𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

Chapter 33

All was silent for the next week, leaving some to hope that this was the end of it, that the Death Eaters were done and would now crawl back to wherever they had come from and everything could get back to normal. There were those, however, who suspected that this was only the beginning and many were still nervous and on edge.

The school continued with classes and the teachers tried to resume their lessons, but their attitudes were subdued and they were less prone to put up with any hijinks. Professor Snape's class, especially, was an absolute horror for the students and even the Slytherin's were not spared his bitter ire and sharp tongue. All Quidditch games had been cancelled.

Harry and Draco used any free time they had to train hard with the wandless spell book, cajoling Ron and Hermione into practicing with them in either the duelling classroom or the Room of Requirement.

"You have to try and hit us with something stronger than a Bat-Bogey Hex," Draco complained as he easily reflected the spell that Hermione had cast.

"I don't want to hurt you guys," the young girl said nervously. She was not totally thrilled to be trying to harm the two wizards, especially Harry.

"As if you could, Granger," Draco drawled out, smirking in his most Slytherin way.

Hermione scowled and then raised her wand, pointing it at the blonde. "Expelliarmus," she yelled out and a flash of pale blue light raced towards Draco.

"Evade," Draco called out and he felt his body move quickly across the room, faster than the eye could follow, suddenly seeming to disappear and then to reappear to the left and just in front of Ron, who was standing beside the frizzy haired girl.

"Immobulus," Ron called out, surprised at Draco's abrupt presence.

"We got him," Hermione smiled as she walked around the frozen blonde with a grin of satisfaction on her face.

Harry waved his hand and Draco was able to move again. "Not bad, Weasley," the blonde complimented.

"What the hell was that?" Ron questioned. He looked at Draco with a slight bit of awe. "Did you Apparate?"

"No, I just moved really fast," he grinned. Draco wobbled slightly on his feet, feeling a bit dizzy. "That spell took a little out of me," he said as he sat down on the floor, wiping at his forehead which had become hot and sweaty.

"We should call it quits for now," Harry stated as he came over to check on his boyfriend. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

"I'm fine and we need to keep practicing. Your scars been acting up almost every day now, Merlin knows when the Dark Lord will show up. We can't afford to rest," Draco admonished. The blonde was a bit disheartened that he couldn't control where he ended up when he used the Evade spell. He actually had meant to appear behind the two Gryffindor's so he could hex them before they had a chance to turn and respond.

"He's right, Harry," Hermione added. "We have to be ready to deal with this when the time comes."

"Come on, then," Ron quipped. "Let's get back at it. This time we'll go after you, Harry.

XXX

Hermione put another two marks on the map she had created to track Death Eater attacks with a shaky hand, before bursting into tears.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron questioned worriedly, getting up from where he had been sitting and studying in the Gryffindor common room.

The young witch continued to sob as she passed over the Daily Prophet for Ron the read. The red-heads eyes got large as he read which places had been attacked this time. One attack had happened in the Cotswolds; a half-blood wizard had died holding back the Death Eaters so his family could escape by floo to the protection of the Ministry. The second attack had happened in Suffolk, where Hermione's parents lived. Two muggles were missing, their house burned to the ground.