Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot and anything you don't recognise.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel.
Chapter sixteen: Betrayal and Broken Trust.
Harry paced up and down the common room while Hermione read serenely, curled up on the couch in front of the fire. Harry stopped pacing and ran his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time in the last fifteen minutes. He continued pacing and ran his hands through his hair again. He tried to stop and calm down, he tried staring out the window and forgetting about it. He looked out of the window for thirty seconds before resuming his pacing. He and Hermione were the only people in the common room, the rest having been irritated by Harry's restless pacing and incoherent mutterings. Hermione sighed and looked up from her book as Harry passed her, muttering again.
"Harry, will you stop pacing? It's getting really annoying." Harry rounded on her.
"How can you just sit there reading at a time like this?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"I…I don't know." He said angrily.
"Harry, where will panicking get you? It won't get it done any faster; it won't put a barrier around them, stopping them from getting hurt. So just calm down." Irritably Harry threw himself down on the couch next to her. He sat there staring at the fire moodily before jumping back to his feet.
"What if they've been ambushed? What if Voldemort found out about it and they're all dead now? Or seriously hurt? Or fighting for their lives? Or-"
"We'd know, Harry, remember these?" Hermione showed him the necklace hanging around her neck. "The alarms, remember?"
"Yeah, but what if they were overpowered too quickly to use them?" Harry started pacing anxiously again, muttering "I should have gone with them" under his breath over and over again. Eventually Hermione had enough. She sighed and dog-eared the page she was on. She stood up.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll get some men and take them down there." Harry considered it but shook his head.
"No. I'd just be worrying about you aswell then."
"Then sit down and calm down." Harry obeyed and went and sat down next to her.
"How can you be so clam, when I'm so panicked and worked up?" Hermione didn't look up from her book.
"Harry, panicking won't change anything. So why waste energy on making yourself ill for no good reason? You might as well just calm down and relax. They'll be fine."
"How can you be so sure?" Hermione laughed,
"Harry. There are eleven Aurors there. Guardians now, I suppose, but that doesn't change their training. They'll be fine. Ron's no wimp in a fight either. They're quick, strong and efficient. They'll get the job done quickly; it's what they're trained to do." Harry looked at his watch.
"They've been gone twenty minutes. They'll be hitting the target now."
"They'll be back in less than half an hour, then."
"If all goes well." Hermione sighed and turned a page in her book.
"Nice to know you're taking a positive outlook on this."
"Just being realistic." They were silent for a few moments. "What if-" Hermione looked up angrily.
"Harry, if you don't shut up I will stun you." She snapped. Harry couldn't help but grin.
"Be my guest. Looks like you aren't as calm and collected as you pretend to be, though." She sniffed and glared at him before returning to her book. Harry could not resist teasing her some more. "Hermione Granger, the queen of logic, sensibility, level-headedness, never one to become illogical or panicked by stupid, unrealistic things, is worrying over a petty raid in which nothing could go wrong. Quite a turn around."
"Harry?"
"Hermione, my love?" Harry said, grinning broadly, although his insides were churning.
"Shut up." She couldn't help but smirk slightly at his last comment. Even in a moment like this, Harry couldn't bear the seriousness to last too long. He'd been hanging around Sirius for too long…
Hermione went back to her book and Harry sat beside her silently. Although he tried hard to hide his emotions, his faced displayed the worry that was gnawing away at him inside him. She reached over and squeezed his hand.
"Don't worry. It'll be alright." With those words, they went back to waiting.
Twenty five minutes later Hermione looked at her watch. She dog-eared the page she was on and stood up.
"We should go down to the Entrance Hall to wait for them." Harry nodded and stood up. He looked sick. He looked positively terrified. Hermione felt sorry for him. He was always in control and therefore had no experience in handling not being in control, whereas she had. Besides, she just had Ron to worry about. Harry was worrying about the lives of all twelve of them. After all, they were his men.
He nodded once and followed her out of the common room. They walked down the marble staircase and into the Entrance Hall. Harry immediately began pacing up and down. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the steps to wait.
"They should be here by now." Said Harry, looking at his watch for the fifth time in the past thirty seconds. Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"They'll come." She said patiently. Harry nodded.
"I know, it's just that-"
"The waiting is always the hardest part. You just have to have a little faith." Harry nodded and went to sit beside her. They fell silent. Harry kept his eyes locked on the doors and kept running his hand through his hair.
After ten minutes, by which time even Hermione was getting worried, the doors began to open. Harry and Hermione leapt to their feet eagerly.
Ron and Samia stepped in, their faces oddly subdued. Harry's heart dropped and a sick feeling began to develop in his stomach. He broke out in a cold sweat and beside him he felt Hermione begin to shake.
"How'd it go?" Harry asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
"It went fine. We hit the target quickly, there were only about a dozen in there and they were so confused that they were all killed quickly." Answered Ron. "We didn't lose any of our men. A few cuts and scrapes but they didn't have time to put up a real fight." Harry felt the sick feeling in his stomach disappear and he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Beside him he felt Hermione relax.
"Good." Said Harry relieved. Ron shook his head.
"You're not going to like this, Harry." Harry looked confused.
"What?" Ron stepped aside to reveal a man behind him.
"We caught him watching us." The man looked up. Harry looked back at him.
"Who is he? A Death Eater?" Ron shook his head.
"No. He hasn't got the mark. It's almost worse." Harry looked even more puzzled.
"Worse?" Ron nodded, before he could open his mouth to speak the man spoke.
"Harry, I work for Dumbledore! I'm not a Death Eater." Harry froze. He could not believe what he had just heard.
"What?" He truly believed that he had misheard. Dumbledore wouldn't…No, no he wouldn't…would he?
"I work for Dumbledore." That confirmed it. He began to shake in anger. He turned to the Guardians.
"Well done, tonight. I'll debrief you tomorrow. Dismissed." They nodded and looked faintly scared at Harry's anger. He seemed to radiate pure fury. His fists were clenched and he was shaking. Hermione stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Where did you catch him?" His voice was deceptively calm. Ron knew that this was dangerous. Harry could explode at any time.
"In some bushes watching the whole thing. Half way through the raid I caught sight of him and stunned him. Without a doubt he was spying on us." Harry nodded and turned back to the man who looked terrified at Harry's suppressed anger.
"Did Dumbledore tell you to spy on us?" The man merely nodded. Harry's anger increased. He couldn't believe Dumbledore had done it. He could not believe it. He had promised and he had broken that promise. Harry had trusted him and Dumbledore had broken that trust. He nodded at the spy.
"Bring him." Ron nodded. He knew that it was better to obey without question when Harry was like this.
"Where are we going?" Asked Hermione nervously.
"Dumbledore's office." Harry answered shortly. Ron and Hermione looked at each other nervously, with Harry so furious it was bound to end in confrontation.
Harry strode along the corridor. Ron and Hermione hurried after, the spy between them. They finally got to the stone gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's Office. Harry turned around.
"What's the password?" Hermione could see the barely controlled anger on his face.
"Chocolate raisins." She replied, Harry nodded and gave the password to the stone gargoyle. It moved aside. They climbed up the revolving staircase. The closer they got to the door the angrier Harry became. He couldn't believe that after Dumbledore had promised to let Harry take care of it, he had still sent someone to spy. To spy on his own side. He had promised Harry faithfully and then gone back on his word. He turned around to face the spy, who shrank back from his anger.
"You, get up here now." The spy nodded and Ron pushed him up a couple of steps so he was just behind Harry. Harry turned back to the door and kicked it open furiously.
The door flew open and slammed against the wall. Harry threw the spy in and then followed him. Ron and Hermione shared a quick glance before running in after him.
Inside were most of the leading members of the Order, including Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George. They all jumped at the sound of the door crashing open. They opened their mouths to say something but then closed them again at the sight of Harry.
Pure, cold fury seemed to radiate off him. He was shaking in anger and he stared at Dumbledore in pure fury and hatred. Ron and Hermione stood behind Harry, Ron with his hand on Harry's shoulder, seeming to restrain him. Their faces were expressionless but they made it clear whose side they were on.
"Harry?" Asked Mrs Weasley tentatively. He ignored her and continued to stare at Dumbledore. He was holding the man by the scruff of his robes. He threw him forward so the man was sent sprawling along the floor.
"Who is he?" He asked Dumbledore coldly.
"Harry-"
"Who is he?" Harry's voice became colder, angrier.
"Harry I-"
"Who is he?" Harry's voice was low, dangerous. Dumbledore sighed.
"He's one of my men." The Order were turning their heads from Harry to Dumbledore and back again. They looked confused and faintly scared at Harry's fury.
"Then why the hell did my men catch him spying on them during the raid?"
"Harry I-"
"Don't you dare try to avoid the question." Harry snapped. The control he had over his temper was wearing dangerously thin and he was in no mood to mess around.
"I sent him there to watch."
"To spy more like."
"To spy then."
"Why? Why the hell did you send one of your spies to spy on us when I told you that none of your men were to be there?" Dumbledore failed to answer. He just looked down at his hands. Harry's control snapped. He grabbed the spy and hauled him to his feet, at the same time drawing his sword and pressing it against his throat. There was a crash of chairs as the Order leapt to their feet, their wands pointed at Harry. Ron and Hermione leapt in front of Harry their wands pointed at the Order.
"Why shouldn't I just kill him now?" Dumbledore had his wand pointed at Harry. Ron took a step to the side so he was in between Dumbledore and Harry. For the first time Dumbledore looked faintly angry.
"He's my man Harry, let him go."
"They were my men. I told you to leave them alone. I told you to keep your men out of it. But you broke your word. Isn't that why you wanted my men? To keep yours out of it?" Dumbledore failed to answer.
"You put my men at more risk. My men. Just because you didn't trust me enough." Harry shook his head, for the first time he looked sad. "How could you? I trusted you. I gave you my men to keep yours safe. You broke that trust." When Dumbledore failed to answer, the sadness and disappointment evaporated. Harry lost all control over his temper.
"You used me! Once again I was just a pawn in your game. A weapon you could wield, irrespective of the consequences, and my men's lives, they were worth nothing to you. So long as you got what you wanted, nothing else mattered." Harry threw the spy to the side, sheathed his sword and drew his wand. He pointed it at Dumbledore. He pushed past Ron and advanced on Dumbledore angrily. Ron turned and tried to hold Harry back, he knew that Harry was beyond fury and there was likely to be a confrontation.
"I just wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. It was not an act of betrayal, it was just a precaution." Dumbledore tried to reason.
"This was my raid. There will be retaliation. Voldemort will retaliate. If your man was caught by the Death Eaters he could have admitted everything and my men could face massive retaliation. But you were prepared to take that risk. Because all you care about is you." Harry's anger was unleashed in all its fury. His voice was hard and deadly and he continued to strain against Ron, his wand levelled at Dumbledore.
"Harry, calm down." Said Dumbledore evenly. Harry glared at him, fury radiating off him and hatred in his eyes.
"No. I am through with being nothing more than a pawn. You think I need the Order? You think I am still too weak to resist? You're wrong. I have my own men. I could go freelance whenever I want. If you ever try a stunt like that again then I will. I have enough men. I will become a power in my own right. You will no longer have any control over me, and if you try, then I will resist. Violently. I am through with being your weapon. My men and I will continue to fight alongside you for now, but the next time you try anything like you just have, then we're are gone. That is not a threat. It is a promise." Harry turned to leave, but he caught sight of the spy. "Next time I catch one of your spies, I won't bring him back. I will kill him on the spot." Harry looked around at the shocked, horrified faces, at Dumbledore's own sad, defeated look, as he sat slumped in his chair, silenced and scared by Harry's promise of breaking away from the Order, of turning the Order into enemies. Harry looked at them all disdainfully before turning to leave. Ron and Hermione were about to follow him when Snape spoke up.
"And where does your loyalty lie in this?" He sneered. Ron and Hermione looked at him.
"Our loyalty does and will always lie with Harry. He has got a point; he has been used too long. He is strong enough to fight on his own now and could easily become stronger if he wished. Harry has always been our friend and we will not desert him." Hermione answered.
"Traitors." Snape spat. Harry spun around in the doorway his wand raised.
"No, professor, the only traitor here is you." There was no time for the deadly silence that should have followed. There was no time for anything. Snape immediately leapt to his feet and fired a spell at Harry; Harry moved left to avoid it. With a yell of "Shit!" Ron retaliated by firing a spell at Snape forcing him to duck. Harry didn't hesitate but kicked a chair at Snape before diving behind a desk. He heard two spells fly into it before looking around it. Both Ron and Hermione had managed to get behind cover aswell. There was silence for a moment.
"I'll see you expelled for this, Potter!" Snape roared before sending a barrage of spells at him. Harry ducked and laughed, knowing it would infuriate him.
"You wish! I'm here as a leader, not as a pupil." He stood up and sent two stunning spells at Snape before ducking to avoid them when Snape blocked them.
It was chaos. Ron and Hermione were fighting desperately, trying to get close to Harry to protect him. Most of the Order were not fighting, certainly the ones that knew Harry well, but Snape and the less well known ones were fighting hard. Harry was snapped back to reality when he heard a yell come from Ron. A slashing curse had hit him on the shoulder.
Harry rolled right and unleashed a barrage of spells on the Order member who had hit Ron. The Order member gave a cry and toppled backwards over the table. Mrs Weasley was crying and shouting for them to stop, Ron was swearing as he duelled with an Order member and Hermione was moving over to Harry.
"Were outnumbered here, Harry." She muttered as she ducked a spell.
"As usual." He replied shortly. Hermione shook her head.
"Can you not solve anything without starting a fight?" she asked despairingly. The fight was picking up in intensity as the strength of spells was increased. Harry stunned another Order member who crumpled to the floor before being thrown backwards by a spell that hit him the chest. Ron abandoned his cover and ran to protect Harry while he got back to his feet. Harry got to his feet and nodded at him before turning to start a duel with Snape. He looked into Snape's eyes and saw years of hate in them. He raised his wand and opened his mouth when several large, loud firecrackers went off. Dumbledore was standing there with his wand raised.
"That is enough, we are on the same side, are we not?"
"No," Harry panted, clutching a cut on his arm and keeping his wand pointed at Snape. "Snape has blown it. I'm fighting for myself now, no one else." And with that he turned and led Ron and Hermione from the room, leaving a stunned, scared and disbelieving silence in his wake.
For a while none of them spoke. The three of them walked along the corridors, the shoes unnaturally loud on the stone floor. Finally Hermione broke the silence.
"That was crazy! We fought with a teacher! With the Order! That should never have happened!" Harry shook his head.
"This is war, things that would never normally happen in a million years happen as everyday occurrences." They all fell silent again.
"Hogwarts is falling apart. Pupils should never fight with teachers and for the second time you have nearly duelled Dumbledore. War is destroying Hogwarts." Hermione said sadly. Harry said nothing.
"Did you mean what you said about going freelance?" Ron asked Harry. Harry stopped and thought for a minute.
"I don't know. But I will tell you this, I have a bad feeling that everything we have ever taken for granted is about to come crashing down beside us. It is going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better."
A/N First of all I would like to apologise for the delay, this chapter has proven the most difficult chapter to date and I am till not satisfied with it but it just won't get any better. Thank you for your patience.
This chapter, as much as I hate to say it, is the beginning of the end for The "Dark" Trilogy. From here on everything is geared towards the ending. It has been a fun, wild ride and I have enjoyed it immensely, but fortunately it is not done yet.
Thanks to all my reviewers and next chapter will be out in about a week.
Aizan19 – Thanks for the review. Not much action in this chapter as well, I'm afraid, the next big scene of action is the final battle.
The Phoenix King - Thanks for the review. I really enjoyed writing Harry and Hermione's conversation. No Cho in this chapter but lots in the next. Cho is a difficult character to work into the trio, so I have often had to leave her out because she doesn't fit in, much to my dismay.
Dragonic - Thanks for the review. Harry will not be an animagus and will not need his parsletongue in this fic, although if you like those, check out my next one (when it comes out) A Harry/Ginny called "When Dreams Come True".
Colm - Thanks for the review. Cho is in the next chapter.
The Enchantresses - Thanks for the review. Did very well on my mocks thank you. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Dragon Sword Master - Thanks for the review. Cho is in the next chapter.
FSI - Thanks for the review. More Cho in the next chapter.
Goddess Usagi - Thanks for the review. Not a lot of action in this chapter, the next big action scene is the final battle. Glad you like my action scenes, I love writing them.
Dark Phoenix Mortal - Thanks for the review. My real exams are in June. I am absolutely terrified and it is only march!
Hockeyman - Thanks for the review. No problem, if you took the time to review, I should take the time to reply.
Keep reading and reviewing 'cos I'll keep writing.
Fireboy