Chapter 4
"Whatsa matter, Dad?" Ron asked, immediately moving to Mr. Weasley's side.
"It's nothing, nothing," said Arthur distractedly. A loud thump was heard and the eldest Weasley looked, almost hungrily, at Molly Weasley exiting the fireplace.
"Sorry, sorry," she said bustling about with her bags, "I forgot-" she stopped dead in her tracks at the look on Arthur's face.
"How bad?" she asked turning as white as Mr. Weasley.
Arthur directed his eyes to the children.
"Let's talk alone," he said meaningfully.
"NO!" cried Ron. "We're all old enough now, we know it's something about You-Know-Who, and, seeing as he's out to get Harry, WE DESERVE TO KNOW!" shouted Ron angrily.
Ron had hit a last nerve with his father, and he suddenly cowered at the look on the older man's face.
"Alright then, you want to know, do you?" Arthur asked furiously, almost in revenge for Ron testing him. He continued, wiping sweat off his brow,
"There has been a slew of murders, we've yet to catch any of the Death Eaters who did it and one of the murders was that of your classmate Dean Thomas!"
"ARTHUR!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.
As if just realizing what he had done, Mr. Weasley put his head in his hands and cursed.
Harry felt like throwing up. First his godfather, now his friend. Standing near Ron, Hermione grabbed for his hand and he wrapped in arm around her instead, supporting her in a loving way.
Ginny sank slowly in a chair next to Harry in shock, mouth slightly open. Harry felt his stomach twisting oddly, he'd just remembered that Dean was Ginny's boyfriend. Harry bent down so that their heads were at the same level, and Ginny bent hers into Harry's shoulder and began to cry. Without thinking, Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's shoulders.
After Harry's shoulder was dripping with saltwater, Ginny broke the silence that had been present between she and Harry.
"I never told him that I love him."
Harry pulled Ginny out and held her firmly, his hands on her shoulders.
He was quiet as he gazed at her, and she spoke after a moment.
"I loved him."
Harry nodded, a lone, inexorable, unhidden tear dripping down his face: a tear for death, life, love, hate, Ginny, Dean. A tear for the magical world. His gaze never leaving Ginny's, he uttered two words.
"He knows."
Ginny looked down and twiddled her fingers. When her eyes met Harry's again, her tears had slowed, but still came in a continuous flow. It was a moment before any type of communication took place.
And then, as if in agreement, or maybe just acknowledgment, Ginny nodded.
The next few days before school began again were lived in terror. The world was locked in their houses, and the Weasleys had made an emergency early trip to Grimmauld Place.
Harry found himself once again in his godfather's depressing house, and it was hard to be anything but that: depressed.
Ginny sat in her room all day, staring at books but never reading a page. Harry, Ron and Hermione basically lied in bed all day- Hermione had moved a pillow and comforter into the boys' room to give Ginny 'alone time'. They studied together to pass the time, often quizzing one another. They only left their room for meals, and avoided the subject of Voldemort if they could.
One night, after a very fulfilling dinner of cheesy potato casserole, Harry finally brought up the avoided topic. They had to discuss it sometime, Harry reasoned.
"Hey guys," said Harry and they both turned to look at him.
"Why do you think Voldemort's such a terrible person?"
The question didn't seem to shock or upset Ron or Hermione, Harry was sure they had thought about it as well in the past few days.
"I honestly don't know," said Hermione slowly. "But when you're raised to hate. I guess hate ensues. I know what you mean though, what could make him hate so much?" Ron nodded.
"It's very cult-like, it's almost as if he's been brainwashed."
"It's not far from the truth," said Harry automatically.
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.
Harry realized what he'd accidentally brought about. The prophecy. He gave in to his huge mouth, and looked at the mirror on the wall behind Ron.
"The night after, well, you know," said Harry, fixing his gaze on Hermione, who nodded, "I went down to Dumbledore's office. And I know I've never told you before, but that night, he told me what the prophecy said."
Ron's eyes got bigger, but he stayed silent.
Harry took a deep breath, and exhale slowly.
"In. the end, one of us- Voldemort and me- has to kill the other," said Harry quietly. He looked back at the mirror.
"Kill or be killed, murder or be murdered. 'Neither can live while the other survives,'," quoted Harry.
The look on his best friends faces was enough for him to gage their reaction. Fear. That was as much as to be expected.
"Who made the prophecy?" asked Hermione, breaking the uncomfortable silence first.
"Believe it or not. Professor Trelawney."
Ron looked astounded, and Harry smiled slightly.
"But you know," said Harry softly, "I'm glad to know now. The prophecy, I mean. I don't know, but now I sort of know what I have to fear. And I can be ready for it."
Ron looked him in the eye.
"You're not alone," said Ron.
Hermione nodded.
"We'll always be here. Don't be nervous to ask us for help."
"Thanks." said Harry in a barely audible tone. "You think we'll get rid of him, don't you?"
A tear dripped down Hermione's face.
"There is no doubt in mind."
A/N: SAP SAP SAP Enough said
Thanks all for reading. Next chapter will be less sappy.
"Whatsa matter, Dad?" Ron asked, immediately moving to Mr. Weasley's side.
"It's nothing, nothing," said Arthur distractedly. A loud thump was heard and the eldest Weasley looked, almost hungrily, at Molly Weasley exiting the fireplace.
"Sorry, sorry," she said bustling about with her bags, "I forgot-" she stopped dead in her tracks at the look on Arthur's face.
"How bad?" she asked turning as white as Mr. Weasley.
Arthur directed his eyes to the children.
"Let's talk alone," he said meaningfully.
"NO!" cried Ron. "We're all old enough now, we know it's something about You-Know-Who, and, seeing as he's out to get Harry, WE DESERVE TO KNOW!" shouted Ron angrily.
Ron had hit a last nerve with his father, and he suddenly cowered at the look on the older man's face.
"Alright then, you want to know, do you?" Arthur asked furiously, almost in revenge for Ron testing him. He continued, wiping sweat off his brow,
"There has been a slew of murders, we've yet to catch any of the Death Eaters who did it and one of the murders was that of your classmate Dean Thomas!"
"ARTHUR!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.
As if just realizing what he had done, Mr. Weasley put his head in his hands and cursed.
Harry felt like throwing up. First his godfather, now his friend. Standing near Ron, Hermione grabbed for his hand and he wrapped in arm around her instead, supporting her in a loving way.
Ginny sank slowly in a chair next to Harry in shock, mouth slightly open. Harry felt his stomach twisting oddly, he'd just remembered that Dean was Ginny's boyfriend. Harry bent down so that their heads were at the same level, and Ginny bent hers into Harry's shoulder and began to cry. Without thinking, Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's shoulders.
After Harry's shoulder was dripping with saltwater, Ginny broke the silence that had been present between she and Harry.
"I never told him that I love him."
Harry pulled Ginny out and held her firmly, his hands on her shoulders.
He was quiet as he gazed at her, and she spoke after a moment.
"I loved him."
Harry nodded, a lone, inexorable, unhidden tear dripping down his face: a tear for death, life, love, hate, Ginny, Dean. A tear for the magical world. His gaze never leaving Ginny's, he uttered two words.
"He knows."
Ginny looked down and twiddled her fingers. When her eyes met Harry's again, her tears had slowed, but still came in a continuous flow. It was a moment before any type of communication took place.
And then, as if in agreement, or maybe just acknowledgment, Ginny nodded.
The next few days before school began again were lived in terror. The world was locked in their houses, and the Weasleys had made an emergency early trip to Grimmauld Place.
Harry found himself once again in his godfather's depressing house, and it was hard to be anything but that: depressed.
Ginny sat in her room all day, staring at books but never reading a page. Harry, Ron and Hermione basically lied in bed all day- Hermione had moved a pillow and comforter into the boys' room to give Ginny 'alone time'. They studied together to pass the time, often quizzing one another. They only left their room for meals, and avoided the subject of Voldemort if they could.
One night, after a very fulfilling dinner of cheesy potato casserole, Harry finally brought up the avoided topic. They had to discuss it sometime, Harry reasoned.
"Hey guys," said Harry and they both turned to look at him.
"Why do you think Voldemort's such a terrible person?"
The question didn't seem to shock or upset Ron or Hermione, Harry was sure they had thought about it as well in the past few days.
"I honestly don't know," said Hermione slowly. "But when you're raised to hate. I guess hate ensues. I know what you mean though, what could make him hate so much?" Ron nodded.
"It's very cult-like, it's almost as if he's been brainwashed."
"It's not far from the truth," said Harry automatically.
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.
Harry realized what he'd accidentally brought about. The prophecy. He gave in to his huge mouth, and looked at the mirror on the wall behind Ron.
"The night after, well, you know," said Harry, fixing his gaze on Hermione, who nodded, "I went down to Dumbledore's office. And I know I've never told you before, but that night, he told me what the prophecy said."
Ron's eyes got bigger, but he stayed silent.
Harry took a deep breath, and exhale slowly.
"In. the end, one of us- Voldemort and me- has to kill the other," said Harry quietly. He looked back at the mirror.
"Kill or be killed, murder or be murdered. 'Neither can live while the other survives,'," quoted Harry.
The look on his best friends faces was enough for him to gage their reaction. Fear. That was as much as to be expected.
"Who made the prophecy?" asked Hermione, breaking the uncomfortable silence first.
"Believe it or not. Professor Trelawney."
Ron looked astounded, and Harry smiled slightly.
"But you know," said Harry softly, "I'm glad to know now. The prophecy, I mean. I don't know, but now I sort of know what I have to fear. And I can be ready for it."
Ron looked him in the eye.
"You're not alone," said Ron.
Hermione nodded.
"We'll always be here. Don't be nervous to ask us for help."
"Thanks." said Harry in a barely audible tone. "You think we'll get rid of him, don't you?"
A tear dripped down Hermione's face.
"There is no doubt in mind."
A/N: SAP SAP SAP Enough said
Thanks all for reading. Next chapter will be less sappy.