Love On Risky Ground

Love On Risky Ground

Chapter 10

Trial Of Love And Life.

Ronald Weasley sat in his bedroom, deep in thought. His back was slumped as he sat facing the window, ignoring the orange flurry as the Chudley Cannon Quidditch players zoomed about in the posters he had plastered on the walls. Another day had ended with no news about the whereabouts of his best friend Harry. His entire family was worried. The whole house was bathed in such silence that even the ghoul in the attic had ceased making its sounds, as if feeling the pain the inhabitants were going through.

Harry wasn't the only one he was worrying about. Sirius' trial was not long away and he feared that the Ministry would convict him. However, there was also a new worry to add to the list. Ron had sent Hermione a letter the day before, and she still had not replied. It was the longest time she had ever taken to reply to him. With every second that ticked by, Ron's concern ripped him apart, along with weight of everything else. He sighed deeply, massaging his forehead, thinking about Hermione and hoping that everything was all right in her part of the world.

A light breeze disturbed the leaves in the unruly garden, and he heard a distinct 'meowing.' Ron looked up, thinking he didn't own a cat when he saw a ball of orange fur jump in from the windowsill and onto his bedroom floor. The cat had a distinctly squashed face, and Ron recognised it as Crookshanks. The cat leapt onto the bed, where he rubbed his neck against Ron's arm as he watched the feline attentively. Crookshanks fur tickled Ron's flesh, but there was nothing funny about it, not when so many people were in danger.

He suddenly noticed a scroll of parchment tied to the cat's collar. His mood brightening up, Ron untied the letter and read it while Crookshanks purred on his lap.

Ron -

Harry's safe. He's with me.

Ron cried out in joy and Pig hooted madly in excitement. Ron waved his hand back towards his owl in order to shut it up before he returned to reading the letter.

He came to my house a couple of nights ago. He was really sick but he's a little better now. And, it's true ... he can't talk at all.

Ron let out a sad moan, his fingers trembling. Dumbledore had said something about Harry not being able to talk because of his head injury. Ron just hoped that it wasn't the case and denied believing it. But now ... really knowing ... Ron sighed. Whatever complications might arise in the future, Ron was determined to get Harry talking again.

The bad news is that I sent a letter to Dumbledore with Errol this morning, but it was intercepted and Death Eaters attacked my house. We are all fine. Luckily, my parents were at work. We just hope this letter gets to you. Otherwise, we are so dead! We escaped safely. We weren't sure if it was safe going to your place or the Headquarters.

Ron nodded; she was right. Death Eaters were everywhere. Even the Aurors had had a scuffle with them near his home because they were desperate to get Harry.

Listen! Ron, Harry and I need a Secret Keeper and we want you to have the responsibility. Please Ron, we need you to keep the location hidden, it's very important that you don't tell anyone where we are, not even your parents, Sirius, Remus or Dumbledore.

All you have to do is a Fidelius charm. Get one of your brothers to do it. But don't tell them why. Just read the information of our location further down and burn the letter when you're done.

We are taking refuge at Greens Cottage -

After reading the address, Ron leaned back and looked out of the window, memorising the information. It was hard to grasp that they needed a Secret Keeper. Ron was a little scared of the challenge. He took a deep, tormented breath and read the rest of the letter.

Please Ron, do everything correctly. Our lives are at risk. The only thing I want you to do is tell Dumbledore that Harry is fine. We're safe and protected.

Please tell my parents not to worry and that I love them.

I love you Ron.

Please don't worry. Just do everything that we've asked and everything will be okay. Send your letters with Crookshanks, and when the danger dies down, tell us, and then you can tell the Order to get us.

Thank you.

Hermione

With a burst of energy, Ron stood up and went downstairs in a hurry. He slipped the letter into a ferocious green fire in the living room, and spotted Fred summoning some parchment from across the room, too lazy to get it himself. Ron rushed over to him.

"Fred, I need a favour," Ron pleaded.

"Good evening to you too, my brotherly git," Fred said, twirling his wand into his pocket.

"Oh, shut up, Fred, this is really important. I need you to do a Fidelius charm." This wasn't a time for his brother to be joking around. Ron was in no mood for a laugh.

Fred raised an eyebrow, interested to learn why his brother wanted to be a Secret Keeper. "Why do you want to be Keeper? Something to do with Ginny - who she's in love with this time - "

"FRED! This is important! People will die!" Ron yelled.

Mrs Weasley bustled out of the kitchen after hearing her children yelling, wiping the water from her hands with the aid of her apron. "Fred, Ron, keep your voices down," she said irritably, pointing her wand at both her sons in turn.

Ron waited until his mother was out of earshot. Fred was looking on very seriously. "It has something to do with Harry, doesn't it?" Fred said slowly. Ron simply nodded, and his brother leaned back on his armchair in exasperation. "Is he okay?"

Ron nodded. "They need me to be the Secret Keeper. You-Know-Who's supporters are everywhere. They even tried contacting Dumbledore, but the Death Eaters got to them first."

"Them?" Fred raised his voice slightly.

Ron waved his finger, looking towards the kitchen, hoping his mother wasn't overhearing the conversation. "Shhh! Please, Fred, Hermione's with him. They're safe. Please do the charm. It's all I ask ..." Ron said.

Fred sighed. "Ron, I think you should tell someone."

"I will. Just not right now."

Fred looked at his brother, his face flushing red, and shook his head. Ron fidgeted nervously, nearly breaking down under the worry.

"Okay, I'll do it. Stand back, Ron. When the mist surrounds you, say whatever secret you want hidden, and say it quietly so I won't hear you," Fred said as he lifted up from the chair. He retrieved his wand. "I hope it's properly done - Evil joke ... sorry Ron!" he added, seeing the fury on Ron's face.

As his brother muttered the spell with a flick of his wand, a haze of sparkling purple light emerged from the wand and circled Ron until he was completely submerged in the brightly coloured mist. Ron quickly concentrated on the secret and muttered it, making sure it was inaudible.

When the spell was done he rushed back to his room and hastily wrote a letter to Hermione and Harry, telling them that he had completed the charm, and that he was now the Secret Keeper.

Ron let Crookshanks go, watching the cat scurry off into the night. He then opened Pig's cage. The owl spiralled around Ron's head as he wrote a quick letter to Dumbledore, saying that his friends were okay and safely secured. Even if the information were intercepted, there would be no way that the Death Eaters would know where they were.

Ron closed the window after Pig had left and sat on his bed. He just hoped they would get to Hogwarts without any trouble in more than a month's time.

***

A drizzle of rain woke Hermione up from her sleep. Little water droplets were leaking from the ceiling and onto the wooden floor, making loud spluttering sounds. She turned onto the mattress. Harry lay huddled up in a ball a little further away from her, a blanket spread over him. She blinked as a slither of bright light from a lightning flash heightened the contours of Harry's face where he lay peacefully undisturbed.

Hermione rolled out of bed to get a glass of water and carefully tiptoed down to the kitchen. It was a cold night and after a drink Hermione pulled out her cloak from her trunk and placed it around her. She turned to look out of the window, still frightened that Voldemort and his supporters would find them.

A hot feeling swirled in her stomach when she suddenly saw two strange moving creatures on the grassy lawn. It was Crookshanks, Hermione realised, relieved, but there was also another cat with him, its white fur drenched from the rain, just like Crookshanks'.

Hermione ran to the door and opened it to let them in. They were soaked to the bone. The felines went to the living room, leaving little wet paw prints behind them on the dusty floor. Hermione bolted the door and retreated to the room where Crookshanks sat waiting for her patiently. Her cat tilted his head, showing Hermione the letter on his collar.

Hermione read the wet letter and let out of moan of relief.

The Charm's done, I'm your Secret Keeper.

I don't know what else to say. I'm really worried for you guys, but look after each other and keep in touch. When the danger dies down I'll tell you.

Love you heaps Hermione, and make sure Harry gets better.

Ron.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione whispered.

She rushed to her trunk and grabbed a towel to dry the cats. When she stepped into the living room Hermione smiled, seeing the two cats licking each other dry.

"Well, I'm guessing you won't need me to help you then," Hermione grinned, marvelling at the cute scene. Crookshanks looked at her in the light of the candle, and so did his mate.

"You know, you haven't introduced me to her." Hermione sat down and the white female moved nearer to her. She patted the cat, who closed her eyes in relaxation and purred. Hermione looked for a collar, but didn't see one attached. "Hmm, what should I call you, then? You don't seem to have a home ... Persia, perhaps?" Hermione grinned. "That's perfect. Persia." Persia meowed as Crookshanks licked her back silently.

Hermione watched them, a little happiness seeping back after the terrible events of the day. Then she heard a loud cry from upstairs and stood up in alarm, before running to Harry's aid.

"Harry? Harry," she called, swinging into the bedroom. Her hair flew all over her face as she saw Harry flaying in the bed. He was having a nightmare, she saw; his face cringed up from the agony he was experiencing in his dream. Hermione dropped onto the mattress and flicked Harry's wet bangs from his eyes. He was breathing terribly fast. Little beads of sweat were forming all over his face, accumulating and falling down his cheek. He kept turning his head in horror.

"Shhh!" Hermione softly called, placing her hand on his forehead. "Hush." She stroked his hair. Harry calmed down and slowly opened his eyes.

***

Harry blinked. He couldn't see much, just a blurry outline of Hermione's face. Then he noticed that her bushy curls were brushing his cheek. He raised his hand in the darkness and touched her face, thinking he was still dreaming. She was like an angel who saved him from seeing what horrors he saw. But her touch felt real, and he slowly propped himself up and leaned his back against the wall, taking his hand away from her warm flesh.

Hermione sat in front of him, watching. "Are you all right?" she asked soothingly. She rubbed her shoulders, as though she felt a little cold.

Harry lit a candle with a discarded lighter they had found in the cottage and nodded. He couldn't bring himself to think about his dream again. It had been about Sirius: the Ministry hadn't granted him his freedom, and he had been executed. He would never forget the look in his godfather's eyes.

Harry trembled as he stood up, a burning feeling spreading in his chest. Tears began to leak unwittingly out of his eyes and he turned his back on Hermione. He couldn't bear for her to see him crying. He cursed himself. Everything that had happened to him was crushing him. He felt so low and miserable; it was like a Dementor was patrolling the house, sucking in Harry's happy memories. He was not only facing the prospect of Sirius' death, but also the fact that he might never utter a word again. It really hurt him to think that he'd would not be able to do magic ever again.

He let his emotions go, sobbing as he walked out of the bedroom and retreating to the bathroom so he could get away from Hermione; but he didn't enter it. Harry rested his head on the wall. He decided he wanted to keep moving. He wanted to get away from the growing darkness he felt. He walked down the stairs and opened the front door to breathe in some cool air.

Harry opened his mouth in a final, futile bid to speak, but only spluttering moans came out. His tongue did not seem to want to move the right way. He tried his hardest, however, it only made the situation worse and he cried the harder.

Hermione had followed him; he could hear her footsteps behind him. "Oh, Harry," she said.

Harry felt tormented even more as he heard her voice in the background. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried desperately to say a simple word. With the immeasurable frustration he was feeling, he formed his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms. Harry felt a sudden impulse to rip his tongue from his mouth, to let his anger out.

Hermione walked over to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder. Harry shrugged her off, not only because he didn't want her to suffer the burdens he was enduring, but because he felt it wasn't right that he had her standing so close to him, when his feelings for her were growing stronger.

Nevertheless, Hermione was determined to comfort Harry. "Please, Harry," she said grasping his hand firmly. "It hurts me too, no matter what happens to you. We are best friends; we are supposed to all go through the bad times and good times together." She turned Harry's face towards her and wiped his tears away with the cloth of her cloak

Hermione coaxed Harry towards her, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. She gently stroked his hair with one hand, her other hand placed on his shaking back. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. I'll hear your voice again," she replied as Harry sobbed into her clothes. Then Hermione did something Harry had not expected she would ever do. She softly kissed his temple. Harry's sobs lightened. He wasn't sure what on earth Hermione was thinking in kissing him, not when his desire to love her was blossoming. But he then realised she was just trying to comfort him. Hermione gently parted from him, making sure Harry could see her.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked.

Her efforts comforted Harry, giving him some needed internal warmth. All of his hidden emotions towards Hermione escaped and radiated into his eyes. He pulled away from her slowly, and looked at her. Hermione did the same. She gave Harry an awkward expression, as if she understood that she was seeing something else in his eyes, something he'd been keeping a secret within him. Something he'd been afraid to tell her.

Hermione lightly bit her lip, staring deeply at Harry. "Harry ...?" she asked uncertainly, trying to decipher the look.

Harry tilted his head a little and smoothly moved towards her. She could have backed away, giving Harry a sign that she didn't want it, but Hermione didn't.

Harry could hear her quivering breaths. He was just as excited at the prospect of what was going to happen next just as she was. If felt good to have forgotten about his troubles in that moment, feeling something else all together. Harry knew Hermione had let go of the fact that she was Ron's girlfriend.

But for Harry, the thought of Ron slipped into his mind as he almost felt her lips upon his. He felt sick, guilty, and he turned his face away, snapping the intense mood.

Hermione opened her eyes and blinked, stunned by Harry's actions. She looked at him. "Harry ... I-I - " Hermione broke away, stepping into the shadows. "Oh my god," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry. What did I just do?" She asked herself, massaging her temples in thought.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn't her fault. They were both in it. Just a stupid mistake! A mistake caused by the trauma they wanted to vanquish. But though the emotion he felt between them was strong, there was something else. Love is a human need that is hard to get rid of. It was especially hard for Harry, now that he knew he was falling in love with Hermione, it was trapping him and there was no way to escape.

***

The next day the circular room of the Wizengamot was filled with prominent witches and wizards from all over the country. They chatted amongst themselves, but it wasn't a happy buzz - more miserable and full of wrath.

Dumbledore sat with the other judges, being the chief Wizengamot member himself. Nearby, Remus, Mr and Mrs Weasley and their son Ron, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, Kingsley and the other Order members sat on a bench, waiting for the trial to begin. The old Headmaster stared sombrely at their expressionless faces, but his vision soon focused on the chair in the centre of the room, beneath all the eyes of justice.

Dumbledore, Ron and Remus feared the worst, not to mention what Harry and Miss Granger were feeling, wherever they were. Dumbledore had enough to help Sirius with. Molly and Arthur were especially grateful to Dumbledore because Ron was not needed to testify for Sirius' innocence.

Dumbledore gazed around over his glasses and stopped at Harry's best friend. Dumbledore had been relieved when Mr Weasley had told him that Harry and Miss Granger were safe. He hadn't prodded the boy for more information, respecting the fact that he was the Secret Keeper.

A silence entered the room and Dumbledore blinked away, hearing the doors opening. Everyone stared as two burly Aurors brought forth a weakened man. Sirius' hair was in disarray and a beard was beginning to grow on his face. Remus gave a small gasp when he saw his best friend. Dumbledore sighed. Sirius' eyes were sunken and his cheekbones were beginning to show ... again. This time it wasn't the Dementors that were tormenting him, it was Harry's welfare.

Professor Dumbledore stood up from his bench and closed in on Sirius, once the Aurors had finished chaining him to the chair and retreated out of the room.

"Sirius Black," Dumbledore spoke loudly, making sure all could hear. "You had been sentenced to life in Azkaban, without trial, I might add, after you had apparently murdered thirteen people on November the first 1981. You were thought to have been an agent to the Dark Lord and a betrayer of the Potters," Dumbledore stated to the court before him. He shot the Minister Cornelius Fudge and the rest of the Wizengamot a dark look before he continued. "You had then spent twelve years in Azkaban for your crimes, when you escaped in 1993, putting the Wizarding world back into turmoil," he said, repeating the facts that all witches and wizard had grown accustomed to. "How did you escape?"

Sirius raised his head, squinting his eyes from the blinding light. "I ... I transformed myself into a dog," he truthfully replied.

The courtroom muttered a little, before Dumbledore raised his hand for silence.

"The Dementors had no effect on you; can you tell us why? Because we know once a Dementor has its way, the person's sanity and powers are stripped away. Yet with you it never occurred. You stayed completely sane for twelve years," Dumbledore said.

"I was innocent! And that fact kept me sane and determined and powerful. It wasn't a happy feeling, so the Dementors couldn't take anything away from me."

There was a slight buzz of talk in the crowd again, steadily growing. "Why did you escape?" Dumbledore asked.

"I wanted to protect my godson, Harry Potter, from Peter Pettigrew, the real murderer."

"You and Peter were friends at school, were you not?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah, and he was James Potter's friend, too."

"And was Peter an unregistered Animagus just like you?" Amelia Bones interrupted from her seat. Dumbledore bowed his head, listening.

"Yeah ... he could transform into a rat," Sirius croaked.

"Did James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and you remain friends even after Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Sirius replied to Amelia's question, his voice growing hoarser with each question.

Amelia nodded. "When the Potters were in danger of the Dark Lord, who became the Secret Keeper? Reports say that you did."

Sirius spoke, "Peter was the Potters' real Secret Keeper. I gave the task to him in hope that I might battle with Voldemort. But it was a mistake ... and I regret it every day of my life."

Dumbledore took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and before opening it asked another question. "But when you went after Peter the day after the Potters' murders, and Voldemort's supposed defeat, witnesses say that you cornered Peter Pettigrew and cursed him with your Dark Arts."

Sirius shook his head with a smile on his face. "Look, that day, I was tricked; we all were. Peter killed them with a wand hidden behind his back and then he Disapparated. That's why I laughed, because I was tricked."

"Only a finger was discovered in the ruins of the street. Add an Animagus that can turn into a rat and a family willing to take care of an apparently innocent rodent, and Peter was safely hidden for the next twelve years of his life," Dumbledore said confidently. "We may as well also add Harry Potter's eyewitness statement, telling us that he saw Peter Pettigrew helping Voldemort rise to power once more. We know now that Peter Pettigrew is alive and well, and that he had faked his own death."

Dumbledore opened the piece of paper in his hand. It was an old photograph from the Daily Prophet, a family portrait taken of the Weasleys' trip to Egypt. On Ron's shoulder in the photograph there was a rat.

"This is the substantial proof. Look at this. It was taken before Mr Black's escape. The rat on Mr Ronald Bilius Weasley's shoulder is missing a finger. A rat with a missing finger? This is Peter Pettigrew." Dumbledore pointed at the rat before handing the paper out to the Wizengamot judges. First the image was given to Cornelius Fudge, and he stared at the page.

Cornelius Fudge turned in his seat and whispered to the other judges. He then sighed and stood up as Dumbledore sat down, finished with his questioning. Dumbledore smiled at Ron, believing that it had gone well.

"I vote for the release of Sirius Black," Emelia Bones said, turning around with her hand raised. More than half of the Wizengamot, raised their hands, now believing in Sirius' innocence with the newly accumulated evidence. Fudge was the last to raise his hand.

But a senior member of the Wizengamot, a man with a long silky goatee, stood up. "May I interrupt, Minister?" Dumbledore looked up at his colleague. "I would like Veritaserum administered to this man, to make sure that he was not involved with You-Know-Who in any other way, just to be sure. Harry Potter never mentioned Sirius Black's name in his statement, but it doesn't mean he is not in any way involved."

Fudge hesitated and searched for an approval from Dumbledore. It was not what he was hoping for. Dumbledore had wanted Sirius released straight away. But he had to satisfy the entire congregation's doubt, and gave the Minister a little nod, giving his permission.