Unofficial Portkey Archive

Title: Forever a Secret (13/?)
Author name: LittleWitch
Author email: littlewitch_br@hotmail.com
Category: Romance
Sub Category: Drama
Keywords: Harry Potter Hermione Granger H/Hr
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP
Summary: The Wizarding World was a mysterious place -- full of secrets. Three years after the fall of the Dark Lord, darkness was still spreading over. A secret was held. A secret that was killing their souls. But they had to pay the price -- or else the rest of the world would. No matter what, it had to be forever a secret.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: First, I'm sorry for the long delay...Anne and I have some communication problems and while I was thinking she was already working on the chapter...she didn't even have received the e-mail I sent her with both this chapter and the next one. Second, I just got to say it: This is the most difficult chapter to write so far... Why? Because it has a fluff part and fluffness in not really my thing....then, there's action...and please, I don't even know how to describe a simple sword fight....I probably repeated the same thing over and over again... Finally, there's the spell scene...and some of you guys have been expecting for this for so long that I really tried to do my best but -- oh, well, just read it and see for yourselves...

Thanks to Anne, aka Perivayne, my beta friend, who found some time this week to beta this chapter.

Chapter 13: Remembering - Part III

"Esquecer é uma necessidade. A vida é uma lousa, em que o destino, para escrever um novo caso, precisa apagar o caso escrito."

Forgetting is a necessity. Life is a blackboard, in which destiny, to write a new tale, must erase an already written one.

-- Machado de Assis

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LATER IN THEIR SEVENTH YEAR…

It had been a cold winter, however, signs of spring were beginning to show now. The nights were growarmer and Harry hoped they could bring sweeter dreams…

It had not been an easy year at Hogwarts so far. They were loosing so many innocents and friends to a war that he couldn't see, couldn't fight… but that he could feel.

Sometimes he wondered why he kept going. Why hadn't he already gone insane? There was so much madness in this world, so much darkness…

But now he wondered no more. He knew the answer. He kept going on for her. She was and always would be his only reason.

Sure, this year had brought a lot of pain, a lot of bad memories to haunt a pensieve but … but nothing could take away the brightness of the good ones.

Actually, his life had always been like that. Like a rollercoaster. Full of ups and downs.

Take his first year as an example. He found out he was a wizard, made friends, flown on a broomstick, become the youngest seeker ever, learned how to do magic, and had a lot of great memories that he would cherish forever.

Those were the 'ups'. Now, the 'downs'.

He had found out that his parents were murdered by a dark wizard who was still sort of alive, who wanted more than anything to kill him, and was in the head of one of his professors…

And that was only his first year; things got a lot worse after that…Still, the 'ups' were there, in all of his years of existence…

Harry lived for the 'ups'. The Quidditch games. Hermione's smiles. Ron's smugness every time he beat Harry at wizard chess. Hermione's eyes. Pumpkin juice. Hermione's hair. Spending the night hanging out with his housemates in the common room. Hermione's voice. Dobby fetching them lots of delicious food every time they snuck into the kitchen. Ron's hilarious jokes. Ron's horrible jokes. Hermione's kisses. And even spending their afternoons in the library studying for their N.E.W.T.s .

'Ups'. Perhaps that was what life was all about. Those little moments of happiness that made you realize life was not so bad as you thought.

Harry could feel she was drawing nearer…

He was a little nervous. He had planned this for weeks. A 'up' moment. The 'up-est' of them all.

WHAM!

His firebolt dove through the sky. He caught her up, placed her in front of him and up they went.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

"I'm kidnapping you."

"Oh, my...Harry...that's not funny...Aarrgh, Harry, it's too high ... Oh My God...Oh My God...I can't stand it...I can't...Harry...just put me down..."

"Nope. Not until you open your eyes ..."

"Just land this stupid broom...Ai...Take me down...Argh...Oh, I hate you, Harry Potter."

"No, you don't. You love me, you said yourself...Now, come on ...open your eyes...I want to show you something..."

"I will not open my eyes..."

"Are you sure you won't? You know I can be very persuasive..."

"I...wh-- Wow...Mm...Mmm ...Oh, Harry...that's...not...fair...Harry ...you..."

"Mmm...Come on, beautiful, open your eyes...fly with me...make me fly --"

She slowly opened her eyes to find a blurry reflection of herself in the lenses of his glasses…and behind them, she found his big green orbs mirroring not just her features, but her soul.

She forgot the fact that they were up high in the sky …because, in truth, she always felt like she was already in the clouds whenever they were together …

There was something in the depth of his eyes that made her feel safe… And as the wind blew her hair and the stars seemed close enough to reach out and touch, she thought how much she loved him. She saw in his eyes, that he shared her feelings.

He smiled at her and she rested her head on his chest, he tight the grip on her waist and they flew together…

They landed in a magical place.

The moonlight bathed the secluded grove. A rain of flower petals magically appeared and drifted to the soft grass. An angelic melody echoed all around them.

"It's beautiful, Harry."

Hermione closed her eyes and spun around, feeling the slight touch of the petals as they fell.

Suddenly, she felt her feet leave the soft cushion of grass and petals..

"Harry," she laughed as she opened her eyes and found herself floating a good seven feet from the ground.

"What?" he asked, joining her in the air.

"You really like to fly, don't you?"

"I'm always flying when I'm with you. Besides, it's the best way to dance." He grinned, taking her hand and spinning her around.

They both smiled and laughed together as they performed a ballet on the air.

In that moment, they were truly happy.

Their bodies drew close as Harry stared silently into her eyes for a long moment before they slowly began to descend back to the ground.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, recognizing his grim look.

"Hermione, I - I …"

His loss of words worried her. "What is it, Harry? Did something happen? You know whatever it is, you can tell me, right?"

Harry remained silent for a few more moments, seemingly unable to overcome his awkwardness and speak. Finally, he took a small red velvet box of his pocket and gestured for her to take it.

Hermione stared at the little box astonished, and made no attempt to take the object.

"Open it," Harry's voice shook a bit.

Trembling, Hermione's hand covered Harry's and took the box. Harry heard she gasping when she opened the box.

Chocolate met emerald. Soul touched soul.

"Harry, I --" Hermione didn't know what to say. Actually, she was not even sure she remembered how to speak.

"I love you, Hermione Granger. I think I've loved you since that first moment on the train. Perhaps even before that, because I feel like I have loved you all my life…in all my dreams. Of course, it has taken me years to realize what has always been there…right in front of me. I regret all the time we lost, but then I can't, because I know it doesn't matter now. I'm just so glad that we have finally found each other and that I'm with you. Sometimes, I wonder what I did to deserve you. Yeah, okay, I know I saved the world a couple of times but still - You mean the world to me, Hermione. You mean more than the world. I'm a man in love…in love with you. I'll never be able to tell you how much I love you in words but I hope I can show you by actions instead…"

There were tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that moment was real. She felt like she was in a love scene from a Hollywood movie. As she listened to his word,s her heart melted and a voice in her head was already yelling, 'Yes!Yes! Of course I will."

"… and that's why I'm not going to ask you to marry me."

'Yes! Yes! WHAT?!'

Hermione stared at Harry, perplexed. "You're not going to what?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, no. I don't want to marry you, I --" Harry gulped at Hermione's now-furious gaze. "That didn't come out right, did it?"

"Absolutely," she said bringing her hands to her waist. "Let me see if I've got this right. You bring me to this Disney scenario and give me a ring. You confess your undeniable love for me. Are you sure you are not proposing? Because I've got to tell you, I was ready to accept before you said what you did."

"God, I messed it all up, didn't I? I can't believe it. Weeks planning the perfect time… the perfect setting… hours practicing what to say", he began rambling, "How stupid can I be?" He waved his hand. The music stopped and the rain of petals trickled to a halt. He threw himself down on the ground, hands covering his face.

"Harry?"

"I'm an idiot. How could I screw this up?"

Hermione glanced down at the little box on her hand "Harry…" She sat beside him. "I'm a little confused here. Can you, please, just talk to me?"

He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Harry? What is going on here? Why have you given me a ring if you don't want to marry me?"

"Of course I want to marry you."

"You have just told me you don't."

"No. I just don't want to marry you now."

"Harry, you are not making any sense."

"I know." He sighed. "It's just that this is hard than I thought…I guess I'm a little nervous…Actually my heart is beating so fast that if I didn't know better I would think I'm going to die right here in this very spot."

"Why? Why are nervous, Harry? It's only me."

"No, it's not only you. It's YOU, with capital letters. I wanted it to be perfect for you and now - now I've ruined it all."

"You haven't ruined anything. I mean, I have to be honest with you, for a moment I thought I was in a dream…the moonlight, the petals, the music, your words, the ring…then of course, reality hit me when you said me you didn't want to marry me."

Harry winced. Hermione smiled, brushing a finger down his cheek. "It's okay, love. I still don't understand where we are heading for here, but I can see this is very important to you and you obviously put a lot of effort into this production…And I appreciate all of this, Harry but…nothing is perfect. Our life certainly isn't a romantic movie - it's more like a horror one at times, but I don't want a dream, Harry. I want real. One of the best parts of our relationship is that we know each other so well. We don't need to pretend or be nervous…So forget about being perfect. Just be yourself. I like you a lot better that way. Just be my Harry and tell me what you want."

"It was my mother's"

"What?"

"The ring," he said taking the opened box from her hand. "My father gave it to my mother the night he proposed to her."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, Sirius and …and Remus gave it to me, at the beginning of our sixth-year. As a matter of fact, after what had happened in the Department of Mysteries, the last thing I was thinking of was romance but then they just came along and tossed me this ring, telling me to give it to my true love."

"Oh…"

"And well you know how things went well for me that year."

"Mmm…"

"But then…then I saw that my true love had been right under my nose all along…but again things got even more complicated this year…"

"Harry, I --"

He looked into her eyes, a gleam of tears shimmering in his emerald ones.

"I want you to keep this ring, Hermione. Because it is yours. You are and always will be my true love. My only love. But I'm not going to place it on your finger. I'm not going to ask you to marry me because I - because I don't want to make empty any promises. I can't promise you anything. I can't promise you that we'll be always together. At least not yet. First, I have to put an end to Voldemort. Then, I need to fix some identity issues and change some stars alignments…And you will probably want to free the elves first, then I'm sure you'll want to go to a Muggle college to have the best education both worlds can give …I'm still not sure if I want to be a Quidditch star or a Auror or…Well, there's also the Order and you - you will probably be the next Minister of Magic or something like that. And finally, it'll probably take me a couple of years to build up the courage to talk with your parents and ask for your hand from your father…So, yep, after we have solved all these little problems, when we have our entire future before us, when I can finally get down on my knees and ask you to spend the rest of your life with me…when I'm sure I can promise you forever…then I put this ring on your finger. And nothing nor anyone will ever keep us apart."

Hermione was crying again. He caught one of her tears with his thumb, a bittersweet smile curving his lips . "But until then…" A chain appeared, threaded through the ring "Until then, I want you to keep this. I want it to remind you that I will always yours no matter what…" He unclasped the catch as. Hermione held her hair up from her neck. "To remind us what we are fighting for. Let this be the symbol of our hope…our hope for our future…our forever."

She let her hair fall back down, and she turned back to face him, her hand going to hold the ring. Her eyes searched his.

"Will you be mine?" he asked gently.

She caressed his face. "I'm already yours."

He brought her hand to his lips to kiss the palm.

"Forever," he whispered.

She smiled and took off his glasses, watching the love reflecting in his beautiful green eyes.

"Forever," she whispered back.

They kissed, falling down to the bed of petals.

Neither one saw the colorful aura emanating from his glasses or the inscription that became visible on the ring. They were too busy.

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A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF SEVENTH YEAR.

HOGWARTS' HALLS.

They were running hard and one could suppose they were running away from mortal danger or, considering who they were, in its direction. However, that was not what they were doing.

They stopped at a corner, laughing…

"Did you see his face?"

"It was priceless…"

"I wished I had a camera..."

"I still can't believe I let you two talk me into this…You know Snape is going to kill us, right?"

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione, wide grins spread across their faces, as they listened to her protest.

After a moment, the trio burst into laughter.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. She shook her head. "You two are going to be the death of me, I just know that."

The boys didn't even seem to hear her. They were still having a good laugh at Snape's expense.

She sighed. "Okay, guys. That's enough. I need to go to - Harry? Ron? Are you listening to me? I said I'll be in the li - Hey, haven't you two got a Quidditch practice today?"

Ron and Harry froze, mid-laugh. She had said the magical word. The one that would always command their attention: Quidditch.

The young wizards turned tp stare in horror at one another. The practice. Bollocks!… How could they have forgotten about practice?

"We have to go." They hurriedly said in unison, each one placing a quick kiss on each of her cheeks.

Hermione got a little dizzy at their speedy action. "Er…okay, then. I'll be in the library."

"Right. We'll meet you later at dinner," Ron yelled as he and Harry disappeared around the corner.

Hermione stood there for a moment, staring bemusedly at the bricks of the wall. She chuckled at herself and then turned to head in the library's direction.

"Hermione!"

She saw him running towards her, alone…

He stood before her, gasping to catch his breath as he looked into her eyes.

"What is it, Harry?"

"I forgot to tell you something."

"What --" Before she had the chance to ask what he was about, he presented her with the most passionate of the kisses…

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AN HOUR LATER.

HOGWART'S LIBRARY…

She closed a book and put it aside, picking a new one from the mountain of books on her table. She had just opened the tome when it happened.

A sudden coldness. A shiver. A scream. All her fears, all her ghosts were coming back to haunt her. She had never felt so sad, so alone, so empty inside…

But in the middle of this darkness and coldness, a sweet memory shared with Harry flashed through…A pink aura engulfed her, pushing her ghosts away.

She jumped up from her seat. She stared at the empty library. The air was frosty.

"ARRGHH!" Echoes of screams broke the silence of the place.

She drew her wand and ran.

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QUIDDITCH PITCH…

Their practice had been cut short.

Their broomsticks lay scattered across the grass as they stood still in the center of the field, staring at the figure before them.

"Hello, Potter. How are you doing?"

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team was face to face to Lord Voldemort. Once known as Tom Marvolo Riddle. Once a Hogwarts' pupil like them.

"Ah, dearest Hogwarts. How I've missed this place. I owe everything to this school. After all, Hogwarts has made me who I am…"

A fog suddenly engulfed the Hogwarts grounds. The water of the lake changed to a deep red color.

"So quiet, Potter. What is it? Don't tell me you are upset just because I interrupted your little game with your friends…?"

A sudden coldness swept across the stadium. Dementors flew across the Quidditch pitch to surround the students. Death Eaters Apparated in the stands.

" I'm apologize for the inconvenience, you know, but I got tired of waiting for you…"

Zombies crawled out of the earth and trolls banged their clubs against the castle's doors.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Potter, but I've comes to finish the war. I have destroyed cities, attacked Muggles, and even killed your friends. And still no sign of you…"

The doors were staved in. The Dementors dived, crossing into the castle's entrance. Death Eaters Apparated into Hogwarts Great Hall. Screams came from the castle interior and reached their ears.

"Isn't that music to you, Potter?"

Voldemort raised his greenly glowing wand.

Harry stood mute and stared at Voldemort. He had sensed the presence of the Dark Lord previous and had landed on the field to let go of his Firebolt. He kept the same blank and emotionless face. Dull eyes, lips sealed, not even a wrinkle in his brow to show any reaction.

"Harry?"

"Not now, Ron," he gritted from between his teeth, eyes fixed on his enemy.

"But Hermione --"

"Don't worry about her."

"But --"

"Ron, do me a favor, okay?"

"What?"

"Run."

As he spoke, Voldemort sent a blast of a deadly energy at them. Harry raised his hands and stopped the blast with his palms. Ron grabbed his little sister's hand and ran toward the stands with the rest of the team following suit, while Harry struggled to contain Voldemort's attack.

However, the team didn't get far as the Death Eaters who were in the stands Apparated down stop them.

The battle began in earnest then.

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Chaos.

The scene was one nobody has never dreamed of seeing…at least not inside Hogwarts' safe walls.

Students running in fear, yelling in despair as Dementors, Death Eaters, Zombies, Banshees, Trolls, Evil Beasts and Low-Level Demons popped up everywhere.

The paintings were stabbed and their frames violently pulled away from the walls. The ghosts were trying to protect the students from the attacks but all the curses passed right through them. All the arms and statues were awakened and in combat with the enemies.

Professor McGonagall was transfigurating chairs, tables, carpets and every other piece of furniture into a walking army. Professor Snape was busy dueling five Death Eaters at the same time. Firenze was trapped by a group of Demons. Seventh-year students held a line of protection in front of the youngster students, using all the hexes they could master as elves popped in and out rescuing the students.

"Petrificus Totalus"

A panting Hermione went to the crying first years who had been threatened by the Death Eaters that she had just downed.

"Are you alright?"

The kids nodded slowly, still shaking with fear.

"Hermione! Watch out!"

Hearing Dean Thomas' scream, she turned. A horrible troll was charging at her and the kids. He roared and swung his club in the air. The kids cried out, terrified. Hermione just pursed her lips and brought her hand to her hip. "Is that all you can do? Please, I'm not eleven anymore." And with a flick of her wand, the troll was felled and dropped like a stone. Hermione turned back to the first years, smiling. "See how it pays to be a good student?" She winked at them, which brought back smiles to their faces. But unfortunately their smiles didn't last long as the wails of the banshees echoed, breaking the glass in the windows and making all the students wince in pain.

"Quick!" Neville shouted, emerging from a secret passage on the wall. "This way!"

All present in the room didn't be told twice, following Neville's lead and entering the passage. All except one.

"Hermione, come on. We don't have much time."

"Go ahead. I need to find Harry."

"NO." Neville grabbed her arm. Hermione looked down at his hand on her arm then met his eyes. She didn't like what she found there. "You'll only be in his way."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't let Harry face him alone."

"You have to."

"He's not ready."

"None of us are. Look around you, Hermione. There's no Order, no Aurors, no Army of Light to save us. Hogwarts' Magical defenses are down. There is evil creatures Apparating in every corner. Still, we can't Apparate. We are trapped."

"What about Dumbledore?"

"I don't know. I have no idea where he is. We are on our own. And, honestly, I don't know what more to do. There are too many of them. We need you here, Hermione. You are the Head Girl. The students need your help."

"No, they don't. They have you."

"Me? Haven't you listened what I said? I can't handle this alone."

"Yes, you can. It is in you, Neville. It has always been in you." She placed her hand on his cheek. "Just let them see who Neville Longbottom really is."

Neville stared at her. "I --"

Hermione felt a cold shiver run through her body.

All of sudden, she pushed Neville inside the passage and closed the door on his face and leant against it. She could hear Neville's struggling on the other side, desperately calling her name.

She saw her breath cloud in the air as the temperature in the room dropped drastically.

A dozen of Dementors had arrived in the room.

"Oh, hey guys," she chuckled. "I'm so happy to see you." She raised her wand and the shining otter crossed the chamber.

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Meanwhile…

The Quidditch Pitch had become a battlefield with curses cutting through the air in all the directions as Ron and the rest of the team fought the Death Eaters for their own lives and Harry fought Voldemort for all life.

Harry couldn't hold Vodemort's attacks back any longer. The spell hit him in the chest and he fell down on his knees. His scar was glowing.

"ARRGHH!!!"

"You disappoint me, Potter. You're not even trying."

Voldemort threw another curse. Harry's body was levitated in the air as a volley of dark energy engulfed him.

"AAAHHHHHHH!"

"Come on, Potter. We both know you can do better than this."

Harry's eyes, flashed. The energy surrounding him changed to a greenish hue before evaporating. He landed on his feet, glaring at Voldemort. Stretching out his arms, lightning bolts came out of his hands to strike the Dark Lord.

"I mean much better than that, Potter." The dark Lord used his wand to absorb the lightning attack and sent it back at Harry, who was knocked backwards by his own magic.

He screamed in pain. His scar was bleeding.

"So much pain…You know you can stop it. Why do you resist? Do you like to feel it? Pain? I see. You have got used to it, like them. All these years. All the pain I have inflicted to you through those years… all these invisible scars. Isn't it funny, boy? I have made you a strong human being. Although we can't really say that humans are strong, can we? Too many weaknesses. And we both know your weakness, don't we, Potter?"

Voldemort turned his gaze to the centre of the field. Harry followed his glance. Hermione was standing there.

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She felt dizzy. She couldn't understand. One minute she was fighting Dementors, the next she was on the Quidditch Pitch.

In front of her the Quidditch team was engaged in a furious battle against some Death Eaters. Hexes were flying about like fireworks.

In the middle of the chaos, Ron's eyes found hers, then they seemed to move to gaze at something behind her shoulder. His eyes widened.

Hermione turned abruptly. At the other side of the pitch she saw Harry down on his knees and the tip of Voldemort's wand pointed to send a curse in her direction.

The time seemed slowed as she watched the actions and reactions around her occur.

Voldemort's evil laugh echoed across the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione found Harry's eyes. His emerald orbs didn't transmit any kind of alarm as Ron did. They reflected serenity, peace, and love…

A love that pushed all Hermione's fears aside. And as the blast flew through the air at her, Harry and Hermione seemed to forget about their external situation and peril. It was as if all the danger and death around them had ceased to be and only they remained; only them and their love for each other existed at that moment.

"ARGH!!!"

They both were suddenly jerked out of their own world as Ron pushed Hermione of the way and received the curse in her place.

Hermione gasped in horror as their friend's face contorted in agony and his body slowly fell motionless to the ground.

"NOOOO!" Harry screamed. The Gryffindor sword appeared magically in his hand. He immediately jumped to his feet, his green aura flaming high and strong..

Hermione fell to her knee beside Ron's body.

"RON! Ron, wake up! Ron! Ron, please don't do this to me." She was sobbing uncontrollably. " No, Ron. Please. WAKE UP. RON!"

Ginny cried out. She wanted to be there at her brothers' side but a Death Eater stopped her. The rest of the team was also unable to move as the Death Eaters kept their wands pointed at their heads.

The blade of the Gryffindor sword found the wood of the powerful wand Voldemort carried. Strong sparks of energy were emitted by this strike.

"Now, this is what I was talking about, boy. Yes, let all that fury flows."

A blinding flash of light engulfed Harry and Voldemort, followed by a large explosion of magic. Harry's body was once again tossed through the air. The arc of his body went higher and farther until it met the stands…and destroyed thm… his body falling together with the debris of the structure, burying him.

"YOU MONSTER."

A enraged Hermione ran towards Voldermort. He just chuckled as he grabbed her by the throat and raised her off her feet effortlessly.

Hermione started to choke.

However, underneath her cloak, and underneath her school robes, the ring that lay on her chest pulsated.

"ARGH!"

This time the scream of agony came from Voldemort as the hand around Hermione's neck burned. He released her and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Voldemorts' hand and arm disintegrated in a pink flash. He stared at her in shock and fury as a new arm started slowly growing to replace the lost one.

"It seems that Potter hasn't left you unprotected after all. Now I see why he didn't even flinch at my . Too bad he didn't warn your friend about it though. It's such a pity, don't you think? That he died in vain?"

Hermione sobbed as she looked at a motionless Ron and then back at the pile of broken and splintered timber - no sign of Harry. She knew she had to do something, just grab her wand and try any kind of curse she knew. She knew she had to wipe that smile of Voldemort's off his face …even if she knew nothing she could would even affect the dark wizard, she had to do something, but all she could think about was the motionless Ron and Harry under...

"This is more entertaining than I could've imagined." He turned and signaled to a couple of Death Eaters. "Take her. This will be fun."

The Death Eaters grabbed Hermione by both arms, snatched her wand from her nerveless grasp and brought her to her feet. She struggled a little but was still too disoriented to process any coherent thought., She couldn't even remember any proper charms to use against the enemy…She was lost. Lost without them.

It was in that moment that she saw Dumbledore's figure, masked partly by the shadows of the stands, just watching. There was not even a wand in his hand…

And then she understood. She understood that he didn't need a wand because he was not going to help them. She understood. She understood everything.

She struggled violently to get free of the Death Eaters hold, but it was too late. In a blink of an eye, she was no longer at Hogwarts.

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Mr. Archibald Broom: Brave Wizard and Auror

That was the inscription she read on the gravestone before her. A cemetery? Voldemort had brought her to a cemetery. Why?

Apparently she was not the only one who was wondering that.

"Master, why are we here? You have killed Potter. There's nothing else to stand in our way. I can take the girl with me, I can kill her for you with just a curse and then we can --"

Voldemort stopped walking amongst the graves. He glared at the Death Eater who was on her right. "Who do you think you are? Who are you to question my actions? You pathetic human, do you really think the boy is dead?"

"But he -- I saw…"

"What did you see? What do you think you saw? Do you really think some pieces of wood are going to stop Harry Potter? Do you think if he is smashed and crushed to pieces he is going to die? Do you think if there is no air for him to breath and his heart stops beating, he will die? Do you think he is like you?"

Voldemort pointed his wand at the Death Eater's chest. "Twice I cast Avadra Kedrava on him and he didn't die. Tell me, do you think you will have the same luck?"

The Death Eater at Hermione's right released her arm and stepped back in alarm. All Hermione saw was a flash of green as the curse hit him. He slumped to the ground with a choked cry and was silent.

The other Death Eater let go of her, crying out and kneeling and trying to awaken the other.

"Father…Father." The Death Eater took off his mask. It was Draco Malfoy. And he was crying. He pushed the mask of the motionless Death Eater aside to reveal the wide, sightless eyes of Lucius Malfoy. The pale grey eyes only reflected the agony of his last moments of life and Draco closed his father's eyes gently. The elder Malfoy was dead.

Hermione knew she should have run then, Apparated, done something…anything, because it was her chance to escape…However, she stayed still and watched as Draco Malfoy cried for the loss of his father…as he demanded to know the reason.

"WHY? Why did you kill him? My father was loyal to you. He has been a loyal follower for you since the beginning. How could you do that?"

"Because his life meant nothing to me. Life means nothing to me. Your father was just a fool. Just as fool as you and all the others who followed me. You father was never loyal to me. He wanted power and I gave it to him. It was a business, a game of interests. And now that I'm so close to getting what I want, I don't need him anymore. I don't need any of you. The game is over."

Lord Voldemort raised his powerful and indestructible wand, aiming at Malfoy. A sparkling green aura emanated from it. Magic crackled in the air like a strong current of electricity and…

Hermione jumped in front of Draco. Actually, she jumped on him, knocking him down to the grassy earth.

Once again the ring pulsated and a pink aura engulfed her, repelling the curse.

A perplexed Draco stared into the eyes of the girl who had saved him, trying to understand why; why she had saved him after all he did.

"Why?" he asked in a whisper.

Hermione only smiled sadly at him.

Voldemort cleaned his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt this romantic moment, but your boyfriend will soon be here to rescue you? I don't think he will be very pleased if he found you in a compromising position."

Hermione glared at the Dark Lord. She stood up, and helped Draco do the same. "You can't hurt me."

Voldemort smirked. "Yes, I can't kill you. He made sure of that. But you know what? I know someone who can."

"NAGINI."

The end of a giant tail came out of the darkness and whipped around Hermione. Its passage threw Draco several yards and his head struck a gravestone. He fell unconscious.

The tail wrapped Hermione tightly in its coils. She screamed as the abrasive skin rasped her, making the girl feel as if her skin was being sanded off. She screamed again as a sharp electrical shock struck. The girl's blue aura flared around her and then Hermione felt faint as the serpent skin started sucking away her magic and her life force.

"Take your time, Nagini. We wouldn't want Potter to miss this now, would we? And when he arrives, we will rewrite history."

The cold blade of the Gryffindor sword lanced through the Dark Lord's body. He staggered forward a step and then turned abruptly.

"So let's start rewriting this thing," spat Harry. The Boy Who Lived seemed more like The Boy Ready to Kill. There was no light in his eyes, no remorse in his countenance. All his innocence was gone. His body language and attitude screamed for blood…like a savage hunter ready to indulge a long predatory hunt before finally finishing off his prey.

With his pale hands, Lord Voldemort gripped the blade and pushed it out of his body, leaving behind a large gash. The Gryffindor sword clattered melodically as it landed on a marble tomb.

A sinister smile crossed Voldemort's lips as the wound slowly disappeared. His eyes met Harry's. "Is this all you can do, Oh Mighty One?"

"Harry…"

Harry turned to Hermione when he heard her. For a moment all around him stopped as he saw flashes of his nightmare. Nagini, Hermione…It was all already happening. NO!!! He had to stop it. He couldn't lose control. He had to be strong for both of them. He had to do whatever it took to stop his nightmare from becoming reality.

He stepped a pace toward the serpent, but in a blink, Voldemort was before him, obstructing the way. He gave Voldemort a stony glare. "LET. HER. GO."

You Know Who answered with another sinister smile. A dark aura engulfed his wand that morphed into a sword. Voldemort swung it in the air.

"Do you recognize it, boy? The most powerful of the swords…"

Harry narrowed his eyes. In a blink the Gryffindor sword glowed and sailed back to Harry's grasp. The cold metal of both swords clashed, sparks of magical energy showering from both blades. The sword battle had begun.

"Let her go, Tom. This is between you and me," Harry yelled as he glanced at Hermione and saw that her deep blue aura had faded to a pale blue. He was losing her.

"No, Harry, this has never been between you and me. You made it that way. You put her into this."

Nagini's tail tightened the grip around Hermione's torso.

"AHHHH!!!"

Harry grimaced, trying to control his emotions…if only he could kill that damn snake…

"But you can't, can you, Potter? Yes, I know what is in your mind. You are letting your defenses down. Soon you will be handing me all your powers on a silver platter…unless, of course, you don't care about the girl…but then again we both know this is not true…we both know that she means everything to you…that you would sacrifice everything for her. After all you had done this before, hadn't you?"

SLASH!

Voldemort's head rolled on the ground.

Harry sprinted towards Hermione but the giant serpent moved its tail, lifting Hermione in the air.

A furious Harry turned around, his cold eyes scanning the area as he followed the giant tail that covered almost all the cemetery.

"RELEASE HER NOW, I COMMAND YOU."

The head of the serpent rose, nearly obscuring the entire horizon. Harry's glacial eyes met the snake's even colder stare. The giant serpent hissed, her long tongue flicking in the air.

"I DON'T OBEY YOU, WARRIOR… I NO LONGER FOLLOW THE RULESSSSSS FROM ABOVE…"

"Do you rather follow him instead? He had given you a name. He treats you like a pet. You that is not even a who. You are One of the Seven."

"AND WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? HARRY POTTER? SSSSSSSS…. DO YOU THINK THESSSSE HUMAN FEELINGSSSSS ARE A GRACE? THEY ARE NOT. THEY ARE A PLAGUE. HUMANSSSSS ARE A PLAGUE. THEY HAVE INFESSSSTED THIS WORLD AND IT ISSSSS MY JOB ASSSS A GUARDIAN TO GET RID OF THEM."

"No, you --"

Now it was Harry who stabbed in the back… Harry eyes went wide and then immediately they were turned into two big jade orbs…As Voldemort's blade punctured his body and soul…

Behind him, Voldemort's laugh echoed… Thunderclouds formed in the sky. The rumbling of thunder got mixed with You Know Who's laughter.

Harry was struck by lightning then. The lightning sparks danced around hid body, traveling through the swords blade and electrocuting Vodemort, who immediately took the sword out as a jade aura exploded around Harry.

A brightly black aura engulfed the Dark Lord, protecting him of Harry's flaming energy.

The earth trembled…Draco Malfoy woke up with a powerful headache. He watched the scene in utter shock. He couldn't believe in his own eyes. It was all too surreal, even for the Wizarding World.

Draco looked up and saw Hermione's pale figure still in the serpen's coilst. She was fighting to keep her eyes open and fighting to breathe. Meanwhile, an immense blast of black energy clashed against a jade one in the sky. Both blasts had the same intensity…it was impossible for either side to win, they were too evenly matched. Malfoy's gaze finally rested on his father body and all the pain came back; pain mixed with a huge amount of rage. He clenched his wand and ran in You Know Who's direction, screaming like a banshee.

"VOLDEMORT"

Both auras faded as Harry and Voldemort turn their heads, gazing at Mayfoy's approaching figure.

"Now, if you'll excuse me just a moment, Potter. It seems that I forgot to kill someone," Voldemort Disapparated.

Harry rolled his eyes and also Disapparated.

Voldemort Apparated back right behind Malfoy. "Looking for me."

Draco eyes were wide opened. He could feel the weight of Voldemort's sword on his shoulder and so he closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

Voldemort's head rolled to the ground again. Harry grabbed Malfoy by the collar and the two Disapparated.

They Apparated at the other side of the cemetery. "What do you think you're doing?" A furious Harry pushed Draco, who fell on the ground.

Draco, still furious, glared at Harry. "What am I doing? What do you think you are doing? I didn't ask for you help, scar-head. I'm going to kill the Dark Lord myself He killed my father," he yelled.

"Yeah, well, welcome to the club." Harry yelled back. "Now stay out of the way."

Malfoy stood up. "You can't stop me. I'm going to make him pay for what he did."

Once again, Harry grabbed him by the collar. "Now, listen to me, you stupid moron. My best friend is probably dead. The woman I love is dying and the only way to save her is giving Voldemort the power to destroy this world or I must destroy the world myself. And here I am, losing precious tim etrying to save your pale arse, ferret boy. The truth is I should kill you myself but, unfortunately, I'm the good guy here. But you know what they say; you can't really save someone unless they want to be saved. So, if you want to die -- You and I both know you don't stand a chance against him -- Go ahead. I won't stop you, or him. I have bigger things to worry about."

Malfoy stared dumbfounded as Harry finished.

Voldemort Apparated only ten feet away from them, massaging the back of his neck. "This is starting to annoy me, boy. This decapitation thing you keep doing hurts, you know?"

Voldemort raised his sword, that glowed black.

Harry let go of Draco and pushed him forward. "Go on, this is your chance. Kill him. Have your revenge."

Draco gulped as he looked into Voldemort's unnatural eyes. The blade started descending.

Malfoy was frozen.

Another blade intercepted The Dark Lord's one. Harry and Voldemort resumed their sword fight.

Malfoy watched the scene, trying to remember how to breath again.

Voldemort smirked as he scored a hit on Harry and saw the wound begin to immediately heal. "You know you can't beat me, Potter, just as much as I know I can't beat you. We can stay here fighting for an eternity…but I don't think the girl will live this longer…"

Harry looked up at Hermione. His heart bled for her, for them.

"Give up, Potter. Give me what I want and the girl will live."

Harry frowned. He raised his hand and a lightning struck again, at the same place. The earth trembled all over again. Harry glared at Voldemort, sending a lightning blast at him. A black bubble engulfed Voldemort repelling the attack. Harry's eyes morphed to a jade tone again and his aura increased considerably, breaking through the black one and turning Voldemort into dust.

The jade aura around Harry was absorbed in the blade of the Gryffindor sword. He turned and faced the serpent head again, charging at the creature like a raving lunatic, ready to finish it as well.

The serpent just stared at him.

'Don't…'

Harry froze. The sword was only one inch away from slicing the serpent in two.

'Hermione?'

He saw her fragile figure. She was too weak. The aura surrounding her was a pale grey. She had passed out.

'Don't do this, Harry.'

Harry flew up, so he could be closer to her. He reached his hand to touch her but he received an electric shock… Green Lightning shot from Harry's eyes as his aura burgeoned around him…

'I can't lose you.'

Harry slowly descended. When his feet touched the ground…The earth trembled again… a giant fissure split the cemetery in too.

'You will never lose me.'

Flames leaped from the fissure, reaching toward the sky. And as quick as it came, the fire was sucked back…but not only the fire was being pulled into the fissure…trees, the land around, coffins came out of the ground as it heaved under the force coming from the fissure.

'No, I won't accept that.'

Draco deperately clung to the edge of a gravestone, his legs swinging in the air like a doll from the rushing pull of the ravine. He could barely see what is happening… Harry was emitting a blinding aura, almost as blinding as the sun. He couldn't look directly at him without dark spots clouding his vision.

Draco felt that he couldn't hold on any longer. He was going to be sucked in , he was sure as his grip slipped free. He was shocked when he crashed against someone else and the pull disappeared. He looked up. Snape looked down at him. Draco blinked. He got up and found that Professor McGonagall, Sirius and Professor Dumbledore were also there. A red aura engulfed them all, protecting them from the magical chaos around.

SQUEAK !

Fawkes was flying above them.

"HARRY!" Sirius screamed.

SQUEAK!

"Harry, if you don't stop now, it will be the end of all of us," said Professor McGonagall.

SQUEAK!

A thunderbolt split the sky. All that had been sucked into the air suddenly fell back to earth. The aura around Harry faded, but behind his spectacles his eyes were still two big glowing jade orbs.

"I don't have any other choice," Harry said huskily.

"Yes, you have," Dumbledore said, approaching him and handing in a flask of potion.

The Gryffindor sword clattered to the ground. Harry took the potion in his hands. and stared down at the flask. His messy raven hair fell across his brow and covered his eyes.

Dumbledore, Minerva, Severus, Sirius and Draco -- all of them had their eyes fixed on Harry James Potter, waiting for something from their hero, waiting for a word that would determine the whole future of everything and everyone.

What they heard was a man sobbing.

Harry looked up. His eyes back to normal. His tears rolled down his face. "It's not fair. We had so many hopes. We were going to get married. We were going to start a family. I would have finally had a family of my own. We would lived happily ever after…"

A swirl of dust danced in the air. Voldemort puffed back into existence. He stared at the small crowd gathered at the cemetery.

"Well, Well, Well. What is this? A party? Are we celebrating something? The end of the World maybe?"

Harry looked at him. All his sorrow, all his angry, all his loathing reflected in that look. "Go to Hell," he said to him before breaking the flask in his hand. The pieces of glass cut though his skin and the potion got into his blood, into his veins, circulating through his whole body.

He chanted the spell.

Harry's scar glowed…his green aura gave way to a pink one. Blasts of this pink aura were sucked from Harry's body and danced all around like fingers of light from the early dawn. The light wove a web in the sky…

"What? No! What are you doing, Potter?" Voldemort yelled, as the pink laces looped around him…

SSSSSSSSSS….

Fawkes dived, attacking the serpent.

Nagini got agitated when attacked by the bird, which made her free Hermione. Sirius ran and caught her.

The two creatures disappeared in a red vortex.

Harry felt numb. Eyes closed, he fell to his knees…the pink aura still exploding from him…

In Sirius arms, Hermione opened her eyes briefly. She saw pink flashes flashing through the sky. She felt a warming aura all around. Her vital forces already coming back to her.

"Harry…" Her mouth was dry…She coughed a little. She could breathe again.

'I will remember you, Hermione.'

Hermione gasped. Reality hit her…She struggled and Sirius put her down on her feet…She saw Harry was the source of the pink flashes of aura. The spell… She tried to run but she was still too weak. She stumbled, and almost fell and Sirius once more helped her.

"Harry!" she screamed.

Harry opened his eyes and their eyes locked…and there was so much love reflected on that look. So many things yet to be said…A life once lived…A life they would still live. That secret promise was there again. The secret held deep in their eyes and their souls. The secret they didn't remember but their souls did. He was crying and so was she. The world was crying…once more.

"NO. NOOO. YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, POTTER. YOU CAN'T." Voldemort screamed desperately as the pink aura engulfed him, locking him in a pink bubble.

The bubble floated to the fissure. "THIS IS NOT OVER YET, POTTER. I'LL BE IN YOUR DREAMS. I'LL BE IN YOUR NIGHTMARES. AND THEN I'LL BE BACK. AND THE NIGHTMARES WILL COME TRUE."

The bubble fell into the fissure. Earth quaked and the fissure sealed.

'I will remember you.'

Harry smiled sadly at her. She could hear his words on her mind and feel his love on her heart, on all her being. He closed his eyes once more and the pink aura covered everything...

'I love you'

"Harry! Noooo!" she cried out as the bright aura covered her and Sirius. The ring pulsated again, glowing on his own.

'Forever'

A pink explosion.

*********************************************************************

To my reviewers:

DreamingHP -- Er... okay. So, here is the update .

h/hr4ever -- Oh, you read it all again? Well, you must really liked it. Thank you. You have probably seen things that you didn't in the first time, didn't you? Sorry for let you all hanging...I swear, it has never been my intention...

mila -- Hey, mila. Don't worry I will end this fic...it's just that real life is a bit chaotic so...it will take some time. You guys just have to have a little faith and patience. Thanks about your kind words. I loved your 'I guess without pain we wont be able to appreciate the happiness and beauty of it' line. It's really interesting because in this chapter I have mentioned something about pain, with almost the same concept, but not really too explicit.

Nari -- You don't really need to shut up your mouth, you know. Or stop worrying about the end...Be yourself. J Although, I have good laughs at the image of you zipping you mouth. I could really see it in my mind. Very funny.

Grace Granger -- Er... sorry about that. I swear it has never been in my agenda to kill my readers...Well, at least you say it is in a good way...I just hope it's not too painful...

Davaca -- Sorry. I guess my 'interruptions' as you describe it. Just come with the packet. I'm a really fan of this genrer of writting in which the author had his own voice, stopping the story so he could talk to the reader. Actually, one of the master of this techinique here in Brazil is the author of the quote in the beginning of this chapter.

Dark Soul -- Thank you for all the compliments. It is also good to know that someone find the flashbacks not so confusing... It makes me fell...hmm...How can I say it? Less crazy? I found your wordplay very interesting: 'Forever Happy' Perhaps, I can use this as the title of the final chapter. Or perhaps 'Forever Unhappy' is a suitable title. Ha, just kidding...or not.

Spartacus -- Hey. Do you really think Dumbledore is orchestrating a happy ending for Harry and Hermione? If he is, he sure has a very weird way to do that, don't you think? Hmm...but who knows...maybe there's still hope for the old wizard...although I got to say I have some personal satisfaction when I wrote the scene in which Harry punched Dumbledore's face. Oh, yeah...just wait and see.

Now, about Draco. I guess you will have to wait a little longer to know the answers to your questions. I'm actually still writting the chapter that deals with this. Although, you have seen in this last chapter how Hermione and Harry had 'saved' Draco. There is still some things that have to be explained as the strange relationship Draco and Hermione have built during the last 3 years... I used the term 'relationship' because I'm still not sure if we can call it 'friendship'. Do you remember what Hermione told Dobby? That line says a lot...

_DaNnY_ -- Write another fic??? Soon??? Oh no, please , don't do this to me. I can barely finish this one... I guess if you got disappointed that the last chapter was just memories...hmm, you probably didn't like the one above .... I'm sorry but it had to be done. Some things had to be explained and demonstrated before Harry faced himself, Dumbledore, Nagini, Hermione, Voldemort, Ron -- and..er...the rest of the world, literately. Anyway, don't worry...the chapter when we see Harry in action is finished. But as you have already learned you'll have to wait. But here is a small tease, one of the strongest lines in the HarryXDumbledore:

"Don't. I warned you. Don't ask me to understand. You were young? Right... Look, around you, professor. These students are all young but none of them released a Guardian crazy for revenge because of that. You freed Nagini because you were no better than Tom. And that's why he feared you. Because he knew you were just like him. The scum of mankind."

LilytheSpitfire -- Well, this is a new first. No one have ever congratulate me for a cliffie before. Thank you.

Willow -- Wow, Willow... your review was so beautiful, so poetic... Thank you. Thank you very much. I loved it.

Shellbell18 -- Well, you are probably as disappointed as Danny after realizing that we are still in the remembering fase of the fic. Now, about your question...Once Harry remembers, the others will still be in the dark for a little longer...until Harry and Hermione are reunited.

Mippet -- Thanks

Truxy -- Hey, Truxy. Of course I remember you. I missed you and your really big and detailed reviews. They used to be a real inspiration. I'm glad that we found each other again. Hope to hear more from you.

Leprechaun -- I hope you have the time to read all the story...

Anonymous -- Thank you.

Tabtioo -- Yep. I'm still here. I guess I'm just not a 'given up' kind of girl...or, maybe, I am just simply crazy.

jaqen -- I was happy to know that you liked the quote... yeah, it almost made me wish to have a memory loss, too. Thank you for reviewing.

Anonymous (2) -- Thank you.

khermione85626 -- Oh....the super long reviews. How I love them...thank you for letting me know the impact my fic have on you. By the way, that Draco line is one of my favourites.

CatiannaGranger -- So, now that you have read the spell flashback, what do you think? Was it sad?

Psy_Girl -- My number one fan? Really? Well, I'm flattered. Thanks for all you compliments and kind words. Are you a Latin American, too? And yes, we chicos and chicas also know how to write...although my english sucks. I hope you keep enjoying the fic. 'Obrigada for reading this '.

Danielerin -- Hey! Loved your review...so many things to write about that I don't even know what to tell you...Hmm, first, well, Harry is sure gonna be pissed off, when he wakes up from his nightmare, just to find himself in another. And yes, Hermione is very strong, absolute in her love and all of that but, you see, there's just so much one can take...Hermione is almost reaching her breaking point...and she will fall sooner that you think... What can I tell you about Neville? I always had a thing for this character... Now, about romantic Harry...I wonder what you thought about the proposal disaster. And who told you they didn't spoke for a whole month? No, their friendship although shaken up and a slight uncomfortable at the beginning was 'on' since the boys departure in the tower... when Hermione asked Ron: 'Are we okay?" She didn't mean only the both of them. She meant them as whole. She meant the trio....

Nanopy -- Well, here is the chapter...

shetan83 -- About all the technical stuff you mentioned..they are really very technical, aren't they? I don't really remember everything about the books, I have read them only once. Sometimes I check them for one information or another but that is very rare. Anyway, I don't remember JKR mentioning more about Hogwarts security system...all I know is that people can't apparate at Hogarts because of the anti -apparation charms, now who put them on I don't know...you said it was the founders, was it really them? Anyway...I believe any security system, magical or not can be broken... I never said Dumbledore carried a password to turn on or off the charms, did I? I said he put them down...How? Now, that is probably trully gonna be forever a secret...

And about the apparation of many people...well my Super Harry can. And, well, I don't think JKR mentioned anything about it, or have she? If she does, pehaps you could point the book passage out for me. What I have in mind is that apparating is so difficult that is not recommended to try and apparate someone with you...and that's why most of the people can't do it.

Anyway, thank you for the compliments. And thank you for reviewing.

Now for all of those who reviewed at fanfiction.net: thank you. Unfortunately I cannot answer your reviews because for some unknown reason my fic was removed from fanfiction.net and I lost all my reviews there...But if you guys have any answer, please, just contact me through e-mail.