Beta Reader: Cheryl
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: Thanks for the reviews, I know it was a bit of a shock but things will improve. I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but I'm estimating between 6-8. It all depends how much information I place in each chapter. I am looking for around 2,000 words per chapter. Oh, and Draco makes an appearance in this chapter to deliver the 'warning.' The next chapter is written, and will be uploaded in a couple of days.
NOTE: I'm not positive on which day the Hogwarts students finish school, so for my fic it will be June 1st, this is fan fiction is it not?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Warning
It was well past midnight. A lone redhead was perched on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower balcony contemplating the events of the last 48 hours. "My life will never be the same," sighed the redhead to no one but the night sky. With another sombre sigh, the redhead pushed off from the ledge….
A loud thud caused Harry to break away from Hermione.
"What was that?" Harry gasped, staring down at Hermione. She smiled at the expression of shock Harry was giving her.
"It's just Crookshanks, look." Hermione nodded her head towards the wardrobe where Crookshanks was leaping on and off it, apparently chasing some sort of insect. But the noise had unnerved Harry, and something was telling him to check things out.
"I'm just going to nip out for a minute, just to make sure that everything's okay," he said, turning back to Hermione.
"Okay, if you must," she said with a smile. "But hurry back." Harry grinned and placed a brief kiss on her temple before rolling out of bed and pulling on his pyjamas, slippers and the most recent jumper Mrs Weasley had sent him. Once dressed, Harry pulled on his invisibility cloak and made his way out of the room.
*
Harry crept through the quiet halls comfortably, avoiding the few B.D.M.S soldiers, which were scattered around. However he felt himself pull to a halt when he heard voices. He held still for a moment, hoping that whoever was there wouldn't hear his breaths. After a few moments of stillness, Harry slowly and steadily walked around the corner, past a few tapestries and then stopped again when he saw where the voices were coming from. Harry approached Professor Snape's office as gently as possible, he held still, holding his breath once more, only this time in an attempt to aid his eavesdropping.
"If I find out you are betraying this school, I will see to it that you are sent directly to Azkaban prison," came Snape's cold, curt voice.
"I already told you, I told them no, so I told him no." The second voice Harry couldn't quite make out. Harry took a step closer to the office, wishing he had some Extendable Ears handy.
"I suggest you let me destroy this," Snape continued. "That way they won't contact you again, at least not by using this device. And, as I expect you know, turning them down usually means death. Keep a close eye, especially on the B.D.M.S. I don't trust them and neither should you. Now, I have a Portkey here for you which will take you to Grimmauld Place, there you will be under protection from The Order of the Phoenix."
"Okay, let me just gather up a few things and I'll be back in a few minutes." The door pushed open and Harry watched on in disbelief as Draco Malfoy stepped out of the office. Draco walked towards Harry, and, remembering his disguise, Harry remained silent and calm as Draco stepped past him. Harry however, had questions, and he wanted answers. He followed Draco on his tiptoes until Snape's office was out of sight. Harry then slipped off the cloak and stared at Draco who was still walking.
"Who's contacted you?" Harry called. Draco stopped in his track and slowly turned to face Harry, a grin on his face. He took a few steps forward until he was only a metre or so away from Harry.
"I thought I heard you gasping when I came out."
"I thought I asked you a question," said Harry sharply, not amused by Draco's coolness. Draco sighed and glanced right and left, and then behind him, before looking back at Harry.
"I guess you aren't going to drop this until I tell you, so here goes. About a week ago Death Eaters contacted me. If you're wondering how they contacted me then I'll tell you." Harry nodded. "They use this," Draco pulled a small, oval shaped green box out of his robe pocket and held it in the palm of his hand. Harry noticed the word 'mort' engraved on the outer casing. "This belonged to my father, I kept it, on the off chance it would prove useful. Last week I opened it, wondering exactly what was inside. Only seconds after I opened it a message was displayed - 'The Dark Lord will never forget those who have betrayed him, do as we ask, and redeem yourself.'"
"What did they want you to do?" asked Harry, as Draco stuffed the box back into his pocket. He looked back up at Harry.
"They wanted me to spy on you, to give them information about the Order. Of course I told them no, the only problem is that anybody who rejects them are usually dead within seventy-two hours maximum. I'm not even safe at Hogwarts - nobody is. That's why we have developed this suspension story, to cover up my absence. I'm going to Grimmauld Place until Dumbledore thinks it's safe for me to return. Even he is starting to worry about Voldemort, trust me on that. As you would expect, security has been doubled at Grimmauld Place, it's nearly impossible for anybody to attack us there now."
Harry ran his fingers through his hair, this was a lot of information to take in, and he needed more answers. "Why is Dumbledore so worried?"
Draco took a step closer to Harry and his voice was much softer now. "Voldemort has been far too quiet this year, I know he's been giving you a few headaches but I think the staff here and I know myself, have been expecting more, much more. If anything happens while I'm gone, good luck."
Harry furrowed his brow. "Why would you say that?"
Draco looked at the ground, then back up at Harry. "I'm a Slytherin, we have gut feelings when dark wizards are conjuring something. And with it being so quiet, something tells me this is just the calm before the storm."
"I agree," said Harry quickly.
Draco nodded his head. "Listen," he took another look around the derelict corridors, making sure that nobody was lurking before leaning in even closer to Harry. "It's March now, we only have three months left, I expect Voldemort will strike at some point within those three months. If you think about it, he has to."
Harry thought for a moment, and Draco was right. Once Harry finished this year Voldemort would be expecting, whether Harry did or not, that he would be returning to The Dursleys, where he would be safe from him. "I can't be sure of anything, but Snape agrees with me, and I just want you to be ready at all times, this is the real deal, and when Voldemort does appear, he will be at his strongest, because he will make sure that this is the final battle between you and him."
Harry nodded absently, all the warnings and information buzzing through his brain. "Keep this quiet, try not to tell anybody unless it's necessary, it could only put them in danger. Oh, and one more thing…nice PJs." Draco winked at Harry and walked past him, Harry watched until he had disappeared from view.
Harry continued walking, once again concealed by his father's cloak; however, his mind was focused on Draco's comments. Harry himself knew that Voldemort would strike soon, but having somebody actually say it to him made him realise just how close that time was, and how little time Harry may have. Harry walked to the outside of the castle and paused in his steps when he heard a tapping sound from above. He glanced upwards and saw Ron teetering on the edge of the Astronomy Tower balcony. "Ron!" Suddenly Ron came hurtling down towards him; Harry reacted on instinct, "Immobulous!" Harry continued to stare at Ron, frozen above him, his body ready to fall. What was Ron thinking?
The spell wasn't going to last for too much longer so Harry did the first thing he could think of. "Ron, I'm going to release the spell before it collapses anyway, then I'm going to try and break your fall."
"O-Okay," Ron muttered. Harry dropped his wand and the spell was broken, Ron began tumbling down towards him, back first. Harry held out his arms and tried to get as far underneath Ron as possible. Ron's full weight tumbled quickly onto Harry who managed to turn Ron onto the grass before falling to the ground himself. Harry scrambled to his feet however and ran over to Ron, rolling him over. Ron's face told Harry that he was in a lot of pain. "I think I've broken my arm."
Harry placed his hands on Ron's face, but as earlier, nothing was happening. The incident with the sphere at Grimmauld Place appeared to have zapped a lot of Harry's energy, energy that he needed in order to heal. Instead, he grabbed the hand of Ron's healthy arm and pulled him up, draping the good arm over his neck, placing his own spare arm around Ron's neck, before helping him along to the Hospital Wing.
Harry dropped Ron down on an armchair in the Hospital Wing; he then entered the medicine cupboard. He scoured the labels on the potions and after passing cures for expanding eyeballs and overly large teeth he picked up the broken arm potion, poured some into a beaker and took it over to Ron.
"Thanks," said Ron, wincing, as he took a huge gulp of the potion, swallowing it in one. "I know what you're thinking," he said, reading Harry's puzzled expression. "Things have been tough over the past few years, sometimes I feel I have nothing to live for." Harry continued to listen to Ron with both interest and concern. "Don't take this the wrong way, but a lot of the stress started when you began going out with Hermione. I did like Hermione, and although I'm passed that now it was tough at the time." Ron sighed. "Then there was Draco and Ginny, falling out with you and Hermione, dying and then coming back, Susan's death." Ron paused as Harry began wrapping a thick bandage around his arm.
"Thanks," said Ron, before continuing. "And let's not forget Percy, but that's more of a family problem than a personal issue. It was just difficult to take in everything that was happening, to see Draco, a Malfoy, seduce my sister just burnt up a fiery rage inside me; I could have killed him - literally. And to come back from the dead...it just feels weird, to know that I might not have been here now, and that kind of makes me think that my death was meant to be, and if I had died then Susan wouldn't have done. I wouldn't have sent her away to her death..." Ron trailed off, and took a sip of water.
Harry tried to absorb everything Ron had said before responding, he certainly agreed that Percy was, and is, a dick. "First of all, I should have been a better friend to you-" Ron put a hand up to silence Harry.
"It's okay Harry, I know things have changed and I understand that Hermione comes first."
Ron, you are my best friend, you are important to me and that will never change. What is between Hermione and I well its just…different. And you do have something to live for! You can and I will surely need you to help defeat Voldemort, to change the entire world for good. If you think your family is depressed now, I guarantee that if you had succeeded just now they would feel a lot worse losing you as well. If that isn't enough to convince you, I need to ask you a favour," Ron suspiciously eyed Harry as he continued, "At the end of fifth year…I…heard the prophecy…either myself or Voldemort must die for the other to live…" Ron opened his mouth to speak but Harry continued, "If I die, you must promise me that you will make sure that Hermione moves on with her life and not hold back for me?" Ron nodded in response to the serious, determined look Harry was giving him.
"Yeah, I will. Listen mate, it must be such a huge burden on you, and you manage to cope with it. So I should be able to cope with mine." Harry smiled in relief and stood up from his seat.
"Anyway, you should get some rest, if you stay here Madam Pomfrey will see you tomorrow morning. I better get back to Hermione, she'll be worried."
Ron scrunched up his eyes. "Did I really need to know that?"
Harry laughed. "See you tomorrow."
Next Chapter: Announcements, poison, Moody and more.