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If You Can Help Her | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fluff, Humor Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 570 Summary: This story starts with an alternative ending to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where Harry helps Ginny recover from her experience, unknowingly initiating a bond that affects the rest of their lives. Rating is for violence in the later chapters. **A French translation called "Si tu peux l'aider" is being written by the author Sined. It's posted on Fanfiction.Net. Hitcount: Story Total: 296326; Chapter Total: 9970 |
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If You Can Help Her — Chapter 39 —Leaving Hogwarts The atmosphere at Hogwarts as the final feast approached was nervous because the shadow of Voldemort’s return left the students wondering how safe they and their families would be. They knew that Hogwarts was safer than any of their homes, so the prospect of leaving wasn’t an entirely reassuring idea. The muggleborn students were even more worried than the others. Everyone knew that the Ministry of Magic hadn’t even been able to stop a handful of Death Eaters at the World Cup a year ago, and that Harry Potter had been kidnapped from a ministry-sponsored event. Fortunately, they also knew that the Minister of Magic did participate in Harry’s rescue, but that he’d spent the night in the hospital wing. Overall, they weren’t entirely confident in the ministry’s ability to protect them. People were walking quickly to their destinations without stopping to chat. Everyone would flinch at the slightest noise. In the mornings everyone would scan the Daily Prophet for any news about Voldemort’s activities. The fact that there hadn’t been any Death Eater attacks yet seemed to make them even more nervous. The team of pranksters felt that this was the perfect time to lighten up the mood with a prank on the whole school. - The feast began normally, with Dumbledore beginning it with a speech, “Another year gone. This year has had good times and bad. This year has seen Minister Fudge replaced, both Harry Potter and Fred Weasley become Triwizard Champions, and Voldemort returning. We have made friends with students from both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Our bonds of friendship between them and our other friendships will be crucial to maintain during the perilous times that lie ahead. But we also must remember to enjoy the moment….” Bang! At that moment, pandemonium erupted as everyone in the Great Hall was affected by the latest prank. Dumbledore found himself dressed as Santa Clause. Sprout was Mother Nature. Flitwick was very upset to see that he was Cupid, complete with wings and a halo, wearing nothing but a diaper and carrying a bow and arrows as he floated six feet above the floor. McGonagall was the Tooth Fairy. Trelawney had rabbit ears, whiskers, and a tail. She was carrying an Easter Basket full of eggs. The ever-vigilant Mad-Eye Moody couldn’t stay awake as he was the Sandman, dressed in a nightcap and nightshirt. Slughorn had a long white beard and a staff as he represented Father Time. The Slytherins all looked like Vampires, with pale skin and fangs and black dress robes, except that huge bat wings were growing out of their backs. Harry was amazed at what little difference that made in Draco’s appearance. The Ravenclaws looked like baby chicks in the process of hatching. Each of their heads, arms, and legs were sticking out of an eggshell that seemed to be all they were wearing. Instead of lips, they had beaks. The Hufflepuffs looked like the Scarecrow from the muggle movie, ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ The Gryffindors were all wearing green outfits like Santa’s elves. “Well,” said Dumbledore/Santa chuckling, “Obviously someone has taken my advice on enjoying life to heart. Let the feast begin!” The food appeared in front of everybody, and they dug in. The Slytherins actually found the fangs helpful in chewing their food. Harry turned to Ginny. “You look really cute in the outfit.” She blushed just a little. “I was hoping you’d like it. Too bad you’re not a vampire. Except for the wings. You would look sexy in those dress robes. Not to mention the fangs.” His eyes widened. “You want me with fangs?” “It would be fun to wrap my tongue around them,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him seductively. “As soon as we’re alone, I’ll arrange it.” - The prank wore off when the feast was over, and true to his word, Harry made fangs for himself, but found that he had to hold back while snogging Ginny, afraid he’d hurt her. The fact that she could feel his fear spoiled the mood. They decided not to try that again. They’d both started concentrating on managing their animagus transformations once Harry was released from the hospital. They knew they were extremely close to achieving their wolf and cheetah forms, respectively. They expected to do that within a month, if not sooner. After that they were going to start working on the dragon. They both realized that this would require them achieving level three of their bond, and once Ginny made it very clear that she had no intention of trying to sever their bond, Harry realized that being able to become a dragon would be helpful, so Ginny was able to talk him into working toward that as well. - The next day they boarded the Hogwarts Express for the trip home. Harry and Ginny were both excited about living in the same house and nervous about the kind of supervision they’d have to put up with while there. They sat in a compartment with Ron and Hermione. After charming the compartment for privacy, the brunette girl surprised everyone by saying, “I’m staying with you, too. Mum sent me a letter that said that after speaking with Dumbledore they’re going into hiding. They’ll be at the station to say hello, but then they’ll be leaving the country. They didn’t tell me where they’ll be, for fear that someone might find out, but that they’ll have a way to communicate with me that’s untraceable.” “Really,” said Ron with a grin. He’d seemed down since he thought he wouldn’t be seeing Hermione for a while. He knew better than to admit that he’d been jealous that Ginny would be with her boyfriend while he couldn’t be with his girlfriend. “That’s great!” “I’m certainly glad you’ll be with us, Hermione,” said Harry, “but I hope you don’t miss your parents too much. If you need to talk about it, we’re all here for you.” She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “I, well thank you, Harry. That’s very thoughtful.” Harry felt Ginny’s pride, happiness, and a desire to snog him senseless, causing him to blush. Ron noticed, but thought it was Hermione making him blush. He fortunately didn’t say anything, putting it in the back of his mind. Harry said, “Er, well, I know you don’t get to see your parents much. Hopefully this great way to communicate won’t just be muggle mail.” Hermione chuckled. “It better not be.” “I wonder if Malfoy and his goons are gonna show up today,” said Harry. “They usually do,” said Ron. “Let me hex Malfoy,” said Hermione with an evil grin. The others stared at her in amazement. “What? He was talking to his dad when he was disguised as Hagrid the day after Harry’s name came out of the goblet! He’s been in on this plot from the beginning and should be in Azkaban with his father right now! Or at the very least expelled.” Ginny sighed, “But Dumbledore loves to give people like him and Tom Riddle a chance to do more damage.” “Exactly!” said Hermione. “Then I get Crabbe,” said Harry. “I get Goyle,” Ginny claimed before Ron could. - Not long after that, Hermione removed the charm from the door. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle wasted no time in showing up, the first two looking angrier than ever. “Hey scarhead! I’ll bet you and your blood-traitor whore are really pleased with yourselves!” “I’m pleased I didn’t need anyone to buy me a girlfriend like you did, if that’s what you mean.” As others were snickering, Ginny said, “How much did your Filthy Death Eater dad pay for Pansy’s betrothal anyway?” Hermione added, “I’ll bet it was a lot to get her parents to let a filthy Death Nibbler like you have her!” “More money than your family will ever see,” Draco said with a sneer while looking at Ginny, unless of course you’re getting both the Potter and Black fortunes for your services.” “If you’re trying to insult Ginny,” said Harry lightly, “Come up with your own insults. Don’t use mine. Besides, what I said about Pansy is true. It’s a matter of public record. Your betrothed is bought and paid for. What you said about Ginny is not true. However, I do believe that your jailbird dad had to pay quite a bit of money to find someone for a squib like you.” His face turned red. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle started pulling out their wands while Harry, Ginny, and Hermione hexed them. Harry gave Crabbe the bat-bogey hex, while Ginny did the same with Goyle. Hermione hit Draco with a hex that turned his nose into a pig snout and turned his hands and feet into pig hooves, causing him to first drop his wand and fall flat on his face, revealing a tail growing behind him. He ran on all fours after his companions who were fleeing bat bogeys. While they were laughing, Harry stepped on one end of Draco’s wand and grabbed the other end. He then ‘accidentally’ broke it. “Whoops!” he said with mock sorrow. “How could I ever be so clumsy?” He then kicked the two pieces out the door as both Neville and Luna walked up to the compartment. Luna was laughing hysterically while Neville was chuckling. “Was that Malfoy running off on all fours with a tail?” Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron burst out laughing. “Come on in,” Ron said in between snorts. As soon as they walked in, Hermione sealed the door again. “Oh, that’s what you’re doing,” said Neville. “We tried the door earlier but it wouldn’t open.” “Sorry,” said Hermione with a worried look. “That’s alright,” said Luna, “I’m sure you were just keeping the ascloaps out.” “Something like that,” said Ginny while suppressing a grin. - They spent the rest of the trip chatting about various things until finally the train came to a halt. Neville and Luna said goodbye to the others after they dismounted. Harry’s quartet found Mr. and Mrs. Weasley standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Sirius Black. As they approached, so did Fred and George. Mrs. Weasley started hugging everyone while saying, “Hello! How was the trip?” While the others answered, Harry noticed that Draco was just getting up while his mother was removing the hex. He smiled and turned to Mrs. Weasley, accepting her hug. “Hermione, it is so wonderful to see you!” said her mum while hugging her. “You’ve grown. I wish you could spend the summer with us, but Professor Dumbledore insisted that we must leave. Here.” The woman slipped a wrapped package into her daughter’s hand. “He said Sirius and Harry will know all about it. She whispered in Hermione’s ear. “It’s a two-way mirror.” “Great,” said a smiling Hermione. “I was hoping it wasn’t muggle post.” Her mum giggled, “Nothing but the best for my girl. I love you.” Her father then hugged her tightly, “I love you too, sweetheart.” “I love you both very much,” said Hermione, who now seemed close to tears. After a few minutes of chatting, where Mr. Granger seemed to individually tell everyone there, even Ginny, to take care of Hermione (much to his daughter’s embarrassment), the muggles left and Sirius pulled out a length of rope. “Everybody grab on.” Once they all had a hold on the portkey, Sirius said, “Activate.” - Please review. Thank you to everyone who has. Sorry about this taking longer than usual. I’ve been working on another story called ‘Harry McGonagall.’ By the way, I used the mythical figures from the movie ‘Santa Clause 2.’ |
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