Chapter 4: The First Head Girl of New Hogwarts
Harry slept peacefully in his comfortable featherbed, all was at peace. Nothing could touch him there. Nothing could bother him. Then Harry's bed of Eden was shattered. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" Hermione chirped loudly jumping up and down on his bed.
Harry blinked the sleep from his eyes before rolling over, his body hopping with every bounce the teen made on his bed. "Hermione? It's eight thirty in the morning … on my birthday no less … why are you preventing me from sleeping in?"
"Because it's your birthday, silly!" Hermione laughed, before jumping and landing hard on Harry, knocking the air out of him. "It's your birthday, so get yourself out of bed!" she then moved in for a kiss, and as quickly as she landed on him moved off him. "Eww, morning breath, get up and brush your teeth, THEN I'll give you your birthday kiss," she said flirtatiously.
Harry crawled out of bed after her. "Someone's terribly hyper today," he stated with a smirk as she headed toward the door.
"It's your own fault, my X-Man," Hermione teased, looking back at him, then giving him a wink, "Now hurry up, I've … err… we've got a surprise for you!"
Harry shook his head as she left, pulled on his denim jeans and his Xavier's School jumper. He went to his and Kurt's connecting bathroom and did as Hermione ordered before he walked out of his room. He then moved on to the kitchen and jumped back when an astounding "SURPRISE!!" rang through the air.
"Happy Birthday, Runt!" said Logan, slapping him on the back, almost knocking him down.
"One birthday breakfast, followed by a birthday pool party for one Harry James Potter," said Hermione, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek. "I even bought myself a brand new swim suit, just for you," she said with a wink, causing a bright blush to cross Harry's cheeks.
Harry looked over his girlfriend's shoulder and saw a table adorned with almost as much food as the tables in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. At the table was Professor Xavier, Scott, Logan, Gambit, Rogue, Ron with Jubilee sitting on his lap, Kurt, Kitty and Beast all of which singing the 'Happy Birthday' song as Harry sat down with Hermione cheerfully at his side.
The group began their breakfast, and then Hedwig came soaring through the open window of the dinning room, and landed on Harry's shoulder. The snowy owl gave Hermione a dirty look for a moment; the bird still slightly angry with her for how she and Ron treated Harry the summer before their fifth year.
"What's this?" Harry said removing a letter from Hedwig's leg. "It's for you, Hermione," Harry said handing her the sealed envelope.
"New Hogwarts Academy of Magical Education and Wizardry Practices?" Hermione asked, nervously pulling open the letter. Hermione's eyes traveled down the letter, then she shot up from her seat and she stood there in what looked like shock.
Harry and Ron looked at each other before standing up and stood before her, "Hermione, love," Harry questioned, "What's it say?"
"Yeah, what's it say?" Ron piped in.
Instead of answering, Hermione burst into tears and turned and ran out of the dinning hall.
Harry waved that he'd handle it and walked out after her. Ron watched him go, shrugged and went back to his seat to eat and flirt with Jubilee.
--
"Hermione?" Harry asked walking slowly into her bedroom. "Hermione, are you alright? What's wrong?"
Hermione didn't even look up, but handed him the letter. Harry took the parchment and studied what it said.
Dear Miss Hermione Granger,
Congratulations. I am happy to inform you that you have been nominated and accepted as Head Girl for the first school year of New Hogwarts Academy of Magical Education and Wizardry Practices. I would like for you to meet with Professor McGonagall and myself tomorrow at New Hogwarts School. I am sure Professor Xavier would be more then happy to bring you and Mr. Potter along so that I may meet with each of you concerning important matters. Please return an owl with your answer. Included with this letter is your required literature for your seventh year classes. I look forward to seeing you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley.
Professor Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster: New Hogwarts Academy of Magical Education and Wizardry Practices.
"Hermione! You got Head Girl," Harry cheered smiling. "That's excellent news!"
"That's not it, Harry …" Hermione whimpered. "He wants to speak to me, you, and Professor Xavier."
"Yeah, so?" Harry asked quizzically, sitting down beside her.
"So I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen," Hermione shook her head. "Or something already has, he seems to only want to speak to you early when there is bad news, and … and … I'm scared …" she said, breaking into sobs toward the end.
"Hermione, if something's going to happen or has happened, we'll handle it," Harry said, giving her a confident smile. "It's like Dad keeps reminding me, I don't have to be a lone hero any longer. We'll face whatever comes together, with the X-Men."
"But … but Harry," Hermione said turning toward him with extremely worried eyes. "I'm so afraid … I'm afraid something really bad is going to happen … I'm afraid I'm going to lose you …"
Harry then grabbed Hermione and pulled her into a tight hug. "You couldn't run me away from you, Hermione," Harry half joked as Hermione gripped onto him sobbing violently. "Listen Hermione," he said tilting her chin to make her look him the eye, "I swear you will never lose me, not ever. No matter what happens out there, whether it is against Voldemort or some other crazy I have to face as an X-Man, I will always come back to you. I swear it."
"I love you, Harry," Hermione whispered, before the two captured each other's lips in a kiss.
--
A little over an hour later Harry and Hermione came walking out of the mansion where everyone else was already at the swimming pool. Harry was wearing black 'X' themed swimming trunks, and Hermione was in a V-neck one-piece swimsuit with her long hair pulled back into a ponytail.
"Bout time you guys finished," Ron said standing beside Jubilee and Ginny. "Have a nice 'broom ride', Mione?" Ron asked cocking an eyebrow, chuckling when Hermione went scarlet.
"You are not my brother," Ginny said slapping him in the back of the head. "I am of no relation to you," she said shaking her head and adjusting the straps of her pink bikini.
"So you got Head Girl, huh?" Ron asked rubbing the back of his head.
"Ahuh!" Hermione said, nodding rapidly.
"That's great, Hermione," Ron smiled, "Any word on who the Head Boy is?"
Hermione shook her head, "No, the letter didn't say, but it did say that Professor Dumbledore wishes to see all of us tomorrow at the new school."
"I figured you had it in the bag, Harry," Ron said slapping his shoulder. "Ouch, those claw marks look fresh, my, my, Hermione, you should be more gentle," Ron winked, as both Harry and Hermione turned red once again.
"I … I um I'm kind of glad I didn't get it, with Voldemort out there, and me being in the X-Men, and uh H-Hermione," Harry explained trying to force down his blush, "I really don't have time to spare even for that."
"Oh," was all Ron said nodding accepting the answer.
"Head Girl huh?" Kitty asked walking up in a purple and black two-piece swimsuit. "Well, Hermy, I see you prove what everyone says …"
"Exactly what do you mean by that, Kathryn?" Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Ron and Harry backed away with a 'oh no' expression on their faces.
"Oh, all I meant was …" Kitty said walking up with a obviously fake smile on her face, "Is they say that girls with large chests are known to be stupid, that the blood flow can't get past the said large chests. And with those," she chuckled, pointing at Hermione's chest, "Either you prove the theory wrong, or … you just brown nosed till you got to the top."
"What … did you say?" Hermione growled, anger almost boiling off her.
"I didn't stutter," Kitty responded growling as much. "Or are you stupid and can't understand American English?"
Hermione responded with a hard open palmed slap to Kitty's face.
"Why you …" Kitty gawked, then reared back to punch her, Hermione ducked the punch and returned with a punch of her own which 'phased' through her.
"Shouldn't we get Professor Xavier, or try to stop this?" Harry asked. Ron just stared in wonder, when Kurt appeared beside them.
"Heck no!" Kurt chirped, "Here's some popcorn!"
The fight continued to get more and more heated, going from punches, kicks, slaps, nail slashes, and once or twice Hermione took a bite out of Kitty. "What the!" Kitty gasped, while phasing out of Hermione's headlock. "What in the …" she gawked when she saw Kurt, Ron, and Harry. Hermione slowly turned her eyes, not sure if this was a trick of some kind, but when she did, her eyes narrowed dangerously at her boyfriend.
Ron was busy pigging out on the popcorn, so he had nothing to fear. But Harry and Kurt were another matter.
Harry and Kurt were both staring at the Asian/British X-Woman Psylocke who was lying in a provocative position on her towel sunning. She had her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail with on strand crossing her cheek, and was wearing a very, very small X-shaped swimsuit that left very little to the imagination, and she seemed to enjoy the attention she received from the teenaged boys.
"Harry …"
"Kurt …"
"Yes, Hermione …"
"Yes, Kitten …"
SPLASH!!!
"Serves you boys right!" Hermione shot, as her and Kitty stood side-by-side looking down at the boys in the pool triumphantly.
"Pervs," Kitty replied, as the girls gave each other a high five then turned their backs on the boys and went to their lounge chairs.
Kurt and Harry floated there, looking at each other in confusion, "What we do?" Harry asked.
"I don't know?" Kurt shrugged. "Women are the mystery of the earth I always say."
--
The next morning, the X-Jet tore across the ocean heading toward the coast of England.
"Excellent job, Mage," Cyclops said from the co-pilot's seat, as Harry flew the X-Jet smoothly, high above the water. "You're a natural flyer."
"I've told him that since first year," said Hermione, beaming proudly at her blushing boyfriend.
"We're almost there," said Professor Xavier, from his seat, then touching his temple. "Albus, we're approaching New Hogwarts, is all preparations ready?" Xavier said out loud. "Very good, speak to you soon."
"Whoa …" Hermione gasped, her jaw going slack.
"Wicked, Hermione's speechless!" Ron laughed, then looking out of the front view of the X-Jet, "W-Wicked …" he said taking on the same state.
"I take it that is New Hogwarts," Harry said beaming, as the X-Jet soared over the site of the original Hogwarts.
The jet took a few passes, flying around the towering city-like castle built of stone, glass and metal. The castle was three times the size of the original Hogwarts. "Is that Gryffindor Tower?" Hermione ask pointing to the unfinished tallest tower on the eastern side of the complex surrounded with scaffolds, but nearing completion. It had an unfinished large covered walkway-bridge that connected it to the main castle that still had a few feet before the bridge was connected.
"Find out shortly, won't we, Hermione?" Harry asked flying around the tower.
It was a sight to behold, the new castle. "Looks like they moved Hogsmeade in there," Harry noted, looking down and seeing the many smaller buildings inside the castle's large walls, "And there's the tracks for the Hogwarts Express," he said pointing at the train tracks going through a large opening in the castle walls.
"Alright, Harry," Xavier said, pointing to the side of the main castle, where large door was opening in the side. "Take her in right here, nice and easy."
Harry did as told, and was surprised to find a hanger in the side of the castle, "So much for no technology clause," Harry whispered to himself, "I wonder what else has changed."
--
"Welcome, Professor Xavier, Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, X-Men," Dumbledore said walking up as the group exited the jet. "I trust you like the new castle?"
"It's amazing, Professor," Hermione said cheerfully looking around the area like a child in a toy store.
"I am please you like it, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore smiled. "And I believe you will be quite please to learn that the library as grown to twice its original size."
"Hello, children," Professor McGonagall said walking up behind Professor Dumbledore.
"Ah yes, Hermione, would you be so kind as to go with Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore nudging Hermione toward the head of her house. "She shall inform you of your responsibilities and privileges that come with being Head Girl."
Hermione gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek, 'I'll tell you what Dumbledore says if you tell me what McGonagall says,' Harry sent her telepathically.
'Deal,' Hermione returned with a smile, before walking off with Prof. McGonagall.
Harry watched them go and also noticed Ron and Jubilee had wondered off to explore. "So Albus, what is it you wished to speak with us about?" Xavier asked rolling up to the aging headmaster.
"Yes, yes, Charles, there is a reason for your call," he then looked around as if to see if anyone else was listening. "There have been a series of murders in magical areas of London."
"Murders?" Xavier asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yes, seven witches and eight wizards have been kidnapped and their bodies found a few days later … dissected," Dumbledore said quietly.
"Any clue on who is the murderer?" Cyclops asked, and Harry began to have a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Yes, the last victim was still alive … barely when he was discovered," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "I feel that the X-Men's expertise on the situation would be most useful. For you see, the victim's last word was, 'Sinister'."
To Be Continued …
C. Cowboy: sorry it took so long to get this out, I read OotP a couple of times, and started the HULK story which I highly recommend. I've also decided to work in all the events of OotP (which will take some major effect next chapter) with the exception of Sirius' death, he dies like he did in Children of the Atom, not OotP. As for Luna Lovegood and Professor Umbridge's introduction, Harry's short relationship with Cho, and other events that happened during Harry's fifth year in canon happened. I want to thank VirtualFaerie for beta reading this for me because my usual beta reader, Xavien, is away for the weekend.
Next Chapter: Sinistra