Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, sadly, as if I did, HBP would have been different…
A/N: This is my response to a Challenge. It is named "HBP: The Redemption", by Talon Karrde, thus the story title. If some of you have read my other story "HP and the quest of the Horcruxes", you may find some similarities in some points. That's because being this one on seventh year too, I rearranged parts of my other story to fit the requirements of the challenge. As usual, if you read, please leave a comment, good, bad, the way you want, but leave it. It means a lot to me.
A Decision Taken
Next morning, Harry and Ron were shook awake by a certain brunette.
"Come on, you two" Hermione said, once they were awaken. "In an hour McGonagall will be here, as she wants to have a chat with the three of us. So you should be presentable and have had your breakfast for that moment"
Harry and Ron groaned, but started getting ready for the day. After a quick shower, Harry went back to the room to get dressed, then waited for Ron.
They went down to have breakfast together.
Once there, they noticed everyone else was already out in the garden.
"Guess we slept in a bit today uh?" Harry pointed out, while taking some pumpkin juice.
"I would have slept till noon if Hermione had not waken me up" Ron muttered, grabbing a sausage.
Soon later the two of them joined the others outside.
"Harry, Ron, dears. Headmistress McGonagall is coming just now from the main street. You're just in time" Molly said to them. Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes at the two teens, who were still a bit dishevelled, and fixed them in a more presentable manner.
Once the old witch was there, she asked to be left alone with the trio.
"Good morning" she said then.
"Good morning, Headmistress" the three of them greeted back.
"Now, I'm sorry I've not time for the pleasantries, so we should go directly to the point. Mr. Potter, I reckon you expressed your will to not come to Hogwarts next school year, due to a mission you and the former Headmaster had started"
"Yes, Professor" Harry said.
"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, I guess the two of you will follow him, right?"
"Yes" both of them answered.
She sighed.
"Harry, while I understand the importance of your mission, as there were documents addressed to me from Albus that explained what it is about, if I'm allowed an advice, I think you should come to Hogwarts. You would have access to the library, and that's a pretty big font of information on any kind of magic or magical item, you would be taught spells that may be useful to you…"
"Headmistress, I've thought about these things. I reckon you're right, but being in school won't allow me to search for the Horcruxes, out of the holidays. I can't afford to waste that much time. Voldemort could strike anytime, and sooner I get the Horcruxes, sooner I can get rid of him" Harry said, his eyes darkening.
For some time there was silence in the room.
Then McGonagall spoke again.
"I see, Harry. Is this your only problem in coming back to Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, I guess this covers all"
"Very well. So what would you say if I allowed you unlimited access to the Restricted Section of the library, and the chance to leave for searching whenever you need to do so?"
Harry thought about the offer. In that way, he would be able to search, but he would also learn NEWT level spells and take advantage of the huge library. It was a reasonable offer.
"I guess, if you truly allow me to leave whenever I need to for a research, I can agree to coming back to school" Harry finally said.
Hermione grinned, as well as Ron.
"Very well. So this is settled. Now, I'm sorry to leave that hastily, but I've got lots of business to attend"
"Of course, Headmistress. So we'll see you again September 1st, then" the three teens said.
After the meeting, the four of them relaxed in the garden till lunch, then Harry and Ron engaged themselves in a match of Wizard Chess.
Of course Ron won.
"There's no satisfaction with you, Harry" the redhead teased him.
"I guess you can owl the Prophet, so they'll print on first page. I can already see the title, "The-Boy-Who-Lived can't play chess!" or something like that…" Harry said chuckling, while they walked toward the ladies.
Once there, they sat under a tree, chatting.
"Hey, you lot said Luna is near here. Why don't' we pay her a visit?" Harry suggested.
"What, trying to replace me with Loony?" Ginny said, in a mocking angered tone.
"What if I am?" Harry said, joking.
She swatted him on the arm. "Prat" she said, smiling.
So it was settled. They went to visit the Ravenclaw girl.
As usual, she was reading "The Quibbler" upside down, but they were used to it by now. She was a bit strange, but she was intelligent and she was a good friend. And a good fighter too, as it had been proved in the DoM.
Later that evening, they walked back to the Burrow. Hermione and Ron stopped few metres from the house. In the whole day they had not had a moment for themselves.
So while Ginny and Harry went to help Mrs. Weasley with the dinner, the young couple remained outside.
"Hey" Ron said softly.
She smiled at him, taking his hand.
"I've missed being alone with you today" she admitted, leaning closer.
He held her, and inhaled her scent.
"I've missed that too" he whispered. Then he leaned in and kissed her. "I've missed this too"
She giggled. "I guess this was a good reason to remain behind, then"
He chuckled.
"You're wonderful" he said then, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.
She replicated the gesture, and sighed in contentment.
"Hey, lovebirds" Harry called. "Dinner is ready"
They rolled their eyes and walked in.
After dinner, they reunited in the boys' room to have the "Reminiscing Moment", as they had decided to call it.
"Ok, tonight it's about second year" Ginny said, a bit excited but fearful too. Her memories form that year were a mess, due to the possession Riddle's diary had on her.
"So, who's starting?"
Nobody spoke.
"Ok, I'll do it" Harry said, squeezing Ginny's hand in support. He knew that had been her worst year at Hogwarts.
Ron and Hermione looked at the two of them knowingly, and leaned closer to each other. Well, actually, it was Hermione who leaned more on Ron, who was supporting her from behind.
"Ok, it was a rather dark year, that one. But something was so fun I could never forget it" Harry said, and looked at Ron.
The redhead grinned, understanding what Harry was going to tell them.
"Both boys leaned on the grip of their trolleys, and moved toward the barrier, gaining speed. . Few meters from it, they started running, and…
CRASH!
Both trolleys hit the barrier and rebounded. Ron's trunk fell with a great thud. Harry fell on the ground, Hedwig's cage bounced on the floor and the bird rolled on the ground, outraged.
People stared at them, and the guard addressed them.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Sorry, w e lost control of the trolley" Harry breathed, standing up again.
"Oh, yeah, great excuse, Harry!" Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"What else could have I said to him?" Harry said.
"I guess you were a great show for the Muggles" Hermione said, giggling.
Harry mocked a glare at her, then continued.
Ron went to take Hedwig back.
"Why can't we pass?" Harry hissed to Ron.
"I don't know…" Ron said, looking around in panic. A crowd of curious people kept staring at them.
"We're gonna lose the train" Ron whispered. "I can't understand why the exit is blocked"
Harry looked at the watch with dread.
He leaned his trolley on the barrier, but to no avail. Finally the big watch signalled it was eleven o'clock. They had lost the train.
"It's gone. What if Dad and Mum can't come back? Do you have some Muggle money?" Ron asked.
"I have got not pay for six years" Harry said, laughing hollowly.
"What are going to do? I don't know how much Mum and Dad will take to come back" Ron said.
"It's better we go back to the car, we're attracting too much attention" Harry said.
"Harry!" Ron said, his eyes twinkling. "The car!"
"What about it?"
"We can fly to Hogwarts!"
"I was thinking…"
"We're stuck, aren't we? And we have to reach the school, right? And the underage wizards are allowed magic in emergency situations"
Harry's panic muted to euphoria.
"Do you know how to make it fly?"
"No problem" Ron said. "Come on, let's go. If we're quick, we nay be able to follow the Express!"
So they ran through the crowd of curious Muggles, and reached the lateral street where the Ford Anglia was parked.
They put the trunks back in the luggage van, put Hedwig on the rear seat and mounted in the front ones.
"Check that nobody's watching" Ron instructed Harry, while he started the engine with a wand touch.
"No one is there" Harry said.
Ron pushed the silver button and both the car and them became invisible. Harry felt the shaking of the car, but could see nothing of it or himself.
"Start!" Ron said on his right. The car started floating in the air, and the buildings became more and more indistinct. In few seconds all London was under them.
There was a little explosion, and the car was visible again.
"Oh, it's faulty" Ron stated,
They punched the button and it turned invisible again. Then it returned visible.
Ron drove the car in the clouds to cover it.
"What now?"
"We need to find the Express to know which direction we've got to take" Ron said.
"Come on, let's go down"
So they did, and spotted it.
"Here it is!" Harry said, "on the right!"
"We go north" Ron pointed out. "Very well, we'll need to control every half a hour more or less" he said. Then moved back into the clouds, and went over them. There was a beautiful light, and Harry marvelled in the scenery.
"We just need to worry about planes" Ron said.
They started laughing and for a long time couldn't stop.
Harry thought that Fred and George would envy them once they got to Hogwarts. They checked the route attentively, and saw a different scenery at every check. First London, then green fields, then wild heath, small villages.
After few hours, however, they started to get bored. He was thirsty due to the sweets. It was hot, and even if they had taken off their sweaters, his T-Shirt kept sticking to the seat, and his glasses glided down his nose due to the sweat.
He kept wondering why didn't they be able to reach the platform.
"We're gonna to arrive soon, don't you think?" Ron said, hours later. "You ready for another check on the train?"
So they did, but when they started going up again, the engine started moaning.
They looked at each other nervously.
"Probably it is just tired. It's the first time it goes this far"
Both of them ignored the now increasing noise, and then the windscreen wiper that started moving weakly in protest.
"We're almost there" Ron said, more to the car than to Harry. "We're almost there, now"
Minutes later, they saw the castle.
But the car started shaking, the engine moaning again, steam coming from under the hood.
Ron gripped the steering wheel with all his strength, trying to direct the car. They flew over the lake, and it shook again.
Then the engine stopped.
"Oh" Ron said.
They started falling directly toward the castle.
Ron tried turning, then stopping the car with his wand.
"Look at that tree!" Harry shouted, but it was too late.
BANG
They crashed on it.
"You all right?" Harry asked.
"My wand. Look at my wand!"
It was broken in two.
Then the tree started hitting them, so they wanted to bolt. Suddenly the car moved again, bringing them away from the tree. Then it spitted them out, with their trunks, and fled toward the forest.
"Come back!" Ron shouted. Then, slumping on the ground, "Dad is going to kill me"
"So this is your adventurous voyage to Hogwarts in second year, uh?" Hermione said.
Both boys grinned sheepishly.
"We had to reach Hogwarts somehow" Harry said then.
Both girls rolled their eyes at them.
"Come on, Hermione. It's your turn now"
"Ok. This is embarrassing" she said, blushing. "But I'm sure you lot are gonna have fun laughing at me" she mock glared at them, then smiled.
" "I already have what I need! Do you remember Millicent Bulstrode, the one I duelled with? She left on my robe this" she said, showing them an hair, "and even if she's gone home for Christmas, it will be enough to tell them I've come back"
Then she moved to check the potion again"
"Oh, yes, I remember this! Moaning Myrtle must have laughed for the first time since her death" Ron said, gaining himself an elbowing in his stomach.
"OY! Hermione, you really should stop elbowing me during this reminiscing chats, you know"
"And you should stop saying stupid things" she retorted, smiling to show him she wasn't really angry.
Then she continued.
" "Now what are going to do?"
"We pour it in the goblets, and then we add the hair" Hermione explained. So she did.
"Argh. Millicent Bulstrode essence. It must be really foul" Ron said.
"Come on, put the hair in" Hermione said.
So they did.
"Wait a moment. We can't drink it with our robes on. They a re far larger than us"
"Right. Let's go everyone in a cubicle" Ron suggested
Attentive to not spill it, they moved. Harry went in the middle one.
"Ready?" he said.
"Ready" his friends said back. "One…two…three…"
They drank, and felt their insides twist, and burn. Then it stopped.
Harry and Ron changed to their new clothes, and then went to check on Hermione.
"Come on, we have to go"
"I…I don't think I'll come. Go without me"
"Hermione, we know Millicent is ugly, but no one will know it is you!"
"No, really. I'm not coming. You're losing time!"
"Hermione, you all right?" Harry asked.
"Yes…I'm fine…go!"
"We'll ,see you here then!"
And so they went away.
Later, when they had managed to speak with Malfoy, they returned to the bathroom.
"Hermione, come out. We've got lots of things to tell you"
"Go away!" Hermione shouted.
"Pretty way to greet two friends who risked expulsion in an undercover mission" Ron said
"You would have done the same, Ginny, if you were in my place" Hermione said, ignoring her boyfriend.
"What has happened? By now you should be back to normal too. We have transformed back already" Ron said.
"Ohhh, you'll see now" Myrtle said, exiting Hermione's cubicle. "It's horrible"
The lock opened, and Hermione came into view, covering her head with her clothes.
"What has happened? Did Millicent's nose remain on you?" Ron asked.
Hermione took the clothes off her head. It was all covered in black fur.
"I-It was a cat's hair" she moaned. "She must have a cat, and the potion can't be used to become an animal!"
"Oh!" Ron said.
"Don't worry, Hermione. We're gonna bring you to the Hospital Wing now" Harry said. "Madam Pomfrey will know what to do, and she never asks too much"
After some time they convinced her to go."
Hermione ended, covering her face in embarrassment while everyone chuckled.
"She was quite pretty as a cat, too" Harry said.
Hermione glared at him.
"Harry James Potter…"
"Ok, sorry. Ron, it's your turn"
So the redhead started.
"Aragog!" the spider said. "Aragog!"
"What's there?" another voice replied, then a spider as big as a small elephant appeared.
"Humans"
"Kill them, I was sleeping"
"We're friends of Hagrid" Harry said.
"Hagrid has never sent humans in our burrow" Aragog replied, clicking his pincers.
"Hagrid is in trouble" Harry said, panting. "That's why we are here"
"In trouble? But why did he send you?"
"In the school they think he's done something against the students, and he was sent to Azkaban…"
"That was years and years ago" Aragog said, upset. "I remember that well, it was the reason I was forced to leave the school. They thought I was the monster of the Chamber of Secrets. They thought Hagrid had opened the Chamber and freed me"
"So…you didn't come from the Chamber?" Harry asked.
"Me?" Aragog said, angry. "I'm not born in the castle. I come from a far land. A voyager gave me to Hagrid, and he cared for me. He's my friend. He protected me and brought me here after they found the dead girl. He found me a wife, and now you see how much our family has gotten big"
"So you never attacked someone?"
"Never. I would have, but out of respect for Hagrid I never did. I've seen just the cupboard Hagrid kept me in, in the castle. The girl was found in a bathroom"
"So…do you know what killed her? Because it has come back, and the aggressions started again"
"What lives in the castle is an ancient creature that we spiders fear above everything else. When I felt it was there, I asked Hagrid to let me go"
"What is it?"
"We don't speak about it!" Aragog shouted. "We don't name it, even Hagrid asked it to me but I did not say it to him"
Harry decided it was better to stop.
"Well, we go then"
"You go? I don't think so" Aragog said.
"But…"
"My sons don't touch Hagrid on my order, but I can't refuse them fresh meat when it comes so willingly in our burrow. Farewell, friends of Hagrid!"
Harry took his wand to fight, even he knew he and Ron would never be able to exit from there alive. But then, a roar was heard. The Ford Anglia came to their help, scaring the spiders and bringing them back to the castle"
"And this explains part of my fear for the spiders" Ron concluded.
"Ron, you've had that fear far before entering Aragog's lair" Ginny reminded him.
"Well, I was right, wasn't I? See what terrible creatures they are?"
"Ron, those were Acromantulas! Not all spiders are that way!" Hermione said rolling her eyes.
Harry simply chuckled, then nudged Ginny.
"Come on, Gin. It's your turn now"
She blushed. "Ok" she said in a small voice.
"Ginny started to stir. Harry was near her in a moment, and she sat.
She looked at the big Basilisk on the floor, then to Harry and his blooded clothes, then to the diary.
"Oh, Harry, I tried to tell you, but not in front of Percy, I couldn't. It was me, Harry, but I didn't mean to. Riddle made me do that, I couldn't deny him, and…how could you kill that thing? Where is Riddle? Last thing I know he went out of the diary…"
"Don't worry" Harry said, showing her the hole from the Basilisk's fang. "Riddle's gone. He and his Basilisk are gone. Come on, Ginny. Let's go out of here"
"I'm going to be expelled" she sobbed. "I wanted so much to come to Hogwarts, since Bill was here, and I'm going to have to go…What will Mum and Dad say?" she sobbed again.
Fawkes was waiting for them, and then they heard noise of stones moved slowly.
"Ron! Ginny's fine. She's with me" Harry called.
Then they collected Lockhart and with Fawkes they flew out of the tunnel leading to the Chamber."
"I was so ashamed at what had happened, and having to tell that to Harry, the one person I worshipped and had an huge fangirl crush onto was the last straw of my embarrassment" Ginny said.
Harry pulled her close to comfort her.
After some moments of silence, Harry spoke again.
"However, if it wasn't for Hermione's brilliant idea that the monster was a Basilisk, I don't know if I would have been able to save you and the school"
Hermione blushed at the praise.
"Well, we batter call it a night" Ron said, yawning. Then he and Harry grinned evilly at each other, and contemporarily they took their shirts off.
Both Hermione and Ginny blushed.
"What?" they asked in innocent voice.
"You're changing in front of us?"
"So what?" Harry said, then chuckled.
Both girls threw pillows at them and left hastily.
"Good one, mate" Ron said him, before they went to sleep.
Harry chuckled once more before dreams took him.
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