Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: The characters of this fiction are borrowed and used as a tribute to the wonderful world created by J.K. Rowling. They're not mine, never were and never will be. No money is being made on this either.

Summary: Driven by jealousy of Hermione Granger's obvious crush for The Boy Who Lived, Ron Weasley makes the biggest mistake of his life that puts the whole Hogwarts School in peril. As Harry Potter suddenly finds himself trapped in a different world, it is now up to him to set things right.

Author's Notes:

That's 'break' the curse, not 'Brake', as I happened to write in the last chapter. I'm getting so mad at myself for doing such stupid mistakes. My apologizes.

Anyway: CV. The answer to your 'nosebleed' question can be found on page: 192 in Goblet of Fire. (Atleast in the English version.) I hope that will enlighten you.

A Big thank you to you all who reviewed my story, I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully you will enjoy this last chapter as well.

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'You're the Voldemort from the future!'

'I was surprised that nothing changed around me after you had fled with the help of the Time-turner.' The Dark Lord explained. 'I knew that it meant that you've failed to break the curse.'
'Did you do something to her to prevent me from waking her up?' Harry asked with gritted teeth.
'I only put a preservation spell on her, that was all. I suppose the only explanation is that she doesn't love you that way. Tough luck, Potter.'

Harry's heart sank again. He would have to try with something else then, if only he could survive this encounter with Lord Voldemort. He would deal with his disappointment after that.
'You knew I failed… so why did you follow me back through time?' Harry asked.
'Haven't I already told you that, Harry?' Voldemort spat. 'I longed to kill you for three hundred years! My life won't be complete until I've done this, even if it means to follow you back through time! Besides, I couldn't take the risk of leaving you alive so that you could find other means to break the curse. That's why I charged up the Time-turner to intercept you. I've been waiting here for days, while my younger self put the mudblood girl here and grew the thorn-bushes around the castle. But it was worth the wait…'

'Well, how are you suppose to get back to your time then?'
'That is something you have to concern yourself about, Potter. I deal with that once I'm finished here! Now, on your feet! Face me! Let us finish what we started before you so cowardly fled!'
Harry rose and took some steps away from Hermione before he took a dueling position. He knew that she at least was safe from Voldemort. The Dark Lord wouldn't risk killing her; otherwise the curse would be broken. He waited for Voldemort to make the first move…

'Crucio.' Voldemort shouted. Harry had waited for him to open his mouth before he could cast a spell of his own. 'Stupefy!' Harry cried. The jets of lights shot from the wands and met mid-air. They ricocheted off each other and exploded against the walls.
Voldemort snickered. 'Surely you didn't think that I would use my own wand against you? No. This fight will be on equal terms. Reducto!'
Harry threw himself out of the way as his enemy cast the spell. His ribs were still aching from the last times he had been hit by that jinx, and he wasn't certain that they would withstand another hit. They still hurt though as he hit the ground, but Harry had no time to take notice of it. 'Impedimenta!' Harry cried instead.

Voldemort raised his left hand and let Harry's spell explode on it. The Dark Lord grinned: 'Don't you learn anything, Potter? I said that it takes more than some stun Curses to knock me out. I had three hundred years of time to increase my immunity. You have to do better than that.'
Harry knew he was in trouble. The stun-jinxes were his best shots. He could maybe try to distract him with another Patronus, but he doubted that he could summon a happy thought right now. Besides he didn't think that that trick could work twice.

'Stop standing there doing nothing, Harry! Fight!' Voldemort roared. 'Reducto!' Again Harry threw himself out of the way. 'You really disappoint me, Harry. You've learned plenty of spells here, use them. Give me a challenge!'
'Accio, wand!' Harry shouted. But Voldemort held on to it tightly.
'Please, Harry. Do better!'
Harry really tried to do better. He only used the spells he quickly could think of while he tried to work out a plan. He needed an advantage he didn't have before, and suddenly he had it!

'Accio, Firebolt!' Harry's trusted broomstick came to him immediately and Harry quickly mounted it and took off in the air before Voldemort realized what was happening.
'What's this Harry? Thinking of running again?'
'Who said anything about running, Riddle?' And then Harry began circling around the Dark Lord from above and threw jinx after jinx against him. Voldemort had to use all of his attention to counter Harry's attacks. 'Better. Much better.' Voldemort said under his breath.

Unfortunately Harry had a much harder time of flying than usual. With a burning scar and lack of food, plus that he now was flying in a cramped chamber his skills were quite limited. He had to break off his attacks from time to time to avoid crashing into the walls, and it wasn't long until the Dark Lord saw those openings.
'Imperio.' He muttered softly.
Harry suddenly found himself empty of all thoughts as he was flying through the darkness of the cave. He felt very relaxed, and let go of all control of his broom.
'That's it, Harry.' Voldemort's voice spoke to him from the empty pit of his mind. 'Fly into the wall. Fly into the wall.'
Right, I'll fly into it. I'll crash into it and… AND CRIPPLE YOURSELF! PULL UP, YOU IDIOT!

The stronger voice caught Harry's attention just in time and he managed to turn away before he'd cause himself some severe pain. But then the pain came anyway.
'Crucio!'
Every nerve in his body was on fire. Harry wasn't sure but he assumed he was screaming. The pain was so intense that Harry finally lost all control of where he was and what he was doing. The Firebolt were still turning and centrifugal pull threw him of the broom high up in the air. Harry fell, and landed hard on the stone floor beside the corpse of the Basilisk. Harry was barely conscious, but still he heard the mocking laughter from the Dark Lord. He tried to move but that was a painful attempt. His left arm was broken.

'Ha ha ha ha! Does it hurt, Harry? Does it hurt?' Voldemort approached him with a triumphant smile.
You want to know if it hurts? Feel it yourself! It was Harry's anger that was driving him now, and that was something the Dark Lord had failed to take into consideration. 'Reducto!' Harry spat as he with an angry determination raised his wand. Two can play dirty! Voldemort took the full blast and was himself sent flying hard into the wall. Harry watched him all the way and saw something from the corner of his bruised eye. He was looking into the open mouth of the Basilisk, and saw the remaining poisonous fang protruding from the rotten flesh. The other fang had come loose when the Basilisk in its death rows had managed to bite Harry's right arm, but this one could come in handy.

Harry pointed his wand at it; 'Diffindo.' The fang came loose and fell to the floor. 'Wingardium Leviosa.' What Harry did now was something he usually wouldn't do. But he was driven with anger, and something in the back of his mind told him that it was either he or Voldemort. Harry sent the fang at high-speed like a dart towards the staggering form of Voldemort. He was going to impale him, would most likely kill him. But the Dark Lord had quickly regained his own composure from being slammed into the wall, he snatched the projectile in mid-air before it hit him.

'Well, Harry. I was beginning to think that you didn't have it in you.' Voldemort said with a smile. 'Let's see if you can repeat my gesture.' And then the Dark Lord sent the fang back, towards Harry. Thanks to his drive of survival Harry managed to duck away from the returning projectile, which buried itself deep into the body of the Basilisk. Bruised, with a broken arm and a twisted ankle Harry quickly limped out in the center of the chamber to start another attack against Voldemort. But the other was faster.
'Expelliarmus!' Voldemort cried. Harry's wand flew from his hand while Harry himself was sent flying again through the air. He landed in a heap on the floor; all breath of air left his lungs. This time he couldn't find any strength to get up. He was vaguely aware of that his head was resting on something soft. He turned his head and saw a pale pink face with a mess of brown hair. He was sprawled almost on top of the sleeping form of Hermione.

Voldemort was twirling Harry's wand that he'd caught between his long fingers as he approached him. His red eyes pierced into Harry's green and he grinned, it was a grin of death.
'Well, Harry? If you got any more tricks up your sleeve it is time to use them.'
Harry didn't answer. He was out of tricks, as well of strength.
'Harry, Harry, Harry.' Voldemort shook his head mockingly. 'You should have killed me when I was lying under the rubble. It always pays to do onto the one that he would do onto you! I'm teaching my students that. And just because you're so damn disgustingly good, it has now brought you your end!'

Harry still didn't say anything. He was tired. Dead tired. It really did seem that fate had finally caught up with him.
'Got nothing to say, Harry? No last words? No crying for help from a mother who's not around to save you with her dying love?'

Love. His mother's love had bought him fourteen years. Ten pitiful years with the Dursley's and four full years at Hogwarts full of life and adventures with friends he would die for. Those years had been the best time of his life, where he learned true friendship and true… love. Now, at the brink of death, he finally admitted it to himself. He loved someone. In his fourth year he thought he loved Cho Chang, but now he knew… He loved Hermione. Hermione who had always stood by his side even when everything was against him, who always was there when not even Ron would be. He wished that she were awake now, so that he could tell her that. Maybe he should ask for a last wish? Harry wondered if Voldemort would allow him to kiss Hermione goodbye? A real kiss this time; one of love, not one of…

An idea struck Harry. When he kissed her the first time, it was because he felt he had to. It was a cold un-emotional kiss. That kiss didn't work, but if he gave her one of love…
Harry couldn't help but smile. It was ironic: it was Voldemort who brought up the idea of love…

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. 'What're you smiling at? Shouldn't you be on your knees by now begging for your life?'
'Never.' Harry answered softly.
'Is that it? You're going to meet your end with a smile? As a final mock against me?' Voldemort sighed. 'Well if that's the way it's going to be… Avada…'
'Wait! Don't you want to know why I'm smiling?'
'Spill it out then, it wont make any difference.'
'Yes it will.' Harry said.

'Have you gone crazy, Potter? Do you really think you still can beat me? Don't forget, I got your wand…'
'I don't need a wand to defeat you.'
And before the Dark Lord could react, Harry summoned the very last of his strength to roll on top of Hermione and again he put his lips against hers, this time without doubts, this time of love…
It was an electrifying sensation… it was as if he had unlocked a door that was trapping energy that needed to get out, and the energy was now unleashed…

'What?! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO…' Voldemort screamed.
A white light was emitting from the sleeping girl, it escaped from her like a shockwave and rushed to merge with the magical energy around Hogwarts, creating a strange magical wind in the cave…
Voldemort felt it take effect; the unleashed energy had already ripped a hole in the fabric of time, and deleting everything he'd done over three hundred years. As a final desperate act, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and shouted: 'Avada Kedavra!'

Harry heard the words even thought he was busy with the kiss; he heard the rushing sound, felt the green energy hit him… but it had no effect. The new timeline that was now forming itself would not allow it. The new timeline now claimed Voldemort: he screamed as he began to fade away, as the new timeline told them all that this battle had never taken place. All the wounds in Harry's body healed, at least those he'd received in the chamber, the one's he sustained from the battle in Durmstrang remained but those wouldn't bother him much.

Shortly afterwards the wind disappeared, the cave became strangely quiet. The only sound that could be heard was Harry's wand that fell to the stone-floor…

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Harry had the best time of his life. He could never had imagined the feeling of kissing a girl being like this, so he was in no hurry to break it just yet. And it became even more exciting when he felt an arm sneaked around his neck to pull him closer, and a warm breath that responded to the kiss. Harry could've continued with this for a long time, but his back was beginning to protest from the position he was holding and he had to straighten himself up, taking the girl with him in a sitting position. Soon they slowly broke the kiss anyway, having to catch new breath of air, and they both opened their eyes…
That was when reality hit them both, and they scrambled away from each other…

'HARRY?' Hermione shrieked, her face turning scarlet.
'Hermione!' Harry gasped. 'Are you all right?'
'All right? You… you kissed me…!' She didn't look angry; she was more surprised and excited.
'I'm sorry, I had to. You were asleep and…'
'Asleep? It.. was an interesting way to be waked up, but…' Then she took on a more serious expression. 'By the way: where have you been?! You been gone for a week!'

'I've been gone for seventeen days actually.' Harry said.
'What're you talking about? I only remember a week!'
'Hermione.' Harry put his hands on her shoulders. 'I promise: I will explain everything. But first: let's get out of this hole and find Ron, he is responsible for all of this.'
'Hole?' Hermione finally surveyed her whereabouts. 'What? Where… where are we?'
'This is the Chamber of Secrets; you know the one under Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.'
'How in heavens name did I get here?'
'I'll explain everything later, I promise. For now: let's just get out of here.'

Harry got to his feet and held out his hands for Hermione to help her get up from the floor. Bewildered, she didn't say anything more for the moment; she just let Harry lead her out of there with her behind him on his broomstick. They took off, flew out from the deep hole and through the bathroom, and through the corridors. He was not stopping.
'W-why aren't you stopping? Where are we going?'
'To the Third-floor corridor. That's where we'll find Ron.' Harry said over his shoulder.
'What's he doing there?'
'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.'

They passed the Great Hall on the way. To Harry's great relief, he saw that all the students and teachers stirred and was in the middle of awakening. They all looked as confused as Hermione was. Harry flew up the stairs leading to the third-floor, he didn't see that a person was watching them and began to follow.
Reaching the corridor, Harry dived through the trap door, causing Hermione to scream. She was apparently not that fond of flying since they both rode Buckbeak.
When they flew through the chambers with the challenges, Hermione tried again to pry information from Harry.

'Harry, what are we doing here?'
'Ron's down here.' He answered calmly.
'Why?'
'You'll see.' Harry was actually amused of all of this although he shouldn't be. He assumed that he was just happy that everything finally turned out all right, and he was amused of Hermione's bewilderment that was now beginning to turn to a bit of anger. When they reached the room where Snape had put his trick with the bottles, Harry landed. He put a finger to his mouth to keep Hermione quiet as they entered the door.

Hermione could never have imagined a more strange sight. Her friend Ron was kneeling in front of a large mirror on which he repeatedly pounded his fists. He looked quite ragged and shrunken; tears were streaming down his face. But his shouts made absolutely no sense to her.
'Harry! Harry, answer me! Please answer me! You've got to come out! You got to help me! Harry!' Ron slammed his head onto the mirror's surface and let out a howl. His shoulders were shaking violently as he sobbed: 'What have I done? What have I done?!'

'Ron?' Hermione called. 'What are you doing?'
Ron spun around. His eyes went wide when he spotted her. 'Hermione?! You're… you're awake!'
'Yes, I'm awake.' She said impatiently. 'But what're you…?'
'Harry?!' Ron then cried out. 'You're… you're out of the mirror!'
'Out of the mirror??' Hermione turned to Harry. 'What does he mean by that..?' She had expected Harry to be just as confused as she was of Ron's statement, but she saw on the look of Harry's face that he wasn't the least surprised.

With her patience completely drained, Hermione placed her hands on her hips, glaring back and forth between her friends and said with a voice that left no more room for argument.
'What's going on?' she demanded.
'That would be most interesting to know.' A voice said behind them. In the doorway stood Albus Dumbledore. 'Why don't we all go to my office where you can tell me the whole story?'
The chamber went completely quiet; the only sound that could be heard came from Ron, who loudly gulped.

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'Mr. Weasley!' Professor McGonagall gasped in a croaky voice 'Mr. Ronald Weasley!'
Harry had just finished the whole story in Professor Dumbledore's office. Needless to say; there was a large tremor of shock hanging in the air. Ron himself sat crouched in a chair with his head bent deeply down towards his knees, hands above his head, whimpering…
'I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…'
'Sorry?' Professor Snape spat. 'Is that all you can say?' The last time Harry had seen Snape so furious and deranged was back in his third year in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade when Snape was about to apprehend Sirius Black and the three friends stood in his way. To receive Snape's fury was not a pleasant thing, but Harry felt that Ron had to take it. While the ghost of Ron had redeemed himself, the live one hadn't.

'Don't you realize what you've done to us?!' Snape continued shouting. 'You almost delivered the whole Wizard World to the dark side, and for what?! All because of some stupid love affair?!'
At this Harry glanced over at Hermione. She stood alone against some cabinets half turned away from the group looking quite mortified. Harry couldn't even begin to imagine how she must feel as she stood there holding her arms tightly against her body. She had been the main key behind the whole mess. She had been used, drugged and had been played with, with no thought of her welfare. While Ron would rightfully take the blame, Harry would most likely be praised. That left Hermione with the humiliation. She'd been totally betrayed by her friend.

'Of all the stupid things you've done in this school, all the lines you crossed and all the rule-breaking, this is the most…' Snape went on but was now cut off by Dumbledore.
'Thank you Severus, we all get the point.' The old Headmaster looked very very grave. 'You do understand the weight of the crime you've committed, Mr. Weasley?' he asked softly.
'Oh no… I'm being sent to Azkaban…' Ron whimpered without looking up.
'Professor.' Harry then spoke up. 'I don't deny that Ron has done a very bad thing, but I think…'
'Potter, now that you for once is innocent, shouldn't you be smart enough to shut up?' Snape said in his usual silky voice that could send cold shivers through a person. Harry ignored him.

'Professor Dumbledore. The ghost of Ron I met in the future gave his 'life' to enable me to come back here. He proved to me that Ron here has learned a harsh lesson and is willing to pay for his crime. Surely you can't let him be sent to Azkaban?'
'Headmaster, this boy's crime is one of the worst that has ever been committed here!' Snape spoke up loud. 'He is at least to be expelled from this school. You can't let him walk out from this one!'
'Due to the seriousness of his crime, expulsion is in order,' Dumbledore said. Snape began to smile.
'-however during the circumstances, we may not be able to.'

Severus Snape looked at the Headmaster in shock. 'Headmaster, you can't be serious? You can't just forgive him and…'
'I never said that, Severus. But if we are to expel Mr. Ronald Weasley from this school, an investigation of the circumstances will have to take place. And the past events of those seventeen days that has taken place here must never reach public knowledge.'
'Albus, I don't understand…' Professor McGonagall said.
'If what has happened here would become known, it would be dangerous for Mr. Potter.' Dumbledore said sternly. 'No one must ever know that while we have Mr. Potter here, there is another Harry Potter trapped in the Mirror of Erised for three-hundred years to come.'

Harry was shocked. He had not thought of that. 'W-what will become of him… I mean: me… I mean: that me? I changed the future! How is he suppose to get back here?'
'Now Mr. Potter, you see a perfect example of the unpredictable consequences of time-travel. I don't blame you in any way for what you had to do, but we now have a paradox here that we must have a solution for when the time comes when he will be released from the mirror.'
'I don't even understand how come I even were released from it. It just spat me out after all that time.'

'That actually is my doing Harry.' Dumbledore smiled. Harry looked bewildered. 'It was a safety incantation I cast upon the Mirror of Erised when I put the Philosopher's Stone in it. If something was to happen that neither me nor my friend Nicholas Flamel would be around anymore, I knew I couldn't leave the stone in it forever. So I cast a countdown spell that would spit out the stone after three-hundred years. I actually never thought of removing the spell again.'
Harry was shaken. Hadn't it been for Dumbledore, Harry would've been trapped in the mirror forever.

'Uuh, Professor. One more thing…' Harry said. 'Why wasn't I affected by the curse?'
'You were.' Dumbledore said. 'But since you were in suspended animation in the mirror, it couldn't affect you like it was suppose to do. And during the years, your body adapted to it and made you immune until the time you were released.'
Harry nodded, although he wasn't sure he understood completely.
'As for why Voldemort wasn't affected when he showed up here, I can only guess: all those dangerous magical transformations he underwent all those years ago is probably what made him immune to it…'

'Now, as for your other self,' Dumbledore continued. '-I suppose I will have to leave a note with the whole story for the future generation so they'll know what to do when it's time to retrieve 'you', then they can plant the memory of your journey in his mind and simply send him back. Maybe that's what happened today, but we will never know. As for what happened here: listen carefully Mr. Weasley and everyone…
'You Mr. Weasley conducted an illegal experiment involving both Potions and Herbology: you wanted to create a new growth-remedy that back-fired… The plants grew suddenly after some time of incubation in the seeds to become the thorn-bushes we have here outside and they spread spores that put the whole school to sleep. Fortunately Mr. Potter wasn't here during that time, (we'll solve his absence later); he came back and did a counter-curse that saved us all. All right?'

'It's a good story, Albus.' McGonagall said. Snape looked disgusted but agreed. Harry was pleased. That cover story would mean that no one would know of Hermione's part in it. She would be spared from the humiliation.
'And your punishment Mr. Weasley will be: One-hundred and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and you will report to Hagrid for him to give you some tools to dig up every plant around the castle. No magic. Do you understand?'
Ron nodded. It would take him the rest of the whole school year until summer to finish that detention, but he would do it. He deserved the punishment.
'Then you may leave.' Dumbledore said. Ron stood and quietly walked to the door. On his way he risked a glance at Hermione, a glance she didn't return. He opened his mouth to say something but thought better against it. Ron knew one thing: he would never have her now, and after what he'd done, he felt that he didn't deserve her. Harry did, and Ron would let him without objection. He would never go after her again. And then he left.

'Now as for you Mr. Potter…' Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. 'I believe that two-hundred points should be awarded for Gryffindor and an award for Special Service to Hogwarts would be in order…'
'I'll take the points Professor, but I don't need an award.' Everybody including Hermione looked strangely at Harry.
'I do not want to look at it and be reminded of what happened here and I feel I'm famous enough as it is. Besides: I don't want to gloat over solving the mess Ron had done; no matter what, he's still my friend. We all know what he's done, but it is something that we should just leave behind us, with nothing to remind us of it.'
Hermione was secretly amazed. Now he did it again: doing what he had to do and rejected the credit, even after this. That was one of the main reasons why she loved him.

'Very well, Mr. Potter.' Dumbledore said confused. 'In that case you may now take your leave. I just have one more request: please escort Miss Granger down to Madam Pomfrey to flush out all remains of the potion out of her system. We don't want to risk any bad side-effects taking place.'
'Yes Professor, I'll do that.' Harry gently put a hand to the small of her back to lead her out of the office. She blushed a bit but didn't jerk away. As he left with his friend, the three Professors were left staring after them.
'A remarkable young man.' Dumbledore said.
'I'll double that.' McGonagall said.
'What an idiot.' Snape muttered under his breath. Rejecting an award for Special Service? He's mad.

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Hermione hadn't said a word since they'd left the dungeons of the third-floor, and Harry was really worried about it. He took her hand as he spoke to her. 'Are you all right?' he asked softly.
'I will be, I guess.' She answered after a while. 'Although I may not forgive Ron as easily as you did.' She looked at the floor when she said this, but she didn't let go of Harry's hand.
'He did a terrible wrong, but he's learned his lesson. I guarantee you that.' They walked a bit more in silence. 'You're not angry for that kiss, are you?'
Hermione blushed again. 'N-no I'm not. I know you had to, and it was… quite pleasant actually.' She smiled shyly. 'A nice way to wake up. And to think that I told Ginny that it wouldn't happen to me.'

'Well… I-if you want to, it can… happen again. If you want to?'
'Mmh. That would mean that I could finally throw out that annoying alarm-clock.' She said with a smile and squeezed his hand a little. 'You'd have to get up at every 6:30 thought…'
'I could live with that.' Harry exclaimed happily. 'You sure you don't want any wake-up call tonight?'
'Tonight, we will both have a discussion about you skiving off Divination.'
'Oh dear, I'm in trouble…'

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Epilogue:

Somewhere else in the world, the present Dark Lord went through a rampage.

'Damn, damn, DAMN!!'
His servant Wormtail were crouching behind an armchair, praying that his Lord vouldn't in his anger throw the Cruciatus Curse on him. After all, he had nothing to do with whatever Lord Voldemort was angry with.
'I knew it was too good to be true!' the Dark Lord shouted. 'I thought I had Potter out of the way, but the curse is broken, I can feel it.'

'W-well, MyLord…' Wormtail stupidly spoke up. 'You know what Muggles say? 'If at first you don't succed, try and try again'.'
Voldemort stared a moment with disgust at his puny servant. Then he raised his wand: 'Crucio!'
Wormtail should have kept his mouth shut.

The End.

That's it. So what will happen to Harry in the mirror? I'm afraid I don't know, 'cause I probably won't write any sequel to this. Now when the next book is coming, this fantasy version of their fifth year will no longer apply.

I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thank you and until next time: