Disclaimer: All characters are property of J.K. Rowling and are being used
without permission. No attempt has been made to copyright this work. This novel
is purely for the entertainment of the author and readers and is not being used
for profit of any sort.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
INEVITABLE TRAGEDY
Harry was tired. Exhausted even. He sat slumped in one of the chairs in Dumbledore's office. The events of the past hour had turned the day sour for him. Cho was in the infirmary having her fingers re-attached (a process that Madam Pomfrey assured them wasn't as bad as it sounded).
Even more disturbing for Harry, however, was the strange thing that occurred when he had apparated for the first time.
Harry was certain that it was not a vision, nor a hallucination.
Those ghosts were real. That room was real. That figure was real.
Harry had been there, and he hadn't been alone. The thought of the dark figure he had stood behind sent shivers down his spine.
Was it some kind of sign? Or...maybe it was a hint of some kind of punishment for his role in the act that he dared not speak of.
"So Harry," Dumbledore spoke softly, "what do you think happened?"
"I was hoping you would know." Harry replied. He had told Dumbledore in explicit detail what happened.
"I'm afraid I am as lost as you are. If you truly did apparate somewhere else for a brief moment, it would be extraordinary. Young wizards usually aren't able to apparate over long distances, and it doesn't sound like the place you visited is anywhere near here. Then again, you do specialize in the extraordinary."
"I don't want to go back there."
"Quite understandable. I would not either. However, we must find a way to keep this from hindering your apparition lessons. It is very important that you learn the skill as soon as possible. I wish that you were skilled enough to use the Pensieve. A more vivid picture would certainly help."
Harry almost offered to let Dumbledore use the Legilimens spell on him, but that would risk revealing a certain secret.
"Well, you should get going. We wouldn't want you to be late for Max's lesson. I will think on how to make your apparitions lessons safer. In the meantime, make sure you read that book I gave you."
"I will, Professor Dumbledore."
Harry left the headmaster's office feeling confused and a bit shaken. He found Max in his classroom, waiting for him.
"Hello Harry." the young instructor said. "How were your holidays?"
"They were pretty good. Yours?"
"Same. Have you been practicing?"
"Well, kinda." Harry replied. He had squeezed in some reading and some practice during the holidays, but not nearly enough to please Max.
"Good, then you'll be ready for a few tests."
"Sure."
"Before we start, there's something I've been asked to tell you."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Bellatrix LeStrange is..."
Max paused as Harry's heart rate increased dramatically at the mention of the witch's name. A flood of thoughts entered his mind, and he desperately tried to conceal them from Max.
"She's dead." Max continued with a curious look on his face.
"Oh." Harry said. "That's...too bad."
"Yes, isn't it?"
"How did it happen?" Harry asked anxiously.
"We're not sure. The Death Eaters sent us a little note. I'll spare you the details, but it included a rather graphic image and a very serious threat about revenge."
"Oh. I see. So they think the Order did it?"
"Apparently."
"Did they?"
"I don't know," Max said, his brown eyes boring into Harry's very soul, "you tell me."
Harry sat silently for a moment, thinking about what to say next. "How much do you know?" Harry asked seriously.
"All I know is that you are very guilty about something. I can only assume that you already knew about LeStrange's untimely demise."
"I never was any good at Occlumency." Harry sighed.
"Actually, your Legilimency studies have improved your Occlumency talents quite a bit as well. The two skills are very closely related, you know. Of course, I've been teaching you the mind-arts for months now, so I have detailed knowledge about what goes on in your head. I admit that it's an unfair advantage, but a useful one."
Harry said nothing.
"I don't need to know what happened, Harry." Max continued. "I just need to know if it is going to affect your ability to do what you need to do."
"I'm fine." Harry said simply.
"Good. However, if you ever need to talk about it, I am always available. So is Dumbledore."
"He wouldn't understand."
"You'd be surprised, Harry. Well, we need to get started on today's lesson."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Max wasn't going to press the issue further.
"Do you recall the best times to attempt Legilimency on your target?" Max asked.
"Well, when they're asleep, or when they're distracted or focusing on something else other than protecting their thoughts."
"Exactly." Max confirmed. "I'm sure that Voldemort's carefully guarding his thoughts these days. At some point though, he will need to focus on something. There are plenty of spells that require intense concentration. Voldemort, being the powerful wizard that he is, probably uses these kinds of spells regularly. When he does, his guard will be down."
"And that's where I come in."
"Yes. Voldemort did the same to you, sending thoughts to you at your weakest point. You don't cast the kind of spells he does though, so he has to get you when you're sleeping. We could try to do the same to him, but as far as we can tell...he doesn't sleep. Ever."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. So what we need you to do Harry, is go into a kind of scanning mode. You'll be periodically attempting a light connection, gauging Voldemort's defenses at all times. I call it 'pinging'. Hopefully, we'll get lucky and you can catch him at just the right moment."
"I'm sure he'll have something pleasant for me to see." Harry replied sarcastically.
"Yes, it'll probably be disturbing, but any hints on his location or his plans will be extremely valuable to us."
"So what do I have to do?"
"Well, you know all about making mind connections at this point, but you're still not strong enough to scan someone continuously. It'll take some effort, but I think the strange connection you and Voldemort share will make it at least possible."
Harry spent the next hour constantly attempting to get any mental impressions from Voldemort. He wasn't having any success.
"My head hurts." Harry finally said.
"Keep going." Max replied sternly.
Harry continued the task for another hour, without any success. Max finally released him, but told him to keep trying every hour.
Before heading back to the dorms, Harry decided to visit Cho in the infirmary. He wasn't looking forward to it really, but he was concerned about her. He decided to deal with the awkwardness of the situation and make sure she was okay.
He found her near the rear of the infirmary, her bed surrounded by cards and flowers, including a set of roses that Harry was certain were from Michael Corner.
"Hi, Cho."
"Oh, hey Harry." Cho responded.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. The fingers will be fine. I don't know if my pride will heal so easily though."
"Don't feel bad. I hear it happens a lot." Harry said.
"I'm just no good at apparition, Harry. This is my second time taking this stupid course and I'm still splinching. It's not fair."
"We're all bad at something, Cho."
"Not you."
"Even me." Harry insisted. "For example, I'm horrible at relationships."
"I guess you have a point." Cho laughed.
Harry put on his best fake smile. He was just joking, he hadn't expected Cho to agree with him.
"It wasn't really your fault." Cho continued. "We just weren't compatible. I'm sure you'll find the right person, Harry. Maybe you already have and you don't even realize it yet."
"Maybe." Harry replied. He didn't really believe it was true though. There was no room in his life for "the right person". He couldn't afford to put another potential captive on Voldemort's list.
Besides that, he knew their breakup wasn't his fault. Cho didn't seem to see it that way though.
"Well I guess I should get going before Madam Pomfrey comes in here and kicks me out."
"Yeah, she's a tough one." Cho warned. "She put Michael out earlier with a nasty little spell."
Harry gave Cho a long last glance. She was still a very pretty girl, even after spending a whole day in an infirmary with bandages around her hand. The butterflies were gone though. She wasn't right for him, plain and simple. He could see that now. All the regrets, insecurities, and reservations he had about breaking up with her were going to be gone once he left this room.
"See you later, Cho." Harry said as he waved goodbye.
"See you Harry. Thanks for stopping by."
As he went to bed that night Harry found that he was quite relaxed, as if a weight he had forgotten he had been carrying had suddenly been lifted.
***
The rest of the week flew by for Harry. His life was beginning to become a blur of various events. Classes, Legilimency lessons, homework, and Quidditch practice all took their toll on him. Friday brought some relief for everyone though. It was the final weekend for campaigning for the Minister of Magic position, and the candidates were having a final public debate. All of the Weasleys were attending, which meant that Harry would be too.
Max brought Harry and his friends to Diagon Alley for the event. The debate was being held at the Daily Prophet office there. The building had a large auditorium that the publication often used for press conferences and inaugurations. The place was already nearly full by the time they arrived. Mrs. Weasley waved to them from her position in the front row. She was wearing a very elegant dress that Harry was certain was new. Seated next to her were Charlie and Bill.
Percy was near the stage as well, talking to a man with a large camera. Harry could see the twins staring daggers at him from across the room.
"Percy is Fudge's Press Secretary now." Ron said. "He'll be floating around during the whole debate telling that photographer just the right angles to avoid so that Fudge's bald spot doesn't show."
The auditorium itself was decked out in political decorations. A magical wind blew through a large British flag that stood proudly behind the three podiums on the stage.
"Why are there only three podiums?" Harry asked. "I thought there were four candidates."
"Mafalda Hopkirk dropped out at the last minute." Hermione said, sporting her "Weasley for Minister" hat and looking quite comfortable with Ron's arm slung around her shoulders. "She's endorsed Mr. Weasley. If the debate goes well, he's sure to win. Especially with you here."
"What do I have to do with it?" Harry asked.
"Well, it's pretty well known at this point that you're close to the Weasleys." Hermione continued. "The support of The-Boy-Who-Lived means quite a lot."
"More than you can imagine." Ron added with a wide grin.
The panelists for the debate sat at a desk at the foot of the stage. Madam Bones was there, looking rather stately. To Harry's surprise, Rita Skeeter was there as well.
"What's she doing here?" Ginny asked with a frown.
"She's representing the journalists." Hermione answered. "I talked to her earlier, she said she'll keep it clean. She'd better."
"Well, I have to leave you guys for now." Max said to them. "Moody wants me on security detail. Fudge wouldn't allow Aurors in here, something about it making him look frightened. Idiot."
Max left them and took up a position near one of the exits. Shortly afterwards, the three candidates entered the room to a round of applause.
"Well, I think we're ready to get started." Rita Skeeter said through a magical voice amplifier. "We'll start with some questions about the overall approach that each candidate would take to solve our current crisis with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Mr. Satchel, if you were elected, what would be your primary goal?"
"I propose a shift in the way we think of our education in the Dark Arts." The smarmy wizard said slowly. "For far too long we have cowered in fear at the very mention of the Dark Arts. This phobia has created a gap in our knowledge of magic. We still do not even know the source of the Dark Lord's great power. I propose that we improve our understanding of the Dark Arts, and remove the stigma attached to them. Only then can we face this evil on equal footing."
"Is he insane?" Hermione said rather loudly, obviously not caring who heard her.
"That's the only explanation I can think of." Ron added.
Harry certainly agreed, but there were many in the audience who seemed to be in support of Satchel's idea.
"Thank you Mr. Satchel." Madam Bones concluded.
Rita Skeeter spoke up next. "Mr. Weasley, you've served for quite some time as an official in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. How do you think that your experience in this field qualifies you as Minister of Magic?"
"Muggles have a lot to teach us, I think. They've managed quite well without magic. In fact, in many ways they have surpassed us. Sometimes I think that our magic has made us complacent and arrogant. We don't have to work as hard as they do to solve our problems. As a result, there's not a lot about our society that has changed in the last few centuries. Look at how much the Muggles have progressed since the second World War. A war that they won by themselves, I might add. A war that threatened even us, a threat even greater than Grindelwald. In comparison, look how little we have changed since then. The same circumstances that allowed Grindelwald to steal power still exist, which is why the current Dark Lord exists today. My studies of Muggle society have taught me much, but if I could pick the most important lesson I've learned in studying Muggles it is this: those who do not adapt, do not succeed."
Satchel interrupted with a rude snort. "And why haven't these 'progressive' Muggles been able to keep the Dark Lord from attacking them?"
"Because they're not sure exactly who is attacking them. Voldemort has never revealed himself to them, instead he works through his Death Eaters. The Dark Lord has gained power because others support his agenda. The only reason he has targeted Muggles and Muggle-borns is as bait to attract the kind of callous and ruthless people he needs. Without his followers he is little more than a common thug. He uses our fears and prejudices to his advantage. While I still feel that our existence must be hidden from non-magic users for the time being, I believe that our attitudes towards them must change. The last thing we want is for them to believe that we're all like Voldemort. We may have magic, but if they feel threatened they can unleash frightening power that we can only dream of. Let's not forget how that Second War ended."
"Thank you Mr. Weasley. Minister Fudge, your thoughts?"
Fudge looked a little nervous. "Ahem. I think we should increase our Auror ranks. I propose an active recruitment process to develop the Department of Magical Law Enforcement into a force that can battle the Death Eaters. Our research indicates that there are fewer Death Eaters than we initially thought. We should be able to easily defeat them with superior numbers of well trained..."
"DEATH TO THE BLOOD-TRAITORS!!"
The scream came from the rear of the crowd. Harry barely had enough time to turn his head before several metallic darts sped towards Mr. Weasley...
Incendio!
Percy, standing just a few feet away from Mr. Weasley, had seen the attacker just in time and jumped in front of his father and destroyed the darts. Mr. Weasley reacted immediately and pulled his son to the ground to avoid any further attacks.
"A hit wizard!" someone in the crowd yelled. The effect was immediate, most of the crowd scrambled for the nearest exits, including the assassin. The few members of the Order doing security in the crowd tried to chase after him, but they were swarmed by the panicking citizens.
"No," Ron said in a voice that seemed utterly foreign to Harry, "no you are NOT getting away!!"
Ron took off after the assailant, his long legs carrying him beyond Harry's reach in just a few strides. Ron roughly pushed several people to the floor in his haste to reach the man that tried to kill his father.
"Damn it Ron." Harry cursed to himself as he chased after him. There were others following him, including Lupin, but his superior speed left them trailing behind. Ron was a fairly quick runner as well though, and he had a good head start. Harry was struggling to keep up with him.
Harry just barely caught a glimpse of Ron's red hair far ahead of him as he ran into the night and ducked into an alley, hot on the heels of the attacker. Harry spotted an opening in an old fence ahead of him that appeared to lead to a short-cut. He squeezed through the rickety fence, hoping to cut the assassin off.
Unfortunately, Harry's shortcut ended up being quite long. There were several obstacles that Harry had to go around before he finally caught up with Ron, who at this point was in a heated duel with the assassin.
"Crucio!"
"Protego!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Ron's spell hit the would-be assassin, but he wasn't hindered at all. He closed in on Ron and knocked his wand out of his hand. Ron tried to retrieve it, but the hit-wizard caught him from behind and quickly gripped him in a lethal choke hold.
Most people would have been in a bad way at that point, getting strangled by a trained killer, but Ron had spent his entire life in a house full of rowdy (and sometimes cruel) older brothers. He knew how to defend himself.
Ron forcefully wrested himself from the hit-wizard's grip, using his height as an advantage. He twisted the killer's arm around and threw him off balance.
Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the pair of battling men, but he dared not cast a spell with Ron so close. At this range Harry could see who the young man was. It was Montague, the former Slytherin Quidditch captain. The twins had stuffed him into a Vanishing Cabinet last year.
Ron stood his ground, his fists raised. "Come on you punk, let's settle this."
"Filthy Weasley, you're out of your league!" Montague accepted the challenge and charged at Ron. Ron stopped him with a quick jab to the face, using his greater reach as an advantage. Montague retaliated with a swift kick at Ron's knee, but Ron ignored the pain and brought a crushing blow to Montague's chin that splayed him on the ground.
"Serves you right you bastard! You should know by now, DON'T EVER MESS WITH A WEASLEY!!!" Ron shouted as he began pummeling the young Death Eater on the pavement.
Harry ran over to him. "Ron, he's out cold. Let him up!"
"Filthy Death Eater deserves worse than a good beating." Ron yelled as he began to grind Montague's face into the street.
"He's barely older than us, Ron." Harry said pleadingly as he pulled Ron off of Montague.
"Should it matter?" Ron yelled. "He tried to kill my dad! If it hadn't been for Percy...wow, Percy. I'm glad he finally remembered where he came from."
"We should get back." Harry said. As he was saying that, Lupin, Tonks, Mundungus Fletcher, and the rest of the Order members that had chased after them appeared.
"Well, it looks like the situation is well in hand." Lupin said, panting.
"Yeah, I took care of him." Ron beamed.
"You two should get out of here. We think there's some more Death Eaters around waiting to take advantage of the situation. Get back to the Daily Prophet."
"I'm not going anywhere." Ron protested. "This is my catch, I want to bring him in."
Lupin shook his head and sighed. "Fine. You can stay with us while we wrap this guy up and figure out what else they're planning. Harry, you go back with Tonks and Mundungus. No arguments."
Harry did as he was told and and left the scene. "Didn't know Ron had it in him." Tonks said as she led Harry back to the Daily Prophet.
"There's a lot people don't know about him." Harry replied.
They got back to the Prophet office in a few minutes. There was a crowd of Aurors at the scene now, questioning people and securing a perimeter. Shacklebolt made sure they got past the guards and back into the auditorium to check on Mr. Weasley.
The auditorium had emptied except for a large crowd of people on the stage. As soon as Harry entered the room, he knew something was wrong...
People were crying.
"Harry, stop." Max said as he rushed to him.
"Why? What happened?"
"Where's Ron?" Max asked.
"He's with Lupin and the others. He caught the guy. What's going on?"
Max looked sick. "It's Percy."
Harry slipped past Max and ran to the small crowd on the stage. Lying there, in his father's arms, was Percy. His body was limp, and his skin was turned a horrible yellowish color.
"He missed one of the darts." Max whispered solemnly behind Harry. "They were filled with acromantula venom by the look of it. It's a very fast acting poison. There was nothing we could do."
Harry stood in shock, speechless. Mr. Weasley's emotions were written all over his tear-streaked face. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing heavily in Fred's arms. Harry's heart went out to her. Her greatest fear had become a reality.
"Harry...Ron." Max said with urgency. "Someone has to-"
"I'll tell him." Harry insisted, dreading the task but knowing that it would be best for Ron to hear it from him.
"Are you sure?" Max asked.
"Yeah."
Harry went back outside, still in shock. Percy hadn't exactly been Harry's best friend, but he was a Weasley. That made him practically part of Harry's extended family, a family that was steadily getting smaller.
A few minutes later Ron returned, slightly limping from the kick he had received to his knee. He was obviously still excited about his single-handed defeat of the Death Eater. "Wait until Dad hears about this!!"
"Ron, wait. You can't go in." Harry said to him, trying to summon the strength he needed.
"What? Why not? What's wrong? What I miss?"
Voldemort, Death Eaters, murderous centaurs, Dementors...nothing Harry had ever faced in his life compared to what he was about to do now, the pain he was about to cause to the most important person in his life.
"Ron, Percy didn't block one of the darts. It was poisoned."
"What are you talking about, Harry?"
"I'm sorry, Ron."
"Where is he?" Ron said, stepping forward.
"Ron, no." Harry said firmly as he grabbed Ron and pushed him back.
"Let me go, Harry!! I want to see him, damn it!!"
"No Ron, no you don't."
"Harry...he's not...dead, is he?"
"I'm sorry Ron." Harry repeated.
Ron lost it then. He let out a yell that could be heard all over Diagon Alley. It was full of a mixture of anger and sorrow and frustration...and hate.
*******************************************************
Author's notes:
Alright, finally it's out! It's not my best (in fact, i'd call it one of my worst), but I had to get something out before you all lynched me. I've been EXTREMELY busy. I'm trying to get these chapters out quick, but it's tough.
INEVITABLE TRAGEDY
Harry was tired. Exhausted even. He sat slumped in one of the chairs in Dumbledore's office. The events of the past hour had turned the day sour for him. Cho was in the infirmary having her fingers re-attached (a process that Madam Pomfrey assured them wasn't as bad as it sounded).
Even more disturbing for Harry, however, was the strange thing that occurred when he had apparated for the first time.
Harry was certain that it was not a vision, nor a hallucination.
Those ghosts were real. That room was real. That figure was real.
Harry had been there, and he hadn't been alone. The thought of the dark figure he had stood behind sent shivers down his spine.
Was it some kind of sign? Or...maybe it was a hint of some kind of punishment for his role in the act that he dared not speak of.
"So Harry," Dumbledore spoke softly, "what do you think happened?"
"I was hoping you would know." Harry replied. He had told Dumbledore in explicit detail what happened.
"I'm afraid I am as lost as you are. If you truly did apparate somewhere else for a brief moment, it would be extraordinary. Young wizards usually aren't able to apparate over long distances, and it doesn't sound like the place you visited is anywhere near here. Then again, you do specialize in the extraordinary."
"I don't want to go back there."
"Quite understandable. I would not either. However, we must find a way to keep this from hindering your apparition lessons. It is very important that you learn the skill as soon as possible. I wish that you were skilled enough to use the Pensieve. A more vivid picture would certainly help."
Harry almost offered to let Dumbledore use the Legilimens spell on him, but that would risk revealing a certain secret.
"Well, you should get going. We wouldn't want you to be late for Max's lesson. I will think on how to make your apparitions lessons safer. In the meantime, make sure you read that book I gave you."
"I will, Professor Dumbledore."
Harry left the headmaster's office feeling confused and a bit shaken. He found Max in his classroom, waiting for him.
"Hello Harry." the young instructor said. "How were your holidays?"
"They were pretty good. Yours?"
"Same. Have you been practicing?"
"Well, kinda." Harry replied. He had squeezed in some reading and some practice during the holidays, but not nearly enough to please Max.
"Good, then you'll be ready for a few tests."
"Sure."
"Before we start, there's something I've been asked to tell you."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Bellatrix LeStrange is..."
Max paused as Harry's heart rate increased dramatically at the mention of the witch's name. A flood of thoughts entered his mind, and he desperately tried to conceal them from Max.
"She's dead." Max continued with a curious look on his face.
"Oh." Harry said. "That's...too bad."
"Yes, isn't it?"
"How did it happen?" Harry asked anxiously.
"We're not sure. The Death Eaters sent us a little note. I'll spare you the details, but it included a rather graphic image and a very serious threat about revenge."
"Oh. I see. So they think the Order did it?"
"Apparently."
"Did they?"
"I don't know," Max said, his brown eyes boring into Harry's very soul, "you tell me."
Harry sat silently for a moment, thinking about what to say next. "How much do you know?" Harry asked seriously.
"All I know is that you are very guilty about something. I can only assume that you already knew about LeStrange's untimely demise."
"I never was any good at Occlumency." Harry sighed.
"Actually, your Legilimency studies have improved your Occlumency talents quite a bit as well. The two skills are very closely related, you know. Of course, I've been teaching you the mind-arts for months now, so I have detailed knowledge about what goes on in your head. I admit that it's an unfair advantage, but a useful one."
Harry said nothing.
"I don't need to know what happened, Harry." Max continued. "I just need to know if it is going to affect your ability to do what you need to do."
"I'm fine." Harry said simply.
"Good. However, if you ever need to talk about it, I am always available. So is Dumbledore."
"He wouldn't understand."
"You'd be surprised, Harry. Well, we need to get started on today's lesson."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Max wasn't going to press the issue further.
"Do you recall the best times to attempt Legilimency on your target?" Max asked.
"Well, when they're asleep, or when they're distracted or focusing on something else other than protecting their thoughts."
"Exactly." Max confirmed. "I'm sure that Voldemort's carefully guarding his thoughts these days. At some point though, he will need to focus on something. There are plenty of spells that require intense concentration. Voldemort, being the powerful wizard that he is, probably uses these kinds of spells regularly. When he does, his guard will be down."
"And that's where I come in."
"Yes. Voldemort did the same to you, sending thoughts to you at your weakest point. You don't cast the kind of spells he does though, so he has to get you when you're sleeping. We could try to do the same to him, but as far as we can tell...he doesn't sleep. Ever."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. So what we need you to do Harry, is go into a kind of scanning mode. You'll be periodically attempting a light connection, gauging Voldemort's defenses at all times. I call it 'pinging'. Hopefully, we'll get lucky and you can catch him at just the right moment."
"I'm sure he'll have something pleasant for me to see." Harry replied sarcastically.
"Yes, it'll probably be disturbing, but any hints on his location or his plans will be extremely valuable to us."
"So what do I have to do?"
"Well, you know all about making mind connections at this point, but you're still not strong enough to scan someone continuously. It'll take some effort, but I think the strange connection you and Voldemort share will make it at least possible."
Harry spent the next hour constantly attempting to get any mental impressions from Voldemort. He wasn't having any success.
"My head hurts." Harry finally said.
"Keep going." Max replied sternly.
Harry continued the task for another hour, without any success. Max finally released him, but told him to keep trying every hour.
Before heading back to the dorms, Harry decided to visit Cho in the infirmary. He wasn't looking forward to it really, but he was concerned about her. He decided to deal with the awkwardness of the situation and make sure she was okay.
He found her near the rear of the infirmary, her bed surrounded by cards and flowers, including a set of roses that Harry was certain were from Michael Corner.
"Hi, Cho."
"Oh, hey Harry." Cho responded.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. The fingers will be fine. I don't know if my pride will heal so easily though."
"Don't feel bad. I hear it happens a lot." Harry said.
"I'm just no good at apparition, Harry. This is my second time taking this stupid course and I'm still splinching. It's not fair."
"We're all bad at something, Cho."
"Not you."
"Even me." Harry insisted. "For example, I'm horrible at relationships."
"I guess you have a point." Cho laughed.
Harry put on his best fake smile. He was just joking, he hadn't expected Cho to agree with him.
"It wasn't really your fault." Cho continued. "We just weren't compatible. I'm sure you'll find the right person, Harry. Maybe you already have and you don't even realize it yet."
"Maybe." Harry replied. He didn't really believe it was true though. There was no room in his life for "the right person". He couldn't afford to put another potential captive on Voldemort's list.
Besides that, he knew their breakup wasn't his fault. Cho didn't seem to see it that way though.
"Well I guess I should get going before Madam Pomfrey comes in here and kicks me out."
"Yeah, she's a tough one." Cho warned. "She put Michael out earlier with a nasty little spell."
Harry gave Cho a long last glance. She was still a very pretty girl, even after spending a whole day in an infirmary with bandages around her hand. The butterflies were gone though. She wasn't right for him, plain and simple. He could see that now. All the regrets, insecurities, and reservations he had about breaking up with her were going to be gone once he left this room.
"See you later, Cho." Harry said as he waved goodbye.
"See you Harry. Thanks for stopping by."
As he went to bed that night Harry found that he was quite relaxed, as if a weight he had forgotten he had been carrying had suddenly been lifted.
The rest of the week flew by for Harry. His life was beginning to become a blur of various events. Classes, Legilimency lessons, homework, and Quidditch practice all took their toll on him. Friday brought some relief for everyone though. It was the final weekend for campaigning for the Minister of Magic position, and the candidates were having a final public debate. All of the Weasleys were attending, which meant that Harry would be too.
Max brought Harry and his friends to Diagon Alley for the event. The debate was being held at the Daily Prophet office there. The building had a large auditorium that the publication often used for press conferences and inaugurations. The place was already nearly full by the time they arrived. Mrs. Weasley waved to them from her position in the front row. She was wearing a very elegant dress that Harry was certain was new. Seated next to her were Charlie and Bill.
Percy was near the stage as well, talking to a man with a large camera. Harry could see the twins staring daggers at him from across the room.
"Percy is Fudge's Press Secretary now." Ron said. "He'll be floating around during the whole debate telling that photographer just the right angles to avoid so that Fudge's bald spot doesn't show."
The auditorium itself was decked out in political decorations. A magical wind blew through a large British flag that stood proudly behind the three podiums on the stage.
"Why are there only three podiums?" Harry asked. "I thought there were four candidates."
"Mafalda Hopkirk dropped out at the last minute." Hermione said, sporting her "Weasley for Minister" hat and looking quite comfortable with Ron's arm slung around her shoulders. "She's endorsed Mr. Weasley. If the debate goes well, he's sure to win. Especially with you here."
"What do I have to do with it?" Harry asked.
"Well, it's pretty well known at this point that you're close to the Weasleys." Hermione continued. "The support of The-Boy-Who-Lived means quite a lot."
"More than you can imagine." Ron added with a wide grin.
The panelists for the debate sat at a desk at the foot of the stage. Madam Bones was there, looking rather stately. To Harry's surprise, Rita Skeeter was there as well.
"What's she doing here?" Ginny asked with a frown.
"She's representing the journalists." Hermione answered. "I talked to her earlier, she said she'll keep it clean. She'd better."
"Well, I have to leave you guys for now." Max said to them. "Moody wants me on security detail. Fudge wouldn't allow Aurors in here, something about it making him look frightened. Idiot."
Max left them and took up a position near one of the exits. Shortly afterwards, the three candidates entered the room to a round of applause.
"Well, I think we're ready to get started." Rita Skeeter said through a magical voice amplifier. "We'll start with some questions about the overall approach that each candidate would take to solve our current crisis with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Mr. Satchel, if you were elected, what would be your primary goal?"
"I propose a shift in the way we think of our education in the Dark Arts." The smarmy wizard said slowly. "For far too long we have cowered in fear at the very mention of the Dark Arts. This phobia has created a gap in our knowledge of magic. We still do not even know the source of the Dark Lord's great power. I propose that we improve our understanding of the Dark Arts, and remove the stigma attached to them. Only then can we face this evil on equal footing."
"Is he insane?" Hermione said rather loudly, obviously not caring who heard her.
"That's the only explanation I can think of." Ron added.
Harry certainly agreed, but there were many in the audience who seemed to be in support of Satchel's idea.
"Thank you Mr. Satchel." Madam Bones concluded.
Rita Skeeter spoke up next. "Mr. Weasley, you've served for quite some time as an official in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. How do you think that your experience in this field qualifies you as Minister of Magic?"
"Muggles have a lot to teach us, I think. They've managed quite well without magic. In fact, in many ways they have surpassed us. Sometimes I think that our magic has made us complacent and arrogant. We don't have to work as hard as they do to solve our problems. As a result, there's not a lot about our society that has changed in the last few centuries. Look at how much the Muggles have progressed since the second World War. A war that they won by themselves, I might add. A war that threatened even us, a threat even greater than Grindelwald. In comparison, look how little we have changed since then. The same circumstances that allowed Grindelwald to steal power still exist, which is why the current Dark Lord exists today. My studies of Muggle society have taught me much, but if I could pick the most important lesson I've learned in studying Muggles it is this: those who do not adapt, do not succeed."
Satchel interrupted with a rude snort. "And why haven't these 'progressive' Muggles been able to keep the Dark Lord from attacking them?"
"Because they're not sure exactly who is attacking them. Voldemort has never revealed himself to them, instead he works through his Death Eaters. The Dark Lord has gained power because others support his agenda. The only reason he has targeted Muggles and Muggle-borns is as bait to attract the kind of callous and ruthless people he needs. Without his followers he is little more than a common thug. He uses our fears and prejudices to his advantage. While I still feel that our existence must be hidden from non-magic users for the time being, I believe that our attitudes towards them must change. The last thing we want is for them to believe that we're all like Voldemort. We may have magic, but if they feel threatened they can unleash frightening power that we can only dream of. Let's not forget how that Second War ended."
"Thank you Mr. Weasley. Minister Fudge, your thoughts?"
Fudge looked a little nervous. "Ahem. I think we should increase our Auror ranks. I propose an active recruitment process to develop the Department of Magical Law Enforcement into a force that can battle the Death Eaters. Our research indicates that there are fewer Death Eaters than we initially thought. We should be able to easily defeat them with superior numbers of well trained..."
"DEATH TO THE BLOOD-TRAITORS!!"
The scream came from the rear of the crowd. Harry barely had enough time to turn his head before several metallic darts sped towards Mr. Weasley...
Incendio!
Percy, standing just a few feet away from Mr. Weasley, had seen the attacker just in time and jumped in front of his father and destroyed the darts. Mr. Weasley reacted immediately and pulled his son to the ground to avoid any further attacks.
"A hit wizard!" someone in the crowd yelled. The effect was immediate, most of the crowd scrambled for the nearest exits, including the assassin. The few members of the Order doing security in the crowd tried to chase after him, but they were swarmed by the panicking citizens.
"No," Ron said in a voice that seemed utterly foreign to Harry, "no you are NOT getting away!!"
Ron took off after the assailant, his long legs carrying him beyond Harry's reach in just a few strides. Ron roughly pushed several people to the floor in his haste to reach the man that tried to kill his father.
"Damn it Ron." Harry cursed to himself as he chased after him. There were others following him, including Lupin, but his superior speed left them trailing behind. Ron was a fairly quick runner as well though, and he had a good head start. Harry was struggling to keep up with him.
Harry just barely caught a glimpse of Ron's red hair far ahead of him as he ran into the night and ducked into an alley, hot on the heels of the attacker. Harry spotted an opening in an old fence ahead of him that appeared to lead to a short-cut. He squeezed through the rickety fence, hoping to cut the assassin off.
Unfortunately, Harry's shortcut ended up being quite long. There were several obstacles that Harry had to go around before he finally caught up with Ron, who at this point was in a heated duel with the assassin.
"Crucio!"
"Protego!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Ron's spell hit the would-be assassin, but he wasn't hindered at all. He closed in on Ron and knocked his wand out of his hand. Ron tried to retrieve it, but the hit-wizard caught him from behind and quickly gripped him in a lethal choke hold.
Most people would have been in a bad way at that point, getting strangled by a trained killer, but Ron had spent his entire life in a house full of rowdy (and sometimes cruel) older brothers. He knew how to defend himself.
Ron forcefully wrested himself from the hit-wizard's grip, using his height as an advantage. He twisted the killer's arm around and threw him off balance.
Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the pair of battling men, but he dared not cast a spell with Ron so close. At this range Harry could see who the young man was. It was Montague, the former Slytherin Quidditch captain. The twins had stuffed him into a Vanishing Cabinet last year.
Ron stood his ground, his fists raised. "Come on you punk, let's settle this."
"Filthy Weasley, you're out of your league!" Montague accepted the challenge and charged at Ron. Ron stopped him with a quick jab to the face, using his greater reach as an advantage. Montague retaliated with a swift kick at Ron's knee, but Ron ignored the pain and brought a crushing blow to Montague's chin that splayed him on the ground.
"Serves you right you bastard! You should know by now, DON'T EVER MESS WITH A WEASLEY!!!" Ron shouted as he began pummeling the young Death Eater on the pavement.
Harry ran over to him. "Ron, he's out cold. Let him up!"
"Filthy Death Eater deserves worse than a good beating." Ron yelled as he began to grind Montague's face into the street.
"He's barely older than us, Ron." Harry said pleadingly as he pulled Ron off of Montague.
"Should it matter?" Ron yelled. "He tried to kill my dad! If it hadn't been for Percy...wow, Percy. I'm glad he finally remembered where he came from."
"We should get back." Harry said. As he was saying that, Lupin, Tonks, Mundungus Fletcher, and the rest of the Order members that had chased after them appeared.
"Well, it looks like the situation is well in hand." Lupin said, panting.
"Yeah, I took care of him." Ron beamed.
"You two should get out of here. We think there's some more Death Eaters around waiting to take advantage of the situation. Get back to the Daily Prophet."
"I'm not going anywhere." Ron protested. "This is my catch, I want to bring him in."
Lupin shook his head and sighed. "Fine. You can stay with us while we wrap this guy up and figure out what else they're planning. Harry, you go back with Tonks and Mundungus. No arguments."
Harry did as he was told and and left the scene. "Didn't know Ron had it in him." Tonks said as she led Harry back to the Daily Prophet.
"There's a lot people don't know about him." Harry replied.
They got back to the Prophet office in a few minutes. There was a crowd of Aurors at the scene now, questioning people and securing a perimeter. Shacklebolt made sure they got past the guards and back into the auditorium to check on Mr. Weasley.
The auditorium had emptied except for a large crowd of people on the stage. As soon as Harry entered the room, he knew something was wrong...
People were crying.
"Harry, stop." Max said as he rushed to him.
"Why? What happened?"
"Where's Ron?" Max asked.
"He's with Lupin and the others. He caught the guy. What's going on?"
Max looked sick. "It's Percy."
Harry slipped past Max and ran to the small crowd on the stage. Lying there, in his father's arms, was Percy. His body was limp, and his skin was turned a horrible yellowish color.
"He missed one of the darts." Max whispered solemnly behind Harry. "They were filled with acromantula venom by the look of it. It's a very fast acting poison. There was nothing we could do."
Harry stood in shock, speechless. Mr. Weasley's emotions were written all over his tear-streaked face. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing heavily in Fred's arms. Harry's heart went out to her. Her greatest fear had become a reality.
"Harry...Ron." Max said with urgency. "Someone has to-"
"I'll tell him." Harry insisted, dreading the task but knowing that it would be best for Ron to hear it from him.
"Are you sure?" Max asked.
"Yeah."
Harry went back outside, still in shock. Percy hadn't exactly been Harry's best friend, but he was a Weasley. That made him practically part of Harry's extended family, a family that was steadily getting smaller.
A few minutes later Ron returned, slightly limping from the kick he had received to his knee. He was obviously still excited about his single-handed defeat of the Death Eater. "Wait until Dad hears about this!!"
"Ron, wait. You can't go in." Harry said to him, trying to summon the strength he needed.
"What? Why not? What's wrong? What I miss?"
Voldemort, Death Eaters, murderous centaurs, Dementors...nothing Harry had ever faced in his life compared to what he was about to do now, the pain he was about to cause to the most important person in his life.
"Ron, Percy didn't block one of the darts. It was poisoned."
"What are you talking about, Harry?"
"I'm sorry, Ron."
"Where is he?" Ron said, stepping forward.
"Ron, no." Harry said firmly as he grabbed Ron and pushed him back.
"Let me go, Harry!! I want to see him, damn it!!"
"No Ron, no you don't."
"Harry...he's not...dead, is he?"
"I'm sorry Ron." Harry repeated.
Ron lost it then. He let out a yell that could be heard all over Diagon Alley. It was full of a mixture of anger and sorrow and frustration...and hate.
*******************************************************
Author's notes:
Alright, finally it's out! It's not my best (in fact, i'd call it one of my worst), but I had to get something out before you all lynched me. I've been EXTREMELY busy. I'm trying to get these chapters out quick, but it's tough.