(Y/N)'s POV

A few days before Christmas we went to take Mr. Weasley out of St. Mungo's. The journey was quite quick, as there was very little traffic on the roads. Ron was seriously affronted when a medieval wizard in a painting called out that he clearly had a bad case of spattergroit.

I watched in awe as he argued with a portrait of a very old Healer, "-They're freckles!" said Ron furiously. "You sure mate? You might want to get checked" I laughed. Mum had come too, she brought flowers for some friends of hers and Mr. Weasley,.

She disappeared soon after we entered to 'Make her rounds' We walked around as Mrs. Weasley was sorting out paperwork. Harry paused suddenly and was staring wide mouthed at a patient, "Blimey!" said Ron, also staring at the man.

"Oh my goodness," said Hermione suddenly, sounding breathless. "Professor Lockhart!" our ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher pushed open the doors and moved toward us, wearing a long lilac dressing gown.

"Well, hello there!" he said. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?" "Hasn't changed much, has he?" Harry muttered to Ginny, who grinned. "Er — how are you, Professor?" said Ron, sounding slightly guilty.

"Hello again Mr. Lockhart, how's the head today?" I started like I had done countless times before. He looked at me for a second and then smiled "Still a bit foggy (Y/N), funny to see you here, has your arm fallen off again?" I held in a laugh.

"No, here to check someone out actually" he paused "Is it me?" I chuckled "No" he smiled widely "Why are you here then, do you want an autograph? Has your arm gone?" "No thank you Mr. Lockhart, and no, it's still here."

He paused for half a second like he was thinking and then said "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!" "That' brilliant Mr. Lockhart. Well done." I smiled, he beamed at me and then repeated the same thing over.

"Er — we don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry, who asked, "Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?"

The smile faded slowly from Lockhart's face. For a few moments he gazed intently at Harry, then he said, "Haven't we met?" "Er . . . yeah, we have," said Harry. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?" "Teach?" repeated Lockhart, looking faintly unsettled. "Me? Did I?"

I pulled them away as politely as I could, "Don't bother, I've told him that at least twenty times, he came wandering into my ward a lot, I've also got about thirty of his signatures if you want one" I heard footsteps, "Give it a second" then, as expected, a voice said.

"Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?" A motherly looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Harry and the others. "Oh Gilderoy, you've got visitors!"

She paused for a second, looking me up and down "What are you doing here again young man!" she said firmly, I panicked and spluttered "I told you to stay out of trouble. Are you doing your breathing exersizes?" "Yes." I said, dying inside.

"Were just visiting a patient who gets released today" said Ron quickly, turning to me with a raised eyebrow, I glared at him. Ron began to say "What do you mean breathing-" To the nurse, but something caught her interest before she said anything else..

"And — oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?" We turn to see a very awkward looking Neville and his Grandmother start to make their way to the door, Ron had looked up at the sound of the name "Longbottom."

I tried to clamp my hands over his mouth before he made a scene, and had called, "Neville!" Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him. "It's us, Neville!" said Ron brightly, getting to his feet.

"Have you seen? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?" "Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" said Neville's grandmother graciously, bearing down upon us. Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here.

"Ah, yes," said his grandmother, looking closely at Harry. "Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you." "Er — thanks," said Harry, shaking hands.

"And of course, I remember you young man" she shook my hand too, "Most people do" I chirped. Neville stared at his own feet. "And you two are clearly Weasleys," Mrs. Longbottom glanced to Ron and Ginny in turn.

"Yes, I know your parents — not well, of course — but fine people, fine people . . . and you must be Hermione Granger?" Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name but shook hands all the same.

"Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy," she said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville, "but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say. . . ."

I sucked my teeth at this comment, wanting to argue, but not wanting to cause a scene and possibly upset the patients. And she jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled alarmingly.

"Is that your dad down the end, Neville?" "What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?" Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and shook his head.

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"

"I'm not ashamed," said Neville fiercely. "Well, you've got a funny way of showing it!" said Mrs. Longbottom. Ron was now standing on tiptoe to look over at the inhabitants of the two beds, I finally lost my temper and hit him over the head quickly.

There was a loud 'thunk' sound as I remembered one of my hands is metal. He groaned in pain, holding his head as I panicked, realising I may have acted too rashly, he looked at me in horror. "Show some respect!" I whispered to him, seething.

"My son and his wife," she said, "were tortured into insanity by You Know-Who's followers." Hermione and Ginny both clapped their hands over their mouths. Ron stopped craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Neville's parents and looked mortified, I scratched my neck nervously.

"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community," Mrs. Longbottom went on. "Highly gifted, the pair of them. I — yes, Alice dear, what is it?" Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress.

She made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand. "Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is. . . ."

But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper. "Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder.

But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum." His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh.

If anyone had laughed in that moment, I feel like I would have made them feel very lucky to already be in a hospital, just seeing Neville's face was making my blood heat up. "Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves.

"Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now. . . ." The door closed behind them. "I never knew," said Hermione, who looked tearful, I wrapped an arm around her.

"Nor did I," said Ron rather hoarsely, nursing the growing lump on his head, almost in tears. "Nor me," whispered Ginny. They all looked at Harry and me. "I did," he said glumly, "I knew too, Mum told me."

Harry looked at me to explain, I couldn't, not because I didn't know the story, because I was on the edge of tears already, he nodded grimly. All I could do was look at Ron and say "Sorry for hitting you, that was too harsh." He brushed it off, looking to Harry.

"Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't mention it . . . that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."

"Bellatrix Lestrange did that?" whispered Hermione, horrified. As I thought about this encounter later, I distinctly recall seeing the Longbottom's beds I saw two flowers, side by side, in a vase placed on their nightstand.

Hermione's POV

On Christmas Day the (L/N)'s made their presence well known, they entered Grimmauld Place with a ruckus and a surprising amount of pyrotechnics, they burst through the front door with cheers of "Happy Holidays!"

They swarmed us with magical fireworks and crackers, then presenting gifts to each of us. After all the theatrics I went to find (Y/N) who was nowhere to be seen since his initial entrance.

I found (Y/N) looking rather odd, walking very slowly down the hall as if he was balancing. I walked up to his to ask what he was doing. He had Bones on one shoulder, which was normal, but he had another passenger.

Winky the house elf was also perched on his shoulder, in a very festive green and red dress that seemed like it was originally meant for a muggle Christmas Elf, her eyes were darting around the room, she seemed nervous and was breathing erratically.

I went to speak to (Y/N) but he pressed a finger to his lips. "I is doing it! Winky i...is up high." She proclaimed, then she paused "Winky is not liking this" a few seconds later she seemed to lose her nerve.

"No more, no more, I is doing enough" she turned and desperately grabbed onto (Y/N), her arms wrapping gently around his neck, he paused immediately, she leaned her face away from the floor, burying herself into his neck.

"It's okay to be afraid Winky" he calmed her down, she nodded and apparated so she was back firmly on the ground. "I is liking it more here" she said, her voice stopped trembling "Well done Winky, I'm proud of you."

(Y/N) bent down to her level and high fived her, she beamed at him and apparated to the kitchen to help with dinner. "Morning" he smiled at me cheerfully, Bones jumped between us, landing on my shoulder and nuzzling into my face and then settling down on my shoulder.

He peeked down the hall to see the Weasleys, Winky and his mother all gathered around the table for Christmas dinner that Mrs. Weasley had nearly finished, then with a sly smile he kissed me quickly.

Of course I enjoyed it, but he was having too much fun with this, "Stop it" I whispered, trying my best to sound cross, he just grinned widely "Sorry, winding you up is just so fun. Couldn't resist" He continued his headcount of the table and noted Harry's absence.

"He's been acting weird" I said in a hushed voice, "Ever since-" he nodded, not needing the rest, knowing him, he was probably freaking out about what Moody said more than I was. "Thanks' for telling me" he said.

He tickled the back of Bones' neck and he immediately turned on his heel, "Well ladies, we'll meet you down there" he said confidently, pausing on the stairs he added "And tell Sirius to hide the butterbeer" he smiled as he dashed up the stairs.

(Y/N)'s POV

I found him sitting in his room in the darkness, brooding, I stopped in the doorway "Love the mood lighting" I announced myself, He looked up "Still don't want to touch me?" he murmured bitterly.

I played it off "Well can you blame me? I'd just seen you throw up. Plus, you were all sweaty and gross" I smiled. His eyes flickered to me; I don't think he appreciated my attempt at humour.

He spent the next few seconds ignoring me completely, so I shuffled into the room "Come on, Mum's gonna show us some fire rope tricks, she's been practising and everything" I nudged him, he just turned away.

"Harry, don't be ignorant" he muttered something I couldn't quite catch. Eventually I got frustrated with trying to stop him from moping, so I just said, "Want to see something cool?" He shrugged "Go on then."

I smirked, "Don't tell anyone ok" He nodded. "I'm serious, I could get Azkaban time for this" I said, trying to build up suspense, he shuffled a bit closer to the edge of his bed and nodded.

Of course, I showed him my party trick, I don't want to toot my own horn, but I'd say turning into a panther was a pretty good one. After Harry finished picking his jaw up off the floor, he bombarded me with a million questions, his moping was quickly forgotten, after I turned back, I answered them.

"Could have used more flair, shouldn't have used all the fireworks earlier" I shrugged. He seemed a bit more chipper, we sauntered down to dinner, flinching from the scream of "NO THAT'S FLAMMABLE!"

A loud crash followed by my mother's rarely heard timid voice saying, "Sorry Molly, my finger slipped." Spending the holiday with the Weasleys was great, it was like there was a warmth that enveloped all of us the entire time, which led to one of the most memorable dinners of my life.

Coming down to see Mum covered in ash as if she had landed in Borgin and Burkes, watching as Winky burst into tears when she found out we had gotten her a new dress, Bones hoarding the empty boxes as she sat inside a large one, looking very content.

Toasting to Mr. Weasleys health, watching the twins frantically open presents and Ginny try to open hers neatly, it was the little things I remembered, but it was my favourite holiday ever.

Sirius summoned Harry and I downstairs in Grimmauld Place, we quickly darted down the stairs and said a very awkward "Good morning" and motioned to a doorway that I tiredly walked through.

I glanced over to see Snape looking over at us, I greeted him, a little confused as to why he was here, he didn't answer, but as always, he wore a tired sneer and got straight to business.

"The headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term." "Study what?" said Harry blankly. "Really? I've been doing it for years and you don't even know what it's called" I laughed.

Snape's sneer became more pronounced. "Occlumency, Potter. The magical defence of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one." Harry almost blankly stared, "Why do I have to study Occlu — thing?" he blurted out.

"Because the headmaster thinks it a good idea," said Snape smoothly. "You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?" "Yes," said Harry.

"Who's going to be teaching me?" Snape raised an eyebrow. "I am," he said. "Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" asked Sirius aggressively, he was slouched in the doorway behind us. "Why you?"

"I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," said Snape silkily. "I assure you I did not beg for the job." Harry turned to me, "You can teach me! You're better then-" he started.

I stopped him "I can't, not well anyway" He tried to protest so I explained "Whenever you are born with a gift, teaching it, or even explaining it, is next to impossible."

He tried to protest so I tried to put it into terms he could understand, "Could you teach someone what it feels like to ride a broom without putting them on one?" I argued, he paused and gave up.

Snape got to his feet. "I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking Remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you need them."

"Why am I here?" He looked at me as if I was very far away and he had to squint at me, "I was merely sent here to assess your...condition" my mouth went dry "What do you mean?" he did something close to a snort of derision "Nothing to...fret over"

As we confided in Ron and Hermione they listened intently, "Dumbledore wants to stop you having those dreams about Voldemort," said Hermione at once. "Well, you won't be sorry not to have them anymore, will you?"

"Extra lessons with Snape?" said Ron, sounding aghast. "I'd rather have the nightmares!" We were to return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus the following day, escorted once again by Tonks and Lupin, both of whom were eating breakfast in the kitchen when we arrived there next morning.

The adults seemed to have been midway through a whispered conversation when the door opened; all of them looked around hastily and fell silent. "Don't stop on our account," I mocked.

After a hurried breakfast they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly grey January morning. We left the headquarters for the knight bus. A thin, pimply, jug-eared youth in a purple uniform leapt down onto the pavement and said, "Welcome to the —"

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you," said Tonks swiftly. "On, on, get on — And she shoved Harry forward toward the steps, past the conductor, who goggled at Harry as he passed. " 'Ere — it's 'Arry — !"

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," muttered Tonks menacingly, now shunting Ginny and Hermione forward. "I've always wanted to go on this thing," said Ron happily, joining Harry on board and looking around.

He was not so giddy when we were halfway through Stratford, the charm of the bus seemed to wear off and he started to look a little green. Then eventually Stan announced. "Just outside Birmingham,"

"Hi Stan, Ernie" I waved, they both nodded at me but weren't really bothered with me. "You keepin' well, then, 'Arry? I seen your name in the paper loads over the summer, but it weren't never nuffink very nice. . . ."

"I said to Ern, I said, ' 'e didn't seem like a nutter when we met 'im, just goes to show, dunnit?' " he continued to chatter on until Ron stated, "I never want to ride on here again." Only to be interrupted, "Listen, it's 'Ogwarts stop after this," said Stan brightly, swaying toward us.

Lupin and Tonks helped us off the bus with their luggage and then got off to say good-bye. Harry glanced up at the three decks of the Knight Bus and saw all the passengers staring down at them, noses flat against the windows.

"You'll be safe once you're in the grounds," said Tonks, casting a careful eye around at the deserted road. "Have a good term, okay?" I sighed, "If I must" "Look after yourselves," said Lupin, we waved back awkwardly, looking up into Lupin's prematurely lined face. "See you, then . . ."

It was back to the status quo after that, except now Umbridge was breathing down our necks constantly and Harry kept looking worse and worse after his "Remedial Potions", When he sat down "How did it go?" Hermione whispered, "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Yeah . . . fine . . . I dunno," said Harry impatiently, wincing "It's like a kick in the chest isn't it" I said, remembering my experience with active Occlumency. "Listen . . . I've just realised something. . . ."

And he told us what he had just seen and deduced. "So . . . so, are you saying . . ." whispered Ron, as Madam Pince swept past, squeaking slightly, "that the weapon — the thing You Know-Who's after — is in the Ministry of Magic?"

"In the Department of Mysteries, it's got to be," Harry whispered. "I saw that door when your dad took me down to the courtrooms for my hearing and it's definitely the same one he was guarding when the snake bit him." Hermione let out a long, slow sigh.

"Nobody goes into the Department of Mysteries, Mum told me so" "Of course," she breathed. "Of course what?" said Ron rather impatiently. "Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a door at the Ministry of Magic. . . . It must have been that one, it's too much of a coincidence!"

"How come Sturgis was trying to break in when he's on our side?" said Ron. "Well, I don't know," Hermione admitted. "That is a bit odd. . . ." "So what's in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked Ron.

"Has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?" "I know they call the people who work in there 'Unspeakables,' " said Ron, frowning. "Because no one really seems to know what they do in there. . . . Weird place to have a weapon . . ."

"It's not weird at all, it makes perfect sense," said Hermione. I agreed and after a bit more chatting, she said. "Harry, are you sure you're all right?" "Yeah . . . fine . . ." he said, lowering his hands, which were trembling.

"I just feel a bit . . . I don't like Occlumency much. . . ." "I expect anyone would feel shaky if they'd had their mind attacked over and over again," said Hermione sympathetically. "It's not a nice feeling." She said, making eye contact with me.

"Yeah, not the best feeling, but after how much Snape helped me, I'm certain he can help you, just listen to him and try to take it seriously" I advised "He's pretty good at it, trust me" He nodded and we went off to bed.

"That was not the support I was hoping for (Y/N)" Hermione said, I frowned at her, "What am I, a motivational speaker now?" She smirked, "Didn't you tell me you were inspiring?" She retorted before slinking off to bed.

In the first DA meeting back, we decided to do something a bit more flashy, something I had been looking forward to as soon as we started the group, "We don't need no education... we don't need no thought control..." I muttered cheerfully under my breath as we made our way to the Room of Requirement.

We wanted to pick up everyone's spirits and get them back into the swing of things, we were trying to think of ideas in the common room one day when Ron just said "Duels!" simply.

We took that Idea and ran with it. And so after Justin Finch Fletchly explained to me that he was in fact a Hufflepuff, not a Ravenclaw and my whole world view changed, we began.

We started with one on one duels between the 'instructors', first me and Harry had a duel, which I won by a hair when he overextended his wand when he tried to stun me, which I suspect was actually because he glanced at Cho Chang.

Ron 'duelled' Hermione, in which she beat him with one move, causing him to let out a very undignified squeal, and the twins having to pay me ten galleons.

To get their revenge and see me humiliated they decided we should show off one final duel between the two winners, obviously hoping to see her knock me on my backside. I shrugged and agreed, she got a glint in her eye that I had seen previously in Crookshanks and agreed too.

"Sorry Hermione, I have to avenge Ron" I informed her, wanting revenge for the inspirational comment too, she had a grin on her face, "How do you plan on winning this time?" she said slowly, she was already thinking of a plan, I could tell.

"So, you admit I won last time?" I smirked to throw her off, "No!" I think I just made her mad, so I answered her question. "Same way I always do, hit you with any spell I can think of until you're on the floor."

"Like that will work", she smirked at me turning away to take her position. "Ooooh saucy" said Fred while George let out a wolf whistle. But this wasn't about that now, we were both very stubborn, and very competitive, this was serious.

"Shut it!" we both said to them at the same time, this was only met with more jeers from the crowd. I raced through the training my mum had given me after we picked up Harry and knew there was something she taught me that might do the trick if I played my cards right.

Hermione's POV

We took our positions, he was smirking at me already, stretching his neck. I watched as he took off his robe, leaving him only in his uniform, which he then loosened and stretched, pulling his tie a bit more slack and rolling up his sleeves while cracking his neck. He was trying to increase his mobility.

When we started, he changed completely, this was nothing like second year, he wasn't nervous, he wasn't mumbling to himself, his eyes were focused, calm and calculating, he jumped on the spot eagerly, still smirking, it was intimidating to be honest. Then we began.

Immediately, he went on the offensive, but he was smart about it, he wasn't non-verbal casting, I don't think he can, but he was intentionally whispering his incantations, making it harder to predict what he was doing, I honestly don't give him enough credit, he is very cunning.

He was doing something else a little sneaky, he was slowly inching towards me, giving me less time to react, he really was full of surprises. But I could use this, it's a two-way street and I've always been quicker than him when It came down to it.

I retaliated immediately, not giving him a chance to gain ground, but his defence was very firm. I started to wise up to his tricks, he was casting with purpose, constantly bombarding me with stunning spells that I had to defend, trying to pressure me.

But I knew him too well, I was waiting for the one spell I knew would come. After some back and forth, I tried to goad him "I expected better, guess all you do is talk" he smirked, "Depulso" he cast, I defended, we started again.

I defended, he attacked, as we had before, but this time he began falling into my trap, until he said it, "Stupefy!" "Protego" I muttered, then I switched to, "Stupefy!" he had to defend giving me some time to react first.

He started to say another incantation to stun me before I could, I smiled, my plan worked, I managed to dodge it rather than defend against it, as he took another breath "Expelliarmus" I said quickly, his wand slipped from his hand.

I saw the shock on his face and was sure I had won, but then he shocked everyone, he smirked that smirk, the same one I both loathed and loved, his wand immediately raced back to his hand, "Expelliarmus" he cast before I could defend, catching me off guard and disarming me.

I was in utter disbelief as my brain racked itself to think of a way he did that, then I realised and kicked myself, I underestimated him, I didn't disarm him, he dropped his wand before the spell hit.

He just did the summoning charm non-verbally so he could gain the upper hand when I dropped my guard, he wanted me to do that, he was two steps ahead. My face dropped, "Gotcha" he said with a smirk.

The hall erupted, every boy in the room crowded around him, cheering about his victory, some paying up on bets, the girls came to console me with words of encouragement, but it didn't help, I can't believe he could beat me that easily, all this time, all this practice.

He came over to me after everything had died down and we were practising basic duelling spells, "You ok?" he asked, I nodded quickly, he sighed. "I know what you're thinking, and honestly, I just got lucky, it was a pure panic move. Mum taught me."

"You don't have to-" I started, "I'm not, honestly, I couldn't do that again if I tried, it was a fluke" he said, I wasn't sure if I entirely believed him, but he did seem sincere so I just reassured him by smiling at him and nodding, adding "I will beat you next time."

"I don't doubt it for a second" He smirked, then he leant down and whispered in my ear "I'll make it up to you" and with a charming smile he walked back to the boys, each of them clapping him on the back, assuming that he was bragging.