Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Curse
Chapter Four: The Last Stand of the Broken Fool / Fool 0 / Judgement XX
Harry was sobbing freely now. They were dead, and... They were death eaters! It seemed so farfetched... But the fight that Ron and Harry had had two years before... It seemed like something that could have been done... But they were his friends...
He moved back and punched Ron and then again, and again. Cursing his name. Wishing he was dead.
"Hurts, doesn't it. They begged me to do it. I could not refuse. It seems that guilt showed that they had made, what they thought was a mistake. But joining me is not a mistake, it is a choice... Which some cannot always accept the amount of power that you have with being a death eater."
Harry turned to Voldemort. "So... They did it willingly. Can I see how it happened. I saw your Pensive, and..."
Voldemort nodded. "You may."
They slept into the Pensive. Harry, first; then Voldemort, who hestitated... Then slept in.
Harry saw a mist swallow them while, and they saw Ron and Hermione wlking around in circles in deep discussion.
"Isn't Harry selfish, or what!" moaned Ron. "It is always... Me, me, me. I'm the boy who lived, owie my scar hurts... I am gonna cwy! Boo-fucking-hoo!"
Hermione looked at him and nodded. "We didnt want him to stay at Privet Drive.. But did he care... No he used us as punch pads... and he screamed at us." Ron continued. "I just want to show him that we are not in his shadow, his conscience... That I am not his marginal character in the wonderful world of Harry Potter, kig of the world... Owner of us two. He can be such a bastard."
Hermione shrugged.
"What happened next... How did you see this?" asked Harry.
"I was watching them, I have been following them... I was planning an attack... and I asked them...
"So... Will you join me?" Voldemort had suddenly entered the scene so quickly... it was scary.
With out a hesitation Ron and Hermioen said yes. And Harry saw the flicker of Vengance in Rons eyes, it seemed so farfetched again. But the Pensive couldn't lie, even Dumbledore had told him.
"Now... I will let you go." Voldemort said when then got out. "You will see me again on New Years Eve.
Harry looked lost and folorn. His eyes hid nothing of his feelings. Voldemort saw this as a weakness, others would find this a good thing... So that they could help him. But it seemed that his eyes portraied him as being broken.
Harry grabbed the portkey... and the jerk behind the navel was back... and he felt his feet on solid ground.
He was in muggle London. He walked down the road and found himself in Camden. He had alway wanted to go there, but now was not the time. In his pocket he pulled out his wallet and found he had a five pound note, so he walked down the road... Past the markets and to the tube station.
When he boarded the tube, south bound towards Kings Croos on the Northern line... He began to think whether or not he should return... They were gone... They had abandoned him. Should he return to the Dursleys and then leave this world behind him? It was severly tempting. But...
He decided that he would go back. So from Kings Cross he took the Metropolitan line westbound Bond Street, then southbound on the bakerloo line to Oxford Circus, then a final tube to Charing Cross.
He walked up to the slip road and down the alley and then saw the Leaky Cauldron.
He then entered the dingy pub and then saw Dumbledore sat there with Lupin and Moody.
"Harry. You are two hours late... Where were you?" asked Lupin. Standing up.
"Where do you think? Enjoying the company of your enemy." Harry snapped.
Lupin looked a bit taken back, but it vanished when Dumbledore stood up. "What happened?" asked the old headmaster.
"I met Lucius Malfoy, who gave me a portkey and took me to this room with doors and a sign... Somethng about a fool..."
"Hmmm... Continue." Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"Then I entered through the door, and I landed in this room... Where I heard Voldemort talking to Lucius Malfoy, and they talked about me and this Half Blood Prince, and then I was taken into the room, and then we talked about what I heard... and then we left." Harry paused, to look at Dumbledore, who nodded again. "When walked into this hallway and I realised I had been there before. In the dream I had in the beginning of fourth year... and then everything slowed down and I was in the dream again. Then after that, we went into his pensive... then... No was that after or before... No, it was after I saw that Hermione and Ron where... That they were..." he couldn't admit it, it would make it definite, it would make it... Dumbledore cut into his thoughts.
"Dead? You have to be mistaken, it seems that they were kidnapped, but abandoned in the Ottery St. Catchpole area, just a mile from the Burrow." Harry's throat constricted and his thoughts were rushing through him.
"So... they are alive, and they aren't death eaters." Harry said, the melancholy that he felt was evaporating.
"No... what gave you that idea?" Lupin asked, rasing an eyebrow.
"Voldemort... So... They are alive?" Dumbledore nodded and down the stairs came Hermione and Ron... Both looking dazed, but when they saw him... They ran up to him and gave him a hug each... and Harry just looked as if Christmas had come early.
"You thought that we were death eaters?" Ron said indignitly.
"Well, I saw the dark mark onyour arm... and I checked for your scar... and then Voldemort showed me your initiation as a death eater in his pensive... and I was told that you cannot put in fake memories by Dumbledore."
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know."
Ron's stomach grumbled.
"Look whose Hungry." Hermione said.
"Me. Can we get some grub soon, or my stomch will eat itself." Hermione and Harry shared a bemused glance at each other.
"Sir, I realise now why it said that thing on the door. It is because I am a fool..." Dumbledore shook his head. "That isn't the only reason that you are a fool. At a later stage I will explain to you. I will not make the same mistake as I did with my "ingenius" plan last year. I will tell you before the year is out."
"Ok... Sir..."
Later that evening he old Hermione and she said something that Harry knew she would say. "I'll look it up in the Library." She said, and she glared at Harry and Ron when they let out a groan.
"Ooooh, We got our results today." Hermione said brightly.
"Great. Lets see how I failed, then." Harry said, his face was laden with worry. "I doubt that I will get enough marks to be able to become an Auror."
"Hmmm... Ok shall we see what I got?" asked Hermione.
"Can we make bets?" asked Ron.
"I guess so. I recon Iwill get..."
"Astronomy: O, Care for Magic Creatures: O, Charms O, Herbology O, Potions: O, and the rest O, too."
Hermione blushed crimson. "I doubt it..."
Harry shook his head. "He is right, you will... Maybe not an O in potions because he hates us."
"Well, lets have a look."
Dear Miss Granger,
I am pleased to inform you of your owl results, and that your results are beyond what we see expect.
You excelled at all your subjects... and you will be receiving an award for this.
Ancient Runes: O
(x2) Astronomy: O, O
Arithmacy: O
Care of Magic Creatures: O
(x2) Transfiguration: O, O
(x2) Potions: O, O
Muggle Studies: Dropped
Divination: Dropped
(x2) History of Magic: O, O
(x2) Charms: O, O
(x2)Defence Against the Dark Arts: O, O
This means that you have received 15 owls, congratulations.
Yours Sincerely,
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic
"Fifteen!" gasped Harry and Ron in unison.
"That is amazing." Harry said. Giving Hermione a hug and a peck on the cheek. Hermione beamed at him and looked very pleased with herself. And receiving a dirt look from Ron.
"It was now Harry's turn to get his results." Hermione said.
Dear Mr Potter,
I am pleased to inform you of your owl results, and that your results are beyond what we see expect.
You excelled at most of your subjects...
(x2) Astronomy: O, O
Care of Magic Creatures: O
(x2) Transfiguration: O, O
(x2) Potions: A, A
Divination: A
(x2) History of Magic: O, O
(x2) Charms: O, O
(x2)Defence Against the Dark Arts: O, O
Yours Sincerely
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic
"You got... Nine owls... Well done Harry!" Hermione said.
Harry smiled. Ron patted Harry on the back.
"Well done mate." Harry beamed up at thw taller boy.
"And now it is Ron's turn."
"I anticipate to get about eight or nine." Ron said.
"Around the same as me, then."
Dear Mr Weasley,
I am pleased to inform you of your owl results, and that your results are beyond what we see expect.
You excelled at all your subjects... and you will be receiving an award for this.
(x2) Astronomy: A, O
Care of Magic Creatures: O
(x2) Transfiguration: O, O
(x2) Potions: O, A
Divination: O
(x2) History of Magic: A, A
(x2) Charms: O, O
(x2)Defence Against the Dark Arts: O, O
"I got Ten... and one in Potions..." Ron read it again... and gave Harry and Hermione a suprised look.
"Well done, Ron." Hermione said, beaming at him. Harry gave Ron a pat on the shoulder. "Well done mate."
NB to author: Trelawney will find a tarot card in later chapters.. with Half Blood Prince
