DISCLAIMER: don't own Harry potter!!!!!!!
Thanks for reviews!!
Chapter 12
The weeks slipped by at Hogwarts. Harry became stronger and stronger. He was able to control his power and even the strongest curses came naturally to him.
It was now the day that Harry would finally be able to return to his dorms. He had gotten up at 8 am in order to be tested by Dumbledore and to plan for his assault against Voldemort.
He stood in front of the stone gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office, waiting for Dumbledore to come out. Butterflies flapped around in his stomach, as he waited. It could be a matter of days until he would risk everything in his attempt to destroy Voldemort.
"Harry."
Harry jumped; he had been so lost in thought that the office door opening caught him completely by surprise.
"ready to go?"
"yes. Where is the test taking place."
"There's a charming little room that I think will be just what we need. I daresay you've heard of the room or requirement?"
"rumours."
"Right, well, follow me." Dumbledore said, and after an encouraging smile in Harry's direction, the two of them set off towards this room.
Harry had gotten to know Dumbledore a lot better since his training began, and his previous animosity towards the man had completely disappeared. He cared about Harry, that much was obvious, but the burden he bore made difficult decisions commonplace for the man - including sending people off on 'missions', that he knew full well they may not return from.
Dumbledore led Harry into the room, it was a large open space, like a forest clearing. Trees lined the room.
"Just stand here Harry. Be on your guard. The test will begin shortly."
Harry moved to the centre of the 'clearing' and stood, tense, branching out his mind to sense any creatures that might be in the area. He watched as Dumbledore moved to sit on a pleasant garden bench that appeared out of nowhere, and pulled out a bag of sherbet lemons.
Harry stood, feeling slightly foolish, for about two minutes, and then behind him a twig snapped.
He spun around, finding himself face to face with a tall imposing figure in dark robes with a mask covering his face. Harry pulled a shield around himself as the deatheater tried to disarm him.
The spell bounced harmlessly off.
"Crucio!" the deatheater bellowed and kept the curse heading to the shield.
Harry felt a wave of energy trying to break it down, and merely directed more of the power into maintaining it.
The deatheater, stopped the spell, looking very slightly drained.
Harry cast a stunning spell in his direction, palm pointing towards his foe. The deatheater blocked and returned it. Harry continued to send curses, barely pausing to think between each.
As the deatheater fell, Harry heard a quiet whispering of a spell to his right. He spun around. Voldemort stood there. Out of the ground came two vampires.
Harry began to fight, puching and kicking, while at the same time avoiding spells. Grabbing a branch from a tree, he rammed it into the chest of the smallest vampire.
The other jumped Harry from behind. He flipped it over onto the floor and picked up the branch again. out of the corner of his eye he saw another spell coming his way. Burning red fire. He grabbed the vile creature he had been about to stake and used it as a shield. It ignited and staggered around screaming.
Harry turned his hand towards the face he hated so very much, to land the killing blow, when the scene faded around them. Harry was standing in a large comfortable room with plush furniture.
Harry tensed. Was this a part of the test? He felt a hand on his right arm, pulling it down.
"the tests over Harry."
Dumbledore, was standing beside him, a sad smile on his face.
"I nearly had him."
"I know. but the killing blow is meant for the real Voldemort. Not an illusion."
"So. I'm ready?"
"Yes. I'll go and speak to the others about a plan of attack. It will all be over in a couple of days."
Harry looked down, taking a deep breath.
"I have faith in you Harry." Harry smiled slightly.
"I want you to keep your energy levels up, relax and get lots of sleep, understood?"
"yeah."
"In the mean time, here, take this."
Harry held out his hand, Dumbledore tipped some floo powder in it.
"Go and visit Ginny."
Harry stepped up to a fire place that magically appeared.
"Saint Mungo's!" He cried.
He fell out of the fireplace in the main reception and went up to the 'spell damage' ward.
As he reached the door, his hands began to shake slightly. He had not seen his girlfriend since his before the attack..
A kind faced healer came up to him.
"Who are you here to see dearie?"
"Ginny Weasley." Harry replied, feeling strangely guilty for not having any flowers to give her.
The nurse pointed him to one of the beds near the door, opposite none other than Gilderoy Lockheart.
Harry, tore his eyes from the man, who was furiously scribbling on what looked like a huge stack of photos, and towards Ginny.
He stepped up to the side of the bed edgily, and sat on one of the chairs.
From a distance one could say that Ginny simply looked like she was asleep. On closer inspection she looked almost dead. Her skin was pale and her lips had a bluish tinge to them. Her breathing, though steady and even, was shallow.
A variety of potions was lined up on the bedside cabernet, inter dispersed with cards and gifts. Harry noted the photo frame that he had bought her for Christmas with a photo of the two of them waving merrily in front of the Weasley Christmas tree.
He held her hand. It was freezing. He blew on it and rubbed it in order to keep it warm.
He had all of this power now! Why couldn't he just say a spell and watch her eyes flutter open. He now had some idea of how Ginny must have felt, to watch him laying unconscious for three weeks after he escaped from Voldemort last year.
He felt tears course down his face.
The healer approached and drew some blood from Ginny's arm.
"What's that for?" Harry asked
"we are trying to determine how the curse works. Once we know that, the chances of reversing it increase dramatically."
"Is she still stable?" Harry asked
The Healer sat down on another chair, looking down "yes. But, that may not last for much longer."
Harry choked back more tears, as the healer left. The door to the ward swung open and Arthur walked in.
"Harry. Dumbledore wants me to send you back now."
Arthur looked down at his only daughter "she'll get better Harry. She has to."
Harry stood up and kissed Ginny gently on the forehead, before standing up. Arthur wrapped his arms around him.
"We all love you, especially Ginny. And when she wakes up, I don't want to have to tell her that you've died. Kill him Harry, then come back to us, you understand?"
"I'll try my best."
"that's all we can ask."
Harry stepped into the fireplace and returned to the school. He skipped the final lesson of the day and sloped up to the dorm where all of his things now resided. Closing the curtains around his bed he pulled up the covers and lay in bed, thinking.
Ron entered two hours later and poked his head around the curtains. "Coming to dinner?"
"no."
Ron sighed theatrically and gestured to someone over his shoulder.
Hermione sidled up and plonked a plate of pie and chips on the bed. She and Ron then sat down on the bed, looking at Harry carefully.
"She looks awful doesn't she?" Ron asked at length
"she's so cold."
He grabbed a chip from Harry's plate and said again "I'm sorry for my reaction to what happened. I think I was in shock or something."
"That's ok." Harry said, patting his friend on the shoulder
After a long silence during which Harry ate his dinner, Hermione pulled out a pack of cards and they began to play as the sky darkened outside.
Thanks for reviews!!
Chapter 12
The weeks slipped by at Hogwarts. Harry became stronger and stronger. He was able to control his power and even the strongest curses came naturally to him.
It was now the day that Harry would finally be able to return to his dorms. He had gotten up at 8 am in order to be tested by Dumbledore and to plan for his assault against Voldemort.
He stood in front of the stone gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office, waiting for Dumbledore to come out. Butterflies flapped around in his stomach, as he waited. It could be a matter of days until he would risk everything in his attempt to destroy Voldemort.
"Harry."
Harry jumped; he had been so lost in thought that the office door opening caught him completely by surprise.
"ready to go?"
"yes. Where is the test taking place."
"There's a charming little room that I think will be just what we need. I daresay you've heard of the room or requirement?"
"rumours."
"Right, well, follow me." Dumbledore said, and after an encouraging smile in Harry's direction, the two of them set off towards this room.
Harry had gotten to know Dumbledore a lot better since his training began, and his previous animosity towards the man had completely disappeared. He cared about Harry, that much was obvious, but the burden he bore made difficult decisions commonplace for the man - including sending people off on 'missions', that he knew full well they may not return from.
Dumbledore led Harry into the room, it was a large open space, like a forest clearing. Trees lined the room.
"Just stand here Harry. Be on your guard. The test will begin shortly."
Harry moved to the centre of the 'clearing' and stood, tense, branching out his mind to sense any creatures that might be in the area. He watched as Dumbledore moved to sit on a pleasant garden bench that appeared out of nowhere, and pulled out a bag of sherbet lemons.
Harry stood, feeling slightly foolish, for about two minutes, and then behind him a twig snapped.
He spun around, finding himself face to face with a tall imposing figure in dark robes with a mask covering his face. Harry pulled a shield around himself as the deatheater tried to disarm him.
The spell bounced harmlessly off.
"Crucio!" the deatheater bellowed and kept the curse heading to the shield.
Harry felt a wave of energy trying to break it down, and merely directed more of the power into maintaining it.
The deatheater, stopped the spell, looking very slightly drained.
Harry cast a stunning spell in his direction, palm pointing towards his foe. The deatheater blocked and returned it. Harry continued to send curses, barely pausing to think between each.
As the deatheater fell, Harry heard a quiet whispering of a spell to his right. He spun around. Voldemort stood there. Out of the ground came two vampires.
Harry began to fight, puching and kicking, while at the same time avoiding spells. Grabbing a branch from a tree, he rammed it into the chest of the smallest vampire.
The other jumped Harry from behind. He flipped it over onto the floor and picked up the branch again. out of the corner of his eye he saw another spell coming his way. Burning red fire. He grabbed the vile creature he had been about to stake and used it as a shield. It ignited and staggered around screaming.
Harry turned his hand towards the face he hated so very much, to land the killing blow, when the scene faded around them. Harry was standing in a large comfortable room with plush furniture.
Harry tensed. Was this a part of the test? He felt a hand on his right arm, pulling it down.
"the tests over Harry."
Dumbledore, was standing beside him, a sad smile on his face.
"I nearly had him."
"I know. but the killing blow is meant for the real Voldemort. Not an illusion."
"So. I'm ready?"
"Yes. I'll go and speak to the others about a plan of attack. It will all be over in a couple of days."
Harry looked down, taking a deep breath.
"I have faith in you Harry." Harry smiled slightly.
"I want you to keep your energy levels up, relax and get lots of sleep, understood?"
"yeah."
"In the mean time, here, take this."
Harry held out his hand, Dumbledore tipped some floo powder in it.
"Go and visit Ginny."
Harry stepped up to a fire place that magically appeared.
"Saint Mungo's!" He cried.
He fell out of the fireplace in the main reception and went up to the 'spell damage' ward.
As he reached the door, his hands began to shake slightly. He had not seen his girlfriend since his before the attack..
A kind faced healer came up to him.
"Who are you here to see dearie?"
"Ginny Weasley." Harry replied, feeling strangely guilty for not having any flowers to give her.
The nurse pointed him to one of the beds near the door, opposite none other than Gilderoy Lockheart.
Harry, tore his eyes from the man, who was furiously scribbling on what looked like a huge stack of photos, and towards Ginny.
He stepped up to the side of the bed edgily, and sat on one of the chairs.
From a distance one could say that Ginny simply looked like she was asleep. On closer inspection she looked almost dead. Her skin was pale and her lips had a bluish tinge to them. Her breathing, though steady and even, was shallow.
A variety of potions was lined up on the bedside cabernet, inter dispersed with cards and gifts. Harry noted the photo frame that he had bought her for Christmas with a photo of the two of them waving merrily in front of the Weasley Christmas tree.
He held her hand. It was freezing. He blew on it and rubbed it in order to keep it warm.
He had all of this power now! Why couldn't he just say a spell and watch her eyes flutter open. He now had some idea of how Ginny must have felt, to watch him laying unconscious for three weeks after he escaped from Voldemort last year.
He felt tears course down his face.
The healer approached and drew some blood from Ginny's arm.
"What's that for?" Harry asked
"we are trying to determine how the curse works. Once we know that, the chances of reversing it increase dramatically."
"Is she still stable?" Harry asked
The Healer sat down on another chair, looking down "yes. But, that may not last for much longer."
Harry choked back more tears, as the healer left. The door to the ward swung open and Arthur walked in.
"Harry. Dumbledore wants me to send you back now."
Arthur looked down at his only daughter "she'll get better Harry. She has to."
Harry stood up and kissed Ginny gently on the forehead, before standing up. Arthur wrapped his arms around him.
"We all love you, especially Ginny. And when she wakes up, I don't want to have to tell her that you've died. Kill him Harry, then come back to us, you understand?"
"I'll try my best."
"that's all we can ask."
Harry stepped into the fireplace and returned to the school. He skipped the final lesson of the day and sloped up to the dorm where all of his things now resided. Closing the curtains around his bed he pulled up the covers and lay in bed, thinking.
Ron entered two hours later and poked his head around the curtains. "Coming to dinner?"
"no."
Ron sighed theatrically and gestured to someone over his shoulder.
Hermione sidled up and plonked a plate of pie and chips on the bed. She and Ron then sat down on the bed, looking at Harry carefully.
"She looks awful doesn't she?" Ron asked at length
"she's so cold."
He grabbed a chip from Harry's plate and said again "I'm sorry for my reaction to what happened. I think I was in shock or something."
"That's ok." Harry said, patting his friend on the shoulder
After a long silence during which Harry ate his dinner, Hermione pulled out a pack of cards and they began to play as the sky darkened outside.