Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.

Harry Potter and the Light of Life

Chapter X: Who is to blame?

The sound of running feet was the only thing Harry heard in the darkness that surrounded him. Where was he? The memories of battle were fresh in his mind as he prayed he would not wake up in captivity.

Harry took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and looked around him. The world was in a blur, but he recognized the room; the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

He sank back down into the pillows. He was safe.

The footsteps were getting louder, obviously running towards the hospital wing. Or perhaps he should have said sprinting. He heard the door crash open, quickly followed by Madam Pomfrey's voice yelling loudly at whoever had entered.

"We have to see him!"

He knew that voice! Hermione!

"I'm here!" Harry yelled. "Over here!" Not more than 12 hours could have passed since he had last seen Ron and Hermione, but after what he had been through, it seemed like forever.

"Harry? HARRY!"

What was unmistakably Ron's voice rung through the room, before he could hear them running in his direction again. Seconds later they were on top of him, crushing him into the bed.

"Ouch!"

Harry couldn't help it, but his ribs hurt as Hermione crushed him. He had obviously broken a few of them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hermione said between tears. "We were so worried. Are you injured?"

"I'm alright. Fell down some stairs, that's all. Otherwise I'm fine. Where's Leia?"

"In the prefect's bathroom," answered Hermione, not sounding the least bit interested. "Never do that again, Harry. We were so worried you wouldn't make it."

"But I made it, didn't I? Thought I do think I have to fight again. The war has only just begun."

"It's not that," said Ron. "Leia said that…that…"

"What did she say? Did she make a prediction about me?"

"No…err…yes…err…Hermione?"

"It's not important. It's nothing." Alright, then it was definitely something.

"How are you, Harry?" asked Ron, seeming very interested in talking about something else.

"I'll live. But there were some close ones." Harry continued to tell them about the battle, of Voldemort's interrogation and everything else. Ron was relieved when Harry told him that neither Bill nor Mr. Weasley had been injured.

"What happened here after I left?" he asked when there was nothing more to say.

Harry thought this was a fairly easy question, but judging by the way Ron and Hermione looked at each other, he was wrong.

"The Aurors took everyone back to Hogwarts immediately. And then…" Ron seemed unable to continue.

"What happened? No one was hurt, were they? And what was that thing about Leia?"

"No, Harry, no one was hurt," Hermione ensured him. "But yes, it has to do with what Leia said. You see, we made her…See. We were all so anxious to know what was happening to you and she wanted to know as much as us."

"And?"

"She Saw many things. I wrote them down as fast as I could. But then…" Harry had never seen Hermione unable to explain herself.

"What did she See, Hermione?"

"She Saw...made a prediction…aboutyour prophesy," whispered Hermione, burying her head in her hands. As realisation hit Harry, he felt his heart stop.

Since the morning in Dumbledore's office, whenHarry had been informed of his fate, he had felt alienated from the rest of the world, from everyone. There had been times over the summer when he had tried to tell Ron and Hermione about what would come, but every time, the words seemed stuck some deep place inside of him. If they knew, he would just become even more abnormal, even more The Boy Who Lived.

"Why didn't you tell us, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"I…I… I don't know," stuttered Harry. "It's not because I don't trust you or anything, it's just…what did really Leia say?"

"She said that you were doomed to kill Voldemort…or be killed by him. That only you had the power to defeat him in the end. And that you weren't strong enough yet. We thought…"

"That I was going to die." Hermione's eyes had turned glassy.

"Mate…" stared Ron. "When McGonagall came to tell us that you were alright… I haven't been so relieved since mom sent that owl saying that dad would live after the snake attack. Hermione and Ginny broke down in tears, but don't worry, no one besides me and Hermione heard what Leia said. But that didn't mean the rest of them weren't happy to hear you'd made it. Neville was dancing on the table with Ginny when we left."

"Why didn't Leia come with you then?"

"One of the dungbombs exploded in her pocket. She had to take a bath. I lent her the Prefect's bathroom," said Hermione. "She left minutes before McGonagall came."

"Wonder if she even knows you have come back?" said Ron. But Harry couldn't care less about exploding dungbombs now; he was just relieved to be back at Hogwarts with his two best friends.

For the next half-hour Harry, Ron and Hermione talked without any interruptions from Madam Pomfrey. Harry was eating the chocolate she had put on his tray, while he told how Dumbledore had blamed himself for Sirius' death and of Dumbledore's fatal decision to hide the truth from Harry. He also tried to explain why he hadn't told them about all of this before.

"If you knew, it would make it more, err, final, in a way. You two always worry over me. This isn't something to worry about. It will happen, no matter how much we wish it could go away. I want you to have a life, not just worrying about me."

"We have a life, Harry, a life with you. We are your friends remember?" said Hermione. "We won't leave you when things become hard. If that was the case, then we would never be friends in the first place. Fluffy, remember? The troll on Halloween? Not to mention the Philosopher's stone!"

"She's right, you know," said Ron. "Who would ever become friends withyou, who is the favourite target of the baddest wizard in a thousand years? Well, I guess no one who's sane would do it, but you can't have everything you know."

"I'm more than pleased with the two of you," said Harry. "What did Leia say, exactly, anyway?"

"I wrote it down," said Hermione, "but I left them in my dormitory. Sorry."

"Doesn't matter, I'll see them tomorrow. But right now, I think we have stretched Madam Pomfrey's patience to the breaking point. You should go."

"Yeah," yawned Ron. "See you tomorrow."

"Sleep tight, Harry."

With that, Hermione and Ron walked hand in hand out of the hospital wing, though Harry didn't think they knew what they were doing.

OOO

Madam Pomfrey gave him strict orders to stay in bed the next day, so he was forced to skip lessons. Many people sent him get-well cards and sweets, which he enjoyed while reading up on History of Magic (Hermione had been kind enough to bring him his books). Ginny had brought him a toilet seat (she smuggled it in under her robe), while the DA had sent him a mountain of Chocolate Frogs.

But not all seemed to think that sending their greeting was enough, like Luna. She had stopped by for the lunch, but along with her singing card, she had also brought pictures of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks she had seen during her vacation in Sweden this summer. Harry had looked at the moving pictures of the forest for a long time, without seeing anything that could resemble a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but Lunasaid that it rarely showed itself, for it was very shy.

The most unpleasant visit was right after dinner, though. Harry had been dozing of when he felt, rather than heard, that someone was in the room. He had looked up and found Leia standing there.

He didn't really have a reason to be angry at her, not even irritated, but he still was. She had told Ron and Hermione his secret. They shouldn't have known. Not yet anyway…

"Good afternoon," she started with.

Why did she always have to be so polite?

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, just relaxing."

"No pain then? I heard you'd broken a few ribs," Leia said as she handed him a handmade get-well card.

"Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a heartbeat. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Oh…err…well… I am really sorry for telling Ron and Hermione about…you know. I swear I didn't mean to. I have no idea what I say when I See."

"I know," said Harry. Why did it still sound as if he didn't believe her?

"Oh, good, err…"

The silence that followed was not a good one. Harry knew what he should say; it was something along the lines of, 'No, I don't blame you.' But he didn't mean it. He blamed Leia.

"I'll just go…" said Leia, before she was gone in the swish of her robes. Harry sighed and ate another Chocolate Frog.

OOO

A week or so later, the hall was summing with excitement as Harry and Ron came down to breakfast. Everyone seemed to be craning their necks to get a look at something on the Slytherin table.

"What's happened?" Ron asked Ginny.

"You won't believe it!" she squealed."Malfoy has been beaten up, really badly. His face is full of bruises and all!"

Ron got up, and since he was taller than them all, he managed to get a good view.

"Christ! That's got to bloody hurt! Wonder who did it to him? I want to thank them for doing such a good job."

Harry spotted Malfoy on his way out of the hall and the Slytherin did really look like he'd spent the night in a small box, shared with Norbert and a couple of Blast-Ended Shrewts. Malfoy kept the hood on his robes up, but no robe could hide his limping. Most surprisingly, Malfoy walked alone. Neither Crabbe, Goyle nor Zabini was with him.

What had happened?

The teachers had obviously discovered that something had happened, but Malfoy didn't seem to want anyone's help, not even Snape's. But in the end, he followed Madam Pomfrey in the direction of the hospital wing.

Rumours immediately started going. At first, Harry himself was supposed to have beaten him up, but no one believed that, not even Snape it seemed for he wasn't nastier to Harry than usual.

But around dinner time, more frightening rumours started floating around. The word was saying that the Slytherins themselves had beaten up their prince. Parvati could tell them that Pansy Parkinson was said to have ordered Crabbe and Goyle to corner Malfoy yesterday and show him 'how it went with those who didn't protect their own.'

"There is no way Malfoy has switched sides," said Ron as they met up with Hermione later. "He is as evil as evil gets."

But it certainly seemed like it, for the next day Malfoy was not once seen with anyone of his usual gang. Again he could be seen trailing behind Zabini, his shoulders sunk, not looking anyone in the eye.

"There has to be something seriously wrong," said Hermione that night in the common room. "What if he really has broken with his family?"

"No way," said Ron. "Malfoy loves his money and power to give it up. But what if his father has done something to upset You-Know-Who?"

"I don't think so," said Hermione. "Lucius Malfoy is Voldemort's right hand. What do you think, Harry?"

Harry was thinking along the same lines as Hermione. What if Malfoy truly had left his family behind? But why, he was a Slytherin, after all. He would never have given up his position as the prince of darkness if it hadn't made him even more powerful than he already was.

"I think Hermione is right. Neither Crabbe nor Goyle would have dared to beat up the son of Voldemort's closest servant, if said son had been as faithful as his father. Malfoy must have switched sides, though I have no idea why."

"Are you saying we should trust Malfoy!" spluttered Ron.

"'Course not," said Harry. "He can be a spy. Do you think we should ask Dumbledore what is going on, Hermione?"

"Professor Dumbledore. Yes, that is a good idea. But will he tell you?"

"He has made mistakes not telling me what is going on before. I don't think he will make the same mistake again."

The next morning which was Saturday, Harry was just about to get up from the table to go up to Dumbledore, when Leia sat down next to him. The look she gave him told him that he could forget all about leaving for the next minutes.

AfterLeia had revealed Harry's fate to Ron and Hermione, Harry hadn't shared more than strained words with her. She was still always with him, Ron and Hermione, but she and Harry never really spoke, just simple things like 'Good morning'. Harry didn't like the situation, as it made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't know how he could stop blaming her in his heart. She had told his secret!

"Hi, Harry."

"Hi. I was just about to-"

"This is important." Okay, no escaping this then.

"If it is about the prophesy, then I am really not angry at you anymore, not that I ever was, it's just-"

"It's not that. It's about Malfoy. Do you remember what I told you weeks and weeks ago, when we argued?"

"You said many things about-," then realisation hit Harry. "You said Malfoy had switched sides."

"Yes, I did."

"I'm sorry, Leia, I…" Harry felt like an idiot.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Harry. All I am saying is that I hope you have learned and that you won't make the same mistake again." If possible, Harry felt even more like an idiot. He also felt guilty.

"I'll try," said Harry. "And I am sorry about not talking to you and all; I just didn't know what to say."

"I was as much my fault. I didn't talk to you either, did I?"

"Yeah. Friends again?"

"Sure. What were you about to do anyway?"

"I was going to see Dumbledore, about Malfoy."

"Then it was good that I caught you. I think something terrible will happen to him. Do you remember the prediction I made about Lucius Malfoy escaping from prison? The last sentence was: 'no one will suffer more than his single seed.' I'll bet my life that is Malfoy."

"You're right. Again. I'll tell Dumbledore, maybe he can do something." If Malfoy really had switched sides, Harry would try to help him. Never befriend him, but saving him from the claws of the Death Eaters was another thing completely

"I won't keep you any longer. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Harry, before he got up and made his way to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore seemed to be expecting him, for he was standing and talking to the statue guarding his office.

"-yes, that is the new password. Now I trust you to remember it, for I am afraid my memory is not as good as it used to be. Now I wonder where Harry is...Ah, Harry."

"Professor, I wondered if I might have a word."

"Of course, of course. Wheezer," he said, and the statue of the stepped aside. Soon they were seated in the comfortable armchairs in front of a crackling fire. Dumbledore had conjured a cup of hot chocolate for them both.

"Now, Harry, why have you come to see an old man on a Saturday morning? I trust you have more exiting things to do."

"You know that thing about Malfoy?" Dumbledore nodded. "Can you tell me what has happened? Has Malfoy changed sides?"

"That is a Mr. Malfoy's personal case. I'm sorry, but I can not tell you."

"The thing is that Leia had a prediction about him. She said none would suffer more than Malfoy when his father escaped prison."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "She said nothing more?"

"I thought you knew everything that went on in the castle."

"I know many things, but not everything, the future least of all. I knew Ms. Libertine was a Seer, but her every prediction I do not know."

"Why don't you make Leia see what will happen in the war?" wondered Harry, finally asking the question that had buggered him for months.

"If we knew what the future would bring, it would not make it any easier to face it. For as we can see all the good things that would happen, we would also be able to see the bad. What if you found out one of your closest friends were dying? Or what if it has already been decided who will win the war? Are you sure you would like to know then, Harry?"

"No. But if we knew what was happening, could we not prevent it?"

"The future is the only thing we can be sure is coming. Preventing something that is predicted to happen is impossible, for it will somehow happen anyway. Life will always find a mysterious way to fate, for the two are connected at the core."

Harry didn't always understand Dumbledore.

"But if the terrible thing that was to happen to Malfoy was that Crabbe and Goyle beat him up, we could have prevented it," Harry said. "If we had told you what Leia said then-"

"But you didn't Harry, and fate became life. Young Mr. Malfoy is going through a hard time at the moment, which is all I am willing to tell you. Do not pester him, leave him alone to think. I know you want to know what has happened, but he must tell you himself, or else you will never know."

"Then I will never know."

"You might be wrong there, Harry," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses.

"If you say so."

"But shouldn't you be practising Quidditch? The first match of year is tomorrow, Gryffindor versus Slytherin."

"The team isn't what it used to be. The new chasers aren't working together properly yet. Ron's doing alright though, and the beaters aren't as bad as they used to be. Still, if we beat Slytherin it would be nothing short of a miracle."

"Then let us hope a miracle will happen tomorrow. Minerva is getting quite fond of the Quidditch Cup in her office."

"We'll try. Good day, and thanks for the chocolate."

"Take care, Harry."

A/N: Yet another chapter. I left out the battle for a reason, just so you know. There will be more battles later though; this will sadly not be the last. Thank you to my five reviewers! I can not say how fond I am of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Porcelain Prayer, WolfWriter501, amy, Brigade701 and infallallthingsaremadesplended. This update is for of you!