Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling belong to the aforementioned J K Rowling. I am simply playing with them for my amusement, and to see what kind of reaction I can get.
(24) Back in Surrey
"Your hall clock is about a minute fast Uncle Vernon." Said Harry in an effort to provoke a reaction. Vernon remembered the results of the last time he said something to Harry and decided to keep his mouth shut except for eating. He could still feel the bump on the back of his head from being slammed into the wall.
After a relatively pleasant lunch, Harry and Hermione took a long walk around the neighbourhood. As they wandered further from home they found a few teenagers to talk to that Harry didn't recognize from previous summers. He didn't usually wander this far from home either. They were actually getting along quite well with the teens they met until someone mentioned the Dursleys and Dudley's name came up, which prompted another teen to mention something about a kid named Potter that was bad too. To this point they had only introduced themselves using first names.
Hermione then spoke up and said, "This is Harry Potter and that story is a big fat lie." Her mind was working feverishly to come up with enough of the truth and whatever fabrication she could manage on short notice that she could tell these muggles, and be convincing. The other teens looked at her in shock, wondering why such a pretty girl would have anything to do with the Potter they had been warned about. "Harry's parents, before they died, had arranged for his education at an exclusive private school in Scotland. A school that the Dursleys would never qualify for, so of course they wouldn't tell anyone else the truth. They made up that lie so they would appear good and righteous to their neighbours."
One of the teens said, "I have two cousins, twins actually, their last name is Patil, and they go to a school in Scotland. I can't find out much information about it through the family except that you have to be invited to go. Have you met them?"
Hermione flinched, but Harry picked up the conversation. "Parvati and Padma, yes we know them both. I asked Parvati to accompany me to a Christmas dance two years ago, apparently I wasn't up to her expectations and she's been mad at me ever since."
"Harry Potter and Hermione … Granger is it?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I've overheard those names in whispered conversations from time to time as well as some other names. Can you tell us about the school, I can't find out much at home for some reason."
"There are some security issues involved." Said Hermione. "Because of some of the political affiliations and family ties of the students and staff we are required to keep quiet about it if we want to continue attending."
They walked around that area for a while talking to the muggle teens until around suppertime. The teens broke up and left for their homes. Harry and Hermione found a secluded spot between some trees and a high fence that they could use to apparate to the Dursleys back yard when Hermione's cel phone rang and she had to transport her parents home. When she returned a few minutes later, she and Harry apparated to the back yard of number four Privet Drive.
Monday July 7 1997 - Suppertime
They entered through the back door into the kitchen just as the table was being set. Hermione finished setting the table and Harry helped Aunt Petunia with supper. During the meal Vernon and Dudley said almost nothing, Petunia however, kept up a careful conversation with Harry and Hermione that didn't come near the subject of magic. After supper the pair went outside to read and to practice wandless magic.
Professor McGonagall again showed up keeping an eye on them. She wasn't making any attempt to hide this time, in her Tabby Cat form she wandered across the back yard towards them, she stopped near Hermione and looked up. Hermione, being used to Crookshanks, absentmindedly reached down and started to scratch Minerva's head and ears. Harry also had his face in a book, however, when he looked up he recognized the stoic Tabby Cat that Hermione was scratching.
"Dear …" he called.
"Yessss …" she replied, still concentrating on her book.
"That is NOT Crookshanks."
Hermione pulled her hand away sharply and looked down. Her look of confusion changed rapidly to shock as she saw Minerva emerge, grinning, from her cat form to stand beside Hermione. "Hello Professor." Harry chanted, Hermione was still in shock.
"It is my turn to keep an eye on you two again this evening." Said the Professor, with a very unusual grin on her face, "I heard about your gifts to Tonks and the Weasleys, and no they're not shouting about it. I went to see Molly about the teaching position, Tonks was still there with Remus, Arthur and Bill had recently arrived, and they were still discussing the gold."
"We knew it would create some issues, we didn't need the gold and we knew that Remus and the Weasleys could make good use of it." Responded Harry
"That was very generous of you Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I'm quite proud of you both and so is Molly, even though she is having a difficult time accepting it for the moment. She isn't upset at you in any way, it's just a matter of accepting your generosity.
"That's a relief." Said Hermione. "We expected they would want us to take it back … at least initially."
"Yes … well … that was part of the discussion. I reminded them that you obviously wanted them to have it or you wouldn't have given it to them. Bill told them that you made firm arrangements with Ragnok that Gringotts wouldn't allow them to return the gold. He also told them the only way they could get rid of the gold was to spend it or give it away, but they couldn't give it back." Said Minerva.
"Excellent." Said Harry and Hermione together, and Harry continued by saying, "We are planning on returning to the castle on Wednesdays for two or three days each week if that's all right."
"Yes, that will be fine, however it has come to my attention that your group's sleeping arrangements should be questioned. Harry, you are almost seventeen and you, Hermione, are seventeen, and with all the responsibilities you've both had to shoulder, I'm going to look the other way for a few weeks. After that, you are both considered adults and responsible for your own mistakes. Poppy mentioned a new potion that you found which eased her concerns and thus mine as well. My primary concerns are Ginny and Luna, and to see to it that they don't get into trouble."
"Luna makes her own potion." Said Hermione as Harry's attention snapped to her. "And I gave some of a batch I received from Madam Pomfrey to Ginny, which she gratefully accepted. Both of them should be safe enough unless Ron or Neville have Harry's magical power. Neither showed as pregnant yesterday morning when I tested them."
"I see you're on top of things Miss Granger. I will ask Poppy to allow you access to the necessary potions for them and as long as they are discreet I should be able to ignore the issue."
"Actually, when Harry realized what might be going on, he had a talk to the guys and asked me to make sure the girls were safe."
"I'm impressed Mr. Potter, if I could award House Points for that I certainly would."
"Self preservation really … if they get into trouble, then it becomes my problem too. I don't know if we'll be able to foresee all the pitfalls ahead of us, but we don't have to create our own problems if we can help it."
"I'm going over to see Arabella for a bit, but I'll be back soon.
Minerva left and the pair set up some silencing charms then started wandless duelling. The disarming charm was rather useless as they weren't using wands so they settled on some minor jinxes that could be shielded with a 'protego' shield charm. They had been going at it for a couple of hours with a few breaks. Harry had been mostly shielding while trying to catch Hermione off guard. Hermione had found herself sending hex after jinx out at Harry, while shielding or ducking his hexes. Finally Hermione snuck a stunner through Harry's shield and dropped him. On his way down Harry cut his hand on the leg of the bench they had been sitting on the previous week. It wasn't a big cut, but Hermione was frantic for a minute until she remembered she was a Phoenix. She moved Harry so he was clear of the bench and enervated him. After she positioned his hand she told him to stay still while she transformed into her white Phoenix form and came up beside his hand. As a Phoenix, recognizing a cut or injury started an automatic reaction within the bird to create the healing tears. It took a few lost tears before she placed some on the bleeding cut and both of them watched it heal. Harry hadn't realized that she could do that and Hermione wasn't sure herself, until she tried it.
When Harry got up he said, "Thank you dear." And she transformed back to herself. Standing in front of him she gave him a hug and an apology, to which he reciprocated the hug and replied philosophically that those were the hazards of duelling practice. He admitted he wasn't putting his best effort into it as he didn't want to risk hurting her.
That only served to make her mad and she backed up about fifteen steps before saying in an ominous voice, "Ready?"
Harry watched her expression as she backed up and he could feel her anger. She looked as fearless as Bellatrix and ready to wage war. Harry nodded when she spoke and knew that he was going to have to try to win.
Duelling with a wand, you could only send one spell at a time through it, wandless, he didn't know what he could do if pushed to the limit.
They started out one spell at a time and slowly sped up from there. After a short time there was a rapid barrage of light and spells going between them. The frequency of spells and the rapidly changing colours grew faster and faster until Hermione was visibly falling behind. She made a decision and jumped behind a relatively thin tree for cover yelling "STOP!" and Harry stopped a moment later.
Minerva had returned in her feline form and watched the second duel progress from start to finish. She had sensed that Hermione was upset about something at the beginning of the duel, but had no idea what. By the end she couldn't believe what she had seen. The spells and shields were happening so quickly she could barely keep track, and then it was over and Hermione was gone somewhere.
Hermione walked out carefully from behind a tall tree near the fence, a little shaken but otherwise alright. Minerva came further around the corner of the house before transforming back into the Headmistress.
The Professor looked back and forth between the two with a questioning expression on her face. Both teens had broken into a profuse sweat during the duel and their shirts were soaked. "What happened here?" She asked. "I've never seen anything like that before, not even when Albus and Filius used to practice."
Harry deferred to Hermione to explain and she answered, "We duelled before and I knocked Harry out with a stunner. It was nothing like you just saw, it wasn't as fast, just a steady exchange of spells. He admitted he wasn't really trying because he didn't want to hurt me. I got mad at him because what's the point if you won't try to do your best?"
"Fair point." Said Minerva.
"Well …" Said Harry. "I could see the determination in her face and feel the anger flowing from her, I knew I was in for a fight and I dared not give her a chance. We started out at the speed we finished the last one at and accelerated from there. It's interesting to know I can get three hexes out before I need to recast my shield."
"I don't want to see you getting that ferocious here in case someone gets hurt. Continue this at school or at The Burrow with Poppy or an older Adult in attendance and we'll see how you do against the other four as well. Filius was a duelling champion many years ago, I know he would be very impressed with you two. Now then hug and off to the showers with you. Oh … and cancel the silencing charm around here."
They hugged and Harry raised his hand making a circle in the air with it and the silencing charm faded away. "Thanks Professor." Said Hermione." As they walked inside hand in hand and made their way upstairs. They walked into the bathroom, closed and locked the door and Harry started the water running. Hermione apologized to Harry for getting mad at him and Harry apologized for not doing it properly the first time.
Harry realized that they were both standing there with the water running and offered to leave and let Hermione shower first. She told him to, "Find some towels for both of us." And started to get undressed. Harry nodded, reached into the cupboard and pulled out two fluffy white towels that were usually reserved for his aunt and uncle, then followed her lead and climbed into the shower after her. They finished making up in the shower if the sight of water flowing uphill was any indication. Hermione suggested that maybe that was their first disagreement as a couple.
Harry said, "If that was a disagreement I'd hate to get into a full blown knock down drag out fight with you … on the other hand … the making up after could be worth it."
They didn't play around in the shower … much … before they climbed out and turned the water off. They used magic to dry each other off before wrapping the towels around themselves and making their way to Hermione's bedroom to get ready for bed. They both put on pyjamas this time and Hermione apparated them both to Aunt Marge's room because the bed was softer and bigger. Not that that mattered much as they usually woke up floating above the mattress. He loved the feeling of her softness against him and her scent. She was in awe of his well muscled body and tender caresses. Soon they were asleep.
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In the morning they were awakened by loud noises coming from the kitchen. They had silenced their bedrooms last night, but that only kept there noises private from the rest of the house. They could hear plainly all that went on in the house … if it was loud enough. They listened closely, but with two or three people talking at the same time it was hard to follow the rant. It didn't sound anything like Death Eaters trying to find them so they relaxed a little. They could distinguish Vernon, Petunia and Dudley as well as two more voices, one male and a female voice. The names Piers Polkiss, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were distinguishable along with Dudley's name. Harry commented to Hermione that those boys were part of Dudley's gang of neighbourhood thugs. Then they clearly heard the phrase, "… charged with the assault and …", "of a teenage girl." before the shouting drowned the rest out again. Hermione slapped her hand over her mouth to smother a scream while looking at Harry with the biggest chocolate brown eyes he'd ever seen. Several more phrases clearly made their way upstairs, "… caught in the act …", "… in custody …", "… bail hearing …" and "… two officers and the girl in the hospital …" put a grimace on Harry's face.
The teens flashed back to Harry's room and quickly got dressed before taking the silencing and locking charms off their rooms and proceeding down to the living room to watch the show. Probably not their smartest move. They crossed the living room, wherein stood a third muggle police officer, walked around the sofa and kneeled on the cushions, looking over the back of it into the kitchen. As they walked through the living room all the muggle eyes were on them and the conversation stopped. Vernon looked menacingly at Harry, while Harry considered his options for a moment. He whispered very quietly to Hermione to do or say nothing, no matter what.
Vernon stormed over to Harry screaming in his now hoarse voice that this was all Harry's fault, and if indeed his son had actually done what they said it must be Harry's fault for somehow making him do it. When Vernon reached Harry he raised his arm and followed through with a slap that knocked Harry off the sofa and onto the carpet, unconscious. Two of the officers immediately wrestled Vernon to the floor and restrained him with hand cuffs. Hermione had jumped to Harry's side and was checking him over as best she could, which was quite thoroughly considering she had read most of her parent's medical texts over the past five summers. One of the officers came over to check on Harry. Hermione fended her off and told her to stay back. The female officer tried to call an ambulance and Hermione severed the telephone line where only she could see it from her position.
Hermione screamed, "Fawkes!" Two seconds later the front door blew open as a large red and gold bird flew in perching on the sofa and watching both Hermione and the unconscious form of Harry. "Get the Headmistress and Madam Pomfrey … NOW!" Screamed Hermione, and the bird flew back through the door and disappeared over the roof.
Mrs. Figg was already talking over the floo to Minerva explaining what her cats had told her when Fawkes flashed into Minerva's office with Poppy, emergency medical supplies packed and ready to go. Soon after Mrs Figg had seen the police arrive she had sent all her cats to watch over the house and report back to her in shifts so there were always several cats watching.
"We'll see you in a few seconds, Arabella." Said Minerva. Minerva transfigured her robes into a muggle business suit and Poppy's attire so she looked like a muggle doctor. It wasn't ten seconds later that Minerva and Poppy appeared in Arabella's living room and shortly after that they were running down Wisteria Walk and onto Privet Drive. Minerva had managed to explain to the healer that the house was full of muggles and police and Harry's uncle had hit him, knocking him to the floor unconscious. Although the muggle police appeared to be trying to help Harry, Hermione was fending them off and keeping them away from him. Five minutes after the red and gold bird left, Minerva and Poppy arrived at the front door of number four Privet Drive. Minerva knocked on the open door and the two women walked briskly into the house and towards Hermione.
Hermione visibly relaxed when she saw Minerva and Poppy enter the house. Poppy immediately came over to her and Harry. The officers cleared a path for her when they assumed by her attire that she was a doctor. Minerva introduced herself to the lone female officer showing her a muggle business card from a no less exclusive, yet muggle, private school that was also located in Scotland. The school was staffed by and took only Squibs from all Magical families and immediate family members from muggle families that had students going to Hogwarts.
Poppy's head came up and in her authoritative voice she yelled, "Everyone out … NOW! … I need quiet!" Hermione and Minerva invigorated the procession out of the house. By now the third and fourth police car were arriving because of the cut off phone call. Most of the neighbours were in the process of watching the goings on at number 4. Some of the bolder ones were even walking over to get a closer look as Dudley and Vernon were frog marched out to separate cars, then taken away. Hermione helped Petunia back into the house so she wouldn't have to face the neighbours just yet. In the meantime Harry awoke on his own as Poppy was checking him over for a concussion when Hermione threw herself at him, engulfing him in a hug.
"Miss Granger!" expounded the school nurse, "Back off for a minute… I'm still trying to check him out!" Hermione backed off a couple of steps, keeping eye contact with Harry.