A/N: Sorry for taking so long for the update. Been really busy with school and work. I hope you like this chapter and remember to REVIEW. The more you guys review the faster I will update. Thanks in advance. I'm also looking for a new beta to finish up this story as well as for my next fic. If you're interested please
e-mail me at heaven85hk@yahoo.com.hk. Now on with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter or any of the characters. They belong to J.K Rowling. This fic is for entertainment purposed only.
Part 4: Prophecies, friends and foes
Harry was shocked to see the sight of his best friend bowing down to their arch nemesis of almost 7 years. They have worked so hard to get ready to defeat Voldemort the last couple of years and now Ron was treating him as his savior.
"They must have placed some sort of Imperius curse on him. Ron would never willing go with him." Harry thought hopefully to himself.
"Hope you had a pleasant chat with my new lieutenant?" Voldemort asked delighted to inflict pain on Harry in any way, shape or form.
"Lieutenant?" Harry asked surprised and horrified that Ron would ever do his bidding.
"What? You think I'm not good enough to be lieutenant?" Ron asked haughtily.
"No. Just didn't think that anything like this could ever happen." Harry responded after awhile.
"What do you mean by that? That I'll see the truth and realize that I've been backing the losing team or that I've become more independent and don't follow you around any more?" Ron asked.
"Is that what you believe I think about you?" Harry asked incredulously.
" Well isn't that the way it really is? I mean you tell Hermione and I to stay behind while you go off in the end all by yourself so that you can get all the credit for what we all did together?" Ron asked raising his eyebrow.
" That's not the way it is and you know it. It wasn't about any of that. I didn't want to put you in any more danger and sometimes things just happened that didn't allow you to come. Even if you weren't there to the end didn't mean that you weren't an important part of what happened." Harry responded.
" Well that doesn't even matter anymore. It's not important to me anymore. It's all in the past. Now I get to be part of something that is big and I will be there in the front line." Ron answered with an eerily calm voice.
"Ron is extremely talented and deserves this position. I'm glad that he came to join us." Voldemort responded.
Harry could see that Ron was very pleased with that remark.
"What did you do to him?" Harry asked angrily.
"I did absolutely nothing. He came to us." Voldemort answered with an evil grin.
*~*~*~*~
"So what's this prophecy?" Hermione asked curiously.
"This prophecy was made a very long time ago near the time the one about Harry was made. If I remember accurately it was stated as follows: A girl will be born in the time of great darkness who possesses a gift of knowledge and resources to bring about the power needed to aid the destined one to meet the dark lord to the end." Dumbledore spoke.
"And you think that might have something to do with me?" Hermione asked slowly and carefully as questions started to quickly flow through her mind.
"We always had a bit of a suspicion that it was you. Since we are now positive that Harry is the one that will meet the dark lord, it does seem very likely that the girl that the prophecy referred to would be you since you are very bright and knowledgeable and have helped Harry along these last 7 years." Dumbledore asked.
`Wow, I always knew there were many prophecies being made but never thought that there could have been one about me? But what does other part of the prophecy mean? What resources and how am I supposed to help him?' Hermione thought to herself desperately.
"I'm sure that you have a lot of questions that you want answered Ms. Granger. What is it that you want answered first?" Dumbledore spoke.
Hermione thought carefully before saying anything, " Professor Dumbledore, do you have any idea how I am supposed to help him?"
"That is something I think you will know the answer to when the time comes. You have been helping Harry prepare by looking up many different types of magic haven't you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes I have. I have gone through many books on spells, curses, rituals in order to find something that might help Harry face him." Hermione answered.
"Then I believe you will be as ready as you can possibly be." Dumbledore spoke and then took a breath and continued, "I believe that something might be troubling you my dear isn't it?"
"What if this isn't enough? What if the time comes and there's nothing that I can do? What if I can't help him?" Hermione asked her voice wavering.
*~*~*~*~
"He came to us." Harry thought to himself as this thought kept on echoing inside his head. This thought was really strange concept for Harry. `Ron would never willing come to find him. He couldn't have possibly known where he was. They had to have set a trap for him to find them. I have to stay focused and calm so that I don't fall into their trap' Harry reminded himself which of courses was easier said than done.
"What happened cat got you tongue?" Ron asked with a sneer.
This brought Harry back to the presence and tried to refrain himself from retorting back. He responded by saying, " Nothing like that happened Ron. I just needed a moment to collect my thoughts."
"Harry, I forgot to ask how Ms. Granger was doing?" Voldemort asked with a grin.
Harry felt his skin begin to boil at the thought of what he had done to Hermione before. " Don't you dare ever come near her again!" Harry responded his green eyes flashing with anger.
"Don't you dare speak to my Lord like that!" Ron spoke taking out his wand.
"How can you even defend him after what he did to Hermione?" Harry shouted angrily.
"It was all because of you that's how." Ron spoke with anger.
"Boys there's not need for any verbal arguments now. Ron put your wand down." Voldemort commanded.
Ron immediately dropped down his wand and placed his head back down and stepped back.
"Now Harry, I have already explained this to you. It was all an accident. It wasn't really meant for her and it really doesn't matter any more. You saved her didn't you and right now I just want you." Voldemort spoke in that sinister voice of his.
"If it's just me that you want then why don't you just let Ron go?" Harry asked his green eyes flashing but his voice was surpisingly calm and demanding.
"Well that isn't up to you now is it? It's up to my lieutenant Ron." Voldemort replied beckoning to Ron to join him.
"Yes my Lord?" Ron asked.
"Would you like to leave?" Voldemort asked his voice in a loud whisper.
"No my lord. I would like to stay here and serve you." Ron answered bowing his head.
"Now you see Mr. Potter, Ron wants to stay on his own free will." Voldemort responded with an evil knowing grin.
`Of course he wants to stay you'll controlling his mind.' Harry thought to himself and tried to speak to Ron to see if there was anything he could say to bring him back.
"Ron, you really should go back to the school. Pretty soon people will start looking for you and Hermione will be so happy to see you back. You remember her don't you?" Harry asked.
"Of course I do." Ron answered and for a moment Harry thought he saw his best friend back.
"But that also reminds me of what the two of you did to me." Ron added in a cold menacing tone.
"I'm here now. What do you want Voldemort?" Harry asked turning his attention back to his arch nemesis.
"I want to kill you." Voldemort answered in a very frightening commanding tone of voice.
*~*~*~*~
" I can't answer that one for you Ms. Granger. I also cannot say that could never happen. In times that we are living in, anything can happen but I want you to know that I do believe that you can do this and that Harry can do this." Dumbledore answered.
"Thanks. It does make me feel better when you say however." Hermione replied with a slight smile.
"Now is there anything else you would like to ask me?" Dumbledore asked.
"I was wondering what exactly does this prophecy tell me that will help me break the spell on the door?" Hermione asked with frustration.
"All you have do to is clear your mind and things will become less murky." Dumbledore replied.
Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She decided just to focus on Harry and try not to think about anything related to what was happening right now.
"Is your mind clear now?" Dumbledore asked.
It took Hermione a moment but she was able to clear her mind and nodded.
"Now just focus on your task at hand and what you need to do and the knowledge shall come to you." Dumbledore spoke.
Hermione tried to do what Professor Dumbledore said and it took her a while to get the answer she needed.
"It's about love isn't it?" Hermione asked softly.
Dumbledore nodded. "Love as you know is a very powerful force that can be used to create powerful spells."
"So I think what you mean is that in order to break this spell I will somehow have to tap into this power and use it to reverse it." Hermione answered slowly.
"Precisely." Dumbledore answered with a nod.
"Okay so I think that used the fact that he wanted to keep me safe no matter what to protect me right?" Hermione asked.
"I believe that was his intent." Dumbledore replied.
Hermione took a deep breath and wracked her brain for a book that might be of use and came up with an idea and went back to her bookcase to look up a spell on counter charms in an ancient book of spells. She quickly looked at the index to find out what she needed and searched for what she was looking for.
"Yes." Hermione said out loud.
"I can see that you have found the spell?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm not 100% sure that this will work but it's the closest thing that I can think of.
Hermione took a deep breath stepped back and took her wand out and pointed to the door.
*~*~*~
"What else is new?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows to show that he did not fear him.
"It isn't new but this time I will be successful. You won't be able to stop me this time." Voldemort answered in a spine numbing voice etched in evil.
"Don't be so sure about that." Harry spoke with authority.
"Gotten a little full of yourself I see." Voldemort spoke with mock amusement. He then added, "Well let's see what you can actually do." He motioned one his Death Eaters to come forth.
Harry took a moment to collect himself and then lifted his wand up getting ready to use it when necessary. The Death Eater shouted `Expelliarmus"
Harry leapt out of the way just in time and just tripped. Harry the shouted `STUBEFY' and pointed his wand at the Death Eater. Just a few seconds later a couple more Death Eaters came up and shouted, `IMPEDIMENTA'
Harry shouted `PROTEGO' which had effectively blocked the worst and the spell. A few seconds later he shouted `RICTUSEMPRA' causing the Death Eater to fall over.
Out of no where a voice called out `Expelliarmus' knocking the wand out of Harry's hand.
Lucius Malfoy came out and spoke "Now what are you going to do now?"
"Why don't you come here and found out?" Harry responded in a threatening tone of voice and stood up.
Lucius Malfoy looked surprised for a second but came over with a bemused look on his face. When he approached Harry he pointed his wand toward him and spoke `Impedimenta' knocking Harry far away down the floor.
All of the sudden came a loud noise that sounded like a large rock hitting the ground that caused Lucius to look away. This was the opportunity that Harry was looking for and kicked him hard in the shin and went to pick up his wand.
As Lucius turned to look at him Harry took the opportunity to yell, `PETRIFICUS TOTALUS' causing his legs to snap and stick together and he fell onto the ground with a thump.
"Not bad Potter." Voldemort said in that eerie voice of his.
*~*~*~
Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on remembering the spell she had just learned when she was sure she remembered the incantation she spoke, `Guardium de proteccio'. She then began to glow and continued to speak in a voice that was not her own `Relieva patronoma de amour totali incantum ben forcia de portalis'. A beam of light flowed from Hermione's wand forcing the door open and forming an entry way for Hermione to walk through it. A flow of light surrounded Hermione as if protecting her from harm.
When she got out Hermione stopped glowing and she began to look much more herself. Hermione felt weak in the knees. Dumbledore seemed to have knew that this was to occur as he was at her side in less than a second and steadied her.
"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, I'm fine just a little winded." Hermione answered with a slight smile.
"Hermione I want you to know that I believe that you would have done anything you could to help Harry and protect him. I just need to ask you if you're sure that this is what you want to do?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, I'm sure that this is what I want to and need to do. I know that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least help him all that I could. Besides I'm also doing this for me. I need to show him that I'm not afraid of him and I want to punish him for what he did to me. I also need to do this for everyone else that I know. He has caused so much pain and suffering to everyone around us. His reign of terror needs to end." Hermione answered.
"Well if you're sure then I don't suppose that there is anything that I could do to stop you is there?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"No." Hermione replied with a glimmer of a smile. She then hugged him and said, "Thanks for everything you have done for all of us and especially for being there and caring for Harry."
"There's no need to say this. I was happy to do so." Dumbledore answered. He then pulled something out of his pocket and placed it into Hermione's hand.
"What's this?" Hermione asked looking down and saw that it was a round jeweled object on a gold chain.
"Consider it a gift. Use it wisely." Dumbledore answered and turned away.
Hermione took a deep breath and turned to look back at Dumbledore and Hogwarts and proceeded to hurry off to the woods where she knew she would find Harry hoping that she was not to late. `Harry you better hold on. Please make sure that I'm not too late.'
*~*~*~
Voldemort was standing a few feet away from him and gave him his usual twisted smile and beckoned someone to come forth. "Now let's see how well you do against my Lietenant."
Ron came out carrying a nasty grin on his face. "It's time to see who really is better now?"
Harry thought, `I had this bad feeling that this was going to happen. He knew that Voldemort was capable of this but why did Ron have to look so happy about it? It kind of scared him to think that Ron wanted to do this wanted to prove that he was better than him. Why Ron? I don't want to have to hurt him at all but I will defend myself if I have to.'
"Ron are you sure there's no other way to settle this?" Harry pleaded with his eyes.
"What are you scared that I'm going to hurt you and prove to everyone that I'm better than you?" Ron asked mockingly.
"No. I just didn't want things to have to be like this between us. You're my best mate." Harry tried.
"You were my best mate until you proved yourself to be untrustworthy." Ron spoke with anger.
Harry winced. Those words cut into him like a knife at his heart. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Save it for someone who cares." Ron responded coldly and pointed his wand directly at Harry.
Harry sighed and braced himself with his wand.
"It's time to rumble." Ron said with a smirk.
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