The Searcher II - Ch. 5 A/N: Hi there! I know this took me a while, but my laptop is not behaving lately, so now is scheduled for execution, I mean, re-imaging on Tuesday...

As I said before, I will try to explain as I go if you haven't read Harry Potter, but please understand that this was originally a Harry Potter story and His Royal Tightness wiggled his way into it...

As is tradition, special thanks to all of you who reviewed the chapter 4: Melissa Davis (hope you like this one!), Lillian (this one is longer), Danalas (Did you posted Ch 4 of TOTT2? heh...), L (You have no idea...), Estelle (if you haven't read it, click on my name and see The Searcher), and Amber (I have converted another one!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!). Er, I don't think uncle J is going to be happy about that...

If you find mistakes here, please excuse my spelling errors and other horrors, but English is not my first language(and this was my second fic). So let me know any errors you find and I will correct them. As always, please R/R and tell me if I'm doing a good job or if this sucks.

And before I forget,

DISCLAIMER - All characters from Potterverse belong to the magnificent J.K. Rowling. Sarah, Jareth, and everything Labyrinth belong to Jim Henson Productions. I only own Caridwen, the plot, and any other characters you don't recognize.

And now, the story.



The Searcher II:
Harry Potter and the False Ghost







Ch. 5: Reunited

Cari woke up and opened her eyes. She remembered what happened the previous day and pulled her pillow on top of her head.

She thought "You can't avoid him, so you better talk to him and get it over with."

She reluctantly got out of bed, and received a "Good morning! How do you feel?" from Hermione.

Cari just said "Better. Did you went down for breakfast?"

"No, but I'll wait for you in the common room, so hurry up!"

Smiling, Cari picked up some new clothes and quickly took a shower. With a flick of her wand she braided her hair, and went down to the common room.

She saw Ron and Harry arrive at the same time she did. Biting her lip, she said "Harry, do you mind if I talk to you alone?"

Harry nodded and said "You guys go ahead. We will meet you at breakfast."

Hermione wanted to stay, but Ron put his arm over her shoulders, and said "Let's go. They need to be alone."

Hermione nodded and they left, Ron never taking his arm from its current position.

As soon as they exited the now empty common room, Harry started "I'm sorry about yesterday, I…" being silenced by Cari putting her finger on top of his lips.

She said "No, I am the one who should be sorry. I was the one who ran away after you kissed me. Is not like I did not enjoy it, because I think you noticed that I did."

Harry blushed with that statement, and Cari's face was not an exception.

She continued, "Harry, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Harry said "I don't care. I have never felt this way about anyone before. Yes, I have my friends, my godfather, but I still felt some emptiness in my soul. I realized some time ago, that I did not felt that emptiness anymore. I realized that I had found my soul mate in a ghost. That's when I started spending more time with you. Then, I was resigned that nothing would happen, just friendship. I was contempt with that. After the quidditch game incident, I realized that I had a chance at true happiness. And I don't give up that easy."

Caridwen look at Harry in shock. She could not believe her ears. He was in love with her when she was a ghost. She went over Harry's words. Suddenly, she remembered all that time in the castle as a ghost, contempt, but with the same emptiness she felt days before 'dying'.

She recognized she had not felt that emptiness for a while. That it started some time after she befriended Harry. She thought that it was the excitement of having a human being been capable to see and talk to her, of having a living friend. Now, she realized that it was something more, deeper. She did not feel empty anymore, she was complete.

She felt tears flowing through her cheeks. What was she going to do? Should she listen to her head, or to her heart? Her heart was the winner in the end.

Between sobs, she said "Harry, I have loved you in silence for a while. I felt the same emptiness for many years, until I met you. I want a chance for happiness as well. Will you ever forgive me?"

She turned to face a smiling Harry, who was wiping the tears from her face with his fingers, and answered her with a kiss. They went down for breakfast, hand in hand oblivious of the looks they were getting from the Gryffindors at the breakfast table.

Ron arched an eyebrow, and with a mischievous smile, said "Sooooooo, looks like things are looking pretty good for you two. What happened? Did you kiss and made up?"

Harry and Cari blushed at the same time, while seating down at the table between Ron and Hermione.

Harry said "At least you got the kissing part right…" making him blush more.

Hermione looked at Cari and asked "So, does this means that officially you are now boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Cari bit her lip, and said "I don't know, I think so."

Harry put his arm around her shoulders, and giving Hermione a small grin he said "I know so.", and gave Cari a quick kiss before concentrating on breakfast.

Ron looked at Hermione and said "I win the bet, you owe me."

Harry and Cari looked at each other, and Cari asked "You bet on us? Not that I mind too much, but what was the bet? I'm curious."

Hermione looked at her and said "I… We bet a lunch at Hogsmeade."

"That doesn't sound so bad"

Hermione moved very close to Cari, and whispered "That's not the only part of the bet. I also have to do anything he says for a week."

Cari raised an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, who was blushing a scarlet color at that point "Now, that I want to see."

Ron finished his breakfast quickly and said "If you guys will excuse us, we need to discuss the payback details" glancing at Hermione with a wolfish smile on his lips.

Once Hermione and Ron left the hall, Harry said "Why do they need to discuss lunch?"

Cari told him the part of the bet they did not made public.

Harry suddenly got starry eyed and said with a grin "This could be actually good. Would you like to play matchmaker?"

Fred and George suddenly came up to them and Fred said "Did I just heard the M word? Who are you trying to hook up?" with a devilish grin.

Cari sighed and said "Nah, you would not be interested in trying to get Hermione and Ron together, would you?"

Fred and George looked at each other and George said "And miss the opportunity of throwing in his face the fact that we helped him get the girl of his dreams any time we can? You are on."

As Cari and the twins were throwing ideas, Harry chuckled and shook his head. He was starting to feel pity for his poor friends.

They came back to the common room, where they saw Hermione and Ron. "What are you doing?" asked Harry.

"Oh, nothing, just homework" answered Ron with a smug smile.

They could see Hermione's flustered face at that comment.

"Oh, I don't think he is going to let her live this one out" thought Cari with amusement.

"I think it's time for Plan B. Where are Fred and George?" Cari thought while looking for the twins impatiently.

She and Harry sat down in the table and were talking as usual when George came all flustered to their table.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron said to his older sibling.

Panting, he said, "I am playing truth or dare" and he glanced to the other side of the common room.

The four of them followed his gaze and they saw Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Fred, and Lee waving from the corner.

Lee said, "Come on, George. You only have 4 minutes left!" and started laughing.

Well, the deal was that I had to make 2 people from different years to kiss in 10 minutes. I only have left the 5th years. In this one, they imposed a condition."

He looked at Ron and said, "It has to be you and Hermione. Please help me? I only have three minutes left! Please?"

Ron looked at Hermione with a mix of fear and excitement.

Then he fixed his eyes on the table and said "Uh, Hermione?"

Hermione looked at him and responded "Yes?"

"Would you get mad if I kiss you?"

"If it's to help George, I don't think a small peck on the cheek matters" she answered back, a little pink herself.

George grinned and said, "Uh, guys, it's not that easy. It's on the lips. Oh, you have two minutes. Please hurry!"
Ron shrugged and looked at Hermione.

She shook her head, "Oh, no you don't."

Ron sighed and said to Hermione "Payment."

He could see that she was furious when she nodded, so he pressed his lips quickly against Hermione's.

Everybody was expecting the moment were Hermione would slap Ron on the face, when they saw her tense up. Well, a little unexpected thing happened. It was supposed to be a small peck on the lips, but it looked like for two to three seconds nothing happened.

Then, Hermione put her arms around Ron's neck, and kissed him back, while he was putting his arms around her waist. Cari, Harry and George stood dumbfounded looking at the amorous display.

In fact, everybody in the common room stopped to see what was going on. After what seemed an hour later (which were only about 2 minutes) they separated with a smile on their faces.

Ron and Hermione were still embraced to each other, when they noticed the surprised looks of everybody in the common room.

Ron whispered in Hermione's ear "Should we tell them?"

She whispered back "I don't see any point in keeping it a secret anymore" and smiling she gave him another small kiss.

Harry finally said, "Did we missed something?"

Ron went red as he said "We have been seeing each other for the past 3 months. We wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but I guess the secret's out."

"You two were together since the summer and did not said anything to me?" said Harry.

Hermione answered "The reason we did not want to say anything was because we did not want our friendship to change, Harry. I think that's why I was happy that Cari came along."

"You know, I have been waiting for this moment since last year. Nothing could have changed that", said a grinning Harry.

Ron said to Harry with a grin on his face (still holding Hermione by the waist) "Now we can double date on our next trip to Hogsmeade."

Cari said "Well George, all that work for nothing. Thanks, anyway." George answered "No problem. If you excuse me, I have a game of truth or dare that I need to go to" as they heard the group of 6th years calling for George.

Ron and Hermione looked at Cari and she said, "We were trying to make you kiss and realize that you two are in love with each other. The truth or dare bit was George's idea. Can you forgive me?"

Ron and Hermione smiled at her, and Hermione said "Of course! Now, let's plan our trip to Hogsmeade next Saturday."

The four friends continued talking, making plans for the next weekend.

After a slow week, the trip to Hogsmeade was finally in sight. The two couples visited Zonko's Honeydukes, and went to more stores just to look at their merchandise. The group went to get some ice cream when Cari noticed a small antique store near the ice cream shop.

Harry noticed and said "Why don't you go look around while we get the ice cream? Looks like we will have to make a long line" with a smile on his face.

She nodded and went inside that small shop.

She loved the feeling of the store, even if it was dark and musty. She was looking at some books when she saw a shadow next to her. A short, bald man was standing next to her.

He looked nervously at her and said "A message for you."

When she took the piece of parchment he was offering, she noticed that there was a finger missing from his hand. She turned to the man to ask who was this from, but he had already disappeared. She unfolded the parchment, and read

My Dear,

I know that you are alive and well. So am I. I have been very patient, waiting all this years. You will soon be mine, my bride.

V


She went pale as soon as she finished reading the letter. She recognized the handwriting and immediately started shaking. She was putting her friends' lives in danger. She needed to do something, fast.

She ran out of the store, hoping to find the man that gave her the letter. She started looking around the street, eyes searching for a small bald man. She was getting frustrated, when she saw him running towards a small alley. She followed suit.

Harry was talking animatedly to Ron and Hermione, putting the giant ice cream on the table. He looked towards the antique shop, to see if Cari was still there. To his surprise, he saw a small man running out of the store.

There was something familiar about that man. He finally recognized him "Wormtail!"

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, who did not realized said the name out loud.

Ron just opened his eyes widely and said, " What! Where?"

Harry just answered "He just ran into that small alley."

Ron and Hermione turned to look where Harry was pointing, when they saw Cari running in the same direction. They ran, hoping that Cari would be fine. After all, she did not know what Pettigrew looks like. And were Pettigrew is, Voldemort is surely close.

Cari ran to the small alley where she saw the man go into. As she got there, an eerie feeling crept up her spine. There was no one there. The street was empty of people, of sound.

She heard a noise and saw a door being closed very carefully. She ran towards the door and opened it. She found the man standing in front of a fireplace.

Harry, Ron and Hermione got into the alley at that moment. They barely saw Cari getting into one of the houses in that alley. They quickly followed her, trying to spy through a window, to see what was going on inside.

"Stop! I demand to know who are you, and who sent this letter", said Cari.

Peter looked at her and said, "You know very well who sent it. As for myself, I'm just a loyal servant."

"I demand that you take me to him right now" Cari said, with fire in her eyes.

Wormtail smiled inwardly and said, "As you wish".

He took some floo powder into the fire and saying "Dunghan Castle" he grabbed her by the arm and went into the fireplace.

The three friends looked with apprehension at the scene that they were watching unfold right before their eyes. The window was opened a tiny bit, so they could hear what was going on inside. They saw Cari being dragged by Peter into the fire, disappearing in the fire.

They looked at each other, and Harry said "I'm following them. I understand if you want to stay."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at Harry. Ron said "We are going with you."

Harry nodded and they went into the empty room.

As they were taking some of the floo powder that was on top of the mantle, Harry could not keep a thought from his mind "What does Voldemort want with her?"

Wormtail was still dragging Cari through some corridors when they got in front of some doors facing a room with a cozy fire, and a high back chair facing the fire.

She could not see anyone in the room, so she did not know why they stopped there. They entered the room, and she saw a very old painting of a beautiful girl with a heart shaped face, blue-gray eyes and long, dark brown hair. It was her, in front of her father's castle.

"Did you do as I told you?" said a voice behind the chair.

"Yes, my lord Voldemort. I found her, but she insisted on coming back with me" said Pettigrew.

Voldemort was surprised at the news, but very pleased, a sinister smile on his face, while looking at the antique painting in the wall he said, "Caridwen, I told you once that you would not get away. Pretty soon it will be time to claim my promised bride!"

At the sound of his voice, her worst fears had been confirmed. He lived, and had taken a new name.

Cari said, "I never thought I would see you again Valkor, or should I say Voldemort? I told you once, so I will say it again, I will never be your bride!"

Voldemort rose from his chair, and looked at Cari. Still defying him, after all these years. Cari saw him for the first time. She thought she was prepared for what he looked like from all the descriptions Harry had made of him.

Nothing could prepare her for the sight of his face. It was his face, but this time his eyes were red, with slits for pupils, like a cat's, and his nose was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils.

Even with those changes she recognized him immediately. He had a cruel smirk on his face, as he was eyeing her from her feet to her head, making her uncomfortable. She felt that for the first time, she was actually afraid of him. He had become un-human, a monster.

"Ah, and who is going to stop me? Your boyfriend, Potter?" he smiled when he saw her flinch, and continued "I know what you've been doing. I've been following your movements since I felt my spell was broken. And I wonder how did Harry Potter still want you after he found out that the girl he loves and adores had his enemy as a lover?"

He saw her expression and smiling darkly continued the taunting "Oh, but you haven't told him, have you?"

She could not believe her ears. How could he imply that she had ever been with him, when she was barely fifteen when she found out the truth about him?

Her fury could not be contained any longer, so she walked up to him and slapped him in the face, "How dare you?"

Voldemort was surprised at this attack. Most people were afraid at the mere sight of him, not to mention touch him.

He grabbed her by the arms and said "My patience is very limited, but I will have a marvelous time breaking you. Besides, you can still be of use to me. I can use you as bait, to lure the unsuspecting Potter to his death."

"No! I won't let you. I have fought you before, I can do it again."

Voldemort shoved her to a side of the room, then took his wand and raised his arm.

At that moment, they heard "Expelliarmus!" followed by "Stupefy!"

Cari lifted her head, not sure of what was going on. She suddenly saw Ron and Hermione, wands out, looking over at Wormtail and Voldemort, unconscious on the floor. Then she saw Harry running to her side, and lifting her to her feet.

She opened her eyes widely and asked, "How did you got…" not being able to finish, because Harry put a finger on her lips.

"Let's get out of here before anyone else comes in."

He took some floo powder, and said "To the Three Broomsticks! We will have to go all of us at the same time, so on the count to three. One, two, three!" and the four of them went into the fire at the same time.

Here is where I plead and grovel...
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