Harmony Bond (Completed)

Chapter 9: Grimmauld Place

The next couple of weeks passed uneventfully for Harry and Hermione. They spent several hours a day training with Sirius in the basement training and exercise rooms. Along with defense training, they worked on running on a magical device that was much like a treadmill, as well as weight training. Ginny decided to join them, figuring it would get her in shape for Quidditch. Ron wasn't as enthused by the idea, but after Harry beat him in an impromptu wrestling match one evening, he decided it would be a good idea to try to keep up. Luna visited regularly with her father and sometimes joined them as well. Sirius seemed to thrive during the sessions, having something to do to pull himself out of the depression that had settled with his confinement. He was in good shape for his age and pushed each of them to their limits. Harry and Hermione also spent an hour or so each day in meditation, working on their mind magics. Ginny tried to join them, but found the subject difficult and gave up after a couple days. When Luna visited she always joined and seemed to be a natural at the subjects. As they got to know her better, it became obvious how brilliant she was. Luna also seemed to have the ability to grasp intricate cause and effects in subtle clues and news. At times her insights almost seemed to border on seer abilities. After a particularly enlightening discussion with her one day, Hermione decided to discuss it with Harry that evening.

"So love, what do you think about Luna? Full of surprises isn't she?"

"Indeed. I never would have seen the link between those reports in the Prophet about the Parkinson business handover and linked it to Voldemort taking tighter control of Death Eater assets. I mean the mention in the Prophet was only about three sentences and from that she seems to know the far reaching impact for a number of the old pureblood families."

"I know and I've been thinking about Luna for a while now. She always seems so disconnected and out of reach, but I think I may understand better now. I think she sees so much more than the surface level that she has a hard time staying connected to the everyday mundane. Part of me is curious what it would be like to see inside of her head and part of me is scared to even think of trying."

Harry laughed and pulled Hermione into a hug.

"I hadn't thought of it that way, but your probably right. No one really gives her the credit she is due. We would all be smart to pay closer attention."

Hermione nodded and then all thoughts of Luna were temporarily banished as Harry kissed her soundly. She would have been happy to continue, but they only had a few minutes until dinner and Arthur had just left to retrieve her parents. The Grangers had visited a couple of times since they arrived at Grimmauld and had happily accepted Molly's offer for dinner. A few minutes later, Arthur arrived back with Neil and Jean, who were looking only moderately unsettled. It seemed that they were adjusting to apparating. They both embraced Hermione and Harry before settling into the living room with glasses of wine while they talked to everyone.

The last twelve days of summer break were spent much the same at Grimmauld. Despite security restrictions, Harry refused to be locked up in the old house continually and made a point to take Hermione out to dinner a couple of times, as well as visiting the Grangers. They also made trips to Diagon Alley for supplies, as well as stopping at Gringotts to discuss Harry's business dealings. They were tense whenever they were out, always being on the alert, but the breaks were necessary for their sanity. A couple of times they managed to take Ginny and Ron along, although Molly insisted on going as well and kept a tight rein on them all. During one of their shopping trips, Harry rectified the problem of his overflowing trunk. He and Hermione stopped in Notions and Novelties, a general goods store with a wide range of mundane and odd wizarding supplies. In the store they found a matching set of beautiful trunks bound in burgundy leather with brass fittings. The trunks were only slightly larger than their current ones, but included a charm whereby the size was tripled. Each trunk had three holes near where a lock would normally be. The trunks were keyed to both their wands, allowing them access to each other's if needed. By placing the tip of one of their wands in one of the three holes, separate compartments in the trunk would open, each being the same size as the trunk appeared externally. The trunks also included a permanent lightening charm. Since they were buying two together, the shop also included complementary monogramming in gold script near the locks. Since each of them had the same initials of HJP the shop included an extra flourish detail around Hermione's monogram so that they could tell them apart. When they returned to Grimmauld, they immediately cleaned out their old trunks and began to transfer some of the school supplies they had already bought.

With the trunks and other supplies purchased, the fact that they were nearing their return to Hogwarts for their fifth year became even more real. Harry and Hermione had had the best and most remarkable summer of their lives and were a bit sad to see it end, but both looked forward to being back in school and seeing the rest of the friends. A lot of questions still remained and the future was uncertain, but they were determined to tackle it together. They had talked at length and agreed that another session of questioning with Dumbledore was due. He still knew much that he wasn't disclosing and it was past time for him to level with them completely.

Before the Potters and Weasleys were quite ready, September 1st had arrived. Everyone was up early to finish packing last minute items and eat a hurried breakfast before departing for King's Cross. The Auror department had decided that Ministry cars were the safest way to transport them all and Harry was pleased to see Tonks was one of the Aurors assigned to accompany them. They took two cars to fit all of them and all their trunks, brooms and animals, but they all made it to the station with plenty of time to spare. Neil and Jean were already waiting and Harry and Hermione took them by the hands and helped them through the barrier to platform 9 ¾, so that they could join in the familial goodbyes. The platform was frantic with activity and a number of friends came along to say hello, including Luna who hadn't been to Grimmauld in over a week. Soon the first warning whistle was blowing and everyone traded final hugs before all the students climbed into the next to last car and claimed a compartment. Minutes later they all waved goodbye as the Hogwarts Express began to steam them onward, back to school.