Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
Dumbledore Answers Harry - Chapter 28 - Pursuing Goals
Valentine's Day was an interesting challenge for Harry. It was his first one with a girlfriend. The previous year, he'd completely ignored it since he was adamantly stating that he wasn't dating either Hermione or Ginny. Now, he was dating Hermione, so he had to do something. Voldemort had ruined the idea of a Hogsmeade date, since his last attack resulted in those visits being cancelled.
Harry chuckled slightly to himself as he realized that the Hogsmeade weekends were one of the main reasons he chose Hermione for his girlfriend. If he were honest with himself, though, he'd say that those were his excuses to pick her over Ginny. He had absolutely nothing against his redheaded friend, but somehow felt closer to the brunette girl who had become his brains and conscience. When he needed advice, he always went to Hermione first. He trusted her more than anybody else and deeply cared for her. He didn't know whether he loved her or just fancied her a lot, but he knew that being with her made him happy, even when she was lecturing him. He determined to show his girlfriend how much she meant to him.
-
Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in her bed in Gryffindor Tower. She felt that something wasn't quite right, so she glanced around until she noticed something on top of her. She grinned as she pulled one of her hands out from under her blanket to pick up the bouquet of a dozen red roses that was on her bed with a small note. It read:
Happy Valentine's Day!
I just wanted to say thank you for being my girlfriend. You mean a lot to me. I could never list how many times you've helped me, but more than that - you've been my closest companion, and I'm the luckiest bloke in the world for dating you. Would you have dinner with me tonight someplace special? (Don't worry. I've cleared it with Dumbledore.)
Yours truly,
Harry Potter - The Boyfriend-of-Hermione-Granger (My most important title!)
P.S. I hope you like the flowers. I had Dobby drop them off. I hope you don't mind.
She grinned as she brought the flowers up to her nose to sniff them, and then pulled her bed curtains back. Lavender and Parvati were already up and getting dressed and Hermione noticed a clear vase on her nightstand that wasn't there the night before. It had a note under it that she quickly pulled out to see it was also in her boyfriend's messy handwriting.
Hermione,
This vase has some runes on it that are supposed to keep whatever flowers are in it alive without having to water them. I hope you like it.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Harry
She was positively glowing as she placed the roses inside the vase that she now noticed had runes carved into it. She made a mental note to look them up later as she placed her roses in it.
"Did Harry send you those?" asked Lavender from behind Hermione. "When did he give them to you?"
"Yes," she said, turning around. "He had Dobby, his house elf, bring them here."
"You are soooo lucky!" declared Parvati.
"I know," Hermione agreed.
"To date someone with a house elf," finished Miss Patil. "Harry must be loaded. He's got Fame and Money!"
Harry's girlfriend frowned. She considered herself lucky to have a thoughtful, romantic boyfriend who was faithful, honest, brave, and many other good things. Rich and famous was not on her list of the Boy-Who-Lived's good qualities. Those were extra things that didn't matter to him or to her. Truthfully, more often than not, famous would be a negative quality that she had to put up with - not a good thing. In any case, Harry's good qualities far outweighed his bad ones, and most importantly, she knew that he cared about her. She decided not to comment on Parvati's observation, and instead got her clothes and headed for the shower.
-
Harry was sitting in the common room looking at the girls' staircase, when two of the three third-year females came down the steps. Unfortunately for him, neither was the girl he was waiting for.
"Good morning, Harry," said Lavender. "Hermione will be down in a few minutes. I saw the flowers you gave her."
Harry slightly blushed. "Er, I hope she liked them," he said as he studied his shoelaces.
"She did," said Parvati.
At that moment, Harry looked up as he heard footsteps on the girls' staircase. He rose up from his chair as a radiant smile formed on his lips. He stepped past the two girls he was talking to as he made his way toward his girlfriend. He took her hand and kissed it like he'd seen done in a few movies. She blushed just before he said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Thank you," said Hermione, "and thank you for the flowers. That was very sweet." She put her arms around his neck and gave him a brief kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day." She then took his hand and led him briskly out the door.
"Someone's about to get snogged senseless," said Parvati, looking at the now closed entrance.
"I guess so," said Ginny, who'd just stepped on the stairs in time to see her two best friends take off. She had a forced smile on her face as she continued down the stairway.
"Er, Ginny?" said a voice from nearby. She turned and saw that Neville was standing there, looking nervous. His ears were pink. He had an envelope in one hand, and a single rose in another.
"Hello, Neville," she said with a neutral expression.
"Er," he fidgeted nervously, "Could we talk in a private corner?"
"Alright." She turned and walked away from the center of the room, and could hear his footsteps behind her.
"Er, Happy Valentine's Day," he said with a red face, holding both the flower and card up to her.
"Thank you, Neville," she said as she slightly blushed. She took the card from his hand first and opened the envelope.
Dear Ginny,
Happy Valentine's Day.
I know you're really pretty and nice and probably already have a date, but if you don't, would you have dinner with me tonight? I met a Hogwarts elf who said she can bring us dinner anywhere we like a few days ago.
Neville
She looked up from the note with a small smile forming on her lips. She took the rose from him. "I'd love to. Happy Valentine's Day. If you'll wait for me to put the flower away, we'll walk to breakfast together."
-
Since Lavender and Parvati both had seen Neville with Ginny, the entire school knew about it ten minutes later. Harry and Hermione were sitting at Gryffindor table, looking a bit more disheveled than they had when they left the common room when they overheard whispers about their friends.
"Do you think it's true?" asked Hermione.
"I wouldn't be surprised," said Harry with a grin. "I've seen how Neville's been looking at Ginny lately."
"I hope so," said Hermione. She didn't have to mention how Ginny had seemed a bit depressed since they started dating, even though she did her best to hide it. She had accepted it, but they could tell that their best friend was a bit sad.
"Me, too."
They both were happy to see Ginny and Neville enter the Great Hall, walking side by side. They sat across from Harry and Hermione, who decided not to mention the rumor.
-
At 7:05 p.m., Harry and Hermione arrived by portkey at one of his houses that they'd only visited once. To avoid falling, they both grabbed each other. While still in that position, their eyes locked and they started kissing until they were startled by a small `pop' behind them. They separated and turned, grabbing their wands, only to be greeted by…
"Dobby is honored to be helping the Great Harry Potter and his Valentine!" he said enthusiastically. "Dobby is making everything ready on the patio like Harry Potter is saying!"
Hermione looked confused. "Wouldn't that be a bit chilly?"
"Dobby is putting a warming charm around the patio. Dobby is also putting a ward against bugs as well."
"Thanks, Dobby, for everything. You can go now."
After Dobby popped away, Harry took Hermione's arm and escorted her to the patio, where a small table was set for two. Next to Hermione's plate, which she happily noted was filled with her favorites, she saw a small box that had been wrapped like a present. Grinning ear to ear, she put a hand in her purse and pulled out a neatly wrapped package. After handing it unceremoniously to her boyfriend, she grabbed the gift off the table before even sitting down. "I've got to see what else you got me," she said as she happily ripped open the package from Harry.
He grinned as he opened the package Hermione had given him, and was pleased to see that it wasn't a book. It was a bottle of very expensive cologne. He looked up at his girlfriend, to see that she was now examining the gold earrings with a ruby heart on each of them that he gave her. They also had a note that they protected the wearer from minor curses.
She looked up at him with a sincere smile on her face. "Thank you." She then glanced at his gift. "That's my favorite cologne. It really..." she then blushed. "Let's just say that while you're wearing it, the odds of my pulling you into a broom closet will dramatically increase."
"I see," said Harry with a smirk. "I'll keep that in mind." He stared at the label, giving Hermione the impression that he was committing the brand into memory. "Have a seat." He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down after thanking him.
-
At the same time, Neville had just presented Ginny with a box of Honeydukes' finest chocolates. They were in a room with comfortable furniture. Neither one knew it, but this room had formerly hosted the Mirror of Erised. An elf had conjured a table for them, and brought them their food earlier. They'd just finished dessert.
"I, er, wasn't sure what you'd like," said Neville, "but I'd like to learn," he added quickly. "I figured you can't go wrong with chocolates."
"You did good, Neville. Thank you." She grinned at him. "Relax, I won't hex you unless you give me a reason."
Neville gulped. "Er, what would be a reason?"
"Nothing I think you'd do," she replied.
"W-would asking you to be my girlfriend be a reason?"
"No."
His face fell. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"I didn't say I wouldn't be your girlfriend. I said that asking me wouldn't be a reason to hex you."
A flicker of hope shone in Neville's eyes. "Oh. So, would you?"
She looked at the boy in front of her, and could see nothing in his eyes but affection for her. He hadn't once tried to `make a move,' so she knew that he wasn't trying to get whatever he could from her. She knew she could trust him, and if she were honest with herself, she did like him. He wasn't Harry Potter, but then, nobody was, and she knew that he and Hermione had something special together. Ginny decided that it was time to give up her fantasy of dating the `Boy-Who-Lived.' "Yes, Neville. I believe I will." She then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. She did like Neville, but wanted to get to know him a bit better before she kissed him on the lips.
-
At the same time, Sirius Black and Angela Harper had just finished their meal at Potter Manor and were still sitting at the antique wooden table. Angela had noticed her boyfriend had seemed distracted all night, and wondered what was wrong.
"Sirius," she said, "you've seemed very preoccupied, tonight. Is something the matter?"
"No," Padfoot replied. "I've just been…thinking."
"About what?" she asked, concerned.
Realizing that it was now or never, Black got up from the table and casually put his hands in his pockets. "I've been thinking about us - our relationship."
A look of hurt appeared on Angela's face. "You're not thinking of breaking up, are you?"
He gazed at her in surprise for a moment, before responding. "No. Not that, at all." He took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about how much I've grown to love you, all over again, since we got back together. I know I did this before, thirteen years ago, but I'm still nervous." A look of understanding and love came on Angela's face as Sirius got down with one knee on the navy blue carpet and pulled a small jewelry box out of his right pocket. "Will you marry me?"
Without saying a word, she leaned down and began kissing him deeply.
-
The semester went by quickly after that, with Harry congratulating Neville and Ginny on getting together, and Sirius and Angela on getting engaged (he received an owl the next morning). They planned on marrying during the summer, and Sirius surprised Harry by asking him to be his best man. Padfoot explained that both he and Remus would be his best men, since he couldn't choose between them.
Voldemort's attacks lessoned after his defeat at the Hogwarts Express, and the Order believed him to be recruiting replacements for his lost followers. Dumbledore assured Harry that he was trying to ascertain other places that Riddle may have hidden Horcruxes, but thus far was coming up empty. As June approached, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny asked if they could speak to him.
-
"Come in and sit down," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eyes. "Would you care for a lemon drop?"
After politely refusing, Harry began nervously. "Er, well, sir, as you know, we've been working hard on our defense for about two years."
"And an admirable job you've been doing of it." He shifted his gaze toward the girls. "All of you."
"Thank you, Professor," said Hermione timidly. She cleared her throat. "We were wondering if we could attempt our Defense O.W.L.s this year with the fifth years." The other two kids nodded.
Albus looked slightly surprised. "I must admit that I expected this next year, not this year. Based off of what Professors Flitwick and Lupin have told me, you have a good chance of success, especially if you've been studying for the theory portion of your exams."
"We have," assured Ginny.
"Are you certain that you wish to expose your abilities this way? O.W.L. scores are a matter of public record that anyone can find out."
"I figured that it's no secret that we're good at defense," said Harry. "It might raise Voldemort's eyebrows if I do well, but it won't give away any big secrets. He'll be more surprised that we were able to take the tests early than anything else. We won't expose our elemental abilities or my Metamorphmagus talent."
Hermione added, "I don't think it's wise to waste our time in the normal defense classes. We're not learning anything new, and the hours spent in the classroom and doing homework could be put to better use."
The headmaster smiled. "I can see that you've made up your mind. Before I contact the proper authorities, I'd like to personally test you. There will be nothing official about this test. They will let me know whether you're ready or not, and let you know what needs work." He pulled out his wand and summoned a book. Harry noticed its title, `Ministry of Magic O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. Requirements.' He flipped through it to find the appropriate page. Harry was able to glance at it for a moment before being asked to stand up. What he saw appeared to be a list of spells that they needed to know.
Individually, Dumbledore tested each of their shields, occasionally making notes that Harry couldn't see. He then had each one shoot different spells at him. He then conjured three roles of parchment and gave one to each of them, along with a quill and ink. Harry saw that it was an essay test where he was required to write a paragraph or more about each of the spells they'd just demonstrated, as well as a few more.
After the last of them (Hermione - who had apparently written a novel about each of them) handed there's in, Dumbledore said, "Thank you. I will look over these tonight, and tomorrow morning, each of you will receive my evaluation in the mail. It will say whether I'm allowing you to take the exam, and if I am, what areas require more studying on your part. Good evening."
They got up and left, wishing the headmaster a good night. They talked about how they thought they did, and Hermione commented, "He had to test us, because he'll be putting his reputation on the line. If he says we can take the test and we fail, he'll look bad. I do hope I did alright. I think that I may have made a mistake when I…"
Harry smiled as his girlfriend started going over the exam, knowing that this was a part of her - a trait that would never change. As promised, the next day they received their results by owl during breakfast. Harry unrolled the scroll he received.
Harry,
I must say that I was quite impressed with your essay test. I was aware that you excelled in the actual spell-casting, but you also demonstrated a remarkable grasp of the theory behind the magic. Consequently, I am recommending that you are allowed to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. with the fifth years.
Please remember that this will not be an easy test, and some of your classmates will be jealous. The areas that I recommend you concentrate your studies on are…"
Dumbledore went on to tell Harry what his problem areas were. Harry grinned ear to ear when he read the bottom of the note.
P.S. During your exam, I noted that your magical power has grown to a point that you no longer need to spend six weeks with the Dursleys to restore the wards at Number Four Privet Drive. Two weeks per year should be all that is required to renew your protection. I will inform Sirius and the Dursleys about this before you leave Hogwarts this year.
He then exchanged letters with the girls. Each of them was allowed to take the exams, and Harry noted that the headmaster began each note with a compliment. He also noticed that Ginny had more recommendations that he and Hermione had to study, but chose not to comment on it. Both girls expressed their congratulations about him not having to spend as much time at his hated relatives' house.
-
They decided not to tell anyone (except their closest friends) about their O.W.L.s until it was absolutely necessary. They took their normal end of year exams with their classmates, and the next week, showed up with the fifth years for their D.A.D.A. exam after Neville had kissed Ginny for good luck.
"Harry,"
"Ginny,"
"Hermione,"
"What are you…"
"Doing here?" asked Fred and George when they noticed the trio in line with them. Harry noticed that now others were looking at them as well.
Hermione, whose ears were turning pink, answered, "We've been given permission to take this test, so that's what we're doing."
"Wow," said Fred and George together.
"I hope you don't do…"
"that much better than us,"
"or Mum will have a fit at us,"
"while congratulating Ginny."
The trio noticed that some of the students were now glaring at them, but Hermione advised them (as well as herself) to, "Ignore them."
When Harry was called in to take the exam, the instructor didn't seem too happy to see him.
"I suppose that you believe being the `Boy-Who-Lived' entitles you to special privileges like this?"
"No, sir," said Harry calmly. "I've worked very hard in this subject - both with the dueling club and independent studies - and that is the reason I'm here. I also believe that anybody who's worked as hard as I have should be given the opportunity to take an exam earlier. That's why two of my friends are also taking their Defense exam. They've been studying with me for the past two years."
The examiner seemed to be satisfied with that explanation, but wasn't easy on Harry. However, the `chosen one' was ready for everything the man through at him.
At the end of the exam, he said, "I understand that you and Professor Lupin taught the dueling club how to perform the Patronus charm out of concern about Dementor attacks."
"Yes, sir," answered Harry.
"Then for extra credit, let's see yours."
Thinking of the last time he'd kissed Hermione, Harry shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" causing a large, silver stag to burst forth from his wand and gallop around the room.
The instructor finally smiled at Harry. "Excellent work, Mr. Potter. I'm not allowed to tell you your score, but I suspect we'll be seeing you again next year for your N.E.W.T. Dumbledore certainly was right about your abilities."
Harry walked away from that exam feeling exhilarated, and finally truly understood the feeling Hermione got from acing an exam.
-
Please review. I appreciate all the reviews I've gotten.
Sorry about how long it took to update. It's been a hectic 6 weeks. I also had to make creative decisions for all my stories about how Deathly Hallows will or will not effect them. I've decided that nothing about this particular story will be altered because of that book.
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