Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Moments in Love	By : Gandalfs-Beard Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 175861 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 14
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to Rowling. Nor do I make any money from the story.

Chapter List
- 59
- 60
- 61
The Cabal

MI6 Director of Raw Intelligence and Analysis, “N,” was puzzled by a memo sent up the chain from one of his Analysts indicating that an MI5 Analyst may have been detained indefinitely by an MI6 Black Ops unit for attempting to leak classified information to a reporter for The Guardian. It wasn’t entirely unheard of for MI6 to conduct operations on British soil (which were supposed to be conducted by MI5), but as a general rule it was frowned upon as it violated their official charter (to conduct operations only on foreign soil) and left the agency open to legal repercussions.
After giving it some thought, “N” decided to bring the matter to the attention of “C,” the Chief of MI6. It was possible after all that the other unit was operating without official sanction - which also wasn’t entirely unheard of, as a certain amount of leeway was given to Black Ops units in order to provide the entirety of MI6 with a certain amount of plausible denial should a particularly sensitive overseas operation go horribly wrong.
But this particular operation seemed off, as MI6 and MI5 were generally well coordinated and any potential illegal leaks to the British press discovered by MI6 were usually handed off to MI5 for investigation. Though given the questionable manner in which the operation had been conducted - including the abduction of a minor - “N” supposed that it wasn’t surprising that the task had fallen to MI6, as the agency operated with a higher level of secrecy and immunity.
So it was with some trepidation that “N” sent a memo to “C’s” secretary, Miss Guineapence, urgently requesting a meeting with “C.” Half an hour later “N” found himself in front of “C’s” desk explaining his quandary.
“C” listened to his subordinate patiently, then made a call to the Prime Minister on a secure line once “N” had departed from his office. After receiving his instructions, “C” called in the head of the Black Ops unit in question and passed along the PM’s orders, then “C” had all memos regarding the matter tracked down and purged from the system.
“C” sighed upon completion of the task as he perused through personnel files, looking for the most suitable candidates to replace the two intelligence officers who had unwittingly stumbled onto an off-books operation.
Several hours after that, an unidentified body was discovered floating in the Thames by the Metropolitan Police, and another body was found nearby on a dock, both of them riddled with bullets. By all appearances both victims seemed to be participants in a high level drugs deal gone wrong.

~o0o~
Amelia Bones pursed her lips and adjusted her monocle, frowning skeptically at Auror Reynard Mulligan’s report from one of the Auror Office’s moles in Scotland Yard. To say that she was disturbed by the implications was an understatement, though Dumbledore certainly appeared to be taking it in stride by all outward indications.
“Are you certain of this Reynard?” she asked.
“Not entirely certain, no Ma’am!” Mulligan replied. “But Auror Pevensie swears that there’s definitely no record indicating that Clara Dawson’s sister and their friend have been detained by the Metropolitan Police. And according to her, a number of street protesters are disappearing from holding facilities and records of their detainment are being purged from the system... Pevensie is sure that Aurors Johnson and Terwilliger have something t’do with it.”
“Well Amelia, I certainly trust Pevensie’s instincts,” said Dumbledore as he stroked his long silvery beard pensively. “Especially given what we know of the collusion between Minister Umbridge and the PM.”
“Yes, of course Albus,” Madam Bones replied. “Pevensie has always been loyal to me. But it doesn’t make sense... The surreptitious removal of the Prime Minister’s biggest problems - the leaders of the political groups involved in the protests - makes some sense, but why disappear the others? ... The current muggle PM is certainly a piece of work - and don’t get me started on his party’s political agenda - but I never took him for a dictator of a banana republic.”
“Corruption and Paranoia, Amelia,” sighed Dumbledore, “the path to darkness for many with great political ambition - those who would seek Power above all else for its own sake. If Minister Umbridge has proven anything, it is that she is quite adept at exploiting the ambitions of fellow travelers to suit her own purposes.
“And the greater the ambition, the greater the paranoia. No doubt the Prime Minister is capitalising on his relationship with Minister Umbridge to suppress dissent and remove his political enemies without leaving his own fingerprints behind.
“Exploiting the public’s fear of being ‘disappeared’ has been proven quite an effective tool of suppression by many a tyrannical regime. In any case, we shall discuss this matter at greater length at tonight’s Order meeting. For now, it is best that Reynard return to the Ministry before he is missed.”
Dumbledore peered earnestly at Mulligan. “Reynard, thank you very much for looking into this matter, and please pass on my gratitude to Auror Pevensie. And please continue to stay alert to danger... as Alastor would say, Constant Vigilance!”

~o0o~
Hermione yawned, blinking her eyes, waking to the pitter-pat of gentle rain on the balcony and the muted light of a wet dawn. She felt so at home in bed with Harry under silky sheets that felt like their own, that it took her a moment to recall that they were actually in one of the many rooms in Jennifer’s manor. Hermione stretched out her toes and sighed contentedly, snuggling closer to Harry.
It was so peaceful listening to the rain fall as she watched Harry sleep that Hermione was happy to lie-in as long as possible, but Harry soon stirred, sniffing the air.
“Mmm... bacon!” Harry murmured as he woke up. Hermione giggled and gave him a kiss.
“About time,” she said teasingly, “I’ve been smelling bacon for over half an hour.”
“Oh... Sorry Hermione! No time for kisses then...” Harry retorted, grinning as he started to sit up.
“Prat!” said Hermione as she pushed Harry back down and pinned him to the bed, “There’s always time for kisses!”
Half an hour later, after a steamy kissing session, showering quickly and dressing, the Potters finally arrived in the kitchen for breakfast, surprised to find that the only ones already waiting with Dobby were Luna and Parvati.
“It’s getting a bit late. Were the Nargles keeping you occupied?” asked Luna with a perfectly straight face. Harry and Hermione both turned a bit pink and grinned.
“Look out for mistletoe,” Harry quipped, “It’s everywhere...”
Parvati snorted with mirth and Luna giggled. The four of them and Dobby were already digging into breakfast when Fleur and Dora, and Daphne and Jennifer arrived. Dabbing her lips with a napkin when she was finished, Jennifer raised her eyebrows at Harry, knowing him all too well by now.
“I expect you’ll be wanting your fill of morning news then,” she said, beckoning him and the others to one of the parlours in the manor. They all wondered how they could have missed it the night before - an enormous flat screen hanging on the wall on one side of the room.
“Is that a projection TV?” asked Hermione.
“Better!” Jennifer replied, breaking into a grin. “It’s a plasma screen. They’re not really due out in stores properly for a couple of years, but dad couldn’t resist getting one of the advance models. We’ve got a satellite dish, so we get all the channels available in the UK...”
“That’s brilliant! I bet we could get the American ones too if we ask Remus how he did it,” said Harry. It was too late for a regular BBC morning news broadcast, but BBC World was running a recap of the morning headlines in Britain.
“Blimey!” Harry muttered in surprise, “Another Inferi attack in Yorkshire... I thought they would have mopped them all up by now. I suppose the Ministry hasn’t been able to catch all of the contagious ones.”
“Or worse...” Hermione added, trailing off.
“Wait... you don’t really think...” Harry began.
“...that the Ministry might be making a few of their own!” Hermione bit her lip anxiously. “They might be...” she said in a small voice. “The Minister wasn’t above adding a horde of regular Inferi to the third task and blaming it on Voldemort. Who’s to say that she’s not working with Bellatrix Lestrange to make a few more contagious ones?”
Dora frowned, chewing a fingernail and Fleur looked disturbed. Jennifer and Daphne shared frightened glances with Luna and Parvati.
“Bloody Hell!” swore Harry as he rubbed his forehead. “You’re right Hermione! I wouldn’t put it past the Minister at all. She might be doing it to help the muggle Prime Minister...”
“...to add to a climate of fear for him to exploit politically,” Hermione concluded with a nod.
“I suppose we’re just lucky that wizards will stop them from turning everyone then?” said Jennifer hopefully.
“Yeah...” Harry sighed. “The Ministry will probably keep them from getting out of hand. It wouldn’t do to have too many running amok - just enough to keep people frightened. I'm just glad that the Inferi were put down and only a few people were killed. I suppose it could have been much worse...”
Everyone groaned when the next segment aired and Harry’s face appeared in the corner of the screen.
“I can’t believe they’re still going on about you being a terrorist, Harry,” Parvati fumed. “I mean you’re only fifteen...”
“And ees even worse now,” said Fleur, her nostrils flaring angrily. “This ees international broadcast.”
“It’s just so unfair!” said Daphne, wiping away a tear. “Harry’ll never be able to show his face in public again...”
“Harry will be alright though,” said Luna serenely. “He’s a metamorphmagus... like Dora!”
“Yeah... try not worry too much,” said Dora with a wry smile. “Harry’s brilliant at it. And except for Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus, nobody else knows that Harry is one besides us.”
“I just won’t be able to go out in public as myself until this is all sorted out,” Harry sighed.
“And it’ll really throw them off if Harry goes out in girl form,” Hermione smirked. “They definitely won’t be looking for him as a girl.”
There was a sudden change in atmosphere. Harry groaned when he spotted the hungry gleam in everyone’s eyes and remembered an unfulfilled promise. Dora shook her head and chuckled sympathetically.
“Looks like you lot will be getting your supermodel-Harriet fashion show finally,” Dora chortled.
“Oooh! I’ve got loads of lovely clothes for you to try in my wardrobe Harry!” said Jennifer eagerly, her face brightening.

~o0o~
Richard Granger wasn’t particularly thrilled to be a dentist in someone else’s practice in Sydney, Australia, after having had his own practice in London near the home he had shared with his ex-wife and daughter in Hampstead, but it kept him busy and the difference in income was more than made up for by an account set up for him, apparently by Harry Potter’s godfather.
It was also a distraction from the fact that he was under constant surveillance by wizards. Indeed, Richard Granger wouldn’t have left England or had anything more to do with the wizard world at all, but apparently he had little say in the matter. The associates of his daughter had been quite adamant that he was in imminent danger and that he would be relocated whether he liked it or not at his daughter’s insistence.
It had been especially galling to Richard that he was expected to believe that the danger was presented by a man who was dead - the wizard whom Harry Potter had killed as a child. No matter what powers were available to wizards, Richard refused to believe that anyone could return from the dead. As far as he was concerned, the whole thing was a concoction, a fabrication for purposes unknown.
The fact that his daughter believed it was unpersuasive. Richard had read the letter Hermione had sent explaining why he had to be relocated numerous times, and it was clear that she was still irrationally besotted to the true menace - Harry Potter.
Richard had grudgingly supposed he should be grateful that at least Hermione had finally opened up an avenue of dialogue with him. That was the only good thing which had come of the whole affair, and it was the only thing which gave him some measure of comfort and hope in his exile.
As the end of November approached, the beginning of Australian summer grew nearer, and it was sweltering in Sydney. It had been a very long day at the clinic, having had to give dental exams to some of the most insufferable brats that Richard Granger had ever had displeasure of treating while the air conditioner had been broken.
Worn out, sweaty, and irritable, Richard couldn’t wait to get home. As soon as he got in the door, he yanked off his shirt and tie, threw them on the chair in the kitchen, and grabbed a six-pack of beer from the fridge. He flopped on the sofa, cracked open the first can and downed it in several swallows before he even turned on the television. Halfway through his second beer Richard found his remote and clicked on the TV.
He flicked through the channels for a few moments until a he found the evening news. Riots in London several days ago hardly seemed newsworthy in Australia and Richard was about to switch channels again when a familiar face caught his attention. Beer sprayed out of Richard’s mouth and he gaped in shock at the screen.
“Potter!” he spat. “I knew it! ... I knew he was no good...”
Furiously, Richard grabbed the telephone and began dialing, determined to be on the next flight to England, consequences be damned. All that mattered was that his daughter was in danger and he needed to find her and get her away from Potter.

~o0o~
The girls spent the next few hours giggling and ransacking Jennifer’s chests of drawers and her wardrobe, making Harriet try on everything they could find while Hermione and Dora watched, chuckling in amusement. Daphne, Fleur, Parvati, and Jennifer were the most excited about choosing the clothes which would best suit Harriet, but Luna thought it was loads of good fun.
Harriet didn’t mind as much as she had thought she would. And Harriet had to admit that she rather enjoyed the satiny feeling of the girls undergarments against her skin, and she considered buying some silk boxers for when she reverted to boy form. But she was still a bit relieved when they finally stopped after finding a dress which set off her skin tones and eye colour nicely.
“Very pretty...” said Jennifer with a grin.
“You’re gorgeous Harriet!” said Hermione happily, giving her a warm kiss. “I’m glad that some of us have better fashion sense than me. Now we can go into the little village nearby with Jennifer...”
“But not until after we’ve disguised you up a bit, Hermione,” Dora interjected. “The transfiguration disguise spells aren’t nearly as good as being a metamorphmagus of course, but they oughta be good enough to pass you off, especially in a muggle village where nobody knows you.”
Dora waved her wand and muttered a few incantations. Hermione’s hair straightened and lengthened, turning a dark shade of auburn. Her face rounded, eyebrows and nose taking on a slightly different shape, and her eyes turned hazel. Harriet could still just make out that it was Hermione, but she could see that it would be effective enough to fool anyone who didn’t know her.
“Yeah... you just can’t do such a complete job, but it’ll do!” said Dora. “The most important thing is that you're just as pretty as before!” she concluded with a wink and a giggle.
“So... er.... should we all go?” Harriet asked the others.
“No... I think just Daphne should go with you and Jennifer. The rest of us can come down another day for a look around the village together,” said Luna wisely, giving her head a little shake with a sad smile at Jennifer. “It might be a bit much for us to all visit Jennifer’s parents’ graves the first day she’s back.”
Thankfully, the rain was only moderate as Harriet and Hermione followed Jennifer and Daphne down the driveway to the wrought-iron gates at the bottom of the hill, and then down the country avenue lined with dripping beeches and elm trees to the nearby village.
Harriet walked arm in arm with Hermione, holding a large umbrella over the both of them, glad that Jennifer had nice sensible walking shoes to go with her dresses. She was certain that she wouldn’t manage even two metres through the puddles in heels, to say nothing of two kilometres. Harriet was wearing a pretty tan overcoat over the green dress which had been chosen for her by the others. She tingled slightly when she felt a cold breeze between her thighs, unused to the sensation.
Hermione spotted the slightly awkward look on Harriet’s face and smiled impishly.
“So how does it feel?” Hermione asked.
“Sort of wondering why we’re not all wearing jeans, t-shirts, and jumpers,” Harriet grumbled.
But she bore a hint of a smirk and her face turned a bit pink. She knew that the rest of the girls had been determined to get her in a dress, and truth be told, it was more fun than she had been willing to let on.
“It’s a bit weird not wearing trousers or shorts...” Harriet continued. “As a guy, I never really got the appeal of kilts, or how loads of older wizards just wear robes. But there’s... there’s something sort of... er... nice about it actually.”
Their first stop was in the little village grocery-and-post-office. Several villagers gawked in surprise when they spied the new arrivals, whispering to one another. A fat grey tabby cat lazily reclining on one of the counters spotted them and began purring loudly.
“Jennifer Watts?” gasped the cheery round faced shop-owner when she turned around to see who her cat was purring at. “Good heavens! We weren’t sure whether you’d be returning after... er...” the shop owner trailed off awkwardly.
The fact was that all the police had told anyone was that Jennifer’s parents had been murdered in some sort of home invasion, and that she had apparently been held captive for a period of time by the killers, then sent off to live with relatives after she’d been rescued. But it seemed a bit indelicate to just blurt it out.
“Where are my manners? It’s so lovely to see you again dear!” said the shop owner, recovering herself and giving Jennifer a big hug. “I’m dreadfully sorry about your parents - such a shame.”
“Er... thank you Mrs Kindling,” said Jennifer, swallowing nervously.
“Are these lovely young ladies some new friends of yours then?” asked Mrs Kindling, smiling warmly at Daphne, Hermione, and Harriet.
“Er... yeah, they’ll be staying with me for a bit,” Jennifer replied, blushing. “I... er... I just thought I’d hire a post box if you’ve got one available.”
“Of course dear...”
After leaving the shop, they strolled through the cobbled streets peering at the quaint buildings, many of which were centuries old.
“That’s the village church which Mum and Dad went to over there...” Jennifer began, before being interrupted by a squeal.
“Jennifer?” squeaked a blonde girl who looked about the same age as Hermione and Jennifer. “Is that really you? Where have you been?”
The blonde girl darted across the street and gave Jennifer a teary hug. Judging from Jennifer’s stiff response, Daphne and the Potters thought it might be the same girl that she had liked, but fallen out with.
“Er... Hello Anna!” Jennifer said awkwardly.
“I... I heard about your parents... and that you'd been sent away...” sniffled Jennifer’s old friend, wiping some tears away. “I... I just...” Anna’s voice caught as she trembled. “...I’m so sorry! ... for everything! ... I was horrid the last time I saw you.”
Jennifer’s features softened, her own tears threatening to leak. “No, I’m sorry!” she said, returning the other girl’s hug, her face flushing with shame. “I was being really selfish... You had every right to be angry.”
Head on Jennifer’s shoulder, Anna peered at Daphne, Hermione, and Harriet, seeing their concerned faces.
“I’m glad you’ve made some new friends Jennifer!” she said, smiling wanly. “Maybe one day we could...er... Well... I suppose I should let you go... see where your parents are buried!”
The blonde girl released Jennifer, and before Jennifer could voice a response, Anna dashed back across the cobbled street, splashing through the puddles as she rounded a corner and disappeared. Jennifer swallowed and the tears which had been threatening began to fall.
“It’ll be alright Jennifer,” Daphne murmured as she took Jennifer’s arm with one of her own. She brushed some stray strands of ebony hair out of Jennifer’s face and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll understand if you...”
“No, don’t be silly,” said Jennifer, smiling through her tears, “I’m with you now.”
The peaceful cemetery of the ancient little church at the end of the road backed onto a small wooded area of hawthorn, elm trees and shrubbery, beyond which lay an open field. From the cemetery, the church itself was hidden by hedges and trees except for the steeple, and nobody else was around in any case, as morning services were long over.
Several little red fox kits played nearby in the wet grass, squeaking and tumbling over the graves. They hid behind a gravestone when they spotted the newcomers, but didn’t run away as the young witches approached. Hermione’s breath caught with delight as she quietly pointed out to Harriet the adorable little faces with quivering whiskers peeking out from behind the stone.
Daphne and Jennifer both smiled when they spied the foxes as well. Jennifer gave a little gasp when she realised whose names were on the stone they were hiding behind. She bit her lip and tears trickled down her cheeks as she said goodbye to her mum and dad, feeling comforted in Daphne’s arms and glad to have Harriet and Hermione with her as well.
Harriet cuddled Hermione as the raindrops began falling again, not bothering to open their umbrella, feeling the sting of tears in her own eyes. Hermione looked about furtively to make sure that nobody was spying on them and gave Harriet a kiss on the lips.
“One day Hermione...” Harriet croaked. “One day soon... I need to visit Godric’s Hollow!”

~o0o~
That night as they lay in bed winding down after a rather robust exchange of passions, Hermione could sense Harriet’s tension, and knew that she was much more upset than she’d been letting on all day. After a few moments, Harriet morphed back into Harry and sighed.
“Are you alright Harry?” Hermione asked as she coiled her arms around him. “Are you still thinking about your parents?”
Harry pondered for a moment before replying.
“Actually, no...” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about what the Minister is doing. Every day, more muggleborn are going to disappear into her pits... and there may be more Inferi attacks. I can’t just sit here and do nothing, hoping that the Order eventually works it out - I’ve got to do something - I’ve got to help...”
Hermione trembled slightly; she had known it would eventually come to this, and she couldn’t bring herself to disagree. She couldn’t counter with the fact that the muggle government was now after Harry as well, because Harry could be Harriet or whoever he needed to be. And in any case, Hermione rather felt the same way.
“What should we do Harry?” she murmured.
“We have to help the Order find those detention centres and expose them for the death traps that they surely are...” said Harry. “Catch the Ministry in the act and make it public - rally support to fight the Ministry head on. We need to take the fight to them... tear those places down.
“If they really are making Inferi, they have to be using those facilities to make Inferi from whoever they’re killing - they wouldn’t dare do it at the Ministry... We should start by looking for the big one in Wales...”
“I... I agree Harry...” Hermione sniffled. “It’s just... it’s... it’s so nice and peaceful here with you and the others... I wish we could just stay here and grow old together.”
“Me too Hermione,” said Harry, pulling her closer to him and kissing her forehead.
“We will grow old together Hermione, I promise...”
“...but we have a job to do...” said Hermione, nodding as she wiped away her tears. “I know! But we can’t just rush into it headlong...”
“...we need to be sure about what we’re doing! Of course Hermione. We should stay here for a little bit - and find the most useful spells in our books that we can...”
“...we’ll practice them for a bit and then - when we think we’re ready - then we’ll go...” Hermione agreed, nodding again.

~o0o~
Albus Dumbledore felt haggard and old. He sighed as he continued to peruse the information gained from the Potters’ excursion to rescue Arthur Weasley from the Ministry. As he had been dreading, all the signs pointed to a situation surely as bad as had been faced in Europe in the 1930’s and 40’s. He sipped his tea and set his cup down, taking off his spectacles and massaging his forehead before looking up at some of the members of his inner-circle.
Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape with Narcissa Black at his side, Amelia Bones, Alastor Moody, and the rescued Arthur Weasley: they all sat huddled at one end of the long ebony table in Narcissa’s home, shuffling their own copies of the documents relieved from the Department of Mysteries. Snape flared his nostrils and peered at Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows.
“Potter... Harry... he won’t wait long. You know that don’t you?” said Snape evenly. “He’s not the sort to sit out a fight. We must act... and we must act soon.”
“I agree,” growled Moody, his whizzing blue eyeball coming to a halt on Dumbledore. “We have actionable intelligence for the first time thanks to the Potters and their friends... Now’s the time! We need to take the fight to the Ministry - show ‘em we mean business!”
“Severus and Alastor are right Albus,” said McGonagall as Amelia Bones nodded vigorously. “If we wish the Potters and their friends to survive, and live to grow as old as us...”
“Well... as old as me hopefully,” Albus interjected with a sardonic chuckle. “Of course we shall act! We all know the stakes, which are ever higher now that we can be certain that the Minister and the PM are colluding.
“We cannot just sit on this! We must find these facilities and destroy them, collecting as much evidence as we can. And then we need to retake Hogwarts so that it can be a proper sanctuary, and even a proper base from which to prepare an assault upon the Ministry, should it prove necessary.
“Mr Lovegood and Ms Skeeter are very near to finding the keys to unlocking the Wiz-Vision. We need to be ready to make our appeal to the public at large and show them the evidence the moment that the Quibbler is ready to interrupt the broadcasts. Once that has been accomplished, we can indeed, ‘take the fight to the Ministry.’
“And the Minister is very near to overplaying her hand by having the muggle Prime Minister order that an arrest warrant be issued for young Harry, in terms of exposing their collusion and drawing the attention of the ICW.
“It is my considered opinion that the only reason she has not yet had the muggle authorities issue a warrant for me, is because she knows that I have already petitioned the ICW myself to intervene. Currently, the ICW views this as an ‘internal matter.’ That would likely change if they feel that the Minister is overstepping her bounds by revealing me to the muggle world... it would bring her collusion into sharp relief, and they would no doubt begin an Investigation at the very least...”
“Maybe we can cause her to slip up then... if we make her angry enough,” said Arthur Weasley. “What if we can get her to try and expose you? Surely, if we find some of these facilities and take them out...”
“That is a distinct possibility!” Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully as he stroked his long silvery beard. “It may be a longshot... she displays a remarkable amount of restraint for one such as herself, but it is indeed something to hope for, as she does also have a penchant for pushing her plans to their limits.
“In the meantime though, we cannot rely on help from the outside, except for those forces which Monsieur Delacour has placed at our disposal. Now, another matter to consider are the continuing incursions of contagious Inferi. It seems increasingly likely that what we have feared has come to pass - a compact between the Minister and Bellatrix Lestrange...
“Thus, our work is cut out for us. Our immediate priorities are as follows: locating and destroying the Ministry’s concentration camps, tamping down any Inferi attacks which we get wind of, protecting the muggleborn - either by facilitating their escape from Britain or finding them safe haven within our borders, and recruiting more Order members...
“This last should become much easier once we have enough evidence to make our case to the public that it may be necessary to use force to unseat the current regime in the Ministry.”
“What about Mr Potter?” said Amelia, a worried expression on her face. “If Severus is correct, should you not order Mr Potter and his wife and friends to remain safe wherever they are hidden...?”
“Believe me Amelia,” Albus peered at her with his clear blue eyes, “If I believed for a moment that the Potters and their friends would obey that particular order, I would issue it in a heartbeat. However, I do not wish to give Harry any reason to act with willful disregard.
“Should he feel the need to act against my explicit wishes, it is possible that he could become reckless... Harry has proved time and again how capable and resourceful he is, when encouraged and given the tools he needs to accomplish the task at hand...”
“But he’s only fifteen years old Albus,” snapped Minerva as Amelia nodded and indicated her agreement with Professor McGonagall. “You can’t just send a fifteen year old boy...”
“And yet...” Dumbledore said in a tone which quieted Minerva at once, “...at eleven years old, he had the courage, moral fortitude, and the presence of mind to defeat Voldemort with nothing but his prodigious abilities, an Invisibility Cloak, the considerable assistance of the young lady who is now his wife, and a well played chess match by Arthur Weasley’s son.
“Then, between him and his wife, at Twelve and Thirteen years old, the pair of them uncovered the plot behind the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, and also exposed the truth of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. In their third year the pair of them helped uncover the truth behind the betrayal of Harry's parents, freeing Sirius Black from an unjust sentence and exposing Peter Pettigrew as the real traitor... Following that, not only did Harry and his wife survive the Triwizard Tournament - with proper training from Alastor and Nymphadora Tonks I might add - they also saved every other contestant from near certain death...
“And I do not think I need to remind anyone, how the Potters helped us locate and destroy all of the Horcruxes... and fought alongside their friends with us at the Battle for Hogwarts... making it possible to kill Voldemort once and for all!”
“And most recently, the Potters and their friends penetrated a secured facility in the heart of the Ministry which has long been considered impenetrable, and executed a successful rescue of Arthur... with members of the Order on standby if needed, as thankfully, Harry had the presence of mind to inform Sirius and Remus of their extraction plan.
“Harry, his wife, and their friends have proved their worth as full members of this Order, and proved their ability to survive the most terrible dangers... especially when fully informed, when encouraged, and when given the proper tools for the job.”
“I do indeed wish them to survive... which is why I shall be calling Harry on the morrow, and advising him to act as he sees fit... as long as he continues to keep us informed of his team’s activities, and continues to seek council from Order members.
“If I do not... Harry may feel it necessary to act anyway, without our knowledge, and with clouded emotions, and that would be far more likely to lead to him - or a member of his team - coming to grave harm!”
McGonagall and Madam Bones glanced at each other, then back at Dumbledore, both of them sighing, realising sadly that Dumbledore was correct.

~o0o~
Harry was stunned when he received the mirror call the following morning. He had just finished cleaning his teeth when Hermione entered the bathroom.
“Harry... it’s Dumbledore. He wants to speak to you.”
Harry peered into those clear blue eyes in the mirror and he felt a surge of emotion as he conferred with the real headmaster of Hogwarts for several minutes. He was stunned when Dumbledore had concluded making his proposition.
“Really sir?” gasped Harry. “You’re alright with this? And how did you know what I was thinking of doing?”
“Well, Harry,” said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling at Harry’s surprise and eagerness, “let me just say that after knowing you for some years now, I and my colleagues have gained a fairly good understanding of your true nature - and the natures of those who care about you the most.
“I only ask that you proceed with utmost caution, and continue to keep members of the Order apprised of your current situation... and that you continue relying on your wife’s keen sense of intellect!”
“Yes sir... of course I will!” said Harry, filling with a sense of elation as he grinned at Hermione, who was blushing furiously at the last part of Dumbledore’s admonition.
Harry and Hermione both chatted with Dumbledore a few minutes, working out plans before saying goodbye. Barely a few seconds passed between the fading of Dumbledore’s image and the flickering appearance of two familiar faces in the mirror as Harry's name was called out.
“Sirius... Remus,” Harry beamed. “What’s up?”
“Dumbledore,” said Sirius with an easy grin. “He called us earlier to let us know what the current plan of attack is. And Remus and I are now both in a position to be able to offer assistance should you need it...”
“I’ve just managed to complete my animagus wolf form in record time,” interjected Lupin, who looked positively thrilled. “Apparently all those years as a werewolf were good for something! The transformations...”
“They left you some sort of cellular memory didn’t they?” gasped Hermione as she peered over Harry’s shoulder at Lupin and Sirius in the mirror.
“That they did Hermione!” grinned Lupin. “Which means we can both now leave the Shrieking Shack or Narcissa’s place in our canine forms without discovery. We can be of much more use to the Order now, and will be free to apparate to your aid as needed.”
“That’s brilliant!” said Harry excitedly. “So what’s next? You should come visit...”
“Well, we’re a bit busy for that at the moment,” Sirius sighed. “Too much to do for the Order. And I’m afraid it’s not all good news. Hermione, I have just been informed by my Australian contacts that your father is returning to England...”
“What?” squeaked Hermione, aghast. “But it’s still not safe for him here...”
“That’s what Emmeline Vance tried to tell him,” Sirius replied. “I sent her to Sydney via international portkey the moment I was informed of your father’s arrangements. Unfortunately she was unable to persuade your father as he is absolutely convinced that Harry is a terrorist. Apparently he is quite determined to find you and ‘save’ you from Harry.”
Harry raised his eyebrows and groaned, palming his face with both hands.
“Oh no!” Hermione moaned, peering at Harry worriedly. “This is awful! I still haven’t actually told him we’re married. I was working up to it! ... When is he due to arrive in Heathrow? Maybe I can meet him and talk him into going back...”
“That’s a bit risky, Hermione,” said Lupin. “It’s quite possible that the Ministry is monitoring air-traffic in and out of international airports such as Heathrow for fleeing muggleborn. I think it would be best to simply keep track of his movements until we can establish a safe time and place for you both to meet and sort things out.”
Hermione bit her lip pensively and nodded. “Al...alright then. You’re probably right Remus. Th...thanks. Maybe... maybe when he checks into a hotel he could be... erm... prevented from leaving until I can get there and talk to him.”
“Yes... Yes, that’s quite a workable solution Hermione,” Lupin agreed. “Sirius and I will let you know when your father is settled in, and you can arrange your schedule to best suit your needs.”
Having concluded their conversations with Dumbledore, and Sirius and Lupin, the Potters hurriedly finished readying themselves for the day and joined the others who were already eating breakfast in the kitchen with Dobby. Harry quickly brought everyone up to speed.
“...and so we’ll all be looking up any other useful spells we can find and practicing for a bit - I’d say about a week or two tops! And then we’re heading for Wales to search for the facility there!” said Harry as he peered around the kitchen table, pleased to see everyone looking eager to begin.
“Smashing Harry!” Dora exclaimed. “I can’t wait to show those bastards what for!”
“We’re ready any time you are Harry!” Luna stated matter-of-factly. Parvati nodded in agreement.
“Hear, Hear!” said Fleur, her eyes glinting. “Ees time to do battle...”
Daphne’s features set in resolve; she was glad to have a sense of purpose once more, especially one which included ridding Britain of those like the Malfoys. Harry’s eyes came to rest on the one person who seemed to be paying little attention. Hermione was only listening with one ear as she had a piece of toast in one hand and her eyes glued to a thick book on the table. Harry observed her for a moment with bemusement.
Hermione was suddenly aware of the silence around the breakfast table and her bushy head popped up with a snap.
“Sorry Harry!” she grinned sheepishly. “After the talk with Dumbledore earlier, I just got to thinking about a book that I’d found in Number Twelve’s library. I think it would really make a huge difference in our spellwork, and be really useful for our current mission.”
Seeing that everyone was now focused on her, and that Harry didn’t seem to mind, Hermione continued.
“It’s a book about Covens, groups of wizards and witches that practice casting spells as a single unit - which increases the power of the spells. It’s a bit different, but sort of the way Harry and I do when we perform our Patronuses and some other spells together.
“Covens are quite rare actually, and are generally frowned upon by ‘polite society’...” Hermione paused briefly, her face reddening, “...mostly because some of the rituals seem to require... er... erm... intimate behaviour all together to make it work properly...”
“Do you mean group sex?” Luna asked bluntly, looking very intrigued. Parvati giggled.
Dora raised her eyebrows and smirked; Fleur seemed to find the idea very fascinating. Daphne looked shocked but slid her eyes over for a surreptitious glance at Harry who was turning beet red.
“Er... yes,” said Hermione. “But after reading some of the book, I don’t think it’s an absolute necessity,” she quickly added. Luna and Fleur both looked a bit disappointed at that.
“As far as I can tell,” Hermione went on, “the most important thing seems to be that everyone involved really loves one another. That’s why you can’t really do proper Coven magic with a random group of witches and wizards.
“Apparently most Covens tend not be very lasting, nor as powerful as they might otherwise be, because jealousy and infighting eventually disrupts most of them. The last real one in Britain that is known of was formed was in the 1960’s but it didn’t last beyond the mid 70’s.”
“What do you mean by ‘real one’...?” asked Parvati.
“Well - it would seem that quite a few muggles form Covens as part of neopagan religious practice, and others are formed by those who are part of the muggle occult underground...” Hermione continued scanning the text rapidly.
“And as I already mentioned, every so often wizards and witches try to make a go of it, but they don’t usually have what it takes to work spells together properly... and the ones that do work tend to be nearly always all female - though nobody really knows why.”
“So it would seem that real Covens are very rare, and that successful ones with males are rarer still... I suppose that’s why Covens in muggle literature tend to be associated with witches,” Hermione mused, biting her lip pensively, “Though being all witches is still no guarantee of long-term success. The Coven which broke up in the 1970’s was all witches...”
“Maman does not like to talk of eet, but I ‘ave heard of such things among Veela,” Fleur interjected. “Ees hidden for much ze same reason, as rituals often include sex with many. Mos’ people do not approve.”
“Most muggles usually associate that sorta thing with devil-worship,” Dora snorted mirthfully.
“Anyway, I really think we could make this work...” Hermione said earnestly, her eyes all big and pleading, “without the group sex. All that matters is that we really care a lot about each other...”
“But what about me?” asked Harry, seeing a wrinkle in Hermione’s plan. “It seems hard enough anyway apparently - especially if we’re going to give it a go without bothering with the... erm... er... orgies - and if Covens with blokes don’t really work, that sort of throws a wrench in things even if I am a metamorphmagus, doesn’t it? I mean - this is my natural form.”
“I think you’re a bit of a special case, Harry,” said Hermione after a moment’s hesitation. She sighed inwardly, having hoped that Harry wouldn’t ask that particular question for his own sake.
“Oh!” said Harry, his face blazing hotly as the proverbial light clicked on in his head. “Yeah... I suppose,” he muttered. It was one thing to have discussed his feelings about who he was inside with Hermione, but Harry wasn’t sure if he was ready to share it with everyone else. He hoped that with a bit of luck nobody would really question Hermione’s answer and his vague response.
“It’s Harry’s female soul, isn’t it,” said Luna. “That’s why this will work.”
“Your eyes, Harry,” Parvati added, seeing his puzzled expression. “That’s what gives it away to anyone who’s really paying attention.”
Harry swallowed nervously and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. There was a moment of awkward silence, as nobody wanted to make Harry feel more embarrassed than he already felt, which of course made him feel all the more uncomfortable.
“It’s alright Harry,” said Dora finally. “You can be yourself around us lot. I mean, look at us... most of us here are an odd bunch accordin’ to most of society. But you’ve never once acted like it was weird for girls to like other girls... And you’ve always been okay with Sirius and Remus bein’ together...”
“Yeah,” Harry nodded again, feeling a surge of confidence. “Yeah, that’s true. I... I suppose I just never really thought about it like that. I guess... I guess I always thought that I was the weirdo... the odd one out.”
“I’ve always felt like that too,” said Luna with a giggle, “for one reason or another.”
Harry grinned, suddenly feeling much better. Hermione beamed at him and he felt ready to move on.
“Great! Well I reckon I’m ready to give this Coven thing a go then, if you all are,” said Harry.
Following breakfast the newly formed Coven used magic to clear out the red brick barn - which was really more like an enormous shed - and moved the muggle grounds-keeping equipment to the stables. Luna, Daphne, Parvati, and Jennifer, all began flicking through pages of schoolbooks looking for useful spells to practice.
Harry pored over the Advanced Charms book, and also numerous advanced and specialised books which they had brought from Number Twelve’s library, while Dora and Fleur began casting Fortification Spells on the barn and Hermione continued to read the book about Covens.
“What are you looking for Harry?” Hermione asked when he sighed in frustration after leafing through the tenth book he’d looked at.
“I’m trying to work out how to make a sort of Room of Requirement of our own,” Harry replied with a frown. “I wanted to do that at Number Twelve when we cleared out the basement there, but we didn’t really have time because we were in such a hurry to rescue Mr Weasley. I figure that if we’re going to spend maybe a couple of weeks here practicing and preparing to locate and assault secret Ministry compounds, it might be worth taking a bit more time to find the right spells.”
“Oh yeah! That would be somethin’...” Dora chortled. “It’s funny - I only just realised - the Room of Requirement is a bit like the ‘Danger Room’...”
“‘Danger Room’...?” Fleur peered at Dora questioningly.
“It’s from a muggle superhero comic, the X-Men,” said Dora.
“The Room of Requirement is also a bit like the Holodeck from the second Star Trek series,” said Hermione as she furrowed her brows in thought. “But there’s much more to it - it's more real - as everything it provides is completely physical and can be removed from the room - I still have some of the training books.
“The Room of Requirement seems to be able to create an infinite amount of extra-dimensional bubbles of space-time, tailored to the meet the needs of the individual. Though as many people have similar needs, it reuses some of the same rooms it has created over the years...”
“...Like the Room of Hidden Things. Exactly! ” Harry nodded excitedly. Hermione smiled at him apologetically.
“I’m sorry Harry, but I don’t think we’ll be able to do that here - at least not in the limited time we have. The Room of Requirement must be based on incredibly complex layers of magic... far beyond our current level of knowledge or capability. And it’s in a Castle which has been imbued with the magic of thousands of wizards for over a thousand years.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to find such a thing as a ‘Room of Requirement Creation spell.’ It could take us years of study and research to develop the skills and learn all of the magic necessary to create something like that from scratch - not mention spending decades saturating a chamber with enough magic for it to eventually become self-perpetuating and generate its own magic. I doubt even Dumbledore could do it - at least not by himself with a simple wave of his wand,” Hermione concluded.
“Oh!” Harry deflated. If Hermione thought that it was even beyond Dumbledore, Harry decided he would just have to try and forget about it for the time-being and put it on his and Hermione's ever-growing to-do list.
Dora frowned pensively for a moment, before sidling up to Hermione and sitting down beside her.
“Hermione,” she said quietly, “I dunno about that. I mean yeah... you’d ‘ave t’know loads of stuff like Advanced Arithmancy and specialised branches of Alchemy. But I reckon charging up a room with enough magic oughta be a breeze for you and Harry. I mean... look what ‘appened at Hogwarts just from you and Harry having sex in the Room of Requirement...”
Overhearing Dora’s hushed comment, Harry’s eyes widened. Looking up, his face began to sizzle, hotter than it had been just a short while earlier that morning, when he spotted everyone looking up from their books and listening intently... His and Hermione’s last remaining secret was out of the bag.
Harry rubbed his forehead and shot everyone an embarrassed lopsided grin while Dora and Hermione conferred, not yet realising that they had an audience.
“Even as protected as Hogwarts was before you two started ‘aving a bit of fun in the Room of Requirement together, it still would’ve been badly damaged by Voldemort’s attack...” Dora continued. “After all the professors’ extra Shields and Protection Charms were knocked out, Hogwarts should’ve been ‘alf-destroyed by all of the Death Eaters’ and Snatchers’ blasting spells, and the Trolls and Giants hammerin’ on the walls... but there wasn’t a single scratch on castle, nor a single window broken during the entire battle!”
Hermione quivered, and her own eyes began to shine with excitement as she gave the idea more consideration. Harry peered at her hopefully. Everyone leaned in to hear what Hermione had to say.
“Yes... yes, I think you’re right Dora. And we're only talking about one small building,” Hermione said finally as she began to nod. “It would still take us a fair bit of time to work out the right combination of spells and learn how to do them properly - that could still take months or even years of study. But once we do - Harry and I could probably generate enough magical power within a few weeks to turn a small building like this into our own Room of Requirement.”
“Not to mention that this Hill is already really magical - that might help too,” chimed in Luna. “I could feel it the night we first arrived...”
Hermione gasped with shock at the sound of Luna’s voice and her face turned bright red. Dora clapped her hand to her mouth, peering apologetically at the Potters for exposing their secret.
“They heard the whole thing,” said Harry, grinning. “Don’t worry Dora - it’s about time Hermione and I let everyone here in on the secret of our magic. It sounds like it’s similar to Coven magic, right Hermione?”
“Er...yes,” Hermione said weakly. “It’s not quite the same, because our magic also has a lot to do with our matching frequency signatures. But the emotional connections - the bonds of affection for one another - allows a Coven to achieve some very similar results in terms of increased power levels. Which I expect is why group-sex rituals are so effective for Covens... The intimacy encourages affection and solidarity, and generates lots of emotional content - the primary fuel of most magical spells
“But I doubt that the Coven magic would have the same effects in terms of spell transmogrification - like doing the things our Patronuses can do. That seems to require the ability to generate increasingly higher resonant frequencies. The only way that could happen with a Coven would be if everyone’s energy-field had matching or nearly matching frequency signatures, and that’s so mathematically improbable that for all intents and purposes it's impossible... Anyway, what were you saying Luna?”
“Jennifer’s estate - the Hill it’s on - it’s really magical,” Luna replied dreamily.
“Really?” gasped Jennifer, surprised to hear that the home she had lived in for years was on a magical piece of land.
“Oh yes!” said Luna brightly. “When you were in the village yesterday afternoon with Daphne and Harry and Hermione, Parvati and Dora and Fleur and I had a lovely explore. There’s fairy rings all over your estate, and the pond is enchanted. Fleur could feel it too... I could tell.”
Parvati and Dora grinned. They had both got a lovely magical feeling as well, but had thought it was just because the estate was so pretty.
Hermione’s curiosity was piqued; she had learned a long time ago to trust Luna’s intuitions, despite Luna’s tendency to believe in some things before all the facts were in. And after the Wrackspurts had turned out to be real, Hermione had become much more open-minded about things. And now that Luna had mentioned it, Hermione thought that perhaps she had sensed something ineffable herself. Hermione peered at Fleur, who reddened slightly.
“Er... oui,” said Fleur. “I did feel something per’aps - especially by ze pond in the gardens - but I did not want to say as I am unsure. Maybe, being part-Veela, I sometimes feel things others do not... but I do not know if that is true.”
Hermione was extremely curious now, and she wondered if her own senses would detect anything.
“Come on then...” said Harry, grinning when he saw the expression on Hermione’s face. “We might as well go have a look.”
The Coven wandered through the overgrown gardens and hedgerows, through long meadow grasses, past vine covered trellises, past rose bushes gone wild and moss covered Greek statues, until the manor was out of sight behind copses of tall trees. The wild mushrooms growing in concentric circles - the ‘fairy rings’ - were easily visible in the shorter bits of lawn.
Hermione began to tingle pleasurably all over, the sensation of static electricity becoming stronger as they neared the pond. She gasped as waves of elation overtook her when they reached the clear pool, its surface shimmering in the golden sun-rays peeking through the scudding clouds.
Harry could easily believe it. If anything looked like an enchanted pond, this would be it. Rushes and fern grew along its edge under willows and groves of evergreens, interspersed with unseasonably blooming wildflowers of all colours and hues, stone benches, and more statuary.
Iridescent Dragonflies flitted to and fro, and Harry knew a Unicorn wouldn’t be out of place here. And he felt it, the ethereal blissful thrum of soundless music calling him and Hermione, rippling across his skin as it had in the mysterious room with the glowing orb in the Ministry.
Jennifer was ecstatic. This was her first time in the gardens of her family’s estate since she had become a witch, and it was an utterly different world to her now - more vibrant and alive than she had ever noticed before.
“Luna was right!” Hermione murmured, her face glowing. “I can feel the enchantment - it’s very strong. Witches must have lived here at one time - in ancient times - long before the manor was built. And I think she’s right about the fairies too. They’re staying out of sight right now. They’re still not sure of us... they’re frightened.”
Harry wondered why, remembering the live fairies Flitwick had decorated the Christmas Trees with during the Yule Ball. They had seemed to enjoy primping and showing off for wizards. Then it hit him.
“Yeah...” said Harry, “I bet! Having a Dark Wizard and his henchmen living nearby in the manor for a few months probably made the fairies a bit shy...”
AN:
@ AL G: Thank you! :-)
I don't think it would be too spoilery to answer your questions, so here goes. When it comes to Harry and Hermione's patronuses curing Neville's parents, I really don't know yet. It depends: if their mental incapacity is caused by permanent brain damage due to their nervous system being fried by too many cruciatus curses, then I would have to say no, because their patronuses don't actually fix physical damage (the extent of their physical action includes stimulating production of certain brain chemicals and triggering the activation of already existing but dormant genes). But if the cause of Neville's parents' mental dysfunction is more due to psychological reasons, an imbalance of brain chemicals, residual dark magic contamination, or a combination thereof, then possibly yes. So I'll just have to see how that pans out.
In regards to your second query, that seems quite likely at some point in the future.
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Moments in Love