When the Light Goes Out

When the Light Goes Out Chapter 05

'Hermione! Hermione wait!'

Hermione turned around to see Ron racing after her.

Peeves suddenly zoomed past them, cackling, 'I say, ickle kiddies, no running in the hallways or Peevsie will tell!'

They heard suits of armour clanking and the sound of things smashing as Peeves went on his way.

'Hermione,' Ron panted, his hands on his knees, 'you can't... stop using...magic! You're a...witch! You go to...Hogwarts. Harry wouldn't...want you to...stop.'

'Yeah?' she snapped. 'Well, in case you haven't noticed, Harry's not here! And it's all my fault!'

She continued walking, leaving Ron to try and catch up with her.

'It isn't...your fault!' he exclaimed. 'Harry's the one who went and prodded the potion with his wand!'

'Don't you dare blame Harry!' she shrieked. 'He's a victim in all of this! It was my idea to brew Veritaserum in the first place, so that we could interrogate Malfoy!'

'Oh, so that's why you were making it...'

'Yes! He knows something! Something about V-Voldemort--oh pull yourself together Ron! I mean, how could he not know anything? Practically his whole family are Death Eaters!'

'Hermione! Hermione! Calm down! Okay, okay, maybe--but you still can't give up on magic! You're the only sensible person out of us three, and you're the only person that can perform any spell that's put in front of you. You're just too smart to believe that giving up on magic would bring Harry back.'

Hermione's lips twitched in a rueful half-smile and Ron stood up properly, having caught his breath, smiling.

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'You have two choices, Mr Potter. Either, you join me, like your doppelganger has done, or you die, like so many fools have before you.'

Harry hesitated.

His first reaction was to die rather than join Voldemort, but then he thought about it.

It was true, he was sick of being used and never listened to. He had been ridiculed by the Ministry of Magic, and treated like an insecure, insane, liar by most of the school.

Maybe it was time to teach them a lesson.

He turned to look at the people gathered around the three of them.

Most people were watching him closely, even fearfully, for what he might choose. Even the Death Eaters, who were still kneeling on the muddy ground, were looking from him, to Potter, to Voldemort and back again.

Harry's eyes found Sirius, Lupin and Dumbledore; each had a guarded expression, but the worry still came through.

Suddenly, simultaneously, all three of them gave Harry a small smile, and he remembered what he was fighting for and against. He took a deep breath, and turned back to Voldemort.

Voldemort had his head tilted slightly, his red eyes narrowed. Potter just looked ahead blankly.

'I would not and will never join you. You are a murderer and a liar. You killed my parents, and you would use me to kill my parents' friends and my own. So, no.'

The silence that followed was the loudest silence that Harry had ever heard.

'Shame,' Voldemort said softly, 'I would have liked two Harry Potters at my command. But you will die. By your own hand, so to speak.' He gestured to Potter, who stepped forward obediently, wand raised.

'You coward!' Harry shouted at Voldemort, and the crowd behind him drew a sharp intake of breath. 'You send him in to fight me, and then will help him if he's in trouble! Two against one, you coward!'

There was a ringing silence.

Then Voldemort laughed softly. 'So be it, Harry. You have my word that I will not interfere.'

'I don't believe or trust you,' Harry replied simply.

'Very well.' Voldemort thought for a moment. 'I will make an Unbreakable Vow.'

The crowd gasped, and Harry frowned--this was the last thing he had expected. Is it a trick?

'If I break the vow, and come to Potter's aid, I will die. That is fair, I think.'

Harry was still unsure, so he glanced at Ron, Hermione, Lupin, Sirius and Dumbledore. They all looked frightened, but the adults all gave him an encouraging nod.

Harry had read about Unbreakable Vows in his Defence Against the Dark Arts book. Some people considered them as Dark Magic, but others disagreed. But Harry didn't have time to weigh up the pros and cons now. It was the only way that he could be certain that Voldemort wouldn't interfere.

Harry stepped in front of him, and they grasped right hands. As soon as Voldemort's long, white fingers touched his own, pain shot through Harry's scar.

He cried out, and stumbled, but did not let go.

Voldemort's fingers were incredibly cold, and Harry thought they felt like they were...well, dead.

Several people shrieked, but still Harry did not pull his hand back. A look of irritation flashed across Voldemort's face, but he looked lazily at Potter and said, 'You will be our Bonder.'

Potter positioned himself in front of them and pointed his wand (it looked to be a duplicate of Harry's) at Harry and Voldemort's clasped hands.

Harry cleared his throat, and said in an even voice, 'Do you swear not to interfere in any way with my battle with Potter, knowing that if you do interfere, your own life will be taken?'

'I do,' Voldemort replied, and a fiery, snake-like rope flew out of Potter's wand, and wrapped itself around their hands.

It did not seem to burn Harry; in fact, it was as if it was not there at all. It had no weight, even though it looked to be thick and heavy.

Harry did not speak again, so after a few seconds, the fiery rope shot back into the wand. It left Harry and Voldemort's right hands still glowing.

After a moment, though, it faded, leaving a faint tingling sensation.

Potter and Harry approached each other, wands in front of their faces, and bowed to each other, exactly as they had been taught in the second year.

Then they turned, and walked a few paces away.

Harry looked sideways to Sirius and the others; they looked incredibly pale; this was the first time any of them had seen Harry in a duel (apart from his duel with Malfoy).

Harry stopped, and turned around. They both assumed duelling positions, and after three, seemingly never-ending seconds, they began.

As different spells raced through Harry's mind, Potter got there first, and yelled, 'Stupefy!'

Harry quickly ducked as the jet of light shot towards him.

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~ • ~

'Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, I would like you to accompany me to Professor Dumbledore's office.'

'Of course, Professor.' Ron jumped up from the squashy chair by the fire in the Gryffindor Common room, and Hermione did the same. They exchanged curious looks, and followed Professor McGonagall out of the portrait hole.

As they walked, she explained, 'Professor Snape thinks that he may have found a way to return Harry.'

Hermione's face lit up with joy.

~ • ~

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Harry got up from the ground and, again, was just about to speak, when Potter flicked his wand. For a moment, nothing happened.

Harry heard Ron whisper, 'What happened?'

Harry didn't know himself.

He opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as he did so, his tongue rolled back into his throat.

Harry clutched at his neck, and fell to the floor, coughing and gurgling.

Hermione screamed, but Harry got back up. His tongue slowly unfurled, and he stopped. How did Potter know exactly what I was about to do?

Then it came to him.

Legilimency! Potter was using Legilimency on him!

Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind.

Unfortunately, he had never been any good at Occlumency. He heard several people starting to whisper.

'What's he doing?'

'What's going on?'

'Huh?'

'What did he do to him?'

Harry wished they would be quiet. He started to rely on his senses more and more. Soon, he could pinpoint exactly where Potter was.

With his eyes still shut, so that he could keep his mind clear, he pointed his wand at Potter and fired random spells.

Potter couldn't deflect them, or prevent them from happening, so he tried to dodge them instead.

Finally, one of Harry's spells hit home. Harry opened his eyes, and saw Potter sprawled in the dust, breathless. He tried to get back up, but collapsed again.

Harry walked over to him, and held his hand out to help Potter get up.

Potter looked at Harry's hand, and panted, 'You know what I say is truth. We may have different views, but I know that that much is the same.'

'Yes, but you have to remember the good things too.'

But Potter's eyes narrowed. 'What "good things"?' he muttered, and jumped to his feet, ignoring Harry's hand.

Before Harry could even move, Potter leapt at him, and kicked his leg upwards, his foot smashing into Harry's nose. With a crack, Harry felt it break.

Blood started pouring from it, and Hermione shrieked again.

Harry stumbled backwards, he hadn't been expecting that. He pointed his wand at his face and muttered, 'Episkey.' His nose went hot, then cold, and was fixed.

The two Harrys looked at each other, green into red-tinged, and simultaneously shouted a spell.

'Expelliarmus!'

'Expelliarmus!'

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