The next morning, Harry and Hermione showed up at Sirius' house at exactly eight o'clock. They were a bit surprised to find Ginny there.
"Good morning, Ginny," greeted Harry. "I guess you're here to practice your hexes until we start dueling at ten."
"Er, actually," asked Ginny nervously, "I was kind of hoping you'd let me join your training. I mean, I'm already sworn to secrecy. It wouldn't hurt for me to learn extra skills."
Harry looked at his girlfriend. "What do you think, Hermione?"
"I don't suppose it'll do any harm, love." Hermione then turned to Ginny. "We're studying something different every day of the week. Here's our list. Today we're studying becoming animagi. It's supposed to take a year to complete that. We'll be continuing with this at Hogwarts. We should get through a few of the other subjects within a month and change to new ones."
"Animagus training?" asked Ginny, "That sounds exciting! I've always wanted to be able to become an animal! It's too bad it takes a year, but oh well. How will we begin?"
They sat next to each other (with Hermione in the middle) and together read the first chapter. When they were finished, Harry suggested, "Wow. Maybe we should call Sirius to see how the Marauders began their training. He'll probably have a few tips."
"Sirius?" replied Ginny, looking surprised. "Is he an animagus?"
"Yes, he, along with my dad and Peter Pettigrew, became illegal animagi while still at Hogwarts."
"Wow," commented Ginny, clearly impressed.
Harry pulled out his small mirror and said, "Snuffles."
"Hello, Harry," replied Sirius when he appeared. "How are you doing?"
"All right. We just read the first chapter of an animagus book, and were wondering if you had any tips or advice about how to learn to transform."
After Sirius had talked for over an hour, describing the way he had prepared for the first step, which included practicing some meditative techniques to prepare for the magical meditation to learn your form. They hoped to be able to do it in a week, but Sirius insisted that it would take at least two weeks of practicing daily meditation for an hour before they could achieve the proper state to learn their animal.
When they were finished with that conversation, they all walked to the dueling room. Harry stated, "It's everyone for him or herself. The way to win the duel is to either incapacitate or disarm everyone else. Defend yourself. Petrificus Totalus!" Harry aimed that first hex at Ginny, who barely dodged in time.
She got mad from that cheap shot and shouted, "Bates Mocus!" while pointing her wand at Harry.
Harry didn't notice what Ginny was doing, because at the time, he was pointing his wand at Hermione, preparing to curse her. When he was hit by Ginny's hex, he felt the weirdest sensation of his life as his own bogies were pulled out of his nose and turned into little bats that started attacking his head. He heard Hermione's amused voice shout, "Petrificus Totalus," and he soon found himself lying stiff on the ground unable to move while being attacked by mucus bats. The duel continued with the two girls fighting each other furiously, with them each dodging the other's hexes.
Finally Hermione saw an opportunity to use a strategy Harry had previously used on her. Ginny was directly between Hermione and a folding chair. "Accio, chair," Hermione muttered, causing the chair to run into Ginny from behind.
Ginny made herself fall to the ground to avoid the 'stupefy' spell that Hermione sent the moment the chair made contact, but was unable to get up fast enough to escape the 'expelliarmus' curse that immediately followed.
Finally, after ten minutes of lying on the ground being tortured by bat bogies, Harry was released from his hexes by Hermione. His face was red and the girls were laughing at him, but the only thing he said once he got up was, "Defend yourself!"
This time, he avoided Ginny's hexes and, in fact, did manage to petrify her and eventually stupefy Hermione.
After a few more duels, which got longer and longer as all of them improved, Hermione declared, "Harry and I have got to go now. Bye, Ginny."
"Bye guys," replied the redhead.
"By the way," said Harry, "we're bringing Hermione's parents here for a bit of a magic show this afternoon. They've been anxious to actually see Hermione do magic ever since we told them about the place. We made them wait until you were done so they could see what a wizarding house should look like. You can stay and help if you'd like, or you can make sure to avoid them. It's up to you."
Ginny commented, "You know, I never thought about it. Muggle parents send their kids to school to learn magic, but never actually get to see what their kids learn. I'd love to be part of your show."
"Yeah," agreed Hermione, "Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, we're having a small party at my house tomorrow at two-thirty. You, and I suppose Ron, are invited."
"I'd love to go. I'll ask Ron later tonight. I guess we'll need my mum's permission. How about if I let you know tomorrow morning?"
"Okay. We hope you can come."
-ASM-
The couple left Ginny, after planning out the magic show, and went home for lunch, and then rode their bikes to the karate class, where they learned a method of blocking a punch. After class, Hermione told Neville, "We're having a small party at my house tomorrow after class, and we'd like you to come."
Neville looked surprised, "Y-You would?"
"Of course we would, Neville," assured Harry. "Why wouldn't we?"
"My parents will be picking us up, and you can ride home with us. We can get you home from there. You are on the floo network, right?" Harry stared at Hermione blankly from behind Neville, afraid she was going to tell him about Sirius' house.
"Of course, but I didn't think that muggle houses were?"
"My house isn't, but Ginny has a portkey to her house. You should be able to leave with her and Ron, and then floo home from there," explained Hermione. Harry appeared relieved.
At that moment, Neville's gran walked up and Hermione told her about the party. The older woman seemed happy that Neville was invited and assured them he could go. As they were leaving, Hermione commented, "Bye the way, we'll probably use the swimming pool so bring swimming trunks."
Neville paled at that, but his grandmother promised, "I'll make sure he doesn't forget them."
-ASM-
When they got home, they were met by Hermione's parents, who seemed extremely excited about the magic show they were about to witness. Her dad asked, "When do we leave?"
"Er, now, if you're ready?" she answered. When her parents both nodded, she took off her necklace and instructed, "Grab onto this, and don't let go until we're there." When Harry, Marissa, and Adam were holding the necklace, Hermione said, "House Two Now."
Her parents seemed startled by the feeling of traveling by portkey, but held on as they were instructed. When they landed at Sirius' house, Adam commented, "That was weird. But it was also fast. Do you think you could make a portkey between our house and our office?"
Before Hermione could answer, four glasses of tea floated at them. Ginny called from the kitchen, "Hello. I thought you might be thirsty. These glasses of iced tea are charmed to always be cold, so there's no rush to drink them."
The four of them took the glasses out of the air. Mr. and Mrs. Granger seemed very impressed as they were led to the living room, where they were seated on the two recliners.
Hermione stood in front of them nervously and stated, "Er, the first things I'd like to show you are some transfiguration examples. I picked up these rocks today on the way home. Now observe." She set four rocks out of a sack she'd brought with her down in front of her parents, said the proper incantation, and they turned into a set of glass goblets with a rose sculpted on one side and a styled 'G' sculpted on the other side. She then placed another rock on the floor and transfigured it into a silver case for the set of glasses. She then put the glasses in the case and handed it to her parents.
"That's amazing," exclaimed Marissa.
Hermione sat down and Harry stood up and admitted, "I'm not as good as Hermione, but I hope you like this." He then took a rock out of the bag and turned it into a thin glass vase. He then pointed his wand at the vase and water filled it. He then took another rock and transfigured it into a carnation. He then put the flower in the vase and handed it to Mrs. Granger.
"Incredible," stated Mr. Granger.
Marissa simply said, "Thank you, Harry."
Harry sat down and Ginny got up. She explained, "I'm a year behind them, so this might not be as impressive." She then transfigured two rocks into gold cufflinks in the shape of the Gryffindor lion logo and handed them to Adam.
"Wow!" he exclaimed as he examined them.
"Just don't tell anybody what that logo is," asked Hermione, smiling as she got up. "Now, we'll demonstrate charms. I'll show you a summoning charm. Ginny put one of my books in one of the bedrooms. I don't know which. Accio, animagus book." Moments later, the book in question came floating into Hermione's hand. She sat down.
Harry then stood up and announced, "I'd like to demonstrate the cheering charm. It will make you feel happy with no side affects. Which one of you will volunteer?"
Hermione's parents looked at each other, and then Mrs. Granger said while smirking, "I'll be the brave one. You may charm me." After Harry had successfully charmed his girlfriend's mother, Ginny got back up.
"For my charm, I'll need the room to be a bit darker." After the lights were dimmed, Ginny cast, "Lumos maximus," lighting up the room with her wand.
"Excellent," responded the still cheerful Marissa Granger.
After Ginny had sat back down, Hermione got up and said, "I would demonstrate cleaning charms, but right now this place is spotless. Is there anything you'd like to see?"
After about a half hour, they'd demonstrated her parents' requests. They then decided to let Ginny give a grand tour of the house. She proudly showed a study saying, "This had threadbare black carpeting with old gray paint and a black desk when I came in here." It now had pine green carpet, wallpaper that showed scenes of a forest, and a beautiful wooden desk that looked like it had just been polished. There were wizard pictures of various big cats, one on each wall. The one on the wall facing the desk had a lion and lioness together. Another depicted a cougar, and another a panther, and the last was a tiger. "With magic, it took about a half hour to do everything in this room."
The walls in another room were painted a very light shade of grey. There was a wizard picture on each wall depicting a scene of Hogwarts. One was the image of Hogwarts, as seen from the boats first-years ride on. You could even see the backs of the students in a boat. The opposite wall contained the image of the forbidden forest, another the Great Hall, packed with students and staff, waving merrily, and the last picture was the Gryffindor common room. The floor had grey carpet. The Grangers were really interested in those pictures, once they knew what they were. It had a grayish marble table in it with comfortable grey office chairs surrounding it.
"The other rooms were kind of boring," commented Ginny. "They're bedrooms, and I don't know about you, but I have trouble sleeping in a room with a picture moving around watching me."
After they'd finished the tour, Ginny portkeyed to the Burrow, leaving the rest to talk for a few minutes before returning home. Adam said, "Wow. This home truly is impressive. Ginny did a great job."
"I know," agreed Harry.
"What I can't believe is that you could do all that magic, and you're not halfway done with your education," commented Marissa. She was still a bit cheerful, but the charm was wearing off.
"I guess we should be headed home," suggested Adam.
"All right," agreed Hermione, taking off her necklace.
-ASM-
When they arrived in Hermione's bedroom, her father commented, "I'm glad Harry doesn't have a portkey here."
Hermione explained, "I chose my bedroom because is the least likely room in the house to be occupied when I'm not here. You may want to make sure to keep my door closed when I'm not here, in case we have guests."
"That reminds me," asked Marissa, "How many people are we having over tomorrow?"
"We won't know for sure until tomorrow morning. Ginny has to ask her parents," Hermione answered.
-ASM-
The next day when Harry and Hermione were preparing to go to Grimmauld Place, Hermione grabbed three brand new brooms that were in her room. "What are they for?" asked Harry. "We magically clean that house."
"Today we're studying magical travel," explained Hermione with a grin, "and since you can take the chapters of that book in any order you want, I've decided that we'll start with charming brooms to fly."
"That's great!" replied Harry excitedly. "I've already read that chapter, and have been dying to try that out! It's a lot more complicated than I thought, but I'll bet you'll make yours better than my Firebolt before we're done today."
"I doubt that," admitted Hermione honestly, "but I hope we'll all be able to make a broom that flies properly."
-ASM-
When they arrived, Ginny told them, "Ron and I will be coming, and Fred and George would like to come as well."
Hermione replied, "That should be fine as long as they remember that they can't do magic."
Harry then told Ginny the topic of study for the day, and she was even more excited than he was. "Maybe I can learn to make a broom better than the old ones my family has."
They all were very diligent with this lesson, and two hours later, they all were riding functional, if slow, brooms around the dueling room. Hermione instructed, "We'll continue this lesson next week. It seems the speed charms are the most challenging to master, but they're also the most important. What's the point in charming a broom to escape on if you can be caught by someone on foot? I suggest we leave the brooms here. We'll engrave our initials on them so we don't get them confused. For now I suggest we start dueling."
Before anyone could react, Harry stated, "Hold on, my mirror is being called."
He pulled it out of his pocket, and Sirius' image said, "Hi, Harry. I thought I'd let you know that I talked to Dumbledore about the dark objects in the attic. He wants to examine them all, but he's especially interested in that locket. I suggested telling you about this place so you could bring him the stuff, but he was completely against you knowing about this house. I've asked Remus come here tomorrow for it while you're here. He promised to keep our little secret from the headmaster. I just thought I'd let you know."
"Well, thanks for telling us. We'll give him the tour of the house. Maybe we can get him to clean the outside while he's here," suggested Harry. "I'd love to talk some more, but there are two females here very anxious to hex me. I can't keep them waiting."
-ASM-
The adult Grangers were home when the two teenagers arrived back from Grimmauld Place, and suggested that they simply drop the two of them off at the karate school today, and that they could portkey back home with Neville. They agreed with the suggestion, so after the karate lesson, Harry, Hermione, and Neville found a secluded spot where no one could see them and portkeyed to the Granger residence. Hermione made a show of giving Harry her portkey so he could go get the Weasleys, who had gone with Ginny to Grimmauld Place (the twins didn't know whose house it was – only that it was a friend of Harry's).
When Harry and the four youngest Weasleys arrived at Hermione's house, they immediately got changed into their swimsuits and walked out to the pool. Neville seemed nervous about getting into the water, and Ginny noticed. She walked up to him and asked, "D-Do you know how to swim?"
"Er," he replied, turning to look at her, noticing her bathing suit and blushing, "Not very well. My gran made me take some swimming lessons, but I really only learned to float."
"If you'd like, I could help you learn," offered Ginny, "I swim at a pond near my house all the time."
Neville looked surprised. "Really? You'll help me?"
"Of course, Neville. You are a 'fellow Gryffindor,' aren't you?"
While the others swam and played in the pool, Ginny spent the time teaching Neville how to properly swim, and by the time they were called in for pizza, he had the basics down pat. He wasn't ready for the Olympics, but he wasn't nervous anymore, at least not until the twins got him to eat a canary crème during dinner.