Diaclaimer : I own nothing but the plot.

A/N : My fanfic is coming to the end. There are few chapters left. Sorry I haven't updated for SO long... I was busy. Very busy with this university thing... Oh, and sorry if there will be any mistakes, my beta is busy also... :( I just couldn't wait to post that chapter. This is the 17 chapter. Please R/R.

CHAPTER - 17

Meanwhile in the Dumbldore's office...

- I knew that. - Harry said and frowned. Dumbldore's eyebrows rised.

- You knew ?

- Yes. I knew that this kind of information... about my revival won't stay a secret for a long time. I was just trying not to pay attention... What else could I do ? It would be stupid to sit in the Gryffindore tower and hide from everything.

- Yes, that's true. You understand, of course in what danger you are now.

- 'Cause. - Harry nodded.

- And not only you. Miss Granger is also in great danger now.

Harry kept silence for a long time. He turned to Hermione and looked at her with a guilt in his eyes.

- I know that too. - he said at last.

- I don't know why he didn't try to kill you that night, Miss Granger but he'll surely try to do that next time. I just hope there will be no next time. Hogwarts is under Voldemort's threat. He'll try to capture the books from the hidden library which you, Miss Granger luckily and unfortunately has found. If this will happen nothing and no one will stop him.

- Why do we need to destroy them ? Why don't we try to use it against Voldemort ? - Harry suggested. Dumbldore looked at him a bit worried and then shook his head.

- No... that's impossible. A person who will use any kind of spell from a book he's searching for will simply loose his mind. But it'll do nothing what so ever to Voldemort. He's already out of his mind if he's doing all this... - Albus lowered his eyes and sighed. There was a long pause. Then suddenly Hermione began to talk. All this time she wasn't saying a word and now she has finally found what to say.

- He won't find them. He doesn't know that I have found the hidden library, right ?

- Miss Granger, surprisingly all the information is sinking from Hogwarts right into Voldemort's hands and I don't know how. So I think he knows about your observation, Miss Granger.

'Mione shot a glance over Harry and then looked at Dumbldore again.

- So that means that he's gonna kill me... - she said at last.

- Only after he'll take the information he need. But we must make sure that this won't happen.

- By the way, professor... How can you loose your mind by using a simple spell ?! - Hermione asked and frowned.

- It's not just a simple spell like those you're learning at Hogwarts, Miss Granger. Those spells were invented by dark wizards. They had put all their hate, all their rage that was inside of them into them. A wizard who use that spell will absorb all this rage inside of himself, it will penetrate into his heart and burn it from inside. When he'll try to use it once, he won't stop.

And again there was a pause. A long hard pause. It was clear that there was no way they can resist Voldemort and even Dumbldore had no idea of how they can defeat the Dark Lord.

It was even audible a silent sniff of the former headmasters which were on the portraits. Someone sneered very loudly and Harry unwillingly looked at the wall which was all covered with portraits.

- So what are we going to do ? He will try to kill Harry once again ! - Hermione took Harry's arm and squezzed it.

- As long as Harry is in Hogwarts he's safe. Voldemort won't attack a school full of professors.

- Oh...somewhat I doubt that. If he wasn't afraid to appear on the Hogwarts grounds he can appear even in the school itself.

- But...

Suddenly the door swung open and hit the wall.Reamus Lupin ran into the office. His face was all red, his breath was quick it was clear that he was running from the other side of the castle. All three looked at him confuzed.

- Professor !!! - he cried, his voice breathless.

- What, Reamus ?! What happened ?

- We had just caught two Death Eaters, Headmaster !! Here, in Hogwarts !!

- What ?!!?!! - Dumbldore rose from his seat. - Where did you catch them?! - Headmaster's eyes were moving in different directions and his forehead was covered with sweat. Harry had never seen Dumbldore so frightened. To tell the truth he was afraid too. Death Eaters are here - in Hogwarts ! And what next ? Voldemort will come to the school and sit with them behind the gryffindore table ?! Harry felt that Hermione squezzed his hand even more tightly.

- In the corridor, Headmaster.

- Merlin, Reamus, call me Albus. This is not the right time to be polite. How did you catch them ? How did they get into the school ?

- I can give you answers to the both questions. Dean Thomas and Parvati Patil caught two flies and put them into the jar. When they were walking along the corridor Mr. Thomas fell to the floor and the jar was broken. But instead of the two flies there were two Death Eaters. Luckily right at that time professor Snape was walking by with Mr. Filch. Snape put a spell on the Death Eaters and he and other professors are carrying them here right now. - he finished and took a deep sign. It seemed that he told all this on a one breath.

- Merlin... I can't believe it... They has finally found a way to sneak into Hogwarts. - Dumbldore's gaze suddenly directed somewhere far far away.Silence fell again. Harry looked at Reamus Lupin again who looked at him worriedly and then sighed.

- We need to question them and then we must to send all the students to their houses. The ball was a terrible mistake. God, how could I screw up like this ?!

- Don't blame yourself, Albus. Thank's god we caught them just in time before something terrible happened. But I think it will be better to tell students what's going on.

- No, Reamus. There's no need to do that. We don't need panic. - Dumbldor turned to Harry and Hermione. - Harry you and Miss Granger need to go back to the gryffindore tower and stay there.

Harry nodded and rose to his feet. Hermione did the same.

- And Harry... Remember that Miss Granger is in double danger now.

Harry nodded again and looked at Hermione at the corner of his eyes. She has such an expression on her face as if she was going to loose her consious at any minute.

Harry and Hermione were walking up the marble stairs. They were thinking not about the kiss now, they were trying to acquire the information which they have just received. There was so many feelings inside of them that it seemed that they were going to blow up at any minute. Fear, puzzlement, anger and a sense of danger waiting for them behind the corners... A strange desire to look in different directions all the time suddenly appeared.

They stopped in front of the portraite with a fat lady and told the right password : " Veritas ". They walked in and sat on couch near the fire. There was only one thought in their heads : " It's unfair ! We have just made a first step to each other and again something's making it hard for us to be together. Nevertheless Harry felt that it was immensely important to talk to Hermione about everything that happened between them during this evening. It was important to discuss everything that bothered her.No one knows what may happen next. Maybe they won't see the next morning. Harry felt that this evening won't simply end like this... something else will happen. Somewhat he was sure of that.

- 'Mione ?

- Mmm ?

- I think we need to talk. - with this words he turned to her so that he could look right into her eyes.

- Yeah... I guess... - she agreed and did the same.

- I think it's not necessary to tell you about what I want to talk with you. - she nodded. - I need to know... Do you regret that we kissed ? - his green eyes directed at her. She was silence for such a long time that Harry felt fear rising inside of him.

- No. - she finally answered and Harry silently sighed with relief. - But still it's very strange and scary... - she added.

- What's scaring you ?

- Well, you and me...after all this... I don't think that we're just friends now.

- And what's so scary about that ? Yes, friendship had ended but it will turn into something bigger than that...Don't you think ? - he took her left palm and squeezed it a bit.

- Yeah, I guesss so. But it's so hard to realise that we can never be just friends again.

- Yeah, we can never be just friends anymore. We still have out friendship... it's just a new feeling appeared. Bright, wonderful and magical feeling...

- What are you talking about ?

- What do you think I'm talking about ?

- You mean "love" ?

Harry nodded and turned serious again. He could see that there was a struggle inside of her. One part of her was agree with Harry and the other was telling her that it was dangerous to change anything between them.

- Well... what if something will go wrong ? What if we'll break up sometime and there will be nothing between us... nothing at all ?

- I think I'm ready to take a risk. The root of our problem is fear. Hermione, life would be boring without risk.

- You're right. There's nothing scary in this at all... - she agreed even though Harry could hear doubt in her voice. - I'm ready to take a risk....

- Glad to hear that... - he drew closer to her and took her in his arms. She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Harry followed her example. They were sitting like this for quite a long time until Harry felt that the portrait hole opened and someone walked inside.But still he didn't open his eyes. The ball didn't end and maybe some gryffindor couples decided to hide from everyone in the dorms and spend some time apart from all the other students.

Harry heard someone's soft footsteps which were coming closer to the couch on wich he and Hermione were sitting. After a few moments of silence a cold deep voice appeared which Harry will never forget even if he wanted to.

- Oh, how sweet... young love... Too bad you won't spend your whole lives together... but you can be sure that both of you will die at the same day....

45 minutes before that...

Back in the Headmaster's office Dumbldore was pacing from one corner to another with his hands crossed behind his back. Two Death Eaters were sitting on a chairs right in front of him. They were motionless like statues, of course that was because of the spell Severus Snape had put on them. Only their eyes were moving along with Dumbldore who just can't sit still.

There were almost all professors in the office. Only professor Snape was absent. He went to bring the potion of truth. All teachers were silent. They were sitting here and there on a magic stools and looking at the Death Eaters. Some of them were looking with rage in their eyes, others with a bit of fear as if a Devil appeared before them. Only in Dumbldore's eyes there were no fear or rage, there was just anxiety and puzzlement. He was thinking hard about what to do. His duty was to make sure that all students are safe, especially Harry and Hermione because they were now in more danger then all the others in the castle. If the dark wizards walked into Hogwarts so easily so what on earth can possible stop them now ? They can just attack the castle ! Dumbldore needed to think something up immediately. But what exactly ?

The door once again swung open and Severus Snape came in holding a small bottle with transparent liquid in it. He stopped in front of Albus Dumbldore and was just waiting for his command.

- Okay, do it, Severus. Me and I'm sure all the others are willing to know what information they received while they were in the castle.

Snape nodded. He slowly walked to the Death Eaters and poured some liquid into their mouth. Then he took his wand out of the pocket of his cloak and said : " Finite Incantatem." After that he stepped away a little.

The expression on the Death Eater's faces changed a bit as if they were drunk. They were still sitting on the chairs motionless under the attentive glares of the professors of Hogwarts.

- Okay, Dumbldore, you can start asking questions. - Severus said.

But when Dumbldore tried to approach the Death Eaters one of them suddenly stood up and ran in the direction of the window. And before anyone was able to put any kind of spell on him he jumped out of the closed window. The glass was broken with a loud crack. Hundreds of pieces fell to the floor near the window and out of it along with the Death Eater. Dumbldore, Snape and Reamus looked out of the window expecting to see the dead body on the ground but there was nothing at all. The Death Eater disappeared.

- Where did he go ? - Lupin asked confused and turned to Dumbldore.

- He must've turned into a fly again. There's nothing we can do. - Snape said.

- How could he do this ?! I mean he was under the spell... only his lips were able to move ! Don't you want to tell us something, Severus ?

- What ?! Are you suspecting me in something ?! You think it was my fault ?!! I'll tell you what, Reamus...

- Oh, stop it, you two ! It's no one's fault ! I don't know how but he had managed to defeat that spell. It's better to start question the other Death Eater before he escaped ?comments&postid2614866