Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 5

There are some minor changes in this chapter. And now...time for some much needed Draco bashing......... ;)

THE BURROW

He just sat there. It was all so surreal. What had happened? Oh yeah. His brother was dead. And why was he dead? Because he saved Ron's life. Something Ron had never seen coming. Why hadn't he seen that his brother cared? He and the twins had spent so much time making fun of him and his high and mighty attitude. The casket seemed to float past. He couldn't see the pallbearers...only the casket. He had often thought of how Percy would feel if he had died. Now Ron knew the answer to this question. Percy had given his life so he wouldn't have to find out. In death Percy had somehow become the brother Ron had never imagined he was in life.

Ron looked at his parents. They couldn't stop crying. Fred and George just looked lost. Ginny had been so upset that she'd locked herself in her room and wouldn't come out. Charlie and Bill sat in their seats with their heads in their hands. Harry and Hermione looked sad but they weren't hurting nearly as much as him. Ron had always loved Percy deep down but he had never known he'd be in so much pain.

Ron's parents had always said they stopped at seven children because seven was a lucky number. Where was that luck four days ago? He walked up to the casket. "Percy looks so peaceful," he thought. It was strange. Percy was never peaceful. "There should be a holier than thou scowl on his face....not this fake smile." His resolve began to crumble as his body started shaking a little. "This is wrong... Tears spilled down his cheeks. "...all WRONG!" he yelled out loud. He couldn't take it. He ran down the isle and into the woods behind the house.

Harry was about to go after Ron, but Hermione put a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "He needs some time alone," she said. Harry nodded.

~THREE DAYS LATER~

Everyone had gathered for the second half of Ron's trial. The room was very quiet. Even Tigerlilly looked solemn. She banged the gavel on the desk. "This trial will now commence," she said off-handedly. She ran her fingers through her navy blue hair and sighed. "Ronald Weasley. Initially I was prepared to send you to Azkaban." Ron flinched "But I feel I must take recent events into account. I knew Percy very well, and I know he wouldn't have sacrificed himself if he believed even for one instant that you were guilty. Therefore, the charges against you are hereby dismissed."

Ron should have been ecstatic, but all he managed was a mumbled "Thank you."

"This trial is over. Please accept my sincerest condolences Ron. Percy was a good man," Tigerlilly said sympathetically.

As everyone was leaving the room Ron spotted Malfoy walking down the corridor and something inside him snapped. He broke away from his Mother's comforting arms and ran at Malfoy screaming at the top of his lungs. Malfoy just stood there looking like a deer caught in a car's headlights. Harry would have laughed if he hadn't been so shocked.

Ron collided with Malfoy, knocking him to the floor. He threw punch after punch into every part of Malfoy's shaking body. Blood began flowing from Malfoy's nose and mouth. "Someone get him off me! He's gone crazy!" Malfoy yelled. The crack of Malfoy's nose breaking brought everyone out of their stunned trance.

Ron's parents ran over to the fight and tried to control him with no success. "IT'S HIS FAULT!!!" Ron screamed. "IF HE HADN'T PUSHED ME DOWN PERCY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO SAVE ME!" he cried as tears came from his crazed eyes. "HE KILLED PERCY!!!!!!" Malfoy's face began to take on an ugly purple color.

Dumbledore decided Malfoy had finally had enough. Although truth be told he thought Malfoy deserved what he got. He aimed his wand at Ron. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said calmly. Ron lifted upwards, still punching and kicking at the air.

Ron was furious. "Lemme down! Lemme down!"

Dumbledore simple shook his head and walked down the hall toward an empty classroom, dragging Ron behind him like a helium balloon.

~ 2 MONTHS LATER...........

Ron was adjusting. He had pretty much gone back to being himself. Occasionally he would get depressed and mope for a few days but Madam Pomfrey had assured Harry and Hermione that this was normal. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Wendy busied themselves with trying to find out just what the heck the soul crystal was.

Hagrid sat by himself on the porch swing in the Hogwarts gardens. It groaned under his weight. He sighed. He hadn't seen the air at Hogwarts this dismal since the Potters had been killed. Why had the bubble sprites been out of the forest? They normally fed only on bright spots; free floating balls of magic that rose up out of enchanted swamps. He had a sudden flash of inspiration and jumped off the swing, heading for Dumbledore's office as fast as he could run.

Dumbledore paced back and forth in front of his desk. Every once in a while he'd stop as though he were thinking and then go back to pacing. Finally he sank into his chair. "So. It's awake," he remarked with a horrible sound of finality in his voice.

"I think so. What else would scare bubble sprites outta their swamp?" replied Hagrid as he fidgeted with the ties on his coat.

"Ask the centaurs to keep an eye out for the crystal. In the meantime, I shall notify the ministry. We will need guards at the forest edge." Dumbledore had his expression set in such a way that he might as well have been made of stone.

"Yes Sir," said Hagrid as he rose out of his chair and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Hagrid?" Dumbledore said with a stern tone.

"Yeah?" Hagrid paused in the doorway.

"Harry must not know of this. If he finds out what that crystal may hold I doubt all the magic in the world could keep him from trying to acquire it."

"Course Professor. I won' slip up like last time. Yeh can coun' on me," Hagrid said proudly.

"I know I can," Dumbledore said although he wasn't sure he believed it.

Harry dropped his head on his desk. He hadn't gotten much sleep lately and it showed in the lazy scrawling he'd been doing on his parchment.

Professor McGonagall frowned as she came across his desk.. "Harry. This is not art class," she said as she tapped the drawing with the end of her wand.

Harry looked up with droopy eyes. "Sorry."

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Just see that it doesn't happen again."

As class ended Professor McGonagall called for the trio to stay behind. As they stood in front of her desk they knew there were some uncomfortable questions coming. "I want to know what you three have been doing up so late at night," she said as she tapped her fingers on the desk.

They knew she was right and there was no way around it. "Harry's been having some strange dreams lately and we've been doing research to learn what they're about," said Hermione, a little too fast.

McGonagall folded her arms. "I trust you did not leave the common room whilst doing this research?" All three students shook their heads rapidly. "Because your only crime thus far is nearly falling asleep in my class I'll only deduct five points from Gryffindor." The trio bit their lips. "Now scat. Before I change my mind," she said as she pointed toward the door.

Hermione, Harry, Ron and Wendy arrived at the front gates after visiting Hagrid to find Lee Jordan and the Weasley twins huddled together, talking excitedly over a leather pouch in Fred's hand. Lee (A/N- Lee was also held back.) and the twins hid the pouch behind their backs as soon as they saw the other students.

Wendy had become good friends with Lee and the twins over the past few months. She also loved practical jokes and, much to Harry's chagrin, had gone with them on several prank runs.

Wendy ran toward the twins, wanting to see their new product, when she tripped on a mound of earth and fell. Her falling hands hit the pouch and sent it's contents flying. Hundreds of tiny, pink pellets rained all over the ground. Fred and George looked absolutely crestfallen. There was no way their mother wasn't going to hear about this.

The ground shook slightly and then the pellets began to sprout something. Hermione and the others squinted to see what was coming up. The sprouts shot up to their full height and took their final form. The students burst out laughing. The majestic grounds of Hogwarts was covered in pink, plastic lawn flamingos.

The Twins and Lee shot Wendy a look that said they weren't too happy with her. Wendy shrank back against her brother. "Ever notice how the Earth never opens up an swallows you when you really need it to?" she said. Harry nodded through his giggles.

"FRED, GEORGE and LEE! In my office! NOW!" came McGonagall's angry voice from the main doors. All three boys hung their heads and shuffled towards their impending doom.

Hermione's nightgown was plastered to her body with sweat. She was having a nightmare. In this dream she had just finished telling Harry how she felt about him when Voldemort came out of nowhere and stabbed Harry through the heart with his wand. She sat up sharply in bed. Her hair was matted to the side of her head. "Oh God. Why? It's not fair. I want to tell him. But I'm scared now," she moaned. This nightmare was the reason she hadn't admitted her feelings to Harry yet, that and the fact that he had said more than once that he liked Cho.

Harry had told Hermione about the Soul Crystal. She swore she remembered reading about it somewhere in one of the library books, but when she when went to read them again yesterday all books about the crystal had been removed from the shelves. The books about wizarding history from twenty years ago on were also missing in action. She had asked Dumbledore about it but he had just said it was for the best.

"Damn Harry for being so cute anyway." Hermione thought. "I don't want to be in love with my best friend." She sucked in a breath. "Whoa. Wait a minute. Love? Where did that come from?" She bit her lower lip. She had known she liked Harry, but could she really be in love with him? "Oh please no. Not Harry. Anyone but Harry. He's not interested in me. I know it. Just wonderful. I happen to be in love with someone I can't have." She felt like she wanted to cry.

Hermione suddenly had a desperate need to find out what the Soul Crystal was. Maybe if she found the information for him he could forget about Cho for a second. She groped around on the floor for her robe. She pulled on the robe and snuck into the boys' dormitory. After a moment of rooting around in Harry's trunk she found the invisibility cloak. She threw it over herself and left the Gryffindor tower. She knew where to look for the books. She took an deep breath and silently headed for Dumbledore's office.

.........TO BE CONTINUED
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