Rating:
PG-13
House:
Schnoogle
Ships:
Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood
Characters:
Harry Potter Hermione Granger Luna Lovegood
Genres:
Action Drama
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Half-Blood Prince
Stats:
Published: 08/10/2005
Updated: 01/24/2006
Words: 106,949
Chapters: 33
Hits: 137,035

Companions of the White Warlock

DrT

Story Summary:
Year seven of the HBP-compliant story (on Dark Arts) 'Smoke'. Harry, Hermione, and Ron go after the remaining Horcruxes, aided by Luna, Ginny, Neville, Remus, Tonks, and Professor Russell.

Chapter 19 - 19

Chapter Summary:
Year 7 of the HBP-compliant story (on Dark Arts) 'Smoke'. Harry, Hermione, and Ron go after the remaining Horcruxes, aided by Luna, Ginny, Neville, Remus, Tonks, and Professor Russell.
Posted:
12/09/2005
Hits:
3,971
Author's Note:
Ron sticks his foot in it; Harry shares information on Voldemort’s allies; Severus and Peter discuss their living arrangements.



Smoke Year VII - Companions of the White Warlock
Chapter XIX
Monday, November 3, 1997

Ron Weasley backed into a corner, a look of terror on his face and his hands upraised to ward off any punches or slaps which might come his way.

"How could you, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione screamed at him.

"You stupid, big-mouthed, unthinking git!" Ginny joined in, taking a slap at him, which Ron fended off.

"Admit it!" Ron protested, "you both thought just about the same things!" Ginny, having missed with a slap, aimed a kick at Ron's knee. "OW!"

Caching Ron bending down to grab his knee, Hermione connected with an open-handed slap that not only knocked him back into the corner but nearly knocked him senseless when his head connected with both sides of the corner. "Yes," Hermione quietly hissed, "the thought passed through my mind that as sad, as tragic, as horrible as Hagrid's murder was, it probably affected the power of Harry's Council less than anyone else's would have. And yes, as much as I cared for Hagrid, it would have been harder for me to have lost Ginny or Luna, or even the Prof. I was NOT so insensitive as to say anything like any of those to HARRY on the away BACK from the funeral!"

"Let alone say in it those the blunt terms you used!" Ginny raged at her brother. He had managed to stand back up, but was still cowering a bit under the verbal assault.

"Do you know why YOU are on the Council of the White Warlock, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione snarled. "Because you are important to Harry, which is the same reason why Hagrid was. Do you think that any of us couldn't have been skipped over? that Harry couldn't have found someone with more knowledge, more power, more experience? Of course not; we were chosen because Harry cares for us and trusts us. Because, as I said, we are important to him." She glared at Ron, and he shrank a bit further away from his lover. "I had thought you might be even more than merely important to me, but until you grow up, you can forget it. If you so much as touch that knob on the door connecting our suites, I swear it will be hexed so that your little willie shrinks so small that it will NEVER be seen again!"

Ron gulped in terror -- if anyone could do that, it was likely to be Hermione. Suddenly, Ginny and Hermione were moved aside by Luna Lovegood. Ron barely had enough time to register that it was Luna -- he could barely recognize her, as for the first time in his knowledge of her, she had a look of fury on her face. He stood straighter in surprise.

Luna merely took another step forward and flattened Ron with a right cross to the jaw, and the back of his head again hit the wall behind him, after which he collapsed on the floor. When Ron's ears stopped ringing, Luna spat at him, saying, "Harry is moving out of the castle to Hagrid's Hut, thanks to your inability to hold your tongue! That also puts him away from some of the castle's wards, which means he's in greater danger than he has been. Think about that, Ronald." Luna spun and stormed away. Ginny and Hermione followed.

Ron winced as he noticed that two of his teeth were loose.

"Little brother," Fred said sadly as he came up to Ron, "you need to learn to keep your mouth shut."

"I know," Ron admitted. "It was the wrong thing to say, and the wrong person to say it to, and certainly the wrong time. I knew it as soon as I said it, but I couldn't take it back."

"Come on," George said. "I think you'd better spend the next few weeks commuting between here and our store."



Hermione hesitated, but knocked on the door of Hagrid's, now Harry's hut. Fang barked an alarm from the inside. Hermione raised her hand to knock again, and the door opened by itself. She poked her head inside. "Harry?"

"Come on in," Harry called.

Hagrid's hut had a simple layout. It consisted to one very large room and two backrooms, one a bath and the other a storage room. Hermione looked around the large room. Nearly all of Hagrid's things were gone, except the hams and sausages he had made and, Hermione correctly guessed, the other ingredients and food stuffs were likely stored in the cupboards.

On one side of the fireplace was what looked like a small bed, although Hermione quickly realized that it looked that way only in comparison to the huge one that fit Hagrid which had been there. The larger kettles Hagrid had cooked in were gone from the other side of the fireplace, replaced by newer, smaller versions. Hermione noticed for the first time the oven built into the kitchen side of the fireplace, then she smiled at the small library ladder, which Harry would need to look into the upper shelves of the pantry.

Fang finally got off the old 'small' sofa Hagrid had kept for his normal-sized visitors, although it had mostly served as Fang's bed. All the other furniture was new, as were three of the six rugs on the floor.

Harry came out of the storage room. "Hi," he said simply.

Hermione gestured. "This is a bit of a surprise," she said. "You did a lot already."

Harry gave her a half-smile. "You should know better than that."

Hermione frowned, then said, "Dobby."

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "He did about half the work, and some of the other elves helped out with a lot of the rest. I made some executive decisions and they did almost everything else." He gestured at the store room. "I had to do most of the work in there, though."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked.

"Because that's partially Dobby's space, and he wouldn't make it nice for himself."

"What else is it?"

Harry shrugged. "Storage, of course. Actually, except for food stuffs, most of the shelves are empty. After all, I don't own much of my own, personal stuff, I mean. We built a back shed for the garden tools, although we had to shrink them down to a more usable size."

"Who is going to do Hagrid's work?" Hermione asked, "and where will they stay?"

"Remus is taking over the Third years, and Professor Grubbly-Plank agreed to come in from Hogsmeade to take the Fourth and Fifth years," Harry answered. "A friend of Charlie's is coming in to take over the gamekeeping job, and he'll do most of the groundskeeping, too. Neville asked to take over the gardens. Dobby is being invested right now as keeper of the keys."

Hermione smiled. "That's wonderful!" Then she frowned. "Why are you here, Harry? It's not just because Ron's a prat, is it?"

"I've already forgiven him," Harry said, "but he is a prat. Don't tell him he's forgiven yet. Let him come and apologize."

"Fine, but then why are you here?"

Harry shrugged. "I need some space, I think. I need to grow up a bit more, and I think I can do it best here, where everyone can't just drop in, like you all have been to the suite the last few weeks." He gestured to the fireplace. "Although no one can see in until I answer a firecall, it is fire-connected to all the Council's fireplaces, plus Mister Weasley, Moody and McGonagall's. I can floo through to anyone of them, although only two people besides me can floo in here."

"Luna and who else?" Hermione teased.

"You."

Hermione blinked. "Really?"

"Really," Harry assured her. He gestured for her to sit in one of the two new stuffed chairs. Harry sat across from her.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Snape left some information with the Prof," Harry said. "He hasn't mentioned it, has he?"

"That he had some new information, yes," Hermione said. "He hasn't said what it is or that it was from Snape."

Harry sighed. "Good. I hope only he and I, besides Snape, knows anything. Assuming Voldemort doesn't escalate things over the next few weeks, I need you and Luna to research something potentially big."

"Alright," Hermione said cautiously.

"Set Luna to researching the magical side of this, while you handle the Muggle side." Hermione's eyebrows went up. "The Prof has some material to start things up. I don't want ANYONE to know what the two of you are researching, except for me and the Prof."

"Go on," Hermione said uncertainly.

"Since you'll be doing research around Europe, including Germany . . . . you do read German, right?"

"I do," Hermione agreed.

"Good. Who should go with you for protection?" Harry asked.

"Who would you want to protect you?" Hermione asked.

Harry took the question seriously, and finally said, "I guess it will have to be Tonks, unless you know a member of the Order you'd prefer."

"Not Remus?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry answered so quickly that it surprised Hermione. Harry decided he had to explain. "Leaving aside the fact that the full moon is the fourteenth, he could easily figure out what you're up to. I trust Remus, but better safe than sorry. Plus, of course, he has to teach."

"What in Merlin's name are we researching?" Hermione demanded.

"Eugenics, especially links between wizarding and Muggle ideas on Eugenics."

"But . . . but eugenics are nonsense! However it started, it took most of the racist nonsense of the nineteenth century and brought it into the twentieth, until it mostly died with the Nazis."

"From what little I understand, I partially agree with you. However, I need to mention one thing about eugenics you might not know, since the Prof didn't until Snape told him."

"And what is that?" Hermione demanded.

"Eugenics wasn't invented by Muggles in the mid-to-late nineteenth century," Harry answered. "It was invented by wizards over two hundred years ago. And yes, Muggle eugenics hit their peak so to speak, with the Nazis, but don't forget the Nazis were partially influenced by Grindelwald, who apparently came out of a secret cabal of wizarding eugenicists."

"And?"

Harry suddenly thought about a Muggle film he had once watched from the vantage point of under the stairs. "You told me that your father was a sci-fi fan, right?"

"Right. . . ."

"Think Star Trek."

Hermione looked confused.

"The Wrath of Khan, not to mention the episode it was based on."

"Oh. . . ." Hermione said, thinking about that. She thought about it some more, and said, ". . . shit."



Two hours later, there was another knock on Harry's door. Harry and Luna sighed. "Watch the stew, would you?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Luna said.

Harry opened the door, already knowing who was standing there. "Yes?"

Ron stood shivering in the windy cold evening. "Could I come in for a minute or two?" Ron asked.

"Sure. Come in."

Ron looked around the hut, a bit surprised at how quickly Harry had made it his own. He thought of all the times he had visited Hagrid here, and what that had meant to him, and even more what Hagrid had meant to Harry. He looked at Harry. "I'm sorry I spoke without thinking this morning."

"I know," Harry said. "It's easy to say stupid things under stress, things which might have some truth in them, but which are better left unsaid."

Ron sighed. "I wish. . . ."

Harry shrugged. "I forgive you, Ron. We're still friends, you know."

"I know," Ron said. "I know it's still unclear what will be happening, if the attack on Hagrid was an isolated incident or the signal for something to start, but do you think I could spend some time at the twins' shop?"

"I don't see why not, but why?" Harry asked. "I'm not upset with you."

"Hermione is still really ticked," Ron admitted.

"Hermione and Tonks will be off on a research mission in a few days," Harry said. "I was wondering if you could do the late shift patrols around the castle and give the Order guards some time off." A number of members of the Order were living at Hogwarts, for extra protection.

"Sure, I can do that," Ron said.

"Then take the patrols from midnight to Six until something happens or the Christmas break," Harry suggested. "You can spend the rest of your time at the twins', until Hermione finishes her assignment. By then, she might have calmed down."

"I hope so," Ron said, seeing Luna giving him a dirty look, although Harry couldn't see it.

"There's a direct floo connection with the twins' to Hogwarts, so if there's an emergency, the three of you can come through," Harry went on.

"True."

"Shouldn't you be helping Ginny with the flying squad, though?"

"She's mad at me, too, and said she didn't need any more help," Ron admitted.

Harry winced. "Well, you know how to handle your sister better than I do."

"Sometimes," Ron said. And with that, he took off.

Harry turned to Luna, who did not look happy. "Are you angry at Ron, too?"

"I was," Luna admitted. "I don't like that you're outside some of the wards. And I think a saw a swarm of Diligent Spangles. If they get into the thatched part of the roof. . . ."

Harry walked over and kissed Luna firmly. "If anyone could be safe here, it's me."



Friday, November 14, 1997

A mostly recovered Voldemort looked up from his throne at the six faces surrounding him. None were originally his people. His Death Eaters were nearly all gone. Now, he was leading a remnant of Grindelwald's true believers -- secret followers at that. "I have an assignment for you," he said, managing to appear recovered, although he was not. These six were nearly identical wizards, the current cream of a two centuries breeding experiment in eugenics. Where the center of this experiment was, even Voldemort did not know (at least not yet), but he was willing to put these experiments to the test.

All six were tall, athletic, and blond. All six were moderately powerful wizards. None was much above average in intelligence, but none were really dim in any way, except for a lack of initiative. "Potter still has eleven of his closest followers. The elf we can ignore. Three of the youngest do not leave Hogwarts. That leaves seven. Of those seven, two are the most vulnerable. Attack and destroy the twin Weasleys. Plan the attack well, but remember, offensive magic, especially large scale magic and dark magic, cannot be used in Diagon Alley."

"Has that been tested, Master, or could it be a tale?" Hermann, the leader of the six, asked. He had been the first of the attack wizards to join Voldemort, and had proven his skill in the attack on Hogwarts the previous June.

"Unfortunately, it has been tested. I have special portkeys for you, each keyed only to each of you. Even if someone has a firm hold on the portkey, once you activate it only you will be transported. Use them after the attack. You get one shot at the Weasleys twins. After that, use your location as a base to track down and attack any of the others on the Council. You might consider the animagus and the werewolf, but let circumstances determine that." Voldemort then asked, "Can I get any more of you?"

"For a specific plan, perhaps, my lord," Hermann answered. Their first loyalty was to the eugenics group, after all.

"I was thinking of an attack on the Weasley home on Christmas or New Years," Voldemort replied, suppressing his anger at having to deal with these people instead of just ordering them. "There is also the possibility of attacking the wizarding prison where some of my other followers are located."

"If you have any information or plans, I can pass them along," Hermann answered. "If they are approved, you may be given more of us."

Voldemort tossed the wizard a few rolls of parchment. "Then go." The six bowed and left. Voldemort turned to his snake. "If they totally fail, perhaps you and I shall go into hibernation for a few centuries. At least Potter will be gone then."

Nagini hissed in dissatisfaction.

"I know. I would dislike that option as well. Still, I must admit, I am running out of options for this timeframe." At that moment, an owl flew into the room.

Voldemort scowled, but took the message. He read it at a glance. "Well, perhaps I can arrange yet another option after all."



Sunday, November 16, 1997

"So, you're my new neighbor."

"Rot in hell, Wormtail," Snape snarled.

"This isn't hell, and I am not rotting," Pettigrew smirked. "Compared to the last eighteen years of my life, this is actually quite nice."

Snape looked around the cell he was in. They were deep in an old nickle mine, which prevented apparation. He had spent the days between his recovery in Britain and his arrival here being sprayed and dosed with potions to inhibit his magic. There was little light, other than the bright light coming in through the bars set in the upper half of his cell door. There was a bed, a chair, a table, a sink, an unlit candle, and a toilet. "If that is true, then you brought it on yourself," Snape retorted.

"And yet you, the would-be hero, are here with me," Pettigrew crowed.

"True," Snape admitted. "Tell me, do you still have that hand?"

If Pettigrew said anything, Snape could not hear it.

"I thought not," Snape retorted. "They have allowed me access to the interest on my money. Hogwarts paid fairly well, and I had few expenses. I also made a small fortune with patents on potions, and they did not take those away, either. So, you cannot bribe me to be nice to you, and you could never lord it over me, either as a follower of Potter and Black, or a follower of the Dark Lord."

Pettigrew still said nothing.



"What? Nothing to say, o mighty Marauder? Do you still think of yourself as one? Or does the thought of what you did to Potter and Lily make you cringe?"

"Fuck you!" Pettigrew screamed.

"Keep it down!" someone yelled in Spanish.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Snape demanded. "It was young Potter's idea! To torture the two of us!" Snape paused. "You know, that's about the most human, calculating action I've ever seen the little shite take."

"Harry sent you here?"

"Yes," Snape hissed. "To remind us what he thinks of us both. As long as we're both here, we're to have adjacent cells."

Pettigrew was again silent.

"So," Snape asked in the soft voice most of his students had feared more than any other, "how long are you in for again? That's right. Life. How long do you think you'll be here, Pettigrew? A hundred years?"

Pettigrew made a soft sound of frustration, but then demanded, "And how long are you here for, Snape? You murdered one of the most respected wizards of our time!"

"I killed him," Snape agreed heavily. "I did something terribly wrong for very good reasons. I gambled that I could control a situation, and lost that gamble three times." He had lost Draco; he had had to kill Dumbledore, he had failed stay close to Voldemort long enough to help bring him down. "How long am I here for? Ten years, maximum, and if some of my information helps destroy our dear Master, maybe less. So, while you stay in your cell for a further ninety years, I can devote myself to potions research."

Wormtail still said nothing.

"Since we're going to be neighbors for ten years, we should learn about each other. What should we talk about this week?," Snape inquired with a twisted evil smile. "Tell me, Peter, do you still have phantom pains from your missing hand?"