CHAPTER TWENTY- The Stone of Power (Remus's
point of view)
I prowled around the living room of the Shrieking Shack. growling and sinking my teeth into the couch. I was there because Sirius wanted to meet me a few days before the full moon. But did that idiot appear? I think not.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door that led to the entrance to the secret passage that came out under the Whomping Willow. Sirius?
I leapt towards the door and snarled at it. Sirius I hope you are in dog form cause you know perfectly well I'm a werewolf right now. I called in Anamagius thought-speak (werewolves could do it too) and clawed at the door till it opened.
Sirius was not there.
I looked around and spotted something glinting on the floor.
There was a flash of light from it and the next thing I knew, I was human.
*** (Harry's point of view)
"Remus wanted to meet us here? Why?" Hermione asked, shivering slightly as we were in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.
"I don't know." I said.
"I just hope he gets here s-" Ron stopped. His eyes got extremely wide.
"Oh no. He's doing it again, Hermione." I said and Hermione turned to see Ron fling back against a tree and collapse to the ground.
"THE STORM IS APPROACHING! THE STONE OF POWER MUST BE PROTECTED! DO ANYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO PROTECT THE STONE OR ELSE THE WORLD SHALL BE DOOMED!" He screamed before slumping onto the ground.
A few minutes later he dizzily stood up. "What. happened.?" He asked though I could tell by the tone in his voice he knew.
"Prediction." Hermione and I chorused.
"The storm is approaching. The Stone of Power must be protected. Do anything in your power to protect the Stone or else the world shall be doomed." Said a voice.
We jumped as Remus appeared. "Remus." I said.
"That's my name." He said with a laugh. "has Sirius talked to you. recently?"
"No." I said.
"He's wanted to meet me in Hogsmeade before the last full moon which was. last night. And he never appeared." He said, eyes looking around nervously.
"I hope he's okay." I said.
"Ron." He stared at Ron who jumped slightly and fell, still weak from the prediction he had just made.
"Yes?" He asked.
"You're making predictions now I see. And funny it should mention the Stone of Power." He said.
"How come?" Hermione asked.
"Last night there was a knock at the door when I was werewolf. The door that led to the secret passage. I thought it was Sirius. Opening the door, I found this. and I was turned back to human." He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out.
"The Stone of Power." Ron said right away as Remus opened his hand and revealed a stone the size of my forefinger nail. It was flat, round, smooth and blue.
"You recognize it?" Remus asked in surprise.
"It's been in my dreams." Ron admitted.
"How can a stone knock?" I asked.
"It turned you to human? You're. you're no longer. a werewolf?" Hermione asked in shock.
"I don't know. It might just keep me normal if I HAVE it. But I don't know if I'm completely cured." Remus said.
"The Stone of Power must be protected." I said and reached for the Stone. It looked so trivial. something so small and. worthless.
But looks can be deceiving.
***
The three of us headed back to the castle, thinking. Remus was going to look for Sirius and I was going to inform Dumbledore and see if Snape had said anything but not till the next day since it was so late.
The next morning at breakfast a pure black owl swooped over Peggy and dropped a letter. She went white as she read it.
"Peggy. what's wrong?" Amy asked.
"I gotta go. I'll probably miss class but. I gotta go." And she ran off.
Seconds later a large great-horned owl swooped over me and dropped a letter. I began reading it.
'Dear Harry Potter, we have Sirius Black. And if you want to ever seen him alive again. come to the cave. Tomorrow night at midnight. And bring the Stone of Power. And you can bring some of your friends with you if you want. There will be a spell on the cave entrance. If you do not have the Stone with you then Sirius will be killed right away.
Wormtail'
Then it gave direct directions to the cave.
"Harry?" Amy asked as I began trembling.
"I'm. okay." I whispered. feeling sick.
***
I couldn't concentrate on classes at all that day. Sirius's image kept popping into my head. the Stone of Power, which was in my pocket, was in my head, too. And Peggy had completely disappeared.
"Harry are you feeling okay?" Ron asked.
"Ron. Voldemort has risen up, Death Eaters are swarming the land, I have to protect the Stone of Power, my best friend is starting to make predictions and have visions, the Dursleys might be dead, one of my close friends is really a servant of Voldemort and I don't know WHO and now my godfather has been kidnapped and if I don't show up tomorrow at midnight with the Stone of Power then he'll be killed!" I snapped. "Now you be judge as of whether or not I AM OKAY!!!"
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed that night, running down from the girls dorms.
"What." I asked.
She slapped the note Peggy had gotten that morning on the table. "Read it." She said. It simply said five words.
Master Wants You Right Away.
"Oh my God." I said.
"What?" Ron asked and I read the note. "Oh. that. well. it explains." He stammered then told me what had happened in Hogsmeade when he and Peggy had gone there instead of the dance. How she had been acting all weird. what Sirius's reaction to seeing her was.
"You mean Peggy is the traitor mentioned in the prediction?" Amy asked.
"Yes." I whispered, closing my eyes and getting sicker by the moment.
"And all this time I thought she was a nice girl." Amy muttered.
***
That night I lay in my bed, not able to go to sleep and looking at the Stone of Power. It was so tiny. so trivial. it looked so worthless.
I turned it over and over in my hands. How could I protect it? How could I take it so Sirius wouldn't be killed. yet protect it at the same time? Maybe a transfiguration? Then maybe the spell wouldn't see the Stone and Sirius'll be killed.
I stared hard at it. Such a tiny thing. I could conceal on me somewhere. but Voldemort could use the Summoning charm.
How could I get past this and still protect the teeny. teeny tiny. TINY stone. that's it!
I sat up quickly in my bed, realizing how.
*** (Ron's point of view)
It explained it all. Why Peggy was acting all weird. why she was all weird in my dreams. and why she said I'd be giving up so much and she's not worth it.
"Ron.?" Hermione asked as I was slumped over my breakfast. "you okay?"
"Not really." I sighed, picking at my breakfast.
"Are you guys going to come with me?" Harry asked.
"I am." Hermione said.
"I will." Jasmine said, eyes flashing defiantly.
"Ofcourse, Harry." Amy said quietly.
"Yeah." I said, sighing heavily.
"Good." He said and looked rather nervous. I didn't blame him. I was feeling horrible. I was going to be meeting You-Know-Who. it made me sick. It made me full of fear. I felt like hiding under my bed and crying for my mommy. But if I wasn't brave the whole world could be doomed. I wished the day would go slowly but no, it zipped by and soon it was dinner.
"Ron, we need to eat." Harry said.
"I can't." I said.
"Have a piece of cake." Harry said, offering me a piece of chocolate cake.
"I don't feel like it." I said.
"So you'd rather be all weak and collapse when face to face with Voldemort?!" He snapped so I ate it. After dinner I went to my dorm and lay there. Would I be alive to take my O.W.Ls? I might be killed that night.
I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My dreams flowed into my head. everything played over. everything. did. I blinked and sat up quickly realizing something. Realized what Peggy had been meaning by 'think' in my dreams. ofcourse. how could I be so stupid?!
I pushed back my covers and ran down to the Common Room. "Harry." I hissed.
"Not right now, Ron, I'm studying curses in case." Harry trailed off.
"Harry please I need to talk to you." I urged, tugging his sleeve.
"Not right now!" Harry snapped.
"Its really important I. its." I trailed off and sighed. There was no use trying to tell him. He probably wouldn't believe me anyway.
***
We sat in the Common Room. all looking like we were going to a funereal which we probably were. Our own. As the clock stroke eleven, we left since it took about an hour to get there. We wound around to the back of Hogwarts and headed towards the mountain and began climbing up the trail.
When it neared midnight. we saw the entrance to the cave.
"Harry you have Stone?" Hermione whispered, gripping her wand.
"Don't worry the Stone is here with us." Harry assured us.
We got to the entrance of the huge cave. It was black inside. I was feeling so sick. My stomach churned angrily.
"Let's. do this." Harry said and with that we stepped through.
***
It was a huge cave lit with torches. In the middle was a ball made of black veins. and in it was the huge black form of Sirius
"Sirius." Harry said and the dog looked up. Obviously the black veins held back his power to talk to us through our minds.
I gripped my wand tightly and looked around. No one was there. Nothing. A few large brown rocks could conceal someone.
It was now or never to show the truth.
I turned quickly and pointed my wand. "CRUCIO!"
*** (Harry's point of view)
Hermione pushed me down on the ground as the Cruciatus curse was shot. Shot by Ron?!
"RON?!" I screamed then heard another voice screaming in pain. I turned to see Amy writhing on the ground. "Amy." I whispered and leapt to her side.
"Ron. is the. follower." Amy whispered, tears coming to her eyes in pain.
I whirled at Ron who looked very eerie. "You." I whispered, not believing it.
"Harry. I-"
"Whammos!" I screamed. The light hit Ron in the chest and flung him back against the rocks.
"HARRY! NO!" Ron screamed.
"How could you." I whispered, shaking from head to toe. The charm had him being pushed against the wall, hard, unable to move.
"Harry. its. its. its." Ron tried.
Suddenly immense pain filled my body and I fell to the ground. Someone had the Cruciatus curse on me. I was screaming as I shook with white hot pain.
"Very good." Said Voldemort's voice. He appeared garbed entirely in black with his red eyes glowing. He held a black scepter with a green glowing stone at the end. The curse was lifted from me. I rolled onto my side and began breathing hard.
"Thank you, master."
Amy stood up and walked to Voldemort's side.
I prowled around the living room of the Shrieking Shack. growling and sinking my teeth into the couch. I was there because Sirius wanted to meet me a few days before the full moon. But did that idiot appear? I think not.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door that led to the entrance to the secret passage that came out under the Whomping Willow. Sirius?
I leapt towards the door and snarled at it. Sirius I hope you are in dog form cause you know perfectly well I'm a werewolf right now. I called in Anamagius thought-speak (werewolves could do it too) and clawed at the door till it opened.
Sirius was not there.
I looked around and spotted something glinting on the floor.
There was a flash of light from it and the next thing I knew, I was human.
*** (Harry's point of view)
"Remus wanted to meet us here? Why?" Hermione asked, shivering slightly as we were in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.
"I don't know." I said.
"I just hope he gets here s-" Ron stopped. His eyes got extremely wide.
"Oh no. He's doing it again, Hermione." I said and Hermione turned to see Ron fling back against a tree and collapse to the ground.
"THE STORM IS APPROACHING! THE STONE OF POWER MUST BE PROTECTED! DO ANYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO PROTECT THE STONE OR ELSE THE WORLD SHALL BE DOOMED!" He screamed before slumping onto the ground.
A few minutes later he dizzily stood up. "What. happened.?" He asked though I could tell by the tone in his voice he knew.
"Prediction." Hermione and I chorused.
"The storm is approaching. The Stone of Power must be protected. Do anything in your power to protect the Stone or else the world shall be doomed." Said a voice.
We jumped as Remus appeared. "Remus." I said.
"That's my name." He said with a laugh. "has Sirius talked to you. recently?"
"No." I said.
"He's wanted to meet me in Hogsmeade before the last full moon which was. last night. And he never appeared." He said, eyes looking around nervously.
"I hope he's okay." I said.
"Ron." He stared at Ron who jumped slightly and fell, still weak from the prediction he had just made.
"Yes?" He asked.
"You're making predictions now I see. And funny it should mention the Stone of Power." He said.
"How come?" Hermione asked.
"Last night there was a knock at the door when I was werewolf. The door that led to the secret passage. I thought it was Sirius. Opening the door, I found this. and I was turned back to human." He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out.
"The Stone of Power." Ron said right away as Remus opened his hand and revealed a stone the size of my forefinger nail. It was flat, round, smooth and blue.
"You recognize it?" Remus asked in surprise.
"It's been in my dreams." Ron admitted.
"How can a stone knock?" I asked.
"It turned you to human? You're. you're no longer. a werewolf?" Hermione asked in shock.
"I don't know. It might just keep me normal if I HAVE it. But I don't know if I'm completely cured." Remus said.
"The Stone of Power must be protected." I said and reached for the Stone. It looked so trivial. something so small and. worthless.
But looks can be deceiving.
***
The three of us headed back to the castle, thinking. Remus was going to look for Sirius and I was going to inform Dumbledore and see if Snape had said anything but not till the next day since it was so late.
The next morning at breakfast a pure black owl swooped over Peggy and dropped a letter. She went white as she read it.
"Peggy. what's wrong?" Amy asked.
"I gotta go. I'll probably miss class but. I gotta go." And she ran off.
Seconds later a large great-horned owl swooped over me and dropped a letter. I began reading it.
'Dear Harry Potter, we have Sirius Black. And if you want to ever seen him alive again. come to the cave. Tomorrow night at midnight. And bring the Stone of Power. And you can bring some of your friends with you if you want. There will be a spell on the cave entrance. If you do not have the Stone with you then Sirius will be killed right away.
Wormtail'
Then it gave direct directions to the cave.
"Harry?" Amy asked as I began trembling.
"I'm. okay." I whispered. feeling sick.
***
I couldn't concentrate on classes at all that day. Sirius's image kept popping into my head. the Stone of Power, which was in my pocket, was in my head, too. And Peggy had completely disappeared.
"Harry are you feeling okay?" Ron asked.
"Ron. Voldemort has risen up, Death Eaters are swarming the land, I have to protect the Stone of Power, my best friend is starting to make predictions and have visions, the Dursleys might be dead, one of my close friends is really a servant of Voldemort and I don't know WHO and now my godfather has been kidnapped and if I don't show up tomorrow at midnight with the Stone of Power then he'll be killed!" I snapped. "Now you be judge as of whether or not I AM OKAY!!!"
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed that night, running down from the girls dorms.
"What." I asked.
She slapped the note Peggy had gotten that morning on the table. "Read it." She said. It simply said five words.
Master Wants You Right Away.
"Oh my God." I said.
"What?" Ron asked and I read the note. "Oh. that. well. it explains." He stammered then told me what had happened in Hogsmeade when he and Peggy had gone there instead of the dance. How she had been acting all weird. what Sirius's reaction to seeing her was.
"You mean Peggy is the traitor mentioned in the prediction?" Amy asked.
"Yes." I whispered, closing my eyes and getting sicker by the moment.
"And all this time I thought she was a nice girl." Amy muttered.
***
That night I lay in my bed, not able to go to sleep and looking at the Stone of Power. It was so tiny. so trivial. it looked so worthless.
I turned it over and over in my hands. How could I protect it? How could I take it so Sirius wouldn't be killed. yet protect it at the same time? Maybe a transfiguration? Then maybe the spell wouldn't see the Stone and Sirius'll be killed.
I stared hard at it. Such a tiny thing. I could conceal on me somewhere. but Voldemort could use the Summoning charm.
How could I get past this and still protect the teeny. teeny tiny. TINY stone. that's it!
I sat up quickly in my bed, realizing how.
*** (Ron's point of view)
It explained it all. Why Peggy was acting all weird. why she was all weird in my dreams. and why she said I'd be giving up so much and she's not worth it.
"Ron.?" Hermione asked as I was slumped over my breakfast. "you okay?"
"Not really." I sighed, picking at my breakfast.
"Are you guys going to come with me?" Harry asked.
"I am." Hermione said.
"I will." Jasmine said, eyes flashing defiantly.
"Ofcourse, Harry." Amy said quietly.
"Yeah." I said, sighing heavily.
"Good." He said and looked rather nervous. I didn't blame him. I was feeling horrible. I was going to be meeting You-Know-Who. it made me sick. It made me full of fear. I felt like hiding under my bed and crying for my mommy. But if I wasn't brave the whole world could be doomed. I wished the day would go slowly but no, it zipped by and soon it was dinner.
"Ron, we need to eat." Harry said.
"I can't." I said.
"Have a piece of cake." Harry said, offering me a piece of chocolate cake.
"I don't feel like it." I said.
"So you'd rather be all weak and collapse when face to face with Voldemort?!" He snapped so I ate it. After dinner I went to my dorm and lay there. Would I be alive to take my O.W.Ls? I might be killed that night.
I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My dreams flowed into my head. everything played over. everything. did. I blinked and sat up quickly realizing something. Realized what Peggy had been meaning by 'think' in my dreams. ofcourse. how could I be so stupid?!
I pushed back my covers and ran down to the Common Room. "Harry." I hissed.
"Not right now, Ron, I'm studying curses in case." Harry trailed off.
"Harry please I need to talk to you." I urged, tugging his sleeve.
"Not right now!" Harry snapped.
"Its really important I. its." I trailed off and sighed. There was no use trying to tell him. He probably wouldn't believe me anyway.
***
We sat in the Common Room. all looking like we were going to a funereal which we probably were. Our own. As the clock stroke eleven, we left since it took about an hour to get there. We wound around to the back of Hogwarts and headed towards the mountain and began climbing up the trail.
When it neared midnight. we saw the entrance to the cave.
"Harry you have Stone?" Hermione whispered, gripping her wand.
"Don't worry the Stone is here with us." Harry assured us.
We got to the entrance of the huge cave. It was black inside. I was feeling so sick. My stomach churned angrily.
"Let's. do this." Harry said and with that we stepped through.
***
It was a huge cave lit with torches. In the middle was a ball made of black veins. and in it was the huge black form of Sirius
"Sirius." Harry said and the dog looked up. Obviously the black veins held back his power to talk to us through our minds.
I gripped my wand tightly and looked around. No one was there. Nothing. A few large brown rocks could conceal someone.
It was now or never to show the truth.
I turned quickly and pointed my wand. "CRUCIO!"
*** (Harry's point of view)
Hermione pushed me down on the ground as the Cruciatus curse was shot. Shot by Ron?!
"RON?!" I screamed then heard another voice screaming in pain. I turned to see Amy writhing on the ground. "Amy." I whispered and leapt to her side.
"Ron. is the. follower." Amy whispered, tears coming to her eyes in pain.
I whirled at Ron who looked very eerie. "You." I whispered, not believing it.
"Harry. I-"
"Whammos!" I screamed. The light hit Ron in the chest and flung him back against the rocks.
"HARRY! NO!" Ron screamed.
"How could you." I whispered, shaking from head to toe. The charm had him being pushed against the wall, hard, unable to move.
"Harry. its. its. its." Ron tried.
Suddenly immense pain filled my body and I fell to the ground. Someone had the Cruciatus curse on me. I was screaming as I shook with white hot pain.
"Very good." Said Voldemort's voice. He appeared garbed entirely in black with his red eyes glowing. He held a black scepter with a green glowing stone at the end. The curse was lifted from me. I rolled onto my side and began breathing hard.
"Thank you, master."
Amy stood up and walked to Voldemort's side.