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SIYE Time:16:54 on 9th December 2024
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October
By Spenser Hemmingway

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Category: Alternate Universe, Dark Autumn Challenge (2005-5), Post-OotP
Characters:None
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 19
Summary: Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione reminisce about a trip during the previous school year. How they and some other students came to the aid of Neville's club and a famous hebologist at his Hogsmeade farm.
Hitcount: Story Total: 5759



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.





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October

By Spenser Hemmingway


“Just as a painter needs light in order to put the finishing touches to his picture, so I need an inner light, which I feel I never have enough of in the autumn.”
–-Leo Tolstoy



One of the things I really love about being at Hogwarts is all of the great stories I’ve been able to come up with here. I’m not just talking about what I can write on my own during my nonexistent spare time, but also the stories that I can get friends to relate to me about this wonderful place and the people who live and work here. I’m surprised sometimes at how many students (and teachers) seek me out now with an anecdote, maybe hoping that I’ll jot it down for them. Naturally, I usually need to get verification, but I’ve discovered a few simple spells that allow me to obtain certain uncovered facts, memories, and perspectives. Also, I know an excellent truth/verification spell that I can use on writings. No not people.

I’ve already been strongly counseled about how the school has had bad experiences with journalists delving into private lives and reporting on private matters–-often out of context. Usually was actually what Professor McGonagall said about those experiences. I’m not a reporter though, and not even a true author since I would never consider anything that I produced to be art or literature. I’m a storyteller, and, on a good day, a chronicler of other people’s adventures. I’ll also say right now that I would never interfere with Harry Potter’s special biographer, an amazing writer who is producing a very special series on him. I’m hoping though that she won’t mind my telling a few side stories which won’t end up in her books

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were a little leery of my writing at first, and I can’t say that I blame them, but a five-hour marathon of swapping stories about Oregon and their time at Hogwarts, (as well as a short note from two of our mutual friends), and I was at least trusted enough to hear some of their lesser-known tales. Talk about kid in a candy store, I was scribbling notes so fast that the parchment was smoking–-literally. Hermione has since helped me with a dictation spell that strangely reminds me of my Muggle laptop (an item that I’m not allowed to show to Ron, to use for my schoolwork, or even to take it outside of the Muggle Studies classroom).

Anyway, this particular story occurred just last fall, and it’s a particular favorite of Ron’s sister Ginny. She’s a great girl and she’s absolute bonkers…no that isn’t the phrase...mega-understatement. She’s in love with Harry, and they’re going to have to do a much better job if they’re trying to hide it. I’ll have her, Harry, and Hermione proofread this when I’m done. I’m afraid Ron is a little tee’d off at me about putting it on parchment…not that everyone in school hasn’t heard some version of it. Mine is the accurate one.


*****



It was a very warm…unseasonably warm afternoon in the October of Harry’s sixth year. He and Ron were lounging in the empty Gryffindor Common Room, not trying to do the homework that was demanding their attention, but instead studying the walls, furniture, and anything else that could withstand their short attention spans. They had been granted an unusually early visit to Hogsmeade that morning and were impatiently waiting for Ginny and Hermione to return from the library, so they could go. Harry finally got up and went over to the large stone fireplace, stirring the cold ashes there, not out of need, but rather out of frustration with the delay.

“Harry…” Ron asked his best friend, seeing that something besides boredom was on his face, "is everything okay with you? Gin and Hermione will be back in a few minutes. I know you don’t want Ginny coming with us, but Hermione is putting her foot down about how she needs to.”

When Harry turned back to him, Ron noticed that something really was wrong. He was about to ask again when Harry raised one hand, shook his head, and silently made it clear that just then was not the time to talk about it. Seeing the hurt in Ron’s eyes, Harry walked over and sat back down next to him.

“Ron, something is bothering me right now, and I’m not sure what it is yet. Really…I’m going to talk to you and Hermione about it once I figure it out, but, for the time being, it’s just I have some…weird feelings I…”

Bad feelings Harry?”

“I don’t know.” Harry stood up again and walked over to the large window. Looking out he saw how the leaves were now fully ablaze, and the colors were astonishing to him. Harry loved the seasons here at his school, especially the Christmas snow, but this brief moment in time each October was his favorite. It had been a good summer for the farms and gardens across England. He had used every opportunity he could during his holiday to wander through the parks, and admire the private gardens in his uncle’s Muggle neighborhood. He didn’t have anything close to Neville’s love of plants, but during those past months the little walks had helped to take his mind off his godfather’s death.

“I don’t think that it’s really bad Ron, and no…it’s not about Sirius. Is Ginny going to bring Justin along today, or is she back together with Dean or Michael?” Harry instantly wondered why he had asked that and noticed that his stomach had suddenly tightened waiting for Ron’s answer.

“Nah, she’s had a row with whichever guy she’s with this week. I’ll tell you though. I don’t like any of them. My little sis…”

“Isn’t little anymore, and who I go out with is none of your flippin’ business. Hi Harry. What has this lunk-head brother of mine been telling you?”

Neither Ron nor Harry had noticed them enter. “Hi Ginny…Hermione. He’s just been telling me you’re his favorite sister, and he knows that you’re smarter than he is, and you’re mature enough to make your own decisions about stuff like that. He’s going to leave Hogwarts, go live in a deep hole, and never bother you again.” Harry intentionally tried to make a joke of it, but the tight feeling in his stomach was actually becoming painful now.

“Harry, what the bleedin’…?”

“Ronald, please hush. We can table your ongoing argument with Ginny for another time,” Hermione quickly said, trying to avoid yet another quarrel on their one day off-grounds for the next several weeks. “We have to be going. Neville, Colin, and Seamus are expecting us.”

Harry looked over to the girls, grateful for Hermione’s intervention. His eyes locked with Ginny’s and held there for several moments. Ron’s retort to Hermione was cut short when he noticed the two of them. He saw that Hermione was aware of the same thing.

“Er…Neville is going to be late. Seamus said that some people from the Herbology Club were going out to one of the farms near Hogsmeade to see some weird plant,” Ron announced as he walked over to Ginny. The girl glared at him until she took in how his expression was one of confused curiosity, not his usual dense big brother stare.


*****



The four friends joined Seamus and Colin at the edge of the Hogwarts grounds along with a few stragglers. Seamus was trying to demonstrate some sort of spell to the fifth-year, and he didn’t seem to be having much luck. Curious, Ron came closer, and saw that their attention appeared to be on a small, newly picked pumpkin perched atop a tree stump.

“Hi Ron, I’m trying to show Colin here the pumpkin carving spell that Fred and George did last year. Gordum Lacerates!” Hearing the twins’ was all the warning Ron needed, but he wasn’t fast enough to deflect the pumpkin as it exploded in his face, knocking him onto his back.

Seamus rushed to him, conjuring a wet towel, and apologizing for the misstep. Harry came over with the girls, and saw that, apart from his wounded dignity, and a nasty scrape on his cheek, he was okay. He had also noticed that Hermione had a worried expression on her face, but, as always with Ron, she turned it into irritated sarcasm.

“Do you want me to kiss it and make it feel better?” Hermione asked, but then simply gave him an exasperated look, and tapped the cheek with her wand to stop the bleeding.

Watching her step away with Ginny, Ron turned to Harry and the others. “This is really starting out to be a wonderful day.”


*****



The Gryffindor group, having been joined by several other students, was almost to Hogsmeade when a third-year named Rudy Rallywood came running up to meet them. Harry remembered him as being a potentially gifted Quidditch recruit but didn’t know much more about him. The younger student was completely out of breath, but he seemed to be excited to have the opportunity to speak with him. Harry had become so used to flustered fans that he could only smile at Rudy’s enthusiasm. Finally, the boy simply gave Harry a note, a mock salute, and then ran back the way he came. Harry opened the note.

Harry,

Dunhickey’s Farm. North of Hogsmeade on the river road. Death Eaters!

Neville.

P.S. Don’t let Rudy come back here.


Rallywood had already taken off. “Blast it. Where did that kid go?” Harry handed the note off to Ron, who read it aloud to the assembled group.

“There can’t be Death Eaters around here now. Not this close to the school…in broad daylight!”

“He must be confused,” Seamus told the rest of them. “You know what Neville’s like. He’s scared of his own shadow.”

“He stood up to me our first year at school,” Harry reminded them. “Neville is a lot more capable then you would give him credit, and he was smart enough to try and get that third-year out of there. It looks like we’re taking a detour. Ginny…” Harry suddenly found himself flying through the air to land on his backside in what he saw was a soft, mossy patch of ground. She gave him a look that got a specific message across–-she was coming too. Colin was sent for help.


*****



Harry and the others ran as fast as they could toward the river road, hoping the message that they’d been sent was somehow a mistake. Harry kept turning over in his mind what Neville had written, completely unsure of what to expect, and fluctuating between irritation that their friend hadn’t included more details and understanding how he may not have had time to do so.

Harry had only a rough idea of where they were going. He knew that Dunhickey was an elderly Wizard from Liverpool, who had once been an instructor at the school, and who had settled at Hogsmeade the year before Harry had come to Hogwarts. He also knew that the gentleman was famous for his orchids, pumpkins, medicinal plants, and…

Mooshi root!” Hermione said, completing his train of thought.

“That’s it Hermione!” Harry stopped the group of students.

He saw their number had grown to nine, but admitted to himself that, apart from the four other Gryffindors, he really didn’t know any of them that well. He recognized the Faircatch twins (fraternal not identical like Fred and George), Buzz Coonan who had once tried to take on Ron at Wizard chess…but only once, and a very large sixth-year Welshman named Brandon Llewellyn, who shared Hagrid’s love of dragon’s and Hermione’s love of good books. “They’re after mooshi root!”

Harry saw that except for Hermione, everyone else was totally at sea.

“Mooshi root,” she explained, “is the base ingredient of a very powerful potion that can provide miraculous treatment if someone is seriously wounded. It is also a type of intoxicant for garden gnomes. It makes them violently crazy.”

“That’s right. I remember now…you should too Harry. That summer at the Burrow after our third year, the garden gnomes went bonkers. It took us two days to clean them up, and George almost lost a hand. What’s Neville doing out there with a bunch of that stuff?”

“He is very interested in medicinal plants, because of…” Hermione caught herself. The condition of Neville’s cursed parents was no one’s business there, although looking at Seamus, she was suddenly sure that he knew about them as well. “Anyway, Mr. Nero Dunhickey has a wide array of similar plants, and they would be a great prize…as would he…if You-Know-Who were to obtain either. Harry, what are you thinking?”

Everyone turned to him there, and they saw the intense look of concentration on his face as he studied the sky around them. His concentration wavered for just a moment as he felt Ginny come up beside him and brush the back of her hand against his. He smiled at her but was suddenly alert again. What had he heard…no sensed.

“Everyone…cover!” he yelled, as bolts of fire came down on them.

Four Dark Wizards appeared from nowhere and flew their brooms straight at the group, brandishing black wands, and peppering them with the green bolts of flame. The younger Coonan was frozen in place, but quickly knocked down by a fast-thinking Seamus. Harry and Ron each returned the Death Eater’s fire with quick Zapfzz bolts, then sure the rest of the students were under some semblance of cover, tried to disarm the flyers and bring them down with the Immobulus Spell. Both were countered, and Ron took a nasty bolt off his left shoulder that sent him to his knees.

Suddenly Hermione was beside Harry, as angry as he had ever seen her. Ginny had come up to Ron’s normal place on his left, having instructed the Faircatch twins to take care of her brother. Hermione started to mumble something that Harry couldn’t make out, and suddenly the Death Eaters brooms began to stall in mid-flight. It was just enough of a reprieve for Harry, Ginny, and Seamus to hurl binding curses on the four, who fell from their brooms, but Disapparated before hitting the ground.

“Great job Hermione.” Harry told her, smiling despite his concern for the wounded Ron. “What was that?”

“You should know that one. That’s what Professor Quirell used on your broom during that Quidditch game your first year.”


*****



Harry noted that some of the group was definitely shaken after the experience, but not those that had been with him at the Ministry the previous spring…or Brandon Llewellyn. The large Welshman had been extremely cool during the fight, watching the old D.A. students’ flanks, but staying out of the way of those he knew to be more experienced. Where the twins and Buzz Coonan were working hard to put on brave faces, Brandon was actually calm, and doing his best to encourage the other three. Harry found himself liking the Ravenclaw and wondering why he hadn’t thought to bring him into Dumbledore’s Army the previous year.

“Harry, will you tell this…will you tell Hermione to leave me alone.” Ron pushed her aside as she tried to tend him, stronger than either of them expected. Seeing the look on Harry’s face, and then noticing the hurt on Hermione’s, made Ron realize he had overdone it. He started to say something, but she had already gone over to Buzz, under the pretext of checking him for injuries.

Harry stepped over to Ron with a stern look on his face. “Are you okay Ron?”

“Yeah Harry,” Ron answered in a subdued tone.

“Good, because if you ever act like that much of a git to Hermione again, you’ll be lucky to get off so easily. I’m ready to knock you down myself over it. She saved all of us just now, and you need to be opening your eyes about…”

Harry stopped himself. Ron would have to figure out on his own how he felt about Hermione. He did see something in Ron’s eyes though, telling him that the message had gotten through. “We need to be going everyone. Neville may be in trouble, and they know we’re coming now.”


*****



Ten more minutes brought them to a knoll overlooking the last stretch of the river road. Harry, Seamus, and Ginny crept up to the edge of the woods for a closer look at the farm below. Harry noticed that Ron had held back, and he was off to the rear of the group having a talk with Hermione. Ginny gave Harry a quick smile as both took in how, for once, the two didn’t seem to be arguing.

Turning their attention back to the farm, Harry and Ginny saw that the picture below still seemed to be a calm one…beautiful in fact. The October colors that Harry had noticed earlier in the day were magnified ten-fold here. The farm looked as if an artist had laid it out for a calendar portrait. The barns were a perfect forest green with a clean white trim about the doors and stall windows. The hues complimented the autumn leaves, and the earthy tones of the fields to the east made the whole scene appear ideal. Harry and the others could not help but wonder how something so horrible could be associated with such a landscape.

“Harry, this is too peaceful. Do you smell a trap?” Seamus asked.

“Harry, Seamus…the scarecrow in the garden next to that outbuilding.” Ginny was pointing at the farm with a frightened look.

Beside what appeared to be a sturdy storage shed to the right of the house, there appeared what they all agreed on first examination to be a large garden plot, freshly tilled, and, to one end, a makeshift scarecrow…Roddy.

“Blast it! I should have stopped him from coming back,” Harry said, as angry with himself as he was with the Dark Wizards who had taken the younger boy. Any ideas?”

“Harry, that’s only about the length of a Quidditch field from here, and downhill. I could make a run while you flank the yard from both sides.”

We’re not soldiers Seamus,” Harry started, glad that he had the Irishman with him today. “A few of these people haven’t even fired a bolt in class, let alone against Death Eaters, but your idea seems to be the only one that I can see working right now. When I give the signal, you take Ginny and the Faircatchs to the left, while Ron, Hermione, and Brandon go to the right. I should almost be to…”

“Harry look…it’s Brandon! ” Ginny pointed at the yard with a stunned look on her face. Brandon Llewellyn was at a full sprint, halfway to the site where Rudy was trussed up. They noted with satisfaction that he was at least staggering his route to avoid any incoming bolts.

“We have to go now! Just as we said, only Ginny’s with me and Ron’s with you. They’re going to let him get close to Rudy to draw us out, but they won’t allow Brandon to get him to safety without us in the open to catch. Watch for them.”

Harry rushed back and shouted to the others what was happening. He was pleased to see they weren’t demanding long explanations, and that Ron and Hermione had just finished a quick hug. Ron’s only comment was about his disappointment with how he wasn’t on Harry’s left, but Harry called back that he needed more experience on Seamus’ side. Ginny had his back. He caught himself after he had said it and wondered why he was so comfortable with it.

Harry took his group and made a very visible sprint around to the right of the yard with the intention of drawing any fire from Brandon. No one had yet seen any of the Death Eaters, or, for that matter, Neville’s group. He did see that Seamus and Ron had reached the farmhouse with the frightened but apparently still determined twins. Harry looked back at Buzz, and noted the same scared look, but also a smile and a thumbs-up. Where the blazes were Colin and help? Where were the Death Eaters? Suddenly it hit him…it was October.

“Ron! Seamus! The garden bed!” Harry yelled as he aimed his wand at the newly tilled soil next to where Brandon had finally freed Roddy. Several Impactus bolts were aimed at the site, and then abruptly the dirt erupted to reveal two large trolls armed with clubs suddenly charging Brandon and the unconscious Rudy. From the larger of the two barns came six Death Eaters, splitting into two teams, and directing their magic against the Hogwarts students.

Harry saw that Brandon had reached the outbuilding, but, for some reason, was unable to open the door to get Rudy safely inside. Throwing the much smaller boy over his shoulder, he suddenly charged one of the trolls, surprising it just enough to cause the monster to pause for the briefest of moments. Brandon raised his wand to set the troll’s club on fire. Then, gaining another moment of pause, took Rudy into his chest, and rolled under the troll’s legs. He was just able to return to his feet when the troll spun to face him, but it was knocked to the ground, bound in blue magical chains conjured by Ginny and Hermione. Brandon smiled his thanks quickly to them both, but then continued his run for the cover of the second barn.

Harry and Seamus were concentrating their bolts on the Death Eaters, who, after seeing the first troll go down so quickly, had again reunited into one group. Not bothering with binding spells, the two Gryffindors were relying on Zapfzz shots, hoping to disrupt the attack with the faster, though less potent stun bolts. Seamus was able to hit one of the Death Eaters square in the forehead, and Harry was pleased to see two of his bolts hit another one in quick succession in both shoulders. Apparently aware of their situation, the remaining Death Eaters recovered their fallen friends and Disapparated away from the farm.

Now free to concentrate on the second troll, Harry wasn’t at all surprised to see that Hermione and Ginny had it bound up as tight as the first one.

“How did you know Harry?” Buzz asked.

“Simple–-a fresh-plowed garden at harvest time. It’s October. Any sign of Neville?”

“Harry, over here.” Seamus was at the outbuilding, joined by Brandon who had deposited the injured Roddy on a lounge chair near the house. “I can’t open it for some reason. The lock has a protection on it.”

Brandon, who was obviously not amused by the situation, but still maintaining the calm attitude that Harry had admired, simply walked up to the door, and, with one swift effort, kicked it in off of its hinges. Inside was an elderly gentleman that Harry decided must be Mr. Dunhickey. He appeared to be shaken, but uninjured, and there was no sign of Neville.

Hermione walked up to Brandon Llewellyn to thank him for his help, and to compliment him on what he had done to save Roddy. She saw the others moving forward to join her, but then, noticing the embarrassed look on Brandon’s face, she put up her hand to stop them. He had earned that, she thought.

“Nice unlocking spell.”

Field expedient method,” he said smiling, and moved away from her.

Hermione realized that those had were the first words she had heard out of him that day.


*****



“Ron whose blood are you wearing all over you?” Hermione rushed over to him, ignoring any thoughts that he might push her away again.

Ron looked down to his left side and saw the hand that he had there came away bloody. “Oh crum, not again. Why is everyone picking on me today?” Harry helped Hermione get him over to another lounge chair next to where Rudy lay, and they both noted that Ron’s wound was a very serious one.

Seamus and Ginny came to join them after placing the Faircatch brothers and Buzz in covered areas where they could keep watch. Seeing Ron scared Ginny, but she knew she had to stay strong for her big brother. She gave Harry and Hermione a quick look, and saw that they felt the same way, but Ron, if anything, merely looked self-conscious about being hit. Ginny managed to give him a forced smile, but she couldn’t say anything. Instead, she rushed off to the farmhouse to try to find dressings and clean water. At the door, she met Mr. Dunhickey coming out with a basin, towels, and a small bottle of clear liquid.

“Excuse me Miss, but I believe that these will be of some help to you.” He walked past Ginny and over to Ron where he handed the basin to Harry. Kneeling at Ron’s side, he poured a portion of its contents on Ron’s wounds, and then made him drink a little more from the bottle. Ron’s eyes went wide, and he jumped to his feet as if shocked. Tearing open his already ruined shirt, he saw the wound was gone, and even the blood that had stained his side was slowly disappearing.

“You gave me the Mooshi Root Potion. I feel great. No wonder the Death Eaters want it.”

“And myself as well I’m afraid. Most common mooshi root is a simple weed that can sometimes be used for minor cuts and to get garden gnomes drunk. Mine however, is a specially grown variety, and the formula for the potion is a difficult process that I have been working to learn for years. Thank you my boy for helping me test it finally.”

“You’ve never tried it before?” Ron suddenly had a sick look on his face.

“The formula is an ancient one, and rather famous. There are stories of especially potent batches actually reversing beheadings! This is just the first time that I’ve been able to get it right. I’ve actually produced quite a bit of it this summer.”

Ron still looked scared but brightened up when he saw his friends smiling at him. “Um, thanks. I think that… Harry, look! The trolls are gone!

Ron, Harry, and Ginny ran to where they had been magically bound moments before. The ground still held the impression where they had fallen, but otherwise there was no trace of either of them. The group immediately had their wands back out and began scanning the surrounding fields and sky. Harry saw that Mr. Dunhickey had administered some of the healing potion to Rudy, and the younger student had reacted just as Ron did.

Hermione and Seamus joined them, both with concerned looks on their faces. “Harry, Ron we need to get everyone out of here,” she began. “We know they will be coming back for Mr. Dunhickey and his mooshi root. We have been very fortunate, but…”

“But we don’t want a repeat of what happened at the Ministry?” Harry asked, with a pained look on his face. He felt Ginny move over to his side and saw that she had a concerned expression. He felt the strange twisting in his stomach again as he looked at her.

“Harry, that is not what I meant,” Hermione told him. Harry saw that Ginny had pulled away again, and that his gut pained him at it. What was he feeling here? This was Ginny.

“Harry,” she continued, "what I was trying to say is that four of the people here aren’t experienced or trained for this. Only five of us were in the D.A. Although I think you should talk to Brandon about joining us some time.”

Mr. Dunhickey walked over to where they were then as well. “Young man, I take it that you are the leader of this group. Well, I have to strongly agree with your friend. We can’t risk your lives over this. I will simply destroy the supply of mooshi root potion that I have had made and trust myself to Professor Dumbledore’s protection.”

“How much of that do you have sir?” Ron asked.

Close to three hundred gallons.”

Harry reeled at hearing this and noted how everyone else was taken aback as well. They couldn’t destroy something so important; thousands of lives could be spared with what the man had produced. Did they have the means of carrying it with them?

“Can we transport it to the school magically Mr. Dunhickey?”

“No…no! It is extremely delicate. That is one of the reasons that I located here as I did, to be near your rail line. I can conjure some containers, and perhaps we can preserve a few gallons carrying it with us, but we must be going and soon.

Harry knew he was right, and it upset him thinking about what they had to do now. As lucky as they had been with two attacks from the Death Eaters, a third could cost them a great deal. Why did it have to be like this? He looked around the group and saw the confidence that they all had in him which he was sorely lacking in himself at the moment. He had to think. He didn’t feel Ginny’s hand again as she came back to him. When he did, he turned to her, and saw that she was giving him a look of absolute faith and trust. The feeling returned to Harry. Out of the blue, he had a plan. He gave Ginny his best smile, and then stepped over to Dunhickey.

“Sir, I have an idea. We’ll need those containers, and for you to trust me. We’re going to give the Death Eaters your potion.

“We’re going to give Death Eaters the mooshi root?” Buzz asked, with an incredulous look on his face. Harry hadn’t seen him join them. “We’ll make them invincible with it. How can we do that? I thought that we were the good guys?

Harry gave him a genuine smile, which Ginny thought had a little mischief behind it. “Buzz, even the good guys are allowed to cheat sometimes.”


*****



Rudy wasn’t sure where Neville had gone after sending him for Harry, but he defended his coming back to the farm to help his friends in the Herbology Club. Everyone was concerned for them, and they were wondering where Colin was with help. Harry took the D.A. alumni aside and motioned for Brandon to join them as well. The Welshman continued to impress him, and again he made a mental note about asking him to join their training circle.

“If my idea is to work, we have to play this just right. Ron do we have all the jugs filled yet?”

“Yeah Harry. I have them rigged for carrying.” Ron pointed over next to the smaller barn where Mr. Dunhickey had the potion stored in large barrels. Outside the large door at the one end were ten large containers with rope straps improvised for someone to attach to their backs. Buzz Coonan and Rudy Rallywood could be seen building some cover near the farmhouse. Hermione and Ginny had taken the time to show them the simple Zapfzz Spell, which was easy to use, if not all that effective against strong protective spells.

“Seamus, you and Brandon will need to stay with Mr. Dunhickey. If the Death Eaters get too close to him, then you’ll have to do what we talked about. Ginny…” Harry saw her eyes blaze and her jaw clench. He desperately wanted to get her out of there but knew, for some reason, that he couldn’t do it. He needed to talk to someone about her though. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling right now. “Ginny, you and Hermione will have to take care of the potion supply while Ron and I take Rudy, Buzz, and the twins to try to buy us some time. I hope that help arrives soon, but we can’t count on it now. Any questions?”

“Yes, what happens if we fail?” Brandon asked, but with a look as if he already knew the answer. Harry appreciated the question, since he wanted to be sure that no one had any doubts about what was to happen. Everyone had agreed to stay there with him, and Harry knew that they understood, but he wanted to be absolutely sure.

We all die, and Voldemort has a huge supply of a very powerful healing potion. If we succeed, then we can save a very large number of war casualties…thousands maybe.”


*****



The afternoon was quickly fading, and the consensus was that the attack would occur before sunset. The dark might help the Death Eaters if they were merely trying to kill the students, but they needed to recover the potion, and their odds would be improved if they could see. Their mistake had been to try to ambush Harry instead of just leaving with Mr. Dunhickey and the potion earlier. Even transporting it non-magically, they could have been far away by then, and Harry had to think that Voldemort would not be happy with further failure here.

Buzz Coonan was the first to spot Dark Wizards as they Apparated into the yard. Harry was pleased to see how alert Buzz had been, and how much calmer he sounded when he called out. Seamus fired the first spell at the Death Eaters, but it was easily blocked. Brandon let loose two fire bolts, which closely missed, and then he and Seamus each grabbed one of Mr. Dunhickey’s arms and ran for the small barn with him.

Suddenly, the Faircatch twins were each hit mid-chest by what appeared to be a strong force-blow spell. They were hurled back several feet and landed hard near the farmhouse. Harry and Ron both hoped that they were right about the Death Eaters being in too much of a hurry to use a killing spell. Harry saw that two of Voldemort’s Wizards were now down, but the remaining four were laying down a fierce hail of fire.

“Buzz, Rudy, quick get behind me!” Ron yelled, knowing the less experienced students probably didn’t know many of the counter-spells that Harry and he were using. The two were essentially alone in the fight.

Harry couldn’t ask for help from the girls, or from Seamus and Brandon, not if their plan was to work. He knew they would concentrate on their parts. Giving the barn a quick look, he noted that both Hermione and Ginny had anxious expressions, but they were working hard to conceal them. Harry also knew he was right about Ron and Hermione, and Ginny must have been worried about her big brother. He flinched as an orange bolt grazed his collarbone very lightly.

Abruptly, from the direction of the larger barn, several red bolts came at the Death Eaters. Harry saw Neville leading four others with him as he charged them, yelling instructions to the others about what they should be doing. He was obviously scared, but equally dedicated to his friends’ safety. The students with him were apparently confused about what they should be doing, but it was also to their credit that they were following him despite it. Neville hit one of the Death Eaters full in the face with a Zapfzz bolt, but to his horror, four more Apparated into the yard to join in the fight. Neville let out a scared scream and charged them still again.

As the Death Eaters turned their attention to Neville’s attack. Harry yelled to Ron to get Rudy and Buzz to the cover of the house. He ran toward Neville, trying a quick Immobulus, which again was blocked. Two bolts hit Harry then, numbing his left leg and arm. His attacker was hit full force with a red and gold flame and was sent hurling through the air to land in a pile of manure. Ginny and Neville were standing over him.

“Ginny, Ron’s safe!” Harry yelled to her. His leg was no longer numb, but it was starting to burn and ache.

“I know that. We’re ready Harry.” She helped him to his feet, and gave him a look that was partially fear, but mostly resolve.

Harry stood up, and tried to push Ginny behind, but she knocked his hand away and surprisingly smiled at him, shaking her head. Harry had to smile back. He then turned to face the assembled Death Eaters who were easily blocking all of the incoming spells thrown against them. Harry closed his eyes, sure that Ginny and Neville were watching over him. He looked deep inside himself, hoping the obscure spell that he had really never tried would save all of them. He would only have one chance to do this.

Opening his eyes, he again took Ginny’s hand without realizing it, and raising his wand over his head began to recite the spell. He was sweating as if he were defusing a Muggle bomb, and then realized that what he was doing was very close. “Stella lux, stella lumos, magna terra eruptos!

The ground under the farm seemed to be shifting beneath their feet. A strange glowing fog appeared around them, even the Death Eaters showed fear and confusion at what was happening.

Magna terra eruptos!” Harry repeated. The barn where they’d seen Ron and Seamus take Mr. Dunhickey…the barn where the entire mooshi root potion had been stored exploded in a fiery yet controlled upward blast. The fog dissipated, and the Death Eaters saw their targets pulled out from under their noses as they stood there. Harry could barely stand, but he knew that he had to finish this. Without noticing that he did so, he squeezed Ginny’s hand, and then pointed his wand at who he thought was their leader. “Empedium Max!” The Dark Wizard seemed to be blown out of the yard, sailing out far beyond the horizon. The remaining Death Eaters Disapparated away, and everyone saw the potion containers suddenly fly out of the yard in the direction of the far-off wood line.

“Harry that was brilliant! You need to teach us that one,” Neville said, rushing to support his clearly exhausted friend. “They have the potion though. Where’s Nero…I mean Mr. Dunhickey. Harry you’re bleeding!”

“It wasn’t brilliant Neville…it was staged. Korius Detonatum!” The woods where the Death Eaters had taken the mooshi root potion suddenly exploded with wild blue flames, which were instantly sucked back in, preserving the forest.

Harry saw a concerned, yet puzzled look on Neville’s face, and then, glancing down at himself, noticed he really was covered with his own blood. Harry looked over and saw that Ginny was still there. He also finally realized that he had been holding her hand through all of what had just happened. “Gin…stop crying…Ron really is…” Then everything went dark.


*****



When Harry awoke, he saw there was still daylight, but it was fading quickly. Everyone was standing around him, and, judging from the empty vial in Mr. Dunhickey’s hand, he assumed that they had given him some of the healing potion. Neville still had a confused look on his face, so he couldn’t have been unconscious for too long. Apparently, no one had had a chance to explain it all to him yet. Harry decided that after the charge Neville had made to help them, the explanation was the first thing he deserved.

“Hey Neville, thank you for the save back there. That is what was really brilliant today. We were worried about you.”

“I’m sorry Harry. I wanted to get the Club away from them. I think they saw us when we ran away. Then we found Colin tied up to a tree with his pants gone. I had to free him and send him on for help with Louisa Sheedy. We knew then we had to get back here and help.”

Pants’d and tied to a tree? Why does that sound like Malfoy?” Hermione asked.

“Well your timing was perfect mate, and the expression on your faces helped convince them that we destroyed it all. I had put a funnel explosion spell on the barn with Hermione’s help. If it worked, we hoped they would leave us alone. They were more worried about Voldemort and losing the potion than they were about getting us. The containers we left out just hurried them on their way. They were filled with Profusion Water. That’s what blew up.”

“Harry, where is the potion?”

“It’s buried in the garden where the trolls were hiding. We didn’t trust it in the buildings not to be damaged. Dumbledore can make quiet arrangements to have the Mooshi Root Potion taken to St. Mungo’s. What’s wrong Hermione?”

Hermione suddenly had a seriously distressed look on her face. “Harry, we have another problem. We were attacked today by a group of Death Eaters less than five miles from school, and just on the edge of Hogsmeade. Do you realize what will happen to Hogwarts when this becomes common knowledge? They may very well close the school. The Ministry and the Order are already overly protective of all of us. This could be very serious.”

“You’re overreacting Hermione…” Ron told her, but his smirk faded when he saw her eyes. “You are, aren’t you?” He realized she was right.

Nero Dunhickey stepped up to the group of students. “Maybe I have a solution for all of you, if this time you can trust me.”


*****



Several minutes later Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape Apparated into the yard of Dunhickey’s farm with wands drawn. A second group, of what Harry saw was Hogsmeade residents, appeared next, and, to the student’s astonishment, they had Hagrid with them, armed with his crossbow.

“’arry, what’s goin’ on ‘ere? Colin was screamin’ about Darth Eat’rs!”

“Yes Mr. Potter, what exactly has been happening today? I was under the impression that you were merely allowed to visit Hogsmeade and return today.” Professor McGonagall had a stern look, but enough curiosity to offset it for the moment. Harry noted that Dumbledore and Snape were both giving him inquisitive looks, but neither had yet spoken.

Dunhickey approached the group with a sincerely embarrassed look on his face. “I’m afraid the entire matter is my fault Minerva…and it is very good to see you again. I had invited young Neville and his club here to view my mooshi root process, when we were unexpectedly attacked. Death Eaters? Oh, good heavens no. It was far worse.”

Both Professor Dumbledore and Snape stepped forward at hearing this.

“As you know, I have been working to develop an efficient process for producing the mooshi root’s healing potion. I have been extremely successful this year thanks to the wonderful summer we’ve had. Unfortunately, there are others who are not interested in our using the magical liquid to heal injuries. They have far more diabolical uses for it.”

“I see Nero. You are referring to the numerous garden gnomes we have seen in the district. I take it that a number of them have gotten into your supply and became…smashed I believe the word is.” Dumbledore looked over to Harry and raised his eyebrows, while Snape’s concentration remained fixed on Dunhickey.

“That’s right; we had quite a battle with them. You can see the condition of the yard. Thank goodness, your students were available to help me today. I have produced hundreds of gallons of the potion. That got Snape’s interest, and, what Harry thought, was close to a look of respect.

“And your barn?” Snape’s eyes were bearing down on the farmer now, still not convinced of his story.

“I’m afraid that was an unfortunate accident. We had managed to remove and hide almost all of the potion, but the gnomes converged on what remained in the barn. In their drunken state, they seemed to have ignited some Muggle propane fuel I had stored there. Only Master Potter’s quick intervention saved us from being consumed in the blast.”

Snape turned to look at Harry, a look of astonished irritation radiating from him. “I see,” he finally said. “I trust then that our attention is no longer required.”


*****



Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny held back as the students walked to Hogwarts. Hagrid had volunteered to guide them in the dark, and Seamus and Brandon were on either side of the group, ensuring that no one strayed off the path. Harry saw the relieved look on the faces of his friends, and he was more than a little surprised that they had gotten away with it all. Dunhickey had convinced them of the need for a memory-altering spell for most of the students, and surprisingly for himself as well. The students with ties to Dumbledore’s Army were spared the process, and Harry had astonished Brandon by asking him to join them in retaining what happened. Only Neville unexpectedly asked to have his memory altered with the others. As far as any of them knew, they had spent the day battling vicious garden gnomes, all of whom perished in the exploding barn.

“Harry, are you okay? You’ve had a weird look on your face all day.”

Harry’s thought-track was broken by Ginny’s question. The feelings he’d had on-and-off was flaring up again, but he also had a sense of contentment that wasn’t there earlier.

“I’m all right Gin, and so is your brother. You don’t need to keep doting on him.”

“What? Ron’s fine, and even if he weren’t, he wants Hermione taking care of him, not his infant sister. Please don’t tell me that you haven’t seen how they’re in love–-seriously…totally. Sooner or later they may even realize it themselves, and then admit it to each other.”

“How could they not know?” Harry was totally lost by what she had said. Obviously, Ron and Hermione belonged together, but they had to be aware of it. They were both just too stubborn to be the first to tell the other. Ginny wasn’t right. He knew that she wasn’t right. Ron and Hermione both understood how they felt.

“Harry, you are the blindest bat that ever walked the Earth!”

“Bats fly Ginny.”

Ginny punched him hard in the arm then stormed off to join Hagrid in the front of the group. Harry suddenly felt very lonely, but he couldn’t understand why. What was with Ginny today? He thought they were friends. He didn’t give her a bad time about her boyfriends, even though he hated all of them for some reason. He even tried to keep Ron in check during their fights. She was family. It wasn’t as if she thought about him that way anymore .

Harry decided that he would have to talk to her about it sometime…sometime. First though, he would have to speak with Ron about Hermione. That would be all right, wouldn’t it? After all, how oblivious could a person be about someone caring for you like that, especially when you feel the same way about her?


*****



“Spenser, you can’t put that out!” Hermione yelled at me but grinning at the same time.

All four of my friends were embarrassed when I let them read the story, especially about some of the personal things I included. I merely reminded them that no one would be seeing it until it was safe to do so, and that most of their thoughts had been paraphrased.

I’ve become very close to them since I came here as an exchange student, and I would never intentionally hurt any of them. I take it as the highest compliment that they have allowed me into their lives, and that they trust me for some reason.

Nero Dunhickey’s healing potion did make its way to St. Mungo’s with small portions left with Madame Pomfrey for the school clinic and Molly Weasley for use by the Order. I’ve actually made use of it myself after a mishap with my broom involving a kite, a flock of geese, a pumpkin tart, and the side of a mountain.

Regarding Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione…well, I think that I’ll leave those tales for another time.

Mischief managed!
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