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Introduction:

harry potter
Chapter 1: Hotel Potter

NOTE: Hello again everyone! This is the beginning of the sequel to my first fanfic, Harry Potter and the Ring of Mykele. For those of you who are new to my stories, you may want to go read that one first, as this is a direct continuation. For those of you already continuing the journey, welcome back! Read, Review, and above all else, Enjoy!

 

 
Morning came to Number 12, Grimauld Place and it came noisily. Once the home of one of the oldest and most powerful wizarding families, it had been willed to soon-to-be seventeen year old Harry Potter, and he had quite a few guests to attend to. Rubeus Hagrid, former Hogwarts gamekeeper, and Draco Malfoy, former enemy, were staying at the house indefinitely. But Arthur and Molly Weasley had shown up bright and early with two of their five surviving children, Fred and Ron in tow. They were visitors only for the day because of the meeting set up for later that day. Ginny, the youngest Weasley had declined to come along.

Harry could feel the tension in his house wherever he went. Arthur and Molly had gone straight to the room reserved for them when they’d arrived, in order to have a private argument. Draco and Hagrid, who never had a great relationship, sat silently opposite each other at breakfast- each unsure what to say or if they should even talk. Meanwhile, Fred and Ron regaled them all with the story of how they had worn their mother down until she agreed to let them come along but they weren’t really as animated as they pretended to be. It was common knowledge that Molly was against her children’s involvement in anything to do with the Order of the Phoenix, and so the fact that she’d put up a mighty argument to keep them from attending the meeting was hardly surprising.

As Harry sat awkwardly with the others around the table, he could tell they were all four in their own way as excited to find out what Snape had learned as he was. At the same time, he detected something under Ron’s surface, something that was really bothering his friend. But Ron was apparently going to put on a happy face so Harry decided to let him.

Bill and Charlie Weasley arrived through the floo network just as their parents were returning downstairs. Arthur watched his sons emerge from the fireplace, and Harry caught flashes of words like risk, concern, and safety floating through his mind. When Dumbledore quite properly rang at the door, Arthur pulled him aside to have a private discussion. Although feeling a bit irked at being left out of the conversation, Harry had other guests to hold his attention. Lupin and Tonks arrived and he was glad to see that despite all that was and is happening, they looked happy and in love. Kingsley and Mad-eye were right behind them followed quickly by Professor McGonagall and a few other Hogwarts teachers.

More and more people kept showing up, though not nearly as many as the night before leaving Harry to realize that there had been too many people then. He supposed the Order had been recruiting over the past year and left it at that as his guests became restless. He tried to be a good host and make conversation with everyone while providing drinks and snacks. Everyone was waiting on Snape, who was the reason the meeting had been called in the first place and it was only with his arrival, that everyone finally settled and went into the War Room. Harry sighed in relief, put down his tray and followed them.

They all arranged themselves around the spy-turned-Professor-turned-spy, as he began to recount the Death Eater meeting he’d attended the night before. "In essence, the purpose of the gathering was to inform us that the Dark Lord is still deeply disturbed by the loss of one of his inner-most circle. Of course I mean, Bellatrix LeStrange." Snape paused to look at Harry, making him feel as if he were back in the dungeon classroom, about to be upbraided for some imagined wrong-doing. "He doesn’t value many lives, but for some reason unknown to his followers, he valued hers."

"Perhaps because of her loyalty?" Fred suggested with a hint of a dig toward Snape and his role as spy.

"Regardless the reason!" Snape continued, "He wants to avenge her death and made it very clear how upset he was that no progress has been made to that end. We were all to be put on guard for Harry Potter, to be captured alive. I of course informed him that Albus had taken the boy abroad." Snape emphasized the word, sneering at the idea that so much trouble could be brewing over a child.

"Was there mention of the Dementors attack on Thorn Creek?" Dumbledore interrupted, before Harry could respond. He was outraged of course, it hadn’t been as if he had wanted to kill that woman! In fact he had left her alive, it was only through her actions that he had to take such drastic steps. And what of Harry’s revenge for all the people taken from him? Why did Voldemort have a right to vengeance, but he had none?

"Only after the meeting." Snape answered. "He kept just a few of us after, myself included and asked what we had heard of the attacks. He informed us that Thorn Creek had only been the beginning."

"And Lairmore? Did he mention that?" Arthur pressed.

Snape appeared agitated that he was being rushed along in his story. "He gave us no specifics, only that it was time to prove how dangerous it is to oppose his side. He insisted that the Dementors will be his most useful ally in that endeavor and he had a few more places to visit with them. There was also mention of other allies but he didn’t expand much. As I said nothing specific, and to have pushed for more detail would have only brought up questions in his mind."

And so with Snape’s report out of the way, the rest of meeting was full of tactical planning. There were discussions on how to put the people on alert without much notice by the Death Eaters, as well as which towns and villages they were likely to hit. Arthur handled himself expertly, showing enough leadership to know when to listen and when to make a decision or issue orders. Harry was proud; he was also confident that with a capable leader, which former Minister Cornelius Fudge had never been, that they would be able to hold off Voldemort’s followers.

After most everyone had left, Arthur pulled him aside. "I need to talk to you about something, Harry." He began seriously.

"Alright, I’m listening."

"It’s your fireplace. Albus and I think it would be a good idea if we took it off the floo network, at least for awhile. Regardless of the many spells and charms protecting this house, there are ways for someone, anyone really, to walk right through there."

"But what about the people who are supposed to come here? Isn’t it the safest way for them?" He was of course thinking of Hermione and Luna, and the whole Weasley family.

"I think we’ll be closing off quite a few stops on the floo network, including anyone even remotely involved with the Order. It is the safest way, trust me." Arthur must have seen the doubt written all over Harry’s face, though he hadn’t tried very hard to hide it. Arthur sighed and continued. "Think of it this way, if someone gets to anyone connected to this fireplace, all they would have to do is step in and be here after calling up. The houses are connected, so there’s no need to identify oneself before arriving."

"Maybe that’s something that could be looked into? Like some sort of caller ID? I mean if the muggles can do it through technology, surely we can figure a way with magic."

"And that’s something to be looked into, of course. But more immediate action is needed now. Voldemort has shown he isn’t afraid of attacking the city and his next target could be Lairmore, or it could be anywhere. Please understand, I am not trying to block you off from anyone and I am not trying to keep you from leaving your own house. Alternate transportation can be provided for those wishing to come here, and soon most of you will be able to apperate." He smiled at the sudden remembrance and placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. "Hey, that reminds me! You’ll be seventeen in a few weeks. We better start getting you trained before the big test. I’ll talk to Dumbledore about it."

And Harry left it at that as Arthur departed after the rest. He ran to his room to write to Hermione, with wild thoughts racing through his mind. He didn’t believe that as a drop out, he would be able to go for his apperating license, but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell Arthur and Molly that he wasn’t going back to school. He would let Dumbledore break the news, and then just deal with the fall out because it was their disappointment, which was sure to come, that he feared most.

(BREAK)

Hermione had been home for two days, and they were the longest of her life. Her parents were treating her like a stranger, and what’s worse, they treated her as someone to be feared. And so she had been very careful not to mention certain things when answering their questions about how her year had gone. When it came to Harry, she’d neglected to mention that she’d lost her virginity, gone through many break-ups and make-ups, and ultimately got engaged. When it came to the rest of her life, she left out how she’d nearly died when the quidditch stands had blown and Neville’s resulting death as well as witnessing George’s murder by the hand of his own brother. And she definitely didn’t mention having gone to fight the enemy in Hogsmeade where she’d watched someone get their arm chopped off and nearly lost herself in her own mind after suffering injury. In fact she’d given them the most watered down version of her time away at school as she possibly could without right out lying, just as she did every year.

So when she walked into the kitchen two days later, she was surprised by the hurt and angry expressions on their faces. Her father told her to sit with them at the table so she did, with trepidation. They all sat in silence for a few minutes, leaving Hermione to feel uncomfortable under their disappointed glares. Only when her mother produced a stack of old Daily Prophets, letting them fall heavily on the table and scatter, did Hermione realize her two lives were about to collide, or rather, crash together.

"Is there anything you’d like to tell us?" Mildred Granger asked with a strong hint of accusation.

"Well… you can’t always believe everything you read in the paper." She finally answered, not sure what exactly they had read and not wanting to add information they didn’t already have.

"You’ve been keeping things from us! Important things! How are we ever supposed to trust you?" Her father erupted.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" She said, feeling panicked. "I never lied to you!" That was partly true she supposed.

"Oh please, Hermione." Mildred grabbed up some of the papers and shook them in her daughter’s direction. "The things they say about…that boy. You told us he was a good boy, smart and driven. He’s a menace! And he’s dangerous!"

Hermione wondered just how far back those newspapers went. If they dated back to Rita Skeeter, well, stories about Harry were filled with more lies then than they were last year. "They don’t know him, and most have something against him for some reason or another! And besides, they write what sells papers! If the public is anti-Harry then that’s what they write about, and if the public is pro-Harry then they praise him. It’s about what the customer wants to read as much as it is about reporting the news! Surely you must realize that!"

"And I suppose everything they print about you running around getting in trouble with this boy and his friends, that’s all lies as well!" Wayne Granger shouted

"They’re my friends too!" she yelled back.

"Don’t you raise your voice to your father!" Mildred scolded. "You are the one in the wrong here, young lady. Leaving school to break into ministries, claiming to fight against somebody they won’t even give us the name of! And you told us nothing of all those people dying while at the school!"

"Because it didn’t concern you!" Hermione screamed. She couldn’t stand it! They would never understand, how could they? They were wrapped up safely in the delusional muggle world. They don’t know what any of what they read meant, and the frustration she felt with them was building. She wished Harry was there, or better, that she was away with him.

"You watch yourself." Her father said in a low, dangerous voice. She had never raised her voice to them, had never really stood up to them in any way other than her insistence at attending Hogwarts. She was suddenly very scared of where this scene would go, and at the same time, she felt liberated enough not to care.

"Well, it’s true." She said in a calmer tone. "All of that stuff is only in the context of that world, so it was none of your concern. I have never come home injured, I have never put you in any danger, and I’ve never gotten less than perfect grades. So it can’t be all that bad, can it? Certainly not as bad as the media portrays it."

They looked at each other and communicated in the silent way only parents can. It was within those few quiet seconds that she realized there was nothing she could have said that would have satisfied them. They had made a decision before she had even woken up that morning, and they were going to stick to it.

"You won’t be returning to that school this year." Mildred raised her hand against the protest bubbling out of her daughter. "We’ve already written to that headmaster, and tomorrow we’ll enroll you in a real school. One that will get you somewhere in the real world."

"And what’s more," Wayne cut it, "you won’t be seeing that boy anymore. And I mean not ever again!"

Hermione was stunned into silence. Finally finding her voice, she said quietly and vehemently, "I’ve never hated you more."

Then she got up from the table and walked back to her room, slamming and locking the door behind her. She turned and glared at her surroundings, angry that it wasn’t her real room like the one she had at Harry’s house. In fact, she had never felt very at home in this room, where everything was so normal without that touch of magic and looking around at the cramped, boring, white-walled bedroom, she had the sudden desire to tear it apart. She settled for throwing her desk lamp against the wall, liking the glittering smashing sound it made. She waited for footsteps on the stairs, for her parents to come and tell her she was being childish as she knew she was. But they didn’t come and she was glad.

As she sat there, alone and unhappy, she made a decision almost before she realized she was making one. She would run away from this place. Of course! It was the simplest solution. Dumbledore would let her go to school, surely he would. And Harry would be there instantly if she asked him to come get her. She wouldn’t be homeless or anything like that, and she had plenty of money thanks to Sirius. Of course, that was only in the wizard world. Her galleons, stored safely in Gringott’s, would do her no good with the muggles- and that was the first problem that occurred to her.

The next was that regardless of how quickly and easily Harry would be able to either send for her or come himself, she wasn't absolutely sure the adults in her life would approve of her leaving her parents home. After all, Dumbledore had been adamant that Harry return to the Dursleys each year, regardless of how badly he was treated. Of course she knew there had been other reasons for that but it didn’t matter in the midst of her fevered and desperate thoughts. She knew she would have to just show up and not give anyone a reason to say no. But she wasn’t sure how to move in the wizard world, and that was problem number three. Harry’s letter had mentioned the Order’s decision to close down their floo entrance, so she would have to travel there on her own. Sure she had read all about the secret wizard villages that lived in and around London, sure she knew all of the important places, and sure she felt comfortable in Diagon Alley; but she also hadn’t really ever been there, or anywhere else, by herself. What she needed was a confidant… someone who would help with no questions asked, someone who knew how to get around. Someone who due to the circumstances, couldn’t be Harry.

And at that she paused. Harry… was she starting to think like him? Was she doing the very thing that she had admonished him for? She felt desperate, as she knew he had felt… was she making a horrible decision just to get what she wanted, everyone else be damned? Well if I am, so be it! She finally thought to herself. If Harry could do it and still come out ahead, why couldn’t she? After all, she had still agreed to marry him even after everything he’d put her through.

The only thing she needed was a partner in crime. She wasn’t sure whether Ron would help her or not, since she wanted to flee to Harry’s house. The boys’ friendship was already so rocky; she didn’t want to add the final pebble that would topple it to the ground. And she wasn’t sure asking Fred would make her feel any easier about what she was about to do. Facing facts, he wasn’t the most responsible or serious person in the world and she wanted someone she could trust not to make things worse. Then she had a stroke of genius and sat down to write a letter.

(BREAK)

Ron was determined to talk to Ginny. He just had to know what this big secret was that Luna Lovegood was keeping for his sister. As far as he could gather from that last fight he’d had with her before the break-up, Ginny and the "others" involved didn’t know that Luna was also in on their secret. He knew that whatever the secret was involved Draco Malfoy. He also had a good hunch that Harry was somehow involved. He laid these facts out for Fred, letting his brother decide whether he was being ridiculous or whether this was something they should pry into. He also made it clear that he would very much like to pry.

Fred simply shrugged. "What do you want me to say little brother? I mean we all have secrets right? I’m in the middle of one right now as a matter of fact, but that doesn’t concern you."

"The way Ginny’s secret doesn’t concern us, you mean." Ron sighed, disappointed that his brother had seemed to grow so much more responsible.

"Now don’t go putting words in my mouth, Ronniekins. I’m no prophet and my words don’t need interpretation. I meant what I said; my business isn’t anything for you to concern yourself over. Ginny’s however, is another story and I’ll admit I’m intrigued. What could our baby sister possibly have to do with Draco Malfoy?"

"Let’s go ask her. That’s the most direct way."

"In case you haven’t noticed, she isn’t exactly talking to any of us, or anyone else as far as I know." Fred pointed out.

"Harry really messed her up." Ron shook his head and sat next to his brother.

"Hey, you can’t blame it all on Harry. That’s too easy and you know it."

"Can’t I? He lead her around like a puppy dog all year."

"Oh please, with the lovely Miss Granger at his side? He had eyes for only her and you know it. Ginny’s the one who was trying to push herself between them all year and got upset when it didn’t work. Did Harry use what he knew about her to his advantage? Yes. And it was wrong of him, but if she weren’t so...whatever she is lately, it wouldn’t have worked."

"I can’t believe you’re taking his side over hers! He’s my best friend and I’m still taking her side." Ron felt agitated. First Hermione forgives Harry and tells him to move on from it all and now Fred is telling him almost the same thing. That it wasn’t Harry’s fault! When would anything ever be Harry’s fault?

"You do what you think is best, but I’m choosing to spread the blame around. And guess what, some of that blame belongs on us. Think about it. We should have protected her better. She’s our only sister. We never noticed something was wrong, way back with that diary. If we had, maybe she wouldn’t have had Voldemort or Tom Riddle or whoever running around in her head so long. Who knows what kind of damage that did…? George and I, we abandoned you all with Umbridge. And you Ron, you let her come with you guys to the Department of Mysteries where you both got hurt. And this last school year… with everything that happened, we never stopped to check her. Let’s face it, Ginny’s breakdown or whatever she’s in the middle of was a long time coming. I think the Harry situation was just the last straw."

"You’re awful insightful all of a sudden." Ron grumbled, upset that he couldn’t really argue Fred’s points. As her brother, he should have insisted she not go with them to the ministry, tied her up if he’d had to. But he didn’t and more than that, he’s the one who brought her to the Hogsmeade battle a few weeks before. He didn’t protect her any more than Harry did… although according to Harry, that’s all he had been trying to do, protect Ginny, and Hermione, and Ron himself. He shook his head, angry and frustrated but more than anything- he felt confused.

"George and I were talking about it, along with a few other things I’m planning." Fred had a devilish glint in his eye. He was obviously dropping hints about this secret plan to lighten the mood, even if he wasn’t going to spill it.

Ron playfully slugged him on the shoulder. "If you don’t want me to ask about it, then stop talking about it."

After a bit more discussion, they decided to at least ask Ginny if she would tell them what the big secret was. Besides, as Fred pointed out, if she told them then they knew it wasn’t a big deal, and if she didn’t then they knew it was, so either way at least they’d come away knowing something. Ron hoped it was a big deal, seeing as how he had ended his relationship with Luna over it. Or had she broken up with him? Had it just been a really big fight? He still wasn’t too sure what had happened.

They found Ginny in her room with a book in front of her. But reading was the last thing on her mind- her eyes were staring off and through the wall, making Ron worry a bit. "Hey, Gin?" He asked tentatively from the doorway.

She blinked and then glared at them with obvious annoyance. "What?"

"We wanted to ask you about something." They stepped into the room and shut the door. Fred sealed it from prying ears, after all their mum was stealthy and could be anywhere.

"What?" she asked again with more annoyance.

"It’s about what you said in Trelawney’s tower, when we had that little argument." He tried to downplay the actual event.

"Oh, yeah… You mean when you all ganged up on me to tell me you think there’s something wrong with me?" she asked, bitterness seeping into her voice.

Ron let it go and moved on to his point. "What were you talking about when you mentioned something about you and Draco?"

"That? That’s what the two of you came barging in here for?" She stood and moved to the door, releasing Fred’s spell and opening it for them to exit. "That is none of your business, and it’s all in the past so don’t trouble yourselves about it anymore." She gestured for them to leave but they stood their ground.

"Tell me you didn’t date him or anything." Fred laughed, but Ron could tell he was only half-joking.

To their surprise she laughed along with him. "So much worry over my love life! I’m so lucky to have such caring brothers. No, I never did anything of the kind with him, nor will I ever. Transformation or not, he’s still slime. So now that’s settled, you both can leave."

And so they left, as it was obvious they weren’t going to get any farther with her at the moment. Ron was worried about Ginny and her new attitude. After discussing the outcome with Fred, he knew his brother felt the same way. The only question remaining was, do they bring up their concerns with their parents, who already were dealing with so much?

(BREAK)

Harry was bored out of his mind. Since the meeting three mornings earlier nothing, absolutely nothing had happened. He hadn’t felt so normal and average in quite a long time. Not to mention lonely. Hagrid was of course, thrilled to have finally been reunited with Buckbeak, who also seemed to remember his former owner. There was also Fang, Hedwig, Robin and all of the caged creatures Hagrid had brought with him to keep the giant entertained, and so Harry saw little of him. Draco stayed mostly in his room, attempting socialization only at meal times. Harry had sympathy for him, surrounded by former enemies, forsaken by everyone and everything he had known his whole life.

Though living with Vernon hadn’t been a picnic, he suddenly found himself wondering what it would’ve been like to have Lucius as a father and shuddered. He pictured a life lived within cold gray walls, very quiet and very lonely, with fear of failure always hanging over his head. He imagined the menacing figure of Lucius, always so chilly and unwelcoming, towering over him and demanding his son live and think the way he did. He thought of how desperate for attention and love Draco must have been, and suddenly felt closer to the boy. He could easily picture those things thanks to his own semi-similar upbringing and began to wonder if they were really his thoughts or if he had somehow tapped into the other boy’s mind.

The sound of the doorbell shook Harry from his reverie. He flew downstairs, excited yet curious as to who could be showing up unannounced, to this house in particular. Pulling out his wand just in case, he cautiously opened the door only to be greeted by a shock of red hair and an enormous grin. "Fred?" He was truly surprised.

"Hello, flatmate!" Fred moved past him into the house, carrying a briefcase and wheeling a trunk behind him.

"Excuse me?" He followed upstairs to Fred’s room and stared incredulously as his friend began to unpack.

"Look, I can’t stay at the Burrow, I just can’t. And I figured this would be the best place to stay, considering it’s the hub of all the action. Plus you have the ring, in case I want to ring up George." He gave a nervous laugh.

Harry smirked and moved to help him unpack. "You obviously know that you are always welcome here. But what about the store?"

Fred tapped his briefcase. "I will be managing from afar, but I have an excellent man on the inside, keeping an eye on things for me. Perhaps you remember my dear friend, Jordan. Lee Jordan."

Harry grinned at the thought as he opened the trunk’s lower compartment. The item inside gave him pause… it was the miniature version of the store he and Hermione had given Fred last Christmas. The tiny Weasley twins were still running around, tending to and pranking customers at will. Before he could think anything at all, the doorbell rang again. He turned and looked at Fred inquisitively. "Anyone following you?"

"Not that I knew of. I’m pretty sure no one got my letter at home yet."

"You didn’t even tell them you were doing this?" He was shocked, having been sure Arthur and Molly had known their son was moving out.

"They would have probably said no or been upset and I would have had to remind them I’m legally an adult and there would have been a whole big thing. It’s better this way."

He shrugged.

"Very adult-like." Harry teased.

The doorbell sounding again stopped Fred’s response. They went down together and opened the door to find Hermione and Luna, surrounded by luggage.

(BREAK)

Hermione glanced around nervously, hoping she was in the right place. She had received a response back from Luna almost immediately and hadn’t realized they lived so close to each other. Agreeing to meet at the bus stop a few blocks away, Hermione had packed up everything she felt she just couldn’t live without and was surprised to discover she’d taken up a trunk, two suitcases and three travel bags. Plus Crookshanks, stuffed unhappily into his cat carrier. At the appropriate hour she’d headed out, enjoying the irony of hearing her parents on the phone arranging her place at a new school as she was walking out the door for good. They hadn’t noticed her; they rarely did unless it suited them.

Now, sitting by herself with all of her things as the clock counted down to the bus’s arrival, she began to worry she had gotten something wrong. She took out Luna’s letter and reread it to be sure.

Dear Hermione,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having problems with your parents. Of course I understand your decision and I’d love to help you anyway I can. My father will be going to Paris, to investigate reports of… well you aren’t ever really interested in that stuff, so I’ll save you the details. Anyway, he was going to send me to stay with my grandmother, but I think it would be a lot more interesting to stay at Harry’s house, and daddy agrees. We can meet up at the bus stop on the corner of Mayson and Charles. About 9 a.m. tomorrow? Hopefully Harry won't mind. See you then!
Your friend,
Luna Lovegood

Hermione double checked the street signs. This was definitely the correct corner, but it was 8:55 and Luna was nowhere in sight. She grinned, thinking of Luna saying that staying at Harry's would be, of all words to use, interesting.

Rereading the letter to pass the time, she wondered what Luna meant by implying that Harry may have a problem with them coming to stay. She felt that he would be thrilled to see her, and believed it with everything she had. Maybe Luna had been worried that it would be her own presence that would upset Harry. She doubted it. Harry had more patience for Luna than he did most people, and they had become very close friends thanks to those powers they shared.

"Hermione!" the sound of her name snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Luna running toward her, luggage floating easily behind her.

"Luna! You can’t do that!" Hermione scolded as the other girl approached. "You aren’t supposed to use magic outside the school!"

"I’m already seventeen. They can’t say anything about it." She checked her watch. "You ready?" she asked excitedly, raising her wand high in the air to signal the Knight Bus which roared to a stop in front of them.

The girls boarded quickly while trying not to draw attention to themselves. They had worn hats and sunglasses and sat in the back, talking to no one except each other. Luckily the bus was mostly empty, and Hermione truly believed Luna would be able to tell if anyone malicious was nearby. She noticed her friend had a way of reading people, and not just through their thoughts.

They got off three blocks from their destination and as the bus roared away, she felt her gut tighten with panic and uncertainty. They weren’t supposed to be doing any of this and she began to worry what they would all think of her, putting herself in unnecessary danger by running unsupervised through the city. Anything could have gone wrong. Anything could still go wrong in their short walk. Anyone could be watching them. She could be leading the enemy straight to the Order’s headquarters, and worse, straight to Harry.

"Relax." Luna told her as they started walking. "We’re fine. No one is following us."

"You read my mind? I had my wall up!" Hermione was amazed.

Luna laughed. "Of course I didn’t. It was written all over your face, not to mention the way you keep glancing behind us."

They reached numbers 11 and 13 and waited patiently as number 12 appeared. They walked up to the door and Hermione nervously rang the bell. She looked to her friend for reassurance. Luna smiled and said, "I guess you’re home now."

 

 

A/N: So, obviously these first few chapters will be setting up the rest of the story, but I’ll be throwing some action in soon, so have no fear. Coming up next- Ron tries to find out Ginny’s secret, the gang gets some info about the coven, the adults fight the kids over their decisions.

Chapter 2- The Devil is in the Details

NOTE: Hi! Welcome back, lots to cover in this chapter, it’s going to be a long one. And for those of you who caught it last chapter, and for those who didn’t, I made Luna older than she’s supposed to be, going into her sixth year. I had to age her for my purposes later on in the story and how she is older will be explained in this chapter. So without further adieu, Read, Review, Enjoy!

 

 

Harry had literally welcomed the girls with open arms, grabbing them both up in a tight hug half in joy at seeing them so unexpectedly and half in reassurance that they were really there. Their luggage was quickly brought in and left in the entryway, with the exception of Crookshanks’s cat carrier which they brought with them to Hermione’s room, the poor cat meowing pitifully the whole way.

"He’s much too big for this cage anymore, but I didn’t have time to get a new one." She explained as she released the cat, who promptly ran under the bed in a clear desire to avoid them all- as if each one of them had played a part in his captivity and discomfort.

"Now that the shock’s worn down a bit, what are you two doing here?" Harry asked after grabbing Hermione in another, longer hug.

"You aren’t happy to see us?" She answered evasively. "And what’s he doing here?" she pointed at Fred.

"Who me? Why, I’m Harry’s new roommate. I live here now." Fred announced, taking a seat on the bed.

"That’s still to be determined once his parents find out he’s gone." Harry told them.

"You ran away from home?" Luna asked. "At your age?"

"And you lovely ladies are here because?" Fred asked defensively.

"I certainly didn’t run away. I have permission to be here, as long as Harry is okay with it." Luna said, wandering off to examine the bookshelves. He wondered what she was really thinking when she pretended to walk around all unaware. He knew she was faking most of her aloofness, and he was beginning to think it was a pretty good way to throw others off how clever and insightful she was.

"I may have ran away, but I had no choice!" Hermione burst out. She told them everything, from her parents and the newspapers to the front doorstep. Harry caught her pause when talking about meeting Luna at the bus stop, and saw something flash in her eyes. She went on, and he was sure she had changed the story to omit whatever part had triggered her response. He had also felt a slight shift from Luna’s direction, but she was walking along as if she were browsing in a bookstore.

There were two parts of Hermione’s story that bothered Harry. The first he deemed the far more important issue. "Why didn’t you write and tell me? I could have come and gotten you. What if something had happened!?"

"Nothing did happen, and I had my reasons." She crossed her arms, her smile smug and triumphant. "Maybe now that you know how it feels to have someone do something dangerous without telling you, you’ll think a little more carefully about your actions in the future."

"Do not tell me that you ran around London alone with Luna, with enemies hiding everywhere, just to teach me a lesson!" He said angrily. "This isn’t like leaving Hogwarts to go to Hogsmeade-"

"You’re right! I wasn’t headed into battle, I was riding a bus!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Fred interjected. "If this is about to turn into a marital spat, I have better things to do. Besides, I think we have a better question to ponder. Hermione, darling, how did your parents come by these newspapers? I never really pegged you as a pack rat." That had been the other thing bothering Harry, and he decided any further conversation about the first would better be saved for private. They all, Luna included, turned to Hermione for an answer.

"That’s just it, I have no idea! I certainly wouldn’t have saved the horrible stuff I know they must have read." She threw her arms up in frustration before slumping next to Fred.

"But you would save the ones marking Harry as the hero." He teased. Hermione ignored him.

"You didn’t ask your parents where the papers had come from?" Luna asked.

"I didn’t think of it! I was so mad, and I think a little in shock. It happened so fast, they were saying all these things and then they were forbidding me from everything I wanted and I didn’t stop to think about the source of it all." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. " I think someone must have sent them. I can’t imagine where mum and dad could have gotten those papers themselves." She looked and sounded so distressed, Harry put aside the fight they had been about to start earlier and sat beside her, pulling her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"But who would have sent them?" Fred asked.

"Someone who wanted to ruin my life." She answered bitterly.

(BREAK)

They had discussed it to no end, and though none of them wanted to admit it, Hermione was sure they were all thinking the same thing. And she didn’t have to be a mind reader to know it. She certainly believed sending those newspapers to her parents was something Draco Malfoy would be callous and sneaky enough to do, if he were still the same person. It would be an excellent way of dividing the group, and it had almost worked. Of course, none of them would say it out loud.

Luna and Fred had gone to their own rooms to finish unpacking, leaving Harry alone with Hermione. She had expected him to jump right back into their argument about her wandering London virtually alone, but instead he stood and started pacing. "They think it too, you know. Fred and Luna, it was the first thing we all thought. Though Luna dismissed it right away."

"You mean about who sent those newspapers?" she asked. She was still reluctant to say her suspicion out loud, though she hadn’t needed Harry to tell her the others felt that way. Fred had looked straight down at the floor, to where Draco’s room was, right below hers. She shivered unexpectedly, though honestly, she agreed with Luna that it probably wasn’t Draco who’d sent the papers. It didn’t make sense.

"You’re the rational one here, Hermione. -At least you used to be-" Harry muttered the last part, but she heard him. So he was still upset by what she deemed her non-adventure. Nothing had happened, and so she really didn’t believe she had done anything wrong. She had simply been successful in her endeavor. "What do you think? Could he have, would he have done it?" He asked interrupting her thoughts.

"I may be rational, but you’re the mind reader. You tell me." She shot back, still peeved by his little muttered comment. But when he looked at her, with real concern and a bit of embarrassment in his eyes, she let it all go and focused. "What? What is it, Harry?"

"I can’t see his thoughts so well anymore. Ever since the train ride home when Ginny-" He broke off mid sentence, his brow furrowing as he fought to remember something. She waited, but when he started again, he had changed his story. "On the train, or after it, I’m not sure, I began realizing he had walls up, like you guys. It’s the strangest thing, like one day he was almost an open book and now he’s a locked safe. I think- I think maybe he knows about me. I certainly didn’t tell him, you guys are really the only ones I’ve told. And Dumbledore is the one who first told me."

"I don’t think our headmaster-"

"Your headmaster now." Harry pointed out. She shook her head and continued.

"I don’t think he would tell your former enemy about all your new superpowers. And Draco is not dumb, you know. As much as you and Ron always wanted to believe he wasn’t good at anything, I knew he had good marks in school. He is capable, and probably more perceptive now that he’s so alone. He probably just figured it out, Harry. As for sending the newspapers, I just don’t know. What would he have to gain, really?"

"I’ll go find out." Harry strode to the door.

"Harry! He’s your guest, he gave up everything including an arm to help at Hogsmeade, and there’s certainly no polite way of asking those kinds of questions."

"That’s just it though, isn’t it? We don’t really want to believe he’s still an evil little jerk because of Hogsmeade and this miraculous new personality he’s found. Plus the last time we all thought he was the one doing horrible things, it turned out to be Cho. Why should we suspect him now? Maybe that was his plan all along! We supposedly have Snape on our side spying on them, why wouldn’t they want their own spy? And where better to place him than here, where I live and where Order members come and go and oh yeah, where the Minister of Magic likes to hang out."

"You’re the one who told us he changed, remember? Last year you said you took a good look around in his twisted little head and found it cleaned."

"What if he fooled me, Hermione? I needed to believe him then, with the trial going on and all the stunts Cho was pulling. But think about it, he came around and confessed to me at just the right time, didn’t he? And with everything going on after the trial, I mean he was easy to overlook because of preparations for Hogsmeade and especially since he finished the year out of student view."

Hermione sighed and took his hand. "Harry, I see where you’re coming from, and I follow your logic. But why would his own father have sent the killing curse at him? Wouldn’t Lucius have been in on some big plot like that?"

"Well it didn’t kill him did it?" He pulled his hand free and crossed his arms, looking very much like an upset child who has been told no for the first time. She couldn’t help but smile though she knew he was really quite serious.

"No, it didn’t, but from my understanding, that was only because you pushed him out of the way. And before you say that they could have meant to do that, how far is a spy supposed to go to gain trust from the enemy? Loss of a limb? That’s a bit much for anyone, let alone a seventeen year old."

He pouted even more before slumping down on her bed. "You admit I make sense, and I’ll admit, you do as well. So who’s right?"

"We both are." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. He scooped her in his arms and held her close before rising and moving to the door.

"I’m still going to try and talk to him. There’s a few other things he and I need to discuss anyway."

"Yeah, does it have anything to do with Ginny and the train ride home that you started to mention?" She sat up and smiled coyly. If he thought she was going to let him start keeping secrets now-

"Maybe, and I’ll tell you all about it when we sit down to talk about the little part of your story you left out- about the bus stop? Remember?" He grinned widely before heading out. Damn, he was getting more perceptive. She hadn’t realized anyone noticed when she’d had a hiccup in her story.

And then she remembered it fully, the reason she had given that small pause- Luna, who had walked up to the bus stop floating her luggage behind her. Still sixteen herself until September, Hermione had immediately rebuked the girl, who was after all one school grade below her. But Luna had ever so casually explained that she was of age. That meant she wouldn’t be punished for magic use outside the school. That also meant she should already have an apparating license. She hadn’t thought about it at all at the time, she’d been too wrapped up in her worries and fears about their journey and the greeting they would receive upon their arrival. But in retelling the story to the boys, it had finally struck her. Luna couldn’t be seventeen, she was supposed to be a whole year younger than Hermione.

It was certain that the girl was going into her sixth year, where all of her classmates would just now be straddling the age line between sixteen and seventeen. So what had happened to cause Luna to be so behind? She decided to go find out. Since Harry was on his mission to clear the air with Draco, their reunion was on hold anyway. Not that he had seemed to want to ravish her when he found out what she had done. She sighed and headed to Luna’s room, rehearsing what she would say to Harry later.

The door was ajar, so Hermione knocked lightly before opening it and wandering in. "Hey." She greeted Luna who was lying on her bed, reading an old book. Her trunk and bags were piled next to the bed, still untouched. "Not planning on staying long?" Hermione joked, indicating the luggage.

"I don’t like to unpack. Eventually I’ll need everything in there, so eventually it will all get put away. And then…I’ll just have to pack again for school. So mundane." She sighed. Putting the book aside, she sat up and looked at Hermione expectantly. "But that’s not what you came to ask me is it? What’s up, Hermione?"

"It’s just that… well… uh..." she didn’t know how to start. Suddenly feeling embarrassed and awkward, she chastised herself for coming down here preparing for the wrong conversation. Hadn’t she just told Harry that there were certain questions which couldn’t be asked politely? Well, how do you ask someone if they were held back in school? Was it even really her business?

"Spit it out. I can take it, I promise." Luna smiled sweetly at her.

"I guess I was just wondering, well, it’s about your age…" she trailed off, hoping Luna would understand her still unspoken question.

Luna visibly stiffened, but her face was uninterested. "Oh, that." She replied. "I thought you’d have noticed my slip right away, I kept waiting for you to ask me about it on the bus, but you were too busy clutching my arm and looking at everyone as if they were a Death Eater."

"So, you really are seventeen? You’re older than Harry, Ron and me?"

"Only by a few months. And I wasn’t held back or anything, if that’s what you wanted to know. I got my letter to Hogwarts at the same age as everyone else."

"So what happened?"

"Family crisis. I decided to stay home for the year to help. I went the very next year and you know the rest." Luna picked up her book and pretended to read again, signaling that Hermione had gotten all the information she was going to get. She apologized for interrupting the other girl and went back to her own room, more curious than when she had left it a few minutes earlier.

She suddenly wondered if Harry knew what Luna’s family crisis had been. They had gotten so close last year, because of their powers, and Hermione knew he had confided in Luna when she herself had been unavailable to him. She had expected to feel at least a twinge of jealousy, but for once she felt secure. Luna wasn’t after Harry, and he wasn’t romantically interested in her. She knew it and basked in it, waiting for his return.

(BREAK)

Harry knocked so hard at Draco’s door his hand ached. It was his third attempt and still there was no answer. Harry tried turning the knob and found it securely locked. He thought it was ridiculous that he was unable to access any room he wanted in his own house. "Oh, let me in already." He muttered to himself giving the handle another hard twist. To his surprise, it turned easily and flew open.

Stumbling in, he let his eyes adjust to the dim light of the bedstand lamp. He gave an involuntary shudder at the darkness of the room, and not just from the dim lighting. The entire room was so drab and colorless, except for a few touches of green and silver. The walls were a dark, charcoal gray, the floors a deep mahogany. A bookcase made of the same wood stood against one wall holding dark dusty volumes. Small silver lamps with coiled snakes decorating the bases sat throughout the room emitting low lighting through emerald shades that were the exact tone of the two small throw pillows on the bed. The bed itself was covered in dark silver sheets and a large black bedspread that matched the curtains covering the window. He couldn’t imagine staying somewhere so depressing and gave silent thanks for his bright golden and crimson room. He noticed the picture of Narcissa was gone and wondered just what Draco’s relationship was with his mother. Obviously it wasn’t very sentimental as he had hidden away her likeness.

It was pretty clear the room was empty and he wasn’t sure what to do. Of course Draco wasn’t confined to his room, but Harry was unsettled by the idea of the boy just wandering his house. Noticing a book lying open on the bed, he moved closer to try and see the title.

"Something I can help you with?" Harry turned to find Draco standing in the doorway. His eyes were immediately drawn to the boy’s elbow, where the sleeve was pinned halfway up with no arm to fill it.

Feeling guilty, he quickly averted his gaze to Draco’s face. "I was, uh looking for you. I wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Well here I am." He remained in the doorway, looking wary.

"Where were you, just now?" Harry asked, hoping his voice didn’t carry the suspicion he felt.

"I went to get something to drink." He held up his good arm, where a bottle of juice was tightly griped in his hand. He moved into the room, placing his drink next to the lamp before turning to face Harry.

"Oh, right." He muttered feeling embarrassed.

"Should I have asked?"

"No, of course not. Whatever you want from the kitchen is welcome to you." He gave a weak smile, fully aware of the awkwardness of the moment. "Sorry to have barged in your room like that. I did knock, but, well…"

"Right. Well, it’s your house. You can go anywhere you want I guess." he shrugged and waited for Harry to go on.

"Anyway, I wanted to go over a few things with you." He paused. How was he going to ask? "Well, it’s difficult, but I need to know if you…if you know…about me?"

"I know a lot of things about you, Potter. You want to be more specific?" Draco smirked, suddenly more like his old self.

"The mind thing." He blurted out, deciding it was okay, vague enough in case the other boy didn’t know and specific enough if he did.

"Oh, that." Draco shrugged again. "Yeah, I kind of figured you and Loony Luna were a bit different from the rest of us. You pushed me over twice without touching me, remember? And without a wand, I should add. Plus I know what it’s like to have a mind reader running around in your head, I felt you in there Potter, dragging your big clunky feet."

Harry didn’t push for info on the other mind reader in Draco’s life, figuring he meant Voldemort. Instead he was stunned into realizing he had never wondered what it was like for the people whose minds he invaded, whether or not they could feel him in their heads. He would have to develop more finesse with the skill. "So you’re saying you just figured it out? Who have you told?"

"You really don’t think much of me, do you." It wasn’t a question, and for some reason, Harry felt ashamed. "I didn’t tell anyone. I haven’t been around anyone to tell if you recall. Dumbledore, my constant companion." Draco said miserably. "But I wouldn’t tell any of them. Personally, I think it’s great that you’re better off than they think. I hope my father chokes on the knowledge that you, who he hated more than he loved me, are more powerful than he could ever hope to be. I hope he chokes and dies a miserable, terrible, painful death."

Harry was left speechless. He had figured Draco would hold resentment toward his father, even if he were a spy. But the depth of the bitterness in the boy’s voice was unsettling. "Okay then." He said weakly knowing he still had one more difficult thing to bring up. "So, there was something else."

"Yeah?" Draco asked not bothering to hide his irritation.

"Do you know of anyone who would know enough to send old copies of the Daily Prophet to Mr. and Mrs. Granger?" Harry asked delicately.

"I know what you’re really asking. You’re asking if I had anything to do with it. No, I didn’t. I really don’t expect you guys to trust me or anything, but could you at least lighten up. Not everything is my fault you know." He turned his back to Harry and began rearranging things absently, signaling his desire to end the conversation.

"Okay then." Harry said again, unsure if anything else could be said. He moved to the door.

"By the way, Pansy Parkinson had suggested doing something to get rid of Granger last year, when I was still friends with her. Said her cousin told her that getting rid of your friends was the best way to leave you defenseless."

"What’s her cousin got against me?" Harry asked, irritated that people as insignificant as Pansy had been trying to plot against him as well.

"Who knows, I barely paid attention to the idiot. But if it makes you feel better, from what I can recall it seemed like whoever this person is, they couldn’t have cared less about you, they were just giving Pansy advice." He turned once more to look Harry in the eyes. His face was hard. "But she’s no brain surgeon. I doubt she’d be smart enough to think up sending old newspapers."

"Right, um, thanks. Sorry to have bothered you." Harry closed the door and leaned against it. Now in the hallway he felt lighter, less tense. Until he realized he had forgotten the other thing he had wanted to discuss.

On the train ride home, when Ginny had stormed out, Draco had risen as if to follow her. He had caught a glimpse of something then, something he had pushed aside for more important thoughts. Now he stared at the closed door before him and decided to let sleeping dogs lie for the time being. After all, he felt awkward enough after their conversation, how could he now ask if Draco had somehow developed some kind of attachment to Ginny?

Figuring it was none of his business anyway, he turned to the stairs eager to return to Hermione and share the news he had gathered- and hopefully rekindle a proper reunion. The doorbell put a stop to that plan and with a heavy sigh of regret, he went downstairs instead of up. He opened the door to reveal Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Hello, Harry dear." Molly said sweetly, hugging him tightly to her. She smiled at him before turning stern and saying, "Now where’s my son?" Unable to do anything other than point to the ceiling, he watched as she went straight up the stairs, yelling Fred’s name at the top of her lungs.

"Hi there, Harry." Arthur tiredly greeted him. He led them upstairs behind Molly, who was already banging on Fred’s door.

Despite the disturbing situation, Harry felt a sudden sense of relief. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn’t yet broken the news of his decision to drop out of school so his own confrontation with the elder Weasleys was still only a future possibility; that knowledge allowed him to enjoy Fred’s turn thoroughly. He began to understand why the Weasley children so enjoyed seeing their siblings in trouble.

"Fred! I know you’re in there! Open this door!" Molly screamed banging on the door so hard it was rattling on its hinges.

"Not until you regain some composure, mother." Fred yelled from the other side.

"What did you say to me?!" Molly shrieked.

"I will discuss this with you, in a calm adult manner, which you are unable to achieve at this moment." Fred answered. He certainly had some guts, behind that locked door. Harry hoped it held up, the way he was goading his mother.

Noticing Hermione peeking down from the top of the stairs, he gave a silent nod to Arthur and dismissed himself from the hallway. "What’s going on down there?" She whispered.

"I do believe Molly and Arthur have found Fred’s note." He answered with a smile. They sat at the top of the stairs, trying to stay out of view while watching the scene below as it played out.

(BREAK)

Eventually Fred had let his parents into his room, having only put off the inevitable. Harry and Hermione went to his room, letting the Weasley family sort it all out privately among themselves. Both inexplicably tired, they simply lay holding each other and talking. He told her about his conversation with Draco, and his amazement at gaining entry to the room after simply asking. She told him that it was his house after all.

After awhile, Hermione felt herself drift off, having found no other pillow quite as comfortable as resting her head on Harry’s chest. She was just beginning to feel her limbs grow heavy when he roused her.

"Hey, Mione?"

"Yeah?" she tilted her head to look at him.

"I was just thinking, well, you see my parents…they wanted to properly meet you, remember? Do you think it’d be okay to do that now?" He looked at her shyly through his eyelashes.

"Of course!" she beamed at him. She was touched, really. And with her own parents so far removed from her in every sense, she was glad Harry had found a way back to his. She would probably never be able to bring him home, to introduce him as the person she intended to love forever. The Grangers had formed their own opinions, even before the newspapers had confirmed their deepest fears.

She watched as he eagerly put on the ring and sat back down next to her to concentrate. Sitting up straight, she quickly adjusted clothing and smoothed her wild curls, hoping she looked presentable. It would probably always amaze her to watch the souls of the dead appear right before her. Completely different from the ghosts she had encountered at the castle, these people were somewhere else entirely and being brought back into this plane of existence. It was something she intended to research when she had free time… if she ever had free time.

The Potters appeared quickly, and had large smiles plastered across their faces. "Harry! And Hermione as well! Hello loves!" Lily exclaimed, floating closer to where they sat together.

Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged and the news of the engagement broken. Although they were happy and supportive, the Potters exchanged knowing smiles with each other... as if they were aware of something she and Harry weren’t. In all, it was going better than Hermione had hoped, despite their odd behavior after finding out the teens intended to marry. She pushed it aside, assuming whatever held them back from fully congratulating them had to do with how young they were.

The Potters were friendly, encouraging people. The kind of people the world needed when there were so many others it didn’t. She was saddened while talking to them; Lily, James and Harry seemed to make a natural family and it was tragic that they didn’t get the chance to be one. Eventually, as his parents must have felt him grow tired from the effort of calling them over, the conversation turned to business.

"Harry, you must begin looking into the history of the coven. I’m convinced there’s an answer there, and I had tried to start the process before…" She trailed off, staring into the distance. "Anyway I didn’t get very far." She finished with a sad smile.

"How much did you learn?" Harry asked.

"Not much more than the library books had to say." James muttered. "Whole afternoons wasted to learn nothing more than an extended version of the history we learned in school."

Lily shot him a look. "Oh, hush. We had some good times in that library and you know it."

"We didn’t learn anything about the coven in school." Harry said, trying hard not to interpret the meaning in his mother’s statement.

"It was seventh year, in History of Magic class." James replied. "I never napped better."

Lily shot him another look before turning to her son. "Despite your father, I did find out one starting point, I was able to trace our ancestor within the coven. Her name was Lyraline Eldyrwood. Start with her and find the others."

After bidding the Potters adieu, Harry and Hermione tried to decide the best place to start looking. Eventually they settled on both the Archives and the Hall of Records in the Ministry of Magic. Arthur would have to get them access, but Hermione wasn’t sure now was the right time to ask.

A heavy knock on the door interrupted their conversation. She went to open it and found herself eye-level with Hagrid’s massive chest. She looked up, craning her neck and gave him a smile.

"What’s up Hagrid?" Harry asked from behind her, still lounging on his bed.

"I jus’ thought you’d like ter know yer mail arrived." Hagrid handed a letter to him. "Wha’s goin on down there?" He asked, indicating the yelling still going on from the floor below.

"The Weasleys are having a family discussion." Harry explained distractedly. "Thanks for the mail."

"See you later, Hagrid." She said, closing the door.

Harry was sitting up now, staring down at the letter in his hand. Hermione waited quietly while he read it. "It’s from Ron." He finally said.

"And?" she asked, certain that he wouldn’t have told her that much unless he wanted to share.

"We may have a problem. He’s asking if I know anything about a secret involving Ginny and Draco."

"Oh." Hermione sighed. They both knew what secret Ginny had that involved Draco, after all they had helped her get away with it. "He’s talking about the stabbing." She said unnecessarily.

"It must be. How did he even find out?" Harry furrowed his brow.

"And how much does he know already?" she added.

"Not a lot apparently." He held out the letter for her to read herself. "He intends to go directly to Draco if I can’t give him any answers. Hermione, if he finds out about this now…."

He didn’t have to finish his thought. She knew Ron’s temper, and she knew that he hated being kept out of the loop as much as Harry did. If he found out they were keeping such a huge secret from him, especially since it involves his sister… well, he definitely wouldn’t be thrilled. And after all the trust Harry had already destroyed between the two boys, she didn’t think Ron would be in the right frame of mind to hear the truth even if they did tell him.

Her rumbling stomach interrupted her thoughts. She realized she hadn’t eaten at all that day, having had skipped breakfast so as not to accidentally run into her parents. It was now nearly dinnertime. Harry smiled at her suddenly and muttered something about being a terrible host.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, let’s find you something to eat." He took her hand and led her downstairs.

They had made it to the next floor down as Arthur was coming out of Fred’s room. He looked surprised to find them there, one of them more than the other. "Hermione? What are you doing here? Your parents let you came back already?"

"Um…not exactly." She said looking at her feet.

Arthur looked from one of them to the other before growing stern and crossing his arms. "Then suppose you two tell me exactly what is going on, and why so many children are running away from their homes during these dangerous times?"

 

 

 


A/N: Coming up next, a little bit of action as the gang heads to the ministry to do some research. Also Ron is determined to find out what everyone if hiding from him while Harry finds out more than he wanted. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 3- Revealing Research

Author’s Note: Hi! Welcome back, there’s a bit of action toward the end of this chapter as we start to dig into the coven mystery, but still a bit of set up as well. Stick with me, those of you who prefer action scenes to prose and dialogue, it will be coming in spades throughout the story, we just have to get there. I know I’ve said this before, but this chapter is a really, really long one. And so my lovelies, without further ado, as always: Read, Review, Enjoy!



"Well?" Arthur asked once they had relocated to the parlor. Hermione felt better, away from the crushing presence that an upset Molly will produce… even behind a door yelling at someone else.

"She asked me to come get her because she had a fight with her parents." Harry lied, looking just above Arthur’s eyes. "It’s my fault. I rushed over there and brought her back."

"Oh, Harry." Arthur sighed shaking his head. "You don’t think I believe you for one minute do you?"

"I don’t see why not, it sounds like something I would do." He shrugged.

"It’s my fault." Hermione blurted out. Harry shot her a look, but she couldn’t hold it in. She would lie to her own parents before she’d lie to the Weasleys. "It’s true I had a fight with my parents. Someone sent them a bunch of old Daily Prophets and they got angry and decided to keep me away from school…and Harry. I panicked! They said they’d already written to Dumbledore, and I just had to get out, I wasn’t thinking straight…or maybe I was. In either case, I didn’t want anyone to be upset and I didn’t want to be an inconvenience and I didn’t want to chance anyone telling me no. I knew it was wrong to come here without telling anyone but I did it anyway and I’d do it again!" she stopped to catch her breath, having let out her explanation/tirade in one burst of steam. Harry put his arm around her in support.

"Hermione, I don’t know what to say." Arthur was shaking his head again. "You’ve obviously already lectured yourself on how foolish it was, and I’m sure you know that anything could have gone wrong. You kids just run around thinking there aren’t any consequences, or that you are invincible! You’re not! George proved that, didn’t he, while you all were running around Knockturn Alley?!" he gasped, having realized what he’d said. She watched him sink into the soft, blue armchair, a man who looked decades older than his age. She hadn’t thought about this effect of her actions and kicked herself for bringing more pain to this good man who was already hurting so much. "We just don’t want to lose anymore of you kids. There’s enough danger coming to us without you all going out tempting fate."

Hermione threw her arms around Mr. Weasley. "I’m so sorry. In the moment, it felt like the right decision."

Arthur patted her arm. "I know, I just wish you kids could sit in our shoes for a bit, and feel how much we love and care for all of you. It makes us worry, which makes us age." He finished with a small joke to lighten the air. She stepped back, wiping away the few tears of shame that had escaped.

"Sorry to interrupt." They all turned to find Luna standing in the doorway. She smiled sweetly at them. "It’s getting late so I was going to help out and make dinner, are you and Mrs. Weasley staying?" She asked Arthur.

He looked at Harry and Hermione, eyebrows raised in question. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, there was one person I told about my plan to run here."

(BREAK)

Ron kicked himself for not going with his parents to get Fred. He had wanted to talk to Harry face to face and now he was forced to write that stupid letter. He had been in the middle of watching a pivotal quidditch match on television and hadn’t really comprehended where his parents had said they were going until after they had already gone. Stupid muggle contraption, he was angry his father had brought home the TV. His father may be intrigued by the thing and how it worked… but Ron found it was nothing but a time waster and now because it had drawn him in, he’d lost his chance. Harry knew something about this thing with Ginny, he was sure. Maybe not psychic, superpower sure, but he didn’t have to be. He had his gut and that was good enough.

When they had found Fred’s letter that morning, he had been mad at his brother. He found it incredibly selfish that Fred would leave on his own and without telling anyone when everyone was already so worried and stressed. Ron had sat down in front of the television to zone out, to not have to think. Then the match had come on, a newly televised event due to the number of magical homes buying televisions. He had been immediately zoned in on the game, and when his parents had said they were going to get Fred, it wasn’t until a break in the broadcast that he had realized that meant they were going to Harry’s.

He didn’t know why Fred hadn’t just told everyone he was moving out, though he completely understood the desire to be at Harry’s house, the hub, where things were happening, where information could be had. It had to be far better than being trapped at the Burrow. Ginny barely left her room, and he knew their mother was starting to worry. She had asked him what was wrong with his sister, but he hadn’t known what to say. He didn’t want his mother to think badly of Harry, and so he hadn’t wanted to mention anything about that whole situation. They were all upset because of George… and Percy, and he couldn’t bring himself to mention either name in his mother’s presence. That left all the other horrible things that happened last year and in the years before to explain away Ginny’s mood, but what could he tell his mother about any of that? Finally he shrugged and just said, "Maybe she’s worried about her OWLs."

He hoped his letter would get Harry to fess up, but he wasn’t holding his breath. His friend was too good at keeping secrets. Just like Luna. Well, he would demand to be brought there for the next order meeting, or the next time Fred ran away, or even just to visit. He would find out what Ginny was hiding, and what others were hiding for her. After all, finding out this secret had given him a feeling of purpose.

(BREAK)

After making Hermione repeat everything she knew about the newspapers, Arthur promised he’d look into finding out who sent them to the Grangers. Molly came down a bit later, and after a quick look at her face, Harry decided it would be best to wait to ask for permission to access the Ministry archives. Apparently Fred had argued his case and was staying. The Weasley parents took their leave anxious to get back to the two children they still had at home.

"I think we need to talk to George." Harry told Hermione as they stood watching the Weasley car drive away.

"Oh?"

"I think they need to know there’s a way to talk to him." He turned to start up the stairs but she grabbed his arm.

"You don’t know what everyone else needs, Harry."

"Thanks a lot." He muttered, pulling his arm free.

"Take a second to think it out. What will happen when George crosses over, and we can’t call him anymore, like Cedric? They’ll have to deal with losing him all over again. Do you really think Molly will be able to handle that?"

"You and your damn logic." He went upstairs to Fred’s room and knocked, before Hermione could stop him. Yes, future pain would be inevitable, but could he really deprive his surrogate mother the chance to see her son again, the one who was gone because of him? Could he really keep them from the happiness they needed so badly now, just to save them more pain later? At least they would be prepared the next time, when George was really gone. At least they would be able to say all they needed to say before it was all really over.

Fred opened the door, his face red. "Oh, hey. I thought my mum came back."

"Harry!" Hermione stopped at the top of the stairs, seeing she was too late.

"I think we need to tell your folks about the ring…and George." He blurted out.

"You do, do you." Fred eyed him thoughtfully. "I agree with you. I know it would make them feel a little better. It did for me. But I think it would be best to ask George like we discussed before. He may not want to see them, or rather, he might not want them to see him, not like that. I wouldn’t."

Hermione sighed, obviously relieved that someone else understood the cons of the situation. For some reason, her sigh of relief annoyed him. He would analyze his feelings later; right now they had something more important at hand. They all went up to his room to get the ring, and Fred insisted on being the one to call his brother. Harry handed the ring over without hesitation; he was fine with letting someone else drain themselves out. Wanting a private conversation, the remaining Weasley twin returned to his room, promising to let them know what George said.

Luna called dinner. Harry felt guilty, he had forgotten she was in the kitchen cooking. She shouldn’t have to; it was something he should have done. He sighed, knowing he would have to work harder than he has been. Since piecing most of his life back together after nearly destroying it during the last school year, he had been trying very hard to be more aware of others around him. But it was so easy to be sidetracked. He was worrying about the Weasleys, and so everyone else was out of his head.

Looking around the dining table he almost laughed. If someone had told him at this time last year that he would be having dinner, in his own house, with Hermione his fiancé, Luna his newest best friend, Hagrid the unemployed and Draco Malfoy his new roommate, he would have told them they were insane. Fred coming down awhile later was the cherry on the top of the guest list. After all, this time last year, he had been with the Dursley’s. Anything would have been an improvement.

Eyeing Draco, Fred took the empty seat next to him. "So George wants some time to think about it." He said without ceremony. It was a succinct statement, made only for the benefit of those to whom it pertained. The others looked confused, especially Hagrid, but let the statement pass. And despite all the underlying tension between the diners, dinner was light and pleasant. Harry wondered if Luna bewitched her cooking, as even his annoyance with Hermione had disappeared. After everyone decided to retire for the night, he followed her up to her room, determined to put everything else aside and show Hermione how much he had missed her in the few days that had separated them. He knocked softly on the door and she flung it open, looking at him expectantly as if she had been waiting for him to come finish their fight.

Instead, Harry gathered her in his arms, crushing his lips to hers. Within an instant she was kissing him back, clinging tightly to him. He lifted her off her feet, her legs wrapping around his waist as he walked all the way in and kicked the door closed. Carrying her to the bed, they toppled down, pulling off clothing while trying not to lose physical contact. He tangled his hands in her hair, kissed and nipped at her neck, tasted her sweet skin, and lost all coherent thought. They hungrily devoured each other, letting out every emotion inside of them through pleasure, sometimes gentle, sometimes playful and sometimes aggressive. Rolling around together for hours, they became one entity, peaking together until exhaustion overwhelmed them.

She fell asleep in his arms while toying with the key hanging from his neck. He had taken to wearing it for good luck- after all it led him to the ring. Looking down at Hermione’s peaceful face, Harry felt his heart swell with love, to the point where his chest hurt. He was deeply conflicted. Anything could have happened to her that morning, to her or Luna, and his entire world would have ended. Knowing how much he hated when others tried to control him, he none the less was undeniably angry that they had made decisions without him. She had made her point, stating the similarity between his own actions a few weeks before and theirs that morning. And as she said, she had only been riding a bus, not intending to go into battle. The difference she forgot was that he had the support of the Order and Ministry behind him. He hadn’t been alone there with Fred and Draco. And he had known what he was in for.

She snuggled in closer, her breathing deep and even. Sleep would be impossible for him. He thought hard about what to do with the conflict rising in his chest. Remembering his first shining example of an adult relationship- the Dursleys- he decided he wanted nothing like that. Vernon had no doubt been in charge of the household. (Until Dudders had learned to talk, that is.) Aunt Petunia had never done anything without Vernon’s permission or approval, with the exception of making him keep Harry. And Harry, himself had paid the price for that. But Vernon liked things orderly, and he liked being in control. He had gone far to keep control over his nephew all those years; his anger growing with every passing year that made it harder to pin Harry under his thumb.

He would never be like that, and he would never want Hermione to be scared of him, as he knew his aunt had sometimes been of his uncle. So how was he supposed to get his way and still give freedom to others? The only way to ensure Hermione would be safe was to keep her as far from all of this as possible, but that would mean distance between them, and a very big fight. And if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want her to leave, even if it did mean her ultimate safety. After getting a taste of life without her, through no one’s fault but his own, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do it again. He felt selfish. His head was pounding as he lay and think and think and think. Finally deciding he would never again bring up how Hermione got there and just enjoy the fact that she was right there in his arms, he was able to focus on his other problem.

What in the world was he supposed to tell Ron? It seemed like a lifetime ago that he and Hermione had found Ginny on the stairs, covered in blood. It had been right after George’s funeral and they had decided it was best that none of the other Weasleys had to deal with the fact that their youngest had stabbed someone in the back. No, not someone… she had stabbed Draco Malfoy, the son of a very prominent Death Eater and witness to her brother’s murder. Deciding he needed advice, he gently untangled himself from Hermione and slipped out of bed.

After throwing on some clothes, he took the ring next door to his own room. Slipping it on, he concentrated hard on George Weasley and was very quickly rewarded. "Wow, two visits in one day! I feel special." George teased.

"Hey. I need to ask you about something." Harry replied, not sure how else to begin.

"All business. Gotcha. Proceed." He furrowed his brow and brought his fingers together, trying to look like he was ready to listen intently.

Harry smiled. "So I don’t know how much you know from what you can see up there, but the short story is…Ginny got a note from Draco last year after, well, yeah, just after you were gone and she went to meet him and actually wound up stabbing him. Hermione and I found her and helped her out and kept it from the family because they were all in so much pain."

"I did know about that. I haven’t breathed a word of it." George joked. "Get it? Breathed a word of it?! I don’t breathe at all!" He erupted into wild laughter.

"Death has disturbed your sense of humor." Harry grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"I’ve always been disturbed." He shot back. "Anyway, proceed."

"Well, somehow Ron got wind that there was some secret about Ginny and Draco and he wrote me a letter basically letting me know he’s figured out I know something about it. He’s demanding answers or else he’s going to go to Draco himself. It’s not really that I’m worried about that so much, but if Ron finds out I’ve been keeping something like this from him, well…"

"He is already a bit sore at you, isn’t he." George shook his head. "You and Ron both, you just let your emotions lead you around. Not that I was one for the stop and rationalize way of living, but you two, it’s like watching a soap opera. Not that I’ve ever watched those." He added quickly.

"Hey, I didn’t call you here to criticize. I need advice. What should I do?" Harry asked desperately.

"Tell him that Ginny needs to be the one to tell him. She does you know. She’s the one who has to atone for it, if she’s even sorry. I just don’t know about that girl anymore. Oh, pick your head up, Harry, I’m not blaming you." George floated closer. "She’s been going downhill for awhile. Fred and I were talking about it and we think, well maybe it did start her first year at Hogwarts, when she had that stupid diary. She had Voldemort as his younger self, running around in her head, using her to do things. Mom wanted her to go talk to the healers at St. Mungo’s afterwards, but Ginny refused. Anyway, that’s my advice. Tell him it’s her secret to tell, and you are only doing for her the same as you’d do for him. If he wants to be a crybaby over it, send him to me, I’ll try to talk some sense into him."

"Thanks George." Harry smiled. It wasn’t helpful advice, persay, but it would do in a pinch. He could start with that and see where it went. He rubbed his head, which was throbbing worse. He wondered if it was a migraine.

"Harry? Can I ask you something now?" George asked hesitantly.

"Sure, anything!" Harry hid his pain.

"I want to see my folks, but I don’t want them to see me. I mean I want to talk to them but I wouldn’t be able to hold them, touch them. It would almost be like it wasn’t real, and I don’t want mum going through that. Other than Fred’s offer to stand there and let mother hug him in place of me while we talk, I can’t decide what to do. So I guess what I’m asking is, well, was it worth it for you? Is seeing your parents and Sirius again, even like this, is it worth knowing that they still aren’t really there?"

Harry stopped to think, realizing these were the very concerns Hermione had been trying to point out to him earlier. Now that he could accept the decision was entirely George’s, he answered as honestly as he could. "I’m happier knowing there’s a way to contact them, to just see them if I need to. But I didn’t have my whole life with them, before they were gone. So while I’m sad that I lost them in the first place, I couldn’t imagine how your parents feel having made you and kept you alive for seventeen years only to have you taken away by your own brother. And Molly was so deeply affected, I just don’t know. I think it would make them happy, but when the time comes for you to…move on, I don’t know. At least they’d be more prepared then, for you to be gone."

"Hmm." Was all George had to say.

(BREAK)

Ron got his chance to go back to Harry’s two days later. Apparently, Harry had written to Arthur asking for permission for them all to go into the ministry archives and his father had agreed to let them go into the office with him that day since he only had one meeting. His own letter from Harry had been unsatisfactory, merely inviting him along to research the coven- no mention at all of Ginny or Malfoy. Although, there had been one name brought up in the letter that made his anger flare. Luna had shown up at Harry’s with Hermione.

Apparently Hermione had had some huge thing with her parents and had run away without telling anyone. Picking up on Harry’s habits, she was- and as selfish as Fred. The fact that she went to Luna and not to him, irked Ron to no end. He, Harry and Hermione were supposed to be best friends, so why was Luna still in the picture. He wasn’t with her anymore, so his friends were supposed to take his side. He felt like he was being shut out. First Hagrid and Malfoy, then Fred, and now Hermione and Luna… Everyone was fleeing to Harry’s and he was left at the Burrow, with a sister who won’t speak to him and parents who’ve gone bonkers.

As soon as his dad pulled up to the curb, he was out and up at the door. Harry opened it wearing a cautious smile. "Hey Ron."

"Hey, we need to talk before our little trip to the ministry." He got out quickly before his father joined them.

"Hey, Arthur." Harry greeted him. "Do we have time for lunch before we go?" Ron was relieved. He had been worried that Harry wouldn’t be willing to talk to him. His dad gave the affirmative, declaring his meeting wasn’t scheduled to start for a couple of hours.

Arthur went off to talk to Fred, while Ron followed Harry to his room. "Where are the others?" he asked as soon as Harry closed the door.

"Draco and Hagrid are in their rooms, Fred is in his room along with your dad I believe. And…the girls are in the kitchen." Harry carefully concluded.

"You mean Hermione and Luna. You can say her name, Harry."

"Okay, fine. Luna has taken over cooking duties for the house, not letting anyone else help. So she’s making lunch and Hermione’s keeping her company. Happy?"

"That my ex is in your house cooking for you? I’m thrilled." He slumped down on the bed.

Harry sighed, taking a seat across the room in the desk chair. "She’s cooking for her and me, Hermione, Hagrid, Draco, Fred, and today for you and your father." He ticked everyone off on his fingers. "It’s not like I’m starting a harem here, Ron. The girl I have is enough for me."

"Yeah, I know." He grumbled. They were getting sidetracked. He hadn’t wanted to talk about Luna.

But maybe you need to. Harry’s voice flitted across his mind. Not being around the psychic twins every day, Ron hadn’t needed to shield his mind, and therefore, had forgotten to build it back up for the visit.

"Maybe I do." He returned angrily, feeling a bit violated. "But not right now. Right now I need to talk about what went on between Malfoy and my sister and you know about it."

"Ron-"

"No, Harry. I want the truth. Ginny is… not herself anymore. And I need to know everything that involves the reason for that."

"But why?"

"Because!" He shouted, jumping to his feet and pacing angrily. "Because if I have all the pieces, maybe they’ll make a whole picture. And then we’ll be able to fix her."

"What if there’s nothing to fix, Ron? What if this is just what happens to her when faced with fight after fight, tragedy after tragedy, for years on end?" Harry asked. "None of us are the bright eyed eleven year olds we were when we first set foot at Hogwarts."

"Some are more so than others." He sighed and faced his best friend. "Please, just tell me what you know about it."

He took a long time to answer. Ron could see the struggle behind his eyes. Harry wanted to tell him, but there was conflict. Finally he turned from Ron and quietly said, "I just can’t. It’s Ginny’s secret to tell. And Draco’s I suppose, if you really want to go ask him. If they tell you, I’ll be more than happy to tell you everything about it from the time I became involved."

"That’s not good enough, Harry."

"You think I don’t know that?" He yelled. "I’m sorry you found out about it at all because it doesn’t involve you. And now you are all twisted around, mad at everyone because they won’t tell you something that’s none of your business! How is that fair to anyone? It’s something that happened, that everyone has put in the past and you are running around trying to stir it up again! Do you think that’s good for Ginny?"

"It’s about my sister but not for me to know, but you know, and Luna. And let me guess, Hermione knows about it too, because you always wind up confessing to her in the end, as if she’s your personal savior!" Ron yelled back. "And who are you to judge what’s good for Ginny, you’re one of the problems that turned her this way! Twisted her all up you did, played on the stupid crush she had on you! All the girls come to Harry anyway, so I’m sure she’ll forgive you someday. I don’t think I ever will, not completely!"

"Yeah, I can see that." Harry said. "I did what I did. I admitted it was wrong, I apologized. I can’t change it, and my only defense is that I was trying to do the right thing and get you all away from me. What else can I do, Ron?"

Ron stood with his fists clenched. He and Harry had needed to have this out for a long time, but they kept having small arguments instead. This time as they yelled at each other, he actually felt his anger fade. He was losing steam, as if all he had really wanted was to yell, to just shout out his anger at the one person who he felt deserved it most. And now that he had, he didn’t know what came next. "There’s nothing you can do, Harry. Except to promise to never again use my family like that. You knew what was going to happen when you kissed her in front of Hermione; you planned it. Just stay away from Ginny altogether."

"I can do that." Harry promised quietly. "But I really think it would be best if you just drop this other stuff. There are things you don’t need to know, or are better off not knowing. Plus you’re just dredging up the past. It’s not like it’s anything pleasant."

"She’s my sister and she’s in trouble. What else can I do?" Ron clenched his teeth. He saw Harry’s point in not dragging any of the past up for Ginny. But that’s all the more reason Harry should just tell him. Or Luna should have.

"Just forget about it, Ron. That’s what you can do."

"No, I can’t. I need to know everything that’s happened to her, I need to know why she’s acting this way and how I can help her." He felt like he was begging, but at this point he didn’t care. He didn’t understand why Harry was being so stubborn.

"Ron, what if it’s not something that happened to her… What if it’s something she did that we’re all keeping quiet? Did you ever consider that?" Harry asked, a bit defensively.

He paused at the thought. Harry looked completely serious. "Well then, that’s all the more reason for me to know, don’t you think?"

(BREAK)

Hermione must have been waiting, because she was through the secret door behind the bookshelf almost before Ron had left by the real one. Harry briefly relayed their conversation, and how he had almost just broken down and told Ron everything. But George had been right. Although Harry and Hermione were co-conspirators by necessity, it was Ginny’s secret to tell. Luckily, Ron had agreed to drop the issue, at least for that day. And he had promised Harry that he wouldn’t go to Draco until after trying again with Ginny. Harry wasn’t sure why he was worried about Ron going to the other boy, just a gut feeling that the confrontation wouldn’t end well- especially if Draco decided to tell Ron everything.

Ron hadn’t been happy to strike a compromise, it had been obvious, but Harry held the card of knowledge and he hadn’t wanted to play it. He felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world; raging against everyone for being kept in the dark by those who said they knew what was best and then doing the same to his best friend.

Lunch went slowly, and Harry’s anxiety grew. He wanted to just go, get to the Archives and find what they needed. It had taken way too long to get the ring, he wouldn’t let time waste like that anymore. Patience was a virtue he had always been in short supply of, but now it was non existent. He wanted to take action and end all of this once and for all, in any way possible. He couldn’t handle the stress of worrying for the safety of so many people much longer. Sharp pains stabbed his right temple and he rubbed it, trying to find relief. These headaches had to stop.

When they finally arrived at the ministry two hours after Arthur and Ron had gotten to Harry’s house, the headache had dulled to a manageable throb. As they were led through the Archives door, Harry foresaw an even worse headache by the time they left. Two rows of folders and filing cabinets seemed to stretch out in front of them, going on for eternity, with a large desk every few yards. The walls and cabinets nearest the door were all bright red and looking down the hallway, it appeared that the colors faded down the color scope, darkening all the way to the end.

"Alright kids, there’s a catalogue right over there detailing where you can find everything." Arthur pointed to a large cabinet full of tiny drawers. "You are allowed access to this entire section. Anything past the door at the end is restricted." He eyed them all suspiciously. "In case you get any ideas, there are ministry guards, patrolling past that door. I sincerely hope that none of you would abuse my trust. I had to go through quite a bit to get you all clearance to go this far."

"Good guilt trip, dad. That should keep us all in line." Fred cracked.

Arthur ignored him. "When I leave, the door will be locked for security. I will be back after my meeting, but if you are finished before I return, simply knock and you will all be escorted to my office to wait for me. You are to go no where else. And you are not to go anywhere alone." He finished sternly.

"If we’re with each other, does that count as being alone?" Fred asked smartly.

Arthur glared at his son. "Just because you took it upon yourself to leave my house does not give you the right to disrespect me. There are rules here for a reason. Let us not forget, dementors have infiltrated us here before." Harry watched Fred blush deeply at the scolding he had received, but he thankfully held his tongue as Arthur took his leave. He didn’t understand why Fred was trying to push his dad’s buttons, but he had other things to focus on. They were on time restraints here.

"Where do you suggest we start this little hunt of yours, Potter?" Draco asked. Harry knew the others were unhappy to have Draco Malfoy among them, especially with Ginny having declined to come. They weren’t the Marauders anymore. But Harry felt better knowing Malfoy was not alone in his house. Hermione and Ron had agreed, however unpleasant they found the idea when he ran it past them, and that was enough for him.

"Isn’t that why we brought the egghead?" Fred asked nudging Hermione playfully.

She sighed and moved to the catalogue drawers, carefully reading the contents written on each one. Finally, near the bottom, she pulled out a drawer and removed several files. "Here, these should lead us all to some information about the coven." She counted out the folders, there were eight. "Okay, everyone take one, I’ll take what’s left over."

As soon as everyone had their folders, they spread out to hunt down the place among the filing cabinets where their information could be found. Hermione of course found hers first, right away in the red section. But since she had also taken the two left over, Harry wasn’t worried that she’d run out of things to research. Luna and Fred found theirs near each other in orange, and sat down with large stacks of papers at the same table.

Draco stopped suddenly in front of a cabinet painted bright green and hungrily pulled out the drawer. Harry had a feeling the information he was pulling out was something that he had found to interest him, not their quest. "Hey, Malfoy. Focus."

"Don’t worry Potter. I’m a multi tasker." He replied without looking up.

Harry and Ron walked on and on. He reread his folder to make sure he hadn’t passed what he wanted. They were only in the blue and he needed to get to violet. "Finally!" Ron said at last, pulling out a drawer in the last blue column.

"Lucky you." Harry muttered under his breath. Of course he would pick the one furthest away… his impatience was quickly reaching a breaking point. He went on for another few minutes, leaving Ron far behind him. He began to hope one of Hermione’s folders would bring her this way as it was beginning to feel dark and very lonely surrounded by all this deep violet. And he didn’t like the tingling feeling in the middle of his forehead either. Rubbing the spot, he remembered Luna saying something about psychic energy passing through a third eye and purple being the color for intuitiveness. Well, it must have been true, because the exact drawer he wanted seemed to radiate its presence to him among all the others as he searched it out. He hastily ripped it open and grabbed all the relevant papers.

Rushing to the table a few feet away Harry spread everything out. It appeared he had picked the file with all of the information regarding the Coven’s battle with Marquees. The name repeated over and over and he tried to make sense of what he was seeing, but most of it appeared to be written in another language.

There was one part Harry had no problem reading, and it was exactly was he was hoping to find. Right there among accounts of some grand battle, were the names of the original 12 coven members: Mun-Hee Xing, Isamu Shao, Drishya Talwar, Savita Jha, Meskhenet, Sakhmet, Alexandra Nikas, Thanos Romanos, Hermelinda Aguilar, Gwendolyn Crowley, Lyraline Eldyrwood, and Ashford Deveroux.

He felt victorious. Quickly using the copying spell Hermione had taught them all, he magically transferred all the relevant information onto a blank piece of parchment. Thinking hard, he added all the parts in a different language. After all, if Hermione had been able to read Latin for them last year, who knew what other languages she had mastered. He put everything back in the drawer, the way he had found it and turned to go.

And he really had intended on going back to the others. But he had seen something out of the corner of his eye. It was the door Arthur had told them about. He hadn’t realized he was so near the end of the hallway. Walking closer he felt beckoned, like someone was pulling him closer. The last thing he wanted was to get Mr. Weasley in trouble, but the need to go through that door had become unbearable. His intuition was poking him, prodding him, and he knew there was something back there that he wanted to see. No, that he needed to see. Desperately. The feeling was so strong and so swift, he was acting before conscious of it. And by the time his brain began processing on it’s own, he was through the door.

Footsteps echoed to his left. This was nothing like the rainbow hallway he had just left. It was much darker and three separate tunnels stretched out in front of him, curving out of sight. The footsteps grew louder, someone was coming and Harry had to make a move. Letting his gut guide him, he threw himself down the center tunnel, moving stealthily. Finally he emerged in a bright room with three doors. Without hesitation he went to the one on the left and opened it easily. Something was waiting for him behind that door, something he needed to find. His pulse quickened as he entered the dimly lit room. Inside was one small filing cabinet with only two drawers and stacks and stacks of chairs lining the walls, as if whatever was in those files was studied by several people at once. He moved closer, his heart racing, his breathing shallow, his head pounding in anticipation. The top drawer was clearly marked, Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort. He had expected this, if he was being honest.

No, it was the second drawer that held his attention. This drawer was marked in big, bold letters, Harry Potter. They had a drawer, all about him, here in this restricted back room, and in the same cabinet with Voldemort. As if we are one thing in their minds, he thought bitterly.

Angrily he pulled out the drawers and his role of parchment and began copying everything. Harry wanted to know what they knew about Voldemort, and what they thought they knew about him. He had just stuffed the last papers back into his drawer when he heard the knob on the door jiggle. Panic swept over him. What would happen if they found him here? Would Arthur lose his job? Would they add this to Harry’s record? Would the others get in trouble? Would they make him leave without all of the information he had gathered? The door slowly swung open as Harry moved quickly to hide himself behind the cabinet. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to make himself very small, wishing he’d had the foresight to know he’d need his invisibility cloak. Didn’t he always somehow get into trouble; usually doing something he knew he shouldn’t.

"Hello?" a familiar voice called.

Harry’s heart leapt to his throat as he jumped to his feet. "Draco?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I saw you come back here." He quietly closed the door, his voice a whisper. "You weren’t supposed to, so I figured you found something worth getting Weasley’s dad in trouble for."

"What do you mean you followed me?" Harry demanded. "I left you way back in the green section."

"Yeah, and I finished up what I was doing there." He held up a sheaf of papers and shook them in front of Harry. "Your little quest brought me all the way to the end in violet. I saw you in front of the door and called your name but you must not have heard me because you went right in. I went to follow you but I heard someone coming and closed the door to wait them out. Then I went in and found this a few feet into the middle tunnel." He threw down the papers and pulled something else out of his pocket using his only hand. It was his key necklace. Harry felt around his neck, and sure enough, it was gone. How it had fallen off, he didn’t know.

"Thanks." Harry said taking the necklace.

"We should go back. Did you get everything you wanted out of here?" Draco sneered, obviously glad he caught Harry doing something wrong. Some things may never change.

Without a word, Harry stuffed all the scrolls of parchment into his pockets and hurried to the door. Cracking it open, he listened hard for footsteps. He also sent out his mind, trying to see if anyone was in the vicinity. They appeared to be in the clear. Signaling Draco, he opened the door the rest of the way and led them back down the tunnel. Now that he didn’t feel the pull or desire that had blinded him earlier, he was able to better take in his surroundings. They were dark and depressing, much like his mood. The tunnel felt like a sewer tunnel, dingy and forgotten.

Suddenly footsteps sounded behind them. Still a ways off, but coming closer none the less. The boys sped up their pace, and Harry was grateful to see the opening and exit door come into view, they were easily home free. He skidded to a stop and grabbed the knob, twisting, pulling, pushing. Nothing was happening.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" Draco hissed right behind him.

"It’s locked or something." Harry whispered back, scrambling for his wand.

"Alohomora!" He said, but again nothing happened. The footsteps were echoing off the tunnel walls behind them and Harry felt himself panic. With his ears ringing, he shouted out mentally for everyone on the other side of the door. All he and Draco could do was pray someone heard, and was quick enough to open the door.





A/N: So we’re picking up a bit…getting past the set up. Here are some things to ponder…What’s going on with Harry’s headaches? What will George decide to do about his parents? How far will Ron go to uncover a secret? How will Harry ever find all of the descendants of the original coven? What is in those files Harry found? What did Draco stop to look through?…Some answers and a few more questions in the next installment of Harry Potter and the Coven of Warriors.

A/N: All reference to Tom Riddle’s Diary from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 4: Beginning Again

NOTE: Okay, here we go again. As always, READ, REVIEW and ENJOY!




Harry’s heart was in his throat as he waited desperately to see if anyone heard his call for help. Footsteps echoed in his head, they seemed to come from everywhere and Draco was starting to show his panic as well, clutching at Harry’s shirt as he silently berated himself for going through the door. Harry screamed for the others with his mind, frantically pulling and pushing on the door. It was hopelessly locked. They were going to be caught.

Suddenly the doorknob jiggled in his hand. Someone was on the other side! It swung open and he rushed through pulling Draco with him and quickly shutting the door. Then he grabbed Ron, who was looking at them puzzled, and they all three ran down the corridor until they came back to the others, waiting patiently in the red section.

"What happened to you guys?" Hermione asked as they skidded to a stop, doubled over trying to catch their breath.

"I have no idea! I heard Harry yelling behind the door so I went and opened it and they ran through, grabbed me and we ran down here." Ron gasped.

"You guys went through the door?" Hermione asked in a stern voice.

"We’ll talk about it later. Let’s just get out of here!" Harry said, going to knock and bring the guards.

(BREAK)

Back at Grimmauld place later, they all gathered in Harry’s room to go over their information. Draco had given Harry his parchments before disappearing into his own room and no one really lamented his absence. Hermione sat next to Luna on the floor, trying to be supportive since Ron had taken a seat between Fred and Harry on the bed. It was a doubly beneficial location, since she didn’t feel like being anywhere near Harry at the moment. She was deeply disappointed that he would risk getting Arthur in trouble by doing the one thing he was asked not to. And he went with Draco no less, someone they just barely trusted. Hadn’t they just been fighting the other day about her not following directions?

"It looks like most of it is written in some weird language." Harry said, looking through everyone’s notes.

"It’s old English." Hermione pointed out. She had recognized it right away and thought everyone knew what it was, even if they couldn’t read it. But three blank faces stared back at her from the bed and she was awed.

"Like Beowulf." Luna added trying to be helpful.

At least one other person in the room knows something about something, Hermione thought. The boys faces remained blank. "I can look it all over later." She said with a sigh.

"That’s why we keep you." Fred answered with a grin.

"I know." She countered.

"Well, whatever the rest is written in, I have the most important part right here." Harry pulled out one of his papers. "It’s a list of the original twelve coven members."

She took the list he handed her and looked it over, nodding her head happily. They finally had a starting point. "I can probably use genealogy to trace lineage to the current generation. We should be able to find out who their direct and present descendants are." She handed the paper back as Fred leaned over to take a look.

"Whoa, check out some of those names. They came from all over didn’t they?" he pointed out.

"Dumbledore did say they had to jump language and cultural barriers to come together." Harry shrugged. Hermione didn’t see why that would be a problem today, when communication across the world was so much easier.

"I can help you read all this stuff if you want." Luna offered her assistance.

"You can read it?" Ron asked. It was the first time he had said anything directed to Luna. Everyone appeared startled, Luna included, and waited to see what would happen.

"Um, yeah. My grandmother taught me and Ka- well she taught me. She liked that poem." Luna stumbled out.

Hermione wondered what she had been about to say, but respectfully, didn’t push the matter. If it was something she wanted them to know, she would tell them. After all, couldn’t any of them be entitled to a secret?

(BREAK)

It had been difficult, being around Luna and pretending nothing had ever happened between them, but Ron had managed. Maybe that meant the next time would be easier. Now, back at the Burrow and in his own room, he thought over what he wanted to say to Ginny. He wouldn’t back down this time, that was for sure. If it was as Harry had implied, and Ginny’s secret was something she had done wrong, then he had even more right to know. If anyone should be protecting his sister, it should be him. He had always felt the most responsible for her, even if he hadn’t always acted upon it as he should have. Walking slowly to her room, he tried to steal himself. He would NOT back down. Knocking twice, he opened the door with his hand in front of his eyes.

"If you’re that worried about it, why not wait for me to answer your knock before barging in?" Ginny asked.

"Are you decent?" He demanded.

"I’m dressed, if that’s what you’re asking." She replied.

Lowering his hand, he saw her sitting up on her bed, a few books scattered open in front of her. "What are you up to?" he asked trying to sound casual.

"I’m looking through some of the things I had problems with last year at school. What do you want?"

"I just got back from the ministry with everybody." He told her, as careful as Harry had been earlier not to mention any names that may cause pain. Unfortunately, that was basically the whole group at this point.

"Fabulous. Hope it went well." She rolled her eyes and returned to reading.

"I asked him, but he wouldn’t tell me anything about it, Ginny." Ron said.

She looked up at him, fire in her eyes. "It’s none of your business."

"You are my business. What happened? What did you do?" He asked quietly but sternly.

"What did I do?" she asked rising from the bed. "I thought you said Harry didn’t tell you anything,!"

"He didn’t." Ron didn’t know why he was protecting Harry. That small fact had been the only thing his tight-lipped friend had let out. "I’ve been thinking, putting things together. So you can straight out tell me what happened, or I can stand here and work on it until I figure in out. Either way, neither one of us is leaving this room until I get answers." She glared at him. "Fine, have it your way. Let’s see, something last year, that you did, that involves Draco." He tried to consider everything he knew about either of them last year.

"This is stupid. You’re stupid." She tried to push past him and leave, but he blocked her way. "This isn’t funny, Ron."

"No, it isn’t! Nothing about you is funny lately, Ginny! We all know it." He shoved her back in the room and she stomped away from him.

"Fine! You want to know so bad! I’m the one who stabbed him!" she screamed.

Silence choked the air as her words sunk into his soul. "What?"

"Remember after George was murdered." She began coldly. He simply nodded. "Well, I got a note from Malfoy asking me to meet him so he could explain. I brought my wand, and just in case, I grabbed a big kitchen knife."

"Why did you go at all?" Ron interrupted.

"I don’t know. I don’t know why I did a lot of things last year, okay? Shall I go on or have you heard enough?"

"Go on." He urged. He just had to know how Harry fit into all this.

"Anyway, I went and saw him standing there waiting and I was so mad I just…I don’t know. Suddenly I was walking away, a bloody knife in my hand. I don’t remember anything in between. Then I went home and Harry and Hermione found me. They cleaned me up and hid the evidence. Harry was worried about Malfoy dying, and didn’t want me in trouble for murder, so he placed an anonymous call to the ministry about where to find the body. And, obviously, they found him in time. And that’s it, Ron. That’s all."

"That’s all! You stabbed someone and made my best friends accessories to the fact! What if Draco decides to turn you in at some point?! Does he even know it was you?" Ron felt frantic.

"Of course he does." She didn’t seem fazed.

Of course, she’d had time to process. "I can’t believe Harry didn’t tell me about this! Or Hermione."

"I guess they were worried about what it would do to all of you so soon after George." She shrugged, completely detached from the moment.

"But you stabbed someone!" Ron was repeating himself, but he had to keep saying it, in order to really believe it.

"Yes, but Harry and Hermione chose to become involved. I didn’t ‘make them accessories’" Ginny said bitterly.

"They were protecting you! And us I guess. Mom would not have done well with that news back then. She wouldn’t do well with it now either. Oh god, Ginny. What were you thinking? He could tell someone!" Ron was torn equally between anger, betrayal, shock and worry.

"If he wanted to, he would have already. I think Malfoy is basically a de-fanged snake at this point. Guess that makes Harry a snake charmer." She laughed wildly.

"You need to go talk to someone. Someone at the hospital. You’ve needed to for a long time." Ron said quietly.

"Are you going to make me?"

"Maybe. I’m not going to let you go the way of Percy!"

She threw out her arms and laughed. "And he utters the great betrayer’s name! Is that what you think, Ron. A boy rejects me so I’m going to run to the other side? I’m not that weak."

"Then be strong enough to admit you aren’t well. Be strong enough to admit you need help. And be strong enough to let me or anyone else help you." Ron took a step toward his sister, but she put out an arm to keep him away.

"Get out. You got what you wanted, do with it what you will. Just leave me alone from now on." And to keep the peace he left, but with new resolve to get Ginny the help she needed.

(BREAK)

"I had no control over it, Hermione! That’s what I’m telling you. It was like something was pulling me back there. And I found something after all, didn’t I? And Arthur didn’t get in trouble." Harry was pleading his case later that night, but even to him, it was weak and he knew what was coming.

"And I just rode a bus and nothing happened after all, did it?!" Hermione shouted.

"I was wrong, I admit it, okay!" he shouted back. He felt terrible. Once again knocked off his high horse, doing something very much like what he had been angry with her for. But he wasn’t going to back down either, he had found those files and he needed her help to go through them.

"I can’t believe you Harry. King of the hypocrites aren’t you? And to risk getting Arthur in trouble when he was doing you a favor! Get out of your own little world, Harry! Your actions affect the rest of us, just like ours affect you!" She turned away from him to wipe away angry tears.

"I’m not going to stand here and go in circles with you, Hermione. I was wrong. And the more times I’m wrong the easier it is to admit it." He smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood.

"Then it must come to you as easily as breathing at this point." She muttered, her face a mask of stone.

"Okay, you can have that one." He sighed. "Look, Hermione, I did what I did, and the end outcome is that I found something."

"So what?!" she threw her arms in the air. "So what if they’re keeping a file on you and it happens to be in with Voldemort’s information? They probably have files on all of us somewhere in there!"

"Well, we’ll see what you say after I go through it all."

"How many projects do you need going on Harry? The coven, this mysterious file, keeping Ron from self-destruction over this secret with Ginny, and remake an old enemy into a new adventure buddy, when is it enough stress? When you have a premature stroke or heart attack by your birthday?" She stalked out of the room and into her own.

He followed. "Look, if you don’t want to help, that’s fine, I can ask Luna. Or Fred."

She froze. "I never said I wouldn’t help." She said in a low, dangerous voice. "Leave me alone."

"Hermione-"

"Get out!" she shouted, shoving him out the door and slamming it in his face. They both knew he could open it if he wanted. He didn’t want to.

He was in shock. What had he said to get that response? What had he done? Understanding was so far out of his reach, his only hope was to wait her out and see if she calmed down enough to yell at him. Only once before had he made her so angry, she couldn’t even be near enough to scream her outrage. He hadn’t realized he had just done something as bad as all that. It made him feel tense and uncomfortable.

Walking down the stairs, he ran into Draco coming up, a sandwich in his hand. "Potter." Draco nodded as they passed. Distracted, Harry merely nodded back and continued on his way. Then his foggy brain cleared and he realized he had wanted to speak with his roommate. He ran back up the stairs and pounded on Draco’s door.

"Something you wanted?" the other boy answered with irritation.

Harry barged in. It was his house after all. "What information did you take from the ministry?"

"Well, I couldn’t read most of it, but it appeared to be about the countries of origin for your stupid coven people." Draco crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost. "And I already gave it all to you."

"You know what I mean." Harry insisted.

"No, not the slightest idea. Now, if you’ll excuse me?" He motioned toward the door.

"What did you take from the green section?" Harry asked outright.

"Oh, that. Just a little personal information I found relevant. Like you’re the only one who is looking for answers." Draco walked to his desk and threw the papers at Harry. "Here, so you don’t think I’m trying to create some sort of uprising. It was all about Lucius. You know, my father? Yeah, I figured the ministry probably knows more of the truth about him than I did and wanted to educate myself. You aren’t the only one who never really knew their parents."

(BREAK)

Hermione threw the book on her bed across the room. Who did he think he was? She tried to breathe out some of her anger, rationalizing that Harry probably hadn’t even realized how much he had hurt her. It didn’t help.

She had always felt that she was indispensable to Harry, if for no other reason than her intelligence. Now, he had Luna, who knew old English, and Fred who could learn anything once he put his mind to it. She may be the smartest, but she wasn’t the only smart one in the group. Even Harry, despite his impulsiveness, was quick to learn things and very adept at applying what he’s learned.

She slumped down to sit on the floor, holding her head in her hands and letting the tears come. Her biggest fear was losing Harry, and she seemed closer to it than ever, for so many reasons. But for him to imply that he wouldn’t need her help, and that it was okay with him that she not help, well that hurt her deeply and made her realize a whole new way she could lose him. She had feared his death, his interest in another girl and his turning into someone she no longer recognized. It had never occurred to her before, that he simply would lose interest in her, for no reason at all.

And how was she supposed to explain any of it to him, when she herself didn’t understand. He hadn’t realized what he’d said, but it was very close to telling her he didn’t need her. What’s more, it was very close to saying that he didn’t care that he didn’t need her. Had he meant it that way? Maybe not, but the way people say things can subconsciously imply things they are really feeling. Never one to put much stock in psychology, she had still studied a bit of the field and found it interesting. Now, it all flooded her mind and she lay herself down on the floor and cried herself to sleep.

(BREAK)

Hermione refused to leave her room for the next two days. By the third, she admitted Luna only long enough to drop off a tray of food. Harry was beginning to worry. He went over it and over it in his head but it wasn’t there. He didn’t know what he had done, but he was sorrier than he’d ever been, because whatever it was, had obviously hurt her very much. He sunk into one of the overstuffed blue chairs in the den and tried to remember every moment of their fight.

"You really don’t know do you?" Luna asked from the doorway a bit later.

"I really don’t." He admitted.

"You told her it was fine if she didn’t help you because there were other people for you to go to." Luna said with a sigh.

"Yeah…?" Harry was still confused. They had been fighting and he’d assumed she wouldn’t want to be any part of it at that time, so he assured her he could find someone to help him. What had been wrong?

"Are you kidding me? It was all wrong! Don’t you know Hermione at all?" Luna answered his thoughts.

"Stay out of my head, would you?" he grumbled. "Hermione told you all this?"

"Nope. I watched the argument in your mind a little bit ago." She shrugged at his look. "I was worried about her too, and her mind is a steel fortress right now. Anyway, she’s obviously upset because you basically said, ‘It’s okay with me that I don’t need you.’"

"That’s not what I said at all!" Harry protested.

"Yes it is." Luna disagreed. "It’s what Hermione heard, because she measures her own worth in what she feels she’s worth to other people. When it came to you needing her, she felt like she was priceless, and you just crashed her down to bargain bin."

Harry was saved having to respond to something that suddenly made so much sense by the doorbell. He went to see who was there, Luna right behind him. Opening the door to Dumbledore and Arthur standing on the porch was a shock. The fact that they had a stranger with them trumped it.

"Hello, Harry. We need to talk to Hermione and Draco." Arthur said.

"I’ll go get them." Luna volunteered quickly and ran upstairs to comply.

Harry showed them into the parlor where Dumbledore made introductions. "Harry this is Roscoe Drake, he is a Healer from St. Mungo’s. Healer Drake, this is Harry Potter, formerly of Hogwarts."

"Formerly?" Arthur asked in confusion. Harry grimaced as he shook the Healer’s hand.

"That is perhaps a conversation for another time." Dumbledore said.

Then why did you bring it up now? Harry thought cruelly at his former Headmaster. He saw the old wizard wince and felt a hint of satisfaction.

"You wanted to see us?" Hermione suddenly asked from the doorway.

"Ah yes! We have news for the both of you. Please, let us all have a seat." Dumbledore suggested as they all moved to find a place. Harry noticed Hermione had seated herself as far from him as possible and felt guilt roll over him again. He hadn’t realized he’d said something so wrong, he had simply been responding to the argument. It wasn’t the way he felt at all. Was it? Of course not, he told himself shaking his head.

"Hermione, we have contacted your parents, and after a lot of discussion and convincing, we have moved them to a much safer place. Whoever sent those newspapers obviously knows where you lived, and it was unsafe for them to stay there, even with you gone."

Hermione simply nodded as Arthur picked up the narrative. "As to who actually did send the papers, we’ve made no progress yet, but we are still investigating. We’ll find them." She nodded again. Harry hoped they took her morose attitude as she was affected by the news she was receiving. He also hoped she wouldn’t ask them to move her somewhere else, safer, away from him. He had to make it right first.

"As for you Draco, let me introduce Healer Roscoe Drake. He specializes in limb regeneration and is the best in his field. Best in the world in his field, actually." Dumbledore smiled at the shock on Draco’s face.

"You mean…?" He began, but couldn’t finish the thought. He simply looked down at the arm that was no longer there.

"That’s right, Mr. Malfoy." Healer Drake moved next to Draco and put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe I may be able to help you."



A/N: How about that? May not be able to call him stumpy anymore. Stay tuned for more!

Chapter 5: Translations and Explanations

NOTE: And we’re back! Look for the action to start picking in the next few chapters as we learn more about the coven and our characters. Come along and Read, Review, Enjoy!



Harry could tell that Draco was trying very hard not to let the hopefulness he felt show through. His face was set in a grim expression as Healer Drake rubbed on the final lotion, but his mind, as Harry saw, was full of light and promise. Harry himself felt a bit disgusted by the sight of Draco’s uncovered stump of an arm. Although it had been magically healed over and was no longer bleeding and oozing the sight of it, ending so abruptly when it should have gone on, was unsettling.

"Alright, Mr. Malfoy. You may feel some soreness tonight, all that means is that the lotions are working. I will be back in the morning to check on you and administer the next dose of lotion and some more hands-on energy work." Healer Drake was explaining to his patient.

"Thank you." Draco quietly choked out. Harry saw that it wasn’t getting any easier for Draco to be gracious to his former enemies. He knew it must be strange, to be treated with more kindness by those you were brought up to hate, than by those who did the bringing up.

"Just remember what we told you, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said solemnly. "This is a new process with limited results. You are the first Healer Drake has tried his newest treatment on."

"First person." Drake corrected with a chuckle. "I have had good results in my lab, with animal limb regeneration."

Harry hoped this worked out for Draco. Though he still wouldn’t venture to call him a friend, Harry was beginning to feel a kinship to young Malfoy. And to give him the expectation that he would be physically (if not mentally or emotionally) restored, well, they had better deliver. He hoped Dumbledore knew what he was doing, bringing around this healer and his new miracle cure in the first place.

And doubting the old wizard’s judgement brought him right back to his anger from earlier. Arthur Weasley had been eyeing Harry the entire time Healer Drake had been working. Dumbledore’s intentional slip during introductions hadn’t gone unnoticed and now that the healer would be leaving, Harry knew what he was in for.

(BREAK)

Hermione had gone back to her room right before the healer had started on Malfoy. Although she was no where near liking him, she wanted this to work for Draco. She found his situation sympathetic, but that didn’t mean she wanted to watch. Besides, Harry was down there, pretending everything was okay. Some part of her had hoped he would follow her, and she had told herself that she would talk to him if he did. But the only one to follow her was Luna, offering assistance with the ministry archive documents.

"Am I overreacting?" Hermione asked as the girls sat, going over all the papers. She feared she was being the oversensitive, overbearing girl she had pledged to no longer be.

"About Harry?" Luna thought for a moment. "I would say, yes and no. Yes, in that you already know he had no idea what he was saying or that his words were being interpreted differently from how he had intended them. No, in that he shouldn’t have wanted to do this without you and therefore if he finds it easy to say something like that, it must be close to the way he’s feeling, which could be a problem. Let’s just say I can see it from both sides."

"That’s not helpful." Hermione groaned, collapsing back onto her bed, scattering parchment everywhere.

"No, well that’s because you need to talk to Harry. That would be most helpful. He won’t understand why you’re upset unless you tell him, you know that. It’s just how he is. It’s just how most guys are, if you really think about it." Luna gathered the papers together and ruffled through them.

"But what if I’m tired of always having to explain myself? Why can’t he just get it? Why can’t he get me?" she whined.

"What fun would that be?" Luna smiled before turning serious. "So, then…. do you think I overreacted with Ron? Should I have just told him about Ginny, and you and Harry helping her?"

"No. I think this power that you and Harry have is something that must be used responsibly. Just because you can know something doesn’t mean you should, right?"

"Right….but he felt like I was always keeping secrets while he didn’t get to have any because I could see his mind so clearly."

"Well, it’s not your fault he has no depth." Hermione said smartly, gaining a smile from her friend. "Besides, Ron gets too impatient with people. I would say your situation is completely different from mine, because he was entirely in the wrong."

"Also because you two are still together. For now." Luna said sullenly.

"What’s that supposed to mean, ‘for now’?" Hermione demanded. "And I thought you didn’t want to be with Ron anymore."

" I don’t. And all I meant was, absolutely everything in our lives is so uncertain right now. You yourself felt that it was better to make the most of the time now, since it could be gone tomorrow, didn’t you? Well, put that into action Hermione. Talk to Harry forgive, forget or both or neither. And then move on."

Hermione began to feel dread gathering in the pit of her stomach. "Why the hurry, Luna? What are you seeing coming to us?"

Luna only shook her head. "It’s just a sense of urgency that’s overtaken me lately. I feel on edge all the time, but nothing clear will come to me." She confessed. "All I can say is, something’s brewing."

(BREAK)

"So you just aren’t going back?" Arthur asked in amazement. Harry had relayed his decision and the reasons he had for it after Dumbledore left with Healer Drake. Now Mr. Weasley was staring at him as if he was a stranger, someone he didn’t recognize. Harry felt his heart twinge, but held steadfast.

"Not until Voldemort is gone. Don’t you see Arthur? I can’t sit there anymore and pretend I’m normal or the world is normal. Don’t you see how hard it will be for me?"

"But, Harry-"

"No, I won’t change my mind. Once I know who I’m looking for, I intend to gather the ancestors of the coven. I’ll be doing something useful."

"And then what?" Arthur asked. "You find these people, and they are everything you hoped, and you somehow convince them to lay down their lives for the fight, and you all gather together and train. And then what, Harry? Even if this works out exactly how you want it to, what happens next?"

"We take action and get rid of Voldemort." Harry answered simply.

"Okay. And then that works, but it’s taken years to do. Then what?"

"I don’t know! Is that what you want me to say?" Harry threw up his arms. "How does anyone live after so many years of misery and fear and pain? How does anyone live after war?"

"Harry, I’m not trying to change your mind and I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I just want you to think. I’m treating you no differently than I would any of my own children, and you know that. I want you to consider everything in your decision. What if it doesn’t work out? What if you can’t convince these people to join you? What if, gods and goddesses forbid, you lose?"

"So what do you suggest?" he challenged, arms crossed defiantly across his chest.

Arthur thought for a moment. "How about a compromise. For my sake, Harry."

For Arthur’s sake… Arthur, who only wanted the best for him… who only wanted him to have everything. Arthur, who was the only father he’d ever known. Surely he could find a way to compromise with this man who had given Harry so much when he himself actually had so little give. And he had never asked Harry for anything in return except to be a friend to his son. "Such as?" He asked in a more subdued fashion, uncrossing his arms and facing Mr. Weasley openly.

"Such as, we discuss early graduation with Dumbledore." Arthur suddenly looked pleased. "Yes, that’s it! You are so quick at learning, Harry, if you could take your exams and place highly for your seventh year, maybe Albus could find a way to have you finish your NEWT year in one semester. Then, with a completed education, you could go out and do whatever you wanted in the world."

"And if it can’t be done? If I’m unable to finish in one semester?"

"Then do as you please, Harry. But at least you would have tried, instead of just giving up school altogether. And besides, you’ll need time, not only to trace and find these people you’re looking for, but also to learn. To study the past and learn from your ancestors victory."

A good point. Why not try and get school out of the way in the time they needed to prepare. Harry had decided he didn’t want to waste time, but as Hermione had told him days ago when she was still speaking to him, the research would take as much time as it took, it was unavoidable. "Okay. If it can be worked out as you say, I agree. But…"

"Yes?" Arthur asked, looking happy and proud once more.

Harry liked that Arthur was proud of him again. He and Molly were the ones he had most worried about hurting, and now there was a way to avoid it altogether. If it worked out. But he wanted Hermione and possibly even Ron to benefit as well. Or at least have the opportunity, even if they didn’t want to join him anymore. "I was just wondering if the same arrangements could be made for Hermione. And Ron. Assuming they want to graduate early."

Arthur looked thoughtful. "I’ve no doubt of Hermione, but Ron. Well, he is a matter I would have to discuss with Molly. You know it will be a lot of work, if we can fix this for you."

"At this point, I’m prepared for just about anything."

(BREAK)

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. So far everything he had found out about his father in the ministry archives was public knowledge. Though he still had several more papers to go through, he was already feeling frustrated. He looked down at his arm, which was tingling painfully, and thought of Drake’s words. He wanted to hope that this would work, even believe it. But he just couldn’t. If it didn’t work, well, he just couldn’t stand anymore disappointment. Better to keep one’s expectations low.

He knew he had led a life of selfishness, and while he still didn’t see anything wrong with most of it Draco now knew, after watching how friends and family are supposed to act, what he had missed out on. While he had never been denied any physical need or want, attention had never been paid to his emotional needs and wants. He grew up revering his father, and then fearing him and now, hating him… this cold, proud man whom his own son barely knew.

Feeling drained, he reached for another stack of notes. These appeared to be a chronicle of Lucius's early life. He intended to merely scan through them, but three pages in, his eyes caught a few words that made him go back and read through more carefully. He couldn’t believe what he was reading and smiled with a deep sense of demented satisfaction.

(BREAK)

Harry knocked lightly on the door. He wanted to share the news with Hermione, even if he would feel he was talking to a brick wall. But some part of him hoped that returning to school, even for a semester, would thaw her feelings toward him. He hated when she was unhappy with him; his stomach had been churning for days. Of course, he hated when anyone he cared for was unhappy with him. Isn’t that why he was giving in at all? To keep Arthur and Molly happy?

"Harry." She said simply when she finally opened the door. He could see Luna through the door, sitting on the bed surrounded by parchment.

"Hi. I, uh…well I sort of wanted to talk to you." His tongue felt two sizes two big.

"Okay. Well I, uh, sort of wanted to talk to you too." She said sharply.

"I didn’t mean it that way, Hermione." He sighed. "I’ve wanted nothing other than to talk to you, but it didn’t seem like the best idea since every time I open my mouth around you I seem to stick my foot in it."

"I think I’ll be going to bed now. It’s very late." Luna said, rising and pushing through them into the hallway. "Goodnight. Good luck." She added before disappearing down the stairs. It instantly felt colder, now that it was just him and Hermione.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"I don’t see why not." She answered, moving away from the door as he cautiously followed closing it behind him. "Harry, I don’t want it to be like this, us always fighting."

"You think I do? I guess I need to be more careful of the way I phrase things, because I never meant to say I didn't need you, and I certainly never meant to say I didn’t want you."

"I know." She said quietly. "But sometimes, we say things we didn’t mean, because secretly, without even knowing, it’s how we really feel."

"Not the case here. I’m just horrible at expressing myself. Or you’re horrible at interpreting my meanings." He smiled.

Surprisingly, she smiled back. "Whichever, I don’t want to waste anymore time on this. So just promise me something, Harry."

"Anything in the world."

"If you ever do feel like you don’t want me, please just tell me right away, rather than lie to my face because you think it’ll make me happy. In the end, we’d both be miserable."

"It’s a ridiculous promise, since I’ll never have to keep it, as I don’t intend to ever tire of you, Miss Granger." He reached out and picked up the ring hanging from her neck. "Besides, I already made a promise to you, to love you forever."

"You can love someone in many ways, Harry. And you can keep a promise to love me, even if that love changes forms." She whispered.

"I already love you in every single one of them." He said before lifting her chin and bringing his lips to hers. She didn’t pull away as he had feared, but rather sighed into his arms.

"Promise me anyway." She said quietly when they broke apart.

"Okay, I promise."

(BREAK)

Harry sat at breakfast, feeling a new man. He and Hermione had made up several times the night before, and he was more grateful than ever that they had the whole top floor to themselves… no offense to Ron. He hadn’t had the opportunity, or inclination, to bring up school but he was much more satisfied with the way they chose to spend their evening than if they had spent the night talking.

Fred came into the kitchen, grumbling to himself and interrupting Harry’s daydream remembrance of his night. "I can’t believe it!"

"What’s wrong, Fred?"

"Someone broke into the store!" He pushed his plate away in disgust.

"What? What are you talking about?" Harry asked, instantly on alert.

"I just got an express from Lee. He went in to open the store and found it completely trashed. Someone set fire to the place and he thinks some things may have been stolen, but almost everything is broken or ruined, so it’s hard to tell. He wants me to come down there."

"Well, the floo entrances have been closed off. Maybe Lupin can take you. I’ll go too, help if I can." Harry offered.

"Thanks." Fred grumbled.

(BREAK)

It was a bad idea to go to Diagon Alley. But Harry had made up his mind, and she knew better than most how his mind worked. Luna sighed. She had tried to tell Hermione her fears, but she had brushed them aside, determined to accompany Fred and Harry to help. Or so she claimed. Luna knew the truth; Hermione didn’t want Harry going anywhere without her, as her biggest fear was never seeing him again should he leave her sight. Perhaps they all feared that. Luna knew she did herself. Harry took too many chances.

And so, here she was, going along with everyone else to Fred’s shop. Even Draco had come along, arranging to meet with Healer Drake at the Leaky Cauldron for his next treatment. Luna smiled. Draco knew Harry didn’t like having him alone in his house and had changed his plan accordingly. Maybe she could trust this new Draco she was seeing. Of course, once Harry and especially Ron found out the secret Draco was keeping, even from himself…well, time would tell with that one.

She sighed to herself, looking out the window as the others chattered nervously about what condition they would find the store. There were so many secrets she knew, and so many she was keeping. Her head ached. She wondered when she should tell Harry the second biggest secret she was keeping. It had taken only a glance at his notes from the ministry to know. Her grandmother had kept her and Kane well apprised of their family and their ancestors since they were young. She knew many of them by name, and felt closer to some, even though long dead. Gwendolyn Crowley had been her ancestor. On her father’s side, and whether through her name alone, Luna had felt an instant kinship with Gwen most of her life, though she had lived a few thousand years before. She had even wondered once if she was Gwen, reincarnated.

Of course, intuition had poked at her the instant Harry had begun speaking of the Coven, but she hadn’t really believed it until she had seen the name herself. And now, how was she to deliver the news. Perhaps he would be happy that there was one less person to find. The fact that he had asked her once about her family made her think he may have suspected already. She had told Harry once, that she had seen them all standing together at the end, and she still saw it. But she also saw this as one more thing to tear them all apart. It was one more thing she and Harry shared that Hermione and Ron couldn’t be a part of, and while for now, Hermione was unbothered by Luna’s closeness with Harry, that could all change in the blink of an eye, and with the right stimulus. And Ron, he was so far gone with jealousy over Harry, even he didn’t know how far. Ron felt he was losing his entire life to Harry, and it was hurting their friendship more and more. While she didn’t want to be with him anymore, she still cared deeply for Ron, and wanted him to be happy. He deserved to be happy, they all did.

But their collective happiness was still a long way and many battles off. She knew that too. It was the biggest secret she was keeping from them, because they just weren’t ready to admit what would make them happy, herself included.

(BREAK)

"You okay?" Harry asked Luna as he extended a hand to help her out of the car.

"Here already?" she asked, shaking herself out of her reverie.

He wondered what she had been thinking that had so consumed her that she hadn’t noticed their arrival or the fact that everyone else had gotten out of the car already.

She placed her hand in his to allow herself to be helped from the car. Her hand was clammy and cold. Her eyes held worry and confusion. And her mind, it was swirling, tumbling, crashing. And then she let go of his hand and it was over. She was Luna again, calm, cool, and collected. Her eyes were a normal sparkling blue and held nothing more than a hint of secrecy.

After leaving Draco in the capable hands of Healer Drake and his assistants, they headed out behind the Leaky Cauldron to the alleyway. Once the bricks moved aside, there was a small group of Aurors, led by Kingsley, waiting for them. "You don’t have more important things to do than escort us about town?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Nope. This is the most important job I could be assigned." Kingsley returned with a smile of his own.

Taking Hermione’s hand, Harry let Fred and Lupin lead the way down Diagon Alley to the Weasley Bros. Laugh Emporium. Upon entering, they all stood looking around in shock. Apparently, Lee had been holding back in his description. Nothing really could have prepared them for what they saw. Every piece of furniture had been shattered into splinters, merchandise sat in pools of melted messes, and the walls were charred black. Shattered glass littered the floor, and fallen ceiling beams lay crashed, forming a dangerous maze through the entire store.

"Lee?" Fred called out, his voice shaky with uncertainty and anger.

"Back here!" was the reply.

They all carefully picked their way through the mess, Harry helping Hermione and Luna over the larger obstacles. Once clear of the showroom, they went down the short hall to the office/lab in the back. Lee was huddled on the floor, gathering papers that had been thrown all over. "I don’t know if they just wanted to make a mess, or if they were looking for something." Lee told them desperately. "I don’t know what was in all these files." He said apologetically to Fred.

"Don’t worry about it." Fred answered, low and dangerous.

"I’m so sorry, mate." Lee said, looking as if he wanted to cry.

"You didn’t do it. And better you weren’t here. I just wish I knew why. I didn’t have anything important here."

"Nothing important at all?" Lupin prodded.

"You’re absolutely sure?" Kingsley demanded.

"Yes! Everything important I keep with me. This was all orders and receipts! I don’t even keep the potion recipes here!" Fred threw his hands up in frustration, looking around desperately.

"Well they had to have some reason." Hermione said softly.

"Fred! Harry! Remus!" they heard Arthur calling frantically from the front.

"Back here, Dad!" Fred shouted.

Arthur arrived at the door of the office, panting, his face bright red. "We have to go! Now!" he shouted. Grabbing the arm nearest him, which happened to be Luna’s, he pulled her toward the back exit, motioning the others to follow.

"What’s going on?" Harry and Lupin asked at the same time.

"We have to go!" Arthur replied urgently, still pulling Luna.

"They’re coming, aren’t they, Mr. Weasley? The Dementors? I was afraid of that." she replied.

He stopped long enough to look at her inquisitively. "My dear girl, they are already here." He quietly replied. And then, Harry could hear people screaming out in the street.





A/N: Well! With dementors flooding Diagon Alley, Draco discovering a secret about his father, Luna keeping some big secrets and Ron’s discovery of his sister’s secret, there certainly is a lot to look forward to! Stay tuned for the next installment, and leave your thoughts in the form of a review at the door!

Chapter 6: Battle Scars

NOTE: And the battle begins! In this chapter, I hope we can gain a little more insight into our characters, as they are now fighting in a completely different dynamic than they have in the past. After all, they are no longer the Marauders, with Neville and George gone, Ginny and Ron avoiding their friends, and Draco Malfoy now part of the group by necessity. So go on, Read, Review and Enjoy!



Harry followed Arthur, Lupin and Kingsley down the alleyway, his wand out and ready, his other hand tightly clutching Hermione’s. He didn’t want to chance losing her in any sort of mob. Behind them and with their wands out as well, were Fred and Luna, also holding hands so as not to get lost. Lee and a few Aurors brought up the rear. Reaching the outlet, Arthur brought them to a halt while Kingsley poked his head around the corner.

He turned back to them, his face grim. "It doesn’t look good. It appears there are some who are fighting, but there are already casualties." Kingsley reported.

Harry’s blood was bubbling, and hiding here in the alley was not the place he wanted to be. Regular witches and wizards were out there risking their lives, and he, Harry Potter was cowering in an alleyway because no one wanted him to be hurt. Well, wasn’t this one of those times for him to prove why they’re all supposed to put their faith in him?

"Do you see any clear path out?" Arthur asked desperately.

"Not unless you can set up a portkey." Kingsley answered, worry clogging his voice. "They are everywhere and unless we move, they’ll find us here soon."

"Then let’s go get them!" Harry yelled, releasing Hermione’s hand, summoning his Patronus and racing out into the street, ignoring the frightened calls behind him.

(BREAK)

Healer Drake had just packed up his things and left. Draco remained in the room Potter had booked, grateful that he had been provided privacy. It was almost more than he could take the night before, having not only Potter, but Arthur Weasley and the Headmaster see his bare stump. Hell, Draco himself had trouble looking at it. Examining the arm now, as it tingled in a ticklish, slightly painful way, he tried to see any progress. There didn’t appear to be any.

Draco’s head was reeling and he lay back on the bed to rest before Potter and the others returned. Between the vague hope that his arm would be healed, the emotions swirling from having to depend on Potter’s side of the war, and the information he had learned about his father the night before, he wasn’t sure he even had the drive to go on. He felt exhausted all the time now, and despite how much he ate, he was losing weight at an alarming rate. Not to mention the fact that he hadn’t slept more than four hours in the last five days. Drake had said it was due to stress, and probably even depression. Well, duh. The healer had left him with some herbs to take, but Draco doubted they could help heal the gaping emptiness he felt inside. Sometimes he wanted to take them all out, his father, Lord Voldemort, and Potter, Dumbledore and their Order. He sometimes wished they’d go up in flames so that he would finally be free of them all.

Screams from downstairs knocked him out of his thoughts. Curious and a bit fearful, he grabbed up his wand and slowly opened the door. Creeping down the hall to the railing at the top of the stairs, he carefully peered down at the lobby below where his eyes took in the unlikely sight of his father, surrounded by Death Eaters and a few Dementors to boot. Lucius was staring down the patrons of the Leaky Cauldron, who had pressed themselves against the wall, as far from danger as they could manage. Draco stifled a gasp, as Lucius turned with a vicious smile toward the figure now entering the inn. It was Lord Voldemort himself.

"Where is Potter?" Voldemort hissed at the terrified innkeeper. "He was seen coming in here. Where is the boy?"

He didn’t wait to see anymore. Draco turned and ran back to his room, looking around desperately. The only window faced the alley and peering down he could see the entrance to Diagon Alley. He now had a choice to make. Stay and hide, or run to get Potter and the Aurors. What would he do, be the coward or be the hero?

(BREAK)

Lupin had immediately taken off after Harry, though not to stop him. It was clear the man was as ready as his young friend was to fight. Hermione was two seconds behind him, slipping through Arthur and Kingsley who had tried to stop her. As she called on her own Patronus, she knew they were all behind her now, running into battle. Her silver otter glided steadily through the air at the nearest dementor, but it was Harry’s stag, enormous and determined that was really doing any damage. Already, she realized they had kept the Dementors from moving any further down Diagon Alley. They were now being pushed back, though still attempting to fight their way forward. It was obvious they knew Harry, maybe had even come for him, because they were coming at him faster than his stag could block them.

She shouted for Fred, Luna and Lee, and together all four focused their own Patronus creatures toward Harry. The adults, along with those on the street capable enough to call up the spell, had begun taming the stray Dementors while others began tending the afflicted. They were making headway, and very soon began moving forward, pushing the Dementors even further back. They had to retreat soon, didn’t they? How much could they take? They seemed stronger than Hermione remembered and she wondered if giving into their true dark nature had given them more power.

Suddenly, a large, long snake appeared, wrapping itself around a group of Dementors to her left. Looking for the caster, she saw none other than Draco Malfoy limping towards them. He had come to help, and her relief far outweighed her surprise. That is, until Malfoy shouted over the din of battle to Harry. "Hey, Potter! Voldemort’s at the inn and looking for you!"

(BREAK)

Draco’s words pierced Harry’s brain. Voldemort was right there, not more than a quarter of a mile down the street. Seeing that the Dementors were now heading back that way, he began to follow them, but was grabbed unexpectedly by Arthur, Kingsley and two other Aurors. "Don’t fight us, Harry!" Arthur said harshly.

"What are you doing?" Fred demanded of his father.

"Let me go!" Harry shouted at the same time.

"If you think I’m going to let you just run in there and up to Voldemort you’ve got another think coming." Arthur said with determination as Harry struggled against him.

"If you think I’m going to let you stop me YOU have another think coming!" he shouted.

"Dad! Let him go!" Fred began pulling on his father and the Aurors. Without question, Lee joined him, both trying to help free Harry.

"Arthur, someone needs to go to the inn and help. Stopping him may not be the best idea." Lupin suggested, looking down the street nervously.

"Sir?" Kingsley asked Arthur, still with a firm hold on Harry’s left arm.

"Come on!" Arthur yelled. "We are getting the kids out of here!"

"I am not a child!" Harry screamed. He knew what he had to do to get free. He really didn’t want to, not against these people, but he had no choice. Voldemort was there doing god knows what to god knows who because he wanted Harry. Well, he’d give himself over, if Voldemort had the ability to take him. Harry stilled himself, focusing all of his energy.

"No! Harry, don’t!" someone yelled. He thought it was Luna. But that wasn’t going to stop him.

In his mind he put each one of his captors in a protective bubble. "Duck." He said simply, looking at Fred, who threw himself to the ground, dragging Lee down with him. Instinctively, Lupin lowered himself as well. And then Harry pushed and Arthur, Kingsley, and the other two Aurors flew down the street. He bound them there with his mind. "Just give me a few minutes head start." He asked of the adults now struggling on the ground to free themselves from Harry’s spell. He hadn’t used his wand to bind them, and he knew, with enough time and distance, his mind would release them. Without a word to the others, he ran toward the Leaky Cauldron.

(BREAK)

Luna had stood on the sidelines with Hermione and Draco, watching Harry struggle against the adults as Fred and Lee tried to free him. She searched and searched, but the feeling wouldn’t come and she couldn’t get a sense of what the future held. Of course, from what she had seen previously, she didn’t believe this was Harry’s time to die, and therefore, wasn’t sure that holding him back would be the best move in the long run, agreeing with Lupin that they should let him go. Harry already had so many trust issues with the adults in their life, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were the only ones besides Lupin he still held in any sort of regard. She hoped Mr. Weasley wouldn’t ruin that now, with his own fear for Harry’s safety.

And then she caught it. Harry’s thought and his regret for what he was now being forced to do. "No, Harry! Don’t!" she tried to call out, but it was too late. Fred, Lupin and Lee had thrown themselves out of the way as Harry’s four would-be saviors flew backwards.

Then Harry had taken off as Lupin the boys quickly climbed to their feet and followed. And before she knew it she and Hermione were running as well, with Draco limping along right behind them.

(BREAK)

Fred finally felt alive again. The battle, the chance to avenge George, Ginny and even Percy was before him. And then his father had tried to stop Harry from going and Fred had seen red. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew he needed Harry to help get the revenge, the satisfaction that he needed against these people who were tearing his family apart. There was no way Fred could come up against Voldemort and not be pummeled. But Harry could, and he could help Harry. But here was his father, trying to ruin everything.

He yelled for Harry’s release, pulling on those holding his friend back. He felt desperate, and anxious and angry. He hated his father in that moment, for not understanding when he should have. They all needed this to end, and if Harry could do it now, if they could help Harry do it now, then it would finally be over.

Harry’s voice broke through in his thoughts, telling him to duck. He knew instantly what Harry intended to do and dragged Lee down too, for his protection. As his father, Kingsley, and the others flew down the street, Fred didn’t feel remorse. They had tried to tell them, after all. And now, it was time to work.

They exited Diagon Alley and Harry stopped them outside the back door of the inn. We need to get in there stealthily. Any ideas?

Draco simply pointed up, where the end of a bed sheet dangled just out of reach above their heads.

That’s how you got out? Luna thought to Draco. He nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

Harry went first, silently instructing Fred and Lupin to help hoist up Draco and the girls. He and Lee helped pull them all through the window. Once they were all safely in the room, Fred steeled himself, ready for anything.

(BREAK)

Okay, you guys stay here. I’ll be back. Harry thought to everyone.

They hell we will! Fred thought back, finally able to both hear and respond to Harry’s thoughts. Harry assumed it was because he was growing stronger with his new abilities, but didn't have time now to figure it all out. His quarry was down there.

He shot Fred a glare, and thought, just to Fred, I don’t want Hermione or Luna down there!

Too bad, we’re all here and we’re wasting time! Fred answered.

Harry, I’ve let you come this far, but I will not in good conscience let you go down there by yourself. Lupin thought angrily.

Fine! Will you two at least wait at the top of the stairs, out of sight? Harry thought desperately to the girls.

For as long as we can. Luna answered for them both. Hermione gave her a sharp look, but Luna only shook her head at the other girl. They were obviously having their own private conversation.

Finally Hermione was in his head. Okay, we’ll say up here and watch for as long as we’re able to.

Harry couldn’t stop to analyze the comment. It was enough that she had promised anything at all. He led the way down the hall, wand at the ready and peered over the railing, the others crowding around to see. It wasn’t a very nice sight.

Voldemort was sitting at a table. A man, whom Harry recognized as the innkeeper who had rented him the room earlier, was seated across from the powerful wizard, bleeding from his ears, sweating and panting. The man’s wife and two children were being held off to the side by Lucius Malfoy, who was grinning wickedly at the innkeeper and waving his wand threateningly in his family’s faces. "This can end. Just tell me where Harry Potter went. We’ll find him anyway, my Dementors are out searching Diagon Alley as we speak!"

As Voldemort raised his wand to submit the man to more torture, Harry flicked his eyes and sent the wand flying. Concentrating hard, he flew it toward himself, catching it as he started down the stairs with Lupin, Fred, Draco and Lee close behind him. "You were looking for me?" he angrily asked his foe, now rising to meet him. "You seemed to have lost something." Harry held up the wand.

"Harry Potter." Voldemort hissed.

"Tom Riddle." Harry responded.

(BREAK)

It was more than Hermione could bear. She watched as Harry faced down Voldemort, and felt her heart lodge in her throat. The last thing she had wanted was to stay up here while he faced this without her, but Luna had been in her head and had made a good point. If Harry had to worry about what they were doing, he wouldn’t be able to focus on Voldemort and could grow careless. That was really the last thing she wanted, for him to lose because of her. So she stayed behind and watched, having vaguely promised to stay put. Of course, if the boys needed help, she and Luna both were determined to jump in.

"No headmaster to save you this time, Potter." Voldemort was saying.

"Maybe I don’t need him this time." Harry growled back.

"You don’t seem to realize that you are outnumbered here." Voldemort sneered, indicating the twenty or so Death Eaters, all with wands pointed at the four boys and Lupin, as well as the four dementors waiting patiently behind the small army.

"You don’t seem to realize that I’m not the only one who is tired of you." Harry sneered back, indicating not only his four allies and their wands, but the other patrons of the inn who until Harry’s appearance had been cowering along the wall. Now, every witch and wizard of capable age who had their wands drew them, and were advancing on the Death Eaters, now looking slightly less menacing.

Unlike his followers, Voldemort appeared unshaken. "Then let our pawns go to work, this is between you and me."

"If that’s true, why not let everyone else leave, and you and I can settle it." Harry suggested bravely. Hermione was proud of him, scared for him and rooting for him. And then his voice was in her head.Hermione, Luna! Find a way to get all the small kids out of here!

Looking at Luna, they reached a silent agreement and snuck downstairs, their wands out. Carefully moving through the crowd, they gathered children from grateful parents who were determined to stay and fight, but scared for their progeny. Together, the girls led all the kids into the back alley, where they saw Kingsley, Arthur and several Aurors heading straight for them, angry expressions plastered on their faces. Hermione let herself feel the dread that comes to her from disobeying authority. But she refused to be sorry. If they had kept Harry from the inn, they would have lost him completely, he would have hated them all and she knew it.

Arthur reached her first and took her by the shoulders. "Hermione! What’s going on, where’s Fred? Where’s Harry?" he asked desperately.

"In there. He told us to get all the children out so the parents could focus." She said quickly.

"What’s it look like in there?" Kingsley asked, pulling out several weapons.

"Harry has Voldemort’s wand, but I’m not sure how much good that will do." Luna answered.

"There are about twenty Death Eaters, four Dementors, and about thirty people on our side, only about half with wands. Harry and Voldemort were in the middle of the room facing each other down last we saw." Hermione completed the report.

"Okay. You four," Kingsley indicated four random Aurors, "stay here and watch out for the girls and the children. Arthur, are you ready?"

"As much as I can be." The minister replied before turning to the Aurors assembled behind him. "My sons are in there, please, let’s be successful." Arthur begged.

(BREAK)

Luna had caught Arthur’s words. He had told them all his sons were in there when begging for their discretion. And he had meant it. To Arthur, Harry was his son in every way that counted. She felt for him, worried as she was for Harry and the others herself.

And then the feeling came, some decision had been made that was setting something else in motion. Her ears roared, drowning out any noise, and her head swam, her vision blacking out. She knew she was swaying on her feet and quickly lowered herself to the ground so she wouldn't fall. And then the flashes came, the images showing her the future.

(BREAK)

Harry glared down Voldemort, sensing the girls moving through the crowd. He kept his focus, so that the enemy wouldn’t notice. As soon as he sensed they were out of the building, he stepped forward, Voldemort’s wand held out. "Take it back, Tom. I’m not you, I wouldn’t go after an unarmed man."

"I find it amusing, that you think I need that piece of wood to take care of you." The other sneered.

"I find it amusing that you think it’ll be so easy to get rid of me. Wasn’t that easy in the past for you, was it?" Harry shot back.

"I could say the same. You forget, I’ve been surviving since before your pitiful parents even knew each other!" Voldemort roared. Harry knew his enemy was angry. Angry that he had been so easily disarmed, angry that Harry dare stand up to him in front of so many witnesses, and most angry that Harry was offering his wand back to him, as if that were the only thing that could save him. He knew Voldemort wanted nothing more than to reach out, take his wand and curse Harry to death, but to do so, to take back his weapon from his enemy would be a show of weakness in front of his followers.

Harry felt a foreign presence in his head, Voldemort was trying to push his way in. Steeling up the fortress he envisioned around his mind, Harry pushed the other completely out. He felt satisfaction at the brief flash of surprise in his foe’s eyes. "Tell you what, how about if I put this right here on the table for you. That way you don’t even have to come near me." Harry taunted. He felt Fred and Lee’s smiles and Draco’s disbelief.

"How about if I just kill you where you stand?!" Lucius yelled coming forward, wand waving wildly. Draco stepped between Lucius and Harry, his own wand trained on his father. "I’ll kill you too." He threatened his son in a whisper. "We both know I’d do it without hesitation."

"Lucius!" Voldemort shouted, never removing his eyes from Harry’s. "What you do with your treacherous son is your own business. Potter is mine. He has some things to answer for."

"As do you." Harry countered. He threw Voldemort’s wand to the floor, raising his own. He was tired of playing games, it was time to get this show on the road. He didn’t need the coven, and he didn’t need the order. He only needed his own drive. The wand stopped rolling at it’s owner’s feet, but Voldemort made no move to pick it up. And then it seemed everything was happening at once.

Lucius had made a move, and Draco and Fred had stepped up to stop him, one throwing a stunner the other a binding spell. And that was all it had taken. The Leaky Cauldron patrons had moved as a whole and clashed against the Death Eaters. And then the back door had crashed open and Arthur, Kingsley and several Aurors rushed in, aiding in the attack.

Surrounded by fighting, only two figures remained still. Harry’s gaze and wand had never wavered from his enemy, and Voldemort still hadn’t made a move to recover his wand. He was studying Harry very carefully. "Something’s different about you, Potter. What are you hiding?"

"Oh, sure. No problem, I’ll just let you in on all my secrets." Harry returned sarcastically. "How about sharing a few of yours as well?"

"Why don’t you just kill me?" Voldemort asked, an amused smile on his thin lips. "I’ve been unarmed for quite awhile now. Why don’t you just kill me?"

"Give me a reason." Harry challenged.

"I think that you believe I have already given you several. So where’s the follow through, Potter?" Voldemort taunted.

Harry turned hard. "You know who you sound like? Bellatrix LeStrange. She kept taunting me to kill her, you know how that played out."

His comment had hit home, as he had hoped. Bellatrix had meant something to Voldemort, though what Harry didn’t know yet. It sure hadn’t been love. "As I said before, you have some things to answer for." Voldemort replied darkly. And then, almost quicker than Harry’s eye could follow, quicker than he had thought it possible for his enemy to move, Voldemort had bent down and retrieved his wand. Harry dodged the spell thrown at him and threw one of his own back. The two enemies had locked themselves in dueling mode.

(BREAK)

Draco didn’t know what to do. Ever since attempting to climb out the window to warn Potter, injuring his leg in the process, he felt he had made the wrong decision. He had landed hard on his side when he fell, having realized too late that it was extremely difficult to climb out a window and down a bed sheet with only one arm. And now because of it, his leg was throbbing painfully and he examined it for serious injury as he hid.

After Fred Weasley had helped him stop his father, he had bravely run off to help the others. Draco had instinctively hid behind the bar, knowing there were many people out there who wished him dead, his father first and foremost among them. He felt like a coward, he felt like a child, he felt like he never hated Lucius more. But he didn’t know if he could kill his own father if it came down to it. He really had no problem if someone else did it though. He just hoped he’d get a chance to ask his father a few questions first, but if that didn’t happen, it wouldn’t keep him up nights anymore than he already was.

Peering over the counter, he saw Potter, locked in a duel with the Dark Lord, both moving more quickly and with more determination than any of the other fighters. Neither appeared to be making any headway against the other and both were breathing hard from the effort. Secretly, he admitted to himself he wanted Potter to win. He was far less terrific and troublesome.

Glancing around, he saw that the others were making progress. Fred, Remus Lupin and a few other people were keeping the Dementors at bay, their Patronus spells weaving in between their prey. Arthur and the Aurors were taking down and rounding up Death Eaters as they went, though Draco took the time to wonder where exactly they would be taking such prisoners. And then he saw Lucius, finally free of the binding cast on him earlier. He was cursing random people in the back, and Draco watched them fall in agony. The Auror called Kingsley had apparently seen the same thing and raced to stop him. Unfortunately Lucius’s angry cry of "Crucio!" reached the other first. He watched as his father prepared to cast again, intending to end the man’s life as he writhed on the floor. It wasn’t fair.

"Father!" Draco screamed for the elder Malfoy’s attention. It worked. The Auror was safe, all but forgotten now that Lucius had his son in his sights. Draco wondered what exactly he had intended to do, but didn’t let his uncertainty show. He held his wand out steady and stood firm.

"So that’s where you were hiding, you little sneak." Lucius advanced.

(BREAK)

Hermione shook Luna again, but the girl’s head lolled uselessly on her shoulders. She was breathing, she had assured the Aurors of that and asked that they take the children around the corner so they wouldn’t have to see anything they shouldn’t. One Auror stayed behind, determined to carry out orders. After all, they were supposed to be protecting her and Luna as well, but he kept his back to them for privacy.

After what seemed like an eternity, Luna fluttered her eyelids open and came back to her. "Luna! What happened? What was that? Are you okay?"

The other girl simply gasped and tried desperately to get up. Hermione tried to hold her still. "No!" Luna cried, pushing Hermione away and jumping to her feet. "We have to help or Lucius will kill him! We need Draco!" And without waiting for Hermione or the Auror, she dashed inside.

Hermione immediately made to follow, but was stopped by her guard. She didn’t have time for this, and taking a cue from Harry, she used her wand and bound the man where he stood. Then she quickly followed Luna in, wondering what in the world they needed Draco for.

The other girl had stopped just inside and was scanning the crowd. Hermione instantly searched for Harry. He and Voldemort were fighting alone, launching spells at each other almost faster than her eyes could perceive. Harry was tired, she saw it clearly, but so was his adversary. She prayed Harry’s determination was stronger. Arthur was busy with his Aurors, dueling down the last nine Death Eaters not captured. Fred, Lupin, Lee and some of the inn’s customers were holding off Dementors. Only now, instead of the four that had originally been there, more were pouring in through the front door, possibly the ones they had dispelled from Diagon Alley earlier. As they had been entering, more people had jumped in to call up a Patronus and hold them off. They appeared to be running out of people who had the skill and most of those that did, weren’t casting nearly as strong as the Aurors and Fred and Lee, former DA members, taught by Harry himself.

She had been about to go aid Fred, when Luna clutched her arm and pointed. Draco was behind the bar, his wand pointed directly at his father who in turn had his own wand directed at his son and was advancing. "What do we do?" Hermione asked desperately.

"I don’t know, but we better figure out something, fast." Luna said, rushing toward the scene. Hermione went the other way, so that she and Luna could flank Lucius. Once they were positioned on either side of him, they pointed their wands and called for attention. "Mr. Malfoy!" They yelled at the same time.

(BREAK)

Fred was tired. Sweat ran down his face, his back. He was drenched. He began to wish he was home, at the Burrow, safe with Ron and Ginny. He felt his resolve melting and his Patronus faded. NO! he thought to himself and dug down deep for inspiration. The Dementors were coming, pushing against each other, trying to gain entry and aid their master. He was leading the line of defense against them, and failure meant defeat. It also meant horrible things for his friends fighting behind him. For his father. He thought of Arthur and Harry, of Hermione, Luna, Lee, Lupin, Kingsley and even Draco. His Patronus brightened. He dug deeper thinking of Ginny and of George. His Patronus grew brighter and brighter still becoming a blinding beacon against the dark creatures struggling against it. And then, they began to retreat from it.

(BREAK)

Harry didn’t know anything outside of himself and Voldemort. Not anymore. He was so tired, but wouldn’t let himself slow down. They weren’t doing much damage to each other, both seeming to be evenly matched. And then he remembered. Perhaps they weren’t so evenly matched. Harry cast his spell and at the same time, used his mind to turn up a table and hurl it at his enemy. Voldemort was taken by surprise and went down. Not stopping to see the damage caused, Harry called another table and another, burying his foe under the heavy furniture. Finally drained and unable to lift anything more than a feather with his exhausted mind, Harry allowed his legs to collapse, falling to his knees. His head was in so much pain, as if someone were repeatedly stabbing a rusty dagger through his temples. He reached up to try and rub the pain away, lost in his own self.

Forcing himself to block it away and crawl over to the wreckage he had thrown at Voldemort, Harry began digging through, trying to find him, desperate for nothing else. Until someone screamed his name.

He wretched himself from his task, and found Lee motioning for him. The Dementors were trying to pile in again and only Fred and Lupin were holding them back now, and everyone else, having run out of steam, looked on in horror. They were winning at the moment, but Fred was shaking and unsteady on his feet. Harry worried that he may to be too far gone himself to be of much aid, but made his way over anyway.

"Go and start helping to get the injured out of here!" he ordered the group of people fearfully watching the fray. "Lee! Get them going!" and Lee began dispersing people, either to help those few still fighting, or to help get those allies unable to leave on their own.

Harry turned to Fred, who shot him a worried glance. "We can do this." Harry said, placing one hand on his friend’s shoulder and using his other to call on his Patronus.

(BREAK)

Draco was shocked. He hadn’t seen anything other than the man advancing toward him. The man he had tried to love his whole life… the man who had wanted him dead and was about to make it happen. And this man was his own father.

And then they had been there, Granger and Lovegood. They stood on either side of Lucius, their wands out, daring him to make a move. Draco had been unusually cruel to these girls, and had called them all sorts of names, looking down on them since knowing of their existence. Yet they were the ones here, standing up for him. Shame washed over Draco and he hated his father anew for putting him in this position.

"You little girls better watch that you don’t hurt yourselves with those." His father taunted them.

"Don’t worry, we intend to hurt you not ourselves." Granger had shot back, her wand arm steady, her face hard.

"Drop your wand, Mr. Malfoy." Lovegood demanded. Her voice was devoid of the dreamy quality it usually held. She looked at Lucius with so much hatred, Draco wondered if she had some kind of personal vendetta against his father. And then he remembered, so clearly and suddenly that Loony Luna could have put it there in his head herself. Kane Lovegood… accidental death at the Malfoy mansion- Or had it been murder? Apparently Luna thought the latter.

Without consciously realizing he was doing so, he came around the bar and stood with the girls, wand pointed at his father’s heart. He felt more resolve now, than he did before. He had people to stand up with him and what’s more, these people were more capable and trustworthy than his former Slytherin cronies. "Surrender." Was all he was able to say.

"Death first, Draco." Lucius replied viciously. "Loss of life before loss of honor, something I obviously was unable to teach you."

"Nothing you do is honorable." Granger spat out. And then, Draco heard Loony Lovegood’s voice in his head. Bind him, NOW! And without hesitation, he did what she asked, casting before his father could react. Hit from three sides Lucius hadn’t a chance and fell to the floor, bound head to toe and unable to move.

(BREAK)

Harry focused everything he had into his stag, and along with Fred and Lupin, was making progress. But they were all three tired, and he wasn’t sure how much longer they’d be able to hold them off. He didn’t know why the Dementors seemed so much stronger than the last time he had come against them, but they undoubtedly were. He reached out with a very small part of his mind, requesting assistance from whoever could hear him and call on a Patronus.

And then Hermione, Luna, and Draco were there beside him, almost at full power since they hadn’t had to fight as long. Their Patronus spells gleamed bright and strong, otter, snake and from Luna, a large butterfly. Harry was grateful. The Dementors were on the retreat, finally appearing to lose some of their stamina. When Kingsley and Arthur joined a few minutes later, the fight was all but over.

When the last of them disappeared, Harry instantly staggered back to where he had left Voldemort. He began digging through the wreckage, becoming more and more desperate at not seeing the body. "He’s not here!" Harry cried out in frustration. Falling back into a seated position, dropping his head into his hands in defeat.

Arthur sat down next to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console him. "Who’s not here, Harry?"

"Voldemort." Harry whispered. "I left him right here. And they needed help….the Dementors kept coming and coming…..I lost him." He admitted as angry, hot tears filled his eyes. He looked up at the faces surrounding him. Kingsley was shaky on his feet, and appeared worse for the wear. Fred’s face was a mask of horror and exhaustion, though he appeared uninjured, as did Hermione, Luna and Draco.

"How did no one see him leave?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"It would’ve been easy." Kingsley answered, settling himself heavily in a chair to rest. "We were all focusing our attention elsewhere. And from what I was able to catch glimpses of, Harry here gave him a run for his money. He’s very adept at survival."

"That’s right." Arthur agreed. "And Voldemort is also intelligent and saw he was outnumbered here, and very possibly, is injured himself. He most likely slipped out to regroup and fight another day. I’m just grateful you are all still here." He finished, putting his arm around Harry and summoning Fred to join them on the floor. Once Fred had settled himself on his father’s other side, he pulled both boys to him. Harry threw his arms around the two Weasleys, allowing himself to feel nothing other than love for his family.

Draco had wandered over the bar and now called for their attention. "If that’s true and he did run off, he took my dad with him."





A/N: Well, that was a lot to write. Here are some things to ponder: What did Draco learn about his father, and why does Luna think he’s so important to their group? Why is Voldemort so upset by the death of Bellatrix LeStrange? What is going on with Harry’s headaches and how will he, Hermione and Ron react to news that Luna is a part of the coven? What was in those files Harry found in the restricted section of the Archives? What will Ron do with the knowledge that his sister stabbed Draco and everyone kept it from him? Will George agree to see his parents? Will Harry be allowed to attempt graduation in one semester and will his friends take the opportunity to do so with him? And finally, with such strong opposition from the Dementors, where will the good guys find their allies? Some answers and as always, a lot more questions in the next installment of Harry Potter and the Coven of Warriors.

Chapter 7: Aftermath

NOTE: We’re back and we have some things to solve and quite a few more to discover. So, without further adieu, Read, Review and Enjoy!



POTTER VERSUS HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-
BE-NAMED
-18 DEATH EATERS CAPTURED

Diagon Alley was attacked yesterday, when
Dementors descended on the unsuspecting
citizens. It is reported that Harry Potter as
well as Minister of Magic Arthur Weasley
and several Aurors were already on the
scene, having gone to investigate a break in
at The Weasley Laugh Emporium, a store
owned by the Minister’s son, Fred Weasley.
It is not clear if the two incidents are
related.

In addition to the above mentioned attack,
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named made an
appearance at the Leaky Cauldron,
demanding Potter’s whereabouts. Witnesses
say that Potter arrived not long after and
engaged the enemy in a duel in which several
believed Potter had gained victory.
Unfortunately, by the end of the battle, both
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and well
known Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy were not
counted among the captured or deceased.

"If Harry Potter hadn’t shown up, who
knows what may have happened. I was so
scared!" said Emma North, witness to
yesterday’s battle. "But when he and his
friends showed up, I felt almost empowered
in a way and stayed to help fight with him."
She finished her statement proudly.

"His friends got mine and all the other child-
ren to safety before any fighting even began.
I’ve never been more grateful. And I stayed
to help because it was the right thing to do."
Said Edgar Morley, when asked why he had
remained on site when he hadn’t had his wand
with him.

It is clear that Potter saved the day, and
inspired the bravery of ordinary citizens. We
at the Daily Prophet applaud his efforts and
those of his allies: Hermione Granger, Lee
Jordan, Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy.
The fact that Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius
Malfoy had been fighting with Potter against
his father, is another marvel talked about by
witnesses.

"It was so tense! At one point father and son
stood with wands pointing at each other."
Said Coral Alcott, a maid at the Leaky
Cauldron. It is undeniable that these teens
went above and beyond, along with several
of our brave Aurors, saving many from death
and/or soullessness yesterday, and we hope
Potter will remain the champion he is por-
traying himself to be.

Meanwhile, it is unclear whether the eighteen
Death Eaters arrested in the aftermath will be
held in Azkaban, or some other location more
steadfast than the recently Dementor deserted
prison. Minister Weasley has yet to make any
comments on yesterday’s events.

Potter and the other teens have refused to
comment on this story. The Daily Prophet will
faithfully keep it’s readers updated on any new
information as it becomes available.

Ron threw the paper down in disgust. He should have been there, would have if he were staying at Harry’s with everyone else. More than anything, he was upset by the fact that Draco Malfoy had been there, and apparently had acted heroically, as unlikely as that seemed. It wasn’t fair! He had been fighting with Harry since the beginning, and now because Malfoy claimed to want to go against his nasty old father, he got to be the one to go while Ron played babysitter to Harry’s collateral damage, his sister.

And Ginny! She was a whole other issue weighing him down. How she could have stabbed someone and not told anyone? He just didn’t understand her, he hadn’t thought she’d gone so cold that long before Harry had used her to "save them all." Of course, she hadn’t been alone with the secret- she’d had Harry and Hermione to clean up her mess. And that thought made him more confused about Harry than before… and made him angrier at Ginny. He wanted to blame Harry, to resent him because it was easier. What Harry had done to Ginny was something Ron could understand, grasp onto. Everything else done to her was far more intangible. But Harry had been there in those times too. He was the one who had saved Ginny from the influence of the Riddle diary and the Chamber of Secrets, after all. To find out that he had also helped cover up his sister’s crime was more than Ron’s tired brain could process.

He had been thinking of nothing else since speaking with Ginny, trying to decide the best way to help his sister. It had tossed him back and forth between love and hate, gratitude and resentment for Harry… and for Hermione… even for Luna. These three worked hard to protect him, and he had thrown it in their faces, but were they really blameless as well?

All he knew right now was that he couldn’t stay at the Burrow any longer. He needed to be a part of the action, if for no other reason than to keep from thinking. And he needed to talk to Harry. Only instead of going to fight, Ron wanted to talk to him as a friend. He really needed his best friend right now, because, truthfully, he had never felt so alone.

(BREAK)

Harry didn’t know how to feel. Voldemort had escaped, and it was his fault. He hadn’t verified that his foe was secure. He’d let himself be distracted by the fact that Fred needed help. Of course, if he hadn’t gone to help, the Dementors would have gotten in and claimed countless victims. But how many deaths was he responsible for, now that he had let Voldemort slip through his fingers? He’d had the chance to end it all and thought for a minute that he had.

And now there was the nervous feeling, prickling the back of his neck. Voldemort had known there was something different about Harry, and Harry was beginning to think his adversary had figured it out, which was the reason for his own uneasiness. And if Voldemort knew that he had the ability of wandless powers, his secret weapon was no longer secret, making Harry even angrier that he hadn’t prevailed the previous day.

"So he knows. He’s not going to be able to just randomly develop his own superpowers. You already know what he’s capable of, but he’s only just beginning to understand you." Hermione told him, taking a seat next to him on his bed.

"Right, no superpowers. Unless he somehow gets the ring." Harry replied miserably. "Or some other object. Or what if he decides to find his own psychics with wandless powers?"

"What if he finds a genie in a lamp and gets three wishes?" Hermione answered, running her fingers through his hair. "You can’t worry about all of the what ifs, Harry. You’ll drive yourself crazy, trust me, I know. The most he could know is that you were able to launch some tables at him without an incantation. He can’t possibly know that we’re researching and attempting to find our own soldiers. And besides, as far as I know, there is no other object like Mykele’s ring, not in any of the old legends. And you have that, so it’s as good as safe, right?"

"Yeah." He admitted, but was still unable to shake his misery at failing. He leapt to his feet and began pacing. "But I had him! It could have been over and we wouldn’t have needed a coven at all! Hell, give me another chance, we still may not!"

"Harry, do you really think he’ll face you the same way now? He knows there’s something different, you said so yourself. It won’t be as easy next time."

Harry didn’t remember thinking that anything about his duel the day before was easy. He had never fought so hard in his life. And he had certainly never cast as quickly before. He hadn’t even had time to think, just rely on instinct and opportunity. "You think he’ll have a new strategy?"

"Wouldn’t you go formulate one, if he had been the one to almost get you?" Hermione answered. "But nothing I say is going to change the way you feel is it? Even if I were to tell you that you are the only one who thinks you failed."

"Give them time, Hermione. Right now everyone is relieved that yesterday wasn’t as bad as it could have been, I’m sure the Daily Prophet will be changing it’s tune along with everyone else once they realize he’s still out there. Probably after the next attack."

"And since when do you care?" she chastised, finally rising to her feet. "If you let yourself get this defeated after one battle how do you expect to make it through a whole war? You proved yourself to us, Harry, to the ones who know you best. Isn’t that enough?"

He pulled her into an embrace, so she wouldn’t see his face. "You’re right. It’s enough that you all believe I can do this." He knew had she seen his eyes, she would know he was lying. She might still, as well as she knew him. But he couldn’t admit that he still felt like a failure, that it wasn’t their approval he desired, but his own.

(BREAK)

Luna had been waiting. She knew that Hermione, one to question all, would want to know about her vision, and Luna had stayed up most of the night trying to decide what to tell her. Divulging one vision would undoubtedly lead to a discussion of past visions and there were some things her friends were just not ready to know… and a few she just wasn’t ready to tell.

When Hermione knocked just before lunchtime, Luna still hadn’t reached a solution. Still, she invited the other girl in, knowing this was just one of a few difficult conversations in store for her the next few days. "What’s up, Hermione?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"I think you know." She answered uncomfortably. "It’s difficult to ask, but I was wondering about your vision or whatever that was you had yesterday. Draco, well, he…"and she stopped there, unable to find words.

"He tortured you for years and now you’re having trouble believing that he could possibly have any part in your future. Well, he does. He’s important to all our futures, he’s the one that will unite us all."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, not bothering to hide her confusion or
disbelief.

And this is where it got difficult. Luna’s vision yesterday had tied in with the things she had been seeing for the past few months. Yesterday, she had seen Lucius kill his son, and the rest of them crumble as a result. They needed him to bring the rest of the best possible future to pass. The only thing was, she didn’t think her friends would be very accepting of the final picture Luna had been given access to- not in their current frames of mind. So how could she explain what Hermione wasn’t ready to hear? "I need you to trust me now, Hermione. To trust that what I see in the end is the best possible outcome and in order for that to happen for any of us, for us to come through this and find happiness after, we need Draco. He is the catalyst that will bring everyone back together."

"And without providing any details, I just have to trust you? That what you see is really what’s best for me as well as for Harry, Ron, and the others? It’s like I’ve told Harry in the past, I don’t have your abilities. I have to live day by day and I really want to believe that you see a happy ending."

"I do, Hermione, just not the one I’m sure you imagine. And you, and Harry, Ron, and the others aren’t ready to know. It isn’t time. I wish I didn’t know either." She answered miserably.

"You don’t like knowing the future?" Hermione asked.

"Possible future." She responded automatically. "It’s only the future as long as everyone stays on that path, and I’m trying very hard to keep it that way for us. But what I saw wasn’t what I expected either. Can you imagine how difficult it is to know what will make you happy, to know that ultimate joy is yours, but then you must wait for it to happen because you aren’t suppose to know? Because so many other things must happen first to bring that exact picture?"

"Have you seen other possibilities?"

"A few, when different people took a few steps off the proper path. None of them ended well. I’ve seen the way it should be, the way it must be if we are to really live someday. I’m trying to bring it about, and the best way you can help is to trust what I say. I wouldn’t lie to you, Hermione. And I wouldn’t compromise your happiness, or anyone else’s. You don’t have to trust, or even accept Draco. But we can’t let his father destroy him either."

"Okay. I can promise to try and trust you." Hermione answered.

"I know, trust is difficult for everyone these days."

After a short while, Hermione left to go make lunch for the house. She had insisted Luna give her a turn, and since Luna had to prepare for her next visitor anyway, she had given up her control over mealtime.

(BREAK)

Lucius really would have killed him yesterday, but Draco refused feel sorry for himself. He had known his father for a long time, seventeen years in fact, and it was his own fault for always wanting to see something better than what was actually there. But at least his father’s power over him would end, now that Draco knew his secret.

He pulled out the ministry documents and read through them again, this time feeling satisfaction over surprise. Certain that the Dark Lord knew nothing about Lucius’s secret, Draco knew he had the information to bring his father down. Perhaps Lucius himself was ignorant of these details of his life; the way he lived and behaved, gave proof of this. Unless his father was simply a self-loather as Lord Voldemort seemed to be.

"Adopted." Draco said aloud with satisfaction. Lucius had been adopted by the Malfoy family.

Born to muggle parents and given the name Leonard Smythe, he had shown signs of being a wizard. The Smythe’s unable to understand or deal with the strange things their child could do, had put the boy up for adoption. The Malfoys, unable to conceive, had seen the ice blond child with chilly blue eyes and knew that he was meant for them. The fact that he had come from a muggle background, and the adoption itself was to be kept a secret. The Malfoys had decided the child’s abilities made up for his lack of proper breeding. Changing his name to Lucius, they went to America for two years. When they came back to England, they claimed the child was their own, conceived and born overseas. Only the ministry, who had helped arrange the adoption, knew the truth. And now, Lucius’s son knew it too. The only question was, what would Draco do with this information?

(BREAK)

Harry knocked lightly on the door, certain Luna had known he was coming. Sure enough, she opened the door with a knowing smile and invited him in. "Hermione was here?"

"We had a few things to discuss. Girl stuff." She said vaguely. "It wasn’t about you, if that makes a difference."

"Did I fail, Luna? Did I mess up my only chance to beat him?" he blurted out. He hadn’t wanted to come ask her, had promised himself he would never abuse the power she had. But he couldn’t see the future, just like she couldn’t move things with her mind. And in order for him to get past this disappointment, he had to know he would have another chance.

"We never really get only one chance at things, Harry. Some people spend their whole lives using up second chances." She answered sagely. It wasn’t the direct ‘yes’ he had been looking for.

"I feel like I failed everyone." He said quietly, wanting to say what he really meant- he had failed himself. He took a seat on her desk, bringing his feet to rest on the chair and waited for Luna to decide what she wanted to say. He had tried to explain to Hermione, but she hadn’t understood. And he didn’t want her to worry about him. Luna, he felt, would provide him a more honest, unbiased opinion. After all, they weren’t in love with each other.

"And yet, you’ve failed no one but yourself and your own high standards." She responded. "But you didn’t need me to tell you that. Harry, you’ve always been your own harshest critic. You did amazing things yesterday, and you didn’t need Dumbledore there to save you this time. Isn’t that progress enough?"

"I suppose it should be."

"But it’s not." She sighed, pulling the chair out from under his feet and sitting by him. "Harry, like Hermione, nothing I say is going to make you feel better. You’ve suffered a great disappointment. The only thing you can do now is put it behind you and prepare for the next time. If you dwell too much on what went wrong, you won’t remember what went right and fail yourself even more."

"So what went right?" he asked, eager for her take on the situation.

"Everything else, Harry. Everything else went right. We all trusted each other out there. We trusted you alone with Voldemort, and you trusted us to take care of the rest. Fred accomplished more than he thought he could, working against those Dementors, and Draco found out that there are people willing to stand up with him, something he desperately needed to know. And the fact that you trusted Hermione to take care of herself, well she needed to know that you could do that, in order for her to believe herself capable. And you, Harry, you got to see how far you’ve come, which should have boosted your confidence sky high. But you’re choosing to look at everything that went wrong."

"What about you, Luna? What went right for you?" He had noticed she had left herself out of that list.

"I felt like I really was part of the group." She answered lowering her eyes. "Ron wasn’t there, and I was still a part of the group and you all accepted me and my help without question."

"I’ve told you before. You are my friend, Ron or no Ron. The same goes for Hermione." Harry assured her again, feeling this was an issue she had worried about a lot.

"Which is easy to say, when Ron isn’t here." She smiled sadly, a knowing look on her face. "You know he isn’t thrilled that I’m here with you all."

"And I’m sure you know that Draco’s presence bothers him more than yours. At least you earned your spot, in his mind." Harry moved so they were sharing the desk chair, and threw an arm around her shoulders in reassurance.

"And has Draco earned his spot, yet?" Luna asked.

"Maybe. We’ll see."

"He could have stayed and hid, you know. He almost did. But he came and got you, warned you about Voldemort. I trust him completely."

"I trust him to act in his best interest. Why are you pushing this?" he asked removing his arm and standing, pacing. Of course he had thought about Draco’s part in the battle yesterday. And he had figured that the other’s hatred for his father is what had led him to get Harry and the Aurors. That and the knowledge that he couldn’t do it alone, and would be destroyed by those he’d turned on if found alone.

"Draco may just be the one to save us all from ourselves." She answered mysteriously.

(BREAK)

Ron woke the next day to his parents yelling at each other. Fighting. He shook his head and tried to listen. His parents hardly ever really fought and he was instantly uneasy. Remembering the extendable ears in his nightstand, he pulled them out and trained them under his door and down the stairs.

"It’s a ridiculous idea, Arthur." Molly was saying. "Let them all graduate early and then go run around the world searching for people that may or may not want to help them! They’ll all be killed!"

"Without this deal, Harry will stop his education altogether! He wants to drop out and start his search now, and after that battle two days ago, well, I’m not even sure he’ll keep to this compromise anymore. He wants to take action, Molly. We all do."

"Well I may not have a say over Harry or Hermione, but Ron will not be joining them!"

"For how long, Molly?" Arthur asked in exasperation. "How long before he resents us for keeping him back?"

"He can hate me forever, as long as he’s alive. I’ll lock him away at that school if I have to. I may just do the same with Harry!" she yelled back, her fear and concern overshadowing her common sense.

"And that would stop them?! Harry knocked us over in order to get to Voldemort. He used his power against me and Kingsley and the other Aurors because we were trying to get him out of there and all he wanted to do was fight! Don’t you see Molly?! They won’t give up, and if we try to hold them back, we’ll lose them. Harry agreed to try the compromise, and I’ve no doubt Hermione will follow his lead. It’s Ron’s decision whether or not to go with them. And if we let him choose, he may just come back to us when this is all over."

"If he survives!" Molly interrupted with a sob.

"He’s very capable boy, with very capable friends. And if we choose for him, he may never forgive us."

"I’m already scared everyday for Bill and Charlie, out there fighting who knows what. And so much has happened, my baby girl is so broken, we may never get her back. George and Percy are gone. Harry chases danger like a drug. Don’t I, as a mother, get to have any children that I can keep safe?"

"Not in these times. And not when our children have such large destinies." Arthur answered softly. Ron drew back the ears. He’d heard enough. Though loathe to bring any more pain to his family, it was time. Time for Ron to make his own choices, for him to decide what he wanted his life to be. He made his way downstairs, and right up to his parents, now seated together in the kitchen.

"I want to move into Harry’s house." He said simply. "I want to live there with everyone else. I want to help. Do you have any idea how much it hurt to read that they were there without me, that they didn’t need me there to be successful?"

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to know that you would rather risk your life than spend it safely with your family?"

"Who’s safe, mum?" Ron asked. He went on, knowing he was hurting his mother. But she needed to get a firmer grasp on reality. "Percy wasn’t safe from evil influence. George wasn’t safe from his own brother. Ginny, Fred, Harry and I were never really safe at the Hogwarts, where terrible things have been happening for the last six years. We’ve already been touched by this war. I want to fight back. And I won’t be held back. And as for early graduation, even if the others don’t go for it, I want to." This last was the only thing he had faltered on, doubting his ability to be that good at schoolwork. But if he didn’t make it, he’d just drop out and leave whenever the others did.

His parents were looking at each other, appearing to communicate with their eyes. "Okay, son. We’ll all move in with Harry. It’s safer there than here in the open anyway. I’ll write to him immediately." Arthur said as Molly looked away.

Ron went back to his room, unsure of his victory, but not wanting to rock the boat. Harry’s was going to be the best place for him, but what about Ginny?

(BREAK)

"Okay." Hermione answered as they lay together in bed, happy to be holding each other.

"Okay? That’s all you have to say?" Harry had just laid out Arthur’s proposal for school. He told her he had agreed and that he wanted her to try and graduate early with him.

"Did I need to say more?" she asked with a laugh. "Agreement wasn’t enough for you?"

"It is, if you really want to do this. I know how much you love school, and if you want a full year, then I want you to have it. I want you to have everything you want, Hermione." He told her, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"For right now, I do. And it was no easier for me to sit in school pretending everything outside was normal." Seeing his look, she laughed again. "Okay, so it was a little easier, but regardless, it was the learning that I was addicted to, and not necessarily the school."

"I just don’t want anyone to compromise themselves for me. There’s been too much of that."

"Harry, learn to take yes for an answer. I will do this with you, and I will go with you to find the coven. In fact, Luna and I had a thought about that!" She remembered suddenly, sitting up in her excitement.

"Oh yeah?"

"You know how Dumbledore told you Mykele had been a descendant of the coven? Using him, it’ll be so much easier to trace forwards and backwards to the right people, both in the past and present. We should be able to learn the identity of the first person just as soon as Arthur can get us access to the Hall of Records."

Harry told her he was pleased at the thought, but didn’t share that he had a feeling he already knew who the first was, wanting to avoid a fight. After all, it would be one more thing he and Luna shared, that Hermione and Ron couldn’t be a part of.

(BREAK)

It had taken a week to make the arrangements. Finally Saturday arrived, and Ron was to make his way to Harry’s. His parents would be moving in the following week, after closing up the Burrow and taking care of all of the business necessary when one uproots from their home.

He was in his room, packing the last of his things, when Ginny interrupted him. "I want to go with you."

"Excuse me?" Ron turned to her, bewildered.

"I want you to take me to Harry’s with you." She said again, low and serious.

"Why? I thought you’d be trying to figure out ways to not come with mum and dad next week." Ron crossed his arms and looked his sister over suspiciously.

"I need to talk to a few people." Was all she answered.

"Like who? Harry?"

"Yes. Plus Harry has the ring. I need to use the ring."

"And what about Draco?"

"What about him?" she asked harshly. "You worried I’m going to stab your new pal again?"

Ron ignored her. "What about Hermione?"

"What about her?"

"You worked all year to try and take Harry from her, don’t you think you should talk to her? And as for Draco, maybe you should talk to him to, make sure he has no plans to turn you in." It was what Ron had intended to talk to Draco about himself, as soon as he got there.

"Malfoy can go to hell. I’m not worried about him. And I’m not too worried about Hermione, Harry or anyone else. But Harry’s the one I need to talk to, and he has the ring, and I need to use the ring."

"I don’t know, Ginny. I don’t know if you being there is good for anyone, especially you."

"Quit trying to be my keeper. Whether I go with you today, or with them next week, I’ll still be there. There’s no way around that is there?"

Ron wasn’t sure. He felt it was unfair to Harry and the others to bring Ginny without warning. "Have you talked to mum about it?"

"Yes. She isn’t thrilled, but I told her it was what I wanted. Look Ron, either I go with you and your escort now, or I just wait and go out by myself. I don’t care either way."

"Well then, I guess you don’t leave me much of a choice."

(BREAK)

Harry was looking forward to having Ron around. It hadn’t felt right, without the youngest Weasley boy. And by the following week, Arthur and Molly would be there as well. The only problem he could foresee was Ginny, and though her arrival was still a week away, he could tell Hermione was already feeling uneasy.

Draco had also been uneasy with the news, though Harry supposed he would feel the same if he were forced to live with someone who had stabbed him in the back. But there was something else. Something tugging at the back of his mind. Something he had put off and almost forgotten about. And then it had struck him, the train, the random thought he had caught. New worries flooded his mind as Harry tried to wrap his mind around the idea. Draco had felt concern for Ginny, had wanted to console her. It didn’t mean he was crazy in love with her, but she could be the one person Draco finally felt comfortable around. And maybe vice versa. They were both so far gone into their own misery, maybe starting a friendship would be just the thing to save them both from drowning. And from what he was feeling, Ginny’s friendship would be welcomed by Draco. Ron wouldn’t be pleased.

Harry stopped trying to piece it all together, the pain in his head so overwhelming any other thought would have been impossible. He desperately rubbed his temples, trying to will the ache away. He had wanted to continue looking though the information he had gathered in the restricted section of the archives, but it would be impossible now. The pain was blinding him, little black dots dancing in front of his eyes. Squeezing them shut, he lay back on his bed and tried to focus the pain away.

And then the doorbell rang. He rose onto shaky legs with a heavy sigh, and forcing himself to show no discomfort, went to answer the door. It had to be Ron, and the thought gave him a bit of extra resolve. He truly was looking forward to seeing his best friend. Throwing open the door with a welcoming smile plastered on his face, he felt his jaw drop as he took in the sight before him.

"Hi." Ginny said simply from the doorstep.




A/N: Uh oh, some stuff may be going down…. Next chapter, we see how Ginny handles herself at Potter Manor, Hagrid gets some news, Harry takes his exams, those who are no longer among the living make an appearance, Draco and Harry each learn something about Luna, and a visitor comes bearing news of some unexpected allies. Stay tuned!


A/N: some things to ponder long term: who broke into Fred’s store? Who sent the newspapers to the Grangers? What is going on with Harry’s headaches? How will they keep the captured Death Eaters from escaping Azkaban? What will be Voldemort’s next move, now that he’s seen how powerful Harry is becoming? What is Luna’s final vision for them all and will it come to pass?

Chapter 8: Past and Present

NOTE: Hi! Starting in this chapter, we begin to solve the mysteries of the characters pasts and find a few more clues to indicate their futures. We also begin some closure on losses and fights of the past and drag up all new issues. This turned out to be a sort of transition chapter as we get ready to really take a bite out of this story. So go ahead, read, review and Enjoy!

 

"Hi." Harry answered back, unsure what to do. Ron was standing next to Ginny on the doorstep as the ministry workers who had brought them delivered the siblings’ luggage from the car. "We weren’t expecting you until next week." He added, trying to excuse his surprise.

"Yeah, well…" was all she was able to say.

Ron met Harry’s questioning gaze, attempting to apologize with his eyes. "Ginny felt it would be best if she got here a little early." he explained.

"I can speak for myself, Ron." She said abruptly, striding past Harry and into the parlor. The boys followed her. "Honestly, I think we need to talk, Harry. And I want to use the ring when we’re done."

(BREAK)

"What does she need to talk to him about?" Hermione asked severely. She was in Ron’s room, and her tone was already making him regret bringing his sister here. She was staring at his broom cabinet, where the secret entrance was to her room, and Harry’s. He and Ginny had disappeared into the master bedroom about ten minutes earlier. Hermione had not been pleased to leave them alone.

"I don’t know, Hermione. But she’s the only one he never spoke to after everything happened a few weeks ago. He hurt her just as bad as he hurt you, you know." He answered, a bit defensive on Ginny’s behalf.

"And they can’t just leave it be?"

"Is this how you want life to be? Us all at each other’s throats all the time? Maybe if Harry and Ginny can talk it out and be friends again, it’ll make it easier for the rest of us."

"Easy for you to say." She grumbled looking miserable. "She did everything she could to break us up, long before he kissed her in the common room. I read all about it in her stupid diary, remember? She let herself be used and I have no sympathy for any pain she felt from Harry. She brought it on herself."

"Maybe. But what do you want me to do, Hermione? She’s my sister." He sat beside her, feeling as miserable as she looked.

Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around him. "I just want to go back to how it was in the beginning. Just the three of us."

"And what about Luna? You as ready to dump her as you are my sister?" Ron asked harshly, pulling away.

"Luna is trying to unite us all, not tear everyone apart." She said, just as harshly, crossing her arms. "And if you’re so worried about us all being friends again, and think Harry and Ginny speaking is such a good idea, then I agree that it’s just as good an idea for you to talk it out with Luna."

Damn. She got him there, but he refused to be got. "The difference being Harry and Ginny never actually dated."

"No, the difference being that Luna was trying to keep Ginny’s secret, to keep all of the secrets she knew she wasn’t supposed to know. Luna was trying to help, Ginny was not." She held up a hand to hold off his angry retort. "And before you start on all that ‘she’s been through a lot’ bull, let me just say that I have been through a lot, as have you. And Harry’s been through more than all of us combined. None of us have gone around doing the things she does. Or acting the way she does. Fred was George’s twin, as you very well know, and he didn’t let what happened destroy him. Maybe it’s time you stop blaming us and the world and start thinking that maybe there’s something wrong with her." She finished strong, storming into her own room. Probably to stick her ear to the bookcase and try and hear what was going on in Harry’s room.

He didn’t need her tirade, Ron already knew there was something wrong with his sister. Ginny, in reality, was so far removed from the image in his mind of the shy little girl she had been, that he didn’t come close to knowing her anymore. His sister was a stranger to him, to their entire family. That’s how it had started with Percy, wasn’t it? Feeling alone and unwanted, like he didn’t belong. Well, she belonged, to him and their brothers and their parents. She belonged to Harry and even Luna. She had once been Luna’s only friend. He wanted Ginny to see that, to know it. He wanted to fix everything for her, so she could just be herself and not this hard shell of a person she had turned herself into. He would fix it for her, if it was the last thing he did. But how was he going to help someone who didn’t want to help herself?

(BREAK)

"This is awkward." Ginny said unnecessarily. She had pictured this moment in her mind a million times, finally facing Harry. But now that the time had come, now that she was here, in his house, staring at him as they stood uncomfortably in the middle of his room, she was at a loss for words. She had wanted to rail against him, tell him just how horribly he had made her feel. She wanted to punch him, to scream and yell that she hated him. But she couldn’t. She didn’t hate Harry. She didn’t hate any of them, not really. But by being forced to be without them, (admittedly, partly by her own actions) it had forced her to realize that she didn’t know who she was by herself. If she wasn’t the youngest Weasley, then she was the only Weasley girl. If she wasn’t one of Harry’s friends, then she was one of Hermione’s friends. Who was she when she was just Ginny? Apparently she was a monster.

"You aren’t a monster, Ginny." Harry said softly.

She hadn’t remembered to put up her shield. Maybe she had forgotten on purpose, so he could read her mind, so it would be easier than having to put her feelings into words. "Aren’t I? That’s what most people think."

"Are you the mind reader, or am I? No one thinks that."

"Hermione does." Ginny stated, and seeing the look on his face, she knew she had struck on the truth.

"Not exactly, Ginny. She understands, deep, deep, deep down that you have a lot of other things going on. It’s just hard for her to get past the hurt."

"She got past it for you."

To her surprise, he laughed. "No she didn’t, Ginny. She wants to believe she did, as much as I do. But we fight all the time, about everything. It’s going to take a lot of time and work before anyone is really past anything. And yeah, Ron’s talking to me, but you think I don’t know he’s still mad at me too? Hell, Ginny! I’m still mad at me! It was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, and while my intentions may have been good, it didn’t even work out like I had wanted. I ruined everyone’s trust and faith in me for nothing."

"I was stupid, Harry. That’s why it worked. I don’t know what I was thinking half of last year. I don’t know what I’m thinking now. I just know that it can’t go on like this. Everyone’s so unhappy, and all Ron and Fred want to do is help and all I can do is resent them for it. I feel so numb inside, so cold. And part of me doesn’t want to change it, because then I don’t feel everything anymore."

"You need to feel it, Ginny. You need to feel it all to heal and move on. We’re all trying to do that. I saw how you went numb after you stabbed Draco, and I’m so sorry. I covered it up for you, but I didn’t help you." Harry lowered his eyes. "I’m sorry that I knew you were weakened and took advantage for my own purposes. I’m sorry that I hurt you so badly. I’m sorry that I can’t feel for you the way you wanted me too. And more than anything, I’m sorry I may have ruined our friendship."

She was taken aback, and for the first time in a long while, she felt hot tears in her eyes. But she wouldn’t spill them here, in front of him. Harry would always be her first love, her ideal guy. Could he be her friend? No, not with Hermione against her.

"Then maybe you two should talk too." He answered her thoughts again.

"That would go well. We’ll kill each other, Harry. She has what I want and I tried to take it from her, in many different ways, most of which you were immune to anyway." She watched as he turned from her. But she had resolve. She would be strong from now on, never weak. "I won’t deny what I want in life anymore, Harry. Never again. But I can accept the fact that I may not be able to have it. What I won’t accept is the girl who bested me. And she won’t accept me either, not anymore, and you know it."

"Then what do you expect of me, Ginny?" he asked. She was surprised to hear anger in his voice, under the frustration she had expected. "You come here without warning, knowing how unhappy it’ll make you and other people. You basically tell me you have no intentions of getting along with my girlfriend. I’m not going to ask Hermione to leave just because you’re here. Just like I won’t ask you to leave because of her. So now what? What exactly did you picture happening here?"

"I don’t know!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. How could she explain actions that when alone seem to be good ideas. "All I know is I had to try! You are so much intertwined with my family, we’ll be seeing each other for the rest of our lives, however long those might be. I’m trying to fix things, I guess, so Ron will stop worrying and leave me alone. So everyone will stop worrying and just leave me alone."

"You aren’t trying to fix anything." He accused. "You’re just trying to get by, so that, yes everyone will leave you alone, but also because that way no one will force you to get help. You know as well as I and as well as Ron that something isn’t right, Ginny. Maybe you should talk to the healers, like Molly wanted after you came out of the Chamber of Secrets."

"You think hearing it from you makes it easier to take? That I’m broken, that there’s something that needs to be fixed?"

"Of course not! It’s never easy to admit you need help. But you do, you have needed it for some time." He countered.

She didn’t know what else to say, there was no where else to go except in the same circles. Seeing the healers would mean admitting defeat, that she was too weak to help herself. No one else ‘needed’ to talk to the healers after everything they’d been through. Why was she the only one who couldn’t come out of this by herself? Instead of replying, she simply held out her hand, knowing he would know what she wanted.

He sighed, went to his desk and opened the top drawer. Taking out the ring, he put it in her hand, holding on and making her look at him. "If you think anyone you’re going to call up is going to say anything different, you’re going to be disappointed."

"I’m used to the feeling." She answered, pulling her hand away and going to her room to be alone.

(BREAK)

Ron knocked hard on Malfoy’s door, feeling awkward for even being there. When the other boy answered, Ron almost lost his nerve. "Something you wanted, Weasley?"

"You and I need to have a talk." Ron said with false confidence.

"Do we? What in the world would we have to talk about?"

"My sister." Ron said simply. He saw the sarcastic smirk disappear for an instant, replaced by a nervous awareness.

"Yeah, what about her."

"I know that you know she was the one who got you in that alley last year."

Draco visibly relaxed before remembering who he was talking to. "By got, you mean stab, don’t you? Your baby sister stabbed me, in the back no less." Ron saw Draco’s smile of satisfaction as Ron stiffened at the word. "What about it? Did you want all the details?"

"All I want to know is what you intend to do about it." Ron answered through clenched teeth.

"As of right now? Nothing. But it’s always nice to have a little useful information in your back pocket isn’t it, Weasley. Especially when it’s explosive enough to influence other people."

"Meaning what? Are you planning to blackmail us?" Ron was incredulous. Where was the new Draco that Harry had told him about?

"I sure am, Weasley. And here it is. Leave me the hell alone. Don’t blame all your little problems on me, don’t accuse me of every evil that befalls you. Assume that I could care less about your existence and take the same attitude towards me. Do all that and no one will ever know about Ginny’s little carving accident. Got it?" And he turned and slammed the door in Ron’s face.

He didn’t feel much better, he hadn’t expected he would. Trusting Harry was hard these days, so how was he ever supposed to trust Draco Malfoy?

(BREAK)

"Mail’s here." Hermione announced coming into the parlor where Harry, Ron and Fred were playing pool. He took it from her, glad that she hadn’t said anything about his private talk with Ginny the day before. She hadn’t asked any questions last night when they had lain in bed, simply asked if he was okay. Ginny herself had sent the ring back with Fred, and not emerged from her room since. Fred mentioned at breakfast that she and George had fought.

He leafed through the mail, handing Fred his business letters. "Hey, I wonder what this is about." Harry stopped at a letter addressed to Hagrid. "It’s from Madame Maxine."

"Really? Maybe she’s finally answering his ‘little giant seeks big love’ personals ad." Fred laughed.

Harry flipped it to the back, intending to deliver it to his friend. The next was addressed to him, from the ministry.

Dear Mr. Potter,
After much discussion with your headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, it has been decided that you will be allowed to take your 6th year exams. Furthermore, if you place highly, you will be granted permission to attempt NEWT year in one semester.
However, should you be unable to satisfactorily complete all NEWT levels, including being granted a license for apperation, then you must continue on in order to receive a diploma. We wish you luck in your endeavor, Mr. Potter and hope to see you at the testing board very soon. You will find the place and date of your make-up exams enclosed.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks

So, they were giving him a chance. Part of him had known they would. Most would do anything to keep Harry Potter happy, a fact he wasn’t altogether comfortable with. But it certainly came in handy. He felt an incredible surge of gratitude towards Mr. Weasley, for caring so much about his future.

"So where’s our letters?" Ron asked once Harry shared the news.

"They need to check our grades first, Ron." Hermione reminded him. "And they probably won’t tell us our grades until Harry takes his test."

"Right." Fred laughed. "If Harry doesn’t test well enough to do this, do you really think they’d set it up so just the two of you could graduate early? Please, if Harry doesn’t do it, they aren’t going to let you guys."

"If I don’t get to do it, I’m not going back." Harry announced. "I don’t have time for school right now."

"Well said!" Fred agreed. "I’m glad I’m finally done with all that business."

"Assuming you passed." Ron muttered.

"Oh, I passed. I got that letter a few days after school ended. And in one week, I’ll be walking to get my diploma." Fred returned.

"You’re going to graduation?" Harry asked incredulously.

"I promised mum. It’s one of the many things I agreed to in order to not get any grief over moving out." Fred answered unhappily.

"I think it’s nice." Hermione interjected. "Molly and Arthur could stand to feel some happiness."

"What about me!? I’m the one who has to wear those stupid robes and sit through a torturous ceremony just to get some stupid piece of paper I could care less about. I already have my future planned out."

"Once you rebuild the store, you mean?" Ron teased. Harry hoped they’d find out soon who had destroyed Fred’s store. And who sent the newspapers to the Grangers. And then he wondered, could they be the same person? And if so, what was their purpose?

(BREAK)

Luna sighed at the knock on her door. She’d known this was coming and had dreaded it. Though the longer it had taken him to seek her out, the more hopeful she was that he would lose his nerve altogether. Apparently, he had not. So she opened the door to Draco, and with a wave of her arm, invited him in.

"Yes, I completely believe your father murdered my brother." She said without ceremony, hoping her bluntness would scare him off. He was keeping his mind carefully blank.

"I know. I was there." He answered simply.

She was astounded. She had never known that there had been witnesses, that anyone else had been home. "What did you see?" she asked quietly.

"I don’t mean I saw him throw your brother off that balcony or anything. I just," he paused to arrange his words. "I was there when the Auror arrived. My father was furious that someone had called, he ran around the house, directing everyone on how to act." He paused again and sighed, taking a seat and staring at the floor before continuing in a tired, detached voice. "You see, a man named Julian Heath had gone missing. He was last seen at our house and that’s what your brother came to talk to him about. Lucius yelled and yelled at him, for disturbing his privacy. But you see, I knew that Julian was still in my house, being tortured for information. What he knew that my father wanted to know, I couldn’t tell you. Anyway, your brother must have heard something, because he insisted on searching the house. I don't know why he didn't call for back up, maybe he did and they were too slow to respond. My father sent me upstairs to the torture room to warn the others who were with Julian. I heard them come up almost right behind me. I ran into the room and gave the warning as I still heard them getting closer, and closer until they were in the next room." He closed his eyes to remember. "And then there was a scream. It was so loud and terrified, I ran to find my father at the balcony staring down. He turned to me with cold eyes and said that the clumsy oaf had fallen. I was almost eleven, but even then I knew better than to believe him."

"Why didn’t you tell anyone?" she asked in disbelief. "They investigated and took Lucius’s side! Kane died looking like a fool!" She was too furious to even feel the momentary pity she had for someone who grew up with a torture room in their house.

"I didn’t think about it! I was eleven! I saw the newspaper articles, but my father never spoke of it and wouldn’t let anyone question me or my mother. I forgot all about it until we were at the Leaky Cauldron and you were hating my father so much, I knew it wasn’t on my behalf. And then it hit me, like you had put it there in my mind." He looked at her accusingly.

"I honestly didn’t consciously do anything of the kind." She answered his gaze defensively.

"Anyway, I remembered the name I had seen in the paper, Kane Lovegood. I never made the connection, having not known of you till years later. I still wanted the Malfoy life back then. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have said anything, even had I known you."

"I believe that." She said harshly. Why hadn’t she seen this coming? She was supposed to be the seer, so why hadn’t she seen?

"I’m sorry. And I rarely say that to anyone and almost never mean it when I do. But I really am sorry, Luna. I’ll talk now. I’ll make it right with whoever you want me to tell it to."

"Telling me was a good enough start." She answered softly, as the wheels started turning.

(BREAK)

"Well, good luck!" Sirius said cheerfully. Harry had called up his godfather, wanting extra reassurance that he was doing the right thing. After all, who better to ask about school than the one person who had so rebelled against it.

"What if I don’t get good enough scores? I don’t want to waste another whole year."

"Then make sure they’re good enough." Sirius shrugged. "And you know the first step? Knowing that you are good enough, because you are, Harry."

"I appreciate the pep talk but if you could sound less like a greeting card, I’d find it more helpful." Harry joked, grabbing several quills and rolls of parchment and throwing them in his bag.

"Okay, then lets just say that it’s lucky you got your mother’s quick mind, along with your father’s quick reflexes. If it had been the other way around, you would have been doomed." Sirius laughed.

Harry felt himself smile, in spite of his anxiety. It all relied on him now, he had been handed the reins to drive his own life, just like he had wanted. This compromise was in everyone’s best interest and it would work, as long as he could produce what everyone believed him capable of.

He climbed into the backseat of the ministry car sent for him with a pounding headache. Attributing it to his nervousness, he pushed aside the part of himself that registered pain and focused on remembering everything he had learned last year. Hermione had been giving him refresher lessons every night, but with the new found peace they had forged between themselves, studying never lasted very long, passion interrupted. Shaking his head, he pushed that aside too. Focus. It was time to focus.

(BREAK)

Hermione felt restless. Harry had left for the ministry to take his exams, and she was certain he would do fine. As much as he grumbled and hated to do the work, he usually caught on quickly and had a pretty good memory. She sent him with good wishes and positive energy, and masked the darkness inside.

Four days now she had been under the same roof as Ginny. She had tried and failed several ways to forget the girl’s presence, but not even the desire to translate and piece together the documents for Harry could let her mind rest. She had written and begged Arthur access to the Hall of Records, but he couldn’t get her in there until the following week; she had written letters to her parents, but had been too unsure to send them; she had spent time with Harry and Luna and Ron, read many books, played several useless billiard games and countless games of wizard chess. Nothing let her mind rest on the subject of Ginny.

Pacing her room, she felt ready to burst, there was so much left unsaid between her and Ginny. She felt invaded, like the truce she and Harry had finally managed was yet again under constant attack. For four days she had bitten her tongue about her discomfort, sure he could feel it anyway. She certainly felt his relief that she had decided to play nice. How much longer could she do it? She felt weak, forced to submit for the good of the whole, rather than satisfy herself. It was definitely easier when Harry was present, but now, with him finally away from the house, she was left with her own thoughts and needs.

Ron and Fred would never be able to stand up to her and Ginny, should they get into anything. They didn’t have the alpha personalities the girls did. Luna and Draco would, she was sure, keep to themselves and let nature take its course. Hagrid, the only semblance of an adult, had holed up in his room since getting the letter from Madame Maxine. And Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still two days away from moving in. No, Harry was the only one who had stood in her way, and he would be gone for hours.

(BREAK)

"You really think it’s a good idea?" Ron asked.

"I really do. I want to talk to them, more now than I did when I was alive." George answered.

"As long as you’re sure." Fred replied. He and Ron had called up George just after Harry left, wanting to visit and to know what to do when their parents arrived in two days. The fact that George had agreed to make an appearance was a surprise.

"What about Ginny?" George asked. "Last time I talked to her she was all sorts of twisted. She isn’t thinking clearly, do mum and dad know?"

"They know less than the rest of us, but they know she’s not herself." Ron grumbled.

When Ron had told him Ginny had been the one to stab Draco last year, well frankly, Fred didn’t believe it. Malfoy hadn’t been the one waving around a wand yelling out unforgivable curses in the alley that day. Malfoy had been and still was a little punk, but definitely not worth killing over. He didn’t deserve to die for taking his father’s side for so many years, and Fred considered them even when the other had lost his arm and hadn’t really thought of Draco as a threat since. Sure he had suspected at first that Malfoy had sent those newspapers to the Grangers, but old habits die hard. Nothing he had done in the past deserved a stab in the back and being left to bleed out.

Now he and his brothers put their heads together and tried to decide how best to help their floundering sister. She had been resistant to any kind of assistance, but there had to be something they could do. There had to be.

(BREAK)

Ginny felt like her skin was constantly crawling. These had been the longest, tensest four days of her life. She had purposely stayed in her room as much as possible, wanting nothing more than to be alone. But there were always people everywhere here, and all people she really didn’t want to see. She couldn’t wait for school to start. Harry, Ron and Hermione would be holed up somewhere taking lessons by themselves, Draco would be easy to avoid and Luna, well maybe she could come around with Luna.

And maybe, she could be a normal student, go unnoticed, bide her time until the next year, when she’d bide her time until graduation. And then, she go out into the world, away from all the horrors of home. Somewhere Voldemort hadn't touched. Hell, Harry might even have gotten rid of Voldemort by then. She’d go somewhere without Weasleys and without witches and wizards, where she could try out normalcy. Whatever that was.

A sharp knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. She got up with a sigh and made her way over expecting one of her brothers yet again attempting a heart to heart. Opening the door, she realized she was sorely mistaken. "Hermione?!" she said.

"Can I come in? I think we need to talk." The other girl answered carefully.

"Um, sure." She invited Hermione in as the doorbell rang. Neither girl noticed it.

(BREAK)

Ron ran downstairs feeling aggravated. No one else heard the stupid doorbell? He had been drifting off into a much needed nap when it had rudely awoken him. He stayed where he was, hoping someone else was close to the door. After three more rings, he cursed them all and threw off the covers.

"Hey, Ron! Who’s at the door?" Hagrid asked as Ron reached for the doorknob. He was coming out of the kitchen, and had obviously been much more conveniently placed to see for himself.

"I don’t know, I haven’t answered yet." He grumbled, not bothering to hide his bad mood.

He opened the door and found himself face to waist. Looking up into Madame Maxine’s smiling face, he was once again awed by her stature. But she was looking past him to the other slightly smaller giant behind him.

"’Ello, ‘Agrid." She said softly.

"I didn’ really think yer was coming, Olypme." Hagrid replied.

 

 

A/N: Hmmm. Where to go from here? Well, Hermione and Ginny have it out at last, Hagrid gets news of some old friends, an order meeting is called, Harry learns some info about the enemy, Arthur and Molly are reunited with their son, Fred graduates, Draco decides how best to handle the info he learned about his father, Hermione receives word from her parents and everyone receives their test scores. A lot appears to be going down next chapter, so keep an eye out for the next posting!

Chapter 9: A Giant Quandary

NOTE: I just want to start out by saying that I’m bringing back some old characters, starting with this chapter. They may not be portrayed as they were in the original books, because I need them to serve my purposes here in this story. I will try to remain as faithful as I can to what was originally laid out by Ms. Rowling, but I’m warning those who are sticklers for details so you won’t be upset or disappointed later. Also, the way they are introduced may not completely coincide with what came before, so all I can say is stick with me and try to stay in this world that I’ve created with her brilliant characters, and forget a little of what came before. In other words, stretch the imagination with me. By the way, this is going to be a super long chapter. So with that, I leave you with the usual, Read, Review and for the love of Pete (whoever he may be) Enjoy!

 

"What’s going on? What are you doing here?" Ron asked before realizing how rude he was being. "I mean, come in, of course." He gestured the giantess in.

"’Ello, Mr. Weasley, ‘Agrid. Shall we go in zee parlor?" Madame Maxime ducked her head to enter and brushed past him to Hagrid who led her into the room.

"Could we, er have a moment please, Ron?" Hagrid looked at him pointedly.

"Um, sure, I was in the middle of something anyway." He left them standing awkwardly together in the middle of the room and started up the stairs. At the second landing, he paused, feeling like he should check in on Ginny. It was sudden and strong, and the feeling passed as quickly as it came. He shrugged and decided to leave her to her peace and went back to his nap, wondering what Madame Maxime’s presence could mean.

(BREAK)

"So." Ginny said in the crushing silence that had developed since admitting Hermione to her room. Hermione herself was looking through the bookshelf.

"So, you’re here. Making yourself at home in Harry’s house." Hermione said, finally allowing herself to look at the other girl.

"If you’re going to attempt to beat me up, go for it, I’ll give you a free one before I kick your ass." Ginny said defensively.

Hermione laughed and drew her wand, knowing Ginny was unarmed. "Please, Ginny, you think I’d come at you in any way other than one I can best you in." She pointed her wand at the other girl, enjoying the moment of worry contorting Ginny’s features.

"You wouldn’t." Ginny said confidently.

"Wouldn’t I?" Hermione stepped closer, her wand still aimed, as the other took a step back. "There are a lot of things I wouldn’t have believed you capable of, but you proved me wrong, so did Harry. And so did Draco for that matter. Why should everyone else get to act out of character and get away with it while I remain reasonable, reliable Hermione?" She felt giddy, and allowed herself to laugh. If this was what it was like to lose your mind, she could understand why everyone else was doing it.

"What do you want, Hermione?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms and refusing to be intimidated.

"I want to know why."

"Why, what?"

"Why you ruined everything?!" she screamed.

"I didn’t!" Ginny screamed back. "It was messed up already!"

"So you just thought you’d help us all along into self-destruction?"

"If I remember correctly, it was your boyfriend who decided to ruin everyone’s lives, he just used me to do it."

"Fiancé." Hermione corrected fiercely.

The word inserted itself into Ginny’s anger and she was momentarily taken aback. "What?"

"He’s my fiancé." She pulled out her necklace and showed Ginny the ring that sparkled at the end of it, a triumphant smile plastered on her face. "We’re getting married, after we graduate. He asked me and we decided back when we were still at school. He’s officially chosen me, Ginny. Me. So back off, because I will fight for what’s mine."

"I haven’t done anything, and he made it clear he’s with you, so what more do you want? My whole family is going to be living here, seeing as how we sort of adopted Harry. See, he’ll be grateful to us, to me, for the rest of his life. So maybe you should get used to the fact that if you do marry Harry, I’ll be there too. Can you handle that?"

Hermione clenched her teeth in frustration. "I would hope that you would one day want to get your own life and won’t want to live with a married couple, especially since it’s a couple that rejects you."

"You think Harry will just completely write me off, don’t you? He may have rejected me romantically, but the fact that I’m standing here fighting with you now is proof enough he’ll never reject me from his life completely."

"You may be right, and in that case you are lucky. He is so against disappointing people and can’t stand anyone to be hurt. Getting rid of you would only hurt Ron and Fred and your parents. He’d never do that."

"Never again, you mean. He did it once already."

"Trying to protect us all. I may not forgive him completely, but I understand his actions better than anyone else. He tells me things he doesn’t tell anyone else. He needs me as much as I need him and we love each other enough to forgive or forget everything that’s come before." She finally lowered her wand. "Just stay clear of us."

Ginny laughed. "I’d believe you more about your unshakable bond with Harry, if you weren’t here right now, warning me to leave him alone. You really don’t have that much faith in him do you? I mean you say the words so convincingly, but your actions aren’t really backing you up, are they? Someone who was truly confident in their relationship would walk around without a care, and wouldn’t feel the need to confront the former mistress."

Hermione sputtered, taken aback. "Really, mistress? You really think anything that went on between you and Harry was mutual? Please, Ginny, you’re romanticizing your role in his life again."

"Oh yeah? What would you call it?"

"Two big mistakes. Here, in the parlor, he thought he was comforting you, and somehow you got him to kiss you, but he stopped it, didn’t he. Told you he didn’t want you because he loved me, isn’t that right?" she watched Ginny turn away in anger and continued on in triumph. "And in the common room at school, he was using you to upset me and Ron enough so we wouldn’t go to Hogsmeade with him. He didn’t stop to think how it would make you feel, did he? You were a means to an end for the people he really cares about, me and your brother." She finished strong.

Ginny turned and without warning, took a awing at her. Hermione had anticipated this, it was what she had been hoping for. She easily ducked the other girl and raised her wand again. "What’s the matter Ginny, can’t handle it when someone pops one of your fantasy bubbles with a little reality? Go get help so everyone can stop worrying about you and maybe you can get some of your dignity back."

"Put down that wand, and I’ll teach you about dignity." Ginny growled out. "You just think you are so wonderful don’t you. Walking on air because Harry tells you everything you want to hear. You know what he told me the other day, when we were in his room talking, alone? He said that he knew you hadn’t gotten past anything, that you were pretending. If he’s willing to let you pretend with him, what makes you think he has any trouble pretending with you?"

"He loves me." Hermione answered fiercely.

"Keep telling yourself that. I’m sure he has to repeat it to himself all day to keep up the act." Ginny crossed her arms and sneered at Hermione.

"There is no act."

"Isn’t there? You really think you’re the girl meant for someone like him? He’s good-looking, brave, smart, heroic and oh yeah, the savior of our world. He’ll someday be a great name in our history, and plain jane Hermione Granger is the great love of his impressive life? Please. He needs you for your brain. Once Voldemort’s gone and you are no longer useful, how long do you think he’ll stay?" She paused, but Hermione had nothing to say. "He’s very loyal and chivalrous, I’ll give him six months after it’s all over to extricate himself from you, in the most honorable way possible, I’m sure." She smiled in mock sympathy.

"And then what? You have him all figured out, so after he dumps me, then what? He goes for you? Who are you in the grand scheme of things? Ron’s baby sister? Let’s face it, if any names are making it into the history books with Harry, it’ll be mine and Ron’s. We’ve been there from the beginning, we’ve helped Harry with every victory and we are the ones already associated with him. You are the only Weasley no one talks about. Ron is Harry’s best friend, Arthur is the Minister of Magic, Fred is a successful store owner, Bill and Charlie are famous for their work and known for their adventurous attitudes, Molly is known everywhere by everyone for everything, and even Percy, who wound up a traitor is talked about at large. You're the only one the public doesn’t know about, and what would they think? You’ve stabbed someone in the back and left them to die, you’ve attempted to steal your friend’s boyfriend, you had Tom Riddle the younger running around in your head making you do horrible things, you’re obsessive over a guy you’ll never have. Maybe it’s best no one knows much about you."

Hermione had been expecting Ginny to swing again, but not how quickly she would react. Her fist made contact on the left side, just under her eye. Hermione staggered backwards, her face an explosion of pain, her left eye feeling like it was about to burst from the socket. She shook it off and lunged at Ginny, a move the other girl hadn’t anticipated. Hermione landed on top of her and pointed the wand in her face.

"Don’t push me, Ginny. I’m not the prim little weakling you think I am. Maybe if you had really been a part of Harry’s life, you would have seen the things I’ve had to endure to survive over the last six years. You think because you were in the chamber of secrets and went with us to the Department of Mysteries, that you’re a badass? You got though last year without drowning in the bathroom or dying at Hogsmeade so you can do anything right? Wrong! You aren’t stronger than me, the fact that everyone is running around worried you’re cracking up is proof of that."

"Get off me." Ginny pushed at her. Hermione stunned her and got up.

"I just wanted to let you know, I won’t make it easy for you to ruin my life, if that’s your aim." She felt her face, which was already starting to puff up. "I’ll let you have this, and I’ll tell everyone I walked into a door or something. But I won’t hide your crazy for you. Go get help so your family can finally find some peace of mind, and stay away from me and Harry."

"And if I don’t?" Ginny challenged.

"I’ve already used one spell against you, and let’s face it, when it comes to wandwork, I can cast circles around you. I can probably even make it look like an accident." She answered darkly before releasing the other girl and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

(BREAK)

The tests had been easy, but he may have cheated. Everytime one of the testers asked him a question, the answer had popped right in his head, as if they had sent them to him. Harry knew that wasn’t the case, so he may have subconsciously linked up with them. He blamed his nerves. Of course, he had known many of the answers himself, so he wasn’t too worried. It wasn’t like they’d be able to prove he cheated, if he did.

He returned home, his head pounding furiously. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but at the same time, he felt a strong desire to put on the ring and call someone up, maybe tell Sirius how it went. In his mind he knew he hadn’t the strength or concentration for that, but the closer he got to the door, the stronger the urge was. He pushed it down deep, determined to be stronger than his urges. There was no doubt the ring had powers, and remembering Dumbledore’s warning from months before, he knew he could easily be sucked in.

Entering the house, he heard voices in the parlor, one belonging to Hagrid and one, familiar yet unplaced. Curious he made his way in and was greeted by the massive sight of Madame Maxime.

"’Arry!." She exclaimed upon seeing him. "I ‘ave ‘eard so many wonderful zings about you since we last met."

"Hello, Madame Maxime, how are you?"

"I come wit some wonderful news! Zee giants are willing to negotiate with zee Order."

"Negotiate how? Last I knew, Hagrid said they weren’t so willing to listen." Harry looked at his friend, remembering his horrible tale of bringing gifts to the giants two years ago. It had been a violent and bloody tale, and it ended with the giants listening instead to some dark wizards, and Hagrid bringing home his wild brother. Madame Maxime had gone back to her school, abandoning Hagrid, then. Harry wondered how she had become involved now.

"I’m goin’ ter call a meetin’ o’ the Order. When do ya think it’d be best to do tha?" Hagrid asked.

"I can get word to Arthur immediately, and he and Molly will be here in two days. Will you be staying, Madame Maxime?" Harry asked, unsure where he could possibly house the giantess.

"Oh, Zank you for zee offer, but I ‘ave a place in the city. I ‘ave a place in many cities." She answered.

"Are ya sure, Olympe? London’s o bit dangerous now." Hagrid asked.

"Well, zen, perhaps you could walk me?" she asked coyly.

Harry bid her goodbye and left them to their own devices. Wondering how exactly the giants could help them, other than to not join Voldemort, he ascended the stairs, wearily heading to his room. His head was fevered and ached horribly and he sought Hermione’s cool soothing hands.

Entering her room through the secret passage, he was dismayed to find Luna already visiting. "Hey." He said by way of greeting. Taking in the sight of Hermione, he stopped cold. Her face was puffy and bruised on the left side and it was obvious Luna had been applying some ointment for her.

"How did the testing go?" Hermione asked brightly, smiling up at him.

"Who cares, what happened to you?" he asked worriedly and sat beside her, his own pain and discomfort forgotten. He reached out to gingerly touch her cheek and she winced, making something ache deep down inside of him.

"I happened to myself." She answered looking down in embarrassment. "I was rushing and not paying attention and opened the door right into my own face."

He didn’t believe her. Luna who was now standing behind Hermione shook her head, indicating he should let it go for now. "And what’s this?" he asked picking up the tube Luna had been holding.

"Just a few healing herbs, she’ll be as good as new by tomorrow morning." Luna said brightly, matching Hermione’s false tone. "One more application when you wake up and it’ll be like it never happened."

"And that’s it, nothing else happened? It looks really bad, Mione." He took her chin and moved her face so he could see the injury better.

"Well, it’s just for tonight, I’m sure I’ll look desirable again tomorrow." She said sarcastically.

"Oh, the love of… this isn’t about how the bruise makes you look, it’s about how serious the injury looks. It looks like a fist, not a door, did this."

Harry! Drop it! Luna shouted at him with her mind.

"Well, I don’t know what to tell you, it was the door. You can beat it up if you want." Hermione responded.

"How about if I just take down all the doors in the house? That’ll insure it doesn’t happen again." He teased back.

"Then let’s hope I never trip on the stairs." She smiled at him before yawning.

"Oh, that’s the herbs working. Once they absorb into the skin completely, you’re going to feel very tired. It’s best you sleep, it’ll help the healing." Luna explained.

"That’s just as well, I have to write an express to Arthur about the Order meeting for Hagrid. When did Madame Maxime get here anyway?" Harry asked.

The girls stared back at him blankly. "Madame Maxime? The giant headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy?" Luna asked.

"That’s the one, but I didn’t know she was here." Hermione said. "I’ve been upstairs all day. And so has Luna."

"Well, she’ll be gone by now anyway. She has some kind of news about the giants wanting to listen to us again."

Luna had gotten that far away look in her eyes again. "For Azkaban."

"What?" Harry and Hermione asked together.

"Dumbledore wants them to guard the prisoners at Azkaban, now that the Dementors are gone. Cho Chang will love having them walking around, huh?" Luna joked, now fully back in the present moment.

"Really? Are they going to do it?" Harry asked.

"I don’t know, it’s all too up in the air, too many factors still in play to see a clear outcome." She shrugged as Hermione let out a mighty yawn. Harry looked at her and saw she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"We’ll leave it at that until the meeting then." Harry kissed the top of her head and he and Luna departed for his room.

"So?" Harry asked as soon as the bookcase was closed.

"So what?" she asked evenly.

"So what really happened to her?"

"I don’t know, she’s blocking it all out. But I can guess." Luna crossed her arms.

"And is Ginny injured as well?" Harry asked, already knowing what her guess was.

"I don’t know that either. She’s in her room and blocking me out as well."

Harry sighed and slumped down onto the bed, his head in his hands. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked helplessly.

Luna came over and placed her hand on the back of his neck. It was cool and as she gently massaged her fingers along his hair line he felt his headache dull. "Maybe they worked it out between themselves. I’m more worried about these headaches you’ve been having."

"Headache." He corrected, feeling himself relax into her touch. "It never really goes away anymore. It can’t be like this, Luna. They can’t be at each other’s throats all the time, especially not over me."

"It’s not just over you, you know. Hermione’s also hurt because Ginny was her friend and she had trusted her. I’m mad at Ginny for the same reason. She was my friend, and I never did anything to her. I had no part in your scheme, other than keeping it quiet. I lost Ron because I kept her secret. And still, she treats me like the enemy. It isn’t fair."

Harry took her hand from his neck and held it in his. "Do you still see us all together at the end?" he asked.

"Yes. But the way there, Harry, it’s so difficult for everyone."

"But it’s still there, so we’re still on the right path, right? Ginny will come around eventually, she has to. It’s now that’s hurting us all. How do we get past it?"

"By coming to terms with the past, I think." She looked off into the distance, her hand tightly clutching his. "I think we all have things from our youth that we’re still dealing with, the horrible things that happened to us that made us who we all are today."

"And how do we do that?" Harry asked softly.

"By forgiving, forgetting, or getting even." She said bitterly.

"And which are you choosing?" He asked.

"Getting even, and I may need your help to do it." She said quietly.

"Anything you need, Luna." He offered.

"Not now, it’s not the right time for anyone. But soon." She said rising.

"Whatever, whenever. I’m there for you, Luna." He promised rising and pulling her into a tight hug.

"I know." She whispered.

(BREAK)

"So we’ll do it after the Order meeting." Ron said.

"Assuming it goes well." George answered. "I don’t want to see them if they’re all grumpy."

Harry had told Ron of Madame Maxime’s visit before turning in for the night. Now he and Fred were planning George’s reunion with their parents. "You know what the best part of this meeting is?" Fred grinned. "I’ll have to miss graduation, isn’t that a shame."

"I’m shedding tears for you." George laughed. "Ghost tears! Quick get a bottle and you can sell them on Knockturn Alley along with the ghost sweat!" He broke into hysterical laughter until he realized his brothers hadn’t joined in. "Too soon?"

"Too gruesome." Ron answered, his mind instantly drawn back to that day in Knockturn Alley, when Percy had murdered George.

"Not funny at all." Fred said sourly.

"I’m just nervous, alright. Seeing mum and dad is kind of a big deal you know. You okay?" George asked suddenly, looking at Fred who was wearing the ring.

Fred was holding his head and swaying. "Yeah, just a headache."

"Maybe I should go." George said uncertainly.

"It’s fine, it’ll pass. I get them all the time." Fred answered.

"Still, you gotta save up your strength for the parents. I’ll see you guys again then, okay?"

They said their goodbyes and then George was gone. "You really get them all the time?" Ron asked Fred.

"Yeah, so?" Fred asked, removing the ring and rubbing his temples.

"It’s just…" Ron hesitated, making sure the pieces he was putting together made sense. "It’s just that I’ve noticed in the past few days that Harry rubs his head like that a lot. He said it was nothing, but…"

"But what, Ron? Spit it out." Fred let his frustration show.

"Well, you and Harry are the ones who seem to wear the ring the most. In fact, I’ve only worn it twice and Ginny just started. No one else but you two and now you’re both having these headaches."

"So what, you want to be the one to call George for mum and dad, fine, I don’t care. See no problem with the ring, it doesn’t have any sort of magical hold over me. And I’m sure Harry is fine too. Now if you don’t mind, it’s late and I’d like to go to sleep."

Ron left and went back to his own room. He thought about it and decided Fred was right. The headaches seemed to be the only side effect of using the ring, and if they could bear it, then who was he to judge?

That left his mind free to ponder the other thing Harry had told him before disappearing into Hermione's room. Apparently, Hermione was sporting a bruised up face that she blamed on the door, but Harry had the sneaking suspicion that she and Ginny had gotten into something while he was gone. And when Harry carefully mentioned that Luna had the same idea, well, it made Ron remember the moment he had paused in the hallway, feeling the sudden desire to check on his sister. He had done so immediately after leaving Harry and found her unharmed and unwilling to talk. Of course, she denied having anything to do with Hermione’s injury.

That left him with Luna. Her room was also on that floor, and the feeling, the need to check on Ginny had been so strong and swift within him a few hours ago. Had she known what was happening and tried to send him to stop it? If that was the case, why hadn’t she intervened herself? He began to worry that it was time he and Luna talked.

(BREAK)

"Good morning." Harry greeted her quietly as soon as she opened her eyes. Hermione blinked and smiled up at him, stretching luxuriously and enjoying the way he watched her with desire.

"Hey you." She rolled on her side, facing him and leaned forward for a kiss. When she pulled back, she saw him inspecting her face. "How’s it looking, doc?"

"Just about gone." He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the ointment. As he gently applied it to her skin, she melted into his touch and brought his face to hers. He kissed her gently, but passionately. She knew he was worried about hurting her, saw her as delicate whenever she was inured, but she wanted to feel the desire she had seen in his eyes. She wanted to banish the words Ginny had implanted in her head before they had time to fester and turn to doubt. She pressed herself hard against him and deepened the kiss, crushing her lips to his and tangling her fingers in his hair. His response was immediate and they let themselves go, rolling in ecstasy until neither could move.

Eventually, he regretfully rose to begin his day. Arthur and Molly were arriving a day early in anticipation of the meeting that night. Witches and wizards would be arriving all day and Harry, as master of the house, had to see to them all. She agreed to follow him down shortly, and lay in bed, basking in the feeling of love he left her with. She felt satisfied in every way, Ginny didn’t know what she was talking about.

(BREAK)

Draco sat in his room listening to the noise from below. People had been arriving for hours, beginning with the loud Weasley reunion. He had hidden himself at the top of the stairs and watched as Mrs. Weasley squeezed all of her children and Harry and Hermione to her. He ached for his own mother then, the only person who had ever shown him any kindness. Harry may have been an orphan, but he had family now, while Draco was still left with no one. He wondered what Narcissa was doing, whether she thought of him. By necessity, he couldn’t contact her, and he understood this. He may love his mother, but he knew he’d be foolish to trust her.

He had returned to his room to sit alone until the meeting started. He was looking forward to Snape’s arrival. Though he had been a spy, the Potions professor was the closest link he had to his old life, the life he knew. When the knock on his door came, he was so absorbed in his thoughts, he actually thought it would be Snape. The person he found was a much more pleasant surprise.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" he asked, hoping the shock he felt wasn’t visible.

"Don’t worry, I’m unarmed." She said sarcastically, looking up and down the hall. "Can I come in, I really don’t want my brothers to see me here."

"Well, how can I turn down a request like that?" he gestured her in, closing the door behind her. "And word around the house is, you don’t need a weapon to inflict pain."

"I have no idea what you’re talking about." She said stiffly.

"Yeah? You and Granger are the only ones. Seems she’s sporting a shiner and no one believes the door did it to her."

"I don’t care what everyone thinks."

"Clearly. And you snuck down here in secret, not wanting to be seen because…?" He sat at his desk and waited, his heart beating in anticipation while he maintained a cool exterior.

"I guess I want to apologize." She stood nervously before him.

"Oh yeah? For what?"

"You’re really going to make me say it?" she balled her fists. Anger and maybe embarrassment flushed her cheeks.

"Why not? I had to live it. And I’m going to go a step further and ask why you’re coming to me now to apologize, or at all for that matter, since the last time I found you at my door you made it very clear that you felt I had deeply wronged you." He thought back to the night at Hogwarts when she had come to his room to tell him that while she appreciated what he had done for her at Hogsmeade, she still hated him.

"You’re an ass."

"That’s beside the point." He countered.

She stomped her foot in frustration and began pacing. "Look, you were horrible to us, and you were there that day, when George… and then I got your letter, asking me to come meet you, to listen to you. I thought of you as a sort of symbol of everything that was going wrong. You were there, your back to me, and I don’t know. It happened and I’m sorry. And I came to tell you because I need someone on my side."

"What do you mean?"

"Ron and Fred and Harry, they all think I should go get help. Hermione will never forgive me, and we’re probably better off for it. Luna and Harry have forged this strange bond and she’s no longer just my friend. She can’t be there just for me." Ginny said, blinking her eyes to hold back tears.

"And you expect me to?" He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he wasn’t sure he liked where it was going.

"I don’t know!" she threw her hands in the air and slumped down on the edge of the bed. "I just want someone who is willing to go against Harry and the others. Someone who will take the time to see it from my side. I’m just… a little twisted up right now, it doesn’t mean I need therapy."

"And what? I’m twisted enough for you to consider worth your time? What makes you think I’d go against Potter? He took me in, let me stay. He put everything that happened in the past behind us and is offering me the chance to start over. I put my trust in him and because of it, I may even be getting my arm back. I think the treatments are working." He looked down at his arm, which was still tingling painfully from that morning’s session with Healer Drake. They had measured it and he had gained an inch of length back. "With all of that, you thought I’d put it all aside and be your special friend after a half hearted ‘I’m sorry I stabbed you.’"

"Well, if that’s the way you feel." she rose and went to the door. Draco jumped up and grabbed her arm, she instinctively pulled against him.

"See." he released her arm. "You don’t trust me. But I do accept your apology, we all go a little crazy sometimes. And just because I won’t tell you I think Potter and Granger are horrible people anymore, doesn’t mean I don’t agree that you can get past this by yourself. I’m not the kind to sit and talk out my problems either. I can still be there for you, and not hate them, you know."

"Wow. You really are a defanged snake now, aren’t you?"

"And you’re really an ice queen now, aren’t you? So unwilling to let anyone be kind to you. You can come bend my ear anytime, that’s my offer, take it or leave it. But know that if you want someone to unload all over, I’m sitting in the same position, needing the same thing."

"Oh yeah." She looked him up and down. "What exactly do you have to unload Malfoy?"

"A bombshell. Are you really interested in making this twisted little friendship work?"

She hesitated before shrugging her shoulders. "Sure, why not. We all need someone we can count on right?"

"If you say so. Take a look at this, new friend. I could use an outside opinion on my next move." He handed her the file on Lucius, opened to the relevant page.

"This is about your father." She said looking up suspiciously. "Does Harry know you have this."

"He does, though it shouldn’t matter to you. But you are the only one besides myself to read the contents. Go on."

He watched her dawning expression as she read. "Oh wow. Lucius is a mudblood, as you would’ve put it."

"What should I do with this information, so damning to a man hated by so many."

"Well, you have to tell Harry and the Order. If Voldemort doesn’t know-"

"Which I really don’t think he does." Draco interrupted.

"So this could be the key to your dad’s downfall. Oh, you have to tell Harry, and my dad. This is too good."

"I was thinking the same, I just really like having the information to myself. It makes me smile. So I’ll tell them at the meeting. I just…"

"You just what?"

"There’s someone else I think I should tell first."

(BREAK)

Draco and Ginny came down the stairs together. Luna looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief that no one had noticed. Watching Draco approach her, she knew that the road to her final vision for them all had begun and it was too early for anyone else to know.

"I have something I’ve been keeping secret." He said just loud enough for her to hear.

"Don’t we all. I’m really thankful you all have started blocking me out, less responsibility."

"Yeah, well, this secret I’m going to make public. I just didn’t think it would be fair to blindside you."

"I glad you’ve become concerned with what’s fair, but is this the time?" she asked, gesturing at the guests surrounding them.

In response he grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stairs to the first landing. "Here, just read this." He handed her a file.

She read it, and got happier the more she read. Two muggle parents, not a real Malfoy at all. Lucius was a liar, a hypocrite and better, he may not even know it, if the Malfoy’s never told him. And why would they have? She gave him back the files and threw her arms around him. "You have just made me very happy."

"Yeah, well. I’m going to tell the others at the meeting tonight. See how many of them I can make happy."

"What?" she asked horrified. "No! Please, just keep it quiet a little longer."

"Why?" he asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"I just need to think on this for awhile. You flung it on me, I need to figure out how this will best help my case for Kane. Please, Draco. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again."

"Don’t make promises you can’t keep." He warned. "Don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it. But Ginny knows too, I just told her."

"Well convince her to keep it quiet too."

"Okay. Whatever you say. You really don’t think Potter should know? Or Mr. Weasley? Dumbledore?"

"Sure, but all in good time."

"Okay, but you know how Potter hates being kept out of the loop." He sneered.

"He’ll forgive me. Thank you. And I really mean it. Thank you, Draco."

"No problem. I kind of like this friendship thing you guys got going here. Keeps me from feeling so alone."

"Welcome to the fold." She hugged him again before sending him to talk to Ginny. Soon, Kane would have justice, and she could let that part of her past go. Closure was within her reach. She only had to figure out the best way to bring it about.

(BREAK)

"Okay everyone, settle down." Arthur said as everyone gathered in the war room. It felt more cramped than usual, with two giants within. "As you know, Hagrid and Olympe have some information for us regarding the giants, so I turn the floor over to them now."

"Zank you, Minister Weasley." Madame Maxine said. She nodded to Dumbledore before beginning her narrative. "I was contacted last year by Dumbly-dorr who wished me to try again wit zee giants. I kept in constant contact wit ‘im and ‘Agrid, about my progress. I abided by zee proper rituals wit my translator and zee Gurg agreed to listen. We made it sound good and zey ‘ave agreed to be zee new guardians of your Azkaban, wit one condition."

"And what is that condition?" Kingsley asked.

"Zey want to own zeir land. The mountains where zey ‘ave made their ‘ome, zey want to own it and have no fear zat they will be forced off."

"Through zoning that could be arranged." Arthur replied.

"And what of Macnair? Last Hagrid told me, they had agreed to join with him and Voldemort." Harry said, bringing a few murmurs.

"Yes, how can we be sure we can trust them, they’ve never trusted us." Tonks’s asked from her place at Lupin’s side.

"Macnair could not ‘old up ‘is promises. ‘Ee was killed when a new Gurg became leader. And apparently zis Gurg is a very good leader, ‘ee ‘as been challenged only once in zee last two years and won zat battle. ‘Ee seems to ‘ave more intelligence zan zee others, a good zing I would zink." Madame Maxime replied.

"So we can push through some zoning, create a cloaking spell like we do for our muggle villages, and we can meet his demand. What is his name?" Arthur asked.

"Basillion."

"Okay, then all in favor of reaching out to the giants to be the new guardians of Azkaban?" Dumbledore asked. He nodded in approval as every hand went up. "Okay, then Madame Maxime will return with the news. Hagrid, perhaps you could join her? I know there’s someone near there you’d like to visit."

"O’ course!" Hagrid heartily agreed. Harry knew it had been difficult for Hagrid to find a place for Grawp, but he had at last. (After a lot of work training him for the world.) There had been a Wizard village that was experiencing a rash of Death Eater attacks and Dumbledore had made arrangements for Grawp to be the village’s protector. Having so many of his own issues to deal with last year, he hadn’t talked to his friend about it, and now, he felt guilty. But at least Hagrid would be visiting, and he’d get another chance with Madame Maxine to boot. Happy with those thoughts, Harry turned his attention back to the meeting.

"Moving on, Severus Snape has attended a Death Eater meeting recently. Anything to report?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape stood gravely before them. "Unfortunately I do. An attack at Lairmore is being planned. The Dark Lord is preparing the Dementors and the other Death Eaters were to take to the skies, casting from above. I of course was told not to be there, as he believes I am his spy and therefore cannot risk capture or death. Now, as you know, Lairmore is our biggest wizarding village, outside of London. Most of our ministry workers live there-"

"I live there!" someone shouted from the back. Snape bristled at the interruption

"When is this attack to take place?" Lupin asked.

"Sunday night." Snape answered shortly.

"Okay, time to prepare for war!" Fred shouted.

(BREAK)

They had spent the meeting making plans for Sunday night, only two days away. It had taken hours and everyone was relieved to finally leave. Dumbledore stayed and he and Arthur requested Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred and surprisingly Draco come into the parlor with them. "Dad, before you start, we already planned it. I’m going on Sunday." Ron said as they settled on the couches.

"Relax Ron. I’ve given up that argument. We have some things to discuss with each of you." Arthur responded.

"First, I want to say we may know who sent those newspapers to your parents Hermione." Dumbledore began. "It came to our attention that without the Dementors, our prison is not very organized or supervised. Cho Chang had been keeping regular correspondence with two people. Marietta Edgecombe and Pansy Parkinson."

"Really? I didn’t think the old girl had it in her." Draco said before realizing everyone was looking at him. "Pansy I mean. She never struck me as very bright or capable."

"Well, we have indication that while she came up with the idea for Cho, it was Marietta she had sent do her bidding. We also have reason to suspect Cho had sent someone to destroy your store, Fred."

"Why?"

"That we don’t know."

"He was in her way last year. So was Hermione. She’s trying to get even by trying to ruin our lives one by one." Harry surmised miserably.

"That makes sense. She tried to make it so I would be kept from both school and Harry and she attacked Fred’s livelihood. We were the two who were in her way the most." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"I have a feeling it goes deeper than that." Dumbledore said gravely. "I believe the attack on Fred’s store served not only as a way to ruin him, but also the opportunity to get Harry out in the open."

"And who is she receiving orders from, then?" Ron asked. " I mean you said she was only talking to Marietta and Pansy, right? So is she acting out her own plot, or is she taking orders from someone else?"

"If it’s really her at all." Harry grumbled. It didn’t make sense, not completely anyway. There was a piece of the puzzle still missing.

"We’re sure it was her, even if her motives aren’t as clear." Dumbledore replied.

"But we’ll be sure to ask her. We only received this information just before the meeting. Tomorrow, we’re heading to Azkaban."

"I want to go with you." Harry said.

"I’m not sure-" Arthur started, but Dumbledore cut him off.

"That may be a very good idea. I think Draco should go as well. The two of you together, now on the same side may get her talking." Harry looked at Draco who was staring right back. They were on the same side now, they both knew it, but it was weird to hear said outloud.

"And with that settled for now, I have happier news. Griselda Marchbanks gave me these to deliver before I left the office today." Arthur held up four envelopes.

"Our grades?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"I only tested yesterday." Harry said, shocked.

"Well, a lot was riding on the outcome." Arthur answered, handing Harry his letter first. He tore it open eagerly and read through the contents. He couldn’t believe it. "I did it. I passed with high marks and they’re letting me try for early graduation!" Hermione leapt up and hugged him before turning to Arthur and demanding her own letter. He handed it over and gave Ron his as well.

"Yes!" Ron exclaimed, reading his. "I did it!"

"Just barely." Fred teased looking over his brother’s letter.

"Who cares? Early graduation, here I come!" Ron hugged Hermione and Harry in triumph. Hermione of course, had been accepted as well.

"Okay, one more announcement, this one is for you, Draco." Arthur smiled at him and Harry felt Draco’s discomfort at being treated kindly. "Dumbledore and I talked it over and decided you should be afforded the same opportunity as the others, especially since it would be safer for you to remain out of student view."

Arthur held up Draco’s acceptance letter and Harry felt a momentary twinge of discomfort. Like theirs, his envelope bore the seal of his house crest, shining brightly in green and silver. A reminder he was still very different than they were.

"I… you mean I get to graduate early too?" Draco asked in disbelief, taking the letter but making no move to open it.

"If that is what you want." Dumbledore smiled.

(BREAK)

After Dumbledore took his leave and Draco retired to his room, Harry, Hermione and the Weasley children called their parents into the parlor. Ron held the ring tightly in his hand.

"What is this all about?" Molly asked looking around at them all suspiciously.

"We have something to show you. Someone, actually." Fred answered nudging Ron. He slipped on the ring and concentrated as the other teens reached out to touch him, adding their energy so the connection would be stronger.

"What are you all doing?" Arthur asked.

"Calling up him." Fred pointed behind them. Arthur and Molly turned to find George hovering above them.

"Hi, mum! Hi, dad!" George greeted them.

 

 

 

A/N: Whew, that was a lot to get out. So once again, we learned a few things, our characters learned a few things and there is still so much to uncover. Next chapter, the Weasley reunion continues, a visit to Cho Chang, war in Lairmore, Harry finds out some things about Luna, and Voldemort, Hagrid is made an offer before he leaves to talk to the giants, and Luna makes a request of Harry. Stay tuned for more! Thanks for reading, please review with your thoughts, good or bad I can take it.

Chapter 10: Villager Revolt

NOTE: Okay, another chapter with some action! A lot happening here so pay attention, and if you’re trying to piece together some of the mysteries in this story, I recommend going back to reread carefully, sometimes the most inconsequential scenes have the biggest clues. This is going to be another SUPER long one, so here it goes. READ, REVIEW, and ENJOY!





"George…" Molly whispered taking a step toward where her son hovered. Ginny felt her heart break all over again and suddenly had no desire to witness this. But to run away now would prove she was weak, if everyone else could take this reunion, she could as well.

"How is this possible?" Arthur asked reaching out. George backed away from his father and Fred stepped forward to stand between his parents. Without thinking, they both unconsciously grabbed one of Fred’s arms, as if he were the way to reach George.

"Harry found the ring." George smiled down at them. "With it I can come visit until the real end. We can really say good bye."

"We just said hello again!" Molly cried.

"Don’t worry, mum. I don’t think it’ll be my turn for awhile." George answered quietly. "I’ve really missed you."

Ginny felt tears in her eyes, it was so unfair! Her brother had been harmless, someone who brought laughter and joy. It shouldn’t have been him. She felt like if it had to happen to someone, it would’ve been best for all, if it had been her. And with that sudden thought, she realized she had actually been thinking it for quite some time.

"We’ve missed you! So much Georgie!" Molly began to sob, pulling Fred to her tightly. For once he didn’t struggle, simply let her hold him and cry.

Arthur had tears in his eyes as he stared at his lost son. "I don’t know how this is possible, but I’m… I’m just so…. So happy to see you." Arthur choked out.

(BREAK)

They sat together in the parlor in silence. George was gone, back in his plane of existence, and everyone was left with tears freely falling down their face. Harry looked around at all of them, and though he knew their shields were down, he put his own up, containing his mind to keep it from wandering. They deserved to be able to let their thoughts be free right now.

Eventually Molly went to her room, asking Ginny to go with her. Wanting to comfort her mother, she went and Harry felt hope that she wasn’t as far gone as Ron had feared. After awhile, Arthur broke the silence. "How was that possible? What ring was he talking about?"

"The Ring of Mykele." Fred answered absently.

"What?!" Arthur appeared startled. "I thought that was just a legend."

"It’s right here." Harry held it out for Arthur to take and inspect. Ron had given it back right after George had departed, saying that wearing it had made him feel uncomfortable. Harry had felt the same at first but assured him it would get easier the more he did it. Until the headaches come. Harry had added silently in his mind.

Arthur inspected it thoroughly. "It sure is ugly."

"Well we had to go through a lot to get it." Ron answered. Harry laughed on the inside, thinking that Ron had no idea. The image Harry had been shown in that cave had shook him to his core, thinking they had all been killed. It was so real, so terrifying, only Luna had been able to get him out of it. After, he remembered being impressed with his mother’s casting ability, especially if she’d only been a 7th year student when she’d set it up.

"From what I can remember from the old stories my grandfather used to tell me, it was a really special object, but it was also cursed, bringing misery to all who wore it." Arthur looked around at them all. "I don’t suppose that’s the case, or you wouldn’t have something so dangerous, right?" he asked, his gaze finally landing on Harry.

"I don’t know about any curse, but I feel no misery being able to talk to George, Sirius, my parents and Neville." Harry answered steadily. He wasn’t going to say anything that would make Arthur want to take the ring from him.

"What about the other things this thing can do?" Arthur asked still inspecting the ring.

"We haven’t really tried them." Hermione admitted. Harry had forgotten the ring could even do anything else. He supposed it would be cool to see in the dark, but they had been right before, he had a cloak to make himself invisible and he could already read minds. Why drain his energy on those things when the real power he wanted was so much sweeter?

Everyone scattered soon after to go to bed, leaving Harry alone with Arthur. He stood and held the ring out for Harry to take back. "Thank you. Thank you, Harry, for finding a way to bring him back to us, even for a short while." And then he pulled Harry into a tight hug.

Harry fought back tears, happy to at last give something back to Mr. Weasley. "I’m glad you’re happy. I was worried you’d be more sad this way."

"And in a way I am, as I’m sure you are even after all the time you’ve spent visiting." Arthur turned serious. "How often do you use the ring, Harry?"

"Why?" Harry asked, feeling a bit defensive.

"I just worry, that’s all. Things as powerful as that object, they feed on energy. They can become as addictive as a drug."

Harry remembered coming home from testing, exhausted but still wanting to use the ring. He had fought it off, hadn’t used the ring at all since. He certainly didn’t feel addicted. "I promise that you have nothing to worry about. I haven’t used it since yesterday morning. And I can fight the desire to wear it if I know I shouldn’t. Besides, I don’t use it that often." He certainly wasn’t going to mention the headache, after all, it had faded considerably since not using the ring.

"Hmm." Arthur said, looking at him intently. "Maybe, but let me ask, how often does Fred use it?"

(BREAK)

"I really want to go with you." Hermione said from her seat on the bed, watching as Harry dressed for the day.

"And Arthur already said you couldn’t." Harry answered, pulling a shirt on and sitting next to her to put on his shoes.

She laughed. "And since when has anything like someone else’s permission stopped you?"

"Well, I happen to agree with him. All those locked up criminals and very little security, at least until things are fixed with the giants; I don’t even really want to go. But we need answers, so I’m going to go get them."

"So it’s unsafe for me, but Harry Potter and new traitor Draco Malfoy will be completely safe in a prison full of Death Eaters with a reason for revenge?" Hermione laughed again. "I’d really worry less, if I could go with you."

"And I’d worry less if you stayed here." He responded, leaning over to kiss the tip of her nose. "Besides, Arthur said no, Dumbledore said no, and while I may not be one for obeying, you are another story. Just think how upset they’d be, how disappointed."

She punched him in the arm. "You’re a jerk."

"You’re the one who loves me." He teased fending off another attack by grabbing her arm midswing. Laughing, they wrestled playfully together on the bed until he finally pinned her. "I have to go." He said, leaning down to kiss her deeply before getting up and moving to the door.

"Be careful." She called out.

"I love you." He responded, going downstairs to meet the others.

(BREAK)

Draco felt like tearing his hair out. He, Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore were all waiting in a holding room. The guards would be bringing Cho Chang to them, everyone feeling it was best not to parade him and Potter through the prison. He was grateful for that, personally knowing many of the people imprisoned there and what they were capable of. The Order’s directive was capture if possible, kill if necessary. Voldemort and his follower’s directive was kill if possible, capture if necessary. They had no reason to capture Draco, and so death could come to him at any time. It was Potter they wanted alive.

Finally the door opened and his heart leapt into his throat. He was supposed to protect Cho last year, and had turned on her instead. If she really was orchestrating some grand scheme against the others from behind bars, then he hated to think what she had planned for him. Feeling cowardly for his thoughts, he straightened up and put on a smug face. After all, he would be the one getting to leave after they were done here.

They sat her at the small table and shackled her to the chair, which was bolted down to the floor. She certainly didn’t look like the cute girl she had once been at Hogwarts. Her hair hung in long tangles around her face, which was streaked with dirt. Her eyes were hidden under dark shadows, large purplish marks indicating her lack of sleep. He had been worried about his own rapid weight loss, but she looked down right emaciated.

"I have nothing to say to any of you." She said in a detached voice.

"But we have plenty for you to hear." Dumbledore calmly replied.

(BREAK)

"Oh, hey." Ron said uncertainly. He had been trying to kill time until Harry and his dad returned and had gone to shoot pool in the parlor. Instead, he found Luna, curled up with those files they had gotten from the ministry.

"Hi." She said with a smile, brushing a long strand of golden hair behind her ear. He instantly felt the need to go and throw himself at her feet and beg for forgiveness. To tell her he had been wrong and still loved her. But that was Harry’s M.O. and he didn’t want to seem insincere.

"I didn’t mean to bother you…" he turned to leave but she stopped him.

"It’s fine, Ron. I was kind of hoping we’d get the chance to talk."

That was all the invitation he had needed. They hadn’t spoken since their fight in Trelawney’s tower at the end of school. He had taken it forgranted that they had broken up, but what if that wasn’t the case? What if it was just a really big fight?

"But it was the case. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me, Ron." Luna sighed.

Ron instantly threw up his shield, angry with himself for forgetting. "I really wish you and Harry would at least pretend you can’t do that."

"Pretend to be something we aren’t? I don’t know about Harry, but I can’t do that. My power didn’t just develop gradually like his, I’ve been able to do this my whole life. I’ve always read minds, I’ve always seen the future and I was always encouraged to use these gifts. I can’t turn them off and I don’t want to. They are a part of who I am, which is something you can’t understand and that is why we can’t be together."

"I could learn, Luna." Ron said simply. "I was so upset, I needed someone to blame."

"And the fact that you chose to blame me says a lot." She replied.

"Well, what do you expect. If you had a sister or brother and I knew something important about him or her, I would have told you."

Luna looked down at this, and he saw her eyes water. What he had said to make her cry, he didn’t know, but he was instantly sorry for it. "Ron, I want to be your friend again. More than anything. We all need each other. But we can’t be anything more. It’s not meant to be."

"Yeah? Did you see that in one of your visions?" he asked harshly.

"Ron, I was never the one meant for you. I’ve been seeing a lot of things in the last few months, as more and more events come to pass. As soon as Harry made the decision to find the other descendants, I saw…I just saw a different future for you. It wasn’t with me. And mine, it wasn’t with you."

"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"

"That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted you to know that we can both be happy, as long as we stick to the right paths. We just aren’t going to find that happiness with each other."

(BREAK)

Harry turned away, unable to look. Cho’s appearance, her attitude, her mind; he couldn’t take it all in at once. He couldn’t believe he had once aspired to be with her, that she had once been a pretty, bright student with her whole life ahead of her. He knew her parents had fled after her capture and were being hunted for their part in planning the explosions that took Neville’s life. He could understand her need for revenge, but he wouldn’t let himself forget that she had chosen this for herself. She could have denied her parents, she could have told someone and gotten out. She didn’t. He wouldn’t let his pity sway him, despite her appearance, and because of it, he knew she was dangerous.

Arthur pulled out her letters, which had been confiscated from her cell. "Seems you have a couple of loyal pen pals."

"Is it against the law to have friends?" Cho asked angrily.

"Only if you ask them to commit crimes against others." Arthur responded. "Now these two girls, Marietta and Pansy, they were friends of yours back at school?"

"Yes." Cho said simply.

"I don’t think so." Draco said suddenly. "Pansy never talked to you a day in her life. Not while we were at school anyway."

"No one asked you. Traitor." Cho spat at him, forcing Draco to take a step back. "You just had to open your mouth and be the hero at the trial." She looked at his arm and laughed. "How does it feel, Hero. Was it worth it?"

"Enough." Dumbledore said quietly but powerfully.

For a moment Cho looked intimidated. Then she laughed again. "This isn’t Hogwarts, Headmaster. I’m not a bad little student in your office to serve detention. I killed someone, injured a few others, planned to kill a few more. Neville was a waste of space anyway." She added looking directly at Harry.

He felt his anger flair and he tried to get a hold of it quickly, he wasn’t quick enough. Her chair shook against the bolts holding it down. He took satisfaction in the moment of terror in her eyes. Dumbledore turned to him and simply shook his head. Harry nodded and took a few deep breaths.

"Miss Chang…" Arthur started but she interrupted, still looking directly at Harry.

"What was that, Harry? Did I make you mad? I heard about the Leaky Cauldron, you know. What with my ‘pen pals’ and all. You gonna throw that table at me? Or weren’t you mad enough?" she laughed. "You think Neville was the only one I wanted dead? He annoyed me, but Looney Luna, she was so irritating, always with her nose in my business. I rigged that bathroom to kill her you know. She wasn’t supposed to be saved, I wanted her dead and if I get out of here I’ll make it happen. I hoped you both would die that day, but it was her I wanted. And I had big plans for the others too."

"Shut up." Harry said, wishing Hermione had come, to help keep him grounded. He felt like a teapot, bubbling and about to scream.

"MISS CHANG!" Arthur said loudly to get her attention.

She couldn’t be swayed. "Shall I tell you what I planned for Ron, that stupid oaf, walking around like he was so important." She paused to look at Arthur. "He’s an idiot by the way, your son. Death would have been a kindness." Her chair shook again as Harry fought with himself.

"Don’t do it." Draco whispered to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"That’s quite enough!" Arthur rose.

"You’re the ones who wanted to come see me, you don’t get to control what I say. And look at you two!" She brought her attention back to Harry. "Best friends now, huh? How’s Hermione feel about that, Harry? Wow that reminds me, you don’t even want to know what I had planned for her after drowning Lovegood in the bathroom. That bitch got in my way, she will certainly suffer for it. And I mean suffer!"

And then there was a loud crack as the legs of the chair split against the pressure of Harry’s anger. Cho and the chair flew backwards. Dumbledore was on his feet in an instant, his wand out and casting. A large bubble surrounded the girl before she slammed against the wall, protecting her head from cracking against it. Harry stood panting, his entire body shaking. Cho was unconscious, he wished she were dead. Shaking his head of such violent thoughts, he was disconcerted. They had only been words, she had come at him with the only weapon she possessed and had gotten the better of him, forced him to lose his control. He felt defeated and sat heavily as the guards came to bring Cho to the prison hospital.

"Can I see those?" Draco asked suddenly, indicating the letters Arthur still held, now crumpled in his fist. He handed them over and sat next to Harry as Draco walked to the corner to read by the sunlight streaming through the dirty window.

"Well-" Dumbledore began.

"I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry." Harry said running his hands through his hair and resting his head in his hands. He was frustrated, after all that, they still had nothing.

"I know you are." The old wizard replied.

"Such a cruel girl." Arthur lamented, shaking his head.

"We will keep this incident quiet." Dumbledore said. "And Miss Chang’s mail privileges are certainly revoked."

"But we haven’t learned anything!" Harry protested.

"Harry, I doubt she would have been cooperative. This was a mistake." Arthur said shaking his head.

"Maybe not." Draco said from the window. "These letters from Pansy? They aren’t from her at all. It’s not her writing, and there are far too many big words."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked as Draco handed the letters back to Arthur.

"I’m positive. She used to write me dippy little notes all the time, these are not in her writing. And Potter, remember how I told you she wasn’t bright enough to come up with sending those newspapers, well, I was being kind. She’s no mastermind, that’s for sure."

"Why would they use Miss Parkinson’s name?" Arthur asked.

"That’s something we’ll have to ask the author of those letters." Dumbledore answered. "Arthur, surely there is someone in the ministry who can track this letter, give us clues as to who wrote it?"

"I know just the man. Hopefully we’ll get some answers soon." Arthur said, motioning them all to the door.

"And hopefully the giants are trustworthy, I don’t want her getting out of here." Harry said as they started down the long hallway.

"Time to put that behind you, Harry. We have to prepare for a fight tomorrow." Dumbledore said.

(BREAK)

"Who knew she was hiding all that crazy?" Ron said. Harry simply shook his head and said nothing. He and Draco had relayed the visit to the others when they got home. Now they sat in the parlor with Ron, Hermione, Fred and Luna, going through the ministry documents until the Order meeting started.

"I never want to see her again, that’s for sure." Harry replied.

"Completely opposite what you thought about her in fourth year, huh?" Ron teased as Hermione gave him a little shove.

"Like you said, who knew she was hiding all that crazy." Fred laughed. "Don’t worry Hermione, we can all handle your crazy."

"Keep going and I’ll show you crazy." she warned him, crossing her arms. Harry smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

They all settled in to read. Harry left the documents already translated by Hermione and Luna to the other guys. He had the other files in front of him, the ones about Voldemort. He was putting off his own information, not really wanting to read about what they knew of his life and the judgements they made about him. He had a feeling reading those files would only make him angrier.

Half an hour later, he struck gold. "I don’t believe it!"

They others looked up at him, startled. "What is it?" Luna asked.

"It just makes so much sense now, why he actually liked Bellatrix LeStrange." Harry reread the pages, just to be sure he wasn’t just seeing what he wanted to see.

"We’re all at the edge of our seat, Harry. You going to share?" Fred asked.

"He had a sister." Harry said. "She was a mental case, schizophrenic according to the documents."

"And?" Draco asked.

Harry scanned the pages again, wanting to get the whole story together for them. "Apparently he broke her out of the asylum their parents had sent her to, right after he left Hogwarts. As far as record of her goes, that was the last anyone saw of her."

"How does that explain his attachment to Bellatrix? We know they weren’t related, she was part of the Black family." Hermione asked, moving closer to read the document over his shoulder and see the information for herself.

"And mine as well." Draco glumly reminded them.

"It says here he had tried to get custody of his sister before he broke her out. That they had been extremely close siblings. Apparently, she was one of the few people he actually cared about, and she was bat shit crazy. At least according to these." He held up another file, records from the healers at the asylum. Hermione grabbed it up and began reading.

"So what was her name? Was she older or younger?" Fred asked.

"Margaret. Her name was Margaret Riddle. And she was born first." Hermione answered still looking through the healer’s notes. "Says here that she was in the asylum, because she suffered a complete mental break. They didn’t hold much hope as she refused to take any herbs or remedies. And the ones they forced her to take, they just weren’t effective."

"So what happened to her?" Fred and Draco asked at the same time.

"No one knows after he broke her out." Harry kept looking, but she wasn’t mentioned again. "But if something bad happened, and then he met someone like Bellatrix, well, maybe she was like his sister and so he developed a blind spot for her."

"She certainly wasn’t all there, was she." Ron replied, shuddering at the memories thoughts of Bellatrix conjured.

"But what about Margaret?" Luna asked, coming to sit next to Hermione to look through the file.

"She died." A voice said from behind them. They turned to find Dumbledore in the doorway. "Please, excuse the interruption, I rang at the door, but no one came to answer. I can see you were all too busy."

"Sir, you know for a fact that Margaret Riddle is dead?" Hermione asked.

"I do. I was at her funeral, saw her laid to rest. It was the last time I tried to reach out to Tom until Harry showed up. He was as unreachable then as he is now. Losing Margaret was the last straw." Dumbledore sighed and came to sit with them.

"So what happened?" Harry asked.

"There were few people in Tom’s life that he really cared for." Dumbledore began. "He hated his father, as you know, and when they were younger, Margaret is the one who took care of Tom. Once, when he was still a young man showing promise, he confided in me that without his sister, he wouldn’t have survived." He paused to sigh again, looking around at the promising young faces surrounding him now. "She had her mental break two years before Tom came to Hogwarts. He considered the decision to send her away unforgivable."

"So what happened after he broke her out?" Hermione asked, completely enthralled with the story.

"She was unwell. She had been refusing treatment, medicine, food. She was too weak, and he had gotten to her too late. She had given up on living and he had been unable to convince her otherwise. She died of natural causes and was laid to rest in a small graveyard in the country."

"Not-" Harry began but was interrupted.

"No, Harry. She isn’t in the graveyard he brought you and Cedric to. He hadn’t wanted their father anywhere near her, even after death. And that is the tragic tale of Margaret Riddle."

"So Bellatrix…" Ron prodded.

"Was a stronger version of the sister he had lost." Dumbledore nodded. "She had remained loyal and strong even after Lord Voldemort was vanquished for so many years. And then she was also taken from him, yes, I believe he sees the act as a line drawn in the sand. Which is why we need you all to take care tomorrow and follow directions without question. Harry took someone very important from Voldemort."

"He did it to me first!" Harry protested. Ron reached over to pat him reassuringly on the back as Hermione took his hand.

"Yes, but unlike you, Harry, Tom has no moral center. It will always be an eye for an eye with him. I’m glad you have those files, even if you weren’t supposed to take them." Dumbledore nodded encouragingly. "It is always best to know your enemy, so that you never underestimate him."

(BREAK)

Harry sat by himself in the backyard under the large willow tree, letting the soft summer breeze clear his head. Tomorrow they would once again be going into battle, and while he felt he better understood some of his enemies motives, he couldn’t understand why so many had followed him. Was the lure of power really so overwhelming?

The Order meeting had simply been a last minute planning session, deciding the best place to put everyone. The decision was an unpopular one. He, Fred and Charlie were stationed with Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-eye, and several other Aurors, leading the attack in the sky.

Hermione, Ron, Luna, Draco, Ginny and Bill were to be in the village, part of the surprise ground attack squad with Arthur, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Madame Maxime, the rest of the Aurors and the Villagers who had refused to leave their homes. Being separated from his friends, not being able to have each and every one of them where he could see them, it wasn’t a plan he had been happy with. Fear, doubt, worry, they clouded Harry’s thoughts, keeping him awake long after everyone else had turned in. He ran his hands through the soft grass and closed his eyes as he faced the damp breeze, trying to clear his crowded head.

He felt Luna’s presence before she made herself known. "Do you want to be alone?" she asked, standing before him as he opened his eyes.

"Yes and no. I just can’t sleep. Too much to think about."

"It’s going to be fine, Harry." She said, taking a seat next to him on the ground.

"Really, did you see something?" He asked anxiously.

"No." she let her head hang. "Truthfully it’s all a blank when I try to see anything, too much is up in the air, too many decisions not made. I hate when it gets murky like this, it makes the end so uncertain, it fades away. It’ll become clear again once the dust settles, just like after Hogsmeade."

"I hope the picture is the same." Harry answered.

"So do I. Everyone has a plan, we’re all going to be together even if you and Fred are in the air. We’ll all be able to watch out for each other out there tomorrow."

"I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. When I do, all I can see is what could go wrong, and how much I stand to lose if someone gets hurt."

"Okay, then in other news, Hermione told me that as soon as she can get into the Hall of records, she’ll be able to trace at least Mykele’s lineage. So we’ll have somewhere to start." She smiled at him and he felt grateful that she was trying to cheer him up.

"That’s a whole other thing I can barely think of. Who knows how long it will take to find these people, and what if they don’t want to help? Finding eleven random people in an overpopulated world. It all seems hopeless."

She stayed quiet for a long time before responding. "What if I could make it a bit easier for you, what if I knew who one of the other people was?"

He felt a tug at his mind. Something that had come and gone in a flash a few weeks earlier. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to say. "It’s you." He turned and faced her, feeling more relieved than he had thought.

"I come from Gwendolyn Crowley. My grandmother was very proud of her lineage, said we came from heroes and warriors. She was disappointed that daddy chose to run the magazine, said it was unbefitting our legacy. She herself had fought against tyranny in England when she was younger, helping the small group of our kind who tried to keep a rein on the royal family throughout the ages."

"They weren’t always successful, eh?" Harry snorted, thinking of the stories he had read in muggle history books while in a muggle school.

"Well, we had our own problems every now and then too, so said Granny. She used to tell Kane and me all about it, telling us we had to aspire to greatness. She was so proud when he joined the Aurors, thought it was only a matter of time before he was promoted to the Royal Watch division."

Harry took her hand. "I’m sorry." He said simply.

She smiled again. "It gets easier to think about him, especially now."

"Why now?"

"Let’s just say I have something in the works and leave it at that for now. There are other things to focus on. We got off track anyway. I just thought you should know, and wondered what you wanted to tell the others? You know, Hermione and Ron especially."

Harry paused. He knew that having one less person to find was very good. He knew that the person being Luna meant he always had someone he could trust and that was very good. He and Luna sharing one more thing they couldn’t share with those closest to them, to those already upset at being left out, that was very bad. Keeping it a secret could be worse. "Well, they don’t need to know right now, especially with Lairmore looming over us."

"And after?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

He shook his head and squeezed back. "After, we’ll just see what happens I guess."

(BREAK)

I hate waiting! Fred thought to him from their hiding place among the trees.

You’re telling me, Harry thought back. They had been waiting for over an hour for the enemy to make their move. Allies and villagers were bunkered down in the little houses sprawling out in front of him. Harry’s eyes were trained on a house at the end of the street, the one where Hermione and Luna waited with Ron, Draco, Molly, Ginny and Bill. Every now and then Luna would send him a telepathic report, but it did little to calm his nerves.

How much longer, do you think? Fred asked, nervously moving his broom from one hand to the other.

How should I know? Harry replied. Then he felt the coldness. Looking around, he knew the others waiting with him felt it too. The Dementors were close. All they needed was for the Death Eaters to show, Harry just hoped they’d come before the Dementors found them.

And then, as if on cue, green flames shot into the air, and the Dark Mark rose into the sky, illuminating the dark shapes flying around it. There appeared to be hundreds of them. The air began to crackle as many more Death Eaters apparated into the streets.

Harry met Tonks’s eye and nodded as she gave the signal. With a cry, they rose in the air, casting immediately as the others streamed from the houses where they had been hiding.

(BREAK)

Luna was nervous. She had been trying all day, but nothing was coming to her. Leaving her mind open, should anything need to come, she focused on the others around her, as they waited impatiently in a stranger’s home. This particular homeowner had been a single mother, willing to offer up her house to the Order, but choosing to flee with her children. Luna couldn’t blame her, fear for those you loved was a powerful motivator. She only hoped Harry would be able to keep his head together out there, and intended to keep the others safe so he wouldn’t worry or become distracted.

Last night, she had wanted to tell him so much more, to let him know about Draco’s knowledge of her brother, of Lucius’s secret. She hadn’t been able to. He was already so burdened, and while she desperately wanted to unload to have him make her feel better, she had held back, trying to comfort him instead. There was just so much more that he carried around on his shoulders than the rest of them, not only did he have his own hopes and fears and sorrows, he was burdened with those of his loved ones as well as the rest of the Wizarding community. His need to succeed, the pressure that failure wasn’t an option, it was going to break him someday.

Get ready! Harry’s words in her mind broke through her thoughts of him. She saw that the others had heard and moved to the windows to watch for the signal.

"May we all be watched over." Molly prayed.

And then the signal broke and they were all moving at once. Arthur had given them specific orders, stick together and stay with him or Hagrid. Ginny, Draco and Molly went left with Arthur’s group. Luna followed Hermione and Ron to the right, with Hagrid, being forced to cast almost as soon as she was out the door.

(BREAK)

"Look out!" Fred called out and Harry dove down, missing the fireball that had launched at him. For a bit there, flying with Fred, he felt like they were out on the quidditch pitch again, but bludgers were the least of his worries. Skimming the tops of the houses he caught sight of Hagrid and Madame Maxime, towering over everyone else. At first Harry had worried that their height would make them easier targets, but they did have giant blood coursing through their veins, and the vicious ferocity seemed to have come out. Seeing Hermione, Luna and Ron with them and unharmed, he raced back up to the sky.

Dodging spells, he zoomed through a group of Death Eaters who began to give chase. That’s right, come and get me morons. He thought as he flew toward the trees. It was obvious his pursuers knew who he was, because unlike the other Order members in the sky, they sent spells to capture, not kill, hurtling toward him. He ducked and dipped low, leading them through the forest. Ready? He thought to Fred.

We’re all set up for you. Was the reply. He raced upward suddenly, breaking though the tree canopy. There were still five death eaters following him, and they never knew what hit them. Tonks, Fred and Mad-eye, waiting in position, had stunned Harry’s hunters in midair, magically lowering them to the ground where another group of Aurors placed them in custody.

That was easy! Fred’s giddy thought reached him.

Too easy. This is usually the time to step up our awareness. Harry warned as they flew back to the battle over the village.

"Ready to try it again?" Tonks yelled to Harry.

"Sure! Just let me get a few on the hook!" and he swooped in to draw some more attention.

(BREAK)

It was genius really. Harry had come up with it when they’d first taken cover in the trees, and while he saw that the plan made the adults uneasy, Fred was amused by the brilliant simplicity. The Death Eaters didn’t want Harry dead, and that made him the only one without a bullseye on his head. Sending out the one person they didn’t want to kill but very much wanted to capture, was the best way to keep everyone else from being hurt. Harry had offered himself up as bait, and agreed to lure the Death Eaters away into the woods where they could set up an ambush. It had worked twice already.

As Harry gathered a new bunch, Fred hid himself in the trees and allowed himself the time to scan for his family. Ron was with the giants, helping Hermione and Luna keep them shielded as they tore through the enemy line. They were so convincing as terrible giants that Fred himself felt scared of Hagrid, for the first time ever. He felt Ron was well protected.

Arthur, Bill and some villagers were dueling with a large group of Death Eaters, but appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Molly, he knew was running among the houses, helping tend the wounded and dying, on both sides. Charlie was up in the skies, reigning terror on the enemy from above.

Fred couldn’t see Ginny though, and began to panic. He hadn’t wanted her to come, had in fact told his parents she shouldn’t go. Molly had of course agreed, but Arthur had not, saying that if he was going to let the others do whatever they wanted, it was unfair to place restrictions on Ginny. Fred’s last hope had been that Ginny simply wouldn’t want to go, but surprisingly that wasn’t the case. He had decided to hope that it meant she was on the way back to being herself.

You ready? Harry was once again calling for his attention. Determined to spot his sister the next time, he raced to get in place for the next group Harry had lured into the trees.

(BREAK)

Draco had never felt more terrified in his life. He felt like a walking target, as he and Ginny followed her brother and parents through the streets. He kept his senses trained and made sure he cast before his adversary. Potter was in the skies, and appeared to be doing well as the number of flying Death Eaters dwindled. But here on the ground was another story. He felt like every time they made progress in dwindling the Death Eater numbers, more of them apparated in. And the Dementors weren’t helping their cause either. Meanwhile, the Order, villagers and Aurors had all the numbers they would have, and their losses were being felt more.

"Look out!" Ginny screamed. On instinct he dropped the ground and turned as a masked figure prepared to cast again.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny yelled first.

Draco watched as the other’s wand flew away. Angry to be disarmed, the Death Eater lunged at Ginny, but Draco was quicker. "Expulso!" he pointed to ground in front of the man and was amazed as the pavement exploded beneath his feet. The man gave a mighty scream as pieces flew up into his face, knocking him unconscious.

Ginny hurried over and helped Draco to his feet. "You okay?" he asked, hoping she hadn’t been injured by a stray piece of flying debris.

"Yeah, thanks. That was quick thinking."

"The only kind we’re afforded out here." He said quickly looking around. "We lost your father." If they got separated, they were supposed to head into the nearest house and think their location to Harry or Luna who would relay the message.

"Let’s go find them!" she said excitedly. Watching her, he felt as if the battle were finally waking her up from a long sleep, and she was acting more like the girl he had known her to be, back when he was spying on them all.

"That’s not the plan." He said hesitantly.

"So what? Since when do rules and plans make a difference?"

She may not be uneasy walking around without extra help, but Draco was far more practical, being more of a target. "Look, a lot of people out here want me dead. One of them, my own father. I really don’t want to be wandering around aimlessly." He said resolutely, grabbing her arm and pulling her along with him.

"Please, I’m the minister’s daughter, you think they wouldn’t be after me and mine to use as leverage? If I’m willing to keep going you should be too." She said as she let him pull her toward the nearest house.

"Yeah, as leverage, meaning you get to keep breathing, and the possibility to keep breathing long after if they save you. I’ll be dead where I stand." He answered harshly, wishing he could just leave her behind. This time last year, he would have. Damn the conscious he had grown.

"If you’re so worried about it, I have the solution." She pulled to a stop and reached into her pocket, producing Mykele’s ring. "This will make you invisible."

"Why do you have that!?" Draco asked angrily, taking the ring from her before anyone could catch sight of it.

"I figured it might come in handy." She shrugged.

"Do you know how much they want this? Are you an idiot?" Draco yelled in a vicious whisper.

"No, I was thinking ahead. Now you don’t have to worry about being seen." Ginny argued defensively. "I thought Harry might need it, if things got difficult, but if you’re such a wimp then you can use it."

"Potter doesn’t know you have this, does he?"

"What does it matter? It belongs to all of us."

Draco shoved the ring deep inside his pocket, hoping he could hand it off soon. "Listen you little idiot. This isn’t a game, this is survival. Whatever little girly problems you’re having with Potter and Granger doesn’t mean a goddamned thing to me right now, you understand. Bringing this ring here was so stupid, it’s one more thing that makes you a target. These types of objects create energy, you know, you think they don’t have their own special people on their side? People with extra powers like Potter and Lovegood? They have people who can feel this energy." He was so angry and scared he let it all unload on her, and though she looked hurt, he didn’t feel bad about it. She had to understand the danger they were really in.

Screams interrupted her reply and they both ran toward the sound. The Dementors were running rampant down the street as those who had tried to stop them ran in fear. They were stronger, and gaining more strength with every soul they took. "Come on!" Ginny yelled, running off before he could stop her. This girl seemed to have a death wish, just his luck, he’d get lost in battle with someone like that. He wanted to turn and run, to find more people to bring back and fight, but Ginny was already facing down the Dementors.

With a growl of frustration, he hurled himself after her before he could change his mind yelling out, "Expecto Patronum!" as he went, unleashing his large silvery snake on the dark army coming down on them.

(BREAK)

Hagrid and Madame Maxine had been knocking down the enemy since it had all started. Hermione, Ron and Luna mainly tried to just stay out of their way, keeping protection charms around them, and disarming anyone who tried to catch them unaware. After sweeping down an entire street, they made their way down another, and ran into trouble.

"Minister Fudge?!" Hermione couldn’t help letting out her shock. The former minister simply stood before them, the wand in his hand dangling uselessly at his side. He wasn’t wearing Death Eater robes.

"What’re you doin’ here Cornelius?" Hagrid asked angrily. Fudge didn’t answer. And then about ten more people began to join Fudge in the middle of the street, villagers, people who had been fighting on their side.

"What’s wrong with them?" Ron asked. Hermione was afraid she knew. And sure enough, before she could reply, it was as if a switch had been flipped in the man before them.

Fudge attacked quickly, scattering their small group as fire shot out of his wand in their direction. The villagers began casting spells at them just as quickly. "Run! They’re under the Imperious curse! They won’t stop!" Hermione screamed. She and Luna dashed between two houses and ran for the cover of the trees. Looking back she realized the others weren’t following, no one was following them. She grabbed Luna’s arms and brought them to a stop. "We lost Ron and Hagrid!" she said gasping for breath.

"Why aren’t they chasing us?" Luna asked.

Hermione tried to look down the streets, but it didn’t appear they had been seen. "Look!" she pointed to a figure standing on the roof of a house off into the distance.

"That’s him. That’s the one putting them under the curse!" Luna said.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I’m sure, whoever that guy is, he’s controlling them."

"Then let’s go." She and Luna cut through backyards, making their way quickly to the caster’s perch and stunning the few who managed to get in their way.

"It’s Dolohov! He’s a nasty one." Hermione whispered to Luna. "You ready?"

Luna nodded and both girls split up around the house, hoping to take him down from either side. GO! Luna shouted in her head.

Hermione heard the other girl scream outloud, "Expelliarmus!"

Within an instant Hermione threw her own curse, "Incarcerous!"

She and Luna climbed onto the roof with their prize. "Release them , NOW!" Hermione demanded of Dolohov, who was looking up at them defiantly.

"He’s upset that he was bested by teenage girls." Luna said, looking down at him in disgust as she looked through his mind.

"I’ll bet he is. He’s about to be a lot more upset if he doesn’t release those people." Hermione threatened.

"What are you going to do? Take me to your headmaster." Dolohov sneered.

"We don’t have time for that." Hermione answered pointing her wand in his face. "Sectumsempra!" she shouted the only curse she could remember that caused harm and wasn’t an Unforgivable. Harry had told her that he had seen Snape using it against James in the past when digging around in Snape’s memories.

"Hermione!" Luna gasped as a large gash appeared on Dolohov’s cheek. Hermione had missed on purpose, only wanting to wound the man. She didn’t want to kill anybody.

"Release them." She demanded coldly.

"I will not." Dolohov said defiantly.

"Sectumsempra!" she shouted again. The man howled in pain as blood began pooling down his arm. She had gotten his shoulder this time.

"Let them go." Luna demanded. "We really don’t have time for you." She pointed her wand at the man, threatening to add her own curse in with Hermione’s.

"I’ll say." Dolohov answered, looking past the girls from his immobile position on the roof.

They turned to see a swarm of Dementors coming right for them. Looking at each other, the girls called their Patronus creatures, and hoped they’d make it somehow.

(BREAK)

They had almost cleared the skies of Death Eaters when the Dementors started coming at them. Harry began to feel they were fighting a losing battle as his stag raced through a group chasing Tonks. He turned and threw a Hurling Hex at the Death Eater trying to sneak up on him. The enemy’s broom began to buck and jerk, forcing his pursuer to land or risk being thrown off.

"Everyone! Ground!" Kingsley yelled out to the Order flyers, and Harry knew it was their best move. They would never be able to overcome the Dementors in the sky. Looking for a place to land, Harry saw how hard it had been for those fighting down below. Many houses were on fire, and the streets were torn up, completely destroyed in some areas. He saw a group of villagers fleeing a small band of Dementors and sent his stag in to assist before flying on.

And then he saw them, Hermione and Luna on top of one of the houses, their Patronus spells trying desperately to fend off the dark creatures streaming towards them. There was a man in Death eater robes with them, but he appeared to be their captive, and no longer a threat. Getting closer, he could see it was Dolohov.

"Hey!" he shouted loudly. The girls looked up at him in relief as he flew past and through the large mass bearing down on them. Harry shot upwards, seeing that some of the creatures had followed. He made another pass, getting a few more to give chase. But there were some that wouldn’t give up their attack on the girls. Harry had to get them out of there.

Hermione! Throw up a hand! He instructed, knowing Luna would be able to hold them off on her own for a moment. She did as he asked and he raced forward, the Dementors hot on his trail. He moved lower and took aim, throwing out his own hand and slowing just enough to ensure he had her in a good grip before flying off. He could hear her shriek as they shot through the air, her fingernails were digging into his skin. He wasn’t going to let go. Seeing Hagrid and Madame Maxime’s large forms looming in the distance, he called out to them.

Let go! He commanded, sweeping in low. She did, and flew down directly into Hagrid’s arms. Making sure she had made it safely, he went back for Luna.

"Looks like they left you behind." Dolohov was shouting to Luna over the noise of the battle raging around them.

Shut up. He heard her think to the vile man.

Luna! Harry called to her, wanting her to know he hadn’t deserted her. She instantly threw up her hand, waiting for rescue as if she had known all along that he was coming back.

As he slowed to grab her, she put her wand between her teeth so she could grasp him with both hands. "Wait you can’t leave me!" Dolohov cried as they ascended.

"Watch me." Harry shouted back.

"No, no, NO NOOOO, YOU WORK FOR US!!!!" they heard the man cry as the Dementors that remained surrounded him.

He was controlling Fudge and the villagers! Luna told him as they flew through the air.

Not anymore. Harry thought back to her. He went back to where he had left Hermione and the others, only to find the area deserted. He couldn’t stop, there was a gang of Dementors tailing him, and he couldn’t leave Luna down there by herself. He also couldn’t keep flying around with her dangling from his broom.

Can you climb up here? He asked. He helped as best he could while still maintaining a solid flight path. Swinging a leg and using Harry as a sort of hand ladder, she got herself up and behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she held on for dear life as he shot through the sky, Dementors in hot pursuit. He couldn’t fly forever though, and one thought kept interrupting any plan he tried to make. In the few seconds he had left her to go get Luna, what had happened to Hermione?





A/N: Alright then. It isn’t looking so good for them is it… see how the fight ends and learn a few more revealing things in the next chapter of Harry Potter and the Coven of Warriors! Please take the time to review and leave your thoughts, good or bad. Feedback rocks!

Chapter 11: Ready to Rumble

NOTE: Welcome back, more action coming at you, along with a ton more questions. Pay attention, clues are everywhere. Read, Review and Enjoy!




Draco’s lungs were on fire, his legs felt like jelly, but he wouldn’t stop running. He couldn’t. His grip on Ginny’s wrist was iron tight as he pulled her along behind him. There were too many Dementors, they couldn’t hold them back and had been forced to retreat. Where is everyone?! He thought wildly trying to push it outwards to Lovegood or Potter. They needed help.

"In there!" Ginny shouted, now the one pulling him toward a small house to the right. "Where’s the ring?" she yelled as soon as he slammed the door shut behind them.

"What?" he was confused and out of breath, not to mention feeling extremely depressed thanks to their constant proximity to those creatures.

"The ring! It makes you invisible, if they can’t find us, they can’t give us the kiss!" she shouted, trying to search his pockets.

"Hey!" he moved away from her and retrieved the ring himself. Using it would leave an energy mark for anyone with the ability to sense it. But it could save them right now from the Dementors bearing down on their hiding place. With a cry of frustration he put the ring on and grabbed her hand, hoping it would work. "Nothing’s happening." He said after a minute.

"Concentrate!" she demanded. "It has a voice or whatever, that’s what Luna told Harry."

The air grew colder, their teeth began to chatter. He closed his eyes and begged the ring to work, not knowing what else to do.

(BREAK)

Hermione landed in Hagrid’s arms and felt relief. He deposited her to the ground gently and they watched as Harry zoomed off to get Luna. "’Ere, zey come again!" Madame Maxime cried as a group of Death Eater’s apperated in the trees and came toward them.

She ran with the giants, wondering just how many more people they could possibly send here. "Ron! Fred!" she cried out in relief seeing her friends down the street with Mr. Weasley, Dumbledore and a large group of Aurors.

They came to a stop in front of the group just as Charlie, Tonks and Kingsley landed from the sky. They looked worried. "The Dementors are chasing Harry, he can’t land!" Charlie told them breathlessly.

"We have to do something!" Tonks shouted.

"We’ll have to hope Harry can hold them off." Dumbledore said with worry in his voice. Hermione was about to protest before realizing that Death Eaters were bearing down on them from all sides. They had positioned themselves around the remaining rebels, trapping them, it appeared they were waiting, a few of them were avidly watching Harry’s progress through the skies. The last thing anyone on either side wanted was for Harry to be caught and given the kiss. Both sides were ready to intervene, if necessary.

"Maybe he could, if he were alone, but Luna’s on the broom with him." Tonks said, raising her wand and letting her own eyes search the sky. Hermione raised her wand, trying to push aside her terror. She knew that with Luna up there with him, he’d take less risks, go more slowly, and be distracted. Harry’s risky, speedy, single-minded focus was what made him a good flyer.

And then some silent signal went off within the enemy’s ranks and her mind went blank as she grit her teeth and began to fight her way out.

(BREAK)

Do you see them? Harry asked desperately. He had tasked Luna with finding their friends, as he had to try and focus all his attention on flying them away from the rather large group of Dementors now giving chase. It wasn’t helping that he also had to dodge spells being thrown at him from the ground, in addition to the constant fear that Luna would lose her grip and plummet to her death.

Over there! She pointed to the right and he followed her direction without hesitation. I see them, everyone except Draco and Ginny!

He took a moment to look. There was a large fight going on below them. He caught glimpses of them all, his eyes finally landing on Hermione. They seemed to be doing alright, and it appeared the Death Eaters had finally stopped apperating in.

And then he noticed the Dementors. They had stopped their ground attack when he had flown by, and joined their brethren in their chase for Harry. Worry overtook him as he fixed his grip and shot straight forward through the trees.

He had no time to safely get Luna off his broom as he had intially intended. She clung to him as they increased their speed, pressing her face into his back for protection against the sharp wind. Hold on really good, now! He warned and she wrapped her arms even tighter around him, so that he could barely breathe. Fixing his grip again he shot straight up in the air rising as high as he could, while shouting for help to his friends below. He zoomed to the right suddenly, but not as sharply as he would have, had he not been concerned that Luna would fall. It was a mistake. A group of Dementors swooped ahead of him, and he didn’t have enough time to slow his progress. If he dove again, he would have to take an immediate ninety degree drop, and he wasn’t sure Luna would be able to hold on, considering their speed. His only other option was to fly right through them, and risk capture for both of them.

Go straight for them! And stop worrying about me! Luna’s shout resounded in his head. Without questioning, he took her direction and flew right at the creatures blocking their path. He felt Luna’s grip loosen as she raised a hand to throw out a spell. Her large silver butterfly zoomed through the air seconds ahead of them, scattering their foes in a burst of bright, happy light.

Keep going, and I’ll keep casting. We can do this, Harry. Luna instructed and he turned to face their pursuers. He tightened his left hand on the broom and wrapped his right arm behind him, clutching Luna to him as tightly as he could. Taking his cue, she wrapped her left arm more tightly around his waist and raised her wand, pointing her butterfly forward and sending it at the Dementors that rushed them. Whatever happened now, they were in it together.

(BREAK)

"Have you seen Ginny?!" Ron yelled to Bill as they each dueled a Death Eater. Bill responded in the negative, subduing his adversary. After helping Ron, he ran off to help anyone else who may need him. Ron was getting worried. He’d asked everyone he came across, but no one had seen his sister. Was she hurt, inside one of the houses, and being tended by their mother and other volunteers? Or worse, was she- He shook his head and refused to let himself think that way. He couldn’t become distracted, he’d be no good to Ginny or anyone else if he were killed.

He engaged in another duel, this time able to gain the upper hand on his own. It was easier, now that the Dementors had abandoned their so called masters for the chase through the skies for Harry. Those hideous creatures had always had a thing for his friend, Dumbledore had surmised that it was because of the miserable memories of his childhood that he carried around. Well, they were trying desperately to get Harry now, and Ron caught glimpses of Luna’s Patronus lighting against the dark swarm surrounding her and Harry. He couldn’t stand it anymore, they were alone up there and he wouldn’t let his conscious be held back anymore. They needed help. Running from the fray behind him, he found a deserted area directly below where Harry was swooping in and out of the horde of Dementors as Luna tried to fend them off.

Ron climbed to the roof of the nearest house and took a deep breath, remembering every good thing that had ever happened to him, every joyful moment he had ever had. He put every positive intention into his soul and reached deep down within before screaming "Expecto Patronum!" and releasing his Patronus into the sky. It raced upward, blasting through a group to the right of Harry.

"Expecto Patronum!" Someone cried behind him. Turning, he saw a villager had followed him onto the roof and was now doing her part to help Harry. Looking around, he realized several others had followed him and were now climbing onto the roof. Many appeared to be wounded, as if they had decided if they could no longer duel, they could at least cast into the sky. Cries of "Expecto Patronum!" Went up all around him and Ron felt his heart grow soft and strong at the same time. They could do this.

(BREAK)

Draco held very still, willing Ginny do the same. Three Dementors had made it into the house. Where the others had gone he didn’t know, and at the moment, he didn’t care. He didn’t feel very different, other than a slight tingle, as if his skin were lightly rippling along his body. He guessed the ring had worked, since the Dementors were now searching for what was apparently standing right out in the open, him and Ginny.

He held her hand tightly and slowly turned to look at her. We need to get out of here. He thought at her, wishing for the first time ever that he were Potter. Silent communication had so many advantages.

So let’s go. He almost dropped her hand in his surprise. He truly hadn’t expected to hear a response. And then he remembered what Potter had told him. The ring gave the wearer the power to tap into other’s minds. He also knew of the legend that he could have wandless powers while using the ring, though Potter hadn’t divulged that much, Draco had done his own research. Useful little thing, this ring was. It could definitely be worth the risk of owning it. His only regret was telling his father about the ring in the first place.

He edged them to the door while the Dementors searched the back of the house. Once in the street, he started running again. He no longer felt tired, he felt empowered. Once they were several streets away he skidded to a stop and dropped Ginny’s hand. "Help me take it off." He demanded.

While he’d been able to get the ring on one-handed, taking it off was another story. And he very badly wanted it off. The way he was feeling while wearing it was making him uncomfortable, and the thoughts he was fighting back were threatening to pull him back into the life he was struggling to leave behind.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.

"Yes! Now get it off!" he ordered, thrusting his hand in her face. Why was she so incapable of understanding danger?

She pulled it off for him and he breathed a sigh of relief. His skin stopped wiggling and his felt the familiar drain of life creep into his bones. He was exhausted. Ginny stared at the ring and smiled at him. "Good thing I brought it. Guess I’m not such an idiot after all."

Draco snatched it from her and crammed it back into his pocket. "That still remains to be seen. And you’re really making me rethink our whole agreement to try and be friends."

"You’re breaking my heart." She rolled her eyes, and apparently caught sight of something interesting above them. Looking up he saw two figures on a broom, zipping through the air as they were chased by a swarm of Dementors.

"Is that Potter?" suddenly Draco knew where the rest of the Dementors originally chasing them had gone. "Who’s that with him, Granger?"

"I think it’s Luna." Ginny watched their progress through the air. "Yup, sure is, look, that’s her Patronus."

Draco watched as the giant butterfly swooped around above them, running off several of the horrible creatures attacking it’s master. "What are they doing up there by themselves?"

"I don’t know, but they could probably use some help. Come on!" Ginny shouted, running off after the figures in the air.

Draco swore to himself that this was the last time he would stick to Ginny Weasley while fighting. Anymore battles they brought him to, he was hanging around people with a clearer head and smarter instincts. She was running ahead of him now, not even looking to make sure her path was clear. He stunned a ragged looking Death Eater that was hiding in the shadows before he could get them.

The weight of the hideous ring in his pocket kept banging against his leg as they ran and he longed to put it back on. He was so tired now, his poor health affecting his willpower and endurance. The ring would give him the temporary ability to take care of himself and Ginny in the present situation. He could virtually be Harry Potter on the ground, whipping things around with his mind and who knew what else. The only problem was his lack of self-control. He didn’t want the responsibility or the stigma. They were all just beginning to really trust him.

Breathing hard, he looked ahead, and saw a welcoming sight. Ron and several villagers had positioned themselves on the roof and were casting their Patronus spells upwards to help Potter.

"Ron!" Ginny yelled.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Weasley yelled back to his sister.

"Surviving!" she answered as she began to climb. "You need a hand?" she turned and taunted Draco. He guessed she was still upset that he had gone off on her.

"That’s okay. I’ll just stay down here. Be sure to take a long walk while you’re up there, though." He responded, not caring what Ron thought of his invitation to his sister to basically jump off the roof. Instead he gathered everything he had left inside of him and threw it into his spell, sending his serpent gliding through the air. He wasn’t sure how long he was casting before his legs gave out and he crumpled to the ground. Closing his eyes, he gave in and passed out from exhaustion.

(BREAK)

Hermione gave a silent cheer after bringing down two more Death Eaters. Looking around, she realized there were few people actually still fighting and from what she saw, the good guys had gained the upper hand, through sheer force of will this time. Where was Ron?

She spotted his Patronus first, when she allowed herself the luxury of checking on Harry. He and Luna were still up there, fleeing and fighting for their lives. Ron and several others were on a roof in the distance, flinging their own spells in the air to help out. Fred, Charlie, Tonks and Kingsley had regained their brooms and zoomed into the air as soon as the ground situation seemed to take care of itself.

Hermione stunned another attacker and ran off to try and help everyone in the air. She was stopped when she noticed the other spells being cast upwards, and they weren’t meant to help. She heard Tonks’s yell when she was forced to dodge a stream of green light. "Moony!" she called out in relief when she saw Lupin down the street. He was grappling with two Death Eaters and she ran to help. Together they ended it quickly.

"Hermione!" Lupin gasped for air. He was limping, blood soaking the leg of his pants.

"Episkey!" she pointed her wand at his injury, hoping to help it heal. "Are you alright?" Hermione asked, wondering if he could help her after all.

"I have to be." He responded as the flyers let out another cry of frustration.

"Then come on!" she ran off toward the small group of Death Eaters trying to hurt their friends from their position hidden between two houses. She slowed her speed so that Lupin could keep up.

Inching around the corner, she counted seven of them. Lupin took a look and pulled her back around the side. "We have a problem." He told her, his eyes wide with concern.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Harland is out there. He’s a very bad man. Very dangerous." He took a shaky breath as he prepared to face someone he was clearly afraid of.

"Who is he?" Hermione asked now both frightened and curious.

"Harland Myers is a werewolf." Lupin answered as he looked up. Following his gaze, they watched as Tonks, Harry and the others struggled above them. "He went looking for the curse, he enjoys changing, and last time he and I met, he vowed to kill me."

"Why?" Hermione asked, leaning over to take another glance at the Death Eaters. "Which one is he?" but looking at the man in the center of the group, very tall and very wide, she felt she knew. There was something wild in the man’s attitude, in his actions. His long dark hair whipped around his face as he cast a whirlwind spell, sending it after Kingsley, who had to fly at top speed to outrun it before the funnel sucked him in.

"He’s the biggest brute out there of course." Lupin responded. "And he wants to kill me in particular because of the way I choose to live." He responded quickly. "Years ago the ministry wanted to regulate my kind. Dumbledore told me not to be a part of it, but asked me to come and try and convince some of those werewolves that weren’t as civilized as I was. Harland, who enjoys the terror and eventual bloodshed of the hunt was on that list. He rejected us, attacked us, and shortly after joined Voldemort."

Hermione suddenly remembered the Daily Prophet last year, when they had reported the Azkaban breakout. They had been so focused on Lucius and Bellatrix’s escape they hadn’t paid attention to the others that had run out with them. But now she remembered the name, as she recalled the article in her mind. Harland Myers had been among those listed as a dangerous escapee. "We can’t just stand here, we have to help Harry. And Tonks."

"I know." He closed his eyes, brought the tip of his wand to his forehead and took a deep breath. Hermione prepared herself and when he opened his eyes and nodded, she whipped around the corner, casting quickly and retreating back to cover as Lupin took his turn.

"Get them!" they heard a booming voice command.

Lupin pulled her back behind him and screamed "Protego Horribilis!" as they rounded the corner. The spells hurled at them bounced off the invisible shield and back at the Death Eaters that cast them. The three threw themselves on the ground and Hermione took care of them, fully binding them in place.

"Remus Lupin, is that you?" Harland rounded the corner. "I’d have thought you’d have been killed by now."

"Hermione, run." Lupin commanded.

"No." she responded steadily. She wasn’t going to leave him alone.

"You heard your professor, little girl. Why don’t you run along, it’s time for the big dogs to play." Harland laughed. "Unless you want to die, of course. I wouldn’t blame you."

"Go!" Lupin ordered.

"I think she needs incentive." Harland said cruelly. In an instant he had looked up, taken aim and cast. Hermione watched in horror and a large firebolt launched directly toward Harry. He apparently saw it and tried to swerve, but something went wrong. She screamed as Harry and Luna toppled over. Harry still had hold of the broom but Luna was dangling from his legs. As soon as they began their descent into the thick trees, Hermione was off, running in their direction. She hoped Lupin was able to hold his own, and even more hopeful that someone would come along and help him. But she couldn’t, wouldn’t be any help to him with the knowledge that Harry could be out in the woods with a broken neck.

(BREAK)

I’m starting to feel dizzy. Could we try for less circular motions? Luna thought to him.

We’ll fly whatever way keeps us alive. Try not to look down so much. Harry responded, flying past Tonks so she could help get some more of those creatures off his tail.

You’re the boss. She answered, directing her butterfly to the left.

Harry felt like they had been flying for hours. Once again using both hands to direct the broom, he had at least become more confident in Luna’s ability to hang on and fly with him. She had learned to lean with him and mimic his movements so that other than her arm wrapped tightly around him and her legs intertwined with his, he felt he was alone on the broom.

"Look out!" Luna screamed out loud, right in his ear. Ignoring the ringing, he turned to see what had caused her concern and saw several Dementors bearing down on Charlie. He flew closer and she cast her Patronus right toward them. At the same moment, his instincts kicked him in the gut. Looking down he saw a stream of fire heading straight for them.

Luna! Hold on! He screamed with his mind, diving hard to the right. Sweat soaked his hands, causing one to slip and he lost his hold. He heard Luna scream as they both slid sideways. He used everything he had to regain control, and only succeeded in holding onto the broom. He dangled from it uselessly and worse, Luna had slid down his body and was only holding on by his legs. We have to land. Reach up if you can.

Luna slowly raised her arm and he carefully reached down to grasp her wrist. She wrapped her other arm tightly around his leg and certain they both had a secure grip, he flew downward, toward the woods, hoping the thick trees would provide enough cover. Looking back, he saw Fred and Charlie covering their retreat from the Dementors.

Branches whipped across his skin and his glasses were torn from his face. Let go. He instructed as soon as they had reached a low enough point. Luna landed lightly and gracefully on her feet and seeing she was fine, he let go, landing hard and far less gracefully as knelt in the dirt trying to gain his bearings. His legs wouldn’t hold him up, after so long in the air straddling a broom.

"You did it! You saved us!" Luna cried, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder. He held her to him tightly, reveling in their shared sense of relief.

"Come on, we have to move. Find the others." He said at last, pulling away. She helped him to his feet and they began walking back toward the village. Luna discovered she had lost her wand when they had slipped off the broom, and so Harry handed her his, knowing he could at least do a bit of damage without it.

When he tripped over the first tree root, he hit his head on a rock and felt blood trickling down his forehead. "Oh, hold still already!" she said after he tripped for the fifth time. She cast a spell and his blurry vision cleared instantly. It was the same spell he had used last Halloween, and he silently thanked Seamus for teaching it to them, suddenly feeling less helpless being able to see clearly.

They walked on in silence, their senses open and on high alert. He felt they were less than a mile from Lairmore when Luna grabbed his arm. "Harry…wait." She said, suddenly breathless.

"What’s wrong?" he asked. Horrified, he watched her eyes roll up into her head and she collapsed forward. He moved to catch her and lay her gently on the ground. "Luna?" he gave her a little shake. Her head lolled uselessly from side to side.

"Harry!" he heard someone, screaming his name. Someone very familiar.

"Hermione?" he shouted. Then remembering where they were he thought We’re over here. Hurry!

Minutes later, Hermione crashed through the bushes and threw herself in Harry’s arms, crying. "I saw you guys go down, I was so worried!"

"Something’s wrong with Luna." He said, pulling away and kneeling next to their friend. Hermione knelt next to him and took a look.

"She’s having a vision, I think." Hermione said at last.

"A vision? You’ve seen her do this before?"

"Once, at the Leaky Cauldron... She saw Lucius killing Draco and ran in to stop it. Said he was important and couldn’t be killed." Hermione explained.

Harry was astounded. How could they not have told him? He cast his anger aside when Luna’s eyes flew open as she gasped for air. "Luna? Are you okay? What is it?"

"Ginny! Don’t do it!" Luna yelled before fully awakening.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"She brought the ring here. Draco has it now, he took it from her. We have to find them. Before….before someone else takes it." Luna said as they helped her up.

"You’re the boss." Harry smiled as he used her words, covering his sudden angry fear. Making sure everyone was in one piece, they ran off toward the village hoping to avert disaster.

(BREAK)

Everyone on the roof watched as Harry and Luna descended into the forest. "We have to find them!" Ron shouted to Ginny. She couldn’t agree more… who knew if they were able to land safely? They could be laying out there somewhere with a million broken bones.

Climbing down from the roof, she found Draco, unconscious next to the house. She leaned down and felt for a pulse. It was there, steady but weak. Without thinking, she reached into his pocket and took the ring. "Ron, wait!" she shouted to her brother as he jumped down and began running toward the woods. He turned back and knelt with her next to Draco.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Probably just a little too much for him to take. Past his bedtime or something." Ginny responded, forgetting that Ron wasn’t Draco, didn’t enjoy the cruel banter.

"Ginny, look at him. He was obviously unwell before he came here and he’s probably been running around all night keeping you out of trouble." Ron said, hitting the nail on the head.

"Since when do you care about him?"

"Since he’s been giving me reasons to. Come on grab his legs. We better get him over to mum and the healers. Then we can go find Harry and Luna." They carried Draco down the street and into one of the designated healing houses. Molly took a look and shook her head before directing them to a bed.

Gently depositing his far too light body on the bed, Ginny felt sorry for him. Draco was trying so hard to prove himself, going against his own character, struggling everyday to be someone he wasn’t. She had hoped giving him the ring would awaken the old Draco, force him to show his true colors. Unfortunately it seemed he was determined to change. She had so wanted to hate him again but she couldn’t and so she’d have to settle for making everyone else hate him. If he only had her to turn to, she would finally have the ally she’d been hoping for, even if it was Draco Malfoy.

After Ron filled their mother in, they took off towards the woods. She began to feel anxious again, and hoped they would find Harry and Luna alive. She took her concern as a good sign, one that indicated she was still capable of caring whether people lived or died. She certainly didn’t want anyone else she knew to die.

No sooner had they reached the tree line than Harry, Luna and surprisingly, Hermione came through. Ginny’s relief was overshadowed by shock when Harry lurched forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where’s the ring, Ginny?"

"Hey!" Ron stepped between them, shoving his friend away. "What are you talking about?"

"She brought the ring here!" Harry shouted, allowing his panic to show.

"What?" Ron now turned on her, stepping away to side with the others gaining up against her. "Why would you do that? Do you know how dangerous it is?"

"Forget that, where is it now?" Hermione asked harshly.

Ginny grit her teeth against their assault. "I was under the impression that it belonged to all of us, remember that Harry?"

"Where is it Ginny?" Ron asked.

"I gave it to Malfoy. We needed to use it to escape some Dementors. He put it on, I helped him get it off and he took it from me."

"Where’s Draco?" Harry asked.

"Unconscious at one of the healing houses." Ron responded. "Come on!" He, Harry and Hermione took off. Ginny began to follow, but Luna stopped her.

"Are you sure Draco still has the ring?" She asked, looking at Ginny intently.

Strengthening the barricades around her mind, she answered evenly. "Well, I can’t be sure, but I know he put it in his pocket. We were separated for awhile and I found him passed out. I didn’t think to look for the ring, seeing as how we were busy carrying him to the healers."

Luna said nothing. Simply shook her head and followed after the others. Ginny felt like the other girl had looked right through her.

(BREAK)

Molly waved smelling salts beneath Draco’s nose. He awoke with a sneeze and appeared surprised to find them all surrounding him. "What happened?" he asked shakily.

"You tell us." Harry said. He wanted the ring back, but Draco appeared so disoriented, and so haggard that pity made him find patience.

"I don’t know. I was trying to help with the Dementors, they were on the roof but I didn’t want to try and climb up there… and then… I don’t know."

"Sheer exhaustion, I suspect." The healer said. "You are extremely malnurished and underweight. I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did. Here, eat some of this it should help." She gave him a large piece of chocolate. Then handed smaller pieces out to the rest of them. "You should all take some as well, it help counteract the effects of being around the Dementors for so long." Giving them a smile, she walked away to help someone else.

"Where’s the ring?" Harry asked quietly.

"In my pocket." Draco responded. Harry watched as Draco tried to reach with the arm that wasn’t there before remembering his affliction. He felt his pity grow tenfold. Then Draco’s face grew white. He brought his hand out of his pocket empty. "It isn’t there!"

He tried to sit up, but Harry and Ron held him in place. "Stop, you need to relax." Harry said.

"But it could be anywhere! Anyone could have it!" Draco looked miserable. "I told her she was stupid for bringing it here. Guess I was stupid to think I could keep it safe for you." Harry and the others looked at Ginny, who was hanging in the back of the room.

"It’ll be alright." Luna said, placing her hand over his. "I know we’re going to find it."

"How do you know?" Harry asked eagerly.

She turned and stared at him before carefully responding, "I just know."

"Oh my god!" Hermione shouted suddenly. "Moony!"

"What? What’s wrong?" Harry asked.

"I left him there with Harland when I saw you guys go down, come on!" she ran from the house the others hot on her heels.

"Who’s Harland?" Ron shouted.

"Bad werewolf!" Hermione responded. They followed her through a backyard and around the corner, stopping short at the sight before them.

"Remus?" Harry asked quietly as he approached his friend. Lupin lay on the ground with jagged claw marks across his face, long bloody gashes that turned Harry’s stomach. Kneeling down he saw the slight rise and fall of Lupin’s chest telling him that his friend was still alive… barely. They needed to get him some help, and soon.





A/N: Whew…that was a long battle scene to get out. A lot going down next chapter, so look for it soon! Stop and leave a review, I answer them all, and enjoy reading your thoughts. See you all next time!

Chapter 12: True Deceptions

NOTE: Okay, sorry for the delay in getting this one out, but life has interrupted my writing spree. I’m back to putting words on paper now, so I’m going to push out as much as I can. The last two chapters felt intense to write, hopefully some of that came through to you guys as you read. We’ll be slowing things down a bit now, but don’t expect to get bored, what we lack in action, we’ll have in intrigue. This chapter is about exploring truths and motives, so read on, review when you’re done and enjoy it thoroughly!

 

 
St. Mungo’s was a flurry of activity. Harry watched everyone, feeling more hopeful than the last time he had been there. After all, they’d brought live bodies this time. Tonks sat next to him, stiff as a board and staring straight ahead. She held Harry’s hand tightly, and he was beginning to lose circulation, but said nothing. Lupin would be fine, Harry was sure they had gotten him there in time. Hermione had filled them all in on Harland Myers, and recent reports from Lairmore indicate he was not among the captured. Nor was Lucius, to Draco’s disappointment. In fact, it appeared the elder Malfoy hadn’t been there at all.

What was the point of it all? Harry wondered to himself. Why had they attacked and destroyed a village, injured all those families? Simply to spread terror? And why not show up yourself, prove how terrifying you really are? But like Lucius, Voldemort hadn’t shown himself. Had they known the Order would be there? Was Snape somehow compromised? Had it been a test to see if they had a mole?

"Well, Hagrid and Madame Maxime are off." Arthur said as he finally entered the waiting room. Everyone had thought it best that they go to the giants immediately, and strike the Azkaban deal as quickly as possible, before their new captives had a chance to escape.

"And everyone else?" Harry asked eagerly.

"I just heard from Molly, they are all safely at your house." Arthur assured him. "What’s the news around here?"

"Nothing yet." Tonks said quietly.

"And Draco."

"Same as Lupin." Harry answered. "No one’s come to talk to us about anything."

"Well, they have all the villagers to attend to as well, we’ve made them pretty busy tonight. But let’s see if being the minister can finally help me out." Arthur winked at them before heading off to talk to the healers.

"He’ll be okay." Harry told Tonks.

"I know. He always is." She said sadly. Harry felt taken aback. He pictured Hermione and Ron in their places, Ron reassuring Hermione that Harry would be fine, and Hermione hanging her head replying, "He always is." In that horrible tone, devoid of emotion, trying not to feel.

Lupin had been hurt one week before marrying Tonks, in Hogsmeade. He’d been hurt bad then, and this time was worse. How many times had Harry ended up in the infirmary? So many times, Madame Pomfrey’s face would forever be emblazoned in his memory. And how many times had he awoken to worried faces all around him, to Hermione at his side holding his hand? So many, he couldn’t clearly remember them all. George and Neville were already gone, and Lupin was the only remaining survivor of his friends. How many more risks could they all take before fate caught up with them?

(BREAK)

Molly brought them all back to Grimmauld place while Harry, Tonks and Arthur followed Lupin and Draco to St. Mungo’s. Luna’s body was exhausted, but her mind was a whirlwind. She knew what she had seen, and Ginny was denying it. Luna had wanted to get there before Ginny had the chance, but they were too late. She knew Ginny had taken the ring from Draco, she knew Ginny was claiming she didn’t have it and she knew that Ginny wanted the others to blame Draco. What she didn’t know was why. What was Ginny’s goal?

"Will you wait with me? Just until they come home." Hermione asked as they started up the stairs. Luna wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but she knew Hermione was worried. She was too, Draco hadn’t looked good and Lupin had looked worse. So she followed Hermione up to her room and they sat together in silence for a long while, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.

"Why would she risk bringing the ring out of the house?" Hermione asked finally. Luna was surprised to learn that her friend had been meditating along similar lines.

"I don’t know." Luna replied honestly.

"And that crack about it belonging to all of us, what was that? What did you see?"

"I saw her with the ring." Luna again replied honestly. She left out the method of obtaining it, still unsure what Ginny’s aim was and whether it fit into the ultimate final path. She hadn’t received a vision that anything had changed, not yet.

"And?"

"And nothing. There was nothing after that, she just had the ring and I came back and we were in the woods."

"So where is it now? Is Draco lying?" Hermione asked.

"He doesn’t have it. I know that for a fact." Luna defended him.

"Then where is it?" Hermione asked again.

"Are you thirsty?" Luna asked suddenly. "I need something to drink if we’re going to speculate all night, you want something while I’m down there?"

"Some water, I guess." Hermione responded uncertainly. "Thanks."

Luna closed the door and sighed into the hallway. She didn’t want to lie to Hermione, she made it a point never to lie to any of her friends. But soon they would all be asking her the same question, and she had to figure out what to tell them. It was time to go see Ginny.

(BREAK)

"Draco’s awake, and asking for you." Arthur returned to the waiting room and approached Harry.

"Me?"

"Says he has something to talk to you about." Arthur shrugged. "Remus has been stabilized. He lost a lot of blood, and it was difficult to find the right match for someone with his condition. But they seem to think he’ll be okay. He’s been given a sedative and is asleep, but they say you guys can go in there."

"You go, have some alone time. I’ll be there after I see Draco." Harry told Tonks. She nodded and followed Arthur as he led the way. Harry made his way to Draco’s room.

He opened the door carefully and saw Draco looking small and weak in the hospital bed. "Never thought you’d get the chance to see me like this, huh, Potter?" Draco sneered.

"Is something different?" Harry asked coming in the room.

Draco laughed. "So this is what it feels like to be a good guy. I’m not sure I like it."

"I’m not sure I like it either, to be honest. But it’s better than the alternative."

"Easy for you to say, you never lived the alternative." Draco answered with a hint of bitterness. "I don’t have that ring." He said suddenly.

"I believe you." Harry answered in surprise. "Why do you think I don’t?"

"Used to it, I guess. I didn’t know she had it until long after we all got split up, so I didn’t tell her to bring it either."

"I know. I don’t think anyone could tell Ginny what to do at this point." Harry shook his head. "Did she say why she had it?"

"She said she thought you’d need it and then offered to let me use it instead." Draco yawned widely.

"What’s she thinking?" Harry asked, more to himself than Draco. "Look you need to rest up, so don’t worry, we aren’t out there planning your execution or anything, I know you had nothing to do with that ring disappearing."

Harry closed the door behind him and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. He hoped Ginny was lying about not having the ring, since he knew Draco wasn’t. Otherwise, they had a big problem on their hands.

(BREAK)

Ron was sufficiently stuffed. The kitchen had been the first place he had gone when they got home, knowing that his mother would immediately be making comfort food, enough to feed the army of people that would be sure to stop by. He climbed the stairs to his room, feeling ready to sleep for the rest of the summer.

Hearing someone coming down from the top floor he waited on the landing and watched as Luna appeared and marched straight over to Ginny’s door and knocked loudly. He guessed that she wanted to ask about the ring and felt a sudden protectiveness for his sister. Sure it was just about the stupidest thing she’d ever done, but she had to have a good reason, and after what they had all just gone through, she deserved a bit of peace before the inquisition occurred. However, his own desire to not confront Luna kept him from acting. Ginny was a big girl and Luna was too kind to cause trouble. After the last conversation he’d had with his ex and the crushing blow to his self-esteem it had caused, he was willing to let Ginny lose a bit of sleep in order for him to avoid Luna.

He waited until she went in before continuing on his way. He knew that even with his shields up, she probably had known he was there. She and Harry made him feel vulnerable, small even. He was just another player in the game, a pawn that could be sacrificed while protecting them- the knights, the bishops, hell, they could be the king and queen of this war. He threw his wizard’s chessboard across the room, scattering the pieces. He didn’t want to be alone, he was free to pursue his thoughts with no one else to focus on, and they were depressing him. He strode to his broom cabinet and opened it to go through to Hermione’s room.

"Hey." She said with a bit of surprise. "What’s up?"

"Just didn’t want to be alone." He said wandering along her bookshelves.

"Well, just to warn you, Luna will probably be back up here in a few minutes."

"So she isn’t expecting her conversation with Ginny to take long, huh?"

She looked surprised. "Luna went to talk to Ginny?"

"I just saw her go in her room." He told her. "Why, where did she say she was going?"

"It doesn’t matter. You okay?" Hermione sat up on her knees at the edge of the bed and motioned that he come sit next to her.

"Physically, I’m all good. Otherwise, I guess I’m as okay as you are." He sat and stared at the floor. "Do you ever think about what life is going to be like after this is all over? Both ways, I mean, whether we win or lose."

"Of course I have. It’s only natural."

"But do you think, even if we win, that it will be better?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, right now, life is- terrifying, yes- but it’s also exciting. We never know what going to happen, every situation could mean life or death. Everything is intensified: our feelings, our emotions, our determination, fights, decisions, needs, wants. What happens when it’s all over and we have to live the rest of our lives quietly, just like everyone else? I mean Harry will probably never have a quiet life, but the rest of us?"

She shook her head, "I think we could all do with a little quiet in our lives."

"And when the boredom sets in?"

"The desire for things to be exciting all the time will hopefully pass with age and maturity. And do you really think this will all end over night? Who knows how long until we actually get Voldemort, and after that, how long until we subdue all of his followers? We’re likely looking at years of this life, and you and Harry can become big bad Aurors and chase down danger until your heart is content. It’s not like it’s all going to drastically change in a moment. And besides, Luna apparently has this whole vision of how things turn out and it ends well and we’re all happy."

"So she says. How does she know what it takes to make everyone else happy?"

"At this point, Ron, I’d say she’s the only person besides Dumbledore who I consider to know more than I do."

"I liked it better when you didn’t like her." Ron grumbled.

"It’s hard not to like her, isn’t it, Ron. You really screwed that one up."

"Thanks. Glad I came in here." He shoved her playfully and she slugged him back.

"Ron, I think that as long as we all get along, we’ll be okay."

"And you and Ginny?"

"We have reached an agreement to leave each other alone."

"Before or after she knocked you out?" he laughed and she slugged him again.

"I did it to myself." She insisted, crossing her arms.

"You’re the only one who believes that."

"So be it, I’m not saying any different."

A comfortable silence settled and Ron felt himself relaxing. Even if Luna came back, he felt he would be alright, with Hermione there as a referee. That thought made him remember the apparent task that had driven Luna from the room in the first place. "I wonder why Ginny brought the ring there…you don’t think she intended to hand it off to someone?"

"I don’t think well of Ginny right now, but I doubt she would switch sides."

"Draco did." Ron pointed out. "So did Percy." He added quietly.

"But Ginny’s different. I don’t think she’d join Voldemort, it would mean giving up too much of her own independence. She’s not one to follow orders or fall in line, right? So forget that and let it go, because I’m getting mad that you’re forcing me to defend her."

"I just don’t know what to think about her anymore. That was the worst thing I could think of, and then I realized that was the only thing I could think of. Why else would she bring it?"

"Well, let’s hope Luna can find out."

(BREAK)

"What do you want?" Ginny asked, upset Luna had finally picked that moment to start wanting to talk to her again.

"You know what I want, Ginny. I want you to give me the ring so I can give it back to Harry."

Ginny felt her anger build. The fact that she did have the ring did nothing to lessen her anger that her so called friends would automatically accuse her. "Even if I did have it, why would I give it to you? So you can rush it off to Harry and be the hero while I’m once again the villain?"

"If you give it to me, I’ll tell them that I went back to Lairmore and found it." Luna offered as she shifted her weight uncomfortably. Ginny knew Luna wasn’t a liar. She could withhold truth until the end of time, but she had never known her to actually lie.

"I don’t have it."

"And you know that I know that you do."

"You can leave now." Ginny said harshly, motioning Luna to the door. "You know when you came in here, I really thought you came to finally try and talk to me like a friend, instead you come and hurl accusations at me."

"I know what I saw, I know Draco’s story and that it’s the truth, and I know how suspiciously you’re acting, even for how you’ve been lately. Why did you bring it out there in the first place?"

To be honest, Ginny hadn’t had a clear plan when she had brought the ring with her to Lairmore. She had found Harry’s door open earlier that day and had had the sudden desire to put the ring on, to call up George, maybe Neville. Without thinking, she had gone in and taken the ring, but when she had gotten back to her room she had been filled with dread. Wearing the obnoxious piece of jewelry had begun to give her a headache, just a dull thud. But she saw Harry and Fred walking around in obvious pain and didn’t want that for herself. Her head ached enough just from the weight of her own thoughts, she didn’t need anything extra. But Harry had already gone back in his room and she couldn’t bring herself to give it back, to admit she had gone in his room and taken something so important. And then they were all leaving for Lairmore and she didn’t have time to do anything other than put it in her pocket.

"Ginny?" Luna prodded, ending Ginny’s memory. "Why did you take it?" she asked gently.

She shook her head, "I don’t know. Okay? I had the ring, I was going to talk to George, I put it in my pocket and forgot until Draco and I were in trouble and needed to use it."

"I half believe you. Why are you lying to me?" Luna tried to step closer, but Ginny moved away. "I don’t have to tell the others anything we talk about, Ginny. You and I, we go way back, before the others even knew I existed."

"Yeah, we do, but you sure forgot about me pretty quickly once they started to like you, huh?"

"No, Ginny, you forgot about us. You lost yourself in this new person you decided to become. To be honest, I don’t want to be around you anymore, I don’t like this new you, this unfamiliar girl. She’s mean, sneaky, vindictive. She lies and steals and betrays her friends. She’s always angry and sad, and she’s selfish. Would you want to be around someone like that?"

"You all want answers from me, why are you like this Ginny? Why can’t you get past everything like the rest of us Ginny? What’s wrong with you Ginny? Well you know what…I don’t have any answers! I can’t tell you what happened alright! I feel what I feel and I did what I did and I can’t change it."

"I only have one question for you Ginny." Luna’s voice was strong despite Ginny’s outcry. "Why did you take the ring from Draco and lie about it?"

"I didn’t." Ginny stuck her chin out and crossed her arms. She didn’t know why she was sticking to her story, they obviously weren’t buying it. But she wanted her plan to work, it had been formed once the opportunity had presented itself, but she felt it was the best way. She wanted to drive a wedge between the new friendship blossoming between Draco and the others, to have someone who was her friend and hers alone. She had lost Luna, and Draco was now her only other option.

"You did. I saw you doing it." Luna admitted.

Ginny knew they had arrived long after she had taken the ring back, so the only other way that could be true was if- "So you had some stupid vision and I’m supposed to take that as fact? You say yourself how unreliable they are, that they can change as quickly as someone changing their mind." She looked Luna in the eye and saw the other girl wasn’t buying what she was trying to sell. Ginny sighed and looked away. "Alright, I was going to take it back. Okay, I was going to and I don’t know why I wanted it, but when I searched his pockets it wasn’t there. He was laying there, unconscious and I was more worried about finding the ring than getting him some help. And then you guys came running up and I felt terrible. I don’t like the way I think or the things I do, alright? I’m not proud, but it wasn’t on him, and I don’t have it now."

"Ginny-" Luna began.

But Ginny didn’t want to hear anymore, and she certainly didn’t want to be accused anymore. Knowing Luna was feeling determined and was unlikely to be swayed into leaving, Ginny took it upon herself and fled her room. She walked quickly to the kitchen, where the aroma of her mother’s cooking still wafted from. Molly was bustling around the room as Kingsley and Mad-eye sat at the table, waiting for Arthur and Harry.

Ginny felt safer in there, the adults were so adorably clueless to the drama running rampant through the teens. Luna wouldn’t continue their talk here, Ginny was sure, so she sat and gladly took the full plate her mother put in front of her. She smiled warmly at Luna when the other girl entered, and felt a slight tug of satisfaction at the other girl’s obvious frustration. Luna politely declined Molly’s offer of food, instead getting two glasses of water and returning upstairs.

(BREAK)

Harry Left Lupin’s room feeling drained. His friend had looked better, but was resting comfortably in his bed, the deep gashes across his face now just long scratches. Tonks had refused to come stay at the house, choosing to remain with her husband in the hospital. He had understood and left her without argument.

Arthur was waiting outside the room. "You ready to go home?"

"You have no idea." Harry sounded tired, even to himself.

They made their way to the car in silence and settled in for the short ride back to Grimmauld Place. The gentle motion of the car and the comfortable quiet began to lull Harry into a light sleep, but he was startled awake when Arthur finally spoke. "Didn’t get the chance to tell you earlier, I had dropped Miss Chang’s letters off with Mr. Crescent at the Ministry."

"Oh yeah?"

"I certainly did. Not to worry either, Edgar Crescent is the tops. Old Edgar will figure it out and hopefully none of the rest of you will be bothered by these little incidents Cho is arranging."

Harry appreciated the hopeful tone Arthur used when delivering his news. But hopeful wasn’t what Harry was feeling. "How many people died out there tonight?"

"What?"

"At Lairmore. How many people died, and how many had their souls sucked out?"

"Why on earth would you want to know something like that for, Harry?"

"Why won’t you tell me?" Harry countered, not understanding his sudden need for that knowledge personally. "I know you have the tally by now."

"It’s not important. You and the rest of the kids are okay. All of our friends are okay. Can’t that be enough?"

"What you mean is no one important died."

"Harry-"

"Not caring about all those people fighting with us and dying, does it make us any better than him?"

"Everyone at that village, on both sides, knew that death was a possibility when they choose to be there, yourself included. You stayed anyway as did everyone else. It was a choice. And think of it this way Harry, had Luna fallen from your broom and died, we all would have been devastated, but to other families there, they would be thanking their stars that it hadn’t happened to anyone they loved. She would have been just another body to them. It doesn’t make them terrible people. And the fact that it bothers you at all is proof enough of the fact that you have a conscious and that makes you every bit better than him."

Harry felt strange, like he was in the middle of an actual father/son moment, or how he always imagined it would feel to talk to his father. He appreciated Arthur more and more and knew that the best way return the favor was to show his appreciation. So caught up in the moment, he said the first true, kind thing he could think of. "I wish I had known you all my life, Arthur. I think your words would have gotten me through some very hard times."

Arthur smiled and looked at Harry out of the corner of his eye. "We know each other now Harry, and so we’ll be family forever."

They arrived a few minutes later, no longer conversing, having said everything that needed to be said in a few short words. Harry had been seeking comfort and assurance and Arthur had provided it. They went into the house and were immediately assaulted by Molly who ushered them into the kitchen wanting to know everything about Lupin and Draco’s conditions. Kingsley and Mad-eye were also eagerly awaiting news, but it was Ginny’s presence that made Harry suddenly uncomfortable. Obviously he couldn’t confront her here in front of the adults, and he began to doubt he could confront her at all. Maybe he should talk to Ron and Fred and they could all sort of have a go at it together, that way no one would blame him if Ginny freaked out. Not that he thought she would, but the possibility was there. After all, she had already punched Hermione, though truthfully he didn’t know the exact circumstances leading up to the act. He was sure his fiancé wasn’t completely blameless. Regardless, with Ginny sitting there and him wanting so badly to shake her and demand she answer for her behavior, he couldn’t remain. He excused himself, claiming exhaustion.

Luckily, Molly was the worrying sort. "Oh of course you should go on to bed, dear. No one expects you to sit here and prop your head up for our benefit, you all need sleep. In fact, Ginny you should head off soon too. Although are you sure you don’t want to eat a little something first, Harry?"

He looked at the full plate in front of Ginny, steam still rising from the food, hot from the stove. "You can stuff me full in the morning, I promise. But I want sleep more than eat right now." He kissed Molly’s cheek, bid the others good night and headed to his room.

(BREAK)

Hermione and Ron had begun going through the ministry documents as an exercise to stay awake. After a short while there was a knock on the door. Hermione got up to answer and Luna entered carrying two glasses of water, giving a start once realizing Ron was there as well. She shook it off quickly and handed Hermione her glass.

"Thanks, where did you go to get it, a well in the middle of nowhere?" Hermione asked, wondering if Luna would tell her the truth. She wasn’t disappointed.

"Actually, I stopped by Ginny’s room first." Luna answered with a shrug, sitting on the floor.

"What did she have to say for herself?" Ron asked. Hermione was proud of him, trying to get along and act normal with his ex.

"Nothing much as usual. She says she doesn’t have the ring." Thankfully, Luna was taking Ron’s lead. Hermione felt hopeful that they would soon be friends again. After all, reconciliation had to start somewhere.

"You don’t believe her, do you?" Ron asked.

"No, I don’t. But I don’t know why she’s lying."

Suddenly there was another knock on the door, but before Hermione could rise to answer it, the knob turned and Harry let himself in. She wanted nothing more than to shout his name in relief and run into his arms. But she felt that the act would be a bit dramatic, especially since they had an audience. Instead she settled for a smile, hoping he could read the thoughts in her eyes. She refused to lower the walls in her mind and let him see her actual thoughts, though, feeling it unfair that he have the advantage.

"How’s Lupin?" Ron asked eagerly.

"And Draco?" Luna added.

"They’re both fine, or they will be anyway." Harry answered tiredly. He came and sat on the bed next to Hermione, taking her hand as the other two gathered around. "Remus’s wounds are already healing, and they replaced the blood he lost. He was sleeping when I left and Tonks is with him."

"Good." Ron nodded.

"Yeah. Draco’s a bit of a different story though, I guess. The healers told Arthur that Draco was suffering from extreme stress and depression. It’s made him lose too much weight, made him lose too much sleep. They said his body just sort of gave up on him." Harry looked down in despair. Hermione could imagine how he felt- the guilt of knowing that Draco’s condition was partly due to the fact that he had chosen to forsake everything he knew to help them, to join them; as well as the worry that he may not get better. After all, who would have ever thought they would care about what happened to Draco Malfoy?

"What does that mean for him?" She asked.

"They aren’t sure yet, I guess. They’re giving him a bunch of herbal treatments to increase his hunger and need to sleep. They want him to put on quite a bit of weight before school starts or they won’t allow him to go, due to medical condition."

"What? That’s ridiculous." Ron said.

"Not really if you think about it." Hermione responded. "They want him less stressed, you think Hogwarts will do that? Not only is it 7th year, but he also has to face all those kids he used be friends with, not to mention the ones he’s wronged. The thought is probably one of the things keeping him up at night, I know it would me."

"He asked to see me before he passed out for the night." Harry said suddenly. "Made it a point to tell me he wasn’t lying about the ring."

"Luna was just telling us how after talking to Ginny, she was sure that Ginny was lying about not having it." Hermione informed him.

"Yeah? What did she say exactly?"

Luna sighed. "Just that she didn’t have it. She claimed she looked for it when she found Draco passed out, but it wasn’t there."

"And how do you know she’s lying? For sure?" Ron asked.

"I saw her do it." Luna answered. "I had a vision in the woods and saw her take it out of his pockets. And besides, I just know. You know it too. We all do. I don’t know why she’s sticking to her story." And then Hermione caught the look that passed between Harry and Luna. They were communicating silently, something for only them to know. She felt a stab of jealousy, and let it pass. She and Ron had private conversations that Harry and Luna didn’t need to know about. Why couldn’t they do the same? Sure, she didn’t do it in front of them, but then, she didn’t have the ability. All the same, she wondered what they were saying.

"So now what? Do we just go and take it from her?" Ron asked.

"No." Harry answered sharply. "I want to see what she’s planning."

"You make it sound like she’s up to something sinister." Ron said defensively. "I mean, I didn’t think she had the best intentions either, but what exactly do expect to find?"

"Nothing but the truth, Ron. If we discover her motive, then we can understand why she did it and try and help her." Harry answered.

They discussed it for a while longer but Hermione noticed how quickly Harry ended the conversation. Everyone said goodnight and Ron and Luna went down to their rooms. Hermione turned and without thinking asked, "So what were you and Luna talking about?" Apparently she hadn’t let go of her jealousy like she thought.

"What?" he asked as he climbed into her bed for the night.

"I saw you two." She said in a light, bantering tone. She didn’t want him to think she was upset. She didn’t think she was anyway. "You guys got all quiet and did your little mind thing. I was just wondering what it was about." She climbed in next to him.

"Oh, that. It was about Ginny. She wants to talk to me about something they talked about and I wanted to compare notes based on what Draco said to me."

"And you guys couldn’t say that in front of us because…?"

"I don’t know, I guess she doesn’t want to upset Ron. But if she got anything out of Ginny, I want to know. As for now, it’s comforting to know the ring is at least still in the house and not out there in god knows who’s hands."

"Well if it’s so important, go talk to her." Hermione urged him.

"Oh it’s important, but I told her I’d talk to her tomorrow. Right now, I want nothing more than to be right here with you." And he took her in his arms and held her close. It was all she had wanted since they all got out of Lairmore with their lives, to hold him tightly and feel the comfort of his love.

(BREAK)

Draco woke with a start. He looked around the unfamiliar room and remembered he was in the hospital. He wasn’t sure what had woken him until he heard the second thump from outside his door. He knew Mr. Weasley had set up guards outside his room, and he wondered what they were doing. The IV in his arm, delivering fluids and nutrients to his blood kept him from rising. Not that he could if he wanted to, he felt so weak and worn out. He thought about calling out to the Aurors, but for some reason, he was suddenly gripped with terror, and his throat tightened uncomfortably.

When he saw the knob turn slowly, he felt like screaming, but couldn’t make his vocal chords work. He swallowed hard instead. The door opened and he lay in anticipation. A tall dark figure stood in the doorway. In the light from the hallway, Draco could make out the slumped over bodies of his guards.

"Hello, Draco." A gruff voice greeted him. He recognized it instantly, though he hadn’t heard it since he was a small child, before the werewolf had gone into hiding somewhere in Europe. He had been glad when Harland Myers left, the man had actually evoked nightmares in Draco when he was young. He was definitely nothing like Remus Lupin.

"What do you want?" Draco asked, trying to keep his voice hard and steady.

"Quite a lot actually. So why don’t we get started. Then I can go pay a visit to my dear old friend down the hall and the pretty little witch he mated with." Harland dragged the Aurors’ bodies into the room and closed the door. Draco desperately tried to call for the healers, for anyone. And then Harland turned to him and smiled.

 
 

A/N: Trouble’s a brewing, isn’t it, muwhahahahaha cliffhanger! A lot’s happening and there’s a lot more to cover coming up. Next chapter: Luna is flooded with visions of the future, news from Edgar about Cho’s letters, we learn the history of Harland Myers, letters arrive from Hogwarts, apperating lessons are set up, and oh yeah, we find out what Harland has done to Draco….so stay tuned, next chapter is coming soon!

Chapter 13: A Howling History

NOTE: Hi! Welcome back, a lot to cover, this will be a longish chapter. So let’s get right into it. Read, Review and Enjoy!

 


Luna woke up screaming. She had been dreaming at first, something innocuous, that had morphed into a scene of terror. She had been lying in a hospital bed, when a menacing figure entered and stood over her. He had the body of a man, but the face of a wolf, and she knew instantly who he was though she had never seen him before in her life. Harland Myers.

Only she wasn’t in the hospital, she was in her room at Harry’s house. But she knew that the dream wasn’t about her anyway. Draco was in trouble. She threw off the covers and raced up the stairs to the top floor, mentally shouting Harry’s name. By the time she reached the landing he was sleepily opening Hermione’s door.

As soon as he saw her face he seemed to become fully awake. "Luna, what’s wrong?"

"We have to get to St. Mungo’s! Right now! Harland is after Draco, and probably Lupin!" she said quickly.

He never even questioned her. Instead, he ran to Arthur and Molly’s room, rousing them and relaying Luna’s message. Arthur had instantly apparated to the hospital, telling Molly to get word to the Ministry. By then, everyone was awake and Luna filled them all in on what she had dreamed. She only hoped she had received the vision in time.

(BREAK)

Harry wanted nothing more than to apparate to the hospital with Arthur. Instead, since he didn’t know how, he was forced to sit in the parlor with the others and wait for information. He felt like a child all over again, left behind because he didn’t have the skill. Fred had, of course, wanted to go with his father, but Molly had put her foot down. Apparently, she knew who Harland was and she was scared of him and what he would do to her family.

Hermione and Ron went upstairs to dress for the day, since no one would be sleeping any longer. Molly made Fred and Ginny help her in the kitchen, getting breakfast together even though it was still dark outside. It was obvious she wanted them under her watchful eye, so that they don’t get any bright ideas about following their father. Harry didn’t think she had to worry about Ginny. Fred was a different story since he knew how to apparate, and Harry had a feeling that if he knew how, Molly would have made him stay with her as well.

Now he was sitting on the couch, Luna was next to him looking deep in thought. Her face was lined with worry and anxiety. He knew how she felt, having seen Arthur being attacked only two years before when he was able to tap into Voldemort’s mind. The knowledge that something terrible was happening, that you had seen it happen and the feeling that you could do nothing about it was terrible. He was glad he had lost that power and for the first time, realized that Luna was always dealing with that kind of pressure. He admired her strength and fortitude. He didn’t think he could handle it.

"It’ll be okay." He tried to reassure her, reaching over to rub her shoulder.

"Maybe." She replied, still staring off into space.

"Well, did you see it ending badly?" he asked.

"I didn’t see it end at all. That’s why I hate having dream visions, they end as soon as I wake up. I’ve been trying to make something else come, but it won’t, so I don’t know. I feel like jumping out of my skin I’m so wound up worrying. I’m about ready to just apparate there myself." She shook her head at the floor.

"It would be nice if we could, wouldn’t it?" he felt the same way. But when he turned to look at her and share his misery, she was deliberately not meeting his eyes. She was keeping a secret; he had learned enough about her to know what her mannerisms were. "What is it, Luna?" he asked gently.

She didn’t say anything at first, and then she turned and whispered, "I can."

"You can what? Apparate?" he said loudly in shock.

"Shhh!" she put a hand over his mouth. "I’m already seventeen, Harry. After Kane died, I stayed home to help out; it forced me to start school a year later than I normally would have. My dad arranged lessons for me last year during the few weeks I wasn’t with you guys on winter break. On my birthday, he took me to take the test and I passed. I didn’t want another reason for people to think I was weird or off somehow, so I kept it all to myself, okay." She removed her hand.

"Okay." He said, though there was a lot more he had wanted to say. "So no one else knows?"

"Not exactly." She hung her head again and he knew she didn’t want to tell him what she was about to. "Hermione knows about my age, but nothing about my brother. Meanwhile, Draco knows all about Kane, but nothing about my age. They each figured it out and I begged for their discretion, so please don’t be angry she didn’t tell you."

And he wasn’t. He agreed that it was Luna’s business to tell what she wanted about herself to whomever she wanted. He certainly hadn’t told everyone everything about his past, only Hermione knew everything. Ron knew parts, and Luna probably knew more than he had told her, but there was nothing he could do about that. So, no he wasn’t upset, another idea was forming in his mind. "How long did it take you to learn?"

"I think I had it after the first lesson, but the instructor disagreed. I guess he wanted to be sure to get paid for all four lessons." She looked at him warily. "But I’m no teacher, Harry."

"I’m sure you’re better than you know, and Fred could help. I have to get to that hospital, Luna. I can’t sit here anymore and wonder."

"That’s not a good idea. They wouldn’t know we were there, what if something goes wrong?"

He felt frustrated, he had thought she would understand, having been the one to actually see the danger. "If I had already known how, Arthur would have let me come with." He argued.

"Okay, but what about Hermione and Ron, they’d want to go too, I’m sure."

"So teach them too, but let’s get on it, Arthur already left more than five minutes ago."

"I think I know an easier way than teaching you guys how to apparate, since that would take time as well." A voice said from the doorway. Harry looked over to see Fred leaning against the wall.

"What’s that?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I just happened to overhear dad last night after you guys got home. He told mum, Kingsley and Mad-eye that he had portkeys set up between here and a bunch of places, in case we ever need to evacuate. One of them will take us to St. Mungo’s." Fred answered with a mischievous grin.

"Where do the others go?" Harry couldn’t hold back his curiosity. Why hadn’t Arthur told him about this? Well, Harry had fled the kitchen quickly last night, maybe he had intended to tell him. He didn’t have to ask how Fred had overheard, since the extendible ears were his favorite invention of the twins.

"Whole bunch of places, the ministry, the Burrow, Azkaban, and a few places I hadn’t heard of. I guess they’re meant to be like safe houses or whatever." Fred grinned again. "Come on! We’re wasting time, and mum will notice I slipped out soon. I’m not so good at making the doubles I conjure speak and if I’m too quiet, she’ll be suspicious. So let’s get the others and go!"

"Where are the portkeys?" Luna asked rising. Apparently any doubts she had were gone, now that they had a way to get there that wouldn’t compromise her.

"In their room. I can’t go in to get it, but Harry can." Fred turned to Harry, who had recently discovered that as master of the house, no room was off limits to him.

"Okay, let’s get Hermione and Ron and go." They crept out of the parlor. Harry glanced in the kitchen and sure enough, there was a Fred double, sitting quietly at the table. It wouldn’t fool anyone who knew the real boy, not for long.

(BREAK)

"I’m not scared of you." Draco said, trying to sound brave. He was terrified actually, but he put on his old mask, the one of the original Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy who couldn’t be intimidated. Who was strong and more menacing. He may not feel like that person, but after spending his whole life acting that way, he knew how to pretend.

"I don’t care if you are or not." Harland laughed. "I want answers, and you’re going to give them to me." He walked up to the bed and pulled a syringe out of his pocket. "This is a nice mixture of truth serum and a paralytic agent. It’s a strong potion, brewed by a master alchemist. I’m sure you know of him, he’s your potions professor after all."

Draco watched as Harland inserted the needle into his tube and pushed the plunger. A soft warm feeling enveloped him and his mind seemed to draw back into a swirl of comfort. He tried wiggling his fingers but nothing happened. He could still move his head though, and he shook it violently from side to side, hoping to wake up the rest of him. What had Snape done? Wasn’t he supposed to be helping the Order?

"You can stop struggling. You won’t be able to move from the shoulders down. Can’t paralyze you past that, we need those vocal chords to work. Now, a few questions. First, have you told those idiots with Potter that Snape is a spy?"

"No." It was the truth of course. They had already known, since he was actually a double spy. But Draco didn’t add that. He felt strange, trying to fight the potion so he wouldn’t betray anyone. But it was almost as if there was nothing there to fight, besides the paralysis.

"Hmm. So they don’t know that he is working for us?"

"No." Draco said again automatically. It was a lie, and he was amazed he had told it. Snape’s potion hadn’t worked! Of course, he knew that couldn’t be possible, Snape was too good at what he does. He must have known why they wanted the potion and brewed it special so it would appear to work. Unfortunately, the paralysis had worked, but now Draco had new resolve. If he failed to make Harland believe he was telling the truth, it could compromise Snape as well as the others.

"Why didn’t you tell them?" Harland leaned over him, smelling of dirt and dead leaves and a hint of wet dog.

"Because I’m not helping them. I just needed a place to go after breaking with my father. They were grateful for what I did with Cho and offered to help me. I decided to use them."

"You aren’t helping them? Then why are you fighting with them?"

"To get to my father." Draco said simply. "I hate him, and I want him dead. Like I said, I’m using Potter and the others to get what I want."

"So where are they keeping you? Where is Potter staying?"

Uh oh, time to think quickly. "I don’t know. They blindfold me every time we come and go. They don’t trust me." He hoped it was convincing. Harland was studying him.

"Is Snape working with them?" Harland stared at him.

"He’s pretending to. But they don’t know he’s attending the Death Eater meetings." Draco said as fast as the lie came to him. Any hesitation would give it all away.

"How did they know about the attack on Lairmore?"

"I don’t know." Draco said quickly. "They don’t exactly confide in me. Potter came up to me the other day and said there was a battle coming up and that if I wanted to come and try to find my father I could."

"But he didn’t tell you how he knew?"

"All he said was that the ministry had received information from a reliable source. If you have a traitor in your midst, I doubt it’s Snape, he hates all of those people."

"Another traitor, you mean. You do know that you are on the list of defectors, that you are to be executed on sight." Harland grinned menacingly. Draco said nothing so Harland continued. "I don’t feel right about killing you though, I’ve known you since you were a baby after all. So I got permission for something else, as long as you hadn’t sold us all out completely."

Draco swallowed hard. He thought he knew what Harland was talking about. "Don’t." he said quietly.

"But it’s so brilliant, don’t you see, Draco?" Harland moved closer, leaning further over him so that Draco could feel the man’s hot, rancid breath on his face. "If I turn you, what will your new friends think? You said they already don’t trust you, they couldn’t risk having a Malfoy running around as a werewolf. They’ll have to take you out. Isn’t it poetic? You betray us to help them, and we make it so they have to kill you."

Draco felt his throat close in terror. That was probably exactly what would happen. Sure they dealt with Lupin, but that man was all good, through and through. Plus he was in control, was able to leave when the time came for him to turn. Draco was nowhere near as good on the inside, who knew what becoming a monster would force him to do. If he were Potter, he wouldn’t trust a Malfoy as a werewolf either.

"Just a quick bite." Harland said lifting Draco’s limp arm in his hands. "That’s all it would take. A bite and I’ll be on my way to take care of Remus and his new bride. Of course, you’re the lucky one, I’ll be leaving you alive."

Draco watched in horror as the man raised his arm to his mouth. There was a hungry, predatory awareness in his eyes. Draco turned away, unable to look any longer. He wanted to fight back, to pull his arm away and run. He was helpless, a rag doll left for anyone to come in and play with as they please. He felt the heat from the man’s mouth on his skin, a few drops of saliva. And then he felt the pressure as Harland’s lips and teeth surrounded the flesh of his arm. All he had left to wait for was the sting of pain.

"Hey!" Someone shouted. Draco turned to find Arthur Weasley standing at his door. Harland emitted a low growl from deep within, and before Draco knew what was happening, the creature pounced. Arthur ran down the hall, the werewolf hot on his trail. Draco looked down at his arm, but couldn’t see clearly in the dark. Had Harland broken the skin? He wanted to reach over to turn on the light, but his body still wouldn’t cooperate.

(BREAK)

"I don’t feel right about this." Hermione said.

"Noted. Go ahead, Harry open the door." Fred urged.

Harry hesitated, feeling like he was intruding. They were gathered in front of the Weasley’s room, and Harry had his hand on the knob. He took a deep breath and twisted, opening the door for them all. Fred and Ron walked right in, but Harry stayed in the hallway with Hermione and Luna, still feeling bad about entering someone else’s room without their permission.

"So what is it, what does the portkey look like?" Ron asked his brother.

"I’m not sure. It’s probably one of these things." Fred indicated the random objects on the dresser.

"Harry?" Hermione was calling for his attention. He turned to see Luna’s eyes roll up in her head. She began to sway on her feet and he and Hermione reached out to steady her. She seemed to snap out it more quickly this time, but the look on her face horrified him.

"Luna, what is it?" Harry asked in fear.

"We have to get there, he’s going to try and bite Draco, to turn him!" She ran into the room and stared at the dresser. "It’s that one." She pointed to a small statue of Merlin.

"Okay, if you say so." Fred answered as they gathered around. All at once they reached out and touched the object. Harry felt the familiar tug as they were whipped through time and space to the waiting room at St. Mungo’s.

"Come on! His room is this way!" Harry shouted.

"Hey! What are you kids doing? It’s after hours, you can’t be running around here!" the woman at the desk called after them. But they paid her no attention.

Harry skidded to a stop outside Draco’s room and motioned the others to get behind him.

He looked quickly into the room and saw the two guards that were stationed outside Draco’s room lying motionless just inside the door. Nodding to the others, they all drew their wands. Harry poked his head around the doorframe again and saw Draco lying very still in his bed. He appeared to be alone. "Draco?" Harry called cautiously.

"Potter? Go! Harland is chasing Mr. Weasley! They went to the left!" Draco shouted.

Ron and Fred had run off immediately, before Harry could stop them. They disappeared around the corner, leaving Harry in very awkward position. He needed to follow them, to help Arthur and his sons. But doing so would leave Hermione, Luna and Draco vulnerable. He made a choice and stayed, hoping the Weasley’s could handle themselves. Luckily he didn’t have to feel guilty long, Kingsley, Mad-eye and several Aurors came down the hall a moment later.

"Harry? What are you kids doing here?" Kingsley asked.

"Luna saw Harland attacking Draco in a vision. Arthur, Fred and Ron are chasing him around the hospital. They went that way." Harry answered.

"Okay." Kingsley said. "Mad-eye, you and Lace stay with the kids, the rest of you, let’s go!" and the Aurors took off.

"Come on then, let’s go in the room." Mad-eye shooed them all from the hallway.

"But Lupin! And Tonks! They’re down the hall, what if Harland goes there?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Lace, go check on them. First, take care of those two." Mad-eye instructed, indicating the two dead men on the floor. Lace left to carry out orders, floating the lifeless bodies in front of him.

"Did he bite you?" Luna asked Draco.

"I’m not sure, I can’t see clearly in the dark and I can’t raise my arm to see it better."

Mad-eye flipped on the lights and they all gasped. Draco’s good arm lay limply next to him, large teeth marks on his forearm. A small pool of blood collected under, as small drops still dribbled down his arm from the wound. Draco closed his eyes and turned away. Harry felt that had they not been there, the other boy would have cried.

"Well, you’re screwed now, boy." Mad-eye said, lifting Draco’s arm for a better look. "Better clean it up at least." And he pulled open a drawer, took out some gauze and began wrapping the wound.

"What happened, Draco?" Hermione asked gently.

"He came in here with some potion." Draco answered, his tone devoid of all emotion. "He said Snape made it, that it was a truth serum with paralytic tendencies. But I guess Snape fixed it so that it would only paralyze me. They must have told him why they wanted to use it."

"What did he ask you?" Harry moved closer, feeling deep sympathy for his new friend. He had been through quite a lot in a very short amount of time.

Draco ran through all the questions he had been asked, adding his fear that Snape may be compromised. Draco looked up at him with eyes so full of devastation and fear that Harry had to look away. This wasn’t the same Draco Malfoy, not anymore. And all these horrible things had happened to him because he chose to join Harry, making Harry feel more guilty than he already had.

"And you told him nothing?" Mad-eye asked urgently.

"Of course not. I told him that you guys don’t trust me." Draco paused and looked directly at Harry. "So what happens now? When are you guys going to kill me?"

(BREAK)

Ron followed Fred as they raced down the halls. Occasionally they shouted for their father, but received no answer. He was getting worried. He didn’t know this Harland character, but he had already put Lupin in the hospital, tried to attack Draco and was now chasing down their father. Ron hoped they weren’t too late. He also hoped Arthur had gotten there in time to keep Draco from being turned. The idea of him being a werewolf was more than Ron could stand to think about.

"Wait." Fred screeched to a halt, and Ron almost ran into him. "Listen." Fred instructed. They could hear strange sounds, like two people fighting coming from down the hall, behind the doors leading to the cafeteria. They carefully made their way into the large room, but it was empty. The sounds were coming from further back, in the kitchens. Peering through the doors, they saw Arthur with his back against the wall, his wand in one hand, a long butcher’s knife in the other. Harland also had his wand out, and though both men were dueling heavily, he tried to lunge at Arthur every chance he got. That’s when Arthur would swing the knife, keeping the man and his poisoned teeth out of biting range.

"Okay, on three we go in together and take him by surprise. Throw a stunner at him." Fred instructed. Ron nodded his agreement. He felt nervous and alive, just as he always did before they all did something dangerous. His heart was pounding so hard and fast that he was sure the predator on the other side of the door could hear it.

Fred counted silently and on three they threw the doors open together and shouted. "Stupefy!" But it appeared Harland had been ready for them. He dodged out of the way and turned on them.

"No!" Arthur cried and threw out a spell to shield his sons from the attack. Moments later the kitchen doors flew open again and Kingsley charged through with a dozen other Aurors.

"Surrender, Harland." Kingsley demanded.

"You know better than that." Harland said raising his hand and waving a finger in their direction. And then he was gone, apparated to somewhere else.

(BREAK)

"Kill you?" Draco was momentarily pleased with the confused look Potter gave him. Draco had thought that disposing of him would have been their first thought.

"Yes, kill me. I’m infected, I’ve been bitten. And unlike your friend Lupin, I’m not such a good guy underneath it all. Who knows what I’d do once I change." Draco felt his fingers twitch. The potion must be wearing off.

"That doesn’t mean we’ll just take you out back and shoot you, boy." Mad-eye said. "There are ways of dealing with the condition."

Draco shook his head. He didn’t want to live this way. He had known he did horrible things, that he was mean and vindictive. He had already been so close to being a monster just like his father, and had run in the other direction. How was he supposed to go on now that he really was a monster?

"There’s nothing we can do? No treatment?" Granger asked. "I mean I know once they change it’s too late, but the full moon is more than two weeks away, there’s nothing that can stop the infection?"

"No, I’m afraid there isn’t." A voice said behind them. Healer Drake walked into the room. "I had come to check on your regrowth, but imagine my surprise to overhear the fact that you’ve been bitten by a werewolf."

"Worse than just that, Roscoe. He was bitten by Harland." Mad-eye told the healer. Draco was surprised that they seemed familiar.

"You two know each other?" Potter asked. Apparently the others hadn’t known either.

"Oh, yeah. From way back." Healer Drake responded. "I used to work with the Ministry, in the Auror department, developing new vaccines, cures, and even poisons that could be used as weapons. And then I stumbled upon the first version of the regrowth cure and tried to help out Mad-eye. He didn’t want the help." Drake smiled at the old Auror.

"Don’t need a new eye." Mad-eye said gruffly. "Roscoe here also joined a small group of us who were assembled to take care of the rampant wolf problem we had quite a few years ago. Lupin even helped us out, trying to get them all to register themselves with the Ministry, and taking out the ones that wouldn’t."

"It was a messy business." Drake said in remembrance. "They wanted me to work with the wolves, and try to find a cure, or even just a deterrent for the change. There isn’t one, it just doesn’t exist. The only thing is the Wolfsbane Potion, but it’s so hard to brew that few people can actually create it. And it won’t stop the change, it’ll only let you keep your own mind in wolf form." Drake shook his head sadly and then made his way to Draco’s side. "Well, let’s at least take a look at this arm."

"What does it matter anymore?" Draco asked miserably.

"Well, you’ll want all fours paws to run around on soon." Drake smiled. It quickly disappeared when he saw Draco’s face. "Too soon?"

"It’ll be alright, Draco." Lovegood said soothingly. "We aren’t going to turn on you for this."

"You say that now, but once it actually happens…" Draco let his sentence trail off. He was ready to end it himself if they didn’t do it for him. Life was just getting too hard, and it didn’t seem worth it anymore.

Potter approached the other side of his bed, and looked down at his bandaged forearm. Then he sat and reached out to place a hand on Draco’s shoulder. "I’m sorry we couldn’t help you. That we couldn’t keep this from happening. But we aren’t like them, Draco. We aren’t going to turn our back on you. I promise I will do everything I can to help you."

"Me too." Granger said stepping up next to Potter. She reached down and took Draco’s hand, squeezing it in support. He tried to squeeze back and was successful. The potion was definitely wearing off. He turned his face away from them, embarrassed by the tears that were now coming. It was all just too much. He had never felt so cared for in his whole life, and these were the people who chose to care about him, the ones he had been raised to hate and distrust.

"I see some good progress here Draco." Drake said. "We can skip your treatment this morning, you need to rest up."

"It’s morning already?" Potter seemed surprised.

"Well, it was nearly five in the morning when Kingsley and I got here. And that was about a half hour ago, maybe a bit more." Mad-eye answered. "Sun will be up soon if it isn’t already."

"I’ll go start brewing some Wolfsbane later today. I believe Severus Snape is also very adept at making the potion." Drake told Draco.

"Yeah, he is. He was making it for Lupin during the school year." Potter replied.

"Hey. You okay, Malfoy?" They all turned to see Weasley standing in the doorway with his brother and father.

"He’s been bitten, Arthur." Mad-eye reported to Mr. Weasley as they entered the room.

Mr. Weasley came to stand by Healer Drake. He looked down at him in despair and Draco felt that now he would get the truth. Potter could promise all he wanted, but Draco had to live in the real world, and in the real world, he knew that it was less dangerous to take him out than let him run free. And now the Minister would pass judgement, after all, he had the entire wizarding community to answer to.

But Mr. Weasley’s words surprised him, it was a simple apology. "I’m sorry I didn’t get here in time."

Draco didn’t know what to say. Granger was still holding his hand, Potter was still sitting next to him, Luna was smiling at him encouragingly and the Weasley boys had come to stand at the foot of the bed.

"Okay, here’s how this it going to work. The public will never hear of this. You all will not be going around talking about it, Draco’s condition is to be considered top secret. I’ll have to speak with Albus, of course, but nothing else will change. And when Lupin goes away for the full moon, he’ll take Draco with him. And Draco, at all costs, you are to never be near Harland again."

Draco nodded, never wanting to see the man for the rest of his life. Of course he knew, as they all did, that once he’s had his first change, after the disease had taken over completely, it was near impossible to deny your creator. He would be tied to Harland forever, or until one of them died, and if Harland asked him to do something, like hurt Potter, he knew that he would be compelled to carry out the order. He shook his head, he didn’t understand why they were keeping him alive. He was too dangerous a risk.

Because they care about you. He heard Lovegood’s voice in his head. Apparently his walls had gone down at some point. You might as well get used to it, you have real friends now Draco. This is what it’s like, they take care of you no matter what and vice versa.

"We’ll take everyone home with us. Healer Drake if you’ll agree to come with and take care of the medical needs of both Draco and Remus?" Arthur was saying.

"Absolutely. It would be an honor." Drake replied.

"Okay then, let’s get home to Molly and Ginny. We can discuss how the rest of you kids got here later."

(BREAK)

The next two days passed tensely. Harry had spent most of his time in the war room, where they had set up both Lupin and Draco for medical care. Healer Drake had brought a lot of the machines from the hospital to the house, and they were hooked up for their respective needs. Both spent most of their time asleep, but Harry sat with them anyway. And since Tonks refused to leave Lupin’s side, she and Harry kept each other company. The others would come and check on things every now and then, but neither patient had been up for visitors. So everyone else took it upon themselves to either go through the ministry documents about the coven, or figure out what Ginny did with the ring.

Harry had told Lupin what had happened to Draco while the boy slept, and he agreed to talk to him about the condition. "Though every wolf is different, just like people." Lupin had warned.

Now, they were both finally awake together and the others piled in to say hi, and to learn about Harland Myers. Arthur and Dumbledore had been busy, coming and going from the house at all hours of the day and night. There was a lot of fallout from Lairmore to take care of, not to mention the manhunt for Harland. They had been so busy, they didn’t have time to sit and give a history lesson of their newest old enemy.

But Lupin knew all about Harland Myers, and today he looked well, refreshed even. The deep gashes across his face were now just small white scars, and he finally had his appetite back. So Harry, Hermione, Luna, Ron and Fred had come to ask the only person they could at the moment about the enemy. Ginny hadn’t come out of her room much and didn’t want to visit. She had told Ron she would check in on their friends later, when the room wasn’t so crowded.

"Well, it does me good to see so many friendly faces." Lupin said with a big grin when they all entered the room.

"How are you today, Moony?" Hermione asked.

"Better. Feeling like my old self again."

"And you Draco? How are you feeling?" Hermione turned to the other bed.

"Fine." He said simply. Harry thought he looked a million times better than when they had found him unconscious in that house at Lairmore. Some color had returned to his face and the heavy dark circles beneath his eyes had lessened. He even looked like he had put some weight back on, now that he was being forced to eat every time he was awake.

"I suppose you all came to hear about Harland." Lupin said.

"Oh tell your story, but please don’t tax yourself too much." Tonks said rising and leaning over to kiss her husband’s forehead. "I’m going into the ministry for awhile, I’ll be back soon." She gave Harry a menacing look. "Harry, I’m counting on you to know when enough is enough for him." And then she left.

The others all took a seat and settled in to listen. "Where to start? Well, Harland is a werewolf because he wanted to be one. He went looking for someone who was infected and found Adele Cooper. She wasn’t a witch, simply a muggle who had the misfortune at some point to come across a werewolf. Well, later when he was captured but before he escaped the first time, he admitted to putting her under the Imperious Curse and making her bite him." Lupin paused to take a drink of water.

"So what happened to Adele?" Luna asked.

"Harland killed her." Lupin said simply. "As I taught you all during third year, werewolves are connected to their creators, forced to submit to their will. Harland of course wanted none of that, he simply wanted the curse, but not all the rules that came along with it. He killed her, cut off her head and left her for the muggles in her village to find. Word got back to the ministry and he was immediately tracked. He killed two Aurors and turned two others. Then he began turning more people, all muggles from that point on. Those that fought the link that bound them to him were killed or cursed to do his bidding."

"So he was building an army?" Harry asked.

"We believe so. He came to me at one point, demanding that I live as I was supposed to and stop hiding what I was. I refused and he tried to kill me, and would have if James and Sirius hadn’t shown up. His group terrorized England for over a year and then….well he ran into Voldemort. The ministry was worried that those two combined would wreak complete havoc, maybe even be able to take over London. That’s when they decided to impose the werewolf laws. Lily, James and Sirius were all working with Albus and the ministry already, but the ministry wouldn’t accept my help, because of what I was. Albus is the one who convinced them that the best way to hunt werewolves was with one. We went around finding as many as we could, registering them and asking about Harland. Even those wolves not in his pack were scared of him." Lupin shook his head sadly. "The man has no conscious."

"But you guys must have found him eventually." Ron prodded.

"We did, after James and Lily were killed and Voldemort had been vanquished by Harry. The Death Eaters had all gone underground, and we found Harland, holed up with Bellatrix LeStrange, Antonin Dolohov and Walden Macnair. After a long fight, those three were taken into custody and thrown in Azkaban. Harland was caged and brought before the ministry for his crimes. He was sentenced to death."

"So what happened?" Luna asked.

"My father helped him escape." Draco answered miserably.

"So that’s how he got away." Lupin said. "We’d always wondered who’d helped him."

"I thought, with the exception of Barty Crouch Jr., that with the Dementors it was impossible to escape Azkaban." Fred responded.

"Oh he wasn’t at Azkaban. He was being held in the Department in Mysteries. They had decided to try and study him, figure out if they could find a cure. I guess that’s where Healer Drake came into the story." Lupin answered.

"What happened after Lucius broke him out?" Luna asked Draco.

"He lived with us, in secret. I grew up around him and he was always scary. He was always telling my father he could turn us all and help the Malfoys become a real force to be reckoned with. Lucius declined, of course, knowing that would put him and the rest of us under Harland’s power. Harland would just laugh and tell him that the offer always stood. Then Aurors started showing up, I guess they finally began to suspect my father had been and still was a follower of Voldemort." Draco replied.

"We always suspected." Lupin corrected him. "After uncovering several other high profile Death Eaters, they went after Lucius, but could never pin anything on him."

"Well, they definitely kept coming to the house after the first Auror died while investigating." Draco responded. He and Harry both flicked their eyes in Luna’s direction before Draco continued. "I guess Harland felt it was too risky, so he left, told my father he was going to travel the world and make trouble. I was relieved that he was gone. I never liked him, a very creepy man. I was eleven when he disappeared, but he still gave me nightmares."

"You were eleven?!" Lupin cried. "You mean to tell me Harland was living here in England for ten years and we couldn’t find him?"

"My father is good at making people disappear, and at bribing officials. Fudge was practically in his pocket when he became Minister, so he was able to get away with a lot until the Aurors went around Fudge and began their investigation." Draco propped himself up and tried to reach for his glass of juice. Fred helped him out, handing over the drink. "Thanks."

"But he had to have been captured at some point." Hermione pointed out. "He was listed among those who escaped Azkaban last year."

"He was. I kept an ear up for any word of him, seeing as how when we got him the first time, he had sworn to kill me. He was apparently found in India last year and brought back here under heavy guard to carry out his original sentence. I was relieved to hear it. Of course, less than a week later, he, Bellatrix and Lucius had all escaped with the others."

"You think he went to help them?" Ron asked.

"It’s possible. The thought had occurred to me, as well as Dumbledore that Voldemort had tracked Harland down and they planned for him to be caught. Just so he could help the others get out."

"Why did they put him in Azkaban anyway?" Harry asked angrily. "They knew at that point that the Dementors had left."

"Arthur investigated that." Lupin replied. "Apparently some wires were crossed during his transport back here. We aren’t sure if it was an accident or if someone had been forced to make the mistake."

"Like with the Imperious Curse?" Fred asked.

"That, or simple blackmail. We just don’t know, everything was all confusion."

"Why didn’t you all tell us about him then? If you all knew he was so dangerous?" Harry asked.

"Because Snape told us that Harland had returned to India. And he had, we sent people after him, but they never returned. I don’t know when he came back to London this time." Lupin answered.

"So now Harland is back and he’s definitely still pals with Voldemort." Harry said. "That’s just fantastic."

(BREAK)

Healer Drake came in a short while later and kicked them all out so he could see to his patients. He told Draco and Lupin that he was going to tell the others to leave them be for awhile, that they both needed rest. He gave them each their separate remedies, ran the treatment on Draco’s wasted arm and left so they could nap. But Draco couldn’t sleep. He finally had his chance, no one else was around.

"Professor?" Draco asked, hoping the other man hadn’t fallen asleep.

"You can call me Lupin or Remus, like the others, Draco." Lupin responded kindly. "At least when we’re outside Hogwarts."

"What’s going to happen to me, Lupin?"

"With the change?" Lupin turned on his side so that he was facing Draco’s bed. "Expect it to be painful, at least the first few times. Once your bones are used to the transformation process, it’ll get better."

"And then what? What happens after I change? What will I do?"

"Will you be yourself still? No, you won’t. The wolf’s instincts take over and you won’t be able to distinguish between friend, enemy, or stranger. That’s why it’s important to take the Wolfsbane Potion, so the wolf won’t take away your humanity. And for extra safety, I leave."

Draco meditated on the thought. "So what do you do, when you go away?"

"I go far out in to the country and deep into the woods where the chance of running into anyone is practically non-existent. Then I run until the wolf is tired and wait for morning."

"Do you… do we only change during the full moon?" Draco asked. One day a month might not be so bad.

"Full transformation, yes. But the days before and after, you won’t feel like yourself. Everyone is different, but I feel like climbing the walls during that time, like I have too much energy and it’s building and building until I feel like I’m going to explode. Others get angry or depressed. Some even get extremely happy."

"Is it horrible?" Draco asked quietly.

"Sometimes, because you aren’t in control of yourself. When it first happened to me, I thought it was the end of the world. I wanted to die, to just give up. But then I had friends who helped me through it, Sirius and James. Even Peter at the time." Lupin sighed. "It’s always amazing how much history really does repeat itself."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this has all happened before hasn’t it? I was James’s friend, and I received this curse. And here we are, so many years later, and a friend of James’s son receives the same curse. And that’s not all." Lupin let out another heavy sigh. "Every time we’re in battle, I feel like I’ve been there before, and of course, I was. Some seventeen, eighteen years ago when I was a younger, more capable man. And you know what, so many of the faces are the same, just a little older… or younger. Harry is such a mixture of his parents, sometimes being around him hurts me, because it’s almost like having them back." Lupin admitted closing his eyes.

Draco felt bad for Lupin. He had been through so much in his past, and now here he was, reliving it all over again. He wanted to admit that being around Potter hurt him too, in a different way. Potter could do anything it seemed, and though others around him suffered, he always came out of each danger untouched. And stronger too. The more Potter gave into his destiny, the better off he was. Hell, he’d almost gotten the Dark Lord at the Leaky cauldron, had certainly come closer than anyone before him. But the more Draco tried to be good, tried to forge his own destiny, the worse things got for him and the more he had to rely on all of these people who had a year ago been strangers, enemies. And he wished they still were. He didn’t want to care if they lived or died. He didn’t want to know their history, or understand them better. He wanted to blame them for everything, because it was so much easier. But if he was going to face facts, everything done to him, his missing arm, the werewolf bite, the feelings of constant inadequacy; those things were the other side’s fault. Potter hadn’t thrown a killing curse at him, or sent Harland to his room. Potter hadn’t been the cold, unfeeling monster who had raised him.

Everyone in this house had shown Draco more kindness than he deserved, certainly more than he had ever thought to show them. And now, they were keeping him alive, even though it meant untold danger for themselves, should Harland show up, or if Draco lost control. The reason was two-fold, he knew. Sure they had probably come to care a little for him as Luna claimed, but when you came down to it, they just weren’t the murdering kind.

There was only one way Draco could think of for him to repay their kindness, but was he really capable of doing it? "Did you ever just want to give up? You know, just end it all for yourself?"

Lupin opened his eyes and stared at him, now all seriousness. "Honestly, yes. Of course! Anyone with a conscious would if given this curse. The last thing I wanted was to hurt someone I cared about, and it would have been so easy to end it all, better for everyone else. Or so I thought at the time." He looked down. "Okay, I thought it several times over the years."

"Why didn’t you?"

Lupin met his eyes once more. "Because I had friends telling me not to. But then they were taken from me, and I felt like the world was ending. It was harder then, when I was on my own, to find reasons to go on living. But I didn’t give up and I had a hard life because of this curse. And I learned it wasn’t the end of the world after all. I mean here I am, a professor, a fighter for the Order, and a husband to a wonderful woman. Life gives you what you put into it, Draco."

"That’s what I’m afraid of." Draco replied, as someone knocked lightly at the door.

Arthur Weasley came in and greeted them, asking about their condition. But Draco could see the panic hiding behind his eyes. "What’s wrong Mr. Weasley?" he asked.

"Draco, if you’re up for it, I need you to once again go over everything you and Harland talked about involving Severus Snape." Mr. Weasley said seriously, pulling a chair up next to his bed.

"Why? What’s happened Arthur?" Lupin asked, sitting up in bed.

He looked back and forth between to two of them before lowering his head. "Severus is missing, he was supposed to report to me and Albus this morning about last night’s Death Eater meeting. He never showed and we can’t find him anywhere."

 
 

NOTE: Okay, so for those of you who read my little notes at the beginning and end of each chapter, I know I said a lot of other things were going to happen in this chapter. But while writing it, it kind of got away from me and went in a completely different direction than I had intended. So I guess the story will be changing a bit from what I had planned. Anyway, more to happen next chapter, though now that I’ve gone this way, even I’m not sure what’s coming up. Stick with me folks, this should get interesting. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review, let me know what you think!

 
**NOTE: FOR THOSE OF YOU STICKLERS FAMILIAR WITH WEREWOLF LORE
I know that a werewolf must be in wolf form in order to bite someone and have them turn, according to Rowling. And I know that Lupin, above all others would know this. However, I have obviously taken some liberties (Especially since I changed Lupin’s history and how he was turned to serve the story in HP and the Ring of Mykele, and took Fenrir Greyback out of the picture completely) So please, suspend belief with me and just go with the flow, after all, that was only the rule for werewolves in the HP series, there are other stories of werewolves that have different rules for how to turn someone, as well as appearance, mood, and ability (or lack of) to keep some humanity in wolf form. I need it to be this way to serve the story, so please, just stick with me and enjoy the story and try not to focus too much on the technical.

Chapter 14: The Truth is Out There

A/N: Welcome back, I think enough new elements have been added for now, and we should start solving some of those mysteries already laid out. This will be a super, super long chapter by the way, as there’s a lot to go over. Answers are coming, in this chapter and the next few, so Read, Review, Enjoy!

 


Five days had passed since Lairmore, and things were starting to get back to normal, or as normal as things could be in Harry’s house. Lupin and Draco had recovered enough to seek the comfort of their own rooms. Of course, Tonks had wanted Lupin to return to their apartment with her, but he had insisted they stay at Grimmauld Place, so that he could help Draco. The teens all focused their energy on translating and going through the mountain of ministry documents (except Ginny who stayed in her room) while the adults busied themselves making preparations for them all to return to Hogwarts. Arthur had set up a time for them at the Ministry to start their apperation lessons, promising Harry and Hermione access to the Hall of Records as well. By tomorrow, they would have the name of at least one more coven member.

Only two things were keeping Harry and the others from finding peace. The first was Snape’s disappearance. Everyone was worried, including Harry. It was true there was no love loss between himself and his professor, but that didn’t mean he had wanted him to be captured by the enemy. Had that been what happened? Had they discovered he was a spy and killed him? Arthur and Dumbledore were franticly trying to find any trace of him, but the man had simply vanished. Luna had tried and tried to make something come, but every time all she could see was static, as if someone were deliberately keeping the vision from her. She confided to Harry and Hermione that she had never experienced something like that before, except when she had tried to see in the boys’ minds last year to try and get around the Bickeross potion.

The second thing keeping them awake at night, was the still missing ring. Harry wanted desperately to use it, had begun to feel anxious from the time away from it. He wanted to talk to everyone, to see if they knew something about what had happened to his potions professor. He felt moody and distant from the others and wondered if it was possible he was suffering from some sort of energy withdrawal as a result of so much time away from the ring. If he was, Fred was right there with him, and the two commiserated on their desire to speak with their loved ones. Ginny was truly being selfish, and the more irritated he felt as the days passed, the more he resented her and whatever game she was trying to play.

He and Luna had been trying to find some time alone, to discuss the two stories they had heard from both parties involved with the missing ring. Finally, with Hermione laying down for a nap, Draco stowed away in his room to rest and Ron and Fred busy helping Molly bring some more of the Weasley belongings from the Burrow, Harry had his chance.

He followed Luna down to the parlor after Hermione kicked them out so she could sleep. "Hey you wanna go out back, away from all the ears still in the house?"

"Sure." She replied as he led the way. They settled themselves in the far corner of the yard, underneath the big Willow tree, hidden from the world.

"What am I supposed to do about this Luna, I want the ring back."

"I know you do. Have you talked to her at all?"

"No, I’m worried that if I do, I’ll say something I’ll regret. I’m so mad at her, and I don’t understand what she’s planning." Harry angrily shook his head at the ground. "What did she say to you. Exact words?"

"Just that she had intended to call on George and then put the ring in her pocket and forgot about it until she and Draco were in trouble and needed to use it. Then she said she had wanted to take the ring back, had searched his pockets while he lay there unconscious and felt bad about it. But she maintains the ring wasn’t there and that she doesn’t have it now."

"Interesting." Harry thought back to his conversation with Draco at St. Mungo’s. "You know, Draco told me that she said she had brought it because she thought I might need to use it, and had let him use it instead."

"Somehow, that rings more true." Luna sighed. "I have an idea of what she may be up to, and I don’t like it."

"What? You’ve got me on the edge of my seat here." Harry edged closer.

"At night, I’ve been seeing some weird things, just quick flashes involving Ginny, Draco and the ring. And just yesterday…" she hesitated.

"You’re killing me, Luna."

"Yesterday I saw the final vision again, and it wasn’t the same, and it wasn’t good. I think that if whatever she’s planning works, it may put us off the right path."

"So what do you think she’s up to?" Harry asked, feeling his patience grow thin, but he held himself in check. After all, it wasn’t Luna he was really annoyed with.

"I think she’s trying to turn us against Draco. She wants us to blame him. Why, I don’t know, but I really think that’s what she’s trying to do."

"That doesn’t make sense. We know it was her, don’t we? So why keep it up?" Harry tried to make sense of it, but perhaps he was in too rational a state of mind.

"I don’t know. And I don’t know how this changes the final picture, since we obviously aren’t going to believe Draco did it." Luna sighed again. "Unless we’re missing something."

"What, like he did have something to do with it?" Harry asked, though he refused to believe it. Not after what Draco went through.

"No….maybe….I don’t know. I wish there was a way to get past those walls she built. What’s the good of being a mind reader when you can’t get into someone’s mind?"

(BREAK)

Ginny watched Harry and Luna go out into the yard together and sit under the willow tree. Only once they were hidden from view behind the leaf curtain did she make her move. As she climbed the stairs, she suddenly hoped Harry and Luna fell in love or whatever. That would show Hermione, since she so trusted Luna around her precious fiancé. Unfortunately, knowing both of them so well, she doubted that outcome. Still it was nice to think about Hermione finally being put in her place. Maybe one of the coven people they were going to search for could turn Harry’s head.

She stopped outside Draco’s room and let herself feel guilty for what she was about to do. But it had to be done, and by finally paying him a visit, she could try and kill two birds with one stone. After all, it wouldn’t do for the others to turn against Draco, she wanted him to turn against them as well. Then she would have him, the one person that would be there for her and her alone, someone she could finally count on. Maybe her loneliness was finally getting to her, maybe she really was cracking up. But neither thought stopped her from knocking on the door.

He opened it slowly, and regarded her suspiciously. "Can I come in?" she asked lightly.

He merely shrugged and turned back into his room, leaving the door open. She watched as he climbed back into his bed and pulled the covers up. He looked better, less tired, more healthy. She closed the door and approached him slowly, feeling like the worst person in the world. It wasn’t too late, she could just pay a visit and leave without carrying out her plans. "How are you?"

"Well, I guess you coming to ask five days late is better than not at all. I’m fine, I guess. Thanks for your concern." He answered harshly.

"I wanted to come, but one of them was always with you." She protested. "I’m sorry. And I’m really sorry about, you know, what happened to you at the hospital." She lowered her eyes, still not quite believing the boy in front of her was now a werewolf.

"Yeah, well, it’s not like you could have stopped him, so don’t lose too much sleep over it. Was that all?" he had anger in his tone and it gave her pause.

"Why are you mad at me?" she asked sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Why are you trying to frame me?" he returned, scooting himself away from her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently. But underneath she was fuming. They had already gotten to him, made him think low of her. Well, any thought she had of abandoning her plans was now forgotten.

"The ring, Ginny. I didn’t hide it, I certainly don’t have it now and I didn’t give it to anyone. It was in my pocket, and then I passed out and I woke up and it was gone. And the only thing you’ll tell anyone is that I had it last."

"Well you did. You were the one who snatched it from me, all the while calling me names, if you recall."

"Because it was true, that was probably the stupidest thing you’ve ever done, until now, if you’re hiding that ring."

"You know, I really did think you were different." She rose in anger and started pacing. "The others are all so willing to believe the worst of me, my own brothers included. Every time something goes wrong, they need someone to blame, and since they don’t want to blame you anymore, they’re picking on me."

"Because you did it, Ginny. You brought the ring there and you took it from my pocket and now you’ve done who knows what with it."

She shoved her hands in her pockets and faced him, while running her fingers over the large garish stone on the ring. She wondered if he could tell she had it with her at that moment. "You know, I thought you of all people would understand. Don’t you remember how they blamed you for all those things you didn’t do after you came over to our side? Didn’t they even think at one time that you had sent newspapers to Hermione’s parents to cause trouble? Fred told me about that. You didn’t of course, but because of the things you’ve done in the past, they’re always going to doubt you Draco. Especially now that you have this werewolf curse. And now, because of the things I did in the past, they’re always going to doubt me. Don’t you see? Don’t you see how hypocritical they are? They do horrible things to each other all the time but somehow, they’re always golden while we will forever be tarnished. It doesn’t matter how many good things you do, and it won’t matter if I ‘go get help’ because in their eyes, we will always be damaged goods."

He stared at her for a long time before answering. "What I see is someone who’s trying very hard to sell something, but I’m not sure I’m buying."

She sighed, forcing herself to look defeated. "I didn’t take that ring from you, Draco. I was on the roof fighting the Dementors when Ron and I saw Harry and Luna go down. We jumped down to run after them and I found you on the ground and called Ron over. Yes, I’ll admit I went through your pockets looking for the ring, but it wasn’t there. And if it was, my brother was with me the whole time, he would have seen me take it. A fact they refuse to acknowledge. I don’t know when you blacked out and I don’t know how long you were lying down there, okay?" She tried not to sound like she was pleading, she wanted to be convincing.

"He was really with you the whole time?" Draco asked. She felt triumph at the hint of indecision in his voice. He wasn’t sure anymore and that was all she needed. The creation of doubt was enough.

"Yeah, he was. We carried you over to one of the healing houses. And then together we went to find Harry and Luna. I was never alone with you. How could I have taken the ring? But they won’t listen to me! They want to think I took it because it’s easier than thinking someone else found you and took it while we were distracted. You know, someone who shouldn’t have it." Ginny was proud of herself when she felt the tears come and forced them out. Maybe she’d become an actress some day.

Cupping the ring, she pulled her hands out of her pockets and sat on the edge of the bed again. When she looked over at Draco, he turned away, unable to meet her eyes. Perfect. Keeping her mind blank so as to try and stave off any pesky vision Luna may have, she let her arm dangle next to her, and careful not to let any movement show she slid the ring under his mattress. Now it was time to perform the final act. "Draco, promise me you don’t have the ring. That I’m not taking all this blame while the whole time you have it."

"What?" he asked incredulously, finally turning to face her.

"If you do, I won’t tell them. You can give it to me and I’ll sneak it into Harry’s room, they’ll never have to know. And you don’t even have to tell me why you had it. If you have it." She put as much concern and friendliness in her gaze as she could, trying to look sincere.

"I don’t have it. And weren’t you the one who was just talking about unfairly placing blame?" He seemed unsure of himself now, not quite as hardened as when she had first come in. Success could be hers!

"Look, I’m sorry, I just had to be sure. Besides, you blamed me. And I know I don’t have it, and you were the last person to have it. But I believe you, okay? You say you don’t have it, then you don’t." she rose and moved to the door before turning and adding, "I just wish you’d trust me the same way." And then she left.

(BREAK)

Harry and Ron were in the middle of tense game of wizard’s chess when the knock came at his door. Luna, who had been lounging on his bed translating the ministry documents volunteered to answer it. He had expected Hermione, fresh from her nap and ready to join them. Instead, Draco wandered in.

"Hey, how’re you feeling, Malfoy?" Ron asked without looking up from the board. He moved his knight, capturing Harry’s castle.

"Bit tired but okay I guess. I just wanted to talk to you guys about something." He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Harry abandoned the game and offered his seat to Draco, moving to sit next to Luna on the bed. "So, what’s up?"

"Ginny just came to see me." Draco started.

"Oh yeah?" Ron said suspiciously.

"Yeah, and I wanted to ask you a question Weasley. She says she couldn’t have taken the ring from me, because you were with her from the time she found me up to when I woke up."

Ron stopped to think. "Yeah, I guess I was."

"Are you sure?" Harry and Luna asked together.

"Well…" Ron thought for awhile. "The way I remember it, we were on the roof, trying to help with the Dementors when we saw you two go down. We went to go after you, but Ginny found you on the ground passed out and called me back over. Then we carried you to the house and we both ran off to the woods, where we ran into you guys and Hermione."

"That’s exactly what she said." Draco replied. "Except she added that she had looked through my pockets but came up empty."

"Did you see her search him?" Harry asked Ron.

"Not that I recall, but it all happened so fast." Ron shook his head.

"You said she had to call you back over? Where did you go that she had to call you back?" Luna asked.

"I didn’t see him laying there, I was worried about you guys so I got down from the roof and just started running down the street." Ron explained. "So I guess what you’re trying to point out is that there was a small window of opportunity for her to have taken it." He said sadly. "Damn, I had really hoped we found a way to clear her."

"Hey, it’s better that she has it. At least that’s what I keep telling myself." Harry said. "I’d rather Ginny have it somewhere in the house than someone else have it somewhere in the world."

"So you guys really think it was her, no doubts?" Draco asked.

Harry looked at him, feeling a bit uncertain. "You have doubts?"

Draco shrugged. "I don’t know. Maybe. I mean I don’t know how long I was unconscious, someone could have come along."

"And they not only knew to search your pockets, but they also left you there alive? Isn’t it you who’s always saying they all want you dead?" Ron asked.

"Well, I guess I’m just not as willing to think so badly of your sister as you do." Draco replied.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Ron asked defensively. "You spend a couple days around her and now you know her better than I do? You don’t know Ginny."

"Neither do you. Not anymore anyway." Draco responded.

Do something! Luna pleaded with Harry.

"Hey!" He called for their attention. "Look, you’re both forgetting one important thing. Luna saw her take it."

"That’s right." Luna said quickly. "I had a vision and I saw her take it. No one else."

"Well, all I can say is she was pretty convincing. So if she’s lying, you all better watch out, because she has skill at it." Draco said rising. "I just thought you guys should know. Drake’s going to be here soon, so I guess I’ll see you later." And with that he left.

Harry and Luna shared a look. Draco was right to tell them, and unfortunately, Ginny’s actions were confirming their fear. She was trying to turn them against Draco and him against them. But why?

(BREAK)

"I’m so excited!" Hermione said as they drove to the ministry the next day. Luna liked that learning new things made her friend so happy, she found it admirable. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Draco were on their way to their first apperating lesson. She doubted any of them would need to go on after today, as she had taken to it so easily, though only Harry and Hermione knew she had the capability.

Luna had gone along to start searching the Hall of Records while the others were at their lesson. At least that’s what they thought, that she would get them started and they would join her later. Of course, she had other ideas. There were other things she needed to know, for her. The coven would have to come after that.

They all walked into the ministry together and met with Tonks and Kingsley. "Alright, Luna, you’re with me. The rest of you are with Kingsley." Tonks instructed.

"Good luck guys!" Luna told the others as they walked off. Then she followed Tonks. "Would it be okay if we stopped by the Archives first? There’s something we needed from there."

"I guess that would be alright." Tonks said with a smile as they changed direction and headed for the archives. "You know, I’m really impressed with this whole thing you guys cooked up. I really hope it works and that these people will be everything you all hope they will be."

"Some of them will, and some of them will need convincing. I’m sure Harry will be able to do it though." Luna said confidently.

"It does seem he can do anything, doesn’t it?" Tonks laughed. "Well, here we are. I’m going to leave you here for a bit to get whatever you need done. I have a few things to take care of in the Aurors office, a few leads came in about Severus and I need to make sure they fall into the right hands. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes, okay? Then we’ll head to the Hall of Records."

"Sounds good." Luna smiled until the door closed, and then she grew serious. She had twenty minutes to find the right file and copy all the information. Quickly, she moved to the card catalogue and read through the labels on the drawers. Finding the right one, she pulled it out excitedly. There it was, the file on Julian Heath. She had to go down to the yellow section and ran the whole way. It took her a few minutes to find the right place, and the brightness of the yellow was beginning to hurt her eyes.

Finally she had the information in her hand. Sitting at the large desk a few feet away, she began going through it, not really reading, just skimming. There, towards the end, she found her brother’s name and mention of the investigation at the Malfoy mansion. She pulled out her parchment and magically copied everything contained in the file, she could decide what was important later. Putting everything back, she headed back to the door, knowing Tonks would be showing up soon.

Luna felt excited. Thanks to Draco’s discovery about his father and his recollection of the day Kane had gone to his house, Luna finally had hope. Kane could be cleared, and their grandmother could finally find peace, knowing her grandson’s name would no longer be a joke. He had been murdered, and she was finally going to prove it. She knew deep down that regardless the satisfaction she’d get from solving the mystery, what this quest for Kane was, was actually a way to escape. Her mind was so scattered, so heavy with thoughts she wasn’t ready to have about her future. Clearing her brother’s name was something singular she could focus on. She would keep the others out of it for as long as possible, this was for her.

(BREAK)

Ron was nervous. He knew Hermione would be able to learn quickly, and Harry would probably have it in no time at all. Even Draco, in his weakened state and with all the things wrong with him, would probably get it pretty soon. Ron was the only one who didn’t catch on to things quickly, he just hoped apparating would be different.

They walked into a large room he had never seen before and was surprised to see Dumbledore waiting for them. "Here they are, all ready for you." Kingsley said. "Good luck guys!" and then Kingsley was off and they were left with their headmaster.

"Sir, you’re going to teach us?" Hermione asked. Ron could hear the excitement in her voice. Only Hermione could be this happy about lessons during the summertime.

"I am." Dumbledore nodded and offered a kind smile. "And we are going to start with some astral projection. The clearer your mind is and the less control you hold over your physical body, the easier to will be to apperate." He eased himself to the floor too fluidly for a man of his age and beckoned them to join him.

"Any word about Snape?" Harry asked as they settled in front of their headmaster on the floor.

"Professor Snape, Harry." Dumbledore automatically corrected. Ron saw no indication that he was worried for his missing spy. "It is my understanding that a few pieces of information have been trickling in, but so far it has all proved useless or false. For now, we are keeping hope that he is far more valuable to them alive. Now, I want all of you to relax and clear your minds. You must put your worries for him aside for the next hour, as I said the clearer your mind is, the easier this will be for you." He pointed to a tall tapestry strung up in the corner. "There is something behind that curtain over there. I want you all to think about going over there and looking. Focus on it, concentrate and try to think yourselves over there to see what it is. Close your eyes and meditate. Think of yourself as becoming lighter, your body is a vessel and it can be left safely."

Ron had his eyes closed and was trying hard to follow instructions, compartmentalizing everything that was troubling him. He didn’t feel any different. Dumbledore was still talking them through their meditation, and Ron focused on his voice, willing himself to just get up and go look behind the curtain. He was supposed to be feeling light and airy according to the headmaster, but he still felt heavy, grounded to the earth. Let go of the control. Dumbledore’s voice flitted through his head.

"When you know what the object is, raise your hand." Dumbledore had instructed, and almost immediately after said, "Well, done Hermione."

Of course, she had already done it. Ron focused harder, but he wasn’t sure how to let go of himself. "Okay, Harry, good job." Dumbledore said a few minutes later. Ron felt heavier now that the others were succeeding. He felt defeated.

Don’t give up, Ron. Clear your mind, stop thinking and just be. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Ron sighed and cleared his head once more. He pretended he was weightless, that there was no gravity and he could float up into the atmosphere at any moment. He focused on the curtain, wanting desperately to go and see what was back there. He began to feel something, his body was tingling, he ignored it, telling himself the physical didn’t matter. He was finally feeling lighter, less tethered to himself. He could feel himself rising higher and higher. And then he opened his eyes and found himself staring down at the others. What’s more, he was staring at himself, still seated on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. He had done it! He watched as Draco opened his eyes and raised his hand. Damn, Ron was going to be last. Quickly he raced to the tapestry and searched behind. He saw Fawkes, sitting quietly on a perch and smiled at the phoenix.

He raced back to his body and slowly lowered himself down. As soon as he felt like himself again, he raised his hand triumphantly.

"Very good, Ron. You’ve all done well. Let get started on projecting your body with you when you leave." Dumbledore smiled at them all.

(BREAK)

Apparating was easy. Harry had been worried that he wouldn’t be able to do it, but when it had come time to finally try, he had gotten it before even Hermione. Of course she had been less than a minute behind him. Ron got it pretty quickly, once he learned to let go. Only Draco had had problems. According to Dumbledore, it was because his mind was so heavy. He said they’d try again after the full moon, when maybe his thoughts would be lighter and less likely to root him in place. In the meantime, he had been instructed to keep doing the astral projection for practice.

Harry had wanted to take the test right then, but of course his birthday was still two weeks away. Ron, however, had already had his birthday in March, so he could have tested if he wanted. Instead, he decided to wait until Harry could go with him. Poor Hermione couldn’t test until September.

Now, they were on their way to meet with Luna in the Hall of Records, Kingsley acting as their guide. Harry couldn’t contain his excitement. They were finally going to start getting somewhere with the coven. His only anxiety was how to tell the others that Luna was part of it. They entered a very ordinary, clerical looking room, filled with plain gray filing cabinets. He was glad, the archives had been way too colorful. This room was also a lot smaller, having only the records of everyone’s birth, death and marriage.

Luna was seated at a small table a few files open around her. "Hey! How’d it go?" she asked.

"Pretty good. What have you got going?" Harry asked walking up behind her and leaning over to see what she was working on.

"I found Mykele’s records and they led back to Alexandra Nikas, of Greek descent." She answered, sliding the file over to Hermione who had seated herself across from her.

"If I remember our translations correctly," Hermione gazed upwards as she scanned her mind, "Alexandra had the ability of pyrokinesis."

"And that means…?" Ron asked.

"Oh, that she could start fires with her mind." Hermione answered quickly.

"Cool! I wish I could do that!" Ron exclaimed sitting next to Hermione to read through the file.

"Have you been able to find out who is her current descendant?" Draco asked.

"I was just about there. I followed the records from Mykele, forward to present day. I believe this is who we want." Luna showed them another file.

Harry picked it up and read outloud, "Jacinda Nicolau."

"According to that, she was born eighteen years ago in Greece. But she moved to France last year when she married."

"Married at seventeen? That’s a bit silly." Ron said, causing Harry and Hermione to share a look. They hadn’t told anyone but his parents about their intentions. At least he didn’t, she wasn’t meeting his eyes anymore, and he suddenly had a strong feeling she may have told someone else. Well, that was something he should probably have known about. He saved it away for later and focused back on the conversation.

"Yeah, well, it didn’t last long. They divorced six months later, according to the record. No kids resulted from the union, so she is the last in the direct line from Alexandra." Luna was saying.

"So now what?" Draco asked, turning to Harry.

Only Harry didn’t know. "Maybe I should write to her, kind of introduce myself and the idea about the coven. Is she still in France?"

"Yes, but Harry, not everyone will know they are descended from the coven. You didn’t." Luna pointed out. "Do you really think a letter will express everything you want to discuss?"

"And what if the pyro thing skipped her or something." Ron stated. "How do we know she still has the power?"

"If she’s part of the coven, I’m sure she will. After all, there are other people who can start fires, or move things with their mind, but it’s my understanding that Harry and the others gifts will be the strongest, since their ancestors were the first to have these powers. They created them after all, using their own energies." Hermione said.

"Luna is one of the others. She’s part of the coven." Harry said quickly. Luna looked at him and he relayed with his eyes that it was time to tell them.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

But Hermione, who had translated the documents, caught on quickly. "Gwendolyn Crowley was precognative." she said slowly.

Luna sighed and looked down. "She was also my ancestor. Our grandmother used to tell us all about her, about all our ancestors. She was proud of our family."

"And you knew?" Ron asked Harry.

"I suspected until Luna told me." Harry answered defensively.

"Why didn’t you tell us?" Hermione asked.

"I didn’t tell Harry until right before Lairmore, and after, well we all had so much going on, with Harland after Draco and Lupin, and Ginny taking the ring, and Snape disappearing." Luna defended herself and Harry. "We decided to wait for the right time, and since we’re here, looking for coven members, it was obviously the right time."

They were all quiet for a long time, and Harry wished he could see what they were all thinking. But their walls were high and sturdy. He abstractedly found himself wondering if Jacinda was also telepathic, in addition to her other power, just like him and Luna.

"Hey, so all it means is that’s one less person to look for, right?" Draco asked, trying to put it in perspective.

"Right." Hermione said suddenly with a shake of her head. "And there are still other people to find, so let’s get started. Arthur will be taking us home in a little over an hour, we need to find all the relevant files to take with us by that time." She split them up and gave them names to look for. Harry had received Ashford Deveroux and went in search of his records and those of his progeny. He knew he and Hermione would be fighting when they got home, but at least he had something this time as well. For once, he wasn’t going to be completely in the wrong.

(BREAK)

As soon as they arrived home, the others had dumped the files with Hermione and left her and Harry alone, as it was obvious they had some things to discuss. Ron just wanted to be alone. Once again, he had missed out on being special. He had been okay with Harry being in the coven, it had made sense, and Ron was used to Harry being ‘the chosen one’. But now Luna was a part of it too.

Just once, couldn’t he be the one, couldn’t he have a big destiny like the others? Everyone had something special going for them, except him. Harry and Luna were getting more god-like as the weeks passed, not to mention, they excelled at everything they tried. Fred was a genius, of the mad scientist variety, and had created his own success because of it. Hermione, was simply a genius, destined to have whatever life she wanted and be successful at whatever she chose to do, (as long as it wasn’t related to sports). Draco had forged his own destiny, choosing to be stronger than the life he was given, and now, on top of it, he was a werewolf; Draco was heading for a life of excitement and adventure. Ginny, of course, had crazy working for her, not to mention her incredible iron will and apparent skill at lying. And despite what she had done, people were drawn to her, if her dating life had been any indication. For awhile, she had dated a few guys, and then she had drawn Harry in for awhile. And now, it appeared she was drawing in Draco as well. Not to mention they all still cared so much about her, none of them could bring themselves to throttle her the way she deserved. She created her own magic.

Ron felt he was the only one who was completely average in every way. There was nothing he was better at than anyone else. He didn’t have any special skills or powers. He was even an average student. He stretched out on his bed and stared at the ceiling, which was covered in posters of quidditch teams, just like his walls. He was even an average quidditch player, despite having played with his brothers his whole life. Meanwhile, Harry had come in and been good at it the first year, when he had just learned of the sport. It wasn’t fair. Why did he have to be surrounded by so many special people, only to be cursed with being ordinary? At least he was capable, it could be worse. He could be below average.

Shaking his head, Ron decided to stop feeling sorry for himself. If he wanted to stand out, then he’d have to find a way, and sitting here being moody wasn’t going to help. He felt new resolve to work hard, to not only be able to graduate early with the others, but to produce scores that would rival theirs. He would be the best keeper anyone had ever seen this year, and go out with a bang. And he would not only go with to find the coven members, he would be the one to talk them into helping. He decided that if he wasn’t special enough to be handed a big destiny, then he would create one for himself.

(BREAK)

"I’m not mad that she’s in the Coven!" Hermione yelled in frustration. She and Harry had started fighting almost the minute they were left alone. And now, she was trying to make her stance clear. "I just don’t understand why you didn’t even tell me you suspected. I feel like you and Luna are in this little bubble, where the two of you can go together whenever you want and the rest of us are being left in the dust."

"Because it’s our fault we were born with these gifts and none of you were." He shot back.

She growled in frustration, throwing her hands in the air. "Damn it, Harry! I’m not jealous that you guys can do all these things, and I’m not jealous that you guys are friends. I’m jealous that you both seem to be confiding in each other while I’m sitting here trying to find answers for you, answers you already have!"

"So I’m supposed to tell you everything I talk about with everyone? Or just with Luna?" Harry asked crossing his arms.

"You’re supposed to realize that I’m your fiancé, and that you should share everything important with me, especially when I’m trying to help you! Don’t you think I should have known that you even suspected it might be her? I mean last year, before you two got so close, you would have told me, if for no other reason than to ask my opinion." And she had arrived to her point. "Things are changing between us and I don’t like it."

She watched his expression soften. "Hermione, I don’t want anything to change either, and I know it’s mostly my fault that we aren’t what we once were. But I wasn’t intentionally keeping anything from you. The reason Luna and I decided to wait to tell you guys was because, well, yes there was a lot going on right after she told me, but also we were terrified of this reaction, from you and Ron. You don’t think we feel bad, that I feel bad I can’t share this with you guys? You, me and Ron have done everything together, and then suddenly, last year things started developing in me, things that have always been there, just waiting to be discovered. And I couldn’t share it with you. Besides, you’re keeping things from me, things I should know."

"You’re turning this around on me?" she was incredulous. "What have I done? What secrets have I kept from you?"

"Well, you want to tell me what really happened that day I came home to find you with a black eye? Or maybe you want to tell me who besides my parents you’ve told about our engagement, because I was under the impression we were keeping it a secret, something just for us until we told everyone together."

Damn. She felt irritated, frustrated, angry. She didn’t know what to say and sat in his desk chair, putting her head in her hands.

"Thought I forgot about that day, didn’t you? And you didn’t think I saw that look on your face today in the Hall of Records, but I did. You’re right, Luna and I talk about a lot of things, because we have a lot in common right now. Because we’re friends. Because we need each other right now since, as you always say, the rest of you don’t have these powers. But you know what we don’t talk about? Everyone else’s secrets. You don’t think she keeps things from me too? Luna is one of the most secretive people I’ve ever met, and it’s mostly by necessity, considering the things she’s able to see. And I never tell her anything that happens between us, I haven’t told her of our engagement. So who did you tell?"

"You realize she probably knows anyway." Hermione said, trying to put off his questions. She was embarrassed by the answers she would have to give.

"That’s beside the point, since I didn’t tell her." Harry shot back. "Who was it, Hermione? And why not just tell me you had wanted to tell someone? There’s a reason you’ve kept it a secret, and I have a feeling it has to do with that other thing you’re keeping. About ‘the door’ hitting you."

"Well you’re so smart, you seem to have pieced so much together, why don’t you just figure it out." She stood and turned from him angry and embarrassed. Why had she gone to Ginny’s room that day? She should have known she wouldn’t get away with it.

"I think you got into a fight with Ginny while I was gone." He answered, hitting the nail on the head. "I may not know the details, or who went after who, but that’s what I think. Tell me I’m wrong."

"Fine!" she yelled, finally turning to him. She hated the hot tears she felt sliding down her face. "I went down and confronted Ginny. I wanted her to know I wasn’t going to be pushed around and I said everything I could to make her mad. I wanted her to attack me, not so that I could run to you guys and make her look even worse, but so that I could defend myself and prove to her I’m not as weak as she thinks I am! And I succeeded, she hit me and I got the upper hand. I was tired of feeling helpless, having to stay under the same roof with someone you kissed twice behind my back! She was so smug, knowing how much her family means to you, so sure of herself that she would always be in your life, while I could be dispelled at any time you decide you don’t want me around!"

She stopped to take a breath. He had let her rant on until she ran out of steam, staring at her the whole time with a stone face. "So to make her mad, you told her we were getting married." It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a guess. He spoke like he knew that’s the way it had been and she felt her heart catch in her throat. Had her one moment of weakness with Ginny caused her to ruin everything?

"Yeah, I did. What would you do, Harry, if I went out and kissed…say, Fred, for instance. Would you really have welcomed him with open arms when he came looking for a place to stay? Would you want us together, always under the same roof? Even if we swore it was an accident, that we never meant it to happen? I doubt it. But here I am, and she’s here too, even after committing theft against you."

"I would hate it. And I wouldn’t have wanted him here." He admitted. "But I would have had to let him stay, because he’s a Weasley. I mean what do you want me to do? I can’t throw her out, she’s Ron’s sister. Arthur and Molly’s daughter. What would you have me do Hermione? I could try using a time turner to go back and stop it all from happening, but that isn’t very practical, considering it could potentially ruin the fabric of time. I’m just as helpless with her here. So helpless, I can’t even go and accuse her of ‘committing theft against me.’ I have to sit here and wait to see what happens, because Ron thinks she’s fragile. Because upsetting her could upset everyone else."

They were both quiet, staring each other down. "So now what?" she finally asked.

He shook his head and sighed, sitting on his bed. "I don’t know. You know that I love Arthur and Molly like they were my own parents. They practically are. You know I love Ron and that hurting him, and you, a few months ago was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. So yeah, Ginny’s probably always going to be in my life, because I need my family, I need Arthur and Molly, Ron, Fred….even Bill and Charlie."

"Where does that leave us?" Hermione asked, coming to stand over him.

"I guess that’s up to you, isn’t it?" He looked up at her, hurt and desperation mingled in his gaze. They had been at this moment so many times. "Can you deal with it? Can believe that I don’t want to be with Ginny, even if she’s a part of the rest of my life? Can you understand that I need Luna? Can you believe that I would never just kick you to the curb, that you’re not only my fiancé, you’re my best friend?"

She wiped her eyes and knelt before him. "I can try. I know you love me, Harry. And I love you, so much it hurts sometimes. I’m just worried that love may not be enough. I’m so tired of fighting with you, of feeling insecure, of wondering what’s going on in your head. I liked it better, when you confided everything in me, when you didn’t have Luna to turn to. I like her too, you know. She’s my friend, and I trust her, and you. I trust you both alone together, I just wish you wanted to include me. That we could be as close as we once were." She reached up to wipe away his tears as well.

"Okay. I won’t keep anything from you, ever again. I’ll tell you everything, from what I eat for breakfast, to what I dream about at night. No more secrets, not between us." He searched her eyes. "And you do the same. If something’s bothering you, come and tell me, even if I can’t do much about it. Don’t let it build up to the point where you force someone to punch you in the face."

"Okay, no more secrets." She agreed, taking his hands. "I love you Harry, even when things are difficult between us. You’re my best friend too you know. Sometimes, I wonder if it would have been better if we had just kept it that way. But I know it couldn’t have worked. I feel like we were meant to be together, even if it is just for right now."

"What do you mean just for right now?" he asked.

"It’s just something Ginny said."

"Hermione-" he started but she interrupted him.

"She said you were destined for a life of greatness, which is true. She also said you deserved someone equally as great, and while I think pretty highly of myself, I’m not delusional, Harry. There are a lot of great people in the world, and soon, we’ll be out there looking for some of them, people with destinies as big as yours…and Luna’s."

"Hermione, the only reason my life is great, is because you’re in it." He pulled her to him and she clung on tightly, as if he would disappear before her eyes. "No more secrets." He said.

(BREAK)

"It’s looking good, Draco." Healer Drake smiled at him encouragingly. "I just want you to know, this next part may be more painful. Because of the elbow. It’s harder to grow the bones that connect other bones. It’ll be worse when you get to the wrist and hand." He warned as he packed away his things.

"Yeah, I think I already feel it." Draco answered clenching his teeth. His arm felt like it was on fire, the sting was so bad. "How long is this going to take?"

"A day, maybe two. You’ll have the elbow back for sure before you have to leave with Remus." Drake answered packing away his things and pulling out a small vial full of capsules. "Here, these should help with some of the pain. It’s my own creation and completely natural. No side effects to worry about like with those silly pain pills the muggles take." He gave a little snort of contempt.

"Thanks." Draco took the clear bottle offered him and studied the amber liquid filled capsules inside.

"I’ll be back to check on your progress tomorrow. As for everything else, you’re looking good. I like the amount of weight you’re putting back on. How’re you sleeping?"

"Better I guess. I get a little sleep every night now."

"Good! Remus is almost his old self again, so you two should be set for next week. The Wolfsbane is brewing at home, I’ll bring it with me as soon as it’s ready."

"It’s weird, to hear you talk about it like it’s normal." Draco admitted. It seemed he was having more trouble coming to terms with this curse than everyone else. Of course, it wasn’t happening to them.

"Well, from now on it’s normal, for you anyway." Drake smiled at him again.

Draco didn’t want to think about it, so he tried changing the subject. "Have you heard anything about Professor Snape?"

Drake’s face fell. "No, there’s nothing, no clue. He’s vanished."

"Well, I’ve said it before, my father and his friends are very good at making people disappear." Draco said miserably.

Drake left soon after and Draco was left to his own thoughts and the pain. He decided to test himself, to see how much agony he could stand before having to take the herbal potion. After all, Lupin had told him that transformation would be painful the first few times, better he get used to it.

A soft knock at his door a bit later knocked him out a troubled nap. He woke, drenched in sweat, his arm ablaze in pain. Gritting his teeth, he rose to answer the door. "Hi." Ginny said brightly before taking in his appearance. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I’m not really up for company right now." He turned and hauled himself back to bed. She followed him.

"You don’t look good at all." She said, real concern in her voice.

He took in her old torn jeans, faded t-shirt and dirty hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. "How ironic, I was just thinking that you never looked better. What do you want, Ginny?"

She looked herself over before answering. "I can’t just come see how you’re doing? And yeah, so I’m a bit of a mess, but I didn’t think entering your room was a black tie affair."

"Look, I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I really want to be alone." He said as large wave of pain overwhelmed him. Involuntarily, he let out a cry.

She came over to him and sat on the bed, taking his hand. Hers was cool and comforting, his was on fire, like the rest of him. "I saw Drake leave, I know you had your treatment. Is this how it always is?"

"No, this is the worst it’s ever been. He said it’s because I’m growing the elbow." Draco panted out. He was drenched in sweat.

"What are these?" she asked, picking up the bottle filled with the herb capsules.

"Pain meds." Draco answered shortly, trying to catch his breath.

"Then why don’t you take them, moron." She let go of his hand to open the bottle and hand him one, but he refused it.

"No, want….get…used to….pain." he choked out.

"Why?"

"Trans….trans….change painful."

"So let me get this straight. You think because your transformation will be painful, you should suffer now to get used to it." She stood, shaking her head and moved to the door. "That’s ridiculous. I’ll be right back."

He decided when she left, that he wouldn’t get up to open the door for her. He knew Potter was the only one able to open all the doors in the house and took comfort in the fact he could finally be alone. Unfortunately, when she walked right back in a few minutes later carefully carrying a large bowl, he realized she had left the door slightly ajar.

She set the bowl on his nightstand and picked up the pitcher and empty glass also placed there. As she poured a glass of water, he watched, wondering what she was up to. She took one of the capsules and held it out to him. "Take it Draco. There’s no need to make yourself suffer anymore than you already are."

He studied her closely, looking for an alterior motive. All he saw was real concern, for him. Still, he hesitated. "Come on, Draco. Don’t be such a stubborn ass. You don’t have to be a martyr you know. If Healer Drake didn’t think you should take these, I’m sure he wouldn’t have given them to you. Take it." She demanded.

Another wave of pain racked his body, and he wanted to scream out his pain. The end of his injured arm felt like someone had taken a bowl of salt and rubbed it all over an open wound. Okay, so she had a point, why suffer when, for once, he didn’t have to. He took the offered capsule and put it in his mouth. "There you go." She handed him the water. He swallowed hard, hoping the potion wouldn’t take too long to work.

She sat down next to him again and reached inside the bowl. Pulling out a wet towel and ringing the excess water from it, she turned to him with a smile. "Just relax." She began running the cool cloth across his burning forehead, washing away the sweat. She turned and dipped the towel once again ringing the excess water. "Lift your head a little." She instructed. She placed the towel behind him, against the back of his neck, the iciness of the water soothing him. "Lay back." She instructed again.

"Whatever you say, Florence Nightingale." Draco said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it helped Ron when he had a really bad fever once. I think he was eight, and he caught a terrible flu. Mum kept saying she thought he would burst into flames he was so hot. So she sat there and ran cold water over him to help break the fever. You looked like you needed to cool off."

"That’s not what I meant, and you know it." He said. He felt his heart hurt a bit, as he pictured the warm family moment she had shared; her looking on in concern as her mother cared for her brother. He shook his head slightly to keep himself from actually feeling jealous of Ron Weasley.

"Because I want to, okay? I walked in here and you looked so bad. It made me feel bad for you. None of the others were here helping, so I took it upon myself." She smiled again. "Besides, I thought we were friends. Friends help each other."

"Yeah, so I’ve been told." Draco said, realizing the pain had subsided considerably.

"Besides, I don’t have anyone else to be nice to."

"You could give the ring back to Potter. That would be pretty nice." He said delicately.

"Really, Draco? I’m here helping you and you still want to hurl around accusations. I swear to you, that ring is not in my possession."

He noted the careful way she had phrased it. "Okay, it’s not in your possession, but you know where it is."

"No! I don’t!" she said angrily.

"Look, I get that you’re mad at Potter and Granger, but what about your brother?" Draco tried a different tactic. His arm was throbbing dully, but the rest of the pain had subsided and he was grateful that Ginny had forced him to take the potion. However, he didn’t let that get in the way. He felt incredibly guilty that he hadn’t been stronger, that he’d passed out and given Ginny the opportunity to carry on destroying her life by making everyone mad at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked angrily.

"You may not care that you’ve cut Potter off from his parents and Sirius Black, but what about Fred and George?"

She didn’t say anything for a long while. It seemed this thought hadn’t occurred to her. "I’m cut off from George too, you know. And Neville as well, since I don’t actually have the ring." She said finally. "Why do you care about that anyway?"

"Did you forget I was there that day? Because you sure remembered when you were plunging a knife in my back. You think it doesn’t tear me up that I was a part of the day Percy killed your brother? It does and that’s how I knew I couldn’t be on their side anymore. Then Potter found a way to reunite you all and now George has been taken away all over again. It’s cruel, Ginny. And you aren’t a cruel person. At least, you didn’t used to be."

"How would you know what I used to be?"

"Because I spied on you all for years, remember? And besides a cruel person wouldn’t have sat here and tried to make me feel better just now."

"Exactly. I tried to help you out, and now you’re the one being cruel!" she shot back. "You think I want to take George away from Fred? That I want to take Lily, James and Sirius away from Harry?"

"No, I just don’t think it occurred to you that’s what you were doing until just now."

She stood and moved to the door. "I really don’t know what else to say to convince you. I’m going to leave, before we start saying things we can’t take back." And she rushed out the door, slamming it behind her.

He knew she had it, and now, maybe she’d start feeling bad enough to finally give it back and save some of her humanity. He hoped so, before this went too far and the others couldn’t forgive her. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much, maybe he felt akin to Ginny, now on the outside of the group, just like him. He pushed it all aside for now, deciding he had done what he could. Her conscious would hopefully start to take care of the rest.

(BREAK)

Ginny ran all the way back to her room before letting the tears come. She was a horrible person! How could she not have thought about what it meant to keep the ring from them for so long? And she hadn’t even thought about George in days! Fred probably hated her now. And poor Harry, he’d lived his whole life without his parents and finally got them back and now, here she was, taking away some of the short time they probably had left. She wanted to go back to Draco’s room, grab the ring and rush it to the others, apologizing for doing something so horrible.

But she couldn’t. She had come too far to get herself out now. How would she ever explain herself to them? They’d probably go straight to her parents and they’d force her into an insane asylum. She would just have to make sure they found it soon, and wiping away her tears, she tried to think of a way to get them to search Draco’s room that wouldn’t throw suspicion on her. Unfortunately, it would be hard, since they all suspected her already.

(BREAK)

Harry had left Hermione to write a letter to her parents. They had talked some more and after he had admitted how upset he was to not be able to visit with his parents and Sirius, she had fessed up that she was missing her parents as well. They may not have been the most understanding people, but she felt they loved her in their own way and wished she could talk to them. He had suggested a letter, and didn’t bother to point out that they hadn’t tried to contact her at all.

He relished the time away, feeling tense after their fight. He headed outside in the back yard and straight for the willow tree. He liked it under there, it was like a whole different world within the long branches, surrounded by a soothing, leafy green. It was alive under there and he felt alive, more connected to nature. He wanted some time to himself, to think, to not think. When he parted the branches and caught sight of Luna standing there looking like she was ready to flee, he smiled and shook his head.

"I guess there’s no where to be alone in this house."

"I can leave, go to my room. It is your house after all." She offered softly.

"That’s okay. You aren’t bothering me." He sat against the base of the tree.

"Give me time, you just got out here." She joked. "I didn’t know what to do, I was already out here, and you wanted to be alone…"

"It’s fine, Luna. It’s big enough for both of us under here." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm air and gentle breeze.

"Are you guys okay?" she finally asked, still standing.

"I guess. For now, until the next problem comes along." He sighed. He’d been hurt beyond belief when Hermione had admitted that she sometimes wondered if they should have stayed friends. He had thought they had shared a lot of good times, but it seemed all she wanted to focus on were the bad ones.

"It’ll get better." Luna offered.

"Yeah? Did you see the final picture again? Is it back to what it’s supposed to be?" He asked opening his eyes. She was still standing in front of him and it was starting to make him feel nervous. "Will you sit already, I don’t like it when people hover over me."

"Then why don’t you stand?" she shot back. "I was sitting out here forever, my legs hurt. And no, I haven’t seen it yet, but…"

"But what?" he asked, rising to his feet. He was suddenly feeling too anxious to sit anyway.

"Look, I’ve told Hermione the same thing…just because I see everyone happy, living a good life in that vision, doesn’t mean it’s what you’ve envisioned for yourself."

"Yeah, I’ve heard you say that before. What exactly does that mean?"

"That nothing is certain and-" but he didn’t get to hear what she wanted to add. Her eyes had rolled up in her head and she was swaying on her feet. A vision was coming. He quickly took her in his arms before she could fall and eased her to a lying position on the ground. Other than that, he didn’t know what to do but wait.

(BREAK)

Luna was in what she liked to think of as the white room. Okay, so this wasn’t going to be an actual vision of a future event, it was a warning for what was coming. She always received warnings in the white room. All she had to do was wait for the pictures. It started with a scream and she turned to see Ginny, lying on the ground, unmoving. She couldn’t tell if her friend was dead, but it didn’t look good. A woman appeared, a stranger Luna didn’t recognize. The ring, held triumphantly in the woman’s hand, that she sure did recognize. It was the ring of Mykele. Then a man she felt she should know, he was standing in front of a crescent moon and holding a bunch of envelopes. Cho Chang appeared behind the man, looking menacing. Then it hit her, he must be Edgar Crescent, the man Arthur had told Harry he was having go through Cho’s letters.

The woman with the ring laughed, as random objects started flying around her. And then it all began to fade and Luna knew it was up to her now, to interpret what she had seen. And she had a feeling she knew exactly what every picture had showed, and she didn’t like it one bit. She let herself rise into consciousness and back to Harry.

 



NOTE: Whew, that was a lot to get out, and I had to force myself to stop or it would have turned into a million word chapter! Okay, just so you’re all with me. I had come up with a basic outline based on what I laid out in the first few chapters. And then the writing got away from me when I introduced Harland’s character and it’s now a whole new thing, completely different from where I had intended to go. So right now, I’m kind of flying blind, going chapter by chapter and seeing what comes out. It’s coming pretty quickly, but without even a basic understanding of what I want to happen, there may be a delay between chapters. Not now though, because I ‘m immediately writing the next one, so I don’t lose my train of thought. Just wanted to give everyone fair warning. Please leave your thoughts about the chapter when you’re done reading, I’m answering every review and I so enjoy hearing all of your thoughts and opinions. And if you don’t like something, voice it out! Criticism is welcome too!

**NOTE TO THE STICKLERS**
I’m sure some of you might have thought at one point while reading this chapter that I was wrong about when Hermione turned seventeen. I know Hermione is supposed to be older than them, that she was supposed to have turned seventeen in the sixth book, but what can I say, that’s not the way I need it to go here. Remember, I’m definitely not Ms. Rowling, and this is fanfiction. I’ve already turned most of the characters completely around from how they were portrayed in the real books, trying to keep them true to themselves at the same time, as they react to the situations I lay out for them, so again, please don’t focus on the technical aspects. I’m about what makes a good story, and not necessarily concerned with sticking 100 percent to what was originally laid out. I just want you all to know, that I know that wasn’t how it was in the books. I’m not making mistakes on purpose here, I’m just writing a story. Happy Reading!

Chapter 15: Planning the Chase

A/N: Welcome back, more answers being revealed here, and we begin to wrap up Ginny’s reign of terror withholding the ring from everyone. So read on …Review, and Enjoy!

 

Luna’s eyes fluttered open and she stared at him in absolute horror. "What is it?" Harry asked softly, waiting for the worst.

"A warning. I was in the white room." She said slowly as he helped her sit up. She had explained this to him before, that it wasn’t like a real vision. He didn’t fully understand, but then, he didn’t fully understand his own capabilities either.

"A warning about what?"

"About what will happen if we don’t get Ginny to give the ring up soon. Someone, a woman, she was standing over Ginny’s body holding the ring."

"We would never let that happen, Luna." Harry said seriously. He’d see to it himself that Ginny never left the house again if that’s what it took.

"But Harry, this woman, she’s special. And I think she’s got something to do with Cho." Luna proceeded to tell him everything she saw including who she believed was Edgar Crescent and the random objects flying around the strange woman.

"And you’re sure you’ve never seen her before? There was no hint to tell you who she was, like with Edgar?"

"Not that I could see." She closed her eyes, trying to see it all again.

"Well what about all that stuff flying by her, no clue there?" He asked desperate to learn her identity.

"No, I know what that meant. I saw something very similar last year, with you. Before you started tossing Draco around with your mind. It’s how I knew you were special like me." She looked at him, full of concern, and a bit of fear. He began to panic. He’d never seen Luna lose her cool like this.

He swallowed hard, reading the meaning between her words. "So what you’re saying, is you think she’s telekinetic, like me?"

Luna nodded slowly, and then shook her head violently. "No, not like you, you’re stronger. But yes. You know, Draco said that he knew they had their own special people with extra abilities. I didn’t get the impression this woman was very strong, certainly nothing like when I saw you in the white room. But…"

"But what if they did find someone, what if they find one of the coven’s descendants before we do. And they wouldn’t even know, they’d just be looking for psychics." He finished the thought for her. He remembered Draco telling him that he had known Harry was in his head, because he’d had mind-readers in there before. Harry hadn’t pushed then, figuring Draco had been referring to Voldemort, but now…

"Maybe he’ll know who this woman is." Luna said, obviously following his thoughts. He rarely had walls around his mind, since the others almost always had theirs up. And he didn’t have anything to hide from Luna, the one person he would have to shield from.

"Let’s go ask him."

(BREAK)

The minute Draco let them in, Luna felt uneasy. Something wasn’t right in there, something had shifted the feeling of the room. She didn’t think it was Draco himself, he seemed fine that they had come to see him. But something was different, the energy of the room felt thicker. She tried to analyze it, as Harry explained why they had come to disturb him. Just as something, some idea began forming at the edge of her mind, Harry nudged her and told her to describe the woman.

"Oh, right." She shook her head. "She was tall and thin, olive skin, long dark hair. I think she had hazel eyes, but I’m not sure. She looked to be around thirty, maybe a little younger."

Draco thought for a moment. "That sort of describes a few people I’ve seen. It could have been Elise McKinney, did you see a star tattoo? It’s small and right here under her right eye." He pointed to the right place.

Luna shook her head. "No, no tattoo. She’s like Harry. She can move things with her mind."

"Oh." Draco said. "No, I don’t know anyone they had that could do that. I mean they have their own seers and Elise is a firestarter, like that Jacinda girl you have to go find. They also have people who can see or sense energy, one guy who can talk to animals, but no one I know of who can move things without a wand. They’re probably looking now though." Draco looked at Harry meaningfully. If they knew Harry could do it, then they’d want their own as well.

"Then they must have found her after you broke with them, because she’s the one who was writing those letters to Cho. The ones supposedly from Pansy." Luna thought out loud.

"Really?" Draco looked interested. "You saw all that?"

Luna only nodded. The room was really starting to bother her. Something was there that shouldn’t be, and while she may not be an energy senser, she had always been open to things, and often felt the shifting emotions others threw out into the world. Whatever she was feeling now, it wasn’t coming from Draco. And it wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling, just something that didn’t belong.

As the boys sat and talked, she tried to analyze, to find her way back to the thought that Harry had interrupted earlier, but she couldn’t focus. She needed to be away from the room, take a step back and figure this out.

"But you aren’t in pain now, right?" Harry was asking Draco. They had moved on in the conversation and Draco had been telling them of Ginny’s latest visit to him.

"No, that potion worked great. It’s just a bearable throb now. But as for Ginny, I think I got through to her, a little anyway."

Luna smiled to herself. She had seen the clues that Draco was the one who would put them all back together, and apparently it was starting to work. She hoped that soon she would receive the final vision again, that they were headed back down the right path.

They left a few minutes later so Draco could rest. Standing in the hallway, Luna began to feel normal again. She knew she had felt that energy before, though not so overwhelming, and as soon as she was away, she realized instantly what it was. The ring had been calling for Harry, who after all had used it more than the rest of them. She wasn’t sure whether to say something or not, until Harry spoke.

"Did something feel different to you when we were in there?" he asked as they headed upstairs to his room.

"Yes. And I think I know what it was. I think Ginny hid the ring in Draco’s room."

Harry stopped halfway up the steps and turned to stare at her. "Then let’s go back and find it." He said finally.

She had initially agreed, but something inside of her was screaming that was wrong, that it wasn’t supposed to happen yet. "I think we should wait." Luna said carefully. "Until he leaves with Lupin."

"Why?"

"I don’t know. I just think it’d be best if he didn’t know she tried to set him up."

(BREAK)

Hermione, unable to sleep had left Harry’s bed and gone to her own room. He and Luna had come and told her all about the vision, their visit to Draco and their thoughts on Ginny putting the ring in his room. But none of that is what kept her awake, as disturbing as the news had been. It was the letter she had sent off to her parents. Harry was sleeping fitfully next door and she hadn’t wanted to bother him when he had so much on his plate already, especially since she was one of the problems constantly consuming him. And the fact that he was once again cut off from his parents made her uneasy with discussing her own fears, despite their pledge for total disclosure.

Wayne and Mildred Granger were hard people to please, but she knew that at one point they had been proud of her and her talent. Hermione’s greatest fear in life was disappointing anyone, especially her parents. The problem was, that this time, they had disappointed her as well and it hurt more than she cared to acknowledge. She realized that they had just been reacting to the situation in the only way they knew how, but the fact that they hadn’t trusted her, had taken the word of a newspaper they hadn’t even known existed, proved to her in her own mind that they had just been looking for an excuse. They had always wanted her to succeed, but in the life they had envisioned for her. When she had gotten her letter to Hogwarts, they had, at first, been thrilled. It meant to them that their daughter was finally special. Hermione didn’t know when that had changed.

Over the years spent with Harry and Ron away from the Grangers, she had excelled, had opened up, had come into her own and made her own decisions. Every time she had returned to her parents, it became harder and harder to live up to their expectations, to live by their stringent rules and to acknowledge that what they told her was the truth. She felt there was so much now that she knew, that she better understood the world than they ever could. Over the last 6 years, she had seen and done things she would have never thought possible. There was no way she could now live the way they wanted, to throw away all the wonderful magic she was discovering in herself and those around her and become an ordinary person, a dentist like her parents. She wanted nothing to do with the muggle world any longer, it held nothing for her. It was in the wizarding world that she had finally excelled in every way and in her letter, she had tried to explain that to them. She could only hope that they understood.

A small booming sound broke through her thoughts and she leapt out of bed a bundle of nerves. She went to the bookcase and peeked in on Harry, he was still tossing and turning, but fast asleep. Moving quickly to the other side, she checked on Ron. He was very still but snoring loudly, also fast asleep. Carefully opening the door she made her way downstairs and found Fred in the hallway outside his room, bent over double and trying to catch his breath. Smoke was billowing out from his doorway.

"Do you know how many people will be out on the street if you blow this house up?" she asked.

Coughing to clear his throat, he turned to her startled. "This is nothing, I’ve been way closer to burning the house down before." He grinned finally straightening himself.

"Yeah, does Harry know you’re looking to make him homeless?" she crossed her arms and grinned back at him.

"What he doesn’t know, won’t hurt me, right? What are you doing up anyway? It’s like two in the morning."

"Couldn’t sleep." She shrugged. "What exactly are you working on in there?"

"Something I could really use George’s opinion on." Fred replied angrily. "I’m really about ready to just go rat Ginny out to mum and dad. Let them deal with her, because I have no idea how we’re supposed to."

"So why don’t you, then? I don’t know why you and Ron and Harry are walking on eggshells around her. Maybe your parents need to know what she’s up to. I mean what happens when they want to talk to George again?"

"Mum’s already asked, earlier today actually. I made up this whole thing about how we can only use it once a day and Harry had already called up Sirius. Don’t know what I’ll tell her when she asks tomorrow. And we can’t tell them about Ginny because they already have so much going on! I mean dad is going crazy trying to find Snape, dealing with all the Ministry business and trying to get you guys all set up for school. And mum, well, I just can’t bring myself to tell her. After last year, the last thing she needs is to feel like she’s losing another one of us."

Hermione felt her temper rising. "And it’s fair that with everything we all have to deal with we’re also stuck with taking care of her?"

"We who, Hermione? Other than letting her use your face as a punching bag, you have nothing to do with her."

"I told you all, I-"

"Did it to yourself. I know what you said, and I know that you know that we know you’re lying." He said with a grin.

"What?"

"You heard me." He grinned again before turning serious. "How mad is Harry, exactly."

"At Ginny? Probably a lot more than he’s letting on. Especially now." She told him of Harry and Luna’s suspicion that she was trying to frame Draco, leaving out the vision Luna had about that woman taking the ring and Ginny lying still below her. They had all decided to spare her brothers that information until necessary. And if all went according to plan, they wouldn’t ever have to know, since they intended to search Draco’s room as soon as he left with Lupin.

Fred simply shook his head in disbelief. "Draco was never one of my favorite people, and he did a lot of horrible things over the years, but at some point, you just gotta think that guy’s been through enough. What is wrong with her?"

"I try not to think about her too much, no offense."

"Yeah, I guess I could see why. But she’s all I think about anymore, which is why I was trying to distract myself with a project. I was waiting to try it after talking to George, but…" he looked her over thoughtfully. "Maybe you could help me."

"With what?" she asked cautiously.

"Come on and see." he motioned her to follow him back into his room. Looking around, she saw several cauldrons bubbling, test tubes full of multi-colored liquids, and scorch marks all over the walls and ceiling.

"So what is all this for?"

"I’m trying to help our wolf friends. Find a cure, you know?" he looked slightly embarrassed. "And before you get all know-it-all on me, I realize that Drake said it couldn’t be done. But really, what else have I got to work on? My store in Hogsmeade was destroyed, Lee’s still working to put the one in Diagon Alley back together. I need something to keep myself occupied."

"And what better way to stay busy than to attempt the impossible?" she asked.

"It’s better than laying awake in bed doing nothing. If I can’t sleep I may as well try and be useful. Do you want to try and help, or would you rather go back and lay in the dark, letting whatever’s bothering you eat away your soul?" he handed her a lab coat and an extra pair of goggles.

She eyed the offered materials warily. "Well, apparently it’d be safer back in my room." Then, with a sigh, she took the coat and goggles and began putting them on. "But I guess it would be better to have something else to think about."

"And if we’re successful, Lupin and Draco would owe us for life!" Fred laughed. "Plus we could throw some of it at Harland and take away his bite."

They worked in silence for awhile, using what knowledge they had, referencing the herb and potion books Fred had found in the house when they didn’t know something. "So…" Fred started awhile later while they were waiting for their brew to boil, "what is it exactly that’s keeping you awake? Another fight with Mr. Perfect?"

"No, we took care of that."

"Hmmm, thoughts about the coven? Ron told me about Jacinda. Lucky girl, starting fires is an even cooler power than Harry’s mind thing."

"No, I’m not worried about that, I’ve no doubt we’ll track them all down. It’s just a matter of doing the work."

"So what’s bothering you?"

"I wrote to my parents today. Finally. I guess I’m nervous to hear back from them. They must be so mad at me, they haven’t tried to contact me at all since I came here. I mean, you came here and a few hours later, Molly and Arthur were here after you."

"So you wanted them to come here and drag you back home?"

"Of course not! I just…I wish that I felt like they cared. That they wanted to take the time to understand me and my life instead of being disappointed that I rejected the life they wanted for me."

"Well, I could say parents suck, but truth be told, mine are pretty awesome. I’ll kill you, by the way, if you tell anyone I said that." Fred gave a little laugh. "I know I give them trouble, but it works for us, I wouldn’t trade them. Maybe the Grangers will come around. What did Harry have to say when you talked to him about all of this?"

"I didn’t tell him. How could I?" She shook her head in despair.

"What are you talking about? I’m sure he would care that this is upsetting you."

"I know he’d care, and I know he’d sit there and talk it out with me and try to make me feel better. But how am I supposed to complain to him, of all people, about my parents? He went his whole life without them, was raised by horrible people, finally got the chance to know his parents and now they’ve been taken from him all over again."

Fred was silent, lost in thought. Then he shook his head and slammed his fist on the table. "It’s not fair, is it? There’s so much else going on, so many real things to worry about and here we all are being held hostage by my sister. I hate that I can’t talk to George. I hate that Harry can’t talk to James and Lily. That none of us can talk to Sirius or Neville. I hate it, Hermione." He slammed his fist again.

She put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "Draco and Lupin have to leave in a few days. Harry’s going to go get the ring then. She hid it in there, both he and Luna are sure."

"Why not just go now? Explain to Draco that we know he had nothing to do with it?"

"They want to wait. They think it’s better he not know she tried to set him up. And I agree. Like you said, we’ve all got so much else going on, and he’s not only trying heal, but he also has to deal with this whole werewolf thing now. And he seems to get along with Ginny, and despite setting him up, she seems to get along best with him. Harry and Luna think it’s better not to rock the boat and just take care of this as quietly as possible."

"Yeah, well, if they’re going to be all diplomatic about it." He said sullenly. Then looking into the cauldron, he brightened. "Well, if we succeed here, the werewolf thing will be one less worry for Draco and the rest of us. It’s boiling, time for phase two!"

(BREAK)

"You think you guys can do it?" Harry asked. It was early in the morning, but he had woken when Hermione had tried to slip silently back into bed. Asking where she had been, she explained her inability to sleep and subsequent time spent with Fred. Now he felt hopeful, a feeling he thought had deserted him.

"Honestly, I don’t think so. I mean, Drake tried for years and came up empty. I just don’t think there’s a cure. But I wasn’t going to burst his bubble, and besides, more impossible things have happened."

The doorbell stopped his response. "Who could that be this early?" Harry rose and together they went down to answer the door. Arthur had beat them to it.

"Ah, Harry. This is Edgar Crescent." Arthur indicated the short balding man standing in the entryway. "Edgar, meet Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."

Pleasantries were exchanged and they all went into the parlor. "Sorry to bother you here, Arthur, but you had said this was of the utmost importance and I didn’t want to tell you at the office, where anyone could hear." Edgar said as they settled themselves.

"I appreciate that. What have you got, Edgar?"

"Unfortunately, I have Sarah Elaine."

"Are you sure?" Arthur sat up straight at the news.

"I triple checked, hers is the only writing we have in the entire system that matches these letters. And it’s a hundred percent match at that."

"Who’s Sarah Elaine?" Harry asked.

"A psychic witch." Edgar answered.

"She was also the daughter of Neil Elaine, who was a Death Eater." Arthur sighed, knowing Harry would want nothing less than full disclosure. "Neil was caught and cornered, but he tried to fight his way out. Wound up getting himself killed by Aurors. Sarah was a child at the time, and the ministry took her in and tried to turn her from the influence of her father’s beliefs. But she was a mean little girl and proved to share her father’s views, feeling we had wronged her family. The Ministry kept her from being able to get her wand, as they did with many of the deceased Death Eaters’ children, but they learned the hard way that she could move things without a wand. She threw tantrums in every home she was placed in, causing things to go flying at people, destroying everything in her sight. At age sixteen, she ran away and no one was able to track her down."

"Though, from what I hear, her ability is no where near what you’re capable of, Mr. Potter." Edgar smiled at him in a friendly manner.

"We’re keeping that quiet, Edgar." Arthur scolded. "Try not to give credence to the rumors everyone is spreading around."

"What do you want, Arthur? The boy did it right there at the Leaky Cauldron, in front of several witnesses. There’s only so much we can cover up, you know. People talk. At least we were able to keep it out of the paper." Edgar sighed and rose. "I know, I’m shutting my big mouth now. I have to get into the office anyway. Here’s everything we have on her." And after handing Arthur a thin file, Edgar took his leave.

"Is there a picture of Sarah in there? A current one?" Hermione asked as he began looking through the information.

"Just this." Arthur held it out to her. "It was taken on her fifteenth birthday by the foster family she was with at the time."

Harry leaned over to take a look and saw a pretty young girl, with long dark hair, olive toned skin and hazel eyes. Hermione met his gaze and he nodded. It sure looked like it could be the person Luna saw. "Can we borrow this for a moment?" Harry asked.

"I suppose it would be silly to ask why?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"To see if Draco recognizes her. We’ll bring it right back." Harry answered quickly. Then he practically ran up the stairs, Hermione hot on his heels. He banged on Luna’s door harder than he had intended, but he was excited. She answered looking sleepy.

"What’s going on?" she asked as Harry thrust the photo in her face without a word. He watched as her eyes focused and grew wider. "Where did you get that?"

"Is it her?" Harry asked anxiously without answering her question.

"Yeah, only much younger than I saw her." Luna looked confused. "What’s going on, who is she?"

"Her name is Sarah. Sarah Elaine." Hermione answered.

"Never heard of her." Luna said, still looking confused.

"Yeah, well I have a feeling we’re going to hear a lot about her from now on. Her writing matched the letters, she’s definitely the one who’s been working with Marietta and Cho. And now, we have to figure out why." Harry said grimly.

(BREAK)

Later, they had all gathered in Harry’s room to discuss the latest news. Draco insisted he had never heard of, nor seen Sarah before, and that he hadn’t known of anyone else that was supposed to be helping Cho the year before. A knock on the door interrupted the discussion.

Harry got up to admit Molly who smiled at them and held up several envelopes. "Mail’s here, there are letters from school." She looked around and her smile faded. "Where’s Ginny?"

"She wanted to take a nap." Ron said quickly.

"Oh? Is she not feeling well?" Molly looked worried.

"Just tired like everyone else. I was thinking of heading down for a nap myself." Fred assured his mother.

"Hmmm. I’ll give her hers later then." Was all Molly said before heading back downstairs with Ginny’s mail.

"At some point, don’t you all think they should know that everyone is on the outs with Ginny?" Draco asked.

"That’s not your call, Malfoy." Ron said defensively. Draco simply shrugged.

Harry passed out the letters, catching Hermione’s disappointment that there was no response from the Grangers. You only wrote them yesterday. He tried to silently reassure her. She gave him a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes and he felt her uncertainty.

Everyone had received Hogwart’s mail, except Fred of course. And they opened them expecting the usual supply list and class schedule. "Oh man, you guys have a heavy load!" Fred exclaimed looking over Ron’s shoulder.

But the workload wasn’t what bothered Harry. He was reading the note McGonagall had included and seeing Ron’s face, he knew his friend was feeling the same thing he was. Total and utter disbelief.

To Harry Potter,
I regret to inform you that due to your decision to go for early graduation, you are unable to be a part of the Gryffindor quidditch team. Due to the large amount of classes and the fact that you will be unable to complete an entire season on the team, we must leave the spot open for any other student able to meet with the practice and game schedules. I take no pleasure in informing you of this, Potter, believe me.
As to your classes, you will be receiving your timeturner upon your return to Hogwarts so that you will be able to meet all the requirements for graduation. Additionally, you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy will be rooming together in a separate dormitory off the Headmaster’s office. Please report to me immediately upon your arrival. I will be expecting you all in my office.
Sincerely,
Professor Minerva McGonagall

"No quidditch…" Ron said weakly. "That’s completely unfair. They never said that when this whole deal was being set up."

"Come on, would it really have changed your mind?" Hermione said unsympathetically. "It’s not like you guys were going to be professional players."

"Right. It was just for fun." Harry agreed quietly. "But still…"

"Oh, not you too!" Hermione turned to him. "You’re upset you can’t play a silly game? Weren’t you the one ready to leave school all together to ‘not waste time’?"

"Yeah, but…Now I’m going to school, I thought…." He didn’t know what he had thought, but quidditch had definitely been a part of the picture. It was one of the few pure joys in his life, hell he’d nearly given his life while playing.

Hermione shook her letter angrily in his face. "You know what mine says? That because I’m doing this whole half a year thing I can’t be made Head Girl! It was what I had been working towards!"

"I’m sorry." He and Ron said together, lowering their heads. Harry truly felt bad, he knew she had been striving for the title of Head Girl since her first year and her choice to support him was keeping her from it.

"It’s fine." She answered more calmly. "I had already assumed it would be this way, but seeing it in print, making it all real, I wasn’t ready for it to be true I guess." Harry put his arm around her in comfort. "It’s not such a big deal… I suppose."

"You think you guys have it bad!" Draco burst out. "I knew since Hogsmeade the stupid game wasn’t an option for me this year!" He raised his half arm as proof. Then he rose to his feet and continued his rant. "And I’m not even a prefect anymore, let alone something as prestigious as Head Boy. And on top of those things, I now have to explain to a lot of people who are already against me why I’m rooming with you three! You think that’s something I look forward to? At least you guys will be able to walk around wherever you want, do whatever you want, while I sit for months in a room hiding. Oh except for the few days I get to go off who knows where with Lupin and turn into a monster. So boo hoo, you guys don’t get to finish out your school careers as quidditch heroes. Everyone only moved heaven and earth to set this all up for you anyway! Of course they’d do anything for Potter. And if that means doing anything for Weasley or Granger then so be it! I didn’t ask to be treated like the rest of you, okay! I don’t even want to go back!" he stalked out of the room.

"Wow." Ron said quietly. "How long do you think he’s been holding that all in?"

Harry looked around at them all a minute before running after Draco. He caught up to him just as he was going into his room, and Harry raced to put a foot in the door to keep from being shut out. Shoving his way in he closed the door behind him and turned to Draco, who was staring him down, a dangerous look on his face. "What do you want, Potter, because if it’s an apology, you might as well just leave now."

Harry shook his head. "Everyone’s is allowed to lose it every once in awhile, Draco. Especially when they’ve been holding everything in for so long."

"I don’t need a therapy session."

"I never said you did. And I could care less if you’re pissed that I followed you, it’s my house and you have to listen to what I say." He crossed his arms, knowing that the best way to get through to Draco was with hardness. Like himself, Draco didn’t respond well to gentleness or sympathetic treatment. It wasn’t how either of them had been raised.

"Then say what you have to say and get out."

"Okay, I want to say that I’m not angry at your little outburst, I’m disappointed."

Draco scoffed. "Like I care."

"Exactly! You don’t care what I think, what any of us think, so why the hell are you so worried about what everyone else will think? You said yourself, Pansy isn’t a genius. And we all know Crabbe and Goyle are brainless thugs, and the rest of the Slytherins aren’t exactly the most popular kids in school. As for everyone else, well, you were a mean kid. You upset a lot of people and yeah, you’ll have to deal with the fallout, but none of them are all that impressive. I’ve dealt with their hatred before. Besides, we’ll be there, we won’t let them hurt you too bad." Harry finished with a taunt.

"Sometimes, I really don’t like you." Draco shook his head at the floor.

"That’s unfortunate since you’re my favorite person in the world." Harry shot back, smiling inwardly. Draco sighed and sat on the bed, letting go of his anger. Harry had gotten through, and now they could be honest. "I’m scared to go back there too, you know." He confided.

"I’m not scared." Draco said stubbornly. "I just…it’s all so suddenly different. I was a completely different person this time last year."

"Maybe." Harry answered sitting next to him. "Maybe you were different, or maybe you were just lying to yourself. I know you want to think that this change, these feelings of remorse came out of nowhere, starting with that day in Knockturn Alley. But I don’t believe it. I mean, it had to always be inside you somewhere. I’m sure if you think about it, there were other times in your life when you had doubts, I think it was all just building until you couldn’t hold it in anymore. You can’t hide who you really are forever." Harry recalled his own fears last year, when he had momentarily stepped out of who he was. But he was never meant to be the cold hard person he’d become, no matter how easily he’d slipped into the role. It was easy for him, and Draco, to be mean, because they hadn’t been shown much kindness in their formative years. But Harry now truly believed that neither of them were really those people.

"Well, at least you seem sure. I’m not. I still find myself thinking the way I used to, and I always seem to be fighting with myself. What if I can’t win, or worse, what if I’m lying to myself now and that really is who I was meant to be?"

"Not possible. Because if you really were supposed to follow your family, you wouldn’t be fighting against your upbringing at all."

"It’s a nice thought Potter." Draco handed over his own Hogwarts letter. While it still bore the Slytherin seal, the letter had been written and signed by Professor McGonagall, head of the Gryffindor house. "Another reminder of how different things are. I guess seeing this just pushed me over, you know? And if something as little as this could upset me so bad…it’s just hard to believe this is my life now. That I’m supposed to be this person."

"Well, I can’t convince you, you’ll have to convince yourself." Harry said quietly. "As for Draco the werewolf, I’m not worried. Lupin wouldn’t steer you wrong, and I trust him implicitly."

"And should Harland show up?" Draco asked.

"I trust you enough to fight that as well. I think your willpower is a lot stronger than you want to believe."

"I hope we never have to find out."

"Well, they’re hunting him even now, so maybe we never will."

They sat together in silence for a long time. Harry felt Draco’s uncertainty, his despair. He tested his own willpower during that time, trying to be there for the other boy, while ignoring the scorching tension he felt from the ring calling for him. He wanted to rip the room apart, find the ring and jam it on his finger, never to be removed again. But he forced himself to believe that knowing where it was, was enough for now. Draco had enough on his plate without the knowledge that the one person he actually seemed to want to feel close to was trying to set him up for a fall.

(BREAK)

Fred pushed the cauldron away in disgust. He had been looking for a clear lavender color and the brown sludge produced was a disappointment. No way he could give that to Draco or Lupin to drink. Hermione had been right, he was attempting the impossible. As he sat with his head in his hands, his stomach rumbled loudly. He realized he had worked right through dinner, and right through everyone else going to bed if his watch was showing him the correct time. With a sigh he decided to go refuel himself before attempting the cure again.

Passing Ginny’s room, he saw the light was still on under the doorway. He gave a momentary pause, but went on to the kitchen. Talking to his sister was near impossible these days but he knew he’d have to attempt it sometime soon. He wouldn’t let her go, not like they had with Percy, no matter what she had done, no matter where her head was. But his anger, it was too much right then. Who knows how long George would be around before the next phase, whatever that may be, and Ginny was taking that time away.

He sat at the table, a plate full of leftovers in front of him and tried to eat without thinking. It didn’t go well. Away from his project, all he could focus on was his desire to wear the ring. Even the fact that his headache had finally gone away couldn’t deter him from the need. She had to have a good reason for doing this to him, didn’t she? He couldn’t believe his little sister could be so cruel for no reason at all. Finally unable to hold himself back anymore, he rose and went back up to her room, knocking impatiently at the door. She answered looking annoyed. He didn’t care.

Brushing past her, he strode into the room and turned to face her. "What have I done to you, Ginny?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked angrily.

"I know Harry hurt you very badly and some part of you wants to get even. But I want to know what I did that hurt you so bad that you would want to do this to me. Whatever it is, I’m sorry okay. I’m really sorry. But I need you to stop now, to just give the ring back." Fred hung his head. "I miss George, I need to talk to him again. Please, Ginny."

At first she looked surprised, and then hurt. "I don’t have-"

"Yes, you do! You know exactly where it is because you put it there."

"Can’t you ever be on my side, Fred? Just once can’t I rely on my family?"

He felt his anger rise. "When we can’t rely on you? You’re holding everyone in this house hostage, Ginny! Harry can’t come just take the ring because he’s worried about upsetting the rest of us, and Ron is so worried you’ll fall apart that he can’t come make you do the right thing. Luna knows you have it, saw you take it in fact, but she can’t make a move because she’s worried about upsetting you and some grand vision she has of the future. Hermione can’t even stand the sight of you, and Draco, well he’s the one you’re trying to set up, for some reason. And none of us can tell mum and dad because they’re already dealing with so much. We’re all in a holding pattern because of you! There are other things for us all to worry about you know! Snape’s missing, Draco and Lupin have to go away, we have to find these coven people, you all have to go back to school soon, a mad werewolf is running around biting people and oh yeah, Voldemort’s out there somewhere. No one has time for this, Ginny, so if you’re looking for attention or something, message received! Now give it back!"

"I don’t have it!" she screamed at him. "You want to search me? The room? Go ahead, I don’t have it!"

"That’s really clever, baby sister." Fred answered meanly. "I know you don’t have it with you, we all do. Harry and Luna figured it out and they know exactly where you put it. And as soon as Draco leaves, they’re going to go get it."

"What are you talking about?" her voice held confidence, but Fred could see the worry in her eyes.

"They know, Ginny. They know you put it in his room and they’re waiting for him to leave to go get it. You know why? As desperately as Harry wants that ring, he actually cares about Draco’s feelings, unlike you. That kid’s been through hell and back proving himself and the last thing he needs is to know someone is trying to ruin all of the effort and progress he’s made. When are you going to be done torturing him, Ginny? When are you going to be done punishing the rest of us? Haven’t we all been through enough?"

"So they think the ring is in Draco’s room and that’s my fault too?" Her anger was hollow, she was losing her conviction. Fred pressed on.

"This is finally going to end in two days, one way or another. Please, Ginny, don’t let them go find the ring there. Get it yourself, bring it to Harry and apologize. Make it right before it’s made right for you. You might save yourself the added grief and some of your friendships."

"Why should I be the one to apologize? If the ring is in his room, there’s no proof I put it there. You all just don’t want to believe Draco could still be the same old guy underneath it all. Where will my apology be?"

Fred shook his head. "You really should have thought this through better, Gin. Of course there’ll be proof. George is watching us, remember? He’s seen everything you’ve done. So has Neville and Sirius, and so have James and Lily. You really think they’ll all lie for you?" he watched the thought sink into her head. "Like I said, this is going to end soon, one way or another. Take the high road, Ginny. Please just go get it and give it back before they find it without you."

"They won’t find it."

"Okay, have it your way. But if you think we aren’t all watching his room, you’re wrong. If you’re planning a visit to get it back without us knowing, you’re delusional. Two days, Ginny. Two days and this is finally over!" Fred turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He leaned against the wall breathing heavily, trying to get himself under control. He could hear her, screaming and throwing things, and he smiled. She had tortured him for more than a week with this whole thing. Let her stew in the fact that she wouldn’t get away with it. Then, they’d get her help…force her if necessary.

(BREAK)

Hermione sat on the stairs, taking a turn watching Draco’s room. The last thing any of them wanted was for Ginny to have the chance to hide it again. She looked up from her book at the sound of approaching footsteps and saw Harry walking toward her, a grim expression on his face. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." He said quickly. "It’s just…the mail’s here." He handed her an envelope and her hopes rose. Her parents had written back! But when she looked at the familiar scrawl, she realized it belonged to her headmaster, and not to either Granger. Harry sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders as she opened the letter.

Dear Hermione,
I have received a letter from your parents and it is my duty to inform you that they are requesting to see you. It is against my advisement at this time, for many reasons, however they were not to be deterred, and as they are your legal guardians I am forced to oblige, regardless of the underlying hurt felt by both you and them due to recent events.. Of course, the decision to see them ultimately rests with you and whether you have either the desire or fortitude for such a meeting at this time. Should you choose to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I would recommend you bring your friends with you, as we often need support when we least expect it.
I am required to request an immediate response to this missive as your parents demand an immediate audience with you in order to secure their continued cooperation with their protection. Should you agree, a time has been set up for you this weekend and all you would have to do is show up.
Your Humble Headmaster,
Albus Dumbledore

"So?" Harry asked after a long while.

"They want to see me. This weekend." Hermione answered quietly.

"Your parents? They wrote to Dumbledore instead of you?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Yeah, they were probably too upset to write to me directly." She had read between the lines of Dumbledore’s missive and could only imagine what her parents had to say to her, since it had been too much to put on paper. "He said it’s my decision whether or not I go."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I don’t know, but I have to figure it out right away." She handed him the letter so he could read it himself. "Would you go with me?"

"You know I would." He said right away, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Do you think Ron and Luna would go too?" She asked. "I just… No one can get to me like they can. I just want as many people that like me around as possible."

"Mione, I’m sure your parents love you." He offered, pulling her close.

"Yeah, probably. But I don’t think they like me very much." She held back the tears, knowing how unfair it was that she was crying to him about being able to see her parents, who were, after all, very much alive.

"You, me, Luna, Ron, Fred- we’ll all go. It’ll be a party and we all need some time out of the house. Did you know Molly’s insisting on going to Diagon Alley without us for our supplies? I have Arthur arguing on our behalf though."

"I like it here." She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "It’s the only place we’re all safe."

He rested his lips in her hair and was silent for a long time. "For now we’re all safe. At least from anyone on the outside."

She let the statement pass. He was one of the most optimistic pessimists she had ever met, and she was beginning to understand that it was important to let some of those thoughts out. Better than letting them eat away at you. She had major doubts about the outcome of meeting with the Grangers, but she couldn’t bring herself to follow Harry’s example and talk about it. Once he had the ring back, maybe. But not now.

(BREAK)

They were watching her. All Ginny could do was pace in her room and try to figure a way out of this. She could just leave. Take off and put her idea of disappearing into the muggle world into action. Maybe find a way to Australia, she’d always thought it was beautiful there. They could have their stupid ring and all be mad at her for however long they wanted and she wouldn’t have to deal with any of it. She couldn’t do that though, because more than anything she wanted to make this better. She didn’t want Fred and Ron or even George mad at her, she didn’t want her parents to worry. She didn’t want Harry or Draco to think she was a horrible person. Besides, she couldn’t go out into the world by herself right now, not without fear.

And then the plan formed. She would take the ring back and follow Draco and Lupin! Then after he was all done, she would convince Draco to go with her and use the ring as leverage. She’d give it back to the others, who would be sure to follow her ring or no ring, in exchange for them leaving her be. She’d be free and she wouldn’t be alone and they’d get their stupid ring back. And maybe, just maybe her family would miss her so much they wouldn’t have room to feel angry. And maybe Harry would be so happy to have the ring back he’d forget she’d ever hurt him so badly in the first place. After all, as Fred had implied, she felt they were even now after the pain Harry had inflicted upon her. She hadn’t even realized that was why she had taken the ring in the first place, until Fred had made his little outburst. But now it clicked, and she knew that’s why she had gone into Harry’s room when the opportunity had presented itself and stolen the one thing that would hurt him most, regardless of convincing herself she had wanted to talk to George. After all, she hadn’t called him, hadn’t even used the ring once since it came into her possession. Now, it would be her bargaining chip. Her only other option was to wait for them to find it and then turn on her, and then she’d be trapped here with them all hating her. It wasn’t a hard choice.

She opened the door and saw Ron, passed out on the stairs. He’d been awake three hours earlier when she’d heard him take over from Fred. They changed every five hours, so she had time, as long as her brother stayed asleep. She crept down the hall and lightly tapped on Draco’s door. She could hear him moving around in there, so she knew he was awake. As soon as he opened the door, she rushed in, so he wouldn’t have time to question a sleeping Ron.

"Something I can help you with?" he asked.

"I couldn’t sleep and decided to come see how you were doing." She answered simply. "I figured you’d be having a harder time, the closer it gets to the time for you to leave."

"I’m definitely feeling more anxious, like the walls are closing in on me." He admitted. "But Lupin said I wouldn’t feel like myself for a few days before and after."

"And what about your- um-" she pointed to his missing arm.

"That’s about done I think, until the next treatment." He looked down at it shyly. "I got the elbow back." He quietly added.

She could tell he was happy about the progress but embarrassed to show it. "That’s really great. Can I see?"

He looked at her strangely. "You’d really want to?"

She did not want to see. But she didn’t know how else to show that she was just as excited for him. She didn’t want him to feel self-conscious. "Sure! It’s not everyday you get to see a medical miracle, right?"

"I wouldn’t go that far…" he was uncertain.

"It’s amazing Draco. And I’m so happy for you, that it’s working." She watched as he slowly rolled up his sleeve. She stepped closer and studied his arm, now a stub ending just after the elbow. It wasn’t as gross as she had imagined, more fascinating than anything else. Without thinking, she reached out to touch it, because it had looked so unreal. He stepped back in horror, pulling his sleeve down and turning from her. "I’m sorry." She said softly.

"Are you screwing with my head?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"I mean, you’re trying really hard to be nice to me all of a sudden. And you’re trying really hard to convince me to take your side on this whole theft issue. So why do you care what I think. What are you up to?" He still had his back to her. She didn’t know what to say, and she didn’t know why she felt so hurt.

"Can’t even face me when you’re making accusations anymore, can you?" She said finally, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. "I told you, I want to be friends, I want someone on my side. I never tried to hide my initial motives, and I’ve done nothing but try to make that happen!"

"Why me? Why not just patch things up with the others? Get your life back."

"What life?" she asked angrily. "The one where I stood in the background as Ron’s little sister? The one where I’m lost amid the faces of greatness? I have nothing to offer them anymore because I’m tired of standing in their shadows! And I chose you because you’re supposed to be different from them! You weren’t part of the group, someone I was forced to like. I chose to like you, Draco, maybe because I can’t like them right now. I can’t have Harry, I can’t have Luna. I can’t even have my own brothers to myself!"

"And I was what was left over?" he sounded hurt.

"No! You gave me hope! Don’t you see? If we were friends, then I wouldn’t be alone like Percy. He was always alone, never had friends, couldn’t relate to people. I never wanted that! But here I am, friendless because I can no longer relate to anyone, for whatever reason. You were here, and maybe I wanted to use you, but I needed you too. I’m scared that they’re all right and I’m cracking up. I can’t be alone!"

Ginny hadn’t realized she was crying this time until he reached out to wipe away her tears. She hadn’t been so honest with anyone, including herself, in a long time. Closing her eyes, she relaxed into his touch. "Ginny." He whispered her name as he cupped his hand around the back of her neck and brought her face roughly to his. Their lips met in an explosion of hunger that she hadn’t been expecting. Letting instinct drive her, she threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself tight against him. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer still, providing no doubt of his desire as she melted against him. Her own passion bubbled over and she lightly bit his lip, drawing a low animalistic growl from deep within him that sent shivers of excitement down her spine; it had sounded so dangerous.

And that’s when he pushed her away. She had never felt so instantly cold and lonely. They were both breathing heavily, staring at each other from across the room. "I’m sorry." He said finally. "Like I said, I’m not really feeling like myself right now."

"I’m not sorry at all." She said steadily. And if she was continuing to be honest with herself, she wasn’t sorry it happened. She was only sorry it ended. "And I’ve never felt more like myself."

Draco shook his head. "Sometimes, I really think you’re messing with me."

"Think what you want, it’s the truth. I wanted it to happen. Because maybe I really am starting to like you."

"You are so hard to read. Truth, lies…it all sounds the same from you. How do I tell the difference?"

"Maybe that’s not important." She said quietly. "Maybe I don’t care whether or not you believe me. I just- Will you do me a favor? Will you just lay here and hold me? I just need to feel close to someone. And I want it to be you."

"Ginny, I wasn’t lying, I don’t feel normal. I don’t trust myself."

She turned and climbed into his bed, pulling the covers back for him to join her. "I trust you. And I just want to lay here, maybe fall asleep. I just want to feel…connected."

He hesitated, wanting so badly to be a good guy, to do the right thing. Ultimately he joined her, she knew he would. She moved herself in close, pulling his arm around her and resting her head against his shoulder. He felt so thin, even with the weight he had put back on, and she worried he wouldn’t be well enough to change.

They lay there, holding each other for a long while. She passed the time thinking of all the ways she was now worried for Draco, and how she’d take care of him when they ran off together in a few days. After she convinced him to go of course. But once she had followed him, he wouldn’t have much of a choice, so she didn’t let it concern her. After a time, she felt him drift off, his arm falling limply from around her shoulder. She disentangled herself as gently as possible and silently crept out of bed. Reaching under the mattress, she retrieved the ring and tip toed to the door.

Allowing herself a glance back, she regretted that she had to leave, that he would find her gone when he awoke. But she couldn’t let the others see she had been there, and after what had happened between them, she doubted he’d be telling them of her visit this time. Peeking into the hall, she saw Ron, still fast asleep on the stairs, snoring. He obviously had a gift for sleeping soundly anywhere. Smiling inwardly, she crept back down the hall and into her own room feeling triumphant. She had the ring, and soon, she’d use it to bargain for a whole new life.

(BREAK)

"Normally we’d have left yesterday, I like having the extra day as a buffer. But with us both on the mend, everyone decided it would be best to wait for today." Lupin explained as Drake was giving Draco a last minute check up.

"So, should I pack or something?" Draco had been on edge since Ginny’s visit. He was looking forward to leaving, to get some time to himself and sort things out in his head. It was unfortunate that this was his way out, and his ignorance to the process embarrassed him.

Lupin simply smiled at him in encouragement. "Just a change of clothes."

"You both are looking good, health-wise. Obviously neither of you are a hundred percent and I trust I don’t need to tell you to take it easy out there." Drake said, handing them both a small bottle of the Wolfsbane potion which they put in their bags.

They were preparing to leave, and Draco felt himself panic. He wasn’t ready for this to be real, wanted more time. "Don’t you want to say good-bye to Tonks?" Draco asked desperately.

"We, uh, already took care of that. She went into the ministry very early this morning." Lupin blushed slightly.

"Yeah, they aren’t good at public good-byes." Drake joked with a wink as they all made their way downstairs. Everyone, including Ginny, was downstairs in the parlor waiting. Draco felt awkward and wished they could have just quietly left the house without notice.

He and Lupin received many good byes and good lucks and he felt himself panic even more. He knew they were trying to be nice, but all the attention was making him extremely uncomfortable and he began to feel claustrophobic. Part of him was aware that his shifting hormones were responsible, but the way he was feeling was really just a much more intense version of the way he always felt, at his father’s house, at school, and especially here.

Ginny had been the only one to remain seated and he met her eyes as they turned to finally leave. He didn’t know what her plan was, he’d wanted to believe everything that had happened was real. But when he woke to find her gone, he felt extremely alone. He began to believe that going to see him, getting close to him had been part of a bigger picture. She had needed to be in his room, for whatever reason. And the way he had wanted her had been obvious, more than he had intended to reveal. The animal currently brewing within him had taken over his common sense and he decided he would request the Wolfsbane potion sooner from then on. And after he got back and returned to normal, he would pull Ginny aside and they’d have a long talk about motives. Using these thoughts as a distraction, he got into the car with Lupin to be driven, who knew where, to be dropped off far from civilization.

(BREAK)

Harry felt anxious. They had all sat down together for breakfast after Draco and Lupin left, at Molly’s insistence. Harry knew that he and Fred both were itching to get into Draco’s room, but since Arthur had taken the morning off, they couldn’t find it in them to deny the Weasleys the family time they had obviously been looking for. Ginny stared at her plate the whole time, as the others kept shooting nervous glances in her direction. Only the adults were oblivious to the tension, and Harry tried very hard to keep them from noticing, engaging both Molly and Arthur in conversation.

Finally, Arthur rose and announced he had to be getting to the office. As soon as he was gone and Molly’s back was turned, they rose as a group and walked upstairs. Harry noted that Ginny had stayed behind. Fine, let her hide with her mother for now. As long as they got the ring back.

Something isn’t right, Harry. He heard Luna’s voice whisper through his head as they climbed the stairs.

He’d had the same feeling but had chalked it up to his anxiety. What are you thinking?

I’m not sure, but something is off. There’s something we missed, something else is brewing. I think it’s coming from Ginny, she’s been shielding herself extra hard the last two days. They were outside Draco’s door.

"Go on Harry. Open it." Ron prodded.

Harry reached out and opened the door leading the way as they all filed in. He felt instantly disappointed. It’s not here anymore, it is.

No, I don't think it is. Luna answered with fear. We have to talk to Ginny!

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Fred yelled as Harry and Luna ran from the room.

"It’s not there!" Harry yelled back.

Molly was alone in the kitchen and turned in surprise as they all skidded to a stop in front of her, causing her to drop a plate. "What is wrong with all of you!?" she asked putting a hand over her chest.

"Where’s Ginny?" Harry asked.

"I thought she went upstairs with you earlier." Molly replied suspiciously.

"She must be in her room. Thanks mum!" Ron said as they all turned and ran back upstairs to Ginny’s door. Harry knocked so hard he worried his knuckles would bleed.

With no answer and a silent agreement with her brothers, Harry reached out and opened the door. They entered an empty room. And the ring wasn’t there either.

"What’s going on?" Fred asked. Harry could hear the desperation in his voice and felt his own rise.

"Aparecium." Luna had pulled out her wand and waved it over a blank parchment that was laying on the bed. She picked it up and turned to the others, her face a mask of fear. "She left a note."

(BREAK)

Ginny sat back in the cab comfortably, the ring stowed safely in her small travel bag, which she clutched in her lap. She loved her brothers’ genius. It was because of their extendible ears that she was able to carry out this plan, as she had woken early to spy on the final arrangements made between her father and the ministry drivers. Learning of the general location they intended to drop off Draco and Lupin, she had broken into her secret stash of muggle money and counted out enough for the long drive ahead of her. She had researched the process of paying carefully and worked hard at remembering what each note was worth, having stolen an old Muggle Studies textbook she had found in the parlor.

Writing the note to Ron and Fred had been the hardest part, but she had done it, letting them know where she had gone, why, and what her demands where. She had asked that they take the trade, and keep the ring in exchange for letting her go. Smiling to herself, she patted the sleeping bag she had brought. They were going to think she really was crazy, but she knew she wasn’t. After all, she wasn’t intending to follow two werewolves through the woods, no matter how much potion they had in their systems. She was only going to set up camp on the edge of the trees, where the pick up point was supposed to be for the next day. Then she’d intercept Draco, make her plans known and they’d run off to wherever they wanted, away from everything. She smiled again and settled in for the next few hours that she’d be in the car.

(BREAK)

"I’m going to kill her!" Ron yelled. "What is she thinking going out there by herself? And following two werewolves no less. I mean we all saw what Lupin was like without that stupid potion!"

"They have their potion, Ron." Harry said trying very hard to keep a grip on himself.

"I think it’s time to tell Arthur and Molly." Luna said quietly.

"What will that accomplish?" Ron asked angrily.

"Well, they’ll certainly notice if we all go after her." Hermione pointed out in Luna’s defense. "This is something we’ll need their help with."

"And what happens to Ginny?"

"And what happens to her if we screw this up and can’t bring her back, Ron?" Harry countered. "She said in the letter she wants to trade the ring in exchange for us letting her run off and take Draco with her. What are we supposed to do? Drag her back? Your parents will probably have better luck."

"You’re right." Fred announced as he stood. He was the only one to remain silent since reading Ginny’s note, sitting on her bed lost in thought. "We need to tell them, Ron. We’ve both said we want to help her, it’s time we start. She’s obviously showing us that we can’t do it by ourselves, she’s too far gone, too irrational." He rose and moved to the door. "Mum and dad were our last resort, well, we’ve got nothing else right now and we can’t let her be out there by herself for too long, so let’s go."

"Fine." Ron angrily agreed. "But we’re going with them."

"Of course we are." Fred nodded agreement.

Harry shared a worried look with Luna and Hermione before following the Weasley boys downstairs. They hadn’t wanted to burden Molly and Arthur, but Ginny was giving them no choice. And werewolves weren’t the greatest danger facing their daughter, if the warning Luna received was true. Through silent discussion, the three decided to hold that back for as long as possible.

(BREAK)

"I don’t understand." Molly said slowly.

"That doesn’t matter right now, mum. There’ll be plenty of time to explain it all later." Ron said quickly. "All you need to know right now is Ginny followed Malfoy, she has the ring and she wants to give it back in exchange for getting to leave."

"And as soon as Fred and Mr. Weasley get here, we have to go after her." Luna added.

Hermione was worried. Not really for Ginny, she knew the horrible girl would be dragged back. She was worried because Harry had insisted on going with Fred to get Arthur, even though he wasn’t licensed to apparate. He had let his fear, however plausible it was, that Fred and Arthur would choose to chase Ginny down without them all outweigh his worry over ruining his chances for a proper license.

When the air began to crackle around them and they finally appeared, she felt relief, until she saw Arthur’s face. He looked furious.

"This is going to be almost impossible to cover up, Harry!" Arthur was yelling, obviously picking up the conversation they’d been having before coming back. "Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should!"

"I think it should be okay in an emergency situation!" Harry yelled back. Hermione winced. She knew he was beginning to let out the constant irritation he’d been feeling and thanks to Ginny running off, they were all going to feel the brunt of it.

"Molly, have they told you?" Arthur asked, ignoring Harry.

"They’ve told me, I think. I just don’t understand, Arthur." Molly cried. "What is she doing? And why?"

"We can ask her when I bring her back. In fact, we’ll all sit down and have a long talk about what’s been going on." Arthur turned to the rest of them. The teens held their tongues and looked at the floor, each having the grace to look guilty. Though Harry was nearly shaking; in anger, in anticipation, Hermione didn’t know.

"What’ll we do?" Molly asked.

"Right. Here’s what’s going to happen. There’s a car on the way, it should be here any minute, I ordered it long before we left the ministry. Harry, Fred, Ron and I are going after Ginny. She doesn’t have that much of a head start and from what I understand of what little I’ve been told, she doesn’t intend to hide. While we’re gone, Hermione and Luna, I expect you to fill Molly in on everything."

"Arthur, just apparate there and bring her home." Molly pleaded.

"I can’t! I already pull way too many favors, my position as minister may already be in jeopardy. And I’m already going to have to pull off a miracle to cover up Harry’s little trip today. I can’t bring Ginny, who is certainly further from the appropriate age than he is, back with me. Especially since she’s my daughter! And we can’t afford to risk having someone else placed as minister. We have to drive after her and I don’t trust these three here and I don’t really trust them out there." He turned and stared down the three boys who only hung their heads lower. "Maybe I just don’t trust them at all anymore."

(BREAK)

"Are you sure, miss? There naught a town near for quite a while." The cab driver looked concerned as he took Ginny’s money.

"This is perfect. I just want a night with nature." She said with a smile.

"It could be dangerous, out here all alone, a little girl like you." The driver tried again. "How ‘bout I take you back closer to the city for camping, no extra charge since I have ter go back that way anyway. Anything can happen out here, you know."

"Anything can happen anywhere." Ginny said with a smile. "Why don’t you just forget you ever saw me."

"That’s mighty hard to do. I’ll be worrying ‘bout you all night."

"No you won’t." Ginny pulled out her wand and smiled at the nice man. "Obliviate."


 

NOTE: In the books I don’t remember ever reading what the Granger’s real first names were. I know Hermione did a memory charm and gave them the new names, Wendell and Monica Wilkins, during the real last two HP books, and so working off of that, I figured they would probably have names beginning with a W and an M. I had of course considered naming Mrs. Granger Jean (or Jane) because of Hermione’s middle name, but ultimately decided that so many people have done that in other fanfiction I’ve read, I just wanted to be different. So that explanation out of the way, we move on to what’s coming up: the hunt for Ginny is on, Draco goes through transformation, Hermione meets with her parents, Hagrid returns, Harry’s birthday, a trip to Diagon Alley in disguise, Hedwig brings disturbing news, the Dursleys make an appearance, the gang meets up with Sarah Elaine, news surfaces about Snape, Luna asks Harry for help, another attempt is made to talk to Cho after some good news is received, Hermione traces some more Coven members, and they finally return to Hogwarts after a difficult train ride….just a few things to look forward to over the next few chapters. So stay tuned, it’s only going to get more interesting.

Chapter 16: The Hunt

A/N: So, a lot is happening right now in the story, a lot of things up in the air, and some of them are taken care of here and some are made more complicated. This is the longest chapter yet, I couldn’t help myself. HOWEVER… Recently I’ve had a family emergency, so posts may be sporadic for awhile as my time for writing has nearly evaporated. But I am NOT deserting this story, it WILL continue to update and I will still check in and respond to every reviewer. So as always, Read, Review, Enjoy!!!

 
 

"So she stabbed him and you and Hermione covered it up!" Arthur looked stunned. Harry never felt lower, laying out all of their problems, adventures and misdeeds of the last six years. He, Fred and Ron had been filling Arthur in on everything they could think of that ever had happened to Ginny over that time. The worst was still to come. How was Harry ever supposed to tell this man that he had used his daughter, no matter the circumstances?

"They didn’t want us to have to hurt anymore than we already were, dad." Fred piped up. All three boys had chosen to sit in the back, leaving Arthur alone in the front. When the driver had finally arrived, Arthur had demanded they go alone, wanting as few people as possible to know his only daughter was out in the world, making herself an easy target.

"So, in addition to the chamber of secrets, the Riddle diary, the Department of Mysteries, the quidditch matches last year, and losing two of her brothers; I’m to understand that my daughter has also tried to seduce Harry away from Hermione, stabbed young Malfoy in the back, almost drowned in the bathroom at school, was lost in Hogsmeade while you all ran around fighting, stole that stupid ring from you, tried to frame the same boy she stabbed and has now run off intending to trade the ring for the freedom to leave us all with, again the boy she stabbed, who is also a werewolf and the son of a Death Eater. Additionally, she has forsaken all of her friends, choosing to push you all away. Have I missed anything?"

Harry looked at Ron and Fred out of the corner of his eye. They both shook their heads at him, silently telling him it was enough, that he didn’t have to reveal all. But he felt he owed it to Arthur, to know everything, no matter how bad he would think of him. "Well, I suppose you can add me to the list of things that may have screwed Ginny up. I…a while ago….before Hogsmeade…. I didn’t want any of them to go, I was worried that I would be distracted out there fighting, if they were there too. But I knew, because of….George (he chose the name of the son he felt would hurt Arthur the least) that Fred would never stay behind. And I wanted Draco to come, in case it was all a trap somehow. But Ron, Hermione, Luna and Ginny, I didn’t think they should go and….well I figured there was only one way they wouldn’t know about it and that was if they weren’t around me. I wanted to make them all hate me…so they wouldn’t want to come with. So I…well, I…" but he couldn’t continue. How could he? How could he explain the necessity of using a girl to her father? To a man who had trusted him?

"He set it up so Hermione walked in on him kissing Ginny." Ron burst out of nowhere. "He told Ginny he wanted to be with her and then after Hermione saw, he told Ginny he’d made a mistake and they both came crying to me. It made me mad and he and I had words and he fell into his role, being cold, mean and distant. It worked, we got mad at him and didn’t know anything about what they were planning for the village. Until something happened that connected me and Hermione to Harry and we ran to Luna and she told us everything. We went to Hogsmeade and we all did what we did there. It’s over now, he’s apologized a million times to all of us, including Ginny. So that’s it, okay Dad?"

Harry had never felt more grateful to Ron. He had laid it out so matter-of-factly, as if it was some long ago incident that, while relevant, was not a big deal. He knew Ron wasn’t really feeling that way, not yet, but he appreciated the save none the less.

"We’re almost there." Arthur said quietly. Harry wanted more than anything to search through his head, and unlike his sons, he never shielded so it would be easy. Harry held himself back though, not really wanting to see what Arthur was thinking of him at that moment. Instead he looked out the window. The sun was still high in the sky, though it was clearly way past noon. It had taken too long to convince Arthur to leave the office, that Ginny had really run away and then to convince him to take care of it quietly. He had wanted to send the Aurors after her, wanting a huge search and it took a lot for Fred and Harry to convince him it was a family matter. It had taken too long for the car to arrive and too long to drive.

They were now hours from civilization, and apparently close to their destination. Harry felt thankful that it was summer and the sun stayed out longer. It didn’t matter that they had the potion, you could never trust that. The only thing you can trust an animal to do, was to act like an animal. And these were animal hybrids, with a keener sense of smell, greater speed and more power than even their impressive wolf kin. Sure he trusted them when they were people, even Draco if he forced himself to be honest. But this close to the full moon, he felt uneasy. After all, as Ron had pointed out they knew first hand what Lupin was like without the potion. And sure Drake was really good, but Snape had always brewed the potion for Lupin in the past. What if something went wrong this time, with Snape unavailable?

And worse, what if Sarah Elaine somehow came across Ginny as Luna had seen. Arthur may know that Sarah was in the picture because of Cho, but none of the Weasleys knew the danger she was presenting to their family. They had to find Ginny before anything happened. There was so much to worry about, he wanted to strangle Ginny himself at this point.

Arthur suddenly pulled off the road, onto a small lane running through the woods that was nearly impossible to see. Sure the car was far enough to keep it from being seen from the main road, he parked and shut off the engine. They all four sat in silence.

Finally, Arthur turned and faced the boys. "She can’t be far from here. Get out." They all climbed from the car and stood together as Mr. Weasley held his wand out and muttered, "Homenum Revelio." He began walking and the boys followed.

(BREAK)

"I feel weird." Draco said as they sat to catch their breath.

"Weird how?" Lupin asked, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"Tingly, itchy." He answered as he rubbed his back against the tree he’d chosen to rest on. "I feel like I’m too small and too big at the same time."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar. I also get really hot." Lupin took another swig of his water and wiped the sweat from his brow. "We’re all slightly different, so don’t worry if everything you go through isn’t the same as me. Be happy you don’t have to feel like you’re baking in an oven." He finished with a grin.

"The sun’s still pretty high, right?" Draco knew it was well into the afternoon hours, quickly approaching evening, but he wasn’t sure exactly how much longer he had.

"Getting nervous?"

"Weren’t you, your first time?" Draco asked.

"I didn’t know it was coming, the first time." Lupin replied with a faraway look in his eyes. "Some man…or thing was in the Forbidden Forest. I thought he was just really hurt, I tried to help him and he bit me. It was bad, but I didn’t want to admit I had been somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be. So I told everyone some dog had done it, a stray I found by the lake that had run off after. I had no idea it was something more. I just thought I was feeling weird because we were going home so soon. I hated summers away from the school, it was so boring without James and Sirius."

"So you changed at home?" Draco asked horrified at the thought. Left in civilization without a clue, without Wolfsbane, without help.

"No thank goodness!" Lupin exclaimed. "We went to the Shrieking Shack that night. It was only two more days before we were to leave for our homes, so we threw a kind of goodbye party, just us…and Peter. It was even before Lily joined the group, so just the boys. We snuck out at midnight, it was cloudy, looked like rain even. We took the secret way, laughing and joking about how we’d explain our wet clothes if we were caught when we came back. We reached the trapdoor and went into the master bedroom, ready to party. It was dark, even with our wands lit, but we didn’t want too much light, didn’t want to chance drawing attention from the village. So we put them out the wands and pulled the boards all the way off the windows, hoping the moon would eventually come out, after all it was supposed to be full that night. We sat around drinking whiskey and reliving the funnier moments of our year together, when James, I think, noticed that the clouds were moving on. I got up to look, and tripped. I was never graceful and admittedly drunk. I landed right under the window, where the moon was now brightly shining through. It was instant, torturous pain. It felt like every bone in my body was broken, I lost myself in it, had no other coherent thought for hours, other than the hunt. I knew there were others there, I could smell them, I could smell everything. I knew where they were hiding, had chased them to the trap door. I knew they were just on the other side, that they hadn’t moved on. In that frame of mind, I of course couldn’t understand that they had stayed because they were my friends and refused to leave me. All I knew was they were prey and they were near. I clawed at that door forever, until I finally began to get tired. They must have put some powerful charms on it while they waited me out, for the door to hold like it did. I woke up naked under a blanket with the three of them huddled around me."

"That sounds horrible." He didn’t know what else to say.

"Trust me, if you have to go through this, you are doing it in the best possible conditions. No one for miles, capable of keeping a piece of your own mind, and with someone who can go through it with you."

"Yeah. I guess."

"You know, after we figured it out, James, Sirius and Peter, they became secret animagi, so I wouldn’t be alone. And so they could be with me, without me being able to catch them and kill them. That was until we discovered the potion."

Draco knew a little of this. He heard rumors of Sirius the black dog and definitely knew of Peter the rat. "What was James?"

"A stag." Lupin smiled with remembrance. Draco shifted his weight, beginning to feel extremely antsy. Lupin must have noticed. "Get up. Make sure your backpack is strapped on tight. I think we should go for a run, you’ll feel less anxious, more free. It’ll help, I promise."

Draco wasn’t sure, but didn’t feel this was the time, or the man, to question. He rose, tightened the straps on his bag and jogged after Lupin. They started slow, carefully making their way through the woods, over fallen branches and through the brush. They steadily picked up speed, and he began to feel better, more focused. He pumped his legs and arms as the scenery around him began to blur. Lupin had been right, he felt free in a way he never had. He didn’t know how long they ran, and he had the vague feeling they were making large circles, but he didn’t care. During that time, nothing was wrong, nothing hurt, there was no thinking at all about anything.

He noticed the sun moving across the sky and let himself enjoy the wonderful colors swirling past. Everything was a bask of bright orange and pink melded with a lush green and sturdy brown. He felt like he was lost in a painting. And then he suddenly veered off course, leaving Lupin running along the path they had made as he took a sharp left. The sudden urge and his current speed made it impossible to stop. He tried to analyze his actions. He’d been literally running on instinct mode, and now he knew it was a scent he’d picked up. The colors around him were slowly darkening as the sun made it’s descent. He finally stopped his progress by tripping over an upturned root and forced himself to lay still to catch his breath. He and Lupin had taken half of their potions earlier in the day, and they were supposed to take the rest right before the change. But Draco ripped into his bag and guzzled his now. He knew that scent that had pulled him from where he was supposed to be. It was another person, who had recently showered because the smell of coconut was strong. He wondered how close he was to her, and if he had enough time to run far enough in the opposite direction. More than anything, he was angry she was there. Why on earth had Ginny followed them? He didn’t have enough time to figure out anything, as footsteps approached from ahead of him. She was going to find him.

(BREAK)

Ginny had set up a small camp for herself far into the tree line and down a long way from where she had been dropped off. Using a cloaking spell, she hoped to put off the others finding her for as long as possible. She was too realistic to really hope they hadn’t even found the note yet, but a small part of her kept saying it could be true. Thankfully it was summer and the air was warm, even as the sun lowered itself into the west, so she wouldn’t need a fire. It would draw attention. She could see a small patch of sky and lay down on her sleeping bag to watch the stars come out. Even now she could see the first few, even though the sky was a dull fiery orange, only tinged with a hint of deep purple.

And then she heard the noise. Sitting straight up, she turned, trying to peer into the rapidly darkening forest. Ginny grabbed her wand and rose onto trembling legs. There could be any number of wild beasts out there, in addition to Draco and Lupin. Not to mention a rogue Death Eater or two who’ve somehow found her location, or even the standard maniacal killer, picking off campers he happens to come across in the woods. "Who’s there?" She called in a shaky voice as she started toward the sound, forgetting the protection spells she had cast in her panic. It was so still now, eerily silent, as if everything around her was holding its breath in anticipation of being heard.

Just as she was about to step over a large upturned tree root, Draco came out from behind the tree and grabbed her shoulder, his eyes full of fear and fury. "What are you doing here!" he growled out.

"You weren’t supposed to find me yet!" she cried in surprise. This was all wrong, it wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

"What does that mean? You meant me to find you when the moon was fully up?"

"No! Tomorrow morning! Then I could convince you to leave with me!"

He let her go and took a step back. "Leave with you? What are you talking about?"

"Okay, let me explain." She took a deep breath, willing him to hear her out. "I’ll give you the short version, but I won’t leave until you listen."

"Then this better be the shortest story ever."

(BREAK)

Fred was in agony as they trudged through the woods. He knew it was his fault that Ginny had run, he had been the one to tip her off. If he hadn’t gone to confront her, hadn’t told her they knew where she hid the ring, she wouldn’t have done something so desperate. He’d known it was wrong and had told Harry the next morning which inspired the constant watch on Draco’s room. But she’d gotten in somehow anyway, and now she was alone in the woods and their parents now knew everything they’d never needed to know about their children. And Harry. He had hoped no one would bring it up, that Harry would take his and Ron’s silent advice and not tell their dad anything about it. But he hadn’t, and now Arthur Weasley looked more angry and disappointed than he’d ever seen him before.

They were periodically calling out for Ginny, all the while hoping Lupin and Draco were far away. The others hadn’t yet said anything about Fred having set this all in motion. They didn’t need to, he felt guilty enough by himself. But he knew it was going to come sometime, that they would need to blame someone. He dragged his feet along behind Ron, feeling his mood darken with the sky. They lit their wands as they became surrounded by shadows, and went on, calling for his sister, hoping not to draw the werewolves.

(BREAK)

They were sitting at the kitchen table, now silent for the better part of an hour. Luna and Hermione communicated in their heads, to keep from being driven insane by Mrs. Weasley. She had sat and listened to their story, all of it, after Luna assured Hermione that Harry hadn’t held back with Arthur. The only thing still secret was her vision, but they had agreed that the Weasleys were worried enough without Sarah. Harry was out there with the guys, and he knew the danger, that had to be enough. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, they had expected Mrs. Weasley to scream and cry and rant. To at the very least drown them in relentless questions. Instead, she sat back in the chair, folded her hands in her lap and had been sitting quietly since. Luna knew she was processing, that she hadn’t known what to say at the end of their tale.

"What am I supposed to do?" Mrs. Weasley finally asked. "How do I make any of this better for her? For all of you?" and then she rose and left. Sharing a look, the girls got up followed as she began climbing the stairs.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Luna called.

"Please let me know when Arthur brings them all home to me." And with that she continued up to her room.

"Now what?" Hermione asked.

"I don’t know. I’m not a damn oracle!" Luna cried and stalked into the parlor. She felt frustrated, angry and utterly useless. What good was it having visions, if they don’t show you things like this are coming? She should have known Ginny’s plan, the same way she should have known Kane was going to die going to the Malfoy mansion, the same way she should have known the stands were going to blow up and Neville would be killed. Instead, for those important moments, she only had feelings, nothing definite. And now that the others knew what she could do, they expected her to foresee these things, but she couldn’t and she hated it. Harry’s power allowed him to move things at will, he could use it whenever he wanted, why couldn’t it be the same for her? She wished more than anything she could speak with her grandmother, who had shared her gift and taught her the responsibilities of having it. But she was now living in Leeds, and Luna had chosen to come here with Hermione, had felt she needed to come with her friend. It truth, she came because she wanted that final picture that she had seen for them all, wanted it for herself more than she was willing to admit.

"I didn’t mean it that way, you know." Hermione said, following her. "I wasn’t asking to know the future, I was just trying to figure out how we’re supposed to handle this. I thought we’d commiserate."

Luna sighed. "I know, it’s just so hard, to want to know everything and not be able to. Especially when I can know some things, whatever fate decides to show me."

"It’s getting late." Hermione pointed out, obviously trying to change the subject. "I wonder if anything’s happening yet."

"I don’t know that either. Harry went out of our range over an hour ago. I can’t hear him anymore and the last thing I did get from him was that he intended to tell Arthur the whole truth."

"Hopefully this goes as best it can. I mean, if Sarah somehow fits into this…"

"I don’t think she does." Luna said, finally feeling confident about something.

"I thought you didn’t know anything."

"It’s just a feeling, Sarah doesn’t know Ginny left, because Ginny has been making fast decisions. It’s also probably why I can’t see her very well, and if they really do have their own seers on Voldemort’s side, they can’t follow her either, so they can’t give the information to Sarah. Besides, she’s wandless and Harry’s power is stronger than hers."

Hermione seemed to be puzzling it all in her head. "So, by that logic, any seer they find wouldn’t be as good as you, and if you can’t see Ginny, then there’s definitely no hope they could. And that firestarter Draco mentioned- Elise- she wouldn’t be as strong as Jacinda, as long as we get to her first. What if they accidentally find coven members before we do?"

"Finally starting to see the point in Harry’s ‘no time to waste’ attitude, huh?" Luna smiled. "So far, I’ve seen nothing to support that, but…. Well, they are looking for any edge over Harry, Dumbledore and the Order. Now knowing, or even just suspecting what Harry can do, not to mention the endless abilities of our Headmaster, it just makes sense they’d want the best in their arsenal."

"Then I know exactly how we’re going to get through the hours of waiting for them to return, we have to go through the records and figure out who these people are. Then we can figure out the best way to contact them, before the Death Eaters can."

(BREAK)

Draco’s heart was racing as words poured from Ginny’s mouth. She was explaining herself, her actions, and her plan that they run away together. He couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe her.

Since he’d stopped running, he’d become more aware of himself, and he wasn’t feeling good. His gut kept clenching, making it hard for him to breathe. Lupin hadn’t described this, had said he was able to sit with his friends until the moon hit him directly, and suffered so mildly otherwise he attributed it to anxiousness at a summer away from his life at school. Of course, he’d admitted to drinking in human form, though Draco wasn’t sure that made a difference, since this kind of pain would be hard to ignore, even drunk. Every wolf is different. He remembered the words and hated them.

"Please understand, Draco." Ginny was pleading with him. Of course he understood. It sounded so good, leaving all of this behind, running to some new place with her, somewhere where good things happened, where no one lived in fear. They would both be able to start over. The only problem was, wherever that place was, he would become the horrible thing invading lives there, bringing fear and darkness. He certainly couldn’t brew the potion he needed, and he doubted Ginny could. He’d ruin every place they went, worse he’d ruin her life even more, possibly kill her, and he wouldn’t even be able to stop himself from doing it.

"Please say something." She begged, grabbing his face between her hands and forcing him to meet her eyes. Suddenly he felt something deep within him, a pain that caused him to double over and fall to his knees. "Draco!" Ginny knelt beside him, worry contorting her features.

"Just go!" he managed to get out, as he struggled to breathe through the pain. He looked up and saw a deep blue sky dotted with stars just above the tree canopy. How long until the moon found him?

"Ginny!" they both turned as the distant call reached them.

"They’re looking for you! GO!" he urged, doing his best to shove her away.

"Tell me you’ll go with me tomorrow!" she demanded. "Tell me so I can set everything up with them."

They called for her again, closer, but still so far off. "Go, please." He begged her, as he clutched his stomach in pain.

"I’m not scared of you, Draco. I’ll stay here as long as it takes."

"No! I won’t go!" he shouted in her face. He didn’t care that she looked hurt, she needed to get away from him. "Look at me, Ginny! There are too many problems with your plan, I can’t do this just anywhere, we can’t make the potion! And Harland’s out there, what if he finds me and tells me to hurt you?! Just go! They’re out here looking for you, they’ve proved they obviously care! Can’t that be enough?"

"They want the ring." She said bitterly. "And we can learn how to make the potion, I don’t care how hard it is!"

"Ginny!" the calls were more insistent and he finally recognized the voice.

"If they only care about getting the ring back, then why’d they tell your parents? That’s your father, desperately calling your name. You think he only wants the ring?" Another wave of pain racked his body and he let out an involuntary cry. His eyes felt sore, like he could see more than he should, things were brightening in the darkness and he knew he was starting to change. The moon was close, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. "Go, go, go, please go!" he begged again.

"Will you be okay?"

She obviously wasn’t going to leave him. He couldn’t do this, not with her there and the others so close. He forced himself to his feet and ran from Ginny, as fast as he could in the other direction. He could hear everything around him, smell so many things that were unfamiliar. It was unsettling. He didn’t know how long or how far he ran until he at last heard Lupin calling for him. Finally allowing himself to stop, he fell to his knees and let out a horrible cry, trying to release the pain, frustration and fear that he’d been holding in.

"Draco!" Lupin came through the brush and dropped down beside him. "It’ll get better than this, I promise. Just relax and don’t fight it. Let it happen."

"How long?" Draco panted out.

"Soon. I feel it coming too. Did you take the rest of your potion?" Lupin demanded. He could only nod in response. "Come on then, there’s a clearing over here, it’ll be easier in the open."

"Easier for the moon to find us." Draco sputtered out as he was helped to his feet.

"Better than rolling around in the trees and on fallen branches and risk hurting yourself. You can’t hide from it forever. And you aren’t alone." They had reached the clearing, and as Lupin turned to face him, he could see the man begin to change before his eyes, standing under the moon in all it’s glory. "Come on out here, it will be fine." Lupin beckoned. The words came from a mouth that didn’t appear to belong on his face anymore. Fur was sprouting and as Lupin doubled over, his body morphed, the clothes tearing off of him. Within seconds, the man that had stood before him was gone, replaced by a creature much larger, and much more menacing. The wolf looked at him with questioning eyes. Draco took a deep breath and stepped out into the clearing to join him, telling himself he was ready for anything.

(BREAK)

Ginny was stunned as she watched Draco run from her. He’d rejected her plans, thinking in a few moments, of all the problems she had more than a day to consider. Of course she hadn’t thought of the potion, or Harland. She hadn’t thought about Draco needing to change beyond this first time and the horror that could bring. She still didn’t care about any of it though. After all, Wolfsbane was just a potion, it couldn’t be that hard to make, could it? And she knew Draco was stronger than he believed, that he could fight and keep Harland out of his head. It’d be just like keeping Harry and Luna out, wouldn’t it? And they could go somewhere remote, where there are no other people, and he could change without fear, shouldn’t that be enough? Okay, so maybe she wasn’t sure it could be as easy as all that, but it had to be better than the lives they were living here.

"Ginny! Answer me!" she heard her father call her again, followed by her brothers and Harry. She rose with a sigh, and brushed the dirt from her hands. Going back to her campsite, she began gathering her things. Then she pulled out the ring and called out her location. She’d go home with them this time, because Draco was too unsure of himself to go with her tomorrow. But she was determined to work on him, to assure him he was in control, and that she could help take care of him. Then they’d leave and she would save them both from this life. Until then, she’d do what she needed to do, to keep the others satisfied that she was sorry for all she’d done and was on her way to getting back to normal. But she would not go to therapy, and she would not be sent away to some hospital, no matter what.

(BREAK)

"Over here!" they finally heard Ginny reply to their calls for her. Arthur ran the rest of the way, the boys hot on his heels. They all stopped short when they found her, standing by her things, holding the ring out to them.

"Here." She stepped up to Harry and placed the ring in his hand. "It’s done, over, okay?"

"Okay." Harry said quietly. His hand instantly warmed as he closed it around his prize, sending tingles up his arm. He felt instantly more peaceful.

"It may be okay between you two," Arthur said angrily, "but this is far from over, Ginevra. Let’s go."

As they made their way back to the car, Harry walked with Fred. Handing the ring over, he watched as Fred visibly relaxed in front of his eyes. Apparently they had both been suffering from energy withdrawl, and now they’d both had a small fix of their drug. Again the boys automatically climbed into the back and closed the doors, forcing Ginny to sit in front with her father. She shot them all a dirty look as she got in, but Harry didn’t feel bad. Of course there was enough room for her and anyone else in the back, but they sure didn’t want to chance getting caught in the anger storm Arthur was about to unleash, especially since the one who had brewed it was finally present.

"What were you thinking?" Arthur finally asked as they got back onto the main roadway.

"That I wanted to leave." Ginny said simply.

"And you thought it would just be that easy!? You aren’t a stupid girl, Ginny, but you sure have been acting like one, from what I hear."

"Oh, and what have you heard, father?" she asked bitterly, turning to glare at the boys. They all three kept their faces blank.

"Everything, apparently. Why didn’t you come to us, if you were so unhappy? We could have found a way to help you."

"Yeah, in between finding a way to help the world, right? How am I supposed to tell you or anyone else anything! All I ever hear is how much everyone is dealing with and all the things going wrong that need to be fixed. You think I wanted to be one more thing you have to fix? I’m not broken, dad! I don’t need therapy, I don’t need you and mum holding my hand, and I don’t need them all watching my every move!" she yelled.

"Then what do you need?" Arthur yelled back. "You needed everyone to worry about you? You needed all your friends to turn against you? You needed to run away with one of the most dangerous people you could, considering who he is and regardless of how he acts now? You needed to steal away our last way of reaching George? You needed to make your brothers feel like they were failing because they wanted to help you? Well? Were those the things you needed?"

Ginny sat as still as a statue, but Harry could see tears forming in the corner of her eye. He tried not to feel bad for her, knew she’d brought this all on herself, but he couldn’t help it. He knew what it was like, to act without thinking things through because it seemed like a good idea. He wanted to say something, but was scared of his own dressing down from Arthur. He knew it was coming, after all, he’d helped make Ginny who she was today.

No one said anything for a long time. Finally, Arthur spoke, low but clear. "This is what’s going to happen. Ginny, since you obviously can’t talk to any of us about what you’re going through, you WILL be talking to one of the healers. There is no choice for you, you are more than a year away from being of age and therefore, you will do as I say. You’re only other option is inpatient care with the healers, so I suggest you decide to take the opportunity to meet with them at the house. As for you two," he glanced back at Fred and Ron, "there will be no more secrets. Fred, I don’t care how old you get, I never want another lie from you. You will both be playing by the rules from now on, and you don’t do anything unless you are given permission to do it. Harry…I’m may not be your father, but I have tried my best and I expected better judgement from you. I realize you were trying to do a good thing, but it is never okay to use someone, even if you are trying to protect them. I may not be able to hand down decrees and punishments to you like these three, and believe me when I say I know how much my family owes to you, but I would hope you know enough to understand how disappointed I am. I want to expect better from all of you…I just don’t know how we’ll ever trust any of you ever again."

"Like you guys tell us everything." Ginny muttered.

"We don’t have to, we are the adults." Arthur replied angrily. "You need to adjust your attitude."

"Or what? You’ll have it adjusted for me when you force me to go see the healers?" she answered bitterly.

Harry felt lower than low, had felt that way all day. Ron and Fred also appeared properly ashamed. Ginny, however, didn’t appear to share their distress. He hoped the healers would be able to get through to her, and he hoped that this was the end of it all. They had all been found out, thanks to her actions, and now, maybe they could all be free to begin moving on from the last school year.

"You’ve left me no choice, my dear. You won’t talk to me or mum, you won’t talk to your brothers or your friends. What would you have me do? I’m not giving up on you." Arthur’s voice was hard, and Harry didn’t have to read his mind to know that he was thinking about Percy.

You didn’t give up on Percy, he gave up on you. Ginny is different. Harry thought to him without realizing it. He had only wanted to make Arthur feel better.

I hope you’re right. Harry was surprised he’d answered back. Maybe Arthur didn’t hate him as much as he thought the man would.

(BREAK)

"Okay, then from there we get… Gabriella Hernandez!" Hermione said triumphantly. They’d been working for hours on the information from the records room. It was past one in the morning, and she hoped the others would be back soon. Luna had reported that Harry had come back into her range about an hour ago, so it could be any minute. Apparently they had Ginny and the ring, and Arthur was deeply angry with them all.

"Okay, so from Hermelinda Aguilar, we get Gabriella, who was a…?" Luna started. She hadn’t translated those documents outlining the coven’s powers, only Hermione had.

"Psychic Healer. They’re healers who use their own energy."

"And that makes her different from say, Healer Drake, how? I mean I know he uses his energy in addition to the potions." Luna pointed out.

"Right, he does, all the healers at St. Mungo’s are probably psychic, but apparently, Hermelinda’s line are able to do so without any potions at all. They can also cure fatal diseases with a touch, can tap a person’s energy and drain them of it entirely, bring back those on the brink of death, and in one case, I read that Hermelinda was able to resurrect one of the other coven members who had actually died in one of their battles."

"Really? I must not have gotten to that one. I’m still going over and translating the battle records. Who’d she raise from the dead?"

"If memory serves-"

"Which yours always does." Luna interrupted with a grin.

"Sakhmet, one of the ones from Egypt. I believe it said she was hit with the killing curse and was pronounced dead until Hermelinda laid hands on her and she once again drew breath."

"Sakhmet. She was named for a goddess. That’s nice."

"Yeah, the goddess of war and vengeance. Not so nice, but fitting I guess. Let’s work on her family next." Hermione suggested.


We’re pulling around the corner. Harry’s voice invaded their heads and interrupted their plans. The girls shared a look of concern.

"How mad is Arthur?" Hermione asked timidly.

"He doesn’t know what to feel, I think he’s overloaded. His thoughts keep switching around to new things." Luna answered, trying to follow all of the things racing through Mr. Weasley’s mind.

"Well, we might as well go tell Molly and meet them downstairs." Hermione sighed and they went together to rouse the poor woman, who looked as if she’d been crying since she went into her room.

When Arthur stalked in a moment later, a firm hold on Ginny’s arm, Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. She’d never felt so nervous. The boys came in behind, all three looking ashamed. "It’s late." Arthur said after looking them all over. "Everyone go to bed. Molly and I need to talk a few things over, we will see you all in the morning."

They all practically ran up the stairs, eager to escape before he changed his mind. All children instinctively knew, it was always best if there was a cooling off period before punishment is handed down. Ginny went straight to her room, but the others went to Harry’s. Hermione wasn’t surprised, she had expected the other girl to hide. The minute the door closed, Harry and Fred began to fight, obviously picking up from some silent argument they’d been having in their heads.

"I’ll be quick! Then you can use it, okay?" Harry said, putting his hand behind his back as Fred tried to reach for what he had closed in it.

"I’ll be just as quick! Let me go first, please! I need to!" Fred pleaded.

"I can just call Sirius real quick. I want to see if he knows what happened to Snape."

"I can ask George the same question, you know."

"Stop!" Hermione shouted. She went over to Harry and took the ring from him. She was surprised when he fought her at first, but didn’t let it show and he eventually let go. "Are you really fighting about this? After everything that happened tonight? Come here, both of you!" she demanded, placing the ring on her finger and holding her hand out. "Now, both of you hold on and think of someone."

"They can’t call up two people at once, can they?" Ron asked.

"Why not? Lily and James can visit together or separately." Hermione replied as she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, letting their energy work through her.

A few minutes later, just as Hermione began to fear it wouldn’t work after all, two forms began taking shape in front of them. Shortly after, they were staring into the unhappy faces of Sirius and George.

"Georgie Ol’ Boy!" Fred exclaimed. "And Sirius, welcome as well!" He was certainly in a better mood. "Long time, no see!"

"A lot has been happening, apparently." Sirius said sullenly.

"I don’t even know where to start with that sister of ours!" George exclaimed. "And now she’s a wolf chaser?!"

"Do you guys know where Snape is?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Yes and no." Sirius responded. "He’s definitely alive, but wherever they’re keeping him, it’s somewhere we can’t see. This can mean a few things, and when Remus returns, I’d really like it if you guys could set it up for me and James to talk to him, Arthur and Albus."

"Anything really bad?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"We can talk about it then." Sirius said mysteriously.

"How bad is it going to be with dad?" Fred asked.

"How should I know? I can’t see the future up here you know. We just get a sense of things down there, mostly through the people we were attached to in life. But I imagine it’s going to be worse for Ginny and Harry than you, Freddie." George laughed. "Why not ask one of the psychic wonder kids?"

Hermione felt herself grow warmer as the conversation progressed. Loathe to be the one to end the meeting, she suffered through her discomfort though her body was tingling and her skin was on fire. Shooting glances at Harry and Fred, she saw their faces were growing red and sweat dripped from their brow. She was determined to be as strong as they were, but feared she wasn’t. Finally, they all wrapped things up, setting up the future meeting Sirius had wanted and relief flooded her as the ghosts took their leave. She roughly pulled the ring from her finger and thrust it back at Harry, unconsciously stepping back.

"I don’t like that thing at all." She muttered.

"So, how’d it go with mum?" Ron asked her and Luna.

"She’s upset. We told her everything." She answered.

"She’s sad more than anything." Luna added, the far away look in her eye. "And disappointed, in us and herself. She feels like she’s failing as a mother. And your father feels the same about himself as a parent. They’re trying to figure out how they failed you all, including Harry, and they’re debating the best way to handle Ginny. They’re talking about all of that right now."

"Let’s just hope it all works out." Harry said quietly.

(BREAK)

Draco woke the next morning feeling sore and weak. His memories of most of the night were hazy, but looking down, he was thankful he’d had enough mind to crash next to his bag. Hastily pulling on pants, he rose on shaky legs and searched for Lupin.

"How’re you feeling?" he spun to find the man behind him, fully dressed and holding a bottle of water, which he held out to Draco.

Taking the offered drink, he guzzled it, soothing his parched throat before answering. "I feel…smaller, weak, tired, sore…I feel…less somehow." He struggled for words.

"Yeah, less. Because from now on, the wolf is always going to be the bigger part of you. It will influence you in ways you don’t expect, even when the moon is dark. As for everything else, a good rest will help that. And a good meal. Come on, the driver will be here soon."

Draco finished dressing as Lupin gathered their things. "So next time, we’ll be here longer?" he asked as they made their way through the trees.

"Not here, we’ll be at the school by then, but yes. Three days we’ll leave. Luckily you’ll be with a professor, so you won’t miss out on class too much." Lupin grinned at him. "So, was it as bad as you thought?"

"I don’t know, I don’t remember most of it. I guess it’s something to get used to." Truthfully, Draco didn’t know how he felt about what he had experienced. It was something beyond his grasp at this point.

"So what happened last night? Where did you disappear to?"

"I ran into Ginny, actually."

"What?" Lupin stopped and turned serious.

"She ran away, wanted me to go with her. Mr. Weasley and the others found her. I assume they took her back to Potter’s house, I left before things could go wrong." Now he was even more glad he’d turned Ginny down. He didn’t want to run anywhere at the moment, all he wanted was sleep.

"Well, I guess we’ll be walking into quite the scene when we get there. Arthur and Molly can’t be thrilled."

They made it to the waiting car, a nameless ministry guard waiting. Draco wanted to fall asleep on the ride back, but he couldn’t. His mind was too wrapped up in Ginny and her half-cocked plans. More than anything he’d wanted to give in and say yes, but too many years of learning the safest way to stay alive had hardened him. It had taken a lot out of him to be the son of Lucius Malfoy, but he’d given up everything individual to himself to do it, because this current life was the result of turning against his father. But he wouldn’t go back, couldn’t. And as he thought about it, he realized as much as he had wanted to go with Ginny, he really didn’t want to leave Grimmauld Place. He liked it there, felt things there he’d never experienced before. He felt safe and supported, and they’d given him no reason to run from any of that. Shocked to discover he was actually starting to really like all of these people, he began to wonder when the other shoe would drop.

A long while later, they pulled up in front of the house, and Draco actually felt he was home. Certainly more so than the cold, unwelcoming mansion where he’d been raised. He couldn’t wait to go to his room, climb into his bed and fall asleep for hours. Unfortunately, he realized sleep was probably the last thing he’d get, as they walked through the door.

(BREAK)

"You can bring a million healers here, but you can’t make me talk to them!" Ginny screamed. "And if you send me away to some hospital, I’ll run away the first chance I get!"

Harry tried to put himself in her shoes, and realized he very well may have acted the same way, had someone tried to force him into this. But he had plenty of people he could talk to, Ginny chose to talk to no one. She wasn’t giving them much of choice. Looking around at the others, he saw Ron and Fred, who usually enjoyed their parents punishing a sibling, sitting slumped in their seats, their faces masked with uncertainty and a hint of fear. Luna sat apart from everyone in one of the overstuffed chairs, staring off into space, her mind somewhere else far from this place. He didn’t want to pry, so he didn’t. Hermione sat next to him, tightly clutching his hand. Knowing how much she hated disappointing anyone, he for once felt equally as bad, if not worse. Harry himself was watching the scene before him in a trance, simply dreading his own turn in front of the elder Weasleys. He perked up, when he saw Lupin and Draco slip in quietly through the front door and stand awkwardly in the parlor doorway.

"Ginny, please understand we only want to help you." Molly was pleading. "We love you, and we want you to be happy, which you obviously aren’t."

"I don’t want to talk about this anymore." Ginny said coldly, crossing her arms and staring past her parents. Apparently she had noticed the new arrivals as well.

"Don’t let us interrupt." Lupin said, obviously uncomfortable to walk in on a family moment. "Just wanted to let you guys know we were back. I’ll just be in my room, Tonks is up there waiting for me."

"I’m going to go lay down." Draco said quickly turning and following Lupin up the stairs.

"Don’t get too comfortable! Drake will be here to check on you two in a little while." Arthur called after them before turning to his daughter. "Ginny, I will have someone here tomorrow morning, and you can talk or not talk to them, but you will sit there for as long as the healer feels you should sit with them. There will be no arguments, no compromises and no other choices. I’ve seen and heard of your solutions to your issues, and I don’t approve."

Ginny said nothing, simply glared her parents down before silently stomping from the room and up the stairs to her room. They all heard the door slam somewhere above their heads. "Well, that must have been very difficult for you both, we should leave you to your peace." Fred said, making to rise from the couch.

"Sit." Arthur ordered. "I am so disappointed in the rest of you. How could none of you have told us when you first suspected she was so confused? Imagine the trouble and aggravation you could have saved yourselves, could have saved her, by letting us be the adults for once and taking care of her."

"Like you weren’t too busy to notice something was off about her yourselves, since you’re the adults." Fred muttered.

"What did you say?" Arthur demanded.

"He’s right!" Molly cried. "We should have seen it Arthur! We are as much to blame as they are. We haven’t been there for her, why would she come to us? Why would any of them? We’ve been so busy, so distracted…I should have known…I did know I think…Oh Arthur, will any of this ever be over for good? Can’t we just be happy?"

"Of course you can!" Luna said seriously out of nowhere. "But more blaming and arguing and anger isn’t the way to get there. I don’t mean to step out of line." To Harry’s further amazement, she rose and walked to Arthur and Molly, throwing her arms around them both. "Now that everything is in the open, and you’ve reached your decision about Ginny, you can all sit down together and begin healing. More fingerpointing, even at our own selves, won’t get anyone anywhere. We all know we’ve done wrong, and we all feel guilty about it. We can’t change anything in the past, only learn from it."

(BREAK)

"Okay, I’m officially awed." Ron said a while later as they all gathered in Harry’s room. They were all in awe of Luna, she’d sat down Arthur and Molly and by the end of a rather long discussion, they’d all somehow come away feeling better than they had that morning. Harry knew she was good at that sort of thing, had gone to her himself quite a few times when he’d needed to feel better about something, but this was a whole other situation. He didn’t think Arthur would ever look him in the face again, but just a short while ago, they’d managed not only a conversation, but a hug as well.

"Everyone was so tense and hurt, you all just needed someone to be the mediator." Luna shrugged.

"I just can’t believe no one got into trouble!" Fred declared. "I mean, Ginny sort of, but the rest of us, nothing!"

"We all want this behind us, including your parents." Hermione said. "But I’m sure if you’re that upset about it, Arthur would be happy to arrange a punishment."

"I didn’t even do anything as bad as the rest of you." He protested. "I just didn’t tell them about Ginny."

"Or any of the other things you were up to at school." Ron pointed out.

"Please, they don’t know the half of what George and I got into up there. We’ll never be caught for most of it." Fred answered, the twinkle of mischief back in his eye. "Either way, Luna, you’re my new hero!"

"Anyway," Luna tried to steer them in another direction, her face flush with the embarrassment of being the center of attention. "Hermione and I worked on the records while you were gone. We’ve got another coven member."

"Great!" Harry exclaimed, finally feeling a sliver of actual happiness. "Who is he or she?"

"She is Gabriella Hernandez, a psychic healer." Hermione took up the narrative as she picked up the files and leafed through to the right place. "Descendant of Hermelinda Aguilar, age 27, originally from Spain, she is currently living in Canada with her husband, Philip Hernandez, a Canadian citizen."

"And they have no children." Luna added. "Hermione said Hermelinda was able to bring people back from the dead."

"Really?" Harry and Fred asked, both intrigued.

"Another coven member, but the account said she’d only been able to do it because the person was so recently killed, that the soul had yet to leave the body." Hermione quickly explained before they could get their hopes up too high. In Harry’s case, it was already too late. The image of Sirius, James and Lily rejoining the land of the living filled his head. Once she explained however, they all three became brainless zombies, decomposing before his eyes as they staggered from their graves. He shook his head violently to clear the picture.

"Okay, so now there’s Harry, Luna, Jacinda and Gabriella. Always have to be surrounded by the ladies, huh Harry." Fred teased.

"Gabriella is 27, a whole decade separates them." Hermione said. Harry noted the hint of defensiveness in her voice.

"Hey, sometimes older women like younger guys." Fred teased some more. "Besides, that just means she’s more experienced. And Luna and the other girl are around the right age…" he winked at Harry as Hermione turned from him and faced the others.

"Anyway, we have four out of twelve, well on our way. We should start figuring out how we’re going to approach these people. Most of them won’t speak our language, but that shouldn’t be a problem with all the translation spells out there. I think we should learn a few of those spells." She went to her room and returned with a large book. "I found a bunch in here."

"We aren’t in school yet!" Ron protested.

"Exactly. Once we are, we won’t have much time for extracurricular activities." Hermione warned.

(BREAK)

"You’re both looking good. A bit tired, but I expected that." Drake said wrapping up his exam. "Draco, I think it’s best if we put off your treatment until tomorrow, give your body more time to adjust before it’s forced to heal some more."

"Whatever you think is best, doc." Draco said tiredly. A knock on his door interrupted them.

Drake, standing closest, opened the door and Potter popped his head in. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. Tonks said Lupin was in here."

"We were just finishing up." Drake said as Potter fully entered the room.

"How are you guys?" he asked.

"Top notch." Lupin grinned as they turned to Draco, expecting his response.

"I’ve been worse." He answered quietly. He knew Potter would want to talk, they were all certainly fond of their heart to hearts around here. But he wasn’t in the mood, and let that thought escape the wall he kept up around his mind. He saw the other boy pick up on it and nod in silent agreement.

"Lupin. Dumbledore will be here soon. Sirius and my dad want to talk to you guys and Arthur about Snape." Potter said quickly, sneaking a glance at Drake. No one had told the healer about the ring, and though he appeared confused, he apparently knew better than to ask any questions about how they would be conversing with two people who were well known to be dead.

"We’re all done, you can go." Drake said to Lupin.

Soon after the healer left as well, assured his Wolfsbane potion had been successful. Draco lay down on his bed, glad for the solitude. He still couldn’t fall asleep, too many things were swimming around in his head. Just as he felt ready to scream in frustration at not being able to sleep when he felt so exhausted, another knock came quickly and quietly at his door. With a disgruntled sigh, he flung off the covers and answered the door, finding Ginny on the other side. "We need to talk." She said briskly brushing past him into the room.

He swung the door shut, amazed once more that she seemed unfazed by anything. They walked in on her screaming at her parents, and now she was here, back to working him. He decided to find out what she wanted, now that her plan with the ring had failed so miserably.

(BREAK)

"I’m sorry." Fred startled Harry. He’d been at the front door, anxiously waiting for Dumbledore, while Lupin and Arthur waited in the parlor, talking. Still uncomfortable being around Arthur, Harry had taken up his post, eager to call up Sirius and James so that they could figure out what happened to Snape. Fred had just snuck up behind him.

"Sorry for what? What happened now?" he asked.

"No, I mean I’m sorry I made her run. If I hadn’t gone to talk to her, we could have just gone and got the ring like you wanted and mum and dad wouldn’t have to have been told anything."

"It all happens for a reason right?" Harry said tiredly. He certainly didn’t blame Fred for Ginny’s actions, but he could understand where his friend was coming from. Still, Harry was done with the whole episode. He wanted to put everything before that moment behind him and stop endlessly obsessing over the things they can’t change. "Besides, I did what I did, she did what she did, you do what you do, it doesn’t matter in the end. According to Luna, every possible outcome has already been written. This is where our decisions led us. Don’t worry about that anymore, now we worry about getting back on the right path."

"If you say so." Fred didn’t appear appeased.

"Look, I haven’t told anyone that you tipped Ginny off. I let them all think the watch on Draco’s room was an added security measure."

"You didn’t even tell Hermione? I thought you two struck a no secrets deal."

Harry paused. How would Fred know? "She told you about that?"

"Well she said she told you we were working on a cure and I got mad, so she explained the whole deal." Fred answered quickly.

"I thought you guys only worked on it that one night." Harry felt a stab of uneasiness, suddenly understanding Hermione’s feeling about him spending time alone with Ginny, or Luna.

"And a little the night before Lupin and Draco left. She was upset by the letter Dumbledore had sent about her parents and couldn’t sleep again. Said she had to walk over Ron sleeping on the stairs during his watch. She woke him up, but he probably fell asleep again."

"Yeah, well we said we wouldn’t keep secrets, but that wasn’t my secret it was yours. And you didn’t tell her, did you?" Harry decided to ignore the jealousy swirling in his gut. He’d known she was upset by the situation with her parents, but had discussed it very little with him. Apparently, she’d followed his lead and found someone else to talk to. He saw her point now, about him confiding in Luna over her. As harmless as his friendship with Luna was, he knew Fred and Hermione’s was even more so. Excepting a few inappropriate comments and innocent teasing from him over the years, Fred and Hermione barely showed interest in each other. As far as he knew anyway. More than anything, he was upset to learn that things between him and Hermione were still strained. They used to tell each other everything, he wanted them to get there again.

"No, I figured you had and she just wasn’t bringing it up."

"Besides, if she found Ron sleeping, then now we know how Ginny snuck into Draco’s room."

"Hey, that must be it!" Fred said excitedly. "So would you say Ron is more to blame than I am?"

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Well, without your part, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to mess up his, right?" he laughed as Fred hung his head in defeat. "Relax, it’s no one’s fault, not even Ginny’s. We’re all playing off each other instead of working together like we used to. We should know each other well enough to know how everyone will respond to a given situation."

"We should, but do we?" Fred asked concerned.

The doorbell rang, causing both boys to jump. Harry turned and answered the door, admitting Dumbledore’s tall, deceptively frail form into the house. "Hello, Harry. Fred." The headmaster nodded a greeting. "You wanted to see me?"

"Not exactly." Harry answered, still carrying hard feelings toward the older wizard. "Sirius and my dad wanted to talk to everybody, about Professor Snape." Harry emphasized the word, so Dumbledore wouldn’t feel the constant need to correct him.

They walked into the parlor, Harry indicating to Fred that he could join them if he wanted. He shrugged and followed them in.

Harry sat next to Lupin and slipped on the ring, allowing his friend to add his energy as they thought of their loved ones. Almost instantly, Sirius and James were before them. "Hello again, Arthur, Albus." Sirius grinned at the two who had yet to see him this way.

"Albus! It’s good to see you again!" James exclaimed. "Harry, Remus, a pleasure every time we meet. Arthur Weasley, a pleasure to formally meet. I don’t know how I can thank you enough for what you and your family have done for my son."

Arthur reddened. "How ironic, I feel the same for the things your son has done for me and mine. Mostly." He shot a meaningful glance at Harry who felt a shiver of shame go down his spine.

"Listen, before the link weakens." Sirius interrupted. "Severus Snape is alive, but he is being held against his will. We just can’t sense where they’re keeping him."

"There must be powerful spells guarding the place, if its location is protected even from the plane of the dead." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "That gives us a few options."

"Like?" Harry asked.

"There are certain places on earth where there is higher levels of energy. These places emphasis our magic, making any witch or wizard stronger when they cast." James explained.

"But with more of these places being discovered all the time, I doubt they’d take him somewhere we’d already know about." Lupin replied.

"Well, wouldn’t it make sense they take him to one of the places with the highest energy levels?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, how many of those are there? And can’t they be found more easily?" Fred added.

"They are the first places we’ll send our scouts." Arthur replied. "But who knows what Severus is going through in the meantime."

(BREAK)

Hermione had been working with Luna and Ron on the records and files from the ministry while Harry had his meeting. While they’d wanted to be present, she knew both she and Ron still felt uncomfortable in Arthur’s presence. They’d been exposed so completely, it was difficult to recover themselves. Luna’s reasons for not going were her own, and Hermione hadn’t pried, especially in front of Ron. They were getting along so well lately.

"Wow." Ron said awhile later, putting down the documents Luna had just translated and given him.

"I know. It’s a pretty amazing account." Hermione answered, knowing exactly what he’d read.

"But to really bring someone back from the killing curse! And I thought what Drake was doing with Malfoy’s arm was miraculous. I wonder if this Gabriella woman would be able to fix his arm with just a touch."

Hermione thought it was an interesting idea. "It seems like it’d be possible. Maybe we should find her first?"

"But Drake is making progress." Luna pointed out.

"Yeah, but if she could do it quicker and with less struggle for him why not?" Ron argued.

"Because the easy way isn’t always the best way." Luna responded.

"Easy for you to say, you don’t have to regrow an arm." Ron grumbled.

"Neither do you." Hermione defended the other girl. "Maybe it would be best to let Draco decide."

"Think what it means for Drake. He’s found success, and if Draco can complete the process, then he’ll be able to use his case to gain notoriety, teach others at his skill level and help a lot of people in Draco’s situation. Sure Gabriella may be able to heal him quickly, but how many others would she be able to realistically heal? Using our powers drains me and Harry, and healers use way more energy than we do. Even you guys get tired in battle."

"So we let Draco suffer to help more people?" Hermione asked. "I don’t know, it makes sense when you think in terms of someone you don’t know, but…"

"Well, like you said, we can ask him." Ron responded as Harry and Fred walked into Hermione’s room through the bookcase.

"Ask who what?" Fred asked.

"Ask Draco if he wants to continue with Drake or try and contact Gabriella and see if she’ll help him." Ron said.

"If she can help him is right. There’s no record of anything like that being done." Hermione pointed out.

"Well, we’ll ask him." Ron said through clenched teeth, obviously ready to end the debate he’d started. "Anyway, what happened downstairs?"

"They don’t know exactly where Snape is, just that he’s alive." Harry said as he and Fred outlined the conversation that had taken place.

"How long until they know something, do you think?" Hermione asked once they were finished.

"I’m not sure. Hopefully hours or days instead of weeks or months."

"Who’d have thought we’d ever worry about Snape, huh?" Ron shook his head in wonder.

"You know, maybe the energy thing is why Luna can’t get any visions about the missing Professor Spy." Fred suggested.

"Maybe." She said thoughtfully.

A knock at the door interrupted the pensive silence they’d fallen into. Hermione went to answer, finding Molly on the other side. "Albus would like to see you dear. The rest of you, lunch is ready."

They silently followed her down the stairs. She knocked on Ginny and Draco’s doors, but neither answered. Molly threw a worried look over her shoulder, but the teens said nothing. They continued on, the others breaking off to the kitchen as Hermione made for the parlor. A quick glance at Harry conveyed her wishes and he broke off from the group to join her. She took his hand as they settled themselves on the couch across from where their Headmaster was seated. Already knowing what this had to be about, she braced herself.

"If you feel up to it, the meeting with your parents is set for tomorrow morning." He said without ceremony.

"I have to see them sometime, right." She answered quietly.

"Maybe, but it doesn’t have to be now. We can find a way to keep them compliant for their own safety, despite their threats to make it difficult. Of course I’d prefer they continue of their own accord, but not at the sake of your peace of mind. Perhaps with some time, a better understanding can be reached."

"You speak like you know what they want to say to her." Harry accused, defensive on her behalf.

"The Grangers have indicated to me nothing other than that they wish to speak with their daughter."

"That doesn’t really answer the question." Harry said evenly. Hermione felt tense but didn’t know how to end hostility flowing from student to teacher.

"I don’t remember you asking a question, Harry." Dumbledore replied steadily.

"I’m going tomorrow." Hermione burst out. "If they have something they need to say to me, then I certainly have some things to say to them. And everyone said they’d come with me, so I hope to have a lot of support." She looked at Harry who was quietly fuming beside her, his hand tightly clutching hers.

"As you wish, Hermione." Dumbledore bowed his head in acceptance. "I will go make the final preparations." He left without further comment.

She sat next to Harry, not sure what to say, simply letting him work it out while she held his hand in support. "I don’t know why I let him get to me. I know he’s not trying to upset me or anything."

"You’re still mad that he kept things he knew about you secret." She softly suggested. "It’s not so hard to understand, forced to grow up in your situation and never knowing anything true about your past. And then to have someone trickle the information they have to you over several years, well, I’d be frustrated too."

"Maybe."

"Maybe you feel like he let you down, which is hard since he was the first person you ever really trusted."

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her, pulling her close. "You’re so smart. You have me all figured out."

"I’m smart enough to know I’ll never have you all figured out. But I feel like I’m close." She answered, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Closer than anyone else I’d think." He kissed her forehead. "I like it when it’s like this between us." He whispered.

"Then quit screwing it up." She joked, feeling his lips curve into a smile as he rested them against her skin.

"I’ll try."

(BREAK)

Ginny was nervous, but she didn’t let it show. She had paced her room, swinging back and forth between anger and confusion. Finally deciding that one outweighed the other, she had left and sought out Draco. Now alone in his room with him again, she was felt her emotional turbulence rise. They ignored the knock on the door and Molly’s declaration that lunch was ready.

"I really wanted you to come with me, you know. You, no one else." She said once she was sure her mother had moved on.

"You didn’t really have anyone else to take, did you." He replied coldly.

"That’s not what I meant."

"I’m sure. Look, I don’t know what plan you’re hatching now, but leave me out of it. I’m tired of being used. That’s part of the reason I switched sides in the first place."

"There’s no plan, Draco." Ginny said earnestly. "I really thought we’d go off somewhere and build a better life for ourselves. I wanted to save us both."

"What were you picturing exactly?" he laughed. "Certainly not a white picket fence. Face it, you wanted a guilt free way out of the mess you made, a way to leave without facing consequences and saw me as your ticket. After all, I couldn’t exactly hide my feelings for you, could I."

"I didn’t fake that." She said quietly.

"I don’t believe you."

"And I wasn’t the one who made the first move." She pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I’d already told you I wasn’t feeling like myself. I still don’t." He turned from her. "You exploited the opportunity though, didn’t you? Getting me to trust you, feel sorry for you, all so you could do what? What was your reason for coming in my room that night?"

She was shocked. "They haven’t told you?"

"I told Potter I wanted space a little while ago. Besides, I got the feeling they were all hiding something from me, so obviously they were trying to protect you."

"Maybe it was you they were trying to protect. From me." She hung her head, feeling shamed. No one made her feel this way but him.

"What does that mean? What was all this for? Why did you come to my room that night?" He demanded.

"To get the ring." She said quietly.

"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I hid it in here before. I wanted the others to think you had it so they’d be mad at you and you’d want to turn to me. They figured it out somehow, Fred told me they were going to get it after you left, so you wouldn’t have to know I’d tried to set you up. They even took turns sitting outside your door watching for me."

"So how did you get past them?" he asked dully.

"Ron fell asleep." She tried to meet his eyes, but he wouldn’t look at her. "So I snuck in here, but I didn’t plan anything after that, you have to believe me. I was honest with you that night, except for the reason I’d come to see you. I didn’t want to sneak out and leave you there alone, but I couldn’t let them find me! I had the ring and I wanted to use it to save us. I never thought you wouldn’t want to come with me."

"When did you hide the ring in here?" he asked, his voice harsh and clogged with emotion.

"What?"

"When Ginny? Which visit before that night was a lie so that you could plant the ring on me?"

Another shot of guilt assaulted her, but she’d come this far, she couldn’t stop now. "The night I came to check on you after they moved you and Lupin out of the War Room."

"Get out." He demanded moving to the door. She ran after him, pushing the door closed and placing her back against it.

"Please, Draco. I know I messed up and I lied to you. But I’m telling you everything now. The truth!"

"And why should I believe anything you have to say?" He reached for the knob and began trying to pull the door against her. She dug her heels in and grabbed his wrist.

"I told you they were all trying to protect you!" she reasoned desperately. "If I was still trying to turn everyone against you, why would I tell you about that? I promise I’m telling you the whole truth and I really am sorry."

He stopped trying to pull on the door and stared her down. "Why, Ginny. Why bother telling me any of this? What’s your angle this time?"

"There’s no angle." She said softly. "I wanted everything in the open between us so we could start over. I want you to trust me."

"But why?"

"Because…" she struggled for words and found none. Instead, she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his.

 

 

NOTE: A super long one to hopefully hold you off should there be a pause in posting. Thanks for reading everyone, and I apologize in advance for any future delays. Family comes first, and so writing must come second. Coming up: Draco and Ginny work some things out, Hermione meets with her parents, we glimpse Luna’s final vision for them all, Ron makes a move without telling the others, Luna puzzles out her brother’s death, Hagrid returns and Harry celebrates his birthday. It looking like another long one, with all that to squeeze into one chapter, so stay tuned. It’ll hopefully be coming at you soon!

Chapter 17: Confronting Reality

A/N: I think with so much going on right now in the story, that short chapters are a thing of the past. I know I said a lot of things were going to happen this chapter, and they are, but once again the story got away from me and more needed to be dealt with on the emotional/dramatic aspect before we get back to the action. There is a lot to digest in this chapter, so pay attention and stick with me. Sometimes the littlest details or dialogue reveals a lot more later on. WARNING: mushy and intimate scenes ahead! Without further interruption, Read, Review, and most definitely Enjoy!

 

At first his instinct took over and Draco returned the kiss, deepened it. He had wanted this so badly, wanted her for reasons unknown to him and for much longer than he cared to admit. But eventually his brain shook him out of the stupor, and the feelings of hurt, anger and betrayal set in again. He pushed her away roughly, moving to the other side of the room himself for added distance. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What I want to do." She responded evenly.

"I can’t take this right now, Ginny. I don’t know what your aim is, what are you trying to do to me this time?"

"What are you talking about?!" she threw her hands in the air. "I’ve done nothing but try to be with you! I wanted your friendship and now I want more. I was trying to make it so we’d run away together, remember? Everything I did was for you, and me. It was for us!"

"And to make Potter mad, right?" he asked angrily.

"Not everything I do is about Harry."

"It isn’t? Why’d you take the ring in the first place? You didn’t hide it in here until days after you actually took it if you were telling the truth, so framing me wasn’t your original plan was it?"

"I told you at Lairmore why I did it." She said quietly.

"Right, because you ‘thought Harry would need it.’ We both know that’s a lie and it’s still about Potter!" He stomped his foot in frustration and she said nothing. And then it hit him. "You did it to get back at him, didn’t you? For hurting you all those months ago."

"Maybe." She whispered. "But I didn’t know that’s why I did it, not at first."

"Really? Because it doesn’t surprise me at all." He countered.

"It doesn’t matter, because the plan changed! You think you pieced so much together, can’t you figure out it became about you?"

"The only thing I figured out is that the closer you are to being caught, the more convincing you become. Can’t you figure it out? You ruined everything!" he yelled at her. "All your concern for me, your visits, they were all lies, all for some other purpose!"

"I was concerned! I could only hide the ring once you know! Not every visit was a lie."

"And which visit did you say it was when you took the ring back?" He watched her face fall. "Exactly. So now you see my dilemma. The last time you were in here kissing me, you had an alterior motive. It’s never what it appears to be with you, is it?"

She was quiet for a while before saying quietly, "That day I came in here and you were in pain, when I helped take care of you, that wasn’t a lie. I didn’t have any reason for being there other than to see you. I wanted to help, to take care of you."

"Yeah, I liked that memory too. And now it’s tainted, because I refuse to believe you. You’re too good at the game, Ginny. I don’t want to play. I don’t even know the rules to this one anymore."

"What do you want? I’ll drink a truth potion, you can have Luna search my head, I don’t care!"

"I don’t care either." He lied.

"That’s not true. I know its not." She took a step towards him.

"Well, you’re the expert at lying." He said, backing up to maintain the physical distance between them.

"I don’t know how to make this right. I didn’t know it was so wrong, all I was trying to do was bring us together."

"Maybe you were trying to do that, but that wasn’t all. I believe you took the ring to get back at Potter, whether you realized it or not. I completely believe you wanted to leave, to not have to face the people you hurt and who hurt you. And because I believe those things, I can’t believe this is anything other than another attempt to get back at everyone. What better way to get Potter’s attention than to pretend interest in me, right? And nothing bothers parents like the thought of their daughter with someone like me, so you can get to them too, huh? Not to mention the attention it would garner from your brothers, even the two ignoring you outside the house. So is that it? You want everyone’s attention, regardless the reason for it?"

"No, that’s not it. I think my family will hover more now than they ever have before, after what I’ve done and then attempting to run away. And Harry isn’t an option for me, I know that. I’m not really crazy you know."

"I like that. ‘Harry isn’t an option’ so you’ve what, moved on to what you can get right now?"

"That’s not what I meant!" she nearly shouted in frustration. "Look, I’ll keep it a secret, you and me. I haven’t told them anything about it anyway, and I’m sure you didn’t advertise what happened, since you were actually the one to kiss me the last time. I want to be with you, and I’ll do whatever it takes."

"Oh, I believe you’ll do whatever to get what you want. I’ve no doubt of it." He was starting to feel nervous and tried to keep his stony exterior. He was ashamed of himself, listening and wanting to believe her all over again.

"I mean it too. Anything between us can be our secret until you know it’s real." She offered. "I have no alterior motive." She turned and opened the door, walking out without hesitation and closing it behind her.

Draco was left feeling undecided. He had always been drawn to her over the years he was asked to spy on Potter, Weasley and Granger. Since spending time with Ginny, he’d felt closer to her than to anyone else, ever. But the last thing he wanted was to be a Potter replacement. First of all, despite their admitted similarities, they were nothing alike. Second of all, unlike Potter, he wanted to be with Ginny. It had hurt him more than he wanted to admit to find out she was plotting against him. What’s more, the others had known and not told him, to protect him, according to Ginny. But why?

He lay in bed lost in a million thoughts, ignoring the various people who came to knock on his door. The one thought at the forefront of his mind was that what had happened to Ginny, to make her what she was now, well it was all Lucius’s fault. Draco knew Potter and the others believed the influence of the Riddle Diary had been the beginning of her trouble, and his father had been the one to plant it on her. He’d felt bad about it even back then, but he’d hidden his feelings well, telling himself they’d had it coming. But Ginny hadn’t deserved the torture of Riddle in her head, she had been an eleven year old child at the time. They had all been just kids back then, even if Potter had started to be more. Draco began to wonder, could his guilt from knowing what his father had done to her, be the thing that had drawn him to her all these years? It had been easy to pretend indifference, even hatred, after all she was a Weasley, but deep down, she was the one he’d always wanted to like. The thought made his head hurt. Sometime after the last call for dinner, he finally dozed off, unable to stave off sleep any longer.

(BREAK)

"I’m actually nervous." Hermione confided in Harry as she lay on her side facing away from him. It was early Saturday morning, still a few hours before they had to rise and dress for the day. Neither could sleep.

"We’ll be there with you." He said turning and throwing an arm around her and pulling her close to him. "I’ll be there with you." He whispered in her ear before kissing her neck.

"I don’t know if that will make it better or worse." She answered seriously, turning to face him. She didn’t have to tell him how much her parents disapproved of him, he’d seen it in their heads for himself she was sure. They didn’t think much higher of the rest of her friends either.

"Then why don’t you just put it off until you’re ready? Dumbledore said it was up to you."

"And I already made my decision."

"Because you’ve never changed your mind before." He laughed.

"Not about important things. What else am I supposed to do? They’re my parents, and I may not have needed them much these past few years, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t wanted to need them. If that makes sense." She felt relief that she could finally talk about this with him. It had been eating at her, and since he’d had a nice long visit with James and Lily the night before, she finally felt free to express herself.

"Oh, I understand. We all have people we wish we could still count on." He answered solemnly and she knew he was thinking of his own shaky relationship with their Headmaster. He was the first adult Harry had really trusted and therefore the first to truly let him down.

"What if they hate me now?" she whispered her fear as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"For choosing your own path in life? That doesn’t sound like something parents should do. They’re probably mad, but I doubt they hate you. I think that’s an impossible task." He smiled.

"You’re biased." She grinned back.

"And they should be too." He leaned down and kissed her. "No matter what, you still have me and the rest of us too."

"And no matter what, I think that could be enough." She said honestly. And they could all be enough for her, she’d never felt comfortable with the Grangers, had certainly never felt accepted by them. She hoped the love had been there, but she’d always had the feeling they’d only had a child because it was what they were supposed to do, it was expected of a married couple. And then they’d wanted her so badly to be only what they wanted. Hogwarts had been a big area of contention between them, but they’d ultimately agreed, for once happy their daughter appeared special. "I don’t know when it changed, what made it different? They were so proud of me at first."

She watched as he appeared to think on the problem. Finally he sighed and shook his head. "I’m kind of at a loss here, Mione. I don’t really have a frame of reference, the Dursley’s never cared at all. What did Fred have to say about it? "

"What are you talking about? Where does he come into this?" she asked, completely confused.

"He told me, you guys were working on the potion and you talked to him about your parents because you were so upset. Besides, he’s from a big family and he and the Weasleys are usually at odds."

"Oh." She shook her head. "I didn’t talk about anything specific with him. He offered vague advice. It was more to make conversation while we were working I guess."

"If it was bothering you that much, why didn’t you just talk to me about it, instead of sneaking out of bed and working on a cure you think is impossible, late at night in Fred’s room?"

She listened in shock. "Harry Potter, is that a note of jealousy I detect in your tone?" she teased.

"Let’s just say I understand your argument about me and Luna a bit better." He said not meeting her eyes.

"Good, then you also understand there’s nothing to worry about with Fred." She laughed.

"Why didn’t you just tell me you were so upset? I mean you already hide all your thoughts and after the whole no secrets thing and all…"

"I felt guilty. Talking to you about all this when James and Lily are gone, and the ring was still missing…it just seemed unfair somehow, that you would have to comfort me." She shrugged.

"You are really quite silly sometimes." He smiled at her again. "I’m not delusional, the ring is a temporary fix. Who knows when it’s going to be their time to finally move on. Cedric did it almost right away while they’ve been wherever they are for what, sixteen years? I went so long without them, and I still don’t really have them back, and those are thoughts I will always carry with me. So please, never be afraid of hurting my feelings when you have something weighing so heavily on you."

"Okay, if you say so." She said moving so her head was on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tried to picture a time when everything would be better, after the war, when they could all finally find peace. She imagined that nothing else would matter then, that everything would be inconsequential compared to the feeling of relief that they would no longer have to fear everyday for their lives. The insecurities they both had about their relationship, her parents, that would all be worked out easily with nothing else hanging so dangerously over their heads. She sighed in momentary contentment, letting go of her worries for the day ahead and just enjoying being there with Harry. After all, he had been half the reason she’d run away in the first place.

(BREAK)

Luna awoke with a smile. She’d had the vision again last night, right before she’s turned in for bed. The feeling had struck her so suddenly she hadn’t had time to sit herself down and had come out of it collapsed on the floor. But the bump on the back of her head was nothing compared to the relief of seeing they were somehow back on the right path. Things were getting back in alignment.

Pulling her favorite still moment, she pictured it in her mind as she stretched the sleep from her bones. It was a scene in which they were all together, and she focused in on the two people she was sure were responsible for the original disruption. Draco and Ginny. They were back on the road to each other, meaning Ginny had somehow gotten through to him and was on the way to earning his forgiveness. For now, it would be a secret between the three of them, even if they didn’t know she was in on it. Luna suspected the others had an inkling, Harry more so, but she knew Ginny’s brothers believed her interest in Draco was just one more phase she was going through.

Thinking of the boys, she moved on in the picture and focused now on Ron, paired happily with a girl Luna had never seen before. She really had loved him, when they had been together. And after she first received the vision she felt it was wrong. But the more it came, she knew that staying with him was keeping them both on the wrong path, and when he started to mistrust her and blame her she knew that the only thing to be gained by staying was unhappiness. With that thought, she skipped over herself, not wanting to focus too much on what she was only beginning to admit she really wanted. Her own future was still too far off, too uncertain. That brought her to Hermione and-

She lay very still as the roaring in her ears drowned out the sounds of everyone in the house waking. Her vision went next, swallowed by a deep cloudy gray as her mind swirled making her dizzy. And then she was in the white room. She saw the stupid ring again, spinning rapidly in midair. Next entered Harry and Fred, who upon laying eyes on the ring dropped to the ground clutching their heads. Streams of blue energy burst from the cursed object, striking both boys in the chest and sucking their essence. And then it was all gone, followed by a scene in which the boys were fighting, each trying to possess the prize as the others tried to pull them apart.

She woke with a gasp. Panicked, she sat up and buried her head in her hands. What was she supposed to do with this information? She would never want to tell either boy that they should stop communicating with their loved ones. Had Kane still been available, she would have seen herself in the warning along with Harry and Fred. But she couldn’t let this ruin them any more than it already had. Perhaps Arthur was right, when he said the ring was supposed to be cursed. It was a cursed blessing she supposed. But what could she possibly do about it?

(BREAK)

They all piled into the ministry car with Arthur at the wheel and Lupin in the passenger seat. Another car pulled in behind them, full of Aurors. Harry began to feel the nervousness that was coming off Hermione in waves. He squeezed her hand, but otherwise didn’t know what to say or do. He’d been nervous to meet his parents, but they had been meeting for the first time and he hadn’t expected anything other than something good. He knew that this was not the case, that whatever happened today was going to hurt Hermione very much. He wished she’s decided to put this off, but could see how that could possibly only make things worse. Damn, Dumbledore, why couldn’t he just have told Hermione what he thought or even knew was coming?

They drove for a long while, Ron and Fred each stared out the windows. Luna, also sitting next to Hermione, held her friend’s other hand, offering the same silent support that Harry was. None of them knew what to say. Arthur and Lupin were talking about ministry business in the front, so he focused in on them.

"Edmund is campaigning hard to get me out. Albus is trying to soothe the masses, but if the newspaper keeps printing these things, I just don’t know." Arthur was saying shaking his head.

"Who is Edmund?" Harry asked. They hadn’t been talking quietly, so he assumed they weren’t trying to hide their conversation.

"And what are they writing in the paper? Why haven’t we seen it?" Fred added. Harry hadn’t been aware the others were also listening in.

"I’ve been taking the papers, I didn’t want to worry you kids and since you all had so much more going on, you obviously didn’t notice the paper wasn’t being delivered." Arthur said quietly. Though they’d all talked it out, he was obviously still hurt and upset.

"Edmund Fritz is a business man. He owns several buildings on Knockturn Alley and even a few in Diagon Alley. He’s long been thought to be a Death Eater, but like Lucius and so many others, his position kept him safe from very close scrutiny." Lupin said quickly.

Arthur sighed and took up the narrative. "Lately, the Daily Prophet has been running articles accusing me of messing things up. They claim Lairmore was mishandled, since I’d let you all be there. Said I was relying on children more than trained Aurors, even if one of the kids was Harry Potter, and too many people were lost in the battle trying to keep you all safe. They also say I pull favors for friends and family, keeping them out of trouble while more and more "upstanding" citizens become targeted as lawbreakers. Edmund Fritz has recently bought the building the Daily Prophet is run out of, so you can see where the uneasiness comes from. Not to mention word somehow got out that we’ve approached the giants and many people are nervous about that kind of alliance."

"Yesterday’s issue called for a change in government and even offered Fritz as a viable candidate for the next minister with the promise that he would find a way to return the Dementors to Azkaban so the giants would be unnecessary." Lupin shook his head in disgust. "That’s all we’d need, a Death Eater in such a position of power and Dementors ‘guarding’ their current masters."

"So how are you going to stop him?" Hermione asked.

"Kingsley and Tonks are working secretly on it." Lupin answered as Arthur glared at him. "What? Better they know, Arthur, than they try to do something about it themselves, right?"

"I’d hoped they had learned a little more patience after all we’ve been through." Arthur answered quietly.

"Are we almost there?" Ron interrupted the tension.

"A little further down the road. You ready Hermione?" Lupin asked.

"Not really." She said quietly. Harry and Luna squeezed her hands again. They were in an area of London Harry had never been to before, at least he certainly didn’t recognize anything.

"Where are we?" Fred asked the question Harry had been pondering.

"Ezzlingham. It’s a secret wizarding village right here in the city. It was started by Stephen Ezzling more than three centuries ago." Hermione answered automatically before the adults could.

"That’s right, the home we arranged for your parents is just up here on the left." They pulled up in front of a small cottage style house. Arthur turned to face Hermione, "So, do you want us all in there with you, or do you want to go alone?"

(BREAK)

Draco had awoken feeling more upset than when he’d fallen asleep. Ginny had haunted his dreams, along with Lucius and Potter. It was all a jumbled mess in his head and he couldn’t straighten it out, couldn’t separate fact, fiction and his own desires. He rose easily and reflected that at least he was feeling healthier. His stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him he’d skipped every meal the day before.

Quickly donning a t-shirt and pants, he moved to the door, jumping back as he opened it and Ginny tumbled in. Apparently she’d been sitting on the other side, waiting for him. "Were you waiting long?" he asked sarcastically.

She climbed to her feet, not looking the least bit embarrassed. "The others left about ten minutes ago. Something about a meeting with the Grangers."

"And you’re outside my room because…?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up." She answered with a shrug. "Mum said the healer would be here soon, and I didn’t want to sit with her to wait for someone I don’t want to see."

"But you are going to see this person, right? Talk out some of this stuff that’s bothering you?" He mentally kicked himself for showing even this much concern. It was too late, she’d taken it as an invitation and walked right into the room, seating herself comfortably at his desk.

"I’ll sit there, because my dad wants me to. But I don’t see the point in letting a stranger in my head. It didn’t work out so well the last time." She looked down and he knew she was talking about that stupid diary. He cursed his father all over again.

"That was a trick, Ginny. It wasn’t anything real, and you shouldn’t have trusted it. But now, this is a professional, someone with nothing to gain from you, someone on the outside who can give you an unbiased opinion."

"My parents are paying this person, how is that unbiased?" she asked angrily. "I can’t believe you think this is a good idea. Why can’t I just talk it out with you?"

"I’m not unbiased." He said softly. "And I don’t mean because you can so easily manipulate me. I knew Lucius had the Riddle Diary, and I knew he’d given it to you, okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath. This was it, lay it all out and let her hate him again if it had to be that way. But she had to know who she was so willing to put her trust in. "My dad, he told me that he intended to slip the diary into your things. He wanted a good distraction so none of them would notice. All year, when those people were being attacked, I knew what was happening. I could have helped, could have told you or any of the others, but I didn’t. I let you be used Ginny. I almost let you be killed, while Potter is the one who saved you."

She shook her head and stood, moving so she was face to face with him. He expected the worst but instead she calmly replied, "You think I couldn’t have guessed that? You had a whole different life back then, we all did. If you feel guilty about so many years ago, fine let it eat away at you, but it makes no difference to me. But let me ask…" she paused and actually turned away from him, leading him to believe she was about to come from someplace very vulnerable and honest. After all, she would look him in the eye if she wanted to lie.

"What?" he asked uncertainly.

"Last year, when Cho had Luna in the lavatory and planned for us all to drown, did you know about that?" she spoke so quietly he’d barely heard her. Apparently this incident, she did care about. He didn’t see the difference, but hey it was her head.

"No. By that time, she was acting without me." He answered truthfully. In fact, the whole thing was the final straw that had made him decide to turn on her, though he’d never been bold enough to share that with Potter. How could he have said that putting Ginny in danger had forced him to bring Cho down. It was only after that he’d realized he’d made a major move against his father and the Dark Lord.

"Really? You had nothing to do with it?" she turned to him again.

"No. I didn’t know until the next day and then I went to Potter with what I knew."

To his surprise, she smiled. "You see. You do care about me."

"What?"

"You obviously told me about the diary to make me mad at you, but you still couldn’t help but tell the truth about last year. If you really wanted to push me away, you would have lied, told me you not only knew but helped plan the drowning. Instead you admit it pushed you to confess."

Damn. She was sharper than he’d originally thought. "I knew what Potter was up to a few months ago. I knew he was setting you all up to keep you away from Hogsmeade and that he’d used you to do it. How does that sit with you?" He wasn’t sure why he was confessing so many things, why he was trying so hard to push her away. As she’d pointed out, he could’ve easily lied to her before, he should have, but the idea hadn’t crossed his mind. It had seemed so important to her, and his answer had made her so sure. Maybe he figured it was best to get it all out, so she understood he wasn’t as dependable as she seemed to think.

"I don’t understand. He told you he was going to kiss me in front of Hermione?" She looked taken aback.

"Well, not exactly." He admitted. "He told me and your brother right after it happened. He told us what he did and why and asked us to play along and we did. I never said anything about it."

"Which brother, Fred? Fred knew too?" she looked hurt. "But he only told you after, so there was no way either of you could’ve stopped it, right?"

"No, but…I let him get away with it. I knew it was a horrible thing to do and I let it play out. I was kinda glad when Weasley popped him one though. He deserved it. But I’ve done worse than even that Ginny, to people I‘ve cared far less for. At least Potter did what he did for semi-noble reasons."

"A strong argument against you and your past. Maybe I see better for your future. Just how long have you liked me, Malfoy?" She asked coyly.

"Excuse me?" He just never knew what was going to come out of her mouth.

"You heard me. A little while ago, you were confessing to something that happened years before, something that was obviously weighing on your mind but that you didn’t even need to confess. Was it that long ago that you suspected? Or did you realize while you were throwing Cho under the bus as revenge for nearly killing me, like your father tried to do? Was it while Harry was confessing that he’d used me or after Ron gave him the sock to the face you admit he deserved?" she smiled at his uneasiness. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and said nothing. "Okay, I’ll go first. I started to like you, in this more than friends way, in Lairmore I think. Even when you were calling me stupid. You were so mad, but you never deserted me, and then after, you so badly wanted to believe me, and when that became impossible, you tried to help me, convince me to help myself. The feeling grew stronger and I guess I lost my head for a bit, just wanting a way out for us. So now that I’ve bared all, it’s your turn. When was it, Draco?"

Before he was forced to reply, the doorbell rang and Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs for her daughter. He stared back at her, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. A second ring of the bell and call from her mother had Ginny shaking her head a melancholy smile plastered on her face.

"Saved by the bell." she sighed. "Too bad it’s my executioner."

"Talk, Ginny." He broke his silence to be supportive. "Tell them everything. Get it all out because this is someone you can finally be honest with, and not have to worry about them passing judgement. They’ve heard from people who’ve been through and done worse than you could imagine."

She said nothing as he opened the door. Straightening her shoulders she began to walk past him but on instinct, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "Good luck. I’ll wait up here for you when you’re done, okay?" then he leaned in and kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand for support before gently pushing her down the hall. He hoped he’d been convincing enough to get her to open up.

(BREAK)

Hermione had decided that if she had to go, they were all coming with her. The Aurors surrounded the house as she and the others approached the door. Arthur knocked twice before the guard on the inside opened up and led them inside. Looking around at the antique furniture, the cultural artifacts decorating the shelves, the heavy books spread out everywhere, she realized she recognized them from her own house. Apparently the ministry had gone far to keep her parents comfortable. They all sat but she was too anxious and took to walking around, inspecting the things she’d seen her whole life that were now in this strange place. Finally, the Grangers emerged from the back of the house. They sat without a word, eyeing their guests suspiciously.

"Hello, Wayne, Mildred." Arthur nodded a friendly greeting.

"Mr. Weasley." Mildred answered shortly.

"We were under the impression we would get to speak to you alone, Hermione." Wayne said, ignoring everyone else entirely.

"I don’t go anywhere alone. Not anymore anyway." She answered sharply. She knew they’d catch onto the implication. She had unyielding support now, from the family she’d chosen for herself.

"We want you to return home." Her mother said.

"And what are the terms?"

"You already know, Hermione." Wayne replied. "You have to end this ridiculous phase in your life and get serious. You told us it wasn’t dangerous, well now we know the truth."

"What I said was I’d never put you in danger and I never came home injured." Hermione sharply corrected. "I never claimed anything about the danger I put myself in. You know very well I wasn’t raised as a liar."

"No, just a selective truth teller." Mildred shot back. "And where are we now? Hidden away by them because we are supposedly in danger now."

"Actually, we’ve relocated you as more of a precaution." Arthur stuck in. "Better safe than sorry, wouldn’t you say?" he smiled, still trying to maintain friendliness. She felt sorry for him, he didn’t know who he was dealing with, regardless how polite they had been to him in the past.

"No offense, Mr. Weasley, but if our daughter weren’t running around with your kind, there wouldn’t be any need for precaution, or uprooting us so entirely from our lives." Wayne said angrily.

"Now, that’s not necessarily true…" Arthur tried again. "The people we are fighting are as much against us as they are your kind. I would think you’d prefer to know the possibility of trouble is out there rather than remain ignorant because you think it won’t affect you."

"Either way, it is for us to decide what is best for our family." Wayne said angrily.

"We would certainly never tell you how to best take care of your family." Mildred added huffily. "And from what our daughter’s said, you have plenty of your own children to look after without Hermione troubling you as well. Not to mention the strays you take in." her parents turned to glare at Harry who looked as if he’d like nothing more than to tell the Grangers just where they could stick their comments.

"That’s enough!" Hermione cried moving so she was between her parents and the others.

"Harry’s not a stray!" Ron declared. "And we love him and Hermione as if they were our own siblings!"

"To take the place of the two brothers you lost, no doubt. Oh we read all about it in those horrid papers! How one of you turned on the rest and killed his brother. Wound up taking his own life while at that wretched school! You think we want any of that for our girl?" Mildred cried.

"Stop!" Hermione screamed at her parents. She turned as Luna jumped up to help her hold back Fred and Ron who had leapt to their feet ready for a shouting match. Arthur and Lupin had taken a firm hold on Harry, keeping him seated. Once the boys settled she turned on the Grangers. "You are being very rude to people who’ve done nothing but take care of me! Maybe you don’t agree about the way we all live, but I can’t imagine it any other way! I love you and I want you to be a part of my life, but I won’t give any of it up to keep you."

Her parents hardened before her eyes. Wayne spoke in a voice that she’d never heard before, low and dangerous. "You are our daughter, and you will do as we say. We’ll expose them all if you don’t."

"What are you talking about?" she shook her head. They wouldn’t really, would they?

"We will tell everyone and anyone what we know, Hermione." Mildred said. "We won’t lose you to these people, and we should have put our foot down on the issue many years ago. You can hate us forever, but we will not let you die for this cause. You are our responsibility."

She didn’t know what to say. Hermione. Harry’s voice whispered across her thoughts. Do you want to stay with them. Don’t worry about their threats, just answer, are you done with them until they come to their senses, or do you want to stay and try to work it out between the three of you.

She was too hurt, feeling too betrayed to want any such thing. I want nothing to do with them. She answered honestly. Apparently, it was the answer he’d been waiting for.

Harry rose to his feet and came to stand beside her, taking her hand. "You won’t need to worry about Hermione anymore I’ll be taking care of her."

"You’ll understand that we find it difficult to believe the word of a seventeen year old boy in the throes of puppy love!" Wayne shouted.

"I’ll be seventeen next week actually." Harry replied calmly. "But I own my own house, I have more money than everyone in this room combined could spend in their lifetime and I have more power than you could ever dream of. Most importantly, I love your daughter very much and wouldn’t change a thing about her. So you can threaten all you like, nothing will come of it, we’ll see to that." He held a hand up against their protest and went on speaking over the Grangers until they were once again quiet. "What you don’t understand is that the only reason any attempt is being made to keep you safe from the plague of evil spreading through London, is because you are Hermione’s parents. If it weren’t for her, you’d be nobody to us and you could live or die and never know the horror stalking you, simply because you aren’t one of us. So maybe you should take the time to consider who really needs whom here, because Hermione will be just fine. She’s smart, resilient, talented and extremely capable. And she has us behind her forever and no matter what. There aren’t strings attached to our acceptance of her." He turned and nodded to the others that it was time to go. As they all rose, he turned back to the Grangers, who were sitting speechless in their seats. "It’s been lovely to see you again. Let’s not make the next visit too soon though, if you don’t mind."

"You insolent boy. Who do you think you’re talking to?" Wayne rose from the chair and was just as quickly thrown back down in his seat, though Harry hadn’t moved a muscle. Hermione watched with the others, awed into stillness, and unsure if they should step in. When Harry got into these moods, they all became unsure how to react, adults included. She reflected that it must be the power and force he put not only behind his abilities, but his attitude as well.

"I know who I’m talking to, it is you who needs to better understand that not everyone is what they seem." Harry said through gritted teeth.

Harry! She heard Luna’s scolding. The other girl must have been so shocked she didn’t realize she hadn’t contained the thought to it’s single recipient.

"Time to go, it seems." Lupin said gently. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I’m sure Albus will be here to see you shortly, seeing as you are unhappy enough to make some very serious threats."

"Until then, you will understand that we must keep you from leaving the house." Arthur added. "Our apologies."

"Hermione!" Mildred cried.

"Good-bye mum. Bye dad." She said without emotion before walking out, leading Harry behind her, tightly clutching his hand. The others followed as they made their way back to the car.

"Well." Fred said as they headed back onto the road. "I guess in this case, the apple fell far from the tree and then rolled a few more yards. They are insane!"

"They just aren’t like us, Fred." Arthur scolded. "They’re muggles, they don’t understand the danger. They only know enough to be scared of it."

"It’s no excuse for the things they said. I’m sorry." Hermione said. "That stuff about George and Percy was way out of line."

"They’re hurt, Hermione." Lupin answered.

"That’s right, they wanted me to hurt too, because I was the adult, the one most responsible for you and probably the one they fear is going to take their place." Arthur added. "After all, I do take in strays." He smiled at Harry through the rearview mirror.

She watched a slow grin spread across Harry’s face in return. She felt good about not staying with her parents. She’d known it was never going to be an option for her, but when they’d threatened to expose everyone else, she thought for the briefest of moments that they’d won her obedience. Of course Harry, Dumbledore, and the others wouldn’t have let that happen and she felt silly for even the small moment of doubt. She hoped that someday she’d be able to find her parents and show them how great her life was and how wrong they were. It was a lot to hope for.

(BREAK)

"So how does this work?" Ginny asked testily. She sat opposite the strange woman, her arms crossed tightly and defensively across her chest. Her mother had introduced the healer as Laurel Honeywick. In keeping with the sweet name, the person bearing it appeared soft and comforting, a pile of honey-gold hair, big, brown, doe eyes and a slight, unassuming stature. She still didn’t like the woman.

"It’s up to you actually, how we approach this." Laurel smiled. She had insisted Ginny use her given name, as if they were friends. "I’m what many call a mind healer. Sometimes, just talking about what’s troubling you is enough. Sometimes, there are deep scars inside the head that need to be healed over with more than just a mental bandage."

"So which am I? Slightly touched with insanity, or deeply scarred?"

"I think you are deeply hurt. I think you’re having trouble trusting yourself and therefore you’re having trouble trusting anyone else. I think sometimes, the line between fantasy and reality blurs in front of you. And I think you think there’s something wrong with you that’s not there in anyone else around you. What do you think?"

"I think you’re a bitch." Ginny sneered at her. "What do you think about that?"

"Well, I think you have trouble dealing with anyone willing to call you out and be honest with you." Laurel smiled at her again. "What do you think?"

"That you’re annoying me."

"Then why are you still sitting here?" Laurel shot back.

"Because I promised some people I’d try." Ginny admitted, thinking of her parents and Draco.

"And do you really think you’re trying?"

"Maybe I would if you did anything other than ask questions."

"How else do you expect me to get to know you?" Laurel laughed. "Okay, no more questions. You can just tell me what’s bothering you."

"A lot."

"I see. Maybe something more specific would be helpful."

"I’m sure it would be."

"Wow, you and I have two completely different ideas of trying. I don’t think you are honoring those people you promised. Might make me reconsider my no more questions pledge."

"Isn’t there some faster way than me endlessly going on about my sad life?" Ginny asked. "I’m not really in the mood for story telling."

"There is, actually. But not many people like it because it’s sort of like an invasion. I would enter your mind and you would pick out the appropriate memories to show me. It wouldn’t hurt and would have no more effect than if a mind reader where in there."

"Yeah, because I have no idea what that’s like." She said sarcastically. She was uncomfortable with the idea of some stranger running around in her head. She already did her best to keep Harry and Luna out. Plus, how well did her parents know this woman? And what information was swimming in her head that could be harmful to those she loved if discovered? "I don’t know, what if there’s something I don’t want to show you?"

"Then you don’t have to." Laurel assured her. "Don’t be confused, I’m not a mind reader. I can only see what you show me. I’ll create a link between us, syncing up with your energy. Then you play whatever memories you want and I watch them with you. Then we’ll talk about them. And anything I see, anything we discuss is between us. I won’t even talk about it with your parents. Sound good?"

"I guess."

Ginny closed her eyes at the Laurel’s command, letting the healer place her hands on either side of her face. Then she gently brought their foreheads together, lining up the third eye. Not knowing what else to do, Ginny began replaying her memories, from the discovery of the journal and it’s ability to talk back to her to Harry saving her in the chamber of secrets. She showed her life over the next few years, watching the others from the outside, trying so hard to be a part of their adventures, her pitiful relationships with boys. She watched Harry struggle through the Tri-Wizard Tournament and finally emerge from the maze clutching Cedric’s lifeless body. Then they were in the hospital, visiting her father after the attack on him that Harry had dreamed. She brought up Draco and his cronies capture of them as they were brought to Umbridge’s office and then of course the Department of Mysteries up to Sirius’s death. Then she faltered and Laurel broke the link.

"That was interesting. You went through quite a few things that very few young people have to deal with."

"Yeah except that was nothing compared to what the others have been through." Ginny admitted, unexpectedly.

"The first thing you need to do is stop comparing yourself to your friends. You are all different and you experience things differently, think differently. Why would you think you’d all react the same to what you go through?" Laurel asked. But Ginny had no answer to give. "Okay, you aren’t ready to think about that, then let’s move on to why you stopped before last year. What was so different about last year that made you unwilling to go on?"

Ginny shook her head wanting to defy the woman. But she’d come this far… "I guess, because that’s when…well bad things weren’t just happening to me anymore, I also started doing bad things."

"I see. You started acting out after so much stress from the years previous. Do you think it might also have to do with you own lack of self-assurance? I mean you believe you were struggling more than the others, could that have something to do with it?"

"Maybe. You’re the healer you tell me."

"Well, do you want to show me?"

With a sigh, Ginny closed her eyes, once again allowing the intimate contact. This time she started with Neville and the slight way she’d flirted with him as Harry and Hermione seemed to grow closer. Then she was in the air again over the quidditch pitch grabbing wildly as Neville slipped through her hands, then through Fred’s and finally past Harry as he struggled to hold onto his own broom and Hermione; from there, Harry telling them all Draco had admitted responsibility for the explosions. She raced forward to the night in front of the fire, when she’d taken advantage of Harry’s concern for her followed by the hurt she felt when he refused her in Hermione’s name. Then they were at the Costume Ball, dancing half-heartedly with Gem Valor while watching Harry dance and laugh with Hermione and then struggle with Cho.

When Knockturn Alley appeared, she faltered again, not wanting to relive that day. But she wouldn’t let Laurel break the link. If this woman wanted to see, then she’d see it all now or never. So there they were, chasing after Harry to Bellatrix arriving with the Malfoys to Percy wildly throwing out the curse and striking George. They revisited the funeral and then the note from Draco brought to her from a small gray owl asking her for a meeting. She felt shame, watching with the healer as she snuck up behind the boy and plunged the knife into his back before stuffing it back in her purse and running. Then Harry and Hermione were discovering her on the stairs, helping her clean up, Harry was at the phone booth making the anonymous call. It had all been a blur to her at the time, and it was difficult to relive now.

She skipped ahead, to after the boys took the potion and were able to tell them Cho was the real enemy, that Draco had lied about setting the explosions. The trial began and Luna came up missing, leading to her and Harry’s search of the castle and eventual entrapment in Moaning Myrtle’s lavatory. That led to waking in Dumbledore’s office, her own turn on the stand against Gladys, followed by the roe she had with Hermione after the other girl discovered her diary. And then they were back at the trial and Harry was introducing Draco as a star witness, who then admitted the whole plot he and Cho were involved in.

And then Harry was before her, telling her what she wanted to hear before kissing her as Hermione entered the common room and the rejection she faced after. Jumping over the next month of unhappiness, she woke to Luna shaking her, telling her they were headed to Hogsmeade to help the boys and arriving to Draco, his arm splayed out and a big knife raised in the other. She watched as Ron took up the knife for him and once again saw the fear in his eyes as she reached out to take his hand. She had closed her eyes when Ron had swung down. Then they were lost together, her and Draco and she knew he was looking for his father. Honeydukes was next, and she ran in again without thinking. Then there was Harry, digging through the rubble searching desperately for Hermione. Finally, they came to Hogwarts as she watched in horror as Fred once again faced down Percy until Dumbledore arrived. The Headmaster tried to reach out to Percy, but her brother once more took his life before her eyes.

Now she was forced to walk down the aisle at Lupin and Tonks wedding again, Harry stiffly on her arm, not wanting to be near her as they were forced to acknowledge the happiness of others. She broke it off then, unsure if she should go on. Anything after became intertwined with the ring somehow, and she knew they didn’t want too many people to know about it.

"That was quite a year." Laurel said softly as she settled back into her seat. "A lot for anyone to go through. And I want you to know right now, nothing I saw makes you a bad person."

"There are a few people I’m sure who would disagree." Ginny shot back.

"And that’s because you hurt them very badly. I assume you mean this Hermione girl, who did nothing to you other than catch the eye of a boy you wanted for yourself. And the things you did because of it, they are the actions of someone who is very unsure and very unhappy. Maybe even a little desperate. But they don’t make you evil and you can probably still heal the rift, if you really wanted to."

"Yeah, well, let’s just say you don’t know everything. Things only got worse from there, and so were the things I was doing. I can’t tell you about most of it though, it involves…classified information."

"If you say so, but I want you to know that I’m not your enemy. Your secrets are my secrets."

"No, my secrets are mine, and everything I shared was because I wanted to." Ginny said defensively.

Laurel raised her hands in surrender. "Okay. I won’t push. Truthfully, you did great and I think this was more than enough for today. Would it be alright if we met again in a few days, after we both have time to digest what we saw here today?"

"Do we have to?"

"I’d like to. You showed me a lot today, and that can be exhausting, I know. So in return for not pushing you today by going on to talk about it, I’d like to meet at least once more and talk in the future."

"Whatever." Ginny answered under her breath.

"Great! I’ll take what I can get. I know this house is not your ordinary household so I’ll find out from your father the best time to come back. So, how do you feel now that you let so much out for me to see?"

"Lighter." She admitted.

(BREAK)

Harry followed Hermione to her room as soon as they walked in the house, the others respected their privacy and made themselves busy elsewhere. He closed the door and watched as she slumped down on the bed. Climbing behind her, he kissed the back of her head before gently massaging her shoulders.

"I guess it’s over for now." She said after awhile. "I don’t really need them anyway."

"Of course you do!" he pulled her around to face him. "Hermione, just because today didn’t go well doesn’t mean it’s over forever. They’ll always be your parents."

"I guess. But they want to hold me back. You were right, all I need is you guys. I need you." She threw herself in his arms and he held her tightly, hoping he hadn’t just messed up her life with his outburst at her parents. They certainly wouldn’t accept him after that, and she seemed determined to defy them with this point. At least for now.

"Hermione, I just-" but before he could complete his protest she silenced him with a kiss.

Pulling away, she smiled. "Trust me to know my own mind okay? It’s you I want, don’t make me question the decision too much." She teased.

"Consider me warned and silenced on the matter." He grinned back at her before tackling her back onto the bed, eliciting a playful squeal from her.

They wrestled and he let her get the upper hand rolling on top of him and pinning his arms above his head. She laughed as he pretended to struggle against her before leaning down and once more capturing his lips with hers. Sliding her hands down his arms and tangling her fingers in his hair, she deepened the kiss, instantly initiating his desire for her. A shiver went down his spine as he felt her fingers trail down his chest to the button on his pants, and his need intensified. Sitting up with her still straddling him, they disentangled themselves from their clothes and spent the next few hours trying to prove to each other that their relationship was as solid as ever. That what she gave up was worth it and that their doubts were unfounded. Of course, this was an area of their relationship where they had never really struggled.

(BREAK)

Draco was going crazy himself after waiting so long. His stomach rumbled once again, and once again he ignored it, though it was becoming more insistent. It seemed like forever since Ginny had gone down to speak with the healer. He hoped the longer it took meant that she was actually participating in the process. He’d had one false alarm earlier, when he’d answered the rapping at his door only to find Mrs. Weasley with a message from Drake. Apparently he was needed at the hospital and couldn’t keep their appointment that day. He thanked her and assured her he was fine with the delay and he’d felt healthier than he had in a long time, throwing in the compliment that it must be her cooking. Might as well rack up points with the parents now, just in case. She’d left him smiling anyway.

Now, unable to lay still any longer, he took to pacing the floor. Hearing the others come back home, he realized Ginny had been gone for well over an hour. Finally the soft knock came at his door. He threw it open and sure enough, she was on the other side looking grim. "So what happened?" he asked once she came in and settled herself at the desk.

"I relived some of the worse moments of my life for a complete stranger who wanted to assume she knew me. And I have to see her at least once more." She answered miserably.

"It didn’t help at all? You know, to get it all out in the open?"

"I didn’t say that, I just…I don’t want to need treatment."

"I know what you mean." He said gesturing to his arm. "But sometimes you have to go through something painful to be whole again."

"Well, aren’t you the philosopher." She sneered.

"Just trying to be helpful. If the gesture is unappreciated then I do have better things to do. You can leave anytime." He shot back.

"Do you remember forcing us all into Umbridge’s office?" she asked out of nowhere. "You took us captive and made us face that horrible woman. You seemed so happy about it, pleased to be helping her."

"Yeah, at the time I was. I was doing what was expected of me, trying to make my father proud. What about it?" he asked suspiciously.

"I just…I went through so many memories, saw so much of who we all used to be. It’s hard to think of myself any different than how I am now. It’s even more difficult to remember how you used to be."

"Yeah, well I was trying to tell you before." He said unsure what she wanted from him. "What are you trying to figure out? Was I sorry that I made you all miserable? Yes and no. It’s a difficult question to answer. If you had succeeded in taking Potter away from his girlfriend, would you have been sorry? Probably not. You would’ve been happy to have achieved your goal. Now that you didn’t succeed and had time to think about your actions, you’re sorry it all happened because it led to things that were even worse, like giving him the opening to use you. It’s the same for me. I tried to be who my father wanted, I was happy with any progress I made in torturing the rest of you. But upon reflection, I’m sorry I let myself be led and didn’t begin to think for myself sooner."

She stared at the floor, her brow furrowed. "I just saw so much of our past together, things I hadn’t really thought about in a long time."

"Having second thoughts about hitching your wagon to mine?" he tried to ask as if the answer didn’t matter. He wasn’t sure he’d pulled it off.

"Well, no not really. I mean, do you really forgive me for stabbing you and leaving you to die?"

He thought hard, wanting to give an honest answer. "I really do. What’s more, I understand why you did it. Grief, anger, betrayal they were blinding you at the time and I made myself an easy target. You already hated me at that point and I pushed it, thinking I could get through to you."

"Okay then. How could I not forgive you for everything you did? What’s more," she smiled as she rose and sauntered across the room towards him. "I understand why you did it. Your father was a crushing presence in your life, and someone you desperately wanted to please. If that meant being mean to some people you didn’t even really know then what’s the difference right? But you’ve woken yourself up and decided to live for yourself, and I couldn’t be more attracted to this new you, just now discovering what your life could really be."

She was standing directly in front of him, staring up into his eyes. His mind whirled, trying to stay focused on the moment. "I don’t know what I want my life to be." He said uncertainly as his nose filled with the aroma of coconut.

"I think you do. I just think you aren’t ready to admit it." She answered softly.

"One session with a healer and you’re a therapy expert?" he joked, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat.

"Maybe I just find you an easy yet interesting read." She teased, running her fingers up his arm.

"Ginny. I-" she stopped him, placing a hand over his mouth.

"You may not be ready to admit what you want, but I’m not as shy." She whispered before removing her hand and wrapping her arms around his neck closing the small distance left between them. Tilting her face up towards his, she leaned in, certain he would respond to her obvious invitation.

He didn’t want to disappoint her. He instantly crushed his lips to hers, once again feeling the spark that came every time they collided this way. Her passion instantly rose to match his own hungry need, and she turned them, slowly lowering herself to the bed. He lay with her, trying to keep the physical contact. They smiled against each other’s lips as they clumsily settled with her beneath him. She dug her fingernails into his back as he trailed kisses down her jaw. He shook with desire as she gasped when his lips met the sensitive skin at the hollow of her neck. She tasted sweet and salty all at the same time and he savored it, still unable to believe this was happening.

He rose slightly as he felt the tug on his T-shirt, helping her ease it over his head. He only wanted her more when she pushed him back, straddling him and pulling her own shirt off before leaning down to reclaim his mouth. He ran his hand over the silky smooth skin she exposed to him, all the while trying to forget his handicap and how desperately he wished he could wrap both arms around her.

He let her take the lead for the rest of their time together, and the experience was the most pleasurable and exciting he ever thought he could achieve. As they finally lay still together, long after they’d begun, he thought about what they’d done. It made him smile, for once knowing what it was to feel sublimely happy.

"And to think, you resisted me all those times before. See what you were missing." She teased, interlacing their fingers.

"Now that I know, I may never let you leave this room again." He said leaning over to kiss her bare shoulder.

"I think I could live with that." She stretched luxuriously and he watched her with pleasure. And then his stomach chose to rumble again, now that his brain was able to focus even slightly on other things. She laughed. "Did you work up that much of an appetite?"

"I actually haven’t eaten since Thursday." He admitted. "Other things got in the way."

She sat up sharply, now looking down at him in concern and anger. "Draco! You just got back from your first change, you’re doing the treatments with Drake and you’re still healing from your collapse at Lairmore. Do not complicate things by skipping meals!"

"Yes ma’am!" he grinned, sitting up as well, pleased that she cared.

"Besides," she went on, a wicked glint in her eye. "you’re going to need your strength if you intend to keep up with me."

"Don’t I know it." He shot back.

(BREAK)

Luna sat in her room, the files she had gotten about Julian Heath spread out around her. She tried not to think about how the others were spending their time and instead focused on the fact that with Harry and Hermione as occupied as Draco and Ginny, she’d finally have time to work on her own project. She doubted she had to worry about Ron or Fred interrupting her, they were both involved in tasks they were trying very hard to keep secret.

She thought she’d found a few answers. Apparently, Julian worked in the Department of Mysteries. There was obviously something he knew about in there that Lucius wanted to know too. Her first instinct had been that he’d been after the prophesy, but she just wasn’t sure. And it couldn’t have been about Harland, according to Draco, he’d been broken out years earlier. The file was vague on what Julian’s actual job had been, but it was clear that after he’d disappeared, he’d never been seen again. She’d figured as much.

As for the part mentioning Kane, it was reported that he’d received a lead pointing him in the direction of the Malfoy mansion. There was a source mentioned, someone who’d actually reported Lucius’s home as the last place Julian had been seen. They weren’t named and she grunted in frustration. Reading on, she learned that Kane had set out immediately for the large, foreboding house, calling in for back-up. Half an hour after his call, the other Auror’s arrived on the scene and found him crushed on the patio and Lucius claiming an accident occurred.

She shuffled through for the actual report. According to the lead Auror on the case, it seemed he first appeared to doubt Malfoy’s claim. It ended with the recommendation that the incident be investigated further. She didn’t understand until she flipped to the next report. Apparently, the Auror changed his mind, within mere hours if the time stamps were correct. The new report stated that upon examination by a professional, the incident could be nothing other than negligence on the part of Auror Kane Lovegood. Luna threw the papers away in disgust. What had happened? Who was this expert and what exactly where they an expert of? She had no leads, the only names mentioned were her brother’s and Lucius.

And then she had an idea. Grabbing up the reports she scanned for the signature of the lead Auror who’d written the damn things in the first place. At the very bottom she could just barely make out the handwriting. She rubbed her eyes and focused in again to be sure she was reading it correctly. But there it was, clear as day even if the ink was faded. Willem Fritz. It was the last name that gave her pause. Fritz. Was that as in Edmund Fritz, the man currently trying to take Arthur’s job? It could be a coincidence. She knew instantly that it wasn’t.

She had so many people she needed to talk to about so many things. Now she could add Arthur to the list, he had to know something about Willem. Pushing the horrid papers aside, she lay back and closed her eyes, reflecting on how confused she was. Her powers were beginning to get beyond her control, and she couldn’t understand why. She’d known of them her whole life, so why did she suddenly feel like things were changing, becoming more intense as if she were just now developing them, like Harry. She desperately wanted to discuss it with her grandmother, face to face. Not in some stupid letter. Surely Arthur could also arrange a short visit to Leeds for her before school started.

Thinking of her powers led her to her latest vision, or warning rather. How could she possibly explain it to Harry and Fred? Did they have to cut themselves off from the influence of the ring completely, or could they continue in moderation? She shook her head, just not knowing enough about energy work. Sometimes she felt like she could feel things, the spark of life every living thing gives off. And sometimes, she felt like she could tap into it, manipulate the way someone feels. In fact, she’d done just that when she’d sat the Weasleys down with their children and mediated their discussion. But when she’d tried to do it at the cottage with the Grangers, she couldn’t find the right urge, as if she was too nervous at the scene that had played out before her to concentrate on a power she didn’t understand how to use. Finally she decided her best bet was to ask Drake about any influence the ring may possess. After all, he actually worked with energy. She planned to ask Harry to borrow the ring tomorrow, claiming she’d like a visit with Neville. She’d keep it for as long as possible from them without actually stealing it like Ginny, and just have to hope Drake would show up soon.

(BREAK)

Fred looked hopefully into the cauldron then shoved it away in disgust. Maybe a cure really was impossible. He felt like he was letting Lupin and Draco down. He’d asked Harry for the ring that morning, but the headache had deterred him from actually using it. Harry had confided that his headaches had returned as well, almost as soon as he’d started using the stupid thing. Fred refused to worry, regarding the pain as more of an inconvenience than anything else. The headache had waned considerably throughout the day, so he now picked up the ring and slid it on his finger.

George appeared almost as soon as he called him, as if he’d been waiting. "Hey Freddie."

"Georgie." Fred smiled. "I could sure use your opinion on something here."

"Sure, but in exchange I want you to hear me out about something." George bargained.

"Agreed. What is it?"

"Oh no, you go first, that way you have to keep your end of the deal." He protested, floating closer to his twin.

"Fine. But just know I can cut you off any time I want, so you aren’t really getting your way." Fred argued for old time’s sake.

"If you want to see it that way. Whatever lets you get your beauty rest, you need it lately." George shot back.

"You’re one to talk, all pale and see through!" Fred laughed before turning serious. "Okay, I’m trying to come up with some kind of cure for the wolfies." He explained what he’d tried already and his reasoning behind it, adding Hermione’s input to the process.

"I think she was on the right track, trying to use an extract of the Wolfsbane in with some kind of healing base. Obviously aloe wasn’t going to be strong enough though." George scolded.

"I knew that. I was just trying to find a starting point. I just think it’s going to take a lot more than only finding the right healing agent. There’s got to be more to it."

"What are you thinking, like adding minerals as well?"

"Maybe. The Sorcerer’s Stone, Mykele’s stone here in the ring, why not say….try making something like that, instead of a pure liquid concoction." Fred reflected.

"I agree. Never limit yourself when creating something entirely new, right? Which stones were you thinking, because I have a few suggestions."

They bounced ideas back and forth before finally deciding on the best options to experiment with. With a new starting point all planned out, George brought the conversation back around to what he wanted to discuss. "It’s the ring, Fred. I think we should visit a little less frequently."

"What are you talking about?" Fred demanded, becoming angry. "You don’t want to see me anymore?"

"Of course not. You know that’s ridiculous. Remember, you promised to hear me out. I don’t like what it’s doing to you. To you and Harry actually. These headaches, they’re a sign of something, you can’t keep in contact with an object this powerful and not suffer side effects."

"Well, what can I say, I just want to spend as much time as I can with you before it’s really over."

"It is really over Freddie Boy." George answered sadly. "I’m already gone, this isn’t really real."

"I know that." Fred said quietly.

"Do you? Because you can know something without believing it. You and Harry. I just want you to take it easy. Don’t let this thing be stronger than you just because it seems to give you what you want. I won’t be able to come here forever, but the effects of using the ring now, they could be permanent. Please Fred. Keep yourself sane, for Ron and Ginny. They’re floundering too, and only now beginning to surface. Focus on helping them keep their heads above water and start letting me go."

"I can’t do that. I can be there for Ron and Ginny, you know I’d do anything for them. But I can’t just forget you."

"I’m not asking you to, I’m asking you to start healing."

(BREAK)

Ron ended the letter, said the finishing spell to make it readable to the person for whom it was intended and sealed it in the envelope he’d already addressed. He handed it to a small brown owl that Arthur usually used for ministry business before he could change his mind and hoped he’d made the right decision. Until he knew, he wouldn’t say anything to anyone. He only hoped the response would arrive quickly.
 

 

NOTE: So not everything happened in this chapter that I promised, but it is still all coming. Just in case something else messed up my plot line, here’s what you can look forward to in the next few chapters: Luna finds out more about Willem and talks to Drake about her warning, they discover a few more coven members identities, Draco finds a link between Pansy and Sarah Elaine, Hagrid returns with news from the giants, Harry celebrates his birthday, news arrives that brings them back to Cho, Luna asks for Harry’s help with her brother’s case, Ron receives a response to his letter, a trip to Diagon Alley turns out worse than expected, Hedwig goes missing, Edmund Fritz makes another move against Arthur, info about Snape arrives, the Dursley’s make an appearance, a stressful train ride back to Hogwarts, a new professor has taken Snape’s place, Luna strikes a deal with Dumbledore….well as you can see I have a lot to cover and even more to think up after all that. My days are still occupied by my family emergency and will probably stay that way for a few weeks, but I’m trying to make the most of my insomnia, so keep checking in, I’m still writing! Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the meantime, I love hearing from you guys!






Chapter 18: Birthday Wishes and Everyday Problems

A/N: Once more, there is a lot going down right now, a lot to pay attention to. So let’s keep plugging away, shall we? Read, Review, Enjoy!

 


Ginny woke feeling happy, something she didn’t think she’d ever experience again. After the others had gone to bed, she’d sneaked back to Draco’s room, and they’d spent many more hours getting to know each other in the dark. Now, feeling his arm wrapped so securely around her, his deep, even breath against the back of her neck, and the comfort of his body pressed so tightly against her, she felt safe, comforted, secure. Though she would never admit it to anyone, Draco wasn’t the first boy she had been so intimate with.

Last year, while watching Harry and Hermione so happy out on the dance floor of the costume ball, she’d been consumed by feelings of insecurity, hurt and disappointment while trying to keep a happy face. Losing herself in her misery, she’d sought desperately for a way to make herself feel better, and so, as Fred, Ron and Luna rescued Harry from Cho, she’d snuck off with her own date, Gem, and one thing had led to another. It had been a painful and lackluster experience, perhaps because she hadn’t really intended to go so far. Of course, this was something she’d always kept to herself, not wanting the others to have one more reason to doubt she was capable of making her own decisions. It wasn’t her proudest moment, and she hadn’t spoken to Gem since, though he’d tried for quite a few weeks after. She certainly hadn’t paraded the memory in front of Laurel, simply glossed over it quickly when showing all the unsatisfying relationships she’d tried to enter into.

Draco stirred and her breath caught in her throat. "Hey." He said sleepily, hugging her closer and burying his face in her hair. Letting out the breath in relief, she smiled before turning and once again claiming his lips. She’d feared he’d wake regretful, that it would be awkward between them.

Breaking off he turned away, a big dopey grin on his face. "Morning breath. Sorry."

"Oh please." She shoved him playfully. "If you can handle mine, I can handle yours."

"I’m not sure I can handle you at all." He joked, rising to put on his clothes.

"Where are you going? Are you in the habit of leaving a girl stranded in your bed, because I may have an issue with that."

"Stranded? Your clothes are right there." He looked down before adding, "I just figured you’d want to run off before the others started moving around."

"I see, you think I’m ashamed of myself. Well, maybe I should be." She teased before grabbing his belt loop and pulling him back down beside her. "We did some very bad things last night." He blushed slightly, unable to meet her eyes and she found him adorable all over again. For all the hardness he’d portrayed over the years, she was actually making him nervous. "I’m not in a rush to desert you." She said seriously. "We can keep it secret from the others, but I’m not going to go out of my way to do so. I…." She paused, suddenly uncomfortable with the amount of truth she had been about to disclose.

"You what?" he prodded, sweeping her hair back from her face and tucking a strand behind her ear. The gesture touched her.

"I’m finally on my way to being happy, I think. I just don’t want to ruin it anymore."

"I think you make me happy too." He admitted quietly. "Of course, you drive me insane usually and there are times I’d like to throttle you but… I don’t know it just feels right." He looked at her with worry, obviously unsure if she was in the same place he was.

"Sure, I can go along with that." She smiled. "And since we’re being honest with each other, are you going to finally tell me when you first felt this way? Or did you think I forgot that you never answered even after I told you my story. We’re past embarrassment at this point."

"That’s what you think." He grumbled. "Okay, I don’t really know, alright. It just sort of happened, that I softened towards you before all the others, maybe because I felt guilty about the diary. And then I had to watch you all, get to know you without really knowing you and you always just sort of stuck out. I tried to be meaner to you, to convince myself you didn’t matter. I tried not to treat you any differently than the others, but anytime we were pitted against each other, like the scuffle we all had in Umbridge’s office, I could never bring myself to act seriously against you. You held no similar qualms, I’d noticed." He shook his head.

"Well, I didn’t know." She defended herself not knowing why. He’d been quite the jerk back then, to everyone. He’d played his part expertly, so how was she supposed to know any different?

"Yeah well, the sick part is that I think I really let myself feel for you after you stabbed me."

"Really? How does that work?"

"It’s like I told Potter, you sort of freed me that day. I’d never felt so cut off from Lucius. My mother visited me every day in that stupid hospital, but my father never even sent me a message through her. After, when I was released and finally able to see him, he blamed me for it. Said I’d gotten myself caught up and he wouldn’t be taken down by my weakness. Maybe it was my fault trying to meet with you so soon after George died, but I’d never been more grateful to anyone as I was towards you. The whole incident finally opened my eyes to the fact that I was giving up everything for someone who could care less."

"I never did like that man." She tried to imagine it, the horror of living with such a cold unfeeling person. But her own father was so far removed from her image of Lucius, that she was sure anything she pictured couldn’t be close to what Draco had actually experienced. She had a feeling Harry could relate better and she began to understand the relationship slowly growing between the two boys.

"You’re not the only one. I’m sure even my mother doesn’t really like him." Draco stood again and began handing her clothes to her, the moment of bliss obviously over. "Anyway, that’s the progression of my regard for you, take it or leave it."

She dressed quickly then threw herself against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I’ll take it." She answered, stealing a surprised kiss. "Now let’s get down to the kitchen before Ron gets there. I hate watching him eat, he’s such a pig." She led him to the door, listening for any movement on the other side. She reached for the knob before turning back to him with a smile. "Don’t forget to keep your mind closed and act normal."

(BREAK)

Harry sat at the table, savoring the smell of Molly’s cooking. As much as he wanted to be master of the house and to be responsible for his guests, he just couldn’t bring himself to argue when she’d insisted on kitchen duty. The only cooking that came close to being as delicious and comforting was Luna’s, which is why he’d relinquished control to her as well. But Molly, she was amazing.

He and Hermione had risen early, but all of the adults were already in the kitchen preparing for their day. Eager to get breakfast underway, Harry watched as the rest of the teens sauntered in, rubbing sleep from their eyes. Except Ginny, she entered looking wide awake. He caught Luna grin to herself when Draco entered a short time later and sat as far from Ginny as he could be. Hmmm, interesting, he thought to himself before checking to see that Fred and Ron had been ignorant of the moment. Since Ron was already piling his plate and Fred had placed his head on the table in an attempt to continue sleeping, he felt assured they were none the wiser. Unsure how he felt about this development himself, he thought it best her brothers not pick up on it too soon. Glancing at Hermione, he couldn’t guess whether she’d noticed.

"Mr. Weasley?" Luna asked as the meal went under way.

"Yes, my dear? What can I do for you?" he answered with a smile.

"I was wondering, well you see I’d like to visit my grandmother before we leave for school, and I was hoping it would be possible to set something up?"

"Of course! I’ll just have to figure a few things out. Unfortunately it’s being passed around that I’m so busy using the Aurors as my own personal security that they are unable to do their jobs hunting down Voldemort. I can’t keep calling them away for these things." He turned to Lupin. "Remus, maybe you’d be able to lend assistance?"

"We both would!" Tonks replied for him. "Luna this works out wonderfully! I have holiday time built up, I’d intended to use it for our honeymoon, but that fell through. I hoped things would settle enough for us to take a small trip before Remus had to leave for school, but you know they never have."

"They still haven’t settled." Arthur reminded her. "And you are an Auror, I’m afraid of how it will look."

"But she needs protection, doesn’t she Arthur? And two guards are better than one. I’d be taking off work to do something equally important and if Remus and I get to have a little time to ourselves while Luna’s visiting, then what’s the harm? Plus I’m sure some of the other kids would want to go with her, they never want to go anywhere alone, so it’s better that Remus have help."

Arthur put up his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine, you’ve argued your case. But you’ll have to convince your department to give you the time off, I can’t put in any word to help you."

"I’m not worried." Lupin laughed patting his wife’s hand. "When she wants to, she can be quite charming."

"Well, there’s your answer." Arthur turned to Luna. "As soon as Tonks can get off work for holiday, you can go to Leeds."

"How serious is it over there? Is your job really in that much trouble?" Harry asked feeling guilty. Arthur had pulled a lot of favors on his behalf.

"Oh hush on all that now." Molly interrupted. "Let’s talk about something happy for once. Harry, love, what would you like to do for your birthday?"

"I hadn’t really thought about it." He shrugged. "Other than going for my apparating license of course." He turned to look at Arthur who smiled and nodded.

"An appointment has been set up for both you and Ron for the morning of the 31st. And Draco, you’re going too, for another lesson with Dumbledore now that the full moon has come and gone. And if you do well, you’ll be able to test that day too."

"Thanks." Draco said quietly, staring at his plate and nowhere else.

"And Hermione, the last favor I was able to pull, with Albus’s help, is an arrangement for you to go with the boys and be tested early."

"Really?" Hermione squeaked in excitement.

"Well, we made the argument that it would be near impossible with your workload for you to leave once you’re at school, just to be tested. Besides, apparently your name held weight with the testing board. Not everyone receives a perfect score on every exam they’ve ever taken. Due to your exemplary academic record, they were willing to allow this for you." Arthur said proudly.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Now that’s all settled, Harry, there’s got to be something else you want." Molly prodded. "Come on its just a few days away."

"Really, anything you decide is fine." He felt embarrassed, as he always did when she fussed over him.

"Oh you boys, always so indecisive!" Molly exclaimed.

(BREAK)

Luna approached Arthur alone when he came home from work much later that day. She’d sensed him near and had excused herself from Hermione’s room, where they were all spread out researching the various information they needed. Meeting him at the door she asked him to join her in the parlor, secure in the knowledge that the others wouldn’t be coming down anytime soon.

"Is this about the trip to see your grandmother?" Arthur asked settling heavily in an armchair, tired from his day. She hated to burden him, but she wasn’t yet sure where else to go for the information she needed.

"No, actually it’s about my brother. I’ve always had questions about his death and while I was in the ministry I sort of found the reports about it." She looked down feeling shame. "I know I wasn’t supposed to look through that stuff, I’m sorry."

Arthur smiled wearily. "I told you all you were allowed access to the entire corridor, remember. There’s nothing to be sorry for. Please, go on, though I must confess, I don’t know much about your brother’s case. Lovegood…. Kane right? It was so long ago…"

"Oh I know. And yes it was Kane. The thing is, there are two reports, written by the same lead Auror, but only a few hours apart. The name signed on the bottom was Willem Fritz. I was wondering what you knew about him."

Arthur sat up a little straighter. "Willem Fritz, well there’s a name I haven’t heard in awhile. I realize you’re smart enough to have connected him to Edmund Fritz." She nodded as he went on. "They’re brothers, though it was always thought Willem’s values differed greatly. It’s interesting he’s involved in what I assume you think is a cover up for your brother’s death."

"Why is it interesting?"

"Because a few years ago, he’d been accused of taking bribes and fudging reports in favor of the person with the most to gain from a cover up. He claimed he’d never accepted a bribe, had been forced to change his reports because of some expert called on by the Auror’s office. But when we asked him to name the person he couldn’t. Claimed he’d been given some potion that kept him from revealing the truth. Of course, as you found out last year, there are such potions, but his story was so outlandish, no one took him seriously. Minister Fudge rarely took anything seriously."

"So what happened to Willem?"

"He was thrown into Azkaban. And here’s the kicker, he was jailed on the recommendation of his brother. As far as I know, he’s still sitting in a cell out there."

"Edmund wanted his brother in prison?" Luna asked. "Why would they listen to him?"

"Because in politics, sometimes money and influence hold more weight than the truth." Arthur said sadly. "It never did sit well with me, if Edmund was what we all suspected, why would he turn on his brother for fixing reports for his friends? Made me think maybe there was something to Willem’s story after all, that the poor boy got himself used and abused by their cause. I don’t suppose he mentioned the name of his expert in your brother’s reports?"

"No, he mentions them in the second report, but not by name."

"I can look into it if you’d like?"

She was touched by the offer, but couldn’t bear to impose on him when he was already fighting for his job. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley, but I think I’d rather let sleeping dogs lie. I was just hoping you’d be able to put all the pieces together. But this can certainly wait, we have more pressing things to deal with."

"A very mature perspective. But are you sure? I understand the need for closure, and I’d hate for you to follow the poor example set by some of your friends and start chasing this down on your own." He looked at her suspiciously. Apparently he’d been serious when he stated he’d have trouble trusting them all again.

She took a deep breath and let it out, trying to send a soothing, comfortable feeling throughout the room. She watched as he unconsciously slumped down in his seat, relaxing into the chair. "Of course I wouldn’t. I would never want to worry you or Mrs. Weasley any more than you already are."

"Thank you dear." Arthur sighed, closing his eyes as his body relaxed. "Do me a favor, let Draco know that Roscoe contacted me at the office and is still unable to get away."

"Absolutely. You rest until dinner." She said softly, quietly leaving the room. She was disappointed Healer Drake wouldn’t be stopping by. She’d hoped to ease her fears about the energy of the ring before she actually had to take it, but apparently he was needed more elsewhere. With a heavy sigh, she began climbing the stairs back up to Hermione’s room.

She felt guilty telling Arthur she wouldn’t do anything on her own, but technically she’d been telling the truth. Her plan had formed instantly during the conversation and she needed both Harry and Fred to pull it off. Unfortunately, to keep the waters calm, that also meant she’d have to include Hermione. Wouldn’t want Harry to worry about the conflict that could arise from keeping another secret from her. But she figured it could all work out, and if she was as good as she thought, Arthur would never have to know. After all, she also hadn’t been lying when she’d said she didn’t want to worry him or his wife.

(BREAK)

Harry barely glanced away from the paper in front of him as Hermione jumped up to let Luna back in the room. They’d all been working hard. He and Hermione had been tracing the records trying to find coven members. Fred and Draco were reading over the translated documents recounting battles as Ron flipped through the book on translation spells trying to learn them to later teach the others. Ginny had chosen not to join them yet again, but Harry couldn’t focus on that. He felt it was taking forever, piecing together these people’s lives but he was just about there…and eureka! "I got one." He told the others.

"Who is it?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Zachary Hill." Harry answered happily. "He’s Ashford Deveroux’s descendant. Says here he is twenty-one, born in the United States. Current records have him in the same small town he was born in, someplace called Milnerport in Massachusetts. He’s unmarried, no known children."

"Okay, and what was Ashford’s power?" Draco asked as they all turned to Hermione.

"Um…automatic writing." She said after sifting through her head. "It’s the ability to write messages of wisdom and guidance from a higher realm of consciousness. Basically the person acts as a channel and writes out anything that the force they tap into wants them to know."

"Like an ouija board?" Ron asked.

Hermione scoffed. "Sure if you have a real one and not one mass produced for entertainment. But in the case of the ouija board, the channel is open to any force that wants to come through it and can be very dangerous. An automatic writer is able to close off and channel a specific plane of consciousness, whether that be someone who’s moved on from our world or some other higher unexplainable force."

"My crazy aunt Phylis had an ouija board and she was always trying to make us use it when we went over there to visit, remember Fred?"

"She bought it in a muggle toy store, Ron. I doubt it was effective. Besides, this sounds more like a messaging service." Fred joked.

"If you want to oversimplify everything." She made a face at him. "Regardless, we can add Zachary to our list, along with the one I found." She handed the paper to Harry. "Hasani Jumoke." She announced from memory.

"From Cairo, Egypt. Age 32, currently employed as an architect." Harry read off.

Hermione nodded. "Descended from Sakhmet who was psychometric, more commonly called, a touch-know."

"Common or not, I have no idea what you’re talking about." Ron shook his head.

"It’s when the person can know anything and everything about you just by touching you or something you own."

"That is a dangerous power." Draco said warily.

"Agreed." Harry said. "Are these touch-knows rare?" he’d hate for Voldemort to find one of them, even if they weren’t as powerful as this Hasani was supposed to be.

"Compared to other psychics, yes." Hermione nodded. "I worry about this one, because this particular power has been known to skip a generation. I’m not sure how that affects those in Sakhmet’s line, I haven’t read anywhere how her progeny are affected by the claim."

"Well, I thought the whole point was that these people are different." Fred pointed out. "Why would it skip in her lineage?"

"It wouldn’t." Luna answered confidently. "I’m not worried. Not about Hasani anyway."

"So which one are you worried about?" Harry asked.

"No, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not worried about any of them." She said quickly.

"So what is it then?" Ron demanded.

"Nevermind." She said quietly looking away. Sometimes, Harry really hated Luna’s secrecy, necessary or not.

I promise, it’s nothing. I spoke incorrectly. I meant I had other things to worry about. Her voice zoomed through his head. He ignored it, not wanting Hermione to notice that they were once again communicating silently in front of the others.

They all soon settled back into research mode until dinner, which was a surprisingly light and friendly affair. Whatever happened between Ginny and the healer, or maybe even between her and Draco had obviously already had an effect on the girl, who not only joined the meal, but attempted conversation with her parents. He felt Luna, prodding in his head the whole time they sat there, but he wouldn’t let her in. Things between him and Hermione were finally going well again, he wasn’t about to ruin it by having a private conversation in front of her since she’d already expressed her displeasure at the idea. He would just have to find a time to talk with Luna later, though he did feel guilty to block her out. He’d never done that before, instead allowing her to be the only one with complete access to him.

They all retired early, each with their own ideas for how they’d like to spend the evening and with whom. "Harry." Luna stopped him as he was following Hermione into her room.

"Yeah, what’s up?" he asked casually, uncertain why he suddenly felt so guilty around her.

"I was just wondering, could I borrow the ring. I kind of want to reason something out and I think Neville might be a good person to bounce ideas off of." She wouldn’t meet his eyes and for the first time ever, he felt she was lying to him. But that couldn’t be, Luna never lied.

"Sure." He answered suspiciously, leading the way into his room and to the desk. Taking out the ring he had the sudden urge to run with it, to hide it away so Luna and anyone else would never be able to take it from him again. It was silly and he certainly wasn’t going to let himself be ruled by this object. He quickly dropped it in her hand before he could change his mind. "Just try not to leave the house with it." He offered an uneasy smile.

"Good thing you told me." She smiled back before quickly disappearing out the door and down to her room. Left feeling confused, Harry shook his head and used the bookcase to head back to Hermione’s room.

"What was that about?" she asked, already curled up in bed with a book.

"She wanted to use the ring, talk to Neville about something."

"Neville? I didn’t realize they had been close." Hermione said, closing her text and placing it on the table beside her.

"I don’t think they were close at all actually. I don’t know what she’s up to. But at least I can trust her, unlike when Ginny acts squirrelly."

"Ginny appears to have moved onto a new victim." Hermione said stiffly. "Maybe now she can stop trying to torture you."

"So you did notice." He changed into sweat pants and an old T-shirt.

"I’ve been noticing. After all, she did want to run away with him." She answered as he climbed into bed beside her.

"Do you think something’s bothering Luna?" he asked suddenly.

"She hasn’t mentioned anything."

"Yeah, but that’s not what I asked. She wouldn’t mention it, if something were bothering her, I just…" he broke off, still testing what was safe conversation for them. He wasn’t sure his concern for Luna qualified.

"What?" she turned to him. "You’re just worried right?"

"Well, you made it clear you were uncomfortable with us talking without you, so I haven’t. But I still have you to turn to, who does she have? It’s not like she can go talk to Ron or Ginny."

"What about Fred?"

"What does he know about her? They aren’t that close." Harry answered stiffly and to his surprise, a bit defensively.

"So go talk to her then, Harry. I told you already, I wasn’t uncomfortable with you two being alone, just that you were shutting me out."

"Really?" he asked feeling this was some kind of test.

"Yes, we need to be able to trust each other. Don’t we?"

"I already trust you, Hermione. I just don’t want to give you any reason to doubt me."

"And what kind of person would I be, to keep you from a friend that may need your help?" she countered. "Luna would never hurt me."

"Not like Ginny and I did, right. So you trust her, but not me."

She sighed and shook her head. "I trust you Harry. Go talk to her if you think that’s what she needs. We all have to have someone we can confide in, right?"

"And what if she tells me something she doesn’t want anyone else to know?" he pushed. He wasn’t about to leave any sort of opening for her to be mad about this later.

"Then keep it to yourself. We agreed not to have secrets from each other, but that doesn’t mean we have to betray everyone else. If there’s something she doesn’t want me to know, then I don’t have to know it. I just thought she and I had become real friends and that she’d want to come to me with a problem, just the same as she would you."

He studied her closely and realized she was actually very hurt that Luna didn’t seem comfortable confiding in her. "Why don’t you come with me to check on her? I’m sure she like to know she has extra support."

But Hermione was shaking her head and once more picking up her book. "You go. You two have your special link thing going for you. I’m fine really. Just let her know I’m here if she needs me, okay?"

"You’re sure?"

"Do you need me to push you out of bed myself? Go, Harry. I’ll be here when you come back."

He rose uncertainly and moved to the door. "You better be here when I get back, and you better not be asleep." He warned with a devilish smile, which she returned before he crept down the stairs and went to knock on Luna’s door. She seemed surprised to see him.

"Harry? I haven’t gotten to use the ring yet." She said quickly.

"I don’t need to use the ring, that’s not why I’m here." Even from the doorway, he could feel the object calling out for him to reclaim it. He ignored the feelings, with extreme difficulty.

"Then what is it?" she asked nervously toying with the ends of her long golden hair.

"It’s you. You were trying to talk to me earlier, but I’m trying not to have any private conversations in front of Hermione." He explained.

"I see."

"Are you going to invite me in, or what?"

She glanced behind her nervously before leaving the room and closing the door. "No, let’s go outside. I want some fresh air I think." Puzzled, he followed her down the stairs and out the back door without question.

Once they had settled themselves under the willow tree, they sat together in comfortable silence, enjoying the gentle summer night breeze, the loud unorganized singing of the crickets, and each other’s company. Finally, with the realization Hermione was still waiting for him, he turned to Luna. "So what’s up?"

"So much, I don’t even know where to begin." She sighed.

He watched her hair sway in the breeze, her eyes staring up through the leaves to the stars above them. She seemed nervous somehow and it unsettled him. Luna rarely lost her cool. "Is it something to do with why you want to visit your grandmother all of a sudden?"

"No, as much as I need to talk to her, that will have to wait for winter break. I’ve decided this evening that I’m not going to see my grandmother when I leave with Tonks and Lupin." She answered decisively, daring him with her gaze to try and change her mind.

"So where do you intend to go? I’m assuming you will be sneaking off so Tonks and Lupin won’t know."

"If that was my plan, would you go with? Will you help me?"

He’d instantly wanted to say yes. But with things so turbulent with the Weasleys and Hermione, he wasn’t sure it was the best idea to go defying authority at this time. "You know I’d do anything you asked, Luna. But…."

"Would it help if I said Hermione could come too, if you think she can keep the secret?"

"Well…" he really didn’t want to let Luna down. "What’s the plan, what’s this all about anyway?"

(BREAK)

"Have you been with other girls?" Ginny didn’t know what made her ask the question, but as she lay post coitus with Draco, she began to wonder just why he was so good at what he did.

"Are you really asking me that right now?"

"Are you really not going to answer?" she turned to face him, propping her head on her elbow as she gazed down into his horrified face.

"Why would you even want to know something like that?" he asked shaking his head.

"I’ll take your extreme displeasure with the question as a yes. Who was it?"

"Ginny, I do not want to talk about this." He rolled over on his side, facing away from her. "Go to sleep."

"You’re that embarrassed by your past? She must have been a dog." She teased, rubbing his shoulder. He shrugged her off.

"It’s none of your business."

She was taken aback by the harshness in his voice. "Then who’s business is it, if not mine?" she asked, angrily throwing off the covers and pulling on her clothes.

"Where are you going?" he asked turning back to her.

"To my own room, where everything is my business." She stalked to the door.

"How many other guys have you been with?" he called after her. She paused, her hand hovering above the doorknob before slowly turning back. He was smirking at her. "Not an easy question to answer when you’re on the spot is it? I may not know a lot, Ginny, but I do know I wasn’t your first. So before you go dragging up past conquests, make sure you’re comfortable enough for full disclosure."

"Fine, you weren’t my first, but you are my second. How many can you claim before me?"

"Only one and it was a mistake." He admitted.

"Who was it?"

"Why is that important? I don’t care who yours was."

"Because you are clearly more ashamed." She countered.

"Ashamed, maybe. I think regretful is more the word. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t matter, never did. She was just there, I was there, wrong time wrong place I guess. Yours wasn’t Potter was it?"

"I thought you didn’t care?" she said crossing her arms.

"I don’t." he said quickly. "But you can’t expect full honesty from me, get upset when you don’t get it and not be willing to be honest back. I told you I didn’t want to play games, Ginny."

"I’m not playing games!" she protested. "I just…I don’t know how this is supposed to work, okay?"

"And running away is your answer to everything lately." He retorted laying back down and turning away from her again. "Just go then."

She hesitated before moving away from the door and climbing back into bed with him. "Alright. I’m sorry I asked, and I’m sorry for jumping down your throat."

"Don’t do that, Ginny." He said seriously as he faced her once more. "Don’t stay if you don’t want to and don’t apologize if you don’t think you did anything wrong. I’m not going to compromise myself for you, you shouldn’t do it for me."

"I agree. But I want to stay. I feel silly for getting mad at all." She sighed. "No one makes me be as honest as you. Why is that?"

"I don’t know. Maybe because you know I’m not going to judge you. I mean who am I to judge anyone at this point, right?"

"Who are you, well tonight you’re the guy I plan to sleep with." She grinned wickedly.

"Really?" he looked her over in a way that made her shiver with delight. "But you put all your clothes on to leave."

"Well, I guess you’ll just have to take them all off me again." She whispered seductively as he leaned in to kiss her deeply.

(BREAK)

"I don’t know, Luna." Harry said uncertainly. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Since when has logic ever stopped you?" she shot back. "I’ve thought this through and sure it’s dangerous, but what isn’t these days? A stroll down the street is dangerous. This is about my brother!"

"And going to Azkaban to meet with an alleged criminal is the best way? There’s really no one else you can go to? Even if I go with you, I don’t like the idea of you walking around in there."

She sighed and shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, but we’ll have your invisibility cloak. And I already told you about the reports and what Arthur said. There is no one to give me answers except Willem. Especially if he’s been wrongly imprisoned."

"I don’t think Hermione will go for it."

"Well it’s up to you whether or not you tell her. Do you just not want to help me?" she asked, already knowing it wasn’t the case. But she hadn’t expected so much opposition.

"Of course I want to help you. I just don’t want it to blow up in our faces." He said. "I’m trying to be more responsible you know. Think things through a little better."

"I’ve already thought this through. Everyone will get what they want. Lupin and Tonks can have their time alone together and we’ll simply apparate to the prison, slip on the cloak, meet with Willem, get what we need and get out."

"Something tells me that if you didn’t need my cloak, you’d be doing this alone." He looked at her suspiciously.

"If it was possible I would." She admitted. "But I’m not stupid Harry. I need a lot more than your cloak. I need your eyes and your talents watching my back while I piece this together. I also need Fred’s potion making abilities. In return, I know something that will make you very happy." She offered up as a last ditch effort to entice out the old Harry, the one who ran on emotion and spontaneity. This new thinking Harry that he was trying to be for Hermione’s sake annoyed her.

She saw the familiar gleam in his eye as his curiosity rose. "Yeah? What?"

"It’s something Draco found out about Lucius. I asked him not to tell anyone until I figured out how it could help my case against Kane. But if you’re in on the plan, then there’s no reason not to tell you, right?"

"This feels like blackmail." He grinned.

"Think of it more as quid pro quo." She grinned back.

"Alright, anything for you, Luna. Let’s go see Fred. Then you and Draco can tell me all about Lucius tomorrow. Agreed?"

"Agreed. I can’t believe I had to bribe you." She teased.

"I thought it was quid pro quo?" He shot back as they headed into the house. "You knew I was going to agree to all this anyway, right? Even without the exchange of information."

"I’d like to think so." She answered honestly. "So what are you going to tell Hermione?"

He thought hard as they made their way through the kitchen to the hallway. "I think I should tell her. If it was just going to be us, then I don’t think she’d find out. But the more people you bring in, the more chance there is that something will slip out and I’d hate to be me if she found out I was keeping something like this from her."

"You mean you’re worried Fred will tell her." Luna pointed out as they headed upstairs.

"Not on purpose or anything." Harry said quickly, following her to her room. "Hey, I thought you wanted to talk to Fred."

"I do, I just need to get something." She walked in, grabbed a large book and was back in the hallway in a matter of seconds, but she saw that even that small amount of time was enough for him to feel the ring calling for him. She started towards Fred’s room but realized he wasn’t following her. "Harry?"

"Oh, sorry." He moved down the hall to where she stood. "I was just thinking, it would be easier to sneak the ring out with us than the cloak. Maybe we could just use that to make us invisible."

"No!" she replied in horror. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she quickly added, "You can’t bring the ring to Azkaban, Harry. It just makes us a double target if someone there senses we have it. We’re already doing something dangerous. The cloak is safer."

"I guess I can’t ague with that." He said shaking his head as she turned to knock on Fred’s door.

He answered wearing a lab coat splattered with some kind of pink goo. "Well, isn’t this a surprise? What can I do for you two?" he asked gesturing them in and closing the door behind them. "I assume this is business and not pleasure?"

"It depends on how you look at it." Luna answered. "Do you remember how to make the Rictheous Potion?"

"Yeah…" he answered warily. "But it takes a few days to brew properly."

"We have a little time." Harry answered.

"May I ask why you need it?"

"To get around the Bickeross, if that’s what the person was given." Luna said before handing him the book and a list. "I’m not sure which truth suppression potion he was given actually. But this is a list of all the ones it could be and I found most of the counter potions in this book. Think you could whip up a sample of each?"

Fred glanced over the list and checked out some of the cures. "Maybe. I’m much better at making my own concoctions you know. I needed Hermione’s help before to get the Rictheous potion right. What if I need her help again? Plus it took twenty-four hours to work."

"Well, then we’ll have to hope he wasn’t given the Bickeross then." Luna stated.

"What is all this for?"

"I’ll leave Luna to tell you all about it. I have to go fill Hermione in." Harry said moving to the door. "I’m sure she’ll be able to help you this time too."

(BREAK)

"I understand she wants to find out what happened to her brother, not that I ever knew she had one." Hermione said stubbornly. Despite his warning, she’d fallen asleep the night before, and so Harry hadn’t woken her. Now it was the next day and after laying everything out for her, he felt ready to defend his position. He was going to help Luna regardless if Hermione approved. He’d already promised his assistance long ago.

"You aren’t the only one. She never even told Ron, if it makes you feel better."

"But she told you."

"It just came up last year while we were talking. She didn’t search me out just to tell me about her murdered brother. And Draco knows too. She said he figured it out after remembering he’d been home the day it happened."

"Why try to solve it now? It happened six years ago. Why not wait until everything else is over and focus all your attention on it, you know, when there aren’t Death Eaters waiting to get you as soon as you leave the house?"

"Because it’s been six years! Who knows how long until ‘everything else is over.’" He argued. "Ron’s like a brother to you, right? If he were killed, would you be able to wait so long to find out what happened?"

She looked uncertain. "Yes…no…maybe. Alright! No, okay! I wouldn’t be able to wait I’d want to know and I’d want the person responsible to suffer."

"Exactly. And Kane wasn’t like a brother to her, he was her brother. And what if this Willem person really was set up by his brother. Isn’t six years long enough for an innocent man to sit in prison?"

"Fine, I see the point. But Harry, Arthur’s already so upset. And this is one more thing like everything else before it. Why can’t we just go to him with what we know and get him to look into it. Or Dumbledore? Or Kingsley?"

"You know Arthur can’t focus on anything else right now with Edmund and the easily bought opinions of the Daily Prophet coming down on him. And Kingsley is already helping with that as well as leading the world wide search for Snape."

"What about Lupin and Tonks? Are you really okay with lying to them like this? They’re only trying to help and if something goes wrong, they’ll be blamed for it because they’re supposed to be watching you out there. And what’s more, they wouldn’t know where you were if something does go wrong!"

"This is the way Luna wants to handle it. I believe she knows what she’s doing."

"Yeah, well you also seem to believe you are invincible. You’re intending to walk into a prison full of enemies! They haven’t all broken out you know. Plus Cho is still there."

"I’m not scared of her." He scoffed.

She sighed and shook her head. "You’re going to do what you’re going to do."

"Yes, I am. Because I promised to help. And I also promised not to lie to you and not to keep secrets. I’m only keeping my word."

She let out a hollow laugh. "I’m sure that’s how you see it. Okay, you get points for honesty. But I just don’t think this is a good idea."

"But you aren’t going to tell anyone, right?"

"No, Harry. Luna’s secret is safe with me." She looked at him sharply before adding, "for as long as you guys are safe. If I feel like you guys are in trouble or need help, I won’t hesitate to tell someone."

"Fair enough." He agreed.

"I’m nervous about you two going into the prison alone."

"I am too." He confessed. "But Luna has it so well planned, I don’t think anything will go wrong."

"Yeah, we’ll see."

"So, are you willing to help out Fred with the potions?"

(BREAK)

Ginny had just left his room to go shower for the day when the knock came at Draco’s door. Nervous that someone had seen her leave, he opened it to find Roscoe Drake. "There’s my favorite patient!" he said by way of greeting as he strolled into the room. "Sorry about the delay in your treatment, but things have been crazy at the hospital. A major fire broke out in an apartment building and I was helping out in the burn ward."

"No problem." Draco shrugged.

"So, how are you? Any pain or discomfort?" Drake asked, at once all business.

"No, none at all."

"You look a lot better than the last time I saw you." The healer commented. "Healthier, happier. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing much." He shrugged embarrassed to give the real answer.

"Well, whatever it is, keep doing it."

"You’re the boss." Draco grinned inwardly. Now he had Healer’s orders to spend time with Ginny.

"Alright then. Let’s take a look at that arm and get this treatment under way."

"How much longer do you think it will take?"

"That’s hard to say. Everyone heals differently and this is an entirely new process. I must confess, you are coming along more quickly than I imagined."

"What about while I’m away at school? We leave in a few weeks."

"Your headmaster has already approached me and arrangements are being made." Drake answered mysteriously.

(BREAK)

Luna was waiting outside Draco’s door. She’d sensed Healer Drake was in the house the moment she’d woken. Knowing Harry or even Fred would be asking for the ring soon, she wanted to talk with Drake as soon as possible and was thrilled he’d finally shown up.

She accosted him as soon as he exited the room. "Healer Drake?"

He turned to her startled. "Miss Lovegood, isn’t it?" she nodded. "What can I do for you young lady?"

"I had a few private questions for you." She gestured towards her own room and he followed her in.

"Is something wrong? Are you ill?" he asked as she closed the door.

"Oh no. Nothing like that. I was just wondering about energy absorption."

"Really?"

"Well, more specifically, I was wondering about the dangers of being in constant close contact with a powerful object."

"What kind of object?"

She faltered here, not wanting to actually tell him about the ring no matter how trustworthy he appeared. After all, they’d been fooled by appearances before. "I don’t know, just something that both possesses it’s own magical energy and channels the energy of anyone in contact with it."

"Well, without knowing what the object is, I can only speculate. My assumption would be that nothing good would come from prolonged contact with such an artifact. Unless of course the person wielding it is stronger than the energy being put out. But in my experience, I’d have to say that whatever energy this hypothetical object may have will eventual overwhelm it’s possessor."

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, a number of things, based on cases I’ve seen similar to what you describe. One person lost their mind completely. Others become aggressive, desperate, despondent, just like someone with a substance abuse problem. Depending on the object, the person could become obsessive, possessive. In essence it could change who they are."

"But what if the object is essentially good, or at least not used for anything bad?"

"Pure energy doesn’t differentiate." Drake answered. "If anything, the person using the energy is the variable. It would depend not only on their intent with the energy, but their willpower and ability to withstand outside forces and harness the energy they are trying to use. Someone powerful like Albus Dumbledore would probably even have trouble, but it would take someone with that kind of power and focus to come away unscathed."

"I see." she wanted to believe Harry was strong enough, but his desire for the ring’s power came from somewhere deep within him. If it was any other object, with any other ability, she wouldn’t worry. But the ring was his connection to the people he lost and that meant the ring held a specific hold on him. And Fred, who’s mind was even more unfocused than Harry’s.

"I’m sorry, I can’t be any more specific without knowing the energy you’re speaking of. Although…" he looked around the room suspiciously, "I feel like there’s something powerful here."

"Thank you, Healer Drake. You’ve been more than helpful, believe me." She smiled in a way she hoped implied she had nothing to hide.

(BREAK)

Harry climbed the stairs to comply with Molly’s request that he tell the others lunch was ready. He was surprised to see Drake and Luna exiting her room. "Thank you again." She was saying.

"Think nothing of it. Glad to help." He nodded a greeting to Harry as he passed him to go downstairs. "Mr. Potter."

"Healer Drake." He nodded back without taking his eyes off Luna. He listened for the sound of the door closing downstairs, signaling Drake’s exit from the house before speaking. "What was that about?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sick?" he asked, feeling concerned.

"No. No, I just wanted to ask about whether he thought it would be possible for someone like Gabriella to heal Draco more quickly, you know like we all talked about before." For the second time in as many days, he felt Luna was lying to him. But before he could call her on it, they heard Arthur rush through the front door downstairs and shout for Harry.

Curious, they both ran down to meet him. "What is it? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing’s wrong, I didn’t mean to worry you. Is he here yet?" Arthur asked breathlessly.

"Who?" Harry and Luna asked together as the doorbell rang. Turning to answer it, Arthur admitted Dumbledore into the house as the others came out to the entryway to see what was going on.

"Dad? Is everything okay?" Ron asked.

"Everything’s fine. Let’s all go into the parlor." Arthur answered ushering them all into the room. "He should be here any moment."

"Who?" Hermione repeated Harry and Luna’s former question.

Again, before an answer could be given the doorbell rang. Harry jumped up to answer it. He opened the door and found himself face to waist. "Hagrid!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around his giant friend.

"Hey there, Harry!" Hagrid hugged him in return nearly crushing him to death.

"We’re in here." Arthur called from the parlor.

As Hagrid entered, Hermione and Ron jumped up to hug him as well, glad to see his familiar, friendly face. "Hello everyone! It’s good ter be back."

"Where’s Madame Maxime?" Fred asked.

"She wanted ter go ter her house and warsh up o bit after travelin’ so long."

"What news do you bring us?" Dumbledore asked after Hagrid had time to rest and catch up a bit.

"Good news! The giants accepted yer offer. They’re pickin’ up and headin’ this way ter the meetin’ point you set up."

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore beamed as Arthur said, "Well done."

But Harry, Hermione, Fred and Luna were looking at each other uncomfortably. "When will they start guarding Azkaban?" he asked for the group.

"They’ll be arrivin’ in about two weeks." Hagrid answered.

"We should have them working by the time you all go back to school." Arthur guessed.

"Any word on Tonks’s holiday?" Luna asked eagerly. Arthur looked at her strangely, so she quickly added, "I hadn’t realized we were so close to the time we’d have to leave for school. I just worry I won’t get the chance to see my grandmother."

"I believe Tonks is working on getting the time off as we speak. Don’t worry, we’ll figure something else out if she’s unable." Arthur assured her.

Harry reflected that for someone so inexperienced at lying, Luna was a quick learner. Normally, she’d hold her cards to her chest and just omit whatever she didn’t want someone to know. But now, she’d just told her third lie, that he knew about anyway. He began to wonder if maybe she was picking up on his bad habits.

(BREAK)

"Luna!" Harry called her name, running up the stairs after her. Hagrid had retired to his room to clean up and rest soon after he broke his news about the giants. Everyone else had sat down to lunch at Molly’s insistence. Now, she had desperately tried to get to her room before Harry could catch up with her. She knew what he wanted to talk about, he had picked up on her lies. But she wasn’t ready to address the issue of the ring and her need to lie to him. She still didn’t know what to do, but ignoring him would only make him worry more. So she switched tactics.

"Hey, you want to go talk to Draco about Lucius?"

"Now?" he asked, momentarily surprised enough to forget the reason he’d followed her.

"No time like the present." She said going to knock on Draco’s door. He answered by opening it a crack.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"It’s time to tell Harry about your father." She said quickly, watching as he nervously glanced into the room behind him.

"Can this wait?"

"We don’t care if Ginny is in there with you." Harry said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Draco answered.

"We know about you two." Luna responded evenly as Ginny herself pulled the door open all the way.

"I guess it’s just impossible for anyone but the two of you to keep secrets." The other girl said moodily.

"I think you kept a pretty big secret, planning to run away as you did. And with my property." Harry shot back.

"I knew you were full of it when you said the ring belonged to all of us." Ginny countered. "What do they want to know about your father?" she asked Draco.

"It’s about the stuff in that ministry file." He told her testily, obviously upset that she was bickering with Harry. "Come on in, I guess." He invited them, closing the door quickly before any of the Weasleys walked by. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Wherever you want. It’s your story to tell." Luna answered.

"He’s adopted." Draco blurted out without preamble.

"What?" Harry asked confused.

Draco sighed and went to his desk, grabbing the file, still open to the relevant page and handed it to Harry. "He’s not a real Malfoy. His parents were muggles."

"Leonard Smythe?" Harry said incredulously, reading over the document.

"And the best part is, I’m almost positive he doesn’t know." Draco looked pleased.

"Which means Voldemort probably doesn’t know." Harry concluded. "This is magnificent!"

"I don’t see why it matters." Ginny said. "Voldemort is a half-blood."

"Something not many are aware of." Luna pointed out. "I still think it’s a case of extreme self-loathing."

"In any case, this is definitely information Lucius wouldn’t want out." Harry said.

"Exactly." Draco said with a smile. "I’d planned to tell you all at the last order meeting, but Lovegood here asked me not to."

"And I thank you for keeping your word. I know how much you want to get back at Lucius. I want to bring him down too."

"Why?" Ginny interrupted. "What exactly do you have against Lucius?"

"Everything." Luna answered simply, still too hurt by her betrayal to be open with her former best friend. Ginny had dropped her as easily as the others, and now she expected that Luna still confide in her?

She and Harry left the new "couple" to themselves shortly after, Harry looking dazed as they stepped into the hallway. "That’s not what I was expecting to find out."

"What were you expecting?"

"I don’t know, but not that. And to think, Draco harassed Hermione all those years for being the same thing his father is."

"He didn’t know. And I’d say Draco’s come a long way since then."

"Agreed."

"I have a headache, I think I need to lie down." She said quickly to deter him from trying to continue with the reason he’d come to find her. Stopping outside her door, she turned and smiled. "I told you I knew something that would make you happy."

"And you weren’t lying." He answered as she walked to her room. "That time." She heard him mutter under his breath as she closed the door.

(BREAK)

The next few days had passed in a comfortable haze. Fred and Hermione had instantly started working on all the different counter potions Luna had found. Harry, Luna and Ron spent their time reading up on the translated battle accounts of the Original coven, but they still couldn’t find the record of their actual final fight against Marquees, the one where they actually vanquished him. Little was seen of Draco or Ginny and most assumed they were in their rooms keeping to themselves. Only Harry and Luna knew better, aware that they were actually holed up in one of the rooms together.

When he awoke early, the morning of July 31st, he’d expected to feel different somehow, older. He felt the same as always. "Happy birthday." Hermione whispered in his ear before delivering a passionate kiss. "Are you ready for your present?"

"You’re enough present for me." He grinned. "Can I unwrap you now?" he teased, pulling at her clothes as she laughed and batted his hands away.

"That’ll come later. Here." She handed him a small brown package with a green bow on top. "I had Tonks pick it up for me." She said, obviously eager for him to open it.

He pulled off the paper, exposing a plain white box. He opened it and peeked inside. "Oh wow!" he exclaimed pulling out a passport.

"It’s all legitimate, for the wizarding world and the muggle one. Now you can travel the globe legally!" she smiled at him before adding seriously, "After school of course."

He flipped through it, touched that she had thought to take care of this for him. "What about you and Ron? And where did you get this picture of me?"

"The pictures were all just the most recent they had on file for us at the ministry." She reached into the drawer of her night stand and pulled out a handful of passports. "I had Tonks get one for each of us. Here’s mine."

"At least your picture does you justice. I look drunk." He laughed.

"I also have Ron’s, as well as one for Fred, just in case he wants to come along. I had one made for Draco too, though I don’t know if he’d want to go with us to look for the coven. But at least once he graduates, he’ll be able to go wherever he wants."

"And this one?" he asked, indicating the last passport in her hands.

"Well, I know Luna still has two years left at school and she won’t be able to leave with us right away. But I figured she might want to catch up with us during the summer if we’re still looking."

"Which I hope we aren’t." He hadn’t considered the fact that Luna would be unable to go with them and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. She was part of the coven, and what’s more, she was part of their group. It seemed unfair that she be left behind.

"Are you ready to face the rest of them? I know how you love it when everyone makes a big deal over you." She teased.

He groaned loudly. "Can’t I just stay in here with you all day?"

"It’s your birthday, you can spend it anyway you want, but it would be a bit difficult for us to take the apparation test from here."

"Oh yeah!" and with that thought he jumped out of bed and began throwing on clothes.

"Good to know where I stand." She said, still teasing him as she rose to change from pajamas to real clothes.

(BREAK)

They were all waiting outside the office of Griselda Marchbanks, waiting for their tests to begin. Harry felt as confident as Hermione looked, but Ron was chewing on his fingernails and staring at the floor. They all looked up expectantly when the door opened, but it was only Draco. "How’d it go with Dumbledore?" Harry asked him.

"Fine. I was able to do it with no problem so they sent me in here to test with you guys." He answered taking a seat. "I can’t believe the lengths they go through to keep you guys happy. No one would arrange something like this for any of the kids I used to hang out with."

"Yeah, well that’s what happens when people like you, Malfoy." Ron said.

"How would you know, Weasley." Draco shot back.

"I’d say I’m a hell of lot more liked than you are, so that’s how I know."

"Guys…cool it." Harry warned.

"He started it." Ron protested.

"All I did was make an observation. It had no malicious intent." Draco said calmly, obviously not wanting to pick a fight with Ginny’s brother. Unfortunately Ron couldn’t let things be.

"Whatever you say Malfoy. Why don’t you just shut up and keep enjoying the roll off perks of being with us?"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"Well, there’s something you’d know all about, eh Weasley?" Draco took the bait and Harry shook his head. Things had never completely smoothed over between the two, but this wasn’t the time for bickering.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Oh please!" Draco rose. "Do you think they’d do any of this for you if Potter weren’t involved? You’ve been sitting back and enjoying the roll over perks since you met him!"

"Hey, that’s enough!" Harry jumped between the boys as Ron also rose.

"My dad’s the Minister of Magic. This would have been fixed for me regardless of Harry. And where’s your dad? Probably out killing some more people!"

"I’ve no doubt he is. But I do doubt anything would be arranged for you regardless of who your father is. When was your seventeenth birthday?"

"What’s your point?" Ron asked darkly.

"Well I believe it was a few months ago. I don’t care enough about you to know when. But why is that you’re only now getting to test, on Potter’s birthday?"

"Stop this now, this is definitely not the place!" Harry tried again.

"Happy birthday, by the way." Draco said miserably.

"Let it go, Ron." Hermione warned.

"No, I want to know what he was getting at!" Ron said trying to move past her.

"What I’m getting at is your minister daddy didn’t do anything to help you get your license in time for your birthday. But he nearly moved mountains arranging all this for Potter." Draco said finally, though Harry noted he didn’t seem to take the same pleasure in torturing Ron as he used to. It was almost as if he’d been shoved back into his old skin and it was now sitting uncomfortably on him. Despite the horrid argument, Harry chose to look at this as progress.

"Screw you." Ron said.

"Okay, enough!" Harry said, finally taking action and mentally pushing both boys into their chairs and pinning them there. "Now that you both got that out of your system, let’s knock it off. You think anyone is going to want to help us if we’re acting like this?"

"Plus it is his birthday. You could at least put off killing each other until tomorrow." Hermione said angrily.

What was that? Harry individually asked both boys.

Ask Weasley, it’s his problem and he’s your friend. Draco answered coldly.

Ron’s response made things clearer. I think he’s trying to snog my sister!

Harry didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to lie to Ron, not about something like this. But he also didn’t want to be the one to tell him Draco had already more than likely accomplished the task. Luckily, Ms. Marchbanks finally entered the room, keeping him from having to offer a reply.

"Well, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. Quite the foursome." Ms. Marchbanks said in an amused tone. "If you’ll all follow me, I’ll set you each up with a tester and we’ll get this underway."

(BREAK)

"It smells horrible in here." Luna offered as Fred showed her the progress he was making on her counter potions.

"Yeah, well, all in the pursuit of the truth!" he exclaimed.

"How long until they’re ready?"

"Hermione figured out we should have them all done by the beginning of the next week." He smiled. "Any word from Tonks?"

"She finally got an answer yesterday. They only let her take two days, so the plan is set for next weekend. Thankfully the giants won’t be placed anywhere near the prison until long after."

"Well, then you should be set on our side by then." He offered. "So…I’ve been asking Harry to use the ring and he says you have it. Says he tried to get it back a few times but you insisted you needed to use it. Are you done yet?"

"Not really." She said slowly while trying to make up an excuse quickly. "I’ve been talking to my grandfather, trying to figure out what he knows from up there about Kane."

It was true her grandfather had passed, and unlike Kane or Cedric, she didn’t have any inkling that he’d moved on. But she hadn’t tried to contact him, hadn’t even taken the ring out of the drawer she’d put it in when she’d first taken it from Harry.

"Up there?"

"Well, wherever they all are."

"Do you think I could borrow it real quick?" he asked gently. "I’ll give it right back. I just want to talk to George for a little bit."

She had nothing. She wasn’t a natural liar, it was just so hard to come up with believable excuses. She agreed to hand it over, hoping a brief encounter wouldn’t hurt him too much. She had to figure out what to do about this. Maybe she should just tell Harry about her warning and what she’d learned from Drake. Not on his birthday of course. She’d intended to let him use the ring guilt free that day, to talk to those people that should be here to celebrate with him but were unable. She truly believed Harry was stronger than Fred, and knew that he was fighting against the force trying to suck him in, even if he didn’t realize it. She went and handed the ring over, feeling like she was harming her friend and hating it, before heading downstairs to help Molly and Ginny prepare the house for Harry’s return.

(BREAK)

"And now, we’re legal!" Ron exclaimed as they climbed into the backseat of the ministry car.

"Congratulations to you all!" Arthur exclaimed. He had taken the rest of the day off to spend time with the family on Harry’s day.

Harry himself couldn’t be happier. Remembering how Fred and George had apparated all over the place when they first got their license, he suddenly understood the urge. They’d all passed with flying colors, and Harry was glad that this had seemed to come as easily to him as everything else. Draco wasn’t joining in their celebration, probably still upset by his argument with Ron. Meanwhile, Ron seemed to have forgotten it all in his delight and Harry decided to let it go for now. It was his birthday after all. It wouldn’t be too much to ask that he have one day for himself, would it?

They pulled up in front of Grimmauld place and Harry felt relief to be home, where he’d be surrounded by all the people he cared about the most. As they entered the house, he was instantly assaulted by what seemed to be a million balloons. They had filled the hallway from floor to ceiling and he had to push his way through them in an attempt to find the parlor, the others close behind him. It was weird to feel lost in one’s own home, but the fun of finding his way through the colorful maze made up for it. Finally as he entered the parlor, the balloons thinned and he discovered Molly, Fred, Luna, Lupin, Tonks, Hagrid, Madame Maxime, Kingsley, Mad-eye, Dumbledore, Ginny and even Healer Drake all standing around a large tiered cake.

"Happy Birthday!" they all shouted out as soon as they saw him. Harry was thrilled, it was the second year in a row that they’d given him his best birthday ever. Despite all the gifts he received that day, he was most grateful for the people bearing them. Thinking back to what his life was like before his eleventh birthday, before Hagrid had found him, he believed they’d all already given him the best present ever. They’d all helped free him and make him the person he is today. They’d all helped in some way to put him on the path to his own destiny.

 

NOTE: I know that was a lot to digest, but just you wait…things are about to get exciting again! Stay tuned for the next installment! P.S. I’ve set up a meet the author page on the forums, so please, review the chapters still, but if you feel like having a discussion, come find me on the forums, I’d love to talk to you all!


RECOMMENDATION: If anyone is looking for a good post-DH canon compliant story, I know of a great one that’s just gotten onto the site written by a talented author. Please check it out because I’ve gotten to read the first few chapters ahead of time and they were excellent! Look for Harry Potter and the Forgotten Child by Jsez444, you won’t be sorry!




Chapter 19: Tales From the Jailhouse

A/N: This is probably the last chapter I’ll get out before they close the queue for the holidays, so I’ll try to make it nice and interesting. Please as always, Read, Review and Enjoy!

 

"Useless, that’s what you are." Ron sourly told the owl. It had once more come back, loaded with letters for Arthur, but none for him. Maybe he’d done the spell wrong, maybe they couldn’t read the letter and that’s why it had taken more than a week to get a response.

Frustrated, he shoved everything off his desk in a burst of anger, watching it all crash to the floor. Nothing was going the way he’d pictured when he decided to take control of his life. He’d played nice during Harry’s birthday two days ago, despite the argument with Malfoy, but ever since, he’d been trying and failing to get information. He had wanted to talk to Harry about his fears that Malfoy was moving in on his sister, but his friend hadn’t been able to offer an opinion or advice beyond saying that whatever Ginny did was her choice. Ron understood that she was a point of contention between him and Harry, but he had hoped they’d be able to put that aside in order to keep her away from Malfoy. Apparently that wasn’t the case. And if Harry had trouble discussing Ginny, then Hermione was out of the question. He’d tried talking to Fred, but he was busy with some top secret project and had merely stated that Draco wasn’t such a bad guy anymore. Ron didn’t believe that excused the horrible person he had been, and with Ginny already screwed up the last thing she needed was someone equally screwed up. What’s more, with his sister locking herself away in her room for most of the day, Hermione helping Fred with his secret project and Harry and Luna sitting quietly together talking in their heads, he felt like he was being shut out of something. He didn’t like the feeling.

On top of all that, he was worried about his father. Arthur was looking more defeated every time he came home from the ministry. Ron wanted to believe that Dumbledore wouldn’t let anything happen to put Arthur out of a job, but it seemed the job was slowly killing him. He’d taken it upon himself to wake early and read the newspaper before his father had a chance to hide it, and he didn’t like what he was reading at all.

Everything was going wrong. Sighing, he stooped to pick up the mess he had made during his small outburst. He may not be able to do anything about the letter, couldn’t make his friends let him in on their secret or help his dad with Edmund, but he could do something about Malfoy. They’d be having a nice long talk very soon.

(BREAK)

"How’s it coming?" Fred asked.

"I think this one is done." Hermione responded removing her cauldron and extinguishing the flames that had been burning beneath it. He watched as she leaned over the large book Luna had provided, studying the words and making sure her potion matched the description of the finished product. It made him smile, seeing how serious she was.

"This one over here is done too." He responded walking over to check with the book as well.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?"

"What, Luna having Harry once more defying everyone to do what they want? Or us helping them do it? Which bothers you more?" he teased, knowing how much she disliked breaking rules. He, of course, held no similar qualms, despite his father’s insistence that they be on their best behavior.

"I’m nervous. Azkaban isn’t a place any of us should be running around in. And your dad is already so upset with us all, yet here we are, keeping more secrets."

"And as long as no one runs away this time, he won’t have to know about it."

"But they are! They both plan to duck out on Lupin and Tonks! And you and I are the only ones who will know where they are."

"If it makes you feel better, I can fix up a communications elixir." He offered, unsure if he could deliver. It was a difficult thing to make. "I mean, they’ll probably be out of range to talk to us in our heads, but with the elixir and a base object, we’d be able to keep communication with them."

"Have you made one before?"

"Well, no. But I learned about them last year in Snape’s class. It can’t be that hard. And if it will make you feel more comfortable, then I think it would at least be worth a try." He smiled down at her. "Besides, we’re almost done with all these counter potions, and they aren’t leaving for a few more days, so we’ll have time to figure it out."

"We?" she responded with a smile of her own before turning serious. "Are you okay, Fred?"

"Am I okay with what?"

"It just…" she started but stopped herself, obviously unsure if what she wanted to say was inappropriate.

"Spit it out egghead, I can take it." He said trying to put her at ease.

"Well, it seems like with George gone…well, you know I’d help you out with any potion, but he was the one you used to collaborate with. It just seems like you’re trying to have me take his place. You do know you could have done all this on your own, right?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He was momentarily taken aback. "Maybe I could have. But where’s the fun in being by yourself?" he finally answered moving away from her.

"And I’m happy to help. But I am being serious right now. I think you should know you are better at all this stuff than you think you are."

"Maybe I just don’t want to do it alone." He said honestly.

"Which is fine, as long as you know you don’t need me, or George to be brilliant at this."

"Snape would have disagreed." He remembered how much he’d hated potions class, despite his interest in the subject. He felt momentary guilt, remembering the man was still missing and possibly being tortured.

"Snape is disagreeable in general." She answered softly, also uncomfortable speaking ill of a man who is currently in so much trouble. "But it doesn’t take away from the fact that you have talent. You can fix up the store while we’re gone and you can make all your silly concoctions again. I know you haven’t been working on any of that."

"Yeah, much to Lee’s dissatisfaction." Fred answered suddenly feeling grumpy. He didn’t want to discuss any of that, didn’t want to think of life without the others in the house, so instead he reached for one of the many potion books on the table in front of him and flipped through to the correct page. "So, do you want to help with the communication elixir, or would you rather I prove my talent and work alone?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Alright together then. What do you want to use as the base object?"

(BREAK)

Harry felt uncomfortable at dinner. He had the urge to tell Arthur everything, not being able to bear the thought of seeing the disappointment in the man’s eyes once more. But this wasn’t his secret to tell, and he’d promised Luna his assistance long before she’d come up with this plan. His only regret was the lies they would be telling Lupin, Tonks and especially the Weasleys. He did feel bad Ron was being left out, but they had all agreed, the fewer people who knew the better. Besides, Harry and Luna both felt there was something else going on with Ron at the moment, though whatever it was, he was hiding it well.

The doorbell sounding interrupted his reverie. "I’ll get it!" Molly chimed, rushing from the stove. She came back a few seconds later, Dumbledore trailing behind her.

"I didn’t mean to interrupt." He apologized as Arthur pulled up another chair.

"Not at all, Albus. I’ve been waiting for you to make the announcement."

"What’s going on, dad?" Fred asked with worry.

"Some good news for a change." Arthur answered with a smile. "And it’s for you, Hagrid."

"Me?" the giant dropped his fork.

"Yes, you." Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Arthur and I have arranged a position for you within the Order, since you are determined not to return to Hogwarts as gamekeeper for the foreseeable future."

"Really?" Hagrid looked pleasantly surprised.

Harry was anxious. He knew his original decision to leave school had been at least in part the reason Hagrid had left as well and he wanted his friend to be alright. "Through the Order? So it’s not anything real, through the ministry?"

"It can be, once things are more settled there." Arthur answered. "I’d intended it to be so, but it took all the pull I had just to get the giants accepted as new guards. No one is happy about it over there, and adding Hagrid to the mix right now could be the final straw."

"Think nothin’ o it, Arthur. I sure appreciate anythin’ you can arrange." Hagrid nodded happily.

"We need you as a liaison." Dumbledore explained. "There are many magical creatures besides the giants, and you’ve made contacts among many. We’d like you to begin approaching them, see what side if any they are willing to take."

Harry listened in a fog as they discussed the details. They of course wanted Hagrid to begin with the Centaurs running in the Forbidden Forest, which meant of course that he’d be able to stay in his house while there. It began to feel, to Harry, like an elaborate deception and he realized they’d done it. Arthur and Albus had successfully gotten all of their charges back to the school, back to the one place they believed them all to be safest. He felt manipulated, despite the fact that he knew he needed to complete his education. Would they really let him go, once this semester was over? Or would they find some other way to make him stay, some other compromise that drew on his sense of guilt? As dinner came to an end, he promised himself he wouldn’t let them. He’d give up half a year, but no more, no matter what.

(BREAK)

"It’s been ten minutes. Are you really not going to talk to me? After all the progress we made the last time?" Laurel asked. This time, with so many people in the house, they were meeting in Ginny’s room. This somehow made her feel more exposed and less willing to open up to the stranger.

"I have issue with the question." Ginny replied coldly. "Especially this early in the morning."

"About all those boys I saw? I only want to know what role they play, and I’m not talking about just your romantic conquests, Ginny. I saw that your brothers also played a large role in your life. I want to know how you feel about all of them, honestly. I won’t judge you, Ginny, I only want to know you." Laurel leaned forward and placed a hand over hers.

She drew back in disgust. "We aren’t friends."

"Maybe not right now, Ginny, but I don’t see why we couldn’t become friends." Laurel offered sweetly.

"Because I’d prefer not to have my friends bought for me. You wouldn’t be here if my parents weren’t paying you to care."

"Is it my job to talk to you, yes it is. But I don’t have to care about you Ginny."

"You can stop that, I’m not stupid. I know what you’re doing."

"What do you mean?" Laurel looked confused. "Stop what?"

"Saying my name so much. You think it’s going to make me feel like I can trust you, it’s one of those tricks you people use and I’m onto it."

"I do want you to trust me. But I understand why it’s hard. Aside from your mother, I didn’t see very many females play an important part in your life. And after the last meeting, I knew it would probably be easier for you if you met with a male healer. But I do care about you, and so I chose to keep you as a patient and the first thing I want to discuss is why you’ve let yourself become dominated by the male presence in your life."

"I’m the only girl of seven children, and I’m the youngest. Does that answer your question? I’ve had nothing but ‘a male presence’ in my life."

"And has that made you feel like you have to be as strong as they are?"

"What, so we can arm wrestle?" She scoffed. She felt more and more nervous, as Laurel pushed her way closer and closer to something, some truth Ginny hadn’t faced.

"That’s not the type of strength I meant. Emotionally, have you held yourself back because your brothers did? I mean you weren’t at home playing dollies, right? You were doing all the things the boys did, including holding in the so called "girlier" aspects inherent."

"I cried to my mum when I was upset if that’s what you’re talking about."

"We’ve established your mum is an excellent source of strength for you to draw on, but from what I saw, it was your brothers you revered and aspired to be like. And the point I’m trying to come to is that it seems so much of your happiness depends on what the males in your life are doing."

"I disagree." Ginny said stubbornly.

"I’m sure you do. But you must admit, as your brothers grew older, started leaving home, making lives separate from yours, your happiness waned."

"Bill and Charlie have great lives and I’m happy for them. Fred and George always had their own thing going inside their own little world. And of course George’s murder would affect my happiness, but I hold nothing against Fred. Ron is trying to outshine everyone around him and failing, and I feel more sorry for him than anything else."

"You didn’t use to feel that way about Ron." Laurel pointed out. "It seemed at first that he was the one you were closest to. Until he found friends of his own. And what about the one you didn’t mention? The one responsible for taking George away from you all."

"Percy?!" Ginny rose and started pacing as her agitation grew with the conversation. "Percy was…misguided." She finished lamely.

"Don’t regurgitate what you’ve been told, Ginny. Say what you feel."

"What good would that do, speaking ill of the dead?" She felt tense.

"It could free you. You don’t have to censure yourself around me, you don’t have to hold back your feelings to keep the peace."

"He was an idiot. He was weak and easily led and I don’t want to be anything like him. He was always on the outside, and I’m scared that’s where I am now and it’s my fault and I’ll go crazy like he did." Ginny said in one breath as words poured out. She hadn’t wanted to say anything, but she’d begun to feel like a kettle boiling, about to blow its lid with all of Laurel’s poking and prodding.

"But he didn’t go crazy. He made decisions based on things he believed to be true of himself. You are certainly no where near crazy, but last year, you also began making decisions, based on things you thought true of yourself. It’s my goal to make you see who you really are."

"I’m not going crazy? Because it sure feels like it sometimes."

"Who’s the professional here?" Laurel smiled. "Now I want to talk about Ron. You seem to hold something against him."

"Of course I don’t. I just wish it were still like it was between us. But I ruined everything and because of me, I ruined things for him and Harry too."

"They have their own conflicts, I’m sure. As for you and your brother, nothing I saw makes me think things between you two can’t be resolved. But you need to be honest with yourself and him. I think he wants to be your big brother, he just doesn’t know how right now because you are shutting them all out to keep yourself from feeling disappointed. But you must realize, not everyone lives up to our expectations, Ginny. We are all flawed, it’s a matter of acceptance. Including acceptance of yourself."

"I love my family." Ginny said, feeling the need to defend herself.

"I never said you didn’t. Love and acceptance aren’t necessarily the same thing. You can love someone with out liking them and you can like them without loving them. It’s important for you to know the difference."

"Are we still talking about my brothers?"

"Actually, I was thinking of the other boys in your life. Shall we start at the beginning with Harry? Or work backward from Draco?"

(BREAK)

Ron seized his opportunity. Harry and Luna were busy outside talking about whatever secret they shared that also had Fred and Hermione tucked away in his brother’s room. His dad had left for the office with Tonks, his mother was busy in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast with Lupin as her helper and Hagrid had gone off to see Madame Maxime. And with Ginny locked away with that healer woman, there was no one to interrupt his talk with Malfoy.

He knocked heavily on the other boy’s door, feeling his blood rise in anticipation. When he answered, Ron saw the instant disappointment flash in his eyes. "What’s wrong? Expecting someone else?"

"What do you want, Weasley?"

"We need to talk."

"I don’t think we do." He tried to close the door but Ron threw himself against it and pushed his way in.

"I don’t much care what you think." Ron answered, slamming the door behind him. He made sure to keep his walls up high despite his anger. Wouldn’t want the mental twins coming to the rescue.

"Well?" Malfoy demanded impatiently.

"Well, I don’t know exactly what you’re up to, but you need to stay away from my sister."

"Really? Or what?" he challenged.

"You don’t want to push me, Malfoy." Ron said, clenching his fists.

"Don’t I? Let me ask you this, what if she’s the one who won’t stay away from me?"

"You really want to do this? I will take you out if I have to."

"Shouldn’t you check with Potter first? He is your keeper, isn’t he?" Malfoy sneered.

"I’m only here to warn you-"

"Then stop warning and take a shot if you want to!" the other boy interrupted stepping up into Ron’s face. "I’m right here, Weasley. Take a shot if it’ll make you feel better but if you think I’m ever going to be scared of you, you’re delusional."

Ron pushed him away roughly, but Malfoy quickly recovered his footing. "You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You want me to go after you so Ginny and Harry will turn against me, seeing as how they both softened so much towards you. But I know who you are, you can’t be anyone else. Provoking me into a fight to get points with my sister just proves it."

"You barged into my room, Weasley. Maybe I just think you deserve a free shot at me. For everything in the past. Hell, for the present and probably the future, seeing as how I intend to ignore your protests about my being with Ginny."

"She’s been used enough."

"If only you’d been this proactive with Potter, eh?" he taunted. "Besides, you seem to think I don’t care about her, so why should I worry about who’s used her in the past? According to you, I’m just the monster trying to…what exactly? What do I have to gain by being with her?"

"A permanent place here among us."

"By choosing the girl you’ve all brushed to the side? If I wanted that, I’d have gone after Lovegood, she Potter’s new pet."

"Shut up." Ron said dangerously.

"What, you haven’t noticed? That’s fine, because it seems to go the other way too, with him following her around wagging his tail like an eager puppy. But don’t worry, your brother seems to be picking up the slack where Granger is concerned. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed, with you all being as close as you supposedly are. Maybe Ginny’s not the one on the outside after all."

And then Ron swung without being conscious of doing so. Malfoy didn’t even try to move out of the way as fist connected with gut. Malfoy dropped to his knees, gasping for air. "You’re wrong." He said solidly, standing over the other boy.

"You’re in denial." Malfoy wheezed out.

Ron’s next blow connected with the boy’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Stay away from my sister. Stay away from all of us and after school, find your own life."

"I could recommend you do the same." Malfoy returned, spitting blood onto the floor. "You aren’t a part of this whole coven thing, and unlike your brother and Granger, you have nothing to offer to the efforts. Why don’t you move on and quit weighing them down?" he rose shakily to his feet but stood tall and defiant.

"Do you want me to beat the hell out of you?"

"You’re welcome to try. You’ve used up your free shots, so if you really want to do this, then let’s go. I’ll beat you with an arm tied behind my back." He laughed wildly. "Come on, Weasley, you’ve wanted this for so long, let’s go! Because I’m not going to stop seeing your sister, and if this is what it takes to prove it, I’m more than willing."

Ron wasn’t thinking, Malfoy was right, he’d wanted a piece of him for a long time. Without further hesitation, he lunged, engaging the two boys in a rumble.

(BREAK)

"I don’t want to talk about Harry, Draco or anyone else." Ginny closed in on herself. She’d already given away more than she’d intended, this was too far.

"Okay, maybe next time?" Laurel asked hopefully.

"You said we only had to do this once more."

"I said at least once more. I think we should talk a few more times before school. It’s only a few weeks."

"I don’t want to." Ginny protested.

"Because you know we’ll have to continue this conversation, because you’re uncomfortable with the revelations we’ve already made or because you don’t think I’m helping you?"

"All of the above."

"Well, we can address all of those issues next time." Laurel smiled.

"I’m not sure I like you." Ginny said nastily.

"Well, then that means you aren’t sure you don’t like me either." She answered still smiling. "See you next time."

She watched the healer walk out and gently close the door behind her. Burying her face in her pillow, she let out a wild scream of frustration. Harry, Dean, Neville, Gem, Draco, she didn’t want to discuss any of them with anyone, but sooner or later, Laurel would get that out of her too. The woman was good, she had to admit. With a sigh, she rose and walked down the hall to Draco’s room, but before she could raise a hand to knock she heard muffled shouting and the sounds of a struggle. She banged on the door and tried to force her way in, but her efforts were being ignored. Feeling desperate, she ran through the house, looking for the one person who could help her.

(BREAK)

"Are you sure it’ll be convincing?" Harry asked. He and Luna were outside under the willow tree discussing the loose ends of the plan.

"Well, I think it’s convincing. I’ve known her my whole life and I’ve been practicing the spell. What about the spell you were supposed to research?"

"I think I’ve got it, Fred let me practice on him." Harry said confidently. "If we do this right, no one will ever know we weren’t exactly where we’re supposed to be."

"I told you I had it all planned. And with Fred’s elixir, even I feel better. Being able to have a lifeline should something go wrong. But there are two things we can’t control."

"Which potion he was given and whether we have the proper cure?"

"I look at that as one whole problem by itself. I was also talking about Willem. What if we do prove he’s innocent? We can’t just let him keep sitting there in prison."

"But if we tell anyone, they’ll know we were there talking to him." Harry said thoughtfully. He knew he couldn’t in good conscious leave an innocent man behind. But they might have to, and he had to prepare himself for that, after all, they wouldn’t be much help to Willem or Kane if they were caught breaking into or out of Azkaban.

"Exactly." She said grimly, answering both his spoken and unspoken thoughts.

Before they could discuss it further, they heard the back door slam open. Instantly on his feet, Harry emerged from the leafy curtain to find Ginny desperately scanning the yard.

"Harry!" she yelled his name upon seeing him and ran up, pulling his arm as she tried to drag him along behind her.

"What’s going on?" he asked, digging in his heels and stopping her efforts.

"What’s wrong, Ginny?" Luna demanded.

"Something’s going on in Draco’s room! I heard sounds and he won’t answer the door!"

"What kind of sounds?" Harry asked as he hurried into the house, the two girls trailing him.

"Like fighting, there was someone else in there with him." Ginny panted out from behind him as they raced up the stairs. Harry’s heart dropped to his stomach, he already knew who he’d find in the room with Draco. Skidding to a stop outside the door, he gripped the knob and pushed his way in.

What he saw was completely different from anything he’d imagined. Draco and Ron were in the middle of the room grappling, but the blonde boy was the one on top of his taller adversary. He had his disfigured arm pressed against the back of Ron’s neck, his good hand wrenching Ron’s arm behind his back as he knelt against the small of his back, effectively pinning Ron to the ground. "Hey!" Harry shouted unnecessarily. Both boys had frozen when they’d burst into the room.

"Get him away from me before I kill him!" Ron yelled.

"You’re not in the position to kill anyone, are you?" Draco growled out in a mangled laugh. "Thought you’d get the best of me did you? Who’s laughing now?"

"Come on, get off him." Harry moved forward to pull Draco away.

"What the hell’s going on in here?" Fred demanded as he and Hermione entered the room.

"Nothing." Draco said sourly, wiping blood from his mouth and flicking his eyes in Ginny’s direction.

"Ron?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"Nothing." He echoed, clutching his arm and rubbing his shoulder. "Everything’s fine."

"It sure didn’t look fine when we walked in here." Luna replied evenly.

"Well it’s all good now, okay." Ron angrily stalked past them all. They heard him stomp up the stairs and slam the door to his room before turning to look at Draco.

"What? Ask him what the problem is, he’s the one who barged in here." He said, turning his back to them.

"I’ll go get my herbal ointment." Luna said with a disappointed sigh.

"I’ll go with you." Hermione volunteered.

"You’re going to have to do better than that." Fred demanded as the two girls left the room. "What happened?"

"Your brother had a problem with me. We worked it out." Draco said with a shrug.

"By using each other as punching bags?" Harry asked, indicating the boy’s busted face.

"He thought I was weak just because I changed my attitude, that I’d cower to his every whim. Now he knows different." He replied, still dancing around the actual conflict.

"So it was all Ron’s fault?" Fred asked doubtfully.

"He came to confront me, I may have brought things to a head. What difference does it make? It’s over and it didn’t concern you." Draco said coldly.

"Anything involving my brother concerns me. As does anything involving my sister." Fred crossed his arms, standing tall and attempting to look menacing.

"Look, I already did this once today, but I’ll go a round two." Draco said, puffing himself up as much as was possible.

"Enough!" Harry stepped between the boys before another fight could break out.

"Hey!" Luna called for attention from the doorway. "Here, Draco. A couple of doses of this and you’ll be as good as new." She handed the ointment to him.

"Thanks." He grumbled, collapsing into his desk chair.

"I’ll go bring this other one to Ron." Hermione said.

"No." Ginny finally broke her silence. She walked to the door and took the tube of herbs. "I’ll take it to him, we need to talk. And you," she looked at Fred, "mind your own business."

(BREAK)

Frustrated, angry, embarrassed. Ron didn’t know which to feel more. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling a failure. He ignored the first few knocks on his door, but when they became more insistent, he gave up and went to see which one of them was coming to lecture him first. He expected Harry, so when Ginny stalked past him, he was sufficiently surprised.

"Here." She angrily thrust a tube of lotion at him. "What did you think you were doing?"

"What did he tell you?"

"He’s not saying anything much, but he doesn’t have to. What exactly were your intentions when you went to his room?"

"I wanted him to agree to leave you alone, okay?" Ron gave in.

"What business is it of yours?" she demanded. "You didn’t ask my permission when you decided to date Luna. You never cared that it could drive a wedge between me and my best friend. Why would I need your permission to do anything with Draco whom you don’t even like?"

"I didn’t make you start ignoring Luna." He said defensively. "You can’t pin all that on me."

"Really? Because before you started to like her, she was all mine! She was my friend, and none of the rest of you gave a damn! Then suddenly you notice her and she’s part of the golden trio, making it a foursome. I didn’t ignore her! She left me to be with you!"

He was in shock, never knowing she had felt that way. "What do you want me to say? I’m sorry. I didn’t know."

"No, you didn’t care. Ever since Harry and Hermione came along, you’ve chosen when you want to care about me, forgetting me the rest of the time. Now the others are shutting you out, so with nothing else to focus on, you decide to care again? I don’t need you to protect me from Draco or anyone or anything else. Stay away from me and him. I let you have Luna and you screwed that up all by yourself. I will not let you screw this up for me." She turned and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind her.

(BREAK)

He’d ruined it. He knew he would, sooner or later. Fighting with your girl’s brother is never the way to win her heart. Draco sighed, staring down at the tube of ointment Lovegood had given him. The top was a screw on, and he couldn’t maneuver it open one handed. Frustrated, he threw it against the wall. He could get the upper hand in a fist fight, but he couldn’t open a stupid tube. He’d intended to ignore any knock at his door, but when the light tapping came, he recognized it and eagerly went to let her in.

"Hey." Ginny said shyly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." He said, closing the door behind her.

"I’m sorry." She started.

"No, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have provoked him the way I did."

"He shouldn’t have come here in the first place." She shook her head. "You both were wrong, but it was wrong that I made this possible. I should have just told them."

"That whole thing, it wasn’t just about you, you know. I wasn’t very nice to your brother and some of the things I said over the years are hard for him to get past, I’m sure. And now here I am after his sister. I’d be just as angry if I were him. But I couldn’t let him think that just because I don’t want to be like that anymore didn’t mean I was a pushover."

"I understand, trust me. I just wish it hadn’t come to that."

"How mad are you?" he asked worriedly.

"Really mad, Draco! At him, at you and at myself. I hate that he thought he could come in here and control not only my life but yours. I hate that you couldn’t control yourself and pushed my brother into a fist fight. And I hate that I can’t do what I want the way everyone else can! He didn’t ask me for permission to date my friend, so he had no right to challenge you. But you had no right to make it worse! I’m so mixed up right now!" she cried out desperately. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I’m sorry, I know it’s not much, but it’s true. I’m sorry it was your brother, but I won’t let anyone push me around again, ever."

"I wouldn’t expect you to. I just don’t know how to make this better."

"So…are we done then?" he asked hesitantly, trying to hold back his fear.

"Done? What, with each other? No! At least, I hope we aren’t." she looked away. "I am surprised to find that I really do like you, Draco."

He pulled her close to him, feeling more relieved than he’d expected. "I won’t fight with him ever again, I promise."

"Let’s hope it’s a promise you can keep." She said pulling away to wipe her eyes. "Look at your face." She laughed.

"Thanks."

"Where’s that stuff Luna gave you?"

"Over there." He said feeling embarrassed.

She leaned over and picked it up, obviously catching onto the problem. She didn’t say a word about it, simply unscrewed the cap and began applying it for him. On impulse he leaned in and kissed her, finally glad to feel he wasn’t so alone.

(BREAK)

"I’m nervous about what’ll happen out there today." Hermione whispered in the dark as Harry squeezed her hand in comfort. They were lying awake, waiting for the sun to rise.

"It’ll be okay I’m sure. I’m actually nervous about leaving with Ron and Draco ready to tear each other to pieces here."

"Yeah, well don’t let it distract you today. It’s been three days and they’ve pretty much stayed clear of each other." Hermione said. "I wish I was going with you."

"We already agreed, the fewer people we have to sneak in, the better. But thanks to you and Fred, we’ll still be able to talk to each other."

"It’s small comfort, Harry. I’m still not thrilled with this whole thing."

"I know. But what else can we do? Everyone else has to focus their efforts elsewhere. There’s Voldemort, Edmund, Harland and Sarah to worry about, not to mention they’re still searching for Snape. They don’t want us helping with that, so we are in the perfect position to help Luna. And we may be helping Willem as well. And if we can free him, he could bring down his brother and that would be one less problem for Arthur and everyone else."

"If everything goes right. If it doesn’t, we’ll just be creating one more mess for everyone to clean up and it very well may cost Arthur his job and put a suspected Death Eater in his place." Hermione pointed out.

"Well, I’m choosing to focus on the positive." He leaned over and nuzzled her cheek, feeling her smile. "And right now, I’m positive we have hours before we have to be up."

(BREAK)

"Here you are!" Fred said proudly handing Harry a compact mirror.

"Luna can carry that." He instantly handed it over. "I refuse to be caught with that in my pocket, it’d be pretty hard to explain."

"You’ve packed the cloak?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Of course." He replied, rubbing her shoulder, trying to hide his own anxiety. He’d wanted to talk to his parents, to Sirius before they left, but Luna had convinced him it would be better to wait until they returned, so he wouldn’t be made to feel guilty before they left. He was concerned that she still had the ring in her room, had been making excuses since his birthday not to give it back. He hoped she wasn’t being affected by it and decided they’d talk about it once they got back.

"Luna! Harry! Time to go!" Tonks called up the stairs for them.

"Be careful!" Hermione warned one last time as he leaned down to kiss her good-bye.

"You guys just try to figure out where in the prison Willem is. We’ll take care of the rest." Harry assured her.

"Good luck!" Fred called after them.

There’s still time to back out of this. Harry thought to Luna.

Not for me. There’s no turning back. She thought as they all settled in the car.

"Are you excited to see your grandmother?" Lupin asked as a distraction when Tonks started the car and the passengers all had to hang on for dear life.

"Yes, of course." Luna replied as Tonks whipped around a corner causing her to fly across the backseat and crash into Harry. Rubbing their heads as they righted themselves, Harry began to hope Leeds wasn’t too far off. But he knew they had at least a four and a half hour drive ahead of them, maybe less based on Tonks driving.

"I am sorry it’s only for two days. I’d wanted a whole week away myself." Tonks grumbled.

"A weekend is better than nothing." Luna said brightly.

"And as soon as you guys get rid of us, what are your plans exactly?" Harry smiled slyly.

"Don’t you worry about that." Tonks smiled back through the rearview mirror. "All you need to know is we will be close if you need us."

"Right. We won’t be out of range for either of you, so if you need us, you do that mind trick thing you two do and call for us. Even if it’s a false alarm, call us, don’t worry about interrupting our fun."

"Worry about it a little." Tonks said under her breath.

Harry! Luna gripped his arm.

He turned to see her eyes roll up in her head. Her fingers dug into his arm and he tried to pry them off, knowing he could do nothing but wait for her to come out of it. He did his best to distract Lupin and Tonks from noticing, not knowing what she was seeing and whether it pertained to their plan.

Slowly she came back. What is it? He asked desperately.

Another warning. In the white room. I saw Sarah again, and Hedwig and a house I didn’t recognize but still it felt familiar somehow.

Hedwig? My owl?

Yes, she was swooping in and out and then Sarah appeared, stalking the house.

And you’re sure you don’t recognize the house?

It’s nowhere I’ve ever been, but it felt like somewhere I know of. It certainly wasn’t my grandmother’s home, if that’s what you’re thinking.

They fell into thoughtful silence as Lupin and Tonks argued about the places they wanted to go and the things they wanted to do in Leeds. What house had she seen? Where was Sarah heading? After an hour of staring out the window, he glanced over to see Luna curled up in the seat, napping fitfully. He wondered what she was dreaming, if it was some vision of the future. He decided he was glad he didn’t have her powers. It would drive him crazy.

(BREAK)

Hermione was anxious. Harry and Luna should be getting to her grandmother’s any time and Fred still wasn’t back from the ministry. She knew she should have gone with him, or with Harry. Neither boy could keep themselves out of trouble. She had to trust that Luna would keep Harry on task and aware, but she never should have trusted Fred to go alone to find Willem’s cell location. She was wound up so tight that she shrieked in surprise when the knocking came.

"You okay in there?" she heard Ron yell through the door.

Shaking herself, she rose to let him in, hoping he didn’t plan on staying long. "I’m fine, you startled me, that’s all."

"Really, that’s all?" he asked suspiciously. Hermione felt guilty, not letting Ron in on the plan, but he still didn’t even know Luna had a brother and she certainly wasn’t going to be the one to tell him just how much he didn’t know about his ex.

"What’s up, Ron?"

"I came to ask you the same question. What’s going on with all of you lately? Are you and Harry on the outs or something? Breaking up?"

"Of course not!" she was shocked. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Well, he’s the one who went with Luna, and they’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. And then you and Fred have been sneaking around, I just don’t want to have to learn these kinds of things from Malfoy."

"What the hell are you talking about? What does Draco have to do with this? And yeah, I’ve been helping Fred with his potions, because George no longer can. And Harry and Luna are trying to decide what to do about all the coven people. You know, how to contact them, the best way to approach them." Hermione felt horrible, she hated to lie, usually did everything in her power to avoid it. But his accusations had hurt, that he could so easily think Harry would just drop her for someone else. "If you aren’t a part of any of that, it’s not our fault. You’re the one always hiding away in your room lately. You think I don’t see how eager you are for the mail every day? What exactly are you up to?"

"Nothing." He said quietly. "And I’ve been hiding away in my room because that’s where I go when I feel unwanted. Kind of like right now. Why do I get the feeling you want me to leave?"

Before she could respond, the air around them began to crackle and an instant later Fred appeared. "I got it!" he said excitedly before he noticed his brother. "Oh, hey."

"You’ve got what?" Ron asked. "Where were you?"

"Hogwarts." Fred said quickly. "I went through Snape’s things to find the instructions for a potion."

"What potion?"

"The one I wanted to brew. Try not to be so nosy, little brother." Fred scolded as Hermione felt her pocket grow warm. It was the other compact mirror, Harry was calling. She threw Fred a look as she patted her pocket indicating the trouble.

"I’m not being nosy, you weren’t supposed to leave the house."

"Either way, nothing happened. Now I must get back to the lab, and I’ll need to be stealing away Miss Granger, she is my assistant after all." He grabbed her arm and they raced down to his room. He slammed the door closed as she fumbled to pull the compact from her pocket, neither of them worrying about what Ron thought of their hasty departure.

"Harry? Did everything go okay?" she asked desperately.

"So far so good. Did Fred find the cell?" she heard his muffled reply.

"I just got back. I found it alright!" Fred answered happily. Hermione’s stomach clenched in knots. Now things would really begin.

(BREAK)

"Be good." Lupin warned as he and Tonks climbed back into the car.

"I’m sure they’ll be perfect angels." Mrs. Lovegood replied.

"Separately maybe, but you put these kids together and they always find trouble." Tonks laughed. Then with a wave they were off, having stayed only long enough to have some tea and ensure the house was safe.

You ready? Harry asked Luna when they reentered the parlor.

Better now before she knows what we’re up to. She doesn’t get it as much anymore, but she has the sight too.

In an instant his wand was out and Mrs. Lovegood slumped over on the couch, knocked unconscious with a magical sleeping spell. "Where should we put her?"

"Her bedroom is back through there." Luna answered. "Locomotor body." She floated her grandmother into the back of the house and placed her gently on the bed.

"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I trust you. Trust yourself." She said encouragingly.

With a sigh, he sat beside the older woman and cleared his mind. Reaching out, he touched the middle of her forehead and sent her images of the three of them: eating dinner, looking through photo albums, talking together. She would dream of the things they would have done with her, and hopefully never know the difference when they woke her.

"Geminio Homenum!" Luna cried as soon as he finished. Instantly another form of Mrs. Lovegood appeared. They led the copy into the living room and sat her on the couch. "If anyone comes looking for us, tell them we are asleep in our rooms." Luna instructed. The copy nodded.

"Ready?" Harry asked as she handed him the compact.

"As I’ll ever be."

He opened the mirror and felt it grow warm in his hand. It seemed to take forever to finally hear Hermione’s voice. "Harry? Did everything go okay"

"So far, so good. Did Fred find the cell?"

"I just got back. I found it alright. It’s on the northwest side, three stories up. Once you find your way inside, I can guide you there."

"Okay, we’ll call back once we’re in." Luna said.

"Please, be careful!" Hermione begged.

"We will." Harry closed the compact and handed it back to Luna. She put it in her pocket and grabbed the bag full of their counterpotions. He threw the cloak over them, and holding her hand, took a deep breath and concentrated on Azkaban.

They were on the island an instant later, staring up at the drab prison. Harry knew actual apparation into Azkaban was an impossibility, but they’d gotten a lot closer than he’d expected. Luna was still tightly gripping his hand and he could feel her nervousness. It’ll be okay. She simply nodded in reply.

Slowly, they made their way around to the entrance, careful to remain completely under the cloak. Time?He thought out to her.

We have about two minutes until they change. She answered. They waited impatiently for the doors to open and the guards to switch. Finally they got their chance and slunk by the Aurors as they made their reports to the relief watch. Harry decided the giants couldn’t get to the prison soon enough, if it was this easy for them to get in; he just hoped it would be as easy to get back out. They quickly raced down the main hall, passing the room where he’d been brought to talk to Cho. Once around the corner they came to a stop and pulled out the mirror. "Muffliato." Luna whispered as they called on Hermione and Fred. Hopefully the spell would be enough to keep others from hearing them.

"What’s going on?" Hermione’s voice floated out eagerly.

"We’re inside." Harry whispered. "Where do we go?"

"Where are you now?" Fred asked.

"Hallway to the right at the end of the main hall." Luna answered.

"Okay, keep going that way until you get to the end and turn left. I’m going to take you guys through as few cell blocks as possible."

"How do you know all this?" Harry asked as they followed Fred’s directions.

"I found the original mapped floor plans."

"Is that what took you so long?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Well, they came in handy, didn’t they." Fred defended himself in much the same way Harry would.

"We’re turning left." Luna interrupted.

"Hold on, everyone be quiet a minute, someone’s coming." He closed the compact and pushed himself and Luna flat against the wall. He had been keeping his mind out ahead of them and sensed a conscious presence coming their way. Sure enough, footsteps sounded around a corner and an Auror brushed past them. He stopped suddenly, a few feet past and looked back. Harry held his breath, willing the man to go on. Then from nowhere, he felt peaceful, assured there was no danger. The positive aura seemed to be emanating from Luna, but was directed toward the guard. He looked at her inquisitively but she only shook her head.

Finally the guard moved on and they reconnected with Hermione and Fred. "Okay, guard is gone. Now where?"

"You already turned left?" Fred asked

"Yeah."

"Okay, three doors down on your right side there should be a maintenance stairway. They aren’t going to be running the cleaning crew for another hour so it should be deserted."

Harry tried the door and found it locked. "Alohomora." He whispered, instantly hearing the latch give.

"Colloportus." Luna said once they were through. "They’d question it if they found the door unlocked." She answered Harry’s questioning gaze.

"It looks like you can get to the third floor from there." Fred let them know.

"But what does all this mean?" Hermione asked, pointing out something on the floor plans that Harry obviously couldn’t see. "These rooms here after they exit the stairway?"

"Unfortunately those are cell blocks. There’s no other way for you guys to get to Willem except to go through there."

"Well, most of them are mad anyway, from the years the Dementors were here." Luna pointed out. "Even if they can sense us under the cloak, no one would listen to them, right?"

"Let’s hope." Harry answered grimly.

"You better do more than hope, Harry." Hermione said seriously. "Don’t you go getting caught, and if you do, it better be by Aurors and not prisoners."

"We’re at the third floor door." Luna interrupted.

"Okay, there’s a short hallway beyond it, go to the end and that will lead you to the northwest cells. Willem’s will be the second from the end." Fred’s voice filled the stairwell.

"How many cells total?" Luna asked.

"Twenty. According to the roster I found, every cell is taken."

"Okay, I’m going to close off communications now. We’ll call back when we need to get out." Harry said.

"Good luck." Fred said excitedly.

"Be safe." Hermione said at the same time. "I love you Harry."

"I love you too. We’ll be as quick as we can." He promised, closing the compact and handing it back to Luna. Sending his mind past the door, he ascertained the hallway was deserted. "We’re clear for now." He whispered.

They opened the door to a dark hallway made up of drab gray slate. Worn wooden and steel doors lined either side. Harry focused on the large door at the end as they began walking toward it. "You ready?" Luna asked, settling the cloak more firmly over them.

"Wait!" he said grabbing her arm. "We have a problem. There are four people on the other side of the door that aren’t prisoners. There are Aurors patrolling the wing, I can’t knock out all four at once with that spell."

(BREAK)

"Mail’s here." Molly said knocking on Draco’s door. He laughed as Ginny quickly threw herself under the bed so her mother wouldn’t see her.

"There’s mail for me?" he asked opening the door. He hadn’t received any letters except for the ones from Hogwarts. Of course, that hadn’t surprised him.

"Oh yes!" she smiled handing him a letter. "Arthur made sure the mail owls knew to bring anything for you to the ministry, then once they know it’s safe, they are to deliver it to you here."

"And this is the only one to come, or this was the only one that was safe?"

"I wouldn’t know dear. I’m sure you could ask Arthur."

"Well, thank you." He felt awkward, Mrs. Weasley being so nice when her daughter was hiding under his bed.

"You’re welcome. Dinner in an hour." She called over her shoulder as she headed upstairs to give Ron his mail.

"Who’s it from?" Ginny asked, crawling back out as he closed the door.

"Pansy." He said incredulously, reading the return address.

"Parkinson? Is she the one you slept with?"

"Give me some credit, please." He rolled his eyes. "She was stupid and useful. Nothing more."

"So what does she want then?"

"I haven’t opened it yet. I’ve been too busy defending myself." He grinned as she made a face at him. Tearing open the letter he allowed her to read over his shoulder.

Dear Draco,
There are so many stories and rumors flying around about you right now, I don’t know what to believe. Tell me it’s not true that you are now friends with the horrible Harry Potter! They keep saying you are fighting on their side, helping them and hurting your own. I can’t believe it. I won’t. It’s taken forever for me to be able to write you, I know. I just wanted you to realize it isn’t because I’ve turned against you. Neither have Crabbe or Goyle. Millicent wanted me to tell you she hasn’t either, but nevermind her. She’s nobody important. Mum and dad won’t tell me much about what’s going on, but they say I should stay away from you, maybe even try to take you out if I can. I want you to know that I could never turn against you! My cousin is back in town, as crazy as ever, and watching me like a hawk for some reason. I think they are all worried that I’m going to turn on them like you did your parents. I understand that though, I wouldn’t want to have Lucius as a father either. Anyway, I finally found the time to write this short note, I just wanted to let you know that you still have friends and I can’t wait to see you on the train. I hope this letter finds you quickly.
Your dear friend,
Pansy

"Are you sure you didn’t sleep with her?" Ginny asked.

"Not that I can remember." He answered distractedly. Something was tugging at his mind, some important piece of information he had forgotten or deemed unimportant at the time. There was something in Pansy’s note that had triggered…..something.

"Ugh, and to think, I was probably just as pathetic with Harry, if not more so. That was all the therapy I needed. Consider me reformed." She joked, trying to get his attention. "I will never lower myself for someone else ever again, so you better get really good at groveling."

"With you, it comes naturally." He offered.

"That’s my boy! Good start!" she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "So what’s troubling you? The letter? Are you worried about what they’ll all say when they find out you’re actually rooming with Harry."

"No, not really. I don’t expect to see them very much. Unfortunately, I probably won’t see you much either once we’re there. Our schedules are so full, squeezing everything into half a year." He scanned the letter again, hoping the answer would leap out at him. "It’s something she said…it reminds me of another talk we had, I just can’t remember exactly what because I rarely listened when she rattled on. But it feels really important now."

"Well, let it rest for awhile, it’ll come back more easily if you aren’t trying to force it." She pulled the letter from his hands and threw it over her shoulder. "There’s still forty five minutes until dinner. I think that’s enough time for us both to find a way to relax." She said with a suggestive smile.

(BREAK)

The compact grew warm a lot sooner than she’d expected. Flinging it open, Hermione desperately called Harry’s name.

"We ran into a problem." He answered.

"What’s wrong?" she demanded.

"There are four Aurors in that wing."

"What you need is a distraction!" Fred exclaimed excitedly. "Ask no questions, just hide and when you get the chance, go in!" he slammed the compact closed and thrust it in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Hermione yelled.

"I’ll be back in a minute." He promised with a wink before disapparating before her eyes.

Hermione felt like she was going to go insane. She had no idea where Fred had gone and he’d taken her way of talking to Harry with him. It felt like hours, though not more than a minute could have passed before Fred returned. She instantly slugged him. ‘What the hell was that!" she yelled.

"I made a distraction." He said rubbing his shoulder. "And I took the compact because I wanted Harry and Luna to be aware and not distracted talking to you while I was gone. Their window of opportunity is going to be small. By the way, you hit really hard for a girl."

"What kind of distraction?" she asked, angrily crossing her arms.

"I set a fire on the south side of the island. A rather big one, if I do say so myself." He smiled proudly.

"Idiot." She muttered. "There’s probably going to be a lock down now! How are Harry and Luna supposed to get back out to a place they can apparate from?"

"I’ll find a way with these." He answered defensively, holding up the map of the prison. "There are always secrets in these old buildings, and I’m good at finding them."

"You better be right." She warned sternly. "Hold out your wand."

"Why?" he asked, doing as he was told.

"Deletrius." She waved her wand past his. "Now no one will know you started the fire, should they come asking for some reason."

"Between the thoroughness of you and Luna, I doubt we’ll be caught." He said studying his wand. "We should’ve had you two masterminding things from the beginning."

(BREAK)

"Fred! Hermione!" Harry desperately called into the mirror. But they had obviously closed their side of the communication portal. He had nothing to do but follow Fred’s direction. "Come on." He pushed Luna through the door to their right, closing it behind them just a shrill siren sounded. Whatever Fred had done was effective. Harry heard the heavy door at the end slam open and the four guards rush past.

"Azkaban is now in lockdown, Auror team one report to the southeast quadrant. Auror team two, prepare lockdown." A booming voice echoed through the hallway as Harry cautiously opened the door. The Aurors were long gone.

"Come on." Harry whispered under the still screaming siren.

They went quickly through the door, and he tried very hard not to look at the people occupying the cells on either side. "Who’s there!?" a man cried as they made their way past him. He was old and shriveled, his eyes milky, reaching a skeletal arm through the bars for them. Harry pulled Luna and the cloak closer and hurried their progress. "Take me with you!" the old man cried.

They made it to the second cell from the end, and found a thin man, slumped over with his head on his knees, long stringy brown hair hiding his face. Harry remembered Sirius in that moment, could almost feel the man’s hopelessness. Willem? Willem Fritz? He heard Luna call out to the man.

Willem’s head shot up and he looked around with wild piercing blue eyes. "Who’s there?" he demanded.

For our safety we cannot reveal ourselves, we are cloaked. But I assure you, you aren’t going insane, we are real. Harry answered the man’s fear.

Luna took over. We snuck in here to help you. My name is Luna Lovegood, you investigated my brother’s murder six years ago. At the Malfoy mansion? She prodded.

I remember. Willem thought back to them. It was one of the last cases I worked on before they threw me in here. The young man’s name was Kane, wasn’t it?

It was! Luna said excitedly. I’ve read both of your reports, I know all about the expert who forced you to change your opinions in so many other cases. And I know your story that you were forced to take some kind of truth suppression potion.

Willem shook his head sadly. You know a lot. If only you could make someone listen to you. But I remember you, you were only eleven at the time. It broke my heart to tell your family that it wasn’t murder, when everything in me suspected it was. I have no real concept of time here, if you say it’s been six years, then you can’t be more than seventeen. No one will listen to a teenager, especially the sister of one of the victims.

They will listen. I have friends with ties to the ministry. It’s not like it was, there are people in power now who will listen. Fudge is gone. Luna assured him.

They still won’t listen. Willem answered despondently.

That’s why I came with her, Mr. Fritz. I don’t know how much you know in here, but my name is Harry Potter, and they will listen to me. Harry tried to sound assertive. He hated using his status, but the man had been fighting dementors, had lost so much hope.

The prisoner regarded the empty space in front of him with interest. Really? Harry Potter? Of course I know of you and what happened when you were a child. You were legendary. And since being in here, I’ve heard so many things from the other prisoners. You seem to have caused them quite a bit of trouble, young man. I suppose there are some who might listen to you, I’ve heard you are actually friends with the new minister’s family.

He is. What we need from you right now is a better story to tell them. Luna interrupted, feeling the urgency of the situation. Which potion were you given? We made several counterpotions.

I think it was Sulpanus. It was red anyway, from what I remember. Willem shrugged, obviously still unconvinced anything would come of this dream he felt trapped in. Harry felt sympathy, he didn’t seem like such a bad guy.

Sulpanus is red! Luna said excitedly. And the counterpotion is Calenthie. She rifled through the potions until she found the correct label. She thrust it through the bars, her arm becoming visible as it left the safety of the cloak. Willem jumped back startled. Take it, there are no side effects and it should work within five minutes.

We may not have five minutes. Harry warned. The siren had finally shut off. Quickly he took the compact and flipped it open. "We need more time!" he whispered desperately when Hermione answered.

"Another fire on the way!" Fred said happily.

"Wait!…" Hermione cried, but Fred had apparently already gone. "Harry, what’s going on?"

Who’s voices are those? Willem asked guzzling the potion and making a face. Oh that’s rancid.


Friends of ours, helping us sneak in here. Luna responded.

"Everything is fine so far. He drank the potion, we just have to wait for it to take effect." Harry assured Hermione. He winced as the siren sounded again and the booming voice began giving orders once more.

"What’s that? What’s going on?" Hermione yelled.

"Fire accomplished!" Fred’s voice came back. "Hermione, you wanna wipe my wand clean again?" Harry took exception to the suggestiveness in his tone, but had no time to worry about it.

"Thanks for the fire. We’ll call again on our way out."

"Okay, I found a secret way in the plans. So lockdown shouldn’t be a problem." Fred reported.

How’re you feeling? Harry asked Willem, closing the compact.

Like I drank something disgusting.

As soon as you’re able, we need to know about the expert and the witness, the one who saw Julian Heath enter the Malfoy mansion. That person is the one who sent Kane there.

The witness was a squib. I have no potion keeping me from talking about him. It was just that no one seemed to care what he said, most likely because he was a squib. Auror Lovegood and I were the only ones to listen to him. His name was Bowen Roseblood. I kept his name out of the report to protect him. He is the Malfoy’s gardner. Or at least he was. Who knows what happened to the poor fellow.

We can ask Draco about that. Harry thought to Luna alone. She nodded excitedly.

What about the expert? It’s been a few minutes. Harry prodded Willem.

Yes, she was a different matter. Fudge brought her in on certain cases involving certain families. Willem appeared to be having difficulty getting the words out, but he struggled to continue, finding it easier as he went on. She had some kind of special power, I guess like the two of you. Only she claimed she could see the past. Who knows she probably could. But I doubt what she said happened was what she saw. In every case she wound up exonerating the suspects, saying their version of events was exactly the way it happened. I don’t know her connection to Fudge, but he insisted she was the real deal and to be taken seriously.

What was her name? Harry asked desperately as the sirens once again grew silent.

Jayalina Delamora. Willem answered grimly.

Thank you. Luna said. We have to go now, but we will figure this all out and we will get you out of here.

One more thing. Harry stopped her retreat. Why is your brother so against you he’d have you thrown in here?

Because I’ve always disagreed with him. When I started investigating Ms. Delamora, he was furious. I don’t know why, what she was to him. But he gave me up as his brother when he found out. You better get going now. You’ll be no help to me or anyone else if you get caught up in here too.

Thank you again. Luna said earnestly as they hurried back to the hallway. "We need to get out!" Harry said urgently into the compact. But there was no answer. "Hello? Hermione! Fred! We need to get out now!"

"What’s wrong?" Luna asked.

"I don’t know, they aren’t answering." He paused throwing his mind out. "They’re coming back, and there are more of them." He said, looking at her in horror.

"What do we do?"

"In there." He pushed her back into the room they’d hidden in before. Together they crouched down under a large desk, pulling the cloak as tightly around themselves as they could. He knew Aurors had ways of finding people, and Dumbledore had actually seen through the cloak before. He prayed they would be safe.

"Hermione! Fred!" He whispered furiously into the mirror. Still no reply. What had happened? He had no more time to ponder. He snapped the compact shut as footsteps approached and came to a stop outside the door. They held their breath, making themselves as small as possible as the knob turned and an Auror entered.

"Homenum Revelio!" the man cried, scanning the room.

 


NOTE: So that was the last chapter before they close the queue…here’s what there is to look forward to in the new year: Harry and Luna find their way out of Azkaban, Draco remembers something important, they continue to solve the mystery of Kane’s death and discover more coven members, Cho makes a reappearance when some news is received, Hedwig goes missing, Luna has a clearer vision involving Sarah, Ron receives a letter, the Dursleys make an appearance, Edmund makes a move against Arthur, surprising revelations about family relationships, a troublesome train ride to Hogwarts, news about Snape, a new potions professor, Luna makes a deal with Dumbledore, Harry makes a surprising discovery in the Forbidden Forest, and a whole lot more after all that. Hopefully I’ll be able to complete this before the world ends in December 2012.



Chapter 20: Escape From Azkaban

A/N: Welcome back after such a long break. Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday, however each of you chose to celebrate. As you may remember, we left things in a bit of a cliffhanger. I just want to make a general warning: some of you may have noticed the story is growing a bit dark in it’s content, well, it’s only going to get worse the longer the war goes on. Just letting you know ahead of time. So without further delay, let’s continue on and find out what happens. Read, Review and Enjoy!

 


Though both Hermione and Fred had insisted they weren’t hungry, Molly had forced them down to the kitchen to share in the dinner she had prepared. "I went through the effort of making you all a fine meal the least you could do is share it with me. Arthur is held up at work, but there’s no good reason you two can’t put off whatever you are doing for half an hour." She had argued with her son. And not wanting to blow Harry or Luna’s cover, they had nothing to argue that point with, but Hermione thought her heart would explode with the tension of not knowing what was going on at the prison.

Her pocket grew warm as soon as they sat at the table and she instantly started to reach in and grab for the compact before stopping herself, her eyes relaying the crisis to Fred. He looked helpless as Molly plopped a large helping onto his plate.

"I forgot to wash my hands." Hermione tried running from the room, but Molly simply pointed her in the direction of the kitchen sink.

"I just put new soap there, it’ll do." Molly said sweetly, unaware of the turmoil she was putting them through.

Forced to unnecessarily wash her hands, Hermione wanted to cry she was so frustrated. It all felt surreal, being forced into normalcy at the same time something so dangerous was in the works. This was why she hated secrets so much! Her pocket was now ready to burst into flame the compact was so hot. Harry must be in trouble, he must need their help and here they were, held hostage in the kitchen by Molly and the secret. She was ready to reveal all, her fear for Harry and Luna reaching a breaking point where she didn’t care if he got mad at her for sounding the alarm.

Instead she took a deep breath and returned to her seat. Within a few seconds her pocket grew cold, and she began to worry even more than before. Fred was desperately trying to get her attention, motioning for her to hand him the compact under the table. She knew it was their best plan, and the best move for Harry. Fred could free himself from the dinner table and then guide them out of Azkaban safely. He was good with maps and floor plans and would definitely be able to instruct them more easily than she could. Especially since he’d already claimed to find three different secret passages, a few tunnels and two secret exits obviously all built to help the jailers, should the prisoners become unruly. If he was successful, then no one here would need to know anything. Feeling reluctant that she wouldn’t be the one to contact Harry, she stealthily slipped him the compact none the less.

Almost as soon as it was in his hand he doubled over, making noises as if he were about to be sick. "Are you alright?" Ron asked with disgusted concern as he scooted his chair a little farther from his brother, who, after all, looked on the verge of emptying his stomach.

"Excuse me!" Fred strangled out as he convincingly covered his mouth in a panic and ran from the kitchen back upstairs.

"What in the world is wrong with him?" Molly asked, her face masked with concern as she half-rose to follow her son.

"What isn’t wrong with him?" Ginny grumbled, picking at her plate.

"You’re one to talk." Ron shot back.

"Enough!" Molly shouted, silencing her children. Hermione shared a distressed look with Draco. Neither wanted to witness a family argument, but if there was one thing the Weasley children were good at lately, it was starting fights. And if this was the togetherness Molly was forcing on her, she felt even more frustration at being held back from contacting Harry. Of course she couldn’t let it show, none of them were supposed to think Harry and Luna were anywhere but at Mrs. Lovegood’s house. She hoped Fred had gotten back to them in time.

"He said earlier while we were working on his potions that his stomach felt upset." Hermione said with a careful shrug. She didn’t want anyone to pick up on her lie, and she knew she wasn’t nearly as convincing as Fred.

"I hope he isn’t catching something. I should go check on him." Molly made to leave the kitchen.

"I’m sure he’s fine!" Hermione said desperately, eliciting strange looks from the other three teens. She ignored them, her only goal to keep Molly from disturbing Fred. "He was testing products, I’m sure it was something he did to himself. It’ll pass."

"I’ll just be a minute. You all keep eating." Molly insisted, heading upstairs. Hermione’s heart plummeted to her stomach. Of course she would still want to check on her son, Molly was a good mother despite her own beliefs about herself to the contrary. There was nothing more Hermione could have done, other than throw herself in front of the woman or fake a heart attack. But she was no actress, that was Fred, Harry and Ginny’s area of expertise.

"What’s going on? What was that all about?" Ron demanded. Ginny and Draco looked on with curiosity.

"Nothing. I told him I refused to try his silly concoctions and so he ate them. He did it to himself and I don’t feel a bit sorry for him." She answered, looking down.

"Yeah right. Something is going on with you two, and with Harry and Luna. With all four of you. What is it?"

"Believe what you want Ron. I don’t care anymore." She answered glumly. She was too scared, too angry to worry about keeping up appearances. She wasn’t an accomplished liar, Harry should never have expected her to be able to be successful at keeping the others from knowing anything. As she pushed food around on her plate, she swore to herself she would never agree to anything like this ever again.

(BREAK)

Harry’s heart was racing so fast and so hard he was sure the man could hear it. Luna was shaking next to him, her nails digging into his arm as she buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to try and offer comfort. To be honest, he didn’t have much to spare, his own fear was paralyzing. He gently nudged them both further under the desk as the Auror peered around the room. The mood thing you did earlier! Do it again! He thought to her desperately.

I can’t! She answered so despairingly that even in his head her voice was wavering with tears. I don’t know how, I just can sometimes. I’ve been trying and I can’t now!

Harry began to panic as the man walked across the room and began opening cabinets. He didn’t know whether the spell had worked or not, but he pushed them even further back under the shadow of the desk, in case their cloak was no longer as invisible as it used to be. After all, Dumbledore had seen through it and that thought kept tumbling around in his head. He clutched Luna to him all the while wondering what had happened to Hermione and Fred. Why hadn’t they answered? And how was he supposed to get them out of all of this?

Suddenly someone started shrieking, back from the direction of the cell block. It was a hopelessly pitiful sound filled with sorrow and it kept coming and coming. "Hey, what’s going on in there!?" the Auror turned back toward the hallway and walked so close past them, Harry could feel the slight swirl of wind the man had kicked up in his haste.

"It’s Fritz! He just started yelling, can’t get him to shut up!" Another Auror yelled as more prisoners joined in Fritz’s sudden wailing. Not knowing whether Willem was trying to help them with another distraction or was actually insane, Harry just hoped the man wasn’t getting himself in too much trouble with the guards, carrying on the way he was.

As the Auror left the room to go assist his partners, Luna let out a long shaky breath. Harry rested his forehead against hers, letting them each draw on whatever strength the other had before pulling back and nodding that they had to go, now. Silently they crawled out from their hiding place and readjusted the cloak. Certain they were well hidden beneath it’s folds, he led them to the door, inching his way back down the hallway toward the maintenance stairwell they had originally snuck up through.

With Luna watching their backs, he put all his focus into turning the knob and opening the massive door as quietly as possible. Though the noise from the prisoners was more than enough to cover their retreat, the last thing they needed was for one of the Aurors to notice a door that was opening on it’s own. It squeaked and not daring to move it more than necessary, they held their breath, making themselves as tall and slim as possible while sliding through the small opening. He carefully pushed the door closed behind him before turning and facing the stairway, sending his mind in both directions looking for conscious life. It was thankfully deserted.

Now feeling extremely desperate, he fumbled for the compact and whipped it open all but screaming for Hermione and Fred.

(BREAK)

He ran to his room and grabbed up the floor plans before rushing to the bathroom, the compact once more growing warm. Slamming the door behind him, Fred hastily sprung it open, instantly hearing Harry’s strained voice begging for them to answer. "I’m here! What’s going on? Are you guys okay?"

"For now. What happened to you guys?" Harry demanded.

"Mum and dinner. Don’t worry about that, where are you?"

"The maintenance stairway. We need to get out immediately."

"Okay." Fred fumbled as he spread all the plans out in front of him. "Go up two floors." He finally instructed.

"Are you kidding? You want us to go further in?" Luna asked wildly.

"It was your idea to go there in the first place, missy." He responded with a grin. "Just trust me would you? I’m taking you the best way there is right now."

A knock on the door startled him so badly he nearly fell over. "Fred, dear? Are you alright?"

"I’ll be fine mother! Just something I ate!" he called desperately.

"Hermione said you were testing those products again. One of these days you’re going to kill yourself!" she scolded through the door.

"What’s going on?" Harry asked quietly, obviously hearing Molly’s voice.

"Nothing." Fred whispered.

"Well? Are you coming out?" his mother prodded again.

"Give me a few minutes, mother! I want to make sure the worst is over. I’ll be back down as soon as I can, okay?!" He was nearly shaking with the effort of not screaming at his mother in that moment.

"If you’re sure." Molly said, finally retreating back down the hallway.

"We’re at the door. Now what?" Luna asked.

"Go down the hallway and take your first right. Halfway down the corridor past the door that’ll be right in front of you, there should be a statue of some sort. It’ll be standing on the left. There’s got to be some kind of trip lever or something, because behind there is an abandoned tunnel. There’s just one problem."

"What?" Harry asked warily.

"The wing with the statue also holds about ten prison cells. And it gets worse." Fred grew concerned as he looked through the records and roster for the small cell block.

"What?" Harry asked again, even more warily.

"It seems that wing is part of the women’s network of cell blocks. And one of the fine ladies kept there is our very own Cho Chang."

(BREAK)

Luna’s heart skipped a beat. The last place she wanted to parade Harry through was Cho Chang’s own little section of hell. "Are you sure?" she demanded.

"According to what I have here, yeah I’m sure." Fred answered.

"Isn’t there some other way we can go?" she pleaded.

"This is the closest to where you are. If you want to chance trying to go another route, I’m with you, but the longer you stand there and debate it, the worse it’s going to be any way you go." Fred warned.

"It’ll be fine." Harry nodded to her encouragingly though she knew he wasn’t really feeling quite so positive. "We have the cloak. She won’t even know we’re there. But we have to go soon, the hallway is deserted for right now."

They were both making good sense, so with a sigh she pushed down her foreboding concerns and took the compact as Harry turned to force the door open. They slipped through and continued on their way, taking the turn Fred had indicated and finding themselves in front of a heavy wooden door.

"How many prisoners are on the other side?" Harry whispered. "I need to know how many minds I should be looking for."

"Ten cells, only four prisoners." Fred answered quietly.

"Then we’re okay for now." He said grimly, pushing open the massive door. Clutching onto each other in the extremely narrow corridor, they made their way past the first two cells which were thankfully empty. I think that might be what he’s talking about. Harry thought to her, pointing a little further ahead.

In the dim light, she could just make out some large stone mass jutting out from the wall to their left. It made the walkway even more narrow. Let’s just be super quiet. She answered nervously as they passed the third cell and glimpsed a huddled form snoring softly beneath a blanket. The fourth also held a prisoner, though this woman was older and wide awake, staring at the wall in some sort of trance. Luna shuddered, wondering what she looked like when she went into her visions. Hopefully her face wasn’t as devoid of life as that woman’s was, it was disturbing.

The fifth cell was directly across from the gigantic sculpture and also occupied by a sleeping mass, hidden beneath her blanket and snoring. "Where should we start looking?" Harry whispered into the compact as he stared up at the monstrosity before them.

"I don’t know, what’s it look like? There aren’t any pictures of it here or anything." Fred whispered back.

"It’s like a nature scene carved into the wall, a waterfall with large cliffs on either side. Then there’s this huge stone tree sculpture with branches jutting out." Harry described quickly. Luna looked up at the ugly twisted things above her head and thought he’d held back in his description. They were horribly beautiful in a way, gothic images that could haunt your dreams.

"I would try pulling on the branches." Fred finally answered tentatively. "It is a bit obvious though. Anything else there?"

"Not that I see." Harry said reaching up to tug on the first branch. The action caused the cloak to fall to the floor and Luna glanced behind them into the cell. It appeared the person within was still asleep. They paused to assure none of the other three women present had witnessed them. With a shrug, he simply reached up and tugged on another branch.

She felt extremely uncomfortable now that they were out in the open, but after attempting to pull on a few branches herself, she saw it would have been impossible to accomplish the task under the cloak’s protection. They hurried their pace, pulling desperately on everything they could reach. "Maybe the trigger is on the wall." Fred suggested after a short while. "What exactly does the carving look like?"

"Just a stupid waterfall, some river that disappears behind the tree sculpture and those two cliffs jutting out from either side." Harry answered impatiently.

"I wish I were there." Fred answered sounding just as just as frustrated as Luna felt. "It could be anything! You might even need two triggers."

"Then if that were the case, what is your first instinct?" She prodded, stooping to pick up the cloak and hand it to Harry.

They heard Fred take a deep breath. "I would say find the branch that stands out the most. Then pull on it the same time you push in the cliffs. If they aren’t part of the tree and aren’t carved into the wall like the rest of the scenery, then there’s no other reason for them to be there. But having a push lever on the wall is iffy, so for back up, the branch will actually unlock the cliffs. That’s what I would try, based on what you described."

"Okay. You’re the expert." Harry said looking up. "Which do you think?"

She studied the branches, unfocusing her eyes to see if anything came to her. It came in a rush and she closed her eyes to keep from feeling dizzy. She felt herself stumble and Harry catch her to keep her on her feet. The long gnarled branch with a smaller, thorn covered one twisted around it leapt out at her. Quickly wrenching her eyes open, she zoned in on the very one she’d just seen in her brief vision. "It’s that one!" she whispered excitedly.

Okay, on three. He thought to her as he went to stand in front of the two cliffs. One….two….three!

She yanked as hard as she could on the ugly thing, careful not to gouge herself on the stony thorns. At the same time, Harry pushed with everything he had and stumbled forward as the cliffs slid into the wall. Immediately the tree swung forward, revealing a long dark tunnel. "We got it!" Harry reported happily into the compact.

Luna made to join Harry at the entrance, but suddenly felt something tangle in her hair and pull her backwards. She let out a tiny shriek as she slammed against the bars and felt strong, claw like fingers tighten around her throat as her attacker’s other hand continued to pull, pinning her head against the bars. Reaching back, she grabbed at the thin arm that had such an iron grip before her captor could actually pull her hair out of her skull.

"What the hell was that?! What’s going on?" Fred demanded.

"I’ll get right back to you." Harry said with a furious calmness. He snapped the compact closed and produced his wand. "So what now, Cho?" he asked, looking past Luna, his eyes full of hatred.

(BREAK)

Realizing that the sooner she cleaned her plate the sooner she’d be able to leave the table, Hermione began wolfing down the hot meal. After all, she couldn’t use the "I’m sick" excuse to leave, Fred had already executed it perfectly.

"Hungry all of a sudden?" Ron asked angrily. Fine, let him be angry. She didn’t have the time or inclination at present to worry about what he suspected.

By the time Molly had come back downstairs, Hermione had choked down more than half her plate. "I just don’t know what’s wrong with that boy. Always eating or drinking those horrible potions." She shook her head as she regained her seat.

"Those horrible potions are his livelihood, mother." Ginny surprisingly defended her brother.

"Don’t even get me started on that!" Molly exclaimed.

"I don’t see what the big deal is. He owns his own business and uses a skill to create his supply. It’s not like he’s out digging ditches or selling potions out on the street corner." Ginny went on.

"Of course not, dear. And I will support him and the rest of you in whatever you want to do even if it is digging ditches, though I think you all over qualified. But just because I offer my support doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it."

"Yeah, remember how she was when Charlie decided he wanted to work with dragons?" Ron teased his mother. "Nearly blew her lid she was so supportive."

"I support him now. But I still worry for him. Those creatures are dangerous." Molly insisted with a shudder.

"So are a lot of other things." Ron shot back.

"Hermione dear, slow down. You’re going to choke yourself." Molly lightly scolded, finally noticing Hermione had just about cleaned her plate.

"Turned out I was hungrier than I thought." Hermione responded. "It was delicious, thank you!" she rose to bring her plate to the sink and tried to run upstairs.

"What’s the rush? Don’t you want seconds if you’re so hungry?" Ron asked with an accusatory glare.

"Yes, by all means, there’s plenty." Molly smiled warmly at her.

"Oh, I’m stuffed. Couldn’t eat another bite. And besides, we left some cauldron’s burning and with Fred sick in the bathroom, it looks like it’s up to me to make sure nothing burns."

"Check on him on your way, would you please?" Molly asked her. "If he’s near death, let me know?"

"I’m sure he’ll be fine." Hermione assured her as she rushed from the room and nearly flew up the stairs. She pounded on the bathroom door.

"I’ll be down in a minute!" Fred yelled. "Can’t a guy get sick in private?"

"It’s me, moron." She hissed through the door.

He flung the door open, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the small room before slamming the door shut. "How was dinner?" he asked nervously.

She didn’t like the look in his eyes. "What’s going on? Are they out?"

"They’re on their way." He said absently.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, they found the opening to the tunnels…." He trailed off.

"But?" she prodded.

"I don’t know, okay. It sounded like Luna screamed and then Harry said he had to call me back and closed off communications."

"What! Give me that thing!" she made a mad scramble for the compact now laying uselessly on the sink.

Fred was a hair quicker, grabbing it up and holding it high in the air. "You can’t call them. If they are in trouble, we’ll only be a distraction. It’s better to wait for them to call us."

"And if they don’t call?" she asked angrily crossing her arms.

"Let’s a least give them some time. Okay? It’s only been a few minutes." Fred pleaded, though she could tell he was also unhappy with the lack of communication.

"Maybe we should tell your mum."

"And get us all in trouble?"

"We should be in trouble! We’re doing something very stupid and dangerous!"

"Your selective conscious is annoying me." Fred answered testily. "If you were so set against this and all the lying involved with pulling it off, then you should have told Harry from the beginning."

"I did!" she protested. "Never once did I tell him this was a good idea! And I even warned him that if I felt it necessary, I’d blow the whistle on this whole plan. I won’t let them be killed because you’re scared to be grounded by your parents."

"I’m not scared of them." Fred said puffing himself up. "I just don’t think we should jump the gun here."

"They could be dead already!" she protested.

"Who could be dead?" they heard Ron call from the other side of the door. They looked at each other in a panic. "I know you two are in there." He continued after a moment.

Letting his anger show, Fred gathered all the floor plans before stalking to the door and flinging it open, revealing Ron holding up a pair of extendible ears. "Really? Using my own invention to spy on me? That’s in poor taste Ronniekins." Fred stalked past his brother and into his room. "You coming brainiac?" he called to Hermione.

She was left in the bathroom, staring down Ron. "Tell me what’s going on, Hermione." Ron pleaded.

She felt hot tears brim her eyes. "I can’t right now." She too bushed past him, making to follow Fred, but Ron grabbed her arm.

"Whatever this is has obviously gone out of your control. Maybe I can help." He said softly, though his grip on her arm was firm as she tried to pull away.

"Let go, Ron. I just can’t tell you right now, there’s too much at stake. I promise to tell you everything once it’s over, okay?" she felt sorry for him, knowing how much she’d hate to be left in the dark.

"Hermione darling, don’t make promises to my brother that you can’t keep." Fred poked his head out into the hallway. "This is Luna’s bag, and it’s up to her to tell him."

"Luna? You’re doing all this for her?" Ron looked even more hurt. "So then where is she really? Her and Harry, because you wouldn’t be this worried if they were really visiting with her grandmother."

"Sorry Ron, you got all you’re going to get out of us. You can take up any future complaints with Miss Lovegood. In the meantime," Fred reached out and grabbed Hermione’s other arm, "I’ll be needing my assistant back."

But Ron wouldn’t release her and as the two boys pulled at her she began to feel like a wishbone. "Enough!" she yelled, pulling herself free from both their grasps. "Ron, I’m sorry, but telling you anything now could ruin things. I promised I’d tell you after and I will, regardless how everyone else feels about it. I agree it wasn’t fair to keep you in the dark. But right this minute, you can help best by keeping Molly away from us." She knew simply having a task, some small role in this would appease him.

"Whatever." Ron grumbled, stalking back downstairs.

"You coming? The compact is hot, I think they’re calling." Fred flipped it open as he turned back into his room, unconcerned with whether she followed. She knew he was unhappy with her promise to Ron, but he could just get over it as far as she was concerned. It wasn’t his secret after all, it was Luna’s, and Hermione intended on talking the girl into telling her ex everything. If she and Harry made it back home that is. Rushing into the room, she prepared herself for bad news.

(BREAK)

Harry’s insides turned to stone as he stared into Cho’s wild eyes. "What now?" she cackled, tightening her hold on Luna, forcing the other girl to grab desperately at her captor’s arm as she struggled to breathe. "Now I choke the life out of your little friend here! Who knew you’d make revenge so easy!"

"Cho-"

"Ah, watch yourself Harry. One more step and I’ll crush her windpipe now and worry about torturing you later."

"It’ll be the last thing you ever do." He promised, holding his wand steady.

"You think I’m scared by the threat of death? Look around, it’s my last concern."

Are you okay? He thought out to Luna who appeared on the verge of panic.

I can’t breathe!. Was her only reply as she continued to pull at Cho.

"What’s going on over there?" the woman in the third cell demanded.

"Never you mind, Abigail." Cho growled.

"Are there other people here? Take me with you!" Abigail wailed suddenly.

"They won’t be able to. They won’t be leaving." Cho grinned wickedly, pressing her face against the bars. Harry wanted nothing more than to mentally toss her across the cell, but her hold on Luna was so strong, he worried he’d hurt her too. His mind was a whirlwind, what could he possibly do to get them out of this?

"This is between us, Cho. Let her go and I’ll stay." Harry offered.

"Very gallant. I wouldn’t expect any less. But you’re wrong, Harry. This isn’t just between us. Luna and I have our own bad history, don’t we?" she squeezed down harder on Luna’s throat, causing her to make small gurgling sounds as she struggled for air. "You were always a thorn in my side, weren’t you? Always studying me so suspiciously, always in my way at just the right time! I won’t have to worry about you for much longer!" Cho let out another maniacal laugh. "You didn’t see this coming, did you?"

"Please." Luna struggled out.

"Please? Please what, please don’t kill you? Sorry, I’ve pretty much made up my mind about that, regardless your friend’s threat to end my life as well. I’ve already seen to it that you all suffer."

"If you kill her, how does she suffer?" Harry asked desperately. "It’ll just be over, nothing more. Some punishment." He scoffed.

"Really, you think reverse psychology is going to work?"

"I don’t think any sort of psychology would work for you." He shot back. "I was just going off your words. Death makes those left behind suffer, not the person themselves."

"That depends on how slowly they die, wouldn’t you agree?" Cho once more tightened her grip, cutting off the last bit of air Luna was receiving. He watched her struggle and felt her presence grow dim in his mind.

"Stop!" he cried out, lunging forward and grabbing at Cho’s arm himself. Luna fell limp and her eyes rolled up into her head as he desperately pried at the claw like fingers crushing her throat. Without thinking, he reached through the bars and punched their attacker in the face.

Cho looked surprised, but never loosened her hold. He couldn’t understand where her strength was coming from, she appeared so weak physically. Perhaps her insanity was aiding her to that effect. Then just as suddenly as she had grabbed Luna, she let her go. Harry caught his friend as she fell forward, coughing and gasping for air. The minute she’d released her grip, Harry had sent Cho hurtling across the cell. She collapsed in a heap.

"Luna!" he lowered her to the floor as she struggled to regain her breath. "Are you okay? What can I do?"

She simply shook her head, coughing and rubbing her throat. He wrapped his arms around her in relief, hugging her close, as he had feared for a moment there that he’d never be able to again. I’m okay, it’s okay. She began repeating over and over in his head as she clung to him.

"You two better go soon." Cho said quietly. Looking up, he saw her once more standing in front of the bars separating them. Harry scrambled to his feet, dragging Luna along with him as he backed them away. He didn’t like the look in Cho’s eyes, the secretive smile across her face or the attentive stance as she held her arms behind her back. "I’m sure the Aurors will be along soon to check in on us all. You probably don’t want them to see you here. Don’t worry, word of your visit is safe with me."

"Like I’d believe anything you say." Harry growled.

"Luckily you don’t have to. Apparently your exit is right behind you, take advantage of the situation." She sneered. He tried to see what she was hiding, but her mind was a vast wasteland, deserted to him. And her mannerisms, it was almost as if she’d become another person. She was up to something, he just didn’t know what. But he also didn’t have time to puzzle over it.

"Let’s go." He pushed Luna ahead of him, down into the tunnel then stooped to grab the cloak and compact before turning to follow her.

"You were right by the way." Cho called after him. "It’s always better for the enemy to live and suffer."

He turned to make comment, but was instead struck by a sharp stinging pain in his stomach. He faintly heard Luna scream as he fell back into the tunnel. Close the entrance! He instructed, still unsure exactly what had happened to him. He lay on the floor watching Luna struggle to pull the heavy stone sculpture back in place. Once the task was accomplished, she knelt before him, lighting her wand so they could see. It wasn’t a pretty sight. A short, thin piece of wood had lodged itself in his gut, and the wound was bleeding profusely. Nothing bled quite like a stomach wound, it was one of the slowest ways to die.

"She threw that at you." Luna said, her throat sore so that her voice came out strained. "Flung it faster than I could even see! As if she hadn’t thrown it at all, but shot it at you somehow."

"Well get it out!" he said, feeling himself begin to panic.

"I don’t know if I should! What if it does more damage?"

"I don’t care! I want it out!" he screamed, losing his control completely. He began pulling at it himself, which only resulted in large stabs of pain shooting through his body.

Luna batted his hands away. "Alright already, I’ll do it."

"Just do it quickly. One pull if you can." He wheezed out.

Bracing herself, she took hold of the end of the thin spear-like wood. Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes and pulled. It was agony and he let out an involuntary cry. "I’m sorry! Oh please, I’m sorry!" she yelled over him.

"How bad is it?" he asked, squeezing his eyes shut against wave after wave of pain. He couldn’t bring himself to look.

"I don’t know for sure, but it doesn’t look good." She said, near tears. Thinking quickly she pulled off the t-shirt she had thrown on over her tank top that morning and using her wand magically cut it into strips. "Hold as still as you can." She instructed, suddenly all business. Wadding up several strips, she pushed them against his wound, pressing down to hopefully slow the bleeding. Then she placed his hand over the makeshift bandage so she could focus on tying the remaining strips together. She wound them around his waist several times, tying off the ends. He looked down at her handiwork and was dismayed to see the blood was already soaking through.

"We don’t have much time to get out of here. Call Fred." He handed her the compact, trying to push aside his physical discomfort long enough to focus on getting out relatively alive.

(BREAK)

"Are you still reading this thing?" Ginny demanded, picking up Pansy’s letter.

"Don’t be jealous." Draco teased her. "I’m only trying to figure out what I forgot."

"Whatever you say." She said, tossing it back onto his desk.

"Did you talk to your brother?"

"Ron didn’t get anything out of Hermione or Fred. He’s super mad about it, though I find it a bit satisfying that they’re cutting him out. Does that make me depraved?" she asked coyly.

"Do you really care?" he asked.

"Not particularly. Dad finally came home by the way. Said they had some major leads on where they might be keeping Snape. I figured that might interest you."

"Did they actually find him?" He certainly was interested. Severus Snape was the only connection he had to the familiar life he had known. And upon finding out that he too had switched sides, Draco had desperately wanted to speak with the professor. Unfortunately he’d missed his chance when the man had gone missing.

"Well, no. But they think they found where he’s being kept. Only thing is they’re finding it impossible to break in. I guess it’s a fortress they built up on some island that sits on one of those energy sites. Right now the Aurors are trying to be sure he really is there."

"And probably trying to make sure he really is their captive." He answered glumly.

"You really think he turned double, double spy?" Ginny grinned. "I doubt it."

"Maybe you do, but I think anyone is capable of anything at this point. I mean, why did he brew that stupid potion in the first place!" Draco rose in anger and began pacing.

"What potion?"

"The one he gave to Harland!"

"Oh." She answered quietly, looking at the floor. "Well, the truth part didn’t work, right?"

"No, but the paralysis sure did! He had to have known what could have happened, he isn’t stupid!" And then Draco realized he had come to his point. He was deeply hurt that Snape, an adult he’d actually trusted, had left him in such a vulnerable position, as if his life didn’t matter in the long run. And maybe it didn’t, but he felt betrayed none the less. "At first I thought it was a good thing, you know. That he’d fixed it that way. Figured he’d trusted me enough to know and lie effectively. Now, I just don’t know. I blamed myself when he came up missing. Thought I’d messed up and Harland had seen through it all and I’d blown Snape’s cover."

"This is a tricky game we’re all being forced to play. No one is really all good or all bad, are they? I don’t think Snape intended for you to get bitten. He may not even have known Harland was the one they were sending if they were testing him as well as you." She argued. "Besides, either way it wasn’t your fault. They already had their suspicions about him, based on what Harland asked you."

"I won’t be satisfied until I talk to him."

"Well, you might still be waiting awhile, based on what dad was saying." She shook her head sadly. "They have a whole bunch of other stuff going on right now as well, what with Edmund and the Daily prophet as well as that Sarah woman they think was writing to Cho."

Draco paused in his pacing, turning to stare at her. "What?" she asked. "You’re freaking me out."

"The newspapers." He said absently, trying to fit all the pieces in his head. Something Ginny had said triggered something, the same something that Pansy’s letter had aroused.

"What about them?" she asked.

"That’s it! The newspapers! The ones they sent to the Grangers!"

"Okay, again what about them?"

"They all think that Cho, Marietta and Sarah are the ones responsible for sending them right?"

"I think so, according to that Crescent guy they are the ones writing to Cho." She offered.

"Exactly!" he picked up the letter again and scanned through it. My cousin… those words suddenly leapt off the page at him. He remembered it all. "It was before we were going home after third year. Pansy was going on and on about all the stupid things she was doing with her family over the summer and she said they were going to visit her cousin Sarah, who she thought was weird. I remember she said something about her uncle dying after the last war, and that they had kept Sarah from getting her wand because she wouldn’t cower to Dumbledore or the ministry. That was the part of the story that had interested me, and I remember thinking that I was glad my dad hadn’t been caught. It has to be the same person, right? That’s the connection! That’s why she’s writing using Pansy’s name and how she would know Cho!"

"I don’t understand. Pansy and Cho weren’t friends, so how would her being cousins with Sarah link them?"

"Because she said Sarah was living in Asia, in the same small village that Cho’s family comes from. I remember Pansy complaining that she saw the Chang’s all the time during the summers. Why couldn’t they have become friends without Pansy knowing?"

"I just don’t want you getting ahead of yourself here." Ginny said slowly. "Are you sure you’re really remembering all this and not just filling in the blanks? You said yourself that you rarely listened to the girl."

"I’m sure. I may not remember all the small details, like which village they lived in or how old her cousin was, or what her uncle’s name was, but I’m sure about everything else."

"Okay, so now what? Do we tell my dad? I mean they have to know all of Sarah’s relatives already, right?"

"They don’t, I can guarantee it. The Parkinson’s files were among several others to come up missing in the hall of records after the last war. I know this because my father had sent our house elf to steal the records of our family and all of his friends. The elf messed up and wound up leaving several behind, including ours. Lucius was really mad, beat the little guy pretty bad. And then strangely, the elf went and punished himself further."

"You mean Dobby?" Ginny asked. "Your father beat Dobby? I think I hate him even more, I mean that’s like kicking a puppy. But if he went and punished himself too, I bet he left those files behind on purpose."

Draco really didn’t feel one way or the other about the house elf, had found him annoying more than helpful. Of course, he supposed that didn’t mean he deserved a beating. These thoughts were new territory for him and rather than delve deeper, he shook his head and went on. "Either way, Parkinson was one of the few names he did bring back, and I think I remember the name Elaine there as well. Those files, proving Pansy’s relation to Sarah might still be at my house."

"So then should we tell me dad?"

"I don’t know. What do you think?" he asked concerned. He knew Potter would want to know, but he was apparently off on some secret adventure so the only one left to tell would be the minister.

"Well, I think it’ll at least give them a better place to start searching if they don’t know already. But it’s up to you."

He thought hard, uncomfortable with having to make a decision. "I suppose it’s for the best. I’ll just have to fill Potter in when he gets back. Let’s go."

(BREAK)

"What the hell is going on!?" Hermione demanded as soon as Luna made contact.

"We ran into some trouble. Harry’s injured." She said reluctantly, knowing how the other girl would react.

"What do you mean Harry’s injured?! Is he alive? What happened? Where are you guys?"

"I’m alive." Harry called out weakly. "We’re in the tunnel."

"What happened?" Hermione demanded angrily.

"Cho, she threw something and it caught him." Luna said, studying the piece of wood she’d pulled out of her friend. It was thin and sharpened to a fine point, about the size of a dagger. The end was stained with Harry’s blood, and it looked like something else underneath, something which glowed green in the wandlight. "Where would she even get something like this?" she wondered out loud.

"How bad is it?" Fred asked.

"It isn’t good." Harry replied honestly. "We need to get out of here now, while I still have the strength to move."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried out. "I told you guys not to go there!"

"Now isn’t the time for I told you so’s." Fred scolded her. "Go straight down the tunnel. It’s a bit of a walk, but it’ll take you through the prison the back way and directly to a sewer grate on the east side of the island. You should be able to apparate from there."

"Okay, I think we’re going to need some help, if you guys want to meet us at my grandmother’s house." Luna said, looking Harry over with a wary eye.

"How are we supposed to get there? We can’t apparate to somewhere we’ve never been." Hermione said with malice. It was clear she was holding Luna responsible for Harry’s predicament.

Luna kept her own voice neutral. "I left my bag downstairs in the parlor a few days ago. Inside is a small photo album and the third one is of me and my grandmother standing in her living room about two years ago. It hasn’t changed at all."

"We’re on it." Fred reported. "See you guys there, call if you need us."

Luna snapped the compact closed and bundled the piece of wood inside the cloak before stuffing it into her bad along with the unneeded counterpotions. They could leave no trace of themselves. "Ready?" she asked.

"Like I have a choice." He choked out.

She gave him a weak smile before using her wand to lift him as gently as possible from the ground, hoping the tunnel wasn’t too long. "I’m going to need you to clean up after yourself." She said, picking up the bag and starting down the tunnel. He weakly pointed his wand and unable to form words any longer, she heard him think Scourgify. Glancing back, she saw that the pool of blood that had collected under him was in fact gone.

After a few minutes, she realized he’d lost consciousness. Harry? She searched for any sign of him, it was faint, but thankfully still there. His breathing was growing erratic, so she quickened her pace, trying to ignore her exhausted mind and the fiery pain in her throat. She desperately wanted a glass of cold water.

What seemed to be an eternity later, she finally reached the sewer grate. She had never been more grateful to breathe fresh air. Carefully placing Harry on the floor, she collapsed next to him. All they had to do was get on the other side of that grate, she could see the ocean beyond. The only problem was that she didn’t think she could carry him any further. By the end of their journey, she’d just barely managed to keep him a few inches from the ground. "Harry?" she gently shook his shoulder but due to an extremely sore throat was unable to speak with any more volume. HARRY! WAKE UP! Her mind screamed so loudly she could feel her voice reverberating through his head. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"Where are we?" He asked weakly.

"We’re almost out. How’re you feeling?" she gingerly pulled back the makeshift bandage to check on the wound. It appeared to have stopped bleeding at least.

"You tell me. How does it look?"

"Not good. But better than before. Harry, you’re going to need to see a healer for this. There’s no way around it."

"We’ll figure that out once we’re back at the house. How far is it?"

She watched as he tried to rally himself, forcing his way into a seated position. Though he tried very hard to hide it, she saw the pain in his eyes. "I’ll just have to clear the grate. Then we can make our way onto the beach and apparate."

Harry turned his head, scanning the horizon before turning to her in despair. "I can’t do it."

"Don’t worry, I know how to do side-alongs, I can just apparate you with me. It’ll be fine." She grabbed his hand. "Don’t give up Harry. It isn’t hopeless yet."

But he shook his head, flopping it from side to side. "I’m sorry." He whispered.

"No! Absolutely not! I won’t accept this Harry. Come on, everyone is waiting for us. Hermione is waiting for us! For you!" she squeezed his hand, trying to rally him.

"Give me the compact. Let me talk to her." He whispered.

"You can talk to her at the house and not a minute sooner. Just hold on." She rose and turned to the grate, trying to feel the confidence she was attempting to portray. Harry had saved her life many times over. This was her chance to return the favor and she would not let herself screw it up. This was her fault, her obsessive need to solve Kane’s death when all the while she’d really just been running from truths she didn’t want to face, burying herself so deep in the mystery she didn’t have space to think of much at all, let alone an uncertain future.

She waved her wand carefully, whispering, "Expulso" so that the explosion caused was small enough to create an opening only large enough for them to squeeze through. Then she turned back to Harry and leaned down, wrapping her arms tight around him. Try to work with me here, Harry. Give it everything you can because I don’t know how much more my mind can take and if I have to float you out I may not have the strength to apparate us away. He flung his arm over her shoulders, using the other to help push himself off the ground. She staggered under his weight, eventually finding her footing.

"One step at a time." Harry said in a far off voice, his eyes glazed over.

"That’s right, now come on. We’ve been here too long."

"Way too long." He agreed softly.

(BREAK)

"Do you really think this will work?" Hermione stared at the picture, trying to memorize everything in it.

"We’re about to find out the hard way." Fred grinned at her nervously. She had sent him to sneak down and grab the bag, arguing that he was more stealthy. In truth, she had really just wanted a few minute alone to herself, to digest the news that Harry was critically injured. It was her worst fear coming true, and she wasn’t there with him. She could only hope Luna was strong enough to get them out. Of course she blamed the girl, for wanting to go to the prison in the first place and she blamed Fred for sending them through Cho’s wing. What had Cho done? She was anxious to get to the house and find out.

"Think you got it?" Fred asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Yeah, let’s just do this before I change my mind." Her first instinct was to go tell Arthur the Harry was in trouble, worse, that he was wounded. Fred had convinced her (just barely) to let them try to sort it out first. The last thing she wanted to do was gamble with Harry’s life, but involving Arthur could only jeopardize his standing. If it were found out he was covering Harry’s prison break in, that could be the last straw, the final thing Edmund could twist around and use to ruin the current Minister. The last thing anyone needed was a Death Eater running the Ministry. Of course, at the present moment, she couldn’t care less about anyone else, all those people out there who would suffer if Arthur lost his job. Harry was the only one who mattered to her.

She squeezed Fred’s hand, the picture of Mrs. Lovegood’s living room firmly in her mind. She concentrated hard, and the next time she opened her eyes, they were there. Turning, she was startled to see an elderly woman, sitting on the couch and looking up at them expectantly. "The children are in their rooms sleeping." Mrs. Lovegood smiled kindly.

"That must be the double." Fred began looking around, checking that everything was secure. "Wait here." He instructed as he went through the rest of the house.

"Well?" she asked impatiently upon his return.

"It all appears secure. The real Mrs. Lovegood is still sleeping peacefully in her room. No sign of either of them yet." No sooner had the words left his mouth, when the air began to crackle. Luna appeared out of nowhere, instantly falling to her knees. They rushed forward to help her.

"What happened? Where’s Harry?!?" Hermione demanded.

"I couldn’t bring him with…so tired…" Luna sighed out. "I need help." She looked up at Fred, and Hermione realized they were talking to each other silently. She hated, absolutely hated when Luna or Harry did that, but it made her especially mad now.

"We’ll be right back." Fred said hastily before he and Luna joined hands, quickly dissaparating before her.

"NO!" she screamed and screamed in her frustration at being left behind. The few seconds Luna had lain before her was enough to take in the girl’s full appearance. She had been splattered with blood, though the only wounds she had perceived where deep nail gouges and bruises along her neck. She dropped her head into her hands, realizing the blood had probably been Harry’s. What had happened? Every second they were gone was agony.

Finally she felt the air crackle around her again and she leapt to her feet as they all three appeared together, a mass on the floor in front of her. "Harry! Oh god." She knelt gingerly and took his hand, trying not to focus on anything. He was unconscious.

"I checked before we came back. The bleeding has stopped. Luna did a good job bandaging him up." Fred placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He needs to go to a healer!" she cried, hot tears sliding down her cheek.

"What happened?" Fred demanded of Luna.

"We had just opened the tunnel entrance when Cho got a hold of me. Nearly choked the life out of me. Harry got her to let go I guess, I was pretty faint by then. We went to leave and she hurled this at him." Kneeling down, she pulled out a small, very sharp piece of wood. "It was the strangest thing I’d ever seen, there’s no way anyone could throw like that. It sped at him as if it were a bullet from a gun!"

"How is that possible?" Hermione asked, taking the weapon and examining it. Looking at the dark blood stains on the wood was easier than studying the body before her. "What is this stuff?" she pointed at some bright green stain at the tip, it almost seemed to glow in the light.

"I don’t know. That’s why I brought it along." Luna replied softly.

"What do we do? We can’t just sit here, he needs medical help!" Hermione grew impatient.

"Drake." Harry croaked out from the floor.

"Harry!" They all huddled around him.

"Go to Drake. He’ll keep it quiet." Harry moved his head until he was looking directly at her. "Mione, I’m sorry."

She grabbed his hand. "Don’t worry about that or anything else right now Harry. I love you and you’re going to be okay. You’ll be okay." She asserted, nearly demanded.

"I love you, so much." He weakly squeezed her hand before going limp. "I love you all…" he trailed off, once more falling into unconsciousness.

"How are we supposed to get him to Healer Drake?" Luna broke the silence.

"I’ve been to his office before. In the hospital." Fred offered. "After Harland went after Draco, Ron and I went with dad to Drake’s office while they made the arrangements to bring him and Lupin home."

"And how do we know he’s there?" Hermione said wildly. "It’s late, well past ten o’clock."

"He had a small cot propped up in the corner, said he often slept there as he was always working." Fred answered gently.

"If you can picture it, I’ll pass it on to Hermione and we can all take Harry there." Luna suggested.

"Fine. But if Drake isn’t there, we are going after the first healer we can find. No arguments, and I don’t care if they keep it secret or not, as long as Harry gets treated. Understand?" Hermione looked harshly at them both as they lowered their heads and nodded. She was more angry than she could put into words. And now she had to open her mind to Luna, let the girl in when she’d been working for so long to keep her out. She was loathe to make herself vulnerable. Pushing that thought down deep, she made a small crack in the fortress and waited for the picture to come.

Once they were sure they were all on the same page, they each grabbed onto Harry and concentrated. Shortly thereafter, they arrived in the office, relieved to find themselves in the presence of a very startled Healer Drake.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked rising from his chair. "Oh my… What happened?" he caught sight of Harry and rushed around the desk.

"It’s a long story." Luna answered him, handing over the wooden weapon with the strange substance on it.

Hermione grabbed the healer’s sleeve. "Please, just fix him!"

 


NOTE: Okay, that chapter definitely got away from me and a lot more happened than I intended. That means once again I’ve written myself off track and have delayed their arrival at Hogwarts. This just might turn out to be a hundred chapter story after all. Anyway, more thrills, more mystery to come, so look for the next chapter soon. Please leave a review at the door! Thanks for reading.



Chapter 21: Puzzle Pieces

A/N: Read, Review, Enjoy!

 

Harry woke in a panic, clutching at his stomach. He found only a small clean bandage, not the wooden dagger he’d been dreaming of. Trying in vain to look around at his dark and blurry surroundings he began a search for his glasses, reflecting as he moved that while he felt stiff and sore, the terrible gut-wrenching pain he remembered was gone. Where was he? What had happened? His fingers finally brushed against the lens of his glasses as he blindly searched the small table next to where he’d been resting.

Now able to see, he realized he was in an office of some kind where he’d been placed on a small cot and stripped to his waist. Very carefully, he pulled back the crisp, white bandage expecting the worst. Instead, there appeared to be only a small scar. Confused, he tried to remember what had happened; the last thing he could clearly picture was Luna asking him to clean his own blood as she floated him down the tunnel. After that was only flashes: the sun setting behind the bars of the grate as Luna begged him not to give up, Fred kneeling beside him on the island his eyes filled with horror, telling Hermione he loved her, Healer Drake forcing him to drink something. He wasn’t sure if any of it had been real, so instead he focused on what he could know.

Gingerly rising, he inspected the desk in the middle of the room and found Drake’s name everywhere. So he was in the man’s office, but where was the healer and where were his friends? He looked at the door for a long time before deciding it would probably be best that he not be found wandering the hospital. He returned to the cot, his entire body feeling so tense that when the soft knock came a few minutes later, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Harry? Luna’s voice whispered across his mind. He tried to answer her, but couldn’t find that part of himself. He struggled, but he felt exhausted. I’m coming in. She finally said, opening the door and peeking in.

"Hey." He said weakly.

"Hi." Her voice was hoarse, but she smiled brightly. "How are you?" she asked, walking in and closing the door behind her before crossing to the desk and turning on a small lamp. He was startled by the amount of blood staining her clothes.

"I really don’t know. Can you tell me? What happened?" he demanded as she put the invisibility cloak on the chair and sat next to him on the cot.

"We brought you to Drake, just like you asked."

"I asked?"

"Yes, you did. And you were right, he’s agreed to keep all of this a secret after I explained what we were trying to accomplish. I guess he and Willem were good friends. He wants to talk to us more about it later though." She explained, her eyes falling to his wound, which he hadn’t bothered to rebandage. "That certainly looks better."

"If you say so. Most of it is a blur to me."

"Trust me, it looked really bad." She shuddered with the memory.

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

"I don’t really know, Harry. It happened so fast, too fast. She threw this sharp piece of wood, but it was almost as if she didn’t throw it. None of it makes sense and I saw it with my own eyes." She rasped out. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed some sort of salve and rubbed it across her throat.

He reached out, lifting her chin to better see the damage Cho had done. Though quite faded, he could still make out the remains of the angry bruises and ragged nail impressions marring her skin. "This is it, right? Nothing else happened after I passed out? All this blood is mine?"

She took his hand, and looked at him very seriously. "I’m fine and that’s the last thing you should be worried about. You were really bad off for awhile there and I was very scared for you. We all were."

"Where is everyone? Where’s Hermione?" he asked, finally realizing why he must be feeling so uncomfortable. Usually when he woke after something like this, she was there beside him.

"She and Fred are with Drake working on something. Trust me, it’s really important or else she’d have been here. I’m a bit useless with potions so they sent me to check on you."

"What is so important? What are they working on?"

She lowered her eyes, squeezing his hand tightly. "The cure."

"Cure? What cure?" he asked, the panic he’d felt upon waking rushing back to him. She turned away, unable to answer. "The cure for what, Luna?"

"To the poison that tipped that piece of wood." She said softly.

(BREAK)

"Why isn’t Luna back yet?" Hermione demanded. "Do you think something’s wrong? I knew I should have gone myself."

"Focus." Fred scolded. "We both know the only way you’d have been satisfied was laying eyes on him yourself, but I’m sure Luna is competent enough to come get help if something were wrong. She’s probably just filling him in on what happened. I’m sure if he’s awake, he has questions."

"Well, if you’re going to be logical about it." She grumbled.

"Here’s some more wisdom; without this cure, Harry’s in big trouble. So if you really want to help him, you’ll focus up before Drake gets back here."

"They paged him away over half an hour ago!" she complained, knowing she was being difficult but unable to stop herself.

"He has to keep up appearances, right? We don’t want anyone knowing what we’re all up to."

"I’m so sick of this vow of secrecy!" she yelled. "And to make it worse, you all find the one adult who is willing to go along with it!"

"You were willing to go along with it." He reminded her. "I know you’re worried, but chill out. Drake already fixed him up, almost like new. This is just the last step. Be thankful the poison was something he’s worked with before."

"Oh yeah, quite the silver lining." She said bitterly.

"Whatever. This is ready to come off the flames." He sounded angry.

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t do this." He said, leaning over to extinguish the fire, a defiant look in his eye.

"You are such a child sometimes."

"I’m just trying to decide which side of the line you fall on. One minute you tell me I’m brilliant at all this stuff, that I don’t need you or George to do it, yet here you are questioning my every move."

"I won’t gamble with Harry’s life." She said coldly.

"So now it’s a gamble that I really know what I’m doing?"

"Why are you fighting with me?!" she cried in frustration. "I don’t know, okay?! I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything right now and I hate it! I don’t know that even if Drake brewed this all by himself that it’ll work, let alone us doing it! I don’t know if Harry’s going to be okay, I don’t even know if he’s awake right now! I don’t like not knowing things okay? I’m scared!" she exploded all over him, the adrenaline she’d been running on reaching its final breaking point. Unable to do anything else, she began to cry.

Fred looked extremely uncomfortable and unsure about what to do, but she just couldn’t stop herself. With her tears came a sort of release, of the frustration, the tension, anger, fear, all that she had been clinging to that day. Finally, he stepped forward and awkwardly put his arms around her, attempting to offer comfort though this was obviously a situation he wasn’t used to dealing with. She clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder, trying to regain control of herself.

"I’m okay." She said finally, pulling away and wiping her eyes. He walked away to wet a towel, bringing it back so she could clean her face. "Thanks."

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to pick a fight. Guess I’m scared too." He shrugged.

"So now that it’s off the flame, what did he say was the next step?" she asked, hoping he’d take the cue to just put it all behind them.

"We mix in whatever this stuff is." He offered a small grin. "Remember he said it was his own concoction. Something secret he was still trying to patent."

"Right, he said it added to the healing agents tenfold." She recalled as he poured in the specified amount. "Hey, do you think he’d let us try some of it in the cure for Draco and Lupin?"

"I thought you believed that one impossible." He smirked.

"Stranger things have happened." She lamented.

"How’re things looking?" Drake asked as he finally returned to the small lab.

"We’re in the final stages." Fred reported.

The healer moved swiftly across the room and peered into the cauldron. "Hmm, it looks good. Well done."

"Hey everyone." Luna emerged from the cloak at the doorway.

"Ah, Miss Lovegood. I found these for you to change into." Drake produced a pair of scrubs.

"Harry’s awake." She reported, taking the offered clothing. Hermione looked at the healer desperately.

"We’re just about done here, you can go up if you like. We’ll be behind you shortly with this." He gestured toward the potion.

It was all the permission she’d needed. Grabbing the cloak from Luna, she settled it around herself as she ran. It was still before dawn and the hospital was mostly deserted, but they still took the precaution to not be seen. Especially Luna. Every time she looked at the girl, covered in Harry’s blood, she felt sick. They’d tried to clean her, but their spells had been useless. Drake said it had something to do with the poison; she was just glad he’d found something else for her to wear. As she approached the office, her heart tightened in anticipation. The last time she’d seen Harry, Drake had been forcing him to drink a potion, needing their help to hold him up. Then he’d sent them all from the room so he could tend to the wound. She knocked quietly before turning the knob, hoping with everything she had that the first potion had really worked and revived him.

(BREAK)

Ron tossed and turned, but sleep just wouldn’t come. He was too worried and definitely too angry. He had no idea where Fred and Hermione were, just that they said they had to leave the house and needed him to cover for them. And what’s more, he really wasn’t even sure where Harry and Luna were, but he suspected they weren’t at Mrs. Lovegood’s home. Hermione’s vague promise that he would know all when it was over wasn’t satisfying, never again would he agree to be part of something he didn’t know all the details to.

Flicking on the bedside lamp, he sat up and took the compact out of his pocket. Fred had told him it was a communication device, and that if they needed help, they’d contact him. It hadn’t grown warm at all. Ron decided to try and call them.

"What?" Fred answered distractedly.

"What’s going on? Is everything okay?"

"That’s yet to be determined. Is that all you wanted? These aren’t toys and we aren’t out having fun here. Wait for us to call you."

"Easier said than done. What do you expect me to do, sit and twiddle my thumbs?"

"I expect you to act normal." Fred was stern.

"I don’t know what’s going on, whether you guys are okay. I don’t even know where you are!" Ron protested, suddenly hearing someone else’s voice in the background. "Was that Luna? Let me talk to her, maybe she’ll be more compassionate and tell me something useful."

"No time for that. Listen, we’ll compromise, okay, so you aren’t sitting there wetting yourself with worry. If you don’t hear from one of us in an hour, start calling. If we don’t answer get help. Right now, we’re at St. Mungo’s."

"Why are you at the hospital?" he asked desperately. But there was no answer. Fred had closed his side. Ron slammed the compact shut, wanting to hurl it across the room in frustration. He held himself in check though, not wanting to risk damaging his only link to his friends. Instead, he settled for punching his headboard.

Looking at the clock he sighed. It was nearly four in the morning, another hour before the sun rose and he’d be able to make contact again. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if they weren’t back by morning, but it had been easy to cover Fred and Hermione’s absence last night; Arthur and Molly had spent most of the evening in the parlor talking to Ginny and Malfoy. Though glad they were distracted, he’d begun to worry that they were going to his parents to ask for permission to marry or something. That fear sharp in his mind, he’d eavesdropped on the conversation and was relieved to discover it was nothing of the kind. Apparently Malfoy had remembered some family link between Pansy and that Sarah Elaine woman. Well, at least the jerk was proving useful, finally. He was still thoroughly disgusted with his sister for her apparent decision to continue on with the guy.

Not wanting to think too long on that topic, he found himself right back at the huge mystery everyone else was apparently involved in. It had somehow brought them to St. Mungo’s, but for what reason? Was someone hurt? Well, he knew Fred had sounded completely fine, though a bit on edge. And he’d heard Luna in the background, though she’d sounded strained, raspy somehow. That left the two voices he hadn’t heard since they’d left the house. He doubted anything had happened in the few hours since Hermione had left with his brother. On top of that, he knew of only one kind of emergency that would drive her to not only leave the house without permission or in secret, but also make her so severely upset as she had been when they’d come to him for his help. Harry was hurt, and Ron knew it was true the minute he thought it. It must be pretty bad, for them to panic the way they did. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to apparate to the hospital and check on his friend for himself, to assess that Harry was nowhere as near death’s door as he suddenly imagined him to be. He knew it was the worst possible idea to go there, that it could potentially ruin their cover. He really didn’t care, if things were as bad as he pictured. The only question was, could he trust his brother to have told him if the situation really was serious? He wasn’t sure.

(BREAK)

Poisoned. The word tumbled around in Harry’s head after Luna left. That’s why it was still hard for him to breathe, why he felt so weak, why he couldn’t focus his mind to use his powers. It was slowly traveling his body, filling his veins. Luna had assured him that to slow the process, Drake had made him drink a blood purification potion. It would continue to clean the impurities from his blood, but with the rapidity with which this particular poison acts, it will eventually overcome the potion and reach his heart. She had confided that it had come close to taking over and would have if they’d gotten him to Drake any later. Harry was shaken by how close he’d come to dying, certainly closer than he’d ever come before if Luna’s reaction was any indication. Cho had almost succeeded where so many others had failed, Voldemort included. Or had it been Cho? He recalled the conversation right before Luna had left to tell the others he was conscious.

After dropping the bombshell about the poison tipped weapon, he’d made her repeat her version of what had happened, trying to picture it as she spoke. When he’d turned to say something to Cho, he hadn’t remembered her moving at all, it was her eyes that had held his attention in that moment. They were wrong, deeper somehow as if they belonged to someone else. More disturbingly, he felt he’d seen those eyes before.

"Someone else like who?" Luna had asked.

"I don’t know. I just remember thinking a few different times that something was off about her. And you were wrong, when you said I had made her let you go. I was trying but she was absurdly strong and I was scared to hurt you worse. And then she just released you. Just let go by herself."

"Are you sure?"

He had nodded, distracted by his memories of the event. "Yes, as soon as she did I threw her against the wall hard enough that she should have been knocked out. But then she was there, at the bars again, hands behind her back and I remember thinking that it was almost like she was someone else then. I just don’t know who."

"I agree, she was odd. Definitely different than she was at school, but I haven’t seen her since then like you have. I don’t know if it was just that place that did it to her."

He’d shaken his head, feeling uncertain himself. "All I know it the same thing that bothers you most about this bothers me too. Where did she get a sharpened piece of wood with a poison tip? I feel like we’ve stumbled into some twisted Grimm’s Brothers tale."

"Well obviously someone snuck it into her. How do we get our hands on the prison visitor log without going back there?"

"Why not go back?" he had brazenly suggested, ignoring the horror in her eyes. "I may as well, I’m on borrowed time as it is."

She had taken both his hands in hers and stared into his eyes, very serious. "They are working on the cure and I’ve no doubt that it will work. It is not your time to die, Harry."

"Is that that something you saw?"

"It’s what I haven’t seen. If you were meant to die tonight, don’t you think I’d have been flooded with visions of life without you? Like it or not, you are a major factor in many different futures for us all, and if you were taken out of the equation, the future would certainly change."

"I suppose that makes sense." He had admitted.

"I’m really sorry, Harry."

Her apology had taken him by complete surprise. "Sorry for what?"

"For all of this. If I hadn’t been so determined-"

But he had disentangled his hand and used it to cover her mouth, cutting her off. "Don’t waste your breath. You’ve done so much for me, how could I not help you with all of this stuff with Kane. And now our reason is two-fold. If we can free Willem and prove his story, we can back Edmund off of Arthur. And as an added bonus, by finally proving your brother was murdered by Lucius, we can reveal the truth of his family roots and hopefully disgrace him among Voldemort’s ranks. It’s much bigger than Kane now, and much bigger than us. Your determination led us to all of this other stuff, things we can do to finally gain leverage. I don’t regret going, only that Cho got the better of us both."

"It’s a nice way to think about it." She had said sadly, removing his hand.

"Everything about you is nice, Luna. It isn’t your fault this stuff is slowly trying to kill me, it’s Cho’s and whoever she’s working with, or for. I don’t blame you at all, you’re one of the most important people in the world to me." He’d been uncomfortable by his sudden honesty, but didn’t regret it. He had wanted her to know he cared about her, that his current predicament wasn’t something he held against her.

Rather than reply, she had risen suddenly and quickly grabbed the cloak. "The other’s are probably dying to know what’s going on, I better let them know you’re awake."

"Oh, yeah. Sure." He had answered, uncertain why he felt so disappointed until she’d stopped at the door.

She had spoken without turning to face him. "You’re an important person to me too."

He had felt instant relief, realizing the problem had been that he’d put himself out there on the limb of vulnerability and had thought she was going to leave him there alone. "Luna, you said now isn’t my time to die. Have you seen it sometime in the future?"

Still she hadn’t turned to him. "No. Not yet." And then she had wrapped the cloak around herself and left. A few days ago, he would have believed her without hesitation, back before he’d seen her lie. Now, with her not willing to meet his eyes and give an answer, he wasn’t sure. Had she seen some vision of the possible future, one where he didn’t make it?

A soft knock on the door a few minutes after she left knocked him out of his thoughts of their conversation and brought him back to the present. When Hermione entered, he felt his heart sigh in relief. Though her eyes were already red and puffy from crying, her tears started anew the minute she saw him. She ran to his side, gently throwing her arms around him. He pulled her closer, tighter to him, wanting to believe that with her there, he had a reason to think positive, that Luna had been right and he was going to live.

They never spoke a word to each other, he and Hermione, they didn’t need to. They simply held each other and waited for Drake to bring the cure.

(BREAK)

Luna sat in a corner of the lab, turning the hunk of wood over in her hands. She was studying it through the clear plastic bag it was now encased in, wondering just how something so small could have been so potentially lethal.

"It’s very good you thought clearly enough to bring that with you." Drake said as he filled a small vial with the cooled potion. "Helped me know right away what he’d been poisoned with."

"Yeah, I’m a hero." She answered bitterly, feeling anything but heroic. She was a swirl of several emotions, none of which she wanted to explore very deeply. Secretly, she began to long for the time before she’d met Ginny, when life had been simple. But her own visions had shown her that she had a greater destiny. And she knew the result of ignoring that future, it didn’t end well for her or anyone else.

"Ron’s calling." Fred sighed, pulling out the compact.

She listened to them in a haze. While they’d waited for Drake to clean Harry’s wound, Hermione had berated her for everything that went wrong and for not telling Ron anything about it. Luna did feel guilty that he still knew nothing of Kane, and she was certain he’d be extremely angry to be the last to know when she did tell him. "Fred! Be nice to him, imagine how you’d feel if you were in his position."

"Was that Luna?" she heard Ron ask. "Let me talk to her, maybe she’ll be more compassionate and tell me something useful."

"This is ready, we have to go." Drake said urgently. Fred turned from them to speak to his brother one last time before snapping the compact shut and following them up to the office. Luna felt uncomfortable out in the open, but the healer assured them that now that she had changed clothes, there was a more deserted way he could take them, where only researchers went. Fred pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his shocking red hair, hoping to hide his identity should they see anyone. After all many knew who the Weasleys were, thankfully Luna was more unknown. Still, she walked a step behind Drake, hiding herself as best she could, feeling secure only once they had reached the office. Harry looked up at them expectantly when they entered, the hope in his eyes overwhelming.

"Is it ready? It’s going to work, right?" Hermione asked tensely, rising so the healer could take her place on the cot.

"It has before." Drake said confidently as he sat next to Harry and began taking his vitals. "Your pulse is a bit slow, pupils are a bit dilated." He reported to his patient. "But otherwise it seems the blood potion did its job and you should be strong enough to handle this."

"What do you mean?" Harry looked concerned.

"Yeah, how intense is this stuff?" Fred asked.

"It will be fighting to overtake the poison." Drake explained. "You’ll sleep through most of it, should knock you right out."

"And when he wakes up?" Luna prompted.

"Well we won’t know until then, but he should be good as new, a bit sore but healthy otherwise.

"How long will it take?" Harry asked worriedly. "Lupin and Tonks are supposed to pick us up around four this afternoon."

"Young man, your life depends on this counterpotion working. It’ll take as long as it takes. I’m sure an inventive bunch like you can figure out what to tell everyone if you aren’t awake by then." Drake said sternly. "And just so you know, the next time I’m at the house to see Draco, I will be seeking out you and Miss Lovegood for a little conversation about my old friend Willem."

"But you will keep all this quiet, right?" Fred asked as Hermione shot him a dirty look. "My dad isn’t too happy with us right now as it is." He explained, making a face back.

"As Miss Lovegood already informed me." He answered with a smile, handing the potion to Harry. "Drink up Mr. Potter. We’ll see you again in several hours."

Luna watched as he drank without hesitation. In a short while, she, Hermione and Fred would be making plans, but right now, all three watched their friend as he lay down and closed his eyes, hoping with everything they had that he would live to open them again.

(BREAK)

"There is something I think you should all know." Drake began as they all went into his inner office to let Harry sleep. "I didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily, he needs to be able to rest in order for the counterpotion to work. But there is one major side effect to this poison that the potion won’t be able to cure and it’s probably why she used it."

Hermione felt her heart pounding in her ears. She knew it had been too easy. "What is it?" she asked nervously.

"Well, the poison is called Psychohemia. Not only does it invade the blood, but it inhibits any psychic ability the victim may possess." He answered solemnly.

"But if your cure can clean his blood, then why can’t it stop the invasion in his brain?" Luna asked, a look of horror plastered on her face. Hermione scoffed. Obviously there was quite a bit about this whole day their friend hadn’t seen. What good were her stupid visions anyway?

"It’s not as easy as all that. The potion can purify his blood because that is a physical effect. Blocking out the part of the victim that is psychic, well, let’s keep it simple and just say that effect is the magical aspect of the Psychohemia. Much harder to counter without knowing the spell used when binding the poison. I certainly don’t know how to brew it, but I was forced to find some cure for it a few years back when use of it became rampant, and we received the same results. The cure stopped the poison, but those who’d possessed any degree of wandless powers lost the ability to tap into them. The poison was actually Severus Snape’s brainchild back when he was working with the Death Eaters, and when he switched sides, he actually helped me brew the counterpotion."

"Why would Snape invent a poison that destroys a person’s link to their psychic awareness?" Luna asked.

"Why wouldn’t he?" Fred declared glumly. "He’s a creep, no matter which side he’s on."

"Well, without his help, your friend would be dead right now." Drake answered defensively, obviously not happy to hear a younger generation disrespecting their elders.

"Yeah, well if he hadn’t invented the poison in the first place, then we wouldn’t need his help and I wouldn’t have to worry about my friend at all." Fred countered. Hermione remained silent, not wanting to be rude to the healer, but was totally in agreement with Fred.

Instead of answering, Drake turned and with a wave of his wand produced three cots. "I have some things to tend to around here. You three better rest while you can." And then he quietly slipped back into the main office and then out into the hospital hallway.

"I think you made him angry." Hermione said quietly, as they all prepared get a few hours of sleep. Fred made a call to Ron to tell him everything was fine.

They lay on the cots in silence, she knew the others hadn’t fallen asleep yet. And if they felt anything like what she was feeling, she doubted they’d ever find repose. Of course how could they feel what she was, all the way down to her soul? And as much as she wanted to blame Luna for this whole thing, she realized she was responsible as well. She knew everything there was to know about Harry, and she knew how he would react in almost any situation. The minute he’d come to her with this crazy plan, that excited twinkle in his eye, she should have found a way to stop it. So as irresponsible as it was for Luna to suggest all this, Hermione had gone right along with it, worried more about Harry being upset with her for going against the plan than what could happen to him if they carried it out.

She sighed and turned to face the wall, trying to find a comfortable position. It was impossible. Her fear about Harry dying had been relieved; she trusted that Drake knew what he was talking about, especially since learning Snape had not only created the poison but it’s cure. As much as she didn’t like the professor, she had to respect his talent. No, it wasn’t his death that was concerning her, it was how life would be if he awoke no longer possessing his powers. Drake had said they wouldn’t know for sure until Harry woke up later; and in the back of her mind she kept the hope that as a coven descendent he would be stronger than the poisoned spell. But the realist in her knew it was never that easy. To occupy her brain, she began applying her intelligence to the problem, wanting to find the solution before there was even really an issue. It was the only way Harry would remain positive if he awoke powerless.

(BREAK)

"Good morning mother." Fred said brightly as he strolled into the kitchen.

"Fred! Good Morning, Ron said you were still sleeping. But here you are, wide awake." Molly answered. His brother shot him a dirty look, obviously upset that he hadn’t been informed of Fred’s arrival. "I guess we’re still waiting on Hermione."

"Oh I wouldn’t count on her." Fred said quickly. "Last night she said she was going to sleep as long as she could, you know pass the day as quickly as possible. It is a bit sickening the way she and Harry get so panicky when they’re apart."

"I think it’s sweet." Molly answered absently as Fred took his seat. She and Hagrid seemed to take him at his word, but Ron, Ginny and Draco looked doubtful. He felt awkward sitting in Harry’s kitchen for breakfast when he was still knocked out in Drake’s office. They had all decided that it would be best for Fred to return to Grimmauld Place, to make it easier to hide the fact that they had left and that Hermione was still gone. She had refused to leave until Harry woke. He understood she had more of a right to stay, but he still hadn’t been to keen on returning to the house.

Ron glared at him throughout the meal, and Fred did his best to ignore him. After all, it wasn’t his fault his brother had been kept in the dark. Whether or not your girlfriend had a brother is an important thing to know, and if Ron hadn’t taken the time to get to know Luna the way Harry and Hermione had, then it was his own fault and he deserved to be broken up with. His brother had never been very aware, and Fred was sure that had a lot to do with why he hadn’t been able to hang on to Luna, despite her claims to have seen a different future for them. Had Ron been everything she’d wanted in a partner, he doubted the vision would have made a difference.

As soon as breakfast was over, both boys ran up to Fred’s room. "Where’s the compact?"

"Right here. What’s going on?" Ron demanded holding the compact out of Fred’s reach.

"I need to check in with the girls." He said feeling annoyed.

"Why? What’s happened? Why didn’t Hermione come back with you? Are Harry and Luna okay? What were they really doing?" Ron asked in a rush.

"Hey, Hermione’s the one who promised to tell you everything when it was over, and it’s not. Now give me the mirror!" he yelled. They had all decided before he’d left St. Mungo’s to return here that until they knew what was going on with Harry, they wouldn’t tell Ron anything about it, not wanting him to worry needlessly. After all, the potion might not work at all and the poison could take over ending their friend’s young promising life. Fred wouldn’t allow himself to think that way, but couldn’t shake the small doubt pricking at his positivity.

"Not until you give me answers." Ron answered evenly. "Why were you all at the hospital? Harry’s hurt, isn’t he? And Luna, she sounded strange last night when I heard her voice. What is going on!?"

"Fine!" Fred gave in. He really did feel sorry for his brother and really didn’t want to argue anymore. "Let me have the compact and I’ll let them know things are fine here and tell them I’m going to let you in on everything."

"Right, I’m supposed to trust that? The minute you have what you want I lose my bargaining chip."

"I promise, Ron. Okay? I promise." He was eager to check in at the hospital himself. "You know I don’t really need that thing anyway, I could just apparate back to the office and check on them in person. So trust me, okay, I’ll tell you everything."

"Fine." His brother answered, slapping the compact into Fred’s open hand.

He eagerly opened it, waiting less than a minute for them to pick up. "Hey Fred." Luna answered. Her voice was almost back to normal, still a bit strained, as if she’d spent too much time shouting.

"Any news?" he asked quickly.

"He’s still sleeping. Did you write the letter yet?" Hermione’s voice came on.

"Not yet, got here in time for breakfast and had to sit to keep up appearances. By the way, you’re in your room attempting to sleep the day away until Harry and Luna return."

"That makes me sound tragic." She complained. "Go write the letter!"

"I will, I have a problem first. Seems Ron here can’t wait to find out what we’ve all been up to. I’m going to tell him."

Both girls were silent for a moment, obviously discussing between themselves. It was Luna who finally answered. "Go ahead. Tell him whatever he wants to know. I don’t care anymore." She said sadly.

"Will do." He answered softly. "Let me know the minute anything happens there."

"We will." Hermione answered. "And don’t forget, be back here by three if there’s no change."

"Whatever you say, darlin’." He closed the compact with a smile.

"What were they talking about? What letter are you going to write?" Ron asked right away.

Fred sighed. "They want me to write to Gabriella. To see if she can help Harry. If we need to, we’ll send it right away."

"Why would Harry need the strongest healer in the world?" he looked nervous.

"Because Cho poisoned him." Fred answered simply.

"What?! What do mean poisoned? Why were they anywhere near Cho?"

"Because her cell happened to be near the secret escape route."

"Escape route? From Azkaban? Why were they there?" Ron looked so confused, Fred nearly laughed. Maybe he would have, if the situation weren’t so completely unfunny.

"To talk to Willem Fritz about Kane’s murder. And Edmund."

"Who’s Kane and why do we care if he’s been murdered?"

And this is where it got difficult. Fred hadn’t even known about Kane until the night Luna and Harry had approached him with this whole plan. How much would it upset Ron to learn how little he knew of the girl he’d claimed to love at one point? "Kane is Luna’s brother. I guess he was killed by Lucius Malfoy when she was eleven."

"Luna’s brother…" Ron stared off into space and Fred watched as that piece of information made it’s way through his brother’s head. "Start at the beginning Fred. What is going on here?"

(BREAK)

"Well?" Hermione demanded as soon as Drake returned.

"He’s still sleeping soundly. I drew some of his blood for testing." The healer answered. "I’m about to go to the lab and see what kind of progress we’re making."

"Can I go with you?" she asked. "I’m losing my mind sitting here waiting. I need to do something."

"As long as you wear the invisibility cloak." He replied with a kind smile. "It’s not yet lunch time, so there will probably be a lot of other healers working in there. Miss Lovegood, will you be joining us?"

"I’d rather wait here. I want to call up Fred and see how it went with Ron." She answered.

Hermione wrapped the cloak around herself and followed Drake to the lab, reflecting on how different things were now. In the past, it was rare that she and Harry would act without Ron. But lately, they all seemed to be acting without the others. She worried their lives were becoming more separate from each other, that the raw trust of children couldn’t hold them together anymore. Months before, when she’d become trapped in her own mind, she’d gone to look in on that moment with the troll, the event she felt led them all to each other. She’d told Harry and Dumbledore that she’d learned everything she needed from the memory, but had she? If something as simple as battling a troll could bring them together, what was the event that had split them all up?

"Take a look." Drake offered, whispering so the other healers wouldn’t hear. He’d loaded a drop of Harry’s blood onto a slide and slid it under a large microscope. Stepping forward, she leaned over, staring through the cloak.

The small circle was soft red, a few green specks floating around. "What does it mean?" she whispered.

"What are you working on, Roscoe?" another healer came up to them and Hermione tugged the cloak tighter around herself, taking a few steps back.

"Simple poisoning case." Drake replied brightly. He glanced to the side, obviously trying to decide if Hermione was still there. "It’s good news though. Seems the blood to element ratio has increased."

"Excellent! Then you’ve counteracted the poison. That’s why you’re the best." The other healer commented. "I actually need your advice if I can steal you away for a moment." Hermione felt herself panic. Though relieved to hear the potion was working, she didn’t want Drake to be stuck in the lab all afternoon, they might need his help again. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she didn’t care.

"Give me a moment, Henry, and then I’m all yours. First I have to deliver some news to the family of the patient." Drake replied.

"Of course! It’s a simple issue anyway, I just really wanted a second opinion." Henry replied.

"Give me about twenty minutes." And with a subtle gesture, indicated to Hermione that they were leaving the lab.

(BREAK)

Luna looked at the compact, feeling guilty that it had fallen to Fred to tell Ron everything. She should have just told him from the beginning, and really didn’t know why she hadn’t. Sure she and Harry had argued that the less people involved the easier it would be to keep the secret. But that was when she’d intended it to be between her, Harry and by necessity, Fred. Then to keep the peace, Hermione had become involved. And now, Drake had been roped in as well and looking back, there was no good reason she shouldn’t have involved Ron. Maybe things would have gone smoother, if they’d had one more person looking out for them.

Looking at the door to the main office, she felt another stab of guilt, this one right through her heart. Because of her and her plan, the very savior of the wizarding world may be damaged beyond repair. Hell, she’d almost gotten him killed. Thinking back to that last question he’d asked, about whether she’d seen him die, she felt uneasy. She’d actually seen it twice, when different people made decisions contrary to the proper path. And she’d worked hard to bring things back to the way they were supposed to be, relieved each time she once more received that view of them all happy. Not liking to think of what she had seen, she hadn’t revealed any of it to anyone. What’s more, Harry wasn’t the only one she’d seen die.

Since leaving him earlier, she’d been trying to make a vision happen, but apparently too much was left unsettled for the universe to send her any messages of the future. With a sigh, she tossed the compact to the side and went to check on Harry. He was laying very still, but his breathing was strong and steady. Much different from the wheezing they’d heard when they’d first checked on him that morning after a short nap. The potion was obviously working on his body. Would it be able to help his mind? She’d never hated Cho more, though like Harry, she felt that somehow it wasn’t their old enemy that had really been responsible. The whole scene felt surreal, like it had happened to someone else.

Gently sitting on the bed, she took his hand and tried to enter his mind, to find the consciousness buried deep down that was one’s awareness of their psychic capacity. She couldn’t find it. "What are you doing?"

Startled, she turned to find Hermione at the door, the cloak on the floor at her feet, her arms crossed angrily in front of her. "Trying to find him." Luna answered.

"What do you mean find him?" the other girl stalked over and stood over her, looking abnormally menacing.

"Well, I noticed his breathing is normal, so I figured the potion was working and wanted to see if it fixed his mind too."

Hermione softened, turning her gaze to Harry. "Did it?"

"I don’t think so." She answered, hanging her head.

"Drake said the potion has almost completely overtaken the poison. He’s definitely going to live…but…"

Luna felt for her. "I know. He won’t be happy with just being alive. Losing his powers is going to crush him."

"I suppose since you were sitting in here, you didn’t call up Fred?" Hermione said, anger once more evident in her tone.

"Not yet. I wanted to try this first."

"I’m sure you did." She said sullenly. "Where’s the mirror? I’m going to tell him to send the letter."

"In here." She regretfully rose from Harry’s side and led the way into the inner office, picking up and handing over the compact. She understood her friend’s anger. How could she not? She was blaming herself as much as any of them were. Her only fear was what Harry would say when he found out that Cho had made good on her declaration that it was better to let the enemy live and suffer.

(BREAK)

Fred searched high and low for Hedwig, but she was nowhere to be found. Ron had let him into his room, and through the secret passages, they’d made their way to Harry’s. But the blasted owl wasn’t there either. Together, the brothers went to see Hagrid.

"Harry asked you to take care of Hedwig and Robin while he was gone right?" Ron asked eagerly when the giant answered.

"O’ course he did! Knows I’d take care o’ them as if they were my own."

"Well where’s the owl?" Fred demanded impatiently.

"Haven’ seen her." Hagrid admitted. "Usually she comes ‘round to see me every mornin’ for some treats, but she’s no’ been around fer the last two mornin’s."

"Is that odd?" Ron seemed concerned.

"No’ if she’s ou’ huntin’." Hagrid replied with a shrug. "That owl is a mighty smart one. I’m sure she’s fine ou’ there."

They left Hagrid to go find Orion, the small brown owl their father used. "This one’s useless." Ron said grumpily. "Can’t even be sure it really delivers the letters you give it."

"Dad uses him for the ministry. I’m sure he’s reliable. Maybe he just doesn’t like you." Fred suggested with a smile. He handed the letter for Gabriella to Orion and gave careful instructions that it was to be delivered to no one but it’s intended recipient.

He’d been surprised while writing the note. Ron had actually been a great help, having known the spell to translate his English into Spanish, which she was probably more comfortable with. When asked, his brother had simply said that he’d been studying the spells Hermione had found.

Now they were holed up in Fred’s room, waiting for the clock to strike three. "I can’t believe all this." Ron declared, interrupting the silence in which they’d been meditating.

"Believe it. And just be glad he’s going to live."

"But if he doesn’t have his powers anymore, how are we supposed to do this whole coven thing? He was supposed to be part of it. Hell, he was probably supposed to be the leader!"

"I don’t know, Ron. Right now, we’re still trying to focus on getting them back before Lupin and Tonks show up. Once we’re all back here together, we can start working on damage control. Besides, the coven is the last thing we all need to worry about."

"Says you." Ron said meanly. "What’s more important than the people who could very well end all of this for good?"

"All the other people flailing in the wind." Fred replied. "I mean right now, we’ve got a man murdered six years ago while investigating another man’s disappearance. Because of that, we have an innocent man framed and sitting in jail for nearly as long. And because of this jailed man, we have his brother who is working hard campaigning against our father, trying to take over the ministry. And now we also have some sort of link between it all, including a mysterious woman endorsed by the former minister."

"It sounds like some giant puzzle." Ron said grabbing his head. "Okay, let me see if I have this, Julian Heath goes missing and is last reported being seen at the Malfoy mansion."

"According to a witness who happened to be a squib working for the Malfoy’s." Fred interjected. His own head had been swimming when Luna had first told him and Hermione what they’d learned from Willem.

"Right. So new Auror Kane Lovegood is sent to investigate, only unlike most, he listens to the squib and makes a visit to Lucius. Then according to Draco, Kane demanded to search the house and was murdered for his efforts. But Julian is still alive at that point, being tortured for some kind of information."

"Exactly. And Luna found out he worked in the Department of Mysteries, so it was probably something in there Lucius was after."

Ron nodded. "Okay, so Willem is sent to investigate Kane’s death and first determines it to be suspicious but a few hours later, is forced to rule it an accident because of some mysterious expert named Jayalina Delamora who can see into the past."

"And according to what Luna found out from dad, Willem had been forced to make similar findings because of her involvement, all with incidents involving suspected Death Eaters."

"Then Willem is given a truth suppression potion and accused of bribery. And his own brother, whom everyone suspected he was working with, turned against him and called for his imprisonment."

"Which leads me to believe that whether old Willem knows it or not, he’s got some knowledge of something damaging to his brother and Edmund wanted to make sure he could never use it." Fred offered his opinion.

"But what could he know that he doesn’t know he knows?" Ron asked, taking a moment to think about what he said and make sure it made sense.

"Who knows." Fred grinned. "We’ll have to find a way to get him out of Azkaban if we want to pick his brain though." He felt his pocket grow warm and looked at his watch. Three o’clock on the dot. "They’re calling."

"Fred?" Luna’s voice came through. She now sounded perfectly normal.

"He awake?" Ron asked eagerly.

She paused, obviously nervous about hearing from Ron. "Not yet."

"I’m on my way. Ron agreed to cover if mum comes looking."

"Thanks Ron." She said quietly.

"We’ll talk later." He answered carefully, reaching over to close the compact. Fred knew he was angry to have been left out, and hurt. Whatever he wanted to say to Luna was his business, but he hoped his brother would remain as calm as he was at present.

"Hermione and I will be back shortly." Fred assured him.

"Just be careful." Ron warned.

(BREAK)

Hermione gasped when they apparated into Mrs. Lovegood’s living room. The woman was sitting on the couch, staring at them expectantly. It took her a moment to remember that she was a copy of the real thing. Looking down to see how Harry had fared on the trip, she felt relief. He was still breathing normally and what’s more, his eyelids were fluttering. Drake had suggested that the pressure of side-along apparation might revive him, and they’d all hoped it was true.

"The children are in their rooms sleeping." Mrs. Lovegood said pleasantly.

"Better start cleaning up." Fred warned Luna. She turned to the copy of her grandmother on the couch and with a wave of her wand, the older woman was gone.

"Come on, Harry. Wake up!" Hermione urged, giving him a little shake. Drake had warned them not to try too hard to wake him, that if he was still sleeping it was because he needed to. But she wanted to see him before she had to leave, to assess that he really was going to live with her own eyes.

He groaned softly, his eyes finally opening all the way. He stared up at them all blankly. "Harry?" Fred asked leaning in closer.

"Yeah. I’m okay." He answered, shaking his head slightly.

"Try it." Hermione turned to Luna. They’d created a test, to see if he still had his powers.

Harry? She heard the girl’s voice float through her mind as she tried to reach him. Can you hear me?

Yeah. But it’s sounds really far away. And something else is different. It’s wrong somehow.He looked around at them all in a panic. "What's going on?" he asked out loud.

"Try moving that." Hermione instructed.

"What?" he shook his head violently and then sat up in a hurry, his eyes unsure.

"That picture frame over there. Move it with your mind." She repeated.

"Why?"

"Just try it, okay?" Fred answered quietly.

They all watched him stare at the picture frame, his face contorting as he struggled. "I can’t. What’s going on?" he asked, his voice full of fear.

"I think it’s a good news bad news situation." Fred answered looking at the girls. Hermione’s heart was in her stomach.

Luna took over. "It seems that you still maintain a spark of psychic awareness. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to communicate in our heads. Had you been completely closed off, well, the telepathy wouldn’t have worked."

"That’s the good news." Fred gave a small smile.

"And the bad?" Harry asked anxiously.

"The poison seems to have destroyed the link your mind created to your telekinetic abilities." Hermione answered before Luna could.

"What are you talking about? I thought Drake gave me the cure?" he jumped to his feet, in a complete panic.

"You should probably take it easy." Fred suggested.

"He did give you the cure, that’s why you’re alive to talk to us right now." Hermione answered his question.

"It just doesn’t cure the secondary damage, since it’s an aspect of the poison that affects only those victims with psychic abilities." Luna added quickly.

"I think you guys better explain exactly what’s going on."

(BREAK)

Harry didn’t know what to feel. They had explained it all fully, nothing left undisclosed. He was sure of that because they all left their shields down and desperate to wake up that part of his mind now thought useless, he used the part he did have left. But why? Why did he maintain this power and lose the other? Could Gabriella really help him? Or was it really too late? He felt fear close in around him. At present, he knew he was actually quite safe, nestled away in the backseat of Tonks’s car with Luna and growing ever closer to his home.

As soon as they were all sure Harry was really okay, Hermione and Fred had gone back to Grimmauld Place. Then he and Luna had gone to rouse her grandmother. Even though he used everything he had in him, he’d still needed Luna to help him plant all the false memories of how they’d spent their day with Mrs. Lovegood. When she woke, it was as if she’d never been asleep at all. Though he still felt exhausted and wanted nothing more to go back to sleep, he pushed it all aside and put on a happy face as the old woman recounted memories of events that never took place. Lupin and Tonks had thankfully arrived shortly thereafter.

Harry, we’re here. He felt Luna gently shake him, not realizing he’d fallen asleep. She looked worried, and so he gave her a smile, reassuring her that he was fine. Just really, really tired.

He tried to act normal, luckily their chaperones were so wrapped up in each other they hardly noticed their charges. A good thing considering the ridiculous floral scarf Luna had stolen from her grandmother to hide the very faint remains of her encounter with Cho. The front door towered in front of him and he suddenly dreaded going in there. It was only just past ten, still early enough for most everyone in the house to be awake. All he wanted was the sanctuary of his room and the last thing he wanted was to have to fake his way through the greeting he was sure to get.

With a sigh he turned the knob and led the way in. "We’re home." He called out weakly.

"Harry, Luna! Welcome back!" Molly emerged from the kitchen where something that smelled delicious was cooking. She crushed them both to her. "Remus, Tonks, I hope you had a good time." She greeted them as Ron, Hermione and Fred ran down the stairs.

"Harry!" Ron nearly knocked him over as he grabbed him in a hug. "Welcome home." he smiled.

"For heaven’s sake, Ron! They’ve only been gone two days." Molly scolded.

"Seems longer." Ron muttered.

"Now I know that you probably had dinner with Mrs. Lovegood but it’s such a long way back when you take the muggle way, I thought you might all like a late snack." Molly gestured towards the kitchen.

Harry’s stomach rumbled and he realized he actually hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before. Looking over at Luna, he saw she was thinking the same thing as she was nearly drooling at the smells invading their senses. "That sounds great. Thank you." He followed her, his tiredness momentarily forgotten.

The all sat together at the table, Harry and Luna telling the adults all about their fake weekend as the teens sat in eager anticipation to be alone to discuss all of the recent developments. However as his stomach filled, his exhaustion returned and when he announced his desire to turn in for the night, the others looked disappointed but understanding.

Finally alone in his room he changed clothes, reflecting that he was feeling numb. There wasn’t really anything specific anymore; no fear, no pain, no anger… not even disappointment. He just wasn’t feeling anything, as if he were completely gray on the inside, neutral. Climbing into bed, so many things whirled through his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut against the assault, focusing on the bright patterns emerging against his eyelids.

He heard the bookcase creak open and knew it was Hermione. He sat up and they stared at each other, both completely lost for words. And then he nodded and she turned to shut the passage before climbing in next to him.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I know." He answered nuzzling her cheek. "I love you too."

"I know." She smiled before turning away to turn out the light and settle in to sleep.

There was so much to think of, from his own predicament to Willem’s, from the mystery of how Cho was able to poison him in the first place to asking Draco about the gardener. But as he settled his arm around Hermione and pulled her closer against him, Harry decided to forget it all. One night to not think, to simply rest and replenish.

 

NOTE: Sorry this took awhile, got writer’s block in the middle. I like writing the action and dramatic scenes more than the in between scenes and had a bit of trouble. Anyway, next chapter I think we begin putting together all the pieces we’ve been given and believe it or not, some more trouble is brewing. Leave your thoughts in a review, or if you want further discussion or have questions, visit my meet the author page in the forums! I love to hear from you.



Chapter 22: Preserving the Past

NOTE: This is going to be a super long one, and there will be a lot going on because we have so much to get through. Have no fear, there will be some action and even some answers. So here we go again. Read, Review, Enjoy!

 

Harry woke up alone. He wasn’t sure when or why Hermione had slipped out, he wasn’t even sure what time it was now. Scrambling for his glasses, he shoved them on his face and eagerly lifted his shirt to check out his injury. It was all but gone, simply a small scratch marring his skin. Looking around the room, he focused in on the open bookcase and tried to shut it with his mind. It was a task he’d been able to perform many times before with no trouble, but now it just wouldn’t work. Sending his mind out, he was able to pick up on all the different people in the house. Arthur and Tonks had left, but everyone else was awake and moving. Why was this happening?

Before he could think on anything, Hermione appeared at the bookcase carrying a tray with two plates full of food. "Good morning." She quietly greeted him. "I convinced Molly to let us have breakfast in bed."

He was grateful, not wanting to be around anyone at the moment. He felt less somehow, weaker. And the last thing he wanted was an endless discussion on what had happened to him and what it meant. He still felt numb and wanted to keep it that way. "Can you do me a favor?" He asked as they settled in to eat.

"Anything you need." She offered.

"Can you tell the others I don’t want to talk about losing my power until we hear from Gabriella? I mean we have to discuss what Willem said, and what’s going on with Cho, but the rest…I just…it’s just so…"

"You don’t have to explain, Harry." She said. "If this is the way you want to handle it fine. But don’t tell me to back the others off and then shut me out, while all the time you plan on going to talk to Luna about it. I want to help you too, you know. And I may not have first hand experience like she does, but I’ve been reading up on all these superpowers you all are supposed to have and I think I know as much about them as I can without actually possessing them myself."

He listened to her demands, feeling they were warranted. Of course he’d wanted to talk to Luna, maybe not right away, but eventually. Who knew how long they’d wait to hear from Gabriella? Eventually this would get to him and who better to turn to than another coven member. But he understood Hermione’s anger, all that had happened was the result of his last project with Luna. "Ok. If I need to talk about it, I’ll talk to you." He said without emotion.

"It wasn’t an order, you know." She said harshly. "I’m not trying to control you, Harry. I just want to be kept in the loop. Do you know how scared I was for the last two days? I thought that I was going to lose you. You always talk about how difficult it would be for you if anything happened to me or any of the others, well we feel the same about you."

"I know. It went wrong, and I’m going to figure out why."

"Can’t this stop? Can’t you just find a way to give Arthur all the information you have and let him handle it?"

"We don’t have that much, Mione. We have more pieces and a few leads. We still have to talk to Draco about the gardener. And how is Arthur supposed to investigate Cho? I don’t even really know what happened there yet."

"I know. Luna said you think something was wrong with her. Well I agree, she’s insane and she proved it last year a few times. Neville is dead because of her. She sent an entire quidditch team after you to kill you in front of us all and then she tried to drown you, Luna and Ginny in the lavatory. And when Draco blew her cover, she tried to attack him in the middle of the ‘courtroom’. All with the aid and guidance of her parents and Voldemort."

"I remember." He answered bitterly. "And I know what I saw. She was herself and then she wasn’t. Something is going on there, something important."

"Can’t you let yourself get off your deathbed first before you go looking for reasons to get back in?" she asked angrily.

"Maybe if I had the luxury of time. But I don’t. We go back to school in a little over a week and then I’ll be cut off from London and all the resources available here. I hate being kept at that school when there are so many more important things to attend to!"

"I know, Harry." She answered quietly. "But you’re no good to yourself or anyone else if you push yourself too far too fast."

"So now what? I sit here and do nothing while all this brews around us? I’m trying to get ahead of them. Don’t you think it would be better to stop Edmund before he ousts Arthur and takes control of the ministry?"

"Of course, but at what cost? You life is worth much more."

"Cho got me by surprise. I won’t let it happen again." He vowed, to her and himself.

"Until it does. You went through all of this to help Luna find out about her brother but all you guys came back with are more questions! I hope she feels it was as worth it as you seem to." She answered bitterly.

"It was worth it." He said steadily. Whether she realized it or not, her shields were still down and he saw just how much she blamed Luna for the weekend’s events. And how disappointed she was that he was so willing to go through so much for the other girl. "Luna asked for my help and I’d do it all again. I would do the same for any of them. And for you Hermione, I’d move the stars for you if you asked me."

"That’s all well and good, Harry. But sometimes you may have to just say no to the more insane favors asked of you. And sneaking into Azkaban was definitely insane. I can’t believe I went along with it. I guess that shows how far I’d go for you. But I won’t do it again and I mean it. It’s stupid to risk our lives doing things the adults could have done for us."

"I don’t know about you, but I haven’t felt like a child for a very long time. So what does that make me? Am I not adult enough to make my own decisions?" he felt annoyed. "I don’t want to argue right now, Hermione. I’m so tired of all of this. This house, that school, always being questioned and second guessed, us always fighting. The only thing I can control are my own actions at this point and I won’t apologize for them any more. I made the decision to go with Luna, and I’m the one who has to deal with the fall out."

"You think I’m happy with the way things are? I gave up my entire muggle life to be here, basically cut ties with my parents. You think I don’t feel trapped, sitting in this house only being able to react to everyone else’s decisions? When do I get a say in anything Harry? It’s my life too! You are a part of that life, hell we’ve promised to try and build a life together. And lately it all just seems to be falling apart. I get to care whether you live or die, Harry. I get to care if you’re putting yourself in unnecessary danger and I get to care if something is wrong with you. You think you’re the only one who suffered through all of this? You lost one power, we thought we were going to lose you altogether! And now here I am once more defending myself to you, while Ron has to sit and wonder why he wasn’t good enough to be involved in all this in the first place. Your decisions, your actions, they affect more than just your life, you know."

"What do you want me to say? You’re right! You’re always right, okay. I’m horribly self-centered and only care about what I want."

"That’s not what I said Harry." She said through clenched teeth.

He felt hot, stuffy. "I need some fresh air. Do you want to go out back with me?" he asked lightly. He really didn’t want to fight anymore, not with her.

"You go ahead. I think we need some time to ourselves for a bit." She rose to return to her room.

"I am sorry, you know. That you had to be so scared for me."

"I know you are. I’m sorry I didn’t wait a little longer to try and talk about all this. It was obviously too soon."

"Okay." He said, tentatively meeting her eyes.

"Okay." She gave a small smile before shutting the bookcase.

He shook himself, trying to forget the agitation he’d felt. Quickly dressing, he pulled the invisibility cloak out of his bag and threw it around himself. He really didn’t want to see anyone else so he stealthily slipped down the stairs and through the thankfully deserted kitchen. Breakfast was apparently over and Molly had already cleaned up. He went out into the yard and directly under his willow tree. But even once safely enclosed within her branches, he kept the cloak on. Only once he had settled comfortably and made sure he was in fact alone, did he let himself cry.

(BREAK)

Luna paced her room feeling guilty and frustrated. She had ignored the calls for breakfast, not wanting to face anyone. She still had no answers, no news of the future and no ideas as to how to proceed. How could she tell them that, when she was the one who had started all of this? Maybe she never should have included Harry at all. If she could have just gotten Fred’s help, maybe things would have gone better. She’d been acting selfishly when she’d decided to ask Harry to go with her to the prison; wanting his support and the sense of safety she felt when he was around. More than anything, she had wanted his company and she regretted it now.

She had been tuning out the small fight between Harry and Hermione, not wanting to intrude. She knew the other girl hated having either one of them in her head and now that her walls were actually down, Luna still attempted to give her friend her privacy. She felt when it ended though, and the despair they were both feeling. It was overwhelming and made Luna’s heart hurt. She knew in order for that final vision to come true they would all have to go through a lot of pain emotionally. But she also knew they would be fine in the end, that they would pull through and have happy lives. In the meantime, she would have to remain strong as things worked themselves out, strong and patient. After all, her own happiness was hopelessly linked with everyone else’s. As for now, Hermione locked herself in her room and Harry made his way outside, both wanting time alone. She decided to give it to them.

But the ring was pulsating energy around her room, angry with it’s lack of use and a different type of guilt went through her. She’d taken it back from Fred and thrown it in her drawer, figuring she’d do something about it later. But Harry probably really wanted to talk to his parents, to Sirius. More than that, he probably really needed to. Despite her reservations, and despite her vow to leave him to his peace, she decided to bring the ring to him. She’d tell him what she’d learned and hope he’d use it responsibly. But no sooner had Luna pulled open the drawer and removed the prize when the feeling came over her. She quickly threw herself to the floor and waited.

There was no white room this time, instead flashes of a narrative played out in front of her. A room she’d never seen appeared around her and she found herself staring at a very large teenage boy. Instantly she felt she knew him, but couldn’t place where she’d seen him before. He was seated at a desk, writing a letter addressed to Harry. Suddenly she was outside and once more Hedwig swooped around the strange yet familiar home before flying off, a letter attached to her leg. Then came Sarah, stalking towards the house in the night, several cloaked figures behind her. The air crackled around her as she watched every occupant of Number 12 Grimmauld place apparate in front of her eyes and a fight broke out. Watching in horror, she felt relief as Kingsley, Mad-eye and several Aurors suddenly materialized in to help. That’s when it all disappeared and she was back in the house, watching as Sarah terrorized the large boy and his family. They were huddled together in a corner while the crazed psychic destroyed their possessions, throwing things around without ever once lifting a finger. When Harry came in a few moments later, the family’s fear intensified. He and Sarah faced each other down as sounds of battle played out in the background. "It was you!" she heard Harry say. "It most certainly was." Sarah replied before hurling the couch at him, which he blocked with a spell. They began their strange duel, their words now drown out by the ruckus they were creating. Sarah managed to get the upper hand, and Luna watched in horror as the woman used her power to torture him. And then it was over.

She opened her eyes, feeling confused and terrified. Some decision had been made, someone had done something to set this in motion and unless someone intervened, this was what would happen. But what exactly had she just seen?

(BREAK)

"I don’t want to talk to that woman!" Ginny said decisively.

"Why not? You talked to her the last two times." Draco answered. To be honest, he wanted her to talk to the healer. Already she was different, getting back to the stubborn willful girl she’d been and not the scheming, lying one she’d become. As much as he’d like to take credit for the change, he wasn’t delusional. He’d never made anyone’s life better.

"Because we don’t talk about things I want to talk about. She thinks she knows what we should discuss." Under the bitterness in her tone, he detected a bit of uncertainty, maybe even fear.

"But if you had your way, you wouldn’t talk to her at all." He leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Exactly." She crossed her arms defiantly.

The doorbell sounded and she looked at him helplessly. "Come on. Tell me you don’t think talking it out with her has helped?" he pushed.

"All it’s done is make me think about things I don’t want to think about." She protested.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs for her daughter. "I’m sending Laurel up there."

"Trapped. That’s what I am. Trapped." She complained, going to the landing to meet the healer.

"I’ll be here when you’re done." He called after her before closing his door. He stared at the room, feeling how empty it was without Ginny. Lately, he’d been toying with the idea of talking to that Laurel woman himself. There were a lot of things eating away at him, things from his past that he couldn’t bring himself to share with Ginny, Potter or anyone else. The only problem was that without Potter’s charity, Draco was broke and couldn’t pay for her services. Regardless the fact that the Ministry had frozen Lucius’s accounts in Gringott’s, he had no money of his own and no property other than the few possessions he’d brought with him from school. He hadn’t been in his own house since just after Cho’s hearing, and would probably never be able to go back there again. As far as he knew, his mother hadn’t even tried to contact him so no financial aid would be coming from her. He chose to believe that it was too dangerous for her to try and communicate with her son. It was better than knowing she probably didn’t care enough. Though Narcissa had been kind to him, she still hadn’t been mother of the year.

So now, his only option was to stay on Potter’s good side. If he was being honest, that thought didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. He’d been putting his trust in Potter and his people for awhile now, and he hadn’t been let down yet. It was a totally different life than the one he’d been living, being able to depend on someone’s word. Very few people lied here, and of those that did, most weren’t very good at it. In fact, aside from himself, he thought Potter and Fred Weasley were the only ones truly capable of deception of any kind. It was almost funny when Lovegood or Granger tried. So here he was, surrounded by absurdly honest people who had promised to take care of him. Push come to shove, he trusted them all with his life. This was the thought that bothered him. It was all well and good to be okay living off Potter. But to actually trust the enemy…yet… no. Upon deeper reflection his trust in them wasn’t what bothered him, he’d been searching his whole life for people to rely on. It was the damage he could do to them that was the real fear. And he was thinking beyond his affliction with the werewolf curse. It was his past that could ruin them. Already his knowledge of previous events had pushed Lovegood into something. Something big and dangerous if the way they were all acting was any indication.

What else did he know that could help and hinder them so much? He’d already gone to Mr. Weasley and laid out what he knew of Cho’s possible connection to Sarah through Pansy. Of course, he still had to tell Potter, who would be furious if he were kept out of the loop. But should he tell him? He already regretted letting Ginny know, but she’d been there when he’d made the connection and his excitement at the recovered memory had gotten the best of him. Well, he’d better tell Potter, before she did. Draco still didn’t fully believe Ginny was past whatever she’d felt for the other boy, but he tried to believe she would be someday. But to bring him a missing piece of this giant puzzle; that might be an offering she couldn’t help but give. So while she was tucked away in her room with the healer, he began searching for Potter. But he was nowhere to be found.

Finally making his way to the backyard he scanned it quickly. "Potter?" he hissed out and thought he saw movement under the big tree in the corner. Making his way over, he parted the leafy curtain and found…nothing.

"Something you wanted?" a voice called out of nowhere as he’d turned to leave, startling him so badly he nearly fell over. But survival instincts took over and swiftly regaining his footing, he turned and brandished his wand at the empty space in front of him.

"Who’s there?" He asked steadily.

He jumped back when Potter’s head suddenly appeared, floating in midair. "It’s me. What do you want?"

Of course, the invisibility cloak. "Sorry. Didn’t know you were out here hiding."

"I’m not hiding, I’m avoiding." He returned, shrugging off the cloak and rising to his feet. "A lot’s going on and I’m not really in the mood to discuss it with anyone."

"Well, I only wanted to tell you something I remembered while you were gone. It involves Cho, Sarah and Pansy. But if you’d rather not talk about it…" He turned to go and smiled in satisfaction when Potter called him back. He relayed the whole of the situation; Sarah being Pansy’s cousin and living in the same village as Cho’s family.

"What did Arthur say?" he asked when Draco was done.

"That they’d start looking into it. I guess he’s going to send some people to the village to see what they can find out."

Potter looked him over carefully. "So your memory is working pretty good right?"

"I guess. Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Do you remember an old gardener that used to work for your family? His name was Bowen Roseblood."

"Of course I remember him. He still works for us. Why do you want to know about him?" He wasn’t a fan of many of the people who worked for his family, but Old Bowie was a different story. Despite the fact the man was a squib, he been friendly and funny when Draco was younger and a good listener as he grew older. Of course, he’d formed an attachment to the man before he was old enough to understand that he was supposed to look down on him for what he was. So after Lucius had forced those thoughts into his head, he’d kept his acceptance of the gardener a secret, fearful of what his father would do if he learned that a squib had befriended his son.

"We found out he was the witness who told Kane that Julian was in the house." Potter explained.

That certainly sounded like something Bowie would do. He never liked his employer, often claiming Draco was the only one worth anything, as long as he turned his life around. If only he’d listened to the man sooner, had been happy with his approval and not constantly seeking his father’s. But the older he got, the less time he spent out in the garden, instead wanting to be in the action with the Death Eaters who were constantly coming by.

"Well? What can you tell me about him?" Potter prodded as Draco silently reflected on the mistakes in his life.

He felt guilty, for thinking Bowie’s opinion wasn’t worth anything because of who he was. He wanted to do better by him now. "First you tell me. Why does he have to become involved? Lovegood let me read those reports, I know he wasn’t mentioned by name. It was for a reason. Do you know what they’d do to him if they found out he’d tipped off an Auror?"

Potter looked taken aback. "Wow. I didn’t think there was anyone you cared about at that house."

"I didn’t either." Draco admitted. "But he was nice to me when he had no right to be, so the last thing I want to do is get him killed. His life already means nothing to them."

"So Bowen is a good guy then? Do you think he’d help us now?"

"What are you going to do? Have another wing added to the house? Because I’m telling you right now, the only way I’ll let him become involved is to be guaranteed of his and his family’s safety. But you can’t take in everyone, Potter. You can’t save everyone. So let him live in the relative safety he has now. I’m sure there are other ways to find out what happened."

"What if we could arrange something for them? Wouldn’t it be better to get them away from your house? Look, after we have enough to go on without telling all the adults that we broke into…that we went somewhere we weren’t supposed to, then we’re going to go to Arthur with what we know to get the ball rolling."

He made a good point about getting the Rosebloods away. And he’d caught the slip Potter had made. Time to make the best of the situation. "Okay, I’ll give up Bowie and let him decide to help or not, once you make arrangements with Mr. Weasley. In the meantime, I want to know what went on this weekend. You’re asking me to involve the one person worth anything at that house, you keep plucking out pieces of my memory, and what’s more I live here and am obviously a part of all this now. I have a right to know. I can keep things to myself. I’ll keep the secret, I promise."

Potter appeared to think on it. "Okay." He said finally. "But let’s get the others. I only want to go through this once."

(BREAK)

The argument wasn’t bothering her, they had so many she was used to it. Besides, Hermione had made the decision that she wouldn’t back down. They could take their time out, but she wouldn’t change her stance on anything she’d said. Her nerves couldn’t handle much more of all these secrets anyway. No what was actually upsetting her was Harry’s desire to avoid his situation. She understood it, but she worried all the same. Knowing him she realized that as devastated as he was, there was a part of him that truly believed it would be alright as soon as they found Gabriella. She wasn’t so certain.

With a sigh, she’d decided to save it for their next conversation and went to find Ron. After sending him to round up the others so she could tell them to lay off the telekinesis topic, she scoured her shelves for the book. She’d read it weeks ago, it had a brief history of telepathic phenomena relating all the way back to the coven. Something had been picking at her memory since learning of Harry’s predicament, something she’d merely skimmed through and suddenly she had a strong feeling it was information she’d read there. A knock on the door interrupted her perusal of the relevant chapter, but she set it aside with a smile. She felt she had an answer to something waiting for her, and to be able to finally help when Luna couldn’t was very satisfying.

(BREAK)

"And then I broke up with Dean, and haven’t been in a relationship since." Ginny concluded shortly.

"Okay, that takes care of the minor relationships. What about Harry? Or now Draco? Neville, the boy you feel so guilty about? Or how about that boy you took to that dance, you know, the one you glossed over thinking I wouldn’t see?" Laurel prompted.

"What about them?"

"Well, they are the ones that seem to have impacted your life. It’s all well and good that you can talk about the normal relationships you’ve attempted to engage in, but these four boys are different."

"Gem wasn’t different. He was just a nice guy that I wish I liked more, but I didn’t."

"Gem. He’s the one from the dance?"

Ginny sighed and decided to let it out. "I asked him to go because I didn’t want to go alone. I shouldn’t have gone at all."

"Because Harry was there with his girlfriend?"

"Yes, okay. That was a big part of the reason, but also because everyone else was having fun while I was just pretending. Ron and Luna were off being goofy together, Harry and Hermione were sickeningly involved with each other, Fred and George always had fun wherever they were, and there I was, with a perfectly nice guy and wishing my life was completely different. But I kept the smile on my face until Cho freaked out and attacked Harry. They all ran off to take care of it and I was left alone with Gem and suddenly I just wanted to be anywhere but in the Great Hall. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. So he and I left, we went to the room of requirement and I was feeling so lonely…" she trailed off, certain the healer could pick up the narrative.

"And sometimes, when we feel out of control and lonely, we make decisions we normally wouldn’t." Laurel finished with a kind smile. "Did you ever see him again in a romantic fashion?"

"He tried to talk to me a few times but I really wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn’t anything he did, he just wasn’t what I wanted, and being with him made me feel so empty and cold inside." It felt so good to finally talk about it. Her chest felt lighter as some of the tension released. She’d always felt guilty about what she’d done with Gem, and until the partial admission to Draco she hadn’t told anyone anything about it.

"So what is it about Harry that so caught your fancy? Why is he someone who has impacted your life in such a profound way?"

Ginny thought about it for a long time, debating whether or not to answer. Draco had asked her to admit that talking to Laurel was helping. Okay, maybe she couldn’t tell him, but she had to start being honest with herself. "I grew up hearing Harry’s name. We all did. He was some mythical figure, the child who brought down Voldemort. The first time I saw him he was trying to figure out how to get onto the train platform, but we didn’t know who he was right away. And later when Ron told us all he’d actually befriended Harry Potter, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Then one day when I was eleven, there he was, standing in my house. What’s more, he was going to stay with us until school started. That whole time I could barely stand to be in the same room with him, he seemed larger than life. But then I had the diary, the bad one. Harry saved me that year, saved my life. He had literally become my hero, you know?"

"I may not know from experience, but I understand. It’s very easy to form a strong attachment to someone who has rescued you." Laurel explained. "And to be so young, it wasn’t wrong of you, it was more or less expected. What went wrong is that your attachment formed a sort of obsession. From what I saw, you were finding other parts of your life lacking, with your brothers moving out and growing apart from you and the horrible danger you all seem to always find yourselves in. The one constant you could count on was Harry, and that gave you a reason to focus on him."

Ginny was silent for a moment. "You know, Ron wants to believe Harry led me on the whole time, that using me last year was the final breaking point. Maybe it was, but I know he wasn’t inappropriate. All year he’d made it clear it was Hermione he was after, I was seeing things I wanted to see. I feel like I let myself be fooled, more than that he used me." It was a strange thing to admit, something she’d barely let herself believe. But she knew it was how she felt and if she couldn’t tell anyone else, she may as well tell Laurel.

"When we feel foolish, we do many things to try and hide it." She offered. "Sometimes, we even act out in other ways to hide just how bad we feel. But you seem to have a firm grasp on it all now. So may I ask, is that because you’ve actually found something worthwhile in a relationship with Draco?"

"We aren’t in a relationship." She answered quickly.

"Okay, then how would you describe him, if not as your boyfriend?"

"Well, he’s….it’s more like….we’re just friends who are there for each other."

"Really. You feel nothing deeper than friendship?"

"Look, there’s a lot of past between us, not to mention the fact that my brothers aren’t too happy that we’re spending time together."

"Both of those sound like they are problems arising from the life Draco used to lead. Forget your brothers disapproval for a moment, do you believe he’s changed for the better? Do you trust him?"

"Sometimes." Ginny answered honestly. "And I know there are times he doesn’t trust me fully either, because of what I’ve done. We’re both kind of messed up, I think that’s why I wanted to get him on my side so badly. And then, it was just so easy to be around him, and he started displaying all of these sides to him that I didn’t know he had. I figured I’d already missed out on trying to be with one guy who actually wanted to be with me, so why miss out again."

Laurel appeared to think on her response. "Two questions I get from that. One, are you referring to Neville when you talk about missed opportunities?"

"Yes. I knew he’d developed a crush on me, but I was hoping Harry would give up on Hermione. And then Neville died and we found these notes he’d written…"

"Okay. We don’t have to talk about him right now if it will make you sad. The more important question raised is, do you even like Draco? The way you speak of him is so blasé, but when you were describing Harry, you used words like ‘mythical’, ‘larger than life’, and ‘hero’.

"I do. I like him very much. I think the problem is, I like who he is now. But it’s hard to separate him from who he used to be. Only I’m starting to think he was this person the whole time, and was only pretending to be as cold and heartless as he’d been. But then if he was so good at pretending that, then how do I know he isn’t pretending now?"

"So maybe you trust him less than you thought?"

"Maybe. But I don’t trust myself either. And Draco may not be everything Harry is, but in his own way, he’s more. Harry was always supposed to be the hero. Draco is working very hard to be one, going against everything and everyone he’s ever known."

"It sounds like you look up to him." Laurel smiled.

"Well, maybe. He’s trying so hard to turn his life around, and he’s had to go through so much to do it, but he’s still determined. I want to be with him, I feel better in his company, not so alone. And I mean even in the little moments, where we’re both just lying there reading together."

"But you aren’t in a relationship?"

"I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it." Ginny answered softly.

"Does it scare you to bring it up?"

"I worry about what it could mean. Right now, if it isn’t serious, then it isn’t anything for my family to worry about. But Ron already went to confront Draco, and they wound up getting into a fight which Draco provoked. I don’t want to be the reason everyone is at each other’s throats. Not anymore."

"What do you want Ginny?" Laurel held up a hand to stop her response. "No, I don’t want you to tell me now. I want you to think about it and when I come back I want a real, truthful answer. What do you want right now, and what do you ultimately want out of life?"

"So we are going to meet again?"

"You don’t have to make it sound like an execution!" she laughed. "I think I’d like to talk once more before you head off to school next week. After that, I’ll give you my contact information and you can talk to me anytime you want, about anything. Does that sound fair?"

"Fair is when you get a choice. I don’t really have one, do I?"

"You are a very observant young woman. I’ll see you in a few days."

After seeing the healer out, she tried to find Draco. He wasn’t in his room, and the door was firmly closed so she couldn’t get in to wait. "Ginny!" she turned to see Ron and Fred coming up the stairs followed by Luna.

"What’s going on?" she asked.

"Meeting in Hermione’s room. She wants us all up there."

"Me too?" she was surprised.

"I asked and she said yes." Ron answered.

"Okay. I guess I have nothing better to do than find out what you were all up to this weekend." She started towards the stairs.

"How do you know that’s what it’s about?" Fred asked as they followed her.

"What else could she have to talk about?" Ginny answered simply.

(BREAK)

Harry went into Hermione’s room and was surprised to find everyone already gathered. "What’s going on?" he asked as he and Draco entered.

"I was just telling them about what you asked me to do this morning." Hermione answered softly.

"Oh right, thanks. Look, I think Luna and I should tell you guys exactly what happened." He nodded to Luna who came to stand with him in front of the group while Draco took a seat next to Ginny. "Okay, let us get this out as best we can, we promise no secrets if you all promise no questions until the end."

They all nodded their agreement and he let Luna start. "Some of you know parts but to start at the beginning, when I was eleven my brother died during an investigation. He was an Auror and had gone to the Malfoy mansion to find out about Julian Heath, a ministry worker who’d gone missing. From Draco’s recollection of that day and from reports I found in the ministry, I know Lucius murdered Kane. It was six years ago, I had just gotten my letter to Hogwarts. But I put off school for a year to stay home and help my family as they grieved. So yes, I’m actually seventeen and a year behind at school."

Harry watched as Ron shook his head, bewildered by the things he hadn’t known.

"Anyway," she continued, "in the reports about his death, I learned there were two unnamed people involved, a witness who had tipped off my brother, and an expert who had ruled the death as accidental. The only name I did have was Willem Fritz, the lead Auror on the investigation. Realizing he was probably related to Edmund, I went to Mr. Weasley and he told me that Edmund had Willem locked up on suspicion of taking bribes. More importantly, Willem proclaimed his innocence, claiming a truth suppression potion was keeping him from being able to name the mysterious witness who ruled so many suspected murders as accidental deaths. I knew I had to talk to him."

Harry took up the narrative. "She came to me with everything she’d learned and a plan to get to Willem. We asked Fred and Hermione to make up every counterpotion to every truth suppression we knew of and then maneuvered our way from Mrs. Lovegood’s house to Azkaban. We snuck in and thanks to Fred’s distraction, spent enough time with Willem to learn quite a few things. The witness turned out to be the Malfoy gardener, a squib who’s identity was kept anonymous for his protection."

"And the expert was a personal friend of Fudge’s named Jayalina Delamora. Apparently she’s post cognative and can see into the past, but whether she can and lies or lies about the ability altogether he wasn’t sure. But he said she also had some connection to his brother, because once he started looking into her is when Edmund turned on him."

This is where the story became difficult. But better they know the truth than speculate. "By that time we had to get out, so Fred led us through the prison to a secret tunnel. It just so happened the entrance was directly across from Cho’s cell. We thought most of them were sleeping, so our guard was down I guess. Anyway, Cho got a hold of Luna and was trying to strangle her. Damn near succeeded too, I was fighting her trying to make her let go when all of the sudden she did. All by herself. Of course I threw her back, I was upset so I know it was with enough force to knock her out. But…"

"But as we were leaving she was there at the bars again, staring at us strangely." Luna picked it up when he faltered. "She said something and we both turned and then faster than is even possible, she threw this small dagger-like piece of wood at him. He fell back into the tunnel and I closed it. I tried to help as best I could and got us out onto the island but was too worn out to bring him back so I called Fred for help. We took him to Drake who gave him a potion. Turns out Drake was friends with Willem and in return for helping Harry and keeping it quiet, we agreed to let him in on the investigation we were doing."

"The only thing is…the wood that stabbed me, it had some kind of poison infused in it…" Harry tried but couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. Luna looked just as helpless, paralyzed by her guilt.

"It’s called Psychohemia." Hermione cut in and continued in a detached clinical manner. "The poison invades the blood working it’s way to the heart, but Drake was able to stop it. However, the secondary effect is harmful only to those with wandless powers. It destroys the link made by the mind to tap into the psychic ability and there is no counterpotion for that. In Harry’s case, it ruined the telekinesis, but not the telepathy."

"Don’t forget the best part." Fred interrupted. "Snape created the stupid potion in the first place!"

"And he also helped create the cure." Hermione quickly added.

"Not a good enough one." Ron grumbled.

Harry cleared his throat. "Hermione and Fred decided to send a letter to Gabriella, to see if she thinks she can help, and I asked Hermione to tell you all that until we hear from her, I’d really rather not talk about the whole powers thing. Okay?"

"So…what about all the other stuff? What should we do about that?" Ginny asked.

"First things first. We need to talk to the witness who started this whole thing. But first, Draco has asked that we talk to Arthur about arranging protection for the gardener and his family." He answered. She looked pleasantly surprised.

"I swear I know the name Delamora." Fred was thoughtful. "Maybe George can remember. Can I borrow the ring real quick?"

"Luna still has it." Harry said. He hadn’t remembered until he’d stepped in the room and felt the energy. She actually had it with her at that moment.

"You can use it while I talk to Harry about something, but then I need it when you’re done to talk to a few people myself about something I saw."

"I thought you guys promised no secrets?" Ron said suspiciously.

"And there won’t be. But I need to discuss it with him first. Besides, it has nothing to do with any of this." Luna answered shortly. But underneath he felt her uneasiness. Something she’d seen had upset her. "Actually, on second thought Ron, you and Hermione might be able to help too. Come on." She pulled the ring from her pocket and handed it to Fred before leading the way to Harry’s room through the bookcase.

He looked at his two best friends before they all followed her. "What’s wrong Luna?"

"Something bad is coming. Someone made a decision that set wheels in motion. And we’re going to be fighting again very soon." She answered.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Harry, do you remember the warning I got on the way to my grandmothers?"

"About Hedwig, that house and Sarah?" He remembered and was suddenly very worried.

"Hedwig?" Ron asked suddenly. "What’s she got to do with it?"

"Why?" he asked, his feeling of dread growing.

"Well when Fred and I went to send the letter to Gabriella we wanted to use Hedwig, because we could trust she’d get there and back. But we couldn’t find her anywhere. Hagrid said he hadn’t seen her in a few days."

Harry instantly looked to the corner of the room made up for his pets. Robin was looking at him expectantly from the cage, but there was no sign his owl had been there recently. "What did you see, Luna?"

"I’d rather show you guys. Maybe you’ll recognize something or someone. It’s all familiar, but nothing and no one I’ve ever met before." She closed her eyes and within a moment he was flooded with images from her vision. He instantly recognized the boy writing at the desk, and the house situated so normally among all the other normal houses. He knew the entire family that Sarah was terrorizing. Luna stopped the show just as he’d entered to fight Sarah. He stared at Ron and Hermione with tortured confusion, knowing they’d recognize the people and the house. Their eyes shared his agony.

"So who are they?" Luna asked.

"What you saw was Sarah attacking Number 4, Privet Drive, the house I grew up in. And the people, they were the Dursleys." he answered grimly.

(BREAK)

"That’s quite a story." George said, after Fred relayed everything he knew.

"So where do we know the name Delamora from?"

"Have you forgotten already?"

"Apparently I have." Fred answered.

"Remember that pretty little girl who used to be at school? The one that made us all drool into our preteen laps when she walked by?"

"Elanya!" Fred cried in sudden remembrance. "Oh, I remember now. She was a grade ahead of us, but left after her third year."

"That’s the one. Word was she left because her mother died and having no other family here, she went to live in Europe somewhere with her grandparents. I can’t believe you don’t remember her, we all sat around sad for days after hearing she wasn’t coming back. We all thought we actually had a chance with her." George shook his head and smiled.

"Do you think she’s related to this Jayalina person?"

"Maybe. It seems a common enough name though. Hey if you go looking for Elanya, good luck!"

"I didn’t have a chance when I was twelve, I don’t have one now. Besides, who knows what side of the war she falls on. Better to not get your hopes up."

"Wow, very mature. So things with you and your Patil twin going well then?" George teased.

"You know very well Padma and I had our fun but after you were gone she wasn’t exactly the comfort I was looking for anymore." Fred answered carefully.

"And who’s comfort are you seeking?" His brother asked slyly.

"My own. Are you done?"

"Touchy, touchy. Well, that’s all I can tell you about Elanya. That and I had some great dreams about her." George laughed as he faded out.

"You’re so helpful." Fred muttered, removing the ring.

(BREAK)

Molly had called lunch, interrupting all the occupants of the house from whatever business they were engaged in. Ron now sat at the table, the wheels in his head turning overtime. In the past two days, he’d received quite a bit of information, and he still wasn’t sure how to process most of it, let alone how to feel about it.

"You’re all very quiet." His mother noted. Besides herself the teens were the only ones at the table, Lupin and Hagrid having gone to eat lunch with their respective sweethearts.

"You haven’t seen Hedwig lately, have you? I mean I know she was here before I left for the weekend, but now no one can find her." Harry said, his voice heavy with concern.

"Why, no, I can’t say that I have seen her recently. Crookshanks I find all over the furniture. But I’m sure she’ll turn up dear." She answered. "Maybe this will be her now." They all heard the flapping of wings as Orion appeared. Harry looked disappointed, but Ron had to hold in his excitement. The owl stopped in front of him and held out his leg for him to take the letter attached.

"May I be excused?" he asked and grabbing the letter, ran upstairs before anyone could answer. Once safely in his room, he locked his broom cabinet and put his desk chair under the doorknob. Then he settled on the bed and tore open the letter. It was written in another language, probably Greek. So he waved his wand and watched as the words resettled themselves, forming an English translation.

To Mr. Ron Weasley,
I have read your letter several times before sitting down to write my own. It unnerves me to have anyone else know of the powers I possess, it is a secret I carry very close as have my ancestors before me. You were right that there will be others like your friend who know nothing of their heritage, but I assure you I know where I come from and that Alexandra Nikas’s blood is a part of my line.
The only reason I return your letter at all is because I do know the name Harry Potter. Your friend, in addition to being a member of this coven you are all trying to put together, is famous among most magical communities all over the world. In the past and now in the present, news of this Lord Voldemort has spread quickly as his followers invade our lands looking for allies. Unfortunately there are many who think like they do. I find the things they do a great injustice and will only say here that I have personally been affected by their terror. For these reasons, I will hear out your friends Harry and Luna, the other two descendants. But I promise nothing, Mr. Weasley.
In closing I will add that my situation here in Paris is not the greatest and would ask that you not contact me again. I will be in touch with you as soon as I am able.
Sincerely,
Jacinda Nicolau

Ron felt relief. Ever since deciding to try and begin contacting coven members, he’d been worried that he’d overstepped and ruined their chances. But now he’d received a response and what’s more, she was willing to listen. He’d started with her because she was the first one they’d discovered, and she was also descended from Mykele. Hopefully she’d know something about the ring that could help Harry and Fred from getting those headaches when they used it.

Now, Gabriella had been contacted for him and he debated whether to try again with Zachary or Hasani. Maybe that would be pushing his luck. He’d at least gotten them started and he couldn’t wait to share the news, to show them all he was useful too. Of course it would have to wait until they figured out what was going on with Harry’s horrible relatives. Ron was of the mind to let them suffer, so he could only imagine how his friend was feeling. They all knew he wouldn’t let them come to harm, but the temptation must be high.

They were only waiting for his father to come home, Hermione having been adamant that they involve the adults in this. After all, as she pointed out, Luna’s vision had showed them all there, not just Harry. And besides, the vision had also shown the fight going down at night. Ron just hoped Luna wasn’t holding out on them like she usually did. When they all finally had a chance to sit and breathe, he definitely had a few things to say to her about her secrecy.

(BREAK)

"So, what’s so exciting?" Harry asked following Hermione to her room.

"I wouldn’t say exciting, more like informational." She replied picking up a large book. "I know you said you didn’t want to talk about your powers, but I found a bit of an explanation for why things happened the way they did."

He sighed and sat on the bed. Of course he was eager for information, but he was also tired. Just so very tired of it all. "Okay, I’m all ears."

"This is a book on the history of telepathy. According to this, it was the first power created by the coven, and was the only one they all shared. It is inherent to them and their lines beyond the normal connections the brain makes to the psychic force one is capable of. It means that no matter what, you will all still retain that power because it’s part of the way your brains function, not just an untapped awareness like the other powers."

"So that’s why the poison didn’t affect that part of me. And also why Luna and I can both read minds. So the others will have the power too?"

"According to this, yes. The link the coven formed between their minds created a special energy source in their brains and they have passed it on to all of you."

"So, do you think Gabriella can help me?" he asked desperately. She said she’d read everything she’d found on their powers, he was eager for her opinion.

"I don’t want to get your hopes up, Harry. But-" she picked up another book, "that being said, I think it’s possible. It appears that the way the poison was engineered to work was to destroy the synapse the brain had created to tap into the power. If she is capable of repairing the damage, well, from what I’ve read about her supposed abilities, it could work."

It could work. It would work. It had to, he felt very exposed without his power. And now he was supposed to go help save his family from Sarah whom, previously weaker than him, now held the advantage. So she didn’t have a wand or the skills to wield one, at least not that they knew of. It didn’t matter, she still had the advantage. She could whip things around at lightning speed- Wait. "It’s not possible is it?" Harry asked absently.

"What? I just told you it was." She looked at him in confusion.

"No not the healing, I’m thinking of Azkaban. When Cho threw that piece of wood it was so fast we barely saw it. I know she doesn’t have the ability to do that, but Sarah does."

"But Sarah is telekinetic, not an influential telepath. She can’t invade and take over people’s minds, if that’s what you’re thinking."

"Influential telepath?"

"Like Isamu Shao and that line." Hermione responded.

"Then there’s some other way. She had to be involved, there’s no other explanation. We have to find out who’s been visiting her lately."

"Then you’ll have to figure out a way to ask Arthur without raising suspicions." She countered.

Before he could answer there was a soft tapping at his window. Turning, he was excited to see Hedwig waiting to be let in. But when he saw the letter clutched in her beak, a sense of dread rippled through his body. Luna, Hedwig is here with the letter. He let her know her vision was rolling. He quickly moved to open the window, and the soft white owl landed lightly on his shoulder, dropping the envelope into his hand. He instantly recognized Dudley’s uneven and sloppy writing.

He had been expecting the knock on the door and Hermione went to let Luna in as he sat down and opened the letter. They both sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to begin reading outloud.

To Harry, wherever you are:
It’s me, your cousin Dudley. Look, your stupid owl has been flying around the house for a long time now and it’s making dad plenty mad. At first we ignored it and it flew away, but it’s been here all weekend now and keeps tapping at my window. I opened up to throw something at it, but the stupid thing flew in and started knocking over pens and paper so I guess it wanted me to write you a letter. Now that I’m doing it, the thing seems calmer anyhow. Well, maybe it wants me to tell you about those people who’ve been lurking around the house lately. I see them a lot, but mum and dad think I’m making up stories. They stand down the street but by the time I get anyone’s attention, they disappear. If they’re friends of yours will you tell them you don’t live here anymore already? It’s getting pretty annoying. Anyway, make sure you don’t come around here, not that I’m against you or anything, so don’t curse me, but dad is mad at the thought of you and I’d rather you not curse him either.
Dudley Dursley

"Well at least one of them has enough smarts to be scared." Hermione said.

"Yeah, I just wouldn’t have imagined it would be Dudders who had the smarts. You know who those people he’s been seeing are?" he asked Luna.

"Not for sure, but I’m guessing they have something to do with Sarah. But how would they find the Dursleys? And wouldn’t they know you weren’t there?"

"They’re obviously trying to flush him out." Hermione answered crossly. "And using those horrible people to do it… I wish we could just let them suffer."

"An eye for an eye. I like the sound of it. But I can’t just leave them to their fate, no matter how willing they’d be to do it to me." Harry protested. "I’ll save their lives this once, and then, I never want to see them again. Not ever."

(BREAK)

They were all over Arthur the minute he got home. Harry thrust the letter in the man’s face and shoved Luna forward to share her vision. He listened to their story with a grim face. "Okay then. Let’s get moving." He said when they were done.

He sent Tonks to gather the Aurors with instructions that arrests must be made and to try and keep the damage minimized. Then, with the sun just about completely set, every occupant of Number 12 Grimmauld place gathered in the living room so Arthur could give them last minute instructions. Luna sat apart from the others, feeling more anxious than any of them. After all she knew more than they did, she’d seen Harry’s fate. At least his fate unless someone stepped in. And to make it worse, none of the adults knew that Harry had lost his power or nearly died two days before. How could she have not figured out how she knew that house and those people in her visions? How many times had she seen them in Harry’s head? Of course, the images had always been distorted in his mind, twisted the way he pictured it all.

She thought hard about what to do. If only there were a way for Harry to gain the advantage back…. maybe with the ring? No, it would be far too dangerous to bring it there, even if it supposedly gave the wearer wandless powers. Besides, which one or ones had never been specified beyond telepathy. And if what Hermione had read was true, then that made sense, since Mykele had been a coven descendant and thus possessed the inherent power himself. But did that mean the psychic ability held within the ring was his own?

(BREAK)

Ginny watched Luna slink out of the room and up the stairs and wondered what the girl was up to now. But she couldn’t worry about that. She had her own battle to fight. After giving them all very strict orders to go nowhere alone and to try and not start fighting until the Aurors got there, Arthur had turned to her and declared she would not be coming with them. His argument had been that he couldn’t get approval for a minor side-along transportation just to take his own daughter somewhere that danger is expected. Of course, she didn’t want to make trouble for her father, but she also didn’t want to be left behind. Draco still wasn’t completely healed and she didn’t trust the others to watch his back as well as they did their own and each other’s.

Looking around, she tried to decide who would be the most likely to disobey orders and give her what she wanted. Instantly, she zeroed in on Fred. "Hey." She sidled up to him.

"What do you want?" he asked suspiciously.

"Dad doesn’t want me to come. Says he can’t ask for authorization to apparate me there."

"And?" he pressed.

"Will you please take me?" She pleaded.

"And how is that supposed to keep dad out of trouble?" He grinned at her.

"Come on, Fred."

"No I mean it. We’re going through a lot to help keep dad in office you know."

"So you really expect me to sit here all by myself? Even Hagrid is going!" she protested, not caring how whiny she sounded.

Fred grinned wider and threw an arm over her shoulders. "Come on baby sister. You don’t think your big brothers would really forget about you like that, do you?"

"What do you mean?" it was her turn to be suspicious.

"Well, a while ago I found out dad had some port keys made in case we ever needed them. Most of the places I hadn’t heard of but there were a few I did recognize. Though until Harry told me, I hadn’t put the address together with his old house when I overheard dad talking about all the locations. He keeps them all in his room."

"How is that supposed to help then? The port key to Harry’s old house is locked away in mum and dad’s room!"

"Have a little more faith in me, would you? Ron and I had Harry open the door right before dad came home from work and Luna told us which one it was." He pulled a statue from his pocket. It was of a fat, ugly, mean-looking gargoyle and Ginny smiled at her father’s sense of humor. He would pick something like this to represent Harry’s uncle.

"Thanks, Fred."

"Thank Ron and the others too. We all want you back to normal, and if you want to be around us, I think it’s great. I’ve missed you Ginny." He pulled her into a tight hug.

"I’ve missed you too." She said quietly, feeling her chest grow tight with emotion.

"Okay, remember, wait until we all go before you use that thing." He instructed once they parted. "Wouldn’t want the parents catching on too quickly."

She looked up at him and asked, "Will you wait and go with me?"

"It would be an honor." He bowed gallantly, making her smile.

(BREAK)

"They aren’t here yet." Luna assured the group. They had all just gotten to Privet Drive, having apparated into the more deserted end of the street. When Fred and Ginny materialized a few moments later clutching the small statue, Harry smiled to himself. Arthur and Molly were of course a little more upset.

"Well, she’s here now." Fred argued with their silent glares.

"How long?" Arthur ignored his children and turned to Luna and Harry.

"Any time now." She answered quickly.

"Okay, let’s hide and wait them out." They scattered into various hiding places around Number 4. Taking Hermione’s hand, he led them to the shrubbery along the side of the house. Carefully, they peeked into the parlor and viewed the family inside sitting in front of the TV and having a snack. It was a scene Harry had witnessed and been excluded from many times in the past.

"They have no idea what’s about to happen." Hermione whispered as she glared in at the Dursleys.

"Who cares, as long as they survive it." He responded, turning his attention back to the street. The night was clear and still, no birds, no crickets. A sudden chill ran down his spine as he watched Arthur, Molly and Lupin walk from house to house, putting protection spells and enchantments around them. If everything went well, the other occupants of Privet Drive would never know what went on outside their doors.

The adults had just returned to check on and hide with the teens when the air began to crackle around them. Sarah appeared first, scanning the apparently deserted street. Within a few seconds, several hooded figures stood behind her and began heading toward the house. "That’s far enough, Miss Elaine." Arthur came out and approached the group with his wand out. "I am here to place you under arrest."

Harry and the others came out to stand with him, though their number was no where near as many as the enemy they were facing. "You are here to try." Sarah countered. Harry saw what she was about to do and cast instantly, shielding Arthur as she tried to throw him across the yard. Gritting his teeth, he held the spell as her mind pushed against it and Arthur wound up only being forced a few steps back.

And that was all it took before everyone was moving at once. Thankfully, it was only a few minutes that they had to hold their own. Tonks, Kingsley and an army of Aurors had arrived and joined in the fight. Harry kept his eye on Sarah as he fought his way toward her. He wanted to keep Luna’s vision from coming true, he wanted to stop the woman before she even had the chance to enter the house. As he dueled a pair of Death Eaters, he watched as she used her power to uproot the neighbor’s front gate and hurl it toward Fred and the Aurors standing with him. Fred! Heads up! His friend turned quickly and ducked, throwing himself at the adults and dragging them to the ground. Stop her! Harry screamed out as he brought down one of the foes standing in his way. Horrified he watched Sarah slide through the fights going on around her and kick in the front door of his childhood home. Fred made to go after her but was stopped as the Death Eaters closed ranks. Harry had a feeling he was the only one that would get by them, that this had been set up to bring him here for this showdown with Sarah. They were counting on the poison to have worked it’s secondary evil, if Harry overcame the first. They wanted Sarah to go against him, just in case. The only question was, had she been given the order to kill or capture? Finally dropping his second adversary, he put his theory to the test and ran at the house. Sure enough, he had no trouble getting by and didn’t bother to look back.

(BREAK)

Together Hermione and Ron brought down the three Death Eaters who had been coming at them, though it had taken awhile. Looking around, she began to feel anxious. She’d lost sight of Harry almost instantly, and she didn’t see him anywhere among the fighters now. "Do you see him?" she asked anxiously.

"No." Ron replied, his voice grim. "I don’t see Sarah either."

"Damn it!" She stomped her foot. "Why does he have to try and do everything by himself!"

"Well, come on, let’s go find him. They’re probably in the house, according to what Luna saw." Ron grabbed her hand and they ran toward the fray to begin fighting their way to the house. But the Death Eaters were protecting the entrance as if it were their own fortress and every time they took out one of them, another appeared to take his place.

Hermione already felt tired, wiped out. It had been a long weekend with very little sleep and this was not how she’d envisioned spending her Monday night. Fear spurred her on, and her need to find Harry. But they added to her fatigue as well. Refusing to give up, she kept at it, throwing out spells as fast as she could. She only hoped this ended soon.

(BREAK)

Luna had kept her eye on Harry the entire time, determined to keep him from going into the house. But it was harder than one would think to interfere with the future. As they were all hopelessly locked in their own battles, Harry had been left free to walk right past the enemy and follow Sarah. It was obviously what they had wanted, because now they were doing everything in their power to keep anyone else from going in after them.

What could she do? She knew what was going to happen in that house and it wasn’t anything good. Quickly she made a decision and thrusting her hand in her pocket, she pulled out the ring. Clutching it tightly in her hand, she took a deep breath and ran through the fray, making her way towards the back of the house, hoping none of them had blocked off the back door.

(BREAK)

As he and Ginny fought side by side, Draco studied the masks around them. Was one of them his father? How many of them were the parents of his former friends? How many of them were people he’d known his entire life but would only be too happy to kill him now? Trying not to dwell on those thoughts, he focused in on keeping Ginny and himself safe.

Finally bringing down the last hooded figure they’d been dueling, he saw Lovegood head around to the back of the house, and the three Death Eaters who were stealthily following her. "Come on!" he shouted to Ginny running to intercept the enemy before they could take Luna by surprise.

They cast as they ran drawing the attention of Luna’s would-be pursuers. Two of the figures stopped, but the third kept after the prey. "I’ll get him!" Ginny yelled as Draco was forced to duel.

"Ginny! Stop!" he shouted after her. But she quickly disappeared around the back of the house. Waves of panic ran though him and he battled desperately with the two people blocking him from chasing after her. He brought them down quickly and desperately went around the corner scared of what he would find.

Ginny was dueling the man who’d followed her, both looking agitated with the difficulty they were having with dispatching the adversary. He stunned the man in the back, letting her bind him in place. "Luna made it into the house." She said. "Should we go after her?"

"I think we’d better try and keep them from going after her." He raised his wand as five Death Eaters rounded the corner. Ginny stood tall beside him. They had breached the house, and were now ready to protect their position.

(BREAK)

Harry crept down the short hallway, listening as Sarah destroyed the house and his aunt begged her to stop. Peeking around the corner, he saw the family huddled together next to the fireplace. Catching Dudley’s attention, he sent his mind out. Stay calm Dudley. It’ll be okay, we came to help. He watched his cousin’s eyes grow in terror as his thoughts invaded the boy’s mind. He could only nod, not even attempting to answer back.

"You think I don’t know your type!" Sarah was screaming at his uncle. "Not even Potter deserved you! And I didn’t deserve the people like you!"

Harry drew back trying to decide his best course of action. Sarah obviously had a few screws loose and that made her all the more dangerous. Although if what she implied was true, then the screws might have been knocked loose for her. It didn’t matter to him at the moment though. After all, he hadn’t gone crazy after being raised by Vernon and Petunia.

"Sarah." He called for her attention, stepping into the doorway.

"Harry." She turned and faced him….and he nearly dropped his wand in shock. Her eyes, her hard, hazel eyes. He’d seen them before, in someone else’s face.

"It was you!" He couldn’t believe it even as he said it. Even though he’d already thought it somehow possible.

"It most certainly was." Her smile was sinister. And then before he knew it, the couch came flying at him. With seconds to spare he cast and threw it back at her. With a flick of her eyes, she sent it crashing through the wall into the kitchen.

"How did you do it?" he asked, making his way across the room. She followed, moving away from his family.

"That’s for me to know and you to discover." She laughed wildly. Taking the opportunity, he pointed his wand and sent her hurtling back against the wall. She recovered quickly and ducked away from the binding he’d thrown, at the same time sending the many picture frames displaying Dudley’s image shrieking in his direction. He ducked as best he could, but one exploded against his shoulder, spraying glass into his face. He twisted away but felt a sting as a large shard caught his cheek. Instincts firing on all cylinders, he ignored the pain and rolled to the side as the television crashed against the wall he’d been leaning on. He screamed out his spell, sending her once more hurtling across the room. This time she must have felt the landing as she was struggling to get back to her feet. Again he took his chance and flung her across the room another time, his wand directing it’s target. She crawled quickly into the kitchen through the newly made hole from the couch. Harry rose to follow her until he heard the sound of a drawer opening and the rifling of cutlery.

"Come on! We have to get you guys out of here." He yelled at the Dursleys. But they were staring past him at the doorway. He turned quickly and saw Sarah, standing very still, her arms behind her back. He’d seen that stance before, only this time, she made no attempt to hide her weapon. Or weapons, as the case appeared. Hovering in midair around her were several very large, very sharp kitchen knives.

He raised his wand, trying to hide the nervousness he felt. They stood staring at each other, neither daring to move. "This isn’t about them." He said finally, moving so that his family was no longer behind him. She followed him into the room never removing her eyes from his. The knives followed her.

"Maybe part of it is. Tell me that deep down you don’t want them to suffer some retribution, Harry."

"Not like this." He answered slowly, waiting for any sign that she was going to make a move. He didn’t know what would happen if he tried to cast, and wished desperately that he had his power back. But she’d been the one to take it from him.

"Who are they in the great scheme of things anyway? Nobodies. They mean nothing to no one, not even you."

"If that were true, I wouldn’t be here." His argument felt hollow.

"Let’s not kid each other, Harry. We are cut of the same cloth, or at least we used to be." She laughed again as her jibe reminded him of the power he’d lost, but the knives never wavered. "We both know it was your sense of duty that brought you here, not affection."

"Why does it matter? Either way I won’t let you hurt them." He said angrily. He was letting her get into his head, but he refused to allow her any further. Instead he used the one power he did have and pushed his way into her mind.

Just stop. He thought to her. End it now.

Make me. She challenged him, but he felt her sudden fear as he invaded her thoughts. Pushing deeper, he began looking through her memories, pulling out the most painful ones for her to view.

"Stop! Get out!" she screamed losing control. Harry hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly and scrambled to get out of the way as she hurled knife after knife at him. One nicked his arm, causing him to stumble. His wand flew from his hand and as he reached out to try and catch it, the last knife sliced straight through his palm up to the handle. The force continued forward until the tip buried itself into the wall behind him, pinning his hand and forcing him to stay put. He grit his teeth against the pain and tried to pull on the handle. It was wedged in tight. "Got you now." Sarah took a step toward him, raising her arms to reveal the two knives she still had clutched in her fists.

Help. He called out weakly to anyone who might hear, unable to focus on someone specific. He had nothing to do but stare helplessly at his wand where it had stopped rolling halfway across the room, and so far out of his reach. He tried to make it move, to have it fly into his free and undamaged hand. It was utterly useless.

Looking up into Sarah’s eyes, he saw the delight she was taking in all of this. She raised one of the knives high above her before letting it go and allowing it to float in the air. He waited for the impact, wondering where she would strike. Would she go for the kill or draw it out. The sting came a second later and he screamed in agony. He looked down to see the handle buried in his leg. Blood bubbled up around the wound as more dripped down the wall from his now numb hand. Apparently it was to be the long drawn out way. He watched as she repeated the performance, the knife dancing in the air in front of him. Closing his eyes, he waited for the pain and instead felt sudden and extreme heat.

Wrenching his eyes open, he saw Sarah jump back from the sudden fireball that had exploded in front of her. The knife clattered harmlessly to the floor. Turning to the doorway, he saw Luna brandishing her wand in one hand and the other thrust out bearing the ring. He watched in amazement as another spout of flame burst from his friend. Sarah leapt back again, screaming as she rolled out of the way.

"Luna look out!" he screamed as the coffee table went flying at her. Luna dived back into the hallway as the piece of furniture exploded against the doorframe, cracking the wall. She was back in an instant, flinging spells and fire faster than Sarah could dodge them. The woman screamed in terror as her sleeve caught fire and she desperately tried to pat it out. Harry pulled frantically at the knife pinning his hand to the wall, trying to free himself. His adrenaline was pumping and with a burst of strength, he ripped it out, letting out his own howl of pain. "Harry!" Luna called out to him.

"Watch her, not me!" he screamed back, dragging himself toward his wand.

(BREAK)

Luna had tried to run directly in the house, but just as she reached the back door, someone had grabbed her around the waist and thrown her back into the yard where she landed hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her. The Death Eater approached as she struggled to breathe and she weakly raised her wand. "No!" Someone yelled drawing the man’s attention.

Rolling onto her elbows, she had looked up to find out who had saved her and was surprised to see Ginny now dueling with the man who’d followed her. Forcing herself to her feet, she made to help her friend but she shook her head. "I’ve got this. Go help him get Sarah!" she yelled, blocking the man’s attack and continuing to draw his fire. "It’s fine! Draco’s right behind me! Go!" Ginny screamed.

Help. Luna heard Harry’s weakened cry and she didn’t wait any longer. She entered the house and was startled by Harry screaming in pain. Slipping the ring on her finger, she shifted into plan B. She’d initially intended to give the ring over to him, but from what she was hearing certain things had already come to pass. Peering into the parlor, she took in the Dursley’s still huddled together and staring in horror at the scene before them. Leaning a little farther, she was able to make out Harry and Sarah, positioned exactly as she’d seen them in her vision. Her stomach tightened and she felt sick at the amount of blood around her friend.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and cleared her mind of all but her desire, letting the ring work through her. An explosion of fire erupted, forcing her to stumble. Seeing Sarah was still on her feet, she tried again. Then Harry shouted out a warning and she instinctively dove backwards into the relative safety of the hall, covering her head as splinters of wood showered her. Scrambling to her feet, she didn’t allow herself time to think, instead rushing back into the room and throwing as much at Sarah as she could. She felt satisfaction when the woman’s clothing caught fire and she desperately tried to put herself out. Harry’s agonized scream startled her and she turned to make sure he was okay.

"Watch her, not me!" he yelled and she turned to see a chair flying straight at her. She dodged it, falling to the ground where she smashed her elbow. She sat up cradling her injured arm and found Sarah smiling wickedly at her. "Luna!" Harry screamed and she turned her head quickly, the knife missing her face by inches as it dug into the wall. The ring! Get the ring! She heard him now screaming in her head. Her arm had gone numb when she’d landed on it and she hadn’t realized the large ring had slid off her finger. She saw it a few feet away between her and Sarah. They stared at each other.

"Dudley! NOOO!" The large man lunged towards his son as the boy rose rather swiftly for his size and grabbed up the lamp laying at his feet. He shattered it over Sarah’s head and the woman went down, but wasn’t out. She turned on the muggles, and Luna watched in horror as Harry’s cousin flew across the room and landed in a heavy heap.

"My son!" The woman cried.

"I’m sure he had enough padding to prevent much injury." Sarah said cruelly as she rose to her feet.

Gathering everything she had, Luna lunged for the ring. And then her vision went black as her face exploded in pain and she flew backwards. Raising her hand, she gingerly touched her nose and knew it was broken. Sarah had kicked her in the face, and as Luna struggled to open her eyes and watch the scene before her, the woman bent down and picked up the ring.

 


A/N: What a place to leave things, but I must. Next chapter we find out what happens at the Dursley’s, Edmund makes a move through the newspaper, we learn what Bowen knows, Ron and Luna have a talk, news arrives about Snape, Cho Chang makes another appearance and we learn a lot from her about several characters. Still so much more to come, so stay tuned. And for those of you who don’t know, I’ve started a new story and the first chapter has been posted. It’s an alternate universe story, where the characters of Harry Potter step into the world of Sherlock Holmes. If you’re a Holmes fan like I am then check it out, and it you aren’t check it out anyway. The full summary will follow this note. Thanks for reading thus far and don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts!

 

NEW STORY:
Title: A Study in Slytherins
What happens when the characters of the HP world step into the shoes of the classic characters of Sherlock Holmes? A group of evil wizards calling themselves the Slytherins are stalking through London, drawing the attention of super sleuth Harry Potter. Along with his trusted friend, Dr. Ron Weasley, Harry sets out to solve a case that brings him directly into the path of the one person who had ever bested him, the intriguingly intelligent Hermione Granger. With news of her comes word of Harry’s arch nemesis, Professor Voldemort who may be behind the terror spread by the Slytherins. Can Harry find a way to bring them down and capture the one man who had the ability to equally match wits with the master detective? And what of the one woman who had managed to slip her crime through his fingers once before?


Chapter 23: Explorations of a Twisted Mind

A/N: This one won’t be as long as some of the more recent ones, it went differently than I’d imagined and I need to regroup. I know the last one ended in a tight spot so without further adieu, Read, Review, Enjoy!




Hermione dispatched another enemy and turned to see who needed help. As she scanned the lawn, she glimpsed five Death Eaters running around the side of the house. "Where are they going?" she asked aloud.

"Who?" Ron and Fred asked together. They’d been standing near her and had just taken down another three people.

"Come on!" She shouted not bothering to explain. During her brief look around, she’d realized that Luna, Draco and Ginny were no longer in the battle. They must have tried to go in through the back and probably needed help.

Sure enough as they rounded the corner, they saw Ginny and Draco fighting for their lives while trying to keep anyone from going through the door. "Hey!" Fred angrily yelled at the two Death Eaters attacking his sister. He went quickly to help her deal with them as she and Ron ran to help Draco fend off the other three.

"Where’s Luna?" she yelled over the fighting.

"She made it inside to help him!" Draco shouted back. "Now we’re trying to keep these bastards out!"

"Traitor!" One of the Death Eaters shrieked at young Malfoy. The masked figure cast quickly and Ginny’s scream pierced Hermione’s eardrum. But Ron had been quick and dove to tackle Draco to the ground and out of the way of the unforgivable. The second time he’d been saved from the killing curse. Hermione quickly threw a shield around them both.

Ginny and Fred had gained their senses quickly and turned on the attacker, stunning and binding him instantly. Hermione quickly cast and stopped the last Death Eater who’d been preparing to take her out.

"Thanks." Draco mumbled to Ron as they helped each other to their feet.

"Whatever." Ron replied walking back over to Hermione.

"You did a good thing." She whispered.

"We’ll see about that." He answered moodily, though he couldn’t hide a small grin of satisfaction. She knew he liked when he did something heroic and liked it even more when he received accolades for his actions.

"Are you okay?" she heard Draco ask Ginny.

"I’m fine, are you okay?" She responded throwing her arms around him despite her brothers looking on.

"Now what?" Fred demanded, deliberately looking away from the display of affection.

"Now we go help Harry and Luna." Hermione said. Just then they heard Luna scream in agony from within the house. Ron ran toward the door without hesitation, she and the others close on his heels. Hermione’s mind was in a panic, she knew Harry wouldn’t let anything happen to Luna, so if the girl was screaming like that, where was he? Ron reached the door just as it exploded, a firestorm blowing them all across the lawn. She felt herself thud to the ground before everything went dark.

(BREAK)

Harry crawled toward his wand, trailing blood as he went. But his mind blocked out all pain as his eyes were locked on the ugly scene before him. "Luna!" He yelled her name trying to ascertain if she was still conscious. She weakly raised her head, and he saw that her face was a bloody mess.

Sarah stood tall over the girl, the ring now firmly upon her own finger. "Cho was right. You just like to get in the way. I should have let her kill you." Harry moved as quietly as possible, trying desperately not to draw her attention. "I think Miss Lovegood, that I shall rectify the situation now." She let out a maniacal laugh.

His leg was a dead weight, and his strength was waning fast. But with one last surge of energy he stretched as far as he could past the last few inches separating him from his wand. He grasped it firmly and rolled to face Sarah.

She had raised her hand and was pointing the ring directly at Luna. SARAH!!! He screamed with everything he had. She winced, grabbing her head. Then she turned on him. But he never gave her the chance. He cast quickly flinging her back against the wall before binding her. "Expulso!" He cried quickly as the ceiling above her exploded, burying her in debris.

"Get Dudley and get out!" He ordered his Aunt, who had actually begun to reach out for him. He wanted none of her sympathy, not now and not ever. Vernon who had no trouble leaving his nephew in such a weakened state pulled his wife to her feet before hefting his son and scrambling into the hallway and out the front door. Harry hoped they weren’t walking into another ambush but felt he’d done his part and was willing to do no more for them. They were Arthur’s problem now.

He crawled over to Luna who was trying to sit herself up. "Lay still." He ordered before glancing in Sarah’s direction. He could see her foot sticking out of the rubble. Turning his attention back to his friend he noticed her arm was twisted at a weird angle and wondered just when it had been broken. "Ferula" He said quietly creating a splint so that it wouldn’t get any worse. Then, though he could barely stand to look, he examined her face.

I think my nose is broken. Her voice whispered through his head as she felt him touch her skin.

Okay, hold still. "Episkey." He pointed the wand at her, using the same spell he’d seen Tonks use once to fix Kingsley’s nose. She grimaced against the icy heat the spell produced as her features righted themselves. Then he tried to do the same for his hand. It worked to slow the flow of blood, but apparently the wound was too severe for such a simple spell.

"Let me see it." Luna said, using her shirt to wipe some of the blood from her face. She grabbed the blanket that had been on the couch and used her wand to cut it into pieces. He placed his hand in hers as she tightly wound one of the strips around the injury. Then moving quickly, she tied another around the gaping wound in his leg. Satisfied that they were both patched up as well as they could be, they helped each other to their feet and limped over to get the ring. They both flew back as the rubble exploded in a burst of flame.

"Aguamenti!" Luna screamed as she scrambled to her feet, protecting them both from the sudden wrath Sarah hailed upon them as she rose to her feet. But the steady stream of water her wand produced wasn’t holding up to the fire the other woman spewed from the ring.

"Aguamenti!" Harry cried after struggling to his feet. Push the spell outward with your mind! He instructed Luna wildly taking her good hand with his, using the bandaged one to brandish his wand. Together they focused their energy along the same wavelength and strengthened their spells, the stream of water now an unstoppable geyser shooting from their wands. Harry was glad his sudden instinct had proved correct. Unable to keep up with them, Sarah began whipping things around the room. He pulled Luna to the side as the TV stand crashed against the wall where they’d been standing. With the same thought in their head, they both turned and threw everything they had at her, sending her crashing against the wall with bone-crushing force. Harry watched in horror as it finally gave way and began to crumble, blocking off the hallway and their path to the door.

"Harry!" Luna shouted his name, tackling him out of the way as a large piece of ceiling that had still been on fire came crashing down. He landed hard on his injured leg, but forgot the pain as soon as she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Turning to her quickly he saw that part of the smoldering flames had jumped to her pant leg and begun crawling it’s way up. He quickly produced another jet of water and extinguished the danger before climbing unsteadily to his feet.

"You okay? Can you stand?" he asked bending down to help her get up. "Well we have two good legs between us." He said taking stock of the damage done to them. As another piece of ceiling crashed down in the corner, he realized that they needed to get out. Now.

Looking around quickly for the best exit, he shoved Luna toward the couch hole and they climbed through to the kitchen. They made a mad scramble for the back door but Harry felt the heat at his back and dragged Luna to the ground with him as a fireball exploded over their heads, destroying their way out.

Looking through the flames, he saw several bodies strew across the yard but in the darkness couldn’t make out who they were. Flipping quickly onto his back, he took in the sight of Sarah, bloody and broken as she tried to crawl into the kitchen after them. "Expulso!" he yelled again and watched with a horrified gleefulness as she was swallowed once more by the house. But as the floor began to shake beneath him, he realized they’d broken one wall too many.

"We have to get out!" he screamed to Luna over the sound of the house falling down around them. He tried to get to his feet but his body had finally given out on him and he had nothing left to draw on. He was too weak, had used too much, had lost too much. Luna was trying desperately to help him, throwing his arm over her shoulders and wrapping her good arm around his waist. But she had nothing much left either and couldn’t bear his weight.

"Just go." He told her weakly.

"I didn’t leave you two days ago, I won’t do it now." She promised. "It’ll work out, it has too. We changed it, it has to be different."

"What are you talking about?"

Before she could explain, they heard someone screaming his name. In the kitchen. Luna yelled for the person in her head, neither one of them having the strength to shout any longer. Within an instant, Lupin had burst through the flames licking around the doorframe. "Oh god. What happened to you two?" He knelt delicately beside them.

"Get the ring." Harry limply pointed in the direction Sarah was buried.

"Sarah has it. She’s under there." Luna explained further.

"ARTHUR! THEY’RE IN HERE!" Lupin yelled into the yard before quickly moving to the remains of the wall. He dug furiously until he was able to pull the woman’s body free. After feeling for a pulse, he slipped the ring from her finger and returned to the teens as Mr. Weasley made his way past the fire.

"This house is done for. Let’s get them out!" And without hesitation, Arthur leaned down and carefully grabbed Harry up in his arms, helping him hobble out. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lupin simply scoop Luna up and carry her out behind them. The two men brought the teens a safe distance into the yard before setting them down and running back in. A second later, Harry watched them emerge once more, Sarah’s body between them. Looking around, he saw the other bodies lined up beside him.

"What happened!?" he yelled, forgetting his own torturous pain and crawling over to Hermione and Ron who were passed out a few feet away.

"They’re fine, Harry!" Arthur quickly came to his side and forced him to sit still. "They are all going to be okay, they got knocked out from the last blast I think, but they are all breathing and they’ll wake any time I’m sure." Harry watched as Arthur reached out and grabbed Ron’s hand, which like the rest of his body was covered in serious looking burns. "I know they’ll be okay. They have to be." Harry reached out and squeezed the man’s shoulder feeling his hopeful sorrow.

Looking Hermione over he saw that she hadn’t received anything as bad as Ron. Her forehead and cheeks were scorched and small burns covered her arms and legs. Fred, Ginny and Draco appeared with no more damage than reddened skin, as if they’d stood too long and too near a bonfire. He shook his head in grief, finally beginning to feel the intense stinging in his hand and leg as his adrenaline died down.

"Here, Harry." Lupin came over to hand him the ring.

"No!" Luna shouted suddenly. "Don’t give it to him now! He isn’t strong enough!" She began crying hysterically, the torment of the past few days finally catching up with her. In order to keep her calm, Harry shook his head at Lupin and his friend put the ring back in his own pocket. He reached out to Luna and put an arm around shaking shoulders, pulling her close in comfort.

"What’s going on now? Is it over?" He asked Arthur, as she clung to him.

"For now, Harry. It’s over for now." He answered gravely.

(BREAK)

Hermione woke in the hospital. Seeing Harry in the chair next to her bed, she smiled at him. "Well this is different." She joked. "Usually it’s me waiting for you to wake up."

"Believe me, it’s the way I would’ve rather had it." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "At least you’re the first one awake." He gestured to the other beds where Ron, Fred, Luna, Ginny and Draco were all still sleeping. The bed directly next to hers was empty.

"Are you supposed to be out of bed?" she demanded. She hadn’t seen him at the end, didn’t know the extent of his injuries or what he’d gone through. Instantly she looked him over, taking in the deep gash across his cheek and his heavily bandaged hand and leg.

"Probably not but I couldn’t lay there anymore listening to everyone else sleep." He said simply. "Besides, I feel fine."

"You don’t look fine."

"I could say the same to you." He said looking at her with concern. For the first time since waking she began to take stock of herself. There was no pain, she assumed she’d been given some sort of potion for that. Looking down she saw her arms and legs were wrapped in some sort of soft linen. Shifting her head, she was able to determine that the same soft linen was bandaged across her forehead and cheeks.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"From what Arthur and I pieced together, you guys were trying to come through the door at the same time Sarah was using the ring. You got knocked back by the blast and debris, but it looks like Ron got the worst of it." He worriedly glanced in Ron’s direction. Focusing in better on her friend, she saw that his entire head was wrapped in the white linen along with most of his body.

"Is he going to be okay?" her tears came suddenly.

"According to Drake, we’re all going to be okay. Arthur asked him to be in charge of everyone, they’re trying to keep our involvement as quiet as possible. You should have seen him when they brought us all in, I thought poor Arthur was going to lose it. And he was injured too you know. A lot of people were."

She studied him closer and saw the far away glassy look behind the fevered excitement in his eyes. His face was ragged and his entire body was hunched over in exhaustion. "Have you rested at all?" she demanded of him.

"I pretended I was asleep the last time Drake came to check on us. I’ve tried but I can’t turn my brain off to let the rest of me relax." He confessed.

"What happened in that house?"

"I’m still not quite sure."

(BREAK)

Luna lay awake listening to Harry quietly tell Hermione of the horror they’d faced in the house. He’d sensed she wasn’t sleeping she knew, but he was letting her pretend, giving her time to herself. There was so much to process that she too felt her brain just refused to shut itself down. She felt so alone and suddenly wanted her father, someone who loved and understood her to sit here, to hold and comfort her like when she was a little girl having a bad dream.

But she was a big girl now and this was no dream. She just successfully helped change the future, no matter how close it had brought her to her own demise. The thought that weighed so heavily on her was that the entire thing had been unnecessary. Had Harry been able to tap into his powers, there probably wouldn’t have been much of a fight at all. After all, armed with both wand and wandless power rival to hers, Sarah wouldn’t have stood a chance. Luna had seen the panic in the woman’s eyes when she’d first entered the room brandishing the power of Alexandra’s line. It was only the woman’s quickness and the injuries she had caused them that gave her a chance at all after that point. And her insanity, that definitely added to the woman’s strength, driving her far beyond the point where most others would have given up.

But again Luna had screwed up. In Azkaban, she’d let her guard down and been taken as a sort of hostage causing Harry to let his own guard down and bringing the injury that stole his power. This time, she’d let the enemy get a hold of the ring and it had almost killed them both. If it wasn’t for Harry’s fortitude and willfulness, well, she knew not many people would still be going after what Sarah had done to him. But he’d remained strong until it was over, keeping them both alive. Guilt ate away at her.

And then there was Ron. While pretending to sleep like Harry, she’d heard the adults who were uninjured discussing what had happened while checking in on the teens. Ron had heard her scream and ran to the door only to have that last blast from Sarah, explode in his face. She’d peeked over at him to find that he was delicately wrapped in white linen, looking like some sort of modern mummy as the herbs restored his skin and healed his burns. Her friends had come out of this with their lives, but at what cost? She felt as if someone had placed a huge weight on her chest and she found it difficult to breathe. But she remained calm, not wanting to draw Harry or Hermione’s attention. She felt like pretending to be asleep forever, to never have to open her eyes and face them all with their questions and accusations.

Her entire body ached; the pain potion must have begun to wear off. That meant Drake would be back soon. She knew the bones in her arm were mended by now, but the soreness that remained was almost unbearable. Her face was tender, though Drake had said Harry’s spell had properly repaired her nose. He’d given her ointment to take care of the bruising, but at this point she really didn’t care much what her face looked like. The stabbing pain in her head was worst of all, but she made no indication of discomfort. It felt as if her brain her on fire, completely overheated from use.

She didn’t know how long she lay there, but she heard Drake come, administer potions to them all and leave. Harry had quickly jumped back into his own bed upon sensing the healer and she knew he had resisted the sleep potion as she was doing now. Hermione’s spark died down, indicating her descent back into unconsciousness. Luna knew she should rest as well, but refused to let herself. There was too much to think about, too much to feel and she just didn’t feel she deserved to escape into the nothingness sleep provided.

Luna. Harry was calling for her. I know you aren’t sleeping.

Yes? She answered.

Are you alright? She felt his concern and it was overwhelming. Until that moment, he hadn’t even attempted to talk to her and she felt she deserved his coldness. But now, with everyone else gone or sleeping, he’d found the time to check in with her.

No I don’t think I am. My head doesn’t feel right. She admitted.

Then stop blaming yourself. He answered simply.

Are you okay? She ignored his response.

Well, you heard them say I’ll live. That’s as okay as any of us will be I think. You feel up to taking a walk?

A walk? She knew that if any of the adults saw them out of their room, they would freak out. But at the same time, she felt she owed it to Harry, Ron and everyone else to do whatever they asked of her. A walk to where?

To get the real story so we know who really is to blame for all of this. Maybe once we find that out, you can stop beating yourself up about everything. He answered mysteriously.

She opened her eyes to find Harry looking over at her with that "I’m about to do something I’m not supposed to" grin. I suppose you want to do this now, have us hobbling down the hallway where anyone could see us.

Would it make you feel better to know I have Arthur’s permission?

Slightly. Though I doubt he figured you’d be trying to do anything right now. Where are we going? She threw her covers off and carefully rose from her bed. The pain potion had taken effect and the tense soreness and agonizing pain was gone. For now.

Harry also rose easily from bed, obviously feeling the effects of the healing potion. To talk to Sarah. He said simply.

But, Harry. They said she was in coma. Luna answered uneasily.

(BREAK)

Harry made his way confidently down the hallway, Luna close behind him. He knew she didn’t think this was the greatest idea, but he had decided it was their best way to get the truth. And if he’d learned anything in that house last night, it was that when he and Luna focused together they were stronger. It gave him great hope for when all twelve coven members finally came together.

"How do you know this is where they’re keeping her?" Luna asked, a hint of nervousness to her tone as they stepped into the elevator.

"Arthur brought me to her room before. I wanted to see with my own eyes that she was completely incapacitated so while you were all sleeping he took me to see her. I told him what I wanted to do and that I needed your help and he gave me permission. As long as we tell him everything we learn."

"I never fell asleep." She protested.

"You sure did. You were upset when we got here and Drake gave you something to calm you down and take you out of shock. It wound up putting you right to sleep." He smiled as she struggled to remember.

"Must have been a good potion." She finally muttered as the doors slid open. The elevator had stopped at the basement and he led the way down a long, brightly lit corridor, ignoring the heavy steel doors lining either side. "What is this place?" she asked after awhile.

"Drake said it’s where they keep the dangerous patients. Just don’t get too close to the doors. That’s what they told me." He shrugged and went on, eager to carry out their task. Rounding the last corner, they found the last room, which was surrounded by Aurors though Kingsley was the only one he recognized. The man was worse for the wear after last night’s battle, all of his exposed skin covered in wounds and bruises.

"Have you gotten those looked at yet?" Harry asked his friend in concern.

Kingsley smiled. "Merely flesh wounds. I’ve had more important things to attend to. I was about to go check in with Drake in a few minutes, he’s handling all the injuries from last night."

"I know. Did Arthur tell you what we wanted to do?" Harry asked, looking suspiciously at the other Aurors. He didn’t feel like trusting anyone he didn’t already know.

"He did. And he asked me to sit in with you kids in case anything goes wrong." Kingsley smiled again before turning to his group his tone suddenly all seriousness. "No one, and I mean no one but Healer Drake and the Minister are allowed in this room after us."

Feeling anxious, Harry went into the room and once more laid eyes on the woman who had caused so much destruction. She was completely still in her bed, eyes gently closed and looking peaceful. Had he known nothing about her, he would have thought her a very pretty woman, but even in rest her mouth was twisted downward scarring her possible beauty with an evil intent.

"I’ll just sit over here out of the way." Kingsley said quietly, seating himself by the door.

Harry and Luna approached Sarah. She looks like she could wake up at any moment. Luna thought uneasily.

They’ve assured me that isn’t the case. He offered.

She doesn’t even look that badly hurt, after all that. Luna marveled as they continued to stare at the woman.

Drake had said that by the end almost every bone in her body had been broken. He answered.

Luna shook her head in wonder. She didn’t act like it.

"You ready?" he whispered aloud.

"I guess." She said, taking his hand. Together they reached into Sarah’s mind, looking for answers.

Starting with her most recent memories, Harry leafed through them stopping only once he saw Voldemort’s face. He hesitated, but Luna urged him on, taking the lead and opening the memory for them to view.

***

Sarah was sitting in a large armchair listening intently to Lucius Malfoy, all the while not once moving her eyes from Lord Voldemort. She knew which was the more dangerous. "This is what your father wanted for you, Miss Elaine."

"Perhaps. But why should I?" she leaned back, smirking at the serpent faced man before her.

But again it was Malfoy who spoke. "Because you have no choice."

"Says you. Harry Potter is nothing to me, I’ve long since repaid the men who cornered my father and murdered him. London has nothing that holds my attention except for bad memories." She rose and gestured to the door of her small apartment. "Thank you for stopping by."

"Insolent beast! Do you know who you deny?" Malfoy raised his hand as if to strike her. With an amused giggle, she simply flicked her eyes sending the man across the room.

"That was very good Sarah." Voldemort remained seated, looking both pleased and unconcerned. "I’ve been looking for someone like you."

"Well I haven’t been looking for you." She looked down as a large rat ran across her foot. Though startled, she didn’t jump. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. She didn’t do anything for anyone but herself.

When the rat began writhing and transforming into the shape of a very unattractive little man she simply smiled. "Master, the seer has news. A decision has been reached and the future foreseen. It’s about Snape and Lairmore." The swarmy man looked pleased.

"I should have known a big snake would play with a little rat." She sneered.

"Watch yourself my dear. Your usefulness can only outweigh my disdain for so long." Voldemort warned.

"Have I proved useful?" she inquired with a smug smile.

"Not yet. But you will. And I can prove useful to you."

"How?"

He held up a hand to pause their conversation. "Both of you, get out." He ordered Lucius and Peter. The snarling blond man rose from where he’d landed in the corner and without a word followed the little shifty eyed one out. Then Voldemort turned his attention back to her. "I’m curious Sarah. What makes you so unafraid of me?"

"I’m curious as to why I should be afraid. I already know each and every way you can make me suffer and have made my peace with it." She crossed her arms, still smiling as if having a relaxed conversation with an old friend. "Besides, I know what my father did for you, so I’d hope if you decided to kill me, you would do him the honor of making it quick."

"Your father proved himself beyond a doubt. It is you who now has something to prove."

"To you? I don’t think I do. Your people didn’t prove themselves to me after you disappeared! I was left to rot with the enemy!"

"You think I don’t know what really happened to you Sarah? I know why you really destroyed all those homes, why you really ran away. After all, it was easy to pick on the foster child, especially the daughter of a Death Eater. Who better for all those self-righteous people to take their fear and anger out on? But you showed them. Destroyed their whole world didn’t you? Ripped it apart without ever once lifting a finger. You proved you were no punching bag. Unlike Potter, who let those people of his do the same to him for years, always going back for more. And they were muggles no less. Don’t you see how much stronger you are than he is?"

"What I don’t see is why I should care."

Voldemort finally rose, towering over her short stature. "Because he is in my way. And to be in my way is to be in your way, if you want what I can deliver to you."

"I’m listening." She remained calm, refusing to be intimidated even as he stalked closer.

"I have their new names, Sarah. The families who were hidden safely away for protection after you ran away. My friend in the newspaper business has many helpful sources, and we know who they are now and more importantly, where they are. You spoke of having taken revenge for your father, wouldn’t you like to take some for yourself?" He stood right before her, his voice dangerously friendly.

She was definitely intrigued by the proposition, time to settle the terms. "And to get this information, I have to do what exactly? Kill this Harry kid? That seems like something you should be more than capable of."

"It does, doesn’t it. Unfortunately that hasn’t proven to be the case. He is one of yours Sarah, he holds your power. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I need you to dispatch him of this power. But you don’t have to kill him unless it’s necessary. I’d prefer you bring him to me, along with whatever annoying little child he is with at the time. One of the red heads is preferable. Someone who’s life he would give anything to save. Luckily he’s weak and the selection is a wide one to choose from."

"And then once I bring him to you, you’ll give me what I want? I know I’m not all there, but I’m not quite ready to be shipped off to the funny farm yet, my lord." She gave a dramatically sarcastic bow and noticed the fury in his eyes after her last statement. She knew he wasn’t angry with her tone, so it had to be the words. Interesting, something she would store away for future contemplation.

But the horrible man got control over himself, and his features twisted themselves into what could resemble a smile. "I would never expect your trust, I will never give you mine. But I will give you the names. After all, it would take so very long to track all those people down with just a name. The locations I’ll give you when you bring Potter to me."

It was something she’d dreamed of for years, making those bastards pay for thinking she was so weak. Fifteen years had passed since she’d escaped London, perhaps it was time to go back. It could be fun, bringing a little destruction to her old stomping grounds. "One question, if he’s like me and also as skilled with his wand as I’ve heard, how should I be expected to get the upper hand? They tell me I’m crazy, but I know I’m not stupid."

"We are working on a plan for that. I have a traitor in my midst it seems, only to be verified once I speak to my rat. Luckily he is very skilled at potions and we only have to force him to concoct the one we need and then find opportunity to use it."

"So until then? I’m not the most patient of people."

"Come to London. Stretch your legs a little. As a good faith payment, I’ll give you the address of the one person still living there."

"Who is it?" she leaned forward, eager to hear who would finally be seeing justice.

"The Auror." His deformed smile widened.

***

"I didn’t like that at all." Luna muttered, breaking off the link.

"What happened?" Kingsley asked from his chair.

"We got some really good information. And we’re going back for more." Harry answered, looking to Luna to be sure she was ready for round two.

***

The house was dark, the mailbox bearing the name Marshall. But Sarah knew the truth now. The man living here like a hermit was Auror Oden Hillby. He was the one who kept moving her from house to house when she was a little girl, each time telling her it would get better and never really caring whether or not it did. She’d thought a lot about him over the years.

She took a step toward the house and felt the protection charms pushing against her. She smiled, but she didn’t stop. Voldemort had been right, his traitor was a talented potion maker and the new one he’d been forced to brew for her worked incredibly well. She sighed contentedly once she’d breached the last charm, the occupants of the house none the wiser as they slept comfortably in their beds. Her entire body was warm from the potion and she felt relaxed and happy.

Picking the lock on the front door had been nothing. To compensate for her lack of wand ability, she’d learned a lot of useful muggle tricks over the years. They may take a bit longer, but they were effective none the less. She’d learned a lot of other tricks too, but she wouldn’t need those tonight.

Once inside, she crept up the stairs and opened the first door she came to. Inside a small boy slept peacefully, tightly squeezing a stuffed dog to his chest. She smiled and closed the door, deciding for his sake, she would keep her revenge clean and quiet. After all, she had nothing at all against him, he hadn’t even been born when she’d suffered her injustice. Though the thought that Hillby had the chance to create a son angered her. Well, if someday the boy wanted to seek her out to avenge his father, she’d welcome the challenge.

A loud snore drew her attention to a door down the hall. At last. Opening the door she took in the sight of Hillby and his wife, sleeping with their backs to each other. Sneaking to each of their nightstands, she found their wands and threw the woman’s out the window, putting his in her pocket. After all, she did know how to use it for one spell, it was the only one her father ever taught her and he’d had her practice it a lot over her younger years, openly defying the law against use of magic by underage witches and wizards. He had said it was the most important spell to know. And she was sure with practice she’d figure out a few more. Then she kicked the edge of the bed, startling the couple awake. "Quiet now, think of your child." She said bringing a finger to her lips as they focused on her.

"Sarah?" Hillby leaned forward as sleep left him completely and panic set in.

"So you do remember. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to go over why you’re going to die tonight. What a relief!" she laughed.

"What’s going on? Who are you?! What are you doing here?" His wife cried clutching his arm.

Sarah furrowed her brow. "I believe I very clearly stated why I’m here Mrs. Hillby. This is no concern of yours, you have nothing to do with it. If you would kindly step into the bathroom over there and close the door, I’ll be as quick as I can." The woman sat frozen in place. Sarah began tapping her foot impatiently. "I don’t have all night you know. Let me put it in terms you can understand. As long as you don’t make a problem for me, you and your son will live. Now you can walk into the other room all on your own or I can place you there, the choice is yours."

The woman looked at her husband who nodded weakly. Softly crying, she quickly got out of bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "Good choice!" Sarah called gleefully after her. "He’s a horrible man and definitely not worth your life." She turned her attention back to Hillby and found him frantically searching his nightstand. "Oh, did you really think I’d let you have what you and your people denied me? No wands, Oden, tonight we use what nature gave us. You can understand why I feel so confident." She gave him a sinister smile.

"Don’t do this Sarah." He raised his hands as if to defend himself.

She laughed. "That’s it! That’s your argument for your life? I’m both amused and disappointed." She flicked her eyes, sending the man crashing into the wall and crumpling to the floor. Another push and the heavy wooden dresser came hurtling at him, pinning him against the wall. He desperately tried to push it away, but she was stronger and she smiled in satisfaction hearing the bones in his legs snap. He screamed in agony, intensifying her pleasure. Once more focusing her mind she sent the nightstand at him, smashing it against his face. He came out of it spitting up teeth. Then hearing someone yell in terror, she turned to find the woman witnessing the scene before her. "I told you not to give me problems. You did this to yourself." She politely informed her before drawing the wand. "Avada Kedavra!" she screamed pointing it directly at the woman’s chest. She dropped lifelessly to the ground. Just as she had practiced with dear old dad all those years ago.

"NO!" Hillby screamed. Sarah turned to him and smiled once more, ensuring her face would be the last thing he’d ever see before handing him the same fate as his foolish wife. Then she dropped the wand, she hadn’t liked the feel of it and would wait to find a better one. Walking back into the hall she saw the little boy standing outside his door rubbing sleep from his eyes.

She once more smiled and raised a finger to her lips. "Go back to sleep." She whispered.

"Where’s my mommy and daddy?" he whispered back.

"They’re sleeping. They were very tired."

"Who are you?"

"I’m… the Tooth Fairy!" she laughed wildly.

"I didn’t lose a tooth."

"No but your daddy lost a few." She smiled at the image. "I have to go now. Lot’s more people to visit. You be a good boy, okay?"

"Okay." He smiled up at her. She patted his head affectionately as she slipped past him down the stairs and skipped out into the night.

***

"That was horrible." Harry shook his head. He’d never seen someone so confusing, so all over the place.

"I didn’t watch most of it." Luna admitted. "But I listened and I don’t think she knows where she stands with herself on the crazy line." He felt dizzy and slightly disoriented and his legs felt weak. "Whoa!" Luna reached out to steady him as he swayed on his feet.

"Maybe that’s enough for today." Kingsley said in concern, coming to stand beside them.

"No, one more. I just want to see what happened with Cho." He protested, trying to clear his foggy head.

"What are you talking about?" the Auror asked suspiciously.

"Please, one more." Harry ignored his question, kicking himself for revealing anything at all.

"Fine, but I want you both to at least sit down." He raised his wand and produced two chairs. "Arthur would kill me if after all that you fell and cracked your head open due to exhaustion."

"Your concern touches me." Harry joked as he sank gratefully into the chair. "Ready?"

"For this one, I certainly am." Luna answered, just as eager as he was to find out how Sarah had worked through Cho to poison him.

***

Voldemort entered the small apartment that had been provided to Sarah. She barely glanced up from the book she was reading. "I am tired of sitting in here all day hiding." She complained.

"Your wait will be over soon. My seer has brought me news, Potter and his friends have made a decision that will place them directly in our hands. They will be visiting Azkaban." He seated himself across from her looking pleased. "Tell me Sarah, how long has it been since you spoke with the Changs?"

"I was in the village a few weeks before you found me. I heard they were on the run and their daughter was in prison."

"You are lying to me." He smiled.

"Okay, so maybe I’ve been writing to an old friend for awhile."

"And using you cousin’s name. That was foolish."

"Your opinion means very little."

"Who were you working with when you were writing her?" he demanded.

"I’m allowed my secrets." She answered stubbornly. After all, her plans had been in the works long before he came to find her.

"You do know I could just reach into your feeble mind and take the information." He threatened.

"You are welcome to try." She invited with a smile as things began rising off the floor around her and circling the room. "Maybe you should just tell me what you want from me."

"You push your limits with me. You won’t always be as needed as you are right now." He reminded her.

"What do you want me to do with Cho?" she asked, still floating things dangerously around the room.

"I want you to pay her a visit. I have someone here that you can travel through." He offered, turning and blasting the door open with his wand. Waiting patiently on the other side was a tall, raven-haired girl with big bright honey colored eyes. She was very beautiful and couldn’t be more than twenty. Sarah made no indication that she knew the girl, not wanting to give anything away. She simply turned to him with a questioning gaze. "No one will question her at the prison." Voldemort answered her stare.

"I question her here and now. And you. What exactly is the plan?" Sarah inquired.

"We need you to use your other talents, with astral projection. My young friend here is willing to be placed into unconsciousness so that you can move yourself in and safely talk with Cho. Once there, I want you two to set up a plan. Potter and his seer are planning to go to Azkaban and they will find themselves in her way."

"What is it you exactly want to happen there?"

Voldemort produced a sharpened piece of wood and handed it over. "Be careful with that, the tip is covered in something quite dangerous to your kind."

"Psychohemia." She recognized the green potion that stained the weapon. "I remember, my father was nearly injected with it once. Quite lethal, isn’t it? I thought you wanted the kid alive."

"Preferably." He reminded her. "Right now I simply wish him out of the way by whatever means necessary. If the killing agent in the poison gets to him before you can bring him back here, then so be it. But if you can, bring back his seer. From what I’ve heard, she’s much better than the old man we are stuck with." He handed over a picture of a smiling blonde girl in school robes.

"Another child? My confidence in you is waning if you need outside help to kidnap a couple of kids." Sarah threw the picture aside.

"They are not ordinary children." He answered angrily. "Bring them both to me, dead or alive. And if at all possible, bring the ring."

"What ring?" she asked, leaning forward in interest.

***

Harry kept his eyes closed, not wanting Kingsley to know that they had moved on to another memory. He’d just heard how she’d done it, now he wanted to see it, through her eyes. Peeking slightly, he could see that Luna was following his lead. He took a deep breath and prepared to watch his own attack.

***

"It’s time." The old man told her. They had told her his name was Jasper, and all Sarah knew was that she didn’t much care for him. Unfortunately until they could get their hands on Potter’s little blonde seer, they needed him.

She opened the communication device they had rigged, knowing the other piece was directly in Cho’s ear. "Let yourself go, I’m coming."

Instead of Cho’s voice, she heard another girl, pleading. "Please!"

Then Cho’s voice came through "Please? Please what, please don’t kill you? Sorry, I’ve pretty much made up my mind about that, regardless your friend’s threat to end my life as well. I’ve already seen to it that you all suffer." Cho threw back.

"If you kill her, how does she suffer? It’ll just be over, nothing more. Some punishment." She heard a boy say. It must be Harry.

"Cho! What are you doing? We have a plan!" Sarah demanded. But the girl ignored her.

"Really, you think reverse psychology is going to work?" Cho responded to Harry.

"I don’t think any sort of psychology would work for you. I was just going off your words. Death makes those left behind suffer, not the person themselves." She heard Harry say.

"That depends on how slowly they die, wouldn’t you agree?"

"CHO!" Sarah tried to get her attention.

"Stop!" she heard Harry cry. "Let her go!" he yelled.

Whatever Cho was doing, she was obviously hurting the seer that Voldemort wanted so badly. "Cho, let her go! I swear to you that if you mess this up for me I will kill you slowly and painfully." Friend or not, she wouldn’t let the maniacal teenager ruin her chance for revenge. Suddenly she heard a thud and realized the girl must have been knocked unconscious. Quickly focusing her mind, she let go of her body and it fell to the floor, an empty shell. Then flying rapidly through time and space she was in Cho’s cell, staring down at the girl as she lay sprawled on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she dove into the girl’s body, pushing out her consciousness and taking it over for herself. A trick she was glad now to have mastered.

She opened Cho’s eyes and saw through them. Instantly she reached for the weapon Cho had smuggled into the cell. Feeling it firmly in her hand, she rose and moved to the bars, smiling as she hid the wood behind her back.

***

Harry didn’t need to see anymore. He knew what had happened next. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?" he asked Luna.

"Well… once daddy was interviewing a man who claimed he had mastered astral projection. It was our most popular article ever, but I didn’t see him do it and neither did my dad. But I believed he could." Luna shrugged as if to say she believed anything possible.

"What was it?" Kingsley asked anxiously. "What did you guys see?"

"Let’s go find Arthur. Then we can tell you both." Harry answered.

"He had to check in at the office. He said he’d be back as soon as he could." Kingsley replied.

"Well, I think it’s best if we wait for him." He looked at Luna slyly knowing she was having the same thoughts. They had time to get their stories straight and now they had a way to tell Arthur everything without incriminating themselves. If he questioned the information they brought him, they could just say they’d seen it in Sarah’s head; it would also explain away anything about Cho. They didn’t have to tell him Harry had been injured or about Sarah taking over the other girl’s body, simply knowing they were up to something together long before Voldemort came into the picture was enough. Harry was happy as they walked back to their room. Finally things would start rolling.





NOTE: A lot of answers coming from all different directions next chapter, prepare yourselves now for a super long read on the next one. See you all then!


Chapter 24: Finding Truths and Exposing Secrets

A/N: Read, Review, Enjoy!

Fred, Hermione, Ginny and Draco were discharged the next morning and brought directly to Grimmauld place. A few hours later, Arthur came to bring Harry to Drake’s office to talk, leaving Ron alone in the room with Luna. So far he hadn’t said a word to anyone beyond answering questions about his health. Now, finally healed enough to be free of most of his bandages, he found himself with a golden opportunity to talk to the one person he most wanted to speak with. Ever since waking, he’d put his shields back up, not wanting a single thought of his to slip out for Luna to see. All he had to do was figure out how to begin.

"Why didn’t you ever tell me anything about yourself?" He looked at her figuring his best bet was to be direct.

"Why didn’t you ever ask me anything about myself?" she returned quietly.

"That’s not good enough, Luna. I told you so many things about me, and you got to see everything else for yourself."

"Yeah, you told me a whole lot, because I asked. I asked about your childhood and your family. I asked about your dreams and goals. I was actually interested." She returned huffily.

"Maybe I would have asked more if I actually gotten answers when I did try! You hid everything from me last year. And now you have everyone else hiding things from me! Come on Luna! How was I supposed to know to ask about a brother you never mentioned having?"

"I’m sorry, okay. I really am. You’re right, I should have told you more and I shouldn’t have kept you out of the plan to go to Azkaban. I feel horrible. But it doesn’t change the fact that had you not spent half the time we were together thinking I was weird maybe I would have been in a more sharing mood."

"You are weird! And you know I loved you."

"I know you did. And I loved you too. I really did Ron." She looked at him earnestly, wanting him to believe her. He decided that he did.

"It hurt a lot, to know that you kept so much from me. It hurts even more knowing you can influence not only my best friends, but my brother to do it as well."

"What is it you’re looking for, Ron? I can’t feel any more sorry than I already do."

"I want to know why. And not this whole I couldn’t tell you because you never asked bull." He answered steadily.

"Because I didn’t want to admit that I had kept it all from you, okay, because to bring you in on it would have meant opening this whole can of worms. Because of a whole lot of other little silly reasons Harry and I came up with to keep as few people from knowing as possible. Kane belonged to me and I had a right to share him with whomever I wanted whenever I wanted. If I never felt comfortable enough talking about him with you then I guess that proves we really weren’t a good couple."

"Why does it feel like you’re breaking up with me all over again? Every time we’re alone I feel like I’m getting broken up with." He grumbled.

"I’m sorry for that too." She looked down. "And I’m sorry that you rushed into the house and got hurt so badly." She added quietly.

So that was it. She had heard about his attempt to rush to her rescue. But she was reading way more into it than she should be. Or was she? He had recognized the pain and fear in her scream and his brain had kicked into instant action. But he would have done the same had he heard any of the others yell like that, wouldn’t he? She raised her eyes to his once more and he saw how guilty she was feeling. "I’d do it again, just so you know, only next time, let’s do it without the flames." He smiled trying to hide the tension he felt.

She smiled back. "Let’s aim for there not being a next time."

"Even better." They were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. "Your dad and Harry are on their way back with Drake." She announced a bit later.

"Luna, will you promise me something really quick before they get here?" he asked.

She thought hard, obviously upset she couldn’t see his request beforehand. "I can try." She said finally.

"Don’t intentionally keep me out anymore. I can accept that we aren’t together, I really can. But I can’t be your friend if you’re always keeping secrets, and especially if you go around getting everyone else to keep them from me too. I’m not saying that I need you to tell me everything. Just the big stuff, you know like if you have anymore brothers or are planning to break into prison again. Things like that." He waited breathlessly for her response. He hadn’t let out as much anger as he thought he would towards her, hardly any at all in fact. Perhaps he wasn’t as angry as he thought, maybe on some level he did understand. This must be what Hermione meant by them all growing in maturity. He wasn’t sure he liked it, he had wanted to yell at Luna, to scream at her how hurt and upset he was. Maybe he should have waited until he had more energy.

She was quiet, thinking hard. "I promise I can try." She said at last. "It’s the only way I can promise anything without going back on my word."

"Then I guess that will have to do." He replied wearily as Harry and Arthur opened the door.

(BREAK)

"See! I knew it! I knew Willem was innocent." Drake said happily to Arthur once Harry had finished the story he and Luna had put together. They’d managed to get all of the important information in there without exposing their own misdeeds while obtaining the facts; thankfully Drake didn’t contradict any of it.

"Now we just have to put everything together and prove it." Arthur said thoughtfully. "If done the right way, this could solve so many problems."

"Including freeing an innocent man." Drake declared. "Willem was… is a good man. And Edmund has gotten his way for far too long. It was always that way with them, even when we were all boys. Edmund did the evil, and Willem paid the price."

"There must be more to it than covering up the false reports, Willem must know something that Edmund didn’t want him talking about. As much as I’m sure they wouldn’t want him to reveal their psychic, there was a bigger reason to give him that potion I’m sure of it." Arthur speculated.

"Ron told me that Fred had guessed something like that too." Harry answered.

"Glad to see my son is thinking like a bureaucrat." Arthur smiled.

"When we watched Sarah talking to Willem, she asked why Edmund had turned on him and he’d said it was after he’d began investigating Jayalina." He offered further

"But why did she go to see him at all?" Arthur mused.

"I don’t know, it must have something to do with her plans with Cho." Harry shrugged, giving their catch all answer to any questions.

"That’s another thing that worries me. If she was writing Miss Chang before Voldemort found her, then what are they planning and how does it involve you kids?" Arthur put his head in his hands. "It’s always one step forward, two steps back isn’t it?"

"The first step is talking to Willem now that Sarah gave him the counterpotion." Drake suggested. Harry felt himself panic. Would Willem hold up the lie for them? How would he even know to do so? Harry had admitted to the man that he was friends with the minister, so why wouldn’t he tell them who had actually come to see him.

Luckily Arthur unknowingly saved him. "We have to wait. I know it’s horrible to let him keep sitting in there. But we can’t let Edmund, or anyone else, know that we’re looking into this. We start with the gardener. As Draco requested, we will arrange a safe place for the Rosebloods and see what he knows. In the meantime, I’ll have Moody start researching Ms. Delamora, see if we can find whatever it was Willem was about to find."

"Moody? Don’t you think him a little overqualified for research?" Drake asked.

"Not in this case. I believe he’s the only one who could successfully find everything we need in secret. There are very few people I can trust at the ministry right now. And very few trust me." Arthur shook his head. "Edmund’s campaign has certainly been successful."

"It’ll end soon." Drake put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. "And when the time comes that we can approach Willem, I’d like to be the one to go talk to him and get his side of the story." He winked at Harry who felt an instant sense of relief. Drake of course already knew of their outing to the prison, so it didn’t matter what he was told.

"I think I can arrange that. It might be better that way anyway, to have a friend of his and someone unassociated with the ministry."

"Well, not associated anymore. Not for a very long time anyway. I lost my faith in them when Fudge came into power and broke away completely once Willem was imprisoned." Drake answered. "Though I’d gladly come back now if you all needed me."

"I appreciate it. But you already know where you are needed." Arthur said mysteriously, shooting an amused smile in Harry’s direction.

"Ah, yes. A new adventure I’m looking forward to." Drake answered just as mysteriously.

"What are you talking about?" Harry finally asked, unable to control his curiosity.

The two men looked at each other as if sharing a private joke before Arthur responded, "All will be revealed in good time."

"We should head back. It’s about time for pain potions if Harry is any indication." Drake said after studying him.

"I’m fine." He protested.

"You say you are, but your body says different and I know the signs to look for. Come on, I’m sure Arthur wants to check on Ron anyway." When they reentered the hospital room, Ron and Luna were both sitting up, neither looking at the other. But a quick glance in Luna’s direction told him that everything was fine between them. "How’s everyone feeling?" Drake asked as Harry climbed back into his bed.

"Sore and hot." Ron answered shortly.

"I’m fine." Luna responded quietly. "When can I go home?"

Drake looked her over, testing for soreness in her arm and examining her eyes closely. Then he looked at her leg, which was red and raw but no longer displaying evidence of the severe burns. "I’d say tomorrow morning. I’d let you go today like the others, but I still see some left over signs of shock and I’d like that leg to look a little better."

Then he made his way over to Harry and Ron, inspecting each of them. While he did this, Harry reached out to Luna. Hey. You akay?

She was lying back with her eyes closed, but he could see tears glistening on her eyelashes. Just really tired.She answered without moving.

I know the feeling. He offered kindly. I definitely know that point you get to where everything is so hard and mixed up and you feel like it’s never going to get fixed or get better. That’s when all you want to do is give up because you feel like you’re alone and drowning and it would be easier than continuing to struggle.

I’m sure you do. She answered bleakly. And I’m sure you understand the constant guilt and doubt and fear. I know you think you know what I’m feeling. But it’s all so much more wretched when you really are alone, Harry. When no one is there for you to turn to and hug you tight when things are tough. I don’t have a Hermione to hold my hand and tell me its okay because she loves me no matter what I do. And I don’t have Arthur and Molly to hug me and worry about me. I don’t have Ron and Fred to act like my brothers. My brother is dead, and so is my mother. Sure my father loves me, but he is usually traveling the world looking for things most people think ridiculous nonsense. You’re the only one of my friends who can even stand the sight of me right now and Ron and I are on such different pages in our life even if we had still been together it would be a tragic mess. I’m just so tired of seeing how things are going to be while suffering through how they are now. I’m tired of feeling responsible for not getting visions in time. I’m tired of watching everyone blame themselves for everything and I’m certainly tired of blaming myself. I just want it all to stop!

I know, I want it all to stop too. We all do. He answered feeling more than a little worried. Luna, I am always here for you.

Until you can’t be. It too much right now, Harry, can’t you see that? I’m sorry I started this whole thing in the first place.

Don’t be! Because of your search for the truth about Kane, we’ve discovered so much more!

And lost a whole lot too. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter against the tears he knew she was fighting.Please, stop worrying about me, it only makes me feel worse. I’d prefer it if you let yourself be mad at me, to just forget about me for awhile. Go home, enjoy your last week with Hermione before school starts and help with Willem and Sarah. My dad should be home by now certainly-

So wait. He interrupted. When you asked to go home earlier, did you mean back to my house or back home with your father? He asked feeling worried. He didn’t like the thought of Luna being separate from their lives, even if it was only for a week or so. He very much liked having everyone he cared about under one roof where he could keep an eye on them. He was especially nervous now that he knew Voldemort was after her for her abilities.

I don’t know. She answered softly. I just want to feel comforted and where else is one more comfortable than in their own home with someone who loves them? It’d just be until school starts anyway.

Luna, I- but his response was cut off as Drake finished looking the boys over. "Well, Harry, I think you’ll be able to leave in the morning with Luna. Your hand needs one more treatment tonight, but the leg is nicely healed. However I also see some residual signs of shock so I think one more night of observation is called for. Ron, unfortunately, you may be here a couple more days. The burns on your face have begun to clear, but it seems the rest of you, is in a bit more trouble. I’m just going to apply another round of the herbs before I go." Harry watched his friend begin to be wrapped as a mummy again and felt bad for him. But his mind was back in that moment only minutes ago. Luna had told him she wanted to be around someone who loved her, and before Drake had interrupted him, he’d been about to assure her that he loved her. But he’d been caught up in the moment and was glad to have been stopped. He had never said those words to another girl besides Hermione and though he saw Luna as nothing but his friend, he felt that somehow it would have been wrong to say. And that’s the feeling that gave him pause. Why would it be wrong for him to say something like that to Luna? After all, he’d told Ron he loved him.

Please, don’t leave. Don’t go home. He begged her, pushing aside his thoughts to focus on the problem at hand. Anything else could be reasoned out later. It’s too dangerous. You saw Voldemort tell Sarah to take you. You can’t leave!

And I doubt Arthur would let me go anywhere without guards. I’ll be just as safe with my dad I’m sure. Besides, I have to leave sometime, Harry. I can’t live with you forever.

I know that. I know you all have lives outside Grimmauld Place and that someday you will all go back to them. But please, just stay now. If you want I can guilt you into it. In fact, I am mad at you and I blame you for everything, so to make it up to me, you should give me what I want and stay.

He saw her smile from across the room. You’re a more convincing liar when the person you’re lying to can’t see that you are in fact lying.

It’s true! I’m so mad at you that if you left now I don’t think we could ever repair the damage. But if you want to risk that then go ahead. I guess I see how important this friendship is to you! He put false anger in his tone and he saw her smile widen. So he went on. I personally think it extremely selfish of you to want to leave in the middle of this huge fight we’re having and not want to work through it.

Well, I guess if I leave that’ll make me a pretty horrible person, won’t it. She returned finally.

The worst! He agreed. Better you just stay so we can work out all these anger issues I have toward you.

Okay, you win. She answered quietly. I’ll stay. But I can’t do this much longer.

Okay. He agreed, not fully knowing what he was agreeing to. What exactly was it she wouldn’t be able to handle? He was a bundle of confusion, but his head and heart where at ease knowing she’d still be with them in his house. Everything else could be sorted out later.

(BREAK)

Draco and Ginny were lying in her bedroom together trying to nap away some of the effects of the many healing potions they were given when the front door slammed open and they heard Mr. Weasley calling up the stairs for him. Feeling nervous he threw a troubled glance at Ginny who rose with him to go see what her father wanted. She looked just as nervous.

They entered the parlor and were surprised to see him smiling. "How are you both feeling?" he asked pulling his daughter into a tight hug.

"Just fine dad, better if I could breathe!" Ginny gasped.

"Sorry." He laughed releasing her and pulling her to sit next to him, gesturing for Draco to join them. He chose the chair across from the couch and looked at him expectantly. "Harry just finished telling me about everything they saw in Sarah’s head, and it’s wonderful news. Now Draco, I understand he’s already spoken to you about Mr. Roseblood?"

"He has. I told him that I wouldn’t let anyone ask him anything while he’s there."

"So he told me. Well, I stopped by to see Albus and he’s agreed to find a suitable place for them by the time we have them in custody. You understand we must do this with as little attention as possible. We will be going to your house, and arresting all servants you have working there, they will all be placed safely away of course after determining where they stand." Arthur paused and looked at him carefully.

Draco shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "I don’t have a problem with any of that if that’s what you’re wondering." He finally said.

Mr. Weasley smiled. "I didn’t think you would. I was actually wondering if it would be wise or foolish to allow you to come along. What do you think?"

He caught the troubled glance Ginny shot him and he looked away wanting to decide for himself what he really wanted. Part of him never wanted to go back there. He feared there would be too many memories too many influences, too much provocation back into the life he knew better. But…there was that other part of him that wanted to go back, for the closure. For the chance to get some of his things and possibly see his mother, maybe even have a private conversation with her. He wanted the time to sit in that cold house and remind himself why he’d given it all up. "I want to go. It could be the stupidest thing either of us have ever done, but I want you to take me there." He finally answered.

"I thought so." Mr. Weasley nodded. "I have to go to the office and arrange a secret Auror squad. I should be back in an hour. We’ll leave shortly thereafter. Sound good?"

"Sounds as good as it can I guess." He answered. "Thank you." He swallowed hard, still finding those words difficult to express.

Mr. Weasley rose and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t thank me yet." He said seriously.

After he left they returned to Ginny’s room where she stood glaring at him with her arms crossed. "What?" he asked feeling irritated.

"This is the worst idea ever and I’m ashamed my father suggested it."

"You didn’t exactly voice that opinion in front of him." He returned angrily. He’d wanted support, not an argument.

"I’m voicing it to you. You can still change your mind." She sighed and took his hand. "Look I think it’s really admirable that you wanted to protect the Rosebloods. But what do you have to prove by going back there? We all went to Harry’s old house and you saw how that turned out."

He pulled free and sat on the edge of her bed. "I guess we all have to go home again sometime. Now it’s my turn. I have my own demons to face Ginny. You should be able to understand that, you’re facing yours in therapy. Well, this will have to serve as my therapy. Besides, I think I’d like to see my mother. And it’d be nice to have some of my own things here, might make it more comfortable."

"We go back to school in a week. You’ve gone without all that stuff this long, and besides, I’m sure they can arrange a meeting with your mum."

"I’ve made up my mind. I’m going." He answered decisively.

"Fine. Just… remember whatever you feel there, whatever thoughts you have… I know who you really are now. So just come back so I can remind you." she sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

So she did have the same fears he did. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he turned and rested his lips against the top of her head marveling at how different her thinking was from a few short weeks before when she’d wanted him to give into his darker side to get him away from the others. He smiled. Well at least one of them was starting to be sure about where they stood. He would have to reserve judgement on himself until after he’d re-immersed himself in his old life.

(BREAK)

Ginny felt uneasy before, but after Draco left with her father she felt downright anxious. She didn’t know why she was so worried about him going home, maybe some fear deep down that he wouldn’t want to come back. After all, it had to be easier to be with one’s own family. She didn’t know much of his relationship with his mother, but she knew that had she been thrust into a whole new life where everything was going wrong, she’d relish the idea of returning to Molly and the comfort of her arms. Narcissa seemed to be a different kind of mother, though she had been with Draco every day in the hospital after Ginny had stabbed him. She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, he had to come back. Surely her father wouldn’t allow him to stay; it was too dangerous.

With a sigh she decided to pass the time by finding a way to go see Ron; she had a lot to say to him. Going downstairs she found Lupin reading through reports on the couch in the parlor. "Sorry to bother you, but can I ask a favor?" she asked quietly from the doorway.

He looked up at her and smiled warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was kind of wondering if you could take me to St. Mungo’s to visit with Ron for awhile?"

"I don’t see why not. I can read all this just as well there." He rose and gathered his things. "Let me arrange a car from the ministry and we can be on our way."

She thanked him and went to arrange her thoughts until he called for her. The ride over was comfortably silent as some nameless ministry driver took them to their destination. Lupin walked her all the way to the room before breaking off and heading for the waiting room, giving her privacy with Ron, Harry and Luna. Though she greeted them all when she entered, she was really hoping for some time alone with her brother. Letting that thought out into the open, she saw Harry catch it and look over at Luna. They both carefully got out of their beds. "We’ll be back in a little while." He announced.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked them.

"For a walk." Harry answered looking meaningfully at Ginny. She appreciated the gesture and nodded a thank you in their direction as they headed out, closing the door behind them.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked, pulling a chair up next to Ron’s bed.

"Like I took a walk on the sun. What are you doing here?" he looked at her suspiciously. She couldn’t say she didn’t deserve it based on her past actions.

"I just wanted to talk to you." She looked down, unsure how to express her feelings. "I know you don’t like Draco very much. And I know you hate that I like him-"

"You got that right. You can do way better." He interrupted.

She glared at him. "Putting that aside, I wanted to thank you. For saving his life back there at Harry’s house."

"Yeah, well. It doesn’t mean I approve, it just means I don’t want any of us to get killed." Ron grumbled.

"I don’t care if you approve. I really don’t Ron." She returned. "I love you, but I make my own decisions now. I’m starting to get a grasp on who I am. And more than that, he makes me happy. I don’t know how or why, but it’s true and I just want you to understand he’s important to me. That’s all. I want your understanding, not your approval."

"How about a little understanding in return, Ginny? He tortured us for years; it can’t all be water under the bridge just because he changed his mind. Harry may be sympathetic towards him, but I can’t be. Maybe my childhood was too happy, who knows, but I don’t operate on the same emotional tide as they do. I feel bad for everything he went through but that’s as far as it goes. I’m sure he wasn’t sitting around all those years feeling bad for us. And no one really changes as much as he says he has, and certainly not in half a year. You want to tangle yourself up with him, fine. It’s one more thing for you to talk about in therapy."

"Why are you so mad right now?" she asked, hurt by his words.

"Because you expect everyone to do what you want them to and get mad when you don’t get your way and I refuse to be held hostage by your moods any longer! I’m entitled to feel any way I want about any given subject the same way you are, you know! If I don’t want to like Draco Malfoy, I don’t have to! If I don’t want to walk around pretending you didn’t hurt us all with the way you were acting and the things you did then I don’t have to! I was so scared to upset you that I let it all get as out of hand as it did. So now I won’t let that stop me from telling you when I think you’re making a mistake, not anymore. Sure I saved Malfoy’s life, and I’d do it again if I had to. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t still curse him myself if I wanted. He’s no friend of mine, and when the day comes that he turns on the rest of you, I’ll be the only one left to say I told you so."

"Yeah, you’ll be the only one left alright." She muttered rising and pushing the chair back. "I’m sorry I thought we could have a real conversation here, that I could talk to you like my brother."

"And so in order to have a nice conversation the first thing you do is tell me I have to understand your desire to have a relationship with our former enemy!? Trust me Ginny, by not sitting here telling you what you want to hear I’m being more of a brother to you than I have in the past few months. In fact, why don’t you go try this conversation out with Fred? I’m sure he’s not going to be very understanding either."

"I’ll do that. And in the meantime, why don’t you just go to hell?" She yelled stalking out the door. In the hallway, she paused to lean against the wall and collect herself. The scene that had just played out hadn’t been exactly what she’d expected. She’d wanted to open up to Ron, to explain herself and her feelings so that maybe someday everything would be okay. She wasn’t sure how she’d messed it up, or even if it was all her fault. Ron seemed to be in a touchy mood to begin with. Stupid Laurel, tricking her into thinking talking was a good thing.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself away from the wall and went in search of Lupin. Now that she’d managed an impromptu fight with her brother, the only thing left to do was go home and wait for Draco to come back. She had a feeling he’d need the support.

(BREAK)

"I’m not so sure this is a good idea." Luna said as she and Harry stepped into the elevator. "I mean last time we had Arthur’s permission."

"How do they know we don’t now? Aren’t you curious as to what she’s up to with Cho? I know I am and we may never have a better chance than this to literally look through the enemy’s mind." He answered.

"You know I am. She just makes me nervous. There’s something not normal about her, and I just feel like she’s going to wake up at any time. And if we’re there rooting around in her head when she does, I don’t think it’ll make her very happy."

"I don’t think we have to worry about that." He smiled as they stepped off the elevator.

"Yeah, well, I do." She was nervous, anxious and scared. She may not have received any visions about Sarah waking, but it didn’t stop her from having a bad feeling about the idea.

They rounded the last corner and saw several Aurors still positioned outside the door. The only difference was Tonks being there instead of Kingsley. "Hey you two, taking a little stroll?" she asked with amusement.

"Did Kingsley finally get to go rest?" Harry asked as they approached.

"None of us get to rest right now. I take it you two want to pay a visit."

"Want isn’t the word I’d use." Luna said stubbornly.

"Well, come on. Let’s get you guys out of the hallway. The rest of you, no one else gets in except Healer Drake or Minister Weasley. I mean it, no one is to follow us in." she looked at her Aurors meaningfully before following the teens into the room.

Luna took in the sight of Sarah, still resting peacefully in her bed. She didn’t like the look of the woman. Truthfully, this was the last place she wanted to be. She wanted to be back in the room, trying to sleep away some of the emotions raised during her conversations with Ron and Harry. But she had these powers and they gave her responsibilities. And if they could go in and get answers that everyone needed, then she had no right not to try.

"So where is Kingsley then?" Harry asked when Tonks closed the door.

"Arthur wanted him at the Malfoy mansion. He was only taking the Aurors he trusted to get the Rosebloods."

"Why didn’t you go then?" Luna asked.

"Because he also needed someone he trusted here. Kingsley is far more physically impressive than I am and so he wanted him there in case anybody chose to give them a hard time." Tonks smiled. "I’ll just let you do whatever it is you two do and sit over here quietly."

Luna followed Harry over to the bed, both of them staring down at the comatose patient. "Are you ready to do this again?" he whispered.

"I guess." She whispered back. Then closing her eyes, she linked her mind up with his and watched as he searched Sarah’s memories, looking for familiar faces.

***

"It took you long enough." Sarah complained as she let the girl in. It was the same Raven-haired, golden eyed girl Voldemort would later bring to her apartment.

"Well your friend’s letter was a bit unclear as to the exact location of your place." The girl shot back.

"That’s because she uses that idiot Marietta. I told Cho long ago that girl is worthless." Sarah said harshly as they sat together. "So I haven’t been told much more than your name and your little mind power. How exactly are you going to fit into our plans?"

"It’s a- you help me I help you- situation. I want revenge against my father, Cho wants revenge against those stupid kids and you want whatever it is that you want that’s making you help her."

"And she and I already have a plan." Sarah was sure not to reveal her intentions. After all, they concerned no one but herself. "What I fail to see is the benefit of adding you to the mix."

"And that’s why I’ve brought a friend. If it’s okay with you, I believe she knows you back from your life in London."

Sarah felt conflicted. She already wasn’t agreeable to the idea of adding more players to her game but her curiosity over who actually remembered her was overwhelming. "I suppose." She finally answered.

The other girl rose and went to open the door calling someone else in. When the woman entered, Sarah rose, feeling excited for the first time in a long while. She took in the dark hair so similar to her own, the eyes like hers only with more green and the small star tattoo right below her left eye. "Elise McKinney!"

"Hello Sarah." Elise answered as the women embraced each other. "I’ve been looking for you since you disappeared all those years ago! And now here under these circumstances I finally find you. It’s a bit chilly in here thought isn’t it?" She pointed at the fireplace where a roaring fire blazed to life.

"I had thought you turned against me like the others." Sarah said taking a step back from the sudden warmth. Elise’s power was one she envied, such a more definite way to bring destruction.

"Of course I didn’t. I was dealing with the fallout of my own parents death." She responded.

"I’d heard of that. I’ve also heard that he’s back."

"He is. Voldemort has been resurrected apparently by the same brat that took him down in the first place." Elise shook her head. "I’ve been told that you are helping someone take care of that kid and his annoying friends. I have no interest in that, but I think all of our separate problems revolve around each other. So I think the four of us should work together."

"And what is it you two are after? Because Cho and I have things in motion already." Sarah responded.

It was the dark haired girl who answered. "Think how much more quickly you can get things done when you have allies outside a prison cell. Not to mention that as twisted as little Cho has become, she’s no where near as powerful as the three of us."

"Lord Voldemort has approached me already to join his forces." Elise added. "I’ve an in with that side. And I can easily mention you. I know he’d want to add you to his psychic menagerie."

"Why would I want that?" Sarah asked.

"Because he can get you the information you’re after much more quickly than Cho’s little puppet Marietta can discover." she answered. "You think I don’t know what you’re after? We all want revenge Sarah."

"And once we get what we all want? I remember you well, Elise. You always had something else going." She responded.

"As did you." She smiled wickedly. "The way I see it, if you and I have an in on the evil side, we need someone on the other side, which is where my new friend comes in. She knows one of those kids always with Potter from back at school. She’ll position herself in their lives and then we’ll know what’s going on in both sides of this war. I want us all to come out on top. I want them all to suffer. Think about it, we can’t blame it all on the ministry for what happened to us and our families. Lord Voldemort and his followers were men after power and influence. I want us to achieve what they never could. I want us to take them all down." Elise finished.

"And why would you want to spy on those kids?" Sarah turned the other girl.

"Because they get me closer to my father." She answered simply.

"And what did dear old daddy do to make you so angry with him?"

"He denied me as his daughter and killed my mother." She again answered simply.

"So what do you say Sarah? Are you ready for a new game?" Elise prompted.

"I don’t see why not. Especially since we get to make up the rules. How long before I can expect a visit from the almighty Voldemort?" she asked, still keeping her own plans to herself.

"I’ll tell him about you as soon as I get back. After what happened at the Leaky Cauldron yesterday, I think he’s going to love finding out about you."

"Why, what happened?"

"That Potter kid, it seems he has a few extra talents of his own." Elise smiled. "Maybe if Voldemort doesn’t want us to kill him, we can use him as well."

***

"Wow." Luna said after the memory grew dark.

"What? What did you see?" Tonks asked eagerly from the chair.

"A whole new problem." Harry answered grimly.

(BREAK)

Draco looked out the darkened window of the ministry car, watching as Arthur and his Aurors approached the house. "Dobby thinks Young Master is sad." Said the little house elf sitting next to him. At first when Arthur had showed up with the elf, they had stared at each other for a long time before deciding they were okay with each other. The last time he’d actually seen the house elf, he’d still been in service to his family and Lucius was abusing the little thing. He’d since heard that Dobby had been taken in by Dumbledore to work in the castle. Beyond that, he hadn’t really thought of the elf since.

"I’m not sad." He answered still watching as the adults all disappeared into the house.

"Dobby isn’t sad to be back here either. Dobby is glad Harry Potter tricks master into giving Dobby clothes." He insisted as if Draco were trying to force him to go back.

"I’m sure you are." He answered wearily. All he wanted was to go in the house and get this over with. Being trapped in the car with Dobby was not part of what he had agreed to.

"Young Master is now friends with Harry Potter? Professor Dumbledore told Dobby you was and Professor Dumbledore never lies to Dobby."

"Well I guess it’s true then isn’t it." He didn’t hide his irritation.

"Dobby protects Harry Potter. Young master doesn’t wants to hurt Harry Potter anymore?"

"Not at the moment." Draco answered, excited to see Mr. Weasley, Kingsley and Mad-eye return to the car.

"Dobby, you can go right in and find those files we talked about." Arthur said opening the back door.

"The ones Master makes Dobby steal from the ministry a long time ago?"

"Those are the ones." He smiled kindly at the creature. With a snap, the small house elf disappeared, presumably to wherever he’d hidden the documents within the mansion. "You ready?" Mr. Weasley turned to him and handed over the invisibility cloak. Draco had to wear it into the house so no one would see him entering.

"As much as I can be I guess." He answered, settling the silky folds around himself. He followed them up the familiar walkway, the entrance looming in front of him, much bigger and more menacing than he recalled. Narcissa was in the parlor, sitting stiffly as Aurors went through her things. It was the same way she sat every time the ministry had invaded their home. Draco was strangely comforted knowing certain things stayed the same.

"Hello mother." He said from the doorway, letting the cloak fall to the floor.

She turned quickly, her eyes flashing love, concern and excitement before they hardened. "Draco. What are you doing here?"

"I came to get some things. And to see you." He answered quietly.

"You came to get some things?! And you brought the Minister to help you move?" she asked rising to face him.

"I’m here on official business. I offered him the chance to come with." Mr. Weasley answered in a hard voice.

"May I have a moment alone with my son?" she asked angrily. But suddenly, Draco didn’t want to be alone with her. There was something in her stance, in her look. She seemed to feel just as betrayed by him as everyone else.

"I don’t think so." Mr. Weasley answered, obviously picking up on Narcissa’s attitude. "I’ll stay right where I can see him, and you."

"You act as if I intend to kill my own son." She said angrily. "I’m not my husband, I do have some shred of decency. We have many things to discuss, my son and I."

"I will issue a cone of silence for you both, but I will not leave the room." The minister insisted.

"Fine." She agreed through clenched teeth, upset at being told how things would be conducted in her own house. Mr. Weasley waved his wand and suddenly all the sounds around them disappeared. It was disconcerting, seeing so many people moving and talking around him and not being able to hear any of it. "Draco. Why did you do this?" Narcissa asked, the anger gone now that no one could hear her.

"What I don’t understand is why you didn’t all those years ago!" he shot back, letting his own anger and disappointment overwhelm him. "Why did you stay with him?"

"I couldn’t leave. You know it wouldn’t have been that simple. And truth be told I didn’t want to leave, Draco. This life has given us everything we’ve ever wanted. We’ve never had to struggle, never had to go hungry, never had to go without anything."

"And all we had to do was sell our souls." He answered miserably.

"And what has finding your soul done for you, love?" she looked pointedly at his arm, still missing the wrist and hand.

"Yeah, well, you can thank your husband for this." He raised his stump of an arm. "He’s the one who tried to kill me. I wouldn’t be here right now if Potter hadn’t pushed me out of the way, and my own father would have been the one to end my life. And you know what else? You can thank the minister and all the rest of them for finding a way to fix this and undo the damage. And my new werewolf curse, yeah, that was dear old dad and Voldemort, working together to send Harland to my room. You remember Harland, don’t you mother?"

She shivered involuntarily. "Of course I do. I never wanted that man to live with us all those years."

"But I thought you got everything you wanted out of this life?" he shot back. "Was it worth it? Abandoning me to stay with him?"

"You abandoned me as well Draco. Look around, Lucius isn’t here. He’s never here anymore it would be the first place they’d look for him. I wasn’t given a choice of sides to take, you both left me."

He was unmoved by her attempt at guilt. "You really think I don’t know better? How many safe houses do we have all over the country? You really expect me to believe you haven’t been to see him wherever he’s hiding?"

"You haven’t told them about those have you?" she asked worriedly.

"No, not yet." He answered darkly. "But I can at any time. I know all the places he would go to hide, don’t I mother. Just because I gave this life up doesn’t mean I don’t remember it."

"So if you blame him so much, why not just turn him in? Admit it, Draco, you made a mistake. It’s not too late to fix it you know. I still love you. I will always love you, you are my son, my one and only. And if you want to come back, I will be here for you." She stepped forward and reached out for him, pulling him close.

Had he not finally seen what true affection between parent and child was supposed to be he might have fallen for her display. But thanks to painful observation of the Weasley family over the last few months, he’d seen how a hug from your mother was supposed to feel, and the thin cold arms now wrapped around him were anything but warm and loving. He pulled away. "There is no coming back, not to this side. Even if I wanted to, they’d never trust me again."

"So you’re just going to continue with this madness?" she cried.

"Why not? You’re continuing on with yours. At least now I’m around people who care about me and don’t just want to use me. Since leaving I haven’t been asked to spy on anyone or plant things on people. I haven’t been instructed to harass anyone or make people miserable. Turns out, I like not doing those things."

"You act as if you had the worst childhood ever. You know it’s not true. We care about you, we love you." She insisted. "I just want my family back!"

"Well you can’t have it." he answered harshly. "I almost believe you, you know. But I refuse to believe Lucius loved either of us. Face it, if he loved you as much as you think, he would have taken you with him when he went underground instead of leaving you to face his public ruination. I won’t be apart of any family that involves him."

"So I’m supposed to choose between you and your father?"

"I wouldn’t ask you to do that. It took a lot for me to break away from him and for you it would be much harder I’m sure. But someday, you may have to choose and I wonder, would you let him take my life?"

"Never." She answered vehemently. "I haven’t seen hide nor hair of since he attempted it at Hogsmeade, or he would have already felt my wrath."

"I wish I believed you. Maybe someday, I will." He stepped further away from her and gestured to Mr. Weasley who once more waved his wand releasing the spell. Voices and sounds filled his ears again.

"Draco, why don’t you go gather whatever you’d like to take with you. We’re about done here." The minister suggested.

Before he could move, Dobby appeared in the parlor, startling Narcissa who hadn’t been aware the creature was once more in her home. "Dobby finds the papers, sir!" He exclaimed excitedly, handing several files over to Mr. Weasley.

"What papers? What is that thing stealing from us?"

"Stealing back you mean." Mad-eye said coming through the large French doors leading to the garden. "Those are files your husband had stolen from the ministry several years ago madam. We are simply regaining our property. Arthur, we are ready to start taking the servants."

"Taking the servants?! What is going on? What exactly are you all here for?!" Narcissa demanded. "You obviously brought my son as a distraction, so what is it you’re looking for?"

"We’ve already found it." Mr. Weasley held up the files. "We are taking the servants to ensure they are not helping hide their master."

"That’s ridiculous. Of course Lucius wouldn’t rely on them for his safety." She snarled, losing some of the regal composure she was known for. Draco had to admit to himself, he liked seeing his mother with her feathers ruffled. She had looked the other way for so many years, seeing, hearing but speaking no evil. Now things were falling down around her and he felt a sick satisfaction.

"That’s not for you to decide." Kingsley said, coming in with Bowie shackled behind him. The old gardener saw Draco but he shook his head, trying to tell the man to give nothing away. He must have taken the hint because he remained quiet.

"Dobby, will you please go help Draco pack his things? We should be leaving soon." Mr. Weasley said to the house elf.

"Sir, Dobby is honored to help the Minister and is happy to be asked and not told to do something." He bowed, glancing at Narcissa before snapping his fingers and disappearing. Without a word, Draco left the parlor and headed up to his room. The stairs seemed higher, longer. He ran up them, feeling the childish fear that something was chasing him. He ran all the way down to his room and closed the door behind him, shutting out the demons.

Dobby was in his closet quickly and carefully packing all his clothes. Draco picked up his dress robes, left where he had haphazardly threw them over his chair after the last awful function his mother had forced him to attend. "Dobby packs that now sir." He reached for the garment.

But Draco shook his head. "That’s okay. I don’t want to take it. Bad memories." He threw the clothing aside and began walking around looking at all of his things. He’d randomly reach for an object and Dobby would anxiously reach to take it from him. But every time Draco would change his mind and decide he didn’t want whatever it was.

Finally tired of following him around the room, Dobby declared, "If Young Master wants to tell Dobby what Young Master wishes to take Dobby will packs it."

Draco looked around and realized there was nothing he wanted to take back with him. Every single thing in the room had a memory attached to it and he felt bringing any of it back would somehow taint Potter’s house. "None of it Dobby. I don’t want to pack any of it."

"What of Young Masters clothes, sir?" Dobby looked horrified at the thought of leaving something so precious behind.

"I’ll make a deal with you. Stop calling me that and you can have any clothes you want to take with you."

He appeared uncertain. "Young Master lets Dobby have any clothes Dobby wants?"

"As long as you stop with the "young master" stuff. You said yourself that Potter tricked my father into freeing you, so you don’t have to call anyone master anymore right?" Draco felt annoyed, wanting no reminder that he had been the master of anyone or anything.

"Dobby is glad Draco Malfoy is friends with Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy is much nicer now. Dobby thanks you sir, for the kind gift." The elf’s eyes grew wide and he smiled. "Dobby very much likes sock sir."

He went to the appropriate drawer and opened it letting the elf root through its contents. Finally, he came up with a garish pair that Draco had never worn. They were Christmas socks striped red and white like a candy cane with bells on the cuff and had been a gift from his grandmother in her more senile years. Clutching his prize tightly, Dobby followed him back down to the parlor and he was glad of the little guy’s company, the hallway and stairwell feeling less foreboding with a companion; especially one with elf powers.

"Everyone’s packing up, we’re just about ready to go." Mr. Weasley announced when they entered the parlor together. He had been seated across from Narcissa and now rose to meet them. "Where are your things?"

"I changed my mind." Draco looked pointedly at his mother. "There’s nothing here I want."

(BREAK)

"We’ll tell Arthur as soon as he comes back." Harry told Luna as they hurried back to their room. It was late and they had spent longer with Sarah than they had intended. Though they searched every memory they could find of the three women, nothing more had been said specifically about their plans. It seemed that they were all working separately yet somehow together. Whatever they had planned, it was nothing good, he was sure of that. And though he found them less menacing than Voldemort, at the same time they were somehow more terrifying.

They’re like the three witches in MacBeth, predicting the rise and downfall of everyone. Only these three are the ones planning to ruin everything. Luna answered his thought. He stared at her blankly and she shook her head looking amused. "Hermione would have known."

"I don’t doubt that." He said as they entered the room. Ron was alone. "Ginny take off?"

"Do you see her here?" he answered moodily.

"Okay then." Harry said deciding to let it go. He climbed into his bed and pulled the covers up, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

(BREAK)

Draco felt exhausted and was glad when they decided to put Dobby back at Hogwarts. He had feared they planned on bringing the house elf home and he’d certainly had his fill of the creature for the day. When they finally pulled up in front of Potter’s house, he actually breathed a sigh of relief. There was nothing sinister about the outside, and he knew the inside was bright, cozy and comforting.

"Thank you. For taking me with you today." He said to Mr. Weasley once they were in the entryway.

"I only hope it helped you in some way." He answered with concern. "And I want to thank you, for doing so much to help us."

"I’m trying to make up for some things." Draco said, feeling a stab of guilt. After all, he wasn’t being as helpful as he could be. He hadn’t given up his father… yet. First, he had to figure out why he hadn’t told them about the safe houses, why he had continued to protect his father even that far.

"I’m aware of who you used to be and who you are now. They are still one in the same Draco, the only difference is the decisions you’re making. And if it means anything at all, I’m proud of you for taking a stand and choosing for yourself."

He looked away, unable to meet the man’s reassuring gaze. "It means a lot actually." He said quietly. Mr. Weasley placed a hand on his shoulder before walking past him and into the kitchen. Draco turned and made his way upstairs, walking straight to Ginny’s door and knocking softly. She opened it eagerly, her eyes full of worry. Without a word he threw his arms around her pulling her as close as possible. She returned the embrace, clinging to him tightly and he felt the affection, the care, and the concern she felt for him. It was worth far more than the stiff hugs and awkward displays of affection he’d received growing up. And her father’s words had touched him more than anything his own father had ever said to him. This was certainly where he wanted to be. There was no doubt of it.

(BREAK)

"Arthur is checking in with the Aurors downstairs, and then you two are free to leave." Drake announced to Luna and Harry the next morning.

"And me?" Ron asked.

"I’m afraid you still have at least one more night here with us." Drake said apologetically.

"Isn’t there anyway he can recover at home?" Harry asked. He felt bad leaving his friend behind.

"Unfortunately I’m unable to leave the hospital at all for the present moment. I have so much to do before-" he broke off and grinned at them. "Well, nevermind, I just have a lot to do and won’t be able to get away. And you still require a bit of observation Ron."

"Whatever." Ron grumbled as the healer left. Luna went to the bathroom to change back into her street clothes leaving the boys alone. Harry dressed quickly trying not to look too excited about leaving.

"You want me to come back later? I can stay overnight with you." He offered.

"Thanks, but I think I can manage." Ron said still moody. Then he sighed and changed his attitude. "I’ll let you know if and when I change my mind though. Thanks."

"No problem." Harry answered quietly.

"You know Ginny thanked me for saving Draco’s life?" He said suddenly out nowhere.

So his talk with Ginny was what was bothering him. "Well, I heard all about what you did, good job. But no I didn’t know anything she said, we weren’t eavesdropping or anything, we let you guys have your privacy."

"Well she did. Told me she wanted me to understand her desire to be with the jerk, didn’t care if I accepted it or not." He huffed.

"Ron, have you noticed that Draco is still a jerk only to you? You bring it out in each other actually. He treats everyone else pretty well considering. And in return, we treat him pretty okay. It keeps the peace, you know."

"Easy for you to say. He’s not trying to date your sister."

"I don’t think there’s any trying about it." Harry grinned even as Ron’s face turned more sour. "Face it, they found each other and decided it works for them. It doesn’t mean it’ll be forever, right?"

"I don’t know. I guess I’d have to ask Luna. She’s the one with the big picture." He said angrily. "And I’m sorry, but I can’t just shove aside years of resentment towards Malfoy just because he’s having a hard time now and I feel bad for him. And I do feel bad for him, but those feelings are separate from the loathing I’ve felt for him over six years. And I don’t have a bad childhood to bond with him over."

"Whoa, I have never made excuses for the things he’s done, I simply pointed out I understood what drove him. I’m empathetic about his past, not sympathetic. I don’t like knowing about the things he’s done and been part of, all the ways he hurt us and tried to destroy us. But I also know of all the things he’s done and been through since and I believe he wants to change, I really do. That doesn’t mean I think he’ll be successful, it only means that I trust his efforts." Harry defended himself and Draco. "Besides, you don’t see Fred getting himself all worked up over this, he never went looking for a fight."

"I didn’t-"

"Yes you did. I know you better than that. You can say you only wanted to talk to him all you want, but I know you were hoping for things to get out of hand. I’m sure the only thing you didn’t expect was for him to get the upper hand that day."

"No pun intended." Ron grumbled.

"Either way, he’s around for now so you might as well get used to it. We’ll have to live with him at school too, remember?"

"I don’t want to like him."

Harry smiled and shook his head. "No one said you had to. You only have to get along. For Ginny’s sake as well as the rest of us."

"Yeah, yeah." He crossed his arms.

Luna came back a few minutes later, leading Harry to believe that she had been giving them time. "Mr. Weasley is right behind me." She announced just in case.

Sure enough, Arthur came in moments later looking cheerful. "Well Ron, looks like you and I are camping out here tonight. Not quite the family vacation I was hoping for, but it’ll have to do."

"You don’t have to come stay with me dad." Ron said looking embarrassed.

"I know I don’t have to. Doing things I have to do never makes me this happy. I want to do this, think about it; a night away from that crowded house, just us guys sitting up here being guys. Maybe I can convince Fred to come along. Maybe even get Bill and Charlie to stop by, have a meeting of the Weasley men!" Arthur laughed at an idea that also seemed to thrill him. "It’s been so long since we had a boys night. And Harry could come along too of course, as an honorary Weasley, let him see us all at our worst."

"Really, dad. I’ll be fine." Unlike Arthur, Ron looked horrified at the thought of them all gathered around his sick bed. Harry understood the opposition.

"Either way, I’ll be here." He assured his son before turning to the others. "Are you two ready?" They nodded eagerly. "Then let us be off!"

They made their way down to the car lot. "Can’t we just apparate home?" Harry asked.

"We aren’t going home. We’re going to see Bowen Roseblood." He answered as the ministry car pulled up in front of the door. Draco was sitting in the backseat with Lupin and Tonks.

"How’re you two feeling?" Lupin asked as they settled in.

"As good as I can be I guess." Harry answered.

"And you, Luna?" Tonks prompted.

"Fine. I love when the sky is this shade of blue. Such a happy color." Luna answered and Harry turned to her sharply. The random statement hadn’t startled him, it was pretty normal for her, it was her voice which had held the same dreamy quality it used to, back when she had been closed into herself not sharing anything with anyone. He realized how quiet she had been since he’d convinced her to stay and felt it was his fault that she was acting strangely. She was staying because he wanted her to, not because she wanted to. Deciding he needed to make it up to her, he had a sudden stroke of genius. It was a plan he’d have to discuss with Arthur because there was no way he could get away with this idea in secret. He only hoped Arthur agreed that it was as good an idea as he did.

They arrived at a small cluster of houses, all of which shifted out of the way upon their arrival to reveal another hidden in the middle. A short man with a mane of graying hair and a big, bushy, gray mustache greeted them at the door. "Hello again Minister. Master Draco! It is certainly a pleasure to see you again, especially after all of the things I’ve heard of you recently. I always said you were the only one worth a damn in that mansion of misery." He ushered their group into the house.

"Hi Bowie. Just Draco, okay?" He said with embarrassment.

"Certainly! Anything you want." Bowie answered. They all settled comfortably in the small living room. A sturdy woman entered bearing a tray with tea things, a young boy of about five and a girl of not more than eight were hiding shyly behind her. "May I properly introduce my wife, Bethany Roseblood. And these are our children, Angelica and Tobias."

"My name’s Toby." The boy offered with a shy smile from behind his mother’s skirt. Introductions were made, the children’s eyes growing wide at the mention of Harry’s name. "They don’t like you in the big house." Toby told him with all the seriousness of a five-year old, while glancing nervously at Draco.

"We don’t have to worry about the people in the big house anymore. We live here now, lovey." Bethany assured her son.

"I wouldn’t go so far as to say your worries are over." Lupin reminded the woman.

"Oh of course not, we’re just much better off now thanks to all of you." She smiled gracefully. Harry found that he liked her very much, all of them, and couldn’t picture them at the Malfoy mansion.

"Mr. Roseblood-" Arthur began.

"Bowen. Or Bowie." He was quickly interrupted.

"Very well, Bowen, I trust Kingsley explained to you our reasons for moving you and the things we wish to discuss."

"He did. And I remember the incident very well, Beth here nearly tore my head off when she found out what I had done, speaking to that Auror."

"Well, I worried that what happened to him would happen to you." His wife protested.

"He assured me he could keep my name out of it! And so did the one who came to investigate the poor fellow’s death." Bowie let out an argument he had probably used many times over the last six years whenever this topic arose between them.

"I don’t care. It was still one of the most foolish things you’ve ever done, and when we had little Angie to think of and Toby on the way!"

"It’s in the past, woman!" He said in exasperation. "What’s done is done and now it’s brought us here."

Arthur cleared his throat. "Luna here was that Auror’s sister and she would very much like to know what you can tell us about all." He brought them back on point.

"And I’ll gladly tell you young lady. Your brother, I’m told his name was Kane, well he came around the house, at first I thought he was a trespasser the way he was trying to look in the windows. I went to confront him told him I’d alert the house. That’s when he told me why he was there and held up a picture of a man asking if I’d seen him. Well, I hesitated of course, knowing what dangers come with opening your mouth. But he assured me that he’d keep me out of it so I told him I sure had seen the man, that he had been brought into the house and not of his own free will either. He went around to the front and rang the bell and I left it at that hoping he’d find something to stick to Master Malfoy. Couldn’t have been ten minutes later, I was back to planting in the garden when I heard a horrible cry. I turned and saw the poor lad as he hit the ground below that balcony, had to shut my eyes against the horror but I could still hear his scream ringing in my ears."

Harry noticed the tears in Luna’s eyes and cleared his throat, indicating to the man that certain details could be left out. He caught on and quickly moved ahead in his story. "Anyway I hid myself, and saw the Master looking out the window, checking to see if anyone witnessed anything. When the second Auror came I told him everything, again after being reassured that my name wouldn’t be brought up. He seemed to believe me, and I thought for sure that would be it. The Master would be caught and sent away and I could finally leave safely with my family. But a few hours later, the Auror came back with some woman who claimed she could see into the past. Must been something to her, because she walked right to the spot Kane fell without anyone showing her. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she fell to her knees. No one could shake her out of it. And then suddenly it was over and she looked directly at the Master and said it had all happened exactly as he described. Now I didn’t see the boy get pushed, but I know he didn’t fall on his own. He would’ve had to been leaning so far over the side, there was nothing for him to see to warrant his leaning so far. Plus I knew that I had told him the man he was looking for was inside, why would he have looked out at all? But by then Beth here got wind of what I’d done and told me to keep my mouth shut. She said they’d never take my word over anybody else’s, and I guess they wouldn’t have, me being a squib and all."

"Can you describe the woman?" Tonks asked, her tone all business.

"Tall and slender, very pretty- what they asked!" he turned away from his wife’s stern gaze and continued his description. "She couldn’t have been more than thirty-two and had light skin, dark reddish brown hair and the strangest eyes I’ve ever seen."

"What do you mean?" Tonks pressed.

"Well, they were a light golden color, like fresh honey and they pierced right through whatever she was looking at." Harry and Luna looked at each other in horror. They’d seen eyes like that before, in someone else’s memory. Apparently Sarah’s new dark haired friend was Jayalina Delamora’s daughter.

(BREAK)

Fred watched the cauldron bubble, waiting for the right time. "And….now!" he dropped the large piece of moonstone into the concoction.

"Okay. Now what?" Hermione asked, flipping through Drake’s notes.

"Now we wait for the stone to turn blue. Then we pull it out and add Drake’s special little tonic here."

"I can’t believe this could actually work." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Well don’t get too worked up, it’s only the first trial. Things rarely work out on a first attempt." He cautioned.

"Still, it feels like we’re close to something, doesn’t it? I think it’s all very exciting." She gushed moving closer to look into the cauldron for herself.

Her closeness made him feel nervous but he maintained his cool exterior. However, before he could reply with something clever and witty they heard the front door open and Harry call out. She squealed with excitement and ran out to meet him. "Guess it’s not that exciting." He muttered to himself as he followed her out. He had at least an hour before he had to worry about anything happening with the potion. Might as well go see how the visit with the gardener went.

(BREAK)

Hermione had never been so relieved in her whole life. Finally Harry was back home where he should be and soon they’d be back at school where it would be harder for him to get in life threatening trouble. Not impossible as history proved, but harder. Arthur gave them all a little time to freshen up before they were all to gather in the living room to discuss all that had happened. She and Harry raced up to his room to relish the short time they would have alone.

As soon as the door closed they were in each others arms, clutching onto each other tightly. Their emotions came in a rush and they hurriedly discarded their clothing, crashing together in a tangled mass of relief, need and desire. Afterward, they lay next to each other, trying to catch their breath. "Suddenly, I don’t feel as sore." He smiled at her, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Suddenly I don’t feel so tense." She answered, stretching luxuriously before propping herself up and looking at him regretfully. "They’ll be expecting us down there pretty soon."

"Then let’s get it over with so we can lock ourselves in here for the night." He rose and began pulling on fresh clothes. As soon as they both felt they were presentable, they hurried down to the parlor. She was embarrassed to discover everyone else was already assembled.

They sat quickly and Arthur began filling Molly and the others in on what was happening and what was being planned. Just as Harry was beginning to tell them what he and Luna had seen in Sarah’s head the day before the front door slammed open and Kingsley came rushing in. "Urgent news Arthur. The Changs have been caught!"

(BREAK)

Harry sat in the kitchen staring at the plate of food he had put together. It was very late and he had left Hermione sleeping peacefully in his room to come and try to eat his own way to sleepiness. But now looking at it all in front of him, his stomach turned in disgust. He wasn’t hungry at all. Hearing footsteps, he sighed in frustration. Even in the middle of the night he couldn’t find a moment alone. "Hey, Draco." He said wearily when the other boy entered.

"Oh, hey." He said awkwardly. "I didn’t think anyone else was awake. Just wanted a drink." He moved carefully around the kitchen, getting a glass and filling it from the water pitcher in the refrigerator, watching Harry as if waiting for something to happen.

"I heard about the Changs. That’s good news, right?"

"I suppose. I doubt they’ll admit to anything, Cho never has."

"Maybe I can help." Draco said hesitantly. "I know a little about them. Not much though, I wasn’t told much."

Harry pushed out the chair next to him and gestured for him to sit. "Every little bit helps right?" he said as the other boy took a seat with his glass of water.

"Well, like I told you before, I was surprised to find out that Cho was going to be my accomplice last year. Before that I had no idea she or her family had anything to do with any of that."

"She told us that she only found out herself that summer." He added.

Draco laughed. "She lied to you. From what my father said, the Changs were deeper underground than we were during the whole time Lord Voldemort was gone, completely off the radar. The reason being they hadn’t moved to London until right before you got rid of him. They were followers from afar, safely hidden in their own village and had only planned to move after they saw his rise to power. Cho was about two years old, I think, when they did come here. Lucius said he knows for a fact they were two of the others dressed in Death Eater robes with him at three different attacks. And then it was over, the Dark Lord was gone and you had been taken and hidden away while his followers were rounded up. New to town, no one from the ministry knew the Changs, and no one on our side mentioned them."

"And since? Have they continued going to the meetings since he returned?"

"According to my father. But I don’t know anything specific beyond what I’ve already disclosed about my part with Cho. I don’t know what they’ve done and I don’t know how involved they are in everything their daughter did."

"Arthur plans on going to Azkaban to find out for himself. Can I ask you a favor?" Harry asked reluctantly. It was something that had been stirring in his mind, but he was hesitant to admit his reasons for not wanting to do this himself, especially to Draco Malfoy.

"I guess." He answered suspiciously.

"Will you ask to go with him? I need someone to talk to Cho, privately, about what happened that night we were there and the things we’ve since learned from Sarah’s memories. Ron’s in no shape to face her, and Arthur would never agree to let him or Fred and Ginny go. And I can’t ask Hermione and especially not Luna to go."

"And that leaves me to be the spy." He looked disappointed, making Harry feel bad.

"You can say no. It’s an option, you know."

"Is it? If I say no it makes me ungrateful and useless. Not to mention suspicious. If I say yes then I have to go see someone who very much hates me and who I’m not too fond of myself."

"I asked as a favor. Favors can be turned down with no hard feelings." Harry swallowed hard and decided to be honest. "I understand why you wouldn’t want to. Why do you think I’m asking? I can’t make myself go and face her. She got me, she and Sarah both got me good. I can’t sit across from her and see her gloat when she has no right. She’s the one locked away and still she managed to ruin part of me. I’m scared that if I go, I’ll do something I can’t take back."

"So it’s really gone, then. The power is really gone?" Draco asked. Harry was surprised to see pity in his eyes.

"For now. Hopefully Gabriella is as good as we think she is."

"Yeah, hopefully." He looked away and took a long drink from his water, his other arm resting on the table, still unfinished.

Harry had a sudden thought, remembering a conversation he’d walked in on days ago. "When we hear back from her, do you want us to ask is she can speed things up with your arm?"

Draco studied his limb carefully and finally shook his head. "No, I want Drake to finish. He said I’m the first person this has worked for, and he has been successful. It’s almost done anyway."

"Wow. It’s strange to hear you thinking of others so much lately. I like it." Harry assured him, hoping to help him see he was making good progress.

Draco reddened but ignored the comment. "Do you think there’s anyway she can fix the other thing? You know, take away the curse?" He turned to Harry looking for an honest opinion.

"I don’t know. All we can do is ask." He answered supportively.

"Okay. I’ll go talk to Cho. Tell me everything you want to know and I’ll do my best to get the answers, but I can’t guarantee she’ll be all that cooperative. She probably wants me dead almost as much as she does you."

"You don’t have to." Harry told him again.

"I know, it’s my choice, and that’s why I’m choosing to go." He answered decisively.

Harry thanked him feeling more than grateful. He only hoped he wasn’t making a big mistake.

(BREAK)

"This is stupid." Ginny said as Draco once more prepared to leave with her father. Only this time they were going somewhere far worse.

"Look, I’m not one hundred on this either. But I told Potter I’d do it so I will." He answered stubbornly.

"I don’t see why. And I can’t believe he asked you in the first place!" she threw herself down on the bed in exasperation. "I can’t believe my father agreed to it. You were right, they’ll all do anything to make him happy."

"I told you, he gave me his reasons and I agreed with them. Besides, it’s really the only thing he’s asked of me since I got here, it’s the least I could do to show a little good faith."

"Bull. You’re going so he’ll like you more. It’s the same reason you used to do the things your father told you to do." She pointed out.

"Maybe, the difference being Potter asked, gave me the option."

"Oh please. He knew you’d never say no."

"Yeah, well who are you anyway to lecture me on doing things to get people to like you!" he said angrily.

She sat up in shock. "Excuse me?"

"What, I’m just supposed to sit here and listen to you tell me how weak and easily manipulated I am?"

"That’s not what I said at all!" she argued.

"Isn’t it? I’m going, I have my reasons for doing so beyond the ones Potter listed so deal with it or move on." He stormed out leaving her alone in his room.

What had just happened? She had no idea where the sudden anger had come from, and she really hadn’t meant what he thought. She had simply been worried that he’d let his gratitude get him in trouble. Even Harry and Luna hadn’t been safe from Cho, why would Draco fair any better? There was something else eating away at him, she was sure of it. What it was that he couldn’t discuss with her she couldn’t imagine, but the thought of anything he’d need to keep secret terrified her. It couldn’t be anything good.

(BREAK)

Draco sat alone in the room waiting for them to bring Cho in. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Mr. Weasley to agree to let him have a private conversation but he had and decided to allow them a cone of silence. Meanwhile, Tonks and Kingsley were to remain in the room with them while Mr. Weasley, Mad-eye and a few more Aurors interrogated Cho’s parents. Draco had of course promised to relay any information that he gathered relevant to any of the things they were currently investigating. But that wasn’t what he was worried about. If his sudden argument with Ginny was indication, he was nervous about the other things they were sure to discuss.

The giants had arrived at the prison a few days before, and he could hear their lumbering steps as they patrolled the hallways. Finally Cho was brought in and chained to the chair across from him. She said nothing, simply glared at him with an evil smile plastered across her face. Draco nodded to Tonks and she waved her wand, giving them privacy while they watched on.

"Did they tell you they arrested your parents?" he asked.

"I could care less. I’m beyond them." She replied.

"Yeah, because now you’ve teamed up with Sarah, Elise and the other one, right? You really think you all can take on both sides?"

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Of course you do. You just don’t know how I know. Well, we all know, from me and Potter right up to the minister. We know what you are all four up to now."

"You’re fishing. Why else would they send you to talk to me? Thought maybe you could rekindle old flames between us?" She sneered.

He steeled himself. "There was nothing to rekindle and you know it. All there was were a couple of drunken mistakes."

"Oh sure, you made the same mistake more than once. We had something Draco, it may have been wrong and perverse but let’s not start denying history."

"I know what you’re doing. You trying to get in my head and make me upset. I won’t let you. Tell me when you met Sarah."

"I’ll tell you nothing. How’s Potter and Lovegood? Last I saw them, they were having a few problems." She cackled.

"I can tell you how Sarah is." Draco countered. "She’s in a coma."

"Like it matters. You can’t stop anything now, it’s too late." She said. "There is nothing that can disrupt my plans."

"So how much do you know about their plans? Because I’m betting they’re only stringing you along until they get what they want out of this whole mess. It would be easy with you being locked away here."

"You act as if I’ll be here forever." She threw back.

"You killed Longbottom and nearly killed Ginny, Luna and Potter as well. Not to mention making threats against them all right here in front of the minister and Albus Dumbledore. You won’t be out for a long time." He pushed, hoping she’d reveal more. Her simple statement had been enough to assure him that at some point, the plan was to break her out.

"Maybe. But you better watch yourself and your friends if I do. Don’t think I don’t know who’s responsible for getting me sent here in the first place. If you hadn’t opened your big mouth at the trial… tell me, did it even work? I know why you turned on me. I used to see the way you watched that crazy little Weasley when we spied on them last year. I know it upset you that she got caught up in my plan to get rid of Luna and keep Ron from testifying. So have you won her heart with this big change? Was she worth turning on us all? I hope she was and I hope you two cherish the short time you have together."

"You don’t know what you’re talking about." He said, careful not to reveal his fear or anger. She was poking at him, the way she did Potter. But he wasn’t like Potter, he didn’t wear his emotions out on his sleeve and he didn’t want Cho knowing the best buttons to push.

"Of course I do. I’m no idiot." She smiled again. "Did you tell her about us? I bet you didn’t. I bet if she knew the places you’ve been before her she’d be disgusted. Now I certainly don’t consider myself all that repulsive, but I bet she thinks differently."

"Whatever Ginny Weasley thinks is nothing to me, so of course I wouldn’t tell her or anyone else how desperate I was to think you a viable option for company." He said sternly. "Apparently it’s you who’s having trouble forgetting about all that."

"Don’t flatter yourself. I have very little to do in here besides remember all the things that made me decide to destroy you all."

"Again, I’d be a little more worried if I wasn’t visiting you in prison."

"But you are here, meaning something has you worried." She pointed out. "I’m sure Harry at least is feeling the effects of my reach beyond my jail cell."

"Perhaps, but it wasn’t really you who hurt him, was it? They know it was Sarah, and they know how she did it."

He saw the indecision and slight surprise that crossed her face, but it passed quickly. "I don’t care what they think they know about what happened. I know what will happen and that’s enough for me."

"I’m sure one of your allies being put in a coma wasn’t planned. And by the way, you know who put her in that hospital bed? Potter. Even after what you all did to him he still got the upper hand. Maybe you should re-evaluate things a little."

"I think we’ll be fine. It’s yourself you should be worried about. Neither side of the war is safe anymore."

"And you four are the ones threatening everyone? I’m terrified."

"No, not yet you aren’t. But just wait for the action to really begin. Jail, comas, nothing can stop us. We’ve seen to that. So why don’t you just go back and enjoy the girl you worked so hard to impress for the short time you’ll be able."

"I will. Thank you, you’ve been very helpful." He stood and motioned to Tonks who released the spell.

"I haven’t said anything." Cho said with no indication that she cared whether or not they were heard now.

"It’s what you didn’t say Cho. I’ve lived this life too, I know the doublespeak." He grinned at her as a large giant lumbered in and took her back into custody.

"I’ll see you sometime soon, you can count on it Draco. We have a few things to settle, you and I." She said as she was unchained from the chair and put in walking shackles.

"Then keep it between us." He warned her. She shot him an evil smile as she was led away.

"I don’t know exactly what they’re planning, but I think you all should up your security around her and Sarah." He told the two Aurors. "I’m positive a prison break is planned, and I’m almost just as sure that they intend to retrieve Sarah."

"They as in the girls or they as in Voldemort?" Kingsley tried to clarify.

"Does it really matter?" Tonks asked as they headed back to the main office.

"I think they want to get Sarah before he does." Draco speculated. "It doesn’t seem like Cho has been working with anyone but those women since she got here."

"I’ll go check on Arthur and Moody." Kingsley said as he left them at the office door.

"Let’s wait inside." Tonks suggested as another giant walked past them. The entered the Warden’s office which now belonged to Basillion, Gurg of the giants. Thankfully he wasn’t in. The giants seemed to make him feel as anxious as they did Tonks.

She took a seat in the small waiting area while he walked around inspecting things on the desk. There was one more thing Potter had wanted him to find out. "Well, that seemed to be a pretty intense conversation." She said trying to fill the silence.

"Cho is a pretty intense person lately." He answered finding what he was looking for. "Can I look through this? See if I recognize any of names of the people who visited her?"

"I don’t see why not."

He flipped through the visitor log, looking for Cho’s name. Each time he found it, the same name appeared next to it. Except of course for today and the one other time he had come here. He wasn’t sure how it was possible, but he certainly recognized the name. Apparently, the person who had been visiting Cho was Jayalina Delamora, or someone using her name.


NOTE: Okay, moving along nicely now that most of the set up is out of the way and we can start unraveling everything that’s been set up. So much more coming up, so stick with me. I’m working hard on it.




Chapter 25: Transitioning

A/N: I know this took a little while to get out, but I’ve had an unfortunate accident with my laptop and nearly lost everything I had written for this as well as my own work. Thankfully I have friends who are very good with computers and they were able to recover the hard drive. My laptop is still messed up though so I have to find time to write borrowing my roommate’s computer, so postings here may become more sporadic than I’d like until I can afford a new laptop. Anyway, back to the story. I’ve kind of lost my train of thought as to where I was going with this after so many days away from it, so I guess we’ll all just have to see what happens next. Read, Review, Enjoy!

 

"It’s impossible. She’s dead." Mad-eye said after Draco had finished telling them of his prison visit and whose name he’d found on the visitor’s log. They were back at the house and he felt worn down by the persistent questioning he had received while giving his impressions and opinions on what had transpired with Cho. And of course, little else had been learned from the interrogation of the Changs.

"Are you sure Alastor?" Mr. Weasley pressed.

"As sure as I can be. Of course I didn’t see the woman killed myself, but according to ministry documentation Jayalina Delamora was the victim of an unsolved murder nearly six years ago." Mad-eye answered gruffly. "It seems her death was barely investigated according to what little paperwork I was able to find. The case was marked unsolved and pushed aside and that’s about the extent of what is known about Ms. Delamora. No record of her birth, nothing to say she was married or had children, nothing but a death certificate and vague Auror reports left unsigned. Even the autopsy report was missing."

"What does it all mean?" Potter asked.

"It means we have a lot of problems in the ministry." Mr. Weasley replied, shaking his head. "Too many things are coming up missing, but…" he trailed off.

"But if you start an investigation, it’ll have to become public knowledge who has been in the archives and records and then everyone would know that you allowed us in there and would want to know why." Granger, always the observant one, picked up his thought. "Plus if Edmund gets wind of it, he’ll use it as one more example for how you are letting kids run the ministry for you. I found some of those articles." She admitted, lowering her eyes.

"Precisely." Mr. Weasley answered with a sigh, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And I’m already stretched thin on Aurors I can trust- between guarding Sarah, guarding all of us and watching that place they think Severus is being held. How am I supposed to investigate this without drawing more attention?"

Mad-eye turned to his Auror counterparts with a determined snort. "Tonks, Kingsley, is there anyone else in the department that either of you feel we can depend on? Personally I’m against the lot of them, all clueless twits who I wouldn’t trust with the simplest of tasks. But I’m told my standards are a bit higher than most."

They smiled but neither offered comment on Mad-eye’s characterization of himself or their peers. "I would say I’m one hundred percent sure of Apollo Addams." Tonks answered the initial question after a quick glance at her coworker.

Kingsley nodded in agreement still wearing an amused grin. "I would add Althenia March and Magnus Grover."

"Okay," Mr. Weasley rubbed his hands together, getting himself in planning mode, "I want you three to approach them, have them join a secret investigation into the life and eventual fate of Ms. Delamora and why we don’t already have that information. Then find out just how many documents the ministry is missing and, if at all possible, who is behind their disappearance. Alastor, you are the lead on this so keep me updated as things progress."

"Hopefully they do." He answered taking a swig from his flask.

"You know dad, I’m not heading off to school or anything, I could help with an investigation." Fred offered.

"I appreciate that, but it would be impossible to get you clearance at this point. Both my office and the Auror department are being watched very carefully." Mr. Weasley replied.

"Well what are Bill and Charlie up to then? I could help them." He pushed.

"Charlie has been given a very special assignment, and Bill is with the Aurors trying to get to Severus. Neither of them needs your help right now. And as much as I might need it, I can’t take it son."

"There must be something I can help with. Come on, everyone else has something to do and this lot is about to head back to school where I’ve already done my time. I need something to occupy me and I’m trying to make it something productive for once." Fred answered crossing his arms angrily as Granger shot him a strange look. Draco shook his head disinterested in the conversation now that his part in it was apparently over.

He excused himself amid the argument brewing between Weasley father and son and saw many of the others do the same. Quickly climbing the stairs, he headed straight for Ginny’s door. She hadn’t come down with the others when he had returned from Azkaban and he was worried their fight was a lot more serious than he’d thought. He knocked for several minutes but she didn’t answer. Well, he wasn’t going to stand in the hallway and beg. He went to his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Hey."

He jumped at Ginny’s greeting. Apparently she had stayed put when he’d left her there that morning and was now lounging on his bed. "Well, I’m back from the big bad prison. Nothing horrible happened." He said with irritation, upset to have his space invaded and that he had stood so long knocking on the door to an empty room moments ago.

"So I see." she raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to apologize for worrying?"

He sighed and let it all go. He wasn’t mad at her anyway, he was frustrated with himself. "No I’m supposed to apologize for jumping down your throat. I kind of like that you worry about me, it’s just…" he found he was unable to put his thoughts into words.

"It’s just what?" she pushed encouragingly, reaching out to take his hand and pull him down to sit next to her.

"It makes me feel weak suddenly, to have someone to care about; you have a lot more practice at it. I mean looking back I wouldn’t have batted an eye if something had happened to Pansy or Crabbe or Goyle. I would have wanted to swear to avenge them naturally, but it would have been hollow, just something I was supposed to do. They were a part of my life but their lives didn’t mean much to me. But now it’s all so different and there are so many people I don’t want to see hurt…" He trailed off again.

"What did Cho say?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing I didn’t expect." He answered honestly while keeping the girl’s actual words to himself. "I just never really believed it when they would tell me that Potter’s feelings for those around him made him weak. Now I guess I not only believe it, I get to understand it."

"I think you’re putting yourself through too much, Draco." She said quietly. "You didn’t have to face your entire past this week you know. I mean first going back to that house, seeing your mother and then to go and talk to that psychopath they partnered you up with, and in a few more days you’ll be face to face with all the kids from school. It’s got to be hard on you."

As much as he liked that therapy was helping Ginny, he almost hated that she was so open to conversation lately. Ever since starting to see Laurel, she was always trying to talk things out, analyze every emotion and comment anyone had. He didn’t want to talk about any of this with her, not when she was just starting to come out of the darkness she had buried herself in. How could he now drag her down into his? "Hey, at least I won’t be seeing my father any time soon, right? It’ll be fine eventually I’m sure." He squeezed her hand.

"Meaning it’s not fine now." She looked worried.

"Meaning it is what it is and I’ll have to take it as it comes." He sighed. "I’m really not in the mood to talk about anything right now Ginny. I’m feeling really tired."

"Aren’t we all?" She smiled weakly. "I just don’t want you to think… I don’t know… that just because something is from your other life that I don’t want to talk about it with you if you need to. I mean you never did say anything about how it was to see your mum, or how being at that house affected you. And I know it did, from the desperate look in your eyes when you came back."

"I’m not your client, Ginny. You don’t have to play therapist with me." He said edgily. He didn’t like the picture of himself she was painting, it weakened way he wanted her to see him.

"You know what? You’re right. You aren’t my client, so what are you to me exactly?" She asked suddenly, looking him very directly in the eye. This was something important to her, something she’d obviously been stewing on for awhile and was therefore very sure about bringing up in conversation. He, however, felt it unfair to be so blindsided. "What are we to each other Draco?" she pressed.

He met her gaze, keeping his just as steady, wanting to be clear; wanting more than anything in the world to not screw this up. "I can only tell you what I think you are to me, and I think you might just be my first ever best friend. I think you might be the first person I ever wanted to be better for. And I think you’re the first person I’ve ever felt anything real with. To me that means you’re pretty much the most important person in my life. I don’t know what exactly you’re looking for, some kind of title or way of defining things-" she cut him off by placing a hand over his mouth.

"I think you’re what I was looking for, no definition necessary." She leaned in and kissed him.

(BREAK)

Luna snuck from the parlor as soon as Fred had showed signs of wanting an argument with his father. She had been avoiding everyone as much as possible since returning to the house and still wanted time to herself. Unfortunately, she realized someone had taken notice of her departure. But sensing who it was, she decided it would be alright and continued on through the kitchen. Quickly slipping out the back door, she stepped into the late afternoon sunshine, tilting her face towards the sky. Closing her eyes, she felt the caressing warmth of the sun’s rays against her skin as the scent of fresh cut grass and earthy musk invaded her nose. She breathed deeply, trying to release the tension she’d been feeling but sensing Lupin before he even opened the door took away all the pleasure of being out in the fresh air. She turned to face him- with as much friendliness as she could muster- as he stepped out into the yard.

"I assume you want to be alone, but I need a moment of your time." He said apologetically.

"I know you do." She answered with a heavy sigh. "What did Sirius and his parents have to say about everything?" She knew he wanted to discuss the ring, her reaction when he’d tried to give it to Harry and the things he’d since learned from the souls no longer among them. Secretly, she felt relief that she could get someone else’s opinion on what to do.

"They think you did the right thing. Lily especially had been worrying about his constant use." He held her in his steady yet always friendly gaze. "What do you know about all this? Did you see something?"

"I saw them going to pieces over that ugly piece of jewelry." She burst out. "I saw it draining their energy, turning them into deviants who would fight each other to get one more fix of the ring." She admitted freely, finding it was much easier to tell Lupin than Harry or Fred about any of this. "After I talked to Healer Drake about the effects of long term exposure to something so powerful, I decided to try and keep them from using the ring so much. But I can’t keep pretending to use it myself, eventually Harry is going to want it back, though I think Fred may come and ask for it first, he seems more influenced than Harry does. But the ring, it likes Harry better, it calls for him constantly."

"Well, that’s probably because his own energy output is a bit higher than Fred’s." Lupin said before regarding her with a warm smile. "I think I’ll take over protecting them for you. It’s my fault they have the thing in the first place."

She nodded gratefully. "I know they’re going to ask about it very soon."

"Then send them to me." He reached out to squeeze her shoulder encouragingly before heading back inside to give her the time to herself she had been seeking.

Well, one weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Protecting the others from the ring was no longer her responsibility and she relished in the thought. Now she was only responsible for everyone’s future. She wanted to go sit under the willow tree, but she knew it would be the first place Harry would look for her once everything settled down inside. She wished she could go nowhere for awhile, someplace no one would be able to find her, somewhere she could sit and wait. For what she wasn’t sure, but at least she would have time alone, to think, to reason out everything that was now scrambled together in her head. Walking around the yard, she found an area off in the corner behind some bushes. Once settling herself behind them, she was happy to see she was unable to view the house through the foliage. That meant no one could see her either. Laying down, she stared at the crystal clear blue sky, closed off her mind to Harry and lost herself inside her thoughts.

(BREAK)

"I wonder where Luna went." Harry said again as he followed Hermione back into the house. He was sure they would’ve found her in the yard.

"Well we looked everywhere, maybe she doesn’t want to be found." She suggested. "Everyone needs time to themselves once in awhile."

"I guess." He knew Luna wouldn’t have left the house altogether, so the only other option was that she was hiding from him. Well, fine. He’d forced her into staying, he’d let her have her space. "Let’s go find Arthur before he leaves for the hospital."

"You go ahead, I’m going to help Fred with the potion since I assume you’ll want to go with him to get Ron." Hermione said as they started towards the parlor.

"You could come too." He answered pointedly, strangely upset that she’d rather spend time with Fred working on potions than go with to bring Ron home.

"Well it’s nice to be invited along for once." She shot back before softening and wrapping her arms around him. "It’ll all be fine, I’m sure Arthur will agree to everything, it’s a great idea."

"Well, you helped inspire it. After all, you had a similar idea back in fifth year, remember." He reminded her as he returned the embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"I’m your muse!" she joked.

"Always." He kissed her again before she headed upstairs. "Hey, will you send Draco down, he should probably be a part of all this."

"Sure." She smiled encouragingly and continued up.

Taking a deep breath he strode confidently into the parlor. Arthur looked up from the couch where he’d been going through his briefcase. "What can I do for you?" he asked with a wide smile though his eyes showed he was still upset by the small argument he’d gotten into with Fred.

"Well, I was thinking-"

"You wanted me for something?" Draco interrupted from the doorway.

Harry gestured him in and they sat across from each other and Arthur. "I had an idea." He started off nervously. His audience of two stared back at him expectantly. "Well, we need a good way to start spreading the word about Lucius. With Edmund running the paper, we’ll never be able to make an announcement there. And Arthur, as minister you can’t reveal something that the ministry covered up in the first place. So, I thought maybe we could invite Mr. Lovegood here. Luna is missing her father right now anyway, and having a story like this to chase for his magazine would be sure to bring him. Plus, by having the Quibbler break the story, your hands would be clean and no one could stop the publication or circulation. Not to mention the believability factor for Quibbler articles will really get people talking, might have some of them start looking into things on their own. The more people we can get to give the other side problems the better, right?"

Arthur appeared to consider the arguments carefully for a long while. "It sounds okay." He said finally before turning to Draco. "What do you think? It must be done, your father must be exposed, but is this way okay by you?"

He looked at them with total confidence. "However you want to do this makes no difference to me. I know it’s a smart move to throw him under the bus and I’m absolutely fine with it."

Arthur looked Draco over closely before turning back to Harry. "Okay. You can write to him. But you better make it quick. Only six days until you leave for school."

"Really, you’re okay with it too?" He pushed.

"Not entirely. But I don’t have a better idea other than continuing to sit on the information and that isn’t doing us any good. Draco is right it’s a smart move. My only concern is the backlash the Lovegoods could receive from this, but if Xenophilius wants to take the chance, and I know he will, then that’s up to him. Luna in the meantime will be safely away at school where Albus, Remus-" he paused, "and the rest of you kids can keep an eye on her." Arthur finished with a sly grin. He had caught himself before revealing information that he clearly enjoyed keeping secret from them.

"So was that all?" Draco inquired.

"That was it. I didn’t think it would be so easy." Harry replied honestly.

"Few things are these days." He grumbled as he headed back upstairs.

"Well, I’m on my way to bring Ron home. Healer Drake has finally released him, should be home in time for dinner. I assume you’re coming with?" Arthur said with a grin.

"Absolutely." Harry answered.

(BREAK)

"I don’t understand why you’re mad at me." Fred declared, feeling his agitation grow as he tried to keep his hands steady to pour out the proper measurements.

"And I don’t understand why you are trying everything in your power to avoid doing something with your store!" Hermione returned.

"What do you care what I do with my store? It’s mine to do with as I please."

"And so you’ve just decided to quit?" she asked incredulously. "It was your dream! Yours and George’s! We all believed you could do it, Harry even financed it."

"Well, I’ll have to figure out some other way to pay him back." He replied angrily, slamming the beaker down on the table. "Besides I never said I was going to quit. Lee’s down there now still putting everything back together."

"Oh please. We both know that by now he’s gotten everything looking the way it did before. The problem is he has no products to put on the shelves."

"Yeah, well I think what we’re doing here is a bit more important than making jokes and candy." He grumbled.

"Of course it is. But so is having a life to go to after this is all done. And trying to immerse yourself deeper into the Order isn’t the way."

"Yeah?" He turned on her. "And what is it exactly you’ll be doing after you graduate? What life will you be preparing for? You aren’t part of the coven, you don’t need to go looking to unite all those people. You could go start teaching somewhere, or go on to more school or a million other things where your talents would be better served. Instead, you and Ron are both going to chase Harry around the world as he attempts to gather our one in a million chance of ending all this for good. So what do you care if I find a way to do the same?"

She was silent, obviously taken aback by his argument. "I’ll be preparing for the life I want." She finally answered. "Harry and I… we plan to have a life together some day."

"So you’re practicing what? Being a happy homemaker? Carrying his cloak as he runs around saving the world? Let me ask this, if it was you who needed to make some grand pilgrimage that he really didn’t need to be a part of, would he give up becoming an Auror or whatever he’s planning to follow you?"

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything other than what you’re doing to me, attacking me about my decisions about my future. It doesn’t involve you the same way yours doesn’t involve me, but if you insist on putting your two cents in then I feel it’s only fair that I get to do the same." He let out a shaky breath, unsure where his anger was coming from.

"By suggesting Harry isn’t supportive of me or doesn’t love me?" She crossed her arms. "I think you’re trying to be hurtful on purpose."

"You know what? I think I’ve got this potion thing on my own for awhile. Why don’t you run off and find your boyfriend, keep planning that life together." He answered grumpily, turning his back on her.

"I would but he went with your father to bring your brother home from the hospital. I came to help you because, yes, Harry and I can actually spend time apart. But if you’re going to be a jerk about it then I have plenty of ministry documents to go over still, a few more coven members to learn about. Better know it all since according to you I’ll be following Harry around the world as his bag carrier."

Hermione slammed the door behind her and he instantly felt like an idiot. He’d felt under attack by her concern, hadn’t wanted to talk about why he was avoiding reopening the store, so he’d attacked her instead. Sure there was some truth to the way he felt about what he’d suggested about her relationship with Harry, but it hadn’t been his place to say anything. After all, he didn’t know what went on with them when they were alone, he only knew what he could see. Or maybe it was what he wanted to see; that Harry, as great a guy as he was, wasn’t the right guy for Hermione. He shook his head violently. Even if it were true, it made no difference to him, he’d only been trying to be a friend to the girl… hadn’t he?

He shook out his limbs, deciding the whole train of thought was silly. Returning to his worktable, he tried to concentrate on the mixture in front of him but focus was impossible. Maybe he should talk to George, a real talk, which in recent weeks they hadn’t been afforded. Turning everything off, he decided to go find Luna.

(BREAK)

"So I can really go home today?" Ron asked eagerly as Drake performed one last examination.

"I stick by my word, you’ll be going home as soon as your father arrives." The healer answered with a grin.

"No offense but one more night camping out in here with dad may have killed me." He said as he jumped from his bed and began pulling on his street clothes.

"Well that wouldn’t have been good for the hospital’s image, so it’s a good thing we’re getting you out before any serious injury can occur." Drake joked before handing over a bottle of lotion. "Now remember to keep applying this, even if you think you’re all better. Use it until it’s all gone, got it?"

"Anything to not have to come back." Ron answered as he eagerly grabbed the bottle.

"Hey, looks like we’re right on time!" Arthur said brightly as he and Harry entered the room. "What’s the word Roscoe? Can he apparate or should I send for a car?"

"I think he’s well enough to go without the car. Just take it easy, muggles would be down for weeks or months with the burns you sustained." Drake warned.

"Then boy am I glad I know you!" Ron replied, his happiness to finally be leaving completely overtaking him and making him feel almost giddy.

"Alright." His father smiled. "I guess it’s time to get going, your mum will be awfully mad if we’re late to the enormous meal she’s planned this evening."

"Would you like to stop by?" Harry offered an invite to Drake. "You’re always welcome."

"I appreciate it, but I have so much to do here. I’ll be taking a trip in a few days and may have to be away for awhile so I must get everything in order."

"Where are you going? What about Draco’s treatments?" Harry asked and instantly Ron felt his good mood darken. He didn’t like that his friend cared anything at all about Malfoy.

Drake simply smiled in return. "Arrangements are being made. Neither you nor Draco need to worry."

"That reminds me. Boys, would you mind waiting a few minutes longer while I discuss some things with Healer Drake?" Arthur asked and then without waiting for a reply, the two men walked out into the hall leaving the two teens to themselves.

"Guess he’s not that worried about upsetting Molly." Harry joked, though Ron could tell that he was annoyed to be left out of whatever little meeting was going on behind the door.

He knew Harry didn’t like being kept out of the loop, no matter how often he did it to others. A stab of guilt went through him, thinking of the letters he’d exchanged with Jacinda. He decided to come clean while they had a moment alone. "So, I have some news and I wasn’t sure when the best time would be to tell you. But here we are, so what better time right?" He stumbled out.

"Okay, I’m all ears." Harry assured him.

(BREAK)

Ginny flipped over on her stomach and reached for her nightstand. She was sure Draco would come by soon, he’d wanted to shower before dinner, but even her fear of being caught with the picture couldn’t keep her from feeling the need to look at it. Pulling the framed photo from the drawer she lay it in front of her and studied the woman captured on film. Her long, sleekly elegant, ice blonde hair was flowing down her back, her pale skin appeared luminescent against the dark dress she wore and her chilly blue eyes pierced through the two dimensional plane. As a whole, Narcissa Malfoy was a coldly beautiful woman, and though she shared so many similar features with her son, Ginny found they were actually far more different. Draco certainly no longer appeared as menacing or hateful; and as defiant as his mother looked in the photo, it was he who now stood taller and more self-confident. She wondered what she would have seen had she studied this photo a year or two before that moment.

She really hadn’t meant to snoop when he’d stormed out of his room that morning, but he’d left her alone and she hadn’t been able to resist the urge. He had been too secretive, so closed in on himself, she’d decided it was best she look for clues. But the room was nearly barren of personal belongings and the only thing she’d found was this photograph of his mother, stuffed away in a drawer. Without thinking, she had run it straight up to her room and hidden it before going back to wait for him. After he returned, no more willing to talk about what was bothering him, she’d decided she had made the right move. If he wasn’t going to tell her what was wrong, then she’d figure it out on her own.

Now looking at the picture, she knew why she’d kept it. She had wanted to see how long it would take before he knew it was missing. It worried her that he was feeling isolated from his family, no matter how dysfunctional a relationship he had with them. She hoped if he did discover the picture missing that he would come to her for help, that it would open a dialogue between them so she could offer her support. Of course, if that didn’t happen, if he wouldn’t talk to her, then she’d see to it that he talk to someone. After all, he was the one who had convinced her to give Laurel a try.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, she quickly stuffed the picture back in her drawer and slammed it shut. Of course she worried that he would be upset to learn she was playing games again, but she really did have the best of intentions this time. So as she rose to answer his knock, she had nothing to hide and greeted him with nothing more than a warm smile.

(BREAK)

"So you know about the whole coven thing?" Ron asked swallowing nervously.

"I believe I’m familiar with the concept. Just spit it out, Ron." Harry encouraged while feeling his back grow tense in anticipation.

"Okay, well, I know we need to find them all as quickly as possible and I know you guys didn’t think writing to them would be a good idea but I did. I wrote to one of them just to see and she wrote back! She knew all about her lineage and agreed to hear us out about the coven. I convinced her!" he finished excitedly.

Harry was struggling with himself. He knew Ron was proud to have made contact with the coven and after being kept at bay by them all, he knew his friend needed to feel the accomplishment. However, the horror and anger at what he had done was outweighing his need to be a supportive friend. Who are you to condemn anyone on doing anything in secret? A voice, which sounded strangely like Luna’s, asked quietly. He knew she wasn’t actually in his head, but that didn’t stop him from agreeing with the argument. So swallowing his feelings he turned back to Ron calmly. "Who was it?" he asked.

"Jacinda. The fire one. I figured she’d be the best to contact because she may know something about that stupid ring, her also being descended from Mykele and all."

"Ron, I’m glad this worked out, but you can’t do it again. Anyone could have intercepted your letter, anyone!" Harry emphasized.

"I understand it was risky. But so is everything everyone else is doing. I just wanted to help too. She agreed to come to us, so we don’t even have to search for her. I’ll let you read the letter, it’s at the house."

He was silent for a moment, trying to find a diplomatic way to express himself. "I really appreciate your help, Ron. I really do, but you can’t do that again. There’s no guarantee it’ll work out as well the next time. We all have to learn from the rash decisions we’ve been making and start being a lot more careful."

"Okay." Ron agreed. "But I’m not sorry I did it."

"Okay." Harry echoed, still arguing with himself. At least it was one less person for them to find. At least it had all worked out. And at least it wasn’t as dangerous a deception as the one he and Luna had pulled. On the other hand, he felt indignant that Ron, who had nothing to do with the coven, would do something like that without consulting him. He was at war with himself, deciding it was best he not let Ron or anyone else see just how upset he was. He was tired of feeling like a hypocrite.

Arthur returned a few minutes later indicating that it was finally time to go. During their discussion, Ron had lost a bit of the excitement he’d been feeling just before they’d arrived. Now it was back in full swing as they prepared to apparate back to the house agreeing to aim for the parlor. Within moments they were there, listening to Molly call up the stairs for everyone to gather for dinner. She caught sight of them through the doorway as she turned and squealed in delight, running in and scooping Ron up in her arms. "I’m so happy you’re back!" she exclaimed, squeezing her son tightly as he towered over her.

"Careful mum! I’m still a bit sore you know." Ron winced against the onslaught of affection but was incapable of doing anything other than take it. Harry was just glad that it wasn’t him for once. Ron deserved a little fussing over, it was just too bad he had to be nearly set on fire to get it.

Everyone else gathered quickly, welcoming Ron back home before settling down to eat dinner. Harry noticed Luna come in from the backyard and shook his head. So she had been hiding from him. He decided not to push for the reason, but he desperately wanted to know if she was mad at him. However, Hermione was sitting right next to him and he had been trying very hard to keep his promise and not communicate silently with Luna in front of her. Well, fine, he’d let it go for the evening since his attention should be on Ron at the moment anyway. Besides, he had to write to Mr. Lovegood right away to ensure he arrived in enough time to both write his story and comfort his daughter. As soon as dinner was over he ran off to take care of everything, promising the others that he would join them in a few moments. He was dismayed to discover Luna had shut off her mind completely, her shields as high and mighty as the ones Hermione and Draco threw up.

Something was eating away at her, something she wanted to keep private. Well fine, she could have her secrets, but Harry feared something he had done had upset her and he planned to find time to discuss it with her the next day. Finishing his letter, he sent Hedwig on her way and went to Ron’s room to hang out with the others. Luna and Fred were both absent but he decided to let it go and listened with amusement as Ron recounted his version of the battle leading up to the heroic rush toward the house which resulted in his injuries.

(BREAK)

"Hey Luna!" Fred called as she hastily tried to slip into her room.

"I thought you were going to go hang out with your brother and everyone else." She answered with a sigh already knowing why he was seeking her out.

"And I will, but I’ve been looking for you. I need to use the ring." He said quickly, his eyes shining in anticipation.

She shook her head. "I don’t have it anymore. You’ll have to go ask Lupin for it."

"Why does he have it?" Fred asked looking confused.

Luna shrugged her shoulders and went with as much truth as she felt comfortable giving. "He wanted to talk to Sirius, James and Lily."

"Oh, right. Okay then, thanks." He answered absently as he turned and went in search of Lupin.

She quickly went into her room and closed the door before anyone else came along. Sitting at her desk she contemplated writing to her father, or maybe her grandmother. There had never been a time in her life when she felt so completely lost. She’d been nine when her mother died and eleven when Kane was killed, but even then she’d had direction, she’d known the path she was on was the right one. Somehow, somewhere in the past few years she’d lost something of herself by opening up her life to so many others. Now so many other paths crossed hers it was all so muddled and the future she saw wasn’t even one she knew she could deal with.

Without really thinking about what she was doing, she rose and moved to her still half-packed trunk. She had to dig down to the bottom to find what she was looking for. Finally her fingertips brushed the dull metal edges and she pulled out her necklace made of butterbeer caps. She smiled in remembrance, how she and Kane had sat with their mother and made these crafts for each other and putting it around her neck she instantly felt closer to them. And that settled that. She no longer cared about how weird her friends thought she was. She hadn’t even realized she’d been slowly changing herself to make it easier for them to accept her. Well, if they really were her friends, they’d accept her and the strange things she wore or did or said. She wasn’t happy at the moment, but she had been in the past. So the only solution was to return to the person she had been and abandon this attempt at composure and normalcy. Screw what everyone thinks.She thought, smiling widely as a sense of freedom washed over her.

(BREAK)

Fred knocked impatiently at the door to Tonks and Lupin’s room. She opened the door looking irritated and he suddenly felt guilty and a bit embarrassed, wondering what he had interrupted. After all, it was getting late. "Hey, I was looking for Lupin."

He appeared behind Tonks looking far more amused than his wife. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, Luna said you were using the ring and I was wondering if you were done?" he asked eagerly.

"Actually, Sirius and I are working on something together, but I can let you use it right now. I’ll need it back first thing in the morning." Lupin responded readily, turning to procure the ring from somewhere in the recesses of the room.

"No problem." He agreed quickly snatching up the ring as soon as it was visible in Lupin’s hand. He saw husband and wife share a concerned glance and he realized he was being ridiculous, acting like a junkie or something. "I haven’t gotten to talk to George for awhile." He tried to explain.

"Well, as long as you give it back right away." Lupin said quietly.

"Absolutely." He agreed once more before hastily thanking them and apologizing for the interruption.

He ran back to his room and closed the door, ensuring privacy before jamming the ring on his finger and conjuring up thoughts of his twin. George was before him in a matter of moments. "What’s up with you?" he regarded Fred suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?"

"You’re all sweaty and your eyes are all wild." He answered with concern.

"It’s nothing, I’ve just been running around looking for the ring. I really wanted to talk to you." Fred admitted freely.

"Need more suggestions for your potion?"

"Actually, I need suggestions for my life." He said taking a seat on his bed.

"Hmm, sounds like we’re about to get deep here." George smiled encouragingly.

"Please be serious, I’m really struggling here." He said earnestly, abandoning the witty banter he and his brother enjoyed so much.

"So sorry. Please proceed." His ghostly twin crossed his arms and leaned forward putting a very serious and focused expression on his face, eliciting an involuntary grin from Fred.

"It’s like I’m in some sort of holding pattern only I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. Then today Hermione got on my case about not doing anything to get the store going again and I kinda of got into this stupid fight with her where I wound up questioning Harry’s devotion to her just to make her feel bad."

"Well, you always were one to avoid talking about what really upset you." George pointed out.

"Yeah, but now I feel bad that I said what I said just because I didn’t want to talk about the store." Fred admitted.

"I didn’t realize you and Ms. Smarty Pants were on such close terms to be discussing much of anything." George grinned. "I’m sure she’ll be fine. The real question is why aren’t you working on reopening the store? My name’s on there too you know, I’d hate to be remembered as a failure."

"We didn’t fail, we were sabotaged." He grumbled feeling that stab of guilt that came any time he thought about how he had let his brother down. "And I just don’t see the point. If I reopen, it’s just a target again. And besides, who’ll be shopping for those kinds of things during times like these?"

"So change the product." George suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, find something to make that people will want to shop for right now, it can always be a joke shop again when the war is over. And in the meantime you’ll be providing a valuable service."

"What kind of service?"

"What, do I have to do everything for you? How about applying some of your own genius here? Think on it, I’m sure something will come to you. And if you crawl back to Miss Granger and kiss her feet, begging her forgiveness, I’m sure she’ll help you. And I’m sure you wouldn’t mind the extra help." George said slyly.

"I’m sure you’re starting to annoy me." He returned.

"Really? This is the way you speak to me after seeking me out for my help?" George asked feigning outrage.

"How about being helpful then? Let’s brainstorm here, figure out some ideas for this store of ours."

"So we’re done talking about the Hermione situation?" he asked suddenly serious.

"There is no situation." Fred answered very matter-of-factly. "I hurt her feelings when she was only trying to be supportive. All I can do is apologize."

"So why didn’t you just tell her why you didn’t want to reopen? You explained it so well to me what with you worrying about not providing a sellable product, and I’m sure she could have come up with a similar solution."

"Because that wasn’t the only reason. I’ve barely been in that store since you died! And until the battle in Hogsmeade, I hadn’t so much as looked at that location. I left it all to Lee. Truth is, I don’t want to have the store without you." He answered without thinking. "And the last thing I want is to talk to anyone about how much I hate that you aren’t here."

"You think I’m happy about it? But you have the chance to follow through on our dream and I don’t want you to give up on it just because I can’t be there to share it with you."

Fred roughly wiped away his sudden tears with the back of his hand. "I don’t know that I want it without you." He said quietly.

"So what do you want?" George asked floating closer.

"The impossible!" he answered jumping to his feet. "I want you to not have been murdered! I want to live the life we planned! I want this all to be over, for everyone else to finally be safe!"

"You can’t have it!" George yelled back. "Get over it and take what you do have and make it work for you already! The longer you sit in this ‘holding pattern’ the harder it will be to do anything at all. You’ll let it all go down the drain and then what? What will have been the point?"

"What’s the point in anything that happened?" Fred threw back.

"I don’t have an answer for you. We don’t get some giant book of answers up here you know. I don’t want you to struggle for the rest of your life just because Percy screwed up mine! Don’t let him get us both."

Fred was silent, stunned that his brother would bring the conversation to such a place. Finally he managed to get his brain to create a thought. "I don’t want to fail you and I certainly don’t want to fail myself."

"I know you don’t. And you know I’d never feel like you failed, not unless you gave up completely."

"Right." He said softly. "Okay then. So what can I sell until the war is over?"

"Why don’t we save that for another time. Talk to me, I know a lot happened since last we talked. I know all about what happened at Harry’s old house, how’s Ron?"

"He’s back home now and looking good, just a little raw. They say his skin will be sensitive for awhile but Drake gave him some lotion for it."

"And Harry and Luna? They got it pretty bad from what I can tell up here."

"They’re fine now, I think they’re still taking pain potions but otherwise all healed."

"Well, what about Elanya?"

"What about her?" Fred asked feeling confused.

"Well last we talked you were asking about her. Has anything else come up? I’m very interested to know what’s become of her."

"I hadn’t really thought about her…." He trailed off.

"Wow, someone else must be weighing on your mind if you’re able to forget Elanya that quickly."

Fred was no longer listening. He suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in the world. "Long dark hair, tall and thin, with bright honey gold eyes."

"That would be her." George sighed in remembrance. "She’d be about nineteen or twenty now. I wonder how well she grew up."

"Elanya Delamora." Fred said absently.

"Yeah, what’s wrong with you."

"She’s the one Harry saw when he and Luna went searching Sarah’s head. She’s the one who’s been going to visit Cho which means she’s the one who’s been using Jayalina’s name."

"Hmmm, interesting. Guess that means she’s not part of the good guys after all. Too bad. Maybe you could change her mind." George said with a wink.

"I doubt I’d want to. According to Harry and Luna, she’s as bad as Sarah and that Elise woman, and she has some kind of wandless power."

"Well, I remember you saying that Jayalina was supposed to be post-cognitive, right? That probably means Elanya can do the same, if she is related."

"Well, that’s something we’ll definitely have to look into."

(BREAK)

Harry knocked quietly on Draco’s door hoping he hadn’t already fallen asleep. The other boy answered looking inquisitive. "Yeah?"

"Sorry, I know it’s late, but I just wanted to let you know that I wrote to Mr. Lovegood. I was wondering, well… how much if any part you want in this article." He asked as delicately as possible. Draco appeared taken aback by the question. "We already appreciate that you’re letting us do this, it’s more than enough cooperation from you." He quickly added.

"I’d really rather not talk to Mr. Lovegood." He answered slowly. "I’d really rather not have anything to do with it. Luna may be past the fact that Lucius killed her brother, but I don’t think I could stand looking into the eyes of Kane’s father."

"And you don’t have to." Harry assured him. "But you do know you have no reason to blame yourself for Kane, right?"

"So says you." Draco grumbled. "Was there anything else?"

"No. I’ll be sure to make it clear that you are to have no involvement in this whole Quibbler thing."

"Thank you." He said quietly before closing the door.

Harry climbed the stairs back to his room, determined that this article wouldn’t blow up in their faces. He could only hope Mr. Lovegood would agree that safety had to come before a compelling story.

(BREAK)

Hermione let out a long sigh and tried rolling back over to her other side. It was no use, she couldn’t get comfortable. Giving up on sleep, she carefully sat up and glanced at Harry who was for once sleeping peacefully next to her. Well, of course he was able to rest, he had taken steps to diminish the issues in his life that would keep him up at night. She knew he was upset that Luna seemed upset with him and he’d already written to Mr. Lovegood placing the responsibility for her happiness on her father where it belonged. What’s more, things were finally coming together, more and more clues were surfacing about what the enemy was up to and it was soon going to be a matter of putting it all together. And after she had reassured him that Gabriella may just be able to fix his head, he’d stopped worrying about that altogether.

No, she was the one with problems now, and the one first and foremost at the center of her thoughts was her fight with Fred. She couldn’t understand why he’d wanted to hurt her so badly, but he had certainly tried. All she had done was try and give him that push back into the direction he’d wanted his life to take and rather than talk about it, he had turned it all around on her. Looking over at Harry once more she wondered if there was any truth to what Fred had insinuated. Would he follow and help her the way she was for him? His eyelids fluttered as he dreamed and he unconsciously reached out for her, placing a hand on her knee in his sleep as if to reassure himself she was still there. Could he read her mind even when he was unconscious? Could he sense her uneasiness and uncertainty? She hoped not, but she liked that even while sleeping he seemed to know when she needed comfort. Shaking her head she decided she was being silly. Of course Harry would do anything she asked of him, that’s why she was very careful in her requests. Unfortunately Luna and the others weren’t nearly as careful and he had suffered the consequences.

Feeling new confidence in her relationship with Harry, she turned her thoughts back to Fred. Something was obviously bothering him and the fact that he had started a fight rather than open up led her to believe it had something to do with George. He rarely talked about his dead brother, either one of them. George and Percy were topics never really brought up around any Weasley though she was sure they were always thinking of them. Some part of her that had gotten to know Fred realized he probably was having a hard time facing the store without his twin, after all it was a goal they had shared. But it still didn’t make it okay that he turned on her so quickly. She had only wanted to help him.

She sighed again knowing that there would be no end to her restlessness until she could talk it out with Fred, though she was confused as to why their little spat bothered her so much. Maybe she was just tired of fighting with her friends and her enemies. It had to be one or the other and her efforts were better spent going against outsiders than those closest to her. Picking up her wand, she lit the end with a dull glow and grabbed the parchments she’d left on the nightstand. She wouldn’t be able to fix anything until morning, so she might as well make the most of her insomnia and try and find some more coven members. That would certainly make Harry happy when he woke and so she settled in, pleased to be of assistance regardless of what Fred had said.

(BREAK)

"Jie Chen and Nanami Aoki." Hermione said as soon as Harry opened his eyes.

"What?" he asked still half asleep and very confused. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses finally able to focus on her. She was sitting at the end of the bed, papers spread out all around her.

"Careful!" she scolded as he tried to sit up and nearly knocked half of the files to the floor. "Jie Chen and Nanami Aoki, they’re two more coven members I was able to trace."

"That’s great… how long have you been working on this?" he asked still unsure exactly what was going on.

"A few hours. I couldn’t sleep." She answered absently. "Jie is 25 and an afterlife communicator, or Medium as some of them like to be called. He’s descended from Mun–Hee Xing and is Chinese."

"Okay." Harry answered shaking his head to get rid of the last feeling of sleepiness. Apparently he had to be ready to start his day immediately.

"And Nanami Aoki is 19 and an influential telepath. She comes from Isamu Shao and is of Japanese descent."

"And an influential telepath is what? I know you told me once already but I’m a little behind here." He admitted still wondering what had prompted her sleeplessness and the resulting push to find information.

"It’s a more advanced form of what you and Luna and the rest are inherently able to do. An influential telepath can reach into someone’s mind and influence their thoughts, feelings and behavior. Basically it’s like a wandless way of imposing the Imperious Curse." She patiently explained.

"So we definitely want Nanami on our side."

"And we also should hope Voldemort doesn’t find one to add to his little psychic menagerie. You said he already wants to replace the seer he has with Luna."

"Yeah, except I’m not so sure they are his psychics. I think those girls are running more of the show than we suspect and I think Voldemort believes his own power and ability will keep them in line. We may all be surprised by them."

"Well, we’ll just ensure we have the best of the best and keep what we’re trying to do secret." She said as she gathered all the papers and began putting them away.

"So where are we going to have to go to find these two?" he asked as he rose to dress for the day.

"Nanami is currently attending university in Tokyo. Jie is living in Los Angeles with his parents and his wife, apparently he has some job in the muggle entertainment industry."

"Great. They couldn’t all just all be in the same place?"

"That would be too easy." She replied with a grin walking over to kiss him before heading toward the door. "I heard Molly get up a little while ago, I’m going to see if she needs help with breakfast."

Once alone in his room he tried to get his mind working. He hadn’t expected to be bombarded with important information first thing in the morning. Obviously there was something driving Hermione and it seemed Luna wasn’t the only one he was going to have to talk to that day; both girls were acting strangely.

Giving himself one more shake, he proceeded down the stairs only to be stopped by Fred at the second landing. "Hey, I think I have something to tell you."

(BREAK)

Ron opened his eyes to an intense soreness all over his body. He likened it to a bad sunburn he’d received years ago when his family had gone to the beach. He’d been ill for days then and in almost as much pain as he was now. He reached out weakly for the lotion Drake had given him and slathered it generously all over. Instantly he felt a soothing coolness invade him, dulling the soreness and relieving his dry skin.

He lay back letting the healing agents do their work. He reminded himself that he had wanted this, to heal at home away from the hospital and it’s knowledgeable staff. Now was the time for him to be strong like the others, like Harry and though he was loathe to admit it, like Malfoy too. If they could suffer the injuries they did and still go on, then he certainly could endure this. It wasn’t even that bad now that he had applied the lotion. He only felt tired, extremely worn out. That was something he could easily hide, all he needed was a few more moments to just lie still, then he’d could go down and face the assault of affection and worry his mother was sure to bestow on him.

(BREAK)

Fred was nervous though he didn’t know why. For some reason he felt guilty when he was alone with Harry, but he had to shake that off and tell him what he and George had connected about Elanya. So he relayed it all before realizing Harry was shaking his head in agreement. Apparently he’d already pieced most of it together for himself. Well, Fred had only himself to blame, he’d let himself become distracted recently and therefore wasn’t as focused as he should be.

"Do you know anything about her father?" Harry asked.

"Not really. I don’t think anyone knew much of anything about her at school. She kept to herself, seemed really unapproachable, though she was really pretty so that may have been part of the intimidation factor. All George and I could remember was that she left right before you all started at Hogwarts and it was rumored to be because her mother was dead and she had no other family around here. We think we remember hearing she went to France where her grandparents lived. I really can’t recall any mention of a father at all."

"Well according to Sarah’s memories, Elanya is a part of their plot because she thinks her father killed her mother, so I guess the next step would be figuring out who that is. We can ask your dad to talk to Mad-eye, he can check the Hall of Records for us and it will give him a reason to go in there and investigate some of the documents that have gone missing." Harry reasoned as they both turned to head downstairs for breakfast.

"I wish I could be more helpful. I remember I used to want to know everything about that girl back when I was twelve. But then she just faded from my memory, I think she must have made a bigger impression on George and Lee." Fred grinned before being struck by a sudden thought. "Hey, Lee! He might remember something, he always knew way more gossip than we did."

"Well when are you planning on meeting up with him next?"

Here Fred faltered a bit. He still wasn’t sure about what to do with the store, and Lee had actually been trying to get a hold of him for a while. Well, now he had another reason to face the inevitable so it was time to face the music. "I’ll head over sometime today. I need to do an inspection of the store anyway, now that he has the place all cleaned up. He probably wanted to be paid for all the work he did too."

"Yeah, that’s the funny thing about employees, eventually they want a paycheck." Harry joked as they entered the kitchen where most of the household was already gathered.

Hermione was assisting his mother at the stove and Fred caught her eye, offering a grin of apology as he took a seat. She appeared unimpressed, looking away as she placed a tray on the table and sat herself between Harry and Ron. Okay, so she was still a little mad at him, but at least her eyes weren’t shooting daggers of hatred, it was all fixable. He suffered through breakfast and let everyone scatter, waiting for Harry to corner Arthur before searching out Hermione. He found her about to enter her room and called out.

"What?" she asked impatiently.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I don’t know, if I say anything will I be attacked? Am I allowed to have an opinion or would you rather just talk at me instead of to me?"

He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. "I’m sorry okay."

"Well that was heartfelt." She muttered, turning to lead the way into her room. He followed quickly, closing the door behind him.

"I am sorry, I know you were just trying to help me figure out the store but I didn’t want to talk about it and rather than say that I turned childish and went off on you. I didn’t mean all that stuff I said about Harry, of course he’s devoted to you." He smiled encouragingly though he knew he was lying a little. But his thoughts on their relationship were no business of his and he had no opinion to offer about it from then on unless specifically asked.

"I figured you didn’t want to talk about it. Have you talked to George?" she asked delicately.

"Yeah. We discussed it a little." He admitted, looking away. They actually hadn’t gotten back to the topic of the store after Elanya was brought up. He had hoped to call on George that morning, but Lupin had been at his door bright and early to retrieve the ring. Begrudgingly, Fred had to admit that whatever Lupin and Sirius were discussing was probably more important than his store and so he had given it up, though it had been difficult to do so. He intended to try to get some more time with the ring later that day, regardless the fact that a slight headache had already returned.

"Is there anything I… or the rest of them can do to help you?" She offered.

He thought about it and decided that maybe it would be better to ask her opinion. Her thoughts tended more towards the necessary while he and George had always valued the unnecessary. She might be able to provide better insight into what exactly he needed to do to help the store succeed at this turbulent time in history. "Well, we were thinking of changing our inventory until the war is over. So do you think people will need to buy right now that isn’t already being offered elsewhere?" He asked as he took a seat at her desk, ready to brainstorm.

(BREAK)

Harry made sure to keep tabs on where Luna disappeared to after breakfast. He watched from the corner of his eye while she tried to stealthily slip out the back door. Somewhere out there, she had found a place to hide and as soon as he finished telling Arthur about Elanya’s probable connection to Jayalina, Harry made a beeline through the house and straight into the yard. He surveyed his surroundings already knowing she would be nowhere near the willow tree. Along the high fence on the other side, there was a row of bushes nestled low to the ground and remembering his own days of hiding in the shrubbery outside of Number 4, he knew that’s most likely where he would find her. He also knew her mind was switched off but that didn’t necessarily mean he could sneak up on her- Luna had a funny way of sensing things and people even without the telepathy; he assumed it was some part of her other ability to see the future. He strode confidently over to the bushes not bothering to try and hide his approach.

"Luna I know you’re back there. I gave you some time but now I really need you to talk to me." He said loudly.

"But what if I don’t need to talk to you?" she shot back from her hiding place. He could definitely hear anger in her voice.

"Why are you mad at me?" he asked incredulously. He’d thought it was the case but to now be confronted with it was another matter.

He felt her shields go down though he was polite enough not to go searching. He would only see what she wanted him to, it was the least he could do. Her heavy sigh filled his head as she begrudgingly rose to her feet. "I’m not mad at you." She answered while staring him down. Her voice seemed detached somehow and he had noticed at breakfast that she had taken to wearing her bottle cap necklace again. Luna was regressing and he didn’t know whether or not it was a bad thing. He’d long felt she was doing things, changing to please the rest of them and he’d felt guilty for it. Of course he hadn’t known in the beginning that she could see their thoughts and he hadn’t understood Luna when he’d thought her to be weird. He had to admit, there was some part of him that missed the dreamy Luna. He had admired that she could wander a room in her own world all the while being sharply aware of what was going on around her. He missed her telling them of all the outrageous and ridiculous things she believed possible and how she saw the world completely different than they did- from reading things upside down to believing the best of most people, including Draco. And then there were all the other little things he used to think odd about her that he know thought of as endearing.

"I don’t believe you." He said finally. "I never thought I’d say that, but you’ve been lying to me and everyone else for awhile now about a few different things. I let it go figuring you’d tell us, or me, eventually. But I’m going to call you on this one, you are mad at me and I want to know why."

"I can’t tell you what I don’t know myself." She said sternly. "Of course I’m mad at you! I’m mad at me and Ron and Hermione, I’m mad at everyone in that house and everyone outside it! I’m mad at the world Harry, no different than you. Why am I not allowed to go off and feel it every once in awhile the way everyone else does? Why do I always have to be the positive one?"

"You don’t." he answered simply. "No one said you had to."

"They don’t have to." She countered, tapping her head to indicate no one needed to tell her anything, she knew it anyway. "And you’re out here now, demanding I talk to you so that this can be settled quickly and I can be back to ‘normal.’ But I don’t think I know what’s normal for me anymore so let me be so I can figure it out and then things can go back to the way they were and you can rest easy."

He saw her attempt to step over the bushes and reached out a hand to assist. She brushed him off and made her own way over. "Things can’t go back to the way they were." He blurted out as she walked past him toward the door.

"What do you mean?" she turned.

What did he mean? He wasn’t sure- it wasn’t a statement he had thought, it had come out of nowhere. "You aren’t happy. None of us are and we all have to figure out why I guess. Having things go back to the way they were won’t solve anything." He reasoned out.

"What if the changes needed are drastic?" she countered.

"Then eventually they’ll have to be made, right?" He was suddenly nervous. She knew something she didn’t want to share.

"Maybe. Maybe not." She looked pained as if it were a topic she thought on often. "Are we done here?" she asked impatiently.

There was only one other thing he’d wanted to talk to her about. "Luna, you’ve been acting so differently lately, and not just the lying, but your whole attitude changed and it seemed to start when you took possession of the ring. How often do you use it?"

"I’ve never used it. Not once." She said.

"What do you mean? You’ve had it all this time…"

She shook her head. "I took it because I was worried about you- and Fred. Those headaches you guys had were getting worse and then…" she looked away. "And then I had a vision about you guys going to pieces over the ring so I took it and lied about the reason and kept you both from using it as much as I could. But I never wore it until we were fighting Sarah and I haven’t used it since. Lupin has it now. He saw how upset I was when he tried to give it back to you and so I told him almost everything and he said he’d keep it from then on, so if you want to use it, you have to go talk to him."

"Why didn’t you just tell me you thought there was a problem? Why did you have to lie to me?"

"How could I be the one to tell you not to contact your parents or Sirius so much? It wasn’t a responsibility I wanted to bear so I was going to let Lupin do it. But since you’re so worried that I let myself be influenced by the stupid thing, there you go; the whole truth about it."

She was so angry so suddenly that he was taken aback. This had to be about more than the ring and more than her realization that she didn’t know who she was anymore. She really was mad, and she was mad at him. "I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I forced you into staying here."

"I make my own decisions, Harry. If I had wanted to go home I would have." She answered darkly.

"Then why did you stay?" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "If you’re just going to be upset the whole time why didn’t you go home?!"

"Because you asked me to stay!" she yelled back at him.

"Well I didn’t think you’d be like this!" he shouted taking a step closer to her. "If you really wanted time to yourself then you should have known this wasn’t the right place to be!"

Her cheeks turned pink in her anger and she took a few steps closer herself. "I tried to say I wanted to go home! You were the one who wouldn’t let me! Why couldn’t you have just let me go like I said I wanted? You had to push and plead for me to stay! Why?!"

"Hey, hey!" he yelled. "You’re the one who just said if you had wanted to go home you would have! My asking you to stay shouldn’t have any bearing! Of course I want you here, but not if you’re going to be this unhappy! You’re the one who decided so maybe I should ask you why you’re staying?!"

"I asked you first!" she yelled back. They were inches apart and both breathing heavily as they tried to get themselves under control. Someone’s coming. She said suddenly and they each took a few steps back, turning away from each other as Molly opened the back door.

"Here you two are!" she said happily, oblivious to the tension between the two teens. "There’s someone here to see you both."

Luna looked at him inquisitively but he merely shrugged his shoulders. He knew who their visitor was and was glad with the haste in which his letter had been answered, though he had pictured the moment when he arrived differently. Following Luna inside he hoped this at least would brighten her up a little. Molly led them to the parlor where a strange looking man with slightly long white hair stood waiting for them, a small suitcase on the floor next to him.

"Daddy?" Luna appeared to have the wind knocked out of her. Then she ran forward and threw herself in her father’s arms and Harry felt a momentary pang of jealousy. It was the same way he felt every time he saw one of the Weasley children have a family moment with their parents and it passed quickly. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling away to get a better look at the man.

"I got Harry’s letter and rushed right over." Mr. Lovegood answered with a friendly smile as he shot his slightly cross-eyed gaze in his direction.

"Harry’s letter?" she asked incredulously, turning to look at him in confusion. He simply grinned in reply.

 

NOTE: Sorry again about the delay in chapter posting. It may keep up this way for awhile but I’m not abandoning the story so keep checking for updates. I’ll write and post as often as I’m able until my laptop is replaced. Thanks for reading, leave a review if you please, it pleases me when you do and I am still answering all reviewers. See you all next time, when the characters all finally head off to school!




Chapter 26: Blurring the Line Between Friend and Enemy

A/N: Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me through these long periods between postings, I’m hoping to have a better computer soon. In this chapter the gang finally heads off to Hogwarts after some nervous and tense anticipation by quite a few of the characters who will have much to face while away at school. Perhaps I’m being hopeful, but I’d say we’re about halfway through the story and well on our way to the next and probably last sequel. But to get to the end we must learn of the middle so without further rambling, Read, Review and Enjoy!

 

Coherent thought was nearly impossible. Luna had walked into the house not really knowing what to expect. Perhaps she hadn’t realized how completely she had turned off her mind because thinking back, she remembered how something had been poking at her, wanting her attention, some small intuitive vision she’d been forcibly pushing off. To enter the parlor and see the funny little image of her father was something she’d been wholly unprepared for. It took her a few seconds to believe her eyes before running to him and throwing herself into his embrace. How had he known that she so needed to see him, to feel that connection to someone? Had he received his own vision and come to rescue his floundering daughter?

She pulled back, studying his face as he did the same to her with pride shining in his slightly crossed gaze. In that moment she was very happy. "What are you doing here?" she couldn’t help but ask.

"I got Harry’s letter and rushed right over." He answered, looking past her to the doorway.

"Harry’s letter?" She didn’t understand. Turning to get some answers, she found Harry merely grinning at her in response. "What letter?" she asked cautiously, suddenly certain her happiness was about to be tainted.

"It’s right here." Xeno pulled out the envelope and handed it over. "He told me that you were wanting a visit and explained the danger of you traveling from the house. And then of course I couldn’t refuse the exclusive for the Quibbler! Exposing Lucius Malfoy, it’ll be quite a feather in our cap. Possibly bigger than the story we ran on Harry a few years ago. Luna, you never told me how excitingly dangerous things have been getting." He scolded, summarizing the letter before she could read it.

"The Quibbler is going to break the news about Lucius?" She was astounded, hurt and angry. What exactly had Harry been planning without her that should have involved, at the very least, her opinion?

"We certainly are!" Xeno answered proudly. "Shall we get down to business?"

Luna nearly snorted with laughter at the confused look on Harry’s face. He had apparently expected a parent more like the Weasleys, who were about family first. She never doubted her father loved her, but she did know he had certain priorities. "Um, sir, wouldn’t you like a bit to rest first? You know to settle in, spend some time with Luna?"

"There’ll be plenty of time for that young man, you all aren’t leaving for days. I want to get things rolling on this article as quickly as possible."

"Xenophilius," Mrs. Weasley interrupted from her spot next to Harry, "this may be something you want to think over very carefully. It’ll bring dangerous attention your way and possibly to your family."

"That hasn’t stopped you or Mr. Weasley from anything." Luna said with a sigh, already knowing the argument that would be ensuing.

"Exactly. Besides, my little Luna is very capable and I trust that she can not only look after herself but will be well looked after at the same time." Her father replied as he put an arm around her and pulled her close. "So shall we start? I’m going to need to hear everything you all know about whatever it is and see any evidence you’ve collected. I won’t trust this story to anyone else; it’ll be my reporting, and my eyes will be the only ones to see whatever you have on the bloke, I promise."

Harry was looking to her, waiting for her take on the situation… a bit too late now. Just give him what he wants, he won’t settle down unless he gets this out of his system. She thought to him, trying to hide the irritation she felt. After all, Harry didn’t yet know he’d done anything wrong. "Okay, where do you want me to begin?" he asked hesitantly.

"Actually, I was hoping to start with Young Malfoy-"

"No." Harry cut Xeno off. "I asked him last night and he doesn’t want to talk to you about any of this. And no one is going make him do it, either my word and the ministry documents will be good enough or you won’t print anything." He finished firmly, obviously realizing that delicacy didn’t get you far with Xenophilius Lovegood.

Unfortunately, her father was just as stubborn. "Of course that will all be good enough, but imagine the spin it’ll put on the article, if the father is outted by the son."

"I have imagined it and I think Draco has a big enough target on his back. Why push his image as a traitor any further into the minds of the Death Eaters? He already agreed to let us do this, I think we’ve asked enough. And as a guest in my house, I would hope you would respect my other guests and not pressure him to speak to you about this, despite your feelings about his family however justified they may be. Furthermore, as a condition of you being allowed to release the story, there must be no mention of Draco or anyone else, print my name if you must, but the others should really have no part in this."

"I’m sure daddy can find a way to write the story excluding everyone, even you." Luna said apprehensively. She wondered just how Harry had maneuvered all of this; he had to have convinced Mr. Weasley it was a good idea- and Draco too. She didn’t see how he had justified it when it was so dangerous. And to drag her father into it as well… she had to remind herself that Harry didn’t know the single-minded focus her otherwise scattered father could achieve when it meant something great for his magazine. How many times had she heard reporters complain when they hadn’t received payment for their work, only to hear Xeno say that it was an honor to write for the Quibbler and therefore their payment was the privilege of being printed? And besides his normal zealous pursuits, he had been looking for a way to get revenge on Lucius for a long time.

"I don’t know, I’ll need some kind of name to lend credibility and if Draco Malfoy is off limits then Harry Potter will certainly draw people in." Her father answered thoughtfully.

"Honestly, Xeno! Isn’t it enough of a draw to expose a Death Eater?" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Lucius Malfoy should be all you need! That’s the whole point of doing this, as Arthur asked me to remind you. We aren’t trying to put the kids under more scrutiny. If you can’t think of Harry or Draco then think of your own daughter. She is in constant company with the others, her safety is as much in question as theirs."

"Something you’ve certainly come to terms with for your own children." Xeno shot back, always upset to have his unconventional parenting called into question.

"But I don’t go out looking for ways to make them a target." She angrily replied as Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. Luna felt for her, knowing the guilt she always carried for letting her children become so involved in this war. But they had done so against her wishes, she had always made her displeasure with their actions clear.

"I’m sure you can both understand that I want to make this man suffer for what he has taken from me and mine. I’ve lost a son as well Molly, and now Harry here has given me a way to get even. I don’t care how uncomfortable it makes things for Lucius’s son or family, we’ve been suffering for six years because of him!" Xeno replied more darkly than she’d ever heard him speak before.

"Harry, why don’t you get the files so my dad can go through them? That way he can get the whole backstory first so he’ll know exactly what we have on Lucius. Then daddy, if you need to talk to Harry about something you’ll have a better idea of what direction to ask your questions. And then we can all talk about how best to present the information once Mr. Weasley comes home, since it would be best to have the Minister’s input." Luna worked hard to strike a compromise and end the sudden tension.

"Sounds good." Harry said slowly, taking her lead and heading upstairs to get the files from Draco.

"I think I’ll go start on lunch." Mrs. Weasley said with false cheer, leaving for the kitchen.

The room suddenly felt bigger. "I’ve missed you Luna!" Xeno said once they were alone, pulling her in for another hug. "I didn’t think you had planned to stay here all summer. And with that Malfoy boy under the same roof!"

Luna was torn between being extremely happy and horribly upset. She missed her father terribly when they were apart, but whenever he had a big story she’d long ago learned that she’d rather not be around him. And this story was something he was predisposed to obsess over, since it involved his son’s murderer.

"Draco is fine, he wants his father exposed as much as the rest of us. Lucius tried to kill him too you know, his own family. Anyway, I stayed because things have been so hectic."

"So I’ve heard! Why didn’t you tell me about any of this? I hate having to hear about your life through reports from friends and the newspapers. You never talked about any of it in any of your letters."

"And you never wrote back." She accused. She hadn’t expected him to, not because he was neglectful but because it wouldn’t have occurred to him. Still she hated to be accused of not being responsible- he was the parent after all. It was up to him to show interest in her.

"Because you always said you were fine!" he argued with his backward logic. If nothing is wrong then there’s no need to write, was what he had meant. She was used to the way he thought, usually found it endearing- except when he used it against her.

"It doesn’t matter. You’re here now and I’m happy to see you." She said, pushing everything else down as she sensed Harry returning. Sure enough he rumbled down the stairs and reentered the parlor, thrusting the file in Xeno’s direction. It was clear he was unhappy that her father hadn’t been exactly what he was expecting and that made her more angry. Maybe now he would learn not to meddle in things he doesn’t know anything about.

"You sit here and read, I’ll bring your things up to my room." She said, wanting a few moments alone to let herself begin processing what was happening. He sat without a word barely looking to be sure there was a chair behind him he was so engrossed in the documents.

"I’ll help." Harry offered reaching for the suitcase.

"I don’t need your help." She answered stiffly, pulling her wand from behind her ear where she’d begun to keep it once more and waving it briskly. "Accio luggage."

She felt him follow her up the stairs and her anger and frustration grew. Once in her room, he closed the door and they stood staring at each other for a long time, the argument interrupted earlier between them by Xeno’s arrival still unresolved and new feelings now thrown on top. "I thought it would make you happy, to have him here." He explained slowly.

"And who’s idea was it to tell him about Lucius?"

"Mine. I figured it would take care of two problems at once." Harry answered helplessly.

"I’m not your problem, you don’t have to take care of me." She replied more coldly than she’d intended. "I wanted to see my father but not like this! I wanted him to come see me, not chase down another story! And especially this one!"

"I didn’t invite him here for the story!" he said heatedly. "I invited him here for you, at the end I told him that while he was here we could conduct the business of an article, but I made it clear how much you needed to see him."

"I can’t believe you wrote the letter at all!" she threw her arms up in exasperation. "Don’t you think this is something you should have gotten my opinion on? You obviously thought enough ahead to talk to Draco about it."

"I cornered him last night before everyone turned in for bed and we discussed it a little. But I was trying to surprise you! I thought it would be a happy surprise!" He defended himself.

"You thought wrong. My father and I are close, we love each other, but in our own unique way and it works for us. Bringing him here with the promise of a story like that isn’t going to make me feel better because he isn’t really here for me! And to now have to have you all sit in judgement because our relationship is different from what is expected- it’s mortifying, Harry! I never cared what anyone thought but I guess no one can make you feel quite as self conscious as those closest to you."

"I meant it to be a good thing you know; I did it for you, exposing Lucius was secondary, and who better to release it than your dad? I was trying to help you both find a bit of closure against Lucius, in case we aren’t able to reopen Kane’s case. If you read that letter you’ve still got clenched in your hand, you’ll see that you were at the forefront of my thoughts." He said quietly.

"I’m sure you had the best of intentions." She sighed. "You always do, don’t you."

Without another word he left, slamming the door shut behind him. Luna didn’t care if he was mad at her, she was too hurt by him. Looking down at the envelope that she indeed still held tightly in her fist, she crumpled it up and threw it, not wanting to know what he had said to bring her father here. But his words- that he had done it for her- kept swirling in her mind and her curiosity got the better of her. She picked it up and smoothing out the wrinkles, settled into her desk chair to read.

Dear Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood,
We haven’t met but I’m a friend of Luna’s. My name is Harry and as I’m sure you know, your daughter has been staying with me and our friends at my house. What I’m not sure of is how much you know of her time spent here. I suppose it’s best to let her catch you up on the details but I am pressed to admit that it has been a difficult summer to say the least. As supportive as we all are of her, I think Luna may be needing her family, especially around this time of the year. It must be a difficult time for you as well and I hesitate to remind you, but I’m worried for Luna. And as much as I’d like to say it would be easy to part with her and let her return home until school starts, it is more than our affection for her that makes that impossible. You see, sir, we have discovered that Voldemort knows of the abilities Luna possesses and I, as well as Minister Weasley believe it would be foolhardy to have her leave the relative safety we can provide here. So it is a pleasure to invite you to stay with all of us until it is time to head off to Hogwarts. I know you are very busy, but I think it would help Luna a lot if she were able to see you, at least I hope it will.
There is another matter, which we can discuss in detail after you arrive, but I will say here that we require yours and your magazine’s assistance. You are perhaps aware that Draco Malfoy is also living with me. Well, he has recently learned of some very damaging information about his father Lucius. After a discussion with him and the minister, we have decided to ask that you be the one to break the news to the public.But as I said, this is a matter to be more fully discussed in person sometime during your anticipated visit.
I look forward to meeting you, sir. Luna speaks highly of you and she is very special to us- and a very good friend to me in particular. I am glad to be given the opportunity to try and return the favor as I can find no other way to help her right now. I’m sure you are as eager to see her as I know she is to see you and so this should be an easy invitation to return. I beg that you respond quickly as there is a very short time left before we must leave.
Sincerely,
Harry Potter

So many thoughts tumbled around in her head, each begging to be the most important. One stood out among the others as she reread Harry’s words. It must be a difficult time- meaning the end of the summer… when Kane had been murdered. Had that been why she’d been struggling with things so much lately? Had she been subconsciously thinking of the dreaded anniversary? Six years ago she’d been days away from leaving for her first year at Hogwarts when they’d heard of her brother’s death; and now here she was once more days away from going to school. She realized that while perusing down memory lane the last few days, she had been trying her hardest not to think of Kane’s death- not until it was solved properly. Apparently Harry had made one connection to her sudden and deep unhappiness while she had not, instead choosing to focus her desire for closure on the things he couldn’t know. He’d been right when he told her he’d thought only of her when writing the letter, the stuff about Lucius had the appearance of an afterthought- something he’d thrown in just to give Xeno a hint that there was something else of less importance that also needed his attention. But was the letter enough to ebb her anger? She wasn’t sure.

(BREAK)

Ginny was on edge waiting for Laurel to show up. She had never wanted to see the woman more than she did that day, though her own mental health was far from the reason. When the doorbell finally sounded, she rushed to the door letting in the obviously startled woman. "Well, this is a greeting I didn’t expect."

"I’ve been waiting for you." She answered quickly as she hurried up the stairs to her room, not even taking the time to check that the healer was following her. Once ensuring their privacy, they sat together and the woman looked at her expectantly. But suddenly, Ginny wasn’t sure what to say or how to begin.

"Has something happened?" Laurel asked, obviously thrown off by her patient’s behavior.

"Yes and no. I mean a lot happened since I talked to you last, but nothing that is a set back for me or anything. At least I don’t think so." She hesitated, wondering if stealing the picture of Draco’s mother was indeed a slip backwards.

"Well, what has you so anxious then?"

Ginny took a deep breath and gathered her nerve. "I was hoping to ask a favor. You see Draco is really struggling with some things right now, and with us all headed back to school I worry that… Well earlier this summer he was so stressed out it made him sick, and he’s still not fully recovered and there’s certainly a lot more stress to come- for all of us. I was hoping maybe you could see if he’d talk to you, get some of the burden off of him and get someone else’s perspective, you know?"

Laurel paused for a moment, trying to process the request. "May I ask why you don’t talk to him about it?"

"I’ve tried." She quietly admitted. "I think he’s worried about upsetting me or putting more weight on my shoulders. Worse, I think he might worry that his past is going to come between us because it was after he went to see his mother that he stopped talking to me about anything of importance."

"And do you really think he’ll want to talk to me?"

"I didn’t want to and yet here we are. Look, if it’s a matter of money I’m sure if we went to Harry he would take care of everything." Ginny answered impatiently. She had put herself out on a limb and was tired of waiting for a real answer.

Laurel sighed and sat back, deep in thought. "Okay." She said after a long while. "All I can promise is to try and see if he’ll open up. It’s the same promise I made to your parents."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"I know you do, and I know it took a lot for you to ask. I’m happy to see you put so much effort into caring about someone else. And don’t trouble your friend about payment, if Draco is willing to talk to me, I’ll take him on as a pro bono patient."

"Thank you so much. Do you think you could talk to him today? He’s napping now, but I’m supposed to wake him when we’re done here."

"I can try." She promised again. "You were lucky and caught me on a light day, you were supposed to be my last visit." She smiled encouragingly. "Now that we have that all settled, let’s get on with our time together. Have you thought at all about the question I asked you last time- about what you want out of your life?"

"Sort of. It’s a hard question to answer."

"Why is that?"

"Well, everything is so uncertain right now, with the war and all. It’s hard to plan for a future that I may not get to experience." Ginny admitted. "I just think it’s better to focus on the present and stay alive until things finally settle."

"I see your point. But don’t you think it would help you get through this time if you have a goal, something to strive for?"

"Maybe. It’s hard to think life will be anything different from what it is now. We’ve been going through all of this for so long and it only gets harder and more dangerous the longer it goes on. I mean, Fred and George had a goal…" she trailed off not wanting to feel the deep despair this sort of topic instilled in her.

"They had a goal that one of them was unable to enjoy because of this war. But it didn’t stop him from trying for a better life, right? What I want you to think about is how you are holding yourself back by letting these negative thoughts consume you. One cannot experience life if they are afraid of death."

"I’m not scared to die." Ginny protested.

"Then what are you scared of?" Laurel pushed.

"I don’t know." She confessed.

"Well, think about it for a moment."

She sighed and put down her defenses, wanting for once in her life to be honest with someone, especially someone so invested in helping her. "I guess I’m scared to think about the future because I don’t know what I want it to be. I’m not worried about dying because I guess I don’t think it would be such a bad thing, you know, at least things would finally be permanently settled."

"I realize change can be difficult, especially when faced with as much of it as you have, so the need to have things settled one way or another is understandable. But don’t you think you’ll have a better outlook if you take the time to know yourself and figure out what it is that will make life better for you? Isn’t there anything you want to do, to see, to experience?"

"Quiet." She answered without thinking.

"Quiet?"

"I want a whole day where everything is quiet and peaceful, where no one has to worry about anyone else and I can lay still and breathe. Sometimes I want to go nowhere at all, someplace like space that stretches on in eternal silence, where no one can bother me."

"I see. You’re looking for a bit of solitude and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially during these years of your life, when we all begin trying to understand who we are. It doesn’t make you a bad person to want some time alone when you are constantly surrounded by people. But I want you to think long term. Imagine there is no war, what are you heading towards? What would you like to do?"

"Leave." She said simply. "I want to leave London, I want to leave this whole bloody planet sometimes. When I was trying to get Draco to run away with me I imagined this whole life for us, living as far from everyone as we could in someplace beautiful and remote. At the time I only wanted him along because I was scared to go on my own, I needed someone and he was there, but now…"

"But now?" Laurel pushed a little more.

"Now I guess I’m not sure which one of us needs the other more. But I still think about going away and living some kind of life away from everything I’ve ever known."

"And do you still want him to go with you?"

"Sometimes. And sometimes I picture myself alone." Ginny looked away shyly, afraid to have the healer think she was a bad person.

"There’s nothing wrong with that, and it doesn’t mean you don’t have real feelings for him." Laurel assured her. "You’re overwhelmed, everyone in this house is from what I’ve gathered during our talks. Wanting space, time to yourself, it doesn’t mean your are cold or unfeeling. It means you’re pretty normal." She smiled kindly. "Everyone needs to close in on themselves once in awhile Ginny, take time and explore their feelings. It’s how we grow emotionally. The important thing is not to lose yourself, not to push away those who are important to you. And wanting a life completely separate from everything you’ve known thus far doesn’t mean you’ve given up. I think it’s a big step in the right direction that you fantasize any sort of future, and the fact that it’s one of peace and tranquility, well I don’t see anything wrong with that at all."

"Really?" she wasn’t sure. "I wouldn’t just be running away?"

"That depends on your reasons for going. If you leave during a time when everything is settled and without abandoning those who care about you, then it would just be you moving on in your life. But if you leave when others are depending on you, when there are still things that will weigh on your mind, then you would be running away and I have a feeling you wouldn’t be any happier. I’m not recommending that you take off in the next few days, I just want you to begin planning for something, striving for something, even if it is just to grow up and move out on your own."

Ginny nodded in agreement, feeling more secure after the conversation. She found that she did like talking to Laurel, the woman was good at her job and made her feel like maybe she wasn’t as crazy as she and everyone else had thought. "So is this it? Are we done?"

"That’s up to you. I think you’re seeing things a lot more clearly now, and if you want to continue our talks, I could find a way out to the school whenever you need me to. It’s something that’s already been discussed with your parents and headmaster. I told them that at this point, the choice is entirely yours."

(BREAK)

"That will totally save the store! It’s brilliant!" Fred exclaimed. "Of course it would be coming from you." He added with a smirk as Hermione blushed slightly at the compliment.

"It just makes sense." She replied, uncomfortable with the accolades. After all it wasn’t like she’d cured the werewolf curse or anything, she’d simply reasoned out the problem at hand.

"Quick Cures! I love it!" Fred laughed, and she was glad to see he was finally letting a bit of his stress go.

"We’d still have to talk to Drake about it." She reminded him, not wanting him to get his hopes too high.

"Not a problem. Dad said he’ll be here in a few days to see Draco and Ron one more time before school. And we need to talk to him about the wolfie potion anyway."

She scrunched up her nose in displeasure. "We really need a better name for it."

"We should probably wait until we actually have something to name." He shot back. "Meanwhile, I bet he’d be glad to help out. It’s a great idea, affordable quick and already brewed cures for the minor ailments that people would normally have to go see a healer for."

"The only problem I see besides talking to Drake is the Ministry. You’ll have to get approval by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Potions and Poisons." She warned.

"I’m sure dad could help with that. Plus doesn’t Drake hold some position in that office?"

"I’m not sure." She answered thoughtfully. There was a lot she didn’t know about the healer, having simply taken Arthur’s word that the man was trustworthy. A sudden knock interrupted their discussion.

"Hey, what’s up?" Fred asked casually as he opened the door to reveal Harry.

"I was wondering if I could borrow Hermione for a minute, if you guys weren’t in the middle of a potion or something." He said looking uncomfortable.

"Sure." She readily agreed figuring her job was done as far as Fred was concerned, he was back on track and she’d helped him come up with a feasible idea, even if he did still have some red tape to get through.

His face however revealed that he had thought differently. "Okay, so we’ll talk more about this later?" he asked with a slight frown.

"Sure. I was helping him think of things to do to help out the store." She quickly explained to Harry, though he seemed less than interested.

"Well let me know if I can help." He offered absently.

After a brief adieu to Fred they headed upstairs to his room where she was surprised to see Ron waiting. "So what’s up?" he asked as they entered.

"I think I may be too close to this whole thing and I could really use your guys’ perception on what to do." Harry answered.

"About what?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well, you know I told you how I wanted to invite Mr. Lovegood here to try and help Luna snap out of this slump or whatever she’s in?"

"Yeah, and you said dad was allowing him to break the whole Lucius story in the Quibbler." Ron answered. "I thought we agreed it was a good idea?"

"Well that was before he actually showed up." Harry answered miserably.

(BREAK)

Draco knew instantly that whoever was knocking on the door wasn’t Ginny. He’d begun to worry slightly, having woken and realized she hadn’t yet come by. Was she still talking to Laurel? Curiosity got the better of him and he quickly made his way to see who was there. Surprisingly he opened up to find the healer standing before him.

"Hello. You’re Draco?" She asked with a kind smile. He merely nodded, confused into silence. "My name’s Laurel Honeywick. I’m sure you’ve heard as much about me as I have about you."

"Can I help you with something?" He asked, unsure what was going on.

"Actually, I was hoping to help you. Can we talk for a few minutes?" Her smile was still plastered across her face though he felt it was genuinely friendly.

"Um, sure I guess." He gestured her in and closed the door, feeling a sudden sense of dread. "Is it something about Ginny? Is something wrong?"

"No, I didn’t mean to alarm you. My visit has nothing to do with Ginny other than she asked if I would attempt to speak to you." Laurel answered, taking a seat at his desk.

"She did what?" he sat on his bed taking in the information. "Why?"

"You’ll have to talk to her about that, she is still my client and I can’t reveal what we spoke about. It’s the same privacy I would afford you, if you decided you wanted to talk."

"There’s nothing for me to talk about." He answered stiffly. "Thanks for the offer and all, but Ginny really shouldn’t have asked you to do this."

"It’s a pleasure, Draco. When I see someone suffering, I want to help them. And I didn’t need her to tell me that you are struggling, I can see it written all over you."

"No offense, I’m really glad you’re able to help Ginny, but this whole therapy thing really isn’t for me. I don’t need to talk, I’m figuring it out all on my own."

"And I’ve no doubt you are more than capable of doing so. But sometimes, it helps to have someone wholly unconnected to you or your situation listen and weigh in with an unbiased opinion. We all need reassurance every once in awhile that we are on the right path. I’m not here to push you into doing something you don’t want to, I’m simply here to listen if maybe there’s some problem you are having a bit of trouble looking at objectively." She seemed truly concerned and willing to help. "And anything you tell me, Ginny would never have to know." She assured him.

He thought hard. There were so many things he could probably use a second opinion on, but he feared that if he spoke them aloud to anyone then they would all see him as the bad guy again. "I don’t know." He said, now nowhere near as certain that he didn’t want to talk to the healer.

"We can start slow. Is there something weighing on you right now? Something you maybe are having some trouble figuring out or moving past?"

"Of course." He answered, looking at her suspiciously. "But I don’t want to do that mind thing you did with Ginny." It was the main thing holding him back from talking to the woman, the thought that he would have to let her so deeply into his mind.

"I never said you had to. I never said she did either, I asked her permission, I didn’t just reach out and steal her memories." Laurel answered with an amused laugh.

"Right. I still just don’t know." He felt helpless and hated the Ginny had put him in this position.

"Well, I’m not going to force you." She said rising from her seat. "I just want you to know that if you ever need someone separate from all this to talk to, I am more than willing to help. Ginny knows how to contact me." She gave him one more kind smile before turning towards the door.

"Why would someone protect someone they hate?" he asked suddenly, stopping her exit.

She turned back to him. "I’m sure there are a lot of reasons, first and foremost being that maybe the someone doesn’t hate the someone else as much as they think they do."

"But what if there’s no reason to protect them? What if they tried to hurt you, kill you even? What kind of person would still go so far as to protect at least the location of the other person?"

"I take it you’re that kind of person." She said, once more sitting at his desk. "I admit that before I started coming to this house, I knew your name and who you’re parents were. Can I assume you are speaking of your father?"

"Sure." He answered tiredly. "I just want to know why I can’t turn on him completely."

"For all the perceived evil he has been a part of, he is still your father and as children, we all want that no-strings-attached love that is our right to receive. Some parents fail to give it and sometimes, that can make the child all the more eager to get it. Perhaps despite all that you two have been through, there is some part of you in there still looking for his love. By protecting him in any way, you are trying to display that desire, even if he doesn’t know you’re still keeping his secrets."

"It just seems stupid." He muttered.

"But it isn’t. And it doesn’t make you a bad person either. Protecting your father doesn’t make you a Death Eater and it doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of this life you’ve carved out for yourself. And what’s more, you aren’t betraying your new friends just because you don’t want to tell them where your father may be hiding."

"Well, you seem confident. I’m not quite as sure." He answered despondently.

(BREAK)

"You’re asking me to explain her? Don’t you think if I had a better understanding of Luna that I’d still be in a relationship with her?" Ron asked tiredly after Harry had finished his tirade about how confusing he found her reaction to her father’s arrival.

"I don’t know about that one." Hermione answered. "I think you two were too different to make a go of it."

"Thanks for the support." He shot back.

"What support do you need? You two aren’t together and most likely won’t get back together as she herself has told you, so what do you want me to do, lie to you and say you have hope?" she returned with her hands on her hips.

As much as Harry enjoyed the familiarity of their bickering with each other, he wasn’t in the mood to referee such a ridiculous argument. "Who cares about what could have or should have happened? I’m worried about now. I really thought seeing her father would perk her up."

"You said yourself that it’s a hard time of the year for her. I agree and I think once some time passes she’ll be fine." Hermione said soothingly. He sensed her own concern for their friend, despite her recent anger towards Luna.

"We all know it’s a bad time, and that’s why I thought bringing Mr. Lovegood here would help her get through it. But he seems far more interested in the Quibbler article."

"Maybe it’s his way of dealing with the memories." Ron suggested. "Kane wasn’t just Luna’s brother, he was also someone’s son. I mean think of how mum and Dad were right after George- well, all I’m saying is we’ll all probably be just as upset when it gets closer to Christmas."

"That was perceptive." Hermione marveled.

"I’m not stupid you know." He responded angrily.

"No, not stupid, just usually emotionally stunted." She returned.

"Guys, this really isn’t the time." Harry once more interrupted their infernal arguing. "I never saw her as mad as she was at me today." Of course, that also probably had something to do with the fight he’d had with Luna right before her father arrived, but he’d kept that much to himself, feeling somehow that it was an argument meant to stay between them, and one that would just upset Hermione and Ron anyway. He wasn’t sure why he felt that way, but he did and acted upon it accordingly despite his ‘no secrets’ vow to Hermione.

"Maybe just give her some time." Ron suggested. "Once we’re back at school, maybe she’ll even out."

"You mean when she has to basically be there by herself while we’re all sequestered away because of our special schedules?"

"You make it seem like we’re leaving her to fend for herself. What do expect next year when she has to spend the whole time there without us?" Hermione asked.

Harry faltered. He hadn’t thought about that too much, preferring to leave it as some far off possibility. But now with his emotions running high, it was suddenly all he could think about. How would next year work? How could Luna help the coven if she is away finishing school? How could he ask her to give up her last year? And if she did, how would he live with himself for letting her put her life on hold when he hadn’t? It was too much to think about at the moment with everything else going on. Besides, those were all questions he had time to find a way to discuss with Luna and possibly Arthur and Dumbledore. After all they’d worked something out for him, maybe next year they could do the same for her.

(BREAK)

After dinner that night, Harry, Luna, Arthur and Mr. Lovegood assembled in the parlor to discuss the article and decide exactly what would be printed. Ron left them to themselves, really wanting no part in the scheme. It was something wholly between them, what with the entire Lucius murdering Kane fiasco.

Instead he sought out Hermione who was standing at her desk, looking over Fred’s shoulder as he wrote furiously. She pointed out some error as Ron silently made his way through the bookcase. "Okay already! Can’t you wait until the end to tell me what’s wrong with it?"

"So I’m just supposed to let you keep making the same mistake over and over? If we catch each one you’ll be less likely to do it again." She answered him impatiently.

"What are you two doing?" Ron asked, startling them both.

"A knock every once in awhile would be nice Ronald." She scolded him. "I don’t just barge into your room unannounced."

"Sorry." He muttered. "So, what are you doing?"

"I’m trying to draft a proposal to the RCPP department." Fred answered. His voice heavily irritated.

"RCPP… Regulation and Control of Potions and Poisons? Why would you need to write to them?"

"I don’t yet. I’m trying to have something ready to show Drake when he visits in a few days. I have a new direction for the store and I want to be as professional as possible when going through the channels to make it happen." His brother grinned, looking to Hermione who’s influence this obviously was. Always the organizer that girl.

"You’re interrupting our train of thought. What do you need?" she asked testily.

"I was just bored and looking for something to do. And what do you mean ‘our train of thought’? What does this have to do with you?"

"I asked her to help. And if all goes well, I may just ask her to be my new business partner." Fred said seriously.

"Whoa. You can’t just throw out thoughts like that. Let’s just get you through the first few steps and then you can start having wild ideas." Hermione protested.

"It’s not a wild idea. I want to reopen the Hogsmeade branch too and when I do I’ll need help. Lee will be manager of course, but it’s your idea that’s saving my ass right now." Fred argued. "It wouldn’t be right away anyway, so you’d still have time to go find all the coven people if that’s what’s stopping you."

"What’s stopping me is that you just brought this all up two seconds ago and you never even thought to ask if I even wanted something like that to be offered to me!"

Ron wasn’t sure what he was witnessing, but it was making him uncomfortable as he felt there were a few more layers beneath the fight. "Can you guys cool it? You’re arguing over something you just came up with."

"If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to leave." Fred countered.

"Why don’t you just fill me in on whatever your business plan is and I can help too. And you don’t even have to make me a partner or anything." He taunted his brother.

"Fine, as long as you shut up and do what you’re told." He answered.

"We’ll settle the terms later." Ron said evasively as he looked over Fred’s shoulder. "Just tell me what the hell Quick Cures is."

(BREAK)

Luna was tense. Her father had been there for four days and he hadn’t spoken of anything but the article. She was supposed to leave for school the next day and he had gone to hand deliver the finished story to the printer himself, once more cutting into the time they could have spent together. Harry had been trying for days to speak with her, but the more she became part of the background to Xeno, the less gratitude she felt for him being there at all. She knew someday soon she’d have to talk it out with Harry, but her anger at the moment was too great and so she took to avoiding him, this time without bothering to hide.

She was helping Mrs. Weasley with dinner when she heard the front door open and hallway fill with Xeno’s voice. A childish joy fell over her as it always did and in that moment her anger and irritation where gone, filled only with the anticipation of seeing her father. She ran to greet him and he threw his arms wide when he saw her. "It’s all over, fate is in the reader’s hands now." He said reassuringly, though she felt his disappointment under the relief.

"Why don’t you two relax in the parlor until dinner?" Mr. Weasley suggested kindly. She hadn’t noticed that he had come in with Xeno.

"Thank you, Arthur. That’s a wonderful idea." He guided her in and they sat together on the couch. "What’s bothering you love?"

"Nothing." She answered not meeting his eyes.

"You can’t fool me." He quietly reminded her, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear. "You’ve been walking around a gloomy mess, but you’ve also been working very hard to shield it. Is it about your brother?"

"Partly." She answered honestly. "Part of it is a whole bunch of things I can’t change about the people I care about and part of it is these stupid visions of my future and I’m not even sure it’s something I should want."

"Because it’s something you don’t think you should want, or something you don’t think you deserve to want?" he asked seeing right through her but knowing better than to ask what she had seen. That was one area they hadn’t ever discussed- what they each saw in their own personal futures- not unless it directly involved the other anyway.

She ignored the question. "Do you think fate is really unstoppable? I mean I’ve seen things and managed to change the future, but it always comes back to that point again."

"I’m not sure I understand."

"Well, like with Harry. I’ve seen him in mortal situations and someone has always managed to make it different enough that he gets away with his life. But then it just happens again in a different situation. I mean, as much as the visions help to prevent horrible things it doesn’t stop those things from coming in a different form. So is it really possible to fight destiny?"

"Well, it seems to me that you’ve proved it possible. However it also seems you’ve proved that you can’t fight it off forever." He smiled, throwing an arm around her and pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder as she had done many times when they discussed such topics. Breathing heavily, she was comforted by the familiar smell of paper and ink that always permeated from him.

"So everything is fated, it’s only a matter of how long it takes to catch up with you?" she wasn’t sure she liked the idea that nothing was really in her control.

"It’s a hard concept, especially for those in our position of being able to know what’s coming." He sighed heavily. "But I find peace in the idea. Especially when thinking of the circumstances which have now brought us full circle with Kane. I told you then that Malfoy would answer for him crime someday, that your brother wouldn’t be just another of his faceless victims."

"I know you did." She said quietly.

"I miss him." Xeno whispered.

"I miss him too." She turned and hugged him close, neither able to bring the tears they wanted to shed. It bothered her that they couldn’t cry for their loss.

Maybe it’s because deep down we’re both too full of hope right now, hope that closure is on the horizon. He answered her thoughts. She smiled, liking the idea and wanting it to be true.

(BREAK)

Harry felt lost as they all sat for dinner. Where returning to school was normally a happily anticipated event, he was actually sad to be leaving his home and the people who would remain behind. He couldn’t imagine Hogwarts without Fred, it had been hard enough to adjust without George and Neville. And leaving Arthur and Molly was becoming harder every time he had to do it. And though she was rarely around due to her workload, he’d gotten used to Tonks being within easy access as well and would miss her company. The other thing bothering him was that he still hadn’t received a reply from Gabriella, and he worried that being away from home would delay any communication that did come from her. He hadn’t told anyone else about his fear that she wouldn’t respond at all and his only chance to be made whole again would disappear. It was something he couldn’t think about for too long. So while everyone else chattered nervously about heading off the next day, he closed in on himself knowing only one person dreaded the return to school more than he did.

Looking at Draco he noticed the other boy pushing food around on his plate, head down and shoulders slumped. Harry could only imagine what he was feeling, since Draco’s mind was a steel fortress with walls twenty feet high and five feet thick. As soon as they finished eating and Molly began bustling around making sure each of them was properly packed, he cornered Draco and beckoned for him to follow outside before he and Ginny could sequester themselves somewhere for the night.

"Something you wanted?" he asked tiredly.

"I just sort of wanted to check in with you I guess. See how you wanted to handle things tomorrow on the train and the entire time at the school." Harry said delicately.

"What do you mean?"

"We’ll all play it however you want it, however you think it’ll be easiest for you. And I want you to know that even if you want us to leave you alone, pretend we don’t actually kind of like you now," they smiled at each other, "even if you want that, we’ll still have your back if you need us."

"You certainly have a way with words, make it seem like someone has an option when they don’t, kind of like when you convinced me to talk to Cho. I mean if I tell you all to stay away from me that would make me pretty ungrateful wouldn’t it?" Draco looked unhappy and Harry felt for him knowing it was going to be hard no matter what he chose.

"Look, we understand. I understand, Draco. They’ll be horrible to you if they see you with us, they’re already suspicious I’m sure after what you did to Cho in front of them all. But they are just kids and after everything we’ve been through this summer alone, I think you’ll survive it. And any way that will make it easier for you, well it would make me pretty ungrateful if I didn’t offer, right?" He argued.

"Well, after this summer, it would pretty silly to turn on each other now, even if it was just pretend." Draco shrugged obviously uncomfortable with the friendly way they were conversing. "Or maybe I just firmly believe in strength in numbers."

"Whatever the case, I want you to know I’m not going to turn on you at all, not unless you give me a really, really good reason."

"Well then, I guess I’ll do my best not to give you one." Draco said with a small smile.

(BREAK)

Fred had accosted Drake as soon as he left Ron’s room. Despite protests to the late hour and his need to still check on Draco, the healer agreed to give him a few moments of his time. Fred made his presentation quickly, having practiced it repeatedly with Hermione, Harry and Ron as his audience.

"I think it’s a fine idea. But what exactly would you need from me?" Drake asked after he had finished.

"Ah, that brings us into the shorter second part of this meeting. Firstly, I’ve done my research- or at least one of my helpers did- and I would like to ask that you put in a good word when I present to the RCPP administrators, since you are head of the department."

"I can tell them what I honestly think which is that it’s a good idea, but I won’t bribe them or anything." He answered with a smile.

"Duly noted. The second thing I would need is, well… your expertise I guess. Cures are a new branch of potionmaking for me, and while I may catch on quickly, I’d really rather have someone knowledgeable as a consultant."

"On one condition." Drake said after a brief hesitation.

"Okay, what is it?"

"You take me on as a silent consultant. It’s probably best that the big bosses at St. Mungos don’t find out exactly how thin I’m stretching myself beyond their walls."

Fred hesitated. He had counted on using Drake’s name in the promotion of his new products, knowing his own reputation may make consumers skeptical of the medicinal value of what he was selling. But what mattered more was having a good product and so he decided he’d figure out marketing later. "Alright then." He said with a wide smile, reaching out to shake on their tentative agreement.

(BREAK)

"So everything looks good. Though I’m sorry to say you’ll have to grow the hand while at school." Drake said as he ended his exam.

"That’s the least of my worries to be honest." Draco replied. He felt anxious and tired, scared and assertive. More than anything, he was consumed with an overwhelming sense of dread. He didn’t know what was going to happen the next day, or how he would be expected to react, or how he was going to feel.

"Well, medically speaking you are ready to go off to school. You’ve put on a healthy amount of weight, your sleeping patterns are no more irregular than anyone else’s in this house and with the exception of the work we still need to do on your arm, your wounds are all healed." He said encouragingly.

"I guess that’s all good news." He thanked the healer and walked him to the door before once more enclosing himself in his room.

He’d shut himself up in there for most of the last few days, ever since Laurel had left. He didn’t know how to feel about Ginny sending the woman to talk to him and rather than face it, he’d shunned her, ignoring her knocking at his door and sitting far from her at meals while refusing to meet her eyes. But at that moment, with everything that was looming before him, he couldn’t justify staying away from someone who could offer him comfort. He had to put everything else behind him and ensure that he still had a strong ally in Ginny. As much as he appreciated Potter’s pledge of friendship, it wasn’t really his company that Draco was seeking. Undoubtedly he would need them both in the coming months, but it was Ginny who he'd come to rely on for his emotional stability, as ironic as that may be.

So swallowing his pride, he made his way to her door and knocked softly. Her face flashed irritation, then surprise when she saw it was him. "I’m sorry I’ve been kind of distant lately." He said without preamble.

"I’m sorry I didn’t ask if you wanted to talk to Laurel before I sent her to you." She answered quietly. Then without a word, she gestured him in and they climbed into bed as he settled under the covers with his arm around her. Sighing in satisfaction, he closed his eyes, ready to for once last night of peace before he confronted what the reality was in the world beyond these walls.

(BREAK)

"I’m too excited to sleep." Hermione whispered.

"So why does that mean you have to keep me up?" Harry grumbled, taking his pillow and pulling it over his head as she leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp.

"It’s our last year! Aren’t you even a little excited?" she prodded.

"It’s half a year." His reply was muffled.

"Still! Then it’ll be over and a whole new part of our lives will begin." She smiled at the thought, knowing things would be different once they were all out on their own and without restriction.

Harry came out from under the pillow with an aggravated sigh. "Yes, it’s all thrilling. And you know what? It’ll still be exciting in the morning, probably more so because I won’t be as grumpy…"

She laughed but was cut off from replying by a loud banging from three floors below. "What was that?" she asked, grabbing his arm.

"I think someone’s at the door." He answered cautiously, suddenly wide awake. He put on his glasses and grabbed his wand from the nightstand before swiftly rising from the bed and hurrying to see what was happening in his house.

Not wanting to stay alone but knowing he’d be mad if she followed, Hermione was unsure what to do. Finally deciding that no matter what she’d rather not be anywhere alone at the moment, she grabbed up her own wand and scrambled out the door and down the stairs, running right into Fred and Luna. All three crashed together, falling in a heap as they tried to catch each other. "What’s going on?" Fred demanded in a whisper as he helped the girls to their feet.

"I don’t know. We heard someone banging at the door and Harry ran off to see who it was." She answered shakily, worried that she didn’t hear any sounds from below.

"Are you sure it was someone just knocking at the door? It sounded like they broke through it." Luna said as she glanced nervously towards the stairs.

"Well, let’s go find out." Fred suggested, leading the way downstairs and into the parlor where they found Harry, Arthur, Lupin, Tonks and Edgar Crescent, who must have been the late night knocker.

"What’s going on?" Hermione asked, feeling a sudden tense anticipation.

"It’s about Snape." Harry answered, worry in his eyes.

"What about him?" Fred turned to his father.

Arthur shook his head. "It seems Severus has escaped the fortress where they were holding him. But Bill and the others haven’t intercepted him. We don’t know where he’s gone."

(BREAK)

The morning was a mad scramble for everyone in Number 12, Grimmauld Place. When they were at last fully packed, dressed, and fed, Molly led the way to the ministry car waiting for them outside by the curb. Hagrid, Lupin and Arthur were loading the last of the luggage and Harry rushed forward to help. Fred and Hermione were off to the side, talking quietly to each other about something while Ron listened in. Luna and her father were at a second car, preparing to drive to King’s Cross separately from the rest so as to get a bit more time together.

Ginny watched it all in a daze, reflecting that it all felt unreal as if she were in a dream where colors were too bright, the sky was too perfectly blue, and everyone was moving in slow motion. Draco stood next to her, tightly holding her hand. She knew this was going to be hard for him, and so she had pushed aside the hurt she’d felt by him rejecting her after the whole Laurel fiasco. Although, he must have talked to the woman since she had been in his room for a good half an hour, and Ginny was dying to know what they had discussed. But at this sensitive time in their… whatever they had, she knew better than to ask. Besides, what bothered her more was that he apparently hadn’t noticed she’d taken the picture of his mother. Or worse, he had and decided not to come to her for help.

As they all climbed into the cars and began the drive over to the train station, she felt Draco grow more tense beside her. They hadn’t said much to each other this whole week, but that morning when she had asked whether or not he wanted her to be seen boarding the train with him, the floodgates had opened.

***

He had looked at her in anguish. "I want to not care what anyone sees or thinks, but I just don’t want to give them a reason…" He had sat on the bed and dropped his head into his hand.

Seeing how much he was struggling with himself she had knelt before him and smiled encouragingly. "Draco, it’s up to you, it’s what you want that matters. Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle- I’m pretty sure I can handle whatever they want to try and dish out."

"I bet you could. I’d bet big on it." He had smiled back weakly. "I just hate not knowing what’s going to happen."

She’d chuckled a bit. "Yeah, you and everyone else. Why not go track down Luna if it’ll make you feel better, see if she has any ideas as to what to look forward to?"

"I’m not so sure I really want to know." He’d whispered, leaning to rest his forehead against hers. "I can’t decide which is better, knowing or not knowing."

"Well, as long as you let me, we’ll face it all together, whether we see it coming or not." She had whispered back.

***

"We’re here! Everybody out!" Molly announced, bringing Ginny back to the present.

They crowded together while Arthur, Lupin and Fred went to find enough carts for all the bags and the three animal carriers; Hagrid and his pets would be traveling by a different means. Ginny giggled at the animals before her; Robin was tucked deep inside his shell while Hedwig was sitting proudly and regally in her cage, but Crookshanks wore the unmistakable expression of a very upset kitty upon her squished face. Apparently Hermione still hadn’t found the time to get a bigger cat carrier and so the poor thing was crammed in there, glaring at everyone who dared flaunt their freedom. Seeing where she was looking, Hermione had smiled with a wince. "I’m going to let him out as soon as we’re on the train."

"I think he’d appreciate it." Ginny grinned. Then the two girls turned from each other awkwardly. It had been a small moment, but at least they weren’t at each other’s throats.

"Well, are we ready to go in?" Arthur asked happily.

(BREAK)

Hermione watched with amused despair as Molly said goodbye to Ron, Ginny and Harry. She wished her own parents had been there to see her off, but after the way she left things with them, she wasn’t sure they wouldn’t try to grab her and run off, away from all of this and back to their world. "Hey, why do you look so sad? I thought school was like a sort of utopia for you." Fred teased, coming up beside her.

"Of course I’m happy to be going. I was just having a moment I guess." She said quietly.

"You know, my efforts on the wolfie potion are really going to suffer with you gone." He nudged her.

"Well if you do nothing else, come up with a better name by the time I come back." She rolled her eyes.

Fred looked down and shuffled his feet, obviously nervous. "So I was sort of thinking, maybe I could write to you for ideas, or if I need help… I mean I know you’ll be plenty busy while you’re up there, but I like having you for a sounding board."

"Of course you can! It was silly that you felt you had to ask." She said with a small laugh.

"I just didn’t want to burden you."

"You’re annoying, but far from a burden." She grinned as the Weasley clan descended on her.

"You make sure to keep Ron and Harry in line." Molly instructed her as she pulled her in for a crushing hug. "Oh I just miss you all so much when you’re gone!" she sobbed, reaching out to pull her children and Harry in for a crowded group hug.

"Molly, they’ll miss the train." Arthur said gently, trying to disentangle the teens from his wife.

"You all be careful up there. Especially you." She turned and grabbed up a very surprised Draco who had been standing silently on the sidelines and trying hard to be invisible. "I’m so proud of you for going, but you make me worry!"

"I’ll be careful." He promised, looking extremely uncomfortable when she released him.

"Relax mother, it’s not exactly an empty nest. I’ll be there." Fred threw an arm around his mother.

"For whatever little comfort that may provide." Ron joked, rolling his eyes as they all turned to get on the train. Hermione was last and reached to take the hand up Harry offered. Looking back to the platform she saw Fred waving after them with his parents and she waved back, feeling sad that he wouldn’t be coming with them this time.

(BREAK)

"I’ll send you and Harry a preview copy of the magazine. It should be on the shelves in a matter of days." Xeno said as they waited for the others to stealthily slip through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾.

"I just hope this all works out well. It’s dangerous for so many reasons." She answered sullenly.

"Well I haven’t seen anything recently that’s made me worry and neither has your grandmother. Have you?"

"Just a few faded but troubling dreams. I’m sure it’ll all come once the Quibbler comes out and people start reading." She sighed.

"Yes, I’m sure quite a few people will start making decision once they learn the truth." He said happily.

"Well, hopefully those decisions don’t include shooting the messengers."

"You worry too much and I worry too little. Somewhere in the middle, we’re safe." He smiled and pulled her into a tight hug.

"That logic only works if we’re together." She answered quietly as they started calling for everyone to board the train.

"How about if I promise to write? Hmm? One letter in return for every one I receive from you, how’s that sound?" He asked walking her to the door.

"Like you’re placating me." She said with a wry smile.

"Well, anything for you my little Luna." He laughed pulling her in for one last hug.

(BREAK)

"Harry, would you mind coming with me for a few moments? I want to talk with you about a few things." Lupin asked as Harry and his friends looked for an empty compartment. "I promise I won’t keep you long."

"Ron and I have to go to the prefect meeting anyway." Hermione said when he glanced her way.

"Okay." He answered with a shrug and followed Lupin, glancing out the window and catching a glimpse of Luna and her father, still saying goodbye to each other on the platform. He was happy to see that they seemed to be getting along and hoped that once Luna settled in at school, she’d start opening up again and let him help her through whatever was troubling her so deeply.

They entered an empty compartment near the end of the train and Lupin closed the door, taking out his wand and using several spells to ensure their discussion was private. Then he settled himself across the way wearing a very grim expression. "I’ve been waiting for a time when we’d have a few real moments, without interruption."

"It isn’t anything bad, is it?" Harry asked anxiously.

"That depends on you." He answered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring. Harry had known it was there, had felt it’s energy calling for him, but since his continual use had ceased it was getting easier to ignore. "We need to talk about this." Lupin said very seriously.

(BREAK)

Draco was nervous as he and Ginny boarded the train. His hand was cold and clammy inside her strong, comforting hold. Stuffing the other arm into his pocket to hide it and lowering his head, they followed the others down the crowded pathway, searching for a compartment. He tried to ignore the faces of the kids they passed, and felt irritation when Lupin stopped them to pull Potter away; he wanted to get out of public view as soon as possible.

They began moving as Potter walked away with Lupin when someone suddenly grabbed his arm stopping their whole group. "Draco?" Pansy asked, her face a mask of disgusted confusion.

"What?" he asked harshly. Well if he was really going to make a stand on which side he was on now, he might as well start.

"What are you doing?" she asked glaring the unlikely trio that made up his company.

"Looking for a place to sit." He answered coldly.

"Well, there’s a place for you in my compartment. You don’t have to go with them." She insisted, too dense to understand what was happening.

"I’m choosing to go with them, get it?" he said trying to turn away.

She grabbed his arm once more. "No I don’t get it. What are you doing?"

"I think he was pretty clear, he’s coming with us." Ginny said taking a step between them and forcing the other girl to release him.

Pansy appeared ready to make a move and Weasley pushed his way forward, putting an end to the fight before it could happen. "You guys get moving and find us somewhere." He instructed with an air of authority. They moved to do as he said while he stayed behind to force Pansy back into her own compartment. He joined them again moments after they found a completely empty space. Draco was grateful when Granger pulled the shades, keeping passersby from gaping at the fact that he was in such strange company.

Shortly after the train left the station he was given a small heart attack when the door slammed open. Thankfully it was only Luna, but his heart was beating triple-time none the less. "We were wondering what happened to you." Granger said as she and Weasley prepared to leave for their prefect meeting.

"It took me some time to focus in on you guys. I forgot what it’s like to be around so many open minds, I had a lot of strange thoughts to search through before I found Ron."

"Thanks for reminding me." Weasley grumbled as he presumably put his mind shields up.

"We’ll be back as quick as possible." Granger said moving to the door. "I can’t wait to see who they made Head Girl." She muttered under her breath as they headed out.

"So where’s Harry?" Luna asked as she settled in across from them.

"Talking to Lupin about something." Ginny answered with a shrug. "Guess it’s just us three for awhile."

Unfortunately, she had spoken too soon. Once more the door slammed open, only instead of the friendly face of an ally, there were three stony faces of rejected minions. "Draco, we need to talk." Pansy said angrily as Crabbe and Goyle stood menacingly behind her.

"I don’t think we do." He answered steadily though inside he was all nerves. These three may not be the brightest, but nothing was more dangerous than stupid.

"Step aside." Someone instructed from behind his former friends. They parted to reveal a tall boy with wavy black hair and stormy gray eyes. He was dressed in Slytherin robes, as transfer students were presorted before coming to the school. Draco knew this kid and was worried for the reason he’d been sent here. "I was hoping we’d meet under more agreeable circumstances." The boy said quietly as he came forward into the compartment.

"Funny, I was hoping we’d never meet." He answered. "What are you doing here?"

"It seems there are some people who think you need to be taken care of. What kind of care is completely your choice, so maybe you might want to rethink where you want to sit on the ride." The boy suggested with a friendly voice and an evil smile.

 

NOTE: Well, I guess we now have a new villain. It was an idea I was playing with, having to have someone fill the antagonist position left vacant by Draco’s change of heart, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Anyway, next chapter we learn this new guy’s identity, lot’s of surprises and an unexpected visitor. Stick around, it’ll be up as soon as possible.


Chapter 27: Welcome to Hogwarts

A/N: Back again and at last our characters will reach Hogwarts. On thinking about it, I may have been way too optimistic when I said we were halfway through the story, maybe more like a third. So moving right along, Read, Review and Enjoy!
 
 


Harry listened as Lupin listed the dangers Luna had forewarned about the ring. He didn’t care that his friend was requesting that he not use the stupid thing as much. Since being able to speak to his parents, Sirius, George and Neville he had reached a sort of peace within himself, as if knowing that he could contact them was enough. After all, none of them had been in his life for long so adjusting without them actually present in physical form wasn’t as hard for him as he knew it to be for everyone else. So making a promise to not abuse the ring’s power wasn’t difficult. No, what bothered him is that the conversation directly reminded him of the fight he and Luna had gotten into days before. Nothing was resolved between them and while he wasn’t entirely sure why either of them was mad at the other, he knew for a fact that being on the outs with Luna, was the worst feeling that he’d ever experienced.

He felt both disappointed and disappointing as if their illusions of each other had finally shattered. He’d always viewed her as this sort of mythical sprite, playful, delicate and innocent, almost fragile in a way- a creature unlike any other being. He also knew that Ron had looked upon her in a similar fashion and he absently wondered if there was veela blood somewhere in her line. Despite the off-putting weirdness, Luna certainly had a way of drawing people in; even Draco had warmed to her before he did with the others, except Ginny of course. But all summer she had proven that she wasn’t all that delicate, that she was strong, capable and determined and it had only made him think more highly of her and their friendship. But lately, watching her deteriorate before his eyes into an ordinary girl who happened to also have extraordinary powers he’d felt helpless, wanting to maintain that image he had of her. As it turns out she was just as easily manipulated by her emotions as Hermione, Ginny or any other girl he’d come across. She wasn’t the wise and stoic oracle, she could be broken and she didn’t know everything. He saw her as human now, no longer some idol on a pedestal that he stood in awe of. He felt strongly that it was his fault, that somehow he’d been the one to break her. He just wished he knew how. And what’s more, he wished he knew what he’d done to finally make her look at him as she had that day they’d fought, a look that silently asked him why she had wasted her time befriending him. That look had hurt him more deeply than he cared to admit, as had her words. They’d never spoken harshly to each other before, other than his threat to bind her when she’d threatened to tell Hermione and Ron about his plan for Hogsmeade last year. And even then they had made up quickly as he hadn’t had much force behind his words. So what had changed? Or perhaps the better question was, what was in the process of changing?

"Harry?" Lupin had reached out and grabbed his arm to gain his attention, knocking Harry out of his hectic thoughts.

"Sorry, what where you saying?" He shook his head to bring himself fully into the present moment.

"I was asking if I could trust you if I gave the ring back, but maybe you just gave me the answer." Lupin looked at him in concern.

"No, its- I was thinking of something else entirely. Sorry, there’s a lot on my mind lately. Which is why you can trust me and give it back. I understand the danger and I can discuss it with Fred, Ron and Ginny too, so that we can all still use it, but responsibly. I’ll make sure Luna’s warning doesn’t come true."

Lupin still looked unsure, but he handed it over none the less. "Okay, but I will be checking in with you regularly about this. I don’t like having one more reason to worry about you. But as I said, after a long conversation with Arthur, we decided it’s best to trust you with this ring, now that you know the danger."

Harry assured him that all would be well before excusing himself, suddenly anxious to get back to the others. Apparently, Ginny had lowered her walls enough to send him a message, they needed his assistance. He had known it was a bad idea to leave Draco alone on the train and silently cursed himself under his breath as he hurried down the hall.

As he approached their car, he saw Ron and Hermione through the door as they shooed away Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and an unfamiliar boy. He was tall, with dark hair and extremely pale skin and he was smirking at his friends in a manner that Harry definitely took as threatening. He threw open the door and hurried his pace to a run.

(BREAK)

Draco held his ground as the other boy glared him down. "I’ve made my choice. I’ll stay here." He knew he had just drawn his line in the sand and hoped he had the fortitude to stand behind it.

"I see. I find that very disappointing."

"No one cares. Get out of here!" Ginny demanded, rising to her feet.

Draco saw the boy take a step forward to tower over her and scrambled to his feet to get between them and diffuse the situation before it got bad. Corralling Ginny behind him, he found that he stood eye to eye with the boy; he hadn’t realized he’d grown so much over the summer. Luna rose to also stand behind him, somehow sensing that was the safer place to be.

"She said get out." He repeated Ginny’s words in a strangled growl, trying to control the beast swirling beneath his skin. From the moment the other boy had made his threatening move toward her, Draco had been fighting himself, holding back the new animalistic instincts he’d recently gained. The human side of him knew that he was probably no match for this guy if it came down to a fist fight, but the wolf in him knew that if he had to, hell, if he wanted to, he could tear the kid’s throat out.

"What’s going on here?" said a cool, stern feminine voice, breaking into the intense staring contest the two boys had been engaged in. He looked past his adversary to find Granger and Weasley, both holding Pansy and the goons back.

"Nothing at all. Just introducing myself to the son of a family that is good friends with mine. I was hoping to find a friendly face in a new school." The boy shot them a charming grin.

"So sorry to disappoint you, but you’ll find no friends here." Draco spat out, still trying desperately to keep from reaching out to end this threat before he had a chance to do any damage. But that wasn’t the way they did things on this side, he reminded himself.

"Get out of here before we report you." Weasley said angrily. "You’ll be out of here in no time if you insist on causing trouble before we even get to the school."

With one last evil look at Draco, the boy turned and exited the compartment. "Nice to meet you, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley." He smiled at their surprised looks before glancing past them and grinning wider. "Ah, Harry Potter! And now the picture is complete. Lovely to see you all!" and before Potter could reach them, they retreated back down the train to their own car.

They all gathered in the compartment and after settling themselves, they turned to stare at him. "Who was that guy?" Potter demanded.

"I’ve never met him before, only heard about him, but I believe that was Tristan Macnair, new transfer student from Durmstrang." Draco answered with a sigh.

"Macnair… As in Walden Macnair?" Granger asked.

"He was Tristan’s uncle."

"Well what’s he doing here? And why now?" Ginny wondered.

"I don’t know, but it’s not for anything good." He answered miserably.

(BREAK)

Luna sat in silence, letting the others discuss this new potential enemy. She had been shaken to her core when she’d first seen the boy, as he had been in many of those disturbing dreams she had told her father about. Since no actual vision had come to her, she hadn’t paid much attention to the terrifying image of the horrid person she now knew as Tristan. Now she wished she had told someone about it, had given some warning as to what they could all possibly be in store for. It seemed that even Draco, who had heard of the boy, didn’t seem to be fully aware of how scared he should be, considering that even had they not been on opposite sides of this war they would be natural enemies now that he’d become a werewolf. Well, it wasn’t to late, she could still speak up. "Tristan Macnair is a horribly dark creature." She blurted out.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

Draco answered for her. "She’s probably heard the rumors about him." He explained, glancing at her nervously. So maybe he did know something.

"What rumors?" Harry pressed.

"That he’s a vampire." Draco said with a small laugh, as if making it a joke made it untrue.

"Even if he was, what difference does it make? Vampires don’t hold the same stigma as werewolves since they have control over themselves. Draco would be considered more dangerous out in society." Hermione pointed out.

"I’ve known some wonderful people who also happened to be vampires." Luna interjected. "And I wasn’t just referring to the fact that he was a vampire. Draco was wrong; I’ve never heard any rumors about Tristan because before today I’d never heard his name. But I’ve been seeing him lately… in my nightmares. He was always this dark, shadowy figure, with the smell of death and decay about him, and I was always scared, terrified as soon as I sensed he was near. It was the same every time and I was expecting a vision about it any day. But he showed up first."

"So what does that mean?" Hermione asked.

Luna shrugged. "That it was only ever meant to be a warning that he was coming, that nothing has been decided yet where he is concerned."

"Great, werewolves and vampires." Ron groaned. "Why not throw a demon or two on for good measure?"

"Bite your tongue!" Ginny scolded.

Luna ignored them both, turning to Draco anxiously. She was happy to learn that he knew something about this mysterious boy. "So what have you heard about him?"

"That he is the first pure vampire in the Macnair family. Apparently both his parents had been turned long before they met each other and both were from pureblood wizarding families, so their union wasn’t as problematic as it should have been. So when Tristan was born he was a full blooded wizard and Vampire." Draco answered.

"Great pure vampires are more powerful than normal ones." Hermione groaned.

"Have you been reading ahead in our school books again?" Ron teased.

"Of course!" She answered seriously. "And in Defense we’re going to learn, in more depth, the abilities and rights of all non-human creatures and human-like beings."

"Great, learning more about things they’ve already made me learn." Ron grumbled. "Next time keep the lesson plan to yourself."

Luna tired of the exchange and once more captured Draco’s attention. "What else do you know?"

"Just what I’ve heard. Apparently he and his family have spread terror among the muggles for years, taking all the silly things from their literature and showing them that vampires do exist. While I don’t think they’ve ever turned anyone, I know they are responsible for countless muggle deaths. The good news for us I guess, is that they don’t hunt their own. It’s even been said that except in battle, they never attacked wizards or witches no matter what side of the war they were on."

"Well, at least they seem to have some kind of morals." Luna said hopefully, not wanting to connect the somewhat dashing boy she’d just met with the horrible thing that haunted her at night.

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked her incredulously. "Even if they don’t use us as prey, he said they do go after muggles with no remorse."

"It could be argued that it’s all part of the food chain." Draco debated on her behalf. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to believe this new person in their lives was as threatening as he seemed. Of course, the others hadn’t seen what she had or heard the things Draco obviously had.

"A lot of things can be argued, it doesn’t make it okay. From the little we have studied about vampires, I remember that there were several options available to modern ones. There are vampire run blood banks all over the world, wherever they are en masse. Right?" Harry turned to Hermione to confirm what he thought he remembered.

"Right. But not all of them chose to use donated blood. Just like not all werewolves take wolfsbane and seclude themselves away for their change." She answered, giving a nod of acknowledgement toward Draco. "I think what we can all agree on it that is doesn’t matter if you’re a witch, wizard, werewolf, vampire or any other being- some are good and some are just bad."

"So the question is how bad is Tristan?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if his family likes to go muggle hunting I can’t imagine they’re the greatest people in the world." Ron said snidely.

"Okay, everyone relax." Luna said. She felt trapped in the compartment with them all arguing, like she was suffocating. "It’s silly to argue about it now. The best thing to do is watch him closely and make sure he doesn’t have the chance to prove what a bad guy he is."

"Agreed." Ron said quietly.

(BREAK)

Harry felt a bit sad as he got off the train with the others. He had half expected to hear Hagrid calling out to the first years, but instead Lupin stood before them, corralling the young students into the boats that would take them to Hogwarts as the older students filed into the carriages. He gave a heavy sigh as he climbed in after Hermione; not having Hagrid waiting at the station was just the first in a long line of ways that this year would be different.

Although as they approached the castle, his heart leapt a little and he enjoyed the moment of childlike awe that spread over him. It was how he had felt when he was younger, escaping from the Dursleys into this world of magic, Hogwarts being the ultimate symbol for his transformation.

"Well, I guess this is where you guys leave us." Ginny said regretfully as they all stood in the entryway.

"We’ll see you again soon." Ron promised as they left her and Luna to follow the other students into the Great Hall. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco all made their way to McGonagall’s office as their letters had instructed.

Hermione knocked lightly on the door. "Ah, Miss Granger, keeping the others prompt as usual." McGonagall greeted them as she opened up. Gesturing them in she urged them all to sit for a moment. "We just have to wait for the other students."

"What other students?" Harry blurted out.

"Albus didn’t tell you?" she looked surprised. "Well, unfortunately word leaked out of the testing office about what we had set up for you four and in order to keep things fair, we’ve had to offer the accelerated program to other students whose academic record met the requirements."

Harry felt disappointed. He had sort of liked the idea of his classes consisting of just the four of them. "From all the houses?" he asked, shooting a glance at Draco.

"To be fair, we had to." McGonagall grumbled. "We’re waiting on one more Gryffindor, six from Ravenclaw, three from Hufflepuff and two from Slytherin."

"Professor?" A pair of voices called from the doorway.

"Ah yes, Misses Padma and Parvati Patil. Come on in." she invited them in and they sat next to the others with friendly smiles. Harry felt relief that the twins had taken up two of the spots, they were familiar and what’s more, they were friends.

Slowly other students filed in, some he knew and some he didn’t. Finally they were only waiting on the two Slytherins and knowing his luck, Harry had a feeling about who one of them was going to be. Sure enough, Tristan sauntered in, followed closely by Millicent Bulstrode. "So kind of you both to join us." McGonagall glared at them. "You are new here Mr. Macnair, but rest assured that tardiness will not be tolerated in this program. That will serve as a reminder to the rest of you as well. This will be a fast paced course of study and to be late to class is to forfeit your chance to be in class that day as we cannot stop everyone else’s learning to accommodate those who are unable to read a clock."

They all stared back at her in silence waiting to see what other restrictions were to be placed on them all for the privilege of graduating early. "Alright, here’s how this will work. A private living quarter has been set up for you all and while you will maintain your house status you will each have your own rooms and share a common room with each other. This is not an invitation to argue, fight or cause problems for each other. You are all expected to act like mature young people. Remember, being in this program is a privilege, not a requirement. If you cannot maintain appropriate behavior or good grades, you will be kicked out and sent back to normal classes."

(BREAK)

Ginny was miserable sitting by herself at the Gryffindor table. She couldn’t wait for the others to get back as she felt very exposed, being the only member of her group to be there, she felt all eyes were on her. Then she remembered, she wasn’t the only one. Looking over to the Ravenclaw table she met Luna’s gaze and both girls smiled, comforted by the other’s presence, even if they couldn’t be near each other.

"Well, if it isn’t my favorite person in the whole world." Said a quietly amused voice behind her.

She whipped around and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Charlie!" she threw herself in her brother’s arms and they held each other tightly for a moment before pulling away to take a good look at each other. "What are you doing here?"

"All will be revealed in good time baby sister." He grinned his charming lopsided grin and she felt truly happy, not realizing the full extent to which she was missing her two older brothers.

"Is Bill here as well?" She looked around eagerly, hoping to see him.

"No, I think he’s still out looking for Snape." Charlie answered quietly. "So, any idea when they’re going to get this show on the road?" he glanced at the Head table where the professors were assembling. Still no Dumbledore and no McGonagall.

"The first years will be here soon." She answered. "I assume it’ll all get going in a few moments."

"Charlie?!" Ron came running up to them at that moment, followed closely by Harry and Hermione. They all greeted each other warmly but Ginny was unconcerned with them any longer.

She caught Draco’s eye as the other students filed into the Great Hall and he shot her a look of misery as he joined the Slytherin table, sitting far from the others. "Why can’t he sit over here?" she angrily demanded of Harry, as if he could fix this.

"McGonagall said that outside of class we maintain our house status. He’s a Slytherin Ginny, we can’t change that." Harry said regretfully, also glancing at Draco in concern.

"It’s stupid." She grumbled as she sank back into her seat.

"I agree, but it’s not like they’ll be able to do anything to him with all the professors in the room." Hermione said kindly. Ginny appreciated the other girl was trying hard to get along, but her own misery kept her from responding, not wanting to say something she would regret.

"Well, I must be getting up there. Looks like we’re ready to get rolling." Charlie gave them all a mysterious smile before going and joining the professors at the Head table.

(BREAK)

"Hey! Look!" Ron pointed to where Dumbledore had just entered with the very familiar form of Healer Drake. "What’s he doing here?"

Harry was startled by the man’s presence. "I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with why Charlie’s here."

"Maybe he’s here to check up on Draco. The full moon is coming again next week you know." Ginny offered as an explanation.

Thankfully they weren’t left to wonder for long as McGonagall took up her post at the front of the hall next to the sorting hat. Immediately the giant doors swung open and the first year students were ushered in, their eyes wide and mouths set in determination. McGonagall cleared her throat and the hall fell silent as the hat began it’s song. Shortly after, the new students were all sorted into their appropriate houses. Harry watched the ceremony with impatience, wanting nothing more than the explanation for Drake and Charlie being there.

At last, Dumbledore rose to address the hall. "Welcome to those of you returning and especially to those new to our halls. I would like to begin by saying that, while we will never forget the tragedy that plagued our school last year, we must put it behind us and move forward. This year, I expect Hogwarts to be a place of enlightenment and peace as any school should be. And so this will serve as notice to all, troublemakers will not be tolerated any longer and punishment for interrupting the peace of this institution will be severe."

He looked out meaningfully at the sea of students in front of him before continuing. "Now, there are a few beginning of term announcements. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students as is the bit of swamp in our upstairs corridor. The list of items and actions banned from the school can be found in Mr. Filch’s office and will be gone over during your first classes on Monday so that every student understands what they can and cannot do. Finally, as to Quidditch, the entire sport is on probation this term. After the terrible incidents that occurred last year, I warn all players that if anything at all happens on the field other than a well played game, the sport will be discontinued at Hogwarts."

Harry glanced around at all the players he knew and saw they all looked worried. Since he was unable to play this year, he was unconcerned. Besides, without him playing, the pitch was probably safe. Finally, Dumbledore reached the part of this whole speech that he’d been waiting for. "Now, with happier news, I would like to introduce some new members of our staff. Professor Hagrid, while agreeing to come back as our gamekeeper, has recently found other responsibilities that will keep him from teaching Care of Magical Creatures, but I believe we have a very suitable replacement. Charlie Weasley was been working many years with many magical creatures, but his special field of study is dragons." He gestured to Charlie who shot out a brilliant grin across the hall, causing a few girls to begin whispering excitedly. Harry rolled his eyes. "As a former student, I’m sure he is glad to be back and bestowing his wisdom on a new generation."

Dumbledore paused as the students clapped politely for their new professor, a few girls whistling. Harry couldn’t be happier to have Charlie there. He knew it would be good for Ron and Ginny to have him so near when the rest of their family couldn’t be. Clearing his throat to bring the noise down, the Headmaster continued. "Now some of you may have noticed that Professor Snape is not here. He is on assignment right now and cannot be here to teach, therefore I have asked a good friend and very talented potionmaker to take the position until Professor Snape can return. Meet your new Potions Professor, Healer Roscoe Drake." Soft and polite clapping filled the hall and died down quickly as not many of them knew the healer and he certainly didn’t have the charisma Charlie did.

"On a personal note," Dumbledore continued, "I would like to welcome back Professor Lupin for his second consecutive term teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. It appears someone has finally broken the "curse" on that position." Laughs and clapping filled the hall and this time the Headmaster didn’t try to quiet them, instead speaking loudly to be heard over the din, "That is all. Tuck in!"

"Well having Drake here will certainly come in handy." Ron said as he began piling his plate with everything he could reach.

(BREAK)

I would like to speak with you privately for a moment, sir. Luna thought out. She saw the Headmaster look directly at her and nod ever so slightly. As discreetly as possible, she stood and left the Great Hall, the happy voices of her classmates echoing off the walls of the empty corridor as she made her way to Dumbledore’s office. "Fire spritzers" she named off the password that he’d mentally sent her and smiled as she stepped onto the stairway. Those were candies made by Fred and George, apparently the Headmaster had been a fan of their merchandise.

She entered the office feeling nervous and determined under the gaze of the former Headmasters. But glancing at the portraits, she saw that those who weren’t sleeping, were absent from their frames. She breathed a tiny sigh of relief, it was much easier to stand and make a request of one powerful person rather than a whole legion of them. "Miss Lovegood?" She jumped as Dumbledore came in behind her. He smiled kindly and took a seat at his desk. "What can I do for you?"

She remained standing, feeling too anxious to sit. "Well, I know it’s a bit late to ask, but I was hoping you could get me entered into the same program as the others, so that I only have to be here one semester. You know that after they are done, Harry intends to go looking for those coven members we haven’t yet contacted. Well, as a member of the coven, I think it’s only fair that I get to go with. And I would be in my seventh year, if Kane hadn’t been killed, so I am of age and able to decide whether or not to stay in school, but I would like to finish. I have excellent grades, I’m a good student in class and I’ve never really caused any trouble." She let out a breath after unleashing every argument she’d come up with.

Dumbledore merely stared back at her thoughtfully. "And then next year?"

"Next year?"

"Yes, Miss Lovegood. Say it is possible to set this up for you, what happens next year, when Harry and your coven are off doing who knows what? Will you return for another short semester to complete your seventh year?"

"I don’t know. I can only take things as they come to me." She said honestly. "Sometimes I can know things that will happen years from now while I’m ignorant of tomorrow. It’s frustrating. So all I can do is handle one thing at a time and right now, I’m trying to figure out how not to get left behind."

"I understand your plight and the reasons for your request, but I just don’t think it’s possible. I’ve no doubt that next year you will qualify for the program, but right now, accelerated classes are only being offered to seventh year students." He looked at her regretfully. "I have no desire to hold you back, Luna. And I understand the importance of your place in this war."

"Then can’t you figure out something?" she pleaded.

Dumbledore was quiet for a long time. "The main problem I see in accommodating you is that with the small group of seventh year students as well as all their normal classes, the professors are stretched too thin already. I couldn’t ask them to also take on an accelerated program for a sixth year student as well. The second smaller problem is that if I did find a way to help you, I would have to open the class to other sixth year students in order to not be accused of favoritism. The least troubling issue would be getting permission from Griselda Marchbanks this close to the beginning of classes."

"Okay, so what if you taught the classes, sir?" she suggested wildly. She hadn’t expected him to take her seriously of course, she simply wanted to show that she was dedicated to finding a way to make this happen.

Surprisingly, he seemed caught on the idea. "I suppose it could work. Yes, that might just be the answer."

"Sir, I didn’t mean it." She certainly didn’t want him to have to put himself out that much for her.

"I know you didn’t, but it’s a good idea none the less." He smiled at her in excitement. "It’s been so long since I was a real teacher, I think it’s a wonderful plan. I will set this up immediately with the appropriate boards and by morning, I should have this resolved."

"Are you sure?" she asked still feeling bad that she had suggested it at all.

"Positive, Miss Lovegood. It seems we can all help each other here."

(BREAK)

Towards the end of dinner, Harry noticed Filch come up and whisper in McGonagall’s ear. It must have been important because she rose immediately and hurried to follow him out of the hall. It was then that Harry noticed the Headmaster had also left. Looking around wildly and wondering what was going on, he noticed Luna was absent from the Ravenclaw table. Turning quickly in his seat, he checked on Draco, but he was sit sitting by himself, far from the rest of the Slytherins who were apparently throwing taunts at him. Harry grew angry; Ginny was right, it was stupid that they made him go anywhere near those kids. He intended to talk to Dumbledore about it, of course, that was if he could find him.

"Hey, what did we do now?" Hermione grumbled as a note appeared at her elbow.

Looking down the table, he saw that he, Ginny and Ron had also received one. Glancing behind him once more he saw Draco reading the one that was in front of him. Reaching for his own, Harry felt hesitant, sure that they hadn’t done anything wrong. Could it have something to do with why Luna and the Headmaster were missing?

Come to my office immediately.
Professor McGonagall

Without a word, they all rose nervously to their feet and joining Draco by the door, they made their way down the corridor. As they passed the Gargoyle leading up to the Headmaster’s office, Harry felt a tug, had caught a sense of Luna’s presence. "You guys go ahead. I have to see Dumbledore about something." He waited for them to round the corner. But rather than head up, he turned off his mind and waited for her to come down, he didn’t have to wait long.

She exited the stairway and began walking away from him, but apparently he wasn’t as good at shielding himself from her as she was at shielding from him. "What do you want, Harry?"

"What’s going on? Why were you up there?" he asked, taking a few steps toward her.

"For reasons that have nothing to do with you, okay?" She answered impatiently.

"What is your problem with me?!" He demanded.

"I don’t have one." She answered crossly.

"Harry! Luna!" Ron rounded the corner, running up to them all out of breath. "You guys have to come see this!" he gasped out.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"Come on! In McGonagall’s office!" Was all Ron would reply before running back the way he’d come. With an angry look at each other, he and Luna followed.

They ran after their friend but Ron’s long legs carried him faster than they could keep up. Once they reached the office door, Harry’s heart felt like it was going to explode with the mixture of adrenaline from the exercise and anticipation for what he would find. "Mr. Potter, Miss Lovegood. You both have a visitor." McGonagall said as they entered.

Next to Hermione, Ginny and Draco stood a tall, thin woman, with sun-browned skin, long dark hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. "Hola." She gave them a dazzling smile.

"Hi. I’m Harry." He said, taking a step forward to shake her hand.

"Me llamo Gabriella." She said in a lilting voice before shaking her head with a small laugh. "Lo siento que olvidé." Pointing the wand at her throat, she said some strange word in Spanish. "Ah, this is better, yes? I forget that no everybody speak Spanish." She continued in English covered with a thick accent. "I Gabriella Hernandez, you wrote to me, yes?"

 

 

NOTE: Sorry this one is a bit shorter than what I’ve recently been cranking out, but I figured better short than not at all. Anyway, coming up in the next few chapters we find out if Gabriella can heal Harry’s mind and Draco’s werewolf curse, Tristan begins approaching Harry’s friends, Harry and Luna get some things off their chest, Dumbledore reveals news important to Luna and Ginny, a tense first day of classes, news arrives about Sarah, Luna has some disturbing visions, Neville makes an appearance again, Draco deals with the fallout of his actions last year, Snape reappears, another strange visitor shows up and oh so much more. Stay tuned.




Chapter 28: Healing Hands

A/N: Welcome back again. Lots to cover, so everyone read, review and enjoy!

 


"Gabriella?" Harry couldn’t believe it. Just a short time ago he’d been worried that heading off to school would delay word from her, and now here she was right in front of his eyes, standing in McGonagall’s office. It all felt surreal.

"It is very nice to be meeting you, Mr. Harry Potter." She said politely in a thick accent that the translation spell couldn’t quite fix, rolling her R’s in a way that was nearly musical. He didn’t care that the woman’s translation into English wasn’t the greatest, he had no trouble understanding her. And even if he did, just having her there was enough to let him believe this whole coven thing could really work. "I know that I should have written first, but I was not having the opportunity. This Voldemort is sending his Death Eaters all over. My husband and I, we have to flee from our home in the Canada."

"We’ve heard they’ve been to France and a few other places in Europe and Asia but I didn’t realize they’d already jumped the pond." Harry answered, feeling uneasy that while he was going to be wasting time in school before going to look for recruits, Voldemort was already busy searching for his. At least one of them was finally here in person, making this whole plan feel more real to him.

"They’ve been spotted nearly everywhere." McGonagall informed them all. "The Order has been trying it’s best to keep up, but…" she trailed off. They didn’t need her to tell them that their numbers would never be as great as Voldemort’s. It was much easier to join the spreading evil than fight it.

"They destroyed the small municipality where we live." Gabriella added. "My husband Hector goes to our home in Spain, but I came to here first to give help." She smiled in Harry’s direction. "And to talk about the coven, yes?"

"Yes." He happily answered.

Harry. He heard Hermione’s voice as she opened her mind so he could see her thoughts. Have you checked inside her head, tried to see her intentions? You can never be too careful.

Unfortunately, she was right and so with a quick glance at Luna, they went into Gabriella’s mind together, wanting to be sure they could really trust her. The healer was an open book, whether she felt them searching he didn’t know, but assuming she did, he saw that there was nothing she tried to hide from them. Feeling extra relief, he turned to smile in satisfaction at Luna. She simply nodded that she agreed Gabriella was cleared before looking away and wandering over to inspect the books on McGonagall’s shelves, as if none of what was happening truly interested her. He knew different. When they had joined together just now, her mind had been partially open so that certain thoughts she couldn’t contain leaked out. He had seen how excited she really was to meet another coven member and how hopeful she was that Harry would now get his power back. He knew she still felt guilty about him losing it in the first place and would have eased her worries about him blaming her, but she was intent on deliberately ignoring him. Apparently she could let go of whatever was in trouble between them long enough to cooperate when he needed her, but the entire situation wasn’t enough to lessen her confusing anger towards him. His stomach felt uneasy, a mixture of relief, hope and nerves related to what was about to happen as well as despair over a fight he didn’t know why he was having.

"I am thinking it is best to try for the healing first." Gabriella smiled, filling the brief silence that had fallen over the room. No one was certain of how to proceed.

"Healing?" McGonagall asked looking at him in confusion. He couldn’t quite meet her eyes, wondering just how he was going to explain all this.

Gabriella looked equally confused, having figured that knowing so much already, the professor was a close ally. She was of course, but Harry and the others hadn’t shared the fact that he’d lost his power with any of the adults. He hoped word wouldn’t get back to Arthur, he couldn’t stomach the idea of the man being disappointed in him again for keeping secrets. "Yes, in the letter they say Harry is needing my help." She said uncertainly.

The professor raised an eyebrow as she surveyed her students. Harry saw that none of the rest of them were able to meet her eye either. "Perhaps we should go to the Headmaster first. I’d be far more comfortable if the rest of this meeting took place under his supervision. We are in Hogwarts after all, if anything were to go wrong, the school is liable." Her voice was stern, heavy with frustration. Apparently the adults hated it just as much when he kept things from them.

"Oh, I am very good at what I do. The best in the whole world." Gabriella responded proudly and without vanity. Harry didn’t doubt she spoke the truth and as his chest tightened in anticipation he felt everything else fade away; his trouble with Luna, his fear that this wouldn’t work, how he was going to explain his situation to Dumbledore- it all rocketed to the back of his mind.

"Even so Mrs. Hernandez, all of these students as well as their guests, whether the visit is sanctioned or not, become our responsibility the moment they set foot on our grounds. No one is exempt from our care, not even Mr. Potter." She said this last directly to him, as if to remind him that as much as they had bent over backward for him this year, he was still expected to behave in the same manner as everyone else.

He was tired of this, simply eager to get on with it and figure everything else out later. "Well, then let’s go see Dumbledore." He said. For the first time in a long while, he was completely willing to head off to see his Headmaster.

(BREAK)

Hermione watched in total fascination along with the others. They had relocated to Dumbledore’s office and now Harry was spread out on a couch while the mysterious healer woman prepared to lay hands on him. "I have never done nothing like this before." She warned them all in her rough translation.

"We all trust you, Mrs. Hernandez." Dumbledore assured her. While the Headmaster had made it clear that he hadn’t been pleased to learn that they’d kept Harry’s problem from him, they managed to get away without having to explain how it had happened. That was a lie for Harry to handle later, she knew she’d never be able to pull any kind of explanation off convincingly; especially not enough to fool Dumbledore. For now, the wise wizard had decided that the more pressing matter was trying to restore Harry’s power, leaving explanations and stories for another time, presumably after their guest left the castle. She didn’t know how Harry had managed to put off the hail of questions she knew McGonagall and especially Dumbledore wanted to rain down him; he was so good at putting off those things he didn’t want to talk about, it was a gift he probably wasn’t even aware of. She knew for a fact he’d done the same with her a number of times, leaving her to realize only after he was gone that she hadn’t gotten the answers she had gone looking for.

"I am just being nervous." She smiled. "I am knowing that this is very important."

"I’m not worried at all." Harry assured her from his prone position, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

Hermione wasn’t so sure. She had witnessed Harry and Luna use their talents and believed in them strongly despite the doubts she still often vocalized, but Gabriella was another story. It was one thing to research and know what the healer was probably capable of, it was quite another to put it into practice. She didn’t want this to go wrong, she wasn’t sure Harry could handle it. He had been forcing himself to be so strong about all of this, working harder than he probably knew to not let this tear him apart. But she knew him very well, and was able to see all the things that he tried to hide. As the healer leaned forward to place her hand in the middle of Harry’s forehead, Hermione held her breath and prayed that this would work.

(BREAK)

Luna watched Gabriella closely. She could see the aura of white-hot energy the woman was tapping into and wondered if any of the others could see it. Glancing at them each in turn, she knew they didn’t. Maybe it was something only other coven members could see… but then Harry had never been able to in similar circumstances. Looking on at the scene before her, she realized she’d been holding her breath and slowly let it out so the others wouldn’t notice how intently she’d been watching. She was worried, but hopeful. She wanted this to work. Both she and Harry needed this to work. He may not have been aware of his powers for long, but now that he was without them she knew how much he was struggling, or at least how much he was trying to hide that he was struggling. She wasn’t comfortable being around him at the present moment, upset about things she didn’t understand and things he couldn’t understand right now. But the part of her that was still very much his friend had finally prevailed and her heart was nearly bursting out of her chest it was beating so fast in anticipation of whether or not this was going to work.

"I see it!" Gabriella said suddenly as she broke off contact with Harry. "But I do not know how to reach it." She looked helplessly from Harry to Luna. They had been formally introduced a short time earlier and the healer had been overjoyed to meet another coven member. Now it was to them only that she was directing her attention, looking meaningfully at Luna in particular, as if she were expecting an answer from her specifically.

She was overcome suddenly, as an image- a quick flash of a picture invaded her head, disappearing as quickly as it had come. She felt herself sway on her feet and leaned against the wall until the dizziness left her. "You should try third eye contact." She told the woman shaking her head to clear it from the intensity of that bolt of a vision. It had never come to her like that before, an answer to a direct if unspoken question. She began to wonder… when she’d begun to be in constant contact with Harry, she’d felt her powers strengthen, and his seemed to be stronger around her. It seemed now that Gabriella was here, her powers had once more strengthened. Would their abilities continue to grow as they gathered more of the coven? Was this why she was able to see auras, to sense energy so strongly lately? She felt a sudden certainty that the answer to her second question was going to be far more complicated.

"It is the stronger way, I know this but it is not always the best way. It is very dangerous to play with the way the brain functions." Gabriella said hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, though it was apparent that he intended to do whatever it took, no matter the risk.

It was Dumbledore who answered startling Luna, who’d momentarily forgotten there was anyone other than her, Harry and Gabriella in the office. "When two minds try to engage the direct energy portal that third eye contact produces, sometimes the stronger source of energy can overwhelm the weaker mind if it cannot process the output. It can happen by accident, without the stronger of the two intending any harm if they aren’t very careful and knowledgeable about what they are doing." He looked very serious and extremely concerned.

"I know everything about what I am doing and I am always having care." Gabriella replied, a bit indignant. Then she turned back to Harry. "But I am not wanting to…" she struggled for words, "to break you. I am having fear because this is the first time someone is asking something like this from me."

"I fully trust that you know what you are capable of." Harry said supportively. "Personally I believe you can do this."

Luna realized he was unwittingly letting his intensely felt hope float to his surface. Gabriella however appeared to remain unconvinced. She scanned the woman’s thoughts and saw that she was worried that the energy required to repair the damage she had found was too much for Harry to take, coven member or not. "He can handle it." She kindly assured the healer.

Are you sure? She heard Hermione think.

I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t. She answered the girl’s thought with impatience. She was tired of Hermione always doubting them.

"Maybe…" Gabriella trailed off, staring at her thoughtfully. "Maybe if you give help…" she once more trailed off.

"Okay, great! What do you want me to do?" Harry asked eagerly, trusting that Luna would aid him no matter what was asked of her. She liked and hated that it was true- knowing it was good that her friends knew they could depend on her but feeling resentful that Harry just assumed she would agree.

"You will sit up and be very still." The healer commanded.

"And me?" Luna asked with a confused sigh.

"You will please be coming to sit here next to him." She said, her tone all business as she began gathering her concentration. "I am wanting for you to try and to protect the parts of his mind that I do not need to have access."

"Okay." She agreed without emotion.

"You can be helping her with the shield of your mind." Gabriella instructed Harry as she placed her hands on either side of his face. Luna reluctantly reached out and took his hand, surprised to feel the fear that was emanating from him as he squeezed hers tightly in return. He shot her a sideways glance filled with so much hopeful terror that she felt herself melt and let go of everything- past and future- that had been causing her to have such friction with him lately. Nothing existed before or beyond this moment for the three of them, this was a world only for them. She squeezed his hand back just as tightly, as she felt him put his shields up. Waiting patiently for him to finish creating the stronghold around his mind, Luna then sent half of her consciousness in to strengthen and support his structure. She knew in her soul that Harry was capable enough to withstand whatever Gabriella could give, but was unwilling to take the chance that something could go wrong. However, she refused to send in all of herself, not wanting the kind of raw intimacy that comes from being so closely connected mentally to someone else. She didn’t want her mind to be an open book to him, and so she kept the other half of her consciousness focused on what was going on in front of her and shielding her own mind from him.

She watched with rapt fervor as Gabriella carefully brought her forehead to Harry’s. The two of them closed their eyes as one entity, and Luna saw a sparkling bridge of light whip through his mind as the healer bridged the gap between their awareness of each other. As if viewing a split screen in her mind’s eye, Luna was able to see both Gabriella’s venture into Harry’s brain as she tried to repair the connections that allowed him to tap into his higher self, and the external effects of so much pure energy being thrown around. Luna was fascinated by what she was currently a part of, that was until the brilliant burst of light that suddenly engulfed them nearly blinded her. As she blinked away the blurry spots of residual light that floated in her burning eyes, she realized that no one else had appeared to see the same thing she had. Except for Dumbledore it seemed, as he quickly met her eye with a knowing smile.

(BREAK)

Harry felt Gabriella enter his mind and allowed her access to whatever she needed while he attempted to help Luna protect his sanity. He felt so many emotions bubbling up inside him, his only thought being that this just had to work. And then a sudden rush filled his entire body, making him feel stronger, healthier and more energized than he ever had in his entire life. It was quickly followed by a pleasurable, searing pain that grew more intense the deeper she delved into his head. As the feeling amplified and vibrated throughout his entire body, growing steadily in potency, he began to fear that this might soon become too much for him to bear. Mantenga su foco. He heard Gabriella’s soft articulation lilting through his head with stern determination. Keep your focus. Luna translated for him, sounding just as determined. Their voices filled his head, seeming to echo all around him in a soothing buffer against the unrestrained charge of Gabriella’s power as it tried to delightfully consume him.

And then without warning, it was as if someone had suddenly plugged something into an electrical outlet. He felt a surge rise up within himself as some connection was made and made permanently. Instinctually he knew that he was now in control again, that he could turn the switch on and off whenever HE wanted. He felt the girls withdraw but clung to the feeling of Gabriella’s presence as her power invaded every part of him, leaving its glorious mark. He felt like he was glowing so brightly on the inside that it must be shining through for everyone to see. "Wow." was all he could manage to say when he was finally able to open his eyes. Everything seemed in sharper focus, brighter somehow. He was dreamily euphoric yet keenly exhilarated, felt blissfully sanguine about everything that was taking place and was happily surprised to find that he was content in a way he hadn’t been sure existed.

"These are the effects of having extreme exposure to healing energy that is mine." Gabriella smiled at him, knowing full well how he was feeling. "They will be going away in time."

"Well did it work? Are his powers back?" Hermione asked anxiously as she came to sit on his other side so that she could inspect him for herself, to be personally sure that he was still completely in tact.

"He can try it and we will see." Gabriella offered with a noncommittal shrug. "Everything I can do, I did for him." She added for reassurance as they all turned their attention on him.

Harry never really liked being the center of attention, especially when there was such a big chance that he would fail in front of everyone. But they were all waiting expectantly with bated breath, hoping almost as deeply as he was that Gabriella had been successful. Trying not to force anything, he let nature and instinct take him over as he focused in on a lone blue vase full of summer wildflowers. It was placed innocently to his left and had been the first thing he’d really seen when he’d opened his eyes, drawn in by the plethora of bright colors. He had meant to move it from the table it currently sat on and gently place it on Dumbledore’s desk, certain that even that may be too much exertion for his unpracticed mind. Instead he found that the result of attempting to use his telepathy was a bit too successful. The absurdly lightweight vase flew across the room faster and with far more force than he’d intended, smashing against the wall and shattering into millions of pieces. For a moment the entire room was stunned into stillness.

Dumbledore was the first to make a move, calmly waving his wand and repairing the broken vase before actually picking it up and walking over to return it to its original place. "Well, I guess the crisis is over." He said in a delicately neutral tone as he once more waved his wand to replenish the water that was currently soaking into his floor.

"Scourgify." He heard Luna mutter under her breath as the large saturated stain, fallen petals and dead leaves magically disappeared, leaving the place they had been looking as good as new. He realized his mind was still completely open and that she must have heard his regretful thought about the mess he’d made. He was taken aback to realize that the moment she had felt Gabriella’s presence leave him, Luna had also abandoned him, instantly withdrawing back into herself and just as quickly closing off the small portion of her that she’d had to open in order to help protect him. He felt distressed and more than a little hurt as he wondered whether she would have done anything at all for him had she not felt so guilty, so responsible for the reason he had needed help in the first place.

"I am so happy!" Gabriella exclaimed, reaching to shake Harry’s hand. "Now we talk about this coven you are wanting to put together? And this Voldemort that these Death Eaters follow, you will tell me all about him?"

Here McGonagall held up her hand. "It has grown very late, Mrs. Hernandez. Perhaps this is a conversation that can wait until morning?" She looked to the Headmaster for assistance in presenting a united front.

"Professor McGonagall is quite right." Dumbledore nodded tiredly before turning to the castle’s guest with a welcoming smile. "It would be my pleasure to ask you to stay the night with us in our guest quarters." He bowed his head politely while extending his hand in a gesture of open hospitality, emphasizing the pleasure he felt at being in a position to provide her with such an essential but happily rendered invitation.

"I am happy to be accepting." She smiled kindly in return as she reached out to clasp his hand.

"Wonderful. In the morning you may again meet with Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood while I personally arrange safe transport for you whenever you are ready to return to Spain." He added.

"Oh, I do not know how to show how deep is my appreciation for you!" She quickly rose from her seat and threw her arms around the suddenly flustered headmaster standing before her.

Harry stifled a giddy laugh when he saw Dumbledore blush ever so slightly when she reached up to plant a kiss on each of his bearded cheeks. "Well, it is most certainly my pleasure to have you here with us, Mrs. Hernandez." The older wizard said with a flattered smile.

Harry had rarely been as relieved as he was at that moment. With every part of him buzzing uncomfortably yet pleasurably with heightened awareness, he was able to sense that most of his friends had the same feeling coursing through them. Especially now that evidence of the potential success of all their time spent trying to put together the coven had literally been presented before their eyes. But as he looked around at them all, he was reminded that there was one of them still needing reassurance. "Gabriella?" He reluctantly but resolutely called her attention from the Headmaster who had been boasting of the beauty of Hogwarts during the daylight hours.

"Please call me Gabby." She smiled with radiant enchantment. "It is a name for my friends to use."

"Okay, Gabby." He helplessly smiled back at her before remembering why he had rudely interrupted a conversation between two adults. "I was wondering, well you see Draco over there…" but he trailed off unsure if he was overstepping his boundaries.

Apparently he wasn’t. She turned and was instantly captivated by Draco, who had been standing off in a far corner with Ginny as if they were almost trying to hide from the rest while watching the show. "Yes I am sensing a lot there. It is your hand?" she asked with concern.

(BREAK)

Draco was mortified, suddenly having all attention on him. He much preferred keeping to the shadows these days. "My hand?" he asked, feeling confused and overwhelmed as his eyes met the Healer’s and a feeling of serene relaxation fell over him, quieting his nerves. But whatever hoodoo she was able to do with just a look, it wasn’t enough to calm his racing thoughts.

"Let me see it, I can try for you to fix it." The woman stumbled out in her broken English, taking a confident step toward him.

"No!" He said quickly, pulling away from her. As his back hit the wall and he saw that he had literally backed himself into a corner, he realized how rude he was being, not to mention ridiculous. He straightened up and quickly got a hold of himself. "I mean no thank you. I’m already getting that taken care of."

"I can heal it completely for you now. This is something many others have asked for me to do, to restore amputated parts of the body." She argued her case.

"I really appreciate the offer, but I’ve come this far with Drake’s treatments… I guess I just sort of think I need to stick it out and do it the harder way." He tried to explain his reluctance for the instant restoration of his lost limb. He wasn’t sure that his reasoning even really made sense to him, but he knew that it was just something he had to go through the hard way, in order to complete his transformation into whoever he was now. Taking the easy road when there was another way that offered to build character was something he would have done in the past; it was something he was determined to avoid from then on.

"I understand. But there is something else that is causing trouble for you. Something much bigger." She replied gently. "I have sensitivity to these things."

He glanced at Potter who nodded his head encouragingly. Then feeling Ginny take his hand tightly in hers, he shook off his uncertainty, took a deep breath and tried not to hope for anything at all. "Well, I was wondering… I was bitten by…" but he couldn’t go on.

Without warning, she quickly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder and he felt a sudden comforting warmth spread through him, overwhelming the indignation he had first experienced by her abrupt invasion of his privacy. Just as he felt the most relaxed he’d probably ever felt in his life, she opened her eyes and looked at him with a soft gaze full of compassionate pity. "Ah, yes. The curse of the howling moon." She said knowingly as she stepped back just as quickly as she’d come forward. He felt instantly less without her touch and craved the feeling of the euphoria he’d felt in the moment they were connected. "I was visited once before to try for removing this curse."

"So you can do it?" Potter asked eagerly.

But Draco knew, before the woman sadly shook her head. She had said it all with her eyes the moment before she’d broken contact with him. He had seen the knowing defeat she had tried to hide. "I am sorry, but no. I only can restore a person to what they were. I can not change who a person is."

"But he wasn’t a werewolf before." Potter protested on his behalf.

"But he is one now." Gabriella told them. "It runs in his blood. There no is energy work for me to do, I can not change his genes."

"No energy work, but it could hypothetically be done with a potion?" Granger inquired.

He wasn’t sure why she cared about potions all of a sudden, but he’d had enough. He couldn’t stand there silently and let them all speculate on his behalf anymore. Especially when he wanted to pretend that the last five minutes, when he’d received the expected but still surprisingly devastating news that he couldn’t be cured, had never happened. "It doesn’t matter. Drake said there wasn’t any potion to fix it. Someone who earlier billed herself as the best healer in the world just said she can’t fix it either, so it is what it is. Let’s just be done talking about it, okay." He didn’t care if he sounded moody or rude, he felt what he felt and didn’t think he should have to be the only one to hide his feelings when the others let theirs run rampant.

"Why don’t we call it a night. It’s been a long stressful day for everyone I’m sure." McGonagall said in an authoritative tone that clearly meant she hadn’t made a suggestion.

"Absolutely." Dumbledore agreed, rising from his desk. "There will be plenty of time for conversation tomorrow." Draco caught the meaningful look the Headmaster shot Potter. He sure didn’t envy the other boy, having to come up with an excuse for why this whole little scene that had just played out in this office had been necessary. "Mrs. Hernandez, I would be delighted to show you to your chambers."

"Thank you. Good night to everyone." She said with a small wave as she took his arm and allowed the Headmaster to lead them out of the office. Their happy chatter slowly died away with distance.

"Okay." McGonagall turned on them. "Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood you may go ahead to your common rooms. The rest of you, follow me to your new dormitory."

Letting the professor and the others go before them, he and Ginny walked down the stairs together, hanging back until everyone had moved on down the corridor. "I’m sorry." She said quietly, her eyes full of concern.

"It was nothing I didn’t expect." He answered calmly, not wanting her to worry that this was going to break him. Everything else he was thinking and feeling might, but this, well he’d never really let himself hope after Potter had first brought up the idea of Gabriella trying to cure him. It was more like an intangible daydream, a what-if game that he had never let himself play for too long. Something he thought would be great if it worked out, but nothing that he’d ever really let himself believe would happen.

They parted quickly, leaving him to feel bleak and lonely as he hurried to catch up with everyone else. After the months they had spent living together in such close quarters and after so many nights spent sleeping in the same bed, whether it was his or hers, he felt uncomfortable knowing there was so much distance put between them now… being back here. It wasn’t only the fact that they were in different houses, or even that they were in different grade levels and therefore would not be sharing classes. It was the memories of the things said and done in this place, that he was certain he felt already trying to push their way slowly into their relationship. Or maybe it was all in his head.

"Hurry along Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall scolded him from down the hallway. Pushing his concerns aside until he could be fully alone with them, he sprinted after the others.

(BREAK)

Harry wasn’t sure what to expect when they were led into their common room. He found that what he saw, he liked a lot. An enormous round fireplace sat in the middle of the room with scattered couches and chairs set comfortably around the homey blaze. The large room was scattered with single desks, work tables and tall bookshelves stuffed full with a variety of information. Soft globes of light dotted the golden walls giving off an aura of serene contemplation. Four wings broke off from this main room, each labeled with the crest of the four houses. Gryffindor was set off to the east, Slytherin to the west. McGonagall pointed in both directions. "You three will find your rooms through there, Mr. Malfoy yours is that way."

Draco immediately set off to close himself up inside his room. Harry couldn’t say he blamed him. If Gabby hadn’t been able to help him, he didn’t know what he would have done. Thankfully she had successfully fixed him and as McGonagall bid them all goodnight he felt lighter and happier than he’d expected now that particular weight had been lifted off of him. He knew he hadn’t let himself feel the true depth of his despair over the loss he’d felt within. Instead he had taken those fears and feelings and shut them up tightly in his head, figuring it was better to pretend it wasn’t as bad as it was until he was told otherwise. He knew it had made him a lot more irritable and frustrated than he normally was, but that was all over now that he had his ability back. He followed Ron and Hermione into their wing, stopping just past Parvati’s room.

"Well this is me I guess." Hermione said as she opened the door bearing her name. Inside they found a smaller version of the regular dorms, complete with one of the huge four poster beds.

"I’ll be back." He whispered to her as he and Ron continued down the hallway. She simply grinned in reply.

The boys quickly found that their rooms were the same as Hermione’s. Although he hadn’t wanted to get caught up talking to Ron at the moment, Harry felt a twinge of hurt when his friend quickly said goodnight as he turned to barricade himself in his own room.

"Okay, well goodnight then." Harry answered uncertainly.

"I’m happy for you, you know, that you have your powers back." Ron added with a tight smile before closing the door. Harry knew there was something upsetting his friend, but at the moment he was too relieved, too overjoyed to be able to focus on anything like that. He let it go, deciding it would be best to wait for morning to try and talk to him about anything serious. He knew he wouldn’t be a very good friend at the moment, as distracted as he was by the miracle he’d just been given.

He rushed into his room, quickly ensuring that his things had all arrived and that Robin was safely purring away, knowing that Hedwig was already making her home in the owlery. He changed clothes with such excited anticipation, the energy rushing around inside him in excess, that he was jumping around the room as he attempted to first rid himself of his clothing and then redress himself for bed. He was certain that with all the times he fell over and ran into things, he’d have quite a few bruises to remind himself of how frustrated he was with the mundane task he was trying to undertake. Finally decent enough for anyone at all to lay eyes on him and not be scandalized, he scrambled from his room and nearly raced back to Hermione’s. She opened the door with a greeting already on her lips but he didn’t give her the time to say anything at all. He simply scooped her up in his arms and crushing his mouth to hers, eager to celebrate his now-perfect health. And so they spent their first night on Hogwarts grounds christening her room, engaged in the best activity he could think of to expel some of the excess energy that was now surging through his body.

(BREAK)

Earlier in the office while watching Gabriella and Harry sitting with their heads together, Ginny had been reminded of her first healing session with Laurel and how resistant she had been to speak to the woman. Now, alone in her room she almost wished her healer had come along with them to school. But coming to terms with the fact that Laurel wouldn’t always be around, she knew she’d have to learn to get through things on her own. It wasn’t an idea she was completely comfortable with, having come to really rely on Laurel’s helpful opinions and thoughtful way of looking at life.

She tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable way to lay, but quickly discovered it was no use. Listening to the other girls in her dorm sleeping so peacefully only made her feel more anxious and alert. She knew where she wanted to be and saw no good reason as to why she couldn’t go. So as soundlessly as possible she moved to her trunk, glad that she’d displayed such foresight in packing the thing that would help her get what she wanted. At first when she’d been helping him pack to leave for school, Draco hadn’t wanted to bring his invisibility cloak saying that it was only one more way to get into trouble, one more thing that tied back to his family. But she had been convincing, knowing how useful they had found Harry’s cloak in the past and at last he had given up, ending the argument by yelling that if she wanted to bring it so badly she could pack it herself. And so she had. Pulling the silky fabric free from her other things, she slipped it around her shoulders in front to the mirror, enjoying watching herself disappear into the night.

She crept down to the common room and through the portrait, not letting the fact that she wasn’t exactly sure where the new dorms were deter her from her journey. Walking the castle alone at night gave her a little thrill of excitement, as did most of the small things they did when disobeying orders… and some of the big things if she was being honest. The bigger the deception and the greater the danger, the more intensely she reveled in the rush of adrenaline that flooded her senses. After wandering nearly an hour however, the small bit of enjoyment she’d felt by breaking the rules had disappeared completely. Still unconcerned with being discovered, her excitement at being out alone past curfew was now replaced by frustration. She didn’t understand why the castle had to be so big!

Finally, and very much by accident, Ginny found the new wing. She tried to open the entrance, and wasn’t surprised when she was unable to gain access. Pressing her ear to the door she began to wonder just how she was going to complete her plan. She couldn’t hear much, and wished more than anything that she had a pair of her brothers’ extendible ears. She could just make out the soft sounds of footsteps echoing lightly against the hard stone floor, they seemed to be coming towards her and she strained to listen better. Sudden movement directly on the other side of the door startled her into jumping back and out of the way just as it swung open.

Stepping into the shadowy alcove surrounding the entryway, she marveled at her good luck. Apparently someone else was preparing to break curfew which would allow her to sneak into the common room. She held her breath as a tall figure in a dark cloak emerged, quickly gliding down the hallway in the opposite direction without a glance backward. Although, there was no way she could be certain, she was overcome by an intensely strong, instinctual certainty that the unknown figure had been perfectly aware that she was there, but simply hadn’t cared. An involuntary shiver went down her spine but she decided it was best that she didn’t attempt to see who it was that made her feel like prey to a predator who had better things to do and had therefore given her a stay of execution. Besides, she had a pretty good idea of who that person was and she had no desire to meet him alone in a dark, deserted hallway. Quickly sticking her foot in the door before it could close, she stealthily slipped in and glanced around to be sure the room was really empty. It was.

The dying fire set a soft glow about the fairly large room and she was just able to make out the house crests above four different entryways. Finding the Slytherin wing, she crept down the dim hallway until she found the door bearing Draco’s name. She knocked lightly, hoping that no one but him would hear her. Ripping the cloak off just as she heard him opening up, she let loose the excited smile that seemed intent on plastering itself across her face. "Hi!" She greeted him in a cheerful whisper.

His eyes widened with surprised pleasure. "How did you get in here?" He whispered back as he stepped back to let her in.

"Luck and determination." She grinned. They settled together under the covers and at last, with his arm around her and his soft breath on the back of her neck, she felt comfortable.

She closed her eyes feeling content as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I’m glad you’re here." He whispered.

She felt a shiver of affection run up her spine. "I guess I can’t sleep without you anymore." She whispered back with a smile. He pulled her closer and as he let out a troubled sigh, she realized something was deeply bothering him. "What’s wrong?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Nothing that I haven’t brought on myself I guess." He said, looking at her mouth rather than meet her eyes.

"Is it about Gabriella? Are you upset she couldn’t help you?" She reached out to brush the hair from his eyes.

He took her hand, interlacing their fingers. "Not really. I didn’t really expect she could. Things like that only work out for people like Potter." She felt bad for him, but was at a loss for what to say, so she simply squeezed his hand and waited for him to go on. "I really don’t want to talk about what’s bothering me."

"Why not?" she asked softly. "Is it that Tristan guy?" Although she refused to cower before anyone, she had felt like she’d instantly made a mistake when she’d stood up to the boy on the train. She’d actually felt horribly afraid when he’d taken steps toward her, frozen in place as he came closer. It was an instinctual fear that she later learned was related to what the boy was. When Draco had stepped in front of her, the relief she felt had been overwhelming and as Luna had stepped up to also find safety behind him, the girls had grabbed hands. While connected to her Ginny had caught her thoughts, whether accidental or intentional she didn’t know, but it had seemed that Luna had been attempting to reassure at least herself. She’d been convincing herself that the two boys were natural enemies, wolf against vampire, and that with the full moon closing in, Draco was strong enough to protect them.

When they’d later been with Gabriella, and he was hoping so hard without realizing it that the woman could fix him, Ginny had tried to show that she was supportive. But a large part of her had been relieved that he couldn’t be cured. She had never been scared of the dangers that so concerned him about his condition. And after seeing him so readily stand up to protect her, she only felt safer with him. A slight wave of guilt rode through her, realizing she had wanted the healer to fail in curing him when he so desperately wanted to be cured.

"Well?" She nudged him as he remained silent, trying to focus on him rather than herself. After all, he was in for a much harder time here than she was, she just had to keep reminding herself of that, hoping Laurel would be proud that she was trying so hard.

"I guess it’s sort of about him." He finally admitted.

"He is a bit more impressive than Pansy and the moron twins." She answered. "But I doubt he’ll cause too much trouble beyond what we’re all used to. Like you said, he and his family are known for not attacking magical people unless they have to."

"Yeah, well, people change." He grumbled. "And that’s not really what I was talking about. I mean I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that I’m in for hell this year, and at least it’s only for a few months. The only thing that’s going to get me through this is you I think." He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and resting his forehead against hers. "How’d I get so lucky?" He whispered before leaning in to kiss her deeply.

"You’re good with the flattery." She said seductively when they broke apart. Then she pushed him back and sat up. "But if you think I’m going to let you change the subject that easily you’ve underestimated me." She grinned before turning serious again. "Come on, if you really believe I’m the one who’s going to help you get through all this then let me actually help you."

He sat up too, looking away so as not to meet her eyes. "Sometimes, I think the things that bother me, well… I can’t tell you about them because I don’t want you to think about who I used to be. Because then you might come to your senses, I guess."

"You’re silly." She smiled. "I don’t know who you were, only who you pretended to be, because let’s face it, with who you are now, there’s no way that was the real you back then."

"You make my head spin sometimes." He smiled back.

"The point is it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve been trying to put my past behind me, why can’t yours be forgotten as well?"

"How can you forget? How can I?" he asked sadly.

"Well, I guess Laurel would say something like, we keep the lessons we learned and forgive ourselves for the actions that taught us."

He shook his head. "Today on the train, when Pansy and the others burst in, when Tristan came forward… I guess it made me think of myself doing the same thing, coming to you all just to show my face, to threaten, to torture you guys. Sitting on the other side of it, I thought about how it was for you all every time we came and got in your faces. How annoying and horrible it was to be taunted for no reason…" he trailed off, looking down as he absentmindedly rubbed the bandage that covered his stumped wrist.

She reached out and once more took his good hand. "Draco…" She said his name softly trying to gain his full attention. He still wouldn’t look at her. She shifted so she was kneeling in front of him, gently grabbing his chin and forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I hated what we went through together when we were on opposite sides. I can’t deny that. But now, we’re both beginning to understand what it was like for each other during those times, looking back through each other’s eyes. I don’t think it’s a bad thing."

"I just can’t believe how different it is, from just a year ago." He said sadly. "I mean exactly a year ago, it was me that was bursting in on you guys on the train because Cho had told me she was already having trouble with Potter. I said the most horrible things I could think of to you all and then Longbottom hit me with that stupid spell. We were all enemies, and now… it’s just so different."

"So you knew it was Neville and not Harry that cursed you?" She was surprised.

"Yeah, well I figured he was pretty harmless in the grand scheme of things and it was Potter I was after anyway so I let it go when he wanted to take the blame." Draco shrugged.

She felt a tug at the place in her heart where she held all her guilt as they talked of Neville. Sharp tears stung the back of her eyes out of nowhere, and blinking them away she put on a smile. "If you want, we can still go cast that spell on Tristan, draw a real parallel and have him be the one spewing up worms."

He smiled back. "That’s okay, I think the more we stay away from him the better." He suddenly turned serious, moving so that he was also kneeling, eye level with her. "That reminds me, I know you like to stand up for yourself and all…" he paused, obviously trying to arrange his words so they would best be received by his audience. "I would appreciate it if you just stayed away from him altogether, you know, if he says something to you that gets you mad, just walk away."

She was moved by his concern and fear for her safety. "Okay." She said simply, deciding no argument was necessary. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Tristan. She leaned in and kissed him passionately, putting her thoughts of Neville and everything else aside. Tonight she was determined to focus on relieving him of the weight of his demons, she had plenty of time to concentrate on her own.

(BREAK)

Ron paced his room for hours unable to ease his mind enough to even lay down and attempt sleep. The thoughts he had tumbling around in his head were making him feel lower than low, but he couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t turn off his brain. Of course he was happy that once more things had worked in Harry’s favor, he argued with himself. He was his best friend after all. But the deep aggravation swirling in his chest darkened all the relief and joy he was trying to imitate, even as he wanted to feel it for real.

He really had felt it at first, back in the office as soon as the vase flew across the room. He had beamed with happiness that his friend had been once more made whole. But after the sobering reality that Malfoy couldn’t be helped, Ron had crashed back down to earth. There was no part of him that liked or wanted anything to do with Malfoy, but even he had to admit that the guy deserved a break. But he hadn’t been given one, instead it was once again Harry who came out on top. He’d been lucky enough to have these special abilities and had been doing something foolish when he’d lost one, whereas Malfoy had simply been trying to help when his misfortunes befell him. Why was it Harry who was able to get yet another chance?

Ron shook his head in frustration, he knew he just had to start accepting that this was just the way things were. As Luna might have said, Harry had fate on his side. It was his friend’s lot in life to lead the attempt at victory for their side of this war; it had apparently been prophesized to be that way. And it must be true, for him to have survived this long after the kind of trouble he’d stumbled into and especially the kind he’d gone looking for. He couldn’t be mad at Harry for living his life; he couldn’t be mad that because of his disappointment in the situation, he’d for a moment been made to take Malfoy’s side on anything. And he couldn’t be mad that the universe appeared to have big plans for Harry’s future and was therefore content in giving him every advantage the closer he got to the moment when he faced his destiny. But making these realizations still did nothing to lessen the vexation he felt.

He felt flushed; the room was stuffy and seemed to be closing in on him. Despite the familiar-esque surroundings, it still felt strange being expected to sleep elsewhere in the castle. Taking great care so as not to disturb any of his fellow Gryffindors, he opened his door and made his way down the corridor to the common room. The embers from the dying fire burned a dazzling red-orange, giving off enough light to cast a glow around the center of the room. He didn’t know how long he sat there, watching the light fade and the shadows encroach. At some point he must have dozed off, because he shot up with a start when he heard the sound of a door closing.

"Relax, Mr. Weasley." Tristan came forward, sitting casually on the couch across from him before regarding him with a sinister smile. "May I call you Ron?"

"You can go straight to hell." Ron responded, rising to his feet. He wanted to be as brave and confident as he had felt when Malfoy used to confront him, but inside he was growing cold with panic. It was obvious his senses were reacting to an instinctual knowledge that this threat was far worse.

"Well that’s not very friendly." The other boy responded with an air of disappointment.

"I’m not in a friendly mood." He said as he forced himself to calmly turn and walk steadily away, not wanting to show his fear. He was careful not to fully turn his back on the threat behind him as he headed toward the Gryffindor wing.

"I suppose that’s your loss." Tristan called after him. But it was the next thing he said, so low and menacingly Ron was barely sure he heard it at all, that really chilled his blood. "Or maybe it’s your worst mistake."

 

 
NOTE: Next chapter they finally have their first day of classes- a lot is about to be learned in and out of the classroom. Thanks for sticking around between these long posts!


Chapter 29: The Last First Day

A/N: Enclosed in this chapter: some internal exploration by our characters, wrapping up Gabriella’s visit, and we finally begin to get into all the Hogwarts business. So much to get through, and a lot to discover, so away we go… Read, Review, Enjoy!

 


"But you aren’t sure you heard him say it?" Hermione asked Ron. It was just before breakfast Sunday morning and they had all gathered in a corner of the Great Hall where Luna had cast a charm to ensure their conversation remained private.

"Does it really matter? Either way the guy was slinking around the castle at night!" Ron said, obviously still unnerved by his encounter with Tristan the night before.

"But who knows the reason for it. It could be something harmless." Harry said, but even in his ears the suggestion sounded weak and he knew what was coming.

"A vampire who slinks around in the night without a malicious intention? Come on, you don’t really think he wasn’t up to something?" Ron asked him.

"This isn’t like in the books and muggle movies Ron." Hermione said defensively. "Vampires don’t need to sneak out and hunt at night if that’s what you’re thinking Tristan may have been doing. They are perfectly capable of going out in the daytime as you saw him do yesterday and like you’re seeing him do today." She nodded her head toward the door, where the subject of their conversation had just walked in and directly through the bright ray of sunlight streaming through the high windows, remaining perfectly unharmed. Though he had known this fact about vampires, Harry decided he definitely needed to do some brushing up on what was truth and what was fiction where those particular beings were concerned.

"Well, just because he doesn’t have to sneak around in the night doing nasty things that he could do in the day doesn’t mean he isn’t." Ron argued, crossing his arms and pouting slightly as they continued to debate his story and essentially question his ability to know and understand what takes place right in front of his eyes. Harry felt bad, but at the same time he knew that the reason they were harping on this so much was because none of them wanted to believe what Ron was telling them, himself included.

"It doesn’t mean he is either." Ginny quietly added.

"But we was! I saw him come back into the common room, meaning he had leave at some point! He was out doing who knows what in the school!" Ron stubbornly returned.

"But it could be for something completely innocent." Ginny argued.

"And besides, you said he was nice to you up until the end when you may or may not have heard him say something threatening." Hermione added.

Listening to his friends discuss and argue this new possible danger left Harry feeling unsure about what exactly they should do about it. Even considering how things had turned out last year, with Malfoy not being the threat they had all thought him to be, he still didn’t believe things were handled properly when they had brought their complaints to Dumbledore. And he wasn’t sure that he had any more faith in the Headmaster’s ability to control the villains presently wandering his school, though at least Harry now had a better understanding as to the reasons. Here at Hogwarts, there was so much red tape to go through, so many channels that must be explored in order to keep the appearance of compliance between the school and the ministry above suspicion. According to Hermione who had actually read the articles, Edmund’s attacks through the Daily Prophet have so far all been directed toward Arthur and his management of the ministry. Harry knew it was important that no one have a reason to be able to suggest that Arthur, nor anyone associated with ministry, has given free reign to Dumbledore to run the place as he pleases. Especially considering what an obvious target the old wizard has been in the past for Death Eaters to use in an attempt to gain control of the school.

But what did that leave them to do in a situation that may actually be dangerous? Was Tristan as horrible as they were all thinking? After all, Ron only thought he heard a threat and he had admitted that he’d been sleeping when the other boy had come in. Perhaps it was a combination of sleepiness, nerves and a predetermined dislike of the new boy that caused Ron to hear what he thought he did. Well… just because Tristan was a vampire, just because he was sorted into Slytherin, just because he’s related to Walden Macnair, and just because his family is known to have sided with Voldemort in the past- that didn’t necessarily mean he was an enemy. After all, Draco was a werewolf in Slytherin and the son of the Malfoys. Harry didn’t want to make the wrong move, and he didn’t want to have to involve Dumbledore or any of the adults who all had their hands tied by rules and public perception, not until they were sure of what they had.

He didn’t know what to do, so he turned to the only two people he could think of with enough experience and knowledge to gauge whether Tristan was truly a threat, Draco and Luna. "What do you two think?" He asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation that had been taking place while he’d checked out and focused on his increasingly alarming train of thought.

"Me?" Draco appeared surprised that his opinion was being considered. He glanced at Luna, and Harry was able to determine that they were having some sort of silent conversation. At last he said, "I think everyone should just stay away from him. Not that I’m scared of him or anything, but… well, yeah, okay so I guess maybe I’m a little worried that he’s here. I’ve heard of the things his parents did the last time Lord Voldemort tried to take over and while they may not have been so fierce since he was vanquished-"

"Except with muggles." Hermione interrupted quietly.

Draco glanced at her before quickly looking away. Some undecipherable emotion that seemed deeply rooted in guilt passed across his face before he continued. "Okay you’re right, despite the horrible things they are rumored to have done to countless muggles and a few squibs over the last sixteen years, they have been totally celibate when it comes to attacks on our kind. However, when they were fighting with Voldemort, they were ruthless against anyone or anything that stood against them. The only good thing was that they never turned those they attacked, never passed on the curse."

"Oh good, they only killed and mutilated their victims." Ron rolled his eyes as Ginny elbowed him.

Harry found the point a thoughtful one. "But if we know that Harland is going around turning people already, that he most likely is trying to build up his own army to offer up in servitude to Voldemort… well why wouldn’t they try to convince the Macnairs and anyone like them to do the same. I mean what’s more terrifying than being forced to face down an army made up not only of powerful and evil wizards, but vampires and werewolves who support their cause?"

"Lupin said Harland had tried to build an army before, so of course he’s likely to do it now. But according to what Draco knows of them, Tristan’s parents have never tried to do anything like that, right?" Ginny asked hoping for the best one could hope for in this situation.

"As far as I know the only person they passed their curse onto was their son, and that happened the moment he was conceived." Draco shrugged casually, though Harry noted that the boy’s eyes held the weight of the concern he felt about the topic under discussion. "But really that means nothing. Lord Voldemort can be very convincing when he needs to be and if what he ultimately wants is a dark army of vampires, then I guarantee you that’s what he’ll get. Even if the Macnairs refuse to turn anyone, meaning they deny the Dark Lord, he would just destroy them and find someone more willing to do as he asks."

Harry didn’t need convincing that Voldemort would do whatever he had to do if it meant that he had the most horrifying dark army of loyal followers that he could gather. Who would willingly want to stand up and face beings and monsters from their worst nightmares? And what’s more, he was pretty sure that the enemy’s idea of terror didn’t include mere muggles, so if he really intended to have Harland and the Macnairs out "recruiting" in a sense, then he doubted their targets were non magical. The thought of a bunch of evil, hate-filled vampires and werewolves armed not only with their own natural strengths and extra abilities but also brandishing wands with malicious accuracy, it definitely made him uneasy. As Harry pictured the dark brood all descending on him and the small band of resistance warriors foolish enough to stand with him, he struggled to control the sharp, instinctual shiver of fear that suddenly ran up his spine. He nearly succeeded, taking the feeling that had rattled him so badly and outwardly showing no more than a small shudder as if responding to a mysterious draft.

He wanted his friends to think he was in control- of himself, if nothing else. He wanted them to believe he was capable of keeping them safe… that he could face any danger that threatened them with his head high and the certainty of victory so firmly fixed in his own mind that any other outcome was impossible for them to envision. Shaking at the mere thought of the idea of what the enemy may be up to was not the way to inspire that kind of confidence. It was time for him to really be serious now… to really be the grown up he wanted all the adults in his life to see him as.

"So what would be the worst case scenario?" Harry asked outloud against the inner discussion he was having with himself.

"Well like werewolves, those people turned by a vampire have an instinctual drive to seek out and obey the one who created them. Only the strongest and most willful minds are able to resist the natural bonds of creator and creation. " Hermione delicately reminded them, obviously aware of the sensitivity such a topic may create for Draco, who none of them held in the same category as Harland regardless of their individual feelings for the boy. But that didn’t stop Draco from feeling like they did and they all knew it. "I guess it’s good in the sense that it ultimately wouldn’t be Voldemort actually controlling the hordes that would be created, but I don’t think it’s much better to have Harland and the Macnairs in control. Especially since they don’t seem to have much of a problem following his orders."

"Yet." Draco answered seriously. "People like them, with that exact right amount of skilled ability, touch of insanity, sly cunning and untamed hatred, those are the ones who are never satisfied with fulfilling the desires of others- even if they want the same thing. I mean eventually, playing second string will get to them, it did with my father. He hated being under the Dark Lord’s thumb, probably still does. Now our gardener Bowie has been with the family for longer than I’ve existed, and from the things he used to tell me growing up, Lucius had some kind of devious plan to eventually overtake his master and put himself at the head of the cause. But you got the Dark Lord first Potter, and so before anything big could happen at all, everyone had to go underground to protect their identities and images from the harsh punishment that the public was demanding for those who had helped disrupt their lives. Although, according to old Bowie, he never thought Lucius had it in him to actually succeed in whatever he’d planned. Said even though he never overheard whatever it was Lucius had actually concocted, he always figured my dad would just get himself killed by his ambition and then he’d get his chance to escape the mansion."

"Well, these days, I’d put my money on Elise, Sarah and Elanya’s little alliance to beat out Voldemort before Lucius could. Even with one of them in a coma." Luna scoffed, crossing her arms and beginning to look very frustrated by the conversation.

"Either way, if Lord Voldemort wants someone to lead an army of horrors in his name, then he couldn’t have chosen better than Harland and the Macnairs." Draco shook his head. Harry could tell they were all feeling a similar overwhelming disbelief over the ridiculous topic they were discussing with such seriousness.

"But there’s no certainty that’s what he’s planning right?" Ron asked nervously.

"Regardless of whether they intend that or not, it’s nothing we can stop, especially if it already began. Besides I’m sure it’s something the Order had already thought of the moment Harland showed his face again, especially since we were able to stumble onto the idea almost by accident and especially since they all knew he’d done it before. As for right now in our immediately present situation, I agree with Draco that we stay away from Tristan." Luna broke in, bringing the conversation back to the main point. "I haven’t been given a vision of anything to do with him yet, except for a few bad dreams that probably were just meant to warn me that the possibility of danger was coming. The less we have to do with him, the better the chances that we get through this time we are forced in his company without incident."

"Or the better the chances we don’t get a warning before he strikes." Hermione said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked her. He had noticed Luna stiffen with discomfort.

"Well, from my understanding of Luna’s precognition, the more involved someone is in her life the more visions she’ll receive that pertain to that person. Like you told me once before," she turned to Luna, "you didn’t see us all in your visions until we became closer friends, until our lives started impacting yours."

"So what, you want me to go make friends with him? Go spend time with him and endanger myself so that maybe I might get a warning for the rest of you?" She answered with a demanding harshness.

Hermione appeared taken aback. "Of course not. I just don’t think avoiding him altogether is the answer, especially if he is starting to threaten people our first night here. If he is up to something…well, isn’t this why you guys have these powers? To help get the upper hand?"

"Ron isn’t even sure of what he heard!" Luna threw up her hands, garnering the attention of some nearby students who had come down for breakfast. Of course they couldn’t hear her because of the spell, but Harry knew the snarky things the rest of his classmates thought of his little ragtag group of friends who could only be perceived as silently yet dramatically arguing among themselves in the corner.

"At this point it seems that the only thing we can all know for sure is that none of us like even the idea of Tristan being here." Ginny said, stepping between the two girls to relieve the sudden tension, most of which was coming from Luna. "And the only thing Ron can without a doubt tell us is that the guy was out walking around the castle at night for some possibly secret and possibly devious motive; which is something every one of us has done many times in the past. Let’s just agree to be on guard and see what happens."

"I agree completely. It’s the best, and really the only thing we can do right now." Harry said supportively, wanting to reinforce the positive behavior she’d been displaying lately. Secretly, he was proud of the progress Ginny had made and wanted to be sure she kept going in the right direction. After all, he did care about her very much, as he did every Weasley. Even after everything they’d been through and done to each other, he’d never stopped caring about Ginny. "Besides, we don’t have anything near convincing enough to take to Dumbledore, we can’t even convince ourselves of what’s going on. There’s no point in arguing when there isn’t anything to argue about yet."

"Whatever. Consider me on my guard." Luna grumbled, breaking the charm and walking away to take a seat among her fellow Ravenclaws without a backward glance at her friends. Harry watched as she folded her arms over the table before gently resting her face upon them and closing her eyes. Apparently she’d decided to keep her head down until it was time to eat which effectively allowed her to ignore the faceless students nearby.

Lumps of panicked anxiety rose in his throat as Luna willfully extended her cold indifference of those around her to include him. Harry had never in his life felt so completely shut out by another person as he did in that moment. A resounding emptiness overran the place in his mind where once he’d always carried the comfort of her consciousness, constantly keeping company with his. A strong desire to stride over to the table overwhelmed him. He wanted to pull her up out of her seat, to take her aside and have it out right there, to demand to know what was wrong and how to fix it so that he could have the real Luna back. His Luna, the one he knew and would be able to recognize with his soul a hundred years from now, even if he never was able to totally understand her.

It bothered him to no end that she was so distant from them all in every respect and more so, that she seemed content to stay there for now. Harry knew he couldn’t let things remain this way, that he couldn’t lose her- he had become aware that until she had started to pull away, the now horrifyingly real fear that she would abandon him had never crossed his mind. All of these whispers now assaulting him with snippets of primal knowledge carried messages of a faintly familiar if yet unrecognized awareness from a place of intense truth kept permanently suppressed deep within him. These inklings of feelings were making him fully aware of the intense and heart-wrenching loss he would feel should Luna decide to completely turn her back on him.

But that well hidden place within him that was currently sending echoed warnings through his head was a part of him that Harry rarely let himself explore, and therefore he willfully kept the knowledge confined to the dark recesses within the deepest trenches of his mind. He was unsure that he wanted to go searching within for enlightenment on the many thoughts and emotions he’d shoved back there; especially since he had pushed those musings and feelings aside almost before they had actually formed in a semi-successful effort to not have to deal with them. Of course they were subjects already known and explored in the lowest levels of his subconscious where they’d already been processed and accepted… Purely honest thoughts and emotions that would remain buried and unnoticed by his conscious mind until he was mentally ready to accept them as a factual reality for himself.

Perhaps it was his own lack of desire that was standing in the way to some form of self-actualization, maybe he was too content with what he had and what he knew. But Harry also felt he’d never really been given a proper opportunity to take the amount of time necessary to focus as intensely on his self-reflection as would be required to confront and accept the truths he could possibly find there. And looking around now at the rest of his classmates scrambling to take theirs seats as McGonagall rose to address them, he felt no small relief in the fact that the present moment would also be an inappropriate time to forage so deeply into his subconscious.

The stern professor stared disapprovingly at Harry and his friends as they all hurried to take their seats as quietly and with as little notice as possible… Although Ron did have to practically drag Ginny behind him in order to keep her from fulfilling some previous threat she’d made of sitting at the Slytherin table so that Draco wouldn’t have to be there alone. McGonagall cleared her throat and bid all the students before her a good morning, taking over duties normally carried out by the Headmaster. But Harry knew that Dumbledore was presently delighted to be busy entertaining the castle’s secret guest until he and Luna arrived to take over as host and hostess. The thought of being so close to a conversation with Gabby brought a moment of bright happiness to his darkening mood.

As McGonagall went on and on about last minute notices concerning classes the next day, Harry argued with himself whether he had good enough cause to break his word to Hermione and finally decided that even if he didn’t, she wouldn’t have to know as long as he was careful. So while staring absently at the empty plate in front of him and pretending to listen to McGonagall with his usual bored indifference, he did what he’d been specifically asked not to and made an attempt to reach Luna for a secret conversation right in front of Hermione. There was absolutely no reply.

Harry tried apologizing for things he wasn’t sure he did, but Luna apparently wasn’t interested in explaining what exactly he’d done to make her so angry with him. He tried reasoning with her, explaining how badly it was affecting him that they were fighting. He tried telling her how much it hurt him to know she was so unhappy and about how more than anything he wanted to help her in any way he could… Even going so far as to confess that even if she accepted his help and still wanted to hate him for whatever reason, that he’d be happy just knowing she was happy. He tried flattery, reverse psychology, anger, pleading and downright begging in order to get her attention. All he received in return was an icy dark wall that she had very decidedly placed between them. He knew she could hear him and was therefore deliberately ignoring him.


Well, fine then. Harry argued with himself. If she wanted it to be this hard, then she’d just have to wait for him to have more time to put in a more extreme effort. But if she thought just because she didn’t pay him any attention that he’d give up so easily… or… maybe that was it… Maybe she knew that if she made it harder for him to be able to fix the problem between them as well as whatever else was going on with her, the more time and attention he’d put into the whole thing, and into her. He mentally shook his head, refusing to believe Luna was capable of playing such games with him, no matter how humanly fallible he now perceived her to be. Besides, what aim would she have in such a game?

No, he decided it was much easier to believe Luna’s actions were the result of the complexity of whatever problems she was having rather than that she had some deceitful alterior motive. He couldn’t ever see himself believing her capable of anything truly devious because as human as she may be, she was filled with too much positive light. It was a naturally warm glow emanating from her core and he’d seen it felt in varying degrees by everyone who came in contact with her. That kind of illuminating inner beauty and pureness of character couldn’t be faked. Even now, as dark and gloomy as her exterior portrayed her, he was able to tell that it was just a fragile shell that would inevitably burst when the light she was shutting up inside herself finally overwhelmed her. Turning to look directly at Luna, Harry took in her slumped over shoulders and the exhausted frustration marring her normally shining face with a twinge of gray. Try as he might, he couldn’t make her meet his eyes and he began to wish desperately for that moment to come when the false visage his friend currently wore upon herself would shatter and release the girl trapped within.

As McGonagall wound up her announcements and the repetitive warnings to those thinking of displaying inappropriate behavior, Harry let himself rest on the assault of thoughts related to Luna’s mood and their obvious yet undefined problems with each other. Just as he boxed it all up in his mind to be opened again at a more appropriate time, a note from the Headmaster suddenly appeared before him, informing him of the arrangements made for the remainder of Gabby’s brief visit. As he read, he allowed himself to fully revel in the nervously excited anticipation rapidly bubbling up inside him. As soon as breakfast was served, Harry gobbled his food down as quickly as he could without choking, eager to get to the meeting that had been set up for him, Gabby, and Luna. Dumbledore had apparently decided to allow them use of his office while he busied himself making some mysterious arrangements elsewhere.

Harry still wasn’t sure what he would tell the Headmaster when the time came that he had to explain how he had lost one of his abilities. Ultimately, he decided it was in his best interest not to be too prepared. He did his best work in the moment and didn’t want to sound rehearsed anyway. So in his mind, he visualized the problem into it’s own separate and much smaller box, placing it next to the larger one he’d just filled with concerns of Luna. He didn’t want to think of or feel anything other than the actual hope and real joy he was experiencing now that things were happening, now that the idea of the coven was becoming real. You ready? He thought to Luna as he gulped down the last of his juice.

I suppose. She coldly answered back. The fact that she had answered him this time only enforced Harry’s believe that she was willfully and deliberately keeping herself cut off from him.

Shaking off her attitude, he leaned over to kiss Hermione’s cheek before rising. "See you guys later." He said happily as he walked off. Luna was behind him, purposely dragging her feet to keep them from walking together, so he didn’t bother to slow his speed or wait for her. He was determined not to let anything dampen his mood and/or ruin this short time they had with their coven’s healer. Unfortunately no matter how many times he said the password once he reached the gargoyle, it just would not spring to life and allow him entrance until she was at his side. Apparently the stone guardian had been told to expect a pair of students. When it finally moved, they hopped on the first stair together though Luna was sure to keep herself as far as possible from him. They took the stairs up to the office in complete and extremely uncomfortable silence, entering just as Dumbledore and Gabriella were finishing their meal.

"Harry! Luna! Good morning!" She greeted them with a smile, rushing over to grab them both up in her slender arms. He liked the openness and warmth exuding from her and couldn’t help but grin as he politely hugged her back, swept up in her friendliness. Apparently the feeling was catching because as she pulled away, he caught the honest smile crossing Luna’s face.

"Good morning to you." He happily returned the greeting.

(BREAK)

"Who are you writing to?" Ron asked as he plopped down next to Hermione on the couch. She had returned to the common room after breakfast while he’d gone with Seamus and a bunch of other kids down to the quidditch pitch. Ginny and Draco had disappeared to who knew where and were doing who knew what. They all had found ways to keep busy while Harry and Luna spoke with Gabriella, preferring activity to sitting around waiting.

When Hermione had first walked in, she’d been thrilled to discover her entire dorm was deserted for the morning as she had actually been looking forward to some time alone with her thoughts. But apparently Ron had changed his mind about his own plans. "No one." She answered as she rolled up the parchment and stuffed it in her pocket, feeling irritated by the interruption. "I was just writing some notes to myself, to remind me of what I want to ask about in my classes tomorrow."

"I think there’s a point where one can love school too much." He teased.

"Isn’t there someone else you can go bother?" she shot back without worrying about the harshness in her voice. She had been in the middle of something after all, and he’d just sat down uninvited. "Very mature." She responded to the face he made at her. "I thought you were going to go play with Seamus somewhere."

"Quidditch. I was going to go play quidditch with Seamus but his broom broke and the other guys decided to head in rather than wait for him to fix and recalibrate it. So I came to find you, but if you’d rather be alone I can happily go take a nap." He rose and stretched his tall, lanky form. "Have fun writing your notes." He rolled his eyes in a purposely over-dramatic fashion before heading off to his room.

Once certain she was alone again, Hermione pulled out the parchment with a confused sigh and looked over the only two words she’d managed to get down on paper. Dear Fred. She had wanted to write to tell him about Gabby not being able to heal Draco and to check on whether he needed her to research anything for their cure while she was here with access to the massive library. But as soon as she sat to write, the words wouldn’t come. She hadn’t wanted to sound annoying, like she was bothering him or pushing him to get this cure moving, and she wasn’t sure sending a letter about that very topic the day after they had parted company was as laid back and casual as she’d first thought. And then when Ron had come in, she’d felt a sharp stab of guilt in her gut, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. The feeling had surprised her, but not as much as the lie about writing out notes, and how easily it had come out of her mouth. She didn’t know why she hadn’t wanted Ron to know that she intended to write such a harmless letter to his brother, she and Fred were friends after all and had every right to correspond with each other.

Feeling stupid and irritable, she willfully put pen to paper, wrote out a letter and after careful consideration signed it, Your friend and collaborator, Hermione Granger. Reading it back to herself, she saw that it was concise and to the point, nothing at all to feel guilty about. Harry knew they were working on this cure and now that they weren’t able to collaborate in person, mail was one of the only other ways to go. However, she decided last minute to put in a post script, wishing Fred well on reviving his store and expressing hope that he wasn’t going crazy being on his own. She felt it added a bit of friendly warmth to the directness of the main part of the letter and was glib enough that any of his friends could have written it. Once satisfied that her letter contained nothing special or outstanding –certainly nothing that would give her a reason to feel guilty- she made her way to the owlery.

At first, she’d intended to use Hedwig as Harry always allowed his friends to send her if they needed to mail something. But as the graceful creature soared down to land on her shoulder, she began to have second thoughts. She stared deeply into the owl’s enormous, round eyes with all the appearance of holding some secret and ancient wisdom and suddenly felt it was wrong somehow to use Harry’s pet when sending a letter to Fred. While stroking Hedwig’s silky white feathers and eliciting several soft, satisfied hoots from the animal, Hermione selected one of the school’s public mail owls to tie her note to.

As she sent the happy little thing on it’s way, Hedwig tilted her head and seemed to question the decision to send another owl in her place. But unable to explain it to herself, she certainly wasn’t going to attempt to explain it to a creature incapable of understanding most of what she said, no matter how intelligent and special Hedwig appeared to be. Instead, she simply pulled out the box of owl treats Harry kept in one of the lockers and gave her a few as a bribe to forget seeing her up there. Satisfied that all was well, she made the trek back down to her room deciding Ron had the right idea. Surely a nap would clear her head a bit.

(BREAK)

"How much time before you go to find all the other people?" Gabby asked after Harry and Luna had finished telling her of their plans and progress thus far in assembling their coven.

"Well, we’ve already made contact with one other besides you. Our friend Ron wrote to Jacinda and she has returned a positive response. As for the others, we intend to go looking right after the semester ends since mail isn’t the safest way to contact anyone about anything of importance these days." Harry quickly explained what Jacinda had said about the danger of sending letters to her. He made a mental note to himself not to send Hedwig anywhere, not wanting harm to come to her should anyone try to intercept her. He felt that he’d convinced Ron in the danger of mailing things, and he was positive the warning was unnecessary for the rest of his friends.

"Yes, to mail a letter, to travel, to simply sit safely in one’s home, so many things that should have innocence are becoming dangerous these days." She said sadly.

"Hopefully we’ll all be able to change that." Luna softly offered.

"When you are leaving to go find the others, I am to go with you?" Gabby asked, looking to them both.

Harry was surprised and glanced at Luna who merely shrugged, looking just as thrown by the question as he was. Apparently neither of them had thought of the possibility that anyone besides their friends would want to go searching with them. "If you wanted to I suppose." He answered. "Otherwise we could set up some place and time for us all to meet. I know there are usually loose ends to tie up and not everyone would be able to leave immediately." I wasn’t able to, he thought to himself, feeling a slight hint of bitterness.

"I am supposing this will be dangerous." Gabby looked thoughtful, but not necessarily concerned.

"Extremely. As you know many people have already lost their lives over the span of many years because of Voldemort and his movement." Harry paused to gather the courage he needed to admit what he needed to tell her. "I can’t guarantee that this will go in our favor-"

She raised a hand to stop him. "Harry, I am not afraid to die. I am scared only of living my life with fear. If our ancestors were once to be brave enough to risk sacrificing themselves for the rest of the world, then how could we not now follow their example? We are having to carry on their legacy."

"Hopefully the rest feel the same way you do." He answered, moved by her certainty.

"Some will and some won’t. They won’t all be as agreeable as Gabby here." Luna said suddenly. "I’ve seen us arguing with some of them, distant visions with unfamiliar faces. But there’s so many decisions not made that I still haven’t seen a clear outcome for the coven as a whole."

"But it must work out in order for the vision you do have of the future to happen, right?" He argued.

"What vision is this?" Gabby asked.

Luna looked down. "A happy one, where we and our friends finally find peace among ourselves. But that could be any time, before or after this war is over; it had nothing to do with winning."

Harry felt a bit of disappointment. Of course he wanted them all to finally reach a place where everything was going right within their group, but he had always hoped Luna’s vision had that other meaning as well, that they had beaten Voldemort. He didn’t think true happiness could be obtained otherwise. Are you sure about that? He heard Gabby’s voice whisper through his mind. Real happiness is not to be measured by our successes, I do not think, but by the memories we have, the path we’re on and the people traveling life with us.

Maybe. He responded though he wasn’t sure he agreed. Surely everyone would be more pleased to be able to live out their lives safely rather than find some kind of inner happiness.

No one can be safe all of the time, Harry, death comes in many forms whenever it pleases to. So how could the end of any war bring anything other than simple relief? War has been existing since we, the humans, decided to distinguish ourselves from the rest of nature; I have no knowledge of one that ends and solves all the problems that had been the cause of it. Where in history does it say to us that victory has the guarantee of happiness? I think true peace within us all, which only can be gained by collecting and accepting of the moments and the people who make us the best we can be, is far more highly prized. I have lost the home I made for myself in the Canada and now I must flee back to Spain where I will have nothing. But I am not sad because I still have my husband, my talent and my life. I want for nothing more. I am happy and still we have not won the war. She argued silently with him as she turned to Luna with a supportive smile. "I hope that vision you had comes true for you all, whether it means the end of all this fighting or not."

"Either way, it doesn’t matter right now." She shook her head.

"Right," Harry agreed, sensing both he and Luna were becoming uncomfortable with the topic of her vision. "One thing at a time, and our first goal is to research the last few names we need. Once we get out of here in a few months, we’ll go find them all and then we’ll worry about convincing anyone to join us."

"When you get out of here." Luna reminded him looking a bit anguished by the idea. "As of right now, I’m in school for the year."

"That may change, Miss Lovegood. Have some faith." Dumbledore said with a wide smile as he entered the office. "Please forgive the interruption, but Professor Sinistra has just informed me of some rather severe weather coming our way from the north. Unless you leave soon, Mrs. Hernandez, you may be stuck here another night."

"Why can’t you just apparate home?" Harry turned to Gabby.

"I am not knowing what you tell me." She shrugged helplessly at her lack of understanding.

"He means physical transport-displacement." Dumbledore explained kindly.

"Ah yes!" She said with excitement before turning somber. "Your Headmaster and I were discussing this possibility to, how do you say, apparate? Yes, but because of my mother’s low standing among the small wizarding society where we are from, I was not allowed to be licensed."

"I don’t understand." Harry said. "What does your mother’s standing have to do with anything?"

"Well, it is my father’s line that goes back to our ancestor of the coven, Hermelinda. But my mother, she was a squib." Gabby appeared grieved by the admission.

"There are places in the world were certain people are looked down on even more than they are here. In some of those places, prejudice extends to include the person’s family and therefore their rights and privileges are less than those who consider themselves to be the picture of their society’s perfection." Dumbledore explained. "And before you jump on the idea," he turned to Harry, "I am fully capable of teaching her and I am sure she is more than capable of learning as quickly as you and your friends. But if Mrs. Hernandez were to apparate without a license, especially from here, it will draw the kind of attention to her that none of us want. It is safest to use the travel plans I have already secured."

"And I am glad to be going to my husband, but I am very sad to be leaving such wonderful new friends." Gabby said, rising to take Dumbldore’s hand and reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Well, we were delighted to have had the pleasure of meeting you." The Headmaster humbly returned. "Our gamekeeper will be the one honored with the task of taking you all the way into Spain and directly to your home. Of course I’ve also arranged a private escort for you both from the ministry and they will secretly meet up with you outside our school’s grounds. Mr. Potter, why don’t you escort Mrs. Hernandez down to Hagrid’s and introduce them to each other."

"I thank you very much." Gabby replied. "I am hoping only that no one was too put out by my unexpected visit."

"Not at all. Hagrid was delighted to offer his assistance; he is a wonderful personality and a perfect escort. I’m sure the two of you will get along pleasantly in the short time you will be in each other’s company." Dumbledore assured her. "I only caution that you not let his rather substantial size alarm you." He said with a smile.

Gabby nodded but looked to him in confusion. Harry smiled as he tried to think of the best way to describe Hagrid before she actually laid eyes on him. "Then I suppose it is time for me to be going?" She asked, now with a bit of uncertainty.

"Unfortunately for us, it seems that way." Dumbledore bowed his head slightly as he led her to the door. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hernandez. I look forward to seeing you again sometime in the future."

"The pleasure has all belonged to me. Until we are to meet again." She hugged him before planting one last kiss on him.

"Yes, well." Dumbledore replied with a grin. "Miss Lovegood, if you wouldn’t mind staying back to speak with me a moment as there is something I must discuss with you, I think it would be best if you also said your farewell now."

"Thank you for coming." Luna said quietly. "And thank you for making things right with Harry again, I don’t know what any of us would have done if you hadn’t been able to fix him."

"Oh Luna, my new little moonbeam." Gabby pulled her in for a tight hug before pulling away and resting their heads together. Harry knew they were speaking to each other, but it was something meant only for them and despite the amplification of his powers while in the presence of an additional coven member, he was unable to break through their barrier. Gabby pulled back and smiled down at Luna before gently kissing the girl’s forehead and turning to him. "We are ready to go?"

"I suppose we are." Harry said slowly. He shot a confused glance at Luna who was busy staring thoughtfully at the floor with a distracted air that seemed to suggest she’d forgotten anyone else was around her. Feeling himself tense up in anticipation of the things waiting to be dealt with, he sighed heavily before turning and leading the way down to Hagrid’s hut. Now that it was time for Gabby to be sent away and for him to get back to reality as he knew it, Harry became aware that the frustrated befuddlement which had recently plagued him was slowly creeping back through his senses.

(BREAK)

Luna watched them walk out of the office with mixed feelings. Gabby’s last silent words to her were tumbling around in her head, turning things she’d thought she’d become certain of inside out and leaving her to question all over again. But before the healer’s carefully considered message could really sink into her soul, Dumbledore cleared his throat in an attempt to get her attention. "Please, take a seat." He offered as he sat himself behind his desk.

"Is this about my classes?" She settled stiffly on the edge of the chair, feeling too tensed up with her thoughts and emotions to be able to relax- even anticipation for the topic they were surely about to discuss couldn’t garner all of her concentration.

"It is. Late last night, I sent a request for an early meeting with Griselda Marchbanks, as she was so instrumental with helping us get everything approved for the seventh year advanced classes. Sure enough we were able to meet in the fireplace and discuss the arrangements necessary to carry out your request before breakfast. I am happy to inform you that after careful consideration, she has agreed to help set up an inaugural advanced placement class for the sixth year students and upon review of everyone’s school records, you have been selected as a participant- along with only six others."

"I can’t believe the ministry actually agreed." Luna was amazed that for once something was happening so easily.

"Well, technically, only Ms. Marchbanks and Arthur are aware of the situation. But by the end of today, they will have worked to make your request a reality. I am to inform you and ask the other five if they would like to participate. By dinner, you will be moved to the new dormitory with the seventh years and tomorrow morning you and the other sixth years wishing to participate will report to me for your classes." He smiled kindly at her.

"And you’re sure this isn’t going to be a burden or inconvenience to you?"

"The education of my students is never a burden. And being given the chance to once again have a more direct contact molding young minds, it is a challenge I welcome."

Behind his earnest smile, she could tell he was holding back. There was something, some other reason he had for doing all of this. But though his mind held no walls, it was so thickly fogged up in there that she’d need a map to get out again, were she to attempt to go searching for answers. Besides, she was too thrilled to be getting what she wanted to worry too much about alterior motives, especially since she doubted that whatever the Headmaster was hiding, it was hardly malicious in intent.

After making her aware of the remaining changes to her class schedule, she was excused and left to roam free until lunch. Dumbledore had suggested she gather all of her things and prepare them for the house elves to move for her. But she hadn’t unpacked a single item since arriving the day before, unable to bring herself to accept the permanence of her situation. Apparently she’d been right, now that everything was being fixed. The fear of being left behind by Harry and the others had been overwhelming and one of the major things affecting her altered thinking and behavior. As she exited the office, she breathed a huge sigh of relief. One giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Now all she had to worry about was whether she’d already pushed Harry so far that he was ready to give up.

Not wanting to admit so many things to herself, she’d already begun distancing herself from him… and the others… figuring it was only a matter of time until they all left her. Her confidence in her own vision had been wavering as she wondered whether it really was the best future for everyone, and especially for her. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized why she’d been saying, doing and feeling the things she had been lately… It was because she was tired of having to be vigilant in keeping the others on the path, of waiting for things to align the right way and of questioning herself and her motives. Of course, with Gabby’s last silent words to her still circling in her head, she knew that it also wasn’t as easy as all that.

(BREAK)

Harry had never felt as grateful or pleased to meet anyone as he had with Gabby. And now, he’d never been more sad to see someone leave. They had said their good-byes after she’d been introduced to and charmed by Hagrid, forming a fast friendship between them. He only hoped the rest of the coven was as friendly and open as she was, but he doubted they’d be so lucky. After thanking her over and over for everything she’d done, Gabby and Hagrid had taken off as large drops of rain began sprinkling the ground. Harry walked back to the castle feeling melancholy, dragging his feet and not wanting to accept that he now had a whole semester to wait before he could go find the others.

Everything in him wanted to go find Luna, to force her to have that talk he felt they so desperately needed to have. He held himself back, knowing that he needed to do so when he was calmer, more in control of his emotions regarding whatever they were going through. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer; he was entirely uncomfortable having Luna remain so distant. If she didn’t come to him within the next few days, even just to at last scream at him and tell him what he’d done, then he’d have to force the issue. Today, he decided to let things be, to let them both adjust to being back at school before immersing themselves in problems left over from home. So he walked back to the castle, determined to find Hermione and enjoy the last free day before his life became consumed by his studies. That was, until he saw that Dumbledore was at the front door waiting for him.

"Why don’t we take a walk, Harry?" the Headmaster said. He had used his name familiarly as he was want to do in more intimate moments, but his tone wasn’t exactly friendly as he made it clear that he hadn’t made a suggestion.

"Okay." He agreed, knowing his day of reckoning had arrived. Now he would have to weave a tale about losing his power so convincing and with such believability that Dumbledore may only suspect it was untrue. But just as he opened his mouth to spin his yarn, he received a big surprise.

"I do not wish to know, Harry." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Excuse me?" He was unsure he heard correctly.

"I do not want to know how or why you lost your powers. At this moment it is inconsequential." He explained. "Obviously you and your friends have decided that you can all handle whatever problems you face without help, and in this instance, you were right."

Harry felt like this was somehow a trap. There was no way Dumbledore would make it so easy. "It’s not like we were doing anything bad." He defended himself against accusations that had yet to be put forth, but he couldn’t help it. While they may have been doing something they weren’t supposed to when Cho and Sarah had teamed up to take his power, they certainly weren’t doing something bad. In fact, going to Azkaban had garnered a lot of useful information for them as well as what they were able to share with the adults.

The old wizard brought them to the edge of the lake, raising his wand and shielding them from the rain as it grew heavier and more persistent. Then he turned to him with a heavy sigh. "Harry, none of you are ever doing bad things when you all get hurt or placed in peril. I would never think any of you capable of doing evil things, I recognize that you all proceed in your actions with the best of possible intentions. The problem is that your friends, and you especially, are doing dangerous things. You all seem to think that either we wouldn’t want to help or wouldn’t understand your reasoning. I don’t want to put you in the position to lie to me, Harry. Not ever again. So I won’t ask you to tell me what happened and will only be glad that this time, you were able to handle and survive the fallout of your decisions."

He hung his head, feeling slightly shamed. Of course he knew that this man had wanted to be there for him, and that he would always try. He’d saved Harry’s life, overtly and in secret, many times over and yet Harry had come to almost look at him as one more opponent in life. How had it come to this between them? Where had the trust gone and who was most responsible for breaking it? "So now what?" He asked aloud.

"Now, we begin again, from this point on. Your friends, the team you’ve put together for yourself, and the Order, my team- they must become one in the same. I ask that you never again lie to me, that you come to me or someone else in a better position to help you rather than continue to risk all your lives in order to prove you can do it alone. In return, I promise you that I will keep no secrets and I will answer your questions directly. I will not only acknowledge that there are things you can handle on your own, but that there are things I cannot help you with at all."

Harry was quiet for a while, watching as the pelting rain struck and slid down the invisible barrier between him and the elements. "I can agree to that." He finally answered.

"Very good." Dumbledore nodded.

Harry knew better than to think they were now equals. The older wizard had lived many more years, had been given much more time to practice, experience, and learn. Perhaps some sad day in the future, when he was as old and Dumbledore was gone… maybe then he could think himself equal to the great, if secretive, man beside him. But until then, Harry felt more comfortable now that he thought they could move past student and mentor to respected friends. They stood side by side for a long while, each contemplating the future as they stared through the rain and out over the choppy lake.

(BREAK)

"So?" Draco asked as he rose to meet Ginny who was just leaving McGonagall’s office. He was glad she’d finally finished her meeting, having begun to feel very exposed waiting for her in the hallway. "What did she want?"

Ginny looked a bit shocked, but her smile was wide and excited. "I don’t know how it happened, but I guess Luna convinced them to create an accelerated program for sixth years. My grades qualified me, just barely, but I’m in. We’re going to be moving to the dorm with you guys by dinner."

"Really?" He was more surprised by his surprise than by the news. When would he learn that Dumbledore would do anything for a certain group of students? Them getting their way here, it was something he should be used to by now. And despite the fact that he was now a part of that elite group, he still didn’t feel comfortable.

"Guess that means I won’t have to sneak around in the night to see you. I think it takes away some of the excitement." She said, clearly teasing. They made their way outside, standing under the roof to avoid the rain.

"Well, I’m glad. I wasn’t too thrilled that you snuck out last night." He admitted.

"You seemed pretty thrilled to me." She said in a flirty manner, batting her eyelashes at him.

He smiled involuntarily. "You know I was happy to see you, it was what you had to do to get there that I had the problem with. I mean what if you had run into Tristan out there?"

She waved off his concern. "But I didn’t. He walked right by me."

Draco was taken aback. "You mean you saw him out there?" He felt an angry yet protective surge of emotion toward her. He hated that it was so close to the full moon, knowing it was harder not to give into the more instinctual and less civilized side of himself.

"Relax, either he didn’t know I was there or he didn’t care. It was just outside your common room, I wasn’t even sure it was him until Ron said something this morning."

She reached out and rubbed his shoulder affectionately, hoping to soothe the sudden tenseness gripping his body. "Why didn’t you tell me last night? Or everyone else this morning when we were all talking about it?" he asked carefully.

"Because it wasn’t a big deal and I didn’t want to make it one. I figured you’d get upset about it and it’s not worth it."

"I don’t want him here." He said through clenched teeth.

"Neither do the rest of us. But he’s just someone we have to put up with while we’re here." She shrugged helplessly.

Something in the matter-of-factness in her tone, the total acceptance she seemed to display over being forced to coexist with someone threatening to her, it struck a guilty chord deep within him. He brushed her hand from his shoulder and took a step away. "So it’s no different than when it was me you were all not wanting to be around. Just one more bad guy to take my place now that I’ve defected to the other side."

"Draco, of course it’s different." She tried to reach out to him but he stepped further away.

"Right, because this guy is actually dangerous instead of just playing at it." He made to move past her. "I’ll see you later, okay? I have to go meet Drake before dinner."

"Draco…" she called after him, but thankfully decided to let him go. There was no meeting set up with Drake until after classes the following day and he didn’t want her to follow him and find out he’d lied just to get away from her. He didn’t want to be near anyone at the moment, feeling he wasn’t in the right frame of mind and could say something he wouldn’t be able to take back. Instead, he wandered the grounds out in the rain, skipping dinner and the rest of the evening altogether.

It was just before lights out that he returned to the common room, noting that there was now an extra room in the Slytherin hallway. Figuring it belonged to some sixth year who had made it into the accelerated program, he ignored it and went directly into his own room. He’d half expected Ginny to be waiting there for him, having found some way in, but the room was mercifully empty. As he collapsed on his bed, he felt numb and lonely. He could hear faint sounds from the room next to his, Tristan’s room, and felt a sudden territorial response.

Without a second thought, he got up and made his way across the common room to the Gryffindor wing. He marched right up to Ginny’s door and knocked softly, not wanting her brother to know that he was out here trying to gain entry. She let him in and with a nod, the little episode that happened between them was put in the past. They lay together in her bed, ready to fall asleep together so that they could face the next day in the same manner. He sighed in false contentment. He had so wanted time alone, to not have to think of how different things were now. Instead, he’d come to protect what he felt was his, deciding it was better she was where he could always see her rather than leave it up to chance. He couldn’t wait for the full moon to come and go, hating that the instincts of the wolf in him seemed so much stronger as it was overtaking his own learned and desired behavior.

(BREAK)

Harry had spent all night tossing and turning in his bed, though he was careful not to disturb Hermione who was sleeping peacefully next to him. It was last night’s announcement and the implications thereof that had kept him awake. He’d been shocked to be told that not only had a new sixth year program been started, but both Luna and Ginny had been accepted. Apparently imitating Hermione last year had been of some benefit to the youngest Weasley, not that she wasn’t intelligent in her own right. But it wasn’t Ginny’s admittance into the program that was bothering him. It was Luna’s. He was happier than he’d expected, knowing she would be able to leave with them at the end of the semester. At the same time, he was tense, knowing she was just a few rooms from him when she may as well have been countries away.

He sighed as the clock rolled around to the waking hour, feeling both restless and exhausted. Hermione stirred next to him, turning to him with a sleepy smile. "Happy last first day." She said as she stretched.

"We’ll see about the happy." He answered, feeling grumpy as he rose to find his school robes.

"Ugh, it’s still raining." Hermione buried her head under the pillow.

Until she’d said anything, he hadn’t even noticed the heavy rain pelting his small window. It had become white noise, almost comforting in a way. "Well, you can’t have sunshine everyday." He said as he dressed.

"Wake me when the world looks better." Was her muffled reply.

"Come on." He gently shook her before pulling her up. "You’re the one who’s supposed to be convincing me to go to class remember?"

She sat back down on the bed with a pout. "I was excited yesterday…"

He caught a thread of something she must have thrown out for him to see. Upon further reflection, he saw that it was because she was embarrassed to admit it. "Really, Mione? You’re that upset that you’re almost done with school?" He smiled at her, liking what he thought of as the absurd part of her personality. Of course maybe he thought that because he never took school all that seriously himself.

"I know it’s silly, but I like the idea of going to school each year; of having new books and classes and supplies. I’m just feeling a little melancholy now that this is the beginning of the end of our time at Hogwarts."

"You could always come back and teach someday when the world is normal, if you wind up missing it that much." He teased.

She hit him with her pillow before rising and moving to the door. "You’re so very helpful. I’ll meet you in the common room."

(BREAK)

Ron had no idea why he felt so nervous. He hadn’t expected today to feel any different than any other first day of school. But after meeting up with Harry and Hermione and seeing how they were trying to hide their blatant nerves, he decided he felt more anxious now than he had his first year. Once Ginny, Luna and Draco entered the common room, they all made their way down to breakfast, making small talk to break the silence.

Though his stomach was rumbling, he found it hard to eat. Every bite felt like a lump of lead traveling through his body, and in his tense state everything tasted bland. He was so intent on forcing himself through his meal that the mail owls took him completely by surprise, nearly startling him out of his seat. As they delivered their parcels and flew off, he caught the disappointed look that crossed Hermione’s face.

And apparently so had Harry. "Were you expecting something?" he asked suspiciously.

"Not really." She answered looking down at her plate.

Before either boy could puzzle it out, Luna approached them holding a large rectangular envelope. "Look what I got." She pulled out an advanced copy of the Quibbler. Ron was delighted to see a rather unflattering picture of Lucius Malfoy on the cover with the headline, Muggle Hater Malfoy Actually Born of Muggle Parents.

"That is amazing." He reached for the magazine, flipping through it to the article as the others gathered around to read over his shoulder.

"Well Mr. Lovegood certainly didn’t hold back." Ginny said when they had all finished. "I hope this is going to be okay for him. And Draco." As one, they all turned to look at the Slytherin table where Malfoy was once again sitting by himself. Ron hated that he felt pity towards him, all he wanted was to hate the guy. Was that too much to ask for? Why did things have to keep happening to make him want to defend his former enemy?

"I’ll show him the article and talk to him about it between classes today." Harry offered, as they all knew Ginny wouldn’t have much time to see anyone but her classmates that day and she was the one normally expected to talk to Malfoy.

They were all surprised when Luna moodily grabbed up the magazine. "No, I’ll talk to him. You’ve done enough, getting both him and my father involved in this in the first place." She stalked back off to her own table, leaving the rest of them to stare questioningly at Harry.

"Whoa, what did you do to piss her off so badly?" Ron asked.

"I wish I knew." He replied glumly.

(BREAK)

Ginny was excited and curious as she walked into Dumbledore’s office with Luna, and the other four kids who made it into the classes- Alvis Addy from Ravenclaw, Della Chandler from Hufflepuff, Troy Mason from Slytherin, and Colton James also a Gryffindor. None of them were kids she had associated with much beyond sharing some classes in the past and so she was unsure whether or not she was going to like being cooped up with this office for the next few months. For this reason, she stayed close to Luna. She’d never been of the shy sort, and shyness wasn’t the problem now. She realized she actually didn’t want to get close to anyone else, didn’t want to know them, talk to them, or trust them. She no longer found any interest in anyone beyond her own circle of friends and family, feeling she had enough people to worry for.

Dumbledore greeted them all warmly, gesturing them to take seats in the desks he’d provided for them. "Welcome, let me start by saying this is a new experience for me as well and so we shall learn how this class will work together." He regarded them with a confidently gracious smile. "I am glad you all have chosen to participate in the opportunity granted to you and we will hope as one that this little experiment in education will be a successful one."

Alvis raised his hand. "Sir, what is our schedule? How will our classes work so that we can learn everything we need in order to make it to next year?"

"Relax Mr. Addy. I assure you that I will not skimp on lessons. You will learn everything you need to know and hopefully much more. As to your schedule, I think that is something we shall also work out together. For now, why don’t you all pull out your wands and your transfiguration books. We can start there."

Ginny happily unpacked the necessary items, feeling completely at ease with her education placed securely in Dumbledore’s hands. She found herself thinking positively- that maybe this year wouldn’t be as bad as she’d thought it would be.

(BREAK)

Hermione walked into Professor Binns classroom with the others and took a desk in the back, expecting Harry to share it with her. Instead, she saw him take in the pitiful image of Draco as he slumped into his own desk, looking horrified at the thought of who would sit beside him. Harry glanced at her and she gave her silent consent as he pushed Ron into the seat next to her and sat himself by Draco. It warmed her heart to see him thinking of others so much lately. Apparently everything he’d gone through had forced him to grow up and mature a bit and she was glad of it, hoping he’d start thinking more before acting. She knew when she’d hitched herself to his wagon that she’d always be scared, worried that he’d be injured or killed. Other than the few short months when he’d been trying to push them all away, Harry had always been himself with her, had never hidden any part of his character. She’d always thought it’d be that way- that she’d never be able to rest easy while they were together. But it had been something she’d thought she was prepared for, until lately when all the fear for him and herself had begun to eat away at her. Now she felt new hope that by learning from his experiences, he’d become more careful and considerate of his own life.

"Are you joking?" Millicent’s annoying voice interrupted Hermione’s pre-class musings. She came out of her reverie to see the other girl hovering over Draco’s desk looking incredulous. "I really thought this would turn out to be some weird sick joke, Draco. But here you are sitting next to Potter like you’re best friends! What are you thinking?"

He appeared almost uncomfortably shamed at first and then something like quiet fury seemed to bubble up within him. And then it was gone and he sat back in his chair looking extremely casual with the old Malfoy grin across his face. Hermione held her breath in anticipation, noting that Harry and Ron were also tensed up, waiting to see what would happen- as were the other students who had filed into the room. At last Draco responded. "It’s not a matter of what I’m thinking but how. And right now, I’m thinking for myself."

"Nicely said, Draco." Tristan said as he suavely entered the room. "It is always better to know the decisions you make for yourself are your own. Too bad you’re making the wrong ones."

"Says you. We’ll just have to wait and see on that." Draco replied, keeping his easy demeanor and devious grin. But his eyes now held a bit of horrified contempt.

"We certainly will." Tristan said, wearing a malicious smile. He turned and took a seat next to Millicent as Professor Binns floated into the classroom and took a seat behind his desk.

"Please open your books to chapter one." He started his class without notice of the dark atmosphere filling the room as his students glared at each other. With a sigh, Hermione opened her book, choosing to look at this encounter as a win. Neither Harry nor Draco had lost their temper and so at last it seemed cooler heads were prevailing.

(BREAK)

A swift knock on the door interrupted Dumbledore’s rather amusing lesson. Luna had been thoroughly enjoying learning in such a small group and had been reflecting on what a good choice she’d made in going to Dumbledore for help. But almost a full five minutes before that knock came, she’d been overcome by the feeling that something bad was coming. She knew it was McGonagall at the door before the woman entered, asking to speak with the Headmaster in private.

As he excused himself, she looked to Ginny and signaled her distress. There was no holding back the vision that was coming and the last thing she wanted was to have it in front of so many witnesses. Ginny caught on and gratefully created a distraction, pulling out the pair of extendible ears she’d stolen from her brother and getting the easily moldable minds of their peers onto the idea of eavesdropping. Luna took the opportunity to duck under Dumbledore’s desk, laying herself down just as her sight blurred out. And then she waited to be shown the outcome of whatever bad news was being delivered to the Headmaster.

(BREAK)

Harry was thrilled by the interruption of someone knocking on the door as Professor Binns had nearly put him and everyone else to sleep. Well everyone except for Hermione who was furiously taking notes on information he was sure she already knew. He grinned at the absurdity of her devotion to school. They all looked up expectantly, but Binns carried on as if he hadn’t heard the knock.

"Excuse me, Professor?" McGonagall opened the door and walked in, as used to Binns behavior as his students were. "I apologize for the interruption, but I must borrow Mr. Potter for a moment."

Binns simply nodded his consent before continuing on in his lesson and Harry had never felt so thankful to be pulled out of class. He followed McGonagall down the hallway but despite how much he asked, she refused to tell him anything, simply informing him that the Headmaster would tell him everything as she had to get back to her classes. She left him at the gargoyle, giving him a look of concern before hurrying off down the hallway.

He climbed the stairs and entered the office, finding Dumbledore behind his desk and Luna seated before him. "Please have a seat Harry, I’ve suspended my class until after lunch so that I may take care of a few things that have come up. I wanted to take a moment to inform you and Luna of what’s occurred. " He paused, looking uncomfortable with the information he had to give them. "I’m afraid we’ve received some news from home."

"About what?" He asked as he sank into the chair, his heart rising to his throat.

"About Sarah." Luna answered quietly while staring at the floor looking pained.

Dumbledore regarded her with a small, sad smile but Harry knew she must have had some kind of vision and at this point probably knew more than anyone else. "Is she awake?" He asked hesitantly.

"I’m afraid we don’t quite know. She’s missing." Dumbledore answered uncomfortably.

"What do you mean she’s missing?" He demanded.

"He means she’s been stolen." Luna said angrily. "Right out from under their noses."

"That’s not exactly what happened. According to initial reports, about fifteen minutes ago two young women attacked the prison ward of St. Mungo’s. One was throwing fire from her hands at anyone who tried to stop them as the other brandished her wand expertly, breaking through the charms placed around the room. In the confusion and out of control fire they started, they made away with Sarah, though according to a witness she appeared to still be unconscious." Dumbledore paused to look at him expectantly over the top of his glasses. "You know what happened, Harry."

"Yeah, Elise and Elanya broke in to get their friend. And if they find a way to wake her, there’s no telling the trouble and chaos the three of them could cause." He answered as an unanticipated shiver of dread went through him.

 

 

NOTE: Okay, we’re still moving along, and I again apologize for the snail’s pace at which posting are happening. It seems the world is against me getting this finished. Anyway, next chapter a little less drama and a little more action so stay tuned!

Chapter 30: Fire and Brimstone

A/N: Sorry for the delay in chapter posting again, it’s getting really hard to find time to write but I’m trying. So without further rambling… Read, Review, Enjoy!

 

 

"May I ask what it was that you saw Luna?" Dumbledore asked gently.

He was one of the few who had never breached any confidence, never even attempted to ask her to give him the answers. He’d always been the one happy to take her questions and she was grateful for it. And now here he was, one more person not understanding how much she’d begun to hate her visions and the responsibilities they placed on her. Of course she had to tell them, why else would she have received the warning? But then what if things were meant to happen the way she saw and by stopping them she was making things worse down the line? It was a debate she was tired of having with herself.

"Sir, maybe now isn’t the time." Harry said carefully. He was studying her with a strange expression on his face and she felt herself magnified tenfold under his gaze. It made her uncomfortable and at the same time pleased that he was so intensely trying to figure her out.

"It’s fine." She assured him with a sigh. "I saw Sarah awake." She simply added, feeling there was no need to say more. After all, she hadn’t seen anything specific- she’d been thrown into the white room and assaulted by Sarah’s demented gaze. The rest had been unclear to her- a flash of an envelope addressed to Fred and then a quick glimpse of his store. What Fred had to do with anything involving those girls she didn’t know, but she didn’t want to sound the alarm until she knew more. The only problem was how she would be able to talk to Fred, considering the distance separating them and the very possible danger of mailing him anything. There was a way she was sure, and the answer was something that had appeared in a split second within her vision, something small and shiny that she had been unable to focus on at the time. All she had to do was figure out what it was.

In the few long months since they’d become close friends, she’d always gone to Harry for help in figuring out these sorts of things. Obviously, that wasn’t an option this time. Of course if she did ask, she was still fairly certain he’d drop everything to help her, just as she was certain she would help him if push came to shove. Although she had more answers than he did, she still didn’t fully understand her reluctance to end their fight. But she did know that somehow it was easier to not be around him than struggle with the uncertainty of being in his presence. Therefore she had continued to push at the distance between them.

As she sat there wrapped up in her own head and mulling over her concerns, she answered the Headmaster’s questions with little emotion, placing their conversation on a different level. She wasn’t interested in sharing anything more than she already had and therefore no longer felt she was needed in the discussion. She would let them sort out the consequences of Sarah waking. Her main focus after being allowed to leave the office was going to be maintaining her distance from Harry until…well, until she couldn’t anymore. In the last two days, circumstance had thrown them together and she intended to ensure that wouldn’t happen anymore. But a stealthy look at his thoughts on the subject told her that he intended the opposite. True to his take-action mentality, she saw that now that he knew of her newest vision, he planned to accost her and hash out their problems as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Knowing she’d have to work extra hard at dodging him, she sank down into her chair with a heavy sigh. Already this was shaping up to be the longest first day of school ever.

(BREAK)

By the end of class Harry still hadn’t returned. Hermione began to worry that something bad had happened, that he would once more be pulled into some dangerous situation. The sudden fear that gripped her whenever she thought of the worst possible outcome to any horrible event Harry was pulled into vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving her feeling exhausted. She was tired of worrying about whether or not he was going to be seriously injured or worse, killed. Sure it was the life she’d signed up for and she knew she could get through it, but she missed the days when things between her and Harry had been easy. And then she realized- since they’d become more than friends, things hadn’t been easy at all. First there had been Cho and Ginny to stand in their way and then Harry himself had nearly destroyed their relationship, and since then, their own insecurities and feelings had shaken them. Add to that the fact that her parents strongly opposed their coupling as well as Ron being put in the awkward position of being in the middle whenever they fought, and it made their future seem difficult and bleak.

As she followed the others down to the dungeons for Potions she reflected that despite it all, being with Harry was still the most natural feeling in the world. Under all the doubt plaguing them as a couple, they still trusted each other as friends and knew that no matter how much anger there was between them, they could always depend on each other when it counted. Hermione had always known she’d love Harry forever, it wasn’t a difficult promise to keep. But she had vaguely wondered before whether or not they’d have been better off as friends and now the thought was becoming clearer, more well-formed. Especially since Harry had developed his fast attachment to Luna through their link to the coven and her own focus had so recently shifted to helping Fred. However, to clearly consider breaking off her engagement to Harry for any reason was something she just couldn’t picture. Even with all the obvious problems laid out before her, a future without him was simply unfathomable. But then, why was she thinking about their relationship so much? Why couldn’t she stop reasoning and arguing with herself every time her mind had a free moment? She became determined to stop, to just live life as it came to her and accept her relationship as it was.

Once in the classroom, she settled into a worktable and following the good example Harry had displayed earlier, she motioned a forlorn looking Draco to sit with her. Knowing the third seat at the table was for Harry, Ron shot her a dirty look as he sat with the Patil twins at the table across the aisle. She ignored him and gave Draco a warm smile before awkwardly looking around the familiarly dark classroom- it felt odd knowing that Snape wouldn’t be there. She knew there was still no news on their missing professor and she hoped he was still alive. No matter how much she disliked the man, she didn’t want anyone else she knew to die. Perhaps it made her selfish to think that way- that as long as it wasn’t anyone in her life being killed, then the problem wasn’t as bad. Well, if it did make her selfish then so be it. Losing Sirius had been bad enough, but Neville and George had nearly torn her and everyone else apart. Snape may not hold a place in her heart like they had, but she still wouldn’t want to deal with the emotional crippling that would make waves through their group should any of their allies fall, even Snape.

With minutes to spare until class started, Harry walked in and the sight of him instantly brightened her dark train of thought. Sliding into the seat between her and Draco he mentally told his friends what he’d learned in Dumbledore’s office. Although horrified that those horrible girls had broken in and stolen their comatose comrade, she wasn’t all that surprised. Separately, those girls were bad but together they were evil. And the fact that Luna had received a vision of Sarah waking, well that was just the cherry of top of the worst sundae ever. Hopefully they didn’t have plans to break out Cho as well, though she couldn’t imagine anyone who would want to go against the giants.

We thought of that. Harry answered her unspoken concern. Especially after what you said about your visit with her, Draco. Although Dumbledore doesn’t think Cho is as important to them anymore, he’s still alerted Arthur to get word to Azkaban and warn them of what may come.

Before any of them had time to respond, Drake strode confidently into the room, ready to begin his first class. Wondering if he’d yet heard the news of what happened at his hospital, Hermione pulled out her wand wanting to be a model student for their new friend. Her worries weren’t exactly quelled, but all any of them could do was wait. If the enemy made any sort of decision, hopefully Luna would get a vision in enough time. If she didn’t, then they were all simply waiting for the next wave of destruction.

(BREAK)

Fred looked happily at all the cauldrons bubbling around him, glad that his room at Harry’s house provided him with so much space. Since the others had all left a few days before, he had been making great headway in the production of his quick cures using some of the notes Drake had given him. He’d have Lee busy stocking the shelves in no time and had to admit it felt good to be focusing on the store again even if it was in this capacity, though he hated that Hermione had once more been right when she’d suggested it. Couldn’t the girl ever be wrong about anything? And what’s more, George was becoming just as big a know-it-all having also pushed him to reopen the store.

Just as one of the brews hit the right temperature, someone knocked on his door. With an aggravated sigh, he went to answer it and found his mother on the other side. She pushed her way in as soon as the door was opened, crinkling her nose at a smell Fred had long since gotten used to. "What are you doing in here?" Molly asked, waving a hand in front of her nose as she examined his potions.

"Trying to earn a living. Was there something you needed, mother?" He asked as he switched off a burner and poured the contents of the cauldron into a beaker to cool. Then when it was ready, he would pour it into small vials and have his first batch of product.

Molly held up an envelope. "The mail arrived a bit late today. You received a letter." She handed it over and gave him a skeptical look before heading out. "Just don’t burn down Harry’s house." She said as she left, closing the door behind her.

Since he’d decided to leave home and come to Grimmauld Place at the beginning of the summer, things between himself and his parents had been tense. At first he understood, but then they had closed up the Burrow and moved into Number 12 themselves. So now that they had what they wanted and they were all living together again, he couldn’t see why there was still a problem. After all location shouldn’t matter.

A glance at the envelope in his hand decidedly pushed all concerns of his parents to the back of his mind. Of course he instantly recognized Hermione’s handwriting, having seen it over and over on several roles of parchment containing her notes on their progress with the Wolfie potion. He grinned, remembering how much she hated that name and decided if they did succeed, he wasn’t going to change it. A strange excitement rolled around in his stomach as he opened the envelope and began reading. However what he found was a terse letter meant only to relay specific information. He was thrilled that Gabriella had shown up and fixed Harry, and just as disappointed that she couldn’t do the same with Draco. Although her message was very deliberately stark, he had to smile at her insistence that they continue their progress towards a cure. Noting the letter had been sent the day before, he realized she hadn’t waited more than 24 hours after their separation to write and hound him about his work. He shook his head, a large grin across his face as he recalled the above average zeal with which Hermione conducted herself in any academic pursuit.

And then something struck him about the date. She had written him yesterday morning and posted it shortly thereafter… so why was the owl only showing up now when he knew his father had set up a night delivery to the house as well? He knew it was an important question, but he couldn’t make himself focus on it. So what if someone had intercepted the letter and read it before sending it on? There was nothing of importance contained in it, unless they were interested in the fact that he had vague plans to reopen his store and was working on a cure. And even if they were interested, Hermione had been smarter than to mention what or for whom the cure was intended. She hadn’t even mentioned anyone’s name in the letter, simply referring to Harry, Draco and Gabriella in terms he’d recognize as pertaining to them.

Still, he knew it was for the best if they didn’t correspond through the mail anymore, despite his embarrassing moment of asking to do just that before she boarded the train. Besides, he’d already known his impatience for letter writing and had planned ahead for his separation from his newest lab partner. But having been so distracted by his feelings on the actual event of them all leaving, he’d forgotten to tell her about it before she took off. Well, one more letter back to her, just to tell her about the little surprise he’d packed for her- what could it hurt? He quickly wrote out his note and with a skip in his step, went to find an owl to deliver it.

(BREAK)

Draco felt like the whole world was upside down and it was making him feel overwhelmed and a bit light-headed. Although he’d almost always been on Snape’s good side, he’d still rarely seen the man in a good mood. So in addition to sitting with Potter and Granger as an ally rather than a tormentor this year, he also had to force his mind to match up the familiar and comfortably dark surroundings of the dungeon classroom with Healer Drake, standing before them with a wide, welcoming smile. So much was so different so quickly.

To top it off, he could feel the wolf inside him just below the surface, waiting impatiently for it’s time to be free in only a few short days. Tristan had taken a seat in front of him with Millicent and Goyle, and as Draco glared at the back of his head he felt the wolf rise up even more as it perceived it’s unnatural enemy. He had the sudden desire to take care of the boy right then and there, to rip him to shreds before the vampire had a chance to do harm to anyone. Relax. He heard Potter’s gentle reminder sweep through his mind. In his heightened state of instinctual awareness, Draco must have lowered his shields.

Thankfully he managed to make it through the entire class, forcing himself to focus on the potion Drake was trying to teach them. Although the healer proved as adept at the skill as Snape, Draco found he preferred the real professor’s teaching method. Drake was far more hands on, and rather than just put instructions on the board and leave them to work, he insisted on going through step by step with them. While it was sure to be said that due to the more teacher-like approach Drake adopted everyone was able to do much better, no longer fearing to ask questions for a better understanding of the material, but he didn’t care for it. Wanting nothing more than to be left alone, Draco had to work hard to hide his annoyance and was rewarded by finally getting to leave. "Mr. Malfoy, can you stay after for a moment?" Drake asked.

With a frustrated sigh, he approached the front of the room. Noting the others were waiting for him just outside the door like his own personal guards, he felt his frustration grow. "Yes?"

"I’m sure you’ve been informed of the situation at the hospital." He started. Draco merely nodded allowing him to continue. "Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to go there right after my last class tonight. Which means I won’t have time to do your healing later. Now I still want to do this today in hopes it will all be over before you have to leave, so if you’re willing to meet me in my office in a few minutes we can still try to complete the process."

"Absolutely." Draco answered, unconcerned with the fact that he’d have to go through the painful healing while in class rather than alone in his room for the night, just as long as it happened.

"Great! Just give me a few minutes to get everything together then come on down." Drake said with a smile as he led them out into the dungeon corridor, leaving Draco alone with his new friends.

They had an hour before lunch and then two more classes after that before this miserable day could end. Granger, ever the overachiever, didn’t have a break with them though. Apparently she had a whole other class to attend and she ran off quickly as soon as he assured them all was well. That left him alone with Potter and Weasley.

They stood together awkwardly in the hallway, unsure what to do or say. "Well, I guess I’ll be off to Drake’s office then. I suppose I’ll see you guys later." He finally said to break the silence.

"Want me to go with you?" Potter offered.

"I don’t need a chaperone everywhere I go." He responded more harshly than he’d wanted. But the thought that Potter had seemed to take it upon himself to be Draco’s protector was just too much for him to deal with- too much change, too much humiliation, and too much self-loathing for feeling like he wanted to be protected.

"A simple thanks but no thanks would’ve sufficed." Potter said, looking upset.

Draco sighed, remembering how sensitive some of his new allies were. Of course, he did feel he was being a bit ungrateful considering Potter’s willingness to stand up for him. "Okay, thanks but really, no thanks. I mean you aren’t always going to be there when something happens, right?"

"Maybe, but might as well take advantage of the body guard while you can." Weasley taunted.

"Ron, please don’t start." Potter sighed. "Now is not the time. I’m sure Draco is perfectly capable of taking care of himself." He then turned to address Draco directly. "I just figured with this being the last treatment and all, maybe you’d want some moral support."

And he did want support- from Ginny. But she was locked away in her own classes at the moment and Potter wasn’t the kind of stand-in he had in mind. "Thanks, but no thanks." He answered politely. After a moment he once more said, "I guess I’ll see you guys later." Then with nothing left to say he turned and headed toward Drake’s office.

He hated that Potter’s continued attempts to make him feel more at ease seemed to have the opposite effect; but he just couldn’t bring himself to trust that anything good could last. He had similar fears on a much grander scale about him and Ginny, but for her he’d been willing to put himself out on a limb figuring he’d at least be happy for a little while. However when it came to Potter’s friendship, he just couldn’t trust it. He knew that of all of the great savior’s friends, he’d be right near the bottom of the priority list. Granger, Weasley and Lovegood we the top three of course, and the number of people between them and him was too large a number to ever make him feel comfortable. Of course, Potter wasn’t exactly near the top of his list either even if it was much shorter.

As he approached the office door, he pushed everything else away. He wanted to be fully aware of the joy this meeting was going to bring him, to enjoy the moment so that when he was finally whole once more, he’d appreciate that even more. Had he allowed Gabriella to instantly fix the hand for him, he knew the happiness and relief he’d have felt wouldn’t have been able to compare to even the anticipation of seeing this through the hard way. He’d argued with himself that he needed to do it this way to complete the journey he was on and opening the door now, with his heart nearly bursting with hope and anxiousness, he knew it was completely the truth.

He greeted Drake and instantly began rolling up his sleeve, eager to get the show on the road. Hopefully he’d have his hand back before he had to leave with Lupin. He watched with intense focus as the healer worked his magic, spreading the herbs and infusing his energy. When it was over, Drake handed him the pain pills knowing how difficult it would be to regenerate so many bones at once. This time Draco took them without hesitation, not wanting anyone to be able to tell he was struggling, not even Ginny.

(BREAK)

"He could be more grateful. That’s all I’m saying." Ron argued as he and Harry set up the wizard’s chessboard in their common room.

"And I think it’s fine. I mean would you want to have him following you around to make sure no one tries to curse you? I’d certainly be annoyed by it, so if he wants space I’m willing to give it to him." Harry returned, moving his knight.

Ron shook his head, reflecting that often people played chess like they lived life. Harry always started out with a bold move, usually losing his major pieces quickly in his eagerness to attack with everything he had. Instead of countering with his own knight as Harry clearly intended him to do, Ron pushed forward his pawn, planning quite a few moves ahead as his friend predictably went after the offered piece. "Say what you want, if he’s serious about not wanting to get cornered and beat up then he should be more willing to have help around." He pushed forward another piece, trying to tempt Harry to take it with his bishop.

"I think he wants to prove to himself that he’s capable of protecting himself. And maybe I think it’s important to let him try. That way not only will he know he doesn’t have to worry, but we’ll know it too." He responded. And then he truly shocked Ron. Rather than go for the easy capture which would have ensured his bishop be taken within two moves, Harry instead brought out one of his own pawns, forcing Ron to either take it with his rook or risk his queen. He’d foolishly brought her out early, used to the way his friend played and knowing Harry was loathe to send out a pawn for sacrifice, in the game and in life. Hermione had told him how much it was bothering him that he’d had to leave Willem in the prison once they knew he was innocent. More than that, Harry was always willing to put himself out there first, to draw the fire in hopes that the others would be saved. Yes, he very much played by the same rules no matter the situation, and so to see him now playing with more consideration and finesse was unsettling, in a good way.

Abandoning their conversation of Malfoy, both boys leaned into the game, intensely focused on the battle laid out before them. Ron was forced to give up his own plan and readjust, impressed that Harry seemed to have so quickly grown a better understanding of how to play. He just hoped it continued to translate into their real lives as well. It would certainly keep them all alive a lot longer.

(BREAK)

Hermione was having trouble concentrating, her mind intent on so many things she deemed more important than Ancient Runes. Part of her almost wished she didn’t have this subject, that she could have a period free with the others to relax and sort things out. Normally she liked the class, and Professor Babbling. Today they were the worst things to happen to her.

Only Padma and two others in the advanced level had this class and they were intent on their readings. Knowing she should be doing the same, she turned to her stones with a heavy sigh and cast them, clearing her head to keep them free of her influence. As she began to read them, her breath caught in her throat. This couldn’t be right. "Professor?" she raised her hand tentatively, unsure if she really wanted to call someone else’s attention to this.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor Babbling came over to study the stones, and gasped in shock. "Oh my."

"What do they mean?" Hermione asked desperately.

But the professor seemed to shake herself out of it and remember she was an educator. "You tell me, Miss Granger."

She took a deep breath. "Well this first one here is Thurisaz, the rune of chaos, evil and temptation."

"That is correct." Babbling replied tensely.

"And this one is Raido, the traveler’s rune." The professor simply nodded so Hermione continued. "This one is Tiwaz, the warrior’s rune. And this last one is Ihawaz which is the rune of defense." These three made sense to her, considering their plans after finishing school. But the first rune, Thurisaz, was making her heart beat double time in anticipation.

"Very good." Babbling nodded.

"But what do they all mean together?" Hermione pleaded not liking what she was reading and hoping there was some other meaning.

She paused. "That you have a very interesting and possibly dangerous path ahead of you, Miss Granger." She turned to dismiss her class. "That is all for the day. I will see you again tomorrow." Then she hurried out of the room ahead of her students.

Hermione was left feeling concerned and confused. But as she made her way to the Great Hall for lunch, she decided not to tell Harry anything about it. After all, she wasn’t really a rune caster, she only had learned enough in order to pass the class with an O despite her interest in the subject. Besides, they had Luna for cryptic messages about the future, no need to add in her own inexperienced opinion.

"I beat Ron at chess!" Harry said proudly as she took a set next to him.

"Did you let him win?" She grinned across at Ron, who looked less than amused.

"No. Apparently he’s decided to start using logic." He grumbled. "But we played three games and he only beat me the last one." Ron added with insistence.

"But I came close the other times." Harry taunted. "Until you slaughtered me that is."

"Whatever. I already congratulated you on a well played game, what more do you want?" Ron asked, a slight smile starting to emerge.

"Hey guys!" Charlie greeted them as he walked up to the table. "Ron, could I borrow you for a moment? I have a fifth year class after lunch and I could use some help setting up."

"It’s not anything that’s going to bite me, is it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course it could bite you! Anything with teeth could you know." Charlie answered cheerfully. "Come on little brother, make me feel welcome here and help me out."

"Can’t it wait until after lunch? I barely ate this morning and I’m starving."

"It’ll take ten minutes tops. I just need help moving the cages. Hagrid is helping too so it could go even faster." Charlie prodded.

"Whatever." Ron said sourly as he rose to follow his brother.

"I’ll help too." Harry offered.

"That’s okay, you two relax. Ron could use a little extra work." He teased his brother, putting an arm around his neck. They watched the brothers walk away, pushing and hitting each other as they playfully bickered. It felt good to see Ron getting so much attention and Hermione was glad Charlie had come to Hogwarts.

She and Harry settled into random conversation while waiting for Ron and Ginny to show up. She was actually in the middle of a sentence when he grabbed her hand and got that far away look in his eye that told her he was using his power. "What is it?" she asked.

"It’s Ginny. Something to do with Tristan." Harry rose and leaned in close to her. "Look, if Ron comes back try not to let him know about this. I can’t help Ginny if I have to worry about him doing something stupid. And the last thing we need is Ron making a vampire angry."

"Okay." She answered without argument. In fact, she couldn’t agree more.

"I’ll be back as soon as I can." He promised, kissing her cheek before rushing off. She was only slightly surprised that he stopped by the Slytherin table to tell Draco what was going on. Of course, the look on Draco’s face as he jumped up and ran out of the hall with Harry struggling to catch up told her how bad it would have been had they tried to keep him in the dark about it. With Ron, they could simply claim he hadn’t been there and there hadn’t been time to find him, but not telling Draco would have obviously been a mistake. She smiled to herself, finding it amusing that not only had the impossible happened and Draco had actually truly learned to care about someone else, but that it was Ginny he’d fallen for. She had no doubt that whatever the problem was, the two boys could solve it and only wished they’d bring Ginny back before Ron returned. Meanwhile, her Runes reading had been effectively shoved to the back of her mind.

(BREAK)

Ginny sat with Luna and the others in her class, listening to Professor Binns drone on and on. Since Dumbledore had to be called away and the professor had ended his only class for the morning, he’d been called in to substitute until lunch. Though in Ginny’s opinion, he wasn’t much of a substitution as the Headmaster had been far more interesting when presenting his lesson. Finally they were released for lunch and as a group the students nearly ran from the room in their haste to escape.

"I’m not really hungry. I think I’ll go take a nap instead." Luna said uncertainly as the girls began walking down the hallway. In the moments between classes, she had filled Ginny in on what had happened at St. Mungo’s, and so Ginny understood the other girl’s reluctance to be around people. She didn’t feel much like socializing either.

"Well I’ll walk there with you. I forgot to grab my defense book this morning." She had planned on using all her free time that day to spend with Draco, and had therefore kicked herself when she’d discovered she’d forgotten a book. She’d rather be a few minutes late to a meal than use up any free time later and so she ran to her room and grabbed everything she thought she’d need during the rest of the day, stuffing it all into her bag. Then leaving Luna to go to her own room, she hurried up towards the Great Hall.

As she passed a small hallway, she heard harsh voices that slowed her pace. Glancing to her left, she was able to see Tristan, Crabbe, Goyle and surprisingly Troy Mason, the Slytherin in her class. Taking a few steps forward, she saw that they were surrounding some younger and much smaller boy who couldn’t be older than third year. It seemed they were taunting the poor kid, terrorizing him for what they’d heard about his family. "We can smell the muggle on you." Troy sneered, giving the kid a shove.

"Please! Please just leave me alone." The kid cried.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Ginny yelled before realizing she was doing anything at all.

All five boys turned their attention toward her, but it was Tristan’s glare that was causing her to struggle with her fight or flight reflex. Instantly she wanted to run away, but her willfulness and pride wouldn’t let her. She had promised Draco that she wouldn’t go near Tristan, but her newly returned sense of decency couldn’t allow her to pass this kid who was sorely outnumbered by bullies. She mentally kicked herself for caring when she’d just earlier convinced herself she didn’t want to care about anyone else, let alone some kid she didn’t know.

"What’s it to you?" Crabbe asked menacingly. He and Goyle stepped forward as Troy grabbed onto their victim who had been attempting to slink away.

"Nothing, but I’m sure it’ll mean a lot to the headmaster." She said, holding her ground. She refused to be intimidated by these morons, but she wouldn’t be stupid enough to act alone against them. She remained at the opening of the hallway, where she could still easily flee if necessary.

"Gentlemen." Tristan stepped forward, placing his hands on Crabbe and Goyle’s shoulders. "There’s no need to be rude, after all, there is a lady present." He smiled widely at her, his eyes sparkling dangerously. Her head screamed at her to run, but his

gaze seemed to hold her in place as he continued forward, stopping just in front of her.

"Leave me alone." She said uncertainly. She was starting to feel scared and decided it was time to call Harry for help. She sent out a silent plea, praying he heard her.

"Now Ginevra – May I call you Ginny?" He smiled wider. "Ginny, I’m sure we can settle all of this in a calm, mature manner. Wouldn’t you agree?"

She felt lost in his eyes, staring helplessly into the stony grayness she found there. "Stop." She whispered, knowing how vampires were able to mesmerize their victims.

"Come now, Ginny. I’m sure if you give me a chance, we could be great friends." He answered softly.

"Leave me alone." She said again with more conviction, channeling her rage at his attempt to influence her into her willpower. "And let that kid go."

His smile never wavered as he stepped closer. Forcing her feet to move, she retreated until her back hit the wall. She tried to slink past him and run for help, but she couldn’t break away from his eyes. He leaned in close, forcing her to push herself further into the wall. "Or what?" He whispered harshly.

But she was saved the trouble of coming up with an answer. "Hey!" Someone shouted from down the hall. And then, in one fluid motion, Tristan was yanked back and thrown hard against the opposite side of the hallway. Ginny watched on in amazed horror as Draco pinned him to the wall, pressing his arm firmly against the other boy’s throat. They were both glaring and snarling at each other.

Are you okay? Harry’s voice filled her head as he stepped up next to her.

Fine. They were bothering that kid over there. She responded, worried that Draco had been forced to take a stand against Tristan on her behalf- especially since it seemed to be exactly what the vampire had wanted. What kind of feud was this going to start? She shuddered to think about it.

"Draco!" Harry tried to get his attention. They could see Tristan struggling against the hold, and growing angrier as the hidden wolf refused to back off.

"Do you know how easily I could kill you?" Tristan choked out against the pressure on his throat, though he didn’t sound any less threatening.

"Prove it." Draco growled out with a sinister smile.

"Draco! It’s over. We’re here and she’s fine." Harry tried again.

"Is it? Is it over?" he asked his captive.

"With her, it could be." Tristan answered slyly. "But this, between us, oh it’s just beginning Draco."

Draco nodded and stepped away, releasing the other boy. "I can live with that." He placed himself between them and the vampire.

"For now you can." Tristan threatened, refusing to show that he’d been shaken by the attack.

"Okay, now that you two are done playing, let that kid over there go." Harry demanded, stepping up beside Draco.

"Why?" Troy grinned, yanking on the kid’s shirt.

"Because otherwise, we’ll make you." Draco growled out, obviously done with his patience for all of this.

"Oh, I’m shaking." Crabbe’s annoying laugh was cut off as he went flying down the hall, crashing to the floor. Harry hadn’t moved a muscle, but Ginny knew he was responsible.

Goyle attempted to shoot stunners at them, but Harry had been expecting it. He pulled out his wand and shielded before shooting a binding at each of Tristan’s cronies. The young kid, released from the now bound Troy, came up to them with awe in his eyes. "Thanks." He said shyly, pulling on the hem of his Hufflepuff sweater.

"Steer clear of these creeps." Harry suggested, sending the boy on his way. Then he turned to the Slytherins before them but addressed only Tristan. "I’m taking them to McGonagall, you know, see if we can start getting you all kicked out. You can walk along with us, or you can get the same as them. I don’t care either way."

"What exactly are you going to tell McGonagall? You two are the ones pushing people around and cursing them." Tristan answered with an easy smile. "We were simply having conversations with both young Mr. Smiley as well as Miss Weasley until you two showed up. And you have no proof to the contrary.

"You were pushing that kid around because his parents are muggles!" Ginny protested, eliciting a glare of disapproval from Draco.

"Prove it. Because if I’m kicked out of this school based solely on your word, well that shows a bit of favoritism don’t you all think?" Tristan looked at the three of them politely. "It would definitely suggest that perhaps a change in leadership is needed after all."

"They tried that once with Umbridge. It didn’t last." Draco returned before Harry could. He appeared outwardly unsettled by Tristan’s threats but Ginny could tell he was seething underneath.

"Umbridge was a bad dream compared to the nightmare they want to replace old Dumbledore with this time." Tristan grinned. "So go ahead turn us in and get us expelled based on your word alone. All they’re waiting for is something like this and your precious headmaster will be without a school to run." He looked extremely pleased with himself.

Harry thought for a moment. "Okay. Go. But we’re watching you, and by the time we spread our story, everyone else will be too. I won’t let you get away with anything here."

"I am unconcerned." Tristan smirked as he began to casually walk away.

"Don’t you want to take your friends with you?" Harry called after him.

"I am unconcerned with them as well." He called back without turning around.

They all three turned to look at the three boys still bound on the floor. "Get lost." Harry commanded as he released them. They simply glared as they ran off, far less threatening without Tristan to rally behind. "You sure you’re okay?" Harry turned to her.

"Yeah, nothing happened. I just called for you guys in case, you know." She replied uncertainly, looking at Draco who appeared to be struggling at hiding his emotions.

"I better go let Dumbledore know what happened." Harry said. "Why don’t you guys head back to lunch, let the others know what happened. Oh and make sure you ask Luna if she’s seen anything yet."

"Luna went to the dorm to lay down." She told him.

For a moment, concern flashed in his eyes before he shook his head. "Nevermind, I’ll go talk to Luna after Dumbledore. Let Hermione know for me, would you?"

"Sure." She agreed. "Thanks, for coming."

"No problem." He grinned before heading off to the headmaster’s office.

"And a big thanks to you." She said to Draco as she carefully stepped up to him. She tried to put her arms around him but he stepped away.

"Come on." He said angrily stalking past her down the hall. She followed, unsure what to say or do to make this better. She wasn’t sure which was worse in his mind, that she seemed to have gone against her promise and put herself in Tristan’s way… or that she’d had no choice but call Harry for help.

"I’ll see you later." He said once they reached the Great Hall.

"You aren’t coming in?" she asked.

"I don’t feel much like being around people at the moment." He said coldly.

"Well, let me go tell Hermione what’s going on and then I’ll go with you. We don’t have to be around anyone." She tried to take his hand but he once more pulled away from her.

"Right now, you’re anyone." He replied, turning and walking away.

Ginny felt her knees buckle but she didn’t call out to him, instead letting him go. It was as if everything inside of her was crumbling as she realized she might have just screwed up big time, even if it wasn’t totally her fault. She always felt lonelier now when he wasn’t around, but knowing he had left because he was so angry with her- there were no words to describe the harsh emptiness invading her. She felt that old pull, the tiny part of her that whispered to her to do something reckless to make herself feel better. And there were so many reckless things she could do here, and many dangerous people to do them with.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to imagine what Laurel would tell her. But the advice wouldn’t come; she was too distraught. But working hard, she pushed everything aside and focused on the fact that eventually Draco would calm down, eventually she’d be able to talk to him and make her case. She was determined not to screw up any more than she had already and ignored the instinct to do something stupid and dangerous- this time anyway.

(BREAK)

It had been a long time since Harry had been willing to go to Dumbledore with a problem. But as he laid out the incident that had just taken place and the threats Tristan had made, he felt better knowing there was someone to share the burden of solving the problem. It was almost as if since reaching their agreement yesterday, Harry had been able to let go of the feelings sitting as the roadblock keeping him from looking at the man in front of him with the respect he’d felt when he was younger. "Do you know who it is they want to replace you with this time?" He asked eagerly once he’d reached the end of his story.

"I’m afraid I do not. This time they aren’t being so bold as to send someone to infiltrate like they did with Dolores Umbridge." Dumbledore sat back in his chair and brought the tips of his fingers together as he settled into his thoughts. "Although I suppose there are only a few viable candidates to choose from."

"Like Edmund." Harry replied, plucking the idea from the headmaster’s mind.

"Perhaps. If they continue to be unsuccessful in their attempt to turn the public against Arthur and take over the ministry, then taking over Hogwarts- where you and many Order members are known to be- would be a nice consolation prize. And it would put him one step closer to the ministry."

"But-" Harry’s thought was cut off as the office door crashed open. Dumbledore was on his feet in an instant and Harry spun around to see Luna stagger into the room, shaking badly as she stared at them, her eyes wide with fear.

(BREAK)

Luna had woken from her nap in a cold sweat, haunted by the shadows of her nightmare. Taking a deep breath, she got out of bed and nearly stumbled from dizziness. Her stomach growled loudly and she realized she’d been skipping out on too many meals in her determination to avoid Harry. That morning at breakfast, she’d been too upset by the Quibbler article to focus on eating, but if she hurried she’d make it for the last ten minutes of lunch.

She had just grabbed her backpack when the horribly familiar sensations overcame her. She fell to her knees, slowly lowering herself the rest of the way to the floor as her vision clouded over. There was no white room this time- this was not a warning. She watched in terrified anguish as Elise received her orders from Lucius before the scene changed and the firestarter stalked the very familiar building housing the Quibbler offices, right out in the middle of the day. Within moments the evil girl had set the entire structure ablaze, and then walked away laughing.

Luna was on her feet and running before she was fully out of the vision. The hallways were thankfully deserted and she made her way to the headmaster’s office in what felt like a matter of seconds. Giving the password between gasps for air, she pushed her way past the gargoyle before he had the chance to open fully and raced up the stairs, not bothering to wait to them to move on their own. Bursting in, she realized Dumbledore had been in the middle of a meeting- with Harry. She didn’t care, her father’s life could be at stake. Elise’s decision had already been made and hopefully Xeno had received a vision of his own in time.

"Luna! What’s wrong?" Harry was on his feet the moment she appeared. He rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders to steady her. She hadn’t realized she’d been shaking so badly, or that she’d begun to cry.

"It’s Elise!" She sobbed, wanting to throw herself into the comfort of Harry’s arms but instead shoving him off of her. "She’s going to destroy the Quibbler offices! We have to get word to my father, he practically sleeps there when I’m away!"

"Stay here, I will see to this immediately." Dumbledore ordered as he hurried off, never once questioning her.

Waiting was something she was becoming very bad at and as much as she wanted to sit on the couch and attempt to gather herself, she could do nothing but pace and wring her hands as she pictured every possible outcome of this. Though she tried very hard not to look at him, she knew Harry was staring at her. His anguish was nearly palpable, he felt torn between the overwhelming desire to comfort her and the frustration of everything between them that kept him from doing so.

"I can’t just wait here anymore!" She said more to herself than to him. She knew what she wanted to do and the only thing left to do was go through with it. But she didn’t want Harry’s help. The last time she’d involved him in her problems, it had turned out horribly for him and while he may be restored now, she refused to put him or herself through anything like that again. And so without giving him a clue as to what she was about to do, she focused in on the building and concentrated hard. She heard him call her name just before she was whisked away, apparating herself to the Quibbler offices in hopes that she could arrive before Elise.

(BREAK)

Draco waited for the others inside Professor Flitwick’s classroom, preferring the dark solitude to the bright, noisy Great Hall. There was still about twenty minutes before class was scheduled to begin, but he was anxious to get on with it, to get through the rest of this day and hopefully wake up tomorrow to a better one. He couldn’t believe Ginny had gone and put herself in danger on the very first day… well, actually, he could believe it, he was really just disappointed that her promise to him had meant so little.

Lupin had once told him that now that he had this curse, the wolf inside would be the biggest part of him- that it would affect him even when the moon was dark. But when he and Potter had raced around that corner to find Ginny cowering against the wall with Tristan mere inches way, he’d made the conscious decision not to cage the wolf. He didn’t regret it, other than that it was hard to once again harness that part of him that so craved to be free. The things the wolf had felt were intense and basic, and his anger and hatred for Tristan had instantly transferred to Ginny when the vampire was no longer immediately before him. He’d instantly felt betrayed, though the human part of him could reason out that he shouldn’t feel that way. But it hadn’t mattered, he had been so far out of touch with his humanity at that point that he didn’t have room to feel anything other than the angry betrayal. He’d had to work hard to hold himself in check with her afterwards, to not say something he would regret later when his senses returned. He’d walked away from her wondering how he was supposed to live like this, feeling like a wild animal trapped in the wrappings of civilized society.

In the present moment, he didn’t feel any more normal and his hurt feelings had simply festered inside of him. Trying to find a way back to something that felt more like the real him, Draco used his time to reason everything out. The first thing he dismissed was the small amount of agitation he’d felt with Potter. After all, it wasn’t his fault that Ginny had called to him for help and at least he hadn’t left Draco out of it. As for her once more turning to Potter, what else could she have done? If she hadn’t taken advantage of Potter’s ability, there was no one else to come to her aid and he shuddered to think of what could have happened. Although knowing this was true didn’t make him feel any less hurt, he could at least view it with a clear head. He took a deep breath, feeling more normal as the wolf faded away… resting until it was once more going to be allowed freedom.

But no matter what way he tried to view the whole reason Ginny had needed saving in the first place, he couldn’t justify her actions. Kids got bullied all the time, hell he was constantly being taunted- he just ignored it. There was no reason to involve herself, especially knowing Tristan was a part of it. If she really wanted to help the kid, she would have alerted someone who could have done something about it. Really, what did she intend to do? What had she expected- that she’d ask them to leave the kid alone and they would? He knew those guys- Goyle, Crabbe and Mason- they would never back down unless they truly felt threatened, like once they were left alone with him and Potter. Tristan was another matter and Draco really couldn’t tell how far the other boy would go to intimidate someone.

Finally his solitude was ended as Granger, who probably didn’t know how not to be on time, arrived five minutes before class with Weasley trailing behind her. They sat down next to him, already in the middle of a small argument about not telling him Ginny had been in trouble. Draco wondered where Potter was, if he was still talking to the headmaster about what had happened. And just what could Dumbledore do about it? He sighed and shook his head, certain of nothing other than that the wolf was finally asleep.

As a couple of more students filed into class, Granger and Weasley broke off their bickering as she finally snapped at him that he hadn’t been there and that was why he hadn’t been told. Draco noticed that Granger was beginning to look worried. "I wonder what’s keeping Harry." She said quietly as Tristan sauntered in with Millicent. He shot Draco a friendly yet sinister smile, waving as if they hadn’t been at each other’s throats less than an hour ago.

Professor Flitwick finally hurried in and quickly quieted the class. They began with a review of the harder charms they had learned last year, and still Potter didn’t show. Peeking over to see how the unexplained absence was affecting the others, Draco saw that Weasley’s concentration was obviously shot as he kept glancing at the door rather than focus on his wandwork, sending things flying all over the classroom. Granger’s work on the other hand hadn’t suffered at all; but if she continued to chew on her lip like that it was going to start to bleed.

After ten minutes, and several wicked grins from Tristan, Draco felt himself start to worry. After all, they had set up this whole special classes thing for Potter in the first place. So what had happened that would have them keeping Potter from his classes?

(BREAK)

"Luna!" Harry tried to grab hold of her, only catching her intention at the last moment. He hadn’t made it in time. "What the hell is she thinking!?" He shouted to the empty room.

"Hey now young man! That language is inappropriate in this office." One of the portraits scolded him, reminding him that the room wasn’t so empty after all.

"And keep it down!" Another portrait yelled out as the others grunted in agreement.

"Sorry." Harry grumbled. Panic was slowly settling in his stomach. He’d seen people apparate outside the school, but never once had he thought it possible within Hogwarts walls. But he’d just witnessed Luna do what he’d believed impossible and worse, he knew exactly where she had gone.

Whether or not to follow her was never a question in his mind. The only problem was that he’d never been to the Quibbler offices, and had no idea how to get there. His best shot was to get himself as close as he could, and so knowing the general location of the building on Diagon Alley, he pictured the closest business which happened to be the flower shop. He’d been there once with Neville a few years back and had noted the Quibbler sign halfway down the street. He closed his eyes and aimed for the alleyway behind the store, not wanting to be seen by the general public.

He was there within moments, stumbling as he tried to gain his bearings. After figuring out the magazine would be to the left, he headed that way while sending his mind out to search for Luna. He hoped she hadn’t expected him to follow her and therefore her shields would be down- and he got lucky. He caught a glimmer of her and immediately set out to hunt her down.

He found her in a small side street running between two buildings. It was barely wide enough for him to walk through and so he couldn’t exactly sneak up on her. "Luna!" He called out to her.

She turned, looking horrified. "What are you doing here?"

He finally made is way up to her and firmly grabbed her arm. "Did you really think I wouldn’t follow you? Come on, let’s get out of here."

"No! Don’t you see? There’s no fire yet, Elise hasn’t gotten here. I just can’t get this stupid side door open. You go back, there’s no need for you to be here, Harry. I’m just going to warn my father and then we’ll leave too." Though her words were innocent, her tone seemed to indicate that she was truly angry with him.

He sighed loudly in frustration. Leaving wasn’t an option for him and surely she must know it as well as he did. It hurt badly that she’d go this far to push him away, to let him know she didn’t need or want him there. "Okay, so what’s wrong with the door?" he asked, ignoring most of what she’d said and figuring they’d get out of there faster if he helped.

"I don’t know. I think daddy fixed it again." She said, frowning at him. She must have figured it would be easier to cooperate rather than argue with him.

"What do you mean he fixed it? Shouldn’t it work then?"

"Not exactly. He locks it up from the inside when he’s in the middle of a big story because he worries about spies. Otherwise it’s left open for reporters. But if he fixed it then, no spell will open it." She banged her fist against the door in frustration.

"Well are there any other ways to get in?" Harry asked, looking nervously up and down the tiny street.

"Only the front door." She pushed past him and ran back to the alley. He followed as she went around the back of the building to a wider side street on the other side. They crept up to the Diagon Alley, crouching low behind some trashcans. "It looks clear." She whispered, more to herself than to him. There were few people on the street, and none of them looking their way. Luna crept out, heading for the front door and Harry started to follow but someone caught his eye and he quickly grabbed Luna, pulling her back behind their hiding place.

She struggled to free herself but Harry held her in place. "Look." He whispered.

They peered over the tops of the garbage cans and took in the unwelcome sight of Elise, practically skipping towards the Quibbler building with a look of demented joy across her face. Daddy! Harry heard Luna scream for her father. Get out of there!

There was no reply. "We have to stop her somehow!" She whispered violently to Harry, unwilling to speak to him in her head.

"Are you sure you father is in there? Shouldn’t he have heard you?"

"He’s probably blocking out right now." She shook her head in frustration.

Harry was desperately trying to figure out what to do. Peering around the corner he was able to see Elise, staring up and studying the building. Then she kicked in the front door and walked in, drawing the attention of a few people across the street.

"No!" Luna tried to run after the woman but Harry held her back.

"Luna! Look!" He pointed out her father, who had raced from the building the moment after Elise entered. She tried to go after him, but again Harry held her back. "No, we have to go back to Hogwarts before someone sees us." They were now assured of her father’s safety, it was time to ensure their own.

Before she could open her mouth to argue, the front of the building exploded in flames as the windows shattered, showering the street in sparkling glass. He threw himself over Luna before raising an arm to protect his own head. Looking up, they saw the fire spread quickly as several people on the street hurried forward, their wands up and shooting streams of water in an effort to stop the flames.

Harry grabbed Luna’s hand and headed back toward the alley behind the building. Thankfully, she didn’t struggle this time and he could tell she was starting to get scared. At least we know your father made it out.He thought to her in an attempt as consolation. She didn’t respond. He stopped just short of the alley, feeling another presence near.

Together they peeked around the corner in time to see a chair fly through a back window. Then came Elise, making her escape. Harry felt that familiar feeling rise up within him, that rush of adrenaline and the need to do something, to conquer. This time it was Luna who made a grab for him, to keep him from doing something stupid. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick enough.

Harry leapt into the alley, his wand out and throwing a binding before he even realized he’d moved. Luna was at his side at and instant, already expelling water from her wand as Elise attempted to rain down a fiery storm on them. He saw the woman’s wild eyes focus to her right and he threw up a shield around them just a stack of boxes burst into flames a few feet away from where they stood.

Glancing to his right, Harry used his own powers to slide the large metal dumpster across the alley placing it between them and Elise. Then he turned and tried to put out the fire raging around them. But in an attempt to thwart the effort, Elise continued to produce balls of flame, setting everything that she could see ablaze. Harry reached out and caught Luna’s hand and together they focused their energies to strengthen their water spells as they had done before with Sarah. This time it was different, they were facing someone who had the pyrokinetic ability naturally and a lifetime to perfect it. "It’s no use! She just keeps lighting things on fire!" Luna shouted.

"We have to go!" Harry yelled back desperately. Though he didn’t want to leave without ensuring Elise’s capture, it was getting too risky to remain in the alley. There was too much for her to work with and if they continued to keep her cornered, she’d wind up setting the whole block on fire and possibly wind up killing people. And though he was willing to go for it anyway, the fact that Luna was there and wouldn’t leave without him was something he couldn’t ignore. Some sacrifices had to made- he was beginning to understand that, but her life was too big a sacrifice. He was sure they’d have another chance at Elise, he’d just find a way to make it so the next time was someplace more open and with less civilian collateral damage around. Without having to communicate with each other at all, he and Luna closed their eyes together and apparated back to Dumbledore’s office.

The cool, clean, quiet of the office was startling compared to the hot, fiery roar they had just left behind. Looking over at Luna, he saw she was covered in ash and soot. From what he could see of himself, he was just as messy. There was no way Dumbledore wouldn’t know that they had left the school. "Scourgify." Luna said with a sigh, pointing her wand directly at him before doing the same to herself. They were now back to looking like themselves rather than two people who’d been trapped in fire filled alley. Now all they had to worry about was the former headmasters telling on them. But a quick look around reassured him that those in their frames were asleep. At least, he hoped they were.

They stood together in uncomfortable silence, each waiting for the other to speak and yet neither wanting to be the first to say something. Harry didn’t even know what to say, things between the two of them had been tense for more than a week- ever since the hospital when he’d begged and convinced her to not go home, to not leave him. He may not understand what was going on, but he knew it couldn’t continue this way.

(BREAK)

Fred hurried his pace down Diagon Alley, following the dark, billowing smoke. When he finally made his way through the crowds he saw several Aurors and ministry workers sifting through the remains of a fire charred building. It vaguely reminded him of what the inside of his store had looked like after it had been broken into. "What happened?" He wondered aloud.

"Someone burned down the Quibbler offices." A woman standing next to him answered as she watched the scene before her.

"The Quibbler?" Fred felt the small bit of dread in his stomach grow.

"Yeah, someone must not have liked what they were printing." The woman answered again.

"Or what they were about to print." Fred grumbled.

"Well, if that’s the case then whoever did this failed." Said a man answered from behind them. "I saw the truck pull up this morning to pick up the magazines. I figured Zany Xeno had to have found something big to print a special issue."

Fred’s heart fluttered with hope. "Well, I’ll have to make sure to pick up a copy. See what it was someone didn't want us all to see." he said slyly. Everyone around him started talking about the magazine and he walked away wearing a smile of satisfaction. Glancing at the Aurors, he finally found a few he recognized and luckily Tonks was among them. "Hey! Hey Tonks!" He called, pushing his way through the crowd. He was stopped at the edge of the street by a few guards, but seeing him Tonks told them to let him by.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as he walked over.

"I had a meeting set up with Lee over at my store. I saw all the smoke and came to see what happened. Where’s Mr. Lovegood? Did he make it out?" Fred felt nervous on Luna’s behalf.

"Yes, he did. He alerted us right after Albus." Tonks answered absently before yelling out instructions to her team.

"Dumbledore told you this was going to happen?"

"Apparently Luna had a vision, the same one her father had a few moments later." She said with a slight smile. "It’s only too bad we weren’t in time to save the building."

"It’ll be okay. It can be rebuilt. The real target is safe." He assured her.

"What real target?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"The article about Lucius." He answered before saying goodbye and heading back into the crowd to ensure more people picked up a copy of the magazine.

(BREAK)

"Luna-" Harry began, finally breaking the long tense silence between them. But thankfully the headmaster’s return prevented him from saying anything more.

"Come with me, Luna." Dumbledore placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and led her to the fireplace. "Go ahead, we’ve secured the connection. It is safe for right now but that could change in an instant."

She eagerly knelt before the flames as Xeno’s face appeared within them. "Daddy!" tears fell freely down her face.

"I’m okay, love. I promise. I saw it in time to get out, but the building couldn’t be saved." He said sadly, telling her what she already knew.

"I don’t care! I only care that you’re alive." She cried.

"I know. Rest easy little Luna, I am alive and well." Xeno answered soothingly. "I’m with your grandmother right now in our secret place." He looked at her knowingly. She of course knew he meant they were at the safe house. Her father had set it up right after Kane died, since he knew from that moment on he would be involved in the war.

"Aurors have already been sent to your offices to assess the damages." Dumbledore told Xeno. "They are searching for Elise as we speak."

"They won’t find her." Xeno said angrily, looking to his daughter for confirmation.

"Not this time they won’t." Luna agreed sadly. Though she and Harry had left the woman bound in the alley, she knew Elise had gone by the time Tonks and her Aurors arrived, possibly with Elanya’s help. She couldn’t imagine those girls would go far from each other, not unless it served some personal purpose.

"But at least she didn’t accomplish her goal!" Xeno said, his mood instantly brightening. "The magazine was sent out for circulation today. By tomorrow morning, the Quibbler and the article about Lucius will be in stores all over the country."

It was the last thing she wanted to think about, the reason her father had become a target in the first place. "Oh, daddy." She shook her head and offered him a sad smile. Although it explained why he had so easily walked away from the building- he’d already accomplished his mission.

"We mustn’t keep this line open too long my love. I promise to find a way to contact you again soon."

She smiled wider. "Okay, now promise you won’t forget you promised."

"I love you. Be safe." Xeno answered as he disappeared from the fire.

Luna rose unsteadily, but only made it as far as the chair in front of the desk. She slumped into it with a mixture of exhausted relief and frustrated anger brewing in her gut. Dumbledore came forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Arthur is sending Tonks here tonight after she is done with the investigation. She will be able to tell us then what exactly happened."

"I know what happened." She said darkly. "Lucius somehow found out about the article and sent Elise to try and destroy everything before it could come out."

"Lucius did? Why would Elise take orders from Lucius?" Harry asked.

"I don’t know." She answered through clenched teeth, trying to keep control on the wild emotions running rampant through her. She couldn’t, it came out of her in an explosion as she leapt to her feet. "Why don’t you go find out? It’s your fault anyway! You should have never involved my father in this! You had to have realized it would have made him a target, that it was something he’d never walk away from! You heard him! He’s still determined to ensure the magazine goes out, he could have died tonight!" She stormed out of the room not really knowing or caring what she’d just said, certain her sentiment had been made clear- she was mad: at Harry, at her father and at the world.

"Luna!" Harry called after her and she knew he was following her. She ran as fast as she could wanting to be as far away as possible. Couldn’t she go anywhere alone anymore? Throwing open the front doors she ran outside, ignoring the hard rain that had instantly soaked through her school robes. She stumbled, slipping on the wet grass but caught her balance and ran on, her legs burning and her side cramping as she pushed herself to move faster. It felt good, to be moving so quickly, to feel the cold rain on her hot skin, to be out in the open with freedom stretching out in all directions.

Finally her legs simply gave out on her, unable to keep up with her desire to go. She fell to her knees and leaned forward, resting her head against the soft grass as she struggled to catch her breath. The sobbing came quickly and violently, racking her whole body. There was so much she’d been holding back, so much she shoved down deep inside herself, that at last she couldn’t hold back the release she’d so desperately needed. She let herself cry even as she felt Harry come up behind her.

"Luna, please!" He said breathlessly as he collapsed next to her. He put his arms around her, pulling her close and for a moment she let herself cling to him crying into his shoulder as he tightened his hold, trying desperately to offer comfort.

But reason over took her and she shoved him away. "Leave me alone." She demanded coldly.

"Why Luna? I’m sorry! Okay, I’m sorry I involved your dad, I didn’t think it through. I mean I knew it would be dangerous, but you were willing to break into Azkaban to solve Kane’s murder, I figured you’d think the risk was worth it." He reached out to wipe her tears- a gesture only considering the rain, but she knew he was trying to show that he wanted to take care of her.

He had no idea his words stabbed her through the heart. She knew she had no right to be angry with him for his plan resulting in what could have possibly inured her father, considering her plan to go to the prison had actually nearly killed him. She knew he hadn’t said it to make her feel guilty, that he’d simply reasoned out his own logic for taking the actions he had. But it didn’t stop her from feeling the wave of guilty shame that swept over her. She shoved his hand away, wanting to rise to her feet and walk away. But her legs felt like jelly so she settled for turning from him and crawling away. "Leave me alone Harry."

She sat up and brought her knees to her chest, hugging herself as she prayed that he would do as she asked. But of course he didn’t. He came around and knelt in front of her, taking her hand. She looked up into his eyes searching for his intentions. They were shimmering greener than the lush scenery around them and held only concern for her. "Please, just leave me alone." She begged once more.

He shook his head sadly, drops of rain streaking down his face. "I can’t." he said softly, just loud enough to heard over the storm.

Her breath caught in her throat as Gabby’s final words to her once more invaded her mind. "Why not?" she demanded, waiting for…something, some answer that would finally bring relief. Harry stared back at her blankly, as if the question had never occurred to him, as if he hadn’t considered that there had to be a reason.

And then he shrugged, as if the solution was the easiest thing in the world. "Because I love you." He said simply.

 

 

 

NOTE: This may be the last chapter I’m able to get up before they close the queue for a break. But fear not, this story will continue to update. Coming up: Harry and Luna finaly hash out the fight between them, Hermione and Fred find a way to communicate, Draco and Lupin leave for the full moon, news about Willem, and Fred sees some strange people outside Harry’s house… Stay tuned!
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