A/N: Here is chapter four of Dangerous Games. It took a little longer to
come out because I'm not getting the response I was hoping for. If I don't
get some reviews, I'm going to end this story now, even if I do end this
chapter with a cliff hanger.
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Harry felt his body tense up, and his heart skip a beat.
"D-d-dumbledore?" Harry stuttered stupidly. He couldn't think straight, or even see straight. He sat heavily on his bed.
"Now, Harry, calm down," Sirius said, slowly, watching Harry carefully. Harry took a couple of deep breaths, and color returned to his face. 'If somethings wrong with Dumbledore, I won't be safe at Hogwarts! Voldemort will get me!' Harry thought in panic. He started taking in short, sharp breaths. Sirius gripped him tightly, forcing Harry to look at him. "Harry, stop!" He ordered. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sirius and Harry bothed jumped.
"W-who is i-it?" Harry asked.
"Cleaning Service," said a deep voice.
"Come back l-later," Harry said, breathlessly.
"Is everything okay in there, Mr. Potter?"
"Fine!" Harry said sharply. When the foot steps faded away, he turned back to Sirius. "What is wrong with Dumbledore?"
"He is ill, Harry. Terribly ill."
"What's wrong with him? Why can't the nurse fix it?!"
"Magic can only fix so much, Harry," Sirius said solemnly.
"What's wrong with him."
"He...," Sirius stopped, unsure what to say.
"Stop stalling, Sirius!"
"He's dying, Harry. Of old age, we presume. You can only expect the man to live so long," Sirius watched as Harry's eyes widened.
"D-dying? But, Dumbledore CAN'T die!"
"He can, and he will."
"But I won't be safe! I won't be safe at Hogwarts without Dumbledore!" Harry started remembering the night Cedric died. The rebirth of Voldemort. A shudder coursed his body.
"You'll be safe, Harry. I told you there was a reason for Lupin being at Hogwarts, and that reason will help you."
"What is it, Sirius. You can't tell me about Dumbledore, and then not tell me what they're doing to keep me safe!"
"Harry, don't worry. For now, you are safe, and that it all that matters. Get some rest now." Padfoot formed infront of Harry's eyes, and slinked out the door, leaving Harry in fright.
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The week went by slowly. When the Weasley's and Hermione arrived, Harry was thrilled. 'Finally!' he thought. 'Friends!' Harry was standing outside Flourish & Blotts when they arrived. He tore down the road towards them.
"RON!" He called. "HERMIONE!" He skidded to a halt, and grinned eagerly at his friends. When he stopped to take a good look at Hermione, his mouth dropped. He quickly closed it, but he couldn't believe what he saw. Hermione looked... different. Her once busy hair now hung straight down her back, half up, half down. She wore flared jeans that fit her tightly, showing off her body. And her shirt was tight, showing off her chest and flat stomach. Harry gulped.
"Harry?" She said softly. "You okay?" Harry nodded. Ron nudged him hard.
"Snap out of it, man," he whispered sharply. Harry shook his head to clear it, then turned to Ron.
"Did you drop your stuff off at the Leaky Couldren?"
"Yeah. I've got the room next to yours. Me and Ginny." Ron groaned.
"I'm next to Ron's room," Hermione said. "Me and Crookshanks." Harry nodded. "Oh! Guess what!"
"What?" Ron and Harry said at the same time.
"I've been made a Prefect!" Harry and Ron groaned. Great. Now Hermione would know of all there stunts, and tell their Professors. "Oh, come on, guys. It won't affect anything, I swear!" Harry and Ron just nodded, stunned. "Well," Hermione huffed. "Dumbledore wouldn't have appointed me Prefect if he didn't have confidence in me." She turned her nose to the air. Harry's heart pace quickened. Hearing the name 'Dumbledore' made him remember what Sirius had told him.
"Erm, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said.
"Oh, Harry dear! Let me get a good look at you!" She pushed Harry back and beamed at him. "Why, you look like you've gotten taller! How swell!" Harry smiled politely. Ron stifled a laugh. Hermione beamed along with Mrs. Weasley.
"Why, yes, Mrs. Weasley. He looks great, doesn't he?" Hermione smiled. Harry blushed.
"Ummm, right. But, Mrs. Weasley, would you mind very much if Hermione and Ron took a walk with me? We've got some catching up to do."
"Why, of course dear. Hermione, Ronald, give me your supply lists, I'll pick everything up for you. You dears go have a good day. We leave bright and early tomorrow!" Hermione and Ron handed over their lists, and started to walk with Harry.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked.
"Let's sit over here," Harry said, pointing to a bench. He took a seat between Hermione and Ron. "See," he whispered, "Padfoot has been with me all summer. And a few days ago... he told me something... horrible..."
"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, impatiently.
"Ron!" Hermione said sharply. She could sense how this was tearing Harry up. Harry blinked hard.
"He said that Dumbledore... was ill... and dying. They think it's of old age... but he's dying, none the less."
"WHAT?!" Ron shouted, jumping up. The surrounding people turned to stare, and Ron turned a deep scarlet colour. "What?!" he said, quieter.
"I know it's hard to take, but it's true."
"And the nurse? Why can't she help?" Hermione asked.
"He's dying of old age. There isn't anything... physically wrong with him, I guess. We know Dumbledore. And we know how old he is. He was at Hogwarts when VOLDEMORT was a kid, for crying out loud!" Ron winced at the sound of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
"Please don't say his name," Ron muttered.
"But why not? He's risen to power!" Harry said, more defensively than he meant.
"Just because YOU grew up in a muggle world, Harry, and don't know you're not supposed to say his name, doesn't mean a thing!" Ron spat back.
"BOYS!" Hermione shouted at them. "Quit it, now! This is NOT the time for it. Argue later. It's not time for squabbles right now. Harry, what's going to happen to you? With Dumbledore gone, Vol---He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will most likely try and attack you."
"I know. I thought of that. But Sir--Padfoot said that Lupin is returning. Not to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but to help protect me. I wasn't told why though." The trio sat in thought for a moment.
"I know why," Hermione said, suddenly.
"Why?"
"I don't think it's my place to say. If Siri--Padfoot didn't want you to know, then I shouldn't say a word, even if I am incorrect."
"Hermione," Harry whined. Ron just sat, still fuming.
"No." It was a firm and held an ending tone. "I won't speak a word of it."
"Fine," Harry spat. He got up. "Let's go." With that, he turned and sped on his heel, headign towards the Leaky Couldren.
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A/N: If I continue this story, which I might not do, it'll pick up from when they arrive at school. No more beating around this bush. It's the fourth chapter already, so I want to get into it.
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Harry felt his body tense up, and his heart skip a beat.
"D-d-dumbledore?" Harry stuttered stupidly. He couldn't think straight, or even see straight. He sat heavily on his bed.
"Now, Harry, calm down," Sirius said, slowly, watching Harry carefully. Harry took a couple of deep breaths, and color returned to his face. 'If somethings wrong with Dumbledore, I won't be safe at Hogwarts! Voldemort will get me!' Harry thought in panic. He started taking in short, sharp breaths. Sirius gripped him tightly, forcing Harry to look at him. "Harry, stop!" He ordered. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sirius and Harry bothed jumped.
"W-who is i-it?" Harry asked.
"Cleaning Service," said a deep voice.
"Come back l-later," Harry said, breathlessly.
"Is everything okay in there, Mr. Potter?"
"Fine!" Harry said sharply. When the foot steps faded away, he turned back to Sirius. "What is wrong with Dumbledore?"
"He is ill, Harry. Terribly ill."
"What's wrong with him? Why can't the nurse fix it?!"
"Magic can only fix so much, Harry," Sirius said solemnly.
"What's wrong with him."
"He...," Sirius stopped, unsure what to say.
"Stop stalling, Sirius!"
"He's dying, Harry. Of old age, we presume. You can only expect the man to live so long," Sirius watched as Harry's eyes widened.
"D-dying? But, Dumbledore CAN'T die!"
"He can, and he will."
"But I won't be safe! I won't be safe at Hogwarts without Dumbledore!" Harry started remembering the night Cedric died. The rebirth of Voldemort. A shudder coursed his body.
"You'll be safe, Harry. I told you there was a reason for Lupin being at Hogwarts, and that reason will help you."
"What is it, Sirius. You can't tell me about Dumbledore, and then not tell me what they're doing to keep me safe!"
"Harry, don't worry. For now, you are safe, and that it all that matters. Get some rest now." Padfoot formed infront of Harry's eyes, and slinked out the door, leaving Harry in fright.
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The week went by slowly. When the Weasley's and Hermione arrived, Harry was thrilled. 'Finally!' he thought. 'Friends!' Harry was standing outside Flourish & Blotts when they arrived. He tore down the road towards them.
"RON!" He called. "HERMIONE!" He skidded to a halt, and grinned eagerly at his friends. When he stopped to take a good look at Hermione, his mouth dropped. He quickly closed it, but he couldn't believe what he saw. Hermione looked... different. Her once busy hair now hung straight down her back, half up, half down. She wore flared jeans that fit her tightly, showing off her body. And her shirt was tight, showing off her chest and flat stomach. Harry gulped.
"Harry?" She said softly. "You okay?" Harry nodded. Ron nudged him hard.
"Snap out of it, man," he whispered sharply. Harry shook his head to clear it, then turned to Ron.
"Did you drop your stuff off at the Leaky Couldren?"
"Yeah. I've got the room next to yours. Me and Ginny." Ron groaned.
"I'm next to Ron's room," Hermione said. "Me and Crookshanks." Harry nodded. "Oh! Guess what!"
"What?" Ron and Harry said at the same time.
"I've been made a Prefect!" Harry and Ron groaned. Great. Now Hermione would know of all there stunts, and tell their Professors. "Oh, come on, guys. It won't affect anything, I swear!" Harry and Ron just nodded, stunned. "Well," Hermione huffed. "Dumbledore wouldn't have appointed me Prefect if he didn't have confidence in me." She turned her nose to the air. Harry's heart pace quickened. Hearing the name 'Dumbledore' made him remember what Sirius had told him.
"Erm, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said.
"Oh, Harry dear! Let me get a good look at you!" She pushed Harry back and beamed at him. "Why, you look like you've gotten taller! How swell!" Harry smiled politely. Ron stifled a laugh. Hermione beamed along with Mrs. Weasley.
"Why, yes, Mrs. Weasley. He looks great, doesn't he?" Hermione smiled. Harry blushed.
"Ummm, right. But, Mrs. Weasley, would you mind very much if Hermione and Ron took a walk with me? We've got some catching up to do."
"Why, of course dear. Hermione, Ronald, give me your supply lists, I'll pick everything up for you. You dears go have a good day. We leave bright and early tomorrow!" Hermione and Ron handed over their lists, and started to walk with Harry.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked.
"Let's sit over here," Harry said, pointing to a bench. He took a seat between Hermione and Ron. "See," he whispered, "Padfoot has been with me all summer. And a few days ago... he told me something... horrible..."
"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, impatiently.
"Ron!" Hermione said sharply. She could sense how this was tearing Harry up. Harry blinked hard.
"He said that Dumbledore... was ill... and dying. They think it's of old age... but he's dying, none the less."
"WHAT?!" Ron shouted, jumping up. The surrounding people turned to stare, and Ron turned a deep scarlet colour. "What?!" he said, quieter.
"I know it's hard to take, but it's true."
"And the nurse? Why can't she help?" Hermione asked.
"He's dying of old age. There isn't anything... physically wrong with him, I guess. We know Dumbledore. And we know how old he is. He was at Hogwarts when VOLDEMORT was a kid, for crying out loud!" Ron winced at the sound of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
"Please don't say his name," Ron muttered.
"But why not? He's risen to power!" Harry said, more defensively than he meant.
"Just because YOU grew up in a muggle world, Harry, and don't know you're not supposed to say his name, doesn't mean a thing!" Ron spat back.
"BOYS!" Hermione shouted at them. "Quit it, now! This is NOT the time for it. Argue later. It's not time for squabbles right now. Harry, what's going to happen to you? With Dumbledore gone, Vol---He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will most likely try and attack you."
"I know. I thought of that. But Sir--Padfoot said that Lupin is returning. Not to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but to help protect me. I wasn't told why though." The trio sat in thought for a moment.
"I know why," Hermione said, suddenly.
"Why?"
"I don't think it's my place to say. If Siri--Padfoot didn't want you to know, then I shouldn't say a word, even if I am incorrect."
"Hermione," Harry whined. Ron just sat, still fuming.
"No." It was a firm and held an ending tone. "I won't speak a word of it."
"Fine," Harry spat. He got up. "Let's go." With that, he turned and sped on his heel, headign towards the Leaky Couldren.
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A/N: If I continue this story, which I might not do, it'll pick up from when they arrive at school. No more beating around this bush. It's the fourth chapter already, so I want to get into it.
