Unofficial Portkey Archive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, etc. No money was made from the creation of this story.

Chapter Three: The Second Wielder

Harry let out a sigh of relief when he finished dragging his trunk out of the front door of number four, Privet Drive. He looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath, feeling the cool air rush into his lungs. The Order had discussed the arrangements of how to get Harry back to Hogwarts safely, and the best plan they created was to have Harry take the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron. A member of the Order would escort him and Mad-Eye Moody believed that the attacker wouldn't dare strike at Harry when other people surrounded him.

Harry went back into the house, and quickly got Hedwig's cage, the snow owl hooting softly inside it, and his most prized possession, his Firebolt. Harry felt it tremble as he walked back into the night. He sighed to himself as he placed Hedwig down on top of his trunk and blew off some of the dust that covered the broomstick. Sorry I wasn't able to take you out at all over the summer. I'll give you a good polish once we're back at Hogwarts. Sigh… I just hope I will be able to play this year…you know, with Umbridge banning me and all.

Harry's face soon grew hot with fury at the thought of Professor Umbridge. She had caused him so much anguish during the previous year, and the thought of her still made his right hand ache. He often wondered what had happened to her. However, whatever her fate may be, he hoped that she was feeling as uncomfortable as she made his friends and him feel when she was the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts.

Harry turned around and found the Dursleys staring at him. Aunt Petunia wore her typical stern look as her eyes darted from his trunk to him. Dudley had his usual angry look; his had his arms cross and his chubby chin in the air. Harry could tell that he didn't want to stand there, but then again, he knew that none of the Dursleys really wanted to. The expression of Uncle Vernon surprised him. He was standing there with a friendly smile, his eyes filled with hope and joy. Harry's only conclusion was that Uncle Vernon was glad that he was going and couldn't hide his happiness.

"So you'll be going then," Uncle Vernon said with a somewhat eerie twinkle in his voice.

"Yes…." Harry replied, but before he could say more, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut.

Harry closed his mouth and turned to look up into the sky. He wondered if anyone from the Order was planning on showing up, but his patience soon started to disappear. He looked around and realized that he couldn't wait any longer if he wanted to make it to the Leaky Cauldron on time. He took a deep breath and braced himself. He closed his eyes and quickly raised his wand into the air.

With a sudden BANG and a flash of bright light, it had appeared, the extremely large, purple, triple-decker bus that had a golden inscription that read, "The Knight Bus." It gently landed on the street, Harry amazed at the fact that nothing had to move out its way. He quickly picked up Hedwig's cage and walked over to the entrance where he found Stan Shunpike grinning at him.

"'Ello there `Arry! Long time no see! Welcome!"

"Hello Stan," Harry smiled has he boarded the bus.

Stan nimbly jumped onto the curb and started to drag Harry's trunk inside. It hadn't changed a bit since the last time he rode on it. Harry waved at Ernie Prang, the elderly driver of the Knight Bus, as he walked by, and he gave him a smile and waved back. Harry and Stan moved over to the closest bed near the right side of the bus.

"This bed will be okay, Stan."

"Good choice," Stan grinned as he pushed Harry's trunk under his bed.

Harry placed his Firebolt next to his trunk and reached into his pocket, but before he could pull anything out, Stan put up his hand in objection.

"No need `Arry. This here be a favor to Dumbledore. Yous take a load off. One of yer friends are `ere to ride with you."

"Hello Harry," a deep voiced echoed. Harry turned to his left to see a tall black wizard sitting up on the bed next to his. It was Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I'll be your escort to the Leaky Cauldron this evening."

"That's great!" Harry replied as he sat on his bed and let out a breath of relief. He wasn't positive if the Order had forgotten to send someone to watch him.

Harry usually got aggravated when others had to step in to protect him; however, in this situation, he was glad that there was someone there, and also, someone he knew. He knew he wasn't a match for the woman who attacked Hermione and him in London, and knew he would need all the help he could get if they were to cross paths again.

"All settled in then," Stan smiled as he turned and walked towards the front of the bus. "Kay Ern!"

With that, the bus started to shake and vibrate, and with a violent crash that nearly caused Harry to lose his balance, it left the street in front of number four, Privet Drive. Harry rested his head against the window and stared into the night sky, his mind reliving the attack in London again. That fire sword…that hatred in her eyes…her smile as she attacked…Tonks….

"How is Tonks doing?" Harry quickly asked as he turned and faced Kingsley. "I haven't heard anything about her after I saw her in London."

"She is doing okay," Kingsley replied in a soft yet worried voice. He turned and looked into Harry's uneasy gaze. "She is currently in St. Mungos."

"What?" Harry gasped, his hands clenching into tight fists. "But.…"

"She is doing fine," Kingsley interrupted, noticing that Harry was starting to get anxious. "She took a really bad hit to her head and she's been feeling dizzy ever since. It isn't as bad now so don't worry. According to Moody, she should be on her feet in no time."

"That's good," Harry responded in a much calmer voice. He looked at his bed covers for a bit before looking back at Kingsley again. "Do you know who's trying to kill me?

"I'm not quite sure," he answered as he rested his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "I haven't been able to do very much for the Order because of all the new assignments Fudge is handing out to all the Aurors. Though from the things I hear, the Order believes that the woman who attacked you is a new Death Eater…someone we have never encountered before. From what I heard Remus say, she is very skilled and incredibly dangerous."

"Yes," Harry said softly as he examined Kingsley. "What was that fire sword she was using? I've never seen a spell like that before."

"It's a Flamora weapon," Kingsley answered back as he opened his eyes again.

"Flamora?"

"Ancient spells that haven't been used since the medieval times. It was one of the more prominent weapons back then. They were weightless and possessed incredible power. You saw it with your own eyes. Not many things can be used against such a weapon. Not even the most powerful water spell could extinguish the flames. The fire is completely controlled by its summoner."

"How would you fight against it?" Harry asked as he imagined the woman's flamed sword in his mind.

"The only real known way to combat a Flamora weapon," Kingsley started as he took a small breath, "is to use another Flamora weapon against it. Though the power of the weapon can only be measured by the power of its user. I'm not exactly sure how this woman learned how to use them."

Harry looked puzzled. Kingsley gave him a grin and continued, "These weapons were only to known to us through the stories and statements made by wizards and witches during those times. There was never any form of documentation created that could instruct a person on how to use such a spell. Therefore, finding the answer to how this woman was able to use it so effectively has become one of our top priorities."

Harry took another deep breath as he felt himself sinking into his bed. Kingsley put his hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a comforting smile on his face. "Don't worry about a thing. She won't come near you once you're in Hogwarts. And believe me, Moody and Dumbledore will find a way to stop her Flamora weapons. Just relax."

Harry smiled back and rested his head against his pillow. He stretched and for the first time since arriving on the bus, allowed himself to unwind. Suddenly, the bus came to a crashing halt, which in turn forced Harry to fall off his bed. He looked up, rubbing his head, and watched a few witches exit the bus and a wizard entering. The wizard walked over and took the bed in the back left corner of the bus. Harry sighed as he got back into his bed. Relax…here?

With another jolt, Harry fell out of his bed again. He grumbled to himself as he got up and found Kingsley smiling down at him. He handled the tremendous jerks incredibly well, not once budging from his bed. Harry got back into his bed and watched Kingsley close his eyes again. Harry settled in and sighed as he gazed out of his window. His mind began to wonder again and it soon fell upon Hermione.

A warm feeling formed inside his chest and Harry couldn't help but smile. He and Hermione had continued to write to each other throughout the whole summer. After visiting London with her, their relationship had grown much closer. They were able to expose more of their feelings about things in their letters, but the one thing that they haven't yet talked about, which he, himself, was afraid to bring up, was their feelings towards each other.

Harry reached into his back pocket and pulled out the letter he had received from Hermione a few hours before he left the Dursleys. He looked at the light blue paper and examined the neatness of her penmanship. He let out another soft sigh and reread the letter.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Harry,

I just arrived in Diagon Alley this morning, and my mum and I went shopping for my new dress robes. I always trust my mum's judgment about these kinds of things. We went to Madame Malking's Robes for All Purposes and she had a new selection of dress robes. It was really hard to pick one, but in the end my mum and I found this dark blue one that was perfect. It has a really pretty and elegant pattern drawn in silver. After I bought it, I bumped into Parvati Patil and she was a little mad me because I had bought the robes that she was interested in. I felt bad for a little bit, but I had already bought them, you know.

Love,
Hermione

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry folded the letter and placed in back into his pocket. He looked around the bus and thought about their upcoming school term. They all had received their O.W.L. results during early August, and those scores determined what courses they eligible for the upcoming term. Hermione had received all "O's" on her exams, as Harry had expected. He found it funny to know that Hermione actually felt nervous about failing them. There was no way in a billion years that Hermione Granger could fail at any sort of exam.

Harry and Ron though were a different story. Harry was excited when he saw that he had received "O's" in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. He was also pleased to see that he had received an "A" in Potions. It meant that he had passed the exam, but he didn't have a high enough score to take Professor Snape's Advanced Potions class. Harry had passed all his other O.W.L.s with at least an "A" grade, for the exception of History of Magic and Divination, where the received "P's" on both. Unfortunately, to Harry's dismay, despite the fact he didn't pass the O.W.L. for History of Magic, he was still required to take the Professor Binn's class this year.

Ron was pleased to find out that he had passed every one of his O.W.L.s for the exception of Divination. He told Harry about how his mum's furious reaction when she had found out that Ron called his examiner ugly, unintentionally, right to his face. Mr. Weasley had heard about it and found it hilarious. However, Ron wished that his father's humor would of rubbed off on his mother. Instead, he was forced to clean the Burrow once they returned from their vacation.

Harry smiled to himself when he thought about how happy he'll be once he's reunited again with two best friends. He looked to the back corner and saw the old wizard playing with his beard. Harry sat up and looked around the compartment and found another man sitting in the other corner with a large black hood covering his face. Harry suddenly felt a violent jolt as the Knight Bus had landed at another stop. The old wizard got up and walked off the bus, and Harry noticed that no one had got on.

"Next stop, Leaky Cauldron!" Stan announced to Harry.

Harry smiled at him and stood up from his bed and stretched. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he looked out the window to see a figure flying towards the bus. Hedwig started to hoot and attempted to open her wings inside her cage. His scar suddenly started to hurt and he knew that the figure approaching was not friendly.

"Kingsley," Harry muttered causing him to open his eyes and look at Harry.

He immediately understood the look in Harry's eyes and quickly got to his feet. Harry pointed at the object flying towards them, causing Kingsley to suddenly pull Harry away from the window.

"Stay here!" Kingsley ordered urgently as he pulled out his wand. Harry, in turn, pulled out his wand, waiting for the figure to hit the bus. "Don't do anything foolish, Harry. Just stay behind me."

Harry did as he was told, keeping his wand up, his eyes focusing on the shadowy figure growing closer and closer. He watched Kingsley's body tremble, the action causing Harry's confidence to slowly dwindle. The figure was now several yards away from the bus, causing Kingsley and Harry to lower themselves, preparing for the object to crash through the window.

However, the moment the figure was about the crash through, it vanished. Harry and Kingsley slowly rose to their feet and looked out the window to find that nothing was coming. Harry's grip on his wand tightened as he followed Kingsley to the window. Kingsley looked out of it and suddenly saw a reflection of something in it. He quickly turned around and found the figure approaching from the opposite window. Hedwig let out a sharp screech, and with a sudden crash, the figure broke through the window, causing the bus to violently shake.

"Wat is…." Stan shouted has he steadied himself against the wall looking into the back compartment. His eyes grew wide as he found a person, holding a black broom, standing in front of Harry and Kingsley, covered head to two with a black cloak. The figure pulled back its hood to show the woman that Harry had been dreading to see.

"No matter what!" Kingsley roared to Stan, his eyes still on the woman. "Do not stop flying until you get us to the Leaky Cauldron!"

Stan quickly left the compartment and Harry felt the Knight Bus' speed increase. The woman released her broom, and Harry watched it fall to the ground. When the broom made contact, the woman bolted towards Kingsley, causing him to take a step back. Kingsley tried to point his wand at the woman only to realize that the woman had taken a hold of his wrist.

"What is this?" Kingsley growled as he tried to pull his wrist away from the girl, only to see that his attempts were futile.

Harry quickly launched forward, his wand out. The woman turned to face him and smiled, lifting her arm. Harry suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of him. The woman had summoned her broom and caused it to fly directly into his stomach. Harry sank to the floor, coughing, and she again turned her attention to the struggling Kingsley.

"Poor Auror," the woman smiled as she punched Kingsley. Kingsley fell back but was able to remain standing. He quickly moved his wrist up and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Harry watched the woman supernaturally dodge the sparks of light and pulled out her wand in retaliation. Kingsley jumped back a few feet and held his wand up, pointing it towards the woman's chest. The woman gave Kingsley a devilish grin as she started to pace back and forth in front of him. Harry managed to stand to his feet and in turn, pointing his wand up.

"I won't need to use a Flamora on you," the woman said as she put herself into a dueling stance, her wand out in front of her. Kingsley did the same and slowly started to approach the woman. She winked at him and soon stood straight, smirking at him. "I'll let you have the first shot."

Kingsley didn't waste any time and launched a hex at her, blue sparks flying out of his wand. The woman moved to her side, the hex missing her by inches. Harry took a step forward, attracting the attention of the woman. She turned to Harry and gave him a disapproving look. "Now, one at a time, Potter."

"Leviosa!" the woman roared, causing Kingsley to start levitating off the floor.

He started to grunt, trying to get himself to lower to the ground, his arms and legs flailed in the air. Harry looked at Kingsley and back to the woman, and again took another step, opening his mouth and preparing to let out a spell. The woman turned to him and growled, "I said one at a time, Potter! Tarantallegra!"

Harry suddenly felt his legs start moving erratically. He tried his best to keep them from moving, but was unable to stop them. He knew this curse; it was the same curse the Draco Malfoy had performed on him when the two were dueling in Defense Against the Dark Arts when Gilderoy Lockhart was teaching at Hogwarts.

"Harry!" Kingsley growled as he looked at him. "Please don't do anything! I'll take are of her!"

"Will you?" she smiled as she turned back to him. "Stupefy!"

Kingsley's body suddenly went limp, his eyes staring at the ceiling with a blank stare. Harry's rage grew inside him as he looked back into the woman's eyes. She gave him a smile and started to approach him.

"What do you want with me? Did Voldemort send you?" Harry yelled at the woman, as he tried to keep himself from falling over.

"My you are a brave child," the woman replied, her seemingly happy expression turning to a one full of hatred. "There are not many who would dare speak the Dark Lord's name. You are seeking a quick death, aren't you?"

The woman raised her wand into the air and bright flame rushed out of the end, taking the shape of a sword. She pointed it at Harry, who in turn gazed at her, masking his fear with an expression of hatred. Harry's mind was racing. I need to find a way to disarm her…but how will I do it with my legs like this!

The woman started to laugh as she suddenly swung the sword to her right, hitting Kingsley across the chest with the flat portion of the flamed blade. Kingsley fell to the ground unconscious with burn marks on the front of his cloaks. Harry's rage suddenly exploded and he wanted to do nothing more than cause this woman terrible pain.

"You ugly hag!" Harry screamed. It wasn't what he had in mind, but under the current circumstances, insulting her was the only option left open to him.

"How dare you?" the woman retorted as she approached Harry. She took her left arm and swung it hard, hitting Harry across the face.

He fell to the ground and realized that his legs had stopped moving. He looked up to find the flamed sword inches away from his neck. He could feel the heat rise of it and he knew that he had no place left to go. His eyes moved and found their way to the man sitting in the corner. Harry had completely forgotten about him, but was utterly amazed and horrified to see that he had done nothing to help Kingsley or him.

"This will teach to disrespect those who are more powerful than you!"

Harry's eyes returned back to the woman as she raised her sword. His gaze darted back to the corner to find that the man had disappeared. He again looked back at the woman and saw her begin to lower her sword. Harry put his arms up in front of him to protect himself, but soon realized that the sword was no longer lowering itself. He looked again to find that the man, who was sitting in the window, had a firm grasp on the wrist of the woman.

"Let go of me!" the woman demanded as she swung her left arm at the man. The man avoided that attack and pushed the woman back as he released her wrist. "What? Who are you?"

The man sank to his knees and helped Harry back up to his feet. He then pulled his hook down to expose an Asian face. His hair was cut short and he was in terrible need of a shave. Harry looked at the man's eyes and soon realized that he looked like someone he knew. The woman's expression had changed to one of sudden surprise. He turned to look at Harry noticed the blaze in his eyes vanished instantly, leaving a pleading look.

"Harry, please step back."

"Keung!" the woman squealed as she took a step forward, lowering her sword. "Is it really you, my love?"

"Don't you dare call me that, witch!" Keung replied, his voice filled with anger. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a silver wand. Harry slowly walked over the bed and headed back towards the front right corner of the back compartment.

"How could you say such things to me?" the woman pleaded, her voice filled with despair. "We've been through so much together."

"You destroyed everything I ever held dear!" Keung responded as he now held his wand up, slowly moving into a dueling stance. "Now I will finish what you started."

"How dare you!" she screamed as she raised her sword. The bus suddenly came to another crashing halt, causing everyone to fall over to the floor.

"Run out of the bus! I'll take care of her. Go!" Keung ordered to Harry, as he got to his feet. Harry stood up and quickly grabbed Hedwig's cage as he ran to the front compartment of the bus. He found Ernie and Stan hurrying out, and quickly followed.

The street in front of the Leaky Cauldron had been completely disserted. Harry stumbled onto the street and moved away from the bus as fast as he could. He noticed that Stan and Ernie stood close by and watched the bus start to shake and rattle uncontrollably. Harry turned around and was completely taken aback to see the large bus sway around so vigorously. He looked towards the entrance of the inn and saw Hermione and Ron quickly exiting, followed by a small group of people. He let out a sigh of relief as he sank to his knees in exhaustion, placing Hedwig's cage down next to him.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed in a voice full of fright and worry.

She immediately gave him a tight hug and helped him up to his feet as Ron picked up Hedwig's cage. Harry ignored the terrible soreness in his legs and the three started to move back towards the inn when a large explosion came from behind them. Harry and Hermione wheeled themselves around to see a large chunk from the right side of the Knight Bus had been destroyed.

"No!" Stan screamed as he started pounding the ground, on his hands and knees. "Not our bus! Please not our bus!"

"Let's go Harry," Hermione said to him sternly as she tried to pull him back towards the inn.

Ron had already entered the inn with Hedwig and placed her down on a table before returning back to the street with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley close behind him. Ron hurriedly ran to Harry's other side and also helped him stay standing. Ginny moved towards her mother, and Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms protectively around her daughter, completely in awe to see what had happened to the Knight Bus.

"No," Harry replied, taking deep breaths. "Not yet. I need to make sure he's okay."

"What happened?" Mr. Weasley bellowed as he ran out of the inn. He stopped in front of Harry and looked directly into his eyes. "What happened, Harry? Where is Kingsley?"

"He's still inside the bus," Harry answered, trying his best to look around Mr. Weasley and at the rattling bus. "We were attacked again by that woman."

Harry felt Hermione tense up under his arm, her hands clenching tighter on his clothes, and Harry couldn't help but give her a tight squeeze. She looked up into his eyes and he could read the worried expression on her face. He gave her a lopsided grin and nodded to her, assuring her that he was okay. She gave him a small soft smile back as they turned their attention back to wobbling bus.

Keung jumped out of the bus and moved towards the middle of the road, his silver wand clutched in his right hand. The woman soon followed, swinging her flamed sword erratically at him. Keung was able to dodge her sword swings with ease; however, was never in a proper position to strike at her.

"Is that the fire sword you told me about?" Ron asked as he looked at Harry.

Harry, with an agonizing look on his face, nodded to him. Ron let out a gasp of amazement and stared at the woman continuing to swing her fiery blade at Keung, only to continuously miss him.

Hermione looked up at Harry again before asking, "Who's he, Harry?"

"I don't know," he responded as he looked back down at Hermione's hazel eyes. She leaned her head against his chest as they continued to watch the two combatants. Harry took another deep breath before speaking again. "I think his name is Keung and he saved Kingsley and me from that woman."

"Why won't you just die?" screamed the woman as she continued to swing her sword in an attempt to strike him.

"Oh, come now, Reins," Keung smiled as he ducked under one of her violent swings. "You cannot possibly expect to beat me with that kind of attitude."

"You are so arrogant!" Reins howled as she took another swing at him.

This time he moved to her side and kicked her legs, causing her to trip. She easily recovered and continued to glare at Keung with utter hatred. Harry noticed the fire in her eyes, and it reminded him of the loathing look that Malfoy had always given him. He looked down at the ground for a few moments before lifting his head again. But if she hates him so much, why did she call him `her love'?

"Fine. Let's end this," Keung retorted as he held the silver wand firmly in his hands. Harry noticed the color of the wand, but his attention soon went back up to his rescuer. A sudden wave of fire erupted from the end of his wand, and now he too was standing ready with a blade of fire. Reins eyes grew wide and she immediately took several steps back.

"Bloody hell!" Ron yelped as his mouth hung open.

Harry and Hermione looked absolutely astonished at the sight before them. Just one month ago, they were assaulted by a woman who seemed literally indestructible due to her flamed weapons, but now they were witnessing her face an opponent who possessed the exact same skill. Harry let out a reassured sigh to see that Reins was having such a terrible time in fighting Keung.

Ron let out a victorious cry as Keung raised his sword. "It's brilliant! He can't lose the fight now."

"He will win," Harry softly said to Ron and Hermione. "He is just too good for her."

"I think we should go inside," Mrs. Weasley said with a stern and authoritative voice.

However to her disappointment, none of the kids or Mr. Weasley, acknowledged her plea. She looked around at them again and decided not to say anything more knowing it would too fail to get them to move. She noticed all the over tenants of the Leaky Cauldron were staring at the two fighters and felt another wave of uneasiness run through her body as she looked back at them.

The two fire swords clashed causing small embers to fly everywhere. Reins continued to swing her sword in every direction in an attempt to strike Keung, but only sliced air or caught his sword. She growled at him a bit and started to slow her pace down. Keung noticed this and decided to give her more space to see what she had devised to do.

"Suddenly cautious," Reins laughed as she slowly started to back away towards the bus.

Keung held his wand in both arms, anticipating her next move. The angered woman glared from Keung and then to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Her sword soon vanished and a blazing whip appeared in its place. Keung's eyes darted from her to the three, and his eyes grew wide.

"Let's see how fast you really are."

She quickly flung her whip, but it wasn't towards Keung, but towards Harry. Hermione and Ron tried to move Harry out of the way, but the whip was moving too fast for them. Harry's eyes grew wide as he saw the tip of the fiery whip fly towards him, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's screams echoed in his ears. Harry quickly closed his eyes and waited for the whip to strike him, but instead heard the whip hit something with a loud crack.

Harry opened his eyes to see Keung standing in front of him, with the end of Reins' fiery whip wrapped around his left wrist. Harry's mouth dropped as he watched the whip burn through Keung's sleeve, hissing deafeningly as it made contact with his skin. Harry broke away from Hermione and Ron's hold and moved towards Keung.

"Stay back!" Keung barked as he looked behind him.

Harry's worried expression soon left him when he saw that Keung was unaffected by the burning whip. He smiled at him and turned his attention to Reins. She pulled the whip back in an attempt to pull him over, but he stayed planted to the ground, holding his fiery sword in his right hand. He swung his blade over the whip, cutting it and causing the flame around his wrist to disappear.

"Please, you two. Take Harry back."

"Keung," Harry spoke softly as he noticed that the whip had left a dark burn around Keung's wrist.

He was then taken by Hermione and Ron and he allowed them to move him away from his rescuer. Keung started to move towards a panicked Reins, and before he was able to raise his sword, she disapparated. Keung released a sigh of relief as his flame weapon vanished. He examined the place where she stood quietly. He turned towards Harry and the others and walked towards them.

"You watch yourself," He said softly as he stared directly into Harry's green eyes. Harry swallowed hard and tried to say something, but he was silenced when Keung lifted his hand in objection. "Your life means more to this world than you think. Stay alive."

Harry and the others looked as Keung walked towards the bus. Everyone remained speechless as he hopped inside through the gigantic hole. Hermione looked up at Harry and rested her head against his chest again. Harry let out a soft breath as he slowly nudged the side of her head with his cheek, trying to make it seem as if he was leaning on her for support. The pain in his legs were now gone, but they still felt incredibly weak. Ron stood next to Harry, motionless, staring at the bus, unsure of what to expect.

Keung leapt back out onto the street with Kingsley draped over his shoulder. He walked towards the crowd with Harry's trunk and his Firebolt levitating behind him. He set Kingsley on the ground and Arthur immediately ran to his fallen companion.

"Kingsley, are you okay?"

"He's unconscious," Keung replied softly. Arthur looked up at him with a questionable look on his face. "He will be all right. He wasn't cut by the blade…only burned by it. Give him a few weeks and he will be okay."

Keung turned and started to walk to the bus. He pointed his wand towards it and with a quick flick; the Knight Bus began to shake again. However, this time the destroyed portions had resembled itself, as if an invisible giant was rebuilding the Knight Bus. Keung placed his wand back inside his cloak and turned to look at Harry, his eyes making contact with his. Harry could sense a certain calmness within them, but was unable to see how he could remain so calm after such an ordeal.

Without another word said, Keung smiled at him and disappeared with a cloud of smoke. Harry's mouth fell open; a shocked expression took over his face. He turned and looked at Hermione, softly saying, "He's hurt."

"I think he'll be able to take care of himself," she replied moving her eyes to the fallen Kingsley. "Let's get you inside and get your wounds treated."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Everyone was gathered around a large table, Harry letting out a soft sigh as he took a sip of his butterbeer. After Keung had vanished, Hermione helped Harry into the inn and treated his wounds, while Ron and brought Harry's things up to their room. Several wizards from the Order escorted Mr. Weasley as he transported Kingsley to St. Mungos, and within an hour he had returned to the Leaky Cauldron. They sat around a table and Harry told them, in detail, the events that took place on the Knight Bus. He had paused several times as he massaged his aching legs, but was able to make it through the entire story without too much trouble.

"It's seems so difficult to believe that that woman is so powerful," Mr. Weasley said as he looked up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. "She has successfully injured two of the Order members, and we still haven't yet found a way to stop her flamed weapons."

"But we have Keung," Ron replied as he took a large gulp of butterbeer. Harry looked down at the table with a blank expression. Hermione sat to his right and she gazed at him with an uneasy look. Ron, who sat on Harry's left, laughed as he continued, "He took care of her like she was nothing. Blimey, he was incredible!"

"He has done a lot for Harry," Mrs. Weasley added as she looked at Ron with a worried expression. Ginny and Hermione looked towards her. Harry continued to stare at the table, his mind swirling around in circles. "Though he is someone that cannot be trusted."

"What?" Harry burst out with an utterly offended and confused expression as he looked at Mrs. Weasley.

Hermione was startled at Harry's reaction. She slowly lowered her left hand from the table and took Harry's right hand. She gave his hand a tight squeeze, and like magic, Harry's rage had somehow subsided. With a softer, but firm voice, he asked, "Why can't he be trusted?"

"That man has a very shady past," Mr. Weasley answered as he leaned forward, resting his arms onto the table. Harry turned his head and looked at him, his eyes showing that he needed answers. Mr. Weasley sighed softly as he looked down into the table. "There are too many unanswered questions about him. Until they are answered, he cannot be trusted."

"Saving my life isn't a good enough reason," Harry retorted. Hermione gave his hand another squeeze, and Harry did everything in his power to keep his emotions from exploding. What does he know? He wasn't there! He wasn't stranded there all by himself. He's never even faced a Flamora weapon!

"I don't mean to make you upset," he replied as he looked at Harry with soft expression. Harry could tell that Mr. Weasley was trying to calm him down, but he couldn't help the fact that his blood was boiling. "You're life is very important to all of us. We just need to be cautious. We can't trust anyone until we know for sure until they can be trusted. It's for your safety."

"Yeah," Harry let out a groan. "Always for my safety."

"It's late, everyone to bed," Mrs. Weasley quickly announced.

She knew that the situation was getting very uneasy and wanted to do everything in her power to prevent an argument from breaking out. She and Mr. Weasley stood from their chairs, as did everyone else. Harry's emotions continued to race, but he thanked Mrs. Weasley in his mind because he no longer wanted to sit there and listen to Mr. Weasley make his accusations.

Hermione helped Harry to his feet and supported him as he walked towards the stairs leading towards the rooms. Ron and Ginny attempted to help Harry as well, but he told them that he was fine and that he'll go with Hermione. Ron and Ginny looked at them curiously, but after Hermione insisted they go ahead, the two went on and started up the stairs. Hermione and Harry slowly ascended the stairs after them, but didn't proceed to their rooms once they reached the top.

As Ron and Ginny entered their respective rooms, Harry and Hermione sat down on the top stair and looked back down towards the empty tables. Hermione turned towards Harry and looked into his eyes. She could tell that he was scared, but he was trying his best to stay strong. Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder, as she tried to hold in her own emotions. Harry looked at her and moved his arm around her, giving her a tight squeeze.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried as she threw her arms around him, burying her face into his neck. Harry noticed her tears against his skin, and he returned her tight embrace, resting his head against hers. Her body trembled in his embrace. "I knew it was a stupid idea! You could have been killed!"

"It's okay, Hermione," he replied as he started to rub her back, trying to calm her down. Her shuddering had subsided, but he could still feel her tears flowing down his neck. "I am okay. Look at me…I am perfectly fine."

She broke their embrace and looked into his eyes. He brushed her tears away with his thumbs as he softly held her face in his hands. He gave her a soft smile, which slowly melted her fears. Hermione felt the warmth of his hands and was unable to keep herself from giving him a smile. He laughed to himself as he continued. "Hermione…I…"

Harry placed his hands on his legs as he struggled with his words. His face was still turned towards her but she noticed that his eyes were moving around uneasily. Hermione let out a soft giggle as she covered his mouth with her delicate hand. Harry's eyes met hers and her smile grew wider as she nodded at him. "I do too."

Harry let out a brighter smile as he kissed her hand. Though her expression suddenly changed from one filled with joy to one filled with concerned. He looked at her with worried gaze and placed his hand on her shoulder, massaging it softly. "What's wrong Hermione?"

"We can't tell Ron," she replied quietly, her eyes meeting his again. "I don't want to hurt him."

"I don't either," Harry responded as he looked at the door that sealed the room where Ron was.

Harry and Hermione had known of Ron's feelings towards her. He had never verbally expressed it to either of them, but they both knew that they had existed. Though it was somewhat hard to believe that he had feelings for her, due to the fact that they always fought.

Harry's mind suddenly leapt to the idea that this may prevent him from being with her, causing him to look at her with an expression filled with grief and fear. "Does that mean we can't be together?"

She gave him an utter look of surprise and took his hands with hers. "We can be together…we just need to hide it from other people for a while. We have to break to Ron slowly."

"How would we do that?" Harry asked as he looked down at her hands.

She gave his hands a soft squeeze before she responded, "I don't know. We will think of something when the time comes…but until then, we can't let him know how we feel towards each other."

He nodded to her as he took her right hand with his left. He raised it to his lips and kissed it softly, causing her to giggle at him as the two stood up. She leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Harry…there is going to be a formal dance held at Hogwarts on Christmas Eve."

"Yeah, I heard about it," He replied as the two walked into the hallway.

The two turned towards each other and stopped when they were in front of their respective rooms. Harry placed his hands on her waist, and she, in turn, rested her head against his shoulders. Harry took a deep breath and whispered the question that was egging him.

"Would…you…like to go with me?"

"I would love to, Mr. Potter," Hermione smiled, noting how adorable he was when he struggled to share his feelings towards her. She looked down towards their feet, her expression changing again. "Though, I may have to decline if Ron asks me…you know."

"Well," Harry said softly as he lifted her head with his hand.

He felt his nerves start to tighten and his mind was spinning, but he forced himself to stay focused on her. He had never felt this way about a girl before, and he didn't want anything to keep him away from her, even if it risked hurting a friend. Though Harry knew that he would never hurt Ron, which led him to only one conclusion.

"I guess we will just have to tell him before then."

Hermione nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on his. Her heart started to beat faster and she slowly raised herself up on her tiptoes. Harry's heart began to take incredible leaps as he, in turn, lowered his lips towards hers. The two closed their eyes, as their lips grew closer. Harry's mind started roaming out of control as he felt her breath against him. I'm going to kiss Hermione…my Hermione.

"Harry," Ron called has he opened the door to his room. Harry and Hermione immediately let go of each other and turned to Ron. Ron looked at them oddly, and the two smiled at him.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow," Hermione said quickly as she stuck out her hand to Harry.

"Right, see you tomorrow," Harry replied as he took her hand and shook it. She walked away from them and entered her the room that she was sharing with Ginny.

"Blimey, what was that all about?" Ron asked as he and Harry entered their room.

"I don't know," Harry responded in a calm voice, hoping with all his heart that Ron had not seen what they were about to do. At this moment, his heart sank to an emotional low. I didn't kiss her…. He took his pajamas and gloomily changed as Ron got into his bed. Ron stared at up at the ceiling and Harry could tell that he was deep in thought.

"What do you think my mum meant when she said that Keung couldn't be trusted?" Ron asked Harry as he got into his bed. "He seemed fine to me."

"Yeah," Harry replied as he pulled his blankets up. He stared at the ceiling and soon found his body growing incredibly limp, his exhaustion slowly taking over. He turned in his bed, enabling himself to face Ron. "Your parents have their reasons, but I believe Keung is an okay guy."

"He's brilliant…" Ron said as he yawned, his eyes closing. "My parents worry too much sometimes."

Ron had fallen asleep. Harry turned again in his bed and looked up at the ceiling again. He took his glasses off and set them on the night table next to his bed and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly felt himself fall into a deep sleep. His mind started to flash pictures of things that he had seen today. It stopped on Reins, it stopped on Keung, it stopped on the fallen Kingsley, it stopped on Ron, it stopped on Mr. Weasley, and finally, an image of Hermione flashed in his mind. The image was of Hermione smiling at him while his hands held her soft face. Harry let out a soft sigh as he felt a blanket of warmth and security cover him.

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