A/N: I always have problems on this site. None of the HTML tags worked =( Sorry, just pretend, lol. Thanks for reading!
HTML
BChapter 30: Unlucky Thirteen
/B
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
-William Shakespeare
B/B
Harry thought he heard a loud noise outside he and Ron's bedroom door, but he decided the best decision would be to stay in
bed. The noise continued - a kind of loud, insistent banging - and Harry pulled his blanket over his head, effectively muffling
the sound. Two sleep-deprived nights hadn't put him in the best of moods, and he couldn't even bring himself to think straight.
He had stayed out a lot later last night than he had intended with Rachel; by the time he had gotten back to the Gryffindor
Common Room, it was completely empty. IProbably because we have N.E.W.T.s today,/I Harry though tiredly, rolling
over. The thought took a second to sink in.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright in bed.
"We have N.E.W.T.s today!" Harry exclaimed, pulling back the bedcurtains. "Ron, what time is it?" All he heard was a groan
from the other side of the room.
"I've been trying to wake you up for fifteen minutes!" Hermione's irritated voice said from the other side of the door. Harry
grabbed his watch from the nightstand and saw that it was 7:50 AM. IOnly ten minutes until the exam begins.../I He flew out of
bed and pulled the door open.
"Hurry up, you're both going to miss it!" Hermione cried anxiously, wringing her hands.
"You go on ahead without us, we'll be there," Harry replied, slamming the door shut again.
"But Mum, I don't wanna get up..." Ron muttered, pulling his pillow over his head.
"Ron, get out of bed! We're going to miss our first N.E.W.T. exam!"
Exactly seven minutes later, the two roommates rushed breathlessly into the Great Hall to begin the exam portion of the Charms
N.E.W.T. test. A frumpy, middle-aged witch whose expression reminded him of Professor McGonagall escorted Harry and Ron to their
seats, giving them a look which clearly showed her displeasure at their late arrival. There were seats in rows, like there had been for the
O.W.L. exams, but the stack of papers sitting on their desks were definitely N.E.W.T. exams. Harry leafed through the booklet quickly,
and found to his dismay that the test was nearly twice as long as the one he had taken two years ago. With a deep breath to calm his
now-racing heart after his rush to be on time, he took out his quill and began to write.
Three hours later, the trio found themselves sitting at an unusually quiet lunch table.
"My brain hurts," Ron moaned, laying his forehead on the table. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"That was only Charms!" she scoffed. "That's one of the easiest subjects. You can't even IMAGINE how hard Arithmancy is going to be,
and I have to take that one tomorrow!"
"So then... we have the Herbology exam from 1:00 to 4:00 today-" Harry began.
"-and the Charms practical from 5:00 to 6:00," Ron commented glumly.
"-and the Herbology practical from 7:00 to 8:00," Hermione finished.
"Well, if this isn't the bloody week from hell," Ron muttered. Hermione glared at him.
"It's only five days. And neither of you have any N.E.W.T.s on Friday, since that's Divination and Ancient Runes," she pointed out, studying
her schedule. "So four days. I think you'll live, Ron." He frowned.
"I wouldn't be so sure."
If Harry had thought the Charms exam had been difficult, the Herbology test was practically impossible. The names of all the plants he had
studied with Neville seemed to have slipped his mind, and he found himself guessing more and more often. When the exam was finally complete,
he had to rush off to the Charms practical, which ended up being exhausting after he had to undergo the Stupefying Charm, leaving him with much
less energy than when he had begun the day. He managed to cast the same charm on his partner, Parvati Patil, without any problem but left the
practical without high hopes for the Herbology practical.
He was surprised to find that the final test of the day was quite simple; the students only needed to extract the essence of belladona, which mostly
consisted of crushing the leaves in a giant press. Harry left greenhouse five at 8 PM that evening, completely exhausted but feeling slightly better about
his Herbology grade.
"Hey guys, wait up!" Neville called as Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked back to the castle. He jogged to catch up with them. "So, how'd you think
it went? I thought it was loads easier than the exam portion."
"Yeah, so did I," Harry replied.
"Now we can finally eat something for dinner," Ron commented, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving!" Hermione laughed.
"You always are, Ron."
"He should be," Harry defended. "It's after 8:00!"
"They're trying to kill us this week, I swear," Ron complained. Hermione rolled her eyes but managed to stay silent.
"I'm worried about the Defense exam tomorrow," Neville said in an anxious voice. "D'you think it's going to be hard, Hermione?"
"I don't know, I'm really quite worried too..." The conversation about academics continued as the group of seventh years made their way into the
Great Hall for dinner. Harry seemed distant and stayed quiet for most of the meal. He noticed Hermione look up at the teachers' table and frown.
"That's odd... I haven't seen Professor Dumbledore at a meal in quite some time now," she said, studying the other adults at the table.
"He's probably off doing Order business. Don't think on it, Hermione. I'm sure he's fine," Ron told her, shoving mashed potatoes into his mouth.
Harry couldn't help but think that Hermione looked as worried as he felt. However, Harry Potter's mind was far from the average student's worries.
He couldn't stop thinking that it was Monday, and by Friday night he would be inside of the Ministry of Magic, tempting fate and changing the course
of the future.
The next few days flew by. Tuesday was Defense Against the Dark Arts, Wednesday was Potions and Astronomy, and Thursday was
Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. The Defense test had been rather easy; for part of the practical, the students had been asked
to perform the Patronus Charm. The former members of the DA nearly laughed when they heard this, since they had been able to do just that
for the past two years.
Potions was a different story. Harry had tried to concentrate on his potion - the Draught of the Living Dead - but had accidentally added too much
powdered asphodel. His concoction was slightly darker orange than most of the other students' potions, but he was glad it wasn't emitting great
green bubbles like Crabbe's was.
The Astronomy practical took place near midnight, and although the test was this time free of distractions, Harry managed to forget most of
the names of the constellations. By the time Thursday rolled around, the seventh years at Hogwart's were sick of taking tests and studying.
Harry had been able to think more about the exams than his approaching encounter with Lord Voldemort. But Thursday afternoon, as he and
Ron stood waiting for their turn during the Transfiguration practical, the subject was once again brought up.
"Hermione thinks we should have a meeting tonight about what we're doing tomorrow," Ron said in a low voice, glancing around to make sure
no one else was listening. "Just to pick a time to meet, and maybe make sure everything is ready and explained." Harry nodded.
"That's fine. How about the Room of Requirements at 9 PM?" he asked. Ron nodded.
"I'll let Hermione know and we'll try to find everyone and tell them before then," he said.
"POTTER, HARRY!" a frail voice cried out. Harry took a deep breath and walked towards the almost-empty Transfiguration classroom.
"Good luck, mate," Ron whispered. Harry entered the room.
"Oh, very nice to see you again, Mr. Potter," said an elderly gentleman who Harry recognized as Professor Tofty, one of the examiners who
had overseen his O.W.L. exams. "Now, if we could have you transfigure this kneazle into an ordinary cat..."
Harry was surprised when Professor McGonagall caught his attention on his way out of the Great Hall after lunch.
"Mr. Potter, the Headmaster would like to see you tonight," she said, her voice sounding somewhat anxious. "Please be in his office as
soon as you can after your last exam. The password is Canary Creams." Harry nodded.
"Is there something wrong, Professor?" he asked her. McGonagall pressed her lips into a thin smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Of course not, Mr. Potter. Now hurry, or you'll be late to your practical, and we wouldn't want that to happen." She swept away in a rush,
heading upstairs to her office. Harry jogged to catch up with Ron and Hermione, who were walking out the doors to take their practical Care
of Magical Creatures exam.
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked immediately as he caught up to them.
"I'm supposed to talk to Professor Dumbledore tonight," Harry responded. Hermione looked relieved.
"Oh, good. That must mean he's back! But he wasn't at lunch today, that's peculiar."
"I told you he was fine, 'Mione," Ron said, sounding satisfied with himself.
"Well really Ron, we don't know that he's fine, all we know is that he's going to be at Hogwart's tonight-" The bickering continued until they
reached the area that had been set up for the exam, but Harry wasn't really listening. He was deep in thought about what Dumbledore could
possibly want to talk to him about - and why he had been mysteriously missing for so long.
Harry couldn't help but feel overjoyed as he finished his final exam of the day. Sure, it was 8 PM and the last twelve hours had dragged on for
what seemed like days, but for Harry Potter, the burden of N.E.W.T.s was finally over. He didn't have any tests tomorrow, the final day of exams,
since the classes being tested were Divination and Ancient Runes. He practically skipped back to the castle - then remembered he had to meet
Dumbledore. He bid Ron and Hermione goodbye, promising to meet them before 9:00 for their meeting. He walked quickly to the Headmaster's
office.
"Canary Creams," he said with a smile, as the gargoyles sprang back to allow him to enter the stairwell. IThose Weasley twins sure have had
a lot of impact/I, he thought grinning to himself. Fred and George were surely rich by now. He headed upstairs and knocked eagerly on Professor
Dumbledore's door.
"Come in," said a female voice. Harry cracked the door open slightly and peered in, seemingly confused. His good mood fizzled away into nothing
as he saw the sight in front of his eyes. The room was empty except for a woman standing in front of him. "Come upstairs, boy," said the cranky-
sounding witch dressed in Healer robes. She led him up the stairs to Dumbledore's sleeping quarters. "Don't stay too long, he needs his rest," she
told him as she pushed Harry into the room and shut the door behind him with a snap.
Harry gasped as he looked across the room to the enormous bed. Dumbledore was lying unmovingly under the great canopy, but he opened his eyes
as he heard the door shut behind Harry.
"Ah, Mr. Potter. I've been looking forward to seeing you," he said quietly, his normally strong voice sounding raspy.
"Professor Dumbledore... are you all right?" Harry asked, very concerned. Dumbledore sighed.
"It depends upon whose view you are asking for, Harry. But in my mind, I'm perfectly fine. You cannot stop the inevitable." Harry refused to let
himself think about the meaning of those words.
"Are you sick, Professor?" he asked. Dumbledore held a weak hand up to his face as he let out a rattly cough.
"Alas, that is what the Healers are insisting. But I know better. To be frank, Harry, there is only so long that one person may remain on this
Earth, and my time is nearly up." Harry's mouth dropped open in horror.
"But Professor... no, it can't be... I'm sure they can fix it, whatever it is-" Dumbledore held up a hand, signaling Harry to stop talking.
"Listen to me, Harry. Old age can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I know far more about life than the average person - more than
you, more than the other professors, more than the Healers who believe they can cure me. On the other hand, old age brings fear - the fear that
this life is over and that there is nothing beyond it. Trust me, Harry, I do not have this fear. As I have told you before, death is but the next great
adventure. I've never been one to back away from an adventure, and I must tell you I'm quite looking forward to it." His blue eyes twinkled mischeviously
as if he were still young and healthy. "Oh, listen to me talking on about myself when I called you in here to talk about you, Mr. Potter."
"Wh-what about me?" Harry asked, his head still reeling.
"We have heard rumors that Voldemort is planning something big. I have heard no exact plans, however, so I remain uninformed in that respect.
I must warn you that I feel the final clash between you and Lord Voldemort is drawing ever nearer. Have you had this feeling yourself, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said nervously.
"I had assumed so. Do you feel that you are prepared?"
"Yes... well, I think so... er, maybe not-" Harry stuttered. Dumbledore let out a low chuckle.
"Never be too sure of yourself, Harry - it only causes arrogance, and hubris is so often the downfall of young heroes such as yourself."
"I'm not a hero, sir."
"Ah, of course. Whatever you may wish to believe." There was a soft knock on the door, and the witch dressed in Healer robes poked her head
inside the room.
"Headmaster, it's time for you to take your potion," she said. Dumbledore looked down at her through his half-moon spectacles.
"Give me a few more moments with Mr. Potter, please, Golda," he said to the woman, who promptly left and closed the door. "As I was saying,
Harry, all I can do at this point is wish you the best of luck and let you know that I have complete faith in you."
"But what if I can't do it? And I don't want to do it alone, I can't do it alone. I thought you would be there for me!" Harry said desperately. A serene
smile came over Dumbledore's face.
"Ah, Harry - you will not complete the prophecy alone. I can guarantee you that. As for me, well, you know I will always be there for you. Right here,
Harry," he said, touching his hand to his heart. "You understand love better than most grown witches and wizards. As I have told you many times, this
is why Voldemort cannot defeat you, Harry. Tom Riddle only knows cunning and wit - he knows nothing of love. When it comes down to the decision
between using your head and using your heart, you always make the right choice." Dumbledore was smiling now, but Harry could see tears shining
behind the old man's eyes. He felt the same burning behind his own eyelids.
"I've had the pleasure of seeing you grow into a fine young man, Harry, and let me tell you that you have become one of the finest wizards I have ever
laid eyes upon in my entire life. That's quite a compliment, seeing as I've lived this long." He let out a shaky laugh. "You no longer need me. In fact, you've
quite outgrown this old man."
"No, Professor... I, well... I don't know what to say."
"Does anyone ever know what to say? For the longest time, humans have made the same silly attempts to convert their complex feelings and
emotions into the flat and lifeless form of words. Few ever succeed." He glanced up at an odd-looking clock just above the bedroom door. "Mr. Potter,
I'm afraid I must bid you goodnight. Golda will be wanting me to take my potion, and she gets quite cranky if I don't listen to her." He chuckled. Harry
looked at him desperately.
"I'm so afraid, Professor. What if I can't fulfill the prophecy? What if I fail-"
"Harry, did you know that Mr. William Shakespeare was a wizard?" Harry nodded, confused as to what this had to do with the conversation. "One of
the few who was so skilled with words that he could recreate feelings with them. I have told you this before Harry, but let me put it as Mr. Shakespeare
has: 'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.'" He smiled and reached out a feeble hand to catch Harry's.
"The power of destiny is not something that is written in a prophecy, Harry. It is you." Harry nodded, swallowing and trying to hold back his tears.
"Now we must bid one another goodnight, but not goodbye, for we shall meet again - of this I am sure." He squeezed Harry's hand before letting go.
"Goodnight, Mr. Potter."
"Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."
Harry Potter walked slowly through the corridors of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, heading in the general direction of the Room
of Requirements. He had twenty minutes to get there, and he planned on using every one. Climbing a staircase he didn't have to take, Harry attempted
to control his emotions and sortout his thoughts. When he finally did arrive at the Room of Requirements, it was with renewed determination.
"Harry, we were worried you were going to be late," an anxious Hermione told him when he entered the room. Harry just shook his head.
"I'm still on time, aren't I?" he asked. Ron nodded.
"Could we start soon? I have Ancient Runes tomorrow morning, and I still need to study tonight," Padma Patil stated quietly.
"Of course," Harry said seriously. "Here's the plan. We will meet here tomorrow night at 10:45 PM. At exactly 11:00, we will use a portkey to
travel to the Ministry of Magic."
"How are we getting a portkey? And why can't we just apparate there?" Hannah Abbot asked, raising her hand.
"Hermione has set up the portkey," Harry said simply as his bushy-haired friend blushed. "Apparition is more dangerous, less accurate, and
not everyone who is going is certified yet." A murmur of approval ran through the room as Harry glanced back down at the piece of paper in his
hand. "We expect a battle, and you all must be prepared for that. Please tell me now if you want to back out - it's your last chance." No one moved.
"Okay then..." He glanced down again. "I picked partners for everyone - please stay with your partner and watch their back during any duel that may
happen. The pairs are Ginny and Neville, Ron and Hermione, Seamus and Parvati, Terry and Padma, Lavendar and Dean, and Hannah and Luna."
"You don't have a partner, Harry?" Ginny asked quietly. Harry shook his head.
"There was an odd number," he told her, his mouth oddly dry. "I'll be fine."
"Thirteen of us, to be exact," Luna added with a far-away expression. "That's an unlucky number, you know." Hermione sighed sarcastically
but said nothing.
Later that evening, Harry tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. He had been blissfully unaware of the situation at hand these last few
days because of the intense testing schedule. After his talk with Dumbledore, however, he had been thrust back into the present moment and
the danger that surrounded him seemed more prevalent than ever. Eventually sleep came to him, but with it came tumultuous dreams full of battles,
blood, and death. Harry was relieved when these nightmares gave way to a serene setting: an empty white room that seemed familiar and unfamiliar
at the same time....
"Dulcinea!" Harry called out earnestly, seeing the Spanish ghost standing quietly in the corner.
"Harry," she said with a smile, looking up at his face. "You are so close to the end of this entire ordeal. I cannot believe how far you have come
this year." He nodded, bowing his head. "The world is in shambles at the present moment, but the solution to this problem will be decided tomorrow
night. I know you can do it, Harry."
"I never thought I would have to go through with this without knowing that Dumbledore would be there for me in case I failed," he said miserably.
Dulcinea gave him a sad smile.
"It wouldn't have helped to have known that earlier, or I would have told you," she said sympathetically. Harry's head snapped up.
"You knew?!" he asked incredulously. Dulcinea shrugged.
"Well, of course. You knew as well. You must do this of your own will, Harry. Alone in conquest, but surrounded by friends in victory." Harry smiled
a tiny bit.
"That sounds pleasant," he said, before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
Friday. It was Friday. Friday April 26, to be exact. Though he had no exams that day, Harry was wide awake at 8:00 AM. He stared at the
clock as he thought about what that night would bring. IIn 16 hours I'm going to be in the Ministry of Magic.../I He tried to shake the thought
from his head. Ron was still snoring gently - Idamn Weasley, he could sleep through a hurricane/I - but Harry had no intentions of falling back
asleep. He showered slowly and dressed in clean robes, trying to think of a way to waste the next 16 hours. Finally, he settled on filling out his Auror
application. Professor McGonagall had warned him that it would be a time-consuming process, and today he could only hope that it would be.
Four hours later, Hermione came bursting into the Heads' Common Room, where Harry sat surrounded by paperwork. She looked a little flustered
but was smiling. He glanced up at her.
"That was the hardest test I ever took," she admitted, brushing her hair back from her face. "But at least I'm done now, I just have the practical this
afternoon and that's bound to be easier, right?"
"Someone's a bit optimistic today," Ron grumbled as he entered the common room from his bedroom, yawning and ruffling his hair.
"Did you just wake up?" Hermione asked dubiously.
"Er... yeah," Ron shrugged. "What time is it, anyway?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"It's noon, Ronald Weasley. Merlin, they give you a day off and you sleep the entire time! Look at Harry, he's been up doing important things-"
"Just because I couldn't sleep," Harry commented, pushing the pieces of parchment off to one side of the couch. "Why don't we all go to lunch
together?" Ron smiled.
"Sounds like a fabulous idea to me."
The rest of the day went by painfully slow for Harry. He had finished his application, sent it off, read an entire book, and wandered through the
whole castle several times over - and that was just before dinner. Later, Ron convinced him to play chess to take his mind off things, but he couldn't
concentrate on the game and ended up losing horribly. Finally, it was 10:30 PM. Glancing nervously at the Marauder's Map, the group of Gryffindor
students made their way downstairs to the Room of Requirements on the pretense that they were going to nick some food from the kitchens. The main
common room had been in an uproar - all of the seventh years were now done with their N.E.W.T.s, and students from every house had gathered there
to celebrate. It hadn't been that hard to come up with the excuse, and by the time the rest of the house realized they were gone, it would be too late.
The group gathered silently and Hermione stood in the middle, holding out her transfiguration textbook, which she had turned into a portkey earlier
that day. She glanced at her watch.
"It's nearly time," she said finally, and the students all reached in to place a finger on the book. Hermione looked down at her watch again and began
to count down.
"Five-"
Harry's eyes flitted around the room. Neville's face was screwed up in concentration; Lavendar's jaw was set in a determined manner; Ron looked
angry but ready.
"Four-"
Harry was surprised to feel butterflies in his stomach. II planned this for so long, it shouldn't make me nervous, especially since we're not
even there yet./I
"Three-"
He spotted a dark figure walking quickly towards the group from the corner of the room. Harry felt a wave of panic rising in his chest. The question
'who are you' died on his lips as he saw the person push forward into the group and place a single finger on the book. She flipped back her hood to
reveal plentiful blonde hair and brilliantly light green eyes.
"Two-"
"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed angrily. The green eyes reflected into his own with a look of determination.
"I'm coming with and it's too late to stop me!" Rachel retorted angrily.
"One-"
With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Harry felt the familiar sensation of the portkey as it pulled him irresitibly forward towards the fate of his future.
Okay, okay I know... it's a cliffy =) But doesn't it make you want to read the next chapter?
Thank you all for being devoted readers and sticking in there even though it's taken me forever
to update. I've got the rest completely figured out, so it shouldn't take too long for me to get it posted.
Thank you so much everyone!!
Special thanks to my extra-cool, awesome, amazing reviewers:
UHpff.com:/U
GolfinWizard
dumbeldave
iwpotter
PadfootPotter
me
siriussnape
mandymallason
prashanth
kookyfan
Sydney
melissirius
dont wasn
Hermione girl
Bell
Steph
Uff.net:/U
potterorligurl
dixiegyrlde
Kaye
/HTML