SECRETS FROM THE PAST

(A/N: Dear friends, in view of the sequal which I'm going to publish soon, I wanted to re-edit the whole fan fiction with the help of a new BETA reader. That's why I'd like to thank IronChefOR for his great job, and of course my former BETA reader SarahLupin. I remind you that my mother tongue is Italian and not English, that's why my BETA readers' help is so important for me. I hope you'll enjoy the story!)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SECRETS FROM THE PAST

Chapter 1. OWL MAIL

I ask to myself why when sadness falls

In the depth of my heart

Like the snow, it does not make sound

And driving like mad with lights off

In the night, to figure out if

It is so difficult to die.

“Emotions” Lucio Battisti

It was a very hot summer, just like the previous years. The lawns of Privet Drive were no longer green and luxuriant as usual, but were arid and dry.

“136.... 137.... 138...”

Harry was doing push-ups, with his arms on the bed for support and his feet on the floor. His forehead and T-shirt were sweaty, his face concentrated in effort.

Since he was still underage, he was not allowed to practice magic outside of Hogwarts, so he was trying to strengthen himself by training his body.

“150.... 151.... 152...”

He had spent the last month shut up in his bedroom, trying to avoid running into his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, with whom he was forced to remain during his summer holidays. He knew perfectly well that he HAD to remain in that house, even though everyone knew it was a prison for him. It was the only possible way to escape his mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort.

Harry stopped reflecting on his situation and got up, wiping his forehead with his hand. Suddenly, he noticed on the horizon there was a little white spot approaching faster and faster upon him. After a few seconds, his eyes focused on the form of his beloved owl, Hedwig.

He quickly jumped backwards, and through the open window Hedwig entered the room, landing gracefully on his desk. Tied to her leg was a little piece of parchment, sealed with a red ribbon.

“Finally you came back!”

Harry was happy to see her, even if his tone was a little upset.

“Would you mind telling me why it took you so long to return?”

Hedwig seemed a little offended by his question, and after delivering the mail, she jumped into her cage and turned her back on Harry.

He felt guilty for having treated her this way, but it had been so long and he had not talked to anybody; he couldn't stop himself from letting his bad mood out on her.

He looked at the parchment in his hands, unrolled it and read it greedily: it was from Ron, and there were just a few lines on it.

“Dear Harry,

Please be patient. We're going to pick you up soon, so be ready.

Hermione and I are really looking forward to seeing you again.

See you soon, Ron

PS: Best Wishes for your 16th birthday”

Harry remained still for a few seconds, staring at the parchment, and then he turned it over, hoping to read something more, but there was nothing else. Of course, he was very disappointed by the short message, but he understood that his best friend was not able to write more, fearing that the owl could have been intercepted by the enemy.

He felt a strong surge of envy and a pain in his stomach, knowing that Ron and Hermione were together in that very moment, probably at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. He wondered what his best friends were doing.

***O***

Harry was running along a dark corridor with stone walls, lit only by a few torches. He headed toward the only door at the end of the corridor and when he opened it, he found himself in a large room, shaped like an amphitheater.

When he saw that scene in front of him, he remained still, his eyes opening wide. In the center of the amphitheater, Sirius Black was fighting against Bellatrix Lestrange, dangerously close to a stone archway, a fluttering veil hanging from it.

Harry wanted desperately to go and warn him, but he could not; it was impossible for him to move or to speak.

Suddenly, a jet of light coming from Bellatrix's wand hit Sirius right in the chest and he slowly sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch, until he disappeared completely behind it.

“NOOOOO....”

Harry woke up screaming, his pajamas soaked in sweat and his scar burning in an unbearable way.

It took him some time to realize that he was safe in his bedroom at Privet Drive

“POTTER!”

“Oh, no! Not again!” he thought, beating his fist on the bed when he heard his uncle's voice complaining from the nearby bedroom.

Then he heard heavy footsteps in the corridor, and he knew that this time, his Uncle Vernon was really upset.

His uncle entered the room in a fury and beat the door with such violence that all the pictures fell from the wall.

“That's enough, boy! You stop it with those terrible screams, or I'll send you away from this house!”

Harry was still in his bed, looking at his uncle with his open mouth, quickly trying to recover from the shock of having once more witnessed his godfather's death.

“It isn't my fault! I had a nightmare!”

“You and your damned nightmares! Can't you do something to avoid them?”

“And what am I supposed to do, can you tell me?”

Harry's temper was starting to rise. He really could not prevent those nightmares from tormenting him, and he wished he could, so badly.

Uncle Vernon was surprised by his nephew's reaction and lowered his voice.

“If you're going to scream again in the middle of the night, I swear, you'll regret being alive!”

Then Uncle Vernon exited the room, closed the door behind him and finally left Harry alone with his thoughts. Harry sat on his bed with his back against the wall and started to rub his forehead as the pain in his scar slowly began to stop.

Ever since returning to Privet Drive, every night he had horrible nightmares like the one he just had.

After his godfather's tragic death last June, Harry was no longer not the same person. In the beginning, he felt torn apart by the pain and he desperately searched for something to hold on to, some kind of anchor that might bring him salvation.

Many of the things he believed to be important in the past, things that any other boy his age could consider normal, now, they were no longer important. Harry didn't care anymore about laughter, games, or girls. Now, he had only one mission in life: defeat Lord Voldemort, and in this way, get revenge for his parents, Sirius Black, and all the innocents who had the misfortune to cross Lord Voldemort's path. It was this thought that gave him the strength to go on.

With the passing of each day, a new and stronger feeling was growing inside him: a grudge, a mixture of anger and hatred toward Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Harry felt a sense of urgency and the need to train himself to fight Voldemort, because he was certain that they were going to meet again, sooner or later. And when that day came, he was going to be prepared to fight with all the strength he had.

But Sirius's death was not the only thing to torment his brain at that moment: there was also the prophecy, an eternal bond between him and Lord Voldemort.

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...

Born to those who have thrice defied him...

Born as the seventh month dies...

And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...

And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...”

The revelation of this prophecy had greatly shocked him, because he now knew that his destiny was already set. There was no other way; he must be either victim or murderer.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to give his tormented brain a rest.

The only thing to do now was to be ready and patiently wait for the wizards from the Order of the Phoenix to come and pick him up.

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(A/N: Dear readers, this is going to be an Harry/Hermione romance fan fiction, but there will be a lot of adventure too. I'd like to tell you immediately, that the romance part will come slowly later on. I prefer to enjoy the romance, bit after bit. Sorry about that, this is my way of writing! As usual, I'd like to thank my BETA readers IronChefOR and SarahLupin for their great job!)

Chapter 2. RETURN TO THE HOUSE OF BLACK

Going out to the heath in the morning

where you do not see a step

for finding again yourself.

Talking with a fisherman

For hours and hours

For not feeling that inside you

Something is dying...

“Emotions” by Lucio Battisti

Finally, Harry was darting freely through the night sky, the fresh wind messing up his hair; the moon and stars were so close he could nearly touch them. So much time had passed since the last time he had felt this way, free to fly on his wonderful broomstick, a Firebolt.

He felt happy, a feeling he had not felt in what seemed like ages. In that moment, he lowered his gaze and looked at his flight companions; a few wizards of the Order had come to pick him up from the Dursley's, and now they were escorting him to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

On his right was Nymphadora Tonks with her bright pink hair, who turned to him and winked. On his left, Remus Lupin was deeply concentrated on following the person in front of him. Behind him was Mad-Eye Moody, who was guarding him, and in front, guiding the group, there was another wizard Harry did not know.

At a distance, another group of wizards from the Order was following them, to make sure that there was no danger and that the way was clear.

After a few hours of flight, Harry was starting to freeze, but he resisted because he knew that they had nearly arrived at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

Suddenly he shivered, but this time not because of the cold; he realized that he was coming back to Sirius Black's house for the first time after his death. Last year they had spent many happy moments together in that house.

But this time Sirius would not be there to greet him... He wondered, how was he going to react when he walked once more into that house? Harry had never thought about it until just then.

A sudden signal from Mad-Eye Moody shook him from his thoughts and he realized that they had arrived. All of the wizards started to fly down in circle, keeping him in the center and soon they landed in an empty square surrounded by ancient buildings.

As they got closer to numbers eleven and thirteen, Harry concentrated his gaze on where number twelve should be and suddenly a heavy and ancient door appeared in front of them.

Moody opened the door cautiously, and then quickly pushed Harry inside.

"Get in quick, Harry," he said gruffly.

Soon he found himself again in the main entrance of that huge house, which had been the home of the Black family for generations.

He shuddered all over and looked around. Everything seemed to have remained the same: the pictures of Sirius's ancestors on the wall, including the one of Sirius's mother (always covered by a heavy curtain to keep her from screaming at everybody entering the house), the row of shrunken house-elf heads mounted on the staircase wall, and the horrible severed troll's leg umbrella stand.

Quickly and in silence, Harry, Tonks, Lupin, and Moody reached the door that lead to the kitchen. The other wizards who had escorted Harry during the trip were already gone.

When Harry entered the kitchen, he was really happy to find that his friends were all there waiting for him: Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ginny.

He stood at the door with a huge smile plastered across his face, and suddenly Hermione ran to hug him warmly.

"Harry, finally you've arrived. How are you?" she asked.

She was still hugging him, so tightly in fact that he was not able to answer her question. Ron came over and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Welcome back, mate, sorry for the poor mail, but, you know, Moody gave us specific orders about what and how long we could write to you. Erm, safety measures...."

"Never lower your guard boys, and always remember: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody interrupted him before reaching the table. He took a seat and started to drink from his hip flask.

"I hope that you aren't angry with us..." Hermione asked worriedly, after releasing him from the hug. But Harry was not at all angry with them, because he knew that this time, safety measures were never enough.

"It's OK, it isn't your fault...

“Okay boys, girls, let's go and have dinner! How are you, Harry, dear?”

Mrs. Weasley put an end to their conversation and helped Harry put away his cloak.

Soon everybody was busy eating the delicious food prepared by Mrs. Weasley. Harry was sitting between Ron and Hermione and was listening to them talk about all the news; in front of him were Fred, George, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, while Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Tonks and Moody were sitting on his right side, talking in low voices.

“Where are Charlie and Bill?” asked Harry.

“They're in mission for the Order! TOP SECRET! Mum doesn't tell us anything. Nothing about that has changed since last year!” answered Ron, looking disappointed.

Harry could not help thinking that something surely had changed since last year: Sirius was no longer there with them. In any case, he did not want to worry his friends or let them see him so melancholy, so he remained in silence.

“You are wrong, Ron! Many things have changed since last year,” answered Hermione, a little bit annoyed, as if what Ron was saying was a terrible lie. For a moment Harry feared that Hermione was going to speak about Sirius, giving voice to his sad thoughts.

“Actually, if you didn't notice, last year everybody was thinking that Harry was a stupid visionary and that he built up a silly story about the return of You-Know-Who just to be in the center of everybody's attention. But NOW, all the wizarding world knows for certain that Harry was saying the truth and they keep talking about him with admiration. It was about time, don't you think?”

Harry sighed in relief. If Hermione had brought up his godfather's death, he did not know how he would have reacted in front of them.

The discussion continued. Ron was explaining that after the first holiday week, he and his family moved to Grimmauld Place, to better follow the current events. Hermione had joined them a few days later. Until that moment, nothing special had happened, aside from frequent secret meetings among the wizards from the Order. Naturally, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were always excluded from those meetings.

Fred and George were now working full time in their new shop "Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," for which they had rented a little place in Diagon Alley. The next day, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were going to pay them a short visit.

It seemed that the twins had started a great business, and even Mrs. Weasley had now accepted their decision, and was happy for them.

Soon Mrs. Weasley ordered them to go to bed, while the adults stayed in the kitchen to talk about important matters.

Fred and George went to their bedroom, and Ginny did the same, while Hermione joined Harry and Ron in their bedroom to talk a little bit.

Harry sat on his bed, while his best friends sat on the other bed in front of him; Harry could not wait any more and asked a very important question: "So? What do you know about Voldemort?"

At hearing that name, Ron shivered slightly, but Hermione remained quiet and started answering Harry's question.

“No, we don't know anything, nobody here tells us anything at all! But, listening here and there, we managed to understand that after having lost his better Death Eaters, Voldemort is surely disoriented. His plan to steal the prophecy ended badly, and he's probably now organizing a new plan, before attacking again.”

“At Diagon Alley everybody is afraid! Fred and George said that! People're cautious and don't trust anyone. People don't want to find a Death Eater on their door, when they least expect it,” added Ron worriedly.

“And this is just the beginning,” commented Harry bitterly, before adding.

“I fear that Voldemort will attack soon. While I was at the Dursleys, my scar was throbbing so often, and that surely means that Voldemort is preparing something, I'm sure of that!”

Ron and Hermione shuddered on hearing Harry's words, then Hermione spoke again, but this time with a worried voice.

“Harry, you should be really careful. You can't be influenced again by wrong visions! You could, you know, fall again into a trap!”

At those words Harry got up with his fists clenched and started to shout with anger.

“DO YOU THINK IT'S A JOKE WHAT I FEEL EVERY TIME THAT MY SCAR BURNS ? Do you think it's a joke when I feel Voldemort's thoughts? I feel so helpless and horrible each time!”

Harry stopped to take breath, and he noticed that Hermione had lowered her gaze and now she was looking at the floor, mortified. But Ron got up and now he was facing Harry.

“OK, I KNOW! IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU FEEL, BUT AT LEAST WE TRY! On the contrary, you don't understand us! Hermione just wanted to help, and you didn't need to attack her like that!"

Suddenly Harry felt horrible. He knew that all his bottled-up anger had exploded out against the only person who always had helped him in all those difficult years, the one who had shared with him the majority of his troubles: Hermione.

Harry turned suddenly and walked to the window, trying to control his temper. He began to breath deeply and felt that his anger was slowly abandoning him. When he turned again to face his friends, Hermione was staring directly into his eyes, worried.

Harry moved closer to her to apologize.

"I'm sorry for reacting that way, Hermione, but... I don't know! It was as if all the anger and frustration inside of me wanted to come out. I'm so sorry that it all came out against you. What's happening to me isn't your fault."

Then Hermione got up and put her hand on Harry's shoulder, looking at him with understanding.

"You don't have to be sorry. Anybody could have reacted in that way, if put in the same conditions as you."

Harry lowered his gaze feeling guilty.

"I think that it would be best to go to bed now," said Hermione a little bit embarrassed, before reaching the door and leaving the room.

Ron sat heavily on his bed and started staring at the ceiling. An embarrassing silence fell between them, and Harry was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry, Ron."

Harry reached his bed and sat in front of his friend, trying to figure out what Ron was thinking.

"I'm really worried Harry, I can't hide it from you."

Hearing those words, Harry felt a strong pain in his heart; he was feeling so guilty.

"I mean, for my family. My father, my mother, Bill, Charlie, and now Fred and George, they all are part of the Order of the Phoenix. And the worst is yet to come! If one of them dies, I..."

"Don't say that, Ron!" Harry interrupted him. He understood now that he was not the only person to suffer because of all that was happening. He felt so selfish! He never thought before that Ron could ever suffer like him, or even worse.

Harry didn't have relatives who risked their lives; almost all Ron's family was at risk since the war against the dark side was just beginning. He tried to comfort his friend.

"You'll see, none of your family will get hurt. Everything is going turn out okay."

Harry also wanted to add, "You'll see that Voldemort will be defeated soon," but he knew too well that this war depended entirely on him, on his strength and on his courage.

But his friend did not know anything about the prophecy, so he remained silent, stretching his legs on the bed and closing his eyes. Soon he fell in a deep sleep.

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(A/N: For all of you who are following this story, here is chapter 3! I strongly hope that you're finding the story enjoyable. As usual, I'd like to thank my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOR and SarahLupin.)

Chapter 3. IN THE BEDROOM OF SIRIUS

...
And punching a man just because
He has been impolite
Knowing that what it is burning inside are not
The offenses.
And closing my eyes to stop
Something that
It is inside of me
But it isn't in your mind...
...
"Emotions" by Lucio Battisti

Harry was running again along a dark corridor with stone walls, lit only by a few torches. He headed toward the only door at the end of the corridor and when he opened it, he found himself in a large room, shaped like an amphitheater.

Sirius Black was there again, in the center of the amphitheater, fighting against Bellatrix Lestrange.

Once again Harry wanted desperately to go and warn him, but he felt that he wasn't able to do it and remained frozen, like a helpless spectator reliving again and again the same tragic scene.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his scar; his head seemed to break up into pieces and he woke up screaming, with his hand on his burning scar.

"NOOOOO...... SIRIUS...... NOOOOO..."

Ron jumped on his bed, alarmed.

"Harry? Did you have another nightmare?"

Ron was accustomed to his best friend's troubled nights, but he couldn't help worrying every time the nightmares occurred.

"Yes, it's always the same one, but everything's all right now, don't worry. Go back to sleep, Ron," Harry answered, breathing heavily, as his scar slowly stopped throbbing.

Ron wasn't particularly convinced and he sat down on his best friend's bed.

"Would you like to tell me, Harry? Maybe I could help!"

Harry didn't know if it was a good idea to tell his friend, because he didn't want to worry him. However, he knew that it could be worse not telling him.

He got up and sat on the bed, closing his eyes to ease the pain he was feeling inside.

"I always see Sirius's death - all the scenes- and I can't do anything to stop it."

Ron felt sorry for him and started staring at the floor. Harry knew Ron was doing this and it was partly why he kept his eyes closed. Then he slowly continued.

"I feel so... so helpless! It's unbearable, believe me!"

"Yes, I believe you, Harry! Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?" asked Ron nervously, embarrassed. Harry nodded, realizing that his friend was feeling sorry for him and that he couldn't find the right words to comfort him.

Harry stretched himself out onto the bed and turned onto his other side, gazing at the moonlight coming in from the window.

Neither of them was able to fall asleep again.

***O***

The following morning, Harry and Ron got up late. They had just managed to fall asleep at dawn.

They quickly ran down to the kitchen for breakfast, and there they found Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny chatting animatedly, whilst cleaning the dishes.

"Good morning, you two! Ron, you always oversleep, do you know what time it is? And you, Harry, dear, did you sleep well? I'm sure that you needed a good rest after that long trip."

Mrs. Weasley was always very kind to Harry, probably because she felt sorry for him being an orphan.

Harry and Ron sat at the table to have breakfast, and Hermione moved closer to talk to them.

"Good morning to you! Did you forget that today we're going to pay a visit to Fred and George at Diagon Alley? We should go shortly, so please try to hurry up with your breakfast!"

Then she looked intensely at Harry and lowered her voice.

"Harry, what happened to you? You look terrible this morning! Have you had another of your nightmares last night?"

Harry was surprised at that question; was he such a predictable person? Or maybe Hermione was able to read minds? Anyway, Ron answered instead.

"Yes, a very bad nightmare. We woke up, and we couldn't manage to fall asleep again until dawn.... ahhhhhhhh.... I'm so tired....." ended Ron yawning loudly, and Harry put down his toast, feeling guilty. Then Hermione looked deep into his eyes.

"Do I have to worry?"

"NO, please, everything is under control."

Harry reassured her quickly, while he frowned at Ron, who froze with his mouth open. Harry was sure that his best friend was going to tell her what his nightmare was about, and he didn't want him to do it with everybody watching them.

Soon they were ready in front of the fireplace to travel by floo-powder. Before they left, Mrs. Weasley gave everybody their Hogwarts letters, which included their book lists, and, to their surprise, their O.W.L. results. Harry hoped to have passed all the main subjects with good marks, in order to be able to continue on with his plans on becoming an Auror.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking at their envelopes with trepidation. Hermione gave a deep sigh of relief, and Harry knew that she passed with top marks; Ron made a sad face.

"Not too bad! I didn't pass Potions! At least I'll have the pleasure of not having to see Snape's ugly face again next year!"

Mrs. Weasley frowned at him, and then she turned to Harry.

"And you dear, which marks did you get?"

Harry hadn't opened his envelope yet; he wanted to know his friends' marks first. When he read his results, his eyes widened, full of surprise. Hermione could not resist her curiosity, and ran behind him to read the results herself.

She jumped with excitement, clapping her hands.

"I knew it, Harry, I knew it! You passed in all the subjects with very good marks! You did great, I had no doubt!"

In fact, it was great: Harry got top marks in all subjects, except Potions; but it was enough to go on with the main subjects required to become an Auror: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He was grateful to Professor McGonagall, since she offered her help to him in this matter last year.

Everybody congratulated him and Hermione, but Ron was satisfied too.

They moved to the fireplace and, one by one, disappeared into the fire, reappearing in Diagon Alley.

While Mrs. Weasley went to do the shopping, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny headed to Fred and George's new shop.

It was really nice, not as big as Zonko's in Hogsmeade, but it was full of strange new inventions. Harry was very impressed, as was Hermione, who in previous years was always disapproving wherever the twins and their "useless" abilities were concerned.

They came back to Grimmauld Place for dinner, and afterwards everybody was so tired, especially Harry and Ron, that they wished the others good night and went up to their bedroom.

But Harry could not sleep; he wanted to do something very important first, even if it might be really sad and painful for him. He waited until Ron finally fell asleep, and then he tiptoed out of his room. The hallway was empty.

Slowly he climbed the stairs to the upper floor and then he reached Sirius's bedroom. He put his hand on the handle and hesitated for a moment. He wished so much to see his godfather's room again, and maybe he even hoped to find him there again.

He entered the room and the darkness weighed heavily on his eyes. Then he took his wand from his pocket and ordered "INCENDO!"

At his command, all the candles in the room lit up.

He closed the door behind him and remained still, looking in every direction. Everything was the same as when Sirius was there: the canopy bed, the drawer, the desk, the black leather armchairs.

It looked as though bedroom was waiting for its owner to come back.

Almost without realizing it, a warm tear rolled down on his cheek.

Slowly he reached the bed and touched it with affection. Then, his hand tightened on the covers with anger; he fell to his knees, pressed his face against the covers, and suddenly, lost control of his feelings.

Harry burst into tears, a deep crying of liberation. He felt as though all his suffering from the last few months was slipping away with all his tears; he was starting to free himself from all that pain, from all that weight he was carrying on his shoulders for so long. It was as if Sirius's soul, captured in that room, was helping him to find comfort, to leave everything behind and start again.

A long time passed, the only sound in the room his sobs. No one could hear him, no one could imagine that Harry was there, in his loneliness, and that he was relieving his emotions at last. When he stopped crying, he remained on the floor with his head still leaning on the bed, his eyes closed.

Oddly, he finally felt free, lighter than before. Maybe now he would be able to face any obstacle hidden in his path; he had just been able to face himself, his endless sadness, his desperation.

Now, he would be able to start everything again, stronger than before.

***O***

When he finally managed to pull himself together, Harry realized that it was very late.

He silently left the room and closed the door behind him, walked to the stairs, but then suddenly stopped. He did not want to go back to his room yet; he sat on the first step with his elbows on his knees, his hands holding up his head, deeply absorbed in his thoughts.

Suddenly, he heard someone opening a door and he jumped in surprise. He did not want to be seen by anyone, but it was too late. He could already hear footsteps.

Before he could leave, Hermione had already come up to him.

"Harry, what are you doing here at this time of night?"

She was really surprised to find him there, and was talking quietly so as to not wake the others.

"What are YOU still doing up at this time, Hermione? I thought you were in bed!"

"I was in bed, but I heard a noise and I came out to see what it was!"

Then, without waiting for an answer, she sat close to him on the same step. Both looked at each other, but soon Harry moved his eyes away from hers, and started staring at the stairway leading downstairs.

Hermione probably understood his mood, because she immediately changed her tone of voice and spoke to him in a sweeter way.

"You miss Sirius, don't you?"

Once more, Harry was surprised by his best friend's ability to understand his true feelings.

Harry nodded in silence and Hermione spoke again.

"It must have been really hard for you to come back to this house again. Everything here reminds you of Sirius! I'm sure you'll be able to overcome all this, sooner or later, I know it! And we're going to help you!"

Harry was surprised to hear those words, and he turned back to her, looking deeply into her eyes. Was it possible that Hermione knew him so well? In that very moment he felt a strong desire to tell her about the prophecy, to reveal to her everything and relieve the heavy burden he was carrying on his heart. But why should he load her with such a big burden? No, he could not do that. He was not ready yet to talk about the prophecy, to her or to anyone else, and he remained silent.

"Ron and I will always be there for you. You'll never have reason to doubt our friendship. We'll always do our best to help you, in every situation!"

"Thanks..."

Harry was so thankful, but he was not able to tell her anything else, since he was starting to feel his emotions well up again, and he did not want her to see his fragility.

They remained there in silence for a few minutes, then Harry suddenly got up and she did the same.

"I think we ought to go to bed now. I don't want to make you lose sleep, as I did Ron yesterday."

"Yes, you're right."

Hermione gave him a sweet smile; then she turned and returned to her bedroom.

"Good night, Harry."

"Good night."

Harry watched her disappear behind the door, then descended the stairs and finally went to bed.

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(A/N: I'd like to thank my first reviewers Jen KenLee, Hdawne, Hermione Potter1378 and destroyedrt for their nice comments. As usual, I'd like to thank my BETA readers IronChef and SArahLupin for their great support! I hope you'll enjoy next chapters.)

Chapter 4. COMING BACK TO HOGWARTS

...
The lions' den
Is still reality
Coming out is not possible for us
It is a false slogan.
...
"Our Dear Angel" by Lucio Battisti

Finally, Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall at Hogwarts; together with Ron and Hermione, he was ready to listen to Albus Dumbledore's welcome speech.

That morning he and his friends ran to King's Cross station to catch the Hogwarts Express on time. As usual they went there escorted by Lupin, Moody, Tonks and a few other wizards from the Order to avoid any incidents. The trip to Hogwarts had been quiet, and they did not meet Malfoy or his cronies. Harry thought that Malfoy was probably ashamed to show his face, since everybody now knew that his father was a Death Eater, locked way in Azkaban prison.

He was happy to be at school again, and sitting there with everyone chatting and giggling around him, his troubles seemed far away.

When Dumbledore was ready to give his speech, everybody became silent.

"A warm welcome to all our students. As I do every year, I expect that you will follow our school rules and I remind you once more that the the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden. Now, it is my pleasure to welcome back Professor Remus Lupin, who will be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."

Hearing this, all of the students burst into great applause, since most of them remembered quite well that Professor Lupin was a good teacher.

Harry and Ron were the most surprised of all, to be sure. During their stay at Grimmauld Place, no one mentioned anything about this.

"But why didn't they say anything to us at all?" complained Ron, a little bit upset.

"Maybe Lupin didn't know about it until today," said Harry, trying to find a good explanation, but Hermione remained silent with a large smile on her face.

"No, but... it's not fair Hermione, you knew about this! Didn't you?"

"Yes, I knew! But Professor Lupin made me promise not to say anything to anyone!" admitted Hermione quietly, but Ron was even angrier.

"Are you our best friend or not? Why do you always keep secrets to yourself and don't say a word to us?

Harry raised an eyebrow, fearing that his friends would start to argue as usual, and he suddenly interrupted them before it was too late.

"Now that's enough, please don't argue or I'll start screaming!"

Harry frowned at them both and they immediately stopped arguing, turning their concentration to their plates which, in the meantime, had magically filled with a great quantity of delicious food.

***O***

The week started busy as always. Subjects were much more difficult in the sixth year, especially now that they were preparing themselves for the seventh year N.E.W.T. examinations.

Harry and Hermione both had the same classes, while Ron, who did not pass his Potions O.W.L., had a different class instead.

The three of them would no longer have classes like Divination, Astronomy or Care of Magical Creatures during their sixth and seventh years. Instead, they had more weekly classes on the most important subjects: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

After Harry returned to school, he noticed a really good sign: he didn't have those bad nightmares about Sirius's death anymore, but he couldn't understand why. Maybe after his return to Grimmauld Place, he somehow overcame his bad mood, or maybe Dumbledore's positive vibrations were helping him feeling better. Either way, the important thing for him was that now, he was able to sleep the whole night through, and that was giving him the strength he needed to go on.

Harry and Hermione were going to start their first school day with Potions and Professor Snape. After breakfast, they said good-bye to Ron who was attending a different class and went down to the dungeons. Ron would see them in their Transfiguration class, two hours later.

Gathered in front of the dungeon entrance, there were already many Slytherin students (whom Professor Snape had probably helped pass the examinations). In contrast, apart from Harry and Hermione, there were only a few Gryffindors, including Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Seamus Finnigan. To their great surprise, there were also a few students from Hufflepuff, like their friend Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones, and a few others from Ravenclaw Harry did not know.

Harry and Hermione reached their friends, who were chatting quietly. Then Harry glanced quickly at the Slytherin group and noticed that Malfoy was coming closer, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Uh oh, I smell trouble!" commented Seamus. In fact, Malfoy did not waste any time and faced Harry and Hermione with an evil sparkle in his eyes.

"Look at what we have here: Saint Potter and his Mudblood friend! I didn't think Snape would have admitted you two to his advanced Potions class, but I was wrong. How much did you pay him to let you pass your O.W.L.? Or maybe Snape just needed someone to make fun of during the next two years?" He ended the sentence with an evil laugh, imitated by Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry was already losing his temper, when Hermione stopped him, grabbing his arm and whispering to him.

"No, Harry! He just wants to provoke you. Just ignore him!"

Harry remained still, but gave Malfoy an angry look, challenging him.

"What is it, Potter, cat got your tongue? Or maybe your Mudblood friend orders you around like her trusted dog?"

Finally, Harry had had enough, and answered back.

"It's strange Malfoy, I'd have thought that after your father had been sent to Azkaban, you wouldn't have the courage to show your ugly face at Hogwarts again! Well, I was wrong, because you're still here, unfortunately!"

Harry's retort had the effect of a knife blade cutting deeply into Malfoy's pride, who immediately took his wand out of his robes.

Harry was faster and pulled out his wand before Malfoy. Within a second, they were facing each other, wands ready. A worried whispering ran through the students and Hermione put her hands over her mouth, fearing the worst.

"Don't... you... DARE... talk... about... my father... Potter!"

Both stared at each other full of hate, when suddenly the classroom door opened and Professor Snape reached them in a fury.

"What are you doing Potter? Put away that wand immediately! Do you want to get detention on your first day of school?"

Harry lowered his wand and decided not to reply, because he knew perfectly well that it would have been useless with Snape. Malfoy lowered his wand too, and when Snape turned to enter the classroom, he whispered to Harry, "You're gonna pay for this, Potter."

The whole thing ended with Snape taking ten points from Gryffindor.

As usual, Snape did not say anything about Malfoy having his wand out also, but it was obvious that Malfoy was Snape's favorite student.

Harry and Hermione sat together in one of the last desks. Hermione kept commenting on what had just happened and she was mad at Snape for how he had treated Harry. "He took ten points from Gryffindor and this is just the first lesson! It's not fair! I can't even stand to think about it!"

Harry was accustomed to Snape's unfair treatment and did not care about it anymore. The remainder of the lesson went on without any incidents, and Harry tried to keep his eyes down, so as to not provoke his teacher.

For his part, Snape did not take his eyes off Harry, and made it clear to all the students that the final two years of Potions were going to be the hardest, and that they were to give their best effort.

Fortunately, double Potions passed by quickly, and Harry and Hermione met Ron in Professor McGonagall's classroom for double Transfiguration. The three friends sat in desks near the back, and Hermione started to tell Ron about what had just happened.

Like Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall also pointed out that she was going to expect maximum effort from all her students.

When they reached the great Hall for lunch, they were tensed like a violin string.

"And this is just the first day! I can't imagine how the rest of the year will be!"

Ron was really exhausted. Harry and Hermione looked at him with understanding, but the day was not finished yet; they still had double Charms and one hour of Herbology.

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Chapter 5. THE NEW CAPTAIN

...

Our dear Angel

Eats roots and then

He sleeps inside the bushes and under the trees

But he will never be a slave.

...

“Our Dear Angel” by Lucio Battisti

That evening in the common room, Harry, Ron and Hermione tried to start their homework for Snape and McGonagall, but after about two hours they felt too exhausted and decided to go to bed.

When everybody in the dormitory fell asleep, Harry got up from his bed and walked to the window; the moonlight was amazing and the night was warm and quiet. He loved to watch the grounds of Hogwarts from his window; he loved everything about that castle, it was his home and it made him so happy to be there.

Suddenly he remembered something and turned to reach his trunk. He opened it and took out the small two-way mirror Sirius gave him after the previous Christmas holiday. It was a special mirror: it permitted a person to communicate with whomever was holding its twin. Sirius told him that whenever he needed to talk to him, he just had to look inside and say his name.

After Sirius' death, Harry had broken the mirror in a rush of anger, but then he had repaired it during the summer.

Harry looked at the mirror greedly, but he found his own reflection there, looking back at him.

Gloomy, he put the mirror back into his trunk and went back to bed.

The following morning at breakfast, a lot of owls arrived to bring students their mail. Hermione got her copy of the Daily Prophet, checking for news about Voldemort's return. Harry was surprised to receive mail too; it was not Hedwig that brought it to him, but a normal school owl.

“Come on Harry, open that envelope! Who do you think is writing to you?”

Ron was as surprised as Harry; Hermione watched the scene from over the top of her newspaper.

Harry opened the parchment and read it in silence, becoming even more surprised with every line. He passed the parchment to Hermione, who read it aloud to Ron.

“Dear Mr Potter,

It is my wish that you come to my office tonight after dinner. I must talk to you about a very important matter.

Yours faithfully,
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Vice Head Mistress"

"Hey, school just started! How could you have already gotten yourself into trouble?" asked Ron worriedly.

"I hope she doesn't want to give me detention for what happened yesterday with Malfoy! True, I did seriously consider jinxing him, but I didn't get the chance to!"

"No, Harry. They can't punish someone just because he only thought to do something forbidden! It has to be something else."

Hermione remained in thought for a few seconds, then suddenly got up with a great smile on her face.

"Come on guys, let's go. We've our first lesson with Professor Lupin today."

"Sorry to be a bother, but we were talking about Professor McGonagall's letter!!"

Ron was apparently upset at the sudden change in her attitude.

"Yes, but if we're late to class, we'll definitely end up in detention!"

Hermione turned and rushed to exit the Great Hall, while Ron and Harry remained at the table, looking at her with their mouths open.

***O***

Professor Lupin's lesson was very interesting, as he wanted to teach a series of spells to stop hostile attacks. Not once before, during, or after the class did the other students make any comments about the fact that professor Lupin left the school three years ago because he was a werewolf.

Everything was different now that Voldemort was back. All of the students were happy to have an excellent teacher who most certainly would be able to teach them how to defend themselves against dark magic. For Harry, Ron, and Hermione it was a double pleasure because not only was Lupin was a great friend, but also in this difficult time, the more wizards from the Order of the Phoenix who were present at school, the better.

After dinner, Ron and Hermione went back to the common room, while Harry headed to Professor McGonagall's office to hear what she had to say.

Harry knocked twice; Professor McGonagall answered "Come in" in her usual severe tone of voice. He entered the room and walked over to her desk, where she was sitting, looking at him over her spectacles.

“Good evening Mr. Potter.”

“Good evening professor.”

Harry was feeling nervous and kept asking himself why he was there.

"I asked you to come to my office because I have an important announcement to make. Surely you are wondering if the Gryffindor Quidditch team is still without a captain?"

Harry suddenly realized she was right; the previous captain Angelina Johnson had graduated last year.

"Well, the answer is yes! The team does not yet have a captain... unless you accept the position I am currently offering you."

Professor McGonagall started to gaze at him with a sweeter look, and Harry remained speechless, unable to believe his ears.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yes, you understood correctly, Mr. Potter. I asked you if you would accept the role of captain for our Quidditch team."

Professor McGonagall was becoming impatient and Harry felt his heart beating madly in his chest. With all the problems he had over the last few months, he hadn't even had a chance think about it, but becoming the new captain... it was his greatest desire ever.

"Do I take your silence as a no?"

"NO! I mean YES, I accept!"

"Very well, very well. I really hope that you are going to put your all into this."

"I'll do my best, Professor McGonagall."

McGonagall looked at him from over her spectacles, and her thin lips formed a light smile.

"I have no doubt Mr. Potter. I am going to explain to you the duties of a Quidditch captain."

Harry was so excited. He was the new team captain. He still couldn't believe it, and he couldn't even listen to McGonagall while she was speaking.

"I also remind you that the championship will start at the end of October as usual, and, let's say, next week, you should start practices. Before that, you will need to organize tryouts to choose the new members of the team."

She paused before speaking again.

"As you know, on the team already are Mr. Ronald Weasley, who is the keeper, then Miss Ginny Weasley, who has asked to play as a Chaser, Mr. Kirke and Mr. Sloper who were Beaters last year, and you are the Seeker, of course. You just need to find two more Chasers, and I suggest you choose them with the utmost care."

Professor McGonagall gave him another serious gaze from over her spectacles.

"Yes, professor."

"And I have another announcement to make, Mr. Potter."

Harry felt again his heart beating like mad; was there something more to worry about?

"It is our Headmaster's wish that you resume your Occlumency lessons again with Professor Snape."

Harry felt a strange emptiness in his stomach and suddenly his scar started to throb. He had to start Occlumency lessons again? It couldn't be true, Dumbledore couldn't do that to him. Harry immediately tried to protest.

"But, Professor, is it really necessary? I mean, is there no other way to..."

"I am sorry, Mr. Potter, but the Headmaster believes that learning Occlumency is of vital importance for both your physical and mental health, and I cannot say any more than that," McGonagall interrupted him severely.

"I expect that you will make arrangements with Professor Snape as soon as possible."

"Yes, Professor," answered Harry sadly, while his blood began to boil in anger.

"Also, in case of news of any kind, I ask that you report it to me immediately. Is it clear?"

"Yes, it is," answered sharply Harry, wondering about which news the professor meant.

"Very well then, I believe that, for the moment, that is all, Mr. Potter. I wish you all the best."

"Thank you Professor. Good night."

"Good night Mr. Potter. Oh, there is one last thing..."

Harry had already reached the door, when McGonagall stopped him.

"I would like to congratulate you on your excellent O.W.L.s"

"Thank you Professor." Replied Harry, sadly.

Harry opened the door and exited into the empty corridor. It was only eight o'clock, but it seemed that all the students were already in their common rooms.

Harry walked to Gryffindor tower, deeply absorbed in his thoughts. Absent-mindedly he raised his hand to his forehead, rubbing his scar, which was gradually beginning to throb more and more. He also started to feel sick, but assumed that it was because of the news about more Occlumency lessons with Snape. It was important to him, but he just couldn't stand that man, and he knew that Snape too didn't want to waste his time teaching him.

Why could he not take Occlumency lessons from Dumbledore?

Then he thought about being team captain, and he felt a little better. He was thrilled to start practices and he was already planning a few new game plans to teach to his teammates.

But before that, he needed to organize tryouts for the new players... and then he needed to decide when to meet for practices... and then...

Suddenly he was no longer able to think rationally, and almost without knowing it, he fell into a sort of trance; he stopped and with his hand reached for the walls for support, because his legs had begun to tremble.

Then he started to see clearly in front of him. He was not longer at Hogwarts, but now was in a small, dark room, lit only by the light coming from a large fireplace. In front of him there was Bellatrix Lestrange, who was watching him with reverence. Then Harry spoke, with a cold and disgusting voice that was not his own.

"Then, Bellatrix, is it all ready?"

"Yes, my Lord, as you requested," Bellatrix answered with a pleased tone of voice.

"Wormtail!"

Now Harry was talking to a little bald man, who rushed in front of him and bowed deeply with reverence.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"You know what you have to do, right?"

"Yes my Lord. We are ready and we are just waiting for your orders."

Harry laughed cruelly.

"Very well. They think that we are defeated, but they do not know yet what we are preparing for them. Soon they will see what LORD VOLDEMORT can do."

Then Harry laughed in a spine-chilling way and his scar burned so badly that he couldn't stand on his feet; he fell onto his knees, his hands on his forehead, hoping that the pain was going to end soon.

Harry came back to his senses and realized that he just had a real vision about what the Dark Lord was planning to do. He was panting heavily and feeling terribly sick.

Being a helpless spectator was the most terrible thing ever, because in that moment he was not able to stop him. He didn't even know where Voldemort was hiding! But, it was now clear to him that Voldemort was going to attack soon.

When he managed to recover himself, he staggered up the stairs and finally reached the Fat Lady's painting. He said the password almost without thinking about it and entered the common room.

To his great surprise, he found all the Gryffindors there waiting for him. As soon as he entered, everybody congratulated him on becoming the new Quidditch team captain. Harry wondered how they managed to find out so soon, when Professor McGonagall had only just told him. Everybody was patting him on the shoulder and offering him something to drink, but Harry was not at all in a mood to celebrate.

The experience he just had made him forget the joy of becoming the new captain. Now the only thing that he wanted was to find Ron and Hermione and talk with them.

He looked for his best friends amongst the crowd and finally found them sitting in front of the fireplace, gesturing for him to come over. Harry went to them, avoiding a group of happy students who were asking him about his plans for the team, and then he sat on the couch next to Hermione.

"How is it possible that everybody already knows that I am the new captain?"

"We don't know either! When we came earlier, we found everybody already here busy celebrating. I think they were expecting it, since Angelina, Katie, and Alicia left last year. But tell me, is it true? Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to you about that?"

Ron was really excited and he was watching him with anticipation, but then he saw Harry's worried face and his excitement suddenly left him.

They could tell something wrong, but there were too many people there to talk freely. Hermione couldn't wait and whispered to him.

"Harry, what is it? You have such an odd expression! Was it McGonagall?"

"No, not McGonagall..." answered Harry warily as he leaned closer to them, speaking in a low voice.

"I need to tell you something, but there're too many people here now. We should wait until everybody goes to bed."

"All right, then.... shall we do our Transfiguration essay in the meantime?"

Hermione never missed an opportunity to encourage the other two to work on their homework.

"How can you think about homework at a time like this?"

Hermione frowned at Ron.

"OK, fine! You can do the essay for real, while I pretend to do it! We only need to wait until everybody goes to bed!!"

"Ron Weasley, may I remind you that you're a prefect, and you need to set the right example?"

"But Hermione, how can I concentrate on the essay if I can't wait to hear what Harry is going to tell us?"

"All right then, let's get out our Transfiguration essays while we wait for everybody to go to sleep! But please stop bickering, my head is throbbing like mad!"

Harry was exasperated so he, Ron, and Hermione took out their Transfiguration homework and tried to write something. Ron was peeking at Hermione's essay, while Harry was staring blankly at his parchment. He was still too shocked by his vision and his scar was still hurting.

Around eleven o'clock, the rest of the students finally went to their dormitories and Harry was able to tell his friends the details about his vision.

Hermione thought for a moment, then spoke.

"OK, let's see, you said that Voldemort is planning something terrible, something that his enemies - the wizards of the Order - don't know about. What could that be, do you have any idea?"

"Maybe YOU-KNOW-WHO has finally convinced the giants and the goblins to join his side and now he wants to attack Muggle cities?" tried Ron, in a tone of voice of someone searching for a clever explanation.

"Or maybe he's preparing his army to attack Hogwarts? Maybe a group of Death Eaters will apparate in the gardens and..." Harry suggested as another possibility, but Hermione was ready to correct him.

"Oh, have neither of you read Hogwarts: A History? It is impossible to apparate inside Hogwarts!! Anyway, I doubt that Voldemort will attack Dumbledore directly. I think that he would try to attack the Order of the Phoenix in some subtle way. I don't know, maybe one of his spie told him something secret about the Order, something that we don't know..."

Hermione stopped again to think some more before continuing to talk. "In any case, I still wonder how he's going to do any of it, with all of his best Death Eaters locked away in Azkaban.... Oh, no! He couldn't do that!"

"What are you talking about?" said Ron and Harry together when Hermione jumped on the sofa with fear.

"I mean, he can't do something like that... not without help from inside!"

"Come on Hermione, tell us what you're thinking, or are we just two idiots to you, unable to understand?"

Ron was starting to lose his temper, so Hermione began to explain.

"I was thinking that maybe Voldemort would try to break his Death Eaters out of Azkaban! But he couldn't do it unless someone inside the prison helps him."

"He could do it, if the Dementors were on his side. Remember what Dumbledore said about the Dementors? They're pure evil and they wouldn't hesitate to join his side the instant Voldemort asked!"

The three friends stared at each other silently; this possibility was too realistic and too dangerous for comfort. Then Ron spoke.

"Can you imagine it? Dementors everywhere, attacking wizards and Muggles? Nobody'd survive!"

Harry shivered at the idea.

"You have to go to Dumbledore straight away, Harry!" said Hermione standing up.

"Hermione, it's almost midnight!" Ron thought it wasn't a good idea to run to the Headmaster at this time of night.

"Hermione, listen to me. Dumbledore probably already knows about Voldemort's plans. Remember, Snape is spying on him for the Order."

"No, Harry, what you saw is too serious! You must go tell Dumbledore!"

"You can wait until tomorrow morning to go!" Ron tried to insist, and in the end, Harry realized that he was right.

"I agree with Ron!" Harry said shyly.

"Well, it's up to you then! I'm going to bed!"

Hermione ran away furiously, leaving them alone and deeply concerned.

-->

(A/N: I thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! As I've told you in the first chapter, this story has been already finished, and I'm re-posting it in view of the sequal which I'm writing at the moment. I'll do my best to publish each chapter every day, so keep an eye, because I'm always there!)

Chapter 6. MALFOY'S REVENGE

...

At the exit from school the boys

Were selling some books

I remained apart watching

and trying to find

The courage to do like them

Then defeated, I turned to play with

My mind and his worms...

...

“Gardens in March” by Lucio Battisti

The next day, Harry woke up very early and silently got ready so as to not wake up his sleeping friends; he then went straight to Dumbledore's office.

When he was in front of the gargoyle statue, he realized that he didn't know the password, so he tried several without any success. The only thing he was sure of was that Dumbledore always chose the password from among his favorite sweets.

"Chocolate frogs? Bubble Bees? Candy Bats? Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans? No he doesn't like those... Sugar quill?"

Finally, the gargoyle statue jumped aside, revealing the secret passage that led to the Headmaster's office. Harry hurried up the stairs and stopped in front of the door.

Maybe he's sleeping... he thought, but then he heard several different voices inside, and he was sure that Dumbledore was up. He had a very strange feeling before going in; this would be the first time he had talked to the Headmaster since his revelation about the prophecy at the end of last year.

He opened the door and entered. Suddenly, all of the chatting stopped and Harry found himself completely alone in the office. On the walls, the ancient Headmasters were snoring noisily, but Harry knew very well that they were just pretending; in fact, they were slowly opening their eyes to see who had just entered.

It seemed that Dumbledore wasn't in his office, or at least Harry couldn't see him; he moved a few steps forward and reached the desk, hoping the Headmaster would come out from somewhere. Then, Harry saw him on the upper floor.

"Good morning Harry."

"Good morning Sir."

"Did you have something to tell me?" asked Dumbledore while slowly descending the stairs, without looking at Harry directly in the eyes. Harry wondered if it was still dangerous for the Headmaster to look him directly in the eyes, which in doing so would let Voldemort gain access to his thoughts.

"Yes, Sir," answered Harry, lowering his gaze to the floor. He didn't want to be used by Voldemort against Dumbledore.

"I am listening."

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, always looking at the floor.

"Yesterday evening... I saw Voldemort, I mean, in my mind."

"Please, go on."

Dumbledore seemed interested, so Harry told him everything about his vision. When he finished, he looked up at the Headmaster, waiting for his opinion about it.

"You have to understand, Harry, that it is of vital importance that you start your Occlumency lessons again. That way, this will never happen again."

Harry was bewildered. How was this possible? He was sure that the Headmaster would have found this information valuable. He wanted to be useful, and then Dumbledore was telling him to take more of those useless lessons with Snape? He was starting to lose his temper, and he felt his heart beating faster in his chest.

"But Sir, don't you think what I just told you is useful? I thought that..."

"Harry, please listen to me. You should leave the fight against Voldemort to the wizards of the Order, and you should just live your life here at Hogwarts, like every other student does. If you learn how to completely close your mind to Voldemort, you will be able to avoid these visions, and finally, you will be able to prevent him from knowing everything about your personal life."

"But I..."

"Harry, Voldemort must never come to know the contents of the prophecy, so you MUST absolutely meet Professor Snape to start your Occlumency lessons. You do not need to worry about anything else."

Harry thought he was going to explode; how was it possible for him not to worry when he was feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders? Wasn't this EXACTLY what the prophecy had said? Wasn't this EXACTLY what everybody was expecting from him... that he would defeat Voldemort?

Why was Dumbledore treating him this way, as if he did not have any role in the Order of the Phoenix? Harry felt his blood boiling with anger and he wanted to break everything... but then he tried to control his temper and he spoke slowly, in a hurt tone of voice, tightening his fists.

"How should I not worry? You told me about the prophecy and now you expect that I sit idly by, waiting for Voldemort to come here and find me? Shouldn't I be the one to go and find him first, to defeat him? Shouldn't I..."

"Step by step, Harry, step by step. Do you really feel capable of defeating Voldemort now?"

Dumbledore gazed at him severely for a moment, then he moved his eyes to the floor again.

Harry lowered his head. Dumbledore was completely right; he was not yet ready to fight against Voldemort. There wasn't really anything useful he could do at this point in time.

"No, Sir."

"Now, return to your classes, Harry, and be patient. Do not be mistaken and believe that you are doing nothing useful. Only by continuing your education you will be able to improve your abilities and, then, you will be successful in what fate has written for you. Now go, Harry, and swear to me that you will talk to Professor Snape today."

"Yes Sir."

Feeling resigned, Harry turned to the door and exited the office.

***O***

When he arrived in the Great Hall, all the house tables were full of students busy eating breakfast. Immediately, Harry looked for Ron and Hermione, but they hadn't arrived yet, so he headed to the Gryffindor table.

Suddenly, and without even thinking about it, his eyes wandered over to the Ravenclaw table and he stared at a pretty black-haired girl: Cho Chang, his ex-girlfriend. He was surprised to see that she was staring at him as well. It didn't cause in him any particular feelings at all, just a great sense of indifference.

He took a seat, thinking how he didn't fancy her anymore; last year she treated him so badly, always crying and comparing him to poor Cedric Diggory.

After Sirius's death, Harry found himself quite changed; all those things that were important to him before then had now lost their value.

Cho Chang was no longer looking at him, but instead was chatting animatedly with her friends.

Harry started to eat, thinking again about his discussion with Dumbledore. He could not believe that the Headmaster was expecting him to go on with school and just be patient.... He had always thought he would be an important part of the plan to defeat Voldemort. He always felt very much involved in everything concerning the Order of the Phoenix, partly because his parents used to be members, but also because of the prophecy.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ron and Hermione, who had just arrived and sat down in front of him. Hermione couldn't wait any longer; she wanted to know everything about his meeting with Dumbledore.

"What did he say?"

Harry told them everything, except the part about the prophecy.

Afterwards, Ron expressed his thoughts about that.

"I can't believe that Dumbledore told you to be patient here at school, while out there, the war is starting, and in here, you're always having visions and nightmares about YOU-KNOW-WHO!"

"NO, Ron... I think Dumbledore is absolutely correct! Believe me Harry, Dumbledore gave you very good advice. You should absolutely start your Occlumency lessons, and you should be patient and stay here in your place."

"Yeah, waiting for Voldemort to come and find me!" commented Harry, looking resigned.

"That will never happen, you can be sure of that! Dumbledore will always protect you, even if he has to risk his life!!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry and Ron were surprised by the strength of her affirmation. Hermione went on, "Harry, please swear to me that you are going to follow Dumbledore's advice: no whims, no dangerous plans on your own initiative and, above all, try to do your best with the Occlumency lessons."

Hermione's persistence was making him agitated; it seemed as if she could not understand him.

"Don't you have any other advice to give him? Come on, Hermione, you sound like my mother!" Ron gave voice to Harry's thoughts, but he wanted to point something out as well.

"Don't you understand that Occlumency lessons are difficult? I've always done my best, it's just that... with Snape, it's absolutely impossible to remain calm! I'd like to see someone else try in my shoes!"

"Oh yes, I understand you perfectly mate!"

Ron tried to comfort him, but Hermione would not give up; after her breakfast, she frowned at Harry and started again.

"At least... try not to lose your temper, Harry."

Harry frowned back at her before he got up, took his school bag, and rushed out of the Great Hall to start the school day. Ron and Hermione followed him.

***O***

It was the first of October, a Friday, and the first month of school had already passed by.

Harry made arrangements with Snape to resume Occlumency lessons that evening after dinner. The entire month, Harry had tried not to think about it, and actually, he hadn't even had the time, as he had been very busy with homework, tryouts for the new Quidditch players, and regular Quidditch practices.

That morning, the thought of his meeting with Snape came overpoweringly to his mind. Fortunately, he hadn't had any other visions or nightmares the entire month; that was good, even though he was sure Voldemort was planning something. The following day was going to be the first Hogsmeade weekend, and he, Ron, and Hermione were really looking forward to it.

While he was having breakfast, the owls arrived with the mail and Hermione received her usual copy of the Daily Prophet. She paid the owl, took the newspaper, and sank deeply behind it, reading.

Suddenly, she gave a shrill cry and Harry and Ron turned to her.

"There is a new Minister of Magic!"

"Can we have a look?"

Ron leaned over to read the front page, upon which was a giant picture of an ancient witch with a severe look in her eyes. She reminded them of Professor McGonagall.

"It's Madam Amelia Bones, the aunt of Susan Bones," explained Hermione while reading the article, and Harry leaned over to look as well.

"Hey, I've seen that witch! She was at my hearing last year."

"How did she treat you?" asked Ron curiously.

"She seemed the most competent of them all; she kept asking me if I was really able to form a Patronus."

"It says here that her brother and sister-in-law were both killed by Death Eaters more than fifteen years ago. Maybe she was chosen for this reason! In times like this, the wizarding world needs a Minister who can effectively oppose Voldemort, don't you think?"

Ron nodded, but Harry's attention was stolen away by the Slytherin table, where Malfoy and his cronies were whispering to each other and were giving strange looks to him and his friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione, looking in his eyes.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's nothing good. Malfoy and the others are planning something, I feel it."

"Well then, we just need to do our best to avoid them!" said Hermione firmly.

"Avoid them? If they so much as try to do something to me, I'll show them who Ronald Weasley really is!"

"Ron, please... may I remind you that you are a prefect and..."

"Yes, yes, I know... I must set a good example. But if they even dare to provoke me, I'll respond!"

"Are you serious, Ron? Do you want to get in trouble? Besides, tonight we are going to the prefects' meeting, don't you remember?"

"Yeah... I completely forgot about that. We're going to spend another useless evening... erm... because we won't be able to do any homework," Ron corrected himself, when Hermione frowned at him.

"Anyway, you really should be careful... and try not to get yourselves in trouble with the Slytherins," said Harry with a worried tone, then added, "I'm busy tonight as well..."

"What? Are you going out with your new girlfriend?" joked Ron, but Harry frowned at him.

"Yes, and her name is Severus Snape! Come on!"

They both burst into laughter, imagining Snape dressed like an old woman, just like Neville's boggart from third year.

***O***

That evening after dinner, Harry left Ron and Hermione and headed to the dungeon, to meet Snape. When he arrived, he found the classroom door open, and he slowly entered.

Snape was busy placing memories into Dumbledore's Pensive. "Come here Potter, I was waiting for you," ordered Snape in his usual cold voice, and Harry quietly reached the center of the room.

"Before we start, I would like to discuss a very important matter. I agreed to teach you Occlumency again because the Headmaster asked me to. But, I want you to know that it is NOT at all a pleasure."

"Yes, sir," answered Harry coldly; he wanted to add that it was not a pleasure for him either.

"Let's see if you remember what I taught you last year. What are we trying to do here tonight, Potter?"

"You are going to try to enter my mind... and read my thoughts.... and I will do my best to prevent you from doing so."

"Suffice it to say that, generally speaking, it is like that, but the most important thing is that you are going to need to use all of your strength and concentration if you want to succeed in repelling my attacks. Are you ready? We are going to start immediately. LEGILIMENS!"

Harry closed his eyes and suddenly felt Snape's strong mental attack. He was seeing all of his memories at great speed, as if Snape was skimming through a book. Then his mind stopped on a particular memory: it was during his last school year... he and Cho Chang were walking to Hogsmeade, chatting animatedly.

Harry began to repel the attack with all his strength; he did not want Snape to see that memory, he would not permit it! Harry focused all of his concentration and suddenly he found himself in Snape's brain. Several memories were darting by at high speed in front of him: Snape was about sixteen and he was at school, in a younger Professor McGonagall's class.

Then Snape's memories started to speed by again: now Snape was a young man, standing in front of a girl who was staring deeply into his eyes.

Suddenly Harry heard Snape screaming with anger, and came back to his senses, finding himself again in the Potions classroom. He saw Snape panting heavily, looking at him with extreme hatred. Then he spoke. "Very well, Potter.... I think we can end it there for tonight."

Harry nodded, happy to end the lesson so quickly. At the same time, he was also proud because, this time, he succeeded in repelling Snape's attack.

"We will meet next week at the same time. You may go now, and remember to empty your mind before you fall asleep. And beware, if you do not do as I say, I will know."

Snape ended the sentence staring at him with disgust, then he returned to the Pensive; Harry knew that the lesson was finally over. Harry exited the room without saying a word, and headed upstairs. Snape had that innate power to make him lose his temper; Snape was always against him, no matter what he did or said.

Harry had just reached the third floor when he suddenly heard a girl screaming from the second. Without thinking about it, he ran in that direction, sure that someone was in trouble.

He was almost there when he heard voices in one of the empty classrooms at the end of the corridor. He stopped and moved closer to the door, which was half open, and his heart jumped when he recognized Malfoy's voice.

"Well, well, well... you're no longer such an arrogant little mudblood when your two trusted knights are so far away?"

His heart started to beat faster, fearing the worst as he moved closer to see Malfoy's victim.

Unfortunately, he could not see the girl from where he was, but he saw that with Malfoy also were his cronies Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Crabbe, who was bent over forward, apparently in pain, and Goyle, who was holding the girl tightly.

Then Malfoy spoke again, pointing his wand at the girl who was in front of him.

"Let's see what you think if I try one of the forbidden curses on you, the CRUCIATUS CURSE, for example? My father always told me to practice...."

"Malfoy, you can't do that! You know it's forbidden!"

Harry's fear was confirmed; the girl was Hermione. He felt his blood boiling in his veins in anger. He knew had to do something before Malfoy could use the Cruciatus Curse on her. He would not allow it!

Then, Malfoy spoke again.

"It doesn't matter; nobody will know. Are you ready, Mudblood? I'm going to make you feel such pain..."

Suddenly, Harry entered the room and pointed his wand directly at Malfoy, looking at him with scorn.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, MALFOY, OR YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET IT!"

Malfoy and his cronies looked at him, their mouths open in surprise. Harry was standing at the door with his wand drawn like a sword.

Malfoy still had his wand pointed at Hermione and spoke, trying to challenge him.

"I don't think you're in any position to give orders, Potter!!"

Not giving him another chance to speak, Harry cast a first stunning spell at Pansy Parkinson on his left and a second to Theodore Nott on his right, and they both fell backwards unconscious. Then, with three long steps, he approached Malfoy, and pointed his wand directly at his throat.

"Who isn't in the right position now, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's face went pale and he glared at Harry with fear; he had never seen Harry like that before. Hermione was also astonished.

Malfoy started to shake and, keeping his eyes on Harry, he made sign to Goyle to release Hermione. She reached Harry, summoned her wand from Pansy Parkinson's hands and pointed it directly at Goyle's throat.

"Now, apologize to her, Malfoy"

After a long hesitation, Malfoy said something incomprehensible in a low voice.

"I didn't hear you very well.... I TOLD YOU TO APOLOGIZE, NOW!"

Harry was very angry and as Malfoy had no other choice, he turned to Hermione.

"I'M SORRY."

"Now listen to me carefully, Malfoy, because I'm not going to say it again: if you want to save your skin, don't go near Hermione or any other friend of mine again! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Now get out of here... NOW!"

As soon as Harry lowered his wand, Malfoy made a sign to his cronies; Crabbe, who was still bent over with his face full of horrible boils, and Goyle both lifted Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott up, and headed to the door, followed by Malfoy.

Harry was slowly calming down, and he turned to Hermione, who was staring at him, smiling.

"Is it everything all right, Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry... right on time!"

Suddenly, a jet of red light came from the door, and Harry realized with horror that Malfoy had just turned around with his wand pointed at Hermione, and cast a spell at her.

"ESOPHAGUS OBSTRUCTO!"

Harry had no time to react; this time Malfoy was faster than he was. He could only look at Hermione, who was thrown forcefully into the stone wall and then slumped to the floor, raising her hands to her throat.

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(A/N: I thank you for your wonderful reviews, Destroyerdrt, Jen KenLee, Mione291 and the new readers TheDivineMsD, Hdawne, Pottergirlajg, Orange08 and Crimson Templar; as usual, I'd like to thank my BETA readers IronChef and SarahLupin for their great help! If you wanted to know what's happened to Hermione, here we are...)

Chapter 7. THE FIRST ATTACK

...
I dream of hugging a true friend
who doesn't want to avenge himself on me
for one
Of his bitter moments....

"A boring day" by Lucio Battisti

Harry was shocked! He rushed over Hermione to see how she was, then turned back to the door, but Malfoy was already gone.

Hermione face was red and she was gasping for breath, her hands still around her throat.

"HERMIONE, WHAT'S WRONG?" he shouted at her, and she gasped out a few words.

"I... CAN'T... BREATH! PLEASE HELP ME!"

Hermione started to cough and with her trembling hand, she grabbed Harry's sleeve.

Without hesitation and with his heart beating like mad, he helped his friend get up. Needing support, Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder, and then Harry lifted her up.

Harry was terrified: Hermione was choking and the only thing he could do was to immediately take her to the hospital wing.

He sprinted out of the classroom and headed to the opposite end of the corridor, still holding Hermione tight in his arms.

He rushed down the stairs and finally reached the hospital wing, calling out for Madam Pomfrey at the top of his voice.

Madam Pomfrey immediately opened the door and realized the emergency, because she let him in without asking questions.

"Lay her on this bed."

Harry laid down Hermione on one of the first beds on his right, but she was still grabbing his sleeve, forcing him to lean closer. Harry looked at her and he felt a chill going down his spine; Hermione had almost completely stopped breathing. Her face was purple and her forehead was sweaty. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was wide open.

Madam Pomfrey didn't waste any time; she took out her wand and pointed it to Hermione's throat, saying the countercurse aloud.

"ESOPHAGUS RELASHIO!"

Suddenly, Hermione gave a deep sigh and opened her eyes. She started breathing normally, lying down completely on the bed with her head on the pillow, though she was still holding Harry's sleeve. Harry gave a deep sigh of relief too.

"Blessed girl! You brought her here just in time. We nearly lost her! Who could have done such a thing to her?!"

"Malfoy... he did it!"

Harry had just regained his speaking skills.

"You said Malfoy? Well, tomorrow morning, I'm going directly to Professor Snape and I will complain to him about that horrible boy!!" commented Madam Pomfrey sharply before heading to her office, leaving them alone for a moment.

Harry turned to Hermione, who was now feeling better, even though her forehead was still sweaty and her face red.

"How are you, Hermione? Are you feeling better?"

"Better! Yes, much better, thanks. This time... this time Malfoy nearly got me!"

"Wait until tomorrow. I will teach that SNAKE a lesson, you'll see!"

Hearing his angry words, Hermione again grabbed Harry's sleeve, forcing him to lean closer, and then stared at him worriedly.

"NO, Harry! Swear to me that you are not going to do anything! Swear to me that you are not going to get yourself into trouble, just for Malfoy. Promise me!"

She was talking in a low voice, but Harry didn't know what to say; he didn't want to worry her even more, but he couldn't promise her something he wasn't willing to keep.

Luckily, at that moment Madam Pomfrey returned, bringing a healing potion to Hermione, who drank it immediately.

"I think that it would be best for you to spend the night here in the hospital wing, Miss Granger."

"No, please! I assure you, I'm fine now! There's no need to stay here the night. I can sleep fine in my dormitory, I'm serious."

Like every other student, most of all Harry, she didn't want to spend the night in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey stared at her for a moment, and she spoke again, with a resigned voice.

"All right, then. You may go back to your dormitory Miss Granger."

She then turned to Harry.

"But you will escort her until the last stair, Mr. Potter, and you have to promise me that if you see anything strange, you will bring Miss Granger immediately to me, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for everything Madam Pomfrey," answered Harry with a big smile. Then, he grabbed Hermione's arm to help her off the bed, but she refused him gently.

"No, Harry, I don't need any help. I can do it by myself."

"You know what, Hermione? I just didn't want you to get tired." Harry answered back, a little bit flustered. He just wanted to be nice, and didn't expect a reaction like that.

He and Hermione exited the hospital wing and headed to Gryffindor Tower.

Along the way, Harry kept staring at his friend, a little worried. As Madam Pomfrey had asked, he wanted to watch carefully in case she had any strange reactions. Even though Hermione was doing her best not to show any sign of suffering, she couldn't help walking slowly and sometimes staggered.

Harry was the first to speak.

"May I know what happened before I arrived? Shouldn't you have been at the prefects' meeting with Ron?"

"Yes, in fact we went to the meeting together, but when it finished, Ernie Macmillan asked Ron if he wanted to see his new broomstick, and I told him that I was perfectly able to go back to the common room by myself. I was nearly there when I found Malfoy and his cronies waiting for me. They pushed me in an empty classroom and then they tried to put me out of action."

Harry was carefully listening to her story, and was starting to feel his blood boil in his veins in anger. He couldn't stop thinking about how Malfoy was going to curse his friend. Hermione continued quietly, as though she wasn't talking about herself, but someone else.

"In the beginning, Crabbe and Goyle were both holding me tight, but when Malfoy tried to curse me with FURNUNCULUS, I was faster than him. I threw myself to the side, and the curse hit Crabbe instead, filling his face with horrible boils. Then Goyle took both my arms and held them tightly behind my back, and then... you arrived, thank God!" finished Hermione, smiling at him thankfully.

"Do you realize what Malfoy was about to do to you? He was going use the CRUCIATUS Curse on you!!!"

"No, he never would have done it! Malfoy isn't that stupid. He knows very well that the Ministry is able to immediately find anyone who uses an unforgivable curse."

"And what if he had done it, Hermione? You talk like that because you don't know what it feels like!"

Harry ended the sentence bitterly, and Hermione turned to face the floor mortified. He realized that she was feeling bad for him and he was sorry for that. He tried to to change the topic.

"Would you like to know how my Occlumency lesson with Snape was?"

"Yes, I'd love to..." answered Hermione with warmth, turning to face him again.

"You'll be happy to know that it went really well. Much better than last year. I'm sure that Snape was really impressed by my performance!" said Harry with pride.

"That's great Harry! You couldn't give me better news."

But suddenly Hermione stopped talking and walking. She raised a hand to her head, closed her eyes, and with the other hand held on to Harry's shoulder for support. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her waist and he stared at her worriedly.

"Hermione, what is it? Are you feeling worse?"

"No... no... I'm fine..."

"I'm taking you to the hospital wing, let's go!" Harry told her determinedly and he turned back, but Hermione stopped him.

"No, Harry, I'm fine. I just felt dizzy, but now I'm fine."

Hermione was looking at him imploringly.

"Harry, please believe me, I just need a good night sleep, that's all! Tomorrow morning, everything'll be fine."

Harry rolled his eyes and then gave up. Hermione was very stubborn and he was sure that insisting would have been useless.

"All right then, but only on one condition. You have to lean on me for support until we arrive at the common room."

Harry put her right arm around his shoulder and his left arm around her waist and they started to walk. Hermione must have been really exhausted, because she didn't offer him any resistance.

They walked like that until they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. Hermione was a little bit shorter than him, and both their heads nearly touched. Harry was feeling the light weight of his friend leaning on him at every step and he started to feel a little embarrassed about it. If someone saw them at that very moment, the following day everybody would have thought they were dating.

Even though over the last five years he and Hermione had shared many adventures together, this was the first time for them to be so close to each other and for such a long time. Everything was so odd that he wanted to reach the common room as soon as possible.

Finally they arrived, finding the common room empty, excepted for Ron, who was waiting for them on the sofa. When Ron saw them, he got up, worried.

"What happened to you? I was here the whole evening waiting for you!"

"Is it hard to guess?" asked Harry, sounding upset, as he gently laid Hermione down on the sofa. Then he faced Ron; Harry was really angry with him, because it was partly Ron's fault that Hermione had fallen into Malfoy's trap.

"What do you mean by that, Harry? Why don't you be a little clearer?"
Ron didn't like Harry's tone of voice, and put himself on the defensive.

"I mean that you left Hermione alone, and Malfoy took advantage of that!"

Ron turned to Hermione worriedly.

"What? What happened? What did that bastard do to you?"

"Nothing... Ron, please stay calm, everything is fine."

Hermione didn't want to alarm him, but Harry wasn't satisfied and he turned to face Ron.

"Yes, only because I happened to be near by and I rescued her. Otherwise, Hermione wouldn't be here with us now!"

Ron started to glare at his friend, who was challenging him.

"Are you saying that it's my fault Malfoy attacked Hermione?"

"Yes, exactly!" Harry spoke with a reproaching glare, and Ron was getting even more upset.

"If YOU hadn't provoked Malfoy the other day before Potions, then maybe Malfoy wouldn't have been angry with US too!!"

"If you hadn't left Hermione alone to go off with Ernie Macmillan, then..."

"Boys, let's stop it, OK? There is no reason to argue!"

Hermione tried to shout at them, still sitting on the sofa looking shocked. She didn't understand what was happening to them. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were frowning at each other, as though Hermione hadn't spoken at all.

"How could I've known that Malfoy was preparing a trap for her? I didn't..."

"Nevertheless, I told you to be careful this morning! But as usual, YOU didn't pay attention to what I said! If something bad had happened to Hermione, I would never have forgiven you!"

"Let me just say that being YOUR friend is a continual source of trouble, Harry!"

This last sentence hit Harry directly in the heart. He had always thought that it was dangerous for Ron and Hermione to be his friends and to share his troubles, but it was the first time that Ron had said that to him. The sound of those words was so bitter; Harry swallowed that bitter pill and answered back, without thinking about it.

"Look, you don't have to be my friend against your will, Ron Weasley! Nobody is forcing you to!"

A long moment of silence and tension passed while the two boys faced each other in anger; Hermione was looking at them, shocked. She then got up and broke the silence.

"May I know what is happening to you two? You are behaving like little children!
I don't know what to think! Come on, shake hands... COME ON!"

But it seemed as if neither of them wanted to put an end to the quarrel. The first to move was Harry, who went over to the stairs in a fury. Before he climbed to his dormitory, however, he turned to Ron one last time.

"From now on, don't ever speak to me again Ron Weasley! I'm through with you!"

"It's about time! Finally, I won't have to live in the famous HARRY POTTER's shadow anymore!"

Ron remained there frowning at Harry, who climbed the stairs two at a time and left the common room, slamming the door.

***O***

Harry entered the dormitory, where all his other friends were already sleeping, and rushed to his bed, throwing himself on top of it without taking off his clothes. He started to stare at the ceiling, grabbing strongly at the bed sheets with his fingers. He had so much anger inside that he would have gladly relieved himself by punching the pillow, imagining that it was Ron's face.

He was still thinking about what his friend had said to him, and he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He had argued with Ron many times in the past, mostly for silly things, but this time, it was different. This time, Ron had told him clearly that he feared being his friend, that he feared for his safety and for Hermione's. This time, Harry wasn't going to forgive him so easily.

But he couldn't blame Ron, because his life really was full of danger.

After about half an hour, he heard Ron enter the dormitory and throw himself heavily onto his bed. Harry thought that Ron and Hermione had spent that time talking about him and about what had just happened, and then his anger grew stronger. He felt really disappointed because his best friends had joined together against him; he was feeling lonely now.

Then he heard a little voice in his head saying that he was wrong, that their friendship could never end like that, that at least he had Hermione on his side, and that he was going to make peace with Ron soon. But what if this little voice was wrong?

He turned on his side and stared at the moonlight coming through the window. The following day they had planned to go to Hogsmeade together, but now, they would have changed their minds. At least, Harry wasn't going to join them.

But there was something else that was troubling him. Now that he was starting to calm down, he couldn't figure out the real reason he had started to argue with Ron.

I started because Ron had left Hermione alone, he thought, but he still couldn't figure out why such a thing would had made him lose his temper like that. He felt that there was something else, even if he couldn't explain what. Then he heard that little voice inside his brain again.

Is it maybe that I'm starting to see Ron as a rival? Yes... but a rival for what?

Then a name started to float in his brain, and when he realized the meaning of it, he shuddered all over: HERMIONE.

They had argued over Hermione... it wasn't possible!! Finally, he realized that he had treated his best friend so badly, and it was all Hermione's fault!!

***O***

Harry was flying on the back of a giant owl. The darkness of the night was lit by a tiny, far away light that was slowly becoming larger and larger. Then, the owl took Harry directly to the source of that light: an ancient and dilapidated mansion with broken windows and an unkept garden. Harry landed in front of the main gate, which was half open; he slowly pushed it and entered the large garden. He went through it and reached the main door, which was huge and black.

The main door was also partially open, and Harry went in. The entrance was empty and dark, lit only by the moonlight coming through the huge windows. On his right and left, two large marble stairways led to the upper floors.

Suddenly, he heard a desperate scream coming from one of the rooms at the end of the corridor on the second floor. It was a woman's scream and it made Harry's blood freeze. He felt he absolutely had do something to help her, and started to run upstairs. He ran and ran, but it seemed as if the corridor was endless. With each step, he felt his panic and fright growing; he was afraid of not being there on time, he was afraid of arriving too late.

Suddenly, his scar started to throb and the pain became more and more unbearable, until it forced him to wake abruptly.

Harry found himself in his bed at Hogwarts. As he overheard the voices of his friends, he realized that they were getting ready to go out; he remained still, pretending to sleep. He was still in a state of shock about the dream, and didn't want Ron to see him in that condition.

Harry waited until everybody left the dormitory; then he got up and got ready to have breakfast in the Great Hall.

When he went down to the common room, he was happy to see that it was empty; he didn't want to run into anyone, particularly Ron.

As he headed to the Great Hall, he noticed that the students were already in front of the main entrance, waiting to go out and visit the village of Hogsmeade.

Ron and Hermione were waiting in the crowd. When Harry saw them, he hid himself behind a column. Hermione kept standing on her toes, looking back through the crowd; Harry was sure she was looking for him, hoping that he was going to reach them. Ron, on the other hand, was staring at the floor frowning, probably hoping that Harry wouldn't come.

Harry certainly didn't want to disappoint him.

Once Mr. Filch gave permission to go and opened the main door to let out the students, Ron and Hermione disappeared outside.

Harry felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he didn't want to impose his presence when it wasn't welcome. He sighed deeply and then entered the Great Hall, which was mostly empty; there were only a few students, first and second years who didn't have permission to go to Hogsmeade.

He had his breakfast completely alone, and then he looked outside the window. The morning was gorgeous; the sun was shining and there were no clouds. He knew that it would be one of the last sunny days of October, and he really wanted to go out on the grounds with his Firebolt and fly away into the blue sky.

Excited by the idea, he rushed up to his room and got his broomstick, and then went outside. The air was warm and the sky bright blue. He smiled happily, mounted his Firebolt, and then gave a little kick off the ground. In a flash, he was already flying high, freely, the fresh air ruffling his hair. The castle seemed so far away; now he could see everything from above: the lake, the forest, and the grounds.

He realized that flying, without comparison, was the only thing that made him really happy. Finally, he was free, like a bird. He did a few stunts: he dove toward the ground and then pulled up at the very last moment, heading back up toward the sun. Every shadow of sadness disappeared from his heart and a large smile came back to his face.

He wished he could spend the rest of his life up there, flying all the time.

He made a light turn backwards and he headed to one of the hills surrounding the castle; he landed softly and sat on a rock. From there the view was breathtaking, like a beautiful picture. He remained there the entire morning, enjoying his newly found peace.

***O***

After lunch, Harry had the idea to pay Hagrid a visit. Since he didn't have Care of Magical Creatures classes any more, he only had the chance to see Hagrid during weekends.

He left the castle and headed to Hagrid's hut, noticing that lots of smoke was coming from the chimney. He knocked on the door and heard Fang barking.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'.... quiet Fang! Oh, Harry... whatta surprise... come in, I was jus' preparin' tea."

"Thanks Hagrid," answered Harry with a large smile. He was sure that his friend Hagrid would always be there for him.

"Wha's new goin' on? Why're Ron and Hermione not with yeh?" asked Hagrid while filling a giant cup of very black tea. Harry took a seat and stared at the floor, embarrassed by the question.

"They... erm... they went to Hogsmeade today."

"Why didn' yeh go with 'em?"

Hagrid asked the question so naturally that Harry gazed in his eyes and realized that he could never have guessed that they weren't talking to each other.

Harry didn't want to lie and he decided to tell him everything. He talked about Malfoy's trap for Hermione and about his argument with Ron the evening before. He was sure that Hagrid was on his side.

"I can't believe it, Harry! Whadda yeh blame everythin' on Ron fer?"

Harry was completely surprised by his question; he was totally sure that he was right.

"But Hagrid, he left her alone, and Malfoy took advantage of that. Do you realize what would have happened to Hermione if I didn't arrive when I did?"

"Yeah, Harry, I understan' wha' yeh mean, but it isn' righ' ter give Ron all the blame."

Harry thought about that for a moment, but he could not believe that Ron had no fault for what had happened. Then Hagrid spoke again.

"Yer frien'ship is really special, Harry, please don' spoil all tha' fer a silly argumen'."

Then Harry thought about what Ron had told him, that being his friend was a constant danger.

"Ron also told me that he was afraid to be my friend, because my life is full of danger and I understand him when he says that. In the past few years, he and Hermione have put themselves into so many dangerous situations for me that I don't blame him if he doesn't want to be my friend anymore."

"But, Harry, i's not yeh who goes out lookin' fer trouble!"

"No, in fact I don't even need to, because trouble always seems to have a way of finding me first!" said Harry gloomy, and Hagrid spoke again.

"Listen ter me, Harry. Yer life is really complicated, but yeh can' do anythin' ter avoid it, an' even if Ron an' Hermione know it, they still love yeh an' they'll always help yeh of their own free will!! You could ask 'em anythin' and they wouldn' hesitate a momen' whenever yeh're in danger."

Hagrid was right; Ron and Hermione had always helped him, on several occasions during the past five years. There was such a strong bond between them, and the entire situation made him feel so bad... but he didn't want to be the first one to apologize.

"Now, promise me tha' when yeh see Ron tonigh', yeh'll apologize ter him."

"No, never! He insulted me! He has to make the first step! Until then, I'm sorry, but both of us will remain on opposite sides."

Harry spoke with a determined voice tone, and Hagrid glanced at him, deeply sorry.

"Well, if yeh're sure 'bout that... then, I really hope tha' yeh're goin' ter change yer mind."

Hagrid turned to the other side, pretending to rearrange the cups in the cupboard. Harry was sure he had hurt him and he was really sorry about that, so he got up and thought he would leave him alone.

"Erm, Hagrid... see you soon. Thanks for the tea."

"Yeah, Harry, I'll see yeh soon," answered Hagrid, slightly embarrassed, giving him a quick glance and then turning again to his cups. When Harry left the hut, he realized he had made a mistake talking to him like that.

Walking toward the castle, Harry was thinking that, once again, he hadn't kept control of his emotions and that he had just managed to hurt Hagrid. He asked himself why he wasn't able to keep a friend, why was he always making mistakes?

It was already sunset when he arrived in the Great Hall for dinner. From the door, he saw Ron and Hermione already seated at the Gryffindor table. He didn't want to meet them, so he turned to the stairway to go back to the common room. When he heard Hermione calling for him, Harry realized that it was too late to slip away, so he turned to face her with a serious look in his eyes.

"Harry, wait! Aren't you coming to dinner?" asked Hermione staring at him hopefully, but Harry remained serious and answered in a grave tone.

"No, I'm not hungry tonight."

"Come on, Harry! You can't keep skipping meals, just because you don't want to see Ron. Today we went to Hogsmeade, and it was just torture! Ron and I were completely silent most of the time, and I was dying to go back to the castle. We were waiting for you this morning, but you never came... why?"

Harry realized that she was doing her best to pretend that everything was as usual between him and Ron, and that all the misunderstandings were now cleared. Harry looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw Ron, who was forcing himself to look the opposite way, trying with all his strength not to look Harry's way. This raised Harry's temper so much that he felt as though he wouldn't talk to Ron for the rest of his life.

"I didn't want to go to Hogsmeade today, that's all. And then... I didn't want to spoil your trip."

"You spoiled our trip not by coming with us. Listen, why don't you make peace with Ron?"

"You should ask him that. He should come to me first... he offended me!"

Hermione stared at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Listen, Hermione, I'm not in a mood to talk to Ron right now, and that's it. Now, I'm sorry, but I've something very important to do!"

Harry ended the conversation like that, leaving her in the main entrance without saying goodbye. With two jumps, he was already on the staircase and in a few minutes, he reached the common room, angrier than he was that morning.

***O***

It was Harry's worst sunday: he and Ron were obstinately pretending to ignore each other, while Hermione kept running back and forth between them, trying to persuade them to make peace.

In the end, Harry decided to spend the rest of the day on his Firebolt, flying far away from everything and everyone.

Monday morning, Harry woke up very early and left the dormitory while his friends were still sleeping so he wouldn't have to see them. He went downstairs to the Great Hall to have breakfast and then headed to the dungeons for his Potions class. He saw that all the other students were slowly arriving and were starting to queue up as usual outside Snape's classroom. Harry was waiting in a corner, arms crossed, leaning on the cold stone wall with a very angry expression on his face.

After a few minutes, Hermione came down breathing heavily and Harry realized that she was holding the Daily Prophet with an extremely shocked expression on her face. He realized immediately that something bad had just happened, and he moved closer to her.

Hermione looked really worried. Harry signaled her to come closer and then he spoke in a very low voice.

"Has something happened?"

Hermione nodded and gave him the front page of the Daily Prophet. Harry took the newspaper in his hands, and he saw a huge picture of all the Death Eaters Dumbledore had arrested the previous June.

The headline read "SENSATIONAL ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN PRISON".

Harry jumped in the surprise, and then read the article in disbelief.

"Last night, ten dangerous Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban prison, considered until now a place of maximum security. According to the survivors, the Dementors helped them escape and then left with them. The Ministry of Magic has already assigned the best Aurors to the prison to guard the remaining criminals to prevent any more escapes like the Death Eaters'.

The new Minister of Magic, Madam Amelia Bones, assured all in the wizarding community that the Ministry will take the needed measures to maintain security in the magical and Muggle worlds. Madam Amelia Bones asks everyone to remain calm and to take every security precaution, in the event that someone encounters a Death Eater or Dementor.

In order to guarantee the safety of all wizards and Muggles, the Minister had ordered all Aurors to check the entire country. The Department of International Magical Cooperation has already informed the other nations of the world about this startling escape."

Harry was still looking at the article in shock, his hands trembling with anger. Suddenly he understood the meaning of his vision about Voldemort's plans: the Death Eaters' escape and the Dementors' joining the dark side.

Then Hermione interrupted his thoughts, "See? It's just like we thought. Voldemort was planning this, in the vision you had."

Harry stared at her worriedly and then spoke, very disappointed.

"When I tried to tell Dumbledore, he just sent me away, talking about my Occlumency lessons... I'm curious to hear what he would say now!"

"Hey, are you talking about the escape from Azkaban?" Ernie Macmillan approached, really worried as well.

"I can't imagine what Death Eaters and Dementors could do together. This is terrible news for all of us!"

"Yes, you're right Ernie..." answered Hermione sadly, but their conversation was interrupted by Snape, who had just slammed the door and was ordering everybody to get in.

Harry and Hermione took a seat in one of the last desks, as usual, and noticed that Snape was in a very bad mood, more so than usual.

He was taking points off the Gryffindor students for the most silly reasons; he even took a few points off Malfoy after he had turned to Harry looking satisfied and thrown a little paper ball at him that had written on it "AND THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...."

Harry was already starting to lose his temper, but Hermione put her hand on his, as though to tell him not to respond to Malfoy's taunts. Harry forced himself to stay calm and burned the paper ball to ashes with his wand. Then, he took his hand away from Hermione's, slightly embarrassed, and started skimming through the textbook, not knowing what he was looking for.

He realized that Hermione was gazing at him oddly, but then she turned away, and started to skim through her textbook as well.

Harry couldn't understand what was happening to him. It wasn't the first time that Hermione had held his hand, but now there was something different. It was becoming really difficult for him to be near her. He was sure that something had changed, but he couldn't figure out what.

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(A/N: I'd like to thank you for your wonderful reviews: Allowaycar, Mione291, HeidiHo, Hdawne, Jen KenLee and all the others who are following the story, but don't leave a review. I hope you'll like the next chapter, even if it's a little bit shorter than the others…)

Chapter 8. GRYFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN
...
No, our love won't be
An adventure
Or a fire which may die in the wind
It will live
As long as the world does
Until my eyes
Will have light to gaze in your eyes.
...

"An adventure" by Lucio Battisti

Harry's week passed by, filled with lessons, homework assignments, and Quidditch practices to prepare the team for their first match the following Saturday, Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Harry and Ron were still avoiding each other; during Quidditch practice, they tried to talk to each other as little as possible. Once, they had even risked a fight; Harry was shooting impossible Quaffles at Ron, and each time he wasn't able to save the goal, Harry shouted at him like mad. Ron always yelled back, and the other players ended the session frozen in midair, rolling their eyes.

During their practices, Hermione always watched them from the spectators' stands, but Harry tried carefully not to look at her.

Harry was in a really bad mood the entire week and he avoided talking to anyone, even to Hermione, who seemed especially wounded by her best friend's attitude. Even during Occlumency lessons, Harry used all of his anger to repel Snape's mental attacks, causing him to end the lessons early.

As if it all wasn't enough, Harry was still having the same odd nightmare almost every night, the one with the ancient and dilapidated mansion in which he heard a desperate woman screaming. The nightmare always ended with him running along an endless corridor until his scar abruptly started to burn. He kept asking himself the meaning of it, but he couldn't understand what it meant.

Finally, Saturday morning arrived, bringing the first Quidditch match. Harry was eating breakfast, or at least he was pretending to, because all he was able to get down was a couple bites of toast.

While heading to the changing room, he started to feel nervous, as he always did before a Quidditch match. This time, however, he was even more so as it was his first match as captain, and everybody certainly expected a lot from him.

When the players were finally ready, Harry gathered them all in front of him and gave his first pre-match talk.

"We've trained hard for this match, and I'm sure that you won't disappoint me. They're strong, but we're even stronger, because we put our hearts into what we do."

Most of his teammates were staring at him entranced; Ginny was smiling at him, though Ron was stubbornly staring at the ceiling. Then Harry spoke again.

"Now let's go, and let's show everybody what we can do!"

"YEAH!!" They answered together in a loud and excited voice before marching single file out of the changing rooms. Harry was the last one to leave. He really hoped his talk had encouraged his players.

The stadium was amazing: the spectators' stands were full of people screaming and chanting for their Quidditch team. The day couldn't have been better; the sky was a uniform pearly white and there was no wind.

When all the players were ready, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the match started.

Slytherin immediately took possession of the Quaffle and they were already heading towards the Gryffindor goal. Unfortunately, Ron was not able to save the goal.

"Slytherin scores! Ten-zero!"

The match went on and now Ginny had the Quaffle, but she wasn't able to throw it to her teammates, because Stinger from Slytherin had reached her and nudged her hard in the stomach, stealing the Quaffle from her.

The Gryffindor supporters were horrified, but Ginny was still flying. Harry moved toward her to check if she was OK, and she nodded her head.

"Slytherin scores! It's now twenty to zero."

Harry turned to Ron, and for a short moment he asked himself if his ex-best friend was playing badly on purpose, to show everybody that he was a bad captain. The only way to save the game was to catch the Golden Snitch and Harry started to scour the pitch, until he saw it, flying lower, very near to the grass.

Not wasting any time, he dived before realizing that Malfoy was right behind him.

"Another ten points to Slytherin, making the score thirty to zero!"

Harry had almost reached the Snitch; with all his strength he tried to catch it before Malfoy, who in the meantime was on his side, trying to push him off his broom. Suddenly, the Snitch scooted off toward the sky, and Harry zoomed upwards, chasing it. Malfoy was not as fast and he hit the ground face first.

Harry was heading toward the sky like a lightning bolt, the wind in his hair. In that very moment, he lost sight of time and space: it was just him and the Golden Snitch, which was fluttering in front of him. He stretched out his right hand and finally closed his fist around it, feeling its tiny wings struggling in his palm. He had done it! Gryffindor had won against Slytherin.

Afterwards, everything happened so very fast. He felt a terrible blow; something very hard hit him in the head. He couldn't think anymore... He realized that he was falling....

***O***

"Do you think he'll be OK?"

"Yeah... he always is! Believe me, Harry's a really strong guy!"

"But he fell from about 40 meters up!"

"Hey, look... he's opening his eyes."

Harry was slowly regaining consciousness and he found himself lying on a bed in the hospital wing. His friends were gathered around him, but he couldn't see who they were very well, as he didn't have on his glasses.

When he reached his arm over to the table to take them, he felt a sharp pain in his head and decided not to move further.

"Your glasses, Harry."

Hermione handed them to him, and he put them on. Now, he could clearly see his friends' worried faces. Hermione was there, as was Ginny and most of the other players with their Quidditch robes still on. Ron wasn't there.

"What happened?" he asked them in a low voice, and Ginny answered promptly.

"You had just caught the Snitch when Stinger chucked a Bludger at you; it hit you in the back of your head. You fell 40 meters."

"Luckily, Madam Hooch saw the whole thing and transfigured a rock into a mattress. Otherwise, we'd still be looking for your pieces around the pitch!!" said Slovoy, one of the new two Chasers, with a light smile on his face, but Hermione stared at him sternly. Then she spoke sweetly.

"How do you feel? We were all really worried this time! Luckily everybody saw Stinger hit that Bludger at you, and I'm sure that Professor McGonagall will put him in detention."

Harry was still puzzled and didn't know what to say. His head was hurting so much and he thought it was going to explode. Finally, Madam Pomfrey came to him with a soothing potion.

"Come on boys and girls, let him rest. Here we are Mr. Potter, drink this and you'll feel better."

Madam Pomfrey helped him drink the potion, which had a terrible taste, but Harry didn't complain.

When Madam Pomfrey left his bed, Harry spoke to his friends.

"At least we won!"

Hermione stared at him sternly; Harry knew she didn't care about Quidditch as much as he did.

"How can you talk like that? I can't believe that it's more important to win a Quidditch match than to stay alive!"

Harry was tempted to answer back that for him, playing Quidditch was the most important thing, but he remained silent, gazing at her with a silly smile on his face.

Then, Madam Pomfrey asked everybody to leave him alone and they left the hospital wing.

***O***

Harry slept all afternoon, until Madam Pomfrey came to bring him some food. He was feeling slightly better, even though he wasn't yet able to get up. It seemed that the impact had been particularly hard.

After dinner Hermione came to visit him.

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

"As if a train just knocked me down!! Actually, I am feeling a lot better than before, thanks!" answered Harry smiling, as Hermione sat in a chair close to his bed.

"I heard that Professor McGonagall went to Professor Snape complaining about what Stinger had done to you... and Snape gave him detention. But I also heard that he just had him write a few lines," commented Hermione bitterly.

"Typical!"

"But it's not fair! Professor McGonagall should go back to Snape and demand a stronger punishment... I don't like constantly fearing those stupid Slytherins. They're always doing whatever they want, and not getting in trouble!"

"Now you're talking like Filch!"

Harry smiled slightly and stared at her sympathetically, even though she was still upset.

"Well, let's change the topic, then.... Would you like to know what Professor McGonagall told us today before lunch?"

"What?"

Hermione seemed very excited about what she was about to tell him.

"She said that for Halloween, two old friends of ours are going to join Hogwarts students for the banquet. In just three weeks, we are going to see Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum again! And they will stay for the weekend."

"Are you serious? But... why?"

"Professor McGonagall just told us that Dumbledore wanted to invite them for, she said, a 'courtesy visit,' but I'm sure there's another reason."

Harry thought about that for a moment, wondering what the real reason could be. Then Hermione told him her theory.

"I'm sure that this invitation has got something to do with the Order of the Phoenix. Fleur and Viktor were both champions of their schools, and maybe Dumbledore will ask them to join the Order against Voldemort! What do you think about that?"

"You might be right, even if Viktor's Headmaster was a Death Eater in the past. I don't know... the whole story seems odd to me. I don't trust Viktor very much!"

Harry's words offended Hermione, who spoke with a rising anger.

"You're absolutely wrong! I know Viktor very well and I can assure you that he has never been interested in dark magic."

Suddenly, Harry remembered that during their fourth year, Viktor was falling for Hermione, even though he never talked to her about it. He was starting to feel embarrassed again and his stomach felt as if there were thousands of butterflies struggling inside. Without thinking about it, he spoke with a frown.

"Ha, yes... I forgot that Viktor was your boyfriend some time ago!"

Harry was teasing Hermione to see her reaction, and in fact she blushed before answering him back, seemingly annoyed by that statement.

"For your information, Viktor and I never dated! We're just good friends and we wrote a few letters to each other in the past. It's been about a year since he sent me his last letter.... besides, that is none of your business at all!"

Hermione got up and was ready to leave, but Harry grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, please stay a little more. Being forced to lie on this bed is so depressing!"

Hermione sat again and her mood changed.

"Come on, Harry! Be patient... I'm sure that tomorrow morning you'll be able to leave the hospital wing."

"I really hope so."

Harry sighed and stared at the bedspread. Then he thought about Ron, and he wondered if he knew that he was recovering from that bad fall.

"Ron feels really guilty about how the match went."

Harry raised his head abruptly and looked Hermione in the eye with surprise; again she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Why does he feel guilty?"

"Because he didn't save a single goal. He says that if it wasn't for you, Gryffindor would have lost the match."

"Well, now that you say that... I think Ron really should feel guilty!"

Harry's temper was starting to rise.

"I agree with you, if you mean that Ron didn't do a great job today, but I don't understand why you keep giving him all the blame!"

"Because it was HIS fault! If I hadn't caught the Snitch in time, we would have lost the match. He didn't do anything to stop Slytherin from scoring. You were there, you saw everything!"

"NO, that's not true! I think Ron did his best for..."

"Well, if that was his best, then I think that I'm going to ask him to leave the team!!"

This time Hermione got up in a fury and glared at Harry with anger.

"Why don't you stop talking like that? How can you be so selfish? Ron is still your best friend and he feels bad about it, just like you. You listen to me Harry Potter! I am not going to talk to you again until you make peace with Ron!"

As soon as she finished her sentence, she rushed out of the hospital wing angrily without giving him a chance to reply.

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(A/N: I thank you very much for your very nice comments. I've done my best with this story, but also my BETA readers help has been really important. I'm sure you'll find next chapter very interesting and as usual, I'll be waiting for your many reviews. Enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 9. THE HALLOWEEN BANQUET

...
I dream of a countryside
Graveyard, and me there,
Under the shadow of a blossoming
cherry tree with no age.
Just for a little rest
-two or three hundred years-
just to understand better and
to calm down my worries.
...

"A boring day" by Lucio Battisti

On Sunday morning, Madam Pomfrey gave Harry permission to leave the hospital wing, but she made him promise to take a rest during the day, and he told her that he would do his best.

He reached the common room sad, knowing very well that Ron and Hermione wouldn't be there to welcome him. He thought back to his argument with Hermione the previous evening and realized that he had managed to fight with her too, and now he couldn't talk to either of them.

It's better that way! he thought, determined. I'd rather be alone during such a dangerous time. Then, he recalled the prophecy and realized that it really was better for him to remain alone, knowing what his destiny would be.

I don't have any other choice, I will be either the murderer or the victim, and when I fight to save my life, I want to be alone.

This thought rose stronger in his mind, and he became determined not to put his friends into danger anymore. He wouldn't ask for their help anymore, and he was proud of himself for not telling them about the prophecy.

He had made his decision: he would keep Ron and Hermione as far as possible from his life.

***O***

During the following weeks, Harry continued avoiding Ron and Hermione, neither of whom tried to approach him. Sometimes he realized that Hermione was staring at him from a distance; at the same time, he was trying his best not looking in her direction.

Despite what he had told her about asking Ron to leave the Quidditch team, Harry hadn't had the courage to do it for real. As a result, there was always a sense of high tension between them, which made practices an absolute hell, both for them and for their teammates.

Harry was always the first one to leave the dormitory in the morning, the first one to sit in the Great Hall for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he was the last one to enter the common room in the evening. During classes he always sat in a single desk, far away from the others, and didn't talk to anyone.

Sometimes Neville sat with him, and Harry wasn't bothered by this; at least he could talk to somebody.

Harry started making a habit of visiting Hagrid in the evenings, except when Ron and Hermione were already there. He usually peeked through the window to check; if they were, he turned in his tracks and went back to the castle, alone.

Fortunately during Harry's visits, Hagrid never talked about his former best friends so that Harry would not lose his temper. He limited his questions to school matters; Harry was thankful for that. One evening, however, Hagrid couldn't stop himself and went immediately into the forbidden subject.

"Harry, please, listen ter me an' don' yeh be gettin' angry! I really believe tha' yeh should make peace with Ron an' Hermione."

Harry didn't reply, but he turned to stare intently at his shoelaces. Then Hagrid spoke again.

"When they come ter visit.... we always talk about yeh. They're so sorry abou' yehr misunderstandin's, 'specially Hermione. Las' time she was here, she burs' into tears, poor girl..."

Hermione cried over me? Harry thought and he suddenly blushed, his heart starting to beat like mad. Then he raised his head and looked into Hagrid's eyes.

"I don't want them to suffer for me, but I don't want them risking their lives for me either. I just want... oh, I don't even know what I want!"

Harry was so confused. He lowered his head and ran his fingers through his hair. The situation was getting out of control, and he wasn't sure he wanted to continue with his plan to keep them at a distance. Then Hagrid came closer and spoke with affection.

"Yeh're missin' 'em, isn' tha' true?"

Hagrid was right; Harry missed both of them and he missed everything they usually did together. He missed his chess games with Ron, his jokes, his special way of lifting him when he was in a bad mood. He missed Hermione, with her know-it-all attitude, her wise advice, and her special way of comforting him.

"Yes, I miss them so much...."

Hagrid grinned and gave him a slap on the shoulder that nearly made him fall to his knees.

"Yeh see? I was perfectly righ', then! Yeh mus' absolutely talk ter Ron an' Hermione an' make peace.... yes, an' yeh mus' do it soon as possible!"

"But, Hagrid, it's not that easy," replied Harry sternly. Hagrid didn't know about the prophecy and about the danger he was facing. But the idea of living his life completely alone, like an outcast, quite possibly was worse than getting caught by Voldemort.

"Why isn' tha' easy? Yeh'll see... they're goin' ter be really happy ter make up with yeh, they're so much lookin' forward to tha'."

Harry didn't want to disappoint his friend.

"Then... I'll try."

"Very good, Harry... yeh see? I's better when we talk 'bout our troubles... isn' it?"

"Yes, you're right..." replied Harry bitterly, knowing very well that talking about his troubles might make him feel better, but it didn't make it any easier to actually resolve them.

***O***

The Halloween banquet was approaching. All of the teachers were busy with the organization and decoration, especially since all of the students were waiting for Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum with great enthusiasm.

A few days had passed since Harry's talk with Hagrid, but he hadn't yet managed to approach to Ron or Hermione to resolve the situation. Actually, he didn't even really know how to do it!

That morning, they were attending a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, and Professor Lupin was teaching them a protection spell, PROTEGO. With this spell, it was possible to deflect many direct attacks, making them rebound to the sender.

After the explanation, Lupin divided all the students in pairs to practice.
Against his will, Harry was paired with Ron, who didn't seem satisfied with Lupin's choice either. They started sending spells at each other, and in turn, they had to protect themselves with PROTEGO.

All of a sudden, Ron wasn't able to protect himself from one of Harry's attacks and fell down backwards, ending with his legs up in the air. Then he got up furiously and rushed towards Harry, shouting at him.

"YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE!"

Harry was astonished by Ron's reaction, but the surprise didn't keep him from answering back.

"MAYBE YOU JUST CAN'T STOP MY ATTACKS!"

"NO!! YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE, HARRY, TELL THE TRUTH! AND, I BET YOU LIKED SEEING ME FALL WITH MY LEGS IN THE AIR!"

Harry wasn't able to control his temper any longer and, with his blood boiling inside and his heart beating like mad, he hurled himself upon Ron and threw him to the floor, punching him everywhere.

Ron wasn't any less angry, and he was punching back. Both of them were furiously rolling around on the classroom floor.

The other students were looking at them petrified, while Hermione was completely shocked, her hands covering her mouth. Lupin recovered before the others and rushed to separate the two.

"STOP IT NOW, BOTH OF YOU! Mr Thomas, please come here to help!"

Dean Thomas tried his best to grab Ron's arms, being careful not to catch a blow, while Lupin had just grabbed Harry's arms.

Even though the two were now split up, they were still shouting at each other, and trying to land their blows.

"LET ME GO... I'LL SHOW HIM WHAT I CAN DO... LET ME GO!"

Ron was shouting like mad; he had completely lost his temper and didn't care that his nose was bleeding or that his upper lip was cut.

"YEAH, LET HIM GO! I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT HE CAN DO WITH HIS FISTS... SINCE AT QUIDDITCH HE'S A COMPLETE DISASTER!" Harry answered back. He was wounded as well: his forehead was cut, his cheek had a large bruise, and his glasses were broken.

"STOP IT, FOR GOD'S SAKE!! DO I HAVE TO SEND YOU TO THE HEADMASTER?"

Ron and Harry tried to control themselves, but Lupin and Dean Thomas didn't trust them enough to let them go.

Suddenly the bell rang, but the students didn't move; they were still frozen in place, looking at that scene with their mouths open. Then Professor Lupin spoke.

"You can leave guys, the lesson is over. I'll see you next week."

As the students slowly exited the classroom, staring at Harry and Ron worriedly, Lupin turned to Dean.

"Thank you Mr. Thomas, you can go."

Dean let go of Ron's arms, who then tried to straighten his robes as he slowly headed to the door.

"No, Ron, please come here. I must talk to both of you."

Ron backtracked and stopped right in front of Lupin, who in the meantime had let go of Harry's arms. Hermione remained at the door, looking at them from there. Then Lupin spoke with a calm but determined voice.

"What is happening to you two? I thought you were friends... and now you are fighting like that... in front of your friends... and during MY class!"

Harry stared at the floor, while Ron stared intently at his shoelaces.

"Would either of you like to explain to me what is going on here?"

Both glanced at each other scornfully for a second, then turned immediately, staring at the floor again.

"Neither of you would like to speak? I can't believe that this fight started because one of you missed a spell! Don't you know that in these days we must do our best to remain close to each other, to help one another?"

Harry was starting to realize the seriousness of the situation, and he felt mortified for having disappointed Lupin. Since neither of them wanted to speak, Lupin went on.

"After what just happened, I should send you both to the Headmaster, and let him decide a proper punishment. However, since I know you so well, and since I'm your friend, I won't... this time, at least. But, if I catch you fighting again, I am going to send you directly to the Headmaster. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Both of them nodded, keeping their eyes on the floor. Then Lupin put his hands in his pockets and started to pace the classroom, staring into space, as though he was trying to remember something from a long time ago.

"When James and I were sixteen, we had fights too… sometimes furiously. In those moments, we thought that we'd never be able to resolve our differences, and we even thought we hated each other! But then we realized that our friendship was really special... and in the end, each of us apologized to the other, and we were friends again... more than ever...."

Lupin turned to face them.

"I really hope that your friendship is special, just like the one that united me, James, and Sirius."

There was a long minute of silence, during which Lupin looked both of them directly in the eyes; Harry felt his shame growing.

"Well, now you may leave. And I suggest you go to Madam Pomfrey for those wounds."

Ron and Harry turned and headed to the door. When Harry raised his head, he saw Hermione staring at them, her face red and her eyes wet. Seeing her so worried, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach; he would have given anything, even his Firebolt, to go back in time and undo what he had just done... but it was too late now.

Ron exited the classroom in silence, without looking at him or at Hermione, as did Harry. Hermione ran toward them in the corridor; when she reached them, she tried to stop them.

"May I know what's happening to you two? Ron, Harry, I don't know you anymore!!"

She grabbed Ron's sleeve, but he pushed her away with a sharp shove and started to walk faster.

Then Hermione turned to Harry and stood directly in front of him. He stopped abruptly and started to stare furiously into her eyes, noticing that her face was streaked by tears.

"Harry, what's going on?"

But he was too shocked to give her a good answer.

"I don't know Hermione, I really don't know…" he replied angrily, before rushing to the stairs, leaving her alone in the empty corridor.

***O***

Harry ran up the stairs without knowing were he was going. He was just now realizing that warm tears were streaming down his cheeks and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop them.

Suddenly, he found himself in front of the Owlery and entered it, hoping to find a little bit of solitude. There were many owls perched on the stands and many more were arriving through the large windows. Harry crouched on the floor and pulled his legs tight against his chest, resting his face on his knees.

He felt a sharp pain in his cheek where Ron had punched him earlier, but he didn't care about his physical pain, since the pain he was feeling inside was stronger. He had disappointed everybody he cared for: Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and now Lupin. He had lost his temper with his best friend and now he was wondering if anything would ever be like it was before, or if the wound now opened between them was too large to heal.

Then he thought about what Lupin had told them, about himself and his father, and he felt a slight hope rising in his heart.

Harry cried until he had no more tears, feeling better afterwards. Then he made a decision: he absolutely had to repair what he had just done. He didn't care about the prophecy, Voldemort, or the Death Eaters anymore. He needed his friends, and they needed him.

He would have to try to talk to them and explain his behavior; maybe they wouldn't forgive him so easily, but at least they could try to understand him. He decided to look for Hermione first, and then go to Ron.

After a long half hour, he tried to pull himself together, wiping his face with his sleeve, and then left the owlery.

***O***

Harry was sure he would find Hermione in the library. She was there, in fact, sitting at a table alone, staring at a closed book in front of her. She had probably gone there to find a bit of quiet and to think.

Harry came closer to her and stood in front of her. She raised her face to look at him with a really sad expression in her wet eyes.

"Can I sit down?" asked Harry in a low voice, as she stared at him with surprise. Then she reached over and pulled out a chair for him; he came around the table and sat beside her. Both started to gaze deeply into each other's eyes and Harry spoke first.

"I wanted to apologize... for everything I've done to you."

"Harry, I...."

"No, wait... let me talk first!" He cut her off and then went on.

"I owe you an explanation, Hermione, for my crazy behavior."

He smiled slightly, but Hermione was still looking at him sternly. He became serious again, and went on.

"Everything started when I saved you from Malfoy, remember? I placed all the blame on Ron for what happened, even though it wasn't really his fault. I don't know why I did it. Maybe because I'm overprotective of you, or maybe because I was in a bad mood that day. I only know that from that moment on, I lost control of the situation. I started to blame Ron for everything, for the bad Quidditch game, or for a bad mark. And then I argued with you as well, and we spent almost a month not talking to each other."

Harry paused and noticed that Hermione was concentrating intently on what he was saying. He then went on.

"Then I had the most stupid idea in the world: I thought about what Ron had told me, that it was dangerous for you to be my friends, and I thought that, since we weren't talking to each other... well, it would've been easier for me to keep you away from my life, and this way protect you from Voldemort and all the rest."

At this point Hermione tried to cut him off, staring at him sternly, but Harry went on.

"I was wrong! I need you... both of you! And if it isn't too late, I'd like to make amends..."

Abruptly, Hermione burst into tears and threw her arms around Harry's neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his heart full of joy.

"You're such a silly boy, Harry! What were you trying to do? You wanted to protect us? But you were driving us crazy! I'm so happy, Harry, so happy..."

Hermione was speaking into his ear; they were so close to each other. The load that had been burdening his heart was completely gone, and now he was happy as never before.

Suddenly, he felt that his happiness was changing into something different. Harry started to feel a deep lurch in his stomach. He realized that they were TOO close and he started to panic.

He blushed visibly and pushed away his friend, deeply embarrassed. Hermione seemed not to have noticed his behavior, because she was still talking animatedly to him.

"We must go and find Ron immediately. You have to talk to him and make peace. There's no time to lose."

Hermione got up with a great smile on her face and headed to the door, followed by an extremely quiet Harry who was trying to figure out his true feelings.

***O***

Harry and Hermione looked for Ron everywhere, but it seemed as if he had vanished. They couldn't find him in the Great Hall, nor in the gardens. It was starting to get dark, so they decided to wait for him in the common room.

They sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace and Hermione started to talk excitedly about the long month that had passed without him, how they had suffered because of the "situation," how Hagrid had always tried to get Ron take the first step. Around them, the other students were slowly heading to their dormitories.

Harry was listening to every single word, being careful not to get too close to her; it was now clear to him that the situation could have become really embarrassing.

He thought that it was a really odd feeling, just like what he had felt when he was close to Cho Chang the previous year.

What is happening to me? he kept asking himself. She's my BEST FRIEND! I can't fall for my best friend... it isn't right!

Quite to the contrary, however, he now understood too well that something had changed inside him. Maybe this long month spent alone had helped him realize how important Hermione was to him, and how he had missed her so much.

He knew that he had always liked her for her intelligence, for her wisdom, for her great heart. Now, he was starting to like HER... for her sweetness, for her way of being so full of life.

"Harry? Are you listening to me?"

With that question, he came back down to earth again.

"Of course I am!"

Then his attention was drawn to the door, which had just opened, revealing a very sulky Ron. Hermione got up immediately and walked over to him, followed by Harry, who remained at a certain distance, staring at Ron sternly.

"Ron, where have you been? We were looking for you everywhere! Harry has something to tell you."

Ron raised his gaze to him; his upper lip was still bleeding. Then Harry moved closer, stopping right in front of him, and started to talk with embarrassment.

"Ron, I have to apologize... I behaved so horribly during the last month. Will you be able to forgive me? Can you?”

Harry lowered his gaze, then went on.

"I understand now that I need your friendship and that you're one of the most important people in the world to me!"

Ron looked at him, doubtful for a moment, and then looked at Hermione, who nodded at him. Finally he came closer to Harry and hugged him tight. Harry did the same, with a great smile on his face.

"WOW, you finally did it! I cannot believe it, guys... you made up!"

Hermione was jumping up and down, clapping her hands with joy like a little girl.

When the two friends pulled apart, they stared at each other in affection.

"I promise you Ron, we'll never fight again!"

"I'm counting on that, mate!! Anyway, I'll try my best too!"

***O***

The day of the Halloween feast had finally come; it was a Friday. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the same desk in their Transfiguration class; Hermione was carefully listening to Professor McGonagall, while Harry and Ron were passing notes under the desk.

Harry was feeling especially happy and uplifted; he and Ron were best friends again. Maybe soon Harry would find the courage to tell them about the prophecy and, maybe, they would be able to help him carry this burden, which was getting heavier as he carried it alone.

In the meantime, he was trying his best to hide his true feelings for Hermione, especially since he knew how much Ron had always held her dear; he didn't want to fight with him again.

For the moment, it was enough being closer to her, sharing his days with her, as they had always done before. He wasn't sure about her feelings and he didn't want to ruin their friendship by asking her to be his girlfriend.

That day, all students were going to end classes one hour early, and Harry would miss his usual Occlumency lesson with Snape as well.

All of the students gathered outside the castle's main entrance, ready to welcome their two special guests, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum.

In the sixth row, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking forward to meeting their old friends again.

"It's been ages since I last saw Viktor... I wonder how he is!" Hermione asked herself, causing a sudden reaction from Ron.

"I'm sure he's still the same sad, surly, rather low guy of two years ago!"

"You didn't think that about him when you were asking his autograph!" replied Hermione, taunting him, and he looked up at the sky, slightly embarrassed.

"Look, they're coming!"

Harry pointed at the main gate, where the Knight Bus was entering at high speed. It stopped right in front of the main entrance; Dumbledore went down the stairs to welcome the guests, followed by Professor McGonagall.

When the Knight Bus door opened, a beautiful girl came out. She was tall, her skin was white like the snow and her long hair was a wonderful bright blond color. She descended the stairs with great elegance and brushed away a lock of hair from her forehead with a cute movement of her head. Even though it wasn't yet winter, Fleur was wearing a heavy fur overcoat and her hands were being kept warm by a soft fur muff.

The Headmaster approached her and she shook his hand poshly.

Next, a lanky boy with long black hair and an untidy beard climbed down the stairs awkwardly. He was wearing a heavy black fur coat with a long cloak. He walked sulkily toward Dumbledore, who shook his hand with warmth.

Dumbledore then showed them inside to the Great Hall, which was amazing. Colored garlands were hanging from the enchanted ceiling, and large lit pumpkins and live bats were floating in midair.

All of the students took seats at their tables, while Fleur and Viktor sat at the teachers' table. Then, the feast began.

"Fleur is even more beautiful, don't you think?"

Ron couldn't stop staring at Fleur; Hermione frowned at him.

"Personally, I think her overcoat is really out of place! It isn't that cold, after all! Besides, Viktor has really grown up and he even let his beard grow..."

"I really hope he isn't going to set a new fashion."

Hermione frowned at him while Harry rolled his eyes. They were bickering with each other as usual, but Harry didn't stop them; after all, he loved them for this.

After the banquet, Dumbledore got up to give a little speech.

"I officially give a very warm welcome to our special guests, Miss Fleur Delacour and Mr. Viktor Krum. I'm sure that with your help, they're going to feel at home during their weekend here at Hogwarts. Our guests will be free to spend their time with all of you, and tomorrow they will go to Hogsmeade, as already planned. Finally, they will leave us on Monday morning very early. Now, you will have a chance to greet them personally."

With a movement of his right hand, Dumbledore made sign for the students to stand up, and with light movement of his left hand, he pushed away the house tables to make space.

Fleur and Viktor got up and went over to the other students, who were all very happy to greet them.

During her first visit, Fleur became friends with a few Ravenclaw girls, and Viktor knew a few Slytherin boys, so the students from those two Houses went up to them first.

Harry noticed that Malfoy and Krum were greeting each other like old friends, and he didn't like that at all. He thought Viktor was a good person, and he could not understand what he had in common with that devil Malfoy.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione remained in the back, waiting for the crowd to thin. Then they went over to Fleur, who was happy to see them.

"'Ello, 'Arry... it is so good to see you! 'Ow are you?"

When she hugged him warmly, Hermione jumped in surprise and frowned at her. Then, she shook Ron and Hermione's hands, but didn't have any time to talk because she was immediately stolen away by a few Ravenclaws.

"She's such a showoff! I bet she likes being the center of attention!"

Harry and Ron turned abruptly toward Hermione, surprised by her sharp comment.

"Hi, Herm-own-ninny."

"Viktor, how are you?"

Viktor Krum had reached Hermione, dodging the crowd, and they were now hugging warmly.

"Fine, fine, and you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. We have so many things to talk about."

Hermione pulled away from the hug, and was now gazing happily at him, while Ron looked at them grimly. Harry was starting to dislike him as well.

When Viktor put his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulled her gently to an empty corner of the Hall, Harry and Ron were astonished. Then, the couple sat together and started to talk enthusiastically.

"I'd like to know what she sees in that guy?" asked Ron loudly, obviously annoyed.

"What every girl likes, I think! He's famous, he's an athlete, and he's rich!" replied Harry, sharply, still looking at the two and feeling slightly jealous.

"Come on! You just described yourself, Harry... but it seems that her eyes are only for Krum."

Harry turned to his friend, really amazed by that comparison.

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(A/N: As usual, I'd like to thank my dear readers, who are still following this story with great enjoyment: TheDivineMsD, HeidiHo, Pottergirlajg, Destroyerdt, Jan KenLee and the new readers Misadies1, Justin_1402 and Godsowndevil. I wish to thank my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOr and SarahLupin for editing this fan fiction so well. I'm sure you'll find next chapter really interesting… Good reading!)

Chapter 10. DATING OR MEETING?

...
It can be that
I don't know what I am saying
Choosing you
-a woman - as best friend.
But my job is living life
Either of everyday or unknown;
I love you, strong, weak mate
Who sometimes learns and sometimes teaches.
...
"A woman as a friend" by Lucio Battisti

The following day was a Saturday, and all of the students were getting ready to go to Hogsmeade.

When Harry and Ron went down to the common room, they found Hermione waiting for them.

"Good morning guys. It's about time you came down!"

"Once in a while you could greet us without criticizing something about us, Hermione!" Ron answered back, jumping from the last stair, followed by Harry who immediately noticed her good mood.

"Why are you so happy today?"

"Last night Viktor and I talked a lot. He told me everything about what he's been doing the last few months," replied Hermione as she exited the common room and walked along the corridor followed by Harry and Ron, who were listening carefully. Then Hermione spoke again.

"He told me that now he's playing in one of the best Quidditch teams in the world. What was its name? Ah, yes... the Frasta or Brasta... something like that."

"The Vratsa Vultures, you mean? The most famous Bulgarian Quidditch team?" Ron corrected her, horrified by her ignorance of Quidditch.

"Yes, that's the one! He's now living alone in a large house in Bulgaria. He bought his house with part of his salary... and he said that now he earns a lot! Anyway, he hasn't got much free time, because he's practically always at work."

"Did he tell you the real reason for being here?" Harry asked the question he felt most important.

"No, not yet... but he said he'd like to talk to me about that this afternoon in Hogsmeade. He has something really important to tell me." Then Hermione stopped and lowered her voice.

"Something about Voldemort!"

The three of them looked into each other's eyes. Harry had a bad feeling and he told them about his doubts.

"But what is Viktor Krum supposed to know about Voldemort? And why does he want to talk to you about that?"

"Well, my theory is this: since Viktor was one of Karkaroff's students and since Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater, maybe he now knows some very important information about Voldemort. Maybe he's here to tell Dumbledore, and since he's a friend of mine, he'd like to tell me also. Afterwards, I can tell you everything, Harry!"

"You mean we're not invited?" asked Ron, surprised.

"No... He just told me that he wanted to talk to me, alone."

"No way Hermione! I really don't like this at all. I don't trust that guy." Ron expressed his doubts, which were the same as Harry's. Couldn't Viktor tell what he knew directly to him? Why did he want to meet her alone?

They were now walking across the grounds, heading to the main gate. The day was very cold, even though the sky was clear and the sun was shining.

"Come on Ron! Don't be so suspicious! Viktor is on our side. You should know that by now! He wants to talk to me in private, because... well, with me, he has more confidence."

"What do you mean by CONFIDENCE?"

"Ron, stop it, please!"

Harry rolled his eyes and jumped between them, trying to stop their bickering.

"All right, now stop it. Ron, it's useless to argue with her. Hermione has already made her decision."

Then he turned to Hermione.

"And you... please try to be really careful, because I don't trust Viktor Krum either. At the feast yesterday, he was talking with Malfoy as though they were very good friends. By the way, have you got your wand?"

"Yes, it's in my handbag, but I won't need it, I assure you!"

"Great! Now, let's go, or we're going to be late," Harry cut her off. He was starting to get nervous about the whole thing. He was really looking forward to going back to the castle that evening with both of his best friends, alive and safe.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade it was already lunchtime. They decided to stop at the Three Broomsticks to have something to eat. The place was crowded, and they chose a table in the back of the room.

"Where're you going to meet him?"

"I thought that Madam Puddifoot's teashop would be a good place to talk quietly."

Harry nearly choked on his last bit of sandwich. He remembered that place very well; he went there the previous year with Cho on Valentine's Day. The entire time, Cho kept talking about poor Cedric Diggory and had compared their date with the one she had with Cedric earlier.

Harry shuddered, remembering how Cho had rushed out of the place, leaving him there alone like an idiot because of something he had told her. The date had been a total fiasco.

"Why did you choose that place? Only couples go there, to be alone and... you know... not be disturbed...."

Ron was slightly disappointed, and in Harry's opinion, more like a jealous boyfriend than a best friend.

"I've chosen that place, and that's that! I don't think I owe you any explanations, Ron Weasley!"

Ron didn't answer back, but he looked deeply offended, even though Hermione didn't seem to be too worried about it.

"Well... it's almost time to go..." said Hermione, looking at her watch. But when she got up, Harry grabbed her arm.

"Wait... we're coming with you. Let's go Ron!"

Hermione was a bit surprised, but she didn't object. The three of them exited the pub and headed towards Madam Puddifoot's, which was situated up a side road at the end of the main street.

They stopped a short ways away, and then Hermione faced them to say goodbye.

"It's two o'clock now and I should be finished by three. You can wait for me at The Three Broomsticks. I'll meet you there."

Hermione then realized that her friends were staring at her worriedly, so she tried to reassure them.

"Come on, I'm not going to war! And it isn't even a date! I'm just going to find out what Viktor has to tell me, and then I'll immediately come back."

"We're going to wait here."

"No way, Ron! Viktor is coming and I don't want him to see you. He might think that you're tailing us! Everything'll be fine... trust me."

Suddenly, she moved closer to Ron and hugged him, then she turned to Harry and did the same. This time, however, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Then she turned, ran to the teashop, opened the door, and bid them farewell a last time with a small wave before disappearing inside.

"Why did she kiss YOU?" asked Ron with a slight hint of envy in his voice, but Harry didn't notice; he felt that he was going to blush. For a short moment, he wanted to follow Hermione inside the teashop.

"Come on, Ron... it's better if Krum doesn't find us here."

Finally, both of them headed back to the pub.

When they entered, they saw that a few of their friends were sitting at a distant table: Dean Thomas and Ginny, who were very close to each other, Neville Longbottom, and finally Luna Lovegood, dressed in her usual eccentric way.

Ron frowned at them for a moment; he didn't yet accept that his sister was dating Dean Thomas. Harry signaled to him to sit at a smaller table close to the entrance, but Ginny had already gotten up to greet them.

"Hey, Ron, Harry! Why don't you come over here?"

Almost sadly, Ron headed to their friends' table with Harry and took a seat.

"What're you doing here?" asked Neville curiously.

"The same thing you are!" replied Ron, slightly annoyed.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Ginny.

"Hermione had to go... OWWWW!" exclaimed Ron, after Harry kicked his right leg hard; Harry hurriedly finished his sentence for him.

"She had to go to the library! Right... she had a very difficult essay to finish!"

"Yeah, an essay!" confirmed Ron, massaging his leg and frowning at Harry, who was forcibly trying not to look in his best friend's direction.

"Hey, guys... have you seen Fleur Delacour? She's even more beautiful, don't you think?" commented Seamus, extremely delighted.

"Yeah, she's really gorgeous." added Dean, making Ginny jealous; she gave him a hard nudge in his side.

"But, what did I say?" asked Dean, massaging his side, as Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I know what Fleur and Viktor are at Hogwarts for," stated Luna simply, as though she had just commented on the weather.

"You know about that? Who told you? Dumbledore maybe?" asked Ron quizzically.

"No, but I heard Fleur talking about it to Cho Chang and Heather McRow."

Everybody was now staring at her, waiting for the rest of the story, but Luna kept sipping her tea, quietly. Then Ron broke the silence.

"So? Are you going to tell us the reason why Dumbledore invited those two to Hogwarts, or not?"

"I suggest you buy the next edition of The Quibbler. In it, my father published everything you want to know! Anyway, I expect that it is going to be something really, really big."

"Come on, Luna, can't you tell us something more?" pleaded Ginny.

"If you really want to know, I can tell you that this story is just confirming my father's theory... he always knew that Cornelius Fudge had his own Heliopath Army!"

"Beg your pardon?" said Ron aghast, so Luna hurriedly explained her theory.

"Fleur and Viktor have useful information about Fudge's Army. The Heliopaths are now on YOU-KNOW-WHO's side, and if the new Minister of Magic doesn't do something soon, the giants will change to his side as well, just as the dementors already have!"

Everybody was in reverent silence; it seemed as if Luna knew a lot about this subject. Harry thought over it for a moment, and he realized that, after everything else, the whole thing could have just been true.

***O***

Harry was nervously looking at his watch, which was telling him that it was two-thirty. Then it showed a quarter to three, then three, and finally three-thirty, but Hermione wasn't there yet.

Ron was nervous as well, and was repeatedly turning to Harry, who finally nodded.

"Ahem... we have to go now!" Ron said goodbye to his friends, and then rushed out of the pub, followed by a really worried Harry. They ran like mad to the teashop.

"Hermione is late! But when I find her, she'll see..."

Ron seemed furious, but Harry had the feeling that it was just his way to disguise his worry.

They entered the teashop in a fury; it was nearly empty, with the exception of two couples sitting at the far end of the room. They went over to the owner, Madam Puddifoot, a short and fat lady dressed in a long pink robe, who was cleaning one of the tables close to the entrance.

"Excuse me, Madam.... we're looking for a girl," started Harry nervously.

"A girl, dear?"

"Yes, a student... she had to meet a guy here."

Madam Puddifoot raised her eyes and stared at Harry curiously. In that moment, he realized that he wasn't being very specific, since it was a place where only couples were meeting.

Ron did his best to mix up the situation even more.

"We're looking for a 'know-it-all' student with brown and bushy hair..."

Madam Puddifoot was now staring at them in a really surprised way.

"Well, why don't you tell me the name of this girl, then?"

"Yes, of course... her name is Hermione, and the guy's name is Viktor Krum... and he is shorter than us, with black hair and a beard."

Madam Puddifoot gave a bright smile; she suddenly understood.

"Yes, yes, yes... they were seated at that table over there!"

"And when did they leave? Could you tell us? Please?" asked Harry even more worriedly, trying to speak politely.

"They left almost immediately... they didn't even finish their coffee!"

Harry and Ron stared at each other in shock. Then Madam Puddifoot spoke again, staring off into space.

"They were a really strange couple! Especially him, because he seemed to be in a great rush..."

"Could you maybe tell us where they went? I mean... in which direction?"

Again Madam Puddifoot was staring at Harry in great surprise, so he tried to add an explanation for his question.

"We must talk to Hermione... we must tell her something really important!"

"I see... well, unfortunately I don't know where they went. But I did see them heading toward the Forbidden Forest, and I was really surprised about that. Hey, where are you running off to?"

Harry and Ron cut her off and rushed outside, heading towards the Forbidden Forest. The sun was going down, making it really hard to see the way.

They were leaving Hogsmeade now, following the path along the Forest.

Harry stopped abruptly, panting heavily from running; Ron did the same. Both were now turning in every direction, looking for Hermione or, at least, some trace of her passage, but there was nothing there.

"I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT! I told her again and again, but she kept saying 'Don't worry Ron, I trust Viktor.' Quite to the contrary... there was NOTHING to trust about him!"

Ron was shouting to himself, while Harry was turning around, desperately looking for any clue that might help him understand what had happened.

Then, finally he saw it: a small light, shining from the depths of the forest. Without thinking about it, he rushed into the trees, trying to reach the source of that light.

"Hey, Harry! Where in the bloody hell..." Ron didn't see the light, but he followed Harry anyway.

The Forest was becoming thicker; little twigs were sticking out from the ancient trees, poking them in the face and arms. The further in they walked, the more the darkness was covering the Forest.

"LUMOS!" shouted Harry, lighting his wand. He continued to walk toward the small light, which was becoming bigger. Finally he reached the source; it was at the bottom of a large rock.

Harry crouched on the ground and then, with Ron looking on in shock, realized where the light was coming from.

Harry slowly got up, horrified, and showed the object to his friend, who opened his mouth in surprise.

"It's Hermione's wand, I recognize it! Harry, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know, Ron! Maybe Viktor brought her here, into the Forest, and then he attacked her... maybe she lost her wand while she was trying to defend herself... and then.... I really don't know what's happened."

"Do you think... he... KILLED Hermione?"

Ron was completely shocked, and Harry shuddered at the thought. It couldn't be true... Hermione couldn't be dead... she couldn't be....

"I don't believe so. Maybe Viktor has kidnapped her..."

"Do you think he's working for YOU-KNOW-WHO?"

"Of course!" whispered Harry and then added determinedly, "There's only one thing to do... we must go to Dumbledore!"

1

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(A/N: As always, I wish to thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I'm happy to read that you've found good my way of portraiting Luna Lovegood; I've done my best to write her in canon! Regarding Viktor, well, I'm sure you're all thinking the worst about him and I can't blame you!! Did you want to know what's Harry going to do now? Here we are then…)

Chapter 11. THE DREAM

...
What do you know about a wheat field?
A poem of a profane love...
The fear of being taken by hand,
What do you know?
...

"Thoughts and Words" by Lucio Battisti

Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, with his hands folded and eyes closed, thinking. Harry and Ron were standing in front of him, both in silence, intensely staring at him, waiting for him to speak. Professor McGonagall was standing near them, extremely worried, her narrow lips closed tight in a grimace of anxiety.

Then Dumbledore broke the silence.

"I want both of you to go back to your dormitory, and remain there... NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS!"

The Headmaster said these last words looking Harry directly in the eyes; Harry's anger rose up so much that he thought he would explode.

"But, Sir... did you understand what we just told you? Hermione has been kidnapped... by Viktor Krum! We must do something immediately, before she... she..."

Harry didn't dare speak further. The thought of Hermione in danger was totally unbearable to him.

"Watch your behavior, Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall scolded him, but Harry couldn't keep calm. Then Dumbledore spoke again, in an almost unnatural way.

"Leave the job of finding Hermione to the wizards of the Order, and be patient. We will do our best to bring her back to Hogwarts, as quickly as possible."

"Do you already know where they are keeping her?

At this question, Harry and Ron immediately turned to Dumbledore to carefully listen to his reply.

"I have a theory, Minerva. In the meantime, please escort Harry and Ron now to Gryffindor Tower. And you boys remain in your dormitory until Professor McGonagall comes to you with some news."

***O***

Harry was sitting on his bed, his back leaning against the wall. He was staring blankly off into space, Hermione's wand in his hands. Ron was flat on his bed, his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

Almost two hours had passed without either of them saying a word; they hadn't even had anything to eat. Shortly, their roommates Neville, Dean, and Seamus would be joining them.

Suddenly, Harry took a heavy book from his bed table and violently threw it at the door.

"'BE PATIENT' he says! 'REMAIN IN YOUR DORMITORY!' How could he be so... so... IRRESPONSIBLE! I hate Dumbledore, I can't stand him anymore! He's always there, ready to tell me what I SHOULD do or what I SHOULDN'T do! Who does he think he is?"

Ron propped himself up on his elbows, and stared at Harry in a desolate way. Was Ron feeling so helpless, too? Was he feeling so much anger inside him, like he was? Harry thought that if the answer to those questions was yes, then his friend was disguising it very well.

"And you, Ron? You don't say anything? You don't care that Hermione is in danger?"

"Of course I care, Harry. It's just that... Dumbledore told us to..."

"DAMN IT! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR HIS NAME AS LONG AS I LIVE!"

Harry chucked another heavy book against the door.

"If I stay here any longer, I'm going to go mad!"

"But what should we do? Do you want to set a trap for YOU-KNOW-WHO, alone?"

"VOLDEMORT, Ron... that monster's got a NAME!"

Ron remained in silence, but he was still staring at his friend, mortified. Then Harry tried to calm down and spoke again in a lower voice.

"If I only knew where he was keeping her at this very moment! If I only..."

"Why? If you knew where YOU-KNOW... V-Voldemort has her, would you go? All alone?"

"Yes, I would!" Harry answered back. He then thought of the prophecy and added to himself, at least I would put an end to it.

"You're absolutely crazy, Harry!! Are you going to go there and get killed? Are you going to risk your life and Hermione's? Listen to me mate, it's better to wait here patiently and trust the wizards of the Order. At least they are Aurors and know how to fight better than us."

"Ron... I'm telling you... if I knew where Voldemort was hiding, I'd go to him right now!"

"And I'll stop you from doing it, with all my strength!"

Ron answered back with such determination in his voice that Harry stared at him for a few second, astonished.

***O***

Harry was flying on the back of a giant owl. The darkness of the night was lit by a tiny, faraway light, which was slowly becoming larger and larger. Then, the owl took Harry directly to the source of the light. It came from an ancient and dilapidated mansion, with broken windows and an unkept garden. Harry landed in front of the main gate, and saw a great emblem on it, half covered by ivy; the emblem had "RIDDLE HOUSE" written in large letters.

Harry pushed the gate, which was half open, and entered the garden. He went through it and reached the huge main door, pushing it open as well. The entrance was empty and dark, lit only by the moonlight coming through the huge windows. On his right and left, two large marble stairways led to the upper floors.

Harry counted the floors; there were three. Then, he slowly climbed the stairs to his right, heading to the second floor.

Suddenly, he heard a desperate scream coming from one of the rooms at the end of the corridor; it was Hermione's scream and it made Harry's blood freeze. He desperately tried to get to the room before it was too late, all the while feeling his panic and fright growing.

The door was half open; Harry pushed it slightly to have a look inside. The room was dark, lit only by the flickering light coming from a fireplace in the corner. In front of the fireplace was a large black armchair, but he wasn't able to see the person sitting there, as the armchair was facing the fire.

A short bald man was standing in the center of the room with his wand pointed at Hermione who was flat on the floor, looking at him, terrified, with her face bruised and covered in blood, her eyes wet with tears.

Before Harry was able to do anything, he heard a cold and clammy voice coming from the back of the armchair.

"Do you not realize that it is impossible to resist the Dark Lord? Until now, I was asking politely, you IMPERTINENT LITTLE MUDBLOOD! Now, however, I am going to have to use something a little stronger."

Harry felt a chill going down his spine; he had to do something quickly, but what? He was thinking as quickly as he could. As he did, Voldemort spoke again.

"TELL ME all that you know about the PROPHECY."

Harry jumped in surprise and turned to Hermione, who was still staring at Wormtail with fear.

"Very well, then! WORMTAIL, you know what to do..."

"CRUCIO!"

At Wormtail's order, Hermione started to scream again, but this time it was more terrifying than ever. Harry felt his scar burning; it was as if his head was going to split in two from the pain. He woke up screaming.

"NOOOO! LEAVE HER ALONE... LEAVE HER ALONE...."

When Ron and his other roommates got to him, Harry was still screaming, seated on his bed with his hands on his burning scar.

"HARRY! Harry! It's us... Everything's OK.... Calm down now... You're safe...."
But Harry wasn't able to calm down, and was still panting heavily.

"NO! Ron, I saw her... she's in danger, we must do something to save her... now!"

"I'll go to Professor McGonagall." Harry heard Neville heading to the door and suddenly tried to stop him.

"No, I'm going to call McGonagall myself. It's better if I go." said Harry, still trembling as he tried to rise from his bed; he fell down immediately. Then Ron grabbed his arm.

"I'll help you, Harry. I'm coming to see McGonagall as well."

Harry nodded to him, put on his glasses, and got up, leaning on his friend's shoulder. When they went down to the empty common room, Harry headed to the sofa in front of the fireplace, and sunk heavily onto it, staring blankly into space, trying to bring order to his thoughts.

"Harry, are you OK?"

"Yes... I just need a moment to think."

"What is it? You're not going to McGonagall, are you?"

Harry remained in silence while his brain tried to put together the pieces of his strange nightmare; he realized something important, and his face lit up.

"I know the meaning of this nightmare! I saw clearly where Voldemort is hiding... it's an ancient and dilapidated mansion! It's the RIDDLE HOUSE! It used to be Voldemort's father's home and he's hiding there!"

"That's good, isn't it? Now, we can go to Dumbledore and tell him, so he can.... You'll tell everything to Dumbledore, right Harry?"

Harry didn't reply. He felt that he had to do something, and that he had to do it soon; he couldn't wait for Dumbledore to believe him. Maybe Dumbledore wouldn't use the information, just like he hadn't with Harry's previous vision about the Death Eaters' escape from Azkaban.

"I saw everything Ron. I entered the house, I climbed the stairs, and then... I saw Wormtail torturing Hermione on Voldemort's orders... that MONSTER!" added Harry, with rising disgust. Ron was shocked hearing about the dream, and he fell into a nearby armchair. He then spoke with a trembling voice.

"Harry, listen to me! Don't you think that maybe this nightmare is a trick? I mean, maybe V-Voldemort wants to draw you there. Maybe he isn't torturing Hermione... maybe it's just like the vision you had last year, the one with Sirius in the Department of Mysteries. Now that I think about it, I'm sure that it is a trap.... we must tell Dumbledore, right now."

"And if it isn't a trap? If Voldemort really is torturing Hermione at this very moment, while we are here wasting precious time? What if she isn't able to resist? What if she... DIES before the wizards from the Order do something to save her?"

Ron looked even more shocked and started staring at the floor. Abruptly, Harry got up and ran upstairs to his dormitory, Ron following him like a shadow.

"Harry, did you talk to McGonagall?"

"Are you feeling better?"

But he didn't reply to Neville or Dean; he rushed directly to his trunk and quickly took off his pajamas, put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and took Hermione's wand from the bed table and put it in his pocket.

"Harry, you can't do this... it's completely crazy!"

While Ron was trying to talk him out of it, Harry took out his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map.

"Harry, will you stop for a moment?"

Without any explanations, he left the room, leaving his friends still in their beds staring at him with their mouths open.

He went down to the common room, jumping two stairs at a time in a fury; Ron was faster than him, however, and jumped in front of the portrait hole, extending out his arms to prevent him from going out.

"Go away, Ron... LET ME GO!"

"No... if you want to go, you have to get through me first, because I won't let you to sign your own death sentence. What you are planning to do is pure craziness!"

"You don't leave me any other choice..." Harry's temper was out of control now; he took out his wand and pointed it at his best friend.

"You're not going to use that against me..."

"Let me go, Ron... GET AWAY!"

"NO... I'm not moving!"

Ron was resisting bravely, but Harry was determined to put his crazy plan into action. He had made his decision, and no one could've stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Ron... you asked for it... PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

With the incantation, Ron became stiff like a marble statue and fell heavily to the floor. Harry was really sorry, but he thought that it had been necessary. He went past him, put on his invisibility cloak, and left the common room.

He ran along the corridor and went down the stairs; shortly, he was outside. He didn't know how to get to the Riddle House, so he rushed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, looking for the thestrals. He remembered how last year they had helped him and his friends get to the Ministry of Magic.

Since the only way to attract them was with the smell of blood, Harry headed to Hagrid's hut and took two fat dead ferrets, which were hanging from the wall. He then reached the Forest, and waved them over his head.

Soon, a pair of Thestrals approached him and started to sniff the dead animals. Harry then slowly approached one of them patting it on the head, walked around it, and climbed on. The thestral was quite calm and didn't mind him on its back. Then Harry whispered sweetly into its ear.

"Erm... I must get to the Riddle House... as quickly as possible."

Suddenly, the thestrals extended its large black wings and started to run, as Harry grabbed its neck tightly. Then with a great jump, the creature took flight, heading up into the night sky.

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(A/N: I'm really sorry, but I wasn't able to update lately… anyway here we are and I'd like to thank all my faithful readers, like Pottergirlajg, mione291, Hdawne, Destroyerdrt, Godsowndevil, The DivineMsD, Jen KenLee and also the new readers like Justin_1402, Nanopy, Swinchick1614, 3Punky3 and eekii. I strongly hope that you'll like the next chapter. )

Chapter 12. THE RIDDLE HOUSE

...
What do you know about a child
Who was stealing
And only in the dark was playing
And about the sun, which pierces through the attics, what do you know?
About a world, all closed in a street
And about a periphery cinema...
What do you know about our railroad,
What do you know?
...
"Thoughts and Words" by Lucio Battisti

The thestral was flying very fast and was soon at a great height; thousands of lights from the Muggle cities were shining far beneath Harry.

During the trip, he tried to figure out a good way to get into the house without being captured... at least not too quickly. He was so nervous and excited however, that his thoughts were chasing each other without rest. First, he thought of getting inside with the thestral, crashing thought a window on an upper floor, but he realized that this plan was too risky and not very practical.

Then he thought of landing on the roof, hoping that nobody would notice him, but the roof probably wasn't practical either.

Suddenly, the thestral started to descend, and Harry realized that they were already there. He shuddered all over when he saw the large dilapidated mansion. It was just like in his dreams: the same broken windows, the same unkept garden, the same gate. There was still something strange though, and Harry couldn't figure out what.

Then he realized that the temperature was suddenly getting colder; his teeth started chattering and his mind was flying to the moment when Sirius was falling behind the veil.

No... it isn't possible... they can't be here....

Harry looked more closely at the mansion and, horrified, he saw two very tall hooded dementors flying around it. Surely they were waiting for him, confirming Ron's suspicions that it was a trap. But Harry already knew that he was going to risk everything in this quest.

Cautiously, he decided to land on a nearby hill. As soon as the thestral touched down, Harry got off and patted the magical creature on its head. Then, he turned to the Riddle House and mentally prepared for what he was about to face.

He put on the Invisibility Cloak and headed toward the mansion. As for the dementors, he hoped to not be forced to use the Patronus Charm, so as to not attract the Death Eaters' attention.

The closer he got, the more he felt the dementors' devilish influence on him. Harry felt an endless sadness, and the confusing images of the night in which Sirius lost his life were starting to float through his brain.

Trying to fight against his feelings, he reached the surrounding walls and peeked inside, waiting for the right moment. The two dementors were slowly flying around the mansion, their paths crossing in front of the main entrance.

As soon as they're far enough away, I'll run as fast as I can and get inside... he thought, while starting to feel sick and weak.

I have to think something happy. I'll think about... the moment I go back to Hogwarts with Hermione... yes... when I finally rescue her. The more Harry's strength abandoned him, the more he tried his best to concentrate on a happy thought.

Suddenly, he felt his legs trembling and he leaned against the wall for support, breathing heavily, his face sweaty.

He glared at the dementors and realized that they were both turning behind the mansion.

Here we are... now's the time... he thought as he passes through the huge gate which was wide open. He ran across the garden as fast as he could and stopped in front of the main entrance, which was tightly closed.

"ALOHOMORA!" he whispered, and the door opened. Once inside, he looked around him; the main entrance was just like in his nightmares, huge and dark, lit only by the moonlight coming through the large windows. A few candles were lit here and there.

Then, as in his visions, he headed to the right stairway and climbed it slowly, his ears ready to listen for any noise; he stopped abruptly on the second floor. In the third floor corridor above, Harry saw two hooded Death Eaters standing in front of one of doors in the middle of the corridor.

He shuddered all over, but then he realized that nobody could see him, as he was still wearing the Invisibility Cloak.

"Hey, Nott... You're on guard for the whole night?"

"Yeah... Malfoy just told me. He also said that we should be ready, in case the young Potter shows up."

Harry gasped. They're ready to give me a nice welcome, he thought, and tried to listen more.

"Anyway, he couldn't pass the dementors' guard. They'll surely catch him first."

A revolting laugh followed, and Harry's hand went off his wand. Then he heard the sound of steps coming from the left stairway, and turned to see who was coming.

"Nott, you should come down!" called a third Death Eater worriedly.

"What is it?"

"The dementors... they're trying to tell us something, but you're the only one who can understand them."

"Yeah, I'm coming!"

The three Death Eaters went down the stairway and exited the house. Harry couldn't wait for a better chance, so he ran up the stairs and reached the door they were guarding, hoping that Hermione was inside.

"Alohomora!" he whispered again, and the lock opened with a CLICK. When he entered the room, the darkness weighed heavily on his eyes, as there was only the moonlight coming through the window.

As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark, Harry looked around. Finally, he saw a small figure squatting in a far corner, just beneath the window. Hermione was holding her legs against her chest, and her head was resting on her knees.

Harry couldn't keep from running to her; his heart was so full of emotion. When he reached her, he bent over and grabbed her hand tightly.

"Hermione... it's me!"

Hermione jumped in the surprise and suddenly raised her head; Harry could see that her cheeks were streaked by tears, but she didn't seem injured, aside from a small cut on her forehead, close to her left eye.

"Harry? It's really you?" she whispered, searching around for her friend; Harry then took off his cloak, and Hermione smiled before throwing her arms around his neck.

"I knew you were going to come! But how did you manage it?"

"I'll tell you later... Are you OK? Did they hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine... I'm fine... but you are in real danger, Harry! We must leave immediately! I've seen Lucius Malfoy and he asked me about the prophecy over and over again... as if he was sure I knew something about it. I told him that the prophecy broke, and... oh, NO!"

Hermione stopped herself abruptly, and looked horrified at something behind Harry's back.

When he turned his head, he jumped in surprise; a group of about ten hooded Death Eaters was staring at them with lit wands in their hands. Nott, the Death Eater who was guarding Hermione, was standing in front of the others with his arms folded.

"Well... well... well... the dementors were just telling me... they saw you sneaking inside the house, but didn't attack you, obeying the Dark Lord's order. This way, you'd be able to fall into our trap."

Nott burst into a disgusting laughter, while Harry and Hermione slowly got up, staring at him, horrified. Then, Harry had a sudden idea and put on the Invisibility Cloak again, disappearing from his enemies' sights.

"What are you trying to do, Potter? Do you want to play hide and seek with us? All right, then... let's play! Go and catch him!"

On Nott's order, the others started to swing their arms through the air, as though they were trying to catch flies.

"STUPEFY!"

A jet of red light came out of nowhere, hitting the first Death Eater directly in his chest; he fell backward, hitting the ground. Then came another jet of light, followed by many more; one after another, most of the Death Eaters had fallen down to Nott's disbelief. Hermione was looking at the scene in shock.

"Stop it now! And you idiots, go and catch him... come on!"

The remaining Death Eaters were now casting spells in every direction hoping to catch Harry, but it seemed an impossible task for them.

Suddenly a new hooded Death Eater showed up on the door, and remained still, looking at the scene in front of him.

"What's happening here? Nott, how can you let this stupid young man humiliate you!"

Harry turned toward the new Death Eater, and recognized Lucius Malfoy's clammy voice.

"Now, I'll show you how to take care of underage wizards who think they are too smart! Come on, catch the girl!"

On Malfoy's order, Nott reached for Hermione, grabbed her by the hair, and then pointed his wand on her throat. Harry felt his anger rising as he stared at Nott with deep hate, tightening his fists.

"Now, stop playing and show us where you are, Potter, or your friend will have a most painful death."

Nott pulled Hermione's hair even harder, and she screamed in pain. Then Malfoy spoke again.

"Come on, Potter, I'm losing my patience! You know Nott is a very violent wizard. Besides, we don't need your mudblood friend anymore. I will count to three... ONE... TWO..."

Nott and the other Death Eaters were watching the scene with great attention, ready to jump into action. Harry had no other choice; resignedly, he took off the invisibility cloak.

"ACCIO WAND!"

Instantly, Malfoy took Harry's wand, and two Death Eaters grabbed his arms so tightly it stopped his blood circulation.

Nott then pushed Hermione down with all his strength, and she fell heavily to the dusty ground.

"Very good, Potter... You're starting to understand who gives the orders here!"

Then Malfoy turned to the others.

"You may go now. And you two, tie his hands and then tie him and the mudblood together. I must go to the Dark Lord, and give him the good news."

Malfoy headed to the door and exited the room, followed by the other Death Eaters. Some were carrying those who had been stunned by Harry.

Then, the two who were still holding Harry's arms cast a spell on his wrists, and he felt them being bound tightly. They then exited the room and sealed the door with another spell.

Harry moved closer to Hermione, who was still lying on the ground, glaring at the door in anger. He then sat at her side, and sighed.

"I'm so sorry Hermione... I didn't..."

"Shhhh... please don't say anything..."

Hermione raised her hand to his mouth, staring at him with a look of comprehension. Even if he wanted to, Harry wasn't be able to say a word; he felt a big knot in his throat.

A deep sense of guilt and endless desperation was rising in his heart. It was just like that terrible night in the Department of Mysteries, when Sirius died; Harry had again fallen into Voldemort's trap. He hated himself for this and for his wanting to play the hero at any cost.

If Hermione also was risking her life, it was all his fault.

Then she gently brushed his forehead without saying a word; he gazed deeply into her eyes, thinking that they might be spending their last moments together.

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(A/N: I thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Did you want to know what I've planned for Harry and Hermione? Here we are then…)

Chapter 13. THE DARK LORD

....
Know me
My loyalty
Today You know, that I would die for honesty.
Know me
Know my name
You are the only one to know
If it's true or not
That I believe in God.
....
"Thoughts and Words" by Lucio Battisti

The sun was slowly rising, though the sky was still gray; a storm was approaching.

Harry and Hermione were sitting next to each other, their backs against the wall, eyes lost in space, uncertain about their fate. Then Harry turned to his friend and broke the silence which had fallen between them.

"You didn't tell me yet how that SNAKE Viktor Krum managed to bring you here."

"You and Ron were right. Viktor is on Voldemort's side. I didn't listen to your warnings, and I'll never forgive myself for this!"

Hermione was feeling so guilty, but Harry could not blame her.

"NO, Hermione... you couldn't have known that Krum had changed so much."

"Yeah... I'm such a silly girl! Anyway, I should have realized it from the beginning! When Viktor met me by Madam Puddifoot's, he wanted to go out immediately. He said that there were too many people there, and that he wanted to talk to me in private. Then he headed to the Forbidden Forest... and he started to talk oddly. He was saying, for example, that someone had helped him to open his eyes and to understand what was really important in life... that many things had changed since the last time we met."

Outside the window, the storm had arrived; rain was falling heavily. Even though it was morning already, the sky was dark and full of gray clouds. Hermione paused, and then spoke again.

"I was just starting to notice something very odd about him... then he suddenly pointed his wand at me. He kept saying that he was sorry for that, but betraying his friends was the only price he had to pay if he wanted to gain all the rest. Then, I looked for my wand and got ready to act... I tried to make him listen to reason. I told him that Voldemort couldn't give him happiness, only misfortune and suffering. Anyway, he was insisting that he had to be thankful to Voldemort for the fame, wealth, and power he now had."

Hermione paused again before speaking.

"Suddenly, a group of students passed by, and I took advantage of this chance. I started to run as fast as possible into the depths of the forest. Viktor followed me, casting a bunch of spells in my direction. In the end, one of those spells caught me, and I fell down. I only remember waking up in this room, and noticing that my wand was missing."

Something came to Harry's mind abruptly.

"I brought it... your wand, I mean... it's in my pocket."

Harry's hands were still tied, so he turned on his side to allow Hermione to take her wand. She smiled at him, and then looked at her wand with affection.

"You found my wand... and kept it safe all this time."

"Yes, I thought you'd be glad to have it back."


Hermione stared at him thankfully, but Harry lowered his gaze in great embarrassment, thinking how he had another reason: that wand reminded him of Hermione, and he had decided to keep it until he'd be able to give it back to her.

"What happened afterwards? Where's Krum gone?" He changed the topic, trying to sound as natural as possible.

"Since I've been here, I haven't seen him."

"He is such a poisonous SNAKE! He did the dirty work and then left." Harry made this comment aloud, without trying to hide his disgust. Then he looked Hermione directly in the eyes, and spoke again.

"Did you see him? I mean... Voldemort!"

"No! I've only seen Lucius Malfoy. He came several times to question me. He kept asking about the Prophecy. Even though I told him that it broke, he didn't want to believe me. He said that, for sure, you should've told me something important about it."

Harry felt guilty for that: Hermione didn't know anything about the Prophecy, but Voldemort would have never believed it.

"Hermione, listen to me! There is something I should have told you a long time ago..."

But she cut him off, pressing her fingers against his mouth.

"No, YOU listen to me Harry... I don't want you to talk about that now... it's not wise, you understand me?"

Harry nodded; Hermione was absolutely right. Suddenly, the door opened, and Nott entered the room. They both turned to face him with deep scorn in their eyes.

"Get them!" he ordered to the other two Death Eaters, who immediately grabbed Harry and Hermione's arms, lifted them up, and then dragged them out into the corridor, heading back down to the second floor.

Here we are... now I'll meet my mortal enemy again... face to face... Harry thought, while feeling a mixture of anger and fear rising inside him.

The two Death Eaters had dragged them to the door at the end of the second floor corridor. With great disgust, Harry saw that in front of the door, a huge snake was curled up, looking directly at him, hissing. Suddenly his scar started to burn.

Nott knocked on the door, and then slowly opened it. The two Death Eaters pushed Harry and Hermione inside without saying a word and closed the door behind them. The room was just like the one Harry had dreamt about: large, dark, and lit only by the fireplace.

Horrified, Harry saw that the two people he hated most, aside from Voldemort, were present: Wormtail, his parents' traitor, and Bellatrix Lestrange, who had caused Sirius's death.

At the far end of the room, Lucius Malfoy was standing by the fireplace and was looking at them with his arms folded. Harry glared at him with hate, but then his attention was drawn by Voldemort's cold and clammy voice.

"I wish to thank you for coming, Harry. It's been a long time now that I've been trying to meet you again."

Voldemort ended his sentence with terrible, blood chilling laughter. Harry could not yet see him because he was sitting in a great armchair, the front of which was turned to the fire. His scar was now throbbing unbearably as he glared at the back of the armchair, his hands still tied behind him.

Suddenly, he became aware that Hermione had grabbed his arm, and she was now trembling like a leaf.

"You know what, Harry? At the Ministry, last time we met, I didn't like your attitude very much... so hostile, so hot tempered. You should try to control yourself when you are at the presence of... LORD VOLDEMORT!"

As he said his name, Voldemort got up and turned to face them. He was tall and more threatening than ever, his catlike eyes as red as the fire, his face pale as the dead. His cloak was black like a dementor's, the only difference being that two white, cadaverous hands were coming out from the sleeves, ending with long, twisted fingers.

Hermione raised her hands to her mouth, horrified, while Harry was still glaring at his enemy directly in the eyes, trying to hide his fear.

If I'm going to die, I want to do it with honor, standing tall and with my head up, just like my father did, he thought.

Then Voldemort spoke again.

"Are you afraid of me, Harry? Yes, I am feeling it... even though you are trying your best to disguise it. I am aware that you know everything about the Prophecy... don't deny it... now I want you to tell me... IT'S AN ORDER!"

But Harry didn't say a word, and was still standing there motionless, challenging his enemy.

Voldemort should have known that Harry wasn't going to surrender so easily.

"Very well... if you want it that way... your nice mudblood friend is here with us for a good reason..."

Voldemort pointed his finger to Hermione, and suddenly, Harry felt his blood boiling inside and lost his temper.

"DON'T YOU EVEN TRY TO TOUCH HER! YOU... MONSTER!" Harry shouted at Voldemort, who only laughed amusedly at him. Then, the Dark Lord turned to his Death Eaters.

"BELLATRIX! You know what to do."

"With great pleasure, my Lord!"

On Voldemort's order, Bellatrix Lestrange reached for Hermione, and grabbed her arms tightly.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU DAMNED WITCH! IF YOU EVEN HURT HER, I... I..."

Harry was extremely furious now, and was struggling to release himself, though not succeeding.

"YOU'LL WHAT? I suggest you calm down, Harry, or maybe it's not enough for you to have been the cause of your parents' deaths? And what about Sirius Black's death?

Harry thought that his brain was going to explode for the terrible pain he was feeling, but he didn't care, and turned to Voldemort with rising anger and hate.

"YOU ARE THE ONLY CAUSE FOR MY PARENTS' AND MY FRIEND'S DEATHS... YOU ARE A MURDERER, AND I HATE YOU WITH ALL MY STRENGTH!"

"STOP TALKING NOW! We have something more important to do... prepare yourself to let me get inside your thoughts..."

Harry turned to Hermione, who was now looking at him with fear, her eyes wide open, her face pale; he then turned to face his enemy again, and he realized that he had no other choice.

Voldemort was now slowly approaching the center of the room with his arms stretched out like antennae, his eyes closed in deep concentration.

Harry closed his eyes too, and just like an Occlumency lesson with Snape, he started to see images from his memory darting in front of him at great speed. He saw himself in Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione... then he was flying on his broomstick during a Quidditch match... now he was sitting in a desk during a Potions class.

Voldemort was skimming through Harry's brain as though it were a picture book; Harry wasn't able to resist him, even though he was trying with all his strength.

Harry was still seeing his memories darting in front of him like a videotape being rewound, and then everything had stopped. He now found himself in Dumbledore's office, after his rescue at the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore was now talking to him about the Prophecy, but Harry tried again to repel the attack. Voldemort absolutely COULD NOT watch that memory...

"NOOOO... I DON'T WANT IT!"

Harry shouted in pain and in anger, but he soon realized soon that it was impossible to resist Voldemort's attack.

Suddenly, against his will, Harry saw Professor Trelawney in trance, who was repeating the prophecy.

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...
Born to those who have thrice defied him...
Born as the seventh month dies...
And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...
And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...

Harry fell exhausted to the floor, half conscious to what was happening around him. He was now completely depleted of all strength, as though his enemy had sucked away his soul.

"STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"

Hermione's worried voice resonated throughout the room, but Voldemort didn't pay any attention to her.

Then Harry heard Voldemort's terrible laugher, followed again by his clammy voice, and slowly he raised his head, trying to look his enemy in the eyes.

"It's been very interesting... really interesting. According to the famous prophecy, I should fear you, impertinent little boy... even though now you're more like a helpless little birdie to me. I almost feel pity for you... but unfortunately, I have to get rid of you and finish the task I wasn't able to accomplish a long time ago. The only difference is that now your beloved mother won't be here to protect you.... Now, prepare to die, HARRY POTTER!"

Voldemort laughed again, but this time Harry didn't care. He felt suffocated by the horrible weight of his guilt. He had given up. He hadn't been able to fight Voldemort, he hadn't been able to rescue Hermione, and now, they were both going to die. He wouldn't ever again see Ron, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Remus Lupin, Dumbledore, or all his friends who had trusted him.

Now, he felt that his end was approaching.

"NOOOO, LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Harry just realized that Hermione had shouted desperately. Then he heard a terrible boom and his vision suddenly clouded.

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( A/N: I don't know how to thank you for your great reviews! I'm sorry for the cliffy, but here we are! In the next chapter we're going to meet a new character: Mark Evans. Some of you will remember the name; it's the same name as the little 10 years old boy, who has been beaten by Duddley at the beginning of OOTP; since J.K. Rowling has already said that this little boy won't be a main character later on, I've decided to pick up his name and use if for a really different character. Enjoy your reading!)

Chapter 14. MARK EVANS

...
In front of me
There's another life
Ours is already over
And more nights come
And more days come
My dear- are you going away,
Or are you coming back to me?
...

"Thoughts and words" by Lucio Battisti

"COME HERE, QUICK! THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE!"

"Harry, Harry, come on, let's go! Hold on to me!"

Harry heard Lupin's voice, and he felt a great turmoil around him, like a group of people running everywhere.

He felt so weak; he didn't even have enough strength to open his eyes and see what was happening. Then suddenly, someone grabbed his arm, lifted him up, and dragged him out of the room.

Harry was leaning completely on the person who was helping him. With his eyes wide open, he could just manage to see a huge amount of white smoke around him.

He walked down the stairs with great effort, stopping at every step. When he felt the fresh air filling his lungs and the rain drops on his face, he realized that he was already outside of the house.

"Quick! Let's go Harry, we can't stop now... please make one last effort... please!"

Hermione was begging him to go on, but he had already given away more than he could afford. He felt as if he was falling down a deep well; he was falling and falling....

***O***

When he woke up, Harry found himself in a warm bed, covered in clean sheets. Everything was quiet around him. He opened his eyes, but the only thing he could see in the darkness of the room was a small light on his left side, far away from him.

He slowly tried to lift his head and stretched his arm out to the bed table to take his glasses. As soon as he was able to see clearly, he realized he was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey was sitting across from him at her small table, lit only by the tiny light of a candle.

Harry looked with apprehension at the other beds and sighed in relief when he saw that they were all empty. He tried to remember; slowly, everything came to his mind: the Riddle House, the Death Eaters, Hermione, Lucius Malfoy, Voldemort, the Prophecy.

Suddenly he got up and sat on the bed with his heart beating faster in panic; he felt horrible.

He wasn't able to keep the Prophecy secret. He had disappointed Dumbledore, but at least, he was still alive, and he was at Hogwarts again, even if he didn't remember how he'd arrived there.

He needed to talk to someone from the Order, to Professor Lupin, or McGonagall, even to Dumbledore, if he could find one of them. He turned to the edge of the bed and stood up, looking for his clothes.

"Oh no Mr. Potter, you can't! You're still too weak!"

Madam Pomfrey came to him, with a worried look on her face.

"But I feel fine! Please, I need to talk to Professor Lupin."

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to hear anything more from you! Do you realize how late it is? It's the middle of the night, and you want to wander around the castle!"

"Madam Pomfrey, please... I need to talk to Professor Lupin as soon as possible, or maybe to Professor McGonagall." Harry pleaded.

"As I said, it's not possible, Mr. Potter! And also... Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall are not in the castle at the moment."

Madam Pomfrey's face became grim and she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.

"Where are they then? Are they OK? Please, tell me!"

Madam Pomfrey was still looking at the floor. She raised her head and sighed deeply before speaking; Harry feared the worst.

"They are both at St. Mungo's Hospital... they have been for a few days. I don't know anything more."

Harry felt his legs trembling and he leaned against the bed to support himself. What he had feared was true; something terrible had happened at the Riddle House. He wanted know the complete truth, otherwise he felt his heart would explode.

"Madam Pomfrey, please listen to me... I need to know if they are OK, and if all the others are fine, Hermione, Dumbledore..."

"Yes, yes Mr. Potter... please be quiet... the Headmaster is fine and so is Miss Granger... she's even come here to visit you several times, with Mr. Weasley."

"But, how long have I been here?"

Madam Pomfrey stared at him with a look of compassion.

"They brought you here about three days ago. You were so weak... and in my opinion you still are! So please, go to bed! Tomorrow morning, you can see anyone you want and ask all the questions you can think of." Then she helped him to get back in bed.

When Madam Pomfrey moved away, Harry started to think; he had slept for three whole days... he couldn't believe it. And what had happened to the wizards of the Order? Had they fought against Voldemort?

In any case, he would have to wait until the next day before he would get an answer. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

***O***

Harry had a disturbed night; he dreamt that he was in the Riddle House again, with Ron and Hermione. Voldemort was laughing in an unbearable way and Dumbledore was scolding him, "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, HARRY?"

Then suddenly, he woke up, panting heavily and covered in sweat.

After lunch, Ron and Hermione came to visit him, and he was really glad to see them. But most of all, Harry was happy to see Hermione...

Both of his friends took a seat on the closest bed. The most important thing Harry wanted to know was about Professor Lupin's and Professor McGonagall's conditions.

"I know that they are at St. Mungo's... what's happened to them?" he asked, deeply worried.

"Calm down, Harry... it isn't necessary to..."

"But how are they?" Harry cut Hermione off, and she smiled to reassure him.

"Lupin was wounded during the fight against the Death Eaters, but he's doing better now. Professor McGonagall is in charge of taking care of him, that's why she's at St. Mungo's as well... but she's fine!"

Harry was feeling better after that news; he leaned back against the wall and tried to relax.

"But, what's happened? I don't remember anything about that..."

Hermione started telling him everything, starting from when he lost consciousness, to when she and a few other wizards from the Order had brought him to the hospital wing. Ron remained silent, carefully listening to her.

"I was so worried about you, Harry! While Voldemort was reading your mind, you started to shake and then you fainted on the floor. You were so pale... you seemed dead!"

"But what happened then? I just remember a great explosion, and smoke everywhere..."

"Luckily, at that very moment, the door blew up and when the smoke cleared, I saw Dumbledore standing in front of us... it was incredible, Harry! I've never seen such an expression on his face... he was absolutely furious!"

Hermione stopped, and Harry tried to imagine the scene.

"But how? How did they find out where we were?"

Then Harry looked at Ron.

"Yeah, mate, I did it! After you left, Seamus and Neville came to me and performed the counter spell. As soon as I recovered, I ran to McGonagall and told her everything about your dream."

Harry remembered how he had immobilized Ron with the full body spell and he felt guilty for that.

"I'm so sorry Ron... and I thank you. If it wasn't for you, Hermione and I wouldn't be here talking with you."

"It's OK, Harry! You'd've done the same if you were in my place."

Both friends smiled at each other meaningfully, and Hermione continued the story.

"There were all the Wizards from the Order, of course Mad-eye Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt too. There were nearly one hundred, and they started to cast spells everywhere. Then Lupin came to me, and helped to drag you away from that hell. He lifted you up and brought you outside, into the garden... then he went back inside, to help the others."

"And Voldemort?" Harry asked the question with a trembling voice.

"He managed to get away... as did a majority of his Death Eaters... but some of them were caught and forced back into Azkaban. No, Bellatrix and Wormtail were the first ones to follow him," added Hermione bitterly, after Harry had opened his mouth to ask another question.

He grabbed the bed sheets in anger.

"Damn it, they ran away! And I betrayed Dumbledore's trust... I wasn't able to resist that MONSTER." Harry was furious with himself because he had allowed Voldemort to read the Prophecy in his mind. He couldn't forgive himself.

Then he raised his head, and sternly stared at his friends.

"There's something you should know..."

Harry told them everything about the Prophecy. When he finished, Ron still had his mouth open in surprise; Hermione seemed less surprised than he, although she still looked very tense.

"Do you understand now why I didn't want to tell you about it?"

"How could you manage to keep such a secret inside you? I mean... it's a horrible weight to bear!" Ron was deeply bewildered.

Harry turned away and stared at the large windows in front of him; he had often asked himself that question too.

After a long minute of silence, Hermione spoke in a firm voice.

"Don't worry! We'll always be with you, to help... right, Ron?"

"O-Of course, Harry! We're going to help you... but how?"

Ron stared at Hermione worriedly, though Harry immediately decided to flat out refuse their offer.

"NO, you won't! Listen to me... the Prophecy isn't your concern at all! I don't want you risking your lives for me again!"

Then he lowered his gaze, and spoke with a deep sadness.

"After all... nobody would be able to help me anyway... my destiny is already set..."

"Don't say such a silly thing!"

Hermione cut him off strongly, and Harry abruptly turned to her, deeply surprised.

"We are going to help you, Harry, and it doesn't matter whether you want it or not! If you have to fight against Voldemort, then you'll have to prepare yourself as best you can. We'll train you, every day if necessary, until you can use every spell and the curse in the world!"

Harry was feeling slightly better, especially since Hermione had spoken with such deep determination.

Contrary to what he had always feared, Harry felt uplifted and at peace now, having finally revealed the Prophecy to his best friends.

***O***

The next day, Harry met Dumbledore in his office. The Headmaster returned his wand and his invisibility cloak, which he had managed to recover after the fight at the Riddle House.

Harry told him everything, most of all how Voldemort had succeeded in reading the Prophecy in his mind.

Dumbledore didn't scold him; he just kept listening carefully, and then he dismissed him without saying a word. Harry, however, would have greatly preferred being scolded, or maybe even getting detention for what he did.

The Headmaster's silence had been a worse punishment; Harry clearly felt that he had deeply disappointed Dumbledore and this thought broke his heart.

During the week, Harry started attending his classes again. That morning was a Tuesday, and they were going to have double Defense Against the Dark Arts during the first two hours.

Since Professor Lupin wasn't back yet from St. Mungo's, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wondered who would take his place at school. During their third year, Snape was his substitute for a day and on that occasion, he had assigned them a long essay about werewolves!

As usual, the three friends were sitting in one of the last desks at the back of the class, patiently waiting for the teacher to arrive.

"Maybe nobody'll come!" said Ron, happy with the idea.

"No, you're wrong, Ron... here he comes!" answered Hermione, delighted, pointing at the door. Harry turned as well, deeply curious.

A young wizard, about thirty years old, had just entered the class and was heading to his desk. He suddenly turned to the students and all the girls' mouths dropped open in surprise; he was very handsome, tall with green eyes and long dark red hair tied in a low ponytail, and was wearing a long turquoise robe. He also had a large smile on his face.

"Good morning class! My name is Mark Evans, and I'll be Professor Lupin's substitute until he comes back. During the time that we're going to spend together, I'll follow the program Professor Lupin has already set... any questions? Yes?"

Harry had just raised his hand in the air, catching the teacher's attention.

"Do you know when Professor Lupin'll come back... sir?"

Professor Evans weakly hid his disappointment, but then he smiled again.

"Your name is?"

"Potter, Harry Potter, sir."

On hearing his name, Professor Evans stared at Harry with great surprise before he answered his question.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea, Mr. Harry Potter... the Headmaster only told me to take his place, but he didn't tell me for how long."

Harry lowered his gaze and stared at his desk; he was deeply sorry for what had happened to Lupin, especially because he felt responsible for it.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione, who had grabbed his hand and squeezed it in hers, looking at him as if to say, "It's not your fault!"

Harry felt his heart rising a little. He turned to her and met her beautiful brown eyes. Suddenly, he felt as if she had just given him an electric shock and he immediately took away his hand, stubbornly turning to the teacher, who had just started to talk again.

"I know that Professor Lupin has only taught you a few defensive spells. Well, today I'd like to start with some offensive ones. I'm talking about really difficult spells, which'll require deep concentration on your part."

Harry noticed that all the girls except for Hermione were leaning on their desks, staring dreamily at the teacher; it reminded him of their first lesson with Professor Lockhart during his second year. He gave Ron an amused look, and Ron made a funny grimace, pretending to throwing up.

"The first offensive spell I am going to teach you today is commonly called the STUNNING spell, and it's used to knock down your enemy and make him harmless."

Harry rolled his eyes; it was something he had learned ages ago! He had also taught this spell to his friends last year during their secret DA meetings.

He looked around and realized that all of his friends were carefully listening to the explanation; he realized that, after all, a little bit of review wasn't a bad idea.

Professor Evans started to explain in detail how the spell worked; they had to point their wand at their adversary, and pronounce the incantation "STUPEFY!" Then, he went over to a corner of the classroom, where Harry had just noticed a few large boxes covered with a dark sheet.

With a slight movement of his wand, Professor Evans removed the sheet, revealing the contents of the boxes; there were several medium size turtles inside.

He then divided the class into pairs, and told them to try the spell on the turtles.

Harry had to work together with Ron. With great pride, Harry noticed that all off his friends who he had taught the previous year were very good at it. Neville, Parvati Patil, Dean, and Seamus, as well as himself, Ron, and Hermione had all earned ten points each.

Professor Evans was very surprised by their good results, though it didn't prevent him from asking for a long essay about the right way to cast a Stunning Spell.

Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione were leaving the classroom, Professor Evans called him over.

"Harry? Can you please come back here for a moment, please?"

Harry nodded, slightly surprised. He reached the teacher's desk, where Professor Evans was still sitting.

"I just wanted to ask you something. You're still living with your uncle and aunt, right?"

Harry stared at him in astonishment for a few seconds, then answered.

"Yes, it's true..."

"And... may I ask you, how are they treating you?"

He really wanted to say that they had always treated him like some horrible insect, but he decided not to tell him.

"Well... they're Muggles... and they don't really understand what I'm doing here at school. Actually, they can't stand anything I do..."

"I can imagine. You know, Harry... I met your parents in the past."

Harry was even more surprised to hear that, and stared at the teacher deeply concerned.

"Well... actually your mother and I were related."

"That means that you and I are..."

"Yes, Harry, we're cousins. You really didn't know about that? Of course not! Your Aunt Petunia always considered me a 'freak...' using her words! And then I've been away for such a long time... nobody would've found it useful to talk to you about me."

Then Professor Evans smiled slightly.

"I just wanted to tell you, Harry, that if you ever need any help... well, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, sir."

Harry didn't know what to think; he was shocked. He had always thought that the only living relatives he had were the Dursleys. Suddenly, his mind was filled with thousands of questions, but then he realized that it was late. He turned away, and reached Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for him at the door.

"Did you hear that?" asked Harry, walking faster along the corridor, heading to their next class.

"Didn't you tell us that those Muggles were your only relatives?"

"Yes, Ron! I thought so myself, until a few minutes ago!"

Then he turned to Hermione, who was deeply absorbed in her thoughts.

"You have nothing to say?"

"About what?" Hermione stared at him with surprise, as if he had just woken her up from a daydream.

"About Professor Mark Evans!"

"I don't know... it's strange, really strange..."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, clueless.

"Ha! Thanks Hermione, for always being ever so clear when you talk to us!"

"But Ron, don't you think it's strange? I mean... Harry didn't know anything about this cousin... even Dumbledore never told him about that... and now he shows up from nowhere, pretending to know everything about Harry and the Dursleys."

"Why are you always so suspicious? Can't it just be that Dumbledore wanted to call him as Lupin's substitute in order to help Harry even more? Maybe Professor Evans knows important things about his family... things that Harry always wanted to know!"

Ron's words were not far from the truth; Harry didn't know anything about his family, after all, and Mark Evans probably could be a great source of information for him.

"Well... maybe you're right! But if I were you, Harry, I would be really careful about what Professor Evans tells me..." Hermione warned him firmly, before rushing inside the classroom.

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(A/N: Dear friends, I'm happy to hear that you like my story! I need to tell you that there will be 35 chapters in total, so, there is still a lot to read!! In the next chapter we're going to know Prof. Mark Evans a little more… are you curious? Here we are then.)

Chapter 15. THE VEIL OF DEATH

...
In my heart,
In my soul
There is a ground which nobody
Has never crossed, nobody,
If you'd like
To know it
Walk slowly because,
In my silence,
Even a smile can be noisy....
...

"In my heart, in my soul" by Lucio Battisti

Another month had passed by, and in about two weeks, Christmas holidays would start. Harry had been very busy with homework, Quidditch practices twice a week, and weekly Occlumency lessons with Snape; almost every night he dragged himself back to his bedroom like a zombie.

Ron was also very busy; he was always behind with his homework and was also taking advantage of any free time to go out and practice Quidditch. On top of this, he still had prefect duties and meetings, along with Hermione, which were taking place at least twice a week.

Hermione, who was always caught up with her homework, spent her free time making more funny house-elf hats that she left in every corner of the common room, hoping to set free as many house elves as possible. Harry hadn't had the heart yet to tell her that Dobby was taking them instead.

They didn't even have time to begin extra practices for Defense Against the Dark Arts, as Hermione had wanted to to help Harry survive the prophecy.

Lupin hadn't come back to school yet, but Professor McGonagall had told the class that he was already out of the hospital, though he still had to spend some time resting at home. In the mean time, Professor Evans was still teaching, and most of the students were very happy with his lessons.

Harry really wanted to spend a bit of time with him, to talk about his parents, but he hadn't yet managed to find the right occasion. After every lesson, Professor Evans was practically assaulted by groups of girls, all with the excuse to ask a few questions about the latest lesson. Harry had to admit that Professor Evans had become quite popular at school!

"For once, it isn't you that's the center of everybody's attention, Harry! That isn't so bad, is it?" asked Ron one morning, while looking at poor Professor Evans, completely surrounded by a huge group of fourth year girls who had stopped him in the corridor to give him their Christmas presents in advance.

***O***

It was a Friday morning and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast. The following day, Christmas holidays were going to start, and the students were all very excited.

"Do we have to help Filch patrol the corridors this year too?" asked Ron, very worried.

"Of course, Ron! It's one of our prefect duties, and we'll also have to inspect the Christmas decorations to make sure they're in the right place, and check out the students going home for the holidays," answered Hermione in a professional tone; Ron didn't seem very happy about it.

"Good morning to you all! Nice day, isn't it?"

The three friends turned to face who had just spoken; "Loony" Luna Lovegood was staring at them with her large blue eyes, round like two ping-pong balls, and her usual dreamy look.

That day she was odder than ever; in addition to her usual necklace of butterbeer caps, she was wearing a curious pair of earrings in the shape of little broomsticks that were flying around all by themselves and a huge red hat, with its tip folded up on its side.

Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione; they were still staring at her with their mouths open, not yet able to recover from the shock, so he decided to answer her first.

"Hi Luna, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks... are you going home for your Christmas holidays? I'm going to join my father in an expedition to Bulgaria. He's going to search for the Tercaput!"

"For heaven's sake, Luna! How can you believe such a thing really exists?" Hermione asked, horrified.

Luna angrily answered her back. "It exists! And that's why my father's organizing this expedition. When you see thousands of pictures of it, you'll come to me apologizing!"

Then, she turned to Ron and stared at him for a moment, but seeing that he wasn't interested in the topic, she stormed away from them, without even saying goodbye.

Harry was still looking in Luna's direction, a puzzled look on his face.

"What's a Tercaput?"

"It's an imaginary beast with three heads and... oh, well, it doesn't matter! I simply don't understand how that girl accepts such silly things!"

"Maybe because they make sense to her!"

Harry and Hermione turned abruptly toward Ron, showing their deep surprise from his comment. Ron used to ignore Luna, or made fun of her like most of the other boys.

"What're you looking at? I'm not allowed to have an opinion of my own?" added Ron, turning stubbornly to his porridge bowl.

Hermione sighed deeply and got her school bag full of books.

"Come on now, or we're going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry and Ron got up and followed her in silence.

***O***

"For today's lesson, we won't need wands."

Professor Evans was slowly walking around the class, staring at every student in turn. This time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting directly in front of the teacher's desk.

"We're going to have a theoretical lesson."

The teacher had just reached his desk, and had started to stare directly into Harry's eyes.

"The subject is: The Veil of Death."

Harry felt his blood freezing in the veins, and looked at Professor Evans with his mouth open. Finally, he was going to know what exactly had happened to Sirius in the Department of Mysteries after his fall through the Veil. He had always wondered, but he never had the courage to talk to Lupin or Moody about it, even thought both of them were present when it happened.

Harry realized that Hermione was craning her neck in order to better hear the explanation.

"In the ancient Celtic tradition, it was believed that the world of men was separated by a thin veil from the world of the dead... that veil was called the Veil of Death."

Mark Evans was still staring at Harry, as if he was talking only to him.

"It's said that when a wizard goes beyond the Veil, he will never be able come back again to the world of men, but he will remain trapped in the world of the dead. Only the most powerful Seers would be able to communicate between the two worlds through an ancient ceremony. Seers also have the power to free those trapped souls, and enable them to find peace in the next world."

Hermione raised her hand in the air.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"That ceremony... what is it all about?"

"I was just about to say, Miss Granger... it's ancient, really difficult to accomplish, and only a true, powerful Seer would be able to do it. You'll find more information in your text book on page 234... Yes, Mr. Potter?"

This time Harry had raised his hand.

"I don't understand, sir. When a wizard goes through the Veil, there's no way he'd be able to come back?"

Professor Evans became extremely serious before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but as I said before, nobody may come back from the world of the dead."

Harry felt this last glimmer of hope, which had been lit at the beginning of the lesson, fading away. In his heart, he had always thought that Sirius would come back to him one day. His godfather had left in such an illogical and unexpected way.

When Mark Evans had finished with his explanation and assigned a long essay to prepare during their Christmas holiday, all of the students slowly left the class. Harry remained back, making a sign to Ron and Hermione to wait for him outside. Then, he went over to Professor Evans, who was still sitting at his desk, writing on some papers.

"I knew that you'd find this subject particularly interesting, Harry," said the teacher, lifting his gaze with a thin smile on his face. Harry remained serious; he absolutely had to have more information.

"Sir, I wanted to ask... erm, do you know what happened that night? I mean, in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes, the Headmaster told me about that. That's why I chose such a subject. I'm sure you have some questions to ask me!"

Harry didn't waste any time and got to the point.

"I can't believe that nobody has been able to come out from the world of the Dead... there should be a way! Has anyone ever tried to..."

"Harry, listen to me. I fully understand your resentment and your anger, but unfortunately nobody has ever succeeded in such a thing. You have to realize that it isn't possible to call back someone who is gone forever, but I'm sure that you may find this comforting: it is still possible to communicate with someone who has gone through the Veil. Well, I just told you that a really complex ceremony is needed, and that only a true Seer may accomplish it, but it's still a consolation. It's rare that a wizard would be able to have such a chance in his life."

Mark Evans was talking as if it was the easiest thing in the world, getting inside the Ministry of Magic without being noticed, reaching the Department of Mysteries and completing the ceremony in front of the Veil of Death, to say nothing of finding a true Seer! The image of Professor Trelawney immediately floated into his mind, and he felt really hopeless.

"You were saying that you met my parents..."

"Yes, I had the great pleasure and honor to meet them. They were two wonderful people, always ready to help their friends, and they loved you so much. You were everything to them. I still remember the last time I paid them a visit. You were just a newborn. Your father was so proud of you and infinitely happy. He used to always hold you tightly in his arms... and he was also really protective of you. He didn't want anyone to come closer to you than himself!"

Harry smiled, trying to imagine the scene.

"And your mother... she was the true image of happiness!"

Then Mark Evans stared deeply into Harry's eyes and smiled.

"You must be proud of your parents, Harry. They loved you more that anyone else in the world, and they showed you this when they sacrificed themselves to save your life. I'm sure that you are going to follow in their footsteps and become a loyal and brave man - even though, as I know, you have already proven this!"

"Why have you never come to me? Where have you been during all these years?"

The smile on Mark Evens face suddenly vanished, and he turned to stare at the floor.

"You see, Harry... during these past years, I've been really busy... and for this reason, I've been forced to stay far away from you, even though I didn't want to... but now I'm back, and ready to help you, if you ever need my help."

The bell rang, and Harry realized that he was going to be late to his next class.

"It's best if you go now. Your friends are waiting for you," said Professor Evans, pointing his finger at Ron and Hermione, who were peeping in from the door.

"Thank you, Professor Evans."

Harry turned on his heel and quickly reached his friends.

***O***

"Now at the end of this term, you are all now able to apparate and disapparate objects... well, more or less!"

Adding these last words, Professor McGonagall glanced at Neville from above her spectacles, and he lowered his gaze.

"As I already told you at the beginning of our school year, in the next term we will start learning how to apparate and disapparate animals, and then, we will move on to humans. At the end of the school year, all of you will be able to apparate and disapparate yourselves at will, and will be able to pass the examination in June. When you turn seventeen, you will get your official license from the Ministry of Magic. Oh, there is no need to worry Mr. Longbottom, I am sure that you will pass the examination with no problems at all. You just need constant practice!"

Neville wasn't very convinced by her reassuring words.

"Since it's your last day before Christmas holidays, we are going to go over a few last things we already know. Please split up into groups and start the exercise."

At McGonagall's orders, all of the students stood up and got ready. Before the start of the lesson, she had surrounded the room with a special magical net to allow practice; it was necessary to bypass Hogwarts' security measures, which did not permit apparition.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went over to a corner of the room far away from the teacher's desk. First, they had to disapparate a few objects in turn, and then they had to apparate them in a specific place, several meters from where they were.

Before the beginning of the lesson, Harry had quickly told his friends about his conversation with Mark Evans, causing Hermione to get angry.

"I can't believe that! Professor Evans was provoking you!" She then angrily pointed her wand at a large hat on the floor in front of her, and said the incantation.

"IMMANIFESTUS!"

Her hat disapparated with a resounding CRACK.

"He told you everything, even the tiniest of details... maybe if you'd have asked for more information, he'd have agreed to show you to the Department of Mysteries himself, or he would have recommended you a good Seer to contact, or maybe...."

"Hermione, calm down! Aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

Harry tried to reassure her, meanwhile, with a little swish of his wand, he made his pin cushion apparate about three meters from where it was before, but unfortunately not into the place assigned by Professor McGonagall.

"Yeah, just a bit!" commented Ron sarcastically, while trying for what seemed the thousandth time to disapparate his feather without success. But Hermione couldn't calm down.

"Not at all! You are talking like two irresponsible children! Harry, I really hope that Professor Evans didn't give you any bad ideas!"

"NO! Please don't worry! Besides, I wouldn't even have the slightest idea of how to do it!"

"Anyway, Professor Evans told you something about your parents, right? MANIFESTUS! Ha! I did it!" said Ron happily, after having successfully apparated his feather a short distance from the assigned place.

Harry stared at his pin cushion, which had just apparated onto his left hand.

"Well, yes... it was strange hearing those things. I really imagined how life with my parents would have been."

Harry got lost in his thoughts, recalling what Mark Evans had told him before, himself as a baby, held tightly in his father's arms, and his mother staring at him, smiling.

"Mr. Potter! Do you really find your pin cushion so interesting?"

Professor McGonagall's comment brought Harry back to earth again.

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(A/N: I'd like to thank all my readers and especially: eekii for her smart comments, swimchick1614 for her funny comment, godsowndevil for her doubts on Mark Evans and TheDivineMsD for her comment about the school bell… actually, I thought that Hogwarts had a school bell, but I could be wrong!! A big thanks goes to my wonderful BETA readers, IronChefOr and SarahLupin. The next chapter is going to be quiet emotional… sigh! Enjoy the reading.)

Chapter 16. THE GRAVEYARD

...
You've never seen a man crying,
Open your eyes, then
Because now you're going to see him.
If you've never seen a man crying,
Look at me...
Look at me...
...

"Anna" by Lucio Battisti

That afternoon ended with Friday's usual double Potions; Harry did his best to resist Snape's attempts to provoke him until the bell finally rang. He was the first one to leave the classroom, happy about the Christmas holidays that were going to start that day.

The three friends headed to the Great Hall for dinner and took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Neville! I just found out that you're going to spend your holidays with Seamus," Ron said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, for a change! My grandmother wants me to strengthen my friendships. And you? Are you going to stay at school this year?"

"Me? No, I'm going home, and Harry is coming with me!"

Harry was really looking forward to spending his Christmas holiday at the Burrow and finally enjoying himself with Ron and his brothers. Hermione was going to go back home to stay with her parents, though Harry hoped that she'd change her mind at the last minute and decide to join them.

That evening, everybody was busy packing their things, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione wanted to pay Hagrid a visit before they went to bed. Not wanting to attract too much attention, they crammed under Harry's invisibility cloak and tiptoed out of the half-deserted common room. Soon, they found themselves out on the grounds, walking through the fresh snow.

Hagrid's hut was lit, and gray smoke was coming out of the chimney. As soon as they arrived in front of the door, Harry knocked twice, and Fang immediately started to bark.

"I'm comin'... I'm comin'! Be quie' Fang... oh, it's yeh guys..." Hagrid said, staring over their heads. He opened the door to let them in. Once inside, Harry took off his cloak and Hagrid quickly closed the curtains.

"Hi, Hagrid, we came to wish you a Merry Christmas," Hermione said with a large smile. Harry was busy trying to keep Fang from licking his face.

"Yes... Merry Christmas, Hagrid."

"Thank yeh guys! But yeh know... you shouldn've come a' this time o' nigh'. It's no' safe. Anyway, since yeh're here, we can have a cuppa tea together 'fore yeh go back."

While Hagrid was pouring the tea into three huge blue cups, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a seat in the large armchairs.

"What're you going to do during your holidays?" Harry asked, while waiting for his tea to cool.

"Oh, nothin' in particular, jus' the usual things fer Dumbledore... Oh, no! I shouldn've said tha'... I should not have said tha'..." Hagrid replied, awkwardly.

"Are you going to do something for the Order?" Hermione asked curiously, but Hagrid quickly denied it.

"Oh, no' at all! I can' tell yeh, and I won'... 'cause it's..."

KNOCK... KNOCK...

Hagrid was cut off by someone knocking at his door, and he looked at them worriedly.

"Quick! Get under the cloak!"

Harry wrapped the cloak around himself and Hermione and then Ron ran around the table, joining them. The three friends stepped backwards, until they reached the farthest corner of the room.

Hagrid put away the cups from the table, and opened the door, looking astonished at who he saw standing there. Mark Evans was smiling at him, with his head and cloak completely covered with snow, which had, in the meantime, started to fall.

"Wha' the hell're yeh doin' 'ere?"

"I'm sorry, Hagrid, but I just need to talk to you for a moment."

Hagrid glared at him reluctantly, but then decided to let him in and closed the door, throwing a worried look towards the place where Harry was hiding under the cloak, sandwiched between Ron and Hermione.

"We must talk about Harry Potter."

Again, Hagrid looked towards the corner where Harry was standing; Harry started to carefully listen to every word.

"It's not the righ' time, Mark... why don' yeh come back tomorrow mornin'..."

"No, Hagrid... tomorrow morning I won't be here, that's why I have to talk to you now."

Harry noticed that Hagrid was nervously playing with his beard. Mark Evans started to speak, slowly pacing the room.

"The young Potter boy is really smart. I realized it this morning during my class. I spoke to him about the Veil of Death... and he seemed really interested to the subject..."

"What've yeh done? You shouldn've done such a thing, Mark... soon as Dumbledore finds out, he'll be really furious with yeh."

"What do you fear so much, Hagrid? Maybe that he will go back to the Department of Mysteries? And what if he does? It would only be his right, trying to communicate with his godfather. Please, don't tell me that you haven't thought about it before! Harry surely is a SEER, just like his mother Lily was!"

Hermione jumped in surprise, and Harry grabbed her arm, fearing that she was going to scream.

"How can yeh say somethin' like tha'? Listen to me, Mark! You won' get closer ter Harry again, d'you understan' me? An' if tomorrow mornin' yeh're really goin' ter leave, well... try not ter come back again! I don' understan' the reason why Dumbledore called yeh. I really don' understan' it...."

"Hagrid, you are his friend... you have spent much more time with Harry than I have, and he's going to believe you... please, you must tell him about their grave. You must tell him where Lily and James are buried, because it is the only way that Harry will be able to go on and face the future. This is the right time to let him know the entire truth..."

"STOP IT, MARK! Now get outta my house! I'm not goin' ter hear 'nother word from yeh..."

Mark looked very disappointed by Hagrid's attitude, and slowly headed to the door.

"All right, then... I'm leaving, and maybe we won't see each other again... but please, think about what I've told you, Hagrid."

Mark Evans left and Hagrid slammed the door behind him.

Harry immediately took off the cloak and went over to Hagrid in front of the door; he was absolutely furious with him.

"You knew this! You knew that my mother was a Seer, and you didn't tell me anything?"

"Listen ter me Harry... there're things tha'..."

But Harry didn't want to listen anymore, and started to shout at him. Ron and Hermione watched, looking deeply shocked.

"The exact same thing happened with Sirius... you knew that he was my godfather, but you didn't tell me anything!" Harry shouted angrily.

"Please, calm down... lemme explain..."

"I'm not a child anymore, there's no need to hide something like this from me! He was talking about my parents' grave. You know where it is, don't you?"

Hagrid didn't answer; he lowered his gaze to the ground, twisting his beard.

"TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE BURIED! IT'S MY RIGHT TO KNOW!"

Harry had completely lost his temper, and was staring Hagrid directly in his eyes with his fists raised, panting heavily.

Hermione grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down, but he pulled away with a sharp jerk. Harry was determined to find out everything he wanted to know, and Hagrid knew it. He raised his gaze to Harry, and spoke slowly.

"They're buried righ' here, at Hogwarts... there's a little graveyard jus' at the west end o' the grounds... Dumbledore gave the order ter place 'em there, after they... they..."

"Harry, NO!"

Hermione shouted at him, but it was too late; Harry had just rushed outside and was headed to the other side of the grounds, not caring about the thick snow that was now falling.

Hermione and Ron immediately went after him, and Hagrid took his fur coat and followed them out into the snow.

Harry kept walking and walking, covering his face with his arms to protect himself from the cold wind that was now violently blowing. He didn't care that his feet were sinking into the deep snow with every step, or that he couldn't see anything in front of him, or that his trousers were completely wet up to the knees. His teeth were now chattering and his body was freezing.

His friends were desperately trying to follow him, but Harry was already far ahead of them.

He walked along the Quidditch pitch and went on; it took him about half an hour to get there, but finally he saw a small stone mausoleum off in the distance.

The snowstorm had reached its maximum, and Harry's strength was abandoning him, even though he was still stubbornly going on. Behind the mausoleum, there was a small hill, and behind that, finally, he saw the small graveyard, half-hidden and full of snow. Harry was surprised that he'd never noticed it before.

He slowly approached the graves, intensely staring at each one of them; they were difficult to read, however, as they were written in ancient runes.

Harry remained still for several minutes, his head covered with fresh snow, his eyebrows frozen, and his lips quivering in the intense cold. Hermione reached him, and stood by his side, breathing heavily from running.

Harry turned to her, and saw that her cheeks were red and her teeth were chattering.

"The names are written in ancient runes... can you read them?" Harry asked, looking overwhelmed by his desperation; Hermione nodded in silence. She moved closer to the first grave and brushed away the snow with her hands, gently tracing the ancient stone inscriptions with her fingers.

"It says here... that this is the grave of Madam Rowena Ravenclaw..."

Then Hermione moved to the next one, which had engraved on it a large lion.

"Here rests Godric Gryffindor... Harry! These are the graves of the Hogwarts founders!"

They looked at each other puzzled; without wasting any time, Harry started to run from grave to grave, checking all of them carefully.

"We have to find them, Hermione... we have to find them!" He said determinedly.

Hermione started to check each grave also, brushing away the snow. Then, she stopped abruptly, and stared intensely at one of them, tracing the ancient runes with her fingers.

"Harry! Harry, come here, quick!"

Hermione called him, almost whispering; he reached her immediately. As soon as Harry was at her side, he stared at the grave in front of him. Then Hermione read with a trembling voice.

"Here rest Lily and James Potter... who have bravely resisted evil... may their sacrifice be an example for all coming generations..."

She stopped, raising a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to keep from crying. Harry was still staring silently at the grave. He then slowly moved and stretched out his arm to touch the ancient inscriptions on the cold stone.

Suddenly, a warm tear rolled down his face. Almost without realizing it, he fell on his knees, softly caressing the grave with his hand. All of his sadness and frustration burst out in a long and silent sob.

He was barely aware of the storm raging above him or the snow, which was now falling even more heavily. Hermione was sobbing like a little girl, with her hands on her mouth, her cheeks streaked by tears. A short distance away from them, Hagrid and Ron were standing motionless, staring at the emotional scene. Both were crying, knowing the desperation their friend was feeling.

Harry wasn't able to think rationally anymore. His mind was numb; he wanted to remain there forever, and he didn't care about anything or anyone. He just wanted his life to end at that very moment...

He stayed like that for a long time, on his knees with his head down, oblivious to what was happening around him, oblivious to time which was inescapably passing by.

At some point, he felt Hermione's hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move or turn to her. She then knelt down by his side, put her arm around his neck, and, hugging him tightly, hid her face in his shoulder. Harry only now realized that she had moved closer to him. Without taking his eyes off his parents' grave, he held her tightly in his arms; both remained like that for several minutes, trying to comfort each other.

Eventually, Hermione slowly stood up, and Harry finally turned to face her; her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Harry felt completely empty; unable to offer any resistance, he obeyed in silence when she indicate for him to follow her.

They walked back to Ron and Hagrid, who were waiting for them. Immediately, Hagrid put his heavy fur coat on Harry's shoulders. Harry raised his head and looked intensely into Hagrid's eyes. His anger was completely gone, leaving desperation in its place.

Now, he only needed the comfort and help of his closest friends to overcome this latest emotional event.

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(A/N: I'm so happy to hear that you liked the last charter! Since the next one is very short, I'm going to post chapter 18 straight away! I need to apologize with godsowndevil, since it's a boy and not a girl ( I'm sorry!) and I need to thank all my readers who left a review, like TheDivineMsD, eekii, pottergirlajg and the new readers, HarrylovesHermione and hermione4harry. Here we are then, enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 17. THE WARNING

...
In my heart,
In my soul,
Between blades of grass
You'll see
Far shadows
Of lonely people
Who have been here
Just a minute ago.
Now I love them because
They are gone
To leave a place for you...
...
"In my heart, in my soul" by Lucio Battisti

The fire was crackling in the huge fireplace; the Gryffindor common room was completely deserted, given the late hour. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in three comfortable armchairs in absolute silence.

They were still deeply shocked by Mark Evans' revelation and needed some time for it to sink in, particularly Harry. Like a robot, he had followed Ron and Hermione inside the castle.

Hermione let him sit in front of the fireplace and then realized that his forehead was burning. With motherly care, she sent Ron to Madam Pomfrey to ask for a soothing potion and forced Harry to drink all of it, despite his resistance.

Harry was now feeling slightly better, though he still wasn't able to think clearly. In front of him, a great number of blurred images were crowding together: the line of ancient graves with all those inscriptions, and Mark Evans talking to Hagrid. "Harry surely is a SEER, just like his mother Lily was... You must tell him where Lily and James are buried... it is the only way that Harry will be able to go on and face the future... he's a smart boy... he's a Seer... he's a Seer...."

But what was the meaning of all of it? And why did Dumbledore never tell him about the graves? Why were they still treating him like a stupid little boy? Harry felt his anger rising and thought that Dumbledore had always lied to him for all these years. But why? Maybe because he didn't trust him?

Ron timidly broke the silence, interrupting Harry's thoughts.

"Did anybody understand what Mark Evans said?"

Harry stayed silent and Hermione replied in his place.

"Surely Hagrid knew Professor Evans in the past. They trusted each other somewhat, though I don't think they were good friends!"

"Oh no! Hagrid was really angry with him! Maybe Mark Evans did something terrible in the past. Did you hear how Hagrid told him to stay away from Harry? Do you think we should still trust him?"

This time Harry replied.

"He wasn't lying about the graveyard... while everyone else has always lied to me... ALWAYS!" Harry spoke with deep resentment.

"It's wrong to think that way, Harry... I'm sure Dumbledore has good reasons for not talking about it... I mean, about the graveyard and all the rest... surely he did it in order to protect you..."

At those words, Harry felt his anger burst out and he turned to Hermione in a fury, beating his fists on the armchair.

"OF COURSE! Dumbledore's always thinking about protecting me... but he doesn't care what I'm thinking, what I really want! For once in my life, I'd like to know the entire truth about my past and my family. For once in my life, I'd like to..."

But he didn't finish the sentence because he suddenly realized that he didn't even know what he really wanted. Hermione and Ron were horrified by Harry's outburst, and lowered their gazes to the floor.

Another endless half hour passed by silently before Hermione spoke in a low voice.

"Harry? I think it's best if you go to bed now."

"No... I prefer to stay longer," he replied quietly, without even looking at her.

"But in your condition, maybe..."

"LISTEN! You go to bed... I'll stay here!"

Hermione was deeply offended by Harry's attitude, but she thought it was better to leave him alone and let him think it over.

"We're going to bed, then..." said Ron, standing up. He and Hermione climbed the stairs in silence.

Harry remained there, staring at the fire without even turning to say good night. He was completely entranced by the dancing flames as their comfortable warmth slowly wrapped around him; his eyelids became heavier and heavier.

He felt an odd sensation of release; his entire body was becoming heavy, and, sitting in the armchair, he decided to just let go of that weight.

Suddenly, a river of jumbled images rushed in front of him; he didn't recognize all the faces or places he was seeing. When the images became still, he found himself again out on the grounds of Hogwarts. In instinct, he started to run toward the graveyard, looking for someone. It was night, but there wasn't any trace of snow and a light wind was blowing.

Then, he saw the figure of a woman figure in the distance... he squinted his eyes and the figure appeared more clearly to him.

Harry realized that the woman was walking toward him. As soon as she came closer, he slowly saw her thin and slender features: her long red hair, her light smile, and her shining green eyes, which were sweetly staring at him. For only a moment, he wondered who the beautiful woman was, but then his heart answered for him, It's your mother!

Many different emotions burst into his heart: surprise, disbelief, joy, but also fear-- fear that it was only a dream, and that in the morning she would be gone. Without thinking about it, he ran toward her, and hugged her tightly. He could feel the softness of her robes and smell her light scent. Harry closed his eyes and tasted that wonderful moment with all his senses. To his great delight, he realized that she was hugging him tightly in return. Then Lily spoke to him kindly.

"Do you recognize me, Harry?"

He raised his head and got lost in her wonderful green eyes.

"Yes, mum... finally you've come to me... I've missed you so much!"

Lily smiled sweetly, and spoke again.

"My dear son, listen to me carefully, so that this moment will remain forever in your memories..."

He nodded, not loosening his embrace.

"Very difficult times are waiting for you... times in which you will find yourself between life and death... times in which, more than once, you will be put in front of a crossroads and you will have to make a choice. You could choose the path that leads to power, which is the same leading to darkness... or you could choose the more difficult path of sacrifice which will lead you to light and true happiness. Remember that even in darkness, it is still possible to find the light. Only love and compassion sweep away fear and evil. My son, when the time comes, you will make your choice, and your father and I will be with you..."

Though he didn't fully understand the meaning of her words, Harry was ecstatic in that moment.

Mother and son remained like that for a long time, staring at each other without speaking, even though Harry could feel in his heart all the love and strength Lily was sending him.

Then, she spoke again.

"It is time for me to go..."

"NO! Not yet.... please don't leave me again!"

Harry felt panic growing in his heart; he absolutely didn't want his mother to leave. He had so many things to tell her.

"What does it mean that I'm a SEER? Please tell me!"

"You'll understand at the right time, Harry." Lily replied, slowly moving away from him, but Harry was still hugging her tightly in his arms.

"Mum, take me with you... there's nothing to keep me here. I just want to come with you..."

"I can't take you with me, Harry... you still have so many things to do... and so many friends who love you. But always remember that your father and I are going to watch over you. Even if you can't see us with your eyes, you will be able to feel us with your heart..."

Harry could feel his mother's body becoming lighter and less solid, as though she were evaporating. He tried frantically to catch her with his hands, but it was like trying to catch a wisp of smoke.

Lily had completely disappeared, but Harry could still hear her last words.

Take care, my son... and let your heart always be pure...

Harry woke up abruptly; he looked around and realized that it was dawn. The common room was dimly lit by the first morning sun, and the fire was completely dead. His dream had lasted the entire night. Automatically, he brought a hand to his forehead and felt that it was burning.

He remained seated; he was feeling very weak, and his head was pounding. He was so confused and unable to recall his vision entirely, but in his heart, there was still a wonderful sense of sweetness and lightness. Harry knew that it was his mother's gift, a way to let him know that she loved him unconditionally.

After a few minutes, Harry gathered all of his strength and stood up. His head was spinning, but he was determined to reach his dormitory. He took a few steps and felt his legs trembling, then staggering. He reached the cold stone walls in front of him and, leaning against them, climbed the stairs. When he entered the bedroom he saw that Ron and his other roommates were still sleeping.

He reached his bed and collapsed heavily on it, not even taking off his clothes; closing his eyes, he immediately fell asleep.

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(A/N: Hey, I've posted two chapters at the same time! You need to read the previous one first and afterwards this one! In chapter 17 are written very useful informations…)

Chapter 18. BACK AT GRIMMAULD PLACE

...
Along unknown shores
We are in many to walk
With tears in the eyes
With the sun inside our hearts
If you are tired to fight
Come here and have a rest.
...
"One more friend" by Lucio Battisti


The following day Christmas holidays were starting, and the majority of the students would leave Hogwarts to go back to their homes.

Harry slept the entire morning; Ron didn't have the heart to wake him until lunch time.

"Harry? Harry, do you hear me?"

Harry heard his friend's voice off in the distance. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids seemed too heavy; his head was throbbing painfully.

After a few minutes, he clearly heard the voice of Madam Pomfrey.

"Come on Mr. Potter, if you drink this potion you will feel better soon."

Finally, he managed to open his eyes and made out Madam Pomfrey's face as she helped him drink a smoking potion from a silver bowl. The taste was horrible but he didn't protest, mainly because he wasn't strong enough to do so.

Almost immediately, he felt an enjoyable cold feeling throughout his entire body, and his forehead was slowly cooling. He leaned his head on his pillow and stared around him.

Hermione was standing at Ron's side, hugging Crookshanks in her arms; both of his friends looked really worried.

"My prescription is one day of absolute rest, light food, and no overwork. Now, I'll make arrangements with the house-elves concerning your meals."

Madam Pomfrey exited the dormitory, leaving the three friends alone. Harry propped himself up with his elbows on the pillow, trying to get seated, while Ron came closer to help him. Then, he leaned back against the wall and smiled slightly to reassure his friends.

"I'm feeling better... there's no need for those worried faces!"

"You fell asleep in the common room last night, right? I heard you coming up at dawn."

Ron was scolding him, but Harry couldn't understand why.

"Oh, Harry, you should have gone to bed when we did! Instead, you stayed down in the common room and your fever went higher!"

Harry was surprised to see Hermione so resentful.

"Hey, guys! I'm feeling really better now! Madam Pomfrey does miracles, and tomorrow I'm sure I'll be able to leave Hogwarts!"

Hearing his words, Ron and Hermione became serious and lowered their gazes.

"What's happened?" he asked worriedly, and after a minute of silence, Ron spoke.

"There's been another attack..."

Harry's heart jumped to his throat.

"W-what are you saying? Where?"

"London, right in the center of the city. We found out this morning, reading the Daily Prophet," whispered Hermione as Harry stared at her, mouth gaping.

"A group of Death Eaters blew up an entire district, causing at least fifty deaths and wounding thousands of people. Muggles blamed it on a gas leak, but a few wizards clearly saw hooded Death Eaters moving out from the place and, above it all, they saw..."

"YOU-KNOW-WHO's Dark Mark in the sky."

Ron ended the sentence for her in a gloomy voice. It was several seconds before Harry could fully realize the meaning of what he had just heard. Then, he spoke, still pondering every word.

"War... has... really begun! We can't go back now..."

"Exactly, Mr. Potter!"

Their attention was drawn by Professor McGonagall, who had just entered the room and was staring sternly at them.

"And precautions are never enough... Tomorrow morning, when you are feeling better, you will go to the headquarters of the Order... Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger will come with you."

Harry looked at his friends, and as none of them replied, he did.

"And what did the Headmaster..."

"It is Professor Dumbledore's wish."

Then Professor McGonagall turned to Ron and Hermione.

"The rest of your family is already there, Mr. Weasley. Your sister left a few minutes ago. Regarding your parents, Miss Granger, I personally just sent an owl to inform them."

Then she turned again to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I expect you to follow Madam Pomfrey's instructions so that tomorrow you will be able to leave. That will be all. I wish you a very good day."

Professor McGonagall exited the dormitory, leaving the three friends without words.

Ron, who was pale like a bed sheet, took a seat on his bed, and Hermione did the same, caressing Crookshanks absentmindedly. Then Harry broke the silence.

"What do you think about it?"

"We should have expected it," Hermione replied, and Ron turned to face her.

"I mean... the war has just started, after all! I'm curious now to know how Dumbledore is going to react."

"He'll probably gather as many allies as possible!" Harry replied. He then recalled the vision he had and decided to tell his friends about it.

"Listen! I must tell you something that happened to me last night..."

When he finished his story, he realized that Ron was staring at him with his mouth open, while Hermione was wiping a few tears away from her eyes with her sweater sleeve. Then she sighed deeply and spoke.

"Are you really sure that she was your mother?"

Harry felt deeply wounded; how was it possible that Hermione wasn't able to understand? Harry tried to reply, but she cut him off.

"Don't you think that it could be another vision sent to you by Voldemort? After all, it wouldn't be the first time!"

"NO! I'm telling you that she really was my mother! You can't understand what I felt inside... and her words... the sense of sweetness they left me... it was REAL, I'm sure of it!"

Harry was starting to lose his temper.

"Please, don't get mad... it was just a thought! If your vision was real, then probably the fact that you found your parent's grave just made you more receptive to them..."

"Maybe you're starting to use your new Seer powers!" said Ron simply.

Harry and Hermione stared at him, astonished.

"If it's really as you say, I'm going to explore the matter. If Harry has new powers, then it would be best to learn how to use them!" said Hermione, slightly worried.

***O***

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just entered Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, realizing that everything was still the same. The portraits of Sirius's ancestors were still covered with heavy black curtains and the few candles were emanating a dim light.

Harry was really in a bad mood; he was still thinking about what Mark Evans had said, and how he was always kept in the dark by the adult wizards. He really wanted to call Mr. Weasley over and ask him about it.

That morning, the three friends had jumped on the Knight Bus and Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall had escorted them to the headquarters. As soon as they had arrived, Professor McGonagall left immediately.

Mrs. Weasley gave them a warm welcome, and together they went to the huge kitchen downstairs, where they found the others waiting for them: Ginny and, to Harry's great surprise, Remus Lupin. He was sitting in an armchair by the fire, his right arm still covered with bandages and his face pale. As soon as they entered, Lupin immediately stood up and came closer to them, a large smile on his face.

"Finally you've come. I was really looking forward to see you again... are you all right?"

"Professor Lupin! How are you?" Harry asked, staring at him worriedly.

"Better, much better now... thanks, Harry."

"Why don't we all take a seat? Especially you, Remus. You'll get tired if you're standing up for such a long time," Mrs. Weasley warned him, and everybody got seated around the large table, where lunch was immediately served. Mr. Weasley would come back for dinner that evening; Fred and George couldn't leave their shop during the Christmas holidays.

Harry took a seat between Ron and Hermione, furtively staring at Lupin, to check if he really was feeling better, as he had said.

During lunch, Harry could feel a tensed atmosphere amongst the others, surely due to the recent events.

Afterwards, Tonks, Hermione, and Ginny helped Mrs. Weasley clean the kitchen, while Harry, Ron, Lupin, and Moody remained seated at the table, exchanging a few words.

"Professor Lupin? Can you tell me what really happened at the Riddle House that day?" Harry asked with a certain hesitation. Lupin stretched on the chair and looked at him seriously.

"Yes, Harry, I wanted to ask you the exact same question... and I'll do it, now that you've started the subject. How did it get into your mind to go to the Riddle House all alone? Dumbledore was furious when Professor McGonagall told him."

Harry lowered his gaze, mortified; he had posed the question without thinking about the inevitable consequence of being scolded.

"Really a bad idea you had boy... soon as they told me, I didn't even want to believe it!" Moody also seemed deeply disappointed, and now he was frowning at Harry with both eyes, his magical eye and the real one.

Then Lupin spoke again.

"Luckily, Ron seemed to have more judgment than you, and immediately went to warn Professor McGonagall..."

Harry had just realized that Hermione had stopped washing dishes and was now standing behind him, listening. He felt his cheeks warming up in shame of being scolded in front of everybody, and suddenly he decided to answer back to justify his actions.

"But, Hermione was in danger! I saw her in my dream! How could I stay there and do nothing?"

"You could've immediately told Dumbledore about your dream!"

"And what if he wouldn't have done anything... if he hadn't believed me? It's already happened once, and I thought that..."

"Why don't you trust the people who are in charge of you more?"

Harry didn't reply and lowered his gaze. Then Lupin tried to soften his voice, and spoke again.

"I really would like you to understand that Professor Dumbledore is aware of things that justify his behavior... even if we don't fully understand him. I just want you to trust the wizards of the Order next time... if there's going to be a next time!"

Harry nodded to him in silence.

"Well, returning to the story... thanks to Ron's information, we managed to reach the Riddle House just in time, because if we had entered that room a minute later we wouldn't have be able to help you anymore, Harry."

Mrs. Weasley shuddered all over, while Tonks, Ginny, and Hermione took a seat in front of Lupin.

"Yes, Remus is right!"

Tonks intervened in the discussion, and went on talking with emphasis.

"When we entered, we saw a really spine-chilling scene in front of us: you were lying on the floor unconscious and our little Hermione was kneeled by your side, trying to face YOU-KNOW-WHO... well, you should've seen her!"

Tonks seemed really amused by this, and Harry immediately turned to Hermione, who blushed furiously, deeply embarrassed. Then, she tried to justify her actions.

"Voldemort was killing you... what choice did I have? I fought to free myself from that Lestrange woman, and tried my best to protect you!"

Lupin went on with the story.

"Unfortunately, in the exact moment of our raid, Voldemort and his most faithful Death Eaters had just disapparated, but those who remained fought against us until the end. I reached Harry straight away and, with Hermione's help, I dragged him far away from the battle. When I came back inside, I fought with the wizards of the Order who had come to rescue you. Then I realized too late that Voldemort's evil snake had crawled behind me... suddenly, it sprung up on me, and sank its teeth in my right arm. I lost consciousness and woke up at St. Mungo's Hospital a few days later."

Everybody was silent; Harry had vividly imagined all of the scenes and felt a shiver going down his spine. Then Mrs. Weasley cut him off.

"Well... I think it's about time to stop with all these sad memories. It's better if you go up to your rooms and settle in."

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(A/N: I'd like to thank my readers for their wonderful reviews and especially Hermionerocks, who is my youngster reader, just 10 years old, wow! I also need to apologize with eekii, since he's a boy and not a girl!! In the next chapter we'll start to see the first “vibrations” between Harry and Hermione, that's why I'm sure you'll like it. Enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 19. THE INHERITANCE

...
In your eyes,
Full of innocence
I may still find
The scent of a pure love,
The scent of your love.
...

"Blue Water, Clear Water" by Lucio Battisti

Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione obediently went upstairs, leaving the adults in the kitchen. As soon as he found himself in his bedroom again, Harry put his belongings away and set Hedwig's cage on the window, still thinking about Lupin's story. He had been bitten by Voldemort's snake, just like Mr. Weasley the year before when it had nearly cost him his life.

Harry made the decision that next time he'd try his best not to put his friends' lives in danger, again.

He turned to Ron, who was sitting at his desk with a blank piece of parchment and a quill in front of him.

"You want to start your homework now?" Harry asked astonished, but Ron didn't seem to be in a mood for joking and kept staring at his blank parchment seriously.

"Yes, I'm trying hard to get better grades..." he answered without even turning to him. Since Harry was still standing there with his mouth open, Ron hurriedly added, "Didn't you have something else to do?"

"W-what? Me? Oh, all right, then... I'll leave you alone. I'm going to check if Fred and George've come back."

Harry frowned at his friend worriedly, then exited the room, asking himself the reason for Ron's odd behavior.

He had just started descending the stairs when he heard Lupin calling him from the first floor.

"Hem hem, Harry? I need to talk to you for a moment, please."

Harry quickly reached the downstairs floor, hoping not to get scolded again.

Lupin headed to the last door at the bottom of the corridor, which was the library, and entered after him, closed the door, and went over to an ancient desk.

"Please, take a seat Harry," said Lupin, pointing his finger to an armchair just in front of him.

He obeyed, looking at his teacher, deeply concerned.

"I must inform you about a very important matter, regarding Sirius... and you..."

Lupin stopped for a few seconds to get Harry's complete attention; then he spoke again in a very formal way.

"As you already know, Sirius was the last descendant of the Black family. Now, Professor Dumbledore had been waiting for the proper time to inform you that once you turn seventeen, all of Sirius's possessions, including this house and all that is inside of it.... will belong to you."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise; he had never imagined anything like that, and since he didn't reply, Lupin went on.

"You're certainly asking yourself why. Well, Sirius was your godfather, Harry, and after his tragic end... you've become his heir."

"I don't... I never thought that Sirius would decide to..."

Harry was trying hard to speak, but unfortunately without success.

"I understand your surprise, but you don't have to worry about anything at all. Sirius made arrangements with Albus Dumbledore, so that he'll take care of everything until you are of age."

"I... don't know what to say. I'm really surprised, that's all! The fact is... that I'm not sure if I want to accept..."

Harry spoke without even thinking about it, giving voice to the feeling of anguish in his heart in that moment.

"I understand how you feel. This house is full of memories, but it doesn't seem to me a good reason for..."

"He did the same for my parents, right?" Harry cut him off abruptly, then spoke again, using a colder tone.

"I mean, when... when they died... Dumbledore took care of their things?"

"That's right, Harry. Your parents asked Professor Dumbledore to take care of all their belongings, in case they... well, you know what I'm trying to tell you. As you can see, the Headmaster is still taking care of you... ever since that time. You should trust him more, because he'd never do anything to hurt you."

Harry's thoughts flew immediately to Mark Evans' revelations, and a strong resentment started to rise inside of him.

"I've something to ask you about Mark Evans!"

On hearing this question, Lupin raised an eyebrow and stared at him, slightly embarrassed.

"Why do you want to talk about Mark Evans?"

"Professor Dumbledore had called him to Hogwarts in your place and when we talked, he said that we were cousins."

Harry stopped on purpose to look at Lupin's reaction; the teacher sighed deeply, and then slowly spoke, weighing every word.

"Yes, it's true. He's a distant cousin of your mother. What else did he tell you?" Lupin asked, trying to appear casual, but Harry knew that he wasn't feeling comfortable at all.

"He told me a few things about my parents, events of my childhood with them, and then..." Harry stopped for a moment, staring at Lupin directly in the eyes. "Once, I heard him talking to Hagrid and I discovered where my parents were buried."

Lupin coughed, and nervously settled himself in the chair, while Harry continued to stare at him, waiting for his comment.

"Look, Harry, you shouldn't believe everything Mark Evans says. In the past, he has been a..."

"But I've seen the GRAVE!" Harry shouted at him, feeling his resentment rising inside. Lupin seemed really embarrassed and after a short break, he spoke again, trying his best to remain calm.

"Listen carefully to me, there is a reason why we've never told you the truth about your parents' grave."

"I'm curious to know why! Maybe you thought that it wasn't right to give me a grave on which I could cry for them? Didn't I deserve that?

Harry was furious, and had completely lost his temper. He was angry at the whole world, but above all, he was angry at Dumbledore and Lupin, the latter of whom was still staring at him without emotion.

"Please, try to calm down now, and let me finish explaining! During these past years, the Headmaster has always wanted to protect you, and not only from Voldemort, but mostly from yourself! It wouldn't be wise to let you know certain things prematurely. Do you understand this?"

"What does it mean that I'm a SEER?"

Harry was trying hard to regain control of his feelings, and asked the question watching his words. Lupin looked astonished and didn't reply.

"How much information about my past are you keeping from me? How long am I going to grope in the dark?"

Lupin lowered his head and then spoke again, staring at the desk in front of him.

"You're absolutely right, Harry. It's time for you to know everything..."

Harry was shocked. He was expecting Lupin to deny it, or to give him more excuses, but now, Lupin seemed willing to unleash every secret.

Harry shivered all over, and for a short moment he wished not to know. Then Lupin raised his head and started to speak.

"Your mother was a Seer. She had a really rare gift, which wasn't only the ability to foresee the future. No, her gift was much, much greater..."

Lupin turned his gaze away from Harry, and stared into space, with a dreamy expression on his face.

"She was able to see the good side in everybody. She was an exceptional woman and remained close to me in one of the most difficult periods of my life. Dumbledore knew that you could've inherited the internal view from her, but when you started getting visions, we knew then for sure."

Lupin looked directly into Harry's eyes.

"I guess you've already had odd intuitions sometimes."

"Yes, a few..."

"I believe that, as time goes on and your ability in magic improves, your Seer talent will become more powerful too."

"But I'm not like Professor Trelawney!" objected Harry, since he considered his divination teacher a total fraud, but Lupin reassured him.

"No, of course not! There are different kinds of Seers. Your gift is something deeper, it's a power which makes you more sensitive than normal wizards, but also more vulnerable. The foresight is a double-edged sword, Harry! As you've already found out for yourself, you have the ability to perceive Voldemort's feelings, for example, and this is very dangerous for you."

Harry sighed deeply and then spoke, resigned.

"Then what do I have to do?"

"My suggestion is the same that the Headmaster has already given you. You should be patient and do your best at school, and in this way, prepare yourself for the future. At the right time, your new powers will manifest themselves spontaneously. You don't have to force them. Otherwise, the consequences would be very serious."

***O***

Harry had just left the library, leaving Lupin there. He walked along the corridor, completely absorbed in his thoughts, trying to bring order to the confusion in his brain.

He was thankful to his teacher for having talked to him so sincerely, but those revelations had shocked him deeply.

Suddenly, his scar started to throb and he raised a hand to his forehead, trying to soothe the pain.

He had just reached the landing on the second floor when he saw Hermione standing in front of his room's door with her arms crossed and a sulky face.

"Is everything all right, Hermione?"

"Why don't you ask your friend inside if everything's all right! It's already been a good half hour that I was knocking on the door, but he didn't want to let me in... said that he was studying! Does that make sense?" she asked, deeply annoyed, pointing her finger at the door behind her. Harry made a forced smile, because his scar was still throbbing painfully.

"Maybe he just wanted to be alone for a while, that's all!"

Then Harry turned to both sides, to make sure that nobody was on the stairs or in the corridor and moved closer to her, talking in a low voice.

"I need to talk to you for a moment, would you come with me?"

"Yes, but where?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"Just come with me..." he said, grabbing her hand and heading upstairs. When they reached the third floor, they tiptoed until the last room on the left side of the corridor. Harry turned the handle and went inside.

The room was dimly lit by the weak moon light that came from the half-closed windows.

"INCENDIO!"

At Harry's order, a few candles lit up, revealing an ancient bedroom. There was a canopy bed, covered with a heavy purple bedspread, ancient armchairs made of black leather, and a huge stone fireplace.

Hermione started to pace the room with slow steps, looking at every corner with deep attention.

"The last time I entered this room, it was exactly one year ago, remember? You shut yourself inside with Buckbeak and didn't want to talk to anyone. Everything is still the same as when Sirius was living here..."

Harry was standing at the door, rubbing his burning scar with his hand while his friend looked out the window, not noticing. Then, he slowly went over to one of the two armchairs and sat down.

"What did you want to tell me?"

Hermione turned to Harry, and sat close to him, waiting.

"I've just talked to Lupin. I asked him about Mark Evans."

She seemed really interested in the subject, and sat forward in the armchair to listen more carefully.

"All that Mark said is true. We are cousins and... I'm a Seer, just like my mother."

Hermione was staring at him in deep concentration. Then Harry spoke again, trying to touch his scar as little as possible, even though the pain was still intense.

"Lupin said that they had expected this since I was born. I don't even know if I should be happy or seriously scared about it."

Harry stopped and stared at his fingers, which were resting on his knees; luckily, the pain in his scar was lessening. He hoped that Hermione would give him some useful advice, as she always did.

"I think that you should learn how to live with this, Harry. It isn't your fault that you're able to get premonitions, or that you're able to feel Voldemort's feelings... it's simply like that! And what did Lupin suggest for you to do?"

He replied with a shrug of the shoulders, still staring at his fingers.

"What do you think he suggested to me? Always the same thing: to be patient and just think about school matters!"

Hermione nervously moved on her chair, and Harry had the feeling that she was opening her mouth to say "If you want my opinion, Lupin was right!" but she chose not to say that.

"Did he tell you something else?"

Harry thought about it for a moment and then remembered the inheritance that Sirius had left him.

"Sirius left me all his possessions, including this house," said Harry in a low voice. He then stared at Hermione to watch her reaction at the news, but she didn't seem very surprised.

"I had imagined it! It would've been odd if he hadn't. I mean, he was your godfather, and he should've felt responsible about your future."

Harry was listening to her with downcast eyes.

"After all, it's a good thing... aren't you happy about that?" Hermione added, a little puzzled by his reaction.

"Yes, maybe you're right. It'll be great to have a whole house just for myself, a place to go after I've finished school."

Harry smiled at her, imagining his life at Grimmauld Place: simple and quiet. He'd have even invited his friends to come and stay with him for a while. Then suddenly, a sad thought invaded his mind pressingly: the PROPHECY! How would he be able to have a future? Everything was uncertain in his life and he couldn't permit himself to imagine any such possibility.

His face got grimmer.

"Harry, are you all right? What are you thinking about?"

"The Prophecy... maybe it's better that I don't delude myself," he said resignedly, but Hermione replied with energy.

"Don't talk this way, Harry! The Prophecy doesn't mean anything at all! We're writing our own future day by day. The war will hopefully end soon and everybody will finally live in peace. Everything'll be all right, and after the school you're going to move into this house, and you'll be really happy!"

Hermione spoke with sentiment, even though Harry had the feeling she was trying to assure herself as much as him.

"I really want you to be right!" Harry raised his head and looked her deeply in the eyes; she looked back, smiling slightly. Then she turned away, and lowered her gaze to the floor, obviously embarrassed. An odd silence descended between them; it was like neither of them knew what to say or what to do at that moment.

I should say something intelligent now, Harry thought, gazing at his shoe laces with deep interest, feeling his panic rise.

What's happening to you, Harry? Why are you so nervous? Maybe because you're alone in this room with her? Try to say something, otherwise she'll decide to go away! Harry started to think as quickly as possible about something interesting to say. Then he raised his head toward her, realizing that she was still gazing at the floor, playing with her fingers.

She's such a beautiful and delicate creature, he thought. That day, Hermione was wearing a turquoise woolen sweater with a high collar and lace on the sleeves. Her hair was gathered in a chignon and a pair of shining earrings lit up her face.

Unexpectedly, Hermione broke the silence, looking at him directly in the eyes.

"I was thinking that we should really organize ourselves to teach you new defensive spells. As soon as we get back to Hogwarts, we'll do like last year. We'll meet every week in the Room of Requirement to study together, until you've become an expert in Defense Against the Dark Arts... and I swear you'll be!"

"With your help, I'll become one for sure!"

"Oh, please don't joke! I'm serious about this. We must put all our energy into this project. You could also start to exercise your new powers. I'm reading a good book about foresight and all! Don't worry, by the end of Christmas holidays I'm going to know everything about it!"

Hermione was still staring at him and Harry thought that she had the brightest brown eyes he'd ever seen.

"Thank you so much. I'd be lost without you at my side..."

Harry spoke with deep gratitude, and Hermione blushed slightly. They were sitting so close, he could see the cute little freckles on her nose. Suddenly, they found themselves entranced in each others eyes.

Harry was starting to feel something odd inside his stomach. It was like a fizzy lemonade bottle which could have burst out any minute. His adrenaline was rising and his cheeks were burning.

He'd never felt anything like this before, not even with Cho Chang. He wanted to run away from there, but he wasn't able to move a muscle; he was paralyzed.

Hermione wasn't able to move either; she was completely lost in his deep green eyes.

Harry had an overwhelming impulse to grab her hand and hold it tight in his hands, but he wasn't able to find the courage to do so. Suddenly, he found himself staring at her soft lips with desire.

How would that feel, to kiss her? he asked himself, feverish with emotion.

But what if she didn't want to? What if she didn't feel the same? This terrible thought invaded his mind pressingly. I don't want to spoil our friendship, it's too important to me. I couldn't lose her like that!

Harry made his decision: he wouldn't make the first move, at least not yet. He forced himself to turn away and stood up, heading to the door with firm steps.

"We should go and check about Ron..."

He was stubbornly staring at the door, breathing deeply to calm down, then he heard Hermione's footsteps behind him.

"Is everything all right, Harry? Maybe I said something wrong?"

Harry turned abruptly to look at Hermione, who was staring at him, puzzled.

"I'm all right... don't worry!"

"Are you sure? For a moment I thought that you were angry at me."

Luckily this time, Hermione didn't understood Harry's true feelings and he sighed in relief.

"Angry at you? And why?"

"Well, I don't know... it was as if you were..."

"You're wrong Hermione, I'm fine! Let's go."

Harry cut her off, opened the door and exited out in the corridor.

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(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!"

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(Hey, today I've posted two chapters at the same time! You need to read chapter 20 first, in order to better understand this one. Thanks for following the story!)

Chapter 21. FINALLY CHRISTMAS

...
If you'd really like
To live a more
Shining and fragrant life,
Cancel that entreaty
>From your eyes...
...

"The Hill of Cherry Trees" by Lucio Battisti

That night, Ron ran immediately to his parents and woke them up; they rushed into Harry's bedroom to check on him and listen to his story.

Mrs. Weasley was really worried, but Harry just wanted them to leave him alone so he could think it over.

Finally, when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had made sure that Harry was fine and that everything at Hogwarts was quiet, they went to bed. Harry, however, wasn't able to fall asleep again... or more likely, he didn't want to. He was deeply terrified by the premonition and his greatest fear was that the vision would continue as soon as he fell asleep.

Harry spent the rest of the night staring at the dark ceiling with his back leaning against the wall in an intentionally uncomfortable position. He thought for a long time about the vision; surely, something terrible was going to happen at Hogwarts, even if he didn't know when.

Voldemort was surrounded by his Darkness Army and Harry didn't have the strength to react; he was completely helpless in front of his enemy.

How could he even hope to defeat the Dark Lord?

The following morning, Harry clearly heard Ron getting ready to meet the others downstairs, but he decided to stay in bed longer, alone. When he got up, he went over to the sink, washed his face with cold water, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was still very pale and had deep black circles under his eyes. He quickly put on his Muggle clothes and went down to have breakfast.

When he entered the kitchen, everybody turned to stare at him. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were sitting close to each other, finishing their food, while Mrs. Weasley was busy cleaning the dishes.

Harry tried to behave as normally as possible and took a seat at Ron's side.

"Good morning, Harry dear, how are you feeling today?"

"Fine, thanks," he lied, so as to not worry her, although he was still feeling really bad.

"Come on, have something to eat! I've prepared you toast with jam and some tea."

Hermione thoughtfully handed him a small dish and poured the tea into a cup; Harry looked at her thankfully as he took his first bite of the toast.

After breakfast he was feeling slightly better, but Hermione was still staring at him worriedly.

"We're going upstairs Mum!" said Ron, standing up as the others did the same. They exited the kitchen and headed to the boys' room. Hermione stayed close to Harry during the trip.

As soon as they entered the room, she turned to him anxiously.

"How are you? I mean, really? Your face is so pale."

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"On the contrary, I am worried about you! You look like you need some sleep!"

"And I'm telling you that I'm fine! Please believe me," Harry huffed, annoyed, and laid down on his bed, thinking that going to bed was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment.

"Is it true what Ron's saying? Have you had a premonition?" Ginny asked, while sitting next to Ron and Hermione on a nearby bed. Harry didn't want to recall what he had seen and he didn't reply immediately. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Yes."

"Did you see You-Know-Who attacking Hogwarts?" Ginny asked again, her voice trembling, while Ron frowned at her.

"Yes."

Harry realized that he was only giving one word answers. He turned to his friends and tried his best to explain what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about that. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"No, Harry, you're right. We didn't mean to..." Ron answered and pinched Ginny in the side.

"Ouch! But what did I say?" she asked resentfully, massaging where it hurt.

"Why don't we talk about something happier? Have you forgotten that tomorrow is Christmas? Maybe we should decorate the house! What do you think about that?"

Harry appreciated Hermione's effort to let it be like any other Christmas, but it was difficult to have fun with all the things that had been happening.

"Come on! Let's show a bit of enthusiasm!" Hermione exhorted them, since the others were still looking at her as if she was crazy; then Ginny's face lit up.

"Yes, Hermione's right! I'll ask Mum if she would organize a nice lunch for tomorrow."

"I'll go looking for last year's decorations; they're surely hidden somewhere."

Ron had joined emphatically in the girls' projects, but Harry had no wish to celebrate. With the war raging, the premonition he had had, and, above all, Sirius missing, how would he be able to enjoy Christmas?

"Come on, Harry, don't make that face! Why don't we try all together to push aside our sad thoughts, at least for a couple of days?"

Hermione moved closer and grabbed Harry's hands, but he was still staring at her seriously. Harry noticed her sweet smile and couldn't disappoint her. After all, fighting the dark side also meant trying to be happy at Christmas, despite all the problems.

He stood up without opposition and followed his friends out of the room.

= = = = = =

They spent Christmas Eve decorating the house. They found festoons and garlands, colored lights, and Santa Claus hats; The entire place became less gloomy than ever before.

Harry had tried to help them, forcing himself to push aside his bad mood and worries, but he was feeling really tired and didn't talk for most of the time.

That night was particularly difficult for him to fall asleep, but once he managed, he slept soundly through the night with no visions or nightmares.

The following morning, he woke up to the sound of paper being crumpled up and when he opened his eyes, he vaguely saw Ron busy unwrapping his Christmas presents.

"Merry Christmas, Harry! Look how many presents we've got this year!"

"Merry Christmas, Ron."

Harry got up and when he put on his glasses, he was surprised to see that on his bed there also was a small mountain of presents.

He looked for Hermione's gift first and found it beneath all the others; it was a rectangular box, narrow and long, wrapped with a funny colored paper. He imagined that it was the usual book, but when he unwrapped it, he was relieved to find a small crystal chessboard.

He received a new wool jumper from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as usual, and a large quantity of small homemade iced cakes. Hagrid sent him a wallet made of real ferret fur, and from Ron he got a box of Every Flavor Beans, along with a collection of the most famous Chocolate Frog cards in the world.

At the end, there was just one present left, a small one wrapped simply. With great surprise, Harry noticed that it was from Remus Lupin. He unwrapped the box and when he saw the present, he stared at it unbelievingly.

It was a small mirror in a simple square wooden frame, but the most curious thing was that it looked exactly like the mirror Sirius had given him the previous Christmas.

Harry felt a knot in his throat while he stared at his reflection and with trembling hands, he opened the card. "Dear Harry, this belonged to Sirius. It's a two-way mirror. I'm sure that he would have been happy to know that now it's yours. Merry Christmas, Remus."

Harry wondered if he'd ever have the opportunity to use the mirrors to communicate with someone else.

"Hey, Harry! Thank you for the Broomstick Handling Set, I've always wanted one of those."

Ron's words brought Harry back to reality. He sighed deeply, put the mirror in its box, and turned to his friend.

"You're welcome! The cards you gave me are really cool!"

After unwrapping all their presents, they quickly got ready and went down to have breakfast. Along the way, they met Hermione, who was coming upstairs.

"Merry Christmas, Harry! Thank you so much for the bangle, it's really cute." She smiled at him happily, raising her hand to show the present: it was made with colored stones and a heart-shaped golden pendant.

"Thank you for the new chessboard!"

Harry felt his cheeks flaming, but he could swear that Hermione was blushing even more than him.

"Hem, hem... I'm sorry to bother you..."

Ron was looking at them impatiently. Hermione swayed her attention from Harry and turned happily to her other friend.

"Merry Christmas to you, Ron!"

"Thank you for the Keeper Handbook you gave me."

"And thank you for the magical bookmark!"

"You're welcome. We should go now, before Fred and George eat all our breakfast too!"

They quickly reached the kitchen, where the twins, Ginny, Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for them.

They all had breakfast together, and Harry felt that everyone was trying their best to forget their worries.

Later on, Bill, Charlie, Moody, and Mundungus Fletcher came for lunch; Mrs. Weasley prepared a delicious feast and everybody enjoyed it.

After lunch, Harry and Ron decided to go up to their room and break in Harry's new chessboard, while Ginny and Hermione quietly sat on the nearby bed, chatting.

Suddenly, they heard a strange noise coming from the fireplace.

BANG!

"Did you hear that?" Ginny asked worriedly.

Ron stood up abruptly and moved closer to the fireplace; it seemed OK, but at that moment, some kind of big meteor flew inside the room at great speed from the dancing flames, hitting Ron square in the head.

"What the bloody hell..."

With his arms, Ron covered the "big bullet," which was, in fact, a small package in the shape of an egg, tied with a showy red ribbon. Harry's eyes widened, while Ron tried his best to hide the package behind his back with one hand and massage his aching forehead with the other.

"I wonder who could've sent that present to you!" Hermione asked curiously; Ron blushed.

"Nobody! In fact it isn't a present... it's a..."

He seemed really embarrassed by the situation, especially since he was desperately searching for a good excuse.

"It's something I ordered some time ago from the Daily Prophet. Now, I think I'm going downstairs to open the pres... erm... the package."

Ron rushed to the door and exited so quickly that nobody had time to question him again.

= = = = = =

The remainder of the holidays passed by quietly. Harry didn't have any other premonitions or nightmares. This allowed him to enjoy a deserved rest.

In addition, they didn't hear any other news about Voldemort or his Darkness Army and they all tried not to mention the subject again.

Harry had noticed Ron's odd behavior; he often stayed alone in his room, apparently writing on long rolls of parchment that he then hurriedly hid as soon as someone entered the room. A few times, Harry caught Ron sitting alone, staring dreamily into space.

The day before their return to Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley had asked them to pack their trunks on time. Harry was in his room busy gathering all of his things, which were spread out all over, when he noticed that Ron was reading something with deep interest, while kneeling on the floor by his trunk.

Harry moved closer and leaned over Ron's head to find out what was the object of such an interest. To his great surprise, he saw that Ron was holding the famous egg-shaped package in one hand, while in the other, there was a small card, written in pink ink. Harry cocked his head to one side, trying to read the signature; when he realized who the sender was, his eyes widened in surprise.

At that moment, Ron realized that Harry was standing by his side and hid the package and card inside the trunk, turning to his friend abruptly.

"Did you read anything?" Ron asked, really worried.

"Well, yes... but how come Luna Lovegood sent you a Christmas present?"

Ron closed his trunk resignedly and stood up, sighing deeply.

"Listen, Harry. Maybe you'll think that I'm an idiot, but the reason why I never told you anything before, is because... I was ashamed, that's all!"

"Ashamed? Why?"

Harry couldn't understand why Ron had hidden such a thing from him.

"Because, if you'd known that Luna and I are going out, then you'd've made fun of me for sure!"

"What? You and Luna... are going out?" Harry was shocked by this revelation.

"You see? That's why I didn't want to tell you anything. I knew that you couldn't understand," Ron said, desolated.

"Well, it's just that I wasn't expecting it, that's all! I didn't know that you and her had anything in common. In short, Luna is really... really..."

Harry wasn't able to find a good adjective to describe Luna without making Ron mad. Luckily, his friend finished the sentence for him.

"Yes, I know. She's a girl out of the ordinary, but knowing her better, she isn't that bad. She's funny and she adores my jokes."

Ron's face lit up with a large smile and Harry thought that he was really happy for him.

Both friends sat on the bed and talked more about it.

"When did you start going out?" Harry asked, but Ron looked a bit reluctant to answer.

"Well, honestly, we've never gone out yet. She was always coming to watch my Quidditch practices, and one evening she stopped me and we came back to the castle together. We've talked a lot and discovered we have many things in common. And also, our homes are close by, you know? The Burrow is just a few miles from where she lives."

"Then she sent that Christmas present to you, right?"

"Yes, isn't she sweet?"

Harry rolled his eyes, thinking Ron certainly was moonstruck by Luna. Harry smiled to himself, Luna... moonstruck... Hermione'd get it.

1

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(A/N: I'm glad to hear that you liked the last two chapters. In the following one, we're going to meet Mark Evans again and I hope you won't mind! A big thanks goes to my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOr and SarahLupin. Enjoy the reading.)

Chapter 22. SECRET TRAININGS

...
And breathing breezes
Which spread over grounds
Without limits or borders
We push aside each other,
But then we find us closer,
And higher and further
Now we are sons of the immensity.
...

"The Hill of Cherry Trees" by Lucio Battisti

The city of London had just been swallowed by darkness and all of its inhabitants were already hurrying to return home.

A passerby was hurriedly walking along Hyde Park. When he crossed the street, his gaze stopped upon an ancient and abandoned building. Suddenly, he felt a chill going down his spine and looked behind him, afraid he was being watched.

He quickened his pace and disappeared behind the corner.

The unaware pedestrian didn't notice that inside that ancient building, someone had just followed him with his gaze... with two cold eyes... eyes red like blood... eyes that were unable to emanate feelings like compassion or love.

"My Lord!"

Voldemort turned his gaze from the broken window to his servant, who was standing with downcast eyes in the darkness of the room.

"Have you any news, Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord. Mark Evans has been sighted in town."

Voldemort's face lit up with a chilling smile.

"Very well. Bring him to me, then!"

"As you wish, my Lord."

Lucius Malfoy bowed deeply in front of his master and then left the room.

"Soon we'll meet again, Mark..."

The Dark Lord turned again to the window, foretasting his revenge.

***O***

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned to Hogwarts two weeks ago and almost immediately, their classes had become more difficult than ever. Final examinations were approaching and teachers were giving lots of homework.

Even Professor Lupin, who was back again, had assigned them a difficult essay about the new subjects learned during his absence.

The first thing Harry did was go back to his parents' grave; he made it a habit to go there on a short pilgrimage almost every day. This daily appointment gave him the strength to go on with his life.

Beyond school lessons, Quidditch practices had started again on alternate evenings and to Harry's disgust, his Occlumency meetings with Snape were also each Friday night.

Despite the continuous criticism from his teacher, Harry was trying his best to close his mind and react to his mental attacks. Unfortunately, these Occlumency lessons always caused him terrible headaches, which often made him feel really bad.

Ron had finally admitted to Ginny and Hermione that he was going out with Luna and he was now trying to spend as much free time as possible with his girlfriend. They were always studying together, taking long walks in the gardens alone, and during weekends, they saw each other after Quidditch practices.

Because of this, Harry now had the opportunity to spend much more time with Hermione. In addition, they had now started secretly training in Defense the Dark Arts.

At least twice a week, they climbed up to the seventh floor, walked back and forth three times, concentrating on a suitable place for their training; suddenly a door appeared in front of them, leading to the Room of Requirement.

As in the previous year, the room was perfectly equipped. The shelves were completely full of books about useful subjects like Charms, Fighting, Healing Techniques, and Potions. There were even several strange crystal instruments filled with colored liquids, puffing and crackling constantly.

According to Hermione, there were also many books that were usually kept in the restricted section of Hogwarts' library.

The room was also furnished with a large and soft rubber mat for practical trainings.

It was a cold Tuesday at the end of January and the two of them had just entered the room. Hermione immediately went over to the book shelves, where she took down a huge and ancient book.

"Today we can start with something more... stimulating!" she said, heading to the center of the room with the big book in her arms and sitting with her legs crossed on the soft carpet.

Harry followed and sat in front of her, staring at the book with curiosity.

"This is the Seer Handbook: A Practical Starter's Guide. In my opinion, it's one of the best. I already read it during Christmas holidays," Hermione said in a confident tone, while skimming through its large pages.

"If you say so!" said Harry, sighing deeply.

"Here we are, listen to me carefully. 'In the known world we mainly find two different types of Seers. The first type is called INACTIVE, and includes all those Seers who manifest the Sight only in particular occasions, and always during a trance state.'"

"This is Professor Trelawney's type!" Harry added, cutting her off, but Hermione went on without commenting.

"'The second type is called ACTIVE, and includes all those Seers who manifest the sight more frequently, during their dreams, but also during their waking hours in the form of visions.'"

"And this is me!" Harry cut her off again; this time Hermione frowned at him before going on.

"'Also, Active Seers possess many other powers which manifest themselves spontaneously reaching maturity. Among those powers are the ability to foresee the future, the ability to do magic without a wand, reading others' minds, mastering the universal elements, telepathy, overcoming time and space, the power to...'"

"Hey, wait a minute! You're saying that I could be able to do all those things?" asked Harry, shocked.

"I'm not saying anything, it's just written in the book! If you don't believe me, why don't you read it by yourself!" answered Hermione, deeply annoyed, while setting the open book in Harry's lap.

"Well, after all, it isn't so bad. Anyway, it says here that if the Seer doesn't exercise his powers, they could disappear forever..."

"That's why we have no time to lose!" replied Hermione seriously, taking the book in her hands and skimming through it again.

"Now, let's try with something simple... 'How to foresee the day after's menu...' 'Thousand different ways to evoke fire...' 'How to communicate with your cat.'" Hermione was carefully reading all the titles.

"Here it is! 'Visualization for Beginners...' We can start with this one."

Harry was listening to her with deep attention.

"First of all, you should sit comfortably. Then, close your eyes and concentrate deeply on someone... let's try with Ron, for example. Now, visualize Ron in your mind and try to feel how he's feeling right now."

Harry followed Hermione's instructions. He closed his eyes and imagined his best friend's face. A few minutes passed by but nothing happened and he was starting to feel like a real idiot. Then suddenly, a whirlwind of images rushed in front of his eyes.

When everything became quiet again, Harry looked around and found himself completely surrounded by darkness. Then, a wand lit up and he jumped in surprise when he saw Luna Lovegood's face very close to his. In that moment, he felt his heart beating faster and faster, full of emotion and his cheeks became incandescent. He realized that Luna was slowly getting closer to him, her eyes half open. Harry was nearly brushing her lips, when abruptly, he came back to his senses, deeply shocked. He opened his eyes and found himself again in the Room of Requirement with Hermione at his side.

"Harry? Are you all right?"

He was pale in the face and was panting heavily; he felt very weak and sick.

"Were you able to feel Ron's feelings?" she asked curiously.

"Yes... I think so!" Harry replied, still confused.

"He and Luna were so close and then... oh, NO! It was disgusting!" Harry made a funny grimace and Hermione burst into laughter.

"I can imagine what they were doing! I think that sometimes it could be dangerous entering someone else's mind, because you'd never know what you might find in there." Hermione used the tone of someone who knew a lot about the subject.

Then she read again from the book and suddenly became very serious.

"Here, it says that inexperienced Seers could find some problems in the beginning."

"What kind of problems?" asked Harry worriedly.

"'The more difficult the foreseeing exercise is, the more the Seer will be weakened by the effort to accomplish it. Only with constant practice will the Seer be able to master his powers and use them wisely.' You should be really careful, Harry!"

***O***

February had just arrived, bringing with it even more cold and bad weather. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the warmth of their common room, surrounded by several other students, busy with homework, while outside a snowstorm was raging.

The three friends were writing a difficult essay about disapparating cats; Harry raised his head for a moment, massaging his forehead while rereading the last sentence he had just written. Absentmindedly, he turned to Hermione who was sitting by his side, busy writing her essay; Harry thought that she was the most beautiful creature in the universe.

He really wanted to open his heart to her, but he believed it would be an impossible task for him to accomplish. How could he tell his best friend that he was in love with her? Maybe she'd laugh at him or worse, she'd get really angry and decide not to talk to him anymore. This terrible thought was now torturing him continually.

The evening flew by quickly and soon it was midnight; all of the other students had already gone to their dormitories, leaving the three friends alone in the common room.

"That's it! I'm finished! Now I don't want to hear about cats as long as I live!" said Ron with determination, rolling up his Transfiguration parchment and throwing it brutally into his school bag.

"Never say never, Ron!" Hermione warned him from the sofa, where she had moved an hour ago after having finished her long essay.

Harry had just finished his homework at that moment, which had left him with a really bad headache. He put his parchment into his bag and went over to Hermione on the sofa.

"I'm dead! This week has been tough for me! Between lessons, homework, practices, and Occlumency, I should have split myself into four people to even have the slightest chance of making it!"

"Don't complain, Harry. There's always someone with a lot more problems than ours. Take Neville! When Professor McGonagall assigned him two more essays for Wednesday, he nearly burst into tears!"

"Poor guy. Maybe he should find a girlfriend, to comfort him!" said Ron, while taking a seat close to them.

"Someone like Ginny, for example?" asked Hermione maliciously, and Ron brought a hand to his heart, horrified.

"Please Hermione, tell me that Ginny isn't going out with Neville! I'm starting to get a heartache..."

"NO, you can calm down. I don't think that they've already reached that point!" replied Hermione, laughing.

"What do you mean? At what point are they? Besides, I thought that she was going out with Dean!" Ron was deeply confused.

"Yes, she was going out with Dean, but shortly before Christmas they split up and now Neville is doing his best to comfort her. I don't understand why you'd be against their relationship!"

"Hermione, you don't understand! It'd be a tragedy, a real suicide, a real..."

"LOOK AT THAT!"

Harry cut them off abruptly, pointing at the crackling fire.

"I just saw..." Harry was nearly going to say "I just saw Sirius" but then he realized that it was impossible.

Then, suddenly, a man's head appeared among the flames.

"MARK EVANS!" They exclaimed in unison, moving closer to the fireplace.

"Hello guys, I hope I didn't scare you!" Mark Evans quietly spoke, showing his usual large smile.

"No, don't worry... we're accustomed to that! How come you're... here?" asked Harry, deeply astonished.

"Just for you, Harry. Remus told me that you'd overheard my discussion with Hagrid."

Harry lowered his gaze, hoping that Mark wouldn't explore the subject, as on that occasion, he had found himself at Hagrid's hut at a forbidden time and hidden under his invisibility cloak.

"I don't care about how you managed to hear, the most important thing is that now you know the truth about your past."

Harry raised his head and stared directly in Mark's eyes, wishing to learn more.

"What're you here for?"

"I need to talk to you... personally! Could we meet during your next Hogsmeade weekend?"

The three friends stared at each other puzzled, and Ron spoke first.

"But it'll be on Valentine's Day!"

"Well, maybe it isn't a good day for you to meet me... maybe you already have other things going on."

"Not at all! It's fine for me on Valentine's Day," replied Harry, determined.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am!"

"Then we'll meet on the morning of February 14th, right in front of the Hog's Head, but please... don't tell anyone about this. Goodbye!" Harry nodded before Mark's face disappeared inside the dancing flames, with a resounding POP.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to meet Mark Evans," said Hermione worriedly, while sitting on the sofa.

"If he's got something important to tell me, I'm going to listen to him. Everybody here has always hidden the truth about my past and now Mark wants to reveal everything."

"Don't you understand yet that Dumbledore has always tried to protect you?" Hermione seemed exasperated by Harry's behavior.

"I'm tired of always being protected by someone else! I want to protect myself now! Do you think I'm asking the impossible?" Harry was starting to lose his temper.

"Calm down mates, there's no need to fight!" Ron was trying to calm the situation, but Hermione spoke again, raising her voice.

"If you've decided to meet him, then I'm coming with you!"

"That's fine with me!" said Harry stubbornly, folding his arms and staring intensely into her eyes.

Then Hermione stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to bed!" she said angrily, before rushing upstairs to her dormitory.

1

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(A/N: Hello! I don't know how to thank you for all the great reviews you've sent me. I'm really happy! I also thank my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOr and SarahLupin, for editing the chapter so well! There is just one last thing, before leaving you to the reading: I can tell you already, that something weird is going to happen at the end of this chapter, something really unexpected, and I hope you won't mind…)

Chapter 23. VALENTINE'S DAY

…
It's an odd sensation
Of slight folly
Which is coloring my soul
Imagining, I prepare the pillow
Somebody
Somebody is already in the air
Innocent smile and perfume.
....

"Innocent evasions" by Lucio Battisti

Throughout the week leading up to Valentine's Day, Harry was really surprised to see how excited all the students were, but Ron was most impatient of all. He was planning to spend the whole day at Hogsmeade with Luna and he wanted everything to be perfect. He was now talking about it all the time: at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even during classes.

Harry was barely able to not shout at his best friend, telling himself that as long as Ron was happy, then he should be glad for him.

On the morning of Valentine's Day, Ron woke up very early, to get ready on time. Harry laughed, amused, while his friend chose his clothes with extreme care, all the while staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"What're you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing, it's just that... I've never seen you so nervous in all my life, not even when we entered Aragog's den!"

"Ha ha... really funny! I remind you that exactly one year ago, you were here in my place, getting ready to go out with Cho Chang!"

With those words, Harry's smile disappeared and he became serious. He remembered all too well the previous Valentine's Day and how he had waited for it with anticipation, only to be hopelessly disappointed. Actually at the time, Cho Chang was deeply jealous of Hermione; now that Harry was thinking about it, she wasn't wrong after all.

"Are you going to meet Mark Evans, then?"

Harry's thoughts were cut off by Ron's question and he turned to look out the window. The sky was gray and without sun, but luckily it wasn't raining.

"Yes, I'm going to the meeting with Hermione, and then, I don't know, maybe we'll come back to the castle."

"Hurry up then, or you're going to be late! Look, you're still wearing your pajamas! I'll wait for you downstairs," Ron told him impatiently while rushing outside of the room.

Harry sighed deeply, and got up. He had a quick shower and put on some of Dudley's old clothes: a pair of jeans, a white shirt, and a large sweater made of blue wool. While rummaging through his trunk to look for his scarf and gloves, he found the two-way mirror Lupin had given to him as a Christmas present.

He stared at it for a moment before again rummaging through the bottom of the trunk and taking out the other mirror, the one Sirius had given him the previous year. Suddenly, he had the idea to give one of the two mirrors to Mark.

This way, it'll be easier for us to communicate, he thought, putting one of them in his coat pocket.

When he was finally ready, he exited the dormitory and headed to the common room, where Ron and Hermione were already waiting for him.

= = = = = =

That day, the streets of Hogsmeade were particularly crowded. Harry thought that probably nobody had ever missed celebrating Valentine's Day, not even in time of war.

Harry and Hermione walked along the main street, looking at the shops which were overflowing with wizards and witches, all wearing long black robes and pointed hats. There were also several students, busy enjoying the special day.

Ron and Luna followed them for a short while, but as soon as they had reached the village, they left the other two to go off by themselves.

Shortly, Harry and Hermione were walking on a side street and they soon arrived at the Hog's Head Inn. It was really an odd place, with a huge wooden sign hanging over the entrance, depicting a wild boar's severed head.

They waited in front of the main door, wrapping themselves in their coats due to the intense cold.

"Maybe he changed his mind," Hermione commented, with a note of hope in her voice.

"No, he's coming, look there!" Harry replied, pointing his finger at a figure who was getting closer quickly, completely wrapped in his black cloak.

"Good morning, guys! I'm happy to see you again." Harry noticed that Mark was keeping his cloak collar lifted, as if he wanted to hide his face.

"I'd suggest moving on to a quieter place. The village is a bit too crowded today."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other puzzled, and then nodded and followed Mark along a side street.

Shortly, they found themselves on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, in a very withdrawn corner. Mark looked around him warily and when he was certain they were completely alone, he lowered his collar.

"Oh, Harry, you don't even know how many things I have to tell you! You can't imagine how long I've been waiting for this moment to come." Mark Evans spoke with warmth and Harry's heart was deeply touched by this.

"You've surely asked yourself why no one ever told you about the possibility of you being a Seer... well, maybe it's better if I start from the beginning."

Harry and Hermione were listening to him carefully.

"Your mother had an extremely rare gift. She wasn't a common Seer, no... She was able to do really incredible things. Not only could she foresee the future, but she also had a telepathic talent. She could easily communicate with people who were several kilometers from her, and she was able to read minds and hearts. But most of all, she had the power to master the universal elements, like fire, water, earth, and air. I have reason to believe that you've inherited her same powers."

Harry was feeling really confused.

"But, what does it mean? Why has everyone always kept this hidden from me? I... I don't understand..."

"Unfortunately, these powers are a double edged sword and if they're not used correctly, they could destroy the user."

"What do you mean? Why?" Harry asked impatiently.

"I mean that in order to use those powers, you'll need to have a great amount of energy and ability. If you're not skilled enough, all of your strength could be drawn out of you completely, even causing death!" Mark warned.

"That's why Dumbledore didn't tell him anything, right? Because he feared that Harry could use his powers too early." Hermione seemed really worried and wasn't able to keep silent.

"Exactly! But it's my opinion that now the right time has arrived for you to learn how to use your powers, Harry. Both because it's something that belongs to you from ancestry, but also because the entire world needs your help."

Harry felt shocked by those revelations. Since he had started to train himself in the Room of Requirement with Hermione, he quickly realized that those odd powers were extremely dangerous.

"Please, swear to me that you're going to train yourself. Swear to me that you're going to do your best! Unfortunately, we don't have much time left. I feel that soon something terrible is going to happen, and you're our only hope of salvation against the dark side."

"Yes, I know... as the Prophecy says..." commented Harry bitterly.

"That's right! The Prophecy says that you've got a power the Dark Lord doesn't know, and only that power will be able to defeat him forever. It's of vital importance that you be able to master it as soon as possible."

"I'll do my best, Mark." Harry spoke, staring directly in his eyes; Mark smiled warmly.

"Now that you're aware that you're a Seer, wouldn't you like to talk to Sirius Black at least one more time?" Harry saw an odd twinkling in Mark's eyes, and hearing those words, he felt a new hope rising inside himself, something that he had lost long time ago.

"It would be wonderful!"

"Then train yourself as much as you can and next time we meet, we'll go together to the Veil of Death and you'll be able to talk to Sirius."

"But, that is impossible!" Hermione cut him off, astonished. "You can't make such a foolish promise! It's extremely dangerous to enter the Ministry in secret and it's even more dangerous to accomplish such a difficult ceremony! Harry, you certainly wouldn't..."

"Harry's going to have lots of time to take his own decision. In a few months, when you've started mastering your powers, you can give me your answer then."

Harry nodded. He then remembered something important and searched in his pocket.

"I brought something for you. I thought that we could communicate with these two-way mirrors. It'll be safer for both of us."

Mark took the small packet and hid it immediately under his cloak, staring at Harry thankfully.

"Yes, it's a very good idea, thank you. This mirror is going to be my most valuable possession."

Suddenly, a group of students passed nearby and Mark jumped in surprise, raising his cloak collar again.

"Now I must leave you. Unfortunately, I can't stay longer. I'm going to contact you as soon as I can... goodbye Harry, Hermione."

Mark Evans spoke hurriedly and walked quickly down a narrow street, partially hidden by trees.

= = = = = =

During the entire trip back to the castle, Harry remained silent, thinking over the revelations he had just heard from Mark.

He couldn't believe that he possessed all of those powers. He wondered how he'd be able to use them. He felt that there was not much time left, because something terrible was surely going to happen soon.

They had just passed the huge gate topped with gargoyles and were heading to the lake.

"Don't worry, Harry. Together, we'll succeed!" Hermione told him, trying her best to lift his mood.

"Why don't we have a nice walk? Is there a particular place you'd like to go?" she added, smiling. He felt extremely thankful.

Harry thought about it for a moment then suddenly grabbed her hand.

"I've got an idea. Let's go!"

They both ran to the Quidditch pitch and Harry entered the changing room. After a few minutes, he came back, holding his Firebolt in his hand.

"Can you tell me what we're going to do?"

"You'll see soon! I'm going to show you my secret place."

Harry mounted the broomstick and signaled for her to come and sit in front of him; Hermione was a bit reluctant but she agreed anyway. They took off lightly from the ground and shortly were flying in the sky, high above the castle.

They were darting through the fresh air, sitting very close to each other; Hermione kept her hands near to his and Harry was able to smell her delicate perfume.

His heart started beating faster from the emotions caused by being so close to her.

"What do you think about this? Isn't it brilliant?"

His excitement was rising, just like it did whenever when he was flying, free as ever, with the wind in his hair.

"We're too high, Harry! Why don't we get down now?"

Harry nodded, but instead of descending, he pointed his broom up, heading to the mountains. Shortly, they reached the top of a hill, from where it was possible to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Hogwarts' grounds, castle, and lake.

They landed softly in front of a small forest and sat on a small square of grass, right on the edge above the ravine below.

Harry laid down on the grass, putting his arms behind his head and Hermione did the same, settling herself by his side. Both started to stare at the cloudy sky.

"This place is magnificent and the view is wonderful! How did you find it?"

"Sometimes, I come here to be alone."

Hermione turned to him and remained in silence, listening.

"When I feel sad, I fly up here and after a while, I'm able to overcome my problems. When I look at all those majestic mountains, I realize how small my troubles are when compared to them. This thought makes me able to go on."

"You're an incredible boy, you know? I've always asked myself how you could manage your life, after all the terrible things that've happened to you. But then I realized that you weren't like all the other boys. Anyone in your place would have got mad, but you didn't."

Harry laughed nervously.

"Is this what you really think of me?"

"Oh, yes, and I also think many other things about you, but I don't want you to get bored."

"I'd never get bored, I could stay here and listen to you for hours." Harry propped himself up on his elbows and got seated, staring at Hermione directly in her eyes.

That day she was gorgeous: she was wearing a pink salmon jacket, long to her knees and a pair of woolen black trousers. Her long brown hair was falling on her shoulders in a large number of curls and she had a sweet light in her large chocolate eyes.

This is the right time to talk to her. I must do it now or I'm going to regret it as long as I live! Harry thought, gathering all his courage before speaking.

"Hermione, is there maybe someone... with whom you'd like to go out? I mean, a guy?" Harry felt the panic rising inside and his cheeks burst into flames.

"A guy? Why are you asking such a thing?" Hermione replied really amused, but Harry wanted to go farther.

"I'm serious! Is there anyone you like more than the others?"

"Well... no. Nobody at all. What about you? Is there any girl you like in particular?"

Harry was astonished by her question, but decided to answer anyway. He cleared his throat, then he tried do speak, but for a second he thought he had lost the ability.

"Actually, there is a girl I really like."

Hermione sat up abruptly and stared at him, deeply surprised.

"Oh, this is a revelation! Let's see then, I'll try to guess who this girl is... is she a student?"

"Yes, she is."

"A Gryffindor?"

"Exactly!"

"Maybe I know her?"

"I believe so, yes!"

Hermione seemed even more curious to discover this mysterious girl's identity and Harry was feeling more and more amused by this game.

"How long've you known her?"

"Since my first year at Hogwarts."

Then Hermione started to shake her head worriedly.

"I wonder how Ron would react if he ever saw you two going out together," she said hopelessly.

"Wait a minute! Who are you talking about?"

"I mean Ginny, of course!"

For a moment, Harry stared at her in astonishment, wondering why Hermione could've ever imagined that he meant Ginny.

"I wasn't talking about her!"

"Who else, then?"

Harry hesitated for an instant, then sighed deeply and finally spoke, looking directly into her eyes.

"I was talking about you, Hermione!"

That was it! He had just told her the truth about his feelings for her. Harry was ready to see her get furious or laugh at him deeply amused.

But Hermione remained completely shocked, staring at him with her mouth open.

Harry didn't know what to do; he was in total panic. He decided to grab her hand. He had just stretched out his arm toward her when she stood up abruptly and ran away in silence, heading to the woods behind them.

Immediately, Harry stood up and ran after her.

"HERMIONE, WAIT! What the hell is happening to you?"

She stopped, turning her back to him, as he stood a few steps behind, uncertain what to do. An awkward silence fell between them.

After a few minutes, Harry spoke again.

"I know, I can understand. You didn't expect such a thing from me, but the truth is that... it's been a long time since I've liked you, even though I've never had the courage to tell you... until today."

Harry's heart was beating very fast and his hands were sweaty. Nevertheless, he was trying hard to keep calm, though he really wanted to run away instead because of the deep embarrassment he was feeling. Hermione's silence was pressing him like a huge boulder.

"Hermione, why aren't you talking to me? Maybe you haven't got the courage to tell me that I have no hope with you?" In that moment, Harry realized that his happiness or desperation would depend on her answer.

"Oh, Harry, don't be silly!" Hermione turned to him abruptly and stared at him with wet eyes.

He moved a step closer toward her without swaying his gaze.

"My goodness! Why have you only now chosen to talk to me?" she said with anger.

"What the hell does that mean, 'ONLY NOW?'"

"YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND!" Hermione shouted desperately.

Harry felt so disappointed and deeply offended by that answer. Maybe Hermione was right, maybe he wasn't able to understand her; this was making him mad.

"Why don't you tell me the truth, then? Why don't you tell me that you don't like me! That you'd never want to be my girlfriend! That you could never even bear the thought of hugging me or kissing me..."

"Do you want to know what the truth is?" Hermione's face was now streaked by tears.

"YES, I DO!"

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

"It's my right to know!"

"Here is the truth then!"

Suddenly, Hermione did the most unexpected thing: she moved a few quick steps forward, stood right in front of him, and then took his head in her hands and kissed him passionately.

As soon as their lips touched, Harry felt as though a strong electrical current was going through his body, from the ends of his hair to the tips of his toes. He had never felt such a strong emotion like that in all his life and he was fascinated and scared by it at the same time.

He was completely shocked and confused; in that moment, he had lost all notion of space and time. There was only him and Hermione; nothing and nobody could have ever hurt them.

By instinct, he stretched out his arms and grabbed her by her waist, pulling her closer to him. He wished this wonderful moment would last forever.

Then, the incredible sensation stopped abruptly. Hermione had moved and was now running away from him. When Harry opened his eyes, he needed a few seconds to collect himself; afterwards, he ran after her, heading to the small square of lawn where they had been sitting before.

Harry didn't know what to think about what had just happened. Hermione was standing on the edge of the ravine, looking at him. She was crying and trembling like a little girl, with her arms folded. He started to move closer when suddenly, a deafening blast resounded through the entire valley and the earth shook.

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(A/N: Wow, 9 reviews for the previous chapter! Thanks a lot! I'd like to mention all the people who left a review, like godsowndevil, pottergirlajg, eekii, HeidiHo, harry4NDhermione4eva, TheDivineMsD, FBline, CrimsonTemplar, hermione4harry. I'm sorry, if I've left you on a cliffy, but I like so much doing so!!! Did you want to know what was that explosion? Well, I'm glad that CrimsonTemplar has gone really close to the truth! Enjoy the reading.)

Chapter 24. INCOMPREHENSIONS

...
Which is the year? Which is the day?
This is the time for me to live with you
As you can see, my hands don't tremble any more
And in my soul
In the deep of my soul
Immense skyes and immens love
And then again love, just love for you...
...

"Gardens in March" by Lucio Battisti

Harry thought that an earthquake had just begun; in horror, he saw Hermione losing her balance and inevitably falling backwards into the ravine.

"NOOO! HARRY!" she shouted desperately, stretching out her arms.

"HERMIONE!"

By instinct he rushed to her. With a great effort, he managed to grab her arms and pull her to the ground when a second deafening blast resounded through the valley and the earth shook again.

Without hesitation, Harry protected Hermione with his body. They were both lying on the ground when debris and several large rocks started to fall down from the top of the mountain.

The young wizard acted quickly; he took out his wand and pointed it at the rocks.

"REDUCTO!"

At his command, the bigger rocks shattered into pieces, though the smaller ones hit heavily on his back.

Hermione trembled in Harry's arms. They were so close to each other that he could feel her breathing. In that moment, he was determined to protect her with his own life.

When the silence returned, he raised his head and looked around, coughing from the great quantity of dust he had just inhaled.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked, deeply shocked.

"It seemed like..." Harry didn't have time to finish his sentence because a third blast resounded and the valley trembled a third time.

Again, Harry protected Hermione with his body and more rocks and debris fell on them from the mountain.

After a few minutes, both raised their heads, trying to figure out what had just happened. As soon as Harry moved, he grimaced, feeling a sharp pain in his back.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked, staring at him concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," he lied, trying hard to stand up.

"Maybe those explosions came from Hogwarts!" she exclaimed, horrified.

"I'll have a look! Don't move from here, right?" Harry ordered and Hermione nodded.

With his heart beating faster, he ran to the edge of the hill where he could overlook the area. Luckily, the castle seemed untouched, but when he turned to Hogsmeade, he stepped backwards astonished. Three huge columns of black smoke were rising from the houses.

"Oh no! They've attacked the village!"

Harry faced Hermione, who in the meantime had followed him, not heeding his request.

"I've just told you to..."

"LOOK AT THAT!"

Hermione's face paled abruptly and she raised a hand to her mouth. When Harry turned again to the view, his eyes widened in surprise.

In the sky above Hogsmeade, Voldemort's huge Dark Mark was shining: a horrible green skull with a snake coming out from its mouth.

Harry felt the panic rising and remained dumbstruck.

"What do we do now?" Hermione whispered, terrified. Harry moved closer to her and spoke with a determined voice.

"We must go back to the castle!"

They both mounted the broomstick again and shortly were flying in the sky, desperately hoping that the attack hadn't caused any deaths.

"D-do you think that Ron and Luna are fine?"

"I'm sure they are," Harry tried to reassure her, even though his heart feared the worst.

After a few minutes, they landed on the grounds near the lake. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and together ran to the main entrance of the castle.

They were already climbing the stairs when Professor McGonagall came to them, clearly worried.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger! Thank God I've found you! You should immediately go up to your common room and stay there, no matter what!"

"P-professor, have you seen Ron?" Hermione asked with trembling voice.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't see Mr. Weasley. He's probably waiting for you in Gryffindor tower. Anyway, a group of teachers are going to the village to check what has just happened. Now go, there is no time to lose!"

Harry and Hermione stared at each other for a moment, deeply worried, and then climbed to the entrance and headed to their House Tower.

Throughout the whole school a general panic had just spread everywhere; the corridors were full of students frantically running, trying to reach their common rooms as quickly as possible.

A few times, Harry and Hermione stopped and raised their heads looking for Ron in the crowd.

"I don't see him!" Hermione seemed beside herself and was trembling like a leaf.

"Maybe he's waiting for us in the common room. Let's go!"

Even though Harry was deeply worried, he tried his best to hide his feelings.

The Gryffindor Tower was overflowing with frightened students, but Ron wasn't there.

"Harry, Hermione! Is Ron with you?"

Ginny came out from a group of fifth years girls, red in the face and eyes wet.

"We... we thought that he would've been here with you!" Hermione replied with concern.

Suddenly, Ginny burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. Hermione moved closer and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that Ron is fine. Teachers are looking for those who are still missing. He'll be here with us soon."

Ginny was inconsolable and kept crying on Hermione's shoulder. Harry was feeling so bad, his heart was squeezed by fear. He really wanted to reassure his friends, but he just couldn't find the right words.

Then he noticed a group of students coming in through the portrait hole and to his great relief, he saw that Ron was among them.

"There he is!"

The three of them reached the door and Ginny threw her arms around his brother's neck, hugging him tightly.

"Are you all right, mate?" Harry asked, feeling his heart lighter.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine. I made it just on time!"

"What's happened?" Hermione asked, slightly reassured.

"I don't know much. Luna and I were already coming back to the castle when the explosions started. But I heard a few students talking on the street. It seems that a group of Death Eaters have attacked several shops and a few houses and then in the village started a crazy panic all around. You can imagine!"

"How could they've dared so much!" Hermione commented with anger. She then turned to Harry spontaneously, but shifted her gaze away in great embarrassment.

In that very moment, Harry recalled their quarrel of that afternoon and a deep resentment rose in his heart.

Feeling offended, he turned his gaze from her as well.

***O***

After a few hours, Professor McGonagall had come to the common room, saying that all the students were safe, though among the inhabitants of Hogsmeade there were several deaths and many more wounded.

She then gave the order to go to bed and everyone obeyed immediately, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Between the worry of that day and the sharp pain he was feeling in his back, that night Harry couldn't manage to fall asleep. He kept restlessly turning over and over again. Finally, he lay on his side and stared out of the window, where the rain was falling heavily.

The sky was completely covered by dark clouds and sometimes he could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. This terrible atmosphere reminded him about the loud bomb attack of that afternoon.

It seemed incredible to him! In the morning, he and Hermione were quietly walking along Hogsmeade's streets, looking at the shops and at the unaware crowd around them.

Nobody could have ever imagined that something like that was going to happen. It was a real provocation, Voldemort's warning to Dumbledore, to let him know that the Dark Lord wasn't afraid of him.

How much more horror and suffering would this absurd war bring?

Then, the image of Hermione appeared pressingly in his mind.

Why did she react that way? Why did she run away and then kiss me? I don't understand! he thought, confused.

Tomorrow I'm going to talk to her and this time, I'll get a definitive answer, a yes or a no!

Harry was really determined and the resentment over Hermione's behavior was still burning inside.

***O***

The following morning, Harry got up with great difficulty. In addition to his backache, his head was throbbing painfully as he hadn't slept at all the previous night.

Harry and Ron were late and when they went down to the common room, Hermione wasn't waiting for them as she usually did. Harry didn't know if he could tell Ron about what had happened between them, especially since he wanted to talk to Hermione first.

They rushed downstairs and hurried to the Great Hall, shortly before breakfast was over. In the main entrance, they saw a large number of students waiting in front of the wooden door, each with his or her trunk by their side.

"Where are they all going?" Ron asked astonished.

"After what happened at Hogsmeade, I'm not surprised!" Harry replied with a sulky face.

When they entered the great Hall, they found most of the remaining students still sitting at their tables, chatting to each other worriedly.

Tension was also pouring from the teacher's table. Dumbledore was talking seriously with Professor McGonagall and Lupin was frowning at the students in front of him.

Harry had just got seated at his table when Dumbledore unexpectedly stood up and started to speak. Suddenly, the buzz in the Hall stopped and the students turned to hear what the Headmaster had to say.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but I have a very important announcement to make. As you already know, yesterday evening Voldemort's Death Eaters attacked the village of Hogsmeade."

At hearing the Dark Lord's name, most boys and girls started to whisper in alarm, but after a few seconds, silence came back and Dumbledore spoke again.

"Luckily, all our students are safe. Nevertheless, most of their families have decided to call them back home. If you want to know my opinion, I can't blame them!"

Hearing those words, Harry shuddered all over, fearing that the Headmaster wanted to close the school. In that moment, Dumbledore turned to face him, staring directly in his eyes.

"It is my duty to officially inform you that our school won't close. The other teachers and I will remain here, together with those students who are willing to stay. Despite this decision, we are going to increase our usual security measures in order to guarantee your safety at all times. Each teacher is going to inform their students about these measures and I'm sure you're going to give us your full cooperation. Now, you can quietly finish your breakfast and then start your classes."

Dumbledore went back to his chair, without swaying his gaze from Harry.

"What do you think about that?" Ginny had just taken a seat in front of Harry and Ron, staring at them deeply worried. "Do you think that Mum'll call us back home?"

"I don't think so! Mum and Dad trust Dumbledore a lot and as long as he remains here, this school is the safer place to stay." Ron simply replied.

"Hey, did you hear that? What're those other safety measures Dumbledore was talking about?" Seamus asked concerned, moving closer to them with Neville.

"Oh, don't worry about that! I'm sure that he meant the usual things like everybody inside before sunset, no more Hogsmeade weekends, and so on," replied Ron, without giving any importance to the subject.

"Let's go now or we're going to be late!" Harry exhorted them, standing up abruptly and heading to the door. Then, he rushed to the dungeons fearing he would be late to his Potion class. Luckily all his classmates were still waiting outside the door.

At the bottom of the corridor, Hermione was chatting with Lavender. She didn't notice Harry, and he didn't want to call her. He then turned to Malfoy and the other Slytherins, who were laughing amongst themselves. Those stupid guys seemed really amused by the recent events and it suddenly made Harry feel the strong impulse to go over there and punch them in their ugly noses.

At that moment, Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar and raised a hand to his forehead. Oddly, he sensed an extreme satisfaction inside his heart. Surely, Voldemort was happy about the successful attack.

Harry's thoughts were cut off by Professor Snape, who opened the door abruptly and signaled for them to enter the class.

Harry sat in a single desk at the back of the class, while Hermione took a seat close to Lavender, without even looking at him. He felt deeply wounded by her behavior and was more determined to ask for an explanation afterwards.

He stubbornly forced himself to concentrate on the lesson and didn't turn in her direction.

That morning, Snape had assigned them a very difficult reducting potion. Due to the tension with Hermione and the throbbing of his scar, Harry wasn't able to concentrate. He missed the correct order of almost all the ingredients and at the end, Snape glared horrified into his cauldron and gave him no points for the day before vanishing his potion with a light flit of his wand.

When the bell rang, Harry was completely furious with the whole world and rushed out of the classroom before the others. He ran along the corridor and shortly found himself outside in the gardens, longing for fresh air.

When he heard someone calling out his name, he turned around and saw Hermione running toward him at great speed.

"HARRY! Harry, please wait!"

Hermione had stopped right in front of him and was panting heavily because of her run.

"What do you want?" he asked rudely, feeling a great anger rising inside him.

"I think we should talk," she said with firm voice.

"Yes, that's right! I really need to hear what you have to say!" Harry frowned at her and crossed his arms.

"I can't blame you. My behavior has been really... unforgivable. But I'd like to explain what I'm feeling right now."

Hermione lowered her gaze and started to play nervously with the belt of her school bag, which was hanging heavily on her shoulder.

"It's a bit complicated for me. I-I don't really know where to start..."

Harry felt all his frustration exploding inside and shouted at her.

"I'm just asking for a simple explanation, Hermione! I just need a yes or a no from you. It doesn't seem to be such a difficult task!"

A few students who were chatting nearby turned to them and then rushed inside the castle, scandalized.

Hermione raised her wet eyes to him and then spoke in a whisper.

"How could our future depend on a yes or a no?"

"Don't you understand? My life is complicated enough without thinking about your silly troubles as well!"

Hermione was almost bursting into tears, but Harry didn't care. He was too angry and disappointed; he wanted to let her feel bad, just as he was feeling at that moment.

"I'm asking you for a simple answer!"

"I'm not able to give you an answer now, I'm sorry!" Hermione was forcing herself not to cry, even though she had a painful knot in her throat.

"Well, in that case, I'll give you a good solution!" Harry spoke in a hasty way. "Let's pretend that nothing ever happened between us, all right? Forget every word that I told you yesterday! It'll be easier for both of us..."

"But, I could never do that!" Hermione replied, with desperation in her voice.

Harry glared at her with endless anger, then spoke with a resolved tone.

"Do what you want, then. I don't care! But please, don't play games with me ever again! I have to go now, Ron is already waiting for me!"

Harry ended the quarrel and rushed away; Hermione turned to him in silence, not having the strength to react, as a warm tear slowly crossed her face.

1

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( A/N: WOW, I've been greatly impressed to receive so many reviews and all of them are really clever! Thanks to Godsowndevil, CrimsonTemplar, harry n Hermione, Talion, TheDivineMsD, eekii, Swimangel57, Hdawne, pottergirlajg, HeidiHo, for following the story until now! I need to tell you, that we're entering a really interesting part of the story, full of adventure, mystery and romance… hope you'll like it!)

Chapter 25. SENSE OF GUILT

...
Blue rivers, hills and prairies
Where sweetly my melancholies run
The universe finds his place inside me
But the courage to live isn't there yet.
...

"Gardens in March" by Lucio Battisti

Harry was late for his transfiguration lesson. He rushed inside the classroom apologizing to Professor McGonagall and reached Ron at a desk far away from the teacher.

He was still disoriented by his quarrel with Hermione and his hands were trembling from the anger that he was still feeling inside.

"Is everything OK, Harry?" Ron asked in a low voice.

"Yes, fine!" Harry replied through clenched teeth, not even turning to face his friend.

"Where is Hermione?" Ron asked again, looking around.

"I don't know!" Harry replied annoyed.

"But she was with you!"

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley! Be quiet during my lesson, please!"

Professor McGonagall scolded them immediately and both friends took out their books, forcing themselves to follow the lesson.

Harry couldn't stand it anymore; he felt as though the two hours that followed were the longest of whole his life. Professor McGonagall was sterner than ever and gave a lot of homework for the following day.

Finally, lunch time came and the two friends were the first to sit at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

Ron was still looking at the door to see if Hermione was coming.

"Tell me the truth, did you fight?" he asked, alarmed.

Harry stared at him in silence and then thought that it was useless to keep hiding the truth from him.

"Yes," he replied, resigned, trying his hardest to concentrate on the empty plate in front of him.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure she's going to get over it, she always does, I'm telling you!" Ron said simply, filling his plate with meat stew and baked potatoes.

"I don't think so. This time is different..." Harry commented gloomy. He then told him about all that had happened the previous day.

"W-what? You KISSED her?"

"NO! She kissed me, it's different! But the weird thing is that she did it after our quarrel! She treated me like a real idiot! She played games with me and it's making me crazy!"

"Love problems?"

Harry and Ron turned to Luna, who had just sat in front of them and was staring carefully at the two of them.

"NO!" lied Harry, extremely annoyed by her intrusion.

"Hi Luna! Shall we meet tonight after classes?" Ron asked her with a large smile on his face.

"Sure! I'll wait for you in the entrance... bye bye!" Luna left them with a light wave of her hand, and slowly headed to the Ravenclaw table.

"If you tell her anything, I swear that..." Harry threatened his friend, deeply alarmed.

"Hey, do you think I'm an idiot?" Ron replied, pretending to be offended.

Harry filled his plate unwillingly.

"Since we've started on the subject, how's your relationship going on so far?" asked Harry, after swallowing his first bit of meat.

Ron lowered his gaze, evidently embarrassed by the question.

"Well, we're fine together. Luna is such an interesting girl. You should get to know her better, I'm sure you're going to like her."

"Yes, maybe..." Harry replied absent-mindedly filling again his plate.

"Hi guys!" Lavender had just reached them. "Have you seen Hermione anywhere? I wanted to ask an explanation about her Charms notes."

Harry and Ron stared at each other puzzled.

"I thought that you would know where to find her, you three are always together!"

"Did you try in the library?" Ron asked, trying to speak in his most natural way.

"It's the first place I went, but she wasn't there." Lavender explained.

Ron glared at Harry, starting to worry.

"Maybe she's gone to her dormitory. I don't think she was feeling very well after Snape's class," Harry said uncertainly.

"I'll check there, thanks for the tip!" Lavender bid them goodbye and rushed away.

"Are you going to tell me what you did to her?" asked Ron with a menacing glare.

"NOTHING! We had a quarrel, I told you!"

"Did you lose your temper as usual?"

"Well, maybe just a bit... but what is the point? She's played with me and I was feeling so bad that I..."

"What did you tell her, exactly?" Ron asked again, deeply worried.

"I wanted to know if I had any chance with her or if I should shut her out of my mind. I asked for a straight answer, but she kept saying that it was too complicated for her and that she didn't know if I would be able to understand, and then..."

"And then?"

Harry stopped to think. The image of Hermione came back to his mind immediately; she was standing in front of him, desperate and with wet eyes.

"Maybe I've been too tough with her," admitted Harry in the end.

"I really think that you should go and apologize. It's better if you do it soon. If not, you're going to spend a whole month not talking to each other like you did the last time!"

Harry didn't reply, but he thought that Ron was perfectly right. He should have tried to control himself, instead of attacking her in that awful way.

Hermione was probably now crying like a wounded bird, shut up somewhere in the castle. Harry made the decision to talk to her as soon as they met.

***O***

When Harry entered Professor Flitwick's classroom, his heart lifted when he saw Hermione already sitting at the first desk on Lavender's side.

Unfortunately during the following two hours, he didn't have a chance to get closer to her and just threw a few furtive glances at her from a distance. He had the feeling that his best friend wasn't too angry with him after all, even if she didn't sit with them as usual.

When the bell finally rang, all of the students exited the classroom and headed to the greenhouse for their Herbology lesson. Already in the gardens, Harry walked faster and reached her.

"HERMIONE! Hermione, wait!"

Since she didn't stop, Harry grabbed her arm and forced her to turn. Both of them remained behind as their classmates started entering Greenhouse 7.

Harry didn't know where to start and he scratched his forehead nervously.

"I-I'm sorry for w-what I told you this morning. I didn't mean to hurt you." He started embarrassed, while she was frowning at him. "I shouldn't have treated you like that, I'm really sorry."

Hermione waited a few seconds before replying, and then sighed deeply and spoke. "Have you finished?" she asked huffily and he nodded, fearing the worst.

"Well, listen carefully to me, Harry Potter. It isn't my intention to let you or anyone else treat me in this absurd way! I'm not a target to mistreat when you're feeling nervous or frustrated, I'm a person and I've got feelings, just like you!"

Harry was deeply shocked by her words.

"If my reasons aren't worth your interest, well that's fine! It means that after all, it isn't true you care about me like you said."

"B-but I'm ready to listen to you now. I really want to, please believe me!" Harry replied, sincerely sorry.

"TOO LATE!"

With this last affirmation, Hermione turned to his side and reached her classmates, leaving Harry looking at her, deeply astonished.

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(A/N: I'm glad you liked the previous chapter, even if many of you have commented that Hermione has over-reacted! Anyway, I'm sure that you'll like the next one! Enjoy!)

Chapter 26. AQUA, AERE, IGNIS, ET TERRAM

...
I'm recalling you
Beautiful as you are
Maybe even more
I'm recalling you
Sweeter as never before,
As you've never been
An angel fallen down from heaven
This you are in all my dreams
I want you so much, I want you so much...
...

"I'm recalling you" by Lucio Battisti

Harry thought he was really in trouble this time. Hermione was furious and she didn't talk to him the entire afternoon or even during dinner, making him feel extremely guilty.

That evening, Harry found a bad surprise waiting for him in the common room. He had just entered through the Fat Lady's portrait when he saw a large group of students crowded in front of the message board.

Harry and Ron got closer and as soon as they were able to read it, they widened their eyes in horror.

"No more Quidditch?" Ron shouted, extremely upset.

"They must be joking!" Harry couldn't believe his eyes.

Professor McGonagall had just posted a list of several restrictions to guarantee her students' maximum safety. As Ron had already anticipated, no longer allowed were going out into the gardens after sunset, trespassing beyond Hogwarts borders, or visiting Hogsmeade during weekends. There was also no more Quidditch practices or games.

"It's a real nightmare!" Ron commented, collapsing on the large armchair in front of the fireplace.

"What's the sense in forbidding Quidditch? Practices and matches always take place during day time! Without Quidditch, there's no reason to stay at school. It'd be much better to go back home!" Ron couldn't overcome his disappointment.

"This is a day I wish I could forget! I don't believe that anything worse could happen to me tonight!" said Harry hopelessly, sitting at Ron's side.

At that moment, Neville came up.

"Hey, guys! I'm sorry, but I've got a message for you from McGonagall."

Harry and Ron stared at him worriedly.

"Oh, no! I can't stand more bad news!"

"Since Quidditch practices and matches have been canceled, and since from now on you're going to have much more free time, McGonagall said that you can attend extra Transfiguration lessons, regularly, twice a week."

"B-but why? J-just the both of us?" Ron asked, deeply astonished.

"Well, she's asked me to do it as well. It's for the official apparation examination, you know? If I don't manage to get at least an Acceptable, this time my granny won't let me enter her house any more! I'm really sorry, mates."

When Neville left, Harry and Ron remained seated, staring at the fire in deep shock.

***O***

The week passed by very slowly for Harry; the school was almost deserted now, since most of the students had gone back home, especially the first and second years. Nevertheless, it seemed that all the teachers had become sterner than usual.

Even little Professor Flitwick had succeeded in becoming unbearable; he kept assigning pages and pages from the text book and difficult essays about past, present, and future subjects.

"Does he think that we're all some kind of Seers or something?" Ron commented on a Tuesday afternoon, when Professor Flitwick surprised them all with an unexpected exercise in class, saying that it shouldn't be so unexpected after all.

The previous Monday, Professor McGonagall had started with human disapparating, asking her students to successfully disapparate themselves on the following Wednesday class. Unfortunately, most of them, including Harry and Ron, were more or less able to disapparate only their fingers.

Ron's commented, "It's impossible to manage disapparating by the second lesson! No one would be ever able to do it!"

But Harry received the final blow from Snape, during the last two hours of Potions on Friday afternoon. With the excuse of refilling his ingredients cupboard, the teacher ordered to him and Seamus to select, wash, divide, and then cut up a mountain of lizard's eyes, bat's wings, and coleopteran's entrails, without using magic.

During the lesson, Harry had furtively gazed at Hermione and each time she turned to him, he blushed, red as a lobster. The situation was deeply humiliating and Harry succeeded in hating Snape even more than usual.

On top of it all, on Tuesday and Thursday night, Harry, Ron, and Neville had to show up to Professor McGonagall's office for their extra disapparating lessons and on Friday evening was Harry's usual Occlumency meeting with Snape.

Finally, Saturday morning came and Harry realized that he didn't have any desire to get up.

He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a long time with the curtains closed around him, waiting for his roommates to go down for breakfast.

"Harry? Are you awake? I'm going downstairs to meet Luna. I'll see you later, right?" Ron shouted at him, before closing the door behind him.

All alone, Harry was already starting to relax when he heard a little voice at a distance.

"Harry? Harry?"

He sprung up and looked around him, trying to figure out who was calling out his name.

"Harry, are you there?"

As soon as he realized that the voice was coming from his trunk, Harry rushed to open it and struggled furiously among his clothes until he found what he was looking for.

"Mark!"

Harry held the two-way mirror in his hands, which was reflecting Mark Evans' smiling face.

"Hi Harry! I hope I didn't wake you up!"

"Not at all! Don't worry. H-how are you?" Harry thought it was absurd talking to someone reflected in a mirror, but he also knew that in the magical world, things like this were normal.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to ask you how your training is going."

"Training?" Harry stared at Mark, astonished.

"To learn how to use your powers!"

A sudden realization hit him: with all the things that had happened during the last week, he had completely forgotten about his secret trainings.

"Yes, I-I'm on track!" he lied so as to not worry him.

"I wanted to suggest to you a good book, which can teach you how to contact Sirius. The book's title is The Eternal Quest, written by Sir Conan Oroptimus."

"Well, thank you!"

"I must go now, but please, keep me informed about your progress."

"All right! See you soon Mark."

Suddenly, Mark Evans' image disappeared in a vortex of fog.

I must absolutely start the training again! Harry thought, while setting the mirror in his trunk.

I don't think Hermione would help me this time. I'll ask Ron! he said to himself, while putting on a pair of extra large jeans and a gray woolen sweater.

Harry got closer to the dormitory mirror and quickly passed a hand through his black hair, managing to ruffle it even more. He then exited into the hall and rushed to the deserted common room.

When he reached the Great Hall for breakfast, he found Ron and Luna chatting happily at the Gryffindor table.

"Good morning Luna, Ron!" Harry greeted them and took a seat close by.

Instinctively, he scanned the table looking for Hermione, but he didn't find her. Since the day of their quarrel, Harry hadn't yet found the courage to talk to her. He was feeling deeply guilty and in addition, he wanted to let his best friend calm down before trying again.

"If you're looking for Hermione, well, she just left a few minutes ago!" Luna's comment made him jump in his place.

Harry turned to Ron abruptly and frowned at him, fearing that his friend had told Luna about his love troubles, but Ron replied by shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Ron didn't tell me anything. Lavender did! Last Monday she found Hermione in tears in her dormitory," Luna explained simply.

Harry didn't know what to say. Other people talking about his private life was the thing he hated the most. He sighed deeply and poured some tea into his cup.

"What are you going to do this weekend?" Ron asked curiously and suddenly Harry recalled what Mark had just told him.

"Ron, listen! Would you like to help me?"

"Sure! Tell me what it's about."

"I need to train myself for... you know what." Harry didn't want Luna listening to them, but she had just got closer, not missing a word.

"Your new powers? Of course, I can help you!" Ron said happily.

"We wanted to spend the whole day together!" Luna protested and Ron hurriedly found a good solution to not disappoint her.

"Well, why don't you come with us?"

"No way!" Harry didn't like the idea. If Luna knew his secret, she would fill the whole school with the news.

"Why not? I'll be as dumb as a fish, nobody will ever know about it, I swear!"

Harry didn't know what to do.

"If you want my help, then Luna'll have to come with us!" exclaimed Ron with a firm voice and Harry had no other choice.

"All right then, we'll go after breakfast." Harry ended resigned, before starting to sip his tea.

***O***

Ron was sitting leg crossed on the soft carpet of the Room of Requirement, skimming through the pages of an ancient book entitled How to gain control over the universal elements: theory and practice.

While he was trying hard to understand as much as possible, Harry was walking along the library to find the text Mark had suggested to him and Luna was curiously looking at the huge series of strange mechanical devices which were sitting on the shelves around the room.

Finally, Harry found the book he was looking for, The Eternal Quest by Sir Conan Oroptimus. He was really surprised when he saw that it was smaller that all the other books in the library.

I'm going to read it later, he thought, slipping the text in his jeans' pocket.

"Why don't we start with something practical? This stuff is incredible!" said Ron excitedly and Harry came immediately to his side.

"I'll read you what it says here, 'Among the numerous powers of a Seer, one of the most interesting is the ability to control the universal elements, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. As soon as he is in deep concentration, a Seer is able to evoke those elements at will and order them to increase or decrease...' COOL! I'm almost envying you!" As soon as Ron ended the sentence, Harry frowned at him.

"I was just joking! Shall we try it? Let's see... IGNIS is the word to evoke the Fire, TERRAM is used for earthquakes, I think! I'd start with Air, since it looks easier."

"All right, then. Let's start with that."

Harry stood right in the center of the room, while Ron was still reading carefully through the book.

"You should try to get deeply concentrated."

Harry followed Ron's suggestion and closed his eyes.

CRASHHHHHH!

Suddenly, they heard a terrible noise and both turned to face Luna.

"Oops! I'm so sorry! I won't do that again, I promise!"

Luna had just pushed down a curious crystal still and its slimy greenish contents had spread all over the floor.

"Er... honey? Why don't you come here and sit close to me?" Ron asked her kindly, trying not to seem too harsh; Harry rolled his eyes.

Luna reached her boyfriend and sat crossed legged on the floor.

"Well, let's start again. Are you deeply concentrated? All right... now try to visualize the air which surrounds us in this room."

Harry closed his eyes again and followed Ron's words.

"Now, visualize the air which surrounds the whole castle, the gardens, Hogsmeade's village, the whole country, the world and the universe. You should try to feel one with this element. Are you there?"

Harry nodded with a light sign of his head, forcing himself to remain concentrated.

"Now you should stretch out your arms and say the magical words Aere Emanatum."

Harry obeyed; he extended his arms in front of him and pronounced the magical words aloud and with deep determination.

"AERE EMANATUM!"

After a few seconds he opened his eyes and was disappointed to see that nothing had happened.

"Well, I wouldn't worry if I were you, Harry. You know, the first time isn't always so easy to..."

"Wait! Look at that!" Luna grabbed Ron's head and forced him to turn toward a far corner of the room.

"I-I can't believe it!" exclaimed Harry surprised.

A tiny vortex of air, as big as the palm of a hand, was whirling in that corner.

"Very good Harry, very good!" Ron couldn't disguise his excitement. "Now, try to concentrate again and order the vortex to increase... you should say Augeo!"

Harry closed his eyes again and pointed his arms toward the tiny tornado.

"AUGEO!"

The vortex quickly grew bigger. At first, it was as tall as a table, then a cupboard. Finally it reached the ceiling and was strong enough to drag along anything in its path, filling the room with a heavy wind. The vortex was dangerously heading toward the three of them.

Harry stepped backwards, while Ron and Luna stood up and flattened themselves against the wall, covering their faces with their hands.

Every object in the room was thrown violently everywhere.

Panic rose in Harry's heart, since he thought it impossible to control the vortex anymore. Then suddenly, he became weaker and weaker; his head started to throb painfully and he sensed a sharp pain inside his chest. Harry raised a hand to his heart and, unable to resist, he fell on his knees.

In that moment, the vortex lost its power and started to decrease, until it became smaller again, just like the palm of a hand. Finally it disappeared with a little POP!

"Is everything all right?" asked Ron extremely worried, coming closer to his best friend.

Harry was panting heavily and didn't even have enough strength to reply, so he nodded a yes with his head. Ron grabbed Harry's arm and helped him stand up.

"Mark had told me that... using these powers could leave me weak..." said Harry exhausted, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sweater sleeve.

"Stop it here, then!" Ron spoke with a firm tone and closed the book which he was still holding tightly in his hands.

"NO! I want to go on! The only way to control these powers is to practice. Please Ron, I need your help again!"

Ron nodded uncertainly and opened the book unwillingly.

"Shall we try with Water?" he asked doubtfully and Harry nodded, reaching the center of the room.

"This time we need something liquid to start with..." said Ron, looking around him.

"Maybe that greenish substance could be useful!" asked Luna, quietly.

"Well, since we haven't got anything else, I think it'll be fine. Harry, you should deeply concentrate on that substance and say the magical words Aqua Emanatum!"

Harry obeyed; he closed his eyes again and stretched his arms out toward the point where Luna had broken the still.

"AQUA EMANATUM!"

This time, Harry saw immediately a small spiral springing out from the liquid, even though it was as small as a wine goblet.

"AUGEO!"

At Harry's order, the whirl increased more and more, until it became as tall as a table. It was already starting to engulf everything along its path when Harry felt his strength being completely dragged out of him and the sharp pain in his chest became unbearable.

His head was throbbing, making him dizzy as he felt the need to throw up. When the vortex decreased abruptly, Harry fainted on the floor, unconscious.

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(A/N: I thank you all for your very kind reviews and I'm going to answer to them separately. I bet that at the end of last chapter, my female readers wished to fly to Hogwarts and help our poor, sweet Harry, isn't it? I'm sure you'll like the next chapter…)

Chapter 27. TOGETHER AGAIN

...
By now
Between us
Just a step...
I'd like to, no I won't like to
But if you want to...
...

"I'd like to, no I won't like to, but if you want to..." by Lucio Battisti

Night had just fallen over the city of London and throughout the streets, a thick fog was beginning to rise.

Mark Evans was silently walking down a deserted alley, feeling weird as though he was being followed. He hurried along nervously when suddenly he found himself trapped in a dead end.

He turned to face a hooded figure who had just apparated to his side.

"Look at what we have here! My old friend Mark Evans!"

"I'm done with all of you now. Let me go!"

"I'm sorry to contradict you Mark, but with the Dark Lord, it isn't possible to just be done with him. You'll come with me. You don't have any other choice."

Mark took out his wand and pointed it at his enemy.

"STUPEFY!" he shouted, but the Death Eater was faster than him and disapparated with a resounding CRACK.

Mark didn't waste any time and ran away. He had just reached the main street when a ray of red light hit him in the back and he fell down, unconscious.

***O***

Harry didn't regain consciousness until the following morning. The previous day, Ron had dragged him up to their dormitory.

When Harry opened his eyes, he was still feeling extremely weak, even though he had slept through the previous afternoon and night.

He slowly raised a hand to his head, and then searched for his glasses on the bed table and put them on. Under his glasses was a short note from Ron.

"Finally you're up! I'm going to spend the day with Luna. I promised her, you know! I didn't want to wake you up. After all you went through yesterday, you deserved a bit of rest. I'll see you later, Ron."

Harry smiled slightly; he was grateful to his best friend for all his help. Harry stood up, still feeling a bit disoriented and he got ready as quickly as he could. Then he walked out of his room and headed to the Great Hall for a late Sunday breakfast.

When he sat at the Gryffindor table, which was half empty, he noticed a light weight in his jeans' back pocket. He put a hand inside and took out the booklet he had taken the day before from the Room of Requirement.

Harry skimmed through it and decided to start reading it after breakfast. He absolutely had to learn everything about the Veil's ceremony, as it was the only chance he had to meet Sirius for one last time and set him free.

After a quiet meal, Harry exited the Great Hall while skimming the book, not really paying attention to where he was going. Then he suddenly ran into someone and his book fell on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Oh no! Where is my mind today?" said a female voice.

Harry was staring at Cho Chang, quite surprised, as she bent down to pick up the book. He noticed that his ex-girlfriend looked really pretty that day, with her long black hair left loose down her back and her oriental-shaped black eyes brighter than usual.

"Well, don't worry... it-it's nothing, really." Harry replied, embarrassed.

"How are you? It's been ages since we've talked!" she said simply, giving him back the book.

Harry didn't know what to think. Cho had been ignoring him the entire year and now, she wanted to start up a conversation with him, pretending that everything was normal between them!

"I'm fine, and you?" he asked uncertainly.

"Fine, thanks! I'm glad you've decided to remain at school. My parents are really afraid about this war and after Hogsmeade's attack, they absolutely wanted me to leave the school. But I didn't want to! After all, Dumbledore will do everything he can to protect us and then," Cho paused shortly, staring deeply into his eyes, "you're here as well."

Harry was starting to feel uncomfortable and had the sudden desire to end the conversation there and just leave.

"Well... I'm sorry, but I have to go."

He was already climbing the stairs when Cho spoke again in a tone of voice that suggested she wanted to see how he would react.

"I know that you had a fight with Hermione Granger!"

Harry stood motionless for a few seconds, deeply surprised by that statement. He then turned slowly to face her, frowning.

"I never liked that girl. It's good that you've broken up with her."

"I haven't broken up with her!" replied Harry, thoroughly annoyed.

"So, you haven't?" Cho seemed really disappointed by his answer.

"Oh, in that case, it's a pity, you know? I thought we could start going out together again but..." She paused briefly, looking at Harry with a sad look in her eyes, and then added, "Well, I'll see you around then!"

Cho Chang rushed away, leaving him still standing on the stairs, quite astonished.

***O***

"Since the beginning of ages, the mystery of death has interested entire generations of wizards. The main question has always been the following: what is there beyond?"

Harry was sitting in the library by himself, absorbed in reading the booklet The Eternal Quest.

"Of the mysterious items in the world, the Veil of Death is the most mysterious. Nobody exactly knows what is hidden behind it, but those who have studied the matter deeply have come to the same conclusion: the Veil is a place of transition, where the souls who have left their bodies remain, waiting to proceed on their path to the destination assigned to them."

Harry skimmed a few other pages anxiously; he didn't have much time left and he still hadn't found anything useful. He suddenly stopped on a chapter entitled "How to contact a soul who has been trapped behind the Veil of Death."

"Only a true Seer would be able to communicate with souls trapped behind the Veil and, through an ancient ceremony, succeed in setting them free. Once beyond the Veil, those souls may decide to follow one of two paths: those who were afraid of death while still alive will be destined to remain in this world as ghosts, while those who, during their lifetime, understood and accepted the meaning of death will be able to go on toward the endless light."

At that very moment, Harry raised his head and realized that someone had just entered the library.

"Hermione!"

She was standing by the door, evidently surprised by Harry's presence; after hesitating briefly, she stepped backwards and rushed away, heading into the corridor.

Harry didn't waste any time. He slipped the book back into his pocket and followed her as fast as he could.

"HERMIONE, PLEASE WAIT!"

Although he was calling her repeatedly, Hermione didn't seem to want to stop.

The corridors were mostly deserted, except for small groups of students here and there who were chatting, but Harry could clearly hear Hermione's footsteps heading downstairs.

With a catlike jump, Harry reached his friend and stood in front of her, blocking the way.

"Please, stop! I just want to talk," he begged and Hermione silently looked up at him, ready to listen.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked anxiously.

"No, not anymore" she replied, smiling slightly.

"I shouldn't have said all those horrible things to you the other day. I'm really sorry about that."

"I'm sure you are," said Hermione sincerely.

An embarrassing silence fell over them and both looked down at the floor.

Hermione broke the silence first. "Ron told me about yesterday. You used your Seer powers, right?"

"Yeah... but it didn't go very well," he commented nervously.

"Well, if you want my opinion, you've been absolutely irresponsible! For all I know, you could have killed yourself!" she scolded, folding her arms across her chest with a stern look in her eyes.

Despite her words, Harry couldn't keep from smiling. He was feeling a strange warmth in his heart, knowing that after everything, she still cared about him.

"I'm sure that with enough time and practice, things'll improve," she added in tone of voice not unlike Professor McGonagall's.

"Yeah, I know." Harry was trying to choose every word carefully so as to not upset her again.

After a few more seconds of silence, Hermione sighed deeply and then spoke again.

"I really think we should talk, about what happened on Valentine's Day, I mean. Maybe we could find a quieter place," she suggested, trying as best she could to hide her embarrassment. "What do you think?"

"Sure!"

They walked downstairs together and quickly reached the gardens. While walking across the grounds, Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eye. That day Hermione was wearing a pretty little woolen dress with pink and black squares that went down to her knees, and her hair was pulled back in a cute ponytail.

Off in the distance, most of the students were walking along the lake, enjoying the first sunny day of the season.

Harry and Hermione entered Greenhouse 3, which was completely deserted. The glass walls were covered by strange climbing plants with blue and red leaves.

Hermione was slowly pacing the greenhouse with her back to Harry, while he stood motionless at the entrance, looking at her.

"You have to understand: I've always put my responsibilities before anything else, I mean my studies and the fight against the Dark Arts." Hermione was nervously fussing with her sleeves.

"I've always believed that friendship was more important than love. Every time my roommates talked about boys and dating, I didn't want to listen to them, stubbornly turning to my books. I was sure that you were of the same opinion, that in your life, there wasn't any place for a girlfriend or for romance."

Then she turned to face Harry, looking deep into his eyes.

"Then, the other day when you talked to me like that, I suddenly felt so disoriented! Everything I was so sure of, all of my certainties were completely gone."

"Why did you kiss me then?" Harry asked confused.

"I don't know! Maybe in that moment I thought: if I kiss him, then I would know that I didn't feel anything for him and..." she briefly paused, sighing deeply, and then finished her sentence, "and it would've been easier to push you away from me. On the contrary..."

"On the contrary?" Harry felt a weak hope rising in his heart and started to move closer to her.

"Well, when we kissed, I felt as if... as if..."

"As if an electrical current was going through you!" Harry cut her off, a stronger emotion already beginning to take control over him. His heart started to beat faster and his cheeks were burning.

Harry moved even closer, losing himself in her deep brown eyes. Oddly, he had never felt surer about his feelings than he did at that moment.

"Do you think that we could still be friends, then?" he asked, taking her hand gently and squeezing it. It was soft like silk.

"We already are friends!" she affirmed, without showing any resistance.

"Do you think that we could spend more time together now?" Harry was completely oblivious to where he was. In that moment, only the two of them existed in the entire world... just him and the girl he loved more than himself.

By now, there were only a few centimeters between them and their lips were almost touching.

"Why not!" Hermione seemed completely hypnotized by those bright green eyes, which were staring at her intensely.

Without even realizing it, Harry reached out with his other hand and gently brushed her cheek.

"Could we... always talk about anything? Even about what scares us the most?" he whispered.

"I-I think so..."

They were so close that Harry could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin and could see the confusion in her eyes.

"You are so beautiful!" he said, barely moving his lips, not taking his eyes off her.

Hermione closed her eyes and Harry felt an uncontrollable impulse possessing his entire being. He closed his eyes also and let this impulse flow through him.

Their lips finally touched and as they kissed, both were swept away by feelings of complete bliss.

A mixture of emotions burst into Harry's heart: love, fear, joy, sadness, terror. It was as if all the feelings of the world were concentrated inside of him.

He hugged her tightly in his arms, wishing that this incredible moment would never end.

***O***

Harry and Hermione spent the whole afternoon together, walking in the gardens hand in hand, carefree like two happy children.

They talked about anything that came into their minds; they were in perfect harmony and, even when in silence, could easily perceive each other's feelings.

At dinner, they couldn't keep from staring at each other, smiling as if they were hypnotized. Harry felt elated and incredibly happy.

When Ron reached them at the Gryffindor table, he immediately realized the sudden change of atmosphere between the two of them.

"Hey, it's about time! Luna and I were starting to lose hope!"

That evening, the new couple remained in the common room until late, seated in front of the fireplace in each other's arms.

Harry kept staring at her, truly amazed, unable to believe that it wasn't just a wonderful dream. After some time, Hermione moved away from the embrace and turned to face Harry, looking directly into his eyes.

"I've made up my mind! Tomorrow we'll start our secret training again!" she said firmly, pulling Harry back down to earth.

"Why are you talking about our secret training?" he asked, annoyed by the interruption.

"Because it's important!" Hermione chided him. "I'll tell you more later! It's time to go to bed!" she added standing up abruptly, folding her arms across her chest.

"All right, all right, but..." Harry didn't want to leave.

"But what?" Hermione asked, forcing herself to remain serious.

Harry stared at her astonished, but at that moment, she couldn't keep from laughing.

"I'm just worried about you, that's all!" she explained in a sweeter voice, stretching out her arm to him.

Harry grabbed her hand smiling and stood up, obediently.

"I know, I know. I'll never be able to thank you enough for worrying about me."

Hand in hand, they reached the stairs and stopped there for a few seconds.

"Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Harry and sleep well."

Hermione stood on her toes and gave him a little peck on the cheek before running upstairs.

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(A/N: I thank you so much for your very good reviews! I knew that you would have found the previous chapter extremely interesting! Anyway, I don't want you to believe that from now on it's going to be all fluff and so! The story is slowly coming to an end, but it will be followed by a sequal, which I'm writing at the present moment. I'm happy to give you the title of the sequal, which is “SECRETS FROM THE FUTURE”! Any guesses? Now I leave you on the following chapter, hoping that you'll like it!)

Chapter 28. IN TROUBLE

...
How can a rock-cliff
Embank the sea?
Even if I don't want to
I start flying again...
...

"I'd like to, no I won't like to, but if you want to..." by Lucio Battisti

The room was half wrapped by darkness, illuminated only by the feeble moonlight filtering in through the dismantled windows.

"Finally, we meet again, Mark!"

The Dark Lord was standing in the middle of the room, glaring satisfactorily at his prisoner, who was forcibly bent in front of him, his wrists and ankles tied. The most curious thing was that Mark kept staring directly into Voldemort's eyes, as if he didn't have any fear of him.

"I was deeply disappointed by your behavior fifteen years ago. Running away like that wasn't a nice to do!"

"Too late I realized the horrible mistakes I made, but I did my best to find a remedy."

"How? BETRAYING YOUR LORD?" thundered Voldemort; the others Death Eaters in the room jumped in their places.

"I should kill you right now, Mark! But I've got other plans in mind."

Mark stared at Voldemort with endless hate.

"I want you to do something for me..."

"NEVER!" Mark shouted, trembling in anger.

"You're forgetting that I can change your mind in many different ways."

The Dark Lord pointed his wand toward him and said an unforgivable magical word.

"CRUCIO!"

Mark fell to the ground shouting, writhing from the unbearable pain he was feeling throughout his entire body.

"NOOOO!"

At the same moment, several kilometers away, a sixteen year old wizard had just woken up abruptly, panting heavily and feeling his scar throbbing painfully.

Instinctively, Harry put on his glasses and looked at the clock: five in the morning. Without waking up his roommates, he jumped out of bed and rushed to his trunk. When he found the two-way mirror, he exited the dormitory and hurriedly reached the deserted common room.

He pointed his wand at the fireplace. "INCENDIO!"

A crackling fire appeared, lighting up the room. Harry sat on the sofa and stared at the mirror with trembling hands.

"MARK! MARK EVANS!"

He pronounced the name several times, but nobody replied. Disappointed, he forced himself to remember every detail of his dream, but he couldn't. It was as if his mind has become cloudy and the only thing he recalled was that Voldemort had just cast the Cruciatus Curse on Mark Evans.

I'm sure about what I saw! It happened for real. I must tell Dumbledore about it!

Harry stood up immediately and exited the common room heading down the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

He had just arrived in front of the gargoyle's statue when he found himself face to face with a furious Professor Snape, who was coming from the opposite corridor.

"Why are you wandering around the castle at this time of the morning, Potter?" he asked with a disgusted look in his eyes.

"I need to speak with the Headmaster... Sir," Harry replies nervously.

"How fascinating! But it's impossible to bother Professor Dumbledore at the moment. Do you believe that your foolish matters are so important as to warrant disturbing the Headmaster at any time of the night?"

"These aren't foolish matters!" Harry replied, starting to lose his temper.

"Of course they are!" Snape insisted threateningly.

"Why don't you let me judge it myself, Severus?"

Harry turned, and was deeply surprised to see Dumbledore in person peeping out from behind the gargoyle's statue.

"Both of you come to my office, please" said the Headmaster, leading the way.

Soon Harry was standing in front of Dumbledore's desk, with Professor Snape at his side, still frowning at him.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his huge armchair and stared at Harry from above his half-moon spectacles.

"I'm ready to listen to you."

"I just had a vision!" Harry's words rushed out of his mouth, mostly because he was still feeling deeply worried. "I saw Mark Evans, and Voldemort was torturing him! You should do something immediately, otherwise..."

"Are you sure that your vision was authentic?"

Harry was astonished by that question. He thought a few second about it, then he replied energetically.

"Of course it was!"

"Potter, control your temper!" Snape scolded him, and then the teacher turned to the Headmaster.

"If I may share my opinion, Sir, I'd like to point out the fact that this boy still keeps getting odd dreams and visions about the Dark Lord. The only meaning of this is his short attention span during my Occlumency lessons, and his lack of practice."

"It's not true!" affirmed Harry angrily, glaring at him directly in the eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU IMPERTINENT LITTLE..."

"Severus, please!"

Snape forced himself to regain control, and then spoke again with a light tremble in his voice.

"Potter has been taking private lessons with me for over a year, but he isn't making the slightest effort to closing his mind to the Dark Lord's intrusions. It's for this reason that I'm asking you for permission to stop with..."

The Headmaster cut him off with a sign of his hand, then sighed deeply and spoke with an almost unnatural calmness.

"Harry, I'm going to ask the wizards from the Order to immediately start searching for Professor Evans and I'll keep you informed about future developments."

It wasn't a case to argue over and Harry nodded reluctantly.

"Severus, I'm strongly requesting that you carry on with your Occlumency lessons."

At this explicit request, Snape couldn't do anything else but giving his consent. He lowered his gaze resignedly.

Out the window, the sun had already risen and was lighting the mountains' peaks with its golden rays.

"I believe that it's time to go back to your rooms now." Dumbledore brought an end to their brief meeting.

When Harry returned to his dormitory, he found his mates already up.

"What's happened, Harry?" asked Ron worriedly, but Harry was feeling completely lost and didn't want to speak.

Without saying a word, he slowly reached his bed and collapsed heavily on it. He couldn't believe that Mark was in Voldemort's hands at that very moment.

Neville, Seamus, and Dean peeped out from their bed curtains, staring at the scene deeply surprised. Ron slowly moved closer to his best friend's bed, fearing the worst.

"They've caught him, Ron! They've got Mark now!" Harry whispered, staring intensely at the ceiling.

***O***

Winter had already come to an end, leaving in its place spring and its beautiful sunny days, but Harry hadn't had the time yet to realize it. Several weeks had flown by since the night he had dreamt about Mark Evans.

Dumbledore had told him that the wizards from the Order were still doing their best to find Mark, even though they didn't know where Voldemort's headquarters were.

Harry was demoralized because of the whole situation and not even Hermione's lovely attention could make him feel better. He was always nervous and touchy with everybody.

It was unbearable for him to go on with his classes as if nothing had happened. In his brain he still saw Mark Evans, twisting and shouting from pain under the effect of the Cruciatus Curse.

On top of everything, Snape was doing his very best to make Harry's life a real hell. He kept punishing him in the most absurd ways and during their Occlumency lessons, he was unleashing his entire resentment on the boy.

On a Friday afternoon in late March, during the last two hours of Potions, Harry was carefully reading Snape's instructions on the blackboard. As usual, he was sitting close to Hermione in one of the farthest desks at the end of the classroom.

It was a really complex Truth Potion and Snape had asked for his students' greatest care.

Despite his efforts, Harry wasn't able to concentrate and kept his mind somewhere else.

Right in the middle of the preparation, Hermione realized that Harry had just made a mistake. His potion was still too liquid and wasn't boiling at all, while hers had just started to crackle loudly.

"NO! You shouldn't have used the essence of moonstone, but the powder!" she whispered to him, alarmed, and Harry stared at his cauldron, motionless.

"Wait! Let's put some asphodel to let it reduce a little bit more."

Hermione raised her head and stared at Snape for a second; he was slowly pacing the room a few meters from them, critically observing his students one by one. When she was sure Snape wasn't looking in their direction, she poured the powdered substance into Harry's cauldron. He sighed in relief and smiled at her thankfully.

At that moment, Snape came closer to them, glaring at Harry's potion in disgust, but luckily it had just started to boil. The teacher didn't say a word and turned away.

Both glanced at each other feeling relieved and went back to work.

Another half an hour passed by and again Hermione noticed something wrong.

"Careful! Don't use the snake's eye yet, you should mix the potion three times clockwise first!"

Harry stopped just in time, his hand remaining in midair. He then put down the little vial and mixed the potion three times clockwise, while his forehead was starting to become sweaty.

"MISS GRANGER!"

Harry and Hermione jumped in surprise, hearing Snape's menacing voice coming from his desk.

"I don't remember telling you to help Mr. Potter! This is the second time it happened this afternoon. Ten points from Gryffindor!"

Harry frowned at the teacher, forcing himself not to answer him back. Evidently Snape realized his internal battle and he didn't like it at all.

"Potter! Take all your belongings and come to the front desk!"

Harry couldn't believe it; he turned to Hermione and stared at her with his mouth open, but she nodded in silence. Reluctantly, he slowly packed his things as Snape levitated his cauldron to the first desk.

When Harry was ready, he sighed deeply and stood up and then walked to the head of the class. He had just reached the first row, when something really unexpected happened.

"It's not fair!"

Harry heard Hermione's comment behind his back and felt his blood freeze. He took a seat quietly, desperately hoping that Snape hadn't heard her.

In that instant, Snape stood up and pointed his long noise dangerously in Hermione's direction.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, what did you say? Could you please repeat it aloud, so that the whole class will be able to hear?"

Harry turned to Hermione abruptly, making "NO" sign with a light shake of his head. She looked around and felt her classmates' eyes on her. Not at all intimidated, she stood up and frowned at the teacher.

"I said that the way you always treat Harry Potter isn't fair!"

Harry feared the worst; horrified, he turned to Snape, noticing that he had become paler than usual.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape said with extreme satisfaction, but Hermione didn't move a muscle.

"Is there still something you'd like to share with us, Miss Granger?"

A minute of silence passed by in which all the students remained motionless, with their gazes going in turn from Hermione to Snape.

Clearly, he was provoking her, but instead of stopping there, as Harry had warmly hoped, Hermione reinforced her words.

"We weren't doing anything bad, and you know it!"

Harry widened his eyes and looked at her, as if to say "Please stop it!"

"Another ten points from Gryffindor! Is there something else?" A devilish smile lit up Snape's face.

Malfoy and the others from Slytherin were sneering while the Gryffindors were staring at Hermione furiously. Nevertheless, she spoke a last time.

"With all that is happening out there, I thought that you'd have changed your attitude. On the contrary, you keep treating Harry and the other Gryffindor students badly!"

"Miss Granger, detention! Tomorrow night, in my office."

Hermione lowered her gaze and slowly got seated, mortified. Harry turned to face Snape, glaring at him with deep hate.

How could you treat her like that, you clammy poisonous snake! he thought.

Snape seemed really satisfied with himself; he turned to the other students, who in the meantime had stopped working and were still staring at him, deeply shocked.

"What are you looking at? Go back to your potions, ALL OF YOU!"

At Snape's order, they started to concentrate on their cauldrons again.

Harry tried to go on with his work, but it was almost impossible; he was feeling upside down and his hands were trembling in anger.

When the bell rang, most of the students had obtained awful results. Instead of being transparent and crystalline, their potions had taken on a wide range of colors, from the dark gray one of Seamus Finnigan, to Ernie Macmillan's glowing red.

Harry's potion was acid green, but he didn't care at all. He was just worried about his girlfriend and wanted to comfort her.

Hermione had rushed out of the classroom before anyone else and Harry was pushing everybody with his elbows, trying to reach the door as quickly as possible. Passing in front of the Slytherins, he forced himself not to turn toward Malfoy, who was sneering at him.

"Has your girlfriend gone mad, Potter?"

"Run to her, Potter! She's probably hiding in a lost corner of the castle now!"

Those were the kindest comments that came to Harry's ear. Without wasting time, he exited the class in a fury.

Hermione was already at the end of the corridor when Harry came to her side.

"Hermione, wait! Hermione!"

"I'm trying to put as much distance as possible between me and that CLAMMY, DULL, DISGUSTING sort of teacher!"

Hermione was still walking fast and Harry was doing his best to keep at her side.

"I've only one question for you! Why? You know that it's useless arguing with him, he's never going to change!"

"I couldn't help myself!" Hermione tried to justify her actions, but Harry wasn't able to understand yet.

"But why didn't you just stop it?"

"Since I was already in trouble, I wanted to tell him what I really thought!" she explained, crossing the Great Hall's entrance as Harry rolled his eyes.

They sat at the Gryffindor table, but Hermione was still mad at the Potions teacher.

"I can't believe that he put me in detention!"

"What were you expecting from someone like Snape?" Harry asked, giving her a stern look.

"Hey, what's up? Did you get a bad grade?"

Ron had just taken a seat at their side and was looking at them amusedly, but when Harry and Hermione frowned at him, he became silent and lowered his gaze to the empty plate in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry! Please go on with your quarrel, don't pay attention to me."

"Snape just gave Hermione a detention!" Harry told him in detail what had just happened and Ron made a disgusted grimace.

"DETENTION WITH SNAPE? I'll never forget when he put me in detention. I remember that he made me clean a thousand dirty cauldrons, full of snake's entrails and without using magic. I wouldn't want to be in your place Hermione." Ron sighed deeply and stared at her with pity.

"Thank you for that information, Ron. I'm feeling much better now!" she said, even angrier than before.

1

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(A/N: I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. I'll tell you immediately, that I won't describe Hermione's detention with Snape, since it won't be something particularly important for the plot. I'll let you guess which kind of heavy detention she got, something like… cleaning thousands of dirty cauldrons, for example? The most important point now, regards Harry's troubles with Snape and Mark Evans' future. It's a long time that I don't say thanks to my wonderful BETA readers, IronChefOr and SarahLupin, without whom, this story would have remained in Italian language!! Enjoy the reading!)

Chapter 29. EVEN MORE TROUBLES

...
Loving each other just a bit
It's like drinking water
Easier
Than breathing.
You just need to look at me
And then
We're closer a bit more
And we'll never
Have fear, no, not anymore.
...
“Loving each other just a bit” by Lucio Battisti

That evening, Harry had to meet with Professor Snape for their usual Occlumency lesson, even though he didn't have any desire to do so.

Harry reached the dungeons in a bad mood. Not only he was still really worried about Mark Evans' fate, but now he was mad at Snape for the way he had treated Hermione that morning.

He stopped in front of the classroom and sighed deeply.

I have to keep calm, no matter what! he thought, before knocking on the door.

Knock, knock

“Come in!” the Potions Master replied, in his usual icy tone; Harry entered.

Snape was already standing in the middle of the room which was weakly lit by a few torches hanging on the stone walls. He was glaring at Harry with deep disgust, but Harry withstood the stare and moved right in front of him in a few quick steps.

“I strongly hope that tonight you won't disappoint my expectations, as you usually do, Potter. Now, we needn't waste any more time. Start to concentrate, deeply.”

Harry stared at the teacher in resentment.

I don't care if I disappoint you, you clammy being! he thought before closing his eyes.

“Legilimens!”

Snape uttered the incantation and entered pressingly into Harry's mind, observing his memories. Harry tried with all his strength to resist, but he couldn't; he was too distracted by his worries and the anger he was feeling inside.

Snape was now easily reading Harry's mind and watched clearly a few scenes from his recent past. Harry found himself at Grimmauld place, busy unwrapping Hermione's present on Christmas morning. Then his memories skipped back and he watched himself silently crying by his parents' grave.

“No, I don't want it!” Harry shouted desperately, trying to repel the attack. He then felt a sharp pain in his knees and opened his eyes, realizing that he had fallen to the ground.

“You must concentrate more! You're letting me enter your mind too easily! Let's try again!”

Harry slowly stood up, panting. Before closing his eyes a second time, he glared at Snape with hate.

Harry immediately sensed Snape's intrusion and tried his best to block it, but he was not able to do so with enough intensity. As if he was watching a movie of his past projected onto a screen, Harry clearly saw the image of Mark Evans talking to him by the Forbidden Forest.

Now that you're aware that you're a Seer, wouldn't you like to talk to Sirius Black at least one more time? Then train yourself as much as you can and next time we meet, we'll go together to the Veil of Death and you'll be able to talk to Sirius.

“Nooo! Go away!”

Harry opened his eyes abruptly, panting heavily. He felt all of his anger exploding inside and realized that Snape was staring at him grimly with his mouth open.

“What was the meaning of Mark Evans' words? I demand an explanation, Potter!” shouted Snape furiously.

“I have nothing to explain!” Harry was even more furious, glaring at him in challenge.

“You've already disappointed Albus Dumbledore several times, but you don't care, do you? You've been plotting in the shadows with Mark Evans!”

Harry looked around the room in anger and stared at all the shelves filled with crystal vials. For a foolish instant, he seriously thought about throwing all of them at Snape.

“About what powers was he talking, let's see! You've just learned that there's the slightest possibility for you to become a Seer and you already feel invincible? You're just like your father was: an insolent, spoiled little boy!”

Harry couldn't hold it in anymore and shouted at the teacher with all his strength. “SHUT UP!” Snape frowned at him, deeply offended, but remained silent.

“You aren't worth half of what my father was!”

“How dare you answer me back like that! I won't allow such...”

“I've had enough of all of you! You just keep telling me what to do or not to do!” As Harry shouted, a few vials exploded as if someone had shot them with a rifle. He didn't immediately realize it, however, and continued shouting at Snape. “Then, you treat me like a stupid idiot and expect the impossible from me!”

Snape became even paler and needed a few seconds to regain control over himself. Then he slowly spoke again.

“You don't leave me any other choice, Potter. Your arrogant and unruly behavior can only be judged by the Headmaster in person.”

But Harry didn't care. He would've even chosen expulsion over being forced to see Snape's face again.

Without even letting Snape finish, Harry rushed out from the classroom, slamming the door violently.

***O***

In the Common Room, Ron and Hermione were finishing an essay for History of Magic while waiting for Harry to return. Around them, other students were sitting at the tables, chatting in low voices.

When Harry entered in a fury and headed up to his dormitory, everybody turned to stare at him, astonished, particularly Ron and Hermione.

“What the bloody hell is happening to him?” Ron asked puzzled.

Hermione didn't reply; she immediately closed her book, stood up, and rushed upstairs, climbing the steps two at a time.

When she reached the boys' dormitory, she hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and entered. Harry was sitting by the windowsill, intensely watching the starry night.

Hermione slowly came closer, staring at him worriedly. Once by his side, she reached out her hand and squeezed Harry's, which was resting on the stone wall.

He turned to her, slightly surprised, as if he had only just realized her presence in the room, then turned again to the window. His face was sulky and tensed.

“What has Snape done to you this time?” she asked sweetly, but Harry didn't reply.

“You know him. His favorite pastime is being horrible to you!” Hermione was trying to make the situation less dramatic, but Harry was still staring at the night sky in front of him.

“Do you want to talk about it? Maybe you would feel better if...”

“I don't want to see him again!” Harry cut her off abruptly, speaking with extreme determination.

“Are you talking about Snape?” asked Hermione uncertainly.

“I shouted at him, and I think I used my powers without even knowing it! I'm going to be expelled this time, I'm sure of it!”

“B-but it couldn't be that serious! Even expelled?”

Hermione was staring at Harry in deep shock and he took his hand away from hers.

“Professor McGonagall should be here in a minute,” Harry said resignedly, lowering his gaze as Hermione raised her hands to her mouth.

They remained there a few minutes in absolute silence. Then, Hermione patted him on the shoulder, trying to think of something comforting to say.

“Harry, I...”

Suddenly, her sentence was cut off by a sharp voice coming from Harry's trunk.

“HARRY? Harry, are you there?”

They both looked at each other, their eyes widening in surprise. Then, Harry realized what was happening; he rushed to his trunk and frantically started searching through his clothes.

When Harry finally managed to hold his two-way mirror in his trembling hands, he felt overwhelmed by a deep sense of relief. Mark Evans was staring at him, smiling, though his face was incredibly emaciated and paler than usual.

“MARK! Are you all right? I thought that you...”

“I'm fine Harry, don't worry. How are you?”

“I-I'm fine,” replied Harry uncertainly.

“Please, listen to me carefully. I don't have much time and I must tell you something extremely important.” Harry stared seriously at his cousin and when Hermione came to his side, they both waited for Mark to speak.

“Soon, we'll be able to complete the ceremony by the Veil of Death. Exactly one month from today, during the next new moon.”

“Yes, but how...”

“Don't worry, I'll come to you. You should just train yourself for the magical rites and keep ready for the next new moon.”

Harry nodded in silence.

“Now, I must go. Please, don't tell anybody about our plans, not even to Dumbledore. Goodbye!”

The image of Mark Evans disappeared in a vortex of fog and the mirror reflected Harry's image again.

“What do we do now?” asked Hermione worriedly.

Harry had suddenly forgotten all his troubles; Mark was fine and he felt his heart deeply relieved.

Knock, knock

Harry and Hermione turned to the door, where a very nervous Ron was standing.

“Um, sorry to bother you, but McGonagall is waiting for you downstairs, Harry. She has something to tell you.”

Hermione's eyes widened and she turned to Harry, who slowly walked out of the room without saying a word.

***O***

“How could you dare shout at a teacher? I would've never expected such foolish behavior on your part, Mr. Potter! When Professor Snape told me about it, I couldn't believe him!”

Professor McGonagall was furious with Harry and was sharply scolding him in her office.

“Have you anything to say in your defense?”

Harry should have felt worried about what was probably going to happen to him, but quite to the contrary, he was in high spirits. He was now sure that Mark was fine and they'd probably meet soon.

“I'm talking to you, Mr. Potter!”

The acute voice of his teacher brought Harry back to earth.

“N-no, nothing, Professor,” he replied lowering his gaze.

“I should expel you for this! However, I've good reasons for not doing so, at least not now.”

Harry sighed in relief, but then she spoke again.

“Nevertheless, I think that a strong punishment is more than appropriate for this matter. Starting next Monday, and for a whole month, you're going to serve detention every evening after dinner, in my office.”

“W-what? A month? But Professor, I...” protested Harry.

“I don't want to hear anything more from you, or you will stay in detention for two full months!”

Harry forced himself to not shout at her, particularly since it would have been completely useless.

“I wish you a very good night, Mr. Potter!” ended Professor McGonagall, sitting down at her desk.

***O***

As April arrived, lessons became even more taxing than ever before. Final examinations were approaching, and the teachers were demanding even more effort from their students.

Professor McGonagall in particular was stressing everyone about human apparition, saying that she wouldn't allow anyone to fail the official examination.

Hermione had no trouble with it and Harry was already able to disapparate himself pretty well, though he still had a few problems apparating himself in the exact place he had in mind. Usually, he missed his mark by a few meters.

Ron, on the other hand, had absolutely no sense of orientation and kept apparating in the wrong place. He was a genius, however, compared to Neville, who kept splinching himself, only able to disapparate himself in pieces.

After his troubles with Snape, Harry had permission to quit his Occlumency lessons, which he thought was something really positive.

The bad part was that due to his detentions with Professor McGonagall, Harry wasn't able to continue with his secret trainings as much as he had wanted to. He was still wondering how it was possible for him to learn how to use his new powers and, most importantly, to get ready for the ceremony by the Veil if he didn't have enough time to prepare himself.

Two weeks had already passed by since Mark appeared in the two-way mirror and Harry hadn't been progressing. With the incredible amount of homework, he and Hermione had been really busy even during weekends. She had also tried a few times to convince Harry to tell Dumbledore about Mark Evan's plan, but he wouldn't budge. He didn't want to waste this last chance and was determined to hide the truth as long as possible.

Fortunately, detention with McGonagall wasn't too tough; he just had to write lines for the entire evening, even if it was equally mind-numbing in the end.

On a Friday morning in the middle of April, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall having breakfast. The two boys were busy in deep conversation about a new International Quidditch Team, the Blue Bradley.

“If you want to know what I think, Stocker is a pretty good seeker!” said Ron, but Harry didn't agree.

“You're wrong! They should have taken Williams instead!”

“Er, Harry?” Hermione interrupted and he turned to her.

“Could you get me some pumpkin juice, please?”

Harry nodded and he filled her glass immediately. He then turned to Ron again.

“I've followed Williams, and I can tell you that he would have been a better choice.”

“You must be joking! Williams isn't even the half as good as Stocker is!” replied Ron, noisily chewing a bit of sausage.

“Harry? Could you get me some porridge, please?”

Hermione interrupted Harry a second time, but he didn't protest; he placed some porridge into a bowl and offered it to her.

“Why don't we talk about the beaters, then? I bet they're going to change both of them by the end of the first match!” continued Harry, getting excited in the conversation, but Hermione interrupted a third time.

“I'm sorry, Harry. My pumpkin juice is finished, could you please....”

“Oh, come on, Hermione! Why don't you stop it!” protested Ron, looking cross.

“Stop what?” Hermione asked simply.

“You're treating your boyfriend like a house-elf!”

Harry and Hermione stared at each other for a second; maybe Ron wasn't wrong after all.

“Do you think that I'm demanding too much?” she asked, uncertain.

“Well, just a bit,” Harry replied. It was the first time he had had a steady girlfriend and he didn't know how he was supposed to behave around her. After all, his relationship with Cho Chang wasn't anything serious to which he could compare.

“Why didn't you say something?” said Hermione, frowning at him. “It's just that, at home, I've always seen my parents act like this. My father is a real gentleman with my mum!”

“Hermione, wake up! We aren't in the Middle Ages anymore! Nowadays, boys aren't prancing around and, above all, they don't take orders from girls!” Ron explained.

“Good morning to everybody!”

At that moment, Luna walked up to them. She was odder than ever, wearing a pair of earrings in the shape of huge yellow daisies. On top of her blonde hair she wore a colored garland made of wildflowers.

“Hi Ron! So we're going to meet tomorrow morning after breakfast, right?”

“Yes, Honey!” Ron replied, with a silly smile on his face.

“Please, don't be late as usual!” Luna scolded him, before happily returning to the Ravenclaw table.

When Ron turned to his friends, he realized that they were both laughing.

“Well, what's up with you two?”

“Nothing, nothing, it's just that... Oh, don't worry.”

Hermione didn't point out the fact that he had just taken orders from a girl.

At that moment, hundreds of owls entered the Hall. Hermione got her usual copy of the Daily Prophet, while Ron received a letter from his mother. He kept staring at the letter, surprised that it hadn't been Errol delivering it.

Hermione read the first page of her paper and jumped in surprise.

“Oh, no!”

Harry moved closer and grabbed the newspaper in his hands, starting to read it aloud.

“REVOLT AT GRINGOTT'S: The Ministry of Magic had already suspected that the Goblins had joined the Darkness Army of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but now it is a certainty. Yesterday morning a group of armed Goblins revolted at the famous wizarding bank, destroying several security boxes. Most of the witnesses heard them reciting the name of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named before leaving the place. The most serious casualties have been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital. The Ministry has immediately arranged for expert Aurors to attend the bank and assess the damages.”

The three friends stared at each other with their mouths open.

“I can't believe it! Now also the Goblins are by Voldemort's side!” commented Hermione, shocked.

Harry realized that Ron was still holding his letter in his hands, but after having read the article, he could already guess the contents of it.

“Come on, Ron, open it!”

The boy stared at the closed envelope, then opened it with trembling hands and read it to his friends.

“My dear Ron,

You surely know already about what has happened at Gringott's. I'm sure that you've immediately thought of your brother Bill. You don't have to worry, dear. Unfortunately, Bill was in his office when the worst happened and he has been wounded, but not seriously. Yesterday afternoon they took him to St. Mungo's and he'll get well soon. That's why your father and I are going to stay in London in the next days. I'll let you know more as soon as possible. Love, Mum.”

Ron raised his gaze in shock. He couldn't believe that his oldest brother was now fighting for his life.

Hermione stretched out her hand and grabbed his arm tightly.

“I'm sure that he'll be fine,” she said, trying her best to comfort him.

***O***

That evening, Professor McGonagall let Harry go back to Gryffindor Tower earlier than usual. She was in really bad mood, most likely because of what had just happened at Gringott's.

As soon as Harry entered the common room, he immediately felt a tensed atmosphere. The parents of several Gryffindors were present at Gringott's when the revolt happened, and most of them were now at St. Mungo's Hospital.

Ron had chosen to close himself off in stubborn silence and was already up in his dormitory. Hermione was sitting alone on the sofa in front of the fireplace, absent-mindedly caressing Crookshanks' soft fur, her gaze lost in space.

Harry slowly went over to her and sat by her side.

“How's Ron?” he asked worriedly.

“Not really well,” Hermione replied turning to him.

“I hope Bill will be fine,” said Harry sadly.

“Me too,” she added.

Harry looked around for a moment, realizing that the last two students had gone away, leaving the two of them completely alone. He started feeling a curious embarrassment and his heart began to beat faster.

Harry and Hermione had been together almost a month now, but they hadn't had much time left all alone like this. Between classes, homework, and detentions, they had reached the common room every evening completely exhausted and had always chosen to go to sleep.

Hermione's attention was captured by the fire, as Harry stared at her with intensity, trying to imagine what she was thinking in that moment.

Maybe she's expecting me to grab her hand, or to kiss her, Harry thought, becoming even more nervous and feeling his forehead sweat. He was still wondering what to do, when Hermione turned abruptly to him and spoke.

“It's been a long time since we've had the chance to be alone, have you noticed that as well?”

“Y-yes, you're right.” Harry was feeling upside down, but she looked extremely quiet.

I'll try and kiss her, he thought, slowly getting closer to her.

Hermione had started staring into the fire again as Harry stretched out his arm toward her. After a certain hesitation, finally he managed to lay his arm on her shoulder. When Hermione turned to him, their faces were only a few centimeters apart. He was now able to smell her hair and light perfume, a mix between rose and vanilla.

Harry was already losing himself in her deep brown eyes, which were staring at him, full of emotion.

She's so beautiful, he thought, feeling his cheeks on fire.

Then Hermione closed her eyes and Harry did the same, trying to gather all his Gryffindor courage. He felt all his emotions overwhelming him and he kissed her sweetly, holding her tightly in a warm embrace.

Harry felt so happy, as if in that moment only the two of them existed in the entire world. He knew that he would have been able to give his own life for her, if necessary.

After a few minutes, Hermione pulled away and stared deeply into his eyes, smiling.

“It was about time!”

Harry wasn't able to reply immediately; his mind was still stuck and his heart was in tumult.

“Maybe we shouldn't stay here alone,” said Hermione worriedly.

“W-why? We aren't doing anything bad, I think,” Harry tried to reassure her, still hypnotized by her wonderful eyes.

“Maybe, if we were pretending to study, nobody would have anything to say.”

Hermione's sense of responsibility was praiseworthy, but Harry's intention was to spend the rest of the night kissing his girlfriend.

Without even giving him time to complain, Hermione had already taken his school bag and was searching inside it.

“What is this?” she asked curiously, holding a black booklet in her hands.

“Mark told me to look at it. It's for the ceremony.”

Hermione's eyes lit up abruptly.

“May I help you with it?”

“Well, I-I don't know if...” Harry replied vaguely, but she had already started to skim through a few pages and he had no other options left. Goodbye romantic evening! he thought, sighing.

“This chapter seems useful. Let's see, I'll read you what it says, `The ceremony by the Veil of Death is ancient and difficult to accomplish. The essential requirements are three: a very powerful Seer, a night of the new moon, and an object owned by the missing wizard. Moreover, a bowl of pure water, a flower, and a candle will be needed.'”

Harry was listening with deep attention to every word.

“`The Seer should stand in front of the Veil of Death, placing the necessary objects around himself; then he should stretch out his hands and visualize the missing wizard in his inner sight. The magical words are: Exis Lux Splendidus.'”

“It doesn't seem difficult!” commented Harry relieved.

“Wait! Listen what it says here: `The Veil of Death has the evil ability to attract whoever gets close to it; the Seer should be extremely careful not to...' Hermione raised her gaze worriedly and stared directly into Harry's eyes, `get lost for eternity!'”

8

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(A/N: Wow, we're slowly coming to an end with this story! Please, pay attention to the last chapters, since are going to be really intense. Hope you'll enjoy!)

Chapter 30. NIGHT OF NEW MOON

...
Loving each other just a bit
It's like blooming
It helps, you know
At not dying.
Without hiding ourselves,
Showing us out
We can elude
The solitude.
...
“Loving each other just a bit” by Lucio Battisti

That morning, Harry woke up abruptly from the terrible crash of thunder. He stood up and walked to the window. The storm had started the previous evening but was still lashing against the trees; the rain was falling in sheets and the dark sky was continuously lit by lightning bolts.

Even though it was the beginning of May, it looked like a really cold day. It still had special meaning for Harry, however. The following night would be a new moon and he would see Sirius Black again.

During the last two weeks, thanks to Hermione's help, Harry had managed to get ready for the ceremony by the Veil of Death.

In the meantime, Mrs. Weasley had sent an owl informing them that Bill was now out of the hospital and was recovering at the Borrow.

It was a Thursday and it had passed by as usual: two hours of Herbology followed by two hours of Defense Against the Dark Arts, then lunch, and finally two hours of History of Magic and two hours of Potions.

When the three friends headed to the Great Hall for dinner, they were exhausted but still excited about the upcoming events.

After dinner, Harry went to McGonagall's office to serve his detention. He sat in a desk in front of the teacher and started writing lines as usual on a piece of parchment, keeping an eye on his watch, hoping to be finished soon.

After 10 PM had passed, Professor McGonagall finally let him go and once out of the classroom, Harry ran as fast as possible back to the common room, which was still full of students. Ron and Hermione were waiting for him, sitting in front of the fireplace.

“Is everything ready?” asked Harry, getting seated close to them.

“We spoke to Mark an hour ago. We should meet him by the Forbidden Forest at eleven o'clock,” replied Hermione, looking around warily.

“The invisibility cloak is ready in your school bag!” added Ron with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“The bowl of pure water, the flower, and the candle?” Harry asked anxiously.

“Mark will take care of that. And the object owned by Sirius?”

“Ready!” said Harry, slipping his hand under his cloak, where he was hiding the two-way mirror. “Now, we just have to wait.”

“Are you sure it's worth it? I mean, we're going to break quite a lot of school rules tonight, and I still think we should've told Dumbledore.”

“Of course it's worth it, Hermione!” replied Harry, annoyed. Then he became serious.

“Maybe it isn't a good idea for you to come with me...”

Hermione felt deeply offended by those words.

“Harry Potter, do you think that I'd ever let you go and do something this foolishness all alone?”

Harry smiled at her, feeling thankful.

“The same for me!” added Ron, strongly.

The three friends became silent, and spent the following hour sitting quietly by the fire.

= = = = = =

Ka-booooom

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were quickly crossing the castle grounds and the crash of thunder made them jump. In that moment, the three friends squeezed themselves even closer together under the invisibility cloak, their clothes completely soaked.

They reached the meeting place by the Forbidden Forest, trying to avoid going near Hagrid's hut. They stood there a few minutes, looking around.

“There's no one here, and I'm soaked to the bone!” protested Ron.

Harry started to worry, fearing that his cousin had encountered trouble on his way.

“There he is!” Hermione had just seen Mark and the three of them ran to greet him. The wizard was coming out of the forest and was soaked from head to toe, just as they were.

“It's so good to see you again!” said Harry warmly; Mark's smiled seemed forced. He looked emaciated and had deep black circles under his eyes. He seemed really nervous to be there.

“Are you ready Harry? On the count of three, you should touch this Portkey and we will arrive at our destination.” Mark took a used ashtray out from his cloak.

“Hey, wait a minute! We're coming with you!” protested Hermione. Mark looked deeply upset and replied animatedly.

“It's a bad idea. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay this time.”

“No way!” said Ron, moving in front of Mark and frowning at him.

“I'm not coming without them!” added Harry, in the end.

Mark stared intensely at the young wizard and realized that it would have been useless to argue with him. He sighed deeply and then spoke.

“All right then. On the count of three, we'll touch this Portkey. Ready? One, two...”

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other nervously, and then stretched out their arms toward the ashtray.

“Three!”

As soon as their fingers touched the Portkey, they felt an incredible jerk pulling them from behind their navels. They saw a whirlwind of lights and images and after a few seconds, they found themselves in a completely different place. They staggered a bit before falling to the ground.

Harry looked around; the place was dark, lit only by a few beat up lampposts. He then noticed that it wasn't raining, and the air was tepid.

Harry stood up and stretched out a hand to Hermione, helping her up, as Ron used a drying charm to dry his clothes and hair. When he was finished, he looked around. “What is this place?” he asked, uncertain.

“I don't know!” replied Harry, getting more and more worried.

It was a circular courtyard, with horrible, broken houses all around it. The ground was paved with ragged, dirty stone blocks.

“It looks like Diagon Alley, but it's gloomier,” commented Hermione, squinting her eyes to read a few worn out signs hanging from the stone walls.

Mark was silently staring at the three of them. Harry felt an awkward feeling in his heart and moved closer to him.

“Where are we, Mark?” he asked, even though he had already guessed the answer. Mark didn't reply and lowered his gaze.

“It's Knockturn Alley!” exclaimed Hermione, alarmed. She was absolutely right. Harry already knew this place, as he had been there before.

Harry frowned at Mark, feeling betrayed.

“I need to know why, Mark! Don't you have anything to say?”

“That's right! He doesn't have anything to say, silly boy! You've done a great job, Mark. Just like we had requested.”

Harry knew that sharp and cold voice and looked for the source of it. In deep horror, he saw the witch he hated the most, the one responsible for Sirius Black's death.

Bellatrix Lestrange was slowly coming out of a dark alley in front of them, armed with her wand and nothing more. Her long gray hair fell untidily over her shoulders and her eyes were lit up by a reckless twinkle.

The three friends walked backwards and took out their wands, ready to fight.

“Your cousin did a really good job, Harry. He managed to allow us to meet one more time.” Bellatrix ended the sentence with an evil laugh.

Harry couldn't believe what she said. He felt his heart beating faster and the anger inside him rising.

“I trusted you, Mark, but it was just a trap! Why? I need to know why!” Harry shouted, deeply frustrated. He asked himself how he could have been so stupid and reckless, to trust someone like Mark Evans.

“Harry, I didn't want to, please believe me!” Mark tried to justify his actions, but Bellatrix cut him off.

“Poor, little Potter boy! Didn't he know what you were in the past, Mark? Shall I tell him or do you want the honor?”

“Shut up, you evil witch! I was too young when it happened, I didn't know what I was doing! Your Dark Lord made me so many promises and I surrendered my will to him.”

“My Dark Lord? My dear Mark, you never change. You'll always be a traitor. You betrayed your master several years ago and you've betrayed young Potter today.”

Harry was petrified. While Mark and Bellatrix were arguing, he was trying to think of a good way to get out of there.

“Why don't we apparate somewhere else?” Hermione whispered into his ear.

“Do I have to remind you that I'm still terrible at it? Do you want me to end up on the other side of the planet?” said Ron, alarmed.

“Would you prefer to fight?” replied Hermione, deeply annoyed.

Harry thought that it was neither time nor the place to start bickering. In any event, there wasn't much time left to decide. Bellatrix was already approaching, her wand pointed at them.

“Now, let's do something fun!” she said menacingly.

“Do you really think we're going to give up without a fight?” shouted Harry, glaring at her with hatred, while Mark watched the scene at a certain distance.

Suddenly, they heard odd noises coming from a few side alleys. It was like the sound of thousands of whips being violently lashed against the stone ground. The noises came closer and closer, until Harry was able to see several figures moving in the dark. They were small beings, only a meter tall, and they slowly walking toward them, holding in their hands long flaming whips, burning like fire.

The three friends feared the worst. When the strange beings were finally close enough, Hermione shouted in disbelief.

“Goblins!”

“Precisely! I'm quite curious to see how you'll to fight against them. You can shout as much as you want, my dear! I can assure you that nobody will come here to rescue you!” Bellatrix ended the sentence with a disgusting laugh.

The goblins had completely surrounded them. There were about fifty and they were staring at them with menacing sneers on their faces. They were horribly ugly, with long pointed ears and sharp teeth, dressed in ragged clothing. In the front, one of them was particularly ugly. A black bandage was covering his right eye and his face was crossed by deep scars.

Harry started to panic, and couldn't think clearly anymore.

“What do we do now?” Ron was terrified; his hands kept trembling as he held his wand. Even though Hermione was afraid as well, she was doing her best to not displaying her true feelings.

Harry felt guilty for dragging his best friends into this horrible situation. It's all my fault! I have to find a way to get out! he thought, determined. Then he turned to the others and whispered in their ears.

“I'll take care of those in the middle. Be ready, on the count of three.”

“What are you doing, Potter? Saying your last prayers?” Bellatrix was making fun of him.

“One...”

“If, unfortunately, you are killed tonight, I'm sure that my Lord will reward me the same. At least I'll have saved him the trouble of having to kill himself!”

“Two...”

Ron and Hermione raised their wands and pointed them towards the goblins.

“Three!”

At Harry's signal, the three young wizards started to cast spells in every direction.

“Stupefy!”

“Petrificus Totalus!”

“Locomotor Mortis!”

Jets of red and blue lights darted through the air and a few goblins fell on the ground, but the rest of them started to attack. With incredibly high jumps, they rushed forwards, shouting aloud to encourage the others.

“Noooo! Help!”

Harry turned abruptly; the goblin with the black bandage had just twisted his fiery whip around Ron's chest, wrapping him completely.

“Ron!”

Hermione tried to help and pointed her wand toward him.

“Flagellum Relash... Aaaaah!”

She didn't have time to complete the spell, as another fiery whip twisted around her right arm, making her shout in intense pain.

“Hermione! Noooo!”

Harry stared at his two friends horrified. I have to do something! I have to help them! he thought in panic. He pointed his wand at the goblins who were holding Ron and Hermione, but at that moment, another of them gave him a sharp lash on the hand and his wand fell far away from him. The pain he felt was unbearable; he looked at his hand and saw the unmistakable signs of a bad burn.

Harry raised his gaze to the goblin and watched as it mocked him rudely.

“Now you'll see!” Harry shouted in anger. He closed the eyes and gathered himself in deep concentration. He stretched out his arms and said the magical words.

“Aere Emanatum!”

A small vortex of air, as big as the palm of his hand, appeared in front of him; Harry concentrated again, to make it grow.

“Augeo!”

The vortex of air grew higher and higher until it became a meter tall, but Harry couldn't manage to do any more than this. He wasn't able to concentrate properly, since he was too worried about his friends.

As the vortex whirled around, it dashed a few goblins into the air. Unfortunately, more of them were coming. There were now almost one hundred crowding the square. At a distance, Bellatrix and Mark watched the scene in silence.

Harry was already feeling exhausted by the effort and turned to his friends, panting heavily. Ron was still wrapped by the flaming whip, while Hermione was desperately fighting to free her arm from its painful grip.

There's no time to lose! I must do it! I must do it! Harry decided to try one more time; he concentrated again with all his strength.

“Augeo!”

Within a few seconds, the vortex of air became taller than the buildings surrounding the square. The goblins watched it in astonishment. The vortex started to swallow everything its path and, one by one, the little monsters were thrown far away.

The goblins who were holding Ron and Hermione were blown away violently, making the two fall heavily to the stone ground. Ron's clothes were torn in several places and his body showed clear signs of painful burns. Hermione's right arm was completely covered in blood.

Even though Harry already had a sharp pain in the chest and was feeling dizzy, he did his best to hold out until he got rid of the last goblin. Then, his strength left him abruptly and as soon as the vortex disappeared, he fell on the ground, exhausted.

Hermione watched the whole scene, terrified. She gathered all her courage, stood up, and ran toward Harry. His face was extremely pale and twisted in a grimace of pain. His forehead was sweaty and he was gripping his hand to his chest.

“Harry! How are you feeling? Please, talk to me!” Hermione shook him by the shoulders vigorously, but he looked as if he wasn't able to respond. He was still keeping his eyes tightly shut.

“Harry, listen to me! You should try to breath, please make an effort!”

His spell had drained away from every last bit of energy. Harry had virtually no will power left and remained flat on the ground.

“Please, don't give up, Harry!” Hermione shouted desperately, still shaking him frantically.

“I see that our young wizard has been a victim of his own powers. This'll make my task much easier!” Bellatrix was slowly coming in, anticipating the praise she was going to get from the Dark Lord.

Unexpectedly, Mark came forward and placed himself between Harry and the evil witch, extending his arms in protection.

“If you want to kill Harry, then you'll have to kill me first! I've made too many mistakes in my life. I won't make this one!”

“What are you talking about? You want to be a hero now? Let me refresh your memory, then! Do you remember when you came to the Dark Lord for the first time? You wanted to become a very powerful wizard and he received you among his most faithful servants. Even when you left, fifteen years ago, all of us knew that one day you'd come back. You can't erase the past, Mark. You are, and always will be a Death Eater!”

“No, you can't understand! I was just a spoiled boy then! I wanted to change the world, but now it's different! I haven't got anything to lose now, and I'd rather give my own life to save Harry's than to follow Lord Voldemort again!”

Finishing his sentence, Mark turned to Harry and stared at the boy with tears in his eyes.

“Please forgive me, if you can. Bringing you here has been my last mistake, but I'm going to fix it.”

Harry opened his eyes with great difficulty and looked at Mark for a short instant, still feeling too weak and defenseless to react.

“Stop it now! Let me finish my job!” shouted Bellatrix, starting to lose her temper.

Mark took his wand out and started to approach her with slow steps. Without taking his gaze away from her, he spoke again addressing himself to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

“Get away from here! I'll take care of her!”

Hermione tried to regain control over herself and looked around.

“Accio Wand!” When she saw Harry's wand on the ground, she summoned it to her and hid it in her pocket. Then she put Harry's arm around her neck and helped him stand up. A short ways away, Ron had finally managed to stand up and was already limping toward the other two.

Harry was still feeling extremely weak, but made an effort; as soon as he was up, he put the other arm around Ron's neck and with them moved a few steps toward a side alley.

In the mean time, Mark and Bellatrix were confronting one another.

“A traitor like you deserves to die in a most painful way! Sagittas Iactus!”

At Bellatrix's order, a burst of arrows darted out from her wand toward Mark, who was ready to defend against the attack.

“Impedimenta!” A ray of blue light sprang out from his wand toward the arrows, which stopped in midair and fell on the ground, harmless. Then Mark went on the attack.

“Locomotor Mortis!” A ray of violet light sprang toward Bellatrix.

“Protego!” she shouted, deflecting the attack.

“We've just been playing! Now it's time to get serious! Avada Kedavra!”

With catlike reflexes, Mark flattened himself on the ground as the unforgivable spell hit the wall behind him, shattering it into pieces. Mark stood up immediately and continued fighting.

“Stupef...”

“Expelliarmus!”

Mark didn't have the time to complete his spell, as Bellatrix had managed to disarm him. He saw his wand fly several meters away.

“You don't look too smart now, without your wand! Are you starting to fear me?” sneered the witch, satisfied, as Mark was seriously starting to worry for his own life.

“Harry, we must go now!” He was still watching the magical duel, but Hermione's call brought him back to reality. They had to leave the area immediately if they wanted to remain alive.

6

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(A/N: I need to thank you all, for following the story until now, especially Misadies1, who is a new reader and who has read the whole 30 chapters in one day!!! Ok, since there are 35 chapters in total, there are 4 more chapters until the end, and I'm sure you'll enjoy reading them! Are you worried for Mark Evans or are you maybe upset with him? Let's see what happens next, then!)

Chapter 31. HOLDING THE LAST BREATH

...
United
Indivisible
Near
But unreachable...
...
“Loving each other just a bit” by Lucio Battisti

Harry, Ron, and Hermione slowly entered a dark alley. Ron was limping and Harry was dragging himself along heavily, supporting himself on his best friends' shoulders. They reached an intersection and after a second of hesitation, they chose to go left. At the end of that alley, there was another intersection.

“Damn it! This place is a labyrinth!” Ron was starting to lose his temper. He was extremely tired and his arms and chest were in pain.

“Wait! I've got an idea!” Hermione put her wand in the palm of her hand and said, “Point me!”

The wand started spinning and then stopped, pointing to the left.

“It always marks north, and Diagon Alley should be to the east. Let's go this way!” said Hermione, determined.

The three friends turned to the right; at the end of the alley, they found themselves in a small, deserted square, with three other dark alleys converging into it. They stood there in silence, looking around worriedly. Then Hermione spoke first. “We shouldn't stay here too long, we aren't safe yet. There could be...”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Ron cut her off abruptly, “Did you hear that? There's someone else here, not just us!”

Harry and Hermione listened carefully, but they heard no sound. Everything was incredibly quiet. Maybe too quiet.

Hermione pulled her cloak around her tighter, freezing, feeling an unusual sensation of sadness as her most painful memories started coming into to her mind.

Harry felt the same sensation. Knowing all too well what was about to happen, he raised his head and spoke in a trembling voice. “Dementors! They're coming!”

“Please, not the dementors!” Ron huddled even closer to the other two as his most horrible fears started crowding his mind.

From the quiet obscurity of the alley in front of them, a group of tall hooded figures silently emerged, inexorably gliding toward them.

Harry felt a chill go down his spine. In his condition, it would be impossible to conjure a Patronus strong enough to get rid of so many dementors. It was the end, unless someone came and rescued them. But who? Suddenly, Harry turned to Hermione. She was still staring at the dementors in shock as she held him up with her arms.

“I can't face them, but you can!” Harry whispered in her ear.

“I-I can't! I've never done it before!” she protested, frowning at him.

“You must do it! You're our last hope!” Harry insisted.

“If there's anyone who can do it other than Harry, it's you!” Ron exhorted her.

Hermione nodded uncertainly. Harry removed his arm from her shoulder and leaned on Ron. Hermione then slowly moved forward, holding her wand tightly in her hand, and pointed it at the dementors, which were now only a few meters away from them. She closed her eyes in concentration and breathed deeply.

“I know you can do it! Find a happy memory!” Harry told her, nervously.

Hermione gathered all her courage and forced herself to think of something happy, even though she was feeling in her heart the evil influence of those dark creatures. When she was ready, she opened her eyes.

“Expecto Patronum!”

From her wand sprang a thin puff of silvery smoke, which had absolutely no impact, as the dementors were still moving forward, unaffected. They were only a few steps away from them, close enough to see their rotten hands sticking out of their black cloaks and to smell the air of death emanating from their mouths.

Hermione felt overwhelmed by panic.

“Do it again! You're too nervous, try to calm down!” Harry was still encouraging her; Ron was completely paralyzed by fear.

Hermione's hands and forehead were now covered in sweat. The more the dementors came forward, the more she stepped backwards.

Harry's mind was crowded with images of Sirius falling through the Veil of Death. He shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to come back to his senses. Suddenly, he felt something dragging him down. Ron had just collapsed to the ground, unconscious, pulling Harry down with him.

“Ron! Talk to me, Ron!” Harry shook his shoulders frantically, but it seemed useless. He then raised his head and his eyes widened in horror.

One dementor was bending toward Hermione as she stared at it, terrified. With the last of his strength, Harry stood up and grabbed her by her arms, dragging her to the ground.

“Don't you dare hurt her, you BASTARD!”

Harry's desperate shouting brought Hermione back to her senses. Realizing the seriousness of their situation, she stood up again and pointed her wand at the dementors. She held in her mind her happiest memory and pronounced the incantation with a stronger determination.

“Expecto Patronum!”

Finally, a shining surge of silver light erupted powerfully from her wand, taking the form of a small otter. The Patronus jumped toward the evil creatures which, unable to endure its powerful aura, were swept away like paper dolls. Hermione stared at the silvery otter with affection as it trotted happily toward her before disappearing with a slight pop!

The atmosphere of the square became quiet and silent, as it was before the dementors' attack.

Hermione was deeply proud of herself; she had managed to save her friends. She ran toward them, her heart beating faster from emotion.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Harry told her, smiling, and she looked at him thankfully.

“How's Ron?” Both bent to their friend, who was still lying on the ground, unconscious.

“We have to get him away from here, before someone else shows up! Come on, help me pull him up!”

“Are you sure you can make it?” Hermione stared at him worriedly and Harry nodded. He was still extremely weak, but at the moment, his condition was better than Ron's.

Harry had just put Ron's arm over his shoulder when he felt his scar throbbing painfully and raised a hand to his forehead.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“What's happening?” asked Hermione, alarmed, “It's your scar, isn't it?”

Harry nodded, still holding his forehead with his hand. The pain had become so unbearable that he felt as if his head was going to explode at any moment.

“Let's get outta here!” Harry shouted, lifting Ron.

“I see that you're in a hurry!”

Harry and Hermione jumped in surprise at hearing that voice and turned abruptly to the alley on their right. From out of the darkness, a tall hooded man walked toward them. They recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw more Death Eaters slowly emerging from the other alleys, surrounding them and blocking any possible escape.

It was all too much. Harry felt his heart crushed by despair and guilt, but his sense of responsibility for his friends was stronger than his fears.

They've come for me, and it's only me they're going to fight! he thought, determined. Then he turned to Hermione and stared at her directly in her eyes.

“Listen carefully!” he whispered with a trembling voice. “Don't follow me, no matter what! Swear to me that you'll stay here and take care of Ron.”

“B-but I...”

“Please, I need to know that you'll stay here!”

Hermione had never seen Harry so determined; he almost scared her. She had no choice other than to agree; after a few seconds of hesitation, she nodded, looking at him with tears in her eyes. She then took Harry's wand out of her pocket and gave it back to him.

Harry kept staring at his beloved, trying to let her understand his true feelings: how deeply he loved her and how overwhelmingly concerned he was about her well-being. He took Ron's arm off his shoulder, lowered it gently, and then slowly stood up and moved a few steps forwards, stopping right in front his adversaries.

“Very well, we understand each other perfectly, young Potter.” Malfoy laughed with satisfaction; Harry glared at him hatefully.

“The Dark Lord has been very impressed with your new powers and has a proposal for you.” Malfoy stopped for a moment to watch Harry's reaction, but Harry didn't move a muscle.

“Having a wizard like you on his side would be extremely useful. If you choose to join us, you could become even more powerful... you could have the entire world at your feet.” Malfoy pronounced each word with great delight. Seeing, however, that he wasn't arousing the slightest interest in Harry, he changed tactics.

“If you choose to stand on the Dark Lord's side, your friends' lives will be spared, nobody excluded.” Malfoy finished the sentence nodding his head in Hermione's direction; Harry shuddered all over.

“I don't care about your offer, Malfoy!” Harry said recklessly, but Malfoy didn't seem bothered.

“Well, in that case, we won't show any mercy to your friends. We'll crush them all like insects. And for you, the Dark Lord will reserve the slowest and most painful death!”

“Better dead than allied with Voldemort!” Harry shouted in anger. How dare you even think I would join Voldemort!

“Are you sure about your choice, Potter? Before we finish our conversation, I'd like to show you something.” Malfoy made a sign with his hand and one of the Death Eaters on his right nodded. He disappeared and then came back a few seconds later, dragging an unconscious man and throwing him to the ground.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. Mark Evans was lying in front of him, his hands and feet bound by magical ropes. He showed clear signs of being in a fight: his face was bleeding and his robe was tattered.

“Tell me now, who's stronger in this war? I'll give you a tip, Potter. If you want to save yourself, you should understand with whom it's best to take sides!”

Harry clenched his fists angrily and tried to think quickly.

“By the way, there is another interesting thing I wanted you to see before you made your decision.” Malfoy turned to other two Death Eaters on his left. “Bring them here!”

Wasting no time, the two Death Eaters left and after a few minutes came back, each holding a young wizard by his arms.

“Fred! George!”

Harry was speechless; the Weasley twins were standing there, tied up, struggling to free themselves from the grips of their captors.

“Take your dirty hands off us!” Fred shouted.

“Harry, Hermione! Ron?” George had just noticed their presence.

The twins' faces paled as they realized the seriousness of the situation.

“We found those two snoops strolling about Knockturn Alley all alone, and I thought it'd be nice to let them join our little meeting!” Malfoy explained, satisfied.

“I'll take care of them, Lucius,” offered Bellatrix, imagining something extremely amusing.

“Not yet. I'd like to hear Potter's decision first.” Malfoy turned to Harry. “Do you want the deaths of these two young wizards on your conscience? Or, why don't you try imagining how life would be without fearing for the safety of your dearest friends? The Dark Lord always rewards his most faithful servants. If you choose to join his side, you won't have to worry about your friends anymore. They'll be safe.”

“Don't listen to him, Harry! He's a liar!” Hermione shouted abruptly with tears in her eyes, “There's no negotiating with Voldemort!”

Bellatrix shot a glance full of hate toward Hermione and gripped her wand with anger, trying her best not to use it.

Hermione's right, thought Harry, but if I choose to sacrifice myself for my friends' safety, then Voldemort will finally let them live their lives in peace. It was an absurd thought, but at the moment, he wasn't able to find any other solution. His eyes stopped on Mark, lying on the ground. They then moved to Fred and George, who had been forced to their knees, still bound with their heads bent down. He stared at Ron who was still unconscious, and then finally at Hermione, the love of his life. All of his friends were suffering and the only possibility to save them was in his hands.

A foolish determination took possession of Harry, pushing him to speak. “If I come with you, do you promise that you'll let them go?”

“Nooooo! Harry don't!” shouted Hermione desperately, but Harry didn't even turn to her.

“Of course! I promise!” replied Malfoy, sneering in triumph.

Hermione stood up, deeply shocked. She couldn't believe what was happening; it seemed impossible.

“Harry, please! You don't have to do this. We'll find another way!” she whispered, a strong knot in her throat preventing her from speaking louder.

I'm doing it for you as well, Hermione. Please forgive me, Harry said to himself. He then lowered his wand and moved toward Malfoy.

“Very good! Come to me, Potter. Join the Dark Army.” Malfoy's voice was sharp and satisfied, but it reached Harry's ears as if they were padded. He felt dizzy and walked as if in a trance, repeating to himself that this was the wisest decision he could have ever made: sacrifice his life to save the others.

Harry didn't care about dying; they could have killed him right there. The only thing that was important was that from now on, Hermione and everyone he loved would have nothing to fear. They would live a quieter and happier life, far from that awful war. He had just made his decision and he wouldn't turn back.

Harry was now standing a few steps away from Malfoy; they stared each other directly in the eyes. At a distance, he could still hear Hermione sobbing, while in front of him, Fred and George looked petrified.

In that moment, Hermione felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if someone were ripping out her heart. She knew it would be impossible for her to live without Harry. She needed to do something. Taken by an impulse of desperation, she ran toward him, shouting, “Harry, Nooooo!”

Harry turned to her abruptly and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bellatrix raise her wand and point it at Hermione.

In a flash, he recalled the moment when that same evil witch had sent Sirius to his death. Without thinking twice, Harry moved exactly as Bellatrix cast the spell.

“Sanguinem Fundo!”

A jet of red light shot out from her wand, but Harry was faster and jumped in front of Hermione. The curse hit Harry in the chest, throwing him brutally against the wall behind him. The young wizard collapsed face down on the cold stone ground, where he remained motionless.

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(A/N: Ok, Ok, I'm sorry for the cliffy! I'm glad to see other two new readers: hermione potter 14 and TCD! Thanks for reading the story all in one day! Of course, I need to thank all the others faithful readers, who are still following me in this wonderful journey! Did you want to know, if Harry is still alive? Here we are then!)

Chapter 32. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

...
I don't know with whom you are
I don't know what you're doing now
But I know for sure
What you're thinking about.
This town is too big
For two people like us
Who don't hope but
Are still looking for
Each other...
...
“... and I'm thinking of you” by Lucio Battisti

Hermione watched the entire scene in horror. “Harry!” she screamed as she ran to him. Her heart started beating faster and faster in the hope of finding him still alive.

Hermione knelt at Harry's side and, with trembling hands, grabbed his shoulders and turned him over. Although the young wizard was unconscious and his face was pale, he was still breathing. Hermione had just felt a wave of relief in her heart when suddenly she saw a small trickle of blood flowing from the corner of Harry's lips. The blood then started flowing profusely, forming a red pool on the ground.

“Oh no! MURDERERS! You've killed him, you've killed him!” she cried out desperately, hugging him tightly in her arms and hiding her face in his chest.

“You're going to pay for this!” Fred shouted, trying to free himself. “Come on! Take off these ropes and you'll see what we can do!”

George was still petrified in horror.

“What were you thinking? The Dark Lord wanted him alive, understand? ALIVE!” thundered Malfoy to Bellatrix. “Now we're going to be punished, and it's your fault!”

“Potter would have died anyway! Our Master will be satisfied just the same!”

“You're a raving, crazy witch! Let's get out of here, before it's too late!” Malfoy made a sign with his hand to the other Death Eaters; one by one they disappeared with a resounding crack!

“What're we going to do with the prisoners?” asked one of them.

“Leave the two Weasleys here. Mark will come with us.”

The Death Eater lifted Mark Evans and disapparated with him. Malfoy and Bellatrix were the last ones to leave. Throughout the square returned the quietness of the night, broken only by Hermione's sobs, muffled by Harry's cloak. Her eyes were wide in shock and her face was streaked by tears as she held Harry's motionless body in her arms.

Fred and George slowly stood up and moved toward her. “Harry's still breathing! He'll survive, I'm sure of it!” said George, trying his best to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Fred was forcefully trying to get Ron to regain consciousness. “Wake up! For Merlin's sake, Ron! We need your help here!”

Hermione felt an awkward emptiness inside; even though she knew that Harry was still alive, this time she wouldn't be able to help him. Her mind was upside down, unable to make any rational decision. All the while Harry was losing more and more blood. The only thing important to her was to remain by his side until the end.

In that moment, a tall hooded figure emerged from one of the side alleys, heading toward them with quick steps. George rushed in front of Harry and Hermione; even though his arms and legs were still bound, he frowned at the newcomer, challenging him. “What else do you want? Leave us alone!”

“Step aside Weasley, if you care about his life!”

George widened his eyes in surprise, having recognized the voice. “P-professor Snape?”

Snape took off his black hood with a quick motion and bent toward Harry, examining him with a worried look in his eyes. “It's the Sanguinem Curse! We don't have much time left!”

With a quick flick of his wand, the magical ropes disappeared from the twins' bodies. He then took an old quill out of his cloak and handed it to George. “Use this Portkey to return to Headquarters.”

“Y-you're coming with us, right?” asked Hermione, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt.

“No, I'm not! I'm taking Potter with me to a much safer place!”

“W-what are you talking about? I'm coming with you!” Hermione protested, but the Potions Master didn't reply. He lifted Harry up and carried him over his shoulder, giving the young witch a stern look.

“Miss Granger, I haven't time for your silly hysteria. You'll get news about his condition through the Headmaster. Goodbye.” Snape disapparated, taking Harry with him.

***O***

When the group of young wizards arrived at Grimmauld Place, they found Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody ready to welcome them.

They had appeared in the middle of the kitchen, the force of their Portkey landing made them collapse to the floor.

“Oh, Ron, Fred, George! How are you, my dears? And you Hermione?” Mrs. Weasley rushed to them and hugged her sons tightly in turn.

“Professor Snape just informed us. It's a real miracle for you to still be alive!” Tonks spoke with a trembling voice. Hermione stood up abruptly and turned to her.

“Do you know anything about Harry? How is he? Professor Snape took him away, but we don't even know where he went!”

Nymphadora Tonks placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders and stared at her with sympathy. “Don't worry, I'm sure that Severus will do all that is possible to save Harry's life. Now, if you'll let me have a look at your wounds, I may...”

“Tell me where Snape took him! Harry needs my help, I can't leave him alone!” Hermione cut Tonks off, raising her voice. She wanted desperately to reach Harry and be by his side when he woke up.

“NOW STOP IT!” Moody scolded her strongly, “Professor Snape knows what to do and no one has the right to interfere, not even a silly little girl like you! The best thing for you to do now is to stay here and don't give us any more trouble, understood?” The old Auror then turned toward Ron, trying to revive him.

Hermione felt her blood boiling in her veins. Though she was tempted to reply, she chose to remain silent. She just clenched her fists in anger and then rushed out of the kitchen, slamming the door.

“Poor girl! I know how she's feeling at the moment,” commented Mrs. Weasley bitterly.

Hermione climbed the stairs two at a time and when she reached her bedroom, she locked the door behind her. She remained there a few minutes leaning against the wall, staring into space, the image of Harry lying unconscious in a pool of blood still in her mind.

Warm tears ran down her face. Outside the window, the sun was rising in the sky, lighting the room with its rays, but Hermione wasn't aware of it. Her only thought was to be with Harry again, to talk to him, to gaze at his sparkling green eyes and sweet smile.

The young witch felt the weight of that horrible night burdening her shoulders. With no more strength to stand, she slipped down to her knees, covered her face with her hands, and burst into silent sobs.

***O***

The ancient manor of the Snape family stood in a lost valley, surrounded by sharp mountains. It was a solitary place, where nature had taken over. The house was dark and gloomy, like the wizards who had lived there for ages. From the outside, it could very well have seemed like the typical haunted house, what with pointed roofs, broken windows, and a swinging gate that squeaked when pushed by the wind.

In the old cellar of the house, in a cold room with stone walls, Severus Snape was deeply concentrated on a magical potion that would help to save his young guest's life. The professor was moving quickly around the smoking cauldron. He poured in a red powder and mixed it three times clockwise; he waited for the color of the potion to become as black as night and then added a drop of a crystal-like liquid, which caused a low burst of smoke.

A bead of sweat trickled down his knitted forehead; even the slightest mistake could cost the boy's life.

Snape waited a few more minutes until the concoction had taken a red color and then, with a large spoon, he took some and poured it into a small vial. Wasting no time, he left the room and climbed the stairs.

Snape reached the third floor, headed to the last room at the end of the corridor, and then entered. Harry was lying on the bed, unconscious. He had lost a lot of blood; his clothes were completely soaked in it. Snape leaned over him and, with his right hand, he lifted Harry's head and made him drink every last drop of the potion in the vial.

The professor laid Harry's head back down on the pillow and sighed deeply. He had done everything possible to save him. Now, he had to wait and see. Even though he wasn't bleeding anymore, Harry's face was still very pale and motionless. Snape grabbed his hand and felt that it was freezing, even though his heart was still beating.

Snape asked himself why he was helping this boy, but he couldn't find a good explanation. Because Dumbledore had asked him to? Maybe. Because he was felt pity? That too. Undoubtedly, there was something more. Whatever was binding him to Harry Potter was strong enough to push him to risk his own life to save Harry's.

Snape slowly moved to the window; the sun was already up in the sky. He closed the curtains, preventing any rays of sunlight from lighting up the room. He gave a last glance at the boy unconscious on the bed, turned to the door, and exited the room with a swish of his cloak.

The bedroom remained dark and silent; suddenly, a tiny jewel of light appeared on Harry's side, its shining rays growing until finally it took a human form.

A beautiful woman wearing a white robe was now standing there; she had long red hair and gorgeous green eyes. She stared for a few minutes at the boy with compassion and love in her eyes; then she stretched out a hand and gently brushed his face. “Harry, Harry!”

Hearing her sweet voice, Harry slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the ethereal figure in front of him. He wasn't feeling any pain, as if he has been miraculously healed of all his injuries.

“Mum, it's you!” Harry spoke, but then he realized he hadn't moved his lips. He was able to speak with her just with the strength of his mind.

“It's time to go, my son.” Lily gave him a wonderful sensation of love and happiness, which warmed his heart. He suddenly felt he wouldn't be able to live without her anymore. He sat up on the bed without any difficulty, his body feeling extremely light, and then got out of bed and stood up.

Harry was still staring at his mother unbelievingly as she smiled at him with joy. With a slight movement of her hand, Lily summoned a tall gate made of shining light and laid an arm on Harry's shoulder. Together, they moved a few steps toward the lighted path.

Harry didn't know yet where he was going; he just wanted to follow his mother everywhere.

“Are you ready?” Lily asked and Harry nodded.

Before being swallowed by a flash of light, Harry gave the room a last glance. For a brief moment, he saw his body still lying on the bed, motionless. His eyes widened in surprise, but the scenery around him had already changed.

***O***

That day at Grimmauld Place, time had passed by surprisingly slowly and tediously. Thanks to Moody's help, Ron had regained consciousness, even though he was still feeling extremely weak. Mrs. Weasley had told him to stay in bed for the whole day and Ron had insisted on knowing everything that had happened the night before.

Fred and George explained everything to him, including the reason for their presence in Knockturn Alley; they had stayed late in their shop when they heard someone shouting. Then rushed out into the street and then the two Death Heaters caught them.

The twins spent the entire evening in Ron's bedroom; every ten minutes Mrs. Weasley came in to check on them.

Lying on the bed, Ron stared at the ceiling, his face tired and worried; suddenly, he turned to his brothers. “Any news from Hermione?”

“She's been locked in her room the whole day, and didn't even come for dinner!” replied George, sadly.

“If someone doesn't tell us something, I'm going to scream!” said Fred with anger, beating his fist on the bed.

No one had given them even the slightest news about Harry's condition. The weight of this terrible fear and doubt was crushing their hearts like a boulder.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mrs. Weasley entered carrying a tray full of pastries. “How are you feeling, dears? I've brought you dessert.” She laid the tray on the table and stared at them with a forced smile on her face.

“Any news?” asked Ron worriedly, and Mrs. Weasley's smile faded away.

“Harry's condition is stable. The hemorrhaging has been stopped, but he isn't out of danger yet. Professor Snape is doing his best to...”

“Can you tell me what the bloody hell Snape is doing with Harry?” shouted Ron furiously, “We could've taken him to the hospital or maybe to Hogwarts!”

Mrs. Weasley kept her placid attitude, despite her son's behavior. “Dumbledore thought that it would have been too risky. The Headmaster trusts Severus, and you should trust him as well!”

Ron had always had serious doubts about Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore, and wasn't at all happy that his best friend's life depended on their Potions Master. Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do to change this situation, so he folded his arms and hoped that Harry would make it through the night.

“I think I'm going to see if Hermione is OK. Poor girl, she won't open the door to anyone!” Mrs. Weasley sighed deeply and slowly left the room.

“What can we do? I feel so useless!” George laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Ron closed his eyes and tried to visualize his best friend's face in his mind. Hold on Harry! Please, don't give up, mate!

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(A/N: Wow! Thanks for all the reviews you've sent me! There are 3 more chapters until the end of the story! Did you want to discover where is Harry gone? Here we are then!)

Chapter 33. COMING BACK TO LIFE

...
Sorry, it's late, and I'm thinking of you
Yes I'm coming, and I'm thinking of you
I wasn't funny, and I'm thinking of you
I'm sitting in the dark, and I'm thinking of you
I close my eyes, and I'm thinking of you
I can't sleep, and I'm still thinking of you.
...
“... and I'm thinking of you” by Lucio Battisti

Hermione and Ron returned to Hogwarts on Sunday night to resume classes on Monday morning.

Officially, all the other students knew was that Harry had to leave school for a few urgent and very secret matters. Dumbledore had absolutely forbidden the teachers from revealing how things truly were; he did so to prevent Voldemort from learning Harry's true health condition, and also to protect Snape's cover.

In private, Dumbledore had informed Ron and Hermione the absolute minimum needed to keep them quiet; he told them that Harry was alive, though still unconscious. Nevertheless, Hermione was not able to calm down. It was unbearable for her to know that the person she was in love with was still in mortal danger, isolated in some unknown place, without his closest friends by his side.

On Monday morning, Hermione was still lying on her bed with the curtains closed around it, staring at the ceiling with tears in her eyes. The previous day, she didn't have anything to eat and wasn't able to sleep the entire night.

She almost didn't realize that her roommates were already up and getting ready. Suddenly, Lavender opened her bed curtains, smiling.

“Good morning! I don't think you want to be late, do you?”

Hermione didn't reply and quickly wiped her eyes with her pajama sleeve. Lavender became serious and moved closer to her. “How are you feeling, Hermione?”

Hermione stared intensely at her roommate, feeling that she was going to burst into tears at any minute, but forced herself to resist. She couldn't tell Lavender the true reason of her suffering. What then was she going to tell her friend? Maybe that she was fine, but that she had just had an awful nightmare? Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, feeling a knot in her throat that prevented her from speaking.

Lavender sat on the bed and gently caressed her ruffled hair. “You miss Harry?” she said, and Hermione nodded in silence.

“I'm sure that once he's back, you'll forget all your troubles.”

Hermione felt extremely thankful for those words, even if the situation wasn't as simple as Lavender thought. She sighed deeply and finally managed to get out of bed and get ready.

In the common room, Hermione found Ron waiting for her. When she reached him, the two friends exchanged a knowing glance.

“We'll meet in class, Lavender. See you later!” Hermione said goodbye to her friend and moved to a quieter corner with Ron.

“Any news?” she whispered hopefully, but Ron slowly shook his head and Hermione lowered her gaze to the floor.

“Do you think Snape'll be at school today?” Ron asked uncertainly.

“How could he? Snape is taking care of Harry at the moment. Surely there'll be a substitute for his classes. Honestly, I don't care who teaches us today, as long as Snape does the impossible to save Harry.”

“You're right!” replied Ron, looking around warily. “We should go now, I think we're attracting too much attention.”

The two friends left the common room and walked along the corridors, passing other students who were rushing to reach their classes.

“If we run, we still might find something to eat!” said Ron, walking faster, but Hermione didn't seem interested.

“I'm not hungry!” she said, carelessly.

Ron stopped abruptly and turned to her with a stern look in his eyes. “If you keep starving yourself like this, you're going to be sick!”

“Why don't you stop telling me what to do and mind your own business?” Hermione was losing her temper.

“I'm just worried about you, that's all!”

“I'm sorry, Ron, but I'm in no mood for a quarrel today!” Saying these words, Hermione rushed away leaving Ron there, astonished.

Hermione ran downstairs in a fury, holding her school bag in her arms angrily. When she reached the dungeon, she didn't find the usual queue of students waiting in front of the door, meaning the teacher was already inside. She moved to the door and entered, panting heavily from of the run. In that moment, she felt everybody staring at her and to her greatest surprise, she saw Snape sternly looking at her from his desk.

“You're late, Miss Granger!” thundered the teacher. Hermione needed a few seconds to snap back to her senses; not only Snape was at school, but he was scolding her as usual.

“Are you going to remain at the door for the entire lesson?” Snape inquired.

“O-of course not! I-I'm coming!” Hermione stuttered, heading to one of the last desks close to the entrance, sitting at Lavender's side.

Snape frowned at her for a few seconds before standing up and beginning the lesson. Hermione was deeply shocked; the last thing she could've imagined was finding Snape at school that day. Thinking over it, she felt her heart starting to beat faster and faster.

Maybe something terrible happened to Harry! Maybe Snape realized there is nothing more he could do and left him alone! she thought in panic. Maybe Harry is already gone forever, and I didn't even have time to say goodbye!”

These thoughts started to wind their way through her brain like some insidious snake. Her heart was telling her that it couldn't be true, but her brain seemed to be trying to prove that horrible possibility.

Hermione felt a cold chill going down her spine and sweat started to appear on her forehead. Snape's monotonous voice echoed in her ears in a dull litany, causing her to lose focus. She felt her breath missing and raised a hand to her shirt collar, panting heavily.

“Hermione, are you all right?” asked Lavender worriedly, but Hermione didn't have the strength to reply.

Everything started whirling around her: the classroom, her classmates' faces, Snape's stern face, which was moving closer to her.

“Miss Granger! Miss Granger!”

The Potion Master's persistent voice was the last thing Hermione heard. Her eyes closed and she fainted, landing heavily on the cold floor, unconscious.

***O***

The beach was wonderful so early in the morning. The waves broke regularly against the golden sand and the water was as crystal-clear blue as the sky.

Harry felt the rays of sunshine warming his face. The previous night he had been sitting on the shore, staring at the stars and the sea. This magnificent place was far beyond anything of human imagination. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply the fresh salty air. He had only spent a few days there, but he already knew that it was the right place for him, not only because it seemed like heaven, but most importantly because his parents were finally by his side.

Harry couldn't remember clearly how he had gotten there. His mother had come to him, and together they had passed through a gate of light leading to this fabulous astral world. When he was finally able to meet his father, Harry's happiness became complete.

James was just like in Harry's pictures, a bit taller than his son, with black, ruffled hair, and deep brown eyes behind a pair of round glasses - a nearly exact copy of Harry, only more mature.

During the days they spent together, Lily and James had shown Harry that magnificent world. Everything was infinitely beautiful, clean, and orderly. There was no injustice, death, or suffering. The inhabitants lived together peacefully, even though they were different races. In addition to humans, there was also myriad a of fairies, mermaids, gnomes, spirits, and demigods. Each of them possessed the power to modify any object or being, to change its form and even to enhance its beauty at will.

The climate was an eternal spring with occasional luminous white snow and rain of many-colored lights. There were opal lakes, bright seas, and rainbow rivers. There were no dead plants or barren land, nothing that would blemish the beauty - weeds, bacteria, or destructive insects.

Sometimes, though that world was wonderful and he didn't want to leave anymore, Harry thought he was living in a dream. Oddly, he didn't remember anything about his corporeal life, neither the faces of his friends, nor the feelings he had for them. It was as if he had removed every memory of it. He felt reborn and had no other desire than to remain with his beloved parents.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw that someone was slowly approaching. He turned and smiled at his father, who sat by his side in the sand. James was wearing a simple robe that emanated a shining halo of light, just like the one Harry was wearing.

“Isn't it wonderful? The sea has always given me great strength!”

Harry nodded without swaying his gaze from James's calm face. He was greedily examining his father's features, every single wrinkle and characteristic feature of his face. They were in perfect harmony, each completely absorbed in the other's soul.

“I need to talk to you, my son. There is still a very important decision you must make and I'm here to help you to make it wisely.”

Harry stared at his father, puzzled. James spoke again with a great calmness in his voice.

“You must decide either to remain here in the astral world, or to go back to earth, where you still have your life and your dearest friends.”

“B-but, I don't understand! Why should I leave? Now that I've found you, I only want to remain here and never leave you again!” Harry protested. James became serious before speaking again.

“Tell me Harry. You don't remember anything about your life? Or about your friends?”

Harry thought about it for a moment and then firmly replied, “There's nothing that could make me go back. I only want to stay here with you!”

“My son, there are two reasons you've come here, where your mother and I've chosen to stay. First, we wanted to grant you your deepest wish, to meet us again. Now you know that we're fine and that we'll always take care of you.” James stopped briefly, resting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

“The second reason is that we wanted to help you face a very difficult moment in your life. Even as we're speaking, your body and mind are fighting between life and death. The final outcome depends only on you.”

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could it be true? He was there, with his father, and he felt perfectly alive. “It isn't true! I don't believe you!” he protested.

“If you choose to remain here with us, you're going to leave your life and your friends, who love you and are suffering for you at this very moment. I can assure you that it would only be a temporary separation from them, as true friends will always rejoin each other sooner or later. The question is, is this really what you want to do?”

Harry stared at the waves on the sea surface; his father was talking about people and situations that seemed so far away. He wondered why he would ever want to go back; he felt he didn't have any connection to his past.

“I'd like to show you something, Harry.” James reached out his hand and laid it on his son's chest, right over his heart. “Now, close your eyes.”

As soon as Harry did so, he saw and heard an infinite number of images and sounds racing through his mind. When everything became quiet again, a few scenes from his past appeared. Harry found himself in Knockturn Alley at night. Ron was lying on the ground unconscious and Hermione was kneeling by his side, her face tensed and worried. Harry was standing a certain distance from them, surrounded by a large group of Death Eaters.

As a detached spectator, Harry relived those last frantic moments until Bellatrix Lestrange raised her wand toward Hermione. In endless horror, Harry saw himself moving forward to protect her with his own body. When her curse hit him in the chest, Harry felt an unbearable pain in his heart, as if right then he had just realized it had nearly caused his death.

“Noooooo!” Harry shouted, his eyes widening. He stood up panting heavily, and quickly walked away, leaving his father sitting on the sand.

It's not true! It can't be true! he kept telling himself, feeling his heart beating faster. It was just one of my usual nightmares, that's all!

“Harry, wait please!” James called him from far away; Harry stopped abruptly. When his father reached him, Harry didn't turn, but remained there, listening.

“What I just showed you actually happened. It wasn't a nightmare. Nevertheless, you have nothing to fear, because you have enough strength and courage to overcome this. The chance to choose between returning to earth or remaining here in the astral world is a gift that almost no one has ever had the honor to receive.”

Harry was still reliving those horrible images in his mind. Suddenly his thoughts focused on Hermione. He felt his heart overflowing with love for her. How could he ever be able to leave Hermione all alone?

“My son, if you choose to return, you must know that difficult times are waiting for you. There is no escaping the effects of the curse that caught you; you will have to face them. You may regret choosing to not remain here with us. Remember though that the love of your dearest friends will help you to go on. Your mother and I will always be with you, in spirit.”

Harry slowly turned to face his father and stared intensely into his eyes before speaking. “I've already made my choice!”

***O***

“Miss Granger? Miss Granger!”

Hermione abruptly woke up and tried to lift herself to her elbows, coughing from of the strong smell of sulfur. She opened her eyes and blinked several times before realizing that she was in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey in front of her, holding a small smoking crucible.

“Blessed girl! You don't eat any food for days and at night you don't close your eyes! How do you think you're going to stand on your feet? I keep asking myself what else I'm going to have to see before I choose to retire!” Madam Pomfrey moved away muttering to herself as Hermione lay heavily on the bed. She felt extremely weak but when she turned around and saw Snape in a corner of the room, she couldn't keep from starting and sat up quickly.

“Oh, not at all, my dear! What are you thinking? You can't stand up yet, lie back down!” Madam Pomfrey ordered, but Hermione had no intention of obeying her.

“P-professor Snape! P-please, I need to talk to you!” she called to him, but he didn't seem willing to listen. “Professor Snape...”

Suddenly, Hermione turned to the edge of the bed and stood up, feeling dizzy. With great effort, she took a few steps forward, but Madam Pomfrey rushed to her and grabbed her firmly by the shoulder.

“My goodness, Professor! This girl needs to talk to you!” The nurse was highly irritated and finally Snape came closer.

“How is Harry?” Hermione asked with a trembling voice.

“His conditions are unchanged. There is nothing new to report.”

“I want to see him! Please, tell me where he's staying!” Hermione begged, but he didn't reply. “I know that Harry needs me. I only need a few minutes, just to make sure that he's...”

“Those aren't the instructions I've received from the Headmaster!” Snape cut her off in his usual cold voice.

Hermione felt an uncontrollable anger exploding inside of her, causing her to forget her weakness. She clenched her fists and shouted at her Potions Master. “How could you be so insensitive? The truth is that you want to see him dead!”

“How dare you talk to me like that!” Snape scolded her, but Hermione didn't care.

“Harry can't be alone right now! He needs his friends by his side!”

Madam Pomfrey stared at Snape and Hermione in turn, though she didn't fully understand about what they were yelling.

“You've hated him from the moment you met! I'm sure you don't care about his life! I'll tell you this, Professor,” Hermione stared intensely at Snape before finishing her sentence, “if Harry dies, you're going to have him on your conscience, and no one will be there to forgive you!”

Snape's eyes widened in dismay.

“Come on, Miss Granger, you should lie down now,” said the nurse, pushing her gently to the bed. Hermione had said what she wanted and followed her without any resistance.

“I'm going to speak to the Headmaster! Be ready. But if you want to follow me, you'll have to put something in your stomach first!” said Snape abruptly.

Hermione stared at him with her mouth open, deeply astonished. Snape then turned to the door and quickly exited the room.

***O***

The bedroom was cold and dark, a strong smell of mold permeating the atmosphere. Hermione entered with slow steps, squinting her eyes in hopes of being able to see something, anything.

Snape, in the meantime, had gone over to the window. He opened the curtains, letting a ray of light come in. Hermione was blinded for a moment and then raised a hand to her eyes. When she finally became adjusted to the light, she could see a large canopy bed in a corner of the room. Lying on it was the motionless body of a boy. In a heartbeat, she was at his side and felt a painful lurch in her stomach.

Harry looked extremely pale. He had deep black circles under his eyes and was quite a bit thinner. He was wearing simple pajamas and clean white bed sheets covered the bed, meaning that Snape had cared for him, after all.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and felt that it was freezing. With her other hand, she brushed away his black hair, which fell messily onto his forehead.

“Oh, Harry, you don't know how much I've missed you. I was going crazy without you,” she whispered, hoping that he could hear her. After all those days filled with doubt and suffering, she couldn't keep from crying. Tears fell down her face, but she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. When Harry wakes up, he can't see me crying! she thought determinedly. I have to be strong for both of us!

Snape silently swept forward like a ghost and stared at the boy by Hermione's side. “It's time to go now.” His stern voice brought Hermione back to reality. Unfortunately, she had permission to remain there for only a few minutes. For security reasons, she would have return to Hogwarts immediately.

“Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here any longer; I wish I could. Don't worry, I'll be back soon, I promise.” Hermione slowly leaned forward and hesitated for an instant in front of his lips. She then moved a few centimeters up and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

In that exact moment, she felt her hand being squeezed firmly. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Harry's face, which was still motionless.

Making a tremendous effort, he managed to move his lips, speaking only one word.

“H-her-mi-o-ne...”

*The description of the astral world is taken from the book “Autobiography of a Yogi”, written by Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, page. 402.

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(A/N: A big thanks goes to all my faithful readers, especially to those who have left a review, like Claud, pottergirlajg, TheDivineMsD, TCD, godsowndevil, eekii, Misadies1, Harry_Hermionefan_11. Another big thanks goes to my wonderful BETA readers IronChefOr and SarahLupin, who are ready to editing the first chapter of my sequal, “Secrets from the Future”, which I'm going to publish next week! I'm sure you're happy that Harry has come back to life. After all, he has still a very important task to accomplish and all of you know what this task is… I hope you'll enjoy the last two chapters of the story. Here we are then!)

Chapter 34. A NEW START
...
Stalactites on the ceiling were
My days with her.
I hugged death.
Now I fear to tell you
That with you
I woke up...
...
“I'd like to, no I won't like to, but if you want to” by Lucio Battisti

“Harry? HARRY, can you hear me?” Hermione's joy was overwhelming, even though it was slightly shadowed by the fear that it was only a dream. Harry had just spoken her name, and that meant he was slowly regaining consciousness. “Harry, please, try again! Open your eyes!”

Harry's eyelids started to open with great difficulty, but eventually they opened and he stared at Hermione for a few seconds, puzzled. She smiled happily at him in disbelief and squeezed his hands tightly in hers.

“Potter, do you hear me? Potter!” Professor Snape called him several times, but Harry didn't seem to notice; his stare was still intensely locked on Hermione's eyes, as if nothing else existed in that moment.

“Professor Snape! Harry woke up! He's back, he's back!” shouted Hermione enthusiastically, but Snape was still looking at him worriedly.

Suddenly, Harry shut his eyes tightly. He ground his teeth in a grimace of pain; his hands let go of Hermione's and he started to shake uncontrollably, thrashing his head left and right, his body pulling away the bed linens.

“Nooooo!” Harry shouted desperately as Hermione stared at him in shock.

“What's happening? Professor, what's going on?”

Harry was having a seizure; he was panting heavily, tossing his head on the pillow frantically. Snape reached for the bed table where a silver pitcher full of a red liquid was standing. He poured the liquid into a nearby glass, moved closer to Harry, and tried his best to make him drink it, even though Harry was still shaking.

“HELP ME!” Snape shouted to Hermione, who promptly grabbed Harry's arms; he was stronger she was and more than once he managed to escape her grasp.

As soon as Harry drank the entire glass of potion, he started to calm down. His breathing became regular and shortly thereafter he fell into a deep sleep.

Hermione brought her hands to her mouth worriedly. “W-what's happened? He's going to get well, isn't he?” she asked with a trembling voice, but Snape didn't reply. He just turned away and rushed out of the room in a fury.

= = = = = =

Several days and nights passed by, and Hermione remained at Harry's side the entire time. Dumbledore had given her permission to stay with him and she was doing her very best to attend to her beloved one.

Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and Mrs. Figg in turn were helping Hermione in this difficult moment. Unfortunately, Harry had not given any other sign of awakening. He still had frequent convulsions and his forehead was always burning because of his fever. Only Snape's potions were able to give him some relief, even though his opinion about Harry's health was negative. His recovery was going to be extremely slow and difficult.

The Sanguinem Curse could have completely destroyed Harry's cardiovascular system if Snape's intervention had not been timely. That said, however, the curse had still caused serious damage to his body.

Hermione kept feeling a painful lurch in her heart, seeing him suffering like that. Harry had not spent a single night in peace, as his sleep was regularly disturbed by fever and sharp pain.

Often during those terrible moments, Harry kept shouting his mother's name. It was unbearable for Hermione, but she didn't want to leave him for any reason. Her only wish was to remain by Harry's side and help him.

That evening, Harry was sleeping deeply. Mrs. Figg had given him his usual calming potion before leaving. Hermione was sitting in a huge armchair by Harry's bed, never taking her gaze away from him. Her exhaustion was tremendous and after a good half hour, she couldn't prevent herself from closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Oddly, she found herself in a warm and comforting place; she was feeling light and relaxed, as she hadn't in ages. Looking around, Hermione realized she was standing on Hogwarts' grounds; she started walking along the lake toward the forest. The sky was clear and the sun was shining.

Hermione was completely alone when suddenly she saw a human figure come out from the darkness of the Forbidden Forest and head toward her. In her heart, she felt a deep desire to see who this person was and started to run to meet him.

Moving closer, she was better able to distinguish his body and facial features. She quickly realized it was Harry and felt an endless joy inside. He was in good health and was happily smiling at her. They gazed at each other intensely and held each other's hands.

“I won't ever leave you alone again. I promise!” said Harry. Hermione's heart overflowed with love for him and happiness. She knew that he was telling the truth, that they were bound together for life.

Hermione was going to tell him how she felt, but in that moment she woke up abruptly. Someone had laid a hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes and looked around, disoriented.

“Hermione? Maybe you should go to bed now, dear. I'll stay with Harry.” Mrs. Figg spoke with an encouraging tone, but Hermione didn't want to leave. She stared at Harry for a few seconds; he was still sleeping deeply.

“Thanks, but I prefer to stay.”

“But he's sleeping like a baby. There's no need to worry! I promise you that nothing bad will happen while you're away.”

Hermione wasn't sure about what to do and stared at Harry with apprehension. She still was feeling the weight of her exhaustion, however, and in the end decided to take a short break. She slowly stood up nodding and Mrs. Figg took her place on the armchair. “If there is something new, I'll call you immediately!”

“Thanks! I just need a half hour or so. I'll be back soon.”

“Take your time, dear!”

With slow steps, Hermione headed to the door and when she closed it behind her, she felt her heart slightly lighter. Her bedroom was on the other side of the hall; she reached her room and once inside, she lit a few candles. It was just like Harry's bedroom, only a bit smaller.

Hermione walked over to the sink and stared at her reflection in the small mirror over it; she hardly recognized herself. Her face was pale and tired, thinner than ever; her hair was falling disheveled over her forehead and shoulders. She sighed deeply and then tried to arrange her hair in a braid. She washed her face with cold water and then moved over to her bed, collapsing heavily on top of it.

Almost immediately, she covered her face with her hands. Feeling an uncontrollable need to cry, she let it all out. I can't make it all alone. Harry, please don't leave me! she kept saying to herself, as warm tears streaked down her cheeks. She wasn't able to hold them back any longer and started to sob like a little girl. As she sat there releasing her pent up despair, she lost all track of time. She felt extremely lonely and desperate, her strength and hope having abandoned her.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A persistent knocking on her door brought Hermione's attention back to her. She quickly wiped away her tears and stood up. “Come in!”

“Hermione, quick! You absolutely need to see this!” Mrs. Figg threw open the door with a strange twinkle in her eyes. Hermione's heart sank in fear and she rushed out and headed to Harry's bedroom.

“What's happened? Is he getting worse?” she asked, but Mrs. Figg's stare was indecipherable as she hesitated in front of the closed door.

“You need to be strong! What you're going to see could give you a shock!” said the older woman seriously and Hermione nodded, feeling a knot in her throat.

When they slowly opened the door, they heard Albus Dumbledore's deep voice, animatedly talking with someone else. Mrs. Figg and Hermione moved inside the room, but it seemed as though the Headmaster wasn't aware of their presence. Dumbledore laughed noisily and turned to face the newcomers, who were still staring at him, astonished.

“Oh, there you are, finally! I was just telling Harry that the wild raspberry harvest is held in this part of England, and that this is the right time of year!”

Hermione couldn't believe her ears; Albus Dumbledore was talking about wild raspberries with whom? She took a few more steps toward the canopy bed and when she saw Harry, she blinked several times before she fully realized what was happening.

Harry was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, smiling peacefully at her. He was still very pale in the face, of course, and a lot thinner than usual, but he was fully awake. Hermione raised her hands to her mouth and stared in turn at Dumbledore, who winked at her, and Harry, who had just stretched his arms out to her.

Wasting no time, Hermione rushed forward and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. She realized that his body was extremely thin; she almost feared hurting him with her hug. When Harry drew her even more tightly into him with his hug, Hermione couldn't keep herself from bursting into tears. Finally, her beloved one had woken up and she was holding him in her arms. It was like a wonderful dream, something that seemed difficult to believe.

“Shhhhh, don't cry. It's all over now, I'm back!” Harry whispered sweetly in her ears; Hermione was unable able to hold back her tears of joy. Harry then pulled back slightly, to look directly in her eyes; she tried her best to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand.

“P-please forgive me! I... I promised myself I wouldn't cry! I'm just a silly little girl!”

“Don't say that, it's not true! You must forgive me! You've suffered so much and it's all my fault!” Harry spoke in a low voice, slowly caressing her face with his hand.

“I've missed you so much, Harry!” Hermione hugged him again. They remained like that for a while, each in the arms of the other, enjoying the happiness they had found again. Mrs. Figg and Dumbledore shot each other glances of agreement.

= = = = = =

That night, Hermione fell in a deep and refreshing sleep, waking up in the late morning. When she opened her eyes, she quickly sat up on her bed, fearing that the events of the previous day had only been a dream.

She still couldn't believe that Harry had finally regained consciousness. Surely, the Headmaster's help had been fundamental in Harry recovery, even if it wasn't clear what kind of magic he had used this time.

Hermione rushed out of bed and quickly got ready. She then went over to Harry's bedroom and hesitated a few seconds in front of the door. From inside, she could hear the sound of indistinct voices; she slowly turned the handle and entered the room.

Harry was sitting on his bed with his back against on the wall and Albus Dumbledore was sitting by his side; they were talking animatedly like old friends and Hermione sighed in relief.

“Hermione!” Harry's face lit up with a large smile as he saw her coming in.

“I-I'm sorry! Shall I come back later?” she asked uncertainly, but Dumbledore stood up and stretched out a hand toward her.

“Not at all, my dear! Please, join us!”

Hermione closed the door and moved forward. She turned for a second to the table in the center of the room, where a tray with Harry's breakfast sat; she happily noticed that there was nothing remaining in his dishes and cup. She then took a seat by Harry's side and he grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly.

Both of them stared at each other for a few seconds; Hermione got lost in his sweet emerald eyes, which were again shining as they had in the past.

Dumbledore sat in the nearby armchair, waiting quietly.

“We were talking about that night in Knockturn Alley,” started Harry. Then his face became gloomy and he added, “The Headmaster just told me what happened to Mark Evans.”

Hermione nodded in silence. Harry then turned to Dumbledore, “We have to find him! I don't want him to die! I'm sure he's redeemed himself, I know it!”

“We're doing our best to find him, Harry. The only think you should worry about now is getting well soon. We're all waiting to see you again at Hogwarts!”

Harry nodded. He also wanted to get well soon because there were still so many things he wanted to do. Dumbledore then stood up and stared directly into Harry's eyes before speaking.

“There is one last thing. You followed Mark Evans that night because you wanted to see Sirius Black, correct?

Harry sighed deeply and lowered his gaze, mortified. “Yes. I've been a real idiot! I shouldn't've believed such a foolish thing!”

“Don't be too hard on yourself, Harry. You just followed your heart. There is, however, still a possibility left!”

The young wizard raised his head toward the Headmaster as Hermione did the same.

“If you want to, on the next night of new moon, I'll help you perform the ceremony in front of the Veil of Death. And we won't need to go to the Ministry either!” Dumbledore's eyes twinkled secretly as Harry and Hermione exchanged a puzzled stare.

“You'll be happy to know that there are several Veils of Death all around the world. One of them is hidden at Hogwarts!”

“S-seriously?” Harry couldn't believe his ears. After all his effort and all the dangers he had to overcome, now he found out that there was another Veil of Death hidden at the school?

“Get well soon and when you're back with us, we'll arrange everything for it. Now I must leave you. Anyway, I'm sure you have lots of things to talk about!” As he finished his sentence, Dumbledore reached the door and left the room with a light rustle of his light blue robes behind him.

Finally alone, Hermione couldn't keep herself from commenting. “Did you hear that? It would've been smarter for us to have talked to Dumbledore first, instead of following that raving mad Mark Evans!” Hermione looked extremely upset and continued talking in a resentful tone, “I can't understand why you're still worrying about him, after all he's done to you!”

Harry smiled lightly and stretched out a hand to sweetly caress her face. “I know, you're right, but he doesn't deserve to die. I can't hate him! Dumbledore told me all about Mark. He was my age when he joined Voldemort. He wanted to be a powerful wizard and at that time he didn't know how evil Voldemort was. By the time he realized it, it was too late! Shortly before my parents' deaths, Mark betrayed Voldemort and left England, hiding abroad. He knew that Voldemort would have killed him! He couldn't even ask for the Ministry's help, since he had been a Death Eater. I hope Dumbledore finds Mark soon, I need to talk to him. I'm sure that he regrets his actions!”

“I don't think so!” Hermione stood up abruptly and paced the room with slow steps. “He dragged us directly to Voldemort and his servants! You risked your own life and it was all his fault! I'd never forgive him for this, NEVER!” Hermione tightened her fists, feeling tears welling up in her eyes, and swayed her gaze away.

”It's all my fault!” Harry felt extremely guilty and lowered his gaze. “I didn't realize what I was going to lose. If I had only listened to you! If only I had been wiser. If...” Harry felt a knot in his throat and couldn't continue. He covered his face with his hands and sighed deeply to regain control over himself; the last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of the girl he loved.

Hermione suddenly understood how fragile Harry was feeling at that moment. She wiped away her tears and rushed to hug him. “Shhhh, don't think about the past! We just need to forget it. I want to spend every single moment here in the present with you, that's all!”

Harry hugged her tightly and breathed in deeply her light perfume. He was holding in his arms the most important person of his life. If he had decided to remain with his parents in the Astral World, he'd have lost it all.

“I need to tell you something!” Harry pulled away and looked into her eyes. “While I was unconscious, I had an experience! My mum came to me and together we visited a wonderful place. I also met my father, it was incredible! Everything seemed so real. I also thought I should stay there with them.”

Hermione smiled sweetly at him and ran her hand through his ruffled hair.

“But then I realized that I had to come back. My place is here, with you!”

“Any regrets?” asked Hermione, shyly. Harry cupped her face in his hands, smiling.

“I'd've come back a thousand times if I had to! I only wish you could read my heart. I'm feeling something so deep, so intense.” Harry stopped for a second, then he whispered, “I love you so much, Hermione.”

Their hearts were overflowing with joy as their eyes welled up from the emotion. Their lips slowly drew closer and then finally kissed passionately.

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