Greenpluff – Answers all in good time, then.

High Serpent King – You're right; they are a little secretive, aren't they?

Emily – Certainly not too soon but odds are if you guess it'll be a pretty good one.

Anyway that's it. For those of you who were wondering about Hermione and Ginny, we're going to start with them this time as they've been MIA for a while. Recall that although we've had a couple chapters since we witnessed Ginny's breakdown it's actually just the morning after that.

Chapter 29 – Hermione's Boggart

Hermione lazily opened her eyes in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts late Saturday morning, consciousness slowly ebbing in as she took in her surroundings. Then a tidal wave of memories hit her and she closed her eyes in an expression of pain and regret. What was well on it's way to becoming the best night ever in her life had abruptly become the worst. How was she to live anymore? Was she supposed to move on?

Hermione groaned wearily and waited to regain the logic and rational thought that she had patterned her life to. But it didn't come. Her life wasn't about books and grades anymore, about being the best in the class or even about making all the right choices, and being logical. It was about her friends, and it was most of all about Ron. Hermione silently shed a tear as she remembered the boggart she had faced in the exam in third year and smiled slightly – it had been McGonagall telling her that she had failed all her classes. But what did this mean? Did this mean that she was so shallow, so horribly superficial that she would prefer to have Ron die than to fail her classes? An audible sob escaped her as she thought that if she ever faced a boggart again it certainly wouldn't be McGonagall. Pomfrey started, and rushed over to the bedside.

"Dear they you are, are you all right? Here, have some chocolate."

Madame Pomfrey thrust a monstrous slab of chocolate in Hermione's direction. Hermione uncharacteristically ate it docilely as awareness flooded through her and the feeling of being physically drained went away. Mentally though, she was still a wreck. Hermione wearily sat up and stretched.

"Where's Ginny?"

Madame Pomfrey gestured to the bed to Hermione's left and Hermione glanced to see Ginny sleeping soundlessly in her bed. Hermione bowed her head for a minute and made to get off the bed. She wearily rose and bid Madame Pomfrey goodbye. Slowly, almost mechanically, she made her way through Hogwarts and finally made it to her dormitory. There, curled up on top of her sheets, she let the feelings flow and tears with them.

Dumbledore sat down at his desk, puzzled, and placed the glass orb in front of him. He locked and sealed the door with a swish of his wand, and then pointed the wand at the orb. An ethereal being suddenly came out of the orb and started to speak – but it wasn't understandable. As far as Dumbledore was concerned, whatever the thing was saying was pure nonsense. Finally, right at the end, a coherent phrase suddenly surfaced.

"...the debt repaid."

Dumbledore closed his eyes wearily and sighed. He was about to think it over when he heard a knock on his door.

"Albus? Albus, are you in there?"

"Yes, Remus, come in."

Remus entered slowly, with Harry following him. Remus turned to Harry.

"Perhaps you'd better..."

"I'd really prefer to stay, Professor Lupin." Harry looked at Remus with determination. A shadow of a smile flitted over Remus' face as he was reminded of someone else.

"By all means, Harry," Dumbledore said, intervening. "Now, Remus. Any problems?"

Remus closed the door behind him.

"Well, today I was at – Godric's Hollow," Lupin started. Harry visibly stiffened. "And when I finished my investigations, I stepped out to Apparate. There was a boy outside. I thought it was a Muggle, so I went to walk to a place where he wouldn't notice. He followed me, and then pointed a wand at me and tried to kill me. I dodged, and Apparated out," Remus finished wearily, and sat down, exhausted into a chair. Harry spoke.

"Uh, Professor Dumbledore? Wasn't Godric's Hollow – destroyed?"

"Almost totally Harry, but we're not there to investigate the house, just the area. Magical clues to your – survival – lay everywhere there. Remus has been investigating it for some time now."

"And you didn't tell me this?" Harry continued, growing angry.

"Would you really have wanted to know before now?"

Harry stayed silent, and sat down as well. Lupin sent a comforting gesture his way before Dumbledore addressed him again.

"Remus – what would you say the boy looked like?"

"On the taller side. He looked to be around sixteen and had dark hair. Oh yes, here's my report."

Lupin started to hand a few papers towards Dumbledore before Harry interrupted again.

"I want to read that." Lupin looked apprehensively at Dumbledore, who nodded, and then handed Harry the report.

"I'm afraid there's not much of interest in it though, Harry. I've barely been able to find any clues at all there." Harry nodded and scanned through the report, and found nothing of interest as Lupin said. He handed the report back dejectedly back to Dumbledore, then spoke again.

"I would like to be taken there someday, soon."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well, Remus will take you next Saturday."

"Why not sooner?"

"Harry, you must remember that despite the war you still are required to attend classes."

Harry nodded.

"Well, I suppose I should just – go." Harry made to leave, before Dumbledore stopped him.

"Wait – I have something of great interest to you to speak to you both about."

Harry turned back, confused, and sat down again. Dumbledore revealed the prophecy about Ron. Harry felt guilt as he remembered that night at the Department of Mysteries.

"The label on this prophecy – it indicated that the Prophecy was about Ron Weasley."

The reaction was immediate. Harry abruptly got up from the chair and stared intently at the prophecy. Lupin didn't get up but started surveying it intently. Dumbledore pointed the wand at it and the prophecy rose out of the orb again, once again complete gibberish except for the last phrase.

"...the debt repaid." Dumbledore sat back down and relaxed in the chair as Harry stared at the Prophecy, looking scandalized and angry.

"What's wrong with it? Why can't we understand anything?"

"My suspicion – someone sabotaged it. But this is where it gets confusing – the only person who would sabotage it would be one of Voldemort's agents. But why sabotage it without finishing the job? And why not simply deliver it straight to Voldemort untouched? It doesn't add up."

Harry nodded. "Professor, are there lots of prophecies in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes."

"And are they all labeled?"

"No, some of them are unlabeled and some of them are just surnames. For example, one today just had the surname Sterling."

"Sterling, sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Harry stroked his chin pensively. Suddenly he was struck with a thought. "Hermione's dad – Sam Sterling!"

Dumbledore didn't even say goodbye before rushing out towards the Department of Mysteries.