Chapter XI
"Coach? Can you
help me with my turns?"
"Coach? I need help on the accuracy of my shots."
"And I need to dive further to the right without falling
off my broom."
"Can I go to breakfast now?"
"YEAH!!!"
BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
"Saved by the bell," Harry muttered to himself. The
students in his Quidditch team were starting to bug him at that lesson. Earlies
were not their favourite lessons.
"C'mon coach, you look stressed out," said a voice behind
him. It was Rachel. They walked up to the castle and the younger Quidditch
players ran ahead of them to their well-deserved breakfast.
"Harry, my man, what is it with you? A few days ago you
were happy and loveable, and now you're tense and…well…irritable. Wazzup?"
"Oh, I
really don't want to talk about it," Harry said. Rachel looked at him and
raised an eyebrow, but didn't pursue the subject.
They arrived at the castle and sat down
for breakfast. Harry put his head in his hands. Hermione was next to Harry and
instantly saw he was upset.
"What's wrong with him?" she mouthed to Rachel, who
shrugged in reply.
Harry stood up and walked out of the Great Hall without
eating a single thing, and hundreds of heads turned and watched him. The Great
Hall doors shut with a dull BANG. Hermione stood up to follow him, but Seamus,
who was across from her, put his hand on her arm.
"Let him go, Hermione. He might need privacy," he said to
her. She nodded, biting her lip.
~~~
Harry sat in a
chair in the common room. He was next to the fireplace that, at the moment,
held a roaring fire. He had his photo album in his lap, and was staring at a
photo that showed his parents dancing on the Quidditch pitch. A brilliant
sunset glowed behind them; the face of the sun squeezed in the space between
his parents' heads. They were gazing into each other's eyes with a look that
could only suggest they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each
other.
But the rest of their lives wasn't as long as they hoped, Harry thought
to himself. He shut the leather-bound book of memories and suddenly, he didn't
want to be alive. So far this year, he had battled a Death Eater twice, fought
a Dementor and rescued his friends. And they weren't even halfway through the
school year! It wasn't fair. He was becoming a super hero, like Superman. He
didn't want to get all the popularity for being a hero - he just wanted his
parents. That's all he wanted. So why was his life so terrible? He had had
tough times in his other years – The Philosopher's Stone, the Chamber of
Secrets, the Goblet of Fire, his last two run-ins with Voldemort and now the
Battle of Heirs. He knew his life was short. He knew he wouldn't survive the
Battle of Heirs. He couldn't. Oh, sure, he had survived all those other times,
but what was to say he'd do it again?
No…he was being stupid! He had a lot to live for.
Hermione, Ron, all the Gryffindors, the teachers…especially Dumbledore. He had
supported Harry through his years and had given him so much. And he still
hadn't made Malfoy regret he was born…
Harry fell asleep, and the next thing he knew, his Mum
and Dad were in his dream.
"Harry! My
baby! We know you're having doubts about your life, but you must listen to us,"
Lily Potter said to Harry. His Mum continued:
"You have so much to live for, the reasons you thought
about were good, but think! You're important to the whole world! Think about
the Battle of Heirs. If you lose, which we trust you won't, the world will fall
apart, and Voldemort will destroy the universe! You must save your friends,
your enemies and the universe. And also, you love Hermione. You can't let her
down. She trusts you to help her through her life, and she loves you so much!
And what about flying and Quidditch? We know you love them, even though I'm
scared of flying, but you and your father have the same passion for flying.
Please, you're my baby, and I don't want you to ruin your life just because
it's complicated right now. Please, don't do anything stupid." His Mum
finished.
"She's right you know," said Harry's Dad. "Harry, don't
be suicidal because you're being relied on by the world. Please, we're both
begging you, enjoy your life, and we'll always be with you, through the Dark
times and your happy times. We love you, Harry…"
~~~
"Are they alright?"
"Are they dead?"
"What happened?"
"Did You-Know-Who get them?"
"Why are they like that? Do you know what happened?"
"Are they alrigh', Professor? Wha' did they do? What are
yer gonna do?"
"Harry…please wake up…"
Harry was in
the Hospital Wing, bandaged up. He was unconscious. He was black and blue.
Almost the whole of the school and Hogwarts staff were around his bed and the
one next to him. Hagrid was shaking. Hermione was sobbing. Ron was crying
slightly. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Most were crying about Harry, but
they were all concerned about Draco, who was in the bed next to Harry. He was
in the same state as Harry.
Harry was having a dream about what had happened….
Harry had just woken up from his dream where his parents
had convinced him to believe in himself and to appreciate his life. He had
started to walk down the corridor to the library to do some homework. As he
climbed out of the Fat Lady, Hermione rushed up to him. He told her he was
alright and kissed her forehead in reassurance. Then he continued to the
library. He passed the Slytherin corridor, and shook his head as he spotted
Malfoy trying to convince Crabbe and Goyle to help him scare the first years in
the Hufflepuff dorms. Harry rounded a corner, and the next thing he knew, he
was tackled to the floor. Harry struggled to get out of his attacker's grasp,
then realised that it was Wormtail. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and
shot a curse at Wormtail. The man stumbled back, and Harry got up. He shot so
many curses at Wormtail that the corridor was ablaze with light. The light
attracted Draco and his cronies, and once Crabbe and Goyle saw what was going
on, they fled to their dorm. Draco, however, saw what was going on, and knew he
had to help. Harry was being knocked over with curses, but he kept getting up,
despite his injuries, and kept on duelling back. Draco ran to Harry's aid and
they both duelled against Wormtail until they ran out of curses to use, but
Harry kept going. Draco was bleeding and didn't have much strength left, but he
knew he had to help Harry. Wormtail was hurt, but not as bad as the boys. He had
an insane grin on his face. Draco shouted out one last curse and fell to the
floor, unconscious. Harry had known Draco was beside him, and when he saw
Malfoy fall, he was angry. He shot curse after curse at Wormtail, but the other
man was too cunning. He shouted the Cruciatus curse on both of them, and a weak
and bleeding Harry joined Draco on the floor. The two boys writhed in pain,
thrashing on the floor as their injuries became almost unbearable in pain. Then
Dumbledore came running down the corridor, and Wormtail transformed, then ran
like a coward, leaving the two boys still writhing in pain.
~
Madam Pomfrey was working her backside off to heal the
boys. Then suddenly, Harry sat up and winced as a gash on his back shot a
series of pain through his body. Everyone gasped.
"He's okay!"
"HARRY'S NOT DEAD!"
"He never was. Madam Pomfrey said he still had a pulse –
a weak one – but a pulse."
"Harry! Yer all righ'! God, for a momen' there, I though
yer was dead."
"Oh, thank goodness!"
"HARRY! Oh man, I thought…never mind what I thought.
YOU'RE ALL RIGHT!"
"Harry… you're okay…I love you!" Hermione cried, and
flung herself at Harry, who grimaced in pain, then patted her back. "Sorry,"
Hermione apologized, realizing Harry's ribs were broken. Harry grinned at her through
the pain, then ran a bandaged hand through his unruly hair. Then he looked at
the bed next to him. Madam Pomfrey was tending to Draco, who was awake and
staring at the ceiling. He looked over at Harry and gave a scowl. Harry raised
his eyebrows, then shrugged. If Draco wanted to risk his life for him and then
stay as his enemy, that was his problem! Harry looked away and pulled a
puffy-eyed Hermione into a hug.
~~~Draco's POV~~~
Why did I do that? Why am I suddenly
helping that Potter? The prat can do it himself! First I help him rescue his
sissy friends, then I help him duel some dangerous, insane, bald, fat Animagi!
What am I doing? Harry doesn't deserve it! But then again…what has he done to
me? I was the one to hold the grudge on the Hogwarts Express … WAIT! Malfoy,
you're a Slytherin! Don't get all mushy and think that I should become friends
with him! The Dark Lord is my master…Draco shuddered. Why does HE have to be
my master? He tortures his enemies AND followers!! Why should I be his soon-to-be
second-hand man? Ugh, I know. It's because I'm a Malfoy. Malfoys have tormented
the Potters since the start of Wizard Times! And they have always followed the
Dark side. Maybe I should be the first one to go to the Light Side! DRACO
MALFOY! Don't be a git; you don't want to join those sissies, do you? No way.
Their motto is "Light Conquers Shadows"! Our motto is the best: "Evil Triumphs
Over All". That's my league and always will be.
~~~ End Draco's POV ~~~
~~~That Night~~~
"Harry, why does your seventh year have to be so…heroic?"
Hermione asked, lying down on the Gryffindor sofa, resting her head on Harry's
lap. Harry, healed fully, stroked her head, saying,
"I don't know, Hermi. It'll pass by, I promise. But when,
I have no idea."
Hermione sat up, then rested against Harry's chest. He
put his arms around her. Hermione felt so safe and warm in his embrace, and
never wanted to let go. She loved Harry so much, but if
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named got him…well, she didn't know what she'd do. She was
in love with the famous Harry Potter, but to her, Harry was her true love, the
one whose kisses could convince her anything; whose hugs were warm and safe.
Not a hero.
Suddenly, the
Fat Lady's portrait swung open, and Rachel and Ron entered. Rachel was in Ron's
arms and they were kissing while walking. Rachel was going backward while Ron
went forward. Hermione and Harry tried to cover their laughs, but it was no
use. They burst out laughing. Ron and Rachel pulled apart and blushed
furiously.
"Don't worry, Ron. You're not the only one out late with
his girlfriend," said Harry, standing up and pulling Hermione up. Ron grinned.
The four sat down and talked – the girls about school – the boys about
Quidditch. Then they headed out of the castle for a midnight double date. As
they sat by the lake under a huge willow tree, a sound came from behind them.
It was Wormtail again!! The boys shielded their girlfriends, but Wormtail
laughed.
"That won't protect them," he whispered, then clicked his
fingers, and the girls were tied up and by his feet.
"Bye, boys!" he cried, then vanished.
"HERMIONE!" yelled Harry.
"RACHEL!" yelled Ron.
The two boys raced up to the castle and through it's
doors. The tore through the dark corridors, dodged Peeves who was pasting the
floor of a classroom in peanut butter. Peeves looked up. He shrugged as he saw
Harry's jet-black hair flailing from side to side and Ron's fiery-red hair
bobbing up and down as they sprinted through the castle.
They reached Dumbledore's stone gargoyle and skidded to a
halt in front of it, panting wildly.
Because Harry was Head Boy, Dumbledore had told him the
password.
"Frog Feet," Harry cried, then he and Ron raced up the
spiral staircase, even though it moved itself. They reached the top and
hammered on Dumbledore's office door. It soon opened to reveal Dumbledore in
pyjamas, a nightcap and sipping a mug of hot chocolate.
"Yes, boys?" he asked seriously. His eyes had lost their
twinkle, as he knew they had come for a serious problem. They quickly explained
their problem, panting in parts. The fire that Dumbledore got in his eyes at a
time like this suddenly flared up. He pointed his wand at himself, muttered a
spell and was in black robes. He told the boys to lead him, which they did,
sprinting again. Dumbledore kept up perfectly. The three hastened to the willow
tree. When they got there, the boys yelled out loud. There was a pool of blood
on the grass.
"He didn't…did he?" Ron asked Dumbledore.
Knowing what Ron meant, Dumbledore shook his head, "No
Peter Pettigrew did not kill your loved ones. This blood is false. It was to
frighten you into thinking he had murdered them. Peter was always a little
dull. Please go the Great Hall and sit down at your table. The school shall
gather there shortly," Dumbledore said. Then he magnified his voice and made
the announcement of the meeting, keeping a careful eye on the boys' retreating
backs.
~~~
Author's
Note: Another chapter done!! Don't worry, though! There will be another chapter!!!
Okay, so tell me. Did this stink or is it good? Do you want longer
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that what you want will be what you get. J
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~~~*~~~ Rachie.V.