Chapter 9: Repercussions
Ron was dazed, lying in a heap against the hospital wing doors. Before he could get up, he felt his wand sail out of his robes. His anger returned as he watched Harry casually destroy his wand and toss the pieces away without a second thought. He discovered that he could no longer move when he went to confront Harry. Ron couldn't remember hearing an incantation at all but he was distracted from that thought when he felt the magic rolling off Harry in waves as he approached.
Stopping just a foot away from Ron, Harry knelt down so that they were face to face. In a voice that was so quiet, Ron had to strain to hear it, Harry said, "If you ever raise your hand, or wand, towards Hermione again you will wish that you were never born."
Harry stood back up, began pooling his magic, and then fired the most powerful stunner he could manage right between Ron's eyes before removing the binding charm. He watched Ron's unconscious body crumple to the floor with a look of disappointment and disgust on his face.
No one moved as Harry walked up to Hermione, concern clearly visible on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked as he pulled her into his chest with his good arm. He felt her nod yes, so he turned his attention to Charlie who was still sitting in a chair, shock plainly visible on his face.
"I'm sorry that you had to see that. Ron never mentioned anything about the first task. In fact, we haven't spoken to each other since late October." Harry said with a hint of regret in his voice.
Charlie was surprised to hear that Ron was not speaking to Harry or Hermione. "I didn't know that you two weren't speaking with each other. If I had known, I would have sent you an owl or something."
Glancing over at Rons' crumpled form Charlie sighed in resignation before speaking again. "I'm sorry for how Ron behaved earlier Hermione. He should have known better. I'll speak to him when he wakes up and I will make sure that mum, dad, and Professor McGonagall know what happened." Charlie waved goodbye and he got up to lead the still shocked Madam Poppy Pomfrey back to her office to talk about what they had just witnessed.
Harry looked over at Hermione and asked, "Can you get me a fresh set of clothes or just transfigure what I'm wearing so we can leave please?"
"Of course." Hermione said as she stepped over to the bathroom and called "Dobby." The small elf popped into the room in front of her and once he saw her she smiled at him and spoke "Dobby. Would you please bring some fresh clothes for Harry?"
"I would be happy to Miss Mione." Dobby said in his high-pitched voice as he popped out of the room.
Before Hermione could even leave the room, Dobby was back with the clothing in his arms. She took them from him and set them down on the sink. "Thank you Dobby."
"You're welcome." Dobby smiled and popped away thinking about how happy he was being in service to the Potters and leaving a slightly bewildered Hermione in his wake.
She knew that something was different about Dobby and Winky the past couple of weeks but she had not quite put her finger on it yet. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she called Harry over to the bathroom so he could change. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."
"Thanks." Harry said as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He quickly realized that he couldn't use his left arm enough to get completely dressed and he was not confident enough that he could pull off a proper switching spell at the moment.
Making sure he was as presentable as possible, Harry opened the door and stuck his head out. "Uh; Hermione? Could you give me a hand please?" he said with a slight blush on his cheeks.
Hermione got up from her chair and headed over to see what Harry needed help with. When she opened the door to the loo, the sight that greeted her caused her to blush scarlet.
Harry was standing there with his shirt only half on and his pants unbuttoned. The blush on his face was threatening to move down to his chest he was so pink. She had seen boys in their swim trunks before but somehow seeing Harry standing there, half dressed, affected her in ways that she hadn't thought about before. Her blush almost matched Harry's when she realized why he had called her into the bathroom.
Silently she stepped up to Harry without saying a word and began fastening the buttons on his clothes. Hermione couldn't help but admire Harry's developing physique as she was finishing up with the buttons on his shirt.
When she was finished helping him dress she left her hands on his chest and put her head on his good shoulder. His skin was warm, and soft, to the touch. Oddly enough, she found that she enjoyed dressing Harry. It was innocent, yet very intimate, and it brought forth a feeling of contentment inside of her.
Harry was trying hard to control his breathing while Hermione was buttoning his shirt. His heart was pounding so hard that he was sure she must have felt it when her fingers brushed against his chest. What he didn't realize was that her heart was fluttering just as much as his was pounding.
With his good arm, he reached up and rubbed her back in thanks, enjoying the quiet, intimate, moment. He hoped that there would be many more of these moments in their future.
Harry had never given much thought to his future before. He was only fourteen and it had seemed so far off. The realization of their bonding began to settle upon him as the days events receded into the background.
The first task had been consuming him and now he understood why Hermione had a slight panic attack earlier in the day. Their futures were tied together in ways that he just could not comprehend completely yet.
Hermione pulled back from Harry's embrace and gave him a small smile. Looping her arm around his waist she said, "Let's head down to the kitchens. You must be starving, and we could use a quiet place to talk."
On cue, Harry's stomach gave a low gurgle and Hermione had to stifle a giggle. However, her stomach decided that food was a good thing too and made a similar noise causing Harry to raise an eyebrow in mock questioning as he laughed along with her.
Harry paused at the entryway, noticing that Ron was no longer lying on the floor. He looked around and saw him on one of the beds farthest away from the door, still unconscious.
Hermione saw Harry's face take on a look of disappointment when he gazed upon Ron. Sensing his discomfort, she said, "Come on. I'm hungry too and he is going to be fine. Madam Poppy Pomfrey said that he should wake in a few hours."
When they reached the portrait of fruit, Hermione tickled the pear to gain entrance to the kitchens. Stepping into the room, they met their two elves. Dobby and Winky ushered them over to a table in the corner and proceeded to bring them the meal that they had been planning for them.
While Harry and Hermione were having a nice meal in the kitchens, Albus Dumbledore was pacing around his office, deep in thought.
Events were unfolding around Harry Potter differently, and much sooner, than he had planned. The Death Eaters were up to something, Dumbledore was sure that one of them had entered Harry into the tournament somehow. It was trying to figure out what they gained by having him in the tournament that troubled him. 'Was it Harry's death or something else that they wanted?' He thought to himself ruefully.
Harry was also another cause for concern. The events of the first task troubled him deeply. 'Was Harry traveling down the same path as Tom Riddle before him?' They had similar backgrounds but there had always been a sense of innocence and wonder around Harry that Tom had always lacked. Now he feared that those traits were leaving Harry and the new ones were very troubling.
Taking a life should always be a last resort in Albus' mind. Harry had now added another body to his count and he did not seem too bothered by it. He did not fault Harry for the basilisk, they were horrible creatures and not easily controlled.
Quirell's death saddened him because he felt that he could have saved him from possession by Voldemort. The damage that Harry had done to Quirell's body had been so severe that it destroyed any chance for survival when the pain forced the spirit of Voldemort out.
Albus had never forgiven himself for the death of his younger sister, Ariana. That was why he refused to kill, even in self-defense, and why Harry's actions troubled him so much. After all, his defeat of Grindlewald was proof that you could defeat a dark wizard without resorting to killing. Grindlewald was in Germany, incarcerated at Nurmengard, serving a life sentence since his capture at Dumbledore's hands.
Because of his capture of Grindlewald, Dumbledore never considered that putting people in Azkaban for life was worse than killing someone instead. Yes, he knew that Dementors drove the inmates insane and eventually led to a slow and agonizing death but he put that out of his mind.
He had ordered others on missions where he knew that they would have to kill. As long as he did not perform the deed, it allowed him the illusion that his hands were clean.
Dumbledore, and the majority of the Wizarding world, felt that Azkaban was the best solution for dealing with hardened criminals and it allowed them to feel no guilt for the fate of the prisoners.
Sometimes ending a life was the better choice, but it was never the easier one. Not everyone was worth redeeming.
Dumbledore stopped his pacing in front of the shelf of silver instruments. Everyone assumed that the relics were from his long life. What they did not realize was that each one tied to Harry Potter in some fashion. They monitored his location, health, magic use, and the wards at his aunt and uncles house.
He frowned when he noticed that the orb tied to the wards at Privet Drive was spinning slower than usual. With a shrug of someone used to getting their way, Dumbledore decided that Harry would have to stay there longer during the summer in order to recharge them.
The orb showing Harry's health was also returning to its normal machinations. Which meant Harry was quickly recovering from his encounter with the dragon.
What Dumbledore failed to notice was that the device tied to Harry's magic use was no longer functioning properly. It still emitted small puffs of smoke from time to time but the spells cast no longer registered. In fact, since Harry and Hermione bonded it had not reported anything. Further complicating matters for Dumbledore was that the trace had also broken on the two teens, further removing them from his influence.
Just as Albus was settling back into his desk chair one of the portraits spoke up, interrupting his reverie. "Excuse me Headmaster." Once Dumbledore found the correct portrait on the wall, it continued speaking to him. "There was an altercation in the hospital wing between a Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley about an hour ago. I only just heard about it from one of the other portraits as I was passing through."
"What happened?"
"The other portrait didn't see the entire encounter because she was not in her frame when it started. She saw Mr. Potter raise his wand and banish Mr. Weasley into the hospital wing doors, bind him, summon his wand and snap it before approaching him while he was on the ground. Mr. Potter whispered something to Mr. Weasley and then stunned him and walked away." The portrait of the former headmistress said importantly.
"Very well, see if you can discover what caused the altercation. From now on, I want at least one portrait occupied at all times in all of the main areas of the castle. Keep tabs on Mr. Potter and if he does anything suspicious please let me know right away." Dumbledore sighed in resignation.
This new development was not good in the headmaster's mind. Snapping the wand of another wizard was tantamount to saying that you felt that he, or she, was not worthy enough to practice magic. If this was Harry's new viewpoint towards his friends what did that say of how he would treat someone that he considered an enemy?
Leaning back in his high backed chair, Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his, long, crooked nose trying to stem the headache that Harry Potter caused. He had taken extreme care in molding Harry to ensure that he would sacrifice himself for others in order to fulfill the prophecy. Things were spiraling out of control and his carefully laid plans were unraveling bit by bit, as Harry traveled down a darker path.
Fortunately, Albus Dumbledore learned the value of manipulation, keeping secrets, and planning for multiple events at a young age. There were other ways to ensure that Harry Potter fulfilled the prophecy and now he had to begin setting them in motion. 'A kind word here, a veiled threat there, and the promises of aid in the future would get the ball rolling nicely.' he thought to himself as he went over the myriad of schemes he was going to employ.
The morning after the first task did nothing to improve Harry's mood, which darkened considerably with the delivery of the Daily Prophet. Whispers were breaking out all over the Great Hall and people began pointing and staring at Harry and Hermione.
Harry pulled a copy of the Prophet towards him and his arm froze when he saw a picture of him and Hermione kissing on the front page with the headline 'Harry Potters Heartache.' He groaned when he read the title and realized that Rita Skeeter, his least favorite reporter, wrote it.
He actually laughed aloud when he read the part about him being a glory seeking, no talent, wizard. When he got to the part where the article declared Hermione a, 'plain but ambitious muggle born witch' that was dosing him with a love potion to make Viktor Krum jealous he became enraged. The article presented Hermione in the worst light possible and there were some nasty quotes from some of their Slytherin year mates thrown in to make it look even worse.
Abruptly Harry stood up, snatched his copy of the Daily Prophet, and marched up to the head table. All talking in the Great Hall stopped as everyone noticed, an obviously, angry Harry Potter slam the paper down on the table in front of the Headmaster and hiss out "What are you going to do about this?"
All of the teachers, and students were shocked at Harry's actions. Albus Dumbledore just leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of his chest, his eyes twinkling as he gazed upon Harry.
After a few tense seconds where student stared at headmaster, Albus finally spoke. "What would you have me do Mr. Potter?"
Hermione knew that Harry was close to loosing it in front of the entire Great Hall and she feared that the Headmaster's words were going to push him over the edge. Trying to head off the explosion, she pushed her feelings of love and calm through the bond to him.
Harry was about to retort when Hermione's emotions flowed through their bond. He snapped his mouth shut before turning around and pulling his wand out. Pointing it directly at Draco Malfoy, he said "Accio button."
There was a ripping sound as the button tore itself free from Malfoys robes and flew into Harry's outstretched hand.
Returning his attention back to the headmaster, he flipped the offending button onto the table next to the paper. He pressed the button and the message shifted to read, "Potter Stinks!" Seeing no reaction from Dumbledore at all, Harry said, "I expect you will do the same thing as when Malfoy began distributing these buttons throughout the school. Which is absolutely nothing."
As he turned around Harry called out over his shoulder, "Have a good day Headmaster." He began walking out of the Great Hall, furious with Dumbledore and slightly angry with himself for loosing his temper in such a public place.
Just as Harry approached the doors, Hermione caught up with him. Before they could leave Professor Snape yelled out; "Potter! Detention for a week and one hundred points from Gryffindor for your disrespect!"
Harry paused and looked back up at the staff table. He noticed that Professor McGonagall was turning red, Snape was smirking at him, Dumbledore had a calculating look on his face, and the rest of the teachers, and people in the Great Hall looked shocked. He nodded in acceptance of his punishment and left the Great Hall with Hermione by his side.
Minerva McGonagall realized that she had her opportunity to help Harry with one of his problems in such a way that Albus could not interfere without undermining the teachers authority. She stood up from her chair and walked to the front of the raised platform where the headmaster gave his opening feast speech. She gazed at each of the house tables, counting the number of people wearing the buttons before coming to a decision.
"May I have your attention please?" she called out, but everyone knew that it was a command, not a request. "When I point to you please stand up and remain standing until I say that you may sit down."
Albus Dumbledore hid a frown when he realized what Professor McGonagall was about to do and there was nothing that he could do to prevent it.
When Professor McGonagall was finished pointing she realized that about half of the student body was now standing. The majority of the students were fourth years and above with the odd first, second, or third year thrown in.
"Everyone standing has just cost their house 10 points each and has earned themselves a weeks worth of detentions! You should all be ashamed of the way you have comported yourselves. Remain after the feast so that I may assign your detentions. Anyone caught wearing that infernal button after today will cost their house twenty-five points, earn a week of detentions, and have your Hogsmeade privileges suspended for the remainder of the fall term. You may be seated."
Harry and Hermione headed down towards the dungeons for their first lesson of the day, potions. He knew that he was in for a rough time in Snapes class after the display in the Great Hall. Two hours, twenty points and one vanished potion later, Harry finally left the potions classroom in a very bad mood.
The lesson had passed quietly until Professor Snape proceeded to vanish his potion. It had been a pale shade of blue instead of the royal blue that it was supposed to be according to their textbooks. When Harry had pointed out that Crabbe, Goyle's potions were orange, and making a hissing noise, Snape deducted twenty points for "his cheek."
Harry was having a hard time getting his emotions back under control after Snapes blatant goading. When they ran into Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle on their way to Charms Hermione feared that things would get violent. She was surprised when the exact opposite happened.
""You're going to pay for those robes Potter. They were brand new and you ruined them." Malfoy said with obvious annoyance in his voice.
Harry gazed blankly at Malfoy for a few seconds then said, "Okay." before turning around and resuming his trek up to the Charms Corridor with Hermione.
Malfoy was lost in thought, confused, while watching Potter and his Mudblood walk away. He had expected Potter to snap at, or even curse, him after the way Snape treated him during class. The almost emotionless look on Potter's face as he looked at him was a bit disturbing and the complete lack of a physical response out of character for him.
"Come on, let's get to class." Draco said absent-mindedly to his two companions. His mind was still firmly working on what he could do to get under the skin of Potter.
Hermione had been silent since the end of potions class and the encounter with Malfoy. She had been thinking about Professor Snapes behavior towards Harry as it was really bothering her. The result of a teacher acting like that in a non-magical school would have been discipline or dismissal. Snapes behavior towards Harry had only gotten worse since their first year. Hermione resolved to talk to Professor McGonagall about the matter later since she was sure that the Headmaster would not do a thing.
Charms class turned out to be just what the two of them needed. Professor Flitwick was teaching summoning and banishing charms today and they had already learned in preparation for the first task. As a result, Harry earned ten points for his summoning charm and Hermione won another ten for Gryffindor with the accuracy of her banishing charm.
They had a peaceful lunch in the courtyard of the castle, courtesy of Winky, to avoid the stares and whispers of their classmates. When they were finished with their lunch Harry asked Hermione "Do you want to take a walk down to the lake since we have a free period?"
"I think that's a good idea. It's pretty nice out today and there aren't going to be many days like this anymore." Hermione replied.
Harry wasn't completely sure if she was talking about the weather or the events surrounding the tournament but he knew that he needed to spend some more time away from the rest of the student body and that Hermione understood this fact.
The snow was not very deep but the air was crisp and the sky a brilliant shade of blue as they headed for their spot by the shore. When they arrived, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at their boulder, a look of concentration on his face.
After a few seconds, the tip of Harry's wand emitted a bluish glow. As he directed it towards the boulder in a left to right pattern and parts of it turned to dust. A few more passes the dust began to settle and the very distinct outline of a bench seat appeared, carved into the stone.
A quick cleaning charm, a cushioning charm, and a heating spell later the couple was sitting side by side looking out at the lake.
Hermione conjured a blanket fort their legs and she leaned into Harry's side. "That was pretty impressive spell work Harry."
"Thanks. I figured that this would be nicer than sitting on the boulder itself. I will put up a few notice-me-not spells before we go. I like having a space that we can call our own out here."
"That sounds lovely." Hermione said as she smiled at him.
After sitting by the lake for half an hour in companionable silence, Harry helped Hermione to her feet. "I guess we should head up to the castle now. We wouldn't want to be late for transfiguration."
The two teens walked hand in hand up to the castle, the grounds blanketed in a fresh layer of snow that had fallen overnight, their thoughts on each other and what their future may hold.
Chapter 10: Moving Day.
Remus and Sirius were busy in the basement of Number Twelve storing the dragon parts that Charlie's team had harvested for Harry.
As they were placing the last of the hide on a shelf Sirius muttered, "How big was this thing?"
Lupin paused a moment, calculating the beast's size; "I think it was around twenty meters long snout to tail. It was a full grown, nesting, mother dragon and the largest any of the champions had to face."
Sirius shook his head side to side in dismay as he thought 'Why Harry?' Looking back at Remus, he asked, "Do you think we could have some protective clothing made for Harry using the hide?
"Sure, Winky made a really good set of tournament robes for Harry so I'm sure that she could whip up something for him." Remus said while fingering the rough hide.
"Winky!" Sirius called out to the elf.
She appeared with a small pop and an eager look upon her face. "What can I do for you today?"
"Would you be able to make Harry and Hermione some protective clothing from this dragon hide?" Sirius asked the little elf.
"Of course. Winky will get started right away!" With another small pop she was gone, off to collect some materials and tools needed for her work.
Smiling at Winky's enthusiasm, Remus and Sirius headed up to the kitchens to grab some lunch and to discuss the Grangers new house and the protections that they were going to put in place later that evening.
John and Annabelle Granger had been quietly changing all of their business and personal affairs. They had arranged to have all mail sent to a service that would then forward things appropriately. A business manager had also helped set up their new practice. He used multiple corporations and business entities to further protect them from discovery.
They were sad to close their business and sell their home but the Grangers were also very practical people. They knew that Professor Dumbledore and the Death Eaters would do everything that they could to locate Harry Potter.
With those thoughts on her mind, Annabelle turned to her husband and asked, "Is it going to be enough?"
John knew what his wife meant because he was having some of the same fears. "I hope so. Remus said that he would come by the new house tonight and place the wards and any other protections that they could think of. Once he is finished, he will bring us their and then we can complete the sale of this one."
Annabelle came over, hugged her husband of twenty years, and settled into his embrace. "I'm going to miss this house. There are so many good memories here."
Gently rubbing her back he replied "Yes, there are; but we will make some new ones and hopefully provide Harry with a few as well."
They were startled out of there reverie by a small pop in front of them. Dobby had appeared with two large trunks.
"Hello, Dobby." Said the Granger's to the smiling elf. They had grown fond of Winky and Dobby once they had gotten over their initial shock. Now they were very thankful for all of their help.
"Hello. Dobby is here to inspect and pack your belongings."
Annabelle kneeled down to inspect the trunks and then looked up at Dobby. "Aren't you going to need more trunks?"
"Oh no, Miss." Dobby giggled. "These trunks are much bigger on the inside." Dobby said as he opened one of the trunks so that the Grangers could peer inside. "These trunks will hold all of your belongings. The furniture will be moved separately."
"Thank you Dobby. If you need any help please ask." Annabelle said as she stood back up shaking her head at the feats, that Magic was capable of.
"Will you and Winky have time to stop by after you are finished moving our things?" Annabelle asked the small elf. She had been teaching the elves proper English since she had met them. Surprisingly, the elves lessons in English Grammar had turned into Magical Culture lessons for the Grangers. They were able to gain some valuable insight into the magical community while getting to know Harry's elves.
"Dobby and Winky will be there later this evening. We are really enjoying the lessons!" Dobby said enthusiastically.
Smiling to herself, Annabelle took John's hand and said, "Let's get some lunch at our favorite restaurant."
They had agreed with Remus and Sirius that their move would have to be sudden to lessen the chance of revealing their plans to anyone. Therefore, they did not tell any of their friends, neighbors, or employees about their plans.
When they returned from their lunch, they discovered that their house was empty except for a small table and chairs in the living room. Evidently, Dobby was very good at his job.
"It looks so different without our stuff." John commented.
Annabelle nodded her head in agreement, as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "He even painted the walls." She said in wonder.
"Amazing isn't it?" John commented.
"We should get him a gift for all of his hard work. Hermione said that he really likes mismatched socks for some reason. Why don't we pick up a few pair for him?" Annabelle said with a sly grin on her face.
John caught his wife's expression and groaned, "Not shopping? Can I at least go out for a pint afterwards?" he said hopefully.
"If you help me pick out the socks we can go to a pub afterwards." Annabelle replied before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "after we go to a few other stores too."
"Okay, but I get to pick the pub." John replied with a smile as they completed their shopping ritual bargaining.
They chatted amiably until the doorbell rang at half past five.
John opened the door and said "Hello Remus. Please come in."
Once everyone had taken a seat around the tiny table, they began to go over the details of their move and Harry's relatives move as well.
Pulling out a small slip of parchment from his pocket, Remus handed it over to the Grangers and said; "Please read and memorize that."
The paper read, "The Grangers live at Number Two, Kensington Gardens, London." Confusion and then comprehension dawned on the Grangers faces and Remus smiled at them.
"What was that?" John asked.
"That is called the Fidelius Charm. We used magic to hide your house. Only the secret keeper can reveal the location in order for anyone to know where you live. For everyone else, the house doesn't exist." Remus explained.
"Who is the Secret Keeper?" Annabelle asked.
"I'm sorry, but it's safer if you don't know. That way no one can pull the information from your mind." Remus stated in a sad tone.
Annabelle noticed that something was bothering Remus. "Are you okay, Remus?" she asked, reaching out a hand to grasp his on the table.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I was thinking about Harry's parents. Their secret keeper betrayed them to Voldemort." Seeing their shocked and apprehensive looks Remus quickly explained what steps they had taken to prevent history from repeating itself. "Don't worry, we made the secret keeper take an Unbreakable Vow to never betray you, and we will demand the same vow from everyone before we reveal the secret to them."
Both Grangers looked a bit surprised at this revelation. Remus gave them a moment to compose themselves before he continued explaining the additional protections on the house.
"Anyone given the secret can't share it but we want to err on the safe side, hence the Unbreakable Vow. I have also put up a variety of other wards, both offensive and defensive in nature. The house is Unplottable, meaning that no one may Apparate or Portkey in without receiving the secret. Hedwig will be the only post owl that will be able to get past the wards as we keyed her into them during construction. We made your new house one of the safest places in England. Currently only six people know of its existence, the two of you, Winky, Dobby, Sirius, and me. We will tell Harry and Hermione when we are somewhere safe and can't be overheard."
Both Grangers were shocked when Remus was finished with his explanation. Annabelle was the first to recover and she thanked Remus with a hug and a kiss on his cheek, leaving him red faced and John laughing at his blush.
Recovering from his blush, Remus stood up and said, "Well, if you are ready to go, I'll take you both there now."
Both Grangers took one last look around the house before nodding to Remus.
"Okay, grab onto my arm and I'll Apparate us over there. This is going to feel a little weird, but don't let go." When they grabbed onto his arms he turned on the spot and vanished with a pop.
When they arrived, Remus had to stifle a laugh as both of the Grangers were rubbing their ears, glaring at him. "Please follow me and concentrate on what you read earlier."
The Grangers followed Remus through the small park and when they reached the row of townhouses, they stared in awe as a building appeared on the end of the row. Remus ushered them inside quickly and the house faded from view to the outside world.
John and Annabelle stood in the entry hall of their new home still adjusting to their surroundings. There was a pair of small pops as Dobby and Winky appeared in front of them.
"Welcome to your new home Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Winky said while Dobby smiled and nodded in agreement. "Would you like a tour of the house?"
"Yes, please." Annabelle said automatically.
Remus called out; "Dobby and I will be in the kitchen putting together a snack. When you are finished with the tour I will answer any questions about the house and the surrounding area for you."
"Okay, thanks." John said before they followed Winky on a tour of the house.
The tour started in the sub basement. There was a door to their underground parking garage and their two spaces, which were also under the Fidelius Charm. There was an indoor pool with a hot tub and a fitness room located in the sub basement. The basement proper had a large office, the laundry, a guest bedroom and two full bathrooms. The basement floors were a light travertine and the rooms were a myriad of warm colors to brighten them up.
The ground floor had a comfortable family room with a large fireplace that connected only to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. A modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops took up the back half of the house. The dining room was between the other two rooms for easy access. With the high ceilings and warm colors, the whole floor had a very homey feel to it.
John and Annabelle were following Winky in stunned silence. The house was simply amazing and they had only toured half of it so far.
The first floor held the master suite. It was 'simply beautiful,' thought Annabelle as she looked out the window overlooking Kensington High Street. She noticed that there was no sound coming in from the outside and she guessed that it was something magical that Remus, Sirius, or one of the elves had done.
Turning her attention back to Winky's explanations of the rooms she stopped cold when she realized that she was standing in a vast library. There were floor to ceiling shelves along the walls in a rich walnut color with matching wood paneling on the lower portions of the walls. There was even a window seat with pillows and a large fireplace on the far wall with comfortable looking chairs and a sofa arranged around it. There were a few magazines placed upon the coffee table in the center. The writing desk was located in the opposite corner underneath the other window looking out onto the park.
John Granger was having a hard time not laughing outright. He knew the moment that he saw the library that Annabelle and Hermione would absolutely love this room. He reached over, closed his wife's mouth with a single finger, and said, "No drooling please. At least I know where to look if I cannot find you or Hermione in the house. This place is enormous!"
Annabelle blushed when her husband closed her mouth. She had not even realized that it had fallen open. She had always wanted a library in her home but they never had the space for a proper set up. She wanted to grab a book, sit in the window seat, and forget the rest of the tour.
It took her a moment to realize what John had said and then her blush intensified. With a tiny scowl on her face, she turned to him and said, "I don't drool!"
John's only response was a raised eyebrow and a smirk before he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room after Winky.
She was still spluttering and muttering under her breath about; "payback and not drooling" when they reached the bedrooms located on the third floor.
After viewing the bedrooms, they headed back down to the kitchen to chat with Remus. Once everyone was seated around the table, snacking on the food that Dobby had provided, Remus intoned; "I'm sure that you have a few questions for me. Please ask away."
John spoke up first. "Remus, since I know that we couldn't afford a place like this, would you please explain it to us?"
"Of course. Sirius took care of the financial arrangements by paying for the house using multiple companies as a front. We are trying to put as many obstacles as possible between you and anyone that may try to find you through normal or magical means." Remus paused as he gazed into the Grangers eyes.
Seeing that they understood he continued; "Most wizards wouldn't know how to sort through dozens of dummy corporations to locate your new home. The ones with contacts in your world will still have a hard time because of all of the entities that a law firm helped to set up. When they were finished we removed all of the records and Obliviated the staff."
The Grangers were a bit shocked, and a bit impressed, by this revelation. The complexity of the entire scheme was amazing. The regular government would have trouble sorting through all of the corporations, meaning that a wizard would have almost no chance at all.
The enormity of everything came crashing down on the Grangers; this was what it meant to be involved in Harry Potter's life. "Harry really is in danger isn't he?" Annabelle asked with in a small voice.
"Yes." Remus answered honestly. There was no getting around that problem and the Grangers needed to know everything since they were taking him in at great personal risk to their family.
"Why purchase such an expensive house?" John asked.
"Well, your family is being uprooted and forced into hiding in a sense. This house has underground parking, twenty-four hour security and an alarm system with hidden surveillance cameras. In addition, it is in a very busy, non-magical, section of the city. Most wizards and witches avoid areas like this one and they don't blend in well when they do venture out so they are easy to spot. We tried to use every advantage that we could to make you as safe as possible." Remus answered.
"Thank you, and please thank Sirius for us too." Annabelle said while grasping one of Lupin's hands in gratitude.
"You are welcome. We would do anything to keep all of you safe. Harry has had such a hard life and your family is very important to him, and us. I do not have many friends because of my condition and you two have accepted me anyway. That means a great deal to me. So, thank you." Remus said while returning the gentle squeeze to Annabelle's hand.
The Grangers were both smiling at Remus after his declaration. "You're welcome. Thank you too. Your help and friendship is important to us as well." Annabelle said as John reached over and grasped their hands at the same time.
With a warm smile not often seen on his weathered face, Remus changed the subject. "I have another gift that I think you will both like." He said while pulling out one of the communication mirrors and passing it across the table.
"What is it?" John asked as Annabelle picked up the mirror and turned it over in her hands, inspecting it.
"That is a communication mirror. Just say the persons name into the mirror and theirs will vibrate letting them know that someone is calling." Remus said as he pulled his own mirror out of his coat pocket and called out "Annabelle!"
The mirror in her hands began to vibrate and she looked over at Remus with a questioning expression.
"To answer it, simple pick it up and say, hello." he explained.
With a smile, she said "Hello?" and instantly Remus' smiling face replaced her reflection. "Wow, it's like a cell phone with a video screen." Annabelle said with a touch of wonder in her voice as she handed the mirror to John.
"To end the conversation just say good bye. Harry and Hermione have their own mirrors so you can talk to them too. They may not answer right away though. These mirrors are a banned item at Hogwarts. It may take them a few moments to get to a secure place to talk." Remus explained to the Grangers.
"Thank you. We missed talking with Hermione during the school year." John said excitedly, surprising Remus and Annabelle. "What? I can't miss talking with my daughter during the school year?"
Annabelle looked over at Remus and mock whispered "He gets really bad separation anxiety when Hermione goes back to school each term."
"What?" John spluttered before seeing the teasing smile on his wife's face. "Why you little..."
"Ah, ah, ah; dear. You don't want to finish that sentence in front of Remus now do you?" Annabelle said mockingly before breaking out into giggles, which in turn set off Remus' own laughter.
"What is this, pick on John day?" John asked with a mock pout that sent Annabelle and Remus into further gales of laughter at his expense.
They spent the rest of the evening chatting with each other about Harry and Hermione, the results of the first task, the magical world's prejudices against non-magical people, and exactly what the wards on the house could really do to an intruder.
Chapter 11: A friend in need.
With the Yule Ball only a few days away, the students that did not have dates were getting desperate. No one had asked Harry to the ball, mainly due to Hermione's constant presence by his side. He was sure that based upon the looks some of the girls had been giving him, and the glares that they were shooting at Hermione, that dozens of people wanted to go with the Boy-Who-Lived or a Champion. 'Bunch of bloody wankers' Harry snorted to himself.
Harry was lost in his thoughts and it took him a few seconds to realize that Neville was talking to him.
"I'm sorry Neville, I was thinking about something. What did you say?"
"That's okay Harry." Neville said chuckling at his friends antics. "I was asking what you were going to get for Hermione as a gift for going to the Ball with you."
Harry looked up at Neville with panic in his eyes. "I forgot. Oh, Merlin, she is going to kill me." He said while looking around the Great Hall for Hermione.
Fortunately, she was deep in conversation with Ginny Weasley and did not hear what they were saying. She must have sensed his discomfort through their bond because she looked over towards Harry to check on him. He smiled and waved so she returned the gesture and went back to her conversation with Ginny.
Neville was having a hard time not laughing at Harry's reactions. 'He can face a dragon but he is scared of upsetting Hermione.' He thought to himself with a chuckle. "I've been growing some flowers in the greenhouse to give to my date. Would you like me to make up a corsage for Hermione?"
Harry smiled in relief at Neville's gesture. "Can you show me how to put it together?"
Neville was surprised at the request and he quickly replied, "Sure. That would be great. She will like it even more if it came from you anyway."
"Okay. Should we do that tomorrow morning then?" after Neville's nod yes, Harry asked; "Who are you going to the ball with?"
Neville blushed a bit but his gaze drifted over to where Ginny and Hermione were talking together. "Ginny Weasley." He said proudly.
"That's great Neville!" Harry said clapping Neville on the shoulder.
The gesture of friendship from Harry surprised Neville. He had noticed that Hermione was usually the only other person that Harry would voluntary touch. "Thanks, I really like her and I think that she is very pretty. She sometimes gets that same stare you have in the common room when you are sitting in the window seat."
"Oh." Harry, shocked by Neville's comment about the 'look,' knew it well. He wore it whenever he was remembering some of the more disturbing events in his life. "I think I know what that's about."
Harry gazed over at Ginny with pensive look on his face while muttering under his breath "How could I be so stupid?" His expression became determined and he turned to Neville and said, "Com on. Let's go and get them and go somewhere private so we can talk."
Neville and Harry made their way over to where the girls were sitting. "Hi Ginny." Harry said before he leaned down and kissed Hermione's cheek. "Hey." he said softly into her ear as he stood back up. "Would you two like to take a walk with us?"
Hermione gave Harry an understanding look before holding out her hand to him with a smile. "That would be nice." She looked over at Ginny and said, "Come on, we know somewhere quiet to talk and the view is wonderful."
As the couples walked out of the Great Hall together, various people were watching them for different reasons.
Professor Dumbledore had noticed that Harry and Hermione didn't stay for very long in the Hall for meals. Especially since the Yule Ball was formally announced two weeks ago. He was concerned that Harry was isolating himself from everyone but Ms. Granger so he was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Longbottom and Ms. Weasley leave the hall with them.
He knew that they were not leaving the grounds so he hadn't really followed them out one of their walks yet. If they continued spending time apart from the rest of the students, he would see about putting some monitoring wards out where they walked around. Monitoring Harry was more important ant allowing him privacy. 'It is for the Greater Good.' thought Albus as he watched the children leave the hall.
Minerva McGonagall was also paying close attention to Harry Potter. She had watched him come out of his shell this year, despite the challenges of the Tournament and the way he the Dursleys raised him. 'Ms. Granger is really good for him' she thought to herself while watching Harry lean down and kiss her cheek.
Their relationship was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for Harry and Minerva hoped that it would be strong enough to help him through his tasks and everything else that Dumbledore seemed to throw at him. Mr. Potter's grades were evidence enough that he was taking everything very seriously and Ms. Granger seemed much happier and more relaxed now. Part of that was also due to their fallout with Mr. Weasley she mused as she turned her gaze to the young man.
Professor McGonagall sighed as she looked over at the youngest male Weasley boy. His grades were down a bit and he was not socializing as much with his classmates. His jealousy had really surprised her. After Charlie Weasley and Madam Poppy Pomfrey had filled her in on what had happened in the hospital wing she had had a hard time not punishing him more than he was currently suffering.
The Head of Gryffindor hoped that Ronald Weasley would outgrow his jealousy and resentment before he slipped further down the dark path he was traveling and away from his one time best friends.
Ron Weasley scowled as he saw Harry reach over and clap Neville on the shoulder before they walked over to where Hermione and Ginny were talking. His gaze became even more resentful when Harry leaned down and kissed Hermione on the cheek.
'He has everything; fame, money, and now Hermione. It just isn't fair! Ron though bitterly. He never realized that Harry would gladly forgo the fame and money to have his parents, alive and well. The fact that Harry had a girlfriend and he didn't only made the Hermione situation harder to accept.
Ron missed his friends and they way things were before the announcing of the Triwizard Tournament Champions. He couldn't get past his pride to apologize so their friendship continued to shatter under the weight of his pride and stubbornness.
Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were waling towards the spot that Harry had created near the lake. The snow was about a foot deep on the grounds and they had their cloaks pulled tight around them for extra warmth.
When they reached the secluded spot overlooking the lake, with the castle in the background, Harry stepped aside to let the others into the garden that he had created for Hermione.
The snow didn't intrude into the small garden clearing by the shore. It stopped at the edge of the ring of Holly trees that Harry had planted to screen it from view.
Hermione, Neville, and Ginny had all stopped at the edge of the Hollies, each of them staring open mouthed at the beautiful, snow free, garden in front of them. Slowly they each began to step into the area, walking around marveling at this warm oasis in the middle of the snow-covered grounds.
A stone pathway led to the shore and another to a seating area, carved from the surrounding boulders. There was an enchanted fire burning in the center of the benches that radiated warmth.
Well-manicured flowerbeds, in a ring around the benches and next to the stone paths, dotted the landscaping. The overall effect was very peaceful and the surroundings affected each of the teens.
Harry was watching everyone's reaction to the garden. He had worked very hard, and in secret, to finish the project and he wanted to know what they all thought.
Hermione turned to Harry with a smile and said, "It's very beautiful Harry. When did you find the time to finish this?" Her voice held a note of wonder and pride that made Harry smile at her.
Neville was looking at the plants in the garden and he realized that none of them was magical. The garden held an aura of serenity that you did not often find outside of magical ones. "It's very peaceful here. You did a marvelous job Harry."
Ginny sat down on one of the benches and pulled her legs underneath her cloak. She had a soft smile playing across her lips and she seemed relaxed.
Harry went over and sat next to her on the bench with Hermione and Neville joining them. He tentatively reached out a hand and touched Ginny's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked her while gazing directly into her eyes.
They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Ginny finally spoke. "No, but I think that I will be. Can you tell me what happened down in the Chamber?" Ginny asked with a small hitch in her voice.
Harry surprised everyone when he leaned in and pulled Ginny into a hug. "I'm so sorry Ginny. I should have talked to you about this a long time ago. I still have nightmares about that day from time to time too." Harry admitted quietly.
Ginny was quietly crying on Harry's shoulder as he rocked her back and forth.
Hermione was rubbing Ginny's back in silent support of her friend. She knew about the events from the Chamber of Secrets but not all of the details. Harry had only told the Headmaster exactly what had happened that day. She felt that if Harry was finally going to talk to Ginny about that horrible day that it would probably help him with his nightmares about it.
Neville was shocked. He began to piece together some of the strange events from their second year. He knew that Ginny was never petrified but something had happened to her and Harry knew what it was. He reached over and patted Ginny's back and said, "If I can help in any way, I will."
Ginny gave Neville a watery smile before replying "Thanks."
Hermione and Ginny had talked about their experiences from that ordeal so she had an idea what Ginny was going through. She felt that talking with Harry about it would help bring her some closure and the ability to begin healing. She reached over and gave Ginny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Harry's voice was whisper quiet when he asked, "Do you want me to tell you about what really happened down in the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked as he looked directly into Ginny's eyes.
There was a hint of fear mixed with longing in Ginny's expression but she nodded yes to his question, not trusting her voice.
Harry sat back to make himself more comfortable before he began re-counting the events of his second year. Taking a deep breath, he began telling them everything that he experienced that horrible year.
He told them about his feelings of loneliness when the majority of the school shunned him for speaking Parseltongue. He also explained his feelings when Hermione was petrified and how she had figured out the clue about Slytherin's monster, the basilisk.
Ginny and Hermione were both crying as Harry explained his second year from his point of view. Ginny's was crying because Harry's explanation described much of how she felt for her entire first year.
Hermione's tears were for Harry's plight and how tough he had it and yet he still managed to persevere. She knew that he had a horrible year but this was the first time that he had explained everything in detail.
The details of what happened down in the Chamber itself left all four of them crying. However, it finally began the healing process for Ginny and furthering the progression for Harry.
Having finally heard all of the details about Harry's second year caused Hermione to reflect on his other years as a part of the magical world. She realized that his life was still very difficult.
He dwelled in both worlds, but was not really a part of either. At Hogwarts, the populace never took the time to understand, or get to know, him. Because of that, he was both revered and reviled at the same time.
This dichotomy in the Wizarding world never truly allowed Harry to integrate fully into their society. In the non-magical world his relatives despised him for existing, which lead to the same problem.
Hermione had moved over so she could hug Harry. She knew that he needed the physical reassurance that her touch brought and she craved the same thing in return. She made a vow that she would do everything in her power to provide a loving, normal, life for him.
Since their bonding, they had both been so busy with the tournament that she had not been able to dedicate much thought to it. Hermione knew that there were aspects of it that she didn't understand but that some would come with age and experience. She did know that they needed each other now more than ever.
Hermione looked over to see Neville and Ginny sharing an awkward, but reassuring, hug while whispering to each other.
Ginny stepped back from her hug with Neville and turned to Harry and Hermione with a small smile of gratitude on her face. "Thank you for telling me about what happened down in the Chamber and what you went through." She said as she pulled each of them into a hug.
Stepping back Ginny looked up at Harry and said, "If you need any help with the tournament I'll do what I can. I believed you when you said you didn't put your name in but I was too shy to say anything to you."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Harry said with a smile.
Hermione looked at her watch and said, "We need to get up to the castle. Ginny and I have to get ready for the Ball."
As the two girls headed off to the dorms Harry and Neville made their way down to the greenhouses to put together the corsages for their dates.