I own nothing but the plot, Myra and Beck. The others belong to the genius and our idol J.K. Rowling...
Now to the reveiws:
DonAmy: i never sed i needed an excuse. Actually this chapter has been rusting on my laptop for a while and so i thought i might as well upload it (winks) happy reading...
Dumbledore's Secret
Chapter two touched by Death
Harry walked to the feast in a haze.
There was no mistaking the fact that his heart felt lighter for talking to Lupin but now that he wasn't there he felt more alone than before. He entered the great hall without a sound and slid into his seat between Ron and Herminone.
They looked questioningly at him but he shook his head. He couldn't tell them just yet. He would but he needed to sort his head out first.
It was then that he realised that he had missed the sorting. Professor Magonagall was taking the stool with the old Sorting Hat off the stage and the hall was loud with the chatter of the students.
Then when Dumbledore stood the hall quietened and they waited for the headmaster to say his announcements. Dumbledore looked around the hall and Harry felt the headmaster's gaze settle on him for a moment before he spoke. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." He smiled at them all.
"I will not keep you long from your food as I know many of you will be eager to eat. Harry threw a sly look at Ron. He had just been complaining that he was hungry. Ron shrugged. And threw up his hands in a surrender as if to say what?
"…Due to recent events we are putting new restrictions in place for your safety." Dumbledore continued "as before no student is allowed in or around the Forbidden Forest. There will now be a curfew on how long the students can stay out of school and punishments will be serve o anyone who breaks this curfew."
His gaze swept round them all before continuing.
"As a result Quidditch practices will have to be shortened during the week and shared out between the house teams on a weekend.
Quidditch practices will be held…"
Dumbledore broke off as a long mournful tone filled the air. Fawkes the Phoenix flames up in front of Dumbledore and flew round the hall most of the students let out a gasp. Many of them had never seen Fawkes before and Harry was shocked that she was in the great hall.
She never usually ventured fair from Dumbledore's office. She circled the hall crying out in her song, what sounded to Harry like a warning before swooping in the centre between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables, as there was a loud CRACK! People gasped as it slowly dawned on everyone that someone had managed to apperate into the main hall of Hogwarts!
Fawkes let out a scream of warning and the students ducked as she clipped the robed figure in the shoulder and they toppled over. In that second Harry's scar exploded with pain and he cried out.
Blinded by the explosions in his head.
His eyes were streaming.
In seconds everyone else in the hall had their wands trained on the newcomer and it was obvious from her dress that she was a Death eater though Harry did not recognise her, as it had been revealed to be a girl when her hood had fallen, which lead him to believe that she was a new recruit. She had long sliver hair and stormy grey eyes that were filled with hate.
She screamed and fought against the phoenix as Fawkes dived again. Harry watched as someone he didn't recognise somersaulted over the staff table and ran the length of the hall and in a flash had the death eater pinned.
But she was not giving up easy. Harry, like every other student had his wand out but it wavered as he struggled to keep it steady and he watched in horror as in one last ditch attempt the unknown death eater threw off the newcomer, stood and trained her wand right at Harry.
He gulped.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
She screamed. Harry had known it was going to happen but couldn't form the words for a counter curse quick enough. The green flash issued from her wand and he knew he was out of this time.
It was heading straight for him. It was like watching an action film, he had watched when he was younger when the hero is about to be killed and everything happened in slow motion.
But then something crashed down in front of him and the killing curse was deflected where all the students ducked as it whistled over their heads and hit one of the many floating candles in the hall where it burst into flame. It was over in seconds. The girl fought with the fair-haired stranger again but she got under his guard as he looked to make sure Harry was ok and stunned him before disappearing.
The great hall erupted into chaos around Harry and he slumped into the chair. He couldn't move.
He was numb.
The pain in his head had erupted into his brain numbing all of his thoughts except one. That was the second time in three months someone had almost succeeded in their goal of killing him and somehow this attempt had been more terrifying that facing a fully powered Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic in June.
He was vaguely aware of screaming and movement but he found he couldn't move.
His scar was on fire like it was when Voldemort was around him. It scared him to think that Voldemort had been so close to achieving his goal.
His vision was starting to blur. What was wrong with him? But the pain in his head was blocking everything else out. He felt as though his head was about to split open. He fought to stay conscious but it was a losing battle and he knew it. Eventually he drifted away and sank into the comforting blackness that had been threatening to engulf him for some time and thought no more.
Harry knew he was falling. He was falling into a huge black bottomless pit he felt himself wind milling to try and stop the fall and then he looked above him he could see a flash of orange light. It looked like a phoenix.
"Fawkes!"
He whispered and he reached for her she flew higher and he was chasing her. "Wait!" he whispered and then he realised he was blinking up at a blurred ceiling. He had no clue what had happened or where he was.
He did know that someone had taken his glasses and his vision was blurred without them.
He tried to speak but found that his mouth wouldn't work. He tried to push himself up and couldn't find the strength and fell back again.
It was then that he remembered everything it came flashing into his head like a muggle-film on fast forward and he realised that yet again he had survived another death experience.
Was Death after him? Was that it? To tired to even attempt to try to sit up again he reached for his glasses and out them on.
As he suspected he was laid in the hospital wing and guessed it had to be a world record. He his fair share of time in the hospital wing in fact nearly every year had ended with him in one of the beds. But this was ridiculous.
The term hadn't even started yet! His head felt fuzzy and his scar felt hot and painfully prickly.
He closed his eyes and opened them again. The pain didn't subside but he didn't feel as sick. There was no one in the cubicle with him, which he was thankful for. He couldn't deal with anyone right now.
Not even Ron and Herminone.
But there were people outside in the hospital wing. Their voices were hushed but fearful. "How could this have happened Dumbledore?" It was Professor Magonagall's voice,
"Your guess is as good as mine." It was Dumbledore's voice as calm and serene as ever. "But Dumbledore they apperated it is meant to be impossible!"
"Yes."
Dumbledore said "and I was a fool not to think it could happen. It almost cost Harry his life." "But how?" Professor Magonagall said Dumbledore Sighed, "I have theories but each are as unlikely as the next."
"How did she know?"
Professor Magonagall said, the awe unmistakeable in her voice. "She is more magical then any being in the world and for that we must be thankful for that.
She is the reason Harry still lives. " Dumbledore said heavily. With that he pulled back the curtain and looked in. upon seeing Harry awake he let out a great sigh of relief. "Good evening Harry." "What happened?" Harry asked croakily. "I think the events of the first night are as clear to you as they are to me."
Dumbledore said shaking his head and taking a seat beside him. "How could that happen Professor?" Harry asked wide-eyed. "A question everyone wants answered, with good reason but one I am not sure I can answer Harry." "Was anyone hurt?"
Harry said his memory was sketchy all he could remember was Fawkes, the, Death Eater, the curse and a lot of pain.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"No. Thanks to Fawkes and her warning. She surprises even me at times."
Harry nodded. "Are Hermione and Ron okay?" Harry was suddenly worried something had happened to them. He had no idea. But suddenly the fear that the curse had clipped them as it sped towards them was all too real. "They're fine. They are, as are the Weasley's and Remus, frantic about you and will be relieved to know that you are ok but other than that they are fine."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Will I be able to go back to the Gryffindor tower tonight Sir? Lessons start in the morning." Harry said. Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Harry you are slightly behind the times I think." "How long have I been here?" Harry said afraid to hear the answer. "Three days." Dumbledore said heavily.
A/n recognise the line? Sad but true it fit the sequence I had to use it!
"What!" "Relax Harry. Lessons only started yesterday. The events in the great hall meant that the houses were confined to their dorms until I could make sure the school was as safe as I could make it."
He looked down at Harry. "You give us quite a scare." "What saved me?" Harry asked, this was a question that had been confusing him. No matter how he tired he could not remember anything about how he had survived.
"Fawkes."
Dumbledore smiled "She flew down from her position and took the blunt of the killing curse. Though I have to say you were fighting very well on your own." "Is…Is She Okay?"
"Yes. She's fine. She's stronger than you know." "Is everyone else okay?" Harry questioned, "Yes. Thankfully no one else was hurt. And I have done everything I can to make sure that the castle remains safe for all who live here but the fact that remains that Voldemort has breached the walls. I will not lie to you Harry this makes Hogwarts a dangerous place for you to be."
"No more dangerous than any other place I have been." Harry said. Then he thought of something "Professor! You…You don't want to send me back to the Dursley's do you? I mean I know I have to go there but it doesn't mean I have to like it."
Dumbledore smiled "As much as I feel better knowing you are safe with your aunt and uncle. No Harry. I am not sending you back to your aunt and uncle although I am sure you are aware by now that your freedom will be limited." Harry sighed, "Yes professor." "I…"
He trailed off as the door at the end of the hospital wing banged open and Herminone, Ron, Ginny and Lupin ran the length of the wing to reach him. "Hi guys." He said as they reached him. "Harry think goodness you're awake." Herminone said there were tearstains down her and Ginny's faces, Ron Looked pale under his freckles and Lupin looked like he did before a full moon only Harry knew the moon was not due for at least two weeks. He hated that he had caused this stress on his friends. "Well this must be a record I'm in here before the term even starts!" That earned surprised laughs from all around him. Professor Dumbledore smiled down at him.
"Madam Pomfrey is going to keep you in until tomorrow morning Harry and then you can return to lessons." I want to see you tomorrow morning before classes start." Harry nodded and Dumbledore swept from the room. After he was gone Ron, Ginny and Herminone continued to stare at him.
"It's Alright guys," he said smiling "I'm not going to break you know. In fact I'm fine."
"But you nearly weren't."
Herminone said quietly he looked at them all then realising for the first time that they hadn't been there in the chamber when everyone was battling, and in the atrium when Voldemort had appeared in June, in the last chamber in first year, in the chamber of secrets in second year or in the graveyard when he had returned in fourth year. That night at the feast had been their first glimpse at the killing curse in action aside from Crouch killing that spider in fourth year.
Harry shook his head "I know that. But… it's not the first time a killing curse has been aimed at me. In fact I think now that would be the third time."
"How can you be so calm about it?" Ron said loudly "A Death Eater apperated into Hogwarts and nearly killed you!" "I know." Harry said quietly. "And I can be calm because there is no point worrying about it. It won't be like last year when everyone was totally ignoring the fact that Voldemort- Ron come on he's back deal with it. And the best way to do that is to stop flinching whenever anyone says his name."
He said in response to Ron flinching "has come back." He continued where he had started. "And I'm not surprised someone has finally managed to break into Hogwarts. He's been trying it for years. So this year he finally managed to break it from the inside."
"Look." He said trying again. "I'm fine. It's happened and I'm ok you can stop worrying about me now."
At that moment Madam Pomfrey came dashing out of her office and said that Herminone, Ron and Ginny had to leave. It looked like they were about to put up a fight when Harry said "I'm okay really I'll see you tomorrow."
Reluctantly they nodded and left the hospital wing. Harry looked up at Lupin "You can go now Remus I'm ok really." "Oh no." Lupin said his mouth set in a grim line.
"I'm staying right here." Harry wanted to argue but couldn't find the energy. So he simply nodded. Lupin handed him a goblet and said "Sleepless dreams Harry. I'll be here in the morning."
Harry nodded dimly and fell into a dreamless sleep.
