Whispers At Night

I’ve actually been struggling with this fic - chapter really - for a couple of weeks now. I really, really like the idea, but it’s been hard to write. I just hope it’s been worth the effort. I just managed to finish this chapter today. …I really should be studying biology, but hey! I’ve got my priorities straight. XD

Anyway, I’ve started chapter two already, but I’m sure when it’ll be finished (this is my very discreet hint of “Please, please review and I might write faster!”). Enjoy.

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Whispers At Night

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Chapter One - The Storm is Drawing Nearer

The Forbidden forest was even darker and gloomier than usual. The night was dark and no stars could be seen. Even the moon was hidden behind the thick fog. Rain poured down from the sky as if the heavens were falling down. Lightning cracked through the sky and lit up the scenery for a short second, revealing a small group of teens hiding in the darkness.

They were soaked to the bone; their hair lying as if it has been plastered to their heads and their clothes clung to their bodies. Except for the panting and shivering, they were silent.

A pale, sandy-haired, young man broke the silence. “Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?” he whispered.

Harry frowned slightly, his eyes darkening. “I don’t want to, Seamus… I have to. He has Hermione… I have to get her before he gets a chance to hurt her.”

Ron placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Don’t get me wrong mate, but how can you be so sure she isn’t…well, you know…?”

Harry sighed and he closed his eyes as if he was focusing very hard on something before replying. “No, she’s alive.”

“But how can you be so sure, Harry?”

He smiled humourlessly. “Because I can’t imagine her dead.” He paused momentarily. “And if I think that he’s hurting her I won’t be able to focus…and that’s the last thing we need.” He gripped his wand tightly. “Now, c’mon. We have to get moving…”

Ron nodded towards the rest of the group and together they continued deeper into the forest.

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Voldemort grinned. “The boy is coming,” he hissed, “I can feel it…” He nodded towards one of the Death Eaters. “Shoot up my mark into the sky. We wouldn’t want the boy to miss us, now would we?”

The Death Eater bowed quickly. “Yes, my lord.”

Voldemort smiled maliciously at the young, magically bound, girl beside him.

Her wrists were red, her hair messy and her clothes wrinkled as if she had been struggling against the magical bounding for quite some time.

“And you, my dear, did wonderfully. I knew Potter would try to rescue you, you filthy muggle trash.” He twirled his wand. “Too good for his own good… Why he’d risk himself for you is beyond me. You mudbloods are only good for one thing…”

Hermione paled but kept on glaring.

“Cru- oh, how silly of me; I’ve forgotten to take of the silencio. There’s no fun with torture if you can’t hear your victim scream, don’t you think?” He twirled his wand again. “Finite Incantatem.”

Hermione spluttered. “I hate you, Voldemort.”

“Oh, you break my heart, you filthy trash.” He gave his wand a final twirl before pointing it directly at her heart. “Crucio.”

Hermione bit her lip, trying to force herself not to scream. She wouldn’t! She refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

But the pain was blinding. It felt like her lungs were on fire, as if someone kept stabbing through her heart over and over again. The pain never creased. It felt like she had been under the curse for an eternity.

She couldn’t hold back any longer. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

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Harry jerked up from his crouching position as he heard the both ear and heart-splitting scream. “Hermione,” he whispered, his voice caught in his throat.

Ron pulled him back down again. “C’mon, mate. You gotta focus here… You said it yourself: You won’t be able to help her if you’re off your bloody rocket.”

Harry nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

“Ronald…” Luna gripped his arm. “Look!” She pointed up in the sky where the green skull and snake could be seen.

“Bloody hell… Isn’t he supposed to hide from us?”

“In that case he’s doing a very poor job of it,” Seamus hissed back.

“He isn’t trying to hide. He wants to be found.” Harry rubbed his scar. “He’s making sure that we’ll find him.”

“Arrogant prat.”

“Aye.”

“We better get going…” Neville whispered, his teeth clattering but not from fear but because of the chill.

Harry nodded, a small grin forming on his lips. “Yeah. Let’s go kick Riddle’s sorry arse!”

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To Be Continued…

Well, what can I tell you? I’m sorry for the delay. This chapter has been hard to write. Why? Because I was so happy with the first. I was…am…afraid of destroying it by posting a second chapter. But, here I am. I just hope that you’ll like it.

And yes! Pheromone, My Lovely will be updated. Real life has been hard on me, but I will update it. Honestly. I will.

Well, enough babbling. I’m quite sure no one reads this anyway.

Enjoy.

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Chapter two: In the Eye of the Storm

The sight before him didn’t exactly make him feel any better. There was too many Death Eaters. Far too many. Harry swore under his breath. He couldn’t let his friends risk their lives like this…

He took a deep breath as he studied the small group before him. “Listen,” he whispered, “this is the last chance you have to leave. If anyone of you, anyone,” he repeated slowly, his eyes flickering to Ron, “has any seconds thoughts; just turn around and get the heck out of here.”

Ron shook his head. “I’ll stay, mate.”

Harry frowned, his eyes traveling over every face in the small group. “Fine,” he whispered finally. “ We’ll attack on my signal.” He turned, studying the scene before him as he tried to recall every advice Hermione ever had given him.

“Don’t get mad.” He heard her voice say inside his head.

He breathed in deeply. “Now!” he bellowed.

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Should any muggle accidentally have seen the sky over the Forbidden forest, they would have thought that someone was firing fireworks from the forest. The spells kept flying, lighting up the sky in different colours: Blue, red, purple and green.

Harry grit his teeth as he fought another Death Eater. He didn’t have time for this! “Stupefy!”

“Protego! Avada Ked-”

“Avis!” Harry shouted. Small yellow canaries shot out from the tip of his wand, attacking the Death Eater. “Petrificus Totalus!” He dashed off, not taking the time to see if his spell actually hit its target.

He pushed and cursed himself through the mass of people, only stopping when he absolutely had to.

He had to find Hermione.

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Hermione moaned as she lay face down into the mud, her body aching. She spluttered, spitting out some mud from her mouth. “I…hate…you…Riddle.” She glared at him.

His eyes flashed red as he bent down, tapping her cheek with his wand. “I’d watch that mouth of yours if I were you, mudblood.”

“But you’re not,” she hissed, meeting his glare with her own.

He straightened. “No, I’m not.” He twirled his wand once more. “And that’s very lucky for me. Because if I was, I wouldn’t be able to do this; Cruci-”

“No! Stupefy!”

Voldemort flickered his wand lazily, bringing up a shield effortlessly. He pretended to yawn as the spell bounced off. “Potter,” he hissed.

Harry rubbed his pounding scar with a grunt. “Let her go.”

“Charming as usual, Potter.” He sneered, sending of a few spells.

Harry glared, dodging the spells by leaping to his left. He raised his wand. “Confundus! Sectumsempra!”

Voldemort waved his wand, bringing up his shield once again. The spells bounced off the magical shield with a loud clang. “Crucio.”

Harry quickly leaped behind a nearby rock. He panted and closed his eyes, taking a few seconds to regain his breath.

He glanced to both his left and right. He knew that the stone he was hiding behind wouldn’t protect him for long. A good reducto and he would be history. He needed a plan. Preferably one that would work.

He frowned. Voldemort’s shield seemed to stop whatever spell he sent at-

Harry froze suddenly. The shield was strong enough to block ever spell he sent at him but… His brows furrowed as a plan started forming in his mind.

It was a desperate plan…but it might just work.

“Potter!” Voldemort roared. “Come out, or else your mudblood filth…” he left the sentence hanging, knowing that Harry would get his drift.

Harry searched the ground quickly, his face breaking into a grin as he finally spotted a rock about the same size as his palm. He gripped it tightly before jumping onto his feet.

He leaped out from behind the large rock he’d been hiding behind. “Oi! Tommy!” he roared as he threw the stone with all his might.

Voldemort whirled around, only to see the small stone flying towards his face.

Harry lifted his wand quickly. “Reducto!” he cried. The stone exploded, shattering into small projectiles.

Voldemort’s eyes widened as the small debris passed through his shield with a sucking sound.

Harry let out a loud cry of victory. “Yes!”

Voldemort hissed as the small stone-projectiles hit him, launching into his eyes and pounding his face. He sneered, wiping his now bleeding cheek with his sleeve. “I’ll get you for that, Potter.”

Harry kept silent, his wand drawn.

They stared at each other, red eyes meeting green in a silent agreement. At least one of them would fall tonight.

The final showdown was here. The prophesy would be fulfilled. One way or another.

“Avada Kedavra!”

“Reducto!”

The both spells met in the air, canceling each other.

“Ah, smart boy. You’re relying on our wands’ connection.” Voldemort sneered. “Don’t count on being fast enough every time. Crucio.”

Harry leaped to the side. “Expellimarus! Petrificus Totalus!”

Voldemort flickered his wand, once again bringing up his shield. As usual, his spells bounced off harmlessly. A second flick, and the shield dissolved.

Harry’s brows furrowed. Of course, Voldemort would have to dissolve his shield, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to shot any hexes himself. In other words, the only time he had a chance to hit him would be when he was in the middle of a spell. A spell with a long name.

Harry gulped. There was only one spell Voldemort used with a long name.

“Hermione!” he called, his voice betraying him nervousness.

She lifted her head with a moan.

He took a deep breath. “I just wanted you to know…I love you.”

Her eyes widened in understanding. “Harry…no!” she whimpered.

“How sweet. Avada…”

That was the signal he’d been waiting for. “Reducto!”

“Kedavra!”

The two spells passed each other, side by side.

Harry smiled as his spell connected with Voldemort’s chest, exploding with an sickening sound. If that didn’t blast his heart into smithereens, then nothing would.

Harry didn’t even flinch when Voldemort’s curse connected with his own chest. He’d managed to keep Hermione safe. She would live.

His smile softened as he cast her a last glance. She was thoroughly breathtaking, even as she was covered in mud.

His knees buckled and he fell to the ground.

“Hermione…” he whispered, “I love…”

The world darkened, and Harry Potter knew no more.

Hermione propelled forward using an energy she didn’t even know she possessed. “Harry! No!” she cried, stumbling on her feet. “No, no, no…” A sob escaped her lips as she tumbled to the ground.

Harry was dead. Her world had finally crumbled.

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To Be Continued…