Unofficial Portkey Archive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Harry Potter Characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc. No money was made from the creation of this story.

Chapter 6: The Crests of Eternity

Harry felt the familiar rush as he and Keung were transported to Vincent's location. He shielded his face with his arm to protect his eyes from the light, his heart beating faster with anticipation. He wasn't sure if he was ready for what was to come, but upon thinking of the Aurors that were killed the night before, he knew they had to win.

The light faded and when Harry lowered his arm. He realized that the two were in the Forbidden Forest and gauging by how far away the castle was, they were no more than five miles away from Hagrid's hut. The two immediately dropped their brooms and lowered themselves to their dueling stances, observing their surroundings carefully.

"That is a mighty impressive toy you gents have," they heard Vincent say from behind them, causing the two to whirl around.

They found him sitting on a rock with his legs crossed, the gem from the pocket watch rolling around in his hand. He gave them a smirk as he briefly examined it.

"I was wondering exactly what it did?" he grinned as tossed it to Keung. "I reckon I know now."

"You're quite impressive yourself," Keung said as he stood from his dueling stance. "You moved ten miles in ten minutes."

Harry's fists clenched tighter as he watched Vincent, his rage growing with each deep breath he took. He knew better than to go into a duel with such mixed emotions, but he wanted to avenge Kingsley Shacklebolt and the three fallen Aurors if it were the last thing he does. Keung noticed Harry's tension and knew that a fight was something that wouldn't be avoided.

"Speed enhancement charms are amazing, aren't they?" Vincent jeered as he jumped down from the rock, eying Harry curiously. "I've been experimenting with them along with potions to maximize the potency. Though they can be a little rattling on the nerves. I feel like I've just took a tumble down a hill."

"Enough small talk," Keung said firmly. "You know why we're confronting you."

"I do," Vincent replied, holding up the green crest for them to see. "However, you both are sadly mistaking if you believe that I am simply going to give it to you."

"No by all means resist," Harry growled through clenched teeth.

"Well I see that young Mr. Potter is more than slightly miffed about the situation," Vincent commented as he removed his cloak and threw it aside, revealing the dark sword.

Harry's heartbeat quickened at the sight of the sword and once again, he felt it calling out to him, drawing him in. However, unlike the times before, he didn't give in to its calling. His anger was blinding and all he wanted was Vincent. He no longer cared for the sword, or at least for the moment, it could wait.

"You killed my friend," Harry stated lowly, his wand aimed at Vincent's heart.

"Your friend?" he asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Last night," Keung started as he detached his cloak, it falling to the forest floor with a loud thud, "you killed four Aurors…one of them was one of Harry's friends."

"Only four died…. Nice to know that one of them survived," Vincent replied with another smirk.

"Why would you be happy about something like that?" Harry asked angrily. "Happy that you may have another go at one that lived at some later time?"

"You have a lot of rage, Mr. Potter," Vincent said, his voice strangely sincere. "I am truly sorry for the loss of your friend, but this is after all a war and casualties are expected. If you feel that I have wronged you then by all means feel free to do what you must to soothe the rage of emotions inside you.

"I am a soldier, not a monster," he continued. "I follow orders and if someone stands in my way from fulfilling what I need to, then they are the ones who are putting their lives in danger. All that matters is the cause."

"Whether you are a soldier or not, your master is a monster," Keung said as he lowered himself back into his dueling stance. "By the way…you have a disgusting cause."

"Two on one?" Vincent grinned as he raised his wand. "That hardly seems fair."

"I thought that it's not the number that matters, but who participates," Harry replied with a wicked smile. "After all, you're the great Vincent Palaris."

Vincent narrowed his eyes after hearing Harry's comment. "You ask for death, boy? Well then you have come to right person."

"Not if I can help it," Keung stated. "You should never underestimate your opponent."

"Believe me, gents," Vincent replied as he lowered himself into his stance, "I will do no such a thing."

A steady silence fell upon the three as they watched each other. The wind blew gently, causing the fallen leaves to dance about their feet as they were lifted into the air. None of them moved, none of them blinked. They measured each other, formulating their best plans of attack.

Harry watched Vincent's eyes narrow and knew that the time had come.

"Avada Kedavra!" Vincent bellowed as the green light left his wand.

Harry and Keung jumped away from the light and immediately bolted towards Vincent, Harry moving towards Vincent's right and Keung to the left.

Vincent saw the maneuver and not wanting to face an enemy on each front, he pointed his wand towards the rock he was once sitting on and whipped his arm around so that it was point at Keung. The rock started shaking and suddenly flung itself at Keung.

Keung was able to dodge the rock, but was completely thrown off balance. Vincent grinned, knowing that he would have a chance to concentrate on his other opponent.

"Confundo!" Vincent shouted with his wand aimed at Harry.

Harry dove to the ground, barely avoiding the attack. He quickly got back onto his feet and threw off his cloak. The heavy thing was making it very difficult for him to move as fast as he'd like.

"Stupefy!" Keung cried, launching the red sparks at Vincent's back.

The attack took him completely by surprise, but he was able to move fast enough to stop the attack with an Invisible Wall.

"Deflagratio!" Vincent retaliated at Keung before making a break towards Harry.

"Compello contruno!" Harry roared, firing the white jet of sparks towards him.

"Protego!" Vincent barked as he reflected the spell back at Harry.

"Protego!" Harry shouted back as he launched the spell back, somewhat surprised that he was able to keep the wall for shattering.

Vincent dodged the attack and before Harry had a chance to react, there were within striking distance of each other. Vincent threw a rally of punches, majority of which Harry was able to avoid, but the last one caught him right in the cheek, knocking him to the ground.

"Avada Ke--"

Harry quickly hopped onto his feet and was relieved to see that Keung had tackled Vincent, causing the two to stumble onto the forest floor, both losing their wands in the struggle.

"Damn you!" Vincent cursed as he tried to pry himself from Keung's grasp to reach his wand.

Harry took aim but was unable to get a clear shot. The two rolled about the ground, punching and kicking, occasionally landing a successful attack, however neither gaining any sort of advantage over the other.

"Let go of me!" Vincent yelled as he finally managed to push Keung off him.

Harry finally found his opening. "Immobulus!"

Vincent saw the attack coming and gracefully rolled out of the way. He successfully retrieved his wand and took aim at Harry. "Stupefy!"

Harry instinctively scratched the air with his wand, stopping the attack with an Invisible Wall.

"Pungo!" Keung yelled as he stood up.

The hex hit its mark and Vincent clenched his teeth as he felt a rush of pain course through his body. The pain was nowhere near the strength of the Crucio curse, but it was strong enough to crumble to his knees. Harry and Keung looked at each other and knew that this was their best chance to take the advantage.

Harry held his position as Keung quickly made his away behind Vincent, once again forcing him to fight on two fronts.

"Fulguritis!" Harry bellowed, unleashing a bolt of lightning at Vincent.

Despite the sharp sting that ran through his body, he was able to dissapparate out of the way and reappear a few feet away. He grinned to himself, knowing that the lightning would surely surprise if not strike Keung. However, against his knowledge, the attack was perfectly coordinated.

"Protego!" Keung shouted as he redirected the bolt towards Vincent.

It struck him in the side, causing him to cry out and collapse onto the ground.

"Finite Incantatum," he groaned to himself, finally able to negate the Stinging Hex; however, it did absolutely nothing for the aching he was experiencing from the lightning bolt.

"Surrender," Keung cried as he took a step towards Vincent. "You can't beat us."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Vincent replied as he got back onto his feet. "You are the ones that can't beat me."

"That's funny…coming from the person who's having trouble standing," Harry sneered as he took a step towards him.

"You are quite rude, Mr. Potter," Vincent stated as he looked back and forth between his to adversaries. "You two do make a very good combination…but you haven't bested me…not yet you haven't."

Vincent aimed his wand towards his feet and muttered something to himself.

Harry narrowed his eyes and advanced a few steps. He, however, stopped when he felt the ground rumbling underneath his feet. He looked at the forest floor and noticed a small hole forming in front of him. A large stone in the shape of a great spike suddenly burst out at him. Harry managed to avoid being impaled, but then realized that several more holes were forming around him.

"Watch yourself, Harry!" Keung shouted as he dodged one of his one spikes.

Harry rolled out of the way of another spike just in the knick of time and disapparated away from several others; unfortunately, wherever he reappeared he would see another hole appear. Knowing that he couldn't evade forever, Harry apparated to a low hanging branch of a nearby tree.

He looked down and found Keung standing on a boulder, just out of reach of the striking spikes.

"Finite Incantatum!" Keung roared, causing the spikes to crack and crumble into dust.

"You okay?" Harry asked as he jumped from the branch and landed safely on the ground.

"I'm fine," Keung replied as he jumped down from the boulder. "Grab our brooms…the ruddy bastard has taken off and it looks like he's running towards Hogwarts."

Harry didn't need to be told twice and quickly retrieved their brooms. The two were soon in flight, flying as fast as they could towards the castle while only being several feet off of the ground. Harry, being on his Firebolt, took the lead.

"Can you see him?" Keung shouted as he flew between two trees.

Harry narrowed his eyes and was able to make out a figure running ahead of him.

"I think that it's Vincent!" Harry replied as he pointed towards him. He knew that it had to be him, but he was having trouble grasping the concept for Vincent was running as fast as he was flying.

"He has to be using another speed charm!" Keung yelled as he tried to increase the speed of his broom, but was unsuccessful. "We need to slow him down! The only way to stop a speed charm is to stop the wizard from running!"

Harry nodded and followed Vincent's every movement, slowly gaining on him. Harry looked down towards the ground and saw that the ground was covered with soft dirt. Not entirely sure of how else to stop Vincent, Harry positioned himself so that his feet were on the broomstick.

He waited a few more seconds until he was within a few yards of Vincent and quickly pulled up on his broom. In one fluid motion, he jumped off his broom and threw it like a harpoon at Vincent's feet. It struck the back of Vincent's left leg causing him to fall and skid face first into the forest floor until he came to a stop.

Harry's right shoulder hit the ground first and he allowed his body to roll like a rag doll. The wind was knocked out of him and he found it difficult to breathe, but he was happy that none of his bones were broken. At least so far it seemed that all his body parts were working properly. He attempted to push himself up, but his aching and tired body wouldn't let him.

Vincent punched for the ground before he struggled back onto his feet, rubbing his dirt-covered face with the sleeve of his shirt. He whipped around to find Harry laying still, taking in quick shallow breaths. He pulled out his wand and was ready to finish the job, but was kicked in the side of the head by a figure that flew passed him.

Realizing that he had stunned Vincent, Keung quickly landed and threw his broom aside. He rushed over and took hold of Vincent's arm, flinging him away from Harry and against a nearby boulder.

"You two are quite the nuisance," Vincent commented as he pushed himself off the boulder and licked his lip, tasting the blood that escaped his mouth. "I see now why Willard found you both to be worthy adversaries."

"I warned you about underestimating us," Keung replied as he positioned himself in front of Harry, preventing Vincent from getting a clear shot.

"I said that I wouldn't underestimate you two and have yet to do so," Vincent said as took a slow step forward. "You and Mr. Potter make a fortifiable team. Best I have faced in quite sometime, but I am sorry to say --"

"You're holding back," Keung finished for him.

"Good to see that you were able to tell," Vincent grinned as he took the wand with his left hand and drew his sword from the right. "I am sorry, but I have toyed around with you two long enough. I can't linger around here all day."

Keung took in a deep breath and watched Vincent make his advance, his eyes moving back and forth between Vincent's blade and wand.

"I have heard that you are quite talented with a sword," Vincent said as he stopped his advancement and moved into his dueling stance. "It's a pity that you aren't carrying a sword with you…I would have much enjoyed a good sword fight."

"Your style," Keung stated, his eyebrows contorting, "it looks very familiar."

"It should," he replied coldly. "You did defeat one of my apprentices, after all."

Keung's eyes widened at the comment as he took a step back.

"You taught Magnolia Reins how to use the sword?"

"Yes, I did," Vincent nodded. "I was very intrigued with her Flamora weapons. You know, she was one of the best apprentices I ever had. You must have either great skill or great luck to have defeated her."

"Maybe it was a little of both," Keung replied as he lowered himself into his stance. "So, how about we finish this?"

"Actually, let's make this a little interesting," Vincent smirked as he sheathed his sword and reached into his pocket, withdrawing the crest of Ravenclaw. "I want this to be a good fight. It wouldn't be much of a challenge if I were to use a sword…so how about I try out this crest. I am curious about its powers. Why not give it a go?"

Vincent's grasp on the crest tightened and it started to glow bright blue. An eerie smile formed across his face as he felt a surge of energy and power rush through his body, his eyes glowing the same blue color as the crest. He then released a loud howl just as if he were a wolf baying at the full moon.

Keung took a hesitant step forward. Vincent was leaving himself completely open to attack. He didn't know very much about the Death Eater, but he knew that he was a smart enough of a fighter to never leave himself so exposed in the middle of fight. Keung knew that if he were purposely leaving himself open, there was something seriously wrong and that he was in trouble.

Vincent grinned widely as he placed his wand back into his pocket. Keung, now beyond confused of what was going through Vincent's head, decided to play it safe and take a slow step back, keeping his wand trained on him.

With a sudden explosion of smoke, Vincent apparated right in front Keung and punched him in the face, knocking him down to the ground. Keung lost his wand in the fall, but didn't bother searching for it. He quickly jumped to his feet and threw whatever attacks he could at Vincent; however, he avoided and blocked every single one as if he were expecting them.

"This crest is awesome!" Vincent exclaimed as he knocked Keung's arm aside and grasped the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer. "You may have been better off if I used my sword." With that, Vincent rammed his forehead into Keung's, knocking him down to the ground.

With a heavy grunt, Harry was finally able to push himself off of the forest floor. He had seen everything that happened and knew if he didn't act quickly, Keung would be done for. He took a few staggering steps forward and he raised his wand, aiming at Vincent's back. "Stupefy!"

Vincent smirked to himself and disapparated out of the way of the red sparks, reappearing behind Harry and wrapping his arm tightly around his neck. "You should have stayed on the ground, Mr. Potter. You will seriously regret making that mistake."

Vincent noticed Keung getting up from the corner of his eye. He quickly released Harry's neck and took a firm hold of his vest. With one hard heave, Harry was thrown into the air, knocking Keung back onto the ground.

"Now for some real fun!" Vincent howled as he pulled his wand out and aimed it at the two. "Bombarda!"

Harry and Keung rolled out of the way of the way just as the ground next to them exploded, sending dirt and small rocks into the air. The two quickly got to their feet and once again were forced to take evasive actions as Vincent continued to make the ground around them erupt. Though to Vincent's displeasure, the two were able to find safety behind a huge boulder.

"Oh this is a fine spot we've ended up in," Keung said sarcastically as he heard the spell break off of a chunk of the boulder.

"How is he able to predict our attacks?" Harry gasped as he rested against the boulder.

"I don't know…it has to be the power of that crest." he replied. "We need to think of something fast or we're dead."

"We're about a mile away from the castle," Harry stated as he pushed himself off the boulder. "We could to make a run for it. If he follows, the Order could surround him or something…he'd have to give up."

"But what about the students?" Keung asked breathlessly as he peaked over the top of boulder, his heart sinking when he saw Vincent take his time in walking towards them. "We can't put them in harms way."

"He won't harm them," Harry replied. "He won't harm innocent children. In my dream…he stopped Willard from killing the Muggle girl that lived in the castle. He said that unless he was ordered to harm them, he would never harm the innocent…Muggle or not."

"The old him may not attack the innocent, but you can't say anything about him now," Keung exclaimed as he grabbed hold of Harry and pulled him behind a nearby tree as the boulder they were hiding behind exploded.

"You may play hide and seek as much as you like," Vincent laughed as he casually made his way towards them. "I love that game! But I am very sorry to say that I know exactly where you are. You can't run forever."

"We can't let him get away with two crests," Harry argued. "Voldemort will have half of the Crest of Eternity. The Order is at the castle…I know they and Dumbledore will know of a way to stop him. He can't be so powerful that Dumbledore can't take him."

Keung quickly peered around the tree and found Vincent standing several yards away with his arms cross as if he were waiting for them to do something. He hated the thought of Voldemort gaining two crests as much as Harry, but he knew bringing the Death Eater to the school grounds could bring consequences. Though despite the consequences, Harry was right; half the Order was stationed at the castle, and they were their only hope they had of surviving this encounter and getting the crests.

"All right," Keung nodded as he took a hold of Harry's sleeve, "we'll make a run for it. Don't run in a straight line…if he goes after you, you can't give him a steady target. No matter what happens, you keep running. If you make it to the castle before I do, alert one of the professors to round up the Order."

"Okay," Harry replied, readying himself.

"Go…now!" Keung cried as he patted Harry on the back.

Harry took off in full sprint from behind the tree, hurdling over several tree roots that lied in his path. He did as Keung had instructed and darted to the left and right as he made his way through the forest, constantly positioning himself so that he would have at least one tree behind him. He didn't bother looking over his shoulder; he kept his eyes locked on the forest line and pushed harder.

Harry was ecstatic when he was able to make out Hagrid's hut at the end of the forest; however, feelings of curiosity and concern soon took over. He was never once attacked or confronted by Vincent during his run. In fact, he never once saw Keung either. He quickly took cover by a fallen tree and stopped, his breath finally catching up with him. He looked back in hopes of seeing his guardian, but instead saw a very still forest.

"Where are you?" Harry asked himself as narrowed his eyes slightly. "I can't leave you behind."

Harry was ready to run back into the forest but stopped when he saw a tree off in the distance fall to the ground. He could hear explosions echoing through the tries and what sounded like battle cries. He was able to distinguish one to be Keung's and he felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Not wanting to end up disappointing him, Harry took off in the direction of the castle.

When he finally made it out of the forest, he released a cry of triumph. However, he was then shocked to see both Hermione and Ron running towards him, the screaming sometime at him. He waved his arms in the air and shook his head, but before he had a chance to tell them to run, the ground underneath his feet exploded and he was hurled into the air.

He landed hard on his back, completely disoriented. It felt like his lungs had collapsed and there was a sharp ring in his ear. He was able to force himself to sit up, but his body refused to do more after that point. He opened his eyes and it seemed like everything around him was moving in slow motion.

He saw Vincent walking towards him with the crest of Ravenclaw in his hand. A wick smile formed on his face as he raised his arm, brandishing the crest. Harry's hand slowly made its way towards his pocket. He took hold of his wand but didn't have the energy to draw it.

The crest started to glow again and Harry felt his world darken. His eyes grew heavy and he felt his consciousness slipping away. He could vaguely see a figure move in front of him, shielding him from the light, but it didn't help. Harry's eyes closed and he collapsed back onto the ground.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he jerked up from his bed, trying to take in his surroundings. Everything was a blur, but he didn't need his glasses to determine where he was. Once again, he had ended up in the hospital wing. He fell back onto his bed and released a sigh of relief. He was still alive; he had survived his first encounter with Vincent Palaris. He knew it wouldn't be his last, but he was content that he at least made it through the first one.

Harry took in a breath as he thought back, trying his best to replay what had occurred during their fight. He remembered that he was with Keung and that the fight had taken him back to Hogwarts, but for some reason, everything else had become hazy. He could somewhat remember being blasted by one of Vincent's attack and a bright blue light, but no other clear memories surfaced in his mind.

Harry turned his head to look at the bed towards his right and his eyes widened. He could see a person lying in the bed. He quickly sat up to get a better look and his heart stopped. He slowly reached over for his glasses, but he didn't need them. Even without his glasses, he recognized her. He knew that the person lying in the bed next to his was Hermione. Her face was pale, the curls in her hair messier than usual.

His body started shaking uncontrollably, and the missing memories from the fight with Vincent came to him as clear as day. He remembered being hurled into the air and being unable to protect himself. He remembered the glowing crest and the figure that came to protect him. The figure was Hermione.

He stood up from his bed and placed on his glasses. At a snail's pace, he moved towards her bed. He was immensely relieved to see that she was breathing, but it didn't settle him. He knew that she didn't look right. She's just resting, she's okay, he strained himself to believe as he knelt down and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Wake up, Hermione," he whispered as he shook her shoulder gently. "Please wake up…please."

She didn't respond in any way. Her body felt cold under his touch, making it harder to control the knots inside him.

"Hermione," he whispered as he shook her again. "It's me, Harry. You know…your boyfriend…the guy who loves you more than anything…the guy that doesn't deserve your love. The guy that always gets you into trouble. The guy…that always gets…you…hurt."

She didn't respond. Harry was shaking again, his grip tightening as he shook her once again.

"Please wake up, Hermione," Harry cried, feeling his hot tears welling up. "I beg you, please wake up."

Her silence caused his restraint to crumble. He shook again, this time almost violently. "Hermione! Please wake up! I'm sorry, Hermione! I'm so sorry! Please wake up!"

When she didn't respond, he released a cry of anguish and anger as he buried his face into his shoulder, allowing his tears to flow freely. He couldn't control his emotions any longer. He had once again failed to protect her.

Harry heard the door of the hospital wing suddenly burst open. He looked up to find Hagrid standing in the doorway with his crossbow raised, wearing a very worried expression on his face.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he carefully looked over the room.

"I'm…s-sorry, Hagrid," Harry managed to get out after a sob. "Why won't…Her-Hermione wake up?"

"I…we dunno, Harry," Hagrid replied apologetically as he lowered his crossbow. "Madame Pomfrey doesn't know what's wrong. She's been searchin' `bout the library for a cure…but she has nothing yet."

Hagrid made his way towards him, leaving his crossbow on an empty bed along the way. He took a seat on Harry's bed, ignoring the loud creeks that it made as it supported his weight.

"What happened after I passed out?" Harry asked, finally in control of his emotions once again. "Did Vincent get away? Is Keung okay?"

"Keung's all right, I'll assure you of that," Hagrid replied with a firm nod. "He's worried sick `bout ya. He waited in the hospital with Ron yesterday, hopin' you'd wake up. He's now doing a quick job for Professor Dumbledore…should be back real soon."

"That's good to know," Harry said, very relieved that his guardian had also made it through the fight. Though Harry could tell that Hagrid had avoided answering his first question. "What about Vincent, Hagrid? What happened to him?"

"He…he got away," Hagrid confessed as he looked down at the floor. "He used the crest of Ravenclaw…blooming cheat that is…and got away. We couldn't even scratch `im. I fired all my arrows at him and he dodged them like they were nothin'."

"So he got away with both crests?"

"That he did," Hagrid said in a depressed tone. "That he did."

"All that for nothing," Harry muttered harshly.

"Some good came with it," Hagrid insisted. "I'm just glad to see tha' you're all right."

"I'm not all right, Hagrid," Harry exclaimed as he stood up, not wanting to face Hagrid. "Look at what I've done…look what I have done to Hermione."

"Harry…" Hagrid stammered. "It wasn't your f--"

"Yes it was!" Harry interrupted, losing control again. "It was my idea to run back to the castle! Keung said it would too dangerous, but I didn't listen! Now look what happened!

"It's my fault that she got hurt! It is always my fault that she gets hurt! She shouldn't be here…in the hospital! She's supposed to be studying in the library or writing an essay! Not…not lying like this in the hospital…. It's all my fault! She wasn't supposed to protect me!"

Harry turned to face the nightstand that stood in between his and Hermione's beds and with as much force as he could muster, he kicked it. He broke the lower drawer, causing the nightstand's contents to rattle; unfortunately it came with a price. He felt a sharp pain consume his foot and he bit his lower lip to keep from screaming. He had forgotten that he wasn't wearing shoes.

"Codswallop!" Hagrid replied with a shocked look on his face. "You know jus' as much as I do tha' Hermione be hurt by what you said…. She loves you, Harry…o' course she would have protected you. Wouldn' you do the same?"

"Of course, I would," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I'd do anything for her. I'd give my life to protect her."

"You can't expect less from her, can yeh?" Hagrid said with a weak smile.

"No, I can't," Harry muttered to himself. Though admitting this to himself didn't make the guilt that surged through him lessen.

"Look whatcha done ter yer foot," Hagrid sighed when he noticed a small pool of blood form around Harry's injured foot. "Madame Pomfery won't be happy with yeh."

"I don't think she will be either," he replied as he limped towards his bed and took a seat next to Hagrid. "Sorry about yelling at you."

"Nah, it's nothin'," Hagrid grinned as he patted Harry on his back, nearly causing him to fall off the bed. "I understand why yeh did it."

Harry nodded as his eyes fell back onto Hermione, but was then distracted by Hagrid's loaded crossbow.

"Hagrid, what were you going to do with your crossbow?" he asked.

"Oh…just going to have a look `bout the grounds," he answered as he crossed his arms and took in a deep anxious breath. "There be rumors floatin' `bout that trouble may be comin' to the castle. Professor Dumbledore doesn' know if the rumors are true, but he wants us to be ready."

"Yeah, it's good to be ready," Harry nodded as he looked down at his bloody foot for the first time, his face contorting when he saw how out of place a few of his toes were. "I really made a mess of it, didn't I?"

"Nothin' Madame Pomfrey can't fix," he replied as he stood up, the bed raising a noticeable amount. "I best be going, then…need ter finish those rounds. I'll go fetch Madame Pomfrey for yeh."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry said as he gave the gamekeeper a lopsided smile.

Hagrid picked his crossbow and headed towards the door as Harry's gaze returned to Hermione. He heard the door open and Hagrid talking with someone outside, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He was glad when he heard the door close. All he wanted at the moment was to have time alone to resort his thoughts.

"How you doing, mate?" Harry heard Ron say.

Harry looked up and a smile formed on his face when he saw Ron and Nancy standing by the doorway. The two looked haggard. He could tell that the two had been extremely worried and was happy that his awakening eased some of their concern. Despite wanting privacy, seeing his two friends was something he gladly accepted.

Harry tried to respond to Ron's question, but every time he opened his mouth, he couldn't find the words he wanted to say. He eventually gave up and simply nodded at them. The two hurried over to him, Nancy giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek and Ron gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Blimey, you had us worried, mate," Ron said as he gave him a grin. "We didn't know when --"

"Harry!" Nancy gasped, pointing to his foot. "What did you do?"

"Something I should have thought twice about before doing," he replied as he gestured towards the broken drawer of the nightstand.

"I don't know what to feel more sorry for…the nightstand or your foot," Ron chuckled.

Harry snickered along with his friend as Nancy shook her head. She pulled out her wand and with a quick flick; Harry felt the pain in his foot disappear. He looked back down and was in awe to see that his broken toes were mended and his cuts had stopped bleeding.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Harry asked as she walked to the nightstand and pulled out a roll of white bandage from the top drawer.

"I've been spending the majority of my time at the library in Diagon Alley doing research for Professor Dumbledore," she replied as she Aquula charm to wash the blood off his foot. "Along with my research, I perused through several spell books."

"She's been reading up healing magic," Ron added, taking a seat next to Harry on his bed. "She's thinking about becoming a healer just like Pomfrey."

"That's brilliant," Harry smiled as Nancy while she wrapped his foot with the bandage.

"I'm not exactly sure yet," she said as she stood up. "I just know with you two, it's only going to be time before one of you will need to be sent to the hospital. So I reckon I might as well learn as much as I can now to save you both the trip."

Nancy hoped her humor would lighten Harry's mood, but the moment his eyes fell upon Hermione, he sank back into his depression. Nancy sighed and took a seat on Hermione's bed, taking her hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.

"She'll pull through, Harry," she said reassuringly.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with her…you know, physically," Ron added shakily.

"Then what's wrong with her?" Harry asked.

"We honestly don't know…. I've been helping Madame Pomfrey find a way to wake her up, but nothing has worked so far," Nancy said sadly as she let go of Hermione's hand and placed hers on her knees. "She was struck by a blue beam from the crest of Ravenclaw, right?"

"Yes," Harry replied lowly. "Vincent was curious to know what powers the crest possessed when we were fighting in the forest. It was bloody horrific."

"What powers did he use against you?" Ron asked curiously.

"More than likely he used foresight," Nancy answered for Harry, causing him to look up at her with surprise.

"How did you know?" Harry asked, his voice slightly strained.

"That is what the crest of Ravenclaw is best known for," Nancy explained. "It was a part of my research. Dumbledore asked me to find as much information about the four crests of Eternity as I possibly could as well as try to track down where they were hidden."

"What did you find?"

"I was struggling with it a lot, because no one had any sort of documentation on it. But a couple of days ago, I had a breakthrough and found an old manuscript written by an old mage who knew the four wizards and witches very well and in his manuscript, he explained all the magical abilities of each of the crests, and believe me, even if You-Know-Who doesn't get his hands on all four pieces, each crest he gets makes him a lot more powerful."

"That's good to know," Harry groaned, staring down at his freshly bandaged foot. "And now he has two."

"We need to make sure he doesn't get the other two, right?" Nancy exclaimed.

"Yeah…I'm sure the Order will figure something out," Ron commented, trying his best to relieve Harry's tension. "So…um…what do all the crests do?"

Nancy crossed her arms and took in a breath. "Each crest has the ability to make its user more powerful magically. It was said that a single crest could increase a wizards powers by ten, so you can imagine how much power a wizard would gain with every crest that he gets. If the four crests are reassembled, the wizard holding the crest could be as much as hundred times more powerful."

"Blimey…." Ron squeaked as he fidgeted on the bed. "That would make You-Know-Who a god."

"That's only if we let him get all four," Nancy said before continuing. "Each crest has its own special abilities, interestingly the abilities reflected each of the founding four wizards. For his bravery and defense of others, Gryffindor's crest possesses the ability to generate an indestructible and impenetrable barrier that would surround its user, protecting him from any attack, whether it is physical or magical. The barrier is so powerful that it could block the Killing Curse summoned by the most powerful wizards."

"Wow," Harry said quietly as he looked up at her. "I thought there was no protection against that curse."

"No true protections exist. This crest is the only magical item known to the Magical World that could defend against it," Nancy replied. "And for that reason, that is one crest we need to make sure that You-Know-Who doesn't get."

"Are there any ways that the crests can be destroyed?" Harry asked fervently. "You know…any sort of weaknesses we could use against them."

"The mage did write that each crest had its advantages and disadvantages, but he never bothered to explain any of the crests' disadvantages. I figured that is something that we'll need to figure out on our known."

"That's bloody helpful," Harry retorted as he shook his head, his frustration growing. "Here we are on the brink of war and we're forced to solve thousand-year-old riddles."

"What about the other crests?" Ron asked.

"Well…for her kindness and want to help others," Nancy started again, "Hufflepuff's crest possesses the ability to heal, both magical and physical wounds. The mage added that the crest even possesses the ability to revive a person from the dead."

The crest of Hufflepuff intrigued Harry as he looked hopefully at Hermione. "You reckon that the crest of Hufflepuff could cure whatever Hermione has?"

"I guess it could," Nancy replied with a shrug. "Because Hermione was affected by the powers of the Ravenclaw crest, I don't know if the Hufflepuff crest could do anything for her…but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"So what exactly does the crest of Ravenclaw do?" Ron asked.

"That crest was a mystery to the mage. Ravenclaw was best known for your intelligence and wit, and for that her crest contains abilities revolving around the mind. As I said earlier, foresight was one of the abilities that the mage was able to determine, but he has witnessed Ravenclaw use the crest for other purposes that he couldn't explain."

"Whatever other abilities the crest has," Harry muttered, his frustration surfacing, "unless we find a way around its foresight, we're not going to get anywhere."

"And the crest of Slytherin?" Ron said, his voice tensing slighlty.

"Due to his cunning and elusiveness, the crest of Slytherin possesses the ability to remove any magical enchantments that would protect a location."

"What does that mean?" Ron asked with a confused look.

Harry's eyes lowered and he cursed himself. "It means that Voldemort can now destroy the magical barriers and enchantments that protect places like Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic."

Ron's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Nancy, only to see her nod worriedly. "That means…You-Know-Who could attack the school whenever he wants to."

"Yes!" Harry cried as he stood from the bed, his anger now fuming. "Don't you understand? That's why Hagrid was on alert and patrolling the grounds! No one is safe anymore! With that crest, Voldemort can go after anyone he wants, no matter how protected they are! I just handed him the key to the entire bloody Magical World."

"What are you talking about, mate?" Ron asked, his emotions lost.

"I failed in stopping Vincent from getting away and I know that innocent people are going to get hurt because of it!" Harry spat.

"Oh Harry!" Nancy exclaimed as she stood from Hermione's bed. "Will you stop feeling sorry for yourself and accept the fact that you cannot control everything that happens!"

"Nancy…." Ron muttered as he shook his head and rose from the bed. "He's just cranky…he'll be fine later."

"I'm sorry, Ron" she huffed as her gaze fell back onto Harry, "but Harry needs to hear this, and it's better coming from a friend than anyone else."

Harry's eyes flared and he didn't care that the girl in front of him was one of his best friends. He opened his mouth, ready to quarrel, but she purposely interrupted him before he had a chance to speak a word.

"You don't say a word until I'm done with you!" she scolded as she took a step towards him. "It isn't your fault that Vincent escaped. He used a crest and overpowered both Keung and you. I mean, what do you expect, Harry? You are not invincible. You both gave it your all and you lost. You can't always beat You-Know-You!

"Do you honestly believe that we didn't make any backup plans incase something like this happened?" Nancy continued, placing her hands on her hips. "Believe me, the Order will not allow innocent people to get hurt. But you have to understand that the situation was out of your control and there was nothing you or anyone else could have done about it. You just have to accept the defeat and move on. We have lost the war."

Harry's eyes moved down to Hermione. Nancy noticed this and scoffed, "Don't you dare start on what Hermione did! It was not your fault. She would do anything to protect you. Anything! Just as you would have done the same for her."

An awkward silence soon fell onto the three. Nancy's cheeks were as red with anger as ever, while the redness in Harry's cheeks drained away leaving him very pale. His eyes hadn't left Hermione and as much as he wanted to accept what Nancy said, deep down he knew that he would always be responsible.

"I think you and I should get going," Ron said to Nancy as he stood up from the bed. "Harry needs some time alone…right, mate?"

"Yeah," Harry replied softly with a nod. "Some alone time would be good."

"Listen, Harry," Nancy started, her voice a lot calmer, "it's just like what Keung told you last year. There are some things you cannot control and you can do nothing but allow time to take its course. Hermione will make it. She is a strong girl and I know she will pull through. Let her take care of herself. You just make sure that if something does happen, nothing happens to her while she's resting up."

Harry looked up at Nancy and gave her a shaky nod. She gave him a weak smile in return as she pulled him into a warm embrace. Ron gave him another pat on the shoulder and reassuring smile before the two quietly made their way out of the hospital wing.

Harry took a seat on Hermione's bed and gently brushed away the brown curls that covered her cheeks. He took in a deep breath and slipped under the covers. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. He took in the gentle scent of her hair, wishing with all his might that he hadn't convinced Keung to allow them to run for the castle during their fight with Vincent. Though as Nancy had reminded him, he knew that there was nothing he could do but patiently wait by her side.

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A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews, and again, sorry for the slow updates.

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