Chapter 36
DADA, Prefects, and Matters of the Heart
.
It was the last Saturday before the end of winter break when a pair of sweaty but happy teens returned from Master Kim's dojo proudly wearing their new green belts. The whole family had gone and watched as Harry and Hermione performed their kata to near perfection.
"Well, I think a celebration is in order," Sirius announced, "dinner tonight is on me!"
Harry whooped, "Yeah, now you're talking."
~oOoOo~
With the two teens freshly showered and everyone in their dress clothes, it was a hungry bunch that was lead to their favorite table. Tonks looked around wide-eyed at the lavish restaurant and couldn't help but remark, "This place looks so fancy," she whispered to Remus.
Taking a deep breath through his nose, he smiled back, "And if the food is as good as it smells…"
"Oh, it is," Emma said after hearing his comment. "This is one of our favorite restaurants, we've been coming here for years."
Hermione nodded, "It's definitely mine." Then turning to Harry, "I hope you like it."
Harry laughed, "It's Italian, they make pizza, it's got to be good."
As the laugher died down, Remus looked at the young couple across from him, "Hey you guys, at the last practice, it looked like you two were using some sort of hand signals."
Tonks added, "Yeah, and I thought I saw some at your karate class."
Sirius looked interested, "Really, I didn't notice."
Dan smirked, "Tell them, honey."
Sirius turned to Hermione for an explanation and smirked, "Yes, pumpkin, do tell."
Hermione glared at Sirius for a moment, before her frown turned into a terrifying smirk.
Remus shook his head and chucked, "Uh-oh…" While Harry just raised a brow wondering what his girlfriend would do. He knew she only allowed that nickname from her father.
With alarm bells ringing, Sirius quickly back peddled, "Ahhh… sorry, it slipped."
"Uh-huh," Hermione said with a satisfied smile. Then went on to answer Remus, "It was actually my father's idea.
"After watching the kids practice one day," Dan started, "I saw an opportunity where I thought I could help. I may not be a wizard, but I was once a soldier."
"I know that Aurors use some hand gestures when they're trying to be stealthy," Hermione continued, "but it's nothing like what Muggle soldiers use. They have a precise set of hand signals to communicate silently with. Even from a distance, as long as you can still see the other person." Hermione turned to Harry and smiled, "We're trying to incorporate that into our style."
"We're still a little clumsy at it but we figure the more we use it, the more automatic and discrete it will become," Harry added.
Sirius laughed, "You guys practically communicate telepathically now with just a look."
Hermione ducked her head a little, "True, but…"
Harry wiggled his eyebrows and interrupted, "Let's just say, we're adding to our non-verbal communication skills then."
A little amazed, Remus nodded, "You guys are taking bits and pieces from both worlds and melding it all into something completely new. Magic from our world, karate and now the Muggle military as well, from yours. It's really… extraordinary and unique."
Tonks beamed, "The bad guys won't know what hit them."
Emma stared at Harry and her daughter for a moment with sad eyes before putting on a happy face, "Well, let's just hope it never comes to that. That this is all just an exercise in caution." Glancing around the table, she added, "So, no more talk about fighting and training, we're here to enjoy each other's company."
Dan raised his glass, "Here, here…"
~oOoOo~
Since Sirius was accompanying them to the train station, Hermione decided to resume a previous line of questioning about becoming an Animagus with the old Marauder during the long car ride.
"Sirius, I re-read your notes on the Animagus transformation process," Hermione begun, "but I'm still unsure about some of the process. Do you mind answering a few questions about it?"
Delighted that Harry and Hermione were starting down the path to becoming Animagi, Sirius laughed, "No, of course not. What's troubling you?"
"Well, I understand the meditation part about clearing your mind, but the reaching out with your magic to… ahh, connect with a token is a bit vague. Connect how?"
Sirius scratched his chin with a thoughtful look for a second, before offering an explanation. "You can use Harry wand, and he can use yours, right? And they both work equally well for either of you?"
"Yes… that's true."
"And by the way, you do know that's extremely rare, right?" At Hermione's nod, he continued, "So why is that, and why can't you use mine or anyone else's with the same results?"
Referring to her knowledge of wand lore, Hermione recited, "In order for a wand to work properly for a wizard, it must be in tune, or matched to the wizard's magic." Hermione paused to consider her own words. "So… if Harry's magic and my magic are both tuned to the same wand…" Hermione's eyes light up in understanding, "Then that would mean his magic and mine are also in tune with each other. Our magic is matched. Is that possible?" Hermione asked as she turned and stared at Harry.
Harry shrugged, "Don't look at me, I'm just listening in and trying not to get lost."
Sirius smiled, "As I said, it's very rare, but yes, it's possible. However, you must understand that when we say matched or in tune, we don't mean perfectly, there will always be some subtle differences. Your magic is distinctly your own.
Getting more interested, Harry asked, "Okay, so does that apply to tokens?"
"When you first picked up your wand, you felt it right away, you knew it was yours," Sirius started, "the magic between you and the wand was compatible and the connection was strong. With a token, the magic has to be even more closely matched, because the connection is weak. That is why you meditate, to help you feel the connection." Sirius thought for a second, then added, "In the proper state of mind, if a token is nearby, you'll feel it."
"Oh," Hermione said excitedly, "that's what the note meant by, 'It will choose you.'
Sirius clapped his hands and smiled, "Exactly!"
"I got a feeling this could take a while," Harry noted.
"You're right," Sirius said, "and it can't be rushed or forced. But once you learn to recognize the feeling, the tokening process will go faster."
Hermione would have loved to of spent the next couple of hours talking more about it, but they were pulling into the station. Putting her notebook away, she knew she'd have to wait until next time they meet before she could ask any more questions. However, for now, she had enough information to get herself and Harry started.
~oOoOo~
After the long train ride back, Harry was looking forward to the welcome back feast. As he eased himself down next to Hermione in the Great Hall, he took a quick look around. With only a couple of notable exceptions, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, no doubt from lingering holiday cheer. The happy atmosphere was contagious and Harry couldn't help but smile until he chanced a look down the table. Nudging Hermione to get her attention, he ticked his head in that direction and quietly asked, "What do suppose Ron is mad about now?"
Hermione turned and studied their old friend for a moment. "Hmm, I haven't the foggiest," Then after a small sigh, added, "but I'm sure we'll hear about it soon enough."
Harry just nodded, he was sure she was right. A second later, before he had even finished that thought, an overly excited Ginny plopped down next to him causing him to start.
"Hey guys, how were your holidays?" She asked enthusiastically.
Hermione leaned around her bemused boyfriend, "We had a wonderful time. You?"
"It was fantastic!" Ginny gushed, "Mum really went all out trying to make up for last year."
Harry chuckled, "You'd never know it by the look on your brother's face," Harry said as he nodded down the table towards Ron.
Ginny's mood soured, "Oh, you didn't hear then?"
Harry shook his head no, while Hermione raised a brow thinking, 'This doesn't sound good.'
"McGonagall took his prefect badge back. Said, she was tired of his flippant attitude towards his duties."
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione groaned, "That's terrible. How'd your parents take it?"
"They were furious of course. Mum called him a disgrace to the family!"
Hermione gasped, "No…"
Ginny just nodded, "Yeah, and dad was so upset he had to leave the room for a while. I think he was afraid he say or do something he'd regret later." Ginny fell silent for a moment as she turned and looked at her brother. "You know, I can't really feel sorry for him. We all tried to warn him but he wouldn't listen… he just kept acting like a prat."
Then as quickly as it came, Ginny sour mood passed. "Oh, there's Hannah. I need to ask her something." Jumping up, she yelled over her shoulder, "We'll finish catching up later, kay?"
Hermione laughed and waved her on, "Sure, later."
Harry smiled, "Well, she's a busy one." Then reached for a fork, and started to dig in. But, before he had taken a second bite, Neville and Luna arrived and took their usual spots across from him and Hermione.
Hermione gave them a bright smile, "Hey guys, how were your holidays?"
Neville smiled back, "They were great."
"Gram invited us… me and daddy that is, to spend most of it with them… Neville and Gram that is," Luna added.
Hermione couldn't help noticing how Luna had referred to Neville's grandmother as just, "Gram". Hermione smiled at the thought. She knew Luna missed her mother dearly, and now between her own mother and Neville's grandmother, she had two strong women to turn too if needed.
Neville nodded, seemingly lost in a pleasant memory for a minute. Then remembering he wasn't alone, asked quickly, "How about you guys? Did you have a good Christmas?"
"Yeah, Harry, how'd you like living with Hermione?" Luna quirked.
Harry was getting better at handling Luna. Smiling, he answered, "Living with Hermione… and her parents was great!" Harry furrowed his brow in thought for a second, then added softly, "It was nice to see how a real family celebrates Christmas."
Hermione, anxious to change the subject for both Harry's sake and her own, jumped in, "So, Luna, we have a pretty good idea about how his Grandmother feels about you but I don't think I've heard much about what your father thinks of Neville."
"Oh, he thinks Neville is a very nice boy and will make a wonderful husband," Luna said quite frankly. Then almost as an afterthought, added, "Even though they've had very little time to really talk, he told me he was quite sure he was right."
"Hardly much time?" Hermione asked, surprised. "Luna, you two have been practically joined at the hip since summer."
Luna looked off into space for a moment ignoring Hermione for the time being, "Hmm…" Turning to Neville, she smiled, "That could be fun… but I do think it might cause some problems. Can you imagine trying to get dressed… or taking a shower?"
Neville almost sprayed pumpkin juice all over the table with her last comment. Even though he was now quite used to his girlfriend's sometimes odd way of looking at things, even he was occasionally caught off guard. It was now his turn to try and change the subject. Lucky for him, a new couple walked in with perfect timing. "Well, look at that," Neville said as he gestured towards the main doors with his thumb. "Looks like Katie and Cormac decided to give it a go."
Hermione turned and looked, "Hmm, Katie looks happy." But before she could comment further, three shy first-years, all from different houses approached and gave her a home-made thank you card.
"This is from all of us," one of the girls started, while the others nodded in agreement, "we wanted to say thank you for thinking of us and to let you know that we've become friends because of you."
Hermione smiled gently, "Well, you are very welcome. No one should be alone on Christmas."
The three young witches nodded enthusiastically until one added, "Next year, if you do it again, we'd like to help."
Hermione's smile grew, "I think that a wonderful idea, we can make it a tradition." Hermione then watched as the three giggling first-years ran back to their tables.
Harry leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "That was very thoughtful of you."
The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them had everyone turning back around. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, if the two of you would please see me in my office as soon as you are done eating, I'd appreciate it." Then with a tip of her head before she left, McGonagall finished, "Mr. Longbottom, Miss Lovegood."
As soon as McGonagall was out of earshot, a smiling Neville let loose an amused snort of a laugh.
Harry turned to him, "What?"
"You two," Neville started, pointed at Harry and Hermione. "You've only been back an hour and already a mystery begins."
Hermione shrugged, "Not much of a mystery. Besides, it not like we go looking for mysterious things."
~oOoOo~
"Enter," the unmistakable Scottish burr of McGonagall's was all business.
Hermione looked at Harry and quirked a brow as she reached for the door. After entering, they both stood quietly in front of her desk and waited patiently while she finished some paperwork.
A long moment later, McGonagall looked up, "Thank you for waiting. Now, please have a seat." McGonagall got up and came around from behind her desk and took another seat facing them. She called for some tea, which a school elf soon delivered to a small table that sat between them.
"I assume by now; you've heard that I have revoked Mr. Weasley's prefect badge?"
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said. Then after a quick glance at Harry, asked, "Is that why you asked Harry here?"
"Exactly right, Miss Granger," McGonagall said with a coy smile. "I'm quite tired of waiting for the Headmaster to take care of Gryffindor's prefect problem. I told the Headmaster two months ago that I would not put up with Mr. Weasley's poor performance for long. That either he fix the problem or I would, and that is why I asked you both here."
Hermione sat up surprised, and asked, "Are you saying… you want us both to be prefects?"
"I would have thought that obvious Miss Granger."
"Just how will that work then?" Asked a confused Hermione.
"It will work the same way it has always worked, Miss Granger," McGonagall said casually, not understanding her student's confusion.
"But isn't Miss Patil the female prefect for Gryffindor? Won't that make for a total of three?"
McGonagall chuckled, "Ah, now I see the reason for your confusion. Seeing as you two always seem to know things that… well never mind." McGonagall stopped, deciding that was perhaps a topic for another time. "No, I'm afraid she only lasted two weeks. Said it wasn't worth having to deal with Mr. Weasley. Miss Patil turned in her badge right before leaving on winter break."
"Oh…"
"Yes, oh." McGonagall turned serious again. Reaching into her robes, she pulled out two prefect badges and held them up. A moment later she put them down on the table and slid them towards her students in offering. "Now, just as I wanted to do from the beginning, I'm offering the prefect positions to the pair of you."
A little shocked but pleasantly surprised, a small smile grew as it spread across Hermione's face. She started to reach for her badge but stopped halfway when she noticed Harry had yet to move. "Harry?" She asked hesitantly, "Don't you want to be a prefect?"
Harry had been lost in thought. He had been thinking about the added duties and how it might affect his studies. He had even briefly wondered how Ron would react. But Ginny had it right; Ron had already had way too many chances, including his own chance at being a prefect. A part of Harry still wanted Ron as a friend, but he was longer going to make exceptions for him.
Hermione's question broke him from his speculations. Turning, he smirked, "If you think I'm going to let some other bloke take late night strolls with you… then you don't know me as well as you think, Miss Granger."
Hearing the warmth in his voice and seeing the mirth in his eyes, Hermione smirked back as she grabbed up both badges. "You seem to be under the impression, that there will be some inappropriate behavior happening during those patrols… Mr. Potter."
Harry raised a hand in surrender and chuckled, "I'm just saying…"
McGonagall rolled her eyes, although she secretly loved watching the easy byplay between the two, she had work to do. "If you two are quite finished, I have a lesson to plan."
Harry and Hermione suddenly remembered where they were and sobered immediately, "Yes, ma'am… sorry," they chorused seriously, although both still wore smiles.
McGonagall stood, "Very well then, you can begin your duties tomorrow."
Harry and Hermione rose as well. "Thank you, Professor," Harry said. "Yes, Thank you, Professor, we won't let you down," added Hermione as she took Harry hand and started for the door.
~oOoOo~
Late Tuesday, the following afternoon, found Harry and Hermione having a lively discussion with Neville in the common room about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Professor Ollerton seems knowledgeable enough," noted Hermione.
"Well, he's certainly a big improvement over the 'pink menace'," joked Neville.
Harry laughed at the term, then added, "Peeve's teaching us the proper way to throw water balloons would be an improvement over her."
Hermione smiled, "I don't think anyone would argue with you on that." Then turning a little more pensive, added, "Still, I wish he'd spend more time on the practical and less on theory."
Neville's slow acknowledging nod made Harry sigh, "I guess we could keep the D.A. going."
Hermione furrowed her brow, "It couldn't hurt, even though we have a decent professor teaching the class now." At the boys' nods, she went on, "I talk to Professor McGonagall later, make sure it's still alright."
"Now that you two are both prefects, are you going to be able to find the time to run the D.A.," asked a concerned Neville.
Harry shrugged, "Don't know," then after a second, added, "the new defense professor isn't that bad, so… maybe nobody will care anymore."
Hermione raised a brow in question, "Maybe…" But she really wasn't all that convinced.
"Well, I'll still be there… that is if you're still willing to teach me," said Neville seriously.
~oOoOo~
As they were finishing dinner, Professor Ollerton approached, "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, when the two of you are finished eating, will you please accompany me to the Headmaster's office, he would like to speak with you.
Hermione answered for the both of them, "Certainly, Professor."
As soon as Ollerton returned to the head table, Neville shook his head and laughed, "Merlin, you guys are unbelievable!"
Harry raised a brow, "Now what?"
"That's two days in a row a professor has wanted to see you two."
Hermione hemmed, "Yes, well, it is a new term and all."
~oOoOo~
"Ah, Professor Ollerton, thank you for bringing Mr. Potter and Miss Granger up," Dumbledore said kindly. Gesturing to the three chairs in front of his desk he motioned for them to sit. "Now that we are more comfortable, I'd like to talk about defense."
Harry and Hermione turned and gave each other questioning looks. The Headmaster had already introduced Professor Ollerton last night, so both were at a loss as to what he was on about.
Dumbledore glanced at his newest professor before addressing his two students. "You may be wondering why I have asked you both up here," Dumbledore said as he leaned forward and peered over the top of his glasses at Harry. A moment later he leaned back, "The answer, is as simple as the name of your group… or, if you prefer, the name of an individual… Voldemort." Dumbledore paused again to judge Harry reaction before carrying on, "I have discussed this with Professor Ollerton and your Head of House. Both agree with me that there just is not enough time in class to teach the practical side of defense beyond what is required for exams."
"Last term, for reasons we are all aware of, you two started the D.A. to teach your fellow students how to defend themselves. You taught them what they should have learned in class and quite a bit more. And I am not alone when I say, you did a splendid job."
Dumbledore leaned forward again and folded his arms across the desk. Looking at the two teens in front of him, he spoke softly, "If you decide to continue the D.A.; which I am sure many would like to see happen, including myself, then you will find that you still have the complete support of Professors McGonagall, Ollerton, and myself."
Harry and Hermione sat speechless for a second, but before either could say anything, Dumbledore continued.
"If not… well, we will try and find some sort of… replacement."
Having found her voice, Hermione finally said, "We are honored by your confidence in us, Sir, but it's a commitment we cannot take likely. I can't speak for the both of us on this, it's too important. We should probably talk it over first."
Harry glanced at Hermione and smiled. She was thinking of his feeling and his worries about someone getting hurt. "She's right, Sir. Plus, there's the matter of us finding the time."
Ollerton spoke for the first time since the meeting started, "I can see now, Headmaster, that you were right; they do indeed seem to take the subject very seriously." Turning to Harry and Hermione, "I'm still a little skeptical about your abilities, but I'm also willing to give you the benefit of doubt. If you can think of someway I might be able to help, please ask."
Hermione nodded, while Harry said, "Thank you, Professor."
Dumbledore saw an opportunity and crossed his fingers, this would make things easier if it became necessary for more intervention later, "Harry, if you feel time might be a problem, perhaps you two could split up your duties. You could run the D.A. and Miss Granger could handle the prefect duties."
Harry scrunched his brow not understanding why Dumbledore would make such a suggestion. One look at Hermione and he could tell she was wondering the same thing. "No, Sir, I don't think would help."
"Just a thought, Harry," Dumbledore said mildly disappointed. Hiding his emotion well, he added, "I would like to make an announcement tomorrow night at dinner. Do you think you'll know by then?"
Harry turned to Hermione, who gave him a tiny nod. "Yes, Sir, we'll know by then."
After everyone had left his office, Dumbledore leaned back and closed his eyes as he contemplated the developing situation. Just a couple of days ago, he had been able to confirm that there was indeed a new prophecy in the Hall of Prophecy at the Ministry. He was worried, the relationship referred to by the prophecy was that of Harry and Hermione's. If they had taken his advice and split their duties up, it might have led to them growing further apart, rather than closer. He would wait for now and keep a close eye on things before making any decisions. Lastly, he knew he needed to talk with Minerva. That was a conversation he wasn't looking forward too.
~oOoOo~
The following night, true to his word, Dumbledore made his announcement. As everyone was settling down for dinner, Dumbledore approached the podium to speak, "If I may have your attention please," he began, "I would like to talk to you all, about defense against the Dark Arts."
After the Hall fell silent, he went on, "Some of you already know; and I would wager that the rest of you have at least heard of, a club that taught defense. This club, was started and ran by two students from this very school." Dumbledore paused and looked around, then smiled, "And I can see just by how many of you are looking at them, most of you already know who. For the rest of you… those two students were Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Their club was simply called the D.A. And no, it doesn't stand for Dumbledore's Army," he finished with a chuckle.
"I think we all know why the club was started in the first place; and just for the record, I think it was as great an idea then as I do now." Dumbledore took a sip of water, then gestured towards Professor Ollerton, "Now, however, we have a very competent professor teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, so you may be asking yourself, do we still need the D.A.?" Dumbledore had raised his hands as if he was asking the question in earnest. Then with a slow nod of his head, said, "I think the answer is yes." Turning his full attention on both Harry and Hermione, he added, "And again, I would wager, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, that most of your students would agree with me." Dumbledore turned back to the Hall and stood tall, and spoke in a grave voice, "Make no mistake, there is a real threat out there… and dark times are coming." Lighting his tone a little, he again spoke to Harry and Hermione, "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger… have you made a decision?"
Harry stood to answer but stopped when he noticed Hermione was still seated. Harry turned and quirked a brow, then reached out his hand. After she took it, he pulled her up to stand beside him and then gave their answer, "Yes, Sir, we have. We will continue teaching the D.A. and will help anyone who is interested."
Dumbledore smiled, "Excellent! Well, there you have it everyone." Gesturing to Harry and Hermione, he added, "If you find yourself intrigued, you know who to talk to."
~oOoOo~
Voldemort eyed his lieutenant with contempt, "Is that all young Draco had to report?"
Lucius squirmed, "Yes, My Lord," after a lingering pause, he added, "with the new term only just started I'm sure there just hasn't been any news worthy of your time yet, My Lord."
"Or your son doesn't feel it's worthy of his time," Voldemort hissed. "Make sure he understands what happens to those that displease me."
Lucius bowed deeply, "Yes, My Lord, immediately."
Voldemort then turned hard red eyes on the other person in the room, "Roderick, have you spoken to your son?"
Roderick Zabini bowed, "Yes, My Lord, as you commanded."
"And he knows not to cause any problems until I order it?"
"Yes, My Lord, he knows the consequences for disobeying me."
Voldemort smirked, he knew the last comment was a jab at Lucius. "Very well, we will wait to see what effect my first plan has before considering anything else." Standing up, Voldemort spoke with an air of supremacy, "A good plan is like a good potion, it must be brewed carefully and with patience." Then in a tone that left nothing to the imagination as to what would happen if either of them were found responsible for the plan failing, he said, "Make sure your sons don't give me cause to regret trusting them with this." Both Lucius and Roderick bowed low. Satisfied his commands were to be followed, he gestured towards the door. "Leave us now Roderick, I wish to discuss something else with Lucius.
Roderick bowed again, "Of course, My Lord," and backed away, before turning to leave the room.
Once alone Voldemort began, it was time to put his plans in action, "Lucius, you are to gather three new… expendable recruits. I have a plan for them, which you will ensure is executed precisely. In three weeks you will take them to Hogsmeade while the students are visiting and they will…" Voldemort went on to explain just what he wanted to happen.
~oOoOo~
Harry and Hermione had held a short D.A. meeting the first Saturday after Dumbledore had made his announcement about its existence. They had wanted to see if there was still an interest in keeping the group going. And if so, just how many students wanted help. Both had been quite surprised when only two students left the D.A.; Cho, and her friend, Marietta. Harry had gotten the feeling that Cho had only left so her friend wouldn't be mad at her. Zacharias Smith; from Ravenclaw had shown up, as well as their younger friend Natalie. Hermione was quick to introduce her to Astoria, seeing as they were both in the same year. But the real surprise was Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet showing up. All in all, the D.A. now totaled twenty-two members, not counting Harry or Hermione.
A week and a day later, the D.A. got back to business. The D.A. was getting rather large, and to complicate things, the skill level of the students varied from second-years to seventh-years. Hermione had spent a fair amount of time going over lesson plans and schedules and had finally come up with a plan on how to run things.
She had the original six show up about an hour early to explain what she had in mind. "Hi guys, thanks for coming in early," Hermione started, as they all took their seats around what had become known as 'the debriefing table'. "So here's what I have in mind. We'll split the D.A. into two groups; one for the people who are really serious about it and come to every meeting. And the other for the ones who just want to get a little help… maybe learn a few good techniques." Hermione smiled at the nods of approval. "Oh, we also have to be careful about how much we try to teach the two second-years. Even if they come all the time; which I'm pretty sure they will, I think it would be best if they were in the second group… at least for now anyway."
"So, you'll teach one group and Harry will teach the other?" Seamus asked.
Harry smirked, "No, not really." At Seamus's confused look, he added cryptically, "That's where you guys come in."
Hermione laughed, "What my not so subtle boyfriend is hinting at, is that we want you guys to help teach." At their surprised look, she went on, "Look, the second group will probably be smaller, and it will be mostly the new guys, who would need to catch up quite a bit to be up to speed with the old group. You six are the most advanced of the lot."
"And whether you believe it or not, all of you are way ahead of most of the students in this school as far as fighting technique goes," Harry added seriously.
"Okay, I guess that makes sense," Ginny said, "but if my brother pulls his head out and decides to join, I'm not sure he'd listen to anything I had to say."
Hermione nodded in understanding, "If Ron does decide to join, then great, but he'll have to play by the rules just like everyone else.
George whispered something to Fred who smiled and then said, "Don't worry, little sister, we'd be happy to teach him a lesson."
"You mean give him a lesson, dear brother." George corrected.
"Great, the D.A.'s first casualty," deadpanned Harry.
Hermione chuckled at their antics, then returning to business said, "Okay, back on topic, here's how it going to work. We're going to make three teams; team one, Fred and George…"
Fred and George both jumped up and snapped off a very passable military-style salute.
"Right… Team two, Neville and Luna. And finally, team three, Seamus and Ginny."
Fred and George eyed their little sister, who seemed a little too happy about the team arrangements. With a shared look, they silently agreed to have a quiet talk with her later.
Ignoring the two overly protective brothers, Hermione went on, "We'll start today with team one working with the second group. Then next time it will be team two and so on. That way you guys only miss out on every third lesson, and we'll help you stay caught up anyway. Sooo… what do think?"
Fred looked at his brother who nodded, then said brightly, "Sounds good, Boss."
Harry snickered, until Hermione turned and gave him a look. Then he suddenly found his trainers very interesting.
"So, ah, Hermione, just who is in this second group and what are we supposed to try and teach them?" George asked.
Hermione handed them two lists; one with the names of their students, and the other their lesson plans. Then out of nowhere, she added in her best imitation of Yoda "Try not, do"
Even though they hadn't seen the movie since last summer, everyone cracked up laughing. They only laughed harder as Hermione turned red.
Harry came up to her and put his arm around her, "Good one."
Ginny leaned closer to Seamus and after a chuckle said, "You know, my brothers actually talked about trying to make a lightsaber."
~oOoOo~
Snape entered the office to find McGonagall already there.
"Ah, Severus, do come in," Dumbledore said, then gesturing to an empty chair, "Please sit, we're almost done."
Ignoring the interruption, McGonagall asked with concern, "So, it's confirmed then?"
"Yes," sadly, I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said gravely, "I even had a specialist from the Department of Mysteries verify my findings on the prophecy." Dumbledore had indeed gone to The Hall of Prophecy's and viewed the original prophecy made years ago, and had noticed it had changed. What he didn't know, was that the change was due to the fact that Voldemort had been there earlier in the year and listened to it without taking it away. So, as far as he knew, the change was due to the new prophecy, thus validating it.
"What will you do?"
"For now… nothing. I'll wait and see if it starts to play out."
McGonagall frowned, she didn't like the sound of that but for now, she couldn't do anything about it. "Thank you for letting me know, Albus. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Even with all the evidence, she still found it hard to believe. Something wasn't right… it couldn't be. She'd have to think on it some more and even then she doubted she'd accept it.
As soon as he had sat down, Snape's interest had been piqued. Now with McGonagall gone, he could ask his questions. "McGonagall now knows about the prophecy I take it?" He asked, hoping the Dumbledore would reveal something.
Still lost in thought, Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, she knows… and she knows about the changes as well."
This was news. As subtly as possible, Snape asked, "Changes, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore looked up, "Yes, changes. There's been a major change in the prophecy."
Snape didn't know a prophecy could just change but then again, he'd be the first to admit, he; like most wizards, really didn't know much about them. This, however, seemed important, so he wanted to make sure he understood. "Headmaster, forgive my ignorance, but are we talking about a new prophecy or a change to the old one… the one involving Potter?"
As far as Dumbledore was concerned they were one and the same. His thoughts were that; the second prophecy only served to modify the first prophecy. Therefore, there was still only one prophecy in play, the original. "I'm talking about the one concerning Mr. Potter, the original one."
"I see," Snape said with his usual tone of distaste for anything related to Harry Potter. Then wondering if this had anything to do with the Dark Lord's visit last summer, he asked, "Do you know when this change occurred?"
Dumbledore eyed Snape for a second before answering, "Just recently, why? Is there something you wish to share Severus?"
Snape quickly schooled his look, "No, Headmaster. My apologies, I seemed to have let my curiosity get away from me." Snape then sneered, "And was wondering if it was going to make Potter even more insufferable."
"Really, Severus, you need to let go of that old hatred."
Snape bowed his head, "It's… difficult." Happy to have steered the conversation towards a safer topic. He'd see about learning what these changes were at another time.
~oOoOo~
As January faded into February, winter refused to release her icy grip on the students of Hogwarts. While others were wishing for the quick return of spring, Harry's thoughts were about tomorrow. The first Saturday of the month and the first Hogsmeade visit of the new term. Remembering what Ginny had said last year, about how it would have been so romantic if he has asked Hermione to be his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, Harry wanted to do something special this year.
He needed Hermione distracted for about an hour while he looked for her gift in Hogsmeade, so he asked the only two people he could think of that could pull it off. Sitting at breakfast, Harry caught Fred's eye as he walked by to sit with his own friends further down the table. A very subtle nod from Fred told Harry, all was set for tomorrow.
A moment later, a very disgruntled Ginny squeezed in between Neville and Seamus and plopped down on the bench with a huff. Sitting across from Harry and Hermione, she was slowly shaking her head and mumbling, "I knew I shouldn't have said anything, I jinxed it!"
Concerned, Hermione asked, "Jinxed what, Gin?"
Ginny sighed, "My brother the git just told me, he wants to join the D.A."
Hermione just raised a brow and said, "Ohh…" Causing Ginny to nod.
Harry laughed, then said with a smirk, "I don't see the problem, Gin, now you get to kick his ass once or twice a week and not get in trouble for it."
Ginny sat up and started to smile, then muttered, "Yeah…" While Seamus and Neville cracked up.
Hermione turned to Harry and shook her head reproachfully while trying not to laugh. Seeing no one was buying her stern look, Hermione join the laughter with a chuckle of her own.
~oOoOo~
Harry and Hermione, along with Neville and Luna were almost to Hogsmeade when Fred and George came running up from behind.
"Hermione!" Fred yelled as he and his brother rushed up, "we need your help!"
"It's a matter of life and death!" George added seriously.
"What? What happened?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"We need you to come back to the castle with us."
Exasperated, Hermione asked, "What, now?"
Fred nodded, "Yes!"
George added, "Most certainly."
Hermione eyed the two pranksters suspiciously, "Why, what'd you do? And why ask me?"
"A potion we've started," George started, "isn't going well."
"We may have missed up the arithmancy," Fred continued.
"And you're the only one we can think of that won't turn us in," George finished.
"At least we hope she won't, dear brother," Fred said to his twin.
Hermione sighed, it was times like this that she hated being known as the smartest witch of her age. Turning to Harry, she asked, "What do you think?"
Harry shrugged, and then after a quick glance at Neville said, "We should probably just go with them. Wouldn't want them blowing up the castle."
"Harry," Neville said quickly with a hopeful look, "do you think you'll still have time to ah… you know, help me when you get back?" Neville asked, playing his part.
At Hermione's questioning look, Harry leaned in close and whispered, "I was going to help him pick out a gift for Luna."
Hermione nodded in understanding, "Just go on ahead then, Harry. I'll meet up with you in the Three Broomsticks shortly." Then turning to the twins, said, "Alright, let's go, I haven't all day."
~oOoOo~
In a tiny shop called, "Make It Special" at the far end of the ally; Neville stood guard just inside the door, keeping an eye out for Hermione in case she came back early. Meanwhile, Harry took in the seemingly endless display of jewelry. "This is going to take longer than I thought," He said out loud to himself as he rubbed his chin.
"Maybe if you narrowed it down to a specific type of jewelry, Harry," offered Luna. At his blank look, she explained, "Ring, earing, bracelet… you know."
"Oh, ahh… I was thinking of a necklace," Harry said as he resumed his search. He wasn't too worried about Hermione finding him here, he could always say he was just helping Neville. But he rather not have her know he had been in a jewelry shop, it might take away some of the surprise.
The shop was being tended to by a rather young witch only a few years older than them. She had been sitting behind a small desk working on paperwork, intent to just let them browse for a while. Having overheard what Harry was looking for, she got his attention and pointed to a long case full of items she thought he might like, then went back to work.
Walking over to the case, Harry started looking more closely at the various necklaces. Harry was just starting to get a little frustrated, when one caught his eye. "Luna, come take a look at this one." Harry pointed to a heart-shaped pendant that hung from two intertwining gold chains. The pendant itself was also made of gold, with beautiful intricate scrollwork wrapped around some very unusual runes. It all surrounded an extraordinary looking heart shaped stone. Harry wasn't sure what kind of stone it was, but it was nevertheless quite striking. As the light shifted, the violet color of the stone seemed to change or pulse. Harry thought it almost looked like a beating heart.
Luna came over and bent down to examine the necklace more carefully. The craftsmanship was superb, "Oh, Harry, it's perfect!"
Harry smiled, "I thought so too."
Seeing they had found something, the young shopkeeper came over to help. Looking down at his selection she took in a sudden breath, "Oh my!" The woman said surprised, then in a whisper to herself added, "When did she put that out?"
"What?" Asked Harry, becoming a little worried.
The shopkeeper looked back up, "Well, it's just… well I haven't seen this piece in a long time. I thought…" She looked towards the back of the shop for a moment, then as if having made up her mind, said, "It belongs to my great grandmother. Please wait here, I'll go and fetch her."
As the young woman walked away, Harry glanced at Luna looking for some kind of explanation, only to find her smiling mysteriously. Before he could ask, an elderly witch came out from the back. She approached the counter slowly with the help of a cane and Harry couldn't help but think she looked every bit as old as Dumbledore. "So, let's see who has come for my necklace," She said mysteriously. Once at the counter, she leaned her cane against it and held on to the edge as she reached into her pocket and pulled out an ancient pair of spectacles. Looking at Harry, she nodded with a kind knowing smile. "Harry Potter… yes, perfect."
At the mention of his name, the younger witch turned and stared. She hadn't recognized him with his woolen hat pulled low over his scar.
The old witch, who Harry now thought might even be older than Dumbledore, studied him for a minute, then asked, "Tell me, Mr. Potter, who do you plan to share this with?"
Puzzled slightly by the question, Harry answered simply, "I was going to give it to my girlfriend for Valentine's Day."
"Is this girl special?"
Her look was discerning, but something in the way she had asked put Harry at ease. He got the feeling she was more than just curious and wasn't being overly nosy. It was more like she had to be sure, as she really wanted it to go to someone deserving.
Harry returned her soft smile and nodded, "Yes, ma'am, Hermione is very special." Harry looked down at the necklace and then back up, "In fact, she's the most important person in the world to me."
The old witch nodded in satisfaction, "Good, then you shall have them."
"Them?" Harry asked with a raised brow.
The wise old witch glanced at Luna, who smiled and then looked away. Turning back to Harry, she lifted the necklace up for him to see. Holding one chain in each hand she gently pulled them apart. As the last twist came undone, the pendant and heart split in half, one half on each chain. The colors also changed, one was now mostly pink, while the other, mostly turquoise.
Harry stared in awe. The fit had been so perfect he hadn't noticed it was actually two pieces.
"They are a matched set, meant to be worn by two who wish to share with each other not only their hearts, but all that they are." The old witch pinned Harry with a sharp look, "Is that your wish, Harry Potter?"
Harry stared at the beautiful necklace and thought of the symbolism behind it and his smile grew, "Yes, ma'am, it is."
The old witch nodded again, "Then I shall have it wrapped for you."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you," then held up a hand to stop her from doing that just yet. "They're perfect just the way they are but I was wondering… if I could have something engraved on the back?"
After explaining what he wanted, the old witch's smile grew as she whispered to herself, "How very appropriate." Then looking back up she said, "This piece was made with some very old magic, it will take some time to put the inscription on the back. I'm afraid it won't be ready by Valentine's Day."
Harry nodded. The inscription was important, he'd wait.
"Very well, I'll see to it right away. It should be ready by the end of the month, and, Mr. Potter, I think the wait will be well worth it."
Harry thanked her again. His business now complete, he had just enough time to run over to another shop, to get something else to give to Hermione on Valentine's Day.
~oOoOo~
Harry's eyes snapped open as he sucked in a deep breath of air; Voldemort was at it again. After taking a few calming breaths Harry sat up and looked at the time. "Shite, why can't he sleep like regular wizards…? Like during the middle of the night!" Harry mumbled. It was nearly three in the morning but apparently, Voldemort felt it was a good time to teach one of his minions a lesson about failure. Harry got up to use the loo and get a sip of water before returning to bed. Pulling the covers up, he lay there and stared at the canopy over his bed thinking about his connection to the most evil wizard alive.
Harry hated the idea of the connection. The story that Dumbledore had told him certainly made sense, but why a connection… and the visions. Did he have similar magic to Voldemort? Was his blood like his in some way? Harry hoped not, he didn't think he could live with himself if he had evil blood running through his veins. Harry then thought about Hermione, 'She wouldn't love somebody evil,' that thought alone, made him feel a little better.
He closed his eyes and replayed the vision over and over again until he felt he had it committed to memory. Tomorrow he'd write all the details down in his journal and then talk to Hermione about it. If anyone could uncover some hidden information from it, it would be her. Now with visions of Hermione running through his head, Harry slowly drifted back to sleep.
~oOoOo~
Harry woke the following morning to the sound of tapping. Parting the curtains that surrounded his bed, Harry peeked out. On the ledge just outside the tower window closest to his bed was an owl silhouetted by the early morning twilight. Slipping out of bed, he walked over to the window to let the owl in. It took his sleep-addled mind a second before he realized his early morning visitor was Hedwig.
As soon as Harry had opened the window, Hedwig flew in and landed on his night table. With the fog of sleep now gone, Harry smiled as he got a better look at her. Hedwig was standing on the table with a red bow tied loosely around her neck. In her beak she carried a single red rose and tied to her leg was a card. Hedwig gave him a reproachful look when he smiled again at the bow around her neck.
Harry took the rose from her as he sat down next to her on the table. After untying the card, he opened it and read the simple note;
Happy Valentine's Day
Love, Hermione
Harry stared at the card for a moment and his smile grew when he noticed the three tiny hearts that Hermione had drawn after her name. Gently, he set the card down as if it was as delicate as the rose lying next to it. Looking up, he saw that Hedwig was still giving him the eye. "Oh, sorry, Hedwig, give me a sec and I'll get that ribbon off of you." As Harry reached over to untie it, he froze halfway and with a tiny smirk on his face asked, "Although, you do look quite fetching with it on. Are you sure you want me to take it off?"
Tilting her head slightly, Hedwig stomped her feet and gave him a look that clearly told Harry she didn't think he was funny.
Harry chuckled, "Okay… Merlin, don't get your feathers in a ruffle." After taking off the offending ribbon, Harry smiled, "There, happy now?"
Hedwig lifted her head a little, as if to say, 'What do think?' Free of her early morning delivery, Hedwig gave Harry a little nip on the finger to let him know she wasn't mad, then turned and took flight out of the still open window.
Neville watched from across the room and smiled. It never ceased to amaze him how Harry or Hermione could carry on a conversation with their familiars as if they were actually human. 'They must have a very strong bond,' he thought. But then again, knowing Harry and Hermione and how strong their magic was, he figured he shouldn't have been so surprised. Laying back down he mused, 'Maybe I should get an owl.'
~oOoOo~
Sitting at breakfast later, Harry watched as Hermione read his card. When she turned and looked at him, he explained, "I wanted today to be really special for you but when I finally found the gift I wanted to give you, I was told it wouldn't be ready by today." Before Hermione could say anything Harry went on, "I went ahead and got it anyway but now, I'm not sure if I shouldn't just save it and give it to you for some other special occasion. Or, would you like me to just give it to you late… you know, when I finally get it?"
Hermione took his hand and gave it a squeeze as she stared back through misty eyes. As soon as she had gotten back to the castle with the twins a couple of weeks back, she knew something was up and she knew why. She never let on, happy to let Harry have his surprise. Having so little love in his early childhood, she knew Harry sometimes tended to overdo things, not that she minded one bit. Now, here he sat, hoping she wasn't upset. He was trying so hard. And she knew he probably had the whole day planned out; full of fun and romance. If only he'd look around, he'd see that unlike him, there were several boys who had obviously forgotten what day it was, judging by the unhappy looks on their girlfriend's faces.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said softly, "you've already given me the greatest gift of all… your love. Cards and flowers are nice, they tell me that you were thinking of me… and that, Harry, is all that really matters."
For now, the late gift was forgotten; he'd give it to her on another special day. Looking at the girl he felt so much for, he told her how he felt, "I think about you all the time Hermione," Harry's voice hitched a little as he continued, "sometimes… you're all I think about."
Hermione leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss, "I love you too."