Title: HP and the truth of the wand
Disclaimer: see previous chapters!
Chapter 6: The Duel
Hermione had been thinking a lot about what Viktor said. She felt bad for kicking him out of her room. I mean, he was only trying to help… at least, she hoped so. She had a feeling, however, that once he got in her pants, he'd throw her away like yesterday's garbage.
"Ha!" she said aloud. "Like I'd ever let him get that far. Only Harry…" her eyes welled with tears again. "Oh, Harry…" she sighed. "if you're gone, why do I feel you so close to me?" she quickly wiped her eyes and knocked on Viktor's office door. She was going to apologize for being loud with him. She had hours and hours of argument with herself to see if she actually SHOULD apologize.
The door creaked open. She stuck her head in. "Viktor?" The room was empty except for a small desk and a chair behind it. She decided to wait for him. She sat in his desk chair and casually glanced at his desktop. Something there made her heart stop. It was a letter addressed to her, with the Ministry of Magic's seal on it.
"What?" she whispered, picking it up and ripping open the envelope. "What's he doing with my mail?"
Dear Miss Hermione Granger,
We have great news to share with you. The incident that had taken place over the summer has been ruled an accident. Professor Albus Dumbledore has set things straight with the Ministry and we hereby grant you permission with flying colors to return to Hogwarts. I hope you've enjoyed your stay at Durmstrag, and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.
Regards,
Corneilus Fudge
Minister of Magic
Hermione beamed. She was free to leave this awful place! She could return to Hogwarts…
She sighed. But Harry and Ron wouldn't be there to welcome her back. They were dead. No one would care if she went back to Hogwarts or not. She would never see Harry and Ron's handsome smiles. Never feel Harry's touch, or hear Ron's comforting words.
"HERMY-OWN!" Viktor yelled from the threshold. He was standing there, holding a little beetle in his hand.
Hermione jumped to her feet. "What's going on here, Viktor?" she waved her letter in his face. "Why do you have my mail… and who is that?"
Rita morphed into herself and smirked. "Surprise, you little tramp!"
"YOU!" Hermione cried, retracting her wand from her robes. "Viktor, no…"
"Yes, Viktor has been helping me all along." Rita smirked. "Hmmm… but now, no one can help you." She slammed the door shut. She pulled out her wand. "You're mine, now!"
"Accio, Rita's wand!" Hermione cried.
She gasped when nothing happened.
Rita laughed. "You think those kiddie spells could really work on me?" she pointed her wand at Hermione. "Juna Morg!"
Hermione's wand cracked in half.
"Noooo!" Hermione screeched. "What do you want?!"
"Dear, dear girl," Rita hissed. "There is only one thing I want. And that is revenge. Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"
Harry flew north toward the Moving Mountains, holding the compass that Fred and George had given him from the Ford Anglia. Ron was right. He had to see Hermione and get this whole thing worked out. After what seemed like no time at all, he saw mountains slowly drifting in the water on small islands. He skidded to a stop and tried a few directions until the compass pointed East. He sent off again like a rocket.
"Don't vurt her," Viktor told Rita. "I vant her to marry me."
"You're sick, both of you!" Hermione cried. "Really sick…"
"Strong words for a defenseless little girl," Rita said.
"Little girl?! Defenseless?" Hermione snapped. "I'll kill you myself! I don't need my wand!"
"Did you hear that?" Rita asked Viktor.
Viktor nodded. "Vhat vis the bell to vhange classes."
Rita scowled. She pointed her wand at Hermione. "Get up now. We're going to your dormitory where it'll be safer."
Hermione crossed her arms. "I'm not going anywhere."
Viktor lunged at Hermione. In one smooth motion, he had used a silence charm on her. Her lips were glued shut. She couldn't even whimper.
Rita grabbed her arm and threw her out of the classroom. Hermione took off down the hall, trying to lose herself in the maze of Durmstrag students.
She bumped into every she and he, but managed to get to a stair way and out a set of doors. Cool air greeted her face.
"Stop her!" she heard Rita hiss from behind her, but Hermione kept on running.
Rita morphed back into a beetle, Viktor following her closely.
He gasped when a hand reached down from his broom and scooped Rita up.
"Potter!" Viktor cried.
Harry sneered from his broom. "Long time, no see, Krum. What's up?" he looked from the beetle to him, and finally to Hermione, who was crying silently.
Harry. Hermione saw him swoop down like an angel from heaven. Could it possibly be true? Were her prayers answered? Was Harry alive? She reached out a hand toward him. He scowled at her. He had a wrinkled paper clenched tight in his hand. Ron had retracted it from the Great Hall before he left. Harry held it up to her Hermione. She gasped and shook her head no violently.
Krum crept up behind her and put the tip of his wand on her back. "Let Rita go,"
"Let Hermione go first," Harry said. "I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I'm taking Hermione and we're leaving."
Rita morphed back into herself. The unexpected weight made Harry lose his grip and he fell to the ground on to of her. He stood her up and pointed his wand on her back. Now he and Krum were face to face.
"Well, isn't this just one big happy party?" Rita asked.
"Shut up," Harry snapped.
"Vere is only one vay to settle this," Viktor said. "Potter and I will duel… for Hermione. No replacements, no vothing. Just me and Potter."
A duel wasn't any laughing matter. It was to the death.
Hermione tried to gasp, but couldn't. She looked frantically to Harry, but his expression was unreadable. How could he still love her after that article? How could he still be alive? How could any of this be happening? Their future together rested on his words. Either he would chose to fight for her, or throw her in the mud. But, if he did agree to fight Krum, she didn't know of any way he could win. Krum was older and more advanced.
Harry pointed his wand at Hermione, said "Untiedellsa!" and then turned to Krum. "I accept."
Hermione coughed. She could actually make noise now. She turned to Harry. "Harry, I never saw that article in my life! I don't love Viktor! I love you! I always have and I always will!" She would deal with the whole "I thought you were dead!" thing later.
Harry wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too."
"Vit is settled, then." Viktor said, polishing his wand on his robes. "Withdraw vour wand!"
Harry looked away from Hermione.
"Don't do this, Harry, please!" Hermione fretted. But once you agreed to a duel, there was no backing out.
"I have to," Harry said. "No matter what happens, know that I love you always."
"No!" Hermione said, grasping his arm. "I can't let you do this."
"I have to," he said. He cupped her face and kissed her gently on the lips. Then he turned to Krum. "Let's go. I'm ready."
Krum and Harry stood and faced each other. Hermione and Rita stood a few feet behind them.
"Looks like the boy who lived is about to die." Rita snarled.
"Shut up!" Hermione snapped. "Harry is not going to DIE." She vowed. "He's not going to die."
Krum waved his wand back and forth over he and Harry. "Consumnia!" he shouted. A large green dome formed around them all.
And so the duel began, Rita and Hermione watching every movement like a hawk. Harry started out slow, performing the full body bind and then a "Firetona", which set you aflame. Viktor, however, quickly disarmed the Firetona and cast a slow spell on Harry- that made him move in slow motion. Everything Harry cast after that, Viktor easily dodged. Harry, being a young fifth year had no idea how to disarm it, so he had no choice but to keep throwing everything he had at Viktor. Until, two hours later, he crumpled to the ground in exhaustion.
"Harry!!" Hermione gasped. "Get up, please!" she made a motion to run over to him, but Rita grabbed her firmly.
"You can't interfere. It is a duel. You'll be killed, and no one will take that sweet pleasure from me."
Viktor walked over to Harry.
Harry panted up at him. 'Get up!' he willed himself. 'You can't lose like this. You can't lose Hermione!'
Viktor grinned down at him. "I vin," he said, and raised his wand. He opened his mouth to form the words that couldn't kill Harry fifteen years ago.
Hermione, sensing this, broke free of Rita and ran toward them.
"Adavara Kedavra," Viktor said. A green light pertruded from his wand, aiming for Harry's chest.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry whispered.
Harry closed his eyes. He could feel the green light coming for him. And then--- a thump and… nothing. He only opened his eyes again when he heard Viktor yell "Hermy-own!" He turned his head. Collapsed before him was Hermione, her eyes closed. Viktor was crouched over, shaking her gently.
Harry, with renewed strength climbed to his feet, shouted "Awaigo!" at Viktor. He was sent flying backwards, and a small yellow field formed around him. He shouted the same at Skeeter, who was edging toward Viktor's forgotten wand. Harry then turned to Hermione. Before he even touched her, he knew she was dead. No one… except he had survived the killing curse. "No," he whispered, smoothing back her hair. "No, Hermione, you can't die. I made all of the right choices!!! I came back for you! I fought for you! I love you! What else is there?" he looked toward the heavens as if for a sign. "Help me… please."
Hermione coughed and slowly opened her eyes. "Harry…"
Harry wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth. "You're alive. You're alive." he kept repeating.
"What happened?" she asked, rubbing her head.
"You saved my life." Harry said.
"I love you, Harry. I couldn't lose you." She said.
Harry kissed her. It wouldn't be the last time he did.
Chapter 7: Hermione's Return (I posted this together with chap 6 because I wanted to get this story done!J)
With Skeeter turned over to the Ministry for being an unregistered Animagus, and Viktor far away in Durmstrag, things seemed to be getting back to normal for the trio. Harry and Hermione were together, and Ron was still Ron, good ol' sarcastic Ron.
"There's one thing I still don't get," Ron said as they boarded the train to return to the Muggle world. "How did Hermione survive?"
"Well," Harry said, clamping his hand over hers. "Dumbledore told me that my mom had loved me so much that her love saved me when she sacrificed herself for me. Hermione… (her eyes filled with tears) loved me as well and did the same. But, in this case, I loved her as much as she loved me, so I guess the love canceled it out. When I was a baby, I had no idea what love was. That curse is dark magic, remember, and the dark side cannot understand love."
Just then, Malfoy stuck his head in their compartment. "Oh look, the Mudblood Princess is back,"
Ron and Harry climbed angrily to their feet.
Hermione sneered. "Yeah, Malfoy, and I survived the Adavara Kedavra curse."
"You're a freak just like Potter," Malfoy hissed on his way out.
Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione hastily shook her head.
"Oh please!!" Ron begged. "Can't I just… make him bald or something?"
Hermione smiled. She turned to Harry and grinned. "Yeah, okay."
Ron grinned and leapt out of the compartment.
Hermione snuggled against Harry. "There's one thing I don't understand as well," she said.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"I received an edition of The Daily Prophet saying you and Ron were killed," her voice broke.
"It was Skeeter," he said. "The same way she sent me the copy saying you were marrying Krum."
Hermione shook her head. "She won't be ruining anyone's lives anymore."
"No," Harry said. "I've got a feeling that the Ministry has a big enough shoe to squash her."
Hermione smiled, kissed Harry's cheek and closed her eyes. It was great to be back. And as she was snuggled next to Harry, as Malfoy's shrieks filled the train, and Ron's mischeveous laughter filled her ears, she couldn't think of any other place she'd rather be.
The end! Thanks to everyonewho loved this story, especially Gary, Maggie, Yasmine, Hermione0018, and everyone else--- I thank you all so much.
Harry-Dreams,
Diane (LilFlyergirl)
