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Building for Forever
By sanidad

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Category: Reconstruction Challenge (2007-5)
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: G
Reviews: 4
Summary: Harry assists in the reconstruction of Hogwarts, trying to keep the existence of the Elder Wand a secret.
Hitcount: Story Total: 6744; Chapter Total: 2357





Author's Notes:
The numbers in the spell from Professor Dingle are from the integer notation for a major chord and minor chord, respectively.




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The following morning, Hermione flooed directly to Hogwarts from her flat, eager to conquer another challenge. She found everyone still partaking of breakfast and made her way towards the Gryffindor table, where she found Harry munching on some toast, browsing the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. She took the seat next to him, a brief wave of nostalgia passing through her mind.

“Where’s Jonas?”

Harry looked up mischievously, “Eager for more flirtatious smiles?”

“Eager to get to work, you prat.”

Harry chuckled to himself, “Same old Hermione.”

“Anything wrong with that?”

“Never! Thanks again for helping Ginny and I get some time together.”

Hermione waved her hand dismissively, “It was nothing. What’s on the docket for today?”

“D.A. room.”

She looked at him questioningly. “I thought that classroom was already repaired.”

Harry shook his head and clarified, “Not the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. As you’ve noted, that room is ready to go. You see, Professor McGonagall had the foresight to survey the returning students for any new features they might like to see, before any of the reconstruction efforts began. The number one request was a permanent space for the D.A. So, we brought down the wall between the two classrooms next to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, to create an extra large room. We decided to place the D.A. room next to the Defense classroom under the assumption that the Defense teacher would be the faculty advisor for the group, or at the very least heavily involved in its activities.”

Hermione nodded in understanding, “And that’s what we’ll be working on today?”

“Yes.”

“Brilliant! What was the second most requested feature?”

“More broom cupboards.”

***


A s soon as they finished breakfast, the two friends made their way down the hall towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and found Jonas several paces beyond it, staring at what appeared to be a wooden mannequin. Jonas noticed their arrival and turned to Harry, questioningly, “I thought you said the entrance to the D.A. room was just a few paces beyond the Defense classroom.”

“It is. You’re staring at it.”

“What are you talking about? This is just some type of dummy or golem. Where’s the door?”

Harry grinned playfully, “Hermione, would you care to do the honors?”

Hermione stared at him blankly in confusion, then turned to Jonas, who could only shrug his shoulders. She took a closer look at the wooden figure and noticed that it looked vaguely familiar. Her eyes suddenly widened in recognition, “It’s just like the targets the Room of Requirement used to create for us during the D.A. sessions!”

Harry nodded once in confirmation, his smile wider than before. When Hermione finally broke out smiling herself, he knew she had figured it out. She positioned herself five paces from the dummy and pointed her wand at it.

“Er... Jonas... I wouldn’t stand there if I was you.”

Jonas took the hint and stood aside. As soon as he was clear of harm’s way, Hermione exclaimed, “Expelliarmus!”

A red streak of light discharged from her wand and struck the target dead on. It immediately began to recess into the wall behind it. Soon after that, the wall seemed to break apart into two sections, each of which began to move to the left and the right, respectively, creating an opening large enough for all three of them to pass through.

Harry gestured grandly, “Ladies first.”

Hermione giggled as she passed over the threshold. Upon entering, however, Hermione felt herself deflate a little bit. The room was large enough to have a large group of students practice their dueling skills, but beyond that, there really wasn’t much to it. Harry seemed to notice the drop in her enthusiasm and began to elaborate on the room’s current condition.

“I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but that’s because we haven’t moved in all of the things the room will need. The back corner over there to the right will have more target dummies for the beginners to practice on. The back corner to the left will have bookcases filled with relevant reference books. Along the left-hand wall will be storage closets on either side of the fireplace for basic first aid items. The fireplace can only floo to Madame Pomfrey’s ward for now, although Professor McGonagall can change that at her leisure. And, the center area will be for dueling.”

Harry paused and Hermione nodded her head in approval. He continued, “You’ll notice the floors feel kind of soft, like you’re walking on a very firm bed. Professor Slughorn applied some kind of softening potion on the stone, then Professor Flitwick cast a permanent cushioning charm — not unlike those used on brooms.”

“To soften the fall for over-confident wizards?”

“Or witches,” Harry countered. “Today we need to work on the walls and the ceiling. We’ve determined that we need to enchant them to ensure that errant spells don’t damage the castle or the students using the room.”

“Bloody waste of time,” Jonas snorted to himself.

Hermione turned to Jonas, “What did you say?”

“I’m just thinking that all of this effort is a waste of time. How much reinforcement does a room need for a couple Disarming spells?”

“You do know that a Disarming spell is all Harry needed to kill Voldemort, don’t you?”

Jonas suddenly paled at the revelation. “Th- th- that’s all he used?”

Hermione merely arched a single eyebrow in response.

Harry broke the silence, “All right, then. Here’s the problem. Thatcher and his group have come up with a charm to absorb the spells that hit the walls. But our efforts to use it have been unsuccessful because we need to remove some of the old protective enchantments on the walls, which are of such a nature as to prevent us from adding the new ones.”

Hermione replied, “I see the problem. Do you know which spells are currently enchanting the walls?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’ve tried the basics and even ‘Specialis Revelio,’ but to no avail. I don’t suppose there was a chapter in Hogwarts: A History that covered this?”

“Nothing too helpful, I’m afraid. Obviously, if the details of such spells were known to everyone, it would defeat the purpose of casting them in the first place.”

Harry nodded in agreement, pondering the situation. Likewise, Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, her mind lost in her thoughts.

“It’s a shame we can’t just ask the older headmasters and headmistresses what spells they’ve used over the years to protect the castle,” Jonas remarked casually.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other.

“Of course!”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

Jonas looked at each in turn, thoroughly confused.

Harry turned to Jonas, “Excuse us. We have to check something out.”

“Will you be long?”

“Not sure. Why don’t you check on the progress along the Eastern side of the castle and we’ll come get you when we get back.”

Hermione was already halfway up the stairs.

***


Two hours later, Harry and Hermione were coming down the staircase, conversing excitedly.

“Are you sure you’ve got the pronunciation for the removal spell correct?”

“Even if I don’t, I’m sure you’ll correct me.”

Hermione playfully smacked the back of his head. “Git.”

She then regarded her friend more carefully, before changing the subject, “You’ve changed.”

Harry regarded her in mild surprise, “What do you mean?”

“Quite frankly, you seem happier. Your playful side seems to be coming out more.”

“Not having a prophecy of death hanging over my head might have something to do with it.”

“It’s more than that. I remember right after you got rid of him, the expression on your face was one of relief more than anything else.” She paused before continuing, “Ginny has been good for you, hasn’t she.”

Harry could only nod, unsure how to respond. Hermione was as much his best friend as Ron, but he usually consulted with Ron on these things — although considering Ron’s track record, perhaps he should be getting a second opinion whenever possible. She seemed to sense his thoughts and offered him an exit, “Sorry. I guess I was just curious after only hearing Ginny’s side of things.”

“No, it’s all right. After all we’ve been through together, I don’t see why we can’t talk about it. So, um, what did Ginny say?”

“I’m sure you could guess. She’s thrilled that you’re back together, although she does wish you could find more time to spend together.”

Harry exhaled in mild frustration, “Me too. Unfortunately, I don’t see things getting much better once the reconstruction effort is complete. I’ll return to my Auror duties and she’ll be here finishing her last year. It may be a blessing in disguise though.”

Now it was Hermione’s turn to express some mild surprise, “What do you mean?”

“I think I’m looking forward to taking things slowly. I’m not completely sure how Ginny feels about things — although I have a good idea, but for me this thing we have... it’s going to be forever. So, I want to make sure I lay the foundation for it properly.”

Hermione could feel her eyes starting to moisten, “That’s so sweet.”

Harry felt his cheeks begin to redden, “See this is why Ron makes a good sounding board.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t make me say all of this sentimental stuff.”

“Admit it, you liked saying it.”

Harry suddenly found his shoes to be very interesting, and examined them for a way to change the subject.

“Harry, it probably wouldn’t hurt if you said it to her.”

“She’s not even of age yet. Is it right for me to ask her to think about such long term ideas?”

“You won’t be asking her to do so, you’ll just be letting her know that you already are.”

“Isn’t it the same thing?”

“Not necessarily. Besides, one of the reasons you two are so good together is because Ginny is your equal or your match in many different things. You should treat her as such.”

A light of recognition sparked in Harry’s mind, and a slight smile formed on his lips. “You really are brilliant, Hermione.”

“The cleverest witch of my year — or so I’m told.”

The two friends shared a laugh and before long they found themselves again in front of the entrance to the D.A. room.

“Shouldn’t we get Jonas?”

“Nah, this shouldn’t take too long. Besides, the less I use the Elder Wand in front of him, the more comfortable I am. I really can’t wait to return it to its rightful place.”

Hermione nodded her head in agreement and activated the entrance to the room. Neither noticed the figure observing them from around the corner of the hallway. The smirk on its face reeked of malice and worse... patience.

***


“No w, show me the wand motions that Professor Dingle taught us before you actually cast the spell.”

Harry brought out both wands, the Elder Wand in his right hand, and simultaneously traced what appeared to be the letter “S” with a line through it with his right hand and a backward letter “C” with his left.

“That’s not even close to what you did in the Headmistress’s office.”

“It looked easy the first time.”

“Harry, Professor Dingle explained how the enchantment he cast is based on the numbers zero, four and seven because of their significance in musical harmony. So the reversal spell will be based on the numbers zero, three and seven.”

“What does that have to do with the wand movements?”

“You simply have to trace the shape of a treble clef with your right hand and a bass clef with your left.”

“It would help if I knew what you were talking about.”

Hermione was about to disclose everything she knew about musical theory when Harry interrupted to nip it in the bud, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just draw these symbols for me so I can see what I’m supposed to be tracing?”

“Of course, Harry. Sorry.” Hermione smiled wanly and conjured some parchment and a quill. She quickly drew the symbols and held up the parchment for Harry to view as he attempted the movements again. This time, Hermione nodded her head in approval.

“Good. Now remember to emphasize the word ‘tres’ in the removal incantation.”

Harry nodded and made his way to the first wall. He brought up both wands as if he was about to conduct an orchestra and began tracing the two clef symbols. “Contego concordia tres septem!”

The wall began to vibrate, giving off a sound that evoked the notion of sadness. Harry turned nervously to Hermione. “Was that supposed to happen?”

“Yes, I think so. What we heard was a minor chord, which agrees with the numbers we used in the incantation. Try applying the spell absorption charm.”

Harry did so, then stepped back and fired a stunning spell at it. A red streak of light shot out of his wand and hit the wall, upon which the light seemed to dissipate in all directions at once. The wall seemed to turn a light shade of pink, then returned to its normal color.

“Very impressive, Harry. But what happened to the spell?”

“The energy behind the spell is harnessed and funneled outward to strengthen some of the wards that protect the outer walls of the castle. So the more the students practice...”

“... the stronger the defense of the castle.”

“In more ways the one.”

Hermione felt a feeling of pride surge within her. Laying the foundations for the next generation of witches and wizards was turning out to be extremely gratifying. She was shaken from her reverie by Harry’s voice.

“Why don’t you find Jonas and let him know we’ll pick things up after lunch? I’ll finish in here.”

Harry watched his best friend bounce out the door, with an obvious spring in her step. Just as he turned around to fix another wall, he heard some footsteps behind him. He was about to ask Hermione if she forgot something when he realized that those footfalls could not have come from her dainty feet. He dove into a roll just as the assailant raised his wand.

“Avada Kedavra!”

“STUPEFY!”

Jonas’s curse missed by several meters thanks to Harry’s reflexes. The stunning spell, however found its mark perfectly. The sound of multiple footsteps came racing to the doorway.

“Harry! Are you all right!” Ginny barely got the words out before she was in Harry’s arms trying to stifle a sob.

“I’m fine, luv.”

Hermione walked up to the unconscious engineer and shouted, “Incarcerous!” Ropes flew from the end of her wand and secured the would-be assassin.

“I don’t think he’ll be getting up for a while anyway, Hermione.”

Ginny looked up at him fearfully, “Is he de—?”

Harry calmed her fears, “No, I don’t think so, but I didn’t have time to switch to my real wand before he attacked me.”

Hermione supported Harry’s conjecture, “He’s still breathing. Why don’t I fetch the headmistress?”

Harry nodded in her direction, “Go ahead, we’ll keep an eye on him.”

“It’ll be tough to keep any eye on him when you’re snogging me.”

“Ginny!”

Hermione could only laugh as she began another trek to the seventh floor.

***


August thirty-first. Jonas Thatcher had been remanded to the proper authorities, and a dose of Veritaserum revealed that he had learned of the Elder Wand by eavesdropping on the initial conversation that brought Hermione to Hogwarts. Upon completion of his reconstruction responsibilities, Harry replaced the wand into Dumbledore’s tomb, which was then protected by several enchantments from Bill Weasley and Professor Flitwick.

The school was going to open on time and a feast was being held in the Great Hall in celebration. Although the festivities being held were mostly in his honor, Harry had grown tired of the spotlight and instead found himself just outside the Gryffindor common room, leading his favorite person by the hand.

“Hello, dears. Come for a visit, have you?” the Fat Lady asked them. “I don’t think the password has been set yet.”

“Thanks anyway, but we’re here for something else.”

The Fat Lady pouted as Harry led Ginny around the bend, stopping when they were just out of sight from the entrance to the common room. Ginny looked up at Harry questioningly, waiting for an explanation.

“Back when McGonagall first asked me to help out with the renovations, she told me that all of the master builders who have worked on Hogwarts usually add a personal touch by creating something unique or secret into the castle. I just didn’t feel like it would be much of a secret if I was the only one who knew about it.”

He pointed his wand at what appeared to be a blank spot on the wall, but Ginny soon noticed his wand was pointed at a small etching of a golden snitch.

“Fresh pickled toad.” proclaimed Harry. A door soon revealed itself and Ginny eagerly grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

Ginny giggled in delight, “The greatest wizard of his generation gets the opportunity to leave his mark on Hogwarts and he creates a broom cupboard?”

Harry smiled at the sound of her laughter, “I just remember how after our first kiss it took forever to find somewhere private.”

Ginny sighed, “It’s a shame you won’t be around much to help me use it.”

“The school year will be over before you know it.”

“Harry, that’s almost a year from now!”

“Yes, but my thinking on time has sort of changed recently.” He pulled her gently into the tiny room with him, “Let me tell you what I’ve been thinking...”
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