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.
6. Hermione's Tear
Weekends didn't seem to exist for Harry and his friends, although there were no set lessons the hours were filled with incessant study, writing essays and generally trying to keep on top of their course work. The other sixth years couldn't understand why the trio were so busy, there were two whole years to get ready for the NEWT's, but it looked as if they were preparing to take them next week.
Only Neville, Ginny and Luna knew what was driving the three, Harry had come clean with the prophecy the evening after Professor Aegis' first study group. The revelation had shocked them all but had further bound the six together, and had caused Ginny to think up a name for them. She had been going through her Ancient Runes work from the previous year and announced to the others that the name Tyr would be appropriate.
"Wow" said Hermione "That's not bad Gin." Gazing at the blank looks from Harry and Ron she explained "Tyr was a sky god and the rune Tyr represents victory and protection and is a symbol of cosmic justice".
"And?" said Ron.
Harry laughed "Ok, it fits; we six are now 'The Tyr', any comments?"
"I reckon 'The Six' would have made just as much sense" said a totally confused Ron.
They hit the third week of the term running and it occurred to Harry that being on top of his work caused fewer problems for him in Snape's classes. He was still getting the snide comments from the Professor but Draco Malfoy was strangely quiet. Although on the surface this was an improvement, it was actually more of a worry, as Harry was sure that he was up to something. It seemed that the arrest and continued imprisonment of his father may have produced a more subdued but much more dangerous Malfoy; Harry had preferred it when he was loudly obnoxious. Malfoy was waiting for something.
No one could call the Slytherin common room cheerful and inviting, it was warm but that was to keep away the damp. In one darkish corner Draco Malfoy was addressing his troops.
"Are you two absolutely sure that you have the incantation and the wand movement correct?" Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle both nodded. "Good I want to be sure that Granger gets the full effect of my birthday present."
Goyle opened and closed his mouth several times. He always did this before speaking; it gave his brain a chance to catch up.
"Draco this curse isn't exactly deadly; I thought you wanted to get even for your father."
"Are you sure you thought….." there was silence. "Never mind….This will be enough to start with, it will get worse believe me. This will shake them up no end and they will never know who hit them. I can move in for the kill later, I am in no hurry."
Hermione's birthday dawned bright and warm, as the country was experiencing a bit of an Indian summer. Harry had waited for her at the foot of the stairs to the girl's dormitory and dared to give her a happy birthday kiss. It was brief and chaste as there were quite a few students in the common room but it still made Harry's toes curl and Hermione blush. Ron stepped forward and gave her a hug and her present.
"Gosh Ron, it's a book!"
"Yeh I found it when I was with Charlie, it's on Romanian Runes and their use in magic".
"Thanks!" she was smiling happily and turned expectantly to Harry. He stared back non-committally and the smile faltered.
Harry couldn't bear to see the happiness die and quickly grabbed her hand and said "It's OK, but not in here."
Now her curiosity was aroused and she kept glancing at him as the three headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry made a diversion to have a few words with Professor Aegis before he joined the others at the table. Both her boys made sure that Hermione had a good birthday breakfast and during the meal Hedwig appeared and landed in front of her. The card and present were from her parents; Harry had sent his owl to them the day before with a note offering her services.
This sent Hermione's happiness to even greater heights and earned Harry a hug and another quick kiss.
The Great Hall began emptying as the students departed for their first class of the day, as Hermione stood to leave Harry took her hand.
"Hold on a minute, we need to go outside first" Hermione was about to protest when Harry continued "It's OK Aegis said it was alright to be a little late".
Leaving their bags by the doors Harry and Hermione walked down the Castle steps and out across the lawns.
"Harry where are you taking me?"
"Down by the lake, I think it will be safe there".
"What do you mean Safe?"
"I don't really know Hermione but Aegis said not to do it indoors".
"Harry! what are you talking about?"
They reached the lakeside a little out of breath. They stopped and Harry turned to face Hermione, she was looking a bit put out and there was colour in her cheeks.
"It's your birthday present, I got it for you in Avalon, and Professor Aegis told me to make sure we were outside when I gave it to you….Here!"
Harry held out the small parcel, Hermione took it and began to remove the wrapping. Inside was a wooden box not much larger that the one Harry had received on his birthday, she slowly opened it and let out a gasp of surprise.
"Oh Merlin! Harry its beautiful!" she cried.
She emptied the box into her left hand, the stone was lying on the white metal coils of the chain and the sunlight was making the jewel sparkle as if it was on fire.
"Please put it on for me." She said.
Harry took the necklace and released the clasp, opening the chain out he reached either side of her neck and inwardly cringing rejoined the clasp.
Nothing happened.
Harry let out his breath, which he hadn't realised he was holding, and gazed into the eyes of the girl who meant more to him than anything.
He was a little disappointed, not in Hermione, but in the fact that there was no thunder and lighting, no pillars of fire, nothing at all but Hermione with tears of joy in her eyes holding the stone to the limit of its chain so that she could look at it. She was completely at a loss for words.
She looked from the stone to Harry and blinked away a tear which hung on the end of her eyelashes for a heartbeat and then dropped off. Later Harry said he was sure he had seen the teardrop fall in slow motion past her cheek, her lips and her chin, and then it splashed right on to the stone in her hand.
Suddenly everything stopped; there was no sound and no movement. From deep below the ground a rumbling began, never getting very loud but increasing in intensity making the surface of the lake jump and splash.
Then bursting from the ground around Hermione's feet was a rush of energy like a wind but with no air in it. It soared up in a column high above the trees and then collapsed straight back down sending a wave of energy out in a circle with Hermione at its centre. Harry could see the wave shoot across the lake raising a wall of water, as tall as he was, before it. To either side and behind him the energy flattened the grass and bent the trees and bushes as if it was a hurricane.
"Whoa!" said Harry, which didn't seem to do the recent events justice.
Hermione looked a little shocked by what had just happened then a sense of suspicion began to show in the slight narrowing of her eyes.
"Did you know that this would happen Harry?"
"Err…. No I didn't but I was warned that something might. You see I bought it because I
liked it and I thought you'd like it….and I didn't know when I bought it that it might……I only found out later that it might …….and I'm sorry I've messed it all up and now we're really late for class and ……I'll find you something else when we go into Hogsmead next and …..I'll try to make it up to you. Can you forgive me?"
By the time he had finished Hermione's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Harry there is nothing to forgive; you have given me the most wonderful, if mysterious, present that I have ever had. I think it's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, don't you?"
Harry looked up at her, stared into her deep brown eyes and said "No Hermione, it's not, that would be you."
Just sometimes you know when you have said the right thing and for Harry this was one of them.
The duo returned to the castle hopelessly late for their Defence lesson and being preoccupied had failed to notice the three figures which had detached themselves from the shadows of the castle wall. The sound of Peeves rattling the door of the broom cupboard drowned out the softly spoken curses.
The bright sunlight would have made the yellow streaks of magic difficult to see even if they had been looking, but an instant before they struck home something rather unexpected happened.
The stone on Hermione's necklace flashed into brilliance and the light formed a shield on which the curses not only impacted but which reflected them back in the direction from whence they had come.
Harry and Hermione turned in an instant, their wands at the ready, but it was unnecessary as all that was behind them were three prone bodies lying on the lawns.
Even from the top of the steps Harry could see that it was Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle and they seemed to be in a rather bad way. They were twitching as they lay there and some sort of froth was coming from their mouths. The twitching was not getting any better, in fact it looked as if it was getting worse.
Hermione was just about to say that they ought to do something when from the doorway behind them came three cries of "Immobillus" and the students on the lawns became still. Professor Aegis stopped beside Harry and Hermione, looked down and smiled.
"Had a taste of their own medicine those three" he said "I don't suppose they will try the epileptium curse again in a hurry. I think three detentions might be in order, once they have recovered." He pondered for a moment "Do they have some sort of grudge against you? It's not what I would call a friendly curse to throw at someone."
"You could say that, the blonde one is Draco Malfoy. The thing at the ministry last year ended up with his father in Azkaban, and I think he holds us responsible". explained Harry.
"I see, well you better get along to your next class, while I take these idiots to the Hospital wing. Oh by the way Hermione, nice necklace".
Having regained her composure Hermione replied "Thank-you, Professor it's a birthday present from Harry… but I was going to ask you, did you see what it did?"
"Yes, good subject for one of our study periods, now off you go, I'll see you later.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were noticeable by their absence from the Slytherin table for the next few days. Malfoy was the only one Harry and Hermione saw during lessons, and that was in potions. Professor Snape made no comments about his prolonged absence.
The full story was not learned until the Saturday evening meal when, not unusually, the Headmaster stood to make an announcement.
"I need you all to pay attention to what I am about to say" Dumbledore's ringing tones easily cut over the whispers circulating the hall. "I have several announcements which will affect you all. First, the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge has seen fit to resign his position".
"Jumped, before he could be pushed" whispered Ron to Harry.
"This, needless to say, has left a vacancy and due to the present circumstances it has been decided not to fill the post with one individual. The Ministry in London will be run by Mrs Amelia Bones and she will be joined by, and consult with, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamont, that is …….Ahh,…… me!"
The murmurs rose to a new level and comments such as "About time" and "Now we'll see some action" could be heard clearly.
"Secondly", continued Dumbledore, "All the educational decrees and other rulings issued last year under Dolores Umbridge have been rescinded and the statute for underage wizardry has been lifted".
A roar of approval greeted this last statement.
"However!!" the Headmaster's voice soared above the racket, "This is not a license to free magic, merely that you will not be punished for using magic to defend yourselves, if it is necessary. The school rules will still be in force and your teachers and I will deal most strongly with anyone who steps over the line."
"This brings me to my final announcement. By now most of you will be aware of the cowardly attack made by three of your compatriots the other day. That their attack failed and they were hit by their own curses has not been considered sufficient punishment. When they are suitably recovered, Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle will serve detention for the rest of the term. I have also confiscated their wands, until further notice. Vincent Crabbe will not receive any additional punishment, not that he was any less guilty, but he is now in St. Mungo's Hospital and he may not be able to return to the school. Please be aware that transgressions of this nature will not be tolerated and will be similarly dealt with". He looked down at the silent tables, his manner stern and unmoving, then suddenly he smiled and finished. "Now off to bed with you all".
The climb up to the Gryffindor common room was the noisiest that Harry could remember. Most of the students were commenting on the justice served out to the three Slytherins, but there were discussions going on about the changes that would now be seen at the Ministry.
Hermione was walking between Ron and Harry as they climbed the steps, she looked thoughtful then turned to Harry and said "You know this means you can play Quidditch again, don't you?"
"Sorry, what's that got to do with the new Ministers for Magic?", Harry had been half listening to Seamus and Neville's conversation.
"Nothing" replied Hermione with a bit of exasperation in her voice, "Umbridge's rulings have been cancelled, your Quidditch ban has been lifted".
Harry stared at her, he hadn't considered the full implications of the changes, but she was right, he could play now, if he could get on the team.
As the information sank in, Ron let out a yell of delight, and shouted up the stairs, "Hey Katie! Harry can play again, now we've got a chance.
Katie Bell had been made Quidditch captain, now in her last year at Hogwarts, it was the natural progression everyone was expecting, she pushed her way down to Harry.
"Great news Harry, selections and training start tomorrow, be there!"
As they filed through the portrait hole Harry caught Hermione's hand. "Thanks" he said "It hadn't occurred to me".
"Oh I expect it would have eventually" she smiled back.
The common room was a noisy place that night, the younger students drifted up to their rooms as the evening drew on until eventually only the fifth years and above remained. The talk was of the lifting of the underage magic laws, inevitably the fact that Hermione's birthday advantage had lasted all but a few days came up.
"So" said Seamus "Now you can't show of by doing magic when we couldn't what are you going to come up with to prove you are of age. What can you do that we can't?"
"Oh, that's easy" she stood up and walked to the girls stairs, passing Harry on the way. As she reached him she threw her arms round his neck and kissed him full on the lips. "Night all", she threw over her shoulder, and walking on, she disappeared up the stairs.
Harry could feel the heat burning up through his shirt collar as he looked round at Seamus who was staring at him with his mouth wide open.
"Well, I think she's got you there, Seamus, 'cos if you try that Harry'll probably flatten you", said Ron, with a completely straight face.
There was a moments silence then the room dissolved in gales of laughter.