Let Slip the Dogs of War
(A sequel to "The Wisdom to Know the Difference")
by Balizabeth
Disclaimer- I am making no profit whatsoever from this fic, and I own none of the characters. I have borrowed the term "Istari" from the infamous J.R.R Tolkein, but that's about it. Suing me is a waste of your money and my time. Besides, you'll not get a cent out of me! I work at a daycare! I'm poor!
"With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."
-William Shakespeare,
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Act III, scene i
**************************************************************
And here we are- the long awaited (or so I like to think) sequel to "The Wisdom to Know the Difference". I would like to tell everyone now that this fic will be longer and there will be a much larger amount of time between posts. School starts for me in a matter of days, and I have a killer schedule this year. For reasons I can't figure out yet, I decided to take two college courses, although this is only my junior year in High School. If I survive school and work, it will be a year to remember!
But enough about me, I know what you want! Let's see how our favorite hero and his amis are doing, hmmmm?
Well, then, hold on, because here we go!
****************************************************************
As Harry burst through the magical barrier and onto Platform 4 and 3/4, the first thing that hit him was the *noise*. Students were yelling and setting of fireworks in a burst of end-of-the-summer spirits, parents were calling to their children, making sure they didn't forget their dress robes and their potions ingredients. Friends who had not seen each other since school let out greeted each other joyfully. And, above it all, the huge, magnificent Hogwarts Express was puffing out steam as the whistle blew, shrieking over the madness. Although there was a seemingly exuberant appearance to the crowd, Harry could sense the underlying fear, worry and tension in each and every person in the group. By now, word of the attacks had spread to nearly every wizarding family, and whether they believed it or not, they were still afraid. Attacks and Dark Marks were nothing to be taken lightly, especially in light of Voldemort's rebirth, as announced by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
For a moment, Harry was struck dumb by this attack on his hearing. He didn't even notice the fear and doubt that was still deep inside him. Before he could adjust himself to the chaotic surroundings, Ron pulled his arm, and cried excitedly,
"There's Hermione! Do you see her, Harry?" Sure enough, there was Hermione, standing on her tiptoes and waving her arms frantically to make herself noticed through the crowd.
"Harry! Ron! Over here, come on, I've already found us some seats. Hurry up, the train is about to leave!" This sounded very much like the Hermione Harry knew, and it was a nice reminder to him that some things always stayed the same. Ron and Harry, who had already said their good-byes to a tearful Mrs. Weasley at the barrier, pushed their way through the crowd until they reached their friend. Hermione beamed at them both, and then said to Ron,
"Ron, why don't you go put your trunk and Harry's away, and meet us inside the compartment?" This was followed by a meaningful look, which Ron correctly interpreted that Hermione wanted time to speak to Harry alone.
Ron nodded, pretending to be annoyed at having Hermione boss him around.
"Be back in a few, then," he said, and sauntered off, calling Dean and Seamus over to help him with the heavy trunks.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Hermione engulfed Harry in an oxygen-depriving embrace. Before she pulled away, she whispered in his ear,
"Ron told me what happened. I'm so sorry, Harry. You know if you ever need to talk, or anything, you can come to me, right?" Harry nodded, trying to give Hermione a carefree smile and not quite pulling it off. He was glad that Hermione didn't seem to be mad that Ron was the one to tell her about the Third Task, and glad that she knew just how to respond. The last thing Harry wanted was half-hearted inquires into his health and mental state. He knew that what had happened to him hurt and scared Hermione more than she was letting on, but she was trying to hold back so to not worry him.
Hermione took a step back and looked at Harry. She watched him for a moment before saying,
"How are you, Harry? How are you, really?" Harry paused for a moment, weighing his answer carefully. He looked at Hermione and said,
"I think I'm doing better. Talking to Ron and Sirius helped. That and having friends like you." Harry stopped. He had always been uncomfortable talking about himself, and it took a lot for him to admit that he was not "fine" or "okay". The Dursley's had taught him to hide his emotions behind a wall, and having to talk about the Tournament was slowly chipping away at that wall; weakening it. The thing was, he was so used to having no one really care about him for so long, having people suddenly worry about him was, well, freaking him out. It was hard to go from a "worthless boy", as his Uncle so dotingly referred to him, to The Boy Who Lived, a hero and celebrity. It was even harder for him to accept that there were people who liked him, who loved him, and there were people wanted him to be okay.
Harry tried to veer the subject off of him, and said,
"So, how was your summer? Catch up on enough reading?" He had a feeling from the look in Hermione's eye that she knew what he was doing and why, but she would go along with it. She answered earnestly,
"Yes, I've learned so many things over the holiday. I tried to finish all of my homework early so I would have time to get started on a few extra things. I've just started this great book, it's called "Ancient Magic: the Powerful Istar-" Here Hermione was cut off as Ron came into the compartment saying good-naturedly,
"All right, Hermione, I've put the bloody trunks away, now how about a nice 'hello'?"
She spun around, and gave Ron a huge hug, saying,
"Oh, Ron! It's so good to see you! I do wish we could have gotten together over the summer, but you know, I've been so busy with summer work, and I did a little extra reading so I would be ready for all the classes- but, anyway, it's wonderful to see you!" Hermione gushed this all out in one breath and was gasping for air at the end.
Ron grinned at her, then held her at arms length, saying,
"You look great, Hermione. It's smashing to see you again." Indeed, Hermione did look great, at least to Ron. Her hair was somewhat tamed from its usual bushy status, and her face was flushed with excitement, giving her a glowing look.
There was a slightly awkward silence as the three friends got themselves comfortable on the seats. None of them wanted to talk about the thing that was clearly on their minds: the recent Death Eater attacks. All of them knew, deep down, that these were just the first of many, yet they still did not want to accept it. Perhaps they had decided, in some sort of unspoken agreement, that they would not say anything until Dumbledore had told them about it.
As the train moved towards Hogwarts, the swaying slightly with the movement, Harry's thoughts drifted towards the attack. Why had he not dreamed of it? His dreams usually told him of these things, although he was glad to be spared of a nightmare as gruesome as those attacks must have been. Perhaps, he thought suddenly, it was because *Death Eaters* were the ones who committed the crime, and not Voldemort himself. If Voldemort had done nothing, then he probably wouldn't have dreamed of it...
The train crept to a halt. They had reached Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione looked up to, it was clear that they had been lost in thoughts similar to Harry's. The carriage ride to the castle was short and quiet. As they all clambered out of the compartment, the saw Hagrid standing with a group of frightened first years around him. As he spotted the trio, he pulled himself away to go and greet them.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" He boomed, taking long strides towards them, "How yeh bin? I've been thinking a lot about yeh, that's for sure." Hagrid directed his attention to Harry and said, "How are yeh, Harry? Doing better, I hope?"
Harry looked up at the gigantic man, and said, with a bit more confidence than he had when he had answered Hermione's similar question,
"Better. I'm doing better, Hagrid." Hagrid started at him for a moment, then said,
"Yes, I believe you are. Now, I've got to take care o'these first years. See you at the Feast!"
After Hagrid left, Harry stared up at the castle looming before him. Apart from the Burrow, never had a building seemed to welcoming. 'If I can't be at the Burrow,' Harry thought as he, Ron, and Hermione approached the school, 'I might as well be at my other home.'
*****************************************************************
Whew! So, how was it? I dropped some clues in there about future plot developments...they aren't too hard to find. This story will definitely be longer than "Wisdom", as shown by this chapter. I am not sure how well I will manage something like this, so bear with me. This chapter seemed a bit slow, but I wanted to keep with the theme of Harry still not being over the Tournament. This chapter was more like a tie-together for "Wisdom" and this fic. Also, if I got the part from the play wrong in the beginning, I am sorry. I had to do it from memory, so if there is a mistake(s), please tell me!
I got this chapter out much sooner than I had planned, but don't expect the other to come out this fast. Maybe one more between now and next Sunday. Hopefully.
My thank-yous are left-overs from "Wisdom"-
WhetherRose- *sigh* what would I do without you? Thanks for all you postive reviews for "Wisdom". They really helped me get motivated for writing the next chapters. Thanks also for you criticism- I can be hopelessly redundant at times. It's one of the many things I am trying to work out. Hope you enjoy this fic as much as the last!
Stonehenge- thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the fic.
Goldenfire- I do try to moderate my descriptiveness. Tell me if I am over or under doing it. I felt like Harry's recovery was a bit rushed to, but I was so anxious to get to my new story! I guess that makes me a not so good author...sorry!
Gryffindorgurl957- thanks for the review and compliments! I am rather partial to angst, too.
Catalina Rose- glad you enjoyed the quotes. I have a passion for quotes! Thanks for taking the time to review!
VyingQuill- thank you for the criticism. *sighs* I have a horrible problem with switching tenses. One of the many things I am trying to work on. Thank you for being honest!
Well, everyone, that is that. Please, review! I got forty reviews for "Wisdom", let's try to beat the record! Thank you all for reading my work!
Cheers!
Balizabeth
(A sequel to "The Wisdom to Know the Difference")
by Balizabeth
Disclaimer- I am making no profit whatsoever from this fic, and I own none of the characters. I have borrowed the term "Istari" from the infamous J.R.R Tolkein, but that's about it. Suing me is a waste of your money and my time. Besides, you'll not get a cent out of me! I work at a daycare! I'm poor!
"With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."
-William Shakespeare,
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Act III, scene i
**************************************************************
And here we are- the long awaited (or so I like to think) sequel to "The Wisdom to Know the Difference". I would like to tell everyone now that this fic will be longer and there will be a much larger amount of time between posts. School starts for me in a matter of days, and I have a killer schedule this year. For reasons I can't figure out yet, I decided to take two college courses, although this is only my junior year in High School. If I survive school and work, it will be a year to remember!
But enough about me, I know what you want! Let's see how our favorite hero and his amis are doing, hmmmm?
Well, then, hold on, because here we go!
****************************************************************
As Harry burst through the magical barrier and onto Platform 4 and 3/4, the first thing that hit him was the *noise*. Students were yelling and setting of fireworks in a burst of end-of-the-summer spirits, parents were calling to their children, making sure they didn't forget their dress robes and their potions ingredients. Friends who had not seen each other since school let out greeted each other joyfully. And, above it all, the huge, magnificent Hogwarts Express was puffing out steam as the whistle blew, shrieking over the madness. Although there was a seemingly exuberant appearance to the crowd, Harry could sense the underlying fear, worry and tension in each and every person in the group. By now, word of the attacks had spread to nearly every wizarding family, and whether they believed it or not, they were still afraid. Attacks and Dark Marks were nothing to be taken lightly, especially in light of Voldemort's rebirth, as announced by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
For a moment, Harry was struck dumb by this attack on his hearing. He didn't even notice the fear and doubt that was still deep inside him. Before he could adjust himself to the chaotic surroundings, Ron pulled his arm, and cried excitedly,
"There's Hermione! Do you see her, Harry?" Sure enough, there was Hermione, standing on her tiptoes and waving her arms frantically to make herself noticed through the crowd.
"Harry! Ron! Over here, come on, I've already found us some seats. Hurry up, the train is about to leave!" This sounded very much like the Hermione Harry knew, and it was a nice reminder to him that some things always stayed the same. Ron and Harry, who had already said their good-byes to a tearful Mrs. Weasley at the barrier, pushed their way through the crowd until they reached their friend. Hermione beamed at them both, and then said to Ron,
"Ron, why don't you go put your trunk and Harry's away, and meet us inside the compartment?" This was followed by a meaningful look, which Ron correctly interpreted that Hermione wanted time to speak to Harry alone.
Ron nodded, pretending to be annoyed at having Hermione boss him around.
"Be back in a few, then," he said, and sauntered off, calling Dean and Seamus over to help him with the heavy trunks.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Hermione engulfed Harry in an oxygen-depriving embrace. Before she pulled away, she whispered in his ear,
"Ron told me what happened. I'm so sorry, Harry. You know if you ever need to talk, or anything, you can come to me, right?" Harry nodded, trying to give Hermione a carefree smile and not quite pulling it off. He was glad that Hermione didn't seem to be mad that Ron was the one to tell her about the Third Task, and glad that she knew just how to respond. The last thing Harry wanted was half-hearted inquires into his health and mental state. He knew that what had happened to him hurt and scared Hermione more than she was letting on, but she was trying to hold back so to not worry him.
Hermione took a step back and looked at Harry. She watched him for a moment before saying,
"How are you, Harry? How are you, really?" Harry paused for a moment, weighing his answer carefully. He looked at Hermione and said,
"I think I'm doing better. Talking to Ron and Sirius helped. That and having friends like you." Harry stopped. He had always been uncomfortable talking about himself, and it took a lot for him to admit that he was not "fine" or "okay". The Dursley's had taught him to hide his emotions behind a wall, and having to talk about the Tournament was slowly chipping away at that wall; weakening it. The thing was, he was so used to having no one really care about him for so long, having people suddenly worry about him was, well, freaking him out. It was hard to go from a "worthless boy", as his Uncle so dotingly referred to him, to The Boy Who Lived, a hero and celebrity. It was even harder for him to accept that there were people who liked him, who loved him, and there were people wanted him to be okay.
Harry tried to veer the subject off of him, and said,
"So, how was your summer? Catch up on enough reading?" He had a feeling from the look in Hermione's eye that she knew what he was doing and why, but she would go along with it. She answered earnestly,
"Yes, I've learned so many things over the holiday. I tried to finish all of my homework early so I would have time to get started on a few extra things. I've just started this great book, it's called "Ancient Magic: the Powerful Istar-" Here Hermione was cut off as Ron came into the compartment saying good-naturedly,
"All right, Hermione, I've put the bloody trunks away, now how about a nice 'hello'?"
She spun around, and gave Ron a huge hug, saying,
"Oh, Ron! It's so good to see you! I do wish we could have gotten together over the summer, but you know, I've been so busy with summer work, and I did a little extra reading so I would be ready for all the classes- but, anyway, it's wonderful to see you!" Hermione gushed this all out in one breath and was gasping for air at the end.
Ron grinned at her, then held her at arms length, saying,
"You look great, Hermione. It's smashing to see you again." Indeed, Hermione did look great, at least to Ron. Her hair was somewhat tamed from its usual bushy status, and her face was flushed with excitement, giving her a glowing look.
There was a slightly awkward silence as the three friends got themselves comfortable on the seats. None of them wanted to talk about the thing that was clearly on their minds: the recent Death Eater attacks. All of them knew, deep down, that these were just the first of many, yet they still did not want to accept it. Perhaps they had decided, in some sort of unspoken agreement, that they would not say anything until Dumbledore had told them about it.
As the train moved towards Hogwarts, the swaying slightly with the movement, Harry's thoughts drifted towards the attack. Why had he not dreamed of it? His dreams usually told him of these things, although he was glad to be spared of a nightmare as gruesome as those attacks must have been. Perhaps, he thought suddenly, it was because *Death Eaters* were the ones who committed the crime, and not Voldemort himself. If Voldemort had done nothing, then he probably wouldn't have dreamed of it...
The train crept to a halt. They had reached Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione looked up to, it was clear that they had been lost in thoughts similar to Harry's. The carriage ride to the castle was short and quiet. As they all clambered out of the compartment, the saw Hagrid standing with a group of frightened first years around him. As he spotted the trio, he pulled himself away to go and greet them.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" He boomed, taking long strides towards them, "How yeh bin? I've been thinking a lot about yeh, that's for sure." Hagrid directed his attention to Harry and said, "How are yeh, Harry? Doing better, I hope?"
Harry looked up at the gigantic man, and said, with a bit more confidence than he had when he had answered Hermione's similar question,
"Better. I'm doing better, Hagrid." Hagrid started at him for a moment, then said,
"Yes, I believe you are. Now, I've got to take care o'these first years. See you at the Feast!"
After Hagrid left, Harry stared up at the castle looming before him. Apart from the Burrow, never had a building seemed to welcoming. 'If I can't be at the Burrow,' Harry thought as he, Ron, and Hermione approached the school, 'I might as well be at my other home.'
*****************************************************************
Whew! So, how was it? I dropped some clues in there about future plot developments...they aren't too hard to find. This story will definitely be longer than "Wisdom", as shown by this chapter. I am not sure how well I will manage something like this, so bear with me. This chapter seemed a bit slow, but I wanted to keep with the theme of Harry still not being over the Tournament. This chapter was more like a tie-together for "Wisdom" and this fic. Also, if I got the part from the play wrong in the beginning, I am sorry. I had to do it from memory, so if there is a mistake(s), please tell me!
I got this chapter out much sooner than I had planned, but don't expect the other to come out this fast. Maybe one more between now and next Sunday. Hopefully.
My thank-yous are left-overs from "Wisdom"-
WhetherRose- *sigh* what would I do without you? Thanks for all you postive reviews for "Wisdom". They really helped me get motivated for writing the next chapters. Thanks also for you criticism- I can be hopelessly redundant at times. It's one of the many things I am trying to work out. Hope you enjoy this fic as much as the last!
Stonehenge- thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the fic.
Goldenfire- I do try to moderate my descriptiveness. Tell me if I am over or under doing it. I felt like Harry's recovery was a bit rushed to, but I was so anxious to get to my new story! I guess that makes me a not so good author...sorry!
Gryffindorgurl957- thanks for the review and compliments! I am rather partial to angst, too.
Catalina Rose- glad you enjoyed the quotes. I have a passion for quotes! Thanks for taking the time to review!
VyingQuill- thank you for the criticism. *sighs* I have a horrible problem with switching tenses. One of the many things I am trying to work on. Thank you for being honest!
Well, everyone, that is that. Please, review! I got forty reviews for "Wisdom", let's try to beat the record! Thank you all for reading my work!
Cheers!
Balizabeth