Chapter 48 - Now There Are Three…
<Mmmmm…Harry?>
<Yes, my love?>
<Well, when you kiss me like that, I admit, it is VERY nice…yes, right there…that's where I meant……Harry, let me finish…please….HARRY! Just stop it for a minute…don't you think we have more pressing concerns to worry about right now?>
<Hmmm…would this have something to do with the fact that we are trapped in a room, surrounded, I assume, by an unknown number of angry Death Eaters, not to mention a thoroughly upset Dark Lord, waiting for us just down the hall?>
Before Hermione could answer, the reunited pair heard a familiar voice coming through the door to the time room, which was now slightly open. "Harry…is everything okay? I didn't hear any voices coming from in here and I was beginning to get concerned." By now he had entered the room and walked over to them by the device. "How is Miss Granger?"
"I'm fine, sir…thank you for helping Harry get me back together again."
"Not just you, Miss Granger…ah…there it is." As Albus opened the small compartment on the side of the chamber and withdrew a single vine-wood wand with a dragon-heartstring core and handed it to its owner, he continued. "I see that the chamber chose the younger body. I was expecting that - I fear Miss Puckle's body was damaged beyond repair. That particular curse does quite enough damage to be going on with, especially when the incantation is uttered by three magic users who haven't had their voice silenced by a charm" he said with a wink at Hermione.
"OH…" Hermione said quickly. "I…I remember…last time, I…I mean, Harmony…Oh, BOTHER… I used a Silencio on Dolohov- and he still nearly killed me…and Poppy described the effects exactly like you did just now...and I remember....OH NO! Harry…you lost Sirius!"
"Yes, but that was last time, 'Mione…I promised myself that this time things will be different. Sirius is safe at Hogwarts…and there's nothing that can make him come here. Isn't that right, sir?"
The headmaster pointed towards the door as he responded. "Harry, why don't we first work on finding a way out of the predicament we find ourselves in currently? Miss Granger, while I'm sure that Harry thinks your current attire is quite fetching," he said, causing Hermione to blush as she realized just what she was wearing in Dumbledore's presence, "…I am of the opinion that you would prefer more practical clothing. Step out into the hall and I'll take care of it for you."
As they left the time room, Albus waved his wand and Hermione was relieved to see her bathrobe transfigured into Gryffindor school robes. "Yes…that is much better, Miss Granger. Now, Harry…about Sirius…"
As Harry started to say something, he was interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of a pitched wizard's battle coming from down the corridor. "Wha…what's going on? Who is fighting? He…you didn't…" Before Albus could stop him, Harry started to run down the corridor towards the noisy melee.
"Harry…wait for me!" Hermione called out as she quickly followed him - and then she remembered a more direct way of communicating with him. <Be careful, Harry - remember our Defense classes this year - don't go charging into a fight without knowing which side of the battleground you are on!>
Harry, who was now stopped just before the circular room, said with a smile in his thoughts, <Right, 'Mione…but in this case I think I can tell the difference. See for yourself…>
As Hermione caught up with Harry, she realized quickly just how right he was as she sized up the situation. The battle seemed to be centered in the circular room, which had somehow been disabled so the doors remained motionless. In one part of the room, there was a small group of Death Eaters currently battling with a squad of older DA members led by...BLAISE ZABINI? And, Hermione noted with satisfaction, the students he was leading seemed to all be wearing school robes carrying the Slytherin house crest.
"Oh, there you are, Potter, Granger…it's about time you two showed up. We're protecting the Hall of Prophecy." Blaise said easily as he fired off a series of spells towards a hooded figure who was attempting to escape. "I just got a private note from Professor Boardman. It says that I am to wait for you here, and tell you that he would like your assistance. He's got another group of Death Munchers pinned down in the Death Chamber, but he's a bit pinned down himself. It's through that door, over there."
"Yes…I remember. HERMIONE! LET'S GO!"
"Harry, wait! Let's disillusion each other first. Might give us a bit of an advantage."
Harry agreed, and soon both of them were shivering slightly from the feeling of cold that ran through their body as they turned nearly transparent. Hermione thought with relief <That's better, Harry…I can hardly see you at all, and with our mind link, we don't have to talk and reveal our position. Now, let's go find Sirius!>
They carefully entered the large, dimly lit rectangular room. At the moment, there appeared to be no signs of life anywhere Harry could see, but then out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a familiar hooded figure taking cover behind the stone dais at the bottom of the pit. <There he is, Hermione, see?> as he projected what he was seeing to her mind. <Careful, now…where are the Death Eaters?>
<I don't know, Harry… but I have a bad feeling about this place. From Harmony's memories of what you told her afterwards, I know what happened last time. Promise me that whatever you do, stay away from the veil.>
<I will, Hermione. Don't worry; death isn't anywhere near as tempting to me as it was last time I was here. With you around, I have too much to live for now. >
<Oh, Harry…that was one of the nicest things you could have said to me! I love you, Harry James Potter!>
While he marveled once again at the power of the love he felt coming from her through the soul-bond, Harry continued to scan the darkened spaces for any sign of his enemy. <Oh, there they are…third level down…behind those benches. Stalemated, are we? They can't move without Sirius picking them off one at a time, but he's trapped, too. Well, let's see if we can change the status quo!>
They slowly worked their way down to where Harry's godfather was concealed. "Sirius!" Harry whispered. "It's me, Harry…and Hermione's right behind me."
"Harry? You got my message, then. Oh, you're disillusioned…very good! Hermione's suggestion, I'd wager?"
"Yes, Professor." Hermione whispered as she joined them behind the dais. "At least I remembered your lessons from Christmas break."
Harry interrupted quickly. "Never mind that, Sirius. I have one question for you…what ARE you doing here? I can't tell you why, but I know you are in danger in this room."
"Oh, is that so?" Sirius said. "Don't worry, Harry. When he asked me to come here, Albus warned me about...well, what happened in your timeline."
"He WHAT?" Harry was barely able to keep his voice down. "Dumbledore ASKED you to come here? How DARE he risk your life again! I will not let you sacrifice yourself for me!"
"Harry, keep your voice down…you're going to make my cousin over there assume I'm mental if she thinks I'm talking to myself. Now, do you honestly think that I'd let fear of death stop me from protecting you? In some ways death would be an improvement over what I've been through already - 'the next great adventure' as someone once told me. Harry, I've experienced two of my best friends, your parents, murdered by a madman and I could do nothing to stop it. Then, I found out that another of my best friends was a murdering traitor, causing my other best friend to think I was a murderer. Because of all that, I've survived many hard years in Azkaban…and I am NOT going to let James and Lily's son be harmed because there's a chance I might get killed." His voice took on a very solemn tone as he continued. "Remember, Harry…I am an adult, fully capable of making my own decisions, and not even you can keep me from doing what I think is right. Consider for a minute if Hermione was the one in danger and you could help her. Would you allow anyone or anything to stop you from doing whatever you could to save her, even if you could die in the attempt? That's part of the power of truly loving someone - being willing to die, if need be, for that person. Not necessarily for 'the greater good', but because you LOVE that person. It's something those Death Eaters over there know nothing about. They think those kind of unselfish actions are reckless and foolish."
And then, Harry remembered something that Bellatrix had told him so many years ago. "Oh, did you think that YOU were the cause of his death? That since he came to save you, you killed him? You DARE to try to take any credit for that victory from ME! How pathetic! Hate to break it to you, Potter, but it's not always about you. Yes, you were helpful in getting him moving, but he always was a bit reckless, don't you think? Eventually, we knew he would turn up, either to save you or for some other equally noble reason. And then, he would have died. I know my cousin quite well. He would risk his life to save you, or anyone he thought was in danger for that matter. But, it would have been his choice to do so. Foolish boy! No wonder he ended up in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin."
And then…he understood.
<Hermione…I get it now. It's what Albus has told me for years…and now I see what he means.>
<What are you talking about, Harry? What is it?>
<Well, it's two things, really. First, 'it is our choices…that show us what we truly are…' When I saw Blaise just now, with a group of Slytherins, fighting against people who, for all they know, could be their close relatives, it all started to make sense. And then, what Sirius just said - I figured it out! It's LOVE…LOVE is 'the power that he knows not'. They cannot comprehend that a person would actually willingly risk their lives for someone they loved - and that is why we can beat them!>
<Well, of course, silly! Didn't you know? Oh...that's right…the Dursley's never showed you any love, did they?>
<No. Looking back, that day by the lake was the first time I ever felt that way…when I began to understand what love is. And, it's all thanks to you.> Still disillusioned, he leaned over to where he knew she was, and wasn't surprised to feel her lips on his, followed by a warm surge of power throughout his entire body. <Hermione, are you crying?> he asked as he tasted salt mixed in with the kiss.
<Yes…but don't worry, I don't mind. They are definitely happy tears.>
Sirius cleared his throat. "Harry, what's going on? Remember, when you're disillusioned I can't see you in this dark of a room, and you've been quiet for quite some time now. You haven't wandered off, have you? Don't tell me, let me guess - you've been snogging Hermione, haven't you? As I recall during my seventh year, your parents seemed to like to practice the disillusionment charm all the time…and whenever they reappeared, their lips were always a bit puffy…never could figure out why!" he chuckled impishly. "But, enough of that. I assume by now Albus is probably busy with a Dark Lord of our acquaintance, so we're going to have to figure a way out of this on our own. Any suggestions? How about you, Hermione? If I remember right from Christmas, you're pretty good at strategy."
Harry could hear the pride in her voice as she said, "Thanks, Sirius…now, how many Death Eaters do you know are in here?"
"I think there are 9…So far I've recognized my cousin Bella, Jugson, Dolohov, Rookwood, and Rabastan, but the other four I haven't seen well enough to identify."
"So, that means we're outnumbered three to one…not the best odds to be facing, now is it?" Harry said with a chuckle. If only we could surprise them some way… maybe take out a few of them before they knew we were even here."
Hermione sounded very pleased. "Very good, Harry! Since we're disillusioned, if we're careful we should be able to get close enough to knock a few of them out before they figure out where we are attacking from. And, by the way, I owe you a kiss or two for that masterful thinking. Pay you later!"
"As if I needed any more motivation…watch out, Death Suckers…here I come! My woman's promised me a kiss or two when I take care of all of you!"
Sirius said quickly, "Hold on, Harry…remember, I'm here, too. Surely you are not going to deny me the fun of taking on a few of them myself."
Harry grinned (although no one could see it) as an old memory surfaced. "No, of course not…and don't call me Shirley.*"
"Ha, ha…you got that from one of those muggle movies, right? Never mind…I'll give the two of you five minutes to get in position, and then I'll create a distraction somehow. Then, you can lift the Disillusionment charm and take out as many as you can with stunners. Then, well, after that, we'll just have to play it by ear."
Hermione nodded knowingly. "Yes, remember the old military saying - 'No plan survives contact with the enemy.'"
Moving as quietly as possible, Harry and Hermione got into position and waited. <Harry, has it been five minutes yet?> Hermione asked after what seemed like an eternity.
<No idea…I left my watch back at Hogwarts. We'll just have to wait…> But they didn't have to wait any longer, as Sirius stood up from his hiding place and started shooting spells in all directions. As the Death Eaters began to react with surprise, Harry and Hermione reappeared in their midst and were able to Stupefy and bind eight of the nine before Harry realized that Bellatrix was not among them. He looked back to where he had left Sirius near the veil…and found him engaged in a battle once again. Harry shouted frantically, "NO! SIRIUS…BE CAREFUL! STAY AWAY FROM THE VEIL!" as he started to scramble back down to the bottom of the pit.
In what seemed like slow motion, Harry once again saw the scene that he had relived over and over again in the original timeline - Sirius ducking Bellatrix's jet of red light; laughing at her. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.
Before Harry could get close enough to launch a spell to deflect it, the second jet of light hit Sirius squarely on the chest.
The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch…
And Harry again saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.
As before, Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream as she headed for the exit, and this time he knew what it meant - Sirius had not only just fallen through the archway, he would never reappear from the other side…
Hermione grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back. By this time he had pointed his wand directly at Bellatrix, who wisely froze near the doorway and said nothing.
"There's nothing you can do, Harry…just like last time. Oh, Harry…I'm so sorry…"
Harry's face turned impassive as he said, "It's not your fault, Hermione. However, there is one person here who could have stopped this whole thing…Albus Dumbledore."
"Harry…do you have something you wish to say to me?" the headmaster's quiet but piercing voice came down from the top of the pit. He started to descend to where Harry and Hermione waited; causing Harry to pointed his wand aggressively at the headmaster. Taking advantage of the distraction, Bellatrix turned tail and ran out the door, causing an angry outburst from Harry.
"Never mind about her - we'll deal with her later. I assume you now hold me responsible for Sirius's death in this timeline…a charge which holds some truth, I fear. Before we discuss that, I feel it is more important that we extricate ourselves from our current situation. If some or all of us are unable to do so, any charges you have against me or defense I would present would be somewhat moot. If, however, we all find ourselves still in the mortal plane after this adventure, I promise I will discuss this with you at length."
Harry blinked as he analyzed what he had just heard. "In summary, then, first we all have to get out of here alive, and then we'll talk?"
Albus smiled widely as he responded. "Isn't that what I just said, Harry?" as Hermione laughed out loud. <Yes, Harry my love, that is exactly what he said. Now, let's follow our headmaster's lead and rejoin the battle.>
Before they left, Dumbledore checked the magical ropes that surrounded the eight remaining Death Eaters, nodded his head appreciatively, and smiled at Harry and Hermione. "Well done, you two…I have a feeling that the balance of power has turned in our favor."
"What do you mean, sir?" Hermione said as they walked, since Harry was still refusing to speak to the headmaster.
"Think for a moment, Miss Granger…the two of you were able to completely disarm and secure eight of Tom's most powerful supporters in a very short period of time. After I checked the strength of those ropes just now, I am certain that I could not do any better at the peak of my powers…and you are still developing your skills. I can scarcely imagine the power that you two will have as a couple. In fact, the magical energy I sense from both of you has significantly increased since I saw you last in the Time Room. Care to explain why? I have my suspicions, you know."
Harry's voice turned harsh. "Is that all we are to you, Professor? Powerful weapons to be used to defeat an old enemy of yours? Is this why you let Harmony manipulate the timeline so much and make sure Hermione and I got together even quicker this time - just so we'd be able to work together to defeat Tom that much sooner?"
As she heard Harry's accusations against Dumbledore, Hermione gasped audibly at his audacity. But then, as she saw the reaction on Albus's face, her embarrassment quickly turned to anger. "WHAT? Don't tell me that Harry is correct in what he just said? I've already said this to you once, sir; the last time you tried to meddle in our personal lives at the beginning of fourth year- HOW DARE YOU! We are NOT here to be USED by you…no matter how noble the cause. Did you ever think that you might just ASK us to help you, especially when you saw we were falling in love regardless of your interference?"
"To be honest, Miss Granger, the thought did cross my mind many times…but I admit, I feared that you would not agree to help - a possibility I could not tolerate. I felt the risks to both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds were too great to allow you the option to refuse."
"So, basically you didn't trust us to do the right thing?" Harry interjected. "I will repeat Hermione's comment…HOW DARE YOU! I have half a mind right now to take Hermione with me, figure out a way to leave you here, and never return to Hogwarts again." He paused, breathing heavily and green eyes flashing brightly. For a moment Hermione thought he was going to carry out his threat. <Harry…you know I will go with you if that is your choice. Just say the word and I'll follow.>
<'Mione, please let me finish what I was going to say first. Thanks, though -that means a lot to me.> Harry continued to speak directly to Albus. "But…I can't….and the fact that I can't abandon you, even with all that you've done to me…to US… should prove to you that you should have trusted us. I promise you two things, Headmaster. First, I will defeat Voldemort - that much is clear to me. As the prophecy states, I now know 'the power he knows not' …and that will be his downfall. Second, after we finish what you want us to do for you, I want you to know that I will no longer risk my life - or my future wife's life...for anyone except for our children."
<Harry…does that mean you're asking me to…>
<Yes, Hermione Jane Granger…I fully intend to marry you as soon as we take care of Voldemort and finish our time at Hogwarts. We're already both of age, of course…but we don't want our children to think we were dropouts - we'd never hear the end of it. That is, of course, if you WANT to marry me?>
<Oh, Harry…of course I do! And, just so you know, Harmony accepts too! Yes, I can still feel her presence with me and she wanted you to know it's about time, Harry. Remember, she's been waiting around 10 years since she met you on the train. It just took her a while to realize it. First things first, though…we've got a Dark Lord named Voldemort to dispose of! Oh, Tom Riddle…you don't know what you're up against.>
Harry laughed out loud at this, and Albus looked at him quizzically. "Harry, I assume you and Hermione have reached a mutual agreement concerning your upcoming nuptials? Let me be the first to congratulate you, by the way."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Harry said automatically. "Now, where's Tom…it's time I have a little chat with him and his followers. You know, he REALLY shouldn't have tried to kill off Hermione with that troll…he's going to have to pay for that one."
Albus smiled in relief. "You know, Harry…I think he will. You've heard, of course, that I was always considered the only one Tom ever feared. I think that after tonight, that will no longer be the case. Now there are three of us."
****
As they returned to the circular room, they found that Blaise's Slytherin team had finally prevailed, and the Death Eaters had been petrified and bound tightly, waiting to be picked up by the next Auror team that happened that way. "Well done, Blaise! Are there any injuries…or deaths…to report on our side?"
"Oh, a few diffindo cuts and curse burns, and one broken ankle. I'm sure Pomfrey can fix us in a trice. Fortunately you taught us that Protego spell a few months ago, so we were able to protect ourselves adequately. Besides, it appears that a few of these Death Eaters were reluctant to attack Slytherin-robed students. They never believed that this many pure-blood students would be "blood traitors…" as we heard a few of them mutter. That reluctance cost them the battle. How goes it with you? Did you find Professor Boardman? How about Miss Puckle? I haven't seen her here at all tonight and I thought she'd be right in the thick of things. Where are they? I want to ask either one of them about a new curse I saw one of the Death Eaters try - it's a purple flame of some kind and…"
Harry cut him off. "Harmony…well, that explanation will have to wait until later. But Saiph Boardman is dead, Blaise. Bellatrix Lestrange…"
Blaise let loose with a strong expletive. "I KNEW I should have tried to stop her when she came running through here like a basilisk was after her. Unfortunately, I was dodging one of those purple flames I told you about, so I couldn't get a bead on her. How did it happen, Harry?"
"Never mind, Blaise…there will be time for those kind of reports later after we get out of here. Which way did Bella go? I think she's meeting up with her master, and the three of us have some unfinished business with the two of them."
"Through that door…out to the Atrium, I suppose. And, before you ask, none of them made it into the Hall of Prophecy. Whatever they were trying to get out of there is still safe."
"Very well…just wait here and we'll send someone to pick up this lot. On to the Atrium, then!"
When the three reached the Atrium level, they exited the lift with extreme care, wands drawn. <Careful, Harry…they've had plenty of time to set up a trap for us out here. Constant Vigilance, you know!>
<What, are you channeling Moody now? Honestly, Hermione, I don't want any association in my mind between my fiancée and an old, one-legged, one-eyed retired Auror.>
"Harry, Hermione…hate to interrupt your little personal chat, but we do need to focus on the risks at hand." Albus said amusedly. "We should spread out a little and form a triangle. Tom has to be around here somewhere…as does Bellatrix."
"And, I'm sure he's in a bad mood now that he realizes he can't retrieve the Prophecy after all."
"Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice.
Harry looked around to locate his enemy.
Tall, thin, and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes staring…Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry. But, since he knew this spell was coming, Harry had already conjured a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it. When he saw what Harry had just done, Voldemort took a slight step back in surprise.
Harry took a step in turn towards Voldemort. "Sorry, Tom…it's not going to work this time. You know, you REALLY need to think through your plans more carefully. Somehow you got this crazy idea in my past that you could kill off someone who was very close to me, and I would join you as a result. It might just have worked, I admit, but, as the old saying goes, 'If you want the job done right, do it yourself.' Sending your minion, Bellatrix, to do your dirty work for you wasn't the wisest choice. She never could control her temper...and that ruined your plans."
"So, Bellatrix has failed me again, has she?"
"Master, I am sorry…I have no idea what Potter here is talking about. I was fighting the Animagus Black…and I killed him! I don't know anything about any plans to kill off his mudblood."
"Be quiet, Bella," said Voldemort dangerously. "I shall deal with you in a moment." He then turned once again to address Harry. "So, this must have something to do with that message I received when I was in Quirrell's head…the plan from a future me to send you back in time, force you into Slytherin, and then separate you from those who would turn you against me. Potter, I am sure you don't expect me to believe that masterful plan fell apart simply because Bellatrix here can't keep control of her temper. I suppose she Crucio'd you, eh? Ah, well", he sighed "you just can't get reliable help nowadays."
"Actually, Tom, she Crucio'd me twice…and that not only interfered with the memory block, it alerted a certain someone to my predicament, and that person saved my life by coming back in time to set things right."
"Ah…that would be…what was her name? Miss Puckle, correct? The mudblood assistant professor from overseas? Hmmm…well, I thought she was involved somehow. However, Mr. Potter, I notice a complete shortage of Puckles around here? Don't tell me she's gone and got herself killed or something? Tsk, tsk….how dreadful! And, Bella tells me she already defeated her traitorous cousin. Well, that would be TWO deaths on your side…and, let me see…NONE from my side, and the battle's barely started yet. So, there are three of you here…a pathetic old muggle-loving headmaster and two inexperienced students, a half-blood and a mudblood, no less; against the most powerful Dark Lord ever known and one of his most powerful, albeit stupid, supporters. The odds are not in your favor, Potter."
"Oh, that's where you are wrong." Albus said. "It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way -"
"By which time I shall be gone, and the three of you dead!" spat Voldemort. He sent a Killing Curse at Dumbledore but missed, instead hitting the security guard's desk, which burst into flame.
Dumbledore flicked his own wand. The force of the spell that emanated from it was such that Harry, though still shielded, felt his hair stand on end as it passed. Now it was Voldemort's turn to create the silver shield. The spell, whatever it was, caused no visible damage to the shield, though a deep, gonglike note reverberated from it, an oddly chilling sound…
"You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?" called Voldemort, his scarlet eyes narrowed over the top of the shield. "Above such brutality, are you?"
"He may be…but I, personally, am not bound by such limitations." Harry's voice was both calm and extremely menacing as he turned to face his foe. "You killed my parents…and I intend to make sure you pay for that."
"Ah, Mr. Potter wants to play, does he?" Voldemort said with a smirk. "Well, let's see how you deal with this." He turned quickly and flicked his wand as he aimed a jet of green light from behind the silver shield across the corridor towards Hermione. Harry had already anticipated this, however, and the one-armed centaur from the fountain had galloped in front of her, absorbing the blast and shattering into a hundred pieces.
"Wha…how did you …" Tom said, obviously shocked at what he had just seen.
Harry grinned from behind his shield. "Let's just say I've already seen how this plays out…and I've done a little extra research and practice, besides. Now it's my turn. Hermione?" <Remember, Hermione …we can share our spell power among the three of us, can't we, Harmony? You're still part of this, you know.>
Harry was relieved to hear two separate voices in his mind, answering him together. <Yes, Harry…we're both here…and we remember. Just tell us when.> And then, he heard Harmony's voice once again, <Just like last time, Hermione…wait for Harry's word!>
Harry turned toward Albus and bowed slightly. "After you, sir…"
Dumbledore drew back his wand and waved it as though brandishing a whip. A long thin flame flew from the tip; it wrapped itself around Voldemort, shield and all. For a moment, it seemed Dumbledore had won by himself, but then the fiery rope became a serpent which relinquished its hold upon Voldemort at once and turned, hissing furiously, to face Dumbledore.
<NOW!> Harry yelled through the bond, and the tide once again turned against Voldemort. This time, however, there were three fiery ropes. One, colored an emerald green, issued from Harry's wand, and, from Hermione's wand there were TWO ropes - one a deep mocha brown, and the other, a bright midnight blue. All three intertwined around Voldemort's form. The silver shield was crushed against him as if it were tinfoil.
Tom screamed in pain as the ropes began to tighten slowly around him. He was clearly struggling to throw off the magical bindings, but was just as clearly unable to do so.
"MASTER!" screamed Bellatrix, as she fired off a series of curses at the three of them in an attempt to weaken their combined attack. Whether it was well-aimed or just a lucky shot, a red jet of light nicked Hermione in the shoulder. Harry winced at the pain, too, which caused all three ropes to flicker slightly for a second.
That second, however, was all Tom needed. With a last burst of effort, he disappeared, followed immediately by Bellatrix.
"HERMIONE! Are you okay? Where did she hit you?" Harry shouted as both he and Dumbledore rushed over to her side.
"In the shoulder…see, here. I'll be alright", she said aloud, wincing slightly as she looked at her shredded robes and the charred flesh exposed underneath. "If I remember correctly, you hit me harder than that during our last DADA demonstration, and Pomfrey fixed that up right away. Just caught me off guard, I suppose. If only we could have held on for a few more seconds."
"Don't worry about that, Miss Granger. I think we have served notice to Tom that the status quo has changed. And look…right on time…Fudge and the Aurors."
"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail. "I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear…it was You-Know-Who, he was trapped by three ropes…and then, he got out somehow, and a woman Disapparated with him!"
"I know, Williamson, I know, I saw him too!" gibbered Fudge, who was wearing pajamas under his pinstriped cloak and was gasping as thought he had just run miles. "Merlin's beard - here - here! - in the Ministry of Magic! - great heavens above - it doesn't seem possible - my word - how can this be?"
(A/N…Well, the rest of this chapter is similar to the end of Chapter 36 of OotP…with a few obvious exceptions.
Oh, by the way, kudos if you can identify the original movie that Harry's line marked with a * came from - and yes, it is one he could have seen. It's not that difficult, actually…if you are old enough to remember it , that is.
I assume that there are those of you who were hoping that Sirius would survive this time. However, for the reasons I've stated in that scene, I think JKR had her reasons for Sirius's death, and I'm not going to mess with the timeline that much..)