Erised's Bane

Author's Note: So here we are! Coming in on the final stretch, folks! I can't believe it, but I almost have this story finished. These next few chapters will be the FINAL chapters, and I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who's been reading for all this time. You're awesome guys, and I WILL be doing a sequel!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That honor has already been taken by the great and wonderful J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own a really big Harry Potter poster that I have hung on the walls of my dorm room, making myself look like an even bigger nerd than I already was.

Again With the Random Chapter Name

Sitting cross-legged beside the fire, alone in his big room, Harry stared at the key. It was a small thing—hardly bigger than his pinky finger—and yet his parents had still entrusted it to him. He knew it's purpose—to open the locked door in the Department of Mysteries—and yet he didn't know what lay beyond that door, or whether it was his task to keep whatever it was safe within, or to release it…

"I'm so bloody confused," he said aloud.

"You think you've got it bad, at least you don't have to listen to yourself prattle on."

Harry glared at Lord Hornswaggle as he lay down, arms outstretched. "Shut up, you stupid git painting," he said.

The portrait sniffed insolently. "Sure I am, say that to the one who's been protecting you all year."

Harry said nothing. He wasn't in the mood to argue, and with a painting at that. He just wanted to think.

This year hadn't been like any other year. Certainly, there was now that lingering, underlying threat that lay beneath, but it was also the most inactive year he had ever had. In recent years something had always preoccupied him, even up until the year before when he had been dreadfully hated by the magical community.

Of course, just as he was thinking this a very interesting…a very unusual…thing was happening.

The head of a large black snake was looming over Harry's head.

He jumped up into a sitting position. The snake reeled back, flicking its tongue. Sssiir…it isss I…

He let out a sigh of relief. I'm sorry, he hissed back. You scared me for a moment.

Then I am sssoorry…, the snake said. Buut…you are the only one who hearss…the professssor is hurt, ssiir. Ssshe needsss help.

Which professor? Harry said quickly.

The one called Young…SSsabrina…

Harry jumped up, grabbing his wand and jerking open the door. Then he froze. What if it were a trick? After all, Voldemort could also speak to snakes, and what if he had gotten them on his side? He would have to find a professor to go with him, but who…

"Out of bed at this late hour?" Harry groaned inwardly, but he had to do what he had to do.

He explained the entire story of what had just been said to Snape. Surprisingly, the man went even whiter than usual.

"Get back to your room, Harry. Get back, now. You are NOT to come out to the forest!"

Harry nodded weakly. Well, at least Snape seemed to believe him…now THAT was something.

He turned back around, hearing Snape run off behind him. He had all the intentions in the world of returning to his room, but he was stalled by a familiar figure nearby.

"Megan?" The young girl was sitting behind a gargoyle, every freckle on her face vivid against the paleness of her skin. She turned slowly, her huge blue eyes freezing him with their gaze.

"Harry…" She spoke slowly, unsurely.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked. She shook her head, but there was something off. He extended his hand out to her but she didn't take it.

"I saw her, Harry, I saw her…" Megan was whispering.

"You saw who?"

"Professor Young," Megan said. "She was with some bad people. They hurt her. I think they killed her."

"What?" Harry reached down and took her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"She was bad, Harry. And…and I've been just as bad as she was."

"What do you mean?" he said.

Slowly, hand shaking, Megan reached into her robes and pulled her wand out of her pocket. It looked familiar to Harry. Incredibly familiar…

"Is that my wand?" he asked in surprise. She slowly nodded.

"I took it, Harry, I took it and I'm sorry. I know you thought it was the person who made himself look like Snape but it wasn't. I don't know who they were, but they wanted something else."

"Why did you take my wand?" Harry said. "What did the other person want?"

"I….wanted to be powerful, like I knew you were. I thought having your wand would help, but then I saw something. I saw that you were strong, even when you had a different wand. And also…I knew that I would only be here for a little while. I have to go, Harry."

She stood up, and slowly started backing off. Harry started after her, but she was shaking her head. "No…no…I have to go…he tells me I have to, or he'll hurt you all…"

"What are you doing?" Harry said.

But before he could say another word, Megan disappeared with a loud crack. Harry looked at the empty floor with shock.

"Well, it looks like you can disapparate inside the castle," he said quietly.

He was still standing there, his feelings mingled with amazement and horror, when he heard footsteps from behind. He turned to see Snape with his arm around Sabrina, who had a large bloodstain on the side of her robes. "I told you to go to your room!" said Snape in exasperation.

Harry shook his head. "I need to speak to Dumbledore. Something is very wrong here. I just saw…I don't know how to make you believe what I just saw…"

"Oh, go on," snarled Snape. Although he still despised Harry with all the vengeance that he could muster, he knew it was futile to stand between Harry and Dumbledore. Besides that, and besides every single piece of resentment he had ever felt towards the boy, he also knew that when it came to matters such as these Harry usually didn't lie, although he thought most of Harry's thoughts, beliefs, and actions were beyond foolish. "Password is Blood Lollipops."

Harry quickly went to the tower where Dumbledore dwelt and took the familiar passage upwards. When he entered, the Headmaster was seated at his desk. By this point, he didn't even bother to look surprised when Harry entered.

"Do you have a problem?" Dumbledore said.

Harry put his wand—his real wand—on the table before describing the sudden flight of Megan, and how she had been the one to take it in the first place. A very worried expression came over Dumbledore's face.

"That must mean that whoever else was there that night—the imposter—was after something else. And since we cannot tell what that was we cannot tell if they were successful. And…well, how did a young girl just suddenly disapparate inside the castle? That is a feat which even I could not accomplish without the aid of Fawkes."

Harry didn't know what to say. He was even more confused now than he had been right after Megan disapparated. Then, remembering Sabrina, he told Dumbledore about the snake.

"That, at least, is understandable…" but something about Dumbledore's expression told Harry that Sabrina being injured was new news to him, even though Snape seemed to have already known. Something was beginning to click in the back of Harry's mind, although he wasn't yet able to put two and two together…but he would. And he knew he had to do it soon.

And there was one thing he could do in the meantime…

"Ron, you have to come with me."

Ron stared at Harry, his eyes shooting daggers at him. "After what you said about Ginny?"

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I am in love with Susan!" Harry said in exasperation. "Another time, another place, maybe I would have dated Ginny, but she does seem pretty happy with…with….well, with whoever it is she's with now!"

"Bugger off!"

"Listen, Ron! At least let me explain to you what's happened tonight!" Harry went through an accounting of all that had taken place. Ron, although he seemed to resist Harry's words at first, slowly began to lighten up.

"But you don't seriously want to go back to the Department of Mysteries, do you?"

"I need to open that door," said Harry. "My parents, Sirius, even Sabrina all wanted me to have that key. I need to see what it is they wanted me to have! It could end this entire thing, don't you see?"

Ron nodded gravely. "I see. I don't think Hermione will agree though…"

"Hermione isn't going, and neither is Susan," said Harry.

"Just two people, then? Are you mad?"

"No. I'm going." Neville was standing nearby, looking down at the two of them.

"You can't just invite yourself along Neville, this is dangerous."

"I invited him, and he can do spell work a lot better now that he has his own wand," Harry reminded Ron.

"If I were a logical person I'd remind you that you don't know what's there. How do you know you're not somehow getting set up for some sort of trap."

"You're not a logical person, Ron," Harry said.

Ron shrugged. "No, I'm not. But logical Ron does have a point."

"But nobody knows I'm going to go, not even Dumbledore. For a change, I've thought something through. And if it's something I can lay hands on that will help me against Voldemort, then that's one more weapon he doesn't know I've got."

"But Dumbledore…"

"No, he doesn't know either." Harry said. "So, are you with me?"

Each boy looked from one to the other. Finally, Ron nodded. "Yeah. I'm still ticked at you about the Ginny thing though."

"I know, replied Harry."

"And I can't let you go this easily."

"I'm aware of that."

Ron stared at Harry for a long moment. "My mom and dad have heard about this. I bet they'll be a tad snippy with you."

"And they have all the right to be."

"No, they don't." Ron sighed.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "So, does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"You didn't do anything." Ron said grudgingly.

"Oh, what?"

Ron stared at him for a long moment, before suddenly grinning. "Jerk," he muttered.