Disclaimer: Many of the characters, thoughts and ideas that are in this fan fiction are not of my own design. Though this story is from my imagination, I realize that this is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. This is not J. K. Rowling's work. I also read many FFs and if you see something similar to another work it is entirely unintentional. I have posted this on harrypotter.com as well….
Becky (rebcschult and PrincessOfCliffiesRCS)
P.S. Please read and review!
In General – I apologize that I have not uploaded a new chapter for about five days… I lost power and have been ill for the past few days… I am a bit better now… That is why I am here to give you more… I also wanted you to know that I live in the Northeastern US, which is currently getting slammed with a blizzard! So if I do not post again for a while… it is because I have lost power! Again sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter for you!
Butler – Thank you for your wonderful comments!!! L I'm so sorry that the game was confusing! I tried really hard to follow the pattern that JKR does with her games… Oh well… I tried! I guess that's the most important thing right? Hehehe!! I know what you mean about Sirus teasing him… but Sirius has more pressing matters on his mind at the moment!!! ;-D J
Texasjeanette – WELCOME!! And thank you so much for your wonderful comments and compliments! I'm very glad that you like how I killed but didn't kill Harry! lol!! Well… here is the next chapter! Enjoy! :-D J
Overlord Mordax – WELCOME! Thank you so much for you comments and compliments!! I'm sorry that you have had to wait for so long for this chapter!! I hope to not disappoint you! I will upload again as soon as I can! :-D J
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – A VISIT TO HAGRID'S
In the face of the victory against the contemptible tricks of the Slytherin Quidditch team, Harry found that his mind had left behind his last vision, though his dreams had intensified. There were far to many times to count that Harry had narrowly escaped detection by Voldemort. Aside from the dreams, though, life seemed to become a lot easier for Harry.
Outside of potions the week following the game, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had cornered Harry and had said, "You may have won that round, Potter, but don't forget that you are most hated in this class. And because I got another month of detentions added to my punishment, I'm going to make sure that I make your life miserable in the one place that I know that I can."
Harry had glared at Malfoy, but had said nothing, knowing that Malfoy was right. Ron and Hermione, just arriving and seeing what was going on, had come to Harry's side. The six of them had stood there throwing looks of pure venom at each other, for a few seconds before Malfoy had spoken again in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "So, you need you're 'ikle cronies to help you out of this jam? Especiawy, da wittew Muddy Orphan, who can wite me up fow being bad? Ooo, I'm so scared…."
"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron had said, his face growing red as his hair as his anger grew.
"I wasn't talking to you, Weasel. So shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you." Malfoy had then pulled out his wand and had aimed it at Ron's chest
Harry had heard and seen enough. He was about to pull out his wand too, when a commanding voice came from behind him. "Mr. Malfoy, if you do not replace you wand into your cloak where it belongs, there will be another month added to your detention sentence, do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly."
"And who might I ask are you?" asked Millicent Bulstrode, bluntly and rudely.
"I am Professor Fletcher and I am going to be your potions professor, while Professor Snape takes his brief sabbatical. That also means that I will be the temporary head of Slytherin, and I expect each and every one of you, Slytherins, to conduct yourselves with the utmost respectability and responsibility while I am your Head of House. I will not except any of the namby-pamby bickering that you usually do with the Gryffindors. It is childish and immature and I do not except that behavior from anyone." Professor Fletcher's eyes had traveled about the group, but had landed and held Malfoy's gaze, evenly for several seconds.
Malfoy's jaw had dropped open.
Harry couldn't believe his luck. He had thought that he might actually be able to look forward to potions under Professor Fletcher's rule.
"Now, let's move into the classroom…. Shall we?"
Harry had been right too. Professor Fletcher did not allow any of the Slytherins get away with anything. Neville almost excelled more than ever in potions, since he did not feel the pressure of Snape looking over his shoulder waiting for him to screw up.
Blaise Zabini, so frustrated that her own potion was not coming out as well as it usually, because she got a lot of help from Snape, had actually stooped so low as to grab a whole chicken liver and throw it in Neville's cauldron, when Neville's back was turned. Neville had panicked. And even though Professor Fletcher had not witnessed it happening, he had known exactly what had happened and said, without looking up, "Miss Zabini, that is a detention and 100 points from Slytherin for deliberately trying to sabotage another student's potion."
Outraged the other Slytherins had protested.
"That'll be another 50 points for questioning me and my decision to punish someone. Will there be any more protests or shall I continue with class? Now, Miss Zabini, would you please approach?"
Cautiously she approached and shortly thereafter, she went back to her desk with Professor Fletcher, who shook his head in disbelief at the lack of knowledge she seemed to have in the subject.
It had possibly been the best Potions class that any of the Gryffindors could remember.
Even Divination got better for Harry. Even with his pin and ring on, he had not felt any more visions coming on, much to Professor Trelawney's distress.
"How am I ever going to help train you with your visions as an Oracle if you do not allow yourself to have another vision in my presence?" she had spouted exasperatedly one morning.
Harry had just shrugged, but Ron had whispered to him, as she has glided away, "Yeah, right. What does she need to train you in? How you're eyes and scar glow? Or how to speak a prediction? No, wait I've got it now, she wants to train you to be as nutters as she is, wearing outsized specs and continually predicting one person's death until they croak from the sheer boredom with hearing it, so she doesn't feel alone in this world."
Harry had snorted and tried really hard not to laugh.
All of the other classes, while they were piling on the work to get them prepared for the O.W.L.s at the end of the year, seemed to be going very well too. Even though this made Harry happy, it also gave him a somewhat ominous feeling about what troubles lay ahead, especially with the dreams that were haunting him every night. Harry felt very much like this was the calm before the storm.
At the start of December, Harry finally found a few moments to go down and visit Hagrid at his little hut on the edge of the Dark Forest. Harry would have asked Hermione and Ron to go with him, but they seemed very much wrapped up in each other, again, and Harry didn't want to get in the middle of that. So one quiet Saturday he wrapped himself in his cloak and trudged through the newly fallen snow to Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid swung open the door when he knocked. "Harry! Been wondrin' when yed fin' time to come an' visi' yer old frien'. Come in, I jus' pu' on a po' o' tea."
Harry went in and got settled in one of the huge chairs by the table. Hagrid soon brought over the steaming pot and poured out a large mug of tea for the both of them. "So wha' brings yeh down here withou' Hermione an' Ron? I woulda expected yeh all ter come."
"Well, they are a little wrapped up in something right now." Harry lowered his eyes to the floor.
Hagrid was trying to search Harry for clues as to what would be so important that Ron and Hermione couldn't spend time with their friend. Then the truth of the matter struck him. "Oh…. Well, dat's a shame, dem bein' all wrapped up in demselves an' no' noticin' you were hurtin'."
"That's okay Hagrid… really…. I've already worked through that. I was upset at first, but I think I understand now why they feel the way they do…"
"Oh? Yeh go' anyone yeh're lookin' at den?"
"Yes," said Harry quietly.
Hagrid patted him on the back. "Dat's great, Harry! Who?"
"Actually, it's someone that I can't be with right now…"
"Why?"
Not really wanting to get into the discussion about his love life with the gentle half-giant, Harry just said simply, "Because the time is not right."
Hagrid once again looked at the young man that sat in front of him. He realized that this boy who had been so much, had only begun his hardship. Knowing on some level what every other teacher in the school knew was about to happen to him, Hagrid realized why Harry needed to be isolated at this moment in his life. Hagrid feared what it meant for Harry, though.
Changing the focus from him, Harry asked, "Speaking of love lives…. How are you and Madam Maxime doing?"
Hagrid blushed and a smile grew behind the bushy black beard. "Dunno what yeh're talkin' abou'," said Hagrid airily.
"Well, you must miss her…"
"Yeah, I do. Bu' Olympe's go' her things ter do an' I go' mine. We're hopin' ter get together over da holidays comin' up. We got some things ter discuss."
Harry caught on to the dual meaning of that phrase from the fleeting projected thoughts from Hagrid's mind. "Well, I hope that if there's ever a handfasting ceremony that I'll be invited." Harry chuckled internally at the look of surprise that had passed over Hagrid's face that was quickly replaced with horror, when he realized that Harry must have been able to read his thoughts. Hagrid quickly guarded any important information, pertaining to his assignment he had to do over the summer, not wishing to give away anything.
Harry felt the guard as Hagrid put it up in his mind. "I didn't pry Hagrid, and I won't do that," said Harry looking away. He felt Hagrid relax.
"Yeh're becomin' more like yer father everyday, Harry. He'd be righ' proud o' yeh, he would. I know I am." Hagrid gave Harry a huge smile as Harry looked back at him.
Harry smiled back at Hagrid just as there was a knock on the door.
"Now who could dat be?" asked Hagrid as he got to his feet and walked to the door….
When he opened the door a familiar voice drifted in. "Hagrid, is Harry here?"
"Yeah. Come in, come in."
In walked Hermione and Ron. "Harry, why didn't you tell us you were coming down here? We would have come with you…," said Hermione slightly exasperated. Ron was nodding his head emphatically.
"I didn't want to disturb you…. You haven't had much time alone lately, with Quidditch and everything…. I knew that you were spending time together. I just needed to get out of the castle, and I hadn't had time to visit Hagrid. I was missing him, so I guess it only seemed logical to me to come here alone."
"Well, you shouldn't have felt that way…." Hermione wore a strange expression that was a cross between anger and worry for Harry. Harry could read her thoughts without even trying anymore. He knew that she again feared that he would have a relapse, where he was upset about them being together.
"Hermione, I will not have another episode like I did before. I'm not upset… I was just giving you the space that you needed. I was just telling Hagrid a few minutes ago that I understand where you're coming from. Besides… it was getting awfully sickening to watch you two all over each other…." Harry smirked, trying to break the mood. And for the time being it worked.
For some time they laughed and chatted together, as if it were old times, where nothing had changed between them. But that time was short lived and the conversation ended abruptly when a loud roar came from the paddock behind Hagrid's hut.
They all ran to the back door of Hagrid's hut. Hagrid flung open the huge door as if it were nothing more than a mere stick that he had tossed aside. Norbert was standing with his back toward the corner of the paddock closest to the hut. He appeared ready to strike at something.
"Hagrid, I thought we were done with dragons, because Charlie was going to come and get Norbert last week. That is why you cancelled the rest of the classes for this semester, figuring between Norbert leaving and the weather that we wouldn't have class anyway!"
"Charlie said dat he'd never seen Norbert happier…. He said dat I could keep him fer the rest o' da year, s'matter o' fact." Hagrid looked over his massive shoulder at Harry. Harry instantly knew that he had helped that happen for Hagrid. Hagrid smiled broadly beneath his beard at Harry. Harry smiled back.
They all gathered around the door trying to see what was going on.
"Now, I won'er wha's go' 'im so spooked." Again he looked at Harry.
Harry knew instantly what Hagrid wished for him to do. He wrapped his cloak around him and went out into the garden, toward the paddock.
"What is it Norbert?" asked Harry in Parseltongue.
"There's-s-s-s s-s-s-something s-s-s-sinis-s-s-ster here. It jus-s-s-st pas-s-s-s-ssed into the fores-s-s-st."
"I don't understand, Norbert. You're not making much sense. What was here and went into the forest?"
"I don't really know what it was-s-s-s. But whatever it was-s-s-s, it was-s-s-s evil, very evil. I've f-f-f-felt it bef-f-f-fore."
"Before?"
"Yes-s-s-s-s. At leas-s-s-st two other times-s-s-s-s s-s-s-sinc-c-c-ce I have been here."
"Are you afraid of it?"
"I f-f-f-fear it, only when my back is-s-s-s-s turned to it. For it knows-s-s-s my weakness-s-s-s-s."
"Is there anything I – we can do about it?"
"Not now…. You are not ready, Harry Potter…. But when you are I will be by your s-s-s-side. Go, now bef-f-f-fore it comes-s-s-s back."
Harry ran back to the hut and explained what Norbert had told him. Hagrid said, "Okay, time's up…. You three had bes' be gettin' back to the castle. But you ain' goin' by yerselves. I'ma takin' yeh. Le's go."
They collected their things and trudged through the snow back toward the castle. Not realizing that a pair of sinister eyes were watching the four of them making their way through the snow from behind the tree line. A deep cackle was emerging from whomever belonged to the eyes, as they watched the next victim, of the Master's plan, head back to the school….
As they walked back to the school Harry felt a chill run up his spine. He knew that the evil presence in the forest was watching them, he could feel it. As they got up to the school entrance, Harry looked back toward the forest and doubled over in pain and collapsed to the ground. The pain was almost as intense as it had been back during the summer when he had felt watched, before he had gotten his pin. Hagrid picked Harry up and carried him into the school. Harry felt his consciousness slipping away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When he opened his eyes he was in a small dark box. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He tried to blink to see anything, but nothing was visible. He pushed hard to try to get out. He was suddenly outside the box and trying to focus on his surroundings, realizing that his glasses were not on his face. He recognized that it was still really dark so he kept moving until he broke through to the bright light. He looked around and was surprised to see where he was.
He was in the middle of a graveyard, the graveyard that he had been in not even a year ago, in fact. It was the graveyard where Voldemort's return had all taken place. He turned around and looked at the familiar headstone, the one that he had been bound to when Wormtail had taken his blood. He saw the name 'Tom Riddle" written on the headstone. But as he hovered there he wondered why he was even there.
Shortly thereafter, he watched as a figure in a cloak came to gravesite and jump on the freshly dug dirt. The same cackle that Harry had heard in the back of his mind, when he had been walking back toward the school, emitted from the figure jumping on the gravesite. Still cackling, the figure stopped jumping. The figure lifted his cloaked head and yelled into the air, "Just you try to get out of this situation, Potter. You don't have the strength. You will not beat the Dark Lord. Just you try and stop him now…. Now that his master plan is in motion." He began to cackle again.
He took out a wand from his cloak and aimed it at the gravestone. Harry's scar started to burn again. The cloaked figure kicked some dirt on the gravestone, as he muttered an incantation and the name and the years on it changed to….
"Noooo!" yelled Harry as he sat bolt upright in bed. He put his head down on his knees for a few moments to collect his thoughts on the vision he had just had. When at last his breathing had slowed and the internal shaking of his body had slowed down, he lifted his head and looked around him. He realized even without his glasses on that he was once again in the Hospital wing. He put on his glasses and saw the worried faces of his two best friends, Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey, and Professor Dumbledore.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" asked Harry nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just yelled out or took a few moments to calm down.
"Harry, I think that you and I need to have a long chat, but not right now. Right now you need some rest. I believe that I am right in assuming that you have not slept well lately," said Dumbledore.
Harry nodded.
"I need to know exactly what happened today when you visited Hagrid's hut, Harry. Then once you have told me what had happened, you will take some Dreamless Sleep Potion."
Harry looked into the face of his headmaster, sighed, and told Dumbledore everything that he could remember, right up until he had looked out to the forest and doubled over in pain.
"And what happened when you got to the school, when you collapsed?" asked the Headmaster reading Harry's thoughts.
Harry looked right at the Headmaster and projected the images he had seen directly at him, and him only, not wanting the others to worry about what could happen, in the near future.
Dumbledore paled considerably and lost the twinkle in his eyes as Harry continued through the whole of his vision. "I see…. Well, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. For right now however, Harry, it is time that you get some good quality sleep. Poppy if you would please give Harry a double dose of the Dreamless Sleep Potion. I fear that one dose will not be enough for him tonight."
Madam Pomfrey left the side of Harry's bed briefly and was back before he really had realized that she was gone. She handed him a goblet with a deep purple fluid in it, deeper than it had been the last time that he had been given it at the end of the last school year. Before he drank it down though he turned to his friends.
"Watch out for each other, while I'm sleeping… please," he said cryptically with an imploring look that none of them could read the thoughts behind. He drank down the thick fluid with just a few gulps and lay back on his pillow, falling into a deep sound sleep within moments
"What did that mean? Do you suppose it has anything to do with the partial prediction he made just before he woke up screaming?" asked Hermione after Harry had slipped into his deep slumber.
Ron shrugged, but looked worriedly at his girlfriend.
Dumbledore left stating he had some thing to check on before dinner, but asked to allow the rest of them to stay until dinner. He left swiftly will only one thought on his mind, Thank goodness Harry took the sword.
Hagrid sat there with tears in his eyes. He had seen some of what Harry had seen in his vision. Harry had been projecting the vision as he was carrying him to the Hospital wing. He knew that something bad was coming, but he didn't know exactly what or who it was going to happen to. All he knew was that someone was going to die and it would devastate Harry. Hagrid saw that Voldemort was once again going to strike at Harry where he was most vulnerable, at his friends and support. Hagrid knew that it was almost time for the Order of the Phoenix to be reconvened, but he feared that Harry was not ready for it.
Shortly before dinner Hagrid got up, sniffled, and slumped out of the room. Ron and Hermione were determined to sit there and stay by their friend's side for as long as possible. It had been a very tough year for him already and they were not going to give up any more time with him then they had to. They saw the look on his face before he had taken the Dreamless Sleep Potion and knew that the tough times that were behind Harry were not nearly as tough as the one's that were ahead of him.
They sat holding each other, but keeping their thoughts to themselves. Finally, they were escorted out of the hospital wing by an extremely put out Madam Pomfrey, when they should have left nearly an hour before then. They walked in silence to get the last of what was left for dinner, lost completely in their own horrified visions of what was going to happen in the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Saturday before the end of term came with another trip to Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ron had tried with all their might to convince Harry that he should not go, but Harry would hear nothing of the sort.
"If you two are going, then so am I." Harry had tried to stick close to his friends for the last month of classes, which was fine with Hermione and Ron because they made it their priority to make sure nothing more happened to him. He, on the other hand, knew that his vision could be carried out at any time and did not want to take any chances.
They knew that the argument to get Harry to stay at the castle was over. They vowed to each other, though, that they would not leave Harry alone as they had done in the last visit to Hogsmeade. They did not really know exactly what was going to happen but the piece of the prediction that Harry had given them before he had woken up in the Hospital wing after his collapse, was enough to make them cautious.
Hermione shuddered as the words echoed in her mind, "There will be a death that will occur to one of our group, within the next ten fortnights, if the Heir of Slytherin is left to his own devices, unchecked…." She hadn't told Harry about what he had said, neither had any one else. But because they knew that Voldemort had always been after him, Hermione and Ron figured that Harry would be the first one that Voldemort would go after, which is why they had tried to convince Harry not to go.
After breakfast they got ready, and took the first set of carriages to Hogsmeade, where they went into all of their usual stores. They did their Christmas shopping while there in the village, and had it sent back to the castle.
They were all extremely leery the whole time they were in Hogsmeade. Harry kept hoping that Ron and Hermione would not ask to go off alone. He did not want to have to let them go off alone, but he knew if they asked he would have to let them. Luckily they asked him to go with them this time.
They walked together down the snowy path, slowly Harry fell behind, not really wanting to intrude on the time that Ron and Hermione needed to have alone together, but wanting to be nearby, just in case he needed to be. Hermione and Ron almost seemed lost in their own world until they reached the edge of the forest and Hermione realized she could not see Harry any more.
"Harry?" she said in an almost panicked voice.
"I'm right here, Hermione. I just wanted to give you and Ron some time alone without me as the third wheel."
"Harry, we don't see you that way at all." Ron nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you do. But you are trying to include me… and for that I thank you." Harry gave them a knowing look, similar to the one that Dumbledore had given her countless times when she asked questions in the prefect meetings.
They stood talking at the edge of the forest for a while.
Harry felt they were being watched by the evil presence again and suddenly stopped speaking. He touched his pin, hoping that he would not have another incident like the one that he had had when he walked back to the school from Hagrid's hut.
"Harry, what is it?" asked Ron who had noticed the sudden change in Harry's demeanor.
"We need to get out of here…. Now!"
They didn't hesitate. They ran all the way back to the village. They decided that they had stood in the cold for long enough and decided on heading into the pub for some warm drinks. As they walked in they were ushered over to sit down with Dean, Neville, Seamus. They all ordered hot butterbeers and began chatting aimlessly about nothing to clear their minds of the intensity that had plagued their lives for the past few weeks.
When the topic of who was going home for Christmas came up, Hermione got very silent and sad. Harry elbowed Ron to get him to see Hermione's expression. Ron saw how close she was to tears. After a few moments, she got up from the table and walked away toward the door. Ron got up and ran after her.
It wasn't until that moment that Dean, Seamus, and Neville realized something was up. Neville looked at Harry's face and could read his thoughts for once. Neville was surprised to see what resided there. He instantly told the other two to shut up, as Harry got up and followed Hermione and Ron out of the pub.
"What?" they both said incredulously.
"You need to shut up!"
Dean and Seamus looked at Neville in shock and speechless. They had never heard Neville talk like that to anyone before. Finally Seamus found his voice, "Why – when –I mean, Neville! What has gotten into you lately? You've changed!"
"Yes, I have. But that is not really the important thing right now. You need to stop and listen, right now. Over the summer, Hermione's parents were killed and we just were talking about going home for Christmas…"
"Oh," the other two said slowly. Neville then got up and followed the other three out of the pub.
Hermione had run all the way back to the castle on her own, closely followed by Ron, Harry, and Neville. Not too far behind was also the evil that was waiting, watching, wanting to find the right moment to strike….
Harry realizing that he was being followed stopped and waited. He drew his wand. When Neville came around the bend that Harry was waiting just beyond, he almost fell on his but as Harry threw a spell at him. Neville was surprised to find that he made a shield that actually blocked the spell outside of the classroom setting. He smiled to himself but quickly got Harry to stop throwing spells at him by yelling, "Harry it's me, Neville!"
Harry found himself in a state of high awareness. He knew that someone was about to come around the bend. He threw spells before he had even seen who it was and was surprised to see that his spell was blocked. Harry chose a stronger spell from his vast repertoire and was about to throw it when a familiar voice reached his ears. He looked at the person and realized it was Neville. "Sorry, Neville. I guess I'm a little on edge. I thought someone else was following us…"
"That's okay, Harry. I understand."
They were about to walk off when Harry felt it again, as if he were being followed by something evil. Harry put his hand to his pin to make sure it was there and squeezed for reassurance. He didn't want to be caught where he didn't have it, because even though it didn't provide total protection from his scar hurting, it did provide some.
He realized suddenly that everything seemed to stop, just as it had in the carriage when he had come to school. He looked around and took a few steps. He turned back around a jumped to see himself posed as if he were walking. He remembered that that had happened the last time as well. He looked down at the pin that he still was pressing. He remembered back to the carriage and vaguely remembered that that exact jewel on the pin had looked more pushed in than the jewels when he had been looking down at his body.
Harry realized that he could still sense the evil presence. He ran back up the path toward where he could sense it. He reached it not too far away from them. He couldn't see the face of the cloaked figure, but Harry could tell that this was the presence that he felt. He started toward the figure, he wanted to find out who it was. But just as he took a step toward the figure, he was drawn back into his body. On his way back, though, he noticed that Dean and Seamus were about to catch up to the figure.
Fearing that they were in danger, when he was back in his body, he turned to Neville and told him to get back to the castle and see if Hermione was all right. He ran up the path.
"Harry, wait! Where are you going?" Neville yelled after him.
"Please, Neville, just do as I ask! Protect Hermione and Ron at all costs!" Harry yelled back as he rounded the corner. Neville took off in a flat run toward the castle, as Harry ran as fast as he could back toward Dean and Seamus, hoping against hope that he was in time to save them from any harm that could befall them.
He got to them before he saw anything else. Harry looked around as the other two stopped. "Harry, what is it?" asked Dean nervously.
"Did you see anyone else on the road here?" asked Harry in a rush.
Dean and Seamus looked confused at each other. "No," said Seamus slowly.
Harry swore.
"Harry, what is it? What's going on?"
"I can't explain now! I have to go!"
Harry took off running once again back in the direction from which he came. Please let me be in time! Harry ran harder and willed himself to get to where Hermione, Ron, and now Neville were. Harry swore to himself again, Why was I so stupid in not seeing that this was a diversion! He willed his body to go faster, and before he realized what was happening he was flying above the trees to where he needed to be.
From above, Harry could see that twenty feet from Hagrid's hut a fight was going on. Harry could see the cloaked figure trying to get at a very frightened Ron and Hermione, who had their wands drawn. Ron was protecting Hermione at all costs to himself. But perhaps the most amazing thing was the fact that Neville stood his ground between the two parties with his wand drawn. He had a very determined and angry look on his face. Harry could hear him yelling at the cloaked figure, "You will not pass by me! Ron, Hermione, get out of here now! I will protect your back!"
"But…." Ron tried to protest.
"No buts! Just go! Harry asked me to protect you at all costs! And that is exactly what I intend to do! NOW GO!!"
Hermione and Ron began to back away and run.
"Foolish boy!" came the voice from beneath the hood. "It was not one of them that I wanted at this time! It was you! Goodbye Neville Longbottom! This is the end! AVADA KEDAVRA!!"
Just as Harry reached them the green light emitted from the wand and hit Neville in the chest.
"Noooooooo!" yelled Harry as the figure turned and aimed the wand at Harry.
"You're next, Potter…."
Harry looked at the body of Neville that had just hit the ground on the other side of the tree they were standing by. He felt an anger grow in him that he had never felt before. Neville had just started to become confident. The dark figure rose the wand in his hand and started shouting the death curse, but Harry would not allow this to happen.
The cloaked figure aimed his wand at Harry's chest. "AVADA…"
"PRIORI INCANTATUM!!!" yelled Harry before the dark figure could finish speaking. He said the spell with such force that the wand released all the spells it had ever cast all at once in a huge ball of light and then exploded. The echo of Neville emerged from the wand and came to Harry's side.
The dark figure jumped when he realized that his wand was gone. He looked up into Harry's eyes and realized that they were glowing a brilliant green. Fear filled him. He retreated further back into the forest, before Harry had a chance to do anything further to him.
Harry was surprised at the force of the spell, as it had impacted with the other wand. He stood in shock for a few moments and didn't even notice through the smoke that the figure had disappeared. He looked around him for the first time and noticed that he was just inside the edge of the forest. He saw Neville's body on the ground and realized what he had done…. He had sent his friend to his death…. It was all his fault.
Harry held back the emotions that threatened to take over his entire being. He walked stiff legged to the body of the boy who had been a true friend to him for the past four and a half years. He fell to his knees next to Neville's body.
"It can't be…. It just can't be," whispered Harry. "It's all my fault. Why did I send you to protect Hermione and Ron? It should have been me! This should have been me!" Tears began to drip from his face as they uncontrollably ran down from his eyes.
"Harry, I know that you are upset that this had happened, but if you don't focus you will never learn how to heal me, and we don't have much time," said a calm voice from behind Harry.
Harry jumped and turned around. There he saw the echo of Neville. Confused, angry, and dazed he asked, "Heal you? How can I heal you? You were killed by the Killing Curse!"
"Harry, I know that you are in a confused state of mind, but I need you to focus, just like you did when you flew here…"
"Flew here?" Harry echoed bewildered.
"Yes, Harry, you are the One True Heir and the only one who can save me."
"But I don't understand…. How do I do that? And how do you know about all of this?"
"How I know is not important. But how you heal me is…. I will not remember any of this when I wake up so you need not even ask me…," said Neville's Echo reading Harry's mind's question. "What you need to do is find the light within your self. Once you are there you will know what to do…"
Harry closed his eyes and went deep into himself, but he couldn't find his light.
"Focus Harry. Or you will not be able to save me in time…," came Neville's voice.
In time for what? thought Harry.
"That is not important."
Harry focused his mind with a renewed determination. If he would be able to save Neville he could right the wrong that he had done to his friend. He pushed deeper and suddenly broke through to a bright light. The peace within it was overwhelming. He felt better than he had ever felt in his entire life. He didn't want to leave, but he knew that he needed to. He brought back with him the knowledge he needed.
Harry opened his eyes. They glowed as if the sun were hitting a brilliant green emerald. He turned his gaze to the body of his friend and muttered repeatedly, "Efficium Anima Recipero."
Light began to emit from the tips of his fingers as he held them over Neville's body. Harry reached up to the echo of Neville and grabbed a hold of his arm. He touched the arm of Neville's body. Harry slowly brought the echo, or as Harry discovered, the soul of Neville down to his body. Slowly the two merged.
Once they were merged together Harry collapsed into a heap next to Neville. As his hands fell from Neville's arm, there was a small spot in the shape of a lightning bolt that glowed and faded, leaving a raw, reddish pink looking area on Neville's arm that changed into a shape of a small shield.
Ron and Hermione had run straight to the Headmaster and tried to explain to him what they had seen all at once. Even though, he could not understand their jumbled words, he was able to discern from their thoughts what had transpired. He got to his feet. "Lead the way."
They went as quickly as they could to the edge of the forest twenty feet from Hagrid's hut. They started running when they saw Harry. Light was emitting from his eyes and hands, as he touched Neville's arm. As they reached him, he collapsed. They saw the mark that was left behind on Neville's arm. Hermione and Ron looked at Professor Dumbledore. He nodded at them as if to confirm something that they both had suspected.
Dumbledore conjured a stretcher for each Harry and Neville and brought them back up to the castle, to the Hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey greeted them at the door and shook her head. "I thought you promised me that you would try not to be in here that often, Potter. You will most certainly be the death of me one day," she muttered under her breath as she set Harry onto a bed. She looked at her other patient and gasped when she saw the scar on his arm. She looked imploringly at Dumbledore, almost begging him to tell her that what she was suspected was wrong. But instead he nodded his head, confirming her suspicions.
"But how?"
"Evidently, he lied to protect the Head Boy's reputation and position. Either that or he told us that to get into the Order almost twenty years ago. Either way he did so to protect someone that he loved as a brother. For that we can do nothing but commend him."
"But after what he did to them later? How can you say that?"
"Things are not always as they seem, Poppy." He looked over the top of his half moon specs at her. Something seemed to click and she suddenly understood it all.
"But that would mean that…."
"Yes."
"And what I thought about two months ago was…."
"That is correct."
"Oh…." She looked horrified.
"Did he take the…"
Dumbledore nodded.
She looked back at the boy who was resting on the bed in front of her, with a sad expression. "I fear that we will be seeing a lot more of you in here in the future, Mr. Potter…"
"I believe it is time for him to know the truth. I was hoping to leave it off to the end of the year…. But it is obvious that Voldemort has stepped up his plans… unfortunately that means that we must as well. And truly the one that will suffer in this matter is lying there on that bed."
"And what of Mr. Longbottom?"
"He, too, will be part of this. He has much at stake with the outcome of what is approaching…. They will all be part of it."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
Madam Pomfrey looked around the Hospital wing. "Somehow I suddenly feel as if this room is not going to be big enough for what is coming…," she said half-jokingly.
"You may very well be right…," said Professor Dumbledore, seriously. "But let us hope that you are not."
Hermione and Ron took it all in, every word that was said and implied, every thought that was projected and expressed. And between what they knew for certain and what was left to their imaginations they began to understand what Madam Pomfrey had been horrified about.
Harry stirred on his bed, and they all rushed to his side. He opened his eyes and blinked away the cloud of confusion that had resided in his brain. He realized that what he thought was a dream had in fact been true, when he saw the worried expressions on their faces.
He tried to sit up but found his head was pounding. Professor Dumbledore looked at Madam Pomfrey and she left, returning shortly with a potion that she silently thrust at Harry. Harry drank it down and the pounding pain in his head disappeared.
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, I am afraid that I must ask you to leave now. You may come back to visit Harry tomorrow, but right now I must speak with him."
"Professor, why tomorrow? Why not tonight?"
"I believe, Mr. Weasley, that Harry will need some extra time to recover tonight. While he may seem fine on the surface, there is much that we do not yet know about what happened today. I think that it would be best if you would allow him the extra time to rest. Barring any complications, Harry will be allowed to leave Hospital tomorrow around midday…"
Ron wanted to protest more, but Hermione had heard the finality to the tone in Dumbledore's voice and knew the discussion was over. She dragged Ron out of the Hospital and they walked silently, worriedly, back to the common room, where they wrapped themselves up in each other's embrace.
This was extremely comforting to Hermione who could no longer hold back her emotions. Between the events of the day and the fact that her parents would not be there for the holidays, she completely broke down. Seamus and Dean tried to approach to apologize at one point, but Ron just indicated that it was not a good time to do so. Ron allowed her to cry herself to sleep on his shoulder.
After Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a complete check over, she cleared him to leave, but only for a trip to the headmaster's office. Harry was utterly confused. Professor Dumbledore asked Harry to explain the events of the day, which Harry did to the best of his ability. After Harry finished, Professor Dumbledore sighed and sat back in his chair.
Professor Dumbledore got up suddenly and went to his cabinet. He brought out a familiar shallow stone basin that Harry recognized as the Pensieve. He placed it on the desk in front of his chair, before returning to the cabinet to grab several small boxes. He sat back down at his desk and drew up a chair in the air that dropped next to Harry.
"Harry, please sit down. It is now time that you know the truth…"
"The truth?"
"Harry, I'm going to tell you what I should have told you five years ago…. I'm going to tell you everything…."
"Everything that I should have told you the day that you returned to Hogwarts, what you were up against…"
"Returned?"
"Harry, please sit down…. This is going to be a very long and difficult conversation. Much of what I am about to tell you will be hard to hear or even to believe, but you must understand that everything that has been done was done for your own protection. There is also much that I do not know about what happened on Halloween night fifteen years ago. But I am getting ahead of myself." Dumbledore motioned for Harry to sit.
Harry sat down in the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. He had been so confused about what had been happening lately, and finally he was about to get the answers that he was searching for. He actually felt quite nervous about it.
Dumbledore sat for several moments looking at Harry, seemingly trying to figure out where to begin. He looked deep into Harry's eyes and took a breath to begin. "Harry, I know that much has happened over the past few weeks, to make you question who you really are. And these past few hours have been no exception. I cannot promise you that I will be able to answer all of the questions that fill your mind.
"However, you will leave here with all of the knowledge that I possess about why your life is so important, and why Voldemort has tried desperately to destroy you and who you are. So let me start at the beginning…."