I still don't own these characters, just playing. Once again many thanks to Lady Starlight for her
gracious work on this fic.
Chapter 16: Merry Old Sherwood.
*******************Hogwarts, Room of Requirement***********************
September 4, 1997
8:10 pm
The room was full of students in a mix of Muggle jeans and T's and robes. As had been usual for the DA, the room had lined itself with shelf, upon shelf of reference books with topics ranging from fighting werewolves, to advanced shielding charms. A score of man-shaped practice dummies stood at one end, swords, staves and daggers lined a rack to one side, while a large table holding various Dark Magic detectors such as Foe Glasses and huge Sneakoscopes sat against a third wall.
Applause broke out as Harry, Hermione and Ron entered the Room of Requirement to find the entire DA assembled and waiting for them. All of Gryffindor House, fourth year and above was standing, intermixed with many from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Harry gave them a small smile and waved them to silence. "Ok guys quiet." Harry shouted amusedly. "Welcome back to Dumbledore's Army..."
"Potter's Army," someone yelled from the back. Several shouts of agreement rang out in the room.
Harry frowned and shook his head, he waved for silence, "No," he said softly, but through a trick of acoustics or pure magic every ear heard him as if he were right next to them, "No, we're Dumbledore's now and forever." Hermione gave him a small smile and a nod. Fresh applause broke out at his words until he finally got them to silence once more. He looked around, seeing the old members, Dean, Seamus, Terry, Parvati, Padma, the new, Gretchen and Ellen among others. He could see Neville, in the back, leaning casually against a bookcase filled with DADA spellbooks, his wand dangling loosely in his hand, looking like the relative veteran he was. Luna sitting on a table next to Ron, with her feet dangling loosely and her wand stuck behind an ear, who could possibly be one of the most dangerous ones here if truly pressed, she had already proven so this summer. Ginny was sitting next to her, looking attentively at Harry.
"Alright..." Harry said as he looked about the crowd. He frowned and ran his hands through his hair, disheveling it further. "Listen...guys, I want to apologize for last year...there was no excuse for not reconstituting the DA then..."
"It's alright mate," Neville shot back loudly from the back, and several mutters seemed to agree. He looked about the room, "We should have done it ourselves...we knew that the war was coming, we tried to ignore it. We knew better."
Harry nodded slowly, "Still...Listen, this year, we won't pretend. We are at war guys. Dumbledore died, and any one of us could be next." Harry was about to say more, when twin bangs, like gunshots, and pillars of black smoke appeared next to Harry. He rolled his eyes and without looking to either side, "The twins are here to show a bit of equipment that we have for you."
"Thank you Harry for that introduction," Fred said as he opened his cloak and tossed a bag onto the table. He flicked his wand and it expanded until it almost filled the library sized table.
"Gather round, gather round," George shouted as he conjured a stool so he stood a head above everyone else, even Ron. Fred handed him the first item, "First ladies and gentlemen, the first of the Weasley Enterprises Magical Mirrors of Mirth, suitable for makeup application, looking around corners in the case of Basilisk infestations," he looked at Hermione who returned a quick, rude gesture, he laughed, "and with a quick murmur of a name, communications at up to a thousand miles." He demonstrated to the amazement of the gathered members.
Fred handed up another item, and a pair of glasses, "Instant Darkness Powder, and so you won't be stuck in the dark...Cat Eye Spectacles." Fred and George continued showing and demonstrating the new toys, and letting the DA members try them out. Neville showed an amazing proficiency with the Fanged Frisbees, changing the blades to silver and back to steel on the fly and nailing targets with them from yards away, with the tracking spells dislocated. Ginny and Luna described to an attentive audience the uses of the Instant Darkness Powder and the Cat Eye specs. Finally after an hour, Harry looked around at the group and shot off a Noisemaker Charm to gain everyone's attention.
"Ok everyone, find your coins, well use them to let you know the next meeting, it'll be soon though" Harry smiled slightly and waved to the door, "I'll see most of you tomorrow, goodnight." He smiled and shook hands and talked a few words with most everyone as they left.
"Hey Harry." Ginny said demurely as she stopped next to him as almost the last one out. At the doors, Ron waved to Harry and escorted Luna out, and Harry gave him a nod of understanding. "What are you up to this weekend?" She gave him a shy smile and cocked her head slightly. Across the room, Hermione glanced up from her perusal of the books and clenched her fists. She bit her lip and looked back at the books, finally selecting, Dispatching Annoying Annoyances.
Harry caught the title of the book cross Hermione's thoughts and barely kept a grin from his lips. "Um...Homework and stuff Ginny. Some training as well, I guess."
"Well, Quidditch tryouts are this weekend Harry...it just won't be the same if you don't play. I'll be there." She smiled and rocked back and forth slightly, her hands held in front of her.
"I'll...think about it Ginny," Harry replied softly, "I just don't know if I feel like it this year."
Ginny reached out and ran her hand down his arm, "Please, think about it Harry." She smiled again and slipped from the room. A moment later, a slightly livid, curly-haired brunette came up behind him.
"I'm not playing Hermione," Harry announced without turning to face her. He moaned softly as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed herself into his back and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not worried about your feelings Harry. Not really, I'm just getting tired of it." Hermione explained lowly, her slightly racing heart against his back amply announcing her anger.
"Let's go home love." Harry replied, touched a golden ball in his pocket, and they vanished in a fall of colors and a rush of wind.
***********************Hogwarts, DADA #1****************************
September 5, 1997
2:30 pm
Harry's wand flicked quickly as he deflected the Stunner Hermione sent his way. He shot back a Tripping Jinx and a reduced power Reductor, more because he was concerned for the walls than Hermione. He knew she would dodge or deflect it. And she did, cartwheeling out of the way of the Tripping Jinx and capturing his Reductor in a net and shooting it back at him. Harry caught it on his wand and reabsorbed the energy. Lupin shook his head, he couldn't very well tell them to go full out; he knew quite well it probably would be dangerous to the rest of his class.
He had decided to have the Seventh Years duel to determine just what Snape had taught them last year. They had covered Inferi on the first day of class, and had discussed the conventional means of destroying them, through fire. He had not, of course, said anything about Hermione's new spell, that if worked would make them at best a pile of unanimated corpses. Harry had sat stony faced through the entire lesson, in which not a Slytherin had said a word. They were still reeling from Harry's casual defeat of Sneade Tuesday. Remus had not missed the worried looks Hermione had shot Harry out of the corner of her eye as he sat with the entire lesson a grim reminder of his failure last year, or at least what he perceived as failure.
Personally, he, along with Tonks if the truth were told, was convinced that this plan of Harry and Hermione's to act like 'friends' until Ginny gave up and moved on was doomed to failure. It would be kind of like James pretending Lily was 'just a friend'. Remus frowned slightly as he corrected Neville's form on a Bombardment Curse.
He was not the only Professor who was annoyed with the turn in events. McGonagall had been livid, privately, that a Gryffindor would do such a thing. Almost as livid as she had been when Percy's possible treason was exposed. The night-black course of his thoughts passed as he saw Harry looking down and laughing at some thing Hermione had said or done. Lupin came around Crabbe's large and ultimately inept form, none of the Slytherins had yet commented that he tended to ignore them in class, or that the class seemed to be slanted towards combating minions of the Dark Lord. Lupin followed Harry's gaze to his feet and laughed himself.
Hermione had transfigured Harry's trainers into a pair of animated, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers. The ears of the one on Harry's right foot were wiggling, while the left one was trying to pull Harry's foot forward towards a carrot that Hermione had created out of thin air on the ground in between them. The bell rang as he was watching and he took a breath, "Everyone, I will need three feet on common defensive wards on my desk by Monday." Groans met his words, "Fine, Wednesday." A few muttered 'thanks Professor' met his sensitive ears. "Mr. Potter, a word please." Harry stayed behind as the rest of the class filed out, Lupin didn't comment, as Hermione didn't move as well. "Very well, my office if you please."
Lupin ushered the pair into his office and closed the door. A wand jabbed and the white flash of an Imperturbable Charm lit the walls. He grinned slightly as he turned back to Harry and Hermione. Remus noticed immediately that Hermione had leaned back into Harry slightly as soon as the coast was clear. He didn't comment. "You are going tonight right?"
"Yeah," Harry replied hesitantly. His fingers drummed lightly on Hermione's stomach, "We are."
Lupin nodded. "You won't let me or Nymph come along will you?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.
"I can't Remus." Harry shrugged. "You know why...its not that I don't trust you..."
"But you don't" Remus finished sadly. He sat down behind his desk and ran his fingers over his face. "Harry, just know that when you are ready..."
"Yeah Remus, when the time is right..." Harry gave an odd, non-committal gesture and left with a small nod. Hermione followed after a moment, with a glance back to see Lupin looking thoughtfully at a small, framed picture on his desk of the original Marauders, in it Lily was sitting on James shoulders with him and Sirius crowded around him. It had been a long time since Peter had showed his face in that picture.
***************************Sherwood Forest******************************
September 6, 1997
1:15 am
Three pairs of invisible eyes watched a Muggle night watchman on his rounds about the museum. He obviously had no idea of the various magical artifacts scattered about the exhibits on Robyn Hode, Richard the Lionhearted and others. The sword in the corner, with a plaque stating that it might have belonged to Robyn, that possibly came from the same smith that had forged the various blades the trio possessed. A shining silver arrow that really wasn't a Hode artifact, but rather a standard issue Auror arrow for dealing with werewolves that someone had found and put in the exhibit and others. But the reason that they were here was sitting all by itself in a glass case. The faded blue and bronze eagle on its leather bound cover, a giveaway.
Voldemort had guarded the book well; Hermione could feel the wards encasing it. But ultimately he had bargained on this Horcrux, if it was indeed one, being found by normal Wizards, not young Dumbledores or Morganas in training. Hermione slipped on the glasses that the twins had developed to use with the Instant Darkness Powder and tapped them with her wand. Revelo Proctectorum. A web of lines appeared in her vision, some red ones, from the Muggle security lasers which were ineffectual against the cloaks, and a veritable Acromantula's web of green and yellow beams and walls showing the net Voldemort or someone had cast around the book.
She glanced over towards where she knew Harry to be, What do you think Harry? She felt his senses stretching out and crossing her own. He sent a wordless shrug in reply as he pulled his cloak back from his head.
As the cloak swept down, a pure white, snowy owl was revealed next to Harry's head. She was sitting on his shoulder, without a sound as if she knew any noise could give them away. He reached up to pet her softly and Hermione watched as Harry carefully whispered something in her ear. Harry looked over to Hermione's other side and gave a slow nod to the air. In one motion, Ron shrugged his cloak half off, drew a simple Muggle slingshot and fired a steel marble at the case. The glass shattered with a loud crack. The footsteps of the guard returning sounded in the sudden silence. He came around the corner, and collapsed as a bolt of red from Hermione's wand took him in the side, without ever seeing any of the teens. Obliviate, the simple memory charm wiped his memory of the last ten minutes and he vanished a second later as Ron ran up to him and touched his flashlight on his belt with his wand.
Portus, Ron cast with his unregistered wand, which like Harry's and Hermione's had had the Ministry's tracking spells removed, the flashlight glowed blue and shook for a second. Ron tapped the flashlight again and the watchman vanished in a fall of color and a soft rush of wind
Harry pointed to the case and Hedwig took flight. Through their enhanced glasses the trio watched as Hedwig gracefully banked, barrel-rolled and swooped around the various wards and lasers, Harry's familiar taking her clues from her master to dodge the traps. They watched with baited breath as she landed on the book, hooked it with her claws and lifted off. She soared back to Harry dropping it in his hand before settling in on his shoulder once more. "Good girl." He whispered. He glanced to Hermione, and started to open his mouth, when....
A sudden burst of energy surrounded them, distorting the ethereal fabric of the area. "Anti-Apparation and Portkey fields," Hermione snapped, confirming his initial guess. At the same time Ron suddenly reached into his shirt and withdrew a vibrating, glowing crystal on its leather string. "Thanks for the warning, guys," Hermione muttered as she recognized the twins' Inferi detector.
"GO!" Harry shot across to them and ran for the door. He stepped into the night, followed closely by the two others. Hedwig took flight as soon as they got outside, and shot up into the sky, safe. She headed north towards Hogwarts.
All around the trio, the ground rippled and cracked. Desiccated, greenish hands clawed through the soil, pulling dead bodies after them into the dim night. Lank, matted hair topped sightless eyes as the Inferi appeared, one, five, a dozen, fifty, a hundred. Harry felt as Ron and Hermione closed in on him on either side. "FLAME 'EM!" Harry growled, and fire shot from three wands, almost a dozen Inferi burned with absolutely no sound from their dead throats. Another two dozen replaced them and Ron lit them and watched as they once again redoubled. "Hermione," he pointed towards the wood, "Your spell, then run."
Hermione glanced back over her shoulder then towards the edge of the woods where she could feel the edge of the anti-Apparation field's effects, a rush of magic gathered in her from the very air as she raised her wand, Imperatum dispersium inferati de flagratto, a spiraling trail of fire shot out in their path, growing to a fan, and all at once the entire host of Inferi in front of them dropped to the ground like puppets with their strings cut, and Hermione collapsed to the ground, as her eyes rolled back in her head and a trickle of blood ran from a nostril.
HERMIONE...Harry wheeled and flung his wand in an arc. A huge wall of flame followed his hand, building a wall of fire between the Inferi that had not been hit by her spell, and the trio. Half a dozen Inferi steeped into the flames in their single-minded determination to get at them and puffed alight. He flung the book to Ron, scooped Hermione into his arms and ran for the edge of the wards in a blur of motion, his glowing eyes leaving a green streak of light to mark his progress. Harry and Hermione vanished the instant they crossed the barrier, and ten seconds later, Ron followed with a loud CRACK.
**************************Grimmauld Place****************************
Harry arrived in his bedroom and placed Hermione gently on their bed. He spun as Ron arrived with a CRACK, and dropped his wand to the floor as he recognized his best friend. He went back to Hermione and ran his hand gently over her forehead. He kissed her lips a moment later as his thumb wiped her smear of blood from under her nose.
"Is she alright Harry?" Ron asked worriedly. He walked to her, and patted her hand softly. Hermione rolled onto her side towards Harry. Ron looked up to Harry, who shrugged.
"Yeah, she's fine," Harry replied softly with a touch of pride as he looked at her. "She just exhausted herself. She'll be fine in the morning," Harry reached around her and pulled off her sheathed daggers along with her equipment pack. "I'm going to stay here with her Ron, go back to Hogwarts if ya want."
"Na," Ron replied with a small, thoughtful smile, "but I might have Luna sneak out." Harry laughed and nodded. Ron patted Harry on the shoulder, "Good job tonight mate."
"It was a trap, Ron."
"They all are Harry, you got us out; that's what's important," Ron replied wisely as he patted his shoulder once more and walked to the door, closing it behind him.
Harry looked after him a minute before he reached down and pulled off Hermione's boots and socks, before gently stripping her to her underwear and tucking her under the blankets of their bed. He changed for bed quickly and crawled under the covers with her, pulling her tightly into himself.
After an hour of Harry watching over her silently, Hermione stirred and pulled back slightly. She looked up at him for a second, a confused look clouding her eyes before they cleared of their own accord as she reasoned out her circumstances. She smiled at him, before she bent down to kiss his neck and snuggle into him. She reached back and unsnapped her bra. "You know this works better if you don't have any clothes on either," she commented softly as she pushed her knickers down and kicked them off under the covers. She flicked her fingers and watched as his boxers and T-shirt appeared on the floor next to the bed. Hermione flipped around and pressed back into him, smiling as she felt him against her arse. "Sleep now, Harry," she said tiredly as she relaxed into his warmth behind her. Harry nodded against her neck, "But that doesn't mean I don't want you inside me as I sleep." She bit her lip as he nodded again and moved her up enough to slide into her from behind. Not moving, just happy with the sensation for now. "Good." Hermione whispered and closed her eyes.
11:15 am
"This sucks." Hermione said bitterly as she glared sideways at the Ravenclaw Spellbook sitting in front of them on the coffee table. She was back in the land of the living, more or less, clothed casually in a pair of flannel sleep pants under a sweatshirt, with her hair in a messy braid. She was stretched out lengthwise, on the couch in the Library at Grimmauld with her head comfortably ensconced in Harry's lap. "All of that for nothing."
"Not totally, Mione," Harry replied consolingly, "We learned that your spell works."
"It took me out too Harry," she reminded him, and closed her eyes to slits as he ran long fingers through her hair in a wordless apology. "It'll get better, though," she admitted after a moment, "and it shows that we can break Tom's enchantments." A sudden sense of pride filled Harry as he looked down at her. "I can't believe he'd go to all that trouble just to leave a fake though. The wards weren't recent, they had to be years old, from his first reign of terror."
Harry's hand paused on its route through her hair, as he thought. His hand started moving again as he looked off into space for a long moment, "Hermione, think for a second. We knew of the book's existence through the list, but we could have just as easily found it through the journal article." Hermione nodded, "So the book was easy to find, relatively, and at the time when he was hiding his Horcruxes..."
"Yeah, he would have been setting traps for members of the Order," Hermione agreed. "But it wouldn't have been enough against Dumbledore." She rolled onto her back so she was looking up at him, she shrugged as he nodded, already knowing her thoughts, but she said them anyway, "but if Dumbledore took the book, he might have thought it a Horcrux."
"Maybe...yeah, Dumbledore doesn't have my link to Tom, he might have been fooled by that residual spell Tom put on it." Harry glanced over at the book as Crookshanks sniffed at it and backed off. "I don't guess the book is useful for anything?"
"No, not other than as a curiosity for the Ministry's museum...it's too despoiled for anything else." Hermione blew her hair out of her eyes. "Should we go back to Hogwarts today?"
"Do you want to?" Harry asked and she shrugged.
"Not particularly." Hermione glanced back at the closed door to the Library, and thought briefly about the possibilities before deciding that both of them were too tired. Her hands came up to lie in front of her eyes and she glanced at her ring. "When do you want to get married Harry?"
"Today if you want."
Hermione snorted. "Alright."
"Alright." Harry replied instantly; then paused as both of them realized what they were saying. He took a deep breath as their eyes met; he gulped, "Seriously?"
Hermione bit her lip as it threatened to tremble, "If you are." She sat up and moved until she was more or less sitting on his lap. She intertwined their fingers, and looked at them for a long minute.
"I meant it when I asked you Love," Harry whispered, his eyes following hers to their hands. "So..." Hermione dropped her head to his shoulder and nodded. "Alright, then, how about your birthday, then? Do you want your parents there?"
A silver tear slipped out of her eye and down her cheek. "We can't risk it, Harry." He kissed her brow as her shoulders shook slightly. "When I was a girl," She said softly, slowly, "a little girl, that is, you know, I thought I'd have this grand white wedding..."
"You still can, Mione, anything, anywhere you want." Harry murmured. "I'll..."
"I know, but somehow that's just not us, is it? Not anymore, not while this is hanging over our heads," Hermione leaned up and silenced an objection with her lips before it escaped. "Maybe after we've killed the bastard, but that could be years, and I'm not waiting Harry..." She grinned ruefully, "I want to you to have my ring on too, when we finish it...just in case. And who knows, it might just save one or both of us."
Harry laughed, a touch bitterly, but not at her. "So, we get eloped in two weeks and married in Westminster for the victory party?"
"Something like that."
"Alright."
A/N: Were you expecting that? :) Ok as often requested, here is the answer to the Ginny question....at this point,
barring revisions, we are at 19,825 words until the chapter where Hermione and Ginny have their
"discussion."