The Other Sky
Chapter 3: though it be Darkness there
A/N-Disclaimer: Yay so here I am again. Reviews and follows make me smile and encourage me to post faster. Anyways, I still don't own Harry Potter, but I'll put in the first bid if JK ever decides to sell. The title of this chapter (I am pretty proud of it, by the end of the chapter it'll be apparent) is also from the same Emily Dickinson poem. Anyways, here's chapter 3!
I walk cautiously through the room, my wand steady in my hand. If anyone had been looking in on the scene, they would have thought me crazy. The room was filled with what appeared to be ordinary objects. There was even a pair of trousers in the corner.
I could sense it though. Almost everything in the room felt Dark. My senses were on edge just waiting for either one of the objects to react to my presence or wards I know are probably protecting this room to attack me.
As I near the center of the room, I feel a buzzing in the back of my head. I brush it off for another second and take another step. Suddenly a sharp pain bursts through my head, forcing me to take a step back.
The truly Dark objects are behind this, I think to myself. As I try to blink the white spots out of my eyes, I wonder what I should do about this room.
Scratch that, more like I have to think what I am going to do. What I should do is call the Aurors. I still had do decide if that was what I was I going to do. If I called the Aurors, they would block off this room and I wouldn't be able to find out more about it for myself. The room intrigued me far too much to let others just invade my home and take away the only source of excitement I had in the last two years. I think about the meeting earlier with Zabini and wince. Well, the only excitement that didn't make me what to run screaming.
I laugh a bit out loud as I realize how backwards the two options are in my mind.
No, I think I'll keep the room to myself for now. Suddenly, an idea comes to me. Perhaps, behind another one of the doors up here, there is a book about how to take down the wards and handle all of the objects. I try once more to take another step past the wards and instantly regret it. I turn to walk back out of the room as I try to clear the light again.
Well, at least I know the effects of the wards for sure now, I think wryly as I feel a headache bloom behind my eyes.
*O0o-o0O*
I hadn't really been thinking about the time until I cast a Tempus Charm and it says that it's quarter until six. I curse and run down to my room to get ready.
I thought about everything I'd read in the last three hours while I get ready and realize I might have been wrong about something being in the house. So far I had found a library in the third floor. It was smaller than the one two floors down, but it was definitely the more intimidating one. There were only a handful of book throughout a few shelves, which begs the question, where the hell are all the other books. There was no way that was all that had been in the room.
As I surface from my musings, I realize I've used up another fifteen precious minutes. At least I was dressed in a dress shirt and black trousers and (well, I couldn't avoid it) my trainers. I had planned on buying new shoes at Diagon Alley until Zabini came and completely turned me off from returning.
I look at myself in the mirror and realize how ridiculous I look and run my hand through my hair in frustration. Then, of course, I groan in frustration as I realize I haven't even thought about my hair. Of course, Hermione will have something to say about it. Once the thought enters my mind, it won't leave. I glance at myself once more before turning and begin gathering my things to leave.
*O0o-o0O*
When I arrived, Molly attacked me, of course, with hugs and exclaims of how I had to eat more. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny hugged me, while Ginny's boyfriend watched. (Great, I thought, hopefully no one would pester me with him here.) George and Mr. Weasley both shake my hand and offer me small smiles.
We immediately move to the kitchen to eat. The meal goes by with a surprisingly small amount of reprimanding, for which I am grateful. Once, Hermione comments on my trainers, and throughout Molly comments I should have seconds, then thirds until I feel my head hurts more than after the effects of the wards. For a moment I wonder about the thing I once heard that if you don't eat much, and then eat a lot at once, you could be sick. At that point, I stopped eating, but, judging by the feeling of nausea, it had been two servings too late.
By the time the others had finished eating, I had completely zoned out of the conversation. I didn't hear my name being called until Hermione reached that octave.
"What?" I snapped, forgetting where I had been for the moment.
Everyone stared at me in shock until Hermione, of course, spoke up. She clears her throat and speaks in the tone of voice I would think Malfoy would use. "We were wondering if you had considered Auror training any more, or if you had a plan of any kind?" As she spoke, she sounded more and more confident, probably because I hadn't completely cut her off.
"No, I haven't thought about Auror training. I haven't in three years. And, no, I don't have a plan yet. I'm only nineteen Hermione, and I'm an adult. If you are going to call the war card, as you did this morning, I can too. After the war, I should be able to make decisions without them being analyzed. So, when I have a plan, I'll say so. Or, you'll hear about it from a second-hand source, like you seem to have been for the past two years. I do know two things for sure though, Mione. One, Auror training is not in my future, near or far. Second, I have time. I'm a nineteen-year old man that has been through a lot in a short time. After that, I'd like to have time to make my next decisions count. Is that okay with you, Hermione?"
Now, she was speechless.
She opened her mouth to finally speak when a burst a pain ran through my head. I grip my head and stand up without another thought. Hermione closed her mouth again. I glanced around at all the other surprised faces, landing on Molly. "I have to go. I'll owl." Without another word, I Apparated out, probably surprising them even more because the wards on the Burrow had been a lot stronger since the war.
I hadn't really cared at that point; the wards had been tipped off at my own home. When I arrived, I immediately felt something off. My mind rushed to the room two floors up and I didn't bother with stairs. In another second, I was in front of the door.
Something had been different. The intruder had either still been there, or they had left their magical trace. I hope no one was stupid or suicidal enough for it to be the former so I tried the door. It felt like the burst of pain I'd felt earlier, but it didn't go away when I let go of the knob. Someone was not only trying to keep me out, they were trying to make me walk away from it. I was officially dealing with a true challenge. It was someone with the magical potency to pass through my wards, set up their own wards within them, and leave in the course of a couple of hours, assuming they had been here even that long.
It only made me want to investigate further. I returned down one floor, with the stairs, and prepared for sleep. Perhaps a plan would come to me in the middle on the night.
I shook my head. It had been a long day.
*O0o-o0O*
For the first time in months, the next morning I woke up without the sound of Hermione's voice. I stretched leisurely and allowed myself a few minutes to enjoy the silence.
That is, until the events of the previous day caught up to me.
At that point, I called my wand, wherever it had been, and casted a Tempus Charm. I raised my eyebrow at the time. Even without Hermione, I was still up at half ten. I shrugged it off and got out of bed regardless. I had things to do.
I arrived downstairs and decided to actually prepare breakfast for myself. I began to fry my eggs and boil water for tea, when I felt two owls on the edge of my wards. I allow them through just as another arrives. I sigh as I allow that one through as well. Three owls swooped through my kitchen so fast I couldn't really tell if I recognized any of them. I sigh as I return to my food; the missives can wait.
Just ten minutes later, I sat down and picked up the first object. I rolled my eyes as I realized it was just the Prophet. I glance at the cover to see the Quidditch bloke Ginny was dating. The headline blared Trouble in Paradise? I rolled my eyes. If they had seen the smitten looks the two had been sending each other last night, this trash wouldn't sell. The picture flashed to one where Ginny looked confused and I thought that the paper was in need of new material.
My face blanched when I saw the second letter. It was from Hermione. I turn it over and begin reading.
Harry James Potter,
Well it was off to a bad start, I thought, wincing.
How dare you speak to me like that? We; meaning you, Ron, and myself; have been through so much together. We understand you better than anyone else. Just talk to us and help us understand.
I rolled my eyes and crumpled the letter, not bothering to finish it. If they need help to understand me, they don't deserve to, now do they? I shook my head and set the letter aside.
I was more surprised than anything else when I picked up the third letter. It had a Ministry seal. Now, you could've said I was worried.
26 April 2000
Harry,
This missive is of the utmost urgency. I must see you in my office at precisely half twelve today. We need to talk.
Kingsley Shacklebolt,
Minister for Magic.
A/N: So this would have ended a scene sooner, but I realized how much I hate ending when someone goes to sleep so I spent another half hour on the computer. Tell me what you thought. Until next time…