(Author's Note: I'd like to thank Sandrine Black for her help and for suggesting I read the fifth book over – it was brilliant. Not to mention massive fun. Thanks Sandrine!)
oooooooooooooooooooo
Harry stared at Ron for a few moments. All the numbness burned away, he felt like he was on fire. "I will not lose another friend!" This passion in his voice sounded strange compared to its normal emptiness. "Ron, wait here."
Harry quietly walked out of his room, crept down the hall into Petunia's and Vernon's room. The moonlight filtered into their room enough for him to make everything out, and Vernon's loud snores covered up the noise of his feet on the floor. He went to their closet first, and grinned triumphantly when he found his trunk, poorly hidden. Harry reached for it, but paused at a box next to it, labeled "Pictures of Lily".
Pictures of his mother and Petunia as children filled the box to the brim. Pictures of them as babies, at school, trick-or-treating, building a sand castle. They were still and lifeless next to what Harry was used to by now. But to see his mother again, even like this, filled him with purpose. He had lost too much to this war, to this enemy. He could not lose Hermione too. He was tired of mourning. He put the pictures back, and hefted up his trunk.
"Harry." Spinning around, Harry saw his aunt standing behind him, eyes wide. "I'm sorry I took your things, but –"
"It was you?" Harry felt stunned. She had seemed like she was trying to be nice!
She gestured to the pictures he had been looking at. "I was just trying to keep you here. So that you didn't wind up like my sister. Or like your godfather – someone wrote me a letter, told me he died. I'm very sorry Harry. Don't you see why you have to give all that up? You'll be safe here. The wizards can't hurt you here. Maybe you see that you should stop now, all that nonsense."
Harry wanted to yell at her for being so stupid, for trying to stop him. The only thing keeping him from it was the fact she had sincerely tried to help him, and wasn't just responding the threats she'd received. Though he didn't yell, Harry's voice still came out clipped and sharp. "You're right Aunt, I would be safer here. But some things are more important than safety. And Petunia, not all wizards are bad. Just accept that. Your sister wasn't bad, I'm not bad. I'll be gone the rest of the summer. Tell uncle Vernon whatever you like."
Within moments Harry and Ron were flying back to their world, back to number 12, Grimmaud Place.
oooooooooooooooooooo
The faces around the table at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix were grim. Moody, Tonks, Dumbledore, Aurthur and Molly, Lupin, Snape – even the twins were there. Mrs. Weasley looked the most upset, however. She scolded as she poured everyone tea. "Ron! The foolishness of dragging poor Harry away from his safe haven! Harry should return at once! With the Death Eater's making such brazen moves, Harry needs all the safety he can get."
"Indeed, perhaps he should stay with the Dudleys all year." Snape commented. "If Hogwarts isn't a target, his presence alone would make it one."
Harry stood up, threw his tea cup at the wall. Everyone silenced as it shattered and looked at him with started eyes. "Of course I'm not safe! But what about the prophecy? If I don't want to be killed by him, that means I have to be able to kill him! That means I have to go to Hogwarts, have to take the Auror classes. And I have to know what's going on! So, tell me – and Ron – how bad it is in Durmstrang."
Snape scoffed, "You are still a guest here, and as such you will make no more demands from us!"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "And I expect you, Sivirus, to make no more threats." He turned back to Harry. Snape was practically hissing in indignation, but at least he said nothing in protest.
Dumbledore folded his hands on his lap. "The school is surrounded by German Wizard Authority forces working to free the school. They don't appear to have made much leeway yet, but they're not telling the Ministry very much. They have assured us that the situation is under control. We have found out, however, that one of the demands being made is the resignation of several members of the German Magician's Council." Dumbledore took off his glasses, rubbed his temples. He looked more ancient than Harry had ever seen him. "Every name on the list is of someone who once had been in The Order of Night's Bane. Their order was a sister order to the Phoenix, during the first war. They weren't involved in many actual battles, but helped us train and gather information." Dumbledore sighed, replaced his glasses. "They've said that by the full moon, in eight days, they'll start killing children if the demands aren't met. But until then, they've promised not to harm anyone."
"I know Hermione is there, boys." Said Mrs. Weasley – speaking more gently this time. "But don't worry. She is safe for now, and much is being done to free all the students."
Harry and Ron were dismissed, both went to their room upstairs grudgingly. Since Ron had come to him on Privet Drive, a knot had been growing in Harry's stomach. Now he found it was hard to breath. Normally, something loomed over Harry. But it was almost always about him, not about his friends. He couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to her. From the looks of it, Ron was only doing worse.
Ron sat down, putting his head in his hands. His fingers gripped his hair, he looked ready to pull it out. "I can't take this, Harry. I can't at all. There has to be something we can do." He looked up hopefully. Just as he did Fred and George apparated beside them. Ron and Harry both jumped.
"Hey boys. There are a few things they left out downstairs. Have a seat Harry."
Harry obeyed, sitting next to Ron. He could practically feel Ron's stress.
Fred and George looked at each other before Fred finally turned back to them. "All right. The Death Eater leading the take over has been identified, as Bellatrix Lestrange." Fred paused to look at Harry, see his reaction. Harry just stared back, though he felt a lump form in his throat. Now there was no question in Harry's mind: he would be paying a visit to Durmstrang. Sirius's murderer would pay dearly.
"You understand that, Harry? Ron? Bellatrix was one of the wizards you guys fought – she saw Hermione. She knows who Hermione is!"
Harry felt struck. Of course she would remember Hermione. Ron looked sick.
"We're going to do something about his." Harry told them through clenched teeth.
George nodded. "That's what we were hoping you'd say. We don't want Ginny in on this one, but we've contacted your friend Neville and he'll be staying with us this week. "
"Plus, when we found out we immediately contacted Hermione's friend – Viktor Klum." Fred said, taking over. "He's got a cousin in the German Wizard Authority, and told them a few of us approved by the Ministry will be allowed to 'accompany them to help any attack force should an attempt at forceful rescue be made'. So we'll have some company on the front line at least."
George continued. "Of course, we won't be telling the adults. We tried talking to them about it when Ron went for you, Harry, and they wouldn't even listen. We'll be ready though. While in Germany, we managed to attain a few books they wouldn't normally allow us to get here in England. The four of us can train on them for a week, and then we'll head off."
Some of the lump in Harry's throat disappeared. This was good, this was a plan. This felt like doing something. Harry nodded his support of the twin's idea. Ron looked a little less pale as well. "So – "Harry said. "Show us these books."
oooooooooooooooooooo
The next week went by amazingly fast. The adults were so busy with secret reports and running off on secret errands they paid little mind to what the children were doing. From snippets of conversation Harry, Ron, and the twins had overheard, however, things were not going well. Negotiations to alter the demands made by the Death Eaters had fallen through. So with a desperate intensity, every waking minute Harry, Ron, Neville, and the twins practiced their defenses and attacks from the books. After the first day Ginny joined them as well, having used extendable ears to find out what was going on, and refusing to be left out.
Harry ran out of his sleeping potion the second night – amazed he'd gone through his whole summer's supply already. By the time he went to sleep he was too exhausted to be afraid of the nightmares, but they always came nonetheless. He found he woke before the others, though they all arose before sunrise to practice. With those extra hours he poured over the books again and again, learning spells he knew he shouldn't be. He found fatal spells in those ancient pages, memorized them perfectly. A part of him felt guilty just knowing how to kill someone, but every time he thought of Bellatrix Lestrange that small part was overwhelmed with hunger to master a deadly force worthy of her ending.
The training, however, was wholly different from when they'd been meeting for Dumbledore's Army. Then, there had been laughter and patience and excitement. Then, upcoming danger was a vague possibility, not a certain and nearing inevitability. Every mistake was met with frustration, every slip felt like it was taking them a step further from victory. Ron was having the most trouble with the pressure.
"Blast me!" He punched the stone wall next to him. "I'll never get this bloody curse!"
"Relax Ron." Ginny ordered, covered in sweat from her efforts. "Just concentrate more-"
"I AM!" He shouted at her. "And if I can't pull this off – she could –"
"Maybe we should take a break." Suggested Neville timidly.
"Every break we take is something we're not learning – something we might need!" Ron snapped.
"Ron, calm down." Said Fred, rubbing his tired face. "Maybe Neville's right – just a small one-"
Ron hit the wall again. This time he left behind some skin and blood. "I won't give up! I know I can get this!"
Tears started brimming in his eyes. Harry wondered when the last time any of them had gotten more than a few hours of sleep. He gently put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "We'll be useless if we're like this mate. We've only got two days left – if we don't rest up we won't be ready."
Ron hit the wall again but didn't say anything. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then turned his back to them all and nodded. Harry had a feeling Ron had started crying. Everyone left dejectedly, exhausted, letting Ron take up the rear and pretending not to notice Ron's tears.
Harry wanted to say something comforting, but he didn't know what – mostly because he wanted someone to say something comforting to him. During their practices he managed to concentrate hard enough to feel nothing, and afterwards he was always too exhausted to. But in the early mornings, when he read the books, he felt a growing sense of urgency and anxiety. They were here, training, while who knew what was happening to their best friend. Harry couldn't get over the fact that the Death Eaters knew who she was, knew she was his friend. How could his mere friendship endanger so many? How many times would he put his friends in harms way? Hermione had almost died last time – they all had. He couldn't say anything about that to anyone though – they just reminded him they were in Dumbledore's Army for a reason, and they were taking the risks on their own. Knowing that didn't help the guilt, so Harry bore it silently and alone.
It was almost a relief when he finally found himself appearing from the floo network in a dusty German basement, two days after Ron's outbreak. At least the waiting would soon be over.