Harry Potter and the Maneosioan War

Chapter 17

Lost and Found

"What?" Harry breathed.

He attempted to snatch the paper out of her hands to see for himself, but Hermione simply folded it neatly and began tapping it against her hand as she paced up and down the room.

"Should we tell someone?" she suddenly stopped and asked Harry anxiously.

"What do you mean?" said Harry, still trying to stick one thing to another. "She's a registered Animagus, Hermione. You really think no one knows?"

"I just can't believe I didn't see it before..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Harry, I saw the list in third year, don't you remember? I even knew that Sirius, Peter, and your father shouldn't have been Animagi - "

"Don't - " he said angrily.

"I'm sorry, Harry! I know it's not something you want to discuss, but we can't escape it! This is kind of important, if you know what I mean!"

"Right..."

"Harry please don't be like this...you're not doing anyone any favors!"

"I know, okay! I said all right!" Harry yelled only to see Hermione staring back at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm - I'm so sorry, Hermione. I - I didn't mean to - "

"That's all right, Harry. I understand that this is something difficult for you...I'm sorry too."

There was a bit of an awkward silence as Harry attempted to avoid looking straight into Hermione's face and Hermione seemed to be pondering with her hand up against her chin.

"You know what I think, Harry?" she finally said.

"Huh? What?"

"I think Narcissa doesn't really want us to know. I mean, I'm sure Dumbledore knows about it and so, but I'm sure that it's not something that she's about to claim to her students like Professor McGonagall. Why don't we just leave this alone?"

Harry thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

They exited the Room of Requirements and walked back to the Great Hall together.

"What kind of animal do you think she would transform into?" he asked curiously.

"Me?" she said immediately.

"Yeah, you, Hermione. Who else could I be talking to?"

"Oh - no, I just thought you said - um, never mind. Well, Professor Malfoy...I dunno, Harry. What about you? What do you think?"

"Well, for one, I don't know how people even consider becoming Animagi after reading the book. It's awful. I mean, first of all, it's painful in the beginning. Second, you've got all these weird senses to get accustomed to - "

"Yeah, but, I mean, I'm sure that you'd get used to it after a while..."

"I guess," said Harry. "So, I don't know either. Maybe a jaguar..."

"A jaguar?" said Hermione, laughing. "Harry, you're not serious!"

"Well you didn't say anything so - " said Harry, blushing.

"All right, all right...hmmm....I'd say....maybe...a fox?"

"A fox? Yeah, I think I could see that...how about a ferret?"

"Harry!"

"I was just joking!"

Harry and Hermione had decided not to inform either Ron, Neville, Ginny, or Luna of what they had found out, but rather preferred to keep that information to themselves. If Narcissa really was an Animagus, so be it, but the whole school didn't have to know. They weren't even supposed to know it in the first place.

"I see you all have read the material. That is good, but today we will go even further into the Animism Spell. Does anyone know who may use such a Spell?"

"Someone hit in the head?" suggested Harry.

"Not the time for a joke, Mr. Potter. It is never a time to joke in this class. Anyone other than Mr. Potter, please? Ms. Granger, you seem peculiarly quiet today?"

"Wha - oh. Sorry, Professor. Um...well, I suppose someone who might desire to produce a new species of animal? A legal, species, that is. Unlike something of the sort such as dementors - "

"You're telling me that dementors were created by - "

"Mr. Thomas, do you have a problem with handling your own mouth? Or is it that it seems to have the peculiar idea of not being quiet when required?"

"Sorry, Professor," he mumbled.

"Indeed, what Ms. Granger has noted is correct. Creatures such as dementors and even werewolves were created by spells such as this. Mind you, it would take magicians years to figure how to use the Spells correctly, only to get them right, and that is why it has caused so much torture. However, that is initially how some magical beings were developed. Now, moving on, for an essay, I want you to research any possible creatures whom you may believe may have been created by the Animism Spell. Next lesson we shall see your opinions and we shall know the truth about some of them. Two scrolls in the least!"

Harry was about to groan, but then held himself back, and he had the feeling as if much of the class did the same.

"So there's hippogriffs, veelas, vampires, werewolves...um...I can't think anymore!"

"Harry, you have to try!"

"Easy for you to say, Hermione," groaned Ron, "you've already written like five scrolls when she only asked for two. Two! I thought you were good at Arithmancy!"

"I'm going to bed," said Hermione curtly before Ron could continue to rant and, picking up her books, left to the girl's dormitory.

"What d'you do that for?" snapped Harry. "She could have helped."

"Yeah, well, does she have to be such a know-it-all?"

Harry raised his eyebrows.

Ron narrowed his eyes, thinking. "Yeah," both boys finally announced together, returning to their essays.

"Say, Ron, just out of curiosity, do you - what animal do you think Professor Malfoy would turn into if - if she was an Animagus?"

"Er, why?"

"Just wondering," Harry shrugged.

"Well, I suppose something like a tiger or - "

"Yeah, why is that?"

"I dunno. I suppose it's something in her eyes."

"What d'you mean?"

"Have you ever looked into a person's eyes and could just tell their personality? I mean, it's kind of natural."

"Er, no - not really."

"Not even Hermione?"

Harry though about it for while and then said, "Well, yeah. I mean, when I look into her eyes, I can see her love for me and I can see when she's concerned and - "

"All right, all right, let's not get carried away," Ron brushed away his comments. "The point is, you can just - I mean you can just often tell, can't you?"

"I guess," said Harry, still thinking about it. "So what would be my personality, Ron?"

Ron looked at him as if he was insane. "Harry, that's just wrong, okay. Why don't you ask a girl that question?"

"Fine, be that way! I thought you were my friend."

"Yeah, friend, better come up with something more for this essay or we'll both fail."

"Right...what about...merpeople?"

"Yeah, that'd do! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you were unconscious for most of the time."

"But still..."

"Anyway....what else...?"

"I think I'll turn in for the night and finish this in Charms tomorrow morning."

"I don't think you can."

"Yeah...well, it can't be perfect, can it? 'Night Harry."

Harry looked down at the essay and sighed, flipping through the stacks of books on the table and eventually scribbling down whatever he could and going to bed himself.

"Now that you all have turned in your essays, which I trust were written only to your best capabilities, I'm sure that some of you would like to know for a fact which of the creatures that you have proposed could possibly have been created with the Animism Spell."

Harry tried hard not to think whether Ron was finishing his essay in Charms at this very moment, but then decided that he probably wasn't going to bother.

"Who would like to volunteer? Anyone?"

Parvati raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Patil?"

"What about unicorns?"

"Unicorns were actually created as they are. They were not bred in any manner. Although they may seem to be a mix between horses and something like goats, I assure you that they were not bred. Anyone else care to take a gander?"

Parvati seemed slightly put out.

"Dragons?" said Seamus.

"Wrong again, I'm afraid, but a good guess. Think of a something of a mix between humans now, those were all animals."

"What about veelas?" said Hermione rather stiffly.

"There's one," said Narcissa calmly. "Anyone know what an earlier breed of the veela was known as?"

"Erm...a siren?" said Dean Thomas.

"Very good, Mr. Thomas. Yes, sirens. Although they seem to have been part of the earlier mythological era, they certainly were the earlier version of today's veelas. They are a mix, as so many of you would guess, of dydrids - which are gigantic birds with the tails of reptiles - and, put it simply, witches.

"What about centaurs, merpeople, werewolves, dementors, vampires? Any of those?" she asked the class. "As a matter of fact, they all were."

"Not goblins or house-elves, surely?" said Hermione, her eyes wide.

"Well, Miss Granger, I wouldn't be so sure about house-elves. You see, they haven't been around as they have been for all eternity, if you know what I mean. I believe that they were something of a mix between goblins and wild elves, but that really could not have been done with this Spell. Remember, this is about a mix between animals and humans."

"How about aquapaths?" said Harry curiously.

"Peculiarly enough, Mr. Potter, not enough is known about the aquapaths to exactly suggest something like that. It would seem so, but no. Aquapaths are creatures too powerful for anyone to meddle with. Ancient people believed them to be gods and used to worship them us such, just as sea monsters and demons like Scylla. But no."

"Oh, what about a hippogriff?"

"Another guess, but, once again, that is an animal."

"Professor Malfoy," said Harry. "I may be only curios, but how were dementors created with this Spell. I mean, what were they a mix of?"

"Good question, Mr. Potter. Dementors, actually, were created with two of the Eternal Spells. One being the Animism Spell and the other if anyone should guess, the Transferral Spell. I believe that they were also the result of demonic possession as an illegal practice. Dementors are still being studied even today and it is still curious as to why not all muggles tend to see dementors."

"Not all muggles, Professor?"

"There are those few who seldom are able to see what they call shadows of dementors, claiming them to be demonic spirits from the Realm of Death. And I assure you, demons do exist, but they are even invisible to a magician's eye. However, demons are not what most muggles imagine when they see them rather as horned lizards or something of the sort. Demons are usually characterized to be present at the hand of murder or something of the sort. You can often tell when a demon is acting withing you, but I assure you that no one in this class in near demon possession, so let us move on from this topic. Yes, Miss Brown..."

The lesson continued as they discussed further inclinations of the Animism Spell and the types of effects that it had on the receiver.

Professor Malfoy announced that the eighth spell that they were going to be dealing with would be called the Astral Spell where a star would be cursed to have a certain effect on a person.

Lavender Brown passed Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they were eating lunch that day. Harry watched her suspiciously for any sign of giggles, raised eyebrows, pointing, or all of the above. Instead, she seemed to mindlessly keep walking and sit herself next to Parvati only a couple of seats away, not even glancing at them once.

Harry turned to Hermione.

"So, are we going to do anything about Lavender?"

"Don't you worry about that too. I've taken care of it."

"So what did you tell her?"

"I didn't. I erased he memory.'

"You did what?!" Ron nearly fell out of his seat.

"You heard me. I had no choice, Harry, I'm sorry."

"But, you could get into serious trouble for that, Hermione."

"I know, but people kept coming up to me, asking what Lavender was taking about. I could tell that she hadn't spilled the whole truth, but it seemed that she was definitely on the verge of being completely out in the open."

Harry was speechless and Ron was staring at her with his mouth hanging open his fork half-way to his mouth.

"I think you need to see Madam Pomfrey, Hermione. Honestly," said Ron.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because your showing signs of mental insanity. I mean, how could you do that?! She shares a dorm with you! Don't you feel guilty?"

"I wouldn't feel guilty, Ron, if I knew that she'd keep her mouth shut."

Ron didn't say anything but continued to grumble over his food.

"She's got a point," Harry told him.

"I dunno, Harry. I'm still worried about her."

"Oh, Ron, that's so sweet!" she said in an overly high-pitched voice, folding her hands over her heart and kissing him on the cheek. "You're such a ickle-wickle sweetie pie!"

Ron looked as if he'd just seen a Crumple Horned Snorlak.

He turned to Harry. "I'm serious, man. You've gotta get this one to the Hospital Wing."

Hermione began laughing and shook her head saying, "Ron, you know we still have to pretend, right? Trust me, I haven't lost my mind. If anything, you should make sure that essay of yours is up to scratch. I'm sure Professor Malfoy will have more than one look at it."

"Yeah, right...whatever..." he said, returning to his food. "Aaaargh!" he suddenly fell backward on his chair, dropping his fork to the floor and grabbing his foot in pain. Crookshanks emerged serenely from under the table.

"Crookshanks!" breathed Hermione, picking up her cat. "Did the mean little boy hurt you?"

"Hurt it? Hurt it? Look what it did to me, Hermione! You know, my foot might be bleeding!" said Ron furiously, getting up and clutching his foot.

"I wonder what he's doing here. Last time I checked, he was in the Gryffindor common room. Do you think Ginny might have let him out?"

"Hermione! I'm kind of in pain here."

"Oh, don't be so pathetic, Ron. Listen, can you take him back upstairs for me?"

Ron got up and faced her. "Take it upstairs? After what it just - ?"

"Ron! First of all, it's not an 'it.' His name is Crookshanks. Second of all, it's what any good boyfriend would do, right Harry?" she said teasingly.

Ron snatched the cat from her hands. "Hey, be gentle with him!" cried Hermione. Unwillingly and grumbling worse than ever, Ron made his way up to the Gryffindor common room.

"You can't make this easy for him, can you?" said Harry, shaking his head.

"Well...no," said Hermione, grinning and sitting down. "It's him that's making it hard. I'm just trying to play along and he's...well...not trying."

"That's Ron for you."

"I guess you're right. Have you worked on anything with Matt yet?"

"Does it look like I've had the chance to do that?"

Hermione thought about it for a moment and then said, "Not really."

"That's what I thought. I don't even know when to work on this. It's either school or the war. Take your pick.'

"This is kind of more important that school, here, Harry."

"You're right, Hermione. I really need to budge up, fit this into my schedule, and then go through school in any way I can. So I'll probably be failing a few classes - " Harry stopped at the sight of her screwed up face.

"All right, all right, so I won't be failing any classes. I'll just...I have no idea what to do."

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll help you out."

"Thanks, Hermione. There should honestly be more people like you in the world."

"Don't you wish that?" she said with a grin.

"Hey, watch it there, Lavender's still within earshot."

Hermione laughed, shaking her head until they saw Ron coming back, his face slightly while and solemn.

"Ron, what's wrong? You look terrible!" said Hermione seriously.

Ron sat down across from the two and said, "Um, Harry...there's....something you need to know. There's...been a break in..."

"What?" said Harry and Hermione together.

"The Portrait Hole was removed by...something..."

"So the Fat Lady's not there?"

Ron shook his head. "And...er...there's something else..."

"What?" said Harry suspiciously.

"Um...Harry...nothing was taken...but we think...I mean, your trunk was open and we think..."

"That they took something of mine?" said Harry. "Why would they do that? I don't have anything to take of importance."

"Harry, are you sure?" asked Hermione, looking concerned. Harry thought about it and they decided to get up and look for himself. What did he have? Maybe they took some of his money, but he doubted that any student would break into a common room just to take some galleons.

Ron and Hermione followed him up to Gryffindor tower where he found a group of students whispering together and standing outside of the entrance as if afraid to go inside in case the thief came back.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way past them as they stared and their whispers intensified.

As they made their way to the boy's dormitory, Harry opened the door slowly. Hermione stayed outside and agreed to wait for the both of them.

Harry saw his four-poster and looked around to see the dormitory deserted. He came to his trunk, where he saw that the top was, in fact, thrown open. He bent over on his knees and began searching through. What would they take...what would someone want? He thought of the gifts that Sirius had given him and be searched down to the very bottom of his trunk, but they seemed to be all there. He suddenly grasped his chest for a sign of the necklace that his grandmother had given him and had just realized that he had taken it off. He looked at the bedside table, searching through books and drawers but it wasn't there. He looked back to see the mirror, but that was gone too.

Lifting the trunk top so that it almost closed Harry stood up slowly.

"What's up?" asked Ron. "Harry, did you - what the bloody hell?"

Harry backed away from the trunk. On top of it, a green smoky skull with a snake coming out of its mouth was engraved.

"It's the Dark Mark," Harry whispered.

"Harry?" Hermione called from outside. "Harry, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, come on in, Hermione," said Harry in a voice unlike his own.

"Harry what happen - " Hermione froze as she reached the two boys and saw the mark, gasping and raising a hand to her mouth. "Who could have done this?" she said, looking at Harry with her eyes wide.

"Yeah...and why," said Harry.

"What did they take?" Hermione asked.

"They...they don't want me to keep in contact with Cilia. She must know something..."

"I don't understand. How could they - ?"

"I don't know. I have to go and see Dumbledore."

Hermione nodded and looked once more at the trunk sternly.

As Harry was walking to the Headmaster's office, all he could think was why would anyone want to stop him communication with his grandmother. It made no sense whatsoever. What could she know that someone like Dumbledore couldn't tell him? And even if they did have a good enough reason, whoever they were, how did they break into Gryffindor tower and just who the heck did they think they were?

After reaching the gargoyle and guessing at several passwords once more, Harry was finally let in and practically burst into his office without the regard for manners. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk and examining a rather large piece of parchment.

"Sir?" panted Harry.

Dumbledore looked up.

"Is something wrong, Harry?"

"Er...someone's broken into our common room, sir."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly and continued to look at the parchment.

"You - you're aware of it? Er...sir...they - they took something of mine. Sir, I don't think that they want me to keep in contact with Cilia. Do you - do you have any idea why that would be, sir?"

"Something like a break in is bound to stay secret for about two seconds after its occurrence due to the circumstances which we are in, Harry," he spoke. Dumbledore looked up and walked around his desk. "I do not think that they could have been aware of the fact that the Order has other ways of communicating with each other. Fawkes" - he turned to the phoenix - "I believe you heard what Harry just said. Would you kindly inform Mrs. Potter that she is not to attempt to communicate with him through either item, although I am more than sure that she will be able to figure it out for herself?"

Within seconds, the phoenix burst into a flame and its song pierced the room.

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a peculiar look on his face.

"Harry, who do you think would have done this?"

"Er," Harry was taken aback at being asked the question. "I don't exactly know, sir."

"You haven't a clue?"

"No sir," Harry shook his head. "Do you?"

"I have a suspicion, and nothing more, Harry, that whoever did this was most definitely not a student."

Harry looked perplexed. "Why do you say that, sir?"

"Simply because whoever did this must have clearly known that you were in contact with Cilia. And the only people that knew of her coming here were only those that you met at the lighthouse, Harry."

"So you're saying that whoever did this is the traitor, sir?"

"Whoever did this, Harry, doesn't want you to know about an upcoming death."

"Sir?"

"Cilia is the only known banshee alive who is not a servant of Lord Voldemort, Harry, and she also happens to be your grandmother. If he is planning something, it is to kill me, but my death could just predict his coming here, to the school."

"Of course...why didn't I think of it before!" Harry said to himself.

"So, you see, Harry, Cilia could have proved to be rather useful in times like these, but, unfortunately, thanks to someone's rather handy work, I'm afraid that we will never find out."

"Sir, could I ask you something?"

"You may, Harry."

"Um...I don't want to sound as if this is something that scares me or anything, but, sir, I - earlier on Draco Malfoy...he said something. He - he told me...that he knew how to get me to Voldemort."

Dumbledore looked at him, deep in though, he felt as if his eyes were piercing right through him. "Harry, do you have any idea what Mr. Malfoy might know, by any chance?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

He walked over to him. "What I mean, is that, would Mr. Malfoy know of any relations that you might currently be having."

"Er...no, sir?"

"Harry...about Miss Granger..."

"What about her?" Harry said very quickly and almost immediately.

Dumbledore smiled.

"Just take care of her, Harry."said Dumbledore and walked back to his desk where he began to examine his parchment again.

"You know nothing, sir," Harry suddenly said furiously. "You know nothing about that..."

Dumbledore looked at him, blinking. "Harry, has anyone ever told you that all of the answers that you are searching for can be found as if through a looking-glass, in one's eyes."

Harry looked at him. "Ron said that."

"Another extraordinary person like Miss Granger and yourself. I believe he got that from Miss Lovegood."

"That would explain it," Harry whispered to himself.

"Take care, Harry. I assure that mark will be removed from your trunk soon enough, you need not worry. Other than that, just make sure that your plans with Mr. Thompson go smoothly...and, Harry...watch your dreams, please. I have a feeling you haven't seen the last of what has started tonight."

"Okay," said Harry, nodding, and left his office with something to ponder about.

When Harry got back to the tower, he met Hermione and Ron sitting on at one of the tables and talking together. Harry came up to them and Hermione immediately asked, "What did he say?"

"He reckons it's not a student," said Harry, taking a seat.

"Well, of course it wasn't a student!" said Hermione at once. "To think! Taking out the Portrait hole and leaving the Dark Mark - I should think not!"

"I think you made your point, Hermione," said Ron.

"He reckons Malfoy might know, though," said Harry, not looking at Hermione.

He saw her eyes widen. "Know? Know what? What in Heaven's sake - ?"

"About us."

"Us?"

"Us?"Ron repeated.

"About Hermione and I, Ron," said Harry.

"How in blazes would he know that?" said Ron.

"He went on about some rubbish about my eyes," said Harry, shrugging.

"Not like...what I said, was it?" said Ron, bewildered.

"Sort of," said Harry simply.

"What should we do, Harry?" said Hermione.

"Do? Hermione, you're usually the one with all the answers!" he shot at her.

"Yeah, well, why don't you try it for a turn, Harry?" said Hermione furiously.

"Me?"

"Yes. Why do I always have to be the one to tell you what to do? Why does it all have to be - ?"

"Oh, don't even start with that, Hermione, you know perfectly well that every time we're out there on an adventure, it's me that's got to - "

"How dare you, Harry! Ron and I - all right, well, I do just as much as - "

"Maybe you do, but that's no reason to - "

"Maybe? Maybe? Maybe you'd better appreciate what's in front of you Harry while you still have it!" yelled Hermione and, picking up her books, slammed her chair furiously into the table and left.

Harry watched her go and couldn't tell if he was feeling more pain or resentment at the moment, but he could tell that he had a fair doze of both.

"Mental, she is," said Ron, shaking his head.

"Sod off, Ron," said Harry and, watching the stricken expression on his face, Harry left him alone in the common room, walking up to the boy's dormitory and getting ready for bed.

The next couple of days were probably some of the worst that Harry had ever had in his life. He, Ron, and Hermione were not only talking to each other, but they were studying in separate rooms at all costs. Not only that, but they couldn't even stand to see each other in the same room. Not that Harry minded, but Hermione would show signs of repulsion every time she saw Harry and would leave. Ron didn't seem to mind either, but Harry got so fed up with his sulky self, sitting within corners and avoiding looking at Harry that he often found that it would be best if he left the room as well. All three avoided sitting next to each other during classes and Harry couldn't even tell them that the Dark Mark had been removed from his trunk or anything whatsoever since each would either turn away from him whenever they got within each other's sight or look as if they had smelled something particularly nasty under their nose.

Harry was so tiered of this routine that he didn't know whether it would be better to try talking to them or leave it alone, lest it got worse. He knew that he had apologies that he had to make, but just as he was about to come up to Hermione in the common room, Matt called out to him from across the room and Harry had no choice than to turn around and walk the other way.

"What's up?" he said.

"I'll tell you what's not up, Potter. Your plans. I though we were supposed to work this through, remember?" said Matt. "I thought you wanted to help this school, but I guess I thought wrong."

"No - I do. I really do I just - so many things have been going on at the same time that I've barely had time to think - "

"Yeah, well, better start looking for time, or we just might run out. Listen, meet me in the library tomorrow and maybe we can work something out. I know my dad's going to meet with you pretty soon, so we better have something planned out. Look, just meet me there around six so that we'll have enough time to get everything together, all right?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Harry, nodding.

He looked over where Hermione was sitting a moment ago and noticed that she was gone.

Sighing, he turned in for the night and, going up to the boy's dormitory, climbed into his four-poster and slumbered off to sleep.

"I know how to get him the one thing that he needs to stay alive..you, Potter," sneered Malfoy somewhere off in a haze.

Harry looked around and saw that he was amongst a very foggy mist though which Malfoy's voice seemed to echo.

"You'll never win, Malfoy! You're a lousy captain and you were an even worse excuse for a human being. You'll never win, you hear me?! Never!"

He heard Malfoy laugh in return.

"Have I touched a nerve?" he laughed even harder. As Malfoy's laughing face sneered somewhere through the haze, Harry attempted to grasp at it, but eventually felt the mist swim over him like a lake of water and he was in another vision.

He was in the Chamber of Secrets. He walked around, starring at the stone pillars that occupied the underground tunnels. As it had been destroyed four years ago, there it stood fully renewed. Harry wondered if there was another basilisk and whipped around in fright. He turned around once more only to see a person standing with his back to him. Oh, no, wait...it was a woman with long hair. She had her back to Harry and her hands were intertwined at her back and she was wearing a Hogwarts robe. Harry hesitated firstly and then slowly came up to her, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "Who - ?"

The woman turned around solemnly and he looked into the face of his mother, clearly in her Hogwarts years and looking at him with glassy eyes.

"M-mum?" he asked.

She forced a very small smile which suddenly turned into an equally small frown and her eyes filled with sorrow.

"M-Mum what are you doing here? This is the Chamber of Secrets! We have to get out! M-mum?"

The woman turned her head and looked away to another direction. Harry followed her gaze and saw the dead body of Sirius lying there.

His eyes widened and ran up to him.

"Sirius! Sirius, wake up! Sirius!" Harry tried to shake him, but his head lolled to the side and he didn't stir. There were blood marks all over his body and he lay in a pool of what resembled his own blood. "S-Sirius," Harry whispered through tears that he found forming themselves at his throat.

He looked back at Lily and saw that she was still staring at them both, wearing the same frown. Suddenly she opened her mouth and let out something which sounded very much like a sweet, sweet song.

She sung strange words in one phrase and then stopped.

"M-mum?" said Harry. He looked at Sirius's dead body and them back at her, then gasped. Lily was gone and Tom was standing in her place, looking sternly at Harry.

He began to walk toward him and Sirius and Harry grasped for his wand, but it wasn't there. Instead, all he could find was his grandmother's locket and, as he looked into it, he saw his grandmother's face calling to him. "Harry, run! Harry, save yourself! You have to get out!"

"I can't!" he yelled back at her. "I have to save the others!" he cried, though he was not exactly sure who the others were.

"Noooo....Harry...Noooo...." cried Cilia as Harry watched Tom shadow himself above him and Harry saw his grandmother's face disappear.

Harry stood up full height and said, "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Tom smirked and suddenly turned into Lord Voldemort. Harry watched as his piercing red eyes looked at Harry with hate and his scar burst open with pain, but Harry didn't stir.

"I'm not afraid of you, either," he said as if he felt there was a need to say those words. He looked into his eyes with most difficulty and saw his rage to get his hands at Harry and murder him, but he saw something else there. Something that he hadn't noticed before, and it was as if everything had been happening all over again - everything was flashing before his eyes again. And there she was - Lily again. Harry didn't know when it had happened, but his mother was standing before him. This time, they were not in the Chamber of Secrets, but it was only the two of them. Lily smiled and laughed, taking Harry's hands and she leaned over to kiss his forehead. She let go of his hands and slowly began to walk away, waving her hand at him and her face returning to the small frown that she had earlier. Harry waved back and he could feel the dream ending...he would have expected himself to wake, but it was as if something held him back. Harry suddenly opened his eyes fully and saw himself at the front of what seemed like hundreds of hooded and masked figures, all standing as if in one army and facing him.

"My Lord," one of them croaked, "how long will it take?"

Harry stroked his icy chin and said, "They're planning something...but no matter...I'd say...give it enough time and it will only be too easy to say when and how...I still have loyalties there....we'll have to work from inside out..."

"And then, my Lord?" asked another Death Eater anxiously.

Harry turned his head toward him and said, "And then...we do what we do best, gentlemen...we attack...but first...we need a hostage..."

"A hostage, my Lord?"

"But who?"

"Silence! It cannot be anyone within Hogwarts, since it is only too well protected, but I believe I can think of just the thing that will work.."

"My Lord?"

"We'll aim for his heart...that always gets the fool...Tetra!" he barked at a Death Eater.

A dark figure stepped forward and nodded it's head.

"I'll need to induce a plan with you. You will be working individually during our little...Hogwarts reunion..." Voldemort laughed and his Death Eaters followed suit, though Harry could tell that they had no idea why they were laughing. "Salience!" he said. Voldemort turned around from them and said to himself, "It is only a matter of time, Harry Potter...I hope you hear this...because I'm coming to get you...and this time, you will not escape." Harry felt his mouth stretch out into a horrible grin and could tell that he was laughing inside only moments before he woke up breathing deeply from another vision that was, unfortunately, as real as it got.

Chapter 18

A Plan for a Plan

Harry woke up panting, unsure if he was still in a dream or if he was in his own bed; everything seemed blurry. Then, he remembered that his glasses were on the bedside table. He reached for them and put them on hurriedly, still breathing deeply. They were going to take a hostage...someone was in danger...Voldemort was coming for him...Harry felt so lost that he had not idea what to think. He suddenly realized that it was still dark and he could now hear Ron's snores from the four-poster next to his.

"Ron! Ron!" Harry called. He knew that it wouldn't be that easy to get him to wake up, so he unraveled his bed sheets and came over to where Ron was sleeping.

"Ron, get up!" he hissed in his ear. Ron's hand moved around and hit Harry hard on the face.

"Urgh....wha -? Who happened?" said Ron, whipping his eyes and getting up. Harry was rubbing his face.

"Oh, sorry, there, I didn't mean to - oh, it's you, Harry, that's okay then."

"Thanks, Ron," said Harry, still rubbing his face furiously. "Listen," said Harry, stopping and turning to him in the dark, "I'm sorry about before, but you're my best friend Ron, and I really need your help. I've got to tell you something. Come on!" Ron raised and eyebrow as if unsure if he should trust him but then nodded and got up, following Harry downstairs to the common room.

As they made their way toward the couch before the fireplace in the common room, Harry was surprised to see Hermione sitting there with a blanket on her lap. She turned her head toward them and he saw that her face was blank with misery and she mumbled, "I couldn't sleep," at the two boys.

Harry walked over to her and said, "I'm sorry, Hermione," apologetically and, taking both of her hands, he kissed the top of her head. "I was acting like a real jerk before. To both of you. I was just really stressed out with everything."

"I know, Harry. I guess we were too," said Hermione, smiling. "I guess that even we sometimes forget how hard it is for all of us at this time. Especially, you, Harry. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you."

"But I shouldn't have said what I said. I didn't mean it," said Harry. "You and Ron do so much for me that, if it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead."

"Yeah, probably," said Ron, sitting down and grinning.

"Is everything all right, Harry?" asked Hermione, looking at him.

Harry knew that he had sweat on his forehead and was probably looking extremely pale, so he said, "Of course everything isn't all right. When has it every been? I had another night mare."

"Why do you think I couldn't stay in the girl's dormitory? Ginny kept muttering in her sleep again," said Hermione furiously.

"Aw, damn!" said Harry. He had forgotten about that.

"So did you want to say something, Harry?" Hermione continued.

"Er - yeah. I - it was so strange, I mean, I kept seeing my mother and then Sirius and then - it was all a real blur. And Malfoy was there - "

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

"And then the dream changed and I was Voldemort again. And he - he said that he was coming to get me. He knows that there's something that we're planning and he's going to take a hostage - "

"A hostage?" shrieked Hermione.

"Keep your voice down," whispered Harry.

"Right, sorry," whispered Hermione.

"Who's it going to be?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, but he said that he couldn't take anyone from Hogwarts, obviously, because it was so well protected, but he mentioned something to get at his heart.."

"Who's heart?" asked Hermione anxiously.

"I'm not sure," said Harry. "Mine, maybe."

"Harry, you don't know anyone outside of Hogwarts."

"You don't think...?" said Harry suddenly.

"Not Cilia, surely?" said Hermione.

"Oh, man, that would suck," said Ron.

"I don't think it's possible," said Harry, denying it. "No - they couldn't. Cilia's on the other side of the world. How could they - ?"

"Harry, they have their ways, but you also have to remember that Cilia is the only person that you have - "

"He wouldn't," said Harry, shaking his head. "He wouldn't dare."

"Harry, this is Lord Voldemort. He would do anything to - "

"No," said Harry defiantly. "He wouldn't."

"Harry!"

"I can tell."

"Harry, you can't pretend like this is - "

"I just know, Hermione. Trust me on this," he said and she suddenly stopped and nodded slowly.

"I trust you, Harry," she said in a small voice.

"Good," said Harry. "And I trust you. I trust both of you. But I need your help."

Ron and Hermione both nodded.

"Look, there's this other new Death Eater. Her name is Tetra."

"Tetra?" said Hermione. "Are you sure it's a she?"

"Well, it sounds like a girl's name."

"Yes, but - "

"But what, Hermione?"

"I'm just not sure, is all."

"Well, Tetra's going to be given some assignment by him and I have no idea who she is or what it is."

"Tetra...that's four..." Hermione mumbled. "..Four...four of what?"

"Hermione? What are you going on about?" asked Harry.

"Tetra is the prefix for the number four," said Hermione dreamily. "What would be a four?"

"It's probably just her name," said Ron.

"No, no," said Hermione. "It sounds significant."

"Well...whether it's significant or not, I'm not sure how important that is right now, but we just have to watch out for her or him or whatever."

"Right, so what do you want us to do?" asked Hermione.

"Take care of yourselves."

"What?" said Ron and Hermione at the same time.

"You heard me, I want you to watch out for both of yourselves. No matter what, you come first."

"Harry, this is - "

"No," said Harry, shacking his head and stopping her mid-sentence. "I mean it. You're pretty much all that I have left. All I need you to do is watch out for each other. Not me, not anyone else, but you. I don't know about my future. As far as I'm concerned, I might not have a future at all, but you should. I want you two to have a future. Hermione, if something happens to me, move on."

"What?" said Hermione, her face aghast.

"Move on. As long as it's not Draco Malfoy, I want you to have a life, I - "

"Harry, I don't think you realize what you're asking me - "

"I know," said Harry. "Ron, you two. You have a family and you have Luna. And you have Hermione. You two are great friends and cousins and I want you to look out for one another. Just do me a favor and if anything happens, promise me that you will move on."

"Harry, we can't - " said Ron.

"I don't care what you can and cannot do, Ron. The both of you. I need you to swear to me. Right now."

Both Ron and Hermione seemed as if they were looking at a ghost.

"Swear!" barked Harry.

"We promise, Harry," said Hermione with tears in her eyes. "We- we promise - "

"- That you'll move on."

"Yeah," said Ron gloomily.

"Good," said Harry. "Well, I'm glad that's settled," he said sounding as natural as he could make it.

Hermione shook her head, looking away from the two boys.

"Hermione..." said Harry, putting his hand gently on her arm as the firelight danced on his skin. "I'm sorry.."

She freed her arm of his touch and got up, looking furious with tears streaming down her face. "No, you know what, Harry, you're always sorry, but what about me? Did you even think about the effect that this would have on me? Or Ron? What about my heart? Do you even have any idea the pain that it's going through right now - "

"Hermione - " he reached for her hand.

"NO!" she yelled turning away from him.

Harry suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders furiously and turned her around, kissing her angrily on the lips. When he let go, both of them were breathing very heavily. Harry caught a glimpse of Ron and saw that he was looking away humbly.

"Don't do this to me, Harry..." she whispered. "Don't ever leave me," she said as she pressed her nose against his face and passed her fingers through his hair.

"I won't," Harry said. "I won't leave you, Hermione. But this is just so unpredictable that - "

Hermione silenced him by putting her fingers over his mouth.

"Shh," she whispered. "Don't speak. You tend to make things worse that way, Harry."

"Does it really matter that much?" he asked her softly.

"You have no idea," said Hermione, grinning.

"Well, this is all very exciting," said Ron over enthusiastically, getting up from the couch and clapping his hands together.

"You're breaking the moment, here," said Harry.

"Yeah, well, someone's gotta do it. It just happens to be the job of the sidekick, eh?"

Harry and Hermione laughed.

"Oh, Ron, what would we do without you?" asked Hermione, still laughing.

"Probably a hell of a lot more than your parents would call for, Hermione," said Ron teasingly.

"Oh, shut up!" she said, though still laughing.

She hugged Harry deeply and buried her face in his shirt.

Ron came up and hugged to other two.

"Roooon!" moaned Hermione.

"What? Am I supposed to believe that I have to be left out of this? Fat chance."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hugged for the next couple of minutes and then all decided to stay up on the couch and sleep there, Hermione in the center with the two boys leaning against her and sleeping as soundly as ever.

That day, Harry gathered anything that could help him make his plans with Matt, though he wasn't sure what good anything besides a parchment and some spare ink would do. Hermione wished him good luck as Harry went off to the library and gave him a spare kiss on the cheek and Ron gave him a pat on the back. "I'm not going off to war yet," he reminded them.

"There's my Keeper!" said Harry as he saw Matt approach him in the library.

"Yeah...let's not get sentimental, here," said Matt seriously. "Now, Potter, you've been pretty much slacking off so we're going to have to work extra hard to catch up to where we're supposed to be. Which is finished."

"Slacking off? Hey, just wait until you get to your sixth year, Thompson, and then we'll just see who'll be 'sacking off.'"

"Thankfully, I won't be because the war will be over by then," said Matt casually.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "Just how do you know that it'll be over? And just how do you know that you'll survive?"

"I have a hunch," shrugged Matt.

"Right..." said Harry suspiciously.

Matt and Harry both sat down on one of the tables at the library and Matt spread out a rather large piece of parchment on the desk. Harry looked at it and saw that it had the mapping of Hogwarts and the Quidditch stadium on it.

"Where d'you get that?" Harry asked him.

"Nicked it," he said.

Harry raised his eyebrows and Matt looked up at him. "I'm kidding, Potter. I got it from Dad," said the boy simply.

"All right," Harry began. "I was thinking that we set up our position as Slytherin sixth and seventh ears on the south east end of the field, Gryffindors on the northwest end of the field , Hufflepuffs on the northeast end of the field, and Ravenclaws on the southwest." He finished pointing at the map as he mentioned each House and looked up at Matt.

"Why?" asked Matt in a strange tone.

"Why?" Harry repeated. "Er...because I said so..."

"No, why are we on the northwest end of the field diagonal of the Slytherins? I mean, why are we all positioned like that?"

"So that we can have a proper balance at that."

"Do you honestly think the Slytherins will be willing to fight for our side?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Harry sarcastically, "so what you're saying is that they're just going to run off to their mummies and daddies and help fight with Voldermort, is that it?"

"Good's not in everyone, Potter. Only you seem to think that."

"Fine! Fine! So what's your idea, broom boy? Your father deals with Quidditch, you should know."

"One thing, Potter: don't call me 'broom boy'. Ever. Another thing: I'm not the one to do this, I'm just helping you out here, you're the mastermind behind this whole thing, not me."

"Mastermind?"

"You're right, that's giving you way too much credit."

"Hey, I'm your captain, all right!"

"And Draco Malfoy is Slytherin's captain. Do you honestly think that he's going to sit around with nothing up his sleeve? He's going to try to mess you up, Potter, and you know it."

Harry's heart sank and he took a really deep breath and tried very hard not to slap himself right about now.

"So what do we do about the Slytherins? We can't just tie them all up and throw them in some pit with a bunch of hungry lions."

"Actually, that wouldn't be too bad of an idea."

"Matt!"

"Well, you asked!"

Harry frowned.

"I suppose we could - no they would never, I know they wouldn't. We would be kidding ourselves, Potter, if we wanted to convince any of them to help. You know them, you know Slytherin. He broke Hogwarts and they would do the same."

"How do you know Slytherin?" asked Harry calmly.

"I don't know him, Potter, but you would think that someone who cares for only power and talks to snakes - "

"I talk to snakes."

"Oh," said Matt suddenly, furrowing his eyebrows. "Well that's weird, because I don't remember hearing that you were an evil sorcerer planning to take over the world!"

"All right, all right, I get your point," said Harry.

"We could always leave them at the castle."

"Oh, yeah?" said Matt. "And wait for them to come up with a nice little plan to slice all of our throats at once? Wake up, Potter, this is a freaking war we're talking about!"

"Oh, would you just say it!" snapped Harry.

"Say what?" asked the boy, looking confused.

"I know there's something you want to say, so out with it. Don't wait for me, Matt, just say whatever it is that you've got to - "

"Okay, all right, I get it," he said furiously. "What if we...if we - I know you're going to hate this - but what if we use a curse on them?"

"A curse? Like what? There's like a million curses we could use."

"The Imperious Curse."

"What? Matt that's against the law."

"Law? Law, Harry? What law? Would you look around you! The world is being destroyed! Chipped away piece by piece, and you're concerned about the law? There is no law at this point. There is only right and wrong."

"And this is right?"

"It is if you want to save our lives."

Harry sighed.

"It would take an adult to do that. Someone who's experienced in it."

"Ahem," said Matt. "Harry, you're at the headquarters of the Order. This is kind of not an issue at this point."

"And you think they'd agree?"

"Hell yes," said the boy.

Harry didn't want to do this. He felt like is was a crime, yet what if what Matt was saying was true? Was the only way to defeat the Slytherins was to force them along? After all, it was all for their own good.

"Look, Harry, either we Impediment them, or they kill us, so take your pick."

Harry breathed and thought once more about it.

"All right," he said.

"Yes!" said Matt to himself.

"But only if the Order agrees. This is not something I would favor, exactly."

"Whatever," said Matt, brushing his comment away.

"All right, so here's what we're going to do starting at this position..."

Harry and Matt had sat up in the library until ten o'cklock setting up plans on the map and figuring what spells were going to be a priority. They worked out escape routes along with where almost each person would be at what percise minute in time. It took so much work that Harry felt that even Hermione had never made him do that much in one night, but when they were finally finished and Harry shook hands with Matt, he felt like he had really accomplished something. Rolling the map up and sealing it with an unbreakable charm by none other than himself, Harry placed it under his robes and both boys headed for Gryffindor tower where Harry found Ron and Hermione waiting for them. Matt went up to his dormitory and Harry sat down with his friends, although he felt so exhausted that he didn't deny the slightest temptation to gather himself and go to sleep right at that instant.

"How'd it go?" asked Hermione, gently, moving some homework over so that Harry could put his elbows down and rest his head. "Did you finish?"

"Yeah..." Harry croaked.

"That's great!" said Hermione enthusiastically smiling at both him and Ron.

"Listen, mate," Ron began, looking at him and then at Hermione as if searching for her sign of approval. When she nodded, he continued, "We though about what you said last night and, well, we reckoned that you were right and all. We really don't want you to feel responsible for us because, I mean, well, you've got enough to deal with, but we promise that, no matter what, we'll look out for each other."

"But we also agreed," said Hermione, "that we will be looking out for you as well - no let me finish, Harry. Until the prophecy is fulfilled. We need to look out for you and you know that. We get the 'we come first' part, but you need us, Harry, let's face it. You really do."

Harry smiled at her and nodded.

"So what did you decide on with Matt? Anything specific?"

"We just laid out some plans," Harry shrugged.

"And?" said Ron.

"Erm...well, I'll tell you later, I suppose. I'm just too tiered at the m-moment," said Harry.

Hermione patted his arm and said, "That's all right, Harry, we understand. Why don't we all go to bed. It's right late."

"But - I've still got homework," said Harry sleepily.

Hermione shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry, Harry, we did that for you."

"You - you what?"

"Did you honestly expect us to let you suffer thorough this alone, mate?" asked Ron, grinning. "Besides, Luna taught me this really useful spell - and not that I'll ever use it - but - "

"Oh, just forget it!" said Hermione maddingly. "I can't believe she would tell you something like that, Ron! That is cheating, that's what it is!"

"It is not cheating, it's just dead useful - "

"Useful? I'll tell you what's not useful is your lazy bum. How do you expect to become an Unspeakable with no knowledge."

"Hey, that's the point - they'll never know. I just won't speak."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm off to bed. 'Night boys."

Ron suddenly dived for something on Hermione's bag and she nearly shrieked as he pulled out a small brown feather and said, "Oh, look, Hermione's shedding."

"Give me that!" she snapped and grabbed it out of Ron's hand. Pocketing it in her robes she muffled, "It's probably from owl post."

"That doesn't look like owl feather to me, Hermione," said Ron.

"Well, if it's chicken, then it probably came from you, Ron," she said stiffly and continued to pick up her books and stuff them in her bag.

Ron mocked her under his breath in an annoyed tone and Hermione threw him a furious glance. "What?" he shrugged and looked at Harry meaningfully as if noting that Hermione was going mad. Finally, still wearing a scowl, Hermione managed to gather her things and climb the stair case that led to the girl's dormitory.

As the week past, Harry kept his eyes peeled for any signs of Mr. Thompson. Now that he was sure of what he was about to do - at the thought of which he nearly gulped every time - he believed all he had to do was get his approval. Then again, he knew that adjustments would probably have to be made anyway.

They continued to study the Eternal Spells in Defense class and had quickly finished covering the Astral Spell and moved onto one which was called the Adjunction Spell. The previous lesson, Professor Malfoy had kindly forgotten to mention what the spell had been about, and Harry found himself, and all others in the class, blushing madly when she told them that it joined two souls as one. When she told them that it most definitely did not mean what many of them had in mind, much of the class breathed in relief, only to find her shaking her head and scowling at them.

"This Spell is nothing of the sort. Although it may be considered as a certain love spell for those who had maddingly fallen in love with each other - and believe me, some people would be head-over-heals enough to perform this spell only to spend the rest of eternity with the soul of another - it was used as an ancient punishment. The worst of enemies that could not get along no matter what would have the Adjunction Spell performed on each other so that they could only be one and would have to get along. They would share each other's thoughts, pain, even emotions. Dreams, nightmares...everything. When one died, the other would go down with him or her. It is a most powerful Spell but one that also had to be performed by wise men alike. It definitely took a lot of power to create such a powerful seal between two souls - not even people, simply."

Harry was deep in thought and wondered what would happen if someone like Voldemort and Dumbledore were joined together by this Spell. He shuddered and decided that he rather did not want to know.

"Now, this Spell can most definitely be only performed between witches and wizards, of course. It requires magic blood for this spell to work. As it does for most of the Eternal Spells. And, today, we will be practicing it on one another. You will be allowed to choose your partners, simply because I would not desire for you to be paired up with people that you would not favor to have that much privacy with, and we will temporarily try out what it feels like. You need to know. This Spell could be performed on you and you wouldn't even realize it. Twins are often given this gift early at birth, so you truly have to know what it looks like, it's symptoms, and how to fight it. Yes, it is Eternal, but that does mean that you cannot try to fight it in any way that you can."

Harry turned to Hermione, who was sitting next to him, and raised his eyebrows.

"Do you dare, Mr. Potter?" she said to him.

"It depends," he smirked. "Do you?"

Hermione grinned.

"The incantation is 'Adjunctus Deubleve'."

"Can't make it easy on us, can she?" Harry whispered and Hermione giggled.

"Note that this isn't a fun trip. You will see into each other like you have never before. You will know each other's deepest secrets of the heart and you may feel somewhat elated during the procedure, but you must be attentive for the symptoms of this Spell. Please find your partners and begin."

Harry watched as Lavender paired up with Parvati, Dean Thomas with Seamus Finnigan, and so on. He turned to Hermione and was startled to see that she looked a bit foreboding.

"Hermione, is everything all right?" he asked her, touching her arm with his hand gently.

Hermione jumped and said, "Oh. No. Everything's fine. I just...um...maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, feeling his stomach drop. "Don't - don't you trust me?"

Hermione looked shocked. "No - no, of course I trust you, Harry, it's just that, um...well, all right. It can't hurt, can it?"

Harry couldn't see what Hermione was afraid of, but it definitely seemed as if she had second thoughts on the whole spell idea. Was it something about him? Harry shuddered at the thought. He would never want to scare Hermione away...

Then again, he though, there wasn't exactly anything wonderful about him to find out. He was linked to Voldermort, he had horrors in his past, present, and probably his future, and he was prophesied to kill a Dark Lord. But other than that, he was the perfect guy, right?

Harry's stomach sunk even further.

"Er...let's get this over with, I guess," Harry sighed. He felt as if all of the happiness had drained out of him.

Hermione looked rather hurt at what he said.

Harry and Hermione both raised their wands at each other and shouted the spell at the same time.

At first, Harry thought nothing had happened. There was a very dim flash from both of their wands, but it looked practically meaningless. Suddenly, however, he began to feel fear. He wasn't sure why, but he was scared. He wasn't scared...of something, but more of keeping something from someone. Yes, that was it. Someone was about to know a very deep secret of his. Well, it wasn't that deep, whatever it was, but he knew that he had sworn not to tell. Oh, yes, he could not tell anyone no matter what and Harry knew that it was of great importance. Then, his thought shifted and he felt a very warm feeling, kind of what he felt when he was close to Hermione. He turned his eyes to her and smiled, but saw that Hermione was doing anything but that. She was on the verge of tears and suddenly dropped on her knees. Harry ran up to her immediately and asked, "Hermione, are you all right? Hermione, answer me, is everything okay?"

Hermione looked up at him, sobbing through her tears and said, "Is - is this what you f-feel all the time?"

"Oh no..." Harry whispered. "Hermione, I'm so sorry." He felt the Spell begin to wear off. The feeling that he had moments ago was vanishing and he now felt his own guilt and worry for the sake of the girl that was in front of him. Harry looked around and saw that everyone else was mostly too preoccupied handling the Spell to pay any attention. Professor Malfoy was walking around the classroom checking on how the students were reacting to it.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, hugging her head toward his chest.

He now remembered. Now, of all times, after they had performed the Spell, he remembered that Safari had warned him not to meddle with Eternal Spells. They were a trouble to him...why hadn't he listened? Why couldn't he have remembered to just leave them alone?

"F-First Sirius, and your parents, and then V-Voldemort...oh, Harry, I - I never knew you felt like this. It - It's just so horrible."

"Shh, Hermione, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Oh, Harry, y-you're not the one that should be s-sorry. I'm sorry. All those times I y-yelled at you a-and - "

"Hermione, this is anything but your fault. Do you remember Safari?"

"W-What?"

"Safari Makinagi, the Afrenthologist, he - "

"No, no, I remember him - "

"He warned me not to do any Eternal Spells and I guess I just forgot about that. I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

"Is everything all right?" asked Narcissa's voice.

"Erm...well," said Harry, looking at Hermione and then back at her, "If you could call it that, Professor. See, I don't...think this was generally a good idea."

"I see," she said calmly. She looked at Hermione. "Such a bond between two people such as yourselves might reveal more powerful things than through any other of the students. While others were finding out what each other's favorite joke shop catalog was, you two might have been experiencing a bit more secretive thoughts and feelings. You are a brave girl, Miss Granger. You two are quite powerful magicians. Frankly, I'm amazed that the Spell wore off so soon."

Hermione looked at her and Harry noticed that she was looking at Narcissa as if she had seen her for the first time. "Yes..." she said slowly. "Th-Thank you," she finally spoke, snapping out of it. It had seemed as if Hermione had been in a sort of trance for a moment.

Naricssa walked away and Harry stared after her. As he turned around to Hermione, he found her watching him as well.

"Harry..." she began, "Did you, by any chance, um - ?"

"What is it?"

"No, nothing, never mind."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

"Me? Harry, what about you? After what I just felt - it just must be so horrible."

"Some of the time, it is, but not all the time," Harry assured her.

Hermione tried to smile, though Harry saw that she was doing a very poor job of it.

As they left the classroom, Harry decided to stay back and speak to Professor Malfoy.

"Erm..Professor, would you mind if I had a word?"

"Certainly, Mr. Potter. Something troubles you, I presume?"

"I was just wondering, are we, er, going to be doing any more Eternal Spells, you know, ourselves."

"There is but one Spell left that will be performed manually by the class, and that is all, I assure you. The last two Eternal Spells are too great for anyone to accomplish even in a secondary stage."

"Professor...I don't think it would be a good idea for me to do any more of the Spells. Safari warned me about something like this and I - "

" - will do well to not receive a single failing grade in my class. I assure you, Mr. Potter, that this last Spell will not be a burden to you in any way. The Verity Spell is probably one of the simplest of the twelve."

"Verity Spell? Why does that sound familiar?"

"Probably from Veritaserum. It's a truth spell. Makes whatever a person says come true. Now, if you would, Mr. Potter, I will see you next class, or perhaps sooner."

"Sooner, Professor?"

"You were planning to help out with the Order, is that correct?"

"Well, yes, but - "

"I will see you then, Mr. Potter. Good day."

And with that, Harry found his way slowly out of Professor Malfoy's classroom.

Later that day, as Harry was about to make his way into the Great Hall, he met Mr. Thompson, who immediately stopped at the sight of him and made his way through the crowd to speak with him.

"Mr. Potter, Matt has informed me that you have worked out your plans. Is that so?"

"Er, yes," said Harry. He had been dying to tell him about what they were planning to do, yet part of him feared that he wouldn't exactly find it that favorable as he did not himself.

As he followed Mr. Thomson away from the Great Hall, down a flight of stairs that he had never been through before, and through a portrait hole with the painting of a man holding a cockatrice, he found a very dark dungeon that they had approached and Harry had never been in.

"Is this where the Or - "

"Not now," snapped Mr. Thompson.

They approached a heavily bolted door and Mr. Thompson took out something that looked like a very bright phoenix feather from his robes. Placing it upon his wand and into the key lock, he shouted, "Phoenixium Entrer Voilit."

The feather glowed, bursting into flame as Mr. Thompson removed his wand and the door creaked open. Holding it out for him, Harry walked in and saw an enormous chamber in which stacks and stacks of books occupied ancient-looking tables. Strange writing resided on the walls and chandeliers that had a lion, an eagle, a serpent, and a badger on them, while several members were bustling about. A giant golden phoenix stood at the very far end of the room and held several torches which brightened the room excessively. Harry witnessed as Mad-Eye was performing an experiment with something. He realized that he must have gotten back from his mission. Tonks was next to him and flipping urgently through a book. She was back as well. And there was Kingsley and Mrs. Figg and a whole bunch of other people including some of the Weasleys. After all, the place was huge.

Harry turned his head and saw Remus Lupin leaning casually against one of the desks and flipping through a book. As he looked up and saw Harry as well as Mr. Thompson enter, he closed it and Harry realized that it was, in fact, a magazine, and, for some reason, it had Sirius's photograph. He felt a lump in his stomach, but the feeling was briefly interrupted as the door behind them opened once more and Narcissa Malfoy walked in.

"Evening," she announced and her eyes turned to Lupin.

"Ah. Remus. We meet again."

"Well, we're both in the Order. I would think - " he began rather uncomfortably.

"Yes, but what with one of us being away on a mission, we've never really gotten the chance to run into each other. Or, rather, perhaps it is that you've been avoiding me - "

"If you want to know about Romulus - "

"I would very much," she said very rapidly. Her voice suddenly turned soft and gentle and she said, "How - how is he?"

"Why don't we go outside for this? Mr. Thompson, Harry, you will excuse us, won't you?"

Harry looked puzzled and watched as both Remus and Narcissa walked out, but he noticed that the door remained slightly ajar. As Mr. Thompson went over to Mad-Eye to speak with him about something, Harry casually stood at the foot of the door and looked through the opening, pressing his ear to the wall.

"He's dead, Narcissa."

"Wh-what? D-dead? When did this - I never heard - "

"I'm sorry, but believe me, I do miss him dreadfully."

"NO!" she cried. "No - you - you lie!"

"Of course I would never lie to you about something such as that, Narcissa. It's been - "

"Eighteen years!" she cried hysterically. "Eighteen damned years and no one told me a thing!

"Narcissa - I - "

"Damn you too, Remus! He - he shouldn't have g-gone. He d-didn't deserve it!"

"Shh...I know, I know, sometimes I wish I'd been taken in his place - "

"You do no such thing, R-Remus. Y-you do no such thing. H-He loved you."

"Yes, he did. I'm so sorry."

Harry had sensed as if there was something about Narcissa, but it was as if he had just seen it for the first time with his own eyes as he looked at her through the small crack in the door. He looked into the small glimpse of her eyes that he got and he saw it. There was something different about her that made her unique. It was as if Narcissa wasn't even herself...but then...who was she? Why was she so different from the person that he had been expecting to have known all along before he had even met her? She was now sobbing into Lupin's neck as he embraced her and was whispering something to calm her down.

"Harry?"

He suddenly jumped and closed the door as he saw Mr. Thomson approach him along with Moody and Tonks.

"Have you worked something out about this, boy?" growled Moody.

"Well," said Harry, trying to get his though away from what he had just seen, "Um, we were thinking that the Slytherins might interfere with our plans."

"And just what are you planning to do about that, eh, boy?" asked Moody, looking at him with both his real and magic eye.

"Matt suggested...the Imperious curse."

"Harry, you can't just Imperio one-fourth of the school!" said Tonks.

"But then what are we supposed to do?" said Harry, clapping his hands to his sides. "Voldemort said he was going to work from inside out!"

"Don't say his name..."

"There might be another way.." said Moody.

"Mad-Eye?" asked Tonks. "Just what are you thinking?'

"There is a charm...an ancient Hogwarts charm that we could use. Dumbledore told me about it. It binds all four Houses together so that none can be disloyal."

"There's a catch, though, isn't there?" said Mr. Thomson.

Moody continued. "Well, they do have to be willing."

Harry nearly laughed.

"It's either that, or the boy's right - we use Imperio."

"We can't use Imperio, Mad-Eye," said Tonks, sounding rather annoyed.

"Oh, yeah," he said, "just you watch us. It just might be the only way if the charm doesn't work."

"Well, that's just evil," said Tonks, putting her hands on her hips and scowling.

"Oh, really? And Voldemort's a sugar plum fairy, is he?" said Harry angrily.

Everyone turned to look at him and he knew that he shouldn't have said his name again, especially in that sentence.

"Sorry," he whispered.

Moody raised an eyebrow and said, "Right."

"So how does this Hogwarts charm thing work?" asked Harry.

"Rather simple," said Lupin, who had just walked in with Narcissa and Harry saw that her eyes were slightly blood-stained. "It was a spell created by the founding fathers of this school, obviously, so all we have to do is agree on this. We also need the ingredients of a basilisk, a veela, a dragon, and a griffin. And the potion for the spell, I believe, has to be performed at the graveyard. At their graves."

"Snape's one to do this," said Moody. "Is he back yet?"

"You mean he's alive?" said Harry suddenly. "Wait, since when has there been a graveyard? Of what?"

"Er...best we not get you into this whole mess, yet, Potter. Yeah, he's probably alive and out there. He just messed up with his report."

"So why did you tell everyone that he was dead"

"We've gotta say something," said Tonks. "The man hasn't been to his classes for ages. Yeah, we all know we're out on missions every now and then, but we do have to explain."

"Oh," said Harry dully.

"You'll get used to it, Potter."

"So who's supposed to perform this spell?" he asked everyone.

All eyes were suddenly on him. "You are."