Harry and Hermione -- Their Sixth Year II

Chapter IX

Only Harry knew how upset Hermione was with inheriting nine house elves, and how sickened she was by the death of Snape and the Slytherin students. To everyone else, she presented a business-like demeanor as she participated in discussions setting up the trust to administer the Malfoy Estate the morning of Boxing Day. Mr. Diggle helped with the legalities, and Dumbledore helped persuade people to join the trust committee. Dumbledore, Diggle, and three other members of the Order would make up the group, and Hermione, Luna, and Ginny would become members when they became of age at 17.

While no one was anything but unhappy with Malfoy's conditions, Ron was taking them the hardest, or at least the loudest. He fought with Ginny so much Christmas night and Boxing Day, she took to staying close to her mother. He had harassed Hermione so much that they had a nastier fight than the one that had broken them up the previous June. Harry had had to intervene, before one said something that couldn't be forgiven. Even Luna was affected. Every time Ron walked into a room, she would walk out unless Harry or Mrs. Weasley nearby. Henrietta had somehow also been drawn into the arguments, and was mostly hiding in her room (which Ron was now barred from), swearing at Ron at every opportunity and swearing to everyone else that she was through with Ron Weasley and through with the entire insane group.

Boxing Day night, just after most of the household had retired, Harry held Ron back. "What's the matter with you? Are you saying Malfoy was right?"

"What do you mean?" Ron demanded.

"Look, I wouldn't like Hermione, Ginny, or Luna to have Malfoy's child, but if they decide to do it, what of it? Are you objecting just because it's Malfoy? Or the procedure? Or what? Because when you're harassing the girls, it sounds like the only problem you have is that's the child will be Malfoy's, that blood triumphs over everything. Why does that part bother you? Do you really think any child that's part Malfoy is going to be an evil, insufferable git?"

"Look, first of all, this artificial insem . . . insen. . . ."

"Insemination."

"Whatever. YOU might be used to the idea, but while 'artificial' might not automatically be bad, neither is it generally seen as a good thing, at least in our world. Harry, I know very well that the Muggle world is bigger than ours. In some ways it's better and in some ways it's not and in most ways it's the same. But just in case you haven't noticed by now, wizarding culture is very conservative. Malfoy's, no, Snape's bright idea is being kept under wraps right now, but can you imagine the publicity once it gets out? Because you know it will if anyone has the child. Would you want Ginny to go through that? Or Luna? Henrietta's family doesn't have much. I could tell she was tempted. She sees the fortune, not the trouble it would cause. Would you want her to suffer for a little money?"

"Of course not." Harry looked at Ron. "Not worried about Hermione?"

"Not really," Ron retorted. "First of all, she's got you. Unless she gets it in her head to make some grand anti-Pure-Blood statement, she won't be having Malfoy's baby. But if Ginny and Luna stay together, THEY will want to have kids. I know Ginny wants some, anyway. She's very interested in these Muggle ideas, and if she doesn't have Malfoy's, she'll probably be after you, or maybe Colin. And I overheard her and Luna last night, debating the merits of you or me fathering a child with Luna! And worst of all, this is Malfoy's ultimate revenge on us -- make us supervise his estate, and maybe having one of us have his child." He shook his head. "I don't think I'm overreacting, Harry."

"I think you are," Harry replied in a doubtful voice, "but not as much as I thought you were. Still, you should know better than to talk to them like that! There might be a girl who will tolerate it, but I haven't met her yet."

"You're right," Ron admitted.

"Go get something from the kitchen. I'll see if any of them are willing not to throw things at you."

Ron winced. "Thanks."

Luna and Ginny's room was empty. A soft knock on Henrietta's brought forth a stream of curses that would have had Molly Weasley reaching for a bar of soap, even if one of the cursers had been Mad-Eye Moody instead of her daughter.

"It's me," Harry stated.

"No git?" Henrietta demanded, as Ginny was now mumbling invectives while Luna tried to comfort her.

"No," Harry said with a sigh.

"Come in."

Luna, Ginny, and Hermione were with Henrietta. "Are you here to excuse the git?" Ginny asked.

"No and yes," as Harry closed the door. He was glad Fred and George had left that afternoon, so he wouldn't have to worry about the extendable ears.

"What does THAT mean?" Ginny demanded.

"It means I would never defend the way he spoke to any of you," Harry answered. "But if you consider what he was trying to say, you know, he does have a point."

"And that being?" Hermione demanded.

"In the Muggle world, the fact of the first in vitro children were announced, but they and their relatives were given privacy for a while. But the child of Draco Malfoy, created by a Muggle technique, inheriting a huge fortune out from under a bunch of distant Pure Blood relatives? Imagine the fuss. Imagine the lawsuits. Imagine the teasing the child would get, especially if he, or she, is sorted into Slytherin? Ron doesn't want any of you to go through the hell of publicity. I don't either, but I know I certainly don't have any right to impose my opinion on anyone."

The four women looked a little abashed, but not much. "So," Harry went on, "since the whole idea is just theoretical for at least a few years any way, why not allow Ron to apologize for his delivery and drop the subject from open conversation?"

Three of the girls reluctantly agreed. Henrietta, however, was not in a forgiving mood. "He called me a whore, Harry. He meant it when he called me one. I'm not angry at you or anyone else in this room. I will be your friend, and I will certainly keep your secrets. I'll listen to him; I may even forgive him, but I will NOT date him again."

As Harry and Hermione snuggled together half an hour later, however, Hermione asked. "Would you hate me if I had Malfoy's baby?"

"Of course I wouldn't hate you. I wouldn't hate the baby. I would very much dislike the fact that you preferred having his to mine."

"I wouldn't, unless you were . . . gone."

"Oh . . . well, in that case, I would understand." Harry mentally added, 'One more good reason NOT to get killed.'

Hermione wrapped herself around Harry, and they fell asleep.

Friday, December 28, 1996

The Dumbledores had left Christmas night, the twins and Arthur Weasley Boxing Day morning. Mrs. Weasley was returning to the safe house, and was taking Ron, Henrietta, Ginny, and Luna with her, although Henrietta didn't seem overly happy about it. The Grangers would be leaving as well, and would be back at the dental clinic the following morning for half a day, allowing their associates some time off as well.

The Christmas Eve attack had not been reported Christmas Day, and there was only a 'stop-press' notice on Boxing Day. A fuller report was in Friday's Daily Prophet. Between thinking about Snape and Malfoy's grisly deaths and Draco's will, the teens hadn't thought of some of the other details. They were surprised to learn that Vincent Crabbe and Pansy Parkinson had been the two students who had deserted Draco and gone over to Voldemort (assuming they hadn't betrayed the meeting in the first place).

On a more positive note, Ron and Henrietta were at least speaking when the Weasley group moved out a little after 9:00. After the morning traffic slowed down even more, the old large limousine pulled up. Three Order members Harry and Hermione didn't know escorted Mistress Merry up the stoop.

"I ask pardon for not ascending the other day," the elderly witch said. "I could not stand that woman when she was alive, and was not certain if you had succeeded in removing her avatar." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "This house nearly feels clean. The darkness of the Place is lifting. A remarkable achievement, speaking well of all the love that has been here recently."

Harry looked puzzled, but Hermione blushed. She kissed her parents, and to their surprise, Mistress Merry. Mistress Merry took Hermione's left hand and smiled, seeing the ring on 'the correct hand' at last. Hermione's parents frowned, but said nothing.

"Well," Colin said after nearly everyone had left, "maybe things will be quiet now. I need to develop my film, and Dean needs to paint."

"You'll all stay in today?" Remus asked. Tonks had already gone to the Ministry.

"Yes," Harry replied. "I think we would all like to go Muggle shopping at least once, and go to Diagon Alley as well, at least once before we go back, but not necessarily today."

"I'll arrange it," Remus said. "You might have a visitor for lunch or dinner." He looked up and down the street, and then went off.

"Alone," Colin said, smiling as Harry shut the door. He pulled Dean down and kissed him deeply.

"Here now, I know you two haven't been celibate since we've been here," Hermione objected.

"No, we haven't," Dean said, "but if you don't mind, we'll dispense with silencing spells."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because we want it in places other than our rooms or the attic. If you can hear us, you won't come in," Dean said.

"Unless you like to watch," Colin teased.

"Go ahead," Hermione retorted. "Come along, Harry. It's time to try that lube."

"Are you comfortable?" Colin asked as Hermione sat down for lunch.

"Shut up, Colin," Hermione grumbled.

Dr. Powell showed up at 1:00, and refused refreshment. Instead, he dragged the group down into the basement. He set up a simple silhouette target, but directed them to a point of the foundation wall next to it. "Now, what color is a stinger?"

"Light blue to indigo," Hermione answered.

"What determines the color?"

The four looked at each other and shrugged. "Power?" Hermione guessed. "No, that can't really be it. Harry's is faster than any of ours, but it's not that much of a different color."

"It's actually fairly different," Dean said.

"For whatever reasons," Powell said while waving his wand along the target, "while sparks may be of any color, these stinger blobs are between light blue to purplish-indigo. We tried everything to get any sort of spell with a pure purple light. There aren't many of them. Then Filius had the idea of using a simple stinger. Just as you can send up sparks of any color that you think of, you can send stingers of any color if you try hard enough. The problem is, anything further along the spectrum than a slightly greenish blue breaks back into sparks after a few feet. Still, you can to imagine the stinger a deep purple, and it works."

"Now, we'd shared the theory of purple affecting dementors with some of the aurors, and a group of us showed up at the Malfoy's just as the group was clearing off. The dementors went last. They didn't like any of the purple spells, but a purple stinger blasts them as well as a Patrons dart, and they're easier to produce. Dumbledore showed up at the end, and somehow fired off a purple Patrons dart. That blasted three dementors apart, but I've NO idea how he did it."

"Is that better than the mysterious third spell?" Harry demanded.

"Much," Powell stated. "Dementors are a corporeal minor demon, just as a lethifold is an animal demon. And all demon banishing spells are easily changed into demon summonsing spells."

"Which is why you were putting off teaching me," Harry responded.

"You and any student. Now, I've reinforced this target. Feel free to practice your purple darts. Half the Ministry wants to release the information, the other half want to keep it in reserve, to try and surprise the dementors and wipe them out, but I thought you four should know, and Dumbledore agreed."

"Are the violet ones as powerful as the indigo ones against people?" Dean asked.

"Actually, no," Powell said with a grin, "so my uncle will have all the students learn the purple version for practice sessions against shields, even if the Ministry decides to keep this information a secret. You're an artist, right?"

"I am."

"Could you try and get some paint samples, the closest hues to ultra-violet that we can see? It will help students visualize what we mean."

"No problem."

"Great!"

By the time Remus and Tonks made it back to Grimmauld Place around 5:30, all four students had mastered the purple stinger. (Dean insisted it was actually a shade of violet, but even Hermione thought 'purple stinger' sounded better than 'violet stinger'.)

"I see Doctor Powell has been here and gone," Remus said.

"He has," Hermione stated.

"What else can you tell us?" Harry asked.

"It is not to leave this room, understand? Not even Ron or Ginny or Luna."

"Then I think I'll pass," Colin said. "I just don't want, or need, to know."

"I'll go with you," Dean said.

When they were gone, Remus said, "We still have a few spies with the Death Eaters, although none have anything like Severus' seniority or reputation. You should know Parkinson and Crabbe are with Voldemort, and that by all reports it was Crabbe who planted the portkey targets in the Great Hall, Parkinson the ones in front of the Headmaster's. She also sent a report of you stunning two trolls with one stunner. Is that true?"

"It is," Harry acknowledged.

"Amazing," Remus said.

"So we still don't know who planted the ones that ended up in the common areas," Hermione pointed out, frowning.

"True," Remus agreed. "However, from a chance remark overheard, I would say that the person was either in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff." A pained looked flashed across Remus face. "I never liked Severus very much, but the Order will miss him, even if few others will. We could have used him to keep sorting this out."

"Adam Dawlish, Laura Mockridge, Susan Bones, James Perkins, Moray Hopkirk, Jane Pilliwinkle, Henry Mockridge, and Polly Podmore from Hufflepuff," Hermione recited from memory, "Eddie Carmichael, Julia Collins, Marietta Edgecombe, Archibald Peasgood, Dixon Scrimgeour, Donna Scrimgeour, and Stuart Ackerley from Ravenclaw."

"The only one we can trust is Susan," Harry said. He looked at Remus. "We did manage a time-line for her, and most of the others. Whoever did it, must have been under their own free will. We do trust Susan."

"Are there any you don't trust?"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. "Not for something like this," Hermione admitted.

"I can't see Marietta doing this out of principle or revenge," Harry agreed. "If someone with authority over her ordered her to, she might, but really, the only two I can think of with that kind of authority would be her mother or Cho. So . . . Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Could Marietta's mother have been put under Imperius, and the attack on the family faked?" Hermione asked. "It doesn't sound likely, but it's possible, isn't it?"

Remus sighed. "Fairly unlikely, but it's worth looking into. Tonks will set things in motion tomorrow."

"On Saturday?" Harry asked in faux shock. "Madam Bones must have really shaken things up."

"Anything scheduled for us?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, you said would you like to do a little Muggle shopping. There's a new power pack available for magically powering electronic equipment. We can get some electronics if you wish."

"Really?" Hermione said, her eyes lighting up.

"I'd have guessed Colin as the one missing the telly the most," Harry teased.

Hermione pretended to punch Harry on the arm. "I want a computer, Harry." She frowned. "Would computers and tapes work in a magical environment?" she asked.

"Yes," Remus told her, "the wards are strong here, but not enough to disrupt shielded equipment. You actually can get special antennas for radios and televisions. Hogwarts would still disrupt them, though."

"When the Fidelius comes off, we can have electricity run in, right?" Hermione asked.

"No reason why you can't," Remus answered, standing. "Tonks should be here for dinner at Six-thirty." He left to tell Dobby.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "Just something McGonagall mentioned, when we started dating."

"What's that?"

"That the reason she worried a bit when two Muggle-raised students fall in love is that they tend to stay more in the Muggle world, instead of really embracing or even understanding magical culture."

"You mean like having a computer and a television?"

"I guess." He looked at Hermione. "I don't want to live as a Magical Muggle, but I certainly can't live like some magical families still do."

"Chamber pots and scouring charms?" Hermione asked with a shudder. "That awful hair potion that makes your hair look like. . . ."

"Like Snape's, or Draco's for the first two years?" Harry went on. "What was it that American exchange student supposedly called it?"

"'Greasy kid stuff'," Hermione said with a smile. The student, spending his Sixth year in Ravenclaw while they had been in their First, had not appreciated Snape's teaching methods.

"Hogwarts is going to very strange without Snape and Malfoy, isn't it?" Harry said, moving on to what was really on his mind.

"Very," Hermione agreed. "Snape never recovered from the last war. If Draco had taken the Mark, he probably would have at best ended up much like his mentor."

"Probably," Harry agreed. "We'll never know if Draco would have made it all the way to something resembling a civilized attitude, or if he would have joined the next Pure-blood movement."

"It will just be odd for us. Just think what it will be like for Zabini -- the only male Slytherin of his year," Hermione pointed out.

"True. He didn't like Malfoy or Goyle, and he disliked Nott and Crabbe, but after five and a half years. . . ."

"War sucks, doesn't?"

"It does," Harry agreed, "but I guess we have no real choice."

Coming back from shopping the next afternoon, the group (the four teens, plus Remus and Tonks) were hurrying, as the weather was threatening a chilly rain. Colin suddenly called a halt. "I need to go in here," was all he said.

'Here' was a small, plain church. The sign informed them that this was an old foundation, destroyed during the bombings of 1940. On the site of the old Anglican Church, after the war, a new Catholic church had been built.

"I didn't know you were Catholic," Hermione remarked.

"My mum was," Colin replied. "Dumbledore had to send 'round a priest who's also a wizard around to talk to her. Please?"

Remus and Tonks looked at each other and shrugged. The group went inside, and Colin explained what he was going to do, and why. The four teens went up to the Lady Alter. Colin and Dean each lit a candle for each of their murdered family members, Harry one each for Sirius and Cedric. Hermione lit one for Snape and each of the Slytherin students. The three teens then went to the back while Colin prayed near the High Alter.

Hermione, raised a High Church Anglican, understood most of the iconography, but refrained from discussing it. Then she remembered who the Church was dedicated to. She went up to the Saint's Alter, and lit all the candles, and wrote and left a note, along with £180, all the cash she hadn't spent (and which she had been planning on saving against emergencies) asking that a candle be kept lit until the money ran out.

"What was that for?" Harry asked.

"We need all the help we can get," was all Hermione would say, as they left the Church of St. George, slayer of dragons and protector of soldiers.