Harry Potter and the Secrets from the Past

Chapter 20. THE DARKNESS ARMY

...

Please don't you fear

You won't become

Plunder of winds

Why don't you

Give me your hand

We could run up the hill

And among cherry trees

Watching the dawn...

...

"The Hill of Cherry Trees" by Lucio Battisti

Harry was about to knock at his bedroom door when Ron opened it abruptly, leaving Harry standing with his fist raised; the two boys looked at each other for a few seconds in shock.

"Hey, where have you been? I've been looking for you the whole afternoon!" Ron said in an accusatory tone; Harry stared at Hermione for a moment, astonished, before answering him.

"Why don't YOU tell us what have you done the whole afternoon! You locked yourself in the room doing who knows what."

"I was studying!"

Ron cut him off, with a note of panic in his voice. Harry was sure that his friend was hiding something from them and frowned at him.

"May I ask you what subject you were so busy with?"

"CHARMS! I've just started the essay for Flitwick. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Well, the only thing which seemed odd to me was the fact that you didn't ask for my help as usual, that's all!"

Hermione intervened in the discussion, staring at Ron closely.

"Come on, mates! What's with this interrogation?"

Ron tried to render the moment less dramatic, when his attention was stolen by the noise of steps and voices coming from downstairs.

"Let's get inside!"

They entered the room and closed the door; Ron reached his bed and collapsed on it heavily.

Harry's gaze flew at the desk, but parchment and quill were gone. There was obviously something strange in his friend's behavior, but if Ron wasn't willing to tell, then Harry couldn't force him.

Suddenly, they heard a sonorous "CRACK".

"Hi guys, are you all right?"

"Hello to everybody!"

Fred and George had just apparated in the middle of the room.

Hermione jumped in her place, while Harry and Ron frowned at them.

"Will you stop doing such things? One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack!" she scolded them

"Hey, Ron, aren't you happy to see your big brothers again?"

In the meantime, Fred had reached his little brother and had put his arm around Ron's neck, pretending to strangle him.

"Sure! As long as you stop it with your silly jokes!"

The twins sat on Ron's bed, while Harry and Hermione took a seat on the nearby bed.

"How is life at Diagon Alley, after the last attack?"

Harry always had it in the back of his mind; he wasn't ever able to relax and not think about the war.

The twins' faces became grim, and Fred replied.

"Nothing good, mate! Everybody is afraid and they try to stay out of home as little as possible."

"Really a misfortune for our business! Luckily during holidays, things seem to be going slightly better. People are busy with their Christmas shopping, after all. WHAT IS IT?"

Hermione was frowning at George with her arms crossed, just like a teacher ready to scold him.

"How is it possible that you're always thinking about gaining? Don't you even distantly think about all those deaths in Lodon?"

"Of course! Tell her something George," Fred replied hurriedly, hoping that his twin brother would help him find the right words.

"People are scared to come to Diagon Alley now. This is the most terrible misfortune which could ever happen to us!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and didn't try to reply.

"Anyway, lately we've had a prestigious task. Dumbledore had met us and asked for... something special for the Order," said Fred proudly.

"Cool! Does that mean that you're going to invent a strange weapon, or maybe a sort of defensive device?" Ron looked really excited about that.

"You can bet on it! Our genius is at work and soon you're going to be really amazed by our inventions!"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other unbelievingly, since both of them were nourishing some doubts.

"KNOCK - KNOCK"

They turned to the door and Ginny rushed inside panting heavily.

"You couldn't imagine what I've just heard! Fred, George, there you are!"

"What's happened?" Ron asked worriedly, while his sister was gasping for breath.

"I was going downstairs, when I saw Snape coming out from the kitchen with Professor McGonagall and dad. I hid myself on the first floor, trying my best to overhear as much as possible..."

Ginny stopped again, while all the others were staring at her greedily.

"What did you hear?" asked Fred impatiently.

"They were talking about the war; they were saying something about giants and goblins that had joined You-Know-Who's army... what did they call it? Ah, yes, the Darkness Army!"

Everybody stared at each other in silence, hoping that someone would jump abruptly, saying that it was just a joke. But nobody did.

Harry thought that the situation was becoming more and more serious: it seemed that now Voldemort had the giants and goblins on his side, together with Dementors and Death Eaters.

It was easy to imagine what he could do with the help of such an army! Maybe, this time it would be the end of the magical and muggle worlds.

"We don't have to jump to conclusions. Ginny just heard a part of the conversation and not the whole thing. Maybe there are strong allies on our side as well, maybe not all the giants are with Voldemort. We should put more trust in the wizards of the Order, and above all Dumbledore."

"Yes, Hermione's right!" added George.

"Mum and dad trust Dumbledore blindly and I'm sure that he knows very well how to oppose to the dark side. If the Order should need our help, we won't stand there uselessly, right Fred?"

"Exactly, George! We're ready to join the battle any time!"

Hermione was staring at the twins worriedly, but at hearing those words, Harry felt a great strength rising inside him: he was ready to fight as well, with no hesitation.

"I agree with Fred and George. We should be ready to fight!"

"I'm ready as well!" said Ron with determination.

"I suggest we make an oath!" added Harry, without paying attention to Hermione, who was looking at him, astonished.

Harry stretched his arm out in front of him, palm down, then Ron put his hand on it and the twins did the same.

"In case of need, we'll join the Order of the Phoenix!"

Harry pronounced the words with a solemn tone and went on.

"We'll put body and soul in the battle to defeat the dark side. We'll fight until the end, to defend our world and our beloved ones!"

"FOR OUR WORLD AND FOR OUR BELOVED ONES!" repeated Ron, Fred and George in unison. Suddenly, Ginny stretched out her arm and put her hand on top of the others.

"I swear that in case of need I'll do my part as well!"

Harry, Ron and the twins were very surprised to see Ginny so determined. Then Hermione stretched out her arm and put her hand on top of Ginny's.

"Well, I really hope that there won't be any need, but, I'm with you for sure!"

The group of young wizards and witches smiled at each other, feeling really proud of themselves.

***O***

Harry was walking along a dark corridor, apparently finding himself at Hogwarts; he reached the huge marble entrance, which was completely empty, then he stretched out his hand and opened the thick gate; the light of the full moon made him go blind for a moment, then his eyes got used to it and he descended the main stairway heading to the gardens.

The sky was clear, there wasn't a cloud and the air was fresh and perfumed; everything was emanating peace and quietness. Suddenly he heard a terrible burst and the ground trembled. He lost his balance and fell backwards on the wet grass. When he raised his head, he felt his blood freezing in his veins; in the dark night sky, Voldemort's dark mark was shining just above him...

His scar throbbed painfully and he could hardly manage to stand up; he shivered all over, feeling a stinging cold in his whole body. He crossed his arms and his teeth started to chatter. He felt a terrible foreboding, since just one thing had this effect on him. He didn't have time to react to the hundreds of Dementors that were already filling the sky, ready to attack.

Harry had never seen so many of them; he stepped backwards but the Dementors had just stopped all around the castle, as if they were waiting for a signal. The scar was burning even more and the boy shouted because of the pain he felt. Then he saw him. Voldemort was coming out from the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by his faithful Death Eaters.

Harry felt the panic rising inside as he searched for his wand in the back pocket of his jeans, but he couldn't find it. Voldemort was right in front of him now, frowing at him with his evil red eyes.

The boy felt the fear taking advantage of him, preventing him from reacting and thinking. His head was completely blocked. Voldemort pointed his wand toward him and pronounced just one word.

"CRUCIO!"

"NOOOO!"

Harry woke up abruptly, shouting loudly, his hands on the face, his scar throbbing. He lowered his hands and looked around him, panting heavily and hoping with all his strength to find himself at Grimmauld Place again. With great relief, he saw Ron heading toward him, his face pale and worried.

"Harry? It was another of your nightmares?"

He couldn't speak; he was trying his best to breathe deeply and not throw up. He put his elbows on the pillow and Ron helped him to get seated on the bed. Harry raised a hand to his scar, which was burning, and realized that his forehead was completely sweaty.

"How are you feeling now? Shall I go and get someone?"

"No, I'm f-feeling b-better, it's over now."

"It was another nightmare about... You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, or maybe not! It looked like a sort of vision. I saw Voldemort at Hogwarts, there were Dementors and Death Eaters."

"What? You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?" Ron cut him off, horrified, as Harry nodded.

"Are you sure that it was just a vision? Maybe what you've seen is taking place right now!" he asked, deeply alarmed.

"No, it was as if all of this was still going to happen."

"You mean that it was a premonition?"

Ron's voice was trembling, while Harry wasn't even able to reply. Suddenly Ron stood up and headed to the door.

"W-where are you going now?"

"I'm going to get someone! The school could be in great danger!"

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