Unofficial Portkey Archive

The Heirs, along with Ron, soon found themselves back in the Main Hall of Illustris. Draco dropped the stone to the ground and Ginny leapt to her feet, running for the corridors and yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Madame Pomfrey!" she cried. "Please! Come quickly!"

Hoping she had been heard, she rushed back to Ron's side, Harry having laid him on his back and staring at his best friend intently. Hermione had her eyes closed and was screwing up her face in concentration.

"What are you doing?" Ginny said frantically.

"I'm trying to summon Madame Pomfrey through feelings," the brown haired witch muttered.

Ginny turned to glare at Draco as Harry passed his hand over Ron's face, frowning.

"Do something, Draco! Use your telepathy!" she screeched, waving her hands.

Draco gritted his teeth and glared at his red-headed girlfriend.

"I can't when a non-telepathic is not in my sight. I can only do that with another telepathic. My skills are useless at the moment."

Ginny huffed, tears springing to her eyes, but gasped when Hermione suddenly grabbed her upper arm tightly. She swiveled her head to look at Hermione but her eyes widened as she locked on to the scene in front of her.

Harry's eyebrows were etched in concentration as he placed his hands over Ron's chest and bent over his unconscious form. A soft red glow emitted from his hands and spread over Ron's body, pulsing lightly. Harry's eyes were shut tightly and the glow spread to his own body, causing him to shake. His breathing grew more rapid as he continued to pour his life force into Ron.

A clattering noise caused the other Heirs to spin around and stare as Madame Pomfrey rushed into the Main Hall, her robes rumpled and her hat askew. She froze in the doorway when she saw Harry before letting out a shriek and darting forward.

"Mister Potter! Stop! Stop! You'll kill yourself!"

Harry released his hold and slumped backwards, sprawling on the floor. His face was sheet white and sweaty, his eyes a dull green as they slid shut and he fell into unconsciousness. Hermione cried out and reached for Harry, grabbing his cold and clammy hand. Madame Pomfrey fell to her knees between Ron and Harry, checking for a pulse on both.

"His pulse is faint," she whispered, indicating to Harry. "But this one, he is much stronger."

She pointed a finger at Ron and drew in a sharp breath as the red-head suddenly groaned and fluttered his eyes open. Realizing he was awake, he tried to bolt upright but Madame Pomfrey held him down.

"No, Mister Weasley! You must rest. I'm sure you've been through a horrible ordeal."

The Head Nurse quickly stood and conjured two stretchers, one underneath Ron, the other under Harry. As they floated upwards, Hermione continued to hold Harry's hand, tears streaking down her face. Ginny rushed to Ron and smiled shakily at him, so glad to see her brother alive.

Ron sighed in exhaustion and his eyes drooped before he caught sight of Harry and tried to sit up again.

"No! Ron!" Ginny yelled.

Ron fought weakly but resorted to coughing and rasping out a few words.

"What…what….Harry? Why?" he managed.

"Oh, Ron," Ginny said sadly, a few more tears cascading down her cheeks. "Harry just sacrificed some of his life force to save you. He almost used too much."

Ron slumped back onto the stretcher in horror, not knowing how to respond.

"You owe him your life, Weasley," Draco said quietly before Ron slipped back into unconsciousness.

………………………

The Hospital Wing at Illustris was very quiet, apart from the rhythmic ticking of a large clock on the wall and the soft breathing of the occupants in the long hall. Harry and Ron were lying in beds side by side, each in a deep sleep induced by several potions from Madame Pomfrey. Hermione sat in a chair between their beds, holding Harry's hand and glancing from time to time at Ron. Her shoulder had been tended to and was now bandaged tightly, a thick, gooey paste having been rubbed into the wound. Her eyes drooped from tiredness but she refused to fall asleep. She was waiting for Harry to wake up.

Ginny was sitting on a chair next to Ron, biting her lip and willing her brother to wake. She had been treated for minor bruises and cuts, looking very healthy now, but sad. Draco was sitting up on the bed behind her, his own injuries having been treated, the only major one a cracked rib where Lucius Malfoy had kicked him. Draco hadn't even noticed he had a broken rib until they entered the Hospital Wing, too caught up in the other events around him.

The silence was interrupted as Madame Pomfrey bustled forward, Blaise, Luna, and Hannah in her wake.

"You have visitors," she said quietly, as she headed for Draco, an open bottle in her hand.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"This potion will completely mend the bone now that it's been set," she responded briskly. "Drink up, quickly now."

Draco swallowed in one gulp the contents of the bottle. He made a face and thrust the bottle back in Madame Pomfrey's hands.

"Disgusting," he muttered, lying back against the pillow and closing his eyes.

"How are you doing?" a male voice said above him.

Draco cracked an eye open and saw Blaise staring down at him, looking worried but smiling slightly.

"Fine, I wasn't injured too bad. They are worse off." He gestured to Ron and Harry.

Blaise looked over to the two and nodded.

"I heard it was quite the battle. And that the Prophecy was saved."

"Yeah," Draco whispered, "yeah it was. And Ron saved the Prophecy. I have to admit, I give the weasel credit for being that strong."

Ginny made no reaction to the comment, her eyes were fixed on Luna, who was standing unsurely by the other side of Ron's bed. She looked close to tears but was handling herself well, keeping her head up and blinking softly. The blonde looked over at her friend finally.

"How is he?" she asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I think he's doing okay. Harry saved his life in the Main Hall by healing him right there. I don't think Ron would've made it if he hadn't, Voldemort took a lot out of him by cursing him so many times."

Luna nodded and kneeled on the floor, taking Ron's hand in her own. She pushed back a few locks of his red hair before kissing his cheek.

"I'm here, Ronald," she whispered. "Please come back. I love you."

Ginny looked away quickly, tears welling in her eyes. A shock came to her when she felt the bed shift under her arms and heard Luna give a cry of joy. Ginny whirled around and saw that Ron was slowly waking up, his eyes fluttering and a soft groan escaping his lips. He finally opened his blue eyes fully and stared bemusedly at the ceiling before tilting his head down and looking at Luna.

"Luna?" he rasped out.

"Yes, love, I'm here," she said, looking excited.

Ron bit his lip and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you better. I wandered off. I…."

"Shh," Luna said, placing her hand to his lips. "We'll talk about that later. Rest some more."

Ron nodded and looked over at Ginny.

"Hey, sis," he said, smiling lightly.

"Hey to you too," she responded, squeezing his hand. "I'm so glad to see you awake."

Before he could respond back, Madame Pomfrey came rushing up, holding a tray laden down with potion bottles on it.

"Mister Weasley!" she exclaimed. "It's so wonderful to see you up again. Time to take more medicine though. We need to get your strength back."

She shooed Ginny aside and placed the tray on the bedside table before helping Ron into a sitting position, fluffing the pillows behind his back. He gave another groan as he adjusted his sore muscles and then saw the collection of bottles next to him.

"Ugh," he muttered, grabbing his head, "how long have I been out?"

"Only a few hours," Ginny said, stepping a bit closer as Madame Pomfrey uncorked a bottle filled with a green liquid.

"Really?" he said in surprise, taking the bottle cautiously from the nurse's hand.

He sniffed it quickly, taken aback by the fact that it smelled fairly sweet. He drank it down, the taste of raspberries hitting his tongue.

"Yeah, Weasley," Draco piped up. "The others haven't returned yet. I wonder if they're all right…." He trailed off.

Ron scowled at the blonde before gulping down the next potion. He coughed and sputtered as he swallowed, hurriedly grabbing a glass of water. He thrust the bottle back at Madame Pomfrey.

"That was nasty," he choked out. "I thought they would all taste like that first one."

Madame Pomfrey gave him a stern look. "Not all potions can be made to taste sweet, Mister Weasley. The effect would be lost. Fortunately, a few can but it is rare. Now, finish up, you have five more to go."

Ron grimaced as Draco chuckled next to him. He felt a quick squeeze on his hand and turned to give Luna a grateful smile before finishing up his medicine. As he took down the last one, a new voice spoke next to him.

"Ron," Hermione said quietly.

Ron turned his head and the grin fell off his face. Hermione looked so sad at the moment but he could see a small glint of happiness reflecting in her eyes. Tilting his head, Ron didn't even make a sound, he simply opened up his arms to her. Hermione launched at him and grabbed him in a hug. The two best friends held each other and cried a little, realizing how much they had missed each other.

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Ron," Hermione said quietly, pulling back from him.

Ron smiled at her. "And I'm glad to see you're all right too, Herms. I've been worried about you over the past months, and Harry."

His face fell and he craned his neck to look at his best mate, still unconscious on his bed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I feel as if…"

Hermione shook her head. "It's not your fault, Ron. You know Harry, always sacrificing himself for others. Nothing could have been done to stop him."

She smiled fondly and kissed Ron's cheek.

"The important thing is you're okay and Harry will be okay. Madame Pomfrey simply has him resting so his magical energy can be built back to it's full strength. We're all fine."

"And the Trio is back together," Ron said softly.

"Yes, we're together again," Hermione said.

"And we're going to stay that way," a very quiet and rasping voice said behind Hermione.

The whole room gasped as they turned their heads to see Harry struggling to sit up in his bed, his face drawn and tired but his green eyes sparkling. He reached for his glasses and put them on before smiling at everyone, causing a shriek to come from Hermione. The young witch hurried to his side and wrapped her arms tightly around him, crying harder than before.

"I can't breathe, 'Mione!" Harry's muffled voice came from against her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Harry!" she cried, yanking herself away from him.

Harry grinned shyly. "It's all right, I really don't mind."

"Mister Potter! What are you doing awake?" Madame Pomfrey shouted, running to him.

"Am I supposed to be asleep?" Harry asked in amusement.

The Head Nurse glared at him.

"Well, no. I'm just surprised is all," she said. "Now, here. Take this, it's to make sure you don't have a relapse of energy loss."

Harry took the potion and made a face before setting the bottle down. Madame Pomfrey did a quick check with her wand before nodding in satisfaction.

"Everything seems to be in order. Rest though, but you may talk with your friends. I have just gotten word that Dumbledore and the Order have returned. The Headmaster will be here shortly to speak with you all."

She walked away from them and Harry looked curiously at Hermione.

"Where's Ron?"

"I'm here," Ron voice spoke quietly.

Hermione moved aside and Harry stared over at his best friend. Ron had a sheepish look on his face, seeming almost ashamed.

"Harry," he began, staring intently at his hands, "I'm sorry, about everything. You and the others had to risk your lives to rescue me and then you risked it again to heal me in the Main Hall. I can't thank you enough for that. But, I don't feel worthy, I…..I almost killed you, mate."

A stricken expression passed over Ron's face as he dared not to glance at Harry. No one said anything at first but Harry finally broke the silence.

"Ron, look at me," he said.

Ron chanced a glance at Harry and saw that he was smiling. Confused, he shook his head.

"Aren't you angry with me?"

"No, Ron, I'm not. You're my best mate and a brother to me. I'd risk my life a thousand times to save you if that were so. I never once believed you would use your wand against me, for Voldemort may have cursed you but you are stronger than he is. He has no feelings or love for anyone. You do, and that's what stopped you from cursing me. You have something Voldemort will never understand."

Ron was blushing the color of his hair. "I think you're making me out to be more than I am."

"No, Mister Weasley, he is not."

Everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore walking toward them, smiling gently. The old wizard looked tired but no worse.

"I returned several minutes ago from the Ministry of Magic. The Magical Law Enforcement arrived and have now arrested a group of six Death Eaters, all found down in the Department of Mysteries. I must say, someone did a bang up job on one Lucius Malfoy."

His blue eyes twinkled as he gazed at Hermione and Draco, who both looked embarrassed.

"Is Charlie okay," Ginny blurted out.

"Charlie?" Ron said, looking perplexed.

"Yes, Charlie is doing just fine. His injuries have been tended to."

Dumbledore smiled as Ginny gave a great sigh of relief. He then turned to Harry and Ron.

"I'm glad to see both of you are awake, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley. I have been informed of the events that took place in the Main Hall. That was a very brave thing you did, Harry. You truly are a Gryffindor. And so are you, Mister Weasley. You effectively thwarted Lord Voldemort's plan and turned on him when he was relying on you most. You most certainly are, a great wizard."

Ron was now so red he looked like an overripe tomato. Luna was laughing softly next to him and stroking his hand.

"I must commend you all on your actions tonight. I do not think that Voldemort and his followers considered such a power to come from the Four Heirs of Hogwarts. He has made a grave mistake but I doubt he will make it again. He will be more prepared next time, but then again, so shall all of you. You four just barely touched upon the powers you possess. By the time the Final Battle comes, every action you take will have great strength behind it."

He turned to Hannah, Blaise, and Luna.

"I have been told the three of you were behaved tonight. I am sorry about making you stay here. It will not be much longer until you can join the Heirs in battle."

Hannah smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Dumbledore then moved to Ron's side and peered over his glasses at him.

"Now, it seems that Voldemort let some information slip at the Ministry of Magic. He told us his loyal servant was holding the Prophecy of Merlin. As far as I know, he used you because your name resided on the Prophecy but he then made another mistake. It seems Voldemort forgot to retrieve the Prophecy from you, am I correct, Mister Weasley?"

Ron nodded and dug a hand into his pocket. When he extracted it, enclosed in his hand was a small glass orb. It glowed softly from the inside and the Heirs felt oddly drawn to it. Dumbledore smiled happily and took the orb from Ron.

"Very good!" he exclaimed. "Voldemort shall now never hear the Prophecy of Merlin! But, I think the rest of you should. Not today though, it has been a long night for all of you. I suggest a long sleep and then a good meal once you are all awake again. Tomorrow, I shall let all of you hear the Prophecy from Merlin's own mouth. Do you agree, Poppy?"

The group hadn't even noticed the Head Nurse's return. She gave a grateful smile to Dumbledore before pushing Harry back into his bed.

"Thank you, Albus, I'm glad to see you agreeing with me! Plenty of rest and a few more potions for both Mister Weasley and Mister Potter when they are up again. Mister Malfoy, your bone is healed now, you are allowed to leave. Same with you two, Miss Granger and Miss Weasley, say your goodbyes."

There was a quiet grumbling but Hermione relented and gave Harry a quick kiss before she left. Ginny hugged her brother tightly before taking Draco's hand and leaving behind the Heir of Ravenclaw. Dumbledore made a motion to Hannah, Blaise, and Luna.

"Come with me, you three. I want to discuss a few points with you."

Luna kissed her boyfriend and swept out after the Headmaster, leaving behind a grinning Ron. As silence fell over the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey handed the two boys a bottle each, the red-head turned to his friend.

"Thanks again, Harry. I really do owe you my life."

Harry waved him off as he gulped down the potion.

"All I ask is that you make it through the Final Battle. I don't fancy not having you around."

Then they both drifted into a dreamless sleep.

…………………………

The Heirs slept well into the next day. By the time they were awake, it was around dinner time. Madame Pomfrey made a final check over Harry and Ron, forcing them to take one last potion each. When they were finished, she shooed them out, informing them that they were to head to the Main Hall.

The two friends caught up with each other as they walked, talking and laughing. Just as they were a few corridors away from the Main Hall, Ron grew somber and gave Harry a strange look.

"Do you think it will stop?" he asked.

"Will what stop?" Harry said, looking confused.

"The….the nightmares….that I have," Ron muttered.

Harry paused mid stride and stared at the red-head in shock.

"You're having nightmares? About Voldemort?"

Ron nodded, looking shaken and biting his lip.

"Ever since he…he captured me. When I was in…that….that place, every night, after he tortured me, I dreamt he kept coming back. The pain never stopped and no one ever came to save me. It was….awful. Every night….it was the same. At times, I just wished he would kill me and end it all. I know you have nightmares too, Harry, about every time you've ever faced him. Does it stop?"

Harry's mouth was hanging open but he quickly shut it. A deep sadness was in his eyes as he stared at Ron. He knew that Voldemort would have tortured his best friend, but to realize to what extent, Harry had never wanted to hurt the Dark Lord so badly. He hadn't killed Ron, but he had damaged him, taking his mind from him for a period of time. Harry knew, he had been there before.

Harry placed a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder and tried to smile at him.

"I don't know if they'll ever go away but I'll always be here to help you through it. I know what nightmares like that are like. I know how real they seem and though it is going to hurt for a time, I think eventually you will learn to accept what happened. I did."

Ron nodded, looking a little better.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Anytime, Ron. If you need to talk, just ask."

They continued on their way and soon found themselves in the Main Hall. Hermione, Luna, and Ginny all rushed forward as they both entered. Luna and Hermione gave kisses to their boyfriends while Ginny simply smiled and hugged them both.

"Come on," Hermione said, taking Harry's hand in her own. "Once we're finished with dinner, Dumbledore is going to let us hear the Prophecy."

She looked extremely excited over this and barely touched her plate of food when they finally did sit. Ron and Luna sat across from them with Ginny and Draco next to them. Blaise and Hannah were seated next to Harry and Hermione, everyone expressing their happiness to see the Heirs well again. The only other occupants in the Main Hall were Dumbledore and all the teachers at Illustris, the Order members having already left.

When everyone had finished up their dessert, Dumbledore stood and gazed at them seriously. He waved his wand, all the plates and silverware disappearing from the tables. With another wave, he conjured up a long bench which he indicated for everyone to sit at. When the group was comfortable, Dumbledore begin to speak.

"It is now time for all of you to hear the Prophecy of Merlin from Merlin himself. The Prophecy was recorded long ago but was retained by someone and finally brought to the Room of Prophecies. Normally, a prophecy should not be destroyed because the evidence of it is mostly gone but we are under dire circumstances now. Voldemort almost stole this prophecy last night and we must not allow that to happen again. Destroying it is the best option but I also want all of you to hear it, especially the Heirs. The Key is supposed to be found by yourselves but there are elements to the Prophecy that you must hear and know."

Dumbledore paused and stared intently at the Heirs.

"Is this understood?" he asked.

The Heirs looked at each other and then nodded, looking serious. They understood the importance of the Prophecy and knowing everything about it. They could hardly believe though, that they were about to hear the Prophecy of Merlin, the prophecy that had started them down this path, the path that had led them to being called the Saviors of the World.

Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled the small orb out. Looking over his glasses to make sure everyone was ready, he stretched his hand out with the orb at the tips of his fingers. Everyone held their breath in anticipation, waiting. When Dumbledore released the glowing ball, it fell gracefully, seeming to take an eternity to fall.

It hit the stone tiles with a loud smash, pieces of glass flying to the sides. A small puff of white vapor erupted from the inside of the orb, and out of the mist, a smoky figure rose in front of them. It was the figure of a man bearing a strong resemblance to Dumbledore. He was very thin, with long hair and a long beard. He appeared to be very old but held himself straight, a powerful energy wrapping around him. Then he spoke in a loud and very clear voice which echoed off the walls of the hall. It resounded into their bodies, etching his very words into their minds. The words of the Prophecy were falling from his lips.

In the ages to come, after the Founders of Hogwarts have lived and died, four will arise and take their place. They shall be called the Heirs of the Founders and they shall bring everlasting peace over the world with their powers. A great evil will arise during their time and only they can stop this evil, in the hopes to stop all evil in the future. But the path to stopping this evil shall be difficult. The Four Heirs will meet many trials and suffering, each of them losing a beloved before their powers are shown to the world. The pain does not end there, for they will endure through much more. Each must learn to trust and love the others, creating an unbreakable bond which none shall be able to shatter once it is established. This is the vital Key to the Four Heirs winning against the evil they are to overthrow. When the Heirs realize the complete and full extent of their bond, contained within their love and trust for each other, they will release a deadly weapon from within, which will be joined and utterly destroy the evil. The weapon is all their love and trust combined, for evil can not understand these. Long roads will be endured before this Key is found but in the end, goodness shall prevail.
To find the Heirs, one must look for the items that make them unique. Each Heir will be an Elemental. Each shall be an Animagus of a magical creature. Each shall have an extraordinary power not known to ordinary witches and wizards. And each shall have the ability of wandless magic. By these degrees, look for them, the Four Heirs of the Founders of Hogwarts. Their existence means peace. The Key they posses will win over the evil in the ages to come……

Merlin's shadowy form disappeared from view, a deep and penetrating silence following his words recorded so long ago. The Heirs looked to be in shock, each frozen in their seat, not daring to move. Dumbledore was watching them, looking sad but a glint of hope in his blue eyes.

Hermione finally cleared her throat and managed to whisper.

"That's it? That's the Key? We have to trust and love each other completely before we can defeat Voldemort and then from our powers, the weapon for his destruction will be created. Is that what Merlin meant, Professor?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, that is what he meant."

"How?" Draco muttered. "How do we create the weapon?"

"That, Mister Malfoy, you must all come to find," Dumbledore said quietly.

Then the Heirs finally realized how important their bond really was, how much it meant to the survival of the Wizarding World. Through their love and trust, Voldemort could be destroyed for good. They were almost there, oh so close to creating the weapon they needed in the Final Battle. Still, so much lay ahead of them and despite everything they had just heard, threads of doubt begin to wind through their minds. The Heirs of Hogwarts had a difficult battle to fight, both against Voldemort and within them.

.............................

Author's Note: Another update! I'm making up for taking forever with the last one! Thank you so much for the reviews for that chapter, they were wonderful! I did make one mistake though in chapter 35. I said Dumbledore blocked the Killing Curse from Voldemort by a simple shield. As you all know, the Killing Curse can not be blocked. It was a goof on my part and I am sorry for that. I know the Harry Potter books so well but I do forget minor details at times, hopefully I'll start catching myself more often! Thank to those that mentioned this to me! :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a lot more dialogue, which is a little different for me but I needed to get everyone together again! You now finally know the full Prophecy of Merlin and what the Key is all about. Hope I didn't disappoint with how seemingly simple it is! But now I am extremely tired, as I stayed up late to finish writing this. Please review and thank you so much for keeping with this story! I hope to update again tomorrow night! Hope is the key word, lol.
Oh yes, and one more thing. I mentioned in some responses to my reviews how I would explain how Voldemort really tricked the Heirs into thinking Ron was dead. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anywhere to really fit it in the chapter, it just didn't flow with everything else, so, I'll explain that here. Voldemort basically used Polyjuice Potion on one of his Death Eaters and with some effective spells, managed to make it look like "Ron" was dead and completely mangled. Do that help explain it? That's it for now! This is much too long of an author's note now. Please review!
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