I don't own any of this. JKR is the only owner of the Potter universe.
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Harry stretched and enjoyed the comfort of his bed. He’d been training for three solid weeks and was exhausted. It seemed everyone in the house had spent the weeks since the incident in the graveyard killing themselves with work. Ron and Hermione would spend hours in the garden studying, but every time Harry asked about it, one or the other would change the subject. Ginny spent the weeks preparing for her O.W.L.s, which she took the week of her birthday.
“I only get to turn sixteen once and these stupid exams are mucking it all up,” she’d growled during the small after-dinner party that her mother had put on for her the Sunday before her birthday. Harry had noticed that she did perk up more when she received his gift, a gold locket that opened to reveal a picture of them both during the wedding.
Neville and Luna made regular appearances in the house as well”usually spending the day, sometimes staying the night. Order members were constantly in and out, but none of them had much to report; Voldemort was surprisingly quiet.
“Probably just got his nose bent over what happened at Hogwarts, and with Harry escaping and all. He’s up to something though,” Moody sneered.
“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” chorused all those in the room.
“Exactly,” Moody replied, apparently not realizing he was being mocked.
Harry rolled over in his bed. He grabbed his glasses, put them on and checked the time on the clock on his nightstand. 8:45. He dropped his head back to his pillow and relaxed. I love Sundays, he thought blissfully to himself. He sniggered as he remembered Uncle Vernon saying the same thing when Harry was almost eleven.
He did love Sundays because that was his day to rest. He could have a lie-in, and relax. Harry closed his eyes and began building the walls in his mind. He had taken to doing this every morning since Aberforth had told him he could make connections to the people he cared for. He would close his mind off to the distractions around him and connect with each of his friends in turn.
Ron was still asleep, so there was not much going on there”just a feeling of contentment. Hermione was awake and there was feeling of concern coming from her. She was worried about something, but Harry could not gather what it was.
He reached out towards Ginny, placing a window in one of the walls that he’d worked so hard to build. He then pictured her there: her flaming red hair, her brown eyes that always sparkled with life and every freckle on her adorable face.
He felt the connection grow stronger and immediately felt the terror within her. His eyes sprang open; he knew something was wrong.
“Ron!” he shouted as he jumped out of bed.
“Wha--mum--no just five more--smgggh.” Ron was back to sleep.
Harry didn’t wait. He grabbed his wand and rushed out of the room, a sense of foreboding filling his mind. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a shriek from the kitchen. He took the last couple of steps at a leap and tore off towards the kitchen door.
He slammed the door open and charged in, his wand in his outstretched right hand, ready to act. He was surprised to see three smiling faces looking at him in a perplexed manner. Ginny, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Ginny held a piece of parchment in her hands as she grinned widely at Harry.
“What’s happened?” Harry yelled. “Ginny, what’s wrong, why did you scream like that? What is so bloody funny?”
Ginny gave a short wolf whistle as she looked Harry up and down. Mrs. Weasley quickly smacked her on the back of the head.
“Ouch, mum, what was that for?” she asked, rubbing the back of her head but never taking her eyes off Harry.
“Ginevra Weasley, you know exactly what that was for,” Mrs. Weasley said, blushing slightly and grinning. “Harry, dear, why don’t you go and put a shirt on. There is nothing wrong. Ginny shouted because she just got her exam scores back. Nine O.W.L.s, isn’t that wonderful?” Mrs. Weasley could not contain her glee anymore and jumped up to hug Ginny.
Harry looked down at his bare chest and turned scarlet.
“Ginny, I thought you said he had a dragon tattoo?” Hermione questioned with a smirk.
“Oh, ah sorry, I didn’t--” Harry stammered as he crossed his chest with his arms and backed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Harry heard the kitchen explode into laughter. He dropped his head, still blushing horribly, and stalked back upstairs.
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An hour later, a fully dressed Harry entered the kitchen. Giggles immediately began as Harry took up his normal place at the table. Ron entered behind him, looking bleary-eyed and yawning.
“Morning all. Hey, what is everyone giggling about?” Ron asked, looking at himself, trying to decide what he’d done.
“Oh, we were just were just thinking about Harry without his shirt,” commented Ginny as she reached for her glass of pumpkin juice.
Ron’s ears turned pink. “What is Harry doing without his shirt?” Ron began to look suspiciously between Harry and Ginny. “Why would you be thinking about Harry without a shirt?”
“It’s nothing, Ron, just sit down and have some breakfast,” Hermione said.
Ron sat and--much to Harry’s frustration--was told all about Harry’s sudden appearance in the kitchen that morning. Ron snorted at Hermione’s comment to Ginny about the tattoo.
Harry just sat listening in embarrassment. He did admit to himself that it was pretty funny now that it was all over.
“Guess I just got a little overly concerned, maybe my hero thing again,” he said, grinning at Hermione.
Hermione cocked an eyebrow up, surprised that Harry could make light of that particular conversation.
“So, Ginny, nine O.W.L.s, that is really impressive,” Harry proclaimed, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I was pretty surprised,” Ginny explained. “I didn’t think I did well on Potions at all and Ancient Runes seemed like a total mess, but I got E’s on them both. I got O’s in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. Only got A’s in History and Astronomy, so I will probably drop them. Not the most interesting classes in the world anyway.”
The fire blazed green in the fireplace just as Ginny finished speaking. Professor McGonagall stepped out and dusted herself off.
“Good morning, Minerva, how are you today?” Mrs. Weasley asked.
“Very good considering the circumstances,” Professor McGonagall stated flatly. “It has been a very busy summer, with all the--changes and everything that has gone on. I don’t really think I am ready for the new term to begin, but the day is coming like it or not. Miss Granger, may I have a word?” McGonagall stepped out of the kitchen without waiting for a reply. Hermione quickly got up and followed.
“What is that all about do you think?” Ron asked no one in particular. “I wonder if she--oh never mind,” he said as he received a sharp look from Ginny.
Several minutes later, Professor McGonagall reappeared through the kitchen door, followed by a stunned-looking Hermione. “Well, we will see you all in a few days. Here are your letters, and Miss Weasley, congratulations on your O.W.L.s. I am most impressed and trust that you will continue in my class.” She handed a pack of Hogwarts letters to Hermione.
“Yes, of course, Professor, and thank you,” Ginny replied with a small grin.
McGonagall bid farewell and reentered the fire. Once she was gone, all eyes turned to Hermione, who had sat back in her spot beside Ron and looked pale and nervous.
“Hermione, what is it?” Ron asked suspiciously. “Is something wrong, your parents, what’s going on?”
Hermione took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak. No words came out. She attempted again. “I--Professor McGonagall”she, ah, asked me to teach the first and second years of Transfiguration for her,” she finally managed.
There was silence for a few seconds as this news sunk in. Ron finally broke that silence. “WOW!” he shouted. “Hermione, that’s brilliant. You must be the youngest teacher they have ever had at Hogwarts.”
“Yeah, I am. Professor McGonagall told me that she needed someone to help her with classes since she has all the headmaster--I mean headmistress--responsibilities, so she decided to ask me to do it. She said the governors were all behind the idea.” Hermione still had a look of wonder on her face, but the joy at being asked to do this seemed to be overwhelming her shock. “Oh, let me give you your letters,” she said, remembering that she had them.
They all began to open their letters. To no one’s surprise, Hermione’s contained a red and gold badge with the initials HG on it. “Hermione, that’s great! I mean, everyone knew it would be you, but still, Head Girl, and a professor, that’s amazing,” Ron gushed. Harry saw the look of admiration in his eyes and knew that although Ron never worried much over academics, seeing Hermione receive this sort of honor made Ron very proud.
Ginny opened her letter and found her list of available classes. She also found a shining red and gold badge with a P stamped on it.
“Hey, Ginny, you made Prefect, that’s great,” Harry stated with a broad grin. Ginny looked doubtful. “What’s the matter, Ginny? You made prefect; that’s good news, isn’t it?”
Ginny brightened up. “Of course, but it probably means that our prefect from last year isn’t returning to Hogwarts.”
“Oh, another prefect in the family!” Mrs. Weasley shouted, and she ran over to give Ginny a hug. “I just have to go and tell your father. He will be so proud.” She quickly bustled out of the kitchen.
Ron opened his letter and found his Prefect badge, which he had turned in the previous year. “Well, guess I’m not Head Boy this year. Good thing--I don’t think Fred and George would ever let me live it down, and I don’t want to walk around with ‘Big Head Boy’ on my chest like Per--” Ron’s face fell at the thought of Percy. He was having a terribly difficult time with the fact that his brother had betrayed them to Voldemort.
Hermione, looking a little disappointed, walked over to Ron and gave him a hug. Harry could tell that she was concerned about Ron’s feelings about Percy and was disappointed that Ron had not been chosen as Head Boy. Ron started running his fingers through her hair.
Finally Harry opened his letter and found the gold C of the Quidditch captain there. His shoulders fell and he dropped the envelope on the table. “Ron, I have something to ask you,” he said flatly.
Ron, who seemed to be truly enjoying his time with Hermione’s hair, looked up. “Whatever you need, mate,” he declared.
“I--I want you to be the team captain this year,” Harry finally managed.
Ron was shocked back to reality and released Hermione. “What do you mean? I can’t be captain; you are the captain. Why should I be captain?”
“Well, I have been thinking about this since the wedding, when that girl, Jenny White, talked about her dad coming to watch a game. I just don’t think I will have time with the search for the Hor--” He stopped and swallowed, looking at Ginny, who was staring at him in confusion. Slowly her face changed from confusion to understanding, followed by anger at realizing that Harry hadn’t told her everything yet.
“What search for what Hor-somethings, Harry?” Ginny demanded.
“What does that have to do with it? We all are going to look for those bloody things, so why can’t you be captain?” Ron demanded at the same time. “What makes you think that I will have time?”
“Wait, one at a time!” Harry shouted over the oncoming questions. “First, Ron, I won’t have time to play at all this year, at least I don’t think I will. I have training and Occlumency, plus we have to look for the Horcruxes. You will be a better captain than I was anyway.”
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Harry cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Ginny, I should have told you about this earlier. I should have told you about it when we talked the day after Dumbledore’s will was read. Before Dumbledore died, he gave me a mission. He told me that I could only tell Ron and Hermione, so they are all I have told. I will tell you now since it is clear that you are going to be part of this no matter what. If you want to back out of the fight, I will understand.”
Harry spent the next several minutes explaining about the search that he was going to have to go on for the Horcruxes”explaining why it was so significant that Nagini was there in the graveyard and what would probably lay ahead in the search. When he was finished, Ginny looked stunned.
“Harry, you should have told me. I wish you would have told me before Dumbledore died,” she remarked, giving him a stern look. “That was where you and Dumbledore went the night he died, isn’t it?” Harry nodded.
“Harry, I told you before, I am in this with you,” she said with a small smile. “You may not be my boyfriend, but that doesn’t change the fact that WE all have a job to do in this.
Harry gratefully returned the smile and got up to leave.
“Harry, we aren’t done talking about this!” Ron demanded, standing up.
“Yes we are, Ron,” Harry stated, pushing the captain’s badge across the table at him before walking out the door.
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Three days later, a trip to Diagon Alley was arranged. At first Mrs. Weasley said she would go and pick up the teens’ school things, but they were desperate to get out of the house. The garden was nice, but the lot of them were going stir-crazy stuck in the house.
“Besides, old Voldemort has been quiet,” Ron reasoned to his mother. After having faced the snake, Dementors and Death Eaters and come out on top, Ron’s concern over using Voldemort’s name had disappeared.
Mrs. Weasley finally relented and the Order arranged the trip. Several Order members would be on hand to provide protection, and several more would be undercover. Remus, Tonks, Bill, and Fleur would go with Harry and the others, along with Mr. Weasley. Most of the other Order members would be watching undercover. They arranged to Floo to Fred and George’s shop at ten in the morning.
The grouped finally reassembled in the back room of the shop around 10:15. Harry tripped on his way out of the fireplace and fell into a stack of Canary Cream boxes, knocking many onto the floor.
They walked out into the store front and found Fred and George talking with one of the few customers in the store.
“Wow, this place is empty,” Ron said looking around.
“The whole Alley is like this,” Fred explained, coming over. “Not many willing to come out and shop.”
“Hurts business a little, but the mail order stuff is going like crazy,” George continued.
“It doesn’t really matter anyway; most of our stock right now is going to the Ministry, if you know what I mean,” Fred declared, pointing towards the back room where the twins kept their more useful Shield Hats and other inventions.
“I see you still have the ‘U-No-Poo’ poster on the wall,” Mr. Weasley said with a grin.
“Yeah, those are big sellers,” Fred answered with a smile.
“Just our little way of taking the micky out of old Moldy Shorts,” George proclaimed. He looked at Harry, who nodded his agreement as most of the others shuddered at the thought of insulting the greatest dark wizard of the age.
The crowd left the store and started to meander through the Alley. They noticed that many of the shops were indeed simply closed and boarded up. The street was almost devoid of life, and it didn’t take Harry long to pick out most of the Order members in the area.
They made a quick stop at Gringotts to get money for the day, then walked from shop to shop, getting potion supplies from the apothecary, books for the new year, and fresh parchment and quills. Hermione also purchased a teacher’s planner and grade book. They then proceeded to Madam Malkin’s to find Ginny some new dress robes as her present for making prefect.
The guys were not terribly interested in clothes shopping, so while the girls looked for Ginny’s new robes, they went to check out Quidditch supplies. They all agreed to meet back at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes at 11:30.
At 11:15, Harry, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Remus stood in front of the twins’ shop. They had just arrived and were waiting for the girls to return when several loud “pops” were heard up and down the street. They all quickly dove into the shop as they saw a dozen Death Eaters appear in the street. The few people who were out scattered in all directions, but the Death Eaters didn’t seem to notice them.
“How did they know that I was here?” Harry questioned, looking around the shop. He didn’t receive an answer as spells started pouring into the shop, shattering glass and destroying merchandise.
The first volley of spells did not go unanswered as Order members opened fire from their hiding places. The Death Eaters, exposed in the center of the street, quickly backed away from the shop-front to seek cover on the opposite side of the street. There were more “popping” sounds, and when Harry looked up there seemed to be another dozen Death Eaters standing on the steps of Gringotts. They didn’t seem to be attempting to get into the bank but merely using the raised steps as the high ground from which to continue the attack.
Spells were flying in all directions as Death Eaters and Order members sought to gain the upper hand. No additional attempts were made to work towards the twins’ shop.
Harry fired a Cutting Curse at a hooded figure that raced in the direction of Knockturn Alley. The curse caught him on the side and he collapsed in a heap. As the Death Eater rose, he was hit by multiple Stunners, and his hood flew back off his head. Harry didn’t recognize him, but the man didn’t look much older than Harry himself. Harry ducked just as a Bludgeoning Curse flew towards his position, knocking him back several feet. He was quickly back on his feet, seeking a new target.
“Harry, what about the girls?” Ron called over the noise of people shouting curses at each other. “We need to get to them.”
Harry thought quickly, then raised the walls in his mind. He reached out to make contact with Ginny. Focusing on her, he found she was scared but determined and not panicking. “Ron, I think they’re all right at the moment and I don’t see how we are going to get to them.”
“What about the roof?” Ron said, his brow furrowed in thought. “If we can get up to the roof we may be able to get to Malkin’s.”
“No good, Ron, we don’t even know if they are still there. Going to the roof is a good idea though. We can get a better angle, maybe fire down on some of these guys.
Harry half-stooped, half-crawled towards the back of the shop. Fred and George saw him move and quickly moved towards him. “Where are you going?” they asked simultaneously.
“Roof--Ron and I think we can take advantage of that position,” Harry explained, still crawling towards the back.
“Good idea; we’ll go with you.” And with a “pop” they were gone.
“I keep forgetting we can Apparate,” Ron said, smiling despite the situation.
“Yeah,” Harry agreed, and they both Apparated to the roof.
From this position, Harry was able to see the action much more clearly. He stalked around the roof, keeping low so that no Death Eaters could see him. The twins started firing spells at the hooded figures in the street in front of their shop. Harry and Ron took positions with a clear view of Gringotts. The distance was too far to be very effective with their spells but they began firing nonetheless. Several Death Eaters were Stunned and down before they realized they were being attacked from above.
Behind them there were several popping sounds. Ron and Harry whirled around to see that six Death Eaters had appeared on the roof. Fred and George spun around as well and began firing. Two of the Death Eaters went down to Stunners, apparently not expecting their attackers to react so quickly.
Harry fired a Hurling Hex at one of the Death Eaters, but he blocked it then fired a Slicing Charm at Harry that caught him in the leg just below the knee. Harry gasped as his leg began to bleed, but the damage was minimal. He saw Ron levitate a piece of stone masonry that had been broken from the building’s façade. The stone was then hurled at a Death Eater, striking him on the forehead; he went down in a heap.
The twins were holding their own against two Death Eaters, leaving one for Ron and Harry. Harry fired a Stunner at the Death Eater before diving for cover as a Cruciatus Curse came flying back at him. They’re getting more serious, Harry thought.
“Diffindo!” he shouted and the curse struck the ground just in front of the Death Eater. Dust and concrete flew up into the man’s face.
“Silencio!” Ron yelled, hitting the Death Eater in the chest. The man quickly began waving his arm but no spell would come out.
“Expelliarmus!” Harry exclaimed. The spell found its mark and sent the Death Eater hurtling backwards onto the rooftop. “Accio wand,” he said and the Death Eater’s wand flew into his hand. Harry quickly scanned the rooftop. The twins were standing over the body of a Stunned woman with brown hair, placing a Binding Charm on her. Again, Harry didn’t recognize her. Voldemort must be recruiting, he thought. Ron had bound the other two and was moving towards the third. There was one missing.
“Where is the last one?” Harry asked, limping towards the twins.
“Oh him, well he sort of had an accident,” Fred explained with a grin.
“Yeah, while we were fighting the git decided that it would be a good idea to just charge at us.”
“So he charged, and we moved.”
“We moved and he fell.”
“He fell and now he doesn’t move anymore.”
Harry looked over the side of the wall. The spells had stopped flying. Aurors filled the streets, rounding up the Death Eaters that didn’t get away. Lying in the street, at the base of the building, was the broken form of a very large blond man in black robes. His mask lay several feet away from him. Once again Harry couldn’t tell who it was.
“And that, Harry, is why good will always prevail against evil.” George clapped Harry on the back.
“Because evil is clumsy,” Fred explained, clapping Ron on the back.
Harry and Ron both looked a little green, not really enjoying the twins’ morbid sense of humor.
“HARRY, RON!” came a shout from below.
“Up here,” Ron yelled as he looked over the edge. Harry looked with him and saw Hermione and Ginny standing below on the ground. He and Ron Apparated down to them.
“You all right?” Ron asked, looking at Hermione with deep concern. She had a large knot under her right eye and her left arm was limp.
“Nothing Madam Pomfrey can’t fix. How about you two?”
“Harry got hit but I am okay,” Ron explained.
“Harry, what happened?” Ginny asked in concern. Harry noticed that she didn’t appear injured.
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch,” he replied.
“There you lot are. We need to get you all out of here,” Mr. Weasley ordered. “Go and Floo back to headquarters. Tell Molly that everyone is all right and that I’ll be home later.”
They arrived back at headquarters and found Molly Weasley in a state of panic. It took them several minutes to calm her down enough to tell her what happened. Finally, she realized that Harry and Hermione were injured and quickly set to work healing their wounds, which were minor, so Madam Pomfrey was not even called in.
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Hours later, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were sitting in the study discussing the battle.
“Harry, I can’t believe that you didn’t come charging after us when the attack started and we weren’t with you,” Ginny stated in a mock hurt voice.
“Oh, Ginny, I just thought, well I knew you could take care of yourself and--” Harry stammered, alarmed that he had done something wrong.
Ginny took pity on him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I was joking.” She smiled and ruffled his black hair.
“So, what was the damage?” Hermione asked. “Do we know why they attacked today?”
“From what Moody said earlier, they were supposed to attack the twins’ shop,” Harry explained. “They didn’t like the poster in their window. He thinks that it was more than just that though. He thinks it was an announcement that Voldemort is going to be more active now.”
“It looks like all the injuries were minor. Tonks is going to be in St. Mungo’s for a few days but considering that we got attacked by two dozen Death Eaters and the only deaths were on their side, I’d say we did all right,” Hermione stated.
“Yeah, but this is only going to get worse. Voldemort isn’t going to be happy about this,” Harry replied. “Things are going to get much worse before they get better.”
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A/N: Well I hope that was fun. I really liked the humor of this chapter. Hope you did as well. If so let me know.
As Always major thanks have to go out to my pre-betas Cableguysmom and Kerrbear. Major thanks to my extraordinary beta JenC for all her work and helpful hints. Thanks Ladies you’re the best.
Next we will take a ride on the Hogwarts Express and get to see Draco for the first time.