The fresh sea breeze and sunlight of another pleasant day filled the room as Harry and Hermione awoke from another restful night's sleep. It was a while before they got out of bed, their drowsiness ebbing away more slowly this morning. After leisurely eating breakfast in their room, and then donning swimsuits, they made their way out onto the beach with swim fins in hand. A few seagulls sailed overhead, gliding on the wind and calling out to each other. A pelican, with motionless wings, flew passed skimming inches above the turquoise blue water. They waded out into the warm water just beyond the break of the gentle waves. After putting on the swim fins, and casting a few charms, they floated face down for a few minutes before diving below the water's surface.

"It seems like we're swimming in an aquarium," thought Harry.

"Yes, it looks so beautiful. Look at all the fish and coral!"

"Your bubblehead charm is working great Hermione."

"And being able to thought-talk with you comes in really handy too."

"It's all so beautiful, the crystal clear water, the colorful fish, seeing you swimming."

"I'm happy to know you are enjoying our swim. You make a nice addition to the scenery too. Harry, during the second task, was it like this in the lake?"

"The water here is clear and much warmer; though the gillyweed made the sensation of the cold hardly noticeable. I think Fleur, Cedric, and Victor used warming charms. It's also far less dangerous here, no grindylows."

"These fish seem quite friendly to us. I can almost touch them."   ...

"Hermione, look over there by that coral, hundreds of little fish in a tight cluster."   ...

"Harry, look there, a cuttlefish. We need to stay back from it."

"I don't see it."

"It just changed to match its surroundings. Watch just in front of that red coral for a minute."

"It just moved. I see it now. It really knows how to blend in with its surroundings. It has a very good invisibility cloak."   ...

A while later she thought, "How long do you think we've been swimming?"

He looked at his hands. "Quite a while by the looks of my fingers. Seen enough?"

"Yes, I think so. Let's go in and lie on the beach for a while."

Back on the beach, the warm sun dried them as they rested from their swim.

He said, "Do you want to see the magical part of the resort this afternoon?"

"Yes I do. I want to find a magical gift for my parents. I haven't a clue yet what to get them but I want it to be very special. I still feel a bit guilty about all the time we missed as a family."

---

Closing the door of their room, they turned and walked further down the hallway and around a corner. At the end of the hallway, they came to a door that had no doorknob. After a glance at Hermione, Harry touched his portkey to the door. An instant later, the lock clicked and the door swung open. A large sunlit scene greeted them. A winding lane led away from the door in two directions. They stepped in, or was it out? The door closed behind them.

They were now standing in a small quiet park. Birds sang in the trees and a few people were seated on park benches talking. At a leisurely pace, they began to walk toward some shops a short distance away. The shops were widely spaced on either side of the lane with all manner of trees, shrubs, tables, seating areas, floating signs, and lamp posts filling the spaces in-between. They saw two men seated at a table playing wizard chess. At another table, people were talking and having a bite to eat. There were many other witches and wizards moving along the lane and between the shops but overall the crowds were light.

They made their way along the lane and stepped into many of the shops. Magical displays in the windows advertised the latest merchandise each shop had to offer. Books, magical toys, T-shirts and hats with moving insignias, a jewelry shop, and gift shops with all manner of magical things. The gift shops contained many unique things to look at and they finished picking out thank you gifts. In one of the shops, Hermione was inspired with the perfect gift idea for her parents. They purchased the item and would complete the gift after their return home. Walking a little further along the lane, they stopped in front of a broom shop. There were a number of brooms on display in the front window.

After a moment, he looked at her. "So how did you like riding my broom at sunset the other day?"

"I liked it a lot. It was easy to control once I—" She abruptly stopped with a surprised expression on her face. Then her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "How do you know I used that broom?"

He grinned. "I asked Ron at lunchtime to bring it to me. He brought me Ginny's broom instead. He said Ginny wanted me to use her broom and then left very quickly."

"That's because I asked Ginny to bring me your broom earlier that morning."

"Yeah. After Ron left, I worked that out fairly quickly since only you and I knew the broom was under my bed."

She smiled. "Ron and Ginny must have had a bit of a panic over that."

"Especially Ron I think." He smiled warmly at her. "But it was very touching when I figured out what you were up to. It really meant a lot to me that day ... and it still does."

With a shy smile, she took hold of his hands. "I know how much you enjoy flying and the freedom you feel. I've also banished a fear in my life and I enjoy it now too."

He gave her a warm kiss. "So, do you like that broom? Or should we go into this shop so you can pick out one for yourself?"

"Really? ... Yes, I'd like to pick one out, with your expert advice of course."

He opened the door for her and they stepped into the shop. For the next hour, Hermione looked at almost every broom in the shop. The shopkeeper would mention the features and flight characteristics of each broom. He quickly learned, much to Harry's amusement, not to patronize this witch. She asked about the type of wood used for the handle and the aerodynamic properties of the finish. She asked about the type and length of the bristles and how they were attached to the handle. She asked about the witch or wizard who placed the final flight charm on the broom and to what degree the enchantment would respond to the flyers control input.

Harry meandered around the shop looking at things and covertly watching. He could see that both Hermione and the shopkeeper were enjoying the experience. Harry thought that being a hotel shop, the shopkeeper probably didn't get many customers wanting to know so much before making a purchase. The shopkeeper excitedly looked up details to answer Hermione's questions and helped her compare the merits of the different broom models. The shop had a flight test area in the back and Harry watched as she tried a number of different brooms. When she had narrowed it down to two brooms, she asked Harry to give each of them a go.

"I like the handling and control of this one better."

"I do to. But it's a lot more expensive."

"You'll have the broom for a long time. We should get the one you like best."

She smiled. "Okay then." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you my love."

Her beaded bag was becoming very full with gifts and now a Starsweeper IV broom. A happy shopkeeper smiled and waved as they left the shop. They sat down on a nearby bench to rest.

"You really had a good time in there. I didn't realize how much you know about brooms and what to look for in a good one."

"I learned most of it from just listening to you, Ron, and Ginny talk about quidditch. I've never had much interest in pro teams, statistics, and that sort of thing. But the magic that makes a broom fly has always interested me. The three of you were my teachers."

"You learned your lessons well." With a smirk he added, "No surprise there. You picked out a really good broom. I enjoyed watching and you also made it a happy day for the shopkeeper."

It was now evening and they decided to have dinner at a wizard restaurant called Hannah's House. It was quiet and there weren't many people present.

"Hi, my name is Sara. Right this way." After seating them, Sara handed them each a menu. "The special of the day is turkey dinner with all the trimmings. It's definitely the best."

Later, after finishing a delicious turkey dinner, a woman came up to their table. "Welcome to Hannah's House." Harry and Hermione recognized her from the dance floor the previous night.

"I'm one of the owners of this restaurant. We're happy you chose to dine with us this evening and hope your dinner was enjoyable."

"Very much so," said Harry. "We're stuffed."

"Yes, it was so good. Please give our compliments to the chef."

"I will, the chef is my husband Henry. We've been open for about a year now. We're still building the business. Please tell your friends."

Hermione thought, "I'd like to help them Harry."

"We will," said Harry to Hannah. "Is there anything we can do to help spread the word?"

"You are most kind. Would you mind if we took a photo and displayed it on the wall over there? It has photos of others who have dined with us."

Hermione thought, "That's okay with me."

After a glance at Hermione he said, "Yes, that would be okay."

A few minutes later, Henry snapped a magical photo and showed it to them. They both smiled their approval and signed it.

A superb place to dine
Harry and Hermione

"You two are absolutely wonderful," said Hannah. "Thank you so very much."

"You're welcome." said Hermione. "We hope your business does really well for you."

"Have a pleasant evening," said Hannah.

Back outside, they joined hands and leisurely walked along the winding lane back toward the entrance door.

Harry said, "It's our last night here. What would you like to do?"

She smiled. "So we'll have some strength for our trip back tomorrow, I think a snuggle and snog on the beach, under the stars, will be just right."

"That sounds good to me too."

---

The waves rolled onto the beach and the stars twinkled brightly above. They were quietly enjoying being in each other's arms on the lounge. They shared thoughts about their vision of the new star. They gazed up at the immense night sky and wondered. Are stars somehow created by spiritual love? What other worlds or life might exist around those points of light? Does magic exist on them? They both thought yes because it exists in the magical and muggle worlds in so many different ways. They were quiet for a while.

"Hermione, we're able to do two of the three abilities that McGonagall said could occur after we bonded. We can share our thoughts and our feelings. What do you think about the last ability, combine our magical powers?"

In a thoughtful voice she said, "That's an exceedingly rare ability Harry. I found only two indirect references about it in the library. Both seemed to suggest a path toward dark magic if carelessly used."

"That's a very good point." He thought for a moment. "But we've had access to lots of powerful magic over the years; the Philosopher's stone, the sword of Gryffindor, a time-turner, the elder wand. We've always used those things properly, to help others."

"That's true. And you've experienced some very extraordinary magic. I'm just sorry that many of those experiences involved such awful circumstances."

He gave her a gentle squeeze.

She said, "So how do you think we could check for the ability to combine our magical powers?"

"I have a thought. But first, we should be sure no one's watching, like we did last night."

They stood, took out their wands, and moved a short distance away on either side of the lounge. Then moving in a large circle around the lounge, they each cast detection charms. After finding nothing, they circled again and cast their own security, muffliato, and disillusionment charms.

After they both reclined again on the lounge he said, "Remember that day at the family tree? We each cast our patronus and then merged them. There was a feedback and we each felt a tingly connection. I think we should try that again."

She nodded with a thoughtful expression. Then looking at Harry, she smiled and said, "Expecto Patronum!" The misty silvery otter immediately appeared, very bright and well defined.

He looked at her. "Expecto Patronum!" he said with a smile. The very bright vaporous stag appeared a short distance from the otter.

They glanced briefly at each other and then, pointing their wands, the stag and the otter moved toward each other. As they met, the forms began to swirl around each other. Harry and Hermione watched without blinking as a tingling sensation moved up their wand arm. It sent shivers up and down their spines and made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. The patronus forms gradually became indistinct as the silvery mists merged into a single vaporous cloud. The cloud began to glow red and then golden with random sparkling points of light. Then, it coalesced into a more solid form. A majestic creature the size of a centaur now stood before them. Its head, wings, and front feet were like an eagle. Behind the feathered wings was the body and hindquarters of a lion. Its tail was long and serpent like.

"It's a griffin!" exclaimed Hermione.

"It's beautiful," said Harry.

The griffin stood within a silent golden glow looking at them with an intense stare. Harry and Hermione got to their feet and moved to stand before the majestic creature hand in hand. The griffin's gaze bore into them. Harry and Hermione felt awed and humbled to be in its powerful presence. They felt a sense of familiarity, caring, and security; like what a young child feels when being held in the arms of a father or mother. After a long silent moment, the eyes of the griffin softened. A proud, deep, and gentle voice came into their heads.

"How wonderful the difference you've made in this world. You are exemplary in character, integrity, and compassion. Do you desire confluence of magical power and accept the responsibility it places upon you?"

Harry and Hermione turned their heads and their eyes met. There was a gentle squeeze of each other's hand. Their thoughts responded. "We do."

"Prerogative is consecrated on the union of your spirits. Call it forth, after thoughtful consideration of consequences, by your unity of spirit in truth. Use it not for personal gain, for on that day, it will depart from you. Compassion will be your guide. Preserve and nurture life."

The griffin then reared up on its hind legs. Opening its beak, the loud cry of an eagle, and the mighty roar of a lion, sounded around them. A great wind blew around them from the powerful beating of its wings. Then the griffin became vaporous and moved forward to envelop them.

For a brief moment, they gazed in wonder at the golden cloud surrounding them. Then the cloud dissolved into them and vanished from sight. As it did, they each felt a hot pain-like itching sensation that spread to the extremities of their bodies. Their faces flushed red and they grimaced in discomfort. A feeling of electricity and strength invaded each of them forcing itself into the confines of their being. It began to overwhelm their thinking. Visions blurred as a cascade of images from their shared experiences flashed in each of their minds eye. They each began to tremble uncontrollably.

Taking hold of each other's hands, they settled onto the sand. Moving close, they wrapped their arms around each other. The new magical energy within each of them jostled to find a restful place. It seemed to displace and unite itself within each of them. With resolute determination, each mind focused to reign in control of body and magical power. Holding each other tightly, they breathed deeply in an effort to calm themselves. Slowly, their minds and visions began to clear as each put the invading magical power under control and into harmony within their being.

Still shaking he said, "A..are you ... are you okay H..Hermione?"

"Y..yes. How a..bout you?"

"Over..w..whelmed but I'm okay."

"K..keep h..holding me Harry."

For a long while, they sat on the sand in each other's arms. With eyes closed, and chin resting on each other's shoulder, strength, courage, and soothing flowed between them. Their trembling and the hot itchy discomfort slowly faded; replaced by a deep-seated calm and tranquility. There was a sense of clarity of mind and sharpness of vision in each of them. They felt very much alive and energized beyond what either of them had ever felt before.

They released their mutual embrace and looked deeply into each other's eyes. They each saw a child happily dancing in delight and excitement.

"YES!" exclaimed Hermione in jubilation. "This is absolutely amazing! I feel like jumping up and down and squealing with joy. I was certain we'd be able to share thoughts. But this is way beyond anything I imagined. Oh Harry, I'm so happy for us."

He grinned as waves of her joy and elation washed over him. "ACE! This is absolutely brilliant, we've achieved all three. We're connected to each other in ways I couldn't have dreamed. This is totally awesome."

She grinned as waves of his delightful happiness washed over her. Then, the expression on her face became more somber. "Do you think we're possessed now? The griffin dissolved into us."

"No, I never lost a sense of you or our surroundings. The griffin formed from our combined patronus'. I feel empowered ... like there's an additional source of magical energy to draw upon. It's very familiar and caring. Implicit trust, like how I feel with you."

"Yes, I feel very much the same. ... I think that means we were overwhelmed by each other's magical energy, not the griffin. At first, it felt like a waterfall pouring in and it was hard to hold onto my identity. Now, it feels like I have magical strength enough to move a mountain. I've never felt like this before. You are a very powerful wizard Harry."

"The griffin must be the connection joining our magical powers. I don't think either of us was prepared for that connection turning on so quickly. It was a bit like a light switch. You are a very powerful witch Hermione. Now I realize just how much magical energy is within you. I think this connection will take some getting used to."

Then, her expression became very serious. "Harry, we have to keep this secret, just between the two of us. If or when we choose to use it, we can't draw attention to ourselves, that would be self-serving. Or it could lead some to become intimidated or afraid of our combined magical power. Others might take it as a challenge and try to defeat us or use us for their own self-gain. We would have little peace or solitude."

"Yes, I completely agree with you. That must be why this ability is rarely mentioned. We have to be very careful. What should we say to Ron, Ginny, or professor McGonagall if they question us?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, they know we can share thoughts from what happened during our bonding ceremony. If we're questioned about the other abilities, I think we should say that we want to keep it private. After all, those abilities first happened while we were intimate with each other. I hope they'll understand."

"I think they will. They had to keep information about the ritual from us too. We can also say, at least to Ron and Ginny, that we don't want to spoil their experience of the ritual. And for all we know, these abilities might not happen with them. In that case, they might feel hurt or disappointed."

They each stood up and brushed off the sand. After a moment of thought, she looked at him. "I wonder how many people have the ability to do special magic for others?"

"Likely we'll never really know, at least, not directly."

She sighed and then smiled. "I thought this was going to be a quiet evening of rest and silent conversation with you."

"Well, the lounge is here and we certainly have a lot more to think about and discuss."

She put her hands behind his neck and looked at him with an alluring smile. "I feel so energized. Let's continue the discussion indoors where it's more comfortable."

He gazed at the intimate sparkle in her eyes and smiled warmly. Reaching down behind her legs, he whispered "Leviosa!" and then lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and crossed her feet behind his back. Their lips met in a kiss of hungered passion for each other. He turned and carried her across the sand toward the bungalow. Along the way, she nuzzled his neck and her hand began to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Chapter end as originally published. Show extended version.

Bond of the Spirits is an original fanfiction story based on the seven book series 'Harry Potter' written by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter, the characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros., Inc. Harry Potter publishing rights © J.K.R. This is an unofficial, not for profit site and is in no way connected with J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing or Warner Bros., Inc. This site is not endorsed by any of these aforementioned parties. Rights to characters and their images is neither claimed nor implied. This fanfiction story is owned by the author and subject to copyright law under transformative use.