Thank you again for the reviews. It really does make me feel very good to hear that you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please continue to review.
See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.
His eyes went wide again and he sat, stiff as a board. She wasn't serious. His mother hadn't been talking to her this whole time. "You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. Your mum has been visiting me every night. She didn't tell me the whole prophecy, but she told me that your life was in danger, and she told me that you were the only one who could vanquish Voldemort. I didn't know about the whole he-dies-or-you-do thing until you told me. Your mother also told me who was visiting you, when, and why."
He couldn't believe this. It was just too weird. He shook his head. "So she was visiting you. Why? What was she telling you?"
She took a deep breath. "She knew that I... care about you, and that we are... um... close friends. She knew how close we are, how much we know about each other. She chose me to fulfill her obligations to you."
"What?" he was getting more and more confused. "Please, Hermione, just explain it."
"I would if you would STOP INTERRUPTING!!!" she pushed. "I've been trying to tell you! Now don't talk until I tell you to, and you'll get the whole story."
He sighed and made the motions of zipping his lips together.
"Thank you. Now, where was I... oh yes. Her obligations. I told you earlier about protective spells. The spell she used did indeed protect you when you were young, and protected you against being touched by Voldemort until fourth year. This spell, just as I'd expected, had lasting effects, too. She chose this spell because she knew that in the event of her death, you would live. However, there was another reason for using this one. This particular spell also protected both you and the person trying to save your life with theirs the next time you were in the same situation. Because of the prophecy, your mother knew that you would be the one who would be the world's hope. She gave her life for yours. She didn't want anyone to be able to that, ever again. She wanted you to live, but she knew that you would lose so many that you love in your lifetime. She wanted both you and your savior to live, hence this spell."
"Over the past seven years, you have made many friends and connected with many people. But you and Ron and I grew very close. We tell each other everything, and we are always there for each other. Your mother saw that Ron and I were the closest people to your heart. But for several reasons, she decided that I was going to be the one to fulfill the spell."
His eyes flashed another question. 'Why you?'
She chose to ignore his nonverbal question for the time being. "She came to me in my dreams. She told me that your life was in danger. She told me that you were the wizarding world's only hope. She knew that I'd read up on protective spells, and she explained the specifics of hers to me. She told me, very generally, the plan for the battle. She also told me that Voldemort had a new curse, a black one. You see, Avada Kedavra is green because it lets your soul live on. Voldemort undoubtably didn't know that, because it was that green death that allowed the Order members to live on in death. His death curses were his downfall. This new black curse was different. I can't even tell you the name. It's too terrible. This curse not only kills the body, but also obliterates the soul. He created it for you, Harry. If you had been Avada Kedavra'd, there would still be a possibility, no matter how remote, that you could still destroy him. This curse... there's no coming back."
Her eyes filled with tears. He gulped and patted her hand, silently asking her to continue.
"Your mother told me about it. She told me that Voldemort... he was going to use it on you. She told me there was no defense against it, and there was no living past it. Even her protective spells couldn't save anyone subjected to it. Not alone, at least. She talked to me, prepared me. She told me what I had to do, counseled me. But only I could make the final decision. She told me-" she faltered. "She told me that there were no defenses. She had set up the protection spells to save both you and me, but as it turned out, this black spell was so powerful that it wouldn't be able to do both. But it could save you. And in doing so, it would allow you to destroy the Dark Lord forever. But it would mean giving... giving my life in trade for yours. Taking the hit instead of you. I knew that it would kill me. The protective spell wasn't strong enough, not alone. I had to let myself die and my soul die also, in order to save you."
"No," he whispered. He knew he wasn't supposed to talk, but he had to. "No, Hermione. You didn't have to. You can't die for me. You're alive."
"I did have to. I was doing it for you, giving you a fighting chance. I made up my mind, and when you told me about the prophecy, I was surprised, but at the same time I wasn't. I knew that me giving my life would take Voldemort's. And it would save yours. There was no choice for me. I knew it was what I had to do. You ever wonder why I was put in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw with the other bookworms? This was my destiny. To die for you. So at that battle, I knew what I had to do. You mother had counseled me. Talked me through everything. Told me what was going on in your head. She was there, in my head, when I jumped in front of the light. I saw you and her, and your dad, together as a family, with me, just before I blacked out. I knew it was the end." Sobs overtook her frame, sobs she'd been holding inside for months. She couldn't speak.
"No, Hermione. It wasn't the end. It wasn't. And how could you have known you were going to die and not tell me?" Before she could answer, another pressing thought popped into his head. "But you're alive. You have your soul. What happened?"
She shook her head, her face tear-stained. There was a soft knock on the door, and there stood Dumbledore once again. "That, Mr. Potter, is an extremely good question. Miss Granger has many answers, but I'm afraid that she doesn't have that one. I do, however. May I come in?"
Hermione wiped her face on her sleeve, and nodded. Harry moved his chair over, and within instants, there was another chair by the bed. The headmaster swept over and sat next to them.
"There are many things about what happened that I do not know. You are the only living people who understand. Yet, to understand this occurrence, you must understand several others."
Hermione sat up further and took the sheet with her. Through all of this, she hadn't realized that she was still wearing a nightgown.
"Firstly, you must know that I knew about Lily's protective spell and all of its effects. It is all written right here-" he tapped Harry's forehead. "This scar has taken a lighting shape. Only those under a certain type of protective spell will get this type of scar. Secondly, I knew that Lily was going to use a protective spell in the first place, in fact, I told her to. She trusted me, and even though she didn't know the whole prophecy, she knew that when I told her to put a protective spell on you, she should. Thirdly, although this may come as a shock to you, I knew before you had even met each other that you were to become... friends." His eyes twinkled.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, unsure of what Dumbledore meant by the pause. They quickly turned away from each other and blushed. Dumbledore smiled and continued.
"It was known to me that you would become close long ago. It was fate. Why else would you, Harry, have felt it necessary to go and rescue her from a troll? Yes, you two were fated to know each other and become very close. I knew this from the day that your parents were murdered, Harry."
"I had suggested to Lily that whatever protective spell she chose should have future protection by love included. I knew about the prophecy, and I knew that you, Harry, would need her help more than once, even in times when she couldn't be there. She needed someone else close to you. She wisely chose the spell that she did, and another effect of this spell was that it would bring you, Harry, and your future companion together, before you even knew each other. At the exact moment when Lily Potter was murdered, Harry got a scar, and an infant girl, far away, cried out. Hermione, you were a very serious child. You didn't cry much. When your parents heard the cry, they came in to look at you. You looked just as always, but you were wide awake, and screaming as if in pain. There was one other difference. Hermione, I know this will sound strange, but can we please see your right ankle?"
Hermione and Harry looked at each other, both very confused. Puzzled, Hermione poked her right leg out from under the white sheet. Dumbledore looked over her ankle carefully and stopped at a tiny birthmark just below her ankle bone. He pointed to it.
"Hermione, how long have you had this?"
"Forever. I think I was born with it."
"No, Hermione, you weren't. This is not a birthmark." Hermione looked closer. She really had never paid any attention to the mark on her ankle. It was just a birthmark, nothing strange. But still, she eyed the mark that Dumbledore had pointed out. She gasped.
"Oh my gosh," she whispered.
"What?" asked an increasingly perplexed Harry. "What's wrong with it?"
"Harry," she said softly. "Look."
Harry came closer and looked over her ankle. It took him a few seconds to find it, it was that small. But when he saw it, he gasped also.
"Lightning bolt," he choked. "Lightning bolt. And... it looks just like mine." He lifted the hair off of his forehead to show her. Slowly, he looked back at her tiny scar. Tentatively, and with shaking hands, he drew a single long finger to trace her mark. Instantly, his own scar felt very warm, and a pale pink aura emanated from them both. She trembled at his touch. "It's just like mine."
"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore said, startling Harry and Hermione out of their daze. Harry's hand remained on her ankle. "It is. At the moment that your mother was killed, you both received a scar- the same scar. It became evident that you, Harry, was the child in the prophecy, and that you, Hermione, would play a part just as important as Harry's. Now, those all contribute to the fact that Harry is alive. Hermione was destined to sacrifice herself for you, as she was destined to care deeply for you. But something went awry. It occurs to me that, sitting in front of me, are both of you, both vibrantly alive. And I know why."
Now they both felt as though they were being tortured. They wanted him to just come out and tell them.
"As it seems, Harry Potter has foiled the limits of his mother's protective spell." Dumbledore grinned broadly. Harry and Hermione still sat, confused. "You yourself said, Hermione, that Lily's protection spell, though intended to save the lives of both you and Harry, would be unable to save you, at least unaided. It was aided. You see, Harry felt a strong pull of emotion to you. He emanated some sort of protective spell, even without a wand. He felt a devotion to you. Now, phoenixes are very intuitive, and what I told you earlier about Fawkes coming to help Hermione was true. Fawkes did help Hermione, but there is no way that he could have really protected her. He did summon a Portkey to get her to the hospital. But with the combined efforts of Lily's spell and Harry's devotion, Hermione was able to live. As you have been told, love is the only defense against dark magic. There was an abundance of love back there. Lily's love for her son, and your love for each other." With that, he paused. Harry and Hermione sat, looking slightly uncomfortably at each other. Hermione felt her heart well up with joy. They both, however, blushed in the realization that Harry's hand still laid on Hermione's ankle, gently tracing her scar.
"Speaking of love," Dumbledore continued, knowing that Harry and Hermione had not yet voiced thoughts of each other in that way, "there is going to be more love in this room, as of about one hour from now. A few people are coming to see you, a few of those who love you. And Hermione, your parents already know about your brush with death. They knew before you went to Hogwarts that the chances laid that you would never graduate. I spoke with them in depth, when you were still very small. I know that you two have a lot to speak about after all that you have heard from me. I will leave you to talk." He took one more look at Hermione's mark. "You each owe the other your life. Both of you tried to sacrifice yourselves for the other. I'm very glad that neither of you succeeded. I will go now, and let you talk." His chair disappeared and he walked into the fire.
Silently, Professor Dumbledore eyed Harry and Hermione from the fire as the room faded. He had never seen both scars together. He had known that they were similar, but it was incredible that they were exactly identical. He smiled knowingly, as the image of Harry Potter and his intended disappeared into the walls of his office.
This wasn't nearly as much of a cliffhanger. Tell me what you think!