An Unknown World
Chapter One
The summer before the Golden Trio's last year at Hogwarts was filled with excitement or so to speak. Harry had recently found a fifth horcrux. He'd realized it was a likely candidate after he heard the story, but the finding of Gryffindor's Rose was not one to come by easily.
June 20th was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's anniversary and Mr. Weasley presented Molly with a red rose that he had wisped out of nowhere. Molly was infatuated with the simple yet outrageously beautiful flower, and kept mumbling something along the lines of 'just like old times.' Eventually the children had to ask what she was talking about. Molly had been too embarrassed and giddy to tell the story so Arthur sat at the kitchen table and told the story to the 'littl'uns.' He explained how in the late sixties the first war was just starting to get heated and they had planned on getting married around that time, of course this was without knowing the future circumstances. He said they had only told a few select people about the engagement, so eloping seemed like a plausible choice to him. It didn't matter that their parents would be furious… when had it ever mattered? He said he hadn't discussed it with Molly at all, and he needed a way to bring it up in a chivalric, yet nonchalant way – after all his Molly was not one for taking the easy way out. This would have to be as romantic as the huge wedding they had talked about. He had proposed at their graduation feast and later the two had taken a walk through the graduating gift to the generations to come – a rose garden. Little did anyone know what was actually hiding there. Arthur explained that Molly was ecstatic at the sight of the garden and couldn't stay by his side for more than a second as she had to smell every single flower in her presence. While he walked around, watching his fiancée, he told the kids that a certain flower caught his eye. It was magnificent. It looked as though it was made of glass, but when touched it underwent the feeling of pure velvet. He decided that he would save the precious blossom, and give it to his fiancée on their wedding day. Then when he thought about eloping, he decided it would be the perfect thing to give her to enhance the whole romance thing. It worked – as everyone could see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were perfectly in love, and they had the children to prove it. Arthur told them that Molly was somewhat opposed to eloping at first until Mr. Weasley proposed to her a second time with the perfect rose. Then she melted – figuratively speaking of course, but she was putty in his hands. The two were excited beyond control, but it had to end sometime. They just didn't expect it would end before the actual wedding. The day before they had decided to leave, they received a surprising visit from their former headmaster, Dumbledore. It was a very strange visit, and it ended with the headmaster taking the rose from Molly's hands, leaving her in a bit of a state. The two still eloped; the event just happened to have lost a tiny bit of the magic it had started out with.
After Harry heard the story he realized that Dumbledore had to have taken the rose for a reason, and that possibly it was to destroy the item. But then he realized that Dumbledore had never talked of a rose. It was a long shot, but it was completely possible.
After researching magical roses for over a week, Harry finally found an article about the Gryffindor Rose. It had disappeared. Why it was found in the class gift was beyond Harry or anyone in the Weasley family. But then the question of why Dumbledore didn't destroy it immediately arose. Harry had to find a way to get a hold of the rose, and he believed that it would be somewhere inside the school, most likely in the headmaster's office. It then appeared to him that he was allowed on campus. He was a seventh year, and seventh years were allowed an extended time in the school during the summer to do research for their upcoming N.E.W.T exams. It was perfect. Hermione had been badgering him about the exams for the past year and now was his chance. She wanted to take the boys into school and do research for about a week. That gave him enough time to look about the school and possibly Dumbledore's office – all he needed was a way to get inside.
The week after Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's anniversary Harry, Hermione, and Ron apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and traveled to the big oak doors. They were locked. It was not to their surprise as these times had given people the fear to take extra precaution. They knocked and heard the massive echo from inside. Eventually Headmistress McGonagall opened the doors and greeted the three students whom she had grown to love over the years. Hermione insisted they begin studying straight away, but eventually Harry needed a break. He told his two friends that he would be back after getting some food. The truth was he would be taking a trip to the Headmaster's old office. When he finally guessed the right password, he knocked on the office door. McGonagall was inside to his misfortune. When he entered it was exactly the same as Dumbledore had left it, at least since the last time Harry was in his office. He walked in and looked about, only to find a portrait with the name of his late Headmaster on the frame. It was empty and when McGonagall found him staring at it, she said "don't worry he'll be back later." Harry was astounded by the thought of talking to a dead man, but didn't question the fact that it could possibly help him.
She asked him if there was anything she could assist him with, but when he stuttered about looking about the office for the rose, she turned him down almost instantly. The two fought and argued over how it could help the light side win the war, but McGonagall's consistent reply of it being "completely out of order, and highly unethical," was a hard one to beat. It wasn't until they were told to quiet down, that they actually stopped their bickering. McGonagall was a bit annoyed with their intruder, but Harry couldn't believe his ears. He turned around and found Albus Dumbledore sitting in his portrait. Harry stood dead still and gaped at the "man" sitting in front of him.
"It's okay Harry." Harry didn't know what to say. He'd been around talking portraits for the past seven years; he just never imagined he'd be talking to Dumbledore through one. "Come here. Tell me, what seems to be the problem?"
"The boy wants to look around your office for a rose."
Dumbledore's face lit up. "A rose?"
"I told him it was out of the question. Students just can't go prancing about the office as they please. Am I right? Albus? Why do you have that face on?"
"Face? What face?" The previous headmaster asked with his sly smile.
"The face that says 'Minerva you're wrong.'"
"Well I'm sorry if it comes off to you like that. It's just this rose subject has gotten me in a bind. By all means it is inappropriate for a student to search my, or should I say your office, but this seems to be of special circumstances."
"Headmaster, you can't be serious." She couldn't believe he would disagree with her on this matter, but when he didn't reply, she knew he was right. She had the authority to still say no, but she knew that if Dumbledore thought it was right, she should probably allow it. "Fine Potter, but I'm not leaving."
"That's perfectly acceptable Headmistress."
"Oh well I'm glad it's perfectly acceptable. I would have loved to hear you say to me to get out of my own office." She kept mumbling to herself as she returned to her desk.
"Harry?" It was Dumbledore. Harry turned back to look at the portrait. "How do you know about the rose?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley told me about a special rose they found, that you took from them. I put two and two together, did some research, and realized it was perfectly credible. I didn't actually think I would get to talk to you about it though. This is all a bit… surreal."
"I understand your viewpoint. I stood in your shoes when I first talked to the portrait of Headmaster Dippet. But Harry you have to understand. The rose is no longer here. It was stolen, about a year after I took it from the Weasleys. I don't know who stole it; though I'm sure you and I can make a very strong prediction. He would've hid it in a personal place. This was the rose Godric Gryffindor was going to present to his beloved. She just so happened to be the same woman Salazar Slytherin loved. It was an odd love triangle at that, as I'm sure she shared most of the same views with Godric and not Salazar, but I'm told she was a pure beauty. Salazar was one to fall for physical attributes, as I'm told. It ended up with Salazar asking the woman to marry him. She showed him the rose Godric had given her, and rejected him. She was already marrying Godric. So Salazar took the Slytherin way out and—"
"Albus!"
"Yes, Minerva? You must remember, I am not Headmaster anymore… I'm allowed to say whatever I please. Where was I, oh yes, he took the Slytherin way out and killed her." Harry tried to hide his amusement, but the idea of his old headmaster cracking Slytherin jokes was just too much to handle. Dumbledore, however, caught his eye and flashed a quick smirk his way. "So, then he took the rose for himself and vanished. I've heard rumors of Tom Riddle's feelings for a certain girl in his sixth year. I'm not sure whom it was, but if the rumor proves true, it is certain that she rejected him. The rumor states that she refused a gift from his heart, and soon after they graduated, the two mysteriously disappeared. Students who knew him say that he killed her. They say that after she rejected him, he took the gift he offered her, or I'm assuming the rose, to his name's final destination. That's all they would tell me. I've never been able to figure out how he got the rose, but I have thought about his name, and it is also his father's name."
"Do you think he took the rose to the house in Little Hangleton."
"Is it logical?"
"Of course! He hated his parents, and he needed a good enough reason to kill them. So he used his anger from this rejection as a motive. He used the killing of the girl to make the rose into a horcrux, and the killing of his parents to turn the ring into one. The rose is somewhat of a stretch, but it's something!" Harry was about to run out of the office in a rush of excitement, but he ran straight into McGonagall.
"And just where do you think you're off to in such a rush?"
"Little Hangleton. I have to find that rose."
"Not so fast Mr. Potter. It's not safe. We'll send a team of aurors to find the flower."
"No! I promised Dumbledore I would help him. I'm the one who has to destroy Voldemort, it's written in the prophecy, so please… let me go."
"He's right Minerva. You have to let him go. Harry maybe you could ask Remus to accompany you."
Harry didn't like the idea of putting another of his father's friends in danger, especially Remus in his state, but he figured there was no point in further angering Minerva McGonagall. She'd only run to Molly Weasley and then his mission would be completely shot to hell. "I suppose there's safety in numbers."
"Not now there isn't." Minerva mumbled, and she let Harry pass.
Harry returned to the library after that and when Hermione and Ron asked why he had taken so long, he told them he had taken a trip to see McGonagall about the rose. He told them he had spoken with Dumbledore, which amazed them just as much as it had him, but when they asked what he had found out, he wouldn't tell them. He wanted to tell them, but the knowledge of this was so secret and powerful, that it could be a cause of death in and of itself.
Harry told his best friends that after this week he would be taking a trip with Remus, to find the rose. They asked if they could come, but he solidly refused.
The week Harry was gone, was Hermione and Ron's 'give-it-a-go' week. They decided they could see what it was like in each other's presence, and sort of test the waters. Well that didn't go very well at all. Ginny had to pry them from each other's grasp at least two times. In essence she feared for both of their lives, and couldn't wait until Harry came home. Merlin knew it would help everything run smoothly again.
Two weeks later Harry and Remus returned to the Burrow. They were empty handed, but did not carry disappointment.
Everyone crowded them with questions, all of which they wouldn't answer. The only two they did answer were whether or not they found it and destroyed it. They told them they found it, but could not for the life of them find a way to destroy it. They tried ripping the petals off, but they just revitalized themselves. It was obviously an easy way to look at it, but whichever way they looked at it they couldn't destroy the flower. They decided the best way to leave it would be to leave the flower in its place, so Voldemort wouldn't suspect anything. Of course they got hell from that decision, but in the end it was what they decided and that would be how it would stay. They couldn't have people knowing all this, it was times like these that nobody knew who to trust. At least they knew where it was.
After Harry's return things did run more smoothly. Hermione and Ron told him what they did, and to Harry's disgust he was 'happy' to be of service again.
Later that month Hermione and Ginny got to talking.
"When are you and Harry going to get back together?"
"Excuse me? That was a bit out of the blue don't you think!"
"Well it is a legitimate question Gin."
"Well I don't know. Are we expected to get back together? Who have you been talking to? Ron? Harry? Is Harry talking about getting back together with me?"
"Slow down, Gin. Nobody is talking. I was just asking to see if you were interested. Not to mention if you walk into the same room as the boy, he automatically finds a reason to leave. He's obviously still hooked. Call me crazy. I think you still like him too."
"That's none of your business Hermione Granger!" Ginny said with a slight blush, leaving the room.
Later that night Harry and Ginny got back together. It was awkward to say the least – at least on Harry's part. It was probably midnight and Ginny had snuck out of her and Hermione's room. At first she didn't know where she was going to go. All she did know was she couldn't sleep, and Hermione's snoring wasn't helping.
She decided to just sit on the top of the stairwell and plan her next move. In the end it was between going back to bed, and waking Harry up and having a 'severe' talk. Harry won. She tiptoed up to the next floor and quietly walked into the boy's attic-room. Ron was mumbling something incoherent, and Harry was hanging off the side of his bed, inches away from actually falling off. Ginny silently approached Harry and shook him awake, which actually resulted in him sliding off the bed and onto the cold floor. He eventually found the energy to sit up and rub the sleep from his eyes. When he saw Ginny standing in front of him in naught but shorts and a skimpy shirt, he nearly screamed; however, Ginny caught his eye quickly. She looked him square in the eye, and whispered, "Follow me."
He nodded, slowly and quietly stood up and followed her out of the room. They went down to the kitchen and when she was sure nobody could hear them, she ordered him to sit down.
Without question he did. "Ginny is there something wrong? Are you alright?" He asked anxiously.
"Oh I'm fine. We just need to talk."
"Alright…" He was so nervous. He was, after all, alone in a dark room with his ex-girlfriend, whom he still had extreme feelings for.
"Why did you breakup with me? And don't give me any of this 'I wanted to protect you' shit. I need to know. Was there something wrong with me? Did I do something wrong? Did you just not like me? I need to know Harry. I don't care if the truth hurts, just lay it on me."
"Ginny. I can't answer that."
"Why the bloody hell not?" She couldn't yell, but by the tone of her whisper, Harry could tell she didn't like his answer.
"Because I honestly don't have an answer! I broke up with you for the exact reason that you don't want to hear. I wanted to protect you." He looked down at his hands. He was so anxious the sweat was practically raining off his forehead. When she didn't say anything he looked up at her. She had a face on that said, she was a tiny bit confused. "Ginny. I didn't stop liking you. If I had stopped liking you, I would have found a better reason to break up with you. I still like you. Why do you think it's so hard for me to be in the same room as you?"
"I don't know! Maybe I smell. It wouldn't be the first time somebody would've told me that." Ginny said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.
"I'm not Ron, or Fred or George." He said with a smirk.
Ginny laughed. "Why can't we get back together then?" She asked on a more serious note.
"Ginny, we can't. It's not safe." He was warming up to the situation now, but the tension inside him was this close to bursting free.
"Harry Potter, if you give me one more excuse dealing with safety, you won't be safe anymore. I'm a big girl now. I've fought in battles before Harry. I know about safety. If you're worried that Voldemort's not going to like me because you're my boyfriend, then too late. I've already tested those waters, I'm pretty sure I'm shot whether or not we get back together." She was practically ranting now; rambling on about everything, and Harry had to just sit there and listen.
"Ginny! Ginny!" Harry whispered harshly, trying to get her attention. "Ginny shut up!"
"What?"
"Shut up!" He laughed. "You'll wake the whole house."
"I don't care, this is a point that needs to be made." She said with a pout.
"I tell you what. If we get back together, will you shut up?"
"No I will not – what?"
Harry stood up and looked her in the eye. He could feel the sweat droplets roll down his cheeks, and only hoped to Merlin she wouldn't notice it. "Ginny. I made a mistake of breaking up with you at the end of the year. I get it. But I'm willing to give it another go."
"Harry, I'm not a new spell. You can't just give me a go whenever you want. I'm in this for the long haul or not at all."
"Well then… I guess we're on."
"Really?" She asked with a genuine smile.
"Really. Now can I go back to bed?"
"Fine." She walked past him, and started up the steps. When they reached the landing where her door stood he kissed her cheek, said goodnight, and walked up to his room.
The days after that proved to be completely predictable; the usual hysteria from Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, and the expected taunting from the boys, except Ron who sat Harry down and gave him a talk of how he wasn't to hurt Ginny again. It was actually quite scary on Harry's part, and it took a threat from Ginny to get him to back off. Mr. Weasley was already at work when everyone woke up that morning after, but when he arrived home, he gave the kids a nice congratulations. Ironically, he was the one person Ginny could rely on being normal.
The rest of the summer had Harry constantly thinking about the remaining two horcruxes, and how he was going to destroy the rose. His dreams consisted of Ginny's corpse lying at his feet, and he couldn't do anything about it, and then there was this constant feeling that somehow she and Hermione would be kidnapped – taken from Ron and him.
Hermione was constantly on Harry and Ron's case about studying, and when she wasn't squabbling on about the N.E.W.T.s she was actually revising her notes from all of her previous years. The girl was a complete nut in everyone's eyes, but they new that without her, they would all fail miserably. If she wasn't studying or pressuring others to study, she was worrying over the Head Girl position. She claimed she didn't care, but everyone knew she did, but then again everyone knew she would get the spot. Who else had better grades than Hermione Granger? They just worried over who would get the boys spot.
Ron was having trouble with his self-confidence. He had been dumped by Lavender at the end of the school year, and he and Hermione had been far from working out. He was beginning to doubt himself. It wasn't until they attended Bill and Fleur's wedding that he was actually thankful for being single. How Bill would survive was beyond him. He was sick of thinking of his siblings with people he knew. First Fleur, a girl whom he had liked himself, and now Ginny was dating Harry, his best friend. It was all just absolutely preposterous to him.
They received their letters three days before school started and immediately took a trip to Diagon Alley, where they bumped into Neville. He was the same old Neville—nerve wreaked as if the world would end tomorrow, and the upcoming war was not helping his anxiety. The school list was not much different from past years, just a few augmentations. Of course there was a letter explaining Professor McGonagall's promotion to Headmistress considering the events that occurred at the end of the last year, and Hermione received her letter declaring her Head Girl. It didn't explain who Head Boy would be, and she was told not to release the information to anyone as it would ruin the tradition of revealing the news at the opening feast. She hoped it was someone worthy. Harry and Ron were possible, but she really did have no clue as to who she would be sharing her duties with. It was all a big mystery, and not telling anyone was just as hard as not knowing.
Later that day after arriving back at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley instructed everyone to start packing. There would be no last minute packing this year. She wanted as much time with Harry, Ron and Hermione as possible. This was their last year, and seeming as she didn't get to coddle the twins, she felt she deserved twice as much time this time around. The Golden Trio just accepted it and packed their things like she said.
September 1st arrived, and everyone was sitting at the kitchen table. They were all exhausted. The night before had been a night of secret drinking, and playing quidditch at midnight. The sound of Mrs. Weasley's screech at seven in the morning was not a pleasant one. The housewitch had made a massive breakfast including eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, fruits, toast, teas, coffees, etc; she didn't want anyone missing out on her babies last big day. It was a commemoration to be celebrated the Molly Weasley way.
After breakfast the boys lugged everyone's chest down the steps, because in the Weasley's house, Molly believed that magic was not the answer to everything. Then they were off. They reached the station with about ten minutes to spare, and the goodbyes to Mrs. Weasley took up a good five of that ten. Finally they had their trunks packed onto the train and they were sitting in their compartment with about thirty seconds to spare. Finally they were back on track.
The train ride consisted of the usual; Ron and Hermione bickering; Harry and Ginny secretly leaving to go make out in the lavatory, and the usual harassment from the Slytherins. Of course this year it was much easier to get rid of them, as Malfoy, the leader of the pack, was standing quietly in the back afraid to face anyone.
So the year seemed to be proving itself off to a good start. Everyone was more or less happy, and the ferret problem seemed to have finally disappeared. Maybe they could get something done in accord to the upcoming war.
The train finally came to a stand still and cheers were heard throughout the train. Finally they were home. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny all grabbed their cloaks and headed out to meet Fred and George who were meeting them in Hogsmeade to make sure everything was going okay. Mrs. Weasley had made sure that this trip would go smoothly – she had no time for deatheaters.
They stepped onto the platform and saw Hagrid ushering first years towards the boats already. They waved to the half-giant and began searching for the twins. When they finally caught up with the two red heads talking to younger students about their new shop in Hogsmeade, Ginny realized she had forgotten her bag.
"Guys I'll be right back."
"I'll go with you." Harry offered over protectively.
"Harry, that's sweet of you, but I'll be fine."
"Ginny you can't go off by yourself. It'll be getting dark soon." Harry was insistent.
"Harry! I can take care of myself. I'm not a little girl anymore. Stop acting like Ron, please!"
"Ooh mate she's got you there." Fred said jokingly.
"You're supposed to be on my side here!" Harry argued.
"Oh right. Ginny at least take Hermione with you."
"Fine. Come on Hermione." The two girls re-entered the train and heard the boys begin to talk about them almost instantly. "Sorry about this Hermione. I'm such a fuzz. I'm always leaving my stuff around."
Hermione laughed at her choice of words, "Don't worry Ginny. It's not a problem. Let's just find your bag."
They reached the compartment where they had been sitting, and Ginny saw her bag sitting on the bench where she had left it. "Gotcha- ahhh!" Almost instantly, as if the word had acted as a spell, Ginny and Hermione went flying into the seats. The train was moving. "What in the name of – what's going on?"
"Don't worry Gin. I'm sure the driver just didn't realize we were still on the train. Come on we'll go and ask him if he can take us back."
The two rushed up to the drivers compartment, and were a little more than shocked to find nobody sitting in the captain's seat. The levers were pulling themselves, and they felt themselves starting to move faster and faster. They glanced at each other quickly and ran to the back of the train. They looked out the window and were about to roll it down to scream back to the station for help when they realized nobody was standing on the platform.
"But it was packed only seconds ago! Hermione… I'm beginning to worry."
"Gin don't! We'll just apparate to the school gates. Come on, hold my hand." Ginny took Hermione's hand and with a pop the two were traveling through a nothingness. They expected to land in a second or less, but after about ten Hermione was having a more and more hard time picturing the gates to the school, and felt as though she was going to pass out. Eventually they landed, not pleasantly, but it was a landing nonetheless, and soon enough Hermione did pass out, not knowing exactly where Ginny was at all.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.
Right, as you may or may not know… I'm the same Dominique as before (hpobessor), I just have a mentally incapable brain at times and I've forgotten the e-mail address that I used over the previous years. I've also received a new laptop so I have none of the old material saved… blah blah blah… I'm now Dominique (KayLudlow) soooo… I'll be updating this story again… hopefully… you all seemed to like it… I'll try and revise some more… reviews are much appreciated.
Dominique (KayLudlow)