Chapter Four
Mission Parameters
As the group made their way from Hogsmeade station
to the castle, the red team members who never attended
Hogwarts gawked in awe, much like Harry had done on his
first visit to the castle. "That's Hogwarts?" Sarah Campbell
gaped.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, that's Hogwarts."
"And the four of you went here?" Sarah asked still
bug eyed.
"Yep." Heather confirmed. "Wait until you get inside.
The Great Hall is utterly gorgeous!"
The seven of them were in a horseless drawn carriage
and Harry had a feeling he carriage had been expanded to
accommodate all of them. "Yet, again." Harry thought pensively
as he stared out the window at the approaching school. "I have
to play the hero. Why can't it be someone else for a change?
Why can't I just be Harry?"
Hermione caught the look in his eyes as he continued to
stare out the window. Hermione placed her hand on his upper
thigh and no matter how often she had done this, he always
would turn his attention to her. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing really."
Hermione tapped her foot on the floor, full knowing he
was being preoccupied for one reason or another. "Are you
Okay?"
"Jet lag."
"If you're sure."
"I'm sure." Harry put his hand on her cheek and caressed
it.
"A lot has always been expected from you. Are you sure
being an Auror is what you want to do, Harry. It's a very high
profile job." Hermione offered.
"Honestly, I'm not too sure anymore." He admitted.
"Really, anything I do will put me in the spotlight somehow."
"Come off it, Harry. You still upset about the local
newspaper picking up the story about your and Hermione's
little outburst?" Anthony rolled his eyes.
"I wouldn't have had a problem with our school's
newspaper releasing the story, but having it in the Daily
Shaman put it on the newspaper wire and the Daily
Prophet picking it up is rather embarrassing."
"You are a high profile character, Harry." Kamal
offered.
As Hermione opened her mouth to respond, Sarah
made a comment. "Why the hell couldn't we just apperate?
It'd be a whole lot quicker."
Harry almost laughed as Hermione rolled her eyes and
commented back. "Because you can't. Hogwarts has several
protection spells placed upon it. Anti-apperation wards is just
one of them. Honestly, haven't you read Hogwarts: A History?"
"Can't say I have, Hermione." Anthony continued
to watch the castle grow closer as they approached from
where he sat across from Harry. "You think it might be
prudent for us to?"
"Prudent?" Hermione almost looked offended. "More
like life or death reading."
"Don't listen to her." Ron laughed. "I didn't read the
book and I even went to the school. Its not life or death."
"However," Heather offered, "It might be a good idea
if they did. We went to the school. We know a lot of the
secrets within the school grounds. They haven't got a clue."
"When I went to Salem Academy, we came over
for the Quidditch World cup. I had heard here were other
wizarding schools across Europe. I always thought
Hogwarts was in London." Sarah smiled as she looked
out the window on the other side of the carriage. "I would
have never have guessed Scotland. My ancestors are from
the Dollar area. My Great-Great-Great-Great grandparents
to be exact."
"I'll take it you never thought you'd get a chance to
come here?" Kamal smiled at her knowingly.
"Not really." Sarah breathed and she continued to
stare out the window at the approaching landscape. "I
wonder if Castle Campbell is this picturesque."
Before anyone could respond, the carriage stopped
in front of the entrance of the school building. Everyone
inside of the carriage climbed out. They were greeted
by Sergeant Duckhorn standing on the front steps in
full stealth gear. "Your suitcases have been taken to
your tower; however, I had the house elves pull your
stealth uniforms. They are in the corresponding
bathrooms on the Third-Floor. Change quickly and
return in ten minutes in the hall outside of the Great
Hall. We'll make our presence known then at their
dinner. Dismissed."
*****
Once the boys had finished changing, the
group formed outside of the Great Hall. The loud
chattering of the Hogwarts students ready to begin their
dinner echoed down the hallway and through out the
closer hallways of the building. Harry Potter stood
as nervous has he had been the night of his sorting
ceremony, against the wall waiting for his second-in-
command and his commander to return.
"Bloody hell," Ron complained, "how long does
it take for one girl to change?"
Harry only nodded in an absentminded agreement,
but his mind was on other things. With his head lowered,
looking at the stone floor, Harry remained silent until Ron
pushed him slightly, trying to get his attention. "What, sorry.
I was thinking."
"Merlin, Harry! What is wrong, mate? Its very
difficult to talk to you when your distant like that." Ron
laughed.
"A lot. We have graduation coming up along with
Hermione and my wedding. Now this whole thing. Why
can't I just have a normal life like everyone else?"
"Because you're Harry "the-boy-who-lived" Potter."
Ron continued to chuckle. "The-boy-who-defeated-him-
again, now too. Face it, Harry. You're never going to have
a normal life, mate. You've never had one to start with."
Harry nodded. "That's true, but I never wanted
any of the fame. I just wish I could live a nice quiet life.
Maybe even have a couple of kids."
"I'd bet Hermione would like that."
"I wouldn't mind giving them to her, but I don't
know if she'd want to be in the spotlight like that." Harry
sighed. "Like I always seem to be."
"If you thin being in the spotlight would have scared
her away, she would have been long gone a long time ago."
Ron laid a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry so much, Harry. It will turn out in the end. It
always does."
Sergeant Duckhorn took this moment to walk back
to were the boys were standing. "Cadet Potter, where is the
rest of your squadron?"
"They have yet to report, sir."
"Good grief! You'd think they were getting ready for
the Prom. I'll go after them…" Sergeant Duckhorn trailed
off as she heard foot steps coming down the stair well.
"It's about time…"
Instead of three ladies like she had been expecting,
Only one showed up halfway running toward them. "Sorry,
I'm late. I got lost, Sir." Sarah Campbell hurried over to them.
"Where are Cadets Potter and Granger?" their
Squadron Leader asked as she tapped her foot on the
hard floor.
"I suppose still in the bathroom, sir. I thought I had
been the one who got lost until a Mister Filtch mistook me
for a student and I had to ask him where the Great Hall was
located, sir." Sarah tried to explain. "Sir, Cadet Granger said
she needed to talk to Cadet Potter alone and asked me to
go ahead and go without them."
"I suppose I should go and get them. Wait here until
I return." Sergeant Duckhorn turned and began walking to the
stairwell where Hermione and Heather were exiting. "Tardy
again, Cadet Granger? Cadet Potter?"
"I'm sorry, sir. It was my fault." Heather quickly
explained. "The trip hadn't agreed with me and I got sick
so Hermione had to run to see the school nurse. Sir once
she discovered Madame Pomfrey already went to dinner,
Hermione took the necessary potions and administered
them herself."
"You feel better?"
"Sir, yes sir."
"Then join your squadron. Line up in order and
follow me." The Sergeant opened the doors to the
Great Hall and walked inside. The once lively and loud
room filled with students quickly dropped to a dull roar.
The team of aurors-in-training walked down in
formation two at a time, except for Harry who followed
right behind the Sergeant. Once in front of the Teacher's
table, he waited for the other members to flank him. First
it was Ron and Hermione, then Heather and Sarah, then
Anthony and Kamal.
The Headmaster stood and eyed them carefully.
He shook the hand of Sergeant Duckhorn before saying
a few words to the assembled squadron. "I welcome you
on behalf of Hogwart's students, faculty, and staff. To you
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Heather, I welcome back." He
smiled genuinely as he leaned in closer to the group;
winking at the Potter siblings. "I almost didn't recognize
the two of you. Especially you, Harry."
The four who had once attended the school chuckled.
"Allow me to announce your arrival to the rest of the school
before I ask you to join the Gryffindors at their table so we
may begin our feast."
The Headmaster then turned to the school's student
Body. They immediately silenced to hear what their school's
Leader had to say. "I have an announcement to make before
We become engorged in the feast. Here standing before you
is the Red Squadron of the Great Lakes Academy for Auror
Training and Advanced Magic. They have asked us the use of
our school grounds to acquire other means of training of which
they cannot receive while at their school in the United States
of America. They are our guests and I expect each and
everyone of you to treat them with the same respect you would
anyone of our Professor in this establishment. After dinner
tonight, I will discuss the specifics of their stay with the
squadron. For now, please escort your team, Cadet Potter,
to the Gryffindor table. Tuck in!"
With the command, the food magically appeared
on the tables for the feast. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and
Heather found empty spaces next to Ron's sister, Ginny,
at the end of the table and Kamal, Sarah, and Anthony
joined them. "Why didn't you guys tell me about you
coming back to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked as she
slapped Heather on the arm.
"Honestly, Ginny, if we would have been able to
you think we wouldn't?" Heather took a chicken breast
from the platter in front of her and placed it onto her
plate.
"Not to mention if we would have known in the
first place we would have told you." Harry commented
as he took a rather large pile of chips and placed them
on his plate next to the cup of melted cheese.
"How long have you guys known about this
then? Its not a part of your training, I take it?"
"About twenty-four hours…give or take."
Hermione offered. "Not that we know much about
this ourselves."
"myep twop ecert." Ron mumbled as he
began devouring several chicken legs all at once.
"Translation?" Sarah asked Heather.
"He said, "Yep, its top secret"."
"Well, you have to come and visit us in the
Gryffindor Tower. The password, Heather, still is
"My Uncle Severus Snape is a dick"."
*****
"But Professor, I already destroyed his
journal. In second year, in the chamber of secrets."
"Yes, and that is only the beginning, I am sure
of the books that brought him Dark magic. The Onyx
Spell book must be destroyed or we may face another
resurrection of the Dark Lord." Professor Dumbledore
began to pace the floor of his office. The seven members
of the Red Squadron watched him as they sat there, in
rather comfy arm chairs, listing to the history behind their
mission. "In order to do so, all of you must begin training
in the various types of magical and physical combat."
"Normally, this level of training doesn't happen
until the ending of your final year; however, Professor
Dumbledore and I feel this threat is great enough for
you to learn now." Sergeant Duckhorn commented.
"The headmaster has graciously allowed us the usage
of the grounds. He has asked us if in return to patrol
the corridors at night with the prefects. We discuss
the specifics for this later on this evening after you and
your teammates have adjusted. For now, we will
escort you down to your rooms where you can rest. You
are dismissed."
The seven members of Red Squadron stood
and filed out of the office. The head of the squad shook
her head at the Headmaster of the school. "That Potter
boy and his friends are going to be the death of me."
The headmaster chuckled. "That boy and his
friends are the only people who can destroy anything
having to do with Lord Voldermort…" Dumbledore waited
until after she shuddered to continue. "If he would arise
again, I can only imagine what type of horrors he would
come up with." The headmaster straightened the piles
of parchment on his desk. Fawkes, the headmaster's
phoenix, sat contently on his perch until he suddenly
burst into flames. Albus Dumbledore went over to check
on the reborn bird.
The Sergeant smiled wide and went over to
examine the bird. "Its really too bad there aren't too many
of these in the world. They are a really lovely bird."
"We must make haste to leave these offices for
now. I am sure the Red Squadron members are
exhausted from their journey." Dumbledore walked
down the stairs to the door of his office. The leader
of the said squadron followed the Hogwarts head out
the door and down the steps to his office.
*****
The fire crackled in the common room and
the entire Red Squadron took a few minutes to
familiarize themselves with their new surroundings.
The two rooms conjoined themselves to the common
room contained four poster canopy beds read for them
to sleep in.
Sarah Campbell, Kamal Habib, and Anthony
Kenyon had already claimed their beds and Ron and
Heather were visiting Ron's sister, Ginny, in the
Gryffindor tower. This gave Cadet Granger a moment
to relax and think about the day's events as she and
Harry cuddled on the sofa in front of the fire.
Hermione sighed and snuggled closer to Harry.
"If only he knew the current situation with his sister."
She thought, full knowing how he would react. Both
Heather and herself had agreed not to tell Harry and
Ron until it was absolutely necessary to do so.
"Do you even realize what kind of jeopardy
you're putting yourself in?" Hermione asked Heather
after she had assisted her fiancé's sister with a
pregnancy test. "You could be putting you're life
in danger, let alone your baby's."
"Hermione, of course I know the risks, but
I'll never been able to finish if our superiors find
out. You know full well as I do I'd be kicked off the
squadron. If I finish this I know my dad will be
proud of me."
"Heather, what makes you think you're dad
isn't proud of you? From what I could tell he is."
"You don't have to live with him."
"Um…Heather…where do you think I've lived at for
the past year? Sweden? Austria?"
"You know what I mean."
"No, honestly, Heather. I don't know."
Heather sighed. "One would think living with them
would mean getting everything a girl could ask for."
"Generally, yes."
"But honestly, I don't think I really got the most
important thing."
"Which is?"
"Them."
"Them?"
"You know…family stuff…spending time with them.
You think I was in all those activities because I wanted to
be there?"
"I take it you didn't want to be there?"
"Well some of them I didn't mind so much. Like the
Dance team, ice skating, and the whole color guard thing."
Heather confessed. "The whole reason I had a job that
particular semester is because my muggle studies Professor
didn't know what to do with me so she set me up with a job
and told me to write a paper about it at the end of term because
it was the only way I could get course credit because she said I
was a disruption to the class. There was also that whole theater
thing, too. Most of my so called extra curricular activities took
place during the school day. That's what Professor Gaddis
meant when he mentioned that I "challenged the curriculum."
"Didn't your parents have a problem with you not
attending classes?"
"If they actually knew about it, I don't think they would
have cared. They're too caught up in their own careers, really.
Dad's off in Washington D.C. just about every day and hell, I
wouldn't be surprised if he had another house out there and
only came home on weekends. Mother is always busy with
work and her "social obligations" as she called them she was
home a little more often than dad is.
"But Heather, this doesn't mean they aren't proud of
you. They're just busy."
"Oh, really?" Heather volleyed back. "Then how come
they never wanted me to go with them? How come did they
want to send me away to a boarding school when I live
jus down the road and I could commute everyday?"
Hermione sighed, not really knowing what else to say.
"We'd better be going. Sergeant Duckhorn is waiting for us
for sure. We'll talk about this more later."
"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry's voice floated into
her ears and shook her from her reminisce.
"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."
"We have evasive flying tomorrow, why don't we
get to bed and talk about this later, okay?"
"Evasive flying, but Harry, you played Quidditch.
You don't need it."
"Need it, no," Harry chuckled, "but I'll take any good
excuse that I can to fly."
*****
End of chapter