Chapter 33: Can't We Even Go On a Date in Peace? Part 1
*************************Hogwarts, Quiddich Pitch**************************
March 15, 2006
6:00 pm
As usual for the last few years, when they had actually had Quiddich to play, Gryffindor was going into the final match, which was coming up all too soon, with the chance to once again retain the Quiddich Cup for itself. And for the second year in a row, the last match was up against Slytherin, with all the bad history and outright danger that match implied. Last year, as a capper, that game had included, two fractured ribs, a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder, and that was just Harry's injury list. Ginny had been knocked from her broom, Ron bludgered, plus the usual dirty play, and all that didn't count the attempted murder against Hermione, by a suspect, most likely Slytherin, and very possibly Pansy. Draco had been cleared of the actual deed by playing and later; he had been cleared by his mind being probed when he crossed over to the light in the cause of his own self-preservation. Even though Draco was now more or less on the good guys side, or at least he claimed he was, he couldn't afford to be seen as going soft at all. As to the rest of the Slytherins, they would just be out to injure any Gryffindors they could get their hands on.
So taking all of that into account, Ron had decided that Gryffindor needed extra practice, and had dragged the entire team to the pitch after classes, and made them skip dinner, to practice maneuvers that most likely would never see daylight. The great magical lights had just gone on to light the pitch now that the sun had more or less fallen and the temperature had already started to fall back down to below freezing, not that it had gotten much above it during the day up here in the Highlands.
After almost an hour of freezing their bums off, the girls had landed and two of them, Hermione and Ginny, sat shivering under a heating charm. They were watching amusedly as the third chaser, Pavarti was snarling up at Ron about why the hell they were out in the cold, after dark, practicing for a bloody Quiddich match. Hermione's eyes were tracking Harry as he swooped here and there, theoretically practicing, but she knew he was only flying to fly. Returning a wave to him as he swept by, she muttered to Ginny, "Gin why did I agree to this?"
"Quality time with Harry?" Ginny replied snidely, her lips twitching upward.
"I live with him Ginny," Hermione reminded her smugly, that little, poorly concealed fact was the only real abuse of their positions as head students that either Harry or Hermione undertook. "I used to be scared to death of a broom and now I'm on the house team, that's almost too weird for even this place." Suddenly as a snatch of argument drifted over from Ron and Pavarti, Hermione sniggered.
"What's so funny?" Ginny asked.
"Ron just told Pavarti that since we were up against Slytherin she could consider this DA practice, too, and she would be therefore saving herself time. She replied that she could go get some Death Eaters for him to practice with then." Hermione relayed as above their heads Harry flew inverted through a hoop, while Neville and Seamus batted a bludger back and forth aimlessly. Harry even though he was Co-Captain with Ron, was staying out of this; he was just trying to relax. "Sis?"
"Yeah" Ginny replied distractedly as she considered if the fur of her animagus form would block the wind any better.
At that moment the wind picked up even further, and for just a second even Harry had difficulty with his broom. Hermione's eyes never really left Harry, she was obviously weighing something in her mind; she had been withdrawn from almost everyone today, except Harry. Even Ron had tried to pick an argument after Charms but had been ignored. As she watched, silently, Harry waved Neville and Seamus to the ground and flew over to end the discussion between Ron and Pavarti. The argument ended by a third power, Pavarti started heading for the changing rooms, while Ron grounded sullenly, under Harry's weather eye. Hermione turned from Harry, "So...how are you and Neville getting on?" She said quietly, though both of them knew that that had not been what she had been mulling in her head.
"Bloody well smashing Hermione, now, what's wrong, I've known you for six years, I can't read you as well as Harry, but I'd like to think I could read my 'sis', better than my clueless brothers." Ginny replied pointedly. She turned from Harry's discussing with; or rather telling Ron that practice was over for today. Hermione bit her lip as she played with the bristles of her firebolt. Her brown eyes met Ginny's and her lip twitched up for just a second. But she shook her head and turned back to stare at Harry. Ginny glanced back over at her, then at Harry, Ok, she thought, it has something to do with Harry, but I don't think its something that he has done, per say...therefore, I must distract her, into giving me the right answer...I knew that Auror training we get from Moody would come in handy. Ginny finished the thought triumphantly, "So Hermione, you're pregnant."
"WHAT" Hermione sputtered, and fifty yards away, Harry's gaze snapped from his talk with Ron, to hers. She waved to him that she was ok and turned back to Ginny, who was giggling violently. "Ginerva Molly Weasley" Hermione growled, "You will pay so dearly for that." But then she sighed, and turned away from Ginny. She kept talking however, as if she were giving an internal dialogue. "You ever love someone so much that you would do anything for them?" Hermione asked a touch desperately, and Ginny nodded silently, but did not speak as Hermione kept on, "that you would lie, cheat, steal...kill for them" Hermione ran a hand though her thick curls, which were currently pulled into a tail draped over her shoulder, she played with a curl aimlessly as she continued. "I've done all that Ginny, and more and I'll do it all again if it keeps him safe. Hell the act that cemented our friendship, Harry, Ron's and mine, was me lying to McGonagall's face about a troll. If it came to it Ginny, I'd offer myself as a sacrifice if it would keep him alive, but I doubt the big git would last another day. It's the way I'd feel. There are nights when I'm lying next to him, when I cry too when he wakes up with the nightmares, and I know that I'm the one in them, and I feel responsible. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah" Ginny replied a little breathlessly, and then grinned at her, "so what you are saying is that Ron never had a chance." She gave a slight laugh at the humorous question, she had meant it as a joke, but the response wasn't.
Hermione dropped her lock of hair and pulled her Quiddich robe tighter, "No Ginny he didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell, oh if he had come and actually asked me to the ball in fourth year, then we might have been together for a bit, but it wouldn't, couldn't have lasted. The difference is, that no matter how much I do love Ron, or you or any of the rest of the family, there would be just that tiny instant when I would weigh jumping in front of a spell or killing that Death Eater about to curse you, I wouldn't think with Harry, heck I already stood between the mad-murderer Sirius Black and Harry, and that was back in third year. If the same situation came about now I wouldn't even stop that long, I'd destroy that wizard. It's the same with him, and he has already done it. That day...my parents died, he didn't even think...you know Grimmauld was attacked too?" Ginny nodded hesitantly, "There were nine Death Eaters there, Harry took out five himself and he killed four of them without a passing thought, all because he needed to get to me. Of course Dumbledore took out the three at the end, and Ron stunned one, but..." Hermione broke off as her thoughts slipped into tired areas.
Ginny placed an arm around Hermione; she didn't know what to say. Through very lucky circumstances, Ginny had not been in any of the fighting since Hogsmeade, last June. She had been out with Moody and several others the day of the attacks on their homes. She had not gone in with the rest in the counter attack on Halloween, or been attacked by Dementors, like Harry and Ron at Diagon Alley after Christmas, or been in on the rescue of Snape, or any of the other minor actions in this war.
A black-haired savior soon rescued Ginny. "Hey, what's up?" Harry asked as he pushed a grumbling Ron towards the changing rooms. "Ron even Luna went back in," Harry yelled after the departing redhead, who just gave him a wave.
Hermione smiled up at him, as he extended his hands and pulled the girls up, Ginny almost flying upward as Harry forgot his own strength. She laughed as Harry shrugged an apology and headed off to change and to get warm. "Fancy a walk Harry?" Hermione asked softly and with a muttered incantation, transfigured their Quiddich uniforms into jeans, sweatshirts and heavy coats. After they had walked in companionable silence for a bit, "Harry, do you know what Ginny asked me?" a slight chuckle accompanying the words.
"No" Harry replied, afraid to ask.
"She asked if I was pregnant." Hermione rolled her eyes, as Harry reached out and pulled her into his side. "I guess she picked up that's something's wrong."
"Yeah, she probably has," Harry, agreed softly, "we need to tell them. I mean besides Ron. The rest of them deserve to know."
"It's a risk Harry." Hermione responded sadly, "even Ron probably shouldn't have known, I don't know why Dumbledore had you bring him up to his office when we found out about Voldemort's actual final goal. They just aren't skilled enough to keep the secret if Riddle or another of the Death Eaters grabs one of them, somehow."
"But why is it a secret...I mean putting aside, my annoyance with secrets in general, Tom already knows what he wants to do." Harry muttered resignedly.
"You promised Dumbledore love," Hermione reminded him in a tone that amply expressed she didn't like the fact either. Harry nodded as they continued along the lake, his thoughts on a future that may or may not happen.
************************DADA Classroom #2*****************************
March 17, 2006
2:30pm
"The problem with magic is nothing is as it seems." Harry pronounced knowingly as he paced back and forth, lecturing. The class today had already gone through a short quiz on recognizing the effects of various dark curses, and now Harry was covering a new topic, that of illusions. He whistled and Hedwig fluttered into the window and settled on his shoulder. "Two of the most basic illusions are invisibility or camouflage. They are actually two quite different things, though the effects can be quite similar." With a tap of his wand Harry disillusioned Hedwig, she faded from view and with a nudge started flying around the room. Hedwig settled on his desk, and Harry carefully did not indicate where he was. "Now with disillusionment charms, there is a relatively simple way to find someone or something, that has been disillusioned. Who can tell me and demonstrate?" As he had half expected only one hand shot up. "Ok Madeline."
"Sir" Madeline began, Harry carefully didn't roll his eyes at the 'sir' getting her to show any perceived disrespect of the professors was like getting Dobby to not call him sir. Or he thought with a concealed grin, getting Hermione to be disrespectful in her first year.
"Go ahead," Harry said encouragingly.
"The easiest way to find something under a disillusionment charm is to use a Lumos charm." At Harry's wave, she stood, "LUMOS" a beam of white light shone from her wand, and she slowly panned it around the room. After a second she stopped, "nox" the light went out and she pointed at Harry's desk.
Harry grinned and pointed his wand at the desk, "Finite" Slowly from the head downward, Hedwig returned to view. She gave a slight hoot and fluttered back over to Harry's shoulder. "Good job Madeline, ten points to Gryffindor." He turned to the rest of the class, "Does anyone know how she found Hedwig?" No hands shot up and Harry gave a sigh. "Ok guys, I used to not read the assignments either, trust me its easier in the long run if you do. Yeah I hear you laughing Mione, Okay Madeline, tell them."
"Sir, the disillusionment charm only allows the target to take on the coloring of the surroundings it does not pass light, so the object still has a shadow." She replied with a slight smile.
"Correct" Harry told her and then he turned to the class as a whole. "That was the correct means of finding something under a disillusionment charm, or at least the easiest and most common. There are magical items, such as magical eyes, and other viewing devices that can see right though camouflage spells. As to true invisibility such as granted by an invisibility cloak, the Lumos trick won't work, though once again the magical eye and such can see through. However, since only Madeline read the reading...ohh, how about three feet on camouflage, invisibility and other disguising spells, and the best means on counter acting them. As a hint there is at least one relatively new spell that the Weasley brothers came up with, if anyone can describe that to me, I'll give bonus points." A slight groan rang out, and Harry gave them a tiny grin. "Due next week, Ok get out of here, class dismissed."
A chorus of sound broke out as ink bottles, quills, books and other assorted class supplies were put away, and wands were tucked back into robes. The room quickly emptied, until only Harry was there in the room, as he finished packing his stuff into a bag, and sending Hedwig off to go fly around, he felt a soft brush against his cheek. With a wry expression, his hand brushed back an invisible hood, to find a pair of brown eyes looking into his. "Hi"
"Hi yourself, enjoy the class?"
"Yeah, I see what you mean, about Madeline, she reminds me of someone?" Hermione mused with a glint in her eyes. "You gave them points for the doppelganger charm, there isn't a way to way to tell the difference visibly, Harry."
"No I don't think so, but if they do come up with a way?" He shrugged, "I convinced Ron that we all could go to Hogsmeade this weekend."
"How did you do that? He's still freaking about the Slytherin game weekend after next, I'd thought he'd be wanting to chain us all to the pitch." She responded, annoyed.
Harry grinned as he flipped his bag on his shoulder and held out his hand. As she took it she put the now tightly folded invisibility cloak in her own bag, "I did the 'scary wizard Harry' routine."
"With the lighting and everything?" Hermione smiled, "and he fell for it?"
"I doubt it, he made me promise that we'd spend all of Sunday at the pitch in recompense." Harry replied as they left the classroom. Hermione locked it with a wave of a wand and tucked it back behind her back. She let out a groan and turned to look at him.
With an expression that flickered between annoyance and something else, "Harry, we need to start studying for NEWTs, its already halfway through March, I mean I've already been, but if we want those Auror appointments..."
"Mione, love, I have been too, remember. I seem to remember that some witch has been making me study those subjects for the last year and a half." Before she could object, he stopped her with an upraised hand. "Listen, Hermione, I think that you would agree that we are probably somewhere well beyond NEWT level in DADA, and Charms and Transfiguration...right" Hermione frowned at him, but nodded in the end. "Ok then, besides your Arithmancy and Runes, then Potions is where my problem is right?"
"No...not really, I mean that even Snape has to admit, that you know your stuff, but" Her response was cut off as Harry leaned in and captured her lips, to the "awws" of some passing third year girls. Hermione broke away and glared at them, and they scampered off. After they left, a small smile crept onto her lips, "what was I saying? I forgot."
"You coming to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" Harry teased.
"I don't know, I mean Draco did ask already" she shot back, Harry feigned shock, and dropped to his knees in front of her... "Oh please, my angel, I don't know what I'd do...I don't think I could go on" He murmured in a vaguely pleading voice. With a grin she yanked him to his feet and planted a kiss on his lips.
"OHH break it up you two" Ron growled walking up towing Luna. He pinched the bridge of his long nose as if they were giving him a migraine, "I bloody well know that Harry hasn't done anything stupid, there's no odd winds and lighting in the corridor." His stomach growled, it had only been three hours or so since lunch, "We're going to sneak down to the kitchens to nick some food, want any?"
"No mate, we're fine." Harry responded for the two of them, and with another nod, he left, and Hermione and Harry started for Gryffindor tower to kill time until dinner actually started for real.
*****************Hogsmeade, The Three Broomsticks*************************
March 18, 2006
11:00am
"Any thing else Harry?" Madame Rosmerta asked with a smile, as she dumped a round of butterbeers on their usual table. The bar, as usual for a Hogsmeade weekend was packed with the Hogwarts third thorough seventh years. She picked up the remainder of some snacks and glanced back around the bar at some third years causing a ruckus across the room. Rosmerta sighed and started to turn. She loved the students coming in, but they had been known to cause a problem or two from time to time. She didn't count the various Death Eater attacks, mad-murderous escaped Azkaban convicts and other problems that followed Harry about; it wasn't his fault after all.
"Don't Rosmerta" Hermione growled getting up. "I'll handle it." Harry winced a bit as he watched her stalk through the crowd on the way to the table of mixed third and fourth years, composed of some Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Both Harry and Rosmerta winced again as she leaned in and whispered something urgently in Dennis' ear, he jumped and everyone at the table nodded at once. She smiled evilly and started back towards Harry, with a little shrug.
"What's the special, Rosmerta?" Harry asked, still smiling a bit.
"The mutton stew's not bad," She replied glancing at the door as the entry bell rang, and several Slytherins including Malfoy came in. Harry did not miss the brief flash of distaste that flitted across her face before she carefully hid it.
"Two of those then" Harry replied.
"Ok Harry, its on the house." Rosmerta grinned again, and as Harry opened his mouth to object, Hermione slid back in beside him and Rosmerta shook her head. "No, you two its worth it just to not have to deal with that" she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Dennis. "And even the Slytherins don't start anything, with you two as Heads." She laughed as she headed off, yelling something at Hagrid as he drunk at the bar from a mug approximately the size of a keg.
"So Mione, are they going to be good?" His eyes were grinning as he took a sip of his beer.
"They bloody well better be." She murmured in return. One of Rosmerta's bar girls dropped off their food, and she muttered thanks as she picked up a spoon. "Where are Ron and Luna?"
"I don't know we didn't see them on the carriages this morning, in fact I haven't seen him since last night. I saw Neville earlier at Quality Quiddich Supplies, and he said he did see Ron early this morning, he came in and changed, and headed off again, without a word." Harry replied thoughtfully, he took a sip of stew as he glanced around the bar. It was full, as was normal for a weekend, even those without students. The clientele was varied, from half-giants, witches and wizards ranging in age from thirteen to one hundred fifty, to a couple of what very well might be vampires in the corner. That suspicion was confirmed as a trembling barmaid delivered a large cup of what looked to be blood to the largest of the pair. "They probably are off somewhere and..." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and they both laughed.
**************************Hogwarts, Infirmary*****************************
In a bed in the otherwise deserted Infirmary, next to the infamous trio's reserved beds, Luna lay shivering, sweat dotting her pale brow. Her eyes were tired, as she smiled faintly up at Ron. He bent down and kissed her forehead, and wiped her face with a cool cloth. She smiled again and closed her eyes.
"A moment, Ronald" Albus Dumbledore said from near the door. He was standing with Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. Minerva and Poppy where they were looking worriedly at Luna. Right after they had parted ways with Harry and Hermione last night at dinner, Luna had muttered something about "he's coming" and had collapsed in a heap. Ron had carried her up to the infirmary, and after when she had woke up for a bit, and Ron had said something about going to get Harry and Hermione, she had grabbed his hand desperately and whispered, "no".
"Ronald, she has shown signs of this before?" Dumbledore asked in a whisper, his blue eyes peering over the top of his half-moons. He gave Ron an encouraging little smile as if encouraging a recalcitrant student to tell the truth. Minerva turned and gave Ron a slight glare, but dropped it almost immediately. Pomfrey didn't however; she looked as if this was his fault somehow.
Ron didn't turn and look at the two witches, for a millisecond he flinched under Dumbledore's gaze, but almost instantly straightened up and looked him back in the eye. Blue eyes meeting blue, "yes, sir, but not this bad." He looked over at Luna as he spoke, with a touch of dread in his voice. Ron was long since past the days when he was afraid to speak Voldemort's name but the prospect of loosing Luna, put a quiver in to his Gryffindor heart.
Dumbledore frowned and crooking an eyebrow gave Ron an examining look, "you do know what is happening with Miss Lovegood, do you not?" He looked across at Ron, more or less at an even level. Of the many people in the castle, Ron and Dumbledore were several inches above most of them, Hagrid notwithstanding of course. With an unconscious gesture he pulled his glasses from the bridge of his crooked nose and started polishing them on the sleeve of his emerald green robes.
Ron sighed, and glanced back at Luna. She moaned, half unconscious, as she settled back down, muttering as if she were seeing things that were not there, Ron turned back to the rest with another sigh. "Yeah, sort of."
"Well I don't Albus" McGonagall glared at the headmaster, her burr breaking through in her annoyance. She crossed to Luna, the rest trailing. She tenderly ran her hand over Luna's sweat-darkened hair, her eyes turned hard once again as she stared at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore returned his glasses to his face, and sat down heavily on Harry's usual bed. He looked up at them clustered around, waiting for the word. "There are additional talents that some witches and wizards develop, more slowly or at random times than their normal powers. A good example is Harry and Hermione's powers, or even your own strategic prowess, Ron. I assume that you see the potential outcomes of actions, and plan accordingly." Ron, Minerva and Poppy all stared at him a bit stunned. "The reason is that you have shown a skills of a minor branch of Divination, one that has shown up at times in otherwise normal muggles as well, Napoleon, and Lord Nelson are prime examples. However what Luna is experiencing is not Divination per say, but an odd off shoot."
"But you don't believe in Divination, Albus" McGonagall objected abstractedly. She looked over at Luna again with concern.
"For the most part, I do not. However, as we both know there are cases where prophecies are true..." McGonagall glared back for a moment longer then gave a brief, grudging nod. "But as I just said, what she is experiencing is the full onset of what is most commonly considered clairvoyance. I actually noticed something when you were training last year, Ron. In that first training session with Alastor when the four of you were trying to escape that mock up of the Ministry..."
"Yeah, she knew it was just Moody, but I didn't even think about it..." Ron shrugged.
Dumbledore chuckled softly, "Aw yes trust and love...we forget their power at times when we get older, I doubt Miss Lovegood herself fully knows what is happening. When Poppy told me what had happened I looked into her family history. Her mother showed similar talents but not until after her graduation, also she never progressed past what Luna showed as normal. Her normal state was truly that she did not know where she always was. I have noticed that you give her an adequate anchor point, Ronald." Dumbledore smiled as Ron's ears turned red. "Unfortunately, like the rest of you, her powers are blooming at the time when they might be needed."
Ron looked a touch confused, as did Poppy; McGonagall grimaced slightly and gestured briskly for Dumbledore to complete his explanation. "She has always, I would suspect, and more and more over the years, seen events and places at a remove, interspaced with what she experiences in real life. Unlike Divination, she sees what is actually taking place at that instant or perhaps in a few moments hence. Furthermore, I also believe that she, except for brief flashes, did not have control over what she saw and where. She could however, bring herself fully into her own, she shows admirable focus when she is in danger or in class, rather more than you yourself, Ronald."
Ron turned even redder at that, fact but did not argue. "Alas however, as to today, her powers seem to have fully awakened, and she will require all the help she can get though this and remain sane. If she does not remain anchored to herself, she will become adrift in the now, and loose herself. Poppy, I believe Ronald will be needed here, as will Hermione, Harry, Ginny and perhaps Neville. I am sorry to betray Luna's wishes, however someone that she knows needs to be with her until she lea....
Dumbledore trailed off as suddenly Luna suddenly sat up, and her eyes shot open. Her normally dark blue eyes were glowing with a bright golden light. Ron let out a gasp and dove over to her side. She was trembling as she turned sightless eyes to Dumbledore, her voice dropped two octaves as she spoke in a terrible hard voice, "HE COMES TO THE HOUSE OF THE TRIO OF FLIGHT" and as they all watched, stunned, she turned her face to Ron, her eyes faded to their normal hue, she squeaked out a soft "Ron" in a soft parody of her normal voice and slumped to the bed, out cold.
"ALBUS" McGonagall hissed, as she started towards the door.
"I know" He snapped and in between eye blinks, he vanished, leaving Poppy looking befuddled and Ron looking worried as he clutched Luna.
A/N : Ohhh noooooooo