Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 8: What was once lost, is now found. ***************************Hogwarts********************************

July 14, 1997
8:25pm

"POPPY" Harry screamed even before he finished rematerializing fully in the infirmary. A matronly looking witch barreled out of her private quarters, knocking over a medical cart in her haste. A teacup was still held loosely in her grip as she came around the corner. It shattered on the slate floor as she ran over to Harry.

He laid Hermione down on a convenient bed, coincidentally the same as she had been in for so long second year, a small distant part of his mind noted absently. "Mr. Potter...what has happened to her?" Poppy began running her wand over Hermione as a clipboard levitated off of a nearby table and began to fill in with complex terms and words.

"I...I'm not sure." Harry replied softly. His face was haunted as he ran his fingers over her limp hand. "I came back to find her like this." Harry lied absently.

"Harry," A familiar voice came from a portrait above the bed. Both he and Poppy looked up to find a pair of familiar, ice blue eyes looking back down at them. Seconds later, Tonks, Lupin and Ron arrived with McGonagall on their heels. "Tell them all Harry."

Harry glanced up at the portrait to find Dumbledore's kind eyes meeting his; "You were the one telling me to keep this to myself." He objected as Poppy began to grab potions and cures from a shelf. "She's lying here in part because your Order couldn't be trusted... I won't see her hurt any more because of some new traitor..."

Remus gave Harry a hurt look, as a long ago choice to think him a traitor and not Pettigrew, came back to the fore. Tonks grabbed his hand as Ron shared a look with Harry. "Tell them Harry...if we're going to be here anyway, they will eventually find out." Ron said finally.

"Ok." Harry replied dejectedly. "Secure the room Ron." A wand danced and a white flash lit the walls. Harry watched as Poppy cut back Hermione's left sleeve with a well placed Severing Charm and started a Glucose IV. "She was examining a Horcrux," Minerva gasped and Remus' eyes grew huge.

"So the rumors were true, Voldemort," Poppy shivered slightly as she started a second IV with a purple strengthening potion, "split his soul, to keep alive, that's how?" He looked at Harry, who nodded.

"Yes Remus, so far, it looks as if I've destroyed one, Dumbledore one, and for my sins, Hermione was hurt destroying one...I came back and Tom's...shadow was coming at her, I destroyed it with the sword."

"Mr. Potter...Harry," Pomfrey interrupted quietly, "excuse me, but Miss Granger is experiencing symptoms of magical repression followed by immense magical discharge. The only other time I've seen the like is when I first started here and that little girl was under Amortentia for a year. In that case the poor dear was being force-fed the potion to ease an arranged marriage." An odd compulsion took over her hand and a wand was waving over Harry before she knew what she was doing. She checked the clipboard, and a soft curse escaped the witch's lips. "Mr. Potter, you are showing similar symptoms, however in your case, you show the faintest traces of a truly massive continuous dosage of Amortentia, have you taken a Flushing Draught in the last few days by any chance?"

Ron looked pensive; he looked at Harry speculatively, "So that's why Hermione fed you that draught last night."

"Is that what that was?" Harry mused, and Tonks mouthed something about, "the boy took something and didn't even ask?" She shook her head exasperatedly as she thought of what Mad-Eye would have done to her. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand gently and ran his thumb softly over the tendons on the back of her hand. "Ron?" Harry said quietly without looking up.

"Yeah mate?" Ron whispered as he came to stand at Harry's shoulder and knelt next to him. In the darkness now visible out the window, a single white owl flashed by, settled on the window and looked in.

Harry's fingers flicked, the window opened and his familiar settled on his shoulder. She cooed mournfully down at Hermione, and Harry petted her. "Hermione was working on something else, go back and see what it was." He glanced up at Poppy, and an air of command settled in his voice, "she was under something similar to the potion in its side effects, but not the same, right?" She nodded and he took a deep breath, "Take Tonks Ron, I'll fill in Remus, he can talk to Tonks later, whisper it in her ear in bed if need be." Harry added the last with a tiny, pained smile.

Ron gave him a pat on the shoulder, bent down and kissed Hermione on the cheek, "get well Hermy, if for no other reason than to kick my arse for using that name." Ron whispered so only the trio could hear. Ron left with Tonks a moment later to get out of range of the anti-Apparation wards.

Harry quickly explained the events of the last year, and indeed the last seventeen, as he understood them to Remus. If Poppy actually heard, she said nothing as she ran various testing charms over Hermione, eventually stating that she really didn't know why Hermione was reacting like this.

An hour later, which was mostly characterized by Harry sitting at Hermione's bedside and holding her hand silently, Ron and Tonks returned with a book, Hermione's wand and a leather-bound binder emblazoned with a twisted silver star. Hermione's dagger was still thrust through the ruins of the stone at the center of the star. Harry took a deep breath as he recognized the planner, he should; he had seen the bloody thing almost every day for the last year in conjunction with his best friend as she meticulously planned her day. Even at the height of her apparent, difficulties, with him and Ron, she had marked down her activities and plotted out her day.

"It's her planner Harry." Ron said unnecessarily, he pulled a small fragment of a black, oily stone from his pocket. "These bits of stone were scattered all over the floor."

"Minerva" Dumbledore's portrait spoke up from the wall, where he had been listening quietly. "I believe if you examine that planner, you may find something interesting." Harry watched as the reflection of his mentor heard his suspicions confirmed after a several minute examination of the planner. His eyes were sorrowful as he looked down at Harry, "Harry I am sorry, I suspected something, but..."

"You were not the one that caused this. May Ron and Hermione and I have a moment?" Harry asked quietly of the room and without a word, Minerva, Tonks and Remus filed out, none of them daring to tell Harry that Hermione was still unconscious. Dumbledore gave Harry a brief nod and left the portrait he currently inhabited and after a quick check on Hermione, Poppy stepped into her office as well. Harry sighed, slightly and looked at Ron. Hedwig hooted mournfully and panned her head back and forth between Harry and Ron. Harry looked down at his hand, which was still rubbing Hermione's and looked up at his best friend. "Ron, I have to ask this once and I promise I never will again..."

"No Harry, I would have never, not even if it meant she ended up with me." Ron shot back coldly at him, and Harry reached up and touched his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ron I just...No," Harry said suddenly, "By Merlin, I can learn something from my history despite what that arsehole Snape says. I trust you Ron. I'm sorry I..."

"It's ok Harry." Ron replied quietly as he sat gently on the edge of Hermione's bed on her side opposite that where Harry was currently sitting. Ron reached over and grabbed the book Hermione had been reading when she had evidentially destroyed a talisman, and opened a Horcrux. He opened the book to the page he and Tonks had found the book open to where it had flopped face down on the ground after Hermione's release of energy. "It's the talisman that was listed in Borkin's ledger Harry."

"Were any of us ourselves last year Ron?" Harry asked plaintively. His thumb stroked Hermione's hand once more, before he stood and looked out onto the lawn. Hagrid's hut was lit from within, and Harry felt a tang of guilt of their ignoring their giant friend for so much time last year. Maybe I can get in his class this year, Harry thought idly as he leaned his forehead against the cool, leaded glass of the hospital windows.

Harry watched the dark lawn beyond, lit only sporadically by projected squares of yellow light from a few occupied castle windows. He spotted a pair of unicorns emerge from the edge of forest near Hagrid's hut and smiled slightly as he watched Buckbeak snap at them for disturbing his rest. "You know what this means Ron? I wouldn't blame you if you choose to stay out of this mess."

"V...Voldemort, my family, no big." Ron moaned slightly under his breath and joined Harry at the window, "You thinking we should get back into Creatures?" Harry glanced over at Ron and they laughed together softly.

"Only if Hermione does." Harry replied and Ron nodded. The pair of them turned back to the window in time to see Hagrid staggering back to his hut from another night at the Three Broomsticks. "Ron you're my brother in all the ways that count."

"I know." Ron said quietly, "you too. Even though you are a git." He paused, "wait that's Percy, you're just a prat." Harry smiled slightly.

"Anyway..." Harry turned serious once more, "I won't see her hurting Hermione any more Ron. At all. I don't care what we had if anything, and I honestly don't care if she is your sister. Hermione thought of her as one Ron, did you know that, the younger sister that her parents never gave her. She's going to be devastated when she wakes up."

Ron walked over and sat back down next to Hermione. "Yeah." He patted her arm softly, "I know."

"Ronald, Harry." An ethereal voice called from the door. Both of the boys turned to find Luna Lovegood looking oddly...determined as she crossed the room. Luna was looking much more like a Muggleborn than a Pureblood today as she came closer. The willowy blond had her pale locks pulled back into a tight braid and was wearing a low cut pair of jeans and a tight, short top. Ron let out an involuntary gulp as the young witch came over to Hermione and knelt down. Her silvery-gray eyes were oddly focused as she ran a hand over Hermione's forehead and looked to Harry. "I am sorry Harry, I was not in time. I was helping father outfit for his annual Gilded Gradlehuff safari when I saw."

"Saw what?" Harry replied, confused, a normal, rather comforting state with Luna.

Luna looked at him like he was smoking a pipe like Mundungus' "The effects of the talisman shattering of course. I would have been here sooner...but I passed out." She walked over to Ron, who caught the exasperated shrug Harry gave behind Luna's back. Luna didn't even pause for a breath as she wrapped her arms around Ron's waist and tucked her head under his. "Are you ok Ron?" She whispered.

"Yeah Loony, I'm fine." Ron muttered and Harry raised an eyebrow behind the pair of them.

"I am sorry Harry." Luna announced a moment later as she had now rolled in Ron's arms to lean back against the tall teenage wizard. She seemed to be supporting Ron as much as he was supporting her. "I tried but she was willful, there is an excellent article in March's Quibbler about recovering from Love Potions, I can get it for you Harry."

"Thanks Luna." Harry replied flatly, he shared a glance with Ron over Luna's head. "Luna I know that Ginny is your friend-"

"No Harry," Luna replied with a chill in her voice that frankly, scared Harry a little bit. "She was my friend, but when she hurt you and Ronald and Hermione, who isn't always my friend I admit, but I do like her... I will miss Ginny, she was so nice when she was younger." Her voice was mist-like at the end, she tilted her head back to look straight up at Ron, "Ronald, you should eat something, that growling will bring Samarian Horsemoths, and you know how they are-" She shrugged daintily in Ron's arms, "I should probably eat too, don't know why I passed out, either the low blood sugar, or Voldemort."

"Go Ron," Harry said with an only slightly forced smile, "You two go get something to eat."

"What about you mate?" Ron said as Luna bounced slightly in his arms.

"I'll just stay here." Harry replied and looked back down at Hermione. Luna and Ron shared an oddly knowing glance before Luna led Ron out of the room by his hand.

********************Room of Requirement, Hogwarts***********************

July 22, 1997
4:30 pm

"Again." Remus snapped and Harry dove to his side. A sizzling red beam shot through where he had been. Harry rolled, came up and caught two more stunners on a silver shield. A sliver bolt snapped from his wand to impact between the eyes on a masked figure.

Harry dodged another Death Eater. Ducked under another red spell bolt and returned fire. He dove behind a large desk and panted slightly. This time, the Room of Requirement had taken a shape much like that of the Ministry's Time Room on that night Sirius had died. Several heavy desks sat around a round room. A large, glowing tank sat in the middle of the room, with shelves and doors lining the walls. A dozen Death Eaters filled the room, but today, Harry was alone against them, no Neville...no Hermione. A hated, accented, mocking laugh rang out in the room, "is that all you have, wee little baby Potter?" and Harry MOVED. Green fire flicked in his eyes as he banished a heavy desk across the room to crush two Death Eaters against a wall.

A shining canary curse hissed towards him, he ducked and a Death Eater screamed as the Cruciatus took hold. Harry dove forward, firing, and a pair more Death Eaters fell. "INCENDIO ENVELUM" Harry's wand flicked and another two were enveloped. He stood, looking for the rest...

"Too bad Potter..." A green flash lit the room and everything vanished, leaving only a pair of couches and a table between them with a pitcher of water and two glasses on it. Remus did not say a word as he waved Harry to a seat.

"No Remus; lets go again." Harry objected as he wiped sweat off his forehead and took a breath, ready to begin a session for the twentieth time today. He was panting slightly, and pale. His hands were shaking slightly as he raised his wand to a ready position. "Let's go..."

"No Harry." Lupin said kindly as he crossed the room slowly. He cautiously reached his hand out towards Harry, like a trainer towards a rather tired and annoyed lion and plucked Harry's wand from mostly unresisting fingers. "Lets stop here." Remus closed his eyes briefly as a vision of a determined thirteen-year-old version of the powerful and...scared wizard in front of him crossed his thoughts. Of a young man learning to fight Dementors ten years before any normal wizard learned that spell if at all. His wand flicked behind him and a filled glass of ice water floated over.

He handed it to Harry, who chugged it down and tossed the glass into the corner of the room. It shattered into tiny pieces and vanished. "Happy now Remus? Give me my wand back, I'm ready..."

"No you aren't Harry," Remus slipped Harry's wand into his back pocket along with his own. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders, "You need to rest Harry, you've been training with me or Nymph or Minerva every second that you haven't been with Hermione for the last week. Have you even eaten today?"

Harry shook his way out from Remus' arms and paced away. He absently flicked his fingers and his wand jumped from Lupin's back pocket, curled around the lycan and dropped in Harry's waiting hand. Lupin cocked an eyebrow. "It doesn't matter, Remus. Nothing matters, I have to be ready..."

"For what Harry, Voldemort, Harry even..."

"Even what? Professor?" Harry snapped, "Even Dumbledore wasn't a match for him? Is that what you were going to say? HUH?" Harry turned on his heel, the water pitcher and the remaining glass exploded, shards of glass almost reaching Harry and Lupin a good fifteen feet away, before vanishing.

Lupin sighed and dropped his eyes for a second, he looked up at Harry, "No Harry that's not what I was going to say and you know it, Dumbledore was a match for him, he fought Riddle to a draw every time they fought..."

"That's just the thing, Remus." Harry fairly howled, "I have to be better than Dumbledore, I have to kill the fucker, and I can't even do that until I find his Horcruxes, and..." Harry paced to the couch and dropped on it, bouncing several times before he stopped. He dropped his head to his hands, "I just don't know if I can do it, Remus...dad couldn't beat him, Dumbledore couldn't beat him, and now...Hermione is sitting in the hospital wing-again, and it my fault, just it was last time," Harry waved his arm vaguely in the air, indicating the room as a whole. "This was just twelve Death Eaters attacking, Remus, just like at the Ministry, what happens when it's a hundred, a thousand..."

"Do you love her Harry?" Remus asked suddenly and Harry's gaze snapped to his with an utterly pole axed expression. "I mean it, do you love Hermione?" Harry's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, "Like she loves you?" Harry shook his head not in denial but utter disbelief, "because even when Ginny had her under the influence of the talisman, she still loved you...Harry she sat there in the infirmary the night Dumbledore died and her first thought was that she failed you. Not Dumbledore, or Ron or the school as whole, you..."

"That's just the thing Remus, she didn't...she never could, ever. If she had stayed with Ron and married him and had fifteen little redheads or if she left all of us forever and went to live in America as a Muggle she couldn't fail me, not ever." Harry looked at his wand absently, "I don't want her to have to face this Remus...even though I am a hundred times the wizard with her than without her. I...I won't have what happened to mum happen to her, even if it kills me inside and out." Neither of them noticed a soft gasp from near the door, "what happens when they come after us some night..."

"Then we kill them Harry," A soft soprano answered his question and Harry's heart thumped. He turned, and somehow, he was across the room and flinging his arms around her. Hermione slumped against him as his tears darkened her shirt. "I'm so sorry Harry." She whispered in his ear, as Harry shook his head.

Neither of them noticed as Remus escaped the room.

Harry held onto her like she was the last drink of water in the desert and he a man dying of thirst. "Mione..."

"Shhh, Harry, it's ok." She chewed her bottom lip nervously as she looked him in the eyes and her hands were trembling slightly as they came up to cradle his face, as if her entire life from this moment forward was riding on what she said...and did, now, "it'll be ok, love, I promise." Harry just nodded, Hermione took a breath; her fingers fisted in inky-black locks and pulled him to her.

Lips crashed together, and a jolt of energy slammed through both of their bodies, crashing them to their knees, and shaking the walls of the room. Hermione moaned as a soft tongue teased along her bottom lip, and it slipped home to greet hers. Her eyes slid closed, as Harry's hands came up to run through her hair and she knew...she had been right. Ohh, thank Merlin. Hermione whispered in her thoughts and Harry sat back and looked at her...oddly.

"For what Hermione?" Harry asked softly, she cocked her head, "you said thank Merlin." Hermione's eyes grew wide and she smiled hugely, heartstoppingly.

For you loving me too silly. Hermione replied, looking directly into his eyes, and pointedly not moving her mouth. Harry laughed, a laugh of freedom and tears of joy in his eyes.

This is different, He replied likewise and fell backwards onto the suddenly soft floor, pulling her along with him. She giggled as she landed on his chest and he kissed her again. They broke apart as lungs began heaving for air. I'm sorry it too so long Mione. Harry replied softly, silently, as she gave him a small smile and swept his bangs from his eyes.

Hermione leaned forward and kissed his nose, before dropping her head back to his chest. It doesn't matter anymore. None of that matters, Harry. Her eyes glanced around the room without rising from his chest. She had absolutely no desire to ever be out of touching distance again, but a couch would serve a tad better than the floor. The room heard her, and with a soft pop and a muted flash, the room changed.

A dimly lit version of the Gryffindor Common Room appeared, perhaps only one third the size of the real one in the tower one over, but perfectly adequate for their needs. A tattered couch sat before a blazing, purely atmospheric fire. Shelves of books and study guides lined the walls, which were interspersed with familiar portraits, of which one, a currently empty one, Hermione was relatively certain might be for an certain recent Headmaster of Hogwarts. Hermione flowed to her feet and Harry followed, her hand never leaving his firm grasp. He sat down on a corner of the couch, as Hermione tucked in next to him. She drew her legs up under her and her head fell to his shoulder. He sighed, suddenly content for the first time in a very long time.

How did this happen?

She knew what he meant, the newest developments between then were only a bonus to that understanding that, except for that hated, despised period, had only grown over the years. She frowned slightly and leaned back into his chest. An errant curl wrapped around her finger as she thought of how to explain. Harry smiled as he could feel the wheels turning. After a minute of contemplation, several things at once most likely. She let out a breath, lets see...first, let me ask you something...have you ever seen the magical potential ratings for first years? More specifically your own?

Yeah that's the one. She agreed as she glanced down at their intertwined fingers, students are not supposed to see their results really, kind of like Muggles are like with IQ tests in primary school, they don't want kids bragging about it to other kids. Harry the balls aren't...supposed to move. He could see the flicker of amusement in her eyes, even though she was looking away from him into the fire. She pressed back against his chest, arching her back slightly, Yeah they moved for me too. A flash of guilt crossed her thoughts, fifth year; I um, sorta saw ours by accident...

Harry smirked, accident huh?

What does this have to do with the telepathy Hermione? Harry reminded her patiently. He bent forward and kissed her ear, she shivered as a wave of happiness shot through her, and rolled in his arms. She captured his lips with a mischievous grin, and they played for a long moment. Hermione moaned softly against his lips as curious hands inched under her shirt and slipped upward, to lightly cup her breast. Her eyes widened as she felt exactly how happy Harry was with this turn of events, and she sighed disappointedly as he slowly pulled his hands back to safer territory. No, not yet...Harry told her sadly. I love you too much for that. His fingers stayed under the fall of her loose t-shirt, but hovered lightly on her stomach.

A fiery thrill jangled down her nerves at his words. She nodded slowly, and chocolate eyes gone almost black, met dark, dark green ones. Yeah, she agreed, me too...but not very long Harry. A subtle twitch, I meant time wise dumbarse. Not very long at all, just not today Harry, I want to be with you before I am with you. Harry gave her a small smile of assent, where was I...

Something about us being different from the average bears. Harry reminded her. She smiled at his Mugglism.

You think? What Ginny did to us...it just didn't screw with our emotions; it repressed our magic Harry.

I never really noticed. Harry objected thoughtfully. Professors never said anything either.

Well they wouldn't have, would they? Hermione replied reasonably, if you think about it, the class that sheer power comes into the most in is DADA, and we both know Snape would have only...

Suddenly, Harry knew where she was going. I couldn't have beaten Snape, I was panicked Mione, I couldn't do a damn nonverbal to save my life, and I didn't seem to have the power I needed...Dumbledore knew...why didn't he?

Maybe, Harry. She ran her hands soothingly through his hair, maybe, but there are no guarantees...we'll get him Harry, I promise, I'll help you.

I know, anyway back to the telepathy?

She smiled and kissed his nose, basically what she did, the Amortentia and the talisman she used, in addition to causing you to fixate on her and for me to get all screwy and transfer from you to Ron.

There had to be something there for that one to work, Hermione. Harry put in as a tide of sudden worry flooded his thoughts. An invisible hand soothed his fears and he sighed softly.

I'm going back and killing Vernon; nothing human would treat another like he treated you. Baby, you know what I'm feeling, you can feel it, hear it, her eyes twinkled madly, taste it, smell it...

I thought we agreed not tonight.

"Damn you're right." Hermione whispered out loud and Harry laughed. I did mean soon though. But anyway...the secondary effect of the agents was to tie up a great deal of our magic in fighting the effects, and when it was flushed out of you, or I destroyed the talisman, it was like a dam bursting. It beat you into unconsciousness for several hours and I just happened to regain my powers at the same time Voldemort's spare bit of soul was floating about...the extra effects caused my body to have to take more time balancing the load. She raised her hand and gestured towards a chair, which suddenly floated off the floor.

You noticed.

For now, Harry partially agreed and she nodded. That's not the real problem though. I already talked to Ron several times about it. He supports us...no matter what the outcome. And on top of that, the Order is fragmenting.

One problem at a time, she frowned and he shrugged an apology. Do you have to have revenge Harry? Her eyes searched his, don't get me wrong Harry, there will be a reckoning, but we don't really have time for this.

Yeah, he agreed so we ignore it for now? Tell Ron and the others not to say anything. Make her wonder why suddenly her machinations aren't bearing fruit?

Big word...yeah, basically, now I'm damn sure not going to pretend to distance myself from you, but we probably shouldn't go out of our way to acknowledge her suspicions...of course that will mean little to no PDA in the halls. Harry wore a slight look of loss; we have our own suite and a month until school starts at Grimmauld I'll make it up to you.

Yeah, sorry about that? She gave him a small glare, You know I won't stop worrying, She nodded, Anyway, this came out when I went to talk to Remus and Tonks...basically the Order is splitting down the middle, with dividing line basically over me. If I'm merely a school kid who should stay out of the way of the adults and those that support me, basically believe in the whole "Chosen One" malarkey.

You are the Chosen One Harry, I wish you weren't but you are. Hermione reminded him grimly. Let me guess, it basically splits on the "old" vs. "new" Order, with Minerva and Remus on our side from the old, and Mad-Eye and Arthur and Molly on the other.

Damn you're good. Harry replied with thoughts full of awe. Hermione grinned a little Cheshire grin and stood, extending her hand. She looked up at a clock that had magically appeared on the wall. "Damn it's suppertime already." He commented, following her gaze.

"Yeah lets go see what's in the Great Hall for supper during the summer, and then lets go home..." Hermione replied in a soft whisper, "we may not have acted on what we both wanted today, or even tonight, but I'm moving in when we get home."

****************************Great Hall, Hogwarts**************************

5:15 pm.

The four great, house tables and the raised Professors' head table had vanished. In their place, the vast, cavernous hall hosted only one, rectangular table, set to one side, the Gryffindor side, suitable for only perhaps twenty. The late afternoon sun streamed in from the high windows near the top of the hall, and a pair of lonely owls fluttered about the rafters, passing occasionally in front of the enchanted ceiling, which today was showing a reflection of the clear, cloudless, deep blue sky.

A full meal was set out for the few Professors and guests present today, over a month until summer hols ended and Hogwarts would reopen for the first time in forty years without the presence of Dumbledore on his golden throne. Platters of chops, tins of Shepard's pie and plates of roast beef competed with goblets of butterbeer and pumpkin juice for space, while bowls of potatoes, corn, beans and other foods sat waiting for spoons to dig in.

Minerva McGonagall was sitting, talking quietly with Remus and Tonks as they sat together. Tonks was leaning on Remus, occasionally gesturing with her fork to some comment. Flitwick, next to Tonks, was not really eating as he was much more concerned with the flight path of that fork in Tonks' hand than he was in eating. Madame Sprout had sat across from them, her tall hat on the ground next to the table. She was bent over in conversation with Poppy about some new article in the Herbology journals. Ron and Luna were sitting a seat away, Ron was looking slightly nervous at sitting with all these professors, but Luna, Luna was enthusiastically joining the conversation with McGonagall, Remus and Tonks, occasionally stopping to feed herself from Ron's plate. He didn't seem to mind all that much, he just ate around her flashing fork.

Conversation stopped as Harry and Hermione entered the hall. Her fingers were intertwined in his and brown eyes caught each and every other set, daring for someone to say anything. No one did. Ron gave them a small smile as he dodged Luna's fork with his own and went back to eating. Luna, glanced over, shrugged as if she similar occurrences every day and went back to eating and conversing.

Harry glanced around slightly self-consciously, but he didn't blush or otherwise react when Hermione sat on his knee at the table, and filled a plate for both of them. In the end he didn't really give a damn for what anyone else thought, except maybe Ron, and Ron had already accepted it. He wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist as she leaned back into him. Conversation gradually restarted as McGonagall looked down on them with a smile that looked rather nice on her normally stern face, lifting almost twenty years from her eyes. "I suppose congratulations are in order." She declared in her normal blur. Her eyes were soft, as she looked at Harry and Hermione and then glanced at Luna stealing a sausage from Ron's plate. "Unfortunately, school discipline will not allow you to behave like this at the dinner table in the next year. And as Heads..."

"Yeah Professor, we know." Harry acknowledged as Hermione bit her lip and glanced back at him. "In fact..." Hermione squeezed his hand under the table, "we probably will be less demonstrative than allowed actually in public, at least around here." McGonagall quirked an eyebrow at them, inviting them to explain, while snogging at the table, being caught in coitus and other certain...actions were frowned upon if caught, hand holding in the halls and even a kiss on the cheek or lips was fine as long as it didn't get out of hand. And as to the others, the Professors weren't stupid, they were in the middle of a thousand teenagers, as long as they didn't get caught and anything unfortunate didn't happen beyond an occasional broken heart they stayed out of it.

Hermione gave him a small smile, "Harry and I have decided that...the fallout from certain recently revealed actions, on the part of certain other parties...well frankly we don't have time to deal with her. Unless she makes an issue of things and if that happens, she will get stomped on hard." She a gave a small tight smile to McGonagall and the rest, "I am afraid that we have no other choice, not any longer. In fact ma'am..."

"You intend to control this school as your own." McGonagall replied softly and frowned, but did not look angry, with them at least. "Technically that is the prerequisite of the Heads if needed, but that hasn't been the case for many years. Percy tried..." Several sniggers came from the assembled staff and guests. Minerva sighed and looked back over her shoulder towards where Dumbledore chair should have been. An empty hollow feeling came into being in Harry and Hermione's stomachs. "Please try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum."

"Nothing will happen, ma'am," Harry replied for Hermione and as he glanced at Ron and Luna for them as well, "unless they start it, and if they do--it'll end quickly." Harry leaned forward and gave Hermione a soft kiss in crook of her neck and McGonagall nodded.

A/N: There it is the foundation has crumpled and the house of cards has fallen...you guys didn't really think I was going to kill of Hermione did you...in chapter 7...

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