What a Witch Needs

Hi everyone! Thank you for all the reviews, I enjoy reading them and consider all the points made from them. This chapter is a bit longer than I usually write. It seems that there is so much to put in the chapters lately as we are building towards the crescendo of the story. So grab your favorite beverage and enjoy!

This story was beta’d by Narcissa Black and gardengirlgarden. Thank you both so much!

I can claim no ownership of the characters and places used in this fiction.


Two Worlds Collide

“Excuse me? MY army, sir?” Harry asked, unprepared for such an announcement from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled and said, “Yes, Harry. I’m authorizing you to gather all those interested and train them. I suppose you’ve already been doing so with the D.A. here.” Dumbledore waved his arm at the watching students. “But I feel it’s time to prepare ourselves for the hard days to come.”

Harry looked at Draco and Hermione and then back to Dumbledore. “Sir… shouldn’t we have discussed this in private first? I would like to have my say in whether or not I need an army.”

“Ah… but that’s just it, Harry,” Dumbledore answered. “I know you. You’d reject the idea because you wouldn’t want anyone to put their lives on the line for you. But you should know, my boy, that Voldemort will not be alone when he faces you. Not only does he have his own army of Death Eaters, but he now has the giants, werewolves and inferi at his disposal. So you see, Harry, you’ll need all the help you can get.”

“These are students, sir. I’m only teaching them how to protect themselves not to… to...,” Harry stopped as he realize that what he was about to say was a lie.

“To kill, Harry?” Dumbledore finished softly for him.

Harry turned around, facing the stone wall as the realization came over him that he had been teaching the D.A. how to kill, maim and injure others, all in the name of learning how to defend themselves against those very things.

“Sir,” Hermione interrupted, feeling that she had to defend Harry. “How could we learn to defend ourselves if we didn’t practice using the Dark Arts? We needed actual dark hexes aimed at us if we were to defend ourselves. It was all in the name of learning how to protect ourselves and…”

Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. “It’s quite all right, Miss Granger. I’ve always known what the D.A. was doing. I don’t object to any of it as I too see the necessity of knowing these things for the dark times ahead.”

Harry turned and glanced around the room. There were third and fourth year students who seemed a bit frightened. “They are still kids, Professor,” Harry said. “You can’t ask them to go to war.”

“No one is asking them to go to war,” Moody interjected, “just to be ready if war comes to them. And don’t kid yourself, Potter, war is coming and it’s moving this way faster than you know.”

Dumbledore silenced Moody with a look as the students began to grow even more fearful.

“But we’re safe here at Hogwarts, aren’t we?” a fourth year asked. “I’ve been told that they can’t get us here.”

Dumbledore lost his smile and released a heavy sigh. “It is true, yes, that Hogwarts is magically protected by strong charms and wards but I’m afraid that nothing is ever completely infallible. It is better that we be prepared than not… just in case.”

The students turned to each other and the worried chatter began to grow louder and louder in the chamber.

“Silence!” Moody snapped. “Your fear serves no purpose. What is to be will be. You can no longer ignore what is going on outside these walls. Voldemort and his followers have brought the war to the muggles as well. People are dying every day: wizards, witches and muggles. The hospitals are full with the injured and many are wandering aimlessly, their homes destroyed. Now tell me what is more important, reading tea leaves or stopping the killing?”

“Alastor,” Dumbledore said, trying to put a cap on the growing level of fear in the room. “Please, let me speak to them.” Dumbledore gentled his expression and said, “Harry, it’s been voted on by the Order already. We are to form our own army to counter Voldemort’s forces. The students of the D.A. are by far the most skilled in the Dark Arts that our side will have. I only wish to present the choice to fifth year students and above, to be a part of a unified force strong enough to defeat our common enemy. And it is not only students who will participate in your army, Harry.”

Harry looked at Dumbledore and waited for the headmaster to clarify what he meant.

“Already a large number of adults and former students have been organizing themselves as a group, practicing in secret meeting places,” Dumbledore said. “But I think they would be better served by a leader who could truly teach them what they need to know. They need you, Harry, and those in the D.A. willing to train them in the things you have taught.”

Harry looked around at the students. The worried chatter of before had now turned into excited whispers. It was obvious that the thought of becoming part of something big was appealing to many of them. And the idea that they would be teaching their elders didn’t hurt either. Harry looked at Draco, who gave him a little smile and a shrug.

“You know all the Slytherins will fight, Harry,” Draco said. “They’ll be a part of your army.”

“And we will too!” Seamus said, stepping forward and glaring at Draco. “We’ll do our part in this war as well!”

“Well, now,” Dumbledore smiled. “I see things are already heading in the right direction. Anyone who feels the same as Mr. Finnegan here, please gather on the right side of the chamber. Mr. Moody will be meeting with you to arrange your training schedules. If you are undecided or too young, than gather on the left side of the chamber.”

Almost everyone old enough had made their way to the right. Though it was considered ‘Potter’s Army,’ they still felt that having the army endorsed by Dumbledore was good enough reason to join. Harry looked at them all and said loudly, “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“We know, Harry,” Neville answered. “We want to do this.”

OOOOOOOO

Mary Pritchard slowed her car as she noticed the sky above the tree line to the right filling with thick black smoke. She assumed correctly that something large had caught fire and she pulled over as the fire trucks blared past her, sirens screaming. “I hope no one was hurt,” she mumbled to herself as she pulled back onto the road and headed towards London.

Suddenly a large figure stepped into the road ahead of her and she slammed her brakes, heart pumping with adrenaline. Her eyes opened wide as she watched a big, soot-covered boy limping towards the side of her car waving his arms for help.

Assuming he had just come from that big fire, she rolled her window down and said, “Are you all right?”

“Please… help me,” the frightened teenager said. “I have to go…” The boy looked around with a terrified face as if someone had been chasing him. “They’re after me! Please… get me out of here!” he pleaded frantically.

Mary looked around as well to see if anyone was coming after the boy. She saw no one. “Who’s after you? The police?” she asked. She didn’t want to aid a criminal – just in case.

“No! The killers! The killers! Please lady… they’ve killed everyone at school… set it on fire! I’ve got to get away!” the boy yelled.

Mary’s eyes opened wide. “That’s what that fire is? A school is burning?”

Tears rolled down the boy’s dirty cheeks as he nodded and a sob burst from his mouth. Mary’s heart went out to him and she flipped the lock up on the car door. “Get in,” she said quickly.

The boy lumbered to the passenger door. As he opened it, large explosions made them both jump in surprise. Mary turned her head to glance out the back window and noticed a fire truck had exploded and was burning. Firemen were running from the truck. But even their fireproof coveralls couldn’t protect them from the arc of lightening hitting them in the back and propelling them off the ground to their doom.

The boy let out a large gasp and threw himself next to Mary. “Drive! Drive!” he yelled, craning his head backwards to see if they were being followed.

Mary didn’t need anymore incentive. “Oh God! Oh God!” she cried as she stepped on the gas and headed quickly away. Her hands were shaking with fright and she took deep gasps of air. Neither of them spoke to one another for about half an hour, the time it took for them to realize that no one had followed them.

Mary glanced at her passenger as they began to approach the more populated areas on the outskirts of London. “What’s your name?” she asked.

The boy was sitting in shock and was startled to hear the woman’s voice. He mumbled, “Dudley… Dudley Dursley.”

“Well, Dudley, we’ll head straight to the police station,” Mary decided. “I’m sure your parents are worried sick about you.” Tears began to flow down Mary’s cheeks. “I can’t believe it. A school! What kind of monsters would blow up a school?”

“Freaks! Wizards!” Dudley spat. “The freaks did it!”

Mary looked at him in concern. The boy was clearly in shock and not able to think rationally. “I think we should stop by the hospital, Dudley. You may have sustained some injuries…”

“NO!” Dudley yelled. “They’ll get me there! I can’t go… I can’t…” Dudley began whining and crying. It was all Harry’s fault, his fucking freak of a cousin! He knew that the one that had killed Harry’s parents was after Harry now. Fucking Harry had told them so after that dementor attack in Little Whinging. Now the fucking freaks were after him too! All because he was related to Harry Fucking Potter!

Dudley had been in the restroom when the explosions started. He thought perhaps there had been an accident in the science lab at first. When he left the restroom he got a big surprise. Three of those wizard freaks were standing in the hall. Luckily Dudley had been behind them and they hadn’t seen him before he was able to duck back in the bathroom. He pressed his ear to the door and heard one of them say, “The muggles won’t tell us where Dursley is. We don’t know which one he is.”

Then Dudley heard a chilling voice that sent a shiver down his spine as it said, “Then kill them all.” The three wizards walked on into a classroom and Dudley could hear screams and more explosions. He flung open the restroom door, the air was already thick with smoke and heat and he ran out the back door to the yard. He ran and he ran and he never looked back.

Now Dudley was sitting in this car with a woman who wanted to take him to the hospital. Dudley had seen all the crime shows. He knew that hit men waited for you at places like the hospital. They expected you to show up there. “No hospitals!” Dudley emphasized. Then he began to weep. “I can’t go home either. They’ll follow me there and kill mum and dad. They might be there already! Oh God!” Dudley put his hand over his eyes and wept loudly.

Mary took a deep steadying breath. “O.K. Dudley, then it will have to be the police station.”

Dudley’s fingers curled into fists. There was only one person who could possible help him. And that was the same person who caused this whole mess in the first place – Harry! Ordinarily, Dudley would rather die than go to Harry for help. But now that he was actually faced with dying, he couldn’t see any other way. What could the police do? He saw what those freaks did to the firemen.

“Take me downtown. I’ll tell you where to stop,” Dudley decided, drying his tears.

“What?” Mary said in surprise. “Dudley, you need help.”

“Please, lady,” Dudley replied. “You want the police to get the same treatment as those firemen did?”

Mary looked out her rearview mirror again. Were they being followed? Would she end up with a lightning bolt through her back? Her hands began to shake again and she wanted nothing more than to have Dudley Dursley leave her car.

Dudley knew where the wizards went. He knew because he and Piers had followed Harry downtown once to some hole-in-the-wall pub. It didn’t even have a sign out front. He remembered opening the door after Harry had disappeared inside it and seeing a bunch of those cloaked freaks sitting around in there. He and Piers shut the door and left.

Perhaps one of those freaks could tell him how to find Harry.

OOOOOOO

Bill Weasley sat in the Leaky Cauldron reading the Daily Prophet, his feet propped up on a chair. This was his post today, just one of the spots in which the Order had assigned look outs. It was Bill who first spotted the fat muggle boy coming through the door and standing before it looking quite lost.

The patrons all stopped what they were doing and looked at the stranger. Muggles sometimes wandered in by accident, but they usually turned back around as a very unwelcoming feeling came over them. This boy, however, didn’t seem to be leaving.

“Can I help you?” the barkeep called out to him.

“Where’s Harry Potter?” the muggle boy asked.

This caught everyone off guard and they looked at the boy more carefully. Bill folded his paper and put his feet back on the floor. “And who is it that wants to know?” Bill asked.

The boy looked at Bill and said, “His… cousin.”

Bill stood and made his way over towards him. “Dursley?” Bill asked, carefully.

Dudley nodded. “How do you know me?” Then Dudley’s eyes opened in fear as the thought came to him that this was one of the killers looking for him. He turned and grasped at the door handle.

Bill flicked his wand to lock the door. “Whoa, Dursley, I’m not going to hurt you,” Bill said with his hands out.

Dudley looked at him with wild eyes, his body pressed against the door.

“You’re… not?” Dudley stuttered.

“No,” Bill shook his head. “I know Harry. He’s a friend of the family. He’s at school, though, in Scotland. I can get a message to him if you wish.”

Dudley shook his head. He didn’t know if he could trust this freak. What if he was one of the bad ones? Well, he supposed that he would have killed him already if he was. “I can’t leave, I need to see Harry,” Dudley replied.

“It’s not that simple,” Bill replied. “You need permission from many different people.”

Dudley was getting frustrated. He had been through enough today. “Damn it! I got to see him. He… he might be all I have left,” Dudley said with a defeated voice.

Bill looked at the distraught boy and sighed. Then he said, “Come on, Dursley. Have a seat and tell me what happened. Then we’ll see what we can do.”

OOOOOOO

Harry had to spend many afternoons cloistered with Alastor Moody, planning and organizing the training of his army. Hermione and Draco found that they did not get to see much of him at all the week following the D.A. meeting. When he was not with Moody, he was with other members of the Order, Dumbledore and the select group of people he was calling his captains. All this, not to mention his classes, took up most of Harry’s time, leaving only an exhausted teenager at the end of the day.

Draco and Hermione understood the necessity of it all and didn’t try to put any more pressure on Harry than he already had. Instead they found comfort in each other, making up for the absence of Harry with plenty of intimate time for the two of them.

Saturday had come and the two of them went into Hogsmeade, deciding to have their first official ‘date.’ It seemed strange to them that they had shared so much together all ready but hadn’t really gone out in public yet. So on this crisp January day they trudged down the snowy lane hand-in-hand, laughing and talking as they went.

Many people knew of their unconventional relationship with Harry. But there were also some who didn’t know, who had thought Hermione was Harry’s girlfriend and Draco was just their mutual friend. One such person was Ginny Weasley.

Ginny walked a ways behind the happy couple with her boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Dean had known, of course, as he had seen the trio in bed that day. But as a friend to Harry, he hadn’t spoken of it to anyone. None of Harry’s roommates felt right gossiping about Harry. He hadn’t even told Ginny and he feared she would be upset at him for keeping it from her.

Dean looked at Ginny’s face as they walked and noticed how she was watching Hermione and Draco as they held hands and laughed together. She had never observed Draco Malfoy laughing with anyone in that manner. He looked… well… happy, and something else too. Ginny’s sharp eyes bore into him, trying to figure it out.

Draco was happy. Despite the war and other troubles, he felt at peace for once. It was a peace due to the lack of uncertainty in his mind. He was in love and he was loved back. He knew what his future held. He was to marry this beautiful witch next to him and live in happiness with his two lovers, once this war was over. He couldn’t see that it would turn out any other way. He was positive Harry would triumph over Voldemort. He felt on top of the world today.

He stopped walking when they were in front of the colorful window of Honeydukes and pulled Hermione into an embrace, kissing her deeply. When they broke the kiss, he asked, “So what do you want to do first? The day is ours.”

“Well… since we’re here,” Hermione smiled, “might as well replenish my chocolate supply.”

“Chocolate supply?” he said, rubbing his gloved hands on her arms to warm her. He pushed her gently back against the store window and opened his long black cloak, wrapping it around her as they embraced to share body heat. “You didn’t tell me about your chocolate supply. Is it a secret hoard?”

“Hmm… so to speak,” she smiled, pecking him on the lips. “You promise not to tell anyone?”

“Of course, love,” Draco replied, “as long as I get to share in it.”

“I’ll think about it,” Hermione said, putting her arms about his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. Hermione heard a throat clearing behind Draco and she pulled her head to the side to take a look.

Ginny was standing there with Dean looking at them in shock. Dean looked apologetic as if he was embarrassed that Ginny had disturbed them.

“Hi, Ginny,” Hermione said.

“I didn’t realize that you broke up with Harry, Hermione,” Ginny stated, looking pointedly at Draco. Draco slowly turned around bringing Hermione to the front of him. He wrapped his arms about her waist from behind and looked at Ginny casually.

“I… didn’t break up with Harry,” Hermione said. She was beginning to realize that Ginny did not know about Draco’s relationship with them.

“Don’t you think you should break it off with Harry before you start up with someone else?” Ginny asked, a bit of anger to her voice.

Ginny thought she was cheating on Harry! Hermione couldn’t help blushing a bit as she said, “Well… I’m with both of them, Ginny.” She glanced back at Draco who wasn’t helping any. He seemed amused to see Hermione struggling with this.

“You can’t do this to Harry, Hermione,” Ginny scolded.

“Ginny, I’m seeing both of them – with their knowledge,” Hermione tried to clarify.

Ginny looked at her for a few moments. “You mean Harry knows? He knows and he doesn’t care?”

Hermione nodded. “All three of us are involved together.”

Ginny’s mouth fell open as she looked from Hermione to Draco. “Two… two boyfriends, Hermione? Two at the same time?” Ginny asked in amazement.

Hermione blushed and nodded with a grin.

“Oh my,” Ginny said in wonder. “And… do you… you know… together?”

“That’s a bit personal, Weasley,” Draco droned.

Ginny blushed this time. She didn’t need them to answer. The expressions on their faces told her that she was spot on.

Dean nudged Ginny’s arm and said, “I’m going inside. Meet you in there.” He did not want to be part of that conversation in the least. He quickly went inside the candy shop, leaving Ginny with her embarrassing questions.

“Oh… wow…” Ginny said, “I… can’t… imagine. Oh… my.”

Draco grinned at Ginny’s embarrassed expression and said, “Well, if you’d like Weasley, I may know some blokes that could show you what it’s like.” He inclined his head towards a group of Slytherin boys who had gathered across the street.

“What!” Ginny’s head swung around and looked at the boys. Then she turned back to Draco and Hermione with wide eyes. “Oh, no! I didn’t mean… I wanted it.” Ginny laughed nervously. “I think I better go find Dean.” Ginny quickly made her way into Honeydukes while Draco and Hermione watched, amused.

“That will give her something to dream about,” he laughed as he turned Hermione back around to face him. “Let’s forget about the chocolate and get something hot to drink.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Hermione answered and they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.

OOOOOO

A terrified Dudley Dursley fell out of the fireplace in the basement of Honeydukes followed by Bill Weasley. Dudley stood and looked at his body, wondering why he wasn’t all burnt up.

“See, I told you it was safe,” Bill said. “It’s how wizards travel quickly from place to place.”

“It’s fucking mad, that’s what it is,” Dudley said. “All of you, you’re a bunch of kooks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bill said, taking Dudley by the arm. “Come on, Hogwarts is close by.” They climbed the stairs and entered the candy shop. Bill waved to the proprietor and was immediately halted by Ginny.

“Bill! What are you doing here?” Ginny asked, giving her brother a hug.

“Well, got a visitor for Harry,” Bill said, not wanting to go into details in a public shop.

“What visitor?” Ginny asked.

Bill turned about. Dudley was gone! “Merlin!” Bill exclaimed. “Where did he go?”

“Who?” Ginny asked again.

“Sorry Gin,” Bill said, “I got to go.” Bill left the shop quickly in search of Dudley.

OOOOOOO

Freaks! A whole town of freaks! Dudley left that crowded shop as soon as he could and hurried down an alley that seemed freak free. Turning a corner, he pressed himself against the backside of a store and tried to get his bearings. Which way is that freaking school Harry goes to? Dudley turned his head in all directions.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Adrian Pucey said as he stepped into Dudley’s view.

Dudley’s eyes opened in fright and he turned to bolt in the other direction but halted when another wizard stepped into his path.

“Looks like a big fat muggle took a wrong turn somewhere,” Warrington smirked. Dudley backed up against the building, heart pounding like a rabbit caught in a trap.

“Is that right, muggle?” Adrian asked. “You lost?”

Warrington pulled out his wand and Dudley gave a yelp.

Pucey put his hand on the wand and brought it down. “Can’t have our fun with muggles anymore. Our Lord has a soft spot for them.”

Warrington looked disappointed. Then he glared at Dudley and said, “You’re lucky we didn’t run into you a few months ago.”

“What are you doing here, muggle?” Pucey questioned.

“I’m looking for Har… Harry Pot… Potter,” Dudley stammered in fear.

Now Warrington stuck the tip of his wand under Dudley’s chin, the smirk gone from his face. “Why would you be looking for him?”

“That’s m… my business,” Dudley answered.

“Yeah, well it’s our business too,” Pucey sneered. “You just don’t walk into town asking for Harry Potter! Why would Lord Potter want to see a dumb muggle like you?”

“Lord?” Dudley squeaked in surprise, the wand pressing into his throat.

Pucey reached up and grabbed a fist full of Dudley’s hair and snarled, “Damn you. Tell me what you want!”

“I’m his cousin,” Dudley yelled out in pain.

Pucey let go of Dudley’s hair and shared a look with Warrington. “Who’s cousin?” he asked.

“Harry’s,” Dudley answered.

The surprised Slytherins looked at Dudley and began to laugh.

“Yeah, and I’m his grandmother,” Warrington laughed.

“I am,” Dudley insisted. “Go ask him!”

Warrington and Pucey looked at each other, uncertainty growing on their faces. Warrington said, “Malfoy’s in the Three Broomsticks. Maybe he knows.”

Pucey grabbed Dudley’s arm and pulled him forward. “Come on.”

OOOOOOOOOO

A/N I enjoyed writing this chapter. A reviewer requested some twosome loving between Draco and Hermione, so you’ll be seeing that in the next chapter. This one was too plot heavy to put it in. Hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please let me know! Happy Halloween everyone!

Oh, and I’m extremely excited about movie four coming out next month. The previews look awesome and book four has always been my most favorite book out of the series. I just love the excitement of the tri-wizard tournament! Then there is also the Yule ball – fun stuff.

Take care.