A/N: Sorry to leave you all with that cliffy, but here is the next chapter and the much anticipated reveal of the 'cursed book'. Do let me know if you guessed it or was it a shock/surprise?
All Characters, props and places mentioned here (baring the ones you don't recognise from the books) belong to JKR, the plot is mine though.
Chapter 29: Bolt from the Blue
"Wait, could you read it?" he asked, shutting the book with a slam and turning towards her. The previous time, her eyes had burnt by merely glancing at it, and Ron had no intentions what so ever of taking that chance again. He couldn't even remember where he had left the salve, neither was Dumbledore here to help this time.
Hermione, however, was still staring at the closed book. "I definitely could, Ron." She whispered a little fearfully and pointed at the cover.
The book seemed to be losing the enchantments put on it and was returning to its true form. Black gave way to a dirty dried blood-red colour, which now had words forming on it – Secrets of the Darkest Arts.
"Don't touch it. I'll call Harry." He said sternly to the girl who was watching the magic unfold with a mixture of curiosity and repulsion. Pulling open the door, he yelled out for his best mate as loud as his lungs would allow. But when even after three tries there was no response from downstairs, he turned around to face the girl who had inched closer to the table, obviously much too tempted to read it.
"Hermione?" he called pulling her attention back to him, "Don't touch it before I am back. I'm still not sure what this is all about. Don't touch or read it, you get it?"
"Y-Yeah." She replied a little putout but understanding his concern, nonetheless.
Ron was out in a flash. He rushed down the stairs, jumping a couple of them at each landing till he pushed open the door to the kitchen and pulled out the spectacled boy who was still chatting away merrily with Ginny.
"Hey!" she called in surprise and annoyance while Harry managed only a – "Wha-" before Ron had pulled him out of the chair and up the stairs. Noting the urgency, Harry was finally matching steps with Ron's much longer ones.
"What is happening?" he managed to huff once they had already crossed the second level.
"Remember that book?" answered the taller guy without breaking step, "the one that cursed Hermione?" he panted. "It's a book of dark magic." He finished as they reached the final landing.
Nothing more was required as an explanation, and the two boys barged into Hermione's old room one after the other.
"There!" breathed Ron indicating the sickly article on the table. Harry took in a few deep breaths and clutched his sides, tilting sideways to take a look.
Finally, gathered around the table, Harry tentatively flipped open the cover even as Ron held his wand out for precaution, looking extremely sceptical. The words that had begun to form when they had touched earlier was
"This was a library book?!" noted Hermione looking at her two friends and slowly Harry began to read aloud.
Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione,
If you can read this text, it means you have proved yourself worthy to be entrusted with the terrible secret it holds and it is now time for you to know it.
This book has caused much evil earlier, and to prevent history from repeating, I have enchanted it to reveal its words only to those who are pure and brave at heart, wizards and witches who will use it not to create but destroy evil.
Any person with the slightest affirmation with the dark side or one who sympathises with the evil forces will be cursed upon touch, effectively prohibiting the person from retrieving any information held within these pages. Having learned from my past mistake, I have also ensured that no evil can use a pure heart as a pawn from getting the secrets from it. In such a scenario the pure at heart will be unaffected by the curse, but the book's secrets will not be revealed either.
I hope you will use it well.
I am, yours most sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Ron turned towards the girl standing next to Harry while his heart gave a leap. She had pulled the book away from him and was reading Dumbledore's note again. A heavy weight seemed to have lifted from his shoulders. She was indeed true to the cause as Harry had insisted ever since his poisoning. All his crazy heart wanted to do was to wrap her in his arms and snog her senseless.
"I have never seen a darker book than this in my entire life and believe me I have seen quite a few," She said breaking his internal musings while she flipped through the pages and ran her finger over the contents. Ron noted that her brows were scrunched in disgust and she was flipping its pages in a way most people would handle something dead and decaying.
"What is all this about?" she asked sombrely, turning towards the boys as they glanced at each other, a silent communication passing through them. All of Dumbledore's words about trusting Hermione were now making sense, this was the third and final test, and she had most definitely passed.
"We've to tell her about the Horcruxes, mate," Ron nodded at Harry suggestion and pulling out the chair, flopped down on it.
"Horcruxes? Wait, this is mentioned here." She spoke almost to herself. Finding the correct page she read aloud from the book.
"A Horcrux is a powerful object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality."
She paused to stare in shock at the two boys, and Ron could almost see the realization trickle through her.
"Creating one Horcrux gave one the ability to anchor one's own soul to earth if the body was destroyed?!"
She gulped down audibly and looked fearfully at her companions. "T-This is about the Dark Lord, isn't it? Has he created a Horcrux? Is that how he c-came back?"
"This is going to take some time. You might as well sit down." Ron said as he locked the door and she flopped down on her bed, Harry sat down next to her.
Slowly, they began their story that started from the time Harry's parents were murdered. They told her of the Sorcerer's stone and Voldemort's attempt at stealing it, they told her about the diary and the Basilisk, about Voldemort's return at the end of their fourth year, which she knew courtesy Harry's interview with the Quibbler. They told her of the prophecy and the fight in the Ministry of Magic. And finally, they disclosed Voldemort's history as found out from the memories Dumbledore had shown Harry.
"Dumbledore assumes that Voldemort intended to make seven Horcruxes." finished Harry looking at the girl, who had turned almost white as he had concluded his long narration with Ron's help.
"S-Seven?" she managed looking between the two.
"Yes," They replied solemnly in unison.
"Tom Riddle's Diary, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, Nagini, his snake and something that belonged to Godric Gryffindor or Ravena Ravenclaw." counted Ron on his fingers.
"Not Gryffindor's perhaps because his sword is certainly no Horcrux." corrected Harry.
"The one you killed the Basilisk with." Murmured Hermione almost to herself, it was evident that her brain was already working away on the problem. "But that makes six."
"And don't forget the part of his soul that resides in his own body." pointed Ron again, while she flipped out to the Horcrux section, reading away silently but faster than Ron had ever seen anyone do in his life.
"So in order to finish him, all these six objects must be destroyed first?" she asked pausing and looking up.
"Four not six, Harry already destroyed the diary and Dumbledore destroyed the ring," Ron told her.
She began reading again from the point she had stopped before. "This says here that even by making one Horcrux, the wizard or witch makes the rest of his or her soul very vulnerable. By making so many, You-Know-Who would have rendered his soul extremely unstable."
"Doesn't make him any less threatening, if you ask me." Observed Ron. Somewhere during their conversation all three of them had landed sprawled on the carpeted floor. Harry and Hermione were leaning against the bed while Ron had his back to the door.
"When all the Horcruxes are destroyed, he will be a mortal once again." Said Harry remembering the conversation he had had with the Headmaster.
"Part or whole, that spawn of the devil will still be a tough one to do in," grumbled Ron. The idea was insane in his opinion, a suicide mission, but one in which he had willingly enrolled years ago really. And now, Hermione was in it too. Suddenly he didn't feel ecstatic about her clearing Dumbledore's trust test anymore.
"This has the detail description of how to create a Horcrux," stated Hermione, still reading, her expression getting more repulsed the further she read. "I'm sure the Dark Lord received all the information he needed from here. Why keep this in a school library at all?!" she exclaimed.
"Mental." agreed Ron.
"I have never seen this book in any of our libraries, not ours, neither the Malfoy's nor the Greengrass's for that matter. And that is saying something! Between us, we had an extensive collection of books." She continued looking from one to the other. "I think this is a very rare copy, perhaps the others were destroyed over time?"
"Hopefully so and not hidden away. Don't want anymore You-Know-Whos, do we?" Ron joked although the casual mention of the Malfoys irked him more than he wanted to admit. He had almost forgotten that the girl in front of him belonged to one of the richest pureblood families of Britain, someone who would have been in the constant company of the crème of the wizarding élite.
"What now?" he asked noticing that his voice came out rather rough for his liking.
"I have to read this thoroughly and see if I can find some other information once we are back at school. If Dumbledore thought it prudent to put up so much protection on this, it has to be a crucial weapon against You-Know-Who."
A knock on the door almost made the three pull out their wands, engrossed as they were in their own world. Hermione immediately stuck the book back in the shelf, hiding it between a few larger volumes.
"Ron! Harry? Mum says the three of you are to come down this instant," called Ginny, banging loudly. "Come on, its dinnertime!"
"Really?" whispered Hermione as surprised as the boys. Ron shouted back a reply for her to go along, telling her that they would follow shortly.
"Never realised it got so late," agreed Harry and picking himself up from the floor, brushed the backside of his jeans.
"Hermione had a lot to catch up." Mentioned Ron picking up the stack of books they had arranged earlier while Harry pulled the door open for them.
"So you really are the Chosen One, Harry," She added in almost a whisper, looking up at the raven haired boy in admiration.
Ron could hardly gulp down the pang of jealousy that seared his insides. Of course, who would not be in awe of the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who was destined to vanquish the darkest of all wizards? Despite the more sensible part of him that constantly reminded that there was little to be jealous of Harry's horrific destiny, Ron could not help imagining himself in his best mate's place with the girl of his dreams looking at him that way. Heck, even facing the Voldemort would be worth if it would fetch him that look in her eyes...
...
It was well past dinner time, and Molly and Arthur had long since gone off to bed. The boys were sitting opposite a very old chessboard which they had retrieved from the drawers in the living room during their summer stay. The chess pieces that had pulled out their weapons on them at the beginning of their fifth year, was now cleaned off the enchantments and back to their ordinary selves, albeit a lot more vicious than their normal counterparts.
Ron watched his knight beat Harry's castle to a pulp before his attention was again drawn back to the soft murmur of the two girls, who were, sitting on the long couch sipping their hot chocolate and gossiping amongst themselves. He expected Ginny to have pulled Hermione to their room for their heart-to-heart. For reasons unknown, however, she hadn't done so. Perhaps it was Hermione's idea? Maybe she was waiting for her friend to call it a night, and then, the three of them could go back to the discussion which had been cut short earlier. So far, however, Ginny seemed in no way ready for bed; quite the contrary, she was way too awake for his liking, playing the part of an annoying younger sister to the best.
"So you were with Krum after your fourth year?" she asked, and Ron felt blood racing through his temples waiting for the curly-haired witch to answer.
"Well... yes. For a while," She replied in a small, conscious voice and Ron edged his pawn a step ahead, shouting his instructions rudely. The pawn followed his instruction albeit after throwing a specific expletive at him. Ron showed it a rude gesture, and concentrated his attention back at the ongoing conversation instead of the board.
"Oh! Do tell me all about it!" squeaked the younger girl delightfully as Harry's knight swooped down on the pawn causing pieces of stone skittering away on the chessboard.
"Well, he is a gentleman," She replied in almost a shy whisper, which carried loud enough in the otherwise silent room.
"He invited me to spend the summer at his place before he left at the end of our fourth year."
"And?" pursued Ginny.
"I went with my parents," Hermione replied with a small laugh.
"What?!"
"Of course Ginny, they would never leave me alone without a chaperone. And, it was a very formal invitation. Father was going on a business visit, and we went along. Stayed for a week at their manor." She said, and even without looking at her, Ron could feel her blushing. He imagined wringing the neck of the sallow-skinned bastard if he could. The Bulgarian bloke didn't seem very appealing as a Quidditch player anymore, certainly not fit enough to be his favourite.
"Oh come on Hermione, spill the beans already!" grumbled Ginny and Ron had a terrible urge to walk out of the room, perhaps the house for added measure. He stayed put instead, looking at the board in front, ears trained on the conversation behind him.
"Ginny!" she admonished with a small, conscious laugh.
"Oh, don't be such a spoil sport, Hermione! Tell me please! Was he your first?"
There was no answer, but a little squeal from Ginny and Ron was sure he had gone blind with anger. All he wished to do was throw off the board which Harry seemed to be winning anyway and rip off every single furniture of the once grand room. He also wanted to pull the girl in question from her cosy place on the couch, shake her by the shoulder, and demand an explanation. What the ruddy hell did she mean by he was her first? First what? Snog or shag? Was she still seeing him?
"Then what happened?" The girls continued, oblivious to the effect their chatting was having on Ron.
"He ... he proposed marriage while we were there." The defeated knight piece that had repaired itself crumbled between his fingers drawing blood.
"He did?!" gasped Ginny. "Wow!"
"My mother declined, though. I was way too young, and they wanted better for me," she replied, and he could no longer tell for sure if she sounded hurt or not, seething as he was, with silent fury.
"Better?! He is an international Quidditch player, for Merlin sake! Was your opinion not sought?" Ron was sure if his sister spoke any longer he would end up smacking her right across her face.
"Marriages in our families are often similar to business deals, Ginny. It is less about the heart, more about the eventual gain, in terms of gold and connections. Their criteria of 'better' were different." For whatever reasons, she sounded perturbed.
"I am their only child, and so were my parents in their respective families. My mother was French, did you know? So, she had this slight inclination towards families that shared similar roots. Also, because the person who I would be wed to, would indirectly inherit the entire Granger wealth, they wanted a family that was an equal in that respect."
"Just to ensure no one married you for the money? Although, to be honest, their preferences are in contradiction to the very idea that they wished you to marry for love." Ginny contemplated.
"I hoped as much, but you are right," Hermione replied with a sad laugh. "I too think, the main reason was that they were reluctant to form ties with anyone who, in their opinion, was lesser in wealth and status " she sighed. "Quite obviously, the person had to be a pureblood and preferably, also a single child, the sole heir to his legacy."
"Wow, that is a quite an extensive list! I wonder if they would ever find someone who matched it all."
"Can you seriously think of no one who fits, Ginny?" Hermione asked in a very small voice.
There was a moment of silence during which Harry's queen posed a checkmate to Ron's king, the first one ever, and Ginny breathed out a small shocked whisper.
"...Draco Malfoy?!"
A/N: Alright, the proverbial cat is out of the bag, (or I should say cats perhaps). Eagerly looking forward to all your thoughts. Thank you all for reading!
