The Price of War

This started as an idea I was toying around with for the ending of book seven. I wanted to make it a one-shot, but I decided the piece would be better if I made it full length.

Reviews are welcome, though not necessary. I'm really just writing this because its been spinning around in my head and I want to get it out. I take criticism, complaints, flames, questions, and comments good or bad; basically anything you throw at me will be fine.

Hope you enjoy.

­­­­­Chapter One

"No," the word rang loudly then fell into synch with the buzz of hundreds of voices filling the station.

"But, Mum-"Ron began, an air of exasperated desperation about him.

"No," Mrs. Weasly drew herself up to her full height, eyes blazing, "You will not go gallivanting off to fight You-Know-Who or other such nonsense! You will return to Hogwarts, should it open, and you will finish your education!" She turned on Hermione, fists curled tightly, "I expected more sense out of you Hermione! You of all people wanting to abandon their schooling…"

Hermione flushed and opened her mouth to defend herself, but Ron cut her off, "Mum, Harry isn't returning to Hogwarts next year no matter what! We want to go with him. He's our best friend and we promised we'd always stick by him."

Mrs. Weasly's eyed filled up with tears. She turned to her husband, looking for support, and clutched at his arm.

Mr. Weasly looked older than ever. The fine wrinkles at the edges of his mouth and on his forehead had deepened. His skin had a nasty looking gray tinge to it, and he surveyed the trio with a saddened look in his eyes. "Ron, Harry's case is completely different. First of all, no matter how we feel, he is not our son, and we cannot control him. Second, well- he-he's er…."

"What?" Ron spat furiously, "'The Chosen One'? 'The Boy Who Lived'? He's the famous Harry Potter so he can go off and try to fight You-Know-Who, but I'm just Ron Weasly who's just too stupid to comprehend anything! Well let me tell you something, I- Hermione and I were there every single goddamn time he faced You-Know-Who and we fought! We survived! So don't go telling me that I'm not capable of handling the danger!"

Ron finished beet-red, panting slightly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasly were staring at their son with a mixture of fierce pride and shock. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. They had both heard the tinge of bitterness in Ron's tone. They had heard the old jealousy coming out again, and the desire to prove himself. Ever since Ron became Harry's friend, he had lived in his shadow. Lately, he'd been better about things, what with Lavender and Quidditch and all. But obviously, the idea of his own father thinking him inferior to Harry was too much to bear.

Harry swallowed hard and spoke for the first time since the argument began, "I know you can handle it mate, I really do, but you have no idea of the dangers we're facing this time. Quite frankly, neither do I, but having any kind of connection to me already puts you in extreme danger. If you were to come along…"

"We're already of age Harry!" It was Hermione that spoke this time, "You can't tell us what to do! Nor can anyone else." She looked hesitantly at Mrs. Weasly as she said this, a pink blush on her cheeks.

Harry started, "Look, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just-"

She flared up, bushy hair almost standing on end, "We know! You're just trying to protect us! What about you Harry? Who's going to protect you when you're off battling unknown forces?" Her eyes softened and filled with a pleading look, "Harry, we're your best friends. If you can risk your life to save us all, then we can risk our lives trying to help you."

At this point, Mrs. Weasly burst into huge, racking sobs. "Oh! Oh my babies!" She cried, pulling all three into a giant, bone0crushing hug reminiscent of Hagrid's, "You're all so grown up! So brave! You're too old for your age….What I would give for you to have grown up in a normal, peaceful time…"

"Well we didn't," said Harry as he gently disentangled himself from her arms, "We grew up in a time of war. I-we know what to do."

Mrs. Weasly wiped eher eyed and grabbed his hands, clenching them painfully. "Harry," she whispered fiercely, "You're always going to be a part of our family. You know that right? I'm so, so proud of you. Just please-please be careful."

"I will. You know me Mrs. Weasly, I like a quiet life," he grinned weakly, repeating an old joke.

Mrs. Weasly smiled a wet, crooked smile and rounded on Ron and Hermione, "Same goes for you two. Watch out for yourselves, please."

They nodded vigorously, and with much patting and reassuring, Mrs. Weasly finally calmed down, though still griping about losing her little 'Ronikins'." At which, Ron flushed a deep red and looked away, determined to avoid Harry and Hermione's looks of amusement and stifled laughter.

Mr. Weasly stepped forward, "I agree with everything Molly has said. Just remember in times such as these, no one is really truly safe. Look after one another and remember what Dum-Dumbledore always said; love is the only thing that can prevail against You-Know-Who."

He said this in a grave, yet tired tone. He was under a lot of stress at the Ministry. Now with Dumbledore gone, his department was hectic. Trying to control all the people feeding off everyone's fears by selling them fake protection was impossible. At the moment, Arthur Weasly was tired of all the fighting and fear.

Secretly, he thought the children too optimistic for their own good. They acted as if they would be able to face Voldemort alone and defeat him. It broke his heart to think of his youngest son marching off with his friends to do a task that no wizard has ever been able to do before, and most likely not returning.

A loud, obnoxious voice interrupted the moment, "Are you coming or not, boy?"

There stood Uncle Vernon flanked by a horsy, timid looking Aunt Petunia and a trembling, cowering Dudley who was staring nervously at their wands.

Harry looked to Ron and Hermione, "Well, I suppose we should be going now."

The trio moved to pick up their trunks, but Mrs. Weasly let out one final wail of despair and crushed them in a hug again, muttering 'my babies…my babies…'

Uncle Vernon, looking frightened and revolted at the same time, growled, "You'd better hurry up boy, or you're not getting a ri- wait just a minute here! What do you mean we?"

Harry looked at his uncle's red, glaring face over Mrs. Weasly's shoulder, "My friends Ron and Hermione are staying with me for a few days."

"What!" Uncle Vernon Roared, "There is no way-I'm not letting those-those-your kind in my-"

"Oh yes you are," Mr. Weasly informed him calmly, wand aloft threateningly, "and you are going to treat them with respect and civility as you would any guest."

Uncle Vernon, now turned a disgusting shade of puce, sputtered helplessly. Aunt Petunia looked stunned like a deer caught in light. What a sight poor Dudley was! He and his trembling rolls of fat tried valiantly to hide behind his father, hands straying towards his enormous buttocks protectively.

Mrs. Weasly let the three very breathless young adults out of her grasp. "Well, I suppose you'll be off now. Of into the…the dangerous-oh!" She broke off into another sob."

"Don't worry Mum. We can take care of ourselves," Ron said, gingerly patting his mum on the back.

"Yes," Hermione added eagerly, "and before we do anything, we'll stop by for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Right guys?"

Harry and Ron both nodded enthusiastically.

Hearing this, Mrs. Weasly brightened, "Yes. Well, we'll be seeing you soon then. Be safe dears."

She gave them each a quick squeeze and waved furiously as they trailed after the fuming Dursleys, who kept flanking back warily as it the trio would hex them at any moment. Dudley was especially nervous, looking around anxiously while grabbing desperately at his gigantic backside with his fat little hands.

Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at each other, obviously thinking the same thing, 'Not even an iceberg could hide that behind.'

"You have failed me Draco. You are lucky Severus was there to finish a job you obviously could not do. I trust you remember your punishment."

Draco shivered uncontrollably, thinking of the pain he had endured…

Voldemort smiled, or rather leered, sensing his fear, "Good. Then you shall not fail me again? For you know the consequences that face you."

"No, no my lord. I wouldn't dare. I am yours to command. Anything you wish-"

"Enough. I did not call you here to hear your groveling. I have a special task for you."

Draco leaned forward expectantly. The Dark Lord handing him an important task after his failure must mean the Dark Lord had much faith in his potential. He listened with anticipation to his job.

"There is a cave near the home I resided in when I was very young. Inside is a very prized possession of mine. I want you to check on it. There is a series of obstacles you must pass to reach it. First being finding the actual location. Once you reach the place…"

Lord Voldemort watched the thin, pale boy scurry off to do his bidding. How eager he was to please. What he did not know what that he was most likely scurrying off to his death. The locket of Slytherin…a very important horcrux. The defenses around it were excellent. No doubt only a very skilled wizard could penetrate far enough to actually retrieve the locket. He could not afford to go himself at the time, and he certainly couldn't waste one of his more useful Death Eaters. He needed someone disposable, someone with minimal skills and was easily replaced. He had thought about sending Wormtail, but that rat would flee in terror at the mere sight of the cave. No he needed someone who was desperate, very desperate to please his master. No doubt the Malfoy boy was yearning for another chance in hopes of gaining status in his ranks. Yes…he was a perfect choice.

Voldemort could not say what it was exactly that prompted him to check on his most treasured horcrux. But ever since he had heard his Death Eaters' reports on the night Dumbledore was murdered, he wondered…They said Dumbledore had obviously gone off with the Potter boy somewhere and had returned in a considerably weakened state. Where would he take a student, even if it was Potter, so late at night? And what could he have been doing that deteriorated him so? If Dumbledore knew, then Potter certainly knew, and that would be too dangerous… Voldemort did not like this. Paranoia was for the weak. He was Lord Voldemort! The most powerful wizard the world has ever seen. It was ridiculous he was still worrying about that old fool even after he was dead. Yet there was that nagging doubt lurking in the back of his mind. He just had to make sure… No. This was foolish. The old man couldn't have possibly found out, no matter how intelligent he made himself out to be.

His high-pitched laugh echoed through the empty chamber, ringing with coldness. Yes. Most likely, the Malfoy boy would return saying the locket was safe, or he would never return, having died trying to retrieve it, showing that no one had destroyed his defenses. Yes. Only he alone knew his secret, the secret that made him so powerful...

Yet…maybe…

Miles and miles away, Harry Potter lay awake with his two best friends. They were squashed into his tiny room, buried in squashy, plump sleeping bags that Hermione had conjured. All the junk that would've been littering Harry's floor was now piled on his bed along with Ron' and Hermione's trunks. Hedwig hooted dreamily in her sleep, moonlight poured in through the window, giving the room and ghastly look, and Uncle Vernon's rumbling snores resounded throughout the house.

"Harry, where are we going to go after the wedding?" Hermione asked.

"I want to go to Godric's Hollow."

Ron turned to face him, "Do you know where it is?"

Harry looked startled, he had not even thought about how he would find it, " er-no. Who do you suppose-"

"Lupin," Hermione said with certainty, "He ought to. He was your father's friend."

"Right," Harry leapt up and rummaged through his trunk for parchment and a quill, "I know it's late, but we'll be leaving soon and I'm not sure where he is now."

He scribbled a quick note on the sheet of parchment.

Professor Lupin,

Do you by any chance know where Godric's Hollow is? Please write back quickly. Thanks.

Harry

He sealed it in an envelope and shook Hedwig awake. "Sorry girl, but this is urgent. Make sure this gets to Lupin 'k?"

She hooted with annoyance at being woken up and snubbed Harry when he tried to pet her. She flew out the window Harry held open for her with an indignant ruffle of her feathers and soared away into the night.

Harry sighed, "Well that's that. Hope he answers soon."

Hermione started again," Harry...even if Lupin does know, how are we going to get there? I mean, we can't very well apparate, we have no idea what the place is like. It would be awkward to fly because even if we know the location, we wouldn't know how to get there in the air."

Harry frowned. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose we can take a muggle train to the town and then just hoof it."

Ron looked petrified, "A m-muggle tr-train? Er-aren't they sort of dangerous?"

"Of course not Ron!" Hermione chided, "I've ridden on plenty! They are perfectly safe."

Poor Ron flushed a dull red," well, I just thought…I mean…well- my dad…"

Hermione felt instantly guilty, "Oh Ron, it's perfectly natural to be afraid of what you don't know about. I remember the first time I rode I train I was terrified!"

"Ya but you weren't 17 I bet," Ron mumbled grumpily.

Hermione looked exasperated and looked to Harry for help.

"Hey Ron, I've never traveled by muggle train either," Harry offered helpfully.

Ron looked a little cheerier but said defiantly, "Well, I'm not really afraid. It's just all those years of my dad…you know"

"Of course. It will be perfectly alright. You'll see. It's just like riding the Hogwarts Express except for well… it isn't magic. Besides, if there were any real danger, you would be able to handle it," Hermione encouraged.

Ron brightened considerably, though once again flushing a light pink at her praise, "Ya, me and Harry could take on anything."

"Oh you and Harry is it? I suppose I'm no use at all. I suppose it's because I'm a girl or something just as ridiculous," Hermione tossed out crossly.

"Hermione, I'm sure he just-"Harry tried to soothe her wounded feelings.

"Oh come off it! You know perfectly well what he meant! Some people are just doomed to remain bigot idiots forever. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight!" With that she turned on her side to face away from Ron and promptly fell asleep, or pretended to anyway.

Ron looked sullen again, "I don't know what it is with her. Always getting angry about useless things…"

Harry lay back on his sleeping bag heavily and sighed. They were at it again. If they didn't get together soon, he would have to shoot one of them. Honestly, there were more important things to worry about than how dangerous a muggle train was.

After lying there for what seemed like ages, Harry realized that Ron's usual snores were missing. "Ron? You awake?"

"Ya"

Harry hesitated. Should he? Would it make things too awkward? "Er- Ron? You know the things you said at the train station? You know about me being the Chosen One and all?"

"Look mate, it was just the heat of the moment. I blurted out some things I didn't mean. Just drop it ok?"

"But Ron-"

"Listen, sometimes, I may want what you have, but then I think about what you have to go through every year and well- I'm happy just being your best friend."

" 'Night Ron."

" 'Night 'arry"

Soon, Hermione's slow, steady breathing and Ron's snores filled the room. Harry lay with one hand behind his head, staring at the ceiling, a small grin on his face. Before long, he too, drifted off.

Ginny Weasly could not get to sleep. She rolled over and looked at her clock. 3:23. Great. She'd be a lovely vision in the morning. She rolled back on her back and closed her eyes. It didn't help. All that she could think about was Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Dursleys together. They were going to go fight You-Know-Who together, leaving her behind.

When she had made her way to them at the station, she had heard snatches of their conversation.

"Look, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just-"

"We know! You're just trying to protect us! What about you Harry? ... If you can risk your life to save us all, then we can risk our lives trying to help you."

"We grew up in a time of war. I-we know what to do."

It could only mean one thing; Ron and Hermione were going with Harry while he was off ' doing things alone'.

She was jealous. Mostly though, she was angry at Harry. All those things he had said about wanting her to be safe from Voldemort obviously didn't apply to his best friends. They were fine because they weren't "involved" with him. The fact that they are his best friends in the world didn't count. What's that compared to some girl you've been dating for weeks? Ginny rolled her eyes in the dark. Boys…they were so stupid sometimes.

Ginny sighed. Sometimes…Well, all the time actually, she envied their friendship. They seemed to have this thing. It was just unexplainable. She watched them as she grew, and she saw their friendship strengthen over the years. Through everything that hit them, their friendship always seemed to emerge whole and untarnished. She remembered a time during the Triwizard Tournament when Ron did not speak to Harry for weeks. She remembered all the things that they had been through together against You-Know-Who. In a way, she was proud of them. She was proud of the way they complemented each other and always pulled through. But there was still that childhood yearning to be one of them. The "Golden Trio" everyone at Hogwarts called them behind their backs. The three were happily oblivious to the fact that their friendship was famous and envied by all.

She let out another deep sigh. The three would go off together again and once again triumph over whatever came their way. Their friendship would be stronger, and she, Ginny, would be forgotten over the years. She didn't want to think it. It couldn't be true. She was sure that once that this horrible war was over; Harry would come back to her. Or would he? Would he have changed? Would he still want to be with Ron's baby sister?

Ginny groaned. She hated all this doubt. She had never ever doubted herself. Yet, it seemed that around the topic of Harry Potter, she was always full of doubt.

'I can't think about any of this anymore or I'll explode. I'm sure they're coming for Bill and Phlegm's wedding. I'll confront them then. Somehow, I'll persuade them to take me along. Mum would never go for it, but there's a way around that. I hope.'

Harry awoke to the sound of sizzling bacon and birds chirping merrily outside his window. Her groaned and rubbed his head. He had a throbbing headache, though he couldn't imagine why. He put his glasses on and looked around. Hermione was obviously not in her sleeping bag, seeing how it was rolled up neatly and placed at the foot of his bed. Ron's bag was also rolled up and placed next to hers. Judging by loud snoring still rumbling through the house, the Dursleys were not awake yet.

Groggily, he got dressed, made an effort at combing his hair and went downstairs to find a most endearing sight. Hermione was flipping pancakes out of a pan and onto Ron's plate. She was wearing one of Aunt Petunia's floral aprons and had a smudge of flour on her cheek. Ron was smiling up at her in a way that reminded Harry of the way Mr. Weasly smiled at Mrs. Weasly. Harry could easily imagine this little scene 5 years from now…when maybe his two best friends would have a home of their own and a happy life as a family unstained by war or evil.

Hermione looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway with a most peculiar grin planted on his face. "Harry! You're up! We didn't want to wake you. I hope the Dursleys don't mind I made breakfast. There's plenty for them too if they want some."

With perfect timing, Harry heard his Aunt Petunia's shriek of horror coming from behind him.

"WHAT IS THIS BOY?" his uncle roared, "Did you give them permission to-to use my-"

Hermione hastily interrupted, "No, no, Harry was asleep. We got up early and well, we were hungry so I made pancakes. There's more than enough for everyone! Please come sit down and I'll get you plates."

Harry had to stifle a chuckle as he heard his aunt whisper furiously to his uncle behind him, "she's wearing my best apron Vernon!"

Harry strolled into the kitchen and sat down across from Ron, who was ignoring all that was going on around him and concentrating intensely on stuffing his face with as many pancakes as possible. Hermione levitated a plate laden with pancakes towards him. He looked towards the doorway to find his the Dursleys frozen in a state of shock. Dudley was one foot inside the kitchen, and his father was gripping his shoulder tightly as if trying to pull him back. Behind him, Aunt Petunia looked helplessly furious at the fact that one of Harry's kind was wearing her apron and using her kitchen and making her precious china float. Hermione saw this too and immediately stopped levitating the plate. She also happened to forget that gravity tends to make things that are not magically supported fall. The only reason the plate did not shatter into a million pieces was because it had almost reached its destination and Harry was able to lunge out and grab it before it hit the table.

After that little clumsy moment, things went smoothly; or rather, as smoothly as they could've gone with the Dursleys present. They huddled together at the end of this table, Aunt Petunia quite squished between beefy Uncle Vernon and her gigantic son, Dudley. When Hermione tried handing Uncle Vernon a plate, he stared at her outstretched arm as if he tried to take the stack of pancakes, she would try to curse him. Eventually, Hermione gave in and placed all the Dursley's plates in front of them. Then she sat down next to Harry and began to eat. Harry's uncle stared at his food, and his aunt and cousin were staring at Uncle Vernon as if waiting for some kind of signal.

Finally, Uncle Vernon got up, stabbed a pancake with his fork, walked around the table, and plopped it on Harry's plate. "Taste it boy. I bet your little friend poisoned it."

Harry looked up at him, an expression of amusement on his face, "No. She didn't, and if you don't believe me, too bad. You can starve."

Dudley let out a small whimper at this and looked pleadingly at his father. Uncle Vernon was livid with rage and looked as if he wanted to spit in Harry's face. Slowly, he sat down and resumed staring at his pancakes. Finally, Dudley couldn't stand it anymore. He let out a moan and tore into his food.

"DUDLEY, NO!" Aunt Petunia shrieked.

She was too late. Dudley had swallowed and was on his way through his second piece. Harry's aunt and uncle watched their son in terror for a moment. Seeing how there were no adverse effects, they dug in too.

Harry exchanged amused looks with his friends and followed them as they got up to leave the Dursleys to their breakfast.

Once they were up in Harry's room, he burst out with laughter. "Hermione-hahaha-that-hahaha-was the-hahaha funniest thing I ever-hahaha-you're brilliant- that was- haha- just too funny…,"He trailed off into helpless laughter.

"I didn't do it on purpose! I thought that it would be a nice gesture," Hermione argued, although there was a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Severus Snape sat on a stiff, worn sofa, his head in his hands. His mind was racing. The words of others rang through his head, not allowing him sleep or rest.

"I'm very proud of you Severus. You did what no one was able to do for centuries. You did what that sniveling coward Malfoy couldn't do. You shall be rewarded for killing Albus Dumbledore." The Dark Lord laughed his snake-like face unmoving.

Dumbledore's face swam into his mind. "Severus…Severus please…"

Potter's face loomed into sight, twisted with rage and hate, "Kill me then. Kill me like you killed him, you coward."

Potter had spat the word with such contempt, such disgust, it had driven him almost insane. It was a mantra ringing over and over again in his head. 'Coward…coward…coward…'

"Severus, I trust you. I hope you know that. Despite what others may say, I believe that you have truly changed. I hope I am not mistaken."

There was that old fool again. So trusting…too trusting for his own good. "I hope I am not mistaken…" he had said with a dangerous glint in his eye. Did he know then? If he did why did the old fool allow him to remain at Hogwarts?

And so the day or night, how could one keep track, dragged on. The words that haunted Snape rang through his head again and again, allowing no peace of mind.

"Coward…you shall be rewarded for killing Albus Dumbledore…coward…Severus please…coward…I trust you…coward…I hope I am not mistaken…coward…coward…coward…"

And that's the end of that chapter. The next one will be up as soon as I crank it out. Hope you enjoyed.