CHAPTER 16 - Third Time Lucky


"I wonder what he's doing in there?" Ron questioned Hermione. Hermione shrugged her shoulders, but continued to look at the locked door on the 5th floor. Harry had been locked in there for 2 weeks now.
"He came home from getting the locket, told us about Aberforth and then the next day I woke up and ha had written a note," Ron was getting slightly hysterical now, "And guess what the note said! 'Hey Ron and Hermione. I'm on the 5th floor behind the locked door. I'll explain when I'm done, just keep training and finish the potions. - Harry.' That is all the note said. For all we know he could be under a really strong imperius curse, or worse, he could be poisoned and dying behind that door and no one can get in!."
"Ron, give it a rest. Trust him. He said he would explain it all when he came out. Now please, stop staring at the door, I need your help with something." Hermione replied putting her hand in his and led him down to the forest on the 3rd floor. But behind the locked door was Harry. Working very hard.

All Harry could hear was his own grunting and the breeze. Dumbledore had come up with a plan for the final battle. Harry was the only one that knew the whole plan. Ginny knew half of it though.

In the forest Hermione had found the mirror and saw Ginny's face looking back at her.
"Hey Ginny!" Hermione greeted her. Ron put his hand on the mirror as well.
"Hey guys. I have to make this quick, its nearly time for my first class. There something I need to tell you. Dumbledore has come up with the plan to help destroy Voldemort," Ginny paused to see if Ron and Hermione were going to do anything, when they didn't she continued, "The plan is for me and Luna to talk aloud in Scrimgeour's class. We have to say that Harry is coming in to the castle in a month to see Dumbledore's portrait. We are pretty sure Scrimgeour is working for Voldemort so we also have to say that Professor McGonagall will be in Ireland visiting her sick sister. Dumbledore is hoping that Voldemort will turn up. He thinks that Hogwarts will be the best place to have the battle because then it starts on our terms. All of the students will be sent home, except for myself, Luna and Neville. If other people want to stay they will need written parental consent."
Ron and Hermione were silent for just a short while. Ron let a big sigh escape him
"Ok. that sounds good. Ginny just be careful when setting the bait. Does Harry know?"
"Oh, Ron, of course I'll be careful! Harry was there as well when Dumbledore told me. Harry was told something else when I left, but no one is to know about it until closer to the time. Well I should probably go to class and set the bait. Wish me luck." Ginny joked with a weak smile
"Good luck Ginny, and be careful." Ron and Hermione said. Ginny's face disappeared from the mirror and all they could see was their own white, scared reflections.

"Hey guys!" Harry said. It had only been 2 days since Ron and Hermione spoke to Ginny. Right now they were in the kitchen making pizza for dinner.
"Harry!" Hermione cried as she lunged at him engaging him in a hug Mrs Weasley would be jealous of.
"Hey mate, its good to see you!" Ron exclaimed
"Ha, yea. So what's happened?" Harry asked
"What are you talking about Harry?" Hermione asked
"Oh I was just wondering about Ginny and the plan."
"Ah, yes. The plan. Well Scrimgeour fell for the bait, we think. When Ginny was talking about you Scrimgeour strode over to her and listened. When he heard about McGonagall being away apparently he gripped Luna's desk, went red and said he was off to send his condolences to her." Ron informed Harry
"So, are you going to tell us what you've been doing?" Hermione asked
"Ahhh, don't be angry ok. I cant tell you yet. I'm really sorry, but Dumbledore made me promise I wouldn't tell until closer to the time. All I can say is that we really need the Felix Felicius ready."
Ron and Hermione exchanged dark looks, but quickly smiled, nodded and let Harry join in with making the pizza.

"Mmmm, something smells good." Mr Weasley said, seating himself at the table
"That something Dad, is homemade pizza." Ron said placing 3 pizzas on the table. Aunt Petunia and Mrs Weasley were deep in discussion about something that Harry could not hear. They were been very nice to each other, and had been since about a month after Bill and Fleur's wedding, but Harry could tell that Mrs Weasley hadn't come to terms with the way in which Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had treated him at Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon was having a late business meeting with the Spanish, involving drill equipment.
"Ahh, you won't be guess what Fudge accidentally let slip today." Mr Weasley said with his mouth full. Harry, Ron and Hermione turned and faced him and he swallowed.
"Well, he admitted to having a huge army of Heliopaths! imagine that, after all these years and him denying it, and now he is finally admitting to it. He showed one of them to Tonks today, who then came and told me. Apparently they look like a huge, man sized flame. You know like a candle flame, but upside down. Isn't that amazing." Mr Weasley said, obviously in total awe. He shock his head, laughed and reached for another piece of pizza. The expression on Hermione's face was priceless, her eyes were wide open, as was her mouth. Ron looked shocked, but know where near as Hermione was. Harry was shocked as well, but laughed
"Hmm, Hermione, it looks as though you owe Luna an apology." Harry said cheekily
Hermione shut her mouth and had gone a funny shade of red
"Mr Weasley. Do you think Fudge will let them help us in the final battle?" Harry asked casually
"Hmm, you know what Harry, he actually might. But if he doesn't, I'm sure I could talk him around." Mr Weasley said with a smile and returned to his dinner.

"What is your news?" a familiar cold voice demanded
Silence rang out from all corners of the musty, cold, dark room.
"What is it? You've tried my patience one to many times fool." the familiar voice spoke again this time he raised his wand.
"No, master, please not again. The news is about P-P-P-Potter. He is coming to Hogwarts. Not only is he coming to Hogwarts, but he is coming when Professor McGonagall will be in Ireland." said a second familiar voice, although this one was deeper
More silence rang out, then suddenly
"Crucio." the cold voice said almost lazily. The deep voiced person screamed and withered on the ground. The spell was lifted and the victim was panting as though he had just run a marathon.
"Get up. Let the others know." said the cold voice. The victim got up and left the room. It was Scrimgeour. The punisher stepped out of the shadow. It was Voldemort. His eyes were a violent shade of red and his nose still like a snake with slits for nostrils. His thin lips however was curved up into a sick smile.
"This will be the end of you Potter, and your friends." He said coldly but quietly. Then the sadistic laughter came.

Harry woke in a cold sweat. He rubbed his scar and tried to remember what had just happened. He sat up, picked up the hand mirror and looked over to see if Ron was still asleep. He was. Harry quietly walked out of the room and went up to Sirius old room. The grandfather clock chimed 3 times letting Harry know it was 3 in the morning, but he was anything but tired now. Sitting down onto the bed was relieving in some sense, what he had witnessed was the end of all he had known, and after, Harry hoped, he could lead a normal life.
"Ginny." Harry whispered into the mirror. His reflection changed and he instantly understood that Ginny had the mirror standing on its side on her bedside table. Harry continued to look at Ginny.
'She looks so beautiful sleeping.' Harry thought. Harry could see her peaceful face sleeping with her lips in a slight pout. Ginny's fiery red hair was swept around her face and pillow and her eyes were tight shut. The clocked chimed again, letting Harry know that he had been watching Ginny sleep for almost half an hour and he felt slightly embarrassed. He turned the mirror off, found a piece of spare parchment and some ink, and wrote down every little detail about his dream and rolled it up. He crept back into his own bed placing the parchment and mirror back on his bedside table and fell back into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning Harry told Hermione and Ron about his dream, and told Ginny also. Ginny and Ron were excited that the plan had worked but Hermione was a little bit worried
"I'm just a little bit anxious that Voldemort is setting a trap for Harry and that that was the only reason WHY he let Harry see it." Hermione said after keeping quiet for a while
"Well, he let Harry see Wormtail telling him that Scrimgeour was rebelling, and he also let Harry see Bellatrix giving him a Christmas present." Ron said turning on Hermione
"Yes, well, those were 2 very emotional events, and as I believe it to be, when you are practising Occlumency its best to keep your emotions under check, which is why Harry had such a problem doing it. Sorry Harry." Hermione added that last part quietly.
"That's alright Hermione." Harry said, he was listening more then participating in this conversation. He had learned last year not to take sides with either Ron or Hermione if he was to remain good friends with them both.
"Yeah, well Hermione... how do you know that he wasn't really emotional this time?" Ron asked heatedly. His ears were going red.
"Do you really want to know Ron? Really! The last thing he said before Harry woke was a message to Harry, do you remember what he said? Well I'll tell you 'This will be the end of you potter, and your friends.' If that's not a personal message, then I don't know what is." Hermione was becoming almost hysterical now
"Well, well, well, oh, you know Hermione, you know..." Ron stuttered out and before he could say anything truly offensive Harry spoke
"Ok, guys, stop it. This is making my head hurt. Ron, its likely he accidentally let me see it, but it's just as likely that it is a trap, so when we go, we will have to be extra careful ok. Now can we please drop the subject and start today's training?"

(A/N): Hey! Thank you all for reading! Sorry if I have made Hermione and her temper be a little out of control, she is just really stressed out about the whole situation and im not sure if I have written that part in very well, lol. Well there will only be a few more chapters left and then it will be finished. Thank you to the people who have reviewed, and if you haven't reviewed yet, please do!