money from it, so please Mrs. Rowling if you read this
don’t sue me. A comment or two would be welcome
though.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were eating ice creams and enjoying the last day of summer holiday at Diagon Alley. O.W.L.’s had come earlier that summer - Hermione had received one in each of her subjects except for Astronomy. That exam had been thrown out. Students would be sitting it again the third week of the fall term. Ron and Harry had been surprised to find they had either O's or E's in all their subjects except for Divination. The good news was they could still be Aurors. The bad news, they all had to continue with Snape in Potions.
Ron and Hermione were the Gryffindor Prefects again for sixth year students while Ginny, along with Colin Creevey, had been selected as Prefects for fifth years. Ginny was thrilled. She had been convinced that the trouble she caused in her first year with Tom Riddle’s diary would be held against her. Her parents per family tradition had bought her a gift, a beautiful Eagle Owl; she had named it Putney.
Harry had taken Ginny shopping too, waiting patiently while she searched for hours in Flourish and Blotts book store. She had finally picked an old musty volume which had no title. The book was bound in faded red leather and was very heavy. The shopkeeper had seemed surprised when Ginny placed it on the counter, like he didn’t know it was in the shop in the first place. Harry had shrugged it off, figuring some of the books in there had been on the shelves longer than the shopkeeper had been alive.
Ginny had also helped Harry purchase a simple necklace. It had a clear silky strand made of dragon heartstring and a single translucent purple stone set in a silver backed pendant. Harry had refused to tell her who it was for, and after spending the morning trying to get it out of him she gave up. Harry hadn’t picked up that she quit trying as soon as they had joined up with Ron and Hermione.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had decided to try staying at the Leaky Cauldron again this year, with hopes of getting to King’s Cross Station early for once. Harry doubted very much that this would happen, but didn’t say anything to Molly about it. All said it had been a great day and despite still being angry about Sirius, an even better summer.
“It’s getting late, we should head back to the Leaky Cauldron, Mum and Dad wanted to have dinner,” Ron said.
“Ugh, like I’ll be able to eat after this.” Hermione indicated to the empty dish in front of her.
“Speak for yourself,” Harry replied, patting his stomach. “I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Me too,” Ron added. Hermione looked disbelievingly at the two of them muttering under her breath. Ginny rolled her eyes at them.
“Well come on then. Let’s take these two pigs to the trough,” she shot at them. Hermione let loose a short snort of laughter at Ginny’s comment.
They were walking down the street when Hermione stumbled into Harry and fell to the ground landing awkwardly on her arm. She cried out as the others heard a loud snap.
“Hermione! Are you ok?” Ginny yelped as she and the others bent down to help her. Hermione was holding her arm gingerly and crying.
“Stupid Mudblood, why don’t you watch where you’re going?” The voice registered instantly in Harry’s brain.
Malfoy.
“Help Hermione,” Ginny said to him. She and Ron spun to face Malfoy. He was flanked by his bodyguards; Crabbe and Goyle.
“That’s it Potter, stay there and hide behind the Weasels,” Malfoy snarled at him. Harry ignored him.
“Hermione?”
“It’s broken, Harry.”
“Can you get up?” he asked.
“Not yet,” she replied shaking her head. And then nodding to where it had fallen she added, “Just hand me my wand.”
Ron had grown a lot over the summer; Crabbe and Goyle didn’t seem as big as they had been last year. With the rage he was in, it wouldn’t have mattered if they were full-grown lions. He started forward, forgetting his wand in his pocket. Crabbe and Goyle moved to meet him.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” Ginny cast her spell picking the two boys up and tossing them into the middle of the square. They landed in a heap, and then scrambled to their feet trying to get away from her. Ginny sent another spell at them, tying them tightly together.
The sneer on Malfoy’s face disappeared. The shield spells that he had cast on Crabbe and Goyle before he tripped Hermione had been simply overwhelmed when Ginny’s spell hit them. He tried to back away from Ron, but the crowd gathering to see what the commotion was all about blocked his escape. Malfoy brought his wand up.
“Petrificus Totalus!” he screamed.
“Protego!” Ron yelled. Malfoy’s spell deflected off Ron’s shield spell, petrifying a nearby tree. Ron reached Malfoy, picked him up, and threw him against a nearby wall. He advanced on Malfoy again in a blind rage.
Malfoy was trying desperately to get away. Ginny, sensing that Ron was beyond reason ran up and grabbed him around his waist attempting to hold him back.
Hermione waved her wand over her wrist, speaking a spell. She gasped in pain as the broken bone in her arm healed.
“Help me up, Harry,” she whispered, gritting her teeth against the pain in her arm. Harry pulled her to her feet. They turned together to see what was happening between Ron, Ginny and Malfoy’s gang.
Ron had stopped trying to drag Ginny with him and instead reached his hand towards Malfoy. When he lifted his arm, Malfoy rose into the air. Harry could see Ron beginning to clench his hand into a fist. Malfoy screamed. Ron was crushing him.
“We have to stop him,” Hermione yelled.
“How!?” Harry yelled back.
Ginny had given up trying to hold Ron back, and was now hitting him with every curse she knew. Her spells were simply bouncing off the shield spell Ron had cast when the fight first began. Hermione ran over and stepped in front of Ron. She pulled his face around forcing him to look at her.
“Put him down, Ronald!” As soon as Ron focused on Hermione, Malfoy fell in a heap to the ground.
“Hermione, what?....Are you ok?” Ron asked, looking surprised to see her.
“Yes I’m fine,” she answered. Ron looked at Malfoy staggering to his feet. He was holding his side, Crabbe and Goyle were still hopelessly trussed together.
“What happened to them?” he asked, confused by all the people gathered round them. The whole incident had lasted maybe a minute. Ministry officials were beginning to rush in now.
“What’s going on here?” one demanded.
“They attacked me and my friends,” Malfoy jumped in, indicating towards Harry, still holding his side. “See look at them,” he added, pointing to Crabbe and Goyle. The official turned to Harry and the others.
“That’s a lie, sir. I saw the whole thing. Those two with the red hair only defended their friend after he,” the man pointed at Malfoy, “tripped that girl there, the one with the brown hair. That other boy,” he pointed to Harry. “Blimey its….well, he didn’t do anything but hand the girl her wand back after she had fallen.” Harry had no idea who this person was. But he was glad to have him speak up.
“I saw it too, sir, happened just like the man said. That one,” he pointed at Malfoy, “even called one of them a Mudblood.” The official looked around at the crowd.
“You two,” he pointed at a two of his junior assistants, “round up those three. Take their wands.” He indicated towards Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, and then spotting three more of his assistants, as they appeared, snapped instructions at them too.
“You three round up any witness who wants to make a statement.” The three officials turned to follow his instructions. The Senior Ministry Official then turned to Harry and his friends.
“You four come with me.” He motioned them to a table and sat down. “Now which one of you wants to tell me what happened?” Ginny started talking, taking the official through the whole incident.
“All right,” he said when she had finished. “Anyone else want to add anything?” They all shook their heads. “You must be Arthur Weasley’s kids,” he remarked, looking at Ron and Ginny. They nodded in reply. “Where are your parents today?”
“They're waiting for us at the Leaky Cauldron, we’re staying there tonight before heading to school tomorrow. We were on our way to meet them when Malfoy attacked us,” Ron answered.
“Well go on then. I know where to find you if I need to. And don’t worry about this. I don’t think you will be in any trouble over it. Those other three though,” he shook his head. “They won’t be so lucky.”
“You’re late! I’ve been worried sick about you. No message….Nothing to let me know where you were!” Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione blanched. Mrs. Weasley was in full song and could deliver a tongue lashing that even Dumbledore preferred to avoid. The four of them looked at each other. “Well!” Mrs. Weasley demanded.
“We would have been here….” Harry started, but was interrupted when a Ministry owl shot out of the fire place, sailed across the room and dropped a sealed official Ministry envelope in Mrs. Weasley’s hair. She took one look at it, and glared at them again.
“Don’t you lot go anywhere. I’m not done with you yet!”
“What do you suppose that is?” Harry whispered at Ron.
“Hopefully a letter telling her I was switched at birth and my real Mum wants me back. It might keep her from killing me.”
“You dopes,” Hermione cut in. “It’s probably a letter telling them about what happened with Malfoy.” Ginny looked paralyzed at the idea.
“I think I would have preferred it if the Ministry guy had just given me to the dementors,” Ron said morosely.
“Arthur!” Mrs. Weasley shrieked. All four of them jumped. “Come here look at this!” She waved the letter at him. He hurried over to take it from her. They all held their breath as Mrs. Weasley rounded on them.
“Hermione, are you ok?” At the sound of her name Hermione had tried to duck behind Harry. Harry felt Hermione’s grip relax on his arm, as she realized she was safe. “Come here let me see that arm.” Mrs. Weasley drug Hermione off to a chair. “Oh my goodness dear, healing it yourself, let me check it. Six boys goodness knows I’ve fixed more than a few broken bones.”
“It’s ok, Mrs. Weasley. Really, it’s just sore now. Ginny said that that was normal. That her ankle hurt a little for a day or so after it was healed this spring,” Hermione tried to reassure Mrs. Weasley.
Mrs. Weasley however, simply ignored her, running her wand over Hermione’s arm to make sure it had healed properly.
“Well it seems to be in good order. What spell did you use?”
Harry didn't hear Hermione's reply, but saw her wincing as her arm was prodded some more. Mrs. Weasley however, blanched.
“Well of course it hurts, that is not a healing spell. It will work, but won’t take away any of the pain….Honestly, you four, always having to do things yourself, not asking for help….” Mrs. Weasley was rambling now, not really talking to anyone in particular. “Now let me see if I can’t make it a little better…..There that should do it.” Hermione felt the throbbing pain subside to a minor ache.
“Thank you. Oh, that’s much better. You’ll have to teach me that,” she said gratefully. Harry could see the stress leave her face as the pain subsided.
The others had felt safe enough to move, and had joined the two of them at the table. Mr. Weasley was rereading the letter for the third time. Mrs. Weasley looked up at the others.
“Was any one else hurt?”
“Just Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle,” Harry answered.
“Perhaps one of you could fill in the gaps for us,” Mr. Weasley broke in, looking at Ron.
“Ginny, you better tell them. After Hermione fell and I heard Malfoy’s voice, I really don’t remember anything,” Ron replied.
After Ginny finished relating what had happened her parents just looked at her, and then they turned to Ron. In fact everyone was looking at Ron now. They had been joined by a number of other people around the room who, on overhearing bits of the story, had found it too interesting to prevent them from minding their own business.
“I don’t believe it, Ginny. You must have just missed seeing it in my hand. I can’t do magic without my wand,” Ron said. Most of the others around the circle murmured in agreement.
“Takes a really powerful wizard to do magic like that without his wand, I’d wager only Dumbledore, and You-Know-Who can do it,” one old wizard commented. The others nodded their heads in agreement and started to filter away again.
“Excellent tale either way, gave those three a whipping too. All sons of Death Eaters, more than deserved what they got,” the old wizard said as he wandered back to the bar for another mug of firewhisky.
“I don’t care what anyone says,” Ginny fumed. “I know what I saw. Your wand was not in your hand.”
“I agree with Ginny, mate. I didn’t see your wand either,” Harry added. Ron looked around; his mother and father had a look of surprise and pride on their faces. He turned to Hermione.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“I had to stand right in front of you to get you to drop Malfoy. You were not using a wand, Ronald,” Hermione answered softly.
“Who would have thought, our little Ronnikins,” Fred poked at him.
“Knocking the puss out of Malfoy without a wand,” George finished, and then belted Ron on the arm.
“Ouch, what was that for?” Ron snapped at him.
“Just making sure,” George said.
“That you remember not to try it on us. Or we’ll turn you into a pretzel,” said Fred smiling at him.
Dinner that night was quite a celebration. Ron spent the night listening to Harry, Ginny and Hermione as they were forced to retell different parts of the story again and again.
Maybe I really didn’t use my wand, he thought to himself.
Well I certainly don’t recall pulling it out, the voice in his head spoke up.
Well since you don’t, he doesn’t, and I don’t either, I guess that makes three of us, a second voice remarked. Ron’s face took on a puzzled expression, that no one else around the table noticed.
Well since you two can’t, and I don’t remember any of it, I guess I’ll just have to take their word for it, Ron answered.
Hey, you think we’ll make the paper tomorrow? the second voice asked.
For what? the first responded.
Will you guys both shut it, Ron said to them.
Hermione was just sitting down to eat breakfast when Mrs. Weasley came running down the stairs.
“Oh no you don’t,” she snapped at her. “You finish eating right now. Just once, I’m going to get you kids to the station on time. And put that paper away, you can read it on the train.” Hermione stuffed the paper in her bag, and started eating quickly.
“Ronald, Harry! Get up now!” she shrieked up the stairs. Hermione started gulping down her breakfast washing the last bite down with a large swig of pumpkin juice.
“Oh….that’s a good girl. Now go get your trunk and tell Ginny if she’s not down here, ready to go in ten minutes, I’ll arrange for her to be in detention for the next week when she gets to Hogwarts.”
Harry couldn’t believe it. All their trunks had been loaded into the luggage compartment. He was sitting in a compartment with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione and the clock had just chimed nine bells. They were two hours early.
After the frenzied rush of barley making it to the train the previous five years it felt anticlimactic. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had already said their goodbyes, and now the four of them were just sitting, waiting for the rest of the students to show up and the train to leave.
“Aren’t you going to go look for Dean?” Ron asked Ginny, hostility evident in his voice.
“No, he didn’t write me this summer, so I broke up with him about a week ago,” Ginny replied without looking up from the book Harry had bought her. Harry watched Ron’s face go from grumpy to cheerful in the span of about two seconds.
“I told you he could be a git,” Ron replied happily.
“You, are a git Ronald Weasley. But I love you anyways.” Ron opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when the door to the compartment opened, it was Luna and Neville. Harry moved over to make room for them.
“Ron!” Neville exclaimed. “Knocking Malfoy around like that, wish I could have seen it.” Luna sat down next to Harry.
“Hello,” she said dreamily.
“Hello Luna,” Harry replied.
“Who told you about that?” Hermione asked. Neville looked at her and then the others.
“It’s in the paper. Didn’t you see? You made the front page Ron,” Neville answered. This proclamation was enough to get Ginny to lift her head from her book. She joined Harry, Ron and Hermione as they stared at Neville in bewilderment. Hermione gasped, she had completely forgotten about the paper. She reached into her bag and pulled it out.
“See, I told you.” Neville pointed to the front page.
The entire front page of the Daily Prophet was covered with a picture of Ron, his arm out stretched. Malfoy was floating in the air struggling, and appeared to be screaming in pain. Ginny was in the picture casting spells at Ron that were bouncing off of him. And then Hermione would run up in front of Ron. The scene kept repeating itself over and over. Harry took note that Ron’s wand was still in his pocket in the picture. He shifted his eyes to the headline.
FIGHT BETWEEN HOGWARTS STUDENTS INJURES TWO AT DIAGON ALLEY.
“What’s the rest of it say, Hermione?” Harry asked. Hermione looked at the page and started to read the article out loud.
Diagon Alley:
Two were injured in an incident yesterday between students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The incident began when Draco Malfoy, son of Lucious Malfoy, a know Death Eater who recently escaped from prison to rejoin You-Know-Who, brutally attacked fellow student Hermione Granger.
Miss Granger you may recall has been linked romantically with Harry Potter, though young Harry has denied the claim. Miss Granger suffered a broken arm when she fell after being tripped by Draco Malfoy. One witness described the scene after the attack. The Prophet has taken the liberty of filling in the names for our witness.
“Well after the Malfoy boy tripped that poor girl, her friends went to help her. It was obvious she had been hurt. I could hear the bone snap in her arm and I was twenty feet away. She healed it herself you know. Anyways, then that brat, Malfoy called her a Mudblood. That’s when two of her friends,” later identified as Ronald and Ginny Weasley, “confronted him.”
Ronald and Ginny are both the children of Arthur Weasley, who works for the Ministry of Magic, in the Miss-Use of Muggle Artifacts Division.
“The boy (Ron) started towards Draco, when his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle,” also sons of know Death Eaters, “moved to protect him. The girl (Ginny), she hit them with a levitation spell and tossed them about twenty feet across the square. She then tied them up with a binding spell. Pretty good display of magical skill too. Took them Ministry Officials an hour to get them loose, had to call in an Auror.
“Well anyways, then it gets real interesting see. Because the other one, Ron. Well, he’s still going after that Draco boy, when Draco hits him with a petrifying spell. Only Ron blocks it with a shield spell. But he’s not using a wand! I tell you he blocked that spell and his wand was still in his pocket. So then Ron picks up Draco and just physically throws him against that wall there, no magic or nothing.
"Now Draco is looking scared. His friends can’t help him and the other boy is still coming after him. So now Ginny, she must get scared that her brother is going to kill the Malfoy boy. Would serve him right in my opinion - Death Eater, or son of a Death Eater, can’t be any better than his father. Oh yeah, so she grabs a hold of her brother trying to stop him. He can’t drag her forward but that doesn’t stop him. He just reaches out his hand at Draco and picks him up with magic. No wand again!
“His sister is really scared now. She stops trying to hold him back, starts to let loose every spell in the book at him. But the shield he put up when the fight started is still protecting him. So spells are deflecting everywhere. My wife had jiggly legs till an hour ago, it’s been five hours since she got hit. So then Ron starts to close his hand into a fist like he is trying to crush the Malfoy boy. I think he might have done it too cause Draco is screaming like he is in pain now.
“That’s when the Granger girl, she just walks up to Ron grabs his face so he has to look at her and yells at him to put the boy down. Soon as Ron sees her face, the Malfoy boy just falls to the ground in a heap.
“Now mind you, I’ve never seen a really powerful wizard like Albus Dumbledore in a battle or anything. But what that Weasley boy did and without a wand, that was the most impressive display of magic I have ever seen.” Several other witnesses to the altercation were able to corroborate this account of the incident for the Prophet.
“I tell you what,” one lady said. “I’m glad I wasn’t the one what tripped that girl.” This seemed to be the sentiment of everyone who had witnessed the altercation.
Narcissa Malfoy, Draco’s mother was later reported to have demanded charges be brought against Ronald and Ginny Weasley. She claimed that her son had suffered several broken ribs, and would be late arriving at Hogwarts for the start of term because of it. When questioned, Ministry officials informed the Daily Prophet that Mrs. Malfoy had been told no action would be taken against the Weasley children as it was her son who had started the whole thing. In fact Draco and both his friends Crabbe and Goyle were being cited for inciting a near riot and fined fifty galleons each.
The Daily Prophet was unable to contact Miss Granger or the Weasley children for comment on the incident. I can only add that we should all be so lucky as to have such a Knight in Shining Armor come to our rescue as Ronald Weasley.
Rita Seeker: Reporting.
“Well, glad to see she is reporting the facts for a change,” Hermione said looking around at the others. Ron had turned a slight shade of pink. Harry watched as a sinful grin come over Hermione’s face. He nodded at her.
“Oh Ron!” she exclaimed throwing herself on the floor in front of him wrapping her arms around his legs. “You really are my Knight in Shining Armor.” The others burst out laughing as Ron’s face turned crimson.
“Get off of me!” He tried pushing her away. Hermione wouldn’t let up though, smothering him with hugs and trying to kiss him.
“My hero, oh my brave hero,” she kept teasing him. Ginny and Luna joined in grabbing him around the legs.
“Oh protect us too Ron, save us from Malfoy please Ron.”
Harry and Neville were laughing so hard they had fallen off their seats and were sitting on the floor holding their sides. Ron finally extracted himself from the girls, and stood on the seat, brandishing his wand at them.
“Stay away from me, you nutcases.”
“Oh our hero doesn’t like our attention,” Ginny said pretending to be hurt.
“Ron, please don’t leave us,” Luna added batting her eyelashes at him. Ginny and Hermione joined her.
“You three are insane,” Ron fumed at them, but then burst into laughter at himself and their ridiculous performance. Harry and Neville managed to climb back onto the bench, still hiccupping from laughing so hard. Harry wiped a tear from his eye.
“Oh boy, this is great. You’ll never hear the end of that one, Ron. It’s not going to be any better for you either Hermione,” he added laughing at both of them now.
“I can hear it now. Look there she is,” Harry said, mimicking some unknown student. “Shush, we don’t want her Knight in Shining Armor to come after us.” He burst out laughing again; Neville, Ginny and Luna all joined him. The four of them were falling over each other again when they realized that Ron and Hermione were standing over them with their wands pointing down. They tried to stop.
“Oh come on you two, we're only teasing,” Ginny said getting control of herself. She might have saved them until she caught Harry’s eye.
“Oh Ronnie save me,” she snickered. The others couldn’t take it and joined in again.
“Petrify?” Ron asked looking at Hermione.
“I think that will do nicely, make it weak though,” Hermione replied. Harry was trying to stop. He held his hand up towards them.
“No wait.”
“Petrificus!” Hermione said.
“Totalus!” Ron finished.
“Well that’s better, they make a nice statute don’t you think?” Ron asked.
“I think we should set it up in your mother’s garden,” Hermione replied. She took his arm, “Come on Hero, we better go to the Prefects’ meeting.”
“What about Ginny, she needs to go too?” Ron asked.
“Oh she’ll be along in about five minutes; we can stall till she gets there.” Hermione drug Ron out of the compartment and headed towards the front of the train.
“Ron….“ Hermione said as they walked forward.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for protecting me yesterday.”
“We were all doing something to help you. Not just me,” Ron answered quietly.
“The mark of a true hero giving credit to others when you should,” Hermione told him.
“Well I learned from Harry.” They had reached the front of the train and Ron paused for a moment.
“Hermione,” Ron said, she looked up at him, “You’re welcome,” he finished, and then went through the door.
“Well,” Ron said, sitting back down next to Harry after the Prefects’ meeting, “the paper was right. Malfoy isn’t on the train, neither are Crabbe and Goyle.”
“Good riddance,” Ginny commented. “It will be a nice ride for once then. Unless,” she said turning to Harry, “the hero and damsel in distress petrify us again.” Harry had to try very hard not to snort the pumpkin juice he was drinking through his nose.
The ride to the school was quiet, though Harry noticed a lot of students seemed to be walking by their compartment on the train more than once. Some were even pointing at Ron and Hermione. Ron didn’t notice at all, but he could see Hermione grow uncomfortable under the stares. He couldn’t help feeling bad for them. He knew what was coming, having been through it many times before. The train pulled into the station and they piled out, looking for a carriage to take them up to the school.
“Firs years, over here, come on now firs yers.” Harry smiled at the comforting sound of Hagrid’s voice as he rounded up the first year students for the boat ride across the lake.
“Hi ya Harry,” Hagrid called out with a wave. “And there’s our new hero," he shot at Ron. Ron and Hermione both scowled at him and ducked into the carriage before too many people started to stare.
“See ya later, Hagrid,” Harry called with a wave.
The students filed into the Great Hall, Luna broke away from them headed for the Ravenclaw table. Harry sat down between Hermione and Ginny, looking up at the head table. All of the teachers from last year were back except for Madam Umbridge. He saw Remus Lupin and there next to him was Tonks. Harry scanned further down the table and stopped. Next to Madam Hootch, the flying instructor, was Viktor Krum. Krum noticed Harry staring and nodded at him. Harry nodded back.
What’s he doing here? he asked himself. The same question must have gone through Ron’s head because he had turned to Hermione and asked her.
“He who?” she replied.
“Him,” Ron said, pointing to Krum. Hermione looked up and gasped.
“I….I have no idea,” she stammered. Ron and Harry stared at her incredulously.
“Oh, like I’m supposed to believe you didn’t know he was going to be here,” Ron replied accusingly. Harry felt the same way, but didn’t say anything. He was more worried about the fight that was brewing. It had been a great summer without Ron and Hermione at each other’s throats. Knowing Ron’s feelings for Hermione, it looked like things were about to change for the worse.
“Ronald, I’m telling you the truth, I haven’t heard from him since he asked me to come see him at the beginning of the summer.” Hermione looked at Ron and Harry, she seemed to be pleading with them, with Ron to believe her.
“He wanted you to come see him,” Ron asked quietly. “What did you tell him?”
“Well considering where I spent the whole holiday, I would think the answer was obvious,” Hermione replied, her voice filled with hurt. Ron looked down; Hermione’s obvious pain at his lack of trust was too much for even him to miss.
“I’m sorry, Hermione. I should know you well enough to trust you by now,” Ron mumbled unable to meet her eyes.
“You’re forgiven, Ronald,” Hemione replied quietly. Harry looked at Ginny.
“Whew,” she mouthed to him. He nodded back.
“So, what is he doing here then?” Ginny asked.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Harry answered. “Hey look, the Sorting is about to begin.” Hermione missed the Sorting, or at least didn’t pay any attention to it.
What is he doing here? she wondered to herself.
I don’t have a clue, about it either, the voice in her head answered.
Arrrghh, did it ever occur to either of you that he might have job here? the second voice that existed in Hermione’s head screamed at them.
Hermione had first developed her second voice in her third year when she was using the Time Turner to get to all her classes. It was what had enabled her to get all the work done that had gone with it. She hadn’t spoken to Hermione much since that year had finished.
I see you’re still in a crabby mood, Hermione replied.
If you had been doing all that homework, you would have been in a bad mood too, the voice shot back.
We haven’t heard from you in a while, how come? the first voice asked.
Didn’t have anything to say, came the reply.
So Viktor showing up is occasion enough for you to bless us with you opinion again then? Hermione asked.
Well….yeah, that would be the short of it, the voice answered.
And your opinion is? the first voice asked.
Already told you, the second voice answered.
As helpful as always, said the first in disgust.
The both of you be quiet, I’m trying to think, Hermione snapped at them.
Oh, and we're not? both voices shot back at her.
If either of you has an idea of what I should do about this, I’m listening then.
I was beginning to wonder if you would ever ask, the second voice replied.
I’m waiting, Hermione responded.
We are not going to do anything. We told Viktor what kind of relationship we were interested in. If he has some other agenda here with us besides some new job, then that is too bad. Hermione sat quietly, digesting the conversation that had gone on in her head.
Are you always so straight to the point? she asked the second voice.
That’s me. I make you look positively subtle. Hermione cut herself short of retorting.
I heard that you know. I’m me, but I’m you too, the voice said.
Then how come I don’t hear from you all of the time? Hermione asked.
If I have anything to say, you’ll hear it, if not, well then you won’t, the voice answered.
What if I ask you a question?
I’m here whenever you call me. If you don’t use me, then eventually I’ll just disappear, the voice said matter of factly.
Are there more of you living in my head? Hermione asked.
I haven’t a clue, the second voice answered.
Well don’t ask me, I didn’t know she was there until she first showed up three years ago, the first voice said.
Oh, look the Sorting must be over, it looks like Dumbledore is getting ready to speak, the second voice said. Hermione looked up at the Headmaster.
Instead of speaking, he motioned to a group of three older students who had been standing off to the side. As they came forward, Hermione could see one boy who looked to be of Chinese descent and two girls, who from their appearance, did not give her any clues as to guessing where they might be from. One thing that left no doubts in her mind, as evidenced by the stares of the boy’s all around her, they were both stunning. Hermione looked at Neville, his mouth was hanging open.
Typical, she snorted to herself. She turned, looking at some of the others, most of who were in the same state. Hermione turned to Ron and Harry with growing anger. Harry and Ron were both looking at the new group of students too. They stared for a second or two, and then turned to each other.
“Who do you suppose they are?” Harry asked. Ron shrugged.
“Hey, do you think Krum might be here to help with the Quidditch teams?”
“If so, it can’t hurt can it?” Harry asked. Hermione felt her anger subside.
Maybe Ron’s growing up, the second voice said.
What about Harry, looks like both of them are to me, the first voice added.
“We have three new students all in their fifth year of magical training,” Professor McGonagall was saying. “They come to us from Beauxbaton’s school in France. They must now be sorted into their proper house. Please make sure that you all welcome them into the Hogwart’s family, no matter which house they are sorted into.” She peered over her glasses at the rest of the students. “Lee Xia.” The Chinese boy came forward to put on the sorting hat.
To Harry, the hat seemed to think for some time before placing the boy in Hufflepuff. The hat took an equally long time before placing Maggie Antionette in Huffelpuff also.
“Bridgette Weasley,” Professor McGonagall called out the last girl’s name. All around the Gryffindor table heads turned to look at Ron and Ginny, who looked at each other and then back up at the girl who was now sitting under the Sorting Hat.
“Another Weasley!” the hat said speaking inside her head.
“That’s me,” Bridgette thought back to the hat, “though you wouldn’t know it having blond hair and all. Don’t suppose you want to tell me what house my cousins are in?”
“You would like to join them then?” the hat seized on her question.
“No, just wondering.”
“Ah! The ability to think for yourself, good. Gryffindor by the way,” the hat said.
“The house of bravery, not sure I’m up to that,” Bridgette answered.
“Bravery is not what you are born with. It is a matter of choice. But if you feel that way perhaps somewhere else, you have talent I see; we could use that in Slytherin?” The hat seemed to be asking her.
“I thought you decided,” Bridgette responded.
“Not always, others have told me where they wanted to go before.”
“Then not Slytherin.”
“That leaves us two to choose from,”
“I think, I would choose,” Bridgette told the hat.
“You have chosen well…”
“RAVENCLAW!” the hat yelled into the hall.
“Thank you,” Bridgette thought to the hat as she took it off.
“Wow that took a long time,” Harry said.
“Is she related to you?” Hermione asked, looking at Ron and Ginny.
“Yeah, she is,” Ginny spoke up. “Her family used to live by us, but they moved when I was four or five. I think I’m about three weeks older than her."
“Yeah, I can remember all of us playing in the garden when we were little,” Ron added. “But we haven’t seen them since they moved. I know Mum and Dad keep in touch with her parents. Wonder why they didn’t tell us she was going to be here?” Ron looked over to the Ravenclaw table. His cousin was sitting next to Luna. He turned back around.
“Imagine that, a blond Weasley,” he commented. “Looks like Dumbledore’s about to start, hope he hurries, I’m starved.”
“Welcome,” Dumbledore began, “to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I think….that it is time to eat.” He clapped his hands together and as usual the tables filled with food.
“Looks like Dumbledore is still the same,” Ginny remarked before digging in. “I swear Tom Riddle could walk up there, sit under the Sorting Hat and he wouldn’t even blink.”
“That’s because,” Harry replied, “you didn’t see the two of them fighting at the Ministry last year.”
The students gradually began to drift into conversation, getting re-acquainted with friends who they had not seen since last spring. Eating, drinking, and getting sleepy as the piles of food began to disappear. Dumbledore was standing again. The hall grew quiet waiting for the usual start of term announcements.
“Well now that we have all eaten. And,” he paused, looking at Ron and then Hermione, “our heroes and their maidens in distress have returned to us,” he said with a smile of pride. The hall erupted in laughter while Ron and Hermione tried to sink out of sight.
“What, you’re not going to try and petrify him?” Harry laughed at them. Dumbledore raised his hand to regain the attention of his students.
“Yes, well, a good laugh at the expense of what was truly a noble act on Mr. Weasleys part. I do hope you will forgive me?” He looked to Ron. Ron nodded back.
“Miss Granger?” his gaze shifted.
“Of course, Headmaster,” she said loudly.
“Let the rest of us not forget that Mr. Weasley had the help of his sister. And that Miss Granger maintained a cool head, while in great distress. Remember, now that Voldemort has returned, in the trying times ahead, that great acts of bravery in defense of others, while maintaining a cool head may be the difference between life….and death.”
Harry looked around the hall. There were many students who looked to be terrified. You couldn’t see it, but Harry was one of them. Unlike most of them, Harry was not afraid that he might be killed. He was scared because if he could not defeat Voldemort all these people would suffer. The weight of the prophecy suddenly felt very heavy.
And no one can help me either, he thought to himself. Harry shook his head.
We are not alone. We might be the ones who can deliver the final blow to Voldemort, but Ron may deliver the blow that makes ours possible, the voices said. Just then he felt Hermione and Ginny squeeze his legs under the table.
“Thanks,” he whispered quietly to them, definitely glad to remember that his friends would not leave him to fight alone. Harry looked up, Dumbledore was speaking again.
“Now on a lighter note, I am pleased to announce that Professor Remus Lupin has returned to us as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Some of you may have concerns that Professor Lupin happens to be a werewolf….You may take your choice….You can receive instruction from the best teacher possible to arm you against Voldemort or you can find yourself lacking when he or his Death Eaters come for you. When making your decision, I urge you to consider that all of your parents have been informed of this appointment and have still sent you to be taught by him. Furthermore, as a bow to the concern for your safety, we have added to our staff Nymphandora Tonks. Professor Tonks is a fully trained Auror. She has been tasked with assisting Professor Lupin in the classroom and with controlling him during the full moon. I assure you, she is more than capable.”
Harry looked at his friends. They all stared at each other and back towards him.
“It looks like Dumbledore has had enough Ministry interference at Hogwarts,” Ron said with a smile. The others nodded their agreement.
“I am also pleased to announce that Professor Grubbyplank will be our full time Care of Magical Creatures Instructor--” Harry looked to where Hagrid was sitting, he was beaming.
Why’s he so happy? he asked himself silently.
“--This has been done,” Dumbledore continued, “because the Ministry has seen fit to finally clear Hagrid of the crimes for which he was accused. These wrongful accusations led to Hagrid being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year. I am pleased to inform you that Hagrid will resume his training as a wizard, joining the rest of this years fourth year students. He will continue in his duties as game keeper, but alas, will not have time to act as your teacher anymore.” Dumbledore finished this announcement with a huge smile on his face.
The Great Hall exploded in cheers. Most of the students loved Hagrid, and were thrilled to hear he would resume his training as a wizard. The announcement had the added bonus of relieving them of Hagrid’s classes, which usually stood a good chance of seriously injuring, if not killing someone. Dumbledore had his hand up once again asking for silence.
“I am sure that many of our students being Quidditch players will be able to tell you that qualifying tournaments for the next World Cup have begun. This brings us to Madam Hootch, who in addition to her duties as our flying instructor and Quidditch coach, has been asked to referee for some qualifying matches. In order to facilitate this, we have added another assistant to our staff, Mr. Victor Krum, whom many of you will recognize from his time as the Bulgarian National side’s Seeker. Mr. Krum also competed in the Triwizard Cup which was held at Hogwarts two years ago."
Well that answers that question, was heard inside four different heads at the same time.
“This brings me to the last announcement of this long winded speech before sending you off to bed,” Dumbledore said with a smile at his students. “We will be having a Valentines Day Ball this year. It will be open to all students fourth year and up. As always if you wish to bring a student from first through third year you may. Thank you for your attention and have a good year.” Dumbledore sat down.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the back of Snape’s classroom, discussing the events of the welcoming dinner from the night before. Professor Snape stormed in, slamming the door shut behind him. It was reminiscent of the first time Harry had been in the room.
“I see,” he said icily glaring in Harry’s direction, “that the sweet day of our parting has been delayed.” Snape moved his gaze around the rest of the room. Harry knew better than to bite. He was determined to spend the year learning what he could in Potions while attracting as little attention to himself as possible. Snape’s focus turned to Ron and Hermione.
“It would also appear that three of our more gifted students find themselves….indisposed.” The Slytherin students in the class looked threateningly in their direction.
“Directions are on the board.” Snape waved his wand at it. “A sample on my desk by the end of class Friday, as it will take the week. Please Mr. Weasley do not squeeze the bubotubers too hard” he said, in an obvious reference to Ron attempting to crush Draco two days before. “The stink it makes is only slightly less appealing than the site of you three in my classroom again.” Ron and Hermione were fuming as they left the dungeon.
“The git,” Ron stormed. “I have half a mind to reach my hand out and crush his chest.”
“I wouldn’t stop you this time,” Hermione snapped. The three of them had spent half the class casting shield spells around their cauldrons so the Slytherin students’ spells wouldn’t knock them over. Harry had found his own resolve to behave sorely tested, it looked to be a long year.
“You think we had it rough,” Ron said, “what about Ginny? She’s in there alone.” Harry stopped. They all looked at each other concern on their faces.
“Wait a second, she’ll be ok, I saw her schedule. She has Potions with the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaw,” Hermione said, relief evident in her voice.
“Well let’s see if we can find her to warn her about what to expect from Snape,” Harry replied. They didn’t meet up with Ginny till dinner that night.
“You’re right, Snape was awful to me,” she told them. “But I got even.” The three of them stared at her.
“What did you do?” Ron asked afraid of the answer, figuring somehow his mother would blame him for not keeping an eye on his sister.
“Well I have transfiguration with the Slytherins. And they were trying to shoot spells at me, so I set a shield around myself. They were so busy trying to get past it, they didn’t notice me sneak their summer essay for Professor McGonagll out of their bags using the summoning charm. Professor McGonagall was so mad when they didn’t have it she gave them all detention for tomorrow night,” Ginny answered. Harry was impressed. Hermione was speechless.
“Bloody Hell, Ginny, the whole lot of them in detention, brilliant,” Ron said.
“Thank you. I was rather pleased with myself,” Ginny replied.
“Ginny,” Hermione asked, “how did you keep the shield spell going while you used the summoning charm?” Ginny frowned.
“I’m not real sure. I guess I just used part of my brain to work on that while the rest of my brain worked on getting to their homework.”
Well duh, the second voice in Hermione’s head popped off, how do you think we got through third year? I did the homework, you two did other things.
Do you mean to tell us, that you could have simply held the shield spell during Potions, instead of making us recast it all day? the first voice asked.
Sure.
Now she tells us, the first voice cried in exasperation.
Well no one asked me, the second voice said defensively.
I think from now on, that you should speak up more often, Hermione said, to the second voice.
“Harry what do you think about getting everyone going with the DA again instead of just the four of us?” Ginny asked him.
“I’m not sure; Dumbledore hasn’t said whether we could.”
“Well Umbridge told us we couldn’t last year, and we did anyways,” Ron remarked. “I say we just do it and see what happens.” Harry looked around at the other three.
“I agree with Ron,” Hermione added.
“Me too,” Ginny said. Harry pulled the galleon he used to set meetings with out of his pocket.
“How about next Friday?” he asked. The others nodded at him. Harry dialed in the settings and slipped the coin back into his pocket. He looked around at his friends' smiling faces and grinned back.
“Well, here we go again,” he remarked.