Chapter - 50 : Awakening part - 5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the world of our fanfic! Your support is the heartbeat of this story, allowing us to craft new adventures and explore deeper character arcs. With over 55 chapters ahead, becoming a patron gives you exclusive access to bonus content and the chance to influence the narrative's direction.

Join us on this thrilling ride—together, we can make every chapter unforgettable!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amelia Bones wasn't happy that she had been blocked from administering veritaserum to Lucius Malfoy, and had been neither slow nor quiet when voicing this displeasure to the minister. Her rage was somewhat sated on discovering Cornelius' reasoning - or should that be Dumbledore's?

That the minister actually had a contingency plan was a shock. This initial shock though was no where near the intensity of the one she received when being informed that her department was basically going to be brought up to a war footing. There would be a heavy recruitment programme that would see auror numbers swell by over fifty percent in the next three years.

Amelia was prepared to trade-off delaying justice to a thoroughly defanged Malfoy for an auror department that had some real teeth. She didn't tell the blond ponce this, Amelia didn't tell Malfoy anything - rather just left him in a cell to sweat. She could legally hold him for one more day but Thursday was the deadline, Amelia was taking great pleasure in keeping him locked up for every available minute she could.

Today saw her back at Hogwarts. She was interviewing Harry Crow in the presence of his head of house. Amelia was determined to get as much information as possible from the young man before her meeting with Dumbledore. The more the head of the DMLE wrote down, the angrier she was becoming. It was obvious Dumbledore had known Voldemort wasn't gone for good, why else would he set a trap for the dark lord? That he had used Hogwarts as a location for this trap had Amelia wanting to slap the old fool silly. Was it any wonder the Hogwarts ghosts were telling him he was on his last warning.

Harry was just explaining what happened in the infirmary when the Bloody Baron passed through the wall. "Young Champion, your friends require aid..."

Amelia watched amazed as the ghost hadn't even finished speaking yet Harry was heading out the door. She and Filius shot out after him but the younger and much fitter Harry was already opening up a gap. Both followed as quickly as they could while the castle's portraits and ghosts led their champion where he needed to go.

-oOoOo-

Padma was beside Hermione as both girls were rinsing their hands in the washbasins. She noticed in the mirror that the large toilet was now filling up behind them and her heart sank. Neville had gone ahead to the great hall and Harry was at a meeting with Madam Bones, this group had judged their approach perfectly. She counted nine of them, all older than her and Hermione, before the group's 'leader' decided to speak.

"Granger, we want a word with you."

Hermione turned around and was confronted with nine older girls glaring at her. They were mostly Slytherins but she was sorry to see a couple of Hufflepuffs mixed in there too, the sole Ravenclaw was particularly painful. The entire situation brought up some particularly unpleasant memories of her primary school, memories that Hermione thought she was finished with.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"You can stay well away from Potter, that bloodline doesn't need another mudblood in it."

Hermione's insides were like jelly but she wasn't about to let that show, she'd learned this just from being around Harry. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem - since I don't know anyone called Potter."

"Don't get smart with us Granger, you know fine well who we're talking about. It took us nearly three days to catch you more than six inches away from him. That's going to change, if you know what's good for you."

Hermione may have been shaking inside yet the young witch was determined she wouldn't let them see any tears. She certainly took their threat seriously but there was no way Hermione could comply with their demands. She was already sure not being Harry's best friend would be far more painful than anything they could do to her. "Oh I know what's good for me, that's why I have no intention of moving from Harry's side."

Padma tried to butt in, knowing Hermione wouldn't back down on this. "Have you any idea what Harry will do when he hears about this? You lot have just bought yourselves more trouble than you can possibly imagine."

"Shut it Patil, no one will be saying anything to Potter."

"Yeah, we haven't forgotten your sister's blatant attempt to get off with him either. Batting those eyelashes while offering up a life debt, the Potter bloodline doesn't need tainted with your lot either."

Hermione couldn't just stand there and ignore the racist comment against both her friends. "Wouldn't that be Harry's decision?"

The lone Ravenclaw in the group then decided to make herself heard. "Listen Granger, once you break up with him, a proper pureblood witch will step in and console the boy-who-lived."

The very thought of having to sit back and watch Harry with another girl hardened Hermione's conviction. "Never going to happen, I will be at Harry's side for as long as he wants me to be."

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way girls. Let's make sure our Harry never wants to go near the bitch ever again."

Hermione felt herself being hit by two curses to her face before Padma move to offer some protection. This resulted in her friend getting cursed too. There was then a loud animalistic roar before everything went to hell in a hand basket.

Harry burst straight into the girls toilet and quickly took action. There was no 'what's going on here?' - his training had taught him you didn't waste time on such niceties. There were nine enemies crowded around Padma and Hermione, all appeared older than his friends and had their wands out. Both his friends had already taken some hits and Padma had clearly jumped in front of Hermione to offer some protection. Harry let out a roar as his knife went to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the world of our fanfic! Your support is the heartbeat of this story, allowing us to craft new adventures and explore deeper character arcs. With over 55 chapters ahead, becoming a patron gives you exclusive access to bonus content and the chance to influence the narrative's direction.

Join us on this thrilling ride—together, we can make every chapter unforgettable!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~