be noted that the few historical accounts of this transfiguration are of it being advanced wandless magic, which may explain it's extreme infrequency.
Hermione would have liked to keep reading but she was tired. Looking up, she noticed an occasional flash of lighting out of the window, and the night was dark as pitch, it would start storming soon. Her and Harry's nocturnal activities last night in celebration of Valentine's Day had drained her when added on top of everything else. Not that I'm complaining She thought to herself, a Cheshire grin decorating her lips. She checked out the book, threw it in her bag and headed for Gryffindor country. Harry should be back by now, he had gone with Ron and Remus to try and work on Ron's blocking skills, he was still vulnerable to 2nd and 3rd follow up shots, he tended to drop his shield too fast. At least I can lie in Harry's arms to ride out the storm, Hermione reflected as she picked up her pace to the tower, and home.
********************Head's Common Room, Gryffindor Tower*****************
11pm
Harry had just gotten back from trying to help Ron with his Protego spell charm work. After an hour of Harry and Remus trading off casting curses and quick follow-ups to Ron's shield, Harry finally figured out what was wrong. Ron was flinching, It wasn't that Ron was afraid, but when a spell would hit the shield hard enough it would cause Ron's hand to involuntarily relax on his wand for a second, and his shield would stutter as he lost concentration. They finally more or less cured him by having Harry pound his shield with stunner after stunner until he stopped doing it, though they did have to enervate him several times.
Harry waved off a chess game with Ron, he was tired and losing was boring anyway. As he walked away, Ron just nodded and conned a 5th year, Tom Wilkes, into playing, Tom shambled over to the already moving chessboard with an already defeated expression. Harry climbed the stairs to his common room, plopped down on the couch in front of the fire, grabbed a book on transfiguration that Hermione had left on the couch and started reading it, or at least looking at the pictures.
Sensing a warm presence, Crookshanks came in from Harry's room, where he had probably been getting fur all over Harry's robes and plopped down in his lap with a loud purr. Harry absently petted the huge ginger cat, after a few minutes, he marked his place in the book and laid the heavy tome back down. With a melancholy expression, Harry stared into the fire and remembered a similar fire, two years ago, but there was no friendly face in this fire, this night.
Shaking off the bleak thought, he mentally searched for Hermione, wondering if she was done in the Library and coming back, or if she had fallen asleep again over a book and he would have to go get her. Though she is really cute when she does. He had briefly felt a spike of fear from her, but before he could run to her, he felt her calm down, it must have been a passing thought, and it wasn't as if they both still didn't have those flashes every day. As he was musing of her, his eyes drooped and he fell to sleep on the couch.
***********************Riddle Mansion******************************
A tall, blond-haired man walked into a room of stone. The room was roughly hewn, and lit sporadically with torches. Shallow puddles of water were present along with some stains that were perhaps not too good to think about for long, while the walls were covered in mold. The room stunk of decay and...death, it was obvious that this room was carved of the rock and it had been, sitting below the basements of the old manor house. Beside him another tall man walked, this one however had a hood pulled forward to hide his face, and a slight red glow was visible from under the hood. He spoke, in a cold, cold voice, "Is everything ready Lucius?"
"Aye my Lord, this should allow you enough power to smash though whatever barrier that fool Dumbledore has put around Potter's mind. Our spy reports that Potter has been trained in Occlumency, but he will not be able to withstand this." The elder Malfoy replied, with a grim, little smirk.
"Good...with Potter's mind destroyed, they will fall." Voldemort stepped into the center of a painted circle, around it six anonymous, masked, Death Eaters stood haphazardly. Beyond that ring of six, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius and Severus Snape stood, Severus stood a little behind the other two and he looked...nervous. No one noticed however, Voldemort raised his wand and streams of odd-dark-glowing mist came streaming from the surrounding circle of Death Eaters. "Potter..."
********************Head's Common Room, Gryffindor Tower*****************
Harry's peaceful dream suddenly turned dark. He had been remembering feeding Buckbeak for some reason, but now he was back in the Privet Drive of old, the too-clean, too-white muggle residence, He looked down, he was small, probably only eight or so and he was scared. "Harry..." He turned at the hissing sound, to see a man standing there, darkly robed and glowing oddly.
"V-v-v-oldemort, the eight year old Harry stammered, reaching for a wand that was not there. Voldemort strode up to him and casually backhanded him, knocking him flying across the room to smash into the china cabinet.
"So, Potter this is what you fear most, humm were the muggles truly that awful... I assure you that I am far worse," He laughed evilly, and with a casual flick of his wand, sent Harry flying across the room again, to smash though the Vernon's wide screen in a shower of sparks. "What to do, what to do, Ahh..." He whispered, catching sight of a cupboard under a set of stairs, a bright steel padlock gleaming dully on a hook.
In the real world Harry was laying on the floor, blood flowing from his nose, his body tense and straining. Crookshanks was rubbing against him, desperately trying to wake him.
********************Hallway outside the Library*******************
Hermione was tired, but she almost skipped down the hall anyway. She was a little excited and wanted to show Harry the book she had found. It would be fun, if nothing else, if they could transfigure Crookshanks to the size of a tiger and have him stare at Pig, hungrily, Ron would pee his pants, that'd get him back for that "reservations" for The Shrieking Shack bit. She thought gleefully. Though he might transform himself in response, an annoying counter flicked across her mind. Suddenly she felt blood dripping from her nose, and a pain growing behind her eyes, which grew wide with sudden, horrible realization. HARRY...you aren't taking him you son of a bitch. Her eyes blazed with light, "LEGILIMENS"
************Head's Common Room, Gryffindor Tower/Harry's mind************
Still in the dream
Voldemort grabbed Harry by the collar and began to drag him to the cupboard under the stairs. "Who will save the savior now, Harry?" Voldemort chuckled and waved his wand at the cupboard, opening it.
"I will Riddle, EXPELLIARMUS" came a cold soprano, from behind him. Voldemort was instantly blasted across the room, Harry falling from his grasp.
Getting up, he looked over his shoulder to spot Hermione standing in the ruins of the door, "You are the defender Dumbledore sends for his favorite, you, little mudblood." He laughed derisively. "You think that you can stand against me? Are you so eager to rejoin your parents little mudblood, hmmm?"
"Tom, didn't your father tell you if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all?" Voldemort snapped around, to witness Harry, but not as he had left him, but standing, once again seventeen, with his eyes blazing a brilliant blue counterpoint to the red of his own, the Cloak of the Order billowing in an invisible wind, the Sword of Gryffindor sheathed on his back. He followed Harry warily, as Harry walked over to Hermione, who was also now in the cloak of the Order, the hated Phoenix emblem decorating the clasp. Harry continued in a conversational tone, "I believe that we returned the last person to call her that to you, in two boxes...Tom."
Voldemort stood speechless, in the span of seconds; he had gone from the edge of victory over his greatest foe to a battle that he was barely holding even. How could this be, I have the life forces of six Death Eaters at my call to reinforce my own power, Not even Dumbledore himself could hold against me with that power at my call, they are merely a pair of teenagers. His thoughts were growing desperate.
But soon not even that. In an eyeblink Harry and Hermione pointed their wands at him "Occlumenous Kedavra." Twin bolts of searing blue light struck Voldemort in the chest.
***********************Riddle Mansion******************************
Bolts of blue light snapped out from Voldemort to the six Death Eaters encircling him; all six dropped to the floor, dead. Voldemort for his part, fell to his knees, and threw his hands out to stop his fall. The Death Eaters remaining looked shocked. Lucius Malfoy hurried to Voldemort's side and helped him to his feet. He started to ask what had happened, but fell silent at what he saw in Voldemort's eyes, which while red were not glowing. For the first time Malfoy discovered...the tiniest trace of fear in Voldemort's eyes.
Snape slipped carefully up the stairs, he must attempt to report this; it was worth his life.
********************Head's Common Room, Gryffindor Tower*****************
Harry was now laying limp, blood pooled under his head from his ears and nose. Crookshanks, who had been on his lap sleeping when the attack came, batted Harry with a paw obviously trying to get him awake, after a minute or two Crookshanks gave this up and sprinted for the stairs.
Only to return a minute later with an irate Ron in tow, "Damn it Harry, I know that you've got Hermy's damn cat up to somethi....OH BLOODY HELL!" He yelled, catching sight of Harry. "GET DUMBLEDORE HERE NOW!" He screamed down the stairs to the main common room and slid in beside Harry, checking his pulse.
Literally as fast as a third year could run to the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore apparated into the room, he took in Harry instantly, the limp condition, the dried blood under his nose. Knelling down, he grabbed Harry in his arms and disappeared. Ron just looked up and flew down the stairs, hardly even slowing down at the portrait hole.
**********************Hogwarts infirmary********************************
Dumbledore appeared in the infirmary as he had left the common room, with Harry in his arms, bellowing "POPPY" he set Harry gently on his usual bed.
"What?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she came out of her office at a run, "OHHH" She ran to the bedside and flicking her wand behind her called several instruments to her. "What happened?" She asked quickly, meanwhile a howling sleet had started hitting the windowpanes of the castle, almost drowning her out.
"I don't know, probably Voldemort." Dumbledore replied and Pomfrey gave a little shudder but kept working. "Ron found him" and as if called Ron came running into the room. Suddenly a thought struck him, Hermione? Where is she, either of them would know anywhere if anything happened to the other, "RONALD, find Hermione NOW!" He snapped at his student, in whose eyes he could see the same realization. Ron turned and ran out of the infirmary, yelling at Luna and some others who had followed him from Gryffindor Tower to spread out as he went.
After several minutes Ron came back in, trailed by Lupin with an unconscious Hermione in his arms, dried blood on her face, and a nervous Tonks. Both Lupin and Tonks looked disheveled, perhaps enough so on another night to warrant gentle teasing but not this night. "Ginny found her outside of the Library" Lupin started, then catching sight of Harry lying in the same condition he set her on the bed next to him with a little grunt and continued as Ginny came running in out of breath, her shorter legs hadn't let her keep up. "She was like this, like Harry is I would guess, what happened?"
"I am not sure however..." Noticing it was only trusted members of the Order and Pomfrey in the room, he said, "Ginny keep the room clear" she nodded grimly and went to stand outside the door. "It was probably Riddle." He growled and the sound of thunder echoed over the grounds as if to emphasize his point. "There's only one way to find out unfortunately." Dumbledore briefly closed his eyes as if in prayer, then he opened them, and prying Harry's eyes open with one hand, "LEGILIMENS".
Instantly images snapped into his mind's eye, images of the cupboard under the stairs, of the padlock on the door, of Vernon's huge hands. Then the image of Voldemort, huge as if seen from a small child's perspective, and pain, a lot of pain. Suddenly the images turned, the viewpoint suddenly rose as if returning to the height of an adult, and a beautiful girl filled his thoughts... "Ahh" Dumbledore snapped back to himself, panting slightly. Harry's natural defenses had kicked in, a good sign, when Dumbledore approached memories of Hermione, after all it wasn't like he had permission to go look around in his mind, and Harry was still unconscious. Dumbledore glanced over at Hermione, sighed, and stood up, motioning Tonks and Lupin to follow with a crooked finger. After the three had stepped behind one of several privacy screens he began. "It is as I feared, Tom managed to force himself back into Harry's thoughts, probably to try and destroy him from within, as he hasn't been able to from without."
"But I thought Harry and Hermione both had mastered Occlumency." Tonks replied horrified, her hair changing color involuntarily as a sign of her nervousness, a sign that Dumbledore hadn't seen since she was a teen here getting ready to take her DADA NEWT.
"Nymphadora, Remus...they had, in fact I don't think I could have forced my way into either's mind by myself, without aid. I think Tom tried something I have only read about, I felt the presence of other minds besides Tom's in Harry's thoughts, I think he bound the minds and souls of several of his followers to him, to give the combined gestalt enough power to punch through Harry's defenses. I think Hermione came in after him and together they forced him out, possibly though magic neither should know...but they both do a lot of things they aren't supposed to be able to. If I am correct, I believe that Tom is now several Death Eaters short." Dumbledore finished grimly but with a tiny undercurrent of pride.
"Then why are they both out?" Remus asked concernedly.
"If I am correct, they both channeled a great deal of energy in the battle, and Harry is probably worse, as unless I miss a guess, he was probably alone in there with Tom for several minutes before Hermione could fight her way in to be with him." Dumbledore lowered his voice to a whisper that they had to lean in to hear. "I think that the two of them used, rightly, a combat spell like the Kedavra curse but for the mind. I will not rest if that secret comes out." Dumbledore finished looking both of them in the eyes, looking for the entire world like an old king lion ready to defend his pride. Tonks and Lupin nodded solemnly. Then in a normal tone, "we will just have to wait until they wake up. I would appreciate it if you two would cover their classes until they are back up and around. They nodded solemnly and headed off, Tonks grasping onto Lupin's hand a little tightly. Dumbledore moved to a bed opposite his two students and waving a wand, transfigured it into one of his old comfy chairs. He sat and pointing his wand at the bedside table, a cup of hot chocolate appeared.
Dumbledore took the drink and watched the two of them sleep. Flashes of the images he saw in Harry's mind, of Vernon and Voldemort, and of Hermione coming to save Harry that day in Hogsmeade. She had once accused Dumbledore of manipulating Harry to his ends. There was a bit of truth in that insult from long ago, and he felt guilty, not a new feeling over the last few years but still. I'm so sorry dear girl, I didn't believe you; I couldn't imagine that that man was so evil to Harry, especially in that month after Sirius died. No wonder Petunia never stood up to him. It could even explain why Dudley had never expressed magical tendencies; the environment had repressed them. I was only considering Harry's safety from Riddle, I truly never thought he would not be safe with family, unappreciated and resented perhaps but not what I saw in his mind tonight.
Vernon, how Harry let never himself go and totally destroyed you is a mystery. It finally, fully explains why he could not control himself that 5th year, this is his true home, it was where he should have been able to relax, and be safe and we let him down. Even with the occasional attack by dark forces he probably felt safer here, at least he could fight back here, in that muggle house we even took that away from him. His eyes flitted over to Hermione. No wonder she was so adamant that we come and get him the summer before last in that month after Sirius's death, but I was so sure that I was correct and not a sixteen year old girl that was lovestruck, even though neither knew it at the time.
********************#12 Grimmauld Place, London**********************
Flashback
July 1, 2004 (One month until Harry's sixteenth birthday, a few weeks after Sirius' death)
A bushy-brown-haired girl in torn jeans and a short pink t-shirt stared with more than a little menace at an old man with a long sweeping white beard and hair and strange, starred robes. The girl was several inches shorter than the tall wizard, but it was him that was rocked back on his heels. A minute ago, she had stormed into the darkly paneled den that Dumbledore had taken as his office while at 12 Grimmauld Place. The desk and visitors chairs were precise duplicates of those at Hogwarts, Fawkes had been sitting at his shoulder but on witnessing the visitor enter, had vanished abruptly with a flash.
Hermione had come into the room and with a wave of her hand, slammed the door to the room shut. Impressive Hermione, He had thought, impressed despite himself, casting a locking charm and an Imperturbable Charm at the same time with out even speaking or drawing your wand.
She spoke without preamble, in a cold, cold voice. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?"
"Miss Granger" Dumbledore replied mildly, he knew what this was, but he hadn't expected her sheer anger or the power she was barely holding in check before now, not yet.
"WHY ARE YOU GOING TO LET HARRY ROT IN THAT PLACE ALL SUMMER? HE"S HURTING, HE NEEDS FRIENDS NOT MORE ENEMIES" she snapped in reply, not even giving him the courtesy of his name or title.
"It is for his own good, Hermione, the blood magic..."
"Doesn't protect him from his Goddamn Uncle. Do you know what he has had to go through in his years there? You better pray that he comes from that place whole or I'm taking Harry and we're leaving, and you can fight your damn war by your self, he's already paid too much." With this last statement, her hair began to rise and several of the items on the shelf behind him, began to explode. She blinked and the room calmed down, but he knew it was only a lull.
Dumbledore felt the power lurking behind her eyes and knew that Harry had at least one equal. And knew that she would follow though on her threat, and knew that if she asked, Harry would follow her without question, dooming them all.
She went on, her tone flat with menace, "Harry, is a person, not a God dammed weapon in your war, no matter what he is, or how powerful he is. I'm not going to watch him kill himself another year, when you won't even talk to him, won't even tell him what he is doing or why."
"You just better hope," She muttered one last time and with another wave of her hand the door opened and she left as she came.
***********************Infirmary*********************************
Present.
Yes that was one of the few times I've actually felt afraid of a student. Even Harry's explosion of a couple of weeks prior, had been farther from the edge than that one. If Vernon had disregarded Moody just a fraction more that year, then he would have died a year sooner, along with who knows what other damage. Hermione, I am sorry that I put him though that. It was that conversation that finalized the realization that I had been wrong, I knew I had been, but not how wrong. I'm still amazed that we were able to keep you from coming home with him last summer, you would have, if Harry himself hadn't stopped you and you had the hard reassurance that we would be there on his birthday to take him away, and that hell itself wouldn't have kept him from you.
Dumbledore sat and watched the pair sleep for a while longer until he too awkwardly fell asleep in his chair.
February 17, 2006
3pm
Dumbledore was once again sitting in his chair opposite his Head Students. In complete contrast to the night of the attack, the day was bright, sunny and unseasonably warm for February. Out the windows one could see students on the lawn enjoying the rare, temperate winter day. Shafts of sunlight fell in the infirmary from the late afternoon sun. Dumbledore had just returned to his bedside post, he had been teaching classes. In the day and a half since the attack, Ron, Luna, Ginny, Neville, Remus, Tonks, Minerva, and himself had spent time here around the clock. As usual, on a table beside the bed, half of the Honeydukes line was waiting, having come from friends and well-wishers. As Dumbledore sat reading quietly, Hermione gave a soft moan and started to sit up. Dumbledore moved quickly to her and placing his hand behind her head, helped her to get a drink of water. Sinking back into the pillow, she glanced to her left, and closed her eyes; after a second with a small sigh, she visibly relaxed.
"Harry's ok, he's just sleeping." Hermione answered the silent question, she reached weakly for Harry's hand in the other bed but it was out of reach. To which Dumbledore just smiled and moved her bed against Harry's with a wave of his wand.
Deal with it Poppy, He thought, knowing that the med-witch would probably object, he made a mental note to reinforce that with her before he had to leave for the evening feast. "How are you dear?" He asked, concern in his voice as he watched her hand find Harry's.
"I'm tired mostly. I don't know for sure what happened, I was in the Library, Harry had left earlier to go help Ron with some spell work. I was tired and I found an interesting book on combat magic, which I wanted to show Harry, so I gave up for the night and was heading back when I felt that Harry was under attack. I got in Harry's mind and found Voldemort there, and somehow we forced him out. How was he able to get back into Harry's mind, I thought we both had mastered Occlumency?" She asked, a touch of fear in her voice.
"You had, I am afraid that once again I have failed the pair of you. Tom used a trick that I would have never considered, but I should have thought of. After Severus was able to get back last night, we were able to confirm my initial suspicions. Tom used the minds and powers of six of his Death Eaters, in combination with his own, to batter his way though Harry's defenses, to force their link open once more. With enough power any defense can be breached, as you well know."
"So he can get into Harry's and my, I suppose minds now, just by the application of enough power?" Hermione asked a slight quaver in her voice. She had been tired when the attack came, and she had expended a great deal of energy, both magical and physical, in the mental battle.
"No, fortunately it appears that this was a one-shot attempt. When you and Harry combined and cast him out, it hurt him and killed the Death Eaters he had with him. He will not risk that again."
"How many?" She muttered sadly in response.
"Six" Dumbledore replied softly. "You had no choice in the matter, it was combat, even if it was on a mental instead of a physical field."
"I know" Hermione replied, squeezing Harry's hand strongly, "it just...something Harry said, seems like a lifetime ago, that he couldn't become a killer, he couldn't become like that, and now all of us are." She stated accusingly, though Dumbledore knew that the anger wasn't directed at him, this time. "It was the night of his sixteenth birthday, it was only a month or so after Sirius had died. He broke down that night, and I held him until the sun rose. He told me the prophesy that night, and he admitted that the image of me lying hurt in the Ministry was the one that he woke up to screaming, He's never admitted it, but I know that at least one of the times that he woke up screaming in that month at the Dursleys that Vernon forgot the threat from Moody and Harry never said a thing, he didn't want Vernon on his conscience."
Dumbledore reached out and grabbed her other hand, "Hermione I am sorry, another of my failures, I should have trusted you when you came to me that summer and left that night to bring Harry home. If I had just found some other way of making him safe then he could have grown up in a loving household and maybe he could have admitted his feelings for you sooner. You know he has loved you since first year?" Dumbledore shrugged.
"I've been told." Hermione replied with a small smile turning her head to look at Harry's sleeping form and drifted back off to sleep, without an conscious decision on her part, she rolled on the now pushed together beds, until she was snuggled against Harry. Dumbledore smiled down at them, and got up to discuss propriety vs. reality with Poppy.
A/N hey at least its not a cliffie :)