The Harmony bond
Chapter thirty-seven.
By Brian Grove
brian at rescueddoggies dot com
Disclaimer:-
Still not mine, sniff, sniff.
In the previous chapter...
Harry and the others found out the Philosopher's Stone is at Hogwarts and that Voldemort is nearby...
IMPORTANT
A lot of reviewers spotted that I'd jumped ahead in time to April. That was a typo on my part. This is still December... The key was in this section...
"But My Lord, we are not ready."
"Enough. He is becoming suspicious. And I was nearly exposed last night. We must act now."
"So soon after the troll?"
"Yes. The troll should have killed the girl. It didn't. We can wait no longer. The next time the old fool is away, we will get it. And then..."
Voldemort was concerned enough about Harry's display of power in Slytherin and Hermione's blasting the troll to bring his plans forward. I've now corrected the mistakes in the previous chapter and reuploaded it.
I should say that Nachoman had also pointed out about not being April, but I still missed it!
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Thanks to a magical map the twins had in their possession, which showed where everyone was at all times, all seven of them had been able to get to the third floor corridor without being spotted.
"So we're going to stop Snape," said Ron. "Just one problem. How the hell do we get past that bloody great dog?"
"Language, Ron," said Hermione without even thinking. In their years at the Weasley Junior School, Hermione had copied Mrs. Weasley and had always told Ron off for using words his mother would object to. It had started as a joke, but somehow stuck.
"Easy," replied the twins together.
"It's a dog," said Fred.
"So we distract it with something tasty," explained George.
"Just make sure it's tastier than first years, can you?" asked Susan, nervously.
Hermione noticed that Susan had grasped Harry's hand for reassurance and felt a momentary twinge of jealously. A glance and a smile from Harry had made that unworthy thought disappear. It was just Harry being Harry, as usual.
They opened the door to find the dog asleep and a magical harp playing. "Snape's already been here," said Harry.
But as they stepped towards the trapdoor, the harp stopped playing and the dog began to stir.
Now they found out why the twins had insisted on them bringing half the cushions from the common rooms. As the dog raised its heads, the twins turned them into giant white rabbits with antlers.
The three heads immediately turned to attack the rabbits only to find that these rabbits fought back and their teeth were sharp.
Harry had been momentarily distracted by the fighting rabbits, wondering how many Monty Python films the twins had watched with Hermione's father when they'd stayed at the Grangers' house a few times.
"Come on!" Hermione shouted, opening the trapdoor. "Quickly!"
She was so eager that she knocked into Neville, who fell down the hole. His panicked scream ended quickly. "I'm all right," he yelled. "It's soft."
The others followed quickly. It was soft, but suddenly they found tendrils creeping around them.
"It's all right, it's only Devil's Snare," explained Neville, sounding relieved. "Just relax, or it'll kill you faster."
"Great," complained Ron. "Now I can really relax."
"All we have to do is relax and stay still and it'll eventually just drop us."
"Neville," said George, "I hate to tell you this, but we are in a bit of a hurry."
"Yeah," said Ron, still struggling with the tightening plant. "Snape's ahead of us, remember."
"Okay. It loves the dark and moisture. It hates sunlight and fire."
"But how can we make fire?" asked Hermione with a wavering voice, keeping her eyes closed as to not see how some vines crossed over her face. "There's no wood."
To her surprise, Susan laughed. "Hermione, you're a witch." With some difficulty, she slowly eased her wand out and pointed it above them. "Lumos Solis!" she shouted.
The whole area above them became so bright they had to close their eyes. They felt the tendrils shrivel and bend down and soon they were falling again, not so far this time. Susan landed on top of Hermione, knocking her breathless for a moment.
"Sorry."
"Where did you learn that spell?" asked Fred.
"From my aunt," Susan explained. "She's always having to give parties for the Ministry, and I go over to help look after the younger kids. They tell all the kids to have fun in the pool to leave the adults in peace to talk. If it's not warm enough, she taught me that spell to make it seem sunny. You have to be careful, though; I made it too strong once and got sunburn, not to say it's a drain on your magic."
They were walking down a long corridor, lit only by the lights from the twins' wands.
Finally they reached a large room full of giant insects.
"What are all these insects?" asked Harry.
"They're not insects," said Hermione. "They're keys. One must open that door."
"I think we're supposed to use that broom," said George, "to find the right key."
He mounted the broom, but as he took off he was immediately bombarded with the other keys. He got off quickly.
"Your turn, Harry," he said. "Fred and I will target the other keys."
"Why me? Why not Ron? He's flown more than me."
"Everyone heard how you spotted that Remembrall of Neville's from way up high, then dived down so everyone thought you'd crash..."
"I still haven't forgiven him for that," said Hermione.
"Okay." Harry mounted the broom. As with George, the other keys immediately attacked him, but this time the twins began firing spells at the other keys, gradually reducing their number. Hermione quickly copied the spell and joined in the target practice. She showed the others how to do it and Susan and Ron joined in as well.
"I can't," moaned Neville. "I broke my wand. It must have been when I landed on it. My Gran's gonna kill me!"
"You can look at any we knock down, just to make sure it isn't the right one," said Hermione.
The cloud of keys slowly diminished until finally Harry soared to the ceiling and made a grab at a key. He missed the first time, then following it in a dive, finally catching it close to the ground so that the others have to dive out of his way.
Hermione brushed herself off and took the key. The door opened silently.
"It's a graveyard," said Susan.
"No," Ron contradicted her. "It's a chessboard."
He tried to run across to the door at the far side, but the row of pawns brought their swords up to block his way.
"I think we have to play our way across," said Hermione.
"That's Ron's job, then," said Fred.
Ron ordered one of the pieces to move, but nothing happened. He tried again, and still nothing.
The white queen pointed at Ron and then at the white king.
"I think you have to be a piece," said Susan.
Yet again none of the white pieces moved.
"Maybe we all have to be pieces," suggested Hermione. Ron looked shocked. "What's wrong with that?"
"In chess, you have to sacrifice pieces to win. I can't keep seven pieces safe."
"Oh. Well, we should choose some to continue and the rest to go back and get help," she replied.
"I think Fred and George should go on," said Harry. "They're the oldest, they know the most spells."
"No," said Fred. "You have to go on, so you have to be king, Harry."
"Why me?"
"Harry," said George, unusually gently for him. "This is You-Know-Who."
"Voldemort," snapped Harry.
"All right. This is Voldemort. I just know it has to be you."
"He's right, Harry," said Fred.
"That's sorted then," said Ron. "The twins and Harry to go on. I guess I have to play as well."
"Harry, I don't want to leave you," said Hermione tearfully.
"I'll be okay. Now, go."
But as Hermione, Neville and Susan tried to leave, the door to the room slammed shut.
"I guess we all play," said Susan, trembling.
Ron looked like he'd seen a ghost. "I can't."
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"Suppose this is like Wizard's chess? You could all be killed. I can't keep seven of us safe."
"You have to play," said Neville. "Harry has to stop... Voldemort," he swallowed, "Nobody else can play chess like you can."
"He's right, little brother."
Ron nodded, though he seemed in a daze. He made Harry king and assigned pieces to all the others.
The whites were brutal in the way they disposed of the black pieces, so everyone stood in dread when, after a while, a white bishop approached Fred. He stood horrified and nobody would ever hold him accountable as he pissed himself when the bishop raised its sceptre. But then, uncharacteristically, the bishop pommelled him and slid his body out, rather than just trampling him and throwing him out.
Ron almost jumped from his knight until George shouted, "Ron! You can't. You're still playing." Only the slight waver in his voice gave away how George was feeling at that moment.
Susan was next. "I'm sorry, Susan, after this move, I have to let you be taken."
Susan was on the other knight and gripped the horses neck tightly. "Do you think they'd notice if I jumped off?" she asked.
"Why didn't I think of that? Try it Susan."
When the piece stopped moving, Susan jumped off.
The white pieces remained still, refusing to take Susan's piece.
"I guess they noticed," she shrugged, trying to make light of it as she climbed back aboard the knight and once again gripped it around the neck and closed her eyes.
Harry called to her, "If we get out of this, don't ever tell me you're not brave."
She nodded and seconds later the knight was smashed aside and it and Susan landed in a crumpled heap.
Ron's already pale face became even paler as George was sacrificed. His last words to Ron were, "You have to keep going."
Neville was next and he couldn't take his eyes off the Queen as she advanced on him. His words, "Good Luck, Harry. Stop the bastard for us," were quickly silenced.
Only Harry, Hermione and Ron were left. Both sides were left with around half a dozen pieces, while the wreckage was strewn around the room. "Harry, I have to sacrifice myself. When I do, Hermione, move to F8 and checkmate the king. With Harry where he is, the king won't have a way out."
Harry nodded dumbly and Hermione bit her nails, then he grimaced and she whimpered as the white queen advanced on Ron, and then backhanded him hard enough to send him out of the board. Feeling nauseous, Hermione moved three places sideways, turned diagonally and announced "Checkmate!" to the distant white king at A3. The king produced a dagger, then slipped it into his chest and the entire white chess set crumbled into rubble.
Finally the game was over and they went to check on their fallen friends. "They're alive," said Hermione. Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
The door, which had opened as the black king had surrendered, was beginning to close. "Come on, quick!" Harry shouted, and they ran through the door just in time.
They passed a large dead troll, which smelled terrible. "Pity Neville's not here, he could have had a feast," Harry commented as he stepped through yet another door.
As they reached a row of potion bottles, fire flared up around them in a circle, purple by the door they entered and blue by the next door. A piece of paper contained a riddle.
Hermione stood there studying it for a while. Harry stayed silent, he knew not to interrupt Hermione when she was concentrating. Finally Hermione said, "It's easy. You take this one to go on."
"But there's only enough for one."
"The twins were right," Hermione said reluctantly. "It has to be you. I know it."
"What will you do?"
"This potion will let me go back." She drank it and said, "Now you."
Harry nodded and drank his potion. Hermione stepped back through the flames and called out that she was unharmed. Harry walked forward through the flames and through the door beyond...
"You?" he cried, seeing Professor Quirrell. "But Snape?"
Professor Quirrell laughed. "That overgrown bat?" he sneered, then turned back to the large mirror he was looking at. "I see myself with the stone, but how do I get it."
A voice said "The stone is in the mirror. Let me speak to the boy."
Quirrell unwrapped his turban and turned around.
"So. Harry Potter. At last. See what you have reduced me to? A parasite. You owe me, so now you will help me."
"I'll never help you."
"Use the boy to get the stone. Put him in front of the mirror," Voldemort ordered.
The Professor waved his wand and Harry found himself facing the mirror.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice screamed in his head. "Destroy the mirror."
He thought back, "But if the stone is in there Nicolas Flamel will die."
"If you don't, Voldemort will get it. DO IT, HARRY!"
Taking Quirrell by surprise, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the mirror. Before Quirrell could stop him, Harry had used the spell they'd used to blow the keys out of the air and the mirror cracked into small pieces.
Quirrell was furious and reached for Harry, but his hand burned as he touched the boy.
"We'll get him later," snapped the voice. "Get us out of here."
Quirrell seemed to turn into black smoke and fled from the scene, all the doors opening for him as he fled.
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Madam Pomfrey had managed to revive the others in a short space of time and all of them except Harry, Hermione and Ron were enjoying being treated as heroes.
"Why aren't you enjoying it, Ron?" Hermione asked him. "I thought you'd have loved it."
Her teasing fell flat as his looked at her with pain in his eyes. "I could have killed all of us. We didn't know they'd only be stunned. I could have killed them."
They knew he was referring to the chessboard. "You had no choice, Ron," said Harry quietly.
"You think I don't know that?" he almost shouted. "It would still have been me that killed them. I'm a hero because I nearly killed the twins, Neville and Susan. It just isn't right."
"I understand," said Harry.
"How can you?" Ron spat.
"He understands because he's a hero due to what his mother did when he was a baby."
"At least you can remember it," said Harry, bitterly.
"I wish I couldn't," said Ron.
"And it's not just that," Harry pointed out. "I basically killed Nicolas Flamel and his wife by destroying the mirror, yet I'm the great hero yet again. I'm supposed to feel good about it."
Ron nodded understandingly and the three walked outside for some peace.
Later when Harry and Hermione were alone, they finally talked about what had happened. "We can talk in our heads. I heard you telling me to destroy the mirror."
"I know. But it still seems to be only when we really need it that the connection gets stronger."
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To the puzzlement of the rest of the school, Ron, Harry and Hermione remained rather subdued for the few weeks until the school broke up for Christmas.
Christmas back at the Grangers was a welcome relief for Harry and Hermione. They'd all promised Mrs. Weasley to go to the Burrow to celebrate the New Year, but Christmas was just the four of them.
As they were eating their Christmas dinner they heard a loud bang somewhere outside, almost like a giant electrical short circuit. Mr. Granger got up and opened the front door.
Nothing.
"Stay here," he ordered as he walked outside and down the path to their gate.
The others ignored him and stepped outside the door.
Mr. Granger collapsed as he was hit by a green light. Mrs. Granger ran to her fallen husband and was swept aside, crashing into the fence.
Instinctively Hermione grasped Harry's hand. They reached for their wands and pointed them at the dark figure of Professor Quirrell before them.
Their powerful shield pushed him back for a moment, then he flicked his hand and it was gone. "You think you can defeat me, Potter? This is what happens to those who defy me."
He pointed his wand at Mrs. Granger and she screamed in agony.
"The Cruciatus Curse. One of my favourites. I wonder how long she can take before her mind goes."
"Stop it!" Hermione screamed. "Please!" She ran towards her mother but was frozen in place before she got half way.
"Now, Harry Potter. Let's see how long your bond mate can take it before I kill her."
It was Hermione's turn to collapse screaming. Even over her screaming, Harry could hear the laughter from Quirrell.
Then it seemed like the floodgate opened and he could feel the pain. In seconds, he collapsed, still watching Hermione, unable to turn his eyes away, his whole body seeming to burn with pain and Quirrell's laughter echoing in his head.
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Author's note...
Next time I'll trust my betas and check with them before making a "correction"! Of course there is nothing in canon (only in fanon) to say that Susan's parents are dead. If they had been, one of my excellent betas would have spotted the error. My alteration to chapter 35 remains, however, as it works either way.
I know the Latin for Light is Lumen, not Lumos, but as Nachoman pointed out Lumos is used for just about every light spell in canon and fanon.
Thanks to my betas, Nachoman1, a.k.a. Ignacio RamÃrez, Militis, a.k.a. Mike, omega13a, Helena, The_Scribbler and Minara.
Please review.
Brian