Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)
Harry Potter felt...popular? Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't, but he didn't know how to describe the light feeling in his stomach and how his whole body seemed to float on cloud nine. Yes, the Gryffindors were all in the common room partying for the victory that Gryffindor had received.
"Hi Harry!" A Gryffindor that had never spoken to him smiled cheerfully at him from across the room.
Harry returned the cheerful gesture as he joyously sucked on the tip of his sugar quill. "How does it feel, mate?"
Ron Weasley plopped himself down onto the couch next to Harry with a wide grin plastered on his freckled face. "It feels...nice." Harry replied thoughtfully.
"Nice?"
"Well, more than nice. Brilliant really. Magnificent, how 'bout that?" Harry grinned.
Ron nodded, "Well you should be proud. You won the game for us!"
Harry's cheek tinged red as he focused on his sugar quill again. "It's just weird though, suddenly receiving so much attention."
"Oh but isn't it lovely?" Another voice broke out.
"Hermione!" They both greeted in unison.
The Head Girl smiled brightly as she plucked the sugar quill from Harry's fingers. "Haven't you had a bit too much sugar already Harry?"
"I have not!" Harry couldn't help but whine.
"Really! If my parents were here they would be furious," Hermione teased. "Seriously though, you might get cavities from all this sugar. Where did all this candy come from anyways?" She gave a side glance at Ron accusingly.
Ron raised his hands. "Don't look at me!"
"Well, who else could it be?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.
"It was Dean," Ron confessed. "But it wouldn't be a party without goodies, right Harry?"
Harry nodded, "Right."
"Boys," Hermione rolled her eyes but a smile crept onto her face nonetheless. "Great catch Harry! I didn't know you could fly so well."
"Thanks," Harry swallowed, trying to keep his face from reddening. "Uh...it's really stuffy in this room isn't it? I think I'll go for a short walk outside.."
"Want us to join you?" Ron offered.
Harry shook his head, "It's ok. I just need to take in some fresh air."
Hermione watched as the Gryffindor Seeker stood up and strided across the room and out the portrait hole. She watched with worry, wondering if something was wrong. And yet she also watched with pride. She noticed a few changes in how Harry held himself now. He looked taller..perhaps he didn't hunch anymore. He walked straight, and tall- almost with great confidence.
Hermione smiled. Yes, Harry was changing; in good ways of course.
Harry shivered against the cold wind that whipped at his face as he stepped out of the old castle. He should have
brought his scarf, but no, he hadn't really been thinking when he had left the common room.
It was overwhelming, really. The change in everyone's attitude towards him. He found it rather unbelieavble, thinking that possibly it was just an illusion or a very very good dream. Yet it was so real, and he knew it was reality. A reality he had always dreamed of. A place where everyone accepted him, a place he could call home other than the Dursley's dreaded home.
Harry breathed, watching as his breath came out in a tiny puff of smoke. He loved winter. It was always so magical and white with snow. He loved snow too. It made him feel even happier.
"Good evening, Harry."
Harry spun around, nearly tripping on his foot as he caught sight of a familiar snow white beard; Dumbledore. "Oh! Professor! Good evening.." He spluttered as he regained his posture.
The headmaster smiled, the kind twinkle in his eyes. "Excellent flying."
"Th..thanks."
"Was it a surprise?" Dumbledore questioned.
Harry blinked through the snowflakes landing in his eyelashes. "A surprise? Well...yes, it was."
"Why though, Harry? Was it a surprise?"
"What?"
Professor Dumbledore merely chuckled, "Shall I repeat my question?"
"Er, no sir. It's alright, I understood it. Why was it a surprise?" Harry lingered on the words in deep thought, then finally took a breath and answered, "Because I didn't expect to catch it..?"
"Ah, I see," His face never changed as he stared at Harry. "Confidence is something you can gain Harry."
Harry fell silent.
"You didn't think you could catch it, and yet you did. You can do great things Harry, and yet you feel that you cannot." Dumbledore spoke softly, and steadily. "You have the abilities and the talents to do things that many cannot. It is just your choice to show it or not. Have you ever thought of it in this way?"
"...I'm not sure..." Harry stuttered. "What do you mean I can do many great things? So I can fly...and well, I'm not as smart as Hermione of course." He added as an afterthought.
Dumbledore smiled, "Ah yes, Miss. Granger. A very brilliant young lady don't you agree? But that is not the point, we are talking about you , Harry. What you can accomplish, and what you must accomplish."
"Must?"
"Do you believe in destiny or fate?"
"..I haven't thought of that before," Harry replied thruthfully.
"That is perfectly alright," Dumbledore reassured. "But do you believe in the term that everyone has a choice to make their own choices?"
Harry blinked, "Uh..yes?"
"Yes, and let's just say you do believe in destiny. Do you think you have a choice to follow your destiny or not?"
Harry felt his brain throb almost. It was painfully frustrating to answer Dumbledore's confusing questions, and he had no idea where the headmaster was getting at. "I thought destiny was something that was set. As in it's something that can't be changed? So why would choices matter.."
"Oh, but they do." Dumbledore said with a glint in his eye. "There isn't just one outcome to any situation. You could have lost the Quidditch match, or you could've won. And yet, you won. If you had lost, wouldn't that be another story?"
Harry frowned, "Yes.."
"And so, you have a fate you must meet, you have your own destiny that you must follow."
"I do?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow.
The headmaster's long wispy beard looked even whiter with the snowflakes that were landing on it. "Yes, and it is your choice to have the brighter outcome, or the darker outcome. And sometimes...the darker outcome could be death."
Harry bit his lip, instantly reminded of Hermione's nervous habit. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't now, when the air between him and his professor seemed thick with tension. "What do you mean, sir? Are you trying to tell me something?" He finally asked, his patience running dry.
Dumbledore chuckled, "Perhaps I am, Harry. But I must say to you that you are not a simple ordinary boy."
"You've told me that already..."
"Ah, yes I have. But don't forget that," Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, locking Harry's eyes with his mysterious blue ones. "You were meant for great things, and yet you haven't found out until now. My apologizes for not telling you the truth sooner, I know you must be angry with me?"
"No sir.." Harry shook his head earnestly. "Of course not.."
"Then that's good.." Dumbledore dropped his hand. "But always know that you can do it Harry. You can face every obstacle that finds itself into your path. You can live up to your destiny."
Harry once again found himself unable to say anything. What was he suppose to say? Was he suppose to nod? That would simply make him look stupid. But he still nodded, and Dumbledore just watched him and nodded with a sigh.
"You better head into the castle, it's getting dark and I'm pretty sure the Gryffindors need their star for the party."
Harry blushed and nodded, "Good night, sir."
Dumbledore nodded as Harry turned around and headed back into the familiar hallways of Hogwarts, with no clue or any idea of why Dumbledore had told him all that. He shrugged as he stepped through the portrait hole again, only to be greeted with the bright grins and smiles of the other Gryffindors.
And yet right now he felt empty, and Hermione caught his gaze and knew at once that something was out of place.
Harry sat on his chair restlessly, tapping his foot against the carpeted floor on the library and fumbling with his
quill in his fingers. He glanced occasionally at the open book that layed in front of him and then back to his blank
parchment that was supposedly his Herbology essay.
Hermione glanced up from her own essay and looked curiously at Harry's blank parchment and expressionless face. "Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you doing?"
"Hmmm.."
"Harry?" Hermione raised her voice slightly.
"Mm hmm.."
Hermione sighed as she reached across the table and shut Harry's book hard. Harry jolted up on his seat and blinked at Hermione. "What??? Why'd you do that?"
"Because you were off in some crazy world and you didn't hear a thing I was saying," Hermione shook her head. "Maybe you should go back to your room and sleep. Or do you want to go the ball instead of sitting here in the library with me?"
"No! No, it's fine. I mean, I'm fine." Harry reopened his book to some random page. "But are you ok? I mean, you should be at the ball right now with Justin but.."
Hermione placed her hands over his and squeezed them gently. "Stop being silly again. I like being in the library, you should know that by now."
Harry looked at her doubtfully but Hermione seemed unfazed. "So, how's your essay coming along?"
"...Bad?" He glanced at his blank parchment.
Hermione giggled, "You aren't concentrating are you?"
"No, that part is pretty obvious isn't it?"
"What are you thinking of then?" Hermione questioned softly.
Harry leaned back onto his chair. "Destiny."
"Destiny?" Hermione's forehead crinkled. "I thought you didn't like Divination."
"No, I mean destiny...my destiny."
"...Okay," Hermione found herself unable to form a sentence or a remark to help Harry out, instead she found herself saying, "Why?"
"Dumbledore," Harry replied. "He spoke to me outside last night..he said really odd things..I think he's trying to tell me something, but you know how he is. He likes making you guess and figure out what he actually means."
Hermione dropped her quill, "Really? Do you think it's bad?"
"...Doesn't sound good, so I guess it sounds bad," Harry shrugged and closed his book. "I really don't feel like studying now."
"Oh."
"...Want to go to the ball? I'm pretty sure they're just finishing the feast by now."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, "Go to the ball? In this?" She looked down at her school robes.
"Why not?" Harry grinned.
"We're not even dressed for the occasion!"
"I thought Hermione Granger didn't care about those sort of things," Harry teased.
Hermione stuck her tongue out playfully as she jumped onto her feet. "Fine! We'll go in our school robes, happy?"
"Delighted," Harry smiled.
"Oooh you can be really weird at times you know?" Hermione said with her arms crossed as they proceeded down the hallway towards the Great Hall. She felt awfully silly but she didn't want to say so.
Harry laughed sheepishly. "Well, would we really look that weird going in our school robes?"
"Yes! Have you never been at a ball?"
"No," He answered bluntly.
Hermione just shook her head, "Well then when we get into that room you'll see what I mean."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we'll look like house elves in there." Hermione replied haughtily.
Harry smiled broadly. "Smashing!"
Hermione stared at him. "Harry!!"
"I'm sorry," He fell into a fit of laughter. "I just love teasing you!"
"And why is that?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Because.." Harry trailed off and poked her playfully in the stomach. "It's cute!"
"It's cute?" Hermione giggled. "Or do you mean I'm cute?"
Harry stopped laughing and was suddenly grateful that the hallways of Hogwarts were not brightly lighted or else he would look like a glowing tomato now. "Maybe that's what I meant." He finally answered.
"Maybe?"
"I'm not going to say yes, or no," Harry replied with a huff and grinned.
Hermione opened her mouth to complain but decided against it. "Fine Mr.Potter! It wouldn't matter to me anyways." She poked him back in the ribs.
Harry groaned, "That hurttt."
"Oh stop whining!"
"The Head Girl's bullying me," Harry sing-songed.
Hermione crossed her arms, "Am not!"
Harry smirked and reached out towards her and suddenly Hermione found herself being tickled. "Ha...rryy!! St..op itt!!" She laughed in between breaths as she found tears starting to form in her eyes from the laughter.
When Harry didn't reply, Hermione retaliated by tickling Harry back and he too was forced onto the ground in a rolling fit of laughter. "Heer..myyy..own..knee!!"
"Haa...rry!!" She gasped as she felt a jab in her ribs. "Ow! That one actually hurt!"
"So..rry!" Harry replied sheepishly as he rolled over and found himself not on the cold stone floor of the hall but instead on something warm and soft.
"Harry.." Hermione uttered breathlessly.
"Yes?" He came to realize that he was actually ontop of her.
She felt her chest heaving up and down from the laughing and tickles as she simply stared up at the glowing emerald jewels above her. Such beautiful eyes with ebony dark locks cascading down in front of them...
Harry found himself speechless, slightly seeing blurry images since his glasses had slipped off and landed somewhere beside him. But that didn't matter now, not when he could see every fleck of colour in Hermione's eyes. The shape of her face and how her hair blew out around her and her magnificent pink smooth lips..they seemed magnetic for he found himself falling slowly...very slowly downwards.
Towards those beautiful lush lips and long curly eyelashes.
Falling...
Crash!
Harry suddenly broke out of his trance and jumped up to his feet with Hermione standing up right after him. Both of them looked wildly around them for the source of the sudden sound, both feeling slightly disappointed and out of breath.
"What was that?" Hermione asked quickly.
Harry looked at her wildly. "I don't know..."
Another sound of wood splintering rang out from the end of the hallway and both of them suddenly realized it was coming from..
"The Great Hall!" They both cried in unison as they started running towards the grand double doors.
"Do you have your wand?" Harry questioned as they reached the doors only to here obvious screaming and shouting.
Hermione breathed, "Yes..."
"Um...be careful," Harry added.
"..You too," Hermione glanced nervously from him to the closed doors.
Harry nodded as he pushed the door open and was met with a sight of mass destruction.
No longer were the twelve big Christmas trees alight with beautiful lights from fairies. The trees had all fallen, some in half, and broken oraments were shattered on the grand marble floor. The enchanted ceiling seemed frozen in time, with nothing but a black void and nothing like the once beautiful snowing scene outside.
Students were all pushing and running around, prefects trying to maintain calm while dodging curses and spells that seemed to fly out of no where.
Yet that was when Harry realized there were a group of dark cloaked figures in the centre of the room, wands held ready, faces hidden beneath the shadows. Ron ran up to them with a cut on his left cheek and his eye ablaze. "Harry! Hermione! What are you doing here?! GET OUT!"
Harry found himself stunned but managed to utter, "What's happening?"
"An attack," Ron answered shakily. "Death Eaters. But this shouldn't be possible..."
"No one can get onto Hogwarts grounds..." Hermione said nervously. "That's not right...I've read about it in .."
"Hogwarts: A History," Ron finished for her with a shake of his head. "No time for references. We've got to get everyone out of here!"
"Where's Dumbledore? The professors?" Harry asked as he ducked from a spell that was aimed for his head.
"Snape's here. I heard that Dumbledore received a message from Beauxbatons last night that they wanted to invite him to some Christmas feast so he's not here...but every other teacher's here alright, but everything is just chaotic!"
Hermione pushed Ron aside as a blazing green light shot by them. "Goodness! That was a killing curse!" Ron nearly shrieked.
Harry frowned as he glanced at the broken house tables. Ginny came running up to them with a rip right down the side of her maroon robes. "Ron! Parvati's been hurt!'
"Bloody hell..." Ron muttered. "Ginny get yourself out of here. Hagrid's gone down to the lake to prepare the boats to head across the lake to Hogsmeade. Try to inform everybody and get them down there. I think Hagrid's going to send everyone off on the train."
Ginny nodded but looked hurridly back at her brother, "What about you Ron?"
"I'll come afterwards."
"Promise?" Ginny's lip trembled.
"...Promise," Ron sighed as he turned back towards Harry and Hermione. "...I don't know why I'm staying here, but being a seventh year, I guess we have responsibility to take care of the young ones eh?"
"...We'll stay too," Hermione said steadily and glanced at Harry.
Harry nodded, "This attack must have some reason behind it."
Ron just nodded as he turned just in time to block another killing curse from another Death Eater. The Death Eater paused, seemingly surprised to see someone and finally pointed a finger- at Harry.
Harry swallowed, suddenly realizing that all the Death Eaters were now staring at him.
"Harry Potter." One of them spoke out.
"Ah, there you are. How long do you think we're going to wait until you show up?" Another sneered.
Harry gripped tightly onto his wand, a thought suddenly dawning upon him. "...What's it to you?" He tried to keep his voice steady, masking away his fear and surprise.
Everyone in the room felt silent, except for some occasional sobbing and groans from hurt students.
"Oh, it's everything to us." One of them stepped forward, and Harry noticed wildly that this person didn't have an ordinary hand, but a metal-like one..
And Harry knew that his thought was correct- this attack did have a reason behind it. It was him. They were after him. And somehow he wasn't all that surprised that it was him...after all, he was...the boy-who-lived? He liked that name...the boy-who-lived. And yet he wondered if he was going to be alive in another minute or two.
"What do you mean?" He found himself asking.
The Death Eater didn't say another word, but simply raised his shiny silver hand in the direction of him. "Come now, Harry Potter."
Harry found the floor falling beneath him as if he was being whisked away into the air. The room disappeared, his conscious seemed to blur and he saw nothing but a mere void. But strangely he could still feel something.
A feather-like pressure on his right arm as if someone had suddenly grabbed onto him for dear life. He couldn't turn his head to see who it was. He couldn't think as he was whisked away to who knows where, but that comforting pressure on his arm told him that someone was with him.
With him on this journey to perhaps his death.