Sighs
Chapter 8
A/N: Harry got his last time. Now, What's a man to do when the love of your life tells you to get out of hers? Decisions, decisions. Reviews are good.
Oh, and Harry makes a decision that may cost him his life.
NOT THAT. I DO NOT APPROVE OF SUICIDE. EVER.
Warnings: Language, Angst. Lots of Angst.
Now. On to the Story.
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Ronald Bilius Weasley was at a loss. That didn't happen too often, but Hermione didn't cuss often either.
Both had just occurred.
Hermione had just broken Harry Potter.
"Ron."
Ron turned and faced his best friend.
"Take care of her."
With those words, Harry Potter swept out of the room.
"Uh…Sure."
Harry stalked towards the Headmaster's office. This had to end. It was time for Harry to put an end to this.
The gargoyle let him up without asking for a password, and when Harry reached the door to the office, he didn't use the knob.
He blew it off its hinges.
"Ah, Harry. I assum…"
"Cut the crap. Where is he? I know you know. Where is he?"
Albus Dumbledore was not interrupted often. He was also not pushed back in his chair by the sheer magical force coming off a person.
But then, Harry Potter was not a normal person. Nor was he a normal Wizard.
"Are you…"
"I'm sure. Where is he?"
"He is at his lair in the Ayr swamp. Do you require a portkey?"
"No."
And with that, Harry disappeared.
Albus Dumbledore sighed. Throwing some powder into the fireplace, he stuck his head in the flames.
"Minerva? If you would be so kind as to summon Mr. And Ms. Weasley to my office, Ms. Granger as well. The sooner the better."
With that said, confident in Minerva's abilities, Albus settled back in his chair and summoned a cup of tea.
Harry Potter appeared in the dirtiest place he had ever been in.
It was a swamp. A dark, dank, musty, moist, smelly swamp. Rotting vegetation was everywhere, and several places bubbled.
'Figures he'd hide in the nastiest place ever imagined. It's a perfect place for him. Who'd want to come here anyway?' Harry mused.
"ALRIGHT VOLDEMORT! I'M HERE! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"Ah…Potter. If you'd follow me?" A death eater appeared from nowhere, and beckoned Harry to follow him.
"Why not."
With that, Harry Potter walked into the serpent's lair.
"He did WHAT?!"
Howlers have nothing on Ginny.
"As I said before, Ms. Weasley, Harry has…"
" I KNOW THAT! WHY'D HE GO!? WHERE IS IT!? HE'S GOING TO NEED HELP!"
Interruptions seemed to be the order of the day.
"MS. WEASELY!"
Ginny sat down hard and Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and The only Wizard Voldemort ever feared stood up.
"IF you would be so kind as to let me finish, I'd be able to answer ALL of your questions. Now. Harry has gone to face Voldemort. I do know where they both are right now, but I cannot allow you to follow him. This is something that Harry must do, and he must do it alone, now. Ms. Granger, you look bored. If you are, please feel free to leave."
"Hermione, he just said…"
"I heard what he said Ron. And I don't really care. If Harry's got to do this, then fine. He'll do it, and come back and be even MORE famous."
Ron blinked.
Ron snapped.
"ARE YOU BLOODY INSANE? YOU'RE CRACKED! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOUR FRIEND IS OUT THERE, PROBABLY WALKING INTO A TRAP, AND YOU'RE SITTING HERE STARING AT YOUR NAILS! THEY'RE FINE! WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?!"
Ron slapped Hermione.
"Mr. Weasley! I will not tolerate abuse of a fellow student! ESPECIALLY NOT IN MY PRESENCE!"
"BLOW IT OUT YOUR EAR! FOR YEARS YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO HARRY, PUSHING HIM, FORCING HIM INTO A ROLE THAT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PAIN! HOW DARE YOU! WHERE IS HE. WHERE IS HE!? TELL ME GOD DAMMIT!"
Ron shut his mouth and turned pale.
'I just yelled at the most powerful wizard alive! Oh dear Merlin. Crap. Crap crap crap crap. I hope I live…PLEASE let me live!'
"Mr. Weasley. I understand that you are upset. I will disregard your words, and ask you to leave."
"I'm sorry professor. Really. I am. It's just…"
A look from Dumbledore sent him scurrying out of the room.
"Professor…I'm sorry for my brother. He's just concerned. We ALL are."
Eyeing Hermione as she said this, Ginny continued,
"It's just, Harry got into an, well, and ARGUMENT, and he may be doing something incredibly stupid right now. We'd just like the chance to help him, to make sure he's okay. That's all."
Weasley's did not abandon family. Albus knew this in his heart. But he was torn. Harry needed to resolve this, once and for all, both for the world and his own heart. But could he do it without the love and support from one who had offered it from the very beginning?
No.
"Ms. Weasley. Understand that I trust you to bring him back safely. I will allow you to take three students. I hope that they will be members of the DA, but you may choose whomever you like."
"Draco, Ron, and Hermione."
"Minerva. If you please."
"At once."
Hermione perked up at this.
"Me? Why me!? Harry doesn't need ME. I'm just a girl!"
"Hermione. You're the smartest witch Hogwarts has seen in a century. It'd be stupid not to bring you. You know every curse and counter-curse there is. And besides, Harry needs all the friends he can get. That includes you, regardless of what you said earlier."
Ginny Weasley was wise beyond her years.
"Here they are Headmaster. Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley."
Draco and Ron shut up once they entered the Headmaster's room. Ron paled.
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy. You are both here because Ginny has convinced me that Harry requires support in his quest to eliminate Voldemort. You two, along with Misses Granger and Weasley will go to Ayr swamp and help Harry in any way possible. Understood?"
Ron and Draco nodded.
"Then, please, grab hold of this card," He held out a chocolate frog card, "and you will be transported there. This will also transport you back, so do not lose it."
All four nodded and, grabbing hold of it, were whisked away.
Minerva McGonagall looked at the man who held her utmost respect and sighed.
"Are you sure about this? The four of them? Why not contact the ministry? Send come aurors! Surely they'd be better off than four children!"
"Minerva. All four of them have a vested interest in Harry Potter. And I fear that Harry cannot defeat Voldemort without the love and support of his friends."
Harry Potter collapsed in agony. Cruciatus was painful, but Harry bore it without a sound.
"Scream Potter. Scream and know your defeat!"
Harry grit his teeth and stood. Slowly. Voldemort stopped cackling and released Harry from the curse.
"Well. You're tougher than you look."
"Why don't…you kill…me, Voldemort? Why keep me alive?"
"Sport, my young man. The same as it was with the mudblood. Sport. FUN. You know, she begged for mercy at the end? She begged me to stop and when I didn't she screamed your name? But you never came did you? It really is a pity that Mr. Malfoy and Severus found her. Oh, don't look so surprised! I knew both of them were spies. Young Mr. Malfoy was the easiest to spot. After all, he was the one who gagged and lost his nerve when…well…and as for Severus, I've known every since I looked into your mind. Why would a loyal death eater train my most dangerous enemy a tactic to thwart me? THEY WOULDN'T. Ah! Four more of your friends have arrived! Go and welcome them!"
The death eaters vanished with multiple pop's!
Harry and Voldemort were alone.
Voldemort had a wand. Harry didn't.
What to do.
Decisions, Decisions.
"So. Would you like a, what do they call it nowadays, a 'blow by blow'?" Voldemort cackled. "I'm sure that I could show you, I DID capture that for, shall we say, posterity? No? Pity."
Harry glared.
"So. What to do. Ah! I know. Crucio."
Hermione, Draco, Ron and Ginny arrived in the Ayr Swamp, and immediately drew their wands. And not a moment too soon, as several jets of red light came streaking at them.
"Protego!"
The spells bounced off harmlessly, and a few, reflected off Hermione's shield, streaked straight back to the casters.
"Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" Curses were screamed, shields erected, the battle waged.
"Draco! Find Harry! You've got to!"
"AH!!"
"RON!"
Ron fell.
"PROTE…"
Draco fell.
"NO!"
"DROP YOUR WANDS! NOW!"
The two looked around. They were surrounded on all sides by, what seemed like, endless rows of death eaters.
"NOW!"
The two looked at each other and dropped their wands.
"Stupefy."
The world went black.
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A/N: Cliffhanger, I know. I'm tired though. It's like 3 AM. So. I don't know if Ayr HAS a swamp, but it's near the ocean, and I needed an English town/city name. Ayr sounded good. Sorry if you live in England! I don't, I live in America. I couldn't give you the name of a swamp if my life depended on it. SORRY!
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