A/N: Hey everyone! I just got back from vacation as you can see so in case you didn't read my author note on the last chapter, that's why I didn't update. Really hope you all liked this chapter cause I didn't have time to really read through it and edit it, so if there are any mistakes then I'm sorry! We're getting closer and closer….I predict probably two or three more chapters until things start getting really good. I'm quite excited about what's to come so if things seem a bit boring stay with me! Um…I think that's about it, I hope everyone had a good Christmas/holiday season and if I don't update till after New Years, then Happy 2005 everyone! Again, thanks for all the reviews!!!)
cumbacksirius: Don't worry about the internet thing. I understand completely, my internet has that tendency too! Annoying isn't it? Lol As you saw in this last chapter Harry kind of goes back and forth between his normal and depressed self. It just all depends on what situations he's put into. Thanks again for reviewing and the encouraging words!!
Bhekie: lol I know, those kisses were annoying me too! But I promise, no more till they really do kiss! Thanks for the review!!
AmyChris: You're such an enthusiastic reviewer! I love it! Lol I'm terribly sorry about the update but I was out in the country with no connection whatsoever. I can't say anything about the war or killing off Ron or anyone else for that matter but I hope you like what happens! Thanks so much for reviewing!!
Smiles28: WOW! You most definitely have won the longest review I've ever received award! YAY FOR YOU! Lol Thanks!! You know what's funny about that whole Harry thing? I find that you can read a character and get a sense for their thoughts and stuff, but it's when you actually sit down and try to write them, that you find out things about them that you never knew! I don't really know how to explain it so I hope that made somewhat sense. But I just find that so cool! And it goes for all characters too! Lol yes I love Ron too!! There was some poll recently and it asked if you thought JKR would kill off any of the trio and out of the three Ron was the highest and it made me so sad! I would cry soo hard if he died! Yes, he is a sweetie and I really like how he uses humor, even in the most serious of times, cause when he does the mood get lighter and than ppl can think and stuff and it just makes it easier. I think Hermione's problem is probably more confusion than fear because I know I've had several conversations with guys and girls about the whole "love" thing and everyone I've talked to has agreed with me that you can't really love at our age, it's more like hard core crushing or puppy love or whatever. So I kind of think that Hermione has that idea in her mind that love is preposterous for someone her age and when she finally realizes that she is really and truly in love with Ron, she gets confused and then also afraid of loosing him or whatever. Oh and btw: I'm glad you didn't delete what you wrote and it did give me a laugh but not cause it didn't make sense, it did! Lol And thanks so much for that lovely compliment on this being the best of my three stories. I really do prefer this style of writing better than whatever it was I used in my other stories. It's just easier somehow. I know that your on vacation now but I'll look forward to hearing from ya when you get back! Thanks again!!! Hugs!
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CHAPTER EIGHT: PROMISING DISCOVERIES
Unfortunately for Ron, homework and classes were not cancelled. And as a matter of fact, if there were any changes made, the trio didn't notice. A fact that greatly disturbed Harry.
Dumbledore had reacted calmly and asked many questions in great detail, most of the questions directed towards Harry. Once he was through, he sent them on their ways much to their protests of wanting to help. So it was with caution and weariness, the trio resumed their usual activities.
Harry was much more solemn than he'd been at the beginning of term, even paranoid at times. He watched over Ron and Hermione like a hawk and his nightmares were worse than ever. He always bags under his eyes and he never could focus in class. Quite frankly, Ron and Hermione were worried.
Quidditch helped Ron immensely, focusing all his pent up frustration into the game, making him a very dangerous Keeper to mess with. He led Gryffindor to an outstanding victory over Slytherin that had Ron smiling for weeks and girls giggling over him.
Hermione was found more often than usual in the library, pouring over mountains of spell books. She claimed to be studying in advance for NEWTS but Ron knew that she was reading up on combat spells. She would disappear at dinner many times and head to an empty classroom to practice what she'd learned, not coming back to the common room until well past curfew.
Ron knew deep down that playing Quidditch instead of learning like Hermione, wouldn't serve him well in the near future, but Ron had, like Hermione, stuck faithfully to the live-for-the-moment-don't-think-about-the-future way of thinking, because it was far too emotional draining to think of the future.
Of course, they listened to Harry's rants about being prepared and on the edge, but neither honestly paid him much attention. They'd nod their heads and agree with him in all the right places, but would immediately push the information out of their minds once he was done. After all, if Dumbledore wasn't taking action yet why should they?
It was late February and the snow that lay atop Hogwarts grounds was only beginning to melt; the bitter cold only starting to ease. Hard-core Quidditch fans didn't notice the whipping winds or the collections of snow on their cloaks but it was an excuse that got Hermione out of many Quidditch games.
And it was so such days, that Hermione found herself in the library.
She sighed as she pulled yet another book from the shelf sat down at her usual table by the windows. She had nothing against Quidditch; no matter what Ron said, she really and truly enjoyed the games. But it terrified her when Harry and Ron played so competitively, always doing those vertical dives and hopping off their brooms to make some remarkable move that made the crowds go wild. She never could take her eyes off them, and spent the whole game watching their every move. And besides, she had much better things to do these days.
After getting out her parchment and quill out, with an extra supply of ink today in order for her to take notes, she opened the dusty volume to begin her tantalizing research; until a shadow fell across the words on the page.
Startled, Hermione looked up to find Ron standing there, all decked out in his Quidditch robes a smile on his freckly face.
"Hey 'Mione" He said
"Ron!" She said surprised "I thought you were already supposed to be in the locker room for Harry's speech."
He shrugged. "Hey, I'm best mates with the captain, I'm allowed to miss one every now and then."
Hermione frowned. "He shouldn't be giving you breaks just because your friends"
Ron smiled and sat down "It doesn't matter. Besides, he wanted me to come find you"
"He did? Why?"
"Well…" He began looking out the window. "We wanted you to come to the game today."
"Oh Ron you know I can't. I have to--"
"Do research" He finished for her sadly.
"Yes" She said quietly.
Ron looked around the library for a while. "Look Hermione, I know how important your research is to you. But you haven't been to a game since Christmas and this game really counts. It's the big one that determines if we're still in the running for the cup. Please, just say you'll come. Harry and I want you there."
Hermione bit her lip and looked around her uncertainly. Ron's blue eyes bore into hers and when she finally met them, they weren't upset like she expected them to be, but instead, patient and calm. Her stomach did that flip she'd become accustomed to in the past few months around Ron and she felt herself caving in.
She smiled "Alright, I'll be there"
"Really?!" Ron asked, his face lighting up
She laughed at his happiness, "I said I'd be there and I will"
"You won't back out and just come the last few minutes?"
"No, I'll be there the whole game. Just let me go back to the room to drop my things off alright?"
"Okay that's fine I--" he paused and looked at Hermione for a second and smiled "Thanks for coming."
"It's nothing Ron, you're right. I haven't been to a game in a long time. Thanks for coming up to find me."
"Ah well yes, your welcome. I-I better get back. I guess I'll see you after the game then"
"Yes I'll see you after the game." Hermione smiled, as he walked off. "Ron!"
"Yea?" He poked his head back into the room
She smiled warmly at him "Good luck"
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It took Ron quite a while to get to the Gryffindor locker room, as several groups of students stopped him to wish him luck. Ron grinned happily as he strode across the pitch, listening to the cheers with enthusiasm. Though things might not have been going too great in his life, Quidditch was his drug that kept him going. Because when he was on his broom, he was an invincible monster and everyone loved him.
Ron entered the locker room just as Harry was wrapping up his speech.
"This is the game that determines if we're in the running for the cup," Harry said, enthusiastically, standing on the bench. "This is everything we've worked for. If we don't beat Ravenclaw then this is our last game. We've worked too bloody hard for that to happen. Put all you have into this game. Do whatever you can. Get dirty if you have to. Ravenclaw isn't that much of a challenge, just watch out for their beaters. We can win this! Stay focused and ignore the crowds today, no matter what they or bloody Finnegan say. Come on! Let's go!"
With the end of Harry's speech, the team cheered and hollered at the top of their lungs, everyone's blood pumping. Harry motioned them towards the doors and hopped off the bench, making his way over to Ron.
"What did Hermione say?" He asked
"She's coming!" Ron said with a broad smile.
"Really? What did you do to get her to agree?"
"Nothing actually. I think she was just waiting for us to invite her"
"Well good. Did you tell her where to meet after the game?"
"No, but she should remember. At the entrance to the locker room, like always."
"Sounds good, c'mon let's go!"
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"The Quaffle goes to Smith! Oy! It's intercepted by Gryffindor's Adams! Whoa look at that midget go! Bloody Hell he's good for a squirty second year! Yea yea, I know Professor, I shouldn't swear when I'm in charge of the commentary; my apology. YES! GRYFFINDOR SCORES! This puts the score at Gryffindor-40 Ravenclaw-50."
Ron looked around the pitch, while atop his broom. The stands were packed today, which was unusual for a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor game. Usually the only ones as full as today were the Gryffindor/Slytherin games. But either way it honestly didn't matter to Ron, as long as they won.
He was beating himself for letting those shots go through the hoops, but Harry had been right, the beaters were great. He rubbed his head where he was sure a bruise would appear in the morning and almost didn't see the Quaffle headed his way.
"C'mon Weasley!" The loudspeaker urged.
Yanking his broom upwards he flicked the end of his broom just in time. The red ball shot backwards, away from the hoops, and towards a Gryffindor chaser. Smiling at his accomplishment, Ron watched the game with pleasure. Gryffindor scored again.
About to let himself wander into his own thoughts again, Ron was suddenly shoved off his broom with such force, the wind was knocked out of him. He grabbed desperately onto the handle of his old broom, hanging from the end of it. The crowd gasped.
His hands were sweating and he kept slipping. He put his other hand onto the broom and tried to lift himself up back upon it, but it was no use, gravity was pulling too hard on him.
Now beginning to panic, Ron looked around desperately. There had to be some way.
"HOLY SHIT! WEASLEY GET BACK ON YOUR BLOODY BROOM! THE QUAFFLE IS COMING!!!" Seamus screamed, making Ron's heart nearly stop. He looked up and saw the red ball shooting at an impressive speed towards him. He had to make that save.
Without really understanding what he was doing, Ron started swinging his body back and forth. He got going well enough and as the Quaffle came within his reach, he pushed with all his might, his legs swinging up over his head, making contact with the ball and sending it away from the hoops.
The crowd exploded. Seamus was shouting something at him and the cheers were unlike anything Ron had heard. His teammates were cheering him and Harry came over to his side to help him back onto his broom.
"Thanks mate" Ron said
Harry shook his head, beaming "That was one spectacular save, Ron."
As Harry rode off, Ron laughed. It was half time and the teams were heading back towards ground. Ron pushed his broom down slowly, enjoying the cheers of his name and the applause he was still receiving.
And suddenly, Ron was on top of the world. Nothing else mattered but the sound of the crowds. All thoughts of Voldemort and danger disappeared from his mind, and for the first time in years, Ron Weasley was truly carefree.
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Once Harry caught the snitch, the game was over, and Gryffindor had won. Gryffindor students burst onto the field to congratulate the team and even some of the Professors joined in on the celebrating. Fred and George's firecracker items were bursting all around and suddenly Harry, Ron, and the rest of the team were hoisted upon people's shoulders, paraded about like heroes. Ron caught Harry's surprised expression and the two boys laughed at each other.
Only once the celebrating died down and the crowds headed back towards the castle, all Gryffindors eagerly awaiting the party that would soon follow in the common room, were Ron and Harry able to look for Hermione. They strode across the field towards the locker room, looking for her bushy hair that always gave away her identity in a large crowd. After yet after several minutes of searching, they saw no such hair.
"Hermione!" Ron called out. He got no response. The crowds were now draining out and very few people remained, and still, there was sign of the girl.
"Maybe she forgot where to meet us," Harry said. "Let's go back to the common room and look for her there."
"Alright" Ron agreed, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment that was surging throughout his body.
When they were finished changing, the two boys made the long trek back towards the castle, and Ron kept an eye out for Hermione every inch of the way there. Harry chatted to him about something, but Ron wasn't paying attention. Even the compliments from the pretty girls nearby didn't distract him.
The moment they reached the portrait hole, Ron hurried inside, glad to rid himself of those two girls who insisted on hanging on his arm the whole way there. He spotted his sister almost immediately.
"Ginny!" He shouted above the music that was blaring
"Hey! Congratulations Ron!" She said, kissing his cheek.
"Thanks. Ginny have you seen Hermione anywhere?"
"Hermione? I thought she was in the library"
"She was, but then I invited her to the game and she agreed to come."
"Really? Well I met her outside and asked if she wanted to walk with me towards the pitch and she said she had to get to the library."
"No Gin, that was earlier. I'm talking about after the game."
"Ginny!" A sixth year Gryffindor called out "Do you want to dance with me?"
His baby sister smiled "Sure! Here Ron, would you mind holding my drink for me?"
"Yes I would mind!" He snapped "Ginny where--"
"Just check the library Ron!" She called, as the boy pulled her away.
Deflated, Ron looked around for Harry. "Harry!" He called
"Ron! Over here!" Harry motioned him over to where he and Dean were talking.
"Harry we need to find Hermione!"
"She's not here?" Harry asked, surprised, as he looked around the room.
"No she's not! Harry something must be wrong! She promised she'd go to the game; what if she was attacked or something?!"
"Ron calm down. I'm sure Hermione was at the game and we just missed her." Harry yelled as Seamus changed the music and turned it up even louder.
"You might want to check the library!" Dean shouted, "I mean, if you ever can't find Hermione, that's where you're supposed to check first isn't it?"
Harry sighed. "Alright Ron c'mon let's go check the library. Thanks Dean!"
"Anytime!" The boy responded
"Harry" Ron said, once they were outside the common room "Let's check the hospital wing first!"
"Ron stop being daft! Hermione is not hurt! Do you honestly think McGonagall would have let us play and then go to a party, if Hermione was hurt?"
"Well no but--"
"She would have cancelled the game like she did in second year."
"That was different."
"No it's not. Why are you all worked up over this?"
"I'm not. It's just that she promised."
"And if I know Hermione, then she always keeps her promises. Honestly, when has she ever broken a promise to you?"
"Never" Ron grumbled
"See? There you go. You're just over thinking this. C'mon let's just go in." He said, motioning towards the doors they were standing in front of.
"Fine but you go first"
Harry rolled his eyes as he pushed open the doors to the library and walked in, Ron in tow, several steps behind him.
"See?" Harry said smugly, pointing to the same table Ron had seen her at several hours earlier, "There she is!"
Ron froze where he was and watched Harry approach her.
"Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione jumped and spun around quickly.
"Harry what are you doing here?!!" She shrieked
"I-we came to find you" He said confused
"We?"
Harry turned around and motioned towards Ron who was still frozen. Hermione froze as well. "Shit…" She breathed
"What was that?!" Harry asked stunned.
"Harry is the game over?" She groaned
"Yea. It's been over for a while. D-Did you not go?"
Hermione put her hands over her face and sighed into them. "Ron is going to be furious with me"
Harry wasn't all too sure how to respond to this. "Harry, you have to understand. I meant to come! I really did! You believe me don't you?"
Harry nodded.
"Would you get Ron for me please? H-He needs to know why I didn't come"
"Sure" He replied, walking over to Ron.
"She didn't come did she?" Ron said through clenched teeth. Harry shook his head no. "She broke her promise to me." He said so sadly Harry felt bad for him.
"She wants to talk to you though."
"Fine." He said, striding over the short distance to where Hermione was, looking guilty; a look that made Ron feel bad.
"Ron" She began. "I know I promised you that I would come to the game. But I'm sorry, something came up."
"What was it? What is more important than keeping your promise to me?" He said, a bit harsher than he meant to.
Her face fell. "I was walking towards the pitch honestly. I stopped to talk to Hagrid for a while and then—then I got this idea."
"An idea?" Ron snapped, hurt "You didn't come to see Gryffindor win because you had some idea about your research?! You could have remembered it, or written it down!"
"We won?" She asked meekly
"Yes we did! I made this great save and Harry caught the snitch after pulling out of a vertical dive! And you missed it!"
"Ron…this was for a good cause! I had to look it up and talk to Dumbledore about it!"
"Hermione," Ron said softly "I just asked you to come. That's it. I didn't ask you to do anything big. It would have meant a lot to me. And to Harry" He added quickly "I'm not going to make a big deal about it anymore, I'm just hurt that you find your research and books to be more important than Harry and I"
"Ron that's not true and you know it! If you would just let me explain what my idea was then you'd see that!" She cried out, tears coming to her eyes with his hurtful words.
"What idea did you have Hermione?" Harry asked sadly
"I-I figured out how to save our lives," She said, caught off guard. Her eyes were complex; filled with sadness, guilt, and pain. Yet at the same time they held excitement, the kind Hermione only got when uncovering something new.
"Save our lives?" Harry asked in confusion
"Yes. It's rather complex I must say. But it should work all the same. Dumbledore approved of it."
"Dumbledore?" Ron asked "You've already talked to Dumbledore about it?"
"Well yes. I got the idea while talking to Hagrid. I researched it quickly here in the library and then ran to Dumbledore's office to run the idea through him and get these" Hermione said proudly, drawing three silver necklaces from her the pocket of her robe.
"What are they?" Harry asked curiously
"They're called Lornelas." She replied in a matter of fact voice. "See the red jewel? It works like a locket. You open it up and put a potion in it."
"You put a potion in a jewel? Where did you dig this stuff up from?" Ron asked
"From this book in the restricted section. These were used in the early 1300's during Medieval Times when war was common. The potion that these early witches and wizards put into the jewel acts as a sort of protector in times when the person is confronted by with Avada Kedavra."
"That's it? That's all they protect you from?" Harry asked
"That's it?!" Hermione cried out passionately "Harry! Think of how useful this would be if the three of us were immune to the killing curse!"
"There are other ways of dying Hermione"
"I'm well aware of that Harry but can you honestly not see how useful this would be? The Death Eaters won't be expecting it! I'm sure you'll see that it will save our lives!"
"So you'll give the Order some of these then?" Ron asked, studying the jewel.
"No" Hermione replied sadly
"Why not?"
"There are about twenty necklaces. Those are not the problem. It's the potion"
"You can't make more than one cauldron of the potion?"
"No you can. It's just that the potion itself is nearly impossible to make."
"I'm sure Dumbledore could make it."
"Do either of you know what Professor Dumbledore taught when he was a Professor here at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked in the same voice she used when Ron mentioned apparating on Hogwarts Grounds.
"No" The two boys grumbled
"Transfiguration. Though his potion spells are good, they are not at the level to brew this particular potion."
"So Snape will be doing it then?" Harry asked
"No…" Hermione replied uneasily
"Why not?"
"You see making this potion requires certain amounts of strength from its brewer. It requires constant attention and many other factors. With Snape spying for the Order, it's impossible for him do this correctly."
"Then who's going to do it?"
"Well…I am. Dumbledore gave me permission to use all of Professor Snape's supplies and I'm excused from as many classes as necessary."
"Hermione you can't! We'll never see you!" Ron cried
"How long do you think it'll take?" Harry asked
"About two months"
"Two months? Are you mental? Hermione this is our last year here! Do you really want to spend it making this thing?"
"Yes Ron! If it gives us any chance of survival I'm going to do it. Don't you see? If this works, then you'll defeat Voldemort, Harry. If this works then we'll all stay alive….and we'll win the war"
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