The Loss of Powers

After they had gotten done flying and Hermione had begun to get used to flying a bit, though flying with Harry made it easier for her, they went inside. The Great Hall seemed to be a bit more excited than normal, although logically none of the other students should have known about it, they all sensed it. The teachers in particular were wondering how it would all end up. They sat down to a meal that was slightly nicer then normal, though nothing too big. Harry looked over at Hermione who sat there starring into her goblet of pumpkin juice.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, thinking how this was probably the last time that he would have to ask that question again.
"Oh, you know, I'm thinking about tonight." Hermione replied.
"You sure you want me to be the one that casts it?" Harry asked slightly nervous.
"Oh yes, it's not that at all. It's just that I was thinking about what happened between my mother and yours." Hermione replied.
Harry just squeezed Hermione, who laid her head on his shoulder.
Just then Draco walked by, and seeing Harry and Hermione came over. "So, Harry finally hit rock bottom and started dating a mudblood, huh?" Draco laughed.
Hermione lifted her head and glared at Draco while Harry stood up, turned about on Draco and pulled out his wand. Then with a brisk movement, Harry sent Draco flying across the room with a Banishing Charm. Most of the teachers ignored this knowing what Draco had most likely said and how volatile Harry and Hermione would be right then. Harry sat back down, and tried to calm down, and when he had he continued eating.
After dinner was completed, the trio headed down to the Gryffindor common room and sat there waiting until it was time to head down and perform the spell. For Harry, the feeling was very similar to the worry that a groom might feel right before his marriage. For Hermione it was very similar, though she was very excited about it. She didn't doubt that Harry was the right one, she was more worried about what would happen if the spell failed. She would be expelled from school, and wouldn't be able to see Harry or Ron for most of the year. As she was thinking this she grabbed Harry's arm with her hands and gave it a small squeeze.
Ron on the other hand was looking at Harry and Hermione and wondering just where this new change would leave him. He wanted to be both of their friends, but he hoped that Harry and Hermione wouldn't just leave him out. He was sure they wouldn't, but he was still afraid.
Finally it was time and they headed down to the classroom.


When they entered, they immediately noticed that the book was laid out with two goblets next to it. Dumbledore was standing behind the book waiting for them, as were several of their teachers. "Welcome, Harry, Hermione, I have some potions for you to drink. These are a part of the spell, and Snape was so kind as to volunteer to make them for us. Before you object, they are fine, now drink up, and Hermione will be sitting right there," he said as he pointed to a chair in front of the book, "and Harry will be right here where I'm standing. Now, Hermione, there will be parts of the spell that you must agree to in the casting. These will be questions directed straight at you, and at any time you feel we must stop, just answer no, and we will stop and nothing will happen. Do you understand?"
"Yes" Hermione replied though not sure why she would say no. She went over and took her seat, and watched Harry as he stood there in front of her. She reached out for her cup, and swallowed it, finding it didn't taste too bad. Harry did the same, but he found his slightly bitter.
"Harry, start whenever you are ready."
Harry looked down at the book, and started reciting the spell, while occasionally asking a question and waiting for the answer which was always a yes. With every question, he felt a growing presence in his mind and slightly physically weaker. Finally when the spell was cast, he nearly collapsed from fatigue.
"Harry?" a though rang out clearly, though not in his mental voice, but in something like Hermione's own voice.
"Is that how Herm hears herself?" he thought.
"Is there something wrong with how I hear my self?" the thought came cascading back.
"Oh, so you heard that?" he asked back in his mind.
"Yes, very clearly" she replied.
"Oh, I'm sorry it was just a bit of a shock to hear another voice in my head."
"Well, is there anything different?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, we can hear each others thoughts." Harry said.
"Hmmm. So are you able to hide your thoughts from one another?" inquired Snape.
"Yes, it's just when we think 'out loud' that the other hears it" replied Hermione.
"Is there anything else that you can tell right off the bat Hermione?" asked Dumbledore.
Hermione picked up her wand and tried a simple spell and found that it did, in fact, work. "Well, I seem to be able to use magic again." she said as she crossed over to where Harry was and helped him up.
"Good, then we shall expect too see you in class tomorrow morning." replied Snape.
"Yes, perhaps it is best if you two tried to go on like the event didn't occur," said Dumbledore.
"When will these guys stop talking" Harry thought out loud.
Hermione tried to stifle a giggle and said, "I think it's time Harry went off to bed, he's tired, and so am I. I thank you all for giving me a chance to stay here." With this, she and Ron carried Harry out and up to Harry and Ron's room where Hermione tucked him into bed and whispered goodnight and kissed his forehead.
"Good night Herm" the though came back sounding as tired as Harry looked.
Ron just stood there and sighed, hoping that just perhaps he could be so lucky one day.
"Sleep tight, Ron." Hermione said, as she walked out the door.
"Yeah, you too." Ron said as he went and got changed and went to bed.


The next morning, when Harry woke up, he thought "I wonder how Herm is doing today." without remembering what had happened with the link.
"I'm very good, thank you for asking" the thought came back in a smiling tone.
"Oh yeah, I need to remember that you can hear my thoughts." he thought to himself.
"Well at least my dreams didn't wake you up last night" the thought came back slightly annoyed.
"My dream woke you up?" he asked feeling bad for it.
"Well, it wasn't a bad way to wake up, though you might not remember it, but it wouldn't have even passed for a pg-13 dream." a feeling of a blush came over the connection.
"Oh, sorry." the feeling went back too.
"So, notice anything different this morning? You were a bit drained last night."
"Well, let me get my glasses first."
He reached out with his hands and felt around for his glasses, and finally found them and put them on looking around the room now that it wasn't blurry.
"Have you found out anything odd?" Harry asked Hermione through the connection.
"Well, locate something in your room, that's not near you, and see if it will come to you."
Harry spotted his broom, and willed it to come to him and out came little green bit's of energy from Harry, which found the broom, and brought it back.
"Wait, I saw some green lines coming from me, and they touched the item, and they brought it back."
"Really? Mine were brown, though many it's different colors for each person."
"So, I guess we should tell Dumbledore about this, huh?"
"Well, you slept in quite awhile, but he already knows that I can do it, and we were both fairly sure you would be able to do it too."
"Oh, wait, I slept in?" Harry asked scared.
"Don't worry, it was an excused absence." came back the soothing reply.
"Oh, I thought they wanted us to just go about like it was normal."
"Well, I guess they figured you have been through enough as it is, so they just let you sleep."
"That was nice of them. What class is next?" Harry thought wishing he missed his least favorite subject.
"Potions"
Harry groaned. "Why couldn't I have slept through that?"
A giggle came over the connection, "Well, do you think Snape would let you skip it?"
"True, I guess I better get dressed. I'm hungry."
"Ok, I'll be waiting for you downstairs." the thought came over.
Harry hurried up to get changed and hurried down the stairs to see Hermione sitting on the couch a space empty beside her. Harry hurried on over, and sat next to her, and when she put her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her waist, and looked around to see who else was there. The normal group was sitting there, Ron, and Ginny and the rest. Ginny looked over at Harry and Hermione and forced a smile at Harry and said "hello" trying to keep her voice straight.
"Hello" Harry replied. "She knows," he thought.
"You think we are trying to hide it when we are sitting this close together like we are?" a giggling came thought.
"I guess we are sitting a bit close for just friends." he thought and gave her a slight squeeze.
"Have a good rest Harry?" Ron asked smiling.
"Yes, it was rather nice." Harry replied back. "What time is it anyway?"
"Oh, just about time for lunch to start." Ginny said.
"Okay, good I'm hungry." Harry told them and smiled at them.
"That's all you ever think about, isn't it? Getting food into that stomach of yours." Ginny accused him.
"Oh, that's not the only thing he thinks about, is it Harry?" Hermione said without really thinking and started to blush as she thought of the dream last night.
Harry just smiled at Hermione and blushed knowing what she was thinking and said, "So Ron, what happened in class today?"
"Nothing that I can remember." Ron told him truthfully. He was worried about Harry because he wouldn't wake up that morning, so he hadn't been paying attention. He leaned over to where Hermione was sitting. "Find out anything about anyone that might be interested in me?" he said with a wink.
Harry looks curiously at Ron and then the thought "He asked me to find out any rumors about girls liking him" came through to him.
"So, you're looking for a girlfriend are you Ron?" Harry said with a wink.
"What? How did you find ou...oh wait, never mind, you two can communicate without speaking, right?"
"Well, I hear there is a Gryffindor that might be interested in you."
"Really? Who's that?"
"I'll tell you later when she's not around."
At this Ron blinked and looked at Hermione for a slight hint, but getting none sat down and starts wondering whom it might be.
"Isn't it time to feed my stomach yet?" the thought came over to Hermione who started cracking up.
"Yes, it is about that time Harry" she said aloud not noticing that people were staring at her, not knowing that they missed half of the conversation. "Lets head down and get some food" she replied in her mind.
"Good, I'm hungry. Giving someone magical powers really takes it out of a person." his thought came across with a laughing feeling.
"Well yeah, but just imagine if you didn't" she replied still slightly joking.
"I have, all to often, and I would do it again 5 times over if I had to." the thought came back seriously.
"Well good, because I don't know what I would do without you." Hermione replied as she snuggled up to him some more and said, "Lets go get some food." to anyone listening.



Thanks goes out to Sarah who beta'd this fanfic. And also to anyone else that helped!