The furor over 'the Malfoy incident' as it came to be known only got worse the next day when Malfoy appeared for dinner with his face looking like a giant bruise. Pansy tried fussing over him, only to get shoved aside unceremoniously. Everyone seemed to be talking about the incident, but with no details coming forth from either, Harry, Snape or Malfoy, people took what little Harry gave them and ran with it. By the next morning, it was almost a certain fact that Snape and Malfoy had attempted to kidnap Harry from Hogwarts and he had fought off the attempt with a sword from an armored suit near him when he was disarmed.
The gossip machine of Hogwarts was going strong and not even the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin made any dent into the gossip mongerers' enthusiasm. Gryffindor winning the Quidditch match and the Cup had only added fuel to the enthusiasm of the Gryffindors. The party had just begun when Harry entered the common room with booze from Hogsmead. He had taken over the void left behind by Fred and George as the supplier of illicit booze after McLaggen miserably failed to do so by walking out the front doors in broad daylight.
Harry had just plopped the drinks onto the table and turned around when out of nowhere, there was Ginny running toward him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. Harry could see her lips heading for his and instinctively, without thinking, without planning it, he turned his head just enough that Ginny's lips landed on his cheek.
After a long awkward moment — or it might have been half an hour Harry threw his best acting face and cheered "To the Quidditch team and booze!" The room that had gone quiet just a moment ago, exploded in cheer as Seamus began pouring out drink after drink for people.
Harry quietly whispered to Ginny, who looked like she was about to cry, "We'll talk about this later. In private." Harry looked over the top of Ginny's head to see Dean Thomas holding a shattered glass in his hand, and Romilda Vane looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming but had a frown, whereas Ron was wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. Harry made his way towards them and asked, "Did you know what that was about?"
"That was Ginny making her move because she was tired of waiting for you, Harry." Hermione said with a sly smile.
"Her move to do what?" Harry's question seemed to throw Hermione for a loop as her smile faded.
"I thought you — and her crush on— I—I—" Hermione stuttered.
Harry's brain kicked into gear as he joined the dots in his mind. He slapped a hand to his head with a loud smack that startled Ron and made him jump. Harry exasperatedly said, "Fuck me sideways. Hermione, why didn't you talk to me about this!? We've been talking about everything under the sun but you don't mention something like this?"
Hermione had a panicked expression on her face and was having trouble stringing words together, "I thought—"
Harry facepalmed again and groaned. "Damn it, Hermione. I'm out of here."
He grabbed a drink and threw it back and walked out of the common room. Nobody noticed his departure but Ginny followed him out.
"Harry?"
"Ginny? Um —"
"Did I screw this up?"
"I'm sorry Ginny. I don't think there was a 'this' to screw up."
Ginny teared up at that. She mutely nodded and turned to leave.
"Look Ginny, I haven't even thought about relationships since the disaster with Cho."
"And what about Susan?" Ginny asked with a tight voice.
"Susan? Wha —"
"Don't lie to me, Harry. The two of you have been hanging around a lot."
"Yes, we have. But it is nothing like what you're imagining. Neville, Susan and I have been preparing for the war. Something, it seems everyone in the castle is desperately trying to ignore. I don't have that luxury, Ginny. I never did. Neither does Susan. You know what happened to her aunt."
"And yet, Neville is dating Hannah and living his life. You can't use the war as an excuse to put your life on hold, Harry," Ginny said fiercely with the same blazing look in her eyes.
Harry gaped at that. He paused for a moment and chose his words carefully, "I don't think I'm going to survive this war, Ginny. I don't plan on forming anymore attachments than I already have. I don't know if I will survive to see the end of this war I don't want to leave —."
"How do you plan on surviving the war, when you don't know what you're fighting for? Don't make your whole life revolve around the war, Harry. Otherwise, the war will never end for you. You're so focused on survival, you're forgetting how to live," Ginny said with tears streaming down her face.
Harry didn't have an answer and looked down. He knew Ginny was lashing out at having been turned down, but he couldn't deny she had a point. He thought back to this year and saw what Ginny meant. Ever since the term had begun, he had been devouring books like Hermione. He rarely read a book for more than an hour because every time he read a book; he somehow predicted the contents of the next page like he was just rereading a book he's already read a dozen times. Concepts that had taken him days to comprehend now only took him a few a few minutes at best.
Harry had caught up on NEWT level Runes and Arithmancy in a matter of months and not even questioned how he had absorbed such a huge trove of knowledge. His casting had improved by huge leaps and bounds. Harry could take on Susan, Neville and Hermione simultaneously and not break a sweat anymore. It seemed as if his mind was already aware of what needed to be done, but his body lacked the muscle memory. Harry had obsessively trained every morning to refine skills he thought he needed. But on the flip side, he realized his social circle had shrunk. He may have added Neville, Susan and Hannah to it but quitting the Quidditch team took away much more. Harry flinched when he realized he had begin treating people like pawns. Something he accused Dumbledore of doing often, in the privacy of his mind. He was so lost in his thoughts he did not notice Ginny leaving.
The next day, Harry was staring at an Ancient Runes textbook, but not reading for a change, when Hermione approached him. "When did you start reading about Runes, Harry?" She asked as if testing the waters.
"It's more of a hobby more than anything." Harry said, still lost in thought.
"Oh. Listen Harry I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I —"
"It's alright Hermione," Harry said as he closed the book, "I talked to Ginny and we sorted everything out."
"Sorting everything out; as in. . ."
"No. We're not dating."
"Oh" Hermione said with disappointment.
"Look I understand why you did what you did. She's your friend and you wanted to help her, but —"
"I wanted to help you too, Harry. You have been so driven about the war; I'm worried about you."
"Yeah, Ginny told me." Harry said.
"Ginny told you about her side of it Harry. There is a story in my family," Hermione said as she settled into the chair opposite Harrys, "My grandfather had an older brother named Rupert. When World War Two broke out, he was a teenager who desperately wanted to sign up to go to war. He completely bought into the war propaganda at the time and on his eighteenth birthday volunteered for service. When he came back, he was never the same. The war ended four years after he joined the military but it never ended for him. He constantly fought in bars and pubs. He would have nightmares that woke up the entire house. He lived a tortured existence say in and day out till the day he pointed a revolver into the side of his head and ended it. I don't want that to happen to you, Harry. I can't —"
Hermione broke into tears and began sobbing as Harry moved closer to her and hugged her. They stayed in that position till Hermione stopped crying. Harry wiped the tears from her face and said, "I understand Hermione. I'll try not to lose myself."
Hermione mutely nodded and said, "I found something else. I wanted to show you yesterday but with the match —" She pulled a very old piece of newsprint out of her book and placed it down on the table in front of Harry. Harry picked up the crumbling piece of paper and stared at the moving photograph, yellowed with age. The picture showed a skinny girl of around fifteen.
She was not pretty; she looked simultaneously cross and sullen, with heavy brows and a long, pallid face. Underneath the photograph was the caption: Eileen Prince, Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team.
"So?" said Harry, scanning the short news item to which the picture belonged; it was a rather dull story about inter-school competitions.
"Her name was Eileen Prince. Prince, Harry."
They looked at each other and Harry realized what Hermione was trying to say. He burst out laughing.
"No way."
"What?"
"You think she was the Half-Blood…? Oh, come on."
"Well, why not? Harry, there aren't any real princes in the wizarding world! It's either a nickname, a made-up title somebody's given themselves, or it could be their actual name, couldn't it? No, listen! If, say, her father was a wizard whose surname was "Prince", and her mother was a Muggle, then that would make her a 'half-blood Prince'!"
"Yeah, very ingenious, Hermione…"
"But it would! Maybe she was proud of being half a Prince!"
"Listen, Hermione, I can tell it's not a girl. I can just tell."
"The truth is that you don't think a girl would have been clever enough," said Hermione with a grumpy voice.
"I've hung around you for five years. How can I have been your best friend for so long and not think girls are clever?" said Harry, stung a little by this. "It's just the way he writes. Call it a gut feeling, but I think the Prince was a bloke. Anyway. This has to wait. Malfoy is almost done with the cabinet. We need to prepare for the attack."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Let's send word to Remus and Tonks to keep them on their toes today. We'll take turns to keep an eye on the Map. Maybe tell people in the DA to keep their coins handy. They can help empty the hallways and get students to safety. Susan and Hannah will take some time to climb all their way up from the Hufflepuff dorms, so Neville and I will be the first line of defense with you as back-up. You need to let them pass the Gryffindor entrance before you start attacking them from the back. That should let Draco reach Dumbledore's office with his back up. By the time they reach the office, Neville Susan and I will hold the entrance to his office and offer no quarter. No death eater will be allowed to leave Dumbledore's office alive."
"You're scary when you go all Commander Potter, Harry. Ingenious, but scary." Hermione said with a note of fear in her voice.
Harry quirked his eyebrow and asked, "Did you just paraphrase Ron?"
"Maybe," she replied with a smirk, "we should also use Felix Felicies. You know — Just in case."
"Yeah. We could also —"
Harry was interrupted by the appearance of Jimmy Peakes, who was holding out a scroll of parchment. Harry quickly dispelled the Muffliato as the Gryffindor beater approached their table.
"Thanks, Jimmy… hey, it's from Dumbledore!" said Harry excitedly, unrolling the parchment and scanning it. "He wants me to go to his office as quick as I can!"
They stared at each other.
"You don't reckon… did he find one?" whispered Hermione.
"Let's find out." said Harry, jumping to his feet.
He hurried out of the Library and ran along the seventh floor as fast as he could, passing nobody but Peeves, who swooped past in the opposite direction, throwing bits of chalk at Harry in a routine sort of way and cackling loudly as he dodged Harry's defensive jinx. Once Peeves had vanished, there was silence in the corridors. And then Harry heard a scream and a crash. He stopped in his tracks, listening.
"How - dare - you - aaaaargh!"
The noise was coming from a corridor nearby; Harry sprinted towards it, his wand at the ready, hurtled round another corner and saw Professor Trelawney sprawled upon the floor, her head covered in one of her many shawls, several sherry bottles lying beside her, one broken.
"Professor —"
Harry hurried forwards and helped Professor Trelawney to her feet. Some of her glittering beads had become entangled with her glasses. She hiccoughed loudly, patted her hair and pulled herself up on Harry's helping arm.
"What happened, Professor?"
"You may well ask!" she said shrilly. "I was strolling along, brooding upon certain Dark portents happen to have glimpsed…"
But Harry was not paying much attention. He had just noticed where they were standing: there on the right was the tapestry of dancing trolls and, on the left, that smoothly impenetrable stretch of stone wall that concealed —
"Professor, were you trying to get into the Room of Requirement?"
"… omens I have been vouchsafed — what?"
She looked suddenly shifty.
"The Room of Requirement," repeated Harry. "Were you trying to get in there?"
"I — well — I didn't know students knew about -"
"Not all of them do," said Harry. "But what happened? You screamed… it sounded as though you were hurt…"
"I — well," said Professor Trelawney, drawing her shawls around her defensively and staring down at him with her vastly magnified eyes. "I wished to — ah — deposit certain – um - personal items in the Room…" And she muttered something about 'nasty accusations'.
"Right," said Harry, glancing down at the sherry bottles. "But you couldn't get in and hide them?"
He found this very odd; the Room had opened for him, after all, when he had wanted to train every morning.
"Oh, I got in all right," said Professor Trelawney, glaring at the wall. "But there was somebody already in there."
"Somebody in —? Who?" demanded Harry. "Who was in there?"
"Who? I have no idea," said Professor Trelawney, looking slightly taken aback at the urgency in Harry's voice. "I walked into the Room and I heard a voice, which has never happened before in all my years of hiding — of using the Room, I mean."
"A voice? Saying what? "
"I don't know that it was saying anything," said Professor Trelawney. "It was… whooping."
"Whooping?"
"Gleefully," she said, nodding. Harry stared at her. Malfoy succeeded then.
"And it sounded happy?"
"Very happy," said Professor Trelawney sniffily.
"As though it was celebrating?"
"Most definitely."
"And then —?"
"And then I called out, 'Who's there?'"
"You couldn't have found out who it was without asking?" Harry asked her, slightly frustrated.
"The Inner Eye," said Professor Trelawney with dignity, straightening her shawls and many strands of glittering beads, "was fixed upon matters well outside the mundane realms of whooping voices."
"Right," said Harry hastily; he had heard about Professor Trelawney's Inner Eye all too often before. "And did the voice say who was there?"
"No, it did not," she said. "Everything went pitch black and the next thing I knew, I was being hurled headfirst out of the Room!"
"And you didn't see that coming?" said Harry, unable to help himself.
"No, I did not, as I say, it was pitch —" She stopped and glared at him suspiciously.
"I think you'd better tell Professor Dumbledore," said Harry. "He ought to know Malfoy's celebrating — I mean, that someone threw you out of the Room."
To his surprise, Professor Trelawney drew herself up at this suggestion, looking haughty. "The Headmaster has intimated that he would prefer fewer visits from me," she said coldly. "I am not one to press my company upon those who do not value it. If Dumbledore chooses to ignore the warnings the cards show —"
Her bony hand closed suddenly around Harry's wrist.
"Again and again, no matter how I lay them out —" And she pulled a card dramatically from underneath her shawls.
"— the lightning-struck tower," she whispered. "Calamity. Disaster. Coming nearer all the time…"
"Right," said Harry again. "Well… I still think you should tell Dumbledore about this voice and everything going dark and being thrown out of the Room…"
"You think so?" Professor Trelawney seemed to consider the matter for a moment, but Harry could tell that she liked the idea of retelling her little adventure.
"I'm going to see him right now," said Harry. "I've got a meeting with him. We could go together."
"Oh, well, in that case," said Professor Trelawney with a smile. She bent down, scooped up her sherry bottles and dumped them unceremoniously in a large blue and white vase standing in a nearby niche.
"I miss having you in my classes, Harry," she said soulfully, as they set off together. "You were never much of a Seer… but you were a wonderful Object…"
Harry did not reply; he had loathed being the Object of Professor Trelawney's continual predictions of doom.
"I am afraid," she went on, "that the nag — I'm sorry, the centaur — knows nothing of cartomancy. I asked him — one Seer to another — had he not, too, sensed the distant vibrations of coming catastrophe? But he seemed to find me almost comical. Yes, comical!"
Her voice rose rather hysterically and Harry caught a powerful whiff of sherry even though the bottles had been left behind.
"Perhaps the horse has heard people say that I have not inherited my great-great-grandmother's gift. Those rumors have been bandied about by the jealous for years. You know what I say to such people, Harry? Would Dumbledore have let me teach at this great school, put so much trust in me all these years, had I not proved myself to him?"
Harry mumbled something indistinct.
"I well remember my first interview with Dumbledore," went on Professor Trelawney, in throaty tones. "He was deeply impressed, of course, deeply impressed… I was staying at the Hog's Head, which I do not advise, incidentally — bed bugs, dear boy — but funds were low. Dumbledore did me the courtesy of calling upon me in my room at the inn. He questioned me… I must confess that, at first, I thought he seemed ill-disposed towards Divination… and I remember I was starting to feel a little odd, I had not eaten much that day… but then…" And now Harry was paying attention properly for the first time, for he knew what had happened then: Professor Trelawney had made the prophecy that had altered the course of his whole life, the prophecy about him and Voldemort.
"… but then we were rudely interrupted by Severus Snape!'
"What?"
"Yes, there was a commotion outside the door and it flew open, and there was that rather uncouth barman standing with Snape, who was waffling about having come the wrong way up the stairs, although I'm afraid that I myself rather thought he had been apprehended eavesdropping on my interview with Dumbledore — you see, he himself was seeking a job at the time, and no doubt hoped to pick up tips! Well, after that, you know, Dumbledore seemed much more disposed to give me a job, and I could not help thinking, Harry, that it was because he appreciated the stark contrast between my own unassuming manners and quiet talent, compared to the pushing, thrusting young man who was prepared to listen at keyholes — Harry, dear?"
She looked back over her shoulder, having only just realized that Harry was no longer with her; he had stopped walking and they were now ten feet from each other.
"Harry?" she repeated uncertainly.
Perhaps his face was white, to make her look so concerned and frightened. Harry was standing stock-still as waves of shock crashed over him, wave after wave, obliterating everything except the information that had been kept from him for so long… It was Snape who had overheard the prophecy. It was Snape who had carried the news of the prophecy to Voldemort. Snape and Peter Pettigrew together had sent Voldemort hunting after Lily and James and their son… Nothing else mattered to Harry just now.
"Harry?" said Professor Trelawney again. "Harry — I thought we were going to see the Headmaster together?"
"Go back to your rooms," said Harry through numb lips.
"But, dear… I was going to tell him how I was assaulted in the Room of —"
"Go back to your rooms! You're right. The lightning struck tower. There's an attack coming," Harry repeated angrily.
She looked alarmed as he ran past her, round the corner into Dumbledore's corridor, where the lone gargoyle stood sentry. Harry shouted the password at the gargoyle and ran up the moving spiral staircase three steps at a time. He fired off a Patronus and said, "Find Hermione Granger. Tell her it's going to happen tonight. I'm going soul searching with Dumbledore. Adjust accordingly."
He did not knock upon Dumbledore's door, he hammered; and the calm voice answered 'Enter' after Harry had already flung himself into the room. Fawkes the phoenix looked round, his bright black eyes gleaming with reflected gold from the sunset beyond the window. Dumbledore was standing at the window looking out at the grounds, a long, black travelling cloak in his arms.
"Well, Harry, I promised that you could come with me."
For a moment or two, Harry did not understand; the conversation with Trelawney had driven everything else out of his head and his brain seemed to be moving very slowly.
"Come… with you…?"
"Only if you wish it, of course."
"You've found one? You've found a Horcrux?"
"I believe so."
Rage and resentment fought shock and excitement: for several moments, Harry could not speak.
"It is natural to be afraid," said Dumbledore.
"I'm not scared!" said Harry at once, and it was perfectly true; fear was one emotion he was not feeling at all. "Which Horcrux is it? Where is it?"
"I am not sure which it is — though I think we can rule out the snake — but I believe it to be hidden in a cave on the coast many miles from here, a cave I have been trying to locate for a very long time: the cave in which Tom Riddle once terrorized two children from his orphanage on their annual trip; you remember?"
"Yes," said Harry. "How is it protected?"
"I do not know; I have suspicions that may be entirely wrong." Dumbledore hesitated, then said, "Harry, I promised you that you could come with me, and I stand by that promise, but it would be very wrong of me not to warn you that this will be exceedingly dangerous."
"I'm coming," said Harry, almost before Dumbledore had finished speaking. Boiling with anger at Snape, his desire to do something desperate and risky had increased tenfold in the last few minutes. This seemed to show on Harry's face, for Dumbledore moved away from the window, and looked more closely at Harry, a slight crease between his silver eyebrows.
"What has happened to you?"
"Nothing," lied Harry promptly.
"What has upset you?"
"I'm not upset."
"Harry, I don't need Legilimency to see—"
The word was the spark that ignited Harry's fury.
"Snape!" he said, very loudly, and Fawkes gave a soft squawk behind them. "Snape's what's happened! He told Voldemort about the prophecy, it was him, he listened outside the door, Trelawney told me!"
Dumbledore's expression did not change, but Harry thought his face whitened under the bloody tinge cast by the setting sun. For a long moment, Dumbledore said nothing.
"When did you find out about this?" he asked at last.
"Just now!" said Many, who was refraining from yelling with enormous difficulty. And then, suddenly, he could not stop himself. "AND YOU LET HIM TEACH HERE AND HE TOLD VOLDEMORT TO GO AFTER MY MUM AND DAD! I SUFFERED MY ENTIRE LIFE BECAUSE OF HIM AND HE STILL HAS THE FUCKING AUDACITY TO WALK FREE!"
Breathing hard as though he were fighting, Harry turned away from Dumbledore, who still had not moved a muscle, and paced up and down the study, rubbing his knuckles in his hand and exercising every last bit of restraint to prevent himself knocking things over. He wanted to rage and storm at Dumbledore, but he also wanted to go with him to try and destroy the Horcrux; he wanted to tell him that he was a foolish old man for trusting Snape, but the Horcrux was more important.
"Harry," said Dumbledore quietly. "Please listen to me."
It was as difficult to stop his relentless pacing as to refrain from shouting. Harry paused, biting his lip, and looked into Dumbledore's lined face.
"Professor Snape made a terrible —"
"Don't tell me it was a mistake, sir, he was listening at the door!"
"Please let me finish." Dumbledore waited until Harry had nodded curtly, then went on.
"Professor Snape made a terrible mistake. He was still in Lord Voldemort's employ on the night he heard the first half of Professor Trelawney's prophecy. Naturally, he hastened to tell his master what he had heard, for it concerned his master most deeply. But he did not know — he had no possible way of knowing — which boy Voldemort would hunt from then onwards, or that the parents he would destroy in his murderous quest were people that Professor Snape knew, that they were your mother and father —" Harry let out a yell of mirthless laughter.
"He hated my dad like he hated Sirius! Haven't you noticed, Professor, how the people Snape hates tend to end up dead?"
"You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason that he returned —"
"But what if Voldemort had gone after Neville sir? He wouldn't have cared, would he, sir?" said Harry, whose voice was shaking with the effort of keeping it steady. "And isn't Voldemort convinced that Snape's on his side, even now? Professor… how can you be sure Snape's on our side?"
Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make up his mind about something. At last, he said, "I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely."
Harry breathed deeply for a few moments in an effort to steady himself. It did not work.
"Well, I don't!" he said, as loudly as before. "He's up to something with Draco Malfoy right now, right under your nose, and you still —"
"We have discussed this, Harry," said Dumbledore, and now he sounded stern again. "I have told you my views."
"You're leaving the school tonight and I'll bet you haven't even considered that Snape and Malfoy might decide to —"
"To what?" asked Dumbledore, his eyebrows raised. "What is it that you suspect them of doing, precisely?"
Harry desperately wanted to vent but he couldn't risk revealing his plan too early. He didn't want Dumbledore to leave tonight but he still wanted to make sure he got his hand on a Horcrux.
"It doesn't matter. You're not going to listen to me anyway." said Harry bitterly and his hands curled into fists as he said it. "Professor Trelawney was just in the Room of Requirement, trying to hide her sherry bottles, and she heard Malfoy whooping, celebrating! He's trying to mend something dangerous in there and he's fixed it at last and you're about to just walk out of school without —"
"Enough," said Dumbledore. He said it quite calmly, and yet Harry fell silent at once; he knew that he had finally crossed some invisible line. "Do you think that I have once left the school unprotected during my absences this year? I have not. Tonight, when I leave, there will again be additional protection in place. Please do not suggest that I do not take the safety of my students seriously, Harry. I do not wish to discuss the matter any further." Harry bit back his retort, but Dumbledore went on, "Do you wish to come with me tonight?"
"Yes," said Harry at once, "Our differences in opinion can be put on hold for later."
"Very well, then: listen," Dumbledore drew himself up to his full height, "Our agreement before our trip to change is back in effect. Do you agree?"
"Yes, sir"
"Very good. Then I wish you to go and fetch your Cloak and meet me in the Entrance Hall in five minutes' time."
Dumbledore turned back to look out of the fiery window; the sun was now a ruby-red glare along the horizon. Harry walked quickly from the office and down the spiral staircase. The cloak was in his bag but he needed to talk to Neville and Hermione.
Ron and Hermione were sitting together in the common room when he came back. "What does Dumbledore want?" Hermione said at once. "Harry, are you okay?" she added anxiously.
"I'm fine," said Harry shortly, racing past them. He dashed up the stairs and into his dormitory, where he flung open his trunk and pulled out the Marauder's Map and a pair of balled-up socks. Then he stepped back down the stairs and into the common room, skidding to a halt where Ron and Hermione sat, looking stunned.
"I haven't got much time," Harry panted, "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen…"
Quickly he told them where he was going, and why. He did not pause either for Hermione's gasps of horror or for Ron's hasty questions; they could work out the finer details for themselves later.
"… so you see what this means?" Harry finished at a gallop. "Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have a clear shot. Where is Neville? Find him, Susan and Hannah. Alert the DA," He shoved the Marauder's Map into Hermione's hand. "Keep an eye on Malfoy and you've got to watch Snape, too. Dumbledore says he's put extra protection in the school, but if Snape's involved, he'll know what Dumbledore's protection is, and how to avoid it — but he won't be expecting you lot. So, make the most of the element of surprise."
"Harry —" began Hermione, her eyes huge with fear.
"Take this as well," said Harry curtly. He thrust the socks into Ron's hands.
"Thanks," said Ron. "Er — why do I need socks?"
"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between everyone. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting —"
"No!" said Hermione, as Ron unwrapped the tiny little bottle of golden potion, looking awestruck. "We don't want it, you take it, who knows what you're going to be facing?"
"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," said Harry. "I need to know you lot are okay… don't look like that, Hermione, I'll see you later…"
And he was off, hurrying back through the portrait hole towards the Entrance Hall. Dumbledore was waiting beside the oaken front doors. He turned as Harry came skidding out on to the topmost stone step, panting, but not completely out of breath.
"I would like you to wear your Cloak, please," said Dumbledore, and he waited until Harry had thrown it on before saying, "Very good. Shall we go?" Dumbledore set off at once down the stone steps, his own travelling cloak barely stirring in the still summer air. Harry hurried alongside him under the Invisibility Cloak, still panting but rapidly recovering. His exercising was paying off.
"But what will people think when they see you leaving, Professor?" Harry asked, his mind on Malfoy and Snape.
"That I am off into Hogsmeade for a drink," said Dumbledore lightly. "I sometimes offer Rosmerta my custom, or else visit the Hog's Head… or I appear to. It is as good a way as any of disguising one's true destination."
They made their way down the drive in the gathering twilight. The air was full of the smells of warm grass, lake water and wood smoke from Hagrid's cabin.
They turned out of the gates into the twilit, deserted lane to Hogsmeade. Darkness descended fast as they walked and by the time, they reached the High Street night was falling in earnest. Lights twinkled from windows over shops and as they neared the Three Broomsticks they heard raucous shouting.
"— and stay out!" shouted Madam Rosmerta, forcibly ejecting a grubby-looking wizard. "Oh, hello, Albus… you're out late"
"Good evening, Rosmerta, good evening… forgive me, I'm off to the Hog's Head… no offence, but I feel like a quieter atmosphere tonight…"
A minute later they turned the corner into the side street where the Hog's Head's sign creaked a little, though there was no breeze. In contrast to the Three Broomsticks, the pub appeared to be completely empty.
"It will not be necessary for us to enter," muttered Dumbledore, glancing around. "As long as nobody sees us go… now place your hand upon my arm, Harry. On the count of three — one… two… three…" Harry turned. At once, there was that horrible sensation of apparating and before he was standing in cool darkness, breathing in lungful's of fresh, salty air. A light, chilly breeze ruffled his hair as he looked out at moon-lit sea and star-strewn sky. He was standing upon a high outcrop of dark rock, water foaming and churning below him. He glanced over his shoulder. A towering cliff stood behind them
"What do you think?" asked Dumbledore. He might have been asking Harry's opinion on whether it was a good site for a picnic.
"It's a depressing destination for a trip. Even for kids from an orphanage." said Harry, who could not imagine a less cozy spot for a day trip.
"Not here, precisely," said Dumbledore. "There is a village of sorts about halfway along the cliffs behind us. I believe the orphans were taken there for a little sea air and a view of the waves. No, I think it was only ever Tom Riddle and his youthful victims who visited this spot. No Muggle could reach this rock unless they were uncommonly good mountaineers, and boats cannot approach the cliffs, the waters around them are too dangerous. I imagine that Riddle climbed down; magic would have served better than ropes. And he brought two small children with him, probably for the pleasure of terrorizing them. I think the journey alone would have done it, don't you?"
Harry looked up at the cliff again and felt goose bumps.
"But his final destination — and ours — lies a little farther on. Come."
Meanwhile, back in Hogwarts, Hermione was sprinting towards the Hufflepuff dorms while Ron collected the DA members from Gryffindor in the common room. He also sent the first, second-, and third-year students to bed and do head counts and identify their missing classmates. Hermione had seen Hannah and Neville make their way back from the Greenhouses and guessed their first stop would be the Hufflepuff dorms. She had just swung around the corner when she saw the couple and almost skidded into them. "Harry — Dumbledore— gone — attack — tonight," she panted. She hated running but she wished she had exercised earlier. Thankfully, Neville seemed to have caught on to her message.
"We need to set up an ambush near the Dumbledore's office. Gather the DA and alert the Claws. Anyone that looks shifty, stun them. I'll bring the Gryffindors to Dumbledore's office," Neville commanded. The shy meek boy from past years had disappeared, and in his place stood the other boy chosen by prophecy to end a war. He drew himself up to his full six feet two inches of height and broad frame as he delegated orders like a seasoned general. "Hermione, alert the staff. McGonagall will do. Hand me the map."
Neville ran off towards the Gryffindor tower with the map, while Hannah headed towards the Hufflepuff dorms. Hermione headed off towards McGonagall's office. Neville ran into the common room to see Ron and McLaggen yelling at each other on the top of their voices. Neville barely broke his stride and used his full height and recently gained muscle to knock McLaggen out cold with one swing. He barely paid the unconscious form of McLaggen as he turned to the room that had fallen completely silent.
"What did the git want?"
"He overheard us talking about the attack and Harry wanting us to fight. He called Harry a liar," Ron said. Neville nodded and turned to address the DA.
"Harry believes an attack is going to take place tonight. If you think you're ready to take on Death Eaters you're under Ron's command. What he says, goes. If you're not confident, don't take a chance. Stay in the common room and defend the kids."
Neville had spoken in a calm and controlled voice, but every single member of the DA heard him clearly in the entire room thanks to the deafening silence. The DA split into two groups.
"Good. Someone tries to break down the door to the common room, cast anything and everything you can. Hold nothing back. Fighters, we are going to wait for my signal before we move. Hermione and Hannah have gone to collect reinforcements. We will move on my signal. Ron, I'm going to go get Susan. See what Wheezies you can scrounge up and how you can use them to cause chaos."
Neville said that and left the common room at a sprint until he approached the Gargoyle. Susan stepped out from behind a statue and asked, "What did Hannah say when she saw you shirtless?"
"Hubba hubba," Neville said with a smirk, "How many people does it take to beat Harry in a duel?"
"Four stopped being the answer to that a long time ago. Ass could probably take on six by now," Susan said grumpily. Neville nodded at that. Harry's dueling had improved in leaps and bounds in the last few months. He had begun incorporating elemental magic in his repertoire. It was barely controlled chaos and but one that could only be controlled through sheer power. Neville himself had only begun trying out some of the earth based elemental spells to raise stones and rocks to intercept spells. Susan on the other hand had tried her hand at fire-bases spells but had no luck.
"Let's get to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione should be back soon."
Just as he said that, Hermione came around the corner with Luna, Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil and Terry Boot. "Michael stayed behind with Cho, and four others to defend the dorms."
Neville nodded at that. Marietta and by extension Cho, had been largely been ostracized by the DA. Michael had begun dating Cho shortly after the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match. The group began walking back to the Gryffindor common room when they were joined by the Hufflepuff contingent led by Hannah.
"Zach stayed behind with Luca and Alice," she said.
Neville nodded. He didn't speak till he spoke the password to the common room and let everyone enter. There were annoyed mutterings that spread amongst the Gryffindors at letting others into their common room but Neville's glare shut them up.
"Listen up. Harry suspects there is going to be an attack on Hogwarts tonight. He thinks the target is going to be an assassination attempt aimed at Dumbledore. Both Harry and Dumbledore are not in the castle right now, but they will be back soon. The Death Eaters probably do not know that their target is not in the castle, so they will try to attack his office instead," Neville said in a commanding voice, "We will not fight them head on. We hide and pick them off one by one. If you have a clean shot, take it. No stunners. These sick fucks are attacking a school full of children. Reductos and cutters only. We aim to kill. Whoever is not comfortable with that raise your wands."
About half of the DA raised their wands tentatively. Neville nodded at them and said, "Alright. Harry wouldn't ask you to do something you're not comfortable with, and neither will I. Pair up with someone on the offense. Your job will be to protect them or if necessary, evacuate them to the Hospital wing."
"Hermione, Ron, a word."
The trio gathered around the table as whispers broke out. "What was Harry's plan?"
"Pretty much the same as we discussed. We don't have enough Liquid Luck for everyone though." Hermione said.
"Do we have enough for the hitters?"
"Probably. But it will be a stretch. We can start distributing the dose after the Death Eaters enter the castle so that it lasts for as long as possible."
"Alright. Ron, what do you have in ammunition?"
"Fireworks, Peruvian Instant-Darkness powder, three portable swamps, half a dozen Dungbombs, a few Skiving Snackboxes and a couple Fanged Frisbees. The healing half of the Nose-bleed Nougats can help close wounds. Stuff like that can be given to the back-ups."
"Okay. Hannah and Hermione will play backup to me and Susan. We'll take the main offensive. Ron, you're good at keeping coordination. Direct the troops. We'll set up an ambush outside the Room of Requirement. Attack only the stragglers and hit them in the back. Use the coins to—"
"Malfoy is on the seventh floor, heading towards the Room," Hermione interrupted him.
"Fuck. Ron, set up the ambush and coordinate with the coins. Hannah, Susan, Hermione. Let's move," Neville said. Neville and Susan took small sips from the vial before it began being passed down. Ron took charge of the DA as the four left the common room.
At the same time, in the cave, Dumbledore had just passed out from the potion and Harry was trying to rennervate him. Dumbledore's eyelids flickered.
"Sir, are you —?"
"Water," croaked Dumbledore.
"Water," panted Harry. "Yes —"
He leapt to his feet and seized the goblet he had dropped in the basin; he barely registered the golden locket lying curled beneath it.
"Aguamenti!" he shouted, jabbing the goblet with his wand.
The goblet filled with clear water; Harry dropped to his knees beside Dumbledore, raised his head, and brought the glass to his lips — but it was empty. Dumbledore groaned and began to pant. "But I had some — wait — Aguamenti!" said Harry again, pointing his wand at the goblet. Once more, for a second, clear water gleamed within it, but as he approached Dumbledore's mouth, the water vanished again.
"Sir, I'm trying, I'm trying!" said Harry desperately, but he did not think that Dumbledore could hear him; he had rolled onto his side and was drawing great, rattling breaths that sounded agonizing. "Aguamenti — Aguamenti — AGUAMENTI!"
The goblet filled and emptied once more. And now Dumbledore's breathing was fading. His brain whirling in panic, Harry knew, instinctively, the only way left to get water, because Voldemort had planned it so…
He flung himself over to the edge of the rock and plunged the goblet into the lake, bringing it up full to the brim of icy water that did not vanish.
"Sir — here!" Harry yelled, and lunging forward, he tipped the water clumsily over Dumbledore's face.
It was the best he could do, for the icy feeling on his arm not holding the cup was not the lingering chill of the water. A slimy white hand had gripped his wrist, and the creature to whom it belonged was pulling him, slowly, backward across the rock. The surface of the lake was no longer mirror-smooth; it was churning, and everywhere Harry looked, white heads and hands were emerging from the dark water, men and women and children with sunken, sightless eyes were moving toward the rock: an army of the dead rising from the black water.
"Relashio! Depulso!" yelled Harry, struggling to cling to the smooth, soaked surface of the island as he pointed his wand at the Inferius that had his arm. It released him, falling backward into the water with a splash; he scrambled to his feet, but many more Inferi were already climbing onto the rock, their bony hands clawing at its slippery surface, their blank, frosted eyes upon him, trailing waterlogged rags, sunken faces leering.
"Depulso!" Harry bellowed again, backing away as he swiped his wand through the air; six or seven of them were thrown back, but more were coming toward him. "Impedimenta! Incarcerous!"
A few of them stumbled, one or two of them bound in ropes, but those climbing onto the rock behind them merely stepped over or on the fallen bodies. Still slashing at the air with his wand,
Harry yelled, "Oh fuck this! Cumulo Fulminis!"
Through the darkness, bright lightening erupted: silver and violet, arcs of lightening shout out of Harrys wand as they jumped from wet body to wet body and jumped into the water and continued hitting bodies. The Inferi stumbled and faltered as the smell of burn flesh spread in the cave. They dropped Harry; he hit the ground, slipped on the rock, and fell, grazing his arms, then scrambled back up, raising his wand and staring around.
Dumbledore was struggling to get on his feet again, pale as any of the surrounding Inferi; his wand was just out of his reach. Harry quickly clambered up to him and grabbed the wand and handed it to Dumbledore. He ignored the warmth of the wand as it left his hand gave him an idea. He turned around and began swinging his wand like a whip. "Flamma Flagello!" Harry roared as liquid fore seemed to flow out of his holly wand like a whip. He raised his wand like a torch and began swinging the flame whip like a vast lasso, encircling him and Dumbledore with the rope of fire. The Inferi bumped into each other, attempting, blindly, to escape the fire by returning back to the water…
Dumbledore scooped the locket from the bottom of the stone basin and stowed it inside his robes. Wordlessly, he gestured to Harry to head to the boat. Distracted by the flames, the Inferi seemed unaware that their quarry was leaving as Dumbledore stumbled with Harry helping him back to the boat, the ring of fire moving with them, around them; the Inferi meanwhile had slipped gratefully back into their dark waters.
Harry thought for a moment that Dumbledore might not be able to climb into the boat; he staggered a little as he attempted it; all of Harry's efforts seemed to be going into maintaining the ring of protective flame around them. Harry seized him and helped him back to his seat. Once they were both safely jammed inside again, the boat began to move back across the black water, away from the rock, still encircled by that ring of fire, and it seemed that the Inferi swarming below them did not dare resurface.
"Very well done, Harry, well done" murmured Dumbledore. Harry was alarmed to hear how faint his voice was.
They reached the bank with a little bump and Harry leapt out, then turned quickly to help Dumbledore. The moment that Dumbledore reached the bank Harry let his wand hand fall; the ring of fire vanished, but the Inferi did not emerge again from the water. The little boat sank into the water once more; clanking and tinkling, its chain slithered back into the lake too. Dumbledore gave a great sigh and leaned against the cavern wall.
"I am weak…" he said.
"Don't worry, sir," said Harry at once, anxious about Dumbledore's extreme pallor and by his air of exhaustion. "Don't worry, I'll get us back… Lean on me, sir…"
And pulling Dumbledore's uninjured arm around his shoulders, Harry guided his headmaster back around the lake, bearing most of his weight.
"The protection was… after all… well-designed," said Dumbledore faintly. "One alone could not have done it… You did well, very well, Harry…"
"Don't talk now," said Harry, fearing how slurred Dumbledore's voice had become, how much his feet dragged. "Save your energy, sir… We'll soon be out of here…"
"The archway will have sealed again… My knife…" '
"There's no need, I got cut on the rock," said Harry firmly. "Just tell me where…"
"Here…"
Harry wiped his grazed forearm upon the stone: Having received its tribute of blood, the archway reopened instantly. They crossed the outer cave, and Harry helped Dumbledore back into the icy seawater that filled the crevice in the cliff.
"It's going to be all right, sir," Harry said over and over again, more worried by Dumbledore's silence than he had been by his weakened voice. "We're nearly there… I can Apparate us both back… Don't worry…"
"I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "For I am with you."
