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Harry Potter and the Power of the Garuda | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Fluff, Humor, Tragedy, Drama Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 301 Summary: Harry seventh year has not turned out as he expected! Will he find the power that he needs to defeat Voldemort? What does his love life have to do with it? What is Garuda? Hitcount: Story Total: 170923; Chapter Total: 6469 |
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“Harry, get up mate, I want you down on the pitch in ten minutes!” Ron shouted at Harry as he ran out of their dorm. Harry grumbled and rolled over. It was only seven in the morning and he had been reading until five before heading to his bed. He may not need much sleep but more than two hours would have been nice. Harry thought about ignoring Ron when someone made him sit straight up in bed. “Harry?” Ginny whispered next to him. “Ginny! You aren’t supposed to be up in my dorm, you know that right?” Ginny smirked at him. “Ron sent me up to make sure you got out of bed. Told me to hex you if you refused to move. Honestly Harry, you are going to have to get more sleep.” Harry yawned. “I know but once I got into the books that Hermione and Ron got for me I couldn’t stop.” “You read all five of them last night?” “Uh huh.” Harry yawned again. “All right, I’m up and I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Ginny leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll meet you in the common room.” Harry dressed at top speed and raced down to the common room. He quickly asked Hermione to check out some more books for her and then went with the rest of the team down to the Quidditch pitch. They had been practicing for an hour when Ron called a halt. Harry had just seen the snitch but had turned at the sound of Ron’s whistle. When looked back, the snitch was gone. Harry flew over to Ron who was heading towards the ground. “I had just seen the snitch Ron! Why did you stop us?” “Hermione was waving us down.” Ron pointed towards the changing rooms. “What’s up Hermione?” Ron asked when they got down to her. “McGonagall wants to see us.” “What for?” Ron asked petulantly. “I don’t know. She just said to find you and to bring you to her office.” Ron turned to the team. “All right… we’ll call it quits. Get changed and head up to breakfast.” Harry and Ginny changed before trudging up through the snow to breakfast. They found seats across from Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas who had their heads bowed and who were talking in low voices. They looked up as Harry and Ginny. “Did you hear the news Harry?” Seamus asked in his Irish brogue. “No. What’s going on? All I know is that Hermione and Ron had to go and meet with McGonagall.” “Seems there was an attack on The Leaky Cauldron last night while the pub was full. They’re sayin’ over thirty people are dead.” Ginny gasped. “Where did you hear that from?” “Hannah Abbott was crying when we got down here for breakfast this morning and Lavender and Parvati were comforting her. Professor Sprout took her out of the Great Hall and told Lavender and Parvati to eat breakfast and then Lavender told us that Hannah had received word that one of her cousin’s was killed.” “I guess that’s what Ron and Hermione are doing… getting the full story. It’s unlikely that Hannah will be the only one of us to have lost someone.” Harry speculated. Ginny looked worried. “Do you ever feel like we are far removed from the fighting and yet every time there is a death it’s like getting hit in the stomach?” The boys just stared at her so she went on. “I guess not… I mean except for the Hogsmeade weekend last year where the dementors showed up, we have not been involved directly here at school.” She looked around at each boy in turn and they nodded their heads. Harry wondered where she was going with this. “Well all this bad stuff is happening but it’s not happening here so… this is going to sound terrible but sometimes I forget… well not forget exactly but it’s easier not to think about it because Hogwarts is safe. I mean, we aren’t even allowed to go to Hogsmeade anymore because the staff doesn’t want to chance an attack.” Harry finally understood what she was getting at. “I think I know what you mean. Here, where we are perfectly safe, so we can put the horrors aside for a little while and pretend to be normal.” A thought suddenly occurred to him. “I know that I do it when I am with you. I just want to think about the good things and try not to remember that we might all be dead in a few months.” Ginny smacked his arm. “Harry that’s not funny.” She sighed heavily. “Unfortunately with all of you graduating, it is a very real possibility.” She looked down at her watch. “I’m going to grab some toast for Ron. They’ve missed breakfast.” She put several pieces of toast in a napkin. “Let’s go wait for them back in the common room and see if we can’t get some work done.” They walked out of the Great Hall together and headed up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower. “So do you have any homework that is unfinished Harry?” “Nope. I am completely done for the week.” “You are done for the week and the week doesn’t even start until tomorrow.” Ginny sighed. “How are your classes going then?” Harry didn’t answer right away. Classes had gotten very easy after he had finished the textbooks. Being able to recite the text verbatim when asked by the professors made classes less interesting. BUT a bonus to this was that he had earned lots of house point for Gryffindor and he could definitely see why Hermione liked to study so much. It was nice knowing all the answers sometimes. “I dunno… easy I guess. I mean I know all the theory, like Hermione does, but I don’t even struggle with the practical stuff. The only class that is still remotely challenging is Potions and that is because Snape is constantly breathing down my neck with gets on my nerves. Well, Care of Magical Creatures is still interesting too because we get to interact with the magical creatures. I just feel strange. I’ve never done well in classes and now all the sudden I know all the answers. I keep thinking that I’m going to wake up.” “Wake up?” Ginny questioned. “Well… I’m going to wake up and find out that I don’t know anything anymore and that I don’t have any more powers than anyone else and Voldemort is standing over me ready to finish me off.” They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and he stopped to face Ginny. “Mostly I worry that I’m going to wake up and I’ll find that you don’t really love me.” He pulled her into his arms, trying to reassure himself that she was actually there. “You know, you are the first person who ever said that they loved me? I mean, besides my parents… but the first person in seventeen years and I just keep thinking that it’s all too good to be true.” He stopped talking only to realize that Ginny’s shoulders were shaking slightly. He kissed the top of her head. “I love you Ginny. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.” He felt her tighten her arms around him. “Hem Hem.” Harry and Ginny sprang apart to find Hermione and Ron looking at them. Ginny broke the silence. “So is it true?” Hermione nodded. “Thirty seven people are dead. A few of the students were affected. A Ravenclaw fourth year lost a sister, Hannah Abbott’s cousin was killed and a Hufflepuff second year lost his father. McGonagall just wanted us to be aware of it in case any of the students are upset.” Ginny and Harry were silent, unsure of what to say. “It’s just getting worse, you know? I mean we can expect a lot more of this and since each of us has lost someone we should try and help those who just did.” Hermione said with a tremble in her voice. The other three nodded at Hermione. “Here Ron, I got some toast for you.” Ginny handed him the stack. “I guess we should go in and get started on our homework.” “Right. Let’s go.” Harry nodded before turning to the Fat Lady who was asleep. “Oy, wake up!” She grunted but did not wake. “HEY!” Ron yelled at her. She started and awoke. “Students just keep getting more offensive every year!” She glared at them. “Well, what is the password or did you wake me up just to stare at me?” “Ferret Face.” “Very good then.” She replied, as she swung open. They walked in and went up to their dorms to get their work. Harry sat at one of the tables and picked up one of the books Hermione had left for him only to find out that it was a book training to become an Animagus that Harry knew could only be found in the restricted section. He looked up to find Hermione grinning at him. “How did you get this?” He asked her. Her smile widened. “I told Hagrid before class yesterday that you were working your way through the library and I thought this book would help you. He signed the note for and said that if you wanted any other books out of the restricted section that you just had to ask him as long as you didn’t do anything stupid.” She took the book from him and flipped it open. “Now, I took a brief glance at this and it has all the steps you’ll need to become one and then how to file the paper work with the Ministry and such. It won’t really help us with the fight against Voldemort right now because it will take you years to finish the transformation but I thought it might be something that you would like to do.” She looked up at him. “You know, paying tribute to the Marauders.” Harry grinned at her. “That’s brilliant Hermione! I’m going to read this one first.” Harry took the book back and opened it to start reading. Ron came down with his books, parchment and quill and sat across from Harry and next to Hermione. Ginny joined them shortly after. Harry read through the book quickly, fascinated at the process that his father and Sirius had already been through. He could see why it took several years to be a full Animagus. The witch or wizard had to learn human transfiguration and then they had to work though changing themselves completely with the Animagus spell to reveal their animal using a wand. After their animal had been discovered the witch or wizard would then have to learn to change himself or herself using only their mind. As magic without a wand is almost impossible for anything but simple things, it is an ordeal that takes years to master. The book describes the process as slowly teaching your mind to work without the wand, which took focus, and then teaching the mind to recognize the animal form as an extension of the witch or wizard. The end result is supposed to be that the mind recognizes the animal for as a part of the person and can therefore switch to the animal form at will and without a wand. What Harry found most interesting is that the Animagus form reflects a person’s personality. Harry snorted derisively. That would explain Wormtail, the rat. When he had finished the book, he put it down and stretched his arms in the air. “Did you finish?” Ginny asked him and he nodded at her. “Did you learn anything interesting?” “Yeah, your Animagus for reflects your personality which explains a lot to me about why Wormtail is a rat.” Harry told them. “So are you going to attempt it Harry?” Ron asked him. “Sure, in my free time I might. It’s going to take me several years so there isn’t any rush. I think I’ll ask McGonagall about it after class on Monday.” Hermione studied for a few seconds. “Speaking of free time Harry, I think you need to speak to her about your classes.” “What? Why?” Harry asked. “Oh Harry, it’s obvious that you are bored in class and it isn’t any challenge for you. You could spend your time doing other things, like reading or practicing with Tonks instead of sitting in class trying not to show off too much.” Hermione grinned at him. “I am not saying that you should skip classes altogether but some of the classes just aren’t doing you any good. I think you should talk to her about dropping some of your classes.” Harry, Ron and Ginny just stared at her. When Hermione got no response she went on. “Furthermore I think that some of your time should be spent reading through the books in the restricted section specifically the ones that focus on the dark arts. You need to know what Voldemort might throw at you and you are going to have to figure out the power you have so that you can defeat Voldemort.” “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?” Ginny asked, turning to Harry. “I was thinking the same thing.” Harry replied to her and looked over at Ron. “I do believe that my lovely fiancé just encouraged Harry to skive off class.” Ron told them. “AND she said that you should start learning dark magic.” Ginny whispered. “Wait a minute! I thought you said that the power from the prophecy was love?” Harry looked at Hermione who was pink cheeked from Ron and Ginny teasing her. “No… well it might be but I think that your love for Ginny and her love for you is what unlocked your powers but I’m not convinced that the power you have, I mean the one that Voldemort doesn’t have, is love…” A thoughtful expression crossed her face. “Maybe it is. Certainly Voldemort does not love anything and it is not likely that anyone loves him.” “That’s not true.” Ron interjected. “He loves power.” Hermione thought about that. “Yes, I suppose that he does. I’m not sure it’s the same kind of love as… well never mind. I’m sure that Dumbledore has an answer for you Harry.” “Not more than what you’ve already told me. I asked and he said I wasn’t ready. Then when you confronted him about the power, he told you not to push Ginny and I into loving each other.” “Hmm, well I’ll think some more on it but it’s lunch time now so let’s head down and then we’ll get back to this afterwards.” Hermione packed up her stuff but left it at the table. “Oh, Harry I meant to ask, how did you do on that homework for Sprout? I watched you do it and it only took you fifteen minute.” They had walked out of the portrait hole before he answered. “Well… I got full marks on it.” Harry grinned sheepishly at her. “Since I’ve read the book and several others on Herbology it was quite easy.” He was glad that he didn’t have to worry about Hermione being jealous of his marks. Hermione grinned at him. “Oh yes, I think it’s time that you consider skiving off of classes… with the professor’s permission, of course.” “It’s not skiving off if he’s allowed to go.” Ron interjected. “Okay children, no fighting!” Ginny cleared her throat. “Come on, let’s get down to the Great Hall. I’m starving and I still have about ten more hours of homework to do.” She turned to Hermione. “So how is NEWT studying going?” The girls walked ahead and Ron held Harry back slightly to talk to him. “What’s up mate?” Harry asked. Ron looked a little uncomfortable and his gaze was resting on the backs of the retreating girls. “Hermione and I decided to get married after we finish our NEWTs but before we go back home. We don’t want to have to argue with Mum about whether we should get married or not… we just want to enjoy ourselves.” “Ron, I think that’s great. I know you would want your family there but we can have a big party with everyone when we get back. After your Mum’s done yelling at you, of course.” Ron’s face lost some of its color but he managed a small smile. “Right… she’s going to be plenty hacked at me but I don’t suppose it will matter. Anyway, Dumbledore has already agreed to marry us and I was wondering if you would stand up with me when we do it?” “Of course I will! You two are my best mates. I want to be there for you.” “Thanks Harry. I… well Hermione means everything to me and we both really want this. I know why Mum’s afraid but I discussed it with Bill, before we left, ya know? Anyway he said that one of the happiest moments of his life was when he and Fleur married. He said it’s an amazing feeling.” He paused in thought. “Hermione makes me want to be better than I am and I’d rather be with her than do anything else.” Ron looked down at the ground. “I’m still trying to work out what I’m going to say to Mum when she finds out.” Harry looked at his friend… his first friend ever who had become his best friend. He had seen Ron as a small kid who was brave and loyal but with an immature side. Something had happened to his friend. After each death in their lives, the death of Percy and then Hermione’s parent and Charlie, Ron had gone through the grieving process and come out of it a stronger man. Harry didn’t think he could ask for a better friend to stand beside him and he was glad that Ron felt the same way. “I think you need to just tell her what you told me.” Harry smiled at him and slapped him on the back. “Now let’s get down to lunch before Ginny eats everything.” Ron laughed. “I don’t know where she puts it all… I mean she could easily pass for a third year cause she’s so small… only don’t tell her I said that, I don’t want flying bogeys all over my face.” Harry and Ron laughed. Ron looked seriously at him. “Thanks mate.” “Anytime.” |
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