12. Happy New Year
Harry awoke on New Years Eve rather early. He had begun to wake up earlier than was his usual habit. He pondered why. Sure, disturbances were natural having another person in one's bed - or if sleeping in someone else's bed. This was Hermione's room. They had begun to alternate their bedtime habits, some days sleeping in Harry's room, other days in Hermione's. This was her idea, but Harry doubted they could fool the house elves that easily. They certainly knew that they were sleeping together. Harry could tell by Dobby's happy smile and willingness to help the other day.
Hermione was still asleep, lying on her side with her knees high and with her back towards him. That meant a rather narrow space for him. He slid out of bed, tucking the blanket around her for warmth. He sat on the bed with his feet on the floor, feeling the cold air around him. With a warm smile he looked at Hermione's sleeping form beneath the blanket, the curve of her hips, the brown bushy hair and her peaceful face partially hidden in shadow. Yes, Hermione was a treasure. Today was to be a showdown with Voldemort. Would they see a new day together? He felt a momentary desire to slide down in the warm bed at her side and forget the world around them and the worry of a tomorrow.
Harry withstood the temptation and remained sitting on the side of the bed. Apart from the nightmare of a few nights ago, his mind had been very much at ease lately. Again, he thought about his constant awareness of Hermione, of her smile, her dark eyes, her scent in his nose, her talk, her whole being. She was definitely good for his mental strength. He felt much more thoroughly rested this morning than usual. Harry knelt at the bedside and whispered in Hermione's ears.
"Mione, wake up! Today we are going to win our freedom!"
She stirred and lay back stretching her arms and legs. Harry's attention was caught by the movement under the blanket, but when she opened her eyes his eyes locked in hers.
"Morning sweetheart. Time for breakfast, and I think we are going to that old house soon after. See you in the shower."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The kiss became longer and longer and more and more intimate. When Hermione threw away the blankets Harry's resolve for just a short shower before breakfast melted away.
---
Afterwards, Hermione confessed her anxiety for the evening.
"Are you sure we are going to win, Harry? Maybe this was our last morning together? There is so much we haven't done yet. Living together in our own home. H ... Having children. I know we haven't talked a lot about these things, but I think you would be a good father. There should be a whole life before us, but it might come to an end already this night."
"Mione, our lives could have come to a stop yesterday night as well. Only we think that Voldemort actually is planning something this night. It may still come to nothing. One thing I'm pretty sure about though is that if he is trying something, it will be an ordinary attack with magic, his advantage intended to be surprise and maybe that we would be slowed by butter beer and too much food. He will not be prepared for defence with muggle weapons."
"I know, but this is a dangerous game and things do go wrong sometimes."
"We have to be well prepared. Preparations start with a shower and breakfast. Come along now."
Hermione's anxiety must have been washed away in the shower. Walking along the corridors to breakfast with her hand in Harry's, she was in high spirits, smiling happily to other students they met. Her appetite matched her spirits. Professor Dumbledore came to them at the table in person to discuss the immediate plans.
"You should be prepared to go by floo powder from the teacher's common room at 10.30. Kingsley has confirmed that Major Shout will call at about 11 to help install the gadgets you have discussed with him, and he will instruct you two about their proper operation."
"Professor," Harry added. "I've got two questions." Harry received a nod from Professor Dumbledore. "We saw three shooting stars yesterday evening. Enormous, like no ordinary ones. Could they be omens, and if so, what did they mean?"
"Harry - and Hermione - omens like prophesies do exist, but I don't know who is sending them and why. I don't see the point in sending imprecise and obscure messages, whose true value and meaning are not known until after the event. I didn't see those stars myself, but I've heard about them. I don't know their meaning, if any. The other question?"
"Is it possible for Voldemort to feel that the house is empty when he attacks? Is it possible to produce a false aura around the house that will convince him that we are all inside? Not only to have to rely on the images like we have been discussing."
"Good point Harry. A very good point. Tom Riddle is a wizard that could react to such a thing unless in a big hurry. Producing a false aura can be done, but it would be a tricky bit of magic. It will keep me nicely occupied the rest of this morning. Come visit me before you leave. - And don't forget to pack proper clothes for a New Year celebration."
---
A while later Harry and Hermione came back down through the hall to the entrance to the headmaster's office, each with a backpack with their dress robes. Naturally they had been discussing Professor Dumbledore's answer to Harry's question. After some arguments, they had agreed that until they got information regarding a possible explanation, they didn't need to be nervous about it. They entered through the stone gargoyle and came up to professor Dumbledore. He was busy with the glass retorts and flasks that they had always seen unused on previous occasions.
"Good," he said. "Blow through this pipe. Some of your essence is caught in this liquid and we can let it evaporate slowly in the house when we have left tonight. I've already done my blowing and so has professor McGonagall. I will have Alastor Moody blow as well and professor Snape when I find him. Did you see him this morning?"
"Is Professor Moody here?" asked Harry.
"Yes, he is visiting here but he has been in his room most of the time. He's rather tired because of his age, he says. He will join us this night though. But professor Snape?"
"He might have gone to Hogsmeade," ventured Hermione.
"Aha, you said he's got a girlfriend there?"
"No, I didn't say, but yes we think so," answered Harry cryptically.
"I will send for him if he doesn't show up in a while. Thank you and see you later."
---
They reached the house in Grimmauld Place in good order. Tonks and Lupin were sitting at the table talking in the kitchen. No decorations or any other activities indicated that there was to be a party going on the same evening. Hermione thought of how the scene would have been if Molly Weasley had been in charge.
"How are the preparations going?" she asked and continued, "Where is Kreacher?"
Harry sensed her concern and made a quick silencing spell on the room. Tonks answered Hermione's question.
"We are trying to catch Kreacher in his double-play, but we haven't succeeded. We hoped he would be curious about the lack of preparations and put some questions revealing himself, but he has not. He is around sulking somewhere. And Dung is watching the house as unobtrusively as only he can do."
"Very good. Yesterday, he asked for leave tonight, so we know anyway. We must start the preparations now. With magic we can fix this in little time," Harry said and continued explaining. "We are going to prepare the party of the year. It should be apparent for everyone happening to see the house and looking in through the windows that there is to be a party this night. Especially Kreacher must be convinced. What we will prepare is to let the house continue with its own party when we leave at 10 pm."
"We are expecting our help from the ministry any minute now. Mione, please play the role of Molly and get the preparations going. I'll get our luggage upstairs. And Tonks, don't trip over everything you see."
"The reason I trip over things is I don't see them."
"Conjure eyes on your toes then," he smiled at her and let go of the silencing charm.
"Gee thanks, what a marvellous idea," she answered and started doing it.
When Harry returned some minutes later he found Hermione at the table drawing instructions. He sensed rather than saw a pair of eyes looking furtively around the corner of the cupboard. "Hello Kreacher!" he said as friendly as he could.
"Did you get the items on that list we prepared the other day?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter, Sir. I acquired the items mentioned, and prepared the dishes as instructed, Sir."
"Good, Kreacher," Harry nodded. He was master of the house and could expect obedience if not loyalty from him.
"Please Kreacher, help miss Granger getting ready for the party." He looked meaningfully in Hermione's direction. She returned his glance.
"There is a man from the telephone company working in the street. I think you should ask him if he is coming with the equipment we ordered for the party."
---
Harry went outside up to an orange van marked 'Network Services', and found Major Shout in similarly coloured working clothes. They greeted each other hastily; Harry was uncertain how to deal with the situation as the major obviously was doing his best trying to look an innocent service man. Harry decided to play his part as someone in trouble finally getting his help. The major thus had to carry his equipment in himself with Harry simply helping with a levitation charm. Finally inside, he explained.
"I will unpack the equipment right now so I can bring the boxes back with me. I would not like anything to be left that can be identified later. The camera and the remote control, I want you to take with you and return to me later. The other things will have to go up in the air together with the rest. In that big long box, there is a dummy of yourself. Don't be scared when you open it." Harry stuffed the dummy in a closet, and helped pack the empty boxes close to the door.
"I have decided to have the control device in the kitchen, together with the first projector." The major started towards the kitchen door.
"Beware; you may meet our house elf in there. Just so you are prepared. His name is Kreacher and he does NOT know of our plans. He's not trustworthy - connected to the old lady in the portrait."
The major entered the kitchen carefully and of course made big eyes seeing his first elf.
"Kreacher, this man is helping us with the decorations and some of the lights we will use in our party," Harry explained. Kreacher just made a face indicating he couldn't care less. Hermione understood at once and came forward.
"How do you do. Very nice of you. I will help put up the decorations shortly." She pointed at the cables the major had started to lay out on the floor.
Soon the video projectors and speakers were installed in the kitchen and the dining room along with some special illuminations on the second floor. Close to every device, he also placed a tiny charge of explosives. Hermione came with a large amount of multi-coloured streamers that she used to disguise the many cables. Her method of putting them up impressed the major. She just put them on her wand and 'pow' there they were, neatly fastened around the windows, doors, bookshelves and concealing the projectors and speakers.
The main installation of explosives was to be in the entrance hall.
"I would like to have them behind that curtain, but if that is impossible …"
"Let's have a try," Harry said.
He drew back the curtain. The old lady was awake and looked at Harry solemnly.
"There you are again. There are certainly powers in you and your girlfriend. Is it true that my son is dead?"
"Yes, he was killed by his cousin Bellatrix. He was my godfather; he was a friend of my parents, the only connexion to them I had." Harry was taken aback by the grave face of the Lady Black.
"He was a good son when young, but then he got ideas much too modern for me. I feel the time is changing, according to his direction - I hope to meet him soon, I will tell him you are doing fine."
"If you meet my parents, give them greetings from me as well. - Rest in peace." Harry added the last words as the lady Black turned around and faded away.
That was a tough old lady, commented Major Shout, quickly fastening explosive charges around the now empty portrait. Harry thoughtfully fetched Hermione to show what had happened to the portrait. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze.
Major Shout had made his final inspection of the installation.
"Now I want you to try the connection. You take this remote control device, go and hide behind those bushes and put this switch to on. Don't press any buttons. I will check here that the receiver is picking up the signal."
Harry went out to the shrubbery in the park, finding a suitable place from where the front door and the area around could be observed. He knelt down and flipped the on switch. Not knowing what to do, he remained hidden until Hermione showed up, waving her arms.
"The reception was quite OK. We saw the green LED blinking fast, didn't we?" Major Shout nodded at Hermione. He showed an obvious fascination in the young witch. He then addressed her, showing how to operate the remote control.
"You will find the codes here on the back. You can start and stop the lights as well as the projectors with these codes. If and when your target enters the house and you want to blow him up, remember you must do it in two steps, for safety reasons. First you arm the detonators using this code. Then you enter this code to set off the charges. Always press the send button after you have entered a code. The detonators will be disarmed again automatically after twenty seconds. Try to arm them as late as possible - Any questions?"
"Noo - I don't think so. And the video camera? How do we record the party pictures?"
"Sorry; I should have told you that of course." Major Shout apologized. "These two projectors have a special endless tape cassette. It will run a minute and then repeat itself. It is quite enough. Your adversaries won't stop to admire your party before launching their attack. They will only register that a party is going on. - You record it with the video camera in the normal way. It's good if the actors move away somewhat during the recording, but they should return in a natural way to roughly the same position before the minute ends."
Hermione had got a lecture of her own. Harry had merely stood by, listening. Harry saw her quickly rehearsing the lecture in her mind. When she finally nodded, he knew the instructions were understood and remembered. Harry turned to the major.
"Thank you. Now we only can hope for the best."
"I don't know anything about magic, but the old lady in the portrait seems already to have drawn her own conclusions. - Good luck. I guess I will hear about the outcome in one way or the other."
Harry helped to bring the empty boxes back to the car.
---
When Harry came back into the kitchen he heard Hermione direct Kreacher.
"Kreacher, I want you to put out the champagne glasses on a tray together with the wine cooler. We will put in the ice and the bottle ourselves just before midnight. - Harry, have you unpacked the fireworks? I think it best if they remain in our room."
Harry was bewildered. They hadn't talked about any fireworks. However he had no time opening his mouth before Hermione entered his mind.
'Play with me. Pretend we brought fireworks.'
"Sure, I will see that they are OK."
In the few minutes Harry was away pretending to check the fireworks, much had changed. Remus and Tonks had joined the preparations in the kitchen. The courses Kreacher had prepared now appeared on dishes in the scullery, Remus was checking on the supply of wine and butterbeer and the party table was being laid out by Tonks and Hermione.
"It's a long time since I met Professor Dumbledore," Tonks said with a meaningful nod at Kreacher's back.
"I think he will come together with Professor McGonagall," Harry added for good measure. He felt certain that Kreacher now was listening with great interest.
"Do you think all guests will arrive at the same time?" Harry asked innocently, giving Remus a quick look.
"No, I'm afraid not." Remus was quick in the uptake. "Some said they were afraid they couldn't come until close to twelve."
"Unless you can do some magic, we'll be short on the champagne then." Harry was anxious to fix the maximum bait to midnight sharp.
"We'll do nicely, I think," Remus answered with a smile on his lip.
---
Harry and Hermione had just come down from their room, dressed in their dress robes when two pops in the hall announced the arrival of the first guests. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were welcomed by both Remus and Tonks and by Harry and Hermione. The preparations were properly admired. Professor Dumbledore made his way out into the kitchen where Kreacher appeared as on cue.
"Kreacher, the preparations have been satisfactory, so you may take your leave if you wish. Of course, there will be some cleaning up to do when the party is over." Harry said.
"Thank you, Mr Potter, Sir." Kreacher bowed. He seemed anxious to avoid the eyes of Professor Dumbledore. He quickly disappeared into the closet behind the scullery door. Only a minute later, a pop indicated he was gone.
"I'm sorry to say that his conscience is not very clean, which is unnatural for a house-elf. There must be a reason for that. He's been tampered with. Putting it right would break him, I'm afraid."
"May I show you this?" Harry beckoned to his headmaster to follow. Harry revealed the now empty portrait in the hall. "This afternoon, she said the times were changing, and then she left."
"Just like that?"
"Well, she inquired about her son, and I told her what had happened and that I missed him as my godfather. Then she said she hoped to meet him soon. And then she faded away."
"If we live to the morning, we will have much to contemplate." Professor Dumbledore said the last words more to himself, but Harry overheard him. Fortunately, new arrivals were heard in the hall.
---
To say the party was a success would be to exaggerate. The preparations were praised, the food was excellent and everyone tried to make merry conversation and took eager part in the songs. But there was tension in the air. Now and then someone would fall silent for a while and those around knew instantly what was the matter.
After a while, Hermione rose and motioned Harry to fetch the video camera. Hermione did her best to direct the guests and have them sing and clap their hands while Tonks moved with the dishes in the background. Harry managed to catch a nice sequence with the camera. They also recorded a sequence with Tonks preparing something in the kitchen.
Although the guests were well accustomed with the muggle world, they were greatly amused seeing themselves sing and move on the dining room wall when Harry put the cassette into the projector. Harry explained the idea behind the deception; that to the casual observer, the house should look like if a party was at full swing inside.
"We play at the Death-Eater's unwillingness to accept the muggle world. They will have no experience that a simple muggle device could produce those pictures." Hermione explained the idea, receiving silent approval. Hermione then realized for the first time that evening the professor Snape actually was among the guests. He looked at her silently with a solemn face she couldn't remember having seen on him before.
"I've watched that young pair; they work together like they have been married all their life. Harry was a very pleasant young man when I learned to know him the other day. Hermione is a very bright student, I've heard." Kingsley Shacklebolt made an observation in a low voice to Professor Dumbledore.
"They've belonged to each other for some years, although they've not realised that until recently. They complement each other perfectly, and actually, Hermione is the tougher of the two - and the brightest student I ever had." Professor McGonagall cast a quick glace to check that the objects of the discussion were still in the kitchen. "Their first big test will be when the young Weasley boy returns after holiday."
"Yes, that will be a crucial moment, and I have hopes they will handle it, but Minerva, we should watch so it doesn't go out of hand." Professor Dumbledore said and then he rose, asking for silence.
"A normal New Years Eve, this would be way too early to thank the hosts for the party. But this is as we all feel and know not a normal day. So; Remus and Tonks, you took the initiative to this party, and Harry and Hermione, you altered all our plans and made this a party we all will remember. Thank You. Now we will leave to our different duties. We all know what has to be done. Harry's second sense of the doings of Lord Voldemort together with other intelligence tells us that something is going to happen. Let's hope we meet again soon, healthy and sound. There are indications that are positive for our side but we can never be sure. We can hope, but predictions are always difficult - especially about the future!"
---
Everyone rose, emptied their glasses solemnly, and picked up their belongings and left. There were a minimum of talk.
Professor Moody came up to Harry and Hermione. "I'm to watch over you the rest of the evening. First we go back to Hogwarts; tell me when you are ready. You will probably change your clothes and bring some of the equipment. We will not come in here again, I think?"
Hermione made a comment to Tonks about leaving everything as it was on the tables. Either it didn't matter, or it would be Kreacher's problem in the morning. It was a spooky feeling, not knowing if they were to see the inside of the house again. Harry came down after having changed his clothes. He put the camera and the remote control device into his backpack. He handed his mobile phone to Tonks.
"You know how it works? There is a short-cut number to Hermione's phone here."
"Yeah. Actually, I do. It's in the auror course nowadays. We'll stay an hour more, leaving to take up watch well before midnight. By that time, we will be rather tired of those movies you started!"
Hermione came downstairs in her travel clothes and with her backpack. She took out two small phials.
"These I got from Professor Dumbledore. They contain the essence he prepared this morning."
She emptied the larger one over the table in the dining room, the other over the dummy Harry had brought out of the closet and placed in the hall. With a nod she then indicated she was ready to go. Professor Moody reached out an old broomstick for Harry and Hermione to grab. An instant after doing so, they felt the familiar tug of the portkey behind their navels and the next instant they experienced a wild flight through something similar to a nightly hailstorm. The storm increased to a hurricane before it subsided. They landed in a backyard of a big stone castle. It had to be Hogwarts, but from an angle they hadn't seen before.
---
Once inside the castle, Professor Moody told them to get ready for the last task of the day and to bring a backpack with the things they should need.
"Don't forget a dark rug or something to lie down on while we are watching the house. Come to Albus' office when you are ready. We will wait there together before it's time to go."
When they reached the office of Professor Dumbledore, they found a nice and cosy fire burning and tea with muffins served on a tray. Harry and Hermione sat down together in a big armchair. Talk was sparse and the time dragged along. It was a relief when Professor Moody finally rose, took a few tottering steps and declared it was time to go.
Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and many of the other teachers together with Madame Pomfrey and Madame Pince came forward, each with an outstretched hand wishing good luck and a swift return. Harry and Hermione then followed Professor Moody down into the backyard again. He took up the old broomstick from where he had left it against the wall.
"A portkey is the means of travel most difficult to detect by others. It's fast and soundless. The floo network is as you know constantly supervised."
Their second journey this evening was exactly like the first.
---
They landed in the small clearing among the bushes in the middle of Grimmauld Place. No house could be seen between nr 11 and nr 13, and the small park was empty of people. Lights could be seen in most houses; in some parties were obviously going on. Laughter could be heard from the backyard of nr 15 or 16. Perhaps people were busy preparing fireworks. Harry and Hermione prepared their outlook post with the dark rug on the ground. Harry took out his omniculars and aimed them at the space between nr 11 and nr 13. Professor Moody took up his post some steps behind.
Harry's watch now showed 15 minutes to twelve. The seconds dragged along. At five minutes to twelve, absolutely nothing had happened. A door opened in a house to the left and high voices were heard for a while.
When Harry checked his watch for the umpteenth time this night and found less than two minutes left before twelve o'clock, two distinct pops could be heard. Just in view of his omniculars, two figures could be seen.
"Bellatrix and Kreacher!" Harry hissed between his teeth.
Kreacher seemed to tap the pavement with his left foot, and the house of nr 12, Grimmauld Place came into view. Even to Harry and Hermione who both knew the truth, the illusion of happy merrymaking was convincing. Music and singing was heard and it was quite obvious that someone was busy with preparations in the kitchen.
Kreacher went straight up to the front door and opened it. Bellatrix Lestrange immediately shot a spell through the door, sending a green light into the night. She entered the house.
In that very instant, several dark figures could be seen flying around the house, and a dark hooded figure appeared before the front door. Hermione quickly shut off the lights in the house by her remote control device, first in the dining room and the upper windows, then in the kitchen.
Harry thought: "Now Bellatrix, come out and fetch your master and show him what you have found and you will have the surprise of your life."
Voldemort seemed to hesitate, however. Harry suddenly felt his scar start to pulsate with an intense pain. A thought flashed through Harry's mind that Lord Voldemort actually experienced the presence of his enemies. He behaved like a dog trying to sort out the scents in the air. Harry caught fragments of thoughts: 'Dumbledore of course, the hag McGonagall … Snape?!, … hm someone new, … Potter - Potter?'. Despair seized him as Voldemort started to turn away from the house. At that moment Harry felt a touch on his arm and a rapid train of memories filled his brain.
He remembered himself and Hermione rolling through the snow on Christmas Eve; Going to Madame Pomfrey to get the potion recipe; Seeing their new home in the new corridor; The feel of her bare skin against his in bed. Harry shot a quick glance to his right and found her eyes looking back at him. That brought him back to the present. The pain in his head was gone. He looked again in his omiculars. Lord Voldemort was on his way in through the door.
"He's going inside!" Harry whispered.
Hermione entered the last code digit and gave the remote control to Harry. "Now, just press the Send button."
Harry watched through his omniculars how Voldemort leaned over the dummy. He was unprepared for the renewed onrush of emotions. Voldemort had discovered he had been fooled and let his anger pour over Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione saw Harry hesitating and immediately understood. She screamed in her mind to Harry: "Press the button!"
Harry noted Hermione's will power but also again the lack of pain. With a sigh of relief he let his thumb press down the button firmly.