Disclaimer
The characters and universe created by J.K.Rowling are hers alone. As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I hope this story can be taken in that way. Some of the additional characters are mine and who knows some of them may even be real.
12. Fairy Tails and Nursery Rhymes
The summer term started under dark skies and pouring rain. The mountain streams that drained into the lake turned into raging torrents and the castle shook to thunder as it rolled around the hills.
Wormtail had forsaken his sewer to escape being washed away. He had found a hole in a dingy corner of The Hogshead tavern, it was warm, there was plenty of food and he could listen to the rumours spread by the patrons.
The seamier side of wizard life was keeping clear of involvement with Voldemort. They knew what happened last time and they were not about to throw in their hand with a potential looser. The feeling going around was that if the Potter kid was disposed of then they might reconsider their stance. They wanted power but only if it came easily with no risk to themselves, that was always their way.
Peter Pettigrew took note of this talk and he began to persuade himself that he could walk away from his master. Voldemort might be a powerful wizard but he only had Bellatrix and a few die hards with him now, he would need to pull off something spectacular to win more support. For now Peter was comfortable, he would continue to wait, if he felt the risk was worth it and the opportunity was there he would act.
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Bellatrix Lestrange was very worried, she had to tell her master that Pettigrew had vanished and that Walker was dead. Dead, killed trying to kill a mudblood. She could feel the pain of the curse already, it hadn't been cast yet but she knew it would come. She hated being afraid but she loved causing fear, the delight she reaped from seeing abject horror in the faces of her victims was the most pleasurable of feelings.
Voldemort was incensed. He watched Bellatrix crawl out of the room, his brain still humming from the curse he had used. They would all pay for the disloyalty they showed to him, did they not realise that he was unbeatable.
Potter would die, Dumbledore would die, and he would destroy Hogwarts and the Ministry. All those prissy wizards from the Isle of Glass would suffer unimaginable horrors. Now he had two more names to add to his list, Hermione Granger the mudblood trash who was Potter's pride and joy and Solomon Aegis who sought to teach Potter to destroy him.
They would die; they would beg to die before he was finished with them.
Voldemort looked around the room, it was dark, he liked the dark. It was damp; he did not mind the damp. It was cold; the cold meant nothing to him. It was empty, he was alone, forever alone, it was the only way to ultimate power.
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Harry was sitting in the warmth of the common room surrounded by the Gryffindor members of the DA. Hermione had been talked into telling some of the muggle fairy tales she had been told by her parents when she was much younger. Those from purely wizarding families had never heard anything like them before. They couldn't see the wonder in producing a giant bean stalk from five beans; it just needed the right charm. And as for the BFG, giants weren't friendly at all, they were downright horrible.
"I'm not surprised that muggles are so mixed up if they're told all that rubbish" Said Lavender.
Ron leaned over to Hermione "What I want to know is why you call them fairy tails? Fairies don't have tails."
"T A L E S Ron you know stories" came the exasperated reply.
"Oh why didn't you say so in the first place?" he disappeared under a pile of thrown cushions.
Harry had really enjoyed the first week back. The reformed DA was working well, and by working with Hermione he had no worries about his studies. Even Quidditch was looking up. Slytherin had lost both the matches they had played, Ravenclaw had beaten Hufflepuff as had Gryffindor. So this term there were only two matches left, Hufflepuff against Slytherin and Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. It was almost certain that the Quidditch Cup would be awarded to the winner of the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match. Harry knew they were in with a good chance.
Harry also had a sneaking feeling that his good luck would not last, it never had before. When he confided this to Hermione she told him with such sincerity that now that everyone was working together, luck had nothing to do with it, things were going well because they were doing it right. Harry wasn't sure what 'it' was but Hermione sounded so confident that he was inclined to believe her. That was until his dream.
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Harry was at a party, he thought it was a birthday party, but he didn't know whose.
He was holding hands with Draco Malfoy not in the girl-boy holding hands sense, they were making a bridge. Facing each other arms outstretched in front of them holding hands. Their arms were moving up and down in time to a rhyme everyone was singing and all the other children were passing under their arms in a continuous line.
As the rhyme reached its climax their arms briefly trapped each child in turn until as the last word was spoken their arms imprisoned the child then between them. There was a whispered choice and the child was released to stand behind Draco.
The process was repeated, the trapped child was Neville, he too ended up behind Draco. Again and again Harry's friends were caught and each time they joined the file behind Malfoy. Harry was beginning to hate this game. As each person went to Malfoy's side, his smile became wider and wider.
"What's the matter Potter, no one like you any more?"
Hermione would pick his side, he knew it. He only needed her and he could win the game. She was getting closer and the rhyme was nearing its end. She passed through the arch of arms giving Harry a wistful smile. The child behind her was caught, he chose Harry's side.
Harry looked away from Hermione to this child, there was definitely something wrong. The child looked wrong, short, fat and very untidy, his hair was thin and unkempt, his front teeth were worse than Hermione's had ever been.
It was Wormtail; he moved to stand behind Harry holding on to his waist. Harry could feel him breathing in his ear, then a squeaky voice said.
"Play the game Harry, all I want is the mudblood, we'll get her next time round you'll see."
Harry watched as the line passed through, he could see Hermione getting closer and closer, he could see the fixed grin on Malfoy's face, and now he could hear the words of the rhyme.
"Here comes the candle to light you to bed" the children all chanted "Here comes the chopper to chop off your head."
Hermione was too close he was sure that this time she would be caught. The chanting continued and Wormtail's voice was loud in his ear "Chop, Chop, Chop, Chop, Last man's head!"
Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to see who had been caught he fought with all his might to remove himself from the game. But he had no choice, he reluctantly opened his eyes and stared straight into the eyes of…… Ron. He was leaning over him and poking him in the chest.
"Chop Chop Harry, get a move on or you will be late for breakfast".
"Bloody hell Ron!" Harry shouted louder than he intended.
"Sorry mate, just thought you should know."
"No I'm sorry, you just woke me from a dream, got a bit of a shock, that's all" said Harry calming down.
"Not one of HIS type dreams?"
"No this one had Wormtail in it and Draco Malfoy and a nursery rhyme."
"You've been listening to too many of Hermione's fairy tales, you have".
"Yeh, perhaps your right", Harry pushed Ron off his bed "If you get out of the way I'll get up."
As he dressed he thought about the dream 'I wonder if Hermione knows that rhyme, it's very familiar but I can't place it, I must remember to ask her' However the dream faded as dreams do and the details of the rhyme faded as well. Nagging him though, at the back of his mind, he still had that feeling that something was wrong, he just knew that they all had to be careful.
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The defence study group with the Tyr had reached new heights. Professor Aegis had set out the room of requirements to resemble a small street with doorways and windows lining each side. Each of the group had to run the gauntlet with the other members of the Tyr trying to stun them. 'Stun or be stunned' Aegis had called it.
It took Harry three goes to manage to get to the end, partly because he didn't like having to stun Hermione, but after she had knocked him off his feet twice he decided to take the gloves off. He caught her fair and square and she went flying.
Reaching the end of the test he ran back to her to make sure she was OK and spent the rest of the afternoon apologising to her.
The Professor arranged for some members of the Order of the Phoenix to assist him in testing the Tyr as a group. What the students lacked in experience was more than covered by their ability to work together. The members of the order may have known each other well, but the teenagers had grown up together, they could practically read each other's minds.
Tonks, Lupin and Shacklebolt were all rather embarrassed to find themselves fairly beaten. They called it a draw because Professor Aegis had done a Dumbledore and silently appeared behind Harry and stunned him. That was a big mistake as it took him two days to get rid of the daisies that started growing in his hair when Hermione hexed him in retaliation.
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The weather had shown a marked improvement since the start of term, as Harry sat in the library immersed in study one Sunday morning the sun burst through the window and hit the back of his head. He felt the warmth and made a sudden decision. Slamming his book closed he looked over to Hermione who was frowning at the disturbance.
"It's no good. I can't go on. It's just too much to bear any more."
Hermione was horrified "Harry what ever is the matter? Is it your scar? What is it? Please tell me, what is wrong?"
She was really worried, by Harry's expression it was clear that it was something serious.
"If I have to sit here and study for another second I am going to explode" Harry said with feeling. "We are stopping now and we are going to have a break. Ron and Luna can do it and so can we."
"But" said Hermione.
"NO buts" said Harry.
"What?"
Harry cut her off "NO what's either."
"If you would just let me finish Harry. What about going out into the grounds? I'm sure we could persuade Dobby to provide some food, we could have a day off."
"What?" said Harry.
"You're right" said Hermione "We have been working hard and we need a rest."
"Oh" said Harry.
Hermione laughed. "Come on before I change my mind."
Half an hour later found them walking along the side of the lake. They were further away from the castle than they had ever been, even during the last summer holidays. They were technically still within the boundaries of the school but they were completely alone. Students rarely came this way.
The shore of the lake turned away from its depths to form a small bay. A grassy bank stretched away from the water forming a small clearing in the woods that normally lined the waters edge. It was a perfect spot. Hermione spread out the blanket she had brought and Harry put down the bag Dobby had provided which was full of food. They settled themselves down looking back to the water but the lake didn't occupy their gaze for long.
Harry found himself feasting on Hermione's features mere inches away from him. There wasn't much need for talk, then she moved out of focus as she closed in on him and he felt the softness of her lips as they met his. He felt her arm snake around his neck and she pulled him to her.
Hermione lay back drawing Harry down with her, she moved one hand and ran it through that untidy mop of hair she loved so much. She felt his arms slide beneath her encircling her back and pulling her even closer, if that was possible.
They stayed like that each wrapped in the other enjoying their closeness for what to them felt like years but was probably only a few minutes. The feeling was wonderful, they both felt so safe, they both felt so comfortable, they both felt that this is where they wanted to be forever, and they both felt so warm.
Really warm, warmer than they ought to be. Their embrace relaxed and as they parted they saw the source of the heat. The stone on Hermione's necklace was pulsating; a delicate blue radiance rose and fell, like a beating heart.
'Just like a heart, like mine, it's beating in time with my heart' thought Harry.
"Oh look" said Hermione "Look at it; it's beating in time with my heart."
Harry looked up at her "Really? Mine too."
Hermione reached out and placed her hand on Harry's chest she could feel his heart beat, sure enough their hearts were beating together.
"This is amazing Harry, feel" and without thinking she grabbed his hand and placed it over her own heart.
It took about two seconds for Hermione to realise what she had done and for Harry to respond in the only way he knew.
"Wow" and blush furiously.
The spell broke and the pulsating light faded and died, there was an embarrassed silence.
"That was really lovely Hermione" Harry said allowing his hand to fall away.
"What was Harry?" she asked shyly.
"All of it" he replied.
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The DA was meeting twice a week. Harry had split the membership into five teams and had Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna each teaching their skills to a team in rotation. The remaining team was taught by Harry and Hermione in tandem trying to get each team working as a group.
The plan was to produce five independent teams who could work through and around the Tyr which would form the spearhead. Harry knew they weren't ready to take on any major fight but he hoped that by the time Voldemort had recruited more supporters they would be. Harry was delighted to hear from Fred and George that the DA members who had already left school were meeting in secret to hone their skills and would come to Harry's aid at his request.
It was after the Slytherin verses Hufflepuff Quidditch match that Harry and Hermione had a quiet talk with Professor Aegis and the Headmaster. They were sitting in the Headmaster's study.
"We can at least put a dent in any frontal attack" said Harry "But we wouldn't hold them for long."
"Harry, it has never been my intention to use the student body in a major battle, but the DA would give those less able a chance to get away." Said Dumbledore "The DA is what it says it is, a defence association it's not a battle group."
"Professors, would you expect a major fight anyway?" asked Hermione "I would have thought that Voldemort would have favoured sneak attacks, wasn't that how he operated last time. Divide and conquer?"
"Yes Miss Granger you are absolutely correct, in muggle parlance he is a terminist".
"I think you mean terrorist, Headmaster" said Aegis.
"Right, that as well, but seriously, he is the master at sowing dissention and mistrust.
Then when confusion is at its greatest he strikes. That is why he needs so few Death Eaters to complete his takeover. Once he is seen to be winning, wizards will flock to him just to avoid the inevitable retribution".
"Can we win against someone like this?" said a rather downcast Harry.
Aegis looked over to Dumbledore, then reached out a hand and placed it on Harry's shoulder.
"You have several advantages over Voldemort, Harry. You have friends and you have love. He has neither." Professor Aegis looked between the two students "You also have a very good personal reason to want to win, and she is sitting next to you, Voldemort only has a quest for power to drive him on."
'And did but you know it young man you already have all the power that Voldemort craves. You have more followers in this one building than Voldemort ever had. It would sadden you to know how many people would willingly give their lives to help you succeed. None of Voldemort's followers would act in such a way.'
"I really believe you can win, Harry. I have promised to do all in my power to help you, and I will."
Dumbledore considered the younger Professor 'Yes' he thought 'I will be content with this.'
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