Chapter 14: Wand fight at the Hogsmeade Corral
When Harry awoke the next morning he was slightly perturbed to find Ron rocking back and forth on the edge of his bed. He glanced sideways at Harry several times, his mouth jittering as if he were trying to speak. Eventually he just drew back his hangings, got out of bed on the other side and sidled out of the dormitory without saying a word. Harry wasn't sure he wanted Ron to say anything, but equally he wanted their quarrel to reach an end. It was getting boring.
Harry left the dormitory some time later, ambling down the stairs and taking in a rather chilly Sunday morning. The common room was practically empty with only a few third-years sitting in the corner. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, opened his large yellow eyes as Harry passed him and sat in a chair close by. Harry decided to go down for breakfast later; he wasn't particularly famished anyway.
Crookshanks stood up and stretched, his bottlebrush tail standing on end as if he'd been electrocuted. He fixed Harry with a piercing, inquisitive stare, much like Hermione would if he did something out of character. Next minute, the ginger cat pounced up onto Harry and settled in his lap, purring contentedly.
'What's getting into you?' Harry asked the cat, smoothing it behind the ear, 'You're getting very friendly. What are you after, eh?'
Crookshanks gave Harry an affronted stare.
'Just being friendly, eh? Well, at least you like a bit of a cwtch and a cuddle. Unlike your boss. Where is she anyway? Have you seen her?'
'She's right behind you,' said Hermione's voice sounding slightly amused.
Harry craned his neck to see Hermione standing behind him, wearing a grin that said she was expecting an explanation for something.
'Talking to animals and expecting them to respond is a sign of madness, Harry,' Hermione said.
'How much did you hear? Have you been listening all the time?'
'I heard enough,' she said shrewdly, 'are you coming to breakfast?'
Harry dislodged Crookshanks and followed Hermione to the portrait hole as she clambered through.
'I saw you looking, you know,' she said turned round, that maddeningly shrewd tone lacing her words.
'Looking at what?' Harry said in his best imitation of innocence; Hermione smiled almost seductively and Harry felt a shiver whip along his spine as his skin tingled beneath his robes.
They took the long route to the Great Hall, neither saying very much. Hermione was blooming with blushes and Harry thought he'd said enough to embarrass him enough for one day. Hermione eventually broke the silence between them, which was almost tangible, and Harry wasn't in the least bit surprised by her chosen topic.
'How was Ron this morning?' she asked cautiously.
'Still alive when I saw him,' Harry said coldly.
'I cant believe what he called me last night, I was really hurt. All those times when he got angry for someone else calling me…well, you know…I just never thought he would.'
'I suppose he's been under stress lately,' Harry said diplomatically, 'what with the Quidditch fiasco and stuff. I think he wanted to talk to me this morning, he was being weird and stuff. Didn't say anything though. Not very good in situations like that.'
'No,' said Hermione dejectedly, 'but at least he seemed willing. Oh, Harry, wont you give it another go? Maybe he really needs us but feels threatened that we're…er…closer…than, we…we used to be. It really pains me to see you two apart and know that it's all my fault.'
'It isn't all your fault!' Harry cried, 'We're all to blame somehow. Look, I'll talk to him. I'll make him listen to what I have to say and if he doesn't like it then that's it…done. I'll tell him that we've just become closer friends and if he doesn't believe that then its his problem.'
'Ok, thank you, Harry. Just be nice, understand his situation. It's a good time now, anyway, what with the first Hogsmeade weekend coming up.'
The posters advertising the weekend had been up for several days. Many of the teachers had voiced their concerns at letting the pupils leave the safety of the school in the current threatening climate. Dumbledore, however, had decided that it was best for morale to let the students visit the village. The last thing everyone needed was to think they were prisoners in the school with nothing but lessons and the occasional Quidditch match to take their minds off other, more dangerous happenings.
Harry didn't manage to corner Ron until the day before the Hogsmeade weekend in the middle of October. Harry had been waiting for him inside the Entrance Hall until the Gryffindor team came back inside from Quidditch practice. On the way down, Harry had bumped into Ginny emerging from behind the statue of the one-eyed witch that guarded the secret passage leading to Hogsmeade. Her eyes were again lifeless and misty and she seemed very disorientated.
'Hi Ginny,' Harry said as she popped out from behind the statue, 'where've you been? Shouldn't you be at practice?'
'Nowhere…sweets…went to steal…Fred and George told…anyway Harry, yeah, about Quidditch. I did try to talk to Ron but he's being an idiot. He's been like that a lot lately. I have to go…practice…job…important things…'
And she was off, stumbling drunkenly down the hallway gibbering to herself as she did. Harry had seen someone behave like that once before and that person was mad. He hoped Ginny wasn't doing something illegal or that could get her into trouble. After all, Mrs Weasley would likely kill her if she did.
When Harry managed to talk to Ron he was glad that Quidditch had made him both tired and incapable of much resistance. This was how Harry wanted it.
'Ron, over here,' Harry called and showed Ron into an empty classroom, 'Look, I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. Don't interrupt me or I'll hex you so that you can't move. This argument has gone on for too long, I can't even remember what we're fighting about. I told you…no interruptions! Anyway, I'm tired of it. I don't like fighting with you and I'd hope you feel the same way. What you said to Hermione last night, that was totally out of order. I said no interruptions!
'Right, so here's the thing. If you want to sort this out, me, you and Hermione, meet us in Hogsmeade tomorrow. I'll tell Hermione we're going to the Three Broomsticks for twelve o'clock. If you want to make up, or break up for good, then come and meet us there. If you don't turn up, I'll assume that you don't want anything more to do with either of us. Its up to you. And, by the way - I'd keep an eye on Ginny if I were you. She's acting really strange and I saw here coming through that secret passage that goes into the village.'
Harry said no more, simply swept from the classroom and vaulted the stairs two at a time to reach the common room before Ron had left the classroom. Harry met Hermione by the fire; she was writing a letter while Crookshanks played with one of the elf hats.
'Well,' Harry said, panting slightly, 'I spoke to Ron. Told him to meet us in the Three Broomsticks at twelve tomorrow if he wants to sort this out. Who you writing to?'
'Victor,' Hermione said quietly.
'Krum?' Harry said briskly, 'Didn't know you still wrote to him.'
Hermione raised her eyebrows, probably in response to Harry's short tone of voice, something he hadn't meant at all.
'I'm writing to tell him I can't write to him anymore,' Hermione said vaguely.
'Why not?'
'Well,' she said, carefully avoiding Harry's eye, 'things have changed, haven't they? It's too, well, awkward to write to him now. Not with all the stuff that's going on.'
'What? You mean with Voldemort and stuff?' Harry said sharply.
'Yeah…yeah and that,' Hermione said though her voice was distant, 'Night, Harry. Meet you in the morning?'
'Yeah, ok,' Harry said, and Hermione was up and at the foot of the stairs as quick as a flash, 'Night.'
Hermione dashed upstairs and Harry heard a door close somewhere in the distance. Crookshanks was sitting on Harry's lap again, his head on Harry's chest.
'What was all that about?' Harry asked with a nod towards where Hermione had been, 'Do you know? Course not, you're a cat.'
Crookshanks looked offended. Instead of hissing, though, the cat rubbed his head against Harry's chin and skulked off after Hermione. Harry made his own way to bed feeling very confused. He didn't hear Ron come up at all.
But Ron slept that night, Harry was certain of it. It was Ron's voice that woke him, it had regained the high, icy pitch that it had taken on before. It spoke as Ron slept and Harry was more disturbed by this conversation than the previous one.
'Are you turning your back on me?' the icy voice asked.
'Yes, I cant do this…I wont. He's my best friend and you're just lying to me. I don't believe you anymore,' answered Ron's normal voice.
'You have come to far to lose your backbone now,' icy Ron said, 'after all you have given, all you have put in place. It is too late for you not to follow through.'
'I'll back out. I'll undo those things. If I can remember what they are.'
A high, cold laugh sent a chill through Harry that literally made his stomach churn. There could be little doubt anymore; Hermione was right.
'It is too late, fool of a boy, do not dare to test me. My wrath knows no bounds. I knew one of you would try to back out, I know all. It is unfair on my enemies.'
Ron's voice died into the gloom and grumpy snores were soon the only thing ebbing out from Ron's bed. Harry wanted the morning to hurry on, he had to tell Hermione.
When morning came, however, and Harry was all set to tell Hermione all of what he'd heard during the night, an unexpected event sent Harry's mind blissfully blank. Harry knew Hermione was on her way down the stairs when Crookshanks slinked past wearing a look that Harry somehow understood. Footsteps on the stairs alerted Harry to Hermione's approach and his mouth was open, ready to speak. His mouth stayed open when she emerged, and his eyes popped out as his jaw edged towards the floor.
It was a Hermione he'd only seen once before. She had applied copious amounts of Sleek-Easy potion to her hair, which seemed to be full of little glittery bits that sparkled in the silky sunlight. Everything from her eyes to her cheeks had been touched up with something so that they glimmered and glinted, looking slightly glossy but in very pretty way. Hermione was blushing and looked embarrassed; Harry could see she was wearing that 'waiting-for-approval' look. Harry just wished he knew how to talk.
'Well?' she asked eventually, giving a little curtsey and looking extremely apprehensive.
'Stuningyoulookmygod!' Harry managed to say.
Hermione giggled nervously and took Harry by the arm; Harry still couldn't close his mouth.
'C'mon,' Hermione said motheringly, 'Chin up, Harry!'
Seeing Harry's devastated reaction seemed to give Hermione a blast of self-esteem. She held herself differently than she usually did; her head was in the air but not in the condescending way of Aunt Petunia, but in a proud sort of way. She was utterly contented and Harry felt underdressed and totally minging next to her. He wished he'd thought to use a little sleek-easy now…
They wound their way up to the village and got looks from many students. Unusually, the looks weren't sniding or derogatory, except from the Slytherins, but were almost complementary. Harry got the feeling most of these people weren't surprised to see Harry and Hermione in the way they looked together. Harry liked being in the position more than he could put words to.
'Well, what do you fancy doing?' Harry asked, feeling suddenly under pressure.
'Well, we've got a while before we have to meet Ron,' she said, still beaming, 'I don't know. We could-'
She was suddenly staring over Harry's shoulder with a devious look spreading across her face.
'Harry, I've got an idea!' she said excitedly, 'C'mon! It'll be fun!'
She grabbed his arm and dragged him up the road. It was a little while before Harry knew where he was going. Up the road, a little teashop was perched quite alone with several pairs of Hogwarts students ambling in and out. One of the pairs was Cho Chang and Michael Corner. Harry suddenly got hit by a thunderbolt of comprehension.
'Hermione, no!' Harry said, 'We can't! It isn't nice. Why can't we just leave them alone.'
'Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Harry,' Hermione said determinedly, 'I want to. It'll be good. Just play along. Imagine the look on her stupid face.'
Hermione's expression had suddenly gone very dark and Harry thought it best not to argue. He allowed Hermione to usher him into the teashop and sit at a table where Cho could see them. She looked up immediately and the look of surprise on her face would have been, at any other time, extremely funny. Harry ordered two cups of coffee and Hermione sipped at hers, casting dark glances at Cho in between strange, dreamy glances at Harry.
Harry heard Cho start telling Michael how pretty he was; he and Hermione both had to bite their lips to not laugh. Hermione couldn't help herself; she said loudly that she thought Harry was so handsome, and how glad she was he wasn't a pretty boy. Harry actually choked on his mouthful of coffee at the look of fury on both Cho and Michael Corner.
Hermione was well in the game now. She reached over and squeezed Harry's arm, whispering sweet nothings to him.
'Sweet nothings, Harry, sweet - ha ha - nothings - ha ha!'
Harry was hurting with struggling not to laugh. Something then happened that changed the mood. Hermione reached over and took Harry's hands in her own. Harry had a fleeting memory of Roger Davies on Valentine's Day, last year in this shop. Hermione started by saying nice things to him in a laughing voice. Soon, however, her voice lost this tone and became serious and swoony and Hermione's dreamy expression was real.
He could feel her hands trembling slightly as she spoke and noticed a lump and been born in his throat. Hermione was talking slowly now, staring deeply into Harry's eyes and Harry, for his part, was shaking with the fear from drowning in hers. Her fingers were not so much rubbing his hands over-exaggeratedly, as they had been, but were smoothing them softly. Harry moved his leg, before it's twitching caused a local hazard, but he moved it right against Hermione's.
Her eyes ignited, shining with such force that Harry was sure that if he didn't drown in them then they'd burn him to death, or at least blind him in to a coma. Harry felt Hermione's hand shifting, like she wanted to move it, though he didn't dare hope to where. He glanced at Cho, who was looking angrily from the entwined hands to the touching legs, which had started to move slightly against each other independently of the owners' control.
Harry was lost in such paralytic euphoria that he would have been happy enough to die at that table there and then. The sound of the door tingling as it opened shook both he and Hermione from their reverie. Instantly, their hands flew apart and the legs shot back towards their respective owners. They got up in silence and left. Hermione didn't look at Harry outside, though he could tell she was wearing a beaming grin brighter than the soft daylight.
Hermione had pulled her coat tight around herself, denying Harry a continued look at her mesmerising outfit. A scary thought hit him: forget the agreement, it said. She's got all dolled up, so she wants you to do something. It's your turn, Harry… And for a moment, he was going to. Hermione was nudging her head ever so slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye, spinning her head back around every time Harry caught her doing it, her smile more beaming than ever. A sickening sight brought Harry back to reality.
'Malfoy!' he hissed.
Hermione looked towards where Harry was looking. There, in a doorway, was Draco Malfoy, his white-blond hair shining in the shadows. He was talking to a girl with long, fiery red hair. He seemed to be very animated, pointing threateningly at her.
'Ginny!' Hermione squealed.
Harry was in a run before he decided to move his feet, Hermione close behind. Malfoy looked up and snarled as he approached, Ginny looked mortified.
'Potter!' Malfoy spat, 'Should've known you'd come nosing. I wouldn't bother with the hair, Mudblood, you can't magic away hideousness.'
Harry jammed his wand in Malfoy's direction. Crabbe and Goyle jumped out from the shadows with their wands drawn. Harry knew they were dumb, but who knows what Snape had taught them in practical defence classes. Harry saw Hermione whip her wand out, but Ginny didn't move and they were still outnumbered.
'What do you think Potty?' Malfoy snarled, 'Got you a little crossfire, how do you like that?'
Harry was about to turn around when he heard a voice he never thought he be more glad to hear.'
'Zabini!' yelled Ron's voice, 'The madcap! Where you going with that wand, mate?'
Ron was pointing his wand behind Harry and he heard footsteps rustle somewhere to his right side. Ron was accompanied by Terry Boot, Ernie MacMillan and Dean Thomas. All had their wands drawn.
'Need a hand, Harry?' Ron asked. Harry saw Ron had his hand extended and he took it and shook. Ron smiled as though a veil of stone were falling from him.
'Yeah…mate,' Harry glowed back, he saw Hermione wipe a tear quickly from her eye. Harry would have loved time to chat but wands were still drawn.
For several, long moments nobody said or did a thing. It was quiet. Very quiet. It seemed the bustle of Hogsmeade was left behind. The yard in the shadow of the Hogs Head, where they were, had a silence all of its own. A low whistle of wind was the only sound. Then it began.
Harry anticipated it first; a tiny swish of Malfoy's wand. He ducked, correctly expecting Zabini to curse him from behind. That spell took crumbling bricks from the pub wall. An eruption of bangs decimated the silence, jets of lights of all colours flew around the little yard. Bricks crumbled, windows smashed, a barrel of water punctured sending a spray hissing out around the place.
Harry's heart stopped. Malfoy had his wand pointed at Hermione, whose back was turned as she duelled with Zabini. There was nothing for it; he dived across the air and caught a jet of purple flame across his shoulder blade. The pain seared through the wound, Hermione screamed somewhere in the distance. In the battle.
Harry came to and pointed his wand at Malfoy, but Ginny had woken up. She had turned her wand on Malfoy, Harry was stunned to see it had been pointed at Dean, now prostrate on the ground. Malfoy was suddenly attacked by strange, tiny green things. Harry registered the Bat-Bogey Hex just as a voice pierced the scene.
'No! Idiot girl!'
Harry looked up as Lucius Malfoy, wand pointed at Ginny. A blasting explosion to his left meant Harry didn't hear the curse Lucius Malfoy sent at Ginny, but she was caught square in the head. She tottered for a moment before falling. Malfoy turned his wand on Hermione.
'No you don't!' Harry screamed as he threw himself over Hermione. In the background, Ernie and Ron were double cursing Goyle, who was bouncing between them trying to fall but each spell smashed him back to his feet. His screams turned Harry's blood cold. He could see Crabbe, out cold and bloody on a verge at the edge of the yard, Zabini was stumbling nearby.
Harry looked at Lucius Malfoy, his cold eyes gleaming in triumph as he opened his mouth.
'Avada -'
BOOM
Malfoy was knocked off his feet and flew into Draco and they both hit the punctured water barrel. Harry looked up and saw
'Dumbledore!'
Harry was so overcome with joy that he burst into tears. Hermione cradled him in her lap as they watched Dumbledore advance on Malfoy. It wasn't like when he had marched on Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic; he looked furious, murderous even. Harry had the feeling that Dumbledore was going to curse every atom of Lucius Malfoy to bits.
'I thought I told you,' Dumbledore said in a voice so calm that Harry shook through the dominance of it, 'never to come back to this school. I snap your boy's wand and you buy him a new one? You will continue to make mistakes such as this, won't you Lucius? It will only lead you to one end. And you think to attack, Harry…here? You really are less intelligent than I thought.'
Dumbledore flicked his wand at the water and Harry knew what was coming. He had seen Dumbledore cocoon Voldemort using this charm. But Malfoy had another trick. He pulled Draco's hand and placed both it and his own against a small medallion. They vanished in a rush of wind. And all was quiet.
Dumbledore helped Harry and Hermione to their feet.
'Professor, sir,' Harry said quickly, 'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…they…I mean all-'
'Silence, Harry,' Dumbledore smiled softly, 'its ok. Anyone who knows your…well, feelings could not have expected you to act any differently.'
Harry hoped he was the only one who saw Dumbledore's surreptitious glance at Hermione when he mentioned feelings.
'We have to get you back to school, those wounds need looking at,' Dumbledore said as he created stretchers for Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Ginny and Dean. The rest limped behind.
'Why aren't you going to punish me?' Harry asked, 'I'm not above school rules and this was blatant fighting.'
'You were attacked, Harry,' I cannot punish you for defending your friends. And as it was Mr Malfoy who cast the first spell I cannot punish any of you. You can all claim the self-defence excuse. Do not take it as a means to start attacking people, though. Still, I can't help but be pleased to see how…prepared your students are.'
Dumbledore smiled. Harry slipped his arm around Hermione and held her up as she limped next to him. She smiled at him and winked; Harry wasn't convinced she had really hurt her ankle.
'Hey, Harry. Got a spare shoulder?'
Ron was limping badly, blood oozing out from under his robes. He really was hurt. Harry offered his shoulder and Ron leant on it. He was heavier than Hermione, but as they walked down and chatted about the battle, and looked at the disbelieving pointing from the students they passed in the village, Harry was glad things were back to the way they should be.
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