Harry Potter and the Master's Mirror

by T.H.W

In fifth year, Harry Potter and his friends return to school early after a murder is committed against one of their number. What do all-seeing eyes, a teacher, a vengeful ghost and a mysterious phrase the 'Master's Mirror' have in common? Not Ootp

16. Welcome to the Real World

CHAPTER 16.

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

The second the weary band stepped out of the secret passageway, they were met with chaos and destruction. Harry pulled back slightly as the body of a young fourth year lying at his feet caught his eye. He stood there frozen a moment, before Rhiannon prodded him forward. Wincing, Harry closed his eyes and stepped around the boy and into the hall.

Harry stared in horror at the hall beyond. Before he had entered the chamber, it had been dimly lit, but clean and void of any object dirtying it. Now, the bricks of the walls had cracked, and every few minutes, the castle shivered madly, and bits of rock and dust littered the floor. Harry could not believe that this, this was Hogwarts. It seemed too horrible to be true. He was about to step forward into the chaos-stricken hallway, when Snape quickly put his white hand in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Go no further. There are Death Eaters about." He whispered softly.

Harry obeyed, stepping back to stand by Ron and Hermione and listened closely. Sure enough, there was a scuffling sound nearby, just around the corner. Snape frowned deeply, squeezed his eyes tightly shut, then to Harry's surprise, stepped out into the hall. Before Rhiannon and Bill could stop him, Harry stepped forward as well.

He didn't know why he did it. He had no love for Snape, but the Potions Master had proved himself to be loyal to Hogwarts down there in that chamber. He had tried to stop Voldemort, and had suffered for it. That was good enough for Harry. He didn't feel that Snape should have to face the Death Eaters alone. Yes, that was it. Snape hadn't been alone in the chamber, where he could have died. Harry didn't feel that he should survive that, then die alone, no matter how horrible a person he was.

Harry stood dead still at he what stood before him, though Snape merely eyed it with calm resignation. It was a constrogo. Only this one was immense, a much larger version of the medium sized one in Professor Flutterae's Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The constrogo lifted its long serpent-like head and flashed its teeth at them menacingly, its feet planted firmly in the middle of the hallway. It was obvious that there would be no way to budge it from that place. Snape took a step closer and the constrogo snapped at him threateningly.

Snape motioned slightly to the others and they carefully stepped out with him. Behind Harry, Draco groaned softly as the constrogo crouched its hind legs: a definite pouncing position.

"Rhiannon, you know what to do." Snape whispered, his lips barely moving as he stared stone-faced at the creature. Rhiannon nodded, then flung her wand in the air towards the creature with a flourish, yelling,

"HEBETO!"

The constrogo staggered and stumbled on its giant feet, but did not fall as the small constrogo had that day in Rhiannon's classroom. Rhiannon took a step back as the constrogo snapped sharply at her and Snape. Snape pursed his lips, but did not move, even as the constrogo stepped closer to him.

"On three, we hit it together." Snape suddenly whispered. Rhiannon glanced at him doubtfully, but nodded, raising her wand at the same time as Snape.

"One, two, three, NOW! HEBETO!"

Rhiannon and Snape yelled the curse at the constrogo at the same time, both flourishing their wands in an identical fashion. Two shots of crimson light hit the constrogo in its soft underbelly, just as it pounced upon them. Immediately, the constrogo became limp and slumped to the floor. Only then did Harry notice how wildly his heart had been beating when the constrogo fell. Beside him, Ron's face was white and Hermione's brown eyes were wide as she bit her lip. Draco's tensed shoulders relaxed, but Artemis did nothing. Simply stared ahead as they walked past, giving the creature no second glance.

Snape simply nodded in satisfaction, then proceeded forward, kicking the creature vehemently as he walked past it. This was not the last time they saw another enlarged constrogo. The band passed and cursed several constrogos in this same manner as they walked through the broken-down halls of Hogwarts, never receiving any blows from any of the creatures.

After they had freed themselves of a sixth constrogo, Harry glanced behind him and at the people there. Bill and Rhiannon took up the rear, wands out and at the ready. Ron and Hermione walked a few paces ahead of them, just behind Harry, their eyes wide as they took in their surroundings. Draco and Artemis stood behind them, just in front of Bill and Rhiannon. Draco stared around him with a calm exterior, but Harry could see the disbelief resting in his cold gray eyes. Artemis looked very similar, but the slight tremor in her lips betrayed her as she gazed upon cracked picture-frames and crushed pictures, broken statues and broken-down doorways. Harry eyed her, hoping to catch her eye. When he finally did, Artemis smiled hesitantly, but it looked to Harry more like a sad smile or a guilty smile, rather than an encouraging one. He couldn't tell. He didn't want to focus on it. His world was falling down around him.

Hogwarts had become a battle zone. Where once the walls had stood majestically, old pictures proudly adorning them, there was now rubble, the pictures crushed and in pieces on the ground, pieces of the walls beside them. The group stopped and stared as they stood in front of the Dining Hall. One could hardly tell that it had been there, for the walls around it had crumbled, the magicked ceiling still suspended in the sky, but with the clouds and sunshine of the outside world, spread around it, making a perfect flowing piece of sky. In truth, Harry could barely tell which was the real sky and which was the magicked sky that he had seen so many times in his years at Hogwarts.

"What do we do now, Rhia?" Ron asked tentatively, his gaze fixed on the hovering enchanted ceiling. Rhiannon stared at the sight, then closed her eyes and looked away.

"I'm not sure, Ron." She said quietly.

"One thing's for sure, we did not destroy Voldemort by destroying the mirror. That means he's either still here, or he's somewhere else commanding the armies. There are Death Eaters everywhere and constrogos." Snape said, turning on Rhiannon with a look of disgust. "I'm not sure that these children should be running about in the open like this." He said.

"Where else are they supposed to go? If we let them go by themselves they could get captured." Rhiannon countered. Snape drew himself up slightly.

"That's true. Especially since there are Death Eaters about." Snape said, eyeing Draco with raised eyebrows. Draco's gray eyes blazed and he drew himself up with an irate gesture.

"We can take care of ourselves!" He spat angrily. Snape rolled his eyes and looked back to Rhiannon, studying her fixedly, waiting for input.

"What if we split up? You and Bill together. I could take the children. We could start at opposite sides of the school and try to rally up as many surviving witches and wizards that we can." Rhiannon said, glancing around at her surroundings even as she spoke.

Snape paused a moment, his dark eyebrows practically covering his dark eyes as his forehead furrowed in thought. A moment later, he shook the sheet of black hair from his eyes and nodded.

"That will be acceptable. Be careful, and watch for Dementors. Weasley!" Snape barked as he ran off in the opposite direction. Bill rolled his eyes at Rhiannon, but smiled and ran hard to catch up with Snape as he disappeared from sight.

"Alright, come on! We're going to start back at the statue! Keep your eyes open for any survivors!" Rhiannon said as she wheeled about and ran back towards the statue.

Harry and the others followed her, their wands erect, their eyes wide and searching for intruders. Several constrogos were taken down with the help of Rhiannon, most of which were exploded in a fiery ball by Draco, who performed his spells alone and with great malice. Rhiannon cast a wary glance back at him, but said nothing during these times, simply eyed the Slytherin boy as he brushed his blonde hair away from his face and pocketed his wand with a look of pure satisfaction. Finally, the group slowed down as they approached the statue of Merlin.

"It's so quiet." Hermione whispered.

Rhiannon's pace slowed gradually, then stopped as she gazed around her at the entrance to the hall. Her fingers gripped her wand tightly and her dark blue eyes were skittering frantically around the empty hall.

"What are we stopping for?" Artemis whispered from behind the Dark Arts teacher. Rhiannon simply stood still and did not answer.

"There's nothing here! Come ON already!" Draco protested loudly.

Rhiannon turned to counter the boy's angry yell, but jumped to attention, wand at the ready as three Death Eaters ran down the hallway towards them. Harry watched as Draco's mouth fell open in a horrified gesture, though no sound exuded from it. Artemis and Hermione both gasped and Ron stepped back in horror. Harry simply stood still and stared at the Death Eaters as they rapidly approached. His blood ran cold as he watched them get closer and closer, thinking of the last time he'd seen them, that horrible day when he and Cedric Diggory had grabbed the Tri-Wizard cup and had fallen into a Portkey and into Voldemort's clutches.

"Get back! Get out of here!" Rhiannon yelled, holding her wand out before her, striding forward to meet the Death Eaters. Ron jumped forward, but was held back by Hermione's grasping, frantic fingers.

"We won't leave you!" Ron yelled.

"I told you to get out of here! Draco! Get them out of here!" Rhiannon yelled, never looking back at them, simply stepping forward, meeting the Death Eaters head on. Draco stared at her in surprise, then looked at the Death Eaters that were now surrounding Rhiannon. Then he set his face firmly.

"C'MON!" He yelled, turning on his heel and running away from Rhiannon.

Harry turned back only once and it was then that he saw his teacher disappear in the cluster of Death Eaters. His heart gave a great jolt as he watched it happen. Rhiannon had not run off when faced with this danger. She had walked calmly into it, ready to face the Death Eaters with conviction and bravery. Harry knew that that scene, that picture of Rhiannon walking right into the Death Eater's clutches, would remain with him forever, no matter the outcome of the day.

The small band of teenagers managed to run through the halls without trouble, until that is Harry skidded to a stop as he recognized a fallen portrait and knew that he was outside the hospital wing. Then he remembered: he and the others were not the only ones alive in this wreckage. Draco too, skidded to a stop as he noticed Harry's departure. He turned to face Harry, his eyes flashing in frustration.

"What are you doing, Potter? We've got to go!" He yelled angrily.

"We've got to get Fred and George!" Harry called back, moving aside the stones that covered the hospital wing door. Draco snarled angrily and leapt in front of him, knocking a stone from his hands.

"Look, Potter! We need to keep going! They most likely didn't make it anyway." Draco said firmly.

"HEY!" Ron yelled angrily, striding towards Malfoy, Hermione on his heels.

"Well it's true, Weasley! Your brothers were attached to the mirror and the mirror was destroyed! They most likely didn't make it." Draco said pointedly. Ron's face flushed red as he glared at Draco.

"And you would know wouldn't you? Mister Mirror-boy! You knew everything! Why are you even helping us? Helping Hogwarts?" Ron demanded. Draco's eyes burned brightly, but he held his ground.

"Because Rhiannon told me to!"

At that, Ron scoffed loudly and his fists, hanging down by his side, clenched together even tighter.

"Since when do you listen to her?" Ron yelled.

"Look, Weasley! It's too complicated to tell you now, but just trust me! I won't betray Rhiannon Flutterae, EVER! She told me to get you all out of here, so that's what I'm going to do unless it kills me!" Draco yelled.

Ron glared hard at him. Harry could see by the fires in his best friend's eyes, that he didn't believe the Slytherin boy, and he had a good reason not to. It was Draco who had done this to Fred and George and Martin. Draco, who had brought Hogwarts to its knees. Draco didn't deserve anyone's trust.

"You better tell me WHY right now, Malfoy! Otherwise I'm not going any further." Ron spat, crossing his arms across his chest.

Draco gave a sigh of exasperation and thrust his hands in front of him.

"Look, after all I've done, I don't deserve anyone's trust,"

"Got that right." Ron snapped. Draco glared and continued.

"But she trusts me. No one trusts me after what I've done, but she does. So, so I won't let her down."

For a moment, Draco's voice sank to a low whisper, with a tone that, possibly, could contain emotion, ringing in his words. Harry found it hard to believe, for a moment later, Draco had brought his head up to face Ron, and his eyes were filled with more aggravation than before.

"If that isn't good enough for you, then sorry, Weasley. But that's all there is to it. Now, move!"

Ron stared at Draco for a few moments, as if he was trying to decifer Draco's words. Then he narrowed his eyes to slits and pushed past Draco, beginning to move the fallen stones away from the hospital wing entrance once more.

"I'm goin' to my brothers." He muttered gruffly.

Draco frowned and pushed him back from the door. Ron stared at him in surprise, then punched the boy hard on the face. Draco was stunned only for a minute, before he punched Ron back, knocking him hard to the floor. Ron jumped to his feet and grabbed a fistful of Draco's blonde hair and yanked hard. Harry let out a groan and tried to pull the two apart, but it was no use. Both were now fiercely entangled with each other, both trying to inflict more pain on the other with each passing second.

"Get off each other! C'mon!" Harry yelled, kicking at Ron and Draco in vain.

"Will you both cut it out?" Hermione cried out, casting fearful glances back down the hall. But the boys did not cease to fight. By now it was a full scale war and neither would stop, no matter what anyone said.

"WILL YOU GET THE BLOODY HELL OFF THE FLOOR BEFORE YOU GET US ALL KILLED!?"

Draco and Ron looked up in startled surprise. Artemis lowered her fists that she had raised to heaven in exasperation and glared daggers at them. Slowly, the two boys stood up, looking rather sheepish. Draco ran his fingers through his messy hair, trying to get it back into some semblance of order. Ron simply stared at Artemis, then at the hospital wing door, letting the blood from his shredded lip run freely down his chin. Harry stared at Artemis as she blushed red, then jerked her head towards the hallway.

"Save for afterwards. Ron, we'll come back for the twins later. They're probably fine. C'mon." Artemis said quietly.

Draco stared at her in disbelief, then scoffed and stalked past her, once more becoming the leader. Ron cast one more desperate glance towards the hospital wing, then began to shuffle down the hall, staring hard at the floor. Artemis said no more afterwards, and neither did Draco.

Harry noticed as they walked through the rubble, that the halls, that should have been filled with students and teachers, were completely empty, devoid of life and also bodies. This caused Harry to grimace as he realized this fact.

"Draco." Draco turned about to face Harry. "I think we should go outside." He said tentatively. Draco's lip curled in disgust.

"Why on earth, Potter?" He asked in annoyance. Harry bristled at the belittling tone in Draco's voice, but continued.

"Because there's obviously no one else in here. They must be outside." Harry explained slowly. Draco rolled his eyes and would have ignored him, had Artemis not tugged on his sleeve.

"He's right you know." She said quietly. Draco rolled his eyes and turned around, making his way towards the door near the Dining Hall

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as Artemis turned around quickly to give him a quick wink, before turning back to walk with Draco.

"Thank Merlin, she's here, otherwise we wouldn't be able to do anything with Malfoy." Ron muttered under his breath.

Harry smiled and agreed silently. They were only a few feet away from the door when Harry suddenly stopped short. He thought, that is, he couldn't be sure, but he thought he'd heard something. A sudden shot of pain in his scar proved his thought true. Whatever it was, it was making his scar burn. Hermione stopped as well, glancing at him in confusion.

"What is it, Harry?" She whispered.

Harry's mouth quickly became dry as his scar began to burn angrily, sharp stabs of pain running up and down his forehead. He could not call out to the others who were still walking towards the door. His tongue didn't want to move.

"Tell them to stop. There's something over there." Harry gasped to Hermione. His tongue felt like a great mass in his mouth and his forehead felt like it was on fire. He closed his eyes to try to keep the nausea from overtaking him, trying to ignore Hermione's frantic yell. Yelling only made it worse.

"Guys, stop a minute!" Hermione called out frantically, her brown eyes fixed on Harry.

Draco looked at her in exasperation, but he, Artemis and Ron quickly walked up to them.

"What is it now, Potter?" Draco asked impatiently.

"There's something over there. I don't know what it is, but it's making my scar burn." Harry choked, as the pain in his head became intense.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Draco yelled in exaspteration. "We don't have time for this." He said brusquely, turning about, his cloak whirling around him as he stepped towards the door.

Harry and the others stared wide-eyed as Draco stepped up to the door and opened it, then stepped back in horror. There, on the other side of the door, was a tall and terrifying figure. The creature was huge, tall and slim of build. Long slender hands and fingers were the only body part that was visible on its long body. Its raiment was a robe of crimson red, the dark red cowl hiding the creature's face in darkness.

It stepped forward, the slender, white fingers at its side for the moment. Horror was etched on Draco's face as the creature came closer. Then he suddenly sobered, but did not turn to the group behind him.

"Listen, I'll distract it. Get out of here. Find another way out." He whispered as he suddenly ceased stepping backwards and instead walked forward towards the horrible creature.

The creature stopped suddenly as Draco walked closer to it. Then its long, white fingers stretched outwards, towards Draco. But it did not touch him. Draco stopped only a few feet away from it, waiting for it to make its move. The creature's long fingers flew outwards, moving together in a circular motion.

A moment later, a piercing shriek rang out from one of the girls as Draco was raised in the air. It was as if he was hanging by an invisible noose. His legs dangled as he lifted his hands to his neck, trying to gain air. Draco's eyes were wide as his breathing quickly became labored and he scratched frantically at the invisible restriction at his throat. Artemis darted forward, but as the creature turned its head towards her, Harry jerked her back. She pushed against him as he held her to him, but Harry refused to let her go. He had to keep his head. Draco winced and his eyes rolled in his head as he tried to breathe.

"Go! Go!" He gasped faintly.

"We won't leave you with this thing!" Ron yelled angrily, stepping forward.

"Ron! Get back!" Harry yelled as the creature turned to face Ron, its shadowed face reminding him eerily of the Dementors.

Draco shook his head and stared at Harry with his gray eyes, eyes that were now wide and glazed with pain and lack of air.

"Go!" He whispered.

Harry nodded slowly. If Draco was willing to stay, Harry didn't like it, but he had to go. Draco wanted to stay and die and there was nothing that he, Harry, could do about it. Draco closed his eyes and continued to gasp for air as Harry grabbed Ron and Artemis by the elbows and began dragging them down the hall. Only when he reached the adjoining hall did he see that Hermione was still standing in the hallway, staring transfixed at the creature, only a few feet away.

"Hermione! We've gotta get Hermione." Ron said quickly, trying to shove past Harry, who held him back.

"Harry! Harry come back!" Hermione called, waving her hands towards him frantically.

Harry turned round to look at Ron.

"Stay with Artemis and DON'T MOVE!" He warned as he rushed to Hermione, whose wide brown eyes were fixed on Draco, dangling above her.

"Hermione, c'mon! We've gotta get outta here!" Harry hissed in her ear as he tried to pull her away. She simply shoved at him impatiently and gestured towards the creature.

"We can't, Harry! We've got to help him! I know what that thing is!" She whispered. Harry stared at her in astonishment.

"How?" He asked. Hermione shook her head rapidly.

"No time to explain. We've got to get rid of it now!" She said, hastily pulling up her sleeves and pulling out her wand. "I've never done this before, but maybe, maybe it will work." Hermione whispered nervously, and as Harry watched helplessly, she waved her wand in the air and shouted, "SPIRITUS LUMEN!!"

A blast of light shot forth from Hermione's wand and it struck the red-cowled creature squarely in its middle. A shriek of pure pain erupted from the now writhing creature, its slender fingers tearing at the nothingness of its face. Draco suddenly dropped to the ground gasping, his face white, a ring of purple bruises around his neck. He continued to grasp at his neck as he lay sprawled on the floor, gasping painfully. Hermione frowned as she waved her wand at the creature once more and yelled,

"MAGNUS SPIRITUS LUMEN!!"

A greater shaft of light than the last, shot from the end of Hermione's wand. This time, the wound was fatal. The creature shrieked in terror and agony as it ripped at its blood-red robes, very much like Draco had done to his throat a few moments ago. A moment later, a crimson light filled the room as the creature exploded in a million shafts of light, leaving no trace of its presence in the room. Hermione and Harry bent over Draco, who continued to gasp wildly for breath.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Hermione asked. Draco cast her a strange look and nodded, unable to speak.

"You'll be alright in a minute, but we've got to go on." Harry said glancing around for more of the creatures as he helped Draco to his feet. Hermione nodded and they both supported Draco between them, hobbling towards Ron and Artemis, both wide-eyed and worried.

"Hermione, what was that thing?" Ron asked, slipping his arm around Draco's other side in order to help Harry. Hermione shook her head grimly.

"I can't believe it was even here. Voldemort means business if he's brought back the Garotters." She said, with a shake of her head.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

Hermione cast a slightly annoyed look in his direction.

"Honestly, didn't either of you read ahead in our Dark Arts textbooks?"

Harry and Ron both shook their heads and Hermione let out a snort of disgust, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Garrotters were used by Lord Voldemort to kill his enemies, especially Muggles."

Hermione, Ron and Harry turned to look at Artemis as she spoke quietly, her eyes never moving from the shattered walls that she watched so carefully.

"It was a creature thought extinct, but obviously not anymore. It was very much like the Dementors in its days of glory. It was mainly used by Voldemort and his followers when they wished to kill their enemies quickly and quietly. The spell that the Garotters used when they strangled their victims was 'Laqueo Strangulo', a spell of strangulation, a spell that Hogwarts students will most likely learn in sixth or seventh year. I wouldn't know," Artemis shrugged. "I learned it in second year."

Harry and Ron cast wary looks at each other over Draco's head before they looked to Artemis as she began to speak again.

"The Death Eaters had so many Garotters at their disposal that they began to take over the countryside, destroying young witches and wizards everywhere. It was the darkest days of Voldemort's reign. They got so out of hand, that Dumbledore and hundreds of Aurors decided to take the matters of the Garotters in their own hands." Artemis said, pausing for a breath.

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked in surprise, glancing at Artemis. She nodded and shrugged.

"Hermione most likely knows more about it than I. We didn't study Dumbledore as much." Artemis said, her cheeks becoming temporarily tinted pink. Hermione took the girl's cue and took up where she left off.

"It was one of the many things Dumbledore's famous for, but the Ministry doesn't like to make it public knowledge. They preferred to keep the Garrotters existence a secret, figuring that they would never be resurrected. They didn't want to worry anyone. Well, the joke's on them now, isn't it?" Hermione muttered fiercely.

"Well, don't stop now!" Ron chided impatiently.

"Dumbledore and the Aurors managed to take out the remaining Garotters that prowled the countryside, putting the Death Eaters and Voldemort at a great disadvantage, for up till then, the Garotters were one of their main way of killing their enemies." Hermione finished.

"And so the Garotters haven't been seen since then?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded sadly.

"That's right. It's so amazing that he's managed to bring them back into existence. That's not a good thing!" Hermione said quickly, eyeing the look of protest on Ron's face. "But still, rather amazing." Hermione said quietly.

"The person who believes that Lord Voldemort has not returned, is the greatest fool on this earth, for the Garrotters are living proof of his resurrection." Artemis said grimly.

Harry shuddered and turned away, trying to forget Artemis' words as soon as she spoke them. They walked on in silence, Artemis saying nothing more about the subject. Neither did Hermione. She simply eyed the walls and floors, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes. After a while, Draco straightened from Ron and Harry's grasp and rasped,

"I think I can make it on my own."

The boys nodded and stepped back as they watched Draco step forward by himself. He held his head high, though he winced in pain as he did so, the ring of purple bruises that the Garrotter had inflicted showing clearly on his white neck. Harry was now thoroughly confused. Draco had as good as brought this upon Hogwarts, yet because of Rhiannon's trust, he risked his life for others that he supposedly hated. Harry wasn't sure of anything anymore.

They finally came to the back door, where they stopped and stood in front of it hesitantly before Ron closed his eyes and pushed it open. Before them, lay the grounds of Hogwarts. Several hundred yards away, lay the Quidditch field, and several yards away from that, stood Hagrid's cabin, looking dull and deserted. But these sights did not trouble Harry. What troubled him was what lay only a few hundred feet away from the door. Harry bit his lip to keep from crying out as his scar burned in protest.

There on the grounds, were hundreds of the young witches and wizards of Hogwarts, their teachers standing proudly beside them. Before this line of witches and wizards, stood lines upon lines of Garotters and Dementors, all watching their victims with hidden eyes and faces, an odd and eerie band, covered in robes of smoky-gray and blood-red.

Then a certain sight before him, caused Harry to bite his lip to keep from crying out in horror. Voldemort himself paced in front of the lines, uttering harsh words to several of the witches and wizards that stood before them. He looked the same as he had that fateful night of the third task, but the lines in his face were less pronounced, his face less chalky, and a certain, defiant gleam rested in his red eyes. Lord Voldemort had returned.

Beside Harry, Ron scoffed.

"What a bloody liar he is. He said that he had TONS of witches and wizards on his side. He has barely TWO." Ron muttered, as he glared hard at Voldemort from behind the doorway.

Harry noticed with a sad smile that it was true. Two children, a boy and a girl, first years, stood by the man Harry now knew as Peter Pettigrew. Peter eyed them wearily, then glanced back at his Master intermittently, in his queer, nervous way. Ron scoffed again.

"Good ol' Scabbers." Ron muttered, glaring at the small man. "I swear if he was a rat again, he'd lose more than his toe."

Harry smiled at his friend's aggravation, concurring silently. Harry then frowned as he watched Voldemort pace, occasionally stopping in front of a particular witch or wizard, spitting out a question at them. Then he would move on.

But once he stopped in front of a young third year witch and his attitude and manner changed. He merely looked at her, then began to speak to her in a low, cajoling tone of voice. The young witch's eyes widened and soon her shoulders began to shudder as she sobbed silently. A moment later, she rushed to the small group guarded by Peter Pettigrew, tears still pouring down her cheeks.

A third year wizard watched her as she did so with an agonized look, then rushed to her, attempting to drag her back with him. She cried out and pulled and tugged against his grasp, imploring him to go back. Voldemort stared at the boy warily, then lifted his wand and uttered the fatal, killing curse. A flash of green light encircled the boy, wrenching him away from the girl. The boy hit the ground, dead, his eyes still wide and staring, his outstretched hands falling to the ground beside him, the heavy sound of his arms hitting the ground reverberating in the air far too long for Harry to stand. The witch, whose hand the wizard had grabbed, stepped away from the boy's body, her eyes fixed on the sight before her. Then she covered her face, sobbing quietly in her hands and turning away from the boy and from her fellow students behind her. Voldemort simply shook his head ruefully and continued with his inspection.

A moment later, several Dementors glided into the yard, a wizard in their possession. This wizard was older than the other students, but his head was down so that Harry could not see the face. But he did see the man's crown of bright red hair that shone in the sunlight. It could only be one person, and Harry silently began to pray that it wasn't that person. Voldemort placed his bony hands underneath the man's chin and jerked it roughly. Harry winced as Ron swore violently from his place beside him.

Bill Weasley glared at Voldemort as the Dark Lord stared at him. A grim smile flitted upon Voldemort's face and he whispered a few words to Bill. Bill stared at him for a long time, then spat in his face.

"Good one, Bill!" Ron whispered, his eyes never leaving his brother's defiant face.

Voldemort slowly wiped the spittle from his pale lips and cheek with his hand, then suddenly slapped Bill hard across the face. Ron made a move to jump from the hiding place behind the door, but both Harry and Hermione quickly grabbed hold of him, dragging him back. Then Voldemort began to circle Bill, speaking to him softly. Harry could not hear Bill's remarks or the Dark Lord's, but he could tell that Voldemort was not pleased in the least with the Weasley boy's answers. Voldemort's lips continued to curl in disdain and his eyes narrowed in anger as he spoke to the oldest Weasley.

A moment later, Voldemort sighed as if exhausted, then raised his wand, pointed it at Bill and uttered a curse. Harry had expected him to kill Bill, but this was not to be. The Dark Lord obviously wished to punish Bill before he had the pleasure of killing him. For the third time that day, Harry saw the 'Crucio' curse put into play. He did not see Bill anymore, but he heard his screams well enough. Harry shook his head and closed his eyes, covering his ears to try to block out the scream, his scar burning in protest, making his stomach churn violently. It was because of this that he did not see Ron jump up from his side and run onto the yard, screaming angrily.

Harry's fingers dropped from his ears as he heard his friend's angry yells, and without truly knowing what he was doing, he jumped to his feet and ran after him. Draco stood still, his eyes narrowing as he watched them run towards Voldemort. But he did not stand by as Artemis and Hermione moved to follow them. Instead he jerked them back by the backs of their robes and held on tightly, his eyes never leaving Ron and Harry.

"Get off me! I've got to go help!" Hermione hissed, pulling at her robes. Draco glared down at her and scoffed.

"Really? You think a simple Mudblood can stand up to the Heir of Slytherin? The very person who wishes to wipe out Mudbloods? I thought you were smart, Granger." Draco asked sarcastically. Though his words were cruelly stated, Hermione knew that what he said was true. She was no fool.

Harry ran as hard as he could, trying to ignore the pain that throbbed in his forehead as he got closer and closer to Voldemort. He watched helplessly as Ron threw himself at the Dark Lord, but never reached him. Voldemort's red eyes widened and he sent a magical blast of light straight at Ron's chest. Ron fell among the lines of witches and wizards with a groan. Harry could only stand by and watch, helpless.

"Ron! Oh Ron!"

Harry watched as Ron looked up and felt arms fall around him and heard the pain-filled feminine voice. Ginny Weasley looked down at her brother, frightened tears falling from her eyes, running down the purple bruise that was swelling on her freckled face. Ron blinked back his emotions as he saw his sister reduced to this, but strengthened his resolve.

"I'm okay, Gin. Everything's gonna be alright. Harry'll take care of it." He whispered. Ginny didn't say anything, but simply remained by him, crouched on the ground, her arms around his neck.

Harry's heart constricted in his chest as he stood before Voldemort, face to face. Voldemort had not changed from the image that had been projected in the mirror. Harry thought with disgust about the change that had taken place in this man. He had once been good-looking, had almost looked like Harry as a boy. But he had disregarded his looks and the rules of his occupation for power. Now, he was nothing like that boy Harry had seen in the Chamber of Secrets. That boy had only been the beginnings of this man. This man was a monster.

"So Harry Potter, we meet again at last. I must admit your last departure was a bit too hasty, but it will not happen again." Voldemort hissed. Harry straightened, though his body wished it could simply collapse on the ground and attempt to hide, though Harry knew it would be useless. "How do you like my little scheme, Mister Potter? Isn't it grand? It all worked out perfectly! PERFECTLY! And you knew nothing of it." Voldemort hissed with pleasure.

"I've never been psychic you know." Harry retorted, feeling new strength enter into him as he smart-mouthed the Dark Lord. Voldemort stared hard at him before continuing. Harry noticed triumphantly, that the Dark Lord looked as though he didn't know what to make of Harry's tactics.

"You will not win this time, Potter. I've won! No one! Not Remus Lupin, not Sirius Black, not even Dumbledore could stop me! FACE IT! I HAVE WON!" Voldemort yelled triumphantly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Do you yell all the time? Or just when you think you're all that?" He demanded.

Voldemort gazed down at him sharply, his pupils pulsing madly.

"Perhaps, I haven't made myself clear. You've destroyed the mirror, oh, yes, you have. But I have my own ways of bringing young ones like you to my side." He said quietly, seething anger in the vibrations of his tone.

Off-handedly, he flicked his fingers towards the writhing Bill, muttering under his breath. Bill fell to the ground in a panting heap, his dull, pain-filled eyes fixed on Harry. Voldemort walked back and forth a moment, before stepping close to Harry.

"Before I dispose of you and your friends, beginning my conquest, I will give you a small taste of what the wizarding world will be like when I rule it." Voldemort said quietly, yet still cruelly.

Voldemort then straightened and drew out his wand, pointing it at a blank spot on the earth. A shaft of light shot from the wand, then hovered there, waiting for something. Voldemort settled his wand in his pocket, then stuck his hands into the light, moving it, shaping it. Harry gazed into the shaft of light that the Dark Lord spun about in his hands, watched as it slowly grew larger and larger, till it was a long, rectangular shape. A mirror.

"You see, Harry, I don't need Rhiannon Flutterae's pathetic manifestation. I can still conquer without a mere mirror." Voldemort hissed as he watched Harry stare at the magical mirror in surprise. Then all of Harry's attention was drawn to the glowing surface of the mirror as it shimmered into existence.

What Harry saw, was a dark surface, covered with black shapes that crawled along its surface. Then a group of Dementors appeared, dragging several people with them.

Is this Azkaban? What am I seeing? Harry thought frantically.

It was only then when he saw the dark ruins of the castle behind the Dementors, that he realized what he was seeing. He was seeing the world as it would be. Hogwarts was destroyed, the world black and covered in darkness and dark magic. Those people whom the Dementors dragged about to be tortured were wizards who would not conform to Voldemort's will.

The scene changed to a dark room, lit only by a drooping candle resting on a table. The shadowed walls seemed to shudder and a woman in a chair held a small bundle closer to her chest. Her eyes were wild as she rocked herself back and forth in the chair, her gaze fixed on the candle. The bundle gave a weak cry and the woman glanced down at the baby wildly. She quickly hushed the child, whispering to it soothingly.

A moment later, a being apparated into the room and the woman jumped to her feet frantically, wand in one hand, the baby balanced in the other. The man raised his ruddy head and he turned his pale face to the woman, who slowly dropped her wand arm as she saw his face. Bill Weasley gazed at the woman and stepped to her as she rushed into his arms. Rhiannon Flutterae choked as she attempted to silence her tears, throwing her free arm around Bill, her gold wedding band flashing in the candle-light.

"They're coming aren't they?" She whispered. Bill said nothing, but looked down at the child in her arms, then closed his eyes and nodded. "We've got to do something." She whispered.

"We will join up with Ron and Hermione. They're leading a band of wizards through the Couchlan Valley. They're going to try to lead a strike. We'll meet with them. The closest Death Eaters and Dementors are more than one hundred miles away." Bill reassured her quietly, his strength returning.

Rhiannon nodded, then straightened and placed the baby in a cradle, running her hand along his bright red hair gently as she tucked the blanket around him. The baby fussed slightly, then closed his bright blue eyes wearily. Rhiannon smiled wistfully, then moved about quickly, gathering things and throwing them into bags. Bill smiled gently, then kissed her swiftly on the cheek as he moved to help her.

But just as they began to work faster, the walls began to shake with a frightful pounding. Rhiannon and Bill looked wildly at the door, which now shook and glowed with a pure white light. Rhiannon shook her head slowly, and stepped back frantically, her blue eyes wild.

"No. No. They can't have gotten here so quickly." She whispered. Bill looked at her, then wildly drew his wand from his side, his eyes lighting up fiercely.

"Protect Arthur. We're not giving up or giving in." Bill muttered, his eyes never leaving the door.

The door shook harder as Rhiannon stepped closer to the cradle, a determined expression on her face as she drew her wand from her side. The baby, Arthur, began to whimper slightly as the shaking increased.

Then the door broke into a thousand pieces, scattering thousands of pieces of splintered wood across the room. Bill howled in pain as the splinters flew into his eyes, face and body. Rhiannon shrieked wildly and threw her body over the cradle, protecting the child even as she was pierced by the flying wood. She and Bill stood slowly after the onslaught ceased and stared at the door. A moment later, Death Eaters stepped through the door, flanked by horrifying Dementors. The head Death Eater cast a curse at Bill, who stumbled, but did not fall. The Death Eater tossed a more devastating curse at the man, who this time, fell to his knees. Repeatedly did the Death Eater torture Bill, till he lay in a heap on the ground. Bill looked up at Rhiannon, who stared down at him frantically. He shook his head, inwardly telling her not to come to him, to protect their child.

Bill looked up at the Death Eater and smiled grimly.

"You can kill us, but you won't stop us. Others will take our place and we will triumph." He gasped.

The Death Eater's facial expressions were unable to be seen, but the pure hate in his emotions billowed throughout the room. The Death Eater slowly raised his wand, uttering the final blow, the Cruciatus curse, followed by Avada Kedavra. After his body shook wildly, accompanied by the shriek of his wife, Bill Weasley breathed his last, his eyes wide open in death. Rhiannon stared at her husband, then looked determinedly at the Death Eater as he turned to her.

"You won't take me or my son. We will live. We will survive." She whispered as the Death Eaters stepped closer to her.

Even as the Death Eater cast the killing curse upon her, she screamed Bill's name, and her shriek was joined by that of her child as two lives were extinguished with a single blow. Harry's breath was wrenched from him in frightened gasps as the the scene changed suddenly. Though Harry still shook with the horror of the previous scene, he was able to determine that the sight before him was a dark forest.

The Forbidden Forest. But why would anyone be there at night? Harry thought silently, trying to focus his frightened thoughts on the scene before him.

But then, he saw a shadow appear out of the dark images of the trees. A figure, a person. The person held his slightly illuminated wand before him, the magical glow showing the dried mud caked on his face, the scars that covered him, the determination in his eyes and the red glow of his hair.

"Ron?" Harry whispered as he stared at the figure.

An older and much wearier Ron turned about and quietly motioned behind him. Out of the darkness, several wizards and witches pressed close to him, all of them as scarred and dirty as he. He spoke to them quietly for a moment, then turned a soft and gentle look to the witch who stood beside him. She smiled faintly, her brown eyes glowing encouragingly as his blue eyes traveled from her slightly frizzy brown hair to her protruding stomach. Ron sighed wearily and placed his hand on her pregnant belly, as if gaining strength from the child that rested within it.

The battle began almost as quickly as the wizards and witches had come out of the woods. Dementors, Garotters and Death Eaters all fought hard against the small band of witches and wizards. But again, the battle ended quickly, the darkness covering the battle grounds. But though the darkness was almost blinding, Harry could still see the casualties lying about in grotesque positions on the ground. The pregnant witch, Hermione, knelt down on the ground, her head resting on Ron's heaving chest as he fought for breath. Then Ron ceased to be. Hermione sat up suddenly, her hand resting on her stomach. She stood unsteadily, grasped her wand shakily, and ran as fast as she could into the woods. A lone Death Eater stepped out of the darkness, not far from the battle field, gray eyes glittering beneath his black cloak. He drew the hood from his face and his blonde hair shone in the moonlight. He watched the forest that Hermione had just fled into with grimness. He looked hesitant, unsure of himself, but a moment later he turned to a fellow Death Eater, who ran into the woods, leading another party of Death Eaters and Dementors into its depths. Draco Malfoy remained behind with the Garotters, a lone figure against the blackness and death that surrounded him.

The scenes changed more rapidly now. More deaths were shown, wizards and witches hiding for their lives, trying to fight back, trying to live, to survive.

"You see this world, Harry? Do you see the world I've begun to create? Your kind will be molded to my will. Mudbloods will be exterminated. Do you see this? If you give in to me, this doesn't have to happen. Perhaps I will go easy on your friends, but with you by my side, you can save so many more lives by convincing them to join me." Harry barely heard Voldemort's words as he stared wide-eyed at the images that flashed past him. But then as the images came faster and faster, Harry broke away from them, realizing what Voldemort was asking of him.

"Never." Harry finally whispered, turning to face Voldemort. Voldemort's flat nostrils flared slightly and his eyes narrowed.

"Don't get me wrong, boy. I will take control of this world with or without your help. You were lucky the last time. That is one mistake I shall not make again." Voldemort said grimly.

"Oh and what are you going to do? Try to kill me? You do and others will take my place!" Harry yelled angrily, his words echoing those that the images of the future had only just uttered. Voldemort's red eyes flashed angrily.

"Foolish boy! You speak equally foolish words! I can sense your hesitation! Your fear! Should you die and another take your place, then I will kill him! Then the next and the next! It is a never-ending cycle, Potter! Either way," Voldemort bent down towards Harry's ear, his hissing voice stabbing Harry like a knife. "I win." The Dark Lord finished, straightening as he did so. "But of course, one can never rely on the victim to make a decision himself. He must have persuasion." At these words, Voldemort motioned to one of the Dementors. The Dementor's shadowy head bobbed silently, then turned and motioned behind him.

Several Garotters came forth and between them, kicking and writhing, was Rhiannon Flutterae. Her neck was covered in dark purple bruises, but she continued to struggle. Bill immediately became animated as she was dragged to the Dark Lord. He began to push and struggle in the arms of his captors, his hazel eyes wide and wild. Harry stared at her in horror as she was thrown at Voldemort's feet, her chin hitting the hard earth with a sickening smack. Bill cried out angrily and pulled against his restraints, but he was held fast.

Rhiannon slowly lifted her face upwards. A trickle of blood flowed from her lip, but her eyes were still defiant. Voldemort lifted one bony finger and cruelly lifted her wounded chin upwards. Rhiannon gasped in pain, but did not cry out. A moment later, Voldemort released her and shook his head.

"Pathetic." Then he began to pace around Rhiannon and Harry. "I will give you a choice, Potter. Who do you want to live? Your teacher? Or your friend?" Voldemort asked, pointing one bony finger first at Rhiannon, then at Ron who now stood in the crowd of witches and wizards, holding his sister closely to him. Rhiannon looked up at Harry and shook her head wildly, her eyes screaming,

Don't let him kill Ron! You and the others are our only hope for the future!

Voldemort, sensing the woman's thoughts, smacked her cruelly across the face, drawing blood from her shredded lip. Harry looked up at Voldemort, Bill's angry yell echoing in his ears. Voldemort stared at him grimly, waiting, waiting for an answer. When Harry did not answer, Voldemort shook his head, lifted his hand and squeezed it.

Immediately, Rhiannon seemed to jump to her knees, her hands grasping her neck frantically, trying to draw air into her lungs. Voldemort was choking her, slowly but surely. Harry looked first at Rhiannon, at her bulging eyes and chapped and bleeding lips, then at Voldemort, whose red eyes gleamed cruelly as he slowly choked the life from her.

"Stop it!" Harry screamed. Voldemort quickly released his hold on Rhiannon, who fell to the ground gasping for breath. Voldemort smiled grimly.

"You see Harry. It is sad that I need to persuade you to join me, but it is necessary, I can assure you." Voldemort said slowly, ignoring the gasping girl at his feet. "As soon as I have finished here, I will attack Azkaban. My loyal followers will be released soon and I will have more power than ever." Voldemort frowned, then began to pace again. "Sirius Black was clever to hide from me. He was clever to supply you with a 'Sugilatio Flammae', although I was both surprised and pleased that you did not discover the gifts it held until the last minute. You should have at least guessed that it warned the bearer whenever evil was about. Once again you've proven that you're nothing but a child! Nothing but a simple child who too will bow to my wishes!" Voldemort sneered. "Oh, don't worry boy, I know where Sirius Black resides and I will be through with him soon. The same goes for his devoted friend Remus Lupin. Don't look so surprised boy!" Voldemort chuckled evilly as Harry's eyes widened in horror. "I know much. I know that Sirius resides with his dear companion Remus Lupin and I know of the rebellion that they wish to start. I can assure you, it will end before it begins." Voldemort said, triumph echoing in his horrible voice.

When Harry said nothing, Voldemort frowned at him and shook his head. Then, as fast as lightening, his wand shot out and Ron fell to the ground with a shriek of pain. Harry whirled around to face him, his mind racing. Two lives were now in the balance. Only one could survive. He had to choose.

"Harry, I can kill both of them right now, but only you can decide. I can cause them to have a slow and painful death, the two of them. But I think I will use this one as an example." Voldemort said from behind Harry.

Suddenly, Ron's arm wrenched in its socket and he screamed in pain as a violent pop sounded in Harry's ears. Ron gasped for breath, trying to breathe through the pain as he held his broken arm to him. Another scream and another pop as the bones in his arm shattered with a sickening crack. His arm hung completely limp. He did not dare to touch it now, for even allowing it to hang caused him to whimper in pain.

"Please don't do this." Harry whispered. From behind him, Voldemort stared at Harry, stared at his limp and defeated figure.

"This can all end now, Harry. We can end it together." Voldemort said quietly. "We will do things as it ought to be. You and I together. You and I have so much in common. You and I, both powerful in our own rights, both of us speak the language of the snakes, both of us have the power to rule. That is brute power, Harry, and you and I can control it, together. All you have to do is say the word and all will cease. It doesn't have to end like this" Voldemort said soothingly, softly. Harry stared at Ron, his friend's eyes dulled by pain as he lay on the ground. Ron shook his head slowly and mouthed the words,

Don't give in, Harry.

"Yes, Harry! Don't give in! Let this boy die! Let his mother grieve over the loss of four sons!" Voldemort shrieked.

Harry's body stiffened in shock. He had just remembered.

Fred and George.

Harry remembered Mrs. Weasley, her short, stocky little body, her kind face and her love for him, the closest love he would ever have from a mother. He could not allow that to happen. He simply could not. He wasn't giving up after all. He was helping the cause. Perhaps someday he could rebel against Voldemort, destroy him when he became powerful enough. Perhaps someday. But he could not let this happen to Ron and Mrs. Weasley. This had to be done. Harry slowly turned to Voldemort, his head hanging a moment before he lifted it to face Voldemort.

"I will join you." He whispered.

"NO!" Rhiannon yelled, her voice an anguished sob.

Voldemort grinned, then laughed maniacally. He then turned towards the line of witches and wizards triumphantly, turning to one in particular. That wizard's face was more worn than usual, his dirty white hair hanging in clumps about his bloodied face.

Dumbledore.

"You see, Dumbledore! I knew he would see reason! I KNEW it! He has failed you, just as I said he would."

Harry's heart leapt in his throat as he stared at the Headmaster. Dumbledore simply shrugged his shoulders, then lifted his bright blue eyes to Voldemort's red ones.

"If that is what you believe, Tom, then very well." Voldemort snarled angrily.

"Never call me by THAT name!" He hissed angrily, striking Dumbledore violently across the face.

The witch beside Dumbledore cried out, then stifled any future cries by placing her hands firmly at her sides, raising her pointy chin with determination. Professor McGonagall. It was then that Harry realized, he did not see any other Professors. Rhiannon, Dumbledore, McGonagall. They were the only ones present.

"Harry, if you are most incredibly curious, you could search the classrooms of what your school once was and find your lost teachers." An evil grin stretched across Voldemort's face as he stared at Harry, then glanced triumphantly at the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall.

"After my Dementors drove the teachers back, they ran into the school to protect their precious students, giving me an advantage I used several means of disposing of them. Professor Sprout lies beside her own precious 'Venenatus' plants, poisonous plants reserved ONLY for seventh year students. They are never removed from the greenhouse, for at times, they are especially prone to being drawn to large amounts of magic. She never had a chance." Voldemort said, the grin still resting on his snake-like face. "Professor Flitwick is resting in his classroom as well, destroyed by an accidental conjuring of dangerous charms." Voldemort said, a mocking innocent expression on his face. "Professor Sinistra, should be happy that her tower collapsed on top of her, for now she can gaze at the stars forever." He continued, a mocking expression on his face. "Madame Hooch lies on the grounds of her Quidditch court. You may find a few rogue bludgers still flying in the air." Voldemort said cruelly. "And your especial favorite teacher, Professor Trelawney, well, let us say that she took one too many looks into her crystal ball for my liking. I made sure to destroy that tower first. She lies beneath the rubble. All of your teachers, save for these few, lay dead in the castle." Voldemort said with a yawn. "As for Binns, as he's already dead and I cannot dispose of him further, he has merely hidden among the ruins of the castle with the other ghosts like him."

"As for Hagrid," Voldemort hissed suddenly and cruelly. "Who knows how he has escaped, but he has indeed escaped. And when I find out what creature or being has saved him, I will destroy him and it at the same time. The same goes for your Potions Master. I will have him in my grasp before long. He cannot avoid me." Voldemort said with a deadly grin. Harry breathed a slight sigh of relief, trying to ignore the cruel words, trying to comprehend what Voldemort was saying. So, Snape had escaped Voldemort. But all the other teachers, save Rhiannon, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Binns, were gone. Dead. Every single one. He felt a trickle of guilt run up and down his spine as he thought of Professor Trelawney, of the mean things he'd said about her, of everything he'd ever done.

Why couldn't I figure this out sooner? He asked himself, despair showering over him like rain.

"Now Harry, if you will stand in line with your other little friends, we will get this over with." Voldemort said with mock sweetness, giving him a shove towards Ron and Ginny. Harry did not resist this time. He simply walked over and stood beside Ron, who stood bravely, though his face was pinched in pain. "NOW! HEAR ME!" Voldemort yelled, extending his arms in the air, calling attention to him. "YOU WILL JOIN ME, OR YOU WILL ALL PERISH! I CAN ASSURE YOU, THAT NONE OF YOU WILL BE LEFT ALIVE!" Voldemort shrieked, his words cutting the sky above with its cruel tones. There were no answers at first, simply dry sobs. Then the calls for mercy showered out in a torrent, but one shrill, angry yell blocked them out. Over the shouting of submission, a young girl stepped from the crowd.

Harry's breath caught in his throat painfully as the little girl from the Hogwarts Express, Jessica Fawnweb, stepped out of the crowd, her face pale, but determined.

"ARE YOU ALL STUPID?" She shrieked. The calls and pushing from the other witches and wizards slowed, then stopped as their eyes fixed on the little girl. "IF YOU GIVE IN HERE, THEN WE'VE LOST! WE DON'T HAVE ANY HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!" She yelled loudly.

"BUT IF WE DON'T GIVE IN, THEN WE REALLY WON'T HAVE ANY FUTURE BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ALIVE!" A young wizard screamed frantically. Jessica pressed her lips together, but raised her hands once more.

"YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD IF YOU GIVE IN TO VOLDEMORT, BECAUSE HE WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN!" Jessica shrieked. The crowd gasped as they heard the little girl say the Dark Lord's name. Jessica stared disapprovingly at the wizards and witches around her. "WHAT? THAT'S HIS NAME!! VOLDEMORT! VOLDEMORT! VOLDEMORT! I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT! VOLDEMORT!" She yelled. The crowd shuddered and pressed together, waiting for the lightening to strike the little girl before them. But nothing happened. She simply turned to face Voldemort, her little hands on her tiny hips. "Voldemort, Mister Riddle, that's your real name, you know. Professor Dumbledore told us so." She said quietly.

Voldemort's nostrils flared wide and his eyes narrowed as he raised his hand. But to everyone's surprise, Jessica caught the thin hand as it raised. Voldemort's hand froze, surprise echoing on his death's head face. She slowly lowered his hand then dropped her hands to her sides.

"Mister Riddle, I'm not afraid of you. Harry's right you know. You can kill us, but there are still alot more wizards and witches like us who can fight you. We might not win, but we can sure fight hard. Plus, with Professor Dumbledore on our side, how can we lose?" Jessica said, a lopsided grin spreading over her small face. The crowd was now silent as they watched the little girl speak calmly to the Dark Lord they feared so much. Voldemort stared at her, for once, unsure of what to say or do. "If you want to, you can kill me now, 'cause no matter what you say, I'm not afraid. Plus, I'm much more powerful dead than alive anyway, because I can keep our spirit and determination alive and you can't kill me twice." The girl smiled sweetly at the hideous creature before her, then lowered her head in submission.

Voldemort stared at the girl in astonishment, then blinked slowly. Then he put one thin finger beneath her chin and raised it.

"What house are you in, witch?" He asked. Jessica smiled gently at him.

"Gryffindor, Mister Riddle. And I'm proud of it." She said softly.

Voldemort stiffened, then turned away from the girl. Harry could not speak, could not breathe as he watched the small figure of the girl standing behind Voldemort. Then Voldemort whirled about, his eyes on fire, uttering the deadly spell in a harsh scream,

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry barely heard his own scream, for it was mixed with thousands of others that cried out beside him. A flash of green light was cast around them, accompanied by a crushing wind. Harry grabbed Ginny and Ron to him, holding them close, trying to keep them safe. It was the one thing he could do now. He held them, feeling the crushing winds of Voldemort's hatred and malice towards the little witch explode around him. When the wave of magic finally cleared, Jessica Fawnweb lay on the ground, her eyes closed, a small smile on her face. Voldemort stared at the body, transfixed, then turned away.

"Take her from my sight. I never wish to see her face again." Voldemort whispered. Several Death Eaters walked from the crowd and grabbed the girl, dragging her body with them. Voldemort stood still a moment, his back facing the crowd for a long time. Finally, he turned to them slowly.

"Now, who opposes me?" He whispered.

"WE DO, VOLDEMORT!"

Harry looked up into the sky where the scream came from, as did the others around him.

What he saw, sent a thrill of exhilaration and shock shooting through his body. Hovering above them, were hundreds of witches and wizards, lead by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Harry laughed aloud as he saw Sirius' black hair flying in the wind behind him as he grinned and waved down at him. Remus too, grinned as he eyed his friend, then forced it from his face as he eyed Voldemort grimly. But Sirius was not nearly so cautious. He instead swooped down on his broomstick, very close to Voldemort and the Death Eaters, avoiding their curses that they shot at him. He merely laughed wildly, then stuck his middle finger out at Voldemort before swooping back into the sky, but not before narrowly being missed by a curse. Remus glared hard at Sirius as he swooped back beside him, laughing long and hard.

"I LOVE that Muggle expression!" Sirius laughed hysterically.

When Sirius finally stopped laughing, he looked at Lupin sheepishly, then shrugged his shoulders.

"You want to be serious now, Black?" A rough voice called. Arthur Weasley's face was firm, but there was a slight twitch in his lips as he stared at Sirius. Sirius chuckled again and shrugged.

"Arthur, I am Sirius!" He laughed. Remus rolled his eyes, then looked back down at Voldemort.

"Give it up, Voldemort! We've got wizards and witches below, and wizards and witches above." Remus called out.

Voldemort stared at him, at the wizards and witches beside him on their broomsticks. Molly Weasley gripped her broomstick handle tighter as Harry saw her eyes run over a collapsed, but angry Bill, and Ron and Ginny, both grasping onto Harry. Harry gave a breathy sigh as he watched her, seeing the anguish that exuded from her gaze.

"Oh good grief, Dad! Let's get going! He's too surprised to say anything!" Harry recognized Charlie Weasley, who sat beside his father on his own broomstick, his keen eyes fiery as he gazed at his brothers and sister.

"We must be composed and serious, Charlie." Percy said snootily from beside his mother. Charlie grinned at Sirius, then turned back to Percy, jerking his thumb at Sirius.

"PERCY, he's Sirius."

Percy merely glared at him. Suddenly, Voldemort shrieked with laughter.

"THIS is what you bring, Lupin? A bunch of soddy children and overweight wizards and witches? I hope you're prepared to die!" Voldemort laughed.

"An' I hope tha' yer ready ter eat yer words, Tom Riddle!"

Harry grinned happily as he saw Hagrid shaking his large fist at Voldemort from the back of the hippogriff, Buckbeak, his black hair flying madly in the wind. Voldemort chuckled and rolled his red eyes back in his head.

"Good to see you once more, Hagrid. I'll dispose of you quickly."

Hagrid narrowed his dark eyes at the Dark Lord.

"Tha's wha' you think." He yelled.

Voldemort merely pursed his thin lips and shook his head slowly before turning back to the groups of witches and wizards.

"Well, it seems that I am done for." Voldemort said in a tone of mock sadness, before whirling around to face the witches and wizards in the sky. "For the Marauders walk again! And everyone knows that the Marauders have never lost!" He screamed loudly. Sirius immediately sobered as he reigned his broomstick in next to Remus. Voldemort stared at them, a gleam in his red eyes. "Then again, if that's true, then there should be two more of you." Voldemort said evilly, counting off spaces in the air beside Remus and Sirius. "Where's James, Black? Where's Peter?" Voldemort sneered.

Harry watched as Sirius' nostrils flared and he made an angry move to swoop down upon the Dark Lord. But Remus quickly placed his hand over Sirius' broomstick and motioned to him. Sirius pursed his lips fiercely, but remained beside his friend.

"We did not come here to exchange vain insults, Voldemort. We came to negotiate, to fight if necessary. Now, hand over our children." Remus said firmly, his gray eyes narrowed. Voldmort chuckled softly, then the laughter became cackling as it built up in volume.

"I will not hand over your children, Lupin. You'll have to fight me for them." Voldemort sneered. Lupin's eyes flashed and he glared fiercely at Voldemort as Sirius swore angrily.

"If a war is what you want, then a war you shall get." Lupin said firmly.

An evil gleam spread into Voldemort's eyes as he stared at the wizards and witches above him. Then Sirius raised his wand high in the air, shouting a battle cry that could be heard for miles about. They swooped down upon Voldemort, a mass of black robes and angry faces. The army of light began to fight against the army of death.

The War of the Wizards had begun.

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Author's Note: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! *stretches and waves* Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait again. This was a pretty important chapter, and I wanted to make sure it was perfect for your reading pleasure. ;-) That and I haven't really been able to get on ff.net that much recently. But to those of you who've updated chapters, (i.e. Torrential Zephyr. *gulps*), I HAVE read them, but just haven't gotten the chance to review. They're all amazing though! I WILL get around to it, I SWEAR! *shakes head* If only I didn' t have so much else to do. *grumbles* Oh well! Thank you all for your concern about the family emergency. Fortunately, it turned out well and there were no deaths. Shew. Thank you all very much though. It was quite a trying time, and reading your reviews. Made me happy. :-) I am SO flattered by all your guys' praises of my previous chapter! That is one of my favorite ones because that's when the plot comes to a climax. I hoped you guys would like it, and I'm so glad you do! Thank you for all your praises of it! I'm really honored! GUYS!!!!! RELEASE DATE FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX WAS RELEASED!!! AAAHHHH!!! Okay, who's excited!!!! MMEEEEEE!!!!!! *takes a head count, but gives up because there's too many hands* June 21. YESSSS!!! I'm happy! Except for one thing........the main reason I wrote this story was to keep me from going crazy with the anticipation of the fifth book. Now the fifth book is coming out and I'm gonna hafta abandon the fact that MINE isn't the fifth book........that could get confusing. :-) BUT STILL! IT'S COMING OUT!! YEEEESSSS!! Okay, I wanna get a count: How many times did you guys see "Two Towers"? Unfortunately, I only got to see it twice. *grumbles about obnoxious theaters and obnoxious schedule* I suppose I'll just have to wait till it comes out on video, eh? That and Chamber of Secrets, which I ALSO saw twice. Both fab films. Okay, better get on with the Thank you's, as they're all very well deserved!

Takari4ever7: Hello! Welcome to the story! I'm always so tickled when I get new reviewers! Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story! Thank you, thank you. I hope you find this again. :-) Wasn't Two Towers great? Very, very cool! Can't wait till it comes out on video. Whheeeee! Oh yeah, I love Takari too. ;-) One of the other things I enjoy. :-) Thanks for reviewing!

Lyddi: Hey! Welcome to the story! I'm really glad you liked it! *blushes* Sure I'll keep writing! I love to keep my readers happy! It's my job! ;-) Thanks for the review!

Leaf: Hey buddy! How ya doin'? Good I hope! Glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was such a big thing for me. I hope you've seen LOTR by this time! If you haven't, aaahhh, you've GOT to! Kick butt movie! Looooovvvveee Legolas. :-) *sigh* Very handsome lad, that one. Frodo too. Love his eyes. Yes, there's been soooo many rumors about the fifth book. Frankly, I try not to read them. Just because 1) they can get rather ridiculous, 2) I don't wanna get hooked on one guess and then be disappointed when it's not put into use. But still, I can't wait! Oh good! I love new computers! So nice and shiny! And they actually WORK!! :-) Thanks for reviewing!

Silver Elf: Eep! *hides from Silver Elf* Yes, I liked the elves in Helm's Deep, but YES, I did know that that was a rather egregious oversight, as they weren't really there. But I figured it made more sense for them to join the guys THERE, so that it would make more sense when they joined them in Return of the King.......er, that came out really weird. I hope you decifer my meaning. I was a little more ticked about the fact that they totally skewed Faramir's character. Yeah, that kinda ticked me off a bit. I was also sad that Shelob was nowhere to be found, but that was probably due to time constraints. But all and all I liked it. Heh-heh, my sister had a similar reaction to yours though. :-) I did love all the Elvish, though I disliked all the Arwen kissy-kissy blah-blah. Don't care much for the screen Arwen. I mean, I realize that they have to bring her back so that the audiences not familiar with Tolkien won't forget her, BUT DOES SHE NEED A BIGGER PICTURE ON THE MOVIE POSTER THAN LEGOLAS? OR HIGHER BILLING!!! *gasp* Sorry, that kinda ticks me off too, come to think about it. Maybe if they had cut out the Arwen scenes and that one just *odd* part when Aragorn fell off the cliff, they would have had room for Shelob. *sniffles* Okay, I'm just whining now. :-) You and me both. We'll wring Pettigrew's neck together. Yeah, you and me and every other HP fan out there. :-) Correct me if I'm wrong, but with the whole "Don't trust something if you can't see where it keeps its brain", I knew that Mrs. Weasley told Ginny that, but I thought she said, "Don't you remember what your father's always said," or something like that preceding it. That's why I said Mr. Weasley said it. But again, correct me if I'm wrong. Heh-heh, I love Ron in this chapter too. Very much a Weasley. Very stubborn, very rockin', very fab. Okay, I guess, you know sort of where Draco, Harry and Ron stand, now that you've read this chapter. They're on the same side.....sort of. A rather begrudging alliance. Heh-heh, yes, that's my secret. The whole story is actually done. I wouldn't have it any other way. If it wasn't finished, I'd go crazy because I go back through my stories and edit SO much, you have no idea. So I just waited to post till the whole thing was done. Helps keep my sanity in place. :-) Thanks for the wonderful review!

Balizabeth: Balizabeth, luv! Wonderful to hear from you! By the time I finished your review for the previous chapter, I was several shades of red! :-) Thank you SO much for all your praise! I'm so glad that I conveyed the story well, and up to par. :-) I really, honestly don't know what to say! I'm just really flattered by all your comments! Truly, I am. I'm glad you liked the updates, and now we know when the fifth book is coming out! YESSS!!! Oh it's just fine! Don't worry about asking when I'd update. It's all cool. Doesn't Two Towers just kick.....ahem, booty? :-) I loooooooovvveedd it! Had a few qualms, but nothing too huge. GAK! You saw TTT five times.......*sniffle* Oh well, like I said before VIDEO, actually DVD. Bwahahahaa! Love DVD's. Well, thank you darling, for all your praises! Believe me when I say that I'm very honored by them. Luv ya!

Kora: Thanks for the review! Hey! Did you actually post that new songfic you were talking about? Because I keep checking your author site and there's nothing new there, unless I'm just blind. What's the name of it if it is posted?GAK! Pics from Return of the King? From whence did they come? Speak quickly! Heh-heh, got into LOTR speak for a minute there. :-) Lol! I laughed a lot when reading your thoughts of writing a LOTR/HP story. :-) You probably could work Merlin in. You're clever enough to pull off something like that. :-) Love ya! Thanks for the support!

Quiet One: Hey! how ya doin'? I'm so glad that that ff.net brain fart is over. *shakes head* It was so obnoxious. Thanks so much for your review! Well, there's sorta a bit about Voldemort's army, but not alot. That's for the next chapter. The next chapter is one big gory battle scene. :-) I like how Draco acts in the previous chapter, as well as this one. He's trying, somewhat hard, but he's trying. He realizes that there has to be SOME sort of alliance if they're going to get out of there alive. I liked the elf army too, like I said in the above. *sigh* I just love elves. I finally got the soundtrack as well! It was like sold out in all the places that had cds. GAAHHH!! So obnoxious. So I just got it recently, and love it, of course. Heh-heh, you've got it memorized? You should write up the script and post it here. I might use it. Bwahahahaaa. :-) I LOVED the film! Gollum was amazingly well done. Perfect. I had hoped that they wouldn't, well, butcher him or anything, being that he's computer digital, but he was perfect. He didn't look computer digital. He looked very, very real, which is more than I can say for c.d. creatures like Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars. "Give it to us raw, and wriggling, you keep nasty chips!" BWAHAHAHA! One of my fave lines in the film! It was VERY Hard to ignore all the good looking guys. I.E. LEGOLAS, LEGOLAS, LEGOLAS. My goodness that lad is so good looking. Isn't that eerie how much the actor who plays Faramir looks like Sean Bean (Boromir)? I thought that was just uncanny. You're right. He's just softer, I dunno. But it's so uncanny. *sigh* I still wish they had time for Shelob. They could have cut out some of the Arwen kissy-kissy scenes, or that bogus part with Aragorn falling off the edge. But then again, we wouldn't have been able to hear our favorite elf say, "You're late. You look terrible." *grins and laughs* And also it was somewhat necessary because then we see that Eowyn REALLY likes Aragorn, but she hides it because Legolas gives Aragorn Arwen's necklace back. Okay, I'm getting too into this. :-) I DID take Latin! Isn't it interesting? Yes, the declinations are VERY difficult, but once you get through those it's smooth sailing! Very useful indeed. People say it's "not useful" or it's a "dead language", yet most of our English vocabulary is built upon it. It's far from "dead". I have been meaning to read your Helm's Deep story, and WILL get to it. Just as soon as I get time. :-) Promise. I know, I got the same stuff from people who thought it was dumb to take Latin instead of Spanish or French. But truthfully, French is only helpful if you're abroad, or travel quite a bit. Heh-heh, it's nice having a fan who studies Latin, that way you'll get alot of the spells and other things I'm using. Sweetness. OH! I got through a breakthrough in my book actually! It should be done VERY soon. I will be sure to let you all know when it's done and if it actually does get published. That would be an amazing dream come true for me! But yeah, besides my fam, you'll all be the first to know! :-) Thanks for all the smashing support!

Hollie: I know that you didn't get to finish reviewing, but I'll thank you anyway. ;-) Wasn't that whole ff.net thing, just so obnoxious? I found it extremely annoying, especially as I was trying to get my reviews so I could write thank you's and finish up my chapter. :-) Doesn't Ron just kick butt? I love him in that previous chapter. He's very stubborn and wilfull. Come to think of it, I love him in this chapter too.........and in every chapter! ;-) GAK! I hate it when you have to go too, because then I can't say anything else, without giving away stuff. Of course, if you're reading this, you've already finished reviewing the last chapter and have read THIS one..........okay, that was confusing. Don't worry 'bout it. I did read your third Newsies chapter and will get around to reviewing it as soon as possible. :-) Thanks so much for the review!

Whether Rose: AAHHHH!! BUDDY!! *gives WhetherRose a great big hug* Great to see you! I'm so glad you're back! I've missed ya! Oh you took my story on a car trip! Wow! Cool! Glad it made the trip bearable. I know how brothers are. ;-) "Exploding Snape" is one of my favorite things. I actually added that in at the last minute because I was reading through it and thought it would be funny for Artemis to take out her anger over Snape's punishment on the game. :-) Ron and Hermione belong together! I have PROOF at the bottom of the thank you's. :-) I'm really glad you liked the dance. I had hoped that people wouldn't find it boring or anything. I tried my hardest for it not to be. :-) Martin is one of my favorite original characters to write, besides Artemis. He's actually quite a complex character and we won't really see that until the sequel to this comes out. But I love him. He's really cool. I thought that the Marauders should inject some humor into the story, as it was only the first few lines and it was already tense as could be. :-) But of course, we couldn't let it STAY funny. Noooo, we've gotta get right back on the climax. *shudders* That chapter is one of my favorites, because of the growing tension, then the climax. I'm so honored that you like my story so much! Your praise is held in very high esteem indeed. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the HP section that I put up again. I put in your suggestion too. Thanks! :-) Luv ya lots!

Torrential Zephyr: Ahh, my buddy! How are you? Wonderful! I hope you're fine. I'm doing much better though. Thanks for the GREAT review! *sigh* I love the Marauders too. They'll return soon, maybe not in this story, but in the next one. :-) Your observation about "...The mirror pouted." is semi-correct. The mirror does NOT have a mouth, but I was implying 'pouting' in the tone of voice. No worries! Don't feel bad or worry about writing everything you think when you review! I enjoy reading it thoroughly, just to get an idea of what you're thinking, and how your deducting skills are. ;-) I certainly wouldn't want to use the mirror after learning how "great" Peter is. I wouldn't exactly SAY that Mr. Mirror. :-) AHA! You're right! When Bill returned to the Burrow in the VERY, very beginning, the Mirror is what he was referring to. Your anticipations about Martin.............are semi-correct, and you will find out why in the coming chapters.

"That character confuses me--one instance she threatens to destroy the mirror (though her eyes are the mirrored blue of the Mirror, so it might be some plan of the mirrors; *sigh* I don't know...), and then she stands *proudly* when the mirror tells of her deed."

There's an explanation there. The mirrored blue of Rhiannon's eyes is simply something that was added to the mirror during production. Rhiannon wanted to have an identifying feature about it, so she could be sure of it's identity. After all, there are quite a few magic mirrors in the world. Then when she stands "proudly", that's merely her way of defying the mirror, not skulking in a corner while it accused her. Thank you so much for all your praise! I hold it in the greatest esteem and am so pleased that you enjoy it as much as the books! Wow! I am so honored! I'm glad that your holidays were good and well-spent. Oohh! And extended breaks are always lovely, due to snow! Wow! I haven't seen snow in ages! I swear I will review your Tom Riddle chapter. I DID read it, just didn't get a chance to review. Thank you SO much! Your reviews always make my day! :-)

Okay guys, time for more HP stuff. As in the previous chapter, I'm gonna tell you a few tidbits about my story, and the other HP books. You might want to pay attention to some of these. I might just be putting these in for fun, but some of them might be giving you information about stuff that will happen later.

Here's some explanations for stuff in MY story:

The spell that Artemis refers to, "Laqueo Strangulo", means in basic English, to "choke in a noose." Yes, this is Latin. The counter-spell that Hermione uses, "Spiritus Lumen" means "breath or soul of light".

The Garrotters got their name from a Spanish word, "garrote", which was a former Spanish method of execution, by means of a cord or metal collar tightened on the neck by a screw-like device, any method of strangulation, basically. Eerie huh? Got any other questions about some stuff, you can ask me. I'll try to answer as best I can. :-)

Name Meanings and Origins:

Albus means white, as my dear friend Whether Rose so kindly pointed out! :-)

Dumbledore comes from an old English word for bumblebee.

Some of you may have noticed this, possibly, but Quidditch is actually put together by means of the numerous balls used in the game! Quaffle, bludger, bludger, and snitch. Very clever, very clever.

The Potters were named after one of J.K. Rowlings neighbors. I bet those people are thrilled. ;-)

Dursley is a town near J.K. Rowling's birthplace.

Firenze is the Italian name for the famous city of Florence.

Flitwick is a town in England.

Snape is the name of another English village.

Beauxbatons is French for "beautiful wands."

Fleur Delacour is French for "flower of the court."

Gilderoy Lockhart is an interesting, but explanatory name. Gilderoy refers to being gilded (covered in a thin gold foil) to make him seem intelligent and attractive. However, the last name fits his role as a writer of wizard lore. A man named J.G. Lockhart was the son-in-law and biographer of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish author whose skills earned him the nickname, "Wizard of the North.

Remus Lupin's name is pretty self-explanatory as well, if you know Latin and its history that is. *winks at Quiet One* Lupus is Latin for "wolf." The legendary founders of Rome, who as children were raised by a wolf, were named Romulus and Remus. (Soooo, does this mean if Remus has like, I dunno, a brother somewhere, Romulus would probably be his name? *winks*)

Parvati Patil has an interesting name. Parvati is a Hindu goddess.

Cool, yes? Now, here's some more stuff, just little tidbits. We'll get to stuff specifically about the books in a minute.

Did you guys know that Animagus, isn't exactly a new concept at all, but stories about wizards have contained them changing into animals for forever? Rowling came up with the name Animagus, but there are several legendary wizards who used the art of changing into animals, the most famous of all being Merlin. One of the first wizards to change into an animal, however (keep in mind, this is mythology *grins*) was Proteus, of Greek mythology. He was a servant to Poseidon, the god of the ocean. One of his special talents was the knowledge of the past, present and future. Unfortunately, this meant he was always being asked for predictions. So to hide himself, he would change into a variety of animals. Something that changes shape is still said to be "protean." Probably one of the greatest written accounts of this shift-shaping, is contained in the book, "The Sword in the Stone", by T.H. White. If you're gonna read it however, I'd suggest simply getting, "The Once and Future King", which contains, not only "The Sword and the Stone", but the entire story of King Arthur and Merlin. Seriously, it's a great passage to read. Seriously awesome. Would I lead you wrong? :-)

"Morsmorde" is the command that Barty Crouch uses that makes the Dark Mark appear in the sky. It means "take a bite out of death", in French, making a fitting call for Death Eaters.

The origin behind Lupin giving Harry and the others chocolate after escaping the Dementors was conceived by Rowling. Dementors "drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them," according to PoA. J.K. confirmed that Dementors represent the mental illenss known as depression. "That is exactly what they are. Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced. It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. That very deadened feeling, which is so very different from feeling sad. Sad hurts, but it's a healthy feeling. It's a necessary thing to feel. Depression is very different." So why chocolate? Medical studies have proved that chocolate can make the depressed feel better, and actually has some of the same effects as the medicine that doctors prescribe.

Okay, one more, then we'll get on to the stuff about the books.

No one knows where Durmstrang is located, right? But one can guess that it's hidden somewhere in northeastern Europe, judging from the uniforms--on top of robes of "deep bloodred," the students wear coats of "shaggy, matted fur"--and from the Russian names of Headmaster Igor Karkaroff and students such as Poliakoff. The school's name is a play on the German phrase Sturm and Drang ("storm and stress"). That term describes an important type of German literature in the 19th century devoted to grandeur, spectacle, and rebellion. We all know that Durmstrang is different from Hogwarts, in that while at Hogwarts, the students are taught only Defense Against the Dark Arts, Durmstrang students are taught the Dark Arts themselves, due to the influence of Karkaroff, a former Death Eater. It also refuses to accept "Mudbloods". This devotion to a nasty and highly questionable notion of purity befits the school's name. The writers of the Sturm and Drang movement, were favorites of the Nazi government in Germany just before and during the Second World War. The Nazis were obsessed with killing anyone who did not fit their definition of a pureblooded German. The differences between Hogwarts and Durmstrang also reflect long-standing animosity between countries of Western and Eastern Europe. Hogwarts under Dumbledore's leadership, is a good example of the democratic traditions of the West. Durmstrang is a more severe place, breeding wizards who can't be trusted---just as Eastern Europe has long been viewed by outsiders. However, by the end of Goblet, both sides recognize that ther animosity must be put aside to fight a foe who threatens them both.

The previous entry on the books was about the Order of the Phoenix. These stuff are CONFIRMED facts about the coming books. *rubs hands together* I can't wait!! :-).

There will be more deaths! *Ack! Not Sirius and no Weasleys! Please!!*

We will find out what James and Lily Potter did before they died. (Rowling has also said that James inherited a lot of money, so he didn't need a job that paid a lot of gold. Hmmm... Interesting.)

When asked if Sirius was ever going to be declared innocent, J.K. refused to answer the question saying that it would be a plot spoiler if she answered. *Most mysterious! I wonder, I wonder. *

There IS something going on between Hermione and Ron! (Ron just doesn't know it yet.) *BWAHAHAHAHA!!! I knew it! H/R shippers rejoice!*

"Key things happen in book two and no one knows how important those things are yet. *I wonder what these "key things" will be. They could be anything from the Ford Anglia running wild in the Forbidden Forest to Dobby being freed. Any ideas?*

We're going to find out why Harry has to return to the Dursleys' every Summer. *I've got a pretty good idea for this one. Probably because Dumbledore's got it covered with charms, spells, etc, and also with a guardian. MY suspicion is Arabella Figg. Always has been.*

There is more to the Sorting Hat than what meets the eye. *We gathered that somewhat from "Chamber of Secrets", but what else could it be hiding do you think?*

Voldemort's old ways are going to rise again. There will be muggle killings and stuff like there used to be when he was in power. *Hmmmm, who woulda thought? :-)*

Hermione will loosen up even more as time goes on. *Well, she did yell at that Skeeter cow, and she DID slap Malfoy across the face! That's an improvement! :-)*

Dumbledore's "look of triumph" in book IV is a very important clue for future books. What it means, nobody knows.

I really hope you guys enjoyed this. I enjoyed writing it and hearing your thoughts about it. I'll try to spread it out and do some for the last chapters, just to make things interesting. :-) Oh YEAH! I almost forgot! Recently, I wrote a Draco story, that I posted recently. I didn't post it at the usual time that I usually do, so it got kicked off the first hundred pages in a matter of hours, so you guys didn't get to see it. I really did want to hear what you think, so if you get the time, wanna check it out? It's called "Let Me Fall", but you can just get it from my Author page. Thanks for all the great reviews and thoughts you guys! You're all amazing!

T.H.