You can't hide what you are and no one ever really changes. If you try too hard to become something you're not, you will only end up being something you hate. - Anonymous
Chapter Five: Deep Down
*****
Together they lay in the field adjacent to the Burrow, their hands nearly touching, looking up at the clouds.
"That's the second time I've seen Ron's bum in the clouds…"
"Oh Harry…you are impossible, you know that don't you?" Hermione said between her giggles.
Harry grinned at her from his place on the grass, "Only because you made me that way…but seriously if you look at that cloud the right way, it does look like Ron's bum."
Hermione scoffed and slapped Harry playfully in the arm, "It does not look like Ron's bum…it's too…wiggly. If anything, I think it looks like Umbridge's."
Harry's eyebrows rose into his hairline, "Been staring at Umbridge's ass lately, Hermione?"
Hermione squealed, "Oh my God! You did not just say that!"
He started to laugh but the wind was quickly knocked from his lungs as Hermione landed on chest and started to tickle him mercilessly. Her hands running rampant over his sides and along his chest, she did it all with a wicked gleam in her eyes and a playful grin spread across her face.
"This will teach you, Potter…" Hermione laughed.
"No! No, stop - please!" Harry said between roars of laughter. "I take it back!"
Hermione had him trapped, her legs were straddling his waist and she had now stopped her tickle attack and her hands were now on his shoulders holding the young man down.
She looked down at him, worried because Harry had suddenly stopped laughing and was now looking at her with the strangest expression on his face.
"Oy! What the hell are you two doing!?"
Harry's expression changed to one of horror, "This is not good…"
*****
This is not good…
Even though he was now so much more than he once was, Harry Potter still needed to breathe, and at the moment he was finding that usually mundane task somewhat impossible.
Not only was the extreme altitude of the remote Tibetan mountain range putting a strain on his lungs - but the enraged twelve-foot Yeti wasn't helping much either, as it was holding him by the throat three feet off the ground.
Harry didn't want to harm the creature unnecessarily, and how the voice had ridiculed and insulted him for that decision and the Yeti wasn't helping matters by trying to choke the life out of the recently resurrected wizard.
The voice had warned him that the crypt was being guarded by some natural defender - one that was nearly invulnerable to all but the strongest magic. To Harry's knowledge, he possessed the strongest magic in the world, but that was beside the point. All that mattered was getting the staff that the voice needed, and he knew better than to disappoint the voice. Of course there was the small part of getting past the Yeti in order to get the staff.
Suddenly, the Yeti shook Harry violently and growled something incomprehensible at him as its grip on Harry's throat tightened and for a second the wizard thought his head might pop clean off.
Enough of this! You have the power - destroy it.
With a twinge of regret, Harry reluctantly grabbed hold of the Yeti's giant wrist and twisted with all his strength. Immediately the Yeti howled in pain and jerked away from the cliff's edge, pulling Harry with it. Once clear of the edge, Harry brought his legs up and kicked the beast in the chest, which caused the monster to drop him to the rocky, snow covered ground.
Harry landed on his feet with a grunt and just as the Yeti raised its arms to crush him, Harry brought his hand up and the blue magic flared to life once more, striking the beast in its massive chest causing it to stumble backwards, still Harry was holding back.
Do not play with it boy! It is a mindless beast! Put it down like one!
Something beyond Harry's control ignited a fire within him, before he could push it back down, his hands came up together and a great wave of magic shot forth, engulfing the Yeti. The poor creature screamed in agony, as the blue flames ate away at its flesh and before Harry could even think of putting it out of its misery, the Yeti collapsed to the ground, its huge form smoldering and burnt beyond recognition.
Hermione wouldn't have wanted the Yeti harmed…
Harry flinched as the cupboard door rattled quietly. He must stop thinking about her; the look on her face when he saw her last - all those weeks ago at the Burrow, when he rescued her and the others from the Death Eaters that had suddenly attacked them.
You must not dwell on the past boy…it is best left forgotten.
Harry frowned, "But was it absolutely necessary to kill it?"
Yes it was! You are not here to be merciful - it's best you remember that!
"Right," Harry whispered.
Remember who you are…
The wizard looked toward the secluded cave that held the staff he had been seeking, "I am the Dark Lord."
Good…now, retrieve my staff.
*****
Ron Weasley hated the library; he's always hated it - the Restricted Section wasn't his favorite place either, when he, Harry and Hermione had been here last it was to do research on the Horcruxes before the final showdown with Voldemort.
Looking over at his long time friend, and occasional girlfriend, he cringed - because the look on her face was one that he knew all too well. Ron was a simple man - he knew a little about a lot of things, but the one thing he knew above all others, was that when Hermione Granger had that look on her face, it was best to stay the hell out of her way.
The young witch looked up at the red head through narrowed eyes, "Move Ron."
With a resigned shake of his head Ron stood aside, "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you Hermione, if you go this route it will only end in heartbreak. - again."
Hermione groaned in frustration, "Damn it Ron, I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry I never told you about…about how I felt about Harry. But you really need to get past this Ron; we have to get him back."
Ron gaped at her, "Get him back!? Hermione, he's the bloody Dark Lord - he didn't stick around long enough after he-"
"Saved me!" Hermione roared in anger, "That's right Ron, he saved me! Protected me! Protected all of us, he saved all of us! With his hand he caught the damn Killing Curse. He caught it Ron, before it could kill me! That is not the work of a Dark Lord! The real Harry is somewhere deep down, under all that darkness- and for just a few moments yesterday he let us see him, and I for one am not going to let him go - not again!"
The red-haired wizard stumbled back in shock and nearly fell over a cart of books.
Hermione's hands were clenched tight and she was trembling in rage, "Now, for just a few moments - please get over yourself. I know it's hard to hear Ron, and I am sorry that it hurts you…but I love Harry. I am in love with him…and nothing you say or do will ever change that."
Ron leaned back against the book cart, dumbstruck. He hadn't expected her to admit it, he always suspected of course that she had some feelings for Harry, but to find out that she was truly in love with him…he just hadn't expected that.
"You- you're in love with him?" He whispered after a moment. "But what about us? I…I just always figured that we would you know, give it another go."
Hermione sighed, "Another go…Ron, I love you dearly. I do - but Harry…I can't breathe without him - it hurts to even try. I thought I could let him go, move on…but I was only fooling myself."
Ron paled, "You used me? How could you?"
"No, no Ron. I didn't use you." Hermione took a step closer to her friend, "I love you I swear I do - but it's not the same kind of love. I cherish you Ron, you are my best friend, and if it hadn't been for you this past year, I wouldn't have made it. You kept me going."
Ron nodded, "Right…not the same kind. So - you aren't in love with me, but with Harry?"
Hermione nodded as her eyes filled with tears, "Yes…I'm so sorry Ron…"
The red-haired wizard cleared his throat a few times before speaking again, "Well then…I guess we get a move on and try to help Harry. Where should we start?"
"We uhh…we need to find out why Harry needed that scroll from Grimmuald Place." She said, "I think we might have overlooked its importance."
Ron nodded in agreement, "I think you may be right - so we just tear through the Restricted Section and try to find anything at all on Belial?"
Hermione shook her head, "No…I think we should look up everything that they don't want us to know regarding Merlin."
Ron's face split in a wide grin, "Damn you're scary."
*****
Irony or just bad karma, Harry wasn't sure what to call what he was experiencing at the moment. He hadn't planned to see them of all people at the National Historic Museum, not at all. Of course they were Muggles and Muggle London was that most likely of places to run into them. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was here…perhaps hoping to find some shelter from the voice that continued to haunt and torment him…but he hadn't been to this place since…since Hermione had dragged him to it the summer before their seventh year at Hogwarts.
He would always remember the look of wonder and amazement as she studied every piece of artwork that museum had to offer. Harry found himself in awe of her that day; more so than any other before it, not because she was such a giant brain, but because even through the excitement of seeing all this history she found the time to look at him and smile…a smile that nearly melted him with its warmth.
For a second he nearly smiled, remembering that one pure moment of absolute bliss…
What have we here? Ahh, the Mudbloods parents.
Daniel and Emma Granger were standing not a dozen feet from his darkened corner, observing a rather unusual piece of artwork and whispering to each other as they held hands.
Harry found himself staring at Mrs. Granger, unable to believe how much Hermione resembled her, from the long brown hair, to the hazel eyes within hidden depths and the tiny nose. Her hair, like Hermione's showed signs of once being thick and bushy, but as she aged it had become silky and radiant.
Killing them…would break the Mudblood.
Harry growled and fell further back into the shadows, "I am not Riddle…I do not kill helpless Muggles."
Oh - well then…we best be off, you have an appointment at Hogwarts, remember?
Harry sighed, "I remember…"
Good…also Harry - it would be best if you tried not to block me out…as you can see I am part of you now…
"Right…why do you need the Sword of Gryffindor anyway? I've already gotten you the staff and the scroll…when are you going to let me in on this grand plan of yours?" Harry asked out loud.
The voice seemed to chuckle inside his head, All in due time my boy, all in due time. Now, on to the place you once called home.
With a frown on his face he took one last look at the Grangers, and then Harry Potter vanished.
*****
"Hermione, look at this: it says here that in 554 A.D., Merlin engaged in a six day battle with a demonic being in the skies over Stonehenge."
Ron turned the giant tomb around and passed it towards the young witch, "It doesn't give the demons name though, describes it as being twice as tall as a man, colored blacker then night and horns of a devil on it's head…other than that it just says that after the battle, the demon was gone and Merlin wasn't seen in Britain for nearly fifty years - which if I remember correctly…"
Hermione's eyes widened, "Which is about the time that Merlin appeared with King Arthur - and…"
Ron whispered in awe, "Bloody hell - look at the picture of Arthur and Merlin…right there on Arthur's hip is Excalibur."
Hermione gasped, "Excalibur…amazing! It actually existed; I never thought that the legend of the sword was real."
Ron made a face at her, "What? Of course it was real. Arthur used it to unite Britain; of course he had some help from Merlin and his Knights of the Round Table."
Hermione shook her head, "We are getting off track, let's see what else it says about that battle."
Ron pulled another book form his stack and started reading. As Hermione continued to study the picture of Merlin and Arthur, her gaze transfixed on the mighty sword Arthur wore at his side.
*****
The invisible figure turned away from the library door with a smile on his weathered face.
He would be here soon; the figure thought to himself, it was only a matter of time. There were old scores to settle and he above all others had failed the boy the most. Left him alone to do what had to be done, what needed to be done - no matter the cost, except now the cost was too high…especially for the boy.
The figure sighed and then nearly laughed out loud at how useless that small gesture seemed now considering his current condition - there was no reason for him to sigh. He was incapable of breathing, a fact that even over the last few years he seemed to have forgotten.
Yes, the young man who he had once known so well would be here soon, to finish it all. He wouldn't have to hide behind a pensive any longer and pretend to be less than what he was - a ghost.
Only a select few knew that it was only wizards that could return to the world as ghosts after their passing and only if they had left things undone in their former life, and he had left so much undone…and unsaid. No, there would be no rest for him until he and the boy met one last time, there was much that needed to be said…at last.
For now though, the invisible figure, floated soundlessly down the wide and ancient corridors of Hogwarts, waiting patiently for the time when his student would return, until that time, he hoped that the others would be able to get through to the boy - help him understand that there is still hope and that there are still people in this world that love him.
"Soon Harry…" the shade whispered to the empty corridor, "Very soon now."
To Be Continued…
*****
Next chapter: Homecoming folks! Showdown of sorts for Harry and those left at Hogwarts.
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