Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK does. So stop reminding me, already!
This chapter gets a bit darker. Remember Andrea from beforehand? Well, she comes back in this one.
Harry received a number of surprises on Christmas day. The first came in the form of a much larger than usual pile of presents at the end of his bed; Harry could feel the bed being heaved downwards at his feet. Without opening his eyes so much, he felt his way to the end of his bed, shoved on his glasses, and opened the nearest present to him. It was from Fred and George. It was a shaking round sphere, and Harry was reminded of the prophecy. His insides squirmed at the thought of it. He grabbed another present to distract himself; it had an untidy scrawl on it: Hagrid's present. It turned out to be a handful of silvery treads of what Harry assumed to be -
'Wow – is that Unicorn hair?' said a voice next to him in interest.
'RON!' Harry yelled, turning around. And there Ron was, looking pallid but very happy, sitting in piles of strewn wrapping paper. Harry noticed that he had a massive mound of presents, too. Harry picked out a present with Ron's handwriting on it, and Ron picked up Harry's gift. Before Harry had even unwrapped his present, Ron let out a whoop of laughter.
'How to keep a cool head when the Quaffle flies at you,' he read from the front of the book, which had a large picture of a confused witch on the front, a red ball zooming to her head. 'Very funny. Wish I'd've got you a book.'
'I don't,' said Harry. 'This Party-Pack is great – we can use it for when we win the Cup!' Ron laughed, and started ripping paper off his festive gifts.
It ended up that Harry's surprises didn't stop there. Hermione dropped in on them, giving them their presents. Ron got Keeper gloves, and Harry received a massive bag of enchanted sweets he assumed came from Honeydukes. Whilst he was munching on a liquorice wand, he opened a model of a Quidditch pitch from his team mates, and he amused himself by poking the flying brooms. Harry supposed he was to use this for tactics. He got a bag of Dungbombs from Andrea, whom Harry had almost forgotten to give a present. Only last night did he give her the present of a box of Chocolate Cauldrons. He got the usual Weasley Jumper, but instead of mince pies, it came with a treacle tart, which Harry started munching on immediately, throwing aside the Bertie-Bott's-Favourite-Beans. He now obtained a set of Gobstones from Lupin, which looked at him menacingly. Only after unwrapping everything did he get another surprise.
'Hey – Harry!' came a familiar voice near the door. But it couldn't be …
'Fred? George?'
'Merry Christmas to you too,' said a grumpy George. 'In future, we'd like a better welcome. How're you, Ron?'
'Fine. Where's my present?' he asked.
'Hold your Hippogriffs. This is for Harry,' he threw Harry a present.
'You've already got me one, he said, pointing to the vibrating ball. George waved his hand impatiently. 'Never mind.'
'This one's for Hermione.' He threw her a present, which she caught, surprised. Ron coughed loudly and indignantly.
'Oh, yeah,' said Fred, enjoying the delay of Ron's present. 'Here's to you, little bro'.'
Harry opened his present cautiously, and then smiled: they were a box of violently decorated Ton-Tongue-Toffees. Harry remembered the time when Fred gave Dudley a Toffee, and grinned. He wondered if Dudley would fall for it again.
'What's this?' asked Ron, looking at his present. It looked like a purple cube, but it was glittering strangely, and floating up in the air, revolving.
Fred and George grinned in an evil sort of way. Fred stepped up to it.
'Ron Weasley,' he said clearly, and the cube stopped immediately. Harry heard a big breath and the cube yelled –
'Ron Weasley – I expected better of you! Sneaking off with her, you MAKE ME SICK!'
Everyone was momentarily stunned. Seamus, Dean and Neville woke up with a start.
'What was that?' he asked.
'Instant Insult maker. We made it ourselves. Great for ideas for Howlers.' He grinned wickedly again.
'They make up insults?' said Hermione. 'That's very good magic.'
Everyone smiled – she wasn't even being sarcastic.
'Open yours up, then,' Fred said, and she did. It turned out to be a book.
'A hundred ways to use magic – for clever Witches and Wizards. Well, I suppose at least you think I'm clever.'
'Clever? You're a genius!' said Ron. Hermione blushed, and Ron smiled embarrassedly.
Fred and George looked between them.
'Is there something we've missed?' he said.
Bet there is,' said George, evidently thinking.
Ron blushed. George put two and two together.
'Oho!' he said. 'How come you didn't tell me, Ron?'
Fred obviously had just cottoned on; 'Don't tell him, tell me. I'm your brother.'
'Yeah,' said George, 'and so am I.'
Harry was laughing, and spilled some of the contents on his bed, including the sphere.
'Yeah, just asking, what is that thing?'
'I thought you'd've realised by now. It's a – well, open it, then.'
Harry prised it open, and a pearly white figure rose up. Harry was reminded horrible of the dusty orbs in the Department of Mysteries.
'Let me see…' the thin lady crooned, shawls draped around her. 'For when would you like to know your destiny?'
'Er,' said Harry.
'Christmas Evening,' said Fred instantly.
'Now then,' the lady dropped her voice to a whisper. 'I have foreseen Dark Magic in the darkest of places in store for you all … keep your wits about you, and you,' she paused, 'may survive. Goodnight.'
And she went back into the sphere Harry was clutching.
'Is this a spoof, too?' Harry asked Fred.
'I would say vaguely accurate. Probably means more centaurs.'
'Great,' said Ron and Hermione together glumly.
'Well, don't worry your heads about it. It's gonna happen anyway.'
'True. Aren't you going to ask us how long we'll be here for?'
'How long?' said Hermione.
'Just for the last two terms. Redo our N.E.W.T.s, that kinda thing.'
'Well, good,' said Harry forcefully. 'Now we have a very good team – you two are now beaters. I'm Captain.'
'Good one,' said George.
'Cheers,' said Harry, and they all went down to their Common Room to enjoy their presents.
Dinner that day was the same as usual; mounds of Turkeys, hundreds of potatoes, plates and plates of vegetables. Harry was sure that something bad was going to happen, what with what happened at the last feast, and with the eerie prophecy. Harry shook his head. He didn't believe the prophecy, but this still didn't make him feel any better.
But the evening passed without incident, and Harry was alone at the table, apart from Fred and George, who kept on having people come up to them, congratulating them on their shop and telling them all about their great escape last year.
'Er – if you want,' Fred said reluctantly, passing his autograph to an excited Gryffindor first-year.
'Thanks,' he squeaked, and bounded off.
'Odd, aren't they?' Fred said to Harry who was laughing silently. Harry nodded. 'Come on; let's go to the Common Room.'
Halfway up a staircase, George was hailed by a group of third-year girls, who all wanted his auto graph first.
'Hey,' said Fred. 'I look just like him, you know!'
George grinned, and passed half the stack of cards to Fred. Harry noticed that they had identical signatures, except for the "G" and the "F" at the start of them.
'I'll see you guys later,' Harry chuckled, as more people came up.
'Can I have an autograph?' a little girl asked. She must have been half the size of Harry. Her eyes were wide and expectant, and Harry hastily wrote his name on a piece of parchment.
'Thank you!' the girl said and skipped happily off. Feeling rather bigger than he was, Harry took a hidden passage and was smiling until a struggling scene caught his eye. His smile ran off of his face like Stinksap. Andrea was back against the wall, but Harry couldn't see her; some person about a head taller then Harry was leaning over her. Harry could only tell it was Andrea by her voice; it was very dark.
'Get off of me, go away you filthy little ball of – Aaargh!' Andrea fell silent except for some struggling sounds. Then the tall person spoke.
'Stay still, idiot girl, listen to master.'
Andrea screamed. Her scream woke Harry up from a nightmare he thought was happening. He needed to help her… but he must help the master… The large boy had cornered her again; Harry could see his almost magical shadow through the thin rays of light in the gloom.
'No!' she shrieked, 'Take that!' Harry heard a sound that made him quite sure she had just slapped him. 'Slytherin slime. Pertrificus tota– Aah! Another blow from the boy put Harry in his senses.
'Stupefy!' he yelled, and he keeled over. 'Andrea, are you alright?'
Andrea was silently crying. Her robes look a mess, Harry thought; I should have stopped him sooner. Harry went over to her and hugged her. She held on to him tight.
'Thank you,' she whispered in his ear.
'It's OK. It's all alright. Wait – what are you doing?'
Andrea had waved her wand at the stunned student, and ropes instantly covered him.
'Let's leave him there all night,' Harry suggested.
'All week, more like,' Andrea was staring at the covered body with so much hatred in her eyes, Harry was momentarily shocked. He quickly pulled himself together.
'Let's just go, but don't tell anyone,' he warned.
'Like I will. Honestly,' she muttered, and turned to Harry. 'Will you stay with me tonight? Just in the Common Room.' Harry saw that she was still shaking. He led her up to the Common Room, holding out his hand which she gratefully clung onto.
The Common Room was noisy and rowdy, and Andrea was called over to some of her friends, but she stayed next to Harry, who went to sit with Hermione, Ron, Fred and George.
'You guys are late,' Hermione observed, and perhaps she was about to say something else to tell them off, but Harry saw her catch Andrea's eyes and she said nothing of that sort. 'Come sit down, by the fire; you look cold.'
'I'm not cold,' Harry said, but he sat on the hearthrug next to Hermione anyway. He lent over Hermione to Ron, and grabbed some Chocolate Frogs. He chucked one to Andrea.
'Eat,' he said, after she stared at it for a while. Harry opened his own and bit off the head.
Conversation ran late that night although it was punctured with a lot of yawns.
'You know, we should go to bed now, or we'll be sleeping all of tomorrow.'
'What's wrong with that?' Ron asked, after yawning.
'Well, I didn't think you'd like to waste one of the days of your holiday, would you?'
Ron grumbled, but nodded all the same. Fred and George pulled off to bed shortly after this. Andrea sighed, and got up as well.
'Sleep safe,' Harry said, before he even knew it. Andrea bent down and kissed him on the cheek.
'Thanks for everything,' she whispered quietly, so only Harry could hear. He gave her the thumbs up, which went unnoticed by Ron or Hermione, as they were saying a thoroughly nonverbal goodnight. Harry smiled, picked up his things and went to bed.
Harry had very weird dreams that night. Firstly, he dreamt that the was running for the Prophecy, which was too high, and Harry couldn't reach it on his Nimbus Two Thousand … then Harry remembered that the Whomping Willow had destroyed it, and his broom broke, and he was falling, falling, falling into –
He was slithering along the ground, as cool as a snake … Snake? Harry wondered … and then he recognised the white walls and the big black door at the end of the corridor … Harry knew where he was… he was in the Department of Mysteries …Harry hated this place … he realised he was in a dream, and he started to thrash around and around until his covers came off of his bed. He rolled over and didn't remember the dream the next day.
It turned out Hermione was right – Harry didn't wake up until well after lunch, where he found Hermione and Ginny downstairs. Ginny's hair looked very wild, like she hadn't brushed it for days. She was also pointing at Hermione with her wand. Harry didn't like this scene at all. He crept down the stairs and pointed his wand at Ginny's back. Hermione looked at him fearfully, but Harry made a "no" gesture in the air, and Hermione whipped out her own wand at the back of her top, and pointed at her.
'The brave Mudblood,' Ginny taunted, and Harry's bloods raced with anger…How dare her? 'You're a bit alone now, aren't we?' Harry raised his wand … what he needed now was a good spell to cause her pain …
The Girls' Dormitory door opened, and Andrea came through. Harry turned around to her, and made another "no" gesture with his hands, but Andrea simply stood there shocked, as Ginny had just said 'You don't have the guts, Mudblood, do you? You worthless little tiny –'
Hermione looked at Harry, who had not yet acted. Ginny followed her gaze, and spun around. 'Pertrificus Totalus!' she yelled, and Harry felt as though his brain had been numbed, his arms snapped to his side, and his legs locked together. Harry could still hear and see though, but his blood felt as though it had stopped moving. I scared Harry so much, he barely heard Ginny stun Hermione ('Oh!') or see Andrea raise her wand as Ginny laughed maniacally. All he saw was Ginny's body keel over onto his. He couldn't even feel her, but he felt himself lurch forward.
'Harry! Hermione! Are you Ok? Fine, fine,' she said to herself. 'Stupid question, really. Renervate. She said, pointing her wand at Harry, who started to get the feeling back in his fingers and legs. As soon as he could move his mouth, Harry thanked her. Andrea helped him up.
'I don't believe she did that,' she said, looking at Ginny's lifeless form. Just then Ron burst in half dressed with his socks on his hands. His eyes flew from Harry and Andrea, who were standing in between Ginny and Hermione. Ron tore his eyes from Hermione.
'What the HELL has been going on here?' he bellowed. 'Tell me now what happened. NOW!' he added, just in case neither Harry nor Andrea understood.
Harry's anger rose up again, and said in a livider voice than he had expected: 'Ginny was cursing Hermione. Literally. She called her Mudblood and everything foul. Oh yeah,' Harry turned to Hermione. 'Renervate,' Hermione's eye's flickered, and she tried to get up, but Andrea pushed her down and told her to lie still. Hermione caught sight of Ron, and her eye's widened before they shut again. 'See, this is the work of you beloved sister.'
'I didn't say she was beloved, and in case you haven't noticed, Harry,' he added heatedly, 'I believe you, dung-brain. Is Hermione OK?' he fled down the stairs, jumped Ginny's limp body and put his arm around Hermione.
'Stop jumping down my throat,' he shot at Harry, who felt ashamed at opening his mouth. Harry then realised that not once that morning had Ron said he was on Ginny's side.
'Sorry,' he mumbled, and went over to Hermione too. 'Thanks, Andrea,' he said, and Andrea blushed.
'I should have been quicker on the uptake,'
'You were better than me,' Hermione interrupted. 'I was useless. She'd been saying rubbish for a quarter of an hour, and I would have probably been hurt badly if Harry hadn't have come down.' She smiled at Harry.
'Its fine, though, everything's over. 'Yeish,' He added, 'how much more of this am I supposed to take. This is supposed to be holidays.'
'Talk about it,' said Ron. 'I'm listening to Hermione next time, I'm going to bed at half past six every morning, don't laugh – I will!' he added, as everyone else laughed.
Unfortunately, laughter was rarely heard in the castle in the next few days. It seemed that centaurs were hiding in the Ravenclaw tower, so Ravenclaws were put in a temporary dungeon. All of the Ravenclaws complained; the dungeons were very cold and clammy.
'Can't we just have a free classroom or something?' Harry saw Terry Boot ask McGonagall on his, Ron's and Hermione's way down to The Great Hall.
'Sorry, Boot, but rules are rules.'
'What rules?' Terry Boot asked.
'Just a temporary Common Room. Now go enjoy it.'
Terry Boot didn't need telling twice; McGonagall's lips were very thin, and she was white, shaking with unpredicted fury. Harry lowered his drawn wand, and felt Hermione and Ron do the same behind him.
'Potter! Keep your wand out, foolish boy – there are too many dangers – you must understand!' she said, turning around.
'It's OK, Professor,' Hermione said calmly, although her wand hand was shaking.
And as they went strait to the Great Hall, people called out to them, cold and hungry. Some of them were injured.
'Please help me,' a tall seventh-year cried from the ground. 'I think my leg is broken.'
'Ferula!' Hermione said. 'Can you walk now? You look like you need some food.' The tall boy nodded and got up without wincing.
Hermione helped another two people on the way, and Harry soon forgot he was in Hogwarts, and realised that he was in some kind of war.
'Stupefy! Impedemtia! Stupefy! STUPEFY!'
'What now,' grumbled Ron, his stomach rumbling louder. Hermione grimaced as they went down the final corner to their breakfast. Two girls that looked like they were in their first year were having what seemed like a duel.
'OI!' yelled Harry, 'Break it up, will you? There are centaurs running loose and – hey – are you even listening?' he added, for the girls were not listening. One of them sent a stunner at Harry, who ducked. The other girl blasted Ron off of his feet.
'Right – you two – listen,' Hermione said calmly, though Harry could see some anger in her eyes, walking to them with her wand down. Both girls flicked their heads, maniac grins on their faces.
'Oh yeah?' said one girl.
'Get over it, frizz-hair.'
Hermione just laughed.
'You can hit each other with as many spells as you like – damage yourselves – have fun,' Hermione began. 'But never, ever hit my BOYFRIEND!' and on the last word of her sentence she slashed her wand through the air, and both girls were blasted off of their feet, and remained unconscious where they fell. Harry was stunned.
'Remind me never to make you angry,' he said, and Hermione smiled a little bit. 'Come on, we can put him in a class room,' and, when Hermione looked scandalised, he added: 'It's like a spare Hospital Wing; the one upstairs is full.'
He carried Ron to the spare class room and Hermione saw another person on the floor, and went to pick her up. Harry was just laying Ron down on a spare bed, when someone said 'Listen to me Harry, oblige me, you will be rewarded.' Harry was shocked and hurled out of the empty classroom. He was just coming out of the class room when Hermione said 'Luna, are you alright?'
'What's wrong?' Harry said instantly, coming out of the unused room.
'Some person attacked me from behind,' Luna gasped, all of her dreaminess gone from her; Harry was scared; she had never looked so bad. She was panting all over, and she had sweat on her forehead. She was also shivering. Luna mimed something hitting her chest, and pulled back her top robe, and Harry saw a lot of blood. Hermione screamed out loud.
'We need to get you to the Hospital Wing,' she said, unnecessarily.
'No,' panted Luna. 'I just want some –' she took a great shuddering breath '– food.'
'OK then, lets get some breakfast,' Harry said, and Luna lent on him as they went round the corridors.
But as soon as Harry kicked open the doors it was very apparent that no one was having breakfast. Students were running around in the Great Hall; some scared, some clearly enjoying the horrible billowing tension seeping from corner to corner in the classroom … nearly everyone had their wand out. Half the students were duelling; the other half were panting, bleeding or screaming on the floor, or eating calmly at the high table; there was no sign of the Professors.
'Oh my god,' Hermione whispered finally, as she looked around the scene of terror. Her eyes were on the wounded, and she rushed to help them. Harry was looking at the back of the Great Hall, where some people looked very relaxed. Harry spotted Hannah Abbot, a lot of Slytherins, Katie Bell, and some older Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Harry thought that they all looked pale, and he was just about to get a closer look at the bags under their eyes when a hand fell on his shoulder.
'Oh,' said Harry. 'It's you, Malfoy. What's wrong now?' he added, for Malfoy looked much worse than the people eating eggs and kippers at he high table; his eyes were red and puffy, and he had scars to rival Ron's. His mouth was sagged open in an almost silent scream, and his robes were dirty.
'Help me, Harry,' Harry cringed a bit; he preferred Malfoy calling him Potter; he was so used to it. 'The Dark Lord … he is practically here – no friends either – neither … help me … Dark … Lord bigger … pain on my-' Malfoy clutched his heart. Harry was scared; all his hatred for Malfoy had ran out.
'Hermione!' he bellowed, and she ran over, after fixing a splint on a fourth-year. 'Talk to Malfoy. Make him feel better, do what you can. I'll clean stuff up,' he added, for Hermione was glancing around the hall.
As Hermione bent over Malfoy, Harry went to a frozen girl, who, by her height, had to be a second- or third-year.
'Renervate,' he said, pointing his wand at her. 'Now, lie still for a moment. Is that your friend?' he added, as the girl, although she was very scared kept looking over at two girls bleeding profusely from their heads. 'I'll be there. Just, er, keep your wand out and don't look for trouble.'
'Thanks,' the girl muttered, and Harry hurried over to the two girls huddled together. One of them seemed unconscious.
'Right then,' he said, and started muttering the incantation for blood removal under his breath. The wounds healed up for a couple of seconds, and then started bleeding copiously. Harry brushed her hair away from her, and gasped; these two were evidently Cho Chang, and one of her friends.
'Cho, listen to me,' he said, and she jerked her head towards him; a big mistake; the gash in her head enlarged, but she didn't seem to care. She held her hand to his face, but Harry pulled back … he wasn't interested in her anymore. He was in a war now …
A shrill scream punctured the lazy chatting, the gasps and sobs of injured and they soothing voices of the helpers like Harry.
'CENTAURS!'
More screams followed this, and Harry whipped his head round, and his heart sank; they were right. Centaurs were trotting in, but, to Harry's astonishment, they went for the high table.
'We have done as ordered,' said the sorrowful voice of a centaur. 'Now you do it.'
'Oh yeah? Show me?' said Hannah Abbot, and the last centaur come in, dragging a sack, which everyone not on the high table was watching, frightened. He tossed the bag in the air, and, this time, every one shrieked out loud; hundreds of cats, owls and toads fell out the bag. They were all dead. Most people ran up to their beloved animal, but most with little hope. Harry saw that they had been murdered in such chilling ways that Harry didn't want to repeat them. He saw a teary Hermione next to her cat, Crookshanks, who looked like he had been strangled. Harry, with a sinking heart spotted the familiar white speck of owl among the usual brown and black.
'Hedwig,' he whispered sadly, but, as he went closer, he saw that it wasn't Hedwig, but a grey bird that Cho was crying over. Harry moved over to Hermione, who, Harry was shocked to see, was sitting next to Malfoy, who was holding a pure black, and clearly dead, owl. Harry hugged her, and she sobbed into his shoulder for a long time.
No one was looking forward to going back to school, and, on the last day of the holiday, Harry met his final surprise. McGonagall was giving out a notice. Harry knew that she only gave out notices in the Gryffindor Common Room of something ad had happened. Harry wondered what it was this time.
'Extra safety measures will be taken. Your wand must be with you at all times. You will all be given these,' she waved a buzzing key-ring thing, 'which will tell you if danger is about. If it should buzz, then wands out, and drop everything you are doing. Leave nothing behind. I am sure some one will look after you.' At these words, Harry noticed a number of people looking at him. He determinedly kept his face to the front, his cheeks glowing.
'Stay safe. Under no circumstances are you to go after these centaurs, or approach anyone dangerous. Including your friends. No one can be trusted. No one. Good night.' She gave out everyone buzzing cuboids before she left. Harry felt his; it was warm and was faintly glowing. He went over to Ron and Hermione. Hermione was still crying. Ron looked very sad, too.
'Is Hedwig OK? He asked Harry.
'She's fine.'
'Great, really great,' Ron said, but he didn't have his heart in it. Harry guessed that Pigwidgeon had died, too.
Harry didn't know where to sit; Ron and Hermione were cuddled up together, Ron stroking Hermione's hair, Hermione crying silently. Harry noticed a silent body near the fire. He guessed it was Andrea. He was right.
'Hey – Harry,' a voice softly called across the room.
'Hey Andrea,' Harry said. Andrea must have lost a pet too, Harry thought, because she was much paler than usual, and her usual lovely curly hair was limp and lank. Harry hugged her.
'Are you OK?' he asked her, and then almost kicked himself for asking it. She nodded dimly. 'Here – come sit by the fire – you look as bad as you did the other – oh.' Harry had the sense to shut up there. They joined the many others by the roaring fire. Harry put his arm around her.
'Look, did anything else happen,' he said, softly into her ear.
'How did you guess?' she whispered. Harry shrugged as best as he could with his hands on Andrea's waist.
'Listen, they won't go near you again,'
'Says who?'
'Me,' said Harry simply. 'I won't let them go near you.' He said, and caught sight of Ron and Hermione entwined. Harry had a strong urge to kiss Andrea, but he knew he would never take advantage of her, so he sat by her all night, keeping her close and only going up to bed after she did.
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