Chapter 7
The One
Harry stood up so abruptly from his chair that it fell over, but he didn't care.
"Do nothing about it? Nothing? Who do you think I am? I remember it clearly being you who told me about my prophecy last year!"
"This is the exact reaction that I feared from you, Harry, and I truly am sorry but I cannot let you risk your life at a time like this. It is too dangerous. You cannot act now. Not until the war is over..."
"Over? How do I know when it will be over?" Harry was now pacing about the office, his hand tied together behind his back.
"You will know, Harry."
Harry took a deep breath and decided not to lose his temper again. He picked up the chair that had fallen over and sat in it, sinking his head into his palms.
"Attack?" he asked. "What happened? Was anyone hurt? Did anyone - was anyone...killed?"
He looked up at Dumbledore, who Harry recognized was not looking him directly in the eye.
"I am afraid," said Dumbledore, "and I will not lie to you, Harry, that lives were, indeed, lost in the process. Despite all of the research and undercover work done by the Order, the attack was very sudden and unpredictable. The Department of Mysteries was, however, thankfully untouched. It is protected by a magic more powerful than even I know of, Harry."
"Who?" asked Harry, all breath escaping his lungs. "Who died?"
"None of our members, luckily. But many who held offices within the building are no longer with us as, I am sad to say, I will be announcing to the entire school. There is a great number to whom the students that attend Hogwarts belonged to as children and it is important that they are some of the first to know."
Harry wanted to do something; he wanted to strangle someone...something...anything...Voldemort. He couldn't take it anymore...Harry had gotten up and was about to make his way for the door when Dumbledore said, "Harry, where are you going?"
"I..I...to tell you the truth, sir, I have no idea."
"I thought so."
Harry went back and sat in the chair.
"Sir, how come I ceased having those dreams? I no longer know if he's angry, or happy, or mad...Why is that?"
"Harry, despite your succession in Occlumency, which I do not doubt, I am guessing that it is Voldemort who closed you out, Harry."
"What?"
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "You see, with him planning his moves and attacks for the war, he simply could not have you prying around in his thoughts now that you knew that he could trick you. I am guessing that Voldemort himself took up Occlumency and decided that the risk was simply not worth it."
"And - and sir? Could I ask you another question?"
"You may," said Dumbledore.
"How do you think he found the power to destroy the veil?"
Dumbledore's face suddenly sank. "I am afraid I do not know the answer to that, Harry."
"Not even a clue?"
"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "And if I did, I do not think that it would be wise for me to tell you...yet."
"What about the dementors? They left Azkaban, didn't they? Doesn't that mean that all of the Death Eaters escaped?"
"Thankfully not, Harry. You see, before Voldemort could act on the dementors, I persuaded the Ministry - or rather made sure that Percy Weasley got rid of them as guards and stationed other creatures in their place."
"What kinds of creatures?"
"Aquapaths."
"Aquapaths? But I though - "
"Yes, I spoke to them the day you left to Hogwarts and made sure that enough of them were stationed at Azkaban. You see, they will not fight in the war, but they are willing to help. Because Azkaban is at sea, I begged them to guard it from all sides. Aquapaths have unbelievable powers of torture if one is to cross their path. They were the creatures that I had always preferred to use, but the problem was that they never really would trust wizards enough to come away from the Bermuda Triangle. After much persuasion, however, I convinced them to do so."
"And - and Narcissa Malfoy, sir? You trust her?"
"I trust Professor Malfoy as much as I trust Severus Snape."
Harry nodded and realized that it was time for him to leave.
"I'll - er - I'll see you later, I suppose."
"No need, Harry. I will be coming with you immediately. This news must be delivered to the school by no other than it's Headmaster. And, well, the fact being that I am bound to that duty, I will be the one to fulfill the unfortunate deed."
Dumbledore got up and Harry noticed that he was looking even more elderly than before. Harry walked out of the office, closely followed by Dumbledore, and they arrived in the Great Hall where Harry joined Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville while Dumbledore made his way to the front in order to make his speech.
"Afternoon, students. I am well aware that I was instructed to not inform you of anything about the Maneosioan War, but recent event must sadly be taken into account. My children, you were not alive when the Primorisioan War took place, as I am too glad too say, but, I must unfortunately state that this Last War might well be the end of all of our days. Some days had already been shortened to those dear to us in the First War, and some....have already begun to shorten in the Last. It is my misfortune to announce that the Manoesioan War has begun and Voldemort...Voldemort has struck...at our very own Ministry of Magic. Weep, my children, for I must also inform you that dear friends, family members, and parents have been lost in the process. I must add, however, that they will be remembered forever...for they died in the shadow of Lord Voldemort...not as his supporters, but as his enemies. And the enemies of the one Great Enemy are our dearest and most beloved friends. May this night be forever in the memory of those who died at the Ministry of Magic. I am amazed I have found words for this...but, rest assured, that Lord Voldemort will pay....yes...he will pay...dearly. Thank you."
Harry had never heard another speech like it; it was absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying. He watched as, one by one, a vast majority of the students began shaking as Dumbledore began to speak and ended up having tears splashing down their front. Harry looked over the Ravenclaw table and saw Cho comforting her friend, Marietta. He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who were shaking their head in disbelief, one looking more panicked than the other. Harry turned to Ginny, who was also crying and spoke to her, "You're dad's fine and so is Percy. Dumbledore told me," and a smile broke across her face from hearing this information.
He watched as a tear trickled down Hermione's cheek and he took her hand under the table, squeezing it gently, at which she looked up at him and tried to smile, and then cast her eyes down again, trying to hide the tears. Harry couldn't bring himself to believe it but, as he heard the speech, he couldn't help but feel like going back in time and stopping himself from ever telling Hermione about the prophecy. He wasn't sorry for confessing his love for her, but seeing her tear her heart apart at the thought of the war made his blood run cold.
As they made their way back to their dormitories, Harry noticed that it was the most silent walk ever; no one said a word and soft wails and whispers could be heard emerging now and then from the crowd.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to the couches in the common room and sat by the fire. Hermione still had tears rolling down her cheeks and Harry pulled her into a hug, forgetting that they were supposed to be pretending to be "just friends."
"H-Harry...I can't take it anymore...no more...it's too m-much!"
"It's all right, Hermione..."
She sobbed even harder as she buried her face in Harry's chest.
"Hermione," he whispered to her, "I'm sorry."
"For w-what, Harry? Y-you haven't done anything."
"Not yet...but I have to do something now...Hermione, it's over...I can't do this to you anymore...I can't love you without seeing you hurt...we can't be together anymore..."
"What? Harry, I'm in love with you!" she whispered. "I could never - what are you - how could you - ?"
"It's over, Hermione," said Harry, avoiding looking at her in the face. She looked at him with a puzzled expression and he could tell that she didn't understand this as much as he did. She burst into even stronger tears and placed both of her hands on her face, running to the girl's dormitory.
"What did you say to her?" asked Ron, who hadn't heard the conversation even though he was sitting next to them.
"We're finished, Ron," said Harry. "Hermione and I, we're not together anymore..."
Ron's jaw dropped and he said, "You idiot!" as he, too, left up to his dormitory, without saying another word to Harry.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were back on speaking terms and were behaving like regular friends, just as ever. Harry had spoken to Hermione and made sure that she understood his decision, at which her answer was that she didn't, but that she would follow suit. He still loved her and nothing was going to change that, but he couldn't lose her; he couldn't imagine himself in the same state that students were when Dumbledore announced that deaths had taken place at the Ministry of Magic.
Professor Malfoy turned out to know quite a lot of information about the Twelve Eternal Spells. They had already gone over the Transferal Spell, which wasn't referring to an actual Kiss, as she had mentioned it's similarity to it, but a spell that a witch or wizard could cast by switching souls with another. Next was the Mortality Spell, which required an extremely powerful magical being in order to be cast, and would ensure that the human would eventually die in practically no time at all, with no way to overcome it. Neither of these spells could be practiced, unfortunately, as they required human use and wand application of only the strongest power, but Harry found it interesting all the same. This week, they were moving onto the fourth Spell which was called the Separation Spell. Narcissa had not claimed to have told them what it meant, and Hermione had searched the entire library to find out something about it, but it seemed that all information about the Eternal Spells was kept in the Restricted Section.
"I know she's a Malfoy," said Hermione, "but you've got to admit that she's a brilliant defense teacher."
"But, I mean, we're not going over much, are we?" said Ron. "We're only probably going to be going on about these Spells all year, aren't we?"
"Not going over much? Ron, these Spells are probably amongst the most ancient and powerful to be ever created!"
Hermione had seemed determined that the destruction on the veil was a gigantic leap for the beginning of the war, so she was researching anything and everything to figure out how Voldemort could have found a power to destroy it.
"It just doesn't make sense!" she said after flipping over one of the books in the Room of Requirements as they had just finished another D. A. meeting. "There's just absolutely nothing here. Unless...." A dreamy expression occupied her face.
"Unless what, Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Harry, remember...that....that article that Rita Skeeter did on you...the interview...do you have a copy?"
"No...but -"
Before he could say anything, a copy of the article had appeared on the book shelf and Hermione picked it up, whispering, "Thanks," to the room.
"Of course," she said as her eyes lighted up, running through the page.
"Are you going to say -?"
"Yes," said Hermione. "Harry, do you remember Priori Incantatem?"
"Yeah," said Harry, "but - "
"Harry, I think that when your wand met with Voldemorts it - it opened," she breathed, "a White Hole Portal."
"What?"
"It fits, doesn't it?"
"Not really."
"Look!" Hermione took out a book from her bag that Harry recognized was the same one that they had stolen out of Dumbledore's library.
"You stole the book!" said Ron.
"I didn't steal it, Ron! I just...borrowed it without permission."
"Yeah, as in stealing it."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ron. Come to think of it, I think that Dumbledore wanted us to take the book. I mean, I'm sure he would have had enchantments on all of the books in the library so that they couldn't be removed without his knowledge, wouldn't he?"
"I guess..." said Ron.
"Anyway," she said, turning to Harry, "it says here that the White Hole Portal is an opening from the other Realm. One of them comes from the Realm of Death. And don't you remember how those figures appeared out of Voldemort's wand, Harry? It's as if they came back to life."
"So you're saying that something about the connection of our wands opened the Portal?"
"Exactly," said Hermione. "But" - she surveyed the article -" it doesn't say much about it in here. Harry, can you be more specific on what happened when your wands connected?"
"Well, see, both of our wands each have a feather from Fawks, Dumbledore's phoenix, and - "
"And what, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Phoenix! Hermione, you need to research phoenix feathers and songs; when our wands connected, this sort of cage-like sphere formed around us and I distinctively heard the phoenix song."
"Phoenix...phoenix...show me phoenix...." muttered Hermione under her breath. A red book appeared in the center of the shelf, pushing the other books on either side of it. Hermione grabbed it and her eyes grew wide.
"Oh, this is impossible! There's just too much information here. This will take me a while to figure out..."
"That's alright, Hermione," said Harry.
"Well, best get started," said Hermione, who took the book and walked off to the Gryffindor common room.
"First match is Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw," Harry announced to the team as they met up for Quidditch practice. "This is going to be a tough one, but I have no doubt that we will be able to beat them. Ron...how's your training been going?"
"Great! I actually made a goal past Matt once!"
"Excellent! Ginny...Katie...how are your positions?"
"Solid," said Katie.
"Superior!" said Harry. "Seamus...Euan....how are you doing?"
"Brilliant!" said Euan.
"Perfect!" said Harry. "And Matt...I don't need to ask." Ron cast a sideways glance at Matt and scowled.
"So, with that, I'm going to release the bludgers, the snitch, and the quaffle. My strategy is to catch the snitch as soon as possible. Ginny, Katie, and Ron...you three will practice the Gliding Technique while I'll try out the Wronski Feint. Seamus...Euan...you two wack those bludgers around nice and hard, and I don't want do see any nose bleeds! Matt...you do what you've got to do... Let's go! Out!"
"Jeez, Harry. You're worse that Wood!" said Katie.
"You'll thank me later," said Harry.
Harry had managed to read up on how to perform the same Wronski Feint that he had seen done at the Quidditch World Cup while Hermione, Ginny, and Katie kept coaching Ron on his Chaser position. He had sent Wood a letter telling him that he was made captain and he suggested that the try out the Gliding Technique that he had heard of while training for Puddlemore United.
Watching the team, Harry could tell that they were getting pretty strong, if not unstoppable. If only he could see how good Ravenclaw really was...
"How was practice?" asked Hermione as Harry, Ron, and Ginny joined her after being out in the field for two hours.
"Awesome," said Harry.
"Really?" asked Hermione. "You're that sure?"
"And you aren't?" asked Harry.
"Well, it's just that I don't want to see you lose, Harry."
"You don't want to see me lose or you don't want to see Gryffindor lose?"
"Well, both," said Hermione, slightly blushing.
Harry smiled at her.
"Harry, why are we doing this to ourselves? We know we're in love! There's nothing - "
"Don't start with that, Hermione. I already told you -"
"What, Harry? That you're doing this for my safety? For your safety? Who are you doing this for, Harry, tell me?"
"Both of us," said Harry. "It's too important. We're still friends, aren't we?"
"Yeah," said Hermione, still looking into his eyes, "but if we could just..."
Hermione was leaning closer to him and Harry did the same. Inches apart, Harry suddenly jumped and said, "No, Hermione! Stop it, will you? I can't do this! Just let me be!" and ran up to the boys dormitory, although he knew that he had tears swelling in his eyes.
Harry sat in his bed, his eyes still unusually watery, and was examining the green and golden ring on his finger. Harry wanted to take it off; he wanted it to end. He didn't want to have feelings for Hermione only to see her get hurt. Maybe, thought Harry, if I take off the ring, then maybe I'll let go of my love for her. Harry reached for the ring on his right hand, but couldn't do it. Even if he did take of the ring, he knew that it wouldn't matter.
The door creaked open and he found Hermione standing in the doorway.
"Hermione! What are you doing here? This is the boy's dormitory!" Harry said, although he didn't mind her being there at all; he wished to talk to her about something...anything...
"I know," she said and came up to sit on the side of his bed. Harry noticed that her hands were fumbling with her blue and silver promise ring as well.
"I clearly remember you telling me that you would love me forever," she said, still looking down at the ring.
Harry sighed. He looked at her and took her face, which he noticed was stained with heavy tears, in his palms.
"I did," said Harry, smiling, "and you know that I can never change that."
"Th-then why did you -?"
"Hermione, how many times do I have to explain that it kills me just to see you crying like that! I love you and I always will, even if we can't be together!"
She smiled. "It's not fair, Harry! We should be allowed to be together! It's just not fair!"
"Tell me about it!" said Harry. "And I'm the master of what isn't fair!"
She giggled. "I'm sorry."
"Don't blame yourself."
"Harry, how are you supposed to defeat him? Or even try to do so? I mean, you might have the Power or whatever it is, but you don't know how to use it, do you?"
Harry shook his head.
"Have you figured out anything about that phoenix yet?" he asked her.
"No...no..." said Hermione. "I have a lot going on, you know."
"What are you so busy with, Hermione?"
"Oh, you know, I've just been...er..."
"What, Hermione?"
"Well, you know how I earned twelve O.W.L.'s, right?"
"Yeah," said Harry, who couldn't see where this was going.
"Don't laugh, but, well, I've sort of been thinking that once we've left Hogwarts that I could start my own department at the Ministry of Magic. Once it has been, you know, rebuilt."
"What department?" asked Harry.
"Well...I've given up on S.P.E.W. because it seems like my attempts have been rather useless, but I have though of forming a department dealing with the rights of magical creatures. You know, like centaurs, werewolves, giants, and merpeople. I know that there is the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but I was thinking more along the lines of forming their own government, so not to exclude them as anything less than human. Something like the Department of Minor Governments and Law Appraisals."
"That's brilliant, Hermione! Excepts you might want to leave out the 'Minor' part when you offer it to the centaurs; I don't think they'll enjoy being called inferior."
"You think so?"
"Yeah...I mean, if you can get the...erm...people at the Ministry of Magic to agree to it...I mean, Percy's already Minister and he's always favored your opinions..."
She smiled.
"Can I ask you a question?" said Harry.
"Sure," said Hermione.
"I thought you were dead scared of flying. What changed your mind?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm no more scared of flying than I used to be...but I learned that there are things worse than risking your posterior in the air...there are even things worse then death, you know..."
"You're amazing, you know that?" Harry told her as he leaned over and kissed her.
"I love you, Harry. I want the world to know that. Can't we be - ?"
"No, Hermione. We can't be together," said Harry, shaking his head.
She nodded and got up. "Well, I better get out of here before anyone else sees me in here and causes a commotion."
"That would be Ron," Harry laughed.
Hermione grinned at him and left the dormitory.
Harry lay awake on his bed and stared up at the top of his Four-Poster until Ron came up to go to bed. He told him what Hermione was planning to do and what she had been spending most of her time on.
"Mad, she is! I'm telling you!" said Ron when Harry finished.
"Mad...but right. We have to start thinking about the future, you know," said Harry.
"So what are you going to do after Hogwarts?" asked Ron.
"I dunno," said Harry, "I was thinking about becoming an auror, but now, I don't know, I'm not that sure anymore..."
"Why?"
"It's kind of like Hermione told me...it's a bit too dangerous, isn't it?"
Ron looked at him as if Harry was just hit in the head, but shrugged.
"What about you?" Harry asked him.
"Me? What about me?" said Ron.
"Well, haven't you been thinking about what you'd like to do?"
"Well - yeah," said Ron. "But it's just that..."
"Just what?"
"I don't know...I've been thinking that I'd, um, maybe like to be an auror or something..."
"Is that it?" asked Harry, noticing Ron's strange tone.
"Well...I guess it wouldn't be that bad to be an unspeakable, either."
"Unspeakable? You sure?"
"Yeah, I mean, I've sort of talked with Luna about it and she's said that's what she's considered so, I dunno, I thought it was an interesting thought."
"Yeah...yeah, maybe," said Harry.
Ron fell asleep within minutes after getting dressed in his pajamas, but Harry was lying wide awake. Dean and Neville were still getting ready, which meant that the main light was on and Harry had the chance to look inside of his locket where he, unsurprisingly, found another note from Cilia.
Harry,
I was wondering if you would like to finally speak to me in person. Yes, I know that I told you that I wouldn't be able to actually make contact with you until Christmas break, but there might be another way. I don't know if this is possible or not, but I suppose only if you have it...right, well...I don't know, but James and Sirius each used to have a Two-Way mirror when they were young. I would know, I bought them. I had a third mirror through which they would communicate with me if they ever needed my assistance with anything, not that it was too often. Brilliant wizards, they were. If you, by any chance, do not have one of the mirrors - I just thought it would be something that either Sirius or James would leave in your possession - then I guess I will speak with you in a couple of months. Otherwise, well, I was just hoping...
Love,
Grandma
Harry's face lit up. He was going to be able to speak with his grandmother right now! He threw open his trunk and took out the mirror.
"Are you going to bed, Harry?" asked Neville.
"Er, no," said Harry. "I'll be up in a bit."
Harry grabbed the mirror and went down to the common room as Neville turned off the light in the boy's dormitory.
He sat on the couch and whispered, "Cilia Potter," into the mirror.
The elderly woman's face appeared in the mirror where Harry's reflection had danced along the flames of the common room fire, and he just noticed how many features she seemed to have in common with him. He also gasped because he had seen the woman before...and not at the metro station...but in another mirror...the Mirror of Erised...
"Harry! Oh, I can't believe you have it! You look even more like James now that I look at you! And - oh, my - your eyes definitely belong to Lily!"
Harry looked at her more carefully and realized that she looked somewhat more lively than she had done when he first met her.
He grinned, but had no idea what to say to her. He had so many questions that he didn't even know where to begin.
"Hi, g-g-grandma!" said Harry, and he could feel tears forming in his eyes once more.
"Oh, dear. I am so, so sorry! I am afraid this is all my fault! But you must understand...I barely even knew!"
"It's - it's alright," said Harry.
"Of course it's not! You are coming with me as soon as you get the chance! We have a very popular school here in Brazil. It's quite the title. The name's O Celestino`Castelo de s de Educação Mágica e Conhecimento. It means Celestino's Castle of Magical Education and Knowledge. Absolutely - "
"Grandma? What are you talking about? I'm - I want to stay at Hogwarts!"
"Hogwarts? You will not be staying in England at such a time! You aren't safe, my dear boy. No one is! I understand you must have friends...but you'll make new friends. Oh, you're going to love it here! We have an entire Potter Estate in Brazil, don't you know?"
"That sounds great and all, Grandma, but I've got to stay. It's hard to explain, really, but it's just that - "
"Nonsense! You are coming with me and that's that!"
"But - "
"No butts! Now, I want to hear all about your life, but not now. I assume, by what you are wearing, that you should be in bed, should you not?"
"Well, yeah, but - "
"I will not have it! Off to sleep with you! I love you, dear. I'll speak to you next time you're free, how's that?"
"But - "
"Goodnight, dear."
"But - "
It was too late. Cilia's face had disappeared and Harry found himself staring at his own reflection.
How was Harry supposed to tell her that he couldn't leave England? How would he tell her that he was destined to kill or be killed by Voldemort? This was not something that he could hide from, even in a distant country like she had done all of her life...
Wait! thought Harry. Tell. Tell. TELL HER!
Sirius's words rang in his head.
Hermione wasn't the one that absolutely had to know about the prophecy...she wasn't the one...the one was none other than his very own grandmother...Cilia Potter...she had to know....and if she didn't, Harry might well be ending his right to a wand at Celestino's Castle of Magical Education and Knowledge somewhere along the Amazon, not to mention let Voldemort wreck havoc in Europe and eventually take over the world...
He shook his head. He couldn't let this happen. Next time he saw her, Harry was going to tell her exactly why he had to stay here, at Hogwarts, at the grasp of Voldermort...because he was the only thing that could stand in his way...and he wasn't going anywhere...
***
"The Separation Spell!" snapped Professor Malfoy as her class settled themselves and listened to her with their full attention. "A Spell that separates," she spoke, "the body from the soul."
Several excited whispers filled the room.
"Not pleasant! Not a good spell! As most of them are not. Yes?"
Neville had raised his hand. "Are some of these Spells actually...er...good?"
"Yes," he eyes flashed at him, "some of these Spells are indeed...good, as you so put it. But we have yet to come across one. Except perhaps the Transferal Spell, which could be useful...especially if one wishes to hide...when circumstances come to worst..."
Her voice trailed off. Harry raised his eyebrows and saw that much of the class looked just as confused as he was.
"Right! We will in fact be practicing the Separation Spell today. Once again, may I add, not on ourselves, but on animals."
She flicked her wand and a cage floated toward her from the top that contained a rabbit. Several girls went, "Awww!"
"Don't fell sorry for it," said Narcissa. "It will not be harmed. And let me remind you that animals do not have souls, as we so call them, and therefore it will be much easier to perform the Spell on them. Merely their high most emotions and reactions will be transferred away from the body and back to it again...
"Now, I will call on each and every one of you and you will perform the Spell. It takes quite a lot of concentration, so I doubt that we will be able to get through even half of you today, but we must see...Pay attention!"
Narcissa stood before the rabbit and shouted, "Elixio!" A blue string appeared from where she had pointed the wand at the rabbit and, as she pulled it away from its body, which began to shiver slightly and then lay dead cold at the bottom of the cage, the class watched in amazement as a ghost-like blue replica appeared beside the rabbit, floating attached to Narcissa's wand.
"Returo!" she cried, and the blue rabbit ghost was returned to it's body.
Hermione raised her hand.
"Miss Granger," said Narcissa.
"Erm...I thought that the Eternal Spells were eternal...meaning that they would stay in effect forever and could not be undone..."
"They are," said Narcissa, "but, as I stated before...animals do not have a real soul and, therefore, only the most significant things were extracted from the rabbit to form the ghost-like form. If it had been human, then the form would be able to walk about as well as communicate. In other words, the form would be a real ghost."
"So, there are other ways of becoming a ghost than dying?" said Hermione.
"The Separtion Spell is near death. However, this way, the person has no choice of staying on earth as a ghost, or going on to the After Life."
One by one, the students came up and tried out the Separtation Spell, each with a shaking wand in his or her hand. Narcissa was quite right, however - neither Harry nor Hermione ever got the chance to try it out on the rabbit, but Professor Malfoy assured them that everyone was going to have a turn.
"Class dismissed!" she sounded and Harry and Hermione left the classroom in deep conversation with each other, as they had done after each session of the Eternal Spells.
"That's scary!" said Hermione. "Imagine someone just not giving you any choice and not allowing you to, you know, go on..."
"I wonder if we know any ghosts that that has happened to," said Harry, anxiously.
"Do you think they would be aware of it? I mean, how would they know that someone made them a ghost? They could have just died on the spot and -"
"Like Professor Binns?"
"I always wondered how it is he died. I know it was of old age...but...it's just that wizards often live for quite a long time and, if they're about to die, they're usually aware - "
"Sirius wasn't aware!" said Harry.
"Oh, Harry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean - "
"Yeah, I know what you meant," said Harry.
Harry had no idea what Snape was talking about when he made his little speech at the beginning of the semester until well into the year when he stated that they would be going over the ingredients and effects of the Life Resurrection Potion.
"A potion like no other," he began, "yet very similar to the rest. In the art of potion making, potions are often created, but this one is well known to be used by a Dark Force. As some of you already know when Potter informed the Daily Prophet last year with the rise of the Dark Lord, flesh of a servant, bone of a father, and blood of an enemy were used to bestow him back to power."
The class winced. Harry, however, sat at the edge of his chair and could not remember ever paying more attention in Potions.
"Potter!" Snape yelled. "Come forward. I shall need your assistance in this lesson."
Harry didn't know where this was going but, knowing Snape, it couldn't be anything good. He made his way towards the front of the room, knowing that he was getting stares from the class.
"Sit!" he pointed to a stool next to him. Harry did so.
"Tell us again, Potter, whose flesh did he use?"
"Worm - er - Peter Pettigrew's," said Harry.
There came an outburst of whispers from the room, "But Peter's dead!"
"Peter Pettigrew had framed Sirius Black for his own murder and those of twelve other people and was, in fact, a servant of the Dark Lord's," said Snape as Harry was taken aback by his response. "Is there anything else that you know about Pettigrew, Potter?"
"Yeah...he's sort of in my debt. See, I saved him from Sirius and Lupin when they wanted to murder him for betraying my parents."
Snape's eyes widened. "Indeed," he said. "And the bone that he used, Potter. What did the Dark Lord say about that?"
"Well, it was the bone of his father, like you said. Voldemort's -"
"Do not speak the Dark Lord's name!" hissed Snape as the entire class jumped as a whole.
Harry sighed, "You-Know-Who's original name was Tom Riddle, after his muggle father. He said that he had murdered him for leaving his mother while she was pregnant with him when he found out that she was a witch."
"Anything else?" asked Snape, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Yes, he - er - he said that both of them, my mother and his father, had served their place; she died to save me and he restored him back to life."
"Interesting," said Snape. "And the blood...unwillingly taken?"
"That was mine, of course," said Harry. "He said that he needed it so that he could touch me again. He said that the lingering protection that my mother gave me no longer mattered."
"I see," said Snape. "Is that all?"
"Well...he also said that he wanted to prove that I could not be his downfall; that there was nothing special about me...that's why he chose to use my blood as the blood of an enemy..."
"Yes..." said Snape. The class seemed to be just as dazed and confused at what Snape's thoughts on the matter could have been as was Harry.
"It is peculiar that the combination of debt, sacrifice, and protection should be the main concentrations of this potion...in that order...for, you see that it comes as not only a set of steps for the Dark Lord's rise to power, but - "
"But what, Professor?" asked Malfoy.
Snape had just reacted as though he only realized that he was talking to a room full of students.
"Er...never mind that now. I want you all to write a five-scroll essay on why those ingredients are essential for the Life Resurrection Potion...to be handed in to be by Friday."
"But, Professor, Friday is the first Quidditch game of the season for Gryffindor!" said Harry.
Snape's lip curled. "Then I trust that you will do your best to work extra hard this week, Mr. Potter."
Harry was so mad at Snape for assigning the essay that he completely forgot to stop by after class and ask him what he had meant. Not to mention the fact that his insides were squirming with the very thought of the outcome of the first Gryffindor Quidditch Match.
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