The Magnificent Seven

THE DAILY PROPHET

Hogsmeade, Arizona

3^rd Edition, September 1, 1872

HOPE RETURNS TO THE WEST

By Rita Skeeter

As many are aware, over the last few months a dark shadow had grown over the west of our growing country. A plague of fear and panic had caused many to fear and some to flee back to the east. The Death Eaters: An army of cutthroats, murderers, rapists, disgruntled former soldiers, and outlaws following a mysterious genocide leader calling himself Voldemort, has lead a campaign from Mexico on into the growing American territories. Lawmen, Marshalls, and even army forces have failed to even slow down this menace. But when it all seemed hopeless, these monsters arrived at our little settlement of Hogsmeade and the unimaginable happened.

Against all odds seven brave souls made a stand for what they believe in, for what is right, and brought this unstoppable juggernaut to a halt. As if fulfilling an old Seminole story of seven warriors protecting good from evil, they stood fearlessly between their home and the invaders. A Hero, A Scoundrel, a Healer, A Sharpshooter, a Preacher, a Gambler, and a Kid accomplish what others have not been able or willing to do, and that’s return hope to our lawless land. This is their story … The Story of…

The Magnificent Seven

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

Harry Potter gasped awake as cold water was soaked him in his sleeping bag. His unruly black hair was flattened from the sudden cold spring water. He fumbled around for his glasses and glared up at the grinning freckled face looking down at him. “Wakey, Wakey, hands off snaky.”

“Ronald Weasley, if you ever do that again I’ll blow your brains out,” Harry growled, reaching for his gun belt.

“You’re welcome by the way, I could have let those Jela Monsters come and eat you while you sleep,” Ron Weasley taunted, adjusting his cowboy hat over his shaggy red hair.

“Jela Monsters,” Harry said climbing out of his bed roll and putting on his own hat, “The only threat of getting eaten is if you fall asleep, dream of home, and mistake me for one of your mom’s buffets.” Harry shook his head as he rolled up the sleeping bag.

“Mistake you for food?” Ron laughed as he went to his horse, “Not likely, you stink too much.”

Harry just laughed and moved to his waiting horse. “Good morning, Stag,” Harry smiled as he ran his hand through the white horse’s jet black mane. The horse whinnied in reply as Harry fastened his bedroll onto the saddle.

“At a steady pace we should make it back to Hogsmeade in a few hours,” Ron said as he mounted his light brown steed.

“Thank goodness,” Harry breathed as she mounted his own ride. “Can’t wait to get back …”

“Yup, you know what they say absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Ron smiled as the two started off toward home after their long cattle drive to Los Angeles.

“Manwhore,” Harry smirked at his best friend.

“Manwhore?” Ron asked in mock-offence, “I resent that. Just because I prefer the company of women for the purpose of physical enjoyment doesn’t make me a bad person.”

“One of these days, that’s going to blow up in your face, brother,” Harry smiled as Stag trotted along.

“Yeah, maybe, so when are you gonna get you a woman? The tall dark rider routine is driving the girls nuts back home,” Ron noted as he rode alongside. “How about Moe? You two are mighty close.”

“Moe? Hermione?” Harry laughed, “She’s like a sister to me.” He shook his head for a moment. “And you know she hates it when you call her that?”

“What can I say, she’s cute when she tries to kill me,” Ron shrugged with a laugh.

“Only you, Ron, That’s probably why you always come crawling back to Luna all the time…” Harry laughed out loud. “Race you home?” he asked in an attempt to change the subject from their mutual friends.

“And what do I get when I beat you?” Ron asked taking a tighter grip on the reigns of his horse.

“Loser buys the rounds at the saloon tonight,” Harry said as they brought the two horses to a stop side by side.

“How about this,” Ron said adjusting his hat. “If I win, you go on a date with the lady of my choosing.”

Harry looked intrigued. “And if I win?”

“Then I’ll not bed a girl for a month,” Ron said confidently.

“Can you do that?” Harry grinned.

“I won’t have to,” Ron replied facing forward.

“Then on your mark …” Harry said looking ahead.

“Get set …” Ron whispered leaning forward.

“GO!” They called out and the two horses leapt forward at full speed.

The two shot off across the plains into the rocky canyons surrounding the small settlement of Hogsmeade. “See you at main street, Harry!” Ron called off cutting to the right to go up a steep trail while Harry continued down the familiar road through the canyon leading to their home.

It was one of the town’s best defenses, this deep, narrow canyon was really the only way in or out of Hogsmeade, which made massive raids from outlaws and Indians useless. Numbers counted for nothing here. A smile broke on his face as he saw the wooden sign with the name ‘HOGSMEADE’ written in large bold letters over the trail in the distance. “Say hello to virtue, Ronniekens …” Harry said as he was just about to enter the gates of town.

“YEEEEEHAAAW!!” He heard Ron bellow before Ron’s light brown horse leapt from above landing just on the far side of the gates. He turned his horse to face Harry, with a broad grin on his face. “Welcome home, brother. I win.”

“Oh damn.” Harry growled in defeat as he slowed his horse to stop by his best friend. “Ok, who do you want me to court?”

“That, my dearest friend, I will have to consider for the time being,” He replied his head held high in victory. “Don’t you worry your little dark haired head about it though; I’ll cash it in when the time’s right.”

“I hate it when you get that look in your eye…” Harry grumbled as they rode into town.

“What look in my eye?” Ron asked with an innocent grin.

“The look that says to me that you’re up to something that will likely get me or if I’m lucky both of us, in trouble.” Harry replied, with a shake of his head.

Harry and Ron dismounted and led their horses to the tie them by the trough. “When have I ever gotten us in trouble?” Ron asked as he tied off his ride.

“You want ever or just this week?” Harry asked.

“HOW DARE YOU TRY THAT SHIT WITH ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Ron and Harry flinched when they heard fist on flesh and a cowboy fly out of the saloon door.

“You crazy little bitch!” Dean Thomas cried struggling to get back to his feet. “All I said was a cute little girl like you shouldn’t be in a place like this!”

“Oh I know what you were thinking,” a wild eyed redhead came storming out after him, her fists clinched ready to fight. “You were trying to get into my pants weren’t you, big boy? You’re damned lucky I didn’t shoot your pathetically small cattle prod off, you bastard!”

“Should we help your sister?” Harry asked watching Ginerva eyes twitch and her breath escaping her nose and mouth like an angry bull.

“Help her?” Ron asked blinking, “We gotta help Dean before she kills him!” Harry found himself agreeing.

“Gin, I think he’s learned his lesson,” Ron said rushing forward with Harry close behind.

“Well, you two finally came back, any more illegitimate children, big brother?” Generva asked with a smile, before her face instantly returned to its raging appearance and glared at Dean who was crawling away. “Where do you think you’re going, You’re to be made an example of what happens when foolish men try to get fresh with Ginny the Kid!”

Dean pulled himself to his feet and tried to say something when the sound of gunfire echoed in the air. A bullet hit his belt buckle then each of the metal buttons of his shirt. He gasped loudly when his shirt fell open and his pants slid down to his ankles. “Thanks Luna,” Ginny said to the girl in the rocking chair of the saloon porch, with her cowboy hat pulled down over her eyes.

Luna gave a small chuckle before replacing her revolver. “Not a problem,” She said not even looking up.

“What the hell is going on out here!” a bushy haired girl asked sticking her head out of the window of Dr. Pomfrey’s place.

“MOE!” Ron exclaimed with a broad smile as the girl’s chocolate brown eyes widened.

“Harry! You’re home!” She exclaimed literally crawling out of the window, wrestling with her ragged home-made dress before tumbling down to the dusty ground, then shooting forward to tackle into her best friend’s chest. “We weren’t expecting you for another week!” She said pulling back, turning to the redhead, and giving him a bone crushing hug as well. “And don’t CALL me that Name!” She said punching Ron square in the stomach.

Ron gasped for breath before falling down to his knees. “Hermione!” He wheezed, holding his wounded stomach.

“Oh stop being a baby, Ronald,” Hermione smirked at her redheaded companion.

“What’s that about an oath to do no harm?” Ron coughed as Harry helped him to his feet.

“I haven’t finished my lessons yet so I haven’t taken it,” Hermione stated crossing her arms over her chest. “And that wasn’t harmful, that was disciplinary.”

“In any case,” Hermione said smiling to the two. “It’s great to have you home. Did you have a safe drive?”

“Yup, got the whole herd there ahead of schedule,” Ron said going to take the money bag from his saddlebag. “They paid extra for our promptness.”

“Oh,” Harry said his eyes lighting up as he moved to his own saddle, “There was a book store in Los Angeles. I thought you might like it …” Harry said handing Hermione a rather thick book. “It’s Shakespeare, I remember you saying you like reading his stuff.”

“Oh, I don’t think I have this one,” Hermione beamed hugging the book to her chest. “Thanks!”

“Sister huh?” Ron mock-cough, earning a stomp on the toe from Harry. Ron whimpered and dropped back to one knee to grip his newly injured foot.

Before Hermione could comment Harry mounted back on his horse and headed back to the entrance of town. “Where’s he going?” Ron asked climbing back to his feet, though standing on one foot.

“Home …” Hermione frowned after the rider.

---

Godric’s Hollow was just a little under a mile from Hogsmeade, and what was once a bustling settlement was now just a burnt, barely standing ghost town. The only sound in the dusty lonely street was the sound of Stag’s foot falls. Harry’s eyes traveled from burnt out building to burnt our building before finally coming to the only part that remains of the town church, the steeple and the large grave yard beside it.

He dismounted and approached a pair of graves and looked down at the twin crosses. “Hey Ma … hey Pa …” Harry whispered awkwardly. “I just wanted to let you know I made it home alright.”

The settlers of Hogsmeade had taken to calling him the Boy Who Lived, as Harry was the only survivor of the raid of the village those nineteen years earlier. Lily Potter, his mother hid him in a small cellar of their home. Tom Riddle and his gang never found him, but her and her husband James as well as every other man, woman and child in the village was executed, and the town was caught on fire.

James’ best friend Sirius Black and Remus Lupin of Hogsmeade had found the baby, and Sirius took it upon himself to raise him.

“You know they wouldn’t want you to torture yourself like this,” Harry turned quickly to see Hermione standing behind him with a small wreath of flowers. She walked past him and placed the wreath between the graves then turned to her best friend. “You hungry?” Hermione asked with a smile. “Ron said you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“You cook?” Harry asked skeptically.

“Sandwiches…” Hermione frowned pitifully.

“Oh good,” Harry smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Hermione released a frustrated groan.

---

Harry sighed in contentment as he laid on the picnic blanket, his head cushioned on Hermione’s thighs as she sat with her back against the single tree on the large hill between Hogsmeade and Godric’s Hollow. “Those were good sandwiches, Moe,” Harry said with a smile, flinching when Hermione flicked him on the forehead.

“Don’t call me that … at least in front of people,” Hermione smiled looking up at the slightly cloudy sky.

“Had a dream while we were on the drive, Hermione,” Harry said softly.

“Oh? What about?” Hermione asked her interest peaked.

“It was … odd. You and Ron were there, but we were younger. We went to this huge castle to learn how do of all things magic. And we all talked … different. Anyway …” Harry smiled for a moment before frowning. “Anyway, the man who killed my parents was in it too… He was coming after me, but I was able to fight with the magic stuff we learned. And I was able to avenge my parents.”

“Harry …” Hermione whispered glancing up to the sky. “Vengeance blackens the soul… promise me… promise that if you ever have a confrontation with … him, you won’t let yourself become like him … and promise you won’t die…”

“I’ll do my best, ma’am,” Harry said cheekily, earning another flick on the forehead.

“Don’t get smart,” Hermione said in a mock-stern voice. “So how did the dream end?”

“You and Ron got married and I married Ginny.” Harry said with a chuckle.

“Me … Me and Ron?! AND Ginny? As in Ginny the Kid?” Hermione laughed loudly.

“She was … calmer in my dream,” Harry followed her into laughter.

“She’d have to be …” Hermione gasped for breath. “She’d eat you alive, Potter, and crap you out as the squirts.”

“Such talk from a lady…” Harry tisked.

“Never claimed to be one,” Hermione smirked down at him. “Now, tell me more of this dream…” she asked curiously.

To Be Continued…