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Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
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Chapter Thirteen: The War Rages
"Say something," Ginny urged to Harry and to Ron, who had spent the last five minutes in utter silence.
"I don't know what to say. I can't believe you did that," Ron sat across from her and tried to take it all in. "It was all on Dumbledore's orders?"
"Yes. He'd been working out where Voldemort was hiding the cup before he died. He received confirmation after. He only asked me Harry because he didn't want to risk you. If they would have seen you would be dead now. You're too important." Ginny looked at Harry but he avoided her gaze. Her eyes were filled with too much love and he could see them pleading with him to understand. He couldn't look at that. "Harry…"
"Excuse me. I need to think right now." Before anyone could say anything he was gone. Ginny slumped back in her chair.
"Does mum know about this?" Ron asked her.
"No and she can't. I only told you because I had to. It wasn't easy." Ginny replied softly. Ron sighed and got up.
"I bloody hate this. I support Harry and I know we have to help him, but I hate this—all of it. I don't even know if they are alive anymore. It's been months and we haven't talked to anyone. I'm starting to understand how Sirius felt. I wonder what it's like out there right now." Ron, Ginny and Hermione didn't say anything. They had all wondered it. They all had questions, all wondered about the family and their friends. War was hard on everyone.
(sc)
They sat in the dark, none of them knowing what to do. It was comforting not to be alone but they all felt so helpless. And there was no explanation, no clue as to where they were. There was just darkness—and occasional sobs from a very depressed girl. There was a noise above them and then light flooded into the room. Everyone jumped to their feet. They were bringing someone else inside. This was what always happened; the only time they saw the light or felt its warmth was when they brought in someone new to sit and wait with them.
(sc)
The spark flew at his head. "Watch where you point that thing!" George yelled at the customer who was standing in front of the Exploding Pongs. "First years," he muttered under his breath.
"That was a close one," Fred smiled. "Could've taken off you ear."
"Glad it didn't. I don't think I would like it." George laughed.
"I think you could pull the look off." Fred put his hand over George's ear. "Nah, I like you with it better."
"Me too. Then I would have excuse for ignoring mum." They both laughed.
"Speaking of, we need to get to the meeting." Fred looked around the room. There weren't tons of people anymore, probably due to the fact that a war was raging outside, but there were still a few. "Hey everyone, we're closing! Get on with it!"
(sc)
He walked down that hallway again and the walls were still laughing at him. "She could do it and you can't even figure it out. Stupid Harry Potter. Poor, poor Potter. You're too weak to defeat him. You need to much." The voices surrounded him as he ran down the same he'd run down for months. He was certain he would find a way out. The further he ran the darker it got. Then the identical doors came. One of the doors had to lead him where he needed to be.
He ran faster, his heart pounding in his head, hindering his ability to think of a way out. Bang. He hit a wall. There was nowhere else to run anymore. Nowhere to go…nowhere…but then there was. He saw it. A door. An escape. A newfound hope, that wasn't there before. He put his hand on the door and turned the knob. "That's not the way out. That's wrong!" the whispering walls argued. "Let him go. It will only be his death, nothing more. He will never defeat the Dark Lord."
Harry pushed the door open, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He looked through the door and stepped in. Then the door closed behind him. He tried to open it again but it wouldn't budge. It wouldn't turn. He was stuck now. The walls laughed at him but he ignored them. As he walked a few more steps he realized it was the same place. He was still in the hallway! The very one he just stepped out of.
But it couldn't be. How was it possible? He passed a few more doors and realized he was wrong. This was different. The doors were now a blue color and there was a dim light shining through the cracks of each of the doors. He was getting closer. It was still dark but he knew he had to find the light. The walls were still taunting him. He couldn't fail, they needed him. He knew what happen this time. And it did. The sparks from the wands flew at him but he dodged them and fought back until they stopped. The walls were suddenly quiet. Instead the room filled with sobbing. Quiet, but powerful. Desperate even. Whispers followed. But they weren't the same whispers, they weren't taunting him. They were calling for help. He stopped and listened. He knew that whisper. It was Ginny. "Harry? Harry where are you? Harry…Help us. Harry?" She cried out.
"Harry? Harry!" He opened his eyes. "Are you alright?" Ginny looked down at him. "You kept saying you were coming. Where were you going?"
"Wha—I was dreaming." Harry stared at her. She smiled softly. She was okay. She was more than okay, she was marvelous. He was so amazed with her. With her courage, her wisdom, her assurance and her beauty which left him breathless. The longer he stared at her the more he remembered that dream. She was crying out for him. He closed his eyes. He couldn't help but imagine what would have happened if something had happened when she got the cup. What if she was captured or killed? How could Dumbledore ask her to do that? That was my job. He put her in danger after all I wanted to do was to keep her safe. Dumbledore was a fool to believe in Snape, I always told him that. He betrayed him. If only he would have listened.
"Harry," Ginny whispered, bringing him back from his thoughts, "are you mad at me?" He shot up and looked at her. "You haven't really said anything. I just…I wanted to help. Dumbledore asked me, how could I say no? I'm sorry I lied to you the first night but you weren't supposed to know. I need to know that you aren't mad at me."
"I'm not mad at you. I just don't understand why he asked you. Explain it to me."
"Well, I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I know on the last night he mentioned me helping you unblock the exits…like we did back at Godric's Hollow. I didn't know that we would be connected like that, that I would be able to see it. Maybe that has something to do with it," Ginny sighed. "I wish I could be more help."
"Don't be silly. You've done a ton. More than you know." Harry stared at her. Kiss her, you know you want to. She's so beautiful. "So, any thoughts on destroying this locket?"
"Well, I used a spell that Dumbledore gave me to destroy the cup. I still know it. But we need to brew this potion. I don't have any more with me. It seals the pieces with flame. Then it's gone forever. You actually have it—in that journal." Ginny pointed her finger to the brown journal that lay in the chair across his room. "He made sure you knew." Harry looked at it. He had been so busy and preoccupied that he didn't even read any of it. He barely even looked at it. He walked over and sat back down on the bed with it. "It's in the back."
Harry flipped the worn pages and sure enough, the last page had written a spell. He smiled at Ginny. "Hermione!" He yelled. Within seconds her and Ron had come in the room. "This is how we get rid of the horocruxes. Can you make enough for all of them?" She read over the ingredients and nodded.
"We'll have to check that we have everything. Come on Ron!" She said excitedly as she led him down the stairs.
"I guess I'm going to go get ready for bed." Ginny broke the silence around the two and the gaze they had on each other. She walked toward him as he stood by the door. He grabbed her hand. "That's a great watch. I like it."
"Me too." Harry smiled at her. He wanted to let go of her hand but it felt so comfortable to him. He leaned into her, the entire time telling himself that he shouldn't but nothing inside of him listening. I have to kiss her one more time. Before he could think his lips were on hers.
"I can't!" Ginny said, releasing his hand, after a few seconds. "I want to kiss you Harry, believe me. But I can't have this and then not have this…and then have this and then not have it again. I can't, as much as I want to. I've got to go." She said quickly bolting out the door. Harry sighed. He wanted all of this finished.
(sc)
"Draco, stay with me," Snape said in a cold voice. "How hard is that for you to understand?"
"You get to go off by yourself," Draco muttered.
"Yes I do. Which is the difference between us for you are not allowed." Draco tossed him a look but said nothing else as the treaded up the mountain-like hillside.
"I don't know we can't Apparate."
"Of course you don't. Stop asking questions and do I say. I have to deliver you to Lucius. Now come on." Snape said with demanding disgust. Draco snorted as they approached the shack-like house atop the hill. "Here we are then." Snape led him through the entrance. "I deliver the son," he whispered into the air and the door swung open. They stepped inside.
"Draco!" Narcissa Malfoy yelled, her blonde locks smothering his face. "I am so glad you arrived! Lucius! Lucius he's here!" She examined her son as Lucius entered the doorway. Draco stepped back from his mother when he saw his father.
Lucius Malfoy did not look as he did months prior to this. His long hair had thinned and his eyes were hidden within the dark circles around his frail body. He was very thin and he looked frail and older. He did not walk with the same stature as before but as a man scared to move to fast for fear of attack.
"Draco, my boy," Lucius said slowly. Draco stepped toward his father. They examined each other for a moment before he put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "I am proud."
Draco sighed in relief. "I am only sorry that I could not finish the job. I just wanted to get you out."
"Well you succeeded—with the help of Severus of course." Snape jumped at the mention of his name and caught eyes with Lucius, who made his way toward him. "I cannot begin to thank you for what you have done. Narcissa and I are both indebted to you for your help. I must admit that I did not think it possible from you, especially in regards to him. I am nevertheless, grateful for the role that you played and the vow you made with Narcissa."
"Anything for the Dark Lord. Now that I have accomplished my job, I will be going. I have more to do."
"Certainly. Thank you Severus." Snape nodded and exited the door within seconds.
(sc)
"The Death Eaters are out of control. They are striking magical and non-magical alike," Kingsley Shacklebolt said to the group. "The Magic has been overtaken since Scrimegour's death last month. Despite all of our detail, we are at a lost. We need to take this on full-frontal."
"I agree. The time has come to return from the shadows," Elphias Dodge added.
"Alright, Kingsley plan a forum of defense and attack and we'll put the right people on it," Moody said solemnly. "Remus, you have an update?"
"Yes, they are all accounted for and safe. Tonks and I have been trying to make it more comfortable for them until the time comes. The Nest has proven more difficult, given their beliefs and biases, but we have them under control."
"Any word from Harry?" Emmeline asked. Lupin shook his head. "You might want to stop by there soon. I heard in the office on my way here that they believe he is at the Black Manor. If he is, you might want to tell them to move."
"That place in unplottable. It is safe for them." Tonks reminded her.
"Oh, this is true. But when has that stopped them? They could find a way to break that. All they would have to do it get Bellatrix or Narcissa or that houself to break confidence, what with Dumbledore gone now it would be easier. And too many of us know about it. It's not safe if they suspect it." Emmeline explained.
"I'll go by there tomorrow and help them move on." Lupin said promptly.
"Yes, his safety is of high importance."
Suddenly, Dedalus Diggle flew into the room. Everyone looked up in surprise. "Sorry I'm late…big attack… at Diagon Alley. Death Eaters…came out of nowhere and attacked. Tons of people died…I reckon it'll all be in the paper. I tried to help but it was chaos…Spells flying—even blew up Ollivander's—he was alright though. Hestia was with me…an Unforgivable…" The room grew quiet. They had lost one of their own again.
(sc)
"We know that the Hufflepuff horocruxs is in the portrait at Hogwarts. What we don't know is what it is," Hermione said over breakfast the next morning. "We need to figure it out and the only way is to…go to Hogwarts." Ron dropped his spoon in his bowl.
"Hermione, you know that's not safe. The Death Eaters have taken over—you said you read it in the Daily Prophet!"
"Yes I did say that, but we can manage. We could disguise ourselves as someone the Death Eaters like, it wouldn't be suspicious at all." Hermione explained calmly.
"Harry are you listening to this? The woman is bonkers, completely mad!"
"I think it's brilliant." Harry stated simply.
"You do? Well how will we disguise ourselves?"
"Polyjuice potion—we've done it before, we can do it again."
"Right. Where are we going to get the hair to make Polyjuice Potion? And better yet, how will we even get there? We can't Apparate onto school grounds." Ron rebuted. Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
"Did you read Hogwarts, a History?" Hermione asked.
"Well…no. But you've told enough times that I guess it just stuck to memory."
"If you had, you would know that when the creator of the barriers dies, the barriers cease to exist. Furthermore, Dumbledore lifted most of them when he and Harry came back from the cave. How else do you think Death Eaters took over?" Hermione questioned.
"Well…I…er… you still didn't tell me how we would get the hair." Ron said with a smirk and took another bite while he pouted. Ginny and Harry laughed and Hermione beamed, which only made him pout more. Their joy was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who would be here?" Ginny asked the group. They went to the door, wands out.
"It is me Harry, Remus Lupin aka. Mooney, which is the nickname your father James and godfather Sirius Black gave me when they discovered I was a werewolf. I used to be your teacher and I am engaged married to Nymphadora Tonks."
"What is the last thing you said to me before we left?"
"I believe I said that sometimes our emotions overtake our thoughts and we do things we regret." Harry nodded and opened the door. Lupin smiled.
"Secretly engaged huh?" Harry said as Lupin stepped inside.
"It's true. Though you might like to know," he said with a hug. "Ron, Hermione, Ginny…glad to see you all doing well. I've come on Order business Harry. Come, let's talk." Lupin said, leading them to the kitchen.
(sc)
"More deaths," Tonks said quietly. Fred and George leaned in to hear. "Rita Skeeter, Dorothy Fields, Hank and Romona Dingle, Megan Jones, Arnold Peasegood, Amelia Bones, Jack Sloper and ten nameless Muggles…blimey." Tonks threw down the paper in disgust.
(sc)
"So they know we're here?" Ginny asked.
"We think they suspect it, yes. The best thing to do is to go on the move." Lupin stated calmly. "I brought you the latest copies of The Daily Prophet.A lot of people are dying and the Death Eaters are on the move."
Hermione glanced through the one on the top. "We need to get into Hogwarts." She said suddenly. Everyone looked at her. "Can you help us?"
"That's the most dangerous place for you right now. Why on earth do you need to go there?"
They all looked at each other. "It's really important Lupin. If we don't, then this will never be over. None of us will survive."
"Okay, I'll help you." Hermione smiled at this answer and began to tell her the plan.
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