The Dark Phoenix

Ron landed and came walking up. "You guys are looking better. A little more color to ya. Not so pale. Glad to see ya made it out of the castle too."

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely glad to be out," said Harry.

"Me too, I've never spent so much time in the Hospital Wing. Say, let's head back under the shade. I like how warm it is but the sun does bear down a bit."

"I hear ya. It's not so bad with the wind blowing by while flying. But standing around on the ground gets a bit toasty."

As they made their way back under the tree Harry gave Ron a sideways look and grinned.

"By the way Ron, how's my broom holding up?"

Ron tried to hold back a big smile, but failed looking up at the sky. "Um, yeah, it's holding up great." Then looking frustrated he said, "Mum let's me ride it here but she won't let me ride it at home. Says I might break it or something. Makes no sense ah what the difference is."

"I don't mind if you ride it Ron."

"Thanks."

They settled themselves onto the cool green grass under the tree as Dobby and Winky had already cleared everything away without being noticed.

"By the way Ron, Viktor Krum asked me to say hello," said Hermione.

"What? Krum came to see you guys?" And then disappointed, "And I wasn't there"

"I hardly got to talk to him. I had just gotten back from the Owlery and was tuckered out. I fell asleep right off. But he left behind a copy of the Daily Prophet."

"Oh," Ron's face darkened, "Yeah, I read it a week ago. I was going to tell you guys later." Ron noticed neither Harry nor Hermione were upset. "I thought you would both be fuming mad."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, their faces looking like a couple of cats that had just ate the canary.

"Hang on. What are you two planning? Some sorta payback?"

"Actually we're not planning," said Hermione aloof.

Ron's eyes got big. "Ohhhh, what 'ave you two done?"

Harry and Hermione filled him in, giving a reenactment performance of their drawing. Ron yelled out upon conclusion, "Ahhh, Wicked!" And they all laughed.

Harry felt good. Here he was sharing laughter with his best friends. He looked from Hermione to Ron. "You know, I couldn't ask for better friends that the two of you. We've shared a lot together, but there's something that we haven't shared. – That I haven't shared with the two of you and I deeply appreciate you're kindness in being patient with me. I think I'm ready to tell you what happened at the Triwizard Tournament. That is, If you're up to it?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded slowly with apprehension.

Harry took a deep breath and leaned against the tree and looked out into the distance. He began by telling them what had happened inside the maze of the third challenge. He told them of how it had all seemed too easy, but that he hadn't clued in on it. And of how he and Cedric had decided to share the Triwizard Cup which Barty Crouch Jr. had turned into a Portkey. Harry was reliving it all in his mind again as he told about how Peter Pettigrew had killed Cedric with Voldemort's wand and Voldemort's rebirth. He was barely aware of Hermione and Ron's small gasps and groans as the ordeal unfolded. Harry paused slightly before he told them about the Priori Incantatem effect of his and Voldemort's wands and how the smoky images of the people Voldemort had killed came out the end of Voldemort's wand, including his parents. He finished by telling them of his escape with Cedric's body.

"The rest you know," he said with a sigh.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione ran to him burying her face into his chest and sobbing, holding him tight. "That's, that's horrible."

Ron had walked up and put a hand on Harry's shoulder unable to say a word. Unable to hold back tears that overwhelmed him, he embraced his two friends.

Harry felt relief from a burden that had been too much for him to bear. It was a release from a mountain of pain and guilt, but he refused to let go of it all. He held onto a fistful of pain for a future day of reckoning.

"I know it's not my fault. But still, I wonder if –"

Hermione had pulled away, tears still running down her cheeks, and put fingers to Harry's lips. "Don't even think such a thing Harry Potter. Don't even think it," she said with faltering sternness and then embraced him again.

"It wasn't really my intent to make my friends sad," Harry said trying to lighten the mood.

Ron was drying his face and Hermione stepped back, drying her own. Harry reached up to adjust his glasses only to be thoroughly surprised to find his own face, damp with tears.

"Come on guys. It's a beautiful summer day. It was meant to be enjoyed. How about a game of exploding snap? Last one back to the castle is a lazy Flobberworm!"

"Hey! No fair Harry. You've got a head start."

It didn't really matter that Harry had a head start. Half way back to the castle he dropped to the grass.

"Harry?" yelled Hermione. Her own question was answered as she too crumpled to the grass next to Harry.

They were both lying on the ground breathing heavily and looking pale.

"Sorry Herm. I forgot."

"It's ok, I did too. But it felt good to run. It's more than either of us have done so far."

"Oh," Harry groaned. "This thumping in my head."

"Mine too."

"Bloody 'ell," said Ron walking up and squatting on the ground next to them. "Looks like I win by default. Hmmm, ya know if you two would lay out here and get a bit ah tan from the sun you could pass as a couple Flobberworms. They don't' do much but lay around just like you're doing."

"Shut up Ron," they both said in unison.

Two house-elves appeared and gave some welcome assistance, magicking a couple of stretchers and levitating the two teens back to the Hospital Wing. Ron was following the procession back and said, "Dobby, Winky, I'm glad you two showed up. I was beginning to wonder how I could levitate both of them at once."

"It was no trouble Mr. Wheezy sir. It is our job to watch after Harry Potter."

"And Miss Hermione," said Winky.

Harry and Hermione thanked the two house-elves who protested mildly that they were more than glad to be of service. It was still evident that both Dobby and Winky were pleased at being thanked.

"Dobby I wish you would get my name right."

Dobby gave Ron a toothy grin as Harry and Hermione snickered.

If any of the three had bothered to look at Godric's tree before they took off running toward the castle they would have noticed two sets of initials JP and LE in gold letters that were beginning to fade away.