Harry Potter and the Simulacrum Seal

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Second Front

'Release Hermione,' Harry insisted. She was possessed, and Harry's main concern was getting the spirit to let her go as quickly as possible - thoughts of Horcruxes vanished from his mind.

Hermione's - Boudica's - voice was changing. It was much deeper and more echoing when she said, 'I will not be within her long.' Boudica glared with bright, reddish eyes. 'She possesses our gift. I am again denied my sacrifice. I will not strike against a fellow witch.'

Harry thought for a moment that she would fight them over being cheated, but she did not.

'What do you want?' asked a furious Ron.

'You have sought me,' Boudica reminded him bitterly. 'You have sought me because you are fool enough to wish to take upon my curse. I wait forever as time weathers me so that I might serve as warning.'

Harry frowned, not understanding. 'Warning? What do you mean?'

Hermione raised her hands in a movement foreign to her. A blue-white ball of light erupted between them, partially obscuring her torso, and within the ball blossomed three petals; a crimson red one on the bottom left, a royal blue one on the bottom right, and, sitting at the top between them, a brilliant emerald green one.

'Life,' she said coldly. 'Heart -' her finger indicated the red petal '- mind -' it followed the circle to the red petal '- and soul.' Her finger fell upon the topmost petal. As she spoke, a golden-yellow cord tangled around the three petals like a vine. 'All are bound within the body until the end of life.'

Abruptly, part of the green petal was ripped off, and all the petals dimmed. The golden cord withered and blackened like a decaying plant. Boudica held the ripped portion of the green petal in her hand; it glowed brightly. 'The bind to life dies, yet it cannot be severed so long as part of the soul is trapped in the world of the living. It is an eternal death that runs its course to the slow drumbeat by which mountains crumble.'

'Yeah, we know all that stuff,' said Ron.

'YOU DO NOT!' she howled. The runic symbol disappeared, and the cavern rumbled with the strength of her anger. 'For my curse, I set my soul within a rock and tossed it into the water so that no enemy could find it. Still it lies within some ocean of the world, tumbling around in the depths as I die an eternal death. I can have no release from this part-life! Is this what you wish for yourselves? Nay, immortality this is not - 'tis eternal damnation!'

Harry was struck by the certainty in her voice. Had Voldemort been given this warning? 'We're not here to learn how to make a Horcrux! We need to know about Voldemort! Did he pass through here?'

Boudica calmed. Hermione's arms fell to her sides. 'You do not wish for the curse?'

'No,' replied Harry again. 'We just need to know about Voldemort. He would have stopped by here decades ago. Young, handsome, dark hair...?'

Harry could tell from the glint of anger in her eyes that Boudica knew him. 'Yes, he sought me. Tall and proud was he. My words could not reach him - he wished only to keep forever out of the arms of death, too young to understand the release it brings. He demanded the knowledge, and bound by my long-ago promise, I instructed him on how to curse himself. Poor, foolish child.'

For an instant, she seemed to be struck by guilt.

'We're trying to find his Horcruxes,' Harry told her softly. He pitied her for the incorporeal torment she had suffered. He couldn't comprehend how Tom Riddle could have stood right where Harry was standing and heard what Harry was hearing and still insist on creating a Horcrux despite this disturbing warning.

'You seek the heart,' she said with certainty.

'Yes - Ravenclaw's heart. Do you know where it is?'

'It is here,' she said. She gestured behind her, and a door appeared. Light filtered in through the cracks. 'The heart is protected by most potent Dark arts - and the ones who came before.'

Harry frowned. 'Before?'

Boudica moved Hermione's lips into a wicked, sadistically satisfied smile. 'He is too clever to be taken by surprise. His servants wait for you behind the door.'

'How many?'

Before she answered, her back extended, and she took in one last, choking breath before Hermione's body fell to the ground, an inanimate doll.

'Hermione!' Ron shook her.

Hermione opened her eyes groggily. 'Ron?' she mumbled.

'I'm here.' He helped her to her feet and didn't let go. 'Are you okay?'

She nodded. 'I...I think so...'

'There are Death Eaters over there,' stated Harry bluntly. 'What should we do?'

'Isn't it obvious?' asked Hermione, already back on form. She cast a silent spell and smiled with satisfaction; the potion's effects had worn off.

It wasn't obvious to Harry, but once Hermione explained, he agreed that she was absolutely right.

***

Harry was surprised by what was behind the door.

He, Ron, and Hermione stood atop a black stone platform that stretched far off into the distance. The platform was walled by massive elephant horns curving inward like great white claws. Harry inhaled in fear as he saw that the heels of his shoes were just touching the edge.

The ground stretched down farther than he could see; they were closer to the clouds than the earth.

'The air is very damp,' noticed Hermione. Harry agreed - and it smelled like thick, warm rain.

The only thing they could do was follow the obvious path along the platform. They walked a long way, and Harry noticed details that made it all too clear that they weren't the first ones to arrive. The badly burnt corpses of two men wearing Death Eater's masks were strewn carelessly along their path. Further along, dismembered Inferi were piled across a wide strip, and they had to climb over the disgusting creatures to keep going.

The platform ended in a half-circular dais. A fist-sized, palpitating object levitated within a column of light - Harry was sure it was the heart.

There were not so many Death Eaters as Harry had imagined - only six, by his count. The one at the lead of the group, standing with his hands hovering above the contorting heart, wore no mask.

It was Severus Snape. Harry couldn't help but smile; it was perfect.

'Harry Potter,' he greeted brusquely. 'You shouldn't have come - but then you've always stuck your nose where it doesn't belong.'

Snape took a step back and casually drew his wand. At the same moment, half a dozen members of the Order dropped their Disillusionment Charms. Snape's cocky look vanished, and the other Death Eaters visibly quailed; Harry, disgusted, realized that they were not used to being outnumbered.

He smiled triumphantly at the knowledge that he'd pulled on over on Snape.

'Very unwise, Potter,' Snape said. He sounded oddly disturbed rather than fearful. In an urgent tone, he asked, 'Do you really think this is the best place to position the Order's resources?'

Harry let out a brittle laugh. 'Capturing the likes of you will be worth the effort!'

'Oh?' Snape smirked, and wryly remarked, 'And where will you put me - Azkaban?'

He didn't get the chance to reply; one of the Death Eaters got antsy and shot off a spell. Harry easily blocked it.

The battle had begun.

But what Harry took notice of, without any time to analyse it, was the pure, startling hatred upon Ron's face as he looked at Snape and shot directly toward him.

***

'I'm not going back,' Lavender Brown stated with tall pride. She crossed her arms regally, daring the others to protest. Ginny wryly thought that it wasn't quite as intimidating to take a stand while they were being herded like cattle, two by two, toward the Portkey set up to take them home for the holidays.

But since Lavender's sentiments corresponded exactly with her own, Ginny didn't protest - with a lopsided smile, she said, 'Nor am I,' and she mimicked Lavender's stern stance.

'Really?' said Dean Thomas from directly ahead of Ginny. He turned and fixed her with a wide-eyed stare of alarm. 'Lavender's been going on about running away from home if they won't let her stay in Britain, but I thought you -'

'You're both right,' declared Margaret Griswold, a Hufflepuff in Ginny's year who Dean was dating. 'My mum will go stark raving mad once I tell her, though.'

'You're both welcome to join the Order,' said Ginny. She bashfully amended, 'Well, I suppose I can't say that officially, but we're - they're - always looking for new members, so if you want to join -'

Margaret sighed and shook her head. 'I'm not of age yet - and neither are you, for that matter.'

'Ginny doesn't have to worry about that,' said Lavender with a meaningful grin. 'She's very good "friends" with Harry, after all. The rules don't apply to her, I bet.'

Ginny flushed. 'It's not like that,' she said for what seemed like the millionth time since Harry had come all the way to Beauxbatons to see her.

'I think I might stay in Britain too,' muttered Dean with a considering expression. 'I'm of age, and my wand arm is as steady as anyone's. With all the Slytherins and other monsters joining up, we can't expect our side to win unless we all dive into trouble together.'

Ginny nodded seriously in agreement; the four all took another few steps forward in line. 'That's exactly right. We're all responsible for the outcome of the war, whether we're of age or not. We all have to do our part. That's why I'm staying.'

'Next!' a voice announced, and Ginny was startled to realize that it was their turn.

She, Dean, Lavender, and Margaret stood before a small antique table that was serving as the Portkey to Britain. Ginny rolled her eyes at it - a waste bin would have done just as well.

I won't have to put up with this snootiness ever again, she thought with satisfaction as her hand touched the table.

A small hand fell on the table, and it was suffused with an orange glow. Ginny stared at the boy - a tiny first year - and he looked up at her as if he was doing nothing wrong.

The beginnings of alarmed cries sounded in her ears before the Portkey abruptly activated.

***

Harry's heart pounded with adrenaline as he dived behind one of the pillars surrounding the platform. He stuck out his arm to cast a hex at a Death Eater who was pointing his wand at Hermione, and she gave him a millisecond's glance in gratitude - that was all they had time for.

The pillar did not afford much protection, and an instant later a Death Eater fired off a spell at Harry's side. He spun, and the spell missed by inches.

He tried to find Snape, but instead he cast a curse at another Death Eater who was duelling with Remus. The Death Eater managed to block Harry's spell, but it left him open to Remus's attack, and the man fell to the ground, clutching his chest and screaming as blood flowed.

A beam of red light warned Harry of another spell to come. Another spell collided into the spell, and the two beams together caused a contained explosion.

Harry turned away to shield his eyes and shot another spell off at a masked Death Eater who caught his eye.

Too small, Harry kept thinking of the platform. There were too many people, and each duel spilled into another before long. It was a chaotic free-for-all of silently cast spells mixing into each other.

His eyes tried to find Ravenclaw's heart, and he caught a glimpse of it between limbs and shoulders. It was bizarrely unharmed by the proceedings so far - and that was when Harry caught sight of Snape, checked on either side by Neville and Ron.

If Harry could reach them, the three of them together could defeat Snape once and for all!

He made a dive for it, scrambling and smashing into bodies as he went, determined not to be drawn into a different fight.

He raised his wand toward Snape, and Snape, with a look of unexplainable relief, pointed his wand to the ground.

The resulting flash of energy knocked down everyone it touched as it spread to the edges of the platform. Harry was pressed to the ground by a strong, invisible force.

And then a spell hauled Harry to his feet.

Snape pulled him behind a pillar and held him near the platform's edge. Harry's stomach turned at the thought of the long plummet ahead of him.

'You must listen to me!' Snape insisted as the others got to their feet. 'You are -'

A bright green beam of light blasted out of Ron's wand as he screamed in blood-curdling rage. Snape let go of him abruptly, and Harry lost his balance.

He fell...

***

The Portkey ride was rougher than she was used to. She fell hard onto the ground, and she heard Dean curse nearby at the drop.

Ginny pushed herself up, and her breath caught in her throat as she took a look around them.

They were surrounded by Death Eaters - at least a dozen.

Her hand only managed to move an inch toward her wand before she was disarmed by two spells at once. Dean, Lavender, and Margaret's wands flew from their pockets in the same way.

The hood of one Death Eater was caught by a gust of wind, and Ginny recognized the long blonde hair that peeked out.

The same Death Eater spoke, 'Bring her,' and pointed at Ginny.

'And him.' He pointed at Dean.

'Dad?'

Ginny's eyes snapped to the small boy who had Apparated with them. One of the Death Eaters waved the boy forward; he took off his hood and smiled at the child.

'Dad!' The boy ran over to his father and hugged him tightly.

The father hugged the boy in return. 'You've done very well.'

Ginny could hardly believe her eyes. Then she realized that she had no time to ponder the scene - she dove to her right, hoping to grab her wand, any wand -

Three red bolts of light hit her in succession, and the world went black.

***

Harry blinked awake as if from a dream. Robe hems dangled near his head.

'Good, he's up.' Harry was helped up by Ron.

'You all right?' Ron asked.

'I suppose so, since I ought to be a pancake now. What happened?'

'Neville stabbed the heart,' explained Hermione, looking at Neville gratefully. 'The whole place just collapsed after that, and we all ended up here.'

They were in a well-lit, bare cavern larger than the one in which they'd met Boudica. It was back to normal, free of the influence of Voldemort's magic.

'Great timing,' said Harry, smiling over at Neville, who smiled back heartily. He tried to make his way over, but a couple other Order members stopped him with congratulations and pats on the back, so Harry waved him away, wordlessly encouraging him to enjoy the spotlight.

'Where are the other Death Eaters?' He noticed the two Death Eater corpses nearby. No other Death Eaters were around, though, and Harry was sure they couldn't have all been taken into custody already.

'They got out,' said Ron, his entire demeanour changing to spitting fury. 'Bloody Snape managed to keep his head long enough to Apparate out.'

Harry scowled in sympathy; he'd been surprised by Ron's ferocity before, but he knew it was because of what happened to his dad - Ron blamed Snape for suggesting Mr Weasley to Voldemort as the ideal victim.

'At least the heart's destroyed.' Harry looked to Hermione, and he saw her purse her lips in dissatisfaction. 'What's the matter?'

'It doesn't seem right. If Voldemort knew we were going to be there, why wouldn't he have defended the Horcrux himself? It seems awfully important to leave to the Death Eaters - especially such a small contingent.'

Ron snorted. 'Yeah, and it was nice of him to tell his friends how to disarm the traps in there,' he said sarcastically, indicating the corpses with his thumb.

'You're right,' decided Harry. 'There's something not quite right. It was all too easy.'

'Maybe it wasn't even a Horcrux!' Hermione insisted. 'How can we know for sure that it wasn't switched?'

'We can't,' he admitted with frustration. 'Bloody hell.'

'Let's go!' Remus called to them. 'You all right, Harry?'

'Fine,' he answered.

'I'll be glad to see sunlight,' said Ron gratefully. 'We've spent too much time in dark places lately.'

Hermione smiled at Ron, but Harry could see that it was oddly strained. She gripped Harry's hand tightly, and he stared at her in surprise as she held up her wand and Apparated them both away.

But they didn't land back near Grimmauld Place - they were in a clearing near Hogsmeade. For one frightening moment, Harry was worried that she was possessed again, but she spoke up immediately.

'We have to talk alone about Ron for a minute,' she said seriously. 'You understand what happened back there, don't you?'

Harry frowned, and before he could say anything, Hermione sighed in frustration. 'Don't you know what Ron tried to do?'

He shook his head, not comprehending at all.

'He tried to murder Snape, Harry! Murder him!'

'Wouldn't we all like to?' muttered Harry. 'So what?'

She stared at him in disbelief. 'When Snape grabbed you, he used the Killing Curse!'

Harry was surprised by that, but when he thought back, he realized he should have known. He'd seen that curse often enough to recognize it. The thought of Ron using an Unforgivable Curse, no matter how well-deserved, made the contents of Harry's stomach roil.

'We should get back before he gets suspicious,' Hermione declared. 'But we both need to watch Ron and keep him separated from Snape if we can.'

Harry, deeply troubled, nodded in agreement - but he wasn't sure how they would manage it.

At Grimmauld Place, Harry was surprised that there was no one outside except for Ron and McLaggen.

'Potter!' McLaggen yelled loudly enough for the whole neighbourhood to hear.

'What?' Harry asked in a low voice, trying to encourage McLaggen to keep it down.

'Some students didn't show up to the assigned Portkey location from Beauxbatons. The Order's gone to check it out - they tracked down the spot the Portkey landed.'

Harry stared in horror as he realized what it could mean. 'Ginny!'

***

It wasn't hard to find the clearing; the Ministry workers weren't trying to be quiet. Harry stayed in the brush, damned to the shadows again by his status as a wanted man, as Hermione and Ron shuffled over to Tonks to find out what was going on.

Harry's blood froze as he caught sight of a girl's ankle. He moved as fast as he could to get to a better angle; when he saw the brown colour of the girl's hair, he breathed out in relief - it wasn't Ginny, but he still couldn't see her face clearly. A dead girl with dark hair was sprawled out near her.

Ron and Hermione reported back to him. They looked grim, but what bothered Harry most was that they were holding hands - it had to be something terrible.

'Lavender's dead,' Ron said in a grieved tone.

Harry watched as a wizard levitated the brown-haired corpse and caught a glimpse of Lavender's face. He shuddered and stared at the ground as images of Lavender - alive, smiling, happy - flashed in his mind.

'The other victim is a girl from Ginny's year. Dean and...and Ginny are missing.' Hermione's eyes were watering.

'We should've been here,' Ron continued, shaking as he stared back at the space where Lavender's body had been. 'I bet it was all planned out this way. Why did we have to find the Horcrux today? If only we'd been here...'

'There's something else,' said Hermione in a meek voice. 'There was a note left next to a student's wand...Tonks thinks it might have been Ginny's.'

'Where is it?'

Hermione sighed. 'The Ministry collected it before the Order. It's probably with Scrimgeour now.'

Harry felt sick. He knew he couldn't put off seeing Scrimgeour any longer. For Ginny's sake, he would grovel as much as he had to.

***

When Harry entered the Ministry lobby by Floo, he was placed under arrest.

The Magical Law Enforcement personnel who arrested him were not Aurors; they were young, fresh-faced, and looked like they'd be more comfortable behind a desk than on the front lines. The pair was very reluctant to arrest him, and they even turned their backs for him to escape. When he didn't leave and they were forced to take him into custody, they were as morose as if they were arresting their own mothers.

Harry asked to see the Minister before they threw him in a cell, and they were happy - and relieved - to oblige. When he reached Scrimgeour's door, he reminded himself that he was doing this for Ginny and swallowed his pride as far down as it could possibly go as he knocked on Scrimgeour's door.

'Sit down, Mr Potter.'

Scrimgeour wore a scowl. Harry would have thought that his capture would be a triumphant moment for the Minister.

He sat without any complaint and tried to keep his disdain hidden. His escort vanished behind the door as it was shut and locked.

With everyone else gone, Scrimgeour looked even meaner. 'I dearly wish to see how you intend to escape this time.'

'I'm here to discuss terms with you, Minister.'

'Oh?' Scrimgeour looked disbelieving. 'Why don't we both get to the point? I have something you want.' He waved the letter in his hand. 'And you have something I want.'

'What's that?'

Scrimgeour's scowl deepened, and he mumbled words that Harry couldn't hear.

'What did you say?'

Sourly, he said more clearly, 'You're the only one who can open the envelope. Naturally, we'd all like to know what's inside.'

He handed Harry the letter without comment. His name was written on it in magically glittering letters. He tore the envelope open and unfolded the letter:

Mr Harry Potter,

I am currently in possession of several items that you likely wish to reacquire. I look forward to meeting you at Persephone Glade on the 31^st of December at eleven o'clock in the evening.

LV

Harry gripped the letter with both hands, crinkling the sides in his fist. Raw, indignant fury was swelling within him like a balloon being filled to the point of explosion.

'That bastard! That bloody -'

'It's a trap,' stated Scrimgeour baldly. He leaned back in his large chair behind his gigantic polished desk and looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.

'You can't possibly do it, Potter. You're nowhere near prepared enough to face him.'

'I have time to get prepared, and I've been training intensively for months,' retorted Harry. He had too much time, in his opinion - well over a week of wondering whether Ginny was still alive. 'Don't try to talk me out of it - I will meet him there. I have to save Ginny.'

Harry was surprised when Scrimgeour fixed him with a shrewd yet pleased look. 'Fine - then we'll need a trap of our own. December thirty-first...'

His lips turned down again in displeasure. He turned his attention back to Harry. 'I take it you want the Ministry's help with this?'

Harry hadn't thought that far ahead yet...but that would definitely be helpful in making the battle a fairer fight. 'The Order doesn't have enough people to stop Voldemort if he brings a large number of Death Eaters and Dementors - not to mention giants.'

'At least there's no full moon that night,' muttered Scrimgeour. 'But our numbers are depleted, Potter. We're rushing every paper-pusher through basic training just to keep minimally staffed. Still, I'm willing to give you everyone at my disposal - I'll head the Ministry forces, of course.'

Harry could tell this was a sticking point. 'Fine, you can be in charge. I don't care. I just want to get to Voldemort.'

He was surprised that the meeting was going so well...and then he realized why. Scrimgeour was in desperate straits as well, and he must also see that they'd do better if they put together a united front against Voldemort on the thirty-first of December.

Scrimgeour looked at him oddly. 'Do you truly think you have a chance against him? You may be the Chosen One, as claimed by the prophecy, but he is powerful, and he would not face you unless he was sure he could defeat you.'

'He's been overconfident before,' said Harry, anger simmering again at the thought of Voldemort anywhere near Ginny. 'He's made a mistake by hurting people I care about. I'm going to defeat him this time - because I have to.'

'A good attitude to have,' Scrimgeour responded. He looked at Harry with curious pride. 'You almost have me convinced. There's only one amendment I have to your plan as it stands.'

'What's that?' Harry was dubious about accepting any more of Scrimgeour's "conditions" - but he also realized that he had no choice.

'You will train with an Auror of my choosing before the battle.'

There was a glint in Scrimgeour's eyes that filled Harry with suspicion, but the condition sounded reasonable, so he didn't see how he could refuse. 'Done.'

'Excellent.' Scrimgeour stood to his full height. 'Get out of my office. You're free to go. I'll see you here tomorrow.'

'Here?'

'Yes.' Scrimgeour's lips curled into a predatory smile. 'I'm the Auror who will train you. You've proven flighty and arrogant, Potter - and I'm not risking the lives of Ministry wizards and witches in this scheme unless you prove yourself to me. If I think you have a miniscule chance of defeating You-Know-Who...then I will help you.'

Harry's jaw set in an angry line, but he forced himself to nod.