First I would like to apologize for the long time it took me to write this chapter. I hope that the following ones will not take me this long. I just got distracted and I didn't have a chance to sit down and write like I wanted to. Also there was the issue of the fifth book coming out before I had a chance to complete this story. I do not think that it changed too many things and disqualified my story completely however and few things may not fit well. I decided to continue my story as though the book still didn't come out.

Chapter 6: Mistrust

Harry's head was spinning. He still could not understand everything that happened just hours before. All he knew now was that he would have to face the Dark Lord in a battle that would determine everything. It was no surprise to him that there would be such a battle but now that he had agreed to it, he was beginning to feel afraid. It was one thing to know in theory that he would one day have to fight for his life and for the rest of the wizarding world but the snake's visit was a seal on his worries. He did not know what Voldemort was planning and his past experience with official duels was limited to that joke of a class in his second year. Even so, he doubted that Voldemort would follow the rules. He had not even set a time or place. Harry could almost picture Voldemort approaching him in the Great Hall with his laugh and saying, "Well Harry, you agreed to this, get your wand out." But Dumbledore would never let him near the grounds.

All these thoughts were spinning in Harry's head as he sat watching the fire in the Common Room late that night. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones who had not retired to their rooms after the evening's excitement. In fact most people seemed almost eager to leave and rather nervous. Harry felt that he should be used to people's nervous glances at him and how they would find excuses to leave him quickly if something seemed weird, but it still bothered him. He felt his anger rising again. It wasn't fair! He picked up the pillow next to him and threw it across the room as hard as he could.

"Well you knew that you would have to fight him." Hermione said a little haughtily. Ron glared at her. She glared back and added, "you're always feeling so sorry for yourself that you don't even notice the advantages."

"Great advantages." Harry muttered.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said in a too-friendly voice, "lets meet and try to kill each other someday somewhere and it will be full of advantages" Hermione turned bright red in anger.

"Fine! Be as grumpy as you want and don't listen. I bet you don't even know the rules!"

"Oh we know the rules!" Ron said raising his voice a little, "They try to kill each other, the last person alive wins."

"And where does this all happen, may I ask?"

"When ever that snake decides probably! He will find a way to lure Harry out of Hogwarts and attack!"

Hermione snorted. That was enough for Harry. Standing up and facing them he found himself yelling, "Why don't you both stop it! You're arguing about me as though I'm not here! As though I'm not a person. If you know something we don't than why don't you just spit it out instead of picking a fight!" Hermione, who would usually have been taken aback from such an attack by Harry, just crossed her arms and stared angrily at Harry.

"Fine. The rules state that the person who is challenged to the duel chooses the time and place," she said stiffly and then added to Ron, "That's Harry"

"I know who was challenged!" Ron snapped.

Harry sat down slowly, the thought sinking in. He had to choose a time and place to meet and try to kill the strongest dark wizard the world had ever known. He could feel his head spinning even more. It was up to him to choose the time that he believed he would die. Above the buzzing in his ears he could just barely hear Hermione continue as though Ron had not responded, "He also chooses the main weapon but this is a wizarding duel so that's already decided. He can bring another weapon and someone to stand in if he's hurt…" but Harry could not pay attention. Her words seemed to drift over him. The room seemed to dim as the snake's words kept repeating in him ears. "My master said that he will meet you to show all how weak the Boy Who Lived really is… how weak the Boy Who Lived really is… how weak… how weak..."

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw a small figure climb in through the pink lady's portrait. It was the only thing that he could see in the blur of the room, and her image seemed to penetrate through the echoing words and dimness of the surroundings. He watched her red hair as she crossed the room oblivious to her surroundings. She seemed in deep thought, with a frown was on her face--something was troubling her.

Harry was not the only one to notice Ginny as she came into the room on her way from the infirmary. Ron leapt to his feet, and, cutting Hermione off in mid sentence he demanded to know what was bothering her.

Ginny jumped. She was too absorbed in Medea's words and their implication to notice the trio. Now that she looked at Ron she could really understand his concern. She could see Harry's agitated and almost feel Hermione's anger. She did not want to deal with them. She was too shaken and she needed time to herself. She could not tell Ron what Medea had told her so she answered as casually as she could. "Nothing's bothering me. Everything's fine I was just a little scared earlier."

Ron watched he closely. He did not fully believe her but she knew he would not question her anymore, at least not at the moment. Hermione was a different story.

"You don't look as though nothing's bothering you. Where were you?"

"You're not my mother Hermione. I was thanking Medea –"

"I knew it! What did she tell you? She's up to no good!"

"She's the princess." Ron added softly.

"Which is the perfect excuse for her to cause trouble while everybody thinks she's no danger at all. Just look at when she arrived!"

"I'm going to bed," Harry cut in. He did not want anything new to think about. He liked Medea; she saved Ginny's life when he did not think he could have. He could also see a thin line of pink on the treetops of the Forbidden Forest; he'd been up all night. He turned and left the room before anybody could say anything to him. The last thing he heard before he reached his room was Ginny's soft voice saying "Good night Harry, sweet dreams."