( A/N: Dear friends, I'm really happy to be able to publish the next chapter so soon, thanks to the great, great help of my wonderful BETA reader IronChefOr. I need to tell you that tomorrow I'll be leaving for my summer holidays and that I won't be able to publish chapter 15 until July 20th... sigh! But don't worry, since chapter 14 is longer than my usual, almost 15 pages, so, I'm sure that it'll give you a lot of new subjects to think about during the next month! I also need to remind everyone that this story was started before HBP, which is why Voldemort isn't using Horcruxes. As usual, I wish to thank all those who have left a review, like Ocean, IronChefOr, and Sandra. Here we go, then. Please relax and enjoy yourselves...)
Chapter 14. FIRE AND FLAMES
Harry woke up abruptly after another one of his strange dreams. He sat on the bed and raised a hand to his head. He was breathing hard and his heart was torn over what he'd just seen. In his dream, the little girl with green eyes changed into Jane Porter. It was now clear to him that the two girls were the same person. But why do I keep dreaming about her? he asked himself, wiping his sweaty forehead as he stretched back out on the bed again.
Around him was silence; the storm had subsided. Harry shot a suspicious glare at the nearby bed where Theo Mustle looked deep asleep. He'd never really trusted Theo from the very beginning... even less so now. Feeling uneasy, he tightly closed the curtains around his bed.
He then closed the eyes. The scene from the previous night came up in his mind, like a movie that played again and again. Hermione was standing there, frowning at him and Jane, horrified. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" she kept repeating, shocked.
Harry clenched shut his eyelids, as if trying to erase the memory. But alas, it was in vain. His heart was gripped by remorse. Hermione is right. How could I've done this to her? How could I've been able to lie to her? I just up and left the Great Hall with a ridiculous excuse to go looking for Jane and Theo. And then... getting caught like that, in such a silly way.
Harry thought about why he had been pushed to remain alone with Jane, in the common room, sitting close to her, questioning her. I needed to know the truth, he said to himself. But was that the only reason?
Why had Jane's words touched him so deeply? Why had he wanted to comfort her in such an affectionate way? He'd always been suspicious about her. He'd even believed that she was a Death Eater. And now? Had something changed in his heart?
Maybe you're starting to fancy her? replied a small, malicious voice in his brain. Harry shook his head as if to banish this absurd thought. No! I don't have any feelings for Jane. I love Hermione! he repeated to himself insistently.
He tried to talk to his girlfriend, but she ran away. He uselessly tried to follow her, found Professor Dumbledore instead. It seemed as though Pansy Parkinson had been attacked and someone turned Professor McGonagall's office upside down. Harry followed Dumbledore to his office and came to know a worrying truth.
*** FLASHBACK***
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk. Harry was standing in front of him, his face pale like a wax statue. Professors Snape and McGonagall were standing behind Harry, a stern and grave look in their eyes. In the twilight, the portraits of the previous headmasters were watching the scene with great attention.
"We've found the way to defeat Lord Voldemort... forever," the Headmaster said, emphasizing the last word. "Before detailing everything, I would like to step back and return to the moment in which everything started."
Harry felt his blood freeze in his veins, and for a short instant he feared that his heart would stop beating.
"We need to go back to this same night of sixteen years ago. The night of Halloween when Voldemort was defeated for the first time... the night in which... James and Lily Potter lost their lives, and yours became a legend," the Headmaster went on, his deep blue eyes still fixed directly on Harry.
"You already know why you survived the curse cast by Voldemort that night. The love of your mother and her sacrifice set in place a very ancient magic. Thanks to this magic, the curse bounced back, hitting the caster instead. At that point, the Avada Kedavra should have killed him, destroyed him forever. But this didn't happen. To be sure, he couldn't expect a physical body anymore. But his essence, his soul, was still in this world, ready to come back as soon as the right moment presented itself. That, unfortunately, has happened, as we all know too well."
Harry nodded in silence, lowering his gaze to the floor. His mind flew to that horrible night of a few years ago, the night in which Cedric Diggory died, and Voldemort was reborn.
Dumbledore spoke again. "Did you ever asked yourself, Harry, how this happened? Voldemort has toyed with death... he has challenged the destiny that impacts every human being... and he has come back to bring to conclusion that which he left undone. How has this happened?"
The portrait of one of the former headmasters, directly above Dumbledore's desk and with a long, grey beard, muttered something sadly. He then shifted his position in his chair to sit more comfortably as he continued to listen with increasing interest.
"You see, Harry, I asked myself this same question for several years, never stopping my search for the answer, and making several different guesses. From personal experience, I know very well there is the possibility to grant one's self a long existence. My dear friend Nicolas Flamel was a living example of this. With his Philosopher's Stone, he was able to live longer than anybody else. But to come back to life from death, well... that's much, much different. Nevertheless, Voldemort has done it. But how?"
Harry realized that he had never thought about this before. He knew that Voldemort was capable of using dark magic with great prowess, and he could perform all sorts of incredibly evil and cruel acts. But Harry had never thought about how he managed to triumph over death.
"I've known Tom since he was very young and I know for certain that he has never trusted a soul, not even his followers. His secret has jealously been guarded for years. So then, how could we discover his weakness, the only, true weapon with which we could defeat him?
"With the help of others wizards from the Order, we've searched and searched without end. And then, finally managing to penetrate the mysteries of the same ancient magic that saved your life, we succeeded in finding a clue... a glimpse of hope, a path to follow." Dumbledore's eyes lit up with the sacred fire of wisdom.
"Keep in mind, Harry, that what I'm going to reveal to you tonight is something extremely important, and secret. Many brave wizards gave their lives to bring us this precious information. Now, it's time for you to know the truth. After recent events, sadly we've realized that Hogwarts isn't as safe of a place as it was before. Danger looms over us and we need to be careful so that our secrets won't fall into the wrong hands."
Instinctively, Harry's mind snapped to Professor Snape and for a fraction of a second, he was weighed by the terrible thought that maybe even the Headmaster was giving too much trust to people who didn't deserve it.
Dumbledore rose his gaze to Professor McGonagall, who had remained in silence until then, close to Professor Snape. "Please, Minerva, could you...?"
"Certainly Albus," she promptly replied. She then took out her wand and pointed it to the door. IT glowed for a few seconds with a silver light, then returned to its normal colour. Harry knew that his professor had just cast an Imperturbable Charm so that they won't be heard by uninvited ears.
"Thank you, Minerva." Dumbledore turned again to Harry, staring at him seriously. "Now, I need you to listen carefully."
The Headmaster slipped his right hand inside his blue robe's sleeve and withdrew a tiny glass cruet filled with a swirling, smoke-like substance. The bottle was similar to those containing prophecies in the Department of Mysteries. He set the cruet on his desk and tapped it gently with his wand. The stopped jumped off and a thin figure of smoke emerged from it. Its head and body were covered with a black cloak; the face could not be seen.
"The Dark Lord will walk the Arcane Path, sacrificing the essence of his own life.
He will destroy and annihilate everywhere, realizing each of his dark desires.
But time will signal the start of his end.
The Dark Lord's enemy will rise again from his ashes,
Like the most noble of the Phoenixes,
And will change the destiny of everyone,
But only on the condition that courage is not lost along the way."
The thin figure spoke the prophecy in a whisper, before sinking back into the glass cruet, returning to its previous smoky appearance.
Dumbledore sealed the cruet and slipped it back into the sleeve of his robe.
Several minutes of silence passed by, during which Harry tried to understand the meaning of the words. The Headmaster sighed deeply, then broke the silence. "In an ancient legend handed down since ages ago, it's said that something known as the Arcane Path may lead to the Rebirth Flame. It's also said that whomsoever succeeds in finding the Arcane Path will be able to defeat death. They are warned, however, for no one in the memory of all wizards has ever managed to walk the Path, and come back to tell us of it. Last but not least, whoever reaches for eternal life must perform an extreme sacrifice. He'll have to leave behind that which he holds most dear."
Harry listened in disbelief, doing his best to remember every detail.
"I can tell you that the Arcane Path isn't legend anymore. As per the prophecy you've just heard, and the various clues we've collected, it seems that Voldemort is the only wizard in all of history to have succeeded in finding the Rebirth Flame, thereby gaining immortality. I can't tell you how he did it, or what he sacrificed. I simply do not know. But I do suspect that this all happened immediately after he left Hogwarts as a student and before he publicly assumed the identity of Lord Voldemort."
Harry's mind was crowded by unending questions. One of them however was already tormenting him like some evil insect. "Sir, the second part of the prophecy... the part that talks about Voldemort's enemy..."
"Yes. It is exactly what you think," Dumbledore cut him off. On his face was a mixed expression of sympathy and compassion. "The second part of the prophecy talks about you."
Harry was beginning to feel more and more confused. "But then, what does it mean that I'll rise again from ashes, and that I'll change the destiny of everyone? I... I don't understand."
"Only time will give you the answer. The interpretation of a prophecy may change depending on how events unfold in our lives. The most important thing now is to succeed where no one else has ever succeeded before, apart from Voldemort. We need to..."
"... find the Arcane Path." This time, Harry cut Dumbledore off, finishing the sentence for him. The desire to fulfill his destiny was already burning in his heart.
"Well said, Harry!" exclaimed the Headmaster. His eyes twinkled for a brief moment then his expression became grave again. "It is extremely important to find the Path soon. Only after having found the source of Voldemort's dark power will we be able to defeat him. It's now only a fight against time. I'm sure that he already knows about our plan. Tonight's attack is the confirmation. Voldemort wants to know what we've discovered and how far we've proceeded with our research.
"You'll certainly understand, Harry, that because of your connection with Voldemort, I can't tell you all of the details now. But I can say that we're at a good point and soon you will come to know everything. I just ask that you keep our conversation secret and to be always on guard. As I told you before, Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, for any of us."
*** END OF FLASHBACK***
Harry rolled over in his bed, then stopped to stare at the ceiling. After this revelation, his life had become even more complicated. Now, his future was dependant upon the fulfilment of two different prophecies; neither left him any choice. Finally, he knew what they needed to do to defeat Voldemort. But at what price? How much was he going to suffer and how many friends was he going to have to sacrifice?
Before closing his eyes again, the last sentences of the second prophecy came up in his mind.
"The Dark Lord's enemy will rise again from his ashes,
Like the most noble of the Phoenixes,
And will change the destiny of everyone,
But only on the condition that courage is not lost along the way."
"But only on the condition that courage is not lost along the way," he kept repeating to himself before falling asleep.
***O***
The following morning, Harry was late for breakfast. It was a Saturday and he had no classes but he had to rush to the Great Hall as he did every morning as breakfast would be over soon. His hope to meet Hermione melted away after a quick look at Gryffindor table which was already almost empty. There was only a small group of first and second year students.
Feeling his heart heavy, Harry slowly moved to his seat, dragging his school bag along with him. Before coming down, he quickly visited the library to search for Hermione. Unfortunately, she wasn't there. Under Madam Pince's enquiring eye, he had to justify his coming, so doing his best to look as natural as possible he walked along one of the shelves of books on legends. Thinking again to the past night's revelations, he took a chance and grabbed a couple of books he hoped might provide more information about the Arcane Path.
The ceiling in the Great Hall was filled by grey clouds. Harry poured some hot tea, lifted the cup to his lips and drank a few sips, being careful not to get burned. By now, the small group of first year students had left the table. Harry followed them with his eyes until they exited the hall. When he turned to look to his right again, he realized that Jane was sitting at the opposite end of the table and was staring at him intensely.
Harry froze with his cup in midair. His mind immediately flew to the events of the previous night. In a flash, he saw himself again sitting by the fireplace in the common room as he held Jane in his arms. He felt his cheeks warm up and turned his gaze away, embarrassed. How was he going to behave around her? They hadn't done anything bad after all, even though he still had not resolved the situation with Hermione. But still, there was the fact that Jane was hiding some secrets.
He was sure now the little girl with green eyes was none other than her. But what were her true intentions? Was she a spy for Voldemort, come to Hogwarts to check on him and report news to the enemy? Or maybe her task was to gain Harry's trust and then betray him? Someone had broken into McGonagall's office. It could have been anybody, but Harry was starting to get suspicious of Jane and Theo, especially after the recent events.
Harry turned again toward the girl and horrified, he saw that she had stood up and was now moving toward him. In instinct, his right hand flew under the table, searching for his wand.
Jane was getting closer and he didn't know what to do yet. Should he be polite with her, or brief and leave her there without any explanations? When she was finally in front of him, their gazes met.
"Good morning, Harry," she hesitated, with a slight smile on her face. "I wanted to... I just wanted to ask you how you were doing."
"Fine," he replied seriously.
"You know, after what has happened yesterday, well, when I saw Hermione I felt so bad I just wanted to die. I can imagine what she thought about us, but I hope that you explained to her that we..."
"Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet," Harry cut her off. "Anyway, what's going on between me and my girlfriend isn't any of your business."
Jane was hit by the coldness of his words and hesitated before speaking again. "Sure. It isn't my business. It's just that, well... I don't want to be the reason for any trouble between you two, that's all."
"It's perfectly fine." Harry swayed his gaze and started gathering all his things. "I'm sorry, but I need to go now. Homework..."
Harry stood up and slung his school bag over his shoulder.
"See you around then," whispered Jane unenthusiastically. Harry waved his hand in response and without saying anything else, he walked away.
Jane remained there, watching him as he exited the Great Hall. On her face, it was possible to read a great sadness.
Did she really believe that I was going to greet her with open arms? Harry asked himself, walking toward the gardens. After all the troubles that she's caused me and Hermione?!
Harry conveniently forgot that it wasn't entirely Jane's fault. He wasn't entirely without blame either. After all, he was the one who broke his promise to stay away from Jane.
And then, there still was the fact that Jane's intentions weren't clear yet. It's best to keep her at a distance... at least until I know something more about these odd dreams I'm still having.
Walking outside, Harry breathed in deeply the fresh air. Winter was getting closer and the mountains at a distance were already painted with snow. The sky promised rain and the rays of sunlight struggled to filter through the grey clouds. Harry looked around. A few small groups of students were chatting here and there in the gardens; others were quietly walking toward the lake.
Suddenly, he saw something that stunned him. He blinked several times, hoping it was just his imagination. He moved a few steps closer to see better. A short distance away, right under the great beech tree, Hermione and Theo were chatting pleasantly amongst themselves. They looked rather involved in the discussion and she often smiled at him.
Harry hid behind a column and stared at them for a while. In his heart, he felt rising a strong feeling he'd almost forgotten: a crazy jealousy, strong enough to make him feel sick.
At one point, Theo said something funny and Hermione burst into laugher. Without realizing it, Harry tightened his fists in anger until he actually hurt himself. All the while, the desire to rush over to them and teach Theo Mustle a lesson was growing inside him.
"Hey, where have you been?" Ron's voice made him jump. "I've been looking for you forever. Can you tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Shhhh," Harry hissed at him and pointed his finger at the couple not far from them.
"Bloody hell! Hermione has gone mad!" Ron commented as he stared at them, surprised. "Of all the seventh year students, she really had to choose to become friends with that show off?"
Ron joined Harry behind the column and stood there, watching Theo and Hermione attentively.
When the two finally separated, Hermione headed back toward the castle while Theo headed to the lake. As soon as she was a few steps from Harry, he left his hiding place and jumped in front of her, frightening her.
"What the hell were you doing?" shouted Harry, feeling his blood boiling in his veins.
After a brief moment of uneasiness, Hermione quickly regained her composure. She turned her gaze away from him and walked past him, replying with a cold, "none of your business!"
"YES, it is my business!" Harry shouted again, barely holding back his anger.
Hermione stopped abruptly, sighed deeply, then slowly turned to reply to him. "For your information, no one can force me to tell you what I do or don't do in my free time... least of all you, after your little display in the common room last night."
All of the words Harry wanted to say to answer her back died on his tongue. Feeling guilty, he changed his tone. "You should be careful. I don't at all trust Theo Mustle."
Hermione stared intently at him. "I'll keep that in mind. Are you finished?"
"No! We need to talk," he begged.
"We have nothing to say."
Harry stepped toward her, desperately hoping to change her mind. "I'll speak then, but please listen to me."
Hermione looked away and folded her arms on her chest, waiting. Harry gathered his strength and went on. "It isn't like you're thinking. There's absolutely nothing between me and Jane. Last night I saw her and Theo leaving the Great Hall during the feast and I had the silly idea to follow them. I just wanted to find out what they were up to."
"I hope you satisfied your curiosity," Hermione replied sarcastically.
"Yes... I mean, no! Well, when I entered the common room, I found Jane all alone and I thought it would be useful to ask her a few questions. I asked her about her family and then she burst into tears and I..."
"Of course! How stupid I am, not realizing this before," laughed Hermione hysterically. "I almost forgot that you have a certain preference for girls who burst into tears in front of you."
Harry felt deeply wounded by those words. "You know that isn't true."
Hermione turned serious. "Listen to me, Harry. I need some time. I need to think it over..."
Harry felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach. "Think what over? Over us?" he asked in a whisper.
"I suggest you think it over as well," she went on, not directly answering his question. "You need to find some clarity as to what's in your heart, once and for all."
"Everything is clear in my heart."
"Oh, Harry please, I'm not stupid. You can't ask me to pretend that nothing has happened. I know perfectly well what's going on... maybe better than you do. There is something in that girl, and it's driving you crazy. This whole thing has become a total obsession for you and I can't handle it anymore." Hermione felt a painful knot rising in her throat. "That's why... I think we should take... we should take a break. Whenever you need me, I'll be always ready to help you, as a friend. But, anything more..." Doing her best to hide her emotions, she raised a hand to her mouth and lowered her eyes to the ground.
"I'm... I'm so sorry. I didn't want it to end like this, I didn't..." She suddenly turned on her heel and ran away, unable to even finish the sentence.
Harry stood there, speechless. He watched Hermione climb the stairs and enter the castle. It was as if his heart had been crushed by a huge boulder. In one second, his entire world had shattered into pieces. He felt lost and filled with sorrow, unable to take the reins of his life in his hands and go on.
I destroyed everything. It's all my fault, Harry kept repeating in his mind, only managing to hurt himself even more.
He then felt the light weight of a hand on his shoulder. It was Ron. He had witnessed the scene, but stayed back. The two best friends looked at each other without speaking a word; there wasn't any need to. Both were sharing the sadness of another painful defeat.
***O***
Since that sad Saturday in the beginning of November, several weeks passed by. During this time, Hermione did her best to avoid Harry and Ron. For their parts, the two boys never tried to approach her, respecting her desire to be left alone. Despite this, Harry didn't know how much longer he would be able to continue on like this.
As before during their earlier difficulty, Hermione again started to spend more time with Lavender Brown. The two girls always sat at the same desk during classes and in the Great Hall for meals. Causing great worry for Harry, Hermione had also taken the habit of spending a lot of time with Theo Mustle. Between lessons, he often saw them together in the library or outside on the castle grounds.
To be sure, they had many things in common. They were both excellent students in every subject and they were usually in competition with each other to be the best one exams. Harry didn't like the situation at all; he felt his jealousy beginning to growing more and more, like a fire under the embers, ready to burst out at any moment.
On Friday evening, Harry was having his usual private lesson with Magnus Erudio in the Defence classroom.
"You're not concentrating enough!" Erudio's voice made Harry jump. He opened his eyes for what felt like the thousandth time. He'd been sitting on a short stool in front of his teacher for hours, forcing himself to calm his mind and break through the veil of time and space.
"You need to cancel every thought, every feeling. You have to unite your soul with your mind. This is the only way to perceive even a glimpse of future events."
"I'm trying to do my best," Harry replied, forcing himself to remain calm even though he was starting to lose his temper.
"It's not enough trying! You must do it!" Erudio scolded him.
Unwillingly, Harry closed his eyes once more and began to concentrate again. The darkness of his closed eyes that he saw remained exactly the same, until the images of Hermione and Theo forcefully appeared in his inner sight. They were walking together, close to each other. Harry shook his head to erase the hated image and put his hand on his forehead which was now throbbing painfully. "I-I can't. I'm sorry..."
Erudio looked deeply disappointed. "It's not good, boy. No, not good at all. You're too distracted. You need to push away every thought... free the mind."
Harry smiled bitterly in resignation. "I've never been good in Occlumency."
"Ah, we both know that," Erudio mocked him. "But this is different. Here you don't have to protect your mind from external attacks. This time, you need to protect the mind... from yourself."
Harry didn't fully understand the meaning of his words but nodded just the same, not wanting to look any more incompetent that he already felt.
"Let's try one last time, will you? I'll do my best to help you using my inner energy."
The warlock closed his eyes; Harry did the same. Once more, his mind wandered among several thoughts and feelings. The faces of Hermione and Theo were again floating in front of his inner sight, almost like soap bubbles. Then, something strange happened. Everything disappeared and Harry found himself walking along a shining corridor. He tried to open his eyes; when he did so, he felt as though he'd just woken up from a dream, but he wasn't in the Defence classroom anymore
He looked around, finding himself standing on the Hogwarts grounds, not far from the main castle entrance. It was night, the light of the full moon shone everywhere; he was completely alone. The sky was clear, cloudless. The air was very cold and the ground covered with snow.
Everything was quiet and silent. Then suddenly, he heard the sound of a terrible explosion as the ground shook. Unprepared, Harry lost his balance and fall backwards onto the snow. When he looked up, he felt blood freeze in his veins. In the dark sky, right above his head, a menacing green skull with a snake in its mouth was shining. It was Voldemort's Dark Mark.
With his scar burning like fire, he was barely able to stand up as he shivered in the cold that penetrated him to the bone. Harry folded his arms across his chest to try to stay warm as his teeth began to chatter. He didn't even have time to react before hundreds of dementors began to fill the sky, ready to attack; even more were still coming. Harry began to slowly move backwards before he realized that the awful creatures had stopped in midair, as if waiting for a signal.
His scar throbbed once more and he shouted in pain. Then he saw him. Lord Voldemort was coming out of the Forbidden Forest. Around him was a crowd of hooded Death Eaters.
Harry felt the panic rising in his heart. He looked for his wand in his trousers pocket, but couldn't find it. Voldemort was now only a few steps from him, glaring at him with his evil, red eyes.
Harry felt his fear taking advantage over him, preventing him from reacting or even thinking. His mind was stalled. Abruptly, he felt an unbearable pain in his chest and clutched uselessly at it to try to regain his breath. He closed his eyes, fully expecting to die at any moment. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the Defence classroom. In front of him was Magnus Erudio sitting at his desk with a grave expression on his face.
Both wizards remained in silence for several minutes. The only audible noise in the room was Harry's strenuous breathing.
"I've... I already had this vision some time ago," Harry said when he was able to speak again. "It's... it's going to happen soon?"
Erudio nodded. "Sooner than you can imagine," he replied. On his forehead appeared a wrinkle of pain.
Harry felt his heart gripped by fear. "Is there something... anything we can do to prevent this?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid," was Erudio's merciless answer. "Even if we're able to catch a few glimpses of future events, we're not allowed to interfere with them. This is the curse of all seers."
Harry turned away as his fists tightened in anger. "What's the point of it then? I thought that by knowing the future I would be able to try to change things if they were bad!"
"You see, Harry? By now you should have learned that in our visions we only witness brief moments of the future. They are just flashes that enable us to realize what may happen, but we don't get the entire picture," Erudio calmly explained. "In your vision today, you witnessed a possible attack on Hogwarts. But you don't know what will be the events that lead to that attack and what will be the consequences. In my modest experience, I can tell you that nothing happens purely by chance."
"You knew, didn't you?" asked Harry abruptly. "You've always known. You already know the fate of each one of us. Mine as well..." he added, then regretting having said it.
Erudio remained in silence as if he was deciding how to reply. "My only job is to guide you along the way and to show you the entrance. But you are the only one who can take the last step. You're the only one who will able to open the door and find the answer to your questions."
Silence again fell upon the room. Harry was still thinking about the importance of the vision he just had when the warlock slowly stood up, finding support on his staff. "It's now time to go to bed, boy."
Without waiting for a reply, Erudio started to walk away from his desk when Harry stood up and stopped him. "Please, just tell me if Dumbledore knows."
Still facing away from him, the warlock replied in a whisper. "I can only tell you that all that was needed to be done, has been done. Now, we will have to wait and be ready to fight."
With these last mysterious words, Erudio left the room leaving Harry with his own uncertainty and fears.
***O***
Gryffindor's common room was crowded. Professor Snape had assigned a difficult essay to sixth and seventh year students; they were to have it ready for the following morning.
List all of the ingredients for the Invisibility Potion and explain why it's so difficult to find them. Indicate in detail how to prepare the potion, as well as the antidote for it.
Everybody was buried deep in their books, trying to write something resembling coherent that might be accepted as good by their intransigent teacher.
Sitting alone at the only tiny table left free, the one farthest from the fireplace, Harry and Ron were consulting some ancient manuscripts. The two friends had the chance to speak several times in the past few days about what Dumbledore had revealed about the Arcane Path and about Erudio's worrying words.
They knew the Headmaster wasn't going to tell them the entire truth, which was why they finally decided to work hard and find as much information as possible about the subject. They knew full well they had no time to waste and that their destiny could very well be waiting for them just around the corner.
Snape's essay could wait.
That evening, despite all of their efforts, none of the books they had taken from the library contained any useful information. It didn't really matter anyway as Harry's attention span was lower than it had ever been in his entire life. The entire evening he just stared at Hermione and Ginny, who were sitting by the fire on the other side of the room. Both girls looked deeply concentrated on their discussion, and to keep anyone from listening to them, they kept whispering in each others' ears, further piquing Harry's curiosity.
What the hell are those two talking about? he asked himself, lost in thought.
"And this was the sixth useless book tonight," complained Ron, closing a large, old tome that kicked up a grey cloud of dust. "I didn't find even a single word about the Arcane Path or Rebirth Flame. Well, actually, in The Guide to Legendary Legends there was a detailed list of all known mountain troll hunting paths, but I don't believe those are connected to the Arcane Path Dumbledore was talking about, are they?"
"Yeah, of course..." replied Harry absentmindedly, still concentrated on Hermione and Ginny who were writing a few notes on their sheets of parchment.
Ron frowned at his best friend. "You should do something to get back together. It's almost been a month that this crazy thing has been going on. I had even a row with Luna because of you."
Harry sighed deeply, not looking away from the two girls. "Yeah... of course..." he replied again.
"Are you even listening to me or what?" Ron raised his voice, attracting the attention of the other students.
Finally Harry shook out of his numbness. "What are you shouting for?" he asked, shooting nasty glances at the curious who were still staring at them.
"Hey, you've finally come back to earth at last!" Ron exclaimed, impatient. "As I was saying, Luna won't go out with me anymore until I convince you to make peace with Hermione. She says she's doing it for female solidarity."
Harry frowned at him. "Well, you should tell Luna that my love life is none of her business!"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just go to Hermione and apologize to her, once and for all? I can't stand this situation anymore... not talking to her about everything you should be telling her."
"Do you think it's easy for me?" Harry asked, losing his temper. "Do you think that she would care about me and my problems? You heard what she told me. She needs time to think it over."
"Yeah, but she also said that she would always be ready to help you, whenever you need her help. We're not going to solve it like this. We've been turning the library upside down and still haven't found anything useful. Come on mate, this would be the best excuse to reapproach her."
Harry turned to Hermione once again and his eyes darkened with a veil of sadness. "I know. But I don't want her to come back to me out of sympathy or just because she feels pity for me."
"Well, we've been through worse things than this," Ron said, indicating their separation. "Besides, I'm sure Hermione would be glad to know everything. She still loves you. Never forget that."
Just then, Theo Mustle entered the common room through the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry's eyes followed him as he went up to Hermione and exchanged a few words with her. In his heart, he started to feel the fire of jealousy rising again.
Ron was observing the scene too. "Oh, don't pay attention to him. Hermione just wants to make you jealous, that's all. She wants to prove to you how important she is... to you."
Hermione stood up, waved at Ginny and followed Theo out of the common room. After a minute or so, Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up so quickly that his chair fell over with a loud thud. He could feel the eyes of everyone directed at him, but he didn't care.
"Harry? Please don't be stupid. Come back!" Ron's voice sounded like a far away echo. Harry was already out of the common room and was running along the corridor, but unfortunately there was no trace of Hermione or Theo.
He turned a corner and bumped into Dean and Lavender. "Hi, Harry."
"Have you seen Hermione? She should have passed by here a few seconds ago," he asked, panting.
"Yeah, she was with Theo," Dean replied quietly. "I think they were headed for the library, but... Hey, what's going on with you?"
Not waiting for Dean to finish his sentence, Harry started running for library. He stopped by the entrance to regain his breath, straightened his uniform, and the went inside.
There weren't many students there as it was just about dinner time and most of them were heading for the Great Hall. Harry slowly moved among the tables and tall shelves of books, under the strict, watchful eye of Madam Pince who was sitting at her desk by the entrance.
Then he saw her. Hermione was sitting at one of the last tables, skimming the pages of a book; she was alone. Harry looked around, searching for Theo, but he wasn't there.
When he finally reached her, she lifted her head and both of them were finally eye to eye.
"Harry!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Am I interrupting anything?"
"Oh, nothing... nothing at all. I was just having a look," she replied, a bit too nervous. "What's happened? Something serious?" she asked, slightly worried.
"Do I need something serious to be able to talk to you?" shouted Harry, arousing Madam Pince's indignation, who shot a nasty glance at him.
Hermione looked around, then lowered her voice even more, forcing Harry to come closer. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."
In that moment, Theo Mustle returned from the Ancient and Modern History of Magic section, holding several huge books in his arms. He moved toward Hermione and placed the heavy books on the table.
"Hi, Harry. Nice to see you around here."
"Anything against me talking to Hermione?" asked Harry threateningly.
Theo looked surprised and his eyes jumped from Harry to Hermione and then back to Harry. "Well, of course not. We were just doing our research. I didn't know this was causing any trouble."
"The only one here with trouble... is you!" Harry exclaimed, challenging him. "And your troubles started when you had the bright idea to steal my girlfriend!"
"Harry, please stop it!" Hermione warned him. "Theo is just trying to help me, that's all."
"He's helping you to do what? Tell me!"
"Silence over there! I remind you that you're in a library and not Diagon Alley," Madam Pince scolded them.
Not paying attention to the warning, Harry went on. "Tell me, Hermione. Have you had enough time to think us over? Or have you been too busy with Theo lately?"
Hermione was about to reply, but Theo did first. "If you want to have an argument with someone, then have it with me. Leave Hermione out of this."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Harry shouted, his heart beating madly in his chest.
Madam Pince stood up and quickly walked toward them. "Out of my library!"
Despite the librarian's orders, neither boy moved. They stood there, one in front of the other with their fists up.
"Harry, Theo, that's enough now," Hermione said as she set herself between them, doing her best to avoid a fight.
Harry was furious. The thought that Hermione was at Theo's defence Harry felt was the craziest thing in the world. Without thinking first, he threw himself at Theo and punched him with all of his strength.
Soon, they found themselves rolling on the floor, taking with them tables, chairs, and several shelves filled with books, all under the astonished stares of those present.
"Harry, no!" shouted Hermione desperately.
"Potter, Mustle! Stop it immediately or I'll send you to the Headmaster!"
It appeared as though Theo was doing his best to not fight back. He kept taking the blows, even though he was bigger than Harry. "I'm warning you. Don't force me to hurt you."
"You couldn't if you tried," Harry answered him back, before punching him right in the nose. "You're just a coward!"
Theo covered his bleeding nose with his hand. "That's enough!" he shouted, lifting Harry bodily and throwing him to the floor. Then he sat over him and tightened his strong hands around his throat.
Harry desperately tried to get free, struggling to regain his breath, but Theo's hands were strong and had vice-like grip.
"I told you to stop it!" shouted Madam Pince again, pointing her wand at the boys, ready to cast a spell against them.
Then, something happened. Something great in magnitude, but at the same time, terrifying.
Harry felt his body becoming very warm, as if it was enveloped in fire. He felt inside the energy emanating from those flames, which began to give him more and more strength. Theo quickly became aware of the change in Harry and bewildered, he suddenly let go as if he'd just burned his hands.
Wanting to hurt him badly, Harry stretched out his arms toward Theo and with all the strength he was felt inside, he shot a surge of shining light. Everybody watched the scene horrified as Theo was surrounded by fire. He ran to towards the other side of the room, then fell to the floor unconscious.
Come on, finish him! an evil voice echoed in Harry's mind as his scar started throbbing painfully. I know you can do it. What are you waiting for? Finish him!
"Noooo, go away!" shouted Harry with all the breath he had left in his lungs. "Leave me alone..."
When Harry came back to his senses, it was like waking up from one of his terrible nightmares. He looked around, panting, then raised a hand to his lips which were pouring blood from his fight with Theo.
All those presents were standing there, their mouths wide open in shock. A group of students rushed to help Theo, who was still lying on the floor, his face and arms burned. Others, including Hermione, were still staring at Harry with horror in their eyes.
A terrible feeling of guilt invaded his heart. With great effort, Harry slowly stood up, staggering to regain balance. He felt all eyes on him. Horrified of what he had just done, he moved backward until he reached the door, then ran away, looking for a place where he could be away from everyone.
In all of the commotion, nobody realized that Draco Malfoy and his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson had been witness to the entire scene, hidden in a opening in the corridor. As Harry ran by them in his retreat, the pale face of Draco lit up with an evil grin.
***O***
Thousands of stars lit up the night sky. The light of the moon filtered in through the tall windows of the hospital wing, where everything was quiet and still. In one of the beds, Theo Mustle was lying, still unconscious. His head and arms were wrapped in clean, white bandages.
Sitting in a nearby chair, Jane Porter was staring at him, almost without blinking. On her face, sadness and worry. Suddenly, he moved his head and shuddered.
"Lily... where are you? Lily..."
Jane's eyes opened wide in disbelief of hearing him pronounce that name.
Called by Theo's voice, Madam Pomfrey came over to him and readjusted the bedsheets thoughtfully. "Come on Mr. Mustle, the worst has passed. The anti-scorching ointment I gave you will work through the night. Tomorrow morning, you'll be healed and lively, just as you were before."
The ancient nurse then turned to Jane before leaving them. "Not more than five minutes Miss Porter, then you should go back to your house tower. And that's an order!"
"All right, Madam Pomfrey. Thanks."
Once left alone again, Jane reached out her hand and sweetly brushed Theo's cheek. "Did you hear what she said?"
With a great effort, finally he opened his eyes. "I did..." he whispered. "How... how long have you been here with me?"
"Well, you've been sleeping for about three hours. But it's fine, as long as it helps you get better." Jane looked at him tenderly. "You scared me. I wanted to be sure that you were fine before leaving."
Theo smiled, thankful. A sad expression returned to Jane's face. She shot a glance over to Madam Pomfrey, who was busy at her desk writing down notes.
Without hesitating any further, Jane pulled out her wand from under her uniform and pointed it at the nurse. She then whispered a few magical words and Madam Pomfrey fell suddenly into a deep sleep, her head resting on her chest.
Sure not to be heard by another living soul, the couple started talking freely.
"We've done everything wrong!" Jane exclaimed, worried. "Our intention was to gain their trust, but look at what's happened instead. Now they hate us!"
"That's not true. Your parents don't hate you." Theo tried to comfort her, but Jane looked discouraged.
"Harry keeps avoiding me as if I'm plagued with some fatal disease while Hermione thinks that I'm a rival or enemy to fight. And the time we have is running out."
"Don't worry. We'll find a way to..."
"The only way I can think of is to talk to Harry and tell him the whole truth," she cut him off. "We absolutely need to take the mission to the very end. I can't, and won't, leave anything unattempted."
Theo's face became grave. "You know full well that you can't tell him the entire truth. The consequences would be disastrous. And that's not even taking into account that he won't believe you."
"But what do we do now?" Jane stood up and started pacing the room nervously, wringing her hands.
"You'll see. We're going to figure it out," he replied, doing his best again to reassure her. "You have to promise me one thing, Lily Jane. Promise me under no circumstances will you tell anyone our secret. No one should ever know who we really are and where we've coming from.
"But most important..." Theo said, then finished in a whisper. "Nobody must ever know that Harry and Hermione are your parents."
Jane sat in silence, not looking at him. She then closed her eyes as a warm tear rolled down her pale cheek.
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