(A/N: Well, at least I've got some more reviews now! First of all I wish to thank Destroyerdt for her great support in every chapter, and also I wish to thank fenriswolf for his sharp review and his suggestion to put away all those silly exclamation points. Now, I changed chapter 4 and I hope that now it's possible to read it without getting an headache! I'm sorry if sometimes you'll find mistakes, but my mother tongue is italian and even if my BETA reader does his best with the correction, well... I'm not perfect. That's why I thank you so much fenriswolf. Now, I hope you'll like chapter 5 and I'm waiting for your reviews...)
Chapter 5. REVELATIONS
That morning after breakfast, Ron and Hermione went to Magnus Erudio's office for their detention; Harry headed straight to the forest to start his daily duties. He also took with him a pail full of small dead animals and a package with his lunch.
As Erudio had explained to him the previous day, his job would be to attend to the Thestrals. Although the sun wasn't at its zenith yet, it looked as though the day was going to be one of the most sultry so far. The sky was clear and there wasn't even the slightest breeze blowing.
It took him a good half hour to cross the prairie. When he reached the forest, Harry's face and T-shirt were soaked with sweat. Fortunately, the thick tree branches over his head gave him a feeling of relief.
Harry didn't have any problem attracting Thestrals; he only had to wave a couple dead ferrets and the magical creatures came to him, smelling the blood.
After lunch, the young wizard left and headed to the lake. For his second job, he had to attend to the Ramoras living there. With all that had happened the day before, Harry had completely forgotten to ask Hermione what kind of magical creatures Ramoras were.
Ron had once told him something about funny fish shaped like a ball with rubbery legs and webbed feet, living in the depths of the lakes. They liked to nibble at the feet and clothes of swimmers. Harry then recalled, however, that their name was something like Timpy or Plimpy.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he arrived at the shore of the lake. The watery mirror was huge and black.
Great job, Harry! Now how do I attract those Ramoras? he thought, annoyed. Tiredly, he sat on a large rock nearby and his eyes stared off into the horizon.
Unintentionally, his thoughts started to chase each other. He again found himself thinking about his life, his troubles, and how to solve them. The magical war, his last premonition, Mark, who was still a prisoner, the Prophecy, his uncertain future. It was so hard for him to find a solution.
"Nice day to cry over yourself, isn't it, Mr. Potter?"
Harry turned abruptly, surprised. Magnus Erudio was standing right behind him with his clear eyes fixed to the horizon.
"I... I'm sorry, I didn't..." Harry stuttered, standing up. Hey, I even didn't hear him coming, he thought nervously.
"Maybe you were too absorbed in your troubles to notice that I was coming," commented Erudio, almost amused. Once again, Harry was deeply surprised to see how his mind was like an open book to him.
"I just came to see how it was going with the Ramoras. I want to remind you that these are extremely powerful sea creatures. Sailors believe that they are able to protect them, a true blessing for boats in need. Ramoras usually live in the Indian Ocean, but the Ministry of Magic has kindly allowed me to raise a few of them here in my lake." Erudio spoke with a certain sarcasm in his voice. "I must confess that it has been extremely hard to get their permission. They don't understand at the Ministry that my castle is a true oasis for magical creatures near extinction. They're so stubborn."
Harry smiled at his comment. He didn't like those wizards at the Ministry either.
"Now, I think that you can start with your job," finished Erudio. "I bet that you'll be done by sunset."
Erudio turned his back to Harry and moved a few steps away. He then stopped again and spoke one last time. "Well... after calling the Ramoras with your mind, please greet them for me."
The warlock then disappeared with a resounding CRACK, leaving Harry there with a puzzled expression on his face.
***O***
As Magnus Erudio had predicted, Harry managed to return to the castle shortly before sunset. Feeling tired and hungry, he rushed upstairs to meet Ron and Hermione. Entering the room, however, he didn't find either of them.
Exhausted, he went over to his bed, laid down, and stretched out. The day had been tiring for him, but he had had fun, after all.
Ramoras were very interesting creatures. Following Magnus Erudio's suggestion, he tried to concentrate and then called them to him. Finally after several attempts, he saw a few small curious snouts poking out of the water. At first glance, they looked like common silver fish. In actuality however, they had the ability to communicate telepathically. Harry soon understood that the only thing these creatures needed was a bit of company. In fact, they told him that it was rare finding someone to pleasantly talk with like him.
In the beginning, Harry felt rather silly to be communicating with these "fish." After a short while though, he realized that these creatures were far more clever than many of the wizards or Muggles he had met in the past.
In that moment, Harry's stomach grumbled. He looked at his clock and worried about his friends. Right then, the door opened and Ron and Hermione dragged themselves in. Their faces were tired and their clothes were dirty and torn.
"Is everything all right?" Harry asked uncertainly, standing up and moving closer to them.
Ron shrugged his shoulders in reply, then sat down on his bed and stretched out his arms. Hermione slowly walked toward Harry and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm so exhausted," she whispered.
Instinctively, Harry hugged her back, brushing her shoulder tenderly. "You had a bad day, didn't you?" he asked understandingly.
"You can say that again, mate," replied Ron from his bed. "That Magnus Erudio isn't just sadistic, no. He's much, much more than that. In his office, he just told us that it was going to be a `light' detention, nothing to worry about. We then followed him down to the cellars and entered a wide room. The ceiling was covered with puffapods. Our job was to open all the puffapods and fill as many barrels as we could without letting them fall on the floor. Look at my hands!"
Ron was right; his hands were scratched and red, and his fingernails were dirty.
"Well, at least you're still alive!" exclaimed Harry, smiling slightly; Ron just grimaced and rolled over on his other side. "Why don't you go get cleaned up now? I'm starving."
Hermione moved away and looked at him sadly. "You're right. I'm surely not a pleasant sight to see." Indeed, her hair was all ruffled and dusty, and her cheeks were dirty with soil.
Harry stared at her for a moment, then smiled sweetly. "If you want my opinion, you're beautiful, even now."
"You're such a liar," she replied, laughing.
"Hey, you two. Are you finished flirting?" Ron cut them off, annoyed. "If you don't mind, I'm starving too."
"No doubt about that, Ron Weasley," said Hermione sarcastically. "I'll be ready in a minute. Please, don't go without me," she finished, rushing out of the room.
As soon as Hermione closed the door, Ron sat upright on his bed and spoke to Harry as though he knew something Harry didn't. "Tomorrow is your birthday, Harry!"
"Really? I'd`ve never guessed," he replied smiling, sitting at Ron's side.
"I want to be the first one to give you your present. Tonight, after dinner. You'll see what I've got in mind for you." Ron looked very excited by the idea, as if he had almost forgotten his tiredness from shortly before.
Harry frowned at him. "What is it?"
"Don't you even try it. If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise," finished Ron, standing up. Harry crossed his arms and kept frowning at his friend until he disappeared behind the bathroom door.
***O***
That night, the three friends reached the dining room hungrier and more tired than ever. During the meal, nobody wanted to talk. Moreover, nobody said anything about the fact that the next day was Harry's birthday. He was, after all, accustomed to not celebrating.
Harry already knew that Ron had something in mind and surely, Hermione also would give him her present. This was enough to make him happy.
After dinner, Hermione bid the other two goodnight, and then went upstairs to her room. Once alone, Ron magically shut their bedroom door, and then warily went over to his trunk and started searching for something.
Harry stood behind his friend, watching the scene, curious.
"Damn it! I'm sure it's hidden here, somewhere," Ron whispered, without raising his nose from the trunk. "Ah, here it is," he said satisfied, taking out an old wooden rectangular box and sitting on the ragged carpet with legs crossed.
"What's that?" asked Harry, suspicious.
"Come on, move closer," exhorted Ron, signaling Harry to sit in front of him. "You'll never guess. Let's just say that I was waiting for the right time to open this, and the right time is your birthday."
"Th-thanks!" replied Harry, feeling something odd in his stomach, a cross between excitement and fear.
"Now, it's yours," said Ron, handing him the box. "Happy birthday, Harry."
The box was covered with dust and extremely heavy. He set it on his knees and then slowly took off the cover.
"Wow! How did you managed to get one?" exclaimed Harry, widening his eyes. "I mean, it isn't easy to get stuff like this."
"That was in the past, mate. Now we're both of age and nobody can tell us anything," explained Ron, enthusiastically. "Fred and George gave it to me when I came back from school in June."
With mouth open, Harry took out his present from the box. It was a black bottle, dirty and dusty, with a white skull and crossbones printed on it.
"Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, the best. I've always wanted to try it. Perfect for celebrating among true men, believe me Harry. Come on, open it. There should be two glasses in there."
Harry opened the bottle and a puff of black smoke came out. The two friends stared at each other for a second, smiling, then poured the drink in their glasses, eagerly anticipating the incredible experience.
When both had a full glass in their hands, they shot each other a look of understanding.
"On the count of three. One, two... THREE!" At Ron's sign, they gulped down the Firewhiskey.
At first, Harry thought it was like cold water, descending down his throat until it reached his stomach. Then, abruptly, that fresh liquid changed into hot boiling fire, burning so much it left him breathless. Both coughed, gasping in search of air. When the effect had subsided, Harry started feeling light and happy like a small boy.
"Merlin's beard, this stuff is like a bomb!" exclaimed Ron, as soon as he was able to speak.
"You can say that again," commented Harry, massaging his throat, which was still burning.
"Mum would kill me." Ron felt a sudden sense of guilt. He then shrugged his shoulders and added, "I'll take another glass, thanks." Apparently, the alcohol had erased every bit of good sense in him.
They spent the whole evening drinking and laughing like idiots. Finally, they stretched themselves out on the floor, completely drunk. Harry was feeling dizzy and his body was so numb he wasn't able to even lift an arm. It was as if every single worry had vanished from his mind, even though his thoughts weren't following any logical sequence.
"Do you know, Ron? This is the most wonderful, the most fantastic gift you could ever give to me!" exclaimed Harry, before bursting into an exaggerated laughing. "You're really my best friend... no, you're my very, very best friend in the world... no, in the universe..."
"Oh, shut up or you'll make me cry," shouted Ron, while laughing. When he managed to stop laughing, he made a huge effort to be as serious as possible. "There is something I need to tell you. It's about Hermione."
"Why are you talking about Hermione now? I thought this was a celebration between real men," replied Harry, annoyed.
"No, mate. I've something to confess..." Ron spoke, doing the impossible to remain serious. "I need to do it now, because we both won't have enough strength to fight." Finishing the sentence, he couldn't resist anymore and burst into laugher, followed by Harry.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh." Ron again tried to gain control over himself and became serious again. "What I'm trying to tell you is that... well, I've always felt something for Hermione. I mean, until I met Luna, of course."
Without knowing why, Harry rolled on the floor laughing, grabbing his stomach with his arms.
"Hey, Harry. I'm serious now," shouted Ron and with a great effort Harry became serious again. "What's so amusing?"
Both friends stared at each other for a moment. Then Harry smiled slightly before speaking. "I've always known." he admitted in a whisper.
Ron frowned at him, surprised. "Why haven't you ever told me before?"
Harry swayed his gaze from him and looked at the ceiling above him. "Why would I've done that?"
"Well, maybe because you were in love with her and I could've stolen your girl right in front of you," replied Ron frankly.
"I thought it was better to wait and see!" exclaimed Harry, simply.
"You're telling me, that if I had made the first move with Hermione, you would've let me do it? Like that, without fighting?"
"Maybe. If Hermione would've chosen you, well... I'd have been happy for you both," ended Harry, with a veil of sadness in his voice.
"You're completely crazy, mate," judged Ron.
"Do you think that I'm crazy? Need I remind you that you're the one going out with Luna `Loony' Lovegood?"
Both friends burst into laugher again, rolling on the floor.
"Good one. Really good," commented Ron. "But I'll tell you this. OK, I'm going out with Luna now, but I still care for Hermione and if you do something wrong to her... if you let her suffer, I swear, you're going to regret it."
Harry and Ron became serious again.
"Should I take that as a threat?" asked Harry, frowning at Ron.
"Take it however you want. Now, you've been warned," replied Ron, sharply.
"You know that I'd never do anything bad to her... I mean, intentionally."
"What the bloody hell're you talking about now?" asked Ron, propping himself up on his elbows to better listen to Harry.
Harry tried to find the right words to explain, even though he already knew that it was going to be difficult.
"I'm talking about the war, I'm talking about the Prophecy. I'm talking about Voldemort," explained Harry, feeling his temper rising.
Ron shuddered all over at hearing that name, but understood what Harry meant.
"There are things in my life over which I have no control. There are things that even I don't know how they're going to end," said Harry, resigned. He then sighed deeply and spoke sincerely. "I promise you that I'll do everything possible to make her happy."
That night, Ron didn't bring it up again. Harry knew that his answers had been enough for him, even though extremely worrying.
***O***
Harry spent an uneasy night tossing and turning, dreaming of faces and places unknown to him. Sometimes, the suffering face of Mark Evans appeared at his mind. Then, a far away voice brought him back to reality.
"Wake up! It's a wonderful, sunny day. Happy birthday Harry," shouted Hermione, rushing inside the room. But her excitement dampened when she saw the boys' reaction.
Ron buried his head under the bed linens, while Harry turned over onto his other side, still keeping his eyes closed.
"Hey! What is going on here?" Starting to lose her temper, Hermione moved to the window and opened the curtains, letting the sunlight fill the room.
"Oh no, Hermione, come on. Switch off the light now," shouted Ron. "My head is throbbing."
Hermione stared at Harry, who had just covered his face with a pillow. "Your head is throbbing, you say?"
Then she looked on the floor and noticed the bottle of Firewhiskey and the glasses. "How could you do something so stupid? Have you gone mad? Drinking a whole bottle of… of… who knows what. If you've forgotten, we're here for magical training and at the end of our stay we'll be judged. Besides, today is Harry's birthday."
"Hermione, please," whispered Harry, from under the pillow. "Could you please lower your voice just a bit? Every word is pounding in my head."
"You deserve it!" she exclaimed, furious. "I'd have never imagined such awful behavior from you, Harry James Potter. If you're not out of bed and ready in five minutes, I'll be back with a pail full of ice water. And the same for you, Ronald Weasley."
Finished with her threat, Hermione rushed out of the room, slamming the door.
After a few seconds, Ron took away the linens from his face and with a great effort sat on the bed. "Didn't I seal the door last night?"
Harry didn't reply. Still confused, he turned to the edge of the bed and put his feet down. When he tried to stand up though, he fell devastatingly to the floor, causing an incontrollable burst of laugher from Ron.
***O***
Harry and Ron managed to compose themselves by late morning, after a cold shower and a strong cup of coffee. Hermione was still upset, but after a detailed account of what had happened the night before and a promise from the boys that this was going to be the first and last time for them to drink alcohol, she decided to forgive them.
Since it was a Saturday, they could spend the day quietly. Harry and Hermione decided to go for a walk, while Ron remained alone at the castle. He said he had a few urgent matters to take care of, but it was clear that he wanted to spend a few hours alone, writing a long owl to his girlfriend.
Hand in hand, Harry and Hermione walked through the wide prairie; after a good half hour, they reached the lake. The sun was shining and the sky was clear blue, even though it was possible to see several dark clouds on the horizon. The young couple sat on the grass under the shadow of a large tree. Occasionally, the curious muzzle of a small Ramora poked out of the water and looked in their direction.
This time, Harry was feeling perfectly fine by Hermione's side. Without thinking too much about it, he stretched out a hand and squeezed hers with affection. She looked at him, smiling. That morning, she was wearing a cute white shirt with flowers printed on it; her skin was pleasantly tanned. Harry felt extremely lucky to be with her.
"It's time for your present." started Hermione, taking out a small package from her jeans' pocket. "Happy birthday!"
The packet was tied with a nice blue ribbon. Harry happily unwrapped it and when he saw what was inside, his eyes widened in surprise. "Well, I don't... I don't know how to thank you for this."
"You don't need to," she replied with a large smile. "You just need to wear it, and show me what it looks like on you."
It was a thin choker made of black leather, with a small pendant made of unpolished jade hanging on it. Hermione tied it around Harry's neck, then stepped back to look at him.
"Not bad," she commented, satisfied. "But the most important thing is that this amulet has the power to protect the person wearing it. I've read a lot on the subject and it seems that this kind of stone acts like a lightning rod against the most common dark magic spells."
Harry tightened his grip on the amulet in his hands. It was green and had an irregular, unfinished rectangular shape with several facets. "Wow, it's great. Thanks!"
Just then, a cloud passed in front of the sun, dampening the strength of its rays. Harry and Hermione looked up, noticing that several dark clouds were slowly covering the sky.
Hermione lowered her gaze, then spoke again. "I have to admit that when I chose this present, I was moved by pure selfishness."
Harry stared at her, puzzled. Then she went on, trying her best to not looking at him. "The fact is that, well, I just want to be sure that... I mean, if something bad would happen to you, I don't..." Hermione wasn't able to complete her sentence; a painful knot in her throat was preventing her from speaking further.
Harry felt the extreme worry in his girlfriend. He moved closer and wrapped her in his arms. "Everything will be all right. I promise," he whispered in her ears, sweetly brushing her soft hair.
Hermione hid her face in his chest and hugged him tightly, comforted by his words. She knew very well that Harry had said them just to reassure her, but those words meant also a sort of promise to her.
"I'll always keep the amulet with me," said Harry, fully enjoying the sweetness of that moment together with the person he loved most in the world.
"Now, I'm sure you think I'm a silly little girl," commented Hermione, raising her gaze toward him, smiling.
Their faces were so close. Harry got lost in the depth of her brown eyes, which were staring at him with childish ingenuity and gently brushed her face with his fingers. Then, without replying, he closed his eyes and kissed her. Once more, his heart became filled with a whirl of emotions; love, joy, insecurity, fear; they were all bursting inside him like beautiful, colored fireworks.
Carried away by his emotions, Harry lost track of time. Nobody would have wasted the magic of that moment. Without realizing it, they lay down on the grass and continued kissing each other sweetly.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky and a tremendous clap of thunder shook the ground. Harry raised his gaze when the first drops of rain fell on his forehead.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Hermione, covering her head with her hands. Without leaving them time to think, the rain became heavier and they both had to stand up, breaking off their romantic afternoon.
"Let's go, quick!" Harry exhorted, grabbing Hermione's hand and moving toward the forest to find shelter; their hair and clothes were already becoming wet.
Unexpectedly, Hermione stood still, looking at him amused. "Why don't we go back to the castle, right now?"
Harry didn't realize immediately what she meant; the only thing that was clear to him was that they were going to catch a bad cold if they remained there.
"Have you forgotten that you can use magic now?" explained Hermione, smiling.
She was absolutely right and Harry knew exactly what to do. During the previous school year, professor McGonagall had thought them how to disapparate and they had passed the official examination brilliantly. They just needed to concentrate on the place where they wanted to apparate and say the magical words.
The rain was falling down more intensely and there wasn't time to waste. Harry stood right in front of Hermione, hand in hand with her, then closed his eyes and imagined himself in the entrance of the castle.
As soon as they pronounced the word "IMMANIFESTUS!" their bodies disappeared magically. The feeling was different than that of traveling by Floo powder or Portkey. It was like being suspended in an undefined place, somewhere between the physical world and a place with no physical form. Pronouncing the word "MANIFESTUS!" they reappeared in a dry, covered hallway, right at the entrance of the castle.
When Harry opened his eyes again, he saw Hermione slowly appearing in front of him, her hair and clothes completely wet.
"You've done it. Very good," she congratulated him; Harry smiled. "We should get upstairs immediately, or Wizzy'll be really angry with both of us."
A large puddle of water was already forming on the floor, dripping from their wet clothes.
"Let's go!" exhorted Harry, walking fast through the corridor, hand in hand with her.
They passed several rooms on the ground floor. In the library, a group of ghosts wearing eighteenth-century clothing was arguing animatedly about the content of some large, dusty books; in the portraits room, ladies in their frames were chatting in low voices that carried from their paintings.
"I'd like to know what they're gossiping about," commented Hermione critically, frowning at the paintings. "Harry, if you ever catch me gossiping, I give you permission to..."
"Shhh..." Harry cut her off abruptly, stopping in the middle of the corridor. He then raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be silent. Hermione looked at him in surprise, but Harry's attention was already drawn by something at the end of the corridor.
Voices could be heard coming from Magnus Erudio's office. Harry signaled her to follow him. Tip toeing, they moved closer to the antechamber of the office. Even though the door was closed, it was possible to hear Erudio talking in a loud voice with someone.
With great caution, they pressed their ears on the door to better listen.
"I tell you once more that it's not proper to cause the boy to worry like this. Please, promise me that you won't reveal anything about what you've just reported to me," said Erudio with authority.
"An' I'll remind yeh, sir, tha' I've been sen' here by Albus Dumbledore in person."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other with their mouths open, recognizing the voice. Moved by even more curiosity, Harry bent forward to peek through the keyhole on the door. When he saw the imposing figure of his friend Hagrid standing right in front of Erudio, he listened even more carefully to each word they were saying.
"I will personally talk with Albus. Until then, please keep the secret while you're in my castle."
At Erudio's request, Hagrid scowled his forehead in disappointment, but eventually he seemed to agree with the compromise. "I'll stay at the castle until yeh speak with Dumbledore. I take orders jus' from him and nobody else."
"That's fair," ended Erudio, satisfied.
The warlock had just turned to return to his office when Hagrid spoke again. "Even if... well... I'm sure tha' Harry wishes ter know tha'... tha' Mark Evans has been set free."
Hearing the news, Harry quickly moved away from the door. His eyes widened and he felt his heart begin to beat faster. He then turned his gaze to Hermione, who had just raised her hands to her mouth, holding back a scream of surprise.
1
-->