Disclaimer: Didn't copy, just put my two cents in.

"Weasley was serving his detention with four other students. We weren't suspecting an attack like this. I don't know how it happened, but somehow they all ended up in the woods, screaming, crying and all of them bleeding."

"Where was Ron?"

"One of the students said that something grabbed him and dragged him into the bushes."

"Did they see what took him?"

"No."

"What do you mean NO!"

"Molly, calm down."

"No! I will not calm down. My seventeen-year-old son is out there in the FORBIDDEN Forest, and all you can do is tell me to calm down Arthur!"

"Mrs. Weasley, please! We are doing the best we can. We already have four severely injured children in our care."

"Why are they still here?" Bill asked. The others turned toward Minerva for details.

"The children are not capable to be transported."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fred and George chorused.

"It means, that their injuries are so severe and life threatening, that by the time we transport them they could die and apparation or flooing wouldn't work because it could cause some complications."

"Is anyone out looking for Ron?" Harry piped up from his place in the corner with Hermione.

"We have Aurors out looking but so far there isn't a trace."

"Nothing?"

"No. I'm so sorry Mr. Weasley." Minerva exited the Hall leaving the Weasley family and Harry and Hermione alone.

"What do you think happened to him?" asked an extremely frightened and pale Ginny. Arthur put an arm around his daughter.

"I don't know… I don't know…"


It had been a month. Halloween was now in four days and with it came the Masquerade Ball. This was Dumbledore's idea of lightening everyone's spirits, especially Ginny's. The rescue team had been called off two weeks ago after stating that nothing could be done for Ron. Harry, of course, had responded in anger. He had almost destroyed the Gryffindor common room when Ginny had managed to stop him by breaking down into uncontrollable sobs, begging him to stop. Hermione, on the other hand had just sat there and watched Harry, but she wasn't really there. Her heart was breaking and all she could concentrate on was the sound of it tearing. She was now sitting in the Great Hall,in front of ateriffied and paleLoren Conner, a friend of Hannah.

"What was the last thing you remember of Hannah?" Hermione asked.

"Well, for the few days before… well you know, Hannah was acting a little strange. She said that there was something in Hogwarts that wasn't right. She told me that the there was something wrong with the bats also." Hermione stared at her.

"Something wrong with the bats..."

"Yeah. She said that they were like, much quieter than usual. She mentioned something about there being… a savior."

"A savior…"

"She never explained herself. She said she had to talk to you about something. She said she needed your help to find the information." Hermione paled.

"She was trying to find me."

"That's what she said. She said she had seen you storming out of the castle. She wanted to talk to you about it." She grabbed Loren's hand.

"Loren, did anyone over hear your conversation? Did anyone follow her outside?" Loren shook her head.

"No. I don't think so anyway. I mean, yeah, there were a few people around but that was it. No one close enough to have heard." Hermione glanced around and then leaned in closer.

"Why did you come to me? Why didn't you tell a teacher about this? Dumbledore about this." Loren turned paler than she already was and looked around nervously. She refused to make eye contact with Hermione.

"Ever since Hannah… left… I've had this strange feeling… like I'm being followed… I needed to tell you this because I knew Hannah trusted you with this information and needed you to help her find out what is wrong with Hogwarts." Hermione nodded. Loren was about to ask her about Ron, when Harry and Ginny ran in and stopped in front of the two pale girls.

"Hermione, look at this." Harry handed her a piece of parchment, which was scrawled in Ginny's messy writing.

Darkness is coming

He who has risen

Shall take dominion

Over the haven of safeness

The night crawlers shall be revealed

And he who has hidden

Shall appear in the form of the lost

The one who has lived

And the one who has risen

Shall reach the end

The one whose hand

Was freely given

Shall reap what he has sown

By the hand of the one whose

Heart was feely given

The one who was lost

Shall find redemption

Darkness is coming

"Where did you get this?" Ginny glanced at Harry.

"Harry was helping me return a crystal ball, Professor Trelawney had lent me. We heard her outside the door and Harry told me to write down what she was saying. Thought it would be important." Hermione glanced at Loren.

"I… I have to do some reading. I'll be in the common room if you need me." With that she stood and left the Hall. On the way back she replayed the prediction in her head. She always thought Trelawney was a fake, but occasionally, Harry had told her about the instances in which she made pretty accurate predictions. Her mind drifted to Ron, as she sat down in front of the fire.

"My, my… still looking beautiful." Hermione didn't look up.

"Still the same bastard of a stalker."

"My, you are feisty. That's what drew me to you in the first place."

"Really…" she drawled, still focusing on the Book of Legends before her. Wellington stared at her.

"You have grown…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing… Just admiring what's on display." Hermione rolled her eyes in disgust but refused to turn around. He smiled maliciously and leaned in so that his lips were against her ear.

"I seem to remember you screaming out my name." She twitched slightly but kept her eyes on the book before her, though total focus on the words lost.

"That wasn't out of pleasure, I assure you." A grin reached his features.

"I'm just surprised that with all the loving we gave you, that you didn't end up with a little slut Jr. in there." The wood was at his face in an instant.

"What do you want?" she asked dangerously.

"Where's lover boy, redhead? The search was called off... what? Is he pushing up daisies?"

"Don't you dare talk about Ron."

"Why?"

"Because unlike you, I loved him. That's something you will never understand." The smile was gone. His face seemed to cloud with something Hermione thought close to jealousy and rage. How did she know this? She had seen the same expression pass over Ron's face every time someone mentioned Victor Krum.

"You forget your place."

"What's that?" He glared at her.

"You belong to me! You forget that I was your first and therefore that makes you mine." Hermione matched his look.

"I don't belong to anyone."

"You freaking whore! I own you. You know it as well as I do. I left my mark on you in more than just one place and sooner or later you'll realize that… and when you do," he smiled, "There'll be no one around to save you. Not even Saint Potter!" She gazed at him with wide eyes.

"Leave me alone!"

"Why? You afraid Harry or Ginny will find out! You never told them about the mark. The tattoo…" Her hand drifted to the back of her neck, and her eyes widened. "Now you remember, though you don't know what it means. You'll find out soon. Very soon…" He smirked and left her alone. She ran to the window and opened it, gasping for the air that had eluded her since he had approached her. Tears streamed down her face.

"Ron… I need you… where are you?"


"Pick a color."

"Red."

"Favorite earth color."

"Brown."

"Tall or short."

"What?"

"Just answer."

"I don't know… short."

"Curly or straight?"

"Straight."

"Feisty or calm." He smiled.

"Feisty."

"Fast or slow."

"Fast."

"Seeker or Chaser?"

"Chaser."

"Chaser?"

"Well since I'm a Seeker, might as well go for the Chaser. I seek, they chase. Sometimes I feel like girls are chasers."

"No Harry. You've got it all wrong. You're more like a Snitch. Girls are the seekers. Their constantly chasing you for your affection… for your love… and not one Seeker has caught you yet, or even comes close, from the looks of things."

"How would you know?"

"I know you Harry… you're the man who has to do the right thing." Harry stopped and leaned against the wall and looked at her.

"The world needs a hero." She looked at him, concern and disappointment in her eyes. She stepped up to him and took his face in her hands and looked into his beautiful eyes and whispered softly to him.

"Being a hero doesn't mean you have to give up everything." He took her hands.

"The hero has to protect the ones he loves. Keep them from getting hurt."

"Emotional scars rundeeper than physical, Harry." He looked away from her.

"It's ok to love, Harry. I think it's the only thing that keeps us human… Harry look at me," she turned his face toward her and placed her cheek against his so that she could whisper into his ear, "I'm not afraid of death." He pulled away and looked at her, from her beautiful eyes to the pink full lips, and then back to her eyes, which were filled with determination. Before he knew what had happened, her lips were pressed against his. His brain totally stopped functioning. As the kiss deepened, Harry wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer. He pulled away and looked at her. Though she was staring at him, her eyes were glazed. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She was about to pull him closer when he stopped her.

"Will you go to the Ball with me?" She looked surprised and then guilty.

"No…"

"Why?" he asked, slightly hurt.

"Hermione."

"What about Hermione?"

"You should go with her."

"Why?"

"Because, if we go together, she'll feel left out and with Ron gone it'll hurt more. She needs you more than I do right now." Harry nodded his head.

"Ok. I'll talk to her tomorrow, but who will you go with?"

"Colin."

"Creevy."

"Yes. He asked me this morning at class and I said I would think about it."

"Fine. But until then… I'll have my fun…"

"Harry!" She said, hiding a small smile.

"What?" He said as he dove for her neck and began to nip at it. She smiled and moaned at the same time.

A/N: Hope you liked it. I know some people were on the floor, with eagerness. jk. anyway. I think that after my next chappie you won't be hearing from me for a while. I will be moving and therefore will not have acsess to a computer for a couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Chapter Tease:

"You're hurt." Hermione whispered.

"It's to late for me... just remember what I told you...remember what Trelawney said..."

"But..." Harry started.

"No buts.. Harry, you have a choice to make. Remember, the cloaked figure is not evil, no matter what it does."Suddenly she screamed,started gasping and bent over. When she looked up Ginny screamed. Her eyes were completely sunken in, black and bulging. Her skull was pulled back, making her bones show even more.

"He's coming..." Harry doubled over in pain. She looked at him, pointing at the screaming scar on his head. "They're here..." Then she collapsed... dead.