No Longer Helpless

Chapter Fourteen
Assumptions and Assignments

“Check mate!” Ron exclaimed jovially.

It was the fourth time in little over an hour that Ron had whooped Harry at wizard’s chess. Harry was spending the weekend at The Burrow, mainly because Mrs. Weasley’s incessant nagging was about to drive him insane.

While he loved her like his own mother, she could get annoying when she kept pushing for something.

Of course it was a chance for Harry to hang out with Ron, but he had been somewhat immersed in his training with Dumbledore. Both boys had been slightly taken aback during the meeting when Moody wanted to train Hermione to be an auror. Not long after, they felt a little resentful that she would be offered and not them.

After all, they did everything together. And, was it not Harry who would have to fight Voldemort in the end? Why wasn’t he the one to receive such training?

His qualms were put to rest however, when Dumbledore approached him and made clear his intentions to help Harry control his power better. All those times when he became overly angry or excited, or any heightened emotion, there seemed a raw force about him.

It was entirely uncontrolled, and far too dangerous to remain so as he was growing older. It wouldn’t be long before his power grew so much that a sneeze would send a blast forth and knock down the nearest wall. Already from their first lesson Harry was trying to get the hang of wandless magic, which he found most interesting.

It was because he was putting his all into practicing that he didn’t want to be deterred by a visit to The Burrow. He knew that a weekend trip could very well turn into a summer’s end stay.

The occlumency lessons had also been picked back up, much to his dismay. There were a million things for him to worry about and it was still summer. Each time he and Dumbledore met, which had almost been a daily basis, there seemed urgency for him to learn complete control.

**

A few days prior, Harry had flat out asked Dumbledore what was wrong, only to have more worries added to his plate. It was something about turning seventeen, a wizard’s inheritance of adulthood and hidden power.

As it was the end of July and Dumbledore still felt Harry had a ways to go in their lessons, he was becoming concerned over what might happen when the clock finally struck midnight.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Harry asked, becoming rather concerned.

Dumbledore shook his head. “Nothing too severe, I think you have managed to develop enough control to handle whatever awaits.” His eyes sparkled as Harry used a silent and wandless ‘Accio’ for a drink. “I think, Harry, that perhaps that trip to The Burrow wouldn’t be as distracting as you might think?”

“Sir?” he asked, taking a sip from his glass of pumpkin juice.

“Well, Molly has begun to press the matter with me, for one thing.” His eyes danced with mirth as Harry nearly sprayed his mouth full of juice all over. “And for another, being with Ron would help you to relax. Part of what we learn is how to relax our minds.”

Harry nodded in ascension. Then he thought about Hermione. “Professor, can Hermione come as well? It would be more relaxing if we were all together.”

“No, I’m afraid not. She has her own agenda right now. Moody tells me that because she is coming along so well, that he has created a course of training unlike any used before.”

This time Harry did spray his juice, wiping his mouth with his robe sleeve he looked incredulously up at the old wizard. “She’s what? She’s actually training to be an auror? Hermione?”

Dumbledore furrowed his brows, quite confused at Harry’s reaction. “Did you not know from the Order meeting several weeks ago?”

Harry was on his feet now. “I knew Moody wanted her to, but the reaction she had, told me she wouldn’t have anything to do with it. I assumed she was at Hogwarts held up in the library, reading. That’s what Hermione does. She doesn’t train to become an auror! How could you let her do this? Why didn’t you tell me?” Now his tone was accusing.

“Harry, it was never a secret. I thought you knew. And I’m certain that Miss Granger does more than read. She is coming along quite nicely, very apt for it both mentally and physically.”

**

Outside it was pouring rain, far too heavy to do anything but stay inside and play chess. Mrs. Weasley was making dinner, Ginny was reading a book on the sofa, and Harry and Ron were on the floor playing their game.

Harry had only arrived that afternoon. “Harry? What’s wrong?” Ron asked, seeing the pensive look clouding Harry’s eyes.

“Nothing,” the dark haired boy mumbled, still partly stuck on the memory.

“Right,” Ron said sarcastically, while rolling his eyes. “That look on your face is for nothing, and both Fred and George are perfect angels.”

“It’s Hermione,” Harry conceded, now thinking it might be a good idea to discuss it with Ron.

At the mention of Hermione’s name, Ginny set her book down and slid to the floor beside Ron. “How’s her training coming?” she asked nonchalantly, and yet there was something forced about it. “Have you heard back on the practical?”

Both Harry and Ron looked at the younger redhead in surprise.

“How’d you know?” Harry asked.

“Know what?” Ron overrode. “Wait, what training?” He wasn’t necessarily angry at Ginny or Harry, but his voice still held anger.

“Simmer down now,” Ginny chastised with a wave of her hand. “I haven’t heard from Hermione in a bit, so I was wondering how everything was coming along. Last I heard they were having some sort of real life practical. It sounded dangerous.”

“What?” both boys intoned loudly, so that Mrs. Weasley came into the living room to see what the matter was.

“Sorry Mum, it’s nothing. Harry just managed to beat me in chess is all.”

“Honestly Ron, you can’t expect to win all the time,” Mrs. Weasley said before going back to flavor the stew.

Ron seemed at a loss for words, so Harry asked his own questions. “Since when has Hermione talked to you about all this?”

Ginny took this rather offensively. “For one thing, Hermione and I have always been friends. And for another, she told me in her letter. I’ve been writing to her all summer. Don’t tell me she didn’t say anything in her letters to you?”

“She never sent me any letters to begin with!” Harry was getting a little upset. Since when did Ginny know more about their ‘Mione than they did?

“Harry.” Ginny narrowed her eyes. “Did you even write to her?”

His mouth fell open, now that she pointed it out it seemed more obvious that he couldn’t expect Hermione to write them if they didn’t write her. “Uh,” he started, not liking the wrath held in the young girl’s eyes, she could be vicious if she wanted to. “If I said ‘no’, what would you do?”

“Harry James Potter!” she ranted. “Are you telling me you didn’t write Hermione once? Not once? She just lost her parents and is living at the school for lack of better arrangements, and you, her best friend, never wrote her?”

Now he just felt down right guilty. Although he’d been a bit preoccupied, he couldn’t make much of an excuse. “She could have written us first,” he stated lamely, not really having much more to defend himself with.

“Sure, because she hasn’t been more than busy. Never mind her dawn to dusk schedule. Never mind that even outside of training, she and Malfoy have to stay focused and glued at the hip. I’m lucky I’ve received any replies at all, I really don’t know where she found the time to write me, but she did and they were really nice too. Not the quick replies I get from you or Dean.” Ginny had said it all in almost a single breath, now she was huffing.

“Ok, I’m sorry,” Harry gave in. It would be no use to argue and in truth he now felt bad. He’d been quick to blame everyone except himself.

“Harry,” Ron began, finding his words through his shock. “Did Hermione accept Moody’s offer?” Part of his voice sounded like he already knew the truth while the other part seemed to think it was impossible.

Using the same tactic he had with Ginny he tried to break the news in a more Fred and George like fashion. “If I said ‘yes’, what would you do?”

For once in his life Ronald Weasley didn’t blow up when it most certainly would have been justified, from Harry’s view anyway. Instead he shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, much like his father did after a rough night with the Ministry. “Ginny, would you go get the letters for Harry and me to read?” he asked calmly, seemingly resigned to some fate.

“Sure,” she said meekly, sensing he was so upset he couldn’t even react in his usual manner.

While Ginny was upstairs, Harry tried to fill him in on what he knew from Dumbledore. “I didn’t know until Dumbledore told me the other day. It seems he agreed with Moody and Hermione accepted right away.”

“But, that night, she sounded upset at the whole idea. Why would she say yes?” Ron was honestly at a loss here. Their Hermione had actually begun training to be an auror. Harry was supposed to be an auror. Hell, even he was, but never their ‘Mione. She was small and fragile and a bookworm. Sure, she’d gone on all their dangerous adventures, but while he and Harry would run she would struggle to keep up. While they leapt forth into oncoming danger, she was reluctant, wanting to find an adult.

“I don’t know why she agreed. What I would like to know is why we are the last to find out?”

A nod from Ron showed his agreement.

Ginny came bounding down the stairs, she was holding a pile of papers. “Hmm, they’re out of order, give me second.” She rifled through them placing one before the other. Then she took her seat in the chair. “Why don’t I read them to you?”

Eyes fixed on her, the two boys waited for her to begin. She coughed and then began, in a slightly more regal and proper tone they tended to associate with their perfect Prefect.


“Dear Ginny,
Thank you for being so concerned about me. I promise you that I’m fine. I miss them a lot, but if I don’t move on I’ll never get anywhere. In all honesty, being with Malfoy is helping a lot, I can’t explain it.”

She paused to gauge their reactions at the mention of the ferret’s name. Oh, they looked livid.

“Moody is relentless, I’ve never been so sore or tired in all my life. But it’s all so exciting! I’m doing things I never thought possible. Just today he started teaching me something called, ‘flash step’. It’s how some aurors move so fast. I haven’t been able to actually do it yet, but Moody says that’s to be expected. How are Harry and Ron? They’re probably angry with me, I understand. Maybe they’ll cool off over the summer. I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, since you didn’t mention it in the letter, but I’m an Angelus! I can’t explain much about it right now, since I’m still learning myself. Dumbledore gave me a book on them, but it wasn’t very helpful. I have to go now, Malfoy is complaining about dinner.
Sincerely,
Hermione”

Taking on a more normal tone of voice Ginny said, “Well that’s the first one. When I wrote back I told her that I’d gone to Mum to ask about the Angelus thing. I also asked her about why she was with Malfoy. I was a bit angry that she mentioned the ferret, and even more that she seemed to be hanging out with him.”

“You’re telling me,” Ron barked, seething at her letter. Hermione sounded like what she was doing was the most common thing in the world. “What the bloody hell is she doing with Malfoy?”

“That’s what I wondered,” stated Ginny, with a tone that made both boys peer at her cautiously. “Until, Hermione explained to me that Draco Malfoy was on our side!” Her voice was becoming louder with each syllable. “Neither of you thought it feasible that I might want to know something like that?” It would seem Ginny had a whole mess of anger to take out on them this night. “Hermione was shocked I didn’t know. Apparently, we both had the crazy notion that one of you would have told me.” She stared pointedly at her brother. “Ron!” she accused.

“What?” he asked as though it was just as much Harry’s duty to keep her informed as it was his own, even though Harry hadn’t seen her all summer and he had seen her everyday.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, since I found out eventually, albeit a little late and from Hermione, who I haven’t seen every single day. But now that I know neither of you have talked to Hermione I think you deserve a lecture.” One hand on her hip she raised the next letter, smirked, and then she shifted passed the next two letters to come to the last one.

“Dear Ginny,
You were right, before. There is too much going on for any more distractions. We work well enough together. Actually, it’s more than that. We work perfectly together. I know how you feel not knowing how he came to be with us. In truth he hasn’t told me yet, but then again, I haven’t asked. It’s not my place, if he wants me to know he’ll tell me. I understand that you don’t trust him, but I do. He’s my partner. I don’t think I’ve ever trusted any other person so much, except Harry and Ron.
Ginny, I’m nervous. Moody says we have a practical in two days. I can’t disclose details for obvious reasons, but suffice to say we’ll be on an actual assignment. Draco assures me that everything will be fine, but I have a bad feeling about it. Something is going to happen I just know it. I haven’t felt like this since the night of my parent’s death. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but promise me that for the next week, you’ll stay at The Burrow and not go anywhere. I have to go now. Moody wants to do some drill in the Forbidden Forest tonight.

Sincerely,
Hermione
P.S. Stay safe! Watch Harry and Ron, don’t let them go anywhere!”

Once she finished reading, she seemed most solemn. The vengeful little devil in her had read this letter specifically to rile them up over Hermione’s apparent attachment to ferret boy. And she was not let down, as they both seemed aghast at Hermione’s mention of trust. But, her relishing of the moment was short lived as a more pressing matter brought her back.

Harry and Ron knew nothing, and they had been her last hope of reassurance. “You guys, I lied before,” she began in a concerned tone.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked

“This letter, was written two weeks ago and I’ve sent five others back to her, but she hasn’t replied yet. Pig keeps coming back with my letters unopened.” She gulped. “He wasn’t able to find her. I even tried using another owl, in case Pig was just being stupid, but it was the same.”

“What?” Ron was on his feet now, looming over his little sister, who seemed oddly dwarfed by him. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

As a Weasley she wasn’t about to be intimidated or back down. “I thought you knew! You were both playing chess so calmly. I assumed you knew she was safe and sound, and just left me out of the loop as you’re so prone to doing!”

Ginny’s hands were back on her hips in a very Mrs. Weasley like fashion. “Then, when Harry looked upset and said it was because of Hermione, my heart almost stopped beating. And then I found out you two knew less than I did! What did you want me to say? ‘Hey guys, Hermione is training as an auror and has suddenly disappeared while on an assignment.’ Oh, yeah. I can see that one going over real well.” She rolled her eyes.

“Let’s go,” Ron said, moving toward the front door and grabbing is cloak.

“Where?” Ginny asked, completely lost.

“To find Hermione and get some answers,” Harry answered, having the same train of thought as Ron. As the three of them left, he mumbled something along the lines of, ‘Bloody fed up with no one ever telling us what’s going on… freakin’ ferret, I’ll kill him.’

Mrs. Weasley had called the children to dinner at least three times. None of them had come into the kitchen. It didn’t take that long to wash up, especially when they hadn’t been outside in the rain or anything.

She walked into the living room only to find it empty. Part of her was a little worried by this. As a mother she was constantly concerned about her kids, but as the mother of some of the most trouble finding kids in the world, she was usually worried about them non stop.

As she rushed to the stairs, ready to search the house, she noticed the clock. Ron and Ginny’s hands indicated that they were traveling.

“TRAVELING!” she shouted.

She flooed the Headmaster faster than an auror’s flash step. He assured her that Tearnogh and Cody were all over the situation. All three of them were perfectly safe and supposedly headed for the school. His words gave her little relief.

“Albus,” she began. “Any word from Moody or Hermione?” she asked, having her own theories on why Ron, Harry, and Ginny must have left.

“I’m afraid not. I leave it in Alastor’s hands. I’m sorry to say though that Harry knew nothing about what’s been going on. Once he gets here, I’ll have to explain everything to him. I’m afraid my time was cut short before. The last thing we need is for any of them to go looking for our Head Girl and Boy.”

“I’ll be there shortly, I have a feeling Remus should be there too,” she said, having the motherly instinct that the two boys might be hard to handle in a state of provoked concern.

Every Order member knew about what had been going on. In fact it had been a point of topic at nearly every meeting. How could they not have known?

Sometimes she questioned the maturity of the two boys. They didn’t think before they acted and they expected everyone around them to keep them informed without having to ask questions.

This was going to be a very long night indeed.

After casting a spell on the food to keep it warm and then writing a short note for Arthur, she left for Headquarters.

**

Draco Malfoy came staggering out of the Forbidden Forest supported by Hermione Granger. He was limping heavily, trying his best to keep his weight on his right leg.

Hermione stayed at his left side, pulling his arm around her shoulders so that he could lean on her as he stepped with his left foot. She was surprisingly able to help even though her frame was so much smaller than his.

Rain poured down in heavy sheets, soaking them both to the bone. In the forest it was just rain, out in the open, it was free swimming at the YMCA. The ground was slick, so they both tread carefully, not sure they could stand up once they fell.

“Nearly there,” she whispered hoarsely.

The lights of the castle were not visible yet, but if they were out of the forest then they must be getting closer. She considered just going to Hagrid’s hut, but they would both need Madame Pomfrey, so it would be best to just bite the bullet and walk the extra length. None of this would have been a problem if Moody had just allowed them to use their wands.

“Thanks, I never would have guessed,” he grunted sarcastically, though half the grunt was from the ache in his chest. A broken rib would do that.

“I can see you’ll be just fine,” she commented, ignoring his sarcasm, since he wasn’t in the happiest of moods right now.

The walk seemed to stretch for another hour, but in reality they made it to the grand oak doors in ten minutes. Pushing with the last bit of her own strength, one of the doors shifted open for her.

They went tumbling inside, landing hard on the cold stone floor. The hall was dim, no lights. Falling rain reverberated up and down the desolate corridor, sounding a little distant.

Once Draco hit the floor, he cried out in a loud grunt. Now he was on his back, biting his lip in pain and trying to hold on to consciousness. Hermione lay nearby. “Are we done?” he asked, knowing the answer, but wanting both their consent.

“Yes,” she mumbled, shifting in a crawl to lay closer to him.

“Bloody hell,” he said, before reaching inside his cloak, gently, and taking out a small vile of orange liquid. As Hermione came closer, he smiled. “Bet I last longer than you,” he provoked.

“In your dreams Malfoy,” she stated with conviction, while desperately clinging to her last thread of conscious thought.

In one final effort, he rolled onto his side, wanting to scream at what it did to his ribs, and draped an arm over Hermione. Then he threw the small glass vile at the wall, smashing it to pieces.

The orange liquid splashed around the sharp shards, before evaporating into an orange cloud and whisking away through the open door.

Looking down he saw Hermione was already out, now he had no reason to stay awake. He too joined her in a well-deserved rest of victory.

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