Believe – Thanks for reading! Be expecting a detailed review of Chapter 4 pretty soon.
Wiccakat13 – Wow, there really is no better compliment for a Harry Potter fic than that. Thank you so much!
Anywayze, here's the plan: I get my computer maybe tomorrow or the next day, at which point I fix up everything that's wrong with this fic, put in Harry's OWLs, etc. Then, there's school starting Tuesday which sucks. The fic will, at that point, cease being updated as often, but I'll still be writing it, don't worry. Okay, enough babble, here's this chapter BTW, the "DO NOT READ THIS STORY" ploy didn't work, nobody did read the story, so it's back to its old name. And one other thing: Are soy sauce and maple syrup supposed to go in the refrigerator? Best of wishes, -xy.
Chapter 16: The Worms on ChristmasWhen Harry first saw Luna there, he wondered exactly how she got past the Fat Lady. Then, he wondered, what, exactly, she was doing there in the first place. Then, he wondered why he why he was wondering all this and not asking her.
"Luna? Luna Lovegood? How'd you get in here?"
In the pale light of the moon, she looked quite eerie, an ethereal figure that was not quite real and not quite ghostly. Her skin shone pure, opalescent white, her hair floated out behind her, despite the fact that there was no wind. She was dressed in a shimmering white robe that made her look almost angelic, and she looked somehow more focused, more there than Harry had seen her before.
"I know how you feel…" she said again. Her voice was the same, yet different.
"No… You
don't. You can't."
"Harry… Why are you so afraid
of exposing your feelings to others? Why are you so afraid of opening up, being
loved by others? Why are you so afraid of letting your feelings go?"
"I…I don't…"
"Was it because you didn't have parents to grow up with?"
"I let my feelings go!" protested Harry.
"No, you don't. Harry, you're closed. Even your best friends, even Ron and Hermione can't get into you. The only person you've ever opened up to was Sirius."
"You don't know! You're not me!" Harry was almost shouting at this point, but his roommates took no notice. Luna placed her hand once again on Harry's face. It was cold, freezing.
"You've never been loved by a woman, have you Harry? Cho was confused. Your mother has always been dead. Mrs. Weasley was never there for you; she's only kept the truth from you. Hermione is an advisor, an ally… but she's not a friend. Not a true friend, because you've never opened your heart to her."
"What? What are you talking about? Hermione… I don't feel that way about her…" He trailed off.
"You feel unloved, unwanted. Your heart is open. And it has been invaded by those who do not deserve it."
"Amber?"
"Annette."
"Annette? She loves me! She said-"
"Has it ever occurred to you that she might have said that for another reason?"
"Why? She's not evil and manipulative, she's not like Amber, she-"
"Do you really think she could love you after one day?"
"Yes! She… she held my hand…Love…at first sight."
"She gave you something no woman has ever given you before. She used you."
"NO! Annette… I love her… She and I were… She was…"
But Luna was fading away into the curtains, and in seconds she was gone. The night closed in on Harry, and Harry began to cry once again. Annette… Annette was real… He had to go save her… Return the Drakhen… Were they all just using him, manipulating him? Why did they all have to be this way? Annette really loved him, he knew that time she squeezed his hand… or was he so needy for affection that he had imagined it all? And then…
"Harry! Wake up or you'll be late for class!"
Light was streaming in through the half-open curtains on the side of his four-poster bed.
"I was asleep? But it seemed so real?"
"Man, you were crying, like, all night, dude. Do you feel better? Ron's really mad, he just left."
"What?"
"Man, you've really got to get a handle on your emotions."
"Yeah, whatever, let's just go down to breakfast."
"You missed it. Neville and I reckoned we should've let you sleep for a while longer."
"Yeah, I guess that was a good idea. Damn, I feel tired."
"Do you want me to bring you a cup of coffee while you get changed? We still have like twenty minutes until class."
"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."
Seamus disappeared around the door, and Harry sat up on his bed. However, he did not immediately get up and get changed. He sat on his bed, watching an owl battle that had spilled outside, feathers flying to and fro, and wondered sleepily about what had happened the previous night. What he knew was that he had to talk to Luna. Was that real? Had Luna really come to his room in the middle of the night or was it just his dream? And, should he apologize to Ron and Hermione? He wasn't angry with them anymore, but would they ask questions, questions that would jeopardize what he would have to do at the end of the school year. He looked over at the place where the Drakhen had been the night before… Did Amber have it? Was she reporting to someone higher? If Amber was going to kill Dumbledore, why were the teachers still allowing her in the school? Why couldn't class just start about five hours later so he could sleep some more?
"Harry, you're still not dressed?" Seamus asked hurriedly, running in with a steaming cup of black coffee. "Come on, we have McGonagall first thing, she'll kill us if we're late."
Harry took a sip of the coffee and began to put his robes on, slowly, wondering exactly why he would have had such a strange, realistic dream.
Harry continued to avoid Ron and Hermione for the next few days, which was probably a good thing, because both of them came down with The Worms. The Worms was one of the worst magical sicknesses one could get. It was a highly contagious disease that entailed having a worm inside your head. Occasionally, the worm would pop out of the mouth, either ear, or sometimes even the nostrils. It usually contained itself to the face, although there was a suspiciously worm-shaped hole in the back of Devin's robes as he left Madam Pomphrey's office. An epidemic was going around the school, and at all hours, one could see kids running out of class a worm flopping out of their ear. Ron's worm had decided that Ron's head was a great resort spot and could be seen hanging from his left nostril wearing a worm-sized Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses and sticking his tongue out rudely. Hermione's worm had taken to imitating different people. It would retract itself and then pop out of her mouth looking completely different. Harry was about to strangle the little beast when it popped out with messy, black hair, thick glasses and a tiny lightning-shaped scar, worming its way across Hermione's tongue.
Harry and the other well kids were eventually moved to two large, unused classrooms to sleep, and sleeping bags were conjured for them. As there were so few students that were okay, normal classes had been cancelled, and Professors Snape and Artemis, the only two well teachers took turns teaching all the students many things that they would not normally be learning. The days with Artemis were lots of fun, as he tried to teach them about many magical maladies including The Worms, Dragon Pox and many others. Snape's classes, however, were dreaded by everyone, even the Slytherins, where Snape was assigned the task of teaching them how to sing and dance to muggle songs from musicals. Harry had tears of laughter rolling out of his eyes when he saw Snape's face while he sang bitterly, "I feel pretty! So pretty! So pretty, and witty and gaaaaaaay!"
Harry had been unable to contact Luna about his dream, because Luna was one of the first to come down with The Worms, and, upon getting better, caught The Horned Toads. He was still unable to talk to Annette about what Luna had said, but he heard from Benny and the rest of the gang that she and Moody were still away. He learned more and more about the plans for their impending trip up to Azkaban, and began to dread it more and more.
Ron and Hermione got better on the same day and came back together. They looked over at Harry, who was tossing a quaffle back and forth with Adrianne, chatting about Quidditch. Harry looked over at them. Seeing him look, they stopped talking and watched him. He felt, momentarily, like telling them to piss off, but instead he walked over and tried desperately to prepare an apology.
"Err…" Harry began.
"Don't worry, we understand," Hermione said, and gave Harry a hug. Ron looked less inclined to forgive Harry, but reluctantly shook Harry's hand and then, suddenly, they both grinned.
"So what've you been doing?" asked Ron.
"Well, Snape's been dancing…"
"WHAT!?" shouted Ron and Hermione together.
"Yeah, he's going to do Kiss Me Kate tomorrow, so you'll be able to see him in action."
"Hey, what are you doing for Christmas?" asked Ron.
"I dunno…I think I'm going back to Grimmauld Place…everyone's there…but I think it might be too sad, Sirius being…" He trailed off as they looked at him concernedly.
"Yeah, my whole family's meeting there, too," said Ron.
"I'm coming too!" said Hermione. "Everyone will be there! Won't that be fantastic?"
"Yeah," said Harry distantly.
"Well, are you ready to tell us what you've been hiding from us all year?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
Was he?, Harry wondered. He would have to reveal everything, the prophecy Dumbledore had told him at the end of the last year, his mission to Azkaban, the reason for Dumbledore's sickness…
"Let's find a more private place," said Harry grimly.
For over a minute the only sound in the room was the buzzing of a fly that was left over from summer. Both Ron and Hermione's faces looked strange, completely different from what Harry had expected. Neither wanted to be the one who talked first. Finally, Ron couldn't take the silence getting any thicker.
"Cool," he said.
It seemed so inadequate that both Harry and Ron burst out laughing. When they were finished, Hermione began to speak.
"You're not going," she said flatly.
"What, and let Dumbledore die?"
When Hermione spoke next, she was definitely choosing her words slowly and carefully.
"Harry, you've always been there. In our first year, you led us to save the stone. In our second year, you went down to the chamber to save Ginny… and the school. In our third year, you helped Sirius escape on Buckbeak. In our fourth year, you were part of the Triwizard Tournament, and even was there to see Voldemort revive. And last year, you led us to the Ministry and helped bring about Voldemort's discovery. Harry, you were always there. But, for once, can you realize it? It doesn't have to be you that saves Dumbledore! Harry, last year, your impetuous nature led to… to that. For one year, can't you let someone else take over and play the hero?"
Harry stared for a second at the fly as it settled on Ron's worm-eaten hair and then took off again.
"No."
It took some moments before Hermione's face registered the information and a few more moments before she formulated a response.
"Why not?"
"Because," sighed Harry heavily, "Because this time I have to be the one. Didn't you hear the prophecy? This time, I am the only one."
The fly zoomed over to a nearby table and landed on top of a poop-flavored one of Berry Bott's Every Flavor Jellybeans.
"Harry," said Ron, "I'm not going to be like Hermione about this" – Hermione shot him a glance – "Just be careful. And for god's sake, tell us next time earlier on so we can help you!"
Harry smiled. Ron smiled. Hermione attempted to control her face for a few seconds more, and then she smiled too.
"So we're in this together?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, always!" said Harry.
Hermione's smile just broadened.
"Okay, so what we need to do first is-" began Hermione, and then she abruptly broke off.
"What happened?" Ron asked.
"Shh! I hear footsteps… Someone's coming!"
They listened closely. They could hear Snape's voice mumbling something and the shuffling steps of Professor Artemis behind him. Harry got up and peered around the door.
"Come with me…follow…" Snape was whispering. There was an odd glow that seemed to radiate off the robed zombie.
"Harry, Snape has Artemis under the Imperius curse!" whispered Hermione urgently.
"Yeah, I can see as much," said Harry. "Where are they going?"
They watched as Snape led Professor Artemis down the stairs to the dungeons.
"I think they're going to the underground tunnels!"
"Harry," whispered Ron urgently, "Where's your cloak?"
"Upstairs, in my bag…"
"What are you waiting for?" asked Hermione, literally pushing him out the door.
"Talk about impetuous," muttered Harry as he ran as fast as his feet could carry him up to the Gryffindor tower. He threw his stuff aside in haste, grabbed the cloak and ran back downstairs faster than he had ever run before. All three of them huddled under, both Harry and Ron crouching down as they were both quite tall. Snape and Artemis were easy to find, as Artemis was moving much more slowly than usual under the curse. They were, indeed, walking towards the passageway Harry had gone down before that led to the underground caves and the crypt.
They finally came to a halt at where the entrance was. Or, as Harry saw now, had been. The corridor ended in a dead end and there was nowhere to turn.
"Open it…open it…" commanded Snape.
Professor Artemis stepped forward and began to trace a pattern with his left hand. Amazingly, wherever his fingers moved, flames erupted on the wall. He drew a fiery seven-pointed star on the wall. He lowered his hand, dropped to his knees and placed his hands together as if in prayer.
"Do it…" muttered Snape.
Professor Artemis bowed his head. There was a moment of silence. Then he said, in a voice quite different from his normal voice, a whining, pleading voice not unlike the voice used by Peter Pettigrew, "Please grant us entrance, my brothers."
The response was immediate and made all the hairs on Harry's body stand on end. Harry felt cold as he heard the voice, a powerful, deathly voice, not altogether evil nor good, echo from above.
"Entrance shall not be granted to those who do not enter of their own will."
"This didn't happen when Amber and the Malfoys came," whispered Harry.
"Damn it," said Snape. He led Artemis away and Harry and his friends pressed themselves against the wall as he passed. When they were well out of earshot, Harry, Ron and Hermione returned their gaze to the wall. The fire still blazed.
"I wonder," whispered Hermione.
"What?" asked Harry, but Hermione was already leaving the cloak and dropped to her knees before the door. Harry and Ron, too, threw off the cloak.
"She's not going to pray herself, is she?"
But she was. She repeated Artemis's actions, bowing her head and praying.
"We wish only to gain knowledge of what this place is," said Hermione, her voice wavering slightly.
The echo from above came once more, and again Harry's goose bumps rose.
"Allow me to speak to the Chosen One," commanded the voice.
"I think it means you, Harry," Hermione whispered.
Harry paused for a moment, and then, trembling to his very bones, walked over and fell before the fiery star, assuming the same position Hermione was in. The voice spoke once again.
"Do you know of your destiny, boy?"
"That I have to kill Voldemort or he has to kill me?" asked Harry. He thought he sounded rather sheepish against the booming, hollow voice that was addressing them.
"No… Your destiny concerning the Cult of the Spider."
"No," said Harry. He suddenly wished he could be somewhere, anywhere else.
"You shall return in time," said the voice. "For now, leave."
There was a note of finality. The flaming line faded, leaving no trace. Harry and Hermione stood, and the three of them looked at each other. They stood there for a moment and then finally turned and left.
"So what do you think it meant about the destiny with the Cult of the Spider?" asked Hermione.
"I don't know," Harry said thoughtfully, "one destiny is enough for me, and now I'm dealing with two?"
"Whatever the case," said Ron, "there's three days until vacation, so let's take a break from all this!"
Harry nodded and laughed.
"Oh, Harry, there's something I forgot to tell you," said Hermione suddenly as they climbed the stairs back to the classroom.
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"Well, when I was sick, I got to do a bit of reading. My worm and I got quite friendly, it marked my place on the page to help me read."
"Yeah, and?" asked Harry apprehensively.
"Well, I was reading up on that Gabriel Ramore character."
"Right…"
"And, well, he wasn't put in Azkaban for killing someone."
"Why was he put there, then?"
"He was put there for trafficking illegal substances."
"Oh, that's a bit better… although the way the Forgotten said it that night made it seem like it was Voldemort's fault. But what kind of substances was he dealing in?"
"Amethyst Eyes."
"So, what makes him so important? I mean, the teachers said it like he was someone famous…"
"Well, he didn't just deal the stuff… He invented it."