Unofficial Portkey Archive

Title: Forever a Secret (08)
Author name: LittleWitch
Author email: littlewitch_br@hotmail.com
Category: Angst
Sub Category: Romance
Keywords: Book 5 AU
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OoTP
Summary: "It is dark in here since he's gone; since it's all gone. I think the worst part is knowing --knowing what you'd rather forget -- But you chose to remember. Because although it hurts, you need those memories…Just to remember why you are still breathing..."
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. Also, I don't own the movie titles nor the lyrics of the following songs.
Scene I - Someday performed by Nickelback
Scene II - A whisper performed by Coldplay
SceneIII - Unwell performed by Matchbox 20
SceneIV - In my place performed by Coldplay
Scene V - Little by Little performed by Oasis
Scene VI - Everybody Hurts performed by REM
Scene VII - Offer performed by Alanis Morissette
Scene VIII - Behind Blue Eyes performed by Limp Bizkit
Scene IX - I'm with you performed by Avril Lavigne
Scene X - May it be performed by Enya
Scene XI - King of Sorrow performed by Sade

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WARNING: References to Book 5. AU.

Thanks to Anne and Vanessa for the beta-help.

Thanks to all of you whose reviews are a real inspiration.

And thanks to phoenixwriter and Nanya for their songs suggestions.

Chapter 8: Scenes (Part I)

"Destiny is the force that some people think controls what happens in the future, and which cannot be influenced by people."

-- Cambridge International Dictionary of English

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

Have you ever had the impression that your life is like this big motion picture? A selection of scenes passing in Heaven's Theatre, with God and thousand of angels watching it with a giant basket of popcorn on their laps?

So, life is like a movie, right? Where every moment you live is simply a new scene? In some you are laughing, while in others you are crying. Sometimes you can compare your life with a romantic movie, where you think you have found the man of your life, marry him and everything seems perfect.... Other times it can be like a horror movie; like when your mailbox was full of bills to pay, and your son got an F in Math, and you just discovered that the man of your life had been cheating on you with a woman, who was the age to be your daughter. Science fiction, action, adventure -- believe me, there's room for every genre of movie in your life. And perhaps if you are lucky and have a good sense of humor, your life will be more like a comedy.

However, if life was a movie....

Well, have you ever watched some scenes of a movie and had the impression that you had seen it before? That just by watching these familar scenes you would know how it was going to end?

Do you think life is like a movie? Do you think that the 'scenes' we act in or perhaps the circumstances life has sent us and our very predictable reactions to those challenges, leads us to an inevitable end? Do you think that we are truly that predictable? Do you think we follow a script? Do you think you could be the director rather than the actor?

Imagine that you are a movie director and you have to create a film based on a well-known book. The plot is there already,the author has formulated it and all characters. There's an ending that can't be changed and the scenes already written. Do you think that this director can rewrite a scene and the end still be the same the author first wrote? Do you think that a small difference like a cut of a scene or the addiction of one line can change the whole plot? Sometimes yes, sometimes no...What do you think?

The question is: Is a director allowed to do that? Can he just rethink all the author work like that?

Can we?

All right. All right. You must be probably thinking: "But what the hell does all this have to do with the story?" I could probably just answer you with a one simple word: "Everything." But then, some of you might not understand and think that I'm crazy, so let me put in this way.

A motion picture is a set of scenes, played in a set. Life is a set of scenes, with no time for rehersal. Scenes are essential. Sometimes when you change one scene you can change everything. Sometimes you can change all the scenes and change nothing at all.

Harry and Hermione had shared a decade of scenes together. Some scenes were still there, others were erased; secrets -- kept very deeply in their hearts; in particular a secret that had to be kept forever but...

Oh, well, forever can be a long time...

They wanted their scenes back. They wanted their lives back --although one of them was not completely aware that this was what he wanted; that it was what his soul had been screaming for.

Those were some very strange days...days that they shared no scene at all, days where memories and dreams were forgotten and the present only a reminder of the future...

Those were days full of scenes; scenes of life.

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

Scene I. Apocalypse Now (or later)

How the hell we wind up like this
Why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror

Harry staggered backward. He was in excruciating pain. Oxygen was running low in his lungs. All his organs were being smashed to pieces.

"Harry," Ron gasped, noticing something was wrong with his friend. He tried to help Harry, but his hand was burned by the green aura that surrounded Harry.

"HARRY," Ron yelled, but in vain. Harry couldn't hear him -- all he could hear was a soft humming while his scar burned; while his soul was consumed by an inferno.

He was burning; engulfed by green flames.

Nothin's wrong
Just as long as you
Know that someday I will

Ronald stepped back because of the heat and fought to keep his balance as the floor below his feet started to tremble. He, too, was trembling - but in fear, not pain. He was stupefied -- but not because of some hex - he was stupefied by shock. He had no idea how to help Harry and certainly no idea of what was happening to his friend. He couldn't remember anything like this happening to Harry before. He had no idea where all this magical power came from. All he knew was what he was seeing now. And what he was seeing now was his friend burning, melting, his skin disintegrating into the flames...

It was worst than a bloody nightmare.

It must be a bloody nightmare.

So why was he not waking up?

Someone, please, wake him up! Wake him up!

Someday, Somehow
I'm gonna make it alright but not right now
I know your wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)

"HARRY!" Ron screamed, desperately in tears. "HARRY!"

SLAM!

A rainbow of colors exploded around the room. One by one, the seven colors of the rainbow flashed before Ron's eyes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. He saw the seven different magic auras encircling The Green-Flamed-Harry, forming a rainbow around him...

Someday, Somehow
I'm gonna make it alright but not right now
I know your wondering when

And then, everything went dark to Ron.

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

Scene II. The Sixth Sense

"Harry," Hermione gasped, inaudibly.

A whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper
A whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper

She could feel her heart beating - not fast, but in slow motion... Her world was also in slow motion. Her mother was opening and closing her mouth, her words lingering. Hermione looked at the book on her lap, she couldn't see the letters imprinted on the page - it was all blurred.

I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Who remembers your face
Who remember you when you are gone

The train came to a halt.

I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Come back and look for me, look for me
When I am lost

Hermione blinked.

Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper
Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper

And blinked again.

Night turns to day
And I still have these questions
Bridges will break
Should I go forwards or backwards.
Night turns to day,
And I still get no answers

Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper
Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper

The train was still moving. Her mothers' words were echoing normally in her ears.

I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Who remember your face
Who remembers you when you are gone

Her father stretched out a hand to her. "Are you all right, darling?" he asked, concerned about the lost look he saw in her daughters' eyes.

I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks
Come back and look for me, look for me
When I am lost

Hermione, still lost in a stupor of her own, closed the book, and nodded, taking her father's hand.

Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper
Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper

Her father squeezed her hand and smiled at her. She smiled back as an automatic response, because her mind wasn't really there. Her mind was in what she felt just a minute ago. The feeling had been real, too real and too strong. Something had happened back home. Something that shouldn't have - and she was afraid she knew what it was.

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

Scene III. Abre Los Ojos (Vanilla Sky)

"Ron... Ron, wake up."

Ron opened his eyes.

He blinked. His vision was blurred. He blinked again. And things started to take real shapes around him.

All day

Staring at the ceiling making

Friends with shadows on my wall

"Are you alright, Ron?" Harry's question sounded in his ears.

Harry.

Ron's eyes opened wide, as he sat up, shaking. "What happened?"

"I don't know. We were talking and then you were on the floor."

Ron stared at his friend in amazement. Harry was there, kneeling beside him. He was not being consumed by flames. Harry was in one piece: black hair, scar, green eyes and the same old pair of glasses.

All night

I'm hearing voices telling me

That I should get some sleep

Because tomorrow might be good

For something

He hugged Harry tightly.

So everything was indeed a bloody nightmare.

Oh, thanks Merlin, King Arthur and all the Knights of the Round Table...It was all a stupid nightmare.

But...Hold on a second. This is not his room and this is not his bed. It's Harry's alcove in the Order's headquarters and he was on the floor. And this is where he was in his nightmare. No, this is where he really was. He was talking with Harry about Hermione and then...Oh dear, when the reality ended and the nightmare started? Was it all real?

Hold on

I'm feeling like I'm headed for a

Breakdown

I don't know why

"Er...Ron...oxygen is becoming an issue here."

"Oh...oh. Sorry, mate," Ron said, releasing Harry. "I'm... I'm just so glad you are not on fire and melting away."

I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell

I know right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me

Harry arched an eyebrow at this. He stared at Ron. He opened his mouth and seemed about to speak when a third person arrived at the scene.

"Potter?"

Ron and Harry looked up. Mad-Eye Moody was staring at them - Well, at least one his of eyes was as the other seemed to be looking all over the room.

I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be

Harry stood on his feet. "Ah, hello, Moody, I was looking for -- where were you? And where is Sirius? Can you explain who authorized -- "

Talking to myself in public

And dodging glances on the train

"There's something you might want to take a look at for yourself, Potter." Moody stated, cutting off Harry's sentence.

"I --" Harry paused. His eyes met Moody's one and stayed there. For a split second Harry's expression showed a slight change, but it was too subtle for Ron or Moody to notice. "Okay," he nodded to Mad-Eye and then looked down at Ron and stretched out a helping hand to him. "Will you be okay?"

I know

I know they've all been talking 'bout me

I can hear them whisper

And it makes me think there must be something wrong

With me

With Harry's help, Ron got up. "Yeah. I'm fine. You go on."

Harry gave him a lopsided grin and turned to follow Moody.

Ron looked at the now empty alcove around him. Everything seemed pretty normal. He was confused. He scratched the back of his head and --

Out of all the hours thinking

Somehow

I've lost my mind

He looked down at his sleeves. Then he looked again. And again. There were scorch marks on it. Actually, the edge of one of his sleeves was singed. Slowly, Ron turned the palm of his hand and gasped. It was burned.

Holy Shit!

It was no bloody nightmare.

It was a bloody truth.

What the hell was going on here?

I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired

I know right now you don't care

But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be

"Harry! Harry! Hold on a second. Wait for me!" Ron yelled anxiously, as he ran after Harry.

***********

Scene IV. What Lies Beneath

There was nothing left.

In my place, in my place,
Were lines that I couldn't change,
I was lost, oh yeah.

Ron gulped at the sight before him.

He had only caught up with Harry when his friend was already crossing a portkey portal. He followed Harry's action. He had felt a little dizzy and had felt his feet hitting hard on a concrete ground. He had seen Harry standing just one foot in front of him. Harry looked back at him.

The first thing that Ron saw in his eyes was a question, 'What are you doing here?'. When Ron had been ready to open his mouth and explain him about his strange vision - that it seemed had not been a vision at all - Harry's surprised look was replaced by an anguished one as he looked once more to the place they were in. Ron had done the same.

And that was when he gulped. He exchanged a look with his raven friend. They were thinking the same thing.

Hermione would be devastated.

I was lost, I was lost,
Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed,
I was lost, oh yeah.

All her books, her potion, her researches, all of her dreams...the fire had consumed it all. There was nothing left -- only ashes. The ravages of fire showed in the blistered paint of the walls and in the splintered wood from what once were her shelves. The curtains were all gone - the view of pure blue sky was a paradox to the gray color that took over Hermione's WIR office.

"Who did this?" Ron asked Moody, anxiously waiting for a response.

"No one did anything, young Weasley."

"What? What do you mean no one did anything? Look at this place! I'm sure someone is to blame for it. And I bet it was a Death Eater."

As Moody and Ron exchanged words, Harry stepped away, wandering around, looking over what was left from Hermione's things.

And yeah, how long must you wait for it?
Yeah, how long must you pay for it?
Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

"I knew you two would jump to conclusions. I know perfectly well whose office is this. That's why I brought you here myself. That's why when I heard of what had happened, I immediately came up with a team to investigate; to check for any sign that this incident had been intentional but there is nothing here, not even a single specter of cast magic."

"Are you trying to say that they did it in the Muggle way?"

"No. Death Eaters don't do anything in the Muggle way. I'm trying to say that this was only an accident."

"An accident?" Ron repeated incredulously.

"Yes. I just talked with Ms. Granger's assistant. It appears that your friend had been developing some kind of new experiences here. Something dangerous. Apparently there were a lot of experimental potions on these shelves. One of these potions must have gone wrong. It wouldn't be the first time in our world that an unstable potion exploded. So,as I said, it was only an accident."

"Are you sure of this, Alastor?" asked Harry, coolly. It was the first time he had spoken since he arrived there. He was calmly staring through the window. He repeated the question,"Are you really sure it was just an accident?"

I was scared, I was scared,
Tired and under prepared,
But I wait for it.

Moody gazed at Harry's back, his his two eyes fixed on him. Ron stared at Harry rather than Moody. He, too, was waiting for his answer.

"Positive, sir," Moody replied, a mysterious twinkling in his eyes.

Harry stayed quiet for a moment, then he sighed. "Thank you, Moody. You can go now."

Moody nodded, Disapparating.

"Harry, you got to be kidding, mate. You don't think this was really an accident, do you? Oh, Merlin, Hermione is going to freak out when --"

And if you go, if you go,
Leave me down here on my own,
Then I'll wait for you, yeah.

"We are not going to tell her, Ron."

"What? But Harry --"

"Not now, Ron. Hermione is away to spend a normal week with her normal family. I'm not going to take this away from her. Neither will you. We'll deal with it when she comes back."

"But Harry, can't you see that there's someone after Hermione. We have to --"

"Hermione will be fine. She is surrounded by her own blood."

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?
Yeah, how long must you pay for it?
Yeah, how long must you wait for it?
Oh for it

"Own blood? What the hell are you talking about, Harry? What is wrong with you? What the hell is going on here? Harry ... Damn it, Harry, just look at me. I'm talking to you here, you know. Harry I need to tell you about ... before, Harry. It was real. You were one fire... you...Holy shit...this place...you....Harry... Harry, what is going on? "

But Harry didn't turned to face him.

Silence.

"I was so close." Ron almost didn't hear Harry's faint whisper. It was so low...so low that it seemed to come not from Harry's mouth, but from his soul.

"Harry?"

"For a moment, for a moment, I knew the answer...but now it's all gone."

Sing it please, please, please,
Come back and sing to me,
To me, me.

Come on and sing it out, now, now.
Come on and sing it out
To me, me
Come back and sing.

"You are scaring me, Harry."

"Just leave me alone, Ron. Go away!"

Ron stared shocked at his best friend, afraid even. "Harry?"

"GO!"

Ron Disapparated.

As soon as he did it, Harry collapsed on his knees, his hands instantly going to his scar, which was glowing in an intense jade green color.

In my place, in my place,
Were lines that I couldn't change,
I was lost, oh yeah.
Oh yeah.

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

Scene V. I Know What You Did Last Summer ( or three years ago, anyway.)

"Mum! Dad! Mum!"

Seconds after Ron Disapparated from Hermione's burned-to-pieces office, he arrived at the Burrow. He was frantically calling for his parents as he ran through the house. He needed to tell them, anyone, what he had seen. They would hopefully know what to do.

He heard steps and turned. Someone was descending the stairs at a quick pace.

"Ron? What are you doing here?"

We the people fight for our existence
We don't claim to be perfect but we're free
We dream our dreams alone with no resistance
Faded like the stars we wish to be

It was Ginny.

"Ginny? Where are they? Where are mum and dad?"

"They aren't here."

"What? W-Where did they go?" Ron grabbed Ginny by an arm. "Tell me, Ginny. I need to talk to them immediately."

"Calm Down, Ron. You're hurting me," Ginny said, pushing Ron away.

Realizing what he had been doing, Ron released her arm, a haunted look on his face."I, I am sorry, I, I didn't ..."

Y'know I didn't mean what I just said
But my God woke up on the wrong side of His bed
And it just don't matter now

Ginny glared at her brother."Yeah...Mum and dad aren't here if that's what you wanted to know. They weren't here when I woke up. I don't know - Ron? Ron, where are you going?"

"I shouldn't have left him alone. Merlin knows what can happen. Ronald Weasley how can you be so stupid, you prat. He clearly was not well and you just -"

Ginny frowned. He brother was acting more strangely than usual. "Ron, what's wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me, Ginny. It's him. It's Harry."

"What about Harry?"

Little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of
As little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off

"He, he became this huge green human torch and then there was all those colors...like a show of lights or something and now there's nothing left of Hermione's office and he was acting so strange... I knew something was wrong, I knew it, but..."

"Shh. You are not making any sense, Ron. Just sit down, will you."

"I don't have time to sit down , Ginny. I have to do something. He was on fire, for Merlin's sake."

"Who?"

"HARRY!"

Little by little you have to live it all in all your life
And all the time I just ask myself why are you really here?

"Oh, dear brother of mine, you haven't been using any kind of illegal potion, have you?"

"What? Of course not! Ginny, you have to believe in me. I'm telling you. I saw it. He was burning like fire. I know. I know. I first thought it was only a dream too, that I was hallucinating but here", he said, stretching out his arm and turning his hand over, "are you seeing this? This is a real scar - I burned myself when I touched Harry?"

Ginny stared at Ron's hand. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not seeing anything, Ron."

"What do you mean with you are not seeing anything. It's right here --"

But it wasn't. Ron looked atonished to the palm of his hand. There was nothing there. He looked at his robes. There was nothing there either. "But, but it was here. I saw it. I swear I did. What is going on here, Ginny? What kind of witchcraft is this?"

Ginny looked at his brother. He seemed genuinly scared. But - everything he said was just way too unbelievable for one to believe easily. "Great. Just great," she thought. Dean Thomas would be there at any moment now. Her first date after all the Harry disaster. Her first step into a new life and her brother decided to lose all the neurons he had left. Oh, well but he was still her brother...

"Ron, where is Harry?"

"I left him on Hermione's office, at the WIR. I don't know if he is still there, though."

"And where is Hermione?"

"France. With her family."

"Oh."

"I don't know what to do, Ginny. This is not my job, it was never my job. Usually, Harry is the one who impulsively makes all the wrong decisions while Hermione is trying to calm him down and show him what is right, and I'm "the not really helping anyone" with my 'whatever you want, mate.' It's never up to me to make the decisions -- unless we are in the middle of a giant Wizard's Chess Game.

True perfection has to be imperfect
I know that that sounds foolish but it's true
The day has come and now you'll have to accept
The life inside your head we gave to you

I can't do this alone. We need to find mum and dad...or Sirius...McGonagall; she will know what to do. Perhaps - no, no. I wouldn't dare...but if I don't have another choice, I'll go to Snape...That's it. I need to go back to the Order's headquarters. Mum and dad must be there. Moody will probably be back there, too. They probably already know that there's something going on. Maybe Moody has seen something with that freaky eye of his that I couldn't. They are probably trying to find Dumbledore now. If anyone can explain what is going on with Harry, it's Dumbledore. Maybe that Harry in Hermione's office wasn't Harry. Maybe Harry did die consumed by flames and that was an impostor in his place. There was something in his voice and the way he shouted at me...or maybe Harry wasn't Harry a long time ago. The green hair. The coma. Before that even...All that times when I just have that gut wrenching feeling...Oh, by Godric Gryffindor. How am I going to tell this to Hermione - Oh my, I got go. "

Ginny grabbed Ron's arms stopping him."Wait. Stop, Ron. What do you think you are doing?"

"I'm Apparating to the Order."

"No. You are not. Firstly because your words are making less sense now than they were before and then, in this state you are in, I doubt you can safely cross the lawn much less make it to headquarters... Besides, you can't just Apparate there. The Order is at Hogwart's now, remember? It's been there ever since that - that horrible summer... And if you just once have listened to Hermione's recital of Hogwarts, a History, you would remember that you can't Apparate to Hogwarts.

"Yeah. You are right. I must be losing my mind. Right. I can't panic now. Okay, I used the last special potkey Hermione gave to me (something she prepared after the hard time she had getting into Hogwart's last time and had charged him to only use in case of emergency) to go in there earlier. So, I'll take the Knight Bus."

"You can't do this either, Ron. The Knight Bus can't go anywhere near Hogwart's now. They have increased the protective charms there in my seventh year, you know...because of what happened in your seventh year...the closest the Knight Bus can take you is to Hogsmeade...well I guess you could try the secret passage there but I'm not sure if it is still-- What? Why are you looking at me like this?"

Ron had, indeed, a very strange expression as he stared to his sister like he was seeing a troll behind her or something of the kind. "What happened in that last summer...what happened in my seventh year?"

"What?"

Y'know I didn't mean what I just said
But my God woke up on the wrong side of His bed
And it just don't matter now

"What happened back then, Ginny?"

"Wha-You know very well what happened -"

"I don't know what I know anymore, Ginny. I need to know what you know."

"This is ridiculuous....we are going to St. Mungo's right now...You must be under a curse or --"

"Please, Ginny. Tell me."

There was something in her brothers voice...something in the air...slowly her eyelids were closing and a film was starting to play on her head.

"They found us..."

She recalled the explosion in number twelve, Grimmauld Place. She recalled the pain she felt on her legs. Then she remembered of Harry coming to her rescue; he had carried her all the way through the fire anguishing yelling forRon and Sirius and all the others.

"They attacked us at Grimmauld..."

She couldn't remember the others, but she knew they had been all there in some place in the manor, fighting for their lifes, trying to escape from the destruction as she could recall hearing her mother desperated crying for all her children, but her yells had seemed so far away, lost in the middle of Sirius' mothers usual cries...

..She recalled the strange sensation of coldness in the middle of the fire...

"Dementors..."

She could see Harry, still carrying her, raising his wand and conjuring a Patronus. Then, other twenty patronus joining the silver stag dancing around the fire, scaring away the dementors.

"Percy..."

Percy showing up with a squad of Unspeakables.

"All that time that we thought that he...he tried to warn us. He tried to protect us. We didn't listen to him. We didn't believe in him. And yet, he came for us."

She remembered Harry's shining emerald eyes turning to a dark jade as he placed her in the care of her brother and turned, disappearing into the fire again and...and everything else seemed to disappear...

Her memories became misty, hazed.

"I woke up at Hogwarts..."

The sensation of an oozy substance covering her legs. The strong scent of smelling potions as Madam Pomfrey ran from one side to another into the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Fred moaning in pain as Madam Pomfrey examined him. Sirius having his ten broken bones restored. Snape with a bandage around his head. Tonks with a broken arm. Bill with burning bruises all over his back. McGonagall, Moody, Jones, Vance, Shacklebolt, Remus, Ron, Charlie, George, her parents. They were all there; Injured, broken, miserable but alive.

"What about Hermione and Harry, Ginny?"

"Harry and Hermione?"

As the two Weasleys look at each other, they didn't notice a green mist coming through the door aberture.

"Yeah. I don't remember seeing them there when I woke up."

"Ron, what do you want --"

"Just answer me, Ginny."

The mist was twirling around them.

"Her- Hermione wasn't there... and Harry --"

A blink of green light flashed in the room. Flashed before their eyes, but they couldn't see it.

Little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of
As little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off

"Ginny?"

"I don't know."

"Okay and what happened then -- when classes started, what happened?"

Another blink of light.

"I don't want to this anymore, Ron. I don't know what's wrong with you or what you are trying to do here but it's not funny. Why are you asking me questions that you know the answer for? You know very well what happened that year - first Hagrid, then Professor Lupin and Tonks...Then, He came after us. He came to Hogwarts - but it is over now. He is gone."

"How?"

"What?"

"How did we defeat Voldemort?"

Little by little you have to live it all in all your life
And all the time I just ask myself why are you really here?

"Harry did."

"How?"

Two more blinks.

"You know how."

"Tell me."

BLINK.BLINK.BLINK.

"I-I-I don't know, okay? I just don't know."

"Okay, calm down, Ginny. Just answer me one more question; who is the one Hermione is in love with?"

"Harry." His name came out of Ginny's mouth before she had the time to register it.

A real explosion of energy happened then. The green aura that was encircling them, engulfing all of the Burrow...

Seconds later it faded away completely.

We the people fight for our existence
We don't claim to be perfect but we're free
We dream our dreams alone with no resistance
Faded like the stars we wish to be

Ginny blinked.

Ron blinked, too.

"What did you say?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what was your question - I mean it's like I know that I should know - I know...it's here somewhere..." She fingered her temples. "But I can't find it..."

"So, you are feeling it too?"

"Yes, I can. I don't know what it is but...it is among us...Ron, what is going on here?"

"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, Ginny, it has to do with Harry and it's fading...It's not strong as it is before or we wouldn't be having this conversation..."

"And what do we do know?"

"We find Harry."

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

Scene VI. The Story of Us

In that cloudy Sunday evening in Romania, a small group of people were gathered in a church. But they weren't praying. No one prayed in that church in a long time. It was, indeed, abandoned for years.

Although no one was praying, the air into the church was still solemn, and the words were murmured, whispered. There was fear and apprehension inside that church and no peace of heart was being found there.

The large wooden doors were open and a chilling wind came from the west.

Dark hooked figures stood at the front entrance of the church.

"Oh Thank God you are finally here," Molly Weasley's voice echoed.

Sirius let the hook down. He looked pale and tired. It had been a long night and day for him and the Members of the Order, especially for the Black Team.

When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,

When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.

Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.

Since the moment Sirius had followed Fawkes back into the Hogwart's castle, life had been a living hell; since the moment the magical bird let a tear drop fell into what they called the Phoenix Tears and he looked at it...

What was the Phoenix Tears?

Well, you see, to explain it better I would have to tell you about a lot of other things and it would be a long story and --

But I believe now some stories must be told.

So let's start from the beginning...

You see, Hogwarts had not always been the official headquarters of the Order. The truth is that the idea of an official headquarters was not originally in their plans. In the begining they were a small group; friends with only one purpose: vanquish evil; stop Voldemort's wave of terror. Their meetings would occur in the most varied places - from a forgotten cave in the Forbidden Forest to a vault in the Gringotts' Bank, some other times they did have their meetings inside Hogwart's walls but most of the time they happened in Godric's Hollow - Harry parents' home. Until, of course, the fateful day when The Potters died and Harry became The Boy Who Lived.

When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)

With the Potters dead, the Longbottoms insane, the apparent death of Peter Pettigrew and Sirius painted as a traitor and murder, The Order of the Phoenix was broken into pieces...

However, as the members who remained free and alive had promised one another when the time of need came, when a friend called for their help, they would be there; The time came in the end of Harry's forth year, with Cedric's death and all that happened. Voldemort was back, and so was the 'Old Crew'.

Then, their meeting started to happen in the Blacks House, number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London; Sirius' property. The meeting kept on there until...

If you feel like letting go, (hold on)

Until that summer -- it had been only a week since the end of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. -- Sirius had been so happy back then. With Wormtail finally arrested, he had been cleared of charges and had actually convinced Dumbledore to let Harry spend the summer with him. Harry eyes were shining and he had a smile stretched from ear to ear when he found out that he didn't need to spend his summer at the Dursleys. So, they all went back to Grimmauld. Well, not all, really.

When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.

With a peck on Ron's cheeks and another one on Harry's (where, Sirius was sure, her lips had lingered longer than they had on Ron's cheek), Hermione had said her goodbyes and promised to be with them before the end of the summer. She left the station with her parents and...a blonde girl, who Hermione had introduced to her parents as the friend she wrote to them about asking if she could invite her for the summer -- her parents had written back saying yes so, no problem. Of course her parents didn't know that the girl was, in fact, not a Hogwart's student, but Tonks, who was using her metamorphic abilities so she could protect Hermione and her family. Dumbedore's strict orders for their protection had come after all the confusion Draco Malfoy had generated when he kidnapped Hermione and left a very pissed off and uncontrollable Harry on Dumbledore's hands.

Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.

Well, let's not go into too much detail. All you need to know is that everything ended well, except for Malfoy, who was expelled from Hogwarts. Oh, well even so, better expelled then facing Harry's fury during the next term. So, yes, everything ended just fine.

At least, until that summer...

They found them. They attacked them. Grimmauld Place became history and - again, let's not get into too much detail. In the end, the Order went to Hogwarts.

Dumbledore said that something had gone horribly wrong, that Voldemort had become stronger than anyone could imagine. He brought up myths, legends, and prophecies. He said they must be ready. He said that the Order of the Phoenix should be resurrected from the ashes stronger than ever or we would not survive. He said that Harry had to work harder to control his powers and emotions and under no condition was the boy to leave Hogwarts' walls. So, it began.

Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand

Many wizards and witches all around the globe were recruited to join the Order by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Snape, Sirius, Sturgis, Tonks, Moody, Kingsley, Dedalus, Emmeline, Hestia, Olympe, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and their sons Bill, Percy, the twins and Charles. People of all ages and countries joined the Order that year, including Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

In the Hogwarts dungeons, magic rooms were conjured; rooms where only the members of the order could enter. They would be the official Headquarters of the Order and hundreds of other facilities were established around the world as well.

"Organization," Dumbledore had said, "is the key to success." Therefore, he estabilished different teams with special skills or duties and which would be distinguished by color, something very like Hogwarts Houses, and nominated the older members of the Order as his team commanders. For example, The Yellow Team was the 'research team' and had Professor Minerva McGonagall as 'chief'. The Blue team was the 'surveillance team' and was under Moody commander and so on.

No team was better or more important than other, each one having their particular function, without which the Order couldn't go on. However, in later days, the members, especially the trainees had adquired the habit of seeing The Black Team as some kind of 'elite team'. Perhaps because they were the ones most directly in contact with the forces of the enemy. The ones that were sent to the battlefield when things were really 'black' out there.

Dumbledore had placed the responsibility of The Black Team on Sirius' head, which at the time had been the reason of a huge argument between the old headmaster and the potion master, Severus Snape.

Sirius had been delighted to be the head of such a team, especially because Snape was so unhappy about it, but he was not really very happy about the color of his team, nothing personal, he loved black, being his surname and all...but his team looked like a bunch of dementors. Actually, there was even a time when his team had been attacked by some Aurors who mistook them as Dementors.

He suggested Dumbledore a little change. From 'Black' to 'White', after all they were the 'good guys'.

Dumbledore just smiled at him and said with twinkling eyes, "White is easily stained."

Sirius had looked at the headmaster and forced a smile. He really thought the headmaster had gone nuts.

Five missions later, he had understood the hidden meaning in the headmaster's silly answer. It was not only about the dirt and the bloodstains Dumbledore had been talking. It was about them. Their souls. The things they saw, things they had to do. In the time of the battle, there was no space for white, for peace, you can't be the good guy. You had to close your eyes to a lot of things. It was strange that to face darkness, you actually had to have some of the darkness within you. It was strange that you have to kill somebody, in order to save some others. It was strange that in the heat of the fight they were all the same. There was no right and wrong in a war. That was only a black emptiness.

That's why they were the Wizards in Black. Because the lightness of the white would only expose them more, expose their acts in every stain of blood a vanquished enemy cast on their cloaks. In their black cloaks, they were like shadows of the witches and wizards they were. They were soldiers, doing a job like any other job. Their identities were hidden behind their black cloaks; the 'white light' of their souls were protected by that black shield. They would smile another day.

They didn't smile that day. The day Hagrid died.

If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

Oh no, Hagrid wasn't from the Black Team. His 'white light' was too strong for it. Not even all the blackness in the world could cover it. In fact, Hagrid was not exactly in any team. He was just Rubeous Hagrid, with a heart bigger than himself; bigger than any giant.

The day Voldemort killed Hagrid - on a rainy day in Harry's and his friends last year as Hogwarts pupils -- something had broken in all the ones who had the privilege to know the half-giant, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds for Hogwarts. And no one had been broken as much as Harry James Potter.

You see, just like Hagrid, Harry was not placed in any Team. Harry asked Dumbledore why and received the answer that he didn't want to hear. "You know why. You are not like them." A lot of things had changed for Harry since his first year...his sixth year was like an endless nightmare...prophecies told just to be untold later, secrets revealed just to find out that the secret went even far deeper... Extrarordinary was not even a word in his vocabulary by then. What goes beyond extraordinary? Right, multiply this to tenth power and that was Harry Potter.

Destiny. A word Harry had learned to hate. A fate he couldn't deny.

If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long

He couldn't leave Hogwarts' his last years. Not even for a single trip for Hogsmeade during those years. He kept training and training under the guidance of Professor Snape. But it was too much power for a young man to control. His skinny framed body could not support all that power and hope to control it. The pace they were having to go at determined that it would get him decades to be ready. Decades that they didn't have. So, Harry was Hogwart's prisoner, not so much for his sake as before, but for the sake all of others. Or so Dumbledore had said.

And Harry believed in him. Until they lost Hagrid.

When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

When Hagrid disappeared; when he didn't come back from his mission; when Harry's nightmares haunted him; Harry had wanted to go after him. But Dumbledore, Sirius and all the others didn't let him. They had taken his wand and locked him in a magic room. He had tried to disapparate, but in vain...He tried to concentrate and free himself but the pain in his scar was too intense...his emotions were out of control... he would probably blow up all Hogwart's with him...

That was when he saw a yellow blur.

It was Hermione.

The yellow was the yellow cloak she was wearing as a member of that respective team.

She had come to him when no one else did. Ron would have probably gone to him too, but as the result of his unexpected animagus form, Ron had made to The Red Team since his animagus was excelent for espionage purposes. So the youngest of the Weasley's males couldn't help his friends because at the moment he was quite busy at some spider web in a Death Eater's alcove.

"Come on, Harry. We have to hurry," Hermione had said, giving him his wand.

Harry nodded. He held her hand and together they climbed stairs and crossed corridors.

Harry abruptly stopped.

An excruciating pain shot through his scar. It was already too late.

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,

The hours to follow were horrible. The members of the Order were back, wearing weary and grim faces and blood-shot eyes...Madam Maxime's cries echoed through all Hogwarts'...They were all in tears...Harry's tears didn't come though. His sadness was outcast by a fury so intense that it physically emanated from him, releasing waves of energy so intense that paintings, vases, statues and armours around them started exploding and the fire of the candles illuminating the room became green, and began burning with great intensity, their flames reaching the ceiling.

They tried to talk to him but Harry didn't want to be consoled; didn't want to talk to anyone. Why did they have to do this to him? If only they had let him go after Hagrid in time, he could have saved Hagrid. He had all that power, right? What good is it to have a power if you can't even use it to save your friends? What good is power if it is the reason your friends are dying around you?

So many tears...

Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.

Fawkes, too, was crying. The Phoenix, symbol of that Order, guardian of life, could feel what Harry Potter was feeling. Those emotions so unexpected for the magical bird who should be beyond such feelings led Fawkes to an uncontrallable flow of tears. Precious Phoenix Tears. Tears that could save...tears of a power no mortal could understand...

Sorrow and angry took hold of his heart then. And deep down, covered by this veil of sadness, other emotions echoed, strong emotions; human emotions...Fawkes cried for it all; cried because again they had commited a mistake. Things were changing too much, yet nothing was really changing. Once again they were losing control over it and the end would be the same. They would all lose.

One by one, the tears of the phoenix fell to the cold stone floor of the Hogwarts' dungeons, opening a holein which a pool of tear formed. A glow was radiated from the pool, calling the attention of all presents in the room.

To every new drop that fell, a new image would displayed in the pool before their eyes.

They saw HE-WHO-UP-TO-THAT-TIME-STILL-SHOULD-NOT-BE-NAMED.

They saw an army of dementors bigger than any army they had faced before. They saw the giants marching into the woods, destroying everything in their way. They saw underground demons emerging to the surface. They saw a white dragon becoming black. They saw a pair of big green eyes turning red.

When the last tear dropped, Fawkes burned into ashes, rising from the ash pile as a fragile and nude baby bird, jumping into Dumbledore arms and leaving them with a last image;

Hagrid.

And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.

His face - as always almost completely corvered by his long, shaggy hair and his wild, tangled bear - was reflected in the pool of tears.

"Hello there, Harry" the loud voice echoed carrying Hagrid's unforgettable accent to all cornes of the room.

The furniture stopped exploding around them. They could all feel the drastic change in the energy Harry emanated, as a chill ran through their bones and the light in the room went dim.

The light in Harry's eyes dimmed, as he stared down at the Phoenix Tears.

"I...Hum...Yeh know, little Harry, I love all kind of creatures; hippogriffs, dragons, three-headed dogs, giant spiders, Olympe --"

At this, the half-giant woman at the other side cried even more if that as even possible.

"But never, Harry. Never have I loved someone like I love yeh. When I found yeh that day, Harry, you looked so small, so fragile in the palm of my big, callused hand. Yeh remember our ride in Sirius' motorcicle, Harry? Of couse not, how could yeh? But I do 'Arry. Yeh were crying so I sang to you..."

HUM...HUMHUMHUM...HUMHUMHUMHUM...HUMHUMHUM...HUM...HUMHUMHUM...

"Then yeh fell asleep, Harry. You were a good baby. Slept way the way from Bristol to the home of those horrible Muggles...You know, Harry. You were so very small and I was so big but we had something in common Harry. We were both orphans..."

Hargrid's face turned, and the half-giant murmured something, like he was talking with someone else they couldn't see, then he was staring back at Harry.

"Oh well, it had to be like this, Harry. Don't blame them. We were just trying to protect yeh. There's nothing yeh could have done, Harry. Yeh are still not ready. There's so many things that yeh need to learn. Got to promise that yeh are going to practice everyday, Harry. Professor Snape is a good teacher, Harry. He knows a lot of things that can help yeh. Pay attention to all he says, okay?

At this, Snape, who as always had a blank expression through this all, not showing any kind of emotion that could be considered a weakness, let his head drop down, his hair covering his face.

"Yeh needed time Harry. I hope I had given yeh the time you need. Although we never know what to expect frow Y-- Galloping Gorgons, I'm dead now, I think that I can say his name - V- Voldemort. There, I said it. Well it took me a lifetime to say it but better really late than never, huh, Harry? Promise me that you will control this life stream inside yeh, Harry. I know you can do it, Harry. I believe in you. We all do...And oh, don't forget to study, you NEWTs are coming and --"

Hagrid turned again for a moment, letting them staring at a mass of hair.

"It seems that I have to go now. They are calling me. It's really strange here, Harry. But it feels good. Very good. Tell Dumbledore that the answer is YES. And tell..."

Dumbledore's hand covered his face and his shoulders dropped in sadness. He sighed and turned, slowly leaving the room with Fawkes in his arms.

Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.

"And tell Olympe that I will be waiting for her - not that I want her to die, no it's not that...err..You understand, don't yeh?"

Professor McGonagall patted Madam Maxime's back as the half-giant collapsed in tears on her shoulder.

"Take care of Hermione, will you, Harry? She is a real treasure. Don't be afraid of -"

The reflection of Hagrid faded away.

"HAGRID!" Harry yelled.

But the half-giant's face didn't come back.

"HAGRID!"

"I love you, Harry." One last echo.

"I love you, too, Hagrid."

Everybody hurts. You are not alone.

What happened next?

Well this is another story...

Anyway, the thing is the Pool of Phoenix Tears remained there at the Order of the Phoenix. And everytime Fawkes let another tear fell into that pool, a kind of window was opened. What you would be able to see through that window was always a mystery.

Yesterday, Sirius had seen everything falling apart.

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

Scene VII. Vertigo

The sound of the red wine being poured into twenty crystal glasses. The delicious spicy aroma of their meal. The chiming of the silveware against china. The constant talk between one forkful and another.

Hermione was dizzy.

Who
Who am I to be blue
Look at my family and fortune
Look at my friends and my house

Aunt Mary was telling her everything about her latest boyfriend of two weeks, who happened to be fifteen years younger than her - aparently she had no problem with his relative youth, but she just couldn't stand his mother. Her workaholic cousin Peter, one of Aunt Mary's sons, who always was talking up the family business', talking about the stock market, legal actions and so on; he was always trying to convince her grandfather of this or that. Her grampa didn't seem very pleased with her cousin's constant badgering and she -- Oh well, she was never very fond of banks.

She could still feel what she felt in the train.

Who
Who am I to feel deadened
Who am I to feel spent
Look at my health and my money

Marisa Howards, a childhood friend - almost a cousin, really - was telling Hermione everything about her law course in Cambridge, how she still couldn't belive that Hermione had declined her Cambridge scholarship to do God knows what, and how Marisa thought she had finally met the one she was going to marry.

She knew what that truly meant.

And where
Where do I go to feel good
Why do I still look outside me
Clearly I've seen it won't work

Her Nanny kept talking about the party arrangements and how they would have a wonderful day tomorrow; the whole day shopping in Paris. Hermione couldn't be more excited about it.

And she knew she would be next.

Is it my calling to keep on when I'm unable
Is it my job to be selfless extraordinaire
And my generousity has been disabled
By this, my sense of duty to offer

At the other end of the table, Gregory Burton kept eyeing her with a seductive smile on his lips. His supposed fiancee was sitting right beside him.

She was so tired.

And why
Why do I feel so ungrateful
Me who is far beyond survival
Me who sees life as an oyster

Hermione smiled at every remark, nodded when needed, even laughed with everybody as her uncle John told them all about his holiday's adventures in Africa. She loved her uncle John and loved his stories, but today she didn't even listen to a word he had said. She couldn't, not with all she was keeping inside her.

She just wanted to curl up in her bed and cry.

Is it my calling to keep on when I'm unable
Is it my job to be selfless extraordinaire
And my generousity has been disabled
By this, my sense of duty to offer

She knew she had to keep pretending. It was her family: Her beloved grandparents. The Burtons and Howards, who had been friends of the family for so many years that were almost family. The cousins that she hadn't seen for years. As well as her crazy aunt and her gay uncle. Her father and her mother. She missed them all (well not really, she could have done without seeing the arrogant face of Gregory Burton for at least one more decade) and she would be genuinely happy to be there with them if not for the feeling that everything was falling apart out of those protective walls.

And how
How dare I rest on my laurels
How dare I ignore an outstretched hand
How dare I ignore a third world country

She could fell her own protective walls sagging.

Is it my calling to keep on when I'm unable
Is it my job to be selfless extraordinaire
And my generousity has been disabled
By this, my sense of duty to offer

Hermione looked down at her plate. The food was untouched. Then she looked up and for a split second, her eyes met her mothers'. Hermione smiled at her mother, but she didn't return the smile -- Just kept looking at her.

She would need all her strength now.

Who
Who am I to be blue

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

Scene VIII. Down With Love

He stood near a window but he was not contemplating any view. He was too much lost in his thoughts to contemplate the beautiful simplicity of the nature. There was no simplicity in the thoughts that ran through his mind.

"I can't believe you did that."

He stared at her. "It surprises me that you still believe there is something I wouldn't do, Minerva."

Minerva McGonagall frowned at the coldness of his words. "No. I'm the one surprised here, Dumbledore. Surprised to see what you have become."

"And what that would be?" Dumbledore calmly asked her.

No one knows what it's like

To be the bad man

To be the sad man

Behind blue eyes

At her silence, Dumbledore tendered a small smile. "How is Sibyll?"

McGonagall's frown was replaced by a haunted look. "I don't know what more to do. I have tried everything to bring her back but she keeps repeating the same thing. - Is she going to be okay?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly, taking off his hat."Her inner sight have probably went beyond the limits of her consciousness. It took her too far. But don't fear for her, she is in no pain and eventually she will come back out the trance of her own accord."

More silence.

No one knows what it's like

To be hated

To be fated

To telling only lies

"Why, Dumbledore? Why did you destroy her office?"

"I had to destroy the rose."

"The rose? What rose?

Dumbledore sighed as he walked to the other side of the room then he began to relate the story to Professor McGonagall, "In his seventh year, Harry gave Hermione a rose. A very special one. One he created himself. It didn't take very long for Hermione to figure out that, in that little rose, Harry placed more than a real rainbow. He put a part of himself in it."

But my dreams

They aren't as empty

As my conscience seems to be

Minerva seemed shocked. "A part of himself?"

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance

That's never free

"His essence. Just a little touch, but his nonetheless. Sometimes I wonder if he knew what he was doing when he gave her that rose. The instant he gave that flower to her, a link between them was sealed. As long as that flower blossomed, a part of him would always be with her. You asked me why the spell didn't work properly -- that was why."

No one knows what it's like

To feel these feelings

Like I do

And I blame you

"I don't understand. If you knew this why didn't you destroy this flower before?"

"Because they didn't let me."

"The guardians?" McGonagall inquired. As Dumbledore nodded, McGonagall had other questions running through her head. "But why--I mean why now though?"

No one bites back as hard

On their anger

None of my pain and woe

Can show through

"Because their enemy was once their ally. Because their enemy knows as much as they. Because, like them, the enemy is trying to change what it was and what will be. Last night, my dear Professor McGonagall, the end of all other beginnings started. It was in Sibyll's words: They awakened The Dragon."

"It won't be too long until the world, as we know it, ends. As we talk centaurs, dwarfs, gnomes, giants, goblins, elves, sirens, fairies and so many other magical creatures are heading towards the Nadir Gates, while the ones who had rebelled against the guardians are now free to do whatever they please - Vampires no longer fear the sunlight; demons are among us, dementors are laughing at the sign of a patronus, the gargoyles are awakening from their imposed sleep ... Fawkes warned Sirius Black, so luckily the Order of Phoenix will be able to avoid the worst for a while -- But for how long?"

Dumbledore continued, "The enemy is after The Keeper. A legion of Death Eaters is anxiously waiting the return of Voldemort. And Harry is giving them exactly what they want. All this could have been avoided if he wasn't constantly trying to break the spell..."

"This can't be happening," a desolated Minerva whispered.

But my dreams

They aren't as empty

As my conscience seems to be

"I had to stop him. His dreams were revealing too much. His memories were coming back. He was very close to breaking the spell and freeing Voldemort."

"So you destroyed the rose and her whole office in the process. This is not fair. She's been working so hard."

"The H.R.H is a mistake. If Harry truly loses control, there won't be a force in this planet capable of stopping him. No potion. No charm. Nothing."

"She would," Minerva said firmly.

"Oh, don't come over with your cheap sentimentality, Minerva. After all I told you, when are you going to understand that she is going to be the end of us?! "

Minerva sighed, exasperated as she took of her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes met Dumbledore ones. " Why do I still remember, Albus?" She asked sadly.

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance

That's never free

"Because Harry is still fighting it. Somehow destroying the rose wasn't enough. I can feel the spell fading, Minerva. It's power is weakening on everyone. -- I saw him, Minerva. I could feel his confusion. I knew that when he heard about Hermione's office, he would be more confused, so I myself took him there, and made it look like it was an accident. A part of him knew, but I could still feel the spell working...weakened; yes. Slowly; yes. But still it stopped him from remembering. Destroying the rose gave us some time but there's still something linking them. Something I'm forgetting...something I have to destroy before it's too late."

**********

Scene IX. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

She had cancelled her date. She had followed her brother. She still couldn't believe herself.

She was tired of walking in those corridors. Strangely enough, Hogwarts seemed bigger now that she had grown up. Shouldn't it be the exact opposite? Nevertheless, what could you expect from a castle where magic dwelled in every corner.

Till then she had not seen anything of Harry. Ron had gone to the dungeons to see if Harry was in the Order's room and she had stayed outside. The first one who found Harry was to send an owl to inform the other.

I'm standing on a bridge

I'm waiting on the dark

I thought that you'd be here by now

She had looked at the Quidditch Pitch; the greenhouse; Hagrid's hut. Then, having received no owl, she went inside. She had been walking through these corridors for hours, stopping in each of the four common rooms, watched by the suspicious eyes of curious students and there was still no sign of Harry. No one had seen him. No one knew his whereabouts. Perhaps he was not in the castle at all. He could be anywhere, really.

There's nothing but the rain

No footsteps on the ground

I'm listening but there's no sound

However, Harry was not the only one missing. She had not seen a ghost since her arrival at the castle. It was very unusual, since ghosts were just about everywhere at Hogwarts. All the paintings were empty as well - even the ones who protected the houses entrances were there. The Head Boy and Girl, together with the other prefects, were having a hard time controlling the other students.

And what was really strange was that she couldn't find the Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall, anywhere. Nor she could find the deputy headmaster, Severus Snape. Which would make you think, Who the hell was in charge of the school? One clue: He had a cat.

Poor kids...Under the constant vigillance of Mrs. Norris.

"Snape and McGonagall absence is very strange, but it's Sunday...no classes. It's probably their break, right? They are likely spending some time with their friends and family, right? I mean it is not like a school teacher had no life. Althought I can't t really remember of any Hogwarts' teacher with wife and kids and...Well, Harry had a life.... Well, kind of."

Harry...

Isn't anyone trying to find me?

Won't somebody come take me home

Ginny was really worried about him. If what Ron said was true and she believed it was - Of course, at first she thought Ron was really in need of a Healer but after she felt -- what was it that she had felt? She felt impotent; powerless like something was in control of her emotions and memories like- like- she felt when she was under the power of that damn diary of Tom Riddle.

She didn't mention this to Ron because she really didn't want to freak him out anymore than he already was, but she was afraid. Very afraid. And for some reason she couldn't stop think that Voldemort might...return...

It's a damn cold night

Trying to figure out this life

Won't you take me by the hand

Take me somewhere new

I don't know who you are

But I...I'm with you

I'm with you

She was worried about her family too. Her parents...her brothers. She tried to contact Fred and George through the floo before she and Ron got on the Knight Bus, but there was no response. They tried to reach Percy too, but his wife said he was at work - Working on Sunday, really strange...but then it was not like the members of her family had what you could call 'normal' jobs."

SSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssss

Ginny froze. What was that?

SSSSSsssss

Ginny turned. The sound was coming from the girl's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, to be more precise.

"Myrtle? Is that you? It's --" Ginny froze again. This time her eyes widened in fear.

I'm looking for a place

Searching for a face

Is anybody here I know

'Cause nothing is going right

And everything's a mess

And no one likes to be alone

Moaning Myrtle wasn't there.

The passage to the Chamber of Secrets was open.

"What? Who? How --"Ginny's mind wasn't really working. Memories of her first year flooded her thoughts. She was lost in fear. "No. No. This is not happening. He is gone. Forever. Forever gone. This is not happening. This is a nightmare. Of couse it's a nightmare, Virginia. All those strange things, silly girl. Now just pinch yourself and wake up."

SSSSSSSsssssss

"Oh, Merlin...this is no nightmare. Okay, just run, Virginia. Just run.--But what if Harry is in there? What if Harry is in the Chambers of the Secrets? Right, where is all that Gryfindor bravery now? Just hold on. Harry needs you. Today it's your time to save him.So just breathe and go on."

And she did go on.

SSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssss

And as she went on, the sibilant sound got louder.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

And words were now taking place of the hissing.

"You failed....

It was a feminine voice.

"The Keeper still lives...."

Another voice. A male one this time.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I swear it was not my fault. There is a guardian protecting the Keeper. An entire squad of Death Eaters was eliminated. Please, my lady, have mercy."

From where Ginny stood, she could not see the people inside the chamber, but she could see a stone wall ahead. Candlelight projected shadows on the wall. Huge shadows. She stifled a scream as she saw the shape of a huge tail reflected on the wall. A Basilik.

"Mercy? Why would I have mercy? Your stupid words have no meaning for me. I'll keep you as long as I need."

Carefully, Ginny walked forward, trying to reach a better spot, one that would let her see who was talking, while at the same time, prevent them from seeing her.

"And - and do-do you still need me-me, my lady?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes...A woman was standing in the middle of the room...but Ginny couldn't recognize her...she could only see her back....All she could tell was that the woman was black and had red dreadlocks.

"Unfortunately, yes. Forget about The Keeper. Your stupid Death Eaters don't stand a chance if one of the guardians decided to reveal its true form - The Dragon will do the job now. -- As for you, Mr. IT - I have another job for, you know."

However, Ginny couldn't see the man at all.

"I'm at your services, my lady."

Ginny couldn't also see the basilik anywhere. Which was in fact a good thing if you considered what would happen with her if she actually saw the basilik.

"The old wizard is engaged in breaking all their links. Now, we can't let that happen, can we?"

Oh why is everything so confusing

Maybe I'm just out of my mind

Yea yea yea

Ginny had no idea of what this conversation all about; guardians, dragons, keepers. Was that a new kind of game? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. She also saw no sign of Harry, which she really didn't know if his absence was good or bad thing at this moment in time. All she knew was that she had to get back and find Ron - that this was too much for her to deal with on her own.

She turned just then to be face-to-face with....

I don't know who you are

But I'm...I'm with you

I'm with you

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

Scene X. Finding Nemo

A highly polished door appeared in the wall. Ron was staring at it, looking slightly wary. He reached out, seized the brass handle, pulled open the door and entered the Room of Requirement.

The room was submerged in darkness.

"Hello?" Ron called, diligently stepping forward into the room.

"What do you need, Ron?" Harry's voice resounded in Ron's ears.

"To find you."

"So am I."

May it be an evening star

Shines down upon you

May it be when darkness falls

Your heart will be true

You walk a lonely road

Oh! How far you are from home

A huge black leather armchair was spotlighted in the middle of the room. It had its back turned to Ron and was in front of a shining mirror. Ron had seen that mirror before. The Mirror of Erised.

Ron averted his eyes."Harry...how long have you been looking at it?" Ron asked. He slowly crossed the room; stopping beside Harry armchair and looking down at his friend.

"I don't know", Harry answered absently without even bothering to look at his friend. His eyes were fixed on the mirror. "How long have I been here?"

"Oh, just nine - ten hours." Ron told him, his sarcasm evident. Harry didn't offer any kind of reply. "Blimey, Harry. I've been looking for you all over. I tried the dungeons first but there was no one there aside a bunch of helpless trainees who thought they were in the middle of some special examination to evaluate how would they react if all the Order disappeared and they were in charge. Can you believe that those prats actually thought that I was part of their assigment. They hexed me, Harry! It took me a while to convince them who I really was and that there was no exam going on..."

Ron watched Harry, concerned. There was not even a change in Harry's expression that showed Ron that Harry was, in fact, listening to him. Harry was completely engrossed in looking at the mirror.

Ron sighed. "Harry? Are you listening to me, mate? I need to talk to you...You see, I know it'll seem absurd to you but please, just listen... Harry, there's something very- and when I say this, I swear I'm not exagerating - very bizarre happening here. I mean a really bizarre piece of witchcraft. Something bad...really, truly, extremely bad. Harry for some reason, I can't remember what I should remember. Actually I don't even know if I should be remembering something but I have the feeling I should and so does Ginny...And you were on fire, like really burning, Harry and then you weren't and I burned my hand, then I didn't and I have no idea of what I'm talking about, but errr.. Just thought you should know since I have in mind that this all has to do with you somehow because, after all it's all about you and... Harry? Damn, Harry, just - just stop looking to this thing and say something."

"Sit down, Ron." Harry said cooly, his eyes never leaving the mirror.

An armchair identical to Harry's popped up beside Ron. He did as told, and sat.

"What do you see, Ron?"

Ron, who had been averting the mirror during all this time, finally stared at it. He held his breath and a goofy smile adorned his freckled-face. It was so perfect. His desires had come true. He didn't even remember Harry's questions. He didn't even remember that Harry was there. He didn't even remember where he was; didn't remember that what he was seeing was not real.

"I bet you see something good; something beautiful. Do you know what I see, Ron?"

Harry's words brought Ron back to the now and to the truth. He blinked, fighting the eager feelings, which seemed to possess him.

He turned his head, looking once more at Harry, trying to erase from his mind what he had just seen and letting the thoughts concerning Harry come back. "What do you see, Harry?"

Silence.

"Nothing. I don't see anything. Darkness. Obscurity. It is all dark."

Mornie utúlië (darkness has come)

Believe and you will find your way

Mornie alantië (darkness has fallen)

A promise lives within you now

"Harr--"

"Do you think that's what my heart truly desires, Ron? Perhaps I'm not so different from Voldemort. Perhaps I should have gone to Slytherin after all. Who knows, perhaps you were right, and I'm really becoming Evil Harry."

"And since when do you listen to what I say?"

"I always do."

Ron laughed at it. "Yeah, guess you are not perfect after all. Just don't tell anyone, okay? Listening to Ronald Weasley can be considered as a big flaw in someone's character," Ron joked.

However, Harry was not laughing. He stared at Ron.

The red-head's laugh died in his thoat as he felt the vivid emerald eyes on him. Ron was completely taken aback by it, more over because of the sincerity in his friend's eyes. He could recognize his best friend in those eyes. He was not Evil Harry. He was not some impostor using a polyjuice potion. It was just Harry Potter. The one he had met that day on the train and shared all those chocolate frogs during the trip. The one who one day in their first year at Hogwarts woke up him in the middle of the night to show him the same mirror that was in front of them now. The one who went on a crazy car ride with him in his father's enchanted car. The one who would miss him most. The one that in some ways he would always envy...He had all the attention, all the money, all the girls, all the powers...all the problems...

Harry looked back at the mirror and sighed. Standing up, the Mirror of Erised and his armchair disappeared. Dozens of torches appeared on the wall, iluminating the room.

May it be the shadows call

Will fly away

May it be your journey on

To light the day

When the night is overcome

You may rise to find the sun

"Tell me, Harry, do you know where the Order is? Do you know where my parents and my brothers are?"

"I - I had this urgent call from the Ministry. I spent this half my morning confined in the Department of Mysteries, surrounded by Unspeakables. Percy was there..."

"And?" Ron inquired, having no idea of how this story is going to end.

"The Unspeakables fears that some kind of balance was broken. The magical creatures are heading to -- There is something wrong with some dragons -- all dragons, in fact. Charlie's research team was attacked."

Ron eyes went wide and he stood up at this particular piece of information."Is he alright?"

"As far as I know; yes."

Ron sighed relieved, falling down into the armchair again. "Do you think my father and my mother are with him?"

Harry continued, "When I arrived at the Order's headquarters, as you said, only the trainees were there. They didn't offer much help as you have seen. I can only presume that your parents, Sirius and all the others are together, doing some kind of damage control. All Sirius left was a very uniformative note saying that they were away in a mission and that whatever happened I should stay here and under no circunstances try to find them..."

Harry paused. He didn't seem happy. "He is giving me orders. Who the hell he thinks he is? Yes, I know he is my godfather, almost a father to me. But here I am, the leader. I am the one supposed to give the orders..."

Ron was just as confused as Harry. During all these years the Order had been faithful to Harry. They respected all his decisions and him as a leader. Why the sudden change?

Harry went on, "They are hiding something from me, Ron. They are afraid of me - don't look me like that, Ron. I know you are afraid, too. God, even I am afraid of myself. How can't I be, when what my heart truly desires is darkness?"

Ron was ashamed of himself. It's true, deep down, he was afraid of Harry. Deep down, he had always been. Harry Potter was and will always be synonomous with danger. But above all Harry was his best friend. And he would cherish this friendship, no matter what.

"I don't know what to do, Ron. I don't know what is going on more than you do. I listened to what you said. You said I was burning - I don't remember that, but I believe in you. Then, Hermione's...

Mornie utúlië (darkness has come)

Believe and you will find your way

Mornie alantië (darkness has fallen)

A promise lives within you now

As Harry pronunciated her name, no hidden emotion came to the surface. No remembrance of strange dreams, no flashes of memories...no vestige of something more than what you feel for a friend... the spell was doing its work.

"Hermione's office, too, was on fire. Coincidence? I don't think so. But someone wanted us to believe it was a coincidence. To believe it was only an accident. That man in Hermione's office...

"You mean, Moody," Ron stated.

"He was not Moody."

"What do you mean, he was not Mo0dy?"

"I don't know who he was, but he was definitively not Moody. I could see in his eyes, something familiar..." Harry sighed. "I think I'm going crazy, Ron."

"Yeah, join the club."

"It was like you said. I know I'm forgetting something but I don't know what. I can feel the magic around me, but I can't break it, I just don't know how to break it."

"Do you think there's a warlock using Legilimency to mess up with our minds?"

"It could be. But I studied it for years. I would be capable of breaking that. The truth is that it can be a lot of things." Harry let himself fall and when it looked like he was going to collapse to the stone floor, his armchair reappeared.

"What are you thinkg about Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, the people I care about are out there fighting vampires, dragons, demons and I'm here doing nothing. This seems familiar, doesn't it?"

Ron knew very well what Harry was talking about. He was talking about seventh-year. Ginny's words of this evening and his own memories flowded back to him. He sighed, too. "I'm just happy Hermione is far away from all of this," Ron stated.

"Yeah...I still don't understand why would someone do that to her office - unless...The H.R.H."

"Her novel?" Ron asked confused.

Harry looked at him even more confused; he was about to say something about it when he changed his mind and stood up, walking to the door and opening it.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Come on, Ron. I have friends to find, an Order to lead and and a world to save."

"Wow. Do you think we can stop at the kitchen first? I'm starving."

A promise lives within you now

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

Scene XI. A Beautiful Mind

Hermione closed the door behind her. She was finally alone. She looked at her suitcases still untouched at the side of the bed. She walked to the bed, sitting down on it. She took off her shoes and curled up, grabbing a pillow.

She sobbed.

I'm crying everyone's tears

And there inside our private war

I died the night before

And all of these remnants of joy and disaster

What am I suppose to do

The tears she had been holding up all day. The tears she couldn't let her family see were now wetting the pillow.

I want to cook you a soup that warms your soul

She couldn't take any more of this.

But nothing would change, nothing would change at all

It's just a day that brings it all about

Just another day and nothing's any good

"You don't need to take any more of this", a voice ringed inside her head.

She was so tired.

"It will be over soon."

She didn't know what to do.

"Just let it go."

Hermione sat up abruptly, throwing the pillow at the wall. "STAY OUT OF MY MIND," she yelled.

Hermione knew she should have expected this. It was a mistake to let her defenses down like that. That was what Prosessor Dumbledore had been waiting for; a moment of weakness, so he could penetrate in her mind and do his damage. She had to be careful now. She couldn't let her emotions take control. She had to do exactly how Professor Snape had taught her. Close her mind. Clean her thoughts. Raise a wall around her memories.

The DJ's playing the same song

I have so much to do

I have to carry on

I wonder if this grief will ever let me go

I feel like I'm the king of sorrow, yeah

The king of sorrow

However, she was so vulnerable. Why was it so difficult? Would be it so bad if she finally dropped all her defenses, if she finally let it go? Sure Harry would understand, wouldn't he? He would understand that she did the best she could, but it became too much to her...being in love with him became so painful...

I suppose I could just walk away

Will I disappoint my future if I stay

It's just a day that brings it all about

Just another day and nothing's any good

Love.

They had been so young, hadn't they?

So innocent...

What if there had never been a spell? What if there was no destiny? Would they still be together? When you are in love and the fire of passion is burning inside, your happily ever after seems so real but then...what if they just had got bored of each other...if their routine had killed their passion? Who could know? What if Harry got tired of her -- after all, he could have any witch he wanted...and it was not like he had been very faithful to her over these three years... She was not blind. She had seen the girls Harry had dated these last years...They were all gorgeous and did not resemble her in any way...their hair was the perfect straight and shiny kind and then... The thought that he was under a spell was not really very convincing enough to erase her fears...

What if they had fought all the time? Well, normal couples do fight - a lot. But what if they started fighting about every little thing? What if she wanted to see the movie x and he wanted to see the movie y? What if she wanted to have a cat and he wanted to have a dog (the fact that she already had a cat and he an owl was really irrelevant here --really.) What if he wanted to have three kids and she only wanted two? What if...

What if they had woke up some day and realised that it had never been love? They were young and it it was just a crush...just a misunderstanding of feelings...a friendship kind of love only...What if...

"Yes. You were never meant to be," the same voice as before, Dumbledore's voice concluded.

The DJ's playing the same song

I have so much to do

I have to carry on

I wonder will this grief ever be gone

Will it ever go

I'm the king of sorrow, yeah

The king of sorrow

"NO!!!" A scream, in her own voice, echoed through her mind. "That's not how would be; how it was. I believe in Harry. I believe in what he feels for me. His love for me was true. Is true. And so is mine...Of course we would fight, it's not like we never fought before. But just as our fights had strengthed our friendship in the past, so would the new ones strengthed our love. And after every fight we would talk, make up and kiss and... He thought - thinks--that I'm beautiful. He always made sure to tell me that he didn't think I was ugly - that I was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen. -- In his eyes, I was and will always be beautiful...when he looked at me I felt beautiful; inside and outside. In his arms I felt like being the most beautiful woman in this world; in any world.

Sure, we were young - but, does love has an exact age to find you? Who is to say if you are too young to fall in love? Does it have an absolute date? If she believed love was knowledge, she would probably say that: yes, they were young and innocents. Perhaps too young to know what love truly was. But she wasn't taught like that. She didn't see love like a school subject in one of her books. You don't know love, you feel it. And if love is a feeling, and not a merely word, that's what matters, right? The feelings. The butterflies, the unespoken words, the fear of losing it, the fear of having it, the serene peace, the soft touch, the eyes of a soul, the melting of two hearts in one. And this feeling can find you at any age. Just as long as you let your doors open to it - or in some cases, forget that a window is open."

Never meant to be, yet it was.

There was no answer from the other voice. It was gone. He was gone. For now.

She had won another battle. However, she knew she was losing the war.

Wearily and still fighting the tears that stubbornly wouldn't cease falling, Hermione walked to her suitcase, placing it on the bed and opening it. She took Hogwarts, a History from inside. Carrying the book, she went to the desk in the right corner of the bedroom. She switched on a light bulb on the desklamp as she sat down behind the desk.

I'm crying everyone's tears

I have already paid for all my future sins

There's nothing anyone

Can say to take this away

It's just another day and nothing's any good

As her teardrops found their way to the book's cover, it began to change. The title Hogwarts, a History vanished being replaced by three capital letters: H.R.H

I'm the king of sorrow, yeah

King of sorrow

I'm the king of sorrow

King of sorrow, yeah

And Hermione opened the book.

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