It was Sunday evening when she found out enough information to form some idea of what the boy was up to and when his attack was most likely.
"It'll be during the next Hogsmeade visit, Harry" she explained. "He believes the wards that will alert the staff to a student being attacked and by whom are only in effect on the grounds.
"As such, he feels confident enough to take you out during the next visit to Hogsmeade."
Harry was surprised at the information. "So, Nott's proven himself smarter than Malfoy, then. Mind you, that shouldn't come as a surprise, I guess."
"There's a Hogsmeade visit this weekend," said Hermione.
"Then, I think it behooves us to go; don't you?" he asked.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
At the Monday morning fire-side, the Unspeakables were discussing the latest when Scimitar stood to give his report.
"It's confirmed," he said, right off the wand-tip. "White Knight had a Horcrux under that scar of his, or at least attached to it. Through muggle surgery it was removed and destroyed."
"Wha?" one of the junior Unspeakables blurted. "How is that possible?"
While some of the Unspeakables frowned at the young man, Scimitar smiled and waved them off. "It's a legitimate question."
He thought for a bit and then said, "It had never occurred to us that muggle means could destroy a Horcrux. It had always been the belief of our best thinkers of the subject that there was no magical means by which such a person could be freed of a Horcrux. No... magical... means.
"That's what surprised everyone when the Black Healer figured out a way. She had the boy operated upon by a muggle surgeon; a muggle surgeon who is the father of a muggleborn girl recently graduated from Hogwarts.
"The surgeon, a specialist in what's known as micro-surgery, excised the entire area around and including the scar. With it, the excising also removed all traces of the dark magic emanating from the site. They then, literally, stitched him up and sent him on his way.
"Our observers have seen the site since then and it has become apparent that, as soon as the Black Healer got him back to the where he was staying, she knocked him out again, removed the stitching and applied magical healing to the wound site. It healed.
"We've since checked him and the wound site and there's no longer any sign of the Horcrux. All clear.
"What of the prophecy?" asked another. "Surely―"
"With the removal of what we believe to have been a Horcrux from White Knight's head, we believe the prophecy to be voided," he replied. "That means, anyone can kill him now."
That surprised them all, but for those who already knew.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
It was on the Tuesday afternoon that Harry was mumbling about how to get fit that Dobby popped in and suggested the 'Come and Go' Room. Looking to Hermione, Harry could see she had that 'I've been a daft moron' expression, which must've also been on his own face; Daphne was just confused.
"The 'Room of Requirement'," sighed Harry. "Why didn't we think of that?"
Visiting the Longbottoms, Harry invited them up to see the 'special room' they'd been shown by Dobby back at the beginning of the school year before the First Task.
"Dobby calls it the 'Come and Go' Room," he explained to them. "However, we know it to be properly named the 'Room of Requirement'. You need to come and see this."
"If you say so, Harry," said Susan, rising to her feet. That soon had the others all on their feet, as well.
That led to an 'excursion' up to the seventh floor.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Walking off the stairs at the seventh floor, the six of them, with Harry and Hermione leading the way, headed across to the dead-ended corridor where the door would magically appear.
Once there, Harry began walking for about ten paces before he spun about and walked back the other way. On his third pass, as he passed the other two, a door appeared.
A couple of the girls gasping in surprise as he walked past on the third time told him the door had appeared. Immediately heading for the door, he opened it and entered.
As he walked in he got a better look at the room to see how close it fitted his thoughts and desires.
In the room in rows were all the cardio equipment, weight-lifting equipment, universal rigs, plus more he would expect to find in a 'muggle' fitness gym. And, across the room, were two doors marked 'Male' and 'Female'.
'Change rooms,' he thought.
"Wow!" he heard Hermione say from just behind.
Turning about and smiling at them, he asked, "Do you know what this means?"
"We can get fit," said Hermione.
"What is all this?" asked a clearly confused Daphne.
"Fitness equipment," replied Hermione. "It's what muggles use to get and stay fit."
Harry gave a nod to agree and walked over to investigate what he thought to be change rooms. Walking into the Male one, he found he was right. It was a small communal change room complete with two showers, two toilets, four sinks and even six lockers.
Shaking his head a little in amazement and with Neville now following behind he returned to the main room. He noticed the girls were gone. Knowing they were probably in the change room he walked over to one of the treadmills and, standing on it, felt it immediately start. He had to quickly jump off, which turned it off again.
The girls came out and were grinning at him.
"Harry," said Hermione. "This is brilliant. Do you know what this means?"
With a smirk he cocked an eyebrow at her and asked, "Forget, already, I asked for it?"
With only a light blush, she replied, "No, but that doesn't mean you know what it means for all of us."
"We can get fit, which is what I've already said" he replied. "All we need to do is source some sports clothing to exercise in and we're good to go."
"Well... yes," she replied.
He said, "Hermione, we need to ask your Mum to do some shopping for us."
She grinned back and said, "Clothes shopping? She'll leap at the chance."
After Harry and Hermione answered a few questions about the equipment they walked back to their apartments. Hermione spent most of the time explaining to Daphne why they'd need different clothes and gave her some idea what they'd look like.
Though Daphne was hesitant upon hearing what she'd be 'asked' to wear for these so-called training sessions, when both Susan and Hannah also expressed their desire to wear such clothing and train, she agreed. Neville thought it sounded like a good idea to get fit, so didn't need much convincing.
Hedwig was sent that very day to the Grangers with a large shopping list containing Hermione's belief as to what sizes and how many of each and which articles of clothing she needed for them all. Though Tracey, who hadn't been with them at the time, hadn't said anything one way or another, Hermione just went right ahead and added what the girl would need to the list.
From his stash of muggle currency, Harry added ₤800 and wrote that he hoped it was enough.
On seeing what he wrote, Hermione grinned and said, "More than enough, Harry."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As the week progressed the Heirs, a name by which the group found out it was now unofficially known, planned their day for Saturday.
Neville and his two would go early. They'd be keeping an eye out for both Nott and Malfoy and their respective 'supporters' Tracey had cause to make known to them. Then Harry would go with his two.
Hermione asked, "What about you, Tracey?"
She smiled and replied, "I'm going with Millie and Alana. We're making a girls' day of it."
It also came to light that Nott was planning on having Harry separated from his two girls. That was what his 'hench-wizards' were for, while Nott took his revenge on Harry.
What Nott had not seemed to take into consideration was 'interference' from anyone else; including Neville and his two.
.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/gokublack444🎉