The following day, talk of Sirius Black's escape was one of several hot topics, along with Lupin's departure and on the last day of term, their exam results were posted.
Lucifer and Hermione both passed almost perfectly across the board; as he expected he didn't do perfectly in Ancient Runes, but Hermione did.
Although, due to her failing to take care of Boggart, she did not do perfectly in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The one Lucifer was most glad to see was the perfect Potions exam grade.
He thought Snape would try to give him less than Perfect, but he felt that Dumbledore had something to do with it.
Because of their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, Gryffindor came through and were the victors for the House Cup, meaning the end-of-term feast took place in a sea of Scarlet and Gold decorations.
As the train just pulled out of the station the next morning, Lucifer, Hermione and others found themselves an empty compartment.
Lucifer sat in the corner, while Harry and Ron sat across from him.
Hermione plonked herself down on her boyfriend's lap, her back against the window.
"There is a full bench right there, Hermione," Ron said with a distant look, "Leave the man alone."
But, two had something else to tell Harry.
"So, because we dropped Divination and Muggle Studies, we'll be able to have a normal schedule next year and not need the damned Time-Turner," Hermione explained.
"I could tell it was driving her mad, so I think it's for the better," Lucifer said, smiling, which caused Hermione to give him a mild glare.
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," Ron said grumpily, "we're supposed to be your frie..."
That's it, his voice was now gone.
It was getting really awkward, so Lucifer tried to point out Harry's old woes, "Hey, Potter, I know that living with those scum you have to unfortunately call relatives are horrible, but try to cheer up?"
"I'm okay..." he said in response.
"Harry, you've got to come over and stay with us! I'll fix it up with mum and dad and then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now-" Ron said happily.
"A telephone, Ron," Hermione said, "Honestly, I think you should-" she was stopped by Lucifer and she looked at him.
"He's not listening, don't waste your breath," he said and she nodded.
"And plus, it's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work," Ron said in his best effort to cheer Harry up.
"Yeah... I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come... especially after what I did to Aunt Marge," he smirked as he finished talking.
He played a few rounds of Exploding Snap with the three of them, and did Second best only to Ron.
He looked at Lucifer with a concerned expression, "Are you okay? Hermione did better than you, which I've never seen with Exploding Snap."
"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine... just-" before he could talk further, Draco Malfoy and his two Cohorts showed up.
"Bet you four are really proud of yourselves?" Malfoy asked them as he slid open the compartment door.
"Well yeah, we won the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup, what's there to not be proud of?" Lucifer smirked, and Hermione noticed his previous demeanor vanished entirely, maybe to never return.
"That Hippogriff was as good as dead, and it got away... I don't know how, Potter, but I know you had something to do with it," Draco said accusingly.
"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about," Harry said truthfully.
Hermione, who had enough forcefully closed the compartment door shut on Malfoy's face, and sat back down on her original position.
"• !" Draco, who felt insulted gritted his teeth angrily, then marched away with Fat Cronies.
Only for the Trolley lady to open the door back up a moment later.
They all bought a nice lunch, but no sweets this time.
When the afternoon hit, Hermione noticed something outside the window, "Harry, what is that?" She pointed towards it.
They all looked and saw something very small and grey bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass.
Harry stood up to get a better look, and quickly pulled the window down, putting his arm out and catching whatever it was.
It turned out to be a hyperactive Owl, and dropped a letter into Harry's seat before flying around in circles, similar to how Rowena did earlier in the year.
It seemed to be very pleased with itself.
Rowena appeared in the now opened window and perched, watching the Owl closely.
Crookshanks sat up at Hermione's feet and began to follow it closely with his great yellow eyes.
Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval.
Eve just slept inside her cage, Lucifer was already thinking about dropping her at Lux for next year.
Ron, seeming to have sensed the attention the Owl had attracted, snatched him up and out of harm's way.
Harry picked up the letter and opened it, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" Ron and Hermione asked at the same time.
"Read it aloud, Potter," Lucifer said, leaning back in his seat, making a slight more space for his girlfriend to move herself into his chest.
"Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about the owl's reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job.
I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got round to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt- "
"Ha!" Hermione said triumphantly, not even caring what she's doing with her rubbing hips "I told you it was from him!"
"Yeah, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" Ron asked before yelling out in pain.
The tiny Owl seemed to have nibbled on Ron's fingers a bit too hard for it to be an actually affectionate gesture.
"Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from Gringotts vault number seven hundred and eleven - my own. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you, that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius"
Harry then looked at another slip of paper in the envelope, and he was all smiles, "Sirius approved my visiting of Hogsmeade! That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" He looked back at Sirius' letter.
"Hang on, there is a PS..." Harry leaned closer to the Letter, "He says the Owl is yours Ron, since he is the reason you no longer have a rat."
"Keep him?" Ron asked with uncertainty.
He looked closely for a moment, then, surprising Harry and Hermione, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff, "What d'you reckon? Definitely an Owl?"
Crookshanks purred, content.
"That's good enough for me," Ron said, all smiles, "He's mine."
The rest of their ride back to Platform 9¾ was spent in silence, with Hermione reading a book.
Lucifer had begun reading the book she got for him, Ron was interacting with his new Owl, and Harry spent the rest of the ride reading the letter from his Godfather.
When the train pulled into the Station, they all hopped off and walked through the barrier, a couple at a time so as to not draw attention.
Before Lucifer and Hermione walked through, they heard a voice from off to the side.
"Lucifer!" He turned and saw Luna standing there, waving at him, with a man that he assumed to be her father.
"You can go ahead, your Mum should be waiting," Lucifer told Hermione who reluctantly nodded, a small goodbye kiss and she walked through the barrier.
"I will definitely visit you over the Summer!" And, Hermione was gone yelling like this.
Now that she is gone, Lucifer walks up to Luna and the man.
"Nice to see you, Luna. I take it this is your father?"
"Yes," she was smiling at him, "Daddy, this is who I was telling you about in my letters and when I came home for Christmas. Lucifer is probably the nicest person at Hogwarts," Luna was basically singing his praise.
"I was just being how I usually am," Lucifer said modestly.
"....My word." The man said in extreme shock, "absolutely wonderful," he smiled and even made a bodily move to get down on his knees, and kiss Lucifer's shoes.
"...Wh-there is really no need for, Luna, can you please help me with?"
"Daddy!" She said, a little upset with him, but her father seemed to have been getting a lot of passerby's attention.
"Xenophilius Lovegood, owner and editor of the Q-Quibbler, though I don't suppose you've read it, My Lord?" Guy was almost enchanted, and just couldn't believe his own eyes, now gazing at the figure of
The Light Bringer.
"I can't say I have...."
"No matter, it's publication doesn't reach Hogwarts that often, really, unless bought by a student or teacher...."
Xenophilius was now receiving a glare from his daughter, he immediately stood up, not even trying to brush his clothes.
"....Well, I must be off with my Luna, it was really my past good deeds to ever being able to have been touched by Lord Morningstar, whom she has been talking almost non-stop about,"
Xenophilius said, getting more emotional by the second, which made Luna to turn red in her cheeks, her glare intensified.
xxxxxx
Even though, Hermione had talked a lot over the school days with her family, she couldn't help but get into her old habit of launching into an explanation regarding her 3rd year.
Both Jane and her grandfather listened with great interest, but Wendell still primarily focused on the road. He won't get distracted no matter what.
The only thing so far that bothered Jane for umpteenth, was this thing called a Boggart that almost resulted in Lucifer's eye loss.
Jane asked for what could be a 5th time, "Why on Earth would they ever allow such a thing like Dementor to exist?"
"I told you Mum, The Minister called it a necessary evil, for their Wizard Prison called Azkaban. This way the Dementor's are happy, and the Ministry can divert their resources elsewhere. I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's what I believe the Minister meant," Hermione explained to her mother, she herself didn't know the real number of giving such an answer.
"They should be eradicated is what needs to happen," Wendell said spitefully, "Thankfully, there is a counter to them!"
"Yeah, It's called the Patronus Charm, mum, and it acts as a Shield in its base form, has the power to actually drive them off in its true form, which takes the shape of an animal," Hermione said, now smiling even more, "and Lucifer cast a Corporeal Patronus, its true form, and it took the form of a Giant Dragon!"
"A Strong Powerful memory, that's what you need right?" Wendell asked, remembering Hermione mentioned that before.
"I'm sure with age you will be able to cast a Corporeal one, no problem," Jane smirked and turned back around in her seat.
Hermione blushed and hid her face with her hair.
Lucifer had a busy early summer ahead of him; he had so much to lose, he was going to make sure he could never be matched in Wizard or Physical Combat.
He is the Harbinger of Destruction, and he was going to live up to that title, all to protect Hermione, because without her, Lucifer had nothing left to lose.
xxxxxx
Author's Note.
New Month!
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xxxxxxx
This book is going to be very dark from now on in truest sense, a little warning to my Readers.
Sense of Innocence will be lost...😏
1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's! 🎉