Harry Potter and the Desideratum Crusade

A/N: I have started this story as close to HBP as I can stomach. Because of that, you will find the first few chapters have Ron and Hermione still “together”. It will change, I promise. Thanks to Dementor149 for being my Beta!

Chapter 1

Remembering…

It was early morning in the middle of summer at Little Whinging; the birds were just starting to greet the day. At Number four, Privet Drive, a dark haired young man was doing sit-ups, his breath coming in short gasps with his exertion. Harry Potter wasn't sleeping. He couldn't, so he was trying to exhaust his body to the point of dreamlessness. Harry collapsed back on the floor, his muscular chest heaving. He mopped his unruly hair out of his eyes and stared at the ceiling, listening to his heart beating. All too quickly though, the image of Dumbledore came to mind.

Weakened and surrounded by Death Eaters…

Trying to convince Malfoy not to kill him…

The treacherous and traitorous Snape using the Avada Kedevra curse that struck Dumbledore in the chest...

The funeral…

The pain of knowing he wasn't coming back…

Ginny crying on his shoulder….

Ginny…

The times they spent together, her soft lips…

Harry groaned as he felt his chest tighten. The past three weeks had been hard. Every time he thought about anyone he loved, it hurt. It hurt a lot. He rubbed his chest, trying to make the ache go away.

It didn't help.

He rolled over on to his stomach and started to do push-ups.

One…two…three…four… four Horcruxes…

Up, down, up, down….

I need to find them…

Up, down, up, down….

I need to destroy them…

Up, down, up, down….

Everyone was counting on him to end this war…

Up, down, up, down….

He suddenly realized that his arms were shaking from the exertion and he collapsed on the floor. Harry rolled on to his back to let the floor cool him down as his bare chest heaved with his heavy breathing. He lay there for a few minutes before sitting up. He glanced out the window and saw the sky was becoming lighter with the rising sun. Harry sighed and got up off the floor and went and stared out the window. He had found that muggle exercise had helped at times to make some of the pain go away. He missed being able to fly, since that's how he used to forget about his worries. He smiled dourly at that thought.

One week….

He would be at the age when he would be considered a man in the Wizarding world. He had thought about how he was going to say goodbye to the Dursleys. He smiled grimly to himself as he envisioned himself flying away with his trunk behind him in broad daylight, his uncle a lovely shade of purple…

Or maybe he should just zap Dudley one last time….

Harry sighed. He reached over and pulled a shirt from the back of his chair and pulled it over his head. He found his pants where he had thrown them the night before and finished dressing. Harry picked up his trainers and very carefully opened his door. It was still early, and he didn't want to wake any of the Dursleys yet. He snuck downstairs to the front door, making sure he missed the creaky steps. Harry put on his shoes before quietly closing the front door behind him. He liked the early mornings. It was always quiet. He began jogging once he hit the end of the driveway. He had only gone a block from the house when he heard the distinct crack of someone apparating behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw bright pink spiked hair bobbing towards him.

“Wotcher, Harry,” Tonks grinned.

Harry merely nodded and kept running. They jogged for several blocks; Harry didn't seem to have a destination in mind, but he wasn't surprised to find himself at the park. Harry remembered coming to this park a lot during another summer so long ago…

He slowed to a walk and ambled over to the swings to sit down. He leaned against the cold chain and let his hands fall into his lap as he closed his eyes. He heard Tonks go over to the water fountain and get a drink. She came over and sat down in the swing next to him, using her toe to slowly rock the swing. They were quiet for a while, both contemplating their own thoughts.

“Why have you been pushing yourself like this for the past three weeks? Is it Dumbledore?” Tonks finally asked quietly.

Harry was so deep in his own thoughts that he startled at the sound of her voice. He opened his eyes to stare at her.

“You need to let go, Harry. There wasn't anything you could have done differently,” she said.

“I…I can't, Tonks,” he murmured. He could feel the lump already forming in his throat as his feelings rushed back to his exhausted body.

She sighed and slid off the swing to kneel on the ground in front of him. She placed her hands over his. They felt warm and comforting to Harry.

“You are not alone, Harry,” she said quietly as she looked up. “You will never be alone. Talk to me. It may make you feel better.”

Harry fought down the lump in his throat, trying to push past the pain. He looked up at the clear blue sky, blinking back the tears that seemed to constantly be threatening to fall. He felt vulnerable, sitting on the swing like that nieve 11 year-old boy so long ago. Tonks sat quietly, waiting, just holding his hands.

“It hurts, Tonks,” he said as his voice cracked. "It hurts a lot. I wake up every morning and the pain is there. My chest feels like it's going to burst. I can't think about the future because my past is overwhelming me. Everyone I care about either dies or gets hurt. I don't know if I can do this anymore.” Harry bowed his head and whispered, “It just hurts too much.” He let the tears coarse freely down his cheeks.

Tonks stood up and put her arms around him. It had been a while since anyone had held him like this. He was expected to be the strong one, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived. He leaned against her and let the pain go. His arms went around her waist and he pulled her closer, crying uncontrollably. Tonks murmured words of sympathy, and stroked his hair. Harry took it all in, grateful that she cared about him. They stayed like that until Harry was able to compose himself, and then he sat up. He wiped his face and gave her a weak smile.

“You must think I'm pretty weak,” said Harry, his cheeks burning. He certainly didn't feel like a grown man in control of his feelings.

“No,” said Tonks. “I think you have turned into an incredible young man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. And,” she said as she looked at him slyly with an impish grin, “ you are fairly handsome to boot!”

Harry blushed. She grinned at him and held out her hand. He took the hand she offered and she pulled him off the swing. They began to walk through the park, hand in hand; reminiscing about some of the things they had been a part of, and talking about Lupin. By the time they got near the Dursleys, Harry was feeling a bit better. Tonks stopped as they got to the end of the alley.

“Harry,” she started, “ What I said before is true. You are not alone. We all care for you a lot. Dumbledore…” she stumbled a bit at the mention of his name and took a deep breath. “ Dumbledore loved you like a son. He would have done anything for you,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, like leave me alone to face Voldemort,” Harry said angrily.

“Harry,” Tonks chided gently, “No one could have predicted what was going to happen on the tower that night.”

“I tried to warn him,” Harry said. “He didn't listen to me.”

Tonks smiled. “Dumbledore saw the good in everyone, including Malfoy. I'm not trying to make excuses for what he did, but without all the information that Dumbledore had, how can we really and truly judge what happened?”

“So you think I should find Malfoy and tell him `no hard feelings',” Harry said stubbornly. He wanted to hold on to the anger. It kept the pain away.

Tonks shook her head in frustration. “I'm not asking you to forgive just yet, but this `poor me' attitude is beginning to wear a little thin. There are others who are grieving just as much or even more than you are, and yet, they are worrying about you. Have you even thought about how his closest friends and family are feeling? Many of them are still preparing to fight.”

Harry stood dumbstruck. He hadn't thought…He was angry with Dumbledore for dying when he needed him. He didn't even know Dumbledore had any family…

“I… I never thought about it. I…this is crazy!” Harry threw his hands up in frustration.

He didn't want to feel sympathy for anyone else. Didn't they understand the position he was in? There was nothing to stop Voldemort now from trying to kill him and take over the Wizarding World. He wasn't strong enough to stop him on his own. He needed Dumbledore…

He could feel his anger building again.

“He was the only wizard that Voldemort was scared of! He doesn't fear me! There is no one to stop him now! NO ONE! He could take over the Wizarding world and there isn't anyone to get in his way!”

“He may not fear you yet, Harry,” said Tonks quietly, “But Dumbledore knew. He knew that it would be up to you to get rid of Voldemort, not him. You will stop him, Harry, because you have to. Dumbledore was tired, Harry. He wasn't able to heal himself as well anymore. You saw that. He wasn't a spring chicken you know.” Tonks smiled wistfully. “Harry,” Tonks sighed and put her hand on Harry's chest. “He is here. He will always be here to guide you. Just like Sirius, and just like your parents, and if you lose your way, we, all your friends and I, will be there to guide you back to the right path. Harry…” she hesitated. “I want to show you something.”

Harry looked at her and she smiled.

“You have grown so much there past two years. So tall and handsome.”

Harry blushed. She stood up on her tiptoes and looked him in the eye.

“I want you to feel something,” she said. “Look inside yourself.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him gently on the lips.

Harry's eyes went wide and he inhaled sharply. Suddenly, he felt a tingle. It started in his chest and seemed to spread. He closed his eyes and sensed the warmth that was now spreading through his body. Tonks pulled away and Harry felt the tingle linger for a moment and then slowly disappear.

“Wh…what…” he stammered, “What was that?”

“That, Harry, is love, my love for you. As a friend of course, since my heart belongs to another, but that's your power, Harry. If you can find the way to unleash that power, you will be the most powerful wizard alive,” she smiled at him.

“How do you know all this? How do you know its true?” he asked.

“Everyone has the power in them,” she shrugged. “For you, it has a profound purpose. It's just the way I see it. Now go on home, Harry. Try to rest. We can talk some more at another time. There's a wedding in two weeks, you know. I'll probably see you before then. And, Harry,” she said as she yawned, “Try not to do too many more early morning jogs on my shift. It wears me out,” she blew him a kiss and was gone.

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Chapter 2

Invitation to Fear

Harry returned to the Dursley's just as quietly as he left. He tiptoed upstairs, making sure that he missed the creaky spots again. He figured he had time for a quick shower before he had to make breakfast, and since Aunt Petunia hated sweaty, smelly bodies in her kitchen, he didn't want to get on her bad side. He stood under the hot water and let it run down his broad back, loosening his tense and tired muscles. It felt good just to stand there and not think. He didn't stay that was for too long however, because he knew Uncle Vernon would berate him for using all of the hot water. He quickly finished, turning the water off and grabbed a towel to dry himself. He picked up his glasses and put them on as he wiped the mirror with his towel. He stared at the reflection in the mirror and a green-eyed stranger stared back. The eyes were sunken from lack of sleep, and the face was haggard. He hadn't really looked at himself in a long time.

`You look like your father, but you have your mother's eyes…'

He had heard that so often that it was annoying. Now though, he stared at those eyes, not really recognizing them for his own. They had seen too many deaths, mirrored too much pain. Is that what his mother's eyes looked like before she died? The eyes that looked back at him seemed dull, without any life or answers to his question.

`You look like your father…'

He looked intently at the dark-haired young man in the mirror, trying to see what everyone else had seen. When had he stopped being a little boy? Tonk's words came back to him as he looked at his broad chest and washboard stomach.

“You're fairly handsome,” she had said.

Was he? His hair was still as unruly as ever and he shrugged as he thought that it would never be tamed. He noticed that he had a little hair on his chest now, and…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Hurry up! I need to get in there!” yelled Dudley, bringing him out of his reverie with a start.

Harry let out a huff of annoyance, hastily threw his pants on and grabbed the rest of his stuff while Dudley continued to bang on the door. He opened the door quickly, almost getting knocked in the face, as Dudley was about to bang on the door again. Dudley shoved him aside and pushed his way into the bathroom. He slammed the door in Harry's face without saying a word to him. Harry felt his temper starting to rise and he took a moment to push it back down. He sighed and went to his bedroom to find some clean clothes.

Harry headed down stairs to the kitchen and started to pull out the things he needed to make breakfast. He got the eggs and bacon going, and began to set the table while the bread toasted.

Well, he thought grimly, at least one good thing has come out of being a `slave' to the Dursleys; he could look after himself.

He still didn't know what he wanted to do. Should he get a flat somewhere? He thought about it and realized he didn't know if he wanted to be alone. He thought about Hogwarts and felt a pang of sadness. It was his real home, not the Dursleys. Even with Dumbledore gone…

He heard the crackle of the bacon and quickly turned back to cooking breakfast. Uncle Vernon would kill him if he burned the first meal of the day.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia came down a few minutes later, followed by Dudley. They didn't even acknowledge him as they sat down in front of the food at the table. Harry didn't care. He didn't want to talk to them anyway. He put his food on a plate and turned to put the pans in the sink to soak, while lost in his thoughts about what he wanted to do today. He returned to the table to have his breakfast, and it was gone. He looked over at Dudley as he finished wolfing down the last of Harry's breakfast. Harry narrowed his eyes and Dudley grinned at him.

One more week… he thought as his anger grew. He took a moment to tamper it back down.

He went back to get the eggs out and make himself some more breakfast when Uncle Vernon looked up.

“What are you doing boy?” he asked.

“Making myself some breakfast,” Harry replied.

“Oh no! You have already cooked today's allotment of food for breakfast! Do you think I'm made of money?”

“But…” started Harry.

“No buts! You are costing us enough as it is without you cooking more breakfast!”

Harry's temper became a red-hot flame. The lights in the kitchen began to flicker, and Aunt Petunia looked around wildly, as an earlier scene came to mind. She reached out to Vernon, intent on calming the situation.

“IF YOU WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR FAT PIG OF A SON, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO COOK MORE FOOD FOR MYSELF!” Harry yelled, his green eyes blazing.

Uncle Vernon began to turn purple and Aunt Petunia gasped and put her hand to her chest. Dudley just grinned at him; he knew Harry had gone too far by insulting their little `Dudders'.

“THAT'S QUITE ENOUGH!” roared Uncle Vernon. “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO INSULT OUR FAMILY AFTER ALL WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

“HA!” laughed Harry. “IF IT WASN'T FOR DUMBLEDORE…” He stopped, as Aunt Petunia gasped again, and he felt himself choking on his words as a lump formed in his throat.

“I think,” Uncle Vernon said through gritted teeth, “It would be best if you disappeared to your room, boy.”

“Fine!” said Harry as he grabbed a few pieces of toast.

Uncle Vernon started to splutter at him and Harry just turned and stared at him with cold green eyes.

“I only need to put up with you for one more week. Don't make me any angrier than I am,” Harry said menacingly through gritted teeth.

Dudley dropped his fork as his eyes went wide and Uncle Vernon stood up suddenly. His left eye twitched as he closed the distance between himself and Harry.

“Are you threatening me, boy?” he said in a strained voice.

Harry looked at him for a moment and then shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” he said, as he let a small smile play on his lips.

His uncle took an involuntary step back at the look on his nephew's face, giving Harry a small sense of satisfaction as he turned and left the kitchen munching on his toast. He went upstairs and slammed his door as he reached his room, daring his uncle to come up and confront him.

Harry flopped down on his back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He was in a foul mood again. He tucked his hand behind his head as he finished his toast. He sighed and rolled over on to his side, looking at a picture of Ron, Hermione and himself as they waved at him. He missed them.

Sometimes, he thought, I just wish I were a normal wizard. Just Harry, with parents, and a normal life…

He felt his throat tighten again, and he pushed all those kinds of thoughts from his mind with a deep shuddering breath. His eyes hurt and he was tired.

Maybe I'll rest a moment before I go out, he thought, just for a moment. I don't really want to stay here all day…

Harry's eyes slowly closed as he let his exhaustion take him. Soon he was fast asleep.

He was being dragged into a large hall. It was draped in black and there were cages hanging on large chains around the outer walls. Harry could see people in them; they looked beaten, bloody and emaciated. The dim lights from the candles cast shadows everywhere; he thought he saw people standing in the back, just out of sight. He looked to the front of the hall and there on the dais, was a large chair, like a throne. Someone was sitting in that throne, dressed in black from head to toe. He couldn't see his face behind the cowl, but he knew who it was. His scar began to burn painfully the moment they had walked in the room. As Harry got closer he could see bodies strewn across the floor, lying on top of each other, their limbs at unnatural angles. He recognized many of the faces there, and he felt sick. He saw students from Hogwarts, Tom the bartender, Rosemerta, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, the Weasley twins, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Lupin, Neville, Luna and Ginny. His heart missed a beat as he looked at her face. “Ginny,” he whispered, as he felt his chest tighten. They were all looking heavenward, with dead, sightless eyes. He was shoved unceremoniously towards the bottom of the steps and he fell to his hands and knees. He tried to catch his breath, collect his thoughts, and understand all of what he was seeing.

`This can't be real,' he thought. `I would have known earlier…'

His thoughts trailed off as he slowly looked up towards the throne. Movement behind the dais caught his eye.

He gasped as he saw them, his chest constricted with fear. Ron and Hermione were chained to a wall, their heads hanging forward, their clothes slashed and covered with blood. They both slowly raised their heads and looked at him without any emotion, they were beyond pain. It looked like they had lost all hope.

Harry slowly stood up and turned to look at the cloaked figure sitting on the throne, as the man steepled his fingers together. He smiled, almost snake-like at Harry, the slits of his eyes glowing as he scrutinized him.

“Welcome, Harry,” he hissed, “to my new home.”

Harry looked around, but he couldn't place where he was. It was too dark. He recognized the throne though. It was Dumbledore's chair from Hogwarts.

“I don't really care for the decor, and I don't think you deserve to sit on that throne. It belonged to a far greater wizard than you,” Harry reflected, looking straight at him.

“Yes, well…” Voldemort sneered as he stroked his throat with his long fingers. “The display is just for you, Harry. You see, it is very important to me that you understand your position in all this, that you should fear me. I want to see and feel your fear. I wanted you to know who was the better man when all of this becomes mine.” Voldemort waved his arm to take in the whole room.

Harry's head jerked up. Voldemort had said `when', which means it hadn't happened yet. He glanced around again trying to figure out where he was and guess Voldemort's plan.

“You are feeding me your thoughts,” charged Harry looking back at Voldemort and trying to stall. “This isn't real.”

“Very good, Harry, I never took you to be a stupid boy,” Voldemort replied. “Much smarter than your parents.”

Harry's eyes narrowed as he said that, and he felt his anger beginning to build in the pit of his stomach.

“They were obviously smart enough to beat you three times,” he choked.

The smile slid from Voldemort's face as he looked at Harry.

“I see you need to learn your place,” Voldemort whispered as he casually pulled out his wand.

Harry winced as he thought he knew what was coming: the Cruciatus curse. Suddenly Voldemort pointed his wand behind his throne and said “Avada Kedavra!”

A green light shot out of his wand and hit Ron in the chest. His body arched back and then went limp in death.

“NNOOO!” Harry screamed and fell to his knees, hanging his head. The tears began to fall freely down his cheeks, and he hugged his nauseated stomach as he tried to tell himself `it's just a dream, it's just a dream…'

Voldemort's grin was almost feral as he watched Harry.

“Tsk, tsk,” he said mockingly, “is this what that all powerful magic does to you that makes you so great?”

He looked around at the death eaters in the shadows, got up from his throne and threw his arms out wide, strutting across the Dais.

“This is what, and who is going to destroy me?” He laughed, and a few of the Death Eaters laughed with him nervously. Voldemort walked over and kicked Harry in the side, causing him to gasp in pain.

“You are weak! Look at you!” He sneered. “Love makes you pathetic and vulnerable! You are not worthy of the title of the Chosen One, let alone my time or effort.”

He turned his back on Harry and walked back to his throne, haughtily wrapping his cloak around him as he did. He sat down again as Harry raised his head to look at him. His green eyes glittered with the hatred that was coursing through him.

“You will pay…” Harry vowed through gritted teeth.

“OOOH!” said Voldemort mockingly as he put his hand to his chest and raised his eyebrows. “Temper, temper, Mr. Potter, it gets you in trouble. Obviously you have not learned your place,” Voldemort taunted as he tapped his wand in his hand, his eyes flickering to the two people hanging behind him on the wall. Clearly he was enjoying the pain he was causing Harry.

“Nnooo…” Harry whispered,

“Please,” he begged, shaking his head and pleading with his eyes, hating himself, but knowing what was coming for sure this time.

Voldemort lazily flicked his wand behind him again and chanted,

“Avada Kedavra”

For a second time a green flash shot out of Voldemort's wand and this time hit Hermione in the chest. Her eyes went wide as her back arched and then she became limp in the chains holding her.

Harry choked back a sob as he looked at his two best friends. It was too real. Too close to the fears that he had hidden in the deepest corners of his heart. He couldn't stand it. He felt his heart shatter and a part of him died. Voldemort laughed at him as Harry knelt on the floor in front of him.

“Oh, I can't wait to see you again in person, Potter! I am going to enjoy breaking you over, and over again, before I take my final revenge by slowly killing you. You fool! You are so disgustingly weak. You bore me.”

With a lazy flick of his wand in Harry's direction, he murmured “Crucio”

Harry screamed and fell to the floor into a fetal position as it felt like every nerve in his body was on fire. Spasms shook him uncontrollably, as waves of pain coursed through every limb. He couldn't stop it. He continued to scream, and then suddenly he sat up.

He was in his bed, covered in sweat. His scar was burning intently and his face was soaked with tears. He scrambled back to the top corner of his bed and hugged his knees to himself. He was shaking uncontrollably and at that moment, felt so very alone and hopeless. He just sat there; eyes wide open, tears flowing, as he rocked back and forth for a very long time.

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Chapter 3

Intervention

The next few days were even worse than before for Harry. He felt broken and beaten, and he was afraid to fall asleep. He slept fitfully when he did, waking often in a sweat. During the days he took to walking by himself around the park, or sitting in his room staring at nothing. He didn't even rise to the threats of Dudley, which frustrated Dudley to no end, even when he purposefully tripped Harry in the hall.

Tonks watched Harry for three days, her heart breaking. She knew something had happened but Harry wasn't talking. On the fourth day she had enough and went to the Burrow.

Ron was taking a nap under a tree, trying to get a break from his mum who was working them all to the bone, getting ready for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Tonks apparated right beside him and Ron jumped with a start.

“Wotcher, Ron,” Tonks grinned at him.

“Bloody Hell!” yelled Ron, scrambling to his feet. “What did you have to do that for, Tonks? You just scared a year's growth out of me!”

Tonks laughed and sat down against the tree.

“Looks like it would help too! You're getting awfully tall, Ron.”

Ron flopped back down beside Tonks and looked at her sideways. Today she had spiky, platinum blonde hair with black tips. He liked the fact that she could change her appearance. It made her interesting. No wonder Lupin liked her so much.

“So what do I owe for the pleasure of this visit? I thought you were working?” Ron asked leaning back with his arms behind his head.

Tonks sobered up immediately, a pained expression was evident in her eyes.

“Its Harry,” she said quietly.

Ron sat straight up.

“What's wrong? Is he okay? Where is he? What happened?”

Tonks held up her hands to stem the flow of questions.

“No, no,” she said, “he's okay…I think.” She frowned. “Well, he's alive that's for sure, but he is troubled by something. He's not sleeping or eating properly, Ron. He looks like hell. He won't talk to me, and its getting worse. I think I need you and Hermione's help.”

“What can we do?” asked Ron.

“Go see him. Try to get him to talk or at least eat!” she said.

“Okay…let's see…I can probably get him to eat, that's my specialty, but Hermione is the only one that he will talk to. Ginny said that he talks to Hermione because she has that empathetic thing going for her. You know, it's a girl thing.” Ron said talking more to himself than Tonks.

Tonks rolled her eyes.

“I'll have to contact her. We weren't going to see each other until the weekend, since its Harry's birthday, but I guess we could go earlier.”

Tonks raised an eyebrow at him. “Seeing a lot of her these days?” she asked with a grin.

Ron blushed. “Yes, not that it's any of your business,” he muttered as he jumped up and headed towards the house. Tonks followed laughing.

“Tonks!” cried Mrs. Weasley when they arrived at the kitchen.

“Morning, Molly,” said Tonks, “I hope you don't mind but I have to borrow Ron for a few days. I promise I will have him back well before the wedding.”

Molly looked terrified as she came over to where Ron was standing quietly.

“Oh Tonks please tell me it's not for Order business! He's so young…” she trailed off as

Ron rolled his eyes at her.

“Mum, I am seventeen now. Really!” he huffed.

“No Molly, its just Harry. He isn't…um… feeling well, so I thought that Ron could cheer him up.”

“Oh! Of course! Anything for Harry! Here dear, take him some cookies. He'll like that.”

She began bundling them into a small container as Ron headed upstairs to get ready. Just as he was packing his bedroll, Ginny walked by.

“What are you doing Ron?” she asked as she leaned against his doorframe.

“What does it look like? I'm packing,” replied Ron as he stuffed the last of his clothes in his bag.

“Obviously,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Where are you going?”

“To see Harry,” was the reply.

“Oh! Wait! I'll come too!” Ginny said as she turned to go to her room.

“No!” said Ron, “You're not going!”

Ginny turned back to him, her eyes blazing.

“And why not? I'm his girlfriend you know,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Ginny—” Ron sighed, “ It's not a good time for you to see him. And besides, didn't he break it off with you?”

“He only said that to protect me. He is so brave and sweet…” she sighed.

Ron just rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. He's a bloody hero.”

“Well he is!” cried Ginny. “And I deserve to be with him! I know him the best, I know what's good for him”

Ron snorted. “Yeah, sure you do.”

“What's that supposed to mean? Who else would know him as well as I do? I was the one he chose. We were the perfect couple. The hero and his beautiful girlfriend,” she said with a flip of her hair.

“Uh…Ginny? I don't think that's how Harry wants you to see him. He didn't choose this fight. You-Know-Who did. I think that Harry just wants this to be over so he can have a normal life,” Ron said as he thought about the prophecy.

“Oh he's better than normal. They have already named him `The Chosen One'. You don't just disappear to lead a normal life after something like that. He's famous,” she said smugly.

Ron sighed. His sister was star-struck and he was afraid that she was going to get hurt. As much as Harry was his best mate, he didn't think that Ginny was the one for him. She was hotheaded and stubborn, and Harry didn't need a lifetime of conflict. Then again, he did seem happy when he was with her…

“Look—Ginny, just give him some time, okay? He might change his mind after all of this is over, but right now he needs Hermione and me. Not you.”

Ginny pouted, turned and flounced back to her room and slammed the door.

Ginny was right, thought Ron as he picked up his bag. Harry will probably never have a normal life. He will always be the famous Harry Potter.

Molly had insisted that Ron finish all of the chores before he left, so it was dinnertime by the time Ron and Tonks got to Hermione's house, and the Grangers were pleased to see them.

“Come in. Come in,” beamed Mr. Granger. “We've just finished dinner, but Jane has a wonderful apple crumble that just came out of the oven. You must stay for dessert.”

Seeing as Ron never turned down an offer of food, they went in. They made small talk over dessert, and Ron kept glancing sideways at Hermione.

She sure has changed in the past year or so. When did she become so pretty? Ron thought as a slight blush crept into his cheeks. I have really enjoyed spending time with her alone these past few weeks.

They had started to become closer at the end of school last year, and even though he had seen her a few days ago, he missed her company. She caught him looking at her and reached over and squeezed his hand under the table. Ron blushed even further and averted his eyes.

“So Tonks,” said Hermione finally, “What brings you here? Surely Ron didn't hire you to chaperone did he? Drag you all the way over here just so he could have…dessert?”

Tonks snorted at that and Ron narrowed his eyes at her.

“No actually, I've come because of Harry,” she said.

Hermione's smile faltered and she paled noticeably. She dropped her hand from Ron's, which annoyed him to lose that contact with her. I wonder if she ever worries about me like that?

“What's happened? Oh, please tell me he hasn't left without us! He needs our help!” she said frantically.

“Like he can't look after himself,” Ron grumbled under his breath. Hermione kicked him in the shin.

“Where is he going dear?” Hermione's mother asked.

“Oh, wha…” Hermione stammered realizing that she and Ron were the only ones in the room who knew about the Horcruxes.

“Well…um…to buy a wedding gift for Bill and Fleur! Oh, you know what men are like Mum! They are terrible at finding the right gift.” She looked pleadingly at Ron to verify her story.

“Oh, yeah, right,” said Ron catching her eye. “Ummm, don't know what we would do without good ol' Hermione here.”

Tonks looked at the two of them with a confused expression on her face.

“Yes, well,” she said, thinking there was something they weren't saying, “Harry's a bit under the weather right now. Do you think you could leave tonight instead of waiting for the weekend? You might be able to cheer him up a bit.”

“Oh! Of course!” said Hermione, “I was already packed anyway. I'll just be a minute.”

She went upstairs with Ron's eyes following her noticeably girlish figure.

“Is there ever a time when that girl is not prepared for something?” he asked with amazement, appreciating the swing of her hips.

“Not our Hermione,” said Mrs. Granger proudly.

After hugs and promises to write, they left the Granger's and found a private place to Apparate. Soon they were walking towards the Dursley's.

Harry heard the doorbell ring downstairs but didn't bother to get up. Probably one of Dudley's friends. He was surprised then to hear arguing and then Uncle Vernon bellow.

“BOY! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Harry sat up, feeling a little light headed from lack of food or movement. He threw his shirt over his head and headed for the stairs, not bothering to do anything with his appearance. He shuffled down the stairs and looked towards the commotion from the landing. His eyes went wide as he took in the scene before him. Tonks had her wand pointed at Uncle Vernon's throat, and he was backed up against the re-boarded fireplace. Uncle Vernon was absolutely purple in the face and spluttering in rage. Aunt Petunia was sitting on the couch with Dudley and she was trying to protect him from their visitors, which was silly, considering the size of his girth. Ron was standing just inside the door with a look of pure rage on his face and Hermione was behind him trying to hold him back. At first, Harry was relieved to see his best friends, but then he remembered the dream and went cold. He just stood there, looking at them, the fear tightening itself around his heart.

Ron looked towards him and his face dropped. Harry looked terrible, and he didn't look at all happy to see them.

“Blimey…” Ron said as he took in his friend's scruffy appearance.

Hermione looked up at Harry and gasped.

“Oh, Harry,” she whispered and tightened her grip on Ron's arm.

Tonks looked over at Harry and gave him a small smile.

“Wotcher, Harry. We were just talking about you. Won't you join us?”

Harry shrugged nonchalantly and came the rest of the way down the stairs and into the living room, warily eyeing the scene before him.

“Now then,” said Tonks tapping her wand on her chin. Where were we? Oh yes! We were discussing the arrangements for the next three days.”

“A…Arrangement?” interrupted Harry.

“Yes. You have guests. And the Dursleys—” at this she whipped her wand up at Uncle Vernon again. “The Dursleys have graciously agreed for them to stay.” Tonks grinned wickedly at Uncle Vernon's discomfort.

“But…” started Harry, “what if I don't want them here?”

Hermione's eyes went wide at that statement.

He's scared of something. I haven't seen him this upset and withdrawn since the prophecy.

“Harry,” Hermione said gently, “We would really like to stay with you until Saturday.”

Harry just stared at them for a moment. He felt sick. His nerves were raw and he was emotionally drained. He didn't want this anymore. He just wanted to be alone, away from the rest of the world. He wanted to forget about all he knew, because then maybe, just maybe, the pain in his chest would go away. But he knew they wouldn't leave him alone. It annoyed him.

“Fine,” he finally said and turned around and went back upstairs without waiting for them to follow.

“Well! That went swimmingly!” said Tonks cheerfully as she turned back towards the Dursleys. “Now, you will be polite to your guests while they are here and show them your generous hospitality for the next three days.”

“Now see here—” spluttered Uncle Vernon.

“No, you see here. Harry is going through a very difficult time. He is obviously not getting any support from you lot, since you have the empathy of a pea, so we are here to help. If you interfere in any way, I will know about it. Do I make myself clear?” Tonks snarled.

Uncle Vernon clamped his mouth shut and after a slight hesitation, nodded mutely while eyeing the wand in the enraged witch's hand.

“Oh, and by the way, this young gentleman and lady are both of age, which means…”she looked pointedly at Dudley and smiled wickedly, “they can do magic. Don't piss them off.”

Dudley gulped and tried to hide his huge girth a little further behind his mother. Tonks went back to where Ron and Hermione were standing. She gave Ron a little vial.

“Sleeping draught,” she said quietly, “ I think he needs it, but he won't take it from me. Look after him.” she said as she gave them a quick hug and apparated with a crack.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the four people stared at each other.

“Yes…well…” said Hermione clearing her throat as she moved towards the stairs.

“Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?” growled Uncle Vernon gaining his courage back now that the crazy woman had left. He wasn't going to be cowed by two teenagers.

Hermione turned and looked at him. She gave him one of her no-nonsense smiles.

“To see Harry.”

“There will be NO girls upstairs in MY HOUSE!” Uncle Vernon yelled.

Hermione's smile stayed on her lips, but her eyes hardened. She moved until she was standing in front of Uncle Vernon. Her wand was in her hand before he could blink and like Tonks, she pointed it at his whimpering face.

“I don't want to cause any problems, but you WILL let me go upstairs where I WILL be staying in Harry's room for the next three days with Ron!” her eyes narrowed, as she took in his quivering form. “You already disgust me! Do NOT anger me. You will regret it.” With that, she turned back to the stairs.

“Coming, Ron?” she said without looking back. Ron shrugged and followed her upstairs.

“Bloody hell, Hermione!” he said, “That was brilliant!”

A/N: So let me know what you think! I will be waiting to hear from you!

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A/N: Thanks to all of you who reviewed my story! It meant a lot to me! I will try to answer all of the reviews as they come in. A special thanks to my Beta, Dementor149.

I do not own these characters, if I did, it wouldn't have to take so long to get Harry and Hermione together!

Chapter 4

The Sleepover

Harry had returned from downstairs and flopped down on the bed. He rolled over and faced the wall. He was glad to see his best friends, but the vision that Voldemort sent him had really scared him. He had collapsed, useless and powerless, as soon as Voldemort had killed them. Voldemort knew his weakness and Harry knew he would try and use it against him. He didn't feel any strength from being loved. He just felt vulnerable and weak. He heard the door to his room open, but he didn't turn around.

“Harry?” Hermione called quietly as she came into the room.

Harry felt her sit on the side of the bed and tentatively touch his shoulder. He closed his eyes and swallowed past the painful lump in his throat. It hurt to breathe, but the touch was comforting. When he felt that he had some control of his emotions, he sighed, and rolled over. He smiled at her weakly.

“Hi, Hermione, it's good to see you. Hey, mate,” he said looking at Ron.

“Oh, Harry! You look terrible!” Hermione cried, “What's wrong?

Harry shrugged. “Bad dreams, is all,” he said. “They make it hard to sleep.”

“I've got something for that mate,” Ron said as he put the vial on the side table.

Harry looked at it but said nothing. He didn't want to let down his guard. What if Voldemort was waiting? He knew Voldemort couldn't touch him at the Dursley's, but what about Ron and Hermione? Were they safe?

“Sooo…” said Ron rubbing his hands together. “What's to eat? I'm starved!”

“Ronald Weasley! You just had dinner at home and dessert at my place! You can't possibly be hungry again!”

“I'm a growing boy!” he shrugged and gave Harry a wink. “Come on, Hermione! You can't expect me to wait until morning! I'll die from starvation!”

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. Harry grinned in spite of the mood he was in. Things felt normal when he heard them bickering.

“Well, I could go over to Diagon Alley and get us some food. I don't reckon we'll be getting much around here,” Ron said with a grimace.

“How are you planning on doing that?” Harry asked, “I don't have any floo power or a fireplace connected to the floo network.”

“Oh! I guess you don't know!” Ron grinned proudly, “I passed my Apparition test! It's been great! I can Apparate in on Fred and George at any time!” he said with a laugh. “Oh, revenge is sweet! One day, last week, I apparated in on Fred and Angelina—”

“Ron!” Hermione said angrily, her cheeks flushed, “You shouldn't talk about it! That's rude!”

Ron just grinned and mouthed `later' to Harry.

Harry was amazed at how much better he was starting to feel just being around his friends.

“I've got a better idea,” Harry said as he realized that his stomach was growling too. “Dobby,” he called.

There was a crack and Dobby appeared in the room.

“Harry Potter, sir!” Dobby looked around. “Harry Potter's Miss and his Wheezy sir! Dobby is honored. What can Dobby do for the great Harry Potter?”

Harry smiled at him.

“Dobby, Ron is hungry. Could you get some food for us? Oh, and some butter beer to wash it down.”

Dobby bowed low and disappeared. Harry sat up and genuinely smiled at his friends.

“I am glad to see you guys. I missed having someone to talk to.”

“So what have you been doing, mate?” Ron asked as he rolled out his sleeping mat.

“Not much,” mumbled Harry. “Working out, sleeping when I can, thinking…” he trailed off and looked out the window. He sighed, thinking that maybe he didn't want to talk about himself after all.

“So what about you? What's been happening at the Burrow?” Harry asked, wanting to change the subject as he watched a neighbor arrive home.

Ron shrugged. “Mum's been working our arse's off. She wants this wedding to be perfect since Fleur's family will be there. If it wasn't for the few times Hermione and I have managed to sneak off—”

“Hang on, what?” Harry said, his head whipping around to eye his friend. Hermione had the good grace to blush. Ron blushed as well.

“We…uh…well, we have spending some time together you know. Talking and—”

“And what?” asked Harry as he turned and looked at Hermione. “Are you dating?”

If possible, Hermione blushed a little deeper.

“Well, we have gone out a few times…” she trailed off, not meeting his eyes.

Harry felt stunned. He knew they liked each other. How did he really feel about this? He had Ginny, he was sure that she would wait for him, so he should feel happy for them. But something didn't feel right…

He smiled at Hermione with what he hoped looked like sincerity, not voicing his feelings.

“That's…that's great. You guys will be great together,” he said.

He saw Hermione visibly relax and smile at him. Dobby reappeared at that moment with a picnic basket straining the seams with food. Ron rubbed his hands with glee and dug into the food with gusto. He passed the butter beers to Harry and Hermione and lay back munching on a sandwich, the look of sheer bliss on his face. After a quick update about Kretcher, and a promise to Ron to return with more food tomorrow, Dobby returned to Hogwarts. The three best friends spent the next few hours catching up on the past three weeks and reminiscing about old times. Ron and Hermione were careful to stay away from any talk about Dumbledore or the Horcruxes.

It was sometime near midnight and Ron was snoring on his sleeping mat. Hermione covered him with a blanket, and went back to sit at the end of Harry's bed. Harry was sitting near the top of the bed, his knees bent and he was leaning his head back, gazing at the ceiling. Hermione looked at him sitting there, and could feel the anxiety oozing off of him. She swore he had changed in just the three weeks that they had been apart. He was no longer a scrawny eleven-year-old boy with messy hair that she had first met on the train. During the past year he had grown into a handsome young man. His broad chest and shoulders were evident under the tight black T-shirt and his facial features were chiseled, although his cheeks seemed a bit sunken. His emerald green eyes were dull with a haunted look, and he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Harry,” Hermione started tentatively, “Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong.”

Harry sighed and blinked back the tears that seemed to always be threatening to fall these days. He felt very fragile and depressed. Angrily, he wiped his eyes. He wasn't used to feeling so helpless. He looked over at Hermione sitting there looking so worried about him. He suddenly felt that he needed to talk, and she was the only one he could talk to.

“Is it Dumbledore?” she asked, moving over and putting a hand on his knee. “It's been hard for everyone, Harry; it must be twice as bad for you. I can't imagine how you are feeling right now, but maybe it will help to talk about it.”

“You don't know the half of it,” he murmured. “I see Dumbledore die every night Hermione. Sometimes I see Snape killing him, or Draco, or Voldemort. The worst ones are when I see me doing it, like I've failed him somehow and I am forced to kill him because they use the imperious curse on me,” he hung his head and rested his arms on his raised knees. He started to speak again in a broken whisper, reliving the terror.

“I was learning to cope with those dreams, but three days ago I…I had a vision.”

Hermione gasped when she heard this. She knew how hard it was for Harry to practice Occulemency, especially right now. He proceeded to describe the vision in detail, explaining that he realized that it hadn't happened yet, but Voldemort wanted it to. Hermione's eyes became wider with shock as he told his story.

“It made me sick to see all of the bodies, but the worst part was seeing you and Ron chained to the wall. He wanted to get to me by hurting both of you. I don't know if I can take that,” he said haltingly. “The thought of you and Ron getting hurt because of me isn't fair. I don't want to be the cause of your pain. Maybe the two of you should—”

“Don't you dare finish that thought, Harry,” Hermione warned, “You know that we want to help you. Neither of us would be able to live with ourselves if we were safe at home while you were risking your life.”

“He killed you,” Harry whispered brokenly after a few minutes. “He killed you— you and Ron— because he wanted to teach me a lesson. I couldn't take it. I collapsed on the floor. I felt like my heart had shattered into a million pieces. I couldn't…I couldn't fight him. He had won.”

The sob that came from him broke Hermione's heart. She now understood why he looked so bad. She would have not been able to sleep either. She moved up beside him and held him in her arms. He let her pull him in close, and he dropped his head on to her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist. Hermione rocked him like a mother rocking a child, and he let it all go. He cried for Sirius, Dumbledore, his parents, Cedric, and for the losses he would have to face in the future. He felt drained, but it felt good to unburden himself. After a while he sat up, and smiled weakly at Hermione. She began to smile back and stifled a yawn.

“You should sleep,” Harry said quietly to her.

“You should too,” she said.

Harry looked away, shaking his head, fearing what he would dream about if he did.

“Harry, use the sleeping draught. Ron and I are here. We will watch out for you. You need some sleep before you go mental.”

“Maybe I already am,” he said grimly, “besides, how will I know if you're safe if I can't wake up?” he said, finally voicing his concern out loud.

“Really, Harry,” Hermione said. “ Do you think that the Order would let us come here without protection? They have wards all over the place and people watching. You should know that.”

“I guess I should have known, since Tonks knew what kind of state I was in,” he murmured.

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him the vial before going to unroll her sleeping mat. He looked at the vial for a moment, and then looked at her as she stood up.

“Will you sit with me? Until I fall asleep?” he asked tentatively.

“Of course,” Hermione replied gently. When she looked at him, he looked like a little lost boy, and her heart went out to him.

Harry popped the lid and quickly downed the potion. He lay down on the bed and turned sideways towards Hermione, scooting over so she would have room to join him. He held his hand out to her and after a moment's hesitation she took it and let him pull her to sit beside him. She sat with her back against the headboard and he held her hand.

“Thanks `Mione,” he mumbled as the draught started to take hold of him, and his breathing graduated to a light snore as his face lost some of the rigidness that had dominated his features since she and Ron first arrived. Hermione could feel him relaxing as he fell into a deeper sleep. She closed her eyes.

`I'll move in a minute, as soon as I am sure that he is fast asleep.'

“Sleep well, Harry,” she whispered as she gently moved the hair off of his forehead. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. Harry shifted in his sleep and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling himself closer to her. She inhaled sharply, her heart racing and her stomach fluttering as she glanced back down at him sleeping peacefully. Hermione quickly glanced over to where Ron was sleeping, but he hadn't moved. She felt confused by her reaction to Harry. She had hugged him before. Why would this single act make her stomach lurch and cause her heart to do flip-flops?

Somewhere in her heart, a voice answered: because you want to protect him…

She moved the hair off his face again and watched him sleep.

Somewhere in her mind, a voice countered: He is your best friend that's all. Nothing else…

She closed her eyes again and rested her head against the wall, her own sleepy voice drowned out all the others: I'll rest my eyes just for a moment…

Hermione woke up much later. She looked outside and saw that it was still dark. She was stiff and sore from sitting up for so many hours. Harry still had his arm wrapped around her waist, and he had thrown one leg across hers. She very slowly disentangled herself from him and swore she heard him whimper as she left the warmth of his side. She knew he wasn't dreaming though. The potion took care of that. She went to her sleeping mat and lay down with the thought of getting a few more hours of sleep.

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

When Ron woke up the next morning he looked for his friends. He had been so full of food last night that he had fallen asleep before either of them. He noticed that both of them were still in their clothes from the day before and wondered if they stayed up late. He watched as Hermione stretched and rolled over to face him.

Watching girls stretch, he decided, is as good as watching them walk.

“Morning,” he said with a smile. “How late were you up?”

“Mmmm,” Hermione said as she stretched again, her back arching fetchingly, much to Ron's pleasure. “Sometime after midnight. I got him to take the sleeping draught, though.” She glanced over to where Harry was sleeping, concern reflecting in her eyes and inflecting in her voice. “I really hope he sleeps for a long time.”

Ron sat up and looked around. He saw the covered trays of breakfast food that Dobby had left for them while they all slept.

“Brilliant! I'm famished!” he said as he crawled over and popped off the covers, enjoying the aromas wafting up from the still-warm plates, “Do you think that Harry is going to want to eat anything?”

Hermione rolled her eyes and flopped over on to her back. She looked over again to where Harry was sleeping peacefully and felt his arm around her waist, the fluttering butterflies dancing in her stomach…She sighed and closed her eyes and then admonished herself. She was seeing Ron! How could she even feel like that towards anyone else, let alone her best friend! She put her arm over her eyes.

“Something wrong, Hermione?” Ron worked his words around the bits of Danish in his mouth.

“No,” said Hermione sharply. Immediately regretting the sound of her voice, she knew her clipped tone was because she was feeling guilty about where her thoughts had been. “I'm just tired. I'll feel better after a shower.”

Ron gulped down the food in his mouth at the thought of a nude Hermione in the shower. The mental image of her, with nothing on, the water cascading down her naked body, soap being worked into a lather and spread all over her girl-parts occurred at the same time that he took a large gulp of his pumpkin juice, which caused him to choke and sputter all over his visual image and his sleeping mat.

`Oh honestly, Ron!” reprimanded Hermione in a sharp whisper. “Slow down! You are going to choke to death!”

Ron just grinned and went back to eating, with the lovely picture of a bathing Hermione re-materializing in his head.

Hermione got up and angrily grabbed her shampoo and a towel.

“Waffs wif oo?” Ron said between mouthfuls.

Hermione stopped. What was wrong with her? She shrugged her shoulders and turned around.

“I don't know Ron. Maybe I'm just tired, and worried. You know, about Harry, and what's to come.”

Ron sighed. “Yeah, you're right. I'm worried too. My biggest fear is that he's going to go off and play that `Hero thing' without us. Did you talk to him about it last night?”

Hermione hesitated. She didn't want to tell Ron about Harry's vision, not yet anyway.

“Well, we mostly talked about his dreams. They're pretty bad, Ron. Mainly he dreams about Dumbledore's death.”

Ron ran his hands through his hair and nodded. “I figured as much.”

He got up and went over to where Hermione was standing and gave her a hug.

“I think that since Harry's sleeping and you are going to take a shower, I'm going to go back to the Burrow to check up on things. I want to make sure that everything's okay for Harry's birthday. You know Mum, she has to have everything just right, and she has been so preoccupied with this wedding, I hope she's got everything right for Harry's birthday, and she hasn't bought him a wedding cake or something.” He grinned, kissed her cheek, before sneaking out of the room and downstairs.

Hermione headed for the bathroom and had a quick shower. She came out of the stall and was giving her hair a quick rub when she realized she had left her clean clothes in the bedroom. She glanced at the pile of dirty clothes on the floor and grimaced. She didn't really want to put them back on. She wrapped her towel around her tightly and picked up her clothes. She quietly opened the door a crack and looked out. Seeing no one, she quickly padded down towards Harry's room. As she passed Dudley's room, the door opened. She gasped as Dudley stood there, leering at her. She quickly headed to Harry's room and slammed the door, feeling his eyes following her the whole time.

Harry woke with a start as he heard his bedroom door slam, but years of training kept him still. He was surprised to feel his glasses still on his nose. He fell asleep so fast last night that he forgot to put them aside. That and the distraction of his best friend being beside him…He cracked open one eye and looked towards the door. He saw Hermione leaning against it, wearing only a towel, and looking visibly upset. She glanced over to where Harry was sleeping, seemingly undecided about something. Harry lay as still as he could, feigning sleep. She moved further into the room and reached for her clothes. With her back turned, she awkwardly tried to put them on while holding on to the towel. Harry almost laughed out loud, but the smile died on his lips as he caught a flash of her thigh. It was smooth and he wondered what it would feel like. He groaned and Hermione turned around with a start. He quickly shut his eyes again, trying to breathe normally. She quickly finished getting dressed, and began to tidy up her sleeping mat. Harry figured it was safe, so he made a show of stretching and making noises to show he was awake. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair, giving himself an even more tousled look.

Hermione turned and smiled at him.

“Morning, Harry. How did you sleep?”

Harry smiled. He felt better than he had in weeks, and he told her so.

“Where's Ron?” he asked, as he headed over to the trays of food and rummaged through what Ron left behind.

“At the Burrow,” said Hermione. “He went to make sure that we were able to stay there for the whole week instead of just a few days. Apparently Mrs. Weasley is so wrapped up in this wedding that she forgets about everything else.”

“Well, I guess it's pretty important since the first of their children is getting married,” Harry said with a smile.

Just then, Ron arrived back into Harry's room. He grinned at Harry.

“Morning, mate! Sleep well?”

“Yeah, great thanks. I really needed that,” he said with a small smile, and looking sideways at Hermione. He realized that she hadn't told Ron about the vision, and he was thankful.

“So, what should we do today?” asked Hermione, changing the subject.

“What's there to do around here?” asked Ron.

“Not much,” said Harry. When he thought about the list of chores his Uncle Vernon had made him do over the years, leaving the house seemed like the best way to avoid Ron and Hermione being `volunteered' to trim the grass with nothing more than a pair of scissors and a ruler. “Why don't we just go for a walk?”

“Sure,” said Ron, his face brightening at exploring Muggleland. “Beats sitting in this room all day, mate.”

Harry quickly went to the bathroom to change, and as he passed Dudley, he sneered at Harry. Harry ignored him, getting into a fight with Dudders was not something he wanted to do this morning. Rejoining Ron and Hermione, dressed to enjoy a summer day, the three friends headed downstairs and out the front door.

“Don't you tell them where you are going, Harry?” asked Hermione, remarking on how they had breezed by Petunia and Vernon without a word being exchanged on their way out of the house.

“No, they don't care where I go. I think they figure that if they don't ask, then one day I won't come back.” The bland tone in Harry's voice spoke the truth about his relationship with his mother's sister and her family as he shut the front door.

Not missing the deadened look in his best mate's eyes, Ron pivoted on his heels and stopped short on the front walk while he snorted derisively and murmured, “Just one little hex, Hermy, just one. That's all I need…”

Hermione scowled and hissed at him. “Ron! Behave yourself.” Walking ahead and gaining the sidewalk, she skewered Ron with a look that could pop a balloon. “And DON'T CALL ME HERMY!”

Harry grinned as he headed out into the sunshine, his heart feeling lighter than it had for weeks.

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A/N: This is a bit of a light-hearted chapter that I wanted to include. It gives our trio a chance to do some brainstorming, and gives me a chance to deal with Dudley. I hope you like it. My thanks to Dementor149 for helping me with the fight scene.

As before, I still don't own these characters. **Sigh!** I really wish I did, things would be so different…..

Chapter 5

Confrontations

Ron, Harry and Hermione spent the next few days just wandering around Little Whinging. Harry showed them some of the areas where he liked to walk, and of course, the park. It was here on their last day that the trio found themselves.

“I can't wait for tomorrow,” grinned Harry, “Imagine! I can legally do magic. I wonder which hex I should use on Dudley…” he pretended to ponder as he stroked his chin.

Ron laughed. “Ooh! Ooh! The Bat-Bogey Hex! Or maybe the Confundus Charm…Nah, he's confused enough.”

Harry was holding his sides and laughing as Ron imitated Dudley stumbling around the swings.

“Ooh! The Jelly-Leg Jinx!” Harry said, wobbling around after Ron.

Hermione stood there watching them with her hands on her hips, frowning.

“Ron! Harry! That's not funny! I will not let you hex Dudley!”

Harry and Ron looked at each other with a conspiratorial grin.

“Oh come on, Hermy! Please?” they said in unison.

“DON'T CALL ME HERMY!” she yelled as she ran at them.

Ron and Harry took off in opposite directions, laughing. They spent the next half-hour chasing each other around the park, carefree and happy. Ron finally tackled Hermione and they fell to the grass, laughing. Harry sat down next to them, enjoying the freedom he felt. He was so glad to have found Ron and Hermione as friends. That thought sobered him. He was so afraid of losing them, or having them hurt. He lay back on the grass with his hands behind his head and sighed. Why was it that one man could ruin a perfectly good day? Hermione picked up on his mood change immediately.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing,” said Harry, “just thinking.”

“About what?” Ron said.

Harry glanced over at Ron. He knew he had to tell him about the vision. He was his best mate after all. Harry sat up, and began to tell Ron all about the vision. As he talked, Ron became paler and paler. When Harry got to the part about them being killed, Ron looked like he was going to be sick.

“No wonder you couldn't sleep! Bloody hell Harry! Why didn't you call for help? The order—”

“The order can't help! Don't you see? It's me he wants. Me, and anyone who is close to me, which means you are both in danger. He could kill you,” he choked, “I can't let that happen. I wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

“Harry—” Hermione began.

“No Hermione. I don't want your deaths on my conscience. I need to do this alone.”

“Oh, honestly, Harry! Stop playing the hero for a moment will you?” Hermione said angrily. “This is so typical of you! You have no faith in us. Have you ever wondered why we hang around? Because we care about you! We are in this together, Harry! You, Ron and me! We made a choice! You didn't force us to get involved. It's our choice to help and support you during this war. Just as it was Sirius', Dumbledore's, and your parents' choice to protect you.”

By now she was up and pacing in front of the two boys.

“It scares the hell out of me, and I know that it scares Ron too. But did you stop to think that maybe we don't want your death on our conscience? That maybe we don't want to feel like we've failed you?”

“I've never thought that,” mumbled Harry, feeling quite humbled by her outburst.

“And we have never felt that you are responsible for us. I'm a grown woman, Harry. Ron is a grown man. We can make our own choices, and we choose to be here beside you, fighting Voldemort. And—” she added quietly, plopping back down between the two, “If we die…well, at least we will be fighting `til the end, together. Right, Ron?”

Ron had been staring wide-eyed at Hermione the whole time she was ranting. He had not seen her that angry in a long time.

“Uh, yeah, what she said,” Ron said, getting his voice back.

Harry looked between the two of them and his shoulders slumped in resignation. He knew Hermione was right; he needed them. He wouldn't have gotten this far without them. They were silent for a few minutes, just watching the day beginning to fade. During this time, Hermione was tapping her chin with her finger and biting her lip. Harry knew she was thinking.

“Harry, could you tell me about your vision again? Not the end part, mind you. I want to see if you can remember any details about the room. Maybe…maybe if we can figure out where he envisioned himself…”

“We can stop it before it happens,” finished Harry.

Ron looked at the two of them. They were doing it again; finishing each other's thoughts. When that happens, he felt like a third wheel. Harry sat deep in thought, his eyes closed.

“We came though big double doors. It was like a big hall. All of the walls were draped with black cloth and there were round cages, like big birdcages, all around the outside wall.

He pushed the palms of his hands into his forehead, as the vision became clearer. “The floor was made of stone; it was cold. At the back of the hall there was a large dais. There was a door to the left…I don't know where it went.” He dropped his hands. “The wall at the back where…where…” he swallowed painfully, “there were chains hanging there, and on the dais there was a chair. That's where Voldemort was sitting when I came in. There were other people there, his Death Eaters I suppose, and the chair! I remember! It was Dumbledore's. He must have stolen it.”

Harry looked at Hermione and Ron. Both were sitting deep in thought.

“It could have been anywhere,” Ron muttered.

“It was not the Riddle house. I know that. It was a big hall.”

“Did you see outside the hall? Maybe the surrounding area?” asked Ron.

Harry thought for a moment and then shook his head no. He was still watching Hermione who was deep in thought. She looked up suddenly as an idea came to her.

“Do you remember the ceiling?” she asked.

“Ceiling?” echoed Harry.

“Think, Harry. Could you see the ceiling?”

Harry frowned and closed his eyes again. He could see himself looking around, and then he looked up. In his vision the ceiling was black, like the night sky.

“It was black; like the sky,” he whispered, as a feeling of dread came over him.

Ron's eyes went wide. “I only know of one hall like that,” he said.

“Hogwarts,” both Harry and Hermione said in unison.

“He wants Hogwarts,” said Ron.

“It makes sense,” replied Harry. “We know he likes to collect trophies. This would be the greatest trophy ever. He has already gotten rid of Dumbledore. He probably figures that he can just waltz in and take over.”

“We have to stop him,” Hermione said.

Harry jumped up and started pacing, his face flushed with anger.

“There is no way I'm letting him have Hogwarts! NO WAY! If he thinks he can take our school away from us, he has another thing coming.”

The anger was building in him.

`How dare he?' Thought Harry, `He's trying to take away MY home. Just like he took away everything else.'

Suddenly he stopped, the realization hitting him in the face.

“He's doing it to get me,” he said, “He knows how much Hogwarts means to me because it meant so much to him, but Dumbledore turned his back on him when he wanted to come back to teach. He really was looking for a way to recruit more followers, but Dumbledore saw right through him. Now he's getting revenge because I still have Hogwarts and he doesn't.”

Harry ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“I hate him! Why does he have to try and destroy my life and everyone associated with me?”

Ron and Hermione watched Harry as he stormed back and forth, his agitation clearly showing on his face.

Harry's ranting was abruptly interrupted by loud, raunchy laughter, and they turned to look down the path. Coming towards them were Dudley and his pals. Dudley stopped when he saw them, then grinned and sauntered up to Harry.

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. It's my scrawny cousin and his weird friends.”

`Scrawny?' thought Hermione with a snort.

“Sod off Dudley. I'm in no mood,” said Harry darkly.

Dudley's eyes flickered over to where Ron and Hermione were still sitting. His eyes raked over Hermione, making her feel uncomfortable. He turned back to Harry.

“Was she good?” he sneered.

“What?” Harry asked.

“Did she moan and squirm a lot Harry, or did she just lie there. She looks like a live one to me,” Dudley taunted as he leered at Hermione again.

Hermione's face went white, but she still had the sense to grab hold of Ron's arm and hold him down as he tried to get up. Dudley didn't miss the movement though.

“Ooh, a threesome perhaps? It's a shame I missed that.”

Harry didn't think that he could feel any angrier than he already did, but Dudley had managed to push him that much further. Harry could feel the electricity sparking off of him as he turned to face his cousin. His voice was deathly calm, which surprised him considering how he was feeling.

“You need to apologize to my friends,” he said quietly.

“Or what?” taunted Dudley.

“Or I will have to teach you a lesson in manners,” replied Harry.

Dudley laughed, feeling confident because of his lackeys standing with him.

“It's a day early cuz, no birthday yet. You want to teach me a lesson; you are going to have to use your fists.”

“Fine,” said Harry.

“Harry,” said Hermione in a whisper, “It's not worth it. Let's just leave.”

“Need help, mate?” asked Ron in a tight voice.

Hermione looked at him incredulously. Harry just waved him down. Ron leaned back into a relaxed sprawl on the grass, but his taught muscles betrayed his calm demeanor. Hermione just sat looking between the two in shock.

“He needs this Hermione. He needs to get rid of his pent-up anger,” said Ron. “Besides, I would love to see Dudley put in his place.”

Harry stood on the spot, his hands relaxed at his side.

Dudley sauntered up to Harry, still grinning.

“Who knows? When I'm finished here, I just might have a go myself,” leered Dudley.

“You wouldn't know what to do with her, and,” Harry said, looking pointedly at Dudley's crotch, “your equipment probably isn't up to snuff.”

Ron snorted at that comment and Dudley's smile turned into a snarl. He swung hard at Harry's face and connected with his cheek. Harry tasted blood as his head snapped sideways. He looked around at Dudley and wiped the trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.

“That was your free hit,” Harry said to him.

Dudley's grin faltered, and his eyes went wide as Harry threw a punch into his stomach. Dudley sat down with an “Oomph”. His buddies began to move forward, but Dudley stopped them.

“No!” he wheezed, “He's mine!” He stood up slowly, rubbing his belly.

“Big mistake, cuz,” he said angrily.

He charged at Harry, hands outstretched, with the idea of grabbing and squashing him. Harry just sidestepped as he ran past, and kicked him in the rear. Dudley went flying again. He got up slower this time, watching Harry warily. Harry just stood, looking relaxed, watching him, and Hermione couldn't help but admire the bulge of the muscles on his arms. Dudley came at him, slower, and swung at his head. Harry ducked, but was unable to get out of the way of the fist aimed at his ribs. Harry grunted in pain as he felt something break, but it didn't slow him down. He was filled with anger right now, and it was the adrenaline he needed. He rounded on Dudley and smashed him in the side of the nose, causing it to break. Dudley staggered back, and then came again. The two traded blows back and forth, but it was Harry who was connecting more often. With an uppercut to the chin, Dudley went down again, for the last time. Dudley's two pals closed in on Harry, who was now just trying to remain standing. Ron was up like a shot.

“Oi!” he yelled, “Don't be nutters, or I'll have to take you both on!”

He towered over the other two, who suddenly lost their courage and began backing away.

“Take your garbage with you!” Ron said, kicking Dudley with the toe of his shoe.

The two grabbed Dudley by each arm, and dragged him away as fast as his heavy frame would allow them.

Ron went over to Harry and put his arm around him before he collapsed. Harry winced as he was led back to the grass where Hermione was still sitting.

“Well,” he gasped as he clutched his ribs, “that felt great.” He winced again as he lay back on the grass.

Hermione whipped out her wand and looked around before tracing Harry's ribs and muttering a healing charm under her breath.

“I should just leave you like that,” she said angrily, her eyes blazing.

Harry grinned and then winced as he felt the pain in his face.

“Come on, Hermione. Don't you remember how good it felt to hit Draco?”

“Yes, well, that was different. I didn't beat him to a pulp. What do you think is going to happen when your aunt sees Dudley?”

Harry shrugged. “The stupid git will probably say he was mugged. He'd be too embarrassed to admit I beat him. I've been waiting a long time for that.”

Hermione sighed and went to work on some of the other cuts and bruises that were beginning to show. When she was finished, they decided to head back to the house. When they got there, they could hear Aunt Petunia in the kitchen fussing over a very bruised and bloodied Dudley. He saw Harry without a mark on him and scowled. Harry just grinned at him, and the trio went upstairs. They spent the evening helping Harry pack all of his things; he wasn't planning on ever returning. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. He was weary when he finally went to bed, but satisfied with the outcome of the fight with Dudley. He fell asleep with a contented smile on his face.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review on your way out!

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A/N: Okay, this is just a quickie chapter to set up the next one. Soon your patience will be paid off. I would like to thank all the people who have taken the time to leave a quick review for my story. I really appreciate it! Thanks to my Beta for keeping me on the straight and narrow!

I don't own these characters, but I have become emotionally attached to them. Does that count? (*sigh!* The lawyers say no….. )

Chapter 6

Beginnings…

Dumbledore was standing on the tower, his hair and his beard being whipped around by the wind. Harry was standing in front of him, his wand out. “Harry, please,” Dumbledore begged as Harry raised his wand…

Harry tossed and turned in his sleep, beads of sweat on his forehead.

“No, no,” he moaned.

Hermione woke up and saw him thrashing in his bed. She quickly went over and slid next to him. She put her arms around him, trying to console him.

“Shh, it's okay, Harry, it's just a dream,” she murmured, wishing she had more sleeping draught.

Harry turned to her and put his arms around her waist, hugging her close without fully waking up. Hermione folded herself around him, stroking his back. Harry became quiet, and relaxed back into a deep sleep. Hermione continued to hold him, willing the bad dreams to go away.

Ron woke up at the noise, rolled over, and watched from his sleeping mat. He saw the tenderness of Hermione's actions and felt a mixture of jealousy and sympathy for Harry. He wouldn't want any of those nightmares that Harry had, but wasn't that his girlfriend? He closed his eyes and sighed. Would he ever be that close to Hermione? He knew that she cared for both of them, and he really wanted to find out how much she cared for him. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Hermione hugging him instead of Harry.

Harry was dreaming. He dreamed he could feel a warm body snuggled up to him. He dreamed he could smell a light fragrance of vanilla and jasmine, and he dreamed he had his arms around someone soft. He lay there breathing in that wonderful scent and sleepily ran his hand up and down the soft back. He could feel warmth radiating out from his heart, and making him tingle. It was a wonderful dream…

Hermione was dreaming. She could feel strong arms around her, protectively, and a hand stroking her back. She snuggled closer to the warmth that seemed to radiate from the body beside her. She slowly ran a hand down a muscular back and then back up again. It felt nice just holding Harry…

Hermione woke with a start as she realized where she was. She looked down at Harry's smiling face, as he slowly opened his sleep-filled eyes. When their eyes made contact, he jumped in shock and moved away, his cheeks going hot from the thoughts going through his mind. Hermione blushed at being caught enjoying Harry's company, and sat up.

“How…what…” stammered Harry.

“I'm sorry, Harry. You were having nightmares again last night. I…I guess I fell asleep,” she concluded, trying to explain her actions.

Hermione was so embarrassed by being caught, no matter how honorable her intentions were. She knew deep down how much she had enjoyed just lying next to Harry, and she couldn't meet his eyes. She got up and busied herself with gathering up her belongings. Harry watched her for a while, unsure what to say. He finally got up without a word, and left, which hurt Hermione more than she was willing to admit, although she didn't know why.

Ron had watched the whole scene play out before his eyes. It hurt to watch Hermione consoling Harry. How could she love him when she showed such tenderness towards Harry, his best friend? He cared so much for Hermione, but he knew from past experience that challenging her about this would only end in argument. He wasn't too sure how to deal with this.

“All right there, Hermione?” he asked quietly.

“Fine, Ron,” Hermione said sharply as she continued to stuff her belongings in her bag.

Ron sighed. He could see she was upset by what had happened. He was annoyed by the thought that he might be losing his chance with her before he even got that first kiss…

Harry let the water run down over his head as he stood in the shower. It had felt so good lying there in Hermione's arms, but she was his best friend!

She was supposed to be going out with Ron!

He shouldn't be having feelings like that for her!

Yes, he knew she was a girl, and a beautiful one at that. He had known that since the Triwizard Ball so many years ago, but to enjoy her embrace? He shouldn't be doing that. He ran his hands over his face trying to erase the images in his mind. He decided that he would pretend that it didn't happen. He didn't need his life to be any more complicated than it already was. With that thought firmly in his mind, he finished his shower, dressed and headed back to his room. Ron was already digging into the food Dobby had brought, and Hermione was staring out the window.

“Harry Potter, sir! Dobby was hoping to see you today, the most important of days!”

“Today?” asked Harry.

“Oh yes, sir! Dobby was hoping to wish Harry Potter a Happy Birthday sir!”

Harry suddenly grinned. He was officially seventeen. He pulled out his wand and looked at it, wondering which spell to do first. Ron came over and slapped him on the back. All things considered, he was still his best friend.

“Happy Birthday, mate! Go ahead, what are you going to try first?”

Hermione turned and looked at the boys, `correction,' she thought, `men. So much has changed in the past six years…'

Harry seemed to have forgotten about the incident this morning, and she relaxed. She was afraid of ruining their friendship.

Harry was looking around the room when his eyes fell on Hedwig's cage. He walked over to it.

“Scourgify,” he said, pointing his wand at her cage. Instantly, it was clean.

“That's going to make life a lot easier,” he laughed.

Ron laughed too. “For my first time, I made my breakfast come to me in bed. That was a riot. Mum nearly bit my head off!”

Harry turned to Hermione. “What did you do first?”

Hermione smiled. “I made a list of the books on my bookshelf, in alphabetical order of course, and correlated it to the list of which books I have read more than once, making sure to cross-reference it to—”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Should have known,” he chortled.

Their laughter broke the tension and the three enjoyed their last picnic in Harry's room. Dobby made his farewells and disappeared while Harry checked for any last belongings. He took Hedwig to the window to let her fly free.

“We're going to the Burrow, okay?” he told her. She gently nipped his finger and took flight.

Harry pointed his wand at her cage and then his trunk. He shrunk each of them to fit in his backpack. He looked around the room that was his personal hell for the past six years and sighed. He would not miss this room. He headed downstairs; Ron and Hermione followed. His Aunt and Uncle were still in the kitchen.

“Well,” said Harry, “I'm off.”

“That's it then,” said Uncle Vernon as he looked up from reading his paper. “Just like that? I hope you left that room clean. Don't want to have to spend a lot of time cleaning up after the likes of you.”

Harry sighed. He thought that maybe they would be sad to see him go, since he was family, but apparently not.

“Where's Dudley?” he asked.

“Poor Dudders is upstairs still. He has had such a hard time recovering from that mugging,” Aunt Petunia sighed.

“Yeah, I guess he's afraid he might come face to face with those muggers,” Ron smirked.

Hermione poked him in the ribs and Harry had to work hard at keeping a straight face. He figured Dudley would go into hiding, knowing that Harry could do magic now.

“Well…Goodbye,” he said and turned to follow Ron and Hermione to the front door. They had just got outside when he heard footsteps behind him. Harry turned to see his Aunt coming towards him. She gave him a small smile and cupped the side of his face with her hand.

“You have her eyes,” she whispered as her tears threatened to fall. Then she turned and was gone. Harry put his hand to his face and stared after her, surprised by that one touching gesture after so many years.

“Coming, Harry?” Ron yelled.

Harry turned and walked away, leaving Privet Drive for the last time. They went around the corner to a deserted alley and Ron Apparated out first. Hermione took Harry's hand and shyly looked up at him.

“Happy Birthday, Harry,” she said with a smile.

Harry smiled at her, glad that everything seemed back to normal. He focused on the Burrow, and glanced over to see if Hermione was ready. He felt that familiar feeling of being squeezed through a tube, and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he was standing just outside the boundaries of the yard leading to the Burrow.

“Didn't want to be blasted for Apparating too close,” grinned Hermione. She pulled Harry by the hand as they ran towards the house. As they reached the kitchen they could hear laughter and talking, and to Harry, this felt like home.

They entered the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley bustling around, Ron eating a second breakfast, and Ginny listening to Ron's story of Dudley's demise. Ginny glanced up as Hermione and Harry came in and saw them still holding hands. She frowned at Hermione, who saw this and quickly let go of Harry's hand. Hermione moved around to give Mrs. Weasley a hug as Harry went to sit down beside Ron.

“So, mate, we didn't feed you enough?” he said with a grin. Ron just shrugged happily and kept eating.

“Happy Birthday, Harry!” Mrs. Weasley said as she gave him a hug. “I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Would you like some breakfast?”

`Feeling better?' Thought Harry, `I didn't know I was sick.' Harry looked at Ron quizzically and Ron gave a miniscule shake of his head.

“Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. I already ate,” he replied, watching Ron polish off his pancakes.

“Well, we have a wonderful day planned for you, special day you know!” She said with a wink as she bustled around the kitchen.

“Oh, really, Mrs. Weasley, you don't have to do anything,” said Harry.

“Harry Potter!” Mrs. Weasley said, putting her hands on her hips. “You have just come of age! There is no way we would let that happen without some kind of celebration.”

“That's very kind of you, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry said a bit embarrassed, “No one's really cared before.”

“Well, we are going to change that now aren't we?” she said as she went back to work. “Now head upstairs and put your things in Ron's room. Hermione, you'll share with Ginny.”

Harry headed upstairs, followed by Hermione and Ginny. Harry headed straight for Ron's room, and Ginny followed him, closing the door behind her. Harry turned and saw that she had followed him in.

“Hi Ginny…Mmmmph!” he said as she grabbed his face and kissed him. Harry closed his eyes for a moment, looking for that tingle that Tonks had told him about. It felt good kissing her again, but he didn't feel the same way that he did several months ago. He very gently pushed her away from him.

“Ginny—” he began.

“I thought I should give you a proper greeting, since it's your birthday,” she said coyly as she ran her finger down his chest.

Harry turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair.

“Ginny, I thought we discussed this in June.”

“Yes, well I'm a big girl, Harry, and I've been thinking about it. I can take care of myself. I know you said that just to protect me.”

Harry sighed. He didn't really want to have to deal with this right now. Not with what had happened earlier with Hermione. He still wasn't sure what to think about that. He turned and smiled at her.

“It is good to see you. I just… I have a lot on my mind right now. With Dumbledore's funeral and all…”

“I can make you forget all that, Harry,” Ginny purred as she moved closer to Harry, causing him to back up and bump into the bed.

Ron chose that point to burst in. Ginny jumped back startled, and Harry let out a little sigh of relief. Ron looked between Harry and Ginny and raised an eyebrow.

“Oi!” he said, “no sisters allowed! Get out!”

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him and flounced out of the room, blowing a kiss at Harry as she left. Harry busied himself with enlarging his trunk and setting up Hedwig's cage, purposefully avoiding Ron's scrutiny. Ron watched him for a moment, and then came over and sat on Harry's bed.

“Sooo,” he said. “You and Ginny back together?”

After a moment's hesitation, Harry shrugged and sat down on Ron's bed. “I don't know how I feel about Ginny,” he said. “Last spring, and before Dumbledore's death, we had some good times. I needed her. The time we spent together was great and I enjoyed every moment I spent with her. But now…” he shrugged his shoulders and looked at Ron. “I don't want to hurt her, but I'm not the same person. I still have feelings for her, but I don't think I love her, I don't know. I just feel that it's not fair to make her wait until this whole thing is over. I know that your mom would like us to be one big happy family, but I don't know if I can do that. I'm sorry.”

“Is there someone else?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. “No, why do you ask?”

Ron shrugged, feeling a sense of relief. “Just wondering.”

“I just don't want anyone else in danger. It's bad enough that he knows about you and Hermione. I don't want to add her to the list,” Harry said.

“You need to talk to her then,” Ron said.

“You're not mad?” Harry asked.

“Nah, mate,” Ron said as he shrugged again, “It would be great if you were together, but if its not meant to be, then you shouldn't let her keep thinking that she has a chance.”

“That's very grown-up of you, Ron,” Harry said with a laugh, “When did you become so all knowing about women?”

Ron grinned. “Sounded good didn't it? I heard my Mum talking to Charlie one night. I thought it was good advice.”

Harry shook his head and smiled sadly. “Sometimes I feel that she fell in love with `Harry Potter the hero', not me. I don't know. What if she gets to know the real me, the one with the nightmares and fears, and she doesn't like who I really am? How would I know if she liked the real me?”

Ron didn't say anything for a moment. He secretly thought that maybe Harry was right. Ginny didn't really know who the real Harry was.

“Come on,” said Ron. “Let's go play a game of Wizard's chess. That's something I can understand.”

They spent the rest of the day playing chess and Exploding Snap while the girls helped Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Harry tried to go and help several times, but he was chased away by the three ladies. It was late afternoon when Fred and George arrived; looking splendid, as always, in their dragon hide suits.

“Happy Birthday, Harry!” they said in unison as they came into the living room.

Harry shook hands with them, and they steered him into one of the corners.

“Listen, mate,” said George, “We need to talk a little business with you.”

“Don't tell me that you need another loan?” Harry teased.

“Oh no,” said Fred. “In fact, business is booming, another deposit was put into your vault the other day. We don't want to discuss it here though. You need to come by the shop in Diagon Alley or the new shop in Hogsmeade,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “We have a few things you might need.”

Harry looked at him in surprise. What were these two up to now?

“Mum! You look lovely today! Have you done something new with your hair?” George said as he intercepted his mother coming out of the kitchen, Fred winked at Harry and following behind.

It was almost time for dinner, and as Harry found out, there were going to be several guests. He decided to go up and change into some clean clothes. Soon he was back downstairs, and being welcomed by the first of the guests, Tonks and Lupin. Today Tonks was sporting red and gold hair, “in honor of the Gryffindor House”, she told Harry.

“Happy Birthday, Harry!” Lupin said, “I am glad that I am able to be here to see you come of age.”

Harry sobered at that thought. Lupin was the last of the Marauders. The only tie that he had with his parents, and the only one he completely trusted. Suddenly, he had an idea.

“Professor, could I talk to you later? It's something important.” Harry asked quietly.

Lupin looked at him a little worried.

“Are you okay? Do you need something?

“No, no,” assured Harry, “it's just an idea I had.”

He didn't elaborate any further as Ginny grabbed his arm and dragged him outside towards some of the other waiting guests. He greeted his friends from Hogwarts, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Padma and Parvati. He was glad to see some of the DA members there as well, including Luna, Susan Bones and even Cho. He was amazed at how many people were there. As he was greeting everyone, Ginny hung off of his arm, as though she was showing off her latest prize. Harry tried to dislodge her several times, to no avail.

“Oi! Ginny! Mum's looking for you!” said Ron appearing at Harry's shoulder.

“Oh! The cake must be here!” Ginny said as she released Harry. “You stay here, I want it to be a surprise!”

“Thanks,” Harry muttered as she disappeared from view.

“No problem,” Ron smirked. “I figure you might be able to breath now.”

Ron looked around at the ever-growing crowd and frowned.

“I hope you don't mind, Harry,” Ron said. “Mum and Ginny ran into Neville and his grandmother at Diagon Alley a few weeks ago, and Neville's grandmother was trying to plan a party for Neville. You know how Neville gets; he didn't want any fuss, and Neville's grandmother was having a hard time organizing anything. Mum, being her generous self, suggested a double party, so we're going to celebrate Neville's birthday as well.”

“I think it's brilliant,” Harry grinned, relieved that now not all of the attention would be on him. He felt grateful to Mrs. Weasley for her generous spirit.

He continued to greet people as they came and congratulated him. He was feeling like it was turning into some huge, important function, as he met more and more of the ministry people. He was polite, but refused to have any lengthy conversations with any of them, especially Scrimgeour. He caught Ron's eye, and Ron shrugged.

“Some of these people have been invited by Neville's grandmother. I think she is trying to show that her grandson's birthday is just as important as yours.”

Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be important. He just wanted to be Harry, celebrating a birthday with a few close friends. He kept his comments to a minimum as he met with the dignitaries, and escaped as soon as he could.

They had dinner in the backyard of the Burrow, under the warm summer sky. Harry was sitting at one end of the long table, and Neville was way down at the other end. Ginny was sitting on his right with Luna sitting next to her, and Ron and Hermione were on his left. Throughout the dinner, he could feel Ginny sliding her foot up and down his leg suggestively. He thought that he should have enjoyed it, but it only annoyed him, so he purposefully ignored her, trying to keep his legs out of reach. After dinner the table, plates, and leftovers were whisked away and a dance floor appeared. The older adults took this as their cue to retire to the house, as Fred and George were now conjuring up a stereo with large speakers. The music started blaring and couples headed to the dance floor. Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and followed them. Harry didn't want to dance, but since he and Neville were the guests of honor, and Neville was already out there, he figured he should put in a show. After a while, he found he was enjoying himself, much to his surprise. He danced with a few different girls before begging off for a break. He flopped down in a chair as George arrived with two drinks in his hands. He handed one to Harry who eyed it warily, knowing of George's prankster personality.

“What's this?” he asked.

“Firewhiskey, bottoms up!” replied George and downed his in one shot.

Harry sniffed his glass and made a face.

“Come on, Harry! What are you, a man or a mouse?”

Harry took a deep breath and drank his firewhiskey in two gulps. It burned his throat on the way down, and he coughed and sputtered as his eyes watered. George laughed and slapped him on the back, causing him to cough even more. He could feel the slow, lazy warmth spreading through his stomach where the fiery liquor now sat. He was amazed at how relaxed his arms and legs felt all of a sudden, and how heavy they felt. Ron flopped down beside him and handed him another glass.

“I choked the first time too, mate,” he grinned, as he clinked glasses with him and downed it in one gulp. He made a face, but then grinned as he looked expectantly at Harry. Harry raised his glass and downed it in one gulp. He didn't gag this time, and the warmth in his stomach spread even further, all the way to the tips of his toes.

“Happy Birthday, Mate,” Ron said as he produced a bottle from somewhere and poured Harry and George another one.

“Where did you get that?” George asked.

“Seamus,” grinned Ron, “I didn't ask where he got it from.”

“Well, free firewhiskey is much better than paying for the stuff I always say. Bottoms up!” George said as he clinked glasses with Harry.

Harry could feel the affects of the third glass going to his head. When Ginny came to get him for a slow dance, he readily agreed, feeling a little reckless.

`Maybe I should give this relationship thing another go,' he thought to himself. `The benefits are rather nice…'

They moved around the floor slowly; Harry pressed himself snuggly up against Ginny. He brazenly ran his hands up and down her back as she nestled under his chin. Harry looked around and saw other couples dancing, closed his eyes, and sighed. He was really enjoying himself. He opened his eyes as Ron and Hermione danced past. He felt a sudden lurch in his stomach as he watched them swaying close together. He felt angry with them; his alcohol-induced brain couldn't figure out what it meant, but it did kill the mood he was in. He was really having a hard time keeping up with his ever-changing frame of mind.

“A sickle for your thoughts, Harry?” Ginny murmured from under his chin, as she felt him tense.

“Huh? Oh…” Harry thought quickly, “Um, I was just thinking about how nice it was of your mum to go to all this trouble for Neville and me.”

“Well,” she said silkily, “It was my idea to throw you a party.”

`Not according to Ron…' Harry thought

“If Mum and I hadn't run into Neville and his grandmother, you wouldn't have to share your party with him. Of course, we all know who really is the most important person here,” she said as she hugged him closer to herself.

Harry just rolled his eyes. Maybe it was time for him and Ginny to have a talk, but not tonight, and not with the way his head was buzzing. Who knows what he might say, given how his mood seemed to be changing faster than Tonk's ever-changing hair.

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A/N: Okay, I have to tell you, this was one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Once again, thanks to all of you that have been leaving a review. It means a lot to us authors, and spurs us on to be better writers. Thanks to my Beta, Dementor149 for keeping me on the right track.

I do not own these characters, JK Rowling does, but I do want to thank her for creating them. Now all we have to do is fix the relationships….

Chapter 7

An Awakening

As the evening wore on, and Harry had more firewhiskey, he began to relax and forget about any of his worries. He became agreeable to everything and felt giddy. Ron had introduced Neville to the joys of alcohol and he wasn't feeling any pain either. At one point he stumbled to where Harry was sitting (because he didn't trust his legs anymore) and fell down into the chair beside him.

“Harry,” he said with a slight slur, “Isn't thish somtin? I'm glad I convish…convished…um, made my Gran let me sleep over.”

Harry raised his glass to him and looked back at the dance floor. The girls were huddled together in a group giggling, whispering, and pointing in their direction. He figured something was up. He wasn't dead; he knew that when girls got together it meant trouble, and now there was a storm on the horizon. Hermione was there too, but she looked annoyed. He thought she looked so cute when she was annoyed; her eyebrows were furrowed, and her soft lips were pouting. He shook his head, trying to get rid of those guilty thoughts and looked for Ginny.

“Attention! Gather round!” called Lavender from behind Neville and Harry.

`How did she get back there?' Harry thought vaguely.

“Its time to play a game and,” she gave Neville and Harry a conspiratorial wink, “give our birthday boys their gifts!”

Neville waved at the group, with a sloppy grin on his face. Harry knew they were in deep trouble. Anything that was cooked up by Lavender could only lead to disaster. Lavender produced a silk scarf from somewhere and tied it around Neville's eyes before his addled brain could react.

“Don't worry, Neville,” she purred in his ear, “you're gonna love this. Okay ladies; line up, one at a time. We're going to play `Who's the Kisser?' Neville, you have to guess who is kissing you. Ready?”

Neville just grinned.

“Hey!” complained Ron, “you're just looking for a reason to snog Neville and Harry!”

“Jealous?” Ginny challenged.

“Yeah! Nobody suggested playing this game on my birthday!” Ron grumbled as everyone else laughed.

“Okay, who's first?” Lavender asked.

Ginny came forward and straddled his lap. She looked pointedly at Harry, then put her hands on Neville's face and kissed him hard.

“Wow!” squeaked Neville as Ginny moved away.

“So, who was it Neville?” asked Seamus.

“Umm…can she do it again?” he asked eagerly. Everyone laughed.

“No way, Neville! One shot!” laughed Lavender.

“It was worth a try,” he laughed, “I know it was Ginny.”

Harry raised his eyebrows in astonishment that Neville knew who it was. It must have been quite a date at the Triwizard Ball. He was surprised that the monster that lived in his chest didn't rear up its ugly head. He didn't feel anything at all after watching Ginny kiss Neville.

`Maybe it's the firewhiskey…'

The game carried on amid lots of laughter and catcalls. Neville guessed wrong for the next three girls until Lavender came and sat in his lap. The kiss she gave him must have been better than Ginny's because he sat there with his mouth hanging open for a few moments. He finally managed to gulp and whisper “Lavender” before turning a bright shade of red. Lavender giggled and blushed as well. The kiss must have shaken him because he didn't get any more right.

`Now how did he know it was Lavender? How many blokes has she kissed?' Harry shook his head in wonder. He didn't realize that Neville had it in him.

Ron whipped off the blindfold to the applause of everyone around him and Neville grinned sheepishly, his eyes searching for Lavender.

Before Harry could react, he was pulled back in his chair, his glasses were removed and the silk scarf was placed over his eyes. He nervously smiled as he heard the girls whispering in front of him. He felt the first girl straddle his lap and place a dreamy kiss on his lips. He could hear the clunking of her necklace and knew who it was.

“Luna,” he said before she had even moved off of his lap.

“Wow!” said Ron, “That was amazing! You should drink firewhiskey more often!”

Harry grinned. He liked this game. The combination of the blindfold and the firewhiskey took away his inhibitions. The next girl wiggled into his lap, trying to get a reaction from him. He knew it was Ginny. She would be the only one aside from Lavender, who would be brazen enough. She kissed him, running her tongue over his lips and then biting his bottom lip with her teeth.

“Ginny,” he said as she came up for air. He had to admit, she was a great kisser.

“Two for two!” yelled Dean, and everyone laughed.

Harry grinned. He was using all of his other senses to figure out who each girl was, which was quite a feat considering how much he had to drink. He did mix up Padma and Pavarti, but they were very similar, being twins. He could hear furious whispering going on while he waited for the next girl, and it sounded like someone was being dragged. Who ever it was bumped into his legs, and he grinned brazenly, opening his arms to welcome her.

“Next!” he said cheekily.

He could feel the girl hesitate before sitting primly on his lap, and he thought it might be Cho. He felt tentative hands on his shoulders as she was slowly leaning into him. He waited, expecting to feel Cho's lips on his. He felt her hesitate for a moment, so close that he could feel her breath on him. Then, after the observing crowd threw out several challenges, their lips met. An explosion seemed to occur in Harry's brain and he inhaled sharply, as he was assaulted by the feelings her kiss caused. He instinctively put his hands on her back, pulling her closer and trapping her. Time stood still as he kissed her back, deepening the kiss. He felt daring, the blindfold and the firewhiskey gave him courage, and he ran his tongue over her lips, feeling the tingle explode out from his chest and wrap him in warmth. It felt like an electric current was running from Harry to her, and he knew she felt it as well. She pulled back from him and gasped.

“Hermione,” Harry whispered huskily, but it was so quiet no one could hear him, except her.

That kiss held more emotion than Harry thought possible. He was confused; he felt like he was going to burst from the feelings coursing through him. He wanted to kiss her again, with no thought as to who was watching them. He leaned towards her, but she stood up quickly and the warmth and the tingle that he felt were suddenly gone. He didn't know if anyone else had caught the exchange, since he couldn't see, and they were all laughing and making catcalls at him. To cover for his hesitation, he pretended to ponder for a moment, tapping his chin, and then said,

“Was it Cho?”

Which created even more laughter.

Lavender called out, “Don't you even recognize your own best friend Harry?”

Harry feigned shock and said, “Ron! I didn't know you had it in you!”

That made everyone laugh even harder and Harry pulled the scarf off his eyes grinning. He had to see Hermione, had to see her eyes. He grabbed his glasses and put them on. Looking around he saw three things; Ginny looking furious, Hermione standing there looking confused and hugging herself, and Ron laughing nervously, his eyes darting between Harry and Hermione. The music started up again and Lavender declared the game over as she dragged Neville to the dance floor.

Ginny came over to where Harry was still sitting and stood with her hands on her hips.

“Did you really think it was Cho?” she asked, her eyes blazing.

Harry just shrugged.

“It was just a game, Ginny, no big deal,” he said as he ran his hand through his hair.

`That kiss…' he thought.

“You kissed her back!” she hissed and then stormed away, grabbing a confused but delighted Dean by the arm and leading him to the dance floor as she went.

Harry let his eyes roam around the garden, looking for Hermione. He finally found her, walking off into the darkness behind the broom shed, with Ron's arm around her protectively. His chest hurt to see them go off together and he ran his hand through his hair again as his alcohol induced thoughts ran around in circles. He really didn't like the way his emotions seemed to be playing with him.

`She was his best friend!'

`Where did that feeling come from?'

`He had never felt it with Ginny or Cho…'

`She's Ron's girlfriend!'

`He was supposed to be Ron's best friend!'

`They're together!'

`She's not with you!'

But then another small voice from deep inside that was hard to ignore asked one simple question: `Why not?'

He all of a sudden found a glass in front of his nose and looked up. It was Luna. He took the drink she offered and took a sip, grateful that it wasn't firewhisky.

“That was fun, wasn't it?” she said dreamily.

“Yeah, Luna, great,” Harry said as he took another sip.

“How did you know it was me?” she asked.

“Oh,” Harry said. “You know, I heard the butterbeer cork necklace, and it was the… um…the way you kissed.”

Luna looked pleased with his answer. Harry glanced back over towards the shed, hoping for Ron and Hermione to return. Luna watched him.

“It won't work,” she said dreamily as she followed his gaze.

“What?” Harry said distractedly as he pulled his eyes away from where he knew his two best friends were.

“It won't work,” she said, quite clearly this time. “Those two. They're too close. You know, like family.”

“What makes you think that?” Harry puzzled.

They certainly looked like a couple to him when they left. Luna turned and looked at him with her big blue eyes. She gave him a look that reminded him of Trelawny. She shrugged.

“I just know. Their paths do not mingle. They walk side by side, but not as one.”

Harry was getting confused and decided that maybe, he had had too much to drink. Then he thought that if he had drunk too much, this conversation would make sense. He shook his head at the way his thoughts seemed to be going in circles. He grinned at Luna suddenly, and put his glass down, happy for the diversion.

“Come on, let's dance!” he said, and he pulled her to the dance floor.

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

Ron had gone to Hermione as soon as Lavender had declared the game over. He put his arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the dance floor. She shivered, so he grabbed her shawl from one of the chairs as they went by and put it over her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

She was quiet then, but willing to let Ron lead her. He needed to talk to her privately, just the two of them. He walked with her, away from the party, and behind the broom shed.

Ron knew what he had seen. The way Harry had reacted to Hermione's kiss made his blood boil. He had never seen Harry kiss Ginny like that, and he had caught them several times. There looked like there was some kind of…connection between his two so-called best friends just now. Ron frowned as he realized something else. Once again, Harry got to be first. He got to kiss Hermione before he had. He was starting to get pretty frustrated with all of the roadblocks that he seemed to have in front of him…

Hermione was in shock. That kiss…it felt like…she didn't know what it felt like. Harry's lips had been so soft and the jolt of electricity that had gone through her had touched her to the core. When Harry had kissed her back, knowing it was her, it confused her even more. The way he had whispered her name, it gave her goose bumps. She had never seen or felt such an emotion from Harry before. She took a deep breath and tried to push her thoughts down. Harry was, after all, just her best friend. They were all coming to an age where hormones would be affecting them, she had read about it. Besides, Harry was interested in Ginny, not her. He had also been drinking; she had tasted it on his lips…his soft lips, that seemed to caress her mouth and make her want to melt...

She shook her head, trying to get those images out of her mind. There was no way he was in control of his emotions with all that alcohol flowing through him. Feeling satisfied that she had figured it out; she looked up and smiled at Ron. Ron, who was caught up with his own thoughts, was surprised by her change in mood, and gave her a shaky smile back.

“Lavender sure comes up with some crazy ideas,” Hermione laughed nervously.

“Yeah, not fair though. I didn't get a group of girls eager to snog me on my birthday,” Ron pouted.

Hermione smiled at Ron's attempt to humor her.

“Hmm, I don't know if I would have liked that,” she teased.

Now that he had her alone, Ron was nervous. He felt like he was fighting an unseen demon, and the demon was winning. He sensed he was losing his chance with Hermione, and he felt panicked. He wanted to know if there was going to be a relationship past handholding. He figured there was, since he felt very protective of her. He liked her a lot, and she had grown into a beautiful woman. Even though they argued, he liked her company, and he liked to try and make her laugh.

But that kiss he saw… it made his heart lurch. They had looked so natural together. Would he look the same with her? He felt the pangs of jealousy again that Harry got to kiss her first, although he knew Hermione didn't readily agree to the game. He led her to the big tree and they sat down. They sat in silence for a while. They could hear the faint strains of the music from the party. Ron took Hermione's hand in his and squeezed it. She turned and smiled warmly at him. He leaned closer to her, watching her reaction. She just watched him, waiting. He turned to her and reached up to cup her face with his hand. He ran his hand back, through her hair to the back of her neck. He pulled her gently towards him and claimed her lips. They were soft, and he closed his eyes, trying to sense the magic that he expected to feel between them. He could feel her soft lips on his…

But that was it.

No spark.

He pulled her closer, thinking that the extra contact would make a difference, but after a brief minute, he realized that he felt like he was kissing a relative, not a beautiful girl. He drew back from her slowly and looked at her. She opened her eyes, but he didn't see any passion for him there. When he was with Lavender, he could at least see something smoldering behind her eyes. With Hermione, he saw worry. He recognized a fear that she, for once in her life, didn't know what to do. He searched his own feelings for her, and he didn't find the kind of emotion that he thought was supposed to be between two people in love. But what really surprised him was that he felt more disappointed, than hurt. He sighed, and leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. Hermione looked at him anxiously. She knew he was expecting more from her, but she just didn't feel it. She knew he was disappointed, she could see it in the way he was sitting.

“This isn't going to work,” Ron finally said.

“What?” Hermione asked, suddenly in a panic. She had just figured out how to handle this situation, and now Ron was throwing a wrench into her plans.

“You. Me. Us. It's not going to work. Hermione…” he stopped, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. “Hermione, I do love you. You are very important to me. I enjoy the times we have spent together, especially this summer. It was great not having to share you. I even enjoy our bickering.”

“Ron—” Hermione began.

“No, let me finish before I lose my nerve. I thought that there was something between us, but now I think I was wrong.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don't want to hurt you. You were my best friend first, and I guess we just kinda fell into this, it just happened. I don't think that either one of us have really looked at our relationship.”

Hermione,” he took a deep breath to steel himself against what he had to do, and he felt a pang of regret. “I don't think we should be dating.”

There.

He said it.

He looked over, and saw the look of shock on her face, and started to panic. What would Bill or Charlie say in this situation?

“Uh…it's not you, its me. I...ah…you need someone special, and I don't think it's me,”

Boy, was he making a mess of this. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

“Look, if it's okay with you, I would like to just stay friends. I'm sorry Hermione; I really screwed this up. I wish I could fix this. I don't want to mess up the friendship we have, but I don't think I love you the way you want me to. It's…it's like kissing my sister,” he finished quietly.

He saw the tears in her eyes and felt sick, thinking he had made her cry. He never knew what to do with crying girls, but he figured that maybe after his botched speech, she wanted to be alone, so he got up to leave.

“Don't go,” Hermione said quietly.

Ron felt uncomfortable. It hadn't felt this hard to break up with Lavender. Then again, Lavender wasn't as important to him as Hermione was. He sighed and sat back down again and after an awkward moment, he put an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him gratefully.

“I'm so sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to hurt you,” he whispered.

She turned and smiled at him, blinking back tears.

“I have a confession to make Ron. I am glad that this has happened, sort of.”

“What?” Ron asked.

Hermione sighed. “I think you are right. I didn't really know what my feelings for you were. I love you too Ron, but not that way. You're very important to me, and I thought it was for real, but…it's not. I'm sorry if I made you think any different.”

“You don't need to apologize, I think we were both delusional,” Ron said as he gave her a squeeze.

Hermione sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I am so lucky to have two of the best friends in the whole world. If you were just some guy that I was dating, I am sure that he wouldn't have tried to let me down that easy. You, Ron, are a gentleman. You're more worried about me than your own feelings. Yes Ron, we will still be friends because I treasure that relationship more than you will ever know. You are my second family.”

“So does that mean,” Ron said with a grin, “you just kissed your brother?”

Hermione punched him in the arm and he laughed, relieved to have her back as a friend, glad he hadn't lost her completely. Hermione shook her head in wonder. She couldn't believe this was the same guy that she had attacked with canaries for trying to make her jealous. She was amazed by the change in him. They sat together under the tree, as best friends, for a long time. They talked and laughed, and rediscovered their relationship. After a while, they decided they had better get back.

“Everyone will think we've been snogging,” Ron said good-naturedly as he stood up. Hermione followed.

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I thing there's already too much in-breeding going on in the Wizarding world, dear brother,” and she laughed as she put her arm around his waist.

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A/N: Okay, I know that there are lots of you readers out there; I can hear you breathing! What I would like you to do is take a minute, or even thirty seconds to write a quick review! You can ask around, I respond to all of the reviews I get! (And for which I am truly thankful!) I would truly like to hear from you! End groveling….

One more nightmare, and I will warn you, this one is a bit nasty. Don't worry; Harry will get through this! Love will prevail! Many thanks to my Beta, Dementor149, who helped me get through this!

Chapter 8

…And A Nightmare

They had been gone a long time. Long enough for Harry to finish the bottle of firewhiskey. He was sitting and watching his other friends enjoying each other's company. He decided that he was a moody drunk. One minute carefree and happy, the next, feeling grumpy. He watched as Ron and Hermione came back smiling, arm in arm.

`Well,' he thought bitterly, `looks like they have had a good snog. I should be happy for them, I guess.'

They came over to where Harry was sitting and Hermione sat down. Ron picked up the empty bottle and looked at it.

“Don't tell me you polished this off by yourself, mate,” he said.

Harry just shrugged as he warily watched Hermione, trying to gage her reaction to earlier events. He had crossed the line when he had kissed her back. He knew it, but he couldn't help himself. He was worried because he didn't want to lose her as a friend. He needed her, and the thought of losing her scared him. Hermione turned and saw him watching her, and the look in his eyes told her of his fears. She smiled to reassure him. She could never leave him…

“It's been a good party Harry. I've had a great time. I can't believe that I actually saw you dancing several times! Must be that coming of age thing, or maybe the alcohol?” she teased.

Harry relaxed. Hermione seemed to be her old self, and he accepted her unspoken reassurance that everything was okay between them. He was relieved. He didn't need any further complications in his life right now. He decided to store the experience away, like a dream. An incredibly, wonderful dream. He gave her a sloppy grin and leaned back in his chair.

“Must be the alcohol; drunken Harry likes to dance. A sober Harry remembers a certain Triwizard Ball and the fear of being on a dance floor,” he shot back.

“Ugh!” said Ron eyeing the dregs in the bottom of the bottle wistfully before putting it back down. “Don't get me started on that! Fred and George still won't let me forget about having to dance with McGonagall.”

Harry smiled, remembering the conversation he had with the twins back then. He felt his spirits lift and the bad mood go away. It was an interesting sensation, being drunk, and no control over one's emotions. He was in fact, feeling quite dizzy and light-headed. He figured that he couldn't stand if he tried. His body and his brain were not even talking coherently to each other anymore. He watched Ron flop down in the chair beside Hermione and lean against the back of her chair comfortably, as the two of them engaged in a conversation about some of the couples on the dance floor. He wasn't really listening to them, just watching them as they leaned in to share some observation. They seemed so content with each other, as if something had changed. They looked like a happy couple, sort of like Bill and Fleur did when they were together. They deserved some happiness in all of this, he decided, and he wasn't going to stand in their way.

`Especially Hermione,' he thought, `she should be with someone stable, someone who doesn't have a death threat against him by some evil lord. They both deserve to be happy, considering all that they had been through with me.' He smiled as he realized he couldn't have asked for two better friends, and he vowed that he would be happy for them. They deserved it.

All too soon the evening was coming to an end and Harry's friends came over to say their good-byes. Harry saw Neville being guided towards the house by Fred and George, and he figured that it was time to call it a night as well. He was really having a hard time keeping his eyes open. Harry stood up and proceeded to stumble sideways and sit rather abruptly on the ground. Ron laughed at his lack of coordination and reached over to help him up.

“Upsy-daisy, mate,” he grinned, “good thing you don't need to fly or catch a snitch tonight.”

Harry gave him a lopsided grin as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. “I can still fly circles around you, any time, anywhere. Want to have a go?”

Ron looked at him in disbelief. “I would have to tie you to your broom so you wouldn't fall off, you old drunk!” he chortled.

“I am not old!” Harry said indignantly.

“Yeah, but you're still a drunk,” Ron threw back at him.

“I can still out fly you any time, any day, and while you are still looping the rings trying to get your bearings, I will have flown circles around you.” Harry smirked.

“Is that so?” Ron challenged, “Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

“Oh no you don't!” interjected Hermione. “There is no way either of you are going to fly in your condition! You just march right up to the house right now and take yourself to bed!”

“Bossy, little spoilsport,” Harry said as he stuck out his tongue.

“Always `Little Miss Prefect', afraid of taking chances,” Ron muttered slyly, giving Harry a wink.

“Bed! Now!” Hermione said as she pointed at the house, trying hard not to laugh.

Ron put his arm under Harry's and staggered up towards the house, singing a rather off-key drinking song that he had heard from his brothers. Hermione could hear Harry join in and shook her head as she fondly watched them go, smiling at their antics.

Harry let Ron lead him straight upstairs to their shared room. Neville was already there, snoring away. Ron laughed when he saw him; the twins had dyed his hair a shocking pink and gave him a Mohawk.

“I wonder if that's the only hair they dyed?” Ron asked snickering. “You'd look good in Gryffindor Red.”

“Don't get any ideas,” Harry warned, “I know where you live and I can still out-hex you.”

“Don't know how, when you can't even stand up,” Ron muttered.

Harry pulled away from Ron, intent on following through with his threat, and proceeded to collide with the open door.

Ron just laughed harder as he steered Harry towards his bed. Harry lay down and closed his eyes, willing the room to stop moving so he could sleep. Ron was climbing into bed when Harry opened his bleary eyes and looked at him.

“You're a good friend, you know, mate. You and Hermione, you've been the best thing to happen to me in my whole life,” he was starting to feel a bit melancholy. “I'm happy for the two of you,” he said honestly, “You guys deserve a life of happiness. I'm just glad that you're both my friends…” he said as he felt sleep overtake him.

“Uh, listen mate, about that. Hermione and I…” Ron stopped when he heard Harry snoring softly.

`Tomorrow,' he thought drowsily, `I'll tell him tomorrow.'

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

Harry was in the Great Hall. Voldemort was sitting on his throne, his supporters surrounding him. He looked around, seeing his friends jammed into the cages. He felt his chest contract as he realized the extent of Voldemort's cruelty. There was so much blood…

Harry heard Voldemort laughing and turned around to see he was now standing near the wall, using a whip to flay someone hanging on the wall. Voldemort turned and looked at Harry; his evil grin making Harry shiver.

“Sometimes,” he hissed seductively, “physical pain can be just as rewarding as mental pain. It creates such a wonderful sense of helplessness, don't you think?”

Harry looked at the body hanging loosely from the wall. He saw the blood dripping from the open wounds and the red hair. He felt sick. This madman was threatening his friends, and it was because of him. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. It was too much.

He heard a commotion coming from the side room and turned to look. Two Death Eaters were dragging Hermione from the side chamber. They chained her, facing the wall, and tore her shirt off. Voldemort walked towards her, letting the tails of the whip stroke his hand, like a lover's caress.

“I shall enjoy this,” he said, licking his lips in anticipation as he raised the whip. It whistled through the air and made contact with Hermione's bare back. She cried out and tried to arch away.

“Noo!” Harry screamed as he tried to lurch forward. He looked down and saw he was chained to the floor. He frantically tried to open them with a few spells and found that they wouldn't open. He couldn't reach her, he couldn't help her, he couldn't think. He strained against the chains on his legs, the metal biting into his skin. He heard laughing all around him, and he felt helpless. He collapsed on the floor, as Voldemort slashed the whip across her back again and again, cutting her skin and making her bleed. He flinched with every stroke, sobbing and screaming for him to stop. He felt hands on him and he fought to get free, sobbing harder now at his inability to help either of them.

“Harry!” a voice said.

“LET ME GO!” he yelled, trying to free himself, fighting the hands holding him down.

“Harry! Stop! It's okay! It's only a dream!” the voice said, holding his arms to prevent him from lashing out.

“Only a…” Harry opened his eyes to see Ron trying to hold him down, with Neville standing fearfully behind him. Harry was so relieved that he sat up, grabbed Ron and hugged him.

“Wha…” said Ron, trying to push himself away so he could look Harry in the eyes.

“Harry, it's okay,” he said, trying to calm him as he took hold of his arms.

Harry took a shuddering breath as Ron sat beside him, a knowing look on his face. It was so real to Harry. He could still feel the cold chains around his ankles. He ran his hand over his face and looked around, wide-eyed. He could still see them, chained and hurt, because of him. He was shaking still.

The door burst open and Hermione came in, closely followed by Ginny. Harry was so relieved to see her that he gasped out loud. Hermione went to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

“Was it Voldemort?” she whispered as she made eye contact with Ron, and an understanding passed between them. They were here for him.

Harry nodded, unable to speak. He held her, the tears started to flow freely; he didn't stop them. He had felt so helpless, so afraid. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore. He didn't want to do this, didn't want the pain, the fear, the responsibility. Hermione held him as he cried. He was exhausted, but so fearful of sleep.

“I…I can't,” he whispered brokenly.

“It's okay Harry. We're here. It wasn't real,” Hermione said soothingly, over and over again to reassure him, as she rocked him.

Ginny stood at the door watching them, the look of disappointment etched on her face as she watched Harry Potter, the hero, break down. How could he show such weakness over some silly nightmare? She shook her head at the scene before her. She had thought so highly of him, thought he was braver than that. Right now, he just looked like a little kid having nightmares, not her knight in shining armor. Still, why was it Hermione and not her sitting on that bed? She was his girlfriend; he should have turned to her, not that bushy-haired know-it-all! Didn't he realize just who was more important in his life?

Mrs. Weasley had come in by this time, followed by Mr. Weasley. She looked at Harry, shocked at what she saw. She knew that he had been having nightmares, Lupin had told her, but she didn't know that they had been so bad.

“I'll get the sleeping draught,” she murmured and left. She came back a moment later and handed the potion to Hermione, who gave it to Harry. He took it without argument. Mrs. Weasley pushed her husband and protesting daughter out of the room and sent them back to bed.

Hermione gently pushed Harry back to lie down on the bed as Ron moved over to sit in the chair beside his bed.

“I'm sorry,” he murmured sleepily, the draught taking effect.

“What for?” asked Hermione as she sat beside him.

“I'm not strong enough,” he whispered, “I can't do this.”

“We're stronger together, Harry remember that,” she said gently as she pushed his hair aside.

“Stay…please…both of you,” he slurred as he grabbed Ron's arm and Hermione's hand. He drifted off, holding his two best friends.

While he was sleeping soundly, Hermione brushed his hair out of his face and smoothed the worry lines off his forehead.

Ron watched her, finally accepting what he already knew deep down.

“I wonder if he knows how much you love him,” Ron said wistfully, feeling the regret of knowing that he would never be on the receiving end of Hermione's devotion.

“Of course he knows! We're his best friends!” replied Hermione.

“Not us Hermione, you. I'm his best mate and I'll always be here for him, but you…” he trailed off and shrugged, unable to voice what he now saw as the truth.

“I don't know what you are talking about, Ron,” she said brusquely. “You know I care for him a lot, that's what friends do.”

Ron rolled his eyes. He didn't feel like fighting. He was already emotionally drained from dealing with Harry's dream, and he could feel the start of a hangover in the back of his eyes. He yawned and got up to go to bed. He saw Neville still standing by his bed, wide-eyed.

“Neville, go back to bed. Harry will be fine now,” Ron said.

Neville nodded his pink Mohawk and wordlessly crawled back into his bed.

“I'm going to bed. Morning's going to be here soon,” Ron said as he crawled under his own covers.

“I guess it's okay for me to go too,” Hermione said, reluctant to leave. “Is Neville okay?” she said as she took in the pink hair peeking out from under the blankets.

Ron grunted in reply. He was already half asleep.

When Harry woke later that morning, he felt beaten and bruised. He just lay in his bed for a long time not wanting to move. He could hear voices downstairs and saw he was alone, so he figured everyone must have been downstairs eating breakfast. That was fine with Harry. He wasn't in a mood to see anyone. He rolled over and closed his eyes. When he woke again the room was warm. He figured it was mid-afternoon. His growling stomach made him get out of bed and throw on a pair of shorts and a shirt. The house was quiet, but as he headed downstairs he could hear two voices. He came into the kitchen and saw Mrs. Weasley and Lupin sitting at the table. Mrs. Weasley jumped up guiltily when she saw him, looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

“I'll get you something to eat Harry. You must be famished.”

Harry sat down across from Lupin and stared at the top of the table, not wanting to make eye contact with him. Lupin looked concerned.

“I hear you are having bad dreams again, Harry,” he said.

Harry just nodded, without looking up. He was tired of trying to hide the fact that he had nightmares that made him sick.

“What happened to the Occlumency?” asked Lupin, “I thought you were learning how to shut it out.”

Harry shrugged. “My lessons with Snape weren't very successful, I guess I didn't practice enough,” he scowled as he thought about the hateful teacher. “I really don't think he wanted me to succeed, because he never really taught me what to do.” Harry looked up. “That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I need to practice with someone. I was hoping that maybe you could help me.”

“Well, I'm not as good at it as Professor Snape is, but maybe I can get you going on the right track. Not today though. You'd be too emotional, and you need a break. I think your friends want to spend some time with you.” Lupin said.

Mrs. Weasley brought him some lunch and he began to eat, not really tasting what he was putting in his mouth. He shook his head as the feelings of being embarrassed from last night came over him.

“I don't know if I want to see them,” he mumbled, “I need to distance myself from them.”

“What for, Harry? They're your friends and they care about you!” Lupin said.

Harry sighed. “I'm weak professor. He's beating me from the inside. He knows what my weakness is and he is going to use it against me. I…I can't put them through that,” he stopped eating, unable to swallow past the lump in his throat.

“Harry,” Lupin sighed, “You have to understand what he is doing to you,” he thought for a moment. “One soldier on a battlefield surrounded by the enemy loses hope. He gives up. It makes it easier to defeat him. An army of soldiers feels strength from those around him. He feels empowered by the support of others. It makes him harder to defeat. If he alienates you from those you love, Harry, he has created that hopelessness that he wants and needs to defeat you. You need all the help you can get in order to end this war. We are all here to help you. Don't push us away.”

Lupin got up and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder.

“We are all here to help Harry,” he said again, “we know what we're getting into. We have made the choice to help you, just as you made the choice to fight. Don't give up now. You're not weak. Older and more experienced wizards have collapsed under far less than what you're going through. You are one of the strongest people I know. You will beat him, Harry. We all have faith in you. I'll see you tomorrow for your Occlumency lessons.”

After Lupin left, Harry decided he wanted some fresh air and maybe a ride on his broomstick. He needed to think. He grabbed his broom and headed over to the Weasley's Quiddich pitch, avoiding everyone. He kicked off as soon as he got there, glorying in the warm breeze that ruffled his hair. He soared higher, circling around the pitch, enjoying the sense of freedom he always got from the wide-open skies. It gave him the chance to escape reality for a while, and the chance to organize his thoughts. He zoomed around faster, pretending to be looking for the snitch. He weaved in and out of the loops, feeling reckless. He spun and weaved; dodging imaginary players when suddenly a mop of red hair cut him off. He stopped, and Ron came up beside him, looking at him challengingly. Harry grinned and accepted the challenge, and took off. Ron chased him, both of them now weaving and dodging around the pitch. Ron almost had him once, but Harry was too fast for him. He was always one step ahead of his redheaded challenger. Exhausted, the boys finally headed for the ground. Harry collapsed on the field beside Ron, breathing heavily.

“All right there, mate?” Ron said as he gasped for breath.

“Yeah,” grunted Harry. “Thanks. You know, for last night.”

Ron shrugged. “You would have done the same for me.”

They were silent for a while, trying to get their breath back.

“So, how was Neville this morning?” Harry questioned.

Ron grinned. “He had a nasty headache this morning, and you should have heard him scream when he saw his hair! `My Gran will kill me',” Ron said as he mimicked Neville.

“So was he pink through and through?” Harry asked.

“Oh yeah. You could hear him in the bathroom all the way downstairs,” Ron laughed. “Mum had a fit. It was a good thing Fred and George weren't there. She made us all wait for breakfast while she made up a potion to change him back before his grandmother arrived. It was a nightmare having to wait!”

Nightmare…

Harry instantly sobered again and looked away. The silence hung heavy between them.

“Was it worse than before?” Ron finally asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

Harry nodded. “He knows Ron. He knows that you and Hermione are important to me. He wants to use you to get to me.”

“Well then, I guess we had better be well prepared.”

“You don't have to do this you know,” said Harry.

“I know, mate,” said Ron quietly, “but what kind of a friend would I be to let you go at it alone?”

“A live one,” Harry said.

Ron snorted. “No one will live if You-Know-Who wins, Harry. My whole family is marked. I need to do this.”

“What about Hermione?” Harry asked. “If anything ever happened—”

“Harry,” Ron interrupted, “do you really think Hermione would let herself be left behind?”

“I just don't want her to get hurt,” Harry said.

“She's pretty special,” said Ron. He was quiet for a moment, thinking. “So, how do you feel about her?”

“Oh, she's…she's a great friend. Always been there for me, for us. She's smart, caring, and she always seems to know what I want, or what I need. I don't know what I would do without her.” Harry smiled wistfully as he thought about her. He then looked up at the strange expression on Ron's face.

“She's, uh, just a friend Ron,” he said quickly, turning red. “Nothing else. I mean, I… uh…don't fancy her, you know, she's your girlfriend Ron.”

“Yeah, well about that. I've been meaning to talk to you—”

“Harry! Ron! Mum's looking for you!” called Ginny as she came onto the pitch.

Ron sighed. “Later,” he said as he got up.

Harry looked at Ginny and saw that she was looking at him strangely before she turned and left. He thought it was odd, after the way she had been throwing herself at him the last few days, but he shrugged it off as he headed back to the Burrow. Who knew how girls thought anyway?

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A/N: Okay, now its time to teach Harry a few lessons. Not much action here, but a little insight. I want to thank-you for reviewing my story! It looks like begging for reviews really works! (Please, oh please oh please…) It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I wonder if this can be addictive….

As before, I still don't own these characters, but I can make them really think about their relationship choices!

Chapter 9

Lessons of the Heart

The next few days seemed to be filled with the wedding preparations and Occlumency lessons, and Ron and Harry never got to finish their conversation. Harry was so busy with the Occlumency lessons that he didn't even think about it.

The lessons had not been going well. For the past few days, Harry was unable to keep Lupin out of his head. Harry was becoming frustrated with his lack of progress, and he felt that Lupin was becoming frustrated as well. Most of the lessons had ended in failure, and Harry felt that perhaps he was never going to get it. Today was no better. Lupin had been attacking him all morning, and Harry was unable to block him. Soon, Lupin found out about the vision. Harry gasped and stumbled to the ground as Lupin pulled away from him. He always felt so violated with these lessons, even though he trusted Lupin.

“What was that Harry?” he heard Lupin ask quietly, “It looked like the Great Hall. That hasn't happened. Why is that memory there?”

“Voldemort gave it to me,” Harry said as he plucked at the grass, not meeting his eyes, the shame of failure embarrassing him. “That's what he keeps threatening me with.”

“Merlin's Bones Harry! Do you realize what this means? Taking Hogwarts could be a part of his plan! Why didn't you tell someone from the Order?”

“Because I…I didn't think about it. I didn't know the Order was still operating. Besides, I figured he was taunting me. I was focussing more on my friends…” he trailed off.

“I'm sorry, Harry,” Lupin said as he helped him up. “It is a pretty disgusting vision. I can see why you wouldn't want to talk about it. As for the Order, it's there; it's just not as strong as before. We have lost a lot of good people and without Fawkes…” Lupin shrugged. “We can discuss this later. Let's try again. Clear your mind. Try to make it blank.” Lupin said as he paced.

Harry closed his eyes and tried to will the visions from his mind. He turned to face Lupin.

“Legilimens,” Lupin said and flicked his wand.

At first there was darkness, and Harry began to feel some elation of having hidden some of his thoughts. Then suddenly, a whirlwind of visions and thoughts were flying around. Dumbledore's death flashed by, followed by the fight with Snape. They jumped forward to the Dursley's and of him jogging with Tonks. They seemed to circle around the vision of Tonks, and Harry tried to push Lupin back. He knew what he was going to see. Then it was there, the kiss he had shared with her that morning. Suddenly, Lupin was gone from his head and Harry was left gasping again.

“Can you explain why you were kissing Tonks?” Lupin said in a strained voice as he began to stalk towards Harry.

“Hey!” Harry said, backing up. “She was kissing me! She said something about finding the power within me and she kissed me!”

Lupin narrowed his eyes at him and moved closer. To Harry, he looked ready to pounce.

“I swear professor! Honest!” Harry said as he backed up further, starting to feel nervous. He wasn't too sure what he was going to do if the professor attacked him.

Lupin finally stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to relax. “I believe you, Harry,” he sighed, then shook his head. “She always has a way of getting my hackles up,” he smiled, “Let's talk about your methods. Tell me how you are trying to clear you mind.”

“Well,” said Harry, “I just try to push my thoughts aside.”

“Hmmm…” said Lupin. “That means that all your memories and thoughts are still near the surface. Let's try this. Picture all of your thoughts in the center.”

Harry closed his eyes. He pictured boxes of images jumbled all together in his head.

“Okay. Now build a wall around those thoughts. Lock them in.” Lupin waited until Harry nodded. Lupin continued in a low hypnotic voice. “Now, lower that cage down through the floor of your brain. Seal it up, like a vault.”

Harry did as he was told. He pictured an empty room, the vault hidden securely in the floor. He opened his eyes.

“Legilimens,” Lupin said.

Harry felt him enter his head, and felt a sense of calm. His thoughts were protected; there wasn't anything Lupin would be able to find. He smiled at Lupin and then pushed. Lupin stumbled back, surprised.

“That was good Harry. I couldn't find anything. You're picking up quick.”

Harry felt excited. He was finally making progress. It was suddenly making sense.

“Let's try again. I want you to put a wall up in front of me so I can't get in. Try and stop me before I start.”

Harry nodded, “Ready,” he said.

“Legilimens,” Lupin said.

Harry quickly put up a wall and then pushed hard. Lupin stumbled back, almost losing his footing.

“Harry! That was incredible! I didn't even get a chance to get anywhere.”

Harry grinned. “Thanks. I just suddenly understood. Snape never explained any of this like you have.”

“Let's try something new. One thing that You-Know-Who will try to do is find something. If he finds nothing he will try and tear down your wall and rip you apart until he finds what he wants. Make an image in your mind and plant it behind the wall. Let me find it. You need to learn to direct someone to the image you want to portray, not the image they want to find.”

“Got it,” Harry said. He thought a moment and then smiled as he remembered an image of him flying on his broom earlier, being chased by Ron. He nodded to the professor, trying to stay focused on the scene in his mind.

“Legilimens,” Lupin said.

Harry felt his presence as Lupin pushed against his wall, and he let it fall. He let him see the image of him flying, a feeling of contentment coming over him. Lupin abruptly gave a wolfish grin and latched on to that feeling and followed it. Suddenly he had access to all of Harry's good feelings. Harry tried to catch him, but he was too slippery. Lupin saw him beating the dragon at the Triwizard tournament, winning the house cup, and holding Hermione in his arms as he slept…

“No!” thought Harry. He quickly built a steel wall around his vault of hidden feelings. At the same time he pushed Lupin, hard. Lupin went flying through the air and landed about ten feet away from Harry. Harry staggered from the effort, and then ran to where Lupin was now sitting on the grass.

“Professor! I'm sorry! Are you alright?”

“Merlin's Bones Harry! Where did that come from?” Lupin said.

“I…I don't know!” said Harry. “I couldn't catch you! Then suddenly I saw…something… private, and…and I didn't want you to see it. I created a new wall and I just pushed. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how hard I pushed you.”

Harry sat down beside Lupin.

“It was powerful Harry,” Lupin frowned, trying to remember the image. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he looked at Harry.

“It was Hermione,” he said. “And you…”

Harry turned red and looked away. He still wasn't sure where he stood with Hermione, but much to his chagrin, he had been thinking about her a lot lately. Lupin watched him for a moment.

“Harry,” he said finally, “let's try something. I am going to go looking for specific memories. People you know. Try to push me out.”

“Okay,” said Harry.

“Legilimens,” he said and began by looking for Ron. He found him quickly, and watched as the boys shared a laugh together before he was pushed out again, hard. He put his hands back to break his fall, thankful that he was already sitting on the ground.

“Again,” he said, “Legilimens,” He went looking for Ginny this time. He was pushed out again, but not quite as hard as before.

Harry was breathing hard from the exertion; his face was becoming sweaty.

“Again,” he said, “Legilimens,” He was going for the images that he thought would create the biggest reaction. He knew he could get to them; Harry was tired. He found Harry and Hermione snuggled in bed together, but then the scene abruptly changed. He saw Hermione kissing Harry the night of his birthday. He was suddenly slammed on to his back and he couldn't move. The force coming from Harry was impossible to break. It was beginning to press on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Ha…Harry,” he gasped.

Harry's eyes re-focussed and he inhaled sharply at seeing Lupin flat on the grass. The pressure on Lupin's chest suddenly eased and he took in a full breath of air. Harry was shocked. He hadn't used his wand or said a spell, or was even aware of what he did. Lupin sat up, breathing heavily.

“What…How…How did I do that?” Harry asked.

Lupin looked at him for a moment.

“I think,” he said slowly, “Your feelings give you power. The stronger the feelings, the stronger your power. You have strong feelings for Ginny, stronger feelings for Ron, but your strongest feelings were for—”

“Hermione,” whispered Harry.

“Harry,” Lupin started, “how do you feel about Hermione? Have you really looked at your feelings? I don't mean to pry, but there is something very powerful there.”

It was the second time that he had been asked about his feelings for Hermione. He cared about her, a lot. He had noticed his body's reaction to her, but chalked it up to male hormones. After all, she was a girl, beautiful, smart, and funny, who wouldn't notice her? She was his best friend, so he felt comfortable around her, not like Cho, who made him feel nervous. He didn't have to worry about how he acted around her, because she only saw him as a friend.

But then, he didn't feel the same sensation that he got when he had kissed Ginny, or even Cho. With Hermione…Well, he could still remember the kiss they had shared, feel the sensation on his lips. It had been incredible and he had wanted more. In fact, he came to the realization that he had thought of very little else but that kiss. He sighed.

“I don't know, professor,” he said, “I think about her a lot, but she doesn't see me as any more than a friend. She is seeing Ron, so…” he shrugged.

“Well,” said Lupin, “You have a good friend in her. Make sure you treasure that friendship. It might give you the extra power you need. That's enough for today. I'm tired, and you must be too. We'll try again tomorrow.

It was getting closer to Bill and Fleur's wedding, and Mrs. Weasley was in overdrive. Every spare hand was given a job, and Harry was trying to help where he could. He found it difficult with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley pussy-footing around him, like they were afraid he would break, and he found it strange that Ginny seemed to be avoiding him too. The lessons with Lupin were going great. Harry could shut him out without using any exertion at all. He was starting to plant different images in his head to see if he could direct Lupin towards them. He found that he was now in control of his thoughts and feelings; they were no longer in control of him. He was blocking out all the nightmares now, and getting more sleep. His confidence was growing again, and it could be seen in the way he held himself. He was becoming his old self again, and was looking forward to further lessons from Lupin.

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A/N: Okay, here it is folks! The beginning and the end! I hope this chapter pleases some of you die-hard Harmony shippers. Many thanks to those of you who have been taking time to write me a review! I look forward to each and every one!

I do not own these characters, and I would like to thank JKR for creating such frustrating situations that we all feel we need to fix!

Chapter 10

Weddings and Confessions

The day of the wedding was clear and warm. The Burrow had never looked so good. The gardens had been pruned, weeded, and decorated with lights and fairies. Harry was wearing his newest dress robes; they were black with a deep green trim. While he was waiting for the wedding to start, he was looking through some books that Lupin had loaned him. He was trying to find a source or any information for this so-called power he seemed to have, but was unaware of. He wasn't being very successful. He could hear Mrs. Weasley calling for everyone to come outside, so he left his studies and went to join everyone else.

“Harry, dear, you'll be sitting up here, behind us,” Mrs. Weasley said, “You are a part of our family.” She fussed with his robe and tried to straighten his hair as she spoke, and Harry could tell that she was nervous. He finally got away from her and headed up to where he had been instructed to sit. He sat there, thinking about the lessons he had been having with Lupin, and the satisfaction he felt with his success. He had learned more in one week than he had learned all last year with Snape.

“Mind if I join you?”

Harry looked around and his breath caught in his throat. Hermione was standing behind him, and to Harry, she looked incredible. She was wearing a pale blue spaghetti strap dress that seemed to flow from her waist down. She had her hair up just like the night of the Triwizard Ball. She looked beautiful.

“Uh…hi,” he said after he realized he had been staring. “Um…sure.”

“You look very nice today, Harry. Are those new robes?”

“Uh…yeah, Mrs. Weasley got them for me. You…you look nice too,” he felt foolish by the amount of stammering he was doing. He had never been this way around Hermione before the night of that kiss.

“Thanks,” she said, blushing slightly.

The other guests were now seated, and Bill was standing up front with his brothers, minus Percy. Ron was looking very uncomfortable in his dress robes, but at least they were brand new, without any lace. Bill looked roguishly handsome, and the scars on his face didn't detract from his appearance. The music started and everyone turned to look behind them. Fleur's bridesmaids came down the aisle and it seemed to Harry that they were floating. They were dressed in identical full-length gowns in the Beaubaxton's pale blue color with a soft ruffle that started at one shoulder and fluttered across at an angle, leaving the other shoulder bare. Harry was reminded of the first time that he had seen the girls in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Fleur's bridesmaids were as equally spellbinding as those girls had been then. Soon, every eye was drawn to the beautiful girl in white beside her father as they started up towards the front. Her gown seemed to be made of the finest silk and flowed gently as she moved. Her long sweeping train trailed behind her and was woven with sparkling crystals. As the sun glinted off of her dress, it looked like hundreds of fairy lights had been sewn into the bodice. She smiled serenely as she walked up the aisle, but she only had eyes for Bill, standing proudly at the front.

“She looks beautiful,” Hermione sighed as she leaned against Harry to see.

She hugged his arm, and as her body made contact with his, he lost sight of everything else. He was distinctly aware of exactly every inch of his body that was touching hers. He could feel the softness of her breast as it brushed against his arm, and he tried to keep his breathing even. Didn't she realize the affect she had on him? He was starting to feel uncomfortable, and he leaned back in his chair, shifting a bit as Fleur went by. Hermione moved away from him, and he felt a loss as she sat back in her chair. Harry was beginning to feel frustrated. He found himself yearning for contact with her, but knew it was wrong. He was at war with himself because he wanted to be close with her, but knew she belonged to Ron. There was an ache in his chest, one he felt that he couldn't fill. He suddenly felt a nudge from Hermione and realized that everyone else was standing. He stood up quickly, realizing that he had just missed the nuptials with his daydreaming. Hermione was looking at him with concern, so he turned and smiled at her. Once the Weasley and Delacour family went by he offered his arm to Hermione to lead her down the aisle, glad to be able to touch her again.

While the families were having photos taken, Harry and Hermione went for a walk down by the pond. Harry told Hermione about his lessons with Lupin, although he left out the parts about her. They talked about the Horcruxes, trying to figure out where to start. They were sitting by the pond in a comfortable silence when Harry noticed that Hermione was chewing on her lower lip. He knew she was thinking about something.

“Okay, Hermione, what's up?” he asked.

She looked over at him, and he could see she was worried about something.

“Well, I've been thinking about something and I don't want you to get upset or blow your stack before you hear me out.”

“Forget it Hermione, I'm not going back,” Harry said.

“How did you…? Never mind. Look, we need to go back,” she held up her hands to stall any further comment. “First, you need to talk to Professor McGonagall. We need to warn her about what you saw. We need to come up with an emergency plan to protect the school and the students. Secondly, you need to see Dumbledore. His portrait I mean,” she added hastily at the look on his face. “Third, Hogwarts has the biggest selection of books in the restricted area. I don't even think that Grimmauld Place has that much. And finally, we need a base. Somewhere we could stay that would give us some measure of protection. Otherwise, we may never sleep properly.”

“Too much risk,” Harry said shaking his head.

“Harry, the school is safe. Professor McGonagall said—”

“You spoke to her?” Harry interrupted.

“Yes, well I sent an owl…” she replied.

“About what? Why didn't you tell me you had talked to her?” Harry said angrily.

“Well you have been busy, and I wanted to borrow some books,” she said.

“What did you tell her? Did you say anything about the Horcruxes?” he asked

“What? No! Harry I wouldn't do that! You know me better than that! How could you even think such a thing?”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Yes, well I think we should tell her, Harry. She is a great source of information.”

“Dumbledore said…” he began.

“Dumbledore is not here anymore, Harry. We need all the help we can get. Professor McGonagall will have access to a lot of information that I can't get my hands on. At least discuss it with Dumbledore's portrait. See what he thinks.”

“I'm not taking any classes,” grumbled Harry.

Hermione smiled at him as she realized she was winning him over. “I promise you won't have to do anything you don't need to do. But we should also think about the DA. We need—”

“All the help we can get. I know! I know! I get it!' Harry said as he threw his hands up in the air in resignation. “I'll go talk to her. I'm not making any promises though.”

Hermione smiled. “Thanks, Harry. It will work out. You'll see. I'll send her an owl.”

“I don't know how you talk me into these things,” Harry grumbled.

“Because you know deep down that I'm right,” she said smugly.

Harry shook his head and laughed.

“Poor Ron! He doesn't stand a chance, does he?”

“A chance at what?” Hermione asked, confused.

“You know, in your relationship. He's never going to win any of the arguments,” he grinned.

Hermione was looking at him strangely.

“Have you spoken to Ron lately?” she asked.

“Not really. We keep getting interrupted,” he said.

“Well,” Hermione hesitated for a moment, “Ron and I decided that we're not going to see each other anymore as boy and girlfriend,” she explained.

“Did you have a fight?” Harry asked.

“No, no. We just decided that it wasn't going to work.”

“Why?” Harry blurted out without thinking, and then went red. “Oh. Sorry. I guess it's none of my business really.”

Hermione smiled. “That's okay. We were down by the broom shed the night of your birthday and when Ron kissed me—”

“He kissed you?” Harry said with a pang of jealousy.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Yes, Harry, boys and girls do that sometimes. Anyway, it didn't feel right. I guess we have been friends for too long. We are more like family than boy and girlfriend, so we decided to just remain friends.”

For one fleeting moment Harry was elated, but then he replayed what she said in his mind.

`We have been friends for too long. We are more like family…'

“Oh…” Harry said with a sinking feeling, “Well, I'm glad you're still friends.”

Was that how Hermione saw him as well? Just friends? Harry wondered if she could ever think of him in any other way. And then there was Ginny… He had been so focussed on everything else this week that he hadn't given her a second thought. He stopped to think about her then, and realized he didn't feel any type of longing for her. As a matter of fact, he hardly thought about her at all. He thought more about his best friend, his beautiful best friend, than he did about Ginny. What they had was over. He didn't have the same feelings for her anymore. He figured he would have to talk to her eventually.

“Harry? Did you hear me?”

“What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something,” he said.

“I could tell. I asked you if you had decided when you wanted to go to Godric's Hollow.”

“I was thinking about going in a week or so. You don't have to come you know.”

“I want to come,” she said as she took his hand in hers. “I don't think you should go alone. Why do you want to wait until then?” she asked.

“I want you and Ron to take some Occlumency lessons with Professor Lupin and Professor Tonks,” he replied, “I want both of you to be as prepared as I am. I don't want to risk either of you and this is the best place to do it,” he squeezed her hand. “Besides, if you become good enough, maybe we can teach the rest of the DA's. As you know, we need all the help we can get,” he grinned at her as she punched him in the arm.

“Let's go back,” Harry said, “they're probably finished by now, and I'm hungry.”

Hermione laughed. “You're just like Ron,” she said.

Harry smiled wistfully. “Hopefully not too much,” he said as he started walking back towards the Burrow.

The day after the wedding Harry was hard at work again. Now the tables were turned. Harry was the one using Legilimens against Lupin, and he wasn't being very successful. He was having a hard time trying to get past Lupin's defenses. Of course, just to make it that much harder, Lupin would try and use Legilimens on Harry, so he was trying to block and invade at the same time. He was finding that the mental exertion was just as tiring as, or maybe even more than, the physical exertion of Quiddich. Ron and Hermione were doing Occlumency as well, and Tonks was helping out. They were all falling into bed exhausted, only to get up and do it again the next day. During one of the sessions, Harry became so frustrated that he just mentally pushed. Lupin staggered back, and Harry was able to push his guard down just for a second, before it snapped back up.

“Harry, stop,” Lupin said, breathing hard. “You're going about it the wrong way. If your target can feel you doing that, the walls will be harder to break down. You need to be subtle.”

`Subtle,' thought Harry. `Like a mouse or a wisp of smoke…' He pictured himself being like a thin trail of smoke and thought `Legilimens' while Lupin was talking.

He slowly and carefully felt along the wall, looking for a crack. Lupin was still talking; unaware of what Harry was doing. Harry nodded every once in a while, but he was probing. He found a small crack and pushed his way through. Suddenly, he was in. He dampened down his enthusiasm and continued his quiet probe. It was a lot easier than a frontal assault. He found memories of Lupin growing up, time at Hogwarts, playing jokes with Sirius and his father. The memories were coming fast and Harry couldn't hold on to any of them. Suddenly, Lupin's face changed as he realized what Harry was doing and the walls slammed down again. Harry thought that Lupin would be angry, but he was surprised to see him smile.

“Very good, Harry. Legilimens works best when the subject is distracted or weakened. I didn't even realize that you were there until you saw the memory of your father. If you can keep yourself calm like that, you'll be able to get far. Remember that a mind that is on guard is hard to penetrate. A mind that is distracted or weakened is easier.”

Harry smiled. He was beginning to find that it was getting easier to pick up on the lessons and his confidence was growing. Maybe he had a chance to defeat Voldemort after all. Now all he had to do is find the Horcruxes.

A few days before Harry was to leave for Godric's Hollow, he received letters from two places: one from Hogwarts, and one from the Ministry for Magic. He opened the one from Hogwarts first, expecting it to be the usual letter welcoming him back for his final year of school. He was surprised then, to find a short note.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I would like to request a meeting with you, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Miss Hermione Granger for the 16^th of August at 9:00 am. Please reply by owl if this date is convenient for you.

Sincerely Yours,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Magic

Obviously Hermione had been in touch with her again. Harry knew he had to go back there eventually. He wrote back saying that they would be there, and sent the owl back. He opened the second letter to find that his apparition test was scheduled for the Thirteenth. He smiled grimly. He was ready for that one. He had just finished reading the letter when Ginny walked into the kitchen. She was startled to see him, and looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. Harry was prepared for Ginny to throw herself at him, but she just stood there, looking at him.

“Uh, hi, Harry,” she said, “did you get your letter from Hogwarts?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said warily, watching her as she made her way towards him.

“I guess you won't be going back,” she said sadly.

“Actually, I was thinking about it, you know, for the DA. I think the Order is going to need us. Actually, I'll need you,” he said.

Ginny looked at him with a mixture of caution and hope.

“You mean…Oh Harry! This is wonderful!” she said as she threw her arms around his neck. “We can be together, just like before, and I'm sure that I can be a big help to you, just like Ron and Hermione. ”

Harry sighed. He really needed to start thinking about the way he said some things.

“No, Ginny,” he said as he gently pushed her away and led her to the table to sit down. He took her hands in his. Somehow this seemed a lot harder now than at the funeral.

“I may need your help with the DA, is all. Ginny…look, I really like you, a lot. We had some great times together and I will never regret what we had. But that was in the past. It was another lifetime. I don't love you the way you want me to. You deserve to have someone who is willing to commit to you. You are part of my family, but I'm sorry, there's nothing more. I hope we can stay friends, but I'll understand if you can't do that.” He searched her face for a sign of understanding.

Ginny pulled her hands away from Harry, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was annoyed with him.

“You know, I wish you would make up your mind. At the party you were all over me, so then I thought that maybe, just maybe we had a chance. Then, you spend the next week avoiding me. You're really good at sending mixed signals, Harry,” she said angrily.

Harry bowed his head. “You're right. I would be surprised if you ever talked to me again,” he sighed as he ran his hand through his already messy hair. “I'm so sorry Ginny. I seem to screw up every relationship I've been in. Maybe its better if I didn't have one.”

Ginny stood up and moved away from where Harry was sitting, her eyes glistening with angry tears.

“You know when you are young, and someone you know, or heard about, seems so wonderful, and then when you finally meet them, it's like a dream come true. Only to make things harder, that person is even better than the stories you hear. You were my hero, Harry! Your name came up so many times when I was growing up, and then, when I met you, you were all that I had ever heard about, and more. When you saved me from You-Know-Who, I was smitten, and when we started going out, my dreams had came true, I was going out with my hero.”

“Ginny, I don't want—”

“I don't care what you want or don't want! I'm the one being hurt here!”

Harry looked at her in surprise. He had never really seen this side of Ginny before. He watched her as she paced back and forth, her face flushed in anger. She suddenly stopped and glared at him.

“The other night, when you had that nightmare, I saw a different side of you. You were…vulnerable,” she said as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Even so, I thought you might need me. And then I saw how you reacted when Hermione and I came in the room. It was her that you reached for, not me. It hurt, Harry, it hurt a lot. She has always been number one in your life, and no matter how hard I try, and no matter how much I want it, I will never hold that spot. I knew then, Harry, even though I have tried to deny it. She will always come between us. You care for her, don't you?”

Harry was startled. Was he that transparent? “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said evasively. “Of course I care for her. I mean, she is my best friend and all. She was one of my first friends, and we have been friends for several years, so of course I would look to her for support. You're seeing things that just aren't there. I don't see anything wrong with going to her for comfort,” he was rambling now, to cover for his embarrassment.

“I'm not surprised,” she snorted, interrupting his spiel. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

“Look, I don't want to discuss this anymore. I have waited my whole life…” she trailed off and shrugged. “You will have to forgive me, Harry if I don't seem eager to be `just friends', I'm not used to being burned.” Her voice was cold, and Harry could hear the bitterness in it.

He let his shoulders slump. He figured that he deserved that after the way he had treated her. “I'm really sorry Ginny. I'm pretty messed up when it comes to the relationship department.”

“Well,” Ginny said haughtily as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, “you had better figure it out. You have already let one fantastic girl get away. We don't like to wait around you know.” She leaned over suddenly and kissed him fully on the lips, hard.

“It's a shame you will never know what you've missed,” she said seductively, as she trailed her hand down his arm. Harry watched her head outside and wondered if she was right. His whole life has been put on hold because of one man: Voldemort.

-->

A/N: My apologies for being a day late with this. Work was not a kind mistress this week. It seems like we have been tying up loose ends now for several chapters, but I believe it had to be done. A little more touchy-feely in this chapter, and my take on what an Apparition test would look like. I hope you enjoy it, please leave a review and let me know!

I do not own these characters, I just like to try and make them a bit better than they were!

Chapter 11

Testing, testing, One, Two, Three

On the morning of his Apparition test, Mr. Weasley had offered to take Harry to the Ministry of Magic with him. It reminded Harry of the time when he had to go for his hearing. At least he knew what the outcome would be this time. They arrived with plenty of time to spare, and Mr. Weasley left Harry in the Atrium after making Harry promise he would let him know how he had done. After Harry registered his wand with Ernie, he headed down to level six and found the door that said `Apparition Test Center'. He entered the tiny office and registered himself with the stern looking witch behind the counter.

Soon, he heard “Potter, Harry,” and jumped up. He turned and saw it was Wilkie Twycross, the same teacher they had lessons with at Hogwarts. He smiled at Harry, and beckoned for him to come with him.

“Follow me please,” he said.

`Destination, Determination, Deliberation,' Harry though as he followed the instructor.

They went down a hall to a door with the number seven on it. Mr. Twycross opened the door, to a large room, about the size of a Quiddich field at Hogwarts. There were several raised platforms around the room, and the room had been magically transformed so it looked like they were standing in a large meadow somewhere. Harry could see trees off in the distance, and feel a slight breeze against his face. If he hadn't known he was on the sixth level under ground, he would have thought they were really outside.

“Now, Mr. Potter,” Mr. Twycross said, “I am going to give you instructions for your Apparition test. You will follow these instructions to their completion, at which time I will be able to assess your ability to Apparate. Do you have any questions at this time?”

“Uh…no,” said Harry.

“Good. Then let's get started shall we? As you can see, each platform had a number. You are to Apparate to each platform in this order,” he handed Harry a piece of paper. “As you Apparate, I will be informed if your entire body made it to the next platform, and if you are following the correct order. If any piece of you is splinched, the Emergency Apparition will come into effect, and you will be returned back to the starting point to connect with all of your missing parts, the test will be terminated, and you will fail.”

Harry nodded, looking at the paper and then looked for the numbered platforms.

“Whenever you are ready, Mr. Potter,” Mr. Twycross said as he moved back.

Harry stepped up to the first platform and looked for the number three.

Three D's, he thought, as he focussed on the platform and imagined himself there.

With a small pop, he was standing on the platform. He smiled to himself as he looked for platform number five, and with a small pop, he was gone again. He quickly went through each platform and found it was getting easier as the test wore on. Before he knew it, he was back at the first platform, tired, but satisfied.

“Well done Mr. Potter! Well done! And so quick! I am happy to announce that you have arrived complete, and that you have passed. Congratulations,” Mr. Twycross grinned, as he signed the parchment. “Take this back to the front office so they can register you. You are now legally allowed to Apparate. Make sure you pick up a brochure on your way out that gives you more safety information about Apparating.”

“Thank-you, sir,” Harry said as he left. He picked up the brochure, `The Responsibilities of Safe Apparition', and headed for Mr. Weasley's office. After congratulations from Mr. Weasley and Kinglsey Shacklebolt, he decided to Apparate back to the Burrow. He went to the Apparition point, and arrived just outside the Quiddich field a few minutes later. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione watched him from the porch as he walked towards the house with a huge grin on his face. It disappeared, though, when he saw that Ginny was trying to wipe her red swollen eyes. Hermione shook her head slightly, and Harry stopped, as Hermione led Ginny into the house. Ron jumped off the porch and came towards him.

“Congratulations, mate,” said Ron slapping him on the back. “Knew you'd pass. Brochure's a waste of time though,” he said nodding at the pamphlet in Harry's hand.

“I'm amazed you still have both of your eyebrows,” Hermione teased as she came back out, “obviously you haven't read the whole brochure.”

Harry laughed, as Ron turned red and absently rubbed his eyebrow. “It was only one eyebrow,” he mumbled.

“Ginny…” Harry started. He wondered how much she had told them about the break up.

“She'll be okay,” Hermione said. “Its just hard sometimes when you've been hurt.”

Harry felt awful. “Maybe I should go talk to her,” he said.

“No,” Hermione said shaking her head. “You'll just make it worse.”

Ron snorted. “Girls and their emotions are so bloody confusing. You're better off being single.”

Harry glanced at Hermione who looked like she was ready to clobber Ron.

“Never mind, then. Lets do something fun. I need a break.” Harry said quickly, trying to distract them.

“Come on. Let's celebrate,” said Hermione. “How about lunch by the pond?”

Mrs. Weasley packed a lunch while everyone else changed into swimsuits. They spent an enjoyable afternoon by the pond, the three of them practicing their Apparition skills while Ginny read the rules out loud in her most official sounding voice. Harry was relieved that she agreed to join the trio for lunch, even though she didn't really acknowledge that he existed.

`Well, it's a start,' he thought.

It was a great day. No evil Lords or henchmen to worry about. To Harry, this was what normal days were made of in the wizarding world, and that's what made it extra special.

Harry woke up early on the morning that they were scheduled to visit Professor McGonagall. He decided to go for a quick run before his shower. He headed out towards the Quiddich pitch and then around the perimeter of the Weasley's property. It was a beautiful summer day. The heat of the day hadn't arrived yet, which suited Harry just fine. He was amazed at how well he had been sleeping, since having Occlumency lessons. He did it without consciously thinking about it now, and Lupin was pleased with his results. His Legilimens lessons were getting better too. Lupin was finding it harder and harder to keep Harry out. He headed back to the house sweaty but satisfied with how he was feeling. It was time for that shower.

Wearing just his sweatpants, Harry was toweling his hair dry as he came out of the bathroom and ran smack into Hermione. He felt her hands on his bare chest as she tried to steady herself, and a jolt of electricity went through him. With the skills of a seeker, he grabbed her arms and stopped her from falling. They stood like that for a few seconds before Hermione, her face flushed, pulled her hands away like she had been burnt. Harry could still feel where her hands had been touching his skin.

“Good morning,” said Harry, grinning at her obvious embarrassment. “I'm not too sure where you are off to in such a hurry, but you need to give a bloke a bit more warning so he can get out of the way.”

Hermione looked up and saw amusement sparkling in his green eyes and felt herself become even more flustered. She started to back up away from him until she found the wall behind her.

“I…uh…well…”

Harry laughed. He had never seen Hermione look this embarrassed before. She slid past him and practically ran into the bathroom and closed the door. Grinning, Harry picked up the towel he dropped and headed for his room to change into some clean clothes. He rubbed the spot where her hands had lingered on his bare chest, and he knew she had been affected by it as well.

`Maybe,' he thought. `Maybe I could make her see that I am more than just a good friend.'

He sighed. Would he be putting her in danger like he thought Ginny would be? Would Voldemort try to use her? He didn't like that thought.

Hermione closed the door and leaned against the rough wood, her hand on her chest as she tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. She was shocked at how her body had reacted to his closeness, and how flustered she had become. The moment her hand had come in contact with his chest, the memory of that kiss flared to life in her mind. She had worked so hard at squashing it, tucking it away so that it wasn't in her every thought. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, allowing herself to get lost in the memory.

After a moment, she pushed away from the door and went to the sink, splashing cold water on her face. Harry was her closest friend, she should not be thinking about him in that way! They had a mission to finish, and there certainly wasn't time for complicating it with a relationship! As she stared back at the face in the mirror, she could swear she could hear that little inner voice having a tantrum and asking why not? She sighed and shook her head. She needed to be strong about this.

When Hermione had come downstairs later, she had completely composed herself, or so she thought. Harry caught her eye and she flushed. He grinned, and then dropped his eyes back down to his breakfast, the exchange going unnoticed by the others.

As the time for them to leave drew near, Harry could feel himself getting anxious. He didn't know what McGonagall wanted, and he was dreading going back to school. He hadn't been there since the funeral and he knew that returning was going to affect him.

They headed for the fireplace just before 9:00 am. There was only going to be a small time frame in which to use the Floo Network. Harry decided he was going to go first. He grabbed some floo powder, stepped inside and took a deep breath.

“Hogwarts,” he said and disappeared.

He tumbled out of the fireplace, his eyes closed. He was afraid to open them and see Dumbledore's office and its memories. He finally got up and opened his eyes to find himself in McGonagall's Transfiguration office. Ron and Hermione followed, and they looked as surprised as he felt.

“Welcome Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger, I am pleased to see you on time. I felt that it would be better to begin our meeting here.”

“Thank you,” Harry said, appreciating her concern for their feelings.

Hearing the fireplace roar, he turned and saw Lupin, together with Tonks, step from the fire. He was surprised to see them.

“Good, now everyone is here. Please take a seat so we can begin.”

Everyone took a chair around McGonagall's desk. Harry was really curious now.

“First things first, “said McGonagall. She steepled her fingers together and let her eyes fall on everyone in the room over the top of her glasses before coming to rest on Lupin and Tonks. “I am presuming that since you are here Remus and Nymphadora, that you have agreed to accept the positions?”

Harry turned and looked at them as they nodded their head in agreement, Tonks wincing at the use of her first name.

“Excellent,” Professor McGonagall turned and looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione.

“Professor Lupin and Professor Tonks will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration teachers. Now, we need to talk to you three, and especially you, Mr. Potter,” she said, looking Harry straight in the eye.

`She's trying to temp me with Lupin and Tonks!' he realized. Before she could say any more, Harry put his hand up to stop her.

“I know you want me to come back and finish my studies, Professor, but I made a promise that I intend to keep. Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, are free to come back, and I hope they do so.”

“Harry!” Hermione said angrily as Ron snorted, “I thought we discussed this!”

“We did Hermione, but I need the freedom to go after Voldemort. Could you see me saying, `excuse me Professor, there's some bad guys I have to fight, I'll be back later to take that test'. I don't want him anywhere near this place, and you know why,” he looked from Ron and Hermione to Lupin, “I don't want to be responsible for any more deaths.”

Lupin sighed. “I don't know what this promise is that you want to keep, but I can guess it had something to do with Professor Dumbledore. Why you want to go off chasing Voldemort is beyond me, but to do it now, well, I thought James's son would be a lot smarter than that.”

Harry looked at him angrily. “And how is wanting to keep hundreds of students safe being stupid? You know he is going to be looking for me, and any location I'm at will be dangerous”

“Because,” said Lupin firmly, “You are not ready, Harry. I thought you would know that by now. Why do you think I agreed to this posting? Grown men with a lot more training than you, have died at his hands. We are trying to give you a fighting chance, Harry. We know you can't commit to a full schedule with the idea of doing NEWTS, but you still need training, and Hermione is right. This is the best place to do it. As for the others, well, first I don't think there will be as many as usual. Secondly, I think that we should be able to come up with something to help them in an emergency.”

“Actually, sir, I've been thinking about that,” Hermione interrupted excitedly, “What about emergency Portkeys? Something that can be carried or worn and can only be used in an emergency situation?” She was breathless now, and the excitement shone in her eyes. Harry watched her, and felt a sense of pride at her brilliance.

“It's an intriguing idea Miss Granger, however, we do have wards in place to protect Hogwarts and I assure you we are quite safe.”

“But what if the wards failed, Professor?” Hermione asked.

“That's ridiculous. We are no threat to the Death Eaters or their master. At least not now,” McGonagall said, her voice breaking a bit. “Besides—”

“He wants Hogwarts,” Harry interjected quietly.

“I beg your pardon?” Professor McGonagall asked.

“Voldemort wants Hogwarts. He let it slip to me when he was gloating about Dumbledore's death,” Harry replied.

Professor McGonagall paled and looked at Lupin for confirmation. He nodded in agreement with Harry. Shocked, McGonagall slumped back in her chair for a moment. Harry saw her look vulnerable for a brief second, before that steely-eyed gaze was back as she sat forward again.

“Then we have a lot of work to do. It seems, Mr. Potter,” she said looking at Harry. “It appears that we will need you as much as you need us. I have a proposition to make to you,” She looked to Ron and smiled apologetically. “Mr. Weasley, I know that in the past the Prefects usually become Head Boy and Head Girl, however, some changes need to be made. I would like you to remain as a Prefect, as it gives you the opportunity to have a little freedom, and I would like Mr. Potter to be Head Boy this year.”

Harry was shocked. Two years ago he would have been jumping at the chance to take the position. But now?

“I can't Professor, that's too much responsibility. I don't even know if or when I would be around.”

“I understand that. But with the position of Head Boy and Head Girl comes all of the perks of the position, including,” her eyes twinkled mischievously, “your own dorm and common room. You would be free to come and go as you please, without anyone being the wiser. You, of course Miss Granger would be Head Girl, and yes, that means you can get into the restricted section of the library without breaking any rules. I am sure we can arrange it for Mr. Weasley to have a room in your dorm as well. We usually don't house the Head Boy and Head Girl together, but I am willing to make a compromise with the understanding that you will be expected to behave in an appropriate manner,” she looked between the three of them, settling her eyes finally on Harry. She looked at him over the top of her glasses.

“The choice, as you have reminded us, is yours. However, before you make your decision, I have arranged for tea for us and, there is someone who had been patiently waiting to see you again, Mr. Potter.”

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A/N: sigh! It seems that once again I need to apologize to all of my wonderful fans. It has been a brutal few weeks, but I think I am on track again. I want to thank you for all of your fantastic reviews. It made the fact that I haven't posted even worse. Sorry! Just for being so kind. I am going to post two chapters! (I can hear you cheering!!) This one is a little short, but I felt it was a good place to stop. Thanks once again to my great Beta, Dementor149 for all of his help. Enjoy the chapters!

Here's a little ditty for you:

JK owned the wizard Harry,

It isn't mine, you see,

And even though

I loved him more

She wouldn't give him to me!

Chapter 12

A Visit

Professor McGonagall led Harry down the hall towards Dumbledore's office. A myriad of emotions flitted through Harry's mind: sorrow at the loss of a great man, anger at the betrayal from a supposedly trusted comrade, and curiosity at what Dumbledore's portrait had to say.

“Seeking Snitches,” Professor McGonagall said to the gargoyle at the entrance. They moved into the stairway and up to the Headmistress's office. Many of Dumbledore's things were gone. The office was neat and tidy. He saw the former Headmasters on the walls, watching their arrival. The portrait behind the desk was blank. McGonagall went up to the portrait and rapped on the frame.

“Albus? Where are you?”

Harry watched as Professor Dumbledore appeared in the portrait. He looked healthy and happy. He even seemed to have a twinkle in his eye.

“Ah, Minervra! I was just visiting some old friends. Is it time for our meeting already?”

“No, Albus. Mr. Potter is here to see you.”

Dumbledore looked over to where Harry was standing.

“Harry! Come in!” Dumbledore waved his wand and looked a little confused. He cleared his throat. “Minervra, if you would be so kind as to get Harry a chair…Ah, thank-you.”

Harry sat down in the chair looking up at his old Headmaster. He didn't know what to say or what to think. His thoughts were in turmoil. Professor McGonagall left and quietly closed the door behind her. Dumbledore looked down at Harry, studying him.

“Hello, Harry,” he said gently.

Harry swallowed and nodded. “Sir,” he said.

“Well, I am glad to see you, and you seem to look fairly well. How are things?”

Harry just stared at him.

How are things?

He wasn't expecting that. He expected words of wisdom, information maybe, but not `How are things?' like nothing of importance had happened, and they were having a chat like visiting friends.

Dumbledore was looking at him expectantly, and Harry looked around bewildered. What was he supposed to say? `Fine sir, the Death Eaters are growing in numbers and there doesn't seem to be any way to stop them since the only one they were afraid of is dead. Oh, and by the way, Bill and Fleur had a lovely wedding, sorry you missed it.' He finally just shook his head. He didn't trust his voice.

“I see,” said Dumbledore sitting back and sighing. “Harry, let me say I'm sorry to have put you through this. If there was any other way…”

“Why did you do it?” Harry blurted out, “You could have stopped them. This didn't have to happen. You didn't have to die,” he choked as he got up and began to pace.

“Harry,” Dumbledore said gently.

“What?” Harry said sharply, turning to look at him. Dumbledore smiled sadly.

“I was already dying, Harry. The potion I drank was attacking me from the inside. I could feel it. I was no longer capable of heal myself.”

“You could have got help.”

“No, Harry. It was too late. The only thing I could do was save you, and Draco.”

“Draco?” He spat. “Draco wanted to kill you!”

“No he didn't, Harry. If he did, he would have done so right away instead of talking to me, and having quite a long conversation I might add,” Dumbledore sighed. “I knew the predicament he was in. He had no choice Harry, his family was in danger. If it wasn't for the Unbreakable Vow with Severus—”

“Snape!” Harry said angrily, “I hate him! If I ever see him I will kill him.”

“That's Professor Snape to you, and no you won't, Harry. He was acting on my behalf.”

Harry looked at him shocked.

“I knew of the Unbreakable Vow, but I was hoping Draco would not have to go through with Tom's plan. I had told Severus that if it came down to it, he had to kill me to save Draco's soul. Unlike Tom, I did not fear the afterlife like he does. I am on my next great adventure.”

“I will never trust him! Either of them!” Harry spat out.

“Yes, well that's to be expected with the history that's there. Now then, are we finished with this subject? We have much to discuss.”

“I…” Harry stopped, caught off guard by the change of subject. “There should have been a way,” he mumbled.

“What's done is done, Harry. It's time to move on. Learn from the past but do not dwell there. So tell me about the locket,” he looked excitedly at Harry.

Harry pulled it out of his pocket and held it up. It spun slowly on its chain, catching the light from the window. Dumbledore leaned forward, trying to see it better. Harry walked closer to his portrait and put it in the palm of his hand. He quickly opened it, and heard a sharp intake of breath from Dumbledore. He withdrew the piece of paper and read its contents out loud.

“To the Dark Lord,

I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret, I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death, in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B.

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment, thinking. Harry sighed, because he was feeling defeated.

“It was all in vain sir. We did all that work, took unnecessary risks for nothing. Who knows where the real locket is. I don't even know who R.A.B. is,” he went and sat down again.

“Now Harry, I've never known you to give up that easily. Let's think: it would have to be one of his Death Eaters, someone in his inner circle who knew about what he was going to do. Who are the Death Eaters that we know of?”

“Well, there is Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Lestrange, MacNair, Dolohov, Rookwood, Avery, Greyback…” Harry trained off, not remembering any more names.

“Hmmm…this person was obviously no longer loyal to the Dark Lord. We may need to go back further. It would have to be someone who challenged him, or fell out of his good books, or perhaps was disenchanted with what Voldemort was doing. Someone who has died, since we know what the potion was capable of…” Dumbledore said, tapping his chin.

Harry suddenly had a picture in his head of standing with Sirius, looking at the Black family tree, with the hole where Sirius's name had been, beside his brother…

“Regulus Black!” Harry said suddenly. “Sirius said he was a Death Eater, but that he did something to make Voldemort angry. He had Regulus killed. He might have taken the locket…” Harry's eyes went wide in realization, and then he covered his face with his hand. “We found it. I even tried to open it, but I couldn't. We threw it away. It could be anywhere! Mundungus could have stole it and sold it, or Kretcher—” Harry stopped. He could remember Kretcher sneaking around, stealing items they had thrown out. He remembered seeing his little `nest', but hadn't looked very closely. Could it be in there?

Dumbledore watched him as he processed his thoughts.

Harry finally looked up. “Kretcher may have hidden it in his…uh…den.”

“You may have to go back to Grimmauld Place to search. But,” Dumbledore held up a finger, “Not yet. There is much you will need to learn about destroying the Horcrux before you attempt to retrieve it. You saw what happened to my hand when I destroyed the ring. We can begin your lessons in a few weeks. There are two more things I need to discuss with you.”

Harry looked at him expectantly.

“First, I think it is time to inform Professor McGonagall, Lupin, and Tonks about the Horcruxes.” He held up his hands as Harry started to protest. “I know I said keep it quiet, but you may need their help, now that I am not as mobile. It will make it easier for you to come and go as well, which brings me to the second point. I would like you to stay here. I understand, Harry that you think you can look after yourself. Of this, I have every faith in. I would like you to have as much training as possible. The better prepared you are, the better a chance that this war will end positively. If you are here, we can all help you.”

Harry realized Dumbledore was right and Hermione had been right as well. He sighed. He was going to have to accept other people's help, even if it went against his nature. He looked up at Dumbledore.

“Hermione said the same thing not too long ago.”

Dumbledore looked down over the top of his glasses. “I'm glad she is the voice of your conscience, Harry. You have a good friend in her.”

Harry felt his face go hot and averted his eyes. Dumbledore smiled at this, but didn't say anything. He suddenly yawned and stretched.

“I'm sorry, Harry, I find myself tiring easily these days. We will talk some more soon. I expect that your friends will be waiting for you to join them for lunch.”

With that, Dumbledore leaned back and closed his eyes. Harry took that to mean he was dismissed. He stood up and quietly left the room.

Harry wandered down the quiet hallway, going over the conversation with Dumbledore in his mind. He wasn't ready to meet with the others yet, so he stayed away from the Great Hall. He found it was soothing to be able to walk the castle in silence. It gave him the chance to collect his thoughts.

He was eager for this whole thing to be over with. He wanted to find the Horcruxes and get on with his life…if he had a life to live. What would he like to do? He had thought about being an Auror, but without finishing his courses, how could he? He supposed he could go back to school afterwards, but would his friends be here? Could he go to school without Ron and Hermione? He sighed. He didn't really have a future, thanks to Voldemort. He had managed to ruin his life just by being a part of it. And what about his friends? They were going to throw their lives away just for him. He didn't like that at all. He realized he couldn't stop them from helping, but it annoyed him just the same. Ron wanted to be an Auror so badly. His mum would be so disappointed.

And Hermione…He wanted the best for her, and he wanted her to live. That was really important to him. He was so scared of losing her. He couldn't imagine a life without her. He had to protect both of his friends at all costs, but especially Hermione. He could feel a sense of panic settle over him at the thought of her being hurt, and that really scared him. He knew he felt strongly for her. He could just feel it. But what was it? Was it the love of just a friend, or was it something more. He was torn. He wanted to be with her, talk to her, kiss her…

Harry stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. Where did that come from? He thought with a shock. But it was true and deep down he knew it. Wanting to get closer to her was beginning to overpower everything else. His mind was beginning to go in circles, but one thing was for sure. He wanted to spend as much time as he possibly could with his best friends, treasure every moment. And it seemed like the best and safest place to do that would be here at Hogwarts. With that finally decided, he turned and headed down to the Great Hall. Besides, he mused, he was hungry.

He found Ron, Hermione, Lupin and Tonks sitting at a table off to the side; they had already begun eating. He smiled and went and sat between Ron and Hermione. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. Now that he had made his decision, he felt like he had a little power. He looked at them, trying not to break out in a goofy grin.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“Come on, mate!” said Ron as he began to eat again. “What's the verdict? Are we staying or not?”

“What are you waiting for me for? Since when do I make your decisions for you?” Harry replied.

“Since we said we were in this together,” snapped Hermione, expected to continue the earlier argument.

Harry frowned at her, knowing it would irk her.

“I don't know if I want to live with the likes of you lot if you can't even make your own decisions,” Harry ducked his head as he hid a grin.

Ron snorted as he took a bite of his chicken.

“Harry!” Hermione said angrily.

Harry looked up at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Hermione took one look and couldn't help it. She started to laugh. It was so infectious that pretty soon all three of them were laughing as Lupin and Tonks shook their heads.

“Kids these days,” muttered Lupin, which set them off laughing again.

Hermione wiped her eyes and grinned at Harry, overjoyed with relief that he wanted to stay.

“So when do you want to move in?” she asked

Harry shrugged. “We could move in right away. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would like her house back,”

“Hang on,” said Ron, “Come back to school early? Are you nutters?”

Harry turned and smiled at him. “Yeah, I expect I am. That's the only logical explanation for all this don't you think?” and they all started laughing again.

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A/N: Here it is, folks, as promised! It kind of goes with the earlier chapter as well. I hope you enjoy it. Leave a review and let me know!

Still not mine….

Chapter 13

Roommates and Revelations

Harry, Hermione and Ron couldn't wait to see their new sleeping quarters, so Professor McGonagall led them up to the Gryffindor tower. They were surprised though, when she turned to the right as they got to the portrait of the Fat Lady. They went a little further down and stopped in front of a painting of a very distinguished looking older gentleman.

“Sir Edward, I would like to introduce the new Head Girl and Head Boy for this school year. This is Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Harry Potter.”

He nodded regally to each of them.

“And this is Mr. Ronald Weasley, Gryffindor's Prefect. The three of them will be bunking together in the Head dorm this year.”

“Weasley eh? Had one of those a few years ago,” Sir Edmund muttered eyeing him closely. “Well, I'm sorry Headmistress,” he sniffed haughtily, “There is only room for one in each section. Boys and girls are not allowed to bunk together. You know the rules.”

Professor McGonagall smiled at him through tight lips.

“I see,” she sighed, and started to turn away. “I guess Sir Cadogan was right. It would be too big of a job for you. Come along, you three.”

“What! Wait! What did that pompous fool say?” Sir Edward yelled.

Harry caught the twinkle in her eye before she turned around.

“He merely stated that you were getting along in your years and would find it difficult to create a room for three. I fully understand. We can make other arrangements, I'm sure.”

“Getting along!” he spluttered, “I'll have you know that I am twice the man he is! Just you stay right there!” He stormed out of the picture and disappeared.

“Professor, did Sir Cadogan really say that?” asked Ron.

Professor McGonagall just smiled. “Sometimes, Mr. Weasley, to get what you want, you need to know how to ask.”

Sir Edward came back, still muttering under his breath. He sat back down, resumed his air of dignity and cleared his throat.

“On behalf of the Gryffindor house I would like to congratulate the both of you for being selected as House Boy and Girl. And you young sir, I welcome as their confidante. The password for your quarters is `Lion's courage'.”

As he said this, his portrait swung open.

“I'll leave you to explore your new quarters. I will be meeting with Professor Lupin and Professor Tonks if you need me,” Professor McGonagall said as she left.

They walked in and found themselves in a smaller version of the main common room. There was a small fire in the grate and a big comfy couch and an overstuffed chair facing it. Beside the fireplace on the right there was a table with three chairs. There were several bookshelves around the walls, four doors and another hallway.

Ron went to the right and opened the first, door, which led to a bathroom.

“Wicked!” he said, “We don't have to use the dorm washroom. We have our own!”

“I don't know Ron, I kind of liked the Prefects washroom,” grinned Harry.

Ron went and looked in the next room, which was a bedroom. Inside was a bed with a big comfy quilt with the Gryffindor colors, a small desk and a chair, a closet and a bookshelf. Ron went and flopped on the bed. Hermione and Harry went and looked in the other two rooms. Harry thought that it would be nice to be able to have a room for himself.

“Which one do you want, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“It doesn't really matter, the one on the left I guess,” replied Harry.

They decided to head back to the Burrow to pack up their trunks. When they arrived, they informed Mrs. Weasley that they would be returning to Hogwarts early to `do some extra studying with the newly appointed professors Tonks and Lupin,' as Hermione explained it. She was so thrilled to see them, and especially Ron, eager to start studying for their NEWTS, that they didn't want to destroy her happy mood by explaining exactly what they were studying. Mrs. Weasley insisted that they stay for dinner, which they agreed to. All too soon, their bellies were stuffed and they were saying goodbye to a tearful Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley shook their hands and reminded Harry and Hermione they were family too, and as such, were expected back for Christmas.

They were greeted back by Professor McGonagall as they stepped out of her fireplace, and she informed Harry and Ron that Hedwig and Pigwidgion were already here in the owlery. She sent their trunks up to their rooms for them, and the trio set off to their new common room. The halls were eerily quiet, since no one was around, and most of the teachers had not returned yet. They ran across Mrs. Norris, who glared at them with beady eyes.

“Go away,” said Harry. “We have a right to be here.”

She slunk off and Harry was sure that she had gone to report to Mr. Filch. When they arrived at their quarters, Sir Edward was having tea with the Fat Lady.

“Yes, yes, well it was such an easy feat for the likes of me! Not everyone here is able to get the castle to create new rooms. Ah! Here are my wards now. Madame, I would like to introduce you to Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Mr. Harry Potter.”

The Fat Lady batted her eyelashes and nodded regally at them.

“Oh Sir Edward! You didn't tell me you had the great Harry Potter staying with you!” She simpered.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Lion's courage,” said Hermione, just wanting to get inside.

“A bit testy, that one,” they heard the Fat Lady say to Sir Edward as they went through the hole.

They headed down the corridor towards their common room.

“Care for a game of Wizard's Chess?” asked Ron.

“Sure,” said Harry.

Hermione grabbed one of her books and they spent the next few hours enjoying their newfound freedom. No one was telling them to go to bed, or do their homework. There were no curfews at the school yet, so they felt very privileged. It was around midnight when Ron stretched and yawned.

“I'm off to bed,” he said. “Night Harry, night Hermione.”

Harry got up and stretched and sauntered over to the couch where Hermione was curled up in the corner. He sat at the opposite end with his arm over the back of the couch, facing her.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

“Dark Omens: What To Do When You Know the Worst is Coming,” she replied, as she moved down the couch towards him. She leaned back into him so he could see what she was reading. Harry became very aware of where they were touching, and found it difficult to focus on what Hermione was telling him. Hermione was completely absorbed in her book now, and Harry leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to her read passages out loud to him. He must have drifted off, because the next thing he knew Hermione was poking him in the ribs.

“Honestly Harry! Did you even hear a word I said?”

“Nope,” said Harry grinning as he looked at her through half-closed eyelids.

“I don't know why I even waste my time,” she huffed as she started to get up.

Harry's hand flashed out and he caught her arm as she stood.

“Don't go,” he said, “I'm sorry. I would like you to stay with me. Just for a while, please?”

Hermione sat down at the opposite end of the couch again and sat facing him, her eyes full of concern.

“You're not having bad dreams again, are you, Harry?” she asked.

“No, no,” he said. “I thought…I mean…I just wanted your company,” he stammered. Why was he embarrassed now? This was one of his best friends!

Hermione smiled with relief and sat back. Harry held out his hand towards her. Hermione took it and scooted back to where she was before. She pulled her legs up under herself and leaned against Harry, staring into the fire. Harry sighed contentedly, leaned back, and closed his eyes again.

“So when do you want to go to Godric's Hollow?” Hermione asked idly as she flipped through her book.

“I figured maybe tomorrow,” answered Harry, without opening his eyes.

“So do you know where we are going? How are we going to travel?” asked Hermione

Harry opened his eyes and looked at the fire. “I hadn't thought about it. I don't even know where my parents' house is located.”

“We could ask Professor Lupin. He would know,” answered Hermione.

Harry smiled. “That's why I keep you around.”

“What for?” Hermione asked.

“So I don't have to bother with details like transportation and such,” he teased.

“Humph!” she snorted, “You'd be lost without me.”

“Oh really?” Harry challenged with a mischievous glint.

“Yes, really!” Hermione grinned. She was getting into the game now. “Why, both you and Ron would still be bumbling around this castle trying to figure out your classes if it wasn't for me making your timetables for you.”

Harry rolled his eyes and poked her in the side. Hermione slapped his hand away.

“We were doing just fine before you took over,” he snorted, “Bumbling around!” He shook his head.

“Took over? Who took over? What are you talking about?” Hermione turned and glared at him mockingly.

Harry rolled his eyes again. “Oh come on now! Who is so organized and bossy,” he teased, “that we don't dare step out of line!”

Now it was Hermione's turn to roll her eyes.

“Oh, you two are so scared of little old me! What a joke!” she smirked.

“Oh, yes!” said Harry, pretending to be scared. “We can't defy Miss Granger! She might put a hex on us!” He waggled his fingers at her.

“Oh, honestly,” said Hermione, trying not to laugh.

“You never know,” Harry said seductively as he walked his fingers up the top of her leg. Hermione stared, transfixed at his progress. “When she might…curse you!”

As he said it, he grabbed her and began to tickle her. She screeched and tried to get away, but Harry had his arm around her and she was caught. She squirmed and put her hands against his chest.

“Harry! Stop! Please!” she laughed.

Harry just grinned and tickled her some more. Hermione collapsed against Harry as he teased her with his fingers. She was almost lying on top of him now, completely breathless from laughing, and Harry was beginning to feel the stirrings in his groin. He stopped suddenly, aware of how close to each other they were. Hermione gasped, trying to catch her breath, unaware of the effect she was having on him. Harry looked up at her, watching her try to compose herself. She looked down at him, their eyes met, and the smile dropped off of her face. Before he could think about what he was doing, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were soft, and he kissed her gently, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss, putting both of his arms around her and pulling her even closer. He ran his hand up her back, her silky hair brushing against his hand as he moved towards the back of her neck. He could feel an incredible tingle building and expanding from his chest. It seemed to surround him, making him feel powerful. His senses were all of a sudden more acute and he could feel Hermione with his heart, not just with his hands. He felt exhilarated, energized, like he could take on the world.

Suddenly Hermione pushed herself away from Harry, and stood up. She stared at him wide-eyed and then turned and fled to her bedroom, closing her door behind her. Harry sat there for a minute reveling in the feeling going through him. He turned when he heard a bedroom door open. Ron stuck his tousled head out and looked bleary-eyed at Harry.

“You guys fighting or something?” he asked.

“Something,” said Harry as he stood up. “Night, Ron,” he headed for his bedroom, smiling as he closed his door.

Hermione was sitting up in her bed hugging her knees. She was reliving the last few minutes she had spent with Harry. She felt his soft lips pressed against hers, his arms possessively hugging her closer to his body… and that feeling…it seemed to come off of him in waves. It had made her feel heady…and loved.

The power of the emotions from Harry had scared her. She knew he cared about her, but that kiss had said more. She already knew the risk of having Harry for a friend. It was scary to think that he could die. But having Harry as something more…she didn't know if she could handle that. The fear of losing someone she loved above all others…it caused her chest to constrict and her throat to swell. A single tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away irritably. She wasn't used to feeling vulnerable and out of control. She snuggled down into her bed, determined to deal with this whole thing tomorrow, as soon as she figured out how.

Next-door Harry was lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. He knew he had shocked her, but he couldn't help it. She had been so close to him. He hoped he hadn't done the wrong thing. It had felt so right, and the way he had felt while kissing her; he hadn't felt that with anyone else. As he rolled over to his side and closed his eyes, he decided that he didn't want to lose that feeling, and he wanted to try and convince Hermione that they should try for more than `best friends' no matter what the risks were. He was tired of putting his life on hold. With that thought firmly in his mind, he rolled over again and drifted off to sleep.

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A/N: I would like to thank all of the people who have been taking the time to leave reviews. You have fed my addiction well. This is just a short little chapter to whet your appetite for more. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Dementor149 for being my Beta. It's nice to have someone who understands my obsession…

I received a letter from JKR the other day denying my request to take ownership of her wonderful characters, so I guess I still don't own them. But I can still play with them…

Chapter 14

Disclosures and Discussions

The next morning Harry woke up in a really good mood. He had a plan and that made him happy. By the time he showered and dressed in his black T-shirt and jeans, he was the last one out of the room. He went down to the Great Hall to find Ron and Hermione having breakfast with Lupin and Tonks.

“Morning,” he said as he sat down.

“Morning, Mate,” replied Ron through mouthfuls of food.

Hermione, he noticed, didn't look up. She was reading the Daily Prophet and frowning.

“What's wrong, Hermione?” Harry asked, trying to get her attention. He wanted to see what her eyes said this morning.

“Death Eaters were seen at Beaubaxtons yesterday, and the groundskeeper and a teacher are missing. The students weren't there yet, and there was no damage to the school. That doesn't make sense. Why just take a groundskeeper and a teacher? The attack would have had a greater impact on the Wizarding world if he had attacked while the students were there,” she couldn't figure it out. Hermione refused to look at Harry. She wasn't sure how to act around him this morning.

Ron shrugged. “Maybe he got his dates mixed up?”

Hermione glared at him. “Honestly, Ron, sometimes you are so dense. Do you really think that one of the most cunning wizards would make that kind of mistake?”

“Hey! I was just trying to help! Why are you snapping at me?” he asked.

“I'm not! I'm just…Oh never mind! Harry, you need to talk to Professor Lupin,” Hermione snapped as she grabbed her paper and stomped off.

“What's got her knickers in a twist?” asked Ron.

Harry watched her go and shrugged. He figured that he had a good idea.

“So, Harry, what did you want to talk to me about?” Professor Lupin asked.

“I…I mean, we want to go to Godric's Hollow. I'm not too sure where we need to go. I thought maybe you could direct us.”

Lupin sat back with a pained expression on his face.

“Why?” he asked quietly.

“I just feel like I need to go there. I need to see where it all began. Something tells me I need to see my Mum and Dad's house. I don't even know where they are buried! I've never been there,” Harry replied.

“Well, if you're going, I am going with you. I don't think you should be there alone. We don't know if it's been booby-trapped, or…none of us have been there for years…” he finished in a whisper. The clinking of cutlery against dishes was the only sound in the Great Hall as Lupin relived painful memories. “We will have to discuss this with Professor McGonagall of course,” he said after a moment.

“That's fine,” said Harry. “I need to meet with all of you anyway. Professor Dumbledore told me to talk to the three of you.”

“Well, it will have to be in about an hour. I believe she is in a meeting right now with some of the past Headmasters.”

“That's okay with me,” Harry got up. “I'll meet you at her office.”

“Where are you going, mate?” asked Ron.

“To find Hermione. I think I need to talk to her.”

“Do you want me to come, you know, in case she blows her stack again?” asked Ron.

“No, it will be fine,” smiled Harry.

“Good luck,” muttered Ron, “you're going to need it.”

Harry left the Great Hall and headed back to their common room. He didn't find her there, so he dug out his Marauder's map.

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” he said as he tapped the map. He quickly scanned the map and found her outside sitting under their favorite tree. “Mischief managed,” he said as he folded and tucked the map back in his trunk.

He jogged down the stairs and headed out the doors into the warm sunshine. When he approached the tree he could see her sitting with the paper on her lap, but she had her eyes closed and she was leaning back against the tree. He watched her for a moment, unsure of how to approach her.

“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?” she asked without opening her eyes.

He sighed and went and sat beside her. They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Hermione sat up, all business-like.

“I want to know what your intentions are, Harry,” she said without looking at him.

“I don't know,” he said honestly.

“Then why did you kiss me?” she asked.

“Because I…I wanted to,” he finished lamely. “You were there, so close, and it felt so right…” he trailed off. He was afraid to ask her what she thought about him kissing her.

Hermione was quiet, taking it all in.

“Hermione, look, if what I did was wrong, I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you as a friend, but on my birthday, something happened. I felt something that I've never felt before. Well, that's not entirely true; I felt something like it with Tonks, but not like that. I know you felt it too. It was powerful. I felt…energized, complete…I don't know!” He said in exasperation. “I just know that I have only felt that way with you.”

Hermione turned and looked at him. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

“I'm scared, Harry,” she whispered, “I have a hard enough time dealing with the fact that you might die, and now this.”

“I don't plan on dying, Hermione,” he took her hand in his. “Voldemort has already taken so much from me. He's not taking my life as well. I'm scared too. I don't want to lose you. If Voldemort finds out how close you are to me, you'll become a target. But last night, I decided that I've put my life on hold for long enough. I don't want to wait just in case, you know, something does happen. I'll protect you to the best of my ability, Hermione, but I'll understand…”he left his thought unfinished as he dropped her hand.

“I don't need protecting,” said Hermione frowning.

“I know! I know! But part of me wants to protect you. That's the way I am. Look, why don't we take it slow? I promise I won't do anything you don't want to do. Just promise me that you will still be here for me.”

Hermione smiled, leaned over, and kissed his cheek.

“I'll always be here for you, Harry,” she said.

“Good,” said Harry, feeling relieved.

He stood up and held out his hand to her.

“I promised Dumbledore I would talk to Lupin, Tonks, and McGonagall about the Horcruxes. Come with me?”

She took his hand and together they walked back to the castle. Harry felt content, knowing he still had his Hermione by his side.

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

To say that the professors were upset to hear about the Horcruxes was an understatement. Professor McGonagall took turns glaring at both Harry and Dumbledore's portrait.

“Minerva, this is something that Harry needs to do!” said Dumbledore.

“But he is just a boy!” she exclaimed angrily.

“Yes, but that boy is becoming more powerful that anyone else in the wizarding population.”

“I am?” said Harry, feeling pride at Dumbledore's faith in him.

“Yes, Harry you are. I have the utmost confidence in you,” he looked down at Harry over the top of his glasses. “As long as you finish your training. He has the support of his friends, Minerva, and now he has access to your knowledge and experience. He will succeed,” he said as he sat back. “We do know about some of the Horcruxes; the ring, the Hufflepuff cup, the diary, and the locket. There will be at least two more. Harry and I discussed the idea that perhaps Nagini is one. Do you have any further ideas, Harry?”

Harry shook his head. He turned and looked at everyone else, taking the locket out as he did.

“This is the locket Professor Dumbledore and I found. It's a fake. We think the real one was found by Regulus Black.”

“Regulus Black!” said Hermione in surprise, “Wasn't he Sirius's brother?”

“The same one. Sirius told me that he was a Death Eater, but Voldemort had him killed,” Harry replied.

Ron's eyes went wide. “We found a locket like that at Grimmauld Place!”

Harry nodded grimly. “The one I threw out. Now, either Mundungus has it, or Kretcher hid it, or it's in a rubbish pile somewhere. We may have to take a trip to Grimmauld Place, or find Mundungus. I'm hoping that it wasn't thrown away. That will make our job so much harder.”

“Do you have any idea where the Hufflepuff cup may be?” asked Professor McGonagall. “I don't recall seeing anything here at the school like that.”

“We didn't have to chance to look for it I'm afraid,” Professor Dumbledore said.

“Well, you certainly have your work cut out for you,” said Professor McGonagall.

“And not much time,” interjected Hermione. “I was reading the paper this morning. There have been sightings of Death Eaters at Beaubaxtons where two people have gone missing, and more attacks on some homes of families that are not pureblood. The Dementors have been busy too,” she shuddered.

Harry turned to Professor McGonagall. “Professor, we haven't heard anything about the Order.'

Professor McGonagall shook her head sadly.

“The order is in chaos Mr. Potter. Without its leader there is confusion and unrest.”

“But couldn't you, or someone else take Professor Dumbledore's place?” asked Hermione.

“We were the Order of the Phoenix. Fawkes chose our leader. Now, with Fawkes gone, we don't have anyone to take his place,” she said nodding at the portrait. “Until the time that Fawkes comes back, the Order no longer exists.”

“We need to find him,” Harry said, “I don't trust the Ministry to stop these raids.”

“Fawkes came from a Mountaintop near Tibet. His family still rests in the high mountains. Perhaps he has gone back to his family,” suggested Dumbledore. “Harry, you should find a whistle in the top left drawer of my desk, sorry, Minerva, Professor McGonagall's desk, if she hasn't already removed it? You may be able to call him with it, but not from here. You may have to take a little trip.”

“Professor McGonagall went to the desk and rummaged in the drawer. She came around to Harry and held up a gold whistle on a chain to him. He took it and held it up, watching the light play off of its surface.

“If I can get him to come back, do you think he will choose a new leader?” Harry said as he put the chain around his neck.

“Fawkes is very wise, Harry. If he can find someone with wisdom and courage to lead the Order, he will. He will not choose just anyone,” Dumbledore's eyes seem to twinkle as he looked at him.

“We'll find him sir, but I would like to go to Godric's Hollow first,” he said.

I have discussed this with Harry, and I will be going with them,” Professor Lupin spoke up. “I feel it may be for the best.”

“Very well, Harry, however be forewarned. You may not find the closure you are seeking,” Dumbledore warned. “Do not dwell in the past. Embrace it, but look towards the future.”

“I understand sir. I just want to go back to where it started. Something tells me I need to go there.” Harry turned to Lupin. “My parents, are they buried there?” Harry asked.

“Yes, Harry, they are. Although it shames me to say I haven't been there in several years,” Lupin sighed.

“That's okay. I understand, probably better than you think,” Harry replied.

“Professor Lupin can create the Portkey for you, and will serve as a guide. I only ask that you be back before nightfall,” Dumbledore said.

“I can be ready to leave in half an hour, Harry. I think I have an old can that will do the trick,” Lupin said as he stood up. “I'll meet you in the main hall.”

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A/N: I would like to give a special thanks to all of the people who take a few moments to write me a review. It means a lot when readers take the time to share their thoughts with the writers of Portkey. You made my day!!!!

This chapter is a little angsty, but I have always felt that Harry needed a chance to say goodbye to his parents. I hope you enjoy it!

Still don't own these characters, but I do like sharing them with others!

Chapter 15

Visitation Rights

They arrived just outside the town of Godric's Hollow on a nearby grass knoll, away from prying eyes and the curious onlookers. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Lupin in silence; each lost in their own thoughts. There was a central theme to their musings though, they did not know what to expect as Lupin had said very little. Harry walked solemnly beside Lupin as they reached the edge of town and turned towards a small row of cottages leading away from town and towards the forest.

“I don't know what we will find, Harry,” Lupin said apologetically. “We did put a charm on the place to keep people away, but there was a lot of damage already. Hagrid said he found you in a pile of rubble.”

“I remember him telling me about that.” Harry said soberly.

“They reached a fork in the road and turned right, towards the forest. The houses were spaced further apart here, and Harry noticed that they were not in as good of condition. He could see people glancing their way, with distrustful eyes, following their progress. At several houses, the curtains would part, only to quickly fall back into place as they drew near. It was an eerie sensation; being watched by those who suspected something was going on. Lupin noticed him staring at the run-down cottages and taking in the reaction of the people present as they past.

“Not many people want to live near a haunted house,” he said grimly.

They came to the end of the street and Harry understood. There seemed to be a sense of foreboding coming from the ruins in front of him. He glanced back down the street in time to see several people quickly avert their eyes and go about their business. It made Harry feel uneasy and on edge. His hand strayed to his pocket to make sure his wand was easily accessible.

Everything around the edge of the property was overgrown, and the hedges blocked the view of the house from the street. Harry followed the path up to where two of the hedges seemed to reach for each other, protecting the entrance. He pushed through, and his eyes fell upon his home for the first time in over fifteen years. He stopped, allowing his eyes to adjust to the gloom that seemed to settle over the house, even though it was sunny. As the rest of the group silently moved up beside him, Harry took in the ruins that once had been a home filled with love and laughter. Images came to him suddenly, long buried memories of his mother's loving arms and his father's laughter. His eyes roamed over the shattered windows and broken door, but instead of the ruins in front of him, he was seeing a house in the past. He saw how it was, with four walls and a roof, and then the memories came fast and furious, and he remembered it all, the kitchen, the living room and his bedroom. He remembered trivial things, a stuffed bear, a small car, and his father's comfy chair.

“Merlin's bones,” Ron whispered. “Most of the house is gone.”

The sound of a voice startled Harry, so lost was he in his memories. The others hadn't moved. They were awaiting permission from Harry to cross into his private sanctuary. Harry looked at the house again and saw it for what it was. It looked like someone had dropped a bomb on the right side of the house. The front window was gone and so was half of the wall. Inside, all that was left was rubble. The roof was still intact on the left side, but some of the walls had fallen to lean against what once was a study. The second floor was completely gone and Harry was amazed he had even survived the destruction.

He walked to the front door, but the others only followed him with their eyes. They had decided to let Harry have some time alone before following him in. He pushed the door open, and the creaking of the hinges echoed out towards the back of the house. It smelled musty and damp, and Harry could see where the weeds were beginning to reclaim their territory. His eyes roamed over the skeletal remains of the outer walls. He could hear laughter and talking coming from the fringes of his memory. Bits of conversation and a sense of contentment permeated the air, and the strong feeling of love suddenly overpowered him. Harry drew in a shuddering breath and stumbled towards the back of the house with the intent of going out in the yard. He felt overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through him, anger, sadness, bitterness and a sense of loss. It seemed surreal. He needed to get away from the destruction. His parents' presence was so strong here, he almost expected to see them sitting in the back yard. He was looking around, searching for them, so sure they were there, when he saw the two markers sitting near the back of the yard. Harry just stood there, stunned that he was finally really seeing them. He slowly moved on leaden feet towards the burial site. Harry knew whose names would be on those markers, but he hoped that maybe he could be wrong. He reached the gravesite and collapsed onto his knees, the anguish evident on his face. He slowly pulled the vines off of first one and then the second marker, reading the names as he went. This is where his parents were; this is where Lily and James Potter were buried. At first, Harry just stared, willing the letters to change to say someone else's name. When the engraving didn't change, the thought slammed into him then with such a force that it was painful.

My parents are dead…

It had been different when someone had told him his parents had died. Now Harry was seeing it, and knowing the finality of them being gone. He could hear a low wail, rising in pitch like the sound of a wounded animal, and it took him a second to realize he was making that sound. Harry screamed then, making his throat raw. The power surged from him, blasting at the surrounding trees and tearing leaves from limbs. The birds took flight in fear as Harry released his anguish. He heard running coming from the house and he didn't care who saw him. He wailed, ranted, raved, and slammed the ground with his fist. He let out every drop of pain and anger he had bottled up, letting it wash out of him, exhausting him. Harry felt a hand touch him tentatively on the shoulder, and when it didn't move away, he saw Hermione come around to kneel in front of him. She wrapped him in a hug, trying to absorb some of his pain, trying to take it away so he didn't have to endure it alone. They stayed like that for a while, both of them crying as Harry's anguish overwhelmed Hermione. Finally, Hermione pulled Harry up on shaky legs and led him over to a bench that was just to the side of the gravesite. Harry collapsed on the bench, his eyes never leaving the markers.

“It's not fair,” he rasped, “why me? Why didn't I die? Why did they leave me alone? Why not Neville, or…or some other wizarding family?”

“That's not fair to Neville.” Hermione said quietly.

“Oh, so it's fair to me? It's fair that I have to always be looking over my shoulder, wondering when it's going to be my turn to die? It's fair that I have had to put up with all the ridicule and attention because some wacko decided that I was a threat to him?” he yelled.

“You don't really mean that Harry,”

“Yes I do! I don't want fame from being `The Boy Who Lived'! I want to be normal! Someone that other people don't give a second glance to! I want…I just want my mum and dad back,” he trailed of in an anguished whisper.

Hermione held him then, trying to comfort him. “I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know the answer this time,” she whispered. “I can't change what's happened, and I can't bring your parents back. I do know they loved you a lot and would want you to be strong. They didn't want to leave you, Harry, remember that. They died trying to protect you. They wanted you to have a chance to grow up and have a normal life,” she pulled back from him and looked him firmly in the eyes. “You are never alone, Harry. You have Ron and I, plus everyone else who cares about you. I know this has been hard, but ask yourself why you wanted to do this, to come here. Did you want to wallow in your grief or did you want to give a proper farewell, and perhaps find some information to help you defeat the one who has caused you such pain?”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek before standing up, deciding that he needed to make that decision on his own.

“We'll be in the house going through the debris. Join us when you are ready,” she said gently.

Harry watched her leave and then looked back over at the gravestones. The pain was lessening, but it was still there. Dumbledore was right, he couldn't change the past, and as Hermione had pointed out, he couldn't dwell there forever, wallowing in grief for something he couldn't change. He felt guilty for yelling at her. She was only trying to help.

“She's a great friend. You'd like her.” Harry said quietly, addressing the headstones. “She's a bit bossy, but definitely the brightest witch in our class. I'm glad that I have her as a friend, Ron too.”

Harry started talking then, telling his parents about his life. He was sure they already knew about most of it, but it felt good to be able to unburden himself, to share his innermost thoughts with them. It was good therapy for Harry. The loss of his parents was still bitter and it still hurt a lot, but he finally had closure, and a chance to say goodbye. Perhaps that's why he felt so strongly about coming.

When Harry returned to the house, Hermione was glad to see he had worked through some of his pain. She hated it when he hurt, because she hurt too. He made his way over to where she was sifting through a pile of wood.

“I'm sorry I yelled at you,” Harry said quietly, “I wasn't mad at you, I'm just mad at this whole situation.”

“That's okay,” Hermione said as she smiled at him. “You just needed a chance to get it all out.”

“Alright there, mate?” Ron asked as he tossed aside a chunk of what looked like a stair.

“I've been better,” Harry replied, “but yeah, thanks.”

Hermione had moved over to try and see behind the fallen wall.

“Professor, what is back there? I can see some kind of room,” she said as she pried some of the plaster away.

Lupin came over and looked through the hole that Hermione had made.

“It was James' study,” he replied. “I think I can see a bookshelf still standing. Here, stand back. Let's see if I can get rid of this stuff,” he said as he pointed his wand at the wall.

“Auferobexti”*

The wall glowed white for a moment, and then began to crumble, starting at the top and moving down, creating small piles of dust on the floor.

“We could have used that when that rock slide trapped us in the Chamber of Secrets,” muttered Ron.

They stepped through as the fading sunlight danced with the dust particles in the enclosed space. The study had been damaged as well, but there were still many things that were lying untouched, waiting for Harry. Hermione went straight for the bookshelf, pulling books off and stuffing them into her bag. Harry wandered over to what was left of a large desk and bent down to pick up a picture. He shook the broken glass away and looked into the smiling faces.

“Misters Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and…” he stopped. Wormtail wasn't there. The three Marauders grinned cheekily up at Harry. He figured the picture must have been taken at Hogwarts; he could see the Whomping Willow in the background. Lupin came over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“That picture was taken by your mother just before we graduated. We had just finished our N.E.W.T.s and were having a spectacular day off,” he sighed

“Harry! Look at this!” Hermione said excitedly. “I found some wonderful books!”

“Trust you to do that,” sassed Ron.

Harry carefully put the picture in his bag as he moved over to where she was standing, and she showed them the titles.

“I found An Auror's Guide to the Dark Arts, Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century, The Dark Arts Outsmarted, and Hogwarts: A Complete History.

“You have the last one,” Harry said as he looked at the books.

“No, this is a special edition Harry, very rare. It updates itself as important events occur at school. Look, I'll show you,” she flipped towards the end of the book. “Read this.”

Harry took the book from her. He began to read, his eyes going wide in surprise.

“On September first, Nineteen hundred and Ninety-one, Hogwarts welcomed its most famous student, Harry Potter. Mr. Potter was sorted into the Gryffindor House after much deliberation by the sorting hat…”

“Oh great,” Harry muttered. “Now my name is in print.”

“That is so cool!” Ron exclaimed. “Am I in there?”

Harry handed Hermione the book and moved away to see if he could find anything else, as Ron tried to see the pages he had been reading over Hermione's shoulder. He kicked a pile of debris and his eye caught a glint of gold. He reached down and pushed away bits of plaster to uncover a golden snitch. He picked it up and watched it unfurl its wings in his hand. It jumped up to hover in front of his face before flitting off towards Ron. Ron swatted at it, trying to catch it as it flew around his head, and Lupin followed its movements.

“Your father used to play with that all the time. He said it used to relax him.” Lupin said quietly.

Harry watched the snitch out of the corner of his eye and remembered the scene in Snape's memory of his father playing with the snitch while he relaxed with his friends. Harry wondered if Lupin was remembering too. He looked at Lupin and saw the shadow of sorrow cross his face. Without even bothering to move his head, Harry's hand shot out with lightening fast reflexes and caught the snitch as it buzzed beside his head. He put it in his pocket without saying a word. Lupin's eyes had gone wide with surprise at the ease of Harry's catch.

I think you're even faster that your father was. You would have given him a run for his money,” Lupin smiled wistfully, feeling emotional all of a sudden. “Excuse me,” he said as he left the teens and walked towards the front of the house.

It had been hard to come back here, as it reminded Lupin of the failure to keep his friends safe. There were so many memories to cope with, and he had to do it alone. Lupin knew it had been even harder on Harry. He looked up towards the sky and noticed it was becoming dark with the coming of twilight. He figured it was time to go. Now that Harry knew how to get here, he could come back. Lupin was just about to turn and collect the trio when the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. He moved towards the hedge and pushed his face through to see the street. He saw many figures heading their way, and he knew it wasn't good. He quickly headed back to the house and moved towards the den. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up when they heard Lupin's quick pace coming towards them.

“We've got company,” he warned. “Looks like about a dozen or so, probably Death Eaters. Time to leave.”

They grabbed their bags and headed out the front door. They could hear chanting now, and it was close.

“No time to run,” Lupin said, “I want you to apparate to the edge of Godric's Hollow and then we'll grab the Portkey.”

They nodded, and closed their eyes in concentration. Harry focused on the town and began to feel that pull at his navel, but then he was jerked back. He was still there at the house. He looked at his friends and Lupin, and his surprise was mirrored on their faces. They couldn't Apparate.

“Damn!” Lupin swore. “We're in big trouble now.”

* Auferobexti: remove the wall.

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A/N: I know that this is another short chapter, but sometimes it just feels right to stop it where I do. This is another of my favorite chapters, as it shows some of some of Harry's deep feelings for Hermione. However, for those of you who thought I was mean last chapter, be forewarned!

Why, oh why. wasn't it me riding that train all those years ago, dreaming about a dark-haired wizard?

Chapter 16

The Battle of Godric's Hollow

“Mihi Pugna Per Quisnam Ago,”* the Death Eaters chanted as they continued to walk towards the house with raised arms.

“What are they saying? What does it mean?” asked Hermione as they fled back into the house and out towards the back.

Lupin shook his head. “Latin, I think. Whatever it is, it's helped them to create a very large ward around the area so we can't Apparate. We need to get away from here. Come on, this way! Use the trees as cover.”

They had just reached the first set of trees as the Death Eaters burst from the back of the house.

“Remember, the Dark Lord wants them alive!” Harry heard one of them yell.

A jet of sparks flew past his head and he ducked behind the first tree.

“Ron! Hermione! Harry!” Lupin yelled. “It's time for a pig out! Get outside the ward! You know what to do!”

This was the code they had decided to set up in case of an emergency. It meant that they were to Apparate back to Hogsmeade as soon as possible, and not to wait for the others. Harry looked around to see where everyone was. As much as he understood the reasoning behind Lupin's request, he was determined to make sure everyone got out safely before him. He saw Ron further in by Lupin, and Hermione was two trees over from him. He caught her eye and let her know that he was going to move. She nodded and pulled her wand out, ready to protect him as he ran. Harry zigzagged through the trees and dove behind a large bush as spells flew past him, missing him narrowly. As the first three Death Eaters focussed on him, Hermione took them out with well placed stupefy spells and then she ran to where Harry was hidden. Harry tried not to move too much as the dead leaves and twigs snapped and rustled, giving away their hiding place. He turned and tracked Ron and Lupin's progress through the darkening forest. Suddenly, Ron stopped and turned to see where everyone was. He made eye contact with Harry, nodded worriedly and disappeared. Harry felt a second of panic before he realized that Ron must have been standing just outside the wards. He judged it to be about the length of a Quiddich field and felt they could make it if they moved before the rest of the Death Eaters arrived. He saw Lupin hiding behind a large tree and realized that he was breaking his own rule by waiting for them. Harry turned back to Hermione who was watching the back of the house and then he glanced at the house. He could see movement inside; the Death Eaters were being a bit more cautious now.

“We don't have far to go,” Harry whispered to Hermione. “I think we could work together and get there quicker.”

Hermione nodded and raised her head tentatively above the bush; only to duck again as a spell fizzed past the top of her head.

“They know where we are,” she whispered.

“Okay, on the count of three, I want you to head to the tree on the right. If we split up, they will have a harder time getting us.”

At Hermione's nod, Harry counted a silent one, two, three on his fingers and then jumped up and ran. The Death Eaters were thrown off by their split, tried to hex both of them, and failed miserably. Harry made it behind the tree and then zigzagged again to another one when he felt it was safe. He saw Hermione one tree away, and she nodded that she was okay. The Death Eaters were coming out of the house now, as they realized that they were getting away.

Hermione's arm shot out and she sent a stinging hex their way, making them dive for cover. They heard someone curse, and Harry took the opportunity to move to behind the same tree as Hermione. Harry shot another hex towards the group as Hermione began to move away from the tree. Suddenly the Death Eater she hit stood up in the clearing, the frustration evident on his face.

“That bitch is mine!” he snarled.

Hermione froze and turned around. She knew that voice; it was Dolohov, the one who had hexed her at the Department of Mysteries. She stared at him, terrified as he raised his wand at her.

“Hermione, move!” Harry yelled, his voice shaking her out of her stupor. She turned to run, but it was too late. Dolohov was tracking her and he yelled “Stupefy!” hitting her square in the back. His anger was apparent in the power of the spell as she flew through the air to land about forty feet away, behind a large bush. She was just inside the ward. She landed face first, and Harry heard a sickening crunch and knew something had broken. He felt like he was back at the Ministry watching her collapse and thinking she was dead, and it made his stomach churn. He had to get to her. He wasn't going to leave her and have the vision Voldemort gave him come true. He stuck his head around the tree and saw the Death Eaters heading their way, intent on finding her. Obviously they hadn't seen how far she flew, as they had all been hiding. He shot off a few spells and two more dropped to the ground. The rest scattered for cover when they realized they were still easy targets.

Harry saw Lupin trying to get back to him and he signaled for him to stay there. Lupin waved him to come and Harry shook his head and pointed at Hermione. Lupin sighed and Harry told him to wait. Harry leaned around the tree again and shot of a few more “Stupefies” before ducking back, all the while trying to come up with a plan. He needed cover to get to her…Suddenly he groaned out loud at his stupidity. He had packed his father's invisibility cloak at the last minute. He shucked off his backpack and quickly pulled it out. He signaled at Lupin to cover him before ducking back behind the tree out of sight from everyone and disappearing under the cloak. Lupin began to fire spells at the approaching Death Eaters, and under the noise, Harry was able to move quickly, not worrying about being heard.

He ran behind the bush, threw off his cloak and knelt down beside Hermione. He felt for a pulse and was relieved that it was strong. He saw one arm lying at an unnatural angle and realized it was broken. He rolled her over, trying to be careful about her arm. Her face was a mess. She had a long gash down one cheek from eyebrow to jaw and several scrapes and cuts across her other cheek and nose. Her hair was matted with blood at the top of her forehead and Harry realized she must have a head wound somewhere in her hairline. He looked up and saw that Lupin had moved closer and was signaling frantically at him to hurry. He glanced over towards the house and saw that the Death Eaters were getting closer. The three of them were going to be surrounded soon. He looked around but realized that as soon as he moved he would be a target, especially carrying an unconscious Hermione. Once again his “saving people thing” was going to get the three of them in trouble.

He saw an indent under the bush that looked like an old animal's den. If he could get Hermione down there, maybe they could hide. He had to convince Lupin to go, and he knew the only way to do that would be to disappear. While Lupin went on the attack again, Harry picked up Hermione and awkwardly crawled on his knees towards the hole. He placed her in it, none to gently, wincing as she flopped on her side and then he rolled down beside her, curling himself around her and pulling his invisibility cloak over both of them, making them disappear, all in a few seconds. When Lupin looked back and saw them gone, he ran to the edge of the ward, and disappeared with a crack. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he checked to make sure they were well covered. Being as tall as he was, he had to twine his legs around Hermione's and spoon her body against his. He hoped that with the dark, the Death Eaters wouldn't stay for long, and since they had witnessed Lupin Disapperate, the consensus would be that they were all gone. He watched them as best he could without moving as they poked around. One of them walked by and Harry held his breath, his wand ready. It seemed forever before he could hear them moving off. He stayed there, holding Hermione, listening for any sound or movement. He looked down at her blood-caked face and he couldn't help but worry. He figured that with a normal stupefy spell she should be reviving now, but with the amount of blood loss he saw, he couldn't gage how bad it was. He had to get her some help. He had never Apparated anyone who was unconscious before, but he didn't know if she would wake up without help.

Harry slowly slid from under the cloak, leaving Hermione covered. He took a quick look around and listened carefully before standing up. He crept out slowly, warily, watching. It was too quiet. He couldn't hear any of the usual night creatures. He couldn't leave Hermione, but he was afraid to try and Apparate both of them while she was incapacitated. He hoped that Lupin and Ron had made it safely to Hogsmeade, and that Lupin had alerted the castle about Hermione. As he crept out, he knew something wasn't right. It was too quiet. He could feel it. They were still in danger here. Suddenly Dolohov appeared from behind a tree and pointed his wand at Harry.

“Sectumseptra!” Dolohov yelled, and as Harry tried to dodge, he felt a sharp flash of fire across his chest. He gasped in pain and put his hand to his chest. It came away blood red. He threw himself behind the tree and tucked into a roll, coming up on the other side, his wand pointing at Dolohov.

“Stupify!” Harry yelled, and the spell hit Dolohov in the chest and he flew backwards. Harry collapsed backwards into a sitting position and clutched his arm across his chest. He stayed like that for a moment, trying to find the strength to fight the burning pain. He had no choice now. He had to get both himself and Hermione back to Hogwarts. He was afraid that there were more Death Eaters around, and he didn't have much left in him to fight. He got up unsteadily and made his way back to where Hermione was hidden. He threw his cloak back into his pack and levitated Hermione out of their hiding place. He staggered as he took her in his arms, gasping in pain at the exertion. He reached the edge of the ward and closed his eyes and concentrated, he had never wanted to go to Hogsmeade so badly. He had to get help for Hermione. He wouldn't let her die because of his failure or weakness. He held her close, trying to feel as much of her as possible, imagining a bubble surrounding them, keeping them safe. He focused on that emotion inside of him that he reserved for Hermione, and with a pop, they Apparated.

Harry stumbled forward, almost dropping Hermione as he arrived just outside of the Hog's Head.

“Harry!” he heard Ron call, the relief evident in his voice. “Lupin went back to Hogwarts looking for you!”

Harry just kept moving; afraid he would collapse if he stopped. Ron caught up to him and saw Hermione up close for the first time and his face paled.

“What the bloody hell? Harry, let me help. I'll take her.” Ron offered, sensing his friend's fatigue.

“No,” Harry croaked, fighting back against the pain of his cramped arms and bleeding wounds. It was the concern for Hermione, the need to protect her that was keeping him going. “Just tell Madame Pomfrey I'm coming and that Hermione has been seriously injured and stupefied.”

He didn't say anything more as Ron ran off. It was hard enough concentrating on walking. His chest was burning and he held Hermione closer to him in a desperate attempt to staunch the blood flow before he got her to the castle. It was the longest walk of his life, and one he would do again in a heartbeat to keep Hermione safe. He tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Step, step, step…

Suddenly Harry realized that he was in the school. Everything was becoming fuzzy and it was hard to focus. He got up the stairs, stumbling only once or twice and headed for the hospital ward. He pushed through the doors and headed for the nearest bed where he gently laid Hermione down after carefully taking off her backpack. He was amazed at how she hadn't lost it. He let it drop to the floor with a thud and then he struggled out of his backpack as well, letting it join Hermione's on the floor.

Harry stood back as Madame Pomfrey came bustling over, followed by Ron, her wand already out. Harry heard Lupin and McGonagall burst through the doors, but he didn't turn around. It would have taken too much of his energy. They stopped behind Harry, and Ron looked over and saw the shock in McGonagall's eyes. Harry was focussed on Hermione's face, but he was feeling very dizzy. He pressed his arm against his chest, trying to subconsciously make the pain go away, but to no avail. He heard Madame Pomfrey tisk-tisking as she ran her wand over Hermione.

“Goodness Mr. Potter! What on Earth have you been doing? Miss Granger is covered in blood.”

“Head wound,” Harry gasped, as he put a blood soaked hand against the wall to stop himself from collapsing. It was getting harder to breathe all of a sudden and he was tired, so very tired…

Madame Pomfrey frowned as she took in Hermione's blood soaked clothes.

“But her clothes—” she said confused, poking at her with her wand, looking for the reason for all the extra blood. Harry swayed and looked down at his chest where his arm was clutched across it again. He watched as a drop of blood hit the floor. He could feel his consciousness slipping away and everything was starting to go black around the edges.

“That would be mine,” he shuddered as he felt his body lose its fight to stay awake and he collapsed on the floor.

*Mihi Pugna Per Quisnam Ago: Help me fight the boy who lived.

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A/N: Okay, okay, I know that was really mean, but wasn't it fun?! Look how interested you are as to what is going to happen next! I promise, no cliffie this time, I'll let you have a break. I think you will enjoy this one. Thanks again to Dementor149 who has been along for the ride since the beginning.

Officially, these characters aren't mine. But deep down, where all the secrets are hidden, I can pretend they are, and make their lives angsty! (Is that even a word?)

Chapter 17

Healing

Madame Pomfrey frowned as she took in Hermione's blood soaked clothes.

“But her clothes—” she said confused, poking at her with her wand, looking for the reason for all the extra blood. Harry swayed and looked down at his chest where his arm was clutched across it again. He watched as a drop of blood hit the floor. He could feel his consciousness slipping away and everything was starting to go black around the edges.

“That would be mine,” he shuddered as he felt his body lose its fight to stay awake and he collapsed on the floor.

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

Ron was beside Harry in an instant. He opened his jacket to reveal his torn and bloodied T-shirt.

“Bloody Hell!” he said as he saw the size of the gash.

It ran from Harry's shoulder down across to his waist on the opposite side. It wasn't deep, thank goodness, but it was upsetting enough to see all that blood. Ron and Lupin carefully picked him up and lay him gently on the bed next to Hermione's.

“What happened?” Ron asked angrily, turning to Lupin. “They were fine when I left.”

Lupin shook his head, his eyes never leaving Harry.

“Hermione went down, and Harry wanted to go to her. I gave him cover and I saw him beside her, but I was busy trying to fend off spells coming our way. When I looked around again, they were gone. When I got back to Hogsmeade and couldn't find them, I presumed Harry had taken Hermione to Hogwarts. I have no idea where his injuries came from. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to find out what happened.”

“I should have stayed,” Ron murmured, running a hand through his hair. “I shouldn't have Apparated. I shouldn't have listened to you.”

“So that there would be three of you lying in the hospital? No, Ron, you did the right thing.” Lupin laid a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron angrily pushed his hand off of his shoulder and moved away from Lupin.

“You don't understand!” Ron seethed at him. “We're a trio! We look out for one another! That's what Harry was doing! Hermione and I promised him we would be in this together, and that's the way it's going to be from now on.” Ron stormed over and grabbed a chair and placed it beside Harry's bed, out of Madame Pomfrey's way. He sat down, crossed his arms and looked at the three adults in the room, daring them to make him leave.

Lupin sighed unhappily. “This is war, Ron,” he said quietly. “Sometimes we have to make decisions that are not easy to live with. You have to think with your head, not your heart. We won't win this by making useless sacrifices or emotional decisions, remember that.”

“Fine,” said Ron. “Now you remember this. The three of us work together. I won't leave them again, ever. We work better together, so for now on, I am following Harry. Whatever he says goes. End of discussion.”

Professor McGonagall took Lupin by the arm and the two of them left the Hospital wing without another word.

Ron watched as Madame Pomfrey closed up Harry's wounds and slathered some kind of thick paste across his chest before covering it with a bandage. She placed several bottles on the table beside him and turned to Ron.

“Since you will be staying, you might as well be of some help. If he wakes up, give him some blood replenishing potion, and then some sleeping draught,” she said as she pointed to the different bottles.

She then turned to Hermione and drew the curtains around her for some privacy. Ron watched his friend sleeping and the guilt felt like a lump of lead in the pit of his stomach. Harry was so pale from the loss of blood. Ron shook his head in amazement. Not only had he walked all the way back to the castle after Apparating both himself and Hermione, but he had carried her as well. He didn't know where Harry was pulling his strength from, but he did know that a lesser man would not have made it. He didn't know if he could have done the same thing.

When Madame Pomphrey finished with Hermione, Ron moved his chair so he was in between them. He looked at Hermione. She looked better, with just a few scrapes and bruises visible, but she was so very still and just as pale as Harry. Ron heard Harry groan and he quickly leaned over and put a hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there.

“Her…Hermione,” Harry groaned as he tossed his head.

“It's okay, mate. She's okay. Don't worry about her. You just focus on getting better. Here, drink this,” Ron said as he held Harry's head up and put the potion to his lips.

When the potion was gone, Ron gave him the sleeping draught and laid him back down. Harry opened his eyes, but they were unfocussed and staring blankly at the ceiling.

“I didn't want to lose her,” he slurred as the sleeping draught began to take hold and he closed his eyes. “Can't live…need her,” he mumbled as he fell into unconsciousness once again.

Ron looked at him thoughtfully as he slept and then looked over at Hermione.

“You'd better get well and wake up soon, Hermione. I think someone needs you,”

He settled down on the chair, stretching out his long legs and closing his eyes in preparation of a night of waiting. He wasn't going to leave them until he knew they were safe.

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

When Harry woke up it felt like someone had used his body for Bludger practice. He groggily opened his eyes and reached for his glasses. He turned his head and saw Ron sprawled out on the overstuffed chair, snoring.

“He hasn't left since you and Hermione arrived,” he heard Lupin explain and turned his head to see him standing on the other side of the bed.

“How—” Harry swallowed past his dry throat. “How long?” he managed to croak.

“Three days,” Lupin said as he handed him a glass of water. “You lost a lot of blood.”

Harry turned his head and looked at Hermione and frowned. “Why isn't she awake?” he asked.

“Madame Pomfrey isn't sure. She should be waking up, but it's almost like she doesn't want to.”

“It was Dolohov,” Harry said. “He hexed her, and it was pretty powerful. I've never seen anyone fly so far from being hit by a curse. She looked pretty terrified before he hit her. She froze and I yelled at her to move. When she went down—” Harry swallowed and closed his eyes briefly before looking at Lupin again. “I hid us both until I thought it was safe, but we were attacked again by Dolohov. I had to protect her. I wasn't going to leave her for the Death Eaters.”

“That explains your injuries,” Lupin sighed. “I've already had this conversation with Ron. He was pretty angry with me for leaving you, and he's angry at himself for not staying.”

Harry slowly sat up and could feel the pull of the new skin healing on his chest. He looked over to where Ron was sleeping.

“He's a good friend, the best. He wouldn't have left if he knew we were in danger. I don't blame him for what happened.”

“Yes, well, he blames me,” frowned Lupin.

Harry looked at him, and Lupin saw a level of maturity in Harry's eyes that he hadn't seen before.

“I don't,” he replied. “I understand where you are coming from Professor, even though I don't necessarily agree with you. We've seen what Voldemort can do. Ron hasn't. He doesn't understand the dangers. That's why I made you believe that we had Apparated. I needed you to get back here so I didn't have to worry about you too.”

“That was very foolish, Harry. You almost sacrificed your life for Hermione's,” Lupin frowned.

“And I'd do it again in a heartbeat, because that's what's going to win this war. We need to fight for each other, not just against Voldemort. That's the only way the wizarding world is going to survive. Isn't that what you said when we were at the Weasley's?”

“And we're going to do it together,” Ron said firmly.

Harry turned and looked at his friend and saw the remorse in his eyes.

“I'm sorry, mate,” he choked, “I didn't know you were in so much trouble. I would have stayed to cover your back.”

Harry grinned at him. “I didn't know I was in so much trouble either. No apology needed.”

Just then Madame Pomfrey bustled over. “All right you two. My patient needs his rest. Visiting hours are over. That includes you, Mr. Weasley.” She wrinkled her nose. “Shower and go get something to eat before you end up in here from being malnourished.”

Harry looked at Ron in surprise. “You haven't eaten in three days?” he asked incredulously.

Ron shrugged. “Well, you know, worry for you and all that. Wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Don't let him fool you Harry. Dobby's been bringing him food from the kitchen,” Lupin laughed.

Ron scowled at him. “What are you trying to do? Ruin my image?”

Harry laughed as he lay back down in his bed and took off his glasses. “Go eat you old fraud,” he said.

Ron grinned and squeezed Harry's shoulder. “Good to have you back, mate,” he said.

Harry closed his eyes as they left and quickly fell back asleep.

When Harry woke up later, it was dark. He put on his glasses and looked over to where Hermione was lying. She hadn't moved from her original position. He slowly sat up and realized that he didn't feel dizzy any more. He slipped out of bed and padded over to Hermione and sat down beside her. He gently took her hand in his and looked into her sleeping face. Her wounds had almost healed and he couldn't figure out why she wouldn't wake up.

“Hermione,” he said quietly, “It's me, Harry. I don't know if you can hear me, but you're scaring me. I need you to wake up, please.”

He reached up and smoothed her hair away from her face, but she didn't stir.

“Come back to me,” Harry whispered. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before returning to his bed.

Harry woke the next day feeling a lot stronger and suddenly very hungry. He decided it was time to get up, so he dressed and went and found Madame Pomfrey.

“I'm glad to see you up and around Mr. Potter. Nothing too strenuous, mind you, until that chest wound completely heals. Go and get something to eat.”

“I was actually thinking of getting Dobby to bring me something up here. You know, so I can watch Hermione,” Harry said as his eyes darted to the sleeping form.

“Mr. Potter! Are you insinuating that I am not capable of looking after my patients?” she said, frowning.

“No Ma'am, I just…I just wanted to make sure—“

“Go and get something to eat,” she said quietly.

“Yes Ma'am. Will you call me if Hermione wakes up?”

“Of course dear,” she smiled.

Harry headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast and was pleasantly surprised to see Hagrid was back.

“Harry! It's good ter see yeh!” Hagrid said as he enveloped Harry in a massive hug.

“Hagrid! Wounded! Stop!” Harry gasped

“Oh, sorry. I was jus' glad teh see yeh.”

“Me too, Hagrid, me too,” Harry said as he rubbed his chest.

He made his way over to where Ron was sitting across from Lupin. He sat down and began piling food on his plate. Ron watched him and grinned between shoveling food into his mouth.

“Trying to make up for lost time?” Harry teased.

Ron shrugged and swallowed. “Hey! You can't neglect a body like this! Besides,” he said as he grabbed for more toast, “Looks like you are trying to keep up with me.”

“Not possible,” Harry said, “No one can keep up with you.”

“Harry,” Lupin interrupted, “I've been looking up the spell that the Death Eaters were chanting.”

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.

“Mihi Pugna per Quisnam Ago,” he said.

“That's right,” Lupin said, surprised that he could remember. “Unfortunately Harry, it is an old spell and it was directed at you. Roughly translated, it means `Help me fight the boy who lives.' They were calling for power from the Dark Lord to fight you. I think that's why the ward was so large and Dolohov's spells were so strong. We may have a problem if they are using this kind of dark magic to fight.”

“Or we need to find a stronger magic to fight against it,” Harry mused. “Maybe that would be a good start for our DA classes.”

“Let me do some more research. Perhaps we could use it in the Defense Against the Dark Arts as well,” Lupin said.

Harry watched as Hagrid made his way over to the table.

“Able teh come over fer a cuppa then, Harry?” Hagrid asked.

Sure, Hagrid, can I come by later? I want to go see Hermione first.”

“How `bout round four? I need teh get ready fer me classes fer this year.”

“Okay,” grinned Harry as Hagrid ambled off.

Harry got up from the table and turned to Ron. “Are you going to come up?” he asked.

“In a bit,” Ron replied, “I have to send an owl to my mum to tell her you're okay; otherwise she'll worry herself sick.”

Harry headed up to the infirmary and quietly went in. The curtain was around Hermione's bed, so he waited until Madame Pomfrey was finished. She came bustling out a moment later with a worried look on her face. She stopped short when she saw Harry, and gave him a small smile.

“Go ahead, Mr. Potter,” she said, “She's still unconscious, but maybe talking to her would help. She needs to wake up soon, otherwise…” she left the rest unsaid, but Harry understood. She may never wake up.

Harry went over and sat on the side of the bed and took her cold hand in his. He wrapped both hands around hers, trying to warm it.

“Morning, Hermione. It's time to get up. We've got some research to do,” Harry reached up and stroked her cheek as he told her about what Lupin had found.

“We need the brightest witch to help us come up with a counter spell,” he said as he held her hand with his two again. He watched her face for any kind of response, but didn't see anything. He sighed, and just sat there, stroking the back of her hand and watching, his thumb gently rubbing circles on the back of her hand. After a few moments he looked up at her face again.

“I don't know what is going on in there, Hermione, but this isn't like you. I have never known you to shy away from a challenge before.”

Ron came in quietly, unbeknownst to Harry.

“Hermione, you need to come back. I need you to come back. I can't do this without you. There's a big hole in my heart right now and you're not here to fill it. I can't even make any plans right now because all I can think about is you,” Harry swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Please, Hermione, don't leave me,” he whispered.

Ron came up behind where Harry was sitting.

“You care for her,” Ron said quietly.

Harry startled and dropped Hermione's hand as he turned around to face Ron.

“Of course I care about her,” he said. “She's one of my best friends.”

“No,” said Ron. “I mean you really care for her. Do you love her?” he asked.

Harry just looked at Ron, afraid of how he would react to Harry's feelings towards Hermione. His friendship with both of them was so important to him that he didn't want to lose one of them over the other. Harry looked into Ron's eyes and saw no resentment, just curiosity. Harry turned and looked back at Hermione.

“I…I don't know,” Harry said honestly. “I've never really loved anyone before but I do know I feel something for her that I haven't felt with Cho or Ginny. I'm…I'm sorry Ron.”

Ron shrugged. “It's okay. We didn't work out. She's more like my sister than anything else. And being as such, I'm going to watch out for her. Don't mess up.” He smiled at Harry and clapped him on the back as he moved to the other side of the bed and sat in the overstuffed chair, stretching his legs out. He watched as Harry picked up Hermione's hand again.

“So why do you think she won't wake up?” Ron asked.

Harry shrugged. “Madame Pomfrey can't figure it out. Physically, she's fine.”

“I've always said she was mental,” Ron snickered.

“I heard that,” Hermione rasped.

“Hermione!” Harry cried, the relief evident in his voice.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked first at Harry and then Ron.

“I have a terrible headache,” she grimaced.

“I'll go get Madame Pomfrey,” Ron said as he jumped up.

Harry looked at her as he brought her hand to his lips in a quick kiss. “I've missed you,” he murmured.

“Me too,” she said with a small smile as she closed her eyes. “And I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.”

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A/N: This is just a cute little fuzzy chapter, with a little fluff and the start of the school year. Thank-you for all of the wonderful reviews that I received! You have made me very happy. As for all you other readers, won't you take the time to drop a line or two? Just a few words a day can feed the writer's ego for a week. It just takes a minute to make someone happy…(I have got to stop staying up late and watching those infomercials…)

You know the drill, doesn't belong to me, no money being made, blah blah blah…

I wonder if JKR has ever written a review?

Chapter 18

The Commencement of Things

Within a week Hermione and Harry were both healthy and out of the hospital. They had several visits with Hagrid before the school year was to start, and took some precious time to enjoy the quiet of the school grounds. Now they were sitting in the Great Hall watching the sorting hat choose houses for the new students. Harry noticed that it was a much smaller group this year, and there were many older students missing from the four houses. The largest group here seemed to be the Gryffindor House, and Harry was glad to see all of the DA members were here as well. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, knowing Malfoy wouldn't be there, but he was surprised to see Crabbe and Goyle there. They seemed to have a new leader to kowtow to, Blaise Zambini. Harry turned back to the front as he saw Professor Lupin take the stool and the hat away. He was expecting a speech from Professor McGonagall, and as she stood up, the houses became quiet. She looked at the four tables before meeting Harry's gaze. He could tell from her eyes that this was difficult for her. Harry felt the anger burning in him as he thought about all that Voldemort had taken not just from him, but also from everyone else.

`He's not taking Hogwarts…' he thought angrily. `This is going to end.'

Professor McGonagall gripped the podium to steady herself and looked around once more.

“I would like to welcome you to another year at Hogwarts. You may have noticed that our enrollment is down this year. This was unfortunate, but expected. As your teachers, we will continue to expect the same high caliber performance from students that has been evident in the past years. Hogwarts,” she paused as she looked up over her glasses at her captive audience, “has never been known to shirk its responsibility when it comes to educating young witches and wizards, and we will not do so now. You are here first and foremost to complete your magical training. The world is a dark and dangerous place, and the best way to arm yourself is with knowledge and practice. Only then, can we turn back the dark together.” At this, she looked pointedly at Harry. He nodded respectfully at the wisdom of her words.

Professor McGonagall looked around the hall again. “The usual reminders stand. The Forbidden forest is just that, forbidden. Mr. Filch will have a list of the banned items attached to his door. It is safe to say that anything from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is off limits.” This drew snickers from the crowd; many of them probably had several tricks already hidden in their trunks.

“And now, enjoy your feast.” With a clap of her hands the tables were suddenly laden with a variety of different foods, the aroma causing Harry's stomach to growl and his mouth to water. Harry loved this part. They had eaten well during the past two weeks, but the first banquet of the year was always special to him. It meant that he was home.

As Harry filled his plate he glanced over and caught Hermione looking at him. He smiled at her, and she blushed and lowered her gaze. They hadn't had any time alone in the past two weeks, as Ron had been true to his word and the trio went everywhere together. Harry enjoyed being in the company of his two best friends, but he really wanted to have a chance at being alone with Hermione. Tonight he would get that chance, since they were on rounds together tonight.

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

The hallways were quiet as they passed by portraits and armor silently standing on guard. Harry took hold of Hermione's hand as they went down one of the moving staircases and was pleased to notice she didn't pull away as they reached the bottom. He glanced over at her and saw she was chewing on her bottom lip.

“A knut for your thoughts?” he asked.

Hermione looked over at him and smiled sadly. “I was just trying to figure out why I reacted the way I did when I saw Dolohov.”

Harry stopped and put his hands on Hermione's shoulders, making her look at him.

“Hermione, the man seriously injured you at the Department of Mysteries and then seemed hell bent on getting you when we were at Godric's Hollow. It's understandable to be afraid of someone like that, I should know.”

Hermione looked down and shook her head, tears glistening on her eyelashes.

“If I freeze up every time I come against Dolohov, I'm no good for you, Harry. I won't be any good in a fight.”

Harry gently took her chin and lifted her face so he could see her eyes.

“You're stronger than you think, Hermione, because you care. I don't think Dolohov will catch you off-guard again. How can you say that you're no good for me?” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “You keep me strong. You're the one who has always been there for me. Don't let one mistake worry you. It turned out okay.”

“But don't you see, Harry? Because of my one mistake you almost died!” She sobbed as she leaned into his chest.

Harry put his arms around her and just held her. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't blame her for what happened, but he knew she would continue to feel guilty if he didn't dispel her fears.

“Hermione, look at me,” he said softly

She raised her head to look at him and Harry got lost in her sorrow-filled eyes. He forgot what he was going to say as his world narrowed to the golden brown orbs pulling him into their depths. He lowered his head and claimed her lips with his, wanting to show her what he couldn't put into words. He felt her arms go around his waist, and after a moment's hesitation, she kissed him back. Harry felt a surge of exhilaration from her response. After a moment, he slowly pulled away from her.

“Someone once told me that I couldn't take the blame for someone else's choices. I told you that I wanted to protect you almost as much as I want to protect Ron. I treasure you, Hermione, and I want you by my side. But,' he tapped her nose as he smiled. “Not if you are going to beat yourself up if things don't go well. Dumbledore once told me that I would have to choose between what is easy and what is right. Now I'm going to ask you to do the same. I know that this isn't going to be easy, Hermione, but it feels right. I'm leaving the choice up to you as to what you want to do. I've already made my choice.” Harry took her hand again and started to walk down the hall back towards the Gryffindor tower.

And what choice is that?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence.

Harry looked at her and gave her a mischievous grin.

"I think you already know the answer to that." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it before letting go. "Last one to the common room is a rotten Snorkack!" He yelled as he took off at a run.

"Harry!" Hermione laughed as she took chase.

They both tumbled through the portrait hole laughing, and Ron watched them from his chair by the fire.

"I didn't know that patrolling was that much fun," he smirked as he raised an eyebrow at them.

"I think that it was the company," Harry said, looking meaningfully at Hermione. "I'm going to bed. 'Night, Ron, 'night, Hermione."

Hermione watched him go to his room, and then turned to see Ron watching her.

"What?" She asked as she plopped down on the couch.

"Nothing," said Ron. "You just looked like you were enjoying yourself."

Hermione shrugged. "Anything wrong with that?" She asked.

"No," said Ron. "As long as you're happy. Are you happy, Hermione? With Harry?"

"I...I don't know. I enjoy his company, we're best friends, but...I don't know if there is anything else there. I like him, and I'm pretty sure he likes me, if tonight was any indication but...I'm sorry Ron; this is so weird to be talking about this with you, I mean, since we went out and all…”

“Have you kissed him? Since his birthday, I mean.” Ron felt he already knew the answer.

Hermione blushed and looked down.

“Honestly Ron, I don't know if we—”

“It's okay, Hermione, remember? Protective brother here? I just want you to be happy.”

“I'm scared, that's what I am. What if he…” she trailed off, fearing to say what was hidden in the deepest corner of her heart.

Ron got up and sat beside her, taking her hands in his, waiting for her to look at him.

“Would you rather spend a lifetime regretting what you could have had? If you wait until the war is over, you may never have the chance. I'm not saying we won't survive, but why wait? He's a good man, Hermione, and if I have to see you with anyone else, I would rather see you with him.”

“Ronald Weasley! Since when did you become so wise and noble?” Hermione asked.

Ron just shrugged. “Just something I heard from my mum,” he said. He kissed her forehead and got up. “Think about it. I know you'll make the right choice.”

Hermione looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Did Harry tell you to talk to me?”

Ron shook his head. “No, why?” he asked.

“No reason. Just something he said earlier.” Hermione got up and hugged Ron. “Thanks for being such a good friend, Ron.”

“Hey,” he said hugging her back. “Anything for my sis.”

Harry quietly closed the door to his room and grinned. He didn't know if he deserved such a good friend in Ron, but he did know one thing, he would be there for both of them until the bitter end.

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

When Harry came out the next morning he found Hermione surrounded by books at the table.

“Good morning,” he said. “Studying already?”

Hermione looked up and smiled. “I think I know how we are going to keep everyone safe. Do you remember I was talking about an emergency portkey? Come take a look.”

Harry sat down beside her and looked at the book she was studying.

“Look at this. You can create an emergency portkey. I was thinking that if we created some kind of a crest, or clasp for our Hogwart's uniforms, something that could be triggered by another portkey, we could use it to Apparate the students to safety. We don't even have to tell the students about it because it would stay dormant until it's used; sort of like the coin I used to call the D.A. meetings. That way we don't have to tell anyone we don't trust, so that the information won't get back to Voldemort.”

“Hermione, have I told you lately how brilliant you are?” Harry said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

“Yes, well I didn't come up with it all by myself. I got some ideas from this book, The Dark Arts Outsmarted.”

“I still think you're brilliant. Let's go have breakfast. Ron already down there?” Harry asked as he stood up.

“Of course. His stomach called,” she smirked. “I want to send an owl to Fred and George later,” Hermione said as she packed up her books. “I think they could help us.”

Harry stopped dead and smacked his forehead. “I forgot! They wanted to see me to talk about something they've created. “

“What was it?” Hermione asked.

“I don't know. I guess I should arrange to go see them. Maybe I'll add a note to your owl.” Harry said as he held open the portrait door for her.

They entered the Great Hall and went and sat down beside Ron. As they were piling food on their plates, Lupin came up to them and handed them their schedules.

“This is the part I hate,” groaned Ron.

Harry looked down at his schedule and was surprised by the lack of classes. Even though he had told them he couldn't attend classes, he thought that they would still try and make him do it. He looked up at Lupin expectedly.

“You will notice Harry, that your schedule is different. You will be taking potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, as well as Transfigurations and Charms. But you will also be having private lessons several times during the week.

“Who with?” Harry asked.

“Myself, Tonks, Professor McGonagall, Mad-eye Moody, and Professor Dumbledore.”

“Dumbledore? But how—” began Harry.

“That's not open for discussion here. Your first lesson is tonight at 7:00 pm. I believe you know the password?” Lupin asked and Harry nodded. “Good. I'll see you in class this afternoon.”

Ron was looking over his schedule and groaned. “Why do we always have potions with Slytherin? Why not Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?”

“Well at least they will be short one ferret. That should make it better.” Hermione said.

Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table. They were definitely down in numbers, but looking as sullen as ever.

“Time for Transfiguration!” Hermione said. “I haven't seen Tonks this morning. I hope she's okay.”

“Probably nervous,” Harry said as he got up.

They headed down to the classroom and filed in to take their usual seats. They all turned as they heard Tonks come through the door. Harry grinned as he took in her appearance. She had the formal teaching robes on and she had her hair pulled back into a bun in the back of her head. He laughed to himself as he thought she looked like a young McGonagall.

“Good morning class, my name is Professor Tonks and I am your new Transfiguration teacher,” she said stiffly. She scanned the room, and as her gaze fell on Harry, he winked at her. Tonks relaxed.

“I'll be okay,” she thought as she began to introduce the lesson.

They worked on wandless magic during the class time, levitating objects and trying to transform animals into cups. All very simple magic, really, but much harder without the focal point of a wand. Most of the class struggled, some could do weaker versions of the spell, and Tonks was pleasantly surprised to see that Harry was stronger than many of the other students, including Hermione. Tonks felt a sense of satisfaction as she watched her students pack up their belongings at the end of the class. She could see they were mentally exhausted, but happy with their accomplishments.

“Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger, a moment of your time please?” She called sternly.

The three looked at each other and then made their way to her desk. They, like the other students, were curious about what Professor Tonks wanted with them. Tonks waited, standing primly at the front of the classroom in front of the three nervous students as the last of the class reluctantly left. The trio watched as Tonks flicked her wrist and wandlessly closed the door behind them. The silence was deafening as they turned as one to look at their new teacher. She looked at them one by one, impassively, before breaking out into a huge grin.

“So what did you think? I was so nervous! Do you think the hair and outfit were too much? I wanted them to respect me, being so young you know. Most teachers are at least twice my age. How was the lesson? Was it interesting? Do you think we were doing too much? Maybe I—”

“Tonks!” Harry laughed. “Stop! Slow down! How can we answer any of those questions if you don't breathe between sentences?”

“Sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I just wanted your opinion.”

“You were brilliant, Tonks,” Hermione said. “Just like Professor McGonagall.”

“Yeah,” added Ron. “Very…teacher like.”

Tonks frowned. “Too much?” She asked.

“No,” said Harry. “I think you did a great job. The lessons were good.”

“Just be yourself, Tonks,” Hermione hesitated, unsure if she should be criticizing a teacher. “Well, okay I guess not, I would hate it if you tripped in front of the class,” Hermione teased with a smile.

“Glad you have faith in me,” she grinned.

“Oh, we do, we just know you too well,” Harry laughed.

“That's Professor Tonks to you,” she said as she walked them towards the back of the class. “I'd hate to dock points for cheekiness,” she said slyly.

“Yes, Professor Tonks,” they said in unison, stifling their laughter, as they headed out the door.

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A/N: Thank-you to all my wonderful readers who take the time to drop me a note! I really appreciate your support. A special thanks to Dementor149 who helps me on my way. My apologies for making you wait for this chapter, Halloween sort of got in the way! This is just another little chapter with some information in it. We have a session with Dumbledore, and some shocking news for Harry. I think you will be interested!

If you see JKR is out there doing reviews, tell her to drop me a line. There are a few things I would like to discuss with her regarding the ownership of these characters. Until then, they still don't belong to me. Enjoy!

Chapter 19

Meeting the Past

We've got Defense Against the Dark Arts after lunch,” Ron said between mouthfuls. “I wonder what we'll start with?”

“Well at least we won't be subjected to the Unforgivable Curses this year,” murmured Hermione.

“What I want to see,” commented Harry “Is a way to fight them. There has to be something we can do or use to stop them.”

“There isn't anything Harry. That's why they're are so unforgivable,” Ron replied

“But if I am able to fight off the Imperius Curse and I survived the killing curse, why not the Cruciatus too? There has to be something,”” Harry said more to himself than to his friends.

“Well, the nice thing is I can get into the restricted section now, perhaps I could find something there,” Hermione said.

“Don't you thing someone would have thought about that by now?” Ron asked. “I mean, they don't call them unforgivable because apologizing will make it all better, they are called unforgivable because there isn't any known counter spell.”

Hermione turned and glared at him. “Really Ron, do you seriously think someone has researched all of those books?”

“You mean you haven't?” Ron snorted.

“Madam Pince doesn't even know how many books are in the library.” She packed up the books she was reading and stood up in a huff.

“You may have given up on this whole thing but I haven't,” she said as she left.

“Wait! I didn't…Harry! How dare she!” Ron turned to Harry looking at him worriedly, the events from Godric's Hollow still fresh in his mind. “You know I'm behind you, mate!”

Harry smiled at him. “I know. Don't worry about Hermione.”

“She's always blowing a fuse these days. She is mental, you know that?” Ron muttered.

“Yeah, but in a good way,” Harry said as he picked up his books.

Professor Lupin was waiting for them as they entered the classroom. Harry was glad to see him back in front of the class. After learning so much from him these past few weeks, he thought Lupin was a great teacher.

“Good afternoon, class,” Lupin said as they settled into their seats. “We have much to learn this year, so we are going to begin right away. I have been reviewing some of your work from last year, and I have decided that we are going to start with non-verbal magic review. I want you to work with a partner and practice calling an object to you.”

Harry figured that Tonks and Lupin must have been planning their classes together. Everyone in the class partnered up and Harry worked with Hermione, taking turns calling the book back and forth.

“Excellent!” called Lupin as he walked around. “Now try moving further apart, and then try calling hidden objects.”

Harry had always struggled with this aspect, but the lessons with Lupin seemed to make it easier. He noticed with pride that most of the DA members were able to perform the spell as well; although Neville's face was screwed up so tightly that Harry wondered if he was breathing.

Once Lupin was satisfied with their progress they began to work on shielding charms. Harry looked around, watching them as a teacher would, and felt a sense of pride to see how well his DA students were doing. They wouldn't have to dwell on reviews before getting down to the nitty-gritty of learning how to defeat the Death Eaters. Harry began to mentally create some lessons in his mind as the class continued. He was packing up his books at the end of class when Lupin came over to his desk.

“You've taught them well, Harry,” he said quietly.

“Thanks,” Harry said with a sense of pride. “But I did have some help.”

“Well, they seem to respond well to you. Keep it up. We're going to need it,” Lupin smiled as he moved away to greet his next class.

It was just before nine that night as Harry made his way up to the Headmistress' office.

“Seeking Snitches,” he said and entered the spiral staircase. He approached McGonagall's office to find her sitting behind Dumbledore's enormous desk.

“Good evening Mr. Potter. Albus is waiting for you in his old drawing room behind me.”

Harry nodded and moved around the desk to the sitting room behind her. He found Dumbledore's portrait sitting on an easel facing a large overstuffed chair. When he looked at Dumbledore's painting, it was empty.

“Professor Dumbledore, sir?” he called tentatively.

After a moment, he appeared in the frame.

“Harry! Good evening. Is it that time already?” Dumbledore asked.

“Uh, yes sir,” Harry answered.

“Well I don't want to take up too much of your time, so let's get started, shall we? Let's talk about the Horcruxes. Remember, we found out that Tom had to kill someone in order to put a piece of his soul into an object. When you destroyed the book and I the ring, we released two parts of Tom's soul. at this moment they are stranded between the living and the hereafter. They cannot move on until all of the surviving pieces have been joined together.”

“So Voldemort can't get those pieces back? Harry said as he seated himself in the chair.

“Not without dying. The parts of his soul are like a kneazle with 14 lives. Once they have been lost, they cannot be reclaimed. Tom was looking to use those pieces as he used up the one in his body, so in a sense remain immortal forever. That, and the Philosopher's stone. Unfortunately for him, you and I have thwarted his plan at every turn, which has angered him. He didn't get the stone and he has lost two parts of himself. He may not know of the parts of his soul that he has lost, but he does know about part of the prophecy. He knows that you must die in order for him to live. Therefore, he seems to be spending a lot of time and energy at this point trying to get rid of you.”

“Great,” murmured Harry. “Back to the prophecy.”

“The prophecy, Harry, is very serious. Do not take it lightly. I know that Tom does not. If he felt that it was of no importance, he wouldn't have killed your parents and attempted to kill you. Mark my words; he will plan for your final meeting to be in his favor. You must be prepared. You need to destroy the Horcruxes, Harry, once we find them. Then, Voldemort can be destroyed, and Tom Riddle will be free to move on.”

“Pardon, sir?” Harry said confused. “Aren't they one and the same?”

“Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort, Harry. The first time he killed someone, he created this new persona. Tom lost himself to the evil of Voldemort.”

“How could Tom be saved? He will die when Voldemort dies, won't he?” Harry asked.

“Death is such a finality with the living,” Dumbledore said smiling. “There is so much more, Harry, but I don't have time to go into it. Let's just say that Tom's soul will be saved.”

“I don't get it, sir. If Tom became Lord Voldemort, wouldn't that piece of him be gone?”

Dumbledore sighed and sat back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We could be going in circles all night, Harry, and I don't have much time. We can discuss this again later. Right now, I want to discuss the Horcruxes.”

Harry nodded in agreement, even though he was still trying to figure out the Tom-Voldemort Puzzle.

“Let's look at what we know, starting with the book,” Dumbledore said as he steepled his fingers.

“Well, Lucius Malfoy gave Ginny the book and she began writing in it. That's how Voldemort was able to communicate with her and eventually take over her body. Ginny said there were periods of time that she didn't remember. When I found her in the chamber, she was cold,” Harry said, frowning at the memory.

Dumbledore nodded. “Voldemort was using her, draining her life, to strengthen himself.”

“He must have been gaining form, becoming more solid as Ginny slowly died. When I stabbed the book with the poisonous fang, he just disappeared,” Harry said.

“Because part of Voldemort was still attached to the diary, the poisonous fang destroyed him,” Dumbledore explained.

“So what happened to your arm sir?” Harry asked.

Dumbledore held up his hand and looked at it, studying the now smooth pink flesh, lost in thought. “After your success with the diary, I thought Tom had simply put a piece of his soul into an object. What I failed to remember was that it was a much younger Tom who made the first Horcrux. It was a much more experienced Voldemort who used the ring to create a Horcrux. It takes a powerful dark magic to create Horcruxes, Harry, and it takes powerful magic to destroy them. I underestimated Voldemort,” he looked up sadly at Harry. “In my foolish belief that I could do it alone, it cost me my hand. The first thing you need to understand, Harry is you can't do it alone. You will need support,” Dumbledore sat forward and looked seriously at Harry.

“The Horcruxes contain a piece of soul whose only goal is to be set free to live or meet up with its other parts. It feeds off of any soul it comes in contact with to strengthen itself. Sometimes,” Dumbledore frowned, “there are repercussions. Because of having a strong sense of self-preservation, the fragment fights for all its worth. You will need to separate enough of the soul fragment from the Horcrux to destroy it. In order to do that, the fragment must attach itself to another soul, and be pulled from the Horcrux in order to weaken it before it can be destroyed.”

Harry gaped at Dumbledore as the seriousness of the situation set in. Someone would have to make some kind of sacrifice in order to destroy the Horcrux. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

“You mean to tell me sir, that someone will have to sacrifice his life in order to destroy the Horcrux?”

“A few months ago I would have said yes. But no, Harry, no one should die in the attempt.”

“Should?” Harry asked.

“Well, we are going to be dealing with very old magic that I have learned about during my stay here. You will need to practice before you attempt anything though. Professor Lupin will help you with that. I have discussed it with him. Now, Harry, your assignment has two parts to it. First, I want you to research all you can about old magic and it's strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, you need to figure out what that last Horcrux is. Something from Rowena Ravenclaw, I think. We will get together again once you have had a chance to practice some of the old spells and find the last Horcrux. Now, Harry, if you would be so kind as to ask Professor McGonagall to come and see me on your way out? Thank you.”

Harry stood and headed back into the main area to relay the message. He became lost in thought as he made his way back to the common room. It amazed him to think that he still didn't know everything, and that he hadn't been told everything. But this latest revelation…He shook his head. It really scared him.

The thought that someone he knew, someone close to him, may have to connect themselves to a piece of Voldemort's soul, well, he wasn't going to have any of that. If anyone was going to be attached to a piece of Voldemort, it was him. Besides, he figured, he already had a connection to him, so he should be the one to make the sacrifice.

He absentmindedly gave the password as he headed into the common room. Both Ron and Hermione looked up from where they were studying to watch him come in. Harry flopped down on the couch, still lost on thought.

“All right there, Harry?” Ron asked.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, just a lot to think about,” Harry replied.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hermione asked, with concern in her voice.

“No, not yet. I need to think about a few things first. I may need your help though. I have to do some research,” Harry said wearily as he leaned his head back. I need to figure out what that last Horcrux is, and I need to learn about ancient magic.”

Hermione jumped up and went to the bookshelf where she had organized her books. She grabbed a few and brought them back to the couch.

“Here, Harry. These are some of the books I brought from Godric's Hollow. We can start there.” Hermione held the books out to Harry.

Harry stared at her, noticing the worry mixed in with the tiredness on her face, and suddenly he felt very tired too. He couldn't even remember what Hermione said.

“Harry?” Hermione asked worriedly as she searched his face to see what was wrong.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I think I just need some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.” He got up and went to his room without another word; his friends watching him go.

“What do you think Dumbledore said?” asked Ron.

“I don't know,” Hermione said with trepidation. “Do you think he's okay?”

“Don't know,” said Ron. “Maybe he is just tired. Where are you going?” he asked as Hermione stood up.

“I want to see if he's really okay,” she replied as she headed towards the closed door.

Harry was lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, his mind buzzing, when he heard the soft tap at the door.

“Harry?” Hermione called tentatively as she stuck her head around the door.

“Yeah,” Harry replied tiredly.

Hermione came in and made her way to the side of his bed. Harry rolled to his side and scooted towards the wall, making room for Hermione. He propped himself up on his arm, letting the blankets slide down to his waist, exposing his bare chest. Hermione sat down facing him, taking in the broad expanse of his chest, causing her heart to flutter. She longed to touch him, but held back, knowing there would be no turning back once she crossed that line.

“Talk to me, Harry,” she said gently. “Obviously Dumbledore said something to upset you.”

Harry sighed and reached out to gently stroke her arm with the back of his finger.

“He gave me some more information about Voldemort, but I need to think about it first before I talk about it, okay?” He smiled sadly at her.

Hermione leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “We're here if you need us,” she said.

Harry had closed his eyes when she kissed his cheek, and now he slowly opened them to look at her. Hermione looked into his dark green eyes and became lost in the emotions she saw there, sadness, longing…and something else she couldn't name, but it was pulling her in. She felt herself leaning back in towards Harry's face again as his hand made its way to the back of her head and pulled her close. She closed her eyes as their lips met, and as he kissed her softly, Hermione heard `stay…' in her head. She pulled back to look at him and suddenly knew what he wanted, but she couldn't, not yet. She slowly got up and backed towards the door, Harry's eyes following her longingly.

“Goodnight Harry,” she whispered as she left.

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A/N: This is just for all of you who are dying to see some more Harry and Hermione fluff. I hope you enjoy it. I know that I have many of you interested in where I am going with this story, and I have to tell you that it is nothing like book seven (Thank goodness!) The whole idea for this came to me well before that book came out, and uses some of the forgotten information from the earlier books, including Chamber of Secrets. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for all of the reviews, they have been great, and leave me eager for more!

Once again I am faced with the fact that I don't own these characters. My therapist did say that writing about my feelings is good for me…. :D

Chapter 20

What Are You Really Scared Of?

When Harry came out of his room he wasn't surprised to find his two friends waiting for him with set looks of determination on their faces.

“Uh…Good morning?” Harry asked warily.

“So…How was your meeting, Harry?” Ron asked as he crossed his arms.

Harry glanced at Hermione who worriedly bit her lip, and he sighed. He should have known she'd tell him.

“He was telling me what we need to do to beat Voldemort. It's not going to be easy.”

Ron snorted. “So this is something new?”

“Look, I know you want to help me and I'm not planning on doing this by myself. It's just…I need to figure some things out. That, and I have a meeting with Lupin this afternoon. I promise, when I have all the information, I'll tell you, okay?” Harry said.

Ron glanced over at Hermione who nodded.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I hate bad news on an empty stomach anyways,” Ron said as he headed for the portrait entrance.

Harry turned and looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow accusingly.

“I'm sorry Harry. I'm just worried about you,” she said as she cast her eyes to the carpet.

Harry closed the distance between them and took her hands in his.

“How worried?” He asked quietly.

Hermione looked up at those emerald green eyes and was shocked by the way he was looking at her. She realized that Harry wasn't just looking at her as a concerned friend. There was something more there, and Hermione was suddenly reminded of Ron's words from a few nights ago.

`Would you rather spend a lifetime regretting what you could have had? If you wait until the war is over, you may never have the chance.'

A single tear escaped from the corner of Hermione's eye and Harry reached up to gently wipe it away, his hand lingering on the side of her face.

“I'm scared, Harry. I'm so scared that it hurts…” she whispered brokenly.

“Me too,” Harry whispered back. “Why don't we be scared together? That way, we can comfort each other when we are feeling alone or afraid.”

Hermione smiled at him through her tears. How could she hold back her feelings for him? He always put the needs of others before his own, it was about time someone cared for him for a change. Harry slowly leaned down, and when she didn't back away, he cupped both sides of her face and gently touched his lips to hers. Hermione brought her hands up and tangled them in Harry's hair as she pulled his head closer to hers. Harry deepened his kiss, running his tongue over Hermione's soft bottom lip, seeking entry. He could feel the tingle radiating out from his heart, filling him, and he wanted to share it with her. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, reveling in the taste that was Hermione, and pushed the sensation he was feeling towards her. Hermione made a small moaning sound in the back of her throat, and pulled her body closer to Harry, enjoying the sensation of his hard body against hers, and the magic that Harry seemed to be sending her.

Harry had never felt anything like this before. Nothing else mattered except Hermione. She became his world. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, feel every spot where her body touched his, and feel her response to his touch. He slipped his hand around the small of her back and let his other hand get tangled in her soft curly hair. He lazily explored her mouth, savoring the feeling of her soft lips pressed against his. The feelings coursing through Harry were intoxicating. He couldn't get enough of her. He ran his hand up her back, touching her, feeling the warmth of her radiating through her shirt and it exhilarated him. Was this what it felt like to love someone? His heart was beating so fast that he thought it might burst, and he suddenly felt powerful, like he could take on the world. He pulled away from her in amazement, gasping for breath.

“Hermione…I…wow,” he gasped. “I've never felt like that before,” he murmured in her ear as he held her close, allowing her hair to tickle his face while he hid his embarrassment.

“Me neither,” Hermione said quietly.

They stood like that for a few moments, until Harry's stomach started to gurgle. Hermione laughed and pulled back to look up at him with sparkling eyes.

“Maybe we should get some breakfast before you faint from hunger.”

“Only if you promise me that we will discuss this further tonight during our rounds,” Harry said.

“Deal,” said Hermione as she headed for the portrait opening.

It was late afternoon when Harry had his meeting with Lupin. Harry was both anxious and eager to find out what he needed to do with these Horcruxes. As he entered the classroom he noticed the big chest that held the boggart in his third year was sitting in the middle of the floor. Lupin came out of his office carrying a tray with an assortment of objects on it.

“Ah, good, Harry, right on time. We have much to cover today before dinner.” Lupin put the tray down as Harry approached him.

“Now we are using some very ancient magic that Professor Dumbledore found before he…uh…well, anyways, the incantation is `Ostendo Vestri Veneficus'. Try it.”

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus”* Harry repeated.

“Good. Now, when the spell is done, the object will glow and give a slight shake. Let's deal with that aspect first shall we? Then we can talk about how to rid the object of the dark magic.” Lupin directed Harry's attention to the tray of objects on the table.

“Let's try this. Choose an object. Some of these objects have a small amount of dark magic trapped in them, but it is not strong enough to attack. This will give you a chance to practice revealing their dark magic.”

Harry looked at the items and pointed his wand at an old cup.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” he said.

The cup began to glow and shook on the tray.

“Good! Good! Now try some of the others,” Lupin said.

Harry tried the spell on some of the different items on the tray. He noticed that those items that contained dark magic seemed to send off a pulse that he could feel.

“Can you feel it Professor?” He said as he watched an old boot trembling on the tray.

“What do you feel Harry?” Lupin asked.

“I don't know. Some sort of a…wave of energy or something.”

Lupin nodded at Harry's description.

“Excellent! That means that you are in tune with the dark magic. You are getting a sense of what you will be looking for. Do you understand what it is? Can you recognize it now?”

Harry nodded in agreement. “I think so,” he said.

“Good. Now, let's try it on our friend the boggart, shall we?” Lupin said, directing Harry to the trunk. “You can just use your Patronus to get rid of him.”

Harry turned, and waved his wand at the trunk. “Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” he chanted.

The trunk glowed, shook, and unlatched itself, and Harry waited for the Dementor to come out. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, ever so slowly, a hand, and then an arm became visible, followed by a head of bushy brown hair. Harry watched in horror, as the dead sightless eyes looked his way as the Hermione boggart rose from the trunk, her clothes covered in blood. She staggered towards him as Harry backed away, feeling sick to his stomach. He heard a voice screaming in his head, and the last thing he remembered was that it was no longer his mother's voice that he heard, but Hermione's.

When Harry came to, Lupin was there with a concerned look on his face. Harry sat up and shakily looked around. The boggart had tapped into his worse nightmares.

“Harry,” Professor Lupin said gently, “Your boggart has changed. Did that come from your nightmares?”

“I don't know,” he said slowly as he sat up. “I was thinking about the Dementors, but then I thought that losing Hermione would be just as bad. I don't know if I could handle that.”

“Harry, I know that losing a friend is dreadfully hard but—”

“She's more than a friend,” Harry mumbled, looking embarrassed.

“I thought Ron and Hermione were—”

“They split up,” Harry said, “and I kind of…told her that I…uh…have feelings for her,” Harry said as his face went even redder.

Lupin scrubbed his face with his hand before looking closely at Harry again.

“Did you tell her you love her?” He asked gently.

“Do I? I don't really know what love is. All I have ever had to compare it to was the Dursleys, and a few girls who wanted to snog the great Harry Potter. I don't even know what to do with Hermione.”

Lupin could hear the frustration in Harry's voice.

“Have you…kissed her?” Lupin asked. `Lord, I'm not ready for this role,' he thought.

Harry waited a beat and then nodded, the embarrassment evident in the way he avoided looking at his professor.

“The first time was at my birthday party. I'm not sure how, but I knew it was her, even though I was blindfolded. That was the first time I felt it.”

“Felt it?” Lupin asked warily. `Blindfolded?' he thought. `Must have been an interesting party…'

Harry nodded. “This feeling. Then this morning…it was incredible,” he whispered in awe. “I felt things I've never felt before. My whole body began to tingle, almost like a surge in my magic powers. I felt…well, it was pretty amazing,” he said with a silly grin.

Lupin smiled wistfully at him. `How I wish Lily and James were here to see this,' he thought.

“Harry, you are going to have to get past this vision. Shut it away in your mind.” Lupin helped him up. “Think of a happy thought. Something more powerful than that boggart.”

Harry closed his eyes and pictured the kiss he shared with Hermione earlier this morning. He let it fill him, making him tingle. He smiled as he felt her soft lips on his…

“Ready,” he said as he opened his eyes. “Ostendo Vestri Veneficus” he said as he pointed his wand at the trunk.

The trunk glowed, shook, and began to open. The bloody Hermione boggart slowly made its way out of the trunk. Harry shakily pointed his wand at her, and as he backed up, the fleeting thought that he had never pointed his wand at Hermione crossed his mind.

“Steady, Harry,” he heard Lupin say.

Harry took a deep breath and thought about the time that Hermione had turned into a cat. “Riddiculus” he yelled at the same time as he had a fleeting thought as to what it would be like to kiss a furry Hermione. Time slowed, and his thoughts became a blur, as he thought about where their relationship might go, what might happen…

`I'm not ready for this…'

Suddenly, the boggart whirled, and Hermione was standing there in a slinky spaghetti strap nightgown. She smiled seductively at Harry and moved towards him as she slowly started to lower one strap from her shoulder. Harry just stood there gaping at her.

Lupin jumped between them, and the boggart changed into the full moon, which Lupin turned into a balloon and sent it back into the trunk, slamming the lid behind it. He turned to look at Harry, who was still staring and looking a little slack jawed.

“Uh…right…we won't share that with Hermione now, will we?” Lupin said clearing his throat.

“Oh yeah,” Harry whispered, the image still very vivid in his mind, his stomach still in knots. “Sure.”

“Let's leave it there for tonight Harry. We can work on this some more in a few days.”

Harry just nodded as he turned to leave. Lupin shook his head as he began to put things away. He heard a noise and turned to see Tonks watching him from his office doorway.

“I'm too old for this,” he said as he moved towards her. “No one told me I would have to be keeping teenage hormones in check.”

Tonks laughed. “Would you care to discuss this Professor Lupin? I don't mind being a little late for dinner,” she purred.

Lupin gave her a wolfish grin. “Well, as long as we are not too late. I've worked up quite an appetite today.” He pulled her into his office and shut the door.

Harry wandered down to the Great Hall for dinner, thinking about the boggart of Hermione. She had looked so beautiful in that nightgown; all he could do was stare. How was he going to fight if Hermione occupied his every thought? He sighed as he hoped that he would be able to use some of his Occlumency tricks to keep himself focused.

Harry made his way down the Gryffindor table to the open spot between Ron and Hermione. He looked at Hermione, taking in her curly brown hair and soft features. Hermione looked up from the paper she was reading and caught him staring.

“What?” she asked shyly, her cheeks flushing as she saw the look on his face.

Harry shook his head. “Ask me later, when we are alone.”

Hermione blushed even further and looked back down at her paper, but cast a quick glance at Harry to see if he was still watching her. Harry grinned as he helped himself to some chicken. Ron was frowning as he looked at the schedule for the Prefect's rounds.

“Something wrong?” Harry asked.

“I want to know who was mental enough to put me on patrol with Loony Lovegood…” he took a moment to count, “seven times in the next two weeks!”

“That would be me,” Hermione said without even looking up. “And her name is Luna.”

“So what did I do to deserve this?” Ron fumed.

“She's actually quite nice,” Harry interjected.

Ron snorted. “So is McGonagall if you get all your homework done. Harry, this bird is just plain out of it! Do you know how many weird things she talks about?”

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice as he laughed, and Hermione glared at Ron before going back to her paper.

“Honestly Ron, I didn't hear any complaints from her when I made the schedule. In fact, she seemed quite thrilled,” Hermione said, as she turned the page.

“She did?” Ron said as he puffed his chest out.

Harry held back a laugh. He remembered listening to Luna hum `Weasley is our King' as Hermione gave her the schedule. He turned and looked towards Hermione, and instantly sobered. She was reading the paper with a worried look.

“Something in the paper?” Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, visibly upset by the news.

“Two students have gone missing from the Beaubaxton's Academy. Apparently they were visiting the local village the last time anyone saw them.”

“Do they have any idea where they are?” asked Harry.

“No,” replied Hermione, “But there is one piece of information that you might find interesting.”

“What?” asked Ron.

“They were last seen in the company of a platinum-blonde haired boy.”

Harry didn't even have to think about it. The anger boiled to the surface in a rush.

“Malfoy,” he growled.

“What would he want with two girls from Beaubaxtons?” Ron asked.

“Who knows?” Harry said as he leaned against Hermione to scan the article, “but I bet that whatever it is, he's up to no good.”

* Ostendo Vestri Veneficus: Reveal your poison (dark magic)

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A/N: Well, illness, traveling and deadlines aside, I think I'm back. My apologies for the delay, sometimes real life does interfere. I think all you Harmonians (including me) will really enjoy this chapter, and since you have been so kind and generous with your reviews and sent me over 200, I will be posting another one really soon!

No matter how hard I try to let go, they are embedded in my heart. I don't own them; they own me.

Chapter 21

Relationships and Day Trips

Rounds were made in silence that night as Harry was deep in thought. He couldn't figure out what Malfoy was up to. It angered him to think Malfoy was wandering around out there without any repercussion for what he had done. He felt Hermione take his hand, and he sighed. Trust Malfoy to ruin a perfectly good quiet time with Hermione. He pushed all thoughts of Malfoy aside and smiled at Hermione.

“He'll pay for what he did, Harry,” Hermione said, guessing his thoughts.

“I hope so,” replied Harry.

“So how did your meeting go with Lupin?” Hermione asked, changing the subject.

Harry thought back to all that had happened and decided on sharing information first.

“Lupin gave me a spell that reveals dark magic in objects,”

“What is it?” Hermione asked.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus” Harry said. “The object glows and shakes when there is dark magic present.”

“So that will get rid of the piece of soul in the Horcrux?”

“No, that will just reveal it. There is another spell apparently that will destroy it. Lupin and I had to stop after I had trouble with the boggart.”

“But Harry, you don't usually have any problems dealing with the Dementors.”

“That's just it. They are no longer my worst fear. My boggart had changed,” Harry said, not meeting her gaze. That knot returning to his stomach.

“Was it Voldemort?” Hermione asked.

“No, it was something much worse.”

“What could be worse than Voldemort?” Hermione asked.

Harry stole a glance at her, steeling himself for what he was about to tell her.

“I saw you,” he said quietly. “But you were dead and covered in blood. Just like my nightmares.”

“Oh Harry, I'm so sorry,” Hermione said as she stepped in front of him to look him in the eye.

Harry shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her. “It's not your fault. I'll just have to get past it. Besides, it turned out okay.”

“Oh, what did you use that was so funny?” Hermione asked.

Harry grinned down at her. “Remember Millicent Bulstrode's cat?”

Hermione pushed herself away. “You didn't…” she said.

“Well, that's what I started thinking about. You have to admit, it was really funny.”

“To you maybe,” she said as she put her hands on her hips.

“Yes, well, it was, but then I started thinking,” Harry said as he backed Hermione up against the wall, the images from earlier filling his mind. Maybe he shouldn't be afraid of what was to come…

Hermione noticed that Harry's eyes were starting to smolder again, like last night.

“What?” she said breathlessly, looking up at his face.

“I wondered what it would be like to kiss a furry Hermione,” he said as he leaned into her. “Would your lips still be as soft?” Harry murmured before capturing her lips with his.

“So what happened?” Hermione whispered as Harry pulled away to rain kisses down her neck.

Harry looked at her face again, drinking in every detail.

“The boggart changed, but you weren't a cat. You were wearing this incredible nightgown with spaghetti straps. You looked beautiful.”

Hermione blushed at the thought that Harry would envision her that way.

“So did you banish me?” She asked as she ran her hand up Harry's chest.

“Merlin, no. I couldn't. You were so beautiful,” he said huskily. “Luckily Lupin was there to stop—”

Hermione pushed Harry away.

“Lupin saw me like that?” she asked.

`Oops,' thought Harry.

“Well, uh…he promised not to…uh…discuss it with you.”

He'd blown it now. He knew that Hermione hated being in the center of attention.

Hermione turned away from him and he could see her shoulders shaking.

“Hermione, I'm sorry! It was my fault! It's just that I think about you so much! Please don't cry!” Harry reached for her and turned her around, but instead of tears, Hermione was laughing, her eyes sparkling. Harry grinned in relief.

“And how am I supposed to look him in the eye knowing that he has seen me in my night clothes?” She asked.

Harry shrugged. “Um…picture him in his?” He offered with a smirk.

“Thanks, Harry, thanks a lot,” she said as she started walking again, shaking her head.

“I'm sorry,” Harry said, running after her. “How was I supposed to know boggarts could do that? You didn't tell me!” He put his arm around her waist and Hermione leaned on his shoulder.

“Do I have to teach you everything?” Hermione teased.

“Yes,” Harry said and he hugged her closer as they strolled down the hall. “With lots of private lessons,” he winked at her suggestively.

“Harry James Potter!” Hermione laughed. “You are pushing this relationship thing too fast!”

Harry stopped and turned Hermione to face him again.

“Does that mean that you want a relationship? With me?” He asked seriously.

Hermione looked up at his eyes and saw the hope there. She smiled shyly at him.

“I'm willing to give it a try if you are,” was all she said.

Harry pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Hermione circled her arms around Harry's waist and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat excitedly. Harry closed his eyes and for the first time in a long time, felt content.

“We should head back,” Hermione said after a moment.

Harry reluctantly let her go and took her hand in his as he started walking again. He was surprised that his feet were even touching the ground. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Harry remembered something.

“So do you want to go to Hogsmeade next weekend with me?” He asked.

“You mean, like a date?” Hermione asked with a smile.

“Is that okay?” Harry asked nervously.

“You are not going to take me to Madame Puddifoot's are you?”

“No,” Harry said with a grimace. “I wasn't planning on it…unless you want to,” he said hurriedly.

“No, I would prefer not to, and yes, it's okay,” Hermione said.

They returned to the common room to find that Ron hadn't arrived yet, so they sat on the couch to wait for him, looking through some of the books that Hermione had brought back from Godric's Hollow. Harry was sitting with his back to the side of the couch, and Hermione was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest. Harry was running his fingers through Hermione's hair, enjoying the closeness now that the barrier had been breached. It felt comfortable and yet so new. He was in awe of the feeling of it.

They both looked up as they heard Ron come in, but didn't move.

“Well this looks cozy,” he said as he came over to lean on the couch. “So is there something going on, or are we still at the `we're just friends' stage?”

“Are you going to be an even more insufferable prat since you've been right for once?” Harry asked.

“Hey! I've been right loads of times, and I'm not insufferable, I'm just…brilliant” Ron said with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry laughed. “Thanks for being so understanding, mate,” Harry said as he hugged Hermione, the relief evident in his voice.

“What's to understand?” Ron said shrugging. “Except, if you hurt my adopted sis, I'll have to take a piece out of you.”

“Don't have to worry about that,” Harry said.

“Good. Oh, and no heavy snogging while I'm around, okay? I don't think I'm ready for that. It's just too weird.”

“I don't think that you will have to worry about that. We want to keep this quiet for a while, just between us three,” Hermione said.

“And Lupin,” Harry muttered, earning him an elbow in the ribs.

“So are you still going to come with us to Hogsmeade next week?” Harry asked, changing the subject. “We were going to see your brothers.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ron replied vaguely, “but I may skive off for a bit, you know, so you two lovebirds can uh…have some private time.”

“So who is she?” Hermione asked abruptly as she sat up.

“What? I…I…don't know what you're…you're talking about,” Ron stuttered as he blushed.

Hermione just cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You're just mental, you know that? Seeing things that aren't there. I'm going to bed. `Night, Harry.” Ron said as he quickly headed for his room and shut the door.

Hermione leaned back against Harry and he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling the back of her neck.

“Prefect duty must have been interesting tonight,” Hermione said thoughtfully.

“Hmmm,” Harry said as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Aren't you the least bit interested?” Hermione asked.

“Nope,” replied Harry. “He'll tell us when he's ready.”

The week passed by in a flurry of activities for Harry. His fighting skills were showing improvement, thanks to Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody. Tonks might a klutz at times, but as an Auror, Harry admired her. He hadn't been able to get the upper hand on either her or Moody, and quite often he limped back to his room with the bruises as proof.

Harry's work with Lupin was just as exhausting. He was able to dispel the boggarts much quicker, and Lupin had taught Harry the spell to destroy the Horcruxes. The only thing was he didn't know if it would work, since he hadn't found one Horcrux yet. By the time the weekend rolled around, Harry was looking forward to some free time and the thought of spending time with Hermione caused his heart to leap.

Hogsmeade morning dawned crisp and clear. There was a bit of a chill in the air and the surrounding trees were beginning to show their autumn colors. The Gryffindor tower was buzzing from the many conversations, while friends waited for friends. Seamus and Dean were sitting in one corner playing exploding snap while Neville sat beside them reading his newest Herbology book. Harry wandered over to watch the game while he waited for Ron and Hermione.

Soon they were all heading downstairs, laughing and chatting about their plans for the day. Just as they reached the front hall, Harry heard his name called. He turned to find Lupin and Tonks heading towards them.

“Good morning! Mind if we join you?” Tonks asked.

“Please do, Professor. Is this visit to Hogsmeade for business or pleasure?” Hermione asked.

“Yes,” replied Tonks with a twinkle in her eye.

“Something we should know about?” Harry asked.

“We hope not,” replied Lupin. “But we want to be sure, seeing it's the first visit of the year.”

As they followed the road to Hogsmeade, Harry leaned over to Hermione and said, “This date is getting more and more crowded.”

Hermione smiled up at him and reached over to give his hand a squeeze before letting go.

“So where should we go first?” asked Harry. “Should we start at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?”

“Sure,” said Ron. “I want to check out the new shop and see what they have been up to lately.”

“We're just going to wander around for a while,” Lupin said. “We'll catch up with you later.”

As the group began to disperse, Harry caught Ron looking around as though he was searching for someone or something.

“What are you looking for Ron?” Harry asked.

“What? Uh…nothing, just…you know…taking in the sights,” Ron said unconvincingly.

Hermione caught Harry's raised eyebrow and smirked. As they approached the Weasley twins' store, they noticed it was as busy as their shop in Diagon Alley. The bright colorful signs advertised all the latest gadgets and gizmos and many passers-by would stop to have a look. Ron, Harry and Hermione entered the shop to join the many customers browsing the shelves. The door opened again, and Ginny entered, joining Ron at the counter.

“Harry! Over here!” called George above the heads of the prospective shoppers.

The foursome moved through the crowd to join the older Weasley boy.

“Good to see you again,” George said, shaking Harry's hand. “I've got some items to show you, things the Ministry hasn't seen yet.”

They made their way to the small room at the back of the store.

“First things first, we were able to get enough material for three more of these,” he threw a package at Harry.

Harry opened it up and recognized the long flowing cloaks immediately.

“Invisibility cloaks? Brilliant!” He said to George as he threw one of them around his shoulders. All that remained was his head.

“You can decide who uses them. You will note that we added a hood to each of them, so you don't need to hold it over your head. If you give me yours, I can add one to it as well.”

Harry pulled the hood over his head and completely disappeared. He snuck over behind Hermione and wrapped his arms and the cloak around her waist; startling her and making her legs disappear.

“Harry!” She laughed as he let go to grab another cloak sitting on the table.

He unfolded the cloak and put it over Hermione's shoulders so that just her head was showing.

“Wait a minute,” Harry said in surprise, pulling off his hood. “I could see an outline of Hermione even though she had the cloak on.”

“That's the reaction of the material to each other, you can see each other, but only if you are both wearing the cloaks,” George replied.

“Well, take them off,” Ron groused. “It's weird talking to floating heads.”

Harry got a gleam in his eye, and before Hermione could react, he reached over and pulled up her hood, making her disappear, and then doing the same to his own. He turned to her, and bringing his cloak up against hers, he slid his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss. He felt Hermione smile against his lips and he savored the taste of her before pulling away reluctantly.

“I have been wanting to do that since we left this morning,” he whispered so only she could hear. “This could have real potential.”

Harry quickly moved to the other side of the room, away from a flushed Hermione, and purposely gave Ron a poke as he brushed past him.

“Come on, Harry, enough games,” Ron said impatiently, as he tried to make a grab for where he thought Harry was standing.

Harry pulled his cloak off at the same time as Hermione did.

“Oh yes, this has merit,” he said, looking pointedly at Hermione who blushed again.

“Something I missed?” George asked, frowning.

“No,” Harry said nonchalantly as he folded the cloak back up. “So what else have you been working on?” he asked to change the subject.

“We've been working on Hermione's idea, which is brilliant. Very difficult, but brilliant,” Fred said as he came in with a box in his arms. He put it down on the table and pulled out a badge and tossed it to Ron who caught it.

“What's this?” He asked, looking at the badge.

“That, dear brother, is a portable portkey,” Fred said as he passed everyone else a badge to inspect. It had two crests, one on top of the other. The top one was the Hogwarts crest from their uniform.

“Pretty snazzy huh?” George said grinning.

“So how does it work?” Harry asked.

“Fairly simple really. You have several master portkeys that are connected to the student portkeys. The ones worn by the students would be simple badges, but key people would wear the master portkey. They would be the ones who decided when to transport if there is an emergency. The master portkey has two functions. It activates the other portkeys and acts as an emergency portkey itself. Once activated, you would have about fifteen seconds before you are transported to a safe destination,” Fred explained. “All you have to do is tell the badge where you want to go and tap it twice.”

“What about the wards around Hogwarts? I was having difficulties with that one,” Hermione said.

“Yes, well that was the tricky part. We had to set up a resonance to get through the wards. McGonagall would only let us have them for apparating out. You still can't apparate in,” George replied. “Although you can apparate to different parts of the school from the inside.”

“So what do you have to do?” Ron asked.

“Simple,” said Fred. “You just need to turn the top shield a quarter turn to the right to activate the student portkeys, or a quarter turn to the left to activate the master portkey.”

“Like this?” Harry asked, giving his badge a quarter turn to the right.

“Right, then you say somewhere, like, oh, `Three Broomsticks', and tap it,”

Ron was trying to twist his badge back and forth as Harry tapped his.

“Bloody brilliant you idiots, it doesn't work!” He said looking closely at it.

Just then he disappeared.

“Just like that,” George grinned.

“Exactly,” Fred chimed in as they both looked at the spot where Ron had been standing, with a look of childish glee on their faces.

-->

A/N: Here you go, as promised. A bit more of the twins, which are so much fun to write about, and a little insight into platinum boy. Thanks again to my dear Beta, Dementor149 who listens to all of my frustrated ramblings and helps me to get back on track again when that dreaded writers block seems to hit. A big hug to all of you reviewers who have stuck with me; I love all of the comments and thoughts you send my way.

Thanks to JKR for creating this world that I can play in, and thanks to the Internet for allowing me to “fix” what I perceive as wrong, and share it with others…

Chapter 22

Boys and Their Toys

“Alright, where did you send him?” Ginny asked. “Mum's not going to be very happy if you've sent him somewhere dangerous.”

Both Fred and George grinned.

“The temptation was there,” Fred said.

“He is so very gullible sometimes,” George explained.

“So where is he?” Hermione asked again.

“Three Broomsticks,” Fred laughed.

“Bets on whether he will stop for lunch before coming back?” George asked.

“No, he'll come straight back, and he'll be pissed,” Fred replied.

“And plotting our demise,” both twins said at once.

“Well, I think it's positively brilliant,” Harry grinned, looking at his badge.

“Yes, well, we've been trying to get rid of our dear brother for years,” George laughed.

“Keeps returning though, like a bad sickle,” Fred chimed in.

“I meant the portkey,” Harry sighed.

“Wait until you see what else we have,” George said.

Just then they heard the front door bang open and customers exclaiming as they were pushed out of the way. Ron barged through the curtains, and Fred threw a small ball at the floor in front of him. The ball exploded, and a fine powder clouded the entrance. It enveloped Ron, and he froze in place.

“Petrificus Totalus Bombs,” George said proudly, as he walked towards Ron.

Ron's eyes followed George's actions as he carefully pried Ron's fingers open and took the portkey away.

“Now that I have your attention Mr.Weasley,” George smirked as he looked at his younger brother, “we will not allow you to manhandle our paying customers. If you continue to do so, your shopping privileges will be revoked. Do I make myself clear? Good. I'll take your silence as an affirmative.”

Ron's eyes blazed in anger as George walked away from him.

“Don't you think you should release him?” Hermione asked.

“Be our guest,” George replied.

Hermione pulled out her wand. “Finite Incantatem,” she said, pointing her wand at Ron.

Nothing happened.

“It has a timed potion attached to it,” explained Fred. “It should wear off in the next minute or so. It's good for five minutes.”

“What else do you have?” Ginny asked as she looked in the box.

“That, dear sister, is an excellent question. We have the Confundus Cloud, the Conjunctivitis Bomb, the Incendio Bomb, the Silencio Silencer, the Stupefy Stunner and the Rictusempra Ripper.”

Fred beamed proudly at the row of little bombs now line up on the table.

“What do you want a tickling bomb for?” Hermione asked.

George shrugged. “We figure it would be fun.”

Suddenly they heard a thud and turned around to see Ron sitting on the floor.

“Sorry mate,” George chortled. “Slight side effect of the bomb.”

“Ha ha. Very funny. Use me again as a human guinea pig, and I'll inform Mum,” Ron sputtered as he got up.

“Ooh, Ronniekins is going to run to Mummy,” Fred teased.

“Sod off,” grumbled Ron as he headed back to the front of the store.

“It seems to me, dear brother, that our younger sibling doesn't have much of a sense of humor,” George announced.

“What would you expect?” Hermione asked as she headed for the front of the store. “If it had been me, I would have hexed both of you. We'll meet you outside Harry,” Hermione said as she and Ginny left.

Harry watched her go before turning back to the table where the twins were packing everything away.

“One last thing we want to show you, mate. We made this especially for you. It's a belt, but it has two small pouches on it. Good for holding shrunken items and such. Here, try it on.”

“It's not going to transport me anywhere is it?” Harry asked warily.

“Merlin no, Harry! We wouldn't do that to our best client and supporter,” George replied grinning.

As Harry put the belt on, Fred shrunk down several of the bombs and handed them to him.

“They're not going to go off, are they?” he asked as he carefully put them in the pouch.

“No, we have the sensitivity turned down really low. The first few batches were too sensitive and…well…lets just say we learned that they need to be much more stable,” Fred winced from a past memory.

“They need to be thrown. If you just drop them or bump them, they won't go off.” George added.

Harry snapped the pouch shut, and it suddenly vanished. He looked down in surprise and felt for the front flap, opening it up again. The pouch materialized once again.

“Pretty impressive, hey?” Fred asked proudly.

“That's brilliant!” Harry exclaimed as he shut the pouch again.

“We call it the Invisipouch. Though it up after Mum used to confiscate all of our inventions. It's not on the market yet, so besides us, you are the only one who has one,” George announced.

“So what do I owe you for all of these items?” Harry asked.

Fred put his hands up and shook his head. “Your investment has been re-invested, Harry. We have set up an account for you at Gringotts. You get ten percent of all our sales as a silent partner.”

“I told you I didn't want it,” Harry explained.

“Harry, wars cost money. You are going to need it. We will just take anything you owe us out of the account. No argument,” George said as Harry started to protest again. “You've been good to us and the whole Weasley family. This is our way of saying thanks.”

Harry sighed in resignation. “Thanks guys. You are like a family to me too, you know.”

“Aww,” sniffed Fred as he brushed imaginary tears away. “Time to get back to business, before I tear up.”

Harry grinned as he followed them out to the front of the store.

“We'll send everything up to the school for you, Harry. Let us know where to set the portkeys for and we'll send those along too,” George said.

Just then Ron came in looking very grim and determined.

“Uh oh,” George teased, “our little brother is back to scold us again.”

Ron ignored him and went to Harry.

“Guess who we just spotted?” he said quietly.

“Who?” Harry asked.

“The platinum boys, skulking around the Hog's Head.”

Harry couldn't believe the knot of anger that seemed to form in his chest. He looked out the door.

“Where's Hermione and Ginny?” he asked suddenly.

They should have been following Ron into the store.

“You didn't leave them alone did you?”

The knot suddenly changed from anger to fear.

“They stayed behind to trail them. We need to find Lupin and Tonks,” Ron explained. “I told the girls not to approach them and stay where it was busy. One of us had to come back to get you. Neither one of them wanted to let the Malfoy's out of their sight, so I gave in.”

“Do you want us to come?” Fred asked.

“No, you lot stay here. Too many people might scare them off and we need to find out what they are up to. If we need you, we'll send up sparks,” Harry said. “Let's go.”

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

Hermione and Ginny were crouched down between two stores with their wands out, watching the Hog's Head entrance.

“Wish we had those invisibility cloaks,” murmured Ginny.

“It certainly would make things easier,” replied Hermione.

Suddenly there was a crash behind the store.

“I'll go check it out,” Hermione replied.

She sidled down the wall of the building and disappeared around the corner. Ginny watched her go, thinking about a conversation she had with the brown-haired witch back at the Burrow. Ginny had realized then that Hermione had not been aware of the way Harry felt about his female best friend, and Ginny had not told her. Ginny blamed Harry for their break-up, and figured that if she couldn't be happy, then why should he?

Ginny was listening carefully for her friend, her eyes never leaving the bar across the street. She still considered her a close friend, and didn't really want anything to happen to her. True, Hermione had given her advice in the past on how to attract Harry's attention, but somehow, she really didn't feel like reciprocating. Suddenly she heard a `thud' and turned to look towards the back of the store.

“Hermione?” she called quietly, but there was no answer. Fearful that her friend was in trouble, she slowly crept down the alley in the direction that Hermione had disappeared. When she got around the corner, she saw Hermione slumped against the wall. Ginny quickly scanned the area, but couldn't see anyone. She slowly moved towards her motionless form, eyes darting to the shadows, looking for any sign of trouble.

Suddenly, a gloved hand covered her mouth and she was pulled up against a hard body, a wand pointed at her head.

“Hello, Red,” a voice drawled, and she knew who it was immediately: Draco Malfoy.

“Now, we are going to make a deal. You promise not to scream or try to hex me, and I'll remove my hand from your mouth. Agreed?” Draco asked.

Ginny nodded as her eyes searched for any way out of this predicament.

“Good. Oh, and lets pocket the wand. I wouldn't want to have to knock you out like I did to Granger.”

With her eyes on Hermione, Ginny slowly put her wand back in her pocket. Draco's hand moved off of her mouth and down around her neck, seemingly caressing it.

“Let go of me, Malfoy, what are you doing here?”

“Now is that any way to greet an old school chum?” Draco asked as he gently caressed her arm with his wand.

Ginny closed her eyes and shuddered as she tried to ignore the odd sensations from being held and touched by Draco.

“Fine. Good afternoon, Draco. It's been a while since we have seen you. We should really get together over tea some time. Now will you let me go?” Ginny replied sarcastically.

“I don't think so,” Draco murmured huskily. “I trust you about as much as you trust me. Besides, this is nice,” he smirked.

“If you think I'm going to stand here while you grope me, guess again. What do you want?” Ginny said as she tried to get away.

“Now, now, Red, I just want to talk,” Draco said as he tightened his hold on her neck.

Ginny stopped struggling as she again felt his wand against her temple.

“Good girl. I have a message for your boyfriend, Harry,” he stated.

“Harry's not—” Ginny started.

“I don't care if Harry's not interested in what I have to say. You have to pass this on.”

Ginny snorted. “And why should I trust you?”

Draco sighed. “Look, I don't have much time. Just hear me out and then we can go our separate ways.”

“So what's the message?” Ginny asked, irritated by the way she felt by being held by him. Her arms were covered in goose bumps, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was sure that he could feel it as well. She hadn't felt this way since…

“Have you heard about the people who have gone missing?”

“Yes, and you were with them at the time,” Ginny said, mentally shaking off the image in her head.

“It's not what you think. Anyways, the Dark Lord isn't just recruiting to strengthen his ranks. He's using them to strengthen himself. He's found a way to use the Dementors to suck souls out and feed on them. You have to tell Potter and the school. Cancel the Hogsmeade weekends. You aren't safe.”

“Why should I trust you? Why do you care?” Ginny interjected, a grim picture of the Dementors entering her mind.

Draco sighed and turned Ginny to look him in the eye.

“This isn't my war, and this isn't what I wanted.”

“So what do you want?” Ginny asked as she watched his eyes lose their hard glare. She hadn't ever really noticed how grey they were before…

“It doesn't matter,” he muttered as his eyes roamed over her face, seemingly to memorize it. “You can do what you want with the message. I've done my part.” He let go of her arms and moved to leave.

“Wait,” Ginny said grabbing his arm. “What happened, Draco? Why did you do it?”

Ginny saw him stiffen.

“You think I chose this?” He snarled as he yanked his arm away. You, of all people should know about being brought up as a `pureblood'. Being told things, and being brought up not knowing about any other way of life. I didn't have a choice! When the
Dark Lord calls you into service, you either comply…or die.”

“I'm sorry—” Ginny said quietly.

“I don't need or want your sympathy, Red, so forget it. Just—” Draco whirled as he heard the sound of running feet. He grabbed Ginny again and held her in front of him.

“Behave yourself, and we'll all get out of this alive,” he growled as he began to back up.

Harry and Ron came around the corner and skidded to a stop at the scene before them.

“Malfoy!” Harry snarled as he pointed his wand at him. Ron followed suit.

“Back off, or the Weaselette dies,” Draco said as he moved past the prone figure of Hermione.

Harry took in her unconscious form, and the anger almost overwhelmed him. “What did you do to Hermione?” He said as he moved in synchronization to Draco.

“Let her go, Malfoy! Ginny! Are you all right?” Ron called out to his sister.

“I'm fine, Hermione is just stunned,” Ginny replied as she watched the two advance.

“Stop where you are,” Draco said, and Ginny could hear some of the fear in his voice.

She looked at Harry and could see why: given the chance, he would murder Draco Malfoy where he stood. Draco began to pull Ginny down the next alleyway, out of range from Ron and Harry.

“Time to go,” he whispered in her ear as soon as he was around the corner, and she felt a lurch of fear that he was going to take her with him. “Remember what I said before,” he said as he released her.

She turned to look at him in surprise at her freedom as he backed away from her.

“Oh, and, Red? Make sure you stay safe. Maybe I'll see you again.”

He smiled sadly, and with a `crack' he was gone as Harry and Ron turned the corner.

Ginny stood in shock looking back at the place where he last stood.

“That slimy bastard! I should have killed him when I had a chance!” Harry seethed.

“Did he hurt you, Ginny?” Ron asked as he hugged his sister.

“I'm fine Ron. He…uh…he had a message.” Ginny said as she watched Harry searching the area. She wished it were someone else hugging her, someone with raven hair and glasses.

“I need to check Hermione,” Harry said, storming past and not hearing Ginny. “I'll kill him for hurting her.” He stalked off back around the corner.

When Ron and Ginny came back around the corner, Harry had awakened Hermione and they were standing together, holding each other and talking quietly. Ginny stumbled to a halt.

She knew: Hermione knew how Harry felt.

She could see it in the way they stood, the way they held each other. Ginny noticed the tenderness in the way Harry touched her cheek, and realized that he had never held or looked at her like that. She felt a slight pang of jealousy and hurt at the thought that they were meant to be together. It had always been Harry and Hermione, not Harry and Ginny. It had been all she had ever wanted, and she watched as her dreams crumbled. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms as she suddenly remembered the feeling of Draco's body pressed against hers.

“Ahem,” Ron cleared his throat, and they quickly moved apart.

Suddenly they heard a loud explosion and turned to see a large plume of smoke rising from somewhere in the town.

“Come on!” Harry yelled and he broke into a run, the others following.

-->

A/N: I can still remember the day I wrote this. It was a rainy, cold day and we were camping by the lake. I was sitting under an umbrella of trees listening to the raindrops hitting the water and watching the steam rising. I felt that I was the only one there. It was a great backdrop for this chapter. The second half was tough to write, and I'm sure you will understand why, but it had to occur. Thanks to all of you who are writing reviews on a regular basis. I feel like I belong to a unique group of people who understand my addiction.

After 22 chapters, nothing's changed. They are still not mine, but oh, how I wish they were…

Chapter 23

Malfoy's Lesson

They arrived back in the center of town and found themselves in total chaos. There were screaming students running everywhere, and Harry could see several Death Eaters giving chase. He did a few Stupefies on the ones closest to him, but he was searching for Malfoy.

“Stick close to the store fronts, but watch for glass,” Harry yelled above the noise. “Try and get everyone back to the castle.”

They spread out a bit, and Harry made eye contact with Hermione to see if she was okay. She smiled at him and nodded, and then shot off a few spells into the melee.

“Harry!”

Harry turned to see Neville and Luna heading towards them.

“Luna!” Ron said with relief as he pushed past Harry to hug her.

Harry, Neville and Ginny just stood staring, while Hermione smirked. Ron released Luna and had the good grace to look embarrassed.

“Something you want to tell us about Ron?” Hermione teased.

“Uh…well…I was going to discuss it with you…” he trailed off sheepishly. Luna looked at him demurely.

They were all laughing at Ron's discomfort when the window of the store behind them shattered from a wayward spell, bringing them back to the crisis at hand. They covered their heads as glass shards rained down around them. They quickly moved away and around the corner to gain cover. Harry wiped at the trickle of blood that was making its way down his cheek.

“We need to split up. Get everyone back to the castle as fast as you can,” he told Neville and Luna.

Harry scanned the area as Ron, Luna, and Neville headed back towards the Weasley's shop. He saw Lupin and Tonks battling a group of Death Eaters in front of Honeydukes, Fred and George fighting with a few more in front of their store, and he recognized some of the Aurors who had come to join the battle. He wondered how it was that the Ministry had known about this so fast. Hagrid bustled past with a group of wide-eyed students in tow.

“Yeh need ter get back to the castle, Harry!” He bellowed without slowing down.

“He's right, Harry,” Hermione said. “It looks like the Aurors have them on the run.”

Harry looked around again; there was no sign of Malfoy. “You're right,” he sighed resignedly.

They headed back down the main road that led back to the castle. They had just reached the Three Broomsticks when Harry heard a muffled scream and saw a flash of blond hair disappear up the road towards the shrieking shack.

“Malfoy,” he muttered and took off at a run.

“Harry!” Ginny and Hermione both called, but he ignored them.

As he rounded the corner he saw Draco and his father, each holding a student from Hogwarts, trading spells with an Auror who was using a large rock to protect himself. Draco was easing his way around the rock, dragging the semi-conscious girl with him. Draco's father was using his captive as a shield, preventing the Auror from getting a clean shot. Draco fired off a shot and the Auror sidled around the rock to avoid him. Lucius smirked and yelled “Stupefy!” as he came into his line of fire. Draco watched from where he was crouched as the Auror collapsed. Suddenly he heard `Stupefy', and whirled to see his father collapse and the girl stagger towards the bushes. Draco cursed and shot a spell at the second Auror, dropping him where he stood. He dragged the terrified girl over to where his father was lying.

“Let her go, Malfoy,” Harry growled, letting his presence be known.

Draco sighed as he stood up, pulling the girl in front of him.

“You never give up, do you?” He asked.

“Let her go or I'll—”

“You'll what? Stupefy me? Take me prisoner?” Draco sneered. “A lot of good that will do.”

Harry raised his wand, ready to cast a spell when Ginny threw herself at him.

“Harry, stop!” She pleaded, grabbing his arm. She was surprised at herself. Why was she trying to protect Draco?

“You should listen to your girlfriend, Potter!” Draco shouted.

“My—” Harry looked down at Ginny, confused, as she gave a miniscule shake of her head.

“I believe Harry told you to let her go,” Hermione said, coming up from the other side.

Draco looked between the three of them and sighed in resignation before releasing her. The girl stumbled a bit as she made her way over to Hermione, before running back towards the village.

“You don't realize what you've done,” Draco said quietly.

“Okay, Malfoy, lets go,” Harry beckoned at him.

“I don't think so, Potter,” Draco drawled. “Not today,” and he grabbed his father's arm and they disappeared.

“Damn it, Ginny!” Harry said as he pushed her away from him. “You let him get away!”

“I let him?” Ginny asked incredulously.

“Yes, you!” Harry shouted back.

“What about you and your new fancy toys? I didn't see you pulling anything out to stop the two of them!”

“Well…I…I didn't want to hit the girls!” Harry said.

Ginny snorted. “You forgot you had them. What kind of a leader are you? All you do is get angry and you stop thinking! Your stupid male ego gets in the way! One of these days it's going to be your undoing!”

She wanted to hurt him. After what she had seen in the alley between the two of them, and the confusion over her feelings after the episode with Draco, she wanted to hurt him as much as she was hurting. Harry couldn't figure out where she was coming from, but one thing stuck out in his mind.

“What's with this `girlfriend' bit?” he asked angrily.

“He assumed, and I didn't correct him. I was trying to protect my friend,” Ginny replied, looking pointedly at Hermione. “Or do you want Voldemort to know the true nature of your relationship? ” With that, she turned and stormed off towards the castle.

Harry stood there, seething, trying to understand why Ginny was so angry. Suddenly he remembered the look on her face when she saw him holding Hermione in the alley, and all of the pieces fell into place. She was still hurting. He closed his eyes in regret as he felt his anger dissipate.

“You really blew that one,” Hermione said softly as she came up beside him.

“Yeah,” Harry sighed as he hugged her. “I did, didn't I? She saw us together in the alley. I guess that was enough for her to figure out how much you mean to me. I just don't get how she can figure it out so fast when it took me so long to realize it myself.”

Hermione shrugged. “I think we're the only ones who didn't see it.”

Harry gave a little laugh. “I'm beginning to think you're right. Let's head back. I guess I'll need to apologize.”

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

“I hope you realize the repercussions of your actions, Draco,” Lucius commented as they headed back towards Voldemort's hideout.

“I'm sure there were others—” Draco began.

“No Draco, even if there were, we failed at our task. The Dark Lord will not be pleased. You need to, and will, learn about the consequences of your actions, as I have mine.”

“But surely the Dark Lord will understand,” replied Draco.

Lucius stopped and looked at his son.

“This is not a game, Draco. This is the price we must pay for the good of the Wizarding world. Half-breeds and traitors have tainted us. It is up to us to cleanse our world and the Dark Lord will be the one to lead us. If our mistakes cause setbacks, then no, Draco, the Dark Lord will not understand.”

Draco shook his head as he watched his father climb the stairs and open the door to the manor. As he followed his father down the hall he became lost in thought. He was beginning to see more and more problems with the Dark Lord being in power. There was no room for mistakes, and Draco had realized a while ago that perhaps being one of the Dark Lord's followers was not necessarily a good thing. He couldn't however, see a way out that didn't lead to death. He worked very hard to keep that thought to himself.

As they made their way into the great room, Draco could see that many of the Death Eaters had returned, and the chill he felt told him that several of the Dementors were there as well. His eyes traveled the room, until they lit upon Voldemort talking with Snape. As Snape was dismissed turned to leave, Draco let him know with a slight nod that his message had been sent. Aside from the acknowledgement in his eyes, Snape did not react to their passing as he joined the group off to the side. Lucius bowed his head to Voldemort, and Draco followed suit. The senior Malfoy moved to kiss the hem of Voldemort's robe, but the Dark Lord waved him away.

“Ah, Lucius, I see you have returned. You do appear, however, to be empty-handed.”

“Apologies, my Lord. There were complications,” Lucius said, bowing again.

“Why don't you enlighten me as to your…series of unfortunate events,” Voldemort said.

“Draco and I arrived at the apparition point only to be surrounded by Aurors,” Lucius began.

`Surrounded?' thought Draco as he glanced at his father.

“We were outnumbered. Perhaps if I had been with a more experienced wizard,” Lucius shrugged. “Who knows how things may have turned out?”

`More experienced?' Draco seethed, knowing his father was blaming him for their misfortune. `I saved your arse!'

“Hmm, I see,” replied Voldemort. “Draco, come here.”

Draco approached the Dark Lord, trying, but failing to mask the anger at his father for placing the blame on him.

“My Lord?” he asked bowing, remembering not to meet his eyes directly.

“Draco, I am wondering, do you feel that a better wizard would have been able to assist your father towards the successful completion of your mission?”

Draco thought for a moment. Would a better wizard known about the hidden Auror? Would a better wizard be able to get rid of the menace quicker? Perhaps, but it was the fact that his father could so effortlessly blame him that stuck out in his mind the most.

“It would seem, my Lord, that I have a lot to learn,” Draco said as he looked pointedly at his father.

“Am I to understand then, that you take full responsibility for the loss of the two people that I asked you to bring to me?” Voldemort asked as he took his wand out, caressing it in his fingers.

Draco glanced at his father again, wondering if he was going to say anything. His father stood in front of Voldemort, without any sign of concern.

`Bastard,' Draco thought. “Yes, my Lord,” he said through gritted teeth.

“And you realize then, that punishment has to be made and replacements found?” Voldemort asked as he signaled to the Dementors.

Draco's eyes went wide and fear gripped his heart. Surely he didn't mean…

“I grow weary of mistakes and lies Lucius,” Voldemort sighed. “I'm sure you feel the same way.”

“I'm sure the boy will understand, my Lord,” Lucius said in agreement as he looked at his son.

Draco looked angrily at his father as he realized that he wasn't going to protect his only son, the feeling of betrayal surging through his mind.

“Yes, perhaps,” Voldemort said as he raised his wand.

Draco closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting.

“Crucio!” Voldemort said as he pointed his wand.

Lucius collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. Draco's eyes flew open and he let out the breath he was holding in a gasp of surprise as he spun to where his father lay. Voldemort slowly walked down to stand above his fallen Death Eater.

“You see, Lucius,” Voldemort said slowly as he let the curse lift, “you seem to have forgotten that I am very good at reading people's emotions, and you have made too many mistakes. Loyalty, Lucius, is what I have seen here today. Loyalty, and the willingness to accept consequences for failure. Not from you, but from your son. You betrayed your son. You were willing to let your own son suffer or die and that makes me wonder how loyal you are to me. Would you let me die in order for you to survive? You have before.”

“My Lord, no,” Lucius gasped, his eyes wide with fear for the first time.

“Crucio!” Voldemort said again.

Draco watched helplessly as his father arched his back and screamed. He was frozen with terror as he was being forced to watch his father's torment.

“You are dangerous, Lucius, and I am not too sure where your true loyalties lie. You have made one mistake too many and you are becoming too bothersome for me to deal with.”

Voldemort slowly walked back to where Draco was standing before lifting the Crustatius curse. Draco saw his father slump to the floor in pain. His sire slowly lifted his head and looked through glazed eyes at his master.

“Goodbye Lucius,” Voldemort said as he flicked his hand towards the Dementors.

Draco watched wide-eyed as the Dementors surrounded his father, sucking the life out of him. He heard his father cry out, and felt the cold chill as they swooped down, again and again, towards the once proud man. Finally, Lucius Malfoy collapsed on the floor, his long hair splayed behind him, and the spark that made his father what he was, slowly leave the shell lying prone on the cold floor.

“Stop!” Voldemort said, and for one brief moment Draco thought his father would get a reprieve. The Dementors slowly and reluctantly moved back as the Dark Lord came forward. Voldemort reached out, and almost lovingly grasped the spark in his hand.

“You will still serve me, Lucius,” he murmured as he brought the spark to his mouth and swallowed. He closed his eyes for a moment, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, and Draco suddenly felt sick. Voldemort turned and walked back to where Draco was standing.

“It was very gracious of your father to help you learn a valuable lesson. You did learn your lesson didn't you, Draco?” Voldemort asked.

Draco just looked at him and nodded, too shocked to say anything, afraid that he would give up his earlier meal if he responded.

“Excellent. Now be a good boy and take your father home to your mother. Severus will help you.”

Voldemort watched as Draco shakily made his way over to where his father was lying on the floor. The Dark Lord gave a feral smile as he watched Severus approach and levitate the body. Draco would know his place now, the boy was his. He couldn't help but send a feeling of satisfaction towards his nemesis, just so he knew how pleased he was with himself.

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

Harry was sitting in their common room with Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Ginny had begrudgingly accepted Harry's apology, but he could see that she was still angry with him. He made a point to sit away from Hermione, hoping to make the situation a bit easier. They were discussing the Ministry's quick response and the message from Draco, when he felt a searing pain in his scar. He absently rubbed the spot, using his newly found abilities to try and make it go away.

“Well, it explains why Tonks and Lupin came with us to Hogsmeade. Obviously Tonks is keeping tabs on what is happening here, and reporting to the Ministry. She must have suspected something was going to happen, being the first Hogsmeade trip and all,” Ron said. “I wonder how much she tells them?”

“Not everything, I'm sure,” Harry said, wincing as a sharp pain hit him again. “She may be connected to the Ministry, but she does question some of their tactics.”

“Harry, what is it?” Hermione asked, watching him.

“Something has happened that Voldemort is very pleased about,” he said. “We need to get those Horcruxes. After what Ginny has told us, I don't think that whatever Voldemort is doing is going to be good for us.”

-->

A/N: And now, the hunt begins. Throughout my story I have tried to use as many obscure clues that JKR left hidden on the pages of her books. This was one of the things that stood out for me that really didn't get any closure. Thank-you to all of you who have been reading and reviewing, the last chapter was tough, but I wanted you to understand the true evilness and self-centeredness (is that a word?) of Voldemort. Our hero has his work cut out for him.

Perhaps if I put these characters on my Christmas wish list, I'll find them under tree wrapped up in a pretty bow! Until then…

Chapter 24

Elegant Evil

The next morning when Harry got up he found Hermione hunched over a stack of books at the table. He walked up behind her and began to massage the knots out of her shoulders.

Hermione sat back and closed her eyes. She was enjoying this newfound relationship with Harry. It felt good to have him care about her so much.

“Mmm, that feels good, Harry,” she sighed.

“Good morning,” Harry said, as he nuzzled her neck. “Anything of interest in those books?” He asked as he continued his ministrations.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked down at the book in front of her.

“Nothing much. I've found some interesting spells from the Auror training books, and I was just about to see if I could find anything on the four founders of Hogwarts. We still haven't found anything from Ravenclaw. Oh, and I've found a safe house for our emergency Portkey. It's near Grimmauld Place.”

Harry chuckled as she detailed her findings.

“What's so funny?” Hermione asked as she turned in her chair to look at him.

“I would be interested to see what you consider `much' if this was `nothing much',” Harry said as he sat in the chair next to her.

“Well, I figured that since I've finished all of my assignments for this term and made up all of the schedules for the next two months of patrol, I would try and see if I could…mphf!”

Harry couldn't help it, he kissed her. He smiled when he felt her responding to him. He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes.

“You work too much,” he said as he pulled her from the table and led her over to the couch.

Hermione grabbed Hogwarts: A Complete History as she was dragged away from the table. Laughing, she fell on to Harry's lap and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Harry treasured these quiet moments with Hermione. They filled him with… contentment? Love? He wasn't sure really. He just knew that he enjoyed every minute with her. The thought of losing her…He hugged her closer and breathed in the scent that was all Hermione as his mind flashed back to the scene in Hogsmeade yesterday. It scared him to think that he almost lost her. The fear of living his life without her seemed to stab at his heart, making it hard to breathe. He buried his face in her hair, wishing that he could figure out a way to keep her safe.

“What's on your mind?” Hermione asked absentmindedly.

“I just want you to be safe,” Harry said. “Next time we go out, stay with me, okay?”

Hermione looked at him and frowned. “Are you saying that I can't take care of myself? Because if you are, then that's a big contradiction to what you said the other night about me being stronger than I think.”

“No, it's just—”

“Harry, just because we are seeing each other, it doesn't mean you can fight all my battles for me.”

“But—”

“No buts Harry. I want this to be an equal relationship.”

“But, that's twice now you've been caught unaware. I just figure you need some protection.”

The minute he saw the hurt in her eyes and felt the way she stiffened against him, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. He mentally kicked himself. Hermione placed her book on the sofa, got up, and turned to look at him.

“Then I guess my earlier assessment about my reaction to Dolohov was right, and you believe it too, otherwise you wouldn't have said that. Perhaps I had better get some more training if I ever want you to treat me as your equal,” she said stiffly before grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

“Hermione, wait!” Harry called, but she was gone.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Harry muttered as he hit his head against the back of the sofa.

“Talking about yourself again, mate?” Ron said as he came from his room. “You do know that's the first sign of insanity. Now, if you were answering yourself, well, then, I'm afraid it's too late.”

“Yeah, how did you guess?” Harry sighed. “Hermione is mad at me.”

“Hey! I thought we had a deal that you wouldn't hurt her!” Ron accused, pointing a finger at Harry.

“I wasn't trying to hurt her, I was just trying to explain that I wanted her to stay safe. I…I need to know that she is safe.”

“Do you want me to stay safe too?” Ron asked.

“Of course! I don't want either one of you to get hurt.”

“And how do you want me to stay safe?” Ron said.

“Well, by being aware of what's going on around you, and, uh…practicing spells, and uh…damn,” he trailed off, realizing what he had done.

Ron folded his arms over his chest. “And so that's what you told Hermione as well, right?”

Harry sighed and slumped his shoulders. “No, I told her to stay by me so I could protect her.”

“You know, Harry, your earlier assessment was bang on, you are stupid.”

“Thanks for confirming it,” Harry said. “Do you think she'll forgive me?”

“Maybe, but you don't have time to grovel now. You've got Mad-eye Moody this morning and only a half an hour for breakfast,” Ron said as he headed towards the door. “Coming?”

“Yeah,” Harry sighed.

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

Harry slowly picked himself up off the floor, wincing as he rubbed his hip. That last spell hurt and he knew Mad-eye Moody was toning it down slightly.

Moody stumped over to where Harry was now standing and glared at him.

“I'm disappointed in you, Potter. You would have been dead five times by now. What do you think this is? A game?”

Harry shook his head. “Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit distracted today.”

“Oh, that's a shame,” Moody said sarcastically. “Be sure to tell You-Know-Who if it's one of your off days. I'm sure he'll postpone killing you until you are more focused.”

Moody stomped back to the other side of the room. “Prepare yourself, Potter. I'm not going to hold back this time.”

Harry limped through the portrait hole and headed straight for the couch of their common room. He couldn't remember a time when he hurt all over like this. Not even after a tough Quidditch match. He lay down on the couch, knocking Hermione's book on to the floor.

He reached over and picked it up and sighed. He had looked for her after lunch, but was unable to find her without using his map, and he didn't have the time to retrieve it. He absentmindedly flipped through her book, looking more at the pictures than actually reading. Suddenly he stopped as he came across a picture of the four founders. He had seen this picture before, somewhere in the school, but never really paid it any mind. He stared at it now, taking in its details as the four founders moved and stretched. At one point Godric Gryffindor pulled out his sword and wiped off a mark that only he could see. Harry's eyes shifted to Salazar Slytherin and Harry watched as he sneered at Godric's actions. When Godric turned to look at him, Salazar pretended to be interested in something in his hand.

The locket…Harry realized as he watched the founder trace the ornate `S' with his thumb. Harry scanned the picture again, his eyes lighting upon Helga Hufflepuff. She was sipping wine with a demure look on her face.

The cup…he thought excitedly. He scanned Rowena Ravenclaw, looking to see what she had in her hands…nothing.

Harry slumped back in disappointment as he watched Rowena raise her empty hands to fuss with her hair. As one hand smoothed down any stray locks, the other straightened a small tiara perched on her head. Harry frowned. He had seen that tiara before. Suddenly his eyes widened and any sign of fatigue left his body. He jumped up and walked over to the table, placing the open book on top of the many papers there. He thought back to a time last year as he leaned over the book, studying the picture.

Harry paced back and forth in from of the Room of Requirement. `I need a place to hide my book, I need a place to hide my book, I need a place to hide my book.' A door materialized and Harry rushed in.

Harry closed his eyes. I held it in my hand and used it as a marker.

He turned and headed towards the opening. Just as he was reaching the entrance, the portrait swung open and Ron came in.

“Ron! I've got it! It's here!”

“Bloody hell! Is it catching?” Ron said jokingly.

“No! A Horcrux! I found it!”

“What? Where is it?” Ron said.

Harry headed towards the door, expecting Ron to follow.

“Do you remember when I had that Potions book and I needed to hide it? It's in the Room of Requirement.”

“Snape's book is a Horcrux?” Ron asked as he hurried to keep up with his friend.

“No! I hid the book in a cabinet and then used an old tiara to mark where it was. I think the tiara belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw.”

“What makes you think the tiara is hers?” Asked Ron.

“I just saw a picture of her and she was wearing it. Here,” Harry stopped, and thought back to the words he said that fateful day. When he finished pacing, the door materialized. Harry opened the door and jogged slowly past several alleyways until he saw the broken vanishing cabinet. He slowly approached the large acid-blistered cupboard at the end of the hall, his eyes never leaving the chipped old bust with the wig on it. Ron came up beside him and looked at the tiara perched on the dusty old wig.

“Is that it?” Ron asked quietly.

Harry nodded, not taking his eyes off of the tiara.

“Do you think we can touch it?”

Harry reached out and gently pulled the tarnished tiara from the wig. He had touched it before; he knew it was safe, for now. Harry stared at the headpiece, taking in the intimate details and variety of stones in the settings. Even though it was tarnished with age, it was classy, without being gaudy. The creak of a cabinet door made Harry turn and see Ron opening the cabinet.

“I wonder if that was one of Hagrid's earlier pets?” Ron murmured, looking at the five-legged skeleton.

He leaned in and retrieved the hated potion master's book.

“May as well get it while we are here,” Ron said with a shrug.

Harry turned and headed back down the aisle.

“Where are you going?” Ron said as he scanned some of the other items on the shelves, his eyes hungrily taking in some of the forgotten treasures.

“Back to the common room,” Harry replied. “I want to check this out in private.”

Harry placed the tiara on the table and sat down to look at it. He had no idea how he was going to attempt to connect with the soul fragment he thought was inside.

“So now what?” Ron said, dropping into the chair beside him.

“I guess we try the revealing spell,” Harry said a he took out his wand; Ron followed suit.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” Harry said as he pointed his wand at the tiara.

Harry focused all of his energy on the tiara, and…nothing.

“Did it work?” Ron asked. “I didn't see it glow.”

Harry slumped his shoulders and sat back.

“No,” he said dejectedly. He had been so sure…

“Didn't you say that Dumbledore said you have to connect yourself to it or something?” Ron asked.

Harry picked up the crown with a glimmer of hope, and repeated the spell. Nothing happened.

”Well, maybe you have to wear it,” Ron suggested.

Harry looked at him like he was nutters, then sighed. He was running out of ideas.

“Not one word of this to anyone, Ron, or you won't be able to sit comfortably on a broom ever again.”

“Wizard's honor,” Ron said with a smirk.

Harry scowled at him before closing his eyes and carefully placing the tiara on his head. Hearing a snort, he opened his eyes to look at Ron.

“This isn't funny, Ron,” Harry frowned.

“Who said I was laughing?” A red-faced Ron replied as he tried to control the sudden twitch of his lips.

“OstendoVestri Veneficus,” he said again.

Ron looked around warily. “I don't see anything, do you feel any different?”

“No,” Harry sighed. He had been so sure that this was it.

The portrait door swung open and the two friends turned to see Hermione come through the doorway. She stopped to take in the scene before her.

“Some sort of initiation I missed?” She asked sarcastically.

Harry grabbed the tiara off of his head and tossed it on to the table to the sounds of Ron's laughter.

Harry warily watched as his girlfriend came towards them, wondering if he could still call her that. He flushed, feeling foolish and apprehensive all at once. Hermione, for her part, ignored Harry and went to the table, picking up the discarded crown.

“What's this all about?” She asked. “Ow!”

Harry was beside her in an instant, grabbing her hand.

“What's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need help?”

“I'm fine, Harry,” Hermione said, yanking her hand back in annoyance. “I just cut my finger on one of the broken jewel clasps,” she frowned as she looked at the blood smear across one of the jewels.

“Harry found one of the Horcruxes, or so he thought,” Ron said, bringing her out of her musings.

“The tiara?”

“Yeah, it supposedly belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw,” Ron said.

“And so you decided to go and get it without me?” She said coldly.

“Well, uh…” Ron stammered, his eyes following Harry as he flopped down dejectedly on the couch.

“It doesn't matter, Hermione,” Harry said as he rubbed his eyes under his glasses and leaned back. “It's not a Horcrux.”

“What makes you so sure?” She asked, inspecting the crown again.

“Because I used the reveal spell and nothing happened.”

“So not only did you go and get the Horcrux, but you tried to destroy it as well? Without me?”

Harry could hear the hurt in her voice.

“I'm sorry, Hermione, okay? I just got caught up in the excitement of the moment.”

“He would have gone alone if I hadn't arrived when I did. He's not singling you out, Hermione.” Ron said.

Ron found himself in a strange situation. Here he was trying to play peacemaker between his two friends instead of the one who caused the fight. Hermione ignored both of them as she continued to inspect the tarnished but elegant headpiece.

“What did you try?” She asked as she sat down at the table.

Ron looked over at Harry who didn't even seem to be paying attention.

“Well, Harry tried the revealing spell while the tiara was on the table and then when he held it, but it didn't work, so we thought maybe you have to wear it.”

“And that's why Harry was playing princess when I came in,” Hermione said as she plopped the tiara on her head.

“Right. Harry had just said `Osteo Ven…' something or other,” Ron said.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” Harry repeated tiredly.

`I can't believe how difficult this is. How am I ever going to find these Horcruxes?' Harry thought.

“Harry—”

`What if it wasn't something connected to the founders or the school? What if we are on the wrong track? What if—'

“Harry!”

“What, Ron?” Harry said irritably as he was brought out of his musings.

“Something's happened…”

-->

A/N: Season's greetings to all you loyal readers! Thank-you for the reviews, they warm me during this cold season. I apologize for the cliffhanger in the last chapter, but I did warn you, the action is starting, and its tough to find a place to put a break in when our trio is busy. Otherwise, chapters would be 20 pages long! (Yeah, I know you would like that!) So sit back, hang-on, and enjoy reading!

I know they belong to JKR, but there were so many things that she left unsaid, I'm just filling in the gaps.

Chapter 25

The Battle for Hermione

“I can't believe how difficult this is. How am I ever going to find these Horcruxes?' Harry thought.

“Harry—”

“What if it wasn't something connected to the founders or the school? What if we are on the wrong track? What if—'

“Harry!”

“What Ron?” Harry said irritably as he was brought out of his musings.

“Something's happened…”

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

Harry heard the fear in Ron's voice and sat up, looking over to where Ron was standing, blocking his view of Hermione. He jumped up and moved beside Ron, taking in the look of worry on his face.

There, sitting in the chair was Hermione, staring vacantly into space. Harry collapsed onto his knees in front of her, his chest constricted with fear. He knew what had happened, even if he didn't want to believe it. Suddenly, he felt like he was in the Chamber of Secrets again, only this time it was Hermione who was in danger.

“Ron, what happened?” Harry asked. He touched Hermione's hand. It was already becoming cold.

“I…I don't know. Hermione had put the tiara on her head, then…you said the spell, and it had this white glow, and then she just…stopped.” Ron reached out to gently touch her shoulder.

Harry had to resist the urge to push him away. He had to help her, had to stop her from dying…

“Is this how Ginny looked? In the chamber? When you found her?” Ron whispered fearfully. He's in there, isn't he? Possessing her…” Ron trailed off.

Harry nodded unable to speak as he was taken back to that dark time in the Chamber.

“No,” said Harry sharply as he stood up. “He's not taking her. We need to get her back.”

`I won't be able to live without her…' he thought

He reached for the tiara and tried to pull it off.

“It won't come off,” Harry said.

He picked her up carefully and headed towards Hermione's bedroom.

“What are you doing? Shouldn't we go to the hospital wing?” Ron asked as he followed Harry.

“They won't be able to help her, I've got to get inside to see if I can find her,” Harry replied. “Dumbledore was telling me about this; it was something he was teaching me about. Voldemort is trying to take over her soul, and if he is successful…” he couldn't bring himself to say it.

“What do you want me to do?” Ron asked as he opened the door for Harry.

“You need to stand guard. Last time Ginny started to…to die, Tom's spirit came back. I need you to protect us,” Harry explained as he gently laid Hermione on the bed.

“You want me to face V-Vol…You Know Who?” Ron gasped.

“Yes, Ron, but you only need to face his spirit. His spirit, not the…creature he is now. Keep him away from us and your wand.” Harry turned to face his best friend. “He won't have a wand and he won't be too sure about what's happening yet. Hopefully I can do something before he becomes too solid.”

“Too solid?” Ron spluttered “Harry, maybe I should go get Lupin, or McGonagall—”

“Ron! There's no time! Look at her! She's dying! I have to stop him!” Harry could feel himself panicking at the loss of time so far.

Ron looked over to where Hermione was lying, her face a deathly white, and took a deep breath.

“Okay, but if we can't do this, I get Lupin, agreed?”

“Fine,” said Harry as he knelt beside the bed and turned Hermione's head to look into her eyes. It gave him the chills as he saw the dull vacant look and the lack of luster in her golden-brown eyes.

Ron took up a position beside Harry and took out his wand. A fierce protector suddenly replaced the frightened friend.

“Let's do this,” he said as he scanned the room.

“Legilimens,” Harry said and felt himself being pulled in.

Harry found himself walking through a library with rows and rows of bookshelves, all of them jammed full of books. Harry smiled grimly as he realized this is what he should have expected. As he moved past the rows of books, he realized he could suddenly hear music. He followed the sound towards the back of Hermione's library. As he came around the corner of the last row of books, he stopped. There, in front of him was a large ballroom, decorated in ice sculptures similar to those at the Triwizard's Ball.

As he scanned the room he saw ghostly images dancing with each other, and there, in the middle was Hermione dancing with…someone. As Harry moved closer he took in the dreamy expression on Hermione's face as she gazed upon the dark-haired stranger.

As her suitor spun Hermione around, Harry had a glimpse of him for the first time. Deep down he had already known; he was just hoping he was wrong. As the couple swung by, Hermione frowned at Harry.

“What are you doing here?” She asked. “I don't remember inviting you.”

“May I speak with you?” Harry asked as he warily watched her partner.

They stopped, and Hermione seemed to ponder his question for a moment.

“No, no I don't think so. Not today. You see, today is a special day, and my friend here,” she smiled up at her companion, “has promised me that I could dance for as long as I want.”

Suddenly she narrowed her eyes at Harry.

“He respects me and allows me to be who I really am. He knows what I am capable of. Now, if you will excuse me, I need something to drink.”

She turned and walked over to a table that materialized out of thin air.

Harry moved to follow her, but found his arm in a vice-like grip. He turned and came face to face with a pair of smoldering eyes and a feral grin. He pulled Harry back the way he had come, away from Hermione.

“Look, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but the lady is mine,” he growled at Harry. “And being as such, I think you need to leave.”

Harry narrowed his eyes and yanked his arm out of his grip.

“She will never be yours,” he said menacingly.

The smile became more sinister.

“Oh, but she is. You see, I already possess her and she gives herself to me freely. Soon, we shall be together forever.”

“No!” Harry shouted and turned to run after Hermione.

The hand gripped him again and spun him to face the cold hard features.

“I'll tell her you said good-bye,” he smirked as he gave Harry a push.

Harry stumbled and he felt himself falling through the air, flailing his arms as he went. Suddenly he felt the hard floor and gasped as the connection was broken. He collapsed against the bed, breathing heavily.

“What happened?” Ron asked. “You were gone for a long time.”

Harry slowly lifted his head and looked at his friend in the fading light, a pained expression at his failure marring his face.

“That's impossible,” Harry said, looking around. He had only been gone for minutes hadn't he?

“You were gone for a good two hours, mate. What happened?” Ron asked again.

“He's there, Ron, I saw him, and he's…he's got Hermione.”

Ron turned and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked as he jumped up unsteadily.

“To get McGonagall and Lupin,” he replied.

“No!” cried Harry. “I need you here.”

Ron turned and looked at him, the fear evident in his eyes.

“Harry, I think we need help; someone with more experience. We agreed remember? If you couldn't do it, we'd get help.”

Harry closed the gap between him and his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Ron, wait, please. MeGonagall and Lupin don't know how to do this. Let me try one more time. I need to stop him. I need to—”

“Save her. Yeah, I know, Harry,” Ron sighed and came back over to the bed as Harry followed. Ron gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

“She was right you know,” he said quietly before turning around to face Harry.

“About what?” Harry asked. He was getting annoyed by the tenderness Ron was showing Hermione.

“About you. You do have a `saving people thing'.”

Harry glared at Ron, his eyes blazing as he was reminded of his failure to save Sirius. He expected Ron to back down and apologize, but Ron just glared back and crossed his arms, standing his ground. Harry finally broke contact and looked down, sighing.

“You're right, Ron, but I need to do this. I got the two of you into this, and I need to make everything right.

“And no one but the great Harry Potter can save her,” Ron said frowning.

Harry started to make a retort when Ron held up his hands.

“Look, we're wasting time. We can finish this argument later. If we are going to save her, we need to either get help or have a plan. We should…” he trailed off as he watched a shadowy figure beginning to materialize behind Harry.

Harry spun to see what Ron was staring at.

“No,” he whispered. “Not yet.”

Harry turned to face Ron again.

“Listen, we're going to have to work together. You need to keep him distracted while I get Hermione away from him. When I give you the signal, you need to destroy the tiara. Use `Everto'.”

“Wait,” said Ron as Harry knelt down beside Hermione again. “What signal?”

“I don't know!” Harry said frantically. “Just watch for it, okay?” He gently took hold of Hermione's head and locked eyes. “Legilimens!” He said, and Ron was left alone again, facing his worst nightmare. He was beginning to think that spiders were not too bad after all.

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

It was a lot darker this time. Harry scanned the dimly lit room and took in the toppled bookshelves and books strewn everywhere. He heard a crash and headed towards the sound. As he came around the corner he came across a very disheveled Hermione trying to stack books on the shelves and muttering to herself. Harry was shocked to see how frail she looked. He picked up a book and tentatively held it out to her. Hermione stopped what she was doing and slowly looked up at Harry. The confusion was evident in her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” She asked. “You shouldn't be here. There are things…” she trailed off, looking around warily.

“I'm here to help you,” Harry said gently as he placed the book in her hand.

Hermione shook her head. “No. No, I have to put this back. This is all wrong. Nothing is in the right place.”

“Let me help,” Harry said.

“So tired,” murmured Hermione suddenly as she sat down on the floor.

Harry watched as another set of books fell into a heap. He was having a hard time following as Hermione's logic broke down.

“I can't…you were right. I'm not good enough, Harry. I don't want to fight anymore.”

`Join me Hermione. Join me and be a part of my strength.'

The words seemed to float on air.

“No!” cried Harry as he collapsed beside her, and took her hand in his. He was losing her…

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

Ron watched warily as the ghostly spectre seemed to become more solid with each passing minute. He glanced back behind him and noticed that Hermione looked grey, and Harry was slumped on the floor beside her, looking just as drained as she was. He didn't know what was happening in there, but he did know he would protect them both until the end.

He watched in morbid fascination as the spectre looked around, taking in all the details of the room. Ron could hardly see through him now, he was much more solid than Ron preferred him to be. Their eyes met and Ron shuddered.

A slow smile crossed the ghostly face as he took in Ron's protective stance.

“Have we had the pleasure?” He asked. “I don't believe that we have met before.”

“N…no,” Ron stammered before he took a deep breath and stood up straighter.

Tom stood looking at him expectantly.

“Just keep your distance,” Ron warned.

“Come come now, I am merely trying to make your acquaintance.”

“You've already made one too many,” Ron growled.

Tom looked past him to the pale figure on the bed.

“Hermione? Yes, lovely girl, quite a strong spirit. Very protective too, of some fellow named Harry. Wouldn't let me see anything to do with him. Are you Harry?”

`That's our girl…' thought Ron.

“No,” he answered, refusing to say any more.

“Ah! Must be the bespectacled one I ran across. He too has a strong spirit.”

“What did you do to Harry?” Ron asked.

“Nothing yet, one thing at a time. I'm just keeping him busy right now while I… strengthen,” he smiled slowly. “Two for the price of one. I didn't think it would be this easy.”

As his words sunk in, Ron turned and looked at his friends. Harry seemed to be shrinking before him and Hermione already looked dead. He could hardly see the rise and fall of her chest. He reached out and squeezed Harry's shoulder, trying to give him the strength he needed to fight. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and whipped his wand around to point it at Tom.

“I said stay back,” he growled.

Tom stopped and smiled again. “I can wait,” he said, and took a deep breath. “But I won't have to wait for much longer.”

`Hurry, Harry,' Ron thought as forcefully as he could.

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A/N I know you have been all sitting on the edge of your seats, wanting to see how it all turns out. I hope it is to your satisfaction. I would like to hear from you, to let me know what you think. Enjoy, and remember, read responsibly! Don't read and not leave a review! Us Authors depend on them!

On the tenth day of Christmas JKR gave to me, ten dark Dementors, nine Death Eaters, eight terrific teachers, seven hidden Horcruxes, six greedy goblins, five golden snitches, four brilliant Founders, three great characters, two funny twins, and a Harmonian ship that was meant to be! (I wish!)

Chapter 26

The Destruction of One

Harry squeezed Hermione's hands. “Let me help you,” he said gently.

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. “Would you? There's just so much to do…” she trailed off as she reached over and began to pick up books.

Harry followed her actions and stood up to put the books on the shelf. He sighed in relief as he worked, he could save her, and he knew he could, as long as he could get all of these books back in place…

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

Ron was standing on the edge of panic, and he didn't like it. It was past the stage of getting reinforcements, and the very thought that Harry might fail entered his mind more than once.

`I could die here…' he thought for one shaky minute.

“So tell me…Ron is it? Ron Weasley?”

“How did you—” Ron asked surprised.

Tom shrugged noncommittally. “Memories. I must admit that this sacrifice was an excellent choice. A wealth of knowledge.”

“SHE IS NOT A SACRIFICE!” Ron shouted.

Tom gave a knowing smile. “Tell me, Ron, why is she so protective of this fellow…Harry is it? Boyfriend? Lover?”

“None of your business,” Ron muttered.

“Well now I am intrigued,” Tom said. “I must dig deeper.”

Ron really didn't like the sound of that at all.

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

Harry was getting tired. How long had he been doing this for anyway? He looked over at Hermione stacking books haphazardly on the shelf and frowned.

`That's not like her…'

He sighed as he heard another pile of books crash to the ground. He was getting frustrated and felt like he wasn't getting anywhere. It was almost like someone didn't want them to finish…

Harry's eyes went wide in sudden realization.

`I'm wasting my time here…'

He glanced over to where Hermione was putting the books on the shelf and noticed that they were all in disarray.

`That's not the Hermione I know…' he thought.

“Hermione? I'm just going to start the pile around the corner here,” he said.

“Okay, Harry,” she said and gave him a small smile. “I knew that no one but you could help me.”

“Uh…sure,” he hadn't heard that from Hermione before. “I'll…I'll call you if I need you.”

Harry slipped around the corner, and for a few seconds stacked books on the shelf. Once he felt that it was safe, he quietly crept down the aisle towards the ballroom he had been in earlier. As he got closer, he could hear voices.

“Who is he?” A voice hissed.

“No one, just a friend from school,” a sobbing voice replied.

“I will find out eventually, you do realize that.”

“No…” the voice sobbed again. “I won't let you.”

That was the Hermione Harry knew, a fighter. He stuck his head around the corner in time to see Voldemort backhand Hermione across the face.

Harry felt himself flare in rage as he moved into view. Voldemort looked up from where he was standing over a beaten and tattered Hermione. She looked up as she heard Harry approaching, the fear suddenly evident in her eyes.

“Harry!” She cried.

Voldemort's eyes flashed as he grasped on to that fear and followed it. He slowly smiled as the information he wanted became available.

“Harry Potter,” he said as he watched Harry approach. “You must be that whelp that belongs to those two Aurors, Lily and James Potter.” He paused for a moment, seemingly searching for something. “You are my downfall? Well, we can't have that.”

“I've done it before, and I'll do it again,” growled Harry as he stalked towards the two of them.

Voldemort raised his hand and pointed it at Harry. “I still have use for you boy, Petrificus Totalus!”

Harry dove to the side behind a table. The spell hit an ice sculpture and it became petrified at the same Harry heard Hermione gasp in pain.

`Any spell that hits anything in this room can harm her,' he realized frantically.

He looked over the tabletop searching for his nemesis.

“You obviously haven't learned the finer points of being a spirit,” a voice sneered from behind him. He whirled to find Voldemort standing above him, his long finger pointed at Harry like a wand.

“I wonder, are you worth preserving, or are you not as valuable as your friend here seems to think?” He seemed to ponder the question for a moment, and suddenly Harry began to feel tired again. His eyes widened in realization and he scrambled away so he could stand up.

`He's draining me…'

He slammed down his mental barrier and watched in triumph as Voldemort's eyes widened in surprise.

“You think it's that easy?” He growled as he raised his hand at Harry again.

Without warning, a blur of brown hair flew at Voldemort.

“NO!” she screamed, “You can't have him! Take me instead!”

“Foolish girl!” Voldemort sneered as he pushed her away with his arm. His eyes widened as he looked at where she had touched him. Smoke was slowly rising, and part of Voldemort's robe and arm were crumbling.

Harry smiled, remembering a similar scene.

“It's tough when someone is willing to sacrifice herself for you. You've never had that happen did you? No one cared enough,” Harry taunted.

Voldemort snarled and pointed his hand a Hermione. “Crucio!” he growled.

Hermione collapsed on the floor, writhing and screaming in pain. Harry felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He felt every burn, every twitch, and every agonizing finger of pain as she convulsed on the floor, and yet, he couldn't move. He was frozen, remembering his own torture. It was killing him to watch her suffer.

“Run, Harry!” he heard her scream and it snapped him out of his trance.

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

At Hermione's ragged intake of breath, Ron turned to look at her. Her body was convulsing and he was amazed that Harry still had a firm hold on her head. He spun around and looked at Tom, who was smiling contentedly.

“Stop it!” Ron growled. “Stop it or I'll—”

“You'll what? There's nothing you can do. Your friends will die, and soon, you will join them.”

Ron watched in fear as he saw the beginning of magic crackling from Tom's fingertips. Behind him he heard Hermione gasp and he turned to see her collapse as she took her last ragged breath.

“No!” Ron cried as he felt his chest constrict at the thought of the loss of one of his best friends to this monster. The pain that was now centered around his heart was unbearable and he felt a lump forming in his throat. He turned his tear filled eyes to see Tom smirking at him, and all hopes of survival flew out the window.

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

Harry turned to look at Voldemort, who seemed to be taking great pleasure in destroying the already beaten and battered body at his feet, his lips curled in a maniacal grin. He could see where the crumbling arm was beginning to reappear, and he knew that he was using Hermione's spirit to heal himself. Hermione was no longer responding; she no longer cried out as her body convulsed. As Harry stood there, he realized everything around him was beginning to fade. She was dying…

Harry had never felt such anger before. It seemed to crackle through his body, making his hair stand on end. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he pointed his hand at Voldemort.

“Everto Animus!” Harry shouted, and the spell struck Voldemort in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He crashed into one of the tables as the white glow of the spell surrounded him and began to dissolve his spirit. An inhuman scream came from his contorted face as the piece of the soul that once belonged to Tom Riddle convulsed a few times, and was ripped apart.

Harry collapsed on the floor and pulled Hermione's cold, limp body into his arms.

“Please,” he begged as the tears began to flow down his face. “Please, no!”

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

Ron was trying to think quickly, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to find a way to warm the others. He was past thinking about survival. He knew with Hermione's last gasp that he would die here with his friends. His eyes fell upon Hermione's Hogwarts badge on her robe and he got an idea. He turned, and in the pretense of checking on her, he quickly unclipped it and gave the top badge a quarter turn to the left.

“Lupin's quarters,” he murmured and tapped it twice.

The temptation to hold on to the badge was huge, but he knew the trio was in this until the end, and he had sworn to be there for them, so he let the badge fall from his fingers to land on the edge of the bed where it sat inconspicuously.

“What good is a souvenir going to do for you when you are dead?” Tom said, laughing at the pain evident in Ron's eyes as he turned around, blocking the disappearance of the badge.

Ron smiled grimly at him. “You may win here today, but you will still lose in the end Tom. We will never give in to your ways.”

“Ah, but you will serve me, foolish boy. In spirit.”

Tom began to move towards him as Ron stumbled back against the bed. Suddenly, Tom stopped with a puzzled look on his face. Ron watched him in confusion, wondering what was going on. Tom slowly raised his hand in front of his face. To Ron's amazement, it looked like Tom's hand was dissolving right before his eyes.

“No…” he heard Tom growl in disbelief.

`Well, that's as good a sign as any,' Ron thought and turned to point his wand at Hermione. He carefully focused on the largest gem in the tiara.

“Everto!” he yelled. The spell flew straight and true, shattering the jewels and sending the tiara spinning across the room to clatter to the floor.

“NO!” Tom's face twisted in fury as he began to lunge at Ron, only to explode in a flurry of sparks.

Ron knelt down beside Harry, clasping his arm and throwing a protective arm across Hermione's body.

“Come on Harry,” he muttered, looking for any signs of movement, and wondering how his friend was going to deal with the death of the woman he cared about the most.

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

Harry didn't know how long he had sat there, holding Hermione as closely as he could, rocking her. Fear held him in place. Fear that if he moved, Hermione would disappear forever.

“Harry…” Hermione whispered brokenly.

“Shh. Don't talk. You need to gain your strength back,” Harry murmured as he gently stroked away the tears that were sliding silently down her cheek.

“So very tired…” she whispered.

“No, Hermione, please,” Harry cried frantically. I need you. I can't…I can't live without you. I can't do this without you. Don't leave me.”

Hermione gave a miniscule shake of her head. “You don't need me,” she whispered.

Harry took a deep shuddering breath. “I'm sorry. I am so sorry for making you think I doubted you. I only wanted to protect you. I just get so scared, afraid that you'll leave me…just…just like everyone else, only…losing you would kill me,” he finished in a whisper, and suddenly he knew, he knew the reason for his fear, the reason his heart felt like it was going to burst; she meant everything to him, and he had never felt so scared in his life.

“I think I love you, Hermione,” he whispered as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. “I think I have for some time now.”

As Harry accepted those words, he felt a tingle start in the center of his chest and begin to radiate out, filling him with power, and he knew what he had to do.

“I love you,” he whispered again, and bent down to capture Hermione's lips with his.

He closed his eyes and focused all of his power, sending it towards Hermione, willing to give all of his energy to her if it meant she would live. He savored her, as though it was their last kiss, memorizing every part of the woman he loved, tasting her with his lips and touching her with his hands. A warm glow enveloped them, and Harry felt Hermione slowly but weakly respond to his kiss. Harry was beginning to feel drained, as he poured more and more of his energy into Hermione.

Suddenly he felt her hand slowly move up to center itself on his chest as Hermione broke away from him. Harry opened his heavy eyes to see a pair of chocolate pain-filled eyes looking into his own. She gently touched the side of his face as she gave him a small smile.

“Goodbye, Harry,” she whispered.

Harry frantically tried to grab hold of her as he was pulled away.

“NOOO!!” He screamed, and fought against leaving her.

As he felt the link sever, he curled himself into a ball, trying to block out the concept of a life without Hermione. The ache of that loss was too painful.

Ron watched as Harry convulsed and screamed “Nooo!” before collapsing towards him. He caught his friend as he heard Hermione take a large gasp of air, her back arching with the effort. Ron watched in disbelief at the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. His eyes bounced back and forth between his two friends as he wondered at the sheer power that it would have taken…

“Hermione…” he heard Harry cry as he tried to stifle a sob and struggled to sit up.

“It's okay mate. You brought her back. She's alive,” Ron said, his voice cracking in awe as his emotions took over.

Harry visibly relaxed; slumping against Ron and a small smile graced his lips before turning serious again.

“Voldemort?” He asked.

“Gone,” Ron replied. “The Tiara's destroyed.”

Harry sighed and let the welcoming nothingness take over his consciousness as everything faded to black.

“Hang on, mate, help is coming,” Ron said.

Ron could hear noise in their common room, and seconds later Lupin and Tonks arrived, wands drawn, to see Hermione unconscious on the bed, and Harry lying lifeless in Ron's arms.

“You don't know how glad I am to see you,” Ron sighed with relief.

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A/N: This is just a little chapter to give you a breather from the last few chapters. I hope you enjoy it and have a Merry Christmas! Christmas cheer and my special thanks goes out to Dementor149 for being such a good friend and Beta, and to all you lovely reviewers who give me the gift of your musings for every chapter! Thank-you!

I am really starting to have a hard time believing that these characters are still not mine. All that begging seems to be falling on deaf ears…

Chapter 27

Keeping Things Close

The first thing Hermione realized as she swam back to consciousness was the smell of the hospital ward. The second thing was that it hurt to move…it hurt a lot. What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered was talking about Rowena Ravenclaw's tiara. She heard a movement to her right and turned towards the noise, opening blurry eyes.

“Harry?” she croaked. Why was her throat so sore?

“Hermione, just rest. Here, drink some water,” Ron said gently as he held a glass up for her.

She let the cool water relieve her parched throat, swallowing gratefully.

“Where's Harry?” she asked.

“He's not here right now. Get some rest, then we'll talk.” Ron said as he squeezed her hand.

Hermione sighed and relaxed back into the warmth of her bed. She's solve those problems later when she wasn't so annoyingly tired…

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

Hermione was becoming very irritated. Madame Pomfrey was fussing over her, doing a last minute check before she could leave. She hadn't seen Harry since waking up, and worse, no one would tell her where he was, or what had happened. As Madame Pomfrey left, Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friend as he came through the doors and approached her bed. Ron stopped short as he saw the look on her face.

“What?” he asked as he looked around.

“I want some answers, Ron,” Hermione said. “Where's Harry and…and I want to know what happened. Doesn't anyone know?”

Ron sighed and sat down beside Hermione's bed.

“Yeah, I do,” he said as he scrubbed his face with his hand.

He looked up to see Hermione sitting, arms crossed over her chest, looking at him expectantly. As he gazed at her face, the images from that day flashed before his eyes. They had come so close to losing her…

Ron swallowed past the lump in his throat and gently picked up her hand to squeeze it between his two hands. He kissed her fingers and looked at the worry in her eyes.

“Do you remember anything?” he asked.

Wordlessly, Hermione shook her head. “Just the tiara,” she said after a moment.

“We were wrong you know,” Ron said, “I guess we should have listened to you,” he paused, wondering if he was the right person to be telling her, but knowing that the right person wasn't here. “You died, Hermione,” he said quietly.

“I… what?” she said in disbelief.

“You died, and Harry…well, I don't think Harry took it too well.”

“What happened?” Hermione whispered.

Ron shrugged. “All I know was what happened in the room. The tiara was a Horcrux, and V…V…Voldemort possessed you, just like Ginny in the Chamber.”

Hermione gasped. “You said his name!”

Ron smiled grimly. “Yeah, I suppose I did.”

They were both quiet for a moment, thinking.

“I died?” Hermione asked frowning. “I can't remember anything.”

“Yeah, it was horrible. Harry used `Legilimens' to go inside your head and try and find Voldemort. While you were uh…connected, I saw Tom's ghost. He was draining your energy and as he grew stronger, you became weaker.”

“And Harry?” Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged. “I don't know. He wouldn't talk about it when he came back. He took quite a beating as well. Once Madame Pomfrey patched him up and said you would be all right, he left. I can't find him. He doesn't show up on the map.”

Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes, and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“Where do you think you're going?” Ron asked.

“To see Harry,” Hermione replied.

“Oh, and I suppose you think you know where he is?”

“Of course. If he's not here, he'll be at Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said as she looked for her clothes.

“What makes you so sure?” Ron asked, turning his back as she dressed.

“Well, he's not here or at the Burrow, obviously, or you would know, and he won't go back to the Dursley's, and he can't go to Godric's Hollow. Only one place left to go, really.”

Ron turned around again as he heard the springs creak to find Hermione resting on the edge of the bed.

“And you think that you are in any condition to go apparating across the countryside?” Ron said, crossing his arms across his chest.

Hermione glared at him before standing up and linking her arm through his, guiding him towards the door.

“Of course not,” she said. “That's why we're going to floo.”

“We?” Ron asked.

“You think I'm in any condition to go by myself?” she smirked.

Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. “Lead the way,” he said in resignation.

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

When Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace, the first thing she noticed was that the house was cold and dark. The second thing was that she was still feeling a bit dizzy.

“Are you okay?” Ron asked as he helped her up.

Hermione nodded as she looked around while Ron set to lighting the kitchen.

“Maybe we were wrong,” Hermione said after a minute.

“What's with this `we' stuff? It was your idea to come here,” Ron said.

Hermione glowered at him and headed for the stairs.

“Lumos,” Hermione whispered as she entered the main hallway. She certainly didn't want to disturb Mrs. Black. She moved past the sitting room, and Hermione was reminded of the time spent cleaning out dusty shelves, and all those wonderful books that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let her look at. It seemed so long ago. As she and Ron reached the third floor, they saw a faint light coming from Harry and Ron's room.

Hermione sighed with relief. A part of her was afraid she had been wrong. She approached the door and tentatively tapped on it.

“Harry?” She called.

When she received no answer she nervously glanced at Ron before taking a deep breath and trying the door, which was locked. She knocked on the door again.

“Harry, we need to talk. Let me in please.”

Silence.

“Harry, I'm not leaving until you let me in; open the door.”

Silence.

Hermione looked over at Ron, who raised an eyebrow at her. She frowned at the door, trying to decide what to do. She knew that she could open the door, but she wanted Harry to let her in. There would be one less battle then. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Ron,” she said loudly, “Just set the chair up for me right there. Madame Pomfrey said I should be resting on a regular basis, and I am sure that I am going to be weary from standing at this door all night.”

Ron looked at her confused, but Hermione just put a finger to her lips and gave him a little smile. They both turned to look at the door as they heard the click of the lock. Hermione glanced at Ron before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

It took Hermione a moment to scan the dimly lit room. Flickering shadows were dancing across the walls from the few candles placed around the perimeter. Her eyes fell upon Harry, sitting in an easy chair by the window and she let out the breath she didn't realize she was still holding. The two friends crossed the room and Hermione knelt down so that she was level with Harry, who continued to stare out the window. Hermione gently placed her hand on Harry's arm and felt him flinch. She looked up at Ron and he looked between the two of them.

“I'll go see if I can whip up something to eat, or maybe I can find Kretcher, see if he is in a good mood,” Ron said quietly and gave Hermione's shoulder a squeeze before leaving. Hermione watched him go and then turned to look at the young man that she worried about more than anything else. The silence seemed to stretch on forever before Harry finally sighed.

“You died you know,” Harry said quietly.

“Yes, I know,” Hermione replied.

“You died, and… and I was so angry. I couldn't…I didn't think…” Harry turned to look at her and Hermione was shocked at how drained he seemed to be. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes looked sunken and she could see the pain in their depths before he turned away.

“I was so angry I mixed up the spell. I said `Everto Animus' instead of `Salvo Animus'. I destroyed his soul, I didn't free it like Dumbledore asked. I'm no better than Voldemort. I'm a murderer, and I couldn't control it.” Harry looked at Hermione. “And do you know what? I'm not even sorry I did it, because I thought he had killed you. And…and I don't know if I would do anything different if it happened again.”

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione sighed.

It was times like these that she could still see the little boy afraid of an adult's reaction to his actions. The lack of guidance that he received while growing up had created an insecure young man who was continually second-guessing himself. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze before taking his hand in hers. Harry reached over and gently caressed the back of her hand. Hermione watched as his fingers drew small circles on her skin. She looked at him, her eyes full of sorrow for the pain he was in.

“Harry, what happened? Ron told me that I had stopped breathing, but then came back. He said you had something to do with it, but he didn't know what happened.”

Harry shook his head and refused to meet her eyes. He wasn't ready to share what he had gone through for her. These feelings were so new and vulnerable for him, and he wanted time to try and figure them out. She was in his every thought, almost like an obsession. He was so scared that his feelings for Hermione were going to interfere with the battle he was expected to have with Voldemort. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to deal with this.

Hermione blew out a breath of frustration. She was getting annoyed. How could she help him if he wouldn't talk to her?

“Harry, listen to me. You are not like Voldemort. I don't think he is hiding away somewhere feeling sorry for himself for murdering wizards and Muggles.”

Harry looked at her then, and a small flash of anger chased away the pain in his eyes.

“I never wanted this,” he said sullenly.

“I never said you did!” Hermione cried as she stood up and began to pace. “But like it or not, Harry, you are in it until the end. You are `The Chosen One', according to all the papers, and running away and hiding every time something happens isn't going to work anymore. The world continues to revolve and Voldemort continues to wreck havoc. We have a job to do, and sitting in this room isn't getting it done. Ron and I are here to help, and you are not going to push us away. We are also not going to sit here and let you take all of the blame if something doesn't go right. We are in this together.”

“Hermione, maybe we shouldn't—”

Hermione stopped and looked at Harry. She could see that he had shut himself off, locking away any vulnerable emotions.

“Don't, Harry, just don't.”

“What?”

“Don't give me the `Ginny speech'. You were the one who wanted to give this a try, so we could `be scared' together. I can't just shut down my feelings like that. I'm not walking away, Harry, so just don't.”

Harry looked at her with guarded eyes. How could she still want to be with him after all that had happened with her? After all that he had done…

“Why?” Harry asked quietly.

“Why what?” Hermione said.

“Why would you want to still have anything to do with me after all you've been though, after all I've done. After…you died…and …and I couldn't stop him…and…”

Hermione knelt down in front of him again.

“But you did stop him, Harry,” she said gently. “Otherwise we wouldn't be here right now.”

She leaned forward to hug him, and Harry closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head in her hair. It felt so good to just hold her, blocking out the rest of the world, and yet, he felt his chest constrict with the knowledge of what he had put her and Ron through, and what was to come.

“Now come and have something to eat, you must be starved,” she stood and patted his leg before starting for the door. Harry stayed in his chair.

“You didn't answer my question,” he said. “Why?”

Hermione stopped with her hand on the door. “Because I care for you,” she said wearily. “We both do.”

She left him then, sitting and wondering how he managed to find two friends who cared for him so much, speculating how he was going to guarantee that they made it through this war alive.

Hermione and Ron were sitting drinking tea and talking quietly when Harry finally made it downstairs. He sat down, away from the both of them, trying to distance himself a little, both physically and emotionally. The pair exchanged glances and Ron slid the sandwich plate down in front of him and poured him a cup of tea.

“Thanks,” Harry said shamefaced, as he grabbed a few sandwiches.

He looked between his two friends as he continued to eat.

“I guess I owe both of you an apology for the mess I got you into,” Harry said after swallowing.

“Harry, you didn't know what would have happened—” Hermione began.

“But I did! I was with Dumbledore when he found the locket. I knew first-hand how diabolical Voldemort is! I saw what happened to Dumbledore! I had to force him to…to…” he trailed off, unwilling to admit what he had done.

“To what Harry?” Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. It was still too hard to talk about what had happened. “It wasn't good,” he muttered as he took another bite. “Anyways, I'm still sorry that I dragged you into this and then just left.”

Ron shrugged. “None needed. I was pretty upset too.”

“Yeah, but you didn't go into hiding,” Harry replied.

Hermione sighed. They had been making good progress before this whole incident. Now, Harry was back to holding things close to his chest. She was having difficulties keeping up with his ever-changing moods. She cleared her throat and decided that it was time to change the subject.

“Since it's the weekend, why don't we stay? McGonagall knows we're here. Besides, I was thinking of going and looking at some of those books. Why don't you two play some Wizard's chess?”

“Sounds good to me,” Ron said. Harry agreed reluctantly.

It was several hours later when Hermione started to feel weary. She closed her book with a snap and got up and stretched.

“I think I'm going to head off to bed. I'm still a bit tired.”

“Okay, `night,” Ron said as he took Harry's protesting knight.

Harry watched as she headed for the door, giving him a smile, before heading down the hall.

He turned back to the game, thinking about earlier, when he was enjoying Hermione's embrace. He couldn't figure out how she could make him feel so good. He absently moved his bishop, who cursed him for putting him into the path of Ron's queen. Harry glanced at the door again, thinking about the smell and feel of her hair, as it had enveloped him. He turned back to move a pawn into the same path that the bishop had taken.

“Harry,” Ron sighed.

“Hmm? What?” Harry said as he glanced at the door again. Was she asleep yet?

“Mate, you are not paying attention. I just took three of your pieces.”

“Sorry, my turn?” Harry asked, surveying the board.

“No, I think I've done enough damage for tonight.”

Harry's remaining chess pieces heaved a collective sigh of relief.

“Go see her,” Ron said.

“Who?” Harry asked, pulling his eyes from the door once more.

Ron rolled his eyes. “Hermione, you git. You know, the one you've been watching all night?”

“Well, I…” Harry stammered.

Ron laughed. “Never mind. I'll clean up. Just go before I change my mind.”

Harry grinned as he stood up and headed for the door, excitement and anxiety making his stomach do flip-flops.

“Oh, and Harry?” Ron called.

“Yeah?” Harry asked poking his head back in.

“Use a silencing charm will you? I do want to be able to get some sleep tonight.”

“Prat,” Harry said as he left to the sound of Ron's laughter.

-->

A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that you all find the next year to be prosperous and happy. I've had a few requests for a little PDA between our two characters, so here it is, just for you. Thank-you for all of my lovely reviews, it was like getting special presents under the tree!

My new year's resolution is to have a certain writer hand over all the rights to her characters…Hm. Another resolution down the drain?

Chapter 28

Taking the Next Step

Harry stood outside Hermione's door for what seemed like a long time. He wasn't sure what was going to happen if he went in there. His heart was battling with his brain. He wanted to be with her, and yet, she distracted him.

Hermione was snuggled down under her comforter, reading her book when she heard a tap at the door.

“Come in Harry,” she said. Somehow, she knew he would come tonight.

Harry came in and quietly closed the door behind him before coming to stand beside her bed. Hermione patted the mattress beside her and after a slight hesitation; Harry sat, all the while watching her face. Hermione looked at him, waiting for him to make the first move.

“I thought I had lost you,” he said quietly after a minute. “I lost you, and the last thing I did was make you angry,” Harry sighed and stared out the window. “I didn't mean that I thought you were weak. It's just that I am so used to you being around and I don't know what would happen if I lost you, like I've lost everyone else. Does that make sense?”

Hermione reached over and squeezed Harry's hand.

“I'm sorry too, Harry,” she said.

“What for?” Harry asked, shifting to look at her. “You didn't do anything.”

“You're right, I didn't. I have spent so much time with my head in my books that I haven't thought about what would happen if we ran into more Death Eaters. You were right, to a point. I need to train more, and so does Ron. We haven't really done anything since we came back to school.”

“I'm sure Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody would be willing to help,” Harry said as he clasped her hand in his.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Harry realized that intimacy of the situation. He could feel his stomach do a little flip, and his heart began to pound. He broke his gaze as he stood up, letting go of her hand. He was still not quite ready to say everything that was on his mind. He definitely lacked the Gryffindor courage in that department.

“Well, I guess you're tired. I should let you get some sleep,” He said as he started for the door.

“Harry…” Hermione trailed off.

Harry turned to look at her sitting in the middle of her bed.

“You know, I'm so used to having Ginny here, and this room seems so big…”

Harry hesitated, looking at her, wondering where she wanted this to go, wondering where he wanted this to go; afraid that he was going to screw up again. He finally cleared his throat.

“Would you like me to stay? You know, just for a while?” he asked quietly as he slowly retraced his steps.

“I would really like the company,” Hermione said shyly as she patted the bed beside her, kicking the comforter down to the end of the bed as she did so.

Harry sat down beside her, taking in the old t-shirt and shorts that she was wearing. He never realized that something like that could look so good on her. He kicked off his trainers and scooted up to lean against the headboard. Hermione pulled her book back on to her lap and flipped the page.

“These books are so fascinating,” she said as she leafed through to where she left off. “Some of the spells I have found may be useful,” she showed the pages to Harry as he leaned closer.

They spent the next half-hour just talking and looking at her book, and Harry found himself relaxing, happy that they seemed to have settled back into their comfortable relationship. His fear of losing her not only as a friend, but as something else…It was hard for him to even think of what his life would be like without her. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side. Harry leaned back and closed his eyes, drifting between the peacefulness of sleep and wakefulness, as he listened to Hermione read passages from her book. She stopped reading after a few moments, and when she didn't resume, Harry cracked one eye open to find her asleep against his chest. She looked so peaceful that Harry didn't have the heart to wake her. After short battle between his heart and his head, he carefully slid down the bed, taking her with him. Hermione sighed and rolled over to snuggle in closer, laying one hand on his chest.

He let himself enjoy this quiet time with Hermione. She was right, they had survived destroying the Horcrux, although just barely, and they had done it themselves, without Dumbledore's help. He slowly ran his hand through Hermione's hair as he watched her sleep. He was pretty sure he was in love with her; he enjoyed her company, and loved the feel of her in his arms. Wasn't that what love was all about? No one had really explained it to him; he just knew that he wanted to be with her. He still wasn't too sure about the extent of her feelings though. He knew she cared about him, she had said so earlier, but did she love him? This was all so unnerving. Harry wasn't quite ready for the possibility of Hermione liking him just as a friend and nothing else. And then there was Voldemort…He didn't want to lose her, and if Voldemort managed to see how much he cared for her, Harry knew he would use it against him. He decided that he needed to keep this to himself for now, and be content with the fact that she wanted to be with him.

Harry waved his wand and the book gently placed itself on the table beside the bed. Another wave of his wand brought the crumpled comforter up to cover the both of them. Harry took off his glasses and closed his eyes, waving his wand a third time to turn out the lights before placing it on the table beside the bed. He relaxed and let sleep take him.

It was just before dawn when Harry woke, disoriented, and felt a sense of panic at the weight pinning his arm and leg to the bed. As he became more alert he relaxed, remembering where he had spent the night. He slowly slipped out from underneath her warm body, and Hermione rolled over with her back to him. He got up to use the loo and decided it was too early to get up. As he approached the bed he wondered if Hermione would be offended if he took his pants off. He hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged. If she could be in her night garments, then so could he. Shucking his t-shirt and pants, he slipped back under the covers and lay on his side to watch her sleeping form. He let the hypnotic rise and fall of her chest and her gentle breathing lull him back into a peaceful slumber.

Harry woke again a few hours later as he felt the bed shift. He cracked open one eye to watch Hermione crawling back under the covers. She smiled shyly at him.

“Good morning,” she said. “I didn't think you would still be here.”

Harry raised himself up on one elbow to look at her. He was beginning to feel more like his old self today, and something about sharing a bed with Hermione caused his stomach to do flip-flops. It was amazing how good she made him feel. He smiled tentatively at her.

“Given the choice of sleeping with a snoring prat or a beautiful woman, where do you think I would rather be?”

“Beautiful?” Hermione repeated, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Yes, beautiful,” Harry said as he inched closer. He could feel his heart beat speed up at the way she was looking at him. “And smart, and…kissable.”

“Kissable?” Hermione breathed.

“Very,” said Harry as he captured her lips with his.

She was intoxicating, and Harry couldn't get enough of her. As Hermione brought her hands up to run them through his hair, Harry slowly traced Hermione's lips with his tongue, savoring their softness. Harry gently pushed her back on to the bed, never breaking contact. Hermione released Harry's hair to run her hands up and down his muscular shoulders and arms. He felt his skin tingle as her gentle caress left trails of goose bumps on his arms. Harry suddenly had the most incredible urge to caress her skin, feel her, like she was touching him. He slowly ran his hand down her side to her hip, and then he retraced his path until he got to the hem of her shirt. He hesitated for a moment, and then ever so slowly he let his hand slide under her shirt and up just past her waist. The feel of her bare skin sent a jolt of electricity through Harry's hand and he almost missed her intake of breath as their skin touched. He stopped his hand, taking in the warmth of her skin, waiting for Hermione's reaction, his heart beating madly. He continued to kiss her, waiting to see if she would pull away. She relaxed after a moment, and Harry took it as a sign to continue. He let his fingers dance over the muscles of her stomach, feeling them tremble with every touch. As he traced circles on her skin, he released her lips to trail fiery kisses down her neck to the hollow of her throat. Hermione squeezed Harry's shoulders and turned her head to give him better access, so Harry used his tongue to trace the contours of her neck, savoring her.

He was slowly inching his hand up Hermione's stomach when there was a knock at the door.

“Hermione! Time to get up!” Ron called.

“Ignore him,” Harry murmured as he moved back up to nuzzle her ear. “He'll go away.”

“I don't know,” Hermione whispered as she reached up to caress Harry's cheek. “He's pretty persistent.”

“Maybe,” grinned Harry, looking into her eyes, “but I'm better looking,” and he kissed her smiling mouth to silence any comment she was going to make.

There was no way Harry was going to let Ron interfere.

The knocking became more insistent.

“Hermione! Professor Tonks said that if you don't get out of bed right now, she is going to personally come in there and drag you out.”

That did it. Hermione froze, her eyes whipping to the door, expecting Tonks to burst through.

Harry sighed. “Damn.”

The mood was lost.

“You'd better answer,” he said as he reluctantly pulled away from her.

“Tell her I'm awake,” Hermione called as she watched Harry collect his things, marveling at his physique. Their eyes met, and Hermione saw the passion smoldering in their green depths. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to invite Harry back to her bed and forget about the outside world for a while.

“Okay, I'm going to…uh…wake up Harry. I'll meet you downstairs.”

She shook herself out of her musings as she heard Ron move away from the door.

“How are you planning to sneak upstairs?” Hermione asked.

Harry leaned down and gave her one last kiss as he caressed her cheek.

“That's easy,” he said. “It's my house,” and with a wave, he disappeared with a small pop.

He appeared in his room to find Ron sitting on his bed, waiting for him.

“You'd better be telling the truth about Tonks being here,” Harry growled as he tossed his clothes and shoes at Ron.

“Hey!” Ron said as he pushed Harry's clothes onto the bed and dropped his shoes on the floor. “I just saved your arse. Lupin and Tonks were all for waking you up themselves. It was a good thing I was down there.” Ron suddenly grinned at him. “Have a good night?”

“Shut it,” Harry growled as he grabbed some fresh clothes.

“Well it was pretty quiet last night, so I just figured…” Ron shrugged as he smirked at him. “When Lupin and Tonks popped in this morning, I had to stop them from going upstairs to get you. I think they suspect something.”

“I'm going to have to put some new wards up,” Harry muttered as he grabbed a towel on the way to the door.

“Where are you going?” Ron asked. “They're expecting you downstairs.”

“To take a shower,” Harry replied. “A cold one.”

“I'll…uh…tell them you'll be right down,” Ron said laughing.

Twenty minutes later Harry arrived to find Ron and Hermione deep in conversation with Lupin and Tonks. Lupin looked up as Harry came in.

“Harry,” he smiled. “Sleep well?”

Harry flashed a quick look at Hermione, who averted her eyes, before sitting down at the table beside Ron, who was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

“Yes, why do you ask?” he said casually.

“No reason, I just thought I would check up on you, seeing as you disappeared after being so magically drained.”

Lupin's hidden message to Harry was clear. You were a bad boy for running away without telling anyone where you were.

“I'm fine,” Harry said defiantly.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Harry and Lupin tried to stare each other down. Tonks finally nudged the stubborn professor.

Lupin cleared his throat. “Good, because we have an assignment.”

Ron, Hermione, and Harry all exchanged glances before turning to look back at Lupin.

“A school assignment?” Hermione frowned. “I thought I wrote down all my assignments last week.”

“No, it's not for school,” Lupin said, looking at Harry for his reaction.

Harry narrowed his eyes. “Exactly what is this assignment, and who ordered it?” he asked suspiciously.

“It's not the ministry,” Lupin said, knowing where Harry's thinking was going.

“Then who?” Ron asked.

“It's for the Order, Harry,” Lupin said, ignoring Ron.

“The Order? But, McGonagall said—”

“There have been more attacks,” Lupin interrupted.

“What?” Harry said.

“Last night. Just outside of London. Three Wizarding families were killed, and one family where the young boy was known to be a wizard even though his parents were both Muggles.”

Harry heard Hermione's gasp and reached over to squeeze her hand. He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking.

“The three families were not pureblood, sorry Hermione, and were strong supporters of the Order and Dumbledore. We were caught off-guard with the fourth family, since the boy wasn't even at Hogwarts yet.” Lupin explained.

“So what does the Order want us to do?” Harry asked.

“Not the three of you, Harry, just you,” Lupin said.

Harry became very guarded. Why separate him from his friends?

“Who ordered this?” Harry demanded. “Why would someone want me, but not let me bring my friends?”

Lupin looked at the worried faces of his two best friends and sighed.

“Dumbledore,” he finally said. “He said to tell you `it's time', and to give you this,” and he pulled out a golden feather and handed it to Harry.

It was a phoenix feather.

-->

A/N: I consider this my take on the phoenix. I found that they were such a mystery, so I figured that I could explain my take on it, since someone else didn't do it…I hope you enjoy it. Once again, I would thank my lovely beta, Dementor149 for his patience and wisdom.

Okay, we had a character meeting, and they all agreed that I should be the one in control, I'm the superior writer, and they are enjoying their lives so much better, and then some lawyer waltzes in, slaps down the papers on the table and wakes me up…

Stupid reality.

Chapter 29

The Side Trip

Harry stared at the feather for a long time, feeling its softness on his fingers.

“Dumbledore wants you to go to the Alps. We leave this afternoon.”

“We?” Harry said, looking up from the feather.

“Yes, I'm to accompany you to a small Wizarding village at the base of the mountain, but after that you will be going to the top without me.”

“And how do you propose that?” Harry asked.

“Simple, you walk,” Lupin said, straight-faced before winking at Hermione.

Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Please tell me you're joking,” he said.

“We should get going,” Lupin said as he stood up. “We need to make a stop in Diagon Alley.”

“What for?” Harry asked.

“You don't want to be walking in a snowstorm without the proper attire do you?” Lupin asked. “Do you still have the whistle?”

“It's upstairs,” Harry said as he got up and made his way out of the kitchen.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and Hermione stood up.

“Excuse me,” she said before dashing after Harry. She caught up to him as he entered his room.

“Harry! What on earth is going on? Why would Dumbledore say it's time? Time for what? And why can't we go? You might need us! There might be—”

“Hermione, stop!” Harry said as he threw up his hands.

Harry was surprised he was able to stop her tirade; he was not surprised to see her standing defiantly in front of him, arms crossed. Harry sighed, went to her, and took her in his arms. She looked up at him and he could see the fear in her eyes.

“Look, it will be okay. I'm just going to see if I can get Fawkes to come back. Nothing will happen. There's probably some ritual, and that's maybe why you can't come. I'll be fine, okay?”

Hermione leaned her head on Harry's chest, comforted by the sound of his heartbeat.

“If you don't come back, I swear, Harry Potter, I'll never speak to you again.”

Harry smiled as he leaned his chin on the top of her head and hugged her close.

“It's a deal,” he said, smiling.

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

Harry hated portkey travel, and it seemed that the further the distance, the worse it was. He could honestly say that this was one of the worst landings he had ever had. It didn't help that he was wearing a heavy cumbersome coat as well. He brushed the snow off as he looked around at the Wizarding village they had arrived in. It didn't look that much different from Diagon Alley, with all of its quaint shops.

“Harry,” Lupin said, bringing him out of his musings, “I need to talk to the Phoenix Keeper.”

“Phoenix Keeper? I thought they were free animals. Do they sell them?” Harry asked.

“No, the Phoenix Keeper is the only one the phoenix will allow to bring people to their lair. In order to see the phoenix, the Keeper must approve of you. I need to request an audience. Stay here and stay out of trouble.”

Harry sighed. Why did everyone think he was always looking for trouble? He decided to amuse himself by wandering along the storefronts, avoiding any contact with the villagers. He felt a bit vulnerable being alone, and kept his hand on his wand in his pocket.

He wandered past the shops, glancing at the variety of merchandise available. As he passed an older emporium, a flash of something caught his eye. He backed up to get a better look, but the dust and grime on the window made it hard to see. Harry hesitated a moment, looking for Lupin, whom he saw was engaged in a conversation with a young woman. Harry watched for a moment, and then decided he had enough time to check out the store.

He entered to the tinkling of a bell, as the musty smell of long forgotten trinkets hit him. Harry looked around and didn't see the proprietor, and decided to see what it was that caught his eye. As he neared the front of the display case he saw it held a variety of jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. It was the one ring at the back that had caught Harry's eye. It was a brushed silver ring, with two etched phoenixes on it, chasing each other for eternity.

“Something you like?” Harry heard, and he jumped.

Harry turned to see an old woman watching him. She was bent with age, and Harry figured she must be quite ancient by the lines on her face. As she hobbled towards him, he sensed a great kindness in her. Her eyes held warmth, and her smile had just the slightest suggestion of mischief.

“I was wondering, that ring, can you tell me about it?” Harry said, pointing to the small silver band.

“Ah, yes, got that in an estate sale recently. Family heirloom, they said. Belonged to the matriarch of the family, had it for many years. Seems she got it as a young girl from her gentleman friend as a promise ring. Gave it to her before the big war, promised to come back to her if she would wait. They say that she put it on and never took it off. Ah, young love. So much more romantic back then.”

Harry stared at the ring, mesmerized by it.

“So did he…the gentleman, did he return?” he asked quietly.

The old woman smiled at him, leaned over and took out the ring. She handed it to Harry and he could feel the coolness of the silver in the palm of his hand.

“Not only did he come back,” she said, “but they lived on to have their happily ever after.”

She turned and hobbled back to her stool by the counter, sitting down with a grunt. Harry followed her, still clasping the ring.

“Lived up on the hill just outside of town, they did,” she continued. Her eyes glazed over as though she was seeing the house in front of her. “Been there for many generations. It was the great, great, grandson who sold it to me. Not a romantic bone in his body, that one, shame really,” she said with a snort before turning back to look at Harry.

“They say that it was the thought of returning to spend his life with his soul mate that kept him alive. They say he seemed…empowered by it.”

“How?” Harry asked.

The old woman shrugged. “Don't rightly know, dear. My guess would be that it was his love for her, and her love for him that kept him alive.”

“Who told you all of this?” Harry asked.

The old woman smiled and her eyes twinkled.

“Now if I told you all of my sources of information, who would I have to talk to? You'd be running to chinwag with them. An old lady can get lonely,” she chuckled.

Harry smiled and handed her the ring.

“I'll take it,” he said as he pulled out his pouch.

“Now, dearie, what makes you so sure that you are deserving of this ring? I can't just sell it to anyone who walks through my door,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Harry smiled. “I'm hoping I am. There's this girl…”

“Pretty?” she asked, leaning forward, eager for a story.

Harry nodded, looking down at the ring. “Inside and out.”

“And you love her?” she asked.

Harry looked up to see her staring at him intently. He shrugged, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “I…I think so,” he said quietly.

He was surprised at her speed as she grasped his face with her gnarled fingers. She turned his head to the left and right, scrutinizing him.

“Hm,” she grunted as she let go and moved over to the ancient cash register. Harry followed, wondering what she saw.

As the door closed to sound his departure, the elderly woman clumped to the front of the store to watch him out the window.

“I presume he bought it?” She heard behind her.

She turned and frowned at the picture.

“Course he did, Albus. I wouldn't have been in this business as long as I have if I didn't have the powers of persuasion. Seems a nice young man. Why are you interfering in his love-life?”

“Not interfering, per say, just supporting. He will need all the help that he can get.”

“And you think that he and his loved one are worthy of this ring? As I said, the great, great grandson was not. That's why it was in my possession.”

“Don't worry on that account, my dear. They are more than worthy.”

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

Harry tucked the velvet pouch with the ring inside it into his invisipouch. It was something he didn't want to share with anyone right now. He wasn't quite sure why he bought the ring, maybe to give it to Hermione as a Christmas gift. He wanted to think on what the old lady had told him. He saw Lupin wave to him, so he hurried over to where he was standing.

“Harry, I would like you to meet Luisa. She is the Phoenix Keeper that will take you to the meeting point.”

Harry turned and saw the most beautiful girl standing before him. She had long red hair that curled around her face and cascaded down her back. She had a soft smile and the most intense blue eyes he had ever seen. She was wearing pants and a jacket made out of dragon skin that did nothing to hide her figure, and Harry vaguely wondered how she kept warm. Lupin nudged him and Harry was brought out of his musings.

“Uh…hi,” he said awkwardly.

Luisa walked all around Harry, scrutinizing him. She stopped in front of him and took his hands in hers, examining them.

“Hmm, a flyer. Fast too.”

Harry looked down at his own hands, wondering where she had seen that in them. Luisa took hold of his face and looked into Harry's eyes, tilting his head left and right. Harry was starting to feel like a slab of meat. Did everyone in this town treat strangers this way?

“I agree,” Luisa finally said. “But, only him.”

She stepped back, and cocked her head to the side, taking in his bewildered look.

“Do I meet your approval?” Luisa said as she smiled serenely.

Harry just nodded dumbly while wondering if she was part Veela, like Fleur. When she spoke, it was like listening to a phoenix song. She captivated him.

“We must go if we are to make contact before the end of the day,” Luisa said.

“Behave yourself, Harry, remember what we are here for,” Lupin muttered.

Harry flashed him an annoyed look before turning to follow Luisa. They didn't talk as they walked towards the outskirts of town and Harry silently mused as to how far they would have to hike to find Fawkes. After a few minutes though, Luisa stopped.

“You have side-Apparated before?” she asked.

“Yes,” Harry said.

“Good. We will leave from here. Hold my arm please,” Luisa instructed.

Harry took her arm and closed his eyes to prepare himself for the sensation of being squeezed through a tube. He was surprised however, by the sensation of slipping through warm water. Before he could figure it out though, they were at their destination. Harry looked around, trying to get his bearings. They were in a cave, that much he could tell, and he could see the snow blowing just outside the opening.

“Where are we?” Harry asked.

“You do not need to know,” Luisa replied as she lit a fire.

“Come. Sit by the fire. We need to wait for the wind to die down.”

Harry sat on the bench and watched as Luisa stoked the fire. She joined him on the bench and held her hands out to catch the warmth. Harry took off his gloves and copied her actions. He glanced sideways at her, watching as the dancing flames illuminated her features. She was really beautiful, and he admired her curvaceous form. Luisa caught him looking at her, and he quickly looked back at the fire, embarrassment staining his cheeks. Luisa smiled to herself.

“Your friend said you were trying to contact Fawkes?” Luisa asked after a while.

Harry nodded. “We need him to come back.”

“Fawkes is a great bird,” Luisa said, “but you do know that they only chose one person to bond with; I do not think he will come back since Albus left this Earth.”

Harry was confused. “Then why would Dumbledore say that it was time?”

Luisa shrugged. “Perhaps he told you more? Explained his message?”

Harry shook his head. “No. He didn't say anything. I found he used to do that a lot when he…” he trailed off. Even in death Dumbledore had a tendency to keep him in the dark as to his plans.

Luisa laid a hand on his arm. “He was a great man Harry. There are not as many joyful songs being sung since he left. There is a bond that has been broken prematurely. Until that bond has been healed, there will be great sadness.”

Harry looked down at where Luisa was touching him. “I don't know what I am supposed to do to heal that bond. Half the time I don't know what is expected of me, and I feel like I just stumble around until I find the right solution.”

Luisa slowly slid her hand up Harry's arm, and to Harry, it felt like she was blazing a trail wherever her fingers had touched. He looked over at her in surprise to see her sapphire-blue eyes staring at him intently.

“You know Harry,” she said as she leaned towards him, “Perhaps it is time for you to let it all go. Start thinking about yourself. Let someone else carry all the weight. We could have some great times together.”

“Uh…we could?” Harry stuttered.

“Yes, I could show you things you've never seen before,” Luisa said as she trailed a finger down Harry's cheek.

Harry was finding it hard to think as she assaulted his senses. He was finding hard to remember to breath.

“Let me show you,” she whispered as she pulled his head down to her, capturing his lips.

Harry felt like white-hot flames were engulfing him, and for a brief moment, the outside world disappeared; nothing else mattered. As Luisa pulled away, Harry slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

“Let's go somewhere warmer Harry,” she said as she stood up and held out her hand.

He slowly placed his hand in hers, wondering about what she had to offer.

`It couldn't hurt, could it? Just for a moment. It would be nice to not have to worry about Horcruxes and Voldemort, if only for a moment…'

Harry stared, trance like, at her for a moment before shaking his head to try and clear it. As he did, bushy brown hair and chocolate colored eyes suddenly came to mind.

“Hermione,” he whispered.

He couldn't do that to her.

Harry jumped up and moved away from Luisa, putting the fire pit between them.

“Um…Luisa, I'm sure you're really a nice person, and um… I'm flattered, really, but I'm already seeing someone, and…and…” he trailed off as he watched her stand serenely and look at him.

“Look, perhaps I should get someone else to take me to Fawkes,” he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair in embarrassment. “This is really important, I made a promise that I would finish this.”

Harry watched the dancing flames, his eyes reflecting the light. He was talking more to himself than Luisa.

“As much as I would like to walk away, I can't. I need to finish what I started. I have too many people relying on me,” he looked up apologetically at her. “I'm sorry if I hurt or misled you in any way.” He seemed to have a way of doing that with women.

Luisa smiled at him and gracefully spread her arms out wide. With a burst of flame she disappeared, only to be replaces by a golden phoenix. Harry stumbled back in shock, as he watched her soar gracefully around the cave, her red plumage flowing out behind her, before coming back to land and transform into her human form once more.

“You're…you're an animagus!” Harry said in disbelief.

Luisa nodded her head and smoothed down her coat.

“It is a great honor that has been bestowed on me, and I am very protective of the nest. I am, as I said, the Phoenix Keeper, and only those who are most honorable, trustworthy and loyal shall pass.”

“You mean…that was a test?” Harry asked incredulously.

Luisa smiled and nodded her head.

“I am sorry to have deceived you, but we must be sure of the person who is to meet with the phoenix.”

“And, uh… If I didn't pass?”

“We wouldn't be having this conversation and you would have no memory of coming here. Nor would you be allowed to come this way again.”

Harry nodded in understanding; he knew what it meant to protect those you cared about. As he stood there pondering what had transpired, Luisa walked to the mouth of the cave.

“Come, Harry,” she said. “The storm has passed and the phoenixes are waiting.”

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A/N: And now, the conclusion to the phoenix trip. It may answer some of those questions about where the phoenix come from, or, it may make more…Enjoy!

Although the characters aren't mine, I would like to take credit for the idea of the phoenix, and being able to change our heroes' paths so that they were guided back on to the right track.

Chapter 30

The Return of Albion

Harry figured that they had been walking for at least half an hour, and despite the lack of wind, he was chilled to the bone. When he had asked Luisa where they were going, she had silently pointed to the jagged mountain in front of them. Harry sighed as he trudged after her. He could appreciate the need for security, but for once he wished they could just Apparate to their destination. Harry was so focused on his musings that he almost ran into Luisa when she stopped at the base of a sheer wall of rock.

“We are here,” she said as she smiled.

Harry looked up at the rock face in front of him. He couldn't see any way in. He turned to look at her quizzically. Luisa just smiled again and stepped sideways before sliding into the opening camouflaged in the wall. Surprised, Harry followed. They walked along a thin trail until they came to another opening. When Harry emerged, he was shocked. Before him was a flourishing green valley. In the distance, he could see phoenix flying through the lush green trees. He could hear a waterfall off in the distance, and see a small lake below him. It was a paradise. Harry was perplexed; there wasn't a drop of snow anywhere.

“How?” he asked.

Luisa grinned at him. “You really have to ask?” she said.

“I really do love magic,” Harry laughed as he looked around.

They moved down into an open meadow, where Harry found a table and chairs waiting for them. Pumpkin juice and treacle tarts appeared as he sat down. He ate and drank, grateful for the refreshments.

“You can call Fawkes now, Harry,” Luisa said as she perched in the chair beside him.

Harry took out the whistle, wondering how Fawkes would know the whistle was for him only. He took a deep breath and blew into the whistle. Instead of the piercing sound he was expecting, he heard the distinct sound of a phoenix song. He looked at the whistle in surprise.

“That sounded just like Fawkes,” he said in amazement.

Luisa frowned at him.

“Of course it does, who else would it sound like? He created the whistle for Dumbledore.”

Harry nodded in understanding and looked up, searching for the fiery bird. After a few moments, Harry could hear an answering phoenix cry in the distance. He closed his eyes as he let the song wash over him, making him feel content. He had missed that sound.

He opened his eyes when he heard the scratch of claws on the table in front of him. Sitting there, with his head cocked to one side, was the strongest reminder Harry ever felt for Dumbledore.

“Hello Fawkes,” he said as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I've missed you.”

Fawkes bobbed his head once, and Harry leaned forward to stroke the gentle bird. Harry sat like that for a few moments, just enjoying Fawkes' company.

“I suppose you know why I've come,” Harry said after a moment.

Fawkes blinked slowly and ruffled his feathers.

“We need you to come back, Fawkes, to re-establish the Order. Voldemort is causing all sorts of problems and innocent people are getting killed. The Order has fallen apart since…since, you know, his death, and…they need you to choose a new leader.”

Fawkes trilled sadly and shook his head. He warbled a few notes at Harry and then cocked his head, as though asking for understanding. Harry turned and looked to Luisa.

“He says he can't return. His time has past,” she replied.

Harry turned back to look at the bird.

“I don't understand. Why would Dumbledore make me come here if you can't help us?”

Fawkes chirped, bobbed twice and took flight, heading back the way he came. Harry watched him for a moment; panic setting in as he rapidly disappeared.

“Now what?” Harry asked.

“He said to wait,” Luisa said.

“For what?”

Luisa just smiled at him.

Harry sighed. He was really getting tired of being kept in the dark. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. He was becoming very irritable and tired, and incredibly hot. It was a lot warmer here than on the other side of the mountains, so he pulled off his heavy coat. He had just finished when he heard a phoenix cry and looked up. Fawkes was returning, and he wasn't alone. Harry wondered briefly if it was his mate, and the reason why he didn't want to return. He watched as the two phoenixes alighted on the table. The new bird was slightly different from Fawkes. Harry noticed that there was a streak of white feathers across the top of its head, and a second streak that seemed to flow down from its beak. The phoenix blinked its blue eyes and cocked its head to study Harry.

“Is this your mate, Fawkes?” Harry asked as he leaned forward and reached out to stroke the other bird.

Suddenly the new phoenix struck out and bit Harry's hand.

“Aah!” Harry cried as he fell back in surprise, his hand throbbing.

Luisa laughed, and Harry glowered at her.

“You wouldn't be laughing if she bit you,” he grumbled.

`First of all, Harry, I am not a she, and secondly, I didn't bite you that hard.'

Harry turned back and stared at the bird.

“Did you just talk to me?” he asked.

The phoenix bowed to him.

“How?” Harry asked, confused. “Fawkes has never spoken to me before.”

“You have been chosen,” Luisa said. “It is quite an honor. It usually takes several meetings.”

`I have been waiting for you, Harry,' he heard.

Harry narrowed his eyes as he looked at the phoenix again.

“How do you know my name? Did you have to bite me? Couldn't you have just said hello?” he asked as he sucked on the now bleeding cut on his hand. “Do you have a name?”

`I had to leave my mark, and take your blood in order to connect with you. Otherwise you would not be able to hear me,' the bird ruffled his feathers and stood up straighter. `My name is Albion.'

“So, Albion, why me? Do you know Dumbledore?” Harry asked, as he poked at the wound.

`You could say that. Hold your hand out, and let me heal that cut, since it seems to be a distraction to you.'

Harry held out his hand, and watched as Albion allowed a few phoenix tears to drip on to the cut. As the wound healed, he could feel warmth spread from his hand and up his arm. It seemed to engulf him, and make him relax.

“Thank you,” he said.

`You're welcome. Now, to answer your question. Why you? Because we have much work to do, Harry, and you will need my help, I'm sure.

Harry looked at the bird carefully, taking in the twinkling blue eyes and the white chest feathers, and then turned to look at Luisa. Albion, for his part, settled comfortably on the table, as if waiting for Harry to make some kind of a connection.

“The bond is healing, Harry. There will be much rejoicing this night,” Luisa said.

“Pardon?” Harry asked, confused. She sounded just like Luna.

“In our world, we make connections with each other. In your case, one of your connections was severed prematurely. Even though you may not see it, there are repercussions. Sometimes, we can reconnect with someone, and heal. When we are able to do that, there is much happiness here.”

Harry turned to look back at Albion, still feeling slightly confused. Albion was someone he knew? He stared at the bird, and as they made eye contact, Harry suddenly felt himself being pulled forward, like tumbling into a pensieve. He was somewhere dark; he couldn't see anything. He looked around trying to catch any source of light, to understand whose memory this was, when there was a flash of flames. He cried out in surprise and fear, until he remembered he was in a vision. The bright white flames rose higher and higher, and the white smoke spiraled into the air, calling to him. He felt himself following the dancing smoke, flying joyfully into the blue, euphoric in the thought of being free. He looked down to see people surrounding a tomb, and for a moment, it made him sad, and he warbled his first song.

`The birth of a phoenix'…

Harry fell back into his chair with a gasp as the connection was broken, and he knew where this phoenix had been born; from the heart of one of the bravest men he knew, Albus Dumbledore.

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry, be angry or happy. The concept was beyond human imagination.

“That is…” Harry trailed off, shaking his head, unable to articulate all the thoughts going through his mind.

Luisa laid a hand on his arm. “There will be more time for discussion later. It is time to go.”

Harry looked around and saw that it was indeed becoming darker. He turned back to the table and reached out to stroke Fawkes.

“Will I ever see you again?” he asked.

Fawkes gave a sad little trill, lowered his head, and Harry understood.

“Have a good life, Fawkes,” Harry said. “You will certainly be missed.” He picked up his coat and put it back on as he turned back to Luisa.

“I'm ready to go. Is Albion coming with us?”

“Albion will take you back, Harry, my job is done,” she reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for the company,” she said.

“Thanks for everything Luisa,” Harry said as he touched his cheek. “I hope to see you again some day.”

Luisa smiled. “Perhaps,” she said. “Who knows what the future will bring?”

She raised her hands over her head, and with a flash, had transformed back into a phoenix. Harry waved as she took flight, and Fawkes followed her, the two of them dancing and singing together in the failing light.

Harry turned back to Albion and gave a little bow.

“Lead the way,” he said.

Albion held out one foot. `My way is faster,' he said.

Harry took hold of the talon, and felt himself being lifted into the sky. It was exhilarating, but he still preferred his broom over a bird half his size.

They made it to the cave in record time, and Harry noticed the temperature change as they landed.

`There is a portkey on the shelf on the side of the cave. You may use it to return to the village. Harry,' Albion said, as he settled on the bench, `this partnership is between you and me. It may be for the best right now if you kept what you know about me to yourself.'

Harry nodded in agreement.

`Good. Now Fawkes and I have had a long discussion and decided that the Order has served its purpose in the past, but this war needs something new. I would like to propose a new Order to you; one that I feel may be better equipped for the fight to come.'

“But what about the members of the old Order?” Harry asked.

`They will, of course, be invited to join, and their expertise will be valuable, but, things have changed since the last fight, and in order to win this one, we will need people who have new ideas and suggestions. They need to be heard, not just pushed aside by those who think they know better.'

“Learning from your mistakes?” Harry retorted.

`I'm sorry, what was that?'

“Nothing. Who do you think should be in this new Order?”

`That, my dear boy, is up to you.'

“Me?” Harry said in surprise. What would he know about putting together a new order? He had help when he created Dumbledore's Army, so maybe he needed to talk to Hermione about this. Figure out who would be the best leader to help them get through this war.

Albion blinked slowly at him.

`This is your fight, Harry. You need to decide whom you want behind you. Now it's getting late and you need to get back to the village. We can discuss this more when I arrive.'

Harry was lost in thought while Albion was talking to him. He looked up suddenly at his last statement.

“Arrive? You are going to stay with me?”

`Of course, where else would I go?' Albion pulled a gold chain out from under his feathers. Hanging on the end was a whistle. `You may call me if you need me in the next day or so. Otherwise, I will come next week.'

Harry thought about the repercussions of having the bird in his bedroom. He flushed as a few thoughts about Hermione skittered through his mind.

“We, uh, have a really nice common room and I could get Fawkes' perch, or create one for you…” he trailed off as Albion cocked his head at him while he rambled.

After a moment of silence, Albion bowed his head at him.

`As you wish, Harry. I am, after all, your familiar now.'

e tuHe

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A/N: I have had a comment about how Harry should grow up and act his age. I think that readers tend to forget we are dealing with a teenager here, and they don't necessarily grow up over night! Harry has some life lessons to learn before taking on the battle for adulthood and Voldemort, and as such, will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. I have never wanted to rush through this story, I just wanted to explain some of the things that I felt were either left out, glossed over, or just plain wrong with the original story in my opinion. That being said, read on…

Not mine, I'm just trying to fix it….

Chapter 31

The New Order of the Phoenix

By the time Harry got down to the village he was cold and tired. Lupin peppered him with questions, half of which Harry couldn't remember answering. He finally managed to convince Lupin that he would tell him everything tomorrow if they could go home now.

They arrived back at Grimmauld Place to find that everyone had gone to bed. Harry mumbled a goodnight to Lupin and headed towards the stairs. He stopped as he reached the landing and looked down the hall longingly towards Hermione's room. Her light was off, and as much as he wanted to see her, he decided he didn't want to disturb her. He slowly continued upstairs to his room, to where he could hear Ron snoring. Harry was so tired that he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Harry sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was still dark, but when he looked beside him, the bed was empty. He felt like he had just gone to bed and he was still tired. He wasn't sure what had woken him up. He grabbed his glasses and crawled out of the bed. Where was Ron?

He padded down the hallway and stopped. The stairs were not there. It was just a dead end. Harry looked around, confused, before turning and going back the way he came. He went past his room, to the end of the hallway to find a set of stairs there. He moved slowly, and silently, trying to figure out what was going on. He came to the next landing and headed down towards Hermione's room. He tapped on the door, and when he didn't receive an answer, he opened it.

There was no one there, and the room was empty of any of her personal belongings. Now he was really confused. He backed out of her room, and headed back to the stairs at a trot. He was beginning to feel uneasy. Something was wrong, and he could feel the panic building in his stomach.

He stopped as he hit the main floor, nothing looked right. Was the house able to change its shape like the school? He could see a flickering light coming from the fireplace at the end of the hall. In front of the fire was a high-backed winged chair. Harry somehow knew that someone was sitting in it. He approached slowly; wary of the danger signals he seemed to be getting from somewhere, but his curiosity overpowering the warning. As he came around the side of the chair he saw a long pale bony hand holding a wine glass. Harry suddenly realized he wasn't really awake at all. Surprisingly, he wasn't as scared as he thought he should be.

“You,” he said.

“Good evening, Harry, it seems like such a long time since we've had a visit,” Voldemort said as he sipped his wine.

“What do you want?” Harry said, silently cursing himself for not putting up his mental barriers before going to sleep.

“It's quiet, isn't it Harry?” Voldemort said, swirling his glass and watching the liquid dance around the sides.

“What's your point?” Harry asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“It can be so lonely when it's quiet, did you know that?” Voldemort took another sip of his wine.

Harry didn't answer; he was busy scanning the room. He saw a map on the wall with several areas circled. He slowly moved towards it, trying to see what was there.

“Feeling a little melancholy tonight?” Harry asked, as he tried to act nonchalant.

Voldemort didn't answer, he seemed do be staring distractedly into the fire, sipping his wine.

Harry took a quick look at him and then bent over towards the map. As he read it, his heart sank. He knew most of the families associated with the circled areas, including the Grangers and the Burrow. He traced the circles, trying to memorize them.

“I'm going to take them away from you, Harry,” he heard and turned to see a pair of red eyes glowing at him.

“I won't let you,” Harry growled.

“Oh, but I will. You see, I can find out who is most important to you, and one by one I will make them disappear. You will be all alone Harry, and then you will see what it is like when no one cares about what happens to you.”

Harry shook his head angrily.

“You won't get a chance,” he said.

“You will be alone and unloved, and then I shall destroy you,” Voldemort toasted Harry with his glass and drained it.

Harry turned and stalked down the hallway, intent on getting away and waking himself up. He stopped dead when Voldemort appeared in front of him.

“You can't get away from me, Potter,” Voldemort snarled.

Harry backed up as the tendrils of fear began to creep through his body. He couldn't figure out Voldemort's mood swings. He seemed unbalanced…

“I won't let you do this,” Harry said as he looked around. `Come on Potter, wake up!'

Voldemort slowly smiled at him as he moved towards Harry's retreating form.

“You still haven't figured it out yet, have you? I am still the stronger of the two of us; I am in control, not you.”

Harry shook his head. “No…”

“Let's have a look shall we?” Voldemort said as he waved his wand at one of the doors.

The door flew open and Harry could see some of his school friends, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and others. Voldemort waved his wand, and they were gone. A fierce pain struck Harry in his scar and he pressed his fingers to his forehead, trying to ease the pain.

“See how easy it is?” Voldemort smirked as he waved another door open.

Inside, Harry saw the Weasley's. With a wave of his wand, they too disappeared. The pain in Harry's scar intensified, and he fell to his knees as it hit him in waves. Voldemort laughed as he watched Harry struggle, and then he sauntered down the hall.

“Let's work our way up. Shall we look behind another door?” he asked.

Harry struggled to his feet and staggered after him. He couldn't let him see what was behind any more doors. He had too much to protect…

“Impedimentia!” Harry yelled, only to have it slam back into him with a wave of Voldemort's wand.

“These doors are important, are they Harry? Shall I take a look?”

“No!” he cried and slammed into Voldemort, shoving him into the wall. Voldemort pushed him away and pointed his wand at Harry.

“You fool!” he snarled. “Crucio!”

Harry collapsed on the floor and screamed as a thousand points of fire ran along his nerve endings.

Harry cried out again, and sat up in his bed, the sweat running down his convulsing body. He ran a shaky hand across his face, breathing heavily. He could feel his scar burning from Voldemort's anger before he shut him out completely.

“All right there, Harry?” Ron mumbled.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “Bad dream.”

“Mmph,” Ron muttered as he rolled over.

Grabbing his glasses, Harry looked out the window and saw that it was early dawn. Knowing that he couldn't sleep anymore, he quietly got out of bed, threw on some clean clothes, and left as Ron continued to snore. He made his way down to the library and sat on the couch facing the fireplace. He started a fire to ward off the chill, and sat staring at the flickering flames. He mentally berated himself for letting his guard down. He had forgotten, for the moment, about this stupid war. He slumped back as he let Voldemort's words replay in his mind. He was angry because there had already been too many deaths, and now Voldemort was planning more. Harry was sick of it, and the fear of losing those closest to his heart ate away at him. He was still too unsure of his ability to protect them.

He sighed as he reached into his invisipouch and pulled out the little velvet bag hidden in there. He tipped it and let the ring fall into the palm of his hand. He stared at it, watching the silver catch the light from the fire. He had wanted to give it to Hermione, but now…

He carefully put it back into its bag and put it away. He couldn't do it. He couldn't let Voldemort take her away. The pain would be unbearable.

Harry was lost; he didn't know what to do. He wanted to be with Hermione so badly, and yet, to do so would make her a target. He knew that she would be able to take care of herself in a fight, but with Voldemort? He shuddered to think what Voldemort would do to her because of him. He couldn't let that happen. Voldemort couldn't know how he felt about her. He needed to keep her safe. Perhaps, when this whole thing was over, he could try again.

Harry closed his eyes and searched his mind, looking for all of those wonderful feelings associated with Hermione. He gathered them together, ripping them from their hiding places, tearing out pieces of his heart. He encased them, locking them away, and as he put up the final mental barriers to protect her, a lone tear rolled down his cheek, telling of the emptiness in his chest. He brushed it away and got up. He had some planning to do before everyone else woke up.

By the time Hermione, Ron, Lupin and Tonks had arrived in the kitchen, Harry was prepared. He was leaning against the counter sipping his tea as they arrived. He saw Hermione's face light up and he steeled himself for what he would have to do later. She looked at him questioningly, but he broke eye contact and moved to the end of the table. She frowned at his behavior. She knew he was hiding something.

“Good morning,” he said. “I was wondering, Professor, if you could call a meeting of the Order. I have some news I would like to share, and I would prefer to tell it just once.”

Tonks' eyes lit with excitement as Lupin left to send the message.

“Fawkes is back?” she asked.

Harry stayed silent as he watched his friends, the ones that he had to protect at all costs…

Lupin came back into the kitchen and accepted the cup that Tonks offered him.

“They are on their way,” he said.

Harry nodded, and then sat down to wait. They didn't have to wait long. Soon the table was full of Order members, and Mrs. Weasley was bustling around feeding them all. Harry noticed that Mundungus was absent, which didn't surprise him considering how much he had pilfered.

“So what's this all about, Remus?” Moody growled. “I gave up my day off from Potter training for this.”

“Harry has some information to share with us,” Lupin said as he laid a supporting hand on Harry's shoulder before going to sit down.

Everyone at the table turned and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry scanned the faces as he wondered how everyone was going to take the news.

“I was asked to go to the Alps and meet with Fawkes to get him to come back and choose a new leader for the Order,” Harry said without preamble as he looked around.

“Fawkes is back? The Order is alive again?” Tonks asked.

“Er…not quite,” Harry said, taking a deep breath. “Fawkes is not coming back. His time is done.”

Conversation erupted all around the table.

“What! How could he…”

“What will we do now?”

“We can't leave this to the Ministry…”

“I knew something like this was going to happen…”

“Please!” Harry called over the furor. “Please! Let me finish!”

The muttering died down, and they all turned to look towards Harry again. Now came the moment of truth. He wondered if they would listen to what he had to say, or would they continue to treat him like a child.

Harry pulled out his notes, and Hermione raised an eyebrow.

`Planning in advance, Harry? What a concept,' he could almost hear her say. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how they would react.

“Go on, Harry,” he heard Lupin say quietly.

Harry flashed a smile of thanks at him and pulled out the whistle he had been carrying. All eyes were on him as he blew into it, though no one except Harry heard the song. While the room was silent, Harry cleared his throat.

“From the stories I have heard, the Order was an exceptional group of people. They were the ones who put their lives on the line for the Wizarding world during the last war,” Harry stopped and looked around the table. “I think that you have done your duty. It's time to let someone else do the risk taking. I would like to propose a New Order of the Phoenix, with you in the background, using your knowledge and skills to train the new members.”

The older adults in the room looked at each other, gauging each other's reactions.

“And where, Mr. Potter, do you propose we find these new members?” Professor McGonagall asked.

“We can't really advertise, Harry,” growled Moody. “Already have enough trouble with the Ministry as it is.”

“Not all of us are old codgers yet, Harry,” Fred piped up and then ducked as his mother aimed her tea towel at him. “Still have a bit of fight left,”

Harry smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood.

“I actually have a list of suggested members,” Harry said, waving a piece of paper. Just some people that I thought would be interested, and have some prior training.”

Hermione's eyes went wide. “The D.A.,” she said. “You're thinking about the D.A.”

“Bloody hell, Harry, that's brilliant! We know they can be trusted,” Ron said.

The rest of the people, aside from Fred and George, looked at each other in confusion.

“What is the D.A.?” Moody asked.

“Dumbledore's Army,” Professor McGonagall replied, surprising the trio. She shrugged. “I knew about them last year.”

Lupin had been reading over the list while the discussion was going on.

“It's a thought, Harry, but we will need an age restriction, I think.”

“They should be of adult age and out of school,” Mrs. Weasley said. “I will not have children running around, getting themselves blown up.”

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and Ron rolled his eyes. They could think of a few people who would be annoyed by that rule, including themselves.

Lupin tucked the list in his pocket for now, away from Mrs. Weasley's prying eyes.

“We will need a new leader,” Mr. Weasley said. “How should we go about choosing one since Fawkes isn't returning?”

Just then, they heard a cry and with a flash of fire, a phoenix flew down the stairs to land on the table in front of Harry. There were gasps of surprise as the bird nodded to Harry and then turned to regard everyone in the room.

“Everyone,” Harry said, “I would like you to meet Albion.”

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A/N: My apologies if you are feeling any angst. I have to tell you, its time to sit back and prepare to be suffocated with some more! I'm not finished yet. I would like to once again thank all of those loyal readers and reviewers who have stuck with me for so long. I appreciate the feedback. It makes me a better writer. For those who are just joining us, welcome! I hope you have enjoyed what you have read so far. Bonus points to my dear Beta, Dementor149, a great friend. Okay, enough sap, read on!

Please don't kill the writer, she is just reporting on what happened. The characters are the ones who are really running this show, and making all the decisions!

Chapter 32

The Consequences of Leading

The silence in the room was deafening as everyone stared at the golden bird. Albion turned and looked at Harry, cocking his head to one side.

“I certainly hope that future meetings are more lively. I find it quite boring when everyone just sits and stares.”

Harry smiled at the phoenix.

“I think you surprised them,” he said.

“Harry,” asked Tonks, “where did this phoenix come from?”

“Albion is a friend of Fawkes,” Harry explained.

“Does he know what's going on? The battle with You-Know-Who?”

Albion ruffled his feathers and Harry heard him chuckle.

Harry held back a laugh. “Yeah, he knows.”

Moody snorted. “Are you sayin' that you want to put your trust in a bird that we just met? How do we know he wasn't sent by You-Know-Who to spy on us? We just uncovered the last spy!”

Harry's stomach churned at the though of Snape. It didn't matter what Dumbledore had said, he still didn't trust the slimy teacher.

“Are you sure you can trust him, Harry?” Ron asked.

“Yes,” Harry replied. “Fawkes introduced him personally. I trust Fawkes.”

“What do you think, Minerva?” Lupin asked as he scrutinized the phoenix.

McGonagall had been sitting quietly the whole time, listening to everyone's comments and watching the bird. She leaned forward as Albion turned to look at her. She looked down her nose over the top of her glasses, and their eyes met. They were still for a few seconds, and then McGonagall broke eye contact with a gasp and sat back. She glanced at Harry, who realized suddenly that she knew, and he gave a miniscule shake of his head.

“Minerva?” Lupin asked worriedly.

McGonagall smiled slowly and nodded her head.

“We can trust him,” she said.

“Well, lets get started then, shall we?” Mr. Weasley said. “Albion, we request your guidance. We need someone who is wise, brave, and willing to take command. We need someone that our New Order will follow, and yet, someone who is ready to fight for us and with us. In your great wisdom and experience, do you know of an individual who can do this for us?”

Albion nodded his head once.

“Do you need time to find this individual, or can you tell us now?”

Albion squawked once, and stretched out his wings.

“I think he already has someone in mind,” Tonks said.

Albion pulled himself up to his full height and began to walk down the table. Harry almost laughed out loud; he could picture Dumbledore doing the same thing. He smiled as he watched the phoenix scrutinize each person sitting at the table before walking on. He heard Ron's sharp intake of breath as the phoenix stopped to look at him carefully, and he heard Mrs. Weasley let out a sigh of relief as Albion moved on to look at Tonks and Moody. Harry figured that Albion would choose either Lupin or McGonagall. They had the experience, and the respect of most of the old order.

He sat back, still smiling, thinking that it would be good for Lupin to get out from under the stigmatism of being a werewolf. He almost laughed at the disappointment on Fred and George's faces. He was surprised when Albion stopped, then carried on past McGonagall.

`It must be Lupin then,' he thought as Albion came back to stare at him and Lupin.

Albion cocked his head at Lupin, before giving a small nod. The smile fell off of Harry's face as Albion came and stopped in front of him, settled down and bowed low to Harry. Harry shook his head at the realization of what the phoenix had obviously planned so many months ago. Once again he was being put in a situation that he did not volunteer for. Albion slowly blinked his eyes.

“No…” he said as the fear took hold of him. “I can't.”

He couldn't be responsible for that many people.

`Who else, Harry, would those of the DA trust? Who else would the old Order listen to? Both parties need you. Harry, you must be the one who brings both sides together and leads them to defeat Voldemort,' Albion said. “I have played their little game, we have done the phoenix ritual. They will accept you as their leader. The phoenix has said so.”

“Please,” he whispered to Albion. “Chose someone one else. I don't think I can handle the responsibility of any more deaths on my hands.”

`I've made my choice, Harry, that's what I have been asked to do. It is now up to you as to whether this New Order survives.'

Harry felt his anger beginning to build at being put on the spot. Dumbledore was manipulating him again. He should have known. Harry got up and left the room, ignoring the calls to come back.

“Let him go,” Lupin said. “I'll speak with him later.”

“Certainly not actin' like a leader,” grumbled Moody. “Though, I remember another leader behavin' the same way. Seems like he— Hey! Ruddy bird! Watch where you're spreadin' them wings!”

Albion squawked at him, then turned to face McGonagall, who was trying not to laugh out loud. He gave a slow nod of his head before taking flight back up the stairs.

“Well,” said Mrs. Weasley. “Who needs their tea warmed?”

Hermione stood up, intent on going upstairs, but Lupin stopped her.

“Let him have time to process this. It's a big thing. I'll go see him later.”

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

Harry was furious. He stormed all the way up to the top floor, and found himself facing the door to his Godfather's room. He hesitated for a moment before opening the door and stepping in. A slight breeze was blowing from the open window, and he could see the sun dancing on the particles in the air. He could tell by the number of bones on the floor that Kretcher had never bothered to clean this room. He moved towards the bed, taking his anger out on the remnants by kicking them across the floor. He sat down on the bed and coughed at the dust that he stirred up.

“Scourgify,” he said as he waved his wand at the bed and then the floor.

As he sat trying to process all of what just happened, he heard the scrape of claws on the windowsill. He turned to see Albion sitting, watching him.

“Now what do you want?” Harry said as he picked up a missed bone from the floor.

`I sensed you need to discuss something,'

Harry snorted. “You wouldn't like to hear what I have to say.”

`I doubt that there is anything you could say that I have not already told myself,' Albion said.

“Okay, how about this? I spent six years having you keep me in the dark, feeding me only enough information to stave off my curiosity. You used me for your own war against Voldemort,” he said as he threw the bone across the room.

`I do believe that I apologized for that in my former life,' Albion said.

Harry got up and began to pace.

“Oh sure. Sorry for that, Harry. By the way, did I tell you about the man who killed your family? Sorry, Harry. Oh, and did I tell you about the prophesy? Sorry, Harry. Oh, did I tell you about the Horcruxes?”

Harry turned and stalked over to the bird.

“Now it's oh, did I tell you I want you to lead an army of people against Voldemort, putting them all at risk?”

Albion just stared at him.

`Do you have a more logical suggestion?' he asked.

“What about McGonagall?”

`She will always be their teacher.'

“Or Lupin?”

`He is not trusted by all, due to his condition.'

“Well, there's…there's…”

`Ron? Hermione?'

“No,” Harry said quickly.

`Harry, I want you to seriously think about this. It takes a great wizard, someone powerful, quick and smart. Someone that everyone respects.'

Harry shook his head. “I'm not any of those things. I'll never be as powerful as you were.”

He flopped back down on the bed, and Albion followed him in and sat beside him.

`I do not make my decisions lightly, Harry. I have had several months to think on it. You are what the Order needs. You can organize those available so they are working to the best of their ability. They need you, and you need them if we are to end this war.'

Harry sighed. He hated it when Dumbledore, now Albion, was right.

“Do I get to choose my own inner circle?”

`Of course. You may organize as you see fit.'

Harry heard a knock on the door and got up to answer it. Lupin looked at him anxiously as he opened the door.

“Alright there, Harry?” he asked.

Harry looked back at where Albion was sitting before turning and giving him a tight smile. “All things considered, I'm fine, I think.”

Lupin looked past Harry to see the phoenix sitting on the bed. He frowned in concern.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Harry shook his head. “Thanks. Maybe later.”

“You won't be alone in this, Harry. You know that,” Lupin said. “I will always be here for you.”

Harry smiled warmly at the older man who had become like a father to him.

“I appreciate it,” he said.

He hesitated for a moment before sighing in resignation. “Could you tell the Order I accepted Albion's decision? I'm just not ready to talk to them. I need some time to process this.”

Lupin smiled. “Sure, Harry. Tonks and I are going to be heading back to Hogwarts soon. You should do the same.”

Harry nodded as Lupin turned to leave.

“Remus?” he called.

Lupin stopped to look at him.

“Could you ask Hermione to come up here? I…uh…would like to talk to her.”

Lupin smiled and carried on down the hall. Harry went back to where Albion was sitting.

“So, as my familiar, you do as I say?”

`So they tell me,' Albion replied.

“Well, good. I need to speak to Hermione…alone.”

Albion cocked his head and looked at Harry for a moment.

`Are you sure of this?' he asked.

Harry frowned at him. “Yes, and stay out of my head.”

He heard Albion chuckle as he took flight out the window.

He heard a tap on the door and turned to see Hermione smiling at him. She came in and wrapped her arms around Harry. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep, savoring this last moment with her. He very gently pulled her away so he could look at her face.

Hermione searched his eyes, looking to see if she could find out what was bothering him. She saw…emptiness. He had shut himself away from everyone again, including her. He was reverting back to his old ways. She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

“No,” she whispered. “Don't do this, Harry.”

Harry smiled wistfully at her, wiping a tear that was trailing down her cheek.

“You mean a lot to me, you know that don't you?”

“If I meant that much to you, you wouldn't be doing this.”

“What do you think I'm doing?” Harry asked.

Hermione moved away from him and crossed her arms over herself protectively.

“You're pushing me away, shutting me out. I can see it in your eyes.”

Harry turned away from her and moved to the window so she couldn't see the pain.

“Voldemort is planning on getting to me by destroying all those who are close to me,” he said quietly. “He already knows you're my friend. If he knew how much I…I cared for you, he would go after you first. I want to have a fighting chance. If he hurts, or even worse, kills you, I…I don't know what I would do,” he finished in a whisper.

Hermione placed her hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry covered it with his hand. After a moment, he moved away from her comfort. Hermione watched him go, the hurt visible in her eyes.

“With everything going on right now, I just need some time. You have to trust me on this.”

Harry heard her sniff and turned to look at her. He wished that he hadn't. The pain in her eyes broke his heart.

“Why should I?” she choked, as she moved towards the door. “You obviously don't trust in us.”

“Hermione, wait!” Harry called as she fled the room.

“Damn,” he said as he watched her run down the stairs, taking his heart with her.

Harry spent the rest of the morning avoiding both Ron and Hermione. He chose instead to explore the old house, checking out several rooms he had not been in before, in hopes of finding the locket. Just after lunch he heard the roar of the fireplace, and figured Lupin and Tonks had left. He was surprised then, to see Lupin sitting in the kitchen when he arrived after reluctantly giving up his search for the Horcrux.

“Ron and Hermione just left,” he said. “She seemed quite upset. Is everything alright?”

Harry shrugged as he helped himself to a sandwich from the plate on the table.

“Harry, are you sure you are doing the right thing?” Lupin asked.

“No, but its what I have to do for now,” Harry said. “Don't worry, I can deal with this on my own.”

Lupin shook his head as he got up and put his empty cup in the sink. Teenagers were quite annoying sometimes.

“Are you ready to go?” Lupin asked him.

“Just let me get my bag,” Harry said.

Lupin, Tonks and Harry arrived in Tonks' office, and Harry said his goodbyes before heading up to his common room. He had just entered, deep in thought, when the fall of footsteps made him look up to see Ron bearing down on him. He didn't look too happy.

“Ron! Wait! I—”

WHAM!

Ron punched him hard in the face. Harry fell against the wall before sliding down to sit on the floor, rubbing his aching jaw. He figured he deserved that, but it didn't take away the pain he was still feeling in the center of his chest.

“You bastard!” Ron said, standing over him, fists ready. “You bloody bastard! You promised you wouldn't hurt her!”

“Yeah, you're right, I did,” Harry mumbled as he worked his jaw.

“Get up!” Ron growled. “I want to hit you again.”

“Ron!” Hermione called as she came from her room. “Stop it right now!”

She took hold of Ron's arm and dragged him protesting from the room, without sparing a glance at Harry.

“Fine!” he said to no one in particular as he got up. “This is just what I wanted, right?”

`You're a lousy liar,' a familiar voice said inside his head.

“Sod off,” he replied, as he headed for his room.

-->

A/N: So many lovely reviews! Thank-you all! If you are enjoying this story, tell two friends, and then they can tell two friends, and so on, and so on…

The characters in this story do not belong to me, I'll admit it; they belong to J.K. Rowling. Now can I go play with them?

Chapter 33

The Attacks Begin

The next few weeks passed in a whirlwind for Harry. He was getting used to his role in the Order, with Lupin's support, and all of the members of the D.A. had been invited to join. Mrs. Weasley didn't know about the younger Order members, including Ginny, but they kept the youngest Weasley and the others in the loop by discussing the meetings with them. Ron and Hermione were being civilized to Harry, and during the D.A. training times, to anyone watching, it seemed like there wasn't a gap between the three of them. Harry had what he wanted; he was alone. Some days, it suited him just fine. He spent much of his spare time in between classes creating lessons for the D.A. and looking up any new spells that he could throw at Moody.

Most of the time, though Harry wouldn't admit it out loud, he was lonely. He missed both of his friends, especially Hermione. True, she would sit near him during meals, and they had civil discussions, but there was one piece of her that she kept from Harry, and as much as he tried to deny it, he wanted all of her.

It was one of those days, when he was feeling sorry for himself that Moody ended up putting him in the hospital. He flinched as he awoke to find the blurry figure of Moody standing over him.

“You're dead, Potter, you do know that?” he growled.

“Being dead sure hurts like hell,” Harry said through gritted teeth. He figured from the pain he was in that he had several broken ribs, and his arm felt like it was on fire.

“I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but you had better fix it right now. I will not waste my time on a namby-pamby little boy who doesn't have his head on straight. So what ever it is that's bugging you, deal with it, before I really hurt you.”

Moody stomped out of the infirmary, each thump of his peg leg sounding like an accusation. Harry watched him go, and then looked up at Madame Pomfrey. She frowned at him, and he had the good grace to look sheepish before downing the medication she handed him. He slid back down the bed and closed his eyes, pulling the blanket over his head like a punished child trying to hide from the world.

When he awoke later that day he was feeling much better. He was once again amazed at the artistic talent Madame Pomfrey had when it came to repairing the human body. As he turned and reached for his glasses, he was surprised to see Lupin sitting beside him, looking a little worse for wear. He felt a slight twinge of disappointment that Ron and Hermione weren't here.

“Looks like you've had a worse day than I have,” Harry said, as he sat up and looked around for his clothes.

Lupin shrugged. “Full moon,” he replied, and Harry nodded in understanding, as he got dressed.

Both of them were silent as they left the infirmary. They headed down the stairs to the Great Hall where they ran into a disheveled Ginny coming the other way. Harry watched with concern as she came up the stairs. He could clearly see the tear streaks and red puffy eyes as she came closer. He grabbed her arm as she moved to go past him.

“Ginny! Are you all right? What's happened?” he asked, fearing the worst.

She started in surprise as she became aware of where she was, and glanced between Harry and Lupin.

“I'm fine, Harry,” she said, pulling her arm from his grasp. “I just…I have something I need to do.”

She disappeared up the stairs.

As Harry turned towards the stairs again he caught sight of Ron and Hermione heading for the Great Hall. Ron had his arm around Hermione's shoulder and she was leaning against him. The great beast roared to life in Harry's chest and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, or shut it away, the pain increased as he watched them disappear. He absentmindedly rubbed his chest; angry with himself for allowing his emotions to affect him like this. Did this mean that Ron had taken up with Hermione again? Harry knew that Ron was very protective of her, and he had been going out with her first. Either way, it wasn't right that they show their affection for each other in public like this.

Harry started forward with the intent of having a little chat with his so-called friends, when Lupin's hand on his arm stayed him. He turned to see Lupin looking up the stairs to where Ginny had gone.

“It's not like her to be so visibly upset,” he said frowning.

Harry looked up the stairs and then back down towards the Great Hall, indecision making him hesitate.

“Damn,” he swore as he turned and headed for the stairs. “Tell Ron and Hermione to grab something for me,” he called over his shoulder as he jogged up the first flight. “I'll meet them later in the head common room.”

Harry was at the Gryffindor tower and through the doorway before the Fat Lady had opened fully.

“Ginny?” he called as he moved into the common room. “Has anyone seen Ginny?”

A pair of first years shook their heads, no. Harry let out a sigh of frustration as he turned and headed towards the hidden passage to his dorm. He ran to his room and grabbed his map from his trunk.

“I solemnly swear I'm up to no good,” he murmured as he tapped the map. He quickly scanned all her favorite haunts, with no luck. He was about to give up when his eye caught her name in the Headmistress' office.

Harry was really curious now. What would upset Ginny so much that she would go to McGonagall and not to her own family? He decided he had to check it out. After all, he was the head of the Order now, and should know what was going on.

“Mischief managed,” he said as he put the map back in his trunk.

He took off towards McGonagall's office, and was soon giving the password and taking the moving staircase up to her office. After a quick tap on the door and being told to enter, Harry strode across the outer room to see Ginny sitting in an overstuffed chair, still looking visibly upset. Harry could see Dumbledore sitting in his portrait behind McGonagall. It still unnerved him to see his old Headmaster there, when he knew Albion was sleeping on the perch in his room downstairs. He had tried to explain it once to Harry, but it was so confusing that Harry chose to just chalk it up to magic.

“Mr. Potter,” he heard in that familiar Scottish burr, “I was just about to call you. It seems Miss Weasley has some important information that needs to be passed to the Order. What you hear must be held in strictest confidence, and no information may leave this room without Miss Weasley's consent.”

Harry frowned. One of the issues in the New Order was the difficulty the older Order members were having with being told what to do by a teenager. There were many times that his teachers would try and take over the meetings, or make decisions for him. Most of the time he accepted their suggestions, but right now he was already angry with Ron and Hermione, and was in no mood to be bossed around.

“Is this something for the Order?” Harry asked as he came to stand beside Ginny, who flinched slightly under his towering frame.. “Shall I call a meeting?”

McGonagall looked at him over the rim of her glasses.

“If you wish, Mr. Potter, however, a good leader would gather all of the information first before calling a meeting.”

Harry glared at her for a moment, before finally conceding. Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and he looked down at her, wondering what could be so bad. Just before she looked away he saw a hint of…guilt? Shame? He wasn't too sure.

“Go ahead, Miss Weasley,” McGonagall said gently. Ginny took a deep breath and her eyes darted to Harry once before she began her story.

“I have been given the information that You-Know-Who is planning to attack the Burrow in three days.”

Harry sat down heavily in the chair that suddenly became available to him.

`So,' he thought, `it's beginning.'

Harry began to sift through several plans in his mind, when he stopped. Not too many people could know about Voldemort's plan. He only knew about it from his vision. He turned to look at Ginny.

“Where did you get this information Ginny?” he asked.

Ginny shifted uneasily as she picked at the hem of her sweater. She wouldn't meet Harry's eyes.

“Just someone I've come to know this year,” she said evasively.

Harry racked his brain trying to remember whom Ginny was hanging out with lately. He frowned as he realized he hadn't seen her around much, except for the DA meetings.

“Slytherin?” he finally asked, figuring they would be the only ones who had contact with the Death Eaters.

Ginny hesitated, and then gave a slight nod, seemingly very interested in her sweater. Her eyes darted to McGonagall and then back down to her lap.

“You shouldn't trust them, Ginny,” Harry said. “You know what kind of background they have.”

“I know he was telling the truth!” Ginny blurted out, only to clap her hand over her mouth at the realization of what she said.

“He?” Harry asked, anger evident in his voice.

Ginny looked back over at McGonagall, looking for support, but the Headmistress stayed silent.

“Ginny, if your brother finds out—”

“Just drop it, Harry,” Ginny said. “I'm a big girl and I know what I'm doing.”

Harry just looked at her with a doubtful expression on his face.

Ginny exploded out of the chair and began to pace.

“This is exactly why I came to Professor McGonagall and not you or Ron,” she said. “Neither one of you think I can look after myself, and you're not willing to listen to a word I have to say.”

Harry flinched as he remembered saying similar words himself.

“Ginny,” Harry said. “I just don't want to see you get hurt.”

Ginny stopped and looked at him, arms folded across her chest.

“That's rich, coming from you,” she said.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Harry asked.

“You know exactly what it means. Hermione—”

“Has nothing to do with this,” Harry snapped, cutting her off.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Dumbledore, who merely shrugged. She cleared her throat, and the two teenagers turned to look at her.

“As much as I am sure this discussion is…important, we need to plan for this attack. May I suggest, Mr. Potter, that we call a meeting of the New Order for an hour from now? We need to be prepared. I would recommend sharing the information about the attack, and making some plans to protect the Burrow.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” Harry said shamefaced. No wonder he was having difficulties leading the Order when he was acting like a child.

“I'll get Hermione to send a message to everyone here, and you can inform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the others.

I would suggest,” McGonagall said as she glanced at Ginny, “that we keep our source of information a secret for now. This link may have some…future benefits.”

Harry frowned. He wanted to know whom she was talking to. “Maybe I should go with you next time you meet this person,”

Ginny shook her head emphatically. “There is no way I am having you go with me. I can handle this myself, and we don't want to scare him off now, do we? Its our only link to what You-Know-Who is doing.”

Harry gritted his teeth, knowing she was right. “Fine, I'll agree,” he said. “I'll arrange for a later meeting, after you have informed the DA.”

Ginny relaxed visibly in her chair as Harry turned to leave. “This isn't over, Ginny,” he said as he moved passed her.

“You've got that right,” she replied to his retreating back.

Harry headed for his common room, hoping that Lupin had passed the message to Ron and Hermione. Not only was he starving, but he also had to talk to them before he met with the rest of the DA. He was going to have to tell the two of them about the map he had seen in the vision. As he entered the common room, he heard Hermione laugh, and the sound warmed his heart. He moved into the main area and saw Ron and Hermione sitting together on the couch; Ron animating some story with his hands as Hermione laughed. They looked so comfortable together, like the way two people in a relationship would look.

Harry couldn't help it. The comment Ginny had made was fresh in his mind. He leaned against the wall in annoyance and crossed his arms.

“Having fun, are we?” he asked.

They both jumped and turned at the sound of his voice.

“Harry!” Hermione said. “Goodness! You scared us!”

“Obviously you were enjoying yourselves and didn't hear me come in,” he replied.

Ron rolled his eyes and turned his back on him, unwilling to spar with him.

“Honestly Harry, I don't know what your problem is,” Hermione said, clearly annoyed at his behavior. “This is what you wanted, isn't it?”

Harry opened his mouth to scream `No! I just wanted to have a normal life! One without the threat of losing you!' He closed his mouth again and shook his head.

“Never mind. Listen, I need to talk to both of you about Voldemort.”

“Fine,” Hermione said as she settled back down into the couch. Harry could still hear the pain and anger in her voice, but he couldn't deal with that right now.

Harry came around and sat in the chair. He could see the annoyance on both of their faces, but he knew that no matter how angry they were with him, they would support him until the end. Harry took a moment to grab some of the food that was sitting on the table. Ron and Hermione watched as he wolfed everything down, then take a large drink of pumpkin juice. Harry rubbed his hands together before clasping them in front of him.

“The night I got back from meeting Albion, I had a vision.”

Ron and Hermione shared a glance at each other.

“I saw Voldemort, and he had a map. He had circled several homes on the map, including the Burrow.”

Ron sat up straighter at this, the worry etched across his face.

“My parents?” Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded. “I just found out that Voldemort is planning to attack the Burrow in three days,” Harry said. “We need a plan to stop them.”

Ron jumped up. “I need to owl my parents,” he said.

“Already been done,” Harry said, waving him back. “We need to call a meeting of the DA so we can organize a counter attack.”

“What about the Ministry?” Shouldn't we tell them?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. “I don't know what would happen if the Ministry went in with wands blazing,”

“Or if they would even listen to you,” Hermione added. “What about my parents? Are they in danger as well?”

Harry thought for a moment and then shrugged.

“I don't know. It was the Burrow that seemed to be the main target this time.”

“Maybe I can get them to go away for a while,” Hermione said as she got up to leave. “I'll send them an owl.”

“Don't forget to set the coins for the meeting,” Harry called after her.

The door closed behind her and within the next thirty seconds, they felt the familiar signal to announce the meeting.

“That girl sure is good at doing more than one thing at a time,” Ron sighed as he looked at his coin.

“Yeah, she's a great multi-tasker,” Harry said absently as he watched the closed door, missing Ron's confused look.

Ron studied him for a moment. “You still care for her,” he said quietly. “I thought…”

Harry looked at his friend, and Ron could see the pain in his eyes.

“I can't,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Not now…” he got up and headed towards his room to change, stopping at the door and leaning heavily on the door jam.

As he watched his friend's shoulders sag, Ron realized what Harry was doing. He was pushing Hermione away, just like he did to Ginny, thinking that it would protect her.

“You'll take care of her, won't you, Ron?” Harry said without turning around.

“Yeah,” Ron said sadly to the retreating back of his best friend before the door closed.

“I'll take care of both of you,”

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A/N: Greetings, readers and reviewers! I would like to thank-you so much for all of your reviews for the last chapter. I appreciate the time you take to leave me a message. They do mean a lot to me. You may find the end of this chapter a bit dark; I think it is something that Harry had to experience before turning his life around. This is his deep dark hole. A special nod goes out to my Beta, Dementor149. He has been the “Demented Keeper” of my sanity throughout this whole process. So without any further ado, happy reading, and I hope to hear from you soon!

In my own little “demented” mind, Harry doesn't belong to JKR, he belongs to the world, and so I am free to do as I please…

Chapter 34

The Evils of War

The night of the intended attack was cool and clear. The DA arrived at the Burrow just before dusk. Bill and Fleur had come for a visit for the weekend, and so the entire Weasley family was home, save Percy, who was still not talking to them. Harry wasn't sure how Voldemort and his Death Eaters had found out about this planned visit, but it made it easier to explain why the entire clan was here. Mrs. Weasley was dead set against Ginny coming, but Ron convinced her that it would look strange if she wasn't there.

Harry rubbed his hands together to ward off the November chill as he went over the plan again in his head. It was simple. They would trap the Death Eaters in the anti-Apparition zone around the Burrow and try and take out as many as possible, as quietly as possible. Harry, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Seamus were under their invisibility cloaks, ready to strike. He had scattered them around the Weasley's property, taking advantage of the trees and hedges for cover. Lupin, Tonks and Moody were with the rest of the DA, creating a perimeter so they couldn't escape. Hopefully, this whole thing would be over before Voldemort and his followers were alerted.

Harry shifted under his invisibility cloak, scanning the area as he did so. He could see Neville leaning against a tree in his invisibility cloak, seemingly uninterested in his surroundings, but Harry could see his wand at the ready. He looked in the other direction to see Hermione's head peeking out from under her cloak as she gave last minute instructions to one of the hidden DA members. Harry watched as she finished and turned to face him. Her face didn't change as she pulled her hood up and vanished from view. He could still see her outline, thanks to the magic of the cloaks, and it brought back memories of the first time they had tried the cloaks on in the twins' shop.

Harry sighed. She had remained cool towards him, and he wished he had an answer to his dilemma. He missed her every day, but knew of no other way to keep her safe from Voldemort.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, it was harder to see everyone, and there was a tension in the crisp night air, as if everyone and everything was on hold. Harry had no idea of how this battle would turn out; this was the first time he had organized anything of this caliber. Lupin and McGonagall had offered suggestions, but they had left the final planning up to him. He worried about the safety of his team, and spent many moments double-checking that everyone was ready.

Harry was lost in his musings when he heard the distinct popping sound of wizards Apparating. Scarcely breathing, he watched as two of them slunk past where he was standing. He waited patiently until they were under the ward, and then he took the first one down with a silent `Petrificus Totalus'. The Death Eater fell stiffly to the ground with a soft thump, causing his partner to look around. He slowly approached his fallen comrade, wand out, ready for an attack. Harry watched with amusement as he kicked the fallen Death Eater with his foot. Obviously, they were not the brightest in the bunch, and probably expendable. He sent out the second silent spell, and the confused Death Eater joined his partner on the ground. Harry levitated them out of sight behind the bushes and bound them tightly. Hopefully, the rest of the Death Eaters could be caught just as quickly and quietly. He watched as Neville took out two more, and then duck back into the cover of the trees, to continue his vigil. Harry moved closer to the Burrow, looking for any sign of Death Eaters that may have slipped past his sentries. He figured there had to be more than four; Voldemort would send a small army against a Wizarding family such as the Weasley's.

He looked up at the sound of a creaky screen door to see Ron and the twins make their way out on to the front porch. Harry frowned. He knew they wouldn't stay indoors when there was fighting going on. He and Ron had argued about where the Weasley boys would be when the attack started. They were none too happy to be waiting it out on the inside of the Burrow. Ron moved to the front of the porch and Harry could tell he was looking for him or Hermione. Harry sighed and headed towards the house, intent on telling him to go back inside, when a movement to his left caught his eye. A Death Eater stood up from the cover of a bush with wand pointed towards the house.

“Ron!” Harry yelled as he brought his wand to bear on the semi-hidden assailant.

“Stupefy!” Harry yelled as Ron and the twins dove to the side. The porch railing in front of where they had been standing exploded, showering the boys with splinters of wood. The Death Eater slumped to the ground, and all hell broke lose. The element of surprise was gone, and the Order members began trading spells back and forth with the Death Eaters as they emerged from their hiding places.

Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie came flying out of the house and Harry could see Mrs. Weasley holding a furious Ginny back. As they joined in the fray, Harry watched as Hermione's silhouette sidled up to the porch to check on Ron and the twins. An errant spell flew past Harry's head, bringing him back to the task at hand. He decided to take advantage of his invisibility and snuck towards a small group of Death Eaters that he could see hiding behind the shed. As he got closer he reached into his invisipouch and pulled out a few of the twins' bombs. He enlarged one, and seeing the `SS' on the side for `Stupefying Stunner', lobbed it towards the group. It hit the ground and exploded with a small `whump', causing the Death Eaters to look down before sliding into unconsciousness. He quickly flicked his wand and bound them, and then moved on, looking for more targets.

Harry had to be careful, since he was invisible to most of the spell-casters around him, and he found himself watching everyone. He saw Luna as she moved, ghost-like, through the fighting, methodically taking out anyone in her path. He observed a small skirmish between the Patil twins and several Death Eaters, and watched with pride as a cloaked Neville came to the rescue of Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot. Lavender was working in tandem with Dean and the two of them seemed to work well together, covering each other's back. There seemed to be an abundance of Death Eaters, and Harry vaguely wondered where many of these unknown wizards had come from. Their fighting skills were fair, but he could tell that the Order was better trained, thanks to Moody, Lupin and the others.

He rounded the back of the house and saw a small group of Death Eaters trying to sneak in and attack the inhabitants in the house. Harry was about to hex them when a flash came from up above. Harry looked up to see Ginny and her mother hidden at the window, firing spells at whoever tried to enter the house. Harry smiled as he thought that this whole raid might help Mrs. Weasley understand just how determined and brave her daughter was. Harry headed back to the front of the house where he could hear shouting, and rounded the corner just in time to see Dean Thomas take a spell in the back and go down. Lavender was sitting on the ground cradling her arm, but she appeared relatively alert. He sent a `Stupefy' at the Death Eater that was responsible, and moved on to help out the Creevey brothers who seemed to be pinned down by a group of dark wizards.

Within a few minutes it seemed to be over, and Harry flipped off his cloak, mopping his brow as he did so. He strode over to where Ron was standing with Seamus, a revived Dean, and Lavender.

“What happened to using the element of surprise, Ron?” Harry asked. “You were supposed to wait until the attack was underway before you came out. That way you could have honestly said that you had no idea about the attack. If the word gets back to Voldemort that we were waiting for them, he'll suspect a spy. Not only that, but with all the commotion, someone may have heard and informed the Ministry.”

Ron crossed his arms and looked down on his friend. “I didn't see anything wrong with going out for a breath of fresh air; we do it all the time. And who's going to hear anything? We are no where near the town.”

“You almost got yourself killed,” Harry said. “If you had stayed inside, that wouldn't have happened.”

“Was that how you were planning to keep me safe? By keeping me out of the way?” he asked angrily.

Harry sighed. “Ron…”

“Harry! Down!” he heard Hermione scream and he dove for the dirt as a green flash flew past where he had been standing.

Ron and the others scrambled for cover, wands drawn, searching for the source of the attack. They could hear spells being traded in the cover of the trees, so they ran towards the sound. They arrived in time to see a cloaked wizard collapse to the ground as Hermione came out from behind a tree, cloak in hand. Harry approached the figure carefully, and turned him over. It was Dolohov. He looked up to see Hermione looking at him with what could only be described as an `I-told-you-so' look on her face before she turned and made her way to the Burrow. Harry sighed. He bound up Dolohov, pocketed his wand, and took out one of the extra portkeys and attached it to the Death Eater's cloak.

“Hogwarts' Holding,” he said and Dolohov disappeared.

“What do you want him for?” Seamus asked.

“Maybe he can give us some information on Voldemort's future plans, or where he is hiding,” Harry said. “We need to get out of here. Ron, make sure your dad doesn't mention the Order. I'm not ready to explain our actions to them.”

Ron nodded, and Harry could still see the accusations in his eyes.

“We'll talk later,” he said, meeting his eyes. “Order members, time to leave. Meet in the Room of Requirement in one hour for a quick meeting. Professors Lupin and Tonks, could you stay here, please? It may help to explain how the Weasley's took out so many Death Eaters.”

Harry twisted his portkey pin, first left, and then right. “Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes,” he said, and with a tug at his navel, he disappeared, along with the rest of the pin-wearing Order.

The meeting actually went quite well. Some cuts and bruises reported, and one broken arm, but no losses. Mr. Weasley had popped in to report on his dealings with the Ministry, explaining the story he concocted.

“They did ask about your whereabouts, Harry, since both Hermione and Ron were there and you weren't. I explained that you were feeling a little under the weather and had decided to stay at school,” he finished.

“Thanks, Mr. Weasley,” Harry nodded. “They didn't suspect that we had prior knowledge to the attack?”

“No,” Mr. Weasley said. “I think having Tonks there helped. She made the report more…official.”

Harry nodded his thanks and Mr. Weasley returned home. After sending everyone off to bed, Harry found himself wide-awake. He decided he wanted to talk to Dolohov tonight, instead of waiting for tomorrow. As he headed down the moving staircase, he saw a familiar pair coming towards him. He stopped and waited, leaning against the railing with folded arms, until they were even with him.

“You missed the meeting,” he said to them.

Ron shrugged. “Wasn't much to tell from my side, unless you want to know what I had for dinner?”

Harry looked at Hermione. “It would have been nice to have an account of Dolohov's actions,” he said.

Hermione looked at him for a moment, before crossing her arms.

“He shot, you ducked, he missed, I didn't.” she said. “Oh, and you're welcome.”

Harry opened his mouth to make a retort, and then changed his mind. He was already in a foul mood, and didn't feel like making things worse. He turned and headed down the stairs.

“Oi! Where are you going?” Ron called.

“To see Dolohov,” Harry replied without turning around.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and then turned to follow.

The three of them made their way down to the bottom floor of the castle, away from the Slytherin room, and towards the seldom-used dungeons. They moved down the dimly lit hall in silence, until they came to a little used door with two gargoyles on each side. Harry had set this up at Dumbledore's insistence; how he knew it would come in handy amazed Harry.

“Demented Keepers,” He said and the door slowly creaked open.

They strode into a large room. Around the outside walls were several doors that led to small cells with very few amenities. Harry could tell which one Dolohov was in by the amount of thumping and yelling going on. Obviously, the spell that Hermione had hit him with only knocked him out temporarily.

He moved to the door and waved his wand. “Aperio,” he said.

The door became transparent and they could see Dolohov struggling on the floor. When he realized he had company, he stopped and stared at them. His eyes lit upon Hermione and his frown turned into a leer.

“You like playin' with wands, do ya, girlie? I could teach you a thin' or two,” he laughed.

Hermione, for her part paled slightly, but her expression didn't change. Harry felt the anger burning within him, and before either of his friends could react, he had unlocked the door and gone inside.

“Harry!” Hermione called after him.

He picked up Dolohov off of the ground and threw him onto the bed against the wall.

“Where's Voldemort?” he growled.

Dolohov laughed. “Wouldn't you like to know, Potter? A bit touchy about that one eh? Keepin' her fer yourself?” he said as his eyes slid over Hermione, who was now standing in the doorway.

He turned back to look at Harry, narrowing his eyes as he did so.

“You're dead, Potter. The Dark Lord'll see to it. Then maybe he'll give me a pretty little present,” he taunted.

Harry was so angry that he barely had any control.

“I will ask you one more time, where's Voldemort?” he asked.

Dolohov just smirked at him, taunting him with his eyes.

`Legilimens,' Harry thought, and forced his way into Dolohov's mind as he grabbed hold of the Death Eater's face.

Dolohov's eyes went wide as Harry ripped down the flimsy boundaries he had erected. He pushed his way past Dolohov's frenzied thoughts, trying to ignore some of the more vile ones. He knew he would have to go deep.

Dolohov started to shake as Harry pushed further, beads of sweat beginning to form on the Death Eater's forehead. Harry could feel his resistance, but his anger fuelled his power and he pushed on.

He found locked doors and blew them open with his wand. He was beginning to get frustrated with his inability to find the information he wanted. He came to yet another door, which he blew in, only to hear the hissing of snakes. He stopped for a moment, waiting for something to attack, but nothing did. He poked his head through the doorway to see a scene with Voldemort placing a cup on a pedestal. He was surrounded by a small group of snakes. A younger Dolohov was standing at the end of what appeared to be a tunnel, looking very nervous.

“How long, My Lord?” One of the snakes hissed.

“Not long,” Voldemort assured him. “You will be greatly rewarded.”

The snakes around him hissed in agreement and curled around each other in excitement.

“We will stay then,” their leader said.

“What's so important about that old thing?” Harry heard Dolohov ask.

“Let's just say that it's something I treasure,” Voldemort said as he caressed the side of the cup. “Something my dear little friends will protect from those who cannot explain their presence here. You would be wise to remember that.”

Dolohov, who had been staring at the cup with greedy eyes, startled at Voldemort's veiled threat. “Me? You won't catch me comin' down here. I don't want anythin' to do with a bunch of snakes that hiss at you.”

“Hmm, yes, I'm sure.” Voldemort said as the snakes around him hissed with laughter. He bowed to them before turning to leave. “Come, I have much work to do,” he said as he headed down the tunnel, with Dolohov in tow.

Harry found himself being pulled backwards down the tunnel to a set of stairs, which led up into a house. Harry vaguely remembered the large room as he moved through it, as well as recognizing the outside surroundings as he was pulled out the front door.

The scene shifted, and he found himself back out in Dolohov's mind again, staring at several sets of doors, and one in particular seemed to have many locks on it.

“Alohamora!” he called, blasting the first lock away. The area he was in seemed to shift and vibrate slightly. He looked around for the source, but couldn't see anything. He blew another lock off and the floor shifted again, with more violence this time, causing Harry to lose his balance. He got up and blew the third and final lock, determined to get into that room.

The floor pitched as an inhuman wail could be heard. Harry suddenly realized the walls around him were red, and seemed to be dripping and oozing. He could feel himself shaking as he was pulled away from the door.

“No!” he cried, he had been so close…

He fell back with a thump, and became aware of a hand on his shoulder.

“I almost had it,” he said angrily, realizing that one of them had pulled him away.

He looked up at his two friends who were both looking very pale. He turned to look at Dolohov to see him leaning against the wall, his jaw hanging open and a trickle of blood running from his nose. His eyes looked blank, as he seemed to be staring off into space.

“Harry,” Hermione said shakily, “You almost killed him. He was convulsing, and—”

“Serves him right,” Harry muttered as he got up, the guilt at what he had just done making him feel sick.

“Harry! That's a terrible thing to say, even if he was a Death Eater!” Hermione said.

Harry turned to look at her with hardened eyes, trying to cover the tumultuous emotions that were trying to overpower him.

“Do you think he would have shown you any mercy? Believe me, from what I saw, he wouldn't.”

“That still doesn't give you the right—” Hermione began.

“Look, Hermione, this is war. There are no niceties. If I want to win this, I—”

“Will become just like him!” Hermione cried angrily. She nodded at Dolohov. “You seem to be going in the right direction. You've got the `Evil Lord' thing down pat.”

Harry stiffened at her accusation, his eyes darting to the man, who, for all intents and purposes, was nothing more than a vegetable now. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm to get his attention. She could feel the tenseness of his muscles beneath his shirt. He turned to look at her, and for a split second she could see the pain in his eyes before he locked it away.

“Harry,” she said, trying to reason with him, “You might think that this is how to win this war, but its not going to work. `He will have the power the Dark Lord knows not'. That's what the prophecy said. He knows about evil, Harry. This,” she said pointing at Dolohov, “is evil. Voldemort doesn't know about love. You used to, unless you've forgotten about that too?” she said sarcastically as she felt him trying to pull out of her hold. She just had to get through to him.

Harry stopped and looked at her for a minute before yanking out of her grip, turning, and brushing past an astonished Ron. Hermione watched him go, a single tear sliding down her cheek, the image of the pain on Harry's face etched in her brain. She didn't know if she would ever be able to get through to him again.

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A/N: Okay, I have been messing with your minds for a while now; this is the chapter you have all been waiting for! The one where Harry gets his head on straight! I would like to thank you for all of your kind reviews that keep on pouring in! I really appreciate them all!

These characters are not mine, and I must remember to thank JKR some day when I see her. Writing about them has made my little world so much better!

Chapter 35

Revelations

Harry stormed back to his room and threw himself on his bed, the noise disturbing the phoenix from his slumber in the corner of the room. Albion blinked lazily and looked at the troubled wizard lying on his bed.

`Is there something you wish to talk about, Harry?' he asked.

Harry continued to stare at the ceiling, hands behind his head, ignoring him.

`I do find sometimes, that it helps to talk about any problems that are plaguing you.'

Harry sighed. “We caught Dolohov,” he said finally.

Albion perked up at this, and flew over to Harry's bed.

`I take it the Burrow is safe?' he asked.

“I don't think anywhere is safe right now,” Harry said sadly.

Albion cocked his head at Harry. `There is something else that troubles you, though.'

Harry turned and looked accusingly at Albion.

“No one told me how dangerous Legilimens could be.”

Albion looked at Harry closely.

`What happened to Dolohov, Harry?' he asked after a minute.

Harry closed his eyes, seeing the whole scene play out again in his mind.

“I sent him here, thinking if we knew where Voldemort was, we could keep an eye on him. Ron and Hermione came with me. Dolohov made several disgusting suggestions about Hermione and…I lost my temper. He refused to tell me where Voldemort was, so I used Legilimens, and none too gently either.”

He took a shuddering breath and turned to look at Albion with pain filled eyes.

“I destroyed his mind. He's no better now than the Longbottoms, and I'm no better than Voldemort or his Death Eaters. The only thing that stopped me from ending his life was Hermione. I would have killed him without giving it a second thought,” Harry turned and looked back towards the ceiling. “Maybe she was right. Maybe I am becoming as evil as him. I don't know if I want to feel any different. Having some of those emotions are just too…painful,” he mumbled as he rolled over to sit up at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

Albion ruffled his feathers and made himself more comfortable beside him.

`I've always told you that your temper will get you in trouble.'

Harry turned and scowled at him, but said nothing.

`As I have said before Harry, you are a powerful wizard. You need to learn to be in control of your emotions or they will control you,' Albion said.

“He deserved it,” Harry said defensively, as he traced the pattern in the floor with his eyes. He was just going to follow the pattern all the way to the end of the room and escape from this. Then he wouldn't have to feel anything…

`Why did you attack him, Harry?' Albion asked after a few moments.

Harry shrugged. “He wouldn't tell me where Voldemort was.”

`I think perhaps it was more than that,' Albion said. `You were trying to protect someone.'

“Why wouldn't I? She's my friend,” Harry said, darting a glance at the bird.

`I want you to answer something, Harry, and be honest. Would you have done the same thing if it had been Miss Lovegood? Or even Miss Weasley?'

Harry sat up and took a deep breath, ready to retort that yes, of course he would, but the look that Albion gave him made him pause. Would he have reacted the same way? He would have been angry, but would he have felt like destroying the man for making such suggestions?

“No,” he finally whispered, as his shoulders slumped, admitting out loud to what he had been hiding deep in his soul.

`The problem, Harry, is that you do feel. You feel pain, fear, and anger, but you also feel loyalty and love; the power he knows not.'

“Now you're sounding like Hermione,” Harry said.

`You do love her,' Albion stated after a moment.

Harry shrugged. “Do I?” he asked. “What would I know about love? My parents died before I really got to know them, the Dursleys barely tolerated me, and Sirius…left just as we found each other.”

He omitted Dumbledore's death; it still pained him to think about it, even with Albion there.

`And the one thing they, we, all have in common?'

“They died because I cared about them? That's what he does, you know. He kills anyone I care for. That's why I have to stop caring.”

`No, Harry,' he said, ignoring his self-pity talk. `We all love you, unconditionally, whether there were sacrifices to be made or not.'

“So you're saying that one of us, Hermione or I, is going to have to make a sacrifice in order for the other to live,” Harry said accusingly.

Albion cocked his head. `Did I?'

Harry let out a huff of breath in frustration. `Some things never change,' he thought, and to his annoyance, he heard Albion chuckle.

Harry and Albion were silent for a while. Finally, Harry looked up, gazing out the window towards the school grounds.

“I don't want to die,” he whispered, “But I want Hermione to live.”

If the phoenix could have rolled his eyes, he would have. He had to make Harry see his point.

`Harry, when Tom Riddle was born, he was thrust into a situation where he was unable to experience true love. He has never known what it would feel like to be loved unconditionally. This is where the two of you are different. I'll admit, for eleven of your years you were thrust into a situation where you may have not felt loved.'

“You got that right,” Harry snorted.

`Nevertheless, your parents loved you, and yes, because of that love they were willing to die, as were Sirius and myself, so that you may live. The desire that you have to keep her safe, to treasure her above all else, that is to love unconditionally. Your feelings for Hermione are so strong because she is your soul mate, and the keeper of your heart. You love her,' he concluded.

Harry stared at Albion as his words sunk in. His emotions threatened to overwhelm him, and he could feel a tight knot forming in his chest as he fought against what he already knew deep down. He shook his head.

“No,” he whispered.

`Let it go, Harry,' Albion replied.

Harry rubbed his chest in an effort to ease the pain. He looked up to see Albion watching him. He took a shuddering breath, and shook his head again.

“I can't!” he said.

`Why not?' Albion asked.

“Because admitting it to myself would allow Voldemort to know my feelings for her. She will be a target. She could die because of me. I don't know if I could go on if he took her from me.” Harry said.

Albion looked at him for a moment, and Harry could almost swear the bird was remembering something from the past. The pain in Harry's chest tightened and Harry unconsciously rubbed it again, trying to make it go away. The phoenix watched his actions, and grieved for the boy who should have had a normal life. After a moment, Albion gave his head a little shake.

`I can fully understand your fear, Harry, but ask yourself this—Could he really ever take her from your heart? If you are willing to let your fears paralyze you, Voldemort will have already won. He feeds and thrives on that fear, and he will win because of it. Harry, you are a great wizard. Your parents, Sirius, and myself are very proud of what you have become. If you believe in yourself and in the love you have with Hermione and your friends, then you will win. Don't ever let fear and hatred win. I couldn't imagine a world based on that.'

Albion hopped over to the window, which opened for him. He wanted Harry to think about all he had said, and if he stayed and continued with this verbal dueling, Harry would never face his own emotions.

`Think on what I have said, Harry. Never be afraid to love. It is the most magical of all emotions.' He turned and flew into the night.

Harry sat and stared at the patterns in the floor as he thought about the past few weeks. He tried so hard to get her out of his mind, but she was in his thoughts every day. Albion was right on one account. Hermione was in his heart, owned his heart, there was no doubt about it, and no one, including Voldemort himself, could change that.

As this thought sunk in, the knot in his chest seemed to explode. It filled him with warmth, and Harry's eyes went wide with shock, and he gasped in surprise.

“I love her,” he whispered in amazement.

He flopped back on his bed, letting the sensation run through him.

“I love her,” he said again, and for the first time in a long time, Harry smiled. He lay there, enjoying the moment, before he began to feel the exhaustion of the day start to overtake him. He crawled up his bed and pulled the covers over himself, letting sleep take him.

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

Ron and Hermione had stood dumbfounded after Harry left. Hermione recovered first, whipping out her wand and levitating Dolohov until he was lying on the bed. She didn't even want to touch him.

“What's the matter with him? I haven't seen him so angry since that summer after Voldemort's return.” Ron asked.

“He's scared,” Hermione said, leading Ron out of the room and locking the door.

Although she wasn't too sure why she bothered, Dolohov certainly wasn't going anywhere.

“He has a strange way of showing it,” Ron grumbled as they started back to the upper floors of the castle.

“Do you remember how he acted that summer when we were at Grimmauld place and he was stuck at the Dursleys?”

Ron shrugged. “Vaguely,” he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Should have known you wouldn't remember,” she said. “That sort of thing doesn't seem to stick with you.”

“Hey! Most guys don't get involved in that emotional stuff. Makes the head crazy.”

“Speaking of which, how's Luna?” Hermione asked.

Ron smiled as he thought about the dreamy blonde. “Now there's a girl I can get emotional with,” he said.

Hermione laughed. “Typical,” she said.

“What?” Ron said.

Hermione shook her head as she entered into their common room. It was quiet, and they noticed that the door to Harry's room was closed. Hermione stared at it for a moment, before heading to her own room.

“Are you going to talk to him?” Ron asked.

Hermione stopped, with her hand on the doorknob and hung her head.

“No,” she finally said.

She turned to look at Ron with eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

“I don't think I can stay on this emotional rollercoaster he has built. He'll always be my friend, and I care for him a lot, but…” she left the rest unsaid as she entered her room and closed the door.

Ron sighed and headed for his own room. He couldn't figure out why his two best friends were acting this way, but he did know one thing, they were both miserable. Hermione was becoming more `girlie' by the minute, the way she was moping over Harry, and Harry…his behavior concerned him. He kept pulling away, closing himself off to everyone, almost like he knew he was going to die. He really didn't like it; he could see how it was changing his best friend, and it was changing the relationship between them.

`Starting tomorrow,' he thought as he got into bed, `I'm going to knock some sense into Harry's head.'

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

Harry walked down the hallway. He knew where he was, and had decided to see what the Dark Lord had up his sleeve this time. He entered the room with the high backed chair and sat down in its twin, facing the occupant of the first chair. Voldemort regarded him over the wine glass in his hand. Harry sat back and folded his arms across his chest, waiting. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't afraid.

“You seem fairly calm for someone who just lost his best friend and family.”

Harry slowly smiled at him. “Is that what your Death Eaters reported? That's funny. That's not the story I heard,” he said. “Spoken to Dolohov lately?”

Voldemort frowned at him. “I was told that he died,” he growled. “No loss to me, he served his purpose.”

“What do you want?” Harry asked.

Harry decided that he wasn't going to be the one to tell him his attack had failed. It was curious that the Death Eaters were able to lie to him. Was the Dark Lord losing his touch? Maybe this soul-sucking thing was messing with his head…

“The Blood Traitors were just a warning. You cannot beat me, so I propose a way for you to save the Wizarding World. Surrender to my Death Eaters and there will be no more killings.”

“And if I don't?” Harry asked.

“I've only just begun. I will destroy anyone who opposes me, and I will make sure that you suffer for it.”

Harry stood up and crossed over to stand in front of Voldemort.

“No deal,” he said. “And let me tell you this. Every time you come after me or my friends, it's going to make me more determined to destroy you and everything you stand for.”

Voldemort smirked. “Big words for a little boy.”

“We're done here,” Harry said as he headed for the hall.

“I'm not through with you yet, Harry Potter!” Voldemort screamed at his back. “You will learn the hard way!”

Harry sat up in bed as the last of the vision faded. He noticed that he wasn't covered in sweat as he usually was, and his heartbeat was normal. Voldemort didn't scare him anymore. He smiled grimly to himself as he thought of the betrayal of the Death Eaters. That was a surprising twist. Perhaps only having a piece of your soul could make you unbalanced. It could explain some of Voldemort's behavior. He lay back down, thinking about what Voldemort had said. In a way, he was right. Dolohov was as much as dead, and he still felt bad about that. It was hard enough that he had to live with being the one that had to kill Voldemort. Now he would have to live with the knowledge that he was capable of so many other evils. It was a hard thing for a seventeen year old to deal with on his own. Albion was right, and so was Hermione. Going it alone and letting his fear and hatred of Voldemort rule him wasn't going to win this war. He sighed as he closed his eyes. He had really messed up this time. He was going to have to work pretty hard to win back that trust he lost.

`But,' he mused, `it would be worth it if I am to have any kind of a future with Hermione…'

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A/N: My apologies for the wait on this one. The stomach flu is not pretty. I have to say, I was a bit saddened by the low number of reviews for this last chapter. It is amazing how many people read my story, and for that I am truly thankful. I cherish every review I get, and your words of wisdom mean so much to me. For those of you who review on a regular basis, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You deserve a gold medal. For those of you quiet readers, let me hear what you think. It keeps me writing!

And now back to the Horcrux hunt…

JKR deserves a gold medal for character creativity. As for closure…well, I think that it needs some work…

Chapter 36

The House of Gaunt

Harry woke with a start and realized that he was late. He rushed to get ready, cursing himself for the loss of time. Now he wouldn't be able to speak to Hermione and Ron until later. The last time he had been tardy in his meeting with Moody, the Auror had really taken it out on him.

He was rushing down the final stairway to the Great Hall, intent on grabbing a piece of toast, when it hit him. An intense pain exploded from his scar, causing his knees to buckle and he stumbled down the last few steps. He leaned against the wall, eyes tightly closed as he pushed the palm of his hand against his forehead. Voldemort was thoroughly pissed off, and he figured that he knew why. Obviously he had received word about the Burrow.

He took a few deep breaths and focused on pushing the pain away. As it receded, he opened his eyes to find a startling pair of blue eyes watching him.

“I'm fine,” he said automatically before Luna could ask.

She smiled at him as she moved towards the staircase.

“You will be,” she said as she left.

Harry watched her go for a moment. Before shaking his head and turning back towards the Great Hall. He reached the Gryffindor table and grabbed a few slices of toast and poured himself some pumpkin juice. His eyes slid down the table, looking for his friends, who he saw were watching him. As soon as they made eye contact, Hermione began to gather her books and Ron went back to shoveling the last of his breakfast down his throat. He made his way down the length of the table to stand behind them. They turned around as he cleared his throat, and suddenly Harry didn't know what to say. Ron raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to speak. Harry looked from him to Hermione to see that she was watching him warily.

“I…uh…I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night,” he said as he watched her. “To both of you,” he added, sliding his eyes over to Ron before looking back to Hermione. “I've had a lot on my mind these past few weeks, not…not that it should excuse my behavior, but…”

`I love you,' he thought, but he couldn't say it. Not here, and not now, not with the way she was looking at him.

Suddenly he was lost in the sorrow of Hermione's beautiful brown eyes. He realized that he had done that to her, and he felt his chest tighten. He sat down in front of her and grabbed her hands to still them from packing her bag. Hermione stiffened from the contact, and Harry realized that his actions from the past few weeks had caused a huge rift.

“I am sorry,” he said to her. “I don't know what else to say.”

Hermione slowly withdrew her hands and put her last book away.

“It's a start,” she said as she made a move to go.

“Wait!” Harry said, grabbing at her school robe to stop her. “Can we meet back in our common room after classes this afternoon?”

Hermione looked from Harry to Ron, and Harry thought he saw something pass between them. She gave a slight nod.

“We'll be there,” she said as she left.

Ron gulped down the last of his juice before picking up his books.

“Does this mean you're going to be a bit more civil now?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “I promise.”

“Good,” Ron said as he stood up. “I would hate to have to knock your block off for hurting Hermione again.”

Harry watched him catch up to Hermione and put an arm around her shoulders as they exited the Hall. His heart lurched at the sight, and deep down he felt a fear that he was too late. He had lost her to Ron. Harry cursed himself as he stood up to go. He looked up as he heard a familiar clumping sound heading his way, and winced. Moody did not look overly pleased that he had to come and find Harry. He sighed in resignation. It was going to be another tough lesson. He just hoped that he didn't land in the hospital ward again.

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

Harry slowly limped back to the Gryffindor tower. It had been a long day. Moody had kept him longer to make up for his tardiness, which didn't give him any time to see Madame Pomfrey before he had to go to his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He really should get her to teach him some quick healing spells for days like this. He had known that Lupin was furious with him when he had walked through the door just by the look on his face, and the lecture he had received after class about what he had done to Dolohov didn't put him in a very good mood. He ended up missing lunch, and Tonks, who obviously had spoken with Lupin, was just as hard on him. He had sent Ron and Hermione back to their common room while he stopped by the infirmary for some salve.

As he entered the common room he saw Ron and Hermione sitting side by side at the table with their backs to him. The close proximity of their bodies was almost enough to undo any remaining control he had over his foul mood, and the lights flickered, causing them to look up. He must have looked quite angry, because their whole demeanor changed as he moved into the room.

“I'm going to take a shower,” he muttered as he stalked into the bathroom.

He let the hot water cascade down his head, and hissed in pain as the water reached some of the open wounds on his torso and legs. He stood there, eyes closed, trying to calm himself. He had to get his anger under control. Albion was right. He needed to control it, not have it control him. As he dried himself off he realized the stupidity of not bringing a change of clothes with him. He wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbed his dirty and torn clothes and headed back to his room. As he passed the table he felt a thrill of pleasure as he watched Hermione take in his attire, or lack of it, her face flushing.

Once he was behind his door he applied the salve to the variety of cuts and scrapes across his arms, legs and shoulder. But try as he might, he could not quite reach the ones on his back. He finally gave up, and after throwing on a pair of pants, came out, with his shirt and salve in hand.

“Uh…could I get one of you to…” he held up the salve as he turned around.

“Oh, Harry, that must hurt,” Hermione said as she jumped up and took the salve from him. “Use my chair.”

Harry spun the chair around and straddled it, leaning on his arms across the back. Her fingers were cool and gentle on his burning skin, and as she slowly worked the salve in, he rested his head on his arms and closed his eyes. He allowed her fingers to soothe him; letting his muscles relax as the feathery touches worked their magic, like a lover's kiss. He became so focused on her fingers that he forgot where they were.

“That feels great, `Mione,” he breathed.

Suddenly he heard a book drop, reminding him that Ron was sitting right beside him. The soft touch disappeared and the lid was hastily put back on the jar.

“That should do,” Hermione said briskly as she moved away.

“Thanks,” Harry said as he gingerly slid his shirt on.

Hermione moved to the couch, and Harry followed, sitting at the opposite end. There was an uncomfortable silence and Harry didn't know where to start. He didn't want to start talking about his feelings in front of Ron; he wasn't too sure where he stood with her now. After a moment, Ron cleared his throat.

“So, uh, did you get any useful information from Dolohov?” he asked.

“On Voldemort? No,” Harry said, not meeting Hermione's eyes.

“Then what—” Hermione started.

“A Horcrux, maybe. I think it was,” Harry said, thinking back.

Hermione frowned. “How would Dolohov know anything about the Horcruxes?”

“I don't think he knew what it was. According to the memory I saw, all Voldemort told him was that it was something that he treasured,” Harry replied.

“So which one, and where is it?” asked Ron.

“It was the Hufflepuff cup,” said Harry, “And it's at the old Gaunt house.”

“The one you told us about last year,” Ron said.

Harry nodded. “Yeah, it's in Little Hangleton. We're going to need a Portkey with no questions attached.”

“Why? McGonagall knows about the Horcruxes,” Ron said.

“Do you really think she will let us go off on our own after the problems with Godric's Hollow? As much as it's great to have their support, I, or rather we, need to do this ourselves,” Harry said. “The fewer people involved, the better.”

“Wait a minute,” Hermione interrupted. “You told us that Dumbledore found the ring there already. Would Voldemort hide two Horcruxes in the same place?”

Harry shrugged. “All I know is that in the vision, Voldemort and Dolohov were in a cave and when they left, they came out through the Gaunt house.”

“Well, I guess its time to go and visit my brothers,” Ron said.

“Whatever for?” Hermione asked.

“If we are going Horcrux hunting, I want to be prepared. I'm not going anywhere near that house or in any caves without some form of protection,” he replied.

“Like what? Spider repellant?” Hermione teased.

“Hey! Don't knock it! That stuff really works!” Ron cried indignantly.

Harry hid a smile at Ron's involuntary shudder.

“Bet there's a whole nest of them,” Harry heard him mutter.

“Besides,” Ron said out loud, “Fred and George have a really good map of Britain. We can get a Portkey from them.”

Ron stood up and stretched, and as he passed the couch he gave Harry a brotherly clap on the shoulder. Harry winced.

“We can go and eat first, right?” Ron asked.

Harry smirked up at him and nodded his head.

“Yeah, and get a good night's sleep as well. We can leave tomorrow morning.”

As Ron left, Harry turned and looked at Hermione, who was watching him from the other end of the couch. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Harry moved towards her.

“Hermione,”

Hermione was up off the couch in a flash.

“We should really go down and get something to eat,” she said nervously as she grabbed her bag of books. “We have rounds tonight, and I don't want to be doing it on an empty stomach.”

She headed towards the opening. Harry jumped up.

“Hermione, wait!” he called.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him warily. He came to stand in front of her.

“I really am sorry,” he said, “For everything.”

Hermione looked into his eyes and reached up to brush his hair away from his scar.

“I know,” she said as she smiled sadly.

Harry leaned in to kiss her, wanting to wipe that look off her face. She ducked, and moved away from him and towards the door.

“No, I can't,” she said and hurried out the opening.

Harry leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He had blown it. What he had seen was true; she had made the decision to be with Ron.

When he had entered the Great Hall a while later, he automatically scanned the room looking for his friends. They were way down at the far end of the table, sitting with Ginny, Neville and Luna. He joined them, sliding in beside Neville and helping himself to some food. He didn't add much to the conversation during the meal, but he kept glancing at Hermione, who was pointedly ignoring him. Dinner ended, and Luna got up to head back to her dorm.

“See you tonight during rounds, Ronald,” she said as she leaned down and kissed him.

Harry was so shocked that he choked on his juice. While he was sputtering, Hermione got up, collecting her bag as she went and giving him a strange look.

“Come on, Ginny,” she said. “I'll show you where to find that book you need for your potions assignment.”

After they left with Neville in tow, Harry turned back to Ron, who was looking at him rather oddly.

“Are you alright, mate?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Harry said as he moped up the juice he had spilt. “Don't you think Hermione is going to get annoyed at you when Luna kisses you like that?”

Ron frowned. “Why would she care if my girlfriend kisses me?” he asked.

“Because she…you…what?” Harry asked.

“Luna. My girlfriend.” Ron said.

“But she was…you were…you put your arm around her!” Harry said.

Ron looked at him like he was nutters.

“Harry, Hermione is my friend, nothing more. I care about her, and as much as she drives me crazy when she is bossing me around, she will always be my friend,” he leaned forward. “And I will always be there for her and I will never shut her out,” he said pointedly. He got up to leave. “See you after rounds,” he said and left.

Harry sat there stunned. His best mate, the one who supposedly had the emotional range of a teaspoon, had just chewed him out for the way he had been treating Hermione. Not only that, he had completely forgotten that Ron was seeing Luna. He had been so caught up in his self-centeredness that the world around him had ceased to exist. He knew nothing about his friends or what was really going on in the school. He had become single-mindedly fixated on one thing, just like Voldemort. He was no better at being a leader than his nemesis was. The absurdity of it all suddenly got to him and he started to laugh. There were a few students that day that thought that the strain of being “The Chosen One” had finally pushed Harry Potter round the bend.

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

After a short visit with the twins, the trio Portkeyed to just outside of Little Hangleton. It seemed to Harry, that not much had changed. The town was a bit bigger, and Harry could see the church and the graveyard where he met Voldemort three years ago. He shuddered at the thought and looked away. He could see the Riddle house on the hill, looking quite sinister. No wonder no one wanted to purchase it; the house was permeated with evil.

“Come on,” he said as he led the way down the lane to where the Gaunt house was hidden. As they rounded the corner, Harry began to look for the opening in the hedge. It took him several passes before he found it; the hedge had grown extensively from the time in the memory that Dumbledore had shown him. The rocky and pot holed path was darker, since the hedgerows had grown up high enough to block out the sun. As they came to the copse, Harry stopped and scanned the patch of dark trees for the house. He was surprised to find it still standing. The tiles were completely missing from the roof on one side of the house, and the thistles and bushes in the front had grown past the windows. Harry could see birds flying through the skeletal rafters and he was quite sure there were many other animals nesting in the house as well. As he headed for the front door, Harry suddenly heard a hissing sound and turned around to see Ron spraying himself with…something.

“Spidaway,” he said in response to Harry's questioning look. “It's supposed to keep the spiders away.”

“It smells vulgar,” Hermione said as she moved past him to look at the house. “Do you think there are any wards on the house?”

Harry frowned. “I don't think so,” he said remembering the vision. “Gaunt liked to use fear to keep intruders away.”

Hermione peered cautiously through the door before pushing it open and stepping inside. Harry hurried after her, the concern for her safety quickening his steps.

The inside of the house had faired no better than the outside. What was left of any furnishings were broken and tattered. Harry was amazed to see the pots still hanging in the grubby little kitchen. Ron kicked at the old overstuffed chair and several mice skittered into the safety of the shadows. Harry headed to the back of the house where he figured the bedrooms were. The second door he opened showed him a tiny room with a bed and a small bedside table. A small brush and a few dusty, broken trinkets lay on the table, but there was nothing left of the mattress on the bed, except a few tattered pieces of cloth. As Harry looked through the rusty springs of the bed frame, he thought he could just faintly make out what looked like a handle in the floor.

“This is it!” he said excitedly, as Ron and Hermione came into the room. “Help me move this.”

The three of them lifted the bed up on its end and shoved it against the wall. Ron shuddered as a lone spider dropped from the frame, but then sighed in relief as it scuttled away.

“It works,” he said happily.

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry bent down to look at the trap door and hide his smile. He gave the handle a tug and was surprised when it opened easily. He peered down into the dark musty hole, but couldn't see anything. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the opening.

“Lumos,” he said.

He could make out some kind of a ladder that went down about twenty feet. At the bottom it looked like a cave with two side tunnels.

“I wonder who dug this? Do you think Gaunt knew about it?” Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. “I don't know. I think this is Merope's room, but maybe it was some kind of escape route for the whole family.”

“Escape from what?” Ron asked worriedly.

“Who knows?” Harry said. “Gaunt seemed to be a bit paranoid. Maybe he made it so he had a way to escape from the authorities.”

“And he knew that the spiders would scare everyone away,” Hermione smirked.

Ron paled. “Not funny,” he said.

“Let's go,” Harry said as he lowered himself down the hole.

“Are you serious?” Ron said.

“Yes,” Harry said. “I remember a tunnel, so we have to go down.”

He lowered himself down the ladder until he came to the dirt floor of the cave. Hermione soon followed. They both looked up to see where Ron was.

“Are you coming?” Harry called.

“Just a minute,” they heard, and then the distinct sound of the Spidaway being sprayed.

When Ron got to the bottom, Harry and Hermione looked at him.

“Do you want some?” he asked.

“Why,” Harry said, “Would I trust a product that the twins made especially for you?”

Hermione laughed as Ron looked around fearfully, while trying to brush his clothes off. Then he reluctantly followed his friends further into the cave.

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A/N: Wow! I would like to thank all the people who took the time to write me a review. It made me feel really good! (Maybe I should whine more often…) To those of you who faithfully review for each chapter, special hugs and kisses! (You know who you are!) This is the continuing adventure in the caves below. Enjoy! Many thanks to Dementor149 for some historical information, and for keeping me on task.

I don't own the characters, but I think that I'm giving them a better adventure!

Chapter 37

Protectors of the Cup

They spent a long and dusty hour exploring the cave to no avail.

“I don't think its here, Harry,” Hermione said as she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.

Harry had to resist the urge to wipe away the smudge of dirt she left behind on her cheek.

“Maybe he moved it,” Ron said, as he quickly moved away from a cobweb hanging from one of the ladder rungs. He absently brushed at his jacket again as he looked around.

“No,” Harry said as he brushed his hands on his pants. “We're not in the right place. I think we have to go down one of these tunnels.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Ron groaned.

“Which one, though?” Hermione asked.

Harry looked at the two tunnels. He had examined them closely a while earlier, but found no markings. He closed his eyes and tried to focus, searching for any difference in the two tunnels that wasn't visible to the human eye.

“That one,” he finally said as he opened his eyes and pointed to the left tunnel.

“What makes you so sure?” Ron asked.

Harry shrugged and grinned. “I figure I have a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right.”

“Great,” muttered Ron. “Just great. Probably the one with the most spiders too.”

Harry led the way through the tunnel, his lit wand held out in front of him. They followed the uneven floor down as it curved and moved steadily away from the old house. They didn't have to stoop or bend over; the tunnel was at least eight feet high.

“Have you noticed something?” Hermione said after they had been walking for about fifteen minutes.

“What?” Harry said as he looked around.

“The walls. They're glowing,” Hermione said as she stopped to take a closer look. “I think its phosphorous lichen. It reacts to light. That's why its been so easy to see where we're going,” She reached out and touched the wall. “I bet Neville would have loved this.”

“Fine,” Ron said as he nervously watched a spider moving down the wall towards him. “Next time he can come. How much further, Harry?”

“I don't know,” Harry said. “We seem to have been going down, but it looks like the tunnel in front of us is starting to slope up again.”

“Good,” Ron said as he wiped the sweat off his face as the spider scurried away.

Harry started up the tunnel and Hermione and Ron followed. They had been walking for another half an hour when Harry noticed the tunnel becoming wider. As they moved into the opening, Harry knew they were in the right place.

“Where are we?” Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. “No idea, but wherever we are, we're here.”

He pointed his wand towards the far wall. There, reflecting faintly in the wand light about ten feet away was a large door, reminiscent of the Chamber of Secrets.

Ron snorted. “Not very imaginative, is he? You would think that he could come up with his own door design, instead of copying Salazar Slytherin. ”

Harry didn't reply. He thought that some of the forms of torture that Voldemort had shown him were very imaginative, and this particular type of door reminded him of how nasty he could be. He moved to the door and closed his eyes.

“Open,” he hissed.

There was a groaning and creaking from lack of use as the door unlatched itself, and slowly opened towards them. The three of them moved slowly into the room, which was pitch black, unlike the tunnel. The glow from their wands reflected off of something in the middle of the room, and they headed in that direction. Just before they reached the center, four torches, situated around the room, sprang to life. Harry looked around. They were in a round room, about the size of the Great Hall. In the center of the room was the cup sitting on a pedestal, just like he had seen in Dolohov's mind. Harry looked around, searching for the snakes in his vision, but he couldn't see any.

“Maybe they died,” Hermione said.

“It has been a very long while since the Lord sent us fresh meat,”

“They didn't,” Harry said as he scanned the chamber. It looked like parts of the wall were moving near the floor. The snakes were the same color as their surroundings, camouflaging them until they made their presence known. Now a large number of them were quickly moving towards the center of the room, surrounding them.

“Stop!” hissed Harry, holding his wand in front of him.

The snakes stopped, and the largest of them moved forward and raised himself up, until he was eye-level with Harry.

“Don't move,” he told Hermione and Ron out of the side of his mouth.

“You speak the language of our Lord, but you do not look like him,” the snake hissed. “Are you a creation of the Lord?”

“You could say that,” Harry replied.

“I am Neider, creation of Slange, creation of Yilan.”

“My name is Harry,” he hissed.

“Harry, creation of the Lord, are these the sacrifices belonging to the Lord, that he wishes to give to us? We have not had a sacrifice for many years,” Neider slowly slithered around the three of them, before coming back in front of Harry. “These two seem a bit young, though.”

“No, they…um, belong to me,” Harry said, quickly darting a glance at his two petrified friends.

“There is reason, then, for you to come into our midst?” Neider asked.

“We have come for the cup,” Harry hissed. “Your services are no longer needed.”

The snakes surrounding them seemed to slither in excitement, causing Ron and Hermione to look at Harry nervously. Harry signaled them to wait.

“Our reward then?” hissed Neider. “The Dark Lord promised a reward to our creators, and therefore, to us.”

Harry thought furiously for a moment.

“He offers you your freedom from servitude,” he hissed.

Neider regarded Harry for a moment.

“Is that all?” he hissed, slithering closer.

“No,” Harry said as he backed up a step, trying to give himself time to think.

Suddenly, an idea came to him.

“I can tell you that he has vanquished your enemy,” he said.

At this, the snakes all stopped and looked at Harry.

“The one who harmed you and your kind is no more. You are free to go back to the forest you were living in.”

The snakes began slithering about, hissing their great joy. To Ron and Hermione, it was a very frightening sight, especially as they wove themselves in between their legs.

“It's okay,” Harry said. “Just stay still, and don't move until I say so.”

“Easy for you to say,” Ron said as one snake attached itself to his leg and looked up at him.

Neider seemed to be quite caught up in the dance, swaying on his thick muscles, but his eyes never left Harry.

“That object is very precious to our Lord. We have been protecting it for three generations. The task is an important one and there are only three of you.”

“We'll be fine,” Harry hissed.

Neider nodded and turned to face the group of snakes before him.

“Sons and daughters of our creators! Our task is complete and the reward has been given. We may return to the homeland in peace,” he turned back to Harry. “Farewell, Harry, creation of the Lord,” he hissed as he bowed again. “May you and your creations find reward in serving the Lord in his great chamber.”

Harry bowed to him as he wondered what he meant, and then watched as the snakes began to slither out the way the trio had come in. He figured there were hundreds of them, judging by the way the floor seemed to come alive. Harry waited until every last snake was out of view before he relaxed.

“What was that all about?” Ron asked. “I thought we were going to be the main dish.”

“You were,” Harry said as he started towards the cup. “But I offered them something more tempting.”

“What?” Hermione asked as she caught up to him.

Harry looked at her and smiled. “Freedom,” he said. “And I gave them back their homes.”

“This wasn't their home?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. “I played a hunch. When Dumbledore and I visited the Gaunt house in the pensieve, Morphin seemed obsessed with snakes and controlling them. I saw him threaten one snake and a dead one was hanging on the door of their house. I figured that maybe these snakes were in hiding and Voldemort used that fear to get them to protect the cup with the promise of getting rid of their enemy in return.”

“That was brilliant, Harry,” Hermione said.

Harry smiled at her, and was rewarded with a small smile from Hermione. He felt his heart leap and then drop as she turned away from him. He looked back at the cup, with the pretence of studying it to hide his disappointment.

“Do you think that there is anything else protecting it?” Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. “I don't know,” he said.

“You don't think the snakes were enough?” Ron said as he came and stood beside him.

“Let's just take it and go, Harry. We've been down here long enough.” Hermione said.

Harry took a deep breath and reached out to grab the cup. He heard two intakes of breath on either side of him as he lifted it off of the pedestal. After several long seconds, he let out the breath he was holding; nothing happened. He took a closer look at the cup and saw the etched badger in the pale light.

“Let's go,” said Ron. “I'm getting the creeps.”

As they started back towards the opening, Hermione stopped.

“Do you hear something?” she asked.

Harry stopped to listen, and sure enough, he could hear a distant rumbling sound.

“Run!” he yelled, and they took off towards the entrance, knowing that an ominous sound such as that was not a good thing to hear when you were deep underground. As they reached the door they could see the rocks and debris rolling and bouncing across the floor.

“The tunnel is blocked!” Hermione cried, and sure enough, the passageway they had come through was filled with rocks of all sizes.

“Come on!” yelled Ron over the noise. “Maybe we can dig it out!”

They had just begun to exit the chamber when Harry heard the clang of rock on metal and looked up at the cave ceiling. The ceiling about the door was lined with cracks, and as Harry watched, chunks began to rain down around them.

“Get back!” he yelled as he pushed Hermione back through the doorway and reached out to pull Ron behind him.

They fell back into the chamber in a tangled heap, Harry dropping the cup in his effort to avoid squashing Hermione. A part of the ceiling outside gave way, slamming against the door and pushing it shut, plunging them into darkness as the torches went out.

“Lumos,” Harry said as he sat up, scanning his wand around the area. “Is everyone okay?”

“I think so,” Ron said as he wiped at a trickle of blood trailing down the side of his face. “Where's the cup?”

“Over there, I think,” said Harry, pointing his wand. “I heard it clatter against the floor.”

Ron got up and headed for the cup while Harry helped Hermione up.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he scanned her face, gently brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes.

“I'm fine, Harry,” she said as she slowly moved away. “Thanks.”

Harry sighed. He wondered if he would ever be able to fix the mistake he made.

They moved to where Ron was examining the cup under the light of his wand.

“Just a small dent. So now what?” he said as he handed the cup to Harry.

“We need to get out of here,” Hermione said.

Harry went back to the door. “Open,” he hissed.

He could hear the grinding of gears, but the door refused to open.

“Maybe we can Apparate out,” Hermione said.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but nothing happened.

“Must be some kind of ward in place,” she said.

“Maybe that's what the snakes meant,” Harry muttered as he headed back towards the center of the room, the torches flaring to life as he did so.

“What did they say to you?” Hermione asked as she and Ron came to where Harry was standing.

Harry sighed as he looked at the blood smear Ron had left on the side of the cup.

“Basically, Neider told us to enjoy serving Lord Voldemort. I think we're trapped,” he said.

Hermione shook her head. “I don't believe that,” she said. “They would have starved to death down here. There must be another way out.”

She moved towards the walls, scanning the shadows with her lit wand. Harry and Ron watched her for a moment, before imitating her actions on the opposite side of the room.

“Here,” Hermione called out after a few moments, and Harry and Ron hurried over to see what she had found.

At first, Harry couldn't see anything, but as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could make out what looked like a ripple in the wall. He put his hand out, expecting to feel hard rock, but surprisingly, he didn't touch anything. There was what looked to be a very small crawlspace; the opening was only about three feet wide and about four feet tall.

“We'll have to crawl,” she said as she stuck her head into the tunnel, lighting her way with her wand.

“In there?” Ron said. “What about spiders?”

“I don't know what your problem is Ronald,” she said. “You are bigger than them.”

“You didn't see the ones in Aragog's nest,” he grumbled as he pulled out his can of Spidaway.

Before Harry could say anything to her, she had disappeared. Harry quickly shrunk the cup and put it in his invisipouch before following after her. He heard Ron spraying himself, and then the scuffling sound of him crawling behind him.

They crawled for what seemed like the length of a Quidditch field, and Ron was right behind Harry, pushing him to go faster.

“Hurry, I think something is following us,” he said.

Harry came to another larger chamber, and was just starting to stand up when Ron bowled him over in his panic to get out of the tunnel. His face was hot and sweaty, and he was shaking.

“Behind me! I think there's thousands of them!” he said as he moved away from the opening.

Harry swung around and pointed his wand back at the tunnel. After a moment of silence, he slowly crawled back to look inside.

“I don't see anything, Ron. Are you sure you saw something?” he said as he came back out.

“I didn't see it, I felt it, them. Lots of them,” he said as he brushed his coat and mopped his face.

Hermione shook her head as she watched Ron look around, hunting for the missing spiders and muttering under his breath.

“How many of these bloody chambers are there under this town?” Ron asked as he scanned the room.

“Well, there could be hundreds of them. They were probably used during the English Civil War,” Hermione said. “That would explain their existence.”

Harry and Ron looked at each other, before looking back at her.

“Well, it really was three wars,” Hermione began. “It started on August 22, 1642. The first war, between King Charles I and Parliament, who were allied with the Scottish Covenanters, lasted until 1646. The second war, in which a Scottish army fought for Charles I against the Parliament, took place in 1648, and the last war, in which the Scottish were led by Charles II as their King, lasted from 1649 until 1651.”

“And what does that have to do with these tunnels?” Ron asked, interrupting her as Harry moved off to inspect a side tunnel.

“Isn't it obvious? They may have been used to move soldiers around the countryside safely. Or,” she mused, “Perhaps wizards used them to help King Charles II defeat his enemies—”

“Okay! We get it!” Ron said, putting up his hands to stop her.

“I don't think it was just wizards who were helping,” Harry said as he came out of the side tunnel. He looked a bit pale.

“What's wrong, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“I think we've moved from the cauldron into the fire,” he said as he beckoned for them to follow.

They came to a door at the end of the tunnel, and Harry pushed it open. They moved into a cluttered basement, with boxes everywhere.

“Where are we?” Hermione whispered.

Harry pointed to an old tarnished sign, one that was once used by the elite at the gates of their property.

“The Riddles,” Ron read, the terror evident in his voice.

“We need to get out of here,” Hermione whispered. “Lets go back and search one of the other tunnels.”

“No, no, no!” Ron shook his head. “No more spiders.”

“You don't really want to be wandering through those tunnels,” Harry said. “We may be wandering around for ages. We'll have to go through the house.”

“What?” Ron asked.

“Well, which would you prefer?” Harry asked before turning towards the stairs. “Come on, I don't hear any movement upstairs.”

They slowly crept up the creaky stairs and opened the door. Harry looked around before opening the door wide enough for all of them to get through. They stood for a moment, blinking in the fading light, trying to adjust to their surroundings. They were in a large kitchen and as Harry spotted a back door, a man came out of the walk-in pantry, his arms loaded with food. He startled when he saw them, and dropped everything he was holding.

“Hey!” he yelled and drew his wand, firing it at the trio. They ducked, and the spell hit a curtain, bursting it into flames.

“Impedimenta!” Hermione yelled and the Death Eater slammed into the wall.

Harry wrenched the door open and the three of them ran out into the back garden, the Death Eater following them. They ducked behind the bushes as he threw random spells at them, and finally Harry knocked him out with a well-placed `Stupify'.

As they sat there gasping for breath, Hermione suddenly sat straight up.

“Harry! The house!” she said pointing.

Harry and Ron turned to see the flames working their way through the kitchen. Hermione jumped up and started towards the house. Harry reached up and grabbed her, stopping her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“We need to move that man away from the house,” she said as she pulled out of his grasp and taking off at a run.

Harry got up and followed after her, and the two of them moved him to a safe distance.

“Did you recognize him?” Hermione asked as they headed back towards where Ron was waiting, turning their back on the fire.

“No,” Harry said.

Hermione brushed the soot from her sleeve, and Harry reached up and pulled a twig from her hair. She smiled shyly at him before looking back down, but before she did, Harry could see some of that warmth in her eyes, and it made him feel glad.

“Thanks for your help,” she said as they headed for the road.

Harry smiled at her, and watched as she blushed under his gaze. He felt hope enter his heart; hope that perhaps he did have a chance to make amends.

They stopped as they reached the outskirts of town and watched as the fire trucks sped past. Harry turned back and looked at the house, which was now engulfed in flames.

“He's not going to be happy about this,” Ron said.

Harry shrugged. “Considering all of the damage he has done, I'm glad.”

“We need to go,” Hermione said, holding out the old tin can.

With a pop, they were gone.

-->

A/N: Okay, here you go! I know that I only glossed over Christmas, but I really wanted to get to the Horcrux. Many thanks for the words of wisdom and kindness. I really appreciate it. Enjoy this chapter, and I hope I hear from you soon!

Okay, we are up to chapter 38, and nothing has changed. I still don't own the characters, but they still mean a lot to me.

Chapter 38

A Drink to Your Death?

After a quick visit with the twins and an abridged version of their visit to Little Hangleton, the three weary travelers headed back to the castle. They managed to avoid everyone else and made it back to their common room without incident. Ron grabbed the shower first, so Harry flopped on the couch and closed his eyes. He felt Hermione sit at the other end and opened one eye to see her resting with her eyes closed. He watched she licked her lips and he conjured a glass of ice water for her. The tinkling of the ice in the glass made her open her eyes, and she gratefully took the glass from him, and drank as Harry moved closer to her. She looked at him warily as he settled next to her. Harry was silent for a while; staring at his hands while Hermione finally relaxed and leaned her head back.

“Thanks for coming with me today,” he finally said.

“That's what friends are for,” she said without opening her eyes.

Harry watched her for a few moments before dropping back against the couch.

“I blew it, didn't I?” he asked.

Hermione sat up and looked at him, but didn't answer.

Harry looked over at her and she could see the remorse in his eyes.

“I care for you so much, and I didn't want anything to happen to you. That's why I tried to push you away.”

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione said as she reached out and touched his arm. Harry covered her hand with his own.

“Do you know what I found out? I can't get rid of you. I'm always thinking about you. You've invaded my mind, and my heart.”

Hermione reached up and touched the side of his cheek. Harry closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth.

“I know I'm asking for a lot Hermione, but please give me another chance. I'm not too good at this relationship stuff, but I'm lost without you. I need you.”

There. He had done it. He came as close as he could to saying `I love you'. He was afraid to open his eyes, and even with the gentle pressure of her hand forcing him to turn his head, he refused to do so. He sat there, waiting for her to say something, and was shocked when he suddenly felt her soft, hesitant lips upon his. A thrill coursed through him, and he wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss, trying to show her what he couldn't say yet. When he finally came up for air, he gently cupped her face in his hands.

“I promise,” he whispered, “I will never push you away again.”

“You won't,” Hermione smiled. “I won't let you.”

Harry leaned in to kiss her again when the bathroom door opened. He reluctantly moved away from her as Ron came out.

“Who's next?” he said.

Hermione smiled and stood up, squeezing Harry's hand before heading towards the bathroom.

“You guys kiss and make up?” Ron said as he toweled his hair dry.

Harry smiled, feeling better than he had for days. “You could say that,” he said.

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

Harry's heart was lighter than it had been for months, even though they hadn't been able to exorcise the soul out of the cup. The sense of urgency to finish his task was always there, but the simple knowledge that he still had a chance with Hermione made the burden a little easier to bear. His training with Moody had improved greatly, and he had even managed to knock out the grizzly Auror a few times.

There hadn't been much news about Voldemort, except for the odd disappearance of a witch or wizard. The presumption was that they had gone to join Voldemort, or that they were perhaps under the Imperius curse. Harry woke up one night a few days after their trip to Little Hangleton, his scar burning fiercely. He figured that Voldemort had found out about the Riddle house. He was extra careful to keep his occulemency shields up. The paper had run a story about the fire, and according to the reporter, an eyewitness had claimed there was a gang of teens who knocked him out and torched the house for fun. Hermione laughed at that, saying that he probably didn't want to admit to the Dark Lord that he had started the fire.

It was Christmas Eve, and Ron had already retired for the night. Harry and Hermione were sitting together on the couch in front of the fire. It was quiet, except for the crackling of the logs. Hermione was leaning against Harry, reading `Mystic Forces Moste Evil' that she had found in the restricted section, and Harry was lost in thought about a little velvet bag and its contents in his invisipouch. They had almost gone back to where they were in their relationship, and Harry didn't want to ruin things. He had thought about giving it to her for Christmas, but it didn't feel right, not yet. He had found a small golden snitch on a chain that was now wrapped under the tree, right next to the invisipouch for Ron that he had the twins make.

“Sickle for your thoughts?” Hermione asked.

“Not much,” Harry replied

“Well,” Hermione sighed as she closed her book, “I haven't found anything new in here. I find a lot of these books frustrating because if there is anything we're not supposed to know about, such as blood binding, the Ministry puts in statements to the effect of `Please direct any further inquiries in writing to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.'”

“Hang on,” Harry said as he sat up, “What did you say?”

“I said that the Ministry puts in statements—”

“No, no, the part about the blood binding.”

“Oh. Well, it just says that many dark wizards have used blood binding as a way to protect their homes from Aurors entering—”

“That's it!” Harry cried as he got up and retrieved the cup from the table. “When Dumbledore went to the cave he had to sacrifice some blood in order for us to get in. Voldemort uses blood like a key. He is so hung up on “purebloods”, that he is using that for his Horcruxes. Look,” He said holding out the cup. “Ron's blood. Maybe I haven't been able to get it to reveal itself, because I didn't put my blood on it; Ron had already done it. That would explain the tiara. You pricked your finger, remember? That's why it attached itself to you.”

“It makes sense…” Hermione said as she pulled the book back towards her. “It says here that once an object is subjected to blood binding, it may only be released by the same person. Where are you going?” she asked.

“To get Ron,” Harry said.

“Harry,” Hermione said in exasperation. “It's nearly midnight. You're not waking him up.”

“Fine,” Harry grumbled as he came back and sat down. “We'll do it tomorrow.”

“No we won't,” Hermione said. “We're going to the Burrow, remember? Mrs. Weasley would be very annoyed if we didn't show, and my parents have been talking about this gathering of the families for months..”

“You're making this very difficult, you know that?” Harry said in mock anger.

Hermione smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “It will still be there when we get to it. For one day, we are not going to think about evil lords, bad souvenirs or his minions,” she said.

“Fine,” Harry relented as he pulled her closer. “So what shall we do instead?” he asked suggestively.

“How about a `Happy Christmas' kiss?” she said as she pulled his face to hers.

Harry closed his eyes and relaxed back into the couch, bringing Hermione with him. As they explored and caressed, Harry could feel the tingle in him grow into a fully charged power surge. He channeled it back towards Hermione, letting her feel what he was feeling. When they parted, breathless, Hermione could see the smoldering emotions in his eyes.

“I hope all of my presents are that good,” Harry said as he hugged her to him.

“You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out,” Hermione said as she snuggled down against his chest and closed her eyes.

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

Christmas day at the Burrow was as festive as ever. Harry figured it was Mrs. Weasley's way of trying to make up for all the horror that seemed to be happening on a regular basis. He looked around the room at all the happy faces, and found himself feeling content. Hermione was standing talking to Luna by the fireplace as she played with the golden snitch hanging from her neck, and Ron was arguing with one of the twins about Quidditch. Mr. Weasley was quizzing Mr. Grangers about the “eckeletric” tools at their dentist office, while Mrs. Granger attempted to help in the kitchen. As he scanned the room his eyes fell on Ginny, sitting off to the side, seemingly staring into space. She didn't seem too happy. He made his way over to stand in front of her.

“All right there, Ginny?” he asked quietly.

Ginny shrugged and sipped her eggnog. Harry sat down beside her, not too sure of what to do.

“So, do you want to talk?” he finally asked.

“It depends,” Ginny said. “Are you going to be judgmental again like you were in McGonagall's office?”

Harry looked at her for a moment. “I'll try not to be,” he finally said.

Ginny looked around to see if anyone was listening.

“I have a friend who has got himself in trouble, and I don't know how to help him.”

“What kind of trouble?” Harry asked.

He's done some things that he's not proud of, and it's really starting to bother him,” she said evasively. “I wish I could help him, but I can't.”

She suddenly smiled brightly and stood up as her mother came into the room looking for her. Harry sat pondering their conversation, before finally giving up and following the rest of the Weasley clan into the kitchen where the table was straining under all the food.

They had decided to go back to Hogwarts the following day in order to work with the Horcrux. Ron, who was still uneasy with all of this, had insisted that Luna come along with them. Harry agreed, and they spent the latter part of the evening filling her in on what they had been doing. They arrived back at their common room the next morning, and Harry took the cup out of his invisipouch and returned it to its normal size.

“So what do you think I have to do?” Ron said as he reluctantly took the cup from Harry. “Do you think I need to lie down?”

“Let's use the couch,” Hermione suggested.

Ron sat down in the middle and took a deep breath; clearing his mind of anything he didn't want Voldemort to see.

“Good thing we've been practicing Occlumency,” he said. “It might speed up the process.”

“You'll be okay, Ron,” Hermione said.

“Right,” he said. “Let's do this.”

“You know that if there was another way,” Harry said.

“Just do it,” Ron said grimly, staring at the cup.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” Harry said as he pointed his wand at the cup.

The cup glowed and gave a little shake, and Ron involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut. After a few seconds he opened one eye and looked around.

“Did it work?” he asked.

“I…I don't think so. You're not in a trance,” Harry said.

Ron looked down at the cup. It was full of some kind of liquid.

“What is it?” Luna asked.

Harry reached out and took the cup from Ron, and the liquid disappeared. Hermione took the cup from Harry and turned it over, inspecting it.

“Give it back to Ron,” Harry said.

As soon as Ron took the cup, the liquid re-appeared.

“Bloody hell,” he said as he watched the liquid swirl in the cup. “Do you think it's poison?”

Harry tried to touch the liquid with wand, and then his finger, but every time he got close, it disappeared. Finally, Ron took a sniff, and he looked surprised. He stuck his finger in and very tentatively tasted it. A wide grin broke out on his face.

“It's firewhiskey,” he said and he took a large gulp.

“Ron!” Hermione cried. “It could be poisoned!”

“Relax,” Ron said. “I think I have to drink it, for the good of the Wizarding world, you know.”

He drained the rest of the cup and it refilled itself.

“Wicked!” he said with a grin. “This would be great at a party.”

“Great,” Hermione muttered, crossing her arms. “We all have to sit her and watch Ron get inebriated.”

“Well, he'll lose all his inhibitions this way,” Harry said.

“We'll have to watch very closely that the Loopdingers don't come and steal all of his clothes,” Luna said as she sat beside Ron.

“Loop whats-its?” Ron said looking around.

“Loopdingers,” Luna said. “They attacked my uncle once. He had been at a bar with some friends, celebrating. The next morning he woke up on the steps to the Gringott's bank, and his clothes were nowhere to be seen. His friends swore that they knew nothing about it. He figured it had to be the Loopdingers, since they are so sneaky. That's what he told me.”

Harry and Hermione laughed as Ron waved the cup at them.

There will be no Loopdingers at this party,” he said.

After about an hour, Ron was beginning to sway on the couch.

“Ya know Harry, you're a goo' mate,” he slurred.

“I'm glad you think so,” Harry said, bemused despite the severity of the situation.

“You're better `n a mate, you're a brother. Better `n those gits I'm rela…rela…um…you know, those two,” he took another swig of the firewhiskey. “Ca' you imashun! Makin' me a spray an not tellin' me how it works. `Didn' you know they'd be attracted to you `til you sweat `n activate it?'” he said in a sing-song voice before draining the cup again. Ron looked down at the cup as it refilled, and made a face.

Hermione smirked from where she was sitting at the table.

“What did you expect from them? Sweet and Sour Scent, I think they called it. Attract the spiders until you sweat, and then it makes them go away. I really liked that big furry one we saw in the forest. I think it had a crush on you.”

Ron stuck his tongue out at her before flopping back on the couch and putting his arm around Luna's shoulders. He smiled down at her as she snuggled into his side. He took another sip, and the smile slid off of his face. He looked up at Harry with troubled eyes.

“It's gonna be okay, isn' it Harry?” he asked.

“Yeah, Ron, I promise,” Harry said.

“I mean, you'll stop `im, won't you? You won't let him, you know, kill me,” he said.

“I won't,” Harry said.

“Thas' good,” Ron said, “ `Cause I can't let go…”

He shook his hand, trying to get rid of the cup, but it was stuck.

“Harry—” Ron whispered, and Harry could see how scared he really was, just before his eyes glazed over.

Hermione jumped up and came over, wand out, as she scanned the room. Luna had sat up and was staring fearfully at Ron; unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

“I can't find him,” she whispered.

Harry took hold of his face, noticing that Ron was already becoming cold and pale.

“It's okay,” Harry said as he tried to reassure her. “He's there, he's just being blocked. You know what to do,” he said as he looked at Hermione.

She nodded worriedly. “Harry—”

“It'll be okay,” he said. “Just remember to watch for some kind of sign.”

“Harry, please,” Luna said. “This isn't right,”

Harry took a deep breath and looked into Ron's sightless eyes.

“Legilimens,” he said.

-->

A/N: Greetings to all! This is the battle that I think many of you were waiting for. I did put a little comedy into it; I hope you enjoy it. Thank-you for your kind reviews. I have to tell you, I really look forward to them. Thanks once again to Dementor149, a great Beta and friend. Enjoy!

I spent all of St. Patrick's Day looking for that leprechaun so I could wish for Harry to be mine, but he was a sly little fellow and got away. I think he works for JKR's lawyers.

Chapter 39

Ron's Battle

He was sitting in the stands of a Quidditch match. The people around him were screaming, “Weasley! Weasley!” and waving banners bearing a golden crown with a red `W' on it.

“Isn't he just the best?” he heard a dreamy voice say, and he turned to find Hermione sitting next to him.

For a moment he was confused, had he pulled her in with him? Then he saw some of the other Gryffindor girls giggling and pointing, and he sighed in relief as he realized that the simpering female beside him was not his Hermione, it was the one that Ron had conjured up. Suddenly a roar went up in the crowd and Hermione squealed.

“Oh look! He did it again! He caught the snitch as he knocked the quaffle away from the ring!”

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione pulled him down the stands and on to the field where the throngs of fans were surrounding Ron and hoisting him on to their shoulders.

“Oi! Harry!” he called as he tossed his broom at him, “haven't I told you before? If you're going to sit in the stands with my fans, you have to be down here quicker. I don't just trust anybody to look after my Firebolt, you know.”

Harry stared at the broom in his hands. He was Ron's equipment boy? He knew that Ron had always dreamed of being in the spotlight, but this was ridiculous. He made a face. He had to get through this as quickly as possible.

“Ron!” Harry called. “We need to talk.”

“Not now Harry,” he said as he waved to some of his fans. “Coach wants me to meet that starlet, you know, the one with the incredible body. Hey! Maybe she has a friend for you,” he said with a wink.

“Ron—” Harry said as he tried to get closer.

“Here!” Ron said as he threw his gloves at Harry. “Make sure you treat them well. Big game tomorrow.”

Before Harry could say anything else, Ron had disappeared around the corner with his entourage. He bent down to pick up the gloves, and when he straightened, he thought he saw the ghostly figure of Luna standing in the bleachers.

“Luna?” he called, but the figure disappeared. After a moment, he trudged towards the change rooms and made his way through the groups of reporters trying to get pictures of Ron.

“Hey kid!” one of them called. “How much do you want for the broom and gloves? Would you be interested in making a statement? What do you think about the rumor about Weasley being caught in a compromising position with the twin Veelas?”

Harry ignored the calls and questions and slid past everyone to get inside the changing room. He could see Ron laughing and joking with some of the reporters. He scanned the room, knowing that Voldemort couldn't be far away. A man suddenly appeared out of the shadows, shooing the reporters away, and Harry realized just who `coach' was. He turned and their eyes met across the room.

“Who are you?” he asked menacingly.

“Don't you remember coach?” Ron said as he walked past and dropped his Quidditch uniform on Harry's arms. “Harry's my equipment boy.”

“As long as he doesn't interfere,” Voldemort growled. “I have big plans for you.”

“Naw, Harry's my mate,” Ron said as he headed for the showers. “He only has my best interest at heart.”

“You've got that right,” Harry said.

“Time to go clean the jock straps,” Voldemort said as he pushed Harry out the door.

Harry turned and watched as everything changed. He was standing in a bar, the music blaring and the place was crowded. In the center of the bar, holding court was Ron, surrounded by several beautiful girls. Harry made his way over to where they were sitting, keeping an eye out for Voldemort. He knew he had to be here somewhere.

“Harry!” Ron called and slid over so he could sit down. “Ladies, this is my good friend, Harry.”

“Do you play Quidditch too?” a sultry blonde purred.

“Well, I—” Harry started.

“Used to when we were in school. We played together. He helped me practice to become the player I am today, right Harry?”

“Well, if you want to put it that way,” Harry smirked.

“Drink! Eat! I'm paying tonight,” Ron said as he called the waitress over.

“Ron—”

“I won't hear another word, Harry. I know the club doesn't pay you much. Don't worry about it.”

“Ron, I really need to talk to you…alone,” he said as he looked around.

“Now Harry? The party's just…” he trailed off as his eyes grew large.

Harry turned to see what he was looking at. There, in the doorway, was the ghostly image of Luna again.

“It's her,” Ron whispered as he fought to get untangled from the girls hanging on him, much to their dismay.

He pushed his way through the crowd, but by the time he got to the door, she was gone. He came back and slumped down in the chair.

“Why don't you girls go powder your noses?” he said, waving them off.

They got up dejectedly, but moved off. Harry sat lost in thought. How was Luna doing that? She was obviously grabbing his attention, he could tell by the look on Ron's face.

“I want to meet her,” Ron said. “Find out who she is, will you?”

“Her name's Luna,” Harry said, watching for any sign of recognition.

“Luna?” Ron said frowning. “Interesting name.”

“You don't remember her?” Harry asked.

“Should I?” Ron said brightening. “Is she part of the fan club?”

“Ron, she's your—”

“Time to go, Mr. Weasley,” Voldemort said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. “Big game tomorrow.”

“Aw, come on coach, it was just getting interesting around here.”

Voldemort gave him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“I would hate for my star player to be too tired to play,” he turned to leave, and Ron jumped up to follow.

“Come on, Harry,” he said. “The boss has spoken.”

As Harry go up to follow, Voldemort stood in his way.

“I don't know if you truly have Ron's best interest at heart,”

“And you do?” Harry challenged.

Voldemort smiled at him, but it held no warmth.

“You need to leave,” he said and he gave Harry a push. Harry felt himself falling, just like before, but suddenly he stopped in mid-air. As he tried to get his bearings, he saw Luna materialize in front of him.

“Luna?” he gasped.

“You must hurry, Harry,” she said.

“How are you—”

Luna shook her head. “There's no time,” she said. “I'm having a harder and harder time finding Ronald, and Tom's becoming more solid.”

“Ron's seen you” Harry said. “Keep trying.”

Luna gave a small smile, and disappeared.

Harry hit the floor and looked up. He was back at the Quidditch pitch. Somehow, Luna had prevented him from being pushed out entirely. He got up and hurried towards the change rooms. He pulled up short as he heard Ron talking to Voldemort.

“Look, I'm tired, I need a break, and I haven't seen Harry for a while. He knows someone I want to meet.”

“Perhaps I can introduce you,” Voldemort said smoothly.

“You don't know her,” Ron said wearily. “I'm going home to sleep.”

“You do look a little tired,” Voldemort said. “I'll see if I can find Harry and find out who this lovely girl is that has caught your eye.”

Ron waved his acknowledgement and left the field. Harry watched as Voldemort stood there, seemingly searching for something. After a moment, he stormed off in the other direction. Harry knew he didn't have much time, so he took off after Ron.

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

The girls watched warily as the specter became more solid, and Ron became deathly pale, his breathing becoming more and more shallow. They sat, one on each side of him, wands out, ready to battle. They were surprised at how fast Tom seemed to be materializing.

“Did you warn Harry?” Hermione whispered.

“Yes, he said Ron has seen me,” Luna replied, not taking her eyes off of Tom.

A smile crossed his face as he took in the two girls sitting beside Ron on the couch in front of him.

“Ladies I don't believe we have met before. This fellow,” he said, nodding at Harry, “I have met. It explains much,” Tom said. “ Harry, is it? School mate?”

“Just keep your distance,” Hermione said.

“Ah, you must be…Hermione, bossy friend,” he said before turning to Luna. “And you are…” Tom frowned. “I see no reference to you,” he said.

“She's my friend,” Hermione said, trying to distract him. `Ron's Occlumency must be working.'

“Yes, well…no matter, won't be long now.”

Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head as if in defeat, but Hermione knew what she was doing.

“You won't win,” Hermione said.

Tom stretched and curled his fingers, absently looking at his nails.

“Little girls don't frighten me,” he said.

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

Harry came across Ron lying on a couch in a lavish flat. Harry could see that he looked exhausted. His eyes were sunken and his face was beginning to look hollow. Ron looked up wearily at him.

“Oh, hi Harry,” he said before lying his head back down and closing his eyes.

“Ron, I need your help. I need you to think about some of your memories,” Harry said.

Ron opened his eyes and looked at him.

“Now? I'm really tired, you know. How about later.”

“No, Ron. Now. I need you to remember Voldemort.”

Ron looked at him with a vacant stare.

“Come on, Ron. We've been fighting him for almost seven years now.”

Ron shook his head. “No, I've been playing Quidditch for the past two years.”

Harry sighed in exasperation. He was surprised at how well Ron had managed to block his memories, and how well Voldemort had convinced him that this was his true life. He sat on the floor in front of Ron and took a deep breath.

“Do you remember Luna?” he asked. “The beautiful blonde?”

Ron smiled as Harry spoke. “Luna,” he said. “Sounds like an interesting name.”

Harry nodded. “She's an interesting person, remember?”

Ron sat up abruptly, looking past Harry, and Harry turned to see what he was looking at. Standing in the doorway was the ghostly figure of Luna. She slowly moved towards the two, her sad eyes never leaving Ron's face. As she neared Harry, she glanced at him.

“We're almost out of time,” she said.

She turned and looked at Ron, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. She cupped the side of his face with her hand and looked at him sadly, a lone tear trickling down her cheek.

“Come back to me,” she whispered, and then she was gone.

Ron sat there, almost trance-like, and then shook his head.

“I must be tired,” he said as he touched his cheek. “I need to rest, Harry. I'm so tired.”

He lay back down on the couch and closed his eyes.

“No!” Harry said, reaching forward to shake him.

He was unexpectedly pushed away and he flew across the room, bouncing off the wall before coming to a rest, sitting on the floor. He held the back of his head and winced. He looked up to see Voldemort standing above him.

“Mr. Potter,” he said. “You are a hard person to find. I had to do a little…soul searching.”

“Coach?” Ron said feebly from the couch.

“Rest, Ron,” Voldemort said. “You'll feel better soon.”

“No! Ron, don't listen to him!” Harry said. “He's trying to take over your soul.”

Voldemort reached down and grabbed Harry by the throat.

“You don't know when to quit, do you?” he hissed at Harry as he lifted him and slammed him against the wall, slowly squeezing as he did so. Harry grabbed at his arm, trying to relieve the pressure on his windpipes. He vaguely wondered what would happen if he died in here.

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

Hermione was watching Tom, who seemed to becoming more solid with each passing moment, his smile becoming more sinister.

Harry suddenly started gasping, and it sounded like he couldn't breathe.

“What are you doing?” Hermione demanded as she knelt down beside Harry. She grabbed his shoulder, wondering if she should break the contact between her two best friends, but could she choose one over the other? She looked up at Luna, who was crying silently.

“He promised,” she said.

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

Harry hardly had any strength left. Everything was beginning to go black, and he could hardly form a comprehensive thought.

“Ron,” he gasped desperately, the feeling of remorse coming over him. He promised that Ron would survive. He didn't even have the energy to apologize to his best friend. His arms fell to his side, and his eyes slowly closed as his oxygen-deprived body gave up the fight. He was about to lose consciousness, when he fell to a heap on the floor and the sweet rush of oxygen was returned to his starved lungs. He took a deep breath, coughing as he massaged his neck.

“Stay away from Harry!” He heard Ron yell and he looked up in a daze to see Ron standing over Voldemort, a blood stained trophy in his hand.

Harry rolled shakily to his knees, gasping as he tried to focus. Ron came over and helped him up, and Harry swayed, leaning on his friend. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Voldemort as he began to stand up.

“Salvo Animus,” he gasped, and the spell hit Voldemort, knocking him back, the pale blue glow of the spell surrounding him.

He could see Voldemort struggling in the bubble as is slowly lifted and seemingly faded away. He could hear the scream of frustration as the piece of Tom's soul was released.

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

Hermione was as close to a panicked hysteria that she ever wanted to be. She was losing Harry and Ron, and she still hadn't seen a sign. Luna seemed to have given up; she was just sitting and staring at Ron.

“Soon,” Tom said smiling. “Very—” he stopped as a trail of blood began to trickle down the side of his head. He reached up to wipe it, a look of confusion on his face. Hermione watched in amazement as Tom started to become transparent.

“No…” she heard him growl angrily.

Hermione pointed her wand at the cup and yelled “Everto!”

The cup flew from Ron's hand to clatter across the floor; a large crack could be seen on one side. The ghostly image of Tom continued to disappear, wailing as it went. Finally, there was nothing but silence. Harry collapsed against Hermione and she cradled his head in her lap. Luna pulled Ron against her, holding him, afraid that he would leave again. She had a small smile on her lips as she looked over at Hermione.

“I found him,” she said.

“Luna,” Ron whispered. “So beautiful…” he closed his eyes and relaxed.

Hermione looked down to see a pair of emerald eyes looking up at her.

“Hey,” she said quietly as she ran a hand through his unruly hair. “You gave me quite a scare.”

“Sorry,” Harry croaked. He was surprised to find his throat quite sore. He reached out and squeezed her hand and smiled. They had done it. There were only two more Horcruxes left. Then he could get rid of Voldemort once and for all.

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A/N: WOW! I don't know if I can thank you all enough! Over 400 reviews! I am honored. Thank-you to all of you who have been faithfully reading my story and leaving your comments, I do appreciate every one of them. Here is the next chapter; it's starting to heat up. Enjoy, and please leave a review on your way out!

None of these characters belong to me, but I sure am having fun creating this adventure for them!

Chapter 40

An Unfortunate Visit

After a good night's rest, Ron seemed to be almost back to normal; the dark bags under his eyes were the only telltale signs of his struggle. Harry subconsciously rubbed his throat where he felt there should be bruises; his near-death encounter with Voldemort still fresh in his mind. He was recounting his experiences over breakfast.

“So, I thought I was a world famous Quidditch player?” Ron asked through mouthfuls of food.

“Yeah, you thought quite highly of yourself,” Harry said amused.

“And Luna was there?”

“Only as the ghostly spirit that she created. There were no surface memories of her that I could see.”

“I'm glad,” Ron said.

“I still don't know how she did it,” Harry said, looking over at her.

Luna just smiled serenely at him.

“I found it surprising that he was so solid and able to choke you,” Hermione said.

“I guess because he didn't have a wand, he had to resort to other means to try and stop me,” Harry replied as he rubbed his throat again. “He seemed older, too. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?”

“It's a possibility. If he was older, he would have been more experienced, and have more power,” Hermione said.

“You never told me what happened when I had the tiara,” Hermione said after a moment. “What kind of fantasy world did he create to distract me?”

The memories of that day came flooding back, and Harry felt a jolt go through him. He glanced over to where she was sitting, waiting expectantly.

“You were dancing,” he said after a moment. “At the Triwizard's Ball.”

Hermione grimaced at that. “With him? How vulgar. I'm surprised it wasn't you or Victor.”

Harry could feel the flush of embarrassment as he avoided looking at her.

“You weren't dancing with him as Voldemort, he was the younger Tom Riddle. You were angry with me at that time, remember?”

“Ronald, I could use some fresh air. Walk with me?” Luna said suddenly, standing up.

“In a minute, Luna. So what did you do?” he asked eagerly, never having heard the story before.

“Ronald!” Luna said as she yanked on his arm. “I'm leaving now, and so are you.”

“But…but…” he protested as she pulled him away from the table.

Harry snorted. “She sure knows how to get what she wants,”

“I was angry at you because of your behavior,” Hermione said, ignoring his comment.

“I know,” Harry said. “It's just that I…” he trailed off, flushing.

“You what, Harry?” Hermione asked

“I…I was afraid of losing you,” he stammered. “And I almost did.”

Hermione smiled at him, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Were you jealous?” she asked mischievously.

Harry saw the glint in her eyes and smiled, relieved that she hadn't asked for more details. He put his coat on, avoiding her gaze. Of course he had been jealous, but he couldn't tell her that.

“Well, were you?” she asked again.

“No,” he finally lied.

Hermione looked surprised. “You weren't?” she said.

“Nope. I knew you were just waiting for mister right to come along and sweep you off your feet,”

Hermione snorted. “My knight in shining armor?”

“That's me,” Harry said as he bowed low. “Would milady care to join me? I believe that a challenge went up earlier from a certain redheaded knave and his fair lady for a battle on the snow fields.”

“And does this brave knight have a battle plan?” Hermione asked as she put her coat on.

“I though we would just wing it,” Harry said as he followed her out of the Great Hall.

“That, sir knight, was a lame joke.”

“Thank-you.”

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

It was several cold hours later when they all came in, exhausted but happy. As they made their way up to the Gryffindor tower, a grim-faced Professor McGonagall met them coming the other way.

“The Minister of Magic is here, Mr. Potter, and he is requesting an audience with you,” she said.

“I don't suppose he's here to wish us a `happy holidays'?” Harry asked.

“I don't think so,” McGonagall said.

“Well. I for one would like to get changed first,” Hermione said.

“Give us ten minutes,” Harry said to Professor McGonagall. “See if you can contact Professor Lupin. I think I saw him with Professor Tonks.”

They carried on upstairs and changed quickly, curious as to what this was all about.
As they entered McGonagall's office, they could see Scrimgeour standing stiffly, looking out the window. Tonks and Lupin were sitting in two high backed chairs, talking quietly, and McGonagall was behind her desk writing furiously, while stealing the occasional glance at the figure at the window. At the sound of their footsteps, Scrimgeour turned around. He was obviously not happy to have so many people in the room.

“Ah. Mr. Potter. I see you brought your…friends,” he said as he scanned the group.

“I didn't realize it was a private party,” Harry said as he sat down.

Scrimgeour looked from one face to another.

“Yes, well…no sense beating around the bush then. I wanted to discuss the incident at the Riddle house from a few weeks earlier.”

Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.

“What makes you thing we had anything to do with it, sir?” Hermione asked.

Scrimgeour frowned.

“Three young people, one male with black hair and glasses, one male with red hair and one female with brown hair,” he said as he ticked off his fingers. “How stupid to you think the Ministry is, Mr. Potter?”

Harry chose not to answer that question.

“The thing is, your personal vendetta against You-Know-Who is creating difficulties within the Ministry. We are having to use a vast amount of manpower to deal with his retaliation for what you did to his family home. “

Harry stiffened at his accusation, and it was only the hand on his arm that stopped him from jumping up.

“My personal vendetta?” he repeated stiffly.

“Mr. Potter, we all know of the tragic losses that have been thrust upon you by You-Know-who, and we sympathize for your loss. However, you need to let the Ministry deal with this. We have fully trained, qualified Aurors, capable of handling the situation. Your interference is creating more harm than good. Surely you must see that.”

Harry was gripping the armrest so tightly that he thought for sure that he would rip it off.

“My interference?” he said through gritted teeth. “Is that how you see this?”

Scrimgeour sighed. “Harry, if this is a part of a mission that Dumbledore left for you, let the Ministry help. We are trying to come to a peaceful resolution for all involved.”

Harry got up and paced away from the Minister to look out the window.

“There's no such thing as a peaceful resolution when it comes to Voldemort,” he said.

Behind him, the Minister flinched at the familiar use of the evil wizard's name.

A flash appeared in the sky, catching Harry's eye and suddenly he could see Albion flying towards him.

`The Order is needed, Harry. Neville and his grandmother are under attack,' Albion said as he circled.

Harry pulled back from the window.

“If you are finished, Minister, we have some homework to do.”

Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks before glancing back to Harry. Had he forgotten that it was the Christmas break?

“I believe Professor Lupin wanted to discuss our last assignment with us,” Harry said as he met their stare and silently sent out one word to both of them: attack.

Ron continued to look confused, as though he couldn't quite understand the message, but Hermione's eyes showed her understanding. Lupin caught on and stood, nodding to Professor McGonagall as he turned to Harry.

“Yes, I did. There was some information on your last parchment that needed revising, and Mr. Weasley, yours was missing a few key points as well. Perhaps Miss Granger could help?”

“Of course sir,” she said as she nudged Luna.

“It was a pleasure to meet you sir,” Luna said, nodding to Scrimgeour. “I hope the nargles haven't been bothersome over the holidays.”

Scrimgeour looked confused as they made their way to the door.

“Potter!” he called before they left.

Harry stopped and turned to face the Minister, waving the others to go on.

“Heed my words, Mr. Potter, or you may find yourself in trouble.”

Harry smiled grimly.

“I am quite used to that, sir,” he said as he turned to go. He stopped again and turned around. “Oh, and you may find that I don't respond well to threats,” he said before following his friends down the stairs.

“Neville's grandmother's place is under attack,” Harry said as they jogged down the corridor.

“How did you find out?” Lupin asked.

“Albion,” Harry said. “Neville's there, but he's going to need help. Ron, inform the twins and Ginny, Hermione, can you go and grab our cloaks and gear, and I'll go and try and contact the rest of the Order.”

“I'll contact them, Harry,” Lupin said. “Go help Hermione and I'll meet you by the front gates in five minutes.”

They all dashed away, and within five minutes they had met at the front gate. With the pull of a portkey they were standing just outside an old manor. They could see flashes of wand fire and they quickly moved into the fray. Harry could see flashes coming from an upper window and then four or five Death Eaters would send several spells in return. Harry realized Neville and his grandmother were trapped.

They had the element of surprise as they dropped the first five Death Eaters, but then the attack turned against them. They traded ineffective spell fire back and forth for a few minutes, until Harry saw two Death Eaters break off and head for the house. He heard a pop behind him as Mr. Weasley and Shacklebolt arrived.

“The Ministry is on its way!” Mr. Weasley shouted over the firepower. Harry nodded his understanding.

“Have Lupin get the students back to where they came from. I'm heading towards the house,” Harry called back.

“Wait for me!” Hermione called as she dropped another Death Eater.

The two of them arrived in time to see two Death Eaters shooting flames at the house before Apparating away. The flames began to lick at the walls, climbing higher and higher as Harry and Hermione ran to the house.

“Neville is still in there!” Harry called as he blasted the front door.

A wall of heat and flames made him stagger back and use `Aguamenti' several times with Hermione's help.

“Neville!” Harry called through the front door, coughing as he moved inside. “Stay here! Keep the fire away from the front door if you can.

The old manor was tinder dry, and there was a lot of fuel for the fire. Harry knew they didn't have a lot of time.

“Neville!” Harry called again as he made his way to the staircase.

“Up here!” Neville called.

Harry hurried up the stairs, sending sprays of water as he went. He found Neville and his grandmother trapped in a bedroom. Neville was pinned under a bookcase, his wand lying just out of reach. Harry couldn't see his grandmother.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” Harry cast at the bookshelf and Neville scrambled out, grabbing his wand as he did.

“Thanks. Gran took a spell and fell behind the bed,” Neville said as he limped over. “She didn't respond when I called her.”

Harry could hear the fear in his voice.

They found her crumpled on the floor, unconscious. Neville looked up with pain-filled eyes.

“I wasn't fast enough,” he whispered brokenly.

“She'll be okay,” Harry said, trying to reassure him. “Let's get her and get out of here.”

The two of them levitated her slowly down the stairs and out the front door, to where Hermione was anxiously waiting, frantically spraying water at the front of the house. Mr. Weasley hurried over as they gently laid her down on the grass.

“Harry, if you plan on staying incognito, you and Hermione need to go now,” He knelt down beside Neville and his grandmother. “Go to Grimmauld place. Ron and Luna have already gone ahead.”

Harry gave Neville's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Don't worry Neville, she'll be up and bossing you around in no time, I promise.”

Neville gave a weak smile and nodded, and Harry and Hermione Apparated to Grimmauld place. They arrived to find Ron and Luna eating in the kitchen. Ron looked up at Harry in surprise.

“What on Earth happened to you?” he asked. “You weren't that dirty when we left.”

Harry dropped into the nearest chair and took off his glasses to clean them.

“They set the house on fire. We had to go in and rescue Neville and his grandmother.”

“Are they okay?” Ron asked.

“I think so. Neville was a bit scratched up and his grandmother took a spell that knocked her out. Your dad took over and told us to wait here for any news. I think I'll go have a shower while we wait.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Hermione said. “Do you want to go first?”

“We could save water…” Harry suggested.

Hermione frowned at him, and Harry took that as a no.

“Give me fifteen minutes,” he sighed as he got up.

He came down twenty minutes later to find Ron, Luna, and Hermione around the fireplace, talking to Mr. Weasley. Hermione looked up with tear-filled eyes, and threw herself into Harry's arms as he neared the fireplace, nearly knocking him down. He looked down to see Mr. Weasley looking back at him sadly.

“I'm sorry, Harry, Augusta Longbottom didn't make it.”

-->

A/N: Wow, thank you again for all of your kind words! When I started this journey, it was an attempt to try and satisfy my own selfish desires to see the right people together. Now, I can tell that so many of you feel the same way! It has been amazing to see how many hits my story has received, and how many reviews I have read. I appreciate every single one of them, and feel that I have become a part of a community that truly understands my obsession. As long as you are out there, I will continue to write. I know that I haven't thanked you lately, my dear Beta, but you know how much your friendship and words of wisdom have affected me. This whole experience has been life altering. Enjoy this chapter and leave a review on your way out! I would love to hear from all of you!

Okay, and now the legal part: I don't own these characters, someone else whose name happens to have the initials JKR does. Bummer.

Chapter 41

Finding a Locket

The silence in the room was broken only by the occasional sniff from Hermione.

“What happened?” Harry asked.

“She took several spells in the fight. They think that the last one was too much for her. Neville's being patched up, he's taking it pretty hard, poor blighter. His great aunt and uncle are coming to look after him.” Mr. Weasley said.

Mr. Weasley glanced behind him and then back towards the solemn teens.

“I need to go. Molly's arrived and she wants to go see Neville.”

After he was gone, Harry untangled himself from Hermione's sobbing embrace and leaned against the fireplace, staring into the grate, but not really seeing. He had told Neville that she would be okay, comforted him, but it had been a lie. It was because of him that Neville had lost his grandmother. He slammed his fist against the fireplace, ignoring the pain as the rough rock dug into his hand. He hit it again as he thought about how he was going to face Neville, and again as he realized that Voldemort wasn't going to quit until he attacked and killed everyone he knew.

“Harry!” Hermione cried as she grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her, and she could see the anger and pain in his eyes.

“It's my fault,” he said as he pulled away and sat at the table.

He pounded the table with his fists, wincing in pain as the cuts on his hand made contact with the hard surface. He stared at the patterns his blood made on the table.

“If Voldemort hadn't got that information from me—”

“He would have found it elsewhere,” Hermione finished. “You can't blame yourself for this.”

She sat down beside him and gently took his hand in hers, turning it over and gently cleaning the cut with the cloth Luna handed her.

“He's evil, Harry, with no remorse for his actions. You didn't create that, he did. We're just trying to stop it.”

Harry didn't say anything more; he just nodded. The room was silent as the three friends watched him try to deal with the added grief.

“I'm going to take a shower. Will you be okay?” Hermione asked quietly after a moment.

Harry nodded again, just wanting to get away and be alone for a bit.

“I think I'll go up to the library, find something to read,” he said as he suddenly stood up.

“We'll come with you, mate,” Ron said.

Harry turned and forced a smile. “I'll be okay, I just want to think a bit,” he said as he left.

He entered the library and aimlessly scanned the books on the shelf. He pulled a few down and took them to the chair in front of the fire. He sat and stared at the flickering flames, willing himself to feel nothing. Hermione found him there when she came down.

“Harry, you can't blame yourself for this,” she said.

“I promised him,” Harry said.

“Promised him what?” Hermione asked.

“I promised him that she'd be okay,” he said.

“Harry, you couldn't have known,” Hermione said as she hugged him.

Harry didn't return her hug, even though it felt good to be comforted. He felt like he should be punished for lying to Neville. They sat together, quiet, each trying to figure out what they should do next. Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, trying to get him to open up to her. She was worried that he was going to pull back from her again.

“I'm going upstairs to bed,” Hermione finally said, as she yawed and stood up. “Do you want to come?”

Harry looked up at her and gave a sad smile as he recognized what she was trying to do. He appreciated how much she cared for him, and he wasn't about to give her up,

“I'll be up in a minute,” he said.

“You should get some rest,” Hermione said as she ran her hands through his hair.

“I will,” he said. “Just not yet.”

“Harry, I…” Hermione trailed off as he took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles.

“I'm not letting you go,” he said. “I promise. It's just hard sometimes.”

Hermione smiled, leaned down, and gave him a gentle kiss.

“We'll get through this,” she said as she pulled away. “Don't stay up too late.”

Harry was lost in his musings after she left, when he heard muttering in the dark corner of the room.

“Filthy Blood-traitors and Mudbloods, what would Kreacher's Mistress say? Their filthy fingers all over my mistress' house…”

“Kreacher!” Harry said.

Kreacher stopped and came to bow in front of Harry. “How may Kreacher serve his master? Filthy blood traitor…”

Harry ignored his mutterings. “What are you doing here?”

“Cleaning,” came the simple answer.

“More like hiding more of your Mistress' things,” Harry muttered.

“Master is wise. Kreacher is only trying to preserve the history of the most noble House of Black.”

“Kreacher,” Harry said suddenly, “Have you seen a gold locket with an `S' on it?”

Kreacher averted his eyes, “My mistress has several gold lockets,” he muttered.

“I'm talking about the one that was in the cabinet, the one that was thrown out with some of the other items. I know you were taking things from that bag, Kreacher. Did you see it?”

Kreacher's eyes shifted back and forth and he hopped from one foot to the next.

“Yes, Kreacher has seen that one,” he finally admitted.

“And do you know where it is now?” Harry asked, beginning to feel excited.

Kreacher began pulling on his ear, and Harry could see him struggling not to say.

“Yes,” he finally squeaked.

“Kreacher, I want you to bring me the locket. I want you to bring that one to me, the Slytherin locket, not a different one.”

Kreacher thought for a moment, trying to get around Harry's instructions. Finally, with a scowl, he disappeared. Harry sat waiting anxiously, scarcely believing that he would soon have the dreaded Horcrux in his hand. Considering the antics that they had to go through to get the other Horcruxes, this was easy. After ten minutes, Kreacher returned, clutching the locket in his hands and muttering under his breath.

“Master treasured the locket, `keep it safe Kreacher,' says he. `Do not let it be lost. Do not tell where it came from.' Kreacher kept his word to his master, even after the blood traitor tried to get rid of it. Kreacher is a good house elf, he is…”

He approached Harry with a reproachful look. Harry held out his hand and Kreacher placed the chain across his palm. As Harry pulled it towards him Kreacher let the chain play out, until only the locket was left. He grasped the locket, yanking it and stopping its movement, causing Harry hiss in pain as the chain cut into the wound on his hand.

“Master is not throwing the locket out?” Kreacher asked.

“No,” Harry said as he pulled the locket from his grasp. “That's the last thing I want to do.”

Kreacher backed away, eyes glowering as Harry sat looking at the locket rotate on its chain. So many memories came flooding back as he watched it catch the firelight. The trip with Dumbledore, the battle at the castle, the slow arc Dumbledore made as he flew backwards off the turret…

Harry shook his head. He didn't need to wallow in the past right now. He noticed the blood on the chain and realized that it would have bonded to him. Knowing what as to come, the battle his friends world have to go through while he was immobilized, caused a jolt to go through his stomach. After the loss of Neville's grandmother, Harry was uncertain. What if they were not strong enough to fight Voldemort off? The thought of losing his best friends because he wasn't there to help them caused his stomach to churn. He couldn't bear to lose them if he was unsuccessful. As he sat there, Albion arrived and settled on to the armrest beside Harry.

`I heard about Neville's loss,' Albion said.

Harry nodded as he brushed the locket with his thumb.

`You've found the locket,' Albion said, surprised.

“Kreacher had it,” Harry said.

`Ah! The infamous RAB?'

Harry nodded again. “Regalus must have brought it back here after he got it from the cave. But who helped him? He couldn't have done it himself. Was there another Death Eater involved?”

Harry trailed off as he caught sight of Kreacher watching him and the locket from the corner of the room.

“It was you, wasn't it Kreacher? You went with Regalus to the cave.”

“Master is wise,” Kreacher cackled as he bobbed his head.

Harry looked at the locket again. Maybe it had already been destroyed…He tried to pry it open with his fingers, but no luck. He held it up, letting the firelight play around its edges.

“The soul piece is still in there,” he said absently.

`You remember that you need the help of your friends,' Albion warned.

Harry nodded his head, not really listening, watching the locket slowly spin on its chain.

`Perhaps you need to put it somewhere safe and get a good nights rest. Would you like me to look after it?' Albion asked, concern in his thoughts.

Harry hesitated a moment, tempted to try and deal with it tonight, while no one was around, but then he realized how tired he was, and knew it would be foolish to attempt it when he wasn't at full strength.

“Okay, but I want it back tomorrow morning,” Harry said as he reached out to hand the chain to Albion.

“No!” Screeched Kreacher, flying out of the corner. “Master is not giving it to the bird!”

He tried to pull the locket out of Harry's hand as he shouted.

“Traitor! Liar! Destroyer of master's treasures!”

“Kreacher! Stop! Harry finally yelled, pushing him away. Kreacher stood in front of him, panting and staring at him belligerently.

“Okay! I'll keep hold of it! I wasn't going to get rid of it.”

“Kreacher does not trust this bird,” the house elf muttered.

Albion snorted. `The feeling has always been mutual,' he said, and Harry tried not to laugh.

`I'll return tomorrow, Harry. Try to get some rest and don't worry about Neville. He will be okay. There's a reason he's a Gryffindor.'

Albion spread his wings and soared out the window that opened for him. Harry watched as the window shut itself again.

“Night, Kreacher,” he said, yawning, and with the locket in hand he made his way out of the library, Kreacher's beady little eyes following him all the way. He was tired, and he knew better than to try anything tonight. Tomorrow would be a better day. He crawled into bed and placed the locket under his pillow next to his wand, clearing his mind as he did so. He was asleep in minutes.

Harry had a fitful night. He slept, but it was a restless sleep. He finally got out of bed and padded to the window, watching the sky become lighter with the start of a new day. He returned to his bed and dug the locket out from under the pillow. He held it up, looking at it again. He was still worried about what would happen if he wasn't there. He had the most interaction with Voldemort, so wouldn't it stand to reason that he would be able to fight him off easier? He sat pondering his earlier fears for a moment, and then came to a decision. He quickly got dressed and headed back down to the library with the locket. He could do this, and save anyone else from having to battle Voldemort. He would weaken him, and remove the piece of soul himself. He sat down at the desk and laid the locket out in front of him.

“Master appreciates the fine treasure,” Kreacher said from behind him, making him jump.

Harry turned to look at the old house elf.

“Did Regalus ever try to open this locket, Kreacher?” he asked.

“Master treasured the locket. He would not be prying into things not concerning him,” Kreacher said. “My mistress was proud that he was given the honor to retrieve it, yes she was.”

From the sounds of it, Harry thought, Regalus hadn't truly explained what he had been doing, and obviously Kreacher never knew about Regalus' attempt to destroy it. Harry turned and looked back at the locket.

“I wonder if you really knew what you were getting yourself into,” he murmured as he turned the locket over. He thought about what he would have to do to activate the Horcrux. He knew that he would have to be receptive to the piece of Voldemort's soul entering his body, that much he could do. But if anything went wrong…

“Kreacher, I want you to keep an eye on me. If anything out of the ordinary happens, I want you to tell Ron and Hermione. Is that understood?”

“Kreacher is to watch for anything strange,” the elf said as he bobbed his head. Harry was determined to do this. It was imperative that he protect Ron and Hermione from having to deal with Voldemort, especially after what happened to Neville's grandmother. He carefully slipped the chain over his head and held the locket in his hand, studying the delicate etchings. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing himself to relax and let down his barriers. He felt himself getting drowsy, and his eyes felt heavy. He let his arm fall back down on to the deck, the locket hanging from the neck.

“Ostendo Vestri Veneficus,” he murmured.

The locket glowed and gave a little shake. Harry felt himself falling, images flashing through his mind of family and friends, before everything went black. As Harry lost consciousness, he slid of the chair and collapsed on the floor.

Kreacher stood looking at the crumpled form on the floor for a moment, before shuffling off.

“Nothing strange,” he muttered as he straightened a picture frame on the way out of the room. “Kreacher always sleeps on the floor by his beloved mistress. Kreacher would be there now if the house wasn't infested with blood-traitors and mud-bloods. My poor mistress must be lonely…”

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Greetings faithful readers! My apologies for the delay in this chapter, we have been entertaining an exchange student for the past two weeks, and it has taken up much of my time. It was a wonderful experience, but it did take me away from my computer and my regular routine. Just for being so patient, I plan on giving you two chapters for the price of one! I am hoping that will be enough to let you forgive me. So without much further ado, on to the battle!

The characters are not mine; I am just trying to quiet the demons in my head that tell me that Harry and Ginny do not belong together…

Chapter 42

The Battle Within

Hermione passed Kreacher on the stairs as she made her way down to the main floor.

“Good morning, Kreacher, ” she said.

The old elf glanced her way before slowly carrying on up the stairs.

“The mudblood is talking to Kreacher again. Is she aware of strange things? Kreacher thinks not,” he muttered, and then gave a strange little cackle.

Hermione watched him pass by Ron who yawned and scrubbed his head as he came down the stairs.

“I don't know why you bother,” Ron said.

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked.

“He's never going to change,” Ron said. “You're wasting your time.”

“You changed,” she retorted. “I figure if you could make changes in your life, then why not Kreacher? Everyone deserves to have the right to choose their own path in life, including elves.”

“Even if that path doesn't agree with yours?” Ron muttered.

“What was that?” Hermione asked.

“Nothing. I'm going to find something for breakfast.”

“There was a book I wanted to read from the library, so I'll be downstairs in a minute. Have you seen Harry yet?” Hermione asked. “He didn't come up last night.”

Ron raised his eyebrow at her, and Hermione became very flustered.

“Not that I was waiting for him or anything, mind you, I mean, I was just wondering…”

Ron rolled his eyes. “No, maybe he fell asleep in the Library,” he said quickly to cover his laughter as he moved away.

He really wasn't in the mood for an argument or any further discussions this morning; he was hungry. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen and was in the process of pulling the eggs out when he heard Hermione's frantic cry.

“RON!”

The eggs lay splattered and forgotten as he ran up the stairs, wand out and ready. He reached the library just as Luna appeared beside him. They rushed in to find Hermione sitting on the floor with her back to them, sobbing quietly. As Ron approached, he found out why: Harry's head was cradled in her lap, the gold locket hanging from his neck.

“Bloody hell, Harry,” he said. “What did you go and do that for?”

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

Harry was laying face down. He could hear someone calling his name, so he rolled over and looked up towards the blurry blue sky.

“Harry!” he heard again.

He sat up and groaned. He felt like he had gone a round or two with a Hungarian Horn-Tail. His glasses were handed to him and he looked up at the concerned face above him.

“Are you okay, son? You gave me quite a scare,” his father said.

“Dad?” Harry said.

He was confused. Something wasn't right. He looked around; searching for… what was he searching for? Last thing he remembered was falling…

“Harry? Are you okay? You must have taken quite a hit to the head. Do you want to rest?”

Harry took the hand that was offered to him and stood up looking around.

“If you're looking for the snitch, it took off after you dove for it. It headed towards the far end of the field,” his father said.

The snitch. That's what he was looking for, wasn't it? He could see vague shadows in the back of his mind, but every time he tried to grasp them, they disappeared. He must have hit his head harder than he thought. Harry looked at his dad, who was looking at him worriedly.

“Sorry,” Harry said. “I must have hit hard.”

“Well, if you don't have any bruises tomorrow, I'll be surprised. Want to call it a day?”

Harry shook his head.

“I don't get to do this too often,” he said as he grabbed his broom.

“That`s the spirit,” his dad grinned. “Come on, let's find that snitch.”

Harry watched his dad rise off the ground and just before he kicked off himself, he had a fleeting thought go through his mind.

`Why don't I get to do this more often?'

“Come on, Harry! I saw a flash of gold!” his father yelled.

Harry grinned and took off after his dad, determined to get the snitch first this time.

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

Ron, Hermione and Luna carefully moved Harry to the couch. Hermione was stroking his hair as Luna held his hand, her eyes closed.

“He's confused,” she said after a moment, opening her eyes.

“About what?” Ron asked.

“I don't know,” said Luna as she gently laid his hand across his waist. “I couldn't get to him. There's too much interference.”

“Well, our dark friend hasn't shown up yet,” Ron said as he looked around. “Maybe Harry's fighting back.”

“I don't think that Harry can do this alone, and I don't know how we can help,” Hermione said.

“Lupin,” Ron said as he headed for the door. “I'll go get him.”

He was back within five minutes, Professor Lupin following close behind, concern etched on his face. He entered the room and stopped dead, the color draining from his face. When he didn't move closer, Ron went back and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Sir? Are you okay?” he asked.

Lupin closed his eyes to collect himself, and gave a short nod.

“Yes, sorry. For a moment, I was seeing James…” he trailed off as he moved closer.

“How long has he been like this?” Lupin asked.

“I don't know for sure,” Hermione replied. “He was here last night, when I went to bed, and this is where I found him this morning. It could have been any time,” she finished quietly.

“I don't think its been too long though,” Ron said as he nodded towards the ghostly image that was beginning to materialize.

Lupin watched fascinated, as the image began to take form.

“We need to hurry,” said Ron, brining him back to the task at hand.

“This is going to be difficult,” said Lupin. “I can't see his eyes.”

He put his hands on either side of Harry's head and closed his eyes, trying to visualize the vivid green eyes of the young man lying in front of him.

“Legilimens” he whispered.

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

Harry was exhausted. It felt like they had been playing forever and this was the longest day on record. He finally headed for the ground, mopping his brow as he sat on the cool grass. He wished that the slight buzzing in his head would go away. It was making it hard to think.

“Don't tell me you're giving up now,” his dad said as he landed beside him.

Harry flopped back and closed his eyes, trying to clear his head.

“Just for a moment,” he said, grinning. He was really enjoying this time with his dad.

His dad stood watching him, a small knowing smile on his face.

“Harry!”

Harry opened his eyes and sat up. He could see a figure coming towards him. His dad stiffened, and the smile slid off his face as Lupin approached.

“Hello…Remus,” he said coldly.

“Is something wrong, dad?” Harry asked.

“Dad, huh?” Lupin said after a glance at Harry.

He realized that Harry couldn't see what he was seeing, and he wondered what the risk was of trying to convince Harry that this was all an illusion. Could he convince Harry that this wasn't real without damaging his mind?

“You're looking well…James.”

“What do you want?” James said.

“I'd like to borrow Harry, if I may,” Lupin said, thinking furiously.

“No, I don't think so. It's not often that Harry and I get to spend some time together,” James said.

“I don't mind talking to the professor,” Harry said.

“That's okay, son. I'll talk to Remus. Besides, didn't you just say you wanted a break so you could go see your girlfriend? She's waiting by the tree for you,” James said.

Harry frowned. Did he say that? He couldn't remember.

“You go on, Harry. Remus and I will have a little chat,” his father said as he led Lupin away.

“Don't relax too much, Harry” Lupin called. “Keep your guard up. Things are not always as they seem.”

Harry turned and looked at him puzzled. Why would the professor say that?

Professor… Harry stopped in his tracks. Lupin was a professor at Hogwarts, and he was a good friend. Someone Harry respected. The more he thought about it, the more annoying the buzzing became.

“I must be really tired,” he muttered as he headed for the tree.

He could see the hair that was framing her face blowing in the gentle breeze. Harry smiled to himself as he thought about how he loved to run his hands through that hair. She looked up from the book she was reading, and smiled. Harry flopped down beside her and laid back, his hands behind his head, and his eyes closed. She leaned over him, her hair tickling his face.

“I wondered when you were going to get tired of chasing that little golden ball,” she said as she ran a hand down his chest.

Harry smiled as he relaxed. The buzzing in his head seemed to become quieter as he did so.

“I missed you,” she said before leaning down to capture his lips. He marveled at their velvety softness as she teased his mouth with hers. Harry reached up and pulled her closer, tangling his hands in her hair as he deepened the kiss.

“You don't belong here,” James said as he grabbed Lupin's arm and pulled him away.

Lupin pulled out of his grasp and stopped.

“You don't belong here either, Tom, and I object to you portraying my best friend,”

Voldemort smiled slowly. “I really don't appreciate you using that name in my presence. How is my dear nemesis? I'll admit, I was able to take his form, but many memories seem to be hidden. I have been able to tap into a few, as you can see, but it seems to be taking a fair bit of work to find them.”

Lupin looked over to where Harry was under the tree and frowned.

“Ah. I see you don't approve of that relationship. I found some emotion attached to that one, so I just expanded on it a little bit,” Voldemort said.

Lupin turned back to look at the man standing in front of him, but said nothing.

“No matter, I'll just keep digging. Soon, I won't need his memories.”

“I think you need to leave now,” Lupin said. “I won't let you kill Harry.”

Voldemort laughed. “As if you have ever had any say in that matter. Goodbye Remus, give James my regards,” he pushed Lupin, forcing him to fall.

Lupin was expecting to feel the grass as he fell, so he was surprised when he felt the hard wood of the Library floor. The contact had been broken. He looked up surprised to see three worried faces watching him.

“What's going on? We've got a ghostly image here, but he doesn't seem to be materializing very fast,” Ron said.

“It looks like it's taking a lot of effort on his part to break down Harry's barriers,” Lupin said as he got up. “He thinks he's with his father playing Quidditch.”

“That's all?” Ron asked.

“I think that Harry has always felt that spending time with family is important,” Lupin said evasively.

“But something has changed,” Luna said as she opened her eyes. “Something that you're not telling us about. He's more relaxed now.”

“Who else is he with?” Ron asked.

Lupin cast a quick glance at Hermione before looking back at the pale young man on the sofa.

“Voldemort said he was spending time with his girlfriend,” he finally said. “I believe that he's trying to distract Harry.”

Hermione flushed. “He was with me?” she asked.

“Not…not quite,” Lupin said.

Hermione's face fell.

“Now remember, Voldemort's using memories he can get to. I believe his feelings for you are locked away quite well. It would be difficult for him to find any memories of you,” Lupin said, remembering the lessons all those months ago.

“Then who?” Hermione asked, dreading the answer but wanting to know.

Lupin sighed. This was still going to hurt.

“Ginny,” he finally said.

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Okay, here it is, as promised, the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it. My thanks to all of you who have enjoyed this story and left such great reviews. A special thanks goes out to Dementor149 for being my friend and silent partner in the writing of this story. Now if all of you readers are really nice and leave a review on the way out, I may post the next chapter really soon…(hint hint!) Warning: There is a cliffhanger! See previous comment to make the cliffhanger go away by having another chapter added soon…

The usual disclaimers apply. I am beginning to run out of excuses as to why I didn't think up these characters before someone else did!

Chapter 43

Seeing the Truth

Harry couldn't get enough of her. She was driving him to distraction as she nuzzled his neck and left a trail of kisses along his jaw. He sat up and rolled her on to her back, intent on doing some exploring of his own. He heard her sigh as he nuzzled her neck, and he moved down to the hollow at the base of her throat, making her shiver. He slowly ran his hand up her thigh until he came to the hem of her shirt. As he slid his hand under the fabric he smiled to himself, the flash of an earlier memory of soft skin and curly brown hair coming from the recess of his mind. Before he could ponder about it though, it was gone. He let his fingers explore the soft skin of her back as he nipped and nuzzled his way back up her neck to the hollow behind her ear. He leaned back to look at her, and she smiled at him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck.

“Tell me you love me,” she said as she pulled him back down.

Harry smiled at her. “I…”

`No, you don't!' a voice cried from inside of his head.

Harry stopped and the smile fell from his face.

“What's wrong Harry? Don't you love me?”

Harry sat back and looked at her. He saw the hurt in her hazel eyes and reached out to smooth the red hair away from her face.

Red hair…

That wasn't right…

It should be brown…

As soon as that last thought entered his mind, Harry was slammed with thousands of images, coming at him seemingly from nowhere. He scrambled back and stood up, shaking his head as he did so. He suddenly knew where he was.

“Ginny—” he said, and she disappeared, along with everything else around him.

He could hear a cold laugh and turned to see his father walking towards him.

“You're not my dad,” Harry said, and the figure melted away to reveal the image of Voldemort.

He threw his arms wide and then clapped them together. Before Harry could react, he was bound from head to toe by some kind of vine. He toppled over, landing on his side, his glasses flying off. He looked up to see Voldemort walk to his side and crouch down.

“Hello, Harry,” he smiled. “You are certainly a tough nut to crack.”

Harry struggled against the vines, but the more he struggled, the tighter they became.

“Do you remember these?” Voldemort asked. “You came across them once before. I found it in one of your earlier memories.”

Harry stopped struggling and looked up, his eyes blazing with anger.

“Now, Harry,” Voldemort said. “We both know the end is inevitable. We can do this the easy way,” and he waved his hand and the green fields came back, “or the hard way.”

“Go to hell,” Harry said through gritted teeth.

Voldemort stood up.

“I was kind of hoping you'd feel that way,” he said. “You see, I've been able to tap into some of your powers, and I have been very eager to use them.”

He gave Harry a sinister smile.

“Crucio,” he said.

Harry arched his back and screamed as it felt like every nerve in his body was on fire. As his body spasmed, the Devil's Snare tightened to the point that Harry couldn't get a full breath of air. He could feel the blackness closing in on him and the last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Voldemort's maniacal laughter.

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

Hermione was trying very hard to understand. She knew Harry would protect any memories of her, he had told her as much time and time again. She also knew that there would be memories of Ginny and their time together. There was still a part of her that was hurt though, and her logical side was having a tough battle with that emotional side.

Lupin laid a hand on her shoulder.

“It doesn't mean anything, Hermione,” he said. “I know how he feels about you,” and he told her about what had happened when he was first teaching Harry about Occlumency. Hermione smiled as she blinked back the tears.

“Thanks Professor,” she said.

Suddenly Harry gasped and his body began to spasm. They turned back to him, and Hermione grabbed his hand and held it between hers.

“He's losing the battle,” Ron said as he nodded towards the figure materializing in the shadow.

“What are we going to do?” Hermione said.

“I don't know,” Lupin said. “I could try again, but forcing my way in may weaken him even more, now that Voldemort is aware of me.”

Harry's spasms stopped, and his breathing became very shallow.

“There is no time,” Luna said. “You have to help him, Hermione.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” she cried. “I'm not as skilled at Occlumency as the professor is.”

Luna took both of her hands in her own, forcing Hermione to look at her.

“Do you love him?” she asked quietly.

“What?” Hermione asked. That was the last thing on her mind right now.

“I need you to tell me. Do you love Harry with all your heart?”

Hermione looked into her startling blue eyes, and felt the tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She nodded in response.

“I need you to say it,” Luna said.

Hermione hesitated for a moment, glancing quickly at the other two occupants in the room. She had never been very good at stating her feelings out loud. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I…I love Harry,” she said, and suddenly her heart felt like it was so full it would burst. “I do. I love him.”

She felt the strength of her love for Harry surge though her, and it made her feel powerful. Luna could see the flash in Hermione's eyes as the realization hit her, and she squeezed her hands in understanding. Hermione become conscious of the impact her statement would have on a certain person, and she glance over at Ron, who gave her a small wistful smile.

“Good,” Luna said with a smile. “Now we can help him.”

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

As Harry swam back towards consciousness, he was battered by memories of his friends and family being tortured and in pain. He had cried out in anguish the first few times it had happened, only to have the Cruciatus curse put on him again until he lapsed into unconsciousness. Now, as he slowly opened his eyes, he didn't even react. The Devil's Snare was keeping him from taking a full breath of air, and he was becoming too tired to fight. He had lost count as to how many times Voldemort had cursed him; he just felt the despair of knowing he wasn't strong enough or prepared enough to fight him. That thought alone seemed to sap him of his strength even more.

“You know, Harry,” he heard Voldemort say, “this isn't even fun anymore. You're not reacting to the memories I'm giving you. Obviously I haven't dug deep enough. I'm sure there's something I've missed.”

Harry had an idea as to where he was going, but he had no energy to stop him. He watched helplessly until he became a blur, and then closed his eyes, trying to will his aching body to relax enough to give him more air.

He wasn't surprised then, to hear her voice.

“Harry!” she cried.

“Go away,” Harry begged, keeping his eyes firmly shut. “Please, go away.”

He couldn't bear to have his last vision of Hermione to be one filled with pain. He tried to push the vision away, but lacked the strength to create any more than a brief wind.

“Isn't it interesting that a product of our own mind can be so dangerous?” a second voice said.

Harry cracked one eye open to look up at the blurry figures before him.

“Luna?” he croaked.

“Lumos Maxima,” Hermione said.

As quickly as it had appeared, the Devil's Snare was gone, and Harry collapsed in a heap. He let out an involuntary cry of pain as the feeling began to return to his arms and legs. It felt like the curse was traveling up and down his body again. He couldn't stop the spasms from coursing through his body. He felt someone lift his head up and cradle it against a soft body.

As his twitching subsided into a dull ache, Harry opened his eyes to look up into the worried face of Hermione, and briefly wondered what Voldemort was up to now.

“We don't have much time,” Luna said as she looked around.

“Harry, you have to stop this.” Hermione said.

“Why?” Harry said. “So you can see the rest of my memories? Find new ways to torture me?”

Hermione glanced up at Luna and then back down at Harry.

“Harry, do you know who I am?” she asked.

Harry winced and closed his eyes as another spasm of pain went through him.

“I thought I had protected you better than that. I'm sorry,” he said more to himself than anyone else.

Hermione looked back up at Luna helplessly.

Luna came over and sat down cross-legged on the other side of Harry and handed him his glasses.

“Do you remember when I helped you with Ron?” she asked.

Harry put his glasses on and looked at her.

“Accessible memories,” he said after a moment and then closed his eyes. “Nice try.”

“I have a connection with Ron,” she said smiling, as though he hadn't even interrupted her. “We belong together, and I love him.”

Hermione smiled at her innocent honesty, and Luna leaned in.

“Don't tell him, though, he's afraid of the comphobes. They might tie him up.”

Hermione gave a little snort of laughter, despite the seriousness of the situation they were in.

Harry slowly sat up, wincing as he did so.

“That's great Luna, or whoever you are. Now go away.”

“Harry! She's just trying to make you understand! We're not a product of your memory. We're here to help.”

Harry staggered to his feet, and leaned on his knees, trying to gain his balance.

“Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?” he asked.

“We're…we're…” Hermione trained off. What were they doing here?

She turned to look at Luna, who was hugging her knees.

“Tell him,” she said simply.

Hermione looked down at her hands in her lap. Now the moment was here, she felt embarrassed.

“What is she supposed to tell me?” Harry said after a moment of silence.

Luna just smiled demurely at him.

“There are more important things in life than books and cleverness,” Hermione said after a moment.

She looked up into those green eyes that have been so much a part of her world and took a deep breath. “It's the reason why we were able to come. I have a connection with you too.”

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, Harry could see right through to her soul.

“I love you, Harry”

Harry stood straight up, the surprise evident on his face, his eyes never leaving hers. Wordlessly, he held out a hand, and Hermione took it and stood up. He reached out and gently cupped the side of her face.

“In my mind, I have been waiting for a long time for you to say that,” he said quietly.

He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb.

“How do I know this is real?”

Hermione looked up and saw the sadness in his eyes.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

Harry let his gaze caress her face, taking in every feature of the woman that he loved.

“We're stronger together, Harry,” she said. “Trust me.”

And because she asked, Harry leaned in to kiss her. He memorized that kiss, taking in every detail of how her lips felt next to his. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, bringing him closer to her, and deepening the kiss, wanting him to know how she truly felt.

Harry could feel the tingling sensation radiating out from Hermione, filling him and making him feel complete. He had a brief flash of a memory of kissing Hermione at his birthday party, and he felt the warmth of that memory surround him.

He kissed her back, hungrily, wanting more, and Hermione complied, giving everything of herself to Harry, holding nothing back. Harry could feel himself growing stronger, healing, and as he did, he sent his love back to her, giving as much as he was receiving. At that point, Harry knew that this wasn't some fantasy world that Voldemort had created; it was his dreams come true.

He pulled apart from her, breathless. There was so much he wanted to say.

“Hermione, I—”

“You shall not interfere!”

Harry turned to see Voldemort storming towards them, enraged. Harry stepped in front of the two girls, and pulled himself up to his full height.

Voldemort came to stand in front of him.

“Conjuring your own fantasies and playing the hero are we?” Voldemort sneered. “It looks like you need to be taught a lesson. Crucio!”

Harry waved his hand without thinking, and a wall appeared in front of them. The curse hit it, and the wall shattered, throwing dust everywhere. As it cleared, Harry heard a strangled cry and he spun around to see Voldemort standing behind Hermione, his arm around her throat.

“You are such a slow learner,” Voldemort laughed.

Harry could feel the anger building in him, and his fingers were crackling with magic.

“Let her go,” Harry said through gritted teeth.

Voldemort gave a sinister smile.

“What a lovely reaction,” he said. I wonder what you would do if I did this?” and he slowly began to squeeze her neck.

Hermione let out an involuntary squeak, her eyes bulging, and her hands clawing helplessly at the arm across her throat. Her eyes darted to Harry as she tried to shake her head, telling him not to give in.

“I said, let her go,” Harry replied calmly, though he didn't feel it.

Voldemort relaxed the grip on her throat slightly, and picked up one of her curls between his fingers.

“Interesting,” he said as he let the hair fall from his fingers. “She is lovely, Harry, and full of fire, too.”

He trailed one finger down the side of her face. Hermione struggled to get away, but he only held her tighter.

“Get your hands off of her,” Harry said shakily, the vestiges of his control beginning to slip.

Harry's eyes darted to Luna, who was standing quietly behind Voldemort, all but forgotten. He watched as she slowly pulled the wand out from behind her ear.

“I think what we shall do, Harry, is you surrender to me, and perhaps I will let this lovely young lady go,” Voldemort said.

“Not on your life,” Harry said.

“Hm. I figured you would say that. What about hers?” Voldemort asked, and he produced a knife and plunged it into Hermione's side.

Hermione's eyes went wide in surprise and she made an involuntary gasp. Slowly, she slid to the floor as Voldemort loosened his grip on her. The last thing Harry saw before her eyes fluttered closed was the sorrow at the knowledge of having found, and then lost.

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A/N: Wow, I must have scared a lot of readers with that last chapter! I was surprised by how many of you reviewed so quickly! I think that you will like this chapter, and I promise, no cliffhanger! Thanks to all of you for reviewing, and I appreciate all of your comments. Here is the conclusion to Harry's inner battle. Enjoy!

I have been waiting for the lawyers to show up complaining that I have made the trio's journey too tough. I promise I will make it all worth their while.

Chapter 44

Strength in Believing

“Expelliarmus!” both Harry and Luna shouted at the same time. The power of the two spells was so powerful that Voldemort flew out of sight. Harry rushed to Hermione's side and cradled her against his chest. He looked up to see Luna standing quietly over him.

“Luna, we've got to get her some help.”

He looked back down in panic at the slowly spreading red stain. He couldn't lose her, not now, not like this…

“I'm sorry, Harry, I can't help you,” Luna said

Harry looked back up at her incredulously.

Luna just shook her head.

“This is all in your mind, Harry, so I can't help. You have to help her, or she will die.”

It was one of the most confusing things Harry had ever heard, and he felt himself getting annoyed.

“Look, I don't have the time or the patience right now to figure out one of your riddles! Hermione is dying!” he said angrily.

Luna cocked her head and blinked her big blue eyes.

“Is that what you believe, Harry?”

Harry looked back down at her pale face. “I can see it,” he said.

Luna sighed. “The mind is a very powerful tool, Harry. If Voldemort has used yours to make you believe that she is dying, then Hermione will believe it, and it will happen. Do you understand?”

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of it all.

“So you are saying that none of this is real?” he said dejectedly, thinking about what Hermione had said earlier.

“No one has ever said that this isn't real,” Luna said. “Voldemort's soul fragment is here, and so are we, and the rest of what you see around you is what you believe to be real. In here, you have the power to do anything. Remember the wall you conjured? That came from your magical core. That's the power Voldemort is trying to take from you, and the power that you need to use to stop this, and him.”

Harry looked back down at Hermione, trying to see past the bloodstain and the paleness of her face.

“You have to believe, Harry,” Luna whispered.

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

Ron was becoming very nervous. He paced back and forth, his eyes darting to the shadowy figure by the wall. Lupin sat watching Ron, taking note of the worry and determination on his face.

“How long will this take?” he asked, breaking the silence.

Ron glanced over at the two girls sitting on the floor in front of Harry. His worry had doubled since the last time he was in this position, now that Luna was in the picture.

“I don't know,” he sighed. “That's the part I hate.”

Hermione stiffened and gasped before slumping against Luna, at the same time Tom gave a sinister laugh that turned into a cry of rage before he disappeared. Both Ron and Lupin scanned the room, but there was no sign of the evil spirit.

“What happened? Where is he? Is he gone?” Lupin asked.

“I don't think so,” Ron said as he checked Harry. “The locket is still intact. Besides, the girls are—” he trailed off as he took a closer look at Hermione. She was hardly breathing.

“No, No, No! Not again!” he cried as he knelt in front of them.

“What?” Lupin asked as he came back around.

“Something's wrong with Hermione. She's hardly breathing,” Ron replied as he gently cupped her face in his hands.

“We need to call Madame Pomfrey,” Lupin said as he turned towards the door.

“No,” Ron said, stopping him. “We need to wait. Something's happened,” he turned to where Harry was lying. “Come on, Harry, you did it once, you can do it again. Bring her back.”

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

“You have to believe, Harry.”

The words echoed through his head as he looked down on the most important person in his life. It didn't seem like it should be that easy. Harry closed his eyes and relaxed, searching his mind for that magical core Luna was talking about, which seemed strange since he was already in his own mind. He thought about his feelings for Hermione, and suddenly a thin golden trail, like a rope, appeared in front of him. He reached out and grabbed it, and felt a burst of energy fill him.

He placed his hand over her wound and with his eyes still closed, pictured the jagged edges stitching themselves back together. Luna watched as a faint glow appeared between Harry's hand and Hermione's side. After a moment, Harry opened his eyes and looked at her.

“I love you, too,” he said quietly before leaning down to kiss her.

Harry gave her back everything she had given him, letting his love flow between them. After a moment, he felt her respond. He slowly pulled back, watching as her eyes fluttered open.

“Harry,” she whispered, and he smiled down at her before helping her sit up.

She glanced down at where the knife had gone in, and touched the area gingerly before looking back at Harry.

“I thought…” Hermione began.

“Not while I'm still around,” Harry said with a smile.

He helped her to her feet and gently ran his hands up and down her arms before gathering her in a hug, resting his head on top of hers. There was so much he wanted to say.

“Storm's coming, Harry,” Luna said.

Harry turned and saw for a fact, something was coming their way. He knew what he had to do. He stepped back from Hermione's warm embrace and reached out to cup her face and trace her cheek with his thumb.

“I want you to go,” he said quietly.

Hermione had closed her eyes, but they snapped when he made his request.

`I need to do this, Hermione, and right now I need to know you're safe,” he said. “Please trust me. You've already given me the power I need to fight back. Now I need your trust.”

Harry could see the inner battle playing out in her eyes before she stepped closer into the circle of his arms again, seeking comfort.

“If you don't come back, I will never speak to you again,” she whispered.

Harry smiled as he remembered her saying that earlier, and hugged her in understanding before reluctantly letting her go. She backed away until she reached Luna, her eyes never leaving Harry's face. Then as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone, and Harry turned to face Voldemort.

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

Ron was back to pacing again, and as he moved, Lupin would hear him mutter “idiot” or “wanker” under his breath. Every once in a while he would stop and cast a glance at the two girls, only to begin pacing and muttering again.

Lupin was at wits end. He felt old and helpless as he sat there, watching for any sign from Harry. He had done his battles with Voldemort before, watched as those closest to him died while he lived. He could feel the same frustrations coming back to haunt him. He wasn't sure what he could do now to help win this battle. As that last thought entered his mind, he noticed Luna's eyes begin to flutter open and heard Hermione take in a large breath of air.

Ron was down on the floor in front of them in a flash as the two girls slowly came back to their senses. Lupin watched as Ron hugged Luna first, and then Hermione. As Ron went back to fussing over Luna, Hermione looked up at Lupin.

“He promised to return,” she said quietly.

“Not if I can help it,” a voice said. “He belongs to me now.”

They all turned and saw Tom standing in the corner, rapidly becoming more solid. Ron was up quickly, wand drawn and ready to fight, the anger blazing in his eyes.

“You know, I'm getting really tired of all your blustering,” he said.

Tom smiled slowly and his eyes moved to where Harry was on the couch. They watched in horror as Harry's body began to spasm and then collapse back on the couch. Hermione grabbed his hand and watched for any further change.

“You need to mind your manners, young man,” Tom smirked.

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

Harry watched as the dark clouds came towards him. He watched the center of the clouds as it grew, focusing its energy on the individual in the middle. As soon as Voldemort was close enough, he threw out his hand at Harry and yelled “Crucio!”

The spell hit Harry before he had a chance to move, and he felt his body spasm as he hit the ground. The spell ended quickly, and Harry rolled over and got back to his feet, surprised that it wasn't as painful as before.

“That was your one free shot,” he panted.

“No,” Voldemort smiled, “That was just a lesson for your friends to learn.”

“And what sort of lesson are they going to learn from you?” Harry asked.

Voldemort gave a small smile. “Why, not to anger me, of course.”

Harry slowly began to circle Voldemort, who imitated his moves.

“I think that I've had enough,” Harry said.

“Really? Are you ready to lay down and die?” Voldemort asked.

“No,” Harry replied stalling. “Do you really know who I am?”

Voldemort laughed. “You are Harry James Potter. Whelp to James and Lily Potter, and the bane of my existence. All the more reason to kill you.”

“What did I ever do to you?” Harry asked.

The longer he got Voldemort to talk, the more time he had to pull his power back without Voldemort noticing. Much like the Legilimens lesson with Lupin all those months ago.

“Thrice they evaded capture and prevented me from gaining the power I needed. But I had plans for them. I had heard they had a child, and I had great plans for you. I am presuming, since you are still here, that I didn't get a chance to fulfill my plan?”

The whole time Voldemort was talking, Harry was focusing on his link to his magical core, pulling it towards him, now he felt the energy crackling inside of him, and it gave him the strength he needed.

“They're dead,” he said. “And you killed them.”

Voldemort stared at him for a moment, and then he began to laugh.

Harry could feel the anger building in him, as Voldemort continued to laugh. He wanted to make Voldemort feel pain like he did, and without really thinking about it, he slashed his hand at the specter.

“Sectumsepra!” he yelled.

The force of Harry's anger hit Voldemort. He flew backwards, gasping and clutching his throat and chest, blood leaking through his fingers.

Harry slowly walked over to where Voldemort was lying, and crouched down. He looked at Voldemort with cold hatred in his eyes, and for once, saw fear.

“I guess you've just learned your lesson,” Harry said coldly. “Salvo animus.”

The pale blue glow of the spell surrounded the convulsing body as Harry moved away, and turned his back on the bubble as it faded.

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

Ron looked back worriedly at Hermione and Luna as Tom began to laugh. Lupin slowly got up and came to stand beside Ron.

“What do you think?” Ron asked Lupin quietly as they watched Tom laugh.

“I don't know,” Lupin replied. “Something must be very funny.”

Suddenly Tom gasped and staggered back against the wall, clutching his throat and chest, his eyes blazing with anger.

Ron turned back to look at Harry. “Hermione, NOW!” he called.

Hermione pointed her wand at the locket dangling down towards the floor.

“Everto!” she cried.

The chain snapped, causing the locket to fall to the floor where it broke open. A black mist rose out of the locket, screaming as it began to disappear. Ron turned back in time to see Tom's image dissolve into thin air.

“Okay, Professor,” Ron said. “Now you can call Madame Pomfrey.”

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

Harry was sitting under the large tree on the hill. He wasn't too sure how long he had been sitting there, he just knew that it was quiet and peaceful, and it gave him a chance to think. The strange thing was, he really wasn't thinking about anything anymore, he was just sitting and listening to the wind blow through the leaves of the tree. Every once in a while the wind would caress his face, calling him, but he chose to ignore it.

“Hello, Harry,”

Harry looked up in surprise. “Mum?”

She smiled down at him.

“Did I conjure you up, or…”

“Does it matter?” she asked.

“No, I guess not,” he replied after a moment.

“Why haven't you gone home?” she asked. “You have been here for quite a while.”

Harry shrugged. “It's quiet here, and I'm alone with my thoughts.”

“Are you thinking about the promise you made?”

Harry looked up sharply. “ How did you know about that?” he shook his head. “Never mind. I don't want to know.”

They were both quiet for a while, one waiting until the other was ready to speak.

“How am I expected to defeat the most powerful wizard of our time when all I ever do is react out of anger? I wanted to hurt him, make him feel the way I did. But according to Dumbledore, he already knows about anger. I won't be able get the jump on the real Voldemort with that.”

“It's quite common for a child to feel that way,” his mother said.

“So how does that solve my problem?” Harry asked.

“You're not a child, Harry, its time to grow up.”

“Which means?” Harry asked.

“You need to be in control of your emotions, accept your mistakes and learn from them, instead of looking elsewhere to lay blame. But you already knew that,” Lily said.

Harry nodded reluctantly.

Lily sat down in front of Harry, cross-legged.

“Growing up is tough, Harry, but you don't have to do it alone. You have people who love you, and can support you when you need it. You also have the love of a wonderful woman.”

“She is pretty incredible,” Harry said. “I'm not too sure how I became so lucky.”

“She's waiting for you now,” his mother said.

“She is?”

“It's time to go home, Harry,” she said as she got up to leave.

“Wait!” Harry said. “I need to ask you one more thing.”

He saw his mother hesitate for a moment, unsure of whether she could answer.

“I just wanted to know,” Harry said, “Do you think I can beat him?”

There. He had asked the one question that had been haunting him for quite a while.

She smiled serenely. “All my faith is in you, Harry. I think you know the answer to that question. Go home, Harry,” She disappeared.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes as everything around him disappeared.

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

Luna blinked her eyes as she sat up. She looked down upon the two sleeping forms in the infirmary. She gently withdrew her hands from the two and stood up, squeezing by the chair occupied by Hermione, whose head was resting on Harry's bed, her arm draped over his chest.

“Welcome home, Harry,” she whispered before sneaking out of the infirmary.

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A/N: Okay, this is one of the chapters that you all have been waiting for. I know it was a long time coming, but hey, there was a lot of ground to cover to get to this point. Thank-you to all of you that have stuck with me for so long. I know I wanted to do a thorough job of this, and I hope I have done so. We still have some things to cover, so without much further ado, read on!

The characters are not mine. I am just allowing them to say what they really hold dear in their hearts.

Chapter 45

A Promise

When Harry awoke, he wasn't surprised to find the weight of her arm across his chest. He slowly slid his hand up and down her arm, enjoying the feel of the softness of her skin. Hermione lifted her head and looked up into a pair of intense green eyes. Wordlessly she got up and crawled in beside Harry as he moved over to make room. She snuggled under his chin, and he held her tightly as his memories flooded to the surface. He was quiet as he tried to sort through them, surprised that he could remember so much.

“You really worried me,” Hermione said after a while. “I should kill you or at least maim you for being so stupid.”

Harry sighed. “I know.”

“Why on earth would you think that you could do it alone after all we had been through? What happened to `we're in this together'?” she said with a tinge of anger in her voice.

“I'm sorry, I really am. I thought I was strong enough to beat him,” Harry said. “I guess I still have a lot to learn.”

“Well, here is a lesson for you right now. If you ever do that again, you will wish you were dead, because I will make your life miserable. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes ma'am,” Harry said as he hid a smile in her hair.

“Good.”

They were quiet for a while, both reveling in the feeling of contentment at being in each other's arms.

“How long was I out?” Harry finally asked.

“Almost a week. Madame Pomfrey said you were fine, you just weren't there,” Hermione said.

“I was there, I just…”

“Just what?” Hermione asked.

“I just needed time to think,” Harry said.

“So what do you remember?” Hermione asked.

“Bits and pieces,” Harry said. “It's like watching a movie in my head, only more disjointed.”

Hermione shifted on to her back, and Harry propped himself up on his arm, looking down at her. The look in his eyes, of knowledge so profound, startled her. Hermione blushed, and looked down, suddenly finding her nails to be quite interesting.

“So…do you remember Luna and me being there?”

“Yes.”

“And…and do you remember what I said?”

“You mean the part about if I didn't come back, that you'd never speak to me again?”

He knew that's not what she was looking for, but after her admonishment, he was feeling a bit rebellious.

“What? Oh yes, that…that was one thing…” she trailed off as she started to sit up dejectedly.

Harry put his arm across her stomach to stop her, and pulled her back around so she was looking at him.

Hermione looked up into his eyes and saw something that hadn't been there earlier; a sort of maturity and calmness that she hadn't seen before. It made her shiver.

“You know, with all of this battling we've been doing with Voldemort's soul, it's really made me think,” Harry said quietly as he trailed a knuckle down her cheek.

“Oh really?” Hermione said, as her heart fluttered.

“When I was…in there…thinking, I was thinking about you.” Harry said.

“About me?” Hermione asked.

“The whole thing with you almost dying, and how I felt when I thought I was going to lose you…it made me think about how important you have been in my life. Every time something happens to you, or I think I'm going to lose you, a little piece of me dies. I just feel that we have some sort of special bond, not like the bond of friendship that I have with Ron, it's something more,” he said.

“Like a soul mate,” Hermione whispered.

Harry looked at her, and nodded hesitantly.

“I had heard of `soul mates' before, but I never knew such a person could exist…until I met you.”

“What…what are you trying to say?” Hermione said breathlessly.

“You know, I am so glad you are a part of my life,” he said. “No matter how many times I mess up.”

Hermione smiled at him, as her heart fluttered madly. Was this it?

“Somehow, with all the crazy things that have happened in our lives, I almost feel like this was meant to be. It's almost like I have waited all my life to find someone who cares about me as much as I care about them.”

“Well, you do know that I worry about you more than anyone else,” Hermione said, surprised by what he was saying. He had never spoken this way before.

“I know. When I'm with you, I know that I am with someone who makes my life more complete than I ever dreamed it could be.”

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, and Harry placed a finger against her lips. He wanted to tell her what he was feeling, what he had been thinking about for that time he was `not there', before he lost the courage.

He took a deep breath.

“I have always trusted you more than anyone else I know. I looked to you for inspiration, for answers and encouragement, and not only have you never let me down, you lift my spirits and take the weight off of my shoulders. I honestly believe that you are my soul mate, Hermione, and I love you.”

Hermione blinked her eyes and sniffed. “That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“You're more important to me than anything else in my life, and no matter what happens, we'll be in this together forever…if…if that's what you would like,” Harry said, as his courage started to falter.

“I think I would,” Hermione said before she pulled him down to kiss her. “I love you too,” she said before her lips touched his.

Harry returned her kiss, elated that he had finally told her what he had kept buried deep down inside. Dumbledore had been right; he was stronger knowing that the woman he cherished more than anything else in the world loved him back. The feeling was almost overwhelming.

“Ahem!”

They broke apart quickly, and Hermione could see Madame Pomfrey standing at the edge of the curtain, arms folded, and looking annoyed.

“I can see from the looks of things, Mr. Potter, that you are no longer in need of my services. Since I do not tolerate these kinds of shenanigans in my infirmary, Miss Granger, you have thirty seconds to get your trouble-making self off of my ward.”

“We're…we're terribly sorry Madame Pomfrey,” Hermione stuttered as she sat up.

Harry ducked down behind her to hide his laughter, only to receive an elbow in the ribs. Nobody could ruin the mood he was in right now.

Madame Pomfrey looked sternly at the two embarrassed teenagers trying not to show her fondness for them.

“Thirty seconds, Miss Granger,” she said as she turned away.

As soon as she was gone Hermione scrambled off of the bed as Harry shook with laughter.

“It's not funny,” she hissed as he reached over to grab his glasses.

“Yes it is,” he said. “Shenanigans,” he snorted.

“I'm never going to be able to look her in the eye again,” Hermione said mortified, hiding her face.

“Oh come on, Hermione, we weren't doing anything that bad,” Harry said, sitting up.

“Yes, well, who knows what she thinks of us now,” Hermione said as she put her shoes on.

“I'm counting, Miss Granger,” Madame Pomfrey said.

Harry smirked at the look of horror on her face.

“Go on,” he said, trying not to laugh again. “I'll meet you in our common room.”

Hermione grabbed her sweater and turned to leave.

“Hey,” Harry called quietly.

Hermione turned to see him smiling at her.

“I love you,” he said, just because he could.

Hermione smiled and blew him a kiss.

“I know,” she said as she turned and left.

As Harry dressed, he thought about the conversation he had earlier. He had accepted that he had to face Voldemort; the difference now was that he planned on surviving. He had something worth living for. His hand brushed the invisipouch as he buckled his belt, and he stopped. He reached in and pulled out the little velvet bag he had put in there all those months ago. He opened it and tipped the bag into his hand, letting the ring fall into his palm. He stared at it for a few minutes before placing it back in the bag. He left the infirmary after giving Madame Pomfrey a jaunty wave, thinking that maybe now the time was right.

Harry was surprised to find Neville sitting with Ron, Luna and Hermione in the common room. He noticed that Neville looked very tired, and his heart lurched as he thought about his friend's loss. As he entered the room, Ron got up and gave him a brotherly hug.

“You've got to stop doing that to me, mate,” he said. “It's making me old.”

“I'll work on it,” Harry grinned.

He went and sat down beside Hermione who linked her hand through his. Neville noticed, but didn't say anything.

“Alright there, Neville?” Harry asked.

“Okay,” Neville said. “Thanks for…you know,”

Harry nodded in understanding.

“I was wondering if I could ask a favor,” Neville said after a moment.

“Anything you need,” Hermione said.

“I have to go to Gringott's next week to hear Gran's will, and I really don't want to go alone,” Neville said.

“Harry will go with you, won't you, Harry?” Hermione said.

“*Cough*henpecked*cough*,” Ron coughed into his hand, and Hermione glared at him.

“Oh…sure. Of course I'd go with you, Neville,” Harry said.

“Thanks,” Neville said, clearly relieved.

“Good thing Harry knows where he stands in his relationship,” Ron muttered as he leaned over towards Luna.

“Shut it,” Harry warned as his best friend smirked at him.

Harry walked Neville to the tunnel between their common room and Gryffindor's main room. Neville stopped as he got to the door.

“I really appreciate what you did, Harry,” he said. “You saved my life. I owe you one.”

Harry smiled sadly at him. “I wish I could have done more,” he said. “I'm sorry about your grandmother.”

“I wish I could have done more too,” Neville said dejectedly, his shoulders slumped.

They were both quiet for a moment, reliving memories, before Neville stood up straight again, his shoulders squared.

“I meant what I said before. I owe you one. Anything I can do for you, name it. Especially if it involves taking down a few Death Eaters.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” he said as Neville left.

Harry came back and the four of them exchanged accounts of their experiences with the locket. Harry left out the exchange between himself and Hermione. It was still too new and he selfishly wanted to keep it to himself. The three friends brought Harry up to date on any news they had heard about Voldemort.

“Daddy says the Crumple-Horned Snorkack have gone into hiding,” Luna said. “They know something's happening.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at the information. “The Ministry has transferred a large herd of Centaurs to the forest here at Hogwarts,” she said. “Apparently Bane wasn't too happy about it, according to Hagrid. He was comparing the move to putting all the wild animals on to one reserve. They are not going to put up with this much longer. The Ministry said that they were doing it so they could protect them, but Hagrid thinks they are trying to keep an eye on them. He said that Bane told him that `the actions of an insignificant few are of no interest to them. Their history isn't even in the stars'.”

Ron snorted. “My dad has been saying that there are a lot of insignificant people in the Ministry for years.”

“Well, at any rate, they certainly are not winning people over to their side,” Hermione said.

“Well, there's not much we can do right now, so lets go eat,” Ron said standing up.

“Always thinking with your stomach,” Hermione said.

“Are you going to deny that you're not hungry?” Ron asked.

“No, but—”

“Good. Let's go,” he said, taking Luna's hand and heading for the door.

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

It seemed strange to Harry to be patrolling the halls after everything that had happened in the past few weeks. The mood around the castle was definitely subdued, and even McGonagall seemed more serious than normal, which Harry didn't think possible.

Harry was quiet for most of the rounds, letting Hermione shoo the younger students out of their hiding spots and off to bed. They came across Neville and Lavender in a dark corner, and decided to leave them.

“It's good therapy for him,” Harry said with a smile.

“We should head back,” Hermione said.

“One more stop,” Harry said and took her hand.

He led her though the halls and up to the astronomy tower.

“Is someone in here?” Hermione asked.

Harry didn't answer, but he hoped not. They entered the tower area and looked around.

“You know Harry, it would have been a lot easier if you had brought your map,” Hermione said.

“I couldn't,” Harry said with a grin. “I lent it to Neville.”

Hermione stopped in her tracks and then started to laugh.

“Well, he certainly wasn't paying attention now, was he?”

“That's what happens when you're with a beautiful woman,” Harry said. “You sometimes forget where you are.”

Hermione turned to look out the window to hide her blush as she remembered their earlier incident. Harry came up behind her and put his arms around her. She leaned back into him and looked out at the stars.

“This is nice,” she said after a moment.

“Very,” Harry said as he hugged her tightly, feeling a little nervous.

He took a deep breath and stared out at the stars.

“You know that when I said I loved you, I mean it more than when anyone else in the whole wide world says it,” Harry said.

Hermione turned in his arms to face him.

“That's so sweet,” she whispered.

“You mean everything to me, and you are more important than anything else in my life,” Harry whispered.

“You already told me that earlier,” Hermione smiled.

“I know, but I want you to understand it,” Harry said as he backed away from her.

He reached into his invisipouch and pulled out the little velvet bag. Hermione's eyes went wide. He opened the bag and tipped the ring out on to his hand. He put the bag back and picked up the ring between his fingers. He took hold of her left hand and held the ring out.

“It's beautiful! Where did you get it?” she asked.

“In a little shop in Switzerland. It's a promise ring. I solemnly promise that when this is all over, we will be together,” he said as he slowly slipped the ring on her finger.

Hermione held her hand up and examined the etchings on the ring.

“I'm going to hold you to that promise,” she said as she pulled Harry down for a kiss.

Harry accepted her kiss, and felt the love that she gave so willingly intertwine with his own. He kissed her back, hungrily, wanting to let her know just how much she meant to him. He teased her lips with his tongue, seeking entry, and when she opened her lips, he swirled his tongue around hers, reveling in the wonder of the softness of her mouth.

Suddenly the two phoenixes on the ring began to glow and two flashes of light flared out: one hitting Harry and the other hitting Hermione. They both gasped as the light hit them and then faded.

“Are you okay?” Harry said.

“I think so,” Hermione replied.

“What just happened? Harry asked, looking around.

I think the ring just confirmed your promise,” she said as she looked at it again. It looked the same as before, but suddenly she had a great desire to keep it on and never take it off.

“Well, I meant it,” Harry said as he took her hand and guided her out of the tower.

They silently made their way down to the Gryffindor tower hand in hand. As they came around the corner, they stopped as they saw a lone figure sneaking back into the main tower.

“Ginny,” Harry muttered as he started to go after her.

Hermione stopped him.

“Let it go for tonight,” she smiled.

Harry looked down at her in surprise.

“I should give you jewelry more often,” he said. “You become a regular law breaker.”

“Would you rather have a fight with Ginny, or snuggle on the couch in front of the fire?” she asked.

“I see your point,” Harry said as she led him towards their dorm.

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A/N: I would like to thank all of you who have been leaving reviews! We are almost at 500! You have warmed my heart! I have had a few people ask about Draco, well, here he is. I haven't forgotten about him. A warning though, it's going to get a bit steamy. I checked with one of the moderators, and they said I didn't have to change the rating on the story. So without much further ado, happy reading!

I don't own these characters, if I did, I would have written it right the first time!

Chapter 46

A Meeting of Hearts

Draco stood in the shadows watching and waiting. The one thing that working with Snape had given him was patience. He noticed the arrival of the first two Death Eaters and watched as they climbed the stairs to the bank. As they disappeared inside, a second set arrived and followed them in. Draco counted to ten before pulling his cowl lower over his head and crossed the street to the bank. He approached the door and made eye contact with the guard, who glanced his way, but didn't stop his entrance.

It was busy inside, which is what he wanted. He could see the goblins watching the other
Death Eaters warily, but ignoring him. Draco began to take his gloves off and then stopped, turning the movement into the straightening of his sleeve instead. He had almost forgotten.

Draco lifted his head and squared his shoulders, putting on the air of the aristocrat that he was. It would do him no good to show any fear or nervousness to the goblins. He approached the desk of the Master Goblin and pulled out a letter. The goblin looked up over the top of his glasses, a slight sneer making its way into the corner of his mouth. Draco chose to ignore it.

“You have ignored the summons,” he said haughtily.

“We are not to be summoned like some kind of beast,” the goblin growled.

Draco stood waiting, trying not to show his nervousness, and finally the goblin picked up the parchment and read it. After a moment, he got up and went through a door behind him. While he was gone Draco scanned the area, looking for any suspicious activity. He could see the Death Eaters keeping several of the goblins busy, and away from him.

`Idiots…' he thought to himself. `Always looking for the obvious, always thinking about the gold.'

The Master Goblin came back with the letter in his hand and slid it across the counter. Draco looked down to see the word `DENIED' scrawled across the elegant writing.

“The Dark Lord will not be happy with your lack of support,” Draco said.

“You can tell your…Master… that we are not interested in the foolish battles of humans. We have nothing to gain by choosing a side,” the goblin said.

Draco took the letter and slid it inside his pocket. He then pulled out a second letter.

“Family business,” he said as he slid it across the counter.

The goblin took it and read it quickly while Draco watched.

“This seems acceptable,” he said as he motioned to another goblin. “Griphook will take you to your vault.”

Draco closed his eyes and grimaced. He swore that the grizzly old goblin took great pleasure in making him sick every time they traveled to the family vault.

The Master Goblin handed Griphook the letter and Draco followed him reluctantly.

“I don't suppose,” Draco said as he climbed into the cart, “that we could go a little slower?”

Griphook just grinned at him as he pushed the lever and the cart began to roll. Draco closed his eyes.

As the car lurched to a stop after the seemingly endless ride, Draco almost gave up his earlier meal right then and there.

“Vault nine hundred and twenty-six,” Griphook said as he got out.

Draco sat still, trying to get his stomach to stop revolting.

“Do you require assistance?” Griphook said with a slight smirk.

“No,” Draco snapped as he got out of the cart.

“Stand back,” Griphook said.

He drew an intricate pattern on the door of the vault with his finger. Draco could hear a series of clanks as the locks released. The vault door creaked open and Draco stepped inside. He scanned the room and cursed under his breath. By his calculations, half of the Malfoy fortune was missing. He knew his father had been giving Voldemort bags of gold, but he didn't realize how much of it had come from here.

He pulled out the pouch from under his robes, dug around inside the small bag and pulled out a miniature version of his father's cane. He used his wand to make it full size again, and caressed the snakehead as he moved to the back of the vault. He carefully placed the walking stick back in its original case and placed the pouch with his father's rings with the rest of the family jewelry.

His mother had asked him to do this; she found it too painful to do it herself. Draco himself only felt anger: anger towards a man who had destroyed his family and his world. He let it boil to the surface for a moment, before pushing it back down. He worked hard to keep his feelings neutral, now wasn't the time to let Voldemort know how he felt. He grabbed a bag of gold for himself on the way out, and steeled himself for the ride back as he got in the cart. Griphook got in behind him without a word and set the cart in motion. Draco wedged himself into the corner and closed his eyes.

“Just be forewarned that it will be my lunch you'll be wearing if you go too fast,” he said.

He swore he heard the nasty little goblin chuckle.

As they reached the surface, Draco tried to compose himself. As he exited the cart, he held out a gloved hand.

“I'll have my letter back now,” he said.

Griphook pulled the letter out of his vest pocket and looked at it suspiciously before handing it to Draco, who carefully put it back into its envelope. Without another word he turned and left, wanting to get out into the fresh air.

Draco flipped his hood back up, covering his face, as he descended the stairs of the bank. He walked briskly towards Knockturn Alley and turned down a side alley across from Bourgin and Burkes. He stopped about three-quarters of the way down and pulled out the envelope with the letter in it, his mother's writing barely visible in the gloomy light. He crumpled the parchment and its envelope into a ball and tossed it on the ground. He then very carefully pulled off the white gloves and the protective clear ones underneath and let them fall on to the parchment.

“Incendio,” he said and the parchment began to burn.

As he watched, pale green smoke came from the fire, and he backed away, not sure of the effects of the smoke. He knew the poison on the letter would make the goblins ill as it leeched through their skin. His instructions had been clear; if the goblins say no, give them the second letter. He smiled grimly to himself as he thought about how Griphook would be feeling in a few days. It served him right.

He pulled out his father's old pocket watch and checked the time. He had only a few minutes before the portkey activated. He turned and left as the ashes scattered in the cool breeze. He crossed Knockturn alley and stopped in front of Bourgin and Burkes. The old can he had dropped beside the doorway was still there. He wrinkled his nose as he picked it up and moved down the side alley. He didn't want to carry that into the bank earlier. It wouldn't do for a Malfoy to be seen carrying anything that grimy. As he moved into the shadows he felt the familiar pull of the portkey, and he vanished.

Snape hadn't asked him why he had eagerly accepted the second portkey for Hogsmeade even though he had been there a week ago, and Draco didn't tell him. He figured that Snape knew he had more than simple contact with his so-called informant, but he didn't care. His desire to see her outweighed anything else.

He made his way to the outskirts of the village and up towards the shrieking shack. He was glad that the rumours of the past kept people away. As crazy as it sounded, it had become a place where he could let his guard down for a while, and as long as he was back in the Dark Lord's domain within the allotted time, he had some precious freedom for himself. He entered through the front door and listened carefully as he climbed the stairs. The old house sighed and groaned as he moved quietly to the bedroom on the top floor, but nothing sounded out of the ordinary. He dropped his cloak on the bed, giving the bed a quick “scourgify” as he went and looked out the window. He caught glimpses of the surrounding area between the boards before checking the pocket watch again. She should be here soon.

He closed the pocket watch with a snap and let his thumb caress the etchings on the case. The images of his father's death came flooding to the surface as he looked at the intricately detailed watch. He remembered the timepiece as a young child, when it had spun on its chain in front of his chubby little face, and his father's smile as he had reached for it. He curled his fingers around the case as the memory of his mother's screams echoed through his head when they brought her dead husband to her. She had clung to Draco seemingly forever, sobbing uncontrollably. A hysterical woman had replaced his calm, cool and collected mother that night, a shell of her former self. When he finally left her in an exhausted sleep, he vowed that the Dark Lord would never hurt another person that he loved. That was why he was so eager to help when Snape had approached him. He couldn't see his life or his mother's being any better under the control of Voldemort. Now of course, he had someone else to protect…

“Draco…”

He spun, and the person who was occupying his thoughts was standing in the doorway.

Ginny stood watching him, as he tried to look unaffected by her appearance, but his eyes gave him away. It was his eyes that she loved the most. They seemed to smolder with passion whenever she was around. It was what Ginny had been looking for: someone who wanted her as much as she wanted him. Their continuous meetings after that fateful day in Hogsmeade were one of the few things that Ginny looked forward to. It scared her sometimes to think of how well matched they were.

“Hey, Red, miss me?” he drawled.

Ginny flew across the room and pressed her lips into his, wrapping her arms around him as she let her cloak fall to the floor. Draco returned the kiss hungrily, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She clung to him, and Draco pulled her as he backed up, letting her land on top of him as he fell onto the creaky bed. He had a fleeting thought of being thankful he had cleaned the bed before she had arrived, but the thought was soon lost as he focused on returning her kisses.

He let his hands wander down her back and lower, until he was able to squeeze her bum.
Ginny responded by grinding her pelvic bone into him, making him groan with need. Ginny came up for air, panting, and Draco could feel her heart beating rapidly against his.

“Merlin, Red,” he gasped. “It's only been a week,”

“It felt like forever,” Ginny said as she leaned over to nibble on his neck. These stolen moments were not nearly long enough…

“Ginny,” he groaned, “if you keep this up, I won't be able to control myself much longer.”

“Who says I want you to?” she purred as she shifted over and began to unbutton his shirt. She loved it when he called her `Red', but she knew that she had gotten under his skin when he used her name.

She ran her hand down his stomach, feeling the taught muscles tremble under her cool fingertips. She traced the line of hair from his navel to the waistband of his pants with her finger, before trailing back up to circle one of his nipples. She couldn't help herself; she always lost control when she was around Draco.

Draco gave a little growl before pulling her head back down for another heated kiss. He flipped her over on to her back, pinning her beneath him. He slipped his hand under her blouse and squeezed her breast, causing her to arch her back and press into him.

“I don't have much time,” he whispered between kisses.

“I don't care,” Ginny replied. “I need you.”

That broke the last of his resistance and he stood to quickly shuck his trousers and boxers while Ginny hastily rid herself of her pants and knickers as well. He didn't bother with his shirt; he just wanted to feel her passion again. She welcomed him back into her arms and he settled between her legs, kissing her fervently. Draco's desire was so powerful that he couldn't wait, and he slipped into her warmth quickly, closing his eyes in pleasure as he did so. Ginny wrapped herself around him, clinging to him desperately as their bodies danced together. She needed this as much as he did.

After what seemed like an eternity of enjoyment, Draco could feel Ginny trembling beneath him as she reached her climax, her cries of pleasure sending a thrill of satisfaction through him, and he felt himself follow her over. He held her tightly as the passion faded, remembering his earlier thoughts.

`The Dark Lord will never hurt another person I love.'

Draco rolled over on to his side and reached down, grabbing his cloak to cover their cooling bodies. Ginny snuggled in against him, not willing to break the moment yet. She had never felt this strongly about anyone else before.

Not even Harry, she thought in surprise,

Draco closed his eyes and laid his head on her shoulder, allowing himself to let down his guard. The only time he felt free to do that was when he was with Ginny. It was strange how these things worked. He briefly wondered if this whole relationship would have occurred if the past year had not happened.

After a few minutes, Ginny shifted so she could look at him.

“Draco?” she said.

He opened his eyes and looked into hers, and saw the concern for him mirrored back. It was overwhelming to think that someone else, other than his mother, could care for him like that.

“Come back with me,” she started.

“No,” he interrupted.

“We could protect you, or hide you. Harry could—”

“No Ginny,” Draco said, sitting up. “What makes you so sure that I would be welcomed back with open arms? Potter would rather kill me.”

“Not if he knew what I know,” Ginny said.

“I'm sure that we could all sit down over drinks and have a nice chat,” he said sarcastically.

He regretted it as soon as he saw the hurt in her eyes, and the pain of it sliced through his heart.

“Ginny,” he sighed as he lay back down to hug her. “I can't come back. I need to be right where I am. Passing messages to the Order helps. If I come back, the link would be lost and I would probably be dead within a week. There's also my mother. Her death would be on my conscience, because he would kill her as soon as I left.”

He gave Ginny a hug and rubbed his hand up and down her arm, willing her to understand his predicament. He was so torn, between his mother and Ginny. Could he give up one for the other? He didn't know for sure, but the feelings he had for Ginny became stronger every time they got together.

“Besides,” he said trying to lighten the mood, “how would we be able to do this under the watchful eyes of Potter and your brother?”

“Perhaps a lot easier than under my watchful eye.”

Draco turned in a flash, grabbing his wand from the inner pocket of the robe covering them as he did so, Ginny hiding behind him.

“Put your…wand away, Mr. Malfoy, and get dressed,” Snape drawled.

“You shouldn't be sneaking up on people like that,” Draco said as he reached for his clothes.

“Yes, well, getting caught with your pants down will not keep you healthy.”

Snape looked critically at the figure hiding behind the fair-haired young man.

“I should have known you wouldn't have any sense. It runs in the family.”

Draco's wand came back up again at the sound of Ginny's intake of breath.

“I would suggest that you keep those kinds of comments to yourself,” he said angrily.

Snape raised an eyebrow in surprise before his lip curled in a disapproving sneer.

“Get dressed, we're leaving,” he said before exiting the room.

Draco waited until he was gone before turning back towards Ginny.

“You okay?” he asked gently as he handed over her clothes.

“I guess so. I forgot how slimy he is,” Ginny said.

Draco got up and slipped his boxers and trousers on while Ginny got dressed. He was in the middle of tucking his shirt in when Ginny stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“I wish you could come back with me,” she said sadly. The desire to be with him all the time was threatening to overwhelm her.

Draco closed his eyes and put his hand over hers to stop its movement. It was becoming harder and harder to leave her. He cursed the war and anyone who had anything to do with it.

“You know I can't,” he whispered. “Not now. Maybe one day,” he smiled sadly at her before kissing her tenderly. “Ginny, you know that I—”

“If you are quite finished with your drivel, it's time to go,” Snape said from the doorway.

Draco sighed as he reluctantly let go of Ginny. He gave her hand a final squeeze before turning towards his old potions master. Maybe one day he would be able to tell her how he felt.

“You did give Miss Weasley the message?” Snape asked.

Draco grimaced. They hadn't spoken much before their emotions took over. He turned and looked back at Ginny.

“There's going to be an attack on the Ministry soon,” he said.

“When?” Ginny asked, all business-like now.

“Unknown,” Snape interrupted. “The Dark Lord does not necessarily divulge all of his plans to his followers.”

“I guess he just doesn't trust you enough,” Ginny snapped.

Snape's eyes flashed in anger as he glared at her.

“There seem to be trust issues all around, aren't there, Miss Weasley?” he growled.

“What do you mean?” Ginny asked warily.

“I wonder if your brothers and your boyfriend know you are bedding the enemy just to get information?” he taunted.

Horrified, Ginny looked over at Draco in time to see a look of hurt and confusion cross his face before he put on his mask of indifference. Snape slowly smiled as he watched the exchange. Perhaps that will keep the boy out of her bed until this was all over.

“Do make sure he gets the message, Miss Weasley? I would hate to think that all of…this was for naught,” Snape said.

“Draco—” she started as she grabbed his arm. She couldn't let him think that of her. She didn't want to lose him.

Draco pulled out of her grip.

“Better get going, Red. The mighty Potter and his clan need their message,” he said.

He didn't want to have this discussion with her now. As much as he knew how Ginny felt about him, it always hurt to be reminded that she had belonged to Potter first. Ginny looked at him, wanting to say more, but the look on his face stopped her. Sobbing, she brushed past him without another word, and Draco's heart went with her as she fled down the stairs.

Draco threw his cloak over his shoulders, pulled the pocket watch from his pocket and held it out to Snape. He was having a hard time tamping down his anger right now. All he wanted to do was run after Ginny and forget all about this stupid war.

“Your timing sucks,” he said bitterly to the older man.

Snape smiled smugly as he reached out to touch the watch. “On the contrary, my timing is impeccable.”

A moment later, the two of them vanished.

They appeared soon after, just outside of the Malfoy estate. As Snape began to head for the gate, Draco threw out his hand to stop Snape's movement. Snape looked down at the arm across his chest before sneering at Draco.

“If you ever interfere again,” Draco growled, “I swear that you will not live to see the end of this war.”

Snape pushed Draco's arm away and turned to look at the young man.

“If I had a galleon for every death threat I have received, I would be very rich by now,” Snape said. “You need to play the game a lot better, Mr. Malfoy, or I will guarantee that you will not live to see the end of this war. You are weak and still letting your emotions rule you. You have learned nothing. If I was able to get a rise out of you that quickly, just think about what the Dark Lord could do. You should not be allowing yourself to succumb to the sins of the flesh. Getting into some young girl's pants for an afternoon distraction is detrimental. Unless…” Snape glared at Draco, boring into his mind.

Draco looked away quickly, but not before Snape had seen what was there.

“Oh, how revolting. What would your mother think?” Snape said with disgust.

“Stay out of my mind, its none of your business,” Draco snapped.

Snape sighed as he tugged on his coat to straighten it. “Close your mind; focus on the task at hand, and we might all survive. And might I suggest,” he continued as he headed up to the mansion, “that you clean up before seeing him? Otherwise, you may have to explain how Gringott's became so dusty.”

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A/N: Once again I must apologize for making you wait so long for this next chapter. If I didn't have a life, this would go so much faster! Thank-you for the many reviews! Wow, we are over 500! We are coming to the turning point in the story, hence the title name. Things are beginning to fall into place, and the action is starting to heat up. Just a few more twists and turns for you. Thanks to all of you who have read this far, and of course to my wonderful Beta, Dementor149 for sticking with me through all of this. And now, on to the show!

Even though I don't own these characters, I love them as though they were my own.

Chapter 47

Turning Point

Harry was sitting in the Gryffindor common room chatting with Neville. Harry had been socializing with many of the Gryffindors, much to their surprise, since he had been keeping aloof for most of the year. He had an ulterior motive, though. Ginny was missing. He was the only one at this point that was aware of it. He had scanned the Marauder's map about an hour ago, and was unable to find her. He was trying to glean any information he could about her whereabouts, but he wasn't having much luck. Ginny had been keeping to herself these past few months. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for not including her in their adventures, but he just didn't have the same connection with her as he did with Ron and Hermione. He was, however, extremely worried about her disappearance. He knew she was taking a risk by gathering information, he had always thought it was from someone inside the safety of the Hogwarts grounds and castle.

Harry nodded farewell to his fellow housemates as they passed him on the way down to supper. The common room became quiet as the last of them left, and sighing, Harry pulled out his map again. He had hoped that Ginny would come back before dinner. He was scanning the Great Hall on the map looking for her, when he saw her solitary figure enter the front door of the castle. He watched as she approached Lavender, and then head towards the stairs. As soon as he saw she was headed back to the Gryffindor tower, he folded the map and put it away. He would wait for her here.

The door opened, and as Ginny emerged from the shadows Harry heard her sniff and saw her wipe her eyes. He felt anger build in him as he realized that whomever she had been with had upset her.

“Hello, Ginny,” he said.

Ginny stopped and looked up, startled. Harry could see her trying to compose herself.

“Why aren't you at dinner?” she asked.

“I was waiting for you,” Harry said.

“Well, I'm not very hungry right now, so you may as well go ahead,' she said as she headed for the stairs.

“You left the grounds, Ginny,” Harry said.

Ginny froze, and slowly turned around in shock.

“You've been spying on me?” she said angrily.

“Just keeping an eye out for you,” Harry said. `That was a very dangerous thing to do.”

Ginny let out a huff of air and folded her arms across her chest.

“And you don't put yourself in any danger?” she scoffed.

“That's different,” Harry said.

“How so?” Ginny asked.

“This is my battle. Something I have to do. You're risking your life to meet with some idiot who obviously doesn't care about you.”

Ginny flushed. “You don't know what you're talking about.”

“Ginny, the information isn't that important. We can still defeat Voldemort without it,” Harry said.

Ginny shook her head as she felt her eyes begin to tear again.

“Who is he, Ginny?” Harry asked suddenly.

“None of your business,” Ginny snapped.

“I don't want you to meet with him anymore,” Harry said.

Ginny looked at him incredulously.

“What makes you think you have the right to decide who I see?”

“”Because I care about you,” Harry said.

Ginny gave a short laugh. “You had your chance, Harry, and you threw it away! You can't tell me who to see, so keep your nose out of my business!” she snapped.

“But…but I thought—” Harry stammered.

“You thought wrong,” Ginny said; glad to see she had unnerved him. “You are so self-centered that you don't even care about what's going on around you. It's all about `The Chosen One'! You think you're the only one who has been affected by You-Know-Who!” Draco's face flashed through her mind and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. “Everyone has something to lose if he comes to power, not just you!”

“Ginny—” Harry said as he moved towards her.

“Don't touch me!” she cried, backing away, the tears falling freely now. “Leave me alone!”

She fled up the tower, and Harry felt sick. He hadn't realized that she was still hurting from their break-up. He sighed as he turned and left the tower. That definitely didn't go the way he had planned.

For the next couple of days, Ginny avoided Harry, which suited him just fine in the beginning. He was feeling guilty about his earlier actions anyways, and he wasn't too sure how to approach her again. He sometimes wondered how he managed to become a Gryffindor. He certainly didn't feel very brave when it came to dealing with women and their emotions. On the morning of the third day, Harry and Hermione were coming down the stairs when they saw Ginny leaving the Great Hall. She looked their way, and then turned and left out the front door.

“How does she do that?” Harry asked. “She has managed to avoid me for the past two days.”

“Maybe she has someone spying on you,” Hermione teased, referring to his earlier conversation with Ginny.

“Not funny,” Harry said.

Hermione just laughed. “Give her time,” she said.

They joined the Gryffindor table, and Hermione paid the owl that was sitting waiting to give her the morning paper. She flipped open the paper and gasped.

“What?” Harry said, leaning over and fearing the worst.

She turned the paper so they could all see the headlines.

`GRINGOTT'S CLOSED, GOBLINS KEEPING MUM'

Hermione turned the paper around and read out loud.

“The Wizarding world is in an uproar today as the vaults of Gringott's are kept firmly shut. A goblin representative stated that due to a recent attempted attack on the bank, the doors would not be opened again until the perpetrator is found. The representative refused to elaborate on the nature of the attack, only stating that it had occurred last night. Most banking clients, when questioned about the chance of a successful attack, reminded this reporter that any such attempt would be fool-hardy and suicidal, not to mention just plain stupid. For further information and history of Gringott's, go to page four. For information on account access, go to page six…”

Hermione put the paper down and frowned at the picture of the goblins refusing entrance to the many wizards and witches shaking their fists at them.

“This is not going to be good,” she said. “It's going to cause a rift between us and the goblins.”

“That's probably what Voldemort wanted,” Harry said. “You know, divide and conquer.”

“Well, it changes our plans, Harry,” Neville said as he read the letter a large barn owl had just delivered to him. “The reading of Gran's will has been moved to the Ministry of Magic building.”

“Great,” Harry grimaced. “My favorite place.”

“Don't worry,” Ron said. “You'll be in and out of there before anyone notices,”

“What time do we have to be there?” Harry asked.

Neville scanned the letter again. “Three o'clock,” he said. “Level seven. It looks like they've created a new department to deal with this. The Department of Financial issues.”

“The goblins aren't going to like that,” Hermione said. “They don't like anyone being in charge of them.”

“How do you know all this?” Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

“If you had bothered to stay awake during history classes, you'd know too.”

“What about Bill? He works at Gringott's,” Ron retorted.

“He works for them, not the other way around.”

Ron opened his mouth to make another retort when Luna laid her hand on his arm.

“You're not going to win,” she said, her big blue eyes appraising Hermione. “The femwits are favoring her today.”

Harry hid a smile as he watched Hermione try to discreetly brush away any invisible beings on her clothes.

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

Severus Snape sat still outside the closed double doors, his eyes the only things moving as he watched the agitation play out on the pacing young man.

“What's taking so long?” Draco muttered. “He's had my mother in there for at least twenty minutes,”

“She is the mistress of the household, perhaps she is only discussing tonight's dinner,” Snape replied.

Draco scowled at him and kept pacing.

“Then again, perhaps he is doing it to agitate you, so he can break through your defenses.”

Draco stopped and looked at Snape.

“It is quite easy to break through your barrier when you are angry. Might I suggest you calm yourself and prepare for our meeting? You wouldn't want to endanger…others with your ineptness.”

Draco glared at him for another minute before moving off to lean against the wall. He hated it when Snape was right. When Wormtail stuck his head out the door a few minutes later, Draco was the picture of calm.

“The Dark Lord will see you now,” he squeaked before disappearing back inside.

Snape's lip curled in a sneer of loathing as he watched him go. He stood and straightened his sleeves before entering, Draco following behind. Draco scanned the room, looking for his mother, as he entered. He found her, sitting demurely, drinking tea, an air of grace and sophistication about her as usual.

Voldemort was talking to his aunt Bellatrix, who seemed to be fawning all over him. Draco could see the look of disapproval on his mother's face, but she quickly dropped her eyes when Voldemort looked her way. He finished talking to Bellatrix and dismissed her with a wave of her hand. Bellatrix sauntered over to where Draco and Snape were standing. She ran a hand down Draco's arm and squeezed it as she smiled at him.

“Looking good, nephew, have you been working out?”

Draco flushed as he pulled his arm away, and Bellatrix laughed as she left. Voldemort watched the exchange with a small smile of amusement on his face.

Snape gave a short bow to the Dark Lord, before kissing the hem of his robe, and Draco followed suit.

“Ah, Severus, I have need of your services.”

How may I serve you, my Lord?” Snape asked.

Voldemort walked over to where Narcissa was sitting, and poured himself a cup of tea. Draco watched impatiently as the Dark Lord sipped the tea. When Voldemort looked up, he quickly averted his eyes, fearing that he would see the frustration that Draco was feeling.

“I feel that I have been a very patient man,” Voldemort said. “Now, the time has come to take my rightful place in the Wizarding world. The giants, Dementors and many of the werewolf clans are behind us. The Goblins have put the Wizarding world in an uproar, which suits me, even though they refuse to back us, which I will deal with later. You did well, Draco.”

Draco nodded in acknowledgement, but did not speak. He knew it wasn't his place to voice an opinion.

“However, those who seem to hold the power, the ones who should be acknowledging me, are not. It is time to do something about this. I grow tired of waiting for them to come to their senses. You will assist Bella with our plans of attack.”

“As you wish. When would you like to leave for the Ministry?” Snape asked.

“You will not be going to the Ministry,” Voldemort said smoothly.

Draco glanced over at Snape in time to see a look of confusion dart across his face.

“You will be going to Hogwarts. I will need my most trusted servants by my side,” Voldemort said calmly, as though he hadn't seen the exchange.

“However, there still will be an attack on the Ministry, as I'm sure some people are…expecting. I have need of an item there.”

Draco felt a sudden jolt of alarm. Did Voldemort suspect what they have been doing?

“An item, my Lord?” Snape asked.

Voldemort drained his cup and waved his hand dismissively.

“Yes, yes, trivial really. That's why I didn't bore you with the details. You will be assisting with the preparation of my insertion as Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is my rightful place. Something that has been refused for too many years…” he trailed off as he seemed to be seeing some inner vision.

Snape and Draco waited patiently while Voldemort reminisced. Snape has noticed that he seemed to do this a lot lately. He had been watching the Dark Lord closely for a while, ever since he had been trying to strengthen his soul by absorbing the life essence of others to his. Snape, however, felt that it was making him a bit more unhinged, which meant that he was even more dangerous than before. After a moment, he seemed to snap back.

“Bella has the plan. You may go,” he said with a wave of his hand.

Draco bowed and turned to follow Snape out the door.

“You have not been dismissed, young Malfoy,” Voldemort said quietly.

Draco froze, and Snape turned back to look at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Snape turned to leave. Draco turned around slowly, mentally preparing himself as he did so.

“My apologies, my Lord,” he said as he bowed low.

Draco watched as Voldemort moved back to the table and sat down beside his mother.

“More tea, my dear?” he asked.

Narcissa stiffened and her eyes darted towards Draco before she looked back down at her lap.

“I'm fine, thank-you, my Lord,” she said quietly.

Voldemort leaned back in his chair, appraising her, while Draco stood and watched, feeling slightly nauseated by the way the man was looking at his mother. Draco knew better than to approach, his earlier lessons in that area had left him sore for weeks. He focused instead of tamping down his anger. The time wasn't right…

After a moment Voldemort looked up, as though suddenly remembering Draco was there. He smiled slowly at the young man and Draco could feel the hairs at the back of his neck stand up.

“Come sit, Draco, I have need of information from you.”

Draco winced inwardly as he moved towards the table. He also knew from past experiences that this wasn't usually a good thing either.

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A/N: I'm BAAAAACK! My apologies to all of my faithful readers for the delay. The past six weeks of real life dragged me a way from my beloved computer, and of course my story. I am sorry for making you wait for so long. I decided to post this chapter before answering my reviews to make it up to you. So without much further ado, read on!

Chapter 48

The Giving of a Gift

Harry arrived back at his common room after lunch to find Albion sitting on his perch. He was surprised, since quite often the phoenix didn't come home until late in the evening.

“No parties today?” Harry teased as he flopped down on the couch. He was still a bit sore from today's session with Moody.

“On the contrary, it is a very special day,” Albion said.

Harry looked up from the pillow he was laying on.

“Oh?”

“Today is Giving Day. That's why I'm here,” Albion said.

“What's Giving Day?” Harry asked.

“It is the one day in a phoenix's life that he may bestow a Wand Feather upon the witch or wizard of his choosing.”

“So, is that what Fawkes did for you? I mean, did he give one to you in your former life?” Harry asked, sitting up.

“Yes.”

Harry frowned. “I don't understand. Ollivander said that Fawkes only gave two feathers, and one of them is in my wand. Do I have your wand…I mean, Dumbledore's wand?”

Albion looked at Harry and slowly blinked.

“I suppose you deserve to hear the whole story,” Albion said.

Harry sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

“Yes,” he said.

Albion ruffled his feathers and settled on his perch.

“Many years ago, when I was about your age, Fawkes gifted me with a Wand Feather on Giving Day. At the time, I was young and foolish, and did not treasure it, as I should. I knew it was priceless, but since I already had a wand, I didn't feel the need to rush off and have another one made. I left it on my dresser, where someone saw it.”

“Who?”

“Someone who I thought was a friend. He also knew the value of a phoenix feather, and offered to buy it from me.”

“So you sold it,” Harry said.

“No. I didn't. Grindewald was quite upset with me.”

“Grindewald? Wait a minute; his name was on your chocolate frog card! You fought him!”

“Sadly, you are correct, but that's a story for another day.”

“So how did—”

“Patience! I'm getting to that. You need to understand the importance of Giving Day. When a phoenix bestows a feather upon a wizard, not only is he giving a piece of his magical core, but also he is giving it out of love and respect. This, combined with a wizard's magic can create an incredibly powerful wand.”

“So how did Grindewald get the wand?” Harry asked.

Albion cocked his head and looked at Harry. “How can I finish my story if you keep interrupting me?”

Harry held up his hands in resignation.

“As I said, Grindewald was very angry with me. However, I underestimated my friend. He was determined to have a phoenix feather.”

“He stole it?” Harry asked. “Sorry,” he said, as he swore the phoenix frowned at him.

“He did something far worse. He took a feather from Fawkes.”

“But I've seen Fawkes give you feathers before,” Harry said.

“Those feathers, are what you would call normal phoenix feathers. Wand Feathers are different, and to take a feather not freely offered is a violation of some of our oldest laws. The Wand Feather becomes tainted, and quite often favors dark magic. Grindewald had a thirst for power, as I later found out, and channeled that desire into trying to rule our world.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Harry muttered.

“Pardon?” Albion asked.

“Nothing. So what happened?” Harry asked.

“I tried to reason with him, but by then his soul had been soured by dark magic and the thirst for power. The battle was gruesome, and in the end, Grindewald was lost, along with many others.”

Harry could hear the sadness and pain in his words.

“And the wand?” Harry said.

Albion shook his head. “I never found it. I thought it had been destroyed during the battle. I felt that I was to blame for my friend's fall, and that I no longer deserved the Wand Feather. I gave it to Mr. Ollivander and told him to find someone more deserving of its magic. Imagine my surprise when the wand chose you,” he said.

“I wonder how Voldemort came to have the other wand?” Harry asked.

“Mr. Ollivander seems to have a certain bond with his wands, almost like how one would have a bond with their familiar. Knowing him as I do, I'm sure he was able to find it and bring it back to his shop. He believes that his wands are incapable of dark magic; that it is the wielder who is dark.”

“So he sold the wand to Voldemort, knowing what he was capable of?” Harry said.

“No, he sold it to a young boy named Tom who had yet to realize his full potential.”

“He shouldn't have done that,” Harry said as he rubbed his scar.

“We cannot change the past, Harry, and so there is no use dwelling there. Enough of that,” Albion ruffled his feathers. “Harry Potter, I bestow upon you, a Wand Feather. Please accept my gift,” Albion said.

Harry looked at him for a moment, briefly wondering how Dumbledore had felt in the same situation.

“I would be honored,” he finally said. “What do I have to do?”

“Run your hands down my feathers. When you find the one that reacts to your touch, gently pull it out.”

Harry approached Albion, who bowed and then turned his beautiful plumage towards him. Tentatively, Harry ran his hand down Albion's back, letting the softness of the feathers caress his fingers. They felt slightly warm, but nothing stood out. He let his hand travel lower, down the phoenix's magnificent tail. He had almost reached the end of the tail when he felt a jolt. It surprised him so much that he quickly pulled his hand away. He heard Albion chuckle.

He slowly reached out again, trying to figure out which feather it was. He noticed one feather had a bit more golden color in it, and as soon as his hand drew near, he could feel the energy crackling from the feather. He wrapped his fingers around it, and felt the jolt of electricity travel up his arm and through his body, making his hair stand on end. He gently pulled, and the feather came away easily. As soon as he had removed the feather, the crackling magic subsided slightly.

Harry looked at the feather, and then back at Albion in amazement. The amount of magical energy he had felt in the phoenix was incredible.

“Well, that was quite interesting,” Albion said as he turned around.

“All that energy, how do you deal with it?” Harry asked in awe.

Albion cocked his head and looked at the feather in Harry's hand.

“It's a part of my life, as much as breathing and flying,” he said as he began to preen his feathers. “Of course, Burning Days help to release some of it,”

“Thank-you for this,” Harry said. “But I don't know were Mr. Ollivander is.”

“Hm? Oh yes, I almost forgot,” Albion said as he gave himself a final shake. “How does it look? Can you tell a feather is missing?”

Harry had to stifle a laugh. “No, its fine,” he said.

Albion took one more look at himself as if to make sure, and Harry shook his head at the thought of his old headmaster becoming vain.

“Mr. Ollivander is at the Ministry. Quite paranoid, you know. The last time there was a war, we created a room for him to work in without the fear of attack. He's there now, on the ninth floor.”

“That's the Department of Mysteries,” Harry said.

“Of course!” Albion said. “What better place to hide someone.”

Harry frowned, trying to remember the layout of the department.

“I don't remember any wand making room,” he said.

“That's because you wouldn't have been able to get into a locked room,” Albion said.

“You mean the room that you said holds the most powerful form of magic?” Harry said.

“Yes,” Albion replied.

“And how am I supposed to get into this room now?” Harry asked.

“You hold the key. Use the feather to tickle the lock, the door will open,” Albion replied. “Mr. Ollivander will probably be expecting you. He seems to know when there is a wand to be made.”

Harry tucked the feather into the side pocket of his backpack, being careful not to crush it.

“Thank-you,” he said to Albion again.

Albion bowed his head. “It is my pleasure,” he said before turning to fly out the window.

Harry sat lost in thought, wondering how things could have turned out if Dumbledore had made different choices all those years ago. He didn't even realize that Hermione had come back until she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“You look so far away,” she said as she came and sat down beside him.

“Just thinking,” Harry said, and he repeated Albion's story to her. “I was just wondering how things would have turned out if the feather had been made into a wand right away.”

Hermione shrugged. “Who knows what might have happened. We can't change the past.”

Shades of Dumbledore… Harry thought as he grinned at her. “You did.”

“Yes, well, that was different. We were supposed to do that,” Hermione said.

“Of course,” Harry teased. “Since the rules don't apply to us, its all right to do it. How Hermione-ish of you,”

“Oh, honestly!” Hermione said as she jumped on him, trying to reach his ticklish spots, as Harry grabbed hold of her hands to stop her.

They wrestled back and forth for a few moments, each trying to get the upper hand, when they fell off the couch, laughing. Harry ended up on top, straddling Hermione, her hands pinned beside her head.

“Give up?” he grinned as he watched her struggle.

“Never,” she laughed as she tried to unseat him.

Harry watched as her chest rose and fell with her struggle, and he suddenly became very aware of how their bodies were touching. Without thinking, he bent and claimed her lips, stilling her struggle. After a moment, Hermione began to kiss him back, and Harry released her arms and moved so that he was propped up on his elbow beside her. Hermione looked up into his eyes and shivered. She could see his passion for her burning in his eyes.

“I love you, you know,” he whispered, as though in awe of his feelings.

“I know,” Hermione said with a smile.

Harry leaned down and kissed her again, letting his hand roam down her side to her waist. He slowly worked his way over until he found the buttons of her shirt, and as he teased her mouth with his tongue, he began to flip open the buttons, one by one. He nuzzled her neck and worked his way down to the hollow at the base of her throat as he popped the last button free and pushed the material away from her body. He let his fingers trail across the soft skin of her stomach before finally gaining enough nerve to reach up and cup her breast through her bra.

“Harry…” Hermione whispered as she arched into his touch.

Harry kissed her again, with an urgency he hadn't felt before. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and a feeling of exhilaration came over him as Hermione reacted to his thumb gently brushing over the material covering her breast.

Hermione pulled him closer, running her hands up and down his back. When she got to his waist, she tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel the warmth of his skin. Harry sat up suddenly and pulled off his shirt, before laying back down to kiss her again.

Hermione let her fingers trace the lines along the muscles on Harry's back, before slowly letting her hands travel up and down, feeling his warm skin. She could feel where their bodies were touching, and it felt like an electrical current was flowing between them.

Harry couldn't get enough of her. The emotions coursing through him were so strange, and yet so exciting. He had never felt like this before. He poured all the love he was feeling into his kisses, because he knew that words would never be enough to tell her how he felt.

Suddenly the portrait door opened with a bang and Harry sat up quickly as he heard running feet.

“Harry! Come on mate! We've got the field! We're setting up a Quidditch game and…Bloody Hell!” Ron yelped, screeching to a halt and covering his eyes at the sight of Hermione scurrying to cover herself.

“I though we had an understanding!” Ron cried as he peeked through his fingers.

“A…what?” Harry said as he grabbed for his shirt.

“An understanding! You know! That you two wouldn't…you know…in front of me,” Ron said.

“Oh for goodness sakes, Ron! We weren't doing that!” Hermione said as she straightened her shirt, her cheeks flushing.

“Not yet, anyways,” Harry grumbled under his breath.

Hermione shot him a dirty look before getting up and moving over to the table. Harry sighed and got up; the mood was broken, again.

“What do you want, Ron?” he asked irritably as he tucked in his shirt.

Ron had been watching Hermione at the table, her back to the boys.

“What? Oh, um…yeah…Quidditch. We're…we're having a game, and we need our seeker…” he trailed off as he sidled over towards his bedroom. “That is, of course, if you want to…”

Harry sighed. He may as well, since nothing else was going to happen here, and he suddenly had a lot of pent up frustration.

“Give me five minutes, okay?” he said.

Ron's face lit up with relief. “Sure, yeah…great. I'll…I'll tell the rest that you're coming…”

His eyes widened at how his wording sounded, and he flushed. He grabbed his broom and almost tripped over himself in his haste to get away.

Harry smirked. It served him right. He turned and went to where Hermione was standing and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

“I'm sorry, luv,” he said quietly. “I guess I just got carried away. You do that to me.”

Hermione turned in his arms and put her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest.

“I was just as much to blame,” she said. “Besides, I don't think I want my first time to be on the floor of a common room.”

Harry gave a little laugh, relieved that she wasn't mad, and that there would be a next time.

“I love you,” he said, and was amazed at how the words made him feel complete.

“I love you too,” Hermione whispered, and Harry thought his heart would burst from the amount of happiness he felt.

“Come with me, you can cheer me on, or you can play,” Harry said as he took her hand.

Hermione made a face and reached for her book. Harry took that as a `no' to playing Quidditch. He pulled her towards the entrance, grabbing his broom and their jackets on the way.

“I have a score to settle with a certain redhead,” Harry said.

“What for?” Hermione asked, smiling.

“That's twice he's interrupted us. Maybe a few bumps and bruises will help him to think about knocking before he comes in next time,” Harry said with a gleam in his eye.

Hermione laughed. “Give him one for me too,” she said as she squeezed his arm. “That was actually interruption number three.”

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A/N: Just when you thought it was over…Now it begins. I just want to thank all of my faithful reviewers for hanging in there for so long! It was great to be able to reply to each and every one of you! I do appreciate the time you took to leave a review.

These characters are not mine, but we have all adopted them into our hearts.

Chapter 49

The Beginning of the End

“Get movin' yeh good fer nothin'” Hagrid said. “My bed is waitin' an' yer an hour late.”

“Most humblest of apologies, sir,” the little man simpered. “Perhaps this would make up for your inconvenience?”

He held up a bottle of firewhiskey to the towering giant. Hagrid glanced around quickly before grabbing the bottle and hiding it under his coat.

“Mind yeh don' let it happen again,” he grumbled.

The little man bowed.

“How many crates tonight?” Hagrid asked.

“Forty-two,” was the reply.

“Forty-two? That seems to be more than th' usual order,” Hagrid said as he peered at the crates.

“I am but a simple delivery man,” the little man replied. “I know nothing of the ordering of the food for the school. Perhaps a special function?”

“Maybe,” Hagrid said as he gave one of the crates a thump with his fist, making it rock back and forth. “McGonagall doesn' confide in me like…” he trailed off, a pained look on his face.

“Never mind. Lets get these crates to th' castle. It's been a long day. Ruddy Blast-End Skewts burned me favrit' coat. Nuttin but a big hole in th' back.”

He turned and led the first cart up the hill, missing the smug look that the little man gave him.

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

Snape brushed his coat and straightened his sleeves. He had been mortified when a gleeful Bellatrix had explained how they would get into the castle. At first he had resisted being packaged in with boxes of cereal, but it was better than becoming a tossed salad like the elder Crabbe. Snape could see he was still brushing bits of lettuce from his hair.

The plan had been simple, yet effective. Bellatrix had kept babbling on about some Trojan horse and gifts.

`The time in Azkaban had really taken its toll on her,' Snape thought.

Snape watched as she modified the memories of the last of the house elves that had been unfortunate enough to witness their arrival. She had wanted to kill them outright, “just for fun,” but Snape had refused to allow her to do that.

“They would be missed,” he had said. “And the Dark Lord doesn't want our presence known just yet. You know how angry he gets when someone fails or disobeys him.”

That stopped her.

Since Snape knew the castle so well, he was given the lead. He knew of several places that the students probably didn't know about. He longed to make a detour to his quarters, but refrained from doing so.

`Later' he thought, `when this is all over,'

He had been racking his brain, trying to figure out a way to get some kind of warning to Minerva. Unfortunately, Bellatrix had latched on to him and hadn't let him out of her sight. It had become quite unnerving and irritating.

He led the group; the Dirty Dozen as he thought of them, down towards the lesser used dungeon area. There were several rooms that were away from prying eyes, both alive and dead, where they could wait.

Snape sat in one of the comfortable chairs, intent on getting a few hours of sleep. There was no use getting worn down, and he knew Bellatrix was a very light sleeper. Azkaban did that to you.

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

Harry woke up to another grey morning. He frowned as he looked out the window, sighing. He couldn't wait until spring. He dressed quickly, and went out into the common room to find Hermione. She was sitting at the table, as usual, which was covered in books.

“Good morning,” Harry said as he gave her cheek a kiss.

“Good morning,” Hermione smiled before burying herself in her books again.

Harry sat down at the table and pulled one of the books towards him.

“Being Familiar With Your Familiar,” he read off of the front of the book. “Trouble with Crookshanks?” he asked.

Hermione glared at him for a moment before going back to the book in front of her. Harry just smiled. He really liked Crookshanks, ever since he had ousted Wormtail. Harry looked at a few more books.

“The History of Familiar Relationships, Who Chooses Whom: A Familiar Story, Using and Abusing, How Familiar Are You? Hermione, what are you doing?” Harry asked.

Hermione finished writing her notes before looking up.

“I've been thinking about the last Horcrux. The one I think he tried to make by killing you.”

She pulled one of the books towards her and flipped it open to one of her markers. She scanned the page, tracing the words with her finger.

“Many witches and wizards form a bond with their familiar that is difficult to break, and as a result, a familiar will always be found in close contact with its master,” she looked up from the page. “What if Nagini was with Voldemort the night he came to your parent's house? If the spell bounced off you and hit him, it's possible that his fractured soul attached itself to Nagini. We know he didn't die that night, since he had already split his soul five times. It would explain how he managed to escape.”

“That's what Dumbledore and I talked about,” Harry said. “We thought that Nagini is the last Horcrux.”

“Was,” Hermione said.

“Was what?” Harry said.

“The last Horcrux,” Hermione replied.

Harry looked at her, confusion written all over his face.

“Think about it. Whatever piece was left in his body that night was killed by the killing curse. The fractured piece attached itself to Nagini, who fled from the house. She eventually made her way to Albania, where, in time, Quirrel found them and brought them back. When Quirrel died, Voldemort's soul fled back to Nagini, since that was his strongest bond. That's the fragment that Wormtail found and brought back to full strength in the graveyard,” she finished.

Harry shuddered as the memory of that night flashed through his mind. It made sense, though.

“So you mean to say,” Harry said, “that the ring, the diary, the cup, the tiara, and the locket have all been destroyed, and the soul fragment from Nagini has been…reborn?”

“Exactly,” Hermione said. “That makes six pieces, and the piece that was left in Voldemort's body was destroyed, so that makes seven.”

“Which means we don't need to…you mean we're finished?”

Harry sat back in shock. They had been doing this for so long, that it felt a bit anticlimactic. He felt a sudden chill go through him as the realization set in. The whole time that he was searching for the Horcruxes, he hadn't given the prophecy a second thought. Now it slammed into him.

`Either must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…'

When he looked up, Hermione was watching him. Her face had an expression of fear.

“I wish you didn't have to,” she whispered.

“Me too,” Harry said after a moment. “I guess we need to have a meeting with the Order.”

Hermione nodded, and Harry could feel the sadness coming off of her in waves.

“Come on,” he said as he stood up. “Let's go down for breakfast. Nothing's going to happen today anyways, since I'm going with Neville to hear his Grandmother's will.

Hermione stood up and hugged Harry. “I hate this,” she said.

Harry hugged her back and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

“So do I, but it will be over soon, and then all you'll have to worry about is the N.E.W.T.s,” he said.

Hermione snorted. “After dealing with a nasty, old, evil wizard, they'll be a snap.”

“That's the spirit,” Harry grinned as they headed for the door.

They moved down the stairs, and Harry noticed that the portraits on the wall were unusually quiet. The further down the stairs they went, the more troubled Harry felt. Finally, he stopped just outside the Great Hall and looked around.

“What's the matter?” Hermione asked.

Harry scanned the walls and the stairway.

“I don't know,” he said. “It's quiet. It almost feels like…like the castle is holding its breath…waiting for something.”

Hermione looked around, and then shivered.

“Maybe it knows something that we don't,” she said.

“Maybe…” Harry said as he looked around again.

“Let's go inside. Maybe someone has heard something,” Hermione said.

They moved into the Great Hall, and Harry scanned the head table. The professors seemed relaxed enough, so maybe he was imagining things.

As the day wore on though, Harry's unease began to grow. He took to skipping classes and wandering the halls, and at one point he thought about getting his Marauders' Map back from Neville. He finally chided himself for being so paranoid. He told himself that he was just being edgy after the conversation with Hermione this morning, but by the time he was supposed to meet Neville to go to the Ministry, he hadn't shaken the feeling that something was brewing.

Neville arrived at their common room just before two o'clock.

“Ready Harry?” he asked. “Professor Tonks said we could use her floo.”

Harry grabbed the little golden snitch he had been playing with, put it back in the little case Dobby had given him, and went over to where Hermione was sitting. She stood up, and Harry hugged her. The nagging feeling was still there, and he was having a hard time ignoring it. He looked down at her, cupping her cheek and caressing it with his thumb.

“If something happens while I'm gone…”

Hermione put her hand on top of Harry's.

“We'll be fine, Harry. I'm more worried about you.”

Harry smiled. “I've got Neville. I'll be fine,” he said.

He kissed her quickly and moved away, before he changed his mind. As he headed towards the door, he passed Ron and Luna who were on their way in. He put a hand on Ron's shoulder as he went by.

“Keep her safe, will you?” he said quietly.

“All right,” Ron said. “But who's going to protect you though, when she finds out you said that.”

“Prat,” Harry said as he slapped Ron on the back.

Neville and Harry moved quickly up towards Tonks' room. Harry kept looking around as he went.

“Neville, do you have the map with you?” he asked.

“Sorry, Harry, its up in my room. Do you think we should get it?”

Harry considered for a moment, before shaking his head.

“No, I just feel on edge today,” he said.

They arrived at Tonks' office, and after knocking, entered upon her greeting.

“Wocher, Harry, Neville. Didn't see you in class today, Harry. Did you get your assignment from Hermione?”

Harry nodded. “Yes ma'am,” he said, not explaining his absence.

“Good afternoon, Professor,” Neville said.

“As you know from our discussion in the beginning of the school year, we have tightened up the security, including the Floo Network. My contact in the Floo Regulation Panel has arranged for the Floo to be open for the next half hour, and it will be open again between five-thirty and six o'clock. I don't think it should take any longer than that,” Tonks explained.

“Thanks, Professor,” Neville said before stepping into the fireplace. With a flash, he was gone.

Harry headed for the opening, and gave one last quick look around.

“Something wrong, Harry?” Tonks asked.

Harry shook his head. “I don't know. I just feel something's not right,” he said. “Keep an eye out, will you?”

Tonks grinned at him. “It's my job,” she said.

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

Ron and Hermione headed down for dinner. Harry had said he would meet them there, so Hermione was surprised he hadn't arrived yet. They found a spot at their table, and began to serve themselves. Hermione kept glancing at the door, frowning. It wasn't like Harry to be this late, and she was beginning to worry. Before they had a chance to touch their food, Ginny came in. She looked around, puzzled, before coming over to sit with Ron and Hermione.

“Where's Harry?” she asked as she reached for the pumpkin juice.

“He's at the Ministry with Neville,” Hermione said. “Why?”

Ginny dropped her glass and stood up, and Hermione could see the fear in her eyes. It made her heart skip a beat and she was now feeling more frantic.

“Something's wrong…”

“No!” Ginny cried. “I didn't tell him! We have to find him!”

“What?” Ron asked, dropping his fork before his first bite at the sound of his sister's fear.

“I was so angry at him,” Ginny said, looking around frantically. “This is my fault.”

“Ginny, what have you done?” Hermione asked, standing up. Her fear was squeezing her heart, making her chest hurt.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and Hermione whirled to look at the head table. Several of the teachers had collapsed. She saw Hagrid stagger to his feet and stumble backwards before sitting heavily on the floor. Hermione gaped at them in shock.

“There's going to be an attack on the Ministry,” she heard Ginny sob, and turned to face her.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I'm so sorry. I should have said something sooner…”

I think we have our own problems,” Ron said as he stood up.

Hermione looked around as she saw students collapsing all over the Great Hall, and her heart lurched again. Harry had been right…

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Second Author's note: this is a re-upload since this chapter seems to have gone AWOL…

A/N: And now the battle is beginning. Hold on tight, my faithful readers, it's going to be a crazy ride! Thanks to all of you who have stuck with this, and a special thanks to those who have been faithfully leaving a review for me. Join the club! Membership is free, and you get a reply to your review, guaranteed! Limited time offer, so don't delay! And now, on to the show!

Since there seems to be no expiry date on the ownership of these characters, I will just have to continue to play with them here!

Chapter 50

Reading of the Will

**Earlier**

“Something's wrong…”

“No!” Ginny cried. “I didn't tell him! We have to find him!”

“What?” Ron asked, dropping his fork before his first bite at the sound of his sister's fear.

“I was so angry at him,” Ginny said, looking around frantically. “This is my fault.”

“Ginny, what have you done?” Hermione asked, standing up. Her fear was squeezing her heart, making her chest hurt.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and Hermione whirled to look at the head table. Several of the teachers had collapsed. She saw Hagrid stagger to his feet and stumble backwards before sitting heavily on the floor. Hermione gaped at them in shock.

“There's going to be an attack on the Ministry,” she heard Ginny sob, and turned to face her.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I'm so sorry. I should have said something sooner…”

I think we have our own problems,” Ron said as he stood up.

Hermione looked around as she saw students collapsing all over the Great Hall, and her heart lurched again. Harry had been right…

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

Harry met up with Neville in the Atrium of the Ministry. After a quick wand check, they headed for the lift.

“I need to do a side trip first,” Harry said as they got into the empty waiting car. “I need to go to the Department of Mysteries.”

“What for?” Neville asked.

Harry pulled the feather out of his pocket and held it up.

“Mr. Ollivander is here,” he explained.

“Is that one of Fawkes' feathers?” Neville asked.

“No, it came from another Phoenix. This is a wand feather. It's to be used as the magical core for a wand.”

Harry ran his hand along the edge of the feather, and he could feel the magic responding to his touch.

“Wow,” Neville said in awe.

They arrived at the ninth floor and Harry felt a chill settle over him as he remembered the last time he was here. They moved down the hallway in silence, and entered the rotating room. As soon as the door closed, the revolving walls began to move.

“Room of Enchantment,” Harry said.

The walls slowed until one door was directly in front of them. Harry moved forward and tried the door. It was locked. He took the feather and slowly and carefully put the tip of it in the keyhole and gave it a little wiggle. With a `click' the door unlocked and he pushed it open.

They found themselves in a room bathed in soft light with a bookshelf along one wall. There were five pedestals in the center of the room, each one holding an object. Harry could hear soothing music coming from somewhere, and he felt himself relax. Neville looked around the room in awe as Harry walked up to the first pedestal. There was a bottle with a stopper sitting in the middle of it, with a small plate hanging on a chain from the neck. Neville came up beside him and read the plate.

“Love Potion Number Nine. Huh. I didn't know that really existed,” he said.

Harry moved to the next pedestal, which had a set of bow and arrows on it.

“Cupid's Bow and Arrows,” he read.

“Don't touch it,” Neville said. “That's dangerous magic.”

“Juliette's Knife,” Harry read on the next sign. “I didn't know she was a witch. That's not what I studied in school before Hogwarts.”

“She was very emotional,” Neville said. “Gran said she was foolish to fall in love with a muggle.”

Harry smiled as he moved to the next pedestal.

“Amoura's Pendant,” Harry read. “Who's Amoura?”

“No idea,” Neville said. “I think that's where the music is coming from though.”

Harry nodded; mesmerized by the way the red ruby caught the soft light. Neville had moved off to look at the books.

Harry moved to the last pedestal. There was an empty ring box sitting on it. Harry wondered what had been in it, and where it was now. He wandered back to the pendant, and stood staring at it, allowing the music to wash over him.

“So, where do you think Mr. Ollivander is?” Neville asked, breaking Harry's train of thought.

He reluctantly moved away from the pendant, but it felt like it was calling him.

“I don't know,” Harry said as he scanned the room. There was only one door in and out of this room.

“Hey, Harry, take a look! There's a whole shelf of books about phoenixes,” Neville said.

Harry looked at the titles, and realized Neville was right. He studied them for a moment, and then took the feather and ran it along the spines of the books. Neville jumped as the entire shelf began to move, revealing a second room behind it. Harry stepped through it, into a very comfortable looking flat. There was a workstation off to one side, near what appeared to be a window. Hunched over in a chair with his back to the two friends, was Mr. Ollivander.

“I have been waiting for you, Mr. Potter,” he said without even looking up.

Harry moved towards the table as Mr. Ollivander spun around on his stool and held out his hand. Wordlessly, Harry placed the feather in his hand, and Mr.Ollivander closed his eyes, running his fingers up and down the feather.

“Hello there,” he murmured. “Yes, yes, you will be great.”

Harry watched in amazement, as the feather seemed to come alive.

“Tsk. Such vanity,” Mr. Ollivander said. “Know your place.”

The feather quivered once more and became still. Mr. Ollivander looked up at Harry.

“Give me one hour,” he said, and turned his back on the boys.

Harry and Neville headed for the door, when Harry stopped.

“Sir, how are we to get back in without the feather?”

Mr. Ollivander sighed irritably and got up from his workbench. He went into another room, and they could hear him rummaging around and muttering about “interruptions”. He came out a moment later and handed Harry a key on a chain, shapes like a feather.

“Try not to lose it, will you?” he said before ignoring them once again.

The two boys left, and as they past through the Room of Enchantment, Harry walked slowly by the pendant again. There was something about it…

“Lets go, Harry,” Neville said. “I don't want to be late.”

They headed back towards the elevator and punched the button for the fourth floor. After arriving, they walked down the hall between the many cubicles until they came to a door marked “Goblin Liaison Office”, and underneath that, “Gringott's”. They knocked, and a goblin opened the door and bade them to enter.

“Mr. Sandhill will see you in a moment,” he said. “Please take a seat.”

Harry and Neville sat in front of the biggest desk Harry had ever seen. On the wall behind it were several pictures of a large man posing and shaking hands with a variety of people, some that Harry recognized as being famous or in a position of power. Harry got the sense that this was a man who thought very highly of himself.

“Hey, Neville,” Harry whispered. “Did you know that a man with a very large desk is trying to make up for his other shortcomings?”

Neville looked at him in confusion, while Harry heard a snort from the desk in the corner. He turned to see the goblin give him a big smile. Neville started to laugh as he got the joke. Just then Sandhill walked in, so he turned it into a sputtering cough as the large man moved around behind his desk. He seemed to carry an air of importance about him, as he glanced disdainfully at the goblin in the corner. He took a moment to smooth down handlebar mustache, and Harry almost burst out laughing as he watched him preen in the small mirror he had on his desk. He picked up his papers and scanned them before looking up at Harry and Neville. He plastered a large, and to Harry's way of thinking, fake smile on his face and extended his hand to Neville.

“You must be Neville Longbottom,” he said. “I am Reginald Sandhill, the Third.”

Neville shook the proffered hand.

“Hello, and this is my friend—”

“Yes, yes, we all know who he is, don't we?” Sandhill sniffed.

Harry had stood up with Neville and put his handout, but at Sanhill's cold response, he let it drop and he sat back down, crossing his arms across his chest as he did so. He was here for Neville's sake, so he held his anger in check. He heard a mutter from the desk in the corner, and looked to see the goblin looking disdainfully at Sandhill. Neville looked worriedly between Harry and Sandhill, but with a miniscule shake of Harry's head, he sat back down without a word.

“Longbottom…Longbottom…” he said as he rifled through a stack of papers. “Ah! Here we are. Augusta Longbottom. Lovely woman. My condolences to you.”

Neville nodded his thanks as Sandhill went back to his reading.

“Yes, well, everything seems in order. You always need to check, you know,” Sandhill said.

Harry rolled his eyes. Either this man knew nothing about goblin banking, or he just liked to make himself feel important.

“Your grandmother left most of her worldly possessions to you, including the Villa in the South of France. I have the key to her vault, number six hundred and twenty-one, and the parchment describing its contents. There is a lump sum of money that has been given to her brother, Algie Longbottom, and a trust account is set up for the care of Alice and Frank Longbottom at St. Mungo's. Now then,” he said as he passed the parchment to Neville, “All I need is your signature, and we can get that key for you. Then you can be on your way.”

Neville looked at the parchment, and then up at Sandhill.

“All of this…is mine?” he asked.

“Yes,” Sandhill said.

Neville looked at the parchment again, and then signed it before handing it back.

“Excellent,” Sandhill said as he handed Neville a copy. “If you would like to wait for just a moment, I shall retrieve your key.”

As Neville read he parchment, Harry watched Sandhill leave the room.

“Why wouldn't he already have the key? He knew you were coming,” Harry asked.

Neville shrugged, distracted by the numbers on the parchment. “Maybe they keep them locked away.”

They sat quietly; the only sound was the scratching of the quill on the parchment by the goblin in the corner. After about five minutes, Harry got up and began to pace around the office. He was suddenly feeling quite trapped. He was on the far side of the room when the door opened and Sandhill entered. He watched as the man saw Harry's empty chair, scanned the room, and then seemed to relax as he realized that they were both still there. Just before the door closed, Harry caught a glimpse of two wizards standing outside the door, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Harry slowly reached down and unsnapped his invisipouch and glanced inside as Sandhill made his way over to the goblin's desk. While Sandhill's back was turned, he palmed the small round object he was looking for, while pulling out his wand with his other hand.

When Sandhill turned around, he had his wand out and pointed directly at Neville.

“Now, Mr. Potter,” he said. “I think you need to hand over your wand.”

Harry hesitated a moment, before reluctantly handing his wand to Sandhill.

“Thank-you. If you leave yours in your pocket, you may keep it, Mr. Longbottom. I would prefer it this way, as I am generally not a violent man,” he smirked as he waved Harry to come over and sit down. “You, Cadhook, move over with these two.”

Cadhook's eyes widened, and then he scowled at Sandhill.

“Now, goblin, or I shall have you dismissed from the Board of Goblins at Gringott's. I might do it anyways, since you've caused me nothing but trouble. My calculations have always been close,” he muttered.

“I didn't take you to be a Death Eater,” Harry said.

“What? Heaven's no! I work for Scrimgeour. Scrimgeour's man, through and through,” he said as he winked at Harry.

“Oh, and don't you worry, Mr. Longbottom, you still get your inheritance, as well as a large reward for turning over Mr. Potter here,” he said.

“I didn't—” Neville said, wide-eyed.

“It's okay, Neville,” Harry said. “This was something Mr. Sandhill cooked up, isn't it?”

I'm glad to see you recognize brilliance when you see it,” Sandhill said as he puffed out his chest. “I just suggested to Rufus that we use this opportunity to our advantage. You're here, so why not arrange for you to…meet with You-Know-Who and solve this whole dilemma for good?”

“In other words, sacrifice me for the good of the Wizarding World?” Harry said sarcastically.

“Well, we all do what is needed for the good of our world,” Sandhill said.

“You're delusional,” Neville said.

“I beg your pardon?” Sandhill said.

“If you think that handing Harry over to Lord Voldemort will put a stop to all this, you're crazy,” Neville said.

“You really shouldn't use his name like that in public. You never know who is listening,” Sandhill shuddered as he moved around to his desk.

“It can't hurt to try,” he said. “Ah, your key, Mr. Longbottom,”

He threw the key at Neville, who caught it in mid-air.

“Now then, you're free to go, Mr. Longbottom, but you two will have to stay here. I think I shall tell them that you interfered. Then I can ship you out as well,” he said as he pointed his wand at Cadhook.

“I don't think so,” Harry said, and he tossed the small ball he was holding at Sandhill. The man watched as it landed on the desk and exploded, creating a smoke cloud that surrounded him. He froze instantly.

Neville sat, his mouth wide open, in shock.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Petrificus Totalus bomb,” Harry said, grabbing his wand from Sandhill. “Come on, we don't have much time. We need to figure a way out of here.”

“I can be of service,” Cadhook said. “Follow me, please,”

He moved towards the bookshelf and pulled out one of the books down low, which opened a door into a passageway.

“Wait,” Harry said.

He went back to where Sandhill was standing and looked him in the eyes.

“Obliviate!” he said, and a dreamy look slid over Sandhill's features. “You thought I had come, but you were mistaken. Neville came with someone else, so your plan didn't work. You gave Neville the key and he and his friend left. Cadhook escorted them down to the Atrium. You have paperwork to finish.”

Harry hurried to catch up with the others. They followed Cadhook down the passage and emerged through a hidden panel behind a potted plant at the end of he alcove near the lifts. The doors closest to them opened, and a flurry of memos made their way down the hall. Harry, Neville and Cadhook quickly entered, and the lift made its way back to the Atrium.

“I will take my leave here,” Cadhook said. “I need to report back to Gringott's. Thank-you Harry Potter, you are indeed a great wizard. We do not involve ourselves with the trivial pursuits of wizards; however, we will not support the dark. You will always be welcome at Gringott's” Cadhook bowed and then hurried to the nearest floo.

“Good place to have friends,” Neville said.

“Yeah. Look, Neville, I need to go back and see Mr. Ollivander. Do you want to wait here?”

“Harry Potter! Stop where you are!”

Harry and Neville turned to see Scrimgeour and the two wizards that Harry had seen outside Sandhill's door, hurrying towards them.

“Great,” muttered Harry.

Just as Scrimgeour stopped in front of Harry, Several explosions blew out from the fireplace floos.

As the dust began to settle, and people ran screaming for cover, Harry could see several Death Eaters emerging from the floos. They began chanting and raising their arms.

“Patefacio Obfirmo,”* they chanted three times, and then clapped their hands together.

Alarms began to sound, causing even more panic.

“The ward is down! We're under attack!” someone screamed, and the two wizards accompanying Scrimgeour ran towards the confusion, wands drawn. Scrimgeour spun around to see who was coming, and Harry scanned the seemingly endless number of Death Eaters that were arriving. There was only one thing on his mind. Where was Voldemort?

*Unlock the Ward

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Second Author's note: I have re-uploaded this chapter since chapter 50 was missing. I hope that it didn't confuse too many readers.

A/N: Okay, now that I have pulled you in, hang on! We are in for a ride! Thanks to all of you that have been staying with me. I know that it has been a long haul. I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Many thanks to my Beta, Dementor149 for all of his words of wisdom and encouragement. Now, on with the show!

I do not own these characters, but I like to see what they will do when I put them in situations that another author did not. It's been interesting so far…

Chapter 51

Attack at the Ministry

“The ward is down! We're under attack!” someone screamed, and the two wizards accompanying Scrimgeour ran towards the confusion, wands drawn. Scrimgeour spun around to see who was coming, and Harry scanned the seemingly endless numbers of Death Eaters that were arriving. There was only one thing on his mind. Where was Voldemort?

Harry and Neville dashed around the back of the fountain, away from the melee, and Scrimgeour followed.

“Look at this!” Scrimgeour yelled. “This is what happens when you interfere and don't let trained professionals do their jobs!”

“I had nothing to do with this!” Harry said.

“Of course you would say that!” Scrimgeour screamed. “What did Sandhill know? Did those Death Eaters follow you?”

“Harry had nothing to do with this!” Neville yelled over the noise. “He was only accompanying me to hear my Gran's will!”

“What a coincidence!” Scrimgeour sneered.

As soon as Neville had begun arguing with Scrimgeour, Harry went back to scanning the battle, looking for Voldemort. It was hard to recognize anyone with so much fighting going on, but he figured Voldemort would stand out.

Suddenly, there was a Death Eater standing right behind Scrimgeour and Harry reacted.

“Move!” he yelled as he pushed the Minister aside. “Expelliarmus!”

The Death Eater's wand went flying, and he turned to flee.

“Petrificus Totalus!” Harry yelled, and the Death Eater went down with a thump.

Neville helped Scrimgeour up, while Harry scanned for more attackers. Scrimgeour looked shaken, as he brushed himself off.

“I suppose I should thank you,” Scrimgeour said gruffly as he held out his hand to Harry.

Harry looked at him for a moment, and then shook it reluctantly.

“Look, I know we don't agree on everything, but we are on the same side. I'm not trying to interfere or take over, or anything like that. I've got a job to do and so do you. Can we just leave it at that?” Harry asked.

“Minister! Are you okay?”

Four Aurors were running towards the group, and Scrimgeour turned to greet them.

“Fine, fine,” he said gruffly. “No thanks to you. It was a good thing these young men were here.”

The Aurors looked past Scrimgeour, but there was no one there. Harry and Neville had slipped out as soon as Scrimgeour's back was turned, and were heading back towards the lifts.

“Take the stairs,” Harry called to Neville. They ran down to the ninth floor and ran the length of the hall to the Department of Mysteries.

“Room of Enchantment,” Harry panted as soon as they got inside.

The door stopped, and Harry unlocked it and went inside, closing the door behind them. Harry went to the bookshelf and began to pull the books out as quickly as he could. Nothing happened.

“Try the key,” Neville suggested, pointing to one book with a keyhole in it.

Harry inserted the key and the bookshelf opened. They rushed into the room to find Mr. Ollivander working quietly, completely oblivious to the happenings upstairs.

“You're early,” he said without looking up.

“I'm sorry sir, but there's been an attack upstairs,” Harry explained. “You should probably leave.”

“I'm not going anywhere until this is complete. This is precise work, so sit down and wait.”

Neville went and sat down, but Harry felt too anxious to sit. He hadn't seen Voldemort, and he suddenly had a sinking feeling as to why. He had to be at Hogwarts, and every moment spent here was a moment longer that Ron and Hermione might be facing him. The thought of Hermione in that man's clutches made him sick. He needed to get back to Hogwarts.

Neville looked up and saw the worry on Harry's face.

“Not yet,” Mr. Ollivander said, as if reading his thoughts, “be patient.”

“They'll be okay, Harry,” Neville said.

Harry turned and went back out into the Room of Enchantment, and Neville followed. Harry ran his hand through his hair as he paced. He was so afraid of losing Hermione that it was eating him inside. He stopped in front of the pendant, and let the music try and sooth him.

Neville came and put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

“They'll be okay,” he said quietly.

“I hope so,” Harry sighed as he stared at the pendant. “Neville, can you feel it?” he said after a moment.

Neville looked around. “Feel what?” he asked.

“The pendant. It's almost like it's calling me,” Harry said.

He reached out and gently touched the red ruby with his finger. He could feel the energy crackling from it.

Neville reached out to touch it, but felt nothing but the red stone. “I don't feel anything,” he said.

Harry very carefully reached out and picked the chain up, letting the pendant hang in front of his face. He suddenly knew he was meant to have it.

“Accio Book,” he said and then caught the book that came sailing towards him. He transfigured it into a copy of the pendant and placed it on the pedestal. He then, very carefully, put the original pendant in the velvet bag he had kept from Hermione's ring.

“Harry, what?” Neville asked.

“Done!” Mr. Ollivander said.

The door back to the Department of Mysteries shook.

“Go! Go!” Harry said as the door shook again.

Once they were back in Mr. Ollivander's apartment, Mr. Ollivander pushed a button and the wall slid shut with a `click'.

They could feel the rumble as the outer door finally gave way.

“Here,” Mr. Ollivander pointed, and Harry looked through a small peephole, back into the Room of Enchantment. What he saw chilled him; Greyback was there, surrounded by several masked Death Eaters.

“It's Greyback,” he whispered to the others.

“Oh dear,” muttered Mr. Ollivander.

Harry watched as they searched through the rubble. He saw Greyback pick up the knife and test the blade with a grin.

“Here!” one of the Death Eater's said as he held up the pendant.

“Give it to me,” growled Greyback, and he placed it in his pouch.

The other Death Eaters made for the door, and Greyback began to follow, when he stopped, stood up straighter, and sniffed. Harry watched as he scanned the room, his eyes falling on the bookcase. He slowly came over, sniffing as he moved, searching for his prey. He clawed the books off of the shelf, letting them land haphazardly around the room.

Harry pulled his wand out as he watched, fearing a confrontation with the werewolf, and realizing something was happening, Neville did the same, watching the wall intently. Greyback began to claw at the bookshelf itself, when there was a shout and a spell shot by. He turned, and ran to attack the aurors in the doorway. One of them made a pedestal fly at him, and he battered it out of the way, letting it crash against the bookshelf he was just attacking. He followed the aurors out into the main room, snarling as he attacked them. Harry sighed in relief at how close they had come to being found. He watched for a moment to see if he would return, but obviously something else had caught his fancy.

“Well,” said Mr. Ollivander. “If you have quite finished with the theatrics, your wand is ready.”

He moved back towards his workbench, and Harry followed.

“Eleven and three-quarters, Holly, phoenix feather core. It seems that you suit the holly wood.”

Harry looked at the intricately carved wood, remembering back to the first time he had entered Ollivander's shop. He reached out and gently picked up the wand. He could feel the energy crackling from the wand, making his hair stand on end. There seemed to be a magical excitement that Harry could feel coming from the wand as it recognized him.

“Go on, give it a try,” Mr. Ollivander said, pleased with the reaction.

Harry pointed the wand at the overstuffed chair and thought “Wingardium Leviosa,”

The chair gently floated up, and Harry was amazed at the ease in which he did it.

“Well done!” clapped Mr. Ollivander.

“So, do I give my other wand back to you?” Harry asked as he gently set the chair down.

“Oh, heavens, no,” Mr. Ollivander said. “It wouldn't be any good for anyone else.”

“Thank-you,” Harry said as he pocketed the new wand.

“I really think we should be going. Will you come with us?” Harry asked.

Mr. Ollivander snorted. “Whatever for? I am quite comfortable and safe here until I can return to my shop.”

Harry didn't have the patience to argue with him. He wanted to get back to Hermione.

“It's all clear,” Neville said after checking the peephole.

“Thanks again,” Harry said as he pressed the button on the wall.

The wall began to slide open, but then stopped after about six inches. Harry looked out to see the pedestal wedged up against the bookshelf.

“It's jammed,” he said as he tried to wrench the shelf open. “Is there another way out?”

“Of course,” Mr. Ollivander said, and he pushed a button under his workbench. “Go to your right.”

“Figures,” Neville muttered as they headed towards the opening. “I wonder if there are any rooms in this building that don't have a secret exit.”

“I doubt it, you're dealing with a large number of paranoid people,” Harry said.

They jogged the short hallway and came to another door that led them back to the rotating room.

“I'm really beginning to hate this place,” Harry muttered as they quietly entered the circular room.

Several of the doors had large holes in them, and they could hear the walls trying to rotate, to no avail. They could see several bodies lying on the floor.

“Come on,” Harry said as he saw the hallway from the Ministry.

They climbed through the door into the eerily quiet hall. There were several bodies here as well, and it looked like Greyback had been responsible for their deaths too. They slowly climbed the stairs, listening carefully as they went. They got to the top and sidled around the elevators. The battle was still in full swing, and to Harry it seemed that there were more Death Eaters than aurors.

“There's no way we're going to be able to use the floo,” Neville said, nodding towards the fireplace. “Too bad we can't Apparate.”

Harry looked at Neville, and then banged his head against the wall.

“Stupid, Potter,” he muttered. “Why didn't you think of it sooner?” he said to Neville as he dug into his invisipouch and pulled out the Hogwarts badge that Hermione had designed.

Neville had the grace to look sheepish.

“Mine's at school still,” Neville said.

“Hold on to my arm,” Harry sighed as he gave the badge a twist. “Hogwarts,” he said.

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

Hermione, Ron and Ginny stood frozen in place as the last of the students in the Great Hall slumped to the floor.

“The food,” Hermione said horrified. “It must have been tampered with.”

“Are they…are they dead?” whispered Ginny fearfully.

Ron reached over and checked Seamus.

“No,” he said with relief. “Just sleeping it seems.”

“Well, well, what have we here? Were you not hungry tonight, itty-bitty Gryffindors?”

The three whirled to see Bellatrix standing in the doorway of the Great Hall, several Death Eaters behind her, including Snape.

“Wha' are ye doin' here!” Hagrid slurred as he staggered to his feet. “Stop where ye' are!”

The three whirled back to watch as Hagrid stumbled around the table, shaking his head and trying to get rid of the fog that seemed to be there. Bellatrix laughed as she and several of the Death Eaters pointed their wands at the giant and yelled “Stupify!”

Hagrid seemed to totter for a moment, before falling backwards with a loud thump.

“Are you happy, Severus?” Bellatrix sneered in a singsong voice. “I didn't kill him.”

Severus looked down at her with indifference.

“The Dark Lord wanted as many hostages as possible,” he said. “That means they have to be alive.”

“Are you sure you're not going soft?” she asked, coming face to face with him.

“You may do with them whatever you wish,” Snape sniffed. “I don't care a whit. However, Lord Voldemort did give us orders.”

Bellatrix tried to stare him down for another moment, before finally giving an unlady-like snort and turning her back on him in a huff.

While all this was going on, Hermione, her back to the Death Eaters, twisted her pin to the right and whispered “Safety.”

She then turned slowly towards the group in the doorway.

Bellatrix clapped her hands in glee as she sauntered into the Great Hall.

“What a lovely treasure trove we have here,” she laughed as she spread her arms wide and spun in place.

She stopped as she faced the trio, and suddenly, almost every student in the hall disappeared. Hermione noticed that it was mainly members of the DA and a few Slytherins that they didn't trust, which were left. She sighed gratefully as she thought of all those constant reminders.

“WHAT!” Bellatrix shrieked as she spun around, wide-eyed to face Snape. “THEY'RE GONE!”

“Obviously,” Snape said as he came closer and glared at the three standing defiantly against their attackers.

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Second Author's note: I have re-loaded this chapter after a glitch appeared on the original story. Sorry for any confusion.

A/N: Greetings to all of you loyal readers! So you know what kind of activities are happening at the Ministry, now on to Hogwarts. We are getting close to “the meeting”! Thanks to all of you for reviewing, it means so much to me, and it is what keeps me going!

Hmm…I wonder if there is an expiry date on the ownership of these characters if you do not write about them after a certain period of time…

Until then, still not mine.

Chapter 52

The Taking of Hogwarts

Bellatrix Lestrange was beside herself with rage. Her plans of handing over a room full of hostages to the Dark Lord had just disappeared. She couldn't disappoint him, not after the things he promised her…

She shuddered inwardly; the only outward sign of her fear was the slight twitch of her eye. She remembered the last time she had failed him. He didn't forgive easily, and she was not willing to give up her position because of someone's stupidity. Someone was going to pay for this, and it wasn't going to be her.

“I want control of those wards! Find the Headmistress! Look for any stragglers! Cage them all!” Bellatrix shrieked at the scurrying Death Eaters. “Except these three. I have something special for them,” she laughed.

She wasn't allowed to kill them, but the Dark Lord had suggested something to her that she was more than willing to try. The thought gave her delicious shivers down her spine, and her maniacal smile was unsettling to those watching.

Hermione felt her stomach churn, and for the second time that night, she was glad she hadn't eaten anything.

“Your wands,” Snape said as he approached the three and held his hand out.

When they didn't respond right away, one of the Death Eaters came forward and grabbed Ginny's shoulder, expertly applying pressure to the nerves there.

“Now,” he growled, “or I squeeze harder.”

Ginny gasped as she frantically searched for her wand and handed it over. Her eyes were brimming with tears of shame and pain. Ron and Hermione reluctantly followed suit.

“Chain them,” Bellatrix said as she pointed her wand at the wall.

Three sets of chains appeared, and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were dragged none too gently to the wall. Rough hands secured the manacles to their wrists, holding them so that their toes barely touched the floor. It was not long before they began to groan from the pain in their shoulders and feet.

“Now this I like,” Bellatrix said as she came closer. “Where's itty bitty baby Potter?” she asked as she came face to face with Ron.

“Go to Hell,” Ron said.

Bellatrix backhanded him across the face. “Wrong answer,” she said. “Now I'll ask you again. Where is he?”

Ron glared at her, but said nothing.

“Hmm,” Bellatrix said as she tapped her chin. “Obviously I'm not convincing you enough. Rabastan, my dear brother in-law, would you like to do the honors?”

The three watched as one of the Death Eaters shuffled over to where they were chained. He walked with a bit of a limp, and he had a crazed look about him, like one who didn't necessarily have a sane thought left in his head.

“Rabastan takes great pleasure in other people's pain,” Bellatrix said. “ It's why we get along so well.”

Rabastan leered at them as he took his wand out, and Ron took a deep breath, fearful of what was to come.

“Crucio!” Rabastan shouted with glee, and cackled in delight as Ron screamed and arched off of the wall, the cuffs biting into his wrists. Bellatrix shrieked in laughter and clapped her hands in delight.

Hermione closed her eyes and looked away, sobbing as she heard Ron cry in pain. She speculated briefly if Harry had reacted the same way when Voldemort had tortured him, which led her to wonder what happened to him. Was he still alive? She shut that thought down quickly. She didn't want to think about it.

“Stop!” Ginny sobbed, “Please stop!”

Bellatrix waved off her brother in-law and moved to stand in front of Ginny. Ron collapsed against the chains, head hanging, eyes closed, and breathing hard. Hermione stole a glance at him, and could see the pain etched across his face.

“Are you willing to trade one for the other?” Bellatrix purred. “Where's your boyfriend?”

Hermione looked at Ginny who looked back apologetically. Hermione shook her head.

“No…” she whispered.

Ginny turned back to Bellatrix. “Promise me you and your henchmen will leave Ron alone,” she said through her tears. “And that you won't hurt Harry,” she added as an afterthought.

“Of course,” Bellatrix said with a wave of her hand and a roll of her eyes. “Where is he?”

“Ginny…” Hermione warned.

Ginny took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see anyone else when she betrayed her friend.

“He's at the Ministry,” she said quietly.

Bellatrix looked at her for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

“How delicious! I do hope he has a chance to chat with Fenrir,” she said as she started to walk away.

She stopped in front of Ron and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head up.

“You are expendable,” she purred, “But not by me, thanks to your sister. She really knows how a traitor should act. You should take lessons from her,” she laughed as she moved off.

Hermione refused to look at Ginny. She was afraid of what she would say to her younger friend. Instead, she focused on Ron.

“Are you okay?” she asked, not too sure what she could do if he wasn't.

Ron grimaced as he nodded. “I'll live,” he said. “But it doesn't sound like for very long, though.”

“We'll get out of this,” Hermione said firmly, although she wasn't too sure she believed it.

“That really hurt,” Ron said as he tried to get comfortable. “No wonder people go insane. How's Gin?” he asked after a moment.

Hermione glanced over at Ginny, who was watching Hermione, the remorse plain on her face.

“She's fine,” Hermione said brusquely.

“Don't be too hard on her,” Ron said.

Hermione didn't answer.

They watched as the Death Eaters set about reorganizing the hall. They saw Bellatrix and Rudolphus drag a very dazed looking McGonagall out of the room. A large ornate chair was set up where the teacher's table used to be, and with a sinking feeling, Hermione realized what Voldemort was doing.

“He's getting ready for a showdown,” she whispered, “and its right out of Harry's nightmare.”

The main doors opened, and the last person Hermione wanted to see, walked in. Voldemort moved into the room, like a king returning home after a long crusade. He nodded to various Death Eaters as he swept into the room, leading a very pale Narcissa. He had several people in his little entourage, including:

“Malfoy,” Ron growled.

“And Pettigrew,” Hermione said.

She scanned the little party and frowned,

“Where's Draco's father I wonder?”

“Gone,” Ginny replied dully, her eyes never leaving the group. “Voldemort sucked the soul out of his body right in front of Draco.”

“Serves him right,” Ron muttered.

Hermione turned to look at Ginny, and saw her staring, unwavering, at Draco Malfoy. Hermione watched as a look of pain and despair seemed to cross Draco's face, as he looked their way, before he put his mask back on, and the haughty Malfoy returned. Hermione looked back at Ginny and saw her crying silently, and suddenly it clicked into place.

“Is that where you've been getting your information?” Hermione whispered.

Ginny looked at her sadly before giving a silent nod.

“Don't say anything,” she whispered back. “Please.”

Hermione leaned back and looked up at the stormy ceiling of the hall. She watched the swirling clouds as she realized that was how she felt inside. She couldn't believe the audacity that Ginny had to ask her to keep this information to herself, when just moments earlier she herself was willing to give up Harry to Bellatrix. And why would Ginny care about Malfoy's well being? He was just a spy, giving information…unless… She turned to look back at Ginny in shock.

“Please tell me you don't,” she whispered.

“Don't what?” Ron asked from the other side.

“Don't…” Hermione looked from Ron to Ginny, who was now silently pleading with her eyes. “Um…don't have to…um…go to the bathroom,” Hermione finished lamely. “I don't think they will let us go.”

Ginny leaned back in relief, and Ron snorted. “Maybe if you threatened to go right here,” he said.

Hermione sighed. As much as she was angry with the younger Weasley, she could at least understand where she was coming from.

Voldemort sat in his chair as his followers watched. He closed his eyes for a moment, running his hands up and down the arm of the chair, caressing it like a fine treasure. He opened his eyes again and smiled.

“Everything is as it should be. Draco, find your mother a chair, that's a good lad,” he said.

Bellatrix and Rudolphus returned with an ashen-faced McGonagall. Bellatrix took one look at Narcissa sitting off to the side with Draco hovering nearby, and stormed up to where the Dark Lord was sitting.

“What's she doing here?” Bellatrix hissed.

Voldemort smiled at her, like a parent placating a child.

“Bella, my dear, jealousy is not very becoming on you. Your dear sister is here because she is a part of my plan. I thought I made that clear to you.”

Bellatrix crossed her arms and pouted. “I thought I was going to do it.”

Voldemort shrugged. “You're married. Ah, ah,” he shook his finger, as he saw her look contemptuously at her husband. “I will not have you killing my Death Eaters for your personal gains. You can't always have what you want.”

Bellatrix gave Narcissa a nasty look before stalking back to where her husband was standing.

“Oh, and Bella?” Voldemort called. “If any harm comes to Narcissa or Rudolphus, I will hold you personally responsible.”

Bellatrix paled at his threat, but nodded.

Hermione watched this exchange with interest. What was he planning now?

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

“Hold on to my arm,” Harry sighed as he gave the badge a twist. “Hogwarts,” he said.

Harry stood there for a full five seconds before he realized that they hadn't left. Now he knew something was wrong, and he could feel the panic building in him even further.

“Harry,” Neville said as he nudged him, “We've got to get out of here!”

Harry looked up in time to see several Death Eaters headed their way. He thought frantically for a moment before coming to a decision.

“Grimmauld Place,” he said as he twisted his badge.

It was a sense of relief to feel the familiar tug of the Portkey. They arrived at the park entrance across the street from Harry's home.

“What are we doing here?” Neville asked.

“Here,” Harry reached into his pocket for the scrap of paper he had tucked away. “Read this.”

“Order of the Phoenix, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place,” Neville read.

Just as it had done years earlier for Harry, the house appeared in front of them. Neville, however, didn't seem surprised to see a building appear.

“Who's home is this?” he asked as they headed for the front door.

“It belonged to Sirius,” Harry said, “but he left it to me.”

Harry was surprised to find the pain associated with Sirius' name wasn't as crippling as it used to be.

“It has rather interesting décor,” Neville said as they entered.

“Yeah, well, renovating hasn't been high on my list of priorities,” Harry said grimly.

“So now what are we going to do?” Neville asked.

“First we need to find out how many members of the Order are available, and then we have to get back into Hogwarts,” Harry said. “He's there, Neville. I can feel it.”

As they were heading for the kitchen, they heard a crash from that room. Harry pulled out his wand, and Neville imitated him, even though Harry presumed it was Kreacher. They slowly made their way downstairs, and as they entered the kitchen a head of bright red spiky hair could be seen peeking over the table.

“Tonks!” Harry called in relief. Maybe he was wrong…

“Harry!” Tonks cried, dropping the plate again as she rushed to hug him. “Thank Merlin you're safe!”

“Where's Remus?” Harry asked.

“He's at the safe house with Moody,” she said as she repaired the plate she had dropped.

Any of Harry's hopes were dashed as she said `safe house'.

“It's not good, Harry,” she said somberly.

“What happened? Where are Ron and Hermione?” Harry asked, the fear making itself known again in the pit of his stomach.

Tonks sat down, avoiding Harry's eyes.

“Remus and I, we were late getting down for dinner. You hadn't come back yet, so I was concerned. When I couldn't get hold of anyone in the Ministry, I knew something was wrong. We rushed downstairs and were almost to the Great Hall when they got there.”

“Who?” demanded Harry. “Voldemort?”

Tonks shook her head. “My Aunt was there,” she said quietly, looking up at Neville, who paled slightly, and then scowled.

“Snape was there too,” she said.

Harry felt a jolt of anger go through him as he clenched his fists. How could he be there if he was supposedly working for Dumbledore before he died? He really didn't like the way this was going. Tonks still wouldn't look at him. Harry was becoming frantic. He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her, and the lights flickered slightly before he took a deep breath to control himself.

“Where are Hermione and Ron?” he asked again, trying hard to keep his anger in check.

Tonks shook her head miserably.

“I had to stop Remus from rushing in there and attacking, it would have been suicidal. He is so angry with me right now. I'm sorry, Harry, I don't know. All I could see was students on the floor, and then they disappeared. I didn't see either of them. I could hear Bellatrix screaming, and we got out of there. Remus went to the safe house as soon as we got here, and I haven't heard anything.”

Harry felt a small flicker of hope that they might be safe.

“What happened at the Ministry? Were you attacked?” Tonks asked after a moment.

Neville quickly told Tonks their story, but Harry wasn't listening. He was lost in thought, busy planning their next move for when Remus returned with Ron and Hermione. It was the short bark of sarcastic laughter that brought him back to the conversation at hand. He looked over to see Tonks shaking her head at him.

“I would love to be in your position, Harry,” she said.

“What?” Harry said confused.

“You saved Scrimgeour's life. He owes you a wizard's debt.”

Harry shrugged; his thoughts focused more on Ron and Hermione. Maybe they were hurt, or…

They heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see a haggard-looking Lupin returning. He stopped as he saw Harry and Neville sitting with Tonks, and the slight hesitation that crossed his face told Harry all he needed to know.

“Harry, Neville. Thank Merlin you're safe,” he said as he came the rest of the way into the room.

“They aren't there, are they?” Harry said.

Somehow deep down he knew they would stay if there were anyone left. It was what he would do.

Lupin shook his head. “I'm sorry, Harry.”

Harry stood up and headed for the door, Neville scrambling after him.

“Harry, where are you going?” he asked.

Harry turned and looked grimly at Neville.

“To fulfill a prophecy,” he said.

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Second Author's note: I have re-loaded this chapter after a glitch appeared on the original story. Sorry for any confusion.

A/N: Greetings loyal readers! For those of you who are following along, our friends have themselves in a spot of trouble, and it's going to get worse before it can get better. Here is your latest installment, a chance to see how nasty Voldemort can be. Thanks to all of you for leaving a review, it warms my heart. Thanks also to Dementor149 for poking me every once and a while to make sure I am doing my job. Happy reading!

The characters are not mine, but I think that I understand them so well, and feel the angst at what they are going through… oh wait! I wrote them that way!

Chapter 53

Sending an Invitation

Hermione shifted slightly and winced as fresh pain shot down her arms and seemed to explode in her shoulders. She wasn't sure how long they had been there, but she vaguely wondered is she would ever be able to lower her arms again. Voldemort seemed to be waiting for something, and she could see he was getting impatient. She heard a commotion by the doors and turned to see Greyback push through a group of Death Eaters and make his way to where Voldemort was sitting. He approached the Dark Lord, but did not bow and simper like so many others.

“Fernir, my friend. How did the raid go?” Voldemort asked.

Greyback gave a feral grin that made Hermione's blood run cold.

“Successful,” he replied. “Scrimgeour lives for now, a puppet at your command. I left one of my associates, Silvertongue, to help him remember his place.”

“And this Silvertongue, he knows not to kill him yet?” Voldemort asked.

Greyback narrowed his eyes at him. “He answers to me,” he growled.

Voldemort gave him a tight smile. “Of course,” he said.

There was a moment of silence, which was broken by two Death Eaters arguing as they dragged a student through the doors of the Great Hall.

“My story to tell, Alecto,” the shorter one wheezed.

“I just don't want my part left out, Amycus. You tend to do that,” Alecto said.

Hermione couldn't see who it was, as the hood of the school robe was covering the student's head. From the way the person was staggering though, the two Death Eaters hadn't been too kind. As they approached the Dark Lord, they pushed the student, who fell to the ground in front of the small crowd.

“Found `er in the library,” Amycus said. “All by ourselves, we did.”

“I saw her first,” whined Alecto.

The student sat up and pulled the hood off of her head.

Hermione gasped.

It was Luna.

Hermione glanced over at Ron, who was straining against the chains, a tortured look on his face. She could tell he was battling with himself, trying not to make the situation worse by calling out. Voldemort briefly glanced at the girl before glaring at the brother and sister. The silence in the hall became deafening, and the two backed up fearfully, not too sure what they had done wrong. The lopsided leer fell from Amycus' face.

“You interrupted our meeting,” Voldemort said quietly.

“Apologies, my Lord,” Alecto said, bobbing her head and bowing low.

Amycus watched for a moment before mimicking his sister's moves. Voldemort glared at them for a moment longer, and the two Death Eaters flinched, realizing their mistake.

Greyback cleared his throat.

“As for the other matter,” he began, as the brother and sister slinked off to avoid the Dark Lord's wrath, all thoughts of a reward being dropped.

Voldemort smiled and held out his hand. “You have it?” he asked.

“I do not fail in my missions,” Greyback said as he pulled out the chain.

Hermione could see a red pendant spinning on the end.

Voldemort eagerly reached forward, but Greyback curled his hand around it.

“My payment?” he asked.

Voldemort sat back in annoyance.

Greyback nodded to where Luna had been trying to sit unobtrusively.

“What about that one? She's pretty,” he grinned and licked his lips.

“NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Ron yelled, as he pulled on his chains, ignoring the pain as the cuffs cut into his wrists, desperate to get loose.

The Death Eaters around the hall laughed and Draco watched the scene in fascination. Voldemort smiled as he watched Ron struggle. He turned back to where the Ravenclaw was sitting.

“Stand up, child. What is your name?”

Luna slowly stood, and after a quick glance at Ron, turned to the Dark Lord.

“Luna Lovegood,” she said quietly.

“Lovegood? As in the Quibbler?” Voldemort asked.

“My Father,” Luna said.

“I am presuming he has taught you the value of doing as you are told?” Voldemort asked.

Luna nodded. “Daddy has taught me many things, including how to catch nargles without having to kiss anyone.”

The Death Eaters laughed again.

“I see,” Voldemort said with a small smile.

“Well?” Greyback said as he wiped the saliva from his mouth with his sleeve.

Voldemort studied him for a moment, and Greyback twitched.

“Did you happen to see Harry Potter at the Ministry?” he asked. “I heard he was there.”

Greyback fidgeted for a moment, avoiding Voldemort's glare.

“I smelled him,” he finally said, “but I did not see him.”

Voldemort held out his hand again, and after a moment's hesitation, Greyback placed the pendant there.

Voldemort held it up, studying the pendant.

“I'm glad you completed your mission, so you shall be rewarded.”

Hermione heard Ron's intake of breath as Greyback started towards Luna.

“However, I would have been more generous if you had brought the boy as well. I have plans for this one. You may have one of those,” he said as he waved at the cages.

“They're no fun when they're asleep,” Greyback grumbled.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and took out his wand. Greyback flinched, thinking he had pushed too far.

“Enervate,” he said as he waved it at the cages.

“Satisfied?” he said sarcastically.

Greyback bowed as he moved towards the cages where the staff and students were beginning to stir, and Hermione closed her eyes as she heard one of the students cry out, her Gryffindor courage failing her.

“I feel I am a patient man,” Voldemort said, and Hermione's eyes snapped open as she realized he was right in front of her.

“However, your friend seems to be taking his time returning. Perhaps he needs some persuasion?”

Hermione held her breath, afraid of what he had planned.

“The vial, Severus,” Voldemort said and Snape moved to the Dark Lord's side, and placed the bottle in his hand before going over and standing beside Draco.

Voldemort smiled slowly as he looked at the three.

“Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe, which of you will be the first to go?” he chanted.

He moved in front of Ginny, who tried to move away as far as the chains would allow, which wasn't much. Voldemort smiled in amusement, and moved back to stand in front of Hermione. He reached out and stroked her cheek, as she tried to move away.

“I have such plans for the two of you,” he said quietly, before moving to stand in front of Ron. “As for you…”

Before Ron could react, Voldemort grabbed his face and forced the contents of the vial down his throat. Ron coughed and spluttered, as he turned his panic stricken face towards the girls, and then Luna who was being held back by Draco.

“NO!” Ginny screamed. “Bellatrix promised,” she cried.

Voldemort shrugged. “I have only quickened the inevitable,” he said. “And besides, you should know by now, I answer to no one.”

He stood, watching Ron like a student watching a science experiment.

“Oh, you don't need to worry too much. The poison is slow acting, and incredibly painful,” he said as he walked away. “If Mr. Potter hurries, he will receive the antidote. If not, well, I cannot be held responsible,” he said as he shrugged.

He stopped in front of Luna. “You will be a good girl and do as you're told. Find Harry Potter. Let him know we are all waiting for him to arrive.”

Luna looked at Ron before looking back at Voldemort. “How do I know you won't kill him?” she asked.

Voldemort smiled. “My dear, he is already dead. But if you return with Harry Potter he will receive the antidote and I am a man of my word. However…” he continued, “My patience grows short. I suggest you go, before I change my mind.”

Luna gasped, and turned and fled to the jeers and laughter of the Dark Lord's court. Voldemort motioned to two Death Eaters, who came forward eagerly.

“Find out where she is going,” Voldemort said quietly, “and kill whomever she comes in contact with. Bring the Potter boy to me.”

Luna stood outside the Great Hall for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before turning and running up the stairs.

Hermione tried to swallow past the lump in her throat as the tears fell silently down her face She made eye contact with a white-faced Ron, which didn't help.

“It'll be okay,” she said brokenly. “Luna will find him.”

Ron tried to smile, but failed. “I hope so,” he said. “This wasn't how I envisioned the end of my life.”

He laughed bitterly and shook his head.

“We really didn't know what we were getting into, did we, Hermione?” he said in resignation.

Hermione looked around the room sadly and sighed wearily as simpler days of trolls and three-headed dogs flashed through her mind.

“I don't think any of us did,” she said softly.

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Second Author's note: I have re-loaded this chapter after a glitch appeared on the original story. Sorry for any confusion.

A/N: Thank-you for all of your wonderful reviews! It warms my heart to read all of your positive comments. This is just an information chapter before we get to some of the nitty-gritty stuff, but I promise you won't have to wait too long for the next one! Thanks to Dementor149 for all of his support! It has made for a great friendship.

You all know the legal jargon; do I really need to repeat it for the 54^th time? Besides, I can't think of anything witty right now…

Chapter 54

Luna's Mission

Previously…

Harry stood up and headed for the door, Neville scrambling after him.

“Harry, where are you going?” he asked.

Harry turned and looked grimly at Neville.

“To fulfill a prophecy,” he said.

“HARRY, STOP!” both Lupin and Neville yelled.

“What?” Harry said angrily as he spun around.

“Harry, we can't just rush into this,” Lupin said. “We need to find out what the situation is.”

“Remus is right,” Moody said as he limped down the stairs. “We need information.” He sat down and turned to Lupin. “Most of the Army is missin'. At the school still, I presume.”

Harry's heart sank. He had been so focused on Hermione and Ron that he had forgotten about everyone else.

“Ginny?” he asked, “and Luna?”

“Both missin'” Moody growled, and Harry swore under his breath.

“Harry,” Tonks said gently. “Let's come up with a plan. You can't barge in there alone, that's what he wants. I don't think that he will do anything to the rest of them until you arrive,” she said.

“How can you be so sure?” Harry asked.

Tonks smiled. “I'm an Auror, remember? I deal with wackos all the time.”

“She's probably right, Harry,” Lupin said. “We need a plan and the time to contact reinforcements. We should—”

The fireplace flared to life and they all turned to see Arthur Weasley's head in the fire. They could see the relief in his eyes as he saw Harry and Neville.

“Harry, Neville. Thank Merlin. I looked for you at the Ministry,” he said.

“We're fine,” Neville said.

“Do you have any news, Arthur?” Moody asked.

Mr. Weasley's face fell, as he looked at Harry. “Unfortunately I do,” he said.

His head suddenly whipped around to look at something behind him.

“Hang on, we're under attack, I'm sending someone through,” he said and he disappeared. They waited anxious seconds before the fireplace flashed again and someone tumbled out.

“Luna!” Harry gasped as he jumped up and helped her to her feet.

Harry was so excited to see her, because it meant Ron and Hermione would follow…wouldn't it? He looked towards the fireplace, expecting to see one of them pop through next.

“They're not coming,” she said quietly.

Harry turned and could see she was extremely upset. She looked so small and frail, which seemed so different from the beautiful girl that had emerged whenever Ron was around. As he thought this, an image flashed through his mind of a mousy looking Tonks, when she was upset about Remus, and his heart sank. He knew something had happened. He could feel his fear crushing his chest, waiting to rip his heart out. He sat down heavily at the table, cradling his head in his hands.

“Tell me,” he said.

“He has them at Hogwarts,” she started, “In chains.”

Harry's head shot up and Luna could see the pain in his eyes.

“Has he…has he hurt them?” Harry asked as his nightmares came to the surface.

Luna didn't answer right away. It had been hard enough telling the Weasleys that their son was dying slowly, and perhaps painfully.

“Wait a minute!” Harry said. “How did you escape? Were you with the others? Who saw you leave? Obviously someone did, since there was an attack on the Burrow. How many Death Eaters were there? Did you see how many students were left? Who—”

“Harry, please!” Luna cried, putting her hands over her ears.

Harry watched as Luna shook her head, her eyes closed. She took a deep breath and looked at him with sad eyes.

“I didn't escape, I was sent here by…him.”

“Voldemort?” Harry said, and Luna nodded.

“He is demanding that you return immediately, and alone. If you don't…Ron…Ron will die,” she said.

“Typical,” snorted Tonks. “Threaten to kill someone you're close to.”

“This is different,” Luna said. “He made him drink poison, so if Harry doesn't come soon, Ron will die. He said he would give him the antidote if Harry is quick enough.”

There was silence in the kitchen as everyone let the words sink in.

“Poor bugger's done for,” Moody muttered quietly.

Remus kicked him.

“I'm really sorry, Harry,” Lupin said.

“What for?” Harry asked.

“I know Ron was a good friend,” he said.

“Was? He's not dead yet. I'll get the antidote.”

“Harry, you can't go rushing in there, remember?” Moody said.

“Why not?” Harry asked. The only thing he could think about was saving Ron.

The Fireplace flared to life and Mrs. Weasley stepped out. She looked at Harry briefly before turning away, but it was long enough for him to see the accusation in her eyes.

“Right then, shall we have a spot of tea?” she said as she bustled around the stove. “Arthur's on his way. He just wanted to contact Bill, Charlie, and the twins, to tell them about…well, update them on our situation.”

Harry could see her hands shaking as she filled the pot, and Tonks went and put an arm around her shoulder. Harry felt sick. It was his fault that the children of his `adopted' family were in danger. He had to save them, all of them. He stared at the fireplace waiting for Mr. Weasley, as Hermione's voice sounded in his head reminding him of his `saving people' thing. Usually it just annoyed him and he pushed it aside, but this time the sound of her voice hurt, and he rubbed his chest to try to make it go away.

He had worried about loving Hermione and the pain associated with the chance of losing her, but this…this was unbearable. Not only was she in trouble, but he could lose Ron as well. The hopelessness and despair began to overwhelm him, and he cradled his head in his hands again as it washed over him in waves. In the recesses of his own mind, he could feel Voldemort's glee.

“Stop it,” he muttered as he fisted his hair and focused on closing down his barriers. He could hear Voldemort laughing at him as he did so.

Arthur arrived in the fireplace, and Harry felt some relief in his appearance. He looked haggard, but Harry could see the fire burning in his eyes. He went to Molly and gave her a quick squeeze.

“Bill and Fleur are on their way here, the twins are staying in Hogsmeade for now to watch the castle. Charlie had already heard about the attack on the Ministry, and is on his way as well.”

“We need to gather as many people as possible, make a strong attack,” Moody said.

“Are you forgetting about Ron?” Harry said as he stood up.

Moody sighed, and came over to stand in front of Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I'm sorry to be so blunt, lad, but he's as good as dead,”

Molly suddenly rushed from the kitchen, and Harry could hear her broken hearted sobbing all the way up the stairs. Luna ran after her.

Harry pushed Moody's hand off his shoulder.

“If you tell me one more time that Ron is a casualty of war, I will poke your other eye out,” Harry said. “As long as he is alive, I will do whatever it takes to keep him that way. If it means I go in alone, then so be it.”

“Harry, you can't go in alone,” Lupin said. “We need a plan.”

“I think I have a plan, but Voldemort needs to see me come in alone,” Harry said, and he explained his idea.

An hour later he was upstairs looking for Mrs. Weasley and Luna. He found them in the sitting room, Mrs. Weasley staring at the old writing desk. Luna left as Harry approached Mrs. Weasley, and after a moment's hesitation, he sat down beside her. She glanced sideways at him before looking at the desk again.

“When that Boggart became Ginny two summers ago,” she began, “it knocked me for a loop. Then as it cycled through Ron, the twins, Arthur, and even you, I realized how precious my family is to me, and how I would do anything to protect them, and why I was so against any of you being a part of this war.”

She wiped a tear as it rolled down her cheek.

“You know, Harry,” Mrs. Weasley said, “A parent's worst fear is losing a child. We would sacrifice our own lives to save them.”

“Like my parents did,” Harry said quietly. “The power he knows not.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded, and they were both silent for a moment.

“I'm sorry Ron got mixed up in all of this,” Harry said. “I honestly didn't want him to be a part of this. Imagine my surprise when he was attacked in one of the safest places I know.”

Mrs. Weasley smiled sadly.

“ He would always be there for you and Hermione,” she said. “He wouldn't have wanted it any other way,”

“I'll bring him home, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry said. “I promise.”

Mrs. Weasley patted his knee. “I know you will, dear. I know you will.”

Luna was waiting outside the door when Harry left. She cocked her head and looked at him with her big blue eyes.

“You will keep your promise, won't you?” she said.

“I hope to,” Harry said.

Luna looked at him again, like she was observing an experiment.

“Everything will be fine, you know,” she said as they moved down the hall.

Harry sighed. “I certainly hope you're right,” he said.

Luna took hold of Harry's hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I'm glad you're my friend,” she said before releasing it and carrying on down the hall. Harry watched her go.

“Me too,” he said quietly. “Me too.”

Harry entered his room and found Neville sitting on Ron's bed. Harry rummaged through his bag and found his cloak. He tossed it to Neville, who caught it and put it in his bag.

“You'll have to put that on before we leave the twins' shop. Fred said that he hadn't seen any Death Eaters in town, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Find McGonagall. She's the one who will be able to drop the wards on the castle.”

Neville nodded and stood up.

Harry took a deep breath. “Ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Neville said. “Lets do this.”

They arrived in the kitchen to find Tonks, Remus, Moody and Mr. Weasley waiting for them.

“Everything's set, Harry,” Mr. Weasley said. “The twins are expecting you and they report that they have some more of the bombs you were looking for. My assistant, Perkins, is meeting up with Tonks at the safe house and they are going to collect all the Hogwarts' badges. We have the group ready to go in Hogsmeade, and the second group will meet at the safe house.”

Lupin came over and put his hands on Harry's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?” he asked.

“What choice do I have?” Harry replied. “He's forced the issue.”

“Remember, constant vigilance. Don't let your guard down,” Moody said.

“Be careful, Harry,” Tonks said as she gave him a quick hug.

“I will,” Harry replied, as Neville grabbed his arm. Harry gave his badge a twist. “Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes,” he said.

They arrived in the back room, where the twins were waiting. Harry quickly explained his plan to them, and loaded Neville's backpack with some of the twins' gadgets. Finally, Harry pulled off the invisipouch with its hidden items. After a moment's hesitation, he handed it to Neville.

“Here,” he said. “I need you to keep this safe. In case something happens to me.”

“It won't,” Neville said.

Harry shrugged. If something does happen, I want you to give the pendant to Hermione.”

Neville nodded as he attached it to his belt.

“Gentlemen,” Fred said with a flourish as he threw his invisibility cloak over his shoulders. “Shall we get this party started?”

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A/N: Well, now that all the dust has settled, and Portkey is working again, I figure it is safe to add another chapter! So here you are, fresh from the computer, a new chapter for you to read. I will warn you now; you may not like the cliffhanger, NO! Don't scroll to the bottom! You have to read it! :D

I would like to take a moment to apologize to all those faithful readers who left me a review that I didn't answer. I lost over 40 reviews, and didn't get them back. If you leave a review for the past chapters, I will respond, I promise!

And now, on with the show!

Chapter 55

Harry Potter. How Nice Of You To Drop By

Harry walked along the darkened streets of Hogsmeade towards the castle. He could hear the rustle of the capes behind him, but he still felt incredibly alone. As he approached the gate, he could see figures in the shadows. He stopped in the middle of the road and waited until they recognized him. He could hear furious whispers and then the gate opened.

“Stay where you are!” someone called, and Harry thought it sounded like Crabbe.

Four figures came out, and in the dim light, Harry could see wands drawn.

“Good luck,” he heard Neville whisper as he brushed past him.

Harry wished he could say the same, but the sentries were close enough to him now that they might hear him. As the four came closer, Harry could see that it was indeed Crabbe and Goyle, with their two fathers.

“Are you alone?” Crabbe asked as he pointed his wand at Harry.

Harry crossed his arms in a show of annoyance.

“Can you see anyone else with me?” he asked.

Goyle punched Crabbe in the arm.

“Stop asking stupid questions,” he said.

“I was just following orders,” Crabbe said. “He said to make sure Potter was alone.”

Goyle rolled his eyes.

“Come on,” he said as he waved his wand at Harry. “Lets go. They're waiting for you.”

As Harry walked towards the castle with his guards, he worked on clearing all thoughts and emotions from his head. He knew what would be waiting for him, and he wanted to be as prepared as possible.

He walked up the front steps, and he suddenly felt like he was walking to his death. He stopped in front of the big doors and took a deep breath, which earned him a poke in the back.

“Get a move on,” grunted Crabbe's father.

Harry pushed the door open, and the sound of raucous laughter could be heard from the great hall.

Crabbe and Goyle were taking turns prodding him, and it took all of his restraint to not turn and hex them. They had forgotten about his wand, and he was hoping to keep it that way.

As they came through the doorway and began to walk towards the front of the hall, the laughter died down. Harry looked around for the first time, and stumbled to a stop at what he saw. He had just walked into his nightmare. He could see the cages, full of people, against the wall on the far side of the room, and as his eyes were involuntarily drawn to the front, he saw his friends for the first time. He felt his stomach lurch as his eyes roamed over each one. He could tell Ginny had been crying, and Ron seemed to be unconscious, but when his eyes fell upon Hermione, the great beast in him roared to life at the pain he saw in her eyes. He suddenly understood the sacrifice his father made for his mother. He was more than willing to sacrifice his life if it meant that Hermione would live.

He started towards them, when movement to their left caught his eye. Voldemort had been sitting at the table, and he rose as Harry stopped at the bottom of the dais.

“Harry Potter. How nice of you to drop by,” he said smoothly as a few people snickered.

Harry's four escorts had caught up to him, and Harry stepped back, whipped out his wand, grabbed Crabbe around the throat, and pointed his wand at his head. Crabbe struggled against him, eyes bulging, but all the training and hard work had made Harry stronger.

“Give Ron the antidote. Now,” he demanded.

Voldemort stared at him for a moment before moving to sit in his chair.

“Tsk, tsk. Such theatrics,” he said lazily.

Harry pointed his wand at Goyle.

“Stupefy!” he said, and Goyle collapsed.

Voldemort frowned in annoyance.

“The next time, I won't be so nice,” Harry said as he pointed his wand at Crabbe.

Voldemort sat and stared at Harry, studying him.

“Now, you see, Harry, I don't believe that you could actually do much more harm. You don't have it in you, and frankly, I don't care if you kill him. However,” he said with a lazy wave of his hand, “I did make a promise. Give the antidote, even if I think you are only delaying the inevitable.”

Harry watched as Snape forced the contents of a glass vial down Ron's throat, and he had to tamper down the desire to hex the potions master where he stood. Ron coughed and sputtered, and as he slowly lifted his head to look around, Harry relaxed in relief. As he let his guard down, Goyle senior grabbed his wand from behind and Crabbe pulled himself away. Harry mentally berated himself as he watched Goyle senior put his wand in Voldemort's hands. Voldemort held it up in front of him, and then snapped it in two.

“Oops,” he smirked as he dropped the pieces. “How clumsy of me.”

The Death Eaters laughed as Harry watched his trusted companion for the last seven years bounce on the floor, it's last few sparks sputtering weakly, and then dying.

Voldemort turned to Crabbe senior and frowned at him.

“Your son is useless,” he said.

“Sorry,” grunted Crabbe senior.

“I have no use for stupidity,” Voldemort said as he pointed his wand at Crabbe. “Avada Kedavra!”

Crabbe fell backwards, his face a death mask of shock.

“Avada Kedevra!” Voldemort said again as he pointed his wand at Crabbe senior, who died next to his son.

“You,” Voldemort said as he pointed his wand at a quivering Goyle senior, “have redeemed yourself, for now. Get your son out of my sight, and make sure he understands his friend's stupidity.”

Harry watched in amazement and shock as the bodies and the Goyles were removed from the room.

“And now,” Voldemort said as he caressed his wand, “we say farewell to Mr. Potter.”

“My…my Lord?” Pettigrew said as he stumbled forward.

Harry frowned. It had looked like he had been pushed, but when he looked to where he had been standing beside Snape, the potions teacher just glared at him.

Voldemort sighed impatiently and lowered his wand. “What is it Wormtail? Can't you see I'm busy?”

Pettigrew glanced quickly at Harry, and then bowed to the Dark Lord.

“Sorry…sorry. I just thought that, since your entertainment had been interrupted, and, well…Harry Potter has caused you a lot of trouble, perhaps he could…entertain you?”

Voldemort pondered this for a moment, tapping his cheek with his finger.

“Exactly what did you have in mind?” he asked.

Pettigrew glanced nervously at Snape.

“A dueling match, perhaps?” he squeaked.

“Really? Do you think you could beat him?” Voldemort asked, amused.

Pettigrew's eyes went wide.

“Me? No…no sir! We… I was thinking of another contender.”

“And who might that be?” Voldemort asked.

“Draco Malfoy,” he said quietly after a moment.

The Death Eaters erupted into laughter again until Voldemort cut them off with a wave of his hand. Draco, for his part, cast a glance at Snape, before patting his mother's hand in assurance.

`What's going on here?' Harry thought.

“And how are they going to duel? Poor Mr. Potter's wand is broken,” Voldemort asked.

“How about…swords, my Lord?” Pettigrew said.

“Hmm, intriguing. Set it up, Wormtail. We shall be entertained.”

Draco unhooked his robe and went to stand by Voldemort, his eyes on Harry.

Harry though, was watching Snape. He still didn't trust him, and almost expected to see a dagger for him verses a sword for Draco.

As Wormtail came running back with two rapiers, he tripped, and the swords clattered to the ground. Snape, who had been standing nearby, stooped to pick up a sword, and after running a hand down the blade, handed it to Draco.

“Do try to be careful,” Snape said as Wormtail scrambled to give the other sword to Harry.

“My Wizarding debt has been paid,” Pettigrew muttered under his breath as he handed the sword over.

Harry stared at him in confusion, but Pettigrew only bobbed his head and moved back. He looked at his sword, trying to figure a way out of this mess. When he looked up, Draco was staring at him.

“Scared, Potter?” he asked with a smirk. Draco began to swing the blade in a series of figure eights as he tested the heft and balance of the blade. He increased the speed until the sword sang through the air.

“Great,” Harry thought, “the Malfoys maintained a dueling tradition.” Harry held his sword up in front of him, as old memories came back. The last time the two of them faced off, they were dueling in front of the students of Hogwarts.

“You wish,” he replied.

Several minutes passed as the two wizards remained staring at each other, as if waiting for some proper, as yet unspoken signal. Harry spared a glance at the cages. The Death Eaters were being pulled away, curious about the impending fight. He needed to stall…

With incredible swiftness Draco lunged at him. In his surprise, Harry barely blocked the stab, riposting with a counter slash that Draco parried. The attack continued, and Harry parried again and again, using the opportunity to move around Draco. They continued to trade blows, the metal clanging ominously, with Harry backing away from the cages, pulling his audience with him. The jeers, laughter, and catcalls were becoming deafening, but Harry didn't care; it was hiding the activity going on behind the cages. He saw McGonagall disappear under the cloak, and then watched as the polyjuiced McGonagall stood up in the cage. It was only a matter of time now…

Draco took advantage of his momentary distraction to bring his sword over and down. Harry somehow managed to deflect the sweeping blow. In return, he slashed with such power that he turned in a complete circle.

“Looking for somewhere to run?” Draco taunted as he lashed out at Harry.

“As if I had a reason to run from you,” Harry said. “You're a Death Eater puppet. Just like your father.”

Draco flushed in anger and once again he lunged forward, feinting, and then slashing in a deadly downward arc with the sword. . Harry caught the stroke with his blade, but the power of Draco's attack forced the point of his rapier down. The blades rang as Draco's sword slid down his opponent's. Malfoy rolled his wrist as his sword dropped off the point of Harry's. With blinding speed he reversed the direction of his slash and cut Harry across his thigh. The Gryffindor looked down to see a rapidly growing blood stain on his robes. Draco smiled in triumph.

Harry blinked once, shook his head, and tried to clear his eyes, which had begun to water with the pain. Sweat beaded up on his forehead, and his eyelids fluttered again, his body suddenly feeling heavy.

“What's the matter, Potter?” Had enough?” Draco sneered, and the crowd laughed.

Harry held his sword in front of him, trying to focus on Draco. What was wrong with him? He vaguely wondered how much blood he could afford to lose.

He feigned an attack, then sidestepped and slashed at Draco. Draco parried the blade and lunged forward. Harry stepped aside in the nick of time, but Draco kept coming after him, making him stumble back. Draco caught him again on his arm, which caused him to lose his concentration once more. It was getting harder to focus, and Harry was having a difficult time making his body do what he wanted it to do. He took a wild swing at Draco, who just sidestepped, and ended up behind Harry, the sword held across his neck. He began to slowly apply pressure to Harry's windpipe. Harry gasped and tried to push his arm away, but with his strength failing, it was getting harder to do. He could hear the jeering laughter, running through the haze in his head, and above it all, Hermione's cries, begging them to stop.

Harry felt his heart lurch at the sound of her voice, and his eyes involuntarily sought her out. She was crying now, and Harry struggled, wanting to get to her, to ease her pain. Nothing else mattered.

“Hermione,” he whispered brokenly. He didn't want this to be the last thing he saw.

The blackness was closing in on him, and he collapsed to his knees. He could hear Draco's labored breathing behind him.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered into Harry's ear.

“I will never trust you,” Harry gasped.

“Well then, at least that will make this a whole lot easier,” Draco said. “Say goodbye, Potter.”

The sword slipped from Harry's hand to clatter to the floor as the last of his strength left him.

“Hermione,” Harry whispered again, as his eyes fluttered closed.

He couldn't breathe anymore, there was nothing left that he could do; his body had nothing left to give. The last thing he heard as he collapsed on the floor was a woman's scream, but it wasn't his mother's this time, it was Hermione's.

Draco stood over Harry's lifeless body, his heavy breathing the only sound in the room. Snape came forward and rolled the body over and checked for a pulse.

Snape swallowed hard before looking up. His eyes darted to Draco before settling on Voldemort's face.

“He's dead, my Lord,” he said.

-->

A/N: Sorry to make you wait so long. I wanted to tweak this chapter before sending it out. (I also had to wipe all the rotten tomatoes off my computer screen :P) Thanks to all of you for sticking with this story. It has been a labour of love. Once again, thanks to all of you who have been leaving a review! I appreciate your kind words and thoughts about my chapters. It's what keeps me going. I enjoy answering every one of them! Now, on to the next chapter! We haven't finished yet…

Trick or treat! JKR played a nasty trick on all of us Harmony lovers. Here's my treat, a chance to set it right!

Chapter 56

The Rising of a Hero

Previously:

Draco stood over Harry's lifeless body, his heavy breathing the only sound in the room. Snape came forward and rolled the body over and checked for a pulse.

Snape swallowed hard before looking up. His eyes darted to Draco before settling on Voldemort's face.

“He's dead, my Lord,” he said.

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

“MURDERER!” screamed Hermione as an uproar came from the students and teachers in the cages.

Draco spun around nervously as the accusations were thrown at him; this was not what he had expected. Too many people here saw Harry as the bloody hero. Didn't they understand the predicament he was in? He tried to get Ginny's attention, but she wouldn't even look at him, her eyes fixed on the body at his feet, a horrified look on her face.

He heard a voice above the noise. “Draco…”

He turned to see Voldemort looking down at him from the dais. The look on his face would have been enough to scare Greyback.

“You killed Harry Potter.”

Draco flinched. It sounded worse when someone said it out loud. He had refused to look at the body.

“My Lord—” he started.

“Crucio,” Voldemort said coolly.

Draco collapsed, the sword clattering to the ground beside him as fingers of fire danced through each nerve in his body. It felt like someone was trying to pull his bones out, one at a time. He screamed, and the sound of his pain reverberated through the hall, silencing everyone.

Then as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Draco lay still for a moment, breathing heavily. When he rolled over to look up, he saw his mother pleading on his behalf. Over the roar in his ears, he could hear her using the same tone of voice that she had often used with his father when she wanted something.

“Considering the animosity between the two families for the past few generations, I'm not surprised at what happened,” Mrs. Malfoy was saying.

“He still took away my fun,” Voldemort said, sounding a little bit like a spoiled child.

She laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him.

“You got to see him humiliated and beaten in front of his friends, and you saw him die. Surely that was satisfactory?”

Voldemort looked down and smiled at her.

“You are right, Narcissa, but I am still angry at your son.”

“Then let me take him out of your sight and I will deal with him. If you wish, I can take…the body, and have the house elves clean it up and make it more presentable for your announcement to the Wizarding World,” she leaned in closer. “It would send quite a strong message to the populace, don't you think?” she murmured.

Draco shook his head, trying to clear it. This couldn't be his mother standing up to the Dark Lord!

Voldemort patted her hand.

“This is why you will be such a great mother. Always thinking one step ahead.”

Narcissa nodded her head.

“May I borrow Severus? I prefer to not soil myself with such…filth.”

“Of course.” The Dark Lord acquiesced.

Snape levitated Harry's body out of the Hall to the cries of those in the cages. Narcissa went to her son and hauled him to his feet with a strength that surprised Draco.

“Time to go, Draco,” she said as she pulled him along none too gently.

“SILENCE!” Voldemort bellowed. “The next person to cry out, dies!”

The hall became silent.

“Self-preservation is wonderful, isn't it, Wormtail?” Voldemort smiled.

Draco staggered after his mother, trying to make sense of all he had seen. As they entered the Slytherin common room, he pulled out of her grip. Narcissa followed Snape to the couch.

“I don't have much time. How long?” she asked.

Snape checked the wounds and shook his head.

“I'm not certain. Draco slashed him twice, which meant that he got a double dose of the potion. One dose of the Draught of the Living Death is enough to put someone out for a while. A double dose…” he shrugged.

“You knew,” Draco accused his mother. “You knew and you didn't tell me.”

Both Snape and Narcissa turned to look at him.

“I didn't know the exact plan, Draco, but I am not stupid. Come and sit down before you fall down,” Narcissa said.

Draco made his way over to the chair and wearily sat down, putting his head in his hands. His body was still aching from earlier. He stole a glance at the figure lying on the couch. From this angle, it just looked like Harry was sleeping.

“Now what?” Draco asked. “I hide in here and hope the lynch mob doesn't find me?”

“Don't be so dramatic, Draco,” admonished his mother.

“I think that I have every right to complain, considering what I have been through,” Draco shot back. He was still angry at the fact that he had been kept in the dark.

“You seem to be forgetting that you are not the only one who has it difficult right now,” Narcissa said.

“If the two of you are finished…” Snape drawled.

Both of the Malfoys turned to look at him.

“Obviously we are not done yet. I will have to find a way to drop the wards around the castle. I am presuming that Potter wouldn't be stupid enough to come alone. I am sure that there are others waiting for some sort of a signal. You can explain to Mr. Potter what happened. I'm sure he would like a word with you.”

Draco scowled at him. “Thanks,” he said.

“Thank-you, Severus,” Narcissa said as she touched his arm.

Snape gave a curt nod.

“Remember to clear your mind before going back,” he said.

Draco's head snapped back up.

“You've been teaching her as well?” he asked.

“Of course,” his mother said. “I'm not that naive, Draco, I am fully aware of what is going on. How else could I prepare for this?”

She came over and kissed Draco on the forehead.

“Get some rest. We need to be ready for whatever is going to happen next.”

Draco watched his mother follow Snape out the door and shook his head. Here he had thought she was the weaker one and needed protection.

He had just leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes when he felt a wand poke him in the neck.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hex you right now,” Neville said.

Draco opened one eye and looked at him wearily.

“Because I'm too tired to fight you, and Potter is still alive. He just looks dead,” Draco said.

“Why should I believe you?” Neville said.

“What do I have to lose by lying?” Draco said.

Neville was silent for a moment.

What did you do to him?” Neville asked.

“Draught of the Living Death,” Draco replied. “It was on the blade.”

He opened one eye and looked at Neville, surprised by the amount of confidence and lack of fear the Gryffindor seemed to have.

“How did you get in?” Draco asked.

“I came in through the front door. Doesn't everybody?” Neville said sarcastically.

Draco snorted. “Lousy security,” he said.

Neville moved over to look at Harry, his wand still trained on Draco.

“Why?” Neville asked.

“Why what?” Deville sighed irritably, letting his hand drop down to his side.

“Why didn't you kill him? You had the chance,” Neville said.

“It's complicated,” Draco said as he shifted slightly.

“Try me.”

Draco sighed. He obviously wasn't going to get any rest, and he wasn't too sure how quick Neville had become. He might only get one chance…

“I was brought up to believe that Purebloods were the elite of the Wizarding population; that we didn't have to answer to anyone else,” he said. “Then the Dark Lord arrived, spouting his propaganda, and my father—” he closed his eyes and swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, “my father believed. He believed that the Dark Lord was the solution to all the problems of the Wizarding World. And since he believed, the family followed, it was either that, or becomes labeled.”

“As blood traitors,” Neville said, and Draco nodded.

“But as I got older, I started to question,” Draco said quietly, more to himself than to Neville. “My father refused to see the things I saw. I saw the Dark Lord for what he really was, and he didn't care who died on his way to gaining complete power. No one is safe, not even Purebloods.”

“You still didn't answer my question,” Neville said.

“Why?” Draco shrugged. “He's my ticket out of here, and now he owes me. You, on the other hand,” he shrugged, “are useless to me.”

Draco jumped up, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Neville, but to his surprise, he wasn't there. Draco spun, his eyes darting around the room trying to figure out where he had gone. He could not believe that he had disappeared.

“Come on Long…Neville, I wasn't serious,” Draco said, but he kept his wand drawn. He was suddenly feeling very nervous.

When he felt the pressure of wood on his skin, he froze, holding his breath. Draco could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck as the wand poked him harder in the neck. He hadn't expected this.

“When did you grow a backbone, Longbottom?” he said, trying to sound unaffected as he felt his wand being pulled from his hand.

Neville shrugged as he came to stand in front of him, his eyes blazing with anger.

“Perhaps it was one too many Death Eaters who came to visit my home and thought my family and I were irrelevant. It has a tendency to change your perspective on life. Maybe it's time for someone to pay for that?”

Draco swallowed nervously as he tried to think of a way out of this. The way things stood right now, he may end up being the one dead.

Just as he was thinking of throwing himself at Neville in a desperate last attack, he heard the cry of a phoenix. Both boys turned and looked. There was a flash, and a large fiery bird appeared in the room and flew over to land on Harry.

“Isn't that Dumbledore's bird?” Draco asked.

“No,” sighed Neville as he lowered his wand and moved back beside the couch.

Neville watched as Albion methodically dropped phoenix tears into each wound, and then finally onto Harry's lips. After a moment, Harry gasped, and slowly opened his eyes.

Neville smiled in relief. “Welcome back to the land of the living,” he said.

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

Hermione was in shock. Later, when she looked back, that was the only explanation that she could think of for her reaction to Harry's apparent death. She had always been so level headed, but this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. As soon as Snape had pronounced Harry dead, Hermione felt as though someone had ripped a huge hole in her heart. She heard someone screaming and realized later that it was her voice. She couldn't feel him; in fact she couldn't feel anything anymore. Even if she tried to think of him, the pain was so unbearable that her mind shut down to avoid it.

“Hermione?” the voice sounded so far away…

“Hermione?” she knew that voice, but it wasn't the one she wanted to hear.

“Hermione, please answer me.”

Hermione slowly lifted her head and looked at Ron with dull, lifeless eyes. She could see the pain in his face, but she didn't care. She didn't want to be the responsible one anymore.

“I know how much you loved him,” Ron said sadly.

Hermione closed her eyes and let her head drop. Her strength gone, she sagged against the wall; the pain of the manacles cutting her wrists was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

“NO!” her mind screamed. “No one will ever know how much I loved him!” She didn't want to think about that any more. It hurt too much.

Ron tried to get her attention again, but she ignored him and he finally gave up.

`It's better this way,' he thought.

The one person in her life that she lived for and fought for was gone. What was left for her? He doubted she could visualize any future; she was probably stuck, replaying the horror that had just happened. It would be easier just to shrink back into herself and shut out the world around her. That's what he would do if something happened to Luna…He vaguely wondered where she was, and hoped that she was staying safe.

`Just like Harry wanted Hermione to stay safe…' he thought sadly.

Ron watched warily as Hermione didn`t even react when Voldemort lifted her chin to look at her.

“Tsk. What a sad face,” he said mockingly. “What an interesting reaction to the death of someone who is just a friend. Unrequited love, perhaps?”

A titter went through the crowd of Death Eaters.

“This one is too weak,” Voldemort said as he let her head drop. “You will be much better suited,” he said to Ginny.

“For what?” she whispered.

Voldemort smiled, and to Ron, it looked slightly psychotic.

“Why to carry my child, of course. One that shall grow and be my very likeness, and with the power of this pendant,” he held up the red stone, “when the time is right, I shall take over his body. Immortality and youth, it will be mine forever.”

-->

A/N: Oh Harry, I did leave you in the lurch, didn't I? Here you are, in the middle of a life-altering battle, and I make you wait. Oh yes, my humblest apologies to the readers as well. It's days like these that I wish I had the millions of JKR, then I could spend more time on my writing. And now, without any further groveling, please enjoy the next chapter.

These characters are not mine, I am just trying to give them a little adventure.

Chapter 57

The Power of Amoura

Harry sat up slowly, letting his head clear as he did so.

“So…I know where I am,” he finally said, “but I'm not too sure how I got here. Shouldn't I be dead?”

Neville looked pointedly at Draco, and Draco flinched. He didn't like this new confident Neville.

“It was Snape's idea,” Draco finally sighed. “He put some of the Draught of the Living Death on the edge of the blade. He figured if Voldemort thought you were dead, he would be too busy celebrating and relax his guard a bit so we could drop the wards. Wormtail kept muttering something about owing you a debt so Snape convinced him that this would save your life,” Draco shrugged. “I just had to make sure I didn't get killed.”

“So what's in it for you?” Harry said.

Draco shrugged. “Self-preservation,” he said.

Harry stared at him, trying to see what Dumbledore had seen.

“Do you trust me?” Draco asked after a moment.

“No,” Harry said automatically.

Draco shrugged and stood up.

“Then why would I tell you all of my secrets?”

He headed for the door.

“When the time comes, Potter, don't screw up. My life depends on that now. If you do, I swear I will take you with me.”

After Draco left, Harry slowly stood up, testing to see how he felt. He was amazed that there seemed to be no side effects.

“Thank-you,” Harry said to Albion.

Albion gave him a little bow.

“Here, Harry,” Neville said as he held out the invisipouch.

Harry took the pouch and opened it. The first thing he saw was the box with the pendant. He carefully removed it, letting it spin on its chain.

`Harry, Where did you get that?' Albion asked.

Harry looked up at him.

“Department of Mysteries, in that room in front of Ollivander's apartment,” he replied.

`Amoura's pendant. I had forgotten about that,' Albion said. `Its been many years since I have seen it.'

“What's so special about it?” Harry asked. “I felt myself drawn to it, and Greyback took the copy I made.”

Albion chuckled. `We need to get into my…Minerva's office,' he said. `Then you'll understand.'

“What about Hermione?” Harry asked. “And the others?”

`They will be fine for the time being,' Albion said. `Come, we must hurry.'

“But…” Harry said.

Harry swore that if the bird had glasses, he would be looking at Harry over the rim.

`There are people there that will not allow them to be harmed. They will protect them.'

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better,” Harry muttered.

Albion sighed. `This is important, Harry, and it will help you defeat Voldemort.'

“So what's the plan?” Neville said after listening to the one-sided conversation.

“Albion wants us to go to McGonagall's office. He says there's something there to help us,” Harry said.

Harry and Neville followed Albion through the empty hallways, keeping alert for any solitary Death Eaters roaming the hallways.

“Seeking Snitches,” Harry whispered as they arrived at the entrance.

The stairway didn't move.

“Great,” muttered Harry, and he kicked at the gargoyle.

The stairway began to turn. The boys glanced at each other, and then the slowly rotating stairs. Someone was coming down.

“Hide!” Harry hissed as he dove down a side corridor. Neville followed, pulling out the cloak as he did so. It had just settled over them when Snape came into view. He looked extremely annoyed and stormed off down the hall without a sideways glance.

“Quick!” Harry said as soon as he was out of view.

The two of them made a dash for the stairs just as they began to close. They cautiously made their way up to the Headmistress' office, and were relieved to find the main room empty.

“I wonder what Snape was so angry about?” Harry said as he put the cloak away.

“Probably the wards,” Neville said. “He had made some comment about getting them dropped.

Albion chuckled. `He was never trusted that much,' he said.

Harry grinned. “Dumbledore didn't trust him enough,” he said.

“What are we looking for?” Neville asked.

`This way,' Albion said as he flew to the quarters behind McGonagall's desk.

Harry motioned to the bird, and the boys followed.

Albion landed on the desk and hopped up to the row of books.

`This one,' he said as he tapped at the book with his beak.

Harry pulled it out.

“The Magical Follies of the Keystone Cops?” he asked.

`Not one that many people would be interested in,' Albion said. `Open it.'

Harry opened the book to find it hollow, with a small key inside.

Albion hopped down on to the floor and over to the sofa.

`You will need to move this,' he said. `Its under the carpet, board number thirteen.'

“Help me, Neville,” Harry said.

The boys pushed the sofa out of the way and lifted the carpet. Harry counted thirteen boards and then pushed on it. It was spring loaded, and a small trap door popped up. Harry leaned down and saw a small lock on a secret compartment. After using the key, he carefully lifted the small door and saw several small books lined in a row.

`Take only the red book,' Albion said.

“Why?” Harry said as he reached for the small book.

`These books contain information that is far too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, and yet too valuable to destroy. They are there for when they are needed. Very few people know about them. You will have to keep that a secret,'

Harry put the small door back and returned the floorboard to its place without explaining to Neville. Once the sofa was back in place, Harry opened the book.

“It's a diary,” he said.

`And a very interesting read, but we don't have time for that at this moment. The information you need is at the end of the book.'

Harry flipped to the end and began to read out loud:

These past few months have become perhaps the saddest days of my life. My beloved husband has been killed, poisoned by a madman. I know he believes that with my husband gone, I will be wiling to wed him, but I know him for what he is: a snake. He hopes to use my powers to gain control of the Ministry, but I won't let him. I have found an ancient spell that will transfer my powers to another object or person.

In order for this spell to be successful, I have modified it from the original spell. I must stay pure of heart and faithful to my beloved. That way, if I am swayed, all that I have learned will be protected until someone of pure heart arrives and deserves to wield the power and burden I have created.

I shall hide my powers in the pendant my loving husband gave me. It only seems fair. Perhaps one day I will be able to take it back, but not until this evil has been destroyed.

Until then, I remain faithful,

Amoura.

Harry looked up as he finished reading and passed the diary to Neville.

`She was killed a few days later,' Albion said. `My Grandfather found the book and the pendant, and gave the pendant to the Ministry. They couldn't find the spell she used and so the necklace was sent to the Department of Mysteries. I came across the diary in my grandfather's possessions many years later, but I have to admit, the desire to find the spell never took high priority. I knew both the pendant and the diary were safe from Grindewald, and at the time, I didn't feel that the pendant should belong to me. I must admit, I wasn't sure I was pure enough.'

Harry raised an eyebrow at the phoenix. Sometimes he wondered what a younger Dumbledore had been like.

“I remember hearing about this from Gran,” Neville said. “I always thought it was just a bedtime story. Gran told me that Amoura was a natural witch. She learned every spell she read or saw as easily as learning to breathe.”

`Sounds like someone else I know,' Harry thought with a pang.

“She was also good at everything else she did. Potions, Transfiguration, Illumination…”

“What, she glowed?” Harry asked.

Neville gave him a funny look.

“No, she had a talent for Calligraphy. Here, look,” he said as he pointed to a page in her book.

Harry scanned the pages, his eyes catching the first letter on several pages. The designs were intricate, with painstaking detail.

“I'm glad we're not expected to do that,” Harry said.

Neville took the book back and flipped through several other pages.

“It was quite an art,” he said. “Sometimes there would be pictures or words hidden in the design.”

“Hang on, what did you say?” Harry said.

“That… they would…hide things,” Neville said as a sudden realization hit him.

He studied the pages in front of him, and a smile crossed his face as he went to the desk and pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. Harry followed.

“Here! Look at this! Here's a word, `vox,'”

“What's this?” Harry said, pointing to a small picture in the border.

“It looks like a knife, and a hand,” Neville said.

He flipped through a few pages, scribbling words on the parchment as he went.

“Here's what I found,” he finally said as he handed the parchment to Harry.

“Vox, servo, per diligo, ut putus, reverto,” Harry read.

“Power, protect, with love, the pure, return,” Albion said.

“Servo vox per diligo, Reverto vox ut putus,” Harry said after a moment.

“Impressive,” Neville said.

Harry smiled. “I had some help,” he said. “So what about the knife?”

“From the picture, I believe you have to cut your hand and place the pendant in the blood. To…to make sure you're pure, I guess,” Neville said. “And you have to use your wand just right. Like this,”

He swished his wand twice, did a double swirl and then a flick.

“While you say the incantation, of course.”

“So…if I do this, I could gain Amoura's powers?” Harry said.

“And all her knowledge, I think,” Neville said as he looked at the journal again.

“Will I still be me?” Harry asked. “Or will she take over?”

“I…I don't know,” Neville said.

“Albion?” Harry asked.

“Your powers and personality are strong, Harry, and from what I know about Amoura, she was a gentle being who very much believed in doing the right thing. It is your decision, but you will gain years of experience and power, enough to beat Voldemort. I wouldn't have suggested this if I didn't think you would be in danger.”

Harry looked at him skeptically.

“What do you think, Harry?” Neville asked.

Harry thought for a moment. All that power…

“If I am about to become the most powerful wizard alive, I want you to promise me something, Neville,” he said.

“Anything.”

“Don't let me become another Voldemort,” Harry said.

Neville smiled. “I think there are enough of us to prevent that,” he said.

“And perhaps we should keep this quiet as well,” Harry said. We don't want to scare the rest of the Wizarding population.”

He took a deep breath. “I'm ready.”

He took the pendant out, and found a letter opener in the desk. He quickly dragged the blade across his palm, wincing in pain as he did so. He watched as a thin line of blood appeared, and pressed the pendant into his palm, closing his fingers over the necklace. He pulled out his new wand, feeling its power, as it seemed to vibrate in his hand.

“Reverto vox ut putus,” Harry said as he waved his wand.

He slowly opened his hand to look at the gem. He could feel it becoming warm, and he held his breath in anticipation. The stone seemed to melt before his eyes, and was absorbed into his hand. Harry could feel the power as it began to move up his arm. It appeared to spread quickly, prickling under his flesh as it did so. It moved through his body, and Harry suddenly realized he couldn't move. His body was beginning to shudder from the onslaught, and Neville was looking at him worriedly. Harry was about to reassure him that he was fine, when movement behind his friend caught his eye and he felt his heart lurch.

“N…N…Neville,” he managed to gasp. “S…s..snake.”

Neville spin in time to see Nagini slithering towards him. He darted out into the main area, drawing the snake with him.

“G…g…go!” Harry said to Albion, who flew after Neville.

Harry could hear cries of alarm coming from the paintings as Neville and Albion attacked the snake. He winced inwardly as he heard the splintering of wood, and the tinkling of glass. He struggled against the power, trying to throw it off, but it seemed to be growing, and he felt his back arch under the onslaught. A roaring in his ears blocked out the sound of the fight, and Harry felt frustrated as he was cut off from the world around him.

`Hurry…' he thought as he tried to move.

`Patience,' he heard, and it felt like it came from inside his head.

`You have much power, why do you need more?' the voice said.

`To stop the evil trying to take over our world,' Harry thought.

`That is not your true goal,'

Harry stopped struggling.

`You have a deeper reason.'

“Yes,” Harry whispered as he closed his eyes.

He had thought he had locked it away, but obviously not well enough.

`Tell me, truthfully, or we may never meld. It's what is keeping me out.'

“Hermione,” Harry whispered, and his well built walls crumbled.

He had pushed all thoughts of her to the very dark corners of his mind. It was the only thing he could do to prevent him from rushing blindly back into the hall. The need was so strong that it ran through his body, and he felt Amoura's power react to it.

`Your love for her is strong.'

`I can't live without her,' Harry thought.

Harry noticed that he had stopped shaking and the prickling feeling seemed to be subsiding.

`Accept these powers, and use them wisely. I will not interfere.'

`I promise,' Harry thought as he felt his feet touch the floor.

Had he been floating?

His body relaxed, as the power seemed to center in his core and then slowly fade. Harry opened his eyes and looked at the pendant in his hand. It had returned to its original state, and the wound on his hand had completely healed. He took a deep breath and flexed his fingers. He didn't feel any different.

He heard a crash from McGonagall's office and rushed out to help. He arrived to see Nagini strike at Neville. Neville sidestepped and brought the sword up, severing the head from the body. Harry could see the body quiver for a moment, and then collapse. There was a horrible scream, and Voldemort's soul appeared over the corpse.

“Salvo Animus,” Harry called without thinking, and the soul fragment was surrounded by a blue haze and then slowly disappeared with a pop.

Neville stood, breathing heavily as he looked at the body of the snake.

“What…what was that?” he panted.

“A piece of Voldemort's soul,” Harry said. “That was an incredible display of swordsmanship,”

Neville blushed. “I've been working with Professor Lupin,” he muttered.

Harry looked around the wrecked office and grinned.

“You may have to work on your finesse,” he said.

Neville smiled and then turned towards the stairs. The smile fell from his face.

“Someone's coming,” he said.

Albion flew up from the staircase. “Minerva and Fred are on their way up,” he told Harry.

“It's Professor McGonagall,” Harry said.

Neville looked around the office. “I am so dead,” he said.

Harry turned and held out his hand. “Scourgify,” he thought as he swept his hand across the room.

In a flash, everything was back to normal, except for the dead snake, which was still on the floor.

Neville grinned in relief “You missed a spot.”

Harry shrugged. “Someone should see your handiwork,” he said as they went to meet the Headmistress.

-->

A/N: Okay, really? All those readers and only two responses? Yeah I know it's busy at this time of the year, but I really miss hearing from all of you! **sniff!** It will be a Christmas without reviews! I am so sad! (Peeks between fingers to see if it is working)

Okay, I guess it is better to give than receive, so here's another chapter, although I would like to hear from you! I hope everyone has a very Merry, Harry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year!

JK Rowling gave us the gift of this incredible world that she created, and I am happy to play in it, and even though I don't own the characters, I have enjoyed getting to know them so well!

Chapter 58

At the Crossroads

“Would the two of you please explain why you are in my office?” McGonagall said.

Harry looked at Neville, and gave him a slight shake of his head. Now was not the time to explain all of what had happened.

“We…uh…saw Snape coming out of the staircase, and so we thought we should come up to see if everything was okay,” Harry said.

McGonagall looked at him in disbelief, and folded her arms across her chest.

“And?”

“And…and…” Harry sighed. She always seemed to know when something else was going on.

“Albion wanted me to get something from his old sitting room.”

“Albion,” McGonagall said.

“Yes, Ma'am.”

McGonagall walked over to where the phoenix was sitting on the corner of the desk and looked him in the eye.

“And did you find what you were looking for?” she said quietly as she reached out to stroke the side of the bird's face.

Harry and Neville shared a glance, and Harry looked down at his hand as he flexed his fingers. He could feel her, almost like a warm mist surrounding his insides. He didn't feel afraid, and he could feel her curiosity and excitement as she poked and prodded through his mind.

“Yes, Ma'am,” Harry said.

“You can tell her that I miss her too,” Albion said.

“He…he said he misses you too,” Harry said quietly.

McGonagall stiffened and stepped back, and for a second, Harry could see how much she missed her old friend.

“Yes, well,” she said as she cleared her throat. “Now that we have that settled, would someone kindly explain to me why there is a dead snake bleeding on my floor?”

Neville and Harry looked at each other and grinned.

“This is…was, Voldemort's last Horcrux,” Harry explained. “Neville just disposed of it.”

Fred's eyes widened in shock. “I have never heard of a species of snake called a Horcrux. Looks more like a Basilisk,” he joked. “Voldemort's you say?”

Harry nodded and grinned at his friend.

“Well done, mate,” Fred said in awe.

Neville had the good grace to blush.

“Were there any problems with getting out of the Great Hall?” Harry asked. “I see you were successful in getting into the cage.”

Fred smiled. “Piece of cake,” he said with a snap of his fingers. “We just waited until one of those wankers slid out the door. We were a bit concerned when we saw Snape leave, didn't know where he would be off to, but he was back fairly quick. George is down there looking splendid as the Professor here, so we have a bit of time. That was quite a distraction you planned.”

“Yes, well, it wasn't quite what I had in mind,” Harry said.

“So how did you get Malfoy to go along with it? Hermione is quite upset, by the way,” Fred said. “She didn't look to good when we left.”

Harry felt a jolt go through his heart. She would expect the worst, since she saw the whole thing.

“I am so sorry, I'm coming for you,” He thought, and gently pushed it towards her. Maybe it would help.

“It wasn't what I planned,” he explained. “Snape had a hand in the whole thing.”

“Snape?” Fred asked in surprise. “So he's on our side?”

“Apparently,” Harry said. “Draco is just in it to save his arse.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Fred snorted.

“Well,” McGonagall said, “why don't I get those wards down, and we can go and meet your army. I think they have waited long enough.”

She disappeared upstairs, and Harry disposed of Nagini's body. He then shrunk the head and carefully placed it in the velvet bag that was in his invisipouch. When he finished, he found Neville poking around the edge of the room.

“What are you looking for?” Harry asked.

“My wand,” Neville said, shamefaced. “I dropped it while I was fighting with Nagini. That's why I had to use the sword.”

Harry laughed. “Some things never change.”

He pulled out his wand and gave it a flick. “Accio Neville's wand,” he thought.

The wand came shooting out from under the desk, and Harry caught it easily and passed it to Neville.

“Let's go, shall we?” McGonagall said as she came down.

“Albion, alert Lupin and the others,” Harry said as the phoenix took flight.

The four of them hurried down the stairs, Harry in the lead. Now the time was upon him, he was eager to get this over with. He no longer had the fear of dying, and all he could think about was Hermione.

They quickly made it down to the landing above the Great Hall, where all was quiet. Harry could see two sentries standing guard outside of the doors to the Great Hall. Harry sent a quick “Stupify,” spell at them and they toppled to the floor in a heap.

McGonagall looked at him in surprise.

“I'm impressed, Mr. Potter, I didn't know you could throw a spell that far.”

“Neither did I,” Harry said as he looked at his wand. It had felt so natural. He could almost hear Amoura laughing in his mind.

The small group quickly went down the stairs and opened the front door. Harry could feel the chill from the Dementors, and could see them circling the grounds. Several people Apparated close to the front of the school, and Harry could feel the difference in the air as the Dementors became aware of a new presence. Several of the Order shot their Patronis at the advancing Dementors, driving them back, while the rest made a run for the school.

“Hurry!” McGonagall called. “”The Dementors will not enter the school without a formal invitation,”

“Well, I'm not going to give them one,” Harry said.

He was relieved to see Lupin and Tonks arrive along side Luna. After a quick greeting, Harry turned to the rest of the army.

“You will not attack unless you are attacked first. Our first priority is to get the students and the teachers out of the cages in and to safety. I will keep Voldemort occupied. Don't take any unnecessary risks. We are going to end this, but I want to do it with as few losses as possible.”

He was ready. He turned and walked towards the doors of the Great Hall.

“Arrive in style, Harry, arrive in style,” Fred said with a wink.

Harry took a deep breath and felt Amoura's power surge through him, her excitement giving him strength. He raised his arms, flicked his wand and said “Alohomora!'

The double doors slammed open with such force that the walls shook. Harry moved into the now silent hall with the rest of the Order following behind. As he approached the dais, a very surprised Voldemort slowly stood up, and Harry could see him trying to figure out if he was seeing an illusion or not.

He realized that he must have really shocked the mass of people in the room. No one had moved, except for Draco, who was pulling his mother away from Voldemort. Everyone was waiting for the expected exchange.

Harry spared a quick glance at his friends chained to the wall and he could see the relief and surprise on Ron and Ginny's face. From Hermione though, he saw nothing. She hadn't even lifted her head as the group arrived, and his heart lurched at the sight of her. With a flick of his wand, the chains disappeared and the three friends collapsed to the floor. He moved towards them.

“This can't be,” he heard and stopped.

“Draco killed you, you were pronounced dead,” Voldemort said as he flicked a glance first at Snape, and then Draco. “How is it possible that you still live?”

Harry didn't answer.

“New wand?” he asked after a moment as he nodded in Harry's direction. “Or did you just borrow one?”

In response, Harry swung his wand wide, and the click of the locks could be heard throughout the hall.

“Tell me, Harry, have you been dabbling in the dark arts?” Voldemort asked.

“I don't need to,” Harry said. “I have something you will never understand.”

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ron and Ginny slowly crawled to Hermione's side.

“What? Love?

I.

DON'T

NEED

IT!” he spat and whirled to face Draco. “Crucio!”

Draco fell against his mother with a cry of pain.

“NO!” Narcissa cried as she held him, her body shaking from the affects of the spell. “Stop! Please! I beg of you!”

“He needs to be punished, Narcissa, for lying, and I am not too sure yet what your involvement is.” Voldemort said calmly, and to Harry, the look in his eyes reminded him of someone on the verge of losing control.

Voldemort brought his wand up again. “Something a little more permanent, I think, as a reminder. “Sectumsempra!”

There was a blur of black, and Draco and Narcissa were thrown to the side. Snape gave a gasp of pain as he was slashed across the chest and up the neck. He collapsed on the floor, clutching the side of his throat.

Voldemort frowned. “I should have known,” he said as he stood over the potions master. “You never truly gave yourself to me and my cause. You deserve to die at my feet like the slime that you are.”

Voldemort turned his back on him, walking away and leaving him to die. He stopped beside the table, and picked up the cup of tea that remained there, sipping it as he watched the man on the floor gasp for breath.

Harry was torn. He needed to get to Hermione, but he knew he could save Snape, the man he had hated for years. He looked over at Ron and Hermione one last time before moving to kneel beside Snape, who was gasping for breath as his life drained out of him. Snape looked at Harry in surprise as his hand was pulled away from his neck. Harry traced his wand over the deep wound, muttering the singsong counter spell that he suddenly seemed to know. He watched in amazement as the flow of blood seemed to slow and the skin around the wound began to knit.

As Harry stood and backed up, he caught Snape's eye and the look Snape gave him caused him to smile slightly. His teacher was both grateful and annoyed that Harry had just saved his life.

Voldemort hadn't move from his spot, except to hold up his hand to stop the Death Eaters from attacking. Harry could see a slight hint of curiosity under the anger on his face. If he could keep him unbalanced, he might be able to catch him with his guard down.

“You know, Tom,” he said. “If you keep trying to kill your minions, there won't be anyone left.”

One slanted eye twitched, and he threw the cup he was holding. It shattered, causing some of the nearby Death Eaters to flinch, but they did not move from their spots.

“You insolent little whelp,” Voldemort growled as he raised his wand.

“Oh, you can't try to kill me yet,” Harry said. “At least not until I have leveled the playing field. I have some presents for you.”

`Where did all of this confidence come from?' Voldemort thought, his movement stopping in mid-cast as curiosity took hold of him.

Harry reached into his invisipouch and pulled out the items he had been saving. He enlarged them, and one by one tossed them at Voldemort's feet. Harry glanced around the hall; it looked like the two sides were ready to pounce. He wondered why Voldemort hadn't given the signal to attack. He heard Voldemort chuckle and he turned to see him holding the cracked goblet.

“You were trying to rob me of my immortality? Was that Dumbledore's idea? The old fool,” he laughed. “You have so much to learn, it's a pity you won't be around long enough.”

“Don't be too sure,” Harry said and he threw the snakehead at the Dark Lord's feet. He saw a flash of anger cross Voldemort's face.

“My beloved pet,” he said, his voice cracking. He reached down and gently picked up the snakehead, cradling it to his chest.

“You have taken away something very dear to me,” he said angrily as he gently laid the head back down.

Harry braced himself for an attack.

“Do you think I would be foolish enough to rely on one method? I knew that separating my soul was risky. It's why I learned how to use other people's souls for my own benefit, and its why I have this pendant,” he said as he held the necklace up. “And once I receive the ability to move my soul to another body. I will create my own heir, and once the body is old enough, I will take over. I will never die. So you see Harry, I am quite invincible, and you are about to die.”

“I don't think so,” Harry said. “Finite Incantatem.”

The necklace reverted back to its original book form in Voldemort's hand, and for one split second, Harry saw fear in Voldemort's eyes, before they burned in fury.

“Avada Kedevra!” Voldemort screamed, pointing his wand at Harry, at the same time Harry dove to the side. The spell blew a chunk out of the wall as Harry rolled and came to his feet again.

All hell broke loose. A roar went up as the Death Eaters attacked and the members of the Order responded in kind. Voldemort turned and pointed his wand at the ceiling about Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

“Everto!”

Harry gasped as the ceiling crumbled and began to fall towards them.

“Protego!” he called as he sprinted to their side, casting a bubble of protection around them.

He could feel the weight of the rocks and mortar as it bounced against the shield and around them, but his eyes were fixed on the brown ones now looking at him. The avalanche of rocks stopped, and Harry let the spell drop. Without a word, he helped Hermione to her feet. She gingerly reached out to touch his face to see if he was truly alive.

“I must be dreaming,” she whispered. “Either that, or I died. I heard you say that you were coming to get me.”

Harry smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

This was what it was all about. He held her tightly as he deepened the kiss, assuring her that he was really there, letting the magical current run through him and over to her. It didn't matter that there was a battle going on around them, right now all that mattered was showing Hermione how much he loved her. He could almost see Amoura watching with a content smile on her face, and he gently pushed her away. He wanted this moment for just him and Hermione,

“I love you,” he whispered to her in between quick kisses. “I can't believe I almost lost you.”

“I thought I lost you forever,” Hermione said brokenly. The pain was still too raw. “I can't live without you. Don't you ever do that to me again.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Harry said, as he leaned in to kiss her again.

“Uh, Harry?”

There was a tap on his shoulder.

“I hate to cut this short, mate, but we have a problem,” Ron said.

Harry turned in time to see Voldemort escaping out of the Great Hall. He looked back at Hermione, and could see the fire in her eyes again.

“Fine, let's go,” she said as she stepped back, brushing the dust off her clothes and standing up straighter. “But we are far from finished, Mr. Potter.”

Harry grinned at her, wondering what that future conversation would be about.

Any idea as to where your wands are?” Harry asked.

“Bellatrix has them,” Ron said.

Harry could see him hiding a smirk that said he was dying to tell Harry how whipped he was. He scowled at him, before turning away.

They scanned the battle from behind the pile of rubble.

“There,” Ron said, pointing to a small skirmish near the now empty cages.

Harry cursed under his breath. He didn't want Voldemort to get away. It had to end tonight. He suddenly got an idea. He pointed his wand straight through the hole in the roof.

“Tribuo mihi vicis pugno,” Harry could feel the ward dropping back over the school.

What was that?” Ron asked.

“Turning the tables and giving me time to fight,” Harry said.

With the new ward in place, Voldemort wouldn't be able to go anywhere in a hurry.

“Ginny, Ron, head around to the right, Neville's there. Let him know what's going on. Hermione,” he held out his hand. Hermione intertwined her fingers in his and Harry felt strengthened by the warmth of her hand in his. He lifted it to kiss her knuckles. “I need you with me,” he said quietly.

Hermione smiled at him, as an understanding flashed between them.

“There isn't anywhere else I would rather be,” she said.

The four friends separated, and Harry led Hermione around the outside of the battle. He dropped a few unsuspecting Death Eaters as he went, and tried to help out where he could. He heard Hagrid roar and saw several bodies go flying. He was glad that the normally gentle giant was on their side. A large explosion sounded from outside, and Harry could feel the castle shudder. The cry of voices and the sounds of spells could be heard from all around him, and for a brief moment, he feared for all of their lives.

Bellatrix, her wild hair flying, cackled with laughter as she shot another spell at the group hiding behind tables in the corner. Harry could see a bag hanging from her waist, and figured that's where the wands were.

“Accio bag,” he said, and as the bag detached itself, Harry flicked his wand again. “Retournez propera,” he said, and the bag opened and several wands made their way back to their original owners.

As soon as Bellatrix felt the bag being removed, she spun to see who was challenging her.

“Expelliarmus!' he cried.

Bellatrix dove to the side, and the spell hit Rudolphus, sending him flying back into the wall. There was a crunch, and he slid down the wall, coming to rest with his head at a funny angle.

“NOOOO!” Bellatrix screamed as she ran to his side.

Harry grabbed Hermione, and they turned to the doors into the front hallway. They had only made it a few steps when Harry felt a sharp pain on the back of his leg. He went down, and grabbed his calf. It was covered with blood. He looked up to see a very crazed looking Bellatrix stalking towards them.

“YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!” she screamed as she raised her wand again.

Hermione stepped in front of Harry as he tried to get up, her wand raised.

“EXPELLIARMUS!” Neville hollered, and Bellatrix went crashing into the tables before collapsing on the ground, her wand flying off towards the back of the room.

“That felt rather satisfying,” he said as he came up to Harry and Hermione.

“Thanks, Neville,” Harry said as he leaned on Hermione.

“How bad is it?” she asked, trying to get a look.

Harry shook his head. “It's okay,” he said evasively.

His leg felt like it was on fire, but he couldn't focus enough to heal it. He tried to send out a call to Amoura, but she seemed to be preoccupied by the fighting. It was almost like having a distracted, excited child running around in his head. He was having a hard time trying to stay focused on `being Harry' and not letting her take over completely.

“You'd better go,” Ron said as he came forward. “We'll cover you.”

“Thanks,” Harry said as he turned towards the door.

He took one step and stopped, as he realized what Ron was doing.

“Ron!” he called, turning back.

Ron came back, a worried look on his face.

“I just wanted to say… you know, thanks.”

“What for?” Ron asked.

“For being the best friend a mate could have,” Harry said.

Ron had the good grace to blush. “You can tell me more about it over a drink when this is all done,” he said as he slapped his friend on the shoulder. “Now go, before my attempt at heroics is shot.”

“Come on,” Harry said to Hermione as he limped towards the door, attempting to ignore the pain. “We've got an evil wizard to catch.”

-->

A/N: Greetings faithful readers! I am a bit late getting this chapter out, because when I first looked at it when I finished writing it, it was too short! There were too many gaps in it, and I was not happy with it. Needless to say, I did a re-write, and once my lovely Beta read it for me and approved it, I felt a lot happier. So this is the longer, more detailed chapter, I hope you enjoy it. (Always got to give the reader what they want!)

The events in the story are mine; the characters are hers. Isn't it nice that we found a place where we can all get along? (or at least not be sued for trying to set things right!)

Chapter 59

Secrets Revealed

Ron watched his two best friends disappear out the door and sighed. He was so torn. He wanted to go with them, and yet, he knew Luna was here somewhere. He had caught a glimpse of her earlier, and it was eating at him that he hadn't been able to connect with her. He scanned the room again, but couldn't see her. He quickly crouched down beside Neville and Ginny as a spell was cast his way. He could see Ginny scanning the room as well.

“Who are you looking for?” he asked.

“No one,” she said quickly.

Ron heard a startled cry over the sounds of the battle and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Luna!” he cried as he jumped up, only to be pulled down again by Ginny.

Ron yanked his arm out of her grip and peered over the table.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Ginny hissed.

Ron ignored her.

“Neville, cover me,” Ron said as he crawled towards the end of the table and crouched, ready to spring.

“Ron!” Ginny called as he took off at a run towards the wall. She caught up to him half way down the room and shoved him against the wall.

“What do you think you're doing?” she yelled at him.

Ron glared at her.

“Luna means more to me than anything else in the world, and I'm not going to hide behind some table while she's in trouble. So you can either get out of my way, or come with me,” Ron said.

The gargoyle candleholder exploded above them at the same time as they were pushed violently to the ground. They both covered their heads as the stone rained around them. As the dust settled, they turned, coughing, to look back at the pile of rubble that was covering the place they had stood. They could see someone buried under what was left of the gargoyle and part of the wall: someone with platinum blonde hair.

“Draco!” Ginny cried as she scrambled forward and tried to move the pieces away. She didn't even think about using her wand.

“Help me Ron!” she called.

“Why? It's only Malfoy,” Ron answered as he brushed the dust off of himself.

Ginny turned and glared at him.

“If you don't help me right now, so help me, I'll hex your—”

“Okay! Okay!” Ron said as he pulled his wand out.

“Don't use magic! You'll draw attention to us!” Ginny cried, stopping him. She was afraid that someone would try and bring the whole ceiling down on them.

He sighed heavily, tucked his wand away and began pulling at some of the stones.

“I don't know why you'd even care about him,” he grumbled.

“Because he just saved your arse,” Ginny said.

“So? He's a Death Eater.”

“And secondly…he's the one I…I've been getting my information from,” she said quietly.

Ron stopped dead and looked at her incredulously.

“Malfoy?” he said. “You've been meeting Malfoy? He's a Death Eater!” he exclaimed. “Not only that, he can't be trusted! He uses people for his own benefit, and thinks that he is better than everyone one else just because he is a pureblood! Don't you remember how he used to strut around the school bragging about how wonderful he was, trying to pick up girls, and…and…” he stopped when he saw the flush creeping on to Ginny's cheeks.

“Oh no, please tell me he didn't,” he said. “That you didn't…”

Ginny didn't answer as she tugged on one of the larger pieces.

“I'm gonna kill him,” Ron growled.

“No, you won't,” Ginny said defiantly.

“Give me one good reason not to,” Ron said as he roughly pushed the rock away.

“Because…if you do, I will make your life a living hell, even if you are in Azkaban.”

Ron glared at his sister for a moment before going back to work.

“Maybe I'll just hex his bits off,” he muttered.

“Ron!”

“Ginny?” Draco groaned from under the rubble.

Ginny grabbed his hand as she pushed another chunk away.

“I'm here, Draco, hang on. We'll get you out.”

Draco coughed and winced in pain.

“Something's definitely broken,” he said, and coughed again as he spit up blood.

“Don't talk,” Ginny said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Ginny…the other day...what was said…you know it wasn't true,”

Ginny smiled and squeezed his hand. “I know,” she whispered.

“Oh buggar, you two are making me sick! That's it, I'm leaving him there,” Ron growled.

“Ron, how do you think mum would react if she knew you skipped classes the other day to check out the broom closet with Luna?” Ginny asked, narrowing her eyes at her brother.

“How did you...You wouldn't,” Ron said.

“Try me,” Ginny threatened.

Ron's eyes slid to where Draco was feebly trying to move the rocks before collapsing back on the floor, his face a mask of pain. He looked back at his sister, who was standing watching him, and the fear was plain in her eyes. Ron rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. He knew he couldn't desert her when she needed him, even if it was to help a Malfoy.

“Fine,” Ron huffed and pulled out his wand. “But I'm not wasting any more energy on him. Nobody will notice a little magic here with all this fighting going on. Wingardium Leviosa,” he said, and the last of the larger pieces floated up.

Ginny pulled the protesting Slytherin clear of the rubble before it crashed back down.

“Here,” Ron said as he tossed Ginny a Hogwarts pin. “Take him to the infirmary before I put him there permanently.”

“I'd like to see you try,” Draco coughed as he tried to get up.

“Oh I wouldn't have to try very hard,” Ron said. “I have absolutely no objections to taking out the slime ball that touched my sister. Someone like you doesn't deserve to have anything to do with Ginny. You are filth of the worst kind, and I'm only doing this to help her, not you.”

“How someone like her managed to have a brother as moronic as you is beyond me,” Draco muttered angrily sneering at his adversary, but the words had cut at him deeply.

Ginny glared at Draco and gently pushed him back down.

“The two of you can finish your petty fighting later,” she said before Ron could retaliate.

Ginny twisted the pin and called for the infirmary, and taking hold of Draco, a lot tighter than Ron would have liked, they disappeared.

Ron sat there for a moment, trying to digest the recent turn of events. He could not figure out how the two of them could even have anything in common. Fraternizing with the enemy! How could she do such a thing? They were definitely going to have a chat when this was all over. A Malfoy and a Weasley? Oh, his mum would have a fit. A spell whizzed past his head, and Ron dove for cover. When he came up and scanned the room again, he noticed that there were a lot fewer spells being traded back and forth. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. He finally managed to scramble back to the rubble on the dais, and hop over to the other side, only to find Luna sitting serenely amongst the rocks, with two bound and gagged Death Eaters.

“Luna?” Ron said as he looked between her and the angry wizard and witch at her feet.

“Oh, hello, Ronald. I knew you'd come,” she said. “I didn't like these two, they weren't very nice when they found me in the library.”

Ron shook his head. This serene, blonde haired angel constantly amazed him. His heart swelled at the thought of how lucky he was to have her in his life, and for a brief second, he wondered if Ginny felt the same way about Draco. He shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now.

“You're incredible,” he said as he sat down beside her and put his arm around her, while the battle raged on around them. For one short moment, he forgot about the fighting around them. He gave Luna a quick kiss before turning to see where they could help the others.

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

Harry stopped just outside the Great Hall and looked around. Voldemort was nowhere to be found in the main hall. The front door had been damaged; there were large splinters of wood everywhere. They could hear sounds of the battle outside, and the roar of giants could be heard off in the distance. A spell shot past the two of them, and they rolled to the right, ducking behind a pile of rubble. Harry slowly looked up to see a small group of Death Eaters sitting on the stairs, blowing holes in the side of the castle and laughing with glee as the pieces came tumbling down on to the statues below. They had already destroyed the counters for the houses; there were jewels all over the floor.

“Hey! Come and play with us,” one of them called as the others cackled.

He threw a spell at the pile of rubble in front of where Harry and Hermione were crouched, and Harry quickly put up a shield making the spell bounce away harmlessly. Without thinking, he flicked his wand four times in quick succession, and the small group of Death Eaters collapsed where they sat. He looked down at his wand and sent a silent thanks to Amoura before sitting down on the floor again, exhausted. He was finding it hard to keep focused while he could feel all of these changes happening inside him. He winced as he felt a sharp pain radiate up his leg, but he didn't have the energy to do anything about it. He looked up to see Hermione looking at his suspiciously.

“You've changed,” she said looking in his eyes. “Something's different. What's going on?”

Harry sighed. He should have known that someone as smart as Hermione would notice the change right away. He knew she wasn't going to be happy about him bonding with Amoura. The words “risky” and “dangerous” came to mind as he tried to figure out how he was going to explain this to her.

“Well, um…I have some new powers, had them given to me, I guess, but it's okay, really,” he said as he saw the skepticism on her face.

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“If I tell you the whole story, you have to be willing to listen with an open mind,” Harry said. “You have to trust me,” he said gently as he took her hand in his.

“I always trust you, haven't you figured it out yet? I just get annoyed when I find out that you have done something risky and dangerous,” she said.

Harry smiled at her before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. He then proceeded to give her a quick explanation of his and Neville's adventures at the Ministry, the revelation about Draco, the subsequent battle with Nagini, and his connection with Amoura.

“I'm still me, but I can feel her powers mixing with mine. I can do things that I couldn't do before, without thinking. It's a bit unnerving, but I'm starting to get used to it. I find it really tiring though, and I think it's because I'm not used to how much energy I'm having to use to control both Amoura's and my magic,” Harry said.

Hermione looked at him closely. “Is she…is she in there? I mean, is she aware of what is happening right now?”

Harry felt Amoura laugh, and he smiled. “Yes,” he said, “and she says that she thinks you are lovely.”

Hermione sat back and blinked in surprise. She wasn't too sure how she felt about this.

“She also said not to worry, she won't be interfering with affairs of the heart, and,” Harry's cheeks went red. “She said she wouldn't watch.”

Hermione let out a snort of laughter. “I'm glad to see she has a sense of humour. I guess we will need it if she is going to be along for the ride,”

“She won't have to worry about that for long,” Harry heard in his head.

“Wait, what?' he thought, but Amoura said no more.

Harry turned to see Hermione looking at him, and he shook his head. He had put her through so much, and now he just informed her that another woman was sharing his body.

Great.

Suddenly the war didn't seem as important anymore. All he wanted was to make everything all right for Hermione.

“I'm so sorry for what you had to go through,” Harry said quietly.

“I heard your voice, you know,” Hermione said. “You said `I'm coming for you.' It was like you were whispering in my ear. I thought that it meant that I was about to die. I wanted to die, if you weren't going to be here. I'm so sorry that I lost my faith in you,” she finished in a whisper as a lone tear fell down her cheek.

Harry pulled her into a hug, “Considering the position you were in, I can understand that,” Harry said. “That whole thing is over now, and I'm not planning on going anywhere for a very long time,” he said.

“That's good,” she said as she slowly pulled away, brushing away the tears and looked over the pile of rubble. “So let's go end this thing, shall we?”

Harry got up cautiously, his wand drawn, and slid along the wall towards the open front door, while Hermione followed behind, watching for any further attacks. He looked out towards the dark courtyard, and could see silhouettes illuminated by spells as they flashed back and forth. It was impossible to recognize who was who.

“He could be anywhere,” Hermione said. “It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Harry got an idea.

“Come on,” he said as he grabbed Hermione's hand. He pulled her back into the castle and up the stairs, limping as he went. By the time he hit the second staircase he had slowed down considerably, and Hermione was continually voicing her concern. Harry chose to ignore her, focusing on just making it up the next staircase. They finally made it to the portrait hole where Harry stopped.

“Wait,” he said as he leaned against the wall. “Accio Marauders map,” he called from the doorway.

The map flew to Harry's hand from the boy's dormitory.

“I solemnly swear I'm up to no good,” he said as he opened the map. As lines and names appeared they scanned the map together, looking for the Dark Lord.

“Looks like Ron found Luna,” Hermione said, tapping the Great Hall.

“Yeah, and look who's in the infirmary,” Harry growled. “It had better be him that's injured.”

“Are you sure you're okay?” Hermione said. “You're still favoring your left leg.”

“I'm fine,” Harry said, ignoring her concern by focusing on the map.

“There,” he said, pointing to the moving dot. “It looks like he is coming down from the Astronomy tower.”

It was the same tower that Dumbledore had fallen from, and Harry felt a lurch in his stomach as he watched Voldemort move.

“What's this black smudge?” Hermione asked.

“I don't know,” Harry said, trying to brush it away. “It's following him down the hall.”

“Should we head for that corridor? Try to ambush him there?”

Harry shook his head. “We don't know what that is,” he said pointing to the smudge. “He's probably figured out that he can't apparate out from the tower, so I bet he's heading back towards the Great Hall. He might be trying to escape out the front door.”

He winced as he put weight on his injured leg.

“I don't like the looks of that,” Hermione said pointing to the map, but she was looking at Harry's leg at the same time.

“I'll deal with it in a minute,” Harry said, putting her off. “We need to figure out the best place to attack from.”

“We would be better off downstairs where it is more open. Lets use your Hogwarts pin,” Hermione said. “We can confront him in the foyer.”

Harry staggered a bit as they appeared back downstairs at the foot of the staircase, and Hermione looked at him in concern. He briefly thought about finding a quiet place to finish his internal discussion with Amoura and take the time to heal himself, but they were running out of time. There was an explosion somewhere in the castle, and Harry hoped that no one had lost his or her life in that one. Somehow, he knew he was wrong. Harry sighed. There was so much information being shoved into his brain right now from Amoura that he was having a hard time focusing. He felt like someone was trying to give him all the answers to a big test, but in this case, there was more at stake than pass or fail.

“Isn't there an easier way?” he thought.

Everything in his head went quiet for a moment.

“No,” she replied before the flurry of information started up again. “You need to relax and accept what you are receiving. I am doing this as fast as I can. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to be going into war while I was gifting my powers to someone. I had expected to have some quiet time, so that I could get to know my successor.”

“My apologies,” Harry muttered, as Hermione looked at him questioningly.

Harry shook his head. Now was not the time to get into discussions between his girlfriend and the spirit living inside his body. He sighed as he wondered if this whole thing could get any stranger. Amoura laughed, and Harry briefly thought that he was glad she had a sense of humour.

Hermione slid her hand into his, and Harry turned to see her smiling at him.

“I love you,” she whispered. “Never forget that,”

“I know,” Harry said smiling at her.

“Then let me heal your leg for you,” Hermione said. “You have enough on your mind.”

Harry sighed in defeat. “Okay,” he said smiling. “But let me pay you first.”

Harry cupped her face and kissed her, savoring the softness of her lips against his. He took some of the magic from his core and directed it very gently towards Hermione. He wanted her to feel how much he loved her, because the words were not enough. Deep inside he could feel Amoura sigh contentedly.

“Isn't this just sickeningly sweet?”

Harry pulled himself away from Hermione and realized that it had become incredibly chilly. He looked up to see Voldemort standing on the stairs, dark shapes floating behind him. It was enough to make Harry's blood run cold, and block out all the sounds of the battle around him. Voldemort had invited the Dementors into the castle.

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