Chapter 10: The Attack
Ollivander simply nodded and began rummaging through a pile of wands, before pulling out the one that was distinctly Rowena Ravenclaw's. Harry could see a small eagle etched into the handle. "Have it," Ollivander said simply. "It seems to have done enough damage already." Ollivander handed Harry the wand, which Harry carefully wrapped in a cloth-he didn't want the same thing as last time with the locket to happen-before Ollivander bowed them from his room.
***
The final battle was drawing nearer; Harry could feel the tension building within him with every passing day. Voldemort had kept himself hidden under the radar for the last month, and the lack of presence frightened Harry more than anything. Every morning, Harry would scour every word of the Daily Prophet; he had even taken to buying Muggle newspapers, looking for even the smallest of unexplained events-a fire, abnormal weather, a car crash-that could possibly point towards Voldemort. But everyday, Harry found absolutely nothing and to him, it could only mean one thing: Voldemort was planning something. But what was he planning? When would it happen? Who would be involved?
Three Horcruxes had already been found and destroyed, another safely hidden in Harry's dresser drawer, wrapped carefully in a pair of old mismatched socks Dobby had given him for his birthday. Four Horcruxes now in his possession…three more to hunt down and destroy. Harry didn't have the slightest clue where to find Hufflepuff's cup, and Nagini…he expected he wouldn't have the chance to kill her until the very end. And then there was Voldemort to find and kill…a task far greater than the rest combined…
Harry sighed as he gazed blankly out of his window at Grimmauld Place, staring down at the empty street below. The sky was almost pitch black, only a few faint stars glimmering above. Rubbing his eyes groggily, he glanced at his watch and groaned when he realized it was already four o'clock in the morning. Not that he had been getting much sleep lately anyways. Harry didn't know when the last time he had gotten more than four hours of sleep during the night; his mind was far too occupied for sleep. He was constantly tense, constantly prepared for anything at any given time. Only yesterday, Ron had commented that Harry had been hanging around Mad-Eye Moody for too long, and Harry couldn't help but agree.
Sighing, he got up from his seat by the window and made his way down to the kitchen, where he spent the rest of the night scouring the Daily Prophet.
It was three hours later when Hermione made her way downstairs. "You're up early," Harry said, not looking up.
"You were up even earlier," Hermione replied, looking haughtily at Harry. Her face then visibly relaxed and her eyes softened as she sat down next to him at the table. "Did you even sleep at all?" she asked, concern evident in her eyes.
Lucky for Harry, Hedwig chose that moment to swoop through the open window and land on his shoulder, a letter firmly grasped in her talons.
"Who could this be from?" Harry asked, staring at the unfamiliar handwriting on the envelope.
"Look," Hermione said, peering over Harry's shoulder, "it's addressed to all of us. Even Tonks and Remus… Do you think it's safe to open?"
Harry didn't answer; he carefully ripped open the envelope, and pulled out the parchment inside. "It's from Bill," he said, releasing the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.
"Everyone's going to the Burrow tomorrow evening for dinner. Bill says he has good news he would like to share with everyone," Harry said as he read the letter.
"I wonder what his news is," Hermione said excitedly. "Do you think he got moved up in his job? That would be wonderful, considering he's now supporting himself and Fleur."
Harry just shrugged, not paying much attention to Hermione.
"What does Bill do anyways?" Hermione continued. "I know Ron's told me before…I know Charlie works with dragons, but Bill…"
"He's a curse-breaker," Harry said suddenly, his mind suddenly focused. "For Gringotts."
He stood up and ran his fingers anxiously through his hair as he began pacing back and forth.
"A curse breaker…," Hermione repeated softly to herself.
Just then, Ron walked into the kitchen, looking like he just rolled out of bed. "What's going on?" he asked as he looked back and forth between his two friends, yawning.
"Bill's a curse-breaker!" Harry said excitedly. He stopped pacing and stood in front of Ron expectantly.
"Well yeah…" Ron said, making his way around Harry to sit down at the table. "I knew that already. He is my brother."
"No Ronald, think about it," Hermione said suddenly, scooting across the bench so she was sitting very close to Ron. "If your brother knows how to break curses…"
"-and we have a cursed object in our possession," Harry added.
"-then he could help us destroy the Horcrux inside the cup!" Hermione finished, her face flushed with excitement.
"Mental, the both of you, when you do stuff like that," Ron said, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth.
"When we do what?" Hermione and Harry asked in unison.
Ron shook his head in frustration, but Harry could see he was trying to hold back a smile.
"No, but really," Ron said, changing the subject, "that's a brilliant idea. Don't know why I never thought of that before."
"Are you sure you want to tell another person about the Horcruxes, though? Do you think it's wise to do so?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"I'll bet Bill already knows about the concept of Horcruxes, being a curse-breaker and all," Ron pointed out.
"I think Dumbledore would have approved. He would have thought it a good idea…to pool our resources, to use all of our strengths to our advantage…Anything to stop Voldemort."
"We'll talk to Bill tonight then," Hermione said.
"Tonight," Harry agreed.
***
"Quiet down, quiet down," Arthur said, tapping the side of his glass with his spoon. Immediately, the conversation died down, and after another burst of fireworks, courtesy of Fred and George, the entire room was still and quiet.
"I believe Bill and Fleur have something they would like to say," Arthur said, smiling widely as he sat back down in his chair.
Bill and Fleur rose, identical smiles across their faces. Harry couldn't help but smile himself as he took in the young couple's appearance. Bill's scars had faded in the past months, leaving only a faint web of lines across his face, and Fleur's beauty seemed to have magnified greatly since the wedding. They looked so happy, so in love…and Harry was suddenly reminded of the pictures of his parents when they were young and just starting out as a young couple.
"Yes, Fleur and I have, what we think, is some great news, especially during these dark times of war," Bill said slowly. He paused.
"Oy-get on with it!" Fred exclaimed.
"Yeah, while we're young!" George added.
"Vee are going to `ave a child!" Fleur exclaimed, her hand instinctively coming up to rest on her stomach.
Immediately the table erupted with noise as everyone showed their excitement.
Ginny, Fred, and George had gotten up from the table and were dancing around Fleur and Bill, chanting "They're having a baby!" over and over again, much like they did after Harry came back from his hearing. Mrs. Weasley, who, under normal circumstances, would have told her children to sit down and behave, was too busy hugging and kissing Fleur. Mr. Weasley was firmly grasping his son's hand, a look of pride and elation across his face, while Charlie was teasingly ruffling his older brother's hair.
Then, amidst all of the happiness and cheer, Harry suddenly felt uneasy, and he felt drawn to the dark forest across the Weasley's property. He looked up, away from the commotion around Bill and Fleur, and his scar suddenly burst in pain.
Harry stood up, his eyes wide with fear. "Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked gently, breaking away from where she had been talking to Tonks and Remus. Her eyes darted fearfully towards the forest and back at Harry, who was standing as still as a statue, his jaw firmly set, and his eyes unblinkingly fixed on a point in the distance.
Others began to quiet down as they noticed Harry's peculiar behavior.
"They're going to have a baby!" Fred, George, and Ginny's chant rang out loudly amidst the sudden quiet. "They're going to-"
"What do you reckon is going on?" Ron whispered to no one in particular.
"Do you think he's ill?" Harry could hear Mrs. Weasley ask worriedly.
"Be quiet!" someone else hissed from the other end of the table.
Remus stood up and made his way over to Harry. "Harry?" he asked, reaching out towards the young wizard.
"Get inside the house!" Harry suddenly yelled out. He whipped his wand out from his front pocket, holding it steadily in front of him.
"What's going-" Hermione asked, her voice shaking with fear.
Suddenly, a stunner came out of nowhere, missing Harry by mere centimeters. Harry rolled to the ground, bring Hermione down with him. "Stay here," he ordered, before ducking to the other side of the table and sending an Expelliarmus in the direction the stunner had come from.
He could hear Mrs. Weasley screaming, ushering her children into the house.
Harry ran as fast as he could towards the dark forest, vaguely aware of the others who were running behind him. Jets of light suddenly began shooting from the forest, and Harry began to be able to make out dark, shadowy shapes.
As if he was in a fog, he shot out spell after spell, pleased to hear several thumps, as Death Eaters fell unconscious to the ground. Suddenly, he found himself face to face with Lucius Malfoy. Thinking fast, he thought to himself, "Sectumsempra!", and Lucius immediately fell to the ground, blood spilling from his chest. Harry wasted no time; jumping over the still body, he silently shot stunner after stunner at various Death Eaters.
He saw Tonks by the edge of the woods, dueling with a squat, lumpy wizard, Harry recognized as a man named Amycus, from the attack on Hogwarts months earlier. To her left, Remus was tiredly fighting against a massive, brutal-faced Death Eater. Harry silently shot a stunner towards the unsuspecting Death Eater, and couldn't help but laugh at the look on Remus's face when the man dropped unsuspectingly to the ground.
I've got to keep my focus, Harry quickly reminded himself. His training had prepared him well, he noticed, as he managed to dodge spell after spell that was sent his way.
Glancing over his shoulder, he nearly fell to the ground as he spotted Hermione fighting with none other than Dolohov. Immediately, Harry was reminded of the night in the Ministry of Magic: the purple jet of light, Hermione gasping, her eyes wide with surprise, Hermione dropping the ground, lifelessly, the burst of pain that had erupted from his chest, the panic and complete lack of thought he had felt until Neville had told him that she was alive.
He stood at a distance, watching proudly as she sent a stunner towards him, while dodging the Death Eater's own spell that had been sent her way. It was obvious that Hermione had been training hard since their fifth year as well. But then, Harry was forced to watch in horror as Dolohov sent another spell towards Hermione; she screamed and fell lifelessly to the ground.
Despite the incredible need inside of him to run over to her, to make sure she was alright, Harry was unable to move. I need to get to Hermione, he thought forcefully. A second later, he was filled with such an immense burst of emotion. He felt the magic inside of him begin to vibrate so intensely, so powerfully, that it made him feel nauseated. The vibration began from his heart, spreading outwards throughout his entire body: through his chest, down his legs, to the very tips of his fingers. It was building up; getting stronger and stronger; Harry could barely stand it; he felt his head throb with the incredible buildup of magic, until…
A flood of light and energy erupted from him, bursting in every direction; the magic knocked all of the Death Eaters surrounding him clear off their feet, the trees swayed dangerously, as if in the middle of a terrible storm.
As Harry felt the magic slowly dissipate within him, he began to make out the figures of his friends staring at him with wonder and admiration.
"Hermione!" Not wasting any time, Harry sprinted, jumping over the knocked-out bodies of the Death Eaters, towards the spot where Hermione lay motionless on the ground.
He fell to his knees beside her, instantly grabbing her wrist to check for a pulse. A second later, his face visibly relaxed, and he slumped over onto his hands, murmuring, "thank God…"
He opened his mouth to tell the others that he was going to apparate Hermione to St. Mungos, when something caught his eye. Mere meters away, a snake lay lifelessly on the ground, a snake several feet long. Nagini.
"Take Hermione to St. Mungos!" He bellowed behind him towards the others, who were still standing still, staring at him with pure amazement and fear. "Quickly!" he added. Everyone snapped to attention, as if shaken out of a trance, and within seconds, Hermione and most of the others disappeared.
Taking a deep breath, he swiftly pulled his sword-which Moody had told him to carry everywhere "just in case"-from beneath his Wizard robes, and stabbed the blade deep inside the head of the snake. As he had expected, killing the creature was not like killing a normal snake.
Blood splattered everywhere and his scar burst open. It was pain unimaginable, pain past endurance, and Harry thought for sure he was dead.
He had left the Burrow; he felt himself trapped, locked within the body of a creature with red slits for eyes. There was no escape…his entire body screamed for release…anything to put an end to the pain he was enduring.
"Does it hurt, Potter?" he heard a voice say inside his head, and he could almost see the ghastly face of Voldemort sneering at him.
Harry willed himself to be strong; to fight whatever it was that had taken hold of him…
"Death seems like a perfect answer now, doesn't it?" the voice said.
`No, I don't want to die... I need to get back…,' Harry thought desperately. It was just like being back at the Ministry of Magic, fighting the internal battle against the pain and suffering Voldemort had infused upon him. `I need to be strong,' he repeated over and over to himself. `I don't want to die.' But then again…
"It would all be over once you're dead…All of the pain, the suffering. It would all be gone," the voice taunted
`Death would be nothing compared to this agony,' Harry realized. `Just let the pain end…" Harry could feel himself slipping away, allowing all reasonable thoughts and feelings to be sucked from him…
"Your filthy blood-traitor friends and that Mudblood of yours will finally be able to live normal lives without you there," the voice coaxed.
`Yes,' Harry thought vaguely to himself, `Ron and Hermione will finally…" The image of Hermione flashed before his mind, and his heart suddenly was filled with emotion again. `Hermione!'
He felt the pain slowly lesson, the control of Voldemort over Harry's body weakened. `Fight it, Harry,' he told himself. He concentrated as hard as he could on Hermione…on her enchanting smile, her brilliant knowledge and wisdom…
The pain vanished, the control completely gone, and Harry found himself lying flat on the ground, the Burrow in the distance.
Voices echoed all around him, causing his head to spin. "Harry!" he heard someone call out repeatedly; they sounded so far away…
Slowly his eyes regained focus, his hearing became clearer, and Harry looked up and saw Remus's face mere centimeters from him own, fear and worry etched clearly across his face.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Remus asked.
"I'm o-okay," Harry responded shakily. He tried to get up, but found himself shaking too hard to move even his head.
It wasn't until several minutes later when Harry had finally managed to get to his feet and was stable enough to stand without the support of Remus.
"What are we doing with them?" he asked, gesturing towards the motionless bodies of the Death Eaters scattered across the ground.
"Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt are transferring them to Azkaban as we speak. A bit of a lengthy and tedious process, I do say," Remus answered, still looking at Harry as if he expected him to collapse at any second.
Harry looked up at Remus, and saw him staring fixedly across the yard. "Harry…" he said quietly, "is that…" He slowly made his way towards the corpse of the snake.
"You killed it," he said suddenly, a smile creeping on his face. "It was a Horcrux, right?" he added, excitement growing in his voice.
"Yeah," Harry said softly. "It's gone."
***
Several moments later, Remus and Harry apparated to St. Mungos, where they were eagerly welcomed by the Weasleys, who were waiting anxiously for news about Hermione.
Harry pulled himself away from the crowd and sat quietly in the corner, staring blankly out the window. He leaned forward and pressed his still-aching scar to the cool glass of the window.
All he could do now was wait.
Author's Note: Wow, that took forever. I'm sorry- I know I promised it would be out soon. :-( These middle chapters, I'm finding, are quite difficult to write. I'm getting closer to the end, though, and those chapters will be easier…But still, there's no excuse for the enormous gaps between each update :-/ I hope I haven't lost too many people's interest…
So I was babysitting, and we were watching the Harry Potter movies, and one of the kids said, "I can't wait until Harry and Hermione get together". She hadn't even read the books yet, and I thought it was really funny. We must not be that delusional :-)
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