Turn of the Tide
Well here it is again, chapter three. I know three people have read the first two chaps but know reviews, oh well such is life I suppose. And patience is most important of all; odds are my story hasn't been out there long enough yet for anybody to really read, so I won't take the lack of reviews to heart. For the record I will never delay a posting of a chapter because of lack of reviews, as I personally find it pointless to try and make people review.
But enough rambling from me, I must plow on, so let the words march on!
Chapter 3: More RevelationsThe SO7—short for Special Ops Seven—minus Harry were in the common room of shorts that linked everybody's room to the hallway. You had to go through that room to get to any of the SO7's rooms, including the three nonofficial members. The room was originally decorated to look like the four common rooms of Hogwarts mixed together but after a disastrous failure they decided to make it using tan and silver as the predominant color with mostly black leather furniture. The result was a room that was actually bigger than it looked, the black furniture and the 11 doors in one room was slightly disconcerting but everybody had gotten used to it. Harry had returned slightly before Dean but had retired to his room, telling everyone that he would up by dawn and they could peruse his armory/closet at will. When Dean came back Hermione cast several silencing and locking spells on the dorm and adopted a worried but determined look. Bill was the first to break the silence,
"What's wrong Hermione? Please don't tell us there are more surprises, I don't know if my heart can take it." Every one except for Hermione smiled or at least grinned at this.
"Actually I'm afraid there is, or at least it was a surprise to me. Before I start I want you to know that I don't know any of this with absolute certainty, but I myself am totally convinced." At this everyone started to worry, it was a rare occasion that Hermione didn't know anything for a fact, what was even more worrisome was that she would take such pains to tell everyone that she was unsure
"So what is it that you are not absolutely sure about that you want to tell us?" asked Blaise.
"I think Harry has been performing dark rituals without telling us." Hermione stated.
"What?" Said Bill and Dean simultaneously,
"Bullocks" Was Fred and George's contribution, while Luna pretty much ignored the entire thing, Neville just stared mildly, while Blaise seemed to be thinking and Draco was scowling.
"Hear me out," Said Hermione, "I think he has been using dark rituals because he has moved to a level (of power) that quite frankly scares me. He didn't tell you but I know that—with the exception of fighting Voldemort—Harry has absolutely no intention of using his sword or spear in battle. The fact is he doesn't need it, he can use his magic directly, and I'm not talking about wandless magic, I'm talking about jumping twenty feet in the air and putting your fist through iron doors." Hermione paused to breath, and tried to gauge the others reactions, unfortunately for her all the others had closed down their faces while trying to sort out the newest torrent of information.
"Have you talked with Harry about this yet?" Asked Draco
"Of course not, you know how he is about these things, plus it is our job to make sure he doesn't hurt himself, physically or mentally." Countered Hermione,
"Yes but don't you think that you might be wrong, or even if your right that he might have a good reason for doing these rituals."
"There is no excuse for using the dark arts, you all know how easy it is to be corrupted, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Hermione said
"True, but I don't have absolute power Hermione, nor am I foolish enough to think that I can use Tom's own weapons against him and not replace him in the process, but thank you for believing me." Came Harry's voice from the ceiling of all places. Everybody stared as Harry dropped from the ceiling and landed in front of Hermione, who was starring at him with a mixture of surprise and horror in her face. Harry for his part was expressionless, except for his eyes, which had darkened into a forest green and looked well cold.
"Oh you are quite correct that I have been doing some 'dark' rituals, but I don't want to interrupt, why don't you tell them what you have learned while spying on me for the past week." As Harry spoke he started to move forwards, while Hermione for her part started to creep backwards.
"Harry I was just trying to do what was in your best interest."
"Best interest!" Harry hissed "You know you are beginning to sound like Dumbledore. We still haven't found him yet, you don't know where he is by any chance do you?" Harry lowered his voice so that it was almost a wisper, and as he spoke the very temperature of the room began to drop.
"How dare you accuse me of being like Dumbledore!" Hermione squeaked, thoroughly terrified of Harry, as waves of power rolled off him.
"How dare I? He put listing charms in my room, he charmed the portraits to tell him what I was doing, he even tried to get the house elves to spy on me. Does this sound familiar Hermione?" As he listed these 'crimes' Hermione had visible flinched, she tried to answer but he cut her off before she could.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't know, that I don't spend hours everyday making sure that none of our room's have any listening devices of any kind, even muggle? Do you really think I am that stupid?" Harry shook his head at Hermione and turned back to the rest of the group.
"I know that right now you are probably trying to think of what other secrets you don't know about, and I don't blame you." Harry started, trying to calm himself down.
"I did not tell all of you this for a number of reasons, one being that it is my own business, what I do with my life, we all have secrets. I do not hold it against you but I know that each and every one of you has secrets from me, and now you know that I do the same. I have not done this research by myself, nor am I the only one that has undergone it, the reason I didn't include the rest of you was that you have to have a certain mentality to successfully do these rituals. The rituals I have done are actual not technically dark, they are illegal of course, but by the strict definition as they only effect me they are not any darker than the pepper up potion, just more dangerous." Harry took a deep breath and continued.
"As I mentioned before I have not done this alone for two reasons, one being most of the rituals required at least two people, and due to the sheer amount of power I was trying to obtain is to much for one person. Of course I did not know exactly how much power I would be receiving, but as a precaution I had two other people with me to help absorb the power in case it proved too much. Another reason why I did not tell you about this is that, as I previously alluded to, only some people are capable of receiving and using power that does not come from within the." Here Harry paused as if he was trying to find the right words for the situation.
"The reason dark rituals are called dark is because to do them you need to have either a lust, or a great need for power. The reason Riddle and his predecessors can use these rituals so effectively is because they are addicted to power, therefore it is in turn addicted to them. None of us lust for power, in fact all of us here would give up our power for peace. This is why we shouldn't be able to successfully complete dark rituals. However Draco in his genius," Here Draco Smirked "Found out that you don't necessarily have to lust for power, you just have to believe that you must have it, that only you can do what needs to be done. I know that we have all done what is necessary to stay alive in this war, but all of you want to go home and live normal lives when this is over." Here Harry paused again, and his shoulders slumped a little.
"There are three exceptions however; Draco, Neville, and I are willing to give up any future, to end this war." Every one jumped up and started to talk at the same time, some were just stuttering in disbelief.
"Sit down and be silent." Harry yelled, lacing power in his voice, needless to say every on was seated and the room was quite.
"Now as I was saying, we may very well survive this war, but we will never be the same, the power that we hold will make it so that we will never fit in. We will never be able to have families, or work in offices; we will never be able to live in peace. It's a terrible thing to know that what we are fighting for, we will never be able to enjoy ourselves. However Draco, Neville and I are willing to give our dreams up so the ones we love can. Don't get me wrong, we know you would gladly do the same as we do, but the fact is that for you it is not as personal. Yes you have lost family and friends, but somewhere in each and every one of you, there is a piece that pities Tom, his Death Eaters, and his supporters, that would give them mercy if you could. This is what makes it so that you cannot do what we have done. Draco, Neville, and I have dedicated our lives to destroy Voldemort and all his followers, in every single person that shares his views. We will give them no mercy, we will kill them all. And because we are willing to do that, we have been given the power to do it." Every one was silent, and only now did they notice that Draco and Neville had moved from their positions so that they were standing besides Harry.
"Harry's right, you are all good people, and because of that you are unable to do what needs to be done." Added Draco
"What Draco means is that none of you have lost what we have lost, we have nothing to live for except the realization of our dreams and the death of our enemies. We are sorry that you will never be able to completely understand this, and we will understand if you wish to leave now, but know this, what we have done we have done for you. I hope that none of you ever doubt that you are the only family that we will ever have." After Neville finished his speech both Harry and Draco nodded, confirming that they agreed with Neville.
"Blimey, so are you guys trying to tell us were not needed?" Asked Fred
"Of course not, we cannot win this by ourselves, but at the same time this war will not be won without us." Responded Neville
"Well that's good" Said George
"So you guys have basically made yourself martyrs to the cause?" Asked Blaise
"Well I wouldn't put it that way, but fundamentally yes we have forgone our materialistic and earthly needs to transform ourselves into superior life forms to save your essences from damnation." Was Harry's comment, there was a pause, a waiting of baited breath, Neville snorted, and the room burst into laughter.
"Been at the dictionary again Harry" Bill asked, when he had recovered from his laughing fit.
"I couldn't sleep" Retorted Harry with a grin.
"Well I think it is time for us lowly life forms to sleep." Joked Blaise, and with that everyone, minus Harry and Hermione headed up to their respective rooms.
"Harry?" Hermione questioned, unsure of how much trouble she had gotten herself into.
"I will never forget what you did Hermione, but I will forgive it this one time. Know that if you ever spy on me again I will wipe your mind clean and expel you from this team. You made a mistake, and you are allowed to, no one is perfect. However you need to learn that as smart as you are no one, not you not me not anyone has all the answers, and you dishonor me by thinking you can go behind my back for my own good." Hermione had tears running down her face.
"Sorry" she whispered
"Just don't do it again." He nodded, and left. He opened his door, and started walking up his stairs. He had spent many hours of research and actual work to charm these stairs so that while there where over a three hundred of them, he only had to climb about ten. Not that he was trying to get out of the actual work, but who wants to climb several hundred stairs just to get to bed. The reason for all the stairs was simple, the building the resided in was a castle, and Harry had chosen to put his room in one of the two towers, hence a lot of stairs. When Harry got to the top he opened the door and was only a little surprised to find Luna there.
"I have a question; do you superior life forms descend to sleep with us lower life forms?" Luna asked a playful and seductive smile on her face.
"Why of course, how could we hope to teach you poor mortals the meaning of bliss if we didn't?" He retorted, eying Luna up and down. She was lying on his bed, with moonlight streaming in through the four windows in his round room. Her nude body illuminated so that it seemed to glow a pale ivory. As Harry stalked forward towards the bed his clothes vanished.
"You take all the fun out of ripping the clothes off when you do that." Commented Luna,
"I like these clothes, I would prefer they stay in one piece." And with that he laid down in bed with her, sharing a deep, fiery kiss that carried a lot of emotion. There was lust, and even love, but not the kind of love that one shares with the person you are meant to be with. Then again how could there be, both of there soul mates had been killed in the war…
Sorry I didn't put any action into this one, I was planning on it but my muse wanted more background before I did, so mi aculpa, I promise to put at least one action packed scene in the next chapter. Oh and I promise I won't post again until I have at least a five thousand words, twenty five hundred is good, but I want to ascend to the five thousand level. Well that's it, review if you can and I'll post as soon as I can.