Love's Greatest Sacrifice

Hermione, and Ron as promised, had gone straight to the library after that discussion. Well, after they had told Harry what had been going on. Hermione felt it best to leave out some of the more self-sacrificial details, to ensure that Harry wouldn't worry. She did however explain why she had been so upset the other day, and that she had a feeling the ghost had been a vision of Ron's death. It probably hadn't helped that Hermione was leaking giant tears during the explanation, but Harry seemed beyond stunned at the suggestion of Ron's possible death. So Ron, perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable about it as well, dragged Hermione off to the library in a frenzy.

"He needed to talk about it!" Hermione scolded.

"No, he was about to asked how it probably happens, and I don't quite feel like discussing that with him."

"Fine," Hermione mumbled as the entered the library.

They spent close to four hours there but came up with nothing.

"Since when are protection spells so hard to find?" Ron asked sleepily.

"I have no idea."

Hermione gazed irritably at the dusty yellow pages in front of her. Surely there would be some perfect spell on the next page, she told herself. She glanced at Ron, whose eyes were starting to slide out of focus. Hermione stared at his long forehead, his lips, which had a long, slanted, dimpled kind of look at the moment. It wasn't a smile, she thought, it was just a funny Ron face.

She could understand his feeling of wanting to give your life for someone.

Ron scribbled a few things down, then slammed his books shut.

"Well, it's nine o' clock." Ron said, stretching. "Do you think we could resume this edifying activity tomorrow?" he said in a fake, upper-class accent.

"Well, yes," she yawned, "I suppose."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, they returned to the library after classes had ended. They sat in silence for a bit, one of them occasionally copying down something potentially useful. Ron looked out the window, then checked his watch.

"Would you look at this weather? Sunny and warm in late November. Perfect quidditch playing weather."

"Mmm hmm."

"Speaking of quidditch," he added slyly, "I have practice. Hate to miss out on all the fun, but put work before pleasure I say."

"Har, har," Hermione said without looking up. "Go on then."

She stayed in the library a few more hours, scanning the book shelves. She sighed, once again feeling the anxiety of the situation take effect. She skimmed dozens of books, feeling ridiculous and helpless. For the first time in her life, books had failed her. However, she refused to lose hope just yet.

Books had always been her safe haven. She had never felt safer or more confident with anything else in the world. Except, perhaps, with Ron. Suddenly thoughts of red hair and clumsy smiles penetrated her tired mind.

Get yourself in gear! You can't let him risk it all. she thought hurriedly.

She returned to the table with a thick volume and vigorously scanned the index. Flipping to a likely page, an image caught her eye. Underneath the illustration of the ghostly blue figure, Hermione read:

Renuntiatio Eidolonus

(warning specter)

A commonly misinterpreted apparition, the Renuntiatio Eidolonus (more

often referred to as the warning specter) is the spiritual manifestation of a

death omen. Once thought to be the inevitable foreshadowing of a loved ones

death, the warning specter has recently been proven to be just that: a warning.

The spirit is sent out by a powerful determination in a person's psyche, if said

person has recently embarked on potentially lethal plans. The specter is said

to be a protection device, in the sense that it provides a preemptive knowledge of

a person's possible death, thus giving the recipient the ability to stop it.

However, the warning specter can only appear to a loved one willing to sacrifice

his or her life for the person of whom the specter belongs. Therefore, it is a

somewhat rare and seldom understood premonition.

Hermione could feel relief washing over her like a tsunami. So she could stop it. maybe she already had by telling Ron.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron had looked for Harry ever since he had disappeared after quidditch practice. He weaved in and out of the hallways, starting to get worried. Harry wasn't one to just wander off without telling him. After every Harry-less corridor, Ron worried more and more. He traipsed, for the sixth time, up the stairs to the Griffindor common room. No Harry. Of course.

Feeling as if the eighth time might be the charm, he returned to the quidditch field. No Harry. Of course. Ron sighed.

He scanned the stadium for any sign of black hair and glasses. Through the blinding sunlight, Ron thought he saw a bespectacled person standing in the middle of the field.

"Wait a minute...." Ron said aloud.

Harry was standing in the field. But it was a blue, iridescent Harry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione read on.

It is said that if one receives a visit from a warning specter, a very ancient

spell may be in order. This ancient spell of course, is the Love-binding spell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron positively bolted into the middle of the field.

"Harry," he panted as he stood in front of the specter. "I mean, well, not 'Harry' but... Do you, er, have something to tell me?" he said nervously.

The ghost Harry simply waved a hand, motioning for Ron to follow. He floated quickly across the school grounds towards the Whomping Willow, with Ron close behind him.

"Is he... in there?" Ron asked questionably. "In the shrieking shack?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione, utterly intrigued, continued to scan the page...

...It ensures that if the loved one who received the warning is not able to prevent

the death, the distributor of the warning specter will still be spared. This spell

involves the self-sacrifice of the loved one's life in exchange for the endangered's.

Once this spell has been performed, any Avada Kedavra curse that may be

directed at the original endangered person will automatically affect the loved

one instead. The beauty of the spell, is that it does not need the endangered

person's permission. All one needs is an organic sample of the person.

(whether it be hair, blood, spit, etc.)

This spell, however, being irreversible and severely under tested, is not

recommended.

"RON!!" Hermione shouted after she had burst out of the library, clutching the book. "Ron, where are you?! You're safe! And I know how to protect you for the rest of... my life." she croaked.