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] hotmail com

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THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 41 – Halfheartedly… (part 2)

"I can still hear them… the voices…"

"It's a strange veil," Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mysterious and sad… undoubtedly one of the most precious legacies of our ancestors. Druid tribes built it just like many other monuments in our country… these even attract Muggles who don't know anything about them," he turned back to the others as he touched the wooden inscription. "This couldn't be left out in the open where it was built… It's too powerful… That's why it was brought here… and became the most prominent guest of the Department of Mystery…"

He sighed; making it seem like it was difficult to talk.

"It is equipped with the power that many people crave… Because this is the source of eternity. Everyone who passes through becomes a heavenly creature. But who is it worth to…? Losing their strengths, walking among the living unnoticed and alone until the end of time… It's a terrible fate that no mortal can endure…"

Harry reached towards the veil as if wanting to touch the invisible hands; the eternal souls desperately wishing to be among the living at least one more time.

"You'll have another chance," Dumbledore gripped his wrist with a smile. "Soon. This veil is the key. It's time to start what we came for."

The old wizard and Harry walked back to the others.

No one really knew what their part in this was except the headmaster. So mostly, they just watched Bellatrix in case she tried something.

Dumbledore levitated a huge piece of limestone in front of them. In its original place, it just stood leaning against the wall but now, thanks to the wizard's spell it stood straight, floating a few centimeters above the floor. Dumbledore waved his wand and a bowl appeared half-filled with water. Remus and Severus took Bella's ropes and pulled her up. The woman neared the column jumping as her legs were tied together tightly.

The headmaster, after looking them over, started mumbling a charm that seemed to freeze the water in the bowl. The transparent, shining surface rose before them as they watched in awe. Even Bella stopped resisting, amazed at the happenings. They all flinched when the ice shattered and the shards started floating in the air making a magical circle around them. The pieces started spinning just like the room with twelve doors making a wall of light around them.

"No one can leave the circle now," Dumbledore nodded. "We have to untie one of her hands," he looked at Bellatrix.

Remus sent a worried glance towards Rowena.

"Don't panic, she can't escape from here."

Together, they pulled the woman's right arm from under the rope but left her other hand tied to her side.

Six large shards floated in front of them and they only noticed them now. Harry watched his in amazement as it sparkled like a diamond reflecting the light around them. He felt like he had to touch it. His fingers came close to it as he admired its beauty but he didn't dare touch it. He kept his palm under it as if afraid of it falling then looked up.

The others did the same but Dumbledore was one step ahead of them; he closed his fingers over it and squeezed it tightly. Small drops of blood fell into the bowl.

"I'm not doing this!" Bellatrix protested.

However, Severus took her wrist and held it above the bowl while Remus made her squeeze the crystal. The woman screamed as it slashed her palm.

Harry let three drops of blood fall and looked at the headmaster who stared into the bowl. The fluid in it started to swirl; mixing the water and the blood in it.

"We call you, Sirius Black," he said in a monotone voice.

To their surprise, Sirius looked back at them from the bowl and his lips moved though they couldn't hear what he was trying to say.

Dumbledore started muttering like an old man and Harry couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. Looking at the others, he was surprised to find Rowena and Severus listening with awe as if they understood his every word. He felt like they were speaking a language he didn't know and in times like this he cursed himself for not studying Ancient Runes with Hermione. The last words of the old wizard however, brought him back from his musing.

"Let the alliance of the six be the birth of the seventh!"

Strong wind came from the bowl and a bright light blinded them. Harry was certainly impressed by the spell, however a spark of doubt still haunted him.

"How do we know it worked? What's the proof?"

"We even do the spell in disbelief…" Dumbledore said ironically. "Believe me Harry, it will be more effective than you can imagine!"

Sirius' image in the liquid became blurry and it stayed that way. The shards orbiting around them slowed then fell to the floor and their light went out.

"And when… when will it work? When…?"

"Well," the headmaster started a bit uncertainly. "According to the book it will be done in two hours. But since we have no experience with this…"

They all seemed shocked at the old wizard's words. It was strange that there were things even he wasn't sure of. This somewhat undermined their faith in the man's infallibility.

"And where… will he appear?"

"That's the last part of the spell… He will appear at the place where all of us are present. So we have to stay together… and alive."

Bellatrix however, took advantage of this opportunity and snatched Rowena's wand. From her legs, she took off the ropes and started running from the room. Since the flying shards didn't hold them back anymore, all of them ran after her to prevent the escape.

"She can't get away!" Dumbledore bellowed.

Severus and Remus rushed up the stairs to catch up to her.

"Scissum!" Harry shouted from below.

The spell cut the woman's skirt and dirty robes which caused her to almost fall over. She kept stepping on the torn pieces until he reached the next room where she fell on her stomach. It was difficult to stand up with one hand tied to her side and the other holding a wand so she cursed while trying to get up.

Remus lunged forward and tried to grab her ankle but the woman was faster and got into the elevator. Severus didn't even look at Lupin on the floor; he ran towards the elevator and managed to slip inside just before the door closed.

The others however, were left behind and watched in annoyance as it went up. They didn't know what Bellatrix and Severus was doing in there but they could hear sounds of struggle and saw the elevator swing.

"I hope nothing happens to him," Rowena clasped her hands together feeling responsible for the situation.

"Why is there only one elevator?" Harry said feeling helpless. "Or why don't you Apparate?" he turned to Remus. "You can leave me here, just go up somehow!"

"Only the reception area allows Apparating, Harry," Dumbledore said while watching the leaving elevator. "Every other place is protected by spells."

"We have to wait until the elevator comes back…"

It felt like an eternity until it came back and as the doors opened they all paled.

Inside the walls and the floor all had blood on them. Torn clothes and ripped hair lay everywhere and in one of the dark corners Harry thought he saw a tooth, but he wasn't sure.

"What did he do to her?" he mused a little amused. "Raped her or something?"

He couldn't imagine how they looked though he was sure they were ragged. The reception area looked like it did when Harry was there the last time fighting Voldemort. Papers flew everywhere, chairs and tables were flipped over and thrown aside as the two opponents shot curses at each other.

"Severus!" Rowena shouted looking for her lover.

However, she could only see Bella who kept throwing the trashcans left and right.

"Where is it?" she screeched. "It must be here! We used it to get here…"

"The Portkey…!" Remus realized and started searching for the object with his eyes. "She's looking for the Portkey…!"

Snape groaned as he crawled out from under one of the tables holding the trashcan in his hand.

"Is that it?" Rowena whispered as she knelt down next to him. The man nodded and relaxed when the woman kissed him.

"Let's get that woman before she gets rid of the Anti-Apparating rope entirely," Remus raised his wand to attack. "Petrificus totalus!" he shouted and aimed the spell at the middle of her back.

The woman didn't even have time to turn as the spell hit her and she fell over. Lupin ran to him and tied the rope tightly.

"I think we should leave," Dumbledore looked around, "…before someone notices this havoc."

"Albus!" a voice shouted from the headmaster's pocket.

They searched for the source until Dumbledore took a two-way mirror from his inside pocked; the same one Harry knew the other Order member also had.

"Yes, Minerva."

"Albus, something terrible happened! You-Know-Who! He's here! Hogsmeade is burning! Aurors and Order members came but they can't stop them!"

Harry watched in horror the changes on the headmaster's face. The old, grand-father-looking wizard suddenly turned into a determined beast as he looked into the mirror.

"The students, Minerva?"

"Uncontrollable! Panic broke out as soon as they saw the smoke coming from the village! Most of them went back to their common rooms but a few, Albus! Granger and the Weasleys gathered some fifth and sixth years and… Oh Merlin, Albus, they want to join the fight!"

"Don't worry, they had excellent teachers," Dumbledore reassured her looking from Lupin to Rowena and Harry. "We'll be right there!"

"Did you succeed?" the woman asked before the conversation ended.

"Oh, yes…" the headmaster smiled.

They touched the Portkey and waited for Remus to drag Lestrange there. It sucked them in as soon as all six of them touched it.

While they raced towards the castle, Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had to meet face to face with Voldemort again. At the end of every school year he had to confront his enemy. Though he suspected it won't be any different now, his heart was filled with concern. He didn't have much time to think because as the buzzing stopped they arrived back in the dungeons.

Remus dragged the prisoner back into the cell and put her on the bed before taking off the ropes. He backed out then locked the door.

"The village belongs to the Hogwarts grounds so while we're there we're still at the same place as her unless she escapes." the headmaster said.

After getting rid of all evidence of them removing the prisoner he used a spell and the guards eyes turned lively again.

"Keep an eye on this woman," Dumbledore said picking up the conversation. "No matter what happens outside, you stay here. You know what you have to do."

The guards straightened up to show they knew what their job was so the group left the dungeons.

The adults walked towards the entrance hall so Harry went with them.

"Harry, I have to ask you to go back to the common room until…"

"You can't ask me that!" the boy snapped. "My friends are outside! They need me! Justlike… you!" he added a bit more quietly.

The headmaster closed his eyes pained by the boy's mention of the prophecy and his own task in the war.

"You can't stop me… You owe this much to the magical society…" Harry said before running away.

"Harry!" Remus called after him but the boy was so fast he couldn't catch up to him.

They watched his retreating figure like sad birds watching the little one's first try at flying and falling. They soon followed after him.

Harry threw his gloves and Quidditch robes off as he ran from the castle towards the station. For a while, the little village was hidden from view by the Forbidden Forest but he could already smell the smoke. He pulled out his wand as if waiting for a Death Eater to jump out of the bushes anytime. However, he didn't find anything suspicious at the station. There was no one there…

As he ran towards the village he noticed how desolate the area was.

What he found made him think that Hell couldn't be much different than this. The sky wasn't red because of the setting sun; the burning houses painted it into that color. The flames seemed to be devouring the houses; licking the walls through the broken windows after eating up the furniture inside. There was no building unaffected by the inferno and ash flew everywhere.

The panicked crowd either tried to put out the fire or fought against the attackers. The elderly and the children tried to find shelter but the vicious invaders didn't spare them either. Harry had just witnessed a hooded figure blowing up a house that just became the hiding place of three seven-year-old looking girls. He shuddered at the cruelty and pointed at the figure with his wand as he ran forward.

"Petrificus totalus!" he shouted surprising the man. He didn't have time to do anything before falling into a puddle.

Harry decided it would be wise to tie him even though he didn't know the Anti-Apparating spell. So he dragged the figure into a house and tied his hands and legs so he wouldn't be able to return to the battlefield.

"One down," he stood up after finishing. In his red and yellow sweater he looked like a simple Muggle who wandered into a war zone.

He heard cracking from behind him so he spun around just to find the three girls the Death Eater wanted to kill. He ran to them to check if they were hurt.

"Are you alright? Can you hear me?" he asked because they looked quite dazed. Their ears must have been ringing due to the explosion. "Run towards the station then to the castle. Hide there! You'll be safe there! Go!"

As the kids ran, he walked out of the ruins and dived into the crowd to start the toughest fight of his life…