Disclaimer: All character and the world in this story belongs to JK Rowling. I own nothing.
A/N: This chapter was very difficult to write as it was the 'make or break' chapter for the story. Cedric is dead and there is no body, I believe you understand that this complication would be extremely difficult to deal with. I hope you like it.
Please Review.
Chapter Seventeen: The Return
Hermione's first reaction at seeing Harry was to jump from her place and run at him. As she came down from the stands, she took in his present state, he was bloodied, bruised, number of cuts adorned his body, burnt clothing, bandaged leg. It was really, really bad and that was something when it came from Hermione. She had been with him to his every 'adventure' except the chamber so she had seen him all battered and bruised but his present state was horrible. Dumbledore was Helping him up, the trophy was lying on the ground, untouched by everyone present there. Harry was holding his left hand with his right, his wand still in his hand. She was now a few feet away from them, from here she could see Harry's face clearly; by 'clearly' meant, she could see horror in his eyes, horror that could only be inspired from a face-off with death. He was talking to Dumbledore and colour was draining from his face with every word that came from Harry. It seemed that Dumbledore had cast a privacy charm as she was unable to hear what was said and this suspicion was confirmed when she noticed that the Minister had similar reaction as her.
Dumbledore was holding Harry's left shoulder to steady him but what Harry had just told him made remaining steady extremely difficult as his knees went weak in shock. 'Voldemort was back, Cedric is dead, his body was used by Voldemort to resurrect himself.' The appropriate term for their mental state at the moment would have been 'shell-shocked', but his long life had bestowed him with the experience that could not be matched by any. He knew how to operate during a crisis and this certainly qualified for one.
He swiftly turned towards the students and raised his wand to his neck. 'Sonorus'
"Head students and prefects, please escort the students to the great hall. Aurora, Septima, Pomona, please see that it is done without any problems. Argus, bolt the entrance to the great hall, once everyone is inside." He then turned towards the people assembled there. He was now in his authoritative role, throwing orders, his brain was now working in crisis control mode.
Hermione stood there, a couple of feet away from Harry, watching him. Harry turned to look at her and threw his arms around her, his all weight was now on Hermione. She moved her arms to embrace him and provide support, emotionally and literally as well. Harry buried his face in the side of her neck, his face was now covered by the brown bushy mane of Hermione. He breathed in her scent which had a calming effect on Harry, her warm embrace felt like healing.
The moment was over when professor Moody put his hand on Harry's shoulder, drawing him away from the embrace. Harry took a step away from Hermione, albeit reluctantly. Hermione slowly took his wand from his hand and kept it inside her robe. Harry was still holding his injured arm and he looked pale and frail.
"Miss Granger, to the great hall, now." Moody growled. Hermione reluctantly took a step back, turned to walk towards the great hall with other students but her eyes were still focussed on Harry over her shoulder.
"Minerva, please take minister and the ministry entourage to your office. Filius, escort Remus to my office and do not allow anyone near it. Severus, Madam Hooch, please retrieve your brooms and do an aerial search of the maze and the grounds. Hagrid, check the maze and the creatures inside. Alastor, keep Harry awake and don't let him go anywhere." And he turned and kneeled to closely examine the trophy. He was tapping the trophy, his wand moving in indiscernible patterns, he was whispering some spell unknown to most. His complete concentration was on the trophy, in an attempt to identify where exactly Harry was transported but all his attempts were futile, there was now lingering trace of the portkey spell but it had a lingering aura that conveyed that it had been in the surroundings where something very dark had took place. His musing ended when three professors walked towards him.
"Nothing unusual or out of ordinary, headmaster." Snape said in his usual demeanour. The words were then repeated by Hooch and Hagrid. Snape suddenly asked a question no one could believe him asking, "Where is Potter?"
"Mad-Eye migh' 'ave taken 'im to infirmary." Hagrid responded with a confused expression.
"Alastor won't do that." He was silent for a moment before suddenly turning towards the professors. "Hagrid, Hooch, serve the grounds. Severus come to Alastor's office, bring Veritaserum with you."
With those words, he turned and ran towards the castle, Snape a few feet behind him. It was a bit surprising that Dumbledore could run that fast in this age, he could put any teenager to shame with his physical condition. On his way, he drew his wand and a Phoenix patronus came into existence. "Minerva, come to Alastor's office, now!" He did not break his sprint to send the message and he had almost reached the office when he Minerva's voice behind him and Severus wasn't too far behind.
They were standing in front of Mad-Eye's door, their wands trained at the wooden door that was blocking their way. Dumbledore's eyes were fixed at the door, he whispered to his two colleagues, "on the count of three. One! Two! Three!"
The door was blasted off clean from its hinges, now they had the clear view of the room. There were two people inside, Moody and Harry; Moody was standing in the centre of the room with his wand pointed at Harry while Harry was leaning against a shelf on the left side of the room, it seemed he was about to fall.
The door being blasted off had distracted the DADA professor enough for the three other professors to cast their stunning spells. Moody hastily threw his shields up which shattered under one stunning spell, leaving him to the mercy of the other two. He was thrown away from his feet, he sailed over the desk and landed awkwardly on the chair, stunned.
Harry slumped to the ground, Minerva rushed ahead and lifted him up to his feet. She put her left arm around Harry's shoulder to bring him close to her side. Harry was shaking Minerva could feel his tremors.
Albus was now busy tying the DADA professor/imposter to the chair and putting privacy charms up. He asked Severus to administer the truth serum before he enervated him.
"Are you Alastor Moody?" Dumbledore asked.
"No." The tied-up man answered.
"Is he in the room?" Dumbledore asked him again. This time, the response was only a jerk towards the side of the room where his trunk stood. Dumbledore Snape flicked his wand and the dial lock rotated before the lid opened. Nothing was visible from where they were standing so the four stepped closer to find a twenty feet deep pit, at the bottom of which sat Mad-Eye Moody without his artificial leg and magical eyeball, in a tattered robe, his head missing chunks of his hair. He looked grotesque in this state.
Harry had started to feel light headed now, it wasn't because what he had seen. The most probable reason being the acromantula venom in his blood stream and the loss of blood he had suffered. He was about to faint when something shocked him to consciousness. The Imposter Moody was changing, transforming into someone else or rather returning to his original persona. The fake eyeball popped out of the socket, the metallic leg dislocated from the position it should have been in. Not even ten seconds later, the man tied up in the chair was revealed to be the assumed dead Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr.
"My mission is complete, he is back, my master is back." The man tied in ropes said in a maniacal voice. Dumbledore asked Harry to come forward and pull back his left sleeve so he could examine his wound. Harry did as was asked. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was absent for the first time since Harry and noticed it. He asked Snape to pull his and the incarcerated professor's robe sleeve back.
Their arms sported a red mark of a snake coming out of a skull. The cut on Harry's arm and the blood around it had somehow formed the same design on his forearm. As Dumbledore gently touched the wound, a pain travelled through Harry's body which resulted in him losing his consciousness.
-0X0-0X0-0X0-
Harry woke up with a start, the reason being the loud noises coming from some nearby corridor. He opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital bed, Hermione was sitting in a chair on his right-hand side, Snuffles sat there too, its head placed on the mattress of Harry's hospital bad. Remus was standing a few feet away, talking to Bill. He turned his head to the other side to find Mrs. Weasley sitting in the chair, next to her sat her youngest son, Ron. He moved his eyes to scan himself, he was wearing a hospital robe, his arms and a leg was bandaged and so was the side of his face where the pieces of stones had pierced through his skin.
"Oh, Harry!" Even before Harry could utter a word, he was in Molly Weasley's death grip of a hug, to be completely honest, it hurt. The moment he was released by Mrs. Weasley, a brown torpedo he had come to know as Hermione had flung herself at him. He wouldn't refuse a hug from her even it meant dying choking. But this hug had a different warmth to it, it wasn't smothering or awkward, it felt homely, it felt like everything was alright till he remained in this embrace.
The moment was lost when the loud noises reached the infirmary door and the door was opened with a bang. Minister rushed in, accompanied by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape, followed closely by a pair of aurors. Hearing the commotion, madam Pomphrey came running out of her office to scold the person, her words stopped abruptly without being uttered as she took in the situation.
"It's not possible Dumbledore and I have every right as the Minister of Magic to order the kiss." Fudge was shouting, his face was as red as the Hogwarts Express engine, the vein near his temple was dangerously taut.
"Cornelius, I have told you what happened tonight, we had a perpetrator of tonight's events in our custody who you ordered to be kissed without hearing his testimony. Severus, Show him!" Dumbledore was losing his patience with the minister, his calm persona was long gone. Snape revealed the Dark Mark on his left forearm, Fudge was shocked but he kept shaking his head, refusing to accept the truth.
"Where is the body Dumbledore, if the boy is dead, as you say?" Fudge asked.
"His body was used for the resurrection ritual, Cornelius." Dumbledore answered in an even tone, trying to rein in his rising temper.
"Bollocks! This one might have killed him to get to the cup and disposed his body." Fudge said while pointing at Harry.
"You are going in very dangerous territory here, Cornelius, I would advise you to choose your next words very carefully." Dumbledore replied, glaring at the plump minister.
"There will be an inquiry in the case of the Diggory boy's disappearance." Fudge answered with his best attempt at trying to take control of the situation.
"This decision of yours is a blunder minister. I can't emphasise enough that you must see the truth and act accordingly." The words had no effect as the minister turned to face Harry.
"He is really back minister. His followers were also there. I can name a few, there was Malfoy, Nott, Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair….", Harry started but was cut off midsentence.
"You are insulting some of the most respected and upstanding people of wizarding community, boy. Be careful with your words in future, Potter, you might face trouble for it. Explain that to him, Dumbledore." Dumbledore just raised his hand to stop any words of protest coming from Harry.
"Usually, there would have been a ceremony but as things stand…. Here, your winnings, a thousand galleons." He threw a large pouch of galleons on the foot of the bed and left the hospital room. Before he left, his eyes fell on Lupin, Fudge gave him a look of disgust. In response, Lupin gave him a small smile; it was certain that last year's breaking news of Lupin's lycanthropy had reached the minister.
"Is he gone around the band, bringing Dementors in the school. You should have stopped that madness, Albus." McGonagall was just getting started, "getting Crouch Jr. kissed at the first sight without hearing his confession. You are the Chief Warlock and you did nothing, Albus. The blame lies with you too." Harry hadn't seen McGonagall this angry ever, the same thing was going through the minds of Lupin and Black.
"Minerva, there are more important things to be discussed. Sirius, please turn to your Human form." Dumbledore said in his commanding voice, 'please' was just to soften the tone of order. A moment later, where the shaggy dog should have been, stood the most notorious mass murderer, the first and only escapee till date from Azkaban, Sirius Black. Couple of shrieks followed his transformation, the source being professor McGonagall, Madam Pomphrey and Molly Weasley. The next moment, four wands were pointed at him; the wand owners being Bill, Filius, Molly and Minerva.
Dumbledore tried to ease the situation in order to squash the possibility of curses being fired upon the last of House of Black. "Put your wands away, he was innocent and we stumbled upon that fact last year. You need to trust me on this." The three people in the room who were unaware of the truth stared at Dumbledore in disbelief but they lowered their wands hesitantly.
"Thank you. Now, Remus and Sirius, go to your old house and send message to the old crowd. Severus you need to return. Minerva, escort Mr. and Mrs. Diggory to your office, I want to give the news to them. Filius, ask Hagrid to come to my office and bring Madame Maxime too. Molly, please go home and send a message to Charlie that I need to speak with him, tomorrow. Bill, please arrange an audience with chief Ragnock. If there is some trouble, assure him that Dumbledore has something to convey that is of paramount importance."
Everyone started to move around the room to go towards the exit, they had work to do. Sirius gave a fatherly squeeze to Harry's unharmed shoulder before leaving. The only people left were the matron of the infirmary, headmaster, Hermione, Ron and Harry.
"Poppy, please administer a small dosage of Dreamless Sleep Draught to Harry, it should help in recuperating from the effect of acromantula venom." Pomphrey left the room to bring the said potion.
"Professor, acromantula venom is fatal. Harry…." Hermione started to say but paused to regain her composure as her voice hitched towards the end. "The amount of venom in his blood stream and the blood loss could have been disastrous. How is dreamless sleep going to help with that?" Hermione asked while gently caressing the side of Harry's face that was bandaged.
"Miss Granger, I believe that this might be the effect of the combination of basilisk venom and phoenix tears in his blood stream which might have built an immunity towards lesser venoms. There is no exact explanation available as it is a very peculiar case indeed."
The did not satisfy Hermione's curiosity completely but she could not ask any further questions as Madam Pomphrey entered the infirmary with a crystal goblet in her hand. The content of the goblet had a silvery-blue complexion, but it looked smooth as it swirled around the goblet.
"Bottoms up, Potter." Madam Pomphrey said while handing the goblet to Harry. He did what was asked and even before he could lower the goblet his eyelids started to droop. Hermione took the goblet away and placed it on the side table. She paused for a moment when her eyes landed on a green beetle sitting on the edge of the window besides Harry's bed. She slowly picked up an empty vial from the side table and stepped closer to the insect. The next moment, the insect was inside the corked vial, with an 'Impervius Charm' cast on it, making it unbreakable. She made a small hole in the cork to make a passage for air.
"It's nice to see you Miss Skeeter."
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Harry was allowed to leave the infirmary the next morning, as he woke up from a dreamless sleep, fully relaxed and almost completely healed. Ron and Hermione had stayed in the infirmary with him. Hermione held his right hand in hers, her head gently placed on his shoulder. Ron sat on Harry's left, just watching two of his closest friends since the Halloween of his first year. He was sorry but more ashamed at how he had acted this year, he tried to right his wrongs but his attempts were somehow inadequate. He knew that the mortal enemy of his best friend had returned to flesh and what that meant for Harry. It took a night to sink in but it finally did. They were heading in the direction of an inevitable war, a war that would shape the future of Wizarding Britain. The war that would decide where the next generation of wizard would stand, in Britain and in the world.
He was good at chess, at strategies and he understood how the people in power acted. He wasn't as smart as Hermione or as brave as Harry, he wasn't a leader either. He understood, his insecurities aside, that he was the sidekick to the hero Harry is or is going to become. He knew that if Harry was going to face Voldemort, he would need him by his side, that's where he was supposed to be. He can't let his best friend to go to a war without him. He would contribute whatever way he could, he was a part of a family that had become successful on their own merits and he would do his best to prove that he wasn't a failure.
They had just left the infirmary, Ron had brought Harry's clothes from his trunk and helped him get ready. Harry and Hermione were walking a few steps ahead, Ron was bringing the rear. He might not be good with emotions but he understood that they needed some time to themselves. He could hear what Hermione was telling to Harry, how she had realized the method by which Skeeter was eavesdropping on them, her animagus form of a green dung beetle. They had just taken a turn towards the Gryffindor tower when suddenly someone had thrown Harry against the wall, a wand pressed against his throat. Hermione was on the ground, shocked but she had swiftly drawn her wand and trained it at the intruder, Ron did the same. The attacker was none other than Zoe.
"Get away from him!" Hermione shouted.
"What did you do to him?" Zoe asked Harry, her wand being pushed deeper, she paid no attention to Hermione's words.
"I'm sorry, Zoe, I didn't do anything, I couldn't do anything. Please forgive me. He died trying to save me." Harry answered, a few tears escaped from his eyes, his voice shook as his emotions took over.
Zoe slowly retracted her wand, he wand arm fell limply to her side. She was stunned, tears were rolling down her cheeks and she couldn't help it. Then came the anger, towards Harry; her Cedric was dead trying to save Harry, he was the reason Cedric wasn't with her, he was the reason her future was now shattered even before it had started. She slapped Harry across his face and he did nothing to defend himself, he slowly slid down the wall and just stayed there. "You are the reason he is dead; his death is on you, Harry Potter." She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving two stunned and one inconsolable teenager in the corridor.
Hermione went and sat next to Harry on the corridor floor, she slowly took his hand in her and laid her head on his shoulder, she moved slightly so that she was pressed against Harry's side. Ron just stood rooted where he was before the incident.
"What happened there Harry, in the maze?" Hermione asked in a very soft and soothing voice. Harry wanted to tell her, explain what he went through but it was hard, painful even, to go through the memories of the last night. He wouldn't want anyone to experience that. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and started to recite the tell of the most terrifying night of his life. Within minutes, he had told her everything, every detail he remembered. He paused when he reached the point when he saw his parents, Hermione noticed the pause but waited for him to continue on his own.
"I saw my parents Hermione. They were there." He could not hold his tears back.
"Oh, Harry!" she snaked her arms around him to bring him in a hug. Ron understood that they were having a moment and discretely left the couple. They didn't notice as they were busy drawing the emotional support they so needed from their contact.
"I wish they were alive, Hermione. Maybe you could find a way to bring them back." Harry asked in such a pleading voice, a voice that held hope, hope that his best friend could find a way to bring back his parents. Hermione looked into his tear-filled eyes, the deep emerald eyes that drew her into their depths, there she could see the vulnerability that she was sure nobody had witnessed before. This Harry was only hers to see, he had trusted her enough to open the door to the deepest corner of his heart. Hermione hated to disappoint Harry, she knew that nothing could bring the dead back, breaking the hope Harry had, broke Hermione's heart.
"Oh, Harry, I wish I could help you. I'm sorry but nothing could bring back the dead." Hermione answered, turning Harry's head with his chin so that she could bury his face in her bosom, to comfort him.
"He is back, Hermione, that has to be something." He asked, hope sliding away like sand from his fist. His voice was muffled as his face was flush against Hermione's chest. She was moving her fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp in a soothing way.
"I wish that too." She cooed in his ear, she too was unable to hold her tears back. They stayed that way for a few minutes as Harry completed the story before walking towards the common room. Harry needed to change into his school uniform as Dumbledore had scheduled a gathering in the great hall at ten, it was half past nine already. Harry rushed to take a bath while Hermione went to his bed to put his uniform for him to wear. They reached the great hall five minutes before the event was scheduled.
Instead of long tables, there stood rows of chairs, the event was certainly a memorial Cedric Diggory. The teachers' table was also absent, the only thing that stood there was the traditional podium of Hogwarts. The hangings around the hall were in the colours of house Hufflepuff, gold and black. They found Ron sitting next to Neville and Hannah in the fourth row, Ron had kept two chairs empty for them, the empty seats were bracketed by Ron on one side and Susan on the other. The teachers were yet to arrive and so were ministry officials but it seemed like the second wasn't going to happen. He saw that Mr. Diggory was sitting in the front row with his wife on his left. He could not fathom what they were going through but he needed to pay his condolences to them. But he decided to wait till the memorial was over. As he reached the empty spot, Susan stood up to give him a tight hug which Harry returned.
"Are you alright, Harry?", she asked him. Harry just nodded, he did not want to talk about last night anymore, Susan did not push him either. They sat down and a couple of minutes later, teachers took their seats in the front while Dumbledore walked up to the podium.
"It is a sorry event that had brought us all here today. We lost one of our own, one of the brightest prospects of the wizarding Britain, a brave and loyal soul last night. Cedric Diggory died last night, ministry does not want you to know about it but it is my belief that you have a right to know what happened last night." He paused so that the news of Cedric Diggory's death could sink in and the murmurs die down. The Daily Prophet had printed that Cedric had disappeared during the final task, the whole event of the final task was downplayed and shifted to sports page instead of the front, there were no details, no accounts of the people present there, no statement from the school or Dumbledore, just a short article that the tournament is concluded and Harry Potter won it.
"Last night, one of the Death Eaters, who was supposed to be dead had transported Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory to an unknown location via a portkey. A conspiracy to resurrect Lord Voldemort was in motion. Cedric Diggory died protecting Harry Potter from Lord Voldemort. His body was used in the ritual to resurrect Voldemort."
"Cedric Diggory died fighting to save an innocent and we should remember that. We should remember it because there will come a time, not far from now, where we would need to choose between what is right and what is easy. If we remember that and do what is necessary then the sacrifice Cedric Diggory made, would not be in vain. If we promise to do what is right, in the face of danger, that would be the biggest tribute to a boy who was like a burning torch in a night of complete darkness."
He stepped away from the podium and stood in front of it. He looked exhausted, his energy and cheerfulness was drained. He stepped down from the raised platform and stood in front of the grieving parents. He shook their hands and paid his condolences, many people followed his lead. Harry stopped Hermione from going ahead, he wanted everyone else to leave before he could talk to Cedric's parents.
Five minutes later, the only people left in the great hall were Cedric's parents, Zoe, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Susan. Zoe was talking to Cedric's mother, both of the women were in tears. They hugged each other as if their life depended upon it, they both had lost the closest man to their heart. Harry stepped closer to Mr. Diggory so he could talk to him.
"I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Diggory. He was…. He was a brave person. He deserved to be the champion, please accept the winnings which should have been rightfully his." He offered the pouch but Mr. Diggory refused and Harry did not want to push them. Harry was then called by the headmaster to his office. Harry had to wait a couple of minutes while Dumbledore spoke to the Diggorys.
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Dumbledore and Harry walked towards headmaster's office in complete silence. Dumbledore ushered Harry inside his office as they stood in front of the oak door with brass griffin knocker. Dumbledore sat in his chair while Harry sat in the chair opposite him.
"How are you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked in a grandfatherly way, concern was clear in his tone. Harry just shrugged, he wasn't sure how he was feeling exactly but 'fine' didn't fit that feeling. Dumbledore nodded in understanding, he could sympathize with the boy.
"First, I must apologize for the last night, I had to extract memories from you as you had fallen unconscious. It was necessary for me to know the details but I could not show that to the minister, it would have been pointless as you are underaged and similar to last year he might believe that you were hallucinating under the effect of some substance." Harry was surprised but he understood the reasoning and did not think much of it.
"It was also helpful that you do not need to go through the experience again to tell the tale. You might have many questions and I would try to answer them the best I can if you so wish to ask." Dumbledore looked at him, anticipating a flurry of question but the question Harry asked was the one he was expecting the least.
"Can my parents be brought back, just like he returned?" Harry asked, more like pleaded.
Dumbledore needed few seconds to articulate his thoughts
"Nothing can bring dead to life, Harry. You should not let your mind wander in those corners of thought. Voldemort's and therefore your case is peculiar and one of a kind. When Lily died protecting you, she gave you a protection that flows through you with your blood, that's why you were placed with your aunt. The protection your mother left you with was the cause of Voldemort's destruction but he did not die that night Harry. He survived as a detached soul, unlike ghosts, he did not crossover."
"Do you know how he did it professor?" Harry asked.
"I have my theories but there is nothing to substantiate them. I can only speculate, Tom isn't predictable in his methods but all of them are dark and repulsive."
They were silent for a couple of minutes, both of them going through their thoughts. "Professor, in the graveyard, there was a moment when my wand and Voldemort's, sort of connected."
Dumbledore nodded, "Ah, it took four years for this to come up. What do you know about wand cores, Harry?"
"I'm sorry, sir?" Harry was confused that why would Dumbledore ask such question.
"Do you know which are the common wand cores, Harry?"
"Err…. There is unicorn tail hair, dragon heart string and phoenix feather."
"Yes, these are the most common wand cores in Britain. Their commonness is in that particular order too, Harry. Most common is unicorn tail hair because they are easy to come by. A bit less common core is dragon heart string because killing dragons is illegal and so is breeding them for the purpose of using their organs." Harry was still confused that why he was being given this lecture about wand cores when he had asked about something that happened between him and Voldemort.
"The least common among these three is phoenix feather. The reason is that you can't pluck a feather from a phoenix, phoenix has to give the feather by its choice. Can you guess how common phoenixes are?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not very, I guess." Harry answered the rhetorical question.
"They are very rare, Harry. They are very powerful creatures, Harry, they are born from fire and light and they bond with a wizard of same characteristics. Phoenixes are very detached magical creatures and as far as I was able to confirm, there are only seven bonded phoenixes and no more than thirteen independent." Harry just nodded so Dumbledore continued. "You might be thinking that why you are being lectured by an old fool about wand cores and phoenixes. I want to give you an idea why what happened in the graveyard was a very rare occurrence."
"Harry the phoenix feather that was used to make your wand came from one particular phoenix. Can you guess?" Dumbledore asked with an intriguing smile.
"Fawkes!" the realization was sudden, as sudden as Cedric's death.
"Yes, the time since I had bonded with Fawkes, it has only given to feathers which is very peculiar behaviour. One of which is in your wand, the other, you might have guessed already." Harry nodded before saying just one word, "Voldemort".
"Fate is a cruel thing, Harry and as fate would have it, the wand that chose you had a brother that gave you that scar. When we spoke after you had rescued Miss Weasley from the Chamber, do you remember what I told you?" When Harry nodded in affirmative, Dumbledore continued with his thoughts. "The night Voldemort was destroyed and you received the scar, you also received some powers from Voldemort himself, although he was unaware of it. That, your wands being brothers and now Voldemort sharing your blood had made your connection to him even more intricate."
"I believe that the reason your wands connected was an amalgamation of these factors."
There was silence for the next couple of minutes as Harry absorbed the ton of information dumped on him. He was trying to churn this information in his brain when another question popped up. "Sir, when he touched my scar, he did not burn like Quirrell did."
"Taking your blood for the resurrection ritual had nullified the protection around you against him." Dumbledore answered sombrely.
"So that means I don't need to return to Privet Drive!", Harry was very excited as he realized that he might get to leave the 'Durzkaban'.
"I wish that were true, Harry, protection on your person has been nullified but the protection I placed on your aunt's house is still there and that is our best chance to keep you safe."
All the excitement and hope was sliding away and he was trying his best to keep a hold of it. "But I could stay with Sirius and Remus, their house is under 'Fidelius', nobody would know about me."
"Harry, Remus and Sirius would be very busy this summer and for most part won't be present at home. I'm sorry but you have to return to your aunt's house." The look Dumbledore gave him, made it clear that this discussion had ended. He sighed, he had resigned to the inevitability of his return to his summer prison.
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The events of last night had pushed the schedule a few days ahead. Guests were scheduled to leave on second-last day of June while Hogwarts Express was scheduled to leave on the last day of June. But now the guest would be leaving on the evening of twenty-fifth while Hogwarts Express would leave the next day.
When Harry returned from Dumbledore's office, he was told the news about the preponing off the departure. 'Ha, I have an extra week to spend at Dursley's, how exciting.', he thought. As the train would be leaving the next morning, he had to pack his belongings and he had only one night. But before he would go to his dormitory, he had to tell Hermione something.
His discussion with Dumbledore and the walk from the office to Gryffindor Tower had given him enough time and another perspective about the situation. His arch nemesis, his mortal enemy was back and an innocent person had died just because he was spare, just because he was present alongside him. He and his friends have faced danger before, together but now the situation had changed drastically. He can't let his friends in the danger, they can't be anywhere near him, he didn't want them to get in the crossfire. That meant, he had to break up with Hermione, she was his best friend first and he was damn sure that if Voldemort came to know that she was his girlfriend, she would be number three on Voldemort's 'to kill' list, after Dumbledore and Harry. Her being a muggleborn did not help in this case.
He had to break up with her before dinner so that the Hogwarts rumour mill could make sure that everyone knew about it by tomorrow morning. He had to distance himself from his friends, especially Hermione, if he had to keep them safe.
He asked Hermione if they could go for a walk and she agreed without any questions. They started walking and Hermione stepped closer and coiled her arm around his. They were not for very public displays of affection but this helped to ease Harry's nerves, somewhat. The walked out from the castle and Harry led them to their favourite spot on the lakeshore. It was a fine summer afternoon, the sun was up, there was a light breeze, they could hear the rustling of leaves around them. Usually on a day like this, most of the students would have been out on the grounds or by the lake but today they were inside. Only a few were present on the grounds, this sparseness would suit the talk to come. They sat on the rock on the shore, footwears removed. Their toes touched the surface of lake, the cool water felt pleasant, the ambiance was relaxing.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm."
"I need to tell you something." This got her attention and she turned to look at him.
"What's wrong, Harry?" He could see the concern and affection in his eyes, for him. But he had to be strong and do what was necessary.
"I think it's best if we broke up, Hermione." Harry said, he did not meet her gaze. His eyes were looking at their intertwined fingers. As Hermione started to protest, he stopped her.
"Hermione, please hear me out first." She nodded.
"Voldemort is back and you being my girlfriend will put you in grave danger. You are my best friend first and I care for you and therefore I can't let you get in danger because of me."
"Harry, you are stupid if you think that I would breakup with you because of this. And regarding what you said, it was load of Hippogriff dung. How can you even think that?" She scolded him. Harry looked ashamed but he was determined to keep her safe and that's what he was going to do.
"Hermione, it for my peace of mind, I would be more relieved if you were in no danger." He pleaded to her. He was stubborn and so was she, hence, it wasn't going to be easy and both of them knew it.
Hermione understood where he was coming from, she knew that he was stubborn and there was nothing she would say that would make him feel better. She understood that it was because of the shock of Voldemort's return and given time he would understand her point. Right now, she needed to end this conversation so that they do not strain their friendship. She would make everything right when they would meet during summer.
"alright, if that's what you want, Harry. But you need to understand that it is my decision if I want to be with you or not, I am to decide what I do and nobody else."
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled Harry for a hug, Harry did not resist and buried his face in the side of her neck. Her bushy mane was tingling his forehead so he nuzzled in her neck even more, this sent a shiver down Hermione's spine. She would miss this contact, she would miss the affection. Now she had a mission, apart from keeping Harry alive that is, to make everything right with him and herself.
A/N: Please Review. Sorry for late update, I was moving to a new place so the preparation and packing took a lot of time. I will finish 'book one' before the end of this month.