AN ok, I broke down, another chapter enjoy.
Chapter 2: A Conversation with Canvas
********************Hogwarts*****************************
The CRACK of a side-along apparation silenced the hoots of owls and the twittering of songbirds as Harry and Hermione appeared next to the statues of winged hogs guarding the gates of the castle. They quickly looked about, their wands questing for any targets as they scanned the night. Finding none, Harry waved at the entrance, "I guess we are walking." Hermione nodded and the two of them headed up the long, gravel path to the entrance of the castle, stopping every so often to look out over the grass or to catch a glimpse of some odd animal peaking out from the edge of the forbidden forest.
No one challenged them as they entered the castle via the front doors. They walked aimlessly down the silent stone corridors, their footsteps echoing oddly as they passed empty suits of armor and tranquil, sleeping portraits. Several of them, cracked an eyebrow as they passed, and hushed murmurs of the "chosen one" echoed behind them as they passed out of sight.
They reached the third floor, and passed the room where they had found Fluffy so long ago. Hermione looked over at him and laughed softly as he knelt over the hatch leading below and cracked it open. She patiently explained that the Devil's Snare would have died out after her assault in their first year when Harry wondered aloud where it was. A small hissing presence stood at the door as they turned to leave. Mrs. Norris, the first sign of life they had seen since they had arrived save the faint smoke of Hagrid's cooking fire still coming from his chimney, stood with her hackles raised and glared at the duo with baleful, lamp-yellow eyes. "Oh hush." Hermione snapped at the cat as she brushed it out of their way. The cat gave her an incredulous look, and dashed off, no doubt to find her supposed master.
As the pair walked toward the transfiguration wing on their random meanderings, an oily presence came up from behind. "Oi, what are you children doing here. School is out, and may never restart. Bloody good thing too, if you ask me. No children cluttering the halls, casting magic...leave now or I'll..."
Harry gave an exasperated sigh and spun on his heel, "Or what Flitch?" He rolled his eyes and Hermione let slip an involuntary chuckle next to him, "Or what? You'll give me detention? Take house points? Whip me?" His eyebrow crooked upward. "Go ahead, try." Harry turned back and walked away, his footsteps resonating oddly as thousand year old stones bounced the sound back at them. Hermione gave the old squib a sarcastic smile and followed in her best friend's footsteps. "Sorry Hermione."
"For what," she laughed as she caught up to him and threw an arm around him for a moment, "For telling that windbag off?" She dug around in a pocket, "you know until we surrender our badges, we are the head students he can't do a blessed thing to us anyway."
"Yeah I guess so." Harry agreed. They looked up, to find the portrait of a fat woman, with a pink dress looking down at them annoyedly.
"Well do you want to go in?" She growled, as she yawned hugely.
Hermione shrugged and Harry waved in the direction of the door. "We don't know the password." She objected, but in responses the portrait swung open on oiled hinges.
"Silly girl," the fat lady snapped as Hermione steeped through the portrait hole for perhaps the last time. "You are the head students, you don't need one."
"Harry?" Hermione asked softly as she noticed that he had not yet came through the hole.
"Go on Hermione I will be along in a second, I, um...need to tie my shoe." Harry replied with a small smile. Brown eyes flicked heavenward as she continued on to the common room. Harry's smile faded as he turned to the fat lady, "don't ever call her a silly girl ever again." He hissed, and the fat lady...blinked. She nodded silently as he stepped through the portrait hole and found Hermione already ensconced on one of the ragged couches before the fireplace. A large fire was roaring in the grate, and as he approached, he noticed that no heat was warming his face as he sat next to her. A pass of her wand and a pair of mugs sat steaming on the small coffee table in front of them.
"Harry," Hermione commented as she reached for the mugs and handed him one. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me." She sat back and watched as he sighed and took a sip of the coffee she had conjured.
"You would be about the only one then." Harry muttered bitterly as he stared into the flames. "Everyone else seems to think that is my only purpose. It is, isn't it Hermione? To fight everyone's battles? To be the bloody, fucking, chosen one? Scrimgeour wants me to be the image of the Ministry, the Order members, when they weren't telling me I was too young to fight, were wondering when I would grow up. Ginny wanted me to be the boy-who-lived, who she fell for. Even Ron does it, when he's not insanely jealous of some damn thing that has probably cost another life of someone who didn't deserve to die, looks at me like I'm some kind of savior." Harry ran his hand roughly though his inky locks as he watched a log pop in the fire, "I guess they are the smart ones though." He added thoughtfully. "Everyone who has just thought of me as just Harry...my mum and Dad, Sirius, Dumbledore...they are all dead Hermione, everyone except you."
Harry stood suddenly and paced to the windows and peered out the leaded-glass panes. "If you really just want me to be Harry, not your savior, you should go Hermione. Run to America, Australia, anywhere. Maybe Victor would put you up in Bulgaria?" Hermione muttered something under her breath as he added the last. "I promise I'll stop him before he gets that far Hermione. If for just you if nothing else."
"I won't run Harry." Hermione shot back calmly.
"It's not running Hermione. It's being smart, I thought you off all people would realize that. He has years and years of study on me, and who else is going to stop him? Mad-Eye? Remus, Tonks? The Ministry? They've all tried and failed. Hell the only reason he hasn't been ruling the world for the last sixteen years is that he miscalculated when I was a baby."
"Yes he did." Hermione snapped back, as a bit of ire filled her voice, "he took on you, as a baby...and he fucking lost." Harry's eyes widened as she continued. "Harry he will die and you will live. I couldn't...you just will ok?"
Harry nodded, despite his misgivings he wasn't going to disagree. "Ok, then Hermione, how are we going to accomplish that little task?" He asked softly.
"No idea." She admitted in the same tone, and caught his eye. An instant later they both erupted with laughter. Her head fell sideways onto his shoulder as they continued to laugh. Finally after several minutes of hilarity they stopped, pausing for breath. She sat back and looked over at him. Thoughts could be seen dancing behind her eyes, noticeable at least to Harry, who had subconsciously watched them duel for years. She thought back over his words from earlier. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened with you and Ginny?" She looked down, sipping her coffee as she asked.
"I let her go Hermione..." Harry sighed. "I let her go, because she really doesn't have a clue of what we are up against. I wish you didn't either. I doubt Ron really does, his family, especially Molly was too concerned with coddling him to tell him the tales of Voldemort's first reign and that was when Dumbledore was still around to keep him in some sort of check. Oh, I don't doubt that he truly believes in the case, or think that he's not loyal to me, but he's also in it for the adventure. He's never read the quote, I guess, about adventure being danger happening to someone else, far away." Harry played with the handle of his mug for an instant. "No, I broke up with her at the funeral and she gave me some line about me not being happy unless I was hunting Voldemort, about that's why she fell for me in the first place."
Hermione let out a soft gasp, as she realized that Ginny had never really known Harry, anyone who really did would have never said that to him, I know I never would have. "I'm sorry Harry. I was so happy for you when you kissed her..." A small, tired smile crossed her lips, never touching her eyes.
"It's ok." Harry said as he returned the tiny smile. "What about you and Ron?" He asked with a tired tone to his voice. "Why didn't he show up today...yesterday?" He corrected himself as he glanced down at his watch.
"I don't know Harry." She admitted, "he's ok, I guess...we fight, we sort of make up, we stop arguing anyway." She shrugged, "I honestly don't know what is up with us. At times I really like him, at other times I think I am settling..." She had whispered the last words and if he wasn't even sure he really heard them. She didn't seem to think she had said them out loud so for his part Harry ignored them as she went on. "Don't ever tell Ron this." She commanded and he nodded, intrigued at her openness, "for the longest time I knew about his feelings for me...fourth year anyway, then for the most part of fifth he was pretty quiet about it so I let it go." She laughed at some inner thought. "Actually at the end of fifth year I thought he had moved on, I even thought that he might be feeling something for Luna..." Harry barked a laugh and she grinned slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I know...but hey if it made him happy. At least she wasn't a total airhead like Lavender, even if she were insane." Harry raised an eyebrow at the odd stress on "him," as if she weren't, at least in the main, referring to Ron. "But when he started his...thing with Lavender, I don't know, I had already given up so much, so I went a bit haywire. I mean I don't know what I was doing last year Harry."
"None of us did Hermione, it was like we were totally different people." Harry agreed, he reached out and touched her hand for a moment before leaning back. "But you never answered why Ron didn't come with you."
She frowned, "We had another argument, what else Harry?" She took another sip, of now, cold coffee, grimaced at the taste and grunted. "I went over a couple of days ago to help Ginny with her dress fitting, and Ron and I got into it about why I hadn't been over before then. I explained that I wanted to spend time with my parents, as I didn't know when I would see them again. He seemed affronted so I apparated out on his arse, probably left him smelling like brimstone, if I got the spell right." Her eyes flicked to the side for an instant, ostensibly looking towards the portrait hole.
"You were right Hermione," Harry replied, "I love him, but he does take his parents for granted sometimes. Do me a favor and don't ever do that. Don't ever take them for granted Hermione, please." He visibily thought of something and sighed to himself. Bright yellow daylight streamed through the windows, the night had passed in their wanderings and conversation both here and at Privet Drive. Harry looked out the windows at the sun peeking above the clouds and stood. He extended his hand and pulled Hermione to her feet easily. "Let's go find McGonagall," Harry said as he headed to the portrait hole. He looked around the common room, and nodded to himself, some decision made. Hermione didn't ask, but merely followed him out the portrait hole into the seventh floor corridor that they had stood in innumerable times before.
The pair of them walked the length and breadth of the castle, finding no one at this hour. They might have spotted the tail of Mrs. Norris retreating behind a suit of armor as they headed down the second floor corridor on the way to the Headmistresses office, but if it were, the cat had wisely decided that discretion truly was the better part of valor and left them alone. For a long instant they stood silently at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to McGonagall's office. Harry looked up at the stone statue, then over at Hermione and back to the statue as an odd thought crossed his mind. "Sugar Quills."
The gargoyle's stone eyelids ground open and odd, blue eyes looked the pair of them over. With the sound of
rumbling rock, the gargoyle stepped aside and waved the pair of them in. A marble staircase ground endlessly upward as
Harry and Hermione stepped in and rode them to the top. A large oak door with a griffin knocker, gleaming softly in the
torchlight awaited them at the top. Harry looked at Hermione and shrugged. She returned the gesture and reached out and
beat the knocker against the door three times.
Sounds of sudden movement and rustling papers came from behind the door, and a moment later a familiar burr rang out,
"Come in."
Harry opened the door to find Minerva McGonagall sitting behind the huge oak desk that Harry had associated with Dumbledore in his previous meetings here. His eyes instinctively shot to the portrait behind the desk, to find the slumbering visage of his old mentor. McGonagall was dressed in severe, dark green robes as she sat watching the two of them enter, and waved to a pair of comfortable chintz armchairs in front of her desk. Harry had expected the stiff, straight chairs of her old office, but as he looked up, he noticed that Dumbledore was more awake than he had appeared. The portrait gave him a small wink as he glanced over and Harry knew that the chairs had been his idea.
"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I have been expecting you." She said kindly. Minerva gestured over her shoulder in the general direction of the portrait, "or at least Albus thought so." She added dryly. "I know you are awake Albus."
"Aw yes." Dumbledore replied from his portrait, not bothering to deny the accusation. "I am. And unless I miss my guess, Mr. Potter is here to make some...requests. I suggest that you grant them, Minerva." He nodded to Harry, who returned a small touch to his head, the same as given in a formal duel to acknowledge a point. McGonagall straightened her square-framed glasses on her nose and sat back. She gestured for Harry to begin.
Harry leaned forward and pulled the Head Boy's badge from his pocket. He placed it face up on her desk, but did not push it forward, but left it out of her reach. Without a word, Hermione did exactly the same. "Headmistress, I...we..."
McGonagall raised a hand in interruption, "Harry, Hermione, if you don't take those positions, I am afraid that school will not reopen in the fall. I need trustworthy students to be Heads, and frankly I don't really have any other choices in your year. Especially not ones that I can trust fully in these perilous times. Frankly Mr. Potter...Harry...as much as I hate to say it, the presence of the chosen one may be the factor that persuades parents to allow their students to return to school." Harry opened his mouth to snarl a retort, but Hermione beat him to it.
"Professor McGonagall, Harry may be the one prophesized to kill Voldemort, but I would think that you would...."
McGonagall nodded, and gave them a small motion to apologize, "I am sorry Harry. You were going to ask me something?"
Harry nodded and then after a moment's thought, "If Hermione and I may have a moment?" McGonagall nodded and Harry got up and walked to the back of the room. Hermione confusedly followed him at a gesture and flicked her wand instinctively to form a cone of silence around the pair of them. "Hermione," Harry said with his back to McGonagall, "do you really think it is a good idea to return here for the school year?"
Hermione nervously bit her lower lip as a finger came up and absently twirled a curly lock around and around. "Yeah Harry, sort of...I mean there are advantages to being here...The castle defenses are formidable, the Death Eaters got in though a unguarded means last year," Her eyes more than amply expressed her apology for that oversight, which despite his words last night, she still felt guilty for. She shrugged, "Despite you and Ron's distain for the library, Hogwarts has one of the greatest wizarding libraries anywhere. I know that Riddle wasn't able to find out about Horcruxes from it, he had to learn from Slughorn. But there are other things we could learn. And we will have to learn Harry."
"Yeah we will Hermione." Harry's emerald eyes held hers for a long moment, searching for something. Finding it, he nodded to himself, "Hermione, do you trust me?" He asked, already knowing the answer as she nodded mutely, with the flames of just a touch of annoyance dancing in her pupils. He reached out and squeezed her hand, silently apologizing. She gave him a small, half-smile in acceptance. "Ok then, follow my lead, no matter what I ask for...or rather demand," he corrected himself with a small shrug. Harry crossed back over to McGonagall's desk, but instead of sitting back down he stood, looking down at the elderly witch. Hermione came over to stand next to him, and leaned back against the coming of a nearby window that looked out over the grounds and Hagrid's hut.
"Ma'am I apologize in advance if I am to offend you. And I only let you know that I am entertaining this, as I would like Hermione to have at least one of her dreams if possible, and I know she will follow me." Harry never looked over at Hermione, he knew she had meant her words, McGonagall nodded slowly, listening. "We will return next fall, and take those badges...but there are conditions and I am afraid that they are non-negotiable."
"What are they?" McGonagall asked in a slightly affronted tone.
"First, Hermione, Ron and I are to have total freedom of movement and action." Harry crossed his arms, and if possible his emerald eyes glowed softly in the early morning light. "We will be able to leave the castle when and how we choose, we will be able to do magic at any time, anywhere, and we will excused from classes as needed without any excuses needed, it is entirely possible that we may be gone for days, weeks even. We will perform all assignments, and I feel that you will be pleased with our progress, but we may not be able to take them in scheduled classes."
"I cannot make Mr. Weasley a head student as well Harry, and it seems as if you are asking to have a status equal to mine..."
"No mum," Hermione interjected, as she had already discerned the direction of Harry's thoughts. "Ron is only to be granted the same freedom of movement, he would not have the powers of a head student. We just don't want Flitch or some professor complaining about us wondering the halls as we return from some..." she drifted off as she suddenly wondered if she were wandering into forbidden territory.
Fortunately Dumbledore once again saved the day. "She knows about the Horcruxes, Miss Granger...or may I call you Hermione? It would be convenient if you both would call me Albus as well, as it seems that I am no longer your headmaster. His head turned to McGonagall, "I told you Minerva." She glared at the image of the ancient wizard; he smiled right back. "What are your other terms?"
"Have you yet found replacements for yourself and...Snape, mum?" The cold that filled her voice at the former teacher's name could have frozen the loch outside in the middle of July. McGonagall shook her head, "Good then I would, suggest that Remus Lupin and Tonks would be eminently suitable for the DADA and transfiguration slots respectively. And that you turn a blind eye to any...indiscretions that the two may find themselves in." Next to her, Harry covered his mouth to hide a quiet chuckle. He caught her gaze and saw the same expression dancing there.
Minerva gave them a small smile, "Actually you will be glad to know that I was already considering Remus for that slot, I feel that any issues with his...affliction, will be greatly outweighed by his stance on the current difficulties. I will see if Nymphadora is available from the Ministry for that post. With Amelia gone, we do not quite have the support we once had within the MLE, but if it is possible..." Harry and Hermione nodded as one, they both recognized that some things were only possible if they were. "Next?"
Harry moved to sit back down. Hermione did not reseat herself, however. She propped a hip on the corner of Harry's chair so as to stay more or less standing. "All staff of Hogwarts will be investigated under both veritaserum and imperious-detecting charms before the start of school and at random intervals thereafter. This will include Hermione, Ron and myself as well as members of the DA, which will be reestablished and will meet with the full support of the school." McGonagall nodded angrily, but Harry could tell somehow that her anger wasn't directed at him or Hermione.
"I will agree to all of those conditions Harry...Hermione..." she smiled to herself, "now Albus has me doing it, calling my students by their Christian names. I am curious, though, are you also wanting Miss Weasley to be given the same freedoms?" Her old eyes asked a question.
"No mum, there will be only the three of us. Ginny, as well as Neville and Luna and several others will be vital members of the DA, but..."
"Fine then," McGonagall nodded, her eyes flicked to Hermione, "I am glad I was correct in your fifth year, at least you do listen to Miss Granger if no one else."
"Actually," Hermione corrected her with the faintest tinge of a blush, "I listened to Harry this time." McGonagall nodded, her eyes twinkling slightly.
All three of the living humans in the room looked over as Dumbledore made a soft coughing noise, "Now that that is settled," He said, and it was amazing that canvas could twinkle, "There are certain items that I feel that Harry might need." McGonagall flicked her wand at a tall, closed cabinet and a large, leather bundle floated out and settled on her desk with an odd metallic clank. Her wand flicked once more and the bundle opened, to reveal a slender, gleaming sword. The rubies inset in the handle of the Gryffindor sword glittered in the light of the sun, which was now streaming in the window. Several smaller daggers with the same design as the Gryffindor sword were strapped next to the sword. Half a dozen of the silver instruments that used to populate this office when it was Dumbledore's surrounded them along with three golden keys and a small, leather bound book. Each of the keys was marked with odd runes.
Harry reverently picked up the sword and as he did so, a sudden, source less wind rustled his hair and a golden glow surrounded him for an instant before fading away. "Aw yes Harry, as I told you in your second year, only a true Gryffindor could pull that sword from the hat. Harry, if you would please hand the sword to Hermione." Hermione shrugged as he did so and his jaw dropped as the exact same reaction happened to her as had just happened to him. As one, they turned to Dumbledore. "Yes, now you see the truth, true bravery is not dependent on birth or position, but a choice, a choice to stand against the darkness against all costs. Miss Granger chose Gryffindor Harry, just as you did. The teens shared an uncomfortable look, "the sword as well as the daggers can be used to cast spells just like a wand, and as you may have noticed there are six. I would think carefully on whom you gift with those, I would expect that you would give them to your closest allies. The instruments, I will not take time to explain, the manual will explain their use, they are instruments that I have used in the hunt for the Horcruxes as well as other endeavors."
"And the keys?" Hermione inquired with an odd, breathless excitement.
"One goes to a hidden vault in the Potter ancestral castle that by now Harry has learned will be his on the 31st. The second goes to a vault in a cave about thirty miles from here, which contains several of my journals and books that you should find useful, and the third..." Dumbledore shrugged, "I am not sure actually, I am sure that it is important, however." Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes in unison. "Finally, through Minerva's kind auspices, I have arranged for additional training for the two of you, as well as Mr. Weasley. Training that I was not able to undertake." Kind blue eyes were sad for a moment, "The Order is in disarray I am afraid, but those members that still live will be at your call Harry. Or your designate." He added with a glance at Hermione. The portrait turned to McGonagall, "Minerva, now that we have clearly been put in our place." Hermione's cheeks were only barely tinged with embarrassment while Harry didn't visibly react at all. The portrait nodded, some fact confirmed. "You have something to show them." McGonagall nodded and stood.
She walked to the door and without looking to see if they were following, went down the stairs and out into the second floor hallway. On the way, they passed several Professors, Flitwick, Vector, and Trelwany all of whom seemed pleased that Harry and Hermione had agreed to return and take up the posts of head students. Trelwany may have been happy purely because she hadn't lost her favorite target for predicting a student's death.
The trio continued on, eventually returning to the seventh floor corridor that concealed the entrance to Gryffindor tower. Instead of continuing on, however, McGonagall stopped and tapped her wand on the bricks of an empty stretch of wall around the corner from the fat lady while murmuring something under her breath. A stone archway appeared, revealing a narrow marble staircase. McGonagall led them up the stairs, not even starting when the archway closed behind them. She paused as she reached a door at the top and pried it open.
They came into a smaller rendition of the Gryffindor common room. Shelves of books lined fully half the circumference of the room, with titles like Defense Against the Darkest of Arts, Most Potente Potions and A Compilation of Wizarding and Muggle Battle Tactics. Harry bit back a huge grin as he noticed at least three editions of Hogwarts a History tucked in among the others, along with an entire section on Quidditch. Hermione's eyes glittered as she glanced over at Harry. "This is your common room, of course." McGonagall waved at the door furthest on the right and set opposite the others. "That door exits to the Gryffindor common room. It comes out behind the portrait of Wilhelm the Courageous." McGonagall walked around the worn couch in front of an unlit fireplace and dodged around a pair of chairs set opposite as she walked over to the other three doors and opened the middle one. She opened it to show a large, t-shaped bathroom.
The bath was the same as would be seen at any luxury hotel, providing it was a wizarding one of course. A large marble shower sat in one corner, big enough for a party to be held inside if the revelers were friendly and a whirlpool tub, easily big enough for six sat next to it. At least twenty faucets surrounded it, labeled in various colors. Toilets sat at either end of the room with small partitions around each one. A door lead from the opposite ends, most likely to the bedrooms. McGonagall confirmed that supposition with a quiet comment. She closed the door to the bathroom and entered the bedroom on the left.
A large four-poster sat in the middle of the room, which was easily as large as Harry's normal dorm that he shared with four other boys, pushed against the far wall. A crimson and gold coverlet covered the bed, with the Hogwarts crest proximately displayed. A large oak desk, quite similar to the Headmistress' own dominated a corner with bookshelves crowed around it with titles that explained without words that this room was to be Harry's. The bundle from Dumbledore's office was lying on Harry's bed, along with his head's badge. In the opposite corner from Harry's desk, a tattered love seat sat in front of another fireplace. "Hermione's room is the same, just inverted." McGonagall walked over to a hand-sized gold orb set on the mantel and indicated it with a long finger. "This is your personal portkey to get around Hogwarts, you each have one. It will allow you to by pass the wards and enter and leave directly. It is also charmed to self-destruct if someone other than yourselves tries to use it or to compel you to use it on his or her behalf. Albus seemed to feel the need for them."
"Yes I did Minerva." Dumbledore agreed as he appeared in, an, until that very moment; empty frame. He smiled at Harry's sudden shocked look, "Do not worry, other than right now I will only come to this or the matching portrait in Hermione's room if summoned or in an emergency. Now I expect that the two of them would like to look around and talk without the presence of us old codgers." Dumbledore's laugh faded oddly as he vanished from his portrait, presumably to go back to his in his old office or maybe just to go visit somewhere.
McGonagall started to leave, but paused at the door to Harry's bedroom, "I know what you are going to do Harry, when school restarts, we must return to outwardly normal practices, but until then call on me at any time. Either of you. You are welcome to come and go, as you will until school starts. I would suggest carrying the portkeys at all times. They both have a run settling, that if either of you are hurt or just need to escape they will whisk you back here and activate the wards of the castle to full wariness at the same time." She left without another word and Harry and Hermione could hear the door to the stairs open and close in the silence.
"Well Hermione what do you think?"
"I love it Harry, but do you think this is the best idea? I mean even with the freedoms you...ok we, forced on McGonagall we are still constrained somewhat by just being here."
"You were right Hermione. You always are." Harry shrugged and she grinned at him as he pulled his tiny trunk from the pocket of the khaki cargo pants he had on and tossed it to the floor at the foot of his bed. He flicked his wand and it instantly grew to full size. He opened it and removed a battered, leather knapsack. She watched, curiously, as he carefully placed miniaturized jumpers and jeans, a couple of robes and various bits of other essentials in the pack. He casually flicked his wand over his shoulder and the door to the room sealed with a squelch and a white flash lit the walls.
"Silencing charm." He explained. "Layers on layers Hermione, McGonagall, and Dumbledore I guess gave us one of the solutions to out problems right here." He pointed to the orb as he placed the tightly folded silvery fabric of his cloak into a thigh pocket of his khakis. She watched, slightly amazed as he slid the sword of Gryffindor point first into the bag, where it proceeded to slide in, without the tip ever emerging on the other side. Just the handle poked out, and with a tap of his wand, it vanished. Harry settled the pack on his back and reached up and back behind his right shoulder. His fist closed on something and he nodded to himself.
"We can officially be here, but anywhere else in England except Grimmauld place in an instant. And for that, we just use the portkeys to get out of the castle and apparate to the manor, I have already added you to the house wards. All of the charms were reset when I gained the house. It doesn't exist even more than when Sirius was alive. However as soon as we can, we go there and refresh the Fidielus Charm, and only the three of us will have access. The Death Eaters and their spies will think we are here, when we can be anywhere looking for them."
"Thanks Harry." Hermione said simply.
"It's not just for you, Hermione, though you are welcome, mum and dad were heads and I expect that they would like for me to carry on the tradition. Harry walked over to his bed and carefully lifted the bundle off of it and placed it on the closed lid of his trunk, "Now I am going to kip off for a bit for a bit before we leave for the Burrow." Harry looked at the bedside clock, which as he was de facto a quasi Muggle-born actually showed the time at 8:15 am, along with a snide message reading, "it's summer you fool boy, go out and play."
"Ok Harry." Hermione agreed as she walked out and mostly closed his door, leaving it cracked. She watched through the crack as Harry let the night catch up to himself and yawned. He kicked off his trainers and escaped to the land of dreams.
She nodded and crossed their new common room to check out her own quarters for the next year. For some odd reason, she left her door cracked as well as she didn't bother to unpack besides tossing her shrunken trunk at the foot of her bed. An already full knapsack was in hers as well. She rolled on her side as she watched the crack of the door, ears straining, just in case before the events of the night and the morning caught up with her as well.
A/N There you go, I hope it's not too horrible, I literally banged this one off today. For those of you reading shadows hand on, a new chapter of it will appear soon as well. In this universe, next chapter we will get to the Burrow, and well....