Harry Potter and The Fight of Logic vs. Love

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Returning Home

Harry was still in disbelief as he stood in front of the scarlet school train. He was standing in the middle of a large crowd. Looking around, he saw that everyone looked just as nervous as he felt. Is anything going to happen this year? Will everyone be safe without Dumbledore? Can I step up and take his spot if need be? Harry couldn't help the thoughts running through his head. He knew that there was going to be a problem this year. He knew that sooner or later Voldemort would come for him. He still wasn't completely sure he wanted to go back and put everyone in danger. Seeing all the families around him, he saw what everyone had to lose. Looking at his friends, his eyes were drawn to the curly brown hair. That was the most important thing he had left to lose, along with the rest of his family. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't let her die. Will I be able to fulfill that promise when it comes time? He shook his head and looked back at all the students. There's not nearly as many students here as there usually is. How many are actually going to return? He sighed and hung his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking to his right he saw Hermione with her hand on his shoulder. She was smiling at him. He smiled back. A hand clapped him on his left shoulder.

"We're with you mate. We're going to be here till the end" Ron said as Harry looked over at him. As he looked around, he saw a lot of students starting to gather around him. He could name every one of them. He knew them because they were all members of the DA. He could see the determined look on each of their faces.

"Ron's right Harry," Neville said from the front of the crowd. "We're with you until the end. You can count on every one of us." Harry felt a surge of pride for his fellow students as he watched them all nod their affirmation. He could see the platform full of people all turn towards the crowd around him.

"Thanks everyone. That means a lot to me. I just hope I can live up to your standards." He smirked at everyone surrounding him. He heard the train blow a 15 minute warning. "We better get on the train. If we don't then who are the professors going to teach." He smiled at everyone and watched as they all headed to the train wishing their parents and families best of luck and telling them how much they loved them. Harry was reminded of a documentary he had seen at school when he was younger. This scene looked remarkably like the soldiers going off to the first World War. Soldiers were climbing onto the train headed for the front line, many of which seemed scarcely older than most of the students climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express. He couldn't help but feel sadness, knowing that there would be many who would not be coming home. He breathed in, resolving himself to do what he had to, to make sure that his friends survived this.

"Come on Harry" he heard Hermione say. "It looks like the majority of the parents don't want their kids going if you don't go." He thought about it, noticing that most of the eyes on the platform were still focused on him. He looked at Hermione.

"Let's go then." He turned towards the train, bidding the Weasley entourage goodbye. As he walked towards the train, he could see that many of the families were letting their children go as well. Harry watched as Neville bid goodbye to his grandmother and stepped in line behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He watched as Seamus gave him mum a hug and got in behind Neville, Dean right behind him. They filed onto the train and split up. Harry Ron and Hermione grabbed a seat in the first compartment, realizing that they wouldn't have to search for an empty one. They sat down and were soon joined by Ginny, Neville, and Luna. The six friends chatted lightly for most of the ride, and Ron challenged Neville to a game of exploding snap. They were forced to cancel halfway through since Hermione noted the time.

"It's time for all the prefects to gather in the compartment. The Head Students need to make a speech." Harry's head shot away from the somewhat interesting conversation he was having with Luna. Hermione smiled at the scared look on his face. "Don't worry Harry. I will do most of the speaking." At this, the rest of the compartment looked at them. Luna and Neville both looked confused.

"What's that mean Hermione?" Neville asked her.

"Harry's the Head Boy. Didn't you know?" she asked as if it was the most common knowledge in the world. Both Luna and Neville's eyes grew wide in shock.

"Congratulations Harry!" Neville exclaimed. He gave Harry a pat on the back. "I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than you." Luna smiled at Harry who smiled back.



Harry, Ron, and Hermione all put on their school robes. Harry wasn't sure if he should put his pin on right away. When he saw Hermione looking at him holding his badge, he decided he better follow her example. Putting on the pin seemed to make his chest feel lighter. He felt almost good about wearing it, noticing that Luna smiled brighter when he did. If he could make people feel better, he wanted to. He thought about what Hermione had said back at the end of the year under the tree by the lake. 'I just meant that you give people hope for the future. You give people a reason to keep fighting. They want to know that they have a reason to fight.' Did she really mean that? Looking at the way Luna smiled when he put on his badge was testament to that. I guess I can deal with that. He smiled at the thought as he left the compartment with Ron and Hermione.

Walking past the compartments he couldn't help but notice the extra stares he received. The students passing in the corridor even made second glances at his badge. They walked all the way with stares and whispers. He even had a few new students introduce themselves. Many of the old students made sure he knew where their loyalties were. He was surprised at how many actually said they would stand behind him in any fight that may come to Hogwarts. Even many of the Slytherins had given him their word to help defend their home. He felt great that the school was trying to band together to fight off the evil. Dumbledore's dream might finally be realized he thought.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Prefect's compartment a short while later. Harry looked at it for the first time. There were red velvet walls with black curtains hanging around the various windows. The purple carpet ran the length of the car. His eyes were drawn to the large oak table in the center of the room. He could see the school crest in the center with the four house crests resting along three of the four edges of the table. He also noticed that at the very end there was an inscription. It read 'rector procul rector.' He made a mental note to ask Hermione later, but was spared the need to remember.

"We sit over here Harry. This is the side for the Heads of the School. The inscription means 'leaders to leaders.' It means that the Head Students are leaders of the prefects who are supposed to lead the students." Hermione walked to the far end of the table and ran her hand across the inscription as she spoke. Harry watched her, noticing that she seemed to be in deep thought. He thought about how much this must mean to her. He could only imagine that she was in heaven right now. He smiled as he watched her take a seat in one of the chairs. He walked up next to her and sat in the other chair. Ron took his seat next to the pair on their right hand side. Not too long later the rest of the prefects entered the compartment. Harry took notice of how many of the seats were empty. Slytherin had only 3 out of their 6 prefects. He noticed that all of Hufflepuff's prefects had returned including Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott. He noticed that again only half of Ravenclaw's prefects had returned, noting that Anthony Goldstein didn't show but that Padma Patil did. He noted that all the Gryffindor prefects returned. He was sure that their bravery and courage would make them return. He knew that they would want to fight for their home most of all; they wouldn't be scared away. As soon as it seemed everyone had assembled, Hermione stood up to make her speech.

"Hello everyone. I'm glad to see that you all came back this year." She was met with murmurs. "I know this may be a difficult time for everyone, but we all need to stay strong and help keep the school under control. I don't know how many people are going to take the new Headmistress and her ways of teaching. I want everyone to make sure that they do their best to limit the number of duels in the halls. We need to promote unity within the school. Houses need to know that we need to rely on each other. I know that a few of you already know what I was talking about because you were in the DA two years ago. We need to work together on this. If we can work together I know we will make it through anything. I took the liberty of making up your round schedules." Hermione flicked her wand and schedules flew out to their owners. "You will all notice that you get paired with a different person each week. They will always be with someone from another house and possibly another year. They will have to be updated with the missing prefects. I would assume that Headmistress McGonagall will want to get some new prefects to replace the missing ones. I think that is all we need to discuss. If you all want to take a walk down the train and talk with some of the newer students we would appreciate the effort." She looked at everyone and noticed that they didn't move from their seats.

"Isn't the Head Boy going to say anything?" asked one of the new Slytherin prefects. Harry gulped.

"Well I don't think there is much to add to what Hermione already told you" Harry said. He received some mutterings to his statement. He sighed and stood up. Alright. You want to hear something from the Head Boy. "Well then, I hope that you all take what Hermione said to heart. I can already see the changes in the school and I hope that you do too. I feel so great knowing that there are so many people devoted to saving the school, to saving their home. Hogwarts has always been and will always be my home. I'm so glad that people can finally see past their own differences and the predetermined thoughts put into their head about the houses." Harry started to walk around the table, his knees feeling like jelly. Making his way behind one of the Slytherin prefects he put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know that there is still a lot of work to be done to make this work, but I'm proud to call you all part of my family. I know that is what Dumbledore would have wanted. He would have been so proud of everyone here. He was the one who first tried to promote the inter house relationships, and if he was here to see how many students pledged to save Hogwarts, I'm sure he would have been overjoyed." Harry continued to walk around the table. "No matter what Voldemort throws at us, I know that we will get through it if we stand united. We can make it through anything together. With Gryffindor's bravery, Ravenclaw's intelligence, Slytherin's cunning, and Hufflepuff's uplifting spirit there is nothing that is more powerful. Let's make sure that future generations still have a place to call home." Harry noticed that everyone seemed to be more uplifted as he walked around the room. He was greeted with cheers. Looking up at the top of the table he saw Ron and Hermione whispering with grins on their faces. When they saw him looking, they grinned harder and laughed. "Well off you go guys. You have your schedules for walking the train." With that the rest of the table's occupants left, leaving only Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He walked back to the pair.

"That was interesting." Ron smirked at Harry who clapped him on the back of the head earning a fit of laughter from both Ron and Hermione.

"I had to say something. They weren't going to leave unless I did" Harry responded. "Come on Ron, you have first rounds of the train." Ron looked at him and gave him a quizzical look.

"I thought I didn't have to take a round until later in the trip?" he asked.

"Well you did, but now you're pulling double duty since there are so many prefects missing." Harry smirked as he saw Ron's jaw drop. "Remember Ron, I am the Head Boy. I have to give orders to the prefects." Harry laughed out loud as Ron remembered. Ron finally shook his head and smiled.

"Fine then, I will leave you two alone. How's that sound?" He gave each person a weird look with a smirk and left the room. Harry could feel his face get hot as his embarrassment grew. He realized what Ron had insinuated and couldn't stop himself.

"We uh better get back to the uh compartment." Harry was getting nervous.

"Sure. Let's get going" Hermione said just as shakily as Harry had. He didn't notice how nervous she was as well. The pair left the compartment and headed back to their original seats with Neville, Luna, and Ginny in silence. They sat down and immediately got into conversations with the others, not looking at each other. Next thing they knew they were off to do their rounds of the train. They walked in almost complete silence, neither forgetting the awkward moment that Ron had started. They stopped a few times to meet some of the first years.

In one compartment, Hermione couldn't help but stare at Harry. He's so confident now. He seems like he has a purpose, like he has a reason to fight. He knows that everyone needs him as much as he needs them. The first years are so much calmer with him around. They are even laughing and joking. He will be a great father one day. I just hope that I'm still around to see it. Ever since Harry mentioned his dream, she couldn't help but feel worried. Was she really going to die? She tried her hardest not to think about it, but every time her mind drifted it was to one of two things. One was the night she heard about Harry's dream. The other was the person who had the dream. She couldn't get Harry off her mind. Ever since that day she had talked to Ron about her feelings for Harry, she couldn't get rid of them. She tried to forget about them but they kept popping into her mind when she wasn't expecting it. She loved thinking about him, but didn't like the idea of someone catching her doing it. If he noticed and asked her what was wrong, she wouldn't be able to lie to him. It took her a moment to realize that he had started to leave the compartment. She followed, and after they got to the end of the train, they turned to walk back. She felt Harry's hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him.

"Mione, there's something I need to say to you." He said staring straight into her eyes. "I needed to say thank you again. You saved my life. I don't know where I would be if you hadn't stopped me from running away. I know now how much everyone needs me and how much I need everyone else. It's all thanks to you. You were right way back at the end of the year. You said that people needed me to have hope. I think I need you to have hope. That dream that I had," she noticed his eyes start to water. "It was the scariest dream I've had in a long time. I just can't let anything happen to you Mione. I care about you too much." He was almost in full tears now, and she could feel her own eyes starting to sting.

"I made you a promise Harry. I promised that I would never leave you. I intend to keep that promise to my dying day. If that is this year or 50 years down the line I don't know. All I know is that you will always have me around when you need me." She felt the tears pouring down her own face as she grabbed him in a hug. She felt great when he hugged back. She turned her face up to look at him, noticing how close he was. His face was only inches from hers. I have to do it now or else I may never get a chance to. I need to kiss him. She started to move her face closer to his, meeting no resistance. He didn't try to back away. She closed her eyes, begging that nothing would interrupt this moment. She waited for the feeling of his lips on hers, but it never came. Just as they were getting closer, the train lurched and started to slow down. Her forehead bounced off of Harry's chin and they both backed away from each other. WHY? She thought. Why does something always interrupt us when this is going to happen? Why can't I just kiss Harry in peace? Her mind stopped as she said it. 'Finally. I knew you would see it my way.' The voice was starting to annoy her. "Sorry Harry. I guess we better get going." She led the way back to the compartment to grab their belongings. Harry grabbed both the luggage sets to a protesting Hermione. They walked out onto the platform. The familiar booming voice was heard over the crowds bringing a smile the both faces. Harry looked left and saw the giant of a man with his large lantern in hand.

"Firs' years over 'ere. Firs' years!" Hagrid boomed. Harry walked over to him. Hagrid noticed him and smiled. "Welcome back 'Arry, 'Ermione. I'm glad to see you came back."

"So am I Hagrid. I know there is going to be a lot of work to do, and probably going to be a fight. I know this is where I want to be when it happens." Harry smiled.

"Well you should know that I got yer back if you need it 'Arry. If the fight comes to Hogwarts we will give You-Know-Who hell." Harry felt proud of his friend, knowing that Hagrid would never give up. This was his home too.

"We better get going Hagrid. We need to check to make sure everyone gets off the train." Hermione said. They waved goodbye and took one last walk down the train. They checked through every compartment to make sure that everyone was gone. As they reached the last compartment, they finally started speaking to each other again. "So I guess there is no one left on the train Harry." Hermione got nervous. She hoped that maybe there would be a possibility that the earlier incident would repeat itself. She watched Harry shift nervously.



Harry was remembering back as they walked to the last compartment. This was the spot they were standing in almost the same spot they were nearly 20 minutes ago. Would she want to try again? He was nervous about even thinking like that. He watched her take a look in the last compartment. His heart started beating faster. Should I try it? Is that what she wants? Is it the right moment? Why does this have to be so complicated? He watched as she started to come back out and quickly turned away. I can't do this right now. Where's that Gryffindor courage when I need it? He heard her speak finally. There hadn't been any words shared between the pair since before the failed kiss. "So I guess there is no one left on the train Harry." He could hear the nervousness in her voice. Does she want to try again? He started to freak out. I can't do this right now. I can't, it just isn't the right time.

"I guess we should probably get going to the feast then. They will probably be waiting for us." Harry suggested. He started to move away and he looked at her. He saw the disappointment in her eyes that was quickly hidden.



"Yes, of course. You're right Harry." She said trying to hide her sadness. Too bad he didn't try again. Is it really not meant to be? Are we destined to keep getting interrupted every time we get close to anything? She walked with Harry in silence for a while until they made it to the carriages. Looking out towards the lake, she saw the lanterns on the boats ferrying the first years across. She noticed at how few there were this year. There had to be only half the usual number of boats and in turn half the first years. She sighed, catching Harry's attention. He turned to look at her.

"What's wrong Mione?" he asked. She turned to look at him and saw the caring expression he was wearing. It made her heart break wondering how long she would have to wait to see if she would ever be able to kiss him.

"I'm worried Harry, worried about what's going to happen. Look out there." She pointed out at the lanterns drifting through the darkness. "Look how many boats are out there. When we were in first year there was at least twice as many. The second war has started. The results are already being seen. Voldemort is the reason there are so few students. I doubt that even if Dumbledore was still around that there would be more students. I don't know how we are going to save the school if there is no one left to protect it." Her eyes started stinging when she thought of Dumbledore. She noticed that Harry's had started to get wet as well.

"You're right Mione. It's going to be hard. There isn't nearly as many upper years as I had hoped. The only upside is that most of the DA is back. They know how to fight to an extent. I don't know how well they will stand up if Voldemort comes after us with all his forces, but I feel better knowing that my friends are there to look out for me." He looked at her. "If he comes after us with everything he has, I don't think that we can win. There aren't enough of us. The first years won't be able to do anything. I don't think that any student under 4th or 5th year would do us any good in defence of the school. We are looking at maybe 30 or 40 students that would be able to defend the school. If parents get word that he is coming for the school, even more will be pulled out early. I think the most we can really count on is 20. I can think of at least 10 students who would stay to defend the school against their parents' wishes. With the teachers we are looking at maybe 20 to 30 defenders. There is no way that we can hold out against his forces. I can say he matches us with only his inner circle of Death Eaters. With the number that he has who aren't in direct contact with him, we are outnumbered at least three or four to one. We really don't have a chance Mione." Harry could hardly believe it. He knew that his home was going to fall, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"We will make it through though Harry. That is what matters. Even if we lose Hogwarts, which I really hope doesn't happen, we will still live to fight another day. If we can fight, he will never win." She smiled at Harry through her tears. She couldn't hold them back because she knew that he was right. She was going to lose her second home. She couldn't help but cry at the thought. There weren't enough students to make a stand against Voldemort's forces. She watched Harry turn away from her and move towards the carriage.

"We better get going Mione. We're the last students here." He held the door open for Hermione to get in, which she did grudgingly. She didn't know if she wanted to go and face the students or not. The ride went by quietly, and Hermione took the time to wipe away her tears. She wouldn't let the students see her like that. She needed to stay strong. As the carriage pulled up to doors to the castle, she collected what was left of her senses. Harry opened the door and helped her out. "I guess this is it then? There is no turning back right?" he smiled, joking. She gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.

"No Mr Potter. There is definitely no turning back now. Let's hurry up. I'm sure that they are waiting for us." Hermione moved first, opening the front doors to the castle and walking inside. As Harry followed, he saw Professor Flitwick standing off to one side of the entrance hall with the first year students. He greeted them friendly.

"Ah Mr Potter, Ms Granger. Congratulations on making Head Students. I think the Headmistress made the best decision of her career with this one." He squeaked. "It won't be long now students. Now that the Head Students are here, I'm sure that the Headmistress will begin the sorting." Harry and Hermione thanked Flitwick and walked to the entrance to the Great Hall. They opened the doors and immediately noticed all eyes stare at them. Harry gulped and Hermione smiled. They walked up the tables to the empty seats across from Ron and Neville at Gryffindor table. While they walked, Harry did a quick survey of the tables. He was right when he had thought about it. Barely half of the Slytherins were at the table. Hufflepuff's table was approximately three quarters full and Ravenclaw's was between the two. Gryffindor's table seemed to be the only one that looked nearly full. Harry noticed that there were barely any Gryffindors missing. Harry heard the door to the Hall open again, and heard the students filing in behind Flitwick. As he took his seat, the Headmistress stood to speak.

"Good Evening all of you who have returned. Welcome to all of you who are here for the first time. I would like to say a few words before the sorting. I know that it may be a difficult time in the world, but that is out there. In here, we are all family. We need to work together. I will try and keep everything running as smoothly as possible, but I am not a miracle worker. Quidditch will continue if there is enough support for it. I'm sure that Gryffindor will have a full team. Anyone who wishes to try out for the teams will need to talk to their Head of House and see if there is enough support for it. Assuming that there is, the Quidditch tournament will continue as normal. Any other groups that wish to be started, again I say to check with your Head of House. I will not let anyone stop the running of this school. The late Headmaster would have wanted the school to remain open for all those who wish to study magic. I would have to agree with him. Even if something happens, as long as there is one student left, Hogwarts will remain open. I can tell you now, that if the fight comes to our doorstep then we will fight. The teachers have agreed to fight for their home. I do not expect to get you students involved. If it comes to it, we will evacuate the students to a safe spot." She was met with many murmurings. There were a few outbursts of profanity as well. "I heard that Mr Finnegan. I would like to thank you for your support, but I will not risk the safety of my students." Harry took a deep breath and stood up. He earned questioning looks from Hermione and Ron, but he just shook his head at them. He walked towards the front of the Hall, and soon every eye was on him. As he reached the front he looked at Professor McGonagall.

"Professor. May I speak?" he asked. She nodded to him also giving him a look much like those of Hermione and Ron. He was going to have to think fast. He didn't know what to say until he thought about Hermione. He started to speak to everyone in the hall. "The prefects have already heard my speech and I hope that they do not hate me for repeating myself. I can't speak for everyone here, but from what I've heard most of you feel the same way that I do. Professor, this is our home. We are going to do all that we can to defend it." He looked around the Hall. His eyes rested on Hermione and he smiled. "An extremely intelligent witch once had a long chat with me when I wasn't sure of what needed to be done. I wanted to try and get away, to keep everyone safe. I thought that if I disappeared and made some disturbances somewhere else, Voldemort" the name made some students cringe while others looked even more determined to listen. "would completely ignore the school. This witch talked some sense into me. She told me that 'people should be allowed to choose where they stand. People have that choice, but if you refuse to let them help, you eliminate that choice. The problem with that is they will be torn about it. They need to help. If they can't help, and everything fails, they will be in a worse position than if they had stood and fought. Without fighting, people will give up hope. People need hope to stay alive.' I truly believe that this witch saved me from making the worst decision of my life. If I had taken on my plan, I would probably be dead by now. I'm asking you professor, let us choose where we stand . Will you let us decide whether we want to stay and defend our home or not?" He turned away from the students and looked at the Headmistress. The Hall was completely silent; a pin dropping could have been heard by everyone. After a few minutes, she broke into a un-McGonagall like smile and Harry saw a tear run down her cheek.

"Alright Potter. You win. Those who wish to stay to defend Hogwarts when the time comes may." Harry smiled at her and turned back to the students.

"So what do you all think? Who is going to stay and help defend Hogwarts when the time comes?" He smiled as he was nearly deafened by the roar of the crowd. They were all standing and applauding. Looking out, he knew that they really stood a chance. He turned back to McGonagall. "If you don't mind professor, I've had my speech. Can I sit down again?" He looked flustered. How did I manage that? His heart was racing. Even he was surprised at his own show of confidence.

McGonagall nodded for him to return to his seat. As he turned to go, the students had started to sit and he could barely hear her. "Albus would be proud Harry. So would your parents." He stopped and looked back at her.

"Thank you professor. That means a lot." He smiled as he walked back and took his seat. When he sat down, he saw Hermione staring at him. "What?" he asked grinning.

"Extremely intelligent witch?" she smiled at him.

"Bit of an understatement I know. I was thinking on my feet alright?" he chuckled. He turned to look at Ron and a few things happened all at once.

"Thanks Harry, I didn't think you were listening that night." Hermione said as she hugged him. I have to do something to show him. She looked up and gave him a peck on the cheek. She watched him blush a dark crimson.

Harry had turned to face Ron as Hermione spoke. He felt her grab him in a hug and before he had a chance to look at her, he felt her lips on his cheek giving him a kiss. He couldn't help but blush and Ron spitting water across the table on him didn't help the situation.

"Sorry mate, uh, went down the wrong pipe" Ron smiled weakly. He was trying hard not to laugh at the look on Harry's face. Ron had to try even harder not to laugh as he noticed Hermione's face match Harry's in colour. Ron was about to say something as McGonagall spoke again.

"Now that we have heard from our Head Boy, I think we need to get the sorting done so we can eat." Professor Flitwick came out with a stool and the Sorting Hat. McGonagall took her seat.

When Flitwick backed away from placing the hat on the stool, a tear opened in the brim of the hat. The hat started to speak.

"Come around and listen to me
I can be much wiser than thee.
When this school was very young,
To the head of a founder I clung.
I saw many things over the years,
Times of joy and times of tears.
Throughout a war there will be loss,
You must be wary before you toss,
Your lives away for no good cause.
You all must work together or you will fail,
From what I've seen none will bail.
Hogwarts will stand for many a year,
With such brave people so near.
You all possess the qualities of each founder in turn,
Just look inside past what you've learnt.
The school must work together, you will succeed.
Defeat the evil and the world will be freed."



The hall was quiet. Flitwick walked forward and looked at the hat for a moment. He came out of his daze and looked around at the hall. He started reading out the names.

"Abbott, Jonathan." A young boy came up and took a seat on the stool. Harry would have said he was an Abbott just by looking at him. He bore a striking resemblance to Hannah.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" cried the Sorting Hat. Jonathan jumped up and ran to the table his sister was sitting at. Flitwick continued calling out names until he finally finished. Harry noticed that the list was indeed quite a bit shorter than in previous years. He started to get down heartened again, but one look at the people made him feel better when he remembered the cheers he received about saving Hogwarts. McGonagall stood up again.

"Well now that the sorting is complete, let the feast begin!" she waved her hands and the food appeared on all the tables. Everyone immediately dug in. Harry ate a little bit, but he really didn't have an appetite. He had only just realized that they hadn't made any headway on the Horcruxes. He knew that he still had a lot of work ahead of him, and he hoped that he could get it all done before the fight came to the school. As the feast ended, the students were stuffed. McGonagall stood once more. "If everyone could spare just a few more minutes for me, I would just like to say a few more words. First of all, I would like everyone to know that there will be randomized Defence lessons. This is owing to a need for a new teacher. I want you all to know that I am calling in a few favours from various contacts. We should hopefully have a new teacher by the end of the week. Next, I would like to thank you all for returning. Without you, the castle would be very empty. I know now that you all care for this school as much as I do. I also wanted to say how proud I know Professor Dumbledore would be of all of you. He would have loved to see this day when the school came together as a family. I know you will all make him proud. I just want everyone here to know a few things. If you do decide to return to your families if things get crazy, no one will think any less of you." She was cut off by loud protests coming from every table. It was a few minutes before she could calm everyone down enough to speak again. "Thank you again everyone. I appreciate your enthusiasm. When it comes to it, I want to know that you will all be safe. If the school falls, I want you all to get out. There can be no school if there are no students to learn. I know that everyone, me included, would rather see you all survive than die within these walls. As long as you, the students, survive there will always be a school for you to go to. Enough talk for tonight. Off you all go to bed. Prefects will lead the students to the dorms. I would like to see the Head Students up here. Goodnight everyone." She sat back in her chair and watched the students file out of the Hall. She waited for the two students she needed to speak with.



Harry and Hermione started walking up to the Headmistress as everyone else left the hall. The same thought was running through both students' heads. She's going to show us our new rooms. They both knew that they received their own common room and their own dorms. As they approached the Headmistress she smiled at them. "I'm so very proud of both of you, of how you have matured. I know that I made the right choice with my two Head Students. I'm assuming that you both will be aware of your duties?" Hermione nodded but Harry looked a little lost. "Do you know what your duties are Mr Potter?" the Headmistress asked.

"Well to tell you the truth, I was kind of relying on Hermione to know what needed to be done." He glanced nervously at the Headmistress and saw that she was smiling.

"Do you have a problem with guiding him Ms Granger?" McGonagall looked from Harry to Hermione. Hermione shook her head and smiled. "Alright then. I'm sure that Ms Granger will introduce you to all your duties at her own pace. What she chooses to reveal to you and when is up to her. Since you didn't read about all your duties that will be your punishment. If you do not conform to the duty that she tells you, I will hear about it and you will have a detention. I would like to point out the fact that no Head Student has been in detention for many years. Now if you two will follow me, I will show you to your living arrangements." Professor McGonagall stood up from her chair and walked towards the entrance hall. Harry and Hermione followed, stealing glances at each other. They both had smiles on their faces as they walked up many different stairs. Harry recognized the general area, noticing the stairs as he went. He knew they were heading to the east tower. It was small, and he wouldn't have known it existed had he not heard Hermione point it out every time they passed by it. McGonagall walked up to a painting at the end of the hall of one of the staircases. She turned to look at the students. "This is the entrance to the Head Dorms. You are free to set the password and change it at your leisure. Both of you must be in agreement before it can be changed. Brother Jacob is to be your password protector." She pointed to the friar who was seated in the frame. "You need only tell him the password and he will relate it to me in my office. Now I will leave you two alone to get some sleep, but you will need to agree on a password before you can enter. If you need to contact me for any reason, the password to my office is 'study.' You may also use the fireplace to contact me by floo. The network has been connected to your fireplace, but only for outgoing floo. No one can call in unless given permission by you at the time they attempt it. You would both of course travel back and forth through it without needing to be confirmed. I think that may be useful for your extracurricular activities. Goodnight." She bowed to the two students and left them standing in front of the painting.

Harry turned to Hermione. "So what do you think our password should be?" he asked. She turned to look at him.

"I don't know Harry. I really never thought about it. We should make it something important. Something that is easy. What about 'hope?' How does that sound?" she asked.

Harry smiled at her. "I like it. It represents us to a tee."

"It represents you, not me." Hermione started.

"You give me hope Mione. I wouldn't have any hope if you were gone." Harry's thoughts drifted back to his dream. She rubbed his arm and snapped him out of his trance. "Hope sounds great for me Mione." He turned to the painting.

"So I assume you are ready to create a password my children?" Brother Jacob asked.

"Yes," Harry replied. "We want to make the password 'hope.' Can you do that?" Harry asked.

"My daughter? Do you agree with this password?" the monk asked looking at Hermione.

"Of course. It's great. I agree with that password." Hermione said as she smiled.

"Excellent. The password is set. You may enter." The portrait swung open, revealing a smaller version of the Gryffindor common room. There were a few slight differences. He noticed a large desk that seemed perfect for two students to work side by side on. Near the end of the room, where there was normally only one staircase, there were now two. He figured that they would lead to the dorms just as in Gryffindor tower. He also noticed a couple owl perches sitting near the door to a balcony.

"Wow!" was all Hermione could say. She couldn't believe how great the common room was. She was just as excited to see the rooms. Then again, we will only need to see one of them. We can live with one room. She smiled to herself. "This is amazing isn't it Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm glad that I came back. Thanks again by the way." He smiled at her.

"Stop saying that Harry. I know you're glad to be back. If you don't stop saying thank you I'm going to forget to tell you some of your duties. Then you will deal with McGonagall." She laughed at the shocked look on his face. "You know what you have to fear now Potter. You should watch your words." She laughed along with Harry.

"Alright. I get it. I won't say thanks anymore." He smiled at her.

"About that. I still expect you to say thank you for everything else."

"I was hoping that you would forget about that part. Then I wouldn't have to worry about saying thanks for anything at all." He grinned at her which earned him a slap in the arm. Harry heard a tapping on the window and saw Hedwig tapping on the door to the balcony. He walked over and let her in. She immediately flew to her perch and landed.

"Hey girl. How are you doing?" he asked as he rubbed her head. Hedwig clicked his beak and he smiled. "Alright. You sure you're in for the night?" Harry asked. Hedwig replied by snuggling her head down into her own body. "Well I like Hedwig's plan. What do you think, time for bed?" he asked, looking to Hermione.

"Sounds good Harry. I'm exhausted." She thought about how to phrase the question she wanted to ask. "So Harry. What is going to happen now?" she asked slowly.

"I thought we agreed. It's time for some sleep." He grinned at her.

"Well yes," she said smiling. "I just mean are the sleeping arrangements going to change at all or is it going to stay the same as the past few weeks?" she looked at him nervously. Please say that nothing is going to change. I hope that you don't want things to change.

Harry's face changed from a grin to a serious expression. "Well. I think I need to ask you a question since you know everything about anything Mione."She eyed him nervously then felt relieved when he cracked a smile. "Which bed is more comfortable? Also, will the headmistress know?"

"I really don't know." She smacked Harry as he gave a mock shocked look. "I guess we will have to try each bed then won't we?" she said with a hint of seduction. Harry didn't pick up on it.

"So do we try your room or mine tonight?" he asked her.

"Let's try mine. I'm not sure why but I think we should try that one first." She smiled at him and led the way to her room. As she walked up the stairs, she couldn't help but feel excited. I'm Head Girl. This isn't just a dream. I can't wait to see my room. She bounded up the last few steps and opened her door. As she stepped inside she stopped to look around. The walls were adorned with red and gold drapes, and tapestries depicting the founders. Along one wall was a row of bookcases and a pair of nice chintz armchairs. The thing that caught her eye was the large bed in the center of the room. It was a king sized four poster bed. The drapery was gold and the sheets a deep red. She heard Harry gasp as he came up behind her.

"Wow. I think I know why you chose come here first" he said.

"Why is that Harry?" she asked.

"I had a dream about this. I remember waking up next to you on that extremely large and comfortable bed." He smiled at her. How is it that I keep seeing these things and they keep coming true? Harry wondered. He was saved trying to figure out an answer by Hermione walking towards another door to their left. She opened it, revealing a shared bathroom. It was large, much like the prefects bathroom. It had a large bath with various taps strewn around it. On one side were stalls and the other had individual spacious showers that had frosted glass doors on them. There was another door directly across from the one Hermione had stepped through, presumably leading to Harry's room. Harry walked across and opened it up.

The room looked remarkably similar to Hermione's. The bed was the same, as were the tapestries and drapes along the wall. The difference was that instead of a line of bookcases, Harry's contained only one with a pair of chintz armchairs. Harry could make out a bunch of Quidditch books and offensive and defensive spell books. Next to that was a dummy and a blackboard with a layout of the Quidditch field. It was everything Harry loved. He couldn't be happier with his room. "Just give me a minute to change Mione and I will be back there to get some sleep ok?" he asked. She nodded and left the room. He quickly changed into his pyjamas, feeling his exhaustion kicking in again. The full stomach did nothing to keep him awake. He walked through the bathroom and knocked on Hermione's door. There was no reply. He quietly opened the door and saw Hermione asleep on her bed. She really is gorgeous. He leaned against the door frame and took in the beauty of his best friend. Can I really make it through this? Will I be able to make it back? What does she think of me? I love her. I really do. Can I get her even more involved than she already is? I would have nothing to live for if she gets killed. I can't do that to her, I love her too much to do that. I want her to make it through this even if I don't. If she makes it through, all my suffering will be worth it. I just want her to be happy. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a soft voice coming from the bed.



Hermione woke up feeling like someone was watching her. She opened her eyes and saw Harry leaning on the doorway staring at her. What is he thinking about? I just wish he knew how I felt. Does he feel the same way about me? 'Of course he does. He wouldn't keep trying to kiss you if he didn't have feelings for you' the voice told her. Perhaps. I just wish he would tell me. I wish there was a way for me to hint it to him. He didn't catch my meaning about the bed. Could I have made it more obvious about the innuendo? I thought Ron was supposed to be the one with the emotional range of a teaspoon. Let me try to see how he reacts to coming to bed.

"Are you coming to bed or are you just going to stand there all night watching me?" Hermione asked. Harry didn't even realize she had woke up.

"I don't have a problem either way. I guess it wouldn't be such a bad thing to get into bed with a beautiful woman." He smiled as he flirted. He couldn't resist chuckling as he saw Hermione's cheeks blush slightly. He walked over and got into bed behind her, snaking his arm around her waist as he did. "Goodnight Mione." He closed his eyes and let sleep take him. He was out like a light, but not before he thought he heard something.

"Goodnight Harry. I... I..." she tried to say it out loud, but it came out as barely a whisper. "I love you." She waited for his response, but she knew he was already sleeping by the steady breathing. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, barely registering the response.

"I love you too Mione." Harry said sleepily.

With the exchange of words, the pair drifted off into their dreams. Flashes of the bench, the tree, and the bed came to both of their heads as they slept. They both thought they had heard the other say it, but neither was completely sure. Sleep could have been playing tricks on their hearing. They were content in believing they had heard the other say it. They wouldn't forget the feeling they each had when they thought they heard the other say it for the rest of their lives.