"Unbelievable," Ron muttered unhappily as he dropped to the floor next to Harry after they had both descended the ladder from Trelawney's classroom. Fellow Gryffindors were shuffling by with similarly displeased scowls on their faces.

On Fridays Harry and Ron had Divination first period while Hermione was off taking Arithmancy with Professor Vector. Harry tended to side with Ron in thinking Arithmancy was some vile manner of self-imposed torture, but on certain days Trelawney's rambling made him wonder if maybe Hermione wasn't the smarter of the three of them for dropping the course.

Harry smiled to himself when his own thoughts caught up to him. If it was a question of smarts, then Hermione was definitely running circles around the boys. Some things never changed.

Ron yawned crookedly and saw Harry's smile from his one opened eye. He snapped his jaw shut to frown at his friend. "Why the hell are you smiling?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead hiked the shoulder strap of his bag higher toward his neck and huffed, "Though we shouldn't be surprised in the least that daft old woman would pull something like this, you know?" The two of them side-stepped some bustling Ravenclaws as Harry subtly led Ron off to one side. Ron, meanwhile, continued to rant. "I mean, we're all nervous enough about Hogsmeade tomorrow as it is, what with You Know Who on the loose and all, but for her to spend the entire hour predicting our gruesome deaths at the hands of Death Eaters then to fall apart and cry like that!"

Harry gave a one-shouldered shrug, "That's pretty much every Divination class for me."

Ron snorted. "She's the bat in the belfry, that one. How she ever became a teacher being a complete nut job I'll never get. Did you see Parvati's face when that hag started sobbing like a baby? I thought she was going to start crying, too! I'm telling you, mate, if this class turns into a reason for girls to cry and simper I'm dropping it next term. I'll take my chances in Arithmancy or Merlin forbid, Ancient Runes. Hey, Harry, where are we going? This isn't the way to History of Magic. Though if you're thinking of skiving, I'm all for it. Binns just might be enough to put the lot of us over the edge and hope Trelawney's right about us all kicking it tomorrow."

"Ron," Harry turned to his trailing comrade and the redhead stuttered to a stop in front of Harry. "Be quiet for a minute, I need to talk to you about something." He'd maneuvered them over against the wall, out of the way of most of the foot traffic.

Ron yawned again and scratched at the nape of his neck with a bandaged hand. He'd not opted to get up even a second earlier than necessary to go to the hospital wing to have the cat scratches tended. "A'right, what's up?"

Harry glanced around once to scan for any obvious eavesdroppers then said in a low voice, "Hermione and I were talking this morning, and we're thinking we'd all three of us go to Dumbledore and see if he'd see his way clear to teaching us how to do wandless magic."

Ron's eyes widened and his mouth popped open. "Wandless magic? Are you serious?"

Harry nodded. "Hermione figures it might prove useful if it ever comes down to another confrontation with Voldemort." Ron made a strangled sound which Harry ignored. Honestly, it was a stupid name. "And since Dumbledore's the only person we know who really has a handle on the whole wandless magic thing, it made sense to ask him if he'd be willing to teach us. You want to try learning it?"

"Are you kidding? Wandless magic? That's got to be just about the coolest use of magic there is. You're bloody right I'd want to learn it. Not even Charlie or Bill can do wandless magic, and they're seen as the better wizards of the Weasley clan." Ron glowered a moment as though he'd bitten into a foul lemon.

"Great, then. I'd planned on going to Dumbledore's office during lunch to ask him about it. You can come along if you like."

Ron nodded in agreement then lingered on the idea. "Wow, can you imagine—" Ron paused fractionally and his gaze shifted from Harry's eyes to a point an inch to Harry's right. Harry shifted his hearing and caught the sound of footfalls approaching from behind him. He half-turned his head to bring the approaching person into his field of vision from the corner of his eye, and just that was enough for him to recognize Hermione.

"Hi, guys," she said to them both as she came upon Harry. Harry turned, drew back his shoulder and opened his stance to her, and Hermione slid in and brushed her shoulder against him. Harry ducked his head for just a second to focus on her, to just barely catch the scent of her hair as it passed before his face, then he turned back to Ron to hear the rest of his sentence. Hermione came to a stop tucked back against Harry's side, her arms closed around a book, as she lifted her eyebrows in a 'what are we talking about' look.

Ron was looking between Harry and Hermione a bit stupidly. He pursed his lips and then slanted his mouth to one side in a queer expression. "You know," he said with a faint note of offense, "for people who aren't dating, you two have gotten really touchy lately."

Harry hadn't thought about it. Had they? He glanced down at Hermione and she looked just as taken aback by the remark. She blinked. Then she waved it off and rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with a little casual physical contact between friends, Ron."

Ron's eyebrows jumped toward his hairline. "I think I have a different definition for 'casual' than you two must."

Harry opened his mouth to put Ron in his place because he should bloody well back off and leave them be, but Hermione beat him to it. She narrowed her eyes at Ron and lifted her chin challengingly. "Are we going to bicker about this?"

Ron blinked, looked a bit stunned by her curt manner, then he shook his head. "No, no, I just… Harry was just telling me about the wandless magic."

Hermione, mood at once changed, looked over her shoulder and up at Harry. "And?"

Harry nodded and for a fraction of a second let his gaze flitter from her eyes to her mouth and back again. "Ron's in."

Hermione quirked a fleeting, private and knowing smile at him, then she turned her attention back to Ron. "Brilliant, then. I really think it'll do us a world of benefit if even one of us can manage it." She looked down at her watch and stepped back a pace from Harry, turned toward him to similarly open her stance to him as he had to her before, and she grabbed his arm. "Look at the time! We better hurry on or we'll be late for History of Magic." She gave Harry's arm a tug, Harry gave a 'better com along' look, and the three of them started down the hall together.

❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾ ❾¾❾¾

Walking into Dumbledore's office in the middle of the day reminded Harry of Santa's workshop. Since his first visit to the headmaster's keep he'd thought so, if only in the back of his head. It was not so prominent an association that it would come up in conversation, maybe because Harry had only that snippet of memory from which to draw. It was perhaps his only pleasant Christmas memory with the Dursleys, and even that one he'd snatched without permission. One Christmas, when he was seven, he'd snuck out of the kitchen when he was meant to be cooking the supper feast and peeked in on Dudley watching a Christmas movie in the living room. He only watched a few seconds before he was caught by Aunt Petunia and herded back to the stove (where he suffered a sound whack on the head with a wooden spoon), but those handful of seconds were enough for him to see what was on the telly. There had been elves, workbenches, toys, and everywhere smiles and tinkling objects and glittering gold, red, and green. During the day, Harry thought that Dumbledore's office was a lot like that. The portraits on the walls of animated past headmasters of Hogwarts were the Christmas elves filling the place with talk and movement and life, and everywhere Dumbledore kept various magical objects, some Harry could not begin to name, many that moved with indefatigable energy of their own, that tinkled and glittered and sparkled near as gaily as the workshop.

There was even a white-bearded old man to oversee it all.

When they'd pushed open the door, Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the room, making coiling motions in the air with his wand. As he did so, his beard spiraled upward in the air like a sculpted shrub, obscuring most of his face in the process. He stopped when he saw the three of them enter his office (he had to peer around his erect curly-q beard to properly look at them).

"Harry, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley. What an unexpected visit. Do come in," as the three students filed into his office Dumbledore gave a last flick of his wand and his beard uncoiled in a flash and seemed to tug itself in all directions, as though attempting to free itself from his face, before lying naturally against his chest. "Caught me in a bit of beard twirling."

Harry had no idea what purpose that might serve, but then it seemed he was still learning the world of magic one baffling step at a time. It wasn't entirely surprising it would be a mystery to him.

"Beard twirling?" Ron queried. Harry was piqued to wonder a bit more about Dumbledore's recent activity. Must be something truly peculiar if Ron, from a wizard family, hadn't heard of it.

"Yes, I find it keeps my beard looking plucky. Now… what brings you three to my office when there is such a titillating aroma coming from the Great Hall? You haven't been sent here for some misbehavior, have you?"

Harry, standing in the middle between Ron and Hermione, was in a fit position to see Hermione straightened with purposeful intent and hear Ron make a faint, piteous noise at the mention of their missed meal. Harry turned his head fractionally toward Hermione to confer with her one last time. She never took her eyes from Dumbledore, but with a faint nod she urged him forward to broach their reason for coming.

Harry looked back at the headmaster. "Sir… we have something to ask of you."

"Do you now? Hmm… interesting." Dumbledore walked around to stand behind his desk and looked at each of them in turn before taking a seat in his large, comfortable chair. "Well, then, what is this thing you wish to ask of me?"

"We hoped you might consent to teaching us wandless magic," Harry said.

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose as he looked intently at Harry. "I see." His eyes cut over to Hermione on Harry's left. And they stayed there. Harry shouldn't have expected less. Of course Dumbledore would know in a second who thought up the idea.

Hermione took up the silent challenge without hesitation. "Headmaster… I feel the possibility of being able to perform wandless magic could be invaluable to Harry. And Ron and I, too, as we fully intend to stand with Harry should the worst happen."

Harry could hear Ron to his right hold his breath, but he didn't object or contradict Hermione.

Dumbledore nodded gravely.

"You're the only wizard we know who has really mastered wandless magic," Hermione pressed. "Who better than you to teach us?"

"Who indeed," Dumbledore mused aloud, then leaned slightly forward to study Harry with a sharp eye. Harry stood straighter without really knowing why.

Dumbledore finally spoke. "I can't fault your reasoning on this matter, Miss Granger. Seems I rarely can, come to think on it. I can attest only too well how handy it is to be able to perform magic without the use of a wand, and I don't just mean to summon a towel whilst in the shower." The headmaster directed his next comment at Harry. "And it is well that you should understand that the threat of Voldemort is all too real, even here at the school. The staff here at Hogwarts is doing all in our power to protect the students, but with a dark wizard like Voldemort there can be no certainty that danger will not find its way into our dearest retreats."

Harry gave a ghost of a nod. He had no misconceptions about that.

Dumbledore gave a faint nod back, so slight Harry wondered if perhaps he'd imagined it, then he said, "But to do wandless magic is a demanding challenge, and not one that is ever guaranteed regardless of conviction. I trust you are well aware of that, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, and I told Harry and Ron it might not work no matter how hard we practice. But still, we'd like to try."

"And try you shall." Dumbledore stood and rounded the desk to stand directly before his students. He leveled his gaze on Harry. "I'll teach you what I can about wandless magic." He glanced to either side of Harry to take in Ron and Hermione. "Only do not be disappointed if your efforts never bear fruit. Wandless magic is a finicky talent, terribly hard to manage, and some very powerful witches and wizards are vexed by that ability alone."

"We won't be discouraged," Harry promised.

"Very well, then. In that case, let us begin out lessons Sunday afternoon, after the Hogsmeade outing tomorrow."

It would serve in Harry's opinion, but he was stilled in his own thinking when he caught Hermione pause in the corner of his eye. She chewed on her bottom lip in thought then ventured, "Headmaster? Considering how important this could be, wouldn't it make more sense to skip Hogsmeade in order to start lessons right away?"

Ron made a croaking noise in the back of his throat at Hermione forfeiting all their Hogsmeade trips without asking, but wisely he did not openly protest or argue against her. Harry had been looking forward to Hogsmeade just like Ron, but in the grander scheme Hermione's proposal made far more sense. Which did not surprise him in the least. If he had to give up a day trip to Hogsmeade to potentially learn a new way to fight against Voldemort, and possibly aid his survival… Honeydukes could most certainly wait.

Harry blinked in surprise when Dumbledore actually looked… caught out. The elder wizard perched on the edge of his desk and looked long and hard at Harry. Then he sighed. "Harry… I have something to confess to you. No doubt you will be angry, but I would hope you can understand why I did it and refrain from getting too upset. Even more, I hope you can forgive me."

Harry tensed. This did not sound good at all. Hermione shifted a bare inch to stand nearer to him. "What do you mean, sir?" he asked warily.

The Headmaster looked genuinely aggrieved to say what he was about to, but it did not stop him. "Our combined efforts with the Ministry of Magic to locate the whereabouts of Voldemort have so far been without results. We are utilizing all the resources we can imagine, some even the ministry doesn't know about, but as yet they have all been to no avail. We simply cannot find him.

"Did you ask yourself, Harry, why I would permit an excursion to Hogsmeade when the current times are so dangerous?"

Harry felt his gut being clenched in a cold fist. "Hermione asked it."

Dumbledore glanced once at Hermione and gave her an acknowledging nod. "I never expected an incongruence such as that to pass by Miss Granger unnoticed."

"Why did you?" Hermione asked in a low voice. Her tone told Harry she'd already sussed out Dumbledore's reasons. And she was none too happy about them, either. Harry suspected he knew full well, too, but he wanted Dumbledore to tell him. He'd have it from the source. He almost had to hear it from Dumbledore to truly believe it of him.

The headmaster looked glum. "We know that Voldmort still has designs on Harry. For whatever his own cruel purposes, he wants to get his hands on Harry.

"We had hoped that Harry leaving the safety of the school grounds might tempt Voldemort to make a move where we are in a position to strike him."

Harry stared, unflinchingly, at Dumbledore.

Hermione next to him was not so stoic. She growled, "You're using him as bait!" The disgust and revulsion was thick in her voice.

"Yes, I am afraid so."

Harry could sense Hermione fuming. He could imagine how her body tensed at the same time he listened to her breathing change and felt her presence harden. He stole a half-glance at Ron and his companion was pale. It made his red hair stand out starkly. Harry turned his eyes to the headmaster and found Dumbledore watching him with singular intensity.

Harry scowled faintly. "If you didn't tell me before, you obviously knew I wouldn't like this one bit."

"I didn't pretend to think you'd be okay with this plan. Nor would you be alone. Professor McGonagall was actually quite staunchly opposed to this whole idea, if it makes it any easier to accept. It was far from a unanimous decision even among Hogwarts's teachers. We are all trying to look out for you, Harry."

Harry had a fleeting thought of Snape. "Right."

Hermione asked sharply, "How is dangling Harry in front of You Know Who's nose looking out for him? Isn't that precisely how Harry ended up in the graveyard last year?"

"Hermione," Ron gave a shocked whisper that she would speak to the headmaster of Hogwarts in such a way, even if the situation pretty well warranted it. Buggered or not, there were still some things a proper student didn't do, and Hermione was the quintessential proper student.

Hermione didn't apologize. Harry was glad she didn't. He'd like an answer to that question. He watched Dumbledore steadily to take in every nuance that surrounded his reaction.

Ultimately, Dumbledore was not an easy read.

"The longer Voldemort is on the loose, the more time he has to bring together his old followers.

"When we were unable to apprehend him over the summer we began to fear our chances would dwindle with each day that he was free. At the beginning we could hope some of the old Death Eaters who'd gone to ground after Voldemort's fall fourteen years ago would believe his return a rumor and stay put to save their own skins. But now there has been time for rumors to become facts, and old allies and enemies to find their way back to old allegiances.

"If Voldemort has time to reassemble even half of his old band of Death Eaters then our world, and possibly the world of muggles, will be gripped once more in a war the likes of which many had ardently hoped to never see again." Dumbledore stepped closer to Harry. "This is a bold move on our part."

"Bold or desperate?" Harry asked bluntly.

Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. He did not reprimand Harry for his insolent tone. "Sadly, the two are often hard to tell apart. Know that I consented to this with a heavy heart and every belief that it can only serve to help protect you.

"Nearly half of the teachers in Hogwarts will be going to Hogsmeade tomorrow with the students. They'll be near at hand wherever you go, provided you stay within the village proper." Dumbledore looked squarely at Harry on the last, indicating it was also a command.

Harry bristled. "I'll not have an escort."

For a moment, Dumbledore's eyes flickered. As though Harry had finally managed to catch him off guard with his reaction. Then the headmaster's expression hardened. "Harry… this is for your safety."

"Forgive me if I don't fancy being your staked goat." He'd had his share of being bound and bled like a sacrificial lamb at the end of last term.