Chapter 12
From Darkness, Light
The next few days were a hectic rush for Harry and Hermione, which seemed to flash passed at a speed that did not leave time to do anything other than class, homework and their duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. Even when they were together the two barely had time to do more than spend a couple of minutes complaining about their lack of being able to do anything, and things were made worse by the growing absence of Ron, who seemed to be constantly wrapped up with trying to get the Quidditch team together ready for their first match.
Hermione looked over at Harry, both finding an odd bit of time to just relax and enjoy the quiet around them, even though they were attempting to get ahead by reading the latest assignment set by Professor Stygian but neither had managed more than a few lines.
Harry turned his head from the page in front of him and stared into the fire, the flames dancing before him, until he could see shapes of people and other places in this vision. "This is getting ridiculous," his voice displayed more than a little frustration. "We'll be lucky to get to Grimmauld Place before Christmas at this rate." He turned and met Hermione's gaze. "We really need to find that locket."
Looking at the wizard before her, Hermione felt sadness sweep over her as she heard the tone of Harry's voice, knowing how impatient he was growing. "We could go tonight. I don't know if Ron is going to make it though, he is very busy at the moment."
Harry nodded and gave her a smile, which did not reach his eyes; instead they held a strange kind of sadness of their own. "It's good for Gryffindor that he is putting in so much effort into playing…but it must be hard on you."
"Hard on me?" Hermione looked confusedly at Harry, her brow furrowed, even though she knew what he meant.
Harry nodded, remaining silent for a moment, letting the low crackle of the fire fill the room as he continue to look at her, his eyes searching her face. "You've hardly seen him for the last couple of days and now with the Quidditch…" He let the sentence trail off.
"I've been so busy, I've hardly noticed," she lied, lowering her eyes from his in case he could read the look in them. In fact, she had not been given Ron the amount of thought that she should have, and this realisation pained her more than anything. She had barely given much effort to making time to be with him, when she knew she could have made the time if she had tried.
Harry looked at her, watching the expressions playing over her face, as her mind ran away with her. He smiled, his eyes never leaving her face, as if he was afraid that he would miss something if he turned away briefly.
"And don't you dare pity me, Harry. I'm not the one that's on their own right now." She spat at him defensively, as her eyes met his and misinterpreted his smile. As he looked at her, visibly hurt at her words, she frowned and lowered her voice. "I'm sorry."
"And don't pity me either, Hermione." Harry's temper seemed to suddenly flair as she began to calm down. "Don't think that I don't know what you and Ron are doing. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think that I don't know that you stop holding hands and talking to each other when I come into the room?"
The young witch stared at him horrified. They had been so careful, trying not to make it so obvious. They had almost been caught out a couple of times, but they had assumed that they had been successful. It turned out that their best efforts had been for nothing. She opened her mouth to counter his claims but nothing came, her thoughts would not deliver the words she needed.
"And don't try to deny it." Harry got out of his chair, unable to sit and face her any more. He turned his back towards her and moved over to the fireplace, placing his hand on the mantel. "All through the summer you were jumping apart whenever I showed up. I don't know why you feel you need to hide your feelings from me." He turned towards her, his eyes once more finding hers. "I chose to be on my own. I made the decision. Not you, not Ron…"
Hermione didn't miss a beat. "Not Gin…" She stopped suddenly, realising what she was saying.
"What?" Harry looked at her, frowning as anger burned in his eyes.
"Nothing." She stammered, lowering her eyes once more from his.
"Don't lie to me, Hermione. Were you going to say Ginny?" Harry took a step before her and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face until she was looking back into his eyes.
Hermione remained silent for a moment, gazing into his eyes, before she slowly nodded her head. "Yes…yes, I was." Harry moved his hand, as if her skin had suddenly become red hot. "Damn it, Harry. She's upset and she cares about you."
"Don't go there, Hermione." His eyes bored into her face. "I don't need this right now. I let her go for a reason, and I'm happy with the decision I made. I'm sorry that she is miserable, but I cannot worry about anyone right now. I don't have the strength to look out for someone else, not with what we have ahead." He paused, his eyes clouding over. "You more than anyone knows what lies ahead of us."
Hermione nodded, rising slowly out of her chair and taking Harry's hand in hers. "Yes, I do, but you don't have to do this on your own. This is not your fight alone."
Harry laughed, not a happy sound, but one of the saddest that Hermione had heard, for in it was a painful cry disguised to save her feelings. "That's exactly what it is. You know the Prophecy." He looked lost and frightened, as his fingers tightened around hers. "It's me or him. That makes it my fight, Hermione. Mine and no one else's."
"But we will be there for you…with you, if you want us." Hermione looked into his haunted green eyes, as her voice lowered, offering him comfort. "We will help you through whatever happens."
His next words startled her. "Did I die painfully?" Her expression must have been puzzled, as he continued. "In your dream." He turned away from her, his gaze once more caught by the flames as they flickered in the fireplace. "Did I put up a good fight?"
"I don't know." Hermione's brow creased with alarm, she did not want to be reminded of what she had seen. The feelings hurt too much, the sight of Harry lying in her arms, his unseeing eyes gazing up towards the darkening sky. "It was just a dream, Harry. Please don't think of it as anything more than that."
He turned back to her and smiled, as he nodded his head slowly. "I'm sorry." He frowned a little more. "I didn't mean to bring it up. I just wanted to know if you thought your dream was a sign…that you thought we were going to lose. That I was going to lose."
Hermione clasped Harry's hand tighter to give him reassurance. "No. No, I don't think you are going to fail." She gave him a warm smile, her brown eyes twinkling. "Harry Potter never fails."
"But your dream..?"
"Was just a dream." Hermione stepped closer and took him in her arms, wrapping them around his body. "You know I'm no good a Divination." She smiled as she heard his faint laugh, as his arms wrapped around her, his body close. Turning her head, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, which caused him to look at her with surprise in his eyes. "For luck...tonight." She smiled, and held him closer.
A gentle knock at the door, drew her attention, as Ron appeared moments later, a startled expression on his face as he watched his two friends standing their in each other's embrace. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by Hermione placing her finger in front of her lips, begging him to remain quiet.
After a few minutes, Harry let go of the young witch and gave her a smile. "Thank you, Hermione." He took a step backwards and turned, allowing his to spot Ron for the first time standing by the door. "Hello, mate…"
* * * * *
Grimmauld Place once more burst into life, the dark lifeless library suddenly erupting as Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated into existence, all three raising their wands and illuminating the air around them. Ron was beaming with happiness at arriving at the desired spot, following his poor arrival during their last visit, which had him turning up in the living room rather than the library, but he had succeeded this time much to his joy.
As Hermione and Ron remained where they had appeared, Harry moved quietly over to the door and opened it a crack, listening for sounds of movement. He turned back to his friends, the grin on his face lit up by the light from his wand. "It all sounds quiet. Everyone is either asleep or hopefully out."
As Harry walked over to where Ron and Hermione had moved beside the table, the witch perched on the edge, Ron whispered. "The plan is still as discussed?"
Lowering himself into one of the chairs, Harry nodded. "You and I will search the house for the locket, while Hermione works on finding something about Horcruxes, especially how do destroy them." He let out a low sigh, as his brow creased and his voice grew regretful. "I wish Dumbledore were here."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, but remained silent, each lost in their thoughts, not wanting to get into a discussion about it now. They had to find the locket, and dwelling on other things really was not going to let them concentrate on the task ahead.
"Right." Harry came out of his thoughts, and looked between his two friends. "I'll start upstairs and Ron, you take this floor. Just remember to stay as quiet as you can." His gaze paused on Ron. "We really don't want anyone to know we are here." He turned his attention to Hermione. "Will you be alright searching on your own?"
Hermione nodded her head and smiled. "I'm not promising I'll find anything, but I'll do what I can." She gave the two wizards an encouraging smile. "You two just make sure you find the locket. The sooner we have it, the more chance we have of finding what is needed to destroy it."
A look at the faces of Ron and Harry did not fill her with much hope. They all knew that destroying the Horcruxes were no easy task. Dumbledore had been injured getting rid of one himself, and he was a very powerful wizard, but they also knew that they had a duty to perform, and they would to it.
Giving each other one final look, their eyes filled with hope for a successful night, Ron and Harry turned, almost as one, and headed off to the door. Neither said a word as they reached the door, Harry's hand on the handle, when suddenly Hermione's whispered voice broke through the darkness. "Harry! Wait!"
Both turned and looked at the young witch as she made her way over to the door, where Harry and Ron were waiting, looking more than a little puzzled. Hermione looked at both, smiling awkwardly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to the dark haired young man, who looked at it quizzically.
"What's this?"
"It's a ward." Hermione looked over at Ron, who smiled at her as realisation struck, then turned her attention back to Harry. "This is your house, so you should place it, it will make it stronger."
Harry frowned, not looking any more clued in to events. "A ward for what?"
"The library."
Looking even more confused, Harry continued to stare at the young witch as if she had suddenly sprouted another head. "What does it do?"
Hermione let out a long breath. "Harry, I really don't have time to explain this, not if we want to find the locket and the spell to destroy it." She looked at him sadly. "Please, just trust me on this, and place that ward on the library before you go searching."
Harry looked over his shoulder to Ron, who merely nodded his head, indicating his wish for Harry to do as Hermione asked. "I do trust you, Hermione." He smiled, his eyes once more fixed to hers. "Your wish is my command."
She smiled at him, her body appearing to relax visibly as he agreed. "Thank you, Harry." Turning, she moved away from the door, and headed towards the bookcases, ready to search for some books that might help her solve the puzzle. Behind her, in lowered voices, she heard Harry and Ron whisper to each other, the acoustics of the room carrying their words to her ears.
"What is this about, Ron?" Harry asked, sounding unsure of why they needed a ward.
"Just do it, Harry," Ron said, his voice a little nervous. "Hermione doesn't ever ask for anything without a reason…even if she is unwilling to share it with us. You said you trusted her."
Hermione turned towards them, as Harry nodded. "I do."
"Then set the ward and let's get started on the search." Ron pulled open the door. "I'll see you back here in a while. Good hunting, Harry."
"You too, Ron." Harry watched as his friend left, disappearing into the hallway, before he unfolded the parchment and began to read the spell to set the ward in place.
* * * * *
Hermione placed the second pile of books on the table, managing only to carry three or four of the larger tomes at a time without having to struggle under their weight. The thick covers of leather or other unknown substances tended to double the weight of each one, making her wish more than once for something a little lighter. She gazed over the title of the books and looked back at the door, where minutes earlier Harry had gone, having finished placing the ward. He had given her a strange look, one that questioned her motives, but she was unable to give him the reason for her request, it just felt the right thing to do.
Walking back over to the shelves, she ran her eyes over the titles, picking out titles that she thought might hold the answer to the riddle. She had picked books of old spells and ancient rituals, and anything that sounded like it might contain something as dark as a Horcrux. Finally gathering book twelve, she turned to make her journey back to the table with pile three, when her eyes fell upon another book that seemed to grab her attention. Juggling the books in her arms, balancing them carefully, her hand reached out and grasped the book from the shelf, managing to slide it onto the top of her pile.
Reaching the table for the third time, Hermione gazed at the book that rested at the head of pile three, and frowned as she reread the title. Her eyes lingered for a moment, as she settled herself into a chair and sighed, as she looked at the amount of reading she had to do. Her hand reached out for the first book on pile one, when her gaze once more rested on another. Pulling the book down in front of her, she settled in for a read.
* * * * *
A couple of hours later, a sound behind the library door drew Hermione's attention from the page she was reading, filling her with a very uneasy feeling. She closed the cover of 'Resourceful: A guide to creating what you need, when you need it', and stood up from her chair, careful not to make any noise. Brushing some hair behind her ear, she slowly moved over to the door, listening intently for any clue to the owner of the sound.
Reaching the door, she paused for a moment, and leant forward placing her ear to the wood. She remained there, silently listening for the noise to repeat, hoping it was not the arrival of Tonks or Lupin. She was just about to give up when another noise reached her ears, just before the door handle pushed down and the door swung open, sending her flying backwards onto the floor.
"Harry?"
The face of Harry Potter, closely followed by the rest of his body, appeared from behind the door. "Sorry, Hermione." He rushed over to where she was sitting and offered her his hand. "Are you alright?" His face revealed his horror at hitting his friend with the door, as he pulled her onto her feet. "I wasn't expecting you to be behind the door. What were you doing?"
Hermione smiled, and tentatively released Harry's hand, gracing him with a smile to show she was not hurt. "Let's just say curiosity felled the cat, even if it did not kill it." She paused for a moment, the sound of her words ringing in her ears, as she tried to recall where she had heard them before. "Did you find anything?"
Harry moved further into the room, heading towards the table that moments earlier Hermione was sitting at. He dropped down into one of the chairs, his arms folded on the table, before he leant forward with a sigh of failure, before he lowered his head to rest on his arm. "We are never going to find it." He mumbled, his voice muffled because of his position.
Having finished brushing herself down, Hermione walked over to the table and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, before walking around beside him and crouching, so she could look up at his hidden face. "I know we'll find it, Harry. You must not give up." She moved her hand, placing it lightly on his leg, her fingers brushing back and forth gently.
Harry raised his head and looked at her. "How can you be so sure? What if I'm wrong this time?" He let out a long sigh, before he got up onto his feet, Hermione's hand slipping from his leg. "If he hadn't moved it, we'd have it by now. Damn, Regulus!" He slammed his hand down onto the table, as his anger grew. "Why couldn't he just leave things alone?"
Hermione rose out of her crouch and looked at Harry, her eyes fixed to him. "You have to trust me, Harry. We will find the locket. Don't give up hope, not now."
Harry lifted his hand from the table, and reached out, taking hers gently in his fingers. Her own closed around his firmly. She smiled as she felt his thumb gently brush over her skin. "You always make me feel better." He raised his eyes to hers and smiled. "I don't know what I would do if you lost faith in me, Hermione."
"I won't." She looked into his eyes, her own brimming with tears at his words, knowing how hard it was for Harry to admit his feelings. "I promise."
A sound from the door drew both their attentions away from each other, their gazes fallen upon Ron, who was standing with his hand on the door frame, his eyes fixed on his two friends. The expression on his face was not a happy one.
Harry smiled. "Any luck, mate?" His hand still held Hermione's.
Ron flicked his eyes between Harry and Hermione, before his gaze stopped on their hands. "What's going on here?" He asked, his eyes questioning as they fixed onto Hermione's face.
Hermione released Harry's hand, blushing slightly, which fortunately was hard to see in the low lighting of three wand's luminance. "Harry was just feeling…"
"I can see that," Ron mumbled under his breath.
"…That we might not find the locket." She gave Ron a smile, having not heard his remark. "I was just telling him that I believe we find it."
Harry nodded and stepped away from Hermione, looking a little guilty at being caught with the girlfriend of his best friend, even if she was his friend too. "Yeah, I was giving up hope, but Hermione has persuaded me not to." He shot her a smile. "But I've searched the whole of upstairs and I found nothing." As he finished, Hermione watched as he once more became deflated, his shoulders slumping.
"And I've yet to find any mention of Horcruxes." Hermione let out a sigh. "I could do with a stroke of luck."
"Like this?"
Harry and Hermione stood open mouthed, as from Ron's hand slipped the golden locket, dangling on its chain from his fingers. The crest of Salazar Slytherin was just visible, in the light from Ron's wand.
For what seemed like an eternity, the room remained silent as Harry and Hermione stared at Ron, or more importantly the item that he held out in front of him, that spun slowly, almost hypnotically. Then suddenly, life once more returned to the library, as squeals of delight filled the air, as Hermione dashed over and wrapped her arms around Ron, followed by Harry, who bundled into his friends, hugging them both. The three began to dance and laugh, celebrating loudly, until as one the trio fell silent, as they recalled where they were. But nothing could wipe the smiles off of their faces.
"Well done, mate." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder, his eyes fixed to the locket, as the friends unwrapped their arms from around each other. "Where did you find it?" Placing his hand under the golden oval, Ron dropped it lightly into his palm.
"Outside the backdoor, in a black sack." Despite his grin, Ron frowned and shook his head. "I was just about to give up when I remembered what me mum does whenever she fills black sacks, and being as she was here at the time, I thought I would give it a look." His frown disappeared, as once more his eyes shone with pride. "And there it was…well, I had to search a little, it had become wedge behind some pots and things, and was barely visible."
"Kreacher!" Harry laughed. "He must have hidden it."
Hermione opened her mouth to fight on behalf of the elf, but closed it again before she uttered a word. Now was not the time to get into a discussion about the welfare of elves, but she would remember to address the topic with Harry later. After all, if it had not been for Kreacher, the locket would have been lost to them. In the middle of the thought, another more important one came to mind. "Is it the right one?" She asked, bringing the elation in the room to a halt.
Harry, followed closely by Hermione and Ron, who were walking hand in hand, reached the table. He pushed the locket close to the wand, illuminating the inscription as the three friends took a look. As realisation dawned that the symbol on the front matched that of the one at school, the trio once more let out a celebratory shout.
His features growing dark, Harry once more grew serious. "Now all we have to do is destroy it." His voice sounded doubtful as to their possible success. "And we have no idea how."
"We'll just have to keep looking. There has to be a clue somewhere." Hermione smiled as she moved away from Ron, and retook her seat. "We will find it, I promise. I have a good feeling…" She paused, as her eyes met Harry's, seeing the emotion buried in them. "Let's get started."
Ron nodded his head. "I'll go grab some more books." He turned and headed off into the direction of the shelves.
Looking at the pile of books resting on the table, Hermione sighed, as she realised she had hardly managed to read any of the ones she had brought over earlier. Her eyes once more found Harry's face. "You might as well start on the ones I have here."
Harry nodded and sat down in one of the available chairs, his eyes flicking between the three piles of books. "Which ones have you read?"
Hermione glanced over the table, a frown marring her features as her eyes flicked to each pile, and then down to the book in front of her. Realisation dawned. "I haven't started any of these yet." She could feel her cheeks growing warm as wondered what had been keeping her busy all this time, as once more she opened the book before her and turned to the first page.
Grabbing the first book from the pile, Harry grinned. "You don't have to tidy up as you go, you could have just left them out until we were finished." He pulled open the cover, and placed the book down on the table. The sound of metal on wood indicated Harry had let go of the locket, letting it rest under the glow of Hermione's wand. "Thank you, Hermione," he said quietly. "I don't know what I would do without you…and Ron."
Hermione looked up at him and smiled awkwardly. "You would have more books to search through yourself." She watched him for a moment, before continuing. "But we really should get looking, or this could take forever." Returning her attention to her page, she lost herself quickly in her search, having the strange feeling that Harry had wanted to say more.
* * * * *
Harry closed his sixth book and frowned, before he reached over and picked up the locket that he had placed on the table before them for safe keeping. His fingers wrapped around the golden oval, feeling the rough crest digging into his palm. He gazed at his hand, as if he could will the locket to give up its secret. Hermione looked up at him briefly, distracted by his movement.
"This is getting silly." Ron thumped shut his book. "If I see another instruct of how to turn a person into a rat or…"
Hermione cut him off. "You should just skip over those ones."
"I try to, but they sound kind of interesting, and then before you know it, you've read the whole spell." He looked at Harry. "Find anything, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "I think we should just try and pry it open. How hard can it be?" He bashed the locket against the edge of the table, the sound echoing around the room. "Perhaps a knife or some opening spell…"
Letting out a huge sigh, Hermione looked at Harry. "I don't think we should try anything without knowing what is going to happen when we open it. It might explode or cast some strange spell…" She stopped, as a green flash appeared before her eyes and then vanished.
Harry and Ron both stopped what they were doing and looked at her, both wide eyed with concern. "What's up, Hermione?" They asked in unison.
Hermione blinked away the image. "I don't know…I thought I saw something." She shook her head. "I think it must have been the light."
Her two friends looked at each other, frowning, but did not push her any further, knowing that she would hate for them to make a fuss. They knew that she would tell them when she was ready to do so, so Harry continued. "I don't want to sit here every night looking for a way to destroy this thing. At this rate, we won't even get time to look for the other ones." He stared at the locket that dangled from his finger. "There has got to be an easy way to do this. There are three of us, and we are pretty good at magic. You are the best in Hogwarts, Hermione, that's got to count for something…"
Another image flashed before Hermione, a bright white glow, followed by completed darkness. Screaming filled her ears, and dead eyes stared up at her. The sound of crumbling masonry filled her ears, and sudden feeling of searing pain swept over her body.
"Listen to me, Harry." Hermione's voice sounded as it had never done before, commanding and frightened. "We are not strong enough to destroy whatever comes out of that thing. We need the right spell and we must not open it before know what it is." Her eyes seemed to bore into Harry's. "Lord Voldemort is a very powerful wizard, one of the best ever, and he would not do anything that could be so easily destroyed. He is paranoid; he had to be to do this. He murdered people so that he could survive. Does that sound like someone who would not take precautions?"
Harry frowned, and slumped back in his chair, his anger rising. "Was not the location he hid it in not precaution enough? Dumbledore almost died…"
"And we will die without the right spell, Harry." Hermione jumped up from her chair, her hands resting on the table, her voice raised. "We are not prepared. We do not know what will come out of that thing. Do you really want to go up against the unknown? Think, Harry."
Harry stood up, his chair scraping noisily against the floor, staring at her across the table. "I am thinking. And we are wasting time. If you don't want to help me, then go back to Hogwarts and I'll open it on my own. The longer it takes us to destroy the more chance he has of winning. And I will not let him win, even if it kills me stopping him, I won't let him win."
Hermione almost fell back into her chair, as a vision from her dream slammed into her. Harry Potter dead, killed by Lord Voldemort. "If you open that without the spell, Harry, then you will die and he will win. And without you, who is left to stop him? I'm begging you, Harry. Please do not open that locket…not yet." Her eyes gazed at him, pleading.
Silence fell upon the library, a deathly silence, as if life had suddenly been extinguished. The sound of breathing slowly seemed to grow loud, as the two students stared at each other, while Ron flicked his attention between his friends. Then the room once more erupted into sound. "Damn you, Hermione. I need to do this. You have one more night. If we don't find the answer tonight, I am going to destroy this thing at the next available opportunity." His fingers clenched around the locket. "I want this thing gone." Before anyone could stay another word, Harry raised his hand and threw the golden oval through the air, not wanting it near him.
"Harry! No!" Hermione's voice filled the room.
Like a comet racing through the sky, the locket, its chain flying out behind it, smashed heavily against the wall…and blackness descended.
"Harry…I don't think you should have done that." Ron's voice sounded in the darkness.
Silence followed, making the library seem like a tomb, where everything living had been cast away. The darkness was blacker than anything the three had have witnessed, as it appeared devoid of all light, even the thin rays that should have pushed through the small gaps in the curtains. There was nothing, no light, no sound. A place of death. The low breaths of Harry, Ron and Hermione were barely audible in the unearthly silence.
"We really could use some light." Harry's voice sounded loud as it cut through the quiet air. "Do you have your wands?"
Hermione's flew into her hand from its place on the table, but before she could illuminate it, she saw a faint glow fill the room. She smiled to herself, realising that Harry or Ron had beaten her to it, but the smile soon vanished as the source of the light revealed itself.
"What the…? Harry?" Hermione stammered, as her eyes fixed to the locket, which was now emitting a sliver of light from the crack that had appeared.
"Crikey, Harry." Ron took a step forward. "What have you done?" He continued to move, closer and closer to the shining oval.
"Ron, stay away!" Harry's cry permeated the air, as the light swept through the spectrum from a low golden glow to a bright yellow. On the wall behind them, shadows danced, growing more and more defined.
Ron reached the locket, and bent down, his fingers brushed against the golden oval, as it moved against the floor, out of his reach. "What the…?" He stood up and looked at his friends. "It's alive…"
Lowering her wand, Hermione looked at Ron. "Don't touch it!"
"Did you…?" Ron began, but the look in her eyes revealed that her answer was not needed.
Once more the room fell into darkness, as the trio waited, standing still, lost in their thoughts. Their breaths grew heavy as fear of the unknown crept over them, and none of them spoke, as the room once more became silent, even the creaks of the building failed to sound. Time seemed to cease, as everything stopped. Then a flapping sound filled the air, like a thousand bats suddenly taking to the wing.
"It's the books!" Hermione shouted, causing her to look around in the darkness, her eyes picking out nothing. Her wand illuminated in her hand, barely lighting the space around her. On the table, one of the books flipped open its front cover, followed by the rapid flicking of pages, before the back cover slammed shut. The book then flew off the table, landing on the floor with a bang.
"It's like someone is looking for something." Harry noted, his eyes fixed on the scene.
"I think it's found it." Hermione pointed towards a book that suddenly burst into flames. "We need to put it out."
"I think we have bigger problems."
Harry and Hermione turned at Ron's words, their gaze falling on the locket that lay against the wall. The darkness had cleared, replaced by a brilliant white light, that pulsed with a strange echo, as the room grew brighter and brighter, until it seemed to burn into their eyes, causing them to cover their eyes. Their wands were held out instinctively before them, unable to do anything but wait and react. Ron took a few steps backwards, but stopped in case he tripped over some of the books that lay scattered on the floor.
"We have to destroy it!" Harry's voice reverberated around the room.
"We don't know how." Hermione cried out, her hand reaching for the book she had been reading.
Harry heard the sound of her movements. "We don't have time to look now, even if we could."
Before another word could be uttered, a scream filled the air, terrifying as it battered their ears, coming from all around the library. All three covered their ears with their hands, trying to block out the sound. The brightness reached new levels, the light penetrating through their eyelids. Suddenly, a huge smash filled the room, drowning out all other noise, as projectiles began to fly around the room. The young wizards ducked down, Ron trying to scramble across the floor trying to get out of the way of books that rammed into his body, Harry and Hermione fairing little better with the table as shelter.
"We have to do something." Hermione screamed, to be heard over the noise.
Blackness once more covered the library, the scream dying. Around them books began to rain down onto the floor, as silence fell. Harry, Ron and Hermione blinked open their eyes, trying to clear the spots that swam in their vision, their hands dropping from their ears. The air around them prickled with electricity, and the feeling that they were not alone seeped into their minds.
"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Be ready."
"Ready for what?"
As if on cue, the air above them seemed to take on an eerie glow, almost like a wispy cloud, which seemed to grow more pronounced with each passing second, taking on a ghostly shape. A green glow brought the library to life, the three friends staring as the apparition began to float around the room, as it became more defined.
"Voldemort!" Harry's voice tore through Hermione like a curse, as he shouted the name.
"Kill it!" Ron screamed, as the ghostly figure flew above his head.
"Be ready, Harry." Hermione's voice was oddly calm, which seemed totally out of place, as her eyes remained fixed on the shape before them. She raised her wand, matching Harry's stance as he moved himself into a better position.
Then without warning, the green apparition swooped over their heads, flitting around the library, zooming from one end to another, causing strange shadows to dance over the walls. It stopped suddenly, bright in the flames from the books that were slowly burning on the floor. Its eyes grew intense, the evil being that it embodied illuminated in its gaze. It looked passed Harry and Hermione, its focus settled on the red haired boy. Like a flash, it shot off down the length of the library, like a bullet, aiming straight at Ron. It rammed into his body, almost sending him flying as it rose above him, swirling around his head.
Ron screamed, looking up at the green ghostlike figure, his wand in his hand but doing nothing. His eyes were wide, fear reflected in his eyes, as he looked towards his friends, silently begging for help. As the shape above his head, moved again, he opened his mouth to scream.
"Ante Mortem Apage Voldemort!" Hermione screamed into her air, her wand releasing a bolt towards the apparition knocking it off of its course, as it lost sight of Ron.
Harry looked over at Hermione and then back to the ghostly figure that let out a terrifying scream. Wand raised and focused on the shape, his eyes blazed with anger. "You aren't going to win!" He shouted the words he had heard Hermione use moments before. "Ante Mortem Apage Voldemort!" His wand shot out an even brighter bolt than Hermione's that engulfed the image of the Dark Lord.
The green hue grew brighter and brighter, as it began to fly erratically round the room, the scream growing louder and louder, as the apparition began to pulse.
"Hermione! Together!"
Both the wizard and the witch held up their wands, and in unison their voices rang out around the room, bursting through the scream. "Ante Mortem Apage Voldemort!" From their wands the burst of energy glowed brightly as it flew towards the green shape that seemed to be screaming in pain before the spell had even hit it. The two closed their eyes against the dazzling light before them, as the pitch of the wail increased, their hands moving to cover their ears from damage.
The pulsing grew faster and faster until it exploded, a ripple of green energy rushing over the library, crashing into the three students, who could not see what was happening, sending them flying across the room. They landed heavily on the floor, pain searing through their bodies, as darkness fell upon them…