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Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 259 Summary: After the horcrux hunt implodes leaving most of those Harry loves dead, he starts a new life with a few fellow survivors far away from wizarding Britain. But the discovery of an ancient ritual that promises to send a single memory back in time sparks hope that maybe things can change. Dark ending to DH followed by a tweaked retelling of GoF through DH. Harry/Ginny. Friday updates. Original Timeline Voldemort's Victory - Chapter 1-5 (Feel free to skip if you don't like major character deaths) Tenochtitlán - Chapter 6-9 New Timeline Harry's 4th Year - Chapter 10-28 Harry's 5th Year - Chapter 29-68 Harry's 6th Year - Chapter 69-Current Hitcount: Story Total: 169481; Chapter Total: 1707 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: It's the final chapter of the OotP arc! I can't put into words how much fun I've had writing this story and experiencing so many folks reading through it. The next chapter will be posted in February, allowing me some time to plan out the next steps and build up a few chapters of buffer. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about how certain parts of this chapter, like Umbridge's comeuppance, news about a potential Defense Club leader, and the ending snippet. Thanks so much to everyone who reads and especially those who leave comments! Y'all mean the world to me! |
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"Mr. Black, either you will follow my rules while in the Infirmary or else I will kick you out myself!" Madam Pomfrey's frustration could not be contained as her shout startled Harry awake. "If you badger her with one more question before I can get her cleared to go to St. Mungo's, there's not a Healer alive who'll be able to fix what I do to you!" "Easy, Poppy! Easy!" came the placating voice of Sirius. "I just had a few things I wanted to check in on while I've got the chance. When else will I get to learn about what kind of horrible laws she smuggled onto the books? There's so much to dismantle and I can't imagine she'll stay this helpful for long." Harry could hear quiet conversation to his right and slowly opened his eyes. Two blurry figures were seated nearby, one in the bed next to his and the other leaning forward with their legs hanging to the ground. Another was in a chair between the beds, while a taller figure stood behind. The last of the blurry people was propped up on Harry's bed, with a warm hand intertwined with his while the taller figure spoke. "Sorry I didn't do a better job on your shoulder. In the chaos of everything, I should have-" "Mate, it's not a problem. You patched me up as well as could be expected under the circumstances and I didn't end up unconscious on the floor from blood loss. I'll be fine to get back to Quidditch training within a month, no matter what Pomfrey says." "You really should let it get all the way healed before you put it through too much. You'd hate for a nagging injury to slow you down next year." His arm shifted slightly, and he felt a squeeze from the small hand in his. "Looks like someone's finally waking up! Cho, toss me his glasses, would you?" The world became clear as Ginny slid the glasses gently onto his nose. Her beaming face was a welcome sight to Harry. "What's going on? What happened?" croaked Harry, his voice raspy and hoarse. "What do you remember?" asked Cedric. "Things got kind of chaotic there at the end." With straining concentration, Harry tried to remember what all had happened. He coughed twice to try to clear his throat, but his voice still sounded like it was in tatters. "Voldemort possessed me. He was trying to get Dumbledore to kill us both." "Okay, that was pretty close to the end of everything," replied Cedric. "Dumbledore looked like he was trying to do some sort of elaborate countercurse as he was running over, but something happened before he got to us. Your eyes went back to normal and you passed out on the floor. Dumbledore did a couple of spells on you to make sure you were okay and not still being possessed." "Voldemort reappeared on the other side of the room, but it looked like possessing you really took it out of him." Hermione had a look about her that Harry recognized as the beginnings of problem-solving. "He was limping when he moved and looked like he was furious and injured. He yelled something at Dumbledore and apparated away." Ron shifted onto his side and met Harry's eye. "It took a few minutes for more Aurors to arrive but they mostly rushed down to the Department of Mysteries to round up the Death Eaters. Madam Bones got there not long after, and she and Dumbledore went to her office to talk once Sirius showed up and agreed to take us all back to Hogwarts." "And that's just what I did!" Sirius sauntered up to the bed and mussed Harry's already untidy hair. "I can't believe you went and got into another scrape without me!" The retelling of the evening's events eased forward, with the others filling in their parts of the story until Madam Pomfrey brought over a potion to ease the pain of Harry's throat after screaming himself hoarse. Sirius shone with pride when Harry recounted using his cloak to swipe a wand and pulling Malfoy through the ward to send a signal to Dumbledore. "That was excellent quick thinking," Sirius mused. "Whatever Dumbledore set up probably won't be lethal, but I bet it's enough to make Lucius think twice before tangling with any other wards!" By the time the group finished, Sirius looked rather gobsmacked. "There aren't many people alive who've seen Dumbledore or Voldemort go all out in a duel, much less witness them face off against each other. It's a wonder that you made it out in one piece..." A shrill voice from across the room cut through their conversation. "I don't care that you're a trained healer and much more intelligent than I am! I refuse to humiliate myself by visiting St. Mungo's in my condition!" "Any idea what happened to her?" asked Hermione with a nod toward the source of the racket. "Something about her seems off. More off than usual…" Sirius didn't bother stifling his bark of a laugh. "It's quite fitting, actually. You said she got doused with a couple of potions, right?" "Yes…" replied Hermione cautiously. "But we weren't sure what kind of potions. Harry pulled her away before a really nasty one got to her." "All the more reason for her to hate you, then. Poppy thinks one of the potions was Veritaserum. Has Snivellus covered that one in class yet?" "We talked about it some last year," offered Cedric. "It's supposed to be the most powerful Truth Potion, right?" "Right in one. The effects usually last for about an hour or so and you're only supposed to use a couple of drops. Apparently, she absorbed a lot through her skin. Not sure what the other potions she got on her were, but there must have been some sort of reaction. From what I gathered, Poppy doesn't think she's capable of uttering a lie right now. Not sure how long it'll last, but there's a chance it's permanent!" Sirius smirked at the students. "So I may have peppered her with some questions about anti-werewolf regulations that she's snuck in over the years. The Wizengamot doesn't always vet legislation well, and even if they did, a bunch of them are prejudiced enough to sign just about anything that'd make life harder for folks like Remus. Might as well seize the opportunity to learn something useful. "Poppy's patience with me has run a bit thin, but one of you should go test it out. Anybody have a burning question for her that you want answered?" "Oi! Umbridge!" called out a smirking Ron as he pushed himself up to lean against the headboard. "Out of all the Fifth Years, who were the best at Defense?" Intense displeasure radiated from the woman's face. "Potter was by far the best, followed by Granger, you, and Zabini." A broad smile spread across Ron's face. "Damn right! I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I got beat out by a Slytherin." "Ooh, I've got one!" exclaimed Hermione, with more than a little mischief dancing in her eyes. "Do you know how we did on our OWLs?" "The scores haven't been finalized, but I have a general idea of how all of the students fared," she spat. "How'd we do?" asked Hermione eagerly. Ron snorted as she leaned forward in anticipation, but Harry recognized the hopeful expression on his friend's face. Harry figured they were all quite interested in learning how they'd fared. "The three of you achieved the highest Defense marks in many years. That damned Tofty gushed about Potter's patronus ceaselessly, and Marchbanks blathered on about the two of you showing more prowess and promise than she'd seen in a generation." Umbridge's face grew red with fury as the words spilled out of her, and she looked to be unsuccessfully straining to stop herself from talking. "Students, that's enough," admonished Madam Pomfrey, sweeping in from another room with a potion that she handed to Ron. "Here, Mr. Weasley. This should help with the weakness from blood loss." As she hovered over Ron while examining his bandages, Harry smirked at Ginny and waggled his eyebrows in a way that evoked Fred and George. "One last question!" he called out, sprouting a devious grin. "Professor Dumbledore explained that the Hogwarts staff have to earn an Outstanding on their OWLs in the subject they teach and do well in the upper-level courses. Did you get an Outstanding in Defense?" "No, I didn't!" shot Umbridge venomously, looking like she might spring up from her bed and punch Harry. "Mr. Potter, that's quite enough!" snapped Madam Pomfrey, but Harry couldn't help himself. "What did you get?" All eyes fell upon Dolores Umbridge as she fumed in her hospital bed. Even the matron's frustration ebbed for a moment as her curiosity got the best of her. "I earned a 'Poor' and didn't take the NEWT-level Defense course." Unkind as it was, Harry, the other students, and Sirius descended into a great fit of laughter. Even Madam Pomfrey had to stifle an unexpected hiss of a laugh, before composing herself quickly. "That's it, you lot! I want everyone out of my Infirmary!" She pushed Sirius toward the door as he nearly doubled over. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! I'd better not see either of you darken my doors again! If you neglect to take your potions, I swear I will-" "We'll take care of them, Madam Pomfrey!" assured Ginny, still giggling a bit as she led Harry back toward Gryffindor Tower. ~RLM~ As Harry walked to lunch, his whole body ached from the previous night's ordeal and his head was still pounding. Madam Pomfrey had explained that possession-related headaches sometimes took a few days to fully clear up. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark bags under his eyes as he trudged down another flight of stairs. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny looked just as tired as Harry felt. Sirius had convinced them to all pay a visit to the kitchens after their exit from the Infirmary, and they'd spent far too long enjoying Dobby's hospitality. Even then, Harry found that the adrenaline in his body kept him from drifting off to sleep for more than an hour after he'd crawled into his four-poster. Several clusters of students began to whisper as the four made their way through the corridors toward the Great Hall, but Harry paid them no mind. He had endured far worse during his time at Hogwarts, and their stares didn't matter much as he walked hand-in-hand with Ginny. Cho and Cedric didn't look like they were doing much better at their respective tables. A gaggle of students surrounded both of them as they attempted to eat next to each other at the Ravenclaw table. Harry watched as a Second Year Hufflepuff jostled Cedric's arm on accident, causing a spoonful of soup to dribble onto his Head Boy badge and shirt. Cedric closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath as the tiny boy apologized with much more enthusiasm than needed. A number of students who had been watching the two of them shifted their gaze once the four Gryffindors entered the Great Hall. Hermione's eyes grew very wide and she swore under her breath. "The Prophet! I didn't even think about it…" Realization struck Harry as he glanced around the room at the swath of interested faces watching their every move. They hurried to the emptiest part of the Gryffindor table, but other students scrambled their way over to them immediately. Soon, most of the Defense Club and many other students had huddled around them in hopes of hearing news firsthand. "Did you really go on a mission to the Ministry last night?" called out Ernie MacMillan. "How many Death Eaters did you take down?" enthused Stephen, the Ravenclaw who'd challenged Harry at the first Defense Club meeting. Harry's headache was worsening, both from the amount of noise generated and the pressure he felt. The feeling subsided somewhat as Ginny's hand found its way into the slightly shaggy hair at the back of his head, even though he wasn't looking forward to the multitude of questions that were already being asked of him. "Excuse me, everyone, but it really was quite a long night," implored Hermione, her face weary. "Would it be alright if-" "Was You-Know-Who there?" asked a Third Year boy whose voice cracked as he spoke. "Did he do that to your arm?!" gasped Colin, pointing at Ron's injury and causing the whole crowd to begin murmuring excitedly even louder. "OI! SIMMER DOWN, WOULD YA?!" bellowed Ron, though a grin undercut his serious tone. "Let us eat something first and we might be able to tell you a little afterward. And could someone at least tell us how everyone knows what happened?" A girl with long, dark hair pushed her way through the crowd and wrapped her arms around Ron with enough force to nearly knock him over, causing him to yelp in pain. Padma's dark eyes widened after seeing his arm in a sling and let out an "Eep!" as she released him. "Omigosh, Ron! I'm so sorry!" Ron winced slightly but appeared rather pleased to have his girlfriend nearby while basking in the glow of the events of the previous evening. He rolled his hurt shoulder slightly and put on a brave face as he slung his other arm around her. "Not a problem, Padma. Madam Pomfrey fixed me up pretty well last night, so it doesn't hurt nearly as much anymore. I'm still feeling a little weak from all the blood loss, but she said the potions and a few good meals should help me get back to normal soon." The Ravenclaw's speed and agility as she filled a heaping plate for Ron made Harry wonder why she wasn't playing Chaser for Cho's squad. Ginny rolled her eyes as Harry grinned at his best mate, who simply shrugged. "The story is all over the Prophet," supplied Neville who squeezed past the crowd that was slowly and somewhat reluctantly dissipating. He plopped down next to Harry and slid a copy of the paper across the table to Hermione, who eagerly began devouring the words nearly as voraciously as Ron was attacking his lunch. "The gist of it is that a bunch of Death Eaters broke into the Ministry last night trying to steal something secret for You-Know-Who." He paused for a moment to give Harry a questioning look, to which Harry responded with a quick nod. Parvati, Dean, Seamus, and Lavender were sitting close enough to listen along. The four of them had failed spectacularly in their bid to be subtle as they scooted closer to the group. Neville returned Harry's gesture before continuing. "The Prophet said they were stopped by Professor Dumbledore, two Aurors, and several Hogwarts students. The article didn't name you specifically, but when the six of you didn't come down for breakfast, most of the school worked it out." "Did you get to the bit about who all got arrested?" quipped Seamus, unable to contain his curiosity. Hermione shook her head as her eyes scanned articles at blazing speed. "It's absolutely wild!" Lavender and Parvati giggled and Dean let out a snort. "You should have seen it this morning," gushed Lavender. "Everyone was scrambling for a copy of the paper and a few people were reading their copies out loud. Someone in Ravenclaw yelled out 'Malfoy!' and started laughing." Lavender snickered as she cut in. "Seamus, do the Draco face!" Seamus sneered as pompously as he could and mimed holding a newspaper, gaping and then pretending to stomp away from the table. "I think my favorite part was the interview with Umbridge," added Parvati, smiling deviously. "I don't know how Skeeter got her to spill her guts, but it's absolutely glorious!" Hermione flipped a few pages to a section emblazoned with the headline Incompetent Ministry Witch at Hogwarts Sacked! Hermione scanned the article, eyes wide as she read snippets aloud. "This is mortifying just to read… 'Umbridge was woefully unqualified for her position, to which she was appointed by outgoing Minister of Magic Fudge as a means of undermining Headmaster Albus Dumbledore as he advocated for vigilance against You-Know-Who.' Oh, this is good: 'She systematically punished students who disputed her beliefs through punitive measures.'" She noted a few more interesting tidbits before nearly spewing her pumpkin juice all over the newspaper, and many of the nearby students descended into fits of laughter. She pushed the paper to Ginny while muttering, "I can't… I just can't…" Ginny flipped the paper around and read from the paragraph Hermione indicated. "Umbridge concluded the interview by admitting that she had been sacked by Headmaster Dumbledore for gross negligence and contributing to the abduction of Hogwarts students. 'I had hoped that my time at Hogwarts would help Cornelius Fudge regain his position as Minister of Magic and lead to a romantic relationship between the two of us.'" Howls of laughter echoed through the Great Hall, and Harry thought his sides might split as he leaned on Ginny's shaking body for support. "Students, if I might borrow your attention for a few moments." Dumbledore's projected voice cut through the myriad of loud conversations in the Great Hall, which were almost immediately replaced by hushed murmurs. Padma whispered to them that this was the first they'd seen the headmaster since last night. "Unless I am much mistaken, many of you have read about or heard rumors regarding recent events," began Dumbledore from behind his podium. "While I shall not go into detail about such matters, I would like to address a few points which necessitate clarification. Due to an oversight on my part, three followers of Voldemort gained access to the castle last night and captured six of our students." Gasps rose from many of the students when Dumbledore used Voldemort's name and more followed after his admission of what had occurred. Ginny's hand continued to draw small circles around the back of Harry's neck as he released a deep sigh, wondering if the headmaster's explanation would make things more or less complicated over the coming days. "These students used quick thinking, excellent teamwork, and exceptional defensive magic to alert myself and members of the Aurors, and also aided in thwarting the plans of their assailants. As a result, I am pleased to award 100 points to each of Mr. Cedric Diggory, Miss Cho Chang, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Mr. Harry Potter, and Miss Ginevra Weasley." It took all of Harry's willpower to stifle his laugh when Ginny quietly but vehemently swore at the use of her full first name. Ron was less successful, earning him a swift kick in the shin from his sister. Many of the students cheered at the announcement, watching the previously empty Gryffindor hourglass fill with four hundred glistening rubies. Their total now surpassed Slytherin and nearly matched Hufflepuff, though Cho's added points had pushed Ravenclaw's total nearly to 500. "Hogwarts has already begun making changes to ensure such an incursion cannot happen again in the future. While there is no haven completely free from the dangers of war, rest assured that the staff will do our utmost to ensure this castle provides as much safety as possible. "Speaking of our staff and of changes, I must inform you that Dolores Umbridge will no longer serve as professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, effective immediately." An even louder cheer than when points were awarded erupted from the students. Even at a distance from the staff table, Harry could see the twinkling in the headmaster's eyes. An elated Professor Sprout high-fived Professor Flitwick with such enthusiasm that the diminutive man nearly toppled over, and Ginny would later assert that she'd read Professor McGonagall's lips saying, "About damn time…" Dumbledore waited for the din to die down before continuing. "Additionally, in an effort to better prepare students for the growing dangers of our world, Hogwarts will be offering a new elective next year for Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Year students." From further down the Gryffindor table, Demelza groaned in frustration at the imposed age limit. "Advanced Defense will focus on spellwork that would be useful if one finds one's self in a situation similar to what occurred last night. Students wishing to join the class will need to complete an entrance exam in order to be admitted. For those of you who have attended the Defense Club this year, the test will be similar to what you faced in Professor Flitwick's gauntlet." Excited murmurs filled the Great Hall as many students who had not been a part of the Defense Club began to question their classmates about what the gauntlet entailed. Harry grinned at the look of determination that had spread across his girlfriend's face. ~RLM~ Halfway through the train ride back to London, Harry and Ginny were reveling in their lack of responsibility while the other four Defense Club leaders patrolled. Neville was trying to sort out how Trevor kept escaping from his enclosure and Luna had laid down across the seats that had been vacated when Fred, George, and Angelina left a few minutes prior. She had just started telling Harry and Ginny about her plans for the summer when there was a knock at the door to their compartment. Ginny yelled for whoever it was to come in, leading to Blaise Zabini entering their space. "Hey, Longbottom. And it's Lovegood, right?" He extended his hand to the Ravenclaw. "You can call me Luna," she said dreamily as she shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to officially meet you." "How's it going, Blaise?" asked Harry brightly. "Excited for the break?" "Doing quite well. Very much looking forward to spending some time in Italy this summer." He glanced around the room before his eyes returned to Harry, who anticipated where the conversation was heading. "Could I have a word with you in private?" "Not a problem," answered Harry, already pushing himself up off his seat. "I'll be back in a little while." "If you don't return within thirty minutes, should we assume you've been kidnapped again?" asked Luna. Ginny snickered and Neville covered his face with his palm, but Luna seemed to be asking genuinely. "Maybe wait the full hour before organizing a search party," quipped Harry with a smirk. He exited with Blaise, following him down the hallway to another train car, where Blaise opened a compartment with a half dozen Slytherin students inside. Daphne and Theo were among the group, as were a Sixth Year named Claudia who Harry recognized from Defense Club and two he'd gotten to know while helping Ginny with the other Fourth Years. Harry sat down next to Theo and greeted everyone as warmly as he could, suddenly realizing that the conversation he'd been anticipating on the journey home might go much differently than he planned. "First of all, we wanted to say thanks," began Blaise as he seated himself next to Daphne. "I'd say we're all fairly keen observers of how things go at Hogwarts, and it'd be fair to note that what you've done with the club has been significant. Not just in helping everyone get better at defense, but with our standing around the school. You could have assumed our whole house was cut from the same cloth as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, but you didn't. "When you asked about whether I'd help out with the group's leaders, it was more than a little flattering. I can't say you were wrong about your reasons for inquiring, but it put me in a tough position. The assumption that members of our house would likely side with the Dark Lord isn't ill-founded. Even for those of us who aren't keen to throw our support in his direction, there's an understanding that even remaining neutral would come with significant risks. Choosing to side with you and Dumbledore against the Dark Lord invites significant retribution. Many consider a traitor to be worse than an enemy." Claudia and Theo nodded along gravely and Daphne closed her eyes as a sigh escaped her. "But, as you've no doubt guessed, there are a number of us who are willing to assume the risks. One of those risks is that the Dark Lord's efforts to recruit will likely become more…" Blaise trailed off as he searched for the right word. "Targeted," supplied Daphne with a serious expression. "Exactly," agreed Blaise. "Students from our house will be under more and more pressure to bend the knee to him, and that pressure will probably begin earlier." Harry nodded, though he wasn't certain where Blaise was going with this line of conversation. "That makes sense. What can I do to help?" Blaise laughed quietly and shook his head. "Always so ready and willing to jump in." Claudia smiled grimly. "You're already doing it. Defying the Dark Lord and showing that he isn't invincible. Fighting Death Eaters and exposing them so that they can't hide in the shadows. And giving us the chance to train along with you and the others." "We've discussed possible moves to make, and how one domino falling will impact others," added Daphne quietly. "A prominent Slytherin openly allying himself with you, and Dumbledore by proxy, will create a ripple effect that all of us will feel. Likely sooner rather than later." "Which explains why you haven't given me an answer yet," supplied Harry with a knowing nod. "Exactly," replied Blaise, his eyes lingering on the younger students who were sitting in rapt attention. "But we've come to a consensus that should be manageable for us that we think you should consider." Theo, Daphne, and Claudia looked at Blaise encouragingly as he leaned forward. "I'm willing to accept your invitation under a few conditions: first off, I don't want word spreading that I'll be in the group until the start of next term. The Dark Lord has a lot more access to methods of persuasion when we're all away from Hogwarts. If word reaches him that I, and by extension all of the Slytherins who are a part of the Defense Club, are flirting with outright defiance instead of mere neutrality? That would likely mean personal visits from Death Eaters or even from the Dark Lord, himself." "Not ideal," muttered Theo. "Not at all," agreed Blaise. "If we're to affix targets on our backs, we believe it would be reasonable to put that off until it's absolutely necessary. It saves us a lot of trouble in the near term and means it's less likely that other members of our house are preemptively targeted. Does that seem reasonable to you?" The logic was sound and Harry hated the idea of Death Eaters barging into the homes of the Slytherin students he'd worked with to demand loyalty. "That makes perfect sense. I'm sure the others would be fine with keeping your choice secret until the beginning of the next term. What else are you thinking?" Claudia met Harry's eye. "As much as Blaise has insisted that you're offering the spot to him in good faith, I'd like some assurances that you're really interested in having a Slytherin perspective in your leadership and that he's not just a token addition. How do we know it's not just meant to divide the Dark Lord's attention and draw his ire against those whom he might otherwise consider his potential allies?" Blaise looked completely nonplussed as he responded with a shrug. "She raises a legitimate point. I've argued that you're far too hopelessly Gryffindor to employ that kind of strategy, but the concern persists." The aghast look on Harry's face must have seemed comical, with his jaw slack and his eyes widened behind his glasses. He stammered for a few moments before attempting to answer. "Wait, you think that we offered the spot to Blaise…" Harry reeled as he tried to process the accusation. "No, not at all. We were talking about potential options to fill in after Cedric left, and Blaise was one of our top choices, along with Daphne and some of the others who helped out when we had the younger students last week." Daphne cocked her head at Blaise and gave him a challenging look, as if she wanted him to acknowledge that she was also one of the best choices available. Blaise rolled his eyes and smirked, but didn't interrupt as Harry continued. "We did factor in that having a leader from Slytherin would help with recruiting new members. We figured that part of the reason we had so many more from the other houses was because each of them had someone in the leadership group." Harry grasped for the right words to explain their thought process. "We also thought it might help if there was a more visible Slytherin student who could show everyone that we can work together and trust each other." "It's like I told you before: they need a poster boy," said Blaise smugly, much to Harry's chagrin. "They've got their own motivations, but it makes sense. Give our housemates a choice between the Malfoys of the world and folks like us. Maybe pull a few neutrals off the sidelines or even make some of the ones leaning toward joining the Dark Lord think twice. Slow the supply of future Death Eaters." Blaise's description seemed far less noble than when he and the other leaders had discussed the pros and cons of adding a Slytherin to their group, but none of the students appeared to care. In fact, Claudia had pursed her lips and was nodding approvingly. "Aww, he's blushing!" exclaimed Daphne with a laugh. "He's clearly not spent enough time with Slytherins if he's this uncomfortable talking through these sorts of logistics." The twinge of heat in his cheeks became more pronounced as the others joined with her laughter. "Err… Are there any other things you wanted to go over?" asked Harry, suddenly much more interested in the end of the conversation. "No, that just about covers it," answered Blaise, pushing himself back up out of his seat. "We'll let you go before the others start thinking we've abducted you. Don't want to get on Weasley's bad side." Harry bid a good summer to the other students and he and Blaise reentered the hallway. The doorway leading to the next car opened, revealing Draco flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. The blonde boy's scowl worsened as his rival and dormmate approached. "Zabini! What are you doing with trash like Potter?" Malfoy spat, standing in their way so that they couldn't pass. "Hanging out with the likes of him could land you in a dangerous predicament…" "What I do with my time is no concern to you," replied Blaise coolly. He pulled out his wand nonchalantly. "I think it's well established which of us is better with a wand, which means you're all talk." "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," Draco said with a sneer, producing his wand. "Potter is going to pay for what he did to my father, and I don't think you want any part of what's coming his way." Harry's wand was at the ready, but Blaise remained between him and the other three. "What he did to your father?" laughed Blaise, his eyes trained on Draco. "Depending on who you listen to, the rumors are that Potter either captured your dear old daddy or saved him from getting killed." A mischievous smile flit across Harry's face. "Technically, both true." With a cry of rage, Malfoy shot a curse that rebounded off the sturdy shield Blaise conjured in plenty of time, causing it to ricochet back into its caster. He fell to the floor in a heap, yelping as his nose began to bleed almost as profusely as if he'd eaten one of the sweets from the twins' Skivving Snackboxes. Crabbe and Goyle gripped their wands tightly but looked unsure of whether to fire a spell or simply try a punch. Blaise snorted derisively. "Feel free to have a go if you want to end up on the ground like him. Otherwise, step aside." Goyle looked to be considering his options, but Crabbe backed up enough to allow Harry to pass. "Have a good summer!" called Blaise as Harry stepped through the door to the next train car. "Same to you, Blaise!" answered Harry, shutting the door behind him. He smiled as he thought about the holiday break and everything he hoped to do before climbing back aboard the Hogwarts Express. He planned to spend a great deal of time enjoying himself at the Burrow and had pledged to visit Neville's home at some point in July. He knew that Dumbledore and the others would have more for them to do in the hunt for horcruxes, and he looked forward to searching through the castle alongside Sirius and Remus again. Harry almost joined Ron in a compartment with Padma, Parvati, and several other Fifth Year students, but instead just gave a friendly wave to his best mate through the window. Ron gave him a nod before returning to his game of chess, in which he was walloping a hapless Seamus. Emerging back into his compartment, he was happy to see that Hermione had taken a break from her patrols to chat amicably with Neville and Ginny. Luna had fallen asleep leaning against the glass of the window, and her small snores were muffled slightly by Neville's cloak, which had been gently draped over her as she napped. Harry gave his friend a questioning look, but Neville only shrugged and continued listening to the whispered conversation between his other friends. Harry lay down on the seat next to Ginny and rested his head on her lap. She grinned down at him as her hands threaded through his messy black hair. In a quiet voice, she asked, "How'd everything go?" He let his eyes drift close as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Everything's good." ~RLM~ "Come take a look at him," whispered a man's voice. He was not interested in waking the baby, especially after she'd taken nearly an hour to get back to sleep last time. "It looks like he might be calming down." A witch swept across the room, her sleeping daughter cradled in her arms. The red-headed wizard next to her gently pulled the child into his arms as his wife peered down at the serene face lying on the couch, crouching down to better take in the change in his appearance. "Hmm… 'E does not seem as agitated as before," she mused quietly. She touched the back of her delicate hand to the sleeper's forehead. "Perhaps 'e 'as been dreaming?" "It's a possibility," acknowledged the wizard as he swayed back and forth gently. His daughter stirred slightly, but only enough to allow one of her small hands to grasp at her father's hair. "But after the Ritual, who knows what kind of dreams he could be having? Not that he didn't already have plenty of fodder for nightmares…" "I cannot imagine," shuddered the woman, brushing the messy hair away from the eyes of their patient before standing back up. "Visions of the tournament still creep into my dreams on occasion, but those are nothing compared to the 'orrors 'e 'as witnessed." She sat down on a nearby chair and crossed her arms in frustration. "I do not wish to make a 'abit of agreeing with your bruzzer, but I am beginning to feel as though George 'as a point. 'Ow long can we leave 'im like this?" "I don't know. I'm just as nervous as you are, but I don't think there's anything that we can do. At least, not yet." "You theenk 'e will return to us, no?" The question hung in the warmth of the humid night air, with only the soft snuffling of their congested daughter breaking the silence. His response began with a long, deep sigh. "It's hard to say anything for sure at this point. He seems almost like he's sleeping now, but anything could be going on inside his head. I'm worried about him." "As am I," she replied quietly as her husband drew closer. "Angelina or George should be 'ere soon. I don't mind waiting up if you-?" Her offer was cut off by Bill's lips gently pressing against hers. He shifted Genevieve back into Fleur's arms and sat on the floor between her knees. His strong hands began kneading at the tension in her foot, eliciting a small murmur from his wife. "We can both keep watch until they get here." Fleur's eyes fluttered closed as the argument that Bill should get some rest melted away, replaced only by the feeling of relief. He smiled as he worked on a particularly sensitive spot below her ankle, furtively glancing at Harry's still-unmoving form. |
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