Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any of J.K. Rowling's characters, places, items, ect.
Comments: The wonderful Valentines Day Ball chapter is here (if you couldn't tell by the title...).
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Chapter 42 – The Ball
Harry yelped as something fluffy hit him full in the face, awakening him from a dead sleep. He shot up to find himself looking into Seamus and Dean's blurry – but guilty – faces. He fumbled for his glasses, keeping a hold of the pillow they had thrown at him.
"You just woke me up at-"he glanced at the clock, "Seven o' clock on a Saturday morning."
"Aw, come on Harry, feel the love," Dean replied.
Harry raised an eyebrow, much to Seamus and Dean's amusement.
"Do the words 'Valentines Ball' ring a bell?" Seamus asked him.
"Shoot," Harry groaned, laying back down as a wave of realization hit him.
Dean and Seamus cracked up. Harry took the pillow they had thrown at him, leaned over, and hit Ron with it as hard as he could.
"Leammelone," Ron mumbled.
"Ron, did you know that the Valentines Ball was today?" Harry demanded.
"Wha?" Ron asked sleepily.
"Valentines Ball. Today," Harry repeated.
Ron's eyes popped open and he groaned. Dean and Seamus had doubled over with laughter by this time, and awoken Neville.
"What's going on?" Neville inquired, rubbing his eyes.
"Ron and Harry forgot about the ball," Dean chortled.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
"Did you buy Mione anything?" Harry asked.
"No," Ron groaned, "Do you have anything for Silver?"
"Not a thing."
"Hogsmeade?"
"Yup."
They both quickly got out of bed and began to dress amidst Dean and Seamus' laughter.
"How're we going to get out of the common room without the girls seeing us?" Ron asked.
"Um, invisibility cloak?" Harry suggested.
"Right," Ron said, turning his gaze on Dean and Seamus, "And you two are going to open the portrait for us."
"Why should we?" Seamus teased.
Then, at Ron's look, "Anything you say, Master Ron! We wouldn't dare risk your wrath!"
Ron rolled his eyes as he pulled a comb through his hair. Harry considered doing the same, but didn't see what good it would do. He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and allowed Seamus and Dean to admire it for a moment.
"I've always wanted one of those," Dean said wistfully, "Where'd you get it?"
Harry shrugged as a sign that he didn't feel like discussing it, and Dean and Seamus took the hint. What am I supposed to say, 'My dead father gave it to me?' Harry wondered.
"Er, right..." Seamus said in an attempt to break the tension, "Shall we go?"
Harry and Ron threw the cloak over themselves in reply. Dean and Seamus broke into fresh laughter at the sight of Hermione and Silver sitting on the couch in the common room. Silver looked up at the two upon their arrival.
"Is Harry up?" she asked, her eyes glittering with hopefulness.
Harry felt his stomach do flips at the eager look in her eyes.
"Uh, no," Dean said, "He seemed really tired, so we told everyone to be quiet so he could sleep in."
Silver looked disappointed. "Oh," she said softly, "Alright."
"I doubt Ron will have a problem sleeping in with him," Hermione said, an oddly fond look in her eyes.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, Harry holding back a snigger and Ron a blush.
"Yeah," Seamus said, "Well, anyway, we're just going to go...out."
"Yeah, out," Dean echoed.
Silver and Hermione regarded them suspiciously for a moment, but then turned back to talking. Seamus walked up to the portrait hole, pushed it open, and said loudly, "After you!"
Dean stopped, allowing Harry and Ron to pass, and they heard his voice as they left.
"No no, go ahead, I insist!"
"No, really, you first!"
"Um...okay then."
Seamus and Dean jumped out of the portrait hole, and it swung shut behind them. Harry and Ron lifted the cloak so that it was just barely off.
"You guys are really bad at that," Harry commented.
"Not the way to thank us for helping you," Dean replied.
"Definitely not," Seamus agreed.
"Okay then, wonderful job," Ron replied sarcastically.
"Thanks," Seamus said brightly.
"That really makes my day," Dean added.
Rolling their eyes, Harry and Ron disappeared underneath the cloak again and set off for Hogsmeade.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Any ideas on what to get?"
Harry groaned.
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"Hurry up, Harry, you're hogging the mirror!" Dean exclaimed impatiently.
"Go get a different mirror," Harry retorted.
"But that's my mirror," Dean insisted.
Harry rolled his eyes as he attempted in vain to make his hair lie flat.
"Well until my hair lies flat, you're going to have to deal with it," Harry said irritably.
"No offense, mate, but your hair hasn't laid flat for sixteen years," Ron said from behind him, "What makes you think it's going to tonight?"
"Tonight...is...bloody...special," Harry answered, yanking the comb down and attempting to pin his hair against his head with it.
No luck.
"Silver's not going to care if your hair is flat or not, Harry," Ron said sensibly as Dean sniggered.
"I guess," Harry answered dubiously, looking at his untidy hair in the mirror, "But it does look a little flatter, doesn't it?"
"Sure," Ron replied unconvincingly.
Harry shook his head and surrendered the mirror to Dean, returning to the boys' dormitories with Ron. They pulled on their dress robes, Ron grumbling the whole time.
"I hate dress robes," Ron muttered fervently.
"At that one's not as bad as the one you had in fourth year," Harry answered in what he supposed was a helpful way.
"Yeah, minus the lace plus the silk," Ron answered sarcastically, "Why can't I have normal material?"
Harry had to work very hard to keep a straight face at Ron's comment. Ron's new dress robes were maroon, and while free of lace and frills, were a silky material which Dean had commented reminded him of his mother's nightgown. Since then, Ron had been completely against anything silk. Harry's own robes were green once more, as well, only slightly lighter than last time. Mrs. Weasley had bought them for him, and had been ecstatic that she had found robes "nearly the same color as your gorgeous eyes".
Seamus suddenly walked into the dorms, holding in his hand a gold watch which he had needed to complete his "look".
"Oy! Harry!" he called as he fastened the watch around his wrist, "Silver wants you to know that she and Hermione will meet the two of you in front of the Great Hall."
A grin spread across his face.
"If I were you, I wouldn't want to be late," he added, "The ball's already started, and she looks hot tonight."
At Harry's look, he dashed off in the direction of the bathrooms. Harry debated going after him, but Ron gave a sharp pull on his arm.
"Don't waste your time with him," he said.
Frowning, Harry retrieved the lily and box of earrings that he had picked up for Silver while in Hogsmeade and followed Ron out of the Gryffindor common room.
"So, remind me why you got a lily instead of a rose again," Ron said as two Hufflepuff boys passed with roses in their hands, talking anxiously about their girlfriends.
"Because lilies are symbolic of purity, and she liked it when I gave her one during the Quidditch game," Harry explained for the thousandth time.
"Right," Ron said, unconvinced.
"And I think my mom would have wanted me to," Harry added, for the first time.
Ron gave him a cautious and surprised look. "Oh," he said dumbly.
Harry looked down at the lily in his hand uncertainly, wondering if Silver would like it, or if she would want a rose, like most of the other girls. Ron nudged him as they turned the corner.
"There they are," he said.
Harry looked up a bit nervously, and was momentarily stunned. Silver looked like some unearthly being. Her robes seemed to be made of a mixture of pure silver and diamonds. Whenever she moved in the slightest, tiny sparkles seemed to erupt from her robes, which fitted her very, very well. Her hair was piled delicately on top of her head, with curls spilling down onto her cheeks on either side. She wore no make up except for a light pink gloss over her lips. She was chatting contentedly with Hermione, neither of them noting the fact that he and Ron were heading their way. She turned to look at him as he drew close.
"Harry," she said delightedly, a smile lighting her face.
He presented her with the lily that he was holding wordlessly. Her eyes traveled from his face and down to the flower in his hand, and he heard an intake of breath.
"Oh, Harry, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, taking it gently from his hand.
She closed her eyes and smelt of it, and Harry wished he could forever hold that picture in his mind. She opened her eyes, a smile on her face, and he couldn't help but smile back.
"That's not all," he informed her, holding out a small, black velvet box.
"Proposing, Harry?" came a voice from behind him.
He turned to see Dean grinning at him cheekily, a blonde Ravenclaw hanging on his arm.
"Very funny," he replied, turning his attention back to Silver.
Silver made a face at Dean, but then smiled as she accepted the box and opened it. Her eyes widened when she saw its contents.
"Ooh, Harry," she breathed, reaching a finger in and touching the earrings gingerly, as if she were afraid they might disappear.
"Do you like them?" he asked hopefully.
"I love them," she replied, gazing at them in awe.
They were tiny, dangling silver hearts that were engraved with a small star in the center. Silver gently dislodged the earrings and put them on, looking at Harry expectantly. Harry grinned his approval, and she threw her arms around his neck unexpectedly. He held her tightly for a moment, and then let her sink down and out of his arms. She gave a contented sigh as she looked up at him. Ron cleared his throat loudly, and Harry looked up to find that he and Hermione were waiting for them.
"Oh...right," he said, offering his arm to Silver.
Beaming, she slid her arm through his as they walked into the Great Hall. It looked as if all the students were already there, excepting first through third years, who hadn't been allowed to come.
"Where's Charisma?" Harry asked as they followed Ron and Hermione over to the refreshments table.
"I made her stay in the dungeons," Silver replied.
"The dungeons?" Harry echoed.
"Yes," she replied, "I didn't want to leave her in the common room or the girls dormitories, or she would bother people. So I got permission to leave her in the dungeons."
Harry noted how she purposely avoided the use of Snape's name, and found it amusing, knowing that she did it for his sake. He glanced over at Ron and Hermione, who were filling up on snacks – or rather, Ron, who was filling up on snacks, and Hermione, who was watching impatiently and complaining.
"Cute couple," he commented, when he saw that Silver was looking in the same direction as him.
She giggled. "Yeah," she agreed.
A slow song came on, and he poked her side playfully. "Wanna dance?" he asked.
He wasn't too sure of his dancing abilities, but after he had found out there was going to be a ball, he had practiced dancing with an invisible partner early in the mornings, before anyone else was awake. He thought...or rather, hoped...that it had done him some good.
She smiled. "Mm-hmm," she replied.
He led her out to the dance floor a bit nervously, and slid his arms around her waist. She put her arms around his neck and gazed up at him thoughtfully.
"So anyway," she said as he somehow managed to steer them out of the way of an overly excited and fast-moving couple without stepping on anybody's feet, "Since we were talking about Ron and Hermione...has Ron talked to you yet?"
"Talked to me?" Harry echoed, "About what?"
She frowned. "Well...I promised him I wouldn't say anything," she said, "Kind of about Hermione."
"Uh, other than asking me what to get her for tonight, no," Harry answered.
"Oh," she said, glancing over at the other two.
"What was it supposed to be about?" Harry inquired.
"I told him I wouldn't tell," she repeated.
He pulled her closer. "But you can tell me," he coaxed, giving her his best begging face.
She smiled bemusedly as she looked up at him. "Well..."
He waited interestedly.
"No," she finally said, "I shouldn't say."
"Please?" he begged her.
"No," she replied firmly.
He bent down to kiss her nose pleadingly.
"No," was her reply.
He tried her neck.
"Harry," she said warningly.
He looked at her innocently, making her giggle.
"I'm going to get it out of you," he threatened.
"Are not," she replied.
Grinning mischievously, he began to tickle her. She squealed and pulled away, missing another dancing couple by inches. He chased her through the crowd until they reached a clearing on the side. She glanced back at him to see if he was still following, and gave another squeal when she saw that he was. She darted away, but he caught her around the waist, tickling her mercilessly.
"No...Harry...stop," she laughed, squirming in his arms.
He relented, and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He leaned down so that he could speak into her ear.
"Going to tell me?" he inquired.
"N...no," she replied uncertainly, wrapping her arms around her waist to protect herself.
"I'll eat your ear," he threatened.
"The earrings will give you a stomachache," she warned.
He chuckled. "So be it," he answered, nibbling lightly on her ear, but making sure not to touch her earrings.
She squirmed away. "Okay, I'll tell you!" she exclaimed.
He disappointedly pulled away and allowed her to turn around in his arms. For a moment he couldn't remember what it was she was supposed to be telling him – he had just been enjoying the game.
"Ron's going to be so mad," she said, glancing around his shoulder to make sure Ron was still at an acceptable distance.
"Ron doesn't have to know you told me," he replied.
She looked up at him earnestly. "But that would be just like lying," she said.
He grinned. "Alright, I'll tell him I forced you to tell me," he declared, "And that it's all my fault."
He set his forehead against hers as he spoke, and she smiled.
"Alright," she agreed, much to his amusement.
He looked into her eyes, and could tell that she was trying to think of how to word what she was about to say.
"He's really confused about Hermione right now," Silver began, "She's kind of pressuring him to tell her that he loves her, but he's confused about love – he doesn't really know what it means. He wanted to ask you, but I think he's too embarrassed."
"Mione doesn't seem like the type of girl that would pressure him into saying that," Harry said thoughtfully.
"She's more sentimental than you think," Silver replied.
"Hmm," he replied, looking down at her.
She smiled. "You're not thinking about Ron or Hermione, are you?" she asked amusedly.
"Nope," he admitted.
He lowered his lips to hers, and watched for a moment as she closed her eyes in anticipation of his kiss. He kissed her softly and briefly, and then drew back to look at her. She beamed at him.
"Love you," he told her.
Her eyes seemed to sparkle more intensely at the sound of his words.
"I love you, too," she answered shyly.
He grinned and kissed her on the top of the head.
"Dance with me?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied.
Harry then realized that a fast-paced song was playing at the moment.
"Erm...well..." he said, trying to think of an excuse to change his mind. He had never danced to a fast dance before, and didn't think he would be very good at it, but didn't want to let on.
She giggled at his expression. "Come on, we'll get Ron and Hermione to come with us," she urged.
Harry snickered. "I'd like to see Ron try and dance to this song," he agreed.
Between him, Silver, and Hermione, they managed to drag Ron away from the snacks and onto the dance floor, where they pretty much made complete fools of themselves, excepting Silver, who chided them for acting 'silly' as they invented new dance moves.
"Don't be shy," Harry told her, grabbing her and twirling her around.
"I'm not shy," she insisted, "I just don't want to embarrass myself!"
He pulled her into his arms and dipped her. "You couldn't embarrass yourself if you tried, sweetie," he informed her as he bent over her.
He earned himself a kiss, and grinned like an idiot as they straightened.
"Don't look now, Harry, but Snape's gonna kill you," Ron said cheerfully as he twirled Hermione around.
Harry followed Ron's gaze over towards an extremely irritated-looking Snape, who was watching him with loathing.
"Since when does he come to Valentines Balls?" he asked.
"Since Silver does," Hermione answered.
"No kidding," Harry replied.
He glanced at Silver, who quickly tried not to look pleased that she was the reason Snape had come.
"You asked him to come, didn't you?" he accused, twirling her about and then bringing her close into his arms.
"No," she replied defensively, "He wanted to come."
"To make sure I don't put you in any more 'compromising positions'?" Harry asked with a grin.
She blushed. "Probably," she admitted.
He chuckled, and dipped her one last time as the music stopped.
"Am I compromising you?" he inquired in mock seriousness as he hovered over her.
She and Hermione began to giggle helplessly as he brought her back up. Harry was very pleased with himself for inspiring such a burst of happiness, and he and Ron followed the girls back to the refreshments stand for a glass of punch. Silver's hair had come slightly undone by all the twirling and dipping, but the wisps of hair that escaped the careful pile on top of her head only made her look more beautiful, in Harry's opinion. Slow music began to play, but Harry decided to skip the opportunity to dance, since Silver and Hermione looked so intent on talking.
"So," he said to Ron, "Danced a slow one with her yet?"
"No," Ron answered slowly.
"You should," Harry replied.
"I don't know," Ron said, "Every time I get even a little bit 'romantic', she starts-"
Harry put a hand up to signal Ron to stop as he looked over at Silver. A very tall boy with black hair and even blacker eyes was talking to her with a glint in his eye that Harry didn't like at all. Ron followed his gaze, and recognition dawned in his eyes.
"Kyle Lawrick," he told Harry.
Harry brushed past him and towards Kyle. Silver looked immensely relieved when she saw him. Harry slid an arm around her and glared at Kyle. Kyle looked at him interestedly.
"Hey, Harry," he greeted, sticking out a hand.
"Why are you hitting on my girlfriend?" Harry answered, not pausing for a second.
"I wasn't hitting on her," Kyle said, mock hurtfulness in his voice, "I just wanted to dance with her."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "And the difference would be?"
"Well, you weren't dancing with her, so I figured somebody should," Kyle replied.
"Do everyone a favor and stop trying to figure things out," Harry answered.
Kyle's face hardened. "You don't know me..." he began in a low growl.
"And I'd like to keep it that way," Harry finished.
Kyle gave him a withering look and turned to walk away.
"Wow, Harry," Hermione said simply.
"Can you believe he had the nerve to ask her?" Harry fumed, "What a little..."
Silver quieted him with a finger over his lips.
"We know, Harry," she assured him, and then with a smile, "Thank you."
He grinned. "Anytime," he assured her.
"He'll think twice before asking her again," Ron crowed triumphantly, "You should have seen the look on your face, Harry! It was worse than Snape!"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, sounding shocked.
They followed her gaze to see Snape standing only a few feet away, giving Ron a death look. Silver burst into giggles.
"It's not funny!" Ron exclaimed in a whisper, "He'll kill me!"
"Well, you dug your own grave, didn't you?" Silver replied smartly.
Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, "Snape supporter," under his breath, which made Silver begin to giggle anew.
"Oh no!" Hermione squealed suddenly, "You've gotten us all in trouble, Ron!"
They all looked to see that Dumbledore was making his way towards them. There was no denying that they were his destination: he was looking right at them. They quickly all straightened and tried to look as innocent as possible as Dumbledore approached them.
"Good evening," he greeted them.
"Good evening," they all chorused back.
His eyes twinkled as he looked at them. "Such guilty faces," he commented.
A slight blush surfaced on all of their faces, excepting Ron, who turned a bright red.
"I was wondering, Miss Riddle, if you would do me the honor of dancing with me," he inquired politely.
"Me?" Silver echoed, "Dance with you?"
"If Harry permits, of course," Dumbledore added with a twinkle in his eye.
Harry blushed. "Uh, yeah, go ahead," he answered.
Dumbledore turned back to a flustered Silver.
"All right," she agreed faintly.
Dumbledore led her out to the dance floor, and they began to dance. Students whispered and giggled, pointing at the pair, but nobody made too big of a deal out of it. Harry saw that Dumbledore and Silver were conversing as they waltzed.
"He must have wanted to tell her something," he commented.
"Yeah," Ron agreed.
"Or maybe he just wants her to tell him something," Hermione said smartly.
Harry looked at Hermione for a moment. "If he wanted her to tell him something about Voldemort, he wouldn't do it at a Valentines Ball," he said.
"Keep your voice down, Potter!" Snape snapped.
Harry glanced up in surprise. Either Snape had gotten closer or his glasses were playing tricks on him. Is he eavesdropping on us? Harry wondered in surprise. He exchanged a glance with a scared-looking Ron and Hermione, and shrugged.
"Well, Harry, Silver doesn't always pick the most – opportune – moment to say things," Hermione reminded him.
"Yeah, I guess," Harry admitted, "But I still think Dumbledore's crazy if he thinks she's going to tell him anything about..."
He was cut off by warning looks from Ron and Hermione which could only mean that Snape was still eavesdropping. He suddenly heard Tonks' voice and turned around. She was making her way towards them with a smile on her face.
"Hey, kids," she greeted them fondly.
"Hi," they chorused.
"Remus says hi, Harry," she informed him.
"Cool," Harry said, and then, "Wait – you talked to him today?"
"Um, well, yes," Tonks said uncertainly.
A smirk began to spread across Harry's face. "In person?"
"Yes," Tonks admitted, flushing faintly.
"You were on a date!" Harry exclaimed.
This time Tonks' blush was definite. "No we weren't!" she argued.
"Sure," Harry smirked.
Flustered, Tonks turned away and crashed full force into Snape. Snape jumped as if he had been hit with a bomb. Harry was shaking with silent laughter.
"Oh, um, hi Severus," Tonks greeted as she took two large steps back.
Snape glowered at her. "Hello," he finally said stiffly.
"I...um, didn't know you liked balls," Tonks ventured.
The look Snape gave her was priceless. He looked completely offended that anyone would ever think that he liked balls in the slightest.
"I don't," he answered.
"Oh," Tonks said in a small voice.
Dumbledore suddenly seemed to appear out of thin air. Harry looked around for Silver, and began to panic when he couldn't see her.
"Not to worry, Harry," Dumbledore said, "Miss Riddle has only gone to the ladies' room. I was wondering though, Miss Granger, if perhaps you would accompany her? I'm not particularly fond of the idea of her going off alone."
"Sure," Hermione replied, heading for the door.
Harry listened halfheartedly as Tonks and Ron began to participate in a conversation about Quidditch, but his eyes rested by the door, awaiting Silver's return. After a minute or so, he looked over at Dumbledore and Snape, and straightened when he heard a snatch of their conversation.
"...said she had something important to tell me after the ball," Snape was saying.
Harry inched closer, hoping not to be noticed.
"Do you think it's about that matter, though?" Dumbledore asked gravely.
"I suspect it," Snape answered, "She'll usually tell me things straight away, but this makes me think that it's more important than usual."
Harry wondered if he had heard right. If he had, then Snape had just admitted that he considered the things Silver usually told him important.
"I hope you're right," Dumbledore replied, "We're running out of time, and- "
"Potter," Snape growled suddenly, interrupting Dumbledore, "What are you doing?"
Harry froze. He had gotten closer than he had meant to.
"Erm, nothing," he said, "I was just...just..."
"Just eavesdropping?" Snape suggested.
Harry felt a twinge of unfairness. Snape had been doing the exact same thing to them! He opened his mouth to tell him so, but when he looked up at Snape, Snape was not looking at him. His eyes were focused on Hermione, who was making her way towards them – alone. Hermione was biting her lip when she reached them.
"Um, I can't find her," she said meekly, "I've looked in all the bathrooms except for the ones on the third floor, but Lavender and Seam...I mean, um, well, Lavender said she wasn't up there..."
Hermione flushed slightly as she finished. Harry felt a bit of unease rising up in him.
"She probably went to check on the blasted animal," Snape said irritably, "I'll get her."
With that, he brushed past them. Harry almost wanted to follow Snape, but he stayed put.
"Why would she say she was going to the bathroom if she was going to go check on Charisma?" he asked.
"Well, you know her, Harry, she probably was on her way back from the bathroom when she remembered how 'lonely' Charisma was, and then decided to go visit her for a bit," Hermione replied comfortingly.
"Yeah, you know how she much she loves that thing," Ron added from behind Harry.
Harry jumped and spun around to face Ron and Tonks. He had been completely unaware that they had approached.
"You're probably right," he agreed, although he would only be satisfied when he saw her.
He glanced up at Dumbledore, who merely nodded.
"Don't be worried, Harry," Hermione urged.
"I'm not," Harry lied.
He looked towards the door to escape the disbelieving stares being thrown his way. For a few minutes, nobody spoke – everybody just looked at the door. Harry thought it was taking an awfully long time for Snape just to walk to the dungeons, get Silver, and come back.
"He's probably scolding her for going somewhere else," Hermione said suddenly, interpreting Harry's thoughts.
"Yeah," Ron echoed weakly.
Harry looked at them briefly. He only had to look a second to see that they didn't believe a word they were saying. Suddenly Ron's face went taut and he straightened, looking behind Harry. Harry slowly turned around, and his stomach gave a lurch. Snape was making his way towards them – alone.
"I've searched the dungeons and had the portraits search the halls," he announced, "She's not in the castle. We'll have to search the grounds."
Not in the castle? Harry's mind echoed. He looked at Ron and Hermione, who both tried – and failed – to look as if they weren't worried.
"So be it," Dumbledore agreed, "Tonks, would you please ask Professor McGonagall to keep an eye on things while we are gone?"
"Of course," Tonks replied, hurrying off in the other direction.
Harry watched her go dazedly. Hermione suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"Come on, Harry," she said.
He snapped to attention and realized that Snape and Dumbledore were already headed for the door. He broke into a jog to catch up with them.
"Where do you think she is?" he demanded as he caught up.
Dumbledore looked at him expressionlessly for a moment. "I must say, I do not know," he replied finally.
Unsatisfied, Harry turned to Snape. Snape eyed him with hatred and then directed his gaze away. Harry dropped back a few steps, making a face at Snape behind his back. Ron and Hermione came on either side of him. They made their way outside to be faced with a moonless night.
"We should split up to cover more ground at once," Hermione suggested.
Dumbledore nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
"That won't be necessary," Snape said, from a few feet away. He was looking down at the ground intensely, and he finally stooped and reached for something. He straightened and Harry's heart stopped beating completely. He was holding Silver's locket at arm's length. Finally, he brought it closer to observe it.
"The chain is broken," he said, sounding as if he were observing a potion somebody had made in class.
He and Dumbledore exchanged glances.
"She was taken by force," he finished, his voice suddenly quieter.
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Response to Reviews
Kittie Riddle – Thank you very much! You say you want a clue? shakes finger firmly No, no, no! Patience! I know...I'm evil.
SmileyMare1810 – Yeah, I realized a few chapters back that I had left Hagrid out of this...I never really meant to, but he kind of got pushed back what with my other ideas. I'll try and bring him back at least slightly in the sequel. :) Oh by the way, your name makes me curious as to whether you like horses – do you?
Peanutbutta3636 – Don't be sorry – I'm glad you're so happy! lol!
sun-star-n-moon22 – Ooh, I love your compliments! I will try to update as much as possible!
Dbish403 – Wow – a bit excited language wise, are we? ;) Ah, we all fear for Silver's life!
GHzowy – Yeah, I was starting to think the same about Silver, myself, actually. Ah well. Oh and thank you very much for your compliments!
PadfootLover719 – As I've mentioned before, a sequel is on it's way!
Strawby168 – Yeah, I've been meaning to bump up the rating for a while now. I shall remember tonight when I add this chapter!
wiccanpriestess3451 – Silver's parents' identities will be revealed...soon, and as far as her locket goes, I have by no means forgotten about it! It's much too important to forget!
Tumblechick – Well, you may be right. You may have to wait until the sequel to find out. I may be giving out too much information. –zips lips-
Tekvah Ariel – Don't you just hate how I didn't tell what Malfoy's punishment was? Don't worry, I'll let you guys know later. And of course, thank you for your compliments!
ActionPackedKindaGirl – Okay, so your review wasn't for Chapter 41, but I have to answer it anyway. I absolutely can't resist really long reviews, and that's what you left me! I just have to say thank you – your compliments about my writing made me smile like an idiot! Oh and just because this story is ending doesn't mean there won't be a lack of updates in it's sequel, let me remind you! Harry and Silver can't stay in the sixth year forever!
And also a huge thank you to Dobby's #1 Fan, Rose In Winter, Kestrez, miss- sweetheart1027, wordwiz8121, and harryptaxd204, all of whom made me extremely happy with their reviews! Oh and sorry about the cliffy, guys! But really, this chapter was getting too long – 12 Microsoft Word pages typed in size 9 font – your eyes would have fallen out if I had typed any more!