Previously…
Harry Potter defeats the Dark Wizard Voldemort once and for all. After waking up from a yearlong coma, young American Wizard Matt Santini attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Meanwhile Hermione Granger returns to the famous school to attend her final year after a violent break up with longtime friend Ronald Weasley. Harry Potter returns to the school as the "temporary" Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The Christmas Holidays bring about the new annual Celebration Ball, commemorating the fall of Voldemort and the end of the Second Wizarding War, but a new threat lurks inside the halls of Hogwarts as we begin the next chapter of The 7th Year Student.
Harry Potter gazed into the bright brown eyes of Ginny Weasley as they danced over the floor of the Great Hall. While Harry was not particularly an amazing dancer, he had gotten better since the Yule Ball. Although back then he had only danced for the opening and no more, having really not wanted to have to be in the ball in the first place.
Harry found it much more enjoyable this time around, as he had the girl he loved to dance with and if he had chosen not to, he would not have hurt anyone's feelings. Ginny was understanding and she would not have minded if he decided not to. Harry had wanted to this time. It felt good to want to do this.
As the couple danced and swayed with others to the music, he stole a glance over his shoulder. He could see Draco and Astoria growing closer as the music slowed. He felt an odd sense of happiness. Draco had been his schoolyard bully for six years. Even going as far as becoming a Death Eater, only to discover that the dark was not his path after all. Harry had been impressed by Draco covering for himself, Ron, and Hermione when they were brought to Malfoy Manor.
He was even more impressed when Narcissa lied to the Dark Lord and told Voldemort Harry was dead after Riddle destroyed the Horcrux in him. The Malfoys had helped save him twice, and by doing so, helped him save the Wizarding World. He felt Draco deserved a bit of happiness for the risk he took.
A few more spins later and Harry spied Luna over Ginny's shoulder and smiled. Luna had been a friend he made when he really needed it. When he was at his lowest, isolated from his closest friends, Luna stood by him and proved to be a powerful ally. And there she was, cuddled into Rolf Scamander's arms. At least Rolf seemed genuinely interested in Luna's sometimes outlandish theories on bizarre, seemingly nonexistent, creatures. She deserved that.
Neville and Hannah had nearly bumped into them as they danced to an upbeat song. Neville was a glow with joy as he and Hannah seemed to really mesh well. The Hufflepuff girl's loyalty and well-mindedness seemed to compliment Neville's passion and bravery excellently.
The one person Harry wanted to see the most though, was nearest the entrance and glowing. Hermione, his oldest and best friend, looked like she was in heaven or at least near enough to it. She and Ron had their differences during the lead up to the war and during it. Harry thought she needed someone to compliment her well and that oddball American, full of off the cuff ideas and pop culture references, seemed to be what she needed. He was the blend of Wizarding World and Muggle World Hermione strived for, yet he made her laugh.
Harry knew that humor was important to her. He remembered how when she and Ron would fight, and refuse to be around each other, there was a lot less laughter. Harry could tell a joke, but Ron had always been the funny one. As Harry thought though, he noticed whenever he saw Hermione and Matt together, they were always smiling and the few times he spent time together with Matt, there seemed to be more laughter than ever before.
Harry could not help but wonder, if they had found Matt sooner, what would that have been like? Would he have been a better friend to them both? Would things have gone better for them had Matt been in their lives sooner? Part of Harry wanted to go steal one of the new Time Turners the Ministry was working on and find out.
Ron was supposed to be his best friend and yet, there had been total silence on Ron's part. The only thing Harry ever saw was completed reports turned in much later than they were supposed to have been. He sighed, he missed his best friend, did he not? The hole was there but it seemed a lot smaller than ever before.
"You ok?" Ginny asked finally as the song they were dancing to faded out.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry said, "Let's grab something to drink, yeah?" He led Ginny over to the refreshment table. Hermione and Matt were already there, both drinking deeply from water bottles.
"Hot, isn't it?" Hermione said breathlessly as she put down her bottle.
"Just a bit." Harry replied, taking a bottle of water for himself, and handing one to a thankful Ginny.
"Matt's a really good dancer!" Hermione said beaming.
"Really? I had no idea." Harry said.
"Yeah, I, uh, had some help." Matt said and looked over the others and raised a glass of Butterbeer in a silent toast to the Headmistress who gave him a smile and a nod as she danced with Professor Slughorn.
"Hey, could we switch partners? Just for one dance." Harry asked. Matt grinned and nodded.
"I'd love to dance with you Ginny." He said cordially as the next song started. Hermione was glad to take Harry's hand as they moved back out to the dance floor.
"Are you finally enjoying yourself at a ball Harry?" Hermione asked as they moved along.
"Yeah, I am, actually." Harry said as he looked into Hermione's eyes. "You seem to be as well."
"Well, I enjoyed the first one pretty alright. Except for you know, the fight." Hermione tried to repress the memory of the blow up with Ron.
"Sorry about that. For the record, I always thought you were right, and Ron didn't understand." Harry replied. Hermione smiled at him, genuinely happy at that. "How's Matt?"
"Oh, Harry! He's wonderful. He didn't know how to dance, so he went to Professor McGonagall and asked her to give him dancing lessons." Hermione explained.
"That's brilliant." Harry said, sounding genuinely happy for his friend.
"That's not even the best part. He said he wanted to make sure I had the best night, so he wanted to learn to dance, for me!" Hermione's cheeks were flushed as she was surprised Matt would do that.
"Wow, Hermione. He must love you." Harry said. He knew a person did not just do that for a single night unless the other person was really worth it to them for all that trouble.
"I think he does Harry; I think he really does. I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even Ron." Hermione admitted as they spun around.
"I'm glad, Hermione. I really am. He's good for you. I've never seen you laugh so much as you do when he's around." Harry observed.
"Thank you. Matt's really great. He's actually there for me when I need him. He's not left when things have been tough."
"Not to mention he got over his fear of flying for you. That's not something small, you know?" Harry responded. Hermione gave him a scowl as she remembered her multiple drops into the Black Lake. Harry chuckled at that.
"You just wanted to do that to me, make me suffer, didn't you?" she playfully jabbed back.
"I think Matt liked seeing you soaking wet more than I did." Harry said with a playful grin. Hermione smacked him on the arm.
"Ow, sorry!" Harry said grinning. Hermione shook her head, smiling as well. Harry had become like a brother to her, and he was happy to have someone like a sister. A part of Harry was complete with Hermione in his life. Especially when he knew she was happy.
He was all too aware Hermione had sacrificed a lot to fight alongside him; obliviating her parents and providing them with false identities; moving them to Australia, so Voldemort's Death Eaters could not get to them and use them against her. It was a lot to give up, especially if Hermione could not successfully lift the memory charms on her parents after all this time.
Harry knew she was important to him, just as important as Ginny was, just in a separate way. He would fight for her happiness and protect her if he could. Even though he had become friends with Ron first, Hermione had always been better to him and did more for him. He would never be able to fully repay that, but he would find a way to pay some of it back.
As Harry and Hermione danced, his eyes caught something. There was someone lurking in the entrance hall. No one from the school was out there. Everyone was either sitting down, taking a break, dancing, or eating. As they spun and swayed Harry did a headcount. He was able to figure out that virtually the entire school was at this dance. And the few who were missing, went home.
He knew this because he was the only head of house, albeit temporarily, that had students return home for the holidays. They accounted for the missing students in the Great Hall. All the staff were there too, McGonagall, Sinistra, Vector, Slughorn, Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, Babbling, Chang, Sharp, Trelawney, even Pomfrey, Filch and Pince had all joined. The only staff member who was not there was Professor Binns, but that was to be expected. He never left his classroom. Most of the other ghosts had joined in the festivities.
That meant there was no one who should be in the entrance hall. Harry decided that as soon as the song was over, he would take a seat and observe what was going on, feeling something was off. Ginny joined him as he sat down over by the staff table. Matt and Hermione had taken seats nearest the door for the fresh air coming in. Harry watched her leaning on Matt as he looked down at her lovingly.
Harry knew if he were going to fight to protect Hermione he would, by extension, also be protecting Matt. Although Matt would not like that and did not feel he needed it, Harry still would. Protecting them both though, meant finding the underlying cause of the attack on Ilvermorny. Matt knew what happened and it haunted him.
Harry wanted to talk to him, privately, to interview him, find out what he knew. But he had a feeling that no matter what Harry did, it would not make Matt's missing memories come to the surface. Memories. A Pensieve. That might actually do it. He would talk with the couple when he had the chance. But not tonight. Harry loved seeing Hermione smile. She had not done so much during the war, and he was not going to take that away from her tonight.
Then he saw it, someone was in the entrance hall. This time he was sure of it; he saw the shadow move behind Matt and Hermione.
"You know, Harry? I think Matt might actually stay here, to be with Hermione." Ginny said, snapping Harry out of his thoughts and observations.
"What?" Harry had barely heard her.
"Yeah, he said he was really wanting to be with her and since he doesn't have anyone back home, he's seriously considering just staying here, with her! Wouldn't that be lovely for them both?" Ginny replied.
"Yeah, it would. Excuse me for a moment…" Harry said, not intending to be rude to his girlfriend but he needed to know who was lurking around the school. He did not have time to run up to the dormitories and force his way into Hermione's to retrieve the Marauder's Map. He would simply have to slip out there.
Harry kept his eyes locked on the spot he last saw what he thought was a person, slipping through the dancers and keeping to what would be the lurker's blind side. He caught the movement in the shadows, Harry had him now. Matt and Hermione had resumed dancing together, holding onto one another and moving gracefully, lost in each other's gaze and happiness.
The happy couples dancing around and enjoying themselves, were unaware of another figure that lurked in the entrance hall, just outside the Great Hall. He watched his targets as they danced and moved through the crowd. The American had escaped his grasp last time, so had that bushy haired bitch. Not this time though, the figure was going to get his revenge, no matter what. He drew his wand, ready to hex the couple, just as soon as they drew close enough…
"Ron?!" Harry exclaimed as he came alongside the lurker.
"Harry! Don't scare me like that!" Ron Weasley said, his wand held in his hand over his heart.
"What're you doing here?" Harry asked, crossing his arms as he pulled Ron away from the doorway.
"I…came to…see you" Ron lied. Harry furrowed his brow; He could always tell when Ron was lying as Ron's ears always turned red like they were doing now.
"Came to see me? You could have just sent an owl, you know. I haven't heard from you in months!" Harry admonished Ron. "If you had wanted to see me, why didn't you come here earlier? Why are you lurking in the entrance hall and why do you have your wand out?"
"Well, I thought I'd…you know…do a bit of investigating, like we used to!" Ron said, this time he was not lying.
"What exactly needs investigating on Christmas?" Harry asked. If his boss did not like the work he was putting in, he should have sent an owl or came here himself, not sent Ron on Christmas night. Something was not right with that.
"Well…alright! I wanted to see Hermione. I want to get her to apologize about the train station, you know."
Harry blinked a few times, trying to process what Ron was saying. Surely, he simply misunderstood his best friend. He had to have meant he wanted to apologize to Hermione, not get Hermione to apologize.
"You want to apologize to Hermione? I don't think she'll take you back…" Harry said. He knew long ago, over the summer, that his initial assessment of Ron and Hermione's relationship two years ago was still true. Their friendship would not survive a breakup.
"No, not me apologize. Her. She's the one who needs to apologize." Ron replied. "She sicked that American dog on me. Dislocated my shoulder and everything."
"Ron, you were the one who picked the fight and hit her." Harry said.
"No, I was just trying to explain to her why she was wrong, that was all." Ron replied. "I never hit her!"
"That's a lie!" Harry shot back. He had seen what happened, the way Ron had grabbed Hermione's wrists, the way she tried to break free from him and the way he retaliated, by punching her in the face. In Harry's opinion he had gotten what he deserved.
"It is not! You were there! So was mum! She saw it, Hermione tried to hit me, I tried to get her off me, she stumbled and fell, hit her cheek on that bench. That's when her loyal little dog stepped in and attacked me. Even let her kick me, well, you know where." Ron shot back.
Harry looked incredulous. That was not how the events played out. He had watched the whole thing out of the corner of his eye as he was speaking to Arthur Weasley. Ron had twisted Hermione's wrist and when she tried to get away, he held her in place and savagely hit her.
"That's the version of things you've told yourself?" Harry asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He could not believe how much Ron had changed. How could this be his friend? This was not the same Ron he had always known. Perhaps fighting the war, hearing Hermione being tortured, seeing his own brother, Fred, die in battle, had done something to him. Or maybe it was his long-seated disdain for school and education that had made him hate Hogwarts. It could have been that coupled with the bad memories piled up over seven years. Harry had to admit, Hermione had not tried to see things from Ron's point of view, but from the sound of it, Hermione would not have had her own point of view anyway.
Harry felt his heart break in his chest. His two best friends, who he had spent years growing up with and thinking of as family, were no more. Hermione seemed to be the least changed, but Harry could see she was different as well, mostly in new and good ways, since coming back to school. But for all the changes Hermione had undergone for the positive, becoming more cheerful and happier, Ron had gone the opposite way.
He seemed more entitled and spoiled than ever. Ron had become angry and bitter, unyielding. Even though Harry had not had many healthy or positive relationships in the past, even he knew one had to compromise for a relationship to work. Harry knew Hermione had compromised on numerous occasions when dating Ron. But it seemed the more she was willing to give in to him, the more unwilling Ron was to work with her.
Now Ron had grown into a toxic person, unwilling to reach out or take someone else's thoughts and opinions into account. His, Ronald Weasley's, seemed to be the only one that mattered. The only one that was true or at least to him. Harry assumed that was what was helping his former friend sleep at night. The old Ron Weasley, that one that Harry considered his best friend, was truly dead.
"Harry? What are you doing? Ronald?!" came Ginny's voice.
"Ginny! Good you're here." Ron said, sounding relieved.
"Yes, I am. But what are you doing here, exactly? Is everything alright with mum and dad?" Ginny was suspicious, Harry heard it in her voice, but she masked it with words of concern. It would hopefully fool the new Ron.
"Yeah, everything's good. I just came to see Hermione." Ron replied.
"Came to see Hermione?" Ginny looked confused and a little hurt at the same time. "Whatever for? You're both broken up, and, as you can see, she's moved on. I suggest you do the same."
"Whatever for? Come off it, Ginny! We're old friends, we're meant to be together. Right, Harry? Go on, tell her!" Ron said, assuming his oldest friend would back him up.
"Ron's not lying about being here to see Hermione," Harry began, as Ron smiled, crossing his arms over his chest, as if victorious. "But he's operating under the delusion that he never hit Hermione and that she asked, what was the term you used? Oh, right, 'The American Dog' to attack him." Harry finished. Ron's face fell, Harry's body language and tone indicated he did not believe Ron's side for a moment.
"Are you barking mad?" Ginny asked, leaning forward dangerously. "Unlike everyone else, I watched what happened! I saw you punch Hermione, my best friend, square in the face, after twisting her wrist!"
"What're you talking about? I never did that!" Ron continued to deny it.
"Like hell you didn't! I watched the whole thing! I know what I saw, I don't know what lies you've been feeding mum or your side piece, but that's what they are, lies!" Ginny fired back, angry as ever.
"Ron, you'd better clear out of here, now." Harry said and moved forward.
"No, I won't! I'm an Auror, as much as you are and I'm here to make sure the school is safe. There's a dangerous person running around, and he needs to be dealt with." Ron said stepping forward. "And I'll deal with that bitch –" Ron's eyes grew wide as he attempted to enter the Great Hall but both Ginny and Harry stepped to the side to block him. The anger in their eyes was clear, he had slipped up and said the wrong thing.
"Bitch? Did you just call Hermione a bitch?" Harry asked, his own anger spiking now. Hermione was his closest friend beside Ginny, and now, someone he once trusted and cared for, even loved as a brother, was attacking her behind her back.
"How dare you!" Ginny fired back; her wand drawn.
"I didn't mean it like that…" Ron said and started to back away.
"Ron, as a fellow Auror and your partner, I'm ordering you to leave. If you don't, I'll send an owl, tonight if I must, to the head of the DMLE. You'll be out of a job by tomorrow." Harry threatened.
"You wouldn't! It's me, Harry. I'm your best mate." Ron said as he continued to step backwards.
"Wouldn't I?" Harry said as he advanced. "And don't call me that. We're not friends anymore. Not if you're going to act like this about Hermione and Matthew."
Ron was incredulous. He clearly could not believe what he was hearing from Harry Potter. The Harry Potter. He turned and stalked off through the front doors. Harry and Ginny tailed him all the way out of the grounds, to be sure he did not double back and tried to slip in another way before he Disapparated.
A sick part of Harry had almost wished he had yelled at Ron at the last minute, to see if his former friend would splinch himself. Harry looked at Ginny as they walked back up to the castle, holding hands. The adrenaline from the fight was wearing down on them. They both felt tired after that.
"We can not tell Hermione about this." Harry said.
"I hate to keep secrets from them, but I think you're right. At least not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I would be afraid she'd go running to the Burrow to jinx him on principal alone." Ginny replied.
"And no idea how Matt would take it."
"Oh, he'd be telling her to go, because he would be going with her to do the same thing. Or have her stop him from using an unforgiveable curse." Ginny said.
"Yeah, that sounds like Matt. He can be a little hot headed, can't he?"
"Yeah, just a bit. He's protective of his friends. Reminds me of someone else…" Ginny said and pulled Harry into a kiss as Harry smiled, knowing exactly what his girlfriend meant.