LOVE IN TRANSLATION

LOVE IN TRANSLATION

1. THE TRIP BEGINS

The day was nearly ending with the sunset, and the orange clouds over the sky of Paris were turning into a light pink. This magnificent view would have easily been the right start for a pleasant conversation between two normal passengers sitting on the same flight, but I definitely wasn't in the right mood, and I definitely wasn't a normal passenger.

I was sitting on my own, with my forehead leaning against the window, looking absent-mindedly at the view; to any curious neighbour, I would have looked like any other English tourist, waiting to land in one of the most romantic cities in the world, but it wasn't exactly like that.

At that time, I didn't know that the trip I was starting would have brought me to one of the most incredible adventures of my life. Actually, I must say, that I have been through many other weird adventures in the past. It's inevitable, when you are the best friend of one of the most famous wizards in the world, a young man called Harry Potter.

That day had began like any other day: I woke up very early, and as usual, I was getting ready to go to my office; I work at the Ministry of Magic, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the section for the Help and Support of Magical Creatures in need: it's a new section, just created by the new Minister of Magic, Mr Arthur Weasley; I must say that it's the perfect job for me, and every day, I am receiving more and more cases of magical creatures in need, examples being werewolves, centaurs and house-elves. I think it's great to be able to help them through the Ministry.

Well, back to that morning. I was quietly sipping my tea, while reading a copy of the Daily Prophet, when Crookshanks jumps down from my knees and claws the window, meowing like mad. A little bit upset from the interruption, I got up to check what had caught his attention. When I came closer to the window, I was shocked by what I saw: leaning on the windowsill, half senseless and with a bleeding wing, was Hedwig, Harry's owl.

I opened the window with my heart beating faster and faster, and I took the poor creature in my arms; she didn't even have the strength to raise her head, and when I put her on the table, I was surprised to find a little piece of parchment tied to her leg; I got even more surprised to read, that it was addressed to Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts.

A suddenly realization hit me: Hedwig was wounded almost to death, and she was carrying an urgent message for Albus Dumbledore. This could only possibly mean that Harry was in danger, and that someone had attacked his owl and intercepted the message. I didn't think over it much longer, and I opened the parchment with trembling hands.

The message said:

“Bad news, we have been uncovered. Your help is vital for us now. We must absolutely meet on February 20^th, at 12 o'clock, at the mountain of martyrs. It's a life or death matter. Harry.”

Naturally, I don't need to tell you that after reading this message, I wasn't able to stand any more and I collapsed on the sofa. What was the meaning of that? Was Harry in danger? And if Hedwig had come to me, maybe Dumbledore hadn't received the owl yet?

I bit my lips in anger, thinking to that day two years ago, when after having brightly passed the last examination at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry had proudly announced to all of us, that he had been admitted to the training for becoming an Auror at the Ministry of Magic.

I still remember hiding all my fear and all my apprehension from him, and celebrating with Ron and all our friends. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, because I knew what Harry could do with magic. The fact was that the Dark Lord was still a real and constant threat for him and for the world.

I could have told him about that, but it wouldn't have helped much, since Harry would have never changed his mind anyway. From that day on, we met just a few other times: a couple of birthday parties, one or two Christmas Dinners with the Weasleys, and a few owls, just to let me know that he was still alive.

I never tried to tell him how much I cared. I knew that his personal fight with the Dark Side had always kept him far away from love, and also, I have always been too shy to open my heart to the one I loved more than myself.

Anyway, when I recovered from the shock of the message, I tried immediately to contact Dumbledore using the Floo Network: after all, tomorrow was February 20^th and I absolutely had to do something to help Harry. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find Dumbledore at Hogwarts: Professor McGonagall just told me that the Head Master was on a business trip far away from school.

Do you think that I would have remained at home, waiting for the worst? Not at all! Firstly, I gave Hedwig to my neighbour, who was a very good healer a the St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in London; then I sent an urgent owl to my chief, informing him that I was going to take all the holidays I have always missed.

I put a few things in my suitcase; let Crookshanks in his cage and I ran away like a bolt. In order not to be noticed, I decided to travel like a muggle, so I reached the airport by taxi. But the most important thing was to find out the meeting place Harry was talking about.

I read his message several times, until I got a headache, but I couldn't understand yet, what the mountain of martyrs was.

When I arrived at the airport, I was still confused and clueless. I reached the ticket office, and when the old lady asked the question “Where do you need a ticket to?” I remained in silence, just like an idiot, because I didn't know what to answer.

Then I started to look around me, and my eyes fell to some posters on the walls: there were pictures of the most famous holiday places in the world, like the Caribbean's, Egypt, America, and in the last one there was a picture of a wonderful cathedral, all made in white marble, and underneath, it was written “Cathedral of Mont Martyr, Paris, France.”

Suddenly I realized, that I had found the meeting place.

“A ticket for Paris, one way, please” I asked to the old lady, who was starting to gaze impatiently at me.

And now here I am, sitting on a flight headed to Paris, without knowing what to expect from the future... the only thing I certainly know is that I'll do my best to find Harry and help him, even if I have to fight against Voldemort in the process.

***O***

“It's everything ready?” A cold and sharp voice asked.

“Yes, my Lord... the meeting is set for tomorrow... at 12 o'clock...” A hooded figure replied.

“Very well... catch them and bring them to me... but be careful, I won't admit any mistake from you this time...”

“Please trust us, my Lord.... we won't disappoint you...”

Those words were followed by a terrifying laughter, with the ability to make you shiver.

“Then go... don't lose precious time...” The Dark Lord raised his pale hand toward the door, and his loyal servant bowed deeply to him, before leaving.

“This time Harry Potter won't have a chance...” Again the Dark Lord laughed devilishly, foretasting his revenge.

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1. ANGY PUREHEART

When I landed in Paris, the sky was already dark, and I silently looked for a taxi to drive me to the city centre. I knew my way around Paris already, because I had been there several years ago with my parents.

I found a little hotel not far away from Mont Martyr, and I took a room for the night; it was very small, but comfortable, and for me and Crookshanks it was all right.

I came closer to the mirror and stared at my reflection with a deep sigh: I looked like the same girl, even if there was more worry in my eyes. I slowly passed an hand throught my bushy hair and thought that maybe, if I had cared more about my outer look, instead of just concentrating on schoolwork, Harry could have looked at me differently; maybe I could have felt more confident myself, and it would have been easier to open my heart to him.

I threw myself heavily on the bed, and a huge amount of thoughts started flow into my mind.

Unfortunately, I didn't know what Harry's mission was, since it was TOP SECRET, but for sure it was something about Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

At the time, neither Harry nor the other Aurors had managed to defeat the Dark Lord, even though in the past years they had done a great job to neutralize his evil plans and limit his attacks. The Ministry of Magic could now count on a very efficient international system to come to know exactly what the Dark Lord was planning, and also, there were many very well trained spies, who cooperated with the Aurors.

But the most important thing was, that the newly elected Minister of Magic had approved a very useful law, which enabled all the Aurors in the world to check the same secret information with a capillary international magic communication network.

It wasn't quite clear to me how this system worked, but I knew that it had always been really efficient. Thanks to all the united efforts, from the Magical World and from the Muggle World, everybody had managed to go on in relative peace, without too many strange disappearences or accidents due to Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Despite all this, the war wasn't over yet, and it was clear that the Dark Side would always be ready to strike in shadow, in its deceitful way, without drawing too much attention. A few little attacks here and there, a couple disappearences, always following a dark and straight logic, with the ablility to spread terror all around.

That night I couldn't fall asleep, and I didn't want to sleep either.

* * *

The following morning I woke up very early and went down the street to reach the meeting place, leaving Crookshanks alone in the hotel room. It was only 9 o'clock, but I hurried anyway, without looking at the little shops along the street, which were opening to their clients.

It took me a good half an hour to get there, and when I arrived at the bottom of the small hill, where the majestic Cathedral of Mont Martyr stood, I remained fascinated by it. It was a huge white marble tripudium, which was shining in the morning sun.

Slowly I climbed the many steps in front of me, and when I reached the top of the hill, I turned to see the view. The sight was so breath-taking, I had never seen something so wonderful. At my feet laid the whole city of Paris, with its buildings, its Boulevards, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the Seine River.

I took a seat on a wooden bench and started to wait in trepidation, looking around to see if someone was coming.

I was feeling my heart beating faster, because shortly I would have met the love of my life, and I could have again given all my help and support. Then, another thought entered my mind with strength. What if the Death Eaters had already intercepted Harry's message? In this case, I should have been really careful.

Instinctively, I brought a hand to my wand, closed inside of my handbag, as usual: in case of attack, I would have been ready to fight.

Unfortunately the time was passing by, and nothing was happening: around me, many tourists were climbing and descending the stairs, or entering and exiting the Cathedral, but no sign of Harry or of Death Eaters.

Shortly 12 o'clock came and passed, and I was starting to worry. Maybe I had mistaken the meeting place! Maybe Harry was waiting for me far away from where I was... maybe he was wounded, or half dead, while I was sitting there like an idiot!

Suddenly panic grew into my heart: I got up and ran around the Cathedral, desperately searching for Harry, or at least, for a sign to make me understand.... but nothing... just tourists everywhere.

In total panic, I decided to have a look inside. When I entered the two huge wooden doors, I remained astonished by the beauty of the holy place. I started to look everywhere, and finally I reached the main altar, but Harry definitely wasn't there.

In that moment, desperation replaced panic. “Harry where are you?” I was asking myself over and over again.

I stopped in front of the main altar, and I sat heavily on one of the first benches: Rising my hand to my hair, I wanted to cry... then suddenly I heard a strange noise coming out from the sacristy: it was a kind of moan. I slowly got up and even more slowly I reached the sacristy; I opened the door and I started to search for the source of that strange moan.

The place was deserted, and the closer I came, the louder the moaning became. Then the moan became a sob. After a few seconds, I finally realized that the person, who was crying, was hiding behind a heavy golden curtain, hanging from the ceiling.

With trembling hands, I grabbed the curtain, and I pulled it strongly, and it fell to the floor.

“NOOO... PLEASE DON'T HURT ME...”

I remained shocked for a few seconds, looking at the poor girl squatted on the floor in front of me. She was looking at me with two large and terrified blue eyes; her face was completely covered in tears, and on the forehead, blood was coming out from a deep wound.

She was dressed in a dark blue robe, which was lacerated in more parts, probably due to an evident fight, her hair was long and clear blonde, but all ruffled and dirty.

I felt an incredible pity for her, and I tried to talk in a very sweet and reassuring voice tone.

“Please don't be afraind... I am not going to hurt you...”

I stretched my hand to her, but she stared at me doubtfully.

“I just want to help you... please trust me...”

“Are you a witch like me?”

I remained astonished by that question, and it took me a few seconds to be able to speak again.

“Yes, you are right, I am a witch... my name is Hermione Granger, and which is your name?”

“My name is Angy... Angy Pureheart...”

It looked like the girl was starting to calm down, even if she didn't wnat to take my hand yet. I tried to ask her a few other questions.

“May I ask you what're you doing here?”

“No, I can't tell you.... I'm on a Top Secret mission for the Ministry of Magic.... “

Suddenly I realized that maybe she knew something about Harry.

“I'm on a mission too... I have to meet a wizard, and maybe you could help me... His name is Harry Potter... maybe you saw him somewhere... maybe you...”

Abruptly she covered her face with her hands, and burst into a desperate crying.

“Did you see him? Do you know something about Harry Potter? Please, please tell me! What's happened to him?”

Angy cried even more, and my worry was starting to grow.

“Those damned.... those damned Death Eaters.... how could they have done it? How?” She cried.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? PLEASE TELL ME!”

I was losing my temper and started to scream at her. Then I sat down next to her, grabbing her hands and staring directly in her eyes. I wanted desperately to know the truth.

She looked at me desperately, with her eyes full of tears, then slowly spoke.

“HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!”

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(A/N: I thank you very much for your very good reviews, and I expecially would like to thank my wonderful BETA readers ChEeRyDaNcE and Ariana for their great job!)

Chapter 3. HARRY'S GIRLFRIEND

I walked slowly along the Seine River; without realizing that a few raindrops were falling down.

Like internal torture, I was thinking about Angy's words again and again. But the more I thought about them, the more I couldn't believe her. It couldn't be true - Harry couldn't be dead - it wasn't fair. I hadn't even had time to say goodbye, to tell him how important he was to me.

I kept telling myself that it was just a bad nightmare, that tomorrow I would wake up in my little apartment in London and I would laugh thinking about all of this.

The rain began to fall with more intensity, and I was getting very wet. I walked faster and soon reached the hospital where I had brought Angy a few hours ago before.

That afternoon, I hadn't managed to get her to tell me anything else. After that terrible revelation about Harry, the poor girl had collapsed. Gathering all my strength, I had asked for the help of a nun, and she had helped me take Angy to the nearest muggle hospital.

The doctors had asked me to wait outside while giving her the first treatments. I had decided to run away and think it all over in solitude.

When I came back to the hospital, there was just one thought rolling in my mind. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know how that girl knew about Harry and how she knew that he was dead. I couldn't resign myself to the idea of his death, and I never would.

I got permission to enter her room and talk to her. When I opened the door, I found Angy sitting on her bed. She was leaning against the wall, her head turned to the window, her eyes apparently hooked by the view.

I came closer and took a seat by her bed. She turned to face me, staring directly in my eyes. She looked so sad.

“What do you want to know?” she asked me, and I didn't lose time thinking about it.

“How can you be so sure that Harry is dead?”

“I saw it happen!”

“Tell me how it happened.I want to know everything!” I challenged her to convince me.

She bent her head and stared at the floor while her hands grabbed the blanket with anger.

“I'm an Auror, just like him. We were working together on the same case, and this morning, we should have met Albus Dumbledore at Mount Martyr, to tell him about our new discoveries.”

She stopped for a second while I stared at her with deep attention, carefully listening to every word.

“Apparently, Death Eaters had intercepted our message to Dumbledore, and they prepared a trap for us inside the Cathedral. We fought against them with all our strength, but in the end.” Angy stopped again, and suddenly her eyes filled with tears. With a strong knot in my throat, I stretched out my arm and grabbed hers, trying to give her strength. She continued speaking.

“There were too many; one of them took me. Harry risked his life to save mine, and they struck him. He fell on the ground... lifeless.”

Her silent crying interrupted the story, and I started to think frantically; I wanted desperately to find an incongruity in her version of the facts.

“Angy, listen to me! I know that it's difficult for you, but it's really important for me to know how things went exactly. I didn't see his body; how is it possible?”

“They took him with them. I don't know why. After they struck him with a mortal curse, they disapparated, taking Harry with them.”

At those words, hope lit inside of me. If they had taken Harry, maybe it wasn't all lost.

“I'm sure that Harry is still alive. I feel it in my heart. please don't lose hope.” I was trying to reassure her, but my words didn't have any effect. Now her tears were drenching the bed sheets. “I promise you that I'll do the impossible to find him!” I spoke with deep decision, and she stopped crying and raised her head to stare directly in my eyes.

“How could you do that? We have to tell Dumbledore immediately because only he will be able to save Harry. Neither you nor I would ever be able to do it alone.”

“Yes, you're right. I'll send an owl to Dumbledore, but in the meantime, I don't want to just stay here and wait. If you're not willing to help me, I'll do it alone. I don't care!” I was really determined.

“No! I could never allow that. I should go and find him. It's my task. You don't have to do it. On the contrary, it's better if you go back to London and remain there.”

Her tone had changed, and it rather annoyed me. Who was this girl to tell me what to do?

“Look! I'm Harry's best friend!” I affirmed with great pride, starting to lose my temper.

“But I'm his girlfriend!”

“What?”

In that very moment, I felt as if the entire world had collapsed on me, as if she had just punched me right in the face. I was deeply shocked and wounded by her words. How was that possible? Harry would have told me... it couldn't be true.... I couldn't believe it.

“You're... his girlfriend?” I stuttered in deep confusion.

“Yes, and frankly, Harry has never told me about you.”

I had just gotten another punch in the face: not only did Harry have a girlfriend but he had never told her about me! I looked at Angy for a few seconds, astonished, and then she spoke again with a strange tone of superiority.

“As you see, my dear Hermione, there is no need for you to remain here, even if I am still thankful for your assistance. So please, send an urgent owl to Dumbledore and then go back to London as soon as possible. I'm telling you this for your own sake.”

My blood was starting to boil inside my veins. How dare she give me orders like that? I immediately gathered control of myself and breathed deeply before speaking. “Listen to me, Angy Pureheart. Even if you are Harry's girlfriend, I am still his best friend, and I have known him longer than you! That's why, if you don't mind, I'll start searching for him right now!”

Finally, it was her turn to stare at me with her mouth wide open.

O

“Where did you put him?” The Dark Lord asked, satisfied.

“He's in a safe place now, just as you have ordered, my Lord,” the Death Eater answered, bowing deeply in front of his master.

“Well done. But it's not enough.” The Dark Lord spoke with a cold and sharp voice.

“Yes, it's true. Dumbledore had probably guessed something about our plans. Anyway, the Mudblood came in his place.”

The Dark Lord thundered his servant with his eyes, and the Death Eater hurriedly added: “But we have changed our plans, and soon Dumbledore will fall into our trap.”

“Good idea, using the Mudblood to reach our goal. Keep informing me about new developments.”

“Yes, my Lord.” answered the Death Eater. He stood and left the grim room.

“It's just a matter of time. I am in no hurry.” The Dark Lord spoke to himself, turning to the window, which was half closed by wooden boards. He stared at the grey clouds full of rain, that were slowly approaching, announcing stormy weather.

O

A few useless days had passed. Angy had been dismissed by the hospital that morning, and I had offered to let her to stay in my hotel room.

During all the time that we spent together, she remained closed in silence. She answered with monosyllables, and the worst thing was that she didn't tell me absolutely anything about the secret information she had to report to Dumbledore.

“I'll tell everything directly to him!” she repeated, like a clogged disk.

Regarding the fact that she was Harry's girlfriend, well, I still couldn't believe that yet. It seemed so unreal. She was such a conceited witch, and I was constantly asking myself what Harry could have seen in her. Maybe, after all, I didn't know my best friend as well as I thought.

Anyway, I didn't have any time to think continuously about these things. I resigned myself to the idea that I had lost the possibility to become Harry's girlfriend, and I held on with all my strength to the hope of finding him still alive.

Finally, after two days of patiently waiting, the owl from Hogwarts arrived. I was alone in my hotel room; Angy was taking a shower. I didn't waste time. I opened the parchment, reading it in trepidation.

Dear Ms. Granger,

I am really sorry to inform you that Albus Dumbledore is still away from School, due to a very urgent commitment. I warmly suggest that you to go back to London immediately, and do not commit any rashness if you don't want to get seriously hurt.

Sincerely Yours,

Vice-Head Mistress,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Unfortunately, that owl didn't leave any space open for further plans. McGonagall wanted me to go back home and patiently wait for news. Cam you believe that I could ever follow her advice? Not at all!

I was just putting the parchment away when Angy entered the room.

“Is that the owl from Hogwarts?” she asked, and without even asking me, she violently took it from my hands.

“Hey! Didn't anybody teach you good manners?” I was furious at her behaviour, but she seemed completely uninterested in my reaction. She read the message greedily, and then she made a bored grimace and threw it on the bed.

“Away from School due to a very urgent commitment? It's just an excuse.”

“If you're talking like that, it means that you don't know Albus Dumbledore.”

“Of course I know him!”

There was silence for a few seconds, and then she broke it “I don't have any other choice. I must start researching on my own.”

“I'm coming with you!” I challenged her.

“I don't think so!”

“I'm saying that I'm coming with you!” I stared at her with deep anger, without leaving her space for further comments. Finally, she turned away and sat heavily on her bed.

“I see that you are really obstinate Hermione! All right, then... I'll allow you to help me with the research, but if you give me any trouble, I'll do my best to push you aside and keep going alone!”

Finally, I had won. Satisfied, I sat on the bed close to hers “Very well then, since we'll have to work together, you should start telling me everything you know.”

“Hey, wait a moment! I just want to point out one important thing. I am an Auror, so I am the boss, and I'll decide what to do, right?” She spoke in a bossy tone.

I rolled my eyes and cut her off “Yes, yes, all right! You are the boss. Now, may I know what will be our next move?”

Angy stared at me doubtfully for a few seconds, probably surprised by my sudden change of mood, then she spoke with her usual tone of superiority “Harry and I know that very soon there's going to be a secret meeting with all the Death Eaters and maybe also the Dark Lord in person will assist.”

She gave me a stern look to emphasize the importance of that information, and I was listening to every word with deep attention “The secret meeting will take place in Venice, Italy, in about a week.” She stopped and stared at me directly in the eyes. “If Harry is still alive, as we both hope, I am absolutely sure that they'll bring him to the meeting. That's why we must absolutely”

“be in Venice in about a week!” I cut her off, and my brain started to process the information faster and faster. There would be a secret meeting of all the Death Eaters, maybe even Voldemort. It would be a very dangerous task. How could we manage to save Harry and remain alive?

Angy had probably followed the course of my thoughts because she answered my silent question.

“I have a few friends in Venice, don't worry! We won't be alone against all those Death Eaters. Anyway, if you are too afraid, there is still time to change your mind.”

“Not at all! When do we leave?”

Curiously, Angy was staring at me with a satisfied look.

(A/N: Did you like the story so far? Then please leave your reviews, thanks!)

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(A/N: I thank you very much for your very good reviews and expecially, I'd like to thank my wonderful BETA readers ChEeRyDaNcE and Ariana for editing the chapter for me!)

Chapter 4. CONFESSIONS ON THE TRAIN

The train was rattling faster, and I was cradled by its regular rhythm. Outside the window, the scenery was passing by just like an image projected on a screen.

Angy and I were sitting close to each other in a compartment on the train, heading to Venice, Italy.

We had decided to travel in a muggle way so we wouldn't run into anyone we didn't want to meet, and after a certain insistence on my part, I also succeeded in convincing Angy to wear muggle clothing so we wouldn't draw too much attention.

Even though the Death Eaters meeting was planned for March 1^st, we had decided to reach the place in advance in order to contact Angy's friends there.

I swayed my attention from the view and stared at Angy for a few seconds: she was facing the window, her blonde hair covering her face, and she was absorbed in her thoughts like me. I was asking myself what she was thinking about, maybe about Harry, her beloved one, and how she would be able to rescue him. Then suddenly, I imagined both of them kissing, and I felt a knot in my throat. My anger rose so strongly that I wanted to run away and cry all my tears in solitude.

I was angry with Harry because he fell in love with another girl, but I was angry with Angy too, for having stolen him from me like that... and I was angry at destiny, for being so cruel to me.

Or maybe I was just jealous, because Angy had succeeded where I had failed.

In that moment, Angy turned to me, and I was surprised by the way she was staring at me. Her eyes were so cold, like a frozen lake in wintertime, but at the same time, they were so full of strength and determination. I had the sudden idea that she would do anything in order to reach her goal.

Noticing my surprise, Angy changed her expression, and a large smile lit up her face.

“Are you thinking about anything, Hermione?”

“No. Well, yes. I was wondering.... How did you decide to become an Auror?” I simply threw the question to her in order to conceal my doubts, even though inside of me, I really wanted to know more.

“Well. Everyone in my family is an Auror, my parents, my grand-parents, my brothers... All of them have been or still are Aurors, so my path was already set, when I was born.”

“But, which magical school did you attend? I mean... you are English, right? But I've never seen you at Hogwarts.”

“Yes, of course. I've been living abroad,” she answered nervously, starting to play with her fingers.

“And can you tell me the name of your school?” I became suddenly suspicious by her behaviour.

“I attended an American School. It isn't famous like Hogwarts,” she answered, turning again to stare directly in my eyes.

“Then you moved to Europe, right?”

“Yes, a few years ago and I started training to become an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, and there I met Harry.”

Suddenly, I noticed a twinkling in her eyes. “Before meeting him in person, I just knew him by fame, but when I started to talk to him and spend my time with him, well, I realized that he was a wonderful person. When you look at him for the first time, you may think that he isn't such an interesting boy, with that messy black hair and those round glasses.”

I lowered my gaze and smiled. My sweet Harry... He really looked like an ordinary boy, but his closest friends, who really knew him, could tell that he wasn't an ordinary boy, at all.

“He's a very special person,”Angy said “He's always been so sweet with me, so thoughtful. I fell in love with him immediately” Angy was staring at me directly in the eyes, as if she wanted to see my reaction to her words.

“Does he... love you?” I couldn't keep myself from asking her this question, even if I knew very well that her answer would make me really upset.

“Yes. Since the beginning, he repaid my same feelings. From that moment on, we became inseparable. We were always together” Angy was still staring at me, and I stubbornly held her gaze. I didn't want her to see even the smallest sign of weakness in me, even if inside, I was feeling completely destroyed.

“I'm going to the bathroom.” I suddenly got up from my seat, and exited the compartment in a fury. I just wanted to breath fresh air, and I needed to be alone.

I reached the end of the carriage and leaned my head on the window. How would I be able to stand all of this? And what would I do, when we finally found Harry? When I saw them together? I made a decision - as soon as we rescued him, I would immediately leave them alone.

I felt a warm tear slowly crossing my cheek, and a deep sadness took over my heart. I hid my face in my hands and cried like a little girl. I needed to let it out. I had to do it; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to go on. I had to be strong for Harry.

If Ron could have been with me in that moment, he would have tried to comfort me. But I was completely alone, and I had to cope with it all by myself.

“Venice! Venice! In ten minutes, we'll arrive in Venice!”

The conductor, who was walking through the coach, cut off my thoughts. I wiped my face and tried to regain control of my feelings. I didn't want Angy to see me in that state; I would have never given her a satisfaction like that. After all, she was my rival, even if we had united our forces to find Harry.

As I slowly walked towards my compartment, I realized that the train was decelerating; from the windows, I saw the wonders of the ancient city without age.

Who knew? Maybe Venice, the city of lovers, would bring me good luck.

(A/N: Poor Hermione... what do you think about Angy? Please leave your review, thanks!)

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(A/N: I thank you very much for your very good reviews and especially, I thank my wonderful BETA readers Cheerydance and Ariana for correcting the chapter for me...)

Chapter 5. VENICE

As soon as we got off the train, we found ourselves pushed out of the station and onto the street by thousands of tourists. Once we were on the street and I had a chance to look around, I was surprised by what I saw.

A wonderful window on the past opened in front of us. Venice was so beautiful, surrounded by water, as if suspended from time and space.

I quickly looked around, and I realized that it was the famous Venetian Carnival Season: while walking down the small alleys, we were greeted by several people dressed in masks, displaying their sumptuous robes decorated with precious stones, coloured feathers, and ancient laces.

Angy and I's mouths hung open as we looked at the wonderful sight. All those masks matched perfectly with the ancient marble buildings, the golden bridges crossing the canals, and the

coloured gondolas (typical Venetian boats) that were silently floating on the water.

“I could have worn my usual witch robe, and nobody would have noticed me!” said Angy, deeply annoyed, and I had to admit that after all, she was perfectly right; for sure, nobody would have noticed our strange witches robes.

“We'd better look for a place to stay the night. Let's go,” I said, thinking of our most urgent problem.

***O***

When I opened the window of our little hotel room, my mouth dropped open again at the wonderful sight. We were right in front of the famous Canal Grande, the main Venetian canal, and beneath us, a great number of gondolas were slowly slipping on the water, carrying large groups of disguised people who were laughing and singing happily.

Since we had gotten there a few hours before, the sun had already set, and with the darkness of the night, the city looked even more magical to me. Several little lights were shining on the ancient palaces and small boats, and cheerful music was coming out from houses and squares.

But while everyone was busy celebrating the Carnival, I had death in my heart because I knew that Harry was risking his life and that Angy and I were his only hope of salvation.

“Here we are. I'm ready! What do you think?” Angy's voice cut my thoughts off.

When I turned to her, I was shocked by her appearance.

“Angy? Is that really you?” I asked. Her face was completely hidden by a large and beautiful golden china mask symbolizing a smiling sun, surrounded by thousands of red and golden rays; her long robe was really sumptuous, made of a heavy red and gold silk and decorated with several shining rubies.

“Of course it's me! Do you like my mask? Well, I must say that it took great effort to change those horrible muggle clothes, but the result is amazing, don't you think?”

“Yes, it's really not bad at all! But do you really want to go out dressed like that?”

“My dear Hermione, of course I'm going to go out dressed like this. It's Carnival Season, and if you don't want to get noticed, you have to! Come on, I've a wonderful mask ready for you.” She spoke in a professional manner.

“You must be joking! I'd never wear something like that!”

“Oh, shut up! You're going to do as I say, and that's it! Now turn around. I have to take your measurements.”

Resigned to the idea of wearing a mask myself, I turned around and let her take my measurements.

Then she pointed her wand at me and said the magic words: “Moony luminas!”

I felt a strange prickle on my head, and suddenly, my muggle clothes were magically transformed.

“You look delightful! Come here and take a look in the mirror.” Angy seemed really satisfied with her work, and she pushed me in front of the mirror.

When I saw my reflection, I caught my breath in surprise: my face was completely covered by a large china mask representing a half moon, and my robes were navy blue like the night sky, embroidered with thousands of shining diamond stars.

“Well, I've done a great job, I must say. Maybe I'll change dresses with you.” said Angy, thoughtful.

“Please, don't change anything. Can we go now?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

Soon after, we were walking on the street, easily managing to blend in ourselves with the thousands of masquerade people crowding the alleys and squares.

But still, Angy hadn't told me anything about where we were going to meet her friends. I moved closer to her and whispered, “Could you tell me where we are going?”

“You'll see. Don't worry! But please, try not to attract any attention.”

I silently laughed, thinking that in any other circumstance and in any other place, it would have surely been impossible not to attract attention dressed like we were.

We walked a lot, and finally, we arrived at St Marco's Square: it was really huge square, and on one side was the majestic St Marco's Cathedral, decorated with wonderful oriental domes and white marble statues.

At that time of night, masquerade people, singing, dancing, and celebrating the Carnival, crowded the square. We overcame them with a certain difficulty and finally reached the Cathedral.

Then Angy stared deeply at a huge white marble statue of a giant winged lion, the symbol of Venice. In the mean-time, I was looking around, checking if any wizard from the Order of the Phoenix or Ministry of Magic was coming, but it seemed that nobody cared about us.

“Can you tell me where they are?” I asked, slightly disappointed.

“Who are you talking about?” asked Angy.

“I'm talking about your friends!” I answered, surprised by her question.

“They are right here in front of us!”

I looked at her really puzzled.

“Can't you see farther than your nose?” Angy was starting to lose her temper with me. She took my head in her hands and forced me to look at the entrance of the Cathedral.

“There's nobody there!” I said stubbornly, starting to lose my temper as well.

“Well…Am I nobody, then?” I jumped with surprise. A low, deep voice was coming out of the giant winged lion statue in front of me.

(A/N: I know, it was a quieter chapter, but next one will be much more better! Please review, thanks!)

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(A/N: Thank you for your good reviews and thanks to my wonderful BETA readers ChEeRyDaNcE, Nonya and Ariana for their great job! Here is the next chapter!)

Chapter 6. RUFUS MAGNUS

My eyes widened in surprise when I realized that the winged lion of St Marco's Square had just winked at me.

“You're a wizard?” I stuttered, in shock.

“My name is Rufus Magnus. At your service milady” he answered with compunction, bowing deeply in front of me. I nervously looked around, fearing that someone could see the moving, talking statue.

“Oh, don't worry milady. Muggles never see anything! We won't run any risk at all!” Rufus tried to reassure me, but I couldn't avoid having doubts.

“Do you have any news?” asked Angy in a professional manner.

“Nothing more than what you already know milady. What we fear will happen is already set. At midnight on March 1st, in exactly four days, all the international Death Eaters heads will secretly meet right here in Venice. But we don't know the true reason for this general meeting. They're probably going to figure out a new plan.”

“Do you know anything about the place they will be meeting?” asked Angy.

“We have an idea, but we are not sure about it yet. I will be able to give you more detailed information tomorrow morning.”

I was carefully listening to every word, trying not to find the situation strange: a giant white marble lion with a moving mouth and eyes. But I knew that in the magical world such things happen every day.

“Then I'll see you tomorrow at noon. Good night, Rufus” said Angy.

“Good night to you, my dear ladies.”

Rufus Magnus again bowed deeply to us and then became still again, just like every other common marble statue.

***O***

After our meeting in St Marco's Square, Angy and I headed directly to the hotel. Along the way, we grabbed something to eat: in a little nearby kiosk, we bought some delicious fried cakes and hot aromatic wine.

Two hours later, we were lying on our beds, thoughtfully staring at the ceiling above us.

“May I ask you something?” I asked Angy. There was something not clear to me about the entire story, and I really wanted to figure it out.

“Mmmm...”

“Do you really trust Rufus?” I wasn't convinced about the strange wizard.

“Of course I trust him, Rufus and I have been working together for ages. He's a smart guy, one you can really count on. Don't worry about him,” replied Angy reassuringly.

“Is he going to help us rescue Harry? I mean, is he going to come with us to the Death Eaters' meeting?”

“Naturally! Or do you want to go there alone?” Angy spoke with an annoying and impertinent tone.

“I really hope that you have a plan because without one, we aren't going to make it!”

“Sure! You just have to trust me, all right?”

“Well, it's a bit difficult to trust someone who doesn't tell you anything at all about important things like this, don't you agree?” I leaned on my pillow and rose up to look her directly in the eye.

“If you want to know about my plan, you just have to ask me,” she replied.

“Well?” I was starting to lose my temper. I couldn't understand how Angy could remain calm while her boyfriend was risking his life.

“We'll just have to reach the meeting place at the appointed day and time, and then without being noticed, we'll rescue Harry, that's all!”

In that moment I felt my blood rising and I completely lost control.

“Who do you think you are? How can you be so calm while your boyfriend is fighting for his life? At the meeting, there are going to be at least a thousand Death Eaters, if not more, and there'll only be three of us! Tell me, what do you think the chance of us being successful is?”

“Why don't you calm down? Do you want to everybody to know about our problems?” she shouted. Angy had also risen from her bed.

“I don't care if someone hears us! Now we need to think about a good plan for not getting killed, do you understand me?”

“All right, all right, but try to calm down. We aren't going to get anywhere with your hysteria.”

Angy looked a bit intimidated by me and mostly for this reason, I slowly regained control of myself.

“Naturally, we are going to arrange some sort of diversion, maybe something that will make them leave the place long enough for us get Harry and leave.”

“Do you have something in mind?” I asked, after thinking about it for a moment.

“Not yet, but I'll come up with something soon. After all, the secret meeting will be in three days, so calm down. Everything will be fine.”

“I can't calm down!” I was still really worried. “You don't seem like you care enough to be his girlfriend at all! If I were you, I'd...”

“Aha! That's the truth! You're jealous of me, isn't that right Hermione? You'd like to be in my place. Well Harry chose me instead!” said Angy.

“That's not true! Besides, you don't even know me, and you don't know what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling right now! Nobody allowed you to judge me like that!”

“You don't know me either!”

“And I don't want to!” I threw out the sentence, using my sharpest tone.

Angy stretched out on her bed and turned on her side, closing herself in a stubborn silence. I did exactly the same.

***O***

I was slowly walking along a dark corridor. Suddenly, I saw a small light at the end of it and ran to reach it. When I finally got closer, I clearly saw where I was going: the light was coming from a huge mirror, narrow and really high.

In the beginning, the mirror just showed my image, but when I started to concentrate on it, an odd vortex of light and fog appeared inside of it. With great surprise, I saw that the vortex was slowly taking human form, and after a few seconds, I was astonished to see the reflected figure of Albus Dumbledore staring at me.

There was something strange about him: his robes were as white as snow, his face was shining as if directly illuminated by sunlight, and his eyes were twinkling. I stared at him, deeply surprised, almost scared, but he quickly tried to reassure me.

“Don't worry Hermione...Do you recognize me?” His voice was quiet and deep, and I nodded slightly.

“Pay attention to the stars...always follow your heart.”

His words were still resounding in the air when his image disappeared from the mirror.

I woke up, panting heavily. I looked around and found myself in my hotel room in Venice. It was six in the morning, and Angy was still deeply asleep in the nearby bed.

I got ready in silence, not waking her up, still trying to remember every word of my dream.

Pay attention to the stars? Always follow your heart? But what does it mean?

I tiptoed out of the room and went down to have breakfast. The more I thought about the dream, the less I understood the meaning of it.

At nine o'clock, I found myself out in the street. The morning air refreshed me. I decided to have a look around before meeting Angy and Rufus later.

I walked along the silent rivers, climbed the romantic bridges, entered the beautiful churches and visited the nice little shops. I thought that Venice was the most romantic city in the world, the ideal place for any couple to honeymoon in.

I stopped in front of a shop that was selling little handmade glass objects, and my attention fell on a cute pendant in the shape of two white doves close to each other.

Melancholy took over me: I thought of Harry and how it would have been wonderful to get married and visit Venice during our honeymoon. I thought about all the things we could have done together as husband and wife, things that he'd done with Angy instead.

I couldn't avoid suffering when I saw them together, but I had to resign myself to remain his best friend forever.

I sighed deeply and put down the pendant, deciding not to think about the two of them together in the future.

It was soon noon, and I walked faster to the meeting with Rufus.

That morning, St Marco's Square didn't seem the same as it had the previous night at all. The masquerade people weren't there anymore, and in their place were thousands of white and black doves landing in groups, pecking at the seeds tourists were throwing at them.

When I reached the cathedral, I was surprised to not find Angy there. I looked around me warily and then turned to the winged lion statue.

“Good morning. Hasn't Angy arrived yet?” I felt like an idiot talking to a statue. The winged lion didn't move, so I asked another question.

“Rufus? Are you there?”

“Hermione!” I turned around.

Angy was sitting at a cafe table under the porches surrounding the square, signaling for me to come closer.

Trying to look casual, I walked over to Angy and noticed that she wasn't alone. At her table was a strange man, about fifty years old, with a curious little black moustache and a bowler hat on his head.

“So, you've decided to show up. You're late” said Angy annoyed, handing a chair to me.

“Good morning milady. I'm happy to meet you again.” The stranger bowed deeply to me, raising his bowler hat with his hand.

“Rufus?” I was really surprised.

“Exactly, my dear lady. During the day, I cannot disguise myself as the winged lion statue, so I must assume my normal appearance.”

Even his “normal appearance” wasn't normal at all. In fact, his clothes were really funny looking. He had on a strange orange jacket that ended in two tails that hung down behind his legs. His trousers were striped and of several different colours --> [Author:AS] .

I refrained from commenting about his look and turned coldly to Angy.

“Any news?”

“Rufus was waiting for you before telling me anything. Come on Rufus, now you can tell us what you've discovered.”

“I just received important news: the date of the meeting has been changed” he said.

Our jaws dropped. He looked over his shoulder and spoke again lowering his voice.

“The meeting will take place tonight.”

(A/N: Next chapter is going to be full of action! Please review and stay tuned for more!)

[Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ][Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ][Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ][Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ][Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ]I don't know if the FA people worry about things like this, but this is an inconsistent spelling use: "colour" is the British spelling, but elsewhere, you've used the American spelling for words[Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:31:00 2004 ] (like "realized" instead of "realised").[Author ID1: at Tue Oct 12 00:32:00 2004 ]

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(A/N: I thank you very much for your very good reviews and I especially thank my wonderful BETA readers Cheerydance, Nonya and Ariana, who have edited the chapter for me. Enjoy the reading.)

Chapter 7. THE SECRET MEETING

“Tonight?” We both asked surprised.

“Please calm down. Remember, it's a top-secret meeting!”

“But where are they going to meet?” I asked, deeply alarmed.

Rufus leaned closer to us and spoke again lowering his voice even more.“At the ancient Monumental Cemetery. We'll go there in gondolas.”

“Why don't we just apparate there?” Angy asked impatiently.

“Because it's impossible to apparate to a place that you've never seen. You need to have a clear idea of where you want to go. You should know that. You're an Auror!” I replied rolling my eyes, and Rufus nodded.

“We should come up with a good plan for not getting caught. Do you have any ideas?” I asked slightly alarmed. We didn't have much time could attract the Death Eaters with a diversionary action.” Angy suggested.

“What do you mean by “diversionary action”? I am not really looking forward to being killed by Death Eaters. Besides, it's your friend who we are going to rescue and I am just giving you a hand,” Rufus said.

“All right, all right. Rufus, scratch that. Let's see... First of all we should cast a Disillusionment Charm on ourselves. Then we could arrange to set off some explosions out in the cemetery to make them move away long enough for us to save Harry. Then... Oh well, I'm sure that I'm going to have some other ideas as soon as we get there.”

“Wait a minute! Are you telling me that we're going to go there without having a decent plan? Just armed with our wands?” I didn't know if I was more astonished or angry.

“Do you have a better idea, Miss Know-It-All?” asked Angy, challenging me.

“You are the Auror here, my dear, you should think about that.”

“And I'm saying that as soon as we get there, we'll see. Now let's go. We don't have any more time to lose.”

I frowned at her, but I didn't have any other options. We stood up and headed to the boats.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soon the night fell above us, bringing intense cold. Angy and I squatted in the back of a very small gondola, huddled in our cloaks. Rufus was standing while slowly rowing to the opposite shore.

I shuddered at the idea that in a few hours, we were going to face Voldemort's Death Eaters. They were murderers with no scruples, who wouldn't hesitate to kill us on the spot. We had to act with extreme caution, doing everything possible not to be discovered.

I turned to my companion, and I noticed that she was deeply absorbed in her thoughts as well.

When the boat touched the shore, Rufus let us off quickly. We tiptoed to a large rock, and hid ourselves behind it.

Quietly, we cast the Disillusionment Charm on ourselves and took on the exact color and consistency of the night around us. We looked like human chameleons.

We walked along a dark country path, slightly illuminated by the silver moon rays. Suddenly, a small light lit upin the distance. It seemed like a fire right in the middle of the fields.

“They have just lit a fire to signal their presence to the others yet to come,” said Rufus grimly.

We continued on our journey, and after half an hour, we finally reached the cemetery entrance.

“Alohomora!” At Angy's order, the latch opened with a loud “click!” and we entered, closing the gate behind us.

The Monumental Cemetery was huge and picturesque: above each grave was a magnificent and tall white marble statue of a winged angel or saint. As I walked past the graves, I couldn't avoid admiring the wonderful sculptures.

Suddenly, Rufus pushed me toward a stony wall, and I realized that right behind us, a group of hooded Death Eaters was approaching. There were nearly twenty, walking in two lines.

I felt a cold shiver going up my back, and my legs started to tremble in fear.

“Let's go!” Rufus whispered in my ear. After the group of Death Eaters had gone, we started to walk again.

When we arrived, we hid behind a small stone mausoleum and watched. I was really surprised to see so many hooded Death Eaters; they were settled in semi-circles around a large fire and in each semi-circle were thirty of them; there must have been about three hundred all together.

We would have no chance against them. It was pure craziness.

“Hey, have a look there!” Angy poked me with her elbow to attract my attention, and when I turned, I felt my blood freeze in my veins.

Two hooded Death Eaters were dragging Harry to the large fire. His hands were tied behind him. His face was wounded and he was unconscious. They laid him on the ground and left.

“What have they done to him?” I thought, angry and I felt a strong pang in my stomach.

I wanted to do something to rescue him, but what? For a moment, I had the crazy idea to leave my hiding place, take Harry with me and run away.

“I'm going!” I was really determined, and I stood up.

“Stop! It's not the right time yet” Angy grabbed my arm.

“We have to wait until the ceremony begins!” said Rufus.

“What ceremony?” I was completely shocked.

“It looks like they are going to offer their prisoner to the Dark Lord. We must stay here so they don't get offended or feel threatened. This way they'll be more vulnerable” Rufus explained, without breaking his gaze from the Death Eaters.

“So we're going to wait until Voldemort shows up?” I asked deeply alarmed, but I got no reply.

In the mean-time, another Death Eater was coming closer to Harry holding a large dagger, and he started to recite magic words, following an odd ritual.

I was feeling my panic rising, and I thought that it was time to act. I couldn't allow them to do Harry any harm. I stood up abruptly and ran away from my hiding place to watch them closely.

“Hermione! No!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Angy desperately signaling to me to come back, but I had already made my decision.

I didn't know yet what I was going to do, and I desperately looked around for an idea. There were so many marble statues; there could have been thousands of them. If only they could give me a hand.

Then I had an idea. “Of course,” I thought. “Those statues are going to help me!”

I turned back to the Death Eaters. Horrified, I saw that the one with the dagger had already pulled away Harry's shirt and was going to cut his chest.

I definitely had no time to lose. I pointed my wand at the statue in front of me, and I pronounced the magical words with deep concentration.

“Inanimatus locomotor!”

Suddenly, the statue came to life, stood up and got down off its pedestal. I quickly pointed my wand at all the other statues around me and soon found myself surrounded by a silent army of saints, angels, doves, and white ladies.

“Go and catch them, quick!” As soon as I gave the order, my obedient army marched toward the group of hooded Death Eaters, who were caught completely by surprise.

The one who was going to wound Harry remained with his dagger in the air, looking horrified while the others broke the rows and took out their wands to defend themselves; my statues had absolutely no fear, and they also were more in number.

In the general panic, I realized that two Death Eaters were already dragging Harry away. Without even thinking about it, I ran to them.

“Stupefy!”

At my command, a ray of red light came out from my wand and caught one of the two Death Eaters right in the face, dashing him to the ground. The other one remained astonished, and turned around frantically; it seemed to him that my attack was coming from nowhere because I still was under the Disillusionment Charm.

“Petrificus totalis!”

I immobilized the other Death Eater without even giving him time to react, and he fell on the ground with a big thud.

Harry slipped down heavily and I rushed to reach him: I took him in my arms and sighed with relief when I realized that he was still alive.

I looked around me and saw that everybody was still fighting: the marble statues were attacking in every direction, leaving their victims senseless on the ground. The Death Eaters were casting Unforgivable Spells on the statues, which were exploding, throwing pieces everywhere.

I couldn't see Angy and Rufus in the mess. I couldn't even go and look for them. I had to get away from there, and quickly.

Suddenly, I realized that another Death Eater had just pointed his wand as Harry and I, but I was ready. “Expelliarmus!” I shouted, and his wand flew away.

Without losing any more time, I held Harry tightly against me and concentrated on my hotel room. With a loud “Crack!” we disapparated together.

(A/N: Well, it really seems that Hermione has already rescued her beloved Harry. The fact is, that I know something which you don't know! If you'd like to find out, please review and I'll update sooner!)

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(A/N: I thank you sooooo much for your wonderful reviews... I'm so happy! Would you like to find out if Harry is really all right? Here is the next chapter then...)

Chapter 8. LOSING HOPE

I found myself in the quiet of my hotel room where I had just apparated, carrying Harry with me.

I couldn't believe it: I had managed to rescue Harry, and we were together again, still alive and far away from the battle.

I put his arm around my neck slowly dragged him to my bed.

“Lumos!”I lit the light on my bedside table and kneeled close to him next to the bed. I felt a strong pang in my stomach at seeing Harry in this condition. His skin was very pale. He had deep cuts on his forehead and lips and large bruises on his cheeks and eyes, and his clothes were ragged and torn in many places. He was still unconscious and was just lying there, absolutely motionless.

I immediately released his hands from the magical ropes and went into the bathroom for some fresh water to moisten his forehead. I was endlessly suffering for him. Tears rose to my eyes.

“What have they done to you, my love?” I sweetly whispered in his ears, while gently patting his forehead. He was freezing, so I immediately covered him with a warm blanket.

I started patting his face again, hoping that he would wake up soon.

“Harry, you have to wake up! I've been waiting for such a long time you know?” I couldn't stop myself from whispering all my love for him.

“Maybe you are asking yourself why I am talking to you this way...me, your best friend, the cold Hermione who doesn't fall in love with anyone. Well, now it's too late for me, but before your girlfriend comes here and takes care of you in my place, I just wanted to tell you what I'm feeling now.” Warm tears were falling down my face.

“I love you, Harry Potter and I just understood it now. I've lost you forever. I'm a silly girl, aren't I? As usual, I'm realizing just how important things are to me, just when I've already lost them.”

I was sobbing like a little girl, and I felt a knot forming in my throat, preventing me from speaking further. I remained in silence, staring at Harry, who was breathing quietly.

I grabbed his hand tightly, leaned my head on his pillow and stayed there through the night, cradled by his sweet breath.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I found myself in the Monumental Cemetery again. I was running past the marble graves. Suddenly, I saw a boy far away from me, his back turned. I decided to approach him.

When I got closer, I noticed that he had black, untidy hair and a really familiar air. Then he slowly turned to face me, and I realized that it was Harry. His face was still wounded, and he was staring at me sternly.

“Harry! I finally found you.” I was so happy, and without thinking about it, I threw my arms around his neck and held him close to me. I could feel the warmth of his body and his sweet scent.

When I turned again to stare at him in the eyes, I shuddered all over; his expression had not changed. I stopped smiling.

Then, suddenly, Angy appeared at his side. With a sneering smile, she leaned her head on his shoulder and slowly brought him far away from me.

“No! Don't take him away from me! Please don't take him away from me!” I was desperately shouting at her and stretching my arms in an attempt to catch him again.

I was soon all alone.

“Hermione? Hermione!” Someone was violently shaking me.

I woke up abruptly and turned to the person who was calling my name.

“Who...who is it?” I asked, still half asleep. When I raised my head, I saw Angy standing by my side and staring at me, deeply concerned.

“Hermione, may I ask you what you are doing? And can you tell me who that guy is?”

It took me a few seconds to understand the meaning of her words: maybe Angy hadn't recognized her boyfriend?

She pointed her finger toward Harry, and when I turned to look at him, I was completely shocked. I jumped backwards and found myself sitting on the floor one meter away.

I gaped at the boy who was lying on my bed, sleeping and wearing Harry's clothes...He wasn't Harry at all!

The young stranger had curly brown hair and tanned skin, and was tall and thin. His face was still covered with bruises and wounds, meaning that the Death Eaters hadn't treated him with kindness.

“I-I can't believe it! That... that means that...it was just a trap!” I was still staring at the boy with my mouth open, completely shocked.

“Right! A really good trap I have to say. We've fallen into it, just like two dabblers!” Angy said angrily.

Then she came closer to me and hit me lightly on the head with her wand to cancel the Disillusionment Charm she had cast on me the night before. Afterwards, she headed to her bed and sank onto it heavily.

I got up, trying to recover from the shock, and reached Angy's bed, sinking heavily on it as well.

“Polyjuice Potion!” I said firmly because it was the only logical explanation.

“Exactly, my dear. They must have captured this unlucky boy who knows from where and then they forced him to drink the potion to change his appearance and afterwards, they organized this trap for both of us.” Angy explained.

I kept staring at the boy while thinking over this incredible situation we were in. After all our effort, we were again at square one, and worst of all, the Death Eaters knew about us. But there was still something really odd about the whole matter.

“Wait a minute! How did the Death Eaters know about our plan?” I asked, staring at her directly in the eyes.

“Simple! Their spies told them.We have our spies too, you know!” replied Angy promptly.

“And where is Rufus?” I asked slightly worried.

“Oh, he's fine! With all the mess that you let loose last night, we managed to disapparate without much effort. Anyway, you had a great idea with those statues, really great!”

“Well, thank you, but it's just been completely useless” I sighed and turned again to the boy, who was slowly waking up.

“What are we going to do with him?” asked Angy worried.

“I think that we should ask him a few questions and then let him go,” I replied in a professional tone, and stood up to stand by him.

Angy joined me, and both of us patiently waited for him to realize that he wasn't alone.

When he opened his eyes, he didn't seem too surprised to find us there.

“Good morning, pretty girls. May I ask you what am I doing here with you?” he asked smiling, while staring at us from head to toe. He had an easygoing attitude, and for a moment, we were astonished by his insolence.

“Hey, slow down boy! We're asking the questions here!” I immediately frowned at her. I thought that it wasn't fair, treating him like that after all that he had been through the night before.

“Are you feeling all right?” I asked in a friendly tone.

“Well, honestly, I'm feeling a bit upside-down, you know? Even if I don't remember absolutely anything.” he replied, and yawned loudly.

Angy and I looked at each other deeply worried. If the boy didn't remember anything at all, it meant that we had no chance of finding Harry. Anyway, I was still convinced that this boy could help us somehow. I cleared my throat and spoke again.

“You don't remember anything? I mean, about what happened to you?”

“Well, maybe I could remember something, but I usually prefer to have a full breakfast before trying to recall what I've done the night before.” The boy winked at me and started to massage his stomach. He had a really crafty twinkle in his eyes and Angy felt a sudden aversion to him.

“Hey, you listen to me boy! Are you maybe trying to take advantage of the situation? Because we aren't exactly in the right mood for jokes, at the moment, you know? Besides, we don't even know if you are a wizard or a muggle, even if I already have an idea about it,” said Angy, glaring at him in disgust.

“A what? A wizard? A muggle? What the hell are you talking about?” he said astonished, and before I could stop her, Angy had taken her wand out and was pointing it at the boy.

“I'm going to explain the difference right now. Wingardium leviosa!” At Angy's words, the boy rose in the air and started to float in the middle of the room.

“Hey! Hey! What are you doing to me? I don't like this. Put me down!”

“Angy, stop it! Right now!” I ordered, deeply horrified. But she definitely had no intention of obeying me. On the contrary, she seemed rather amused about it.

“Why should I stop it? I just want to enjoy myself a little bit!” she replied happily.

“Finite incantatem!” I shouted, pointing my wand at the unlucky boy, and he fell on my bed with a loud thud.

“Do you understand the difference now? We are witches and you are a muggle, someone who isn't able to do any magic,” Angy explained with the tone of a stern teacher teaching a really difficult subject to an idiot.

“Yes, I-I understand but please calm down, and put away that, that thing, your wand or whatever the hell it's called.”

I immediately put my wand away, then I frowned at Angy, and she put her wand away as well.

“Don't worry, we're not going to harm you in any way” I tried to reassure him.

“We would just like to ask you a few questions about those hooded people who kidnapped you. That's it” I added, trying to speak as naturally as possible.

“Those, those guys are friends of yours?” hj asked, deeply worried. I was amused by the fact that he had completely lost his easygoing attitude.

“No way! Those are our enemies and we're fighting them” Angy replied.

“Well, if we'll have to work together, then we should at least introduce ourselves properly! Witches or not, I'm sure that good manners exist where you live, right?” he said formally.

“My name is Hermione Granger, and she is Angy Pureheart and you are?”

“Marco!” he answered proudly.

“Marco what?” I asked curious.

“Just Marco!”

I stared at him doubtfully for a second then spoke again.

“Well, Marco, would you like to have breakfast with us?”

“You don't even have to ask me! It's been ages since I properly filled my stomach up!” he replied happily, and he stood up and rushed to the door.

Angy and I looked at each other deeply surprised, then followed him out of the room.

(A/N: WOW! Something really unexpected just happened! And what do you think about Marco? If you'd like to find out more about him, please review and I'll update sooner!)

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(A/N: Hello! I'm back with another great chapter! I wish to thank you for the reviews you left me and I wish to thank my wonderful BETA readers Cheerydance, Nonya and Ariana Rockwood for their very good job! This is the first time we're going to meet Harry in this story so, I hope you enjoy the chapter.)

Chapter 9. MARCO

Harry was awakened by the abrupt opening of his cell door and the heavy steps of his jailer. He sat up as best as he could; his wrists and ankles were tied with magical ropes.

He stared at the hooded Death Eater who had just placed a little bowl with dry bread and a glass of water on the floor and had already turned to leave the cell.

“Why haven't you killed me yet? Tell me. It's because you need me alive, isn't it?” Harry shouted angrily, but the Death Eater didn't answer; instead, he left, but not before magically sealing the door behind him.

Harry kicked the bowl and the glass, which overturned onto the floor. Then he looked around him for the thousandth time. His cell was dark and dusty; there were several alcoves dug in the stony walls and a strong smell of mold and decomposition. He was sure that it was an ancient cemetery or a catacomb.

If someone had seen him at that moment, they wouldn't have recognized him. Harry was really thin, with an unkempt beard and an emaciated face, which was marked by several deep cuts on his forehead and lips. His black hair was messier than ever, and his shirt and trousers were torn in more than one spot. The only thing that had not changed was the strength and determination that poured out from his shining green eyes.

“Aaaah!” His scar always burned, but at that moment, the pain was sharper than usual. He leaned against the wall and tried to think.

Several days have passed by now, and they still keep me here...but I already know what those bastards have in mind to do! he thought, resigned. They need me alive until a more proper time...but sooner or later, they're going to kill me. Then he closed his eyes, and the faces of Ron and Hermione appeared in his inner sight.

I'm not afraid of death, but I'd like to see my best friends one last time...Hermione, where are you now?

Oddly, his heart was telling him that he was going to meet her again soon.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The sun was already up in the sky, and it made the ancient palaces and the wet canals shine with its warm and cheering rays. If anyone had looked at us at that moment, they would have thought that we were just three tourists sitting at a café table with no other worry in mind except arranging our sightseeing day. Unfortunately, our minds and our hearts were busy on a completely different matter.

At least, my mind and heart were. I was deeply concerned about Harry's situation, and the anguish and disappointment over what had just happened was killing me. Now that Voldemort and his Death Eaters knew that Angy and I were on Harry's tracks, I was sure that the chances of finding him still alive were less than before.

Marco was our last hope. I'd have done anything to get at least a clue from him, maybe a sentence heard by mistake or a word said by a Death Eater; any little detail could have been of vital importance to us.

I was staring gloomily at Marco while he was voraciously ending his fifth croissant in the last five minutes. I knew that he wasn't aware of all our problems.

I sighed deeply and turned to Angy, who was sitting on my side with her arms crossed, staring at Marco with deep scorn and disgust.

I remained astonished by her behavior because I'd always thought that Aurors had the task of protecting the innocents, without distinguishing between wizards or muggles, but it seemed that she especially hated muggles.

“Have you stuffed your stomach enough, muggle?” Angy asked with an annoying, superior attitude, and I frowned at her.

“Angy! I really don't understand why you're treating him this way! He hasn't done anything bad to you.” But Angy just by rolled her eyes and turned away.

“She's right! I haven't done anything to you. We just met!” he said. “Can you give me the sugar bowl, please?” Marco asked abruptly while sipping his third cappuccino.

“Sure,” I replied, and passed him the sugar. Then I decided that it was about time to start with questions.

“Marco, are you ready to recall something about last night?” I asked politely.

“Do you want to know something in particular?” he asked, biting the croissant he gripped tightly in his right hand and sipping his cappuccino from the cup in his left hand.

“Anything. A sentence, a word, even a feeling would be of vital importance to us. We must find this dearest friend of ours, and you're our last hope.” I spoke with sincerity, trying to help him understand the severity of the situation.

“Is he your boyfriend?” Marco asked, staring at me deeply in the eyes.

“No! He's just my best friend! And he's risking his life at the moment; that's why we have to find him as soon as possible.”

“Then, he's her boyfriend?” Marco asked again, indicating Angy with a tilt of his head, but she just frowned at him.

“Yes, that's right. He's her boyfriend, but that isn't important right now!” I replied, starting to get irritated.

“It's important to me. And what's your friend's name?” Marco asked, even more curious.

“His name is Harry Potter. Does that remind you of anything at all?” I was starting to lose my temper.

“Let's see...Harry Potter, you said?” he asked, massaging his chin. “Nope. I'm sorry, but I've never heard that name in my whole life,” he replied simply after a few seconds of silence, and then he started sipping his cappuccino again.

“See? I told you! He's just a stupid muggle! We'll never manage to find out anything using your way. It's better if we use my way!” Angy shouted angrily, and took her wand out from under the table.

I saw a terrified look in Marco's eyes and immediately tried to get her to put the wand away, looking around me warily.

“Are you crazy? Do you want someone to see us?” I asked, deeply alarmed.

“I don't care. If this stupid muggle doesn't want to talk, then I'm going to use bad manners.” Angy was furious.

“All right, all right, I'll tell you what I know! But please, put away that...that thing.” Marco was really horrified. Angy looked at me, satisfied, and put away her wand.

“Do you remember something now?” I asked.

“Yes, yes. Let's see...I was quietly walking in the street when two strange hooded guys came out from a dark alley and started to punch me furiously. Then they put me inside a large sack, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a wet and dark cellar with my hands tied up, then I heard these people talking in a nearby room, but I didn't understand anything they were saying.”

Marco was rushing to get to the important part of his tale while Angy and I were listening carefully to him.

“The only thing I managed to understand was that they were going to take someone to their headquarters. And they called it...The Lions' Hollow. And then they came to me, and I lost consciousness again. I just remember that I woke up in your hotel room, and that's all.” As soon as Marco had ended his tale, he stared at us, really worried, probably hoping he had managed to give us some useful information. But Angy and I looked at each other hopelessly.

“We are at square one again,” Angy said, deeply disappointed.

“Not at all. If we manage to find the Lions' Hollow...Maybe it's a place here in Italy, maybe it's a town, or a monument. Why don't we ask around?” I said stubbornly, but Angy suddenly got furious.

“What do you want me to do? Let's see. You want me to go in the middle of the street and ask all the muggles I meet? You are ridiculous!” Her attitude was really starting to get on my nerves. I turned to the waiter who was serving the nearby table.

“I'm sorry. May I ask you something?” I said kindly, and he nodded.

“We'd like to visit a place, but we don't know how to find it. Its called the Lions' Hollow. Do you have any idea?”

The waiter thought for a moment. “It seems to be the name of a circus, or maybe a zoo. Anyway, the most famous one that comes to my mind is the Colosseum in Rome. Yes, it could be that one!”

“Thank you very much.” I thanked him, and he left. Then I turned to Angy triumphantly.

“See? Easy, isn't it?”

“And if it isn't the Colosseum in Rome? Then we'll be back at the beginning again!” she objected, trying to disguise her surprise.

“And if on the contrary, it is really the Colosseum? At least now we have a clue to follow!” I insisted, and both of us started frowning at each other.

“Please calm down, girls. If you want to go to Rome, then you'd better hurry up. There should be a train leaving in about two hours.” Marco cut us off, and we both turned to him.

“This isn't any of your business, I think!” Angy frowned at him, but he didn't seem bothered about that.

“Listen to me. I have a proposal. Why don't you let me come with you? I could help you.”

“I really don't understand how you could help us!” Angy was still glaring at him with scorn.

“Well, first of all, since I speak Italian and English, I could be your translator. And I have many friends spread throughout Italy, and you could be needing `'muggle' help, to use your word.” Marco was really eager to join us, and after all, it wasn't a bad idea in my opinion.

“I just told you that we don't need any...”

“Please! Let me come with you. There is nothing keeping me in Venice. I have nobody waiting for me here. Please.” I was deeply touched by Marco's words, and I immediately made up my mind.

“Angy, why don't we let him join us. Marco is right; we might need his help. I agree with him!”

“No way!” Angy shouted at me.

“OK then. Tell me a good reason why we shouldn't bring him with us!” I said stubbornly, crossing my arms.

“He simply can't come with us; he's a muggle!”

“But we are traveling in muggle territory, and it's for this reason that his help could be important to us!”

“It'll be too dangerous for him, and he's not able to protect himself against the Death Eaters, and he could be an obstacle for us.”

“Who isn't able to protect himself? I'm accustomed to living out in the streets. I don't fear anything! Test me, and you'll see.” Marco seemed ready to face anything to leave Venice with us.

“I promise you that he's not going to be an obstacle for us. I'm going to always be with him, and in case of attack, I'll protect him. Please?” I implored her.

Angy stared from me to Marco in turn and finally sighed and gave up. “All right then, you win! But if something happens, don't tell me that I didn't warn you.”

“Oh, thank you, Angy. You are great!” I happily jumped on my chair, while Marco looked really satisfied.

“Hermione, remember to send another owl to Dumbledore. I want him to know exactly where we are going,” Angy hurriedly added.

“Sure! Now we're going to go back to the hotel, get all our belongings, and send an urgent owl to Dumbledore.” I was really satisfied about how things were turning out for us. We were again on Harry's tracks, and we were going to count on the help of a third companion.

Thinking about it later, I was glad that I had insisted that Marco join us.

O

The Dark Lord was seated in a huge black leather armchair and was watching the fire in the fireplace, absorbed in his thoughts.

“My Lord!” The voice of a Death Eater cut him off abruptly, and he turned to face the wizard who had dared to interrupt him.

“I am sorry, my Lord. I have some news for you.” The Death Eater spoke with a trembling voice, keeping his head down.

“Speak!” The Dark Lord ordered in an icy voice.

“The Mudblood...She is traveling to our headquarters. They'll arrive in a few hours.”

“How did she discover where we were?” His voice was calm, and it didn't betray his disappointment.

“It was that muggle. He overheard us while he was our prisoner,” the Death Eater answered, worried.

“Has the mudblood already informed Dumbledore?” the Dark Lord asked.

“Yes. She sent him another urgent owl,” his servant hurriedly replied.

“Well, I don't think we need the mudblood anymore. You must prevent her from reaching our headquarters, using every method you know.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the Death Eater answered, and left the grim room.

The Dark Lord gave a terrifying and vengeful laugh.

(A/N: Was it a good idea to let Marco join the group? Well, leave your review and you'll find out soon!)

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(A/N: Thank you for your very good reviews, you're amazing! And a special thanks goes to my BETA readers, Cheerydance, Nonya and Ariana for their great job! Here is chapter 10!)

Chapter 10. ATTACK ON THE TRAIN

A few hours later, we found ourselves together in the same compartment on a train heading to Rome. Angy and I were sitting close to one another; Marco had taken the seat in front of us, and Crookshanks was purring in my arms.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the nearby empty seat, where there was an English newspaper; I found the headline on the front page very interesting. Exceptional Solar Eclipse Due March 3: It's going to be a really unique experience, after 300 years

I thought. There are only a few days left until the solar eclipse.

I turned to Angy, who was sleeping by the window; then I faced Marco, who was busy staring at her with great intensity. Maybe Angy's deep aversion for the boy had aroused in him a sort of interest in her.

I still couldn't understand Angy's stubborn antipathy toward Marco. After all, he wasn't that bad. He was almost as old as us, and he was handsome, tall, and tanned, with black eyes and curly brown hair.

Crookshanks was staring deeply at him, and then suddenly he jumped onto Marco's knees and curled up, purring. I was really surprised by his behavior; he had never shown such confidence around other people. He didn't even want Angy to come close to him.

“Your cat is really cute. What's his name?” Marco asked, caressing him gently on the head.

“His name is Crookshanks, but he isn't completely a cat. He's half-Kneazle,” I replied, smiling.

“What did you say? I've never heard of such a thing!”

“A Kneazle is a magical creature that's really smart and with a particular talent for recognizing wizards with bad intentions.” I explained to him.

“Oh. I understand. But tell me, are there whole cities full of people like you?” Marco asked, curious.

“Of course! And we also have a district in London with several magical shops. Then we have a special bank where we keep our magical money. There are also post offices, where letters are delivered by owls, and then...”

“All right, all right. It's all clear, Hermione. I think I'm getting a headache now.” Marco cut me off, and I stared at him, amused. “Those things you're talking about are so...odd to me! How can I explain? In the real world, you always hear about magic, wizards, and so on, and you don't think that any of it exists for real, but then, when you are actually living all this, well, it seems completely mad. It's like a dream!”

“I can understand, you know? My parents are muggles, and I discovered that I was a witch when I got a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry shortly before my eleventh birthday. In the beginning, I couldn't believe it, but then I realized that magic has always been inside of me and that I don't really belong to the muggle world but to the magical world.”

“And this boy, Harry, have you been friends for a long time?” he suddenly asked.

“We've been friends forever, it seems like! We started at Hogwarts together, and we have had so many adventures, so many that I could write thousands of books,” I replied.

“I'd like to tell you about an odd dream I had just before waking up in your hotel room in Venice,” Marco said with a slightly malicious tone.

“What was it about?” I asked, without fully realizing yet what the subject could be.

“I heard a voice that was talking about love to me.” Marco stared into my eyes, and I suddenly understood what he was talking about. I turned to Angy, fearing that she was going to hear of the confession I had made to Marco, thinking he was Harry. Luckily, Angy still seemed to be in a deep sleep.

“Life is strange, you know? You spend a long time with a person, and then this person falls in love with someone else,” Marco said, still gazing directly into my eyes. I didn't answer but lowered my gaze and started to nervously play with my sweater sleeve.

“Can you tell me why those bad wizards kidnapped him? What has he done to them?” he asked, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between us.

“Well, it's a long story, and I won't tell you everything now. All you need to know is that Harry is a very powerful wizard, the only one able to finally defeat the dark side and its leader, Lord Voldemort. For this reason, his life is in real danger now.”

“Hermione! How dare you say the name of the Dark Lord?”

I jumped off my seat, my heart racing. Angy had woken up and was listening to our conversation.

“Are you mad, shouting at me in such a hysterical way? Why shouldn't I say his name? We can't always fear him like that! Harry will defeat him someday, and then everybody will know that after all, that monster wasn't really invincible!” I protested.

“All right, but until that day comes, don't you dare say again his name in my presence!” Angy shouted. She stood up and left the compartment in a fury.

“But why is she behaving so foolishly?” Marco asked, surprised.

“I wish I knew. Sometimes, it seems as if Angy is hiding something really serious from me,” I said under my breath, without realizing that Marco had overheard.

“What do you think she's hiding from you?” he asked.

“Nothing!” I replied sharply. Then I stood up and went after Angy.

I exited the compartment and was heading to the back of the train when I heard people shouting in a nearby carriage. I cautiously moved closer to the glass door to have a look. Horrified, my eyes widened in surprise at the sight of two tall, hooded figures who were inspecting each compartment, causing great confusion among the passengers on the train.

I shuddered, deeply shocked, and I slowly and quietly crept back to my compartment.

I went in and immediately closed the door behind me, and then I closed the curtains and turned to Marco, completely terrified.

“What happened to you? It looks like you just saw a ghost!” Marco said, smiling.

“They're here. The Death Eaters are on the train. They're looking for us.” My brain was frantically working on a solution as I spoke.

“The bad wizards? They've found us? What are we going to do now?” Marco stood up, worried, letting Crookshanks fall to the floor.

This time, we could take no chances: Those Death Eaters were going to find us soon and kill us. But where was Angy?

I heard people shouting in the nearby compartment, and I realized that they were coming closer.

Come on, Hermione...think quickly...think...think... I was repeating to myself in my head, when suddenly, the conductor's voice came over the loudspeakers on the train.

“Florence...Next stop, Florence...”

“We'll get off in Florence!” I said abruptly to Marco.

“But they're going to find us anyway. How can we...”

“Come here!” I cut him off and grabbed his arm, and then I took out my wand and tapped him lightly on the head. “Disilludo!” I whispered, and Marco disappeared from sight, taking on the exact colour of the seats behind him.

“Cool!” he said, and I put the Disillusionment charm on myself. We were just in time because the door opened, and the two hooded Death Eaters entered.

“This compartment is empty!” one of them said.

“Let's go to the next compartment, and if we don't find them, we'll start the inspection again over the whole train. We have to find them!” the other one said, and they both went out into the corridor again.

I sighed in relief, realizing that I had been holding my breath the whole time.

“Marco, you must be ready. We'll take our luggage with us, and as soon as the train stops, we'll get off.”

“I'm ready! But where's Angy?” Marco asked, worried.

“We'll look for her along the train,” I answered, and then we quickly gathered all our belongings. I put Crookshanks in his basket and stuck my head out the door to check if the coast was clear.

The Death Eaters had reached the next compartment, and the train was already stopping at the Florence station.

We rushed out of the compartment and headed to the back of the train. We had just reached the door, which a few passengers had already opened, when we saw Angy coming toward us.

“Angy! It's Hermione! We must get off the train now. Death Eaters are here,” I told her and grabbed her arm.

“Come this way! We've found them!”

Horrified, I realized that the two Death Eaters had just intercepted us. Panic overtook me, and I suddenly pushed Angy out of the train.

It was difficult running across the crowded platforms and pushing through all the people. The Death Eaters were after us, and our only hope was to disguise ourselves in the crowd. Naturally, I knew that they were following Angy since Marco and I were invisible to them.

“Immobilus!”

“Stupeficium!” our enemies shouted, casting tons of red and blue rays of light.

Then something horrible happened. I had just realized that a train was coming at high speed along the platform where we were running. Terrified, I saw that one of the spells had caught Angy right between her legs, making her lose her balance.

“Angy! Watch out!” I shouted desperately, but it was too late.

Everything happened in a fraction of a second: Angy was falling right in the middle of the rails. In that moment, I saw a horrified look in her eyes that I'll never forget.

(A/N: WOW! Sorry to leave you on a cliffy! Is it the end for Angy? If you'd like to find out, please leave your reviews.)

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(A/N: I thank you for your wonderful reviews, and I especially thank my wonderful BETA readers ChEeRyDaNcE, Nonya and Ariana Rookwood for editing the chapter for me! Do you want to know what has happened to Angy? Here we are then!)

Chapter 11. FLORENCE

Everything happened in a fraction of a second: Angy was falling right between the rails. In that moment, she stared at me directly in the eyes with a horrified look I'll never forget.

I desperately shouted at her, raising my hands to my mouth, when suddenly, I realized that two invisible arms had just grabbed Angy and were pulling her up on the platform. She fell face down, appearing like she was on an invisible mattress.

I ran toward her as fast as I could and kneeled next to her, exhausted.

“Are you all right?” I asked breathlessly, but she didn't reply. She was staring, astonished, at her savior.

Marco was lying below her, still holding her tight in his arms, completely terrified. Even though he wasn't fully visible under Angy, I managed to distinguish the outlines of his face.

I stood up immediately and used the counterspell to release Angy's legs. Then I grabbed them both by the arms and lifted them up.

“Come on! We must leave this place! Death Eaters are still looking for us.”

Holding them by the hands, I headed to the exit, and shortly, we found ourselves running through the streets of Florence.

When we were sure we were far enough from the station, we entered a gloomy alley and threw ourselves on the ground, exhausted by running and fear.

“I can't believe that we managed to escape,” I said, after I caught my breath, then I turned to Angy and Marco.

Angy was sitting on the ground with her back leaned against the wall and was still panting heavily, while Marco was lying on the sidewalk with his arms wide open, surrounded by all our luggage and Crookshanks' basket, which he let fall after we stopped.

I thought it was better to regain our usual appearance. I stood up and got closer to Marco, and then I gave him a light tap on the head with my wand. Suddenly, he became visible again, and I did the same to myself.

“For Merlin's beard, Marco! You are wounded!” I told him, worried, after noticing the trickle of blood descending from his forehead to his cheek.

“No. It's nothing. Check if Angy's all right!” he replied, wiping the blood off with his jacket sleeve.

I turned to my mate and was really surprised to notice that she was still sitting, staring into space.

“Are you OK?” I asked softly. She shook her head without looking at me.

“Do you know where we're going now?” Marco asked abruptly, standing up.

“Not at all! I think it isn't safe to take another train to Rome since the Death Eaters already know about our plan. Maybe we should try to find a hotel and spend the night in Florence. Maybe we can find a good way to reach our destination by tomorrow morning,” I said gloomily.

“I've got an idea! I know where we'll be able to find a good place to hide and spend the night. My friend Maria lives not far away from here, and I'm sure that she'll be happy to see me again and let us stay,” he replied satisfied.

“Are you sure that your friend is going to agree?” I asked doubtfully.

“Of course! Maria is a really nice person, you'll see! Let's go, we haven't got any time to lose.” He got closer to Angy and stretched out a hand to help her stand up, but she seemed to be completely weak. She stared at Marco's hand and then raised her head to look at him directly in the eyes.

“May I help you?” he whispered to her, and without waiting for a reply, he slowly bent toward her and gently grabbed her arms to lift her up. Then he held her hand and started to walk along the street; she followed him docilely without saying a word.

I was really surprised by her behavior, especially by the way she was looking at him now. There wasn't any scorn or hate in her eyes, just an endless fragility.

We walked along the narrow alleys. It was lunchtime, and many shops were already closed, but the streets were still crowded with tourists, who were entering churches and museums. I was struck by the sober beauty of Florence, its ancient and austere palaces.

Shortly, we reached St. Mary Flower's Cathedral, which is the Dome of the city, and I was dazzled by its garish colors and its marble embroidered like an antique lace. We passed along Via Tornabuoni, the street where you can find the most famous fashion shops, and finally we reached the Ancient Bridge, which led to the opposite side of the river Arno.

After a few minutes, we turned down a semi-hidden alley surrounded by high palaces and stopped in front of a small wooden door. Marco rang the bell, and a nice girl with short black hair leaned out of a window on the first floor.

“Marco! Sei proprio tu? (It's really you)?” she asked, smiling.

“Ma come, non mi riconosci più? Mi fai entrare? (You don't recognize me anymore? Are you going to let me in?)” he asked.

“Vieni pure, la porta è aperta! (Come upstairs, the door's open!)” Even though Marco was speaking in Italian with his friend, I understood the feeling of his words.

At Maria's invitation, we entered by the small wooden door and climbed the narrow ancient marble stairs. We reached the first floor and found Maria waiting for us with her arms wide open.

The Italian girl gave us a warm welcome, hugging all three of us in turn. We then entered her comfortable living room: the place was small but really nice. Small frames with pictures of cats hung on the yellow walls, dried flowers were hanging from the ceiling, two small orange sofas and a blue armchair were graciously placed by the lit fireplace, and a huge green carpet lay on the cottony floor.

“Accomodatevi pure, sembrate molto stanchi. Come mai da queste parti? (Please take a seat since you look really tired. What's the reason for your visit?)” our guest asked politely.

We took a seat on the sofa.

“Intanto ti presento le mie amiche. Sono Hermione ed Angy, e vengono dall'Inghilterra! ( Let me introduce you to my friends. Hermione and Angy they are from England!)”

Maria looked really surprised but wanted to show her perfect knowledge of English.

“How do you do?” she asked, and I smiled at her.

“We wanted to ask your hospitality for the night, and tomorrow morning, we're going to leave very early, heading for Rome.” Marco explained in English so that we could understand as well.

“I'm really happy to welcome you to my house. It isn't big, but there is enough room for everyone. Regarding your trip to Rome, there is a friend of mine who is going there tomorrow morning by car, and I'm sure that he will be pleased to give you a ride.”

“That's great! Maria, you are a pure genius!” Marco exulted and hugged his friend tightly giving her a big kiss on the forehead.

“Hey, stop it! Otherwise I'm going to like your kisses!” laughed Maria.

I was feeling much better. Thanks to Marco, we had managed to escape the Death Eaters' trap and had also found a safe place to spend the night. I thought that the Italian people were really wonderful always ready to help, and were nice and friendly to everyone.

I turned to Angy, who was staring out of the window absentmindedly.

“Angy? Are you all right?” I whispered, deeply worried, but she didn't answer.

“Now I'm going to show you to your room. Let's go girls, follow me upstairs!” Maria said. We stood up and followed her to the second floor.

When we finally found ourselves alone in the room, I decided to confront Angy openly.

“Can you tell me what is happening with you? Ever since we left the train station, you've been behaving so oddly,” I asked her abruptly, but she just went to the window and leaned her forehead on the glass, silent.

I moved in front of her and looked at her in the eyes.

“Do I have to worry?”

Angy turned to me and sighed deeply. “Nothing to worry about,” she replied, annoyed.

“Are you maybe hiding something important from me?” I threw the question out there, and she lost her temper.

“What do you think I'm hiding from you?Your accusation doesn't make any sense!” she answered.

“There is no need to react that way, it was just a question! Besides, you could show a little bit more gratitude toward Marco since he risked his life to save yours and brought us here!” I was starting to lose my temper, but Angy didn't carel.

“I would have done it just fine by myself. That muggle had no right to rescue me. He's just, just a stupid muggle!” Angy had completely lost control.

“What you're saying is nonsense!” I was furious with her; she was proving for the thousandth time to be an arrogant, despotic, spoiled girl.

Knock! Knock!

Someone knocking at the door cut off our quarrel.

“Sorry to bother you, but, there is something wrong?” Marco's happy voice resounded in the room.

“No. Everything is perfectly all right!” I replied, choosing to end my conversation with Angy there. I turned around and headed to the bathroom to have a cold shower.

O

“They managed to escape, then.” The Dark Lord was furious.

“Yes, my Lord, we've been searching for them everywhere, but they have completely disappeared.” The Death Eater dared to raise his fearful gaze to his master.

“This is bad, very bad. I'm going to punish you for your incompetence,” said the Dark Lord with a cold voice.

“No, please my Lord. Give me another chance.”

This time, the Dark Lord didn't reply; he just raised his wand toward the Death Eater.

“Crucio!”

The Death Eater fell on the ground, his body twisted like that of a wounded animal from the unbearable pain. Then suddenly the pain was over, and the poor servant raised a trembling hand to his devilish master.

“Please, have mercy, my Lord. I promise you that I won't fail again,” he implored.

“I shouldn't give you another chance, but today I'm feeling generous, and if you succeed in killing the mudblood and bringing Dumbledore to me, then I'm going to spare your life. But if you fail again, you know what to expect!” the Dark Lord spoke in a terrifying voice.

“Yes, my Lord. I thank you, my Lord.” the Death Eater replied, hurriedly standing up.

“My faithful servant isn't behaving as I ordered her to. It means that she's going to pay for her mistakes.”

“Yes, my Lord, as you wish.”

“And now go, before I change my mind!” At his master's command, the Death Eater silently crawled out of the room.

(A/N: Well, things are twisting again! Please review, and let me know what you think about it!)

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( A/N: Hello! I'm back again! These are the last chapters, just 5 more to the end, including this one, so please keep following the story! I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you that my personal web page is on-line and that I'll be really happy if you could have a look at it. You'll find a link on my profile! I've also started a LiveJournal, where I'm writing what I'm doing. Well, back to the story, then enjoy the chapter!)

Chapter 12. THE MIDNIGHT DANCE

I tried to force myself to sleep that afternoon without success. In my mind, I was continuously thinking of Harry, imprisoned who knows where, maybe wounded and starving. I felt death in my heart.

I turned to Angy and realized that she couldn't manage to fall asleep either; she was still staring at the ceiling, as still as a marble statue.

Finally, I decided to get up and get ready for dinner. That night, Maria would prepare something special for us.

We had dinner early since we were really hungry. The menu included filled noodles with tomato sauce, meatballs with grilled vegetables, and a delicious homemade fruit tart for dessert.

Afterwards, with full and satisfied stomachs, we moved to the sofa and had very good Italian coffee. Then Maria turned on her stereo and joined us on the sofa.

“Why don't you tell me something about yourself?” she asked politely, but since Angy didn't seem to be in the right mood, I replied first.

“I live in London and work for the Ministry. I'm in charge of abused animals.” I skipped the part about the magical world.

“Oh, that's really interesting. So you're at the Ministry of Agriculture? And you, Angy?” Maria asked, but fearing that my friend would have replied with another one of her anti-muggles comments, I replied for her.

“Angy works for the police, the Secret Services Department.”

“Wow, I must be careful about what I say or do then!” We both laughed happily, but Angy just frowned at the Italian girl. It seemed as if she wished she were somewhere else right then.

“Shall we dance?” Marco asked, standing up and grabbing Maria's arm. They reached the center of the room and started to dance to the slow music.

In the meantime, I turned to Angy and nudged her.

“Are you going to stop it or not?” I whispered, annoyed.

“Stop what?” she answered, puzzled.

“Stop behaving in such a rude manner!” I replied.

“That's not true!” she protested.

“Yes, it is!”

“Would you like to dance with me?” We both turned to face Marco, who had come closer to Angy and was stretching out a hand to her.

Angy wasn't expecting that at all. She stared at me for a moment, astonished. When I nodded to her, she turned to Marco and smiled slightly.

“I like this song, even if it's a bit old,” the boy said, helping Angy up. The slow music was already resounding in the room.

I feel it in my fingers

I feel it in my toes.

Love is all around me,

And so the feeling grows...

I smiled, looking at Marco and Angy dancing together in each other's arms, locked in each other's gaze. I had to admit that the music was sweet and very romantic.

It's written in the wind

It's everywhere I go...

So if you really love me,

Come on and let it show...

“They are really cute together, don't you think?” Maria said, sitting next to me.

“Yes, a wonderful couple, for sure!” I commented bitterly without explaining to her that Angy was Harry's girlfriend.

I know I love you

I always will...

My mind is up by the way that I feel...

There's no beginning,

There'll be no end...

Angy and Marco were still dancing and he was holding her very tightly. At that moment, I had an absurd thought. What if Angy decides to leave Harry and fall in love with Marco? The Italian boy looked really taken by her, but I wasn't sure about her feelings.

I made up my mind to go and talk to Marco about it. Then I felt terribly guilty, thinking that for sure Harry was in love with Angy, and for his happiness, I couldn't split them up. But she isn't the right girl for Harry, I told myself. And with this thought in mind, I felt uplifted again.

Suddenly, Angy stopped the dance and ran away from Marco in a fury, leaving him in the middle of the room, still looking at her, astonished.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The slow trickling of water on the dusty floor was becoming unbearable. Harry raised his head to check where it was coming from and noticed a little hole in the ceiling.

He was spending much of the time lying on the floor, trying to gather his strength. He wasn't able to sleep because of hunger but also because of his scar, which was continuing to throb painfully.

Harry was sure that soon they were going to kill him. Being an Auror had always put him in risky situations, but he didn't fear the risk; he was accustomed to it. His life had always been full of dangers and traps, but every time, he had managed to escape one way or another.

Nevertheless, this time it was different: he knew that Voldemort had a new devilish plan to accomplish and Harry would surely be a part of it.

I won't surrender myself, I'll never give up! He kept telling himself this, even though his strength was slowly starting to leave him.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was nearly midnight, and I was leaning out of the living room window, smelling the night's fresh air. Maria was cleaning the kitchen, and I thought that it was the right time to talk to Marco alone.

“Marco, would you come here for a moment?” I asked, and he came to the window.

The boy still looked mortified by Angy's behavior, but he was trying not to show his feelings.

“It's a wonderful night, isn't it? Look at the stars! You know, the day after tomorrow will be March 3rd, and there will be a spectacular solar eclipse,” he said quietly.

“Yes, I've already read it somewhere. Listen to me, I have a slightly personal question to ask you, if you don't mind,” I started, cautiously.

“Tell me!”

“What, what do you think about Angy? Do you like her?” The words rushed out of my mouth, and I realized too late that my question was really inappropriate. Marco answered without hesitation, looking at the starry sky above us.

“She's a wonderful girl! I know that she's always been tough on me, but there is something in her that fascinates me. I know that she's Harry's girlfriend, but this feeling is stronger than my common sense,” Marco explained simply.

“Do you think that she's feeling something for you, too? You must have made quite an impression on her after you saved her at the train station this morning. After this morning, Angy doesn't seem to be the same girl.”

“Do you think that she's different? Yes, maybe, but I'm sure that she doesn't like me at all!” Then Marco sighed deeply and moved away from the window.

“It's better if I put her out of my mind. Angy is something forbidden to me. I don't have any chance with her.” He smiled bitterly and left me alone.

( The song is “Love is all around” by Wet Wet Wet. A/N: What do you think about this chapter? Things are twisting again! Hope to get many new reviews from you soon. Thank you!)

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(A/N: Here we are again! Sorry to keep you waiting, but at the moment, I'm busy trying to find a good ending for my other story, “Secrets from the Past.” The Italian version has already reached chapter 33! Well, turning to this story, I'm sure you're going to find this chapter really interesting, especially the final part. DON'T LOSE A WORD! INCLUDING THIS ONE, THERE ARE JUST 4 MORE CHAPTERS TO THE END! As usual, I'd like to thank my wonderful BETA readers Cheerydance, Nonya, and Ariana Rookwood.)

Chapter 13. ROME

I was staring at the magic mirror again. Suddenly, my image disappeared in a vortex of light and fog, and the ethereal figure of Albus Dumbledore appeared in front of me.

“I knew that you would get this far. Soon, events will put you to the test,” he said with seriousness, but I didn't understand what he meant.

“Professor Dumbledore! When am I going to find Harry?”

“Pay attention to the stars, always follow your heart,” he added, as he disappeared into the smoke.

I woke up abruptly, feeling an odd sensation in my heart. It was the middle of the nights. My thoughts turned to Harry, and I hoped with all my strength that he was still alive.

“Please, Harry. Don't lose strength. We're coming to rescue you,” I whispered, before falling asleep again.

The following morning, we said goodbye to Maria and got in her friend's car. Paolo was a really nice boy who had offered us a ride to Rome. He explained that he was going to Rome for the solar eclipse since one could see it best from there.

The trip passed by quietly, and in the early afternoon, we arrived. Just like the pervious day, Angy remained silent for most of the time, and Marco and Paolo entertained themselves by talking.

We got off at the railway station and decided to go to the Coliseum straight away. We had already lost enough time, and I desperately wanted to find any clue that could lead to Harry. I left all my belongings, including Crookshanks, at the luggage deposit, and we took a bus.

When we reached the Colosseum, the sun had nearly set. I was astonished as I looked at the majesty and beauty of that 1000-year-old monument; the rays of the sinking sun lit up the ancient stone walls, and a group of tourists were crowding the place.

The attendant informed us that we should be quick because the building was only open until sunset. We entered the monument through a small secondary entrance, and shortly, we found ourselves inside a huge labyrinth of corridors and stone archways.

“It's better if we split up. If one of you gets into trouble, throw red sparks in the air,” I suggested, looking around, slightly worried. Then I realized that Marco wouldn't be able to use this safety measure.

“If I find myself in danger, I'll use the traditional method. I'll shout for help!” he said simply. Then each one of us took off down a different path.

The corridor I choose was deserted, and I was be able to see the center of the Colosseum: a huge, circular arena covered with ancient stone ruins. It was really fascinating, but then I thought that at in the time of ancient Rome, innocent people were sacrificed and killed there with no mercy. A chill went up my spine.

I started walking again, faster this time, and I noticed a few strange inscriptions on the wall to my right. I moved closer to see it better, and I was astonished when I saw they were ancient runes.

I stretched out my arm to touch the magical signs engraved in the stone wall, and suddenly heard a noise coming from the opposite side of the corridor. I turned, my heart beating faster, but then I realized that it was only a dove that had just flown off.

I looked around. I was completely alone, in a surreal silence. I turned again to the wall in front of me, trying to decode the few words that were still readable; the inscription had been almost completely eroded by the effect of time.

I was concentrating so hard on the inscriptions, that I didn't hear the strange squeak coming from the floor under my feet. I stepped farther and then--

“Aaaaaah!”

Suddenly, the ground crumbled under my weight, and I was swallowed by darkness.

***O***

A hooded Death Eater opened the cell door, carrying the usual bowl of dry bread and a glass of water.

The cell was empty. The bowl and glass fell from his hands. He was already running out to give the alarm when suddenly, something hit him hard on the head, and he fell heavily on the dusty ground.

The Death Eater turned around to see what had just hit him, and his mouth dropped open. Harry was standing in front of him, his eyes blazing with all the anger he was feeling inside.

The young man focused his gaze on the wooden bowl on the floor, and it suddenly darted through the air at great speed, hitting his jailer in the head, leaving him unconscious.

Losing no time, Harry slinked away and slowly started walking down the dark corridor, his wrist and ankles still tied with magical ropes. He heard a noise, and hid himself behind a column. A group of Death Eaters passed close by without noticing him.

“Is everything ready for tomorrow's ceremony?” asked one.

“Yes, just like the Dark Lord ordered,” replied another.

“And the Mudblood? Have you caught her?” asked the first Death Eater.

“Not yet, but our spy has just informed us that she's going to fall in our trap soon,” replied a third Death Eater, ending the sentence with a chilling laugh.

The group disappeared behind the corner.

It's just like I thought. Voldemort has a diabolical plan, and in order to fulfil it, he's going to perform a ceremony. I wonder who the unlucky person they were talking about is, Harry thought. He continued walking slowly down the dark corridor.

***O***

Hermione had had a really bad fall and was lying on the ground, completely covered by dust and debris. She coughed and tried to stand up, removing pieces of rock and cobwebs from her shoulders. She looked around and realized she was in a humid and grim place, and there was a strong scent of musty. The little light that was filtering through came from the hole she had just fallen through.

Losing no time, she took out her wand and threw red sparks in the air, hoping that Angy or Marco would notice them.

“Lumos!”

She wallked around and noticed several alcoves were dug into the stone walls, alcoves that contained skeletons dressed in clothes from ancient Roman times.

“Hermione? Are you all right?” The voice of Marco made her jump.

She walked back to the exact point where she had fallen and looked up; Marco was looking down through the hole above.

“I'm fine! Is Angy with you?” she called.

“No, I'm alone. Do you need me down there?” he asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“Wait a minute! I'm going to help you get down here!” Hermione shouted again; she looked around and noticed a long iron chain wrapped around a column.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” she ordered, and the chain flew through the air until it reached the hole in the ceiling. Immediately, Marco climbed down it, jumping lightly onto the ground.

“What the hell is this place?” he asked, inspecting the dark corridor.

“It looks like an ancient catacomb, but the spooky thing is that there are magical inscriptions on the walls,” Hermione explained, lighting up the ancient runes with her wand.

“Are you able to read that?” Marco asked, curious.

“I'll try. It looks like a sort of prophecy, and it says, more or less:

The power beyond any other power, the one that is able to defeat death...

Though thousands search for it, only one shall find it...

Though thousands have found it, only one knows it...

And died the death, which feeds itself of men,

There won't be death anymore...”

“Wow, but what does it mean?” Marco seemed completely confused.

“It's a riddle. The power beyond any other power, the one that is able to defeat death... I know someone who could be really interested in finding this power,” she said, thinking of the only wizard who had always done the impossible in his quest to conquer death: Lord Voldemort.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps.

“Nox!” Hermione switched off her wand and grabbed Marco's arm, pushing him aside.

Soon, they were able to distinguish a figure, slowly moving towards them. The person stopped right in front of them, looking around warily. Hermione's eyes accustomed to the dim light, and she looked at the stranger intensely.

He didn't look like a Death Eater; he had no cloak or hood. He was tall and slim with messy hair. His arms were tied behind his back. He wore glasses...

Hermione's heart started beating faster.

“Harry, is it really you?”

(A/N: Questions, questions, questions! Is that guy really Harry? And where has Angy gone? If you want to know the answers to those questions, please leave your review. I won't update until I've got at least 10 reviews on this chapter. Sorry, I'm not evil; it's just that I really would like to know who is following my story. Thanks!)

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(A/N: Hello again! I thank you so much for your very good reviews, and I especially thank my wonderful BETA readers Cheerydance, Nonya, and Ariana Roookwood for editing the chapter for me. Well, 3 more chapters until the end, including this one! Enjoy!)

Chapter 14. THE BETRAYAL

Harry turned abruptly to face Hermione, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Harry! I finally found you!” the girl shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. She couldn't believe her eyes; it was like a dream. Harry was right there in her arms, healthy and safe.

“H-Hermione? W-what are you doing here?” Harry stuttered, shocked.

“What are you talking about? I've come to rescue you! Aren't you happy about that?” Hermione asked without releasing him from her tight embrace. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Suddenly, Harry moved away and frowned at her.

“Do you realize the danger you're putting yourself in? You've been completely irresponsible to come here for me. You shouldn't have done it!” The man scolded her sternly, and Hermione stared at him, astonished, for a few seconds.

Harry had deep rings under his eyes, an untidy beard, and several wounds and bruises on his forehead. Hermione's smile disappeared abruptly, and she lowered her gaze, feeling mortified.

“Hey, you shouldn't treat her like that! You don't even know what she has gone through in order to find you. You're really ungrateful!” protested Marco.

“Who are you?” asked Harry suspiciously, looking at the muggle boy.

“He's Marco, a dear friend of mine. He helped us get here. Listen, Harry, you're right to be angry with me, but when I received your message for Dumbledore, I couldn't just sit there and let it all happen.”

“You received my message? But why? I mean, how is it possible?” Harry asked, astonished.

“I'm going to explain it to you!”

Harry, Hermione and Marco turned to face the person who had just spoken. With great surprise, they realized it was Angy. Her wand was lit up and pointed at them.

“Angy! How did you manage to find us? Are you all right?” Hermione asked uncertainly.

“I'm fine, thanks, you impertinent little Mudblood!” Angy replied with a malefic sneer on her face.

Hermione stared at her, puzzled, then the truth suddenly hit her like a bolt of lightning. Angy had been lying to her the whole time they had been together.

“I see your half-muggle brain has finally figured it out!” Angy started to pace the room, her gaze never leaving them.

“You're one of Voldemort's servants,” said Hermione.

Angy laughed. “You got it at last! I wrongly believed that you were a brilliant witch! On the contrary, you never suspected a thing the whole time.”

Hermione felt betrayed, but she tried her best to remain calm, to not show any sign of weakness.

“Everything you've told me was a lie, including your relationship with Harry, right?” Hermione asked, but she already knew the answer.

“I've never seen that witch in my life!” said Harry with scorn.

“Exactly! I'm sorry, I've never been lucky enough to meet you personally, Harry Potter, even if my Master has often spoken to me about you,” Angy replied, still pacing around the three of them, brandishing her wand like a sword.

“You've been acting all this time, haven't you? You started the show in Paris, when I found you in the Cathedral,” Hermione said, never breaking Angy's gaze.

“The plan was that Dumbledore would come to the meeting at Mont Martyr, and when you came instead, I was forced to change my plans, but everything would have come out smoothly, anyway. The important thing was for you to inform Dumbledore about the secret meeting in Venice.”

“But Dumbledore was unreachable!” Hermione protested, trying to stall for time.

“Correct! Urgent business was keeping him far from Hogwarts. It seemed as if I'd never be able to draw him into my trap! Nevertheless, I got together with the other Death Eaters, and we planned something really smart. We just had to grab any stupid Muggle off the street and force him to drink the Polyjuice Potion to change into Harry, and you would fall like a poor idiot,” Angy explained.

“I'm just a stupid Muggle then?” Marco spoke for the first time.

Angy didn't answer him and went on with her story, glaring at Hermione with rising hate.

“Unfortunately, you didn't lose yourself and managed to raise a panic among all the Death Eaters present at the meeting. Nevertheless, you rescued the fake Harry,” said Angy.

“And Rufus? Was he with you as well?” asked Hermione, disgusted, but Angy gave a chilling laugh.

“Poor, simple, Rufus Magnus. I feel sorry for him, but he was starting to become too suspicious,” Angy looked really pleased.

“You're a damned murderer!” Hermione had completely lost her temper. She tried to rush Angy, but Marco held her back by the arms.

“How could you kill your own friend?”

“My dear Hermione, you should understand that when you choose to serve the Dark Side, getting rid of useless wizards becomes normal routine!” she replied simply.

“I've been so foolish! I trusted you, and you were planning the best way to kill me,” said Hermione, feeling a knot rising in her throat.

“While we were in Venice, the Muggle put you on the right track; after letting you send another urgent owl to Dumbledore, the Dark Lord decided that you were no longer useful to him and ordered his faithful servants to eliminate you on the train to Rome. But still you managed to escape our trap, and I was again forced to play the game with you.”

“However, your fellow cronies didn't have any problem casting spells on you, too, while they were running after us at the Florence station. You nearly fell under a train! Marco saved your life; doesn't that mean anything to you?” asked Hermione, exasperated.

“The other Death Eaters were only trying to catch you two, and they caught me by mistake. They've never dared to.”

“But they did!” Marco cut her off abruptly.

“Angy, what is happening to you? You aren't truly like that; I know that you're still able to feel love and compassion. All this horror isn't you, Angy! Please!” said Marco, desperately.

“Shut up! Don't say another word, or I'll kill you right here!” Angy shouted, and Marco fell silent, but he didn't take his eyes off her.

“Now you're going to be escorted to a safer place. Since tomorrow will be a special day for all of us, I suggest you prepare yourselves mentally, and spiritually. After all, a solar eclipse is always something unique!” she said enigmatically, and with a slight move of her wand, magical ropes appeared that tightened themselves around Marco's, Harry's, and Hermione's arms.

A group of Death Eaters apparated before them and dragged them bodily to a small cell, magically sealing the door behind their backs.

The three unlucky mates collapsed heavily on the dusty ground. The cell was dark and narrow, emanating a strong rotten odor.

“What is going to happen to us?” asked Marco, worried.

Hermione turned to Harry, who was sitting by her side, and noticed that he was staring at the cell door. “I found ancient runes inscriptions on the walls, that described a prophecy. Do you know anything about that?” she asked Harry.

Harry looked at her. “I just know that they're organizing a ceremony for tomorrow, something concerning the solar eclipse, that Angy was talking about. I'm probably going to be the main attraction. Otherwise, they wouldn't have kept me alive for so long,” he explained.

“The prophecy is about the power to defeat death. Maybe if we knew something more about it, we could manage to stop them,” said Hermione.

“Do you know when the total eclipse is going to be?” asked Harry.

“At noon! I read it in the newspaper this morning,” Marco hurriedly replied.

Harry leaned against the wall and sighed deeply.

“We should wait until tomorrow morning, then. I'm not going to let them kill us without a fight.” His voice was firm.

Hermione realized that his best friend had changed. Probably the austere Auror life and the difficulties he had always had to face had turned him into a tougher and stricter person, both toward himself and others.

The girl looked into his deep green eyes, wondered, if she'd be able to find the old Harry ever again, the sweet, nice friend she remembered, always ready to help and forgive others.

But above all, she wondered if there was still room for love in Harry's heart.

(A/N: Here we are! Now we're sure that Angy is a Death Eater, but how are they going to escape from that hell? And will Hermione be able to open her heart to Harry? Please leave your review, and you'll find out soon!)

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(A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting. One more chapter to go after this! Enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 15. THE PORTAL OF POWER

Harry jumped in surprise when he saw the image of Albus Dumbledore appear in the huge mirror in front of him.

We meet again, Harry! Dumbledore spoke in a firm and detached voice, a curious twinkle in his deep blue eyes.

“Headmaster! Did you come to rescue us?” Harry asked.

You are going to save yourself. Be confident, Harry, and always follow your heart. Harry found Dumbledore's words puzzling. He stretched out his hand to touch the mirror and found that it was made of a fluid substance; his fingers disappeared inside.

“How will I be able to save myself and my friends?” Harry asked, confused, as the Headmaster's image slowly faded into the vortex of light and fog.

Remember my words, and soon you'll understand them. Dumbledore's voice echoed in Harry's mind. Harry woke up abruptly, breathing heavily.

Harry realized that he was still in the narrow cell where he, Hermione, and Marco had been dragged the night before. He felt pressure on his right shoulder and turned to see that Hermione was using him as a pillow. He smiled, watching the girl. Her bushy brown hair almost covered her face.

Harry thought back to the time when he, Ron, and Hermione were still in school, uniting their forces to get out of trouble. His best friend was again at his side, ready to fight with him until the end.

Hermione shifted in her sleep and woke up; she looked around. Marco was sleeping in one corner of the cell. Hermione turned to Harry and smiled sweetly.

“I shouldn't have fallen asleep. How long have you been up?” she asked, worried.

“Not long. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a long time. Are you all right?” he asked.

“I think so. Even though I'd rather be anywhere else right now,” Hermione replied.“Have you got a plan to get us out of here?”

“Well, it isn't really a plan, but it's something that Voldemort doesn't expect from me. Have you still got your wand?”

“Yes. It's in my jeans'pocket. Why?” Hermione thought her wand was useless, anyway, since they were still tied up with magical ropes.

“Don't worry. At the right time, you'll see what I have in mind,” he replied, with a weird twinkle in his eyes.

“I have to tell you something, Harry. These may be our last moments together, and I could never forgive myself for not doing it now,” she said. Harry stared at her.

“You asked me why I came to save you. Well, after Hedwig brought me your letter, I had to. She was seriously wounded, poor thing!” Harry's eyes widened. “Don't worry, she's fine now,” she added.

“I tried to contact Dumbledore with no success. What else could I have done?”

“I went to the meeting spot in Paris and I found Angy, who filled my mind with her lies. She kept saying that she was an Auror, that she was working with you, that she was your girlfriend!” Hermione stopped for a moment, then she went on, “I don't know why, but I believed her. To tell you the truth, I almost hated you.”

“But I've never met her before!” Harry said, horrified.

“I know, I know, and I'm sorry for having trusted her, but at the time, I felt betrayed by you! How could I have been so stupid? I didn't manage to see farther than my nose, and now we are all paying the consequences.”

“Don't be too hard on yourself. It's your character! You're always trying to see the good side in everyone, even if puts you in really dangerous situations.” Harry looked at her with sympathy, and Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes. How could she have been so wrong, so irresponsible? Hermione sighed and made a strong effort to not burst into tears.

“What I'm trying to tell you is that... My goodness, it's so difficult!” Hermione looked away, feeling her heart beat faster. Then she sighed again and turned to face Harry directly.

“Well, I-I'm happy that Angy isn't your girlfriend, because I think... No, I'm sure that...” Hermione couldn't find the right words.

Harry stared at her, puzzled.

Finally, Hermione gathered her courage and spoke. “Harry, I...”

Bang! The door opened, and three hooded Death Eaters entered.

“It's time to go. The Dark Lord is waiting for you.”

***O***

Harry, Hermione, and Marco looked around. They were in a huge, brightly lit room. The floor was navy blue marble, several lit torches hung on the walls, and a small round fountain sat in the center of the room. The sun was coming in through a hole in the ceiling and was reflected in the fountain. Numerous small white marble statues representing Greek deities adorned the room.

In a corner was a huge rectangular mirror that stretched to the ceiling and was surrounded by an ancient wood frame. Hermione and Harry recognized it immediately as the mirror in which Dumbledore had appeared to them in their dreams.

Apart from the three of them, there were a few hooded Death Eaters dressed in red robes. Angy was standing there as well and was the only one without a hood on her head.

“Aaaaah!” Harry shouted in pain and stepped backwards, hitting the wall behind him.

“Harry, what is it?” Hermione asked, worried.

“My scar!” he replied, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. Then he opened his eyes again.

“He's here!”

The doors opened, and Lord Voldemort entered the room, followed by a large number of his faithful servants. He was dressed in a long and sumptuous purple cloak, but his eyes were cold and devilish, like those of a snake. A horrible sneer crossed his pale face.

“Is he the bad wizard?” asked Marco, terrified. Hermione nodded to him.

“It's a great pleasure to have all of you as my guests, especially my worst enemy, the famous Harry Potter.” Voldemort spoke in a chilling voice as he, slowly moved closer to them.

“I can't say the same about you!” said Harry.

“I'm sorry to see that you haven't changed that awful personality of yours! Anyway, there is no time to lose on this silliness,” said Voldemort. He went on in a solemn tone. “Today is the third day of the third month, and after 300 years of waiting, we're going to witness a wonderful event. Shortly, the solar eclipse will start, but it isn't going to be just any eclipse. This is going to be The Solar Eclipse and you'll have the immense privilege of enjoying the show with us.” Voldemort laughed devilishly then headed to the fountain in the middle of the room.

“As you can see, at this very moment, the sun's rays are coming through that hole in the ceiling and are being reflected in the water of the fountain. As soon as the eclipse starts, we'll watch the event by staring at the fountain. But the most important thing is the magical mirror.” Voldemort pointed at the mirror in the corner.

“The mirror will turn into the Portal of Power.” He then stared at the mirror with a weird twinkle in his red eyes. “The Portal will give me a special power, and I'll become the greatest wizard of all ages! Naturally, since I'm receiving such a precious gift, I have to sacrifice something of the same importance.”

The Dark Lord turned to the three of them with an evil sneer on his face. “This is the reason you're here, young Harry. When the eclipse reaches totality, the Portal of Power is going to ask for a human sacrifice before it can disclose its gift to me. This is what is written in the secret prophecy, which a really powerful Seer has revealed to me years ago.”

“I'm not going to give up without a fight!” shouted Harry.

“You young, inexperienced boy, how can you resist the Dark Lord? The only thing that is bothering me is the possibility that one sacrifice won't be enough, but I've taken a few measures. That's why your Mudblood friend and the muggle boy are present as well, ready to offer their miserable lives to my noble cause.”

“You're completely crazy!” Harry struggled to free himself from the magical ropes.

“If you'll excuse me, I have a ceremony to accomplish.” Voldemort turned toward his servants.

One of the Death Eaters opened a dusty book, and Voldemort read some complex spells in an unknown language. The Death Eaters kneeled on the floor with downcast eyes. In the meantime, a dark shadow was slowly crossing on the sun and being reflected in the fountain.

“What are we going to do now?” Hermione asked in a trembling voice, trying to free her arms from the ropes.

“Your wand is in your jeans pocket, right?” Harry whispered to her.

“Yes, but...”

“Do you trust me?” he asked, and she nodded.

Harry stared at Hermione's pocket in concentration, and the wand suddenly levitated out. Hermione was surprised, and then she looked around warily, hoping that nobody had noticed. Luckily, everybody was too busy following the ceremony.

With his mind, Harry ordered the wand to point at his wrist behind him, and the ropes disappeared. Losing no time, he took the wand in his hand and pointed it at his ankles and then he removed his mates's bonds.

“Now, you two may apparate out of here!” he whispered to Hermione.

“I won't leave you, Harry! We're going to fight together!”

Before he could reply, Voldemort turned to them; he had finished the incantations and had ordered all of his Death Eaters except Angy to leave.

“Now your time has arrived, Harry.”

“I think that for the moment, your Portal will have to do without my contribution!” he replied, pointing the wand at Voldemort.

“I was expecting something like this!” He took his wand out of his cloak.

They faced each other and walked slowly around the fountain.

Harry concentrated on the statues in the room, and suddenly, they began to float in the air. Before Voldemort could react, Harry used all his mind power to throw the statues toward his enemy.

The Dark Lord acted quickly. “Avada Kedavra!” A ray of green light shot out from his wand and struck all the statues, shattering them into pieces.

He turned to Harry. “Very good! But you won't be able to defeat me with just a few flying pieces of marble!” said Voldemort, grinning.

At that moment, Hermione noticed with horror, that a fast- moving vortex of light and fog had just formed in the mirror, strong enough to suck in everything that was standing in front of it.

The Portal of Power was finally open.

“Harry! Mind the mirror!” she shouted at him, but the young wizard was concentrating on Voldemort, and he didn't lower his guard.

“Expelliarmus!” Harry shouted, and a ray of red light shot toward Voldemort.

“Protego!” The Dark Lord materialized a magical shield in front of him, neutralizing the attack.

“Crucio!” Harry jumped aside, avoiding the blow; he rolled on his back and got up, immediately ready to fight again.

The eclipse had nearly reached totality. Hermione was holding her breath, her hands over her mouth, noticing that Harry was walking dangerously close to the Portal.

She gathered all her courage and ran toward Harry.

“Locomotor Mortis!” A ray of violet light shot out Voldemort's wand and headed straight for Hermione. She moved before it could hit her, but the spell's aura had enough strength to throw her violently backwards, and she collapsed on the floor.

Harry saw her fall and moved toward her.

Voldemort took advantage of the situation. “Remordeo!” The spell hit Harry in the chest. The boy somersaulted backwards and fell right in front of the Portal of Power.

“Noooo!” Hermione shouted, running towards him.

Harry grabbed one of the columns close by and struggled to avoid being swallowed by the vortex.

“Quick! Give me your hand! Give me your hand!” shouted Hermione desperately, stretching out her arm. She gripped another column qith her other arm. The vortex was emanating a strong wind and a blinding light, preventing her from seeing clearly.

“I can't! It's drawing me inside!” Harry shouted, terrified. He took one of his hands away from the column, and tried to grab Hermione's hand.

Their fingers were a few centimeters from each other. Hermione was not going to give up, even though she felt that her strength was slowly abandoning her.

“Take my hand, my love! I won't let you go, I promise!”

Hermione grabbed his hand, squeezing it in hers.

“I won't let that stupid Mudblood ruining my plans! Remordeo!” Voldemort ordered, and another ray of light shot out from his wand, hitting them both in the hands. Their grip broke.

“Nooooo! Harry!” Hermione shouted desperately.

In a flash, the boy was swallowed by the terrible vortex of light and fog.

(A/N: Well, well, well, here we are with another cliffy! Is it really the end for Harry? If you want to know what comes next, please review, and I'll update soon. Anyway, the next one is going to be the last chapter, so please stay tuned for it.)

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(A/N: Finally, this is the last chapter of the story. As usual, I'd like to thank my BETA readers Nonya and Ariana Rookwood for their great help. At the end, I'll thank all my readers personally, but now, enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 16. THE STRENGTH OF LOVE

Hermione fell on the floor, staring in disbelief at the Portal of Power, which had just swallowed her beloved Harry in a vortex of light and fog.

She couldn't believe she had lost him forever. She couldn't believe she wasn't going to ever be reflected in his sweet green eyes anymore or that she wouldn't talk to him ever again.

“Now I am ready to receive the immense power that I deserve!” Voldemort ended the sentence with a terrifying laugh, but Hermione didn't care anymore about him or anything else.

Her love had left, and her heart had been irreparably broken. Hermione slowly turned around and saw that Marco and Angy were looking at her in shock. Then her gaze fell on the fountain; the eclipse had already reached totality.

She stared again at the vortex in front of her, wishing she could reach Harry inside that evil mirror. Then Dumbledore's words came to her mind. Always follow your heart... But what was her heart saying in that moment? She slowly stood up, almost in a trance, and moved closer to the Portal.

“Hermione, don't!” Hermione barely heard Marco's exasperated voice, but she had already made her decision. Nothing could keep her in this world anymore. She just wanted to follow her lost love.

Hermione felt Marco's strong hand grab her arm, but she was so close to the Portal that its terrible force had started to draw her inside already.

Marco's voice was the last thing she heard before being swallowed inside the Portal.

***O***

Marco remained still, staring at the mirror in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. Harry and Hermione had disappeared forever.

“How could you have done it? How could you have done it to them, you bastard!” Marco had completely lost his temper and was shouting at the most evil wizard in the world.

“Muggle! How dare you address yourself in this way to the Dark Lord?” Voldemort was furious and pointed his wand at the boy.

“Crucio!” At the Dark Lord's command, Marco fell on the floor, his body twisting in pain.

Angy remained still for a few minutes, staring in turn at Marco and at her master. Suddenly, she came forwards and stood right between the two.

“Stop it! Please, my Lord!” she shouted, and she lowered her gaze.

“How dare you? You've changed, Angy, and I don't like it at all!” said Voldemort, deeply disappointed.

“It's just that, well, you haven't got any reason to torture him. He's just a stupid Muggle after all!” Angy hurriedly explained.

“A stupid and insolent Muggle! I know that recently, your loyalty to me has weakened. But I think you can easily show me you're still faithful if you kill this Muggle in front of me. I will be extremely proud of you, my little Angy.” Voldemort ended the sentence with a spine-chilling laugh.

The young witch stared at Marco, who was lying on the floor with a hand pressed to his heart and his head raised toward her.

“Angy, please don't do it! Don't let him change you! You don't belong to this world of blood and death!” Marco's eyes were wet with emotion. Angy looked at him nervously.

Suddenly, she pointed her wand at Marco, but her hand started to tremble, and her forehead was moist with sweat.

“Angy, listen to your heart and to my words.” Marco was now silently crying, and she was staring at him with wide eyes, almost in a trance. “I love you! I've never loved anyone else like you. I'm sure you love me in return. Please don't destroy this feeling! Please, Angy!” Warm tears were rolling down his face.

Angy couldn't resist anymore; she lowered the wand and bent her head. “I can't do that, I can't!” she shouted, sobbing.

“Stupid little girl! I don't need a traitor like you!” Voldemort pointed his wand at Angy.“Avada Kedavra!”

Everything happened in a fraction of a second: as the green ray of light exited Voldemort's wand, Marco got up, grabbed Angy's legs, and dragged her to the floor with all his strength.

The Unforgivable Curse hit a column at the back of the room, blowing it to pieces. Marco embraced the girl tightly, protecting her with his body.

When Angy raised her head, she stared Marco in the eyes; she was crying. “Oh, Marco, please forgive me,” she whispered desperately.

“You've been forgiven already, my love.” Marco spoke in a soft voice, gazing at her sweetly.

“Stop it! Now I'm going to kill you both!”

“You won't kill anybody, Tom!”

Voldemort turned abruptly to see who had spoken. “Finally, you've come! Right on time to witness my triumph!” Voldemort laughed, extremely amused, but he became serious when he saw Albus Dumbledore coming towards him.

The wise old man was walking slowly. His sumptuous robes were blue as the night sky and were rustling on the cold marble floor. His eyes had their usual twinkle.

“I am sorry to contradict you, but there won't be anything triumphant about your demise, Tom!” Dumbledore spoke in an extremely calm, firm voice.

“You are raving, stupid old man! Soon the Portal of Power will flood me with its shining aura and I will become the most powerful wizard of all ages. I'll defeat death forever and the whole magical world will finally bow to me.” Voldemort's voice was triumphant but Dumbledore didn't lose his calm.

“You've forgotten the sacrifice.”

“Ah, right! I am really sorry to inform you, that your dearest Harry Potter and his Mudblood friend have kindly offered their miserable lives to my cause. Surprised? It seems that this time, I've won, and you've lost!”

“No, you've lost, Tom! Look with your own eyes.” Dumbledore pointed at the magical mirror. Voldemort turned toward it, and jumped in place, astonished.

In the vortex was a human figure surrounded by a blinding light; a tall, slim man was coming out of the mirror, holding a girl in his arms.

Marco and Angy's eyes widened in surprise, as Harry and Hermione came out of the mirror, miraculously unharmed. Harry had an extremely regal air and was walking with his head up. Hermione seemed to be unconscious and her head was leaning on his shoulder; both were surrounded by a shining aura of light.

“It's not possible! I can't believe it!” Voldemort stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him and stepped backwards, worried.

“On the contrary, it's all real, Tom. The prophecy of the magical mirror wrote about a sacrifice, but you didn't understand the meaning of it. The Power beyond any other Power is the power of love, and the sacrifice was what Hermione did! Throwing herself into the vortex, she was able to save both Harry and herself. Love has finally defeated death, bringing Harry back to the world, to whom he belongs.” Dumbledore looked at Harry with affection.

“No, it's not true! I've studied the prophecy in detail, and now I want the power I deserve!” Voldemort was raving, moving closer to the magical mirror where the vortex of light was still whirling.

Harry walked toward Marco and Angy and then gently lowered Hermione to the floor close to them. “Care for her,” he said in a firm voice, and both nodded. Hermione was slowly regaining consciousness. Harry returned to Dumbledore and stopped at his side.

“Are you ready, Harry?” Dumbledore asked, smiling at him, and the young wizard nodded. Both stretched their arms out, towards Voldemort. “Tom! Is there maybe somebody who wants to sacrifice his life to save yours?” asked Dumbedore, staring the Dark Lord in the eyes.

Voldemort gazed at Angy hopefully, but she looked back at him with hatred; the evil wizard was now trembling like a leaf. “Please, have mercy!” Voldemort was begging like a wounded animal.

Suddenly, a globe of energy materialized in their hands, and changed into a powerful ray of blinding light, that Harry and Dumbledore hurled at their enemy, hitting him in the chest.

“Noooo!” Voldemort was knocked backwards into the Portal and disappeared forever, swallowed by the same vortex he had evoked.

At that moment, the eclipse ended, and the Portal of Power closed abruptly. The mirror surface became smooth again.

“Shall we make sure that nobody else will be able to use the Portal again in the future?” asked Dumbledore, looking at Harry and he nodded in response. Both threw another powerful ray of light at the mirror, which exploded, casting pieces everywhere.

Voldemort had been defeated by the strength of love and sacrifice.

Harry felt relieved; he looked at Dumbledore in gratitude, and the wise man smiled lovingly.

“Now, go to her,” Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded and returned to Hermione. She was still lying on the floor near Marco and Angy, who had assisted at the scene in reverent silence. Harry bent close to her and hugged her tightly in his arms. “It's over now,” he whispered sweetly.

“I love you, Harry, for ages,” Hermione whispered in his ear; he got lost in her deep brown eyes.

“I love you, too, Hermione, more than my own life.”

Tears of joy streamed down their faces; they'd never felt as united as in that very moment.

“I can't believe we're still alive!” she said.

“If you hadn't come after me, I would have remained trapped in that Portal for eternity. I owe you my life.” His voice was full of gratitude. Both were locked in each other's gaze.

Then Hermione wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and looked around; the room had been partially destroyed by the magical duel and the effects of the vortex.

With great surprise, she saw that at a distance, Angy and Marco were kissing passionately, holding each other in their arms.

When Hermione turned to Harry again, he was smiling sweetly. Without speaking a word, he cupped her face in his hands. Hermione's heart started to beat faster as Harry slowly leaned close and tenderly kissed her forehead. Their hearts were overflowing with love and happiness.

***O***

Dawn was slowly turning the roofs an intense pink and gold. Harry and Hermione had stopped for a moment to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city from the top of Trinità dei Monti. Rome couldn't be more beautiful.

Dumbledore had helped them get out of the Colosseum. Predictably, the Death Eaters had already left as soon as the Dark Lord had been defeated.

Harry and Hermione were so excited by the events that they decided to stay awake the whole night, walking along the narrow streets, hand in hand.

The Imperial Forums, the Maximum Circle, the Spanish Square, the whole city had been revealed to them like a jewel case full of treasures. They talked for hours about anything and everything, each one of them opening their hearts completely to the other.

They were hugged tightly, inebriated by the view in front of them. “It looks like a dream! Me and you in one of the most wonderful cities in the world,” Hermione said happily, feeling finally safer in Harry's arms.

“It isn't a dream, Hermione. This is reality. It's the dawn of a new life together,” he said warmly.

“A life without Voldemort!” she added.

“Unfortunately, it's always possible that another merciless being like him could come in the future. Voldemort wasn't the first one, and he won't be the last. The important thing is that we'll be together, loving each other.” Harry stared at the horizon thoughtfully.

“You've become wiser and reflective. I don't remember you like that!”

“There are many hidden sides of me still to discover. But you'll have all the time you want to do it!” said Harry enigmatically. “Since we're on the subject, where have Marco and Angy gone?” he asked, curious.

“They followed Dumbledore back to Hogwarts; Angy wants to make amends for her mistakes, and the Headmaster will help her. In the meantime, she'd like to show the magical world to Marco. I'm pretty sure that the two of them are going to get married soon!” Hermione added, winking.

“Well, I wish them all the happiness they deserve.”

Suddenly, she thought of something important. “There is a special place I'd like to take you,” she told him, grabbing his hand.

“Which place?” he asked, smiling.

“Do you trust me?” Hermione said enigmatically. Then she closed her eyes in deep concentration, and they both apparated with a loud, Crack! In a second, they had magically appeared in Venice.

“Wow! It's wonderful!” Harry was looking around him, astonished.

They were in the center of St Marco's Square, completely alone except for a large flock of doves, flying over their heads.

“We're in Venice, the city of lovers! Do you promise me that we'll come here for our honeymoon?” Hermione asked maliciously.

“W-what? Well, of course!” Harry hesitated, surprised. Then he came closer, smiling, and hugged her tightly. “I love you so much, you know?”

“I love you, too, Harry.”

The young witch got to her tiptoes and cupped her hands around Harry's face, realizing that the most important person in her whole life was standing in front of her. They pressed their foreheads together and she got lost in his shining green eyes. With their heart full of joy, they closed the eyes, and kissed passionately, sealing their love promise.

THE END

(A/N: Here we are then! I thank you all for following me in this wonderful adventure. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story, as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Now I'm going to thank each one of you for your great support: SarahLupin, Cheerydance, Pirate, RickyElRey, The Divine MsD, KJ Bridgerton, izzieq, PotterPrincess, Ftmble1, Ivanela, michelline, Allison, destroyerdrt, azmrS, dfca, DannySheffield, mycha KK, Cathy Ann, Iannereddy, PJ, diggingupophelia, SeK19005, The girl on the moon, louisemills1, funvince, Lordiluvatar, khermione85626, Pi Girl, Harry and Orlando, i found Nemo, april, sweetness, HarryWouldBeAPaladin, MrsDanielRadcliffe, smichick1614, Monica, Lyly Jane, Woodstock. I HOPE YOU'LL STILL FOLLOW MY OTHER STORY “SECRETS FROM THE PAST”. BYE FOR NOW! - Petronilla)

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