A/N: Okay, I realize that where I left off on the first part seemed a little strange, but I felt it was necessary. Here is the second part which will explain it all to you…
Thanks.
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His Heart's Most Basic Desire
Part 2
"So is this really it?" Harry asked nervously. "This is the first day of the competition already?"
It had been five days since he'd signed his name to that parchment. Five days of misery and regret, lethally combined with fear and anxiety had resulted in a great deal of mental distress…
"This is it Harry," Ron answered. "Pretty cool, eh?" he added looking around.
"Yeah," Harry muttered, "cool."
There must have been nearly 100 students signed up for the competition. Everything had been set up in the courtyard and everywhere they looked there were blocks of ice just waiting for a little inspiration and an ice pick. Harry turned away from Ron and slowly walked around examining them, waiting for one to `speak' to him. They came in all different sizes and he was feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. He thought more than once about just giving up and walking away but something kept pulling him along. It was probably close to the thirtieth block of ice he looked at when he finally found the `one'. It was just a few inches shorter then he was and as he'd had no control to this point, all he could do was assume the dimensions were perfect for whatever it was his subconscious mind had already decided on. He took the piece of parchment he'd been given with his name on it and placed it at the base of the ice and waited for further instructions.
Harry was standing near his block of ice, minding his own business, lost in his thoughts when Dumbledore arrived. "So Harry, I see that you have decided to participate," he said conversationally.
Harry looked at him curiously, "No, Professor," he said blatantly, "I didn't."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly and he smiled at Harry, "Yes, yes, I see," he said nodding his head.
"See what?"
"Sometimes we are led, Harry, by desires we know not as our own," he said knowingly, "it is your heart that has brought you here and I, for one, cannot wait to discover the reason."
"My heart?" Harry said questioningly. "What do you mean…" he stopped abruptly when Dumbledore raised his hands.
"Ask no questions of me Harry," he advised, "merely allow your hands to be the vessel through which your heart speaks. You shall know very soon its message. For now I must go," he added with another smile, "it's time to begin." He raised his eyebrows and for a moment Harry thought he looked as excited as a schoolboy and he couldn't help but to laugh. He was still chuckling when Dumbledore walked away.
"I swear he gets crazier and crazier every year," he muttered to himself.
"Perhaps," Hermione replied, "although I don't know how it's possible."
Harry hadn't noticed her walk up but he was thrilled to have her there beside him. She looked at the block of ice he'd chosen and said, "Wow Harry! That's a big block," she looked at him in surprise, "do you know what you're going to do with it yet?"
Harry shook his head, unable to explain any of what had happened recently he said, "Nope. Just picked it, I figure I'll just chop away and see what happens."
She was looking at him closely again, scrutinizing him, and he steeled himself for the onslaught of questions. She surprised him by saying, "Yeah, I think that's probably what we'll do too."
He shook his head in disbelief but decided he liked her course of action very much so he didn't question her. "So, are you getting excited about this yet?" he asked.
"Not really," she said flatly looking at him helplessly, "I'm just letting them decide what to make of it and I'll just hang out and do the best I can, I suppose."
Harry laughed and she looked at him questioningly, "What's so funny about that?"
"Well Hermione," he said smiling, "this is you we're talking about. If you say you'll do your best I imagine we'll be seeing the Eiffel Tower or something equally as great. You make it sounds as though you'll have a sand pit by the time you're done." Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed and Harry found he really loved the sound of it so he quickly added, "…and knowing you, if you end up with a sand pit you'll make a grand sand castle out of it."
Hermione looked down at the ground and blushed furiously at his compliments. He always seemed to know just what to say to her to make her feel better about things…it was one of the things she'd always loved the most about him. She looked up at him and smiled then moved closer to wrap her arms around him, "Thanks Harry," she whispered.
Harry hugged her back tightly and nodded his head, "Anytime, Hermione," he replied softly.
Hermione pulled away from him reluctantly and reached up to place her hand on his cheek, "You're the best Harry."
He closed his eyes and relinquished himself to her touch. When he opened them a moment later he found her watching him and he reached his hand up to take hers. He held it briefly where it rested against his cheek then brought them down together without letting go of her. "Thanks for that," he said smiling tenderly at her.
Hermione nodded then looked down at where his hand held hers and for just a moment her heart felt full. What is wrong with me? She admonished herself in her thoughts. She abruptly let go of his hand and took a step back, "I'd better go find Ron and Ginny," she said quickly suddenly feeling anxious, "I think we're about to start."
Harry felt as though a small part of him had been lost when Hermione released his hand and through the wonder of his thoughts and the dull ache that accompanied the loss of her touch he could offer her nothing more than a nod of his head. He watched in bewilderment as she walked away. What was that all about? He wondered. Thankfully his thoughts were cut short by the sudden intrusion of Dumbledore's voice.
"Ladies and Gentlemen may have your attention please?" he spoke loudly as though he was speaking through a microphone and in an instant the courtyard was quiet. "By now all contestants should have chosen their ice block. First of all, I feel I must remind you that the purpose of this competition is to have fun. It would not be wise to tamper with your fellow contestants' creations nor would it be wise to be overheard saying degrading remarks toward each other whilst in the midst of this competition. You will have five days to complete your carving. The carving will end on 20th December and the judging will begin on the 21st. I caution you all," he paused to be sure every eye was on him, "respect for one another must be your utmost priority if you do not wish to be disqualified. We are here to have fun and fun in no way includes disparaging remarks toward one another. Do I make myself quite clear?"
"Yes sir!" rang out loudly from amongst the students…with the exception of Draco and the other Slytherins who were entered. Harry watched as they all stood together smirking. This is going to be a long five days, he thought.
"If you wish, you may feel free to move your ice to any unoccupied or unused location as you deem fit. You are authorized for the remainder of this competition to use magic to ensure your location is cold enough to sustain the integrity of the ice. Now," he said smiling, "we begin."
Cheers went up from around the courtyard as competitors and spectators alike began to shout out in their excitement. Everything to this point had seemed odd to Harry so he knew without a doubt that he would have to find someplace private to sculpt.
"Follow me, Harry."
Harry turned abruptly to find that Dumbledore had returned. Harry took a few quick steps and fell into place beside him. "Where are we going?" he asked curiously.
"I want to show you something," Dumbledore said, "just stay with me for a moment."
Harry shrugged and followed along in silence until they arrived in front of a door that Harry had never seen before. It was located about 10 meters from the courtyard and Harry couldn't imagine how he'd ever missed it. "Passing Fancy," Dumbledore stated softly and the door swung open wide. Harry gave him a strange look then followed him into the room.
"Passing Fancy?" he questioned.
Dumbledore smiled, "Much like the Room of Requirement, this room is a passing fancy. Here when you need it gone when you don't."
Harry nodded and shrugged. "What's it for?" he asked.
"For you," Dumbledore said as though stating the obvious.
"For me?" Harry questioned, "What do you mean? Why for me?"
Dumbledore examined Harry closely then smiled a knowing smile, "Ah Harry, soon you will understand," he said. "You have entered into this competition based upon the needs of your heart. I am quite certain you would not wish at the moment for others to see what that might be. I am offering you this as a place of refuge, a place where you may come to create…to let your heart speak."
"Wow," Harry said in awe, "really? But how did you…"
"Harry, it is not often we allow ourselves to be guided by the true, most basic desire of our heart. You have told me that you did not wish to be in the competition and yet here you are. As such, I feel it is especially imperative that you have a private place in which to discover the message your heart wishes to convey."
"Thank you," Harry replied looking around the room. He wasn't sure how close in nature this room was to the Room of Requirement but as he looked around he noticed that its current state was that of an old work room. There was a revolving platform with an old stool beside it and hanging from the nearby wall he saw chisels, handsaws, ice picks, tongs, and a vast assortment of other tools he would need to complete his project.
Dumbledore was watching Harry with a look of amusement. "I hope you don't mind Harry, but I took the liberty of preparing the room for you. The platform and the tools are, of course, being provided to the other students as well."
Harry looked at him in awe, "No sir," he said in amazement, "this is perfect."
"Very well then," Dumbledore said quickly, "I'll let you get to it. Just use a little magic to get your ice here," he advised.
"Yes sir," Harry replied.
"Oh, and one more thing Harry," Dumbledore said, "while the temperature of the room may feel comfortable for you, the truth of the matter is, it is freezing in here. You'll not need to do anything to adjust the temperature for the ice." He winked at him and added, "A little gift from me to you. Let's keep it to ourselves, shall we?"
Harry nodded quickly. "One more question?" Harry asked.
"Anything, Harry," he replied.
"How is it that I've never seen this door before?"
"Ah yes, as I have told you Harry, this room is much like the Room of Requirement. It is here when you need it, gone when you don't. But I must warn you," he cautioned, "whilst you are in here it would be wise to keep the door closed at all times. Should you forget and leave it opened, anyone can find you. As long as it is closed, the door will not exist to passerby, you must know it is here in order to see it."
"Yes sir," Harry replied, "…and thank you."
"It is my pleasure Harry," Dumbledore replied smiling at him once again. "Now, I really must be going."
Harry followed him out the door and walked back to retrieve his block of ice, "Wingardium Leviosa," he said with a swish and flick of his wand. Thankfully the others appeared to be too wrapped up in what they were doing to notice him and his floating ice block moving quickly around the corner.
He set the ice down gently on the pedestal and studied it for a while. After what felt like an eternity he began to feel stupid. What am I doing here? He wondered. "I don't even know what I'm doing," he muttered, "this is ridiculous."
Unable to move he started to mindlessly turn the ice on the pedestal, watching as it spun around and around and around; the effect was dizzying and he found himself entranced by it. He let his mind go as his eyes continued to watch the spinning ice. Without realizing it he reached for a chipper and began to cut large chunks of ice from around the edges. He found that every time he tried to put cognizant thought to what he was doing he was unable to go any further. It was when he let his mind wander that he was able to work. Judging by the sharpness of the tools, he wasn't sure which was worse…cognizant thought that prevented him from working or incognizant thought which kept him working but oblivious to the tools he was handling. He quickly decided that if he ever wanted to get this over with he would need to place his faith in the capable hands of Madam Pomfrey. With that decision made he set to work on sculpting his heart's masterpiece.
Several hours later he was exhausted. He looked at the ice as though for the first time. All that work and I still can't tell what it is, he thought. The edges had been cut and here and there pieces had been picked out but the overall shape was not completely clear to him. "This is a going to take a long time," he said wearily.
He stood up from the stool and stretched before he began to hang the tools back on the wall. After a few minutes he looked around one last time then walked out of the room. He stepped outside and although it was getting dark, he could see that some people were still working diligently on their sculptures. He yawned and stretched again then headed inside to get something to eat. He walked to the Great Hall only to discover that he'd missed dinner. Must have been in there longer than I thought. He looked around one more time and decided to head for the kitchen to find Dobby. He knew Dobby always had plenty of food to share. He was about 5 meters from the door when he felt himself being propelled backwards. "There you are Harry," he heard Hermione shout. "We were so worried about you. Where've you been?"
"Hermione, let him go," Ron said laughing. "I doubt he can answer with you being all up in his face like that. Back off a little."
Hermione jumped back quickly, "Sorry Harry," she mumbled embarrassed by her irrational display, "I didn't mean to attack you like that. I was just so relieved to see you."
"It's all right Hermione," he said calmly trying to straighten his robes, "but what's wrong? What're you worried about?"
"It's just that when you didn't show up for dinner and we couldn't find you anywhere, I just…"
Harry looked at her and nodded his understanding. "It's all right."
"…it's just…I worry about you," she finished softly, looking at ground.
Harry placed his hand on her shoulder and bent down to look at her face, "It's all right, Hermione," he said gently, "I'm fine. I just stopped carving a few minutes ago, that's all. I didn't realize how late it was."
"Well where were you?" she asked.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but I just can't tell you that right now," he replied. The use of that room meant a lot to him and for now he wanted to keep its whereabouts a secret, even from Hermione and Ron.
She studied him for a moment then nodded, "Okay Harry," she replied, "so long as you're all right."
"I am," he replied, "I'm just hungry."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," said Ron laughing. "See Hermione, I told you he was fine." Ron had been quietly observing them from where he stood in the background. Something was going on between his two best friends and couldn't help but wonder what it was. It seemed as though Hermione was showing more and more concern for Harry while at the same time giving him more space…definitely not normal behavior for her. And from where he stood, Harry seemed different as well. Where he would normally get irritated with her for displays such as this one, he was actually quite amenable. He wondered briefly if there might be more between them then he'd ever allowed himself to imagine before. He made a silent vow to watch over them, to protect them, until they got it all sorted out.
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Every day, immediately after classes Harry would race off to his secret place to begin carving. He was actually beginning to enjoy the way his mind wandered while his hands worked. Every day he could see a little more of his creation come to life. One of the first things he'd done was carve the outline of her robes followed by the most exquisite, intricately detailed wings imaginable. Sometimes when he looked at them he would find himself waiting in anticipation for them to move. Her hair fell in waves down to the tip of the wings and though it looked a little unruly he found it to be quite beautiful.
By the end of the third day he had completed the finite details of her hands which extended just beyond the length of the sleeves of her robes. It was eerie to him because as he looked at her everything appeared to be perfect…with the exception of her face. He hadn't yet carved those details…
On the fourth day of the competition Harry anxiously awaited the end of his classes. He was impatient and short tempered with nearly everyone throughout the day as his restlessness grew. He wanted to finish her…for the sake of his own sanity he needed to finish her.
By the time classes were released Harry was wound up so tight that he practically sprung from his chair and raced out the door to his private sculpting room. "Passing Fancy," he called out as he neared the door. He stood back as the door swung open and he raced inside. He threw his school bag into the corner of the room and immediately sat down to carve her face. He worked relentlessly…feverishly. Fragments of her image flashed through his mind and his hands carved every detail with meticulous precision. He worked for hours getting all of the details perfected. When he finished he set down the last tool he'd used and walked away. He knew she was complete. He knew that once he truly looked upon her face he would see who lived within his heart and the thought nearly petrified him. Before he took that chance he walked out into the cool air to take a break and to look for Ron and Hermione.
They'd decided to leave their sculpture in the courtyard so Harry had no trouble finding them.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"Hiya Harry," Ron said cheerfully, "it's great." He stepped back from the ice and asked, "So, what do you think?"
Harry was amazed at the site before him…they'd been working diligently on a replica of all things Quidditch. He could easily make out the three goals, a quaffle, and the bludgers. It appeared as though Hermione was working on the snitch and he couldn't help but wonder how she felt about it knowing she wasn't anywhere near as big of a fan of the sport as Ginny and Ron were. "I think Hermione and Ginny have done most of the work," Harry said laughing.
"Hey now," Ron said in mock warning, "I'll have you know this was my idea."
"It's one thing to come up with the idea Ron," Hermione said as she joined them from the other side of the ice, "it's something completely different to actually participate in the work. Hi Harry."
"Hi Hermione," Harry replied quietly. Her face was flushed and the pinkness of her cheeks made her eyes look brighter and he was temporarily mesmerized by the sight of her.
Ron looked momentarily taken aback then laughed, "All right Hermione, let's see if I share the prize you with when this is over."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Let's just see if we make it through this thing first, Ronald," she snapped back. She turned to look at Harry, "He's driving me crazy!" she mouthed to him. Harry gave her helpless look then reached out to squeeze her hand.
She moved to stand closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder, "So how's yours coming?" she asked.
"It's coming," he replied noncommittally. "Just needed a break, that's all."
"When can I see it?"
He turned his head to look at her and she raised her head from his shoulder to look back at him. "Soon. Tomorrow probably," he replied somewhat hesitantly. He couldn't be sure if he wanted her to see his heart's desire…somehow the thought seemed to frighten him even more.
"Okay, tomorrow," she answered softly still looking into his eyes, "I can't wait."
"Me either," he lied. Her eyes narrowed as she briefly studied him and he looked quickly away. "So," he said trying to change the subject, "what's everyone else making?"
"Well," Ginny said rolling her eyes, "seeing as how Malfoy's so in touch with his inner self, he's making a snake. I think Luna is actually planning to show us all what the Crumple-Horned Snorkack really looks like and Neville…well," she paused for moment to think about him, "I haven't been able to tell what Neville's been making."
"Hi Ginny," Harry said laughing.
"Oh. Sorry," she said blushing a little, "hi Harry. Couldn't stop myself from butting in."
"That's all right," Harry replied still laughing. "Can't tell what Neville's making?" he questioned.
Hermione shook her head, "Nope. No one has any idea."
"Where is it?" he asked. "It can't be that bad."
Ron, Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances and laughed then Ginny pointed and said, "Right over there."
Hermione, who was still holding onto his hand, pulled him in the right direction, "Come on, Harry," she said, "I'll show you." They walked in silence to where Neville's ice sculpture stood. Harry let go of her hand and studied the sculpture closely, slowly spinning the platform round and round. "Well?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at her curiously then turned back to the sculpture. "It almost looks like a deflated Rememberall, doesn't it?" he said wonderingly.
Hermione started laughing, "Yeah, it kind of does," she agreed, "but how does a Rememberall get deflated? They're usually made of glass."
Harry looked at her strangely then shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea," he said laughing. "Come on, I'm not sure we're even supposed to be here." He grabbed her hand and they walked quickly back to where Ron and Ginny stood watching them.
"Well?" Ginny asked.
"Deflated Rememberall?" Harry guessed.
Ron and Ginny both started to laugh and it didn't take long for Harry and Hermione to join in.
After a minute Hermione reluctantly let go of Harry's hand and started to walk back to where she'd been working on the snitch. Harry grabbed her arm, not wanting to let her go. He pulled her close to him and whispered for only her to hear, "Tomorrow."
Hermione smiled tenderly then nodded her head. Harry let her go then turned to walk away. "See you guys later," he called out to Ron and Ginny.
"See ya Harry," they called out in return.
Harry was walking quickly back to his private room to grab his things when he stopped abruptly. A small group of first or second years were standing in the doorway which, in his haste to retreat, he'd forgotten to close. He stepped nearer to them and prepared to say something when he overheard one of them speak, "…Hermione Granger."
Hermione? Harry wondered. What about Hermione?
"Yeah, it does look like her," one of the young boys concurred.
"Wow!" he heard one of the girls exclaim. "She's beautiful."
"I thought I saw Hermione out there in the competition though," one of them said, "how'd she model for this if she's been out there?"
"She didn't," Harry exclaimed as he walked up to the door. The group all turned around and looked at him in surprise. "That's not Hermione," he said.
One of the girls looked closely at the ice sculpture and then back at Harry, "Are you sure?" she asked in a soft, somewhat scared sounding voice. "It sure does look like her. Have you seen it?"
Harry stepped into the room and said, "Of course I've seen it. I created it."
"Wow!" said the same young girl in astonishment. "You must really love her to make an ice sculpture like that."
Harry stared at the girl in silence for a moment before he turned his attention to the ice sculpture. He stepped forward, studying it closely. He barely heard one of the boys saying, "Come on Sara, let's go." Harry turned to look at them and watched as the boy pulled her through the door. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about the many times similar things had happened to him and Hermione when they were their age.
He walked over to the door to be sure that it was closed tightly then he walked back to his sculpture. He studied her face for several minutes before he realized that it truly was Hermione's face he was looking into. He sat down on the stool as tears welled in the corner of his eyes. He wasn't the least bit surprised to find her standing before him…his angel.
Silently he stood up and walked to the corner of the room to retrieve his bag. His mind was focused on his discovery and his heart felt as though it was finally at peace. He glanced back at the statue one more time before he closed the door and walked away.
That night he dreamed of a woman walking toward an old storage room…
It was near the end of their final class for the day when Hermione leaned over to Harry and whispered, "I can wait to see it. Is it ready?"
Unable to speak, Harry nodded.
Hermione was almost giddy by the time the class was finally over, "Are you ready?" she asked him excitedly.
Harry shook his head, "Not yet," he replied, "why don't you go up to your room and change or something then meet my in the courtyard in about 30 minutes, okay?"
She looked at him curiously then reluctantly agreed, "All right, Harry. It's colder out there today so I probably should grab my coat before heading out anyway."
"Great," he replied distractedly, "courtyard…30 minutes."
He started to walk away and Hermione stood there watching him with a stunned expression. That was strange, she thought before she realized that 30 minutes wasn't a whole lot of time. Paying no mind to anything else around her she took off like a shot to her room in Gryffindor Tower.
Harry was waiting anxiously for her near the courtyard. He'd already been to the room to check on his sculpture and to verify that he hadn't been imagining things. The sculpture stood just as it had the night before and nothing about it changed…it was most definitely Hermione. After what felt like an eternity he finally saw her walking toward him and sighed heavily; he was nervous about her reaction.
"Are you ready?" she asked feeling anxious herself.
As he looked at her he got an idea, "No, not yet," he said quickly, "give me five more minutes then walk around that corner," he said pointing, "you'll find an open door about 10 meters down. I'll be waiting there."
She searched his face and satisfied that he wasn't just playing with her, she agreed. "All right, Harry," she said, "I should probably check on our sculpture really quick anyway. I'll let Ron and Ginny know that I'll be back soon."
"Great," he replied sounding relieved. "Five minutes."
Harry walked away from her quickly. He didn't have much time so he practically ran to the room, barely stopping to allow the door to swing open after he called out the password.
He pulled out his wand and approached the statue. Until now everything had been done through some unexplainable connection between his subconscious mind and his heart…
What he wanted to do now was strictly for them...and he wanted to do it with a clear mind. Smiling at his own, cognizant handiwork he walked to the door to wait for her…
She was wearing her long winter coat with the hood pulled up over her head as she approached the door where he was standing. She looked beautiful with the chill of the winter air coloring her cheeks. He was nervous about how she'd react to what he'd created. He knew now what he wanted…he supposed he'd always known. He smiled at her as she drew closer and she returned to him the most breathtaking smile he could ever remembering seeing. He reached out for her hand and carefully drew her into the room. He was standing next to her, gauging her reaction when she reached up to lower her hood. Tears were streaming down her face as she stared in awe at the vision before her. Harry had created a plaque that he set at the base of the sculpture that read:
My Hermione…My Angel
…and he'd created a soft, effervescent glow that surrounded the sculpture providing the perfect glow to give it the appearance that she had truly descended from Heaven.
Her heart was beating rapidly and it felt to her as though she had a vice wrapped tightly around her heart. It was in the moment she saw the statue that she realized what her own heart had been telling her for years.
"This is my heart's most basic desire," he said softly. "You are my heart's most basic desire."
"I know," she replied through her tears, "just as you are mine."
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A/N: This is it. This is what it's all about. The competition was just a ploy…a necessity to get Harry to realize the truth. There are no losers here…only the two winners left standing together at the end.
Thanks.
Challenge Guidelines:
Dumbledore announced that there will be Christmas (or Winter) Competition in Hogwarts in Harry's sixth year.
People, who want to take part in it, are supposed to make an ice sculpture.
Rules:
1) At first Harry didn't want to take part in it. But later he does.
2) There are at least 3 categories in competition but try to make more (i.e. most funny sculpture, most beautiful, most
horrible etc, etc)
3) Ron, Malfoy, Creevey brothers, Cho, Ginny, Luna, Neville had to take part in competition.
4) Harry makes an Angel but no one has been his model.
5) No one knows about Harry's work, but when he's almost finished some first (or second) years find out this
sculpture. Harry overhears theirs talk. They make comments how this angel looks like Hermione Granger. Harry is
surprised.
6) Harry is observing his Angel and sees that it really looks like Hermione. He's thinking about her and make a
conclusion: Hermione is his angel and he loves her. He is NOT surprised that he's in love with her. He had been
suspecting this for some time, but now he is sure about this feeling.
7) Harry names his sculpture "My Angel" then he shows it to Hermione. Harry explain why this is his Angel
using examples of Hermione's devotion, support, friendship, love. They may kiss at the end, but they shouldn't
tell "I love you" They don't need words! They just understand it.
8) It's up to you if Harry wins in competition.
9) I prefer it is ONE SHOT, but if you know you will finish it, you can make it chaptered.
10) You can make it a song fic using song with this same title.
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