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Chapter twenty four
Halloween Ball
/
"Are you having fun?!" shouted the frontman of Weird Sisters.
"Yeah!" roared the crowd of students gathered under the temporary stage.
"Are you glad the little ones are gone?"
"Clearly!"
"Are we going to inflame it?"
"YEAH!"
"Oookayyy, let´s get this party started!"
Glowing with quickly flashing lights the Great Hall boomed not only with roaring music, but also with enthusiastic shouts. When the Hogwarts students finally had the opportunity, they were going to use it to its fullest…
/
Our foursome had a great time in general, even Angela, who tended to gloomily check if anyone was paying them any bigger attention. Her mood went up especially after Harry had successfully used an inconspicuous Insect Jinx with a delayed effect to punish Zabini and Parkinson for calling his love a whore. Those two were about to have a very nasty awakening in the morning.
The four of them had just enough of dancing after an hour and went to sit down at their table to catch some breath. All of them were in the high spirits. Most of their classmates were having too much fun to care about them, and even the usual Slytherin prudes ignored them for a change, also enjoying the unusual relaxation. Ron and Harry brought some bottles from the twins´ awesome supply and Angela started mixing cocktails for them all with Hermione's help.
"I do admire them," Ron stated, looking at the nearby stage where the Weird Sisters were going on with their rock rampage. "Where do they get the energy for that?"
"Please," Hermione turned to her boyfriend. "They're being amply supplied with food and drinks from behind. Not to mention, they already had a short break."
Ron pouted: "They're great anyway."
"I can't disagree with that," Harry nodded.
Then he noticed that his girlfriend suddenly froze up in the middle of shaking with one of the bottles. He was trying hard to make her feel good that evening and when it finally worked; she put on an expression he did not like at all.
Worried, he leant close to her ear: "Angie? What is it?"
"Over there, do you see? In that corner?" she answered a little shakily.
Harry looked in the direction she was pointing and registered a tall figure in black cloak with huge hoodie and… with a Death Eater mask covering their face. He just stared at that person in disbelief. Among tens of the tipsy students, the masked person did not attract much attention, although it did earn a few disgusted looks. He was sure that if any professor would be present yet, that nutcase would have paid for such an idea with proper punishment. Angela, who had already put down her veil, turned unnaturally pale. Such a sight apparently unsettled her.
"Well, that is incredibly rude…" Harry murmured.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, turning to face them, the feathers sticking out of her hair shaking.
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Ron joined her curiously as well.
"About that ´costume´ in the corner," Harry replied with a frown, glancing suspiciously at the figure that was disappearing from his sight here and there behind someone else.
"Who is that for Merlin's breeches?" snapped his best friend as he also squinted at the figure.
Hermione shook her head in disbelief, while Angela also kept her eyes on the unknown student.
"How can anyone be so arrogant to come to a masquerade in these days dressed up as a Death Eater?" Hermione wondered. "I really don´t get it."
"And that's really saying something," remarked Ron. "But you can go and try to ask him," he added smugly.
His girlfriend smacked his head with her right wing. Ron's hawk screeched in pain.
"Do you have any idea who it might be?" Harry asked quietly. "I'd say someone from Slytherin..."
Angela returned his meaningful look: "I don´t know…" she reacted quietly and continued to observe the mysterious figure, completely forgetting about the preparation of the alcoholic dream…
/
Daria had mixed Coke with red wine and now sipped on it contentedly, even though she felt the alcohol already had some influence on her. At least she somehow managed to forget a little about that damn terrible last month.
She walked with another tall glass to the nearest free chair and searched the Hall for Ginny, who had disappeared from her sight a while ago.
Suddenly, she felt someone's gaze on her. She looked around discreetly until she found its originator and gasped in surprise. Someone in a long black cloak stood motionless near her, watching her from behind a Death Eater mask. Chills ran down her spine.
She stared fixedly at the stranger, but he did not look away. She knew very well that he was still looking at her, even though she could not see his face or eyes clearly.
She sipped from her glass in silence, watching him kind of curious. What was he up to? That mask of his made her feel sick and excited at the same time.
All right, let´s see what he will say to this…
Daria got up, turned away from him, took two clear glasses from the liquor table and poured the Firewhisky into them.
When she turned around with them in her hands, the figure was no longer standing there. She was looking around surprised, when she felt someone's breath behind her. She turned sharply, and she was looking at the Death Eater's mask from closer than she would have liked. But she also saw a mysterious smile on the stranger's lips...
/
"Damn…" Angela murmured unhappily. "I lost him."
"That 'Death Eater?'" Harry figured right away.
"Hmm, yeah," she hummed. "He just disappeared from my sight."
Harry eyed her tense expression and then reached out to squeeze her hand. "You know… Let it be, Angie. We shouldn´t let this evening to be spoiled with some fool after all."
"You´re right," she agreed reluctantly, leaning closer to him, searching comfort.
Yet, she did not feel good about it. Not at all…
/
The stranger reached out from under his cloak and wordlessly took a glass from Daria´s hand. When his fingers touched hers, she felt a strange chill.
Who is this guy?
They clinked with the glasses and both gulped the contents of them in one go.
The Weird Sisters launched one of their longest and best slow dances. Daria set down the empty glass as did the stranger and looked at him inquisitively, trying to meet his eyes. He offered her his arm. After a moment's hesitation, she accepted it, not even knowing why. She had no reason to go dancing with this weirdo in the creepy costume. Yet, he did not seem like a stranger to her at all. Daria did not even think it was weird that they did not speak a single word to each other.
He pulled her close tightly under the stage and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They slowly started dancing. She realized that alcohol was partly responsible for her composure, but somehow, she did not mind. His touch was literally burning her up.
Then, he leaned down to her lips and she had no intention to resist…
It came like a bolt from the blue. As soon as he started kissing her, she recognized him.
Daria pulled back and looked into the grey eyes that were reflecting the colourful lights at that moment. She braced herself against his chest.
"Let me go," she gritted between her teeth.
"No… I need to talk to you," Draco spoke for the first time, still holding her.
"There´s nothing I would want to talk about with you!" snapped Daria grumpily. "I have nothing to do with you anymore."
"That's not true and you know it."
"What do you even think of yourself?" she hissed angrily. "How dare you come in front of me again?"
"I want to explain it to you. Please!" Draco pleaded urgently.
Although Daria was surprised by his request, it was not enough to calm her anger. She jerked away from him.
"Leave me alone! Isn't it enough for you how you've already ruined my life?"
"Daria…"
"Get out before I give you away and you'll be in big trouble!"
"But…"
She turned her back on him and, weaving between many couples, disappeared from his sight.
/
"Did I already mention how beautiful you look today?" Harry asked, comfortably settled in the chair with Angela in his lap.
Hermione and Ron went to the dance together again, leaving them a moment of privacy.
"Yes, at least three times," she confirmed, kissing his nose with a smile.
"Well, then this is the fourth time I´m saying it," he insisted, pulling his girl even closer to him.
He gently caressed her thigh under the thin fabric of her skirt. In return, she lifted his hat and gave him a long kiss. Harry felt her shiver under his hands, as he kissed her back eagerly.
"Harry?" she said with her eyes closed.
"Angie?"
"Shall we go for a walk?"
"A private night stroll? That would be nice, but the main gate is locked as always," he replied hoarsely. "I would not dare to provoke Dumbledore by breaking that spell tonight."
"Hmm, let's walk the halls then, shall we?"
"Sure," Harry agreed right away and they both started to scramble up on their feet.
Hand in hand, they disappeared from the Great Hall and did not even notice the ominous look of a certain 'cat' staring at their backs.
They hurried up the stairs laughing, trying to silence each other unsuccessfully. On the second floor, they stopped for a moment, because they heard a window slamming shut, but when they looked into the corridor where it came from, they did not see anyone, so they calmly continued upstairs.
/
Daria found a table with even more half-full bottles and purposefully mixed herself another glass. She needed a proper drink.
After a while, someone approached her from the side and watched her silently for a while.
"Are you going to get drunk today?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," Daria agreed in all seriousness.
"Can I join?" her classmate requested quietly.
"Of course! But the way I look at it, you have a lot to catch up on, so go ahead!" Daria urged her with a slightly silly smile.
Both of them pulled their chairs to the table and quite successfully set about beating their alcohol consumption record.
/
Covered by the Invisibility Charm, Draco Malfoy flew across the school grounds on a broom and landed soundlessly on the edge of the Forbidden Forest near the Quidditch field. He arrived cautiously at the place where he had left the petrified guard, cleared the Auror´s memory, disappeared from his field of vision, and examined him from a distance, still standing. The guard shuddered a little, but then continued walking as if he had not stopped at all in the past hour and a half.
Only after that Draco crossed the Apparition border and the protective field of Hogwarts, reduced the broom to a miniature, which he slipped into the inner pocket of his robes and forced himself to calm down with a couple of deep breaths.
Daria's reaction put him in a rather gloomy mood, though he expected it. However, he was not going to give up on his attempts to talk to her. Definitely not yet...
He assumed that she would try to get to the cemetery to visit her parents' grave soon. That could be another opportunity for him. Of course only in case, they let her out of Hogwarts, which was not very likely.
He stopped his train of thought to focus on the Apparition and disappeared almost inaudibly in a moment. For a long time, he focused on specializing on quietly moving from the place where he was, not just to the destination, and he was already starting to get good at it.
/
Feeling warm and pleasantly tired, Harry was hugging Angela, who was clinging to him with her head resting on his chest, running one hand through her long, now improperly dishevelled hair. Both of them were looking in front of each other in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Harry?" his girlfriend suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence, until then disrupted only by the sound of the wind lashing the windows of the Room of Requirement.
"Yes, my love?" Harry tore out of his thoughts and kissed the top of her head.
"I love you," there came a soft reply.
He smiled: "I love you more."
"I want you to promise me something," Angela said then slowly.
On that, Harry frowned slightly. He did not like her tone. "Depending on what it will be," he responded cautiously.
She fidgeted a little and sighed. "You won´t like it."
"I knew it... So? Go on."
Angela sat up and pulled the blanket close to her body. Harry reached for his glasses and looked into her eyes.
His girlfriend took a shaky breath: "If by any chance, Merlin forbid, I would end up in Voldemort´s hands, promise me you won't try to save me, even if they tell you… whatever."
Harry slowly closed and then opened his eyes again.
"I will, but under one condition," he reacted calmly then.
Angela looked at him surprised: "What condition?"
"That you promise me the same thing."
"No way!" she protested immediately. "Forget it!"
"See? What makes you think I would react differently, Angie?"
She hunched cheerlessly, not replying.
"Come on," Harry sat up as well and took her hands into his. "You know that this request of yours is completely useless."
"I just don't want anything to happen to you because of me," she reacted, her voice shaking.
"And I feel the same. But we started a fight once and we have to see it through," Harry urged. "We both knew what we were getting into."
"But you…" she began, but trailed off at Harry's implacable expression. She sighed deeply and leaned against the head of the bed, still with the blanket around her body. Harry propped his head up on his elbow and began to stroke her bare arm.
"I'll answer you," he stated suddenly.
"On what?" Angela wondered.
"On that question that keeps going around in your head, but you never asked me."
For a moment, there was tense silence.
"Why Voldemort wants to kill you..." Angela finally uttered heavily across her lips.
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
She eyed him intently: "How do you know I'm thinking about it?"
"You're not stupid, Angie. You told me yourself you´re aware that I´m hiding something from you. We know each other well enough already, don't we?"
"Are you sure you want to tell me?"
"Definitely," he nodded firmly. "Just wait a moment."
Harry reached down and pulled from under the bed a large earthenware bowl with bluish liquid contents, the rim of which was carved with strange ornaments.
"Huh, is that Pensieve?" Angela wondered with her eyes wide.
"Yes, I borrowed it from Dumbledore."
"So… You've been thinking about telling me for some time already?"
"I have," Harry confirmed seriously, taking his wand from the bedside table. "I want you to know exactly what I do."
"But… Wait a moment, Harry. Why all of the sudden? Why now?"
Harry returned her urgent look: "You need to learn that it´s more dangerous for you to be with me than the other way around. Like that, you can finally stop making needless suggestions."
"Alright… Go ahead then," Angela gave up any more protests and nodded at him encouragingly.
Harry brought the wand to his temple and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he pulled the thin silvery thread from his head and touched the end of the wand to the surface of the bowl. After a moment, a reflection of Professor Trelawney emerged from it…
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those, who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
The Seer turned slowly, disappeared into the bowl again and the Room fell silent.
Harry had known about the prophecy for almost a year and a half, but it was only the second time he heard it all, and he felt just as awful about it as before. However, he was now watching Angela's face intently, which was completely indistinguishable for a while.
She sat in silence and it was clear that she was letting what she heard play out in her head. Then she took the bowl, placed it aside on the night table, shifted closer to Harry and took his hands.
"I think I suspected it would be something like this," she stated rather calmly. "Voldemort must have had a good reason for trying to kill you when you were just a baby. But I didn't know it was going to be so…"
"Scary?" Harry finished quietly instead of her.
Angela looked into his eyes: "Maybe," she replied vaguely. "Who told you about this prophecy?"
"Dumbledore. He himself heard Trelawney out."
"And how does the Dark Lord know about it?"
"Supposedly, one of Voldemort's followers was listening behind the door at the time, and even though he didn't hear the whole thing, he immediately went to leak it in the heat of the moment."
"How come he didn't hear her through?" Angela wondered.
"From what Dumbledore told me, he was interrupted. That's also why Voldemort tried to get to this prophecy later, after his resurrection.''
"In your fifth year at Hogwarts to be exact? Is that why you were at the Ministry of Magic then?"
"Yes, how…"
"I know that a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries can only be picked up by the person for whom it is intended. And the Dark Lord couldn't afford to just march to the Ministry of Magic."
"Exactly. That's why he lured me there. I rushed blindly into his trap..." he stuttered a little, before he continued. "And Sirius paid for it. It was me who deprived you of the possibility ever meeting your father."
Angela squeezed his hands tightly: "I don't blame you, Harry," she whispered.
"But you should…"
She eyed him sadly for a while, before raising another question: "So, the Dark Lord didn't hear the whole prophecy?"
"Not that I know of," Harry shook his head.
"And to what extent does he know its content?"
"According to Dumbledore, just the beginning – until ´born as the seventh month dies´. He does not know about the rest. That's why he also couldn't have guessed what would happen if he tried to kill me."
"That he would mark you as his equal…" Angela pointed out, glancing at his scar.
"Yes," he nodded.
"But he will have power that the Dark Lord knows not..." Angela repeated thoughtfully. "What does this mean?"
"Well…" Harry sighed heavily. "Dumbledore told me that… You know what, give it back to me."
Angela reached for the Pensive again and Harry pulled another thin thread into it from his wand. This time, the sitting Hogwarts headmaster floated up to its surface, and across from him was Harry, almost two years younger, who looked rather tired.
"But I don't have it!" snarled the silvery shrunken Harry. "I don't have any power that he doesn't have, I couldn't fight the way he fought tonight, I can't even control people—or kill them—"
However, the headmaster interrupted him.
"There is one chamber in the Department of Mysteries whose door remains locked at all times. It contains a power that is more wonderful and at the same time more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also probably the most mysterious of the many study objects stored there. It is precisely the power stored in that locked room that you are so gifted with and that Voldemort completely lacks. That power brought you to Sirius's rescue tonight. That power also saved you and didn't allow Voldemort to control you: he couldn't contain himself in a body so full of power that he hates. In the end, it didn't matter that you couldn't close your mind to him. Your heart saved you."
The silver scene disappeared.
"The Dark Lord tried to possess you?" Angela asked breathlessly.
Harry just nodded, not exactly eager to remember that experience.
"But what exactly is that power?" she wondered. "Dumbledore always talks in riddles like this…"
"I totally agree with you on that. But he didn't tell me anything more. And I haven't even asked since."
"Hmm," Angela absently stared at the bowl.
"And how about that last part?" Harry could not stand it any longer.
She glanced at him inscrutably and then she shoved the Pensive aside unsparingly.
"Harry," she sat close to him and hugged him. "What should I say to that? If I think that you will become a murderer or a victim?"
"Sort of," Harry shrugged.
"Look," she spoke determined, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "What is supposed to happen, let it happen. But whatever it will be – whatever – I'll be with you, if I can. You can count on that."
Harry smiled a little. "I know," he said and kissed her tenderly.
/
It was getting close to two o'clock in the morning. The slow music so far spontaneously flowing from the loudspeakers, as the Weird Sisters were already in quite a worn out state, stopped and the attention of students, mostly from the sixth and seventh years, very slowly focused on the tall figure in black in the open door. The exuberant merriment died down in shock, the dancing couples, including Hermione and Ron, remained standing.
"That would be enough, wouldn't it?" snapped Snape, rather tensely, his voice echoing through the Hall, grumpily scanning the empty bottles that were lying both on the tables and on the floor. "I strongly advise you to quit it!"
The students stared blankly at the Bat for a moment, then someone unseen started the music again and the fun continued as if it had not stopped. Of course, they could thank alcohol in their blood for such a suicidal behaviour.
Gritting his teeth, Snape scanned the cluttered Great Hall once more and slammed the door behind him with a curse. He did not have the nerve for those brats. This is what happens when they are left unattended for a while. But let them do what they want. He did not care anymore. They will eat it up to the fullest in the morning.
/
"I bow to you, Your Majesty!" Daria declared loudly but laboriously.
"Me too, Your Grace!" Ginny repaid her with the same.
They let out a loud laugh that echoed down the long corridor.
"You're a bit flushed, Your Majesty, are you okay?" continued Daria, her red cheeks shining through her white make-up and her eyes sparkling.
"But not at all…why should it?" Ginny protested muttering. She hiccupped profusely. "But you look like you're on a binge, Your Grace."
Both girls giggled again. They laughed like crazy and supported each other so they would not fall to the ground in the hallway. They had been on their way to the Gryffindor tower and their beds for about ten minutes now.
"You have a rather dishevelled hairdo, madam," Daria cooed.
"You too," Ginny was not far behind.
They wandered from one side of the corridor to the other, almost not knowing where they were going, but they did not really care.
Daria suddenly stopped and stood there terrified.
"What is it?" Ginny wondered.
"For Merlin! Where's your tail?" Daria squealed and immediately started giggling again.
"You're stupid," Ginny stated as she felt her cat's tail in order above her butt. "You scared—hiccup—me."
"Sooorry, then."
"Wait!"
"What?"
"Where are we?"
"Give it a rest, girl. We´re going to our tower, aren't we?" Daria declared.
"But I don't recognize it here," Ginny protested, struggling to balance.
"Then I'll lead you, you little bugger," Daria giggled. "Let´s… go!"
After another ten minutes, they arrived to the sleepy Fat Lady.
"Oh, more latecomers! When would be the end of you?" the lady greeted them. "Well, come on, password!"
"Ass word?" Ginny drawled, glancing at Daria. "What's the ass word? Butt? Bottom?"
"Pass not ass!" Daria corrected her.
"Whatever…" her drunken classmate just waved her hand disinterested.
"Um, well," Daria frowned in thought. "Fortuna Major?"
"That's a pretty old one!" snapped the Fat Lady little grumpier. "Come on, I've had enough of you today already!"
"So... Mediciners?" guessed Daria, whose head was completely empty.
The lady on the portrait just rolled her eyes.
"No! I, I already know!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Well…?" Daria prompted.
"The Fat Lady´s ass!" the other girl said seriously.
The lady blushed and the girls started to giggle until their eyes were full of tears.
"That's enough!" the angry portrait charged at them. "Or I really won't let you in!"
"Well, okay, calm down!" Daria reassured her. "So what about… Slimy Smug Snape?"
"That suits him," Ginny commented.
Merlin knew how long they would have been standing there if Ron had not come leading Hermione, who had gone a bit overboard with alcohol, and got the correct password out of himself.
Eventually the four of them made it to bed, though Daria and Ginny unknowingly switched and fell fast asleep.
/
It was almost five in the morning, but Harry still could not fall asleep. One hand was behind his head and the other was hugging regularly breathing Angela. Dreary thoughts ran through his head…
How will this all end? Will I ever be able to utter the worst of the Unforgivable Curses? How can I face Voldemort? Me, a seventeen-year-old student against the scariest wizard of all time? What can I do against him? A power that the Dark Lord himself does not know… Nice bullshit!
He looked down at the calm face of his beloved. He could not imagine losing her. He cared about no one as much as he did for her. And Voldemort probably knew that. There was no doubt that he would try to take advantage of it. The only question was when. When would it happen? How long would they be allowed to live in this dubious safety?
These and other thoughts and ideas kept him from falling asleep and he stayed awake with Angela close to him until dawn.
