Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own anything in this story except for the plot. Any new characters that might come in later chapters are also mine, but everything else is property of J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 2- The Truth Revealed

"Harry! Oh, How are you? I've been so worried about you!" Harry had just opened the front door only to catch a brief glance at one of his best friends. His vision was immediately obstructed by a ton of large, bushy, brown hair. Hermione had thrown herself upon him and hugged him very tightly.

Usually Harry would have just stood there and patted her back, but today, he embraced her in an equally tight hug, letting all of his emotions spill out. All of his joy, sadness, confusion, and fear tried to escape him, but he held it back. He wanted to just cry on Hermione's shoulder, but he was too happy about seeing her to cry.

When Hermione finally let go of Harry, she held him back at arms length to look him over. "You look so pale! Your cloths are practically falling off of you! Have you been eating at all?" Hermione questioned with a worried look on her face.

"Well, I haven't had much of an appetite lately."

"Harry, are you sure you're O.K.?"

"Yea, I'm fine."

"Oh, Harry! It's so good to see you!" She gave him another hug and walked inside. "Here let me help you with your trunk, where is it?"

"In the kitchen. I'll come with you."

Hermione walked into the kitchen and stopped. She saw the four Death Eaters all bound with a magical rope. "Oh my gosh! What happened here?"

"I was attacked, or, well, my aunt was really. I'll explain it to you later."

"Professor Dumbledore? What are you doing here?" She asked, spotting Dumbledore.

"I was just helping Harry clean up some things here. The Ministry will be here in a few minutes, so I suggest you get going. Remember to be careful, Harry. Voldemort will know that you have left your aunt and uncle's. He will be looking for you."

"Yes, sir. Good-bye, Professor."

"I will see you in two weeks, Harry, Miss Granger."

Hermione was showing Harry the room he would be staying in, when she turned and looked at him with a confused and anxious look.

"Harry, what happened back there?"

"Well, Voldemort obviously knows about the protection my aunt has over me, and he sent four death Eaters to come either kidnap or kill her. I went to stun two of them and I accidentally sent two curses I've never heard of at them. They were really powerful curses, though."

"You must be really scared, but what is that protection that you mentioned?"

Harry told her all about the protection and how Voldemort can't harm him while he was at the Dursley's. Hermione still seemed confused after Harry finished his explanation.

"But why would Voldemort be after you? I know you stopped him from returning to power many times, but why is he so persistent to kill you? Why can't he just leave you alone for a while?"

"Um, Hermione? Do you want to go sit outside? It's so nice today that I think we need to get out of the house."

Hermione sensed something was wrong by the way he changed the subject so abruptly. She knew he was hiding something and wanted desperately to find out what, but she respected what he wanted and didn't pursue the topic.

They spent the rest of the day outside talking and playing muggle football with Hermione's neighbors. Harry felt so normal playing with the other people. None of the muggles knew who he was or why he was famous. To them he was just another boy with nothing special about him.

At first they were fascinated with his scar and the way it was shaped like a bolt of lightning. They quickly got over that and treated him like he was normal. Hermione could tell Harry was really enjoying it; he was smiling and laughing, and he looked so relaxed. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time.

Hermione went inside and got some drinks. She, Harry, and three other muggle boys sat in the front yard talking and drinking lemonade. They talked about school, friends, and sports before the conversation turned to their parent's careers. Harry fell very quiet.

"What do your parents do, Harry?" One of the Muggles asked.

"Umm... hey, I'm going to go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'm pretty tired; it's been a long day." Harry replied not wanting to answer the boy's question.

The muggles looked a little puzzled, but they shook it off fairly quickly. "O. K. We'll see you tomorrow then. Come out and we'll play some more football."

Harry went inside and changed into his pajamas. He climbed on top of the bed, but didn't pull the covers over him. He had no intentions of going to sleep. After a few minutes, Hermione walked in to check on him. She saw the look on his face and climbed onto the bed next to him while placing a comforting arm around him.

"Harry? Will you please tell me what's wrong? I know there is. You always walk out on me when we start talking about something you want to avoid. I don't know what it is that you don't want to tell me, but please just get over it and talk to me. Whatever you're hiding, you can tell me. I'm your friend, Harry. I care about you, and I care if you're happy or not."

Harry looked up at her face and saw the pleading look in her eyes. Now was the time. There was no better time to tell her about the prophecy. He sighed and started explaining everything. He told her everything Dumbledore had said at the end of last year. It felt good to get it all off his chest, but the look on her face was heart breaking.

"So either I have to kill Voldemort or he has to kill me, and, quite honestly, I'm not ready yet. I am supposed to have power that he doesn't know about, but how can I if even I don't know about it?"

By the time he said this Hermione was in tears. She hugged him and cried for what seemed like hours until she finally fell asleep. Harry let her stay like that all night, and eventually he fell asleep himself.

He was in a dark dungeon. It was very cold and there were no windows. The only light was that from a small candle set on a table in the middle of the room. The room was very large and Harry was standing in one of the back corners.

"Bring him to me, Wormtail." Harry ordered.

Then suddenly, a short, rather skinny man emerged from a side door, dragging another man along the ground as he moved towards Harry.

"Here he is, My Lord." Wormtail said placing the man in front of Harry.

"Thank you, Wormtail. You may leave us."

"Yes, My Lord."

As soon as Wormtail left the room, Harry spoke to the man on the floor below him. "Well, well. Have you found it? Did you get the book?"

"My Lord, the book is guarded. It is hidden. There are only two people capable of getting the book, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter."

"Why? Why are those two fools the only ones able to get it?"

"I don't know, My Lord. I have no other answers. Please forgive me."

"I do not easily forgive, you know that. Why should this be any different?"

"I did all that was in my power to deliver the book to you, My Lord. But there was no way. It must be Dumbledore or Potter, and I am neither. I could not do anything. I brought you back all of the information I know."

"You have failed me. Now you must pay the consequences. Crucio!"

The man on the floor writhed in pain, screamed in agony, and pleaded with Harry to relieve the curse. Harry would do no such thing. His servant had failed and should be punished.

"There is no 'almost completed' when it comes to what I ask. You either succeed or you fail. I asked you to retrieve that book and bring it to me. You did not do this therefore you failed. You are now paying for your mistake."

"Please, My Lord! I beg of you! I am sorry, but there was nothing I could do."

"You are worthless!" Harry shouted. "There is something you could have done. I have not thought of it yet, but if you had taken a little time to work it out then you could have come up with something. My servants must be intelligent, which I see you are not. I have no use for you! Avada Kedavra!"

Harry was rolling in pain. His scar was on fire. It was burning. He was clutching his head and trying not to scream. Harry wasn't sure whom or where he was; the pain was blinding. It felt like it lasted forever, but finally it went away. It went away as abruptly as it had come.

Harry was lying with his eyes closed, panting. He was out of breath like he had just run many miles. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see that he was on the floor, and a very worried Hermione was leaning above him almost crying with fear. She told Harry to lie still for a few moments. Quickly, she ran out of the room and got a cold rag for his forehead. She laid it on his head and he immediately felt relief.

Hermione looked at him, waiting for an explanation, but Harry could not get all the words out. Finally, he managed to say just a few words.

"Bagman, Ludo Bagman...he's a Death Eater...was a Death Eater....he's...dead" Harry said right before he blacked out.

A/N: In the next chapter, Harry and Hermione will return to Grimmauld Place and meet up with Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, including Ginny. I am taking a pole on who Harry should date in this story. The choices are Harry/ Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Harry/Parvati, or Harry/someone else (please state who that someone else would be). Can everyone post a review saying who they would like it to be, please! Thank you!