I am in awe of JK Rowling's wonderful talents. Her talents have made her lots of money and she would be able to pay loads of lawyers who would sue my ass if I tried to make money on this so I'm doing this for free.
- CHAPTER TEN -
Christmas at the Manor
`So, what do you think this Army of Light is doing here?' asked Ron.
`There here probably to defend Hogwarts. After the last time Malfoy sent men in here, there were only twenty T.M. members. Next time, there will be hundreds,' said Hermione.
`So how do you think Ares knows this Army of Light?' asked Harry.
`His grandfather was one of its members. Colin Michaels is Ares' grandfather on his mother's side. The ironic thing is that Snape's grandfather was part of the Army of Light and actually only died a few years ago,' said Hermione. The three friends were talking. Tomorrow was the start of the Christmas break. They were busy discussing it when Ares walked over to them.
`Harry, Hermione,' said Ares. `I was wondering if you want to spend your Christmas at my Manor. The Weasleys and a lot of the Order will also be there. You could also invite your parents if you wanted Hermione.'
`That be great,' said Harry.
`I'll owl my parents straight away,' said Hermione. She ran up the stairs and into her room. She came down around two minutes later and said that Ebony, her owl, was on his way to her parents. Just as Ares sat down in a chair, Crookshanks jumped up into his lap.
`Hello Tiger,' said Ares, scratching Crookshanks' ear.
`Tiger?' asked Harry, grinning.
`Sorry, it just looks like a Kneazle I used to know,' said Ares, looking at Crookshanks. `Wait a minute, Crookshanks?'
`That's his name, how do you know that?' asked Hermione. Ares grinned.
`Quite ironic that you got this Kneazle Hermione,' said Ares. `Its mother belonged to another Muggle Born Gryffindor Prefect.'
`Who?' asked Hermione.
`Lily,' said Ares, looking at Harry and Hermione with a grin on his face.
`My mum?' asked Harry. Ares nodded.
`Wow,' said Hermione. Ares took out a picture. He handed it to the three friends. It was a picture of eleven people. There was a girl with shoulder length red hair. She had a cat, identical to Crookshanks in her lap, and a boy had his arm wrapped around her. The boy was tall and thin, with a thin face. He had hazel coloured eyes that were framed with gold glasses. His hair stuck up at the back. Harry's parents were together and a lot happier than the last time Harry had seen them in Snape's Pensieve. Harry recognised two people in the back. They were younger versions of Neville's parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom. Harry saw a younger version of Sirius with is arm draped over a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The shape of her face was oddly familiar to Harry. Harry saw Peter sitting on the floor playing tossing corks to Tiger, Lily's cat. He also saw a younger version of Remus with a girl with brown hair and green eyes sitting on his lap. Then Harry spotted Ares. Ares was a real shock. He had his long black hair tied in a ponytail, and his face was cleanly shaven. He was dressed in a sort of armour. His chest was covered in grey leather. He also wore the grey leather as shoes and gloves. He was also wearing black robes. Harry spotted a silver earring in his ear. It was a centaur. He was standing beside the girl Harry saw in the Pensieve.
`That picture was taking in your parent's 7th Year, after I had left school. Dumbledore asked several people to return to Hogwarts to help defend it encase of an attack,' said Ares, before walking out. The three friends also stood up and went to do some homework. Ron went off to do some Divination, which according to Ron was now the best subject in the world. Harry and Hermione started walking to Ares' library. They met Malfoy there.
`Alright, we have pretty much all about his rise and fall, but not one book has Grindelwald's past in it,' said Hermione, exasperated. They knew that Grindelwald was a former Hogwarts prefect, who, guessing by his ideology was probably in Slytherin. The checked the lists for Slytherin for about the time that Grindelwald would have been at Hogwarts.
`What about this guy, Lucius Malfoy XIV?' said Harry, with a grin looking at Malfoy. Malfoy glared daggers at him.
`If Grindelwald had been a member of my family, I think I would know,' said Malfoy.
`Look at this guy,' said Hermione. `Patrick Belial Abaddon Lestrange. Born 1889 in the small Wizarding village of Hogsmeade, just outside Hogwarts, Patrick excelled at several things including Quidditch, Chess, Myth and Legend storytelling, Duelling, Shuntbumps and Swivenhodge. In 1900 he started Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin. He became a Prefect in his fifth year and was renowned for sitting around the fire in the Slytherin common room telling them of the stories of Wizarding Legends like the Irish Giant Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Wizarding Knight Grindelwald.'
`Grindelwald,' said Harry.
`Let's have a look at this guy,' said Malfoy. They searched all the books and after five painstaking hours of research, they found out the Grindelwald was really Patrick Belial Abaddon Lestrange. They went back to lunch, wondering was Patrick Lestrange any relation to Ares.
`Well, look at Ares' brothers and sister-in-law. They're as evil as evil can be,' said Hermione. When they got to the hall they separated to their tables.
***
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were all waiting by the doors of the Great Hall. They would be going to Ares' Manor in a few minutes. Ares came out a few minutes later, carrying a twig. He let each of them touch it and they were off, with Harry feeling the familiar hook under his navel. The touched down on a huge field. Harry looked up. They were in front of a huge, black marble Mansion. They walked through the huge Oak doors that had golden handles and into the Entrance Hall. There were three doors from there.
`That door on your left leads to the Bedrooms. The door on your right leads to the Recreational rooms and the door in front of you leads to the Dining Hall,' said Ares. The five of them walked forward into the Dining Hall. It was as big as the Great Hall in Hogwarts. The floor was made with black marble while the walls were a blue marble. The ceiling was made of a white rock but had several paintings on it. Harry saw the other Weasleys, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George all sitting at a huge dining table. Beside them were Lupin, Tonks, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, Mr and Mrs Granger, Luna Loovegood and also a man with shoulder length brown hair that was going grey at the roots. He had a very thin, brown eyebrows and extremely pale blue eyes. The last person at the table was dressed a pinstripe, brown suit with a brown bowler hat in his hands.
`Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, come in, let Burly take your cloaks,' said Ares. A House Elf appeared next to Ares. Like Optio he was dressed in black robes with a wizard's hat and on its belt was a small wand. On its chest was the same symbol that was on Optio's robes. It showed a white skull, with a golden dagger through the top of the skull and protruding from the mouth like a tongue. It had a red ribbon below it saying, in Black writing `Lestrange `Magus Meracus''. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all handed Burly their cloaks, who was quite able to handle them all because he was a lot bigger than most elves. It was then Ares saw the man at the end of the table.
`Séan,' started Ares, but then stopped when he saw the look Séan was giving him. Ares answered the look in a strange language. `Fumalom yuo yark mi.' Séan stood up, holding a heavy parchment file and walked out of the room with Ares. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny all said hello to all of the other guests. They sat down and ate their meal. After the lunch, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all decided to explore the house. They went to the rooms and after half an hour they found a room that wasn't a bedroom. It was a huge room filled with Quidditch things. The found a huge collection of Broomsticks. The first was an elegant, thick oak handle. It small black cursive writing was the words `Oakshaft 79'. It was signed by two people. The first was Elias Grimstone and the second was Jocunda Sykes.
`Who's Elias Grimstone and Jocunda Sykes?' asked Harry.
`Elias Grimstone invented the Oakshaft 70 and Jocunda Sykes flew it over the Atlantic. She was the first person to ever fly over the Atlantic on a broomstick,' said Hermione. The next broom was a thin ash handled broom. It held in red writing `The Moontrimmer'. It was also signed in black ink by Gladys Boothby, who invented the broom. The next broom was very similar to the Firebolt only it was made of Silver Birch. It held the signature of Leonard Jewkes, and in black writing it said `Silver Arrow'. The next set held several similar types of brooms. The first six all had the signatures of three men. `Bill, Bob and Barnaby Ollerton had all signed each of the first six brooms. The last five didn't have the signatures. The first broom had the name `Cleansweep' on it in bold, black, block letters. Each of the following Cleansweep then a number in Roman Numerals. They were about to continue looking at the when Mrs Weasley called Ron and Ginny downstairs. Hermione was about to walk out as well when Harry grabbed her wrist, spun her around and kissed her. Hermione pulled him out and into one of the spare bedrooms. She pushed Harry down on the bed, tucked her hair behind her ear and climbed onto Harry. Harry then stole her lips again. Something came over them and before they knew it, Hermione was sitting in her skirt and a bra while Harry was already down to his boxers. The continued kissing while Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's boxers. Harry moaned when Hermione gripped his fast growing member. He gasped in pleasure as Hermione began thrusting he r hand up and down.
`Hermione!' shouted Mrs Granger, from downstairs. `Come down!' Hermione and Harry jumped back, both blushing. The hurriedly put on their clothes and walked downstairs. When they got down they found Mrs Granger waiting for them. Mrs Granger frowned as she saw her normally neat, tidy daughter now looking scruffy, untidy and unkempt. Her hair was in a mess and her clothes looked hurriedly put on. Harry was the same but Mrs Granger barely knew what he was like so she didn't think anything of it.
`We're all going to Diagon Alley. Go fix yourself up dear, you look a mess, and is that a bruise on your neck?' asked Mrs Granger, in what seemed like one breath.
`Yeah, fell out of bed this morning,' said Hermione, hoping she wasn't turning red. Her and Harry went back up to their rooms and got them selves looking more respectful. Harry walked down the stairs into the kitchen and was joined five minutes later by Hermione.
`So, we ready to go?' asked Ginny.
`Oye,' answered Ares.
`Oye?' asked Ron.
`Oye, yes, were ready to go,' said Ares, looking at Ron like he had an extra head. They walked to the fire and Mrs Weasley took down some Floo Powder. After Ron, Ginny and Mr Weasley had gone through the fire to Diagon Alley Harry stepped forward, took some Floo Powder and threw it in the fire.
`Diagon Alley!' shouted Harry. After a very dizzying ride to through the Floo Network, Harry burst out into the Leaky Cauldron.
`Harry,' said a large man, lifting him to his feet. He was about the same height as Ares, with cold, grey eyes and very short brown hair with stubble on his face to match it.
`Who are you?' asked Harry, starting to get worried. The man blinked his left eye and it turned from the cold grey colour to Ares' sparkling crystal blue eye.
`That's what I have to do to go out in public with a 25000 Galleon award on me, with a 5000 Galleon award for me head,' said Ares. He then winked again and his eye became the same cold grey colour as it was before. By the time they had done this the rest of the party had arrived. They started walking out back and out of the blue, Ares said to a man beside him, `Hello Mick,' and began to walk away.
`Do I know you?' asked the man, Mick. Ares cursed, causing Mrs Weasley to frown at him. He turned to Mick, looked at the ground and then back up.
`Ar…' started but Ares mouthed something to him. Mrs Weasley saw what he had mouthed to Mick and she hit him round the head.
`There is no need for obscenities, especially with children in the room,' said Mrs Weasley. Mick got into the group. Mick was a tall man, about an inch smaller than Ares, with very pale skin, almost white. He had very pale blue eyes. His hair was long and slick.
`How are you doing?' asked Mick, quietly as they walked into Diagon Alley.
`Okay, I've been staying at the Manor,' said Ares. `I need you to get a message to Dumbledore. Tell him to set up a meeting for the Order at the Manor tomorrow night, around eight. Tell him it's very important.'
`Sure Ares,' said Mick, before disapperating. The group then broke apart to go separately to buy Christmas Presents. Ron and Harry made their way into a jewellery shop. Harry was instantly drawn to the necklaces. He then saw an advert and knew it was perfect for Hermione.
CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR YOUR LUCKY LADY
This enchanted golden necklace will immediately change for the girl you love. The centre jewel will turn to her birthstone and will bring her closer to you than ever before.
Price: 75 Galleons
`Interested, my good man?' asked the salesman.
`Yeah, I'll take it,' said Harry, handing over a bag filled with gold. The salesman handed Harry a gold necklace with a dull grey coloured jewel. The moment it touched Harry's hand the jewel turned a beautiful Sapphire Blue.
`Ah, you're in love with a September,' said the Salesman.
`I know,' said Harry with a smile.
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! If you review, there may be a view more Harry/Hermione scenes in Chapter 11. There would need to be, because I promise you, Chapter 11 is a dark, dark, chapter!!!