(A/N: Hey, I just noticed that there is another fan fiction titled "Secrets from the Past"! I wish good luck to this other writer! Ok, next chapter is a bit too short, that's why I'm going to post chapter 21 straight away. As usual, I'd like to thank my faithful readers and my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOr and SarahLupin for helping me editing the whole story. HeidiHo has written in her review that, It seems like a lot of different things have happened and she isn't sure how they all tie together. Please don't worry, since everything will make sense in the end! Enjoy the chapter!)
Chapter 20. THE DARKNESS ARMY
...
Please don't you fear
You won't become
Plunder of winds
Why don't you
Give me your hand
We could run up the hill
And among cherry trees
Watching the dawn...
...
"The Hill of Cherry Trees" by Lucio Battisti
Harry was about to knock at his bedroom door when Ron opened it abruptly, leaving Harry standing with his fist raised. The two boys looked at each other for a few seconds in surprise.
"Hey, where've you been? I've been looking for you the whole afternoon!" Ron said in an accusatory tone. Harry stared at Hermione for a moment, astonished, before answering him.
"Why don't YOU tell us what you've done the whole afternoon! You locked yourself in the room doing who knows what..."
"I was studying!" Ron cut him off, a note of panic in his voice. Harry was sure that his friend was hiding something from them and frowned at him.
"May I ask what subject you were so busy with?"
"CHARMS! I've just started the essay for Flitwick. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Well, the only thing that seemed odd to me was the fact that you didn't ask for my help as usual, that's all!"
Hermione intervened in the discussion, staring at Ron closely.
"Come on, mates! What's with this interrogation?"
Ron tried to render the moment less dramatic, then his attention was stolen by the noise of steps and voices coming from downstairs.
"Let's get inside..."
They entered the room and closed the door; Ron reached his bed and collapsed on it heavily.
Harry's gaze flew to the desk, but the parchment and quill were gone. There was obviously something strange in his friend's behavior, but if Ron wasn't willing to say what, Harry couldn't force him.
Suddenly, they heard a loud CRACK.
"Hi guys, are you all right?"
"Hello to everybody!"
Fred and George had just apparated in the middle of the room.
Hermione jumped in her place, while Harry and Ron frowned at them.
"Will you stop doing that? One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack!" she scolded them. In the meantime, Fred had gone over to his little brother and had put his arm around Ron's neck, pretending to strangle him.
"Hey, Ron, aren't you happy to see your big brothers again?"
"Sure! As long as you stop it with your silly jokes!"
The twins sat on Ron's bed, while Harry and Hermione took a seat on the nearby bed.
"How's life at Diagon Alley, after the last attack?"
Harry always had it in the back of his mind. He wasn't ever able to just relax and not think about the war.
The twins' faces became grim, and Fred replied.
"Nothing good, mate! Everybody is afraid and they try to stay outside as little as possible."
"Really bad luck for our business! Fortunately during the holidays, things seem to be going slightly better. People are busy with their Christmas shopping after all. WHAT IS IT?"
Hermione was frowning at George with her arms crossed, like a teacher ready to scold him.
"How is it possible that you're always thinking about profit? Don't you even occasionally think about all those deaths in London?"
"Of course! Tell her something, George," Fred replied hurriedly, hoping that his twin brother would help him find the right words.
"People are scared to come to Diagon Alley now. This is the most terrible disaster that could ever happen to us!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and didn't try to reply.
"Anyway... lately, we've had a prestigious task. Dumbledore met with us and asked for... something special for the Order," said Fred proudly.
"Cool! Does that mean that you're going to invent a strange weapon, or maybe a sort of defensive device?" Ron looked really excited at the idea.
"You can bet on it! Our genius is at work and soon you're going to be really amazed by our inventions!"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other unbelievingly, since both of them were nourishing some doubts.
KNOCK KNOCK
They turned to the door and Ginny rushed inside panting heavily.
"You couldn't imagine what I've just heard! Fred, George, there you are!"
"What's happened?" Ron asked worriedly, while his sister was gasping for breath.
"I was going downstairs when I saw Snape coming out from the kitchen with Professor McGonagall and Dad. I hid on the first floor, trying my best to overhear as much as possible..."
Ginny stopped again, while all the others were staring at her greedily.
"What did you hear?" asked Fred impatiently.
"They were talking about the war. They were saying something about giants and goblins that had joined You-Know-Who's army... what did they call it? Ah, yes, the Darkness Army!"
Everybody stared at each other in silence, hoping that someone would jump abruptly, saying that it was just a joke. Nobody did.
Harry thought that the situation was becoming more and more serious. It seemed now that Voldemort had the giants and goblins on his side, together with the Dementors and Death Eaters.
It was easy to imagine what he could do with the help of such an army. Maybe this time, it would be the end of the magical and Muggle worlds.
"We don't have to jump to conclusions. Ginny just heard a part of the conversation and not the whole thing. Maybe there are strong allies on our side as well, maybe not all the giants are with Voldemort. We should put more trust in the wizards of the Order, and above all, Dumbledore."
"Yes, Hermione's right!" added George.
"Mum and Dad trust Dumbledore completely and I'm sure that he knows very well how to fight the dark side. If the Order should need our help, we won't stand idly by, right Fred?"
"Exactly, George! We're ready to join the battle any time!"
Hermione was staring at the twins worriedly, but at hearing those words, Harry felt a great strength rising inside him; he was ready to fight as well, without any hesitation.
"I agree with Fred and George. We should be ready to fight!"
"I'm ready as well!" said Ron with determination.
"I suggest we make an oath!" added Harry, not paying attention to Hermione who was looking at him, astonished.
Harry stretched his arm out in front of him, palm down. Then Ron put his hand on it, and the twins did the same.
"In case of need, we'll join the Order of the Phoenix!"
Harry pronounced the words with a solemn tone and went on.
"We'll put body and soul into the battle to defeat the dark side. We'll fight until the end to defend our world and our beloved ones!"
"FOR OUR WORLD AND FOR OUR BELOVED ONES!" repeated Ron, Fred, and George in unison. Suddenly, Ginny stretched out her arm and put her hand on top of the others'.
"I swear that in case of need, I'll do my part as well!"
Harry, Ron, and the twins were very surprised to see Ginny so determined. Then Hermione stretched out her arm and put her hand on top of Ginny's.
"Well, I really hope that there won't be any need, but, I'm with you for sure!"
The group of young wizards and witches smiled at each other, feeling really proud of themselves.
***O***
Harry was walking along a dark corridor, apparently at Hogwarts. He reached the huge marble entrance, which was completely empty, then stretched out his hand and opened the heavy gate. The light of the full moon blinded him for a moment; his eyes adjusted and he then descended the main stairway heading to the gardens.
The sky was clear, not even a cloud, and the air was fresh and perfumed. Everything emanated peace and quiet. Suddenly, he heard a terrible explosion and the ground trembled. He lost his balance and fell backwards on the wet grass. When he raised his head, he felt his blood freezing in his veins; in the dark night sky, Voldemort's Dark Mark was shining just above him...
His scar throbbed painfully and he could barely manage to stand up. He shivered all over, feeling a stinging cold throughout his whole body. He folded his arms and his teeth started to chatter. He felt a terrible foreboding; only one thing had this effect on him. He didn't have time to react to the hundreds of Dementors that were already filling the sky, ready to attack.
Harry had never seen so many of them. He stepped backwards but the Dementors had just stopped, all around the castle, as if they were waiting for a signal. His scar was burning even more and he shouted from the pain he felt. Then he saw him. Voldemort was coming out of the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by his faithful Death Eaters.
Harry felt his panic rising as he searched for his wand in the back pocket of his jeans, but he couldn't find it. Voldemort was right in front of him now, frowning at him with his evil red eyes glaring.
Harry felt the fear taking advantage of him, preventing him from reacting and thinking. His head was completely blank. Voldemort pointed his wand toward him and pronounced just one word.
"CRUCIO!"
"NOOOO!"
Harry woke up abruptly, shouting loudly with his hands on his face, his scar throbbing. He lowered his hands and looked around him, panting heavily and hoping with all his strength to find himself at Grimmauld Place again. With great relief, he saw Ron heading toward him, his face pale and worried.
"Harry? It was another of your nightmares?"
Harry couldn't speak. He was trying his best to breathe deeply and to not throw up. He put his elbows on his pillow and Ron helped him to get seated on the bed. Harry raised a hand to his scar, which was burning, and realized that his forehead was completely covered in sweat.
"How are you feeling now? Shall I go and get someone?"
"No, I'm f-feeling b-better... it's over now."
"It was another nightmare about... You-Know-Who?"
"Yes... or maybe not! It looked like... a sort of vision. I saw Voldemort at Hogwarts, there were Dementors and Death Eaters..."
"What? You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?" Ron cut him off, horrified, as Harry nodded.
"Are you sure that it was just a vision? Maybe what you've seen is taking place right now!" he asked, deeply alarmed.
"No, it was as if... all of this was still going to happen..."
"You mean that it was a premonition?"
Ron's voice was trembling; Harry wasn't even able to reply. Suddenly, Ron stood up and headed to the door.
"W-where are you going now?"
"I'm going to get someone! The school could be in great danger!"
1
-->