Chapter 17

Darling's Secret

In my dream, I break the chains that hold this place together
But in my dreams the consequences would be so much better
Then they are
Cause beyond the walls that hold us here
Skies, they stretch across the atmosphere.

Hermione and Ron changed out of their costumes as quickly as they could and into their everyday clothing, with only ten minutes to disappear out of sight.

'We have to find Harry and Darling.' Hermione whispered as they brusquely walked down the hall, their footsteps echoing off the wall all around them.

'They could anywhere.' Ron stopped suddenly, snapping his fingers. 'The Marauder's Map! Harry keeps it in his trunk.' Ron remembered excitedly and the two of them ran the rest of the way to the common room

The fat lady questioned them why they weren't at the performance, especially since they were in it. She was saying that she was just headed down there and that she was going to be late because of them.

Ron and Hermione faught with the Fat Lady who finally believed them that Hermione needed her costume, which she forgot.Finally, theygot through the portrait hole only to find the common room empty. Ron ran up to the dorm while Hermione waited, but he returned very quickly.

'Looks like Harry had the same idea.' Ron said, showing Hermione the empty parchment.

Steping down to her level, he cleared his throat and clearly spoke the words, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'. He had wanted to say that ever since he saw Harry do it. 'Now, where are they?' Ron uttered. The Great hall was so full of people that you could barely read who was who. The few people who didn't attend were hiding in their common rooms or walking the halls where no teachers would be.

'There!' Hermione shouted and pointed at the Forbidden forest. She did not remove her finger from the parchment until Ron had seen. There were three dots. Emmy Darling and Alexander Trump, whom neither of them knew but they had a good guess. Close behind them was the ever approaching, self-proclaimed hero (and troublemaker), Harry Potter.

'I knew it, he's so stupid!' Hermione exclaimed quite angrily and rushed out of the room. Ron was left to stumble out after her saying, 'mischief managed' then tucking the blank parchment and wand into his jean pocket.

Harry had been sitting on his bed awaiting the play to start. He didn't want to be in all the hustle and bustle so he pulled out the Marauder's map to see when the way would be clear.To his dismay there were still a lot of people trudging along to the Great Hall. Although, what really caught his eye was that Daring seemed to be moving ­away form the dressing rooms, away from the Great Hall and towardsthe Forbidden Forest…or Hagrid's hut.

Harry waited another moment and then saw another dot appear. Alexander Trump? Harry tried to think back to if he heard that name but before he could think any more on the matter, he noticed that they were going to the Forbidden Forest. He was right! Tonight was the night, Darling was going to pull something. Only what exactly?

Harry jumped off his bed and ran out to the busy common room. He ran down to Ginny and told her that he would be down in a minute and for her to go on without him.

'How long are you going to be? I can wait.' She said.

'No, I have something to take care of.'

'Ok Harry…are you sure you don't want me to wait?' She asked sincerely.

'I'm sure.' He then headed back to him room and looked atthe map. There was about 20 minutes before the play started he had time to go see what she was up to and get back in time. He closed his map and muttered, mischief managed and headed out the door. He had managed to avoid everyone with expertise and was on the grounds in minutes.

He was hurrying across the darkening grounds towards where he could vaguely see Darling entering the forest, but no one else was with her. Harry was positive that he had seen another person with her on the map. Absentmindedly wishing he had brought the map, he made his way through brush and dead logs in the hopes that he would spot her again.

And after what seemed like hours of blindly struggling through the deep forest he found her … or rather…Harry suddenly froze, immobilized. Unable to move or speak, all he could do whs think (of how stupid he was).

'Harry Potter, how delightful, I was hoping you could join me.' She drawled. Harry looked around for another person but no one was found.

He saw on the ground candles that looked that they were being set up in a circle. Darling bent down and started arranging the rest of them in a circle.

'Hand me those will you.' Darling said. Harry was confused, was she talking to him? 'And take that stupid thing off, not one is there for heaven's sake.' She yelled angrily and a man appeared to the right of Darling. He picked up the four books and placed them where the 12, 3, 6, and 9 would be on a clock. Then it dawned on Harry.

'An invisibility cloak!' he thought excitedly. 'That's why he disappeared so fast that day in the hall. That's why I could see him in the map…and that's how' he thought bitterly, 'Neville was attacked unseen!'

'Do you finally realize that you're friends aren't going to save you? They're too busy with that stupid muggle play!' she spat ironically, mingled with anger. 'Of course, you wouldn't understand about being pushed aside by your parents who were supposed to love you.' She paused and thencoldly remarked, 'Then again, your parents didn't even make it to your first birthday did they'She raised her eyebrows in question then gave a long, silent grin.

'Perfect wouldn't you think? While you're out here helping me finish my spell,' the man was now lighting the candles counterclockwise. 'You're precious Dumbledore and every single person who you have ever met or cared about will. Be. Dead. All thanks to you because you walked so willingly to me…I didn't even have to chase after you.'

'I was wrong; I didn't need Longbottom's blood, not only, anyway. What a waste of my time…I could have been done if only I knew that. I'm not stupid, you know,I was glad you overheard because I know you wouldn't tell Dumbledore my plans to kill him.' Harry knew exactly what she was talking about. 'It was a blessing that you like to put your nose in others buisness.'

'I can't say that Voldemort wont be pleased. I admit, I'm behind schedule, but soon you'll all be dead. Just like your parents.' She gave a small chuckle and Harry's stomach flared with anger.

'What will the world be like without famous Harry Potter and know-it-all Dumbledore. Too trustworthy for his own good, barely looks at my background before he takes me under his wing, good thing he knew my parents were killed by Voldemort.' She said half heartedly, making Harry lose his breath.

'They were Auror's too. But they had no time for their only child, no I was too young to understand…but I guess it paid off in the end that they were too busy for me.' She gave another shrill shriek. 'I suppose you think I would be sadden by their death but I sold them out to him. I gave their hiding place and I watched them die!' she paced back and forth in front of Harry, leaves crunching from underneath her feet. Harry was breathless, shocked.

'I was 7 when I saw them die' she recollected happily. 'His power is amazing, so beautiful. One spell and that was it, they were dead. I wanted power like that, I longed for it.'

'I was found hiding in their closet and I told him not to kill me because I was valuable, that I knew where more people were. People that he would strongly… dislike, so one by one I gave him different names of friends of the family that I knew to be Aruors and one by one he killed them.'

'I know you wouldn't understand, you don't understand that kind of power. If only you'd seen what I've seen, Harry, maybe you wouldn't be here right now about to die. You could have been where I was in a few years. 19 years old and Voldemort, the most powerful wizard was keen on me. He used me,' she said with passion, 'as an insider. My identity was never known, no one even thought I was a death eater. My parents' friends spilling valuable information that I gave so graciously to Voldemort.'

She could tell that Harry was angry, even without facial expressions, and at this she smiled and started to tell him more in hopes that she would drive him insane.

'The day I turned 22,' she said and stared at Harry long and hard 'the day Pettigrew gave away the Potters' whereabouts. He set off on a mission…and never came back.' She said darkly but with a hint of sadness.

'Instead of moping around I focused my studies on the dark arts for sixteen years where so kindly Dumbledore took me under his wing and allowed me to teach here' She raised her arms and paused.

'Well enough chit-chat I suppose' She swooped down and picked up a silver dagger but before Darling could get another step Harry felt limp, and in fact fell face first into the soft ground.

Hermione stood feet away lowering her wand after muttering a counter curse to a simple freezing charm.

'Expelliarmus' Ron shouted and the dagger, which Darling was holding, flew out of her hand anddown the steep hill beside them.

'What- are- you- doing?' she yelled frantically, 'The performance is ruined!'

'Like you care!' Hermione retorted.

'Careful' Harry warned, 'there is a man in an invisibility cloak ' Harry noticed that the man disappeared as soon as Hermione and Ron arrived. Hermione looked around and noticed the circle of lit candles. She walked over to them put the candles out and interestedly picked up one of the books. Darling was furious, but didn't want to try anything because she had two wands on her.

Hermione dropped the book by accident. She didn't know how, it just fell out of her hand into a mess of leaves at her feet. She bent down and picked up the book but found herself tumbling backwards, a sharp pain on her face as she dropped her wand and the book.

'HERMIONE!' Ron yelled, but before he coulddo anything Harry had already put his wand down and ran towards the top of the steep hill, looking downwhere Hermione lay unmoving.

'Stay here Ron.' Harry ordered and Ron looked upset that he took the initiative. Harry skipped down the hill, trying his best not to slip, his wand at the ready.

'Hermione…are you alright.' Hermione opened her eyes and slowly the picture of Harry came into view.

'I guess so.' She said and sat up gingerly, rubbing her cheek. They both saw leaves falling down the hill and the man under cloak had accidentally reveled himself as his cloak got pulled off.

'Harry! My wand.' Hermione panicked searching the ground for it, under all the dead leaves and branches.

'Accio Hermione's wand.' Harry yelled and her wand came zooming and stopped right in front of him, where Hermione reached over and grabbed it and pointed it at the little man.

'Why are you so scared of her?' Hermione questioned. .

'She controls the Prophecies.' He said in a frightened, insecure voice.

'Prophecies? as in plural?' Hermioneaskedin a confused tone as a feminine scream from the top of the hill made them look away from the man.By the time they looked back he was already running away, his cloak in his hand.

'Hermione hide.' Harry ordered. 'That book, destroy it…just don't let her get a hold of it! I'll check on Ron.' He ran off and left Hermione to swim deeper into the forest alone.

Llllllll

Okay there it is…the second last chapter of my story…hope you liked this chapter, sorry that it was so short…it seemed longer cause I have such big writing…who would have know that 11 pages would have turned out to only be 5 ½ pages typed… ah well!

PLEASE review! I love you all! Thanks for all the reviews you've given me!

Yours Truly

Sweet Roses