Final Year, Chapter 1 – The Mission Begins

Rose looked up from the book she was reading as her mother walked into the room carrying one of her old notebooks, and her face broke into a delighted smile. “Are we going to start the last year now?” she asked excitedly. Hermione nodded as she settled down onto the sofa next to her daughter.

“You need to realize some things before we start,” she instructed the young girl in a serious tone. “The real story is darker in places, and parts of it are not as exciting as she made them in the book.” Rose nodded solemnly. “There are also some more ‘adult’ parts as well,” her mother added with a touch of discomfort. “But you’re pretty mature for your age, and I want you to know the whole story.” Rose nodded again. “And of course, you already know it ends differently,” Hermione finished. This time Rose’s nod was accompanied by a smile.

“OK, here we go.”

-oooOOOooo-

From the Journal of Hermione Granger – June 14

Albus Dumbledore is dead. Even though we just attended his funeral, it’s still a bit hard to believe. Now the burden is all on Harry. Whatever happens from here on, our fate is in his hands. I just hope that whatever help I can give him, it will be enough. This journal, rather than recording our last year of school, as I originally intended, will serve as a record of our efforts to rid the world of the evil that is known as Voldemort. Only time will tell if we will be successful.

Once the funeral was over and people started to leave, it was time to begin implementing our plans. It was a bit tricky, since there were things we needed to do right away, while still maintaining secrecy. Harry had managed to let McGonagall know that we needed to speak with her in private. She realized the need for discretion, since he is now something of a prime target, and will have to keep his movements confidential.

Ron had to go back on the Hogwarts Express, as his parents would be expecting him at Kings Cross and would have been very suspicious it he didn’t show up there. I was able to get permission from Madame Maxime to stay in Britain another day before returning to Beauxbatons. Since I wasn’t sitting with the rest of the French delegation at the funeral, little suspicion was aroused when I didn’t board the flying coach with the others. If anyone inquired about my absence, Madame Maxime quite firmly let them know that it wasn’t their concern.

Harry accompanied Ron and the others to Hogsmeade Station and boarded the Express, then put on his invisibility cloak and slipped right back off the train and returned to Hogwarts. There he met me in a secluded spot out by the lake and I joined him under the cloak to head back inside the castle. Except for a stop in one of the secret passageways for a little shared affection, we arrived at the Headmasters’ Office without incident.

After quite a bit of discussion about the relative merits of keeping the whole project a secret among the three of us, we had concluded that the advantages of getting some help outweighed the security concerns. We had to have access to Dumbledore’s records, and there was no way to do that without informing McGonagall of at least some of what was going on. And she would certainly know something was up in any case when Harry and Ron don’t return to Hogwarts in the fall. So we decided that we would bring McGonagall and Flitwick in on it, and this was the best time to do it.

 

“Sloth Grip Roll.” Harry spoke the password to the gargoyle guard and shot a grin at Hermione. While Dumbledore’s passion had been sweets, the new Headmistress was widely known for her quidditch fervor. Hermione took his hand as they moved up the circular staircase.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger,” McGonagall greeeted them. “I presume that you are here to talk about next year?” Harry and Hermione shared a quick glance and nodded. “Well, assuming that Miss Granger returns from Beauxbatons, I believe I can assure you that the two of you will be Head Boy and Head Girl.”

Harry and Hermione shared another, longer glance before Harry replied. “Erm … it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. First of all, Hermione’s taking her NEWTs this year, so she’ll be graduated, and uh … I’m not coming back either.” A stunned silence from the two professors greeted this declaration. Hermione gave Harry’s hand an encouraging squeeze as she nodded to him to explain, even as her eyes reassured him that she would unfailingly back him up.

Hermione had only been to the Headmasters’ office once, and her mind had been rather preoccupied at the time with Umbridge and the betrayal of the DA, so now she took some time looking around in fascination while Harry began to explain the situation to McGonagall and Flitwick. They listened in stunned silence while he revealed that Dumbledore had been preparing him to battle Voldemort. At that point he asked them to take a secrecy vow before he proceeded further.

“Harry? What about these portraits?” Hermione broke in. Harry frowned thoughtfully as he glanced around the office.

“Well, they were all here when I met with Dumbledore, and he never held anything back,” he decided. “So I guess it’s OK.”

“That is correct, young man,” the portrait of the former Headmistress DilysDerwent observed from her position near the ceiling. “We are bound by the magic that created us to assist the Headmaster, and that includes not revealing anything that occurs in this office unless he wishes us to.” Harry and Hermione nodded their understanding, and turned back to their two professors. During this time McGonagall and Flitwick had managed to overcome their amazement enough to agree to take the vows of secrecy that Harry had requested.

Then they sat back and listened in growing astonishment as Harry, with occasional elaborations and clarifications from Hermione, related his tale. Their amazement, however, was combined with not a small bit of annoyance at some of Dumbledore’s manipulations. When the pair of students got to the part of how Dumbledore had effectively forced Hermione out of Hogwarts they thought for a moment that McGonagall was about to incinerate her predecessor’s portrait. Fortunately for the painting, it had not yet awakened and so did not feel the full effect of her wrath.

Finally Harry came to the subject of the Horcruxes, and the extent of shock and revulsion from the two professors was sobering. For despite the fact that between them they had more than one hundred years of teaching experience, and had seen and heard much in that time, they still had difficulty comprehending that Tom Riddle could have done such a thing. Even more disquieting, from their point of view, was the matter of fact manner in which Harry relayed the information.

“The diary that possessed Ginny was the first one, made while he was still a student. We think it was when he killed Moaning Myrtle. You remember, Professor McGonagall, that I destroyed that with the Basilisk fang. Then there was the Gaunt family ring, which was found and destroyed last summer by Professor Dumbledore. You might have seen him wearing it for a while, and it was what caused the damage to his hand.”

At this Harry paused and exchanged a glance with Hermione. She responded with an almost imperceptible shake of her head, confirming his inclination to keep to themselves the information that Dumbledore had been dying from that curse. “The third was probably Slytherin’s locket, which had also been owned by the Gaunt family. We thought we had this one last week, but it turned out to be fake.”

“You mean … your mission that ended with Albus’s death was … all for naught?” McGonagall cried out in dismay. Harry’s shoulders slumped as he nodded glumly, his composure breaking briefly. Hermione responded immediately with a comforting hand on his arm, and took up the tale.

“We’re fairly confident that Hufflepuff’s cup is the next one,” she noted, “although we have no idea of its location. Depending on whether his snake Nagini is one, as Professor Dumbledore suspected, there are either one or two more, most likely artifacts from Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.”

“As far as Ravenclaw is concerned, there are many possessions of hers that are well known,” Flitwick offered. “Several items of jewelry, including a necklace, a broach, and of course her diadem. Also a dagger and her quill, which is currently used as an academic award, passed down annually to the outstanding seventh year Ravenclaw student. For next year it will be in the possession of Miss Patil, should she choose to return. Finally there is her wand, which has for many centuries been displayed in Ollivander’s front window.”

“That must be it!” Harry interrupted. “That’s why Ollivander disappeared. Maybe he figured it out and Voldemort came and took it back, and captured Ollivander to keep him from telling anyone.”

“Do you really think Voldemort would leave a Horcrux out in plain sight in Diagon Alley?” Hermione asked.

“No, you’re right. He wouldn’t risk something like that,” Harry agreed with a frown. Then an alternative explanation occurred to him. “But what if he’d switched wands? He could have taken the real one and left a fake. That sort of thing would be just like him, showing his contempt for the wizarding world by tricking them like that.”

“While I agree that Vol … er, Tom Riddle would have found such a situation amusing, I do not think it likely that Mr. Ollivander would have been unaware of the switch for all those years, given how in tune he is with wands,” Flitwick pointed out.

Harry and Hermione nodded their acceptance of that line of reasoning. “I shall do some investigation and compile a list of possible items believed to have belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, and their last known locations,” the diminutive Charms professor decided. “As well as attempt to determine the fate of her wand.” Harry and Hermione responded with their appreciation for his assistance.

“I am only aware of two items in existence that belonged to Godric Gryffindor,” McGonagall stated after some thought, “and they are both right here in this office. She gestured at the Sorting Hat sitting on one of the bookshelves, and then at the jeweled sword in its display case.

“Could this sword be fake?” inquired Harry, his mind still influenced by the deception of the counterfeit locket. “Maybe Voldemort took the real one.”

“I don’t think that’s likely, Harry,” Hermione pointed out. “If it was, Fawkes wouldn’t have brought it to you in the Chamber.” Harry walked over to the display case and withdrew the sword. McGonagall initially raised her hand to stop him, but then reconsidered. It was said to be dangerous for just anyone to attempt to wield the legendary blade, if one was not worthy. But Harry had in fact already done so without any ill effects, when he was just a second year.

As soon as Harry picked up the sword, he could feel the power emanating from the weapon, recalling the similar feeling from four years previously. “No, this is the real thing all right,” he announced.

Having heard the story of how Harry had slain the Basilisk, Flitwick was aware that he must have handled this sword before, but still was amazed at how natural he looked with it. McGonagall was also impressed but managed to maintain her normally stern visage. Hermione, on the other hand, beamed at her boyfriend with pride as he took a few practice swings, unaware of the effect he was having on the others in the room. Even the portraits murmured among themselves.
 

This naturally led to a discussion of the Chamber of Secrets. Harry offered to share his memory with them, and they got out Dumbledore’s pensieve. All four of us went in, as I was just as eager as the professors were to see what had actually happened.

As I expected, Harry had drastically downplayed what he’d done in his description of the incident to me after I was unpetrified. He actually had to hold onto me a couple of times while we watched, as I was distraught when the Basilisk attacked him, and again when he was dying before Fawkes healed him. I noticed that both Flitwick and McGonagall were pretty shaken up as well. Harry, on the other hand, was focused on the diary, and exactly what happened when he pierced it with the fang. He later told me he was comparing it to what happened to the Horcrux in the ring when Dumbledore destroyed it.

Both McGonagall and Flitwick recognized Tom Riddle. I asked if they remembered anything about him, as we needed to figure out where he might have hidden the rest of the Horcruxes. McGonagall said he was a Prefect the year she was Head Girl, so she knew him, but that he was very private and tended to keep his thoughts to himself. Flitwick said that he was closer to Slughorn than any of the other professors, and Harry responded rather dryly that he was already aware of that, and had viewed a memory with Dumbledore of a Slug Club meeting during which Slughorn and Riddle had discussed the concept of Horcruxes. He added that he was pretty certain that he had got all the information out of Slughorn that we were going to get.

I changed the subject at that point by mentioning that we suspected that one Horcrux was likely hidden at Hogwarts, and that we thought the Chamber was its most probable location. At that point Flitwick suggested that it was an opportune time to go investigate it right then and there, since Harry and I were still at the castle and it was relatively deserted otherwise.

We agreed and Harry pulled his invisibility cloak back out, much to the surprise of the professors. Of course, then Harry had to explain it. McGonagall was aghast that Dumbledore had given it to him all the way back in our first year. Harry grinned as he recalled the time when she had caught us without it after we sent Norbert away to Charlie, and had given us detention. Flitwick found the whole story quite amusing, which earned him a glare from McGonagall. Eventually we got back on track and headed down toward Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.

The Chamber was pretty much like we had seen in Harry’s memory, except it seemed a bit smaller, since those were the memories of a 12-year-old and we’re quite a bit bigger now. Flitwick charmed the pipe that we had to slide down to be larger, and cleaned it up as well. On our way back McGonagall transfigured some of the rocks into stairs so we could climb back out. The four of us made short work of the cave-in that blocked the passage, which was fortunate since Flitwick would have been the only one who could still fit through the opening that Harry and Ginny crawled back out of four years ago.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anything. I did learn quite a few new revealing charms while Flitwick and I were searching together. I also showed him the Horcrux detection charm I discovered at Durmstrang. But it was all to no avail – there simply wasn’t a Horcrux down there. It was so frustrating! We were certain that one of them must have been hidden at Hogwarts! But we don’t know where else it could be. McGonagall and Flitwick said they’ll keep it in mind as they prepare the castle for the next school year, and use the detection charms on any likely hiding places they can think of.

Before we left the Chamber, McGonagall noted that the dead Basilisk was worth a fortune in potions ingredients, and for its skin. Flitwick, though, pointed out how suspicious it would be if a large quantity of basilisk products suddenly flooded the market, so we decided to only harvest part of it right now. Harry can always come down another time to get more.

In retrospect, we shouldn’t have been surprised to discover that it was extremely difficult to cut through the basilisk skin, since its toughness is one of its valuable qualities. Harry suggested that he summon Gryffindor’s sword from the Headmasters’ Office and use that to cut into it, but McGonagall informed us that there were powerful Anti-Summoning charms on that office, as well as on the individual professors’ offices. Harry reminded her that Fred and George had summoned their broomsticks out of Umbridge’s office, and she cracked one of her rare smiles when she retorted that the strength of the charms are directly proportional to the magical ability of the professor in question.

At any rate, all of us casting severing charms together managed to cut the head off, which we decided was sufficient. There are plenty of valuable materials just in the head, especially the venom glands. Harry also broke off the other fang, and gave it to Flitwick and McGonagall for safekeeping. In the event that things go badly for us, they might need it to destroy a Horcrux or two.

Once we returned to the Headmasters’ Office, we discussed our plans for the summer. Harry asked if he could stay at Hogwarts for a while, since he can do magic here but not at home. McGonagall said it would be OK, but that he must stay out of sight. Only the four of us are to know that he’s here. He’ll confine himself to GryffindorTower in the evenings and the Room of Requirement during the day, and travel back and forth under the invisibility cloak. Dobby can pass along any messages if he needs to communicate with her, or anyone else. She commented that her time would be taken up with trying to reschedule the OWL and NEWT exams that were interrupted by Dumbledore’s death. They’ll probably give them at the Ministry, and have students go there to take them.

I told them I was going back to Beauxbatons tomorrow, to finish up and take my NEWTs. McGonagall told me I could stay with Harry in Gryffindor Tower for the night. Neither of us mentioned the fact that I don’t have a bed here this year, or what exactly ‘stay with Harry’ meant. In this instance, contrary to my usual nature, I decided that a little ambiguity was just fine.

Flitwick asked if there was anything else they could do to help. Harry asked him about the Fidelius charm on Headquarters, so he explained exactly how they worked. Now that Dumbledore is dead, all those who had been told the secret are effectively the Secret Keepers. They can’t pass the secret along to anyone else, and only they will know where it is, but they could bring someone else to the house. He commented that this problem of what happens when Secret Keepers die is the main reason that the charm isn’t used very often. Since everyone dies eventually, the knowledge of the existence of certain places or things would disappear forever. Once Harry and my generation pass on, no one will ever see Number 12 again.

Harry then asked about the Fidelius on his home at Godric’sHollow, and how Hagrid could find it to get him out of the wreckage. Flitwick responded that it would depend on how the charm was worded. If it referred to where James and Lily lived, it would be lifted when they died. McGonagall added that it is true that everyone knows where the house is now – there is even a shrine built in the village square. Harry was quite annoyed that he hadn’t been told about this, as he certainly would have liked to visit there and see it. He managed to keep it under control, though. I’m sure that going there will be on our list of things to do this year. Flitwick suggested that Moody take Harry to Headquarters next week to investigate, and help him set traps for any unwanted visitors. He was obviously referring to Snape, but we kept quiet about what Snape had said to Harry, deciding to wait and see how that played out.

I then reminded Harry that we had originally come up to the office to pick up any records or other items of Dumbledore’s that we might need, including Gryffindor’s sword. McGonagall was reluctant to let him take it, but he pointed out that he needed it to destroy any Horcruxes that we might find. She decided to transfigure a fake sword to hang on the wall, so that no visitors to her office would be suspicious if they noticed that it was missing. When she began to look through Dumbledore’s possessions, she found that some things had been set aside with instructions for them to be given to us by the next Headmaster.

She decided that we had better take everything we needed now, since representatives from the Ministry would be coming by on Monday to go over his effects, and the fewer questions the better. Flitwick shrunk down all the parchments and books that seemed to be related to Voldemort and boxed them up. Likewise, the pensieve and all the vials of memories went into more boxes. Then there were some gifts that were for Harry, Ron, and me, and labeled that they were to be given to us on our birthdays. Harry commented with some frustration that Dumbledore was evidently still playing games with information. McGonagall, who was by now extremely irritated with his penchant for keeping his associates in the dark, agreed that we should open them now.

My gift was a book of wizarding tales and legends. Thumbing through it, I noticed Grindelwald’s mark, the symbol from the Gaunt ring, on one of the pages, and decided that this was the information he’d promised to get for me. Evidently, though, he didn’t want me to figure this out for several months yet, if I wasn’t supposed to receive it until my birthday. Harry’s gift was much more mysterious. It was a quidditch golden snitch. The note with it said it was the one he’d caught in his first ever quidditch match. We were all puzzled as to whether there was more to this than it appeared, but then Flitwick cast a revealing charm on it and informed us that there was something hidden inside it. Since none of us could figure out how to open it just then, we put it aside for later. The gift for Ron had us completely baffled. It was Dumbledore’s Deluminator. Why he thought Ron would need this sometime next March – we had no idea.

By then it was getting toward evening, and Harry and I decided to go back to Gryffindor Tower. We thanked the professors for their help, they wished me good luck on my exams, and both of us good fortune for our task.

Back by themselves in Gryffindor Tower, Hermione spread out the materials they had retrieved and began to organize them while Harry called Dobby to bring them something to eat. In less than a minute the enthusiastic little elf had produced enough food that even Ron would have been satisfied, and the two of them spent the rest of the evening munching away and planning.

“I don’t know how we’re going to carry all this stuff around,” Hermione mused as she began to pack things away in Harry’s trunk, which Dobby had retrieved from the Hogwarts Express. “I think I’ll fix some bags up with Extension Charms.” She worried her lower lip with her teeth a moment, pondering the details. “I think I’ll make mine look like a small handbag. What do you want yours to look like?”

“I dunno, a rucksack I suppose,” Harry decided. “As long as you can make it so the sword fits into it.”

“No problem,” she responded with a smile. “Are you ready to call it a day?”

“Yeah, I’m knackered,” he admitted. He wrapped his arm around her as they made their way over to the stairs to the dorms and paused, looking down at her questioningly. Without even hesitating Hermione steered them toward the boys’ stairs, making it perfectly clear that they would be spending the night together.

Trying to keep his nerves under control, Harry used the bathroom first while Hermione sorted through her bag for the things she would need. They exchanged a shy pair of smiles as they passed each other when he came back out and she took her turn, and Harry quickly changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and sat down on the bed to wait for her. For her part, Hermione thought happily to herself while she changed about how much better this night was going to be than the ones she had spent sharing a room with Viktor in Durmstrang. After some deliberation, she decided to just stick with the tank top and knickers she normally wore to bed so as not to put any extra pressure on either of them. Once that was settled, she picked up her hairbrush and returned to the bedroom.

Harry couldn’t suppress a grin as she emerged wearing what he considered to be a very cute set of sleepwear, while admiring her choice for its simplicity and practicality. It also didn’t hurt that the top rode up while she raised her arms to brush her hair, exposing some nice looking curves, as her bare waist was set off by an eye-catchingly small pair of knickers.

“Here, let me do that,” he offered, gesturing to the brush. Hermione’s eyes widened a bit in surprise, then her face softened into a smile of gratitude. She very willingly settled herself down on the edge of the bed in front of him as he spread his legs apart to give her a place to sit. Soon she was purring with delight as he alternately ran his fingers and the brush through her heavy mane, separating the stubborn tangles out in a divide and conquer tactic.

“I love your hair,” he commented softly after several minutes of work. “It’s kind of wild and untamable. It’s sorta like your passion for what you believe in, the way that you won’t back down from anyone.” Hermione couldn’t do much more than nod in reply, as she was so lost in the pleasurable sensation. Any verbal response was limited to moans. To make it even better, Harry added little kisses to her bare shoulder every so often. She decided right then and there that heaven was having a boyfriend who brushes your hair for you. Or, she amended after a moment’s more thought, having a husband who does.

Although Hermione could have happily sat through a half hour or more of this luxury, Harry eventually decided that he was finished, or at least done as much as he could. It was time for a decision.

“What do you want to do?” he asked as he put the brush down and hugged her, pulling her back against his chest.

Hermione had taken plenty of time to think about this, and had her answer ready. “Just hold me and we’ll go to sleep. Some touching would be nice too.” Harry nodded with some relief, and the two of them climbed under the covers and settled into the position they had enjoyed the night before in the Room of Requirement, on their sides with him spooned up behind her. Harry by now knew how she liked to be held, and slid his hand up under her top, meeting no resistance until he encountered the swell of her breast. Hermione confirmed his assumption by taking his hand and pulling it up the rest of the way into place. His other hand entwined itself into her hair. After some mutually pleasurable caressing they drifted off to sleep.

As would be expected for the first time sharing a bed, it took a while for each of them to get comfortable sleeping with another person, but they eventually adjusted. Both of them tended to move around a lot while they slept, and each time one switched positions the other reacted almost unconsciously.

Harry’s preferred positions were on his side or on his stomach, while Hermione slept on her back or on her side. When both were on their sides they automatically spooned up against each other, in either direction. When Hermione rolled to her back, Harry snuggled up against her side, squeezing one of her legs between his, and with an arm and hand resting on her chest. When Harry rolled to his stomach Hermione responded similarly, pressed up against his side with her arm draped across his back and a leg stretched over both of his. But no matter the position, throughout the night both kept in constant contact with the other.

This proved to be of particular advantage when Harry had one of his nightmares. Hermione responded immediately by hugging him firmly and whispering words of comfort into his ear. “It’s OK. I’m here. You’re OK. It’ll be all right. I’m right here.”

Harry awoke to a bright sunlit room to find that Hermione was sitting up on the bed gazing out the window. Pulling himself up a bit he reached out with one hand and brushed his fingers along her arm and up to her bare shoulder. Hermione responded by leaning into his touch and turning to smile at him.

“I’m afraid that this was a mistake,” she commented. Harry wrinkled his brow in puzzlement. The expression on her face certainly didn’t look like she regretted what they’d done.

“Why?” he asked. “That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had since … well I can’t remember the last time.”

“Because now that I know how wonderful it is to sleep with you I’ll know what I’m missing, and every night until we can do it again I’ll wish you were in my bed holding me,” she pouted. Harry grinned at the cute look on her face and leaned forward enough to put his hands on her waist, and pulled her down for a kiss.

They enjoyed themselves in this fashion for a time, but soon Hermione’s practical side asserted itself. “We need to get going,” she announced reluctantly as she pulled away and stood up. “Time to hit the shower and get dressed, and if we hurry we’ll be able to have a nice breakfast before I have to go.”

“Maybe we could save time and shower together?” Harry asked hopefully. Hermione paused and looked back at him thoughtfully, and Harry’s heart sped up as he realized she was seriously considering his offer.

“I suspect we wouldn’t get much washing done,” she pointed out. “So it might just take longer than showering separately.”

“You’re probably right,” he reluctantly admitted.

“Perhaps another time.” With that she pulled the tank top off, causing him to catch his breath as she uncovered her lovely bits, then she turned and headed toward the bathroom. Just before she entered she stopped again and, with her back still to him, removed her knickers, then smiled coyly over her shoulder at him and disappeared inside.

“You are such a tease!” he called after her.

“And you love me for it,” she shouted back.

I sure do, Harry thought as he let out a long sigh and lay back down on the bed, knowing it might take some time to get his physical responseunder control after that little display.

-0x0x0-

From the Journal of Hermione Granger – June 15

I’m back at Beauxbatons now, but my heart isn’t. It’s going to be very difficult focusing on my exams for the next two weeks. At least I can talk to Harry practically any time I want, so I don’t have to worry about what’s happening to him. Well, I don’t have to but I know I will anyway.

Harry left Hogwarts with me and I side-alonged him to my house so that we could stop and visit my parents. They appreciated us filling them in on what’s been happening, although I could see an ‘I told you so’ look on their faces. I made sure to point out that no students were injured at all in the fight, and that it was primarily due to Harry’s foresight. We didn’t go into too many details, but made sure that they know that the situation has changed dramatically with Dumbledore’s death. I also reminded them of their promise that I could make my own decisions about what I was going to do after I finish Beauxbatons. They weren’t at all happy about that.

They did offer to let Harry stay with them if he needed someplace to go. He thanked them and said he might take them up on the offer occasionally, that he’s going to be moving around to different places to keep his whereabouts hidden. I suspect that they hope that if he and I are living with them, we’re less likely to get into trouble.

Harry decided he needed some money, so we also stopped at Diagon Alley. He stayed under his invisibility cloak. We’re getting more experience at apparating while under the cloak, which should come in handy during our searching. There was a long line at Gringotts, and of course Bill wasn’t there to get Harry’s money for him, like he did last year. The last we heard was that he was expected to recover fully, but they’re keeping him under observation at St. Mungo’s for a while longer.

The general mood among the wizarding public scares me. There’s a real sense of panic; people had relied so much on Dumbledore to keep Voldemort at bay, that it seems they almost expect him to walk into the Ministry and take over now. Honestly, if people just stood up for themselves and fought back it would be so much more effective. After all, the overall wizarding population has the Death Eaters vastly outnumbered.

A headline on the Daily Prophet screamed out ‘How Can We Stop the Killing?’ The article that followed added Dumbledore to a steadily lengthening list of leaders and prominent citizens who have been killed or disappeared in the year since Voldemort publicly showed himself, including Madame Bones, Mr. Ollivander, and Mr. Fortescue.

Well, I can’t worry about that right now. After I took Harry back to Hogsmeade (and got a very satisfying goodbye kiss) I apparated to London, took the Eurostar through the Chunnel to Paris, and then apparated to Beauxbatons, so I didn’t have to worry about checking in at the official French Apparation site.

Now it’s time for bed, and I can’t help thinking about how comforting it was sleeping with Harry last night. I still get a warm feeling inside remembering waking up this morning with my head on his bare chest, and his arm wrapped tightly around me. The only thing that would have made it better was if I wasn’t wearing a top either. Maybe next time.

I knew this was going to happen, but even so I wouldn’t give up that experience for anything. I’ll just have to figure out how to do it again soon.

I really miss him.

-xox-XOX-XOX-xox-