Chapter 6: Patrols
Harry saw the auror - Dawlish, he thought - lean against the wall ahead, watching half a dozen stairs moving below him. The wizard looked bored, and not very observant, and it wasn't an act. Still, Harry had to be careful, even with his father's cloak. He thought about using a distraction - maybe drop a stone on a stair below him - but that could backfire. If the aurors thought a student was hiding from them in the castle, even before the curfew, they might check the dorms for missing students. Umbridge certainly would be eager to have a reason to inspect the dorms. That was why Harry, Ron and Hermione had hid their valuables and contraband with the help of Dobby. Although if they could frame some Slytherins for it…
No, he had to be patient, and careful. Slowly, very slowly, he stepped past the man. His rubber soles made no sound on the floor, even without silencing spells. He even held his breath, until he was around the corner. Done. A minute later he was in the corridor with the painting of the dancing trolls, and another minute later, a new door opened in the secret passage near Gryffindor's dorm, where Hermione and Ron were hiding, using the Marauder's map to avoid detection.
Hermione hugged him, only for a short time though, after entering, while Ron strolled in, either hiding his own relief well, or really enjoying the sneaking around. It was hard to tell. "That went well. Stupid spies never even got close." He put the map down on the table in the corner of the room and grabbed a bottle of butterbeer Dobby had provided.
"It was a bit closer for me, Dawlish is up on the 7th floor, fortunately not near the corridor here."
"Probably avoiding more work. Me and Lavender never see him patrolling." With a glance to hermione, who had pulled out her notes and spread them out on the table, next to the snacks, he added, grinning: "And what's on the lesson plan for today?"
Huffing and brushing a stray lock behind her ear, the witch answered: "It's a training plan. That we'll be able to ace the DADA exam is just a side benefit. The main goal is to get competent enough to fight Death Eaters. Merlin knows we'll not get any training from that despicable woman this year." She sighed. "This year's OWLs and NEWTs Defense scores will likely be the worst ever in decades. And right when people need to be able to defend themselves more than ever."
"We cannot do anything about that." Harry stepped forward. "We have our own mission. And if things go well, they'll be safer in the end."
"You think the Order will be able to deal with You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters quickly then?" Ron sounded surprised.
"We know they are working on something important. So important they wouldn't tell us." Hermione answered him. "We can only hope whatever they are planning and preparing will work." Harry knew the witch didn't think so - she had been less than impressed with the Order's organization, attitude and roster. Harry shared her opinion. After training with the Watchers, and experiencing their dedication and resolve, the Order as a whole simply didn't measure up. They simply were too… soft. Mrs Weasley was trying to keep her children, no matter their ages, and Harry and hermione too, of course, as far from the Order as possible. Hermione's uncle on the other hand would have done all he could to recruit more wands for the fight, no matter how old their wielders. They'd need that sort of resolve to win this.
"We'll be focusing on offensive and defensive spells and tactics. Apart from the standard ones - Stunner, Piercing Curse, Cutting Curse, Explosive Curse, Bombarda - I've found a few that are not in the curriculum, but should serve us well." Hermione explained. She was talking about the watcher's area fire spells, which were very close to magical flamethrowers and firebombs, as well as several spells that served to disorient and blind and deafen monsters with enhanced senses.
"Did you find them in Sirius' library?" Ron sounded very interested.
Hermione shook her head. "No, I acquired a few tomes with non-standard spells. The Ministry probably doesn't want anyone to learn those." She sounded almost as offended at that notion - even though she had gotten those spells from the Watchers - as at the idea of vampires preying on humans without wizards intervening. Almost. Harry didn't like lying to Ron, even by omission - what Hermione had said was the truth, if misleading - but it couldn't be helped.
"Let's get started then." Harry drew his wand and turned towards the dummies lined up on the back wall. "Stunners first." They'd need those spells, for the kidnapping, though he wouldn't say that yet, not until they had sounded Ron out a bit more.
The three spent two hours casting stunners while standing, running, jumping and crawling on the floor. Mostly standing and crawling at the end - it had been an exhausting training session. Ron, to his credit, had been grumbling and complaining for a lot of it, but had kept training.
"Curfew is in a few minutes." Hermione stated, using her wand to cast a few cleaning charms on herself and her friends. Harry still felt like he needed a shower, even though he knew he was clean. "Do we head back directly to the dorm, or to a corridor next to it?"
"Directly back I think. They might be watching the dorm entrance, to see who was out, and wonder what we have been doing." Harry passed two big glasses of water to Hermione and Ron and filled one for himself with a pitcher.
"We could enter the library next time, and head back from there." Hermione smiled gratefully at him, and emptied her glass. A few drops ran down her chin, and Harry couldn't help but staring at them. His girlfriend usually wasn't a messy drinker or eater.
Ron nodded. "Everyone would believe you'd made us study." Hermione just grinned at that - she was far more exhausted than he had thought. Harry realized that this might not be the best moment to sound Ron out.
"Say, Ron, did you ever hear of the Slayer?" Hermione asked before Harry could propose to head back right now.
"The Slayer? I've heard the stories of course. The twins used to frighten me with tales of the Witch Hunter's Monster coming after a wizard family, killing them one by one, no matter what they did, no matter where they fled to, down to to the babies..." He trailed off with a guilty glance at Harry, who was frowning - if not for the reason Ron thought. If that was what wizards thought of the Slayer, then they'd have real trouble trying to get help. Even from Ron.
"Well, I doubt those stories are true. But I found out she exists." Of course the girl who was willing to oppose the entire Magical World over house elves would not let such a thing deter her from her course. Harry was both proud of and slightly worried for her.
"What?" Ron's eyes shot open. If the matter were not so serious, Harry would have laughed at the sight.
"Yes. She's a historical figure. But according to my sources, she was mainly hunting Dark Wizards and monsters, to protect muggles. She wasn't going just after every wizard." Hermione stated primly. Harry knew she wasn't so sure about that - they hadn't seen the original records of the time when the Statute of Secrecy was formed and the Slayer quit the Magical World.
"Blimey! Would be nice to have her around to go after You-Know-Who then." Ron snorted. "Bet he'd be surprised by a monster who cannot be killed!"
"She'd have to find him first." Harry threw in. This might just work out, he thought.
"She can find anyone she wants. She tracked down every member of a family she was after, remember?" Harry wished Ron's claim was true. Life would be so much easier.
"I think that's hyperbole." Hermione huffed. "And Voldemort is likely good at hiding, even from the Slayer. So, she'd need help finding him."
"Too bad. Only the Death Eaters know, and they are not telling." Ron sounded disappointed, but Harry wasn't sure he was taking the topic that seriously. Or he was just as exhausted as Harry felt. It was a good opening, but Harry wasn't sure they should mention their plans for Malfoy right away. He hoped Hermione shared his opinion.
"I'd work with her, if it was against Voldemort." Harry emptied his own glass.
"I'd work with everyone against Voldemort. Well, not with Malfoy. Or Slytherins." Ron answered, munching on the last sandwich Dobby had had prepared.
"We should head back now." Hermione did not push further, to Harry's relief.
*****
India Cohen was a happy Slayer. She was hunting each night, and killing. The Council had decided that if vampires were being recruited by Voldemort, then denying him those resources was a priority. With so many Watchers, even Wizard Watchers, focusing on finding vampires, she was busy every night. Almost as if it was a hellmouth.
And not only that, but because many vampires preyed on clubbers, she got to dress up, to better fit in the crowd. And, in many clubs, to get inside without breaking in or breaking the bouncer. She was currently wearing a short, short cocktail dress and matching heels. Like in that magazine she had bought, nominally to keep her cover, a few weeks ago. Kit had tried not to stare, then had tried to hide his staring, but she was the Slayer, nothing escaped her. Not even her watcher.
She was currently in a nightclub in London. Quite glamorous, even if the music was a bit too loud for her taste. She allowed herself to bask in the attention of the other guests while she walked from the bar to the dance floor. Now if Kit was with her this would be perfect - no men and boys hitting on her, and maybe less angry glares from the girls.
Before she could dance, and show off what a Slayer's moves were like, she felt a vampire's presence. Turning around it didn't take her long to spot the monster: A pale man wearing a cheap suit, hitting on a girl, in the corner. India sauntered over, a smile plastered on her face even though she wanted to charge at the creature and stake it right away. But she couldn't be the hunter right now, she had to be the bait.
Smiling innocently, she greeted the vampire, ignoring the girl. "Hi!" She had drunk some liquor, so her breath would smell accordingly, even if the alcohol didn't affect her as it would a normal human. But as Kit had explained, it would make the vampire think she was easy. That, and her good looks - she was purely objective here, not vain - had to be enough to make the monster change his objective. She giggled, remembering how flustered he had seemed when she had asked if he was experienced with easy girls. The monster thought it was because of its joke. The girl left in a huff, not knowing her life had just been saved.
India didn't feel like letting the monster paw her for a bit to keep her cover, so she drew a pack of cigarettes from her purse. "Wanna step outside for a smoke? I need a bit of fresh air, the world's a bit spinning."
It jumped at what it thought was a chance to feed away from prying eyes. India had to clench her teeth some when it slung an arm around her on the way out. She wanted to rip it off right then and there and beat the creature to death with it.
They passed the bouncer, who slightly shook his head, only seeing a drunk girl and an older guy. India wondered if once she and Kit were a couple, they'd draw the same looks. Her Watcher was not that much older than her, after all. Not that she'd care - odds are, they die together anyway. They turned into a side alley. As soon as the Slayer saw there were no witnesses she slammed the creature against the wall so hard its head bounced back and left a dent in the bricks. Two swift kicks broke its kneecaps, a few more broke bones and ribs and cartilage.
When she stopped she was holding a broken mass of undead meat. "Have you heard of a Dark Lord?" She had to hit it a few more times, twisting a few broken bones sticking out of its skin, until it was answering.
"N-no…" It had some difficulty speaking with smashed teeth and split lips, and a broken nose. India didn't care.
"Have you seen a witch lately? Or a female vampire that can apparate?"
"Huh?"
India asked a few more times, hit it some more, until she was satisfied that it really didn't know anything. A stake shut up its whimpering and left a pile of ashes. She made sure her dress hadn't gotten blood on it and walked away to meet with Kit.
There he was, and in a nicer car, to fit better in with the clubbing crowd. India slid into the seat next to him, and had to hide her smile at the way his eyes ran up her legs slower than he had to be to check for injuries.
"Good work. The next likely hunting spot we have found is a bit away." He kept his eyes on the road, but his voice was not quite as calm and collected as it usually was.
Praise, and the right kind of attention from her Watcher. India was a happy Slayer.
*****
Hermione huffed in frustration and closed the book she was reading in the Gryffindor common room. The books she had gotten from Sirius on Occlumency were not as helpful as she had hoped. They explained the theory well, and even had descriptions of the mental exercises needed to build up one's mind's resistance to intrusion, but they really needed a tutor, or teacher. But the only teachers she'd trust were Watchers. And they'd not be able to get help from them until the holidays, which were still almost two months away. At least Lupin had added notes that explained the process better.
In the last few weeks they - Harry, Ron and herself - had made quite the progress in defense. Hermione was quite proud of how far they had come and she was sure they would be able to easily handle any student at the castle, even if they still had a long way to go. But without a means to protect their minds, that was less useful than it should be.
So far they hadn't had troubles, avoiding the eyes of suspect wizards and witches had been enough, even though Snape had seemed to harbor some suspicions, but should anything happen to those "proper wizards" from House Slytherin, who were sucking up to Umbridge, they'd need a better defense.
Umbridge… the toad-like witch was still making trouble. Not for herself or Harry, fortunately, and Ron dodged her well enough. But she was spewing her bigotry about werewolves and other non-human species in class instead of teaching them what they needed to pass their defense O.W.L. exam. Or what they needed to defend themselves from an attack. All she did was trying to make them into meek, weak sheep who depended on the Ministry for protection.
As if aurors could protect them - or anyone. Certainly not those idiots still roaming the castle! What the three of them, especially Harry, had observed while sneaking around had shattered whatever illusions they had had about aurors being the elite of Wizarding Britain. Hermione wasn't sure how those idiots had passed the kind of auror entrance exam Tonks had told them about. She hoped that the competent aurors were working on more important cases and that the ones at Hogwarts were those who couldn't be used for anything important.
But they were at Hogwarts, and they could be trouble, should they or Umbridge find a reason. That despicable witch was already tightening the Ministry's hold on the school in her search for "liars and dissidents", but she was too stupid to realize that her clumsy efforts actually created exactly the kind of people she hunted. Her Educational Decrees were travesties!
She glanced at her book again. On the other hand, those mental exercises had shown some effect. Harry had had less nightmares, or so he claimed, since he had started. Hermione wasn't sure that was a statistically significant sample, but it certainly had helped her boyfriend. Maybe it would be enough. It certainly would be better if they could tell Ron about their last secret sooner rather than later - he'd be angry enough for hiding that from him, Hermione knew.
*****
Ron caught himself whistling on the way down from his dorm, and stopped at once. It would not do to show that he was looking forward to his patrol. His brothers would never let him forget it, should he actually appear to like being a prefect. Or, worse, take it seriously. Or, even worse, they might notice that he liked being a prefect with Lavender Brown. The teasing that would cause… He shook his head, then sighed theatrically when he entered the common room. "I'm off to patrol." Harry and Hermione, sitting so close together the girl would be more comfortable if she simply sat down in his friends lap, nodded, making some sympathetic noises.
Ron stepped through the door, and then leaned against the wall next to the portrait. He could have waited for Lavender, she tended to run a bit late, but he had grown to like waiting outside. It was a time to gather one's thoughts, a bit of privacy one rarely got in a boarding school like Hogwarts, or a family with seven children.
This year certainly was turning out to be unlike the years before. Or too much like them, in a way. He liked training with Harry and Hermione, even if seeing them kissing was still a bit unsettling. He couldn't help but feel a bit of an outsider. Occlumency supposedly helped with that, but he felt his prefect duties helped more. His duties with Lavender, to be precise. The girl really wasn't like Hermione said she was like. Or something like that. Just because she cared about her appearance didn't make her shallow. Not that he'd have told Hermione that - the girl would likely see it as a dig at her own appearance.
Lavender told him Hermione was insecure about her looks, even after the Yule Ball, and Ron had to agree that it made sense. He might even have had a hand in that, if he was honest with himself. 'Hermione, you are a girl!' wouldn't have done wonders for her self-esteem. He winced at the memory, not even a year old yet. Not one of his finest moments. Not one of his finest years, to be honest, last year. Things had improved though. With and for his friends. Harry was good for Hermione, anyone could see that. Lavender had told him she had become more tolerant in their dorm. Ron wasn't sure if that was simply an effect of Hermione focusing on more important matters than the antics of students, but he hadn't told Lavender that.
"Ron! There you are!" Lavender had stopped asking him why he preferred to wait outside the dorm a week ago. She still liked to remind him that he could wait inside, but in a nice way. So unlike his family.
"Here I am. Ready for our patrol?" He pushed off the wall, and straightened.
"Yes." Lavender had her hands folded behind her back and was smiling at him. Ron suddenly noticed that she had redone her makeup even though it was a late patrol - by the time they'd be back, the others would be asleep already. Or at least in bed. He stopped that train of thoughts before it got derailed.
"Let's go then. How was your day?"
"Oh, it was great! Parvati heard from her sister while studying for Flitwick's assignment that Marietta had a rant about Hermione, and Lovegood asked her if she was mad about Hermione beating her twice now - in academics, and in love."
"Really?" It wasn't that Ron was interested in gossip, but… well, the things one heard about fellow students…
"Really!" They started their tour.
*****
It was near the end of their patrols that they found trouble. Or rather, trouble found them. If not for the training he had gone through, especially Harry's idea of fighting in darkness, or with only little light, Ron would not have seen the movement in the shadows of the stairs leading to the library. If not for Hermione's insane training schedule, he might not have been fast enough to react.
But he had, and was. His wand had snapped up and he had cast a shielding spell before he had realized that he was under attack. When two hexes splashed against his shield he was already moving in front of Lavender, catching the one aimed at her as well. And the flashes from the colliding spells provided enough light for him to see where the hidden attackers were. Then it was like in training. He sent out stunners while moving to his left, to flank them. Lavender was shrieking with surprise and fear, though, where Hermione or Harry would have been casting already. It didn't matter. One of their enemies was down already, the next was hit with a stunner while another hex was stopped by Ron's shield, and the third didn't manage to cast again before he fell to the ground, unconscious as well.
"Lumos." Ron's spell confirmed what he had strongly suspected from the glimpses he had seen during the short fight. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
"What…" Lavender was staring, at him, he realized, as much as at the three students on the floor.
"Are you ok?" She nodded, still staring open-mouthed. But she had her wand out.
"Attacking a prefect patrol. That should earn them detention." Ron didn't expect anything to come from it, not for those three. Snape would protect them. Or Umbridge, he realized. Maybe this was a plot? He knew Umbridge didn't like him, he as Harry's friend, and of course Dad's son. Maybe he should leave, and ignore the situation. A glance at Lavender ended that. She'd never keep that quiet, the next day everyone would have heard of it.
"Go fetch McGonagall." To his surprise, she simply nodded, and then ran off towards the teacher's quarters.
A few minutes later, Lavender returned, with a more than slightly irate-looking deputy Headmistress. Snape hadn't turned up, so he probably hadn't been in on this, Ron realized - usually the foul git was just around the corner when Malfoy tried something, ready to ruin a Gryffindor's day.
"What happened here, Mister Weasley?" Ron was sure Lavender would have told her what had happened already, twice probably, but the tone of his head of house didn't allow any backtalk. Kind of like his mum.
"Well, we were on patrol when suddenly, hexes flew at us from this corner." He stepped a bit back. "We were around here. I cast a shield and stopped the hexes, and stunned them. I didn't know who they were until after the fact."
"You stunned those three, Mister Weasley?" McGonagall sounded as if she doubted him.
"Oh, he did! He moved so quickly, I didn't have time to react until it was over already!" Lavender was positively gushing now - she was obviously over her shock. And the way she was beaming at him made Ron feel like he was a head taller.
"Very well. I'll take it from here. Do not speak of this until I give you permission. Do you understand?" She glared at both of them, as if they had done something wrong! Still, Ron nodded. He didn't want to make trouble for his friends - their training was more important than some school stuff. It seemed to satisfy the old witch. "Return to your dorm then."
Ron had some trouble convincing Lavender not to tell everyone what had happened. The witch was just too excited. He grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down some and make her listen to him, and suddenly they were staring at each other, and she had stopped talking.
"Ah…" He swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Lavender…" he didn't manage to continue, since at that moment she bent forward and kissed him. On the lips.
"Thank you, Ron, you saved me!" He managed to nod in response.
By the time they reached the dorms, he still was trying to figure out if that kiss had just been a thank you for him saving her, or if it meant something more. Girls were confusing.
*****
The day after "Malfoy's Ambush" Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron in the library. Protected by privacy spells they appeared to do homework, but actually were exercising occlumency- or, without anyone able to test them, what they hoped was occlumency - and planning. Hermione had persuaded her two friends, with some trouble though, to skip the next training session, maybe even the next three sessions, just in case Umbridge, Snape or the aurors decided to harass the three. She wasn't altogether unhappy about that, since she considered occlumency more important than defense, although Harry disagreed. Still, she was not that happy about the reason for this change of schedule.
"Thanks to Lavender the whole school now knows Ron's far more skilled than they thought, and will suspect the same of us." It would have been impressive how fast that piece of fluff managed to spread the news, if not for the consequences, Hermione thought.
Ron was about to defend his fellow prefect - and soon to be girlfriend, if Hermione had correctly interpreted Lavender whispering to Parvati, followed by the latter's squeal of glee - when Harry stepped in to calm the waters. "It's not a big problem. Apart from Malfoy and his idiot minions, I think everyone was aware we were not exactly average students since our first year."
"True." Hermione didn't like it, but she had to admit his point. Even though she was sure that many students didn't know exactly what they had done, and what they could do. Though that was still the case, mostly. "We still need to be more cautious."
"That's why we're here, and not elsewhere." Ron sounded quite happy. No surprise there, she thought, he had impressed the school, and especially little miss makeup. "But you know, I've been thinking…"
That almost begged for a snarky remark, but Hermione was more mature than that. Barely. Besides, it would have been an old joke. "Yes?"
"If I hadn't been there, then they would have hit Lavender and whoever she was with. Who knows what they had planned." Ron sounded serious, and Hermione was glad she hadn't let her annoyance out. He was right too - they were no children anymore, and neither were Malfoy and his friends. And with Voldemort back from the dead and their parents following that monster again, the young witch was sure that whatever the children of Death Eaters planned, it was no mere prank. "I'd like to train her too." What? Hermione's head whipped around to stare at her friend, and he quickly held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Not with us, not for that. But I'd like it if she was able to defend herself from Slytherins. And pass her DADA exams."
Oh, yes, the exams. On one hand, Hermione was looking forward to Umbridge being revealed as the utter failure as a teacher that she was. On the other hand, it would cost the students so much, and as Snape proved each year, it would not have to have consequences anyway. To think that those two sick individuals were allowed to harm, even destroy the futures of so many children…
"You're right, but even if we could spare the time, we can't risk training her, or others. Umbridge and the aurors would be all over us." Harry leaned back, frustration clear on his face.
"If only we could get rid of her and replace her with a competent teacher. The O.W.L.s will be a catastrophe." Hermione frowned. "I can't believe that no one is doing anything about that! Doesn't anyone care about the O.W.L.s? They decide a witch's future!"
"I am not sure they realize what is happening. We've had so many different DADA teachers, one per year, and few are as organized as you are." Harry put his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. "I am sure the Ravenclaws at least are studying on their own."
"We could at least try to make the Gryffindors study independently. That would help Lavender too." If everyone pitched in, Hermione was sure her fellow students could learn enough to do well at the O.W.L.s, if they started now. N.E.W.T.s too.
"They'd expect us to be involved as well." Harry was right, Hermione realized at once. If she, the stray Ravenclaw in Gryffindor, as Parvati had called her one, was not involved in such a project - or was not leading it, she admitted - the rest would be wondering what exactly she was involved in. Or if she wanted them to fail. Such a backlash, at this point, with Voldemort returned, would be worse than in the year before.
"We can't just do nothing." Hermione ran her hands through her hair. Compared to Lavender's curls her mane was still looking too frizzled and bushy. But she had other, more important concerns than cosmetic charms.
"If we do something, Umbridge will focus on us, again." Harry sounded as frustrated as she felt, and this time she tried to console him.
"If we do not do anything, who will?" Hermione was close to ranting about the wizards being sheep, when Ron spoke up.
"Why don't we spread that worry about the exams? If everyone is frustrated, they cannot pin it on us, and something might be done about that toad." Hermione had given up trying to correct Ron about not calling Snape "Professor Snape", and she had not even started to correct him about that stupid witch posing as a teacher.
"We have to be very careful though, Malfoy and his ilk will try to blame us even without proof. And Snape will support him." Not for the first time Hermione wished she could do something about that foul little bigot and his equally foul protector.
"If Lavender was on the job, the whole school would be in the know a day later." Harry laughed. He stopped laughing when Hermione and Ron stared at him. "Are you serious?"
They were. A day later, the school was in an uproar. A week later, the Daily Prophet, to the surprise of not a few, had taken up the story and parents started to get vocal about the appalling quality of this year's defense lessons.
*****
It was a happy Dumbledore that sat down to read the Daily Prophet that day. He hadn't lost his influence completely, after all. When he had heard of the latest rumors spreading among the students - quite factual ones, in this case, for a change, Miss Granger was quite thorough - he had contacted one of his remaining friends at the Prophet, and given his side of the whole debacle, how he had had a teacher hired, but who had been arrested, on a pretext, with nothing coming of it later, to be replaced with Madam Umbridge. That Cornelius arranged that so he could secure a well-paid job for his undersecretary, probably as a bribe, was something his friend had come up with on his own. Dumbledore had pulled a few more strings to slip this by the Prophet's editor in chief, who was in Malfoy's purse, and now Cornelius and dear Dolores were facing the wrath of concerned parents from all over Britain. A job well done, if he said so himself.
The incident with young Malfoy had been a potential problem, but Minerva had handled that well, despite all her complaining about the students again pushing her into committing crimes. Officially, nothing had happened that night. No reports were filed, no complaints made. He had to keep Severus in line, of course - that man's hatred of Harry and his friends started to become an issue. The students all knew what had happened, but as long as Draco would not say anything - and a few spells had ensured that - no one could do anything about it. And it showed Harry and his friends had been training, and doing well. That calmed some of his worries about their security, with aurors of questionable morals and loyalty at Hogwarts.
More cause for concerns though were young Malfoy's plans for Miss Brown. A few compulsion charms - and he was getting rather free with them, he realized, but what other choice was there in this situation? - removed that particular danger from the school, at least for the time being. He'd have to end the charms before the young Slytherin returned home over the holidays. And of course, the ease of his intrusion into the boy's mind and memories drove the urgency of providing Harry and his friends with better defenses home.
If only Remus was not a wanted man - or werewolf - still. He would have no real trouble finding a competent teacher now, once Dolores was gone, but one Harry and Miss Granger would trust? It couldn't be helped, the children would have to spend the holidays working hard to shore up their mental defenses, instead of taking a well-deserved rest from schoolwork and other concerns.
But, he thought, popping a lemon drop into his mouth and petting Fawkes, things were looking up. There hadn't been an attempt at the prophecy either so far.
*****
Harry felt rather nervous. He had felt nervous since weeks, thinking of this moment. To be honest, he had almost been glad that they had not been able to get an occlumency teacher, it had served as an excuse to stall with this particular revelation.
He and Hermione, who was nervous herself, as he knew, were back in the Room of Requirement, facing Ron. Who was starting to look nervous himself, now that Harry took a closer look. Maybe it was infectious. Or he had picked up on their nervosity. But Hermione had been right, they had to go forward, sooner or later time would run out. Even if Voldemort was still hiding he was surely preparing for another war, and gathering strength.
"So…" he trailed off. "I, we, had hoped we had occlumency training by this time, but it can't be helped. There's one more thing you need to know, Ron." Hermione nodded, biting her lip. Some Gryffindors we are, Harry thought.
Ron looked at them, now very nervous. "Yes?" Though nervous was good. It was better than anger at being kept in the dark, again.
Harry took a deep breath. "Remember our talk about the Slayer?"
"Yes?"
"We are working with her against Voldemort."
"What!?"
Chapter 7: Christmas Revelations
