Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from the 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.
Not Another Author's Note: Many thanks to 'the_scribbler' for his kind assistance.
Originally brought up in chapter 22 and then again in 42:
PD is Practical Defence
TD is Theory of Defence or Theoretical Defence
43 - Glass and Stones
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Harry conjured a thick wall of ice, to block Draco's curse, it also blocked Draco's sight of Hermione diving out of the way. Harry had been expecting some kind of fire charm. The purple curse, after blasting through Moody's shield, shattered the ice wall, blowing the pieces into the two nearest bookshelves and knocking down many of the books. While the ice was flying around, Harry wandlessly disarmed Malfoy; not caring enough to summon the loose wand.
Harry had about had his fill of Draco at that moment. His wand was out and pointed at Malfoy's chest so fast it was but a blur, "Incarcerous inflamarae." Harry shouted, and flaming ropes ejected out of his wand binding Draco, burning him and starting his robes on fire. Moments later a 'flame-freezing' charm from Moody rendered the flames harmless. A White Phoenix flew into position on Draco's shoulder and the next moment in a blinding white flash, both were gone.
Half a minute later, the shocked students still hadn't moved, let alone taken a breath. They had almost no idea what had just happened, it was so fast. Harry then noticed a faint white flash between the bookshelves, just before books started to be pushed out from between them. Harry rushed over to give Hermione a hand up and a Molly Weasley-ish hug. After a moment, Ron ran over and was included in what was now becoming a group hug. Neville, Parvati and Lavender had joined in too.
The next spectacular event included a significant red flash. The Headmistress appeared in the middle of the classroom, wand drawn and apparently ready for some kind of action. As Caledfwlch, Hermione stopped to talk to Fawkes, because Fawkes knew how to get into Azkaban. After getting the right image from him, Hermione dragged the unconscious Malfoy there; dumping him unceremoniously into one of the cells at the lowest part of the prison. Fawkes waited a minute or so before he informed the Headmistress about the trouble in the PD classroom. Whether it was intentional or not, a few of the details were miss-translated, but the overall effect was grand. Once Minerva was satisfied that everything was under control, she turned to find Mad-eye at her side with a smirk on his face.
"Those two kids are wasting their time here ... they should be in the Auror Academy." Said Mad-eye, handing Minerva a now familiar wand. "The last spell this wand did was the 'purple fire curse', the same one that nearly killed Miss Granger in The Department of Mysteries ... Dolohov's trademark curse. Do you know what happened to young Mr. Malfoy?" Mad-eye asked Minerva.
"If I understood Fawkes correctly", answered McGonagall, "He's at the bottom of Azkaban ... still bound in burning ropes. I think I'm going to savour that image," she continued, as she conjured a crystal vial to store the memory. Moody started to chuckle and soon he was roaring with laughter. Minerva watched him for a moment out of the corners of her eyes; then started to laugh too.
All of the seventh-year students in that class knew that the 'purple fire curse' was deadly. Most wondered what had happened to Malfoy ... except a certain group of four that were still huddled together, sparing the occasional glance at the Professors. Harry was holding on to his girlfriend ... no ... his wife with such tenderness and concern that she was wondering if ... yet hoping ... no, knowing ... he would never let her go.
Girlfriend or wife, Harry was a little confused about how he should be thinking of her, especially after that slip of the tongue by Minerva. He knew the Goblin's position, but exactly how that translated into other Wizarding law he still wasn't certain. Under Muggle law he knew they weren't married, that was a given. Muggle world ... Magical world, somehow he had to straighten it out in his mind and in both worlds ... he needed to talk to her ... soon ... to get a clear picture and find out what she thought or wanted.
"Potter … potter … Potter … POTTER … POTTER!". Moody finally yelled loud enough to get Potter's attention away from Hermione, or more to the point his own musings about Hermione. Harry didn't release Hermione, but he did manage to look up and over to the two Professors … a confused expression on his face.
"Yes … Professor?" He replied, it sounded more like a question than a reply.
"Where did you learn that fiery rope spell?" asked Mad-eye.
Harry looked at Mad-eye for a minute, the cogs in his brain refusing to mesh properly. He finally stammered, "I … I don't know … I … just did it … and it worked." Then Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Next time add a flame freezing charm to it, you almost made a human torch out of Mr. Malfoy." Moody responded, "Not that I'm complaining, but the paper work, if you killed, him in school, is horrendous."
"Yes, sir," replied Harry, "The paperwork, Sir," his mind still with Hermione. "Yes, sir."
"Keep in mind, Alastor," interrupted McGonagall in a quiet voice so that the students would not hear, "He's quite used to wandless magic where the actual incantation is meaningless compared to what his mind wants to happen."
"Wandless magic … just how good is he?" asked Alastor, "I had a small sample of it in your office … I wondered if that was his limit."
"Limits? I'm not sure he has any. His talents are … are superb," Minerva whispered, "Remus and I have both seen them duel against each other. You, with your experience, might be a challenge ... but I doubt it. Do you remember the last Death Eater raid in Diagon Alley?"
Moody looked at her, brow furrowed, deep in thought then replied, "Those two ... did that?" Minerva nodded her head. "By themselves?" Minerva nodded her head again
After a minutes' thought, Alastor whipped out his stubby wand and cast a stunner in the general direction of the pair. Harry threw out his hand as if to catch the red beam and it looked as if he caught all of the red light in his outstretched hand, then amplified it and hurled it back at Moody as a ball of sun-bright red light. Mad-eye's hastily constructed shield was completely shattered, along with a desk and chair that he summoned to stop Harry's retaliation. Minerva, when she realized what Alastor was doing, thought him completely mad. She moved back a step and cast a large bell dome shield around the two of them. The bell dome shield was little use in a straight on attack, but a spell hitting it on its curved surface would usually reflect off at an angle. The remaining ball of red light struck the shield at a glancing angle and disbursed as it made its way to the outside windows. Three windows blew out along with their retaining masonry and external shutters. Students that were outside enjoying the September weather ran for cover under nearby trees. A few souls braved the flying glass and debris to shoot Reducto curses at the larger stones before they could hit someone.
Harry was now in full protection mode. Nothing and no one was going to hurt Hermione - which Moody would learn, shortly. Harry faded himself and Hermione from sight. They were already hovering an inch or two above the floor when Harry gave them a nudge with his magic and they glided through the open classroom door and into the corridor, leaving at least one very surprised Professor behind. A few course corrections later and the pair were floating down the hall.
Hermione couldn't see for herself what was going on, she had her head buried in Harry's chest, holding on snugly with her arms while running her hands through his hair and trying desperately to calm him down with soothing emotions and thoughts, before he did some serious damage. She could feel that an enormous amount of magical energy was built up in Harry. She didn't know he was making them invisible. By the time they neared the stairs, Harry's energy level had dropped to near normal and they were becoming visible to the students wandering the corridor. Harry nudged their glide to a halt as they touched down, surprising Hermione; as she hadn't realized they were moving. When the two broke apart, Hermione looked around and knew why they were being watched. There were loose bits of parchment, quills and other items scattered up and down the corridor along what was obviously their path.
Turning, to traverse their path, Harry and Hermione walked back up the corridor helping students pick up their scattered items. Finally, on their way back to their Common Room, they overheard several students talking about some kind of explosion sending glass and stone debris showering down from the Practical Defence classroom. Harry vaguely remembered a spell bouncing off something and breaking windows, Hermione looked at him curiously, trying to determine if he knew anything about it.
There was a fair bit of yelling going on in the office which lay adjacent to the room where Mad-eye attacked them. It seemed that Minerva McGonagall was giving the paranoid ex-Auror a serious tongue-lashing for his stupidity. Testing Harry's strengths and weaknesses by going after Hermione - or even putting her in the slightest danger - was something that rated serious demerits from the Headmistress. Harry realized that avoiding the situation made a great deal of sense, since discretion was always the better part of valour.
After dropping off their book bags in their Common Room and giving Crookshanks and Hedwig some treats, Hermione picked up her text to review the chapters on Human Transfiguration. Since the weather was good and there was time before supper, Harry suggested they find a secluded spot by the lake to talk and study. It took but a heartbeat for her to agree.
Hermione thought as they walked. When he said the word 'talk', she became curious, he was becoming more of a talker than he used to be, true enough. Then again, they had more fun and pleasurable things to talk about over the summer. They had walked for a while now and were at the far end of the lake, if they continued walking back to the Castle they would be just in time for supper ... Harry stopped, turned, looked Hermione in the eyes and took her hands in both of his. She could see and feel the turmoil and confusion in him, what was his problem? Then it clicked, Missus Potter, a slip of the tongue by McGonagall, Hermione Jane Potter, it sounded good, it sounded right. She had practiced writing the name off and on since before that Yule Ball. Oh Merlin ... was he going to propose to her ...here and now? His mind was clearing, he was about to speak, it was now or never ... she put her index finger on his lips to stop the words from coming out.
"Harry," she whispered, "I love you ... and I know you love me ... if you're going to ask what I think you are going to ask ... you have to know that I would say yes." His lips started to move, she pressed her finger harder on his lips to stop them. "Now is not the right time and it's not for all the right reasons." She stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and proceeded to snog him senseless. Harry responded in kind, reaching behind her, gathering her up so her arse filled his hands. As he lifted her, she wrapped her long, slender legs around him and ground herself against him; causing him to harden immediately. Time was meaningless, they snuck the occasional lungful of air only to carry on again. Finally ... both with damp knickers ... and wildly beating hearts, they had to break for air. That's when they heard the gonging of the clock tower, it was suppertime, and they were far from the Castle. To get back in any reasonable time, they would have to wait until they calmed down otherwise Hermione wouldn't be able to transform properly ... or ... Harry called for Fawkes. They were flashed to the Antechamber that the Champions gathered in when they were selected by the Goblet of Fire. Harry thanked Fawkes and caressed his feathers before Fawkes flashed away. They took a few minutes to get themselves in order before entering the Great Hall. While walking past the High Table, to their seats, they were watching each other out of the corners of their eyes and grinning smugly.
McGonagall was initially surprised at their entrance; there was only one door to that room, although she could think of several possible ways they could have arrived in there without using the door.
They made their way to a pair of waiting seats across from Ron, Luna, Neville and Ginny. Lavender, Parvati and Seamus were beside them. The group all noticed the still flushed faces on the new arrivals, Lavender saw the Transfiguration text and spoke up somewhat sarcastically, "Did you get much studying done?"
Hermione sighed, realizing that it probably was still that obvious. "Actually no." stated Hermione, "I was trying to talk Harry out … of doing something …" Hermione let her reply hang there, hoping they would assume that the 'something' was going to be done to Draco. Very few people knew what happened to Draco … that he had been unofficially taken to Azkaban. Officially in there or not, it would still take a meeting of the Wizengamot and official documents to release him, following an investigation by Magical Law Enforcement as to how and why he arrived there. With any luck Draco might not get out for a week or two.
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Harry and Hermione, although the last to arrive for supper were the first of their group to leave the Great Hall. The other seven left in ones and twos over the next few minutes and, based on their training from the old DA, they used various routes to get to the seventh floor. The Head Boy and Girl arrived simultaneously with Ron and Luna at the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and his dancing Trolls. Taking a wild chance on what Luna might think appropriate, Harry delegated to her to determine what form the Room of Requirement would take.
After Luna walked past the same section of wall three times a door appeared. Luna opened it and entered first, followed by Ron who looked around quickly and nodded his head as if this was what he expected. Luna wandered off to the left to secure a large booth while Ron hurried over to the bar on the right. The Heads entered next and were quite surprised to see a near-normal looking inside of The Three Broomsticks, in Ravenclaw Colours. It appeared to be self-serve since Ron was behind the counter bringing out frosty butter-beers for everyone. Luna was sitting in the middle of a large horseshoe-shaped booth that could easily seat eight while smiling and humming quietly to herself 'Weasley is My King'.
Harry went to help Ron with the butter-beers leaving Hermione in a quandary as to where, if at all, to sit. She decided to await Harry's return, it wasn't that she was unsure about sitting beside Luna … okay, maybe it was … a little bit. More importantly she wanted to make sure she was beside Harry.
"Do you come here often?" asked Hermione.
"We used it a few times over the summer and again last night. It was arranged a little differently those times. We would have a few drinks, do a little roll playing, then make our way upstairs to a room for the night", replied Luna, in a quiet, though deadly serious voice. "Ronnie seems to like that sort of thing."
Hermione thought to herself,"Too much information!! … But then, that was Luna for you, no beating around the bush … (ewwwww … another bad pun)". Thank Merlin Harry and Ron are coming back. At that moment Parvati and Seamus entered, followed directly by Ginny and Neville. The door had no sooner closed when it was flung open again by Miss Lavender Brown.
While Ginny and Neville slid in on Luna's right Harry and Ron put down the butter-beers and slid them around the table. Ron shuffled in on Luna's left, followed by Lavender while Seamus and Parvati followed Neville into the 'C' shaped booth, leaving Harry standing beside Hermione.
Hermione realized that there was only one seating place left, either she or Harry would have to stand, it was obvious to Harry too. Harry conjured a plush, chintz arm chair for himself and plopped down in it. Hermione, seeing her opportunity, plunked her bottom down in Harry's lap, her legs over one of the arms, and her arms around Harry's neck.
Lavender was in shock as she sorted out the meaning of the seating arrangements. Her suspicions from supper appeared to be confirmed. First Harry was no where near Ginny, Ron and Hermione were separated just as far. Seamus and Parvati she knew about. Beside her, Ron and Luna were sucking face ... that was new since the end of last term. Across from her, Neville had a silly grin on his face and the angle of Ginny's right arm suggested that she might be the reason, something that was also new since last term. A movement on her left caught Lavender's attention. She could have sworn she saw Hermione grind her arse into Harry's lap as though she was trying to gain his attention, or, she thought, "The attention of a growing part of him. This was not the straight laced, prim and proper Hermione Granger that she remembered from the last sex ... I mean six years". No one said she should bring a boy-toy, too. The gossipy side of her recognized the new relationships and relished all of the fun she could have telling everyone about what she was seeing. She had no idea that Parvati had been witness to this at Harry's birthday party and again a few days ago, or she would have been mad at her for not telling.
In order to not reveal to Lavender that Parvati already knew and thus cause more problems, Harry started out like this, "Parvati, Lavender, Seamus ... you were asked to come here so that I could request that you not reveal the obvious changes to some of our personal relationships that occurred this summer." Harry stated while waving his hand around the table. Lavender understood that she wasn't going to have a new gossip topic if she heeded Harry's request. Harry continued, "Old Mouldy-shorts is after me. Since he couldn't kill me as a baby, he now thinks he has a point to prove in front of his death-nibblers. He knows of course that Ron and Hermione are my best friends, and it's far too late to hide that. If he finds out that Hermione and I are going together, she will be a far greater prize to him, than she is now. We all know that there are junior nibblers in the Castle who are reporting all the goings-on, factual or otherwise. I don't want any of us to be in any more danger than we are now or need to be. If you don't think you can keep it quiet, see me after this meeting and I will obliviate you." Not that Harry had ever tried to obliviate anyone, but it sounded good, he also had no doubt that Hermione could do it.
The three agreed, Lavender somewhat reluctantly, but there was a good reason to agree, she didn't want her friends hurt. Harmless gossip is one thing, okay sometimes it isn't completely harmless, but it doesn't end up with you being hunted down and killed, or worse.
Hermione brought up the issue of their staves ... Harry's was now common knowledge, but Hermione wanted hers to remain a secret until it needed to be revealed. Everyone wanted to see the staves up close so Harry repeated what the Headmistress told him about the built in protections. They could touch them, feel them, but not grab or pick them up. Hermione grudgingly got up, looking down as she did so to see the obvious bulge in Harry's pants, the other staff. She gave him a wicked smile; then blew a saucy kiss at him as he pulled his staff out of the case at his leg. She pulled her staff out of the case attached to her robes. They were placed side by side on the table, no one even tried to touch them, but they were being examined very closely. Hermione scrunched back down in Harry's lap; centering his prodigious erection between the cheeks of her bum; so that she could feel all of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his chest and nibbling her neck through her silky, long, bushy hair. She desperately wished that she could vanish her clothes just enough so that they were touching 'skin-on-skin'. She was wearing the regulation school skirt - though hers' was made from Acromantula silk and fit her quite a bit better than the school-issued skirts - but the soft, forest-green silk knickers underneath were definitely not 'standard issue'. Harry loved caressing her arse when others weren't looking and feeling her shift around in his lap was both a terrible and yet wonderful torment. The other couples, making good on the opportunity, followed the lead of the Head Students in one way or another, and it was not too long before Harry's hands were taking full advantage of the 'notice-me-not' charm that she had surreptitiously cast, so that he could caress her much more thoroughly.
Lavender watched, feeling her own ardour increase, as Hermiones' and Ginnys' breath became faster and shorter as they squirmed on their boyfriends. The moment, however, that Hermione began to moan aloud, she threatened to leave them to their 'group orgy'. Chagrined, the couples backed down and returned to serious business.
After the staves were put away, the next item on the agenda was the D.A. which would be starting up again as 'Dumbledore's Army' a Duelling Club. Hermione asked those present to talk to everyone from the old D.A. that they could find and tell them there would be a meeting here Friday after supper, to discuss how to organize it, newcomers would be welcome too.
The final topic that had been on most of their minds, Parvati asked, "What happened to Draco?"
"He's in Azkaban", stated Hermione. Everyone looked at her in amazement, even Harry - though for a different reason. "I took him there ... as Caledfwlch … after I ... after I found out where to go from Fawkes. She paused, gaining a few curious looks, before continuing, "I understand he'll be there for at least a week before he could possibly be released." Everyone else looked confused except Harry. "Well, McGonagall said they had to investigate how he got there and why before making a ruling regarding his release ... or further incarceration."
With the meeting concluded most of the couples wandered off to various corners. Conveniently, the Room complied with their unspoken needs and provided secluded places for them to carry on with more pleasurable activities. Lavender left when the meeting broke up, planning to find Dean Thomas, whom she had been seeing over the latter part of the summer, and enjoy some snogging with him. As Harry and Hermione got up to leave, they saw Luna's head slip below the level of the table, and Ron blush furiously when he recognized that his two best friends knew what was happening.
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