Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters, those familiar even Lisa. Before this story, I wrote another one related to this one called "Lives of Poignant" and I just want you to know that you don't have to read that one first to understand this one. (Also to anyone who did read that one, this is if they never met Pred.)

Since this story ranges from the ages 17-22 I will try to make it as short as possible, though still have all the needed information and humor, and small storylines. Yes, this isn't just a romance, it has story lines and they'll have to do a lot of research and figure out things. So humor, mystery and action will be in this story. Well, enjoy.

WHAT STRENGTHENS YOU

Chapter 1: First Attack

Near end 7th year

*Love, Ron, is something you seem you will never understand and I have to say that's pitiful... What right did she have saying that?* Ron thought as Harry and he walked up to Divination. Ron was pretty sure that he did understand *love*. Anyways, what was to understand? You really like someone and you think they're hot? Maybe there was more depth to it-

"Ron, are you still thinking about what Hermione had said?" Harry asked tiredly.

"No." Ron lied.

"Look, she just said it because she didn't think you understood the situation." Harry said.

"The situation? What that Draco Malfoy is going to spend the rest of his life with some crazy Ravenclaw named Lisa Turpin? They've been together for two years, half of it their engagement. No, you can't just go through a couple of months falling in love like that."

"You don't know that." Harry said, his eyes glinting.

**

Hermione carried her books to her next class and saw Lisa come up to her.

"Hermione hi, whoo." Lisa said catching her breath. "Are we late?"

"We got about a minute." Hermione said. They walked, taking a shortcut to their next class, and saw in the window Seamus and Lavender sitting at their usual bench, talking, smiling, kissing.

"Isn't that cute? So much love in the air." Lisa said, as she looked at her hand, staring at the golf ball sized diamond ring on her finger. "So many people question mine."

"People think it's odd that Malfoy-"

"Draco."

"Draco... that he fell in love with you." Hermione said.

"I know." Lisa said. "When I think about it...sometimes I laugh at night at how we found each other...How, out of all people I could fall in love with, did I fall for a supposedly malicious, rude, Slytherin- but I never wondered if I was doing the right thing." Hermione smiled with her. "It's all real. All of this is real."

At that moment there was a flash of green light.

"What was that?" Hermione asked. She looked at the window. Seamus and Lavender were lying on the ground by the bench. "Oh- My-" Hermione said and they quickly rushed outside to Lavender and Seamus. She put her finger to their necks.

"Are they dead?" Lisa said, but soon dropped her books as someone in dark robes put a hand on her mouth.

Hermione screamed and saw Neville walking past. "Neville!" Neville looked at them and fright overcame his face. "Neville get help! Get Harry and Ron-" Neville took one look at Lisa and dropped his books and ran. Hermione crawled under the bench, and tried to find her wand.

"*Ruducto*!" Someone bellowed. The bench broke and Hermione ducked and covered her head as the pieces fell on her.



**

Ron looked at Harry when they heard pounding steps and panting. Ron and Harry frowned as they looked around. Empty. Then Neville Longbottom came rushing to them.

"Harry- Ron-"

"What Neville, what?" Harry asked.

"You- You Know Who- here..."

"Who is You?" Ron asked.

"Voldemort." Harry said promptly. He started running and Ron followed, Neville close behind.

"Where is he?" Harry asked.

"Seamus and Lavender's bench- this way..."

Ron was confused. What was happening? The Dark Lord here- now? How could he?

Malfoy was talking silently to Crabbe and Goyle when they passed him and quickly grabbed hold of Neville.

"What is going-"

"Hermione- Lisa- in trouble." Neville said and started running again, Malfoy following.

Harry and Ron stopped at a large window. Men in dark robes were holding Hermione and Lisa. Ron looked down by the benches. Seamus and Lavender lay on the floor.

"Oh- God." Ron said. Harry and Malfoy ran to the door and out and quickly searched their pockets for wands, Ron doing the same when a bright blue light flashed and Ron fell onto grass.

Feeling lightheaded, Ron looked up and saw Harry on the ground beside him. Harry turned his head and they looked at each other.

"ROOON!"

Ron looked up and saw Hermione being tied to a tall pole. Lisa was already tied beside her.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled back and got up but was immediately pushed on the ground by a tall hooded man. "Hey!"

"Sorry." The sea green eyed man said, slightly sarcastically.

Malfoy ran to Lisa and started to find the ropes when some of the hooded men pushed him away, pointing their wands.

Harry had gotten up and quickly pointed his wand. "Bring us back to the castle."

"You demand bravely, but that is not an option."

Ron turned around and saw Voldemort in black robes arriving, his entrance catching everyone's eyes. Voldemort smiled politely.

Ron stood by Harry. "What do you reckon we do?"

"We wait and see what he has to say." Harry whispered back to Ron. Neville stood. He looked straight into Voldemort's cold eyes. His body shook with anger.

"Mr. Longbottom, is it not?" Voldemort said pointing to Neville. "So pleased to meet you face to face."

Neville narrowed his eyes. Ron had to admire the way he didn't stand with fear.

"Why don't you leave us alone?! Why don't you go attack somebody else?!" Neville squealed.

"I'm afraid I can't, my dear boy." Voldemort replied and then looked at Harry. "I want what's mine."

Ron saw Harry's eyes narrowed. Small accidents and hints have been going through the school the last year. The fear of Voldemort attacking once more was on everyone's lips, trying to hide it or not. Some of the creatures they were studying went wild in their cages; they knew that something was coming. Mail in dark envelopes were hidden around the castle, each bearing words of The Dark Lords return.

Cornelius Fudge shook fearfully in his office of Dark Lord attack. People who weren't in school seeked safety in their own homes- or places out of the country. People like Lucius Malfoy went about their jobs and housework without signs of fear. And their children strode about the schools as if these were the best days of their lives. Except, Draco Malfoy of course.

"What do you want from Lisa?!" Malfoy exclaimed, still lying on the ground.

"She's just here for the show." Voldemort grinned, walking toward them. "Maybe I'll kill her, she's not one of my supporters."

"Don't you lay a finger." Malfoy exclaimed getting up.

Voldemort grin faded. He walked up to Malfoy and brushed his shoulders off, and fixed his hair. "Don't ruin your life, son." Voldemort walked away and Malfoy stood there motionless except for his lips, which moved slowly, but Ron couldn't hear what he was saying.

"It has been a long time since I had the power to change the lives of you all. This moment is not to finish you off, Harry, I know there are simple ways you can escape." Voldemort looked off into the distance behind them. It was then when Ron turned around and saw the castle in the distance, resting peacefully. "I am only here to show you what kind of power I bring."

Voldemort pointed at Ron and Malfoy and quickly his supporters grabbed hold of them and started to tie them against poles by their legs and neck. They put up a good fight, but there were too many. Ron was next to Hermione and Malfoy on Lisa's side. A supporter tried dragging Neville, but Neville released and went right up to Voldemort and started poking his wand around.

"You can get out of here and leave us! I'm sick and tired of being scared! I'm sick and tired of being scared of your name, VOLDEMORT, and dreaming of the pain my parent's pain! I've had enough, I'm not going to stand around while you hurt more of my loved ones!" Neville's face showed no hint of fear, only determination and anger. That was a grand moment.

Neville was about to yell out a spell when Voldemort grabbed his wand and turned him over and held his head. Neville and Voldemort were facing them, Voldemort now holding Neville's head, and somehow making him still against his body.

"You see here?! Bravery can come in all shapes and sizes! Poor boy, fear and anger had come over him- his moment of courage, will not last." Then in a quick moment Voldemort grabbed Neville's face tighter and turned it sharply. Hermione and Lisa screamed as they hear the crack and Neville fell onto the ground. "If the boy were smarter, he'd know never to interrupt Lord Voldemort."

"You dirty, evil-" Harry looked at Voldemort with the most dangerous eyes, as the supporters tied him into a chair.

"Let me show you, what is dirty and evil." Voldemort said as one of his supporters handed him a bag and placed a table in front of him. Voldemort opened the bag and got out a plate and crystal ball. Voldemort set the plate down and the crystal ball on it. Ropes from the plate shot out and tied around the ball, making it stay still.

"No!" Hermione yelled. Ron looked at her and she whispered to him, "He just has to spill ingredients on it and it'll set of explosives!"

"Where are the explosives?" Ron asked. Hermione bit her lip and looked at the castle. Her eyes went wide. Ron followed her gaze. "No, no he can't!"

"I can." Voldemort said. "You see, there are about 100 large balls hidden in the castle that will explode the moment I finish the procedure. Anyone left alive there, will be dead, so it best they start to run."

Ron looked back at Hermione. Hermione looked at him sadly. "People are dead." She said.

"I know."

"He'll kill us!" Hermione whispered loudly.

Ron nodded. "He won't."

Hermione looked down, tears forming.

Ron leaded as close as possible. "How can we stop Voldemort's doing?" Ron asked.

"Break those wires maybe." Hermione said in between sniffs.

"Hermione, Hermione it's ok, don't cry, we'll get out." Ron said and reached his hand as far as possible and stroked her cheek. She smiled then both of them froze. Ron stretched farther and could easily grab the ropes the trussed Hermione onto the pull. They looked at each other. "Maybe I have something sharp."

Hermione looked at Voldemort who continued with his speech and Harry jerked in his chair. Then she turned to Ron and bent over stuffing her hand in his nearest front pocket. Ron looked around, the supporters seemed to be occupied by Malfoy who was jerking hard and kicking. Finally Hermione released and in her hand was a pocketknife.

"Doesn't this belong to Harry?" Hermione asked.

"C'mon, just give it to me." Ron said taking it. He bent over, opened it and started cutting the rope that was tying Hermione's hands to the pole.

"Let me show you the powers this rare beautiful thing can do." Voldemort said as two of his supporters came to his side. One supporter grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and dropped it over the ball. The ball shined brilliantly. "Earth- to give power to this sphere, so that it can give power to those who use it. Me." Voldemort smiled as the other supporter lit a match and burned the strings. "Fire- to give brilliance and life, and to give it more exploding power."

Hermione watched as Harry wriggled helplessly. There was nothing he could do. Hermione felt a sting of pain. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, I accidentally cut your hand." Ron said, looking at it bleed. "Just keep going!" Hermione said. Ron did.

"Finally- my blood-" Voldemort grabbed a long shiny knife and cut his hand. He smiled and held it to Harry. "So that I can have the sphere's power, and use it over and over again." Voldemort dipped his finger in a cup of black liquid and smudged it on his neck. "Need a place to store all that power."

Ron finished cutting. "There Hermione!"

Hermione quickly went down and untied her legs and kicked any supporters who got in her way.

Quickly Voldemort placed the bloody hand over the sphere and it shined even brighter.

Hermione ran, her right hand bleeding and finally with that hand touched the sphere and she ripped two of the ropes and fell to the ground.

"No!" Voldemort said, but at that moment there was a large explosion. Everyone looked over by the castle. It looked like just an explosion near the top. Everyone was still as the fire burned, a third of the castle gone. Sparks of colors were mixed in the fire; some of the secret and magical rooms were bare and destroyed. "You!"

Hermione felt stinging pain in her hand, different from just the blood. She held up her hand to shield herself but when Voldemort was about to swing when he stopped and noticed Hermione's hand.

"Blood." Voldemort said quietly. The supporter with Sea green eyes looked at her hand and handed the cup of black contents to Voldemort. Voldemort rolled up the sleeve on Hermione's left arm and drew the dark mark with its contents.

"No! No!" Hermione said, but was into too much pain. When he finished, the pain seemed to swim and place itself on the mark.

"We- will meet again." Voldemort said and then stood. "My servants! Let us go, we have done enough damage-"

"But Harry, sir-"

"Let us go!" Voldemort repeated and his supporters gathered up their things. Voldemort looked at Harry. "I will be seeing you soon." Voldemort flashed a look at Hermione and dissaparated, as well as the dark hooded men.

Hermione fell to the ground, so tired. Ron got himself released and fell to the ground next to her. "Hermione- Hermione..."

"Ron! Help!" Harry said.

Ron looked at Hermione then released Harry. He went back to the ground as Harry released Malfoy and Lisa.

With his finger, Ron stroked Hermione's hair. "Can you walk?"

Hermione breathed and shook her head slightly. Ron put his arms up and carried her, Her head almost drooping off his arm. "Harry- we have to go..." Ron looked at the fire, which burned dangerously.

Harry looked at the castle. Malfoy, supporting Lisa, was walking already. Harry looked at Neville and carried him the same way Ron was carrying Hermione. "His Gram's might want to-"

Ron nodded. They looked at the castle, as it burned and walked down the many hills toward it.

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

Sorry that kind of blew up in your guy's faces, the immediate attack, but there may be more. Sorry I didn't explain much of what led to Voldemorts attack, but it doesn't matter. To see the part where Hermione tells Ron that love thing go to the first chapt of Lives of Poignant. Anyways, chapters will probably be shorter then this. You'll see, if you decide to keep checking up on this story! Thanx 4 reading and reviewing if you do.