They were walking around Hogsmead. It was just the trio on this trip,
though he and Ron did need to find some time to themselves. Hermione's
birthday wasn't that close, but after Ron's panic attack last year, Harry
was going to make him get a present early. A couple a days before her
birthday, Ron had realized that he should get her a present. Shudder.
Then Harry's scar began to twinge. His hand went to his forehead as his walking slowed. Furthermore the amulet he had gotten from Dumbledore was as cold as ice. His eyes snapped to his friends. He knew what was coming.
Ron and Hermione looked at his expression with dread. They heard shouts ahead, and they eyes went towards them. A large group of Deatheaters were storming through the town in their direction. People were frozen in horror.
"Fuck," was Ron's imput.
"We need to get people out of here," said Hermione
"Everybody run!" Harry shouted grabbing his wand. He amplified his voice breifly, "Run to the castle."
Harry fired off curses, as did Ron and Hermione. A few others stayed, giving students and others time to run. Teachers began apparating and firing their own curses.
Professor Dorn was defending a couple of people cowering behind a bunch of crates.
"Stupefy!"
Down the street a man slumped to the ground, hit by the killing curse.
"Dormio." He had to remind himself to concentrate on his aim. Ron and Hermione were standing beside him.
"Petrificus Totalus."
"Debilitas." E verything with choatic. As he looked for the next Death eater he saw someone running stumble over bags left lying in the street.
"Impediamenta."
"Expello!"
Hermione dropping to the ground to avoid the killing curse was the last thing he saw before he was hit with the cruciatus.
One of the Deatheaters grabbed him and dragged him a couple feet before Flitwick stunned him. When the painful curse ended Ron helped Harry stand up. Ron had been defending him while he was down.
Harry saw Hermione still on the ground, unconscious. Two death eaters walking towards her. He felt a surge of panic.
Harry fired a curse at the one on the left as he ran forward. He slashed at the deatheater about to kill Hermione with a sword that had somehow appeared in his left hand. The death eaters spell "Attero" missed her as he fell.
"Hermione!" screamed Ron dragging her into shop that wasn't burning. Harry looked around. Shops were on fire. A Slytherin girl he recognized had decided to take a run for it, leaving her hiding place on the other side of the street. This was a mistake -a Deatheater noticed. Harry shot a spell at him, barely missing him by centimeter despite the distance. The girl got away.
The Deatheater spun and cast a large black sphere at Harry. He held his wand out in both hands, screaming the incantation that Professor Dorn had shown them for slowing spells down. It slowed -reversed direction. The death eater went down in flames.
Teachers were scattered about, most injured. Several forms could be seen on the ground, some not moving. Ron was once again beside him, with Hermione in his arms.
They stood, just looking, as a couple mediwizards came rushing to the fallen forms. The street was ruined. Several building were on fire; Debries filled the street, along with bodies.
Snape came over and said (surprisingly, not snarled), "Well it looks like your still alive Potter. Come, we are going back to the castle."
Harry remembered last time. Moody had taken him away. He only looked at Snape.
"Gone daft have you? There's a surprise." Still not with his usual venom.
"Harry, come on." Ron said quietly. Hermione sobbed against him.
They were here, his friends. He would be alright.
They made their way back to the castle, and passed by Dumbledore. He had walked up to Harry and gripped his shoulder. "I'm glad to see that you are all right Harry." He said this quietly. "I will see you later in the hospital wing."
Later before Pomfrey shoved a sleeping potion down his throat he glanced at the sword still in his hands. With a dull shock he realized that it was Gryffindor's sword.
************************************************************************
When he finally woke up, he was greeted by Ron. Hermione was on a bed next to him. She said, "I would get up and hug up but Pomfrey cast as spell and I'm stuck to the bed.
"Pomfrey caught her doing homework during the night," Ron confided, grinning.
Harry started laughing, the Ron joined.
Hermione tried to look indignant, but it didn't work, and she chuckled.
"Hermione is Hermione." Harry said when he finished, and she rolled her eyes.
"What's been happening?" Hermione let Ron talk, as he had already filled her in.
Ron had gotten out the day after the attack. Dumbledore had announced that all Hogsmead visits were over, and that there wouldn't be anymore Quidditch. Harry was disappointed, but understood.
He had told the school that Hogsmead had been attacked (as if everyone didn't already know).
"-and -and we had silences for the people that died."
All three grew serious. Ron and Hermione knew what Harry would ask next.
"Who?"
Ron didn't look happy. Hermione said, "Harry, why don't you wait-"
"Who?" harry interrupted.
"A woman, a couple of men, and a 2nd year Hufflepuff."
Harry repeated the names to himself. People who had died because of him. One of them only a second year. He zoned out, not listening to anything around him anymore.
He woke up with a start, already crying silently. It was in the middle of the night, but someone by his bed was up watching him. Sirius drew him into a hug.
************************************************************************
Harry walked to Dumbledore's office after he was released, but he wasn't there, so he went to the common room. "Hey," he said with a smile to let his friends know he would be alright.
The fact of the matter was, though, that it would not be alright. Things would likely only get worse.
************************************************************************
After lunch Dumbledore walked up to him. "Harry, I presume you would like to come to my office?"
At Harry's nod, "Why don't you come after dinner?"
************************************************************************
He sat down in Dumbledore's office. He had used a WWW's treat for a password -Cauldron Cake. After he accepted a lemon drop, Harry asked a question.
"Where did Gryffindor's sword come from?"
Dumbledore looked at him as if searching for something. "You must have summoned it Harry -without knowing it. You needed a sword, and it came."
"Why that sword?" Not intending to accept a half answer.
It was time to tell him. "Harry, you are a heir of Gryffindor. The last one."
Harry digested this. "Voldemort killed the rest, didn't he?" Harry's eyes looked into Dumbledore's.
"Exactly. Because you are a heir, you can summon that sword."
"And how did I do it? Have all heirs been able to do it?"
"That is something I don't know Harry." Harry frowned. How did I do that?
Harry was silent awhile. He might have asked if him being Gryffindor's heir was the only reason Voldemort was after him, but something else was on his mind.
"Sir, I-"
"What Harry?" Dumbledore sensed that Harry had something important to say.
"I think- I know I killed two of them."
"A death eater?"
"Yes."
"Child, he was attacking you Harry, trying to harm or kill you and your friends." He hoped that Harry would listen.
"I- know." He still felt guilty.
"Then I hope you come to terms with this Harry. The guilt you feel is the guilt of a good person forced into a bad situation."
Harry sighed.
Dumbledore knew it wasn't just the deatheater's death Harry felt guilty about. He moved over from where he had been standing by the fire and hugged Harry.
************************************************************************ ************************************************************************
"Master"
"Report"
"We killed and tortured. The teachers showed up, as predicted." He smirked, "I saw Potter get hit by the Cruciatus."
"Good." It seemed as if he hadn't expected to capture Harry. Harry felt a fury overcome him -the attack on Hogsmead was for fun.
"You may leave."
By himself, Voldemort looked at something only he could see. "Just another little reminder Harry Potter."
Then Harry's scar began to twinge. His hand went to his forehead as his walking slowed. Furthermore the amulet he had gotten from Dumbledore was as cold as ice. His eyes snapped to his friends. He knew what was coming.
Ron and Hermione looked at his expression with dread. They heard shouts ahead, and they eyes went towards them. A large group of Deatheaters were storming through the town in their direction. People were frozen in horror.
"Fuck," was Ron's imput.
"We need to get people out of here," said Hermione
"Everybody run!" Harry shouted grabbing his wand. He amplified his voice breifly, "Run to the castle."
Harry fired off curses, as did Ron and Hermione. A few others stayed, giving students and others time to run. Teachers began apparating and firing their own curses.
Professor Dorn was defending a couple of people cowering behind a bunch of crates.
"Stupefy!"
Down the street a man slumped to the ground, hit by the killing curse.
"Dormio." He had to remind himself to concentrate on his aim. Ron and Hermione were standing beside him.
"Petrificus Totalus."
"Debilitas." E verything with choatic. As he looked for the next Death eater he saw someone running stumble over bags left lying in the street.
"Impediamenta."
"Expello!"
Hermione dropping to the ground to avoid the killing curse was the last thing he saw before he was hit with the cruciatus.
One of the Deatheaters grabbed him and dragged him a couple feet before Flitwick stunned him. When the painful curse ended Ron helped Harry stand up. Ron had been defending him while he was down.
Harry saw Hermione still on the ground, unconscious. Two death eaters walking towards her. He felt a surge of panic.
Harry fired a curse at the one on the left as he ran forward. He slashed at the deatheater about to kill Hermione with a sword that had somehow appeared in his left hand. The death eaters spell "Attero" missed her as he fell.
"Hermione!" screamed Ron dragging her into shop that wasn't burning. Harry looked around. Shops were on fire. A Slytherin girl he recognized had decided to take a run for it, leaving her hiding place on the other side of the street. This was a mistake -a Deatheater noticed. Harry shot a spell at him, barely missing him by centimeter despite the distance. The girl got away.
The Deatheater spun and cast a large black sphere at Harry. He held his wand out in both hands, screaming the incantation that Professor Dorn had shown them for slowing spells down. It slowed -reversed direction. The death eater went down in flames.
Teachers were scattered about, most injured. Several forms could be seen on the ground, some not moving. Ron was once again beside him, with Hermione in his arms.
They stood, just looking, as a couple mediwizards came rushing to the fallen forms. The street was ruined. Several building were on fire; Debries filled the street, along with bodies.
Snape came over and said (surprisingly, not snarled), "Well it looks like your still alive Potter. Come, we are going back to the castle."
Harry remembered last time. Moody had taken him away. He only looked at Snape.
"Gone daft have you? There's a surprise." Still not with his usual venom.
"Harry, come on." Ron said quietly. Hermione sobbed against him.
They were here, his friends. He would be alright.
They made their way back to the castle, and passed by Dumbledore. He had walked up to Harry and gripped his shoulder. "I'm glad to see that you are all right Harry." He said this quietly. "I will see you later in the hospital wing."
Later before Pomfrey shoved a sleeping potion down his throat he glanced at the sword still in his hands. With a dull shock he realized that it was Gryffindor's sword.
************************************************************************
When he finally woke up, he was greeted by Ron. Hermione was on a bed next to him. She said, "I would get up and hug up but Pomfrey cast as spell and I'm stuck to the bed.
"Pomfrey caught her doing homework during the night," Ron confided, grinning.
Harry started laughing, the Ron joined.
Hermione tried to look indignant, but it didn't work, and she chuckled.
"Hermione is Hermione." Harry said when he finished, and she rolled her eyes.
"What's been happening?" Hermione let Ron talk, as he had already filled her in.
Ron had gotten out the day after the attack. Dumbledore had announced that all Hogsmead visits were over, and that there wouldn't be anymore Quidditch. Harry was disappointed, but understood.
He had told the school that Hogsmead had been attacked (as if everyone didn't already know).
"-and -and we had silences for the people that died."
All three grew serious. Ron and Hermione knew what Harry would ask next.
"Who?"
Ron didn't look happy. Hermione said, "Harry, why don't you wait-"
"Who?" harry interrupted.
"A woman, a couple of men, and a 2nd year Hufflepuff."
Harry repeated the names to himself. People who had died because of him. One of them only a second year. He zoned out, not listening to anything around him anymore.
He woke up with a start, already crying silently. It was in the middle of the night, but someone by his bed was up watching him. Sirius drew him into a hug.
************************************************************************
Harry walked to Dumbledore's office after he was released, but he wasn't there, so he went to the common room. "Hey," he said with a smile to let his friends know he would be alright.
The fact of the matter was, though, that it would not be alright. Things would likely only get worse.
************************************************************************
After lunch Dumbledore walked up to him. "Harry, I presume you would like to come to my office?"
At Harry's nod, "Why don't you come after dinner?"
************************************************************************
He sat down in Dumbledore's office. He had used a WWW's treat for a password -Cauldron Cake. After he accepted a lemon drop, Harry asked a question.
"Where did Gryffindor's sword come from?"
Dumbledore looked at him as if searching for something. "You must have summoned it Harry -without knowing it. You needed a sword, and it came."
"Why that sword?" Not intending to accept a half answer.
It was time to tell him. "Harry, you are a heir of Gryffindor. The last one."
Harry digested this. "Voldemort killed the rest, didn't he?" Harry's eyes looked into Dumbledore's.
"Exactly. Because you are a heir, you can summon that sword."
"And how did I do it? Have all heirs been able to do it?"
"That is something I don't know Harry." Harry frowned. How did I do that?
Harry was silent awhile. He might have asked if him being Gryffindor's heir was the only reason Voldemort was after him, but something else was on his mind.
"Sir, I-"
"What Harry?" Dumbledore sensed that Harry had something important to say.
"I think- I know I killed two of them."
"A death eater?"
"Yes."
"Child, he was attacking you Harry, trying to harm or kill you and your friends." He hoped that Harry would listen.
"I- know." He still felt guilty.
"Then I hope you come to terms with this Harry. The guilt you feel is the guilt of a good person forced into a bad situation."
Harry sighed.
Dumbledore knew it wasn't just the deatheater's death Harry felt guilty about. He moved over from where he had been standing by the fire and hugged Harry.
************************************************************************ ************************************************************************
"Master"
"Report"
"We killed and tortured. The teachers showed up, as predicted." He smirked, "I saw Potter get hit by the Cruciatus."
"Good." It seemed as if he hadn't expected to capture Harry. Harry felt a fury overcome him -the attack on Hogsmead was for fun.
"You may leave."
By himself, Voldemort looked at something only he could see. "Just another little reminder Harry Potter."