A.N: First, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and put this story on their alert and favorite lists, I love you guys! Second I want to apologize for not updating last week, I was, well busy.
Ooh and I just want to clarify some things, first someone mentioned about Harry telling the Death Eaters about Voldemort's blood status, in the fifth book Harry did mention about it, it's no big deal, I only put it in this story to taunt Bellatrix, nothing more, nothing less. Second someone mentioned about Ron being OOC, well he will be, I don't really like Ron in books, that's why I'm going to change him, but not totally, my Ron will be more matured and less jealous. Lastly Harry is not a horcrux in here.
And the things that happened after Sirius apparated with Hermione are the same with books, with a little difference, Harry went after Bellatrix after she put Neville under the torture curse, and Ron was not attacked by brains.
Disclaimer: We all know I do not own Harry Potter.
Harry Potter and the Ultimate Bond
Chapter Two: The Prophecy
Harry's POV
It was still dark when Ginny, Neville, Luna, Ron and I arrived at the school's Entrance Hall via the portkey Dumbledore created earlier at the Ministry. Neville who broke his dad's wand is carrying Ginny who broke her ankle during the fiasco, while Luna and I are supporting Ron who was hit by a cutting hex on at his back, and a bone breaking spell on his left leg.
"You okay, mate?" Ron asked.
"Yeah" I answered halfheartedly, I just want to be in the hospital wing and see if Hermione's awake.
"You don't have to pretend that you're okay, Harry" Luna said in her usual dreamy voice "after what You Know Who did earlier its okay not to be fine."
I smiled at her, Voldemort possessed me earlier at the Ministry after he and Dumbledore dueled, the pain I felt during that moment was unexplainable, I was wishing that someone would just end the pain that someone would just kill me, but then I saw my friends came bursting to the room that was when Voldemort left my body.
I sighed "I'm fine" Ron gave me a skeptical look "I'm just worried about Hermione, her injury looks really serious."
"Reckon she's awake now, Harry?" Neville asked.
"She's probably worried sick about the five of us" Ginny said with a chuckle.
"Or reading a book, while snuffles is laying beside her bed, sleeping" Ron said jokingly, though I know he's just as worried as I am, the two of them may bicker a lot but Ron cares about Hermione a lot, he said he see's Hermione like another little sister.
I forced a smile; I couldn't get the feeling of dread out of me, something's going to happen, something bad.
XxXxXxXxXxX
We entered the hospital in silence, the exhaustion taking its toll on us; Neville laid Ginny on one of the beds before collapsing to another bed himself. Luna and I helped Ron climbed to the bed beside his sister. Madam Pomfrey came bursting in with padfoot tailing on her.
"Finally!" she said "I've been wondering when you lot will arrive."
She started checking us, one after the other; I wanted to ask her about Hermione's but was too scared to hear her answer. I heard the hospital wing's matron sighed after checking the five of us.
"I'm glad none of you have been hurt badly" she said before going to her office, probably to get potions for us. I looked around the room for my Hermione, but I couldn't see her in any of the beds. Madam Pomfrey came back with a tray full of potion bottles.
"Where's Hermione?" I asked her, Madam Pomfrey visibly tensed at my question "did something happen?" a wave of panic started to build inside me; I looked frantically around the room, looking for a sign of my Hermione.
"I'll tell you after you took this potion" Madam Pomfrey said while handing us potions.
Ron and I exchanged a look, before drinking our potions with a single swig. Sirius transformed back to his human form as Madam Pomfrey walked to the bed nearest to her office, she drawn the curtains just enough for me to see soft brown curls, 'Hermione!' I thought. I walked towards the bed, with Sirius beside me.
The view that welcomed me when I looked at my Hermione made my knees go weak, Sirius had to steady me; my Hermione was pale, even paler than earlier, she looked dead! I stood beside her bed.
"How is she?" I rasped out.
Sirius and Madam Pomfrey exchanged a look, before the matron answered:
"Mr. Potter, the curse she was hit with, it damages the soul of the victim, and in extension the magical core" Madam Pomfrey explained her voice hollow "there is no known cure for that curse. I'm sorry."
"Bloody hell!" I heard Ron say at the other side of the room
No no no no NO! This can't be happening, I cannot lose my Hermione, I'm not ready to lose her, I don't think I'll ever be ready to lose her. This is just a prank Sirius is playing at me, it had to be.
"It's not funny!" I said looking at my godfather "it's not funny to joke about something this serious."
"Harry" Sirius started his voice soft "it's not a joke; you know I'll never pull this kind of prank on you. Not a prank about Hermione's life."
I shook my head, tears started to flow out of my eyes, it had to be a prank, it just had to be! My Hermione cannot be dying!
"Sirius, please stop playing around like this. I won't be mad, just… just tell me Hermione's going to be okay, that this is just some kind of a prank. Please!" I was begging, I just can't accept that I'm going to lose my Hermione.
Sirius put his arms around me, whispering comforting words on my ear, but it has no effect or what so ever, it's not that Sirius' touch and words are not comforting, it's just that nothing or no one who is not Hermione can console right now. This only makes me realize just how important my Hermione is to me.
I step out of Sirius' arms to look at my Hermione, if this is not a prank, then Madam Pomfrey must have made a mistake, Hermione's going to wake up soon, and tell us that for the first time in our years here in Hogwarts Madam Pomfery made a mistake, and then tell her what kind of curse really hit my Hermione.
I bent down so our faces; mine and Hermione's are just mere inches apart "come one Hermione, wake up" I whispered "prove them wrong, tell Sirius and Madam Pomfrey here that you're not going to leave me, that you're not going to die." Hermione made no response, she did not give me her usual smile, I reach down to hold her hand waiting for her to give me a squeeze, to show any sign that she hears me, that she's not going to leave me.
"Ron" I called out to my best mate "tell them… tell them Hermione's not going to die."
I turn back to look at Ron on the other side of the room, his face pale and tears flowing down his face, I looked at our other friends; they were sporting the same look. That was it, I can no longer deny the truth, I'm going to lose my Hermione, I fell down, my knees lost their strength to support my weight.
"How come you cannot do anything?" I asked looking at Madam Pomfrey "you always fix me when I get hurt."
"Mr. Potter, the curse that hit Miss Granger slowly destroys the soul and in extension the magical core, and when the core of a magical being is severely damaged, we need to wait for the core to heal itself enough for the patient to response on the medication, any potion will have no effect until the core heals, giving the patient potion until that time will only damage the core more." Madam Pomfrey explained.
"Then why don't we just wait for Hermione's core to recover and then give her the potions she needs?" I asked, hope started to build inside me, my Hermione can survive this, I knew she could.
"You forgot the primary effect of the potion Mr. Potter" Madam Pomfrey said solemnly "damaging the victim's magical core is only the secondary effect of the curse."
"What do you mean primary effect?" I asked, confused.
Madam Pomfrey sighed, I could see that this is hard for her too "the curse's primary effect is to destroy the victim's soul, Mr. Potter, and when the soul is severely damaged any injury might it be physical or in Miss Granger's case magical has no cure. Her "soul injury", for the lack of better term prevents her core to heal."
I just nodded; I don't trust my voice to be steady enough to form words. A hole started to form in my heart, a hole in the very center of it, a hole where my Hermione is, I'm sure the hole will get bigger the moment my Hermione leaves, it will get bigger until there is nothing left. A part of me will die with my Hermione.
I sat here for I don't know how long, it could be a minute, half an hour, an hour, a day, but I don't really care. Nothing matters anymore.
"Harry" said a familiar voice; I turn around to see the Headmaster and for the first time this year he's looking at me in the eyes, the customary twinkle in his eyes gone. There is a look of sadness in his eyes, Madam Pomfrey probably told him about Hermione.
"Can I have a minute?" he asked gently.
I stood up and nodded, Dumbledore will not take no for an answer, and I honestly don't have the energy to argue with him.
"Let's go to my office" he said, again I just nodded.
During the walk to the Headmasters office, the two of us kept silent, not even a word was uttered.
When we arrived at his office, Dumbledore motioned for me to sit down, which I did, I was amazed that my knees were able to support me during the trek from the Hospital wing. I busied myself looking at the carpet, I did not want to look at Dumbledore, I don't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.
"Harry" Dumbledore started "Peter Pettigrew was one of the Death Eater's that has been captured; the Minister said that the papers that will free Sirius will be owled later today or tomorrow."
If we were in the a different situation I would have smiled, no I probably would have been jumping around and shouting in joy, but we are in this situation, nothing can make me feel better.
"That's good" I said.
"You don't have to return to your relatives' house, Harry"
Another thing that would have made me jump and shout in joy if we were in a different situation, but we are still in this situation, nothing will change that. How can I celebrate if the price I'm going to pay for these things is the life of my Hermione?
"I understand how you're feeling, Harry. I know Miss Granger's condition…"
"How the hell do you understand how I'm feeling right now?" I cut in, throwing one of his silver instruments, which hit the wall and shattered in pieces. How can he say that, he doesn't understand, it's not his heart that's having a hole in it, mine is, it's not his bestfriend who is lying in the hospital wing dying, mine is. How can he understand?
"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL!" I shouted at him.
"Harry listen to me…" Dumbledore said.
"NO!" I roared "do you think I want to here what you have to say, after you abandoned me this year? After you abandoned me when I needed you the most?"
Deep inside me, I know Dumbledore's not the one to be blamed, there is only one person who should be blamed for all of this, and that's me, but now, just for now I need someone else to blame for all the things that happened, for my own sanity I need someone to own my mistakes.
I turned my back from Dumbledore and started for the door, I seized the doorknob and wrench at it, but would not open.
"Let me out" I said, glaring at the Headmaster.
"No" Dumbledore answered calmly.
Hot white anger shot through me, why can't he just let me out? Why can't he just let me be with my Hermione? Is it too much for me to ask to be with her before she goes, before she dies? Why does he have to have a say in every bloody thing?
"Open the door and let me out" I said, my voice calm.
"No" Dumbledore repeated.
"Why do you insist to keep in here?" I asked, I'm starting to lose the little control I have on my anger towards the Headmaster, I need to get away from him, away from his calm presence, if not I might do something that I'm going to regret, "if you… if you don't let me… if you keep me in here I might… I might…"
"Attack me?" Dumbledore finished for me, "if you're going to do such thing, I would like to have thoroughly earned it."
"Please… just let me out" I said with a defeated voice "I need to be with Hermione."
"Not until you here what I have to say."
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU"VE TO SAY! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! IT DOESN'T MATTER!" I roared "nothing matters anymore."
"You will listen to me" Dumbledore said steadily "because you are not nearly as angry with me as you ought to be."
"What do you mean?"
"It is my fault Hermione's in such condition" the Headmaster said clearly "or should I say almost entirely, I will not be arrogant to say that it is my entire fault. If I have been open to the both of you, especially to you, Harry, you would have known that Voldemort might try to lure you to go to the Department of Mysteries, you should've known he was just tricking you tonight and you and your friends wouldn't have went there tonight, Hermione wouldn't be in her current condition. Those blame lies to me, Harry and with me alone."
I'm still standing on the doorway, with my hand on the doorknob which I was using to support my weight. I'm gazing at Dumbledore, confused, I heard what he said clearly, but I don't understand what he was really trying to say.
"Please sit down, Harry" it was a request, not an order.
I hesitated at first but walk slowly across the room and took the seat facing Dumbledore. I want to hear what he has to say, but at the same time I don't, something tells me that what I'm going to hear will change everything.
"Harry, I owe you an explanation," said Dumbledore. "An explanation of an old man's mistakes. For I see now that what I have done, and not done, what I you told and more importantly what I did not tell you, with regard to you and Hermione, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young…and I seem to have forgotten, lately."
Dumbledore's not making sense, what does he mean by what he have done, and not done, what he told me and what he didn't tell me about my Hermione and I.
"Professor I don't understand what your saying" I said, my voice full of confusion "you're not making sense."
"Last year, Harry, when you told me that Voldemort used your blood in the ritual to get his body back, I feared that it might forge a connection between the two of you" said Dumbledore.
"You've already told me that sir," I said blundly, I don't care if I seem rude, I just want to get this over with "you said, I was able to feel Voldemort's emotion through my scar."
"Yes Harry, but this year didn't you notice that the connection between the two of you is stronger" Dumbledore asked "last year , you only had one vision of him, and it was only when he used the killing curse, but this year, Harry, you were constantly getting visions from him. This is because you are sharing the same blood, Harry."
I just nodded, I already know this.
"I was concerned that Voldemort might realize that this connection with you exists" said Dumbledore "Sure enough, there came a time when you entered so far into his mind and thoughts that he sensed your presence. I am speaking, of course, of the night when you witnessed the attack on Mr. Weasley."
"But I did not see it through him, sir" I explained "I saw the attack through his snake, through Nagini."
"That's why he was able to feel your presence. You see, Harry, Voldemort has this especial connection with his snake, he could see what the snake sees, he could control it even if it's away from him, and through Voldemort, you witnessed the attack on Mr. Weasley."
"Yeah Snape told me" I muttered "well not the connection between Voldemort and his snake."
"Professor Snape, Harry" Dumbledore corrected quietly "But did you not wonder why it was not I who explained this to you? Why I did not teach you Occlumency? Why I had not so much as looked at you for months?"
"Yeah I wondered." I answered dryly.
"I was afraid that Voldemort might use that connection and force his way into your mind, to manipulate and misdirect your thoughts" Dumbledore continued "this is why I was not the one who thought you Occlumency, Harry, opening your mind in my presence would've made Voldemort realize that our relationship was or had been more than that of a headmaster and a student, he would've used you to spy on me, or worse possess you, which he did tonight."
I again just nodded; I don't know what to say.
"Professor Snape discovered," Dumbledore resumed, "that you had been dreaming about the door to the Department of Mysteries for months. Voldemort, of course, had been obsessed with the possibility of hearing the prophecy ever since he regained his body; and as he dwelled on the door, so did you, though you did not know what it meant. It became a matter of even greater urgency that you should master Occlumency."
"But I didn't!" I said out loud, guilt started to wash over me, surely a confession must relieve some of the pain that's filling inside me, but it didn't, I still feel like drowning in guilt, if only I practiced last night's events wouldn't have happened.
"I didn't practice, I didn't bother, I could've stopped myself having those dreams, Hermione kept telling me to do it, if I had he'd never have been able to show me where to go, if I… if only I listened to her, she wouldn't… Hermione wouldn't be…" I trailed off, I couldn't finish my sentence, it's too painful to say it out loud.
I stood up and walked over towards the window, where I could see the sun has rising, watching the rising sun usually relaxes me, but right now nothing can calm my emotions, any time now, I would lose my Hermione, I would lose the only person who stood by me when everyone else didn't, I sighed. I could feel Dumbledore's eyes on me.
"Harry" he called, his voice calm, but with hint of sadness "it's time I tell you what I should' have told you and Hermione five years ago."
I looked at him for a moment, then flung myself back into the chair opposite Dumbledore and waited.
"Fifteen, almost sixteen years ago, when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep, I knew I was condemning you to ten dark years, I knew you were going to suffer."
I didn't say anything; I was to shock to respond. He knew! He knew how the Dursleys treated me, he knew and he did nothing.
"Why?" I asked coldly.
"Because you needed to be protected, Harry" Dumbledore said "I knew Voldemort would come back, and with your mother's sacrifice the safest place for you to stay is with your aunt, who shares your blood, and the blood of your mother. When she took you, she may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. You will be protected where your mother's blood dwells."
"That's why Voldemort couldn't touch me in my first year!" I said, surprised I never knew about this, Dumbledore never said anything about this before. If my blood protects me against Voldemort then…
"Professor… last year Voldemort used my blood in the ritual to get his body back, does that mean the blood protection is not going to work against him"
Dumbledore nodded "I'm afraid it won't protect you against him."
"Then why did you sent me back to the Dursleys last summer?" I was angry, no I was furious; I spent another summer with them for nothing, I suffered for nothing.
"I thought they were still active, Harry. I had my suspicions but I couldn't take the risk, Last night confirmed them, when Voldemort was able to touch you."
Dumbleodre and I just stared at each other, I was losing the little control I have in me, he let me suffer last summer, he forbid my friends to owl, and worst of all he sent me back to that horrible place, for what? For nothing!
Dumbledore sighed, I glared at him, "Harry, do you remember asking me in your first year why Voldemort had tried to kill you when you were a baby?"
I nodded, yes.
"Voldemort tried to kill you when you were a child because of a prophecy made shortly before your birth. He knew the prophecy had been made, though he did not know its full contents. He has been determined to hear that prophecy in its entirety. This is the weapon He has been seeking so assiduously since his return: the knowledge of how to destroy you."
"The prophecy's smashed," I said blankly. "I was pulling Neville up those benches in the – the room where the archway was, and I ripped his robes and it fell…"
"The thing that smashed was merely the record of the prophecy kept by the Department of Mysteries. But the prophecy was made to somebody, and that person has the means of recalling it perfectly"
"Who heard it?" I asked, though I think I know the answer already.
"I did," said Dumbledore. "On a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all. The applicant, however, was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer and I thought it
common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself. I told her, courteously I hope, that I did not think she would be suitable for the post. I turned to leave."
Dumbledore got to his feet and walked past me to the black cabinet that stood beside Fawkes's perch. He bent down, slid back a catch and took from inside it the shallow stone basin, carved with runes around the edges. Dumbledore walked back to the desk, placed the Pensieve upon it, and raised his wand to his own temple. From it, he withdrew silvery, gossamer-fine strands of thought clinging to the wand and deposited them into the basin. He sat back down behind his desk and watched his thoughts swirl and drift inside the Pensieve for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he raised his wand and prodded the silvery substance with its tip.
A figure rose out of it, draped in shawls, her eyes magnified to enormous size behind her glasses, and she revolved slowly; her feet in the basin. But when Professor Trelawney spoke, it was not in her usual ethereal, mystic voice, but in the harsh, hoarse tones I had heard her use once before:
"The ones with the power to vanquish the – Dark Lord approaches…one born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… one born from those who have the blood he despise, born as the ninth month shifts… and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, united by their foe, bonded in their soul, together they will have power the Dark Lord knows not… together they shall bring the fall of the Dark Lord… apart they shall fall and bring eternal discord…"
"Professor, what does it mean?" I asked quietly, still looking at the Pensive.
"It means, Harry that the ones who have the power to bring the fall of the dark lord were born as the month of July ends and in the middle of September." Dumbledore explained "the first child would be a child of those who defied Voldemort three times while the second will be born with the blood he hates; the second child is a muggleborn, Harry."
I feel like something is closing in on me, breathing seemed to be difficult "is… is the first child… am I the first child?"
Dumbledore surveyed me for a while before saying "the odd thing, Harry is that it may not meant you at all. The first part of Sibyll's prophecy applied to two wizard boys, both born at the end of July that year, both of whom had parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both sets of parents having narrowly escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course, was you. The other was Neville Longbottom."
"But then…but then, why was it my name on the prophecy and not Neville's?"
"The official record was re-labeled after Voldemort's attack on you as a child," said Dumbledore. "It seemed plain to the keeper of the Hall of Prophecy that Voldemort could only have tried to kill you because he knew you to be the one to whom Sibyll was referring."
"Still it might not be me."
"You're forgetting the third part of the prophecy, Harry the final identifying feature of the children." Dumbledore said slowly "the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, he chose you Harry, he marked when he gave you that scar."
"Why me? He should have waited to see whether Neville or I looked more dangerous when we were older and tried to kill whoever it was then…"
"You see, Harry" Dumbledore continued "Voldemort only knew the first part of the prophecy, because his informant only heard the part where the prophecy says that one of the children who have the power to vanquish him is born from whom had defied him thrice and is born at the end of July."
That's why he did not wait, my parents died because of a bloody prophecy! I looked at Dumbledore, he said or rather the prophecy states that there are two children who have the power to defeat Voldemort, does he know who the other child is, the other child whom Voldemort marked? Does Voldemort know that there are two children?
"Sir, you said Voldemort's informant only heard the first part of the prophecy, does that mean that Voldemort knows that there are two children?"
"Fortunately, Harry, the Death Eater who heard the prophecy did not hear it properly, it was rather a busy night when it happened."
"Do you… do you know who the other child is?" I asked.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Who?"
"Hermione Granger."
A.N: Sorry for all the errors. A large part of Harry and Dumbledore's conversation is from the fifth book, I only change them a little.
Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. If you have questions just put it in your reviews and I'll try to answer them. Ooh and I'm still looking for a beta.