Chapter 5: Not Alone
You're not alone. I'm not alone.
Ron was getting sick. If this went on for much longer, he was sure he would die of exhaustion.
"You can't give up now."
Ron laughed and looked up to see green eyes watching him anxiously.
"There you are," Ron said, with an ironic smile. "Standing right in front of me. And yet, there you're not."
"Don't worry," said Harry. "We'll tough this out together."
"If the Harry Potter I knew was really here-"
"I am here!" Harry snapped. "I'm always here." Ron sighed.
"Neither of us should be here," he said. "But you don't have to worry, Harry. I'll never tell."
"It doesn't matter, Ron," said Harry. "It's stupid, really, the way you cling to that morose information."
"They want to use me against you, learn what makes you tick, your weak points," Ron said, dazedly. "But I'll never tell."
"Ron, if you know my weak point, you wouldn't be talking like this." Harry put his hand on Ron's sweaty and boney shoulder. "I wish... I wish I could stop this. I wish I didn't hurt you so much."
"You don't hurt me, Harry," Ron said, looking away. "I brought this on myself."
"Ron... sometimes I wonder, if I wasn't friends with you... if you'd be dragged into all this." Harry looked remorseful. Ron looked up at him and smiled.
"Harry," he said. "Sometimes, I wonder, if you weren't friends with me, if I could ever be this confident. Or this proud."
It was the first day of Christmas break. Harry had gotten the location of the alley in Hogsmeade from Andrew and Lawrence, who had been too happy to give it to him. He was supposed to go to the station, to get on a train to see the Weasleys. But Harry had a conflicting engagement.
As the students going home were lead to the train station, Harry snatched Hermione's hand.
"What?" she hissed.
"I have an idea," he said with an excited grin. Hermione's eyes doubled in size and she shook her head.
"Oh no you don't!" she said, reproachfully. "Not now, Harry, not today! What would Mrs. Weasley say? What will my mum say? When she finds out that I'm wandering around– Harry, I want to go home!"
"I am home," said Harry.
"Your home is with the Weasleys," said Hermione, exasperated. "Now come on!"
"Not without Ron there it isn't," Harry replied. Hermione went silent. Harry knew he had to bring Ron up. It was the only way to get Hermione to listen to him. She hesitated, as if weighing the consequences. Finally, she sighed.
"Lead the way, Maestro," she said. She had at last resigned to Harry's persuasions.
"Great!" Harry said, grinning. Carefully, the two sixth years pulled away from the swarm of students. Harry led her past Zonkos and around the corner of the Three Broomsticks. Down one alley and past the next, Harry led her through a maze. Soon, the buildings became more dilapidated until it was obvious that no one could live or set up business in any of the dark, dank houses around them.
"This is amazing..." Hermione muttered, in awe, looking around at all the ancient abandoned houses. "It's like an entire hidden ghost town... One town built on top of the other..."
"Here!" Harry called, pulling Hermione by the arm towards a dark alley. "This is it!"
"I don't like the look of that alley..." Hermione said, doubtfully. "I can't see the end of it– and it looks like it's dripping with ill will."
"I can go alone..." Harry offered, realizing for the first time that he was dragging Hermione unnecessarily into trouble. His tone suddenly became hasty. "You don't have to come with me."
Hermione scoffed. "I've come this far, haven't I? Besides, you're never alone. Not with me here anyway." Hermione smiled and Harry smiled back.
"Ready?" he said. Hermione nodded.
"As I'll ever be," she said. And together, they slowly walked down the alley.
"Harry, how do you expect us to fit down here?" Hermione complained as the walls closed in on her. "Did I ever tell you I'm claustrophobic?"
"Relax, there's gotta be a way... Like Diagon Alley. You remember those bricks in the wall outside the Leaky Cauldron? There's got... to be... something... here..." Harry turned sideways and sidestepped down the alley. "Hermione?"
"Yes?" Hermione said, a few meters behind him (she'd refused to go as far as Harry).
"I think I'm stuck."
"Oh honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes. She frowned, though as she saw a stone above Harry's head. It was different from the other dark gray stones surrounding it... it was a lighter color, and the only one with no moss growing around its edges.
"Wait a minute..." she whispered.
She noticed a pattern. That was the only light gray stone, but that stone was at the top of a staggered circle of other darker stones, all moss free. She brought out her wand and tapped each stone individually, going clockwise. When nothing happened, she went counterclockwise.
"Hermione, stop messing around, I can't–"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed, her brow furrowed in thought. "I'm trying to figure this out."
She then noticed that the stones she was looking at formed not only a circle, but a star as well. Taking a different approach, she started from the bottom left corner and drew a five-cornered star.
Suddenly, the alley widened and Harry fell clumsily to the floor.
"I hadn't been expecting that," he said with a small chortle, rubbing his head. But Hermione still couldn't see the end of the tunnel. She turned to Harry and smiled.
"Well?" she said. "Shall we?" She offered Harry her hand and he took it and she helped him up.
"We shall," Harry said. And they continued together down the alley.
"Are you still there?" Ron's eyes were closed.
"Yes," came a comforting voice from behind him.
"How long are you going to stay with me?"
"As long as it takes." The reply was quick and vague. Ron opened his eyes.
"I can't see you."
Harry stepped around the chair and into what little light there was.
"Is this better?" he asked. Ron smiled.
"I miss you," he said. Harry smiled at him sadly.
"I won't leave you," was all he said.
The door opened and light spilled into the room. Ron squinted, and then frowned.
"I've lost you. Where are you?" he asked.
A shadow appeared in the doorway. It was a lean figure, tall, and in a suit.
"You." Ron hissed the word with weary disgust. Ron saw the Businessman's teeth glint in the white light.
"Me," he replied. He closed the door. "Lumos!" he uttered. The light fell on Ron's sickly face. The Businessman made a clucking sound with his tongue.
"Looks like you have racoon eyes, Mr. Weasley," he said.
"Do I?" Ron asked, vaguely aware of his surroundings anymore. "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen a mirror in weeks."
"It's only been two weeks, Mr. Weasley," said the Businessman.
"I feel like I've been here for years."
"Well, why don't we shorten your sentence then?" The Businessman had such a sadistic happiness in his tone... Ron didn't like it.
"I can't give you what you want," he said. "I don't know Harry anymore. He's lost to me. I lost him a long time ago."
"That may be," said the Businessman. "But old fears die hard. They're funny things, fears. They aren't quite expressed until the possibility of their occurrence arises. We have been watching your friend, Mr. Weasley."
Ron raised an eyebrow, mildly curious. "Oh? And how is he? This betraying brother?"
"Quite the opposite of betraying, if I may say so myself," said the Businessman, obviously enjoying himself very much as he circled Ron's chair. "He's been deadly worried since you've been gone."
"You can't beat him," snarled Ron like a dog. "You will never defeat him. He's changed. Nothing can stop him now. He's a totally different person. He's not even human anymore. He's no better than Lord Voldemort himself."
The Businessman stopped pacing behind Ron. Ron could tell he had caught him off his guard.
"What?" sneered the Businessman, his lip curled.
Ron had slipped up. He knew he would eventually. And apparently, so had the Businessman.
"Tell me, Ron," said the Businessman, in a would-be friendly manner. "What has changed about Harry that would make him seem inhuman to you?"
"Humans have weaknesses," Ron covered, quickly. "Harry has none."
"But if Harry has no weaknesses because he is as inhuman as his foe," said the Businessman, diplomatically, "wouldn't that mean that the Dark Lord has no weaknesses either?"
Ron faltered.
"And," the Businessman continued. "If Harry is... shall we say, inhumanly perfect, and Lord Voldemort is inhumanly perfect, then should they fight... who would defeat the other?"
Ron's mouth was open, his eyes staring. He saw the shadows on the wall, green eyes watching from a distance, in the shadows, haunting him, comforting him, torturing him most of all. Always there, but always gone. Where had he gone? He had said he would never leave. And he had left. Where had Harry gone?
"You can't beat him," Ron said numbly. He closed his mouth and swallowed. "He has no weaknesses," he whispered, hoarsely.