Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived

Chapter Three - Express Planning (TBWL)

Chapter Three: Express Planning

Having returned to Gryffindor Tower in the early hours of the morning, Harry knew that they should go straight to sleep. The level of pent up energy was incredibly high in the common room. Everyone was buzzing with excitement; there was so much energy that they were bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet.

“Do you reckon anyone would see us?” asked Ron.

“There isn’t anyone here to see us,” Ginny responded.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Harry asked callously, obviously not caring what would happen.

“They could expel us!” shrieked Hermione.

The other three laughed while Hermione glared at them. She looked at the carefree looks on their faces and thought that they looked like Fred and George. The way they looked right before they flew out of Hogwarts on their brooms, never to return. She froze, a Weasley flush creeping up her face, and whirled around so her back was to them. She didn’t want to see the looks on their faces after what she said next.

“Just because I am choosing not to return next term does not mean that I want to be expelled. I don’t want my name besmirched,” she finished dramatically.

This declaration sent Harry, Ron and Ginny into fits of laughter. Ginny was laughing so hard she was crying, and Ron had managed to give himself the hiccoughs. Harry started to approach Hermione to talk some adventure into her. He had managed to get two steps closer to her when she disappeared. Her Eagle form balanced on the ledge of the open window. Harry took this as an indisputable sign that Hermione was eager for a little rule breaking. Neither Dumbledore, nor Professor McGonagall had specifically told them not to transform. They had merely suggested to them that they might want to go to bed, to get some much-needed rest. “Rest,” Harry had to stop himself from laughing out loud, “who needed to rest when you could fly?”

He transformed with a ‘pop’ similar to the one Fawkes made and soared out of the castle to join Hermione. They soared through open windows, in and out of the Owlery, and around the Quidditch Pitch. He circled on the night’s breeze, in he bright light of the moon, for a few long minutes. With another ‘pop’, he was under a grove of trees within inches of Ginny’s Unicorn form. They transformed back into their human forms and Harry pulled her close to him as he leaned against the trunk of the nearest tree. This was the first time they had been alone since their reconciliation and he intended to take advantage of the beauty of the night. He ran his fingers softly along her cheek and across her jaw. She smiled as she ran her fingers up the back of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair. They stared into each other’s eyes for a lover’s eternity. Harry slowly bent closer to her and stopped inches from her face. He could see every freckle on her nose, every eyelash against her pale skin. He was lost in thought when she pulled on his neck and brought his lips to hers. When she shifted her body closer to his, he deepened the kiss. It seemed like hours, but in reality they broke apart after a few intense moments.

Back in the chill of the night, Harry had an idea. He asked her if she would try a test of their powers. She readily agreed and he explained what he needed her to do.

“Ginny, close your eyes and imagine yourself standing outside the front door of Hagrid’s,” he urged.

Within seconds she was gone. He closed his eyes and brought his strongest memory of Ginny to the surface of his thoughts. He remembered seeing her in the Chamber, willing her to live as he felt himself dying from the Basilisk poison. He remembered her frail body lying on the cold stone slab and the feelings it evoked deep within his heart. He felt himself jerked through existence and when he opened his eyes he was not where he expected to be. He should be looking at the front door to Hagrid’s hut, but instead he was looking out over the lake. He was on top of the Astronomy Tower, standing next to Ginny. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her as they stared out at the wondrous scenery in front of them.