The second of September started early as usual for Harry. Despite having now gone a full year without the Dursleys' demands, getting up early was too deeply ingrained in him to allow him to sleep late. It was something that had helped him as he diligently trained to fulfill his destiny and take down Riddle. He performed his morning ablutions and threw on the clothes he had gotten at the second hand store before heading for the common room to meet with Hermione. He was just reflecting that it was nice to have the day after September first off so you had some time to get used to the castle again before classes when he emerged into the common room and a scene of mild chaos. The new first years were milling about and nervously chattering at each other. Harry watched for a moment as two of the boys seemed to be trying to convince the others of something. Finally Harry's curiosity became too much to bear and he walked over. Tapping the shoulder of a girl near the back he asked "Are you lot having trouble with something?"
The girl turned around to see who had spoken to her and squeaked loudly when she saw who it was. As he saw her face Harry recognized her as the first year who had been running to catch up to the rest last night.
"You're Harry Potter." She whispered in awe. Her squeak had quieted the rest of the group and her words set them off whispering to each other. Harry could clearly see which of the children had been raised in the wizarding world and which ones in the non-magical world. The muggle-raised students looked confused about what had their yearmates in a tizzy.
"Yes, so I've heard. Are you having some sort of problem, um, Abigail wasn't it?" She gasped as he said her name.
"Yes. Well, I prefer Abby. Abby Albrighton, sir." Harry grimaced.
"Nice to meet you, Abby. Please don't call me sir. It makes me think there's a professor standing behind me." This got some nervous chuckles from the eleven year-olds. "Back to the problem at hand?" Harry asked wondering if he had been as difficult to keep on track in his first year. If so he owed some of his teachers an apology. Abby was blushing as she answered him as the chosen spokesperson for the group.
"We, um, we can't remember how to get down to the Great Hall. Last night the prefects were going so fast that we had to run to keep up and didn't really notice where we were going. Euan and Billy want us to go on an adventure but the castle is so big we're worried we might not find it until dinner." There were several embarrassed faces in the group as she admitted this. Looking them over Harry remembered back to his first year and how difficult it had been to learn his way around the castle he now navigated without a second thought.
"Okay, if you want I'll show you the way down there. Make sure that you round up all your yearmates still in the tower so we don't leave anyone behind and once my girlfriend gets down here, we'll take you." The first years were eagerly nodding their acceptance of Harry's idea and several of them shot off to get the late risers out of bed. Harry spent his time meeting the rest of them officially. By the time Hermione came down Harry was literally surrounded by curious eleven year-olds listening with rapt attention as he told them a little about the common room and Gryffindor House. When he saw her he stopped his story and smiled.
"Excuse me for a moment, please." Making his way over to Hermione he gave her a gentle good morning kiss. "My Lady, there are youngsters in need of guidance. I have volunteered my services already. Will you grace us with your presence and your wisdom?" he asked in a grand tone. He could hear some giggling behind him.
"You are as noble as ever, My Champion. I suppose I must accompany you to see that you do not lead these young minds to mischief." Hermione spoke in as posh a voice as she could. Harry clasped a hand to his chest and waved the other around in disbelief.
"Would I ever do such a thing, My Lady?" he asked her sounding dismayed.
"Yes. Yes, you would." was Hermione's droll answer.
"You never let me corrupt young minds anymore." Harry pouted at her before straightening up and turning to the first years. "Everyone here?" he asked in his normal voice. Getting nods all around he started for the portrait hole. "Then let's go. Everyone please follow me."
On the way down to the Great Hall Harry pointed out several landmarks and made them memorable with a story for each one. Hermione doubted all, or even many, of the stories were based in fact, but she couldn't deny that he had captivated his audience. She was even learning to look at some features of a school she had lived in for four years with new eyes. Maybe she could get Harry to write a piece or two that they could submit to the editors of Hogwarts: A History. If nothing else Harry could write a section on getting around the castle for first years. As Hermione pondered the possibilities she walked behind the group making sure none of the first years got separated from the rest. After a while she noticed Harry wasn't taking any of the secret passages he usually did on his way to breakfast. She quickly realized that he wanted the first years to learn the 'proper' route first before confusing them with all the madness Hogwarts offered.
When they reached the Hall the first years let out a loud cheer and rushed towards the table. Harry and Hermione followed at a more sedate pace but found when they reached the table that their charges had left a pair of seats for them in the middle of the group. The two older Gryffindors shared a look and a shrug before sitting down and loading up their plates.
"While you've got us here, does anyone have any questions?" Harry asked the group and soon the floodgates were opened. It didn't take long for the first years to realize that Hermione would answer their questions in meticulous detail and Harry would interject some humour into his answers. It also didn't take them long to realize that Harry didn't like talking about himself and they eventually stayed away from any personal questions after receiving a few one word answers to them. Breakfast passed quickly and happily and by the end of it Harry and Hermione had agreed to give the new students a tour of the school and also to help them find their classes for the first week, provided that everyone was ready to go at seven-thirty in the common room each morning. The first years had eagerly agreed believing a week of early wake up calls to be worth getting shown around the castle. A little way through breakfast Luna joined the group and the first years soon realized that her answers to their questions were the most wonderful nonsense they had ever heard. As they left to start the tour none of the group noticed that a pair of eyes was observing their every movement from the Head Table.
Minerva McGonagall liked to get an early start to the day. It gave her more time to get everything done that her three positions demanded of her. The Heads of House had agreed to hand out the schedules on Sunday so the students could have one day to get the summer out of their systems before they had to get back into the rhythm of school. She had been surprised when all of the new Gryffindors had shown up before breakfast was halfway over. That surprise had lasted all of a few seconds until she saw who else came into the Hall. When Potter and Granger had sat down with the first years she had been certain. Those two are already proving to be good prefects even if they don't have the badges. It still rankled the old witch that she hadn't been able to change Albus' mind. He had as much as admitted that he had indeed tried to invade young Mr. Potter's mind and the lad had made him pay for it. At the end of their conversation Minerva had even started to believe that Mr. Potter might have had a point when he called the headmaster petty.
None of that seemed to bothering the group at the Gryffindor table as she heard frequent laughter drifting up towards the head table especially once Ms. Lovegood joined them. This was how Minerva liked to see her House: a constant succession of older and younger siblings teaching each other and learning together. As she watched them leave she noticed that one of the younger girls had slipped her hand into Mr. Potter's and that he never once complained or pushed her away as she was sure several of his yearmates would have. She didn't need one of Sybill's ridiculous crystal balls to predict that this year's newcomers would be among the fastest to ever learn their way around the castle. She was proven right at dinner when a dozen enthusiastic first years and a skipping fourth year led two tired looking fifth years into the Hall, chattering happily together. It seemed as if they were all trying to tell each other about their day at the same time. Minerva also noticed that though they looked tired, Potter and Granger's smiles seemed genuine as they listened to the cacophony around them.
The next morning they were there as a unit again when Minerva came down from the Head Table to hand out this year's schedules. When she got to the group she had been observing yesterday she noted the varying expressions her arrival brought. Ms. Granger looked eager. The first years looked torn between apprehension and excitement. Ms. Lovegood looked distracted. Mr. Potter, oddly enough, looked suspicious. Well, his booklist had been a resounding disappointment and she still hadn't gotten a straight answer from Albus as to why he was insisting that Mr. Potter not be allowed to switch out of Divination. Knowing Potter would probably just start ignoring his classes like he had last year, Minerva had chosen to disobey her superior and enrolled the lad in the classes he had worked so hard to get into. When she handed him his schedule she couldn't help but point out to him "Mr. Potter, this schedule does not have the headmaster's approval so I trust you will help me prove to him that you are up to the challenge?" Potter's nod was to be expected but it was the determination that blazed in his eyes that reassured the Deputy Headmistress. That was the determination that had seen him through that nightmarish tournament and she would put her money on that any day. Minerva happily moved on and continued handing out schedules to her lions.
:-:-:-:-:
Harry had nearly forgotten how much he hated Mondays the last time through. History, Potions, Divination and Defence had provided him with a line-up of all his most hated Professors. At least I managed to dodge Trelawney this year. Harry was in all honesty looking forward to his first Ancient Runes class. He spent the time in History of Magic with earplugs in, studying his book like he had last year in the Room. In Potions, Snape was at his bat-like best as he tried to intimidate his students with the upcoming O.W.L.s. Harry mostly ignored the man and simply brewed his potion for the day while working on his Occlumency. Ever since last year Snape had backed off a little. Harry was not entirely sure why but he remembered it being shortly after he came back and had, for a time, been worried that the Potions Master had caught on to Harry not being the same as he had been before Halloween. He had since come to the conclusion that it must have been something else. Now though Snape just looked tired. Harry had to wonder if the git had been moonlighting as a Death Eater recently. Still the class passed without incident and at the end Harry was able to hand in a potion that would be worth either an O or an EE on the O.W.L.s.
Ancient Runes turned out to be a bit of a let-down. With as much studying as Harry had been doing into curse breaking he was well ahead of the class. They were now covering things he and Hermione had been studying at Easter last year. After class he asked Hermione how she stood going at that snail's pace.
"It's always good to review the material with an actual Master on hand, Harry. We may assume that we know what we're doing but Professor Babbling actually does know." They continued discussing it as they headed to pick up the first years at Defence and take them to Transfiguration before hurrying back to attend their own Defence class. They made it back just in time to avoid punishment.
Umbridge started her class much as Harry remembered she had last time. Mostly by talking down to them and requiring them to answer in unison. She explained her course aims (which are a load of certifiable nonsense Harry thought to himself) and instructed them to read the first chapter. Harry drew out what looked like Defensive Magical Theory but was in fact a glamoured copy of Devestation, Destruction and Dismemberment: Curses for Advanced Duellists. He had specifically chosen that book because of how diametrically opposed it was to the slop they were supposed to be reading. He was just getting into the material when he was drawn out of his concentration by Umbridge's sickly sweet voice.
"Yes, dear? Did you have a question about the reading?" Harry looked around and saw that Hermione was just lowering her hand.
"No, Professor. I had a question about the course aims." Hermione responded. Harry rolled his eyes. Hermione knew the hag was here to interfere, not teach, and still her love of learning would not allow her to let this shoddy set up in their O.W.L. year go.
"What is your name, child?" Umbridge asked.
"Hermione Granger, ma'am."
"Well, Ms. Granger what about the course aims is unclear? I had thought I had made them simple enough that any competent witch could understand them." Harry marked his page with a piece of parchment and put his book down. No way was he going to let his girlfriend face this bigot alone.
"You didn't mention anything about using defensive spells, Professor. Shouldn't this class also have a practical part?" Hermione's earnest question got a contrived titter from their teacher.
"Miss Granger, why on earth do you think you would need to use defensive magic in my class?" Umbridge simpered. Before Hermione could protest Harry raised his hand.
"Mr. Potter? You had a question?" Harry could hear the predatory note in her voice.
"No, Professor. I was going to answer your question." Umbridge looked confused, probably because she hadn't expected anyone to volunteer an answer to what had quite obviously been a rhetorical question. "You see, Professor, if we stop practicing spells in our wand-based subjects that would make Hogwarts a muggle school and a pretty poor one at that. It would after all not be teaching us skills we could use in either world." Harry kept looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth as he spoke. Around him his classmates were quietly snickering. Umbridge didn't need their help to cotton on to the fact that she was being mocked though.
"Detention, Potter, for disrespecting this hallowed institution and daring to insinuate that it could ever be inferior to some muggle hovel. I will see you in my office, tonight." she snarled out, the girlish tones she usually affected gone for the moment. Harry cocked his eyebrow at the dropped act and the blatant bigotry. "Hem, hem. Now if there are no more interruptions you will continue to read Chapter One, Basics for Beginners." The class had been suitably cowed and returned to their reading quietly, occasionally throwing glances at Harry who had returned to his book without showing any signs of distress.
In all honesty, Harry was happy the toad had assigned him the detention for tonight rather than the weekend. This way he had a chance to get rid of her far earlier than anticipated. Harry was sure the bint would try to make him write in his own blood again. This time though he had a personal acquaintance with the Head of the DMLE and would have no hesitation in reporting that one of his teachers had tried to make him use a proscribed dark artifact. After class however he first had to deal with Hermione.
"Oh, Harry, couldn't you have been a bit more respectful? I mean, you were right but you could have put it a little more delicately." She was speaking rapidly in her worry over Harry already having a detention.
"Hermione, calm down. It'll be okay. It's just a detention from a political bigot. As long as there isn't a surprise Quidditch practice tonight it's just not enough of a bother to get excited over." Hermione huffed at him, clearly disagreeing with his assessment. Harry knew she got even more annoyed at dinner when Angelina came over to announce that she would be holding try-outs that weekend and for Harry to make sure that he was there as well. Before he left for his detention he tried to reconcile with her.
"Hermione? Are you going to stay mad at me all night?" he asked her. He got an explosive sigh in return.
"I'm not angry at you, Harry. I'm worried about you but you seem to be giving that stupid sport all of your attention." Hermione huffed out. Harry gave her a shrug and a smile in response.
"You relax with books, I relax by flying." was all he said. Hermione hung her head for a moment before looking at him.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to find a way to relax that doesn't involve you plummeting from fifty feet up every other game?" she inquired resignedly. Harry just shook his head with a small smile still in place.
"There's nothing like flying for me, Mi." Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"I know, Harry. It's just getting to me that you already have a detention and a completely unfair one at that." Harry decided not to mention that after four, or seven, years of Snape, unfair detentions weren't exactly anything new. They stayed like that for a moment until Harry kissed her hair and spoke up.
"I'd better get to my detention. Will you be headed to the Room or the tower?" Hermione stretched herself out a little.
"Probably the Room. There are some books that I wanted to read that have been checked out of the Library already, which I should be able to find there." she said after considering it for a moment. Harry nodded and told her "I'll probably come find you there afterwards then." before getting up to leave.
"Good luck." Hermione called after him. She gathered her things into her schoolbag and left the Hall as well turning her steps towards the seventh floor.
Harry meanwhile was heading towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor's office and carefully working through his plan. He would probably need to write out at least the first letter to make sure he had evidence but that shouldn't do any permanent damage. After that he would contact Madam Bones by Floo and hopefully the hag would be out of the castle before midnight.
When he got to the office he knocked and waited until he heard Umbridge call out for him to enter. The first thought through his mind was that she looked like a toad that had caught a massively juicy fly. Thinking of what he had planned for her, Harry couldn't keep one corner of his mouth from quirking up in a small smirk. When she saw this Umbridge returned it with a truly evil smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter. You will be writing lines for me tonight." Umbridge said as she waved one stubby, little hand at the desk she had set up in the middle of her office. Harry saw the parchment already lying there as he sat down. He reached into his bag for a quill knowing he was going to be interrupted and sure enough.
"Oh no, Mr. Potter. You won't be needing a quill. I should like for you to use a special one of mine." The so-called teacher simpered. As she held out a familiar black quill. Harry took it from her ignoring the look of vicious anticipation on her face.
"What will I be writing, Professor, and how often?" he asked her hoping that it was the last time he'd have to address her by that title. Umbridge's smile grew wider.
"You will write 'I must respect my betters' for as long as it takes for the message to sink in." Well now, she actually managed to come up with something I would hate to have carved into my hand even more than 'I must not tell lies'. Harry bent over the parchment and wrote out a blood-red 'I'. He felt a stinging in his hand and sat up as he watched the letter be carved into his flesh. It was just a red mark like you might receive if you scratched yourself with a quill but it was enough.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Potter?" Umbridge's voice was full of dark enjoyment. Harry looked up to see a matching smile on her face and relaxed the control he was exerting. His own smile coming out caused hers to slip off of her face.
"Why yes, Madam Umbridge. You seem to have overplayed your hand." Harry's voice had once again gone as soft and silky as Riddle at his most dangerous. "I don't really care why Fudgey placed you here but did you really think you could get away with using a proscribed dark artefact on a minor?" Umbridge looked livid.
"You will do as you are told, boy." she hissed at him, "And you would do well to respect the minister and his power." Harry gave a dark chuckle as he twirled the Blood Quill between his fingers.
"Oh my, you really did. You do realize you just toppled your precious minister, don't you? Sending a sociopath to torture the nation's children, whatever will the voting public say?" Umbridge had gone white as Harry spoke.
"No one would ever believe you, you disgusting little liar!" she screamed at him. The note of fear in her voice gave Harry a thrill of guilty pleasure. He had never wanted to believe he could be like Riddle despite the fact that he knew they shared several characteristics, but this bitch deserved it.
"Why don't we Floo Madam Bones and find out, hm?" Harry asked his would-be tormentor as he got up and moved towards the fireplace. Later Harry would admit that he had been an idiot and gotten cocky. He just hadn't thought that he would intimidate Umbridge to the point where she'd be that desperate.
"Crucio!" Harry's world lit up with pain as he fell writhing to the ground.
:-:-:-:-:
Up in the Room of Requirement Hermione was disturbed from her reading by a pop followed by frantic, squeaky cries.
"Miss must come quick! Master Harry is being hurt by Professor Toady! She be using torture curse!" Dobby was dragging her upright as he was yelling. Once the message penetrated Hermione's surprise she was pulling Dobby along.
"Let's go, Dobby. We need to get there as soon as possible!" she cried out as she raced for the door. Hermione felt a pressure envelope her body and suddenly she was looking at the door to the Defence Professor's office. She could hear screams coming from the other side of the door; screams that she still occasionally heard in her nightmares. A red mist descended over Hermione's vision and her wand was somehow in her hand.
"Bombarda!" she snarled pointing it at the door. The wooden planks were no match for the enraged witch. Stepping through the wreckage she saw Umbridge standing there looking surprised and still pointing her wand at Harry who was twitching on the floor.
"Depulso! Collocorpus!" Umbridge couldn't bring her wand around fast enough to block the spells coming her way. The Banishing Charm slammed her into the wall with a loud crunch before the Full-Body Stickfast Hex held her there. "Expelliarmus. Stupefy." The last two spells ensured that Umbridge would not be a threat again until the aurors had a chance to get to the castle. Once her Professor was out of the fight Hermione's attention shifted to her boyfriend. She knelt down next to him and gently lifted his head into her lap. Harry's eyes opened and he tried to smile at her.
"H-hey, M-m-mi. C-could you c-call B-Bones?" Hermione could feel herself start to tremble as the adrenaline left her body.
"Harry?" she said with a sniff, "Shut up. We're getting you taken care of first. Dobby! Winky!" The two elves appeared next to Hermione before she had fully finished saying their names. "Can you two go get Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey? Tell them to hurry." The elves barely squeaked out "Yes, Miss." before they were gone again. Hermione passed the time until her Head of House arrived with the Matron by running her fingers through Harry's hair.
"How on earth do you manage to get hit with an Unforgivable on the first day of school, Harry Potter?" Seeing Harry open his mouth to respond she placed her hand over his lips. "No talking. You are going to rest as much as you can. You get to answer questions when Madam Pomfrey gets here. Until then you are just going to listen." Trusting that he would stay silent, Hermione's hand resumed its path through Harry's hair.
"I need you to stop getting cursed, Harry. One of these days it's not going to end well. It worries me like nothing else when you get into these situations. Isn't that prophecy enough of a threat?" Hermione's voice had taken on a slightly distant tone as she spoke and her eyes seemed to be looking at something no one else could see. Harry let her get on with since she clearly needed to get this off her chest and her hand running through his hair actually felt good, even through the pain of the Cruciatus. Hermione seemed to be calming down when a gasp from the remains of the door had her wand out and pointing in that direction in the blink of an eye. When she realized who was on the other end of the wand she was holding rock steady she calmly lowered it. Professor McGonagall had her hand in front of her mouth in shock. Madam Pomfrey had moved into the room and towards the two teenagers the moment she sensed she wasn't in danger of getting cursed.
Her wand was waving over Harry first almost out of habit. Her scans didn't make any sense and she performed them again. And again.
"How, by Asclepius' Staff, are you suffering from Cruciatus exposure on the first day of school while still inside the castle?!" The Healer was screaming by the end of her question. Hermione's hand once again covered Harry's mouth to keep him from talking.
"When I came in that beastly woman was holding him under the curse." Hermione said pointing at Umbridge. "Her wand is around here somewhere so someone will be able to check it using the Prior Spell Charm. Harry wanted me to contact Madam Bones first, but I wanted you to look him over before he does anything else." She looked down at Harry who was looking distinctly annoyed, even with all the twitching he was doing because of the curse. "Yes, I know I said I'd let you answer questions when Madam Pomfrey got here, but you telling her you're fine when you clearly aren't can wait until she's treated you so it's almost true." Madam Pomfrey was nodding along approvingly.
"Quite right, Ms. Granger. Five points to Gryffindor for not listening to this blockhead on matters of his health." Harry looked severely offended at the Matron's point dispensation. Professor McGonagall meanwhile was walking over to the fireplace.
"While Mr. Potter's priorities may be up for debate, he is right that we need to contact the aurors. I also think that he may be right that Amelia will want to handle this...woman personally." The Deputy Headmistress shot Umbridge a look of pure loathing before grabbing a container of floo powder from the lintel. "I shall call her while you tend to Mr. Potter. Ministry for Magic, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Office." The lengthy call at the end was accompanied by a pinch of Floo-powder disappearing into the flames followed by Professor McGonagall's head. Madam Pomfrey in the meantime was transfiguring a stretcher from the splinters of the door. When that was done she levitated Harry on to it.
"Ms. Granger, could you stay here and inform the aurors that they can come back another time to talk to Mr. Potter?" Hermione looked mutinous at the Healer's order. She had no intention of sitting here and playing messenger while Harry was in the Hospital Wing. Luckily she was interrupted before she could formulate an answer.
"That will not be necessary, Poppy. We're already here." Hermione and Madam Pomfrey looked over to the voice and saw Madam Bones standing there next to Professor McGonagall and in front of two aurors. "We will need to talk to both Miss Granger and Mister Potter at some point but for now I'll settle for a basic description of what happened."
"Ssshe t-tried t-to m-m-make m-m-me use a B-blood Q-q-quill. I t-tried t-to c-c-call you. Sssshe used C-c-cruciatus." Harry had taken grateful advantage of the fact that both the Healer and his girlfriend had been too distracted by the arrival of the aurors to shut him up. Madam Bones' eyes widened as she heard that.
"The 'she' you are referring to is Madam Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts?" Bones wanted this absolutely clear.
"Yesss." Harry might have been hissing in pain, but hissing in hatred of the woman or satisfaction at her downfall could be equally likely.
"Enough. If you want to interview him further, Amelia, you can come back at the end of the week. Right now Mr. Potter needs to get to the Hospital Wing and he needs to rest." Madam Pomfrey's recovery from her surprise didn't bother Harry. He'd gotten out the information he needed to. As he was levitated out he saw the one of aurors asking Hermione to stay for a moment while the other was bending over to pick something up. After that his only company was Madam Pomfrey's chuntering.
Back in the Defence office Hermione was recounting the events of the evening as best she could. She didn't mention that Dobby was Harry's house elf just that she had been warned by a house elf and that two had appeared after she had dealt with Umbridge. It didn't seem the auror was too interested in the elves anyway and for once Hermione was thankful for the blinding bigotry of the wizarding world. She knew exactly how big an asset the elves were to Harry and she was happy that she hadn't blown that wide open for him. Eventually the aurors let her go but not before she got to see Umbridge revived and arrested.
"Wait! What are you doing?! I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. You need to be arresting that little mudblood! She assaulted me!" The toad started screaming the minute she realized what was going on.
"Well, we will certainly look into that, Dolores. Right now though I am a lot more interested in why you have four proscribed dark artefacts in your office, why we have two witnesses who say you cast an Unforgivable and why the forensic evidence backs that up. I think you and I should head back to the ministry and discuss it don't you agree? We may even have to take this matter up with the Wizengamot. I think roughly eighty percent of them currently have family at Hogwarts, and I know that they'll be interested to know what you've been doing." Madam Bones voice had a definite predatory undertone. The two aurors she had brought along wore grins that promised the Undersecretary an uncomfortable night as well. "Well, Minerva, I may have to come back and speak with your students again but for now I think we have taken advantage of your hospitality enough. I would advise you and Albus to start looking for a new Defence professor though." With a smirk she grabbed the Floo-powder and opened a connection to the "Ministry of Magic, Detention Centre" and stepped through. One of the aurors went next with Umbridge before the last one went through after throwing Hermione and Professor McGonagall a jaunty salute. When it was just the two of them the Head of Gryffindor looked down at her most gifted student.
"Mr. Potter will have been fed a Dreamless Sleep Potion by now, Ms. Granger, and it's almost curfew. I suggest you head up to bed." Hermione didn't even protest. From the tone with which her Professor had given the suggestion she knew it wouldn't do her any good anyway. She would talk to Harry in the morning and they'd go from there.
:-:-:-:-:
Hermione approached the Hospital Wing on the morning of her second day of classes filled with a nervous frustration. The nervousness came from the fact that she didn't know what the most recent bout of Cruciatus induced damage would do to her boyfriend. The frustration came from the fact that she usually had at least a chance to settle into the year before he ended up in the Hospital Wing with injuries that barely anyone else ever encountered. Her apprehension faded as soon as she walked through the door and heard Harry arguing with Madam Pomfrey.
"…nothing compared to last year. I'm barely twitching. I can go to classes just fine today." Harry was telling Madam Pomfrey with a bit of impatience in his voice.
"You got hit with an Unforgivable! You can take a day to rest and let your body recover!" Madam Pomfrey was displaying more than a little irritation as well. Hermione was about to beat a stealthy retreat when Harry spotted her.
"Mi! Is it time to collect the first years already?" She could hear the false cheer in his voice and she hated it.
"No, Harry. I dropped them off at breakfast and came to see how you're doing." She paused for a moment. "Madam Pomfrey's right, you know? You can take a day off after being tortured and heal." The Healer in question beamed at the support. Harry just looked aggravated.
"No. I refuse to let that miserable toad beat me. She barely had time to hold the curse before you showed up and she's nowhere near as good as Riddle is with that curse to begin with. My symptoms currently match those I had when I took the train to King's Cross last year and I was considered fine to walk around then. Why shouldn't I be able to go to class now?" Harry turned back to the matron. "Besides, last year you told me that you have nothing that can actually help with the after effects of the Cruciatus and that it's unforgivable for a reason. Keeping me cooped up will just make me frustrated and annoyed which will hinder my recovery." Hermione was surprised that Harry had bothered to remember something Madam Pomfrey had said more than three months ago like that. She was also impressed that he was arguing so cogently but despite his points she couldn't help but agree with Madam Pomfrey: he really should be resting. Madam Pomfrey however had been driven to a different conclusion and threw up her arms in frustration.
"Fine! If you want to strain your body so badly, go ahead! Just don't come to me when you can't walk anymore tonight. I can't cure pig-headedness." With that she whirled around and stomped off to her office. Hermione watched her go in shock.
"What on earth did you do to her, Harry?" she asked her boyfriend.
"I tried to sneak out this morning to make our seven-thirty appointment but she caught me. We've been arguing in circles ever since." He looked at the closed office door and shook his head. "I'll apologize to her when we've both calmed down a little. In the meantime we should probably go." As they walked out of the infirmary Hermione noticed that Harry was indeed showing roughly the same amount of trembling as he had on the train ride home before the summer. They had walked along for several minutes in silence when Harry spoke up.
"Mi? I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. You really saved me in there." She could hear the sincerity in his voice.
"It's nothing, Harry. How often have you done the same for me?" Hermione felt suddenly bashful in the face of Harry's gratitude.
"And how often have you made sure to thank me afterwards?" Harry retorted with a smile. "Still you did far better than I did yesterday. You remembered to take out the threat, while I started gloating. I guess I need to remember to apply what I taught you myself. I owe you one." Hermione snorted at that last comment but it didn't help her blush subside. Harry could feel the awkwardness he usually felt on the other side of this conversation radiating off of Hermione. In an attempt to distract her he started teasing her.
"So, I take it you left the kids with Auntie Luna?" he asked innocently while watching Hermione from the corner of his eye. He saw her eyes go wide at the idea that the first years were 'their' kids before she started laughing.
"Yes, I did, but please don't call her that again for at least a couple of years. I don't know what I would do if the kids actually start calling us Mum and Dad." she gasped out between laughs. Harry started laughing right along with her. The two of them kept up the banter, teasing each other with how different kids took after them. Neither ever noticed that they were being followed and overheard.
When they got to the Gryffindor table they were enthusiastically greeted by the first years and Luna. Harry noticed that some of them looked a little wide-eyed while Luna was looking especially serene.
"Luna have you been telling the first years scary stories before breakfast?" he mock-scolded his blond friend. Luna remained entirely unruffled.
"I suppose I have. I was telling them about some of your adventures after they heard that you had been held under the Cruciatus Curse last night." she said in her dreamiest voice. Seeing the worry grow more pronounced in some faces he hurried to reassure the younger students.
"Don't worry, you lot. Most people go through Hogwarts with their most exciting experience being a Gobstones tournament or a common room party after a Quidditch match. I just happen to attract almost surreal amounts of trouble." Harry wasn't sure how well he was doing at reassuring the first years when Luna joined in.
"You really don't have to worry you know. Harry is more than a match for anything strange or dangerous that comes to Hogwarts, so it'll never reach you." And why is it that that works? Harry wondered to himself as he watched the faces around him perk up while they considered this new angle.
Later that day during the fifth years' first Transfiguration class of the year Harry had to endure Professor McGonagall not only looking him over with a critical eye as if he was about to fall over, she also felt the need to praise his and Hermione's actions regarding the first years.
"The way the two of you have been acting would have been exemplary if you had been prefects. To do so without the obligations that come with that badge is extraordinary. Ten points each to Gryffindor." Harry caught Neville's look of congratulations and the thumbs up he shot the couple and grinned in return. He failed to notice that two pairs of eyes were glaring at his back.