Harry Potter and the Burden of Becoming

Harry Potter and the Burden of Becoming

Chapter 61 - A Giant Mistake

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Unlike the day before, the sky was ominous; thick, black clouds billowed all around and seemed to purposefully descend onto Hogwarts as if driven by some magical power. The wind blew a cold shiver down Harry's spine, and he pulled his cloak up higher about his neck and snuggled more closely to Gabriella. It was hard to believe that she was here, seated next to him in the stands at Hogwarts watching his other passion; but, more amazing was her grasp of the game, her sense of rhythm and pace, and her unbridled enthusiasm for Quidditch. No doubt a large part of the reason Gabriella had become fast friends with Cho.

"That's an illegal block!" she screamed, after Crabbe broadsided Cho for the sole reason of trying to knock her from her broom. "Did you see that, Harry? Outrageous! I'd have..." She never finished, and Harry had to wonder what, exactly, Gabriella Darbinyan would do if she had been on Cho's broom.

The match had been tight for nearly two hours, with some of the best flying Harry had seen from either team. Unfortunately, the Keepers weren't much better than sieves and the score was already 320 to 280 in favor of Slytherin. For his part, Harry had spent most of the match watching the two Seekers, Draco Malfoy and Cho Chang. At first, Malfoy flew erratically, weaving as he flew from one side of the pitch to the other, but as the match wore on he slowly gathered his bearings and began to look like the Malfoy of old. Cho, at first, seemed extremely nervous on her new Caduceus, but the broom responded well, and would certainly keep her warm in what was turning out to be an extremely frigid day. Now, two hours in, both Seekers seemed poised to strike, though neither had yet seen the Snitch.

"Hot cocoa, Gabriella?" asked Ginny who was sitting right behind them. Ginny and Dean had spent most the match using the cold air as an excuse to meld into each other's lap. Harry had turned once to point out a particular strategy to Ginny, only to see her locked in a rather slurpy kiss with Dean. When the two weren't kissing, Ginny was admiring the new ring on her finger set with a glowing firestone. Harry had heard enough about the ring last night in the common room to last a lifetime. It was a promise ring, as Ginny put it, for things to come, though Harry couldn't but help think there was more behind it.

"Sure," answered Gabriella, "I'd love--"

"Score!" announced Colin Creevey, who was highlighting the salient aspects of the game over the magic megaphone while simultaneously taking pictures with an obscenely large telephoto lens. "Ravenclaw pulls within twenty!"

"... maybe a small mug."

There was general applause, but the scores had become so numerous now and the weather so cold, that most people's hands were beginning to hurt, and indeed many had turned to looking for the Snitch themselves in hopes they could point it out to the Seekers. Harry scanned the pitch with them. He thought he'd caught a glimpse of it early in the match out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to see, Gabriella's face was in the way. It was, perhaps, the first time Harry wasn't disappointed in losing sight of the golden orb.

"Do you need another blanket?" he asked, as the first patter of rain began to fall.

"Have you never used a rain dispelling charm?" she asked, with a tinge of surprise in her voice. "Surely they teach--"

"There it is!" Seamus cried out, pointing to the south end of the pitch near the Slytherin goals. Instantly, everyone stood and the roar from the other side of the pitch made it perfectly clear that they had seen it too. Cho had been searching too high and noted too late the reaction in the stands. Malfoy, to the contrary, had the Snitch firmly in his sights and was already tracking the streaking sphere as it sped toward the Gryffindor stands.

"Cho!" Gabriella screamed above the din, but her words were lost in the winds. Cho turned toward Malfoy and the Snitch, but even on her Caduceus she looked to be too far behind to close the gap. Gabriella was visibly frustrated and upset. "Go!" she yelled, along with most the Ravenclaws in the nearby stands.

An instant later, a look of dogged determination filled Cho's face. She leaned on the nose of her Caduceus and began to rocket toward Malfoy and the Snitch.

Unsure who to cheer for, Harry watched the drama on the pitch unfold as the rain splattered against his glasses. It was coming down much harder now and visibility was much worse. At first, Cho was set on an intercept, but looking closer Harry could see she was swinging high.

"The wind," Harry whispered, "she knows."

"Yes," said Gabriella, and then realizing more fully, "Yes! She does know, Harry ! We talked about your last match this morning, and I mentioned the wind."

Still it didn't look good for Cho. Malfoy was upon the Snitch, his fingers closing around its golden wings, when it suddenly changed direction, heading up and into the wind. Perhaps it was the rain, perhaps it was his still unsteady hand -- a remnant of the potion he'd stopped taking, but the Snitch slipped through Malfoy's grasp, something it had never done before. The Slytherin looked back over his shoulder, just in time to see Cho, already in position, catch the Snitch in both hands.

"Chang has the Snitch!" Colin yelled over the megaphone. "Ravenclaw wins!"

There was a tremendous groan from the Slytherin stands and an absolute uproar on the Ravenclaw end. Gabriella was jumping with glee.

"I knew it!" she yelled. "I knew she could do it!" She threw her arms out and hit Ron, tumbling him head first into the railing.

"Ayy," Ron groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh, Ron," said Gabriella, turning to help him up, "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"That could have been dangerous!" Hermione yelled, her lips a bit thin. "You could have hurt him. In fact, Ron, you should probably go to see Madame Guérir right now."

"I'm not going to see anybody, but Zacharias Smith," he said, a smile starting to revive his face. "He owes me a galleon!" He started toward the steps that led to the Hufflepuff stands. "I think your talk with Cho did the trick, Gabriella. Thanks for helping enrich the Weasley estate." He waved with a smile, but Hermione just stood looking at both Ron and Gabriella, a small scowl on her face. "Come on, Hermione, if we hurry we can catch him before he leaves the pitch. I want to see him cough it up in front of the whole house."

It wasn't long before both Ron and Hermione disappeared into a sea of red and gold as everyone slowly made their way from the stands. Gabriella was smiling, looking down on the Ravenclaws now surrounding Cho and her teammates on the grass below.

"She's brilliant," said Gabriella, shaking her head.

"Not as brilliant as you," replied Harry, kissing her gently on the lips. "Did you have fun?" Gabriella nodded her head as she took a bite of every-flavor taffy.

"Passion fruit," she mumbled as she chewed. Harry took her hand and they began to exit the stands as well.

"Maybe you could come watch me play next term," Harry suggested. "I've been known to handle my broomstick pretty well." Smiling, Gabriella gave him a slight push on the shoulder, but then her look became more melancholy.

"I'd like that," she whispered.

For a moment the crowd down on the pitch parted to reveal Cho, held up on Anthony's shoulders, her eyes fixed on Harry and Gabriella, and a broad smile across her face as she held the Snitch up high for everyone to see. Gabriella waved back flashing Cho the number one with her hand, and slowly dropped her hand; Harry noticed the change in demeanor.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I have to go."

"Go? I thought we had the whole weekend?"

"I know," answered Gabriella. "Mama's doing much better, but I don't think I should leave her alone in the house for so long. I'm sure Papa..." her voice trailed off, and ended with a rather large sigh. "Yes, I have to go." Harry's heart was plummeting, but he put on a good face.

"I understand, you're right," he said with a half smile. "Family comes first, I've always said that, and I always will."

Gabriella held him close, and then kissed his cheek. "Such a sensitive heart," she said warmly. "Do you think you can walk me back to Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade? Well, I'm really not..." he stopped, seeing the disappointment in her eyes. "Hogsmeade? Yeah, er, sure... I can walk you to Hogsmeade, let's go now." Harry figured his chances of leaving undetected were better if he left with the large crowd of parents and visitors.

The castle grounds and gates were thick with guards and monitors from the Ministry, but their chief concern had been with checking visitors as they entered the grounds, and none seemed overly concerned with the throng now leaving. This was particularly true now that the rain was driving down. Gabriella pulled her wand and cast a spell that deflected the rain to either side of the two of them as they walked hand-in-hand, past the lake.

"A simple spell like this, I would have thought that this school of yours--" she began, but Harry cut her off. He was a bit miffed.

"Yes, yes, don't blame Hogwarts for my inability as a Wizard. Believe me, it's not the school's fault; it's mine. You might be surprised to know that I'm not the best student." The irritation in Harry's voice increased with each word.

"I didn't mean--"

"Didn't you? Every chance you get you put down Hogwarts. To me this place is home, and I'd rather you wouldn't keep slamming it."

Still holding hands, they walked along in silence for a few minutes, passing through the gates and out along the road to Hogsmeade. Finally, she nodded her head and let out a great sigh.

"You're right," she said, putting her head on his shoulder. "I think... I think I'm jealous, I don't know why. It's like I see... I see the energy again -- all the things I loved about magic and learning. I miss it."

"Well, you know they want you here."

"Just they?"

"I want you here too," said Harry correcting himself. "You're sure to enter Gryffindor, and we could--"

"I don't know, Harry," she said with a sigh, "maybe next year when Mama's better."

"You know," he said looking at the water splattering onto the rich earth as they passed by the lake, "I-I charged it this morning, the stone that is. I don't know why, but I was thinking I could--"

"No," she cut in quickly, "that is forbidden."

"Forbidden?" asked Harry. "But why?"

"Maybe one day I will be able to tell you everything," she said with an understanding smile. "For now, know that you were meant to be the stone's keeper. It is yours to use as you wish, or as the stone wishes to use you, but it can never by used for my family, and that includes me. It is forbidden."

"But--" he began, but she held her hand to his mouth, and he stopped. Holding hands the whole way, neither said another word until they came to town.

They entered into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to find George alone at the counter. The atmosphere was much calmer than the night before, and he was busy restocking shelves, while a broom floated about sweeping the floor.

"Where's Fred?" Harry asked.

"And good evening to you, too," George replied. "Typical," he muttered to himself, "I do all the work, and the one with the good looks gets all the credit. Nobody ever asks, 'Where's George?'" His eyes began to open wide with a sudden realization and he smiled. "Look who's playing the truant!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger at Harry. "You know they're going to be looking for you, don't you; all those guards, and Harry suddenly disappeared. They'll think you were kidnapped." George laughed to himself and clapped his hands, then opened up a box. "Oh, and Fred What's-his-name, he's at Diagon Alley. I guess the store there nearly sold out. Pure profit, mate!" George broke out in a large grin.

"You didn't say you'd get in trouble!" Gabriella scolded Harry. "You need to get back... now!"

"But I thought we could... you know."

"Now!" said Gabriella, sternly.

Harry hung his head, but she grabbed his chin, pulled his head up and kissed him on the lips; and, as her finger ran across his ear still wearing the caduceus earring, a tremendous tingle ran up the side of his body. Cho had been right. There were things that witches could do that Muggles could only dream of, at least Muggle boys.

"Goodbye," she whispered. "I love you."

She slipped out her wand taking a step backwards. There was a soft crackle in the air, and she was gone.

"She can Apparate!" exclaimed Harry, his jaw wide open.

"It is good to see that your education at Hogwarts has not been for naught," George said coolly. "You're a master of observation."

"But I never knew. She never--"

"Harry," George interrupted, "she's right, if you don't get back to Hogwarts soon, they'll have search parties all over town, and that's bad for business. Might I suggest, Honey--"

"Yeah, yeah, alright, I'm going, okay!" Harry spat back, angry at his sudden turn of luck. He turned toward the front door when he saw, just in time, Professor Snape through the front store window.

"Damn, it's Snape; where can I hide?"

George dashed over to Harry and splattered what felt like a raw, cold egg on top of Harry's head. Harry could feel the sensation of cold drip to his toes.

"Invisible eggs," said George brightly as he dashed back to the counter. "We're testing this new lot for Easter." Unsure the egg would be enough, Harry ducked behind a large crate in the corner of the store just as the front door swung open, ringing a bell with a high pitched jingle. Snape sauntered in carrying a small velvet bag, trying to appear as casual as possible, but it was clear he wasn't there to make a purchase. Meanwhile, Harry was nearly overcome with the aroma of spring flowers.

"Professor, er, Snoop, isn't it?" George asked, pretending to rekindle a long forgotten memory. "How can Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes be of service this evening?"

"Ever the comedian, eh, Mr. Weasley?" Snape drawled in a none too flattering sneer.

"Pays the rent, sir; pays the rent. Is there something you need?"

"I've prepared a potion for your brother; the moon will be full by week's end, and I thought he might like to ease his pain."

"A potion?" George asked stunned. "For Fred?"

Snape took out a small bottle from the velvet bag, and set it on the counter.

"He should take half the potion two days before the full moon and the remaining potion the day of," Snape said, folding the velvet sack in his hands and slipping it in his robes as he turned to leave.

"Professor," George asked, "will this interfere with any other potions?"

"The rubbish they provide at St. Mungo's isn't fit to swallow," Snape said over his shoulder as he approached the exit.

"The one he's taking is from Mrs. Darbinyan," said George. "He's been doing quite well with it so far, mostly just sleeps through the whole night." Snape stopped in his tracks and spun sharply.

"Darbinyan?" he said, with more edge in his words than he cared to put there. In an instant, the slip in tone was gone. "Are you sure it was Mrs. Darbinyan, and not her husband?"

"As I understand it, Mr. Darbinyan took off some time ago, leaving the two women home alone. Gabriella dropped off the potion yesterday; she said it was from her mother. By the way, how is your arm, anyway?"

Snape grimaced, reliving the incident in his mind, paused for the slightest of moments, and whispered to himself but near enough to Harry to be heard, "Then he's found her and his plan is underway." And then he left without saying another word. Harry waited a few minutes before slipping out from behind the crate.

"That was odd," he said, looking out the window and watching Snape head toward the road to Hogwarts. The sky was darkening, and he was sure people were already asking where he might be. He cursed himself for not thinking to tell Hermione or Ron.

"Tell me about it," George answered. "The man has never so much as lifted a finger for my family before." He picked up the bottle of green liquid from the counter. "Do you think it's poisoned?"

"No, not from Snape," Harry answered, "but it might turn Fred's fur green," he smiled, and then the smile fell. "Is he doing okay... really?" George's face was still bright.

"Absolutely, Harry," he assured. "Mrs. Darbinyan's taken an interest in him for some reason. She won't take money for the potions, and they really do seem to work. I think Lupin's a bit envious, but he doesn't have the nerve to ask if we can get some for him too."

"Why doesn't he ask me?"

"Well... are you two even talking? I think the last time you spoke to each other, you accused him of taking over the Order, or something very Potter-like. After that, he saves your life at the attack on Hogwarts, and then he helps cover for you and Gabriella at Grimmauld Place, and you don't say so much as a thank you. I think he figures you've written him off."

"But, I... well, I..." But Harry didn't have an answer. George was right, it had been two months since he had spoken to Remus in any meaningful way, and Harry had never taken the time to properly... "I haven't even owled him," he groaned, feeling the warmth return to his toes. He looked down and they had reappeared. So too had the smell of wet hair. "Where's he staying, at Grimmauld?"

"He says he doesn't think you'd want him staying there."

"That's ridiculous!"

"That's what mum said, but he wouldn't listen," George said, flipping a sign on the store that said closed. "Look, you need to get going, and I mean now. Honeydukes closes soon, and if they do, you'll have to make your way past the Ministry guards at the school gates.

"Yes, yes, I'm leaving," Harry agreed. He would have rather stayed, but George was right, they would be looking for him.

It was a bit frightening making his way through the tunnel from Honeydukes. Just as he made his way down below the store's trapdoor, the earth shook -- tremors, he believed, from more underground building on the part of Hagrid and Firenze. He wondered if, perhaps, the caverns that they had created might have intercepted this passageway, but as he came close to the castle he found none. There was another violent shudder of the earth that almost tossed him to the ground. Something was wrong, and the sensation only grew worse as he made his way out of the tunnel behind the old crone.

It was growing late, but not so late on a Saturday night for the corridors to be empty, but they were. Quickly he made his way back to Gryffindor tower without seeing so much as a ghost; only the jeers from the portraits accompanied him on his journey, warning him to return at once to his common room, or suffer the consequences. When he passed through the portrait of the Fat Lady, he ran into Hermione who seemed to be waiting for someone... he didn't need to wonder who.

"Where... have... you... been?" she hissed under her breath.

"Nowhere." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Just walking around."

"Walking around?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Well, yeah, I..." and then he noticed; a throng of students was gathered about the common room window.

"What are they doing? What are they doing?" said a first year, trying to levitate himself up over the group to see from behind, but falling to the ground every time.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"As if you didn't know, Harry Potter," Hermione scoffed. "Walking around, hah! I had to look Professor McGonagall in the eyes and tell her everyone was here," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "So what were you doing, watching them come in from Hagrid's cabin? From the Forest? Do you know how dangerous that is? Colin tried to get a picture and was smashed under a falling tree."

There was another tremor that shook the castle walls.

"That little one looks mad!" someone from the window called out. "He's shaking a fist at Dumbledore! I can't believe the Headmaster's even trying to talk to them. Mum always said he was a bit of a coot."

There was another rumble and a few shrieks, and finally Harry began to understand.

"Where's Ron?" he asked Hermione.

"Out there!" she yelled, pointing through the window now plastered with students. "He's looking for you!" Hermione was clearly upset, and tears began to fill her eyes. Whatever control she was trying to muster, began to slip through her fingers like so much sand. "Colin's in hospital, and now... and now..."

Harry stepped toward her. "It'll be okay, I'll get him back." He tried to hold her in his arms, but she balled up her hands into fists and pounded him on the chest.

"How... can you... be so... self-centered?" Hermione yelled out. Finally, she stopped and let Harry hold her as she cried. "He was supposed to be back a half-hour ago," she sobbed. "I told McGonagall... I... I...Damn you both!"

The ground shook again and the floor beneath them swayed.

"Whoa!" someone yelled. "He just tore that oak out like he was picking flowers!"

"Giants?" Harry whispered into Hermione's ear. She pulled back, looking into his eyes.

"You... you didn't know?" she sniffed. Harry shook his head.

"I walked Gabriella to Hogsmeade; she had to go home tonight. I snuck back underground. The castle is deserted downstairs."

"Everyone's at the windows waiting to see what happens." She wiped her eyes and sat down. "Professor Dumbledore's trying to convince their emissary, or whatever he is, that Voldemort's lying to them. He's trying to prove that the Wizarding world has changed; the only thing is... they both know it's not true. I think if Ron didn't know Hagrid, he'd just as soon see the whole giant race buried in a cavern somewhere."

Harry glanced at the window, and then turned to leave.

"Wait, you can't go," Hermione said, taking her to her feet. "He'll be back; I know he will... any minute now."

"I can't leave him out there by himself," Harry said, as the portrait opened.

"Funny," said Hermione, stepping toward him, "he said the same thing about you."

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, as she moved out the portrait as well. "Somebody needs to stay here in case--"

"Yeah, he said that too... not this time." Her words were emphatic, as her reason for being in Gryffindor became ever apparent. "I think I know where he's gone, follow me."

Carefully, the two made their way down to Firenze's classroom. Only the occasional ghost floated past, complaining that the castle would be leveled to rubble and they'd have nowhere to live. When they entered the underground caverns, they were both surprised to find house elves. They were doing much more than cleaning; they were preparing. Supplies were being stocked in the kitchen, and potions levitated into the underground infirmary. They were all too busy to pay any attention to the two wizards walking through the tunnels.

"In case things go bad," Hermione whispered.

As they entered the large, main underground chamber, Harry stopped, and looked at the beehive of activity. A half-giant, working with a centaur made these caverns to protect Wizarding children, and now they were being finished by house elves, and yet, the average wizard would sooner spit in the face of another magical creature, than call them their equal.

When they exited into the Forbidden Forest, it was dark. The sky, blanketed in clouds, only hinted that a full moon would arrive soon. Harry pulled his wand to light the way, but Hermione stayed his hand.

"We can't chance they'll see us, Harry. The smallest mistake could send them into a rage."

In the dark, they picked their way as best they could toward the castle, taking an occasional branch or stinging vine in the face. Hermione was hoping that Ron, who said he'd look for Harry by Hagrid's cabin, just got caught up in the moment, and was still watching the gathering of giants and wizards. As they stumbled along, Hermione told Harry what he'd missed.

Three giants had traveled to Hogwarts to speak with Dumbledore, at his request. He had tried to speak with them on their own ground in the mountains, but they felt that their families were somehow threatened. Hermione thought, rather, that these three had a falling out of sorts with the others, and were hoping for some wizard gift that would give them the upper hand back home. Dumbledore thought it better to have three more giants on his side than not, and agreed to speak with them. He wasn't, however, going to simply give them some new power to go back and kill their own kind, although he knew that was likely what Voldemort's Death Eaters had already given their adversaries back home in the mountains.

Most of the school's senior staff was at the meeting in case things got out of control, but so far there had only been the occasional foot stomping or tree throwing, which Hermione suggested meant that things were going as well as could be expected.

"What about Hagrid, or Grawp?" Harry asked.

"Hagrid took Grawp deeper into the forest, just to make sure there weren't any unnecessary distractions. Grawp was picked on pretty severely when he was there, and even though he's grown since he arrived, he's still pretty small."

The ground shuddered again, and there was a large crash as a tree plummeted into the canopy of branches above them, splintering in two and landing to either side. The shattered trunk, four feet across, could have smashed them both. Harry gave Hermione a glance, which she reciprocated, each flashing a flicker of concern for Ron, and then they both pressed on.

When they came to the back of Hagrid's cabin, they could see the dark silhouette of one giant's head and shoulders poking up above a knoll on the horizon. It looked like a large boulder ready to roll down the hill. Bonfires lit the grounds just toward the Quidditch pitch, providing both light and warmth against the night's cold darkness in the only area of the school grounds large enough to hold a meeting with such massive beings. Harry looked at the darkened figure, and a wave of something akin to nausea flooded his body. Perspiration broke out from every pore, and he fell to his knees.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "what is it?" She knew better than to believe he was afraid; something else was wrong. Harry took a deep breath, and brought one foot up, as he knelt on one knee, and wiped his brow. His forehead didn't ache, but still he knew, just as he knew about the Magpies... he knew.

"Voldemort," he uttered in a low scratchy tone. "They... they're under his control."

A branch snapped, and Hermione spun brandishing her wand in the face of a much surprised redhead. He held his arms in the air, unable to see the face of the witch holding the wand against his neck, though the thatch of hair looked familiar. Still, he was a bit taken aback knowing a wand was at his throat.

"I... I didn't mean to," he stumbled in a squeaky voice. "I mean... er, honest... I was just--"

"Ron?" Hermione asked, making out his features using the dim light that flickered behind her. She dropped her wand and grabbed him in her arms. "Ron!" she whispered, but the reunion was short-lived

"This way Minister," came a voice from toward the front of the castle, "you can't miss them, sir."

A group of six wizards was marching down the front lawn, past Hagrid's hut and around the back of the castle toward the pitch.

"They're evil sir, the whole lot," said another wizard. "Kill them now and that's three less to worry about later."

"Nonsense," Arthur Weasley said dismissively. "They may be dangerous, they may be a bit dimwitted, but they're not all evil. We have to try."

"Dad," Ron whispered. He made a move to go forward, but Hermione held him by the arm.

"We're not supposed to be here, remember?" she hissed. "We can't get in the way, there's no telling what will happen."

"Ron," Harry said sharply, "can you hear their thoughts, the giants I mean; can you tell what they're thinking?"

"No," Ron answered, "I've been trying all night, but all I'm getting is fog, just a jumble of noise that doesn't make sense."

Just then Professor Flitwick appeared from the direction of the giants, and met the party of Ministry officials just a few yards from where the three students were hiding.

"Minister Weasley," he said politely.

"Just acting, Filius," replied Mr. Weasley with a smile, "but I am here in my official capacity to attempt to reason with our potential allies.

"Yes, yes," replied Professor Flitwick brightly, "Professor Dumbledore's been expecting you."

"Excellent, will you be doing the introductions then?"

"Well, that's just it," Flitwick said a bit nervously, "Professor Dumbledore would rather you not enter the conversations just yet; there may be a problem."

"Problem?"

"It appears they're waiting for you, Arthur, the giants that is, and it's not at all clear that their motives are entirely... good natured, shall we say?" He made a few steps toward the castle, taking Arthur Weasley by the arm. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to wait at the castle, for just a few minutes. When things become clearer, I'll come to bring you down."

"Ridiculous," responded Mr. Weasley, as he pulled his arm from Flitwick's grasp, and then turning to his entourage. "I'm very well protected, I can assure you. Gentlemen, let's proceed."

Against Professor Flitwick's gentle recommendations, the group of wizards made their way toward the flickering light, disappearing as they passed over a knoll.

"Dumbledore knows," Harry whispered.

"Knows what?" asked Ron.

"He can read a mind as well as anyone, Ron," answered Hermione. "Either he knows something's wrong, or he's picking up the same mental shield your own mind can't penetrate, and that's almost as good an indicator to suggest there's evil at play here."

"I don't think something's wrong," Harry said sharply. "I know it. It smells of Voldemort, I can feel it in my veins. Let's go!" He stood to run, but Hermione grabbed his arm just as she had Ron's.

"Go and do what?" she asked harshly. "What are we going to do that the Hogwarts' senior staff and four Aurors aren't going to be able to do?" She could see Harry pressing to run. "Relax, you've got to believe Dumbledore knows what he's doing."

"They work for Voldemort, and I've got to tell him! He may not know; he might hesitate, and... I don't know... I've got to--"

"Harry, you've got to calm down. If--" but the point was mute. While Harry and Hermione argued, Ron was making his way toward the back of the flickering bonfires.

"Damn!" Hermione spat, as they watched Ron sprint up to the top of the knoll to catch the attention of his father and the others. "Okay then, Harry, move quickly, and move quietly."

They ran as fast as they could to catch Ron, but he was much faster than either of them on foot, and in a flash he too had disappeared over the knoll to the other side where the meeting of massive proportions was taking place.

"This is bad," breathed Hermione as she ran up the knoll.

"No," panted Harry at her side, "it's a giant mistake."