As I get closer to the end of this story, I'm also beginning to plan the next in detail. A map of the wizarding country Harry visits in Harry Potter and the Kingdom of the Mountain can be found on my website on the 'My Notes And Pictures' page. See my profile for the link.

I've had problems uploading this; hopefully everything's OK.

Chapter 33: Deciphering Revelations

"He's dead," said Ron curtly.

Harry turned off the Tri-X and turned to look at his friend. "What? Who is?"

"Millstew," replied Ron, not looking at Harry. "He died in St. Mungo's this morning. It was on the wireless."

"Oh," said Harry. "Right."

Ron went to sit down at a table and started to read his notes. It was the week before the end of term exams, and everyone was working hard to try to do as well as possible. Harry, however, was being distracted by other, more exciting, occupations to try to take his mind off Ron. He forced himself out of the chair and went unwillingly to search for some books.

He was still trying to revise for the tests the next morning, when an owl brought the newspaper. He glanced through it, hoping to find something on Millstew, and did: a small article sandwiched between an advert for Mrs. Skower's Super Stain Slayer and another for 'Second-hand cauldrons, never used before.' He started to read:

'MAD' MILLSTEW DIES IN CARE

Thomas Millstew, formerly a resident of Northumbria, died in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and injuries at around six o'clock yesterday. Mr. Millstew became a wanted man of the Ministry of Magic after revealing his plans to kill 'Boy-Who-Lived' Harry Potter last August. In curious circumstances, Millstew was found by goblins in the tunnels of Gringotts Bank two months ago, exceedingly thin, losing hair and muttering unintelligibly. His condition was improving and he was due to stand trial by the Wizengamot next week. Three days ago, however, he "started behaving like a lunatic", as quoted by the Healer in charge of his ward. "There was nothing we could do," said the same Healer. "He fell asleep after a while and I left the ward for a short time: when I returned, he was dead."

The exams came and went. Harry didn't do badly: he averaged a mark of 80%, with a bottom score of five out of ten and a top score of full marks, which he received twice. He was top of the year. The second-years returned in time for the end-of-term feast, and the personal point scores were read out. Harry had moved back up to third.

"Was the foreign course good?" he asked George Ollerton.

"Yeah," said George through a mouthful of chicken. "It's good to be eating proper food again though," he added. "We had rice every day in China, and we had to use chopsticks."

Harry nodded. He wondered vaguely where he'd be going. "Did you have to do the exams?" he asked.

George nodded; he obviously couldn't speak because his mouth was so full.

The journey home in the car was subdued. Ron wasn't speaking to anyone; Hannah, normally talkative, just wanted to relax as she had had an especially hard term; Harry was too busy thinking about Amarenox and the death of Millstew. As a result neither Rudolf nor Lizzy had much to do. They tried talking to each other, but this wasn't easy as Rudolf was in the back seat and Lizzy in the front.

Hermione tried to persuade Harry and Ron to make up, but Ron wasn't changing his point of view. On the third day of the holidays, Harry received an owl asking him to go to the Burrow. He arrived their to find Ginny acting very much like her mother. She had obviously come home for Easter, and was forcing Ron backwards with only her voice. Then she left the room, and Ron fell onto a chair.

Harry was about to ask, "What was that about?" when Ron spoke.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Made you see sense, has she?"

"Yeah," replied Ron, also smiling, but only slightly. "She told me it didn't matter who the father was, just as long as she was happy. And she says she is, mostly."

"It wasn't me," said Harry. "You should've known I wouldn't …" He trailed off.

"I know," Ron admitted. "I was being a bit stupid, that's all."

"Yeah."

"I wonder who the father is?" said Ron, looking thoughtful.

"We'll probably never find out, unless he comes to get the baby – Ryan," replied Harry. "And why should he?"

Ron nodded. "As long as it isn't Draco Malfoy."

"He's OK – sort of," Harry acknowledged.

"He might try to be nice, but he's still just a ferret really," replied Ron. "However much he tries to make up for his father and talk nicely to people."

"'Spose."

A week later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were discussing the various dark events that had been going on. Rudolf had gone on holiday to Germany for the break and wasn't there. It was also much harder to say more than a few sentences at a time to each other in daylight as people kept visiting SPEWIN.

"So, what do we know?" asked Hermione as she added more leaflets to the assorted displays.

"Well," said Ron. "There's this Amarenox guy – and he wants to do something. That's what he said, isn't it – 'It will allow the world to survive once we have done the work we need to do?'"

"Yeah," said Harry. "And he wanted Millstew to kill me – said he didn't want to make the mistakes of other Dark Lords and let me get in the way."

"And he wants the Orb of Light?" said Hermione.

"Yeah. To destroy it, he said."

"So…" replied Hermione thoughtfully. "That'll be what Millstew was looking for …"

"Yeah," said Ron. "But he couldn't find it. But Harry here, with his arm …"

"Managed to get into the vault," finished Harry.

"Yes," replied Hermione. She absently-mindedly indicated leaflet display to a customer. "So – what did you say it did again?"

"Shine when no other light can," quoted Harry. "But why anyone would want to destroy it –?"

"What if –" began Hermione. "What if he wanted – to plunge the world into darkness."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, Ron – oh thank you! Put it in the donations box."

They waited until the donator had left the shop, then carried on.

"Maybe he – maybe he doesn't like the light," suggested Harry. "Maybe he wants to get rid of the sun, or something."

"That's a great idea, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Keep quiet!" whispered Ron as several customers looked at them oddly.

"Sorry," replied Hermione, dropping her voice again. "So he wants to plunge the world into eternal night-time and all that's stopping him is this Orb of Light. I've forgotten – did the parchment say how to destroy it, Harry?"

"With the blood of a dark beast. You know, a dragon or a manticore or something …"

"I know," replied Hermione. "He must be stopped. The Orb is the world's last hope. He must not get it."