"Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims, of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions."
-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-63), 35th US President, Democrat, politician
A smoky fog hovered the ground emanating pure evil, an evil that rang through ears and caused fear to rise from the soul. One window laid to the left the small room, a window full of cobwebs showing a stormy night. Distant screams of pain and faint humorless laughter rumbled with the boisterous noise of thunder.
The screeching noise heard from above came from a loose, rusty lamp attached to the barely discernable roof causing one who stood under to peer warily at it. The dimly lit room portrayed ghastly shadows of rats and rusty dark items strewn across the floor. One chair lay in the middle of room seating one unlucky boy. A boy whom life seemed to hate and use all gravitation just to bring him down.
Yes, it's me, Harry Potter, and that's exactly how I see myself as I sit here tied to this rickety chair in a creepy room. Of course to be unlucky I must not know where I am or how I got here. Yes, I've been born into an ill-fated lifestyle. Of course it's an absolute must to be stuck in the creepiest room imaginable. I do believe that it does not get as worse as this.
My scar pricked and I realized I spoke much too soon. All we need is some dementors dancing the conga right through that door and we got ourselves a party, I thought wryly to myself. At that moment, the door loudly banged open and a guy who could win Mr. Ugly-verse (Universe) strolled through like it was a walk in the park and not an incredibly tasteless room. I looked at him defiantly and he gave me a toothy grin.
"It seems that we meet again, Potter. I find myself fortunate to find a way into this brain of yours. With your powers so low it has become a less difficult task. There's information I want from you. You know something, something about your powers, your history. I must know it, tell me it now." He said smoothly in a way only a slytherin could.
"You'll get nothing from me." I said coldly.
"Tut tut, so predictable you are. I expected this much and I'm sure all you need is a little motivation." He said his red eyes gleaming menacingly in the small lamp. I kept my stare with my heartbeat quicker than normal.
He brought his face very close to me; I could see every scar and blemish, all of his ugly face up close. I assure you it wasn't very pleasant.
"Tell me how such a small, weak boy such as you possess such a great amount of power? What are these little secrets of yours?"
"Get away from me Snake-Face!" I said angrily. He stood abruptly and struck me across the face causing me and the chair to fall down, I looked pathetic. It was so hard to move tied to this chair, obviously.
"Oh, so that's your special motivation? Your technique is getting old." I sneered. His eyes glowed red for a second. I heard his knuckles crack as he clenched his fists; I counted the seconds till the hand fell off. It was practically just bones!
He raised his wand and said "finite!"
The ropes tying my hands to the chair disappeared and I stood up dusting off who-knows-what.
"Well, I'll just be leaving now. Thanks for inviting yourself over to my brain; we should do it again sometime. Ta ta." I said quickly, heading for the door. The door slammed shut as I approached it. I grabbed for the doorknob but it turned into sand the minute I touched it.
"You never were a good host." I mumbled to myself. I was a tad bit on the frustrated side.
"Did you really expect me to just let you walk out? I want you to face me like the weakling you are." I rolled my eyes as he approached me.
"Yes, I thought I would just leave, since I've been able to do it for the past few years and since this is a dream I thought it would be easier." I replied.
I watched as Voldemort's anger appeared more in his face and his eyes. I smirked seeing how much turmoil I could cause him just by being insolent. Sometimes I found it easier to be cheeky with Voldemort than I did with Sirius. Sirius always got this look in his eye that almost seemed like a special hex that got you to snap your mouth shut and back away slowly.
I could've sworn he would have learned that from Azkaban. Remus quickly corrected me saying he always had that look and gave it to James whenever he played a prank on him. Remus on the other hand would either ignore you; giving you a feeling of useless effort. Or he would raise an eyebrow making you feel stupid. I was abruptly shocked out of my musings when I felt pain course through my veins and I screamed to of both surprise and pain. Bad time to let your mind drift away. I mentally cursed myself for not staying alert. I always wondered how I could have so much pain in something that was only a dream. The pain disappeared as abruptly as it started.
"You will respect me when I speak" Voldemort roared.
I just slowly stood up and glared at him. I stayed silent thinking it would be wise to do so. I was right for Voldemort smiled maliciously. I kept a calm determined face even though my insides squirmed with worry.
"The war is getting difficult, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes for you it is." I said with a slight smile through my pain.
His face contorted dangerously as I braced myself for more pain. When nothing came I looked at Voldemort who was staring at me intently. It was bit unnerving compared to his usual hot-tempered attitude
"Join me." he said out of the blue.
I looked at him incredulously "what!" I yelled in my confusion.
"I said join me. Join the winning side!"
"I think you should've asked that before you gave me the cruciatius curse." I said dryly
"I gave you one last chance and you denied. You'll be very sorry. I'll kill your family and friends and I'll make you watch it all. When I kill you it will be slow and painful. You'll be sorry Potter, very sorry."
"Whatever, will you leave now or are you going to give me cruciatius curse so I'll wake up in a sweat." I answered as if I didn't hear his "I'm going to kill you speech." Voldemort raised his wand looking extremely angry but I quickly faded away by someone calling my name. I wished they had called earlier.
"Harry!" My eyes fluttered open to see Ron bending over me slightly pale. I had forgotten that Ron and I had bunked in the same room just too really catch up with each other, not with Sirius' and Remus' half answers.
My body was tense and shaky and my scar ached horribly. I hadn't felt it sting in a long while. Other than that I was okay but I bet you any thing Ron wouldn't believe me.
"Hey Ron, What time is it?" I asked rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes.
"Um, I think it's like 4:00 in the morning, but that's not the point you look really bad. I was trying to wake you up for the past 15 minutes, you were talking in your sleep and you were shaking. Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine Ron, It was just a dream. Please don't tell Sirius. Pleeeeaaassse!" I pleaded. Ron looked at me with uncertainty.
"I don't know….." He said slowly.
"Please. Sirius has been edgy lately and he goes berserk if I sneeze. He'll be jumping off the wall if he heard I had a bad dream."
"But what if he finds out, he'll get even more loony, and personally he scares me easily when he's like that."
"Ron, it's just one thing, no biggie. I'm not hurt or anything"
"Well fine, as long as you try and make my mum as less mad as possible this coming order meeting. I have yet to face her" Ron said with a shudder. I nodded.
"I'll try the best I can without Sirius shoving me in bed again." Both Ron and I gave each other an exasperated look simultaneously and started laughing. The door opened with a tired looking Sirius.
"Go to bed, you guys need to recover especially you Harry." He stopped for a second and looked at me with confusion, "Why are you even up? You didn't have a dream or any pain did you?" he asked, suddenly out of his sleepy mode. He walked up close looking concerned. I mentally groaned preparing myself for yet another 20 questions on how I feel.
"No Sirius." I answered quickly, hoping he'll leave. It was just a strange fantasy of mine for he kept on going.
"Are you sure? You look a bit pale and you're shaking. Are you cold?" He said looking closely at me.
"I'm fine"
Sirius put his hand against my head as I rolled my eyes. "You feel warm."
"I'm fine, Sirius!" I tried to shoo his hand away, where's Remus when you need him. Then I felt Sirius checking my mind probably to see if I'm lying.
"Really I'm FINE" I mind-spoke emphatically. Sirius gave me a slightly surprised look.
He still looked very uncertain.
"Okay, Okay. Don't blame me for not believing you, Harry. Just get some sleep and we'll see how you are in the morning." Sirius said, I just nodded passively waiting for him to leave. Sirius headed slowly out the door took one last look and shut the door.
Ron started snickering and he wasn't really trying all that hard to conceal it.
"Shut up!"
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I groggily woke up to find Ron wasn't in the room anymore; I wasn't surprised for it was 10:00 in the morning. I was still tired; I had barely slept after the dream going in out and out of sleep in a constant drowsy state.
I still wondered what exactly did Voldemort want to know, I was pretty sure he didn't try that hard just to get me to join him. He was easily sidetracked and he was not really himself….that much.
I sat up and rubbed my tired face and quietly got out of bed. I threw on a t-shirt and some jeans and headed out the door. The house was unusually quiet, though I was used to Hogwarts around this time of year. I wondered how Hogwarts was doing; I never thought I miss it so much. Well, maybe I did but I still would love to be at Hogwarts.
My mind set back to the line of thought, of Voldemort. He wanted information. What was so great about my past? What did he have to know. I really was too tired to be thinking this hard.
I dragged my feet wearily down the hallway towards the stairs hearing my stomach growling. Trying to think but not really trying hard enough, my mind kept on wandering to the thought of pancakes whenever I tried to concentrate on Voldemort. I fell out of my reverie, literally, as I realized suddenly that I had bumped into somebody only by feeling a rush of air as I was falling to the ground. I was abruptly caught and found in the presence of two grey eyes.
Naturally I should've suspected that. I apologized quickly as I stood up fully and moved away from his arms.
"You okay? You look dead on your feet?" he asked, his voice etched with his familiar concern.
"Yeah I'm fine, I wasn't paying attention." I said, my stomach growled, "Well being hungry might be a factor in my clumsiness also." I said jokingly. He smiled warmly.
"Well there's food downstairs, well there might be, Ron might've eaten it all. Just make sure you take a nap or rest a little while today. You look pretty tired, probably by your late night talks with Ron." He said with mild reproof, I gave him a sheepish smile and headed downstairs.
I wondered why Sirius looked so distracted, even while he was distracted he still managed to fit his two protective cents in. I mentally smiled at this.
I reached the food and found that there was plenty. Remus was sitting in his usual spot but since it was so late in the morning he was reading a book instead of the morning paper. Probably was waiting for me. He looked up from his book and took out his wand.
He muttered a warming spell "Eat up." He said with his usual greeting smile. I sat down and filled my plate watching Remus read who also seemed to be distracted for he was flipping backwards and forwards through the pages like he missed something then would stare at the page with a blank look.
I had a vague feeling that something was going on that involved me. Remus and Sirius seemed a bit detached from everything, especially me. Not that I minded or anything, Sirius smothering me really didn't bring absolute happiness, but information being held back from me wasn't just on my top ten pet peeves for fun.
I ate quickly and went wandering the house to find Ron and Hermione. I listened carefully and found two voices that were most obviously arguing. I added two and two together and found my two best friends.
I walked in and Ron quickly looked at me with an irritated face.
"SHE" he said with a long, drawn-out accusing tone, "Says that I deserve anything my mum does to me because I disobeyed the rules." He said the last part in high-pitched mocking tone.
"Well you do, it was wrong for all of us to do" She said with much conviction.
"Easy for you to say. Your mum and dad don't know anything about this!" He answered
"Well I told them in a letter just this morning. I didn't want to deceive them."
"What! You told your parents! Do you like to get in trouble!"
"No I just know what's wrong and what's right. I deserve to be grounded or something like that!" she said defensively.
"But, but!" Ron answered flustered. I interrupted before Ron could say anymore stupid stuff. Even though I half agreed with him and the bad side of me said Hermione was nutters.
"Hey guys, notice anything weird about Remus and Sirius today. They seemed distracted to me." I said quickly and loudly. They both looked at me.
"Now that you mentioned it Remus only took one sip of his tea and put it in the sink and he had that anxious look in his eyes when he knows something is about to happen. Sirius kept on running his hands through his hair and staring at your empty seat. That's not really something new, but what was new were the looks he was sharing with Remus." Hermione replied with very observant details. I wondered if she knew more about my guardians than I knew.
"Remus put salt in his tea instead of sugar and Sirius didn't even laugh when Remus spit it out." Ron pointed out bluntly in less particular terms. I smiled at that.
"Do you think they're hiding something from me." I asked.
"Maybe they know something about you-know-who's plans" Ron answered.
"Or maybe it's just how they've been acting lately since the battle and we just noticed." Hermione pointed out logically.
"I don't know, maybe there's something wrong with me. Something happened after the battle or something" I said with a tinge of worry.
"Or maybe they're just waiting for Dumbledore to show up so they can speak with you." Said Remus' voice behind me. I turned around to see Remus leaning on the doorway looking straight at me.
"Sirius and Professor Dumbledore are waiting in my study to speak with you Harry." He said calmly if not a little anxiously. I walked slowly to the study many steps behind Remus trying to find out if I did something seriously wrong.
Maybe they found out about the dream, that's the only thing I could think of. I quickly tried to think of a million excuses of how to get out of this one. Trying to find a way out. I prepared my self as much as I could as I walked inside of the study.
Sirius was standing up by the fire looking agitated and giving a slight glare at the headmaster. Albus was sitting on a chair with a stoic look on his face drinking what looked to be a cup of coffee.
"Have a seat Harry." Albus said. I sat down quickly and Albus handed me a cup of coffee. I thanked him as I set the cup on the table. I started to wring my hands, my thoughts going million miles a minute. Hoping with all my might they didn't find out.
"We know about the dream." I vaguely heard Albus say through my nervous trance. Oh no! What am I going to say! I looked frantically at Dumbledore, and opened my mouth,
"Dream? It really isn't as bad as you think, Voldemort didn't tell me anything. It was quick and not that much pain." I said quickly. For one of the few times I saw all Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore look shocked. I was bewildered to the point of oblivion, what did I say.
Dumbledore was the first to regain his composure and said with a slight smile, "I asked if you wanted some cream, Mr. Potter." He said with a reproachful look in his face. Oh Merlin, I mess everything up. He went from Harry to Mr. Potter. I wasn't even in trouble and I gave myself away. I really shouldn't walk around with a guilty conscience.
I looked anxiously at Sirius and Remus, Sirius had an odd look on his face. He looked disappointed, protective, and something I couldn't place. Remus looked like he was about to give a lecture.
"Harry why didn't you tell us you had a dream? One about Voldemort is very serious. I know you feel the need to hide stuff from us but were here to protect you and-," Remus was interrupted by incessant snickering. I looked to the noise's direction, and to my surprise Sirius was red in the face trying to look serious but was to busy holding in laughter.
"Sirius now is not the time to be joking around." Remus said reproachfully.
"What? Harry did tell us, in an odd way." He said giving up on holding in his laughter and laughed right out.
"Sirius." Remus said half-heartedly, his mouth twitching slightly.
"Oh loosen up Moony!" Sirius said through his laughter,
"Fine, Just don't do it again Harry!" he said trying to make it look like he meant it but his smiling face didn't help much.
I just stared in shock on how easily I got out of that one. I gave small nervous smile wondering what this little meeting was about.
"Okay, let us get back to why we are here." Albus said with an amused twinkle in his eye. The group immediately sobered.
"The reason we are here is because we want to start some new training with you." Albus said.
"Remus and I don't really agree with it but we believe it's up to you. Considered it, don't jump right into it." Sirius said solemnly. I looked expectantly at Albus.
"We want you to go through endurance training. So that you can get used to your full power. The last battle showed us what your power could do, and if you could control it fully we might just be able to win this war and win it quickly." Albus said solemnly. I was about to say yes but I remember Sirius' words.
"What does it involve?"
"To unleash your powers and let yourself get used to it. I know it will be very exhausting and most likely painful."
"Will it cause Ron and Hermione and discomfort?" I asked.
"Yes and no, they only feel a tenth of you feel and only for a few seconds. It'll be like falling down and getting up to them." I thought for a few minutes and stared around the room. Remus and Sirius still looked very anxious. I decided and gave my answer hoping Sirius and Remus would agree.
"I'll do it then. If it'll help win the war I'll do it definitely!" Remus and Sirius looked a little disappointed but agreed with me. I was relieved.
It was the next day and Ron looked very worried. He was pacing back and forth most of the time while Hermione would tell him to sit down and they would start up a fight. If you hadn't already figured out there were a lot of fights during the day.
My new training would be starting in a week's times, so I could recover a little bit more. I felt fine but Sirius was having me take a nap every time I yawned. I had gotten into the habit of holding my breath right before I yawned and finding a place where Sirius wouldn't find me to let it go.
This kept Ron humored for a few minutes before he remembered his mum again and started to pace causing Hermione to get annoyed and starting up the cycle again. I held my amusement in secret for fear that either of them might take it the wrong way.
Finally the moment came all too soon when the doorbell rang and Ron practically jumped three feet in the air. It was actually pretty funny that Petite Mrs. Weasley could scare tall, 16-year-old Ron.
Once the door opened, the order walked in leaving only Mrs. Weasley in the doorway who was staring right at Ron. Ron gulped loudly as the twins passed by.
"She hasn't been this mad since we accidentally put blinking, colorful warts all over her face." Fred said.
"I don't think she believed the accidental part." George said solemnly. I snorted.
"RON BILIUS WEASLEY!" She walked into the house as Sirius shut the door quickly not wanting to attract neighbors. Ron took a step back. She walked up to him looking very foreboding. Ron wasn't hiding his frightened face very well. Suddenly out of nowhere she grabbed and hugged him, she started crying.
"Oh my baby, thank Merlin you're still alive. I was so worried, don't do that ever again." Ron looked very shocked; I contemplated if this was getting out of jail free week, first me and now Ron. The twins mumbled something about the younger ones always getting it easy.
Mrs. Weasley let go, and kissed him on the cheek, "Now all you kids go upstairs while we do this meeting." She said wiping away her tears. Ron ran straight up stairs still in a state of shock.
After the order meeting the Weasleys left bringing Ron with them saying they didn't want to be a bother to Sirius. Even though Sirius insisted it was no trouble at all, Hermione agreed to stay, mostly because Remus had a very large library to keep her busy.
After the meeting was over I was left playing chess with Sirius and Hermione and Remus were discussing a book. Out of nowhere a knock on the door rang through the halls. Sirius had a bewildered look on his face but took out his wand and headed for the door.
We followed him for our curiosity overwhelmed us on who would be here this late at night.
Sirius opened the door to find a very old man dressed in white robes with weird blue markings on it. Sirius dropped his wand in shock and both Remus and Hermione looked surprised and excited. I had no idea who this guy was but obviously he's pretty well known for all three of them to be shocked.
"You're the druid of the Stonehenge circle!" Hermione squealed with delight. I look at here confused.
"Oh c'mon Harry you got to know this one. Do you know how rare it is to see a druid of the Stonehenge circle?"
I shrugged and looked with interest at the druid.
"Oh sorry here come inside." Remus said quickly if not a little ashamed. The druid nodded and walked inside.
"Why are you here?" Sirius said bluntly as we all took a seat.
"I'm here to tell you a secret that has been held with the druids for a long time. For it is time for it to be revealed." He said solemnly.
"It would be an honor." Remus said with much respect.
"What do you mean?" I asked, still very confused.
"I believe I'll have to start with the beginning. A long time ago the druids had started to come around. They were the first magic people known in the past. One man decided to build a circle in honor of the druid magic, an Arithmancy circle. He built it and suddenly the stones began to glow and words started to be engraved into them. At first he had no idea what the words meant but they were slowly revealed to him. They told of four of the worst dark reigns that were to come and how four helpers were going to help destroy the darks forces.
It said it was the druids' jobs to find them and to tell them of their destiny. Only when the time came for a helper to be revealed would they understand a piece of what the stone said. The first helper was a seer named Joseph who helped a pharaoh defeat a man who sent many famines into the lands. The second helper was another seer who was blind named homer. He helped Prince Theseus defeat the evil monster in the labyrinth maze. The third helper was a powerful wizard called Leonard Da Vinci. He helped the king destroy the dark lord who created what the muggles knew as the black plague. Finally the last helper was one who went by Benjamin Franklin who helped George Washington defeat the dark lord who tried to take over the land they had found.
You may be wondering what this has to do with you well some new writing has shown up and it points to you. Each helper were given a vision and they wrote it in there own special way on a personal belonging. Each vision written down held a piece of information for the biggest reign of darkness to come. Only the chosen one can find these items and bring them to the Stonehenge circle, gather the clues and get the last bit of writing to find the helper and find away to defeat Lord Voldemort Once and for all.
The stones have told us that you, Harry potter you are the chosen one." The druid ended dramatically.
A/N: I know a month is way to long to update a story. But I work and I'm just really busy. It took me a long while to finish this and it really isn't my best but I hope you guys Like It. I'm thinking about answering reviews in my user profile, tell me what you guys think. Get ready for some action and some unique qualities in the next few chapters! Oh for my user group, those who have joined are welcomed to email me and request to be on the staff! A real quick note, I'm going to be putting the summary for Misplaced hope in my profile in a few days so keep watch:)