After what seemed like hours, the sun finally rose, casting light on
what would normally be considered a glorious day. Outside, the grounds
were littered with debris from the night's battle. Bodies still lay on the
ground but Harry couldn't bring himself to look at their faces; he didn't
want to know who was dead.
Ron remained silent and sullen until he drifted into a troubled sleep. Dean and Seamus were talking silently, shooting furtive looks around the room every once in a while. Neville was curled up on his bed, muttering to himself every few moments. And Harry remained rooted to the floor by the door, waiting for a sign of the Death Eaters return.
"Maybe you should open the door and take a peek outside," Dean said softly when the clock in the room struck eight. "It's been quiet for quite some time. Maybe they've left."
"Of course they haven't left," Harry replied. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" But he got up and quietly opened the door an inch. The hallway outside was empty and in a state of shock, Harry stepped out into it, wondering where Hermione's body had gone.
"I knew it wouldn't be long, Potter," drawled the voice that Harry knew all too well. He had heard that voice in his nightmares for years. "I knew you'd come out eventually. I've always said it would be your curiosity that would get you into trouble one day."
Harry turned slowly to face Voldemort. He looked more arrogant and pompous than ever and Harry felt the sudden urge to strike out at him. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, wondering how he could make a wild dash back into the room. Not that that would stop him. Voldemort would simply break down the door.
"What do you want from me?" Harry whined, not intending to sound so childish. "I've never done anything to you."
"Not that you know of," the Dark Lord replied, closing in on his prey. "For you see, Harry, you've always been my enemy. I could have started from the beginning to make you my equal, my partner, but your parents were too good, too wholesome. I knew you were going to be trouble for me, and I tried for years to rid the world of you. Now, your time has finally come. No one can save you now."
"Harry, are you out here?" Ron's head poked around the side of the door and his jaw dropped when he saw the scene that unfolded before him.
"Move!" Harry screamed, diving for the door. Before Voldemort knew what had hit him, Harry had shoved him out of the way, run into the dorm room and slammed the door, locking it behind him.
"If locking doors did anything, we'd be out of here by now!" Seamus hollered from his bed where he was cowering. Voldemort's voice was bellowing outside the room.
"You can't run from me, Potter! This is it!"
Neville let out a soft moan from his bedside. But the flash of red light that illuminated the door failed to open it. Harry heard Voldemort groan on the other side. With his ear pressed to the door, he was able to hear the conversation between Voldemort, Malfoy and Bellatrix.
"Did you two kill someone here?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Who was it, Lucius?"
"The girl, my Lord."
There was a moment's pause. "Did it ever occur to either of you that the reason I could not touch Potter after my very first attempt to kill him was because his mother gave his life for him?"
"Yes, my Lord." Harry could hear the defeat in Malfoy's voice.
"Then why on earth did you kill the girl when you knew it would have the same effect?"
Bella spoke next, but her voice was shaking. "My Lord, we didn't think."
"Clearly."
"I am sorry."
"Don't start now. When you killed that girl, she gave her life for Potter in front of this very room." His voice dropped lower and Harry pressed his ear tighter to the wood. "I cannot enter this room. I cannot harm him as long as he stays in there. So now it is up to you two to lure him out here so I can finally kill him!"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Don't screw this up."
"We won't, my Lord. I am truly sorry."
Harry sat back from the door on his knees. His mind was reeling with the reality of the situation. As long as he was in this room, Voldemort couldn't touch him. As long as he remained within these four walls, he would be safe.
He glanced around the silent room. Dean and Seamus had quieted their conversation and were sitting on their beds. Ron was shaking with the prospect of being in Voldemort's presence. And Neville was sitting on his bed, his hands wrapped around his knees, which were drawn up to his chest, and he was rocking back and forth, muttering furiously.
How long could Harry stay in this room?
Ron remained silent and sullen until he drifted into a troubled sleep. Dean and Seamus were talking silently, shooting furtive looks around the room every once in a while. Neville was curled up on his bed, muttering to himself every few moments. And Harry remained rooted to the floor by the door, waiting for a sign of the Death Eaters return.
"Maybe you should open the door and take a peek outside," Dean said softly when the clock in the room struck eight. "It's been quiet for quite some time. Maybe they've left."
"Of course they haven't left," Harry replied. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" But he got up and quietly opened the door an inch. The hallway outside was empty and in a state of shock, Harry stepped out into it, wondering where Hermione's body had gone.
"I knew it wouldn't be long, Potter," drawled the voice that Harry knew all too well. He had heard that voice in his nightmares for years. "I knew you'd come out eventually. I've always said it would be your curiosity that would get you into trouble one day."
Harry turned slowly to face Voldemort. He looked more arrogant and pompous than ever and Harry felt the sudden urge to strike out at him. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, wondering how he could make a wild dash back into the room. Not that that would stop him. Voldemort would simply break down the door.
"What do you want from me?" Harry whined, not intending to sound so childish. "I've never done anything to you."
"Not that you know of," the Dark Lord replied, closing in on his prey. "For you see, Harry, you've always been my enemy. I could have started from the beginning to make you my equal, my partner, but your parents were too good, too wholesome. I knew you were going to be trouble for me, and I tried for years to rid the world of you. Now, your time has finally come. No one can save you now."
"Harry, are you out here?" Ron's head poked around the side of the door and his jaw dropped when he saw the scene that unfolded before him.
"Move!" Harry screamed, diving for the door. Before Voldemort knew what had hit him, Harry had shoved him out of the way, run into the dorm room and slammed the door, locking it behind him.
"If locking doors did anything, we'd be out of here by now!" Seamus hollered from his bed where he was cowering. Voldemort's voice was bellowing outside the room.
"You can't run from me, Potter! This is it!"
Neville let out a soft moan from his bedside. But the flash of red light that illuminated the door failed to open it. Harry heard Voldemort groan on the other side. With his ear pressed to the door, he was able to hear the conversation between Voldemort, Malfoy and Bellatrix.
"Did you two kill someone here?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Who was it, Lucius?"
"The girl, my Lord."
There was a moment's pause. "Did it ever occur to either of you that the reason I could not touch Potter after my very first attempt to kill him was because his mother gave his life for him?"
"Yes, my Lord." Harry could hear the defeat in Malfoy's voice.
"Then why on earth did you kill the girl when you knew it would have the same effect?"
Bella spoke next, but her voice was shaking. "My Lord, we didn't think."
"Clearly."
"I am sorry."
"Don't start now. When you killed that girl, she gave her life for Potter in front of this very room." His voice dropped lower and Harry pressed his ear tighter to the wood. "I cannot enter this room. I cannot harm him as long as he stays in there. So now it is up to you two to lure him out here so I can finally kill him!"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Don't screw this up."
"We won't, my Lord. I am truly sorry."
Harry sat back from the door on his knees. His mind was reeling with the reality of the situation. As long as he was in this room, Voldemort couldn't touch him. As long as he remained within these four walls, he would be safe.
He glanced around the silent room. Dean and Seamus had quieted their conversation and were sitting on their beds. Ron was shaking with the prospect of being in Voldemort's presence. And Neville was sitting on his bed, his hands wrapped around his knees, which were drawn up to his chest, and he was rocking back and forth, muttering furiously.
How long could Harry stay in this room?