In her excitement to return to Hogwarts, Hermione paid little attention to the items she was throwing in Ron’s trunk.
“Hey,” Ron protested loudly. “That’s fragile.”
Hermione scoffed when she saw what she had just thrown into the trunk. “I hardly think that a broom servicing kit can be classified as fragile,” she retorted haughtily.
Seconds later, Hermione nearly crashed through the ceiling of Ron’s room when Moody’s voice boomed behind her. “Constant Vigilance.”
Hermione steadied her racing heart and turned around to greet him. “Hello, Professor,” she said politely. “Will you be joining us at Hogwarts?”
“Don’t call me Professor,” he replied gruffly, grinning at the startled look on her face. “I haven’t done any teaching yet. When we get to Hogwarts, I expect you to call me Alastor. Professor sounds so proper, and I am far from proper.”
Hermione smiled, acknowledging that he would indeed be one of their teachers at Hogwarts. “Will you be taking us there?”
“Hermione,” Ron interrupted, feeling completely left out of the conversation. “We don’t need an escort to get there, remember?”
Moody glared at Ron. “You think you no longer need any protection just because you can change shape at will? Well I have news for you. It’s just as easy to kill a bird. It might even be easier.” His voice thawed ever so slightly as he turned to Hermione. “No one will be accompanying you. The eight of us will arrive shortly before you do. We will insure that the castle is protected and the wards are still in place. Once you arrive and are settled I must return to the Burrow to help Arthur with some new wards. Any questions?”
Ron glanced at Hermione, shrugging his shoulders in confusion. “Why do we need new wards?” His question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but he was hoping that Moody would answer him.
“I can’t tell you that, Mr. Weasley. It would put too many people in jeopardy.” Moody turned and clunked down the stairs to Ginny’s room.
“Are the two of you ready yet?” he roared.
Harry spun around, pretending to clutch his heart and gasping for breath. “Professor,” he gurgled. “Help me!” He let his legs collapse beneath him causing him to crash to the floor at Ginny’s feet. “Help me! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
Ginny raised a single eyebrow at Harry’s antics. When he refused to get up off the floor without help, she rounded on Moody. “Now look what you’ve done. Right after the wedding too, and now I’m stuck with him. Look at him. He’s pathetic.”
Moody looked horrified at her outburst. Harry managed to look deeply wounded before collapsing into a fit of laughter.
Ginny nudged his leg with her foot. When he didn’t stop laughing, she sighed in mock disgust. “There’s only one thing to do,” she told Moody. “Levicorpus.”
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Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived
FanfictionThe story that started it all... With the help of an ancient spell, his friends, and love, Harry embarks on his mission to destroy Voldemort. What will happen on the way? With Ginny, Ron, and Hermione by his side, will Harry find the solution? And...
