AUTHORS NOTE: First of all… thank you all for your wonderful reviews, as always *big grin* hee hee… Here's the next chapter, I think it ends kind of oddly but I really couldn't see it ending any other way no matter how much I played with it lol… I think you'll find chapter 27 a little more action packed (I hope so anyway, as it's in the plan but I have to let this fic carry me where it'll take me) so there's a little bit of a cliffie "spoiler" lol… I hope you all enjoy and as always I really enjoy reading your wonderful comments =o)
CHAPTER 26
*
Harry stood in the entrance hall of a large ancient looking manor. The wooden floors creaked with each uneasy step he took, the air was dry and smelled like fresh sawdust, and the sound of an old grandfather clock's ticking echoed throughout the house.
"Hello?" Harry called.
There was no reply. The manor seemed completely deserted, but something made Harry feel uneasy, something screamed inside of him that there was someone here that shouldn't be. Harry removed his wand from his robes and cautiously glided up the magnificent staircase.
On the upper floor of the manor was a long hallway with several doors. They were all closed. Harry assumed they all lead to rooms, but something made Harry's heart drift to his throat. Perhaps it was the emptiness the house portrayed, or perhaps it was that all the doors to each room were closed and he felt helplessly trapped.
Harry put his left hand on one of the cold handles of the many doors. With his right hand he gripped his wand firmly, ready to shout a spell in case of an attack. Taking a deep breath he pushed the first door open.
Empty.
Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead on one of his sleeves, and opened the door to the left of the one he had just examined.
Empty.
He was starting to gain more confidence now; he was starting to believe he was just being paranoid for no reason. Harry opened the door to the next room.
Empty; except, something caught his attention in the small room, what was it doing here? Next to the neatly made bed stood a magnificent mirror, it wasn't just any mirror; it was the mirror of Erised. Harry strolled over to the grand mirror and recognized the inscription engraved around the rim.
`Erised stra ehro oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'
He stood before the mirror. He saw himself and his entire family around him, but something was missing, something didn't feel like this picture was complete. Harry's heart gave a jolt when he saw someone new come into the picture, he knew who it was, he recognized that grin immediately. Hermione wrapped her arm around Harry's reflection and gave his cheek a brisk kiss. His reflection grinned.
Harry heard a noise coming from within the manor.
"Who's there?" He demanded as he rushed out into the long hallway.
There was only one door Harry hadn't yet opened; there was one door that remained closed. Harry put his hand on the cold metal knob and turned it.
Locked.
A dark, cold voice escaped from the room with the closed door. The low hiss made Harry's insides toss and his lightening shaped scar burned painfully. ""Potter…Potter… I've been waiting for you Potter." He hissed in a singsong manner.
"What do you want Voldemort!" Harry called through the door.
"Give me your soul and I'll give you," Harry heard a scream of pain, it was Hermione. "The girl."
"LEAVE HER ALONE, LET HER GO!" Harry yelled pounding on the door with his fists.
"HARRY NO, JUST GO!" He heard Hermione scream out before her mouth was muffled, presumably by Voldemort's slimy hand.
Harry aimed his wand at the locked door.
"Bombardium!" He shouted, causing the wooden door to burst into slivers.
Voldemort cackled, as if amused by Harry's actions.
"Do you surrender then Potter?" The Dark Lord questioned, holding Hermione against him with his wand pressed deeply against Hermione's throat.
She shook her head vigorously.
"Yes." He answered in defeat; dropping his wand and watching it clatter against the hardwood floor.
Voldemort summoned Harry's wand without muttering a word, then, with the most malicious grin he could muster he clearly, and ever so slowly spoke the words: "Avada Kedavra."
*
"He's awake, Madam Pomfrey, he's awake!"
He heard a shuffle of footsteps as he desperately fought to adjust to the Hospital Wing's bright light, and gasped for air.
"Mr. Potter, can you hear me?"
Harry groaned in response.
"You think that's a yes Madam Pomfrey?"
"Potter?"
"Yeah…I hear you." He mumbled, reaching out in search of his glasses.
He felt someone place them on his nose, making Ginny Weasley and Poppy Pomfrey come into focus.
"Thanks Ginny."
"No problem." She said gently. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Harry, your nose is bleeding."
"Oh dear, that's a heavy nosebleed!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, reaching for her wand.
"Don't worry its normal." Harry stated, pressing the tissue Ginny handed him to the flowing blood; it nearly stained completely in the moment he put it against his nose.
"Normal?" Madam Pomfrey's eye's widened in bewilderment.
"Yeah, it happens after a really bad… eerr,"
"Yes Mr. Potter?"
"Well…a… nightmare." He answered feeling his face grow slightly warm with embarrassment.
He suddenly realized that he had been with Hermione.
"Hermione, where's Hermione!" He panicked, trying to lunge from his bed.
"Take it easy Potter."
"You don't understand she's,"
"She's doing okay Harry, she still hasn't come out of it, but she should, just like you have." Ginny explained gently, pushing Harry back up against his fluffy pillows.
"Where is she?" He asked desperately, somehow feeling as though this was all his fault.
"Just a few beds down, I drew the curtains around her bed so she would get some peace, she needs some rest." Madam Pomfrey explained.
Harry stared at the bed surrounded by the white curtain, and wished he could just hold Hermione until her eyes would flutter open; he wondered if she was fighting a nightmare just as he had been.
He rubbed his face with a hand and then ran it through his hair, which was in quite a desperate need of a haircut by now.
"I need to speak with Albus Dumbledore." Harry demanded.
"That's not possible Potter, he's on urgent business." Madam Pomfrey said gently, before walking off to check on Hermione.
"Where? What's happened?" Harry questioned fixing Ginny with a puzzled look.
Ginny drew out the Daily Prophet from a pocket within her robes.
"More muggle attacks Harry, the ministry's having a hell of a time trying to cover up the mass killings." Ginny answered sadly.
Harry's eyes scanned back and forth over the print, ignoring the moving pictures.
"Five communities have been attacked, every single muggle within the communities was found dead." Ginny continued quietly.
Harry threw the Daily Prophet aside feeling sick to the stomach.
When will my time come? When will I be ready to take him down? What if I'll never be ready?
"Harry?"
He felt Ginny's hand rest on his shoulder.
"How many Auror's died?" He asked feeling his voice falter.
"Another group of young trainee's, four fully qualified wizards, and two fully qualified witches."
"Anyone from the Order?"
Ginny's eyes fell to her shoes.
"Yes," She answered reluctantly. "Felix."
Harry closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the pillow. He tried not to blame himself for everything that had happened, but he couldn't help it. Guilt swept through him and he felt like the hand that murdered all those innocent people.
"Are you going to be alright?" She asked cautiously.
Harry nodded even though he meant to shake his head.
"Listen Gin, go and do what you need to do, I'll be fine." He said gently.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'll come back later with Ron and Luna." She said with a small smile.
"Sure, and bring Hermione her homework, when she wakes up she'll be in fits for missing classes in her last year."
Ginny laughed, assuring Harry she'd do her best.
"See you later Gin."
She nodded making her way out of the Hospital Wing; she stole a last glance at Harry before retreating out the door.
Harry shifted in the hospital bed, glancing around thoroughly for Poppy Pomfrey; She was nowhere in sight
Kicking the white sheets aside, he swung his legs off the side of the bed and winced slightly at the unpleasant chill of the floor beneath his bare feet.
Ever so quietly, he pattered over to the curtain surrounding Hermione's bed and disappeared behind it.
Hermione had been placed to lie on her back with her arms at her sides, and over her covers. Her chest moved up and down to the same pattern as Harry's calm breaths, her eyes were lightly closed, and her lips were slightly puckered forming an adorable pout.
He sat down gently beside her and took her left hand in his right; thumbing circles near her knuckles.
"Don't worry Hermione, we'll figure this out, for now, you just rest."
He brushed a few bushy strands of hair from her face and softly kissed her forehead.
She cracked her dark eyes open a smidge, frowning from the brightness of the room.
"What if I'm not sleepy anymore?" She questioned in a raspy voice.
Harry gave her a lopsided grin before carefully pressing his lips to hers.
"Are you okay?" He whispered.
"Yeah, I think so." She hesitated for a moment. "I, I heard everything that Ginny said, about the deaths…"
Harry sighed heavily.
"So many lives lost, and, and it's all my,"
"No Harry, you are not blaming this on yourself." She said rather sternly.
"It's what I do Hermione, it's my bloody prophecy and what am I doing about it? Hiding in a school while innocent lives are lost in an effort to draw me out."
"You're getting prepared, your not hiding out." She said each word as though it pained her to speak her thoughts.
"I know, you're right," He finally said after a long moment of silence between them. "I'm just… I'm just so angry!" He yelled through gritted teeth, slamming a fist into the mattress.
She watched him fight tears briefly, before putting her delicate hand on his shoulder.
"What in the name of Merlin is going on in here?"
Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains open from around Hermione's bed, scowling at both students.
"You most certainly are not my only two patients, I cannot tolerate such outbursts!"
"Sorry Madam Pomfrey." Harry and Hermione apologized in unison.
"You, Mr. Potter are supposed to be in bed young man!" She scolded shooing Harry back to his bed.
"Miss Granger, how do you feel?"
"Alright, I have a little bit of a headache." She confessed, pressing her fingers to her temples.
"I don't doubt you would with all that racket Mr. Potter's created."
Hermione rolled her eyes, while Harry tried to swallow the thick lump that formed instantly in his throat.
"Sorry." He murmured.
"That's quite alright, but please, no more yelling, is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." He nodded as Madam Pomfrey watched Hermione take her potion. She then scurried off to her office.
"These potions are wretched; couldn't they make them taste more pleasant?" Hermione complained making a face to display her disgust.
"What'd she give you?"
"I don't know, but I don' think it was a sleeping potion, I don't feel," Hermione yawned. "sleepy."
"Oh yeah, you look wide awake." Harry sniggered.
Hermione creased her forehead, opening her mouth to respond, but in that moment, she fell back into a deep sleep.
Harry chuckled in amusement; it was a sleeping potion after all.
Shaking his head he crawled out of bed and snuggled up next to her; his girlfriend, his other half, his soul mate.
*
Hermione awoke feeling a warm body press against her back; she didn't have to look to know it was Harry. He wasn't sleeping; his fingers drew circular motions on her stomach relaxing her further. For a while, she didn't give him any sign that she too was awake, she just enjoyed the silence between them and his need to hold her close.
"Harry?" She whispered softly.
"Mmm?"
"What do you think it all means?"
He knew what she was talking about, it was exactly what he had been thinking of himself.
"You mean your sudden connection with Voldemort?"
"I don't think it's a connection with Voldemort Harry, I think… well,"
"Go on." He urged gently.
She felt his warm breath on the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"I think it's a connection with you."
His fingers stopped drawing circles on her stomach.
"What?" He questioned.
"Just think about it, when…when it happens, I hear… I hear your mum, and it always happens at the same time that it's happening to you."
"Why would Voldemort want us to have a connection?"
"Maybe he doesn't; it's possible he doesn't even know about it." Hermione answered slowly.
Luna wandered into the hospital wing, gazing about at the white walls and student sized beds as though she had never set foot there before. Eventually her enormous blue eyes fell on the couple cuddled together on one of the many beds. Watching the two briefly, she seemed to fall into a further daze with her head slightly tilted to one side and her arms comfortably before her, holding a large bouquet of weeds upside down.
"Hello Luna." Hermione said, eyeing the strange, yet thoughtful bouquet.
Harry stirred behind her; she guessed he couldn't quite see over her bushy head of hair.
Luna didn't reply. Instead, she marched to Hermione's bedside table and took a hold of a vase full of roses.
"How are you both?" She questioned emptying the fresh red roses and replacing them with her bundle of weeds.
"Great." Harry chuckled.
Hermione seemed torn between telling Luna off for throwing her roses away, and thanking her for being thoughtful. She settled on giving Luna a smile that turned out looking more like a grimace.
"They're pretty aren't they?" Luna questioned happily.
Harry gave a snort behind her which caused him to receive a jab in the chest courtesy of Hermione's elbow.
"Err…well, thank you." She mumbled awkwardly in reply. "Where's Ron?"
"Ronald and Ginny had Quidditch practice." Luna said simply.
"Thanks for coming to see us yourself Luna." Harry said genuinely.
"Oh, it's no bother," She said calmly. "but I also came to tell you that Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you in his office."
Hermione sat upright so suddenly she felt her eyes blacking out.
"Professor Dumbledore?" She gasped.
"Yes." Luna answered simply.
Both Harry and Hermione lunged out of bed, grabbing their wands hastily from their bedside tables.
"Before I forget." Luna announced over the noisy clatter. "You might need the password."
But neither Harry, nor Hermione seemed to have heard the young blond Ravenclaw as they sped from the hospital wing towards the stone gargoyles guarding Professor Dumbledore's office.
"What's the password?" Hermione questioned nearly out of breath, resisting the urge to lean her weight on one of the gargoyles guarding the headmasters office.
"Err, no idea, I mean, Aberforth could have chosen any password."
"Mmm, clearly he wouldn't have used the same one as Dumbledore, I mean, Albus Dumbledore."
"No, I don't think so, but we could try." Harry decided. "Fudge flies, acid pops, chocolate frogs, sherbet lemon, lemon drop,"
"Harry, its no use, we'll have to find another way in!"
Hermione opened her mouth to suggest possibly summoning Harry's Firebolt and flying up to the window, when the stone gargoyles leap aside, revealing the moving staircase.
"Or that works." She frowned, eyeing the gargoyles suspiciously.
"You don't think they,"
"I have no idea, anything's possible in this school." Hermione said with a laugh.
Harry took her by the hand and lead her past the stone gargoyles and onto the moving staircase.
"Scared?" He asked, seeing her shiver slightly.
"A little, I mean, of what we may find."
He nodded in agreement.
They reached the door where Harry knocked firmly on the closed door. They waited patiently, and waited, and waited some more.
Harry reached to knock again when the door creaked open slightly to reveal two icy blue eyes, a large straight nose and a frown from the old man.
"Err, hello sir, we were told Professor Dumbledore wished to see us?" Harry said, half wishing he could just slip away from Aberforth's grumpy look.
"Oh, yes, do come in." Aberforth said firmly, opening the door wide enough for Harry and Hermione to slip through sideways.
Dumbledore's office looked the same as it always had except it smelled a bit like goats, Fawkes wasn't on his perch and the Professor was no where to be seen.
"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione questioned without making eye contact with Aberforth.
"Right here." He answered, pointing at himself.
"No sir, we mean Albus Dumbledore." Harry explained.
Aberforth's grumpy face broke into what might have been a smile.
"I asked Miss Lovegood to send for you both to see me. I see she has chosen to call me Professor Dumbledore which had you both confused."
"Sorry sir." Hermione apologized feeling herself blush rather heavily.
"No need, no need, my brother's heart rests in this school, and I am more than proud to see that even when he is not present, his spirit within these walls is impressively strong."
"What did you want to see us about…err… Sir?" Harry asked wanting to get to the point, feeling his adrenaline drain when learning that Dumbledore would not be helping them solve the strange incident mystery.
"Do you wish to speak of what had happened that caused the both of you to end up in the hospital wing?" Aberforth questioned, eyeing both students carefully.
They looked at one another.
Hermione seemed torn between telling someone and not discussing it with anyone but Harry and Albus Dumbledore.
Harry on the other hand wanted answers, and if those answers could be provided by Aberforth, so be it; but he was going to leave this in Hermione's hands, it was now her choice to make, not his.
"Well," She looked to Harry for his opinion on the matter, but he had set a straight face, avoiding her eyes in an effort to allow her to make her own decision which normally didn't work as she was able to see right through him. "No Sir, it was nothing." This time, however, it seemed to have worked.
"Very well," Aberforth said gently. "if you ever wish to talk, you may visit me at any hour… my password is goat's milk."
"Goat's milk?" Harry asked, not really expecting a reply.
"Yes," He nodded. "It's my favorite."
Both Harry and Hermione tried not to wear a look of confusion and disgust.
"I bid you both a good evening, you may leave the hospital wing if you both feel your strengths have returned." Aberforth said again, ushering them to the door.
They said their farewells to the new headmaster and decided they would retreat to the great hall for dinner before retiring for the night.
Harry chose not to ask Hermione about her decision regarding the incident the previous night. They had, after all, already discussed the matter amongst themselves, and truthfully there really was nothing else to say about it.
They joined Ron and Ginny at the Gryffindor table who were discussing Quidditch practice.
"You both alright then?" Ron asked clapping Harry roughly on the shoulder with one hand and giving Hermione a one armed embrace with the other.
"Yeah, we're here aren't we?" Harry laughed.
"We went up to see you after practice, but you weren't there." Ginny explained, her focus on Harry.
"We went to see the headmaster." Hermione stated rather acidly.
"Oh, what'd he want to see you about?" Ron asked curiously.
"Nothing important." Hermione answered, hoping Harry wouldn't clue them in. "What did we miss in class?" She asked hoping to change the subject.
"Nothing really, don't worry, you're already ahead Hermione." Ron laughed.
Hermione, of course, doubted this very much, especially when it came to Potions class.
"Did Madam Pomfrey know what happened to you both last night?" Ginny asked, again directing her question at Harry.
"No, she didn't." He answered truthfully. "But there's always weird things happening to me."
"Yeah, that's for sure." Ron decided, pulling the platter of chicken closer to his plate.
"So, when's the next Quidditch game?" Hermione asked, not really interested in the topic of choice, but hoping to steer their thoughts elsewhere.
"Next Saturday, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, if we can beat them we'll have no trouble beating Slytherin in the next game." Ron said happily, though the look of triumph was replaced by a look of worry when he eyed the Ravenclaw table; no doubt worried that the game may cause tension between himself and Luna.
"Nearly half the Slytherin team is brand new, they needed to recruit new team members after so many dropped out of school after the attack on Hogsmead." Ginny elaborated.
"So you're assuming they won't be any good?" Hermione questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Safe bet, yeah." Ron answered with a grin.
"Kind of seems like a gamble to me." Hermione decided offhandedly.
"Come off it Hermione, you don't know Quidditch." Ron said, shaking his head as though he were explaining the game to a two year old.
Hermione felt rather hurt. She may have not been up there with the team on a broomstick, but she had been diligently watching Quidditch games since Harry began playing the game. It was just like her to treat even Quidditch as a learning experience, she soon had a vast idea of what worked for the team and what didn't, which tactic worked best against each house team, and where the team's flaws were. She tried several times to give Ron subtle hints on what she had learned over the years, but he had always dismissed her as someone who hadn't a clue about the sport. She had not persisted in trying to make Ron see what she knew, because he was the Quidditch Captain and if he failed to see how useful she could be, it was his loss. She was willing to bet her life's fortune that Harry would have listened to her, perhaps not initially, but eventually he would understand that she did know what she was talking about.
"She has a point Ron." She felt warmth within her at the sound of Harry's voice coming to her defense. "Just because they're new recruits doesn't mean they won't be good at the game, Marco Hess isn't a stupid Captain; he'll take the ones that play Quidditch at home on his team."
"That's true, I hadn't thought if that." Ginny answered. "And of course, they come from pure blood families so it'll be much easier to recruit team members who know how Quidditch works for the team."
"Exactly." Harry agreed giving Hermione a lopsided grin.
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