Harry Potter and the Jade Heart
Chapter 16
"Lost and Losing"
Harry and Ron kept a close watch on Hermione for the following days. They tried to be friendly to her, but she reacted with indifference. Half of Ron wanted to chase after her, but the other half wanted to forget about it and just hang out with Harry and Dean.
"Hermione is still our friend," said Harry. "I don't think it is a good time to alienate anyone."
"You couldn't be more correct, Mr. Potter." Harry turned around and saw Snape standing behind him, arms crossed, sneering as usual. "Follow me." Harry gave Ron a look that told him not to give up on Hermione. Ron walked down the hall the opposite way that Snape led Harry. The two of them came to halt at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. They both entered. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to sit down. Snape remained standing by the door.
"Harry, there is troubling news that I believe you should be aware of," said Dumbledore. Harry did not like the sound of it. "I left out some information about Jade Hearts. When someone gets a Jade Heart, the person they truly love becomes their worst enemy. This is why many death eaters don't have Jade Hearts. They would end up killing themselves. That's why magic is involved."
Harry was a bit uncertain about this. "Why is this troubling news for me exactly? Why do I need to know this?"
"Because if Voldemort is successful, someone you know will turn on you. Someone close to you."
"How do you know this?"
Dumbledore looked at the corner of his office behind Harry. He turned in his chair and saw Remus Lupin emerge from the shadows. "Hello, Harry." A huge smile crossed Harry's face as he jumped up and ran to give Lupin a big hug.
"What are you doing here? Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, excitedly looking around.
"It's just me here. Sirius is back at my house with the others preparing."
Harry's stopped smiling. "Preparing for what?"
Lupin looked Harry in the eyes. "The giants...they have actually become spies for us." Harry gave him a look of disbelief. "I know, I know. Don't ask me how Hagrid did it. It took a while for them to set a plan and go back to Voldemort. Apparently Voldemort's plan is to turn someone you care about. We have no idea who it could be--"
Harry cut him off right away. "It's someone here. A student." Lupin raised an eyebrow at him. "I had been doing some thinking, and it just makes sense."
"You seem quite confident it's a student. You do realize that you can't pick out people with Jade Hearts that easily."
Harry turned to Dumbledore. "I thought someone could tell right away."
"Not tell right away exactly. Do you suspect anyone?"
"Well, no not really."
"That's too bad," said Dumbledore, lowering his head.
"How come?"
"If you suspect someone, you would know that they do not have a Jade Heart. You either know or you don't. I know that is difficult to understand. You just need to be aware that someone, possibly a student but it could also perhaps be an outside friend, will become a death eater, if they haven't already."
"You're worried about me?" asked Harry. "Shouldn't you worry about the person Voldemort is going to change? All the death eaters want to kill me. What's one more?"
Lupin and Dumbledore glanced at each other. "Just don't take anything for granted," said Lupin. "I need to go now. We're making sure no one outside of Hogwarts is in danger." He Harry's arm a squeeze and left. Harry plopped back down in the chair.
"So what am I supposed to do? Wait for one of my friends to be brainwashed?" he asked.
Dumbledore gave a very caring, sympathetic look to Harry. "There's nothing you can do if you don't know."
"Don't know what?"
"Who it is. But I will remind you this: only the weakwilled can be suaded. That doesn't mean they have weak hearts or weak minds. They are just lost, and it might be Voldemort who shows them a way. You just make sure those you care about are directed on the right path."
Harry didn't know what to make of this. It was like he was battling Voldemort for someone he cared about, but he didn't know who it was. He didn't even know how to fight. He left Dumbledore's office feeling worse than usual. Dumbledore's, Lupin's, and Trelawney's words all played in his head. "Harry, you are going to lose many friends," Trewlaney had said.
Then remembering Dumbledore's words, Harry thought to himself, 'I might have already lost one. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find them.'
Chapter 16
"Lost and Losing"
Harry and Ron kept a close watch on Hermione for the following days. They tried to be friendly to her, but she reacted with indifference. Half of Ron wanted to chase after her, but the other half wanted to forget about it and just hang out with Harry and Dean.
"Hermione is still our friend," said Harry. "I don't think it is a good time to alienate anyone."
"You couldn't be more correct, Mr. Potter." Harry turned around and saw Snape standing behind him, arms crossed, sneering as usual. "Follow me." Harry gave Ron a look that told him not to give up on Hermione. Ron walked down the hall the opposite way that Snape led Harry. The two of them came to halt at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. They both entered. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to sit down. Snape remained standing by the door.
"Harry, there is troubling news that I believe you should be aware of," said Dumbledore. Harry did not like the sound of it. "I left out some information about Jade Hearts. When someone gets a Jade Heart, the person they truly love becomes their worst enemy. This is why many death eaters don't have Jade Hearts. They would end up killing themselves. That's why magic is involved."
Harry was a bit uncertain about this. "Why is this troubling news for me exactly? Why do I need to know this?"
"Because if Voldemort is successful, someone you know will turn on you. Someone close to you."
"How do you know this?"
Dumbledore looked at the corner of his office behind Harry. He turned in his chair and saw Remus Lupin emerge from the shadows. "Hello, Harry." A huge smile crossed Harry's face as he jumped up and ran to give Lupin a big hug.
"What are you doing here? Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, excitedly looking around.
"It's just me here. Sirius is back at my house with the others preparing."
Harry's stopped smiling. "Preparing for what?"
Lupin looked Harry in the eyes. "The giants...they have actually become spies for us." Harry gave him a look of disbelief. "I know, I know. Don't ask me how Hagrid did it. It took a while for them to set a plan and go back to Voldemort. Apparently Voldemort's plan is to turn someone you care about. We have no idea who it could be--"
Harry cut him off right away. "It's someone here. A student." Lupin raised an eyebrow at him. "I had been doing some thinking, and it just makes sense."
"You seem quite confident it's a student. You do realize that you can't pick out people with Jade Hearts that easily."
Harry turned to Dumbledore. "I thought someone could tell right away."
"Not tell right away exactly. Do you suspect anyone?"
"Well, no not really."
"That's too bad," said Dumbledore, lowering his head.
"How come?"
"If you suspect someone, you would know that they do not have a Jade Heart. You either know or you don't. I know that is difficult to understand. You just need to be aware that someone, possibly a student but it could also perhaps be an outside friend, will become a death eater, if they haven't already."
"You're worried about me?" asked Harry. "Shouldn't you worry about the person Voldemort is going to change? All the death eaters want to kill me. What's one more?"
Lupin and Dumbledore glanced at each other. "Just don't take anything for granted," said Lupin. "I need to go now. We're making sure no one outside of Hogwarts is in danger." He Harry's arm a squeeze and left. Harry plopped back down in the chair.
"So what am I supposed to do? Wait for one of my friends to be brainwashed?" he asked.
Dumbledore gave a very caring, sympathetic look to Harry. "There's nothing you can do if you don't know."
"Don't know what?"
"Who it is. But I will remind you this: only the weakwilled can be suaded. That doesn't mean they have weak hearts or weak minds. They are just lost, and it might be Voldemort who shows them a way. You just make sure those you care about are directed on the right path."
Harry didn't know what to make of this. It was like he was battling Voldemort for someone he cared about, but he didn't know who it was. He didn't even know how to fight. He left Dumbledore's office feeling worse than usual. Dumbledore's, Lupin's, and Trelawney's words all played in his head. "Harry, you are going to lose many friends," Trewlaney had said.
Then remembering Dumbledore's words, Harry thought to himself, 'I might have already lost one. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find them.'