(A/N: Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews, I'm terribly sorry
it's taken a while to update! I made this one nice and long for you all!
Yay for me! I know the story is very sad but I promise it has a happy
ending...try to be patient, I know its depressing! Anyway, I'm going to stop
talking, I know you all are eager to read. Enjoy!)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: TWISTED FATE
Hermione woke two days later in the hospital wing. Sitting up in bed she saw Ginny, Ron, and Neville sleeping soundly in the surrounding beds. Madam Pomfrey, at Dumbledore's instruction had administered a dreamless sleeping potion to the foursome and Hermione silently thanked him.
Hermione lay back down on her bed, thoughts ablaze. Memories of the war came flooding back to her, Luna...Harry...and Draco...Draco! Hermione looked around, but Draco was nowhere to be seen. He'd left her with Harry, which was last time she'd seen him.
Against Hermione will, memories of her last moments with Harry and Luna came to her, all in excruciating detail and pain.
Luna's surprisingly bold confidence in fighting. She was brave; she didn't fear anything, not even death or dying. Hermione thought. Luna's dying scream echoed in her mind and Hermione pulled the covers closer around her, suddenly wishing for company.
Harry, he had held her and promised her that nothing would happen. He promised that he'd always be there for her, to protect her. Well where was he now? He had promised that Ron and himself wouldn't ever let anything happen to her. Harry was dead, and Ron... well Ron...
The more Hermione thought about it, the more Ron seemed to be acting almost exactly like Harry had when Sirius had died. Harry was angry with Dumbledore, angry at the world, he would harp on Hermione or Ron just like Ron had on Hermione and he wouldn't accept it at first. If Ron was heading down the same path Harry went; Hermione winced. It had been months before Harry had even began to be himself again and those months had been some of the hardest Hermione had ever experienced. She shuddered at the thought of repeating them. Hermione spent a few more minutes thinking about Sirius and Harry when suddenly a thought occurred to her.
She threw off the blankets and stepped out of her bed onto the cold floor. Dressed in the hospital nightgown Hermione ran to Professor Dumbledore's office where she began violently knocking.
"Coming!" Dumbledore's voice said from behind the door. "Why Miss Granger, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting you to wake up for at least another day, and when you did, I'd expected you to avoid me!"
"Yes well," Hermione brushed it off with her hand. "I just had this idea. But we'd have to do it fast."
"Very well. Come on in."
Hermione didn't bother to sit down. "Professor, when Sirius died he went through that veil in the Department of Mysteries. If I'm not mistaken, its where spirits rest before they move on! Harry's spirit is there! We can bring him back!" Hermione's eyes were bright again with excitement, and they sparkled with happiness.
Dumbledore sighed, unsure what to do. He had not seen Hermione this happy since the war and to crush her last string of hope seemed cruel and evil. But she's not an eleven year old girl anymore, she's a sixteen year old woman...she's brave and loyal...a true Gryffindor. Dumbledore thought as cleared his throat to speak.
"I can't bring Harry back." Dumbledore said soundly
"Why not? It's all here, Professor. As long as we have his body we can receive his spirit from the veil and--" Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her.
"I can not bring Harry back." Dumbledore repeated, sadly shaking his head.
"No...yes you can" Hermione stood there, flustered. "Stop it! Harry's coming back. He'll be back in a few days. He'll be here in time for graduation!" Tears began to fill Hermione's eyes.
"I couldn't bring Harry back, even if I wanted to. Take a seat Miss Granger, there is much to discuss."
Feeling defeated, Hermione sat. Ron's voice seemed to be echoing in her mind: What could Dumbledore possible know that Hermione did not? Harry had told her everything...he was her best friend.
"I still believe it would be better to tell you this with the others for support" Dumbledore sighed.
Hermione said nothing, waiting for Dumbledore to begin.
"At the end of last year, shortly after Sirius had died in the department of mysteries, Harry--" Dumbledore's voice cracked at the sound of Harry's name "Harry and I had a little chat."
"About what Professor?" Hermione asked slightly agitated.
"That night, I told Harry the truth, I placed the largest burden of all on top of Harry's shoulders."
"And what was that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Do you know why Voldemort had tried to kill Harry since he was a child Miss Granger?"
"Well I-I've always assumed he wanted revenge"
"No, I'm afraid it's much more complicated than that. Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a child because of a prophecy made before his birth. The prophecy said that the 'one with the power to vanquish the dark lord' would be born at the end of July to parents 'who had thrice defied him.' It said that the 'dark lord will mark his as his equal', meaning of course Harry's scar, as it was the mark Voldemort gave Harry. But the next part, the end, was beyond doubt the hardest for either Harry or myself to stomach and will prove the most helpful to yourself." Dumbledore took a deep breath and spoke in higher tone, obviously mimicking someone's voice, though Hermione did not know whom. "'Either must die at the hand of another for neither can live while the other survives.'"
Hermione's eyes widened as the realization of the words sunk in.
"S-So either Harry or Voldemort had to kill one another...in the end?"
"Yes"
"So either Harry had to die, or be a murderer?"
"Yes"
"And Harry knew about this...and didn't tell us?" Hermione asked sadly
"I believe Harry did not want to alarm any of you...it was meant to happen Miss Granger...and he didn't want you all trying to stop fate."
"But it went wrong! Harry defeated Voldemort! That was it; it was completed! HARRY SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!"
"I agree with you Miss Granger. I can admit I was not expecting both Lord Voldemort and Harry to die, but it happened."
"NO IT SHOULDN'T HAVE! 'THAT ONE WAS TO KILL THE OTHER'...*THAT WAS FATE! AND HARRY DID THAT! HE BEAT VOLDEMORT! WHY DID HE DIE? THAT WASN'T IN THE PROPHECY! THAT WASN'T FATE!!!!!"
Dumbledore sighed deeply "I'm asking some of those very same questions too Miss Granger. But sometimes things happen that aren't fate."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked confused, slowly calming down but breathing heavily.
"Not everything in life is a prophecy Miss Granger. And even a prophecy isn't for certain, there are loopholes."
To Hermione's confused face, Dumbledore continued, "Just because some Seer sees into the future, doesn't mean that it will happen. We can alter prophecies slightly. We have control of our lives, and it's the choices we make that can twist fate."
"Sir...could...could Harry have twisted his fate?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Sometimes we get the unexpected when we expect something to happen. Fate can twist for us in a good way, as loopholes in awful prophecies, but fate can twist in another way...against us. Either way, good or bad, its fate and that was the point of explaining all this to you, Miss Granger. Maybe, some day you'll stop trying to figure out ways how you could have saved Harry, and accept his death as the hero's death it really was."
Hermione said nothing
"I think that is enough for today. Just think about what I said Miss Granger...about Harry and about fate."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(whew, long chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it!!!)
Usual Disclaimer
~*~*~*~*~*~*~* CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: TWISTED FATE
Hermione woke two days later in the hospital wing. Sitting up in bed she saw Ginny, Ron, and Neville sleeping soundly in the surrounding beds. Madam Pomfrey, at Dumbledore's instruction had administered a dreamless sleeping potion to the foursome and Hermione silently thanked him.
Hermione lay back down on her bed, thoughts ablaze. Memories of the war came flooding back to her, Luna...Harry...and Draco...Draco! Hermione looked around, but Draco was nowhere to be seen. He'd left her with Harry, which was last time she'd seen him.
Against Hermione will, memories of her last moments with Harry and Luna came to her, all in excruciating detail and pain.
Luna's surprisingly bold confidence in fighting. She was brave; she didn't fear anything, not even death or dying. Hermione thought. Luna's dying scream echoed in her mind and Hermione pulled the covers closer around her, suddenly wishing for company.
Harry, he had held her and promised her that nothing would happen. He promised that he'd always be there for her, to protect her. Well where was he now? He had promised that Ron and himself wouldn't ever let anything happen to her. Harry was dead, and Ron... well Ron...
The more Hermione thought about it, the more Ron seemed to be acting almost exactly like Harry had when Sirius had died. Harry was angry with Dumbledore, angry at the world, he would harp on Hermione or Ron just like Ron had on Hermione and he wouldn't accept it at first. If Ron was heading down the same path Harry went; Hermione winced. It had been months before Harry had even began to be himself again and those months had been some of the hardest Hermione had ever experienced. She shuddered at the thought of repeating them. Hermione spent a few more minutes thinking about Sirius and Harry when suddenly a thought occurred to her.
She threw off the blankets and stepped out of her bed onto the cold floor. Dressed in the hospital nightgown Hermione ran to Professor Dumbledore's office where she began violently knocking.
"Coming!" Dumbledore's voice said from behind the door. "Why Miss Granger, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting you to wake up for at least another day, and when you did, I'd expected you to avoid me!"
"Yes well," Hermione brushed it off with her hand. "I just had this idea. But we'd have to do it fast."
"Very well. Come on in."
Hermione didn't bother to sit down. "Professor, when Sirius died he went through that veil in the Department of Mysteries. If I'm not mistaken, its where spirits rest before they move on! Harry's spirit is there! We can bring him back!" Hermione's eyes were bright again with excitement, and they sparkled with happiness.
Dumbledore sighed, unsure what to do. He had not seen Hermione this happy since the war and to crush her last string of hope seemed cruel and evil. But she's not an eleven year old girl anymore, she's a sixteen year old woman...she's brave and loyal...a true Gryffindor. Dumbledore thought as cleared his throat to speak.
"I can't bring Harry back." Dumbledore said soundly
"Why not? It's all here, Professor. As long as we have his body we can receive his spirit from the veil and--" Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her.
"I can not bring Harry back." Dumbledore repeated, sadly shaking his head.
"No...yes you can" Hermione stood there, flustered. "Stop it! Harry's coming back. He'll be back in a few days. He'll be here in time for graduation!" Tears began to fill Hermione's eyes.
"I couldn't bring Harry back, even if I wanted to. Take a seat Miss Granger, there is much to discuss."
Feeling defeated, Hermione sat. Ron's voice seemed to be echoing in her mind: What could Dumbledore possible know that Hermione did not? Harry had told her everything...he was her best friend.
"I still believe it would be better to tell you this with the others for support" Dumbledore sighed.
Hermione said nothing, waiting for Dumbledore to begin.
"At the end of last year, shortly after Sirius had died in the department of mysteries, Harry--" Dumbledore's voice cracked at the sound of Harry's name "Harry and I had a little chat."
"About what Professor?" Hermione asked slightly agitated.
"That night, I told Harry the truth, I placed the largest burden of all on top of Harry's shoulders."
"And what was that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Do you know why Voldemort had tried to kill Harry since he was a child Miss Granger?"
"Well I-I've always assumed he wanted revenge"
"No, I'm afraid it's much more complicated than that. Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a child because of a prophecy made before his birth. The prophecy said that the 'one with the power to vanquish the dark lord' would be born at the end of July to parents 'who had thrice defied him.' It said that the 'dark lord will mark his as his equal', meaning of course Harry's scar, as it was the mark Voldemort gave Harry. But the next part, the end, was beyond doubt the hardest for either Harry or myself to stomach and will prove the most helpful to yourself." Dumbledore took a deep breath and spoke in higher tone, obviously mimicking someone's voice, though Hermione did not know whom. "'Either must die at the hand of another for neither can live while the other survives.'"
Hermione's eyes widened as the realization of the words sunk in.
"S-So either Harry or Voldemort had to kill one another...in the end?"
"Yes"
"So either Harry had to die, or be a murderer?"
"Yes"
"And Harry knew about this...and didn't tell us?" Hermione asked sadly
"I believe Harry did not want to alarm any of you...it was meant to happen Miss Granger...and he didn't want you all trying to stop fate."
"But it went wrong! Harry defeated Voldemort! That was it; it was completed! HARRY SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!"
"I agree with you Miss Granger. I can admit I was not expecting both Lord Voldemort and Harry to die, but it happened."
"NO IT SHOULDN'T HAVE! 'THAT ONE WAS TO KILL THE OTHER'...*THAT WAS FATE! AND HARRY DID THAT! HE BEAT VOLDEMORT! WHY DID HE DIE? THAT WASN'T IN THE PROPHECY! THAT WASN'T FATE!!!!!"
Dumbledore sighed deeply "I'm asking some of those very same questions too Miss Granger. But sometimes things happen that aren't fate."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked confused, slowly calming down but breathing heavily.
"Not everything in life is a prophecy Miss Granger. And even a prophecy isn't for certain, there are loopholes."
To Hermione's confused face, Dumbledore continued, "Just because some Seer sees into the future, doesn't mean that it will happen. We can alter prophecies slightly. We have control of our lives, and it's the choices we make that can twist fate."
"Sir...could...could Harry have twisted his fate?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Sometimes we get the unexpected when we expect something to happen. Fate can twist for us in a good way, as loopholes in awful prophecies, but fate can twist in another way...against us. Either way, good or bad, its fate and that was the point of explaining all this to you, Miss Granger. Maybe, some day you'll stop trying to figure out ways how you could have saved Harry, and accept his death as the hero's death it really was."
Hermione said nothing
"I think that is enough for today. Just think about what I said Miss Granger...about Harry and about fate."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(whew, long chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it!!!)