Harry Potter & the Dark Lord – Chapter 15
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters owned by J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Wow, you guys are too kind. Thanks for all the great reviews. Well, if you read the reviews yourself, you'll see who came out ahead in the "should he tell her?" debate. Anyway, read on and you'll see how he handled it. Oh, and I haven't forgotten about Sirius and Arabella (I'm glad someone noticed!!). It will be explained soon (but not this time, sorry!) Please review and tell me what you think of it. It's so much fun reading your opinions (even if you don't like it, as long as you're nice about it). Thanks!!!
Harry, Ron and Hermione gave each other uneasy glances, no one wanting to speak first. Ron recovered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nothing's wrong, Ginny. Hermione's just upset because she realized she made a mistake in her Arithmancy homework. You know how she overdoes anything that has to do with schoolwork." Ron ignored the glare Hermione was sending his way.
"Er, if you say so," Ginny didn't look very convinced, scanning their faces carefully as she settled into a chair, but she didn't press further. "Fred and George told me about your trip into Hogsmeade. Do you really think Dad could be in the forbidden forest?"
Seeing Hermione's stunned expression, Ron and Harry quickly told Hermione what they had learned.
"We have to tell Dumbledore!" she said immediately. "If You-Know-Who is that close to Hogwarts…"
Harry frowned, "He probably already knows. Sirius and Remus keep in touch with him. The question is how do we get into the forbidden forest without anyone finding out."
Hermione let out a gasp, "But Harry…."
"We'll have to get Hagrid to help us," Ginny broke in. "He's the only one I know who goes in there on a regular basis. Maybe he's seen something unusual."
Harry gazed at Ginny admiringly. She was as stubborn as Ron, he realized, and wasn't going to stand idly by if there was anything she could do to help her father. Hermione stopped protesting, seeing the determined looks on Harry, Ron and Ginny. "Fine, then, but I'm coming too. You need someone with a proper sense of caution."
Ron grinned at her, "Is that what you call it? I thought it was…" Ron didn't finish his sentence, as he had just been hit in the head by a rather thick roll of parchment.
Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Well, if you two are going to start flirting again, I'm heading up to bed."
Ron and Hermione both clamped their mouths shut, the color rising in their cheeks.
"Er, wait up, Ginny," Harry said quickly, without thinking. Feared welled up inside as he saw her stiffen, but he bit it down and continued. "I, I need to talk to you for a minute."
"Harry…" she began, her eyes weary.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ginny, just talk to him! It's all right!" Ron admonished his sister. Ginny seemed confused at Ron's insistence, and, after a moment's pause, followed Harry over to an empty corner of the common room.
Harry's mouth went dry and he felt Golden Snitches fluttering in his stomach as Ginny stood before him, waiting expectantly. He had spent so much time the last few days trying to convince Ginny to speak to him, that now that he finally had her ear, the words wouldn't come. Ginny was starting to shift from one foot to the other, glancing around the room and looking anywhere but at Harry.
"So, you wanted to talk…" she asked impatiently, examining her hands.
Harry began, "Yeah, talk. Er, the thing you said when Neville was, er, hurt…" Harry could have hit himself – why couldn't he speak clearly?
Ginny sighed, "I've already told you about that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No," Harry found his voice. "It didn't make me uncomfortable. Well, it did, but not in the way you think."
Ginny looked up at Harry, her eyes questioning, "What do you mean?"
"It, it just took me by surprise. I thought you liked Justin." Harry paused, his cheeks burning. "Did – did you actually mean it?"
"Well, of course I meant it, Harry. You know I've liked you for ages. Ron's always teasing me about it," she added scornfully, again averting his gaze. "Harry, I never wanted to be a pest. I know how uncomfortable it is to have someone you don't like following you around. I thought we were becoming friends, and I don't want to ruin it. Can't we just forget about it and move on?"
Ginny was now staring into Harry's green eyes, her own large brown eyes beseeching. Harry matched her gaze, his courage building, "I don't want to forget about it." Seeing her face fall, he hurriedly explained, "Ginny, I like having you around. I like spending time with you."
Ginny's eyes grew wide, glued to his. She soundlessly opened her mouth, disbelief etched on her face. Harry could feel his face growing hotter, but he felt strangely calm.
He continued, "I, I really like you Ginny. And I want to get to know you better. That is, if you want to…"
Harry's held his breath as he waited for her answer. Ginny stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, before slowly nodding her head. A peculiar exultant feeling bubbled inside Harry as he saw a smile gradually spread across Ginny's face.
"Yes," Ginny responded, the smile extending to her eyes, "I'd like that a lot."
"Er, great then! I, er, guess we should join the others," Harry stammered. Not sure what to do next, he held his hand out to Ginny. Her eyes fell first on his hand, and then rose to his face as she quietly took it.
The next day flew quickly, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon found themselves heading to the dungeons for their detention. Harry clenched his fist when he heard Draco Malfoy's voice coming from Snape's office, supposedly discussing the last homework assignment. It was quite obvious to Harry that Malfoy had simply come down to gloat at the three over their detention, since he never put much thought into his homework – Snape always gave Malfoy passing marks regardless of what he handed in.
"Oh, I'm quite sorry," Draco oozed with insincerity as he finally left Snape's office. "I didn't realize you were here. I wouldn't want to keep you from your detention."
Ron shot Malfoy a nasty look, not daring to say anything with Snape so close. Malfoy didn't leave the dungeons right away, hovering near Snape's office as if he were hoping to hear something. Harry worried at this; Fred and George were going to be down soon, to create a distraction drawing Snape from his office if he hadn't left on his own by then. But if Malfoy was still there…
"Potter, I see you're still having trouble paying attention. Perhaps a few hours of concentration will cure you." Harry's thoughts snapped back to the detention.
Snape continued, "Unfortunately, I can't stay and watch you as I'm needed elsewhere. But I'll leave more than enough to keep you busy. Here is a list of potion ingredients that I need prepared. You'll need to pay careful attention – some of them can be rather poisonous if they touch your skin." Harry could have sworn he saw Snape smile. "I'll be back in three hours, so I'd get right on it as it'll take you at least that long. If it's not done by then, I'll know you weren't doing what I've told you, and you'll be dealt with accordingly."
"That slimy git," Ron began, gaping at the three-foot long list after Snape left them alone, locking the door behind him. Harry shushed him, leaning his ear against the door. Ron and Hermione stood quietly, wondering what Harry was up to.
"I think Malfoy is still out there," Harry whispered, coming away from the door. "Don't say anything about the potion."
Ron and Hermione nodded, getting to the task at hand. They quickly put on some extra pairs of dragon hide gloves that were lying in Snape's office, and Ron started diluting bubotuber pus while Hermione ground up snake fangs. Harry silently searched among Snape's many vials and various bubbling cauldrons for anything that looked like the Craniasheldus potion. According to Hermione, it should be a bloodlike red, with dark smoke rising from it. Harry was gazing disgustedly at three dragon eyes suspended in a cloudy greenish liquid when the door opened a crack, causing him to nearly drop the bottle.
"Harry, have you found it yet?" Fred Weasley stuck his head in the door, George's face quickly following above it.
"How'd you get in here?" Ron asked, looking at his brothers suspiciously.
"Oh, it was really difficult," George said sarcastically, pushing the door open the rest of the way now that he was sure they were alone. "You know how hard it is for wizards to get past locked doors."
"We passed Snape on our way down here. He certainly wasn't in a good mood – seemed rather distracted. Oh, and Harry, I thought you should know that git Malfoy was hanging around outside the office," Fred added. "I did my impression of Filch and he took off running."
Harry frowned, "I wonder what he's up to this time. He can't know what we're after, can he?"
"Well, did you find the potion?" Fred repeated. Harry looked around the office again, and a glint of red caught his eye. He walked over to the corner, reaching for a bottle partially hidden behind a mess of vials. Finally grabbing it, he examined it more closely. The color was right but there was no smoke. Pulling the cork, however, a stream of thick black smoke escaped as the liquid came in contact with the air. Harry coughed violently, as the smoke was rather putrid smelling, and quickly re-corked the bottle. Fred pulled out a smaller bottle from his pocket, and reopening the first bottle, scrunching his nose as he poured out a small amount.
"He'll never even notice any is missing," George smiled. He turned to Hermione, asking "Are you sure this will be enough?"
"Positive. Just a few drops will last days." Hermione looked worriedly at the time, "You'd better get out of here. We've got a lot more to do before Snape gets back."
With winter fast approaching, the students were given more work than they'd ever had before. Hermione was pleased, as she thought it was good preparation for the O.W.L.s. Ron and Harry, however, barely had any free time, what with Quidditch practice and homework. Fred and George had stepped up Quidditch practice to four nights a week, determined to leave Hogwarts as Quidditch champions. Harry thought it was a bit much, as their next game wasn't until after the Christmas holiday. They were to play Hufflepuff, who hadn't been able to find a Seeker that was nearly as good as Cedric Diggory had been. But Fred and George wouldn't let the rest of the team slack off just because Hufflepuff didn't have the strongest team. Harry was somewhat grateful, though, as he was usually so exhausted he fell right asleep and didn't stay up worrying about all that was happening.
Lupin had gone searching in the forbidden forest just as he had promised, but he hadn't found anything. He said he would search again when the next full moon came, but Ron and the other Weasleys were growing impatient. Harry was also getting very antsy and was thinking about what to do during a rare free moment in the common room.
"Harry, are you there??" Ron was waving his wand in front of Harry's face, shooting off a stream of green bubbles that burst with a loud pop, bringing Harry back to reality.
"I was just thinking," Harry began, "we should head down to Hagrid's today. Haven't been to see him for a while…"
Ron knew exactly what Harry was implying. His face turned white, and he was slightly green around the edges, but he nodded determinedly. "I'll let the others know."
A short time later, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Hermione and Ginny were walking towards Hagrid's cabin. They hoped to convince Hagrid to come with them, but were prepared to go without him if necessary. Harry broached the subject as they all sat chewing on some incredibly sticky treacle fudge, which glued their mouths shut.
"So, Hagrid, have you been into the forest recently?" Harry asked, unlocking his jaw.
Hagrid frowned, "I know what yer up to, and I'm not gonna let you go in there. It's too dangerous!"
"Please Hagrid," Ginny pleaded, her brown eyes incredibly sad. "My father has been missing for weeks now and no one has found anything."
Tears were welling up in Ginny's eyes as she took Hagrid's giant hand in both of hers, imploringly. Harry wondered how much of the tears were for Hagrid's benefit, but it seemed to be working. Hagrid's face was losing its determined look, mirroring Ginny's anxiety.
Hermione added, in a voice dripping with honey, "Besides Hagrid, if you come with us, you can protect us. I know there's no one I would feel safer with. And you know the forest better than any other person, I'll bet!"
Hagrid was blushing at this flattery, his will obviously swaying. He started to get up, and Harry felt his hopes rise, but Hagrid sat down once again, shaking his head.
"No, I just can't. Dumbledore'll never forgive me. I'm sorry, you'll have to leave it to Sirius and the others."
Fred chimed in, "That's all right Hagrid, we understand."
"Yeah, but you can't blame us for trying," George grinned. "Here, just to show there're no hard feelings, have a cream puff."
Hagrid looked warily at the cake in George's outstretched hand, knowing the twins well enough not to trust anything they offered lest it be one of their pranks.
"Come on, Hagrid. It's not a canary cream, I promise. It came straight from the kitchens. The house elves prepared it just for you when I told them we were coming to visit."
"Well, in that case," Hagrid took the cream puff warily, but after one cautious sniff, ate it eagerly. He seemed relieved when he noticed that he hadn't grown any feathers a minute later.
"See," Fred assured, "It's just like we promised."
Harry watched Hagrid anxiously, wondering if their plan would work. After a quarter of an hour, Hagrid started yawning. He decided to rest on his bed briefly, just for a quick nap – they didn't have to leave, he assured them, just as he passed out.
"Oh, I feel so bad doing this to Hagrid," Hermione said, her face downcast, staring at Hagrid's titanic figure snoring loudly on his bed.
"He's not hurt at all. He'll wake up in the morning feeling perfectly rested," Fred reassured her.
"So, are we ready?" Harry asked, wanting to get into the forbidden forest before nightfall. It was already dusk, so it didn't make much of a difference, but all the same, Harry didn't like the idea of being in the forest in the dead of night. He took out the bottle of Craniasheldus potion, swallowing a drop. It felt like fire going down his throat, burning into the pit of his stomach. He felt smoke whistling softly out of his ears. Yet, he noticed his mind seemed much clearer, his thoughts in order. He passed the bottle to the others and they all took a drop. Harry hoped they wouldn't need it, but if they did encounter Voldemort, it was better to be prepared.
Harry patted Fang on the head, leading the large black boarhound out of the cabin. Fang followed Harry eagerly, but seemed reluctant once he noticed where they were heading. Harry urged Fang on, getting Ron to help push him towards the forest, but it was no use. Fang wasn't moving. In fact, he began growling at Harry and Ron, something he had never done before. Giving up, the group headed into the forest alone. Seeing them leave, however, seemed to do the trick, as Fang bounded towards them, leading the way protectively.
They walked in silence for some time, going deeper and deeper into the forest. The trees grew closer together, and the undergrowth overran the forest floor, making it difficult to follow the path. As night fell, the shadows around them melted together, the moon hidden behind a mass of clouds, and the only light came from the ends of the six wands. They reached a point where they could only continue single file, and Harry led, following Fang closely. Ginny was right behind, clutching the back of Harry's robes. Ron and Hermione followed, with Fred and George bringing up the rear. They all walked right into the person in front when Fang stopped abruptly, letting out a low growl.
Harry tightened his grip on his wand, listening carefully. He didn't hear anything unusual, just the typical sounds of leaves rustling, the eerie whispering of the wind, and the occasional animal making its way through the woods. But then, Harry froze in fear. He thought he had heard a faint hissing, and he strained to hear more. He heard it again, a definite hissing sound, coming a few hundred yards to the left of them.
"Do you hear that?" Ginny whispered so low that Harry barely caught her words.
He hushed her, leaning towards the sound. Harry took a step from what was left of the forest trail and into the thick bushes along the side. Fang took the ends of Harry's robes into his mouth and tried to pull him back, a deep roar in the back of his throat.
"Harry, where are you going?" Fred asked, a note of panic in his voice. "We can't leave the trail!"
"There's something over there," Harry explained, nodding his head towards the darkness. He tugged at his robes, and, feeling them tear, broke free of Fang's death grip. He felt someone else grab his robe, and turned to see Ginny right behind him, again clutching his robes so as not to lose him.
"You stay with the rest of them!" Harry ordered angrily. He didn't want Ginny putting herself in any more danger than they already were in.
Ginny glared back at him. "You are not going in there without me. It's my father."
"I'm coming in too," Ron added, his voice quavering slightly. Hermione nodded in agreement as she grabbed Ron's hand, squeezing tightly.
Harry looked at the resolute faces staring at him in the dim light of his wand, and nodded. "Fred and George, you guys head back with Fang. He won't fit through here anyhow. Go wait at Hagrid's cabin and go for help if we're not back in three hours."
Fred and George seemed reluctant to leave, but eventually agreed and headed back, following Fang. Harry turned away from the path again, making his way through the bushes. He ignored the brambles scratching his hands and face as he continued along, listening for the hissing. It seemed to be more distinct, as if it were speaking.
"I must prepare for my master. He will arrive soon."
Harry froze. He had definitely heard something that time. Recovering, he hurried toward the voice, the others struggling to keep up behind him. He pushed through the bushes and trees, feeling sharp twigs and thorns pulled at his face, his glasses askew. But still he didn't stop – he could hear the hissing getting louder and a mixture of excitement and fear built up inside of him.
"Harry, slow up," he heard Ron gasp between breaths. Harry slowed down, trying to hear the voice again, but there was nothing but silence.
Ginny and the others had caught up, and were pressed close against his back, straining to see through the leaves. Harry stood silently, until he heard a soft rustling in the leaves up ahead. He stepped forward, more slowly this time, not wanting to drown out the rustling. He felt Ginny clasping his robes again, keeping just inches behind. They continued this way for what seemed like an eternity, taking care not to break so much as a twig for fear of losing track of the noise.
The woods seemed to be thinning slightly – the trees weren't as close together, there were fewer brambles, and Harry could almost see a bit of sky. It seemed to have cleared, as the faint glow of moonlight broke through. Eventually, Harry could see a small clearing ahead through a gap in the trees. It was there that Harry saw it – a glint of moist skin, shining brightly the moonlight. It was reptile skin, and Harry could just make out a diamond pattern on the tail of the very large serpent. It was strangely familiar. All of a sudden the memory of his last encounter with Voldemort flashed through Harry's mind and he knew where he had seen that skin.
"Nagini," Harry choked out.
"What do you see, Harry?" Ginny whispered in his ear from behind.
Harry tore his eyes from Nagini for a moment to glance back at Ginny. Her eyes were wide with fear, and Harry began to whisper an explanation when he abruptly stopped, staring over her shoulder.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked frantically. Ginny spun around. There was no one behind her.
A/N: So, what happened to Ron and Hermione??? Read the next chapter to find out! I tried not to overdo the Harry and Ginny thing – she is only 14 so there's plenty of time for mushiness later. Well, don't get mad at me for stopping here. It is Thanksgiving weekend, so I don't have to go back to work until Monday!! In other words, you'll get another chapter by then. But I do have to go up to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner, so just be patient and give me a chance. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate and Happy (fill in the blank with whatever you feel like celebrating) to the rest of you. Oh, and do me a favor and review please??? It'd mean so much to me. Thanks to my faithful reviewers (you know who you are and I do notice!).