Harry gazed blankly at Malfoy for a few seconds then said, "Okay." before turning around and resuming his trek up to the Charms Corridor with Hermione.
Malfoy was lost in thought, confused, while watching Potter and his Mudblood walk away. He had expected Potter to snap at, or even curse, him after the way Snape treated him during class. The almost emotionless look on Potter's face as he looked at him was a bit disturbing and the complete lack of a physical response out of character for him.
"Come on, let's get to class." Draco said absent-mindedly to his two companions. His mind was still firmly working on what he could do to get under the skin of Potter.
Hermione had been silent since the end of potions class and the encounter with Malfoy. She had been thinking about Professor Snapes behavior towards Harry as it was really bothering her. The result of a teacher acting like that in a non-magical school would have been discipline or dismissal. Snapes behavior towards Harry had only gotten worse since their first year. Hermione resolved to talk to Professor McGonagall about the matter later since she was sure that the Headmaster would not do a thing.
Charms class turned out to be just what the two of them needed. Professor Flitwick was teaching summoning and banishing charms today and they had already learned in preparation for the first task. As a result, Harry earned ten points for his summoning charm and Hermione won another ten for Gryffindor with the accuracy of her banishing charm.
They had a peaceful lunch in the courtyard of the castle, courtesy of Winky, to avoid the stares and whispers of their classmates. When they were finished with their lunch Harry asked Hermione "Do you want to take a walk down to the lake since we have a free period?"
"I think that's a good idea. It's pretty nice out today and there aren't going to be many days like this anymore." Hermione replied.
Harry wasn't completely sure if she was talking about the weather or the events surrounding the tournament but he knew that he needed to spend some more time away from the rest of the student body and that Hermione understood this fact.
The snow was not very deep but the air was crisp and the sky a brilliant shade of blue as they headed for their spot by the shore. When they arrived, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at their boulder, a look of concentration on his face.
After a few seconds, the tip of Harry's wand emitted a bluish glow. As he directed it towards the boulder in a left to right pattern and parts of it turned to dust. A few more passes the dust began to settle and the very distinct outline of a bench seat appeared, carved into the stone.
A quick cleaning charm, a cushioning charm, and a heating spell later the couple was sitting side by side looking out at the lake.
Hermione conjured a blanket fort their legs and she leaned into Harry's side. "That was pretty impressive spell work Harry."
"Thanks. I figured that this would be nicer than sitting on the boulder itself. I will put up a few notice-me-not spells before we go. I like having a space that we can call our own out here."
"That sounds lovely." Hermione said as she smiled at him.
After sitting by the lake for half an hour in companionable silence, Harry helped Hermione to her feet. "I guess we should head up to the castle now. We wouldn't want to be late for transfiguration."
The two teens walked hand in hand up to the castle, the grounds blanketed in a fresh layer of snow that had fallen overnight, their thoughts on each other and what their future may hold.
.....
Remus and Sirius were busy in the basement of Number Twelve storing the dragon parts that Charlie's team had harvested for Harry.
As they were placing the last of the hide on a shelf Sirius muttered, "How big was this thing?"
Lupin paused a moment, calculating the beast's size; "I think it was around twenty meters long snout to tail. It was a full grown, nesting, mother dragon and the largest any of the champions had to face."
Sirius shook his head side to side in dismay as he thought 'Why Harry?' Looking back at Remus, he asked, "Do you think we could have some protective clothing made for Harry using the hide?
"Sure, Winky made a really good set of tournament robes for Harry so I'm sure that she could whip up something for him." Remus said while fingering the rough hide.
"Winky!" Sirius called out to the elf.
She appeared with a small pop and an eager look upon her face. "What can I do for you today?"
"Would you be able to make Harry and Hermione some protective clothing from this dragon hide?" Sirius asked the little elf.
"Of course. Winky will get started right away!" With another small pop she was gone, off to collect some materials and tools needed for her work.
Smiling at Winky's enthusiasm, Remus and Sirius headed up to the kitchens to grab some lunch and to discuss the Grangers new house and the protections that they were going to put in place later that evening.
John and Annabelle Granger had been quietly changing all of their business and personal affairs. They had arranged to have all mail sent to a service that would then forward things appropriately. A business manager had also helped set up their new practice. He used multiple corporations and business entities to further protect them from discovery.
They were sad to close their business and sell their home but the Grangers were also very practical people. They knew that Professor Dumbledore and the Death Eaters would do everything that they could to locate Harry Potter.
With those thoughts on her mind, Annabelle turned to her husband and asked, "Is it going to be enough?"
John knew what his wife meant because he was having some of the same fears. "I hope so. Remus said that he would come by the new house tonight and place the wards and any other protections that they could think of. Once he is finished, he will bring us their and then we can complete the sale of this one."
Annabelle came over, hugged her husband of twenty years, and settled into his embrace. "I'm going to miss this house. There are so many good memories here."
Gently rubbing her back he replied "Yes, there are; but we will make some new ones and hopefully provide Harry with a few as well."
They were startled out of there reverie by a small pop in front of them. Dobby had appeared with two large trunks.
...
Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then what are you waiting for Join my Pa*treon right now before it's too late.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: pa*treon.com/Lotus_Lover (Remove the *)
Join Right Now.
They were startled out of there reverie by a small pop in front of them. Dobby had appeared with two large trunks.
"Hello, Dobby." Said the Granger's to the smiling elf. They had grown fond of Winky and Dobby once they had gotten over their initial shock. Now they were very thankful for all of their help.
"Hello. Dobby is here to inspect and pack your belongings."
Annabelle kneeled down to inspect the trunks and then looked up at Dobby. "Aren't you going to need more trunks?"
"Oh no, Miss." Dobby giggled. "These trunks are much bigger on the inside." Dobby said as he opened one of the trunks so that the Grangers could peer inside. "These trunks will hold all of your belongings. The furniture will be moved separately."
"Thank you Dobby. If you need any help please ask." Annabelle said as she stood back up shaking her head at the feats, that Magic was capable of.
"Will you and Winky have time to stop by after you are finished moving our things?" Annabelle asked the small elf. She had been teaching the elves proper English since she had met them. Surprisingly, the elves lessons in English Grammar had turned into Magical Culture lessons for the Grangers. They were able to gain some valuable insight into the magical community while getting to know Harry's elves.
"Dobby and Winky will be there later this evening. We are really enjoying the lessons!" Dobby said enthusiastically.
Smiling to herself, Annabelle took John's hand and said, "Let's get some lunch at our favorite restaurant."
They had agreed with Remus and Sirius that their move would have to be sudden to lessen the chance of revealing their plans to anyone. Therefore, they did not tell any of their friends, neighbors, or employees about their plans.
When they returned from their lunch, they discovered that their house was empty except for a small table and chairs in the living room. Evidently, Dobby was very good at his job.
"It looks so different without our stuff." John commented.
Annabelle nodded her head in agreement, as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "He even painted the walls." She said in wonder.
"Amazing isn't it?" John commented.
"We should get him a gift for all of his hard work. Hermione said that he really likes mismatched socks for some reason. Why don't we pick up a few pair for him?" Annabelle said with a sly grin on her face.
John caught his wife's expression and groaned, "Not shopping? Can I at least go out for a pint afterwards?" he said hopefully.
"If you help me pick out the socks we can go to a pub afterwards." Annabelle replied before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "after we go to a few other stores too."
"Okay, but I get to pick the pub." John replied with a smile as they completed their shopping ritual bargaining.
They chatted amiably until the doorbell rang at half past five.
John opened the door and said "Hello Remus. Please come in."
Once everyone had taken a seat around the tiny table, they began to go over the details of their move and Harry's relatives move as well.
Pulling out a small slip of parchment from his pocket, Remus handed it over to the Grangers and said; "Please read and memorize that."
The paper read, "The Grangers live at Number Two, Kensington Gardens, London." Confusion and then comprehension dawned on the Grangers faces and Remus smiled at them.
"What was that?" John asked.
"That is called the Fidelius Charm. We used magic to hide your house. Only the secret keeper can reveal the location in order for anyone to know where you live. For everyone else, the house doesn't exist." Remus explained.
"Who is the Secret Keeper?" Annabelle asked.
"I'm sorry, but it's safer if you don't know. That way no one can pull the information from your mind." Remus stated in a sad tone.
Annabelle noticed that something was bothering Remus. "Are you okay, Remus?" she asked, reaching out a hand to grasp his on the table.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I was thinking about Harry's parents. Their secret keeper betrayed them to Voldemort." Seeing their shocked and apprehensive looks Remus quickly explained what steps they had taken to prevent history from repeating itself. "Don't worry, we made the secret keeper take an Unbreakable Vow to never betray you, and we will demand the same vow from everyone before we reveal the secret to them."
Both Grangers looked a bit surprised at this revelation. Remus gave them a moment to compose themselves before he continued explaining the additional protections on the house.
"Anyone given the secret can't share it but we want to err on the safe side, hence the Unbreakable Vow. I have also put up a variety of other wards, both offensive and defensive in nature. The house is Unplottable, meaning that no one may Apparate or Portkey in without receiving the secret. Hedwig will be the only post owl that will be able to get past the wards as we keyed her into them during construction. We made your new house one of the safest places in England. Currently only six people know of its existence, the two of you, Winky, Dobby, Sirius, and me. We will tell Harry and Hermione when we are somewhere safe and can't be overheard."
...
Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then what are you waiting for Join my Pa*treon right now before it's too late.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: pa*treon.com/Lotus_Lover (Remove the *)
Join Right Now.