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A/N: I own none of this. Nor do I own the Moon, and I am not stupid enough to think that some schmuck on a radio ad can sell you a star...

Last time on The Power He has Not:

Hogwarts Express

Three Cars behind the Heads Compartment:

Hermione pouted. "Not fair, everyone has a Harry doll, but me."

"It seems to me that you've got the prototype."Padma pointed out. "And yours is the only one anatomically correct."

Hermione huffed. "Maybe, but I doubt yours snore or hogs the blankets."

Everyone stopped laughing and stared at her. Lavender found her voice first.

"Details. Now!"

Harry Potter and the Power He Has Not.

Chapter 20 - Discoveries

Malfoy Manor

Riddle's Bedchamber

"My Lord?"

No response came from the darkened room. Bellatrix ignited the lights in the room. Huddled in the bed was the object of her search.

"Make it stop"

"Make what stop my lord?"

Riddle was near panic "The voices. They won't stop talking to me! Make it stop!"

Ottery St. Catchpole

The Burrow

Molly's Kitchen:

Her 9th month had started. Penny Weasley was wishing that Percy had never touched her. Would this kid ever be born?

"Problems Sister Penny?"

"Percy got you down?"

"We could prank him into the stone age"

"You just say the word"

"And he's toast!"

"Percy's fine boys. No need to kill him or anything. I'm just uncomfortable."

"Add another reason to the list of why it's good to be a guy Forge."

"It's there Gred."

"So did the Healer tell you?"

"We talking Really Big Kid,"

"Or twins? We like Twins"

"Just one. And yes, the healer did tell us it's abig baby." Oh Joy. All her friends with children had their '300 hours of labor' stories.

Fred shot George a sly look. "Made any choices for names yet?"

"Let me guess, Fred or George?"

"Actually I was thinking if your little Weasley is a girl, Denise would be a good name"

"Denise Weasley... That does sound good. What if it's a boy?"

"Denephew obviously" and the twins ran for their lives when penny started flinging minor hexes at them.

Hogwarts Express

Three Cars behind the Heads Compartment:

"Details. Now!"

"It's not like that. We've been sleeping together to help each other through the nightmares we've been having. Harry and I have never been intimate."

"Oh yes Hermione, men and women sleep together all the time to avoid nightmares." Lavender shook her head. "I hope you're at least using a contraceptive charm."

"I don't need the contraceptive charm. Our relationship hasn't gotten that far. Harry is very old fashioned. He believes in virginity on the wedding night."

"That attitude is more common than some think."Pavarti said, elbowing her sister.

"Harry is terrified that he won't survive the confrontation with Voldemorte. He's not willing to make casual physical contact part of his relationships. He asked me to consider marrying him. He gave me this ring." She pulled the ring from around her neck. "It was his mother's and his grandmothers."

Padma gasped. "That's a betrothal ring."

Hermione nodded. "Harry called it something like that, yes."

The pureblood girls exchanged glances. "Sometimes I forget that you didn't grow up with magic." Padma hesitated. "That ring is a physical manifestation of his love for you. He could touch it because he's Potter of Potter. He gave it to you, the magics of the ring allowed this because he loved you. Watch." She reached out to the ring, hanging from the chain around Hermione's neck. As her hand grew close a visible aura manifested around the ring, and flung it's self toward Padmas hand. She jerked her hand back, in pain.

Shaking her hand, Padma continued. "And that was just from trying to touch it. If I was stupid enough to take the pain and force it on my finger, it would kill me." A shudder ran through the girls. "Hey, don't look at me; there have been women who tried it."

"What happens when I put it on?

"Well, it depends. If you love him, it sizes its self to you and you bond with Harry. If you don't, it returns to Harry. The rejection may cause you damage, or may not, it depends on the family runes added to the ring."

"I guess it comes down to what you feel Hermione"Susan added. "If you truly love him, the bond will be sealed, if not, you reject him."

"Can bonded pairs change their minds? I mean if he finds someone better..."

"It's not slavery Hermione. Bonded couples have been known to find love with others, but it isn't very common." Hannah said."The emotions needed to spark the magic are very strong. My Grandmother accepted her betrothal ring at 14; she and grand-dad have been married almost 120 years now." She smiled. "If you had been wearing that ring, Neville wouldn't have needed to deal with Zabini and his bookends. The magics in the Ring would have defended you. Not much use against a powerful wizard, but those losers would have wet themselves."

"Why didn't Harry tell me any of this?"

"He probably doesn't know. He had less of amagical upbringing than you did." Susan said quietly.

She was probably right. Hermione looked at the ring, holding its chain so that she could examine it. The ring was unspeakable beautiful. Something about it screamed of Harry's eyes. He hesitated for amoment, and then removed the chain from around her neck. Pavarti's hand touched her arm.

"Hermione, if you're thinking about doing what Ithink you're doing, you might want to wait. It's supposed to be an intense experience. You might want to wait until you're somewhere safe..."

"Where could I possibly be safer than this cabin? Surrounded by friends, with an honor guard outside the door. The only place I've ever felt safer was with Harry."

Her decision made, she removed the ring from the chain, and placed on the ring finger of her left hand.

Malfoy Manor

Throne Room:

Riddle raged into the room, and threw himself onto his throne. Bellatrix ran to the room to tend to him. Before she could say aword, Riddle roughly grabbed her arm and pressed his want to her mark, sending out the call for all of his Death Eaters to immediately report upon pain of torture and death.

Diagon Alley

Gringotts Bank:

Harry was being led through the maze of passageways that led to Ragnak's office. Suddenly a wave of emotion washed over him and he knew that Hermione, what ever had frightened her earlier, had decided, and placed his ring on her finger. Suddenly his left hand felt odd... Looking down he saw that a larger version of the Ring had appeared on his hand. He stumbled as the emotions that he and Hermione shared washed over him, he stopped and leaned against the wall.

"Problem Mr. Potter?"

"No Griphook, everything is just wonderful. Something just took me by surprise."

Hogwarts Express

Three Cars behind the Heads Compartment:

The ring easily slid onto her finger, and resized its self to fit her. The completeness of Harry's love for her washed over her mind, then over her body. It built and strengthened and built again. A moan escaped her lips as her body convulsed and she rode the crest of orgasm.

The cabin was silent throughout her experience. When Hermione finally relaxed with a happy smile on her face.

"I've got to get me one of those rings" Lavender whispered.

The girls erupted into laughter.

Malfoy Manor

Throne Room:

It took almost 2 hours for all of the Death Eaters to appear, some from as far away as Japan. Riddle had become less patient by the second. The last to appear was killed as he entered the room.

"Let it be known" Riddle intoned. "If any of you ever so much as muss the hair of Hermione Granger, I will kill you in ways you cannot imagine. It will take you weeks to die, screaming for release ever second. I will flay the skin from your body, I will..."

Riddle's rant of the punishments involved for annoying Harry Potter's Mudblood whore went on for more than an hour, confusing all of his Death Eaters to no end. Riddle himself didn't understand it, but meant every word.

Hogsmeade

Train Station:

One of the nine Aurors on duty at the station saw Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle as the Express pulled into Hogsmeade. They were stuck to the exterior of the Heads' car by a sticking charm. Goyle had died, due to the hole blown in his chest by the reducto, he had bled out. All three were still under the full body bind.

"Who did this?"

"I did." The Auror turned to see Neville Longbottom (though he had no idea who the kid was) Neville offered the Auror 3wands belonging to the Slytherians. "They attempted to rape our Head Girl and my girl friend. I found them, and stopped them. They are all marked," Neville gestured to their bared left arms clearly displaying the Dark Mark. "This contains a portkey" he offered a conjured canvas bag. "I don't know where it goes, but it was where they were going to send them."

"One of these boys is dead; do you know what you've done?"

"Your job?" Neville asked, before turning on his heel to join Hermione and Susan for the carriage ride to the Castle.

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