Chapter 10
These next two chapters i have high hopes for, so i hope you all enjoy them as much as i hope!
Beyondthesea16- you'll learn more about the glow and Ron/Romilda soon no worries!
- I tried to skip going through the sorting but I must have forgotten to mention that lol as for ancient runes, I honestly just forgot about it, I'm sorry!
C the madman- I tried to make the cave as unrelated to JK Rowling's as possible, but some things just can't always be done and I'm very glad you liked it. And don't worry about Harry becoming too powerful, there's more to come from the ring.
Here's the next chapter everyone!
Harry's least favorite holiday use to be Christmas at the Dursley's, but ever since he'd come to Hogwarts Christmas has had a whole new effect for him. He's no longer slaving over his Aunt and Uncle's Christmas dinners, or being locked in his room whether it underneath the staircase or in Dudley's old room where he kept all of his destroyed toys, Harry was happy to be away from them. Now he normally spent his Christmas's with the Weasley's, although the last Christmas he spent it at his godfather's house with half the Order there as well. So when the last class had ended and the three friends were heading to the common room to pack, Harry's excitement was high.
"Are Fred and George going to be there? It'd be cool to see some of their newest inventions" Harry stated to Ron as they had just walked through the portrait hole.
"Me whole family is going to be there, even Bill and his girlfriend. You remember Fleur right? Well anyways, now their together and he's making a trip over from Romania to come stay for Christmas. To be honest, I'm not sure how mum's going to fit everyone this year…" Harry heard Ron's voice trailing off before they saw Romilda Vane on top of the steps.
"Oh yeah, erm… me mum's invited her too." Ron began to blush slightly, and Romilda blew a kiss to Ron who grudgingly reached his hand out and caught it, causing Harry and Hermione to have to cover their mouths with their hand in order to keep from exploding with laughter. Romilda smiled and then turned into the girl's dormitories. "I jus' hope she doesn't do that around Fred and George. I'll never hear the end of it."
Harry and Hermione finally let out their laughs and they continued up the spiral stairs and into their respective rooms. Packing went smoothly enough: Harry used it as a practice for his wandless magic. Had any of his other roommates been in the room, he would've used his wand, but because it was just Ron he was comfortable doing it. Ron was stuffing a pair of jeans into his suitcase before Hermione walked in.
"Ron, why don't you just use a enlargement charm? I mean, you are a wizard right?" Hermione walked over and sat on the edge of Harry's bed, with Ron scratching his head.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Ron asked himself, and then removed his wand from his pocket. He casted a spell, but it sure wasn't an enlargement charm. The clothes within his suitcase began to shoot out of it and land on different areas of the common room, some on top of the heater, some across each of their roommate's beds, and a pair of underwear even smacked Ron across the face, and then shot into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Hermione felt backwards onto the bed laughing, and Harry was doing his best to fight back from doing the same.
Ron's eyes were wide and his jaw was dropped, and then he turned to Hermione. "You did this, didn't you?" he asked, still in shock of what happened.
Before Hermione answered, Romilda Vane came into the room laughing and sat down next to Hermione. The two of them exchanged laughs until Romilda answered Ron's question for him. "I'm sorry, Ron but it was such a good idea! Hermione came up to me and explained how you were getting upset about them always being gone so I thought it'd be funny if I swapped you're wand after the lesson with one of your brother's joke wands, so you could relax a little." Romilda looked at Hermione and they started giggling again, and then Ron looked at Harry, a small smirk on his face before he spoke. "And I 'spose you knew about this too?"
Harry shook his head. "Actually no, but I have to admit, the underwear slapping you in the face was a nice touch." The four of them laughed and helped Ron get his things back in the suitcase, this time with an actual enlargement charm placed on it, and the four of them decided to sit around and play with a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans until it was time to leave for the train.
Over the years, Hermione and Harry always viewed Romilda Vane as a very pushy, conceited and over-the-top self-confident person. But ever since she had started dating Ron, her attitude had softened greatly. If it were this time last year, they would have thought Romilda to be a pretentious gossiper who love attention, but now all she really seemed to care about was Hogwarts and Ron, and that was saying something. As much as they loved Ron, he did have his good and his bad. Ron was always a very funny person, but he did tend to have his moods and be a bit insecure about certain topics (normally involving money). But nonetheless, Harry and Hermione were happy to see the two of them find a median to both of their personalities, and the train ride home was just as enjoyable as their time spent in the common room prior to.
Per usual, Mrs. Weasley was waiting just outside the door of the train when they had arrived to King's Cross. Ron and Harry were the first off the train, and as soon as they set foot on the ground Mrs. Weasley had the pair of them wrapped around her arms.
"Oh it is so good to see the both of you! How are you two? Oh and my sweet Ginny and Hermione!" she let go of Harry and Ron and ran over to Ginny and Hermione, doing the same thing to them.
"Geez mum, you'd think you haven't seen us in ages." Ginny said, and Mrs. Weasley let go of them.
"I'm sorry dear; I just miss my children seeing that they're all out of the house now. So Ron, where is your girlfriend?" she asked, and not a moment too soon. Romilda came around the corner of the door and Ron gave her a weak smile, and then she looked down to see Mrs. Weasley looking up at her. Romilda calmly walked down and introduced herself.
"You must be Ron's mother; it's so nice to meet you. Ron talks about your cooking all the time." Harry, Hermione and Ginny couldn't help but chuckle, because all Ron ever seemed to think about was what he was going to eat next.
"Oh really? Is that all he spoke about?" she asked, turning to look at her son.
"O' course not mum! I just really missed your cooking…" Romilda walked down from the train steps and held Ron's hand.
"He's told me tons about you Mrs. Weasley. And about the rest of your family, I'm very excited to meet them." Harry turned to Hermione and raised an eyebrow at her as if to say 'is this the real Romilda Vane?' and then looked back at Mrs. Weasley who had a very big smile on her face. Mrs. Weasley ushered them all out of the train station and met up with Mr. Weasley shortly after when they reached the car. The car was an easy squeeze, with Mr. Weasley using a similar enlargement charm that Hermione had used on Ron's suitcase, making the back seat large enough to fit a kitchen in, and they spent the ride home talking to Mr. Weasley about his different adventures at the Ministry.
"He's actually just been promoted, isn't that right dear?" Mrs. Weasley admitted, and Mr. Weasley couldn't help but explain to them that due to Umbridge's disappearance from the Ministry last year that each member below her got a promotion, sending Mr. Weasley to the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. He talked about all the different objects he had taken so far, including a bewitched toilet seat that kept biting Muggles every time there tried to sit down on it. Finally, the group had arrived at the Burrow. Harry couldn't help but gaze up at the wondrous view in front of him, and then Hermione took hold of him and had to tug on his arm to pull him back from his daze. He helped carry things into the house, and to his surprise Fred and George were already there, sending fireworks popping right in front of Harry once he entered the door.
"Good to see ya, Harry!" They said in between the blows of the fireworks. Mrs. Weasley ran into the house, thinking something else was going on, and then when she saw the fireworks going off she gave her twins a nasty look and then began to yell. "How many times have I told the two of you not to use those in the house?! This is not Hogwarts where you can explode a massive dragon to go on and attack your mother like you did that horrid Umbridge woman!" The fireworks stopped midway through her yelling, and she hadn't lowered her voice, causing everyone but the twins to have to cover their ears.
Harry couldn't help but laugh after the twins looked at one, shrugged their shoulders and then disapparated out of the room only to apparate right behind Mrs. Weasley. "we're sorry mum, we promise never ever to put little Ronnie-kins in danger again." And then began hugging their beloved brother. "Ger-off me" Ron said as he struggle to free himself.
'Welcome home, Harry' he thought to himself.
The next few days were spent playing Quidditch outside, although Hermione and Romilda were terrible at flying and decided it best to watch instead. Harry and Ginny played on one side, while Fred George and Ron were on the other. They thought these teams were fair because Harry and Ginny were much smaller and able to move quicker, but the others had a one man advantage. How mistaken they were. They played game after game until the sun had nearly set each of the days, and Ron's team had only managed to win a single game. Mrs. Weasley spent her time cleaning and cooking, while Mr. Weasley was still out-and-about, whether it was for the Ministry or for the Order.
Their nights were usually spent around the fire in the living room, with Romilda, Hermione, and Ginny gossiping while Harry and Ron played wizards chess. Sometimes the Weasley twins would come down to bother Ron and try to embarrass him in front of Romilda, but normally they were up in their rooms creating another joke contraption for their shop, which business was booming for. Hermione slept in Ginny's room, while Romilda was given Percy's old room. Harry, like he always did, shared Ron's room with him. The night before Christmas Eve, Ron decided to ask Harry something.
"Hey Harry… I know this is really random and all, but why don't you ever take the ring off?"
Harry had just moved his knight to take down one of Ron's pawns, and then Ron moved his bishop and took Harry's piece out. Harry looked up, and then down at the ring on his finger. "I honestly forgot I even had it on." He reached down and spun the ring on his finger, and then took it off and placed it on the nightstand next to his bed. They finished their game again, with Ron giving Harry a beating on the board, and then they proceeded to bed.
"You told me that this would work Ollivander! You told me this would break the bond!" a snapped his wrist and the old wandmaker began writhing on the ground. The old man spoke between screams as best he could. "I… thought it… would… work!"
Voldemort snapped his wrist again and the torture stopped. "My Lord, please. There is another way!" Voldemort had his wand raised above his head with both hands holding the end of it, and then he paused. "Do not waste my time, old man!" The wandmaker retreated to the wall, hiding his face with his hands. "No please! I have done it before!" Voldemort lowered his wand slowly and brought it to his waist.
"Why did you not tell me earlier?" he asked and Ollivander peaked through his hands,
"Because I thought this would have worked. But there is another way. However, there is something necessary for it to work." Voldemort hovered closer to Ollivander on the ground, and then leaned his body forward. "If you care to live, you will tell me." Ollivander was shaking when he spoke. "You need his wand. Potter's wand. I can't do it without both of them."
Voldemort took a full body form when he heard this, and walk over to his chair on the far side of the table. He took his seat, and Nagini rose its head next to Voldemort. He pet the snake on its head, and then called out, "Wormtail!" Peter Pettigrew came waddling into the room, his hands shaking as he did so. "Bring me the teacher." Wormtail nodded, and returned moments later with two others. He and a Death Eater were carrying a pale, skinny mane into the room. They picked him up, and then threw him onto the table, his back hitting and causing him to let out a gasp of pain. Voldemort placed his wand on the table, and then began his questioning.
"Where is the boy, Professor Sallow?" The professor lay motionless on the table, only moving his head from side to side, before he let out a whisper. "You'll have to kill me, Voldemort." Voldemort let out an evil laugh, and then stood, pushing his chair back as he did so. Nagini slithered down to the floor and began circling the table in a figure eight, around the legs. "As much as I would love to kill you, you are the key to finding the famous Harry Potter." He grabbed his wand, "But I have other ways of getting what I want. If you will not tell me," his wand was raised, now pointing directly at Professor Sallows head, "I will find out for myself."
Voldemort thrust his wand forward, and before the Professor new it, he felt like his mind was twisting and struggling about. He couldn't help but let out a scream as he felt Voldemort in his head, seeping through his memories and casting enchantments that sent shivers through his spine. Voldemort's body was stiff, with his eyes shut, as his hand made tiny gestures each time he casted a curse in the Professor's head, until finally he returned to his body. "I must congratulate you Professor. You put up a very good fight; but I have what I need. Unfortunately, I would normally take the pleasure of killing you, but since you have a position at Hogwarts, I have a much better idea. Wormtail! Take him, torture him, and then sent him back to precious Dumbledore. I know where the boy is."
Voldemort took his black mist form, and disappeared out the window, a couple of Death Eaters following.
Harry awoke instantly, screaming and feeling sweat pour down his face. Ron woke and screamed too, but only out of surprise from Harry. "Bloody hell mate what…"
"Ron we have to get everyone out of here now!" Harry jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans. He snatched his wand off the table and grabbed the ring, thrusting it into his pocket. Ron jumped out of bed too, and got changed quickly. "Harry what's going on? It's Christmas Eve Day!" Harry had just slammed his suitcase shut before he turned and faced Ron. "Voldemort knows I'm here, and he's coming! We have to warn the others!"
Just as he finished his sentence, Harry saw from out of Ron's window a giant ball of flame hurling straight at them. Harry quickly took out his wand and casted a protection charm around him and Ron, and the flame bounced off it into the surrounding areas of Ron's room that weren't protected. "MOVE!" Harry and Ron ran from out of the room, only just making it out before another curse burned through the door. Everybody was up and standing in the stairway, and only did they realize what was happening when another ball of fire ripped through the side of the house, destroying half the staircase. Hermione, Ginny, and Romilda appeared from above where Harry and Ron were, and Hermione instantly ran back into the room, and came out with a bag and her wand in hand. The three girls ran down the stairs, dodging curses as they went, and met up with Ron and Harry. Just before Harry took a step, the staircase was destroyed even more and Harry toppled over the edge, sending him slamming into the top step of the next surviving piece.
Hermione screamed down at him, but Ron held her back from jumping down. Harry slowly got up, feeling the pain in his lower back. Just before he was able to stand, a Death Eater flying in the sky caught sight of him and casted a curse. A black smoke shot towards Harry, and he raised his wand to cast a protection charm, and just barely casted in time, causing the black smoke to shoot around the edges. Harry stood and looked up at the others only to find Ron standing there. Suddenly, Fred apparated next to him grabbed him, and then disapparated. 'They're safe.' Harry said to himself, and then he began running down the steps. He made it to the bottom floor, only to meet two Death Eaters entering the door. He hid at the bottom of the staircase behind the wall, and casted a stunning charm on one of the Death Eaters, sending him flying out the door. The other Death Eater was fully alert now and was casting curses at Harry, hitting the side of the wall and sending parts of the curse past Harry's face. Harry casted a protection charm on the side of the wall, stood behind it and let it take a curse before he casted a second stunning spell quicker than the Death Eater could have casted another curse, and send him smashing into the wall.
Pieces of wood from above Harry began falling from the ceiling, the house starting to fill with smoke. He covered his mouth and nose with his arm, and rushed towards the door as fast as he could, wood nearly hitting him in the head as he did so. He exited the house and ran towards the tall grasses that surrounded the area. He had just barely made it there before a Death Eater apparated in front of him. Harry raised his wand to cast a jinx at him, but the Death Eater casted a curse into Harry's chest, sending him flying backwards and slamming onto the floor of the earth. When he looked up, a circle of Death Eaters was surrounding Harry, but as he looked down to check on his wounds, he noticed that he was completely fine. Nothing more than a slight pain in his chest, but his clothing looked as though it hadn't been touch. He slowly stood and looked around his surroundings, only to find that there was no escaping this.
Harry kept his wand at the ready, and a Death Eater behind him casted a curse and Harry blocked it. Another from his left did the same, but Harry was still fast enough to block it. A few more shots from the Death Eaters were done, but Harry blocked them all. They lowered their wands, and just as they did so, Voldemort swooped down from the sky landing in the circle in front of Harry.
"It's wonderful to see you again Harry. I was most disappointed when I could not finish you at the Ministry, but you don't have Dumbledore to hide behind this time." Voldemort gave an evil smile at Harry, and Harry couldn't help be feel his scar burning, but he didn't remove his eyes from Voldemort.
"Nothing to say? Pity." Harry kept his wand focused on Voldemort, and then Voldemort casted a spell at Harry, and Harry blocked it. "I see you've gotten better at dueling as well. No doubt Dumbledore has been teaching you." Harry shot back at Voldemort this time, who simple waved his wand towards the ground as the spell came inches from him, sending it into the ground. "I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that." Voldemort began casting curse after curse at Harry, and Harry very nearly missed a few but had raised his wand just in the nick of time, sending them flying off in different directions. This went on for a few minutes, with Harry casting jinxes at the Dark Lord every so often, focusing most of his efforts on keeping himself from being hit by a curse. Suddenly, Voldemort raised his wand beside his ear, and then thrusted his wand forward at Harry, who, just before raising his wand to deflect it, saw a giant transparent white orb shooting straight at his face. As soon as the curse hit Harry's shield, he was thrust backwards onto the ground, slamming his head first and nearly losing consciousness. As the rest of his body hit the floor, he felt the grip on his wand loosen until he saw the wand twirling over his face and landing yards behind him, just in front of the feet of one of the Death Eaters. The Death Eater reached down and picked it up, and then nodded to Voldemort. Voldemort began laughing, and then hovered over Harry. "Soon enough, Harry Potter will no longer be 'The Boy Who Lived'." Voldemort reached down, grabbing Harry by his shirt, and disapparated.
Just seconds before Voldemort disappeared, Hermione apparated just behind the shed with members of the Order accompanying her. As she took a look from around the shed, she saw Voldemort standing over Harry, and then disapparated. Hermione screamed and began casting spells at the Death Eater's closest to them, stunning one in the back of the head with her first spell. The other members surfaced from behind the shed as well, sending jinxes at the other Death Eaters. Remus Lupin was able to stun another Death Eater before they all disapparated from the area. "No! He has Harry! Voldemort has Harry!" Hermione screamed as she ran over to the spot where Voldemort had disapparated. "We have to find him!"