Chapter 28:  Weighing Words

            "She tricked me!" Voldemort cried indignantly, "The lying, cheating, little-"

            "Far from it, dear Tom," the old wizard quickly interjected, "She told both you and Harry the same directions to the Circle.  Harry was just fortunate enough that you gave him time to think things through."

            Harry could have sworn he saw steam puff from Voldemort's ears.

            "Well then," the wizard said pleasantly, "Any questions?  I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.  The truth is, after all, generally preferable to lies."

            Harry looked up sharply, surprised but not sure why.  Though he couldn't see it, he could have sworn the old wizard had winked at him.  There was something about that voice…

            "Who are you?" he asked gingerly.

            "Ah, a question I'm happy to answer."

            The wizened wizard pulled back the hood of his cloak.

            "Dumbledore…" Voldemort whispered, half in surprise, half in terror.

            The Hogwarts' headmaster smiled slightly.  Harry could do nothing but stare.

            Suddenly Voldemort plunged a hand into his robes, pulling out his wand and aiming it straight at Dumbledore.  "Foolish move, revealing yourself, old man," he said with a blood-curdling smile, "My two archenemies…could I have planned this any better?"

            Harry quickly reached for his wand, but too late.  "No!"  "Avada Kedavra!"

            But instead of destroying the only wizard believed stronger than Voldemort, the curse shot straight through him, hitting into the wall with a thunderous crack.  Both Harry and Voldemort were frozen in shock, but Dumbledore remained relaxed.

            "My poor Tom.  Is that your answer for everything?" he said sadly, softly, "I often look back to the days when you were my pupil and wonder what I could have done…what I could have said…to save you from this evil path.  Why, Tom?"

            For a moment, something seemed to flash in the man's red eyes.  Harry wasn't sure if it was real or imagined, but they seemed to fade almost to blue.  Harry barely had time to marvel at this before the normal color rushed back, as lurid blood red as before.

            "How did you live?" he hissed quietly.

            "Your spells cannot harm that which is not made of flesh and blood," Dumbledore said, smiling.

            "Professor?" Harry asked, a little frightened.

            "No, Harry," Dumbledore said, apparently reading his mind, "I'm not a spirit.  At least not in the sense you mean.  When I defeated Grindelwald, a part of me was left behind to guide the next pair of opponents through their tasks.  I age, just as the body, but I live only until a new winner comes to replace me.  Harry…a part of you shall take my place."

            Voldemort cried out in rage, rushing forward in protest, but Dumbledore raised a hand and the Dark Lord froze, definitely not on his own accord.

            "You cannot harm him here, Voldemort," Dumbledore said forcefully, "The consequences of your pact are all either of you shall pay."

            Voldemort glared, but was powerless.

            "Now, Harry," Dumbledore smiled, "let's give the next generation of sufferers a benevolent guide to help them through their War."

            Dumbledore walked over to a wall, one that had been blank when Harry had come, and was now draped by a tapestry that had formed itself without the boy's knowing it.  He looked it over in wide-eyed wonder.  There, woven into the very fabrics, played out the trials, like a movie.  The bake-off was so real, Harry almost laughed to see it again.  He didn't look at the second trial; he didn't want to relive either his or Voldemort's memory.  Then the final trial…Harry couldn't believe that it had just happened to him moments before, that it had even been real.

            And there, eye level with Harry, was a portion of the tapestry that had just finished weaving itself, the only portion that was motionless.  In the design of wool and dye, reaching out, as though his hand were pressed against a pane of glass, was the image of…himself.  Harry couldn't help but gape.  It looked just like him, except it wore a cloak of deep maroon, lined with gold.

            "Hold your hand against his," Dumbledore instructed gently.

            Gingerly, Harry placed his hand against the fabric hand of his image.  Yet its warmth and texture were unlike fabric.  By instinct alone, Harry slowly stepped backward.  When his hand should have left the tapestry, though, he felt it still against something.  He walked further back, and saw his woolen image step gradually from the fabric, becoming as real as he was.  In a daze, he slowly lowered his hand, his twin doing the same, but with a smile rather than wide-eyes.  Though he knew otherwise, Harry couldn't help but think he was simply looking into a mirror.

            "Now you shall go back to where you began," Dumbledore said, interrupting the silence, "No time shall have passed, and you will be unable to disclose the events that took place here.  Your agreement shall be fulfilled, and you cannot try and go back against it.  It is a finality that can't be broken by anything, or anyone."

            Dumbledore nodded at each of the competitors, and then placed his hand gently on the shoulder of Harry's double.  With that, he turned to another tapestry and simply walked into it.  A fabric headmaster now looked back at them, and though he was frozen in time, his eyes seemed to hold that familiar sparkle Harry knew so well.

            Then Harry's twin motioned for Harry to stand by Voldemort.  The boy did so, still unbelieving that he wasn't looking into a mirror.  The image smiled knowingly at his origin and pulled up the hood of his cloak, hiding his face in darkness.  Then, with a swift finality, he raised his hands above his head.  Harry felt a sudden wind pull at him, felt himself flying through the air, seeing nothing but white.

            And then they were back; back in the dark forest, Draco still suspended where he had been left.  The fire was burning as strong as it had been seemingly so long ago.

            "Release him," Harry said sternly, not even letting the shock wear off.

            Voldemort glared, but knew he had to follow their agreement.

            "Fine, you won, Potter," Voldemort said, yet there was something about his nonchalant voice that set Harry ill at ease.

            With a wave of his wand, Voldemort released Draco.  The light around the boy disappeared and he fell to the ground, looking up perplexed.

            "What's-"

            He stopped when he spotted Voldemort and Harry, staring at them speechlessly.

            "And now, Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed, a mad glint in his eyes, "you're mine."

            Harry felt the color drain from his face.  "What?  I won.  We agreed-"

            "That if you won, Mr. Malfoy would go free.  I never said anything about you going free."

            Harry didn't wait another moment, but turned to run.  He had scarcely taken a step when the Cruciatus Curse hit him.  He fell, the pain searing through his body, leaving only room enough for one thought; "This is the end…"

~*~*~

A/N: *grins* I actually have all the chapters up to 31 written right now, but I'm going to put at least a day between each post. Heehee, I love knowing what's going to happen! *tee-hee!* I like these next few chapters. I've had them written for a while now, just waiting to get to this point. *giggle* I'm so excited for the HP movie!!!

Thank you my loverly reviewers!

Sandra Solaria Dees: Thanks!

Scarlet Phoenix: Yep. Thanks very much!

sweets: Thanks! Voldemort did win the 2nd, but not the 3rd. Now what happens? This. ^_^

1: Thanks!

Moon Warrior: Ha… Ha. *cough* No, MW is VERY funny! Most of the time. Some times. Okay, so maybe never. Oh, you know I'm joking! Raid? My, you are nice, warm, and caring. ^-^ Thanks! I'll hop over there right after I get this up.

~*Kelly*~: Thanks!

Super saya-jin Gotan: *laughs* You ought to know better than to trust the Weasley twins! ^-^ Thanks!

abbey: Thanks! And Draco… ^_^ Let's just say we haven't yet gotten to the point where Hermione feels a pain on her arm. *bwa-ha-ha* Thanks!

Thank you all!!!!

Be excellent to each other!

-Ady

PS- Oh…my…gosh… I came this *indicates something smaller than a millimeter* close to posting Chapter 29 instead of 28. *breathes hard* NOT a mistake I want to make!