The Lost Painting: Part Five
Harry strolled through the main doors, feeling the humid air on his arm gave him the chills. He didn't like this place, the place where Hermione had been attacked, and wished he would never be here again.
He walked through the first room and into the foyer, where he saw the little girl once again.
`Hi!' Harry said brightly, but the little girl took a large step back and went to run away. Before she could even reach the door Harry had his wand out, and stopped the girl dead in her tracks.
As he wandered up to her he smiled at her still body, an unlocked her once again.
`Now now, no running away' Harry said brightly.
`But sir!' she cried `I told you earlier that I can't tell you anything'
`Yes you did' Harry said with a sad little smile `and I was gentlemanly enough to accept that'
`And I thank you for it' she said smiling weakly.
`I wouldn't thank me yet' Harry said shaking his head slowly `because I'm not going to be gentlemanly with you anymore…'
`I wont tell you anything' she said frightfully, crying even more than before `however much you hurt me is nothing compared to what he will do!'
`I know you won't tell me anything' Harry said softly `I knew a servant like you once, and I know how hard it can be…'
`Thank you sir, now please go' she said quickly.
`I can't do that' Harry said sadly `I guess I forgot to mention that me being ungentlemanly isn't forcing you to tell me by violence and threats, but to steal those memories from you'
And he instantly withdrew his wand and pushed it to her temple, performing the simple bit of legillemens needed to break into her mind. It was all over I seconds.
`Thank you' Harry said as he pulled away his wand and broke the connection `that's more than enough'
`How did you do that?' she mouthed in shock.
`Magic' Harry said with a grin as he turned his back on her and made his way to the studio. His heart was beating faster as he knew that this might just work, that he might just be able to save Hermione.
As he entered the studio he stopped and sighed, he couldn't believe that he had missed it earlier. So he quickly made his way over to the middle of the studio, dropped to his knees and pulled open the secret trap door, the door to the real studio that the maids mind spoke of.
He walked quickly down the steps, his wand raised high in preparation for an attack, but when he reached the bottom of the stairs he was presented by a baffling sight. Master Dubont brandishing a large blade.
`Now, Mr Potter' the man sneered `I will kill you myself!'
With a lazy flick of the wand Harry transformed the mans sword into a large rubber chicken which Dubont quickly dropped to the before throwing himself straight back against the wall.
`You're a wizard!' the man said in disgust.
`Yeah…' Harry said brightly as he walked around the room. He saw dozens of paintings, all looking as clear as photographs, and stopped dead in his tracks. There was Hermione, as beautiful as he could ever imagine. He blinked to force himself to look away from it and faced Dubont `I have to admit I assumed you were a wizard as well'
`I'm no such thing!' he said sounding terrified.
`Well then that opens up a whole lot more questions' Harry said shaking his head `and I'm really going to need answers from you'
`Artists don't answer questions!' the man sighed `we don't deal in black and white, but in all the colours of the rainbow!'
`Fortunately though you're not an artist' Harry said simply shaking his head.
`How dare you!' the man said furiously taking a step forward `look around! I created these things, not from paint and lead, but from life itself!'
`Doesn't count' Harry said shaking his head.
`Why doesn't it?' the man snapped back.
`Stealing lives, such as ideas, to pass of as your own doesn't count' Harry said shaking his head again `Hermione is the artist, Lasiandra was the artist…all you did was plagiarize their qualities, their beauty, and try and pass it off as your own'
`All I ever wanted to do was to make beauty' the man said, his demeanour had shrunk since Harry had talked and now he seemed sad `years I tried…I practiced with the best…learnt from them…but I had no talent…then I found it…'
`Found what exactly?' Harry asked taking a step forward `and this is one of those questions you have to answer'
`An archway' the man said quietly, his face looked nervous now `I found it in the ruins of Rome…it…spoke…to me'
`What did it say?' Harry asked leaning closer, his heart beating faster.
`It told me how to make the potion, it was speaking inside of my head!' the man said looking lost `it kept on saying I am the Bad Wolf…and it told me of you! That when you came I had to kill Hermione or otherwise I would lose the ability!'
`Where is this archway?' Harry asked forcefully, his blood boiling as he realized what this meant.
`I ran from the ruins…' the man continued `and the next day I returned, but it was gone'
`Are you sure?' Harry asked, his voice low and dangerous.
`I searched for a week…' the man answered `it was gone'
Harry looked around the room, the dozens of portraits staring out. More victims of the Bad Wolf. And he wondered if and when their paths would cross. And he knew he must be ready for the day, or all could be lost.
`I'm going to take the ability of making that potion away from you' Harry said regaining himself.
`You can't!' the man almost screamed.
`I can, and I will' Harry said.
`What will I do!' the man cried.
`The same as everyone else…' Harry said sadly as he lifted up his wand `move on, and try and find another beauty to love'
Harry pushed his wand against the mans temple, using all his power of legillemens he located the memory, dark and damp in the pits of the mans mind, and removed it.
`It's gone' Harry said softly.
`How did you do that?' the man said weakly `I felt you in my brain…like the Bad Wolf…'
`Maybe I am him?' Harry said softly as he lifted his wand `maybe we are the same person…linked forever by bonds unbreakable?'
And with those words Harry waved his wand and the man crumpled to the floor, asleep before he hit it.
Harry walked quickly up to the painting and rested a hand softly on it.
`Hermione…' Harry said softly `as beautiful as ever…'
Harry looked in Hermione's eyes and smiled, such beauty and caring rested in them.
`I'm not good at this…' Harry said nervously `never been good at this sort of thing…but, as you can't hear me, I guess I can give it a shot…Hermione…I love you…'
Harry wiped a small tear from the corner of his eyes and put on a smile, Hermione would be reappearing soon and he didn't want her to worry. Slowly he raised his wand and waved it over the painting, the picture instantly starting to melt against the wall. Harry watched excitedly as the painting slowly formed together, raising to the perfect height and becoming Hermione.
`Harry!' Hermione yelled as soon as she reappeared `Watch out for Master Dubont! He's a psycho!'
`It's ok' Harry said `it's over'
Hermione stood rooted to the spot and looked around, quickly seeing Master Dubont collapsed on the floor, snoring lazily to himself. She wondered just how much time had passed.
`Thank god!' Hermione said smiling rearranged her clothes, but as she was she felt Harry throw himself at her and pull her into a tight bone breaking hug `how long have I been?'
`You've only been a painting for a couple of hours' Harry said as he slowly broke the hug, Hermione could see that Harry was completely ecstatic and she wondered why.
`Shall we get out of here?' Hermione asked, wanting a bit of privacy.
`Ok' Harry said as he raised his wand and waved it across the room, suddenly all the painting liquidised making Hermione back away slightly `take my hand'
As Hermione took his hand she felt the common squeezing feeling of appiriton, and the next time her eyes focused she saw the inside of the Ford Anglia.
`What was that?' Hermione asked confused.
`That was me releasing the people from the paintings' Harry said as he strode towards his chair and dropped into it.
`I looked like that?' Hermione said shaking her head.
`Not a models finest hour!' Harry teased as Hermione dropped into her own chair and felt her back relax as she scooted to get comfortable.
`Talking about that, what happened to the painting?' Hermione asked curiously `haven't we created a paradox and ended the world by you saving me before 2006?'
`I think we're safe?' Harry said, and his grin told her it was true. Harry had saved her, and the world, once again.
`This didn't go to well…' Hermione sighed.
`What do you mean?' Harry asked baffled.
`I was a model, and now I'm not' Hermione groaned `I know it's not that great a thing, but it was kind of cool, being a real work of art that will live forever'
`You still are' Harry said with a grin.
`How?' she asked `I got released'
`The painting in the British Museum wasn't you…well it was of you, but wasn't literally you' Harry explained.
`What do you mean?' Hermione asked.
`After you got…transformed…I went back to 2006 to try and save you and not get a paradox' Harry said grinning `and then I, eventually, realized that the painting wasn't you, and that the painting of literally you was saved by me and didn't exist in 2006'
`So who did the painting?' Hermione asked interestedly.
`Me' Harry said grinning.
`What are you talking about?' Hermione laughed.
`I realized that I had to paint that painting otherwise we would never have been led back to 1580 whatever' Harry started grinning widely `so, knowing you were safe for the time being, I travelled back to 1520 and took an apprenticeship under Michelangelo'
`You painted that?' Hermione asked impressed.
`With a little help from the real master' Harry said grinning `only took me and him a couple of months…and you said those pencils I bought from the museum wouldn't come in handy!'
`You took a couple of months to rescue me?' Hermione faked anger making Harry laugh.
`As I said, Michelangelo could teach anyone to paint!' Harry said laughing.
`It was beautiful' Hermione said after a few moments.
`Thank the model' Harry said grinning.
`You did all of that from memory?' Hermione asked impressed.
`I know you, Hermione' Harry said softly `your face, your eyes, your body…its all locked in my memory…putting it onto canvas was easy…'
`So…' Hermione said slightly awkwardly `that's why you were so glad to see me?'
`Yeah…' Harry said nodding `for you it may have seemed like ten minutes, but it was about 6 or 7 weeks for me'
`I bet you had a ball' Hermione joked.
`No' Harry said honestly `I was painting 18 hours a day, travelling forward in time a few months for Michelangelo to be able to do his parts to it, then painting again…I wanted to get to you as soon as possible…'
`Thank you Harry' Hermione said honestly to which Harry just smiled `so what happened to Marcus?'
`Reunited with Lasiandra…' Harry said snapping out of his silence `got married, had three children…named one Hermione! They died together in their 80s'
`So true love won out?' Hermione asked impressed. She had become a work of art and had a child in the Italian renaissance named after her.
`Seems like it did this time' Harry said, his eyes stuck on Hermione making her blush slightly.
`Doesn't it always?' Hermione asked.
`Not at all…' Harry said shaking his head `true love is fragile…rarely it will come out…it's too precious to be common…'
Hermione looked across at Harry and wondered what would happen to them. Would they work out, or would the universe try and break them. And would she ever tell Harry how she felt. That she loved him.
`Let's go to Paris…' Hermione said standing up suddenly.
`When?' Harry said standing up excitedly and walking over to the pensieve.
`Don't care' Hermione said smiling.
`So why Paris?' Harry said as he withdrew a thought with his wand and threw it into the pensieve.
`All this talk of love makes me want to visit the city of it' Hermione said grinning.
`Ok…' Harry said twirling the pensieve around absentmindedly.
`Just one thing!' Hermione said with a twinkle in her eye `make sure its raining…'
*
So, that's the end of that adventure, hoped you enjoyed it! I rather liked the idea and rather liked the outcome...
Now, brace yourself…the finale is close at hand! And if you think things have been bad for the duo before, you aint seen nothing yet!
Till next time…
Jms Granger…
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