Title: "The last Task"
Author name: karenkate_kitty
Author email: karenkate_kitty@yahoo.com
Category: Romance
Subcategory: General
Summary: Harry's 7th and last year at Hogwarts will he finally defeat Voldemort? Will he be able to profess his feelings to her at last? And will Draco fall for a Redhead Gryffindor?
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I don't own anything just the plot of the story…
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[n/a]: There will be more chapters to this one. I just hope I'm doing okay in establishing anything but come to think of it the plot will come out popping just you wait! Can't really say when I'll start with the next chapter but hopefully I'll have time. Have fun.
Chapter 1: Felt so Twisted Inside
It's Harry, Ron and Hermione's last year at Hogwarts, the last of their most unforgettable years in school. No unnecessary distractions in going back to Hogwarts unlike in their second year when Ron and Harry had to fly a Ford Anglia to get to school and on their third year when he ran off from the Dursley's because he blew up his Aunt Marge. This Year was rather different. Although Harry had gone to so many difficult and death defying challenges in the past couple of years because of Voldemort of course who was still lurking about free but was driven to hiding because for the nth time he was defeated but had not been destroyed by the Boy Who Lived yet.
Harry woke up in his small room at the Dursley's home in # 4 Privet Drive. He's very excited because today was his trip back to Hogwarts. He met with his friends Ron and Hermione at the Diagon Alley a month ago to buy their things for school. He wasn't able to stay with Ron and his family in the Burrow that summer because Professor Dumbledore suggested that it would be safer for him to stay with the Dursley and he would have better protection with Arabella Figg just close by. Harry needed to be alone anyways, he'd been through a lot and even though he misses his friends he wanted to be with himself to think and sort the thoughts that had been bugging him for quite a while.
The Death of Cedric Diggory, which he occasionally remembered and blamed himself for happening. If only he had taken the triwizard cup by himself he could have spared Diggory's life and had not caused too much pain for Cho. She had graduated from Hogwarts and moved back to the East trying to forget what had happened. Harry couldn't stop blaming himself for Cho's misery but she assured him that it wasn't his fault.
Harry hurried down to the kitchen to make the Dursley's their breakfast. When he finished he went back to his room to avoid bumping into them, he knew that his uncle Vernon would call for him or rather yell at him if they needed anything for him to do. He sat by his bed looking at his pictures. Six years had passed and as he turned the pages of his magical photo album he saw how he and his friends grew through the years. Ron taller than ever but still kept his very funny childish ways. `He's my best friend indeed but why do I feel indifferent when he's with Hermione, ' he told himself. Ron was rather exceptional when it came to wizard's chess. He and Hermione are the closest people to Harry except for Sirius his godfather of course, who had manage to look after him even while the man was in hiding and Dumbledore, Hogwarts' Head Master. Now his godfather had been found innocent because Peter Pettigrew was believed to be a live and was still serving the dark Lord. He saw a picture of himself and his godfather as Padfoot. Sirius was Animagus and so were Harry, Ron and Hermione. They learned to turn themselves into animals on their fifth year on one of their challenges facing the dark lord. Harry could turn himself into an eagle, Ron into a gray cat while Hermione a snow-white fox.
Hermione, one of his best friends had been quite a revelation for him. He spent the later part of his fifth year summer break at her house. Harry's stay at her house made him see the joys of being muggle, not the kind of feeling he had about muggles when he's with the Dursley's. Hermione had grown to be a very beautiful young woman that even he couldn't deny seeing her differently those past few days before he left Hogwarts. Her long brown hair didn't look as bushy as it used to, her front teeth were just perfect after Madame Pompfrey shrank them because of an enlarging incident with Malfoy on their fourth year. Hermione captivated everyone's attention when she arrived at the Yule Ball on that same year with Viktor Krum the young man whom everyone considered the youngest player in professional Quidditch. Harry was busy fancying Cho Chang at that time but he couldn't help but notice Hermione as well.
Even for the speculations that any moment there would be war in the Wizarding world because of the alleged activities of some underground Death-eaters. Harry had other things in his mind. He really never had any chance to think for himself. He should have been allowed to stay with his godfather but they had to keep him safe and living as a muggle gave him a better chance of protection.
Those weren't the things running through his head though. He thought of his friends and how last year made him rethink so many things about them. A few months before their Summer Holiday on their sixth year Ron had finally asked Hermione out. His two best friends were actually dating. He didn't know how to react to the situation. He was happy for them but something deep inside him was aching. He felt so twisted inside. He and Hermione were both prefects and thus gave them a lot of time together. Those days as he remembered them were priceless moments. He loved Ron as a brother, like a sibling that he never had. Hermione on the other hand was something else.
Those days on their sixth year he felt so guilty about his hidden grudges for Ron, when he saw his two best friends together. `They seem so happy,' he told himself, `but I have a strange feeling that I want to be in Ron shoes'. He thought of how lucky Ron really was and he was most of the time too thick and insecure to see how fortunate he really was. Ron still had his parents with him and the rest of his six siblings. He doesn't have to face death every year and the possibility of not returning alive after facing Voldemort. He doesn't have to live with some sorry-excuse-for-relatives every summer, like the Dursleys. Ron may not have the money that Harry had in Gringotts but at least he hadn't lost his parents at a very young age. And the best thing that Ron had that Harry would have wanted even in exchange of all the fame and money that he had, was the love of Hermione. It took him his whole sixth year and his summer Holiday to actually figure out the awkward feelings he had. He was happy when the three of them were together but his happiness when he was with her was immeasurable.
He continued looking at the pictures. A smile showed in his face as a picture of him and Hermione in their fifth year Prefect Ceremony. They were just standing beside each other but he couldn't stop himself from thinking that he was at those times given all the opportunity to be close to her. Hermione was very caring and was always concerned about him. He remembered the time she told McGonagall about his new broom. His Firebolt had to be broken down into bits and pieces just to be tested from being jinxed. He smiled at the thought that she was always worried about him. It's not like he really wanted her to be vexed and all but he realized how flattering it was to have someone make a big fuss out of him not because he was popular or he's the boy who lived. She cared simply because he was Harry.
He was flipping through his album when he heard Hedwig fly through his window. She was carrying a parcel and some letters. The parcel was from Hogwarts and so was one letter. The other was from Hermione. He felt his heart go through a summersault. He opened the letter from Hogwarts first then the Parcel. The letter read:
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to be Head boy, after a most thorough deliberation of the school governors and faculty. You are the best preference amongst all the other male prefects from different houses. Your heroic acts from the past six years and your exemplary academic performance except from a few troubles with Potions were considered. You are to be acknowledged before the Sorting Ceremony with Head girl Hermione Granger. With this letter is a parcel containing your Head boy Handbook and Badge. You will proceed to the Head boy and Head girl Train Car. You are to take a private carriage with the Head Girl to the castle.
Mr. Potter I am hoping that you will be able to balance your time as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain as well as your late father did.
Our congratulations to you Mr. Harry Potter may you give justice to your title as Head boy. I apologize for the late announcement.
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Head Mistress
Harry opened the Parcel and held out his badge and handbook. He smiled not because he was made head boy but because he was to spend more time with Hermione. He placed the parcel and opened letter inside his trunk and he proceeded in opening Hermione's letter.
Dear Harry,
I don't know how to begin my letter to you. I want to congratulate you for being head boy. It was really no surprise for me because you have the making of a true head boy. I just hope you won't lead the house point deduction this year. I should be very happy about my being head girl but at the moment I'm still uncertain about my relationship with Ron, he owled me the other day and actually broke up with me. I don't know how I should act towards him. I'm relieved that I wouldn't have to share a car with him during the train ride. I'm glad I'll be riding with you I just don't know how to face him now. I'm sorry I had to drag you into our problem. I hope you had a great summer. Well, I really shouldn't have said that because the Dursleys are probably giving you a hard time. See you in Kings Cross.
With Love,
Hermione
He couldn't believe it. Hermione and Ron had broken up and Ron initiated it. `You shouldn't be happy about the news,' he reminded himself. He looked at his watch and it was 5 passed 8 he needs to pack for his trip to Kings Cross. His uncle Vernon was driving him to the train station. After the whole school prefect news in his fifth year he was cut a little slack. But it's not like he was treated like a regular boy. He was more likely treated less inhumane than before. He packed his trunk and got ready for his trip. The Dursleys must be up already because he heard discussions in the kitchen. `Will I tell them that I'm head boy', he asked himself. He placed Hedwig in her cage and got all his things ready. He went down to see the Dursleys.
"Uncle Vernon," he said as he went into the kitchen door, "I have to tell you something," he continued.
"What is it now? Another favor? It's bad enough that I'm driving you to that train station", his uncle barked.
"I was made head boy", Harry said as he stared on the floor.
"Really? Now what kind of institution would make you that?" Dudley smirked.
"Dudley dear you know that Harry is of a different kind so they are placed in with different and very low standards," Petunia retorted.
Harry didn't say anything. There was no point in arguing with them. After all he was actually staying there for the last time. Yes, that brightened up his day.
"Go, put your bloody things inside the trunk of the car. We'll be living in five minutes," Vernon commanded.
Harry went up and got his things. He placed all his things in the trunk and Hedwig's cage inside the car. He waited for his uncle as he thought of the possible turn of events. Hermione and Ron weren't together anymore. He was made head boy and he'll be spending more time with her as possible. `What about Ron?' he thought, `how will I act towards him? The last time he wrote to me was on my birthday and haven't heard from him since.' Now he was troubled. Ron had been his best friend why was he moving away from Harry as well.
To be continued……