Chapter 15-The Dark Cloud of Fate
The afternoon and evening were fun for Harry and Hermione. They received the answers to their proposals for the Yule Ball in a meeting with Professor McGonagall. They had made two recommendations for change to the original list given them about the Yule Ball. And, they had added six new recommendations. All of them had been approved in one form or another. The request to allow Fred and George to do a magic show focusing on their news offerings was approved contingent on a demonstration before a blue-ribbon committee consisting of Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and yet to be determined member from the Ministry of Magic.
"Wow, Harry, I told you it was just a matter of how it was written!" Hermione boasted.
"Great job, Hermione. I thought for sure they'd shoot down Fred and George," he replied.
"Well, of course, they still have to make a go of creating a show that will get the panel's approval. I have confidence in them. Don't you, Harry?"
"Yeah, of course, I do. Remember the flowers," he said with a satisfied grin. "If they could melt your heart with a prank anything's possible," he joked.
"Who says it was the flowers, Harry? Maybe it was the boy who gave them to me?" She paused. "No, you're right it had to be the flowers."
"Ouch, now that hurts. One minute you have me all puffed up and the next…Wham! I get the bludger to the head." He smiled and pulled her in close. He could think of no warmer feeling than her body pulled in close to his. Just a little taller than she, he smelled the lilac scent of her hair and kissed the top of her head. They rocked together for a minute.
"So, the team of Hermione and Harry completes its first successful task in getting ready for the Yule Ball. There is still plenty to keep us busy besides standing here like a couple of lovesick teenagers," Hermione whispered. "But nothing so important that it can't wait until those teenagers are done snogging." She looked up and kissed Harry's neck. She grinned invitingly as they held their embrace and Harry's lips moved to meet hers.
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Ron and Luna were sitting in the Great Hall chatting with Ginny. Ginny told them about the short conversation with Dean.
"Ginny, Luna told me some of the stories about Dean. Frankly, I'm a little shocked you are still thinking about this," he said voicing his concern.
"Dear big brother, I am not marrying him. I like him. He's cute and I think that now that we're older, he'll be more mature," Ginny reasoned.
"Well, you do want us to at least be near tonight, right? You are going to explain to him about the jealousy and stuff, right? I mean the bloke's a menace if he acts toward you like he did Hermione." Ron could see Ginny had made up her mind.
"Yes, yes and I don't think he's a menace. You're so exasperating when you exaggerate, Ron." She said.
"I just know that something set him off the other day. I like him too, but he wasn't in control when he and Harry got into it. What about that?" Ron had been avoiding bringing it up all day.
"But then neither was Harry, was he? You're not chaperoning Hermione every time they talk are you?" Ginny said curtly.
"I suppose you have a point there. But she's not my sister and at worst he's like a stepbrother and I trust him. He was defending me. Well, I suppose I have no choice. Just don't get stuck somewhere where you can't leave, if he goes nuts." Ron warned.
Luna was quietly reading the Quibbler about the events of the last week. A source was reporting that Harry Potter had nearly choked a fellow student to death in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but received no punishment. She hadn't told Ron yet. She slid the paper back in her bag when they stopped talking.
Supper was about to start and she had to go to her table for dinner. She could get away with breakfast at the Gryffindor table sometimes because the teachers weren't there all the time. Supper was the meal that everyone showed up for. Just as she was leaving, Harry and Hermione arrived.
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Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall and went up to the roof for a spot of fresh air. The chill in the air made the smell of the owlery less noticeable but they moved to the other side anyway. They'd brought some magical candles and were going to listen to the rest of the music Fred had sent while they studied.
They enjoyed listening to music together. Very few of the other students did much of that. They had decided that would be one of their hobbies together. While Harry liked the hard rock more than Hermione, she liked his choices. He could tell. She'd listen to them once and then sing along with him. That's cool he thought. How did Fred know he'd like this stuff? He supposed it didn't matter.
"Harry?" Hermione said.
"Yes." Harry answered as he looked up from his charms book.
"Do you want to spend the summer with me and my parents? I think we're going to the States on holiday this year. I realize you have to go to the Dursley's first, according to Dumbledore. I want to owl Mum and Dad about it early. That way I have time to convince them if I have to." Hermione had her bowed and looked at Harry through the top of her eye lid's like she was hoping he'd say yes. She didn't look sure.
"So, what happened to absence makes the heart grow fonder? I thought we'd try that out this summer." He hoped she didn't take it wrong.
Hermione looked at him with squinting eyes and a miniature scowl on her face. "For that remark, I will have to…" She jumped at him and knocked him off their magical loveseat to the roof below and tickled him. He had made the mistake of letting her know he was ticklish.
They stopped with Hermione sitting on Harry's stomach and her hands on his shoulders. Harry realized that every time together now one of them was finding a reason to be holding the other close. He was surprised that she wasn't that heavy. He could feel an excitement about looking up at her that he hadn't had before. He could feel himself being aroused as he looked in her eyes. He had to stop this or she'd be sorry. "Okay, magic time is over if you know what I mean."
At first Hermione refused to move, she scooted back a little as Harry tried to sit up. She knew what he meant now, she felt it. It excited her that she could have such an effect on him. Those few seconds brought indecision for both of them. She stood up. "You're lucky Potter, I was about to give you a whipping you'd never forget." She smiled and sat back on the sofa. Harry laid there for a minute, maybe longer, trying to figure out how he was going to stand up without adjusting himself.
Finally, now that he'd stopped wondering why there never was any cold water when you needed it, he replied. "A whipping, huh? And you want me to spend a summer with you in the States? At hotels with swimming pools and bikinis and…? We'll be the only student parents by Valentine's Day next year." He laughed.
This time it was Hermione who was embarrassed. She turned beet red and smacked Harry on the arm. It hadn't occurred to her that they might be asking for trouble if they were together the entire summer.
They finished their work just a little after 9 PM and went down toward the kitchens to see if Dobby had any snacks they could nick. Of course, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and some milk would be perfect, but they'd take what they could get.
They passed Dean and Ginny in one of the corridors on their way. They decided to remain unnoticed. They saw Ron and Luna not too far away as well. "Hey, Ron, what are you doing?"
"Well, I was just trying to keep track of Ginny tonight. Shhhh! She'll have my head if she finds out I followed her," he whispered as Harry approached. Ron had gone to the other end of the corridor to spy on his sister.
"Alright then, Happy Eavesdropping, Ron." He had put out a pair of the extendable ears as he saw Dean and Ginny had turned away for a minute. Harry and Hermione snickered as they continued on their way to the kitchens.
Ron wasn't happy. He couldn't hear anything, but their giggles. He saw Ginny put her hand on Dean's shoulder as she kissed him. "Well, that's what I get for wishing," he said to himself as he thought about the way back from Hogsmeade. He reeled the extendable ear back in. It was useless.
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Just as Harry and Hermione arrived near the entrance to the kitchens, they heard two loud noises.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
Harry looked at Hermione with a worried look. He ran to the end of the corridor and where there seemed to be smoke rising. It was definitely smoke. It was coming from a wall adjoined to the kitchens. A few seconds later, Mad-Eye and another Auror neither Harry nor Hermione recognized came running from their post one floor up at the front entrance to the castle.
The smoke had subsided a little and a hole into the side of the kitchen was discovered. There were two black burn marks in the floor in front of the wall. It looked like someone had put a great deal of fireworks together in front of that wall and they'd gone off. Mad-Eye said, "Harry, what the blazes are you doing down here?" His magical eye surveyed the area while he faced Harry and Hermione.
"Professor Dumbledore told us to stay inside, so we were just taking a walk." Harry knew Mad-Eye would see through his little fib, but it was better than admitting they were going to steal from the kitchen with the help of Dobby.
"Well, get along then." Mad-Eye hurried them off as he tried to figure out what to do next. The next few minutes brought a dozen or so house-elves to the area. To Mad-Eye's exasperation, he couldn't move with the combination of house-elves and his new partner in the way. He yelled, "Alright everybody go back to where it is you came from, before I blast ya there." No one took anything Mad-Eye said as a veiled threat. They dispersed. Harry and Hermione walked up the nearest staircase instead of going back the way they came.
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As Mad-Eye and the other Auror rushed off toward the diversion, Voldemort's seven servants were carrying Draco Malfoy toward the door. Dressed in black, they were nearly invisible in the courtyard. They opened the door and set the squirming Malfoy down inside the corridor about six feet from the door. All but one of them unfolded their invisibility cloaks and put them on.
The seventh man sat Malfoy up as straight as he could and then leveled him with a punch to the nose and mouth. He repeated this several times. He had to be careful not to kill him, but Malfoy wouldn't be talking for a few days. When he felt Malfoy's breath become short and labored through the bubbling blood around his nose and mouth he stopped. The trap was set. He moved to the other side of the corridor to serve as a lookout and motioned for his cohorts to move down the corridor. Stealthily, the lead man turned side to side looking for something.
Finally, he saw it. A rune in the brick wall was hardly noticeable. He pulled the brick. Inside was a note. That read:
One floor down. Take the corridor straight ahead to the staircase. At the bottom turn right toward the kitchens. They'll be in a corridor just to your left. Both targets are close together.
He whispered to the next on in line to be quiet and follow him.
They moved silently down the corridor and toward the staircase. Each man maintained a safe distance to avoid bumping into one another and pulling the other's cloak off. As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the first man saw Ron and Luna. They were looking down the corridor to their left. The first three men passed Ron and Luna unnoticed. While the other three remained a few feet away, waiting for the others to get to Ginny and Dean.
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As Harry and Hermione walked up the steps of the staircase, Harry said, "Did you recognize the Auror with Mad-Eye?"
"No, I didn't. But he seemed strange. Like he was expecting to be there. I don't know it was just weird. You know, the timing of it all."
"I think I've seen him before but I can't remember…," Harry stopped in mid-sentence trying to think of where he'd seen the man. As they reached the top of the staircase and turned toward Gryffindor Tower, they noticed a lump of clothing lying in the corridor up ahead.
They looked at each other and ran full-speed to see what it was. As they got closer, they recognized Malfoy's blonde hair. "Harry, slow down. Be careful, it's got to be a trap," warned Hermione.
They stopped a few feet short and looked around. Harry had the distinct impression that someone was watching them. He concentrated and finally could hear Hermione's thoughts. She was thinking almost the same thing. He felt something else in that moment. Fear. He was scared, but it wasn't his or Hermione's feelings. He realized it was Malfoy. Unconscious and bleeding profusely from the mouth, he saw Malfoy being beaten and tortured. Harry shook his head. He didn't want to see anymore.
Hermione looked around the corridor. She had stared right at the seventh man sitting huddled up not fifteen feet from them for a second and then looked away again.
From his vantage point, the man in the cloak could hardly believe his ears. He had Harry Potter in his sights. His excitement overwhelmed him. He knew that he would be rewarded well, if he could get Potter to Voldemort.
At the thought of the name Voldemort, Harry's head jerked up from looking at Malfoy and screamed, "Hermione, look out. Someone is watching us. They want to take us to Voldemort." Unknowingly he had been tuned in to the excitement in the intruder's thoughts and caught his intentions. He couldn't see him though. "Hermione, get behind me."
Harry dragged Malfoy toward the door where he could look one way and Hermione could look out into the courtyard. He watched for signs of movement and tried to regain the thoughts of the intruder.
"Come to me Potter. Your Dad's cloak works quite well. Ironic, isn't it?" asked the voice aloud. Harry realized that the person he was dealing with was probably a wizard, because he threw his voice so he couldn't tell where it came from.
"Why don't you come to me? Or can you only beat up crippled kids?" Harry had just seen the memory of the beating Malfoy just took a few minutes before. "Proud of yourself, that you've learned to torture people, huh?"
Hermione's heart pounded as she looked up and down the corridor while her boyfriend antagonized some nutter wizard who wanted to kill them. "Harry, let's get out of here," she whispered. She saw the movement before Harry did.
With her wand in her hand she yelled, "Expelliarmus!" Both the cloak and the wand of their would-be attacker flew into the hallway. He reached for something in his pocket. It was another wand. He had a knife in his other hand.
The black figure yelled, "Expelliarmus!" And Hermione's wand fell out of her hand as she fell back toward the door. She scrambled on the floor for a second, regrouped and yelled, "Accio wand." And it returned to her hand.
Harry had just seen the man bound out toward him and Hermione. "Expelliarmus!" he cried. The other wand came out of the attackers hand, but he felt the cold steel of the knife graze his shoulder as the attacker swung wildly at Hermione and him. Hermione kicked him in the thigh just as an incensed Harry stood up. Harry heard Hermione yell, "Avada Kedavra!" The green light shot from Hermione's wand and attacker fell forward across Malfoy and into Hermione.
She watched awestricken as she saw Harry coming toward her with a look of animal satisfaction on his face. The pain in the man's face had been awful for the instant she'd seen it. Harry grabbed her and looked her up and down to be sure she was not hurt. "Hermione, there are more of them. I know it." Her look of desperation changed to one of determination as she realized what Harry had said. She couldn't believe she had just killed someone.
She pulled as hard as she could to get Malfoy out from under the corpse in front of her. Neither she nor Harry had thought about leaving Malfoy behind. Harry was pulling on the large man's ankles to help. Once he was off they began to tend to Malfoy. Harry didn't know what to do but stay here. Mad-Eye would be back shortly he hoped. He wouldn't leave Hermione alone.
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One floor below, the infiltrators had taken their positions and in one quick action they attacked Dean, Ginny, Ron and Luna.
Somehow Ron had felt the movement to his left as the first man emerged from the invisibility cloak. Whether it was fate or just a habit caused by being the friend of Harry Potter, he never went anywhere without his wand. Unfortunately, Luna and Ginny had not brought theirs.
Ron yelled at Luna to run for it. She got about 10 feet before one of the attackers knocked her to the ground with a blow to the back of the head at the base of her skull and top of her neck. Ron screamed in anger. He smashed his fist into the man's face as hard as he could when he turned around. He got one shot at hexing one of his attackers but missed. He felt a cold cloth cover his face as he struggled to get free. Soon he could feel himself fading and he saw no more.
Luna wisely laid still. She could taste the blood in her mouth as it ran from her nose. She'd fallen face first to the ground. She closed her eyes and cried. She'd heard Ron scream and then nothing.
Dean and Ginny fared even worse. Ginny was dragged by her hair toward the end of the hall near Ron. Dean was hit with a bolt of orange light that knocked him down. As he saw the two men dragging Ginny away he yelled, "You weren't supposed to hurt them! You weren't supposed to hurt them!" This time a flash of green light hit Dean in the chest. He died looking at Ginny's pained face and the horror that he had helped them do this terrible thing to her and her friends.
"Do you have him?" One of the men said.
"Yes." The man Ron had hit kicked Ron in the ribs as he lay on the floor unconscious. "Good job, mates. We got them both and two kills for the trouble. Not a bad night."
They bound Ginny's and Ron's feet and hands. They gagged Ginny with the same cloth they used on Ron. She too slipped off into unconsciousness. They began their assent toward the front door with both Ron and Ginny bound and hanging over the shoulder of one of the men. They didn't need the cloaks they thought. There had been no one in the corridor upstairs.
Luna realized that she couldn't move and she couldn't feel her feet or hands. She blinked her eyes. She couldn't move.