I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to the great J.K. Rowling. The story belongs to the amazing Brigi. Her e-mail: tbwtpbe [et]

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THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 36 - The decision (part 2)

"And didn't your face get sunburnt with all the skiing?" Harry asked while the boys who spent the holiday at home tried to tidy up and put their things away.

"No," Dean's voice came from his place kneeling before his bed. "I used the ointment we made with Professor Sprout."

"Sunburnt?" Neville looked up.

"Because of the snow you can get sunburnt badly if you're not careful."

It seemed his roommate wasn't satisfied with the answer.

"What's so good about skiing? Sliding down on a hill with two planks… and you can get sunburnt. Couldn't the Muggles find something less stupid to spend time with?"

"Don't try to find logic in Muggle sports," Ron waved. "I don't get the one where about twenty people run around in a field kicking some egg or whatever… what's it called… flueball?"

"Football!" Dean groaned as he looked at his Westham poster on the wall. "Ron, someday, I will kill you!"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Hi, can I come in?" Ginny peaked inside.

"Of course," Harry hugged him with a huge smile. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly.

The girl nodded then threw her arms around the boy.

"I see someone had a nice holiday," Neville noted.

"What the hell did you do for so many days? Weren't you bored… with… what's her name?"

"Oh…" his sister looked around uneasily. "Rosalie."

"Really? Didn't you say you were going to Margareth…?"

"Well… she… she was there too. There were three of us."

"Whatever," Ron shrugged. "You should have stayed here. It was more exciting."

"I can imagine." Ginny looked at Harry discreetly.

The door opened again and Hermione stepped inside at the same time ripping the paper off the door.

"Zeus lives among you?" Really guys, there is something seriously wrong with you… It was Seamus' doing, right? I didn't see anything on the door during the holiday. It really shows that you're back…"

While Harry and Ginny laughed and looked at the paper on which the sign also said Peacock residence, Seamus poked Ron. There was a grin on his face.

"So? Did something happen to you?"

"What do you mean?"

The smile disappeared from the boy's face.

"I see…" he waved resignedly then added quietly. "How can someone be so stupid?"

Hermione clearly understood what the question was about as she blushed a deep red that matched Ron's hair. She turned around offended and left the room, but almost fell over her own cat.

"Hey, Crookshanks!" Ginny knelt down. "How was your holiday? I hope you didn't hurt my salamander while I was away…"

Hermione sat far away from the boys as if they had the plague. She didn't even look at Ron; she was too upset about Seamus' indiscretion. Harry, now that he knew more about women, sent Ginny to the girl, in hopes of placating Hermione's bad mood.

"What did you say, Dean, where did you go?"

"Italy."

"And you ate real Italian pizza?" Justin leaned over from the other table.

"I've never had anything that delicious before! I wish the elves made an Italian day here with lots of yummy food."

Harry remembered his meal with Snape at the end of summer and smiled. He gazed at the teachers' table and saw most of the professors already sitting by the table. The Potions Master was talking with Professor Dareling and Harry suddenly felt the absence of his girlfriend. He didn't have time to feel sad, because a friendly hand appeared on his shoulder.

"Hi," Lamerin sat down next to him. "Why the long face?"

"My scar hurt… when Marie left…" Harry said quietly, so the others couldn't hear."

"Please tell me I'm not the first to know about it."

"Dumbledore was standing next to me. I don't think he could have missed it…"

"But?"

"But it makes me nervous because it happened right after Marie had left…"

"That was two days ago, Harry. She's probably home by now; nothing happened to her here in Britain."

"Still, I don't think everything is alright… Something's coming… Voldemort… he was happy… or angry… I don't feel the difference between the two anymore. Even if he's angry, there is still some happiness in him… Because he knows that through the scar he can cause me pain. And he enjoys it. I hate going to bed like that… not knowing what was awaiting me in the morning…"

Lamerin listened patiently.

"Well… we can't do anything now, Harry," he said softly. "You should eat…"

Despite the encouragement, they both just poked their food and didn't really eat.

Suddenly, pounding could be heard and the Great Hall immediately became quiet. Some students stood up to see who burst into the hall.

A grim-faced man with a tasseled cap was panting and clutching the handle. In one hand, he held a flickering lantern that was almost extinguished by the winter wind that came in from outside. His clothes were covered by snow. When he finally let go of the handle, he swallowed and stroked his long beard that was just as gray as his hair. He nodded as a greeting to the teachers and stepped closer. At the Slytherin table there was a bit of sarcastic laughter, but most of the students just stared at the scruffy-looking man stunned.

Harry stood up with one knee on the bench and had to conclude in shock that the one who disturbed their dinner was none other that the innkeeper of the Winged Boar. Immediately, he turned to Hermione who also recognized the man, because less than a year ago, they held the first meeting of the DA in his tavern.

Dumbledore rose from his chair and straightened his robes as he walked behind the teachers' chairs. However, before he could reach the newcomer, Madame Rosmerta appeared in her windswept gown.

"We don't have time to explain! Headmaster, please! You have to help…!"

Other three, similarly disheveled villagers appeared with two dark figures that seemed to be injured. They were also wringing their hands while waiting for a response.

One of the stooped figures walked out of the shadows, but his legs couldn't keep him up. Leaning on the door, he inched forward leaving a trail of blood behind. His long, red hair was matted with dried blood, his skin and clothes sooty as if burnt. As his body succumbed to the pain, he fell with a groan. Madame Rosmerta screamed and jumped to him to catch the falling man.

"Professor Dumbledore!" one of the older men from Hogsmeade stepped closer. "We think these are your students… We found them in the inn… We don't know what happened to the…" he stammered apologetically.

Ron stood up slowly and watched the scene at the door. When the long-haired man sprawled out on the floor, many girls screamed and tried to figure out who the mysterious figure was. However, the man's red hair was all too familiar for Ron… way too familiar…

"B-Bill?" he muttered quietly, hoping against hope that he was wrong and the man in the pool of blood wasn't his brother.

At his words, Ginny also jumped up and stood on the bench, trying to prove Ron wrong. Slowly, tears appeared in her eyes as she shook her head.

"Bill!" Ron ran to his brother. He pushed aside everyone who stood in his way. All the people who didn't know who he was, where they knew him from. Hermione and Ginny quickly followed, while Harry stood petrified in his place.

Some Ravenclaw students asked what happened to the Weasleys and Seamus tried to explain them that the injured man was probably one of Ron's and Ginny's brothers, but the noise became louder and louder, so it was getting difficult to hear him. The world faded around Harry. In his horror, he couldn't think of anything but the fact that what had happened to Bill must have something to do with his scar. He cursed himself for being selfish and only thinking about his girlfriend. He thought if something were to happen it would happen to her and he didn't even think about anyone else. Even though he knew something bad was going to happen. Why didn't it appear to him clearly, so he could prepare the others for the threat? Whatever happened, Bill, who was an extremely brave and great wizard, got hurt badly… He didn't even want to think about what had happened to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley then.

The only thing he noticed was Lamerin shakily standing up and taking uncertain steps towards the teachers who supported the wounded.

"George?" he stammered, looking paler than Harry had ever seen the boy's father to be.

Remus was trying to hold up the other wounded man, who seemed to have difficulty standing.

"Dammit!" Harry cursed as he ran after the young Snape.

"Dinner is finished, prefects, please escort the students back to the common rooms!" Dumbledore's commanding voice rang in the Great Hall. "Miss Patil, Mr. Thomas, today, you're leading the Gryffindors," he turned towards the Gryffindor table that was left without prefects.

"They ambushed us!" Bill groaned as Madame Pomfrey started cleaning out his injuries. His body was covered with cuts and bruises most likely caused by the curses that hit him. "After finishing what we had to do, we went back to the Burrow just like how Professor Dumbledore told us to."

He didn't have to be afraid of someone overhearing him, because in the Hospital Wing only the order members and the mediwitch remained.

"It was dawn by the time we arrived," George added who was taken care of by Rowena. The woman wore one of Madame Pomfrey's aprons so her beautiful clothes wouldn't get bloody. "There was no one at home… fortunately Mom and the Dad weren't home," he shivered as a wave of pain traveled through his body.

"Fleur went to rest in Ginny's room and Fred in Ron's while Charlie and I talked about the details. That's when they arrived… They must have followed us… It's good we didn't go to London… They could have ambushed the headquarters. Though it's possible that they… followed Emmeline and Andrew too…"

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall without a word and the woman nodded.

"I'll look into it," she said and left the room.

"Then…" Bill wanted to continue, but had to clench his teeth as the mediwitch poured disinfectant potion on his shoulder.

Snape stood at the end of the bed, ready to take action, but the woman told him this much was enough; he didn't have to brew more. The man watched his son who was sitting next to George's bed, holding his hand. It made him remember himself during last summer, when he held Harry's hand after his miraculous escape from the Death Eaters.

"There was smoke everywhere…" George groaned. "The stairs collapsed…"

"We couldn't go up to Fred… and Fleur…"

"We heard them shouting… but by the time we Apparated, we couldn't see anything… in their rooms… only huge flames… the floor under Charlie gave out…"

"He was bruised all over… we tried getting him out but one of the girders fell on us… we both got burned…"

"We saw… Death Eaters pulling him out…"

"They took him… we don't know what happened to the others," Bill covered his tearful eyes with his hand.

Ginny swallowed painfully and took his bother's hand. She kissed it and tried smiling hopefully. Bill's shaking fingers touched her tearstained cheeks.

"Don't worry, little Ginny… Mom and Dad are fine… you were really lucky not having to see… not being there," he said while sobbing.

"Oh, Bill…"

Ron was quite for a long time. Their house was gone. The home where he grew up, played, cried and laughed. Every memory and personal effects lost in the fire. The fire where…

He shut his eyes tightly. He wanted to make himself believe that Fred and Fleur didn't die in the flames and Charlie wasn't tortured to death yet. They were still alive… they had to be…

Meanwhile Remus appeared and put a beautiful mirror in his pocket.

"Headmaster," he whispered. "Molly and Arthur answered… they are both fine…"

His voice was very low but since no one else was talking they could hear every word, making an even more terrifying atmosphere in the Hospital Wing.

"According to the people from the Ministry, everything burnt down… only the brick walls remain… even the Muggles saw the smoke… The Dark Mark… it was floating above it…"

Hermione closed her eyes and hugged Ron closer. She felt scared when she saw the mark with her own eyes during the Quidditch World Cup. But back then, Voldemort wasn't even in his power yet. Now, that it happened to Ron's family the danger seemed to be much closer.

Harry stood far from them, in the darkness. His face was like a statue and every word just made him more confident in his decision. He was waiting for night to come and everyone to go to sleep…"

Ron managed to walk straight until the reached the Gryffindor common room. The girls walked with them into the boys' room where they tried moving quietly, expecting the others to be asleep already. To their surprise, Dean, Neville and Seamus, along with Parvati, Lavender and the Creevey brothers were waiting up for them.

"Oh God, where have you been?"

"Harry, what happened?"

"How are your brothers?" they all asked.

"F-fine," Ron sat on his bad feeling spent. "They'll recover…"

"Ginny, what happened?" Parvati asked.

"Death Eaters set fire to our house…"

The two girls screamed in fright.

"Quiet! Don't wake up the neighboring rooms!" Neville warned.

"And… your parents? Are they… alright?"

"Yes…" Hermione nodded instead of the two of them. "Fortunately, they weren't home…"

"You know," Ron said in a suddenly alert voice. "Ginny, I'm a little surprised you weren't there."

Everyone fell quiet and looked at the girl questioningly.

"Maybe you wanted us to be burnt in that house?" his sister snapped.

"No, of course not. I just want to know… if you weren't home, then where…"

"I told you! I spent the holiday at my friend's house!"

"And you didn't go home for even one day? When did Mom wash your clothes? I doubt you took your textbooks with you!"

The girl bit her lip and looked at Harry for help, but the boy seemed to be in deep thought. She bowed her head like she was defeated.

"I wasn't at my friend's house. Not even a day. I spent the holiday with a Muggle family."

"Your parents hid you with a Muggle family?" Lavender asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

Ginny wanted to confess that it wasn't exactly the truth, but coming from Lavender it seemed true enough for everyone to believe it.

"Y-yes. You know… Dad and my brothers had a lot of work; they didn't have time for me… And I would have been in more danger alone than with a Muggle family…"

"Really? And why didn't they tell me that?" Ron asked accusingly.

"If you don't know it, you don't know where to look for her," Harry said quietly. "If she were home this morning, she would have died in there like…"

"Fred and Fleur aren't dead!" Ron jumped up from the bed. "Don't say that!"

Harry didn't apologize. They didn't know what happened to the two, so either of them could be wrong.

"Just like you didn't know it, the Death Eaters also didn't know she wasn't in the house… they didn't look for her…"

His friend wiped his eyes angrily.

"I say let's sleep," Hermione said. "We'll know more tomorrow…"

They all agreed, so those who didn't sleep in that room quietly left after saying good night.

Hermione asked something unexpected from his boyfriend.

"Do you want me to stay?"

The four boys were even more embarrassed than Ron. The boy only nodded and took off his shoes before disappearing behind the bed curtains with the girl.

Seamus silently asked Harry what to do but he just shrugged and climbed into bed, still wearing his clothes just like Ron did.

"Neville, I saw you have earplugs," the boys whispered. "Can you…"

"Seamus, shut up!" Hermione shouted from behind the curtains angrily.

Harry, though he felt tired before dinner, couldn't fall asleep at all. Kicking the covers aside, he watched the ceiling with one of his arms under his head. He'd been waiting for hours. He'd been living with the boys for six years now so he knew when they fell asleep. He knew how their breathing changed once they fell into deep sleep. However, Hermione's sleeping pattern was unfamiliar, so he couldn't move too soon.

He knew the girl was too smart to be played in case she caught him trying to leave. He couldn't afford to get caught. A few moments after his watch signaled the time being 2 am he concluded that everyone was asleep. He sat up carefully, testing if anyone moved at the quiet noise and got out of bed. He knelt down to get his father's invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map from under his bed. Then he put on the sweater he got last Christmas from Mrs. Weasley and black robes. With his shoes in hand, he quietly left the room. In the common room there was no one, only the fire burning cut through the silence. In one of the armchairs he put on his shoes and invisibility cloak before leaving the tower.

On every corner he checked the map if there was anyone around and finally reached the Hospital Wing without incident. Madame Pomfrey already retired for the day, so he could walk up to the injured Weasley boys' beds without difficulty. He saw in the light of a candle that George finally managed to fall asleep, however Bill was still awake. He was staring at the ceiling with a blank face.

"Bill, please, don't be scared," Harry said kindly.

The young man got back into reality surprised. He tried to rise up but his strength left him.

"Who's… that? Who's there?"

With his eyes, he was searching for his wand but couldn't find it on the bedside table.

"Don't worry, it's just me…" the boy continued and took off the cloak. "…Harry."

He noticed how surprised Bill was upon seeing the marvelous cloak.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, forcing a smile while sitting down.

"Better," Bill lay back. "Tell me… what are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodbye," Harry became serious.

"Why? Where are you going? Harry, you…!"

The boy stopped him.

"It's all my fault. Your family suffered too much because of me. You… you are all very important to me. You took me in like I was one of you and treated me well. It felt like… I had a family. So I can't let anything more happen to you."

"You want to run away? Harry! You couldn't do anything on your own! I… I can't let you go!" he sat up. "I'll call Madame Pomfrey, if any…"

"At the end… I will have to face him alone…" Harry said in a voice that made it clear how determined he was. "You know that too. You can't stand next to me and hold my wand when I'm fighting against Voldemort…"

"But you can't leave! You're still just a child! You can't fight against V… him! Study! You have time…"

"I don't have time!" the boy whispered. "They can't hurt anyone else! It has to end now."

He took his robes and buttoned it up.

"Is George okay?"

"Not really… He can't real deal with the fact that Fred might be… I'm sorry!" he said bitterly and wiped his eyes. "I don't know what I would do if any of them… if… they weren't alive…"

"You really love Fleur…" Harry noted. "How could she and Charlie…?"

"I think that's the curse of having older siblings…" Bill answered sadly. "I never resented Charlie because… because Fleur chose him. It seems… working with dragons is cooler than… running around with long hair and dragon teeth as earrings… Now though, I feel like neither of us deserves her… We couldn't protect her…"

"I'll do everything I can to figure out what had happened to her," Harry nodded. "I have to go… The only way to get out of the village without being noticed is to leave before dawn…"

"Harry, for the last time, please don't go!"

The boy picked up his bag and looked ready to leave.

"What can I say…?"

"Wish me luck!" Harry winked. He took his invisibility cloak and said goodbye. Just to be sure that Bill didn't follow him, he blew out the candle.

He walked out to the corridor in complete darkness and closed the door without a sound. He was about to put on the cloak when something touched his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Harry felt like his heart had stopped. In the darkness, he saw a pair of shining eyes.

"Professor Snape!" he groaned hoarsely. "What are you doing here?!"

"I knew you were going to come here! And I knew you would want to run off!" he reprimanded the boy. "Are you insane?"

"But… but…"

"You're not going anywhere! How could you even think about going alone? Lumos!"

The boy looked at his teacher. He was ready to leave too; wearing a travelling coat and mostly dark clothes.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going in your stead!"

"Where? To Voldemort?"

"Not to him personally! But I need to know what happened to Charlie Weasley and…"

"Then I'm going with you!"

"No, you're not! Go back to your common room!"

"I'm a member of the order!"

"I didn't give you the medal so you can do stupid things!"

"You can't go! You have a son!"

"And? I already talked about this with him!"

"Lamerin… let you go? But this is… dangerous."

"I know it is," Snape seemed to be at the end of his patience. "That's why you can not go!"

Harry looked at him dejectedly. His evening was spent planning and he even said goodbye to Bill and he had to fail at prosecuting his plan.

"I… want…" he muttered. "What's going to happen to you? You're a teacher, you can't just go!"

"I got into enough trouble, mostly because of you, this year to get fired. So staying away for a little while won't matter."

"But who's going to teach us?"

"With another teacher you wouldn't have made it this far yet. You won't miss anything important while I'm away. Honeybourne will take over my classes."

"You can't be serious!"

"You don't have a say in this. Why am I explaining this to you anyway?" he asked himself angrily. "Go back to your common room or else…"

Harry raised an eyebrow defiantly.

"Fine," the professor coughed. "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"

The boy started at him indignantly then turned to the direction where the sound of the crystals falling from the Gryffindor's glass could be heard.

"If you don't want to loose another fifty, then start going back now!"