A/N: Someone dies...The end of the story is a little darker then I intended it to be, but I think it's pretty good. What do you think ::hint hint REVIEW::
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story.
Part Seven: The Fire
He started to walk towards the laugh, but someone grabbed his arm. Ron. Ron was with him. Hermione was, too, and Neville. None of the Professor's were there, not even Dumbledore. "Come this way," Ron whispered, "Hermione found a spot were we can see them." Harry nodded and followed Ron. He led Harry to Hermione, who was standing between to old trees. She moved to let Harry stand there.
Voldemort and the Deatheaters were there, just beyond the two trees. All of them were masked, except for Voldemort and Gretchen. She was standing just behind Voldemort, her hands in ropes behind her back. A deatheater who was a little shorter then she was standing next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Harry guessed that the deatheater was Gretchen's own mother.
"He's not coming," Voldemort said loudly.
"It may take time. I have only been gone a few hours," Gretchen stated. Voldemort laughed again.
"You truly are a snake and the grass. But don't worry, I could use a servant with that sort of evil." Harry's scare began to burn. He saw Gretchen tremble, Hermione gasp, Ron turn away, and Neville blink in disbelief. The clumsy boy took a step back words, braking a twig. The Deatheaters thought nothing of it. Voldemort did, but only for a
moment. Gretchen did. She looked over towards them and her mouth opened in disbelief. Why did you come...He heard her say. But her lips did not move and Harry knew that she hadn't said it, she thought it.
Voldemort is evil, Gretchen. He would not let you live long, Harry thought to her. She looked at him but said/thought nothing. "Potter isn't coming, Voldemort, I have lied to you," she said quickly. "I warned him of your plan. He will not come." Voldemort spun around, rage visible on every inch of him.
"Wait, my lord, she is my daughter, I will handle her," the deatheater next to Gretchen said. The cloaked figure lifted her wand and pointed it at Gretchen.
"No!" Harry shouted as he dropped his invisibility cloak on the ground and he and Neville ran out towards the deatheaters. "Leave her be. I am here."
"Harry!" Gretchen shouted. "Neville! Hurry! Run! Run!"
"Not without you," Neville said. Voldemort smiled.
"Release her," he commanded one of his servants. A big figure came and cut the ropes binding Gretchen's arms with a gleaming silver dagger. He pushed he r forward onto the ground. "She's free, Harry. Nothing stands between you. Aren't you going to save her now?"
"No, Harry! Stay were you are! I do not need rescuing!" Gretchen shouted. Her voice was suddenly muffled by the chuckling of several deatheaters.
"You'll kill me," Harry claimed. "You'll kill me dead if I take one step towards her. You know it. I know it." Voldemort laughed.
"But it seems your friends do not." He continued to laugh as he raised his wand, sending Harry and Neville flying into the air. When he landed he was inside some sort of cage. A cage with bars of shining gold magic. Neville was behind him. Ron and Hermione, too. His invisibility cloak still in their hands.
It was hard to see threw the gold bars, and hard to hear. What he did see and hear, Harry didn't like. He could hear laughter, and see figured prancing around in delight. He could see them lighting a fire in the middle of the came, one made a joke about eating Harry's insides. Harry wanted to throw up.
In the middle of all the commotion, a figure stood very still, Gretchen. Harry couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel her gaze tearing threw him. "What do we do, now?" Ron asked.
Harry sighed. He turned around to look at Ron...to get away from the images of the world outside. "I don't know." A sudden rage filled Harry. He turned around and kicked one of the golden bars. "Ahh!" he cried. Pain shoot threw his leg, as if it were burning. He turned back to Ron. "Well, we can't do that."
"Does anybody even know what this is? What he put us in?" Hermione asked. "We've never learned about these is school..."
"School!" Ron shouted. "We're all about to die and you're thinking about school!"
"Die!" Neville shouted. "I don't want to die! I wish I had never met Gretchen. This is all her fault. We're about to die and...."
"This isn't her fault," Harry said suddenly. "She didn't choose to be the daughter of the deatheater. There are two reasons Gretchen came here. The first is to stop Voldemort from killing me. Or to at least delay it. The second is to prevent her mum from killing her. Because to a nut case like that it's all Gretchen's fault that she had to stay in Azkaban for eleven years. Voldemort. It all leads back to Voldemort."
There was a silence in the small golden world. No one really knew what to say. "Do you think we are all to die tonight?" Hermione asked Harry. The boy with raven black hair and eyes green as emeralds looked out towards the party of deatheatetrs, towards the fire they had lite in their camp, and towards the girl, the girl who was the single reason they
were here.
"I didn't come here to die. I came to find Gretchen and go home. That's what I'm going to do," he said softly. Hermione slapped him.
"You're a fool Harry Potter, you really are! We're trapped! She's trapped and you're talking about her! She's safe on the other side!" the girl with bushy hair shouted.
"Don't lose you're head. You don't want to attract his attention," said a muffled voice from the other side. Gretchen had walked up to the golden cage. She put her hand on one of the beams, buts quickly drew it away. She looked at Harry. "Why did you come after me? I told you to stay."
"Stay and let him kill you?" Harry said. Gretchen smiled faintly.
"Voldemort's scared of you, Harry. Why, I don't know, but he is. This must mean you have some power, some way of hurting him that the rest of us lack. If you can kill him, Harry, if you can kill Lord Voldemort, then the lose of my life to now to save yours is honorable and sensible at the same time," she explained.
"Well, to bad. Gretchen, do you know what this is? How to get out?" She shock her head. "Damn. Well, what can we do now?"
"I don't know. I'll try to.......,"
"Enough," Voldemort shouted. The parties stopped. All eyes were on the dark lord. "Now, perhaps it is time that we let two members of our party recognize each other. Harriet, if you would please join me."
"Yes, master," said a familiar voice. Harriet Elestor. The Defense Against Dark Arts professor. She
practiced them all along.
"Now, see Harry? See what a git you have been? One of your trustiest friends and trusted professors turned out to be evil. They are mine. And so now you and your friends will die in a pathetic attempt to save this snake in the grass, your Gretchen. And now.." The dark lord waved his wand, a look of pure madness about his face.
"STOP!" Gretchen shouted. She stepped in front of Voldemort and his prey, pressing her back against the golden light despite the pain it must have cause her. "I'm not going to let you kill Harry."
"A snake in the grass....a garden snake. How do you intend to stop me, child? You think mummy will protect you? That woman would kill you in an instant if I ordered her to." Gretchen didn't move. She held her wand in her right hand, and pointed it at Voldemort. The man laughed and with good reason. Her hand was shaking. Gretchen kept her body glued to the golden bars. Her left palm was pressing hard ageist the bar closest to
Harry. He reached for it.
The pain that should have struck him was nonexistent, and only a slight tickling sensation dared come his way. Harry saw Gretchen's body visibly relax. And her mind. Harry could feel the inside of her mind, feel her inside his. On three....Gretchen thought. Harry turned around. "Everyone hold hands and get ready to run towards the forest," he
whispered. Everyone nodded. Ron grabbed his hand, Hermione grabbed Ron's and Neville completed the chain.
One...,"One," Harry whispered.
Two...., "Two."
Three! "Run!" Gretchen leapt forward and dashed threw the deatheaters. Harry followed behind her, not feeling a thing as he passed threw the prison. As soon as Neville was threw everyone let go. Ron and Hermione, who still had Harry's cloak, ran right, while Harry dashed towards the left. He couldn't see Gretchen, he only heard her scream.
"Neville!"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks and spun around with a speed the eye could barely catch. Gretchen was struggling in the arms of her mother, and Harry was briefly aware that the arms of the deatheater with the silver blade enclosed around him, for his mind was else were. Neville had ran straight into Voldemort.
The boy trembled in fear, but the dark lord only laughed. "Avada Kramada!" A light of the most brilliant green spun from the wand of the mad man. It hit Neville and with a loud hiss the boy was dead. There was smoke all around. Why hasn't to body hit the ground.....
The smoke cleared. All that was left of Neville Longbottem was a pile of battered robes and a small wand that seemed to be crying, it emitted gold sparks like tears. Gretchen began to sob. Harry could hear her, but he wasn't listening.
"Now for the next problem....," Voldemort said, amusement creeping into his voice.
"Please, let me take care of it....," Grtechen's mother said. The dark lord smiled. Gretchen's mother waved her wand and Harry found himself in the air. His back hit a pole, no a tree trunk, and roped swirled around him like a snake coils around it's prey before the kill. They closed in so tight that Harry could barely breath. A hand wrapped around his own. Gretchen was on the other side of the tree.
"This is worth the wait," Voldemort hissed. "You see Harry, I had every intention of marching into Hogwarts and killing you Christmas night. I was inside Hogwarts grounds. Inside of the forbidden forest. I knew Dumbledore was with you, but my thirst to kill was strong, so strong that the old man didn't matter to me, only you.
"I knew that there was a chance of my death, of course, if I challenged him. For Dumbledore is a strong wizard, that I will never deny. I was about to go to you when my faithful servant Harriet came to me, saying she had a way to get you out of Hogwarts. She explained it would take time, but months don't matter to me anymore, Harry. They seem
to be but only days. Gretchen's offer to act as bait was excepted. I came back to Albania, to wait.
"So here you are now, Harry. Foolishly going against your friends warnings and coming to save her from me. I'll admit, I didn't expect such defiance from Gretchen. I thought she was loyal. But that is of no matter now. She had given me what I wanted. She has given me you. Now, you will die. You will die with a foolish girl. The second who was willing to give up her own life to save you. Die with Gretchen Locus....for all my work on her has failed. Isn't it funny, Harry? The only two in the world who have a prayer of stopping me will be destroyed in one night? I had hoped we could turn your friend like us but.....
"Ah, I'm getting sentimental. Enough of that. Death is waiting." Voldemort waved his wand and fire appeared at the roots of the tree. Harry could feel it against his left hand, the one Gretchen held.
Use your wand to get the ropes.....I'll take care of the fire....Gretchen said in his mind. All of the sudden the flames that had been by his feet retreated to her side of the tree, twice as tall now, and she cried out as the kissed her skin and made it crackle and burn, coughed as the smoked filled her lungs. Harry struggled threw the ropes to get his wand. Finally it was secure in his right hand.
"Accio," he shouted. The silver dagger that had been used to cut the ropes holding Gretchen's hands earlier that evening flew to him, cutting the roped that bound him now. Harry feel against the ground hard and forced himself to recover quickly to help Gretchen from the flames. She was still gripping his left hand, and he used it to pull her towards him.
Together to two started running into the night.
They headed towards the path Ron and Hermione had taken. Three feet into the branches of the forest Gretchen stumbled and fell. Harry began to lift her. "Come on, come on we need to go..," but she couldn't hear him over her own coughing. Harry lifted her up and put her armed around his shoulder, and his around her waist and dragged her as
best he could. He was very grateful that Gretchen was light.
The two stumbled through the forest as best they could, hearing the voices of the deatheaters that threatened to overtake them at any moment. Harry saw a small cave in the distense and dragged Gretchen to it, then hurried inside.
Gretchen continued to cough. There was blood coming from her mouth. Were her lungs bleeding? Harry didn't know. He couldn't feel the inside of her mind any more. Perhaps she was too injured to think. Harry looked at her battered form. Her right hand, the hand that had been holding Harry's was burned, along with her left arm, and both her legs. Her left cheek was also rough looking. She wouldn't stop coughing. Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave without Ron and Hermione, but he knew that if her stayed much longer Gretchen would die.
Harry sat down next to her. He had to think. He needed silence. And then it came, and wished that he had never asked for it. Gretchen made not a sound. Her eyes closed and her body fell from it's sitting position to the floor. Harry's heart beat so hard that he was sure it was about to come out of his chest. Was she dead?
No, Gretchen was not dead. Harry could faintly hear the sound of air passing though her throat. A wheezing sound. "I'll be back," he whispered to her. Harry left the cave, determined to find his two other friends, hoping he could do it in time.
"Halt!" said a sudden voice. Harry froze. A small shaggy creature walked in front of him. "This is my land. You cannot pass."
"I'm not interested in your land. I'm interested in finding my friends. Have you seen them?" Harry asked.
"DO NOT MOCK ME!" the creature shouted as he knocked Harry down to the ground. "And now...."
"Kamedercara!" someone shouted. A bright flash of blue light emerged and the creature ran away. Harry turned to see Hermione's arm behind him. The rest of her was
hidden safely under his cloak. "Oh, Harry," she breathed as she flung her arms around him. "We thought...we saw him kill Neville and....we had to get away...." A sudden anger flowed through Harry. His friends had seen Neville die and they ran. The didn't stay to help him. He wanted to yell..but he couldn't.
"Gretchen's dying," he said quickly. "I left her in cave near by. We have to Hurry. Then we'll take the potion...."
"We should leave her, here," Ron said. He was invisible, which scared Harry, but he still spoke. "It's her own fault all of this happened." Harry grabbed his cloak and pulled it off his friends. He punched Ron in the nose.
"We are not leaving her. She's the only reason Voldemort didn't brake into Hogwarts and kill all of us at Christmas," he said as he remembered what the evil man had said. He grabbed Ron's arm and began to drag him towards the cave and the stopped suddenly as it came into view. Deatheaters! He could see them, hear them, one was crying.....
"She was my child," the sobbing one said.
"I know," said another, Pettigrew. "But she is all but dead now. It is the boy's fault. Don't worry. You'll get revenge." Gretchen's mother flung her arms around Peter Pettigrew.
"How do we get passed them?" Hemrione asked.
"We...we body bind them and run. There are only two. Two Vs Three, and we have the surprise attack," Harry said.
"What if there are more inside?" Harry was silent.
"We attack on three," he said as he raised his wand. "One..two..three..Petrificus Totalus!" The three curses hit the two bodies and they fell like stones. Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran inside the cave were Gretchen lay alone.
"Oh my..," Hermione gasped as she saw her friend. Harry quickly took the potion from his pocket and poured some down Gretchen's mouth, then grabbed her and held her in his arms. He took a sip from the bottle and then passed it to Ron and Hermione.
The weightless feeling took over him again. White filled his vision. He held Gretchen tightly in his arms. He could feel her, but couldn't see her. Her mind touched his, and his hers. It was as if they were in a different world, all by themselves. Harry saw Gretchen away from him and Grabbed her hand. "You've got to go, Harry," she said. The stone hall replaced that world in the blink of an eye. They were back at Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall raced towards Harry. She crouched down next to him and put her fingers on Gretchen's neck. "Where's Longbottem," Snape asked. Hermione and Ron looked to Harry.
"He...he...Voldemort killed him. Used the killing curse. He just disappeared all that's left of him......," Harry couldn't speak anymore. He felt tears in his eyes. This was different from last year, the loss. He had known Neville so well....how could this have happened?
"We need to get her to the hospital wing, Albus," Professor McGonagall interrupted. Dumbledore nodded.
"Go, Minerva. I'll take the others up in a few moments," Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagall lifted Gretchen from Harry's arms and started walking up a set of stairs that appeared as a piece of the wall hurried out of the way. Harry watched her until she was out of sight. "Your arm," Dumbledore said suddenly. Harry looked down at his left arm. His hand, the one Gretchen had held, was burned. It was burned from his fingers
to his elbow. He hadn't noticed.
Dumbledore took Harry's arm in his hand, inspecting it. Harry expected it to hurt, but he felt nothing. "As long as you are in no pain, the injury can wait." Harry nodded. Dumbledore paced the room. "I need you three to tell me what happened."
Ron and Hermione started to explain. They told Dumbledore about the golden cage, and how they were somehow able to run threw it, and how they had hidden under the invisibility cloak, and how Neville died. Then it was Harry's turn. He told Dumbledore about hearing Gretchen's thoughts earlier that day, and how Gretchen could hear his. He explained how they were able to run threw the cage, and being caught by the man with the silver dagger. He told them abbot the tree trunk, the fire and the cave. The explanations lasted for ten whole minuets. "I see," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort is angry now. He has a thirst for blood." The old man sighed. "It is time we get you to the hospital wing, Harry. No need to let that arm get infected. Ron, Hermione, you should come as well. You all
need rest. Rest and a chance not to think. Yes, we'll give you all a sleeping potion. I need to contact Neville's grandmother. Severus, could you please take them." Snape nodded and headed up the stairs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed.
"What's going to happen now?" Hermione whispered. Ron put his arm around her.
"We get to go to bed for the night," Ron explained. "It will be enchanted, like the sleep Harry was in last year. That way we won't have nightmares." Hermione nodded. There were tears covering her face. Ron's, too. Harry didn't notice his own. He didn't want to be reminded of the death of his friend, the one who had earned the extra ten house
points first year to win the house cup, the one who was always looking for his toad, Trevor, or getting picked on by Malfoy. Neville may not have seemed to be an important person, but the image of his robes on the ground, with no Neville, made Harry want to die, too.
Snape opened the door to the hospital wing. Harry wondered how it was possible for them to get there so quickly. Had it been magic? Or had he simply not noticed the time pass? Harry walked into the hospital wing. Snape walked over to Professor McGonagall, whispered soemthing in her ear, and then retreated to the other side of the room, returning with a bottle of orange liquid and some bandages. He handed it to McGonagall, who walked over to Harry.
"Sit down," she ordered as she gestured to a chair across the room. It came flying to them. Harry sat. Professor McGonagall some of the orange liquid on a cloth and began wiping it on Harry's arm. It tickled slightly, and then pinched a bit, but Harry didn't really care.
"How's Gretchen," he asked. The professor pretended not to hear him. "How's Gretchen," he repeated.
"I don't know, Potter. Madam Pomfrey's seeing to her now." With the corner of his eye, Harry saw Severus Snape pass through closed curtains carrying a blue potion. Harry knew instantly that Gretchen was in there, but he said nothing.
"Now," McGonagall said as she finished with Harry's arm, "It's time for bed." She handed Ron, Hermione, and Harry a set of night cloths each and handed them each a bottle of potion. Harry knew the routine. He changed, climbed into bed, and then took a few gulps before the world faded into blackness.
"Gretchen," Harry called as he entered a new, white world. The girl sitting in the middle of the...place...turned around suddenly and looked at him.
"Harry?" she quested. "How did you find me?"
"I dunno. I'm supposed to be in a dreamless sleep. That's what the potion said." Gretchen shock her head.
"This isn't a dream," she said quietly. "I think I'm going to die, Harry. I'm going to die." Harry looked at her in disbelief. "It would make sense. I'm waiting between worlds before my body gives out." Harry shock his head.
"No..no..I can't lose you and Neville. Not both of you. Gretchen please, promise me you'll try to stay alive."
"I'm try," she said firmly. "I'll try...." There was darkness.
The first thing he heard was of high healed boats lightly hitting the stone floor of the hospital wing. It was almost as if he was hearing drums, hitting continuously, but Harry knew that that couldn't be true. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.
Albus Dumbledore, or at least who he believed to be Albus Dumbledore he couldn't be sure without his glasses, was pacing back and forth around the room. Two female figures were sitting in chairs across the room: Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Harry decided it best to acknollage the fact that he was awake. He tried to reach
of his glasses, but couldn't. His right arm throbbed with pain were it had been burned. He sat up slightly and reached across with his right arm, successfully getting his glasses and placing them on the nose.
The world came into a sharper view. Everyone looked very tired. Professor McGonagall was resting her head on Madam Pomfrey's shoulder as if trying to sleep. But her eyes, wide open and unwilling to close, to a different story. She saw Harry sit up, glanced at him for a moment, then sighed and went beck to her thoughts.
Madam Pomfrey didn't even notice Harry. Her eyes were narrowed like a hawk watching something, but Harry wasn't sure what it was. Dumbledore's pacing ceased and he walked up to Harry's bed, stopping beside it. "You should sleep," he advised.
Harry heard him, but paid his words no mind. He followed Madam Pomfrey's gaze and saw Gretchen on a bed near his. "Is she going to die?" he asked sheepishly.
"Only time will tell, Harry. Only time will tell." Dumbledore too gazed at Gretchen for a moment then said, "I'm afraid we can't help her, Harry. No matter how much we would like to."
"I made her promise me she wouldn't die," Harry muttered before he even knew what he was saying. "She said she'd try but then I woke up."
"I thought that potion was for a dreamless sleep?"
"She told me it wasn't a dream. She said she was dying and that she was in the world between worlds. It was all white. I made her promise that she'd try to stay alive, and she said she would. Then I woke up." Dumbledore nodded.
"There is a connection between you and Gretchen. I'm a fool for not noticing it before," he said quietly. Harry noted briefly that Professor McGonagall was listening to him before the professor began to speak once more. "It makes sense now though."
"What is it?" Harry asked. Dumbledore gave him a piercing look, a look he'd given Harry on many other occasions, and then took a deep breath.
"When Voldemort came and killed your parents, he was truly there to kill you. True, getting James out of the way would make things easier for him....and he never worried about Lily, so she could have lived. The point is it wouldn't have mattered to him if James and Lily survived or not. He simply wanted to kill you. I know you hate to hear this but I still believe that it is unwise to tell you why. So what I can tell you will seem a bit odd. You see, you were and danger to Voldemort. He knew you had the power to stop him. You and one other, but we didn't know who. We assumed it was one of the young children he had killed months before he tried to kill you, but we were wrong. The reason he didn't kill another child was because she was in his grasp all along."
"You mean..."
"Yes, Harry. Gretchen is that other child." Harry began to ask something. "Yes, that is why you were able to hear her thoughts, and she could hear yours. That is why you two where able to elude the magic Voldemort put in his cage." Harry though for a moment.
"So what will happen if she dies?" Harry asked.
"I do not know, Harry, but I'd like to think that won't happen. After all, a witches are known to be rather fond of keeping their word. Nevertheless, Prfessor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and I had a talk earlier. Madma Pomfrey is going to brew a potion containin a few bits of a Hebetious leaf. If it's a good one it will not heal her completely,
but she will wake. If it is a bad one it will not kill her....but it will not do anything good."
"When?" Harry asked.
"In three days time," he said.
"But that's the day we leave," Harry said. Dumbledore nodded.
"I'll send an owl to you. We would do it now, but Madam Pomfrey has to invent a potion and then brew it, mind you," Dumbledore said. "Neville's grandmother is arriveing tomorrow. I'm going to ask Ron and Hermione if they could speak with her. Neville's service will be held in the Great Hall the day after." Harry tried to surpress tears that were welling up in his eyes at the mention of Neville's name. He felt sick to his stomach, but din't want to cry. "It's alright to grieve, Harry. Just try to understand that in the turmoil and horror of Neville's untimely death, he had moved onto a better place." Harry nodded.
"Perhaps, no it is time to sleep?" Harry took off his glaces. He didn't need a potion to help him, because he suddenly realized that he was exhausted.
The next few days passed by quickly. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Lavender, and the rest of the Gryffindor's in Neville's year gave small speaches about him. His grandmother cried like there was no tomorrow. After hearing the story of what happened Harry believed she thought Gretchen to be as evil as the dark lord...then agien, she didn't know the whole story. Harry hadn't spoken to her at all.
In fact, Harry hardly spoke to anyone. It wasn't until after to funeral when he was sitting alone in the trophy room did he have his first real conversation. Ron walked in. "I need a word with you, Harry," he said quietly. "About what happened in the forest."
"What about it?" Harry asked. He noiticed Hermione standing behind Ron, looking as if she was pretending not to be there.
"You hit me," he said. "You hit me square in the nose. Why, Harry? I didn't do anything to you!"
"No, Ron you didn't and that was the problem," Harry stated. "When Voldemort killed Neville you ran. You didn't stay to help me. I was so mad at you for running, for leaving me and Gretchen with the deatheaters...with Voldemort. And then you started to insult Gretchen, just when I had found out that I would have been dead by christmas if she hadn't done what she'd done. And I was mad. And it just happened." Harry paused, waiting for Ron to say something, but no words were spoken. "You know something though," Harry said at last, "I didn't mean it. We're all alive. That's all that matters."
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the story.
Part Seven: The Fire
He started to walk towards the laugh, but someone grabbed his arm. Ron. Ron was with him. Hermione was, too, and Neville. None of the Professor's were there, not even Dumbledore. "Come this way," Ron whispered, "Hermione found a spot were we can see them." Harry nodded and followed Ron. He led Harry to Hermione, who was standing between to old trees. She moved to let Harry stand there.
Voldemort and the Deatheaters were there, just beyond the two trees. All of them were masked, except for Voldemort and Gretchen. She was standing just behind Voldemort, her hands in ropes behind her back. A deatheater who was a little shorter then she was standing next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Harry guessed that the deatheater was Gretchen's own mother.
"He's not coming," Voldemort said loudly.
"It may take time. I have only been gone a few hours," Gretchen stated. Voldemort laughed again.
"You truly are a snake and the grass. But don't worry, I could use a servant with that sort of evil." Harry's scare began to burn. He saw Gretchen tremble, Hermione gasp, Ron turn away, and Neville blink in disbelief. The clumsy boy took a step back words, braking a twig. The Deatheaters thought nothing of it. Voldemort did, but only for a
moment. Gretchen did. She looked over towards them and her mouth opened in disbelief. Why did you come...He heard her say. But her lips did not move and Harry knew that she hadn't said it, she thought it.
Voldemort is evil, Gretchen. He would not let you live long, Harry thought to her. She looked at him but said/thought nothing. "Potter isn't coming, Voldemort, I have lied to you," she said quickly. "I warned him of your plan. He will not come." Voldemort spun around, rage visible on every inch of him.
"Wait, my lord, she is my daughter, I will handle her," the deatheater next to Gretchen said. The cloaked figure lifted her wand and pointed it at Gretchen.
"No!" Harry shouted as he dropped his invisibility cloak on the ground and he and Neville ran out towards the deatheaters. "Leave her be. I am here."
"Harry!" Gretchen shouted. "Neville! Hurry! Run! Run!"
"Not without you," Neville said. Voldemort smiled.
"Release her," he commanded one of his servants. A big figure came and cut the ropes binding Gretchen's arms with a gleaming silver dagger. He pushed he r forward onto the ground. "She's free, Harry. Nothing stands between you. Aren't you going to save her now?"
"No, Harry! Stay were you are! I do not need rescuing!" Gretchen shouted. Her voice was suddenly muffled by the chuckling of several deatheaters.
"You'll kill me," Harry claimed. "You'll kill me dead if I take one step towards her. You know it. I know it." Voldemort laughed.
"But it seems your friends do not." He continued to laugh as he raised his wand, sending Harry and Neville flying into the air. When he landed he was inside some sort of cage. A cage with bars of shining gold magic. Neville was behind him. Ron and Hermione, too. His invisibility cloak still in their hands.
It was hard to see threw the gold bars, and hard to hear. What he did see and hear, Harry didn't like. He could hear laughter, and see figured prancing around in delight. He could see them lighting a fire in the middle of the came, one made a joke about eating Harry's insides. Harry wanted to throw up.
In the middle of all the commotion, a figure stood very still, Gretchen. Harry couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel her gaze tearing threw him. "What do we do, now?" Ron asked.
Harry sighed. He turned around to look at Ron...to get away from the images of the world outside. "I don't know." A sudden rage filled Harry. He turned around and kicked one of the golden bars. "Ahh!" he cried. Pain shoot threw his leg, as if it were burning. He turned back to Ron. "Well, we can't do that."
"Does anybody even know what this is? What he put us in?" Hermione asked. "We've never learned about these is school..."
"School!" Ron shouted. "We're all about to die and you're thinking about school!"
"Die!" Neville shouted. "I don't want to die! I wish I had never met Gretchen. This is all her fault. We're about to die and...."
"This isn't her fault," Harry said suddenly. "She didn't choose to be the daughter of the deatheater. There are two reasons Gretchen came here. The first is to stop Voldemort from killing me. Or to at least delay it. The second is to prevent her mum from killing her. Because to a nut case like that it's all Gretchen's fault that she had to stay in Azkaban for eleven years. Voldemort. It all leads back to Voldemort."
There was a silence in the small golden world. No one really knew what to say. "Do you think we are all to die tonight?" Hermione asked Harry. The boy with raven black hair and eyes green as emeralds looked out towards the party of deatheatetrs, towards the fire they had lite in their camp, and towards the girl, the girl who was the single reason they
were here.
"I didn't come here to die. I came to find Gretchen and go home. That's what I'm going to do," he said softly. Hermione slapped him.
"You're a fool Harry Potter, you really are! We're trapped! She's trapped and you're talking about her! She's safe on the other side!" the girl with bushy hair shouted.
"Don't lose you're head. You don't want to attract his attention," said a muffled voice from the other side. Gretchen had walked up to the golden cage. She put her hand on one of the beams, buts quickly drew it away. She looked at Harry. "Why did you come after me? I told you to stay."
"Stay and let him kill you?" Harry said. Gretchen smiled faintly.
"Voldemort's scared of you, Harry. Why, I don't know, but he is. This must mean you have some power, some way of hurting him that the rest of us lack. If you can kill him, Harry, if you can kill Lord Voldemort, then the lose of my life to now to save yours is honorable and sensible at the same time," she explained.
"Well, to bad. Gretchen, do you know what this is? How to get out?" She shock her head. "Damn. Well, what can we do now?"
"I don't know. I'll try to.......,"
"Enough," Voldemort shouted. The parties stopped. All eyes were on the dark lord. "Now, perhaps it is time that we let two members of our party recognize each other. Harriet, if you would please join me."
"Yes, master," said a familiar voice. Harriet Elestor. The Defense Against Dark Arts professor. She
practiced them all along.
"Now, see Harry? See what a git you have been? One of your trustiest friends and trusted professors turned out to be evil. They are mine. And so now you and your friends will die in a pathetic attempt to save this snake in the grass, your Gretchen. And now.." The dark lord waved his wand, a look of pure madness about his face.
"STOP!" Gretchen shouted. She stepped in front of Voldemort and his prey, pressing her back against the golden light despite the pain it must have cause her. "I'm not going to let you kill Harry."
"A snake in the grass....a garden snake. How do you intend to stop me, child? You think mummy will protect you? That woman would kill you in an instant if I ordered her to." Gretchen didn't move. She held her wand in her right hand, and pointed it at Voldemort. The man laughed and with good reason. Her hand was shaking. Gretchen kept her body glued to the golden bars. Her left palm was pressing hard ageist the bar closest to
Harry. He reached for it.
The pain that should have struck him was nonexistent, and only a slight tickling sensation dared come his way. Harry saw Gretchen's body visibly relax. And her mind. Harry could feel the inside of her mind, feel her inside his. On three....Gretchen thought. Harry turned around. "Everyone hold hands and get ready to run towards the forest," he
whispered. Everyone nodded. Ron grabbed his hand, Hermione grabbed Ron's and Neville completed the chain.
One...,"One," Harry whispered.
Two...., "Two."
Three! "Run!" Gretchen leapt forward and dashed threw the deatheaters. Harry followed behind her, not feeling a thing as he passed threw the prison. As soon as Neville was threw everyone let go. Ron and Hermione, who still had Harry's cloak, ran right, while Harry dashed towards the left. He couldn't see Gretchen, he only heard her scream.
"Neville!"
Harry stopped dead in his tracks and spun around with a speed the eye could barely catch. Gretchen was struggling in the arms of her mother, and Harry was briefly aware that the arms of the deatheater with the silver blade enclosed around him, for his mind was else were. Neville had ran straight into Voldemort.
The boy trembled in fear, but the dark lord only laughed. "Avada Kramada!" A light of the most brilliant green spun from the wand of the mad man. It hit Neville and with a loud hiss the boy was dead. There was smoke all around. Why hasn't to body hit the ground.....
The smoke cleared. All that was left of Neville Longbottem was a pile of battered robes and a small wand that seemed to be crying, it emitted gold sparks like tears. Gretchen began to sob. Harry could hear her, but he wasn't listening.
"Now for the next problem....," Voldemort said, amusement creeping into his voice.
"Please, let me take care of it....," Grtechen's mother said. The dark lord smiled. Gretchen's mother waved her wand and Harry found himself in the air. His back hit a pole, no a tree trunk, and roped swirled around him like a snake coils around it's prey before the kill. They closed in so tight that Harry could barely breath. A hand wrapped around his own. Gretchen was on the other side of the tree.
"This is worth the wait," Voldemort hissed. "You see Harry, I had every intention of marching into Hogwarts and killing you Christmas night. I was inside Hogwarts grounds. Inside of the forbidden forest. I knew Dumbledore was with you, but my thirst to kill was strong, so strong that the old man didn't matter to me, only you.
"I knew that there was a chance of my death, of course, if I challenged him. For Dumbledore is a strong wizard, that I will never deny. I was about to go to you when my faithful servant Harriet came to me, saying she had a way to get you out of Hogwarts. She explained it would take time, but months don't matter to me anymore, Harry. They seem
to be but only days. Gretchen's offer to act as bait was excepted. I came back to Albania, to wait.
"So here you are now, Harry. Foolishly going against your friends warnings and coming to save her from me. I'll admit, I didn't expect such defiance from Gretchen. I thought she was loyal. But that is of no matter now. She had given me what I wanted. She has given me you. Now, you will die. You will die with a foolish girl. The second who was willing to give up her own life to save you. Die with Gretchen Locus....for all my work on her has failed. Isn't it funny, Harry? The only two in the world who have a prayer of stopping me will be destroyed in one night? I had hoped we could turn your friend like us but.....
"Ah, I'm getting sentimental. Enough of that. Death is waiting." Voldemort waved his wand and fire appeared at the roots of the tree. Harry could feel it against his left hand, the one Gretchen held.
Use your wand to get the ropes.....I'll take care of the fire....Gretchen said in his mind. All of the sudden the flames that had been by his feet retreated to her side of the tree, twice as tall now, and she cried out as the kissed her skin and made it crackle and burn, coughed as the smoked filled her lungs. Harry struggled threw the ropes to get his wand. Finally it was secure in his right hand.
"Accio," he shouted. The silver dagger that had been used to cut the ropes holding Gretchen's hands earlier that evening flew to him, cutting the roped that bound him now. Harry feel against the ground hard and forced himself to recover quickly to help Gretchen from the flames. She was still gripping his left hand, and he used it to pull her towards him.
Together to two started running into the night.
They headed towards the path Ron and Hermione had taken. Three feet into the branches of the forest Gretchen stumbled and fell. Harry began to lift her. "Come on, come on we need to go..," but she couldn't hear him over her own coughing. Harry lifted her up and put her armed around his shoulder, and his around her waist and dragged her as
best he could. He was very grateful that Gretchen was light.
The two stumbled through the forest as best they could, hearing the voices of the deatheaters that threatened to overtake them at any moment. Harry saw a small cave in the distense and dragged Gretchen to it, then hurried inside.
Gretchen continued to cough. There was blood coming from her mouth. Were her lungs bleeding? Harry didn't know. He couldn't feel the inside of her mind any more. Perhaps she was too injured to think. Harry looked at her battered form. Her right hand, the hand that had been holding Harry's was burned, along with her left arm, and both her legs. Her left cheek was also rough looking. She wouldn't stop coughing. Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave without Ron and Hermione, but he knew that if her stayed much longer Gretchen would die.
Harry sat down next to her. He had to think. He needed silence. And then it came, and wished that he had never asked for it. Gretchen made not a sound. Her eyes closed and her body fell from it's sitting position to the floor. Harry's heart beat so hard that he was sure it was about to come out of his chest. Was she dead?
No, Gretchen was not dead. Harry could faintly hear the sound of air passing though her throat. A wheezing sound. "I'll be back," he whispered to her. Harry left the cave, determined to find his two other friends, hoping he could do it in time.
"Halt!" said a sudden voice. Harry froze. A small shaggy creature walked in front of him. "This is my land. You cannot pass."
"I'm not interested in your land. I'm interested in finding my friends. Have you seen them?" Harry asked.
"DO NOT MOCK ME!" the creature shouted as he knocked Harry down to the ground. "And now...."
"Kamedercara!" someone shouted. A bright flash of blue light emerged and the creature ran away. Harry turned to see Hermione's arm behind him. The rest of her was
hidden safely under his cloak. "Oh, Harry," she breathed as she flung her arms around him. "We thought...we saw him kill Neville and....we had to get away...." A sudden anger flowed through Harry. His friends had seen Neville die and they ran. The didn't stay to help him. He wanted to yell..but he couldn't.
"Gretchen's dying," he said quickly. "I left her in cave near by. We have to Hurry. Then we'll take the potion...."
"We should leave her, here," Ron said. He was invisible, which scared Harry, but he still spoke. "It's her own fault all of this happened." Harry grabbed his cloak and pulled it off his friends. He punched Ron in the nose.
"We are not leaving her. She's the only reason Voldemort didn't brake into Hogwarts and kill all of us at Christmas," he said as he remembered what the evil man had said. He grabbed Ron's arm and began to drag him towards the cave and the stopped suddenly as it came into view. Deatheaters! He could see them, hear them, one was crying.....
"She was my child," the sobbing one said.
"I know," said another, Pettigrew. "But she is all but dead now. It is the boy's fault. Don't worry. You'll get revenge." Gretchen's mother flung her arms around Peter Pettigrew.
"How do we get passed them?" Hemrione asked.
"We...we body bind them and run. There are only two. Two Vs Three, and we have the surprise attack," Harry said.
"What if there are more inside?" Harry was silent.
"We attack on three," he said as he raised his wand. "One..two..three..Petrificus Totalus!" The three curses hit the two bodies and they fell like stones. Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran inside the cave were Gretchen lay alone.
"Oh my..," Hermione gasped as she saw her friend. Harry quickly took the potion from his pocket and poured some down Gretchen's mouth, then grabbed her and held her in his arms. He took a sip from the bottle and then passed it to Ron and Hermione.
The weightless feeling took over him again. White filled his vision. He held Gretchen tightly in his arms. He could feel her, but couldn't see her. Her mind touched his, and his hers. It was as if they were in a different world, all by themselves. Harry saw Gretchen away from him and Grabbed her hand. "You've got to go, Harry," she said. The stone hall replaced that world in the blink of an eye. They were back at Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall raced towards Harry. She crouched down next to him and put her fingers on Gretchen's neck. "Where's Longbottem," Snape asked. Hermione and Ron looked to Harry.
"He...he...Voldemort killed him. Used the killing curse. He just disappeared all that's left of him......," Harry couldn't speak anymore. He felt tears in his eyes. This was different from last year, the loss. He had known Neville so well....how could this have happened?
"We need to get her to the hospital wing, Albus," Professor McGonagall interrupted. Dumbledore nodded.
"Go, Minerva. I'll take the others up in a few moments," Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagall lifted Gretchen from Harry's arms and started walking up a set of stairs that appeared as a piece of the wall hurried out of the way. Harry watched her until she was out of sight. "Your arm," Dumbledore said suddenly. Harry looked down at his left arm. His hand, the one Gretchen had held, was burned. It was burned from his fingers
to his elbow. He hadn't noticed.
Dumbledore took Harry's arm in his hand, inspecting it. Harry expected it to hurt, but he felt nothing. "As long as you are in no pain, the injury can wait." Harry nodded. Dumbledore paced the room. "I need you three to tell me what happened."
Ron and Hermione started to explain. They told Dumbledore about the golden cage, and how they were somehow able to run threw it, and how they had hidden under the invisibility cloak, and how Neville died. Then it was Harry's turn. He told Dumbledore about hearing Gretchen's thoughts earlier that day, and how Gretchen could hear his. He explained how they were able to run threw the cage, and being caught by the man with the silver dagger. He told them abbot the tree trunk, the fire and the cave. The explanations lasted for ten whole minuets. "I see," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort is angry now. He has a thirst for blood." The old man sighed. "It is time we get you to the hospital wing, Harry. No need to let that arm get infected. Ron, Hermione, you should come as well. You all
need rest. Rest and a chance not to think. Yes, we'll give you all a sleeping potion. I need to contact Neville's grandmother. Severus, could you please take them." Snape nodded and headed up the stairs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed.
"What's going to happen now?" Hermione whispered. Ron put his arm around her.
"We get to go to bed for the night," Ron explained. "It will be enchanted, like the sleep Harry was in last year. That way we won't have nightmares." Hermione nodded. There were tears covering her face. Ron's, too. Harry didn't notice his own. He didn't want to be reminded of the death of his friend, the one who had earned the extra ten house
points first year to win the house cup, the one who was always looking for his toad, Trevor, or getting picked on by Malfoy. Neville may not have seemed to be an important person, but the image of his robes on the ground, with no Neville, made Harry want to die, too.
Snape opened the door to the hospital wing. Harry wondered how it was possible for them to get there so quickly. Had it been magic? Or had he simply not noticed the time pass? Harry walked into the hospital wing. Snape walked over to Professor McGonagall, whispered soemthing in her ear, and then retreated to the other side of the room, returning with a bottle of orange liquid and some bandages. He handed it to McGonagall, who walked over to Harry.
"Sit down," she ordered as she gestured to a chair across the room. It came flying to them. Harry sat. Professor McGonagall some of the orange liquid on a cloth and began wiping it on Harry's arm. It tickled slightly, and then pinched a bit, but Harry didn't really care.
"How's Gretchen," he asked. The professor pretended not to hear him. "How's Gretchen," he repeated.
"I don't know, Potter. Madam Pomfrey's seeing to her now." With the corner of his eye, Harry saw Severus Snape pass through closed curtains carrying a blue potion. Harry knew instantly that Gretchen was in there, but he said nothing.
"Now," McGonagall said as she finished with Harry's arm, "It's time for bed." She handed Ron, Hermione, and Harry a set of night cloths each and handed them each a bottle of potion. Harry knew the routine. He changed, climbed into bed, and then took a few gulps before the world faded into blackness.
"Gretchen," Harry called as he entered a new, white world. The girl sitting in the middle of the...place...turned around suddenly and looked at him.
"Harry?" she quested. "How did you find me?"
"I dunno. I'm supposed to be in a dreamless sleep. That's what the potion said." Gretchen shock her head.
"This isn't a dream," she said quietly. "I think I'm going to die, Harry. I'm going to die." Harry looked at her in disbelief. "It would make sense. I'm waiting between worlds before my body gives out." Harry shock his head.
"No..no..I can't lose you and Neville. Not both of you. Gretchen please, promise me you'll try to stay alive."
"I'm try," she said firmly. "I'll try...." There was darkness.
The first thing he heard was of high healed boats lightly hitting the stone floor of the hospital wing. It was almost as if he was hearing drums, hitting continuously, but Harry knew that that couldn't be true. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.
Albus Dumbledore, or at least who he believed to be Albus Dumbledore he couldn't be sure without his glasses, was pacing back and forth around the room. Two female figures were sitting in chairs across the room: Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Harry decided it best to acknollage the fact that he was awake. He tried to reach
of his glasses, but couldn't. His right arm throbbed with pain were it had been burned. He sat up slightly and reached across with his right arm, successfully getting his glasses and placing them on the nose.
The world came into a sharper view. Everyone looked very tired. Professor McGonagall was resting her head on Madam Pomfrey's shoulder as if trying to sleep. But her eyes, wide open and unwilling to close, to a different story. She saw Harry sit up, glanced at him for a moment, then sighed and went beck to her thoughts.
Madam Pomfrey didn't even notice Harry. Her eyes were narrowed like a hawk watching something, but Harry wasn't sure what it was. Dumbledore's pacing ceased and he walked up to Harry's bed, stopping beside it. "You should sleep," he advised.
Harry heard him, but paid his words no mind. He followed Madam Pomfrey's gaze and saw Gretchen on a bed near his. "Is she going to die?" he asked sheepishly.
"Only time will tell, Harry. Only time will tell." Dumbledore too gazed at Gretchen for a moment then said, "I'm afraid we can't help her, Harry. No matter how much we would like to."
"I made her promise me she wouldn't die," Harry muttered before he even knew what he was saying. "She said she'd try but then I woke up."
"I thought that potion was for a dreamless sleep?"
"She told me it wasn't a dream. She said she was dying and that she was in the world between worlds. It was all white. I made her promise that she'd try to stay alive, and she said she would. Then I woke up." Dumbledore nodded.
"There is a connection between you and Gretchen. I'm a fool for not noticing it before," he said quietly. Harry noted briefly that Professor McGonagall was listening to him before the professor began to speak once more. "It makes sense now though."
"What is it?" Harry asked. Dumbledore gave him a piercing look, a look he'd given Harry on many other occasions, and then took a deep breath.
"When Voldemort came and killed your parents, he was truly there to kill you. True, getting James out of the way would make things easier for him....and he never worried about Lily, so she could have lived. The point is it wouldn't have mattered to him if James and Lily survived or not. He simply wanted to kill you. I know you hate to hear this but I still believe that it is unwise to tell you why. So what I can tell you will seem a bit odd. You see, you were and danger to Voldemort. He knew you had the power to stop him. You and one other, but we didn't know who. We assumed it was one of the young children he had killed months before he tried to kill you, but we were wrong. The reason he didn't kill another child was because she was in his grasp all along."
"You mean..."
"Yes, Harry. Gretchen is that other child." Harry began to ask something. "Yes, that is why you were able to hear her thoughts, and she could hear yours. That is why you two where able to elude the magic Voldemort put in his cage." Harry though for a moment.
"So what will happen if she dies?" Harry asked.
"I do not know, Harry, but I'd like to think that won't happen. After all, a witches are known to be rather fond of keeping their word. Nevertheless, Prfessor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and I had a talk earlier. Madma Pomfrey is going to brew a potion containin a few bits of a Hebetious leaf. If it's a good one it will not heal her completely,
but she will wake. If it is a bad one it will not kill her....but it will not do anything good."
"When?" Harry asked.
"In three days time," he said.
"But that's the day we leave," Harry said. Dumbledore nodded.
"I'll send an owl to you. We would do it now, but Madam Pomfrey has to invent a potion and then brew it, mind you," Dumbledore said. "Neville's grandmother is arriveing tomorrow. I'm going to ask Ron and Hermione if they could speak with her. Neville's service will be held in the Great Hall the day after." Harry tried to surpress tears that were welling up in his eyes at the mention of Neville's name. He felt sick to his stomach, but din't want to cry. "It's alright to grieve, Harry. Just try to understand that in the turmoil and horror of Neville's untimely death, he had moved onto a better place." Harry nodded.
"Perhaps, no it is time to sleep?" Harry took off his glaces. He didn't need a potion to help him, because he suddenly realized that he was exhausted.
The next few days passed by quickly. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Lavender, and the rest of the Gryffindor's in Neville's year gave small speaches about him. His grandmother cried like there was no tomorrow. After hearing the story of what happened Harry believed she thought Gretchen to be as evil as the dark lord...then agien, she didn't know the whole story. Harry hadn't spoken to her at all.
In fact, Harry hardly spoke to anyone. It wasn't until after to funeral when he was sitting alone in the trophy room did he have his first real conversation. Ron walked in. "I need a word with you, Harry," he said quietly. "About what happened in the forest."
"What about it?" Harry asked. He noiticed Hermione standing behind Ron, looking as if she was pretending not to be there.
"You hit me," he said. "You hit me square in the nose. Why, Harry? I didn't do anything to you!"
"No, Ron you didn't and that was the problem," Harry stated. "When Voldemort killed Neville you ran. You didn't stay to help me. I was so mad at you for running, for leaving me and Gretchen with the deatheaters...with Voldemort. And then you started to insult Gretchen, just when I had found out that I would have been dead by christmas if she hadn't done what she'd done. And I was mad. And it just happened." Harry paused, waiting for Ron to say something, but no words were spoken. "You know something though," Harry said at last, "I didn't mean it. We're all alive. That's all that matters."
* * *
The results of the O.W.L.s came later that day. Hermione scored top in the class, making her a potential perfect. Harry and Ron scored high marks, too, which also put them in the running. Harry doubted any fo them would be choosen. If it was just based on grades perhaps they would. But it was no secret that the three had a habbit of braking rules.
They were also alloud to se Gretchen's Marks. He scoares were nearly identical to Harry, though she got a higher grade in transfigueration and a lower mark in herbology. The totals were equal.
"This year bravery was shown in it's truest form. Courage and trust beyond anything I ever expect out of a student. At Christmas this year none other the Lord Voldemort himself was wandering in the Forbidden Forest, waiting for a chance to kill Harry Potter, but as you can see that did not happen," Dumbledore said at the finial feast. The room glittered with Bronze and Blue banners. Ravenclaw had won the house cup.
Harry refused to have any points added beause of what happened in the forest. Ron and Hermione agreed with him. Dumbledore added 100 points for what Gretchen did at Christmas, but that wasn't nearly enough to make up for what they'd lost without Quiddich.
"Now, I shall tell you why. It is because Gryffindor student Gretchen Locus risked it all. Because of a blood bind her mother placed upon her she knew Voldemort was coming. For you see, though she told you she was from Italy, Gretchen was not. Her parents did not transfer to Britain. You see, Gretchen's mother was a deatheater, caught when Gretchen was four years old. She has been living in a center that rehabilates kids who
were exposed to the dark arts at young ages. She knew of her mother's deeds, and Voldemort's and she wouldn't stand for it. She found a deatheater, Herriet Elestor, and offeared herslef as bait to get Harry away from Hogwarts where Voldemort could kill him out of my presensce.
"I know you now thing that is evil. But she warned him before she left three days ago. Told him in a letter not to follow her. But none of us wanted Gretchen to be killed by Voldemort, so Gretchen's four clostest friends preformed an ancient rituel to find her, only to be trapped by Voldemort. Three came back.
"Neville Longbottem was murdered by the dark lord. He was unfortenent enough to stumble in the wrong dirrection, and he suffered dearly. He died and untimely, pointless, and completely aviodible death. If you ever wander into Voldemort's path, quickly hurry the other way. Even I doubt I could kill him. That is all there is to be said." Dumbledore sat
down. The students ate their feast and borded the Hogwarts express. Harry couldn't help staring at the seat Gretchen had once sat in. No one spoke. Not even Malfioy dared to bother him.
Uncle Vermon was waiting for him, looking as nasty and purple faced as ever. "Let's go boy," he said. "What happened to your arm." The man sounded pleased. "Hurry." Harry carried his trunk to the car and slipped inside. Uncle Vermon started driving. He was complaining to Aunt Petunia, who was sitting in front eith him. Dudley sat with Harry, but Harry barely noiticed him. He barely noiticed any of them. He eyes were glued to the sky, waiting for an owl to appear in the sky, an owl
who would tell him the one thing he want to know most-Is she to live or is she to die?
A/N 2: Opps....did I forget to have a resolution to my story? I suppose I'll have to write more. By the way, I forgot to say above that the clue in part 6 was all the metaphors using fire followed by a chapter that's called fire. Anyway, the next part of this story will be called "Harry Potter and the Year of Darkness" Yes, it sounds depressing. I know. Look for it soon