Rating:
PG-13
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Harry Potter Lord Voldemort
Genres:
General Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 06/01/2005
Updated: 04/18/2006
Words: 216,956
Chapters: 39
Hits: 98,338

The Greatest Power

MuggleMomma

Story Summary:
After the events in the Department of Mysteries, Sirius' death, and the revelation of the prophecy, Harry is again sent back to stay with his aunt and uncle on Privet Drive, more broken and overwhelmed than ever before. How will he survive without his friends? He needs them more than ever, and as his mind is repeatedly attacked, the situation becomes desperate.

Chapter 24

Chapter Summary:
Harry reveals the prophecy to those he loves the most...and someone else as well.
Posted:
07/04/2005
Hits:
2,180


Chapter 24: Truth and Consequences

The morning of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match dawned cloudy and damp. The sky was pregnant with expected rain, but so far none had fallen. Ron was as nervous as Harry had ever seen him. At breakfast, he hardly at a bite and he kept glancing up at the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, hoping against hope that the rain would hold off until after the match.

"Cheer up, mate," Harry said bracingly. "The team has been looking really good the last couple of weeks. If everyone's on form, we shouldn't have a problem."

Ron didn't reply, just poked worriedly at his cereal. When he called down the table for the team to head to the pitch, everyone noticed that his voice sounded a lot less confident than it had since he had been made Captain.

"Do you think he'll be OK?" Ginny asked Harry as they headed down to the pitch, their brooms on their shoulders.

"He'll be fine once he gets in the air," Harry said confidently. "He's just nervous because this is his first game as Captain."

Ginny nodded, hoping he was right, as they headed into the locker rooms to change.

Once his team had changed into their scarlet Quidditch robes, Ron stood in front of them and cleared his throat. Harry and Ginny were both relieved to see that Ron's posture exuded the confidence they had grown accustomed to - apparently, Ron's own robes with the gold Captain's badge pinned proudly on his chest had done much to quell his nervousness.

"OK, team, the ground is a bit damp, so take that into account as you kick off. It's cloudy, so we won't have to worry about glare, but the Snitch might be hard to see, Harry," he said in his most businesslike voice. "Chasers," he continued, looking at Katie, Ginny, and Meg, "Slytherin plays dirty, so keep your eyes open and a tight hold on the Quaffle. Before you make a pass, be certain that it cannot be intercepted." Katie and Ginny nodded, but Meg looked very nervous. Harry hoped she would fly well once the game began.

"Beaters," Ron said, "Play fiercely, but fairly. I can guarantee that Crabbe and Goyle won't, and any penalty shots we're awarded will only strengthen our position." Kirke and Sloper nodded, and Harry was glad they had improved since the previous year.

"Alright, team, let's go out and start the season with a big win!" Ron said, and they all shouldered their brooms and filed onto the pitch.

As the game began and Harry soared far above it, his eyes peeled for the Snitch, he saw that Slytherin was playing as dirtily as ever. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, the Slytherin beaters, were swinging their clubs wildly, seeming not to care whether they hit a Bludger, or the Quaffle, or the head of a Gryffindor player. Harry surged with anger as Goyle took a direct shot at Meg, but he was proud of the Sloth Grip Roll she employed to avoid the club while still holding onto the red Quaffle. She certainly seemed to have gotten over her case of nerves as they began play.

"Meg Jackson, the youngest member of the Gryffindor team, soars up the pitch after avoiding a nasty swing by Gregory Goyle of Slytherin. Weasley and Bell are flanking her in close formation as she heads for the Slytherin goalposts, she shoots, she scores the first goal of the game! Ten points to Gryffindor! We should keep our eyes on this girl!" Justin Finch-Fletchley, the new Quidditch commentator, kept up with the game easily, although his commentary was noticeably devoid of the colorful comments that had been Lee Jordan's trademark.

Harry continued to search for the Snitch as the commentary told him that Slytherin's chasers had taken possession of the Quaffle and scored once on Ron, but missed twice afterwards. At each miss, the Gryffindor stands, a sea of scarlet and gold, broke into a chorus of "Weasley is Our King," which caused Harry to grin and flash a thumbs-up at Ron.

"And, what's this?" Justin's voice sounded over the roars of the crowd. "Slytherin's Seeker has taken a Beater bat from Vincent Crabbe, and is flying straight for Gryffindor Chaser Ginny Weasley. Dodge him, Ginny!"

Malfoy had apparently decided that Crabbe was being too slow, and had taken the Beater's bat from him and was streaking straight towards Ginny, who was speeding for the Slytherin goal posts, the Quaffle held tightly in her hands. The Slytherin Keeper was distracted by Malfoy's tactics, and Ginny scored easily. As she turned to join the other Chasers, Malfoy swung the bat fiercely, and there was a gasp from the crowd as everyone heard the crack of wood on Ginny's face.

Harry, who had been trying to take advantage of Malfoy's distraction, certain that Ginny could hold her own, turned his broom sharply and sped towards her, pushing his Firebolt to the considerable limits of its speed. He didn't even hear Madam Hooch's angry shouting as she awarded not one, but two penalty shots to Gryffindor for the unprovoked attack on their Chaser and ordered Malfoy to give the Beater's bat back to Crabbe and play in his normal position. He got to Ginny before anyone else, and he pulled his broom up beside hers.

"I'm fine, Harry," Ginny said angrily, glaring at Malfoy, who was now circling the pitch, trying to find the Snitch while Harry checked on his teammate. "Go back to the game! I dodged just in time, he only barely got me! Don't you dare let him get the Snitch! He only did this because he knew you would come to check on me! Go back to the game!" The entire left side of her face was swollen, and he knew that Malfoy had likely broken her cheekbone. Seeing her angry glare, however, and knowing that she was still well enough to play, Harry returned to the game, nodding grimly at Ron, who returned to the Gryffindor goalposts.

Harry knew that Ginny was alright when she scored the two penalty shots easily, bringing the score to forty-ten in Gryffindor's favor. Harry began marking Malfoy closely. He was determined to make him pay.

"Slytherin Chasers head up the pitch, they shoot, they score on Captain Ron Weasley. Ten points to Slytherin!" The Gryffindor crowd groaned, and the Slytherins screamed wildly for their team.

"Too bad about your little girlfriend, Potty," Malfoy yelled. "Think she'll have a scar? That would be sweet, wouldn't it? Potty and the little Weasel girlfriend with ugly scars on their faces!"

Harry knew Malfoy was trying to bait him into losing his temper, and his grip on the handle of his Firebolt was so tight that his knuckles were white, but he did not reply to Malfoy's taunts. Harry knew Madam Pomfrey would heal Ginny in a second after the game was over, and he was not going to let this blonde git get to him now.

Below the two Seekers, the game got increasingly nasty. Beaters were relentless with their bats, and the Chasers flew at each other with such ferocity that Harry thought it was a miracle that anyone was able to score. Somehow, however, both sides managed it, and almost an hour into the game the score was 140-100 in Gryffindor's favor, and Harry had not yet found the Snitch.

It should be said that between Kingsley's dueling lessons, Tonks' physical training requirements, and the fact that Ron had required his team to practice at least twice a week since the beginning of term, Harry was in the best physical shape of his life, and his flying was evidence to that. Never had he been able to push the Firebolt as far as he was today as he tried to unnerve Malfoy, and never had he been in tighter control.

Malfoy hooted with glee from right behind Harry as a Bludger collided painfully with Katie Bell's shoulder, causing her to drop the Quaffle, and it was then that Harry made the decision to attempt something he had only yet tried in practice. Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pushed his broom into an almost completely vertical dive, and he sped towards the ground with a speed so alarming that it caused the entire crowd to gasp. Knowing that Malfoy was following him on his Nimbus 2001, Harry slowed just enough to allow his opponent to close the distance between them as they plummeted toward the ground.

"Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter is putting his broom through it's paces as he speeds towards the ground, Draco Malfoy close on his tail!" Justin exclaimed, and the whole crowd looked towards the ground, expecting to see the Snitch.

Harry was only inches away from the grass when he suddenly pulled out of his dive, putting every bit of his strength into bringing his Firebolt into a horizontal position. As his toes skimmed the ground, he heard, to his immense satisfaction, a sickening crunch as Malfoy crashed into the pitch at nearly full speed.

"Potter's done a Wronski Feint!" Justin yelled into his magical megaphone. "I can't believe it! The Wronski Feint, one of the most dangerous Seeker diversions in the game of Quidditch, is usually only seen in the professional leagues! Watch out for Potter, ladies and gentlemen, the leagues will surely be vying for him when he's out of school! A time-out is called as Madam Pomfrey and Madam Hooch rush onto the field to tend to Draco Malfoy."

The Gryffindor team flew into a huddle at the end of the pitch as the Hogwarts nurse revived Malfoy, but Harry did not join them. He and Ron agreed that the best use of Harry's time during any breaks in play would be to continue looking for the Snitch, and Harry was not concerned for Malfoy in the least. The prat had it coming to him after what he had done to Ginny. The only difference between the two was that Harry's move had been completely legal.

Rain began to fall as Madam Pomfrey continued to work over Malfoy, mending his broken bones and administering potions right on the pitch. As Harry flew above everyone else, his eyes peeled for the small golden Snitch, he suddenly wobbled on his broom as he detected a powerful push on his mind, a push that could only mean that Voldemort and Malfoy were again trying to attack him. Of course, the senior Malfoy would have known Harry would be playing Quidditch this morning, and they probably hoped that the force of the attack would cause Harry to fall off of his broom.

Harry stopped completely as he focused all of his energy on keeping the intruders out. "Not now," he thought as he struggled violently, and with a final shove, his mind cleared.

It was, perhaps, a very lucky coincidence that the storm broke in earnest at that very moment, for when Harry focused all of his power on expelling Voldemort and Malfoy from his mind, an incredibly strong gust of wind blew out from him and through the stadium, blowing hats and umbrellas out of the stands and onto the pitch. No one, however, seemed to suspect the true origin of the gust as the rain began to pour.

No one, that is, except the two people in the stands who were always watching more carefully than he ever knew, the two people who had kept their attention on him and not on Draco Malfoy. Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore had looked at each other worriedly when they had seen Harry stop, sure that they knew what was happening. Dumbledore's wand was already out, ready to slow Harry's inevitable fall, but the fall never came. Instead, Harry's face screwed up in concentration, and they could both see him fighting to keep his Occlumency shield up. The wind gusted through the stadium just as Harry's expression cleared, and the two men who had been watching looked at each other in amazement. This was certainly a new development, and one which would have to be carefully monitored in the future, and built upon.

For his part, Harry had no idea that he had caused the violent surge of wind that shook the very stands in the stadium. All he felt was his victory. Although he had pushed Voldemort and Malfoy out of his mind once before, the night Mrs. Figg had been killed, he had not been able to do it immediately, as he had today. The amount of force he had been required to use had exceeded even that of what he had used to keep Dumbledore out, and Harry felt certain that Voldemort had not lifted the attack voluntarily.

The game resumed as Draco Malfoy remounted his broom to the tumultuous cheers from the Slytherin stands, and Harry cast an Impervious charm on his glasses so he could see the Snitch. He and the rest of the players were growing cold and wet, and as the game below grew, if it were possible, even nastier, Harry knew he needed to catch the Snitch soon.

The score was 210-140 in Gryffindor's favor when Harry caught the faintest glint of gold hovering above the stand in which the staff members were sitting. It was, perhaps, a good thing that Malfoy was still more than a little dazed by his violent appointment with the earth, since he was actually a lot closer to the Snitch than Harry was.

Malfoy bucked a bit on his broom as Harry came speeding past him, and he caught sight of the Snitch as he looked to see if Harry was feinting again. He quickly gave chase when he saw the glint of gold, but his Nimbus was no match for Harry's Firebolt, and the Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers and applause as Harry Potter caught the Snitch.


"And it's a Gryffindor win with a final score of 360 to 140!" Justin proclaimed, though his voice could barely be heard over the screams of the spectators.

Harry held the Snitch over his head as he flew to center pitch to join his teammates. As they sank to the ground, everyone wore the biggest grins Harry had ever seen, even Ginny, whose cheek was swollen almost beyond recognition.

"Fan-bloody-tastic game, Harry!" Ron said exuberantly as the crowd began to surround them on the pitch.

"Everyone played really well," Harry replied, and it was true. Kirke and Sloper, while they still couldn't rival the Weasley twins, had held their own. Meg, Ginny, and Katie had worked together as though they had been for years, and Ron's goalkeeping abilities were becoming excellent.

Harry was knocked aside as Hermione threw herself onto Ron, hugging him fiercely, and as Harry turned to make sure that Ginny went to see Madam Pomfrey straightaway, he heard a booming voice that he would recognize anywhere.

"Harry!" Hagrid cried as the crowds of students parted a bit to let the huge man pass. "Yeh did it! Knew yeh would! Gryffindor fer the cup again!" He clapped Harry on the shoulder, and Harry only barely remained able to stay on his feet.

Those that could hear Hagrid, and most of them could, burst into renewed cheering. Just as Harry had finally managed to connect Madam Pomfrey with Ginny, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and turned to look straight into the face of his guardian.

"Moony!" Harry cried. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Remus smiled. "I thought I would surprise you. You played exceedingly well, Harry. Your father would have been quite pleased."

Harry grinned. He liked to think that his father would have enjoyed this game as much as he had. He was flying as high as he had in a long time - between his first successful Wronski Feint, his success at denying Voldemort and Malfoy entrance to his mind, and Gryffindor's win, even the rain that continued to pour did nothing to bring him down.

"Harry!" Ginny called through the noise of the rain and the chattering students who seemed not to notice it. He turned and saw that she was still smiling, but looked a bit disgruntled all the same.

"What is it, Ginny? Are you OK?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine," Ginny said impatiently. "It's just that Madam Pomfrey says I have to go to the hospital wing with her for now. I'll be back in the common room later for the celebration, though."

"Want me to come with you?" Harry inquired with some concern.

"No, no," Ginny waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a bruise. I'll be fine. Besides," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I think Remus probably wants to spend some time with you."

Harry nodded. He wanted to spend time with Moony as well. He said as much to Ron and Hermione, and after he had changed out of his team robes, he met Remus and they headed back up to the castle, keeping relatively dry under the umbrella that his guardian had conjured after losing his first one.

"I know I already said so, but you really played excellently this morning," Moony said proudly as they walked alone through the grand front doors of the castle. They had made their way from the Quidditch pitch slowly, and the other students were quite far ahead of them by now. Harry knew that the Gryffindors would be celebrating late into the night, but at the moment, he was simply glad to be spending some time with Moony, time that was, for once, not marred by an attack.

"Thanks," Harry said, grinning.

"I was especially impressed with your feint," Moony continued dryly, and Harry glanced at him and was relieved to see a smile playing on the corners of his guardian's mouth. Harry had been afraid for a moment that the adults would be angry with him for causing injury to Draco Malfoy, even if he hadn't done it directly. From the amused look on Moony's face, however, Harry got the distinct impression that he was not alone in feeling that Malfoy had deserved the trick.

"I only decided to do it after that git hit Ginny," Harry said, his expression darkening just a bit.

"And rightly so, Harry. Honestly, that is not a move one usually sees on the school teams. Mr. Malfoy certainly was not expecting it, but I must admit you did it very well. Where did you learn it?"

"I saw Viktor Krum do it at the Quidditch World Cup before fourth year," Harry said. "I've worked on it ever since, but I haven't been able to do it until recently. It takes a lot of control."

Remus nodded. "It certainly does, Harry. I think you could have given Krum a run for his money today."

"Really?" Harry grinned more broadly than ever at this compliment.

"Absolutely. What do you say we head down to the kitchens? I could do with a cup of tea, couldn't you?"

"You want to sneak into the kitchens?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Harry, I am a Marauder, and after your victories today, I believe that some minor rule-breaking is in order, wouldn't you say? I imagine you and your friends know how to get down there by now?"

Harry noticed that Moony had said "victories" rather than "victory," and he wondered whether he knew about the failed attempt on Harry's mind during the game. He decided to wait until the older man brought it up, however, and he grinned as he said, "We've known how to get down there since fourth year."

As they took the staircase down to the kitchen corridor, Moony glanced at Harry with an amused expression on his face. "Fourth year?" he said teasingly. "Harry, I'm surprised at you. James, Sirius, and I had it figured out before Christmas of our first year!"

"Really?" Harry asked, hoping he was about to hear another story from his father's days at Hogwarts.

"Really," Moony replied rather smugly. "James reckoned that it had to be somewhere below the Great Hall, and as his family and the Black family both had house-elves in their employ, they figured that the kitchens would be well-staffed with elves just waiting to provide us with whatever we fancied. They were right, of course, although it took the better part of the first term to actually find the entrance and figure out how to get in."

"How did you do it without being seen?" Harry asked. It was his experience that wandering around in the corridors after hours was a very dangerous thing for first years to do. It was easy to get lost, and the caretaker always seemed to know when students were out of bed.

"Why, your father's Invisibility Cloak, of course," Remus answered. "From September on, the three of us went under it about every other night and explored the castle. Although we had not yet even thought of making the Marauder's Map yet, we all shared the desire to know the castle better than anyone else.

"I suppose it was right before the Christmas holidays when we finally found the painting that was the entrance to the kitchens. We were standing in front of it, the invisibility cloak off so we could move around, when we heard someone coming down the stairs. We tried to put the cloak back on, but it is rather difficult to quickly cover three people."

"Where was Peter?" Harry asked after he had nodded in agreement with this last statement. It was indeed difficult to completely cover three people very quickly.

"This was before we knew Peter all that well," Remus answered with a slight grimace. "We should have kept it that way. Anyway, Sirius started running his hands up and down the painting, desperate to make it open before we were seen, and your father kept whispering the most ridiculous passwords at it. None of them worked, of course, but just as the person reached the bottom of the stairs, Sirius ran his hands over the pear and it began to giggle. We realized quickly what the secret must be, and all three of us tickled it until we gained entrance, just in time, I might add."

Harry chuckled. It seemed that he, Ron, and Hermione were not the only students who were good at making escapes just in the nick of time.

They had reached the painting at the kitchen entrance by now, but Remus turned to continue his story before he tickled the pear. "We had the invisibility cloak wrapped partially around us as we all crashed in at once. It must have been past midnight, and I'm sure you can imagine the house-elves' surprise to find Sirius' head, one of my arms, and James' feet come crashing through the door all of a sudden. After we took off the cloak, however, we were not disappointed. I think we ate more that night than we did at the Halloween feast, just from the sheer novelty of it." As he finished his story, Remus reached out and tickled the pear. It immediately turned into a door handle, and they walked in, only to be immediately accosted by a small figure wearing at least ten of Hermione's elf hats from the previous year.

"Harry Potter is here! Come, bring Harry Potter some food!" Dobby called as he wrapped his arms around Harry's knees. "What is you wanting, Harry Potter? Tea? Biscuits? Why is you all wet, sir, and who is this man with you?"

Harry rolled his eyes, but said, "Hi, Dobby. This is Professor Lupin. He used to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and he's my guardian now."

"Professor Lupin must be a great man to be guardian of the noble Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Remus, deciding that it would be easier not to protest. "Harry and I were wondering if we could have a spot of tea and a private conversation?"

Dobby bowed so deeply that the top of his hat skimmed the floor, and in the next instant four house-elves, all wearing crisp tea-towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest, hurried up to Harry and Remus bearing a large silver tray with a teapot, two cups, and an assortment of biscuits and breads.

"Thank you," Remus said pleasantly.

"Is there anything else that Harry Potter is wanting, sir? We is honored to serve the noble Harry Potter, the great and - "

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry interrupted. "I think Remus and I are going to go sit at the table if that's OK with you."

"Harry Potter asks if it is OK with Dobby!" the elf cried. "Dobby is honored to have Mr. Harry Potter sit down! Oh, wait till Dobby tells Winky, sir!" At the mention of Winky's name, the other house elves looked disapprovingly at Dobby, bowed to Harry and Remus, and went back to their work preparing the evening's supper.

"Where is Winky?" Harry asked, looking around.

"Winky is not well, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said sadly. "Winky does not come to the kitchens anymore. Winky lives only with Mr. Filch now."

"Winky's gone to stay with Filch?" Harry asked. "Why?"

"Winky is not liking working in the kitchen with the other house elves, sir," Dobby answered, his ears drooping even more. "Winky has nowhere else to go, sir, so she goes to clean for Mr. Filch. Dobby only sees her once in awhile."

"Oh," said Harry awkwardly, thinking of what Hermione would have to say about the matter. "Well, er, tell her we said hello, alright?"

Dobby perked right up. "Oh, Dobby will tell her, Harry Potter! You are truly a kind and noble wizard!"

"Thanks again, Dobby," Harry said, and was relieved when Remus interrupted.

"I think Harry and I are going to sit down now and talk, Dobby. Thank you for everything," he said firmly.

Dobby bowed once again and went to work with the rest of the elves, his grin still lighting up his ugly little face.

"So, you have quite an admirer, Harry," Remus said with a smile.

"Yeah, he's always been like that," Harry said, his face red with embarrassment.

"You handle him very well," Moony replied. "Now, Harry, I wanted to ask you something about the game. When Malfoy was injured, what happened to you on the pitch. Why did you stop flying?"

Harry replied, "You already know, don't you? That's why you're asking."

Moony nodded. "Indeed, Harry, although I highly doubt that anyone besides Professor Dumbledore and myself noticed, for most of the students and staff were watching Madam Pomfrey tend to Malfoy. It's very important for you to tell me exactly what happened, however."

"Nothing, really," Harry said. "I was looking for the Snitch, and I felt Voldemort and Malfoy try to get into my mind again."

"Did they succeed?" Remus asked with concern, although he thought he already knew the answer.

"No," Harry said. "It was hard, but I managed to keep them from getting in. It was even harder than it was with Professor Dumbledore, I reckon because there were two of them."

"How did you know it was both of them if they never got in?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "But it was both of them. I'm sure of that."

"I don't doubt you, Harry, but there are certain reasons why I need to know exactly what happened."

"Like I said before, nothing happened. They tried to attack me. I put up my shields and pushed them out. That was all."

"But that wasn't all, Harry," Remus said seriously.

"What do you mean, it wasn't all?" Harry asked in confusion. He had been there, and nothing else had happened.

"Did you not feel the force of your magical push against them, Harry? Did you not notice what you did?"

"What did I do?" Harry asked, and he was getting tired of the questions. He wished Moony would just out with whatever was on his mind so they could get on to more pleasant topics.

"The force of the power of your shield was felt by everyone in the stadium, Harry, in the form of something that felt like a gust of wind. Don't worry," he added hastily, seeing the alarmed look on Harry's face. "I believe everyone else simply thought it was a gust from the storm."

"How do you know it wasn't?" Harry asked.

"Professor Dumbledore and I both knew the origin of the energy surge as soon as we felt it. I can give you no other explanation than that - it was quite possibly because we had been watching you when it happened."

Harry nodded, but his mind was racing. First his shield had become visible, and now his Occlumency defense was apparently sending out waves of magical energy. What was happening to him?

"Harry," Remus said quietly, gazing at him intensely. "I believe you were correct in saying that it is time you told your friends about the prophecy."

Harry nodded. He knew it was time.

"I wanted to ask if you would like me to come and be with you when you do. It is completely up to you, Harry, but I will be here if that is what you want."

Harry had been considering whether or not he wanted Moony to come with him when he talked to his friends ever since he had gotten the reply to his note. On one hand, he was dreading their reactions and wanted the support. On the other hand, while his friends liked Remus quite a bit, they were not as close to him as Harry was, and Harry thought that it might be better if they were alone. His decision made, he smiled faintly at his guardian. "Thanks, Moony," he said sincerely, "But I think this is something I have to do myself."

Remus nodded. "My suggestion to you would be to use the Shrieking Shack, Harry."

"That seems as though it would be as good a place as any, but how are we going to get past the Whomping Willow without being seen?"

"Ah, Harry, you have so much yet to learn," Moony sighed, but he was smiling. "The Marauders long ago found a way into the Shrieking Shack that did not involve the Willow. All you have to do is go past the stile in Hogsmeade, loop around to the back side of the Shack, and you will find a gate concealed by a bush. Tap your wand on the latch, say 'Secret Unsecured,' and you can go in - that incantation unlocks the back door to the Shack as well. To lock it behind you, tap it again and say 'Secret Secured,' and the wards will go back up."

Harry grinned. It seemed like the Marauders had an answer for everything, and having the Shrieking Shack as a private meeting place sounded like a very good idea indeed.

"Now, Harry," Remus said. "Speaking of secrets, I think it is high time you and I found a better way to communicate than through owl post - what do you reckon?"

"How, Moony?" Harry asked. "The Floo Network?"

"No, not exactly," Remus said. "The only access you really have to the Floo Network is through Gryffindor's fire, and that is hardly secure."

"What, then?" Harry asked. He carefully avoided mentioning the two-way mirror Sirius had given him. He did not know where Sirius' half was now, but he did not think he could bear to use it, even with Moony.

"What I have in mind is something similar to a Portkey, Harry, although it will not physically transport us to another location."

Harry was intrigued. This was something he had not heard of before. "Go on," he said eagerly.

Remus dug in his pocket and pulled out a leather chain. Laced onto it was something that looked like a very small, very old glass bottle, which was corked tightly and seemed to hold a small amount of some sort of glistening silver potion. "This is for you, Harry," he said. "You can wear it under your robes, or you may leave it in your trunk if you are more comfortable doing so."

Harry accepted the small amulet and was surprised to find that it was rather warm to the touch. "When you want to contact me, simply hold the vial in your hand and concentrate on the message you wish to send. The concentration it will require will be a bit like what you use in Legilimency, but you will find that, as there is no resistance involved, it will not drain your energy in the slightest. When you have made the connection, simply speak to me as you would if we were in the same room. On my end, I will be able to receive your message instantaneously."

"What happens if you don't have it on you?" Harry asked, wondering how complicated this was to be.

"It does not matter. If I am not in possession of my end at the time, the message will remain intact until I receive it. Much like the Galleon's Hermione charmed last year for the D.A., the potion inside the amulet will warm up considerably and turn blue until the message has been received."

"It sounds a lot like an answerphone," Harry muttered, trying to understand how the amulets worked.

"A what?" Remus asked with interest.

"It's a machine the Muggles use to leave messages for each other when someone isn't home to pick up the telephone," Harry answered. He always forgot how little most wizards knew of Muggle technology.

"Maybe so, but the best part about these is that they are completely private. Even if one of the amulets were to fall into the wrong hands, you and I are the only people who can use them. I've put several charms on them to see to that."

Harry smiled. "That's brilliant, Moony!" he said. He was very glad indeed to have a safer means of communicating with his guardian than owl post, not the least of his reasons being that he did not want Hedwig to get hurt.

Remus leaned back in his chair and took a long sip of his tea, looking carefully at Harry as he did so. He was very glad to see that Harry liked the means of communication he had found, and also that Harry seemed to be happier than he had been in a long time. The boy certainly deserved it, especially after his performance today.

"Now, Harry, have you finished your tea?" Moony inquired. "Unless I am very much mistaken, I believe your house will be having quite a celebration in your common room this afternoon and into the evening. I shan't keep you from it any longer - let's go back up to the Tower, shall we?"

Harry nodded, and he slipped the amulet Moony had given him into his innermost pocket, where he would be sure to feel it warming up if his guardian wanted to contact him. Together, they headed up to Gryffindor Tower, and Moony gave him the traditional one-armed hug as he prepared to leave Harry in front of the portrait of the fat lady.

Remus walked back down the corridor, smiling when he heard the cheers that greeted Harry as he climbed through the portrait hole. Unless traditions had changed dramatically since his years at school, the party would continue until the Head of House showed up to put an end to it. He hoped it would.

* * *

The next week flew by with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the rest of the team continuing to bask in the glory of their win. Harry's Wronski Feint was quite a popular topic of conversation in the corridors, and everybody but the Slytherins felt that Malfoy had gotten exactly what he had deserved.

Even Professor Dumbledore congratulated Harry in their next Legilimency session, telling him, as Moony had, that his father would have been very proud of the flying he had done at the game before they began. These sessions were becoming increasingly difficult and exhausting as Dumbledore had begun resisting Harry's attempts to break into his mind, and Harry had not yet been able to gain entrance when the Headmaster's Occlumency shields were up, although even the effort of trying was very tiring.

Only two things bothered Harry that week. The first, of course, was the prospect of telling Ron, Ginny, and Hermione about the prophecy on Saturday in Hogsmeade. The second was the odd manner in which Kinsley treated Harry in their Friday dueling lesson. They went through all the motions of their normal classes, spending the first half working on defensive spells, the second half continuing work on dodging and feinting, but Kingsley seemed to be looking at Harry in a different, almost calculating way. Harry did not know the Auror well enough to comment on it, however; he simply hoped that he would reveal his reasons eventually.

Harry had already arranged to spend the morning with Ginny in Hogsmeade, meet up with Ron and Hermione for lunch in the Three Broomsticks, and then move on to the Shrieking Shack to talk. He had not told his friends about this last bit, however. All they knew was that he wanted to talk to them privately, but he did not say where for fear of being overheard. All three of them had been giving him curious glances all week, but they did not push him.

* * *

The morning of the first Hogsmeade visit was clear and cool, and Gryffindor tower buzzed with excitement as the students above third year prepared for a day outside of the castle. In the girls' dormitories, those who had dates took particular care as they dressed and did their hair, and those who did not gabbed excitedly about visiting the shops. The boys were a bit rowdier than usual as they prepared for the day as well, teasing one another about their dates and eagerly anticipating trips to Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeyduke's.

Ginny met Harry in the common room in time to go down to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. Harry had asked that they go early so they could spend as much time together as possible before lunch...it was their first "official" date, after all, and he was looking forward to it as he resolved not to think about the prophecy until he had to.

After a quick breakfast, Harry and Ginny left the Great Hall hand in hand, looking forward to their day. Harry could not help but notice how pretty Ginny looked, her hair tied back in a long, red-gold plait, her cheeks flushed in the cool breeze.

"Ginny," he said. "You look beautiful." He flushed with embarrassment as he said the words, but she rewarded him with a huge smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Harry," she said softly.

"So, er," Harry began, finding that he felt more than a little awkward after that exchange. "What do you want to do this morning?"

"Well," Ginny said, an evil look on her pretty face. "I want to visit Zonko's, first of all. I owe Hermione one, big time."

"You owe Hermione a prank?" Harry asked incredulously. He could not imagine Hermione playing a joke on anyone.

"We-ell," Ginny said slowly, a teasing smile playing on the corners of her lips. "You know how Hermione's always on us to work on our homework?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. She was famous for it, and he still dreaded opening the homework planner she had given him for Christmas the previous year, knowing that it would squawk at him the moment he did with an ingenious taunt such as, "Don't save it for later, you big second-rater!"

"Well, she was teasing me about, er, drifting off when I was doing my homework...thinking of...other things..." Ginny trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed.

"So what did she do?" said Harry, completely oblivious to the fact that she was speaking of him.

"Well, she charmed the parchment I was working on while I slipped off to the ladies' room," Ginny began, but she stopped, wondering if it really was a good idea to tell Harry about what had happened. She didn't want to embarrass him, and from her experience with her brothers, she had an idea what his reaction would be.

"What did she make it do?" Harry asked with interest. Hermione was exceptionally good at her charms, and could be extremely creative with them.

"Well, I came back into the library and started work again, but the essay was a really boring one, and I started daydreaming again. When I had stopped writing for more than about thirty seconds, my parchment suddenly screamed, for the entire library to hear, 'Daydreaming about Harry is not going to get your work done, Ginerva Weasley!'"

Harry stopped so suddenly that Ginny knocked into his shoulder. He was mortified. "She did what?" he asked indignantly.

"Madam Pince came over and hit me around the head with her feather duster and made me leave the library. Everyone was laughing." Ginny finished, tugging on Harry's hand to make him continue walking.

"Oh, let's get her!" Harry said, trying to find the humor in the situation. He had to admit that he found the idea that Ginny daydreamed about him quite...intoxicating, but he was not at all sure that he appreciated having every student in the library knowing about it.

They reached Hogsmeade a few minutes later, and headed straight to the joke shop. They were the first customers in the store, and they looked for almost half an hour for the perfect prank to play on Hermione in retribution.

"Harry, look at this!" Ginny cried as she came across the shop to show him what she had found. In her hands was what looked like a normal, bright red folder. It actually looked similar to a folder Hermione used to keep her assignments from getting crumpled.

"What does it do?" Harry asked.

"Watch." Ginny took a spare bit of parchment from her pocket and placed it inside the folder. When she opened the folder again, the parchment was gone.

"Brilliant!" Harry said. "But what happens when she tries to turn something in, but she can't find it? We don't want to get her in trouble with her professors - she'd never speak to us again."

"Oh, the next time she opens it, the parchment will be back again." Ginny demonstrated, closing the folder and opening it once again. The parchment reappeared. "It'll just give her a bit of fright, but it won't actually make her papers disappear permanently."

"Perfect, Ginny." Harry took the folder from her and paid for it at the front of the shop.

The pranking of Hermione dispelled any awkwardness Harry had felt, and they spent the rest of the morning walking through Hogsmeade, their hands entwined, looking into all of the shops and stopping to chat with their fellow students. Harry felt sure that he saw Remus and Tonks more than once in the village, and he knew they were most likely his guard, but at that very moment he could not find it in himself to mind very much. He was having such a good time with Ginny that he did not even think about his meeting with his friends until they had finished lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

As Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione got up to leave, Hermione thumping Ron on the shoulder for paying too much attention to Madam Rosemerta, the thoughts of the prophecy once again settled into his stomach, and he went very quiet as they walked towards the end of the main road in Hogsmeade.

"Harry, are you OK?" Ginny asked him as he led them around the back of the Shrieking Shack.

"I'm OK, Ginny," Harry answered, but he was not at all sure that he was telling the truth this time. He had put off telling his friends about the prophecy for such a long time, and now that the moment had finally come, he found himself wishing that Remus were with him after all. Harry looked around for his guardian, sure that he was following them, but did not see him anywhere. He sighed. He knew that it was probably best that he told his friends on his own, but he had been sorely tempted to change his mind and invite Moony to come along.

Harry worked the charm on the gate, and they followed him silently into the Shrieking Shack, Ginny looking around curiously, Ron and Hermione being reminded forcibly of the night they had met Sirius Black in this very house. They were halfway up the stairs when Harry remembered that he hadn't cast the charm on the door to restore the wards. Asking them to go on ahead of him, he went back down the stairs. The back door was slightly ajar, and Harry cursed his stupidity as he closed it and locked it with his wand. He felt very lucky that they had not been followed.

He went back up the stairs to the room in which he had met his godfather for the first time, and he found his friends sitting side by side on the bed, looking at him expectantly.

"OK, Harry," Ron said bluntly. "Talk."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath, sitting down in a very dusty, bedraggled looking wooden chair. "There's something I need to tell you guys. Dumbledore's telling the Order tonight, but I wanted to be the one to tell you."

Ginny suddenly looked very nervous. "What is it, Harry?"

"You know how you have been wondering why I'm getting all of these special lessons?" They all nodded. "Well, it's not just because I keep getting myself into dangerous situations. There's a bit more to it than that."

"We all know You-Know-Who has it in for you, Harry, because of what happened when you were a baby," Ron said, thinking that was what he wanted to tell them.

"That's not the whole of it," Harry said with great difficulty.

"Harry, what could be worse than Voldemort being after you?" Hermione asked kindly. She meant it as a bolster to Harry's confidence, a way to let him know that they would be able to handle whatever he had to say, but it only seemed to make him more reluctant to continue.

After a moment, Ginny said, "Harry? Whatever it is, just tell us." She didn't think she could stand to wait much longer.

"You remember at the...at the Department of Mysteries, what the Death Eaters were after? That prophecy?"

"Neville broke it," Ron said, but he, too, was starting to look nervous.

"I know he did, Ron, but that night, after we all left and you lot went to the hospital wing, Dumbledore told me what it said."

"What did it say, Harry?" Hermione asked softly, and he noticed that all three of them had gone rather pale.

"It was about me...and about Voldemort," Harry began.

"What about you and ...Vol-, Voldemort?" Ginny said, saying the name for the first time in her life, her voice barely above a whisper.

Harry took a deep breath and recited the words to the prophecy, the words that had been haunting him since the beginning of the summer holiday. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies....and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."*

Tears filled Hermione's eyes, and Harry could see on Ron's face that he was trying to work out exactly what the prophecy meant. Ginny looked completely stricken. Harry wanted to go to her, but he remained in his chair.

"Harry," Hermione said, the tears spilling over her lids and starting to stream down her face. "Does that mean..."

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"What does it mean?" Ginny asked, her voice breaking slightly. She thought she knew, but she prayed that she was wrong.

"It means that I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort," Harry said, trying to keep his voice strong. "It means that before this is over, either I have to kill him or he has to kill me." He had rehearsed this line over and over in his head. Remus had said that the best approach was simplicity. The prophecy was not ambiguous, and if his friends were going to know about it, they had to understand it.

Ginny burst into tears, and he finally went to her, pulling her off of the bed and into a tight embrace. "Ginny," he whispered. "It's going to be OK."

She broke away. "How can you say that?" she asked. "How can anything be OK? Why is it you, Harry?"

"I don't know," Harry said, his heart breaking at the pain in her eyes. "But Dumbledore and Kingsley and everyone else are teaching me what I need to know to do it, and I will do it." His voice hardened slightly. "If I have to be the one to stop him, then I am going to stop him. I'm not going to let him hurt any of you." He had not meant to say the last line, but more than anything else, he had just stated the reasons behind his determination.

Ron sat on the bed, his arm around Hermione, who was leaning in on him, sobbing quietly. His expression was one of complete horror.

"You're going to have to do it?" Ron whispered. "Not Dumbledore?"

"According to the prophecy, I'm the only one who can," Harry replied, tightening his grip on Ginny.

With a great, final sniff, Hermione sat up straight and looked at Harry, wiping the tears from her face. "We're going to help you, Harry," she said simply, a steely strength creeping into her voice. "If you have to be the one to kill him, then we are going to help you get ready, and when it is time, we are going to stand and fight with you."

Harry smiled a bit. She had just repeated, almost word-for-word, what Remus had told him that summer. He felt Ginny stiffen in his arms, and then she, too, wiped the tears from her face and nodded.

"You're not going to be alone, Harry," she promised. "Never again are you going to be alone."

"Right," Ron said. "We've come this far with you. We'll go the rest of the way, too. No way you're going to stop us, mate. Not this time."

Harry's heart welled as he looked at the three people he treasured most in the world. Ron, his first friend, who had always stood beside him. Hermione, the cleverest witch of her year, who rose to every occasion and had always been there for him. And Ginny, his Ginny, who had always been in the shadows of the other two, but who was fast becoming the single most important person in his life.

"Thank you," he said softly, "But - "

"No buts, Harry Potter," Hermione and Ginny said in unison, and Harry and Ron gaped at them. They sounded eerily like Mrs. Weasley.

Ginny looked at Harry, and her brown eyes showed no hints of compromise. "You're going to need us," she said bluntly. "And if you think we're going to turn our backs on you now, and just leave it all up to you, you're mental."

"Mental," Ron repeated firmly.

Harry appreciated everything they were saying, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew they were right, but that didn't stop him from saying, "You all are in more danger now that you know. I don't want - "

"Harry," Hermione said firmly. "Everyone's in danger now, and that won't change until Voldemort is gone. Don't you dare think for one second that we aren't going to stay right by your side. Killing Voldemort may be your destiny, but standing beside you is ours."

His heart full of emotion, but somehow lighter than it had been for months, Harry led his friends back out into the sunshine, and they stopped at the Three Broomsticks for a final butterbeer before returning to school.

After the four Gryffindors were well out of sight, a pale arm grasping a wand poked out from under the folds of a silvery invisibility cloak. "Secret Unsecured," the voice drawled.