Alas I still own nothing really.
Chapter 40: The Setup
******************************Hogwarts**********************************
June 7, 2006
"Hey Ron, wait up." Harry shouted to the redhead as he came down the stairs from his room. He glanced around the common room to notice Pavarti talking to a third year, Travis Weber, showing him the incantation for a summoning charm. She pointed her wand at a book across the room and with a slight whoosing of air; it shot to her hand. Her familiar jumped at it as it passed, while Ginny's kneazle looked at it reproachfully, and if he could, he probably would have rolled his eyes. Travis shook his head, and muttered something about failing the spell on Flitwick's final last week.
"Oi, what's up mate?" Ron replied as he looked up from a couch near the fire. He was waiting for Luna to come down for breakfast, and playing a quick game of chess with himself, by now only his family would play with him.
Harry sat down on an old, ripped armchair across from his oldest friend and sighed heavily. He looked apprehensive as if he were about to enter a room full of Death Eaters without a wand or friends. He did not look at Ron, but just stared at Ron's feet. "Ron, I need your help."
"What mate?" Ron grinned hugely, and in a voice entirely too loud, "you got my new sister preggers and I have to get you out of the country?"
With a negligent gesture, Harry wandlessly shot pillows from both sides at Ron, "No you prat." Harry laughed though and in a more quiet voice. "I'm going to ask Hermione Friday before dinner."
Just as he got that out, Pavarti jumped over the back of the couch, and landed next to Ron. Still bouncing a bit, she looked over at Harry, "so you're finally breaking down, huh?" The dark-haired girl giggled at Harry's expression, and waved over at her blond haired roommate as she came down the stairs in the company of Ginny and Luna. The trio came over and Luna plopped down on Ron's lap, while Lavender and Ginny leaned on the back of the couch. A moment later Neville came down the stairs and put his arms around Ginny. Harry looked up at the sudden crowd and dropped his head to his hands, and used them to shake it back and forth. Pavarti turned to the newcomers, "Harry's finally broken down." An immediate eruption of applause echoed around the common room and Harry flushed and glanced up, staring daggers at Ron.
"Fine then." Harry let out a little groan, "since you all know, you can help. I plan on asking Friday before dinner, and I'll need help keeping out of her way till then." Nods all around answered his call.
But it was Neville who uttered what they were all thinking, "Sure Harry, we'll help. I mean after all we already face the forces of evil at your side, I guess we can help you with this. But Harry...I'm a little afraid of Hermione, you have to promise you'll help us if she comes after us." Another slow chorus of nods answered that request, and Harry laughed.
"Sure Neville, I'll hold her back, but I'm not responsible for the lighting."
*****************************The Great Hall**************************
7:15pm
Neville laughed under his breath at their great leader as he sat silently, at least to the outside observer, looking at Hermione. Of course the two of them could be discussing advanced transfiguration, you never really knew, since they finally had developed the means to talk without words. Or at least had finally admitted it. He privately thought they had actually started around about their second year. He watched as Harry shook his head slightly as she raised a single eyebrow in some unspoken question.
Ginny raised her head, from were she had been leaning on him and looked up into his face, "what's so funny hun?" She had a small little smile as she looked up and brushed a lock of flame behind an ear.
"Oh them." Neville responded, in a whisper pitched to her ears only. "Its funny for all their powers, it shows that they are human after all. I mean he's trying desperately to hold out until Friday, and they both are oblivious to everyone else, Pavarti might as well have a sign around her neck asking 'hey Herm, has he asked yet?' Watch how she keeps looking at Hermione's hands." Ginny looked over at her friend, and giggled, which she quickly covered up with a cough. Neville suddenly looked pensive and reached into a pocket of his jeans. "Ginny would you like to go for a walk outside?"
"Sure Neville." Ginny said as she got up and held out her hand for him. Taking it, Neville led her from the hall. Ron started to say something but was quickly distracted by Luna, and he forgot what he was going to say. The pair walked in silence out the main entrance hall and down the path to the lake. Setting off along the trail, which was all too familiar from endless training runs, they turned and watched the sky erupt in fire. The sun was setting behind the mountains to the west, lighting the sky with reds and golds, a good omen for the Gryffindors below. Neville smiled as he noticed the way the colors glinted off his companion's hair, and in her brown eyes. As they reached a secluded nook on the trail, isolated from the trail itself but still with a view of the lake, he dropped the hand he had been holding and stepped back. For a long minute Ginny stood looking over at the fading light over the water, then turned to look at him, a smile on her face. The smile froze then her jaw dropped as she noticed Neville crouched on one knee, a small velvet box in one hand.
"Ginerva Weasley, I know we are still too damn young for this, and we may not live to get married anyway and if we do I know that your mother will probably go spare, but Ginny will you marry me." Neville looked a little shaky, but he held up well as he waited for a response. Instead of words Ginny jumped at him, knocking them both backwards as she captured his lips with hers. After a good minute, she broke away, her chest heaving. "So yes?" Ginny nodded hard enough to throw her hair forward over her eyes as she collapsed back down on Neville, her tiny fingers searching out the clasp on his robe.
Neville raised up enough to pull his arms out and toss it over to the side. Ginny was already out of her top before he could move an inch more, the two of them totally lost in the moment. As they settled down, a last flicker of light illuminated their wands both piled on top of Neville's cloak, neither of which was used this night.
Three hours later, the pair headed back to the castle, their clothes in place, Neville looked down at the girl in his arms. "Ginny, do you want to tell everyone now, or wait until after graduation Saturday?"
Ginny considered the question, and looking into his eyes, she rotated her new ring so the solitaire faced inward, practically concealing the ring. "I love you more than anything Neville, but you're right, we'll tell everyone after graduation, Ok?" Neville nodded in the affirmative, "besides, it looks like both Luna and I will both be waiting until next graduation to get married anyway. You know, for the first time in a long time, I'm a bit jealous of Hermione, they'll probably get hitched as soon as Harry can get Dumbledore to perform the ceremony.' Neville just laughed and rolled his eyes.
"We'll be too busy anyway, Gin." He waved up towards Gryffindor tower as if pointing towards someone, "remember we have to help carry out the grand distraction."
"Just why the hell is he doing this anyway?
"Heck if I know."
********************Hogwarts, Room of Requirement*********************
June 9, 2006
7:00 am
"Ok guys, were here to go over some things before we have our next meeting at Grimmauld in a week." Harry was sitting on a table in front of the gathered student members of the Order, all of which would be non-student members in about thirty-six hours or so when they graduated from Hogwarts. "Now as you know, Hermione, Ron and I are all supposed to start the Auror academy in July, but we've already heard that we are only going to be in for a year instead of three, as Moody vouched for us, and in the meantime, since Arthur is Minister, we will be still active. Pavarti, Padma, you two and Lavender will be out of the country for a bit?"
"Yeah Harry, mum wants us to come with her to Hong Kong for a month." Padma answered for the three of them. Harry nodded at this confirmation.
"Ok then while you are there, we might need you to look into something for us. And you might get to hook up with an old friend." Harry was smiling more or less when he said that last, while next to him, sitting on the opposite edge of the table Ron was trying not to laugh. Hermione whacked Ron upside the head, as Harry watched, and everyone chuckled though they didn't know why. "Cho just got out of the Auror Academy on the accelerated course and she's there now, so you'll be in touch." The trio nodded as Harry turned to Neville, "You with Ginny?" He nodded and Harry bit back a grin. "Ok everyone else, since I've already had all of you here since six training, get out of here, the sun's out and most of you are graduating in twenty four hours. So don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"And just what would that be Harry?" Seamus asked with a smirk. Someone chucked a book at him as they all left the room, but he could still be heard saying, "no I was serious Dean, what wouldn't he do?"
"I'll show you hun" Lavender replied in a breathy voice and the door slammed shut behind them, leaving only the original sextuplet behind.
Harry turned to the rest of them raised an eyebrow, "Now as to the rest of you. I have already taken the liberty of adding you to the house wards at Grimmauld, unfortunately as its still the headquarters of the Order, I couldn't bar Molly, sorry Ron." Everyone chuckled including Ron. Molly had not been...approving...of the proposed living arrangements, post-Hogwarts. She might have accepted that her kids had grown up, but like last Christmas, she didn't want to be reminded of it. She had berated Ron in a Howler last week for a good five minutes over the fact that Luna was to be living with him over the summer, and in fact would be living in the same room. Harry had only had Dobby and Winky prepare four bedrooms in the huge mansion for the six of them and Tonks and Lupin, who were also going to be living there. That was still at bit of a sore spot for Harry, as Dumbledore had forced it as a condition of them living there, but it could have been, much, much worse. It could have been Snape.
He grinned, like he hadn't in a while, "Anyway, Hermione and I are moving in Monday, the rest of you are welcome then, or whenever you can get your stuff moved over. Your phoenix credentials will of course get you past the main wards, but let me or Hermione know when you are coming over so one of us can sync the house defenses to you."
"House defenses?" Ginny asked with a confused look on her face, "I know about the wards that Dumbledore put on, of course, but..."
Harry shrugged, "Oh, sorry, Turns out the house has intrinsic defensive wards of its own that can be activated. Sirius never knew, as he didn't exactly get along with his parents, and we didn't know until I got a package from Gringotts after I inherited the place. Seems they never sent the package to Sirius when he got it by rights. He should have gotten it, but he was in Azkaban at the time, and it slipped through the cracks. They're not as impressive as the ones at Hogwarts, but they're good enough to buy us some time if we need it to escape."
"Fine Harry, Luna and I'll come over Tuesday, if that's ok? Mum wants us all at the Burrow Monday night for dinner." Ron replied easily as he headed for the door, Luna and Neville following. Ginny turned and mouthed, "I got her," to Harry behind Hermione's back.
"Hermione, can you stay and help me with that speed charm, again. I just can't seem to get the hang of it." Hermione looked at Harry, I'll see you later, Harry. We don't have classes after all.
Uhh sure, Hermione, though I have to work with Moody and then Dumbledore and...I'll see you at lunch I guess. He replied silently, a sudden frown decorating his face. He shrugged as he left, Ron pulling him by the elbow as Hermione turned back to Ginny.
"Ok, Ginny, the incantation is ego accelero" Hermione said patiently as Harry left the room in the company of Ron, Luna and Neville.
The door closed, and Harry collapsed against it. He looked up at his friends, an expression on his face like someone just told him Voldemort was waiting for him in his room, and someone had run over his wands with a steamroller. "Ron...she's going to kick my arse."
"No, Harry, she'll think it was romantic." Ron reassured him, while Neville hid a small smile and looked away quickly. He and Ginny had decided to wait to tell everyone until after graduation, so as not to take away from everyone else's graduation.
"Either that or she'll Kedavra my arse." Harry smiled a bit grimly, "Ok now Ron, Luna, Neville, I'm going to have to hide myself from her, so here goes." Harry's face suddenly scrunched up and the other three suddenly felt Harry's presence diminish. "Ok, that's weird." He chuckled at their expression. "I can hardly feel your presence."
"What do you mean Harry?" Neville put in.
"You guys know how you can feel the presence of a wizard if you are in proximity?" Harry asked.
"I can now, though I couldn't when I was a first year." Ron replied.
"I couldn't either bro." Harry said as they four of them walked away rapidly. "But I can normally feel relative magic levels and if I know you I can tell you apart. But right now, I only barely know that Luna is behind and to my left and Neville is on the other side. I know where Hermione is, of course, but I can't hear her thoughts right now. Hopefully Ginny keeps Hermione busy so she doesn't notice that she can't speak to me."
"You are weird, you know that right mate?" Ron shot back and Harry laughed. "You better go. We'll head her off if we can."
"Don't get hurt" And with that Harry vanished, off to somewhere.
*************************Hogwarts, Great Hall*****************************
Noon
"Hey Ron, Luna" Hermione smiled at the pair and rolled her eyes as Luna languorously looked up from Ron's shoulder. She was sitting on Ron's lap, eating something, while at the same time Ron was eating a great deal of something. Hermione sat down and made a sandwich from the selection on the table. "Have you seen Harry, I haven't seen him since this morning, and we have to work on our speeches for tomorrow." Ron kept eating until Luna elbowed him, and motioned to Hermione.
"What, uh?"
"Honestly...Ron. Harry, you know that boy that hangs out with us all the time. Your best friend since you were eleven, the boy that lives with me. The bloody Boy-Who-Lived. That one."
"Oh, no sorry, I last saw him this morning, said something about talking to Lupin." Ron replied as he went back to eating. Ginny looked up from across the table and quickly looked down to hide her smile. Hermione grabbed her sandwich and headed back out the door.
Ginny looked at the door, "What's the bet on if Harry can keep this up until tonight? I mean she's going to find Lupin."
"Oh he's in on it too." Luna replied dreamily
A couple of hours later, Hermione was getting increasingly frustrated. She had finally found Lupin but he had merely said that Harry was out working on some assignment for the Order. And to top it off, for some reason, Harry was masking his presence, so she could only feel that he was alive, but couldn't find him or speak to him. She had given up on him inside the castle, and now she was flying over the grounds, her eyes scanning for Harry.
Far below, Harry looked up through the screen of his invisibility cloak, and a guilty flash shot through him. He shook his head and walked off towards the forest, and Norbert's lair. For right now, the dragon was probably safer.
**************************Somewhere outside of Edinburgh*******************
"You summoned me, my Lord?" Lucius Malfoy asked in a simpering voice as he swept into a dark chamber to find his master standing looking down at the Sword of Slytherin sitting on a twisted oak stand with a dark, happy look. Voldemort reached out and stroked the edge of the black blade as he gazed down on it, not looking up at his chief crony.
"Yes, I did, Lucius...it is time; we go tonight." Voldemort picked up the blade, and sheathed it inside his robes. He turned to his minion and watched as a matching grin spread across Malfoy's face. "The situation is as we discussed earlier. There will be three forces. For your loyalty, I will give you the honor of dealing with that old fool, Dumbledore. McNair has already left to gather his forces for the efforts at Diagon Alley. Potter, and his little bitch will be mine." Voldemort settled his robes and started out of the room, Malfoy trailing as he went.
Malfoy turned as they exited the room, into another where a host of Death Eaters waited. "Sire, how will we get past the wards at Hogwarts, and where is Wormtail?"
Voldemort laughed as he took in the arranged Death Eaters, who kneeled as one to him. "Dear Peter goes to finalize his treason to the Potter line. As he did to the father, so too will he visit the son. He will plant the locating spells that will allow us to get past the wards. This time tomorrow, the Earth will be pure once more, Potter, Dumbledore, and the rest will be dead, and the wizarding world will bow at my feet or die."
A/N: Ok to borrow another Indiana Jones comparison, the big giant stone ball is rolling downhill....