Harry Potter and the Ancient Secret of War

Chapter Three

With Hermione

"Are they okay? Are my parents okay?" Hermione repeated her question to Dumbledore, who wore the same sad and tired look that he had on his countenance when he informed Mr and Mrs Diggory of their son's death.

"Why are you not saying anything? I am asking you if my parents are okay." Hermione reiterated her question once again and this time, Harry felt her getting angry at Dumbledore.

Finally, Dumbledore turned around, went to a nearby window and looking out, said, "No, they are not. But they will be."

Harry did not get what Dumbledore meant. By the looks of it, neither did Hermione.

"Professor, what does that mean?" Harry asked him.

"What this means is that Miss Granger's parents are alive, but they are still in a very critical condition," Dumbledore replied.

Hermione started sobbing at this. Harry rushed over to her and put his arms around her. She wouldn't have to go through this ordeal alone. However, she appeared to regain her composure a bit later.

She told Dumbledore, "I want to see them."

Dumbledore nodded. He said, "Very well. Please follow me now. Your parents are admitted to the nearby Muggle hospital. We reckoned that we had to keep them away from the magical world as much as possible."

Harry and Hermione left the house behind Dumbledore. Just before they left the house, Dumbledore changed his attire. He looked like an overgrown hippy from the 1960s. Harry thought he looked really odd dressed in Muggle clothes. Honestly, if the situation hadn't been so serious, he'd have laughed out aloud. But with the situation that they were in, Harry did not react to this change of appearance.

* * * * *

The hospital was just a couple of blocks away from Hermione's home. They went up to the Intensive Care Unit where her parents were battling for their life. Hermione was allowed to enter the room but Harry could only watch from the outside. What he saw made his heart leap into his mouth. Hermione's parents were clearly badly injured. They were heavily bandaged up and were clearly bleeding in many places.

After watching them for some time, Harry went back and sat down beside Dumbledore in the waiting area. Hermione stayed with her parents for about two to three hours. Harry got up every fifteen minutes and checked on her from outside. He could only see her sitting beside them and looking at them with a lost expression on her face.

Some time later, Harry saw Remus Lupin come into the waiting area. He approached the seats where Harry and Dumbledore were seated and began talking to Dumbledore in low voices. Harry could not hear what they were talking about, but whatever it was, it did seem to be extremely important.

After they had their talk, Dumbledore and Lupin walked over from the corner where they had been standing and came up to Harry and Hermione. Lupin shook Harry's hand and hugged Hermione. Harry saw her burying her face in Lupin's shoulders as she began to cry again.

Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence and said, "I think that it is advisable for us to leave the hospital now. Remus will be here and Nymphadora Tonks will be here soon. They will attend to Miss Granger's parents here and of course, if they need you, you will be available at your home."

Hermione didn't take in this suggestion very well. She protested, "They are my parents. They are lying their injured, in a critical state. How can you expect me to leave them like that?"

"Miss Granger," began Dumbledore, "I have no illusion that you are very much shocked and pained at what has happened. I am also aware that no one among us has the right to be here at this moment than you. But you need to understand that you need some rest, as does Harry here. And secondly and more importantly, you need to realize that our objective at this moment is to keep your parents safe and I don't think that with you two here, that objective can be fulfilled."

Hermione nodded. She got up and went to take a last look at her parents before going home. She came back about ten minutes later. She and Harry then, made their way to her house along with Dumbledore.

They entered the house and sat themselves down in the living room. Harry was sitting there quietly staring into the floor. Hermione sat down beside him and had taken her head in her hands. Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I would ordinarily have asked both of you to go to bed, but taking into consideration the events of the past twelve hours, I am willing to answer your questions first." After a short pause, he added, "And I daresay there will be many."

Neither Hermione nor Harry spoke during the silence that followed. Harry kept quiet because he did not know whether he should interfere in this matter. On the other hand, Hermione kept quiet because she simply did not know where to begin.

Finally, she put all her queries into one question as she said, "Professor, tell me everything about the attack."

Harry was considerably startled by this statement. It was more like a command than a request. It was clearly, a case of Hermione, exercising her right to the requested information. Harry also noted the use of 'me' instead of 'us'. He took this as a sign of her wanting to talk to Dumbledore alone. So, he started to get up. However, Dumbledore motioned him to remain seated.

"Miss Granger," he began, "What I am about to say will be difficult for you to accept. However, since you have asked me this question and I have chosen to answer it, I must give you the truth. For I don not believe and have never done so since I recognized good and evil, in the argument that the truth should be screened and censored in order to reduce the impact it might have on the listener. Truth is dangerous, oh yes, more than any other thing in this world, and so, it must be treated with caution. But with the circumstances that we are currently engaged in, I believe that the truth in general, is most desirable, since any lie will surely result in someone weaving a web of deceit around us.

"The question that you have asked is very complex, because if I were to explain to you everything, I believe we would still be sitting here till tomorrow. Yet, I will give you the relevant information.

"Ever since Harry was born, Lord Voldemort has been trying to kill him. This is because they are connected by a magical bond that is beyond the comprehension of all wizardkind and yet is as concrete as a scratch made on glass, which cannot be removed unless the glass itself is shattered to pieces. But don't ask me about the connection, don't ask me why or how, for that is not for me to answer. Maybe, someday, you will know the answer when the person who has the right to reply does so."

As he said the last part, Dumbledore looked at Harry.

"But what has all this got to do with the enmity between Voldemort and Harry?" Hermione interjected.

"Oh, everything," Dumbledore replied. "I believe that the only reason which motivated this attack was the fact that Lord Voldemort wanted to attack Harry. Not physically, but through the mind. So, he chose to hurt Harry where his weakness lies, in his friends. He chose to hurt your parents so that he could hurt Harry."

"I don't understand-" Hermione began.

But Dumbledore interrupted her by saying, "I think things would be clearer if we heard what Lord Voldemort himself has to say."

"But how?" asked Hermione.

"Harry, I think you can open your letter now," Dumbledore told Harry.

Harry swallowed. In the tense atmosphere, he had forgotten about the letter that lay in his pocket. He retrieved it slowly and saw that on the back of the envelope, there was a seal - in the form of a skeleton and a serpent - the Dark Mark of Lord Voldemort. Harry noticed the seal for the first time and understood how Dumbledore knew whom the letter was from.

He opened the letter, read it once and handed it over to Hermione, who in turn, handed it over to Dumbledore with trembling hands. The letter read:

Harry Potter,

You have just seen a taste of the terror that I, Lord Voldemort, can inflict upon you and your loved ones. You think you are brave and can face me. You think you can escape me. But can you help the ones you love, the ones who you call your 'friends' and their families, escape from me?

Treat this as a warning. Today, those Mudbloods were injured, but tomorrow they may die. Serve this as a reminder that none can stand against my power, none, not you, not your friends and not even that Muggle-loving Headmaster of yours.

As he read the letter, Dumbledore let out a false chuckle, "Ah, Tom Riddle! Always so polite!"

"So what does this mean?" Hermione asked Dumbledore.

"A certain incident that occurred about one and a half months ago has forced Lord Voldemort to do some introspection," he replied. "I am, of course, talking of the way five students entered the Department of Mysteries and managed to escape a dozen or so Death Eaters without knowing about the surprise attacks or about the place they were in. This incident forced Lord Voldemort to reason out why Harry Potter has thus far eluded him, even though his plans were ingenious and seemingly foolproof. It gnaws his mind. He has ordered a fresh reign of terror but in his own mind, doubt has begun to take shape. All his thought is bent upon Harry - what happened the night he tried to kill him as a child, how he eluded him so far, what happened in the Atrium, when he tried to possess Harry. All these questions hound him.

"However, he has realized one thing, that Harry has unknown strength in him, which meant that he escaped with his life in scenarios where he should have got nothing but death. After all, how has a boy been able to escape him four times, while most fully-grown powerful wizards he targeted couldn't escape him even once? And amid his musings, he has, I believe, begun to look at Harry as a formidable enemy. He overestimates you, Harry and I think that is what we should take advantage of."

"But what does this have to do with the attack?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore replied, "During his musings, Lord Voldemort concluded, and I daresay that his conjecture is partly correct, that your friends are your greatest source of strength and motivation. Now that your godfather is dead, he realizes that the only persons whom he could hold for a ransom against you are your friends and their families. That is why the Death Eaters attacked Miss Granger's parents here. Had it not been for your birthday party, even the Weasleys could have been in a similar position."

"What do you mean?" Harry reacted sharply to this revelation.

"This brings us to the actual attack. Miss Granger, your parents were supposed to go to Little Whinging to pick you up, weren't they?" Hermione nodded but said nothing.

Dumbledore, however, continued, "The Death Eaters did not even remotely expect anything like a party being thrown for Harry. They had been watching your family's movements for sometime now and had concluded that the best time to attack you three would be in the evening after your parents came back home. However, that day, your parents arrived early, only to find nine hooded and cloaked figures waiting for them.

"The cover of the Death Eaters had been blown. They were left with two choices. They could either attack your parents now or could go back to their master and face his wrath. They chose the former course and your parents found themselves at the receiving end of the Death Eaters' curses. They were standing there, defenceless, writhing in pain while the cowards were enjoying the pain that they were inflicting."

Harry had never seen Dumbledore use such words before. He was undoubtedly enraged by this attack on the defenceless Grangers. Hermione however, didn't know Dumbledore as well as Harry did and so, she didn't seem to notice. She asked him, her eyes wide with fear, "The Cruciatus Curse?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I believe they intended to do to them what they had done to the Longbottoms years ago. They wanted to use your parents as living reminders of the terror that Lord Voldemort is. They knew Harry would have to react then, somehow or the other."

"But then, how can you say that they are going to be all right?" Hermione asked him. She had started sobbing again when Dumbledore told them of the Death Eaters' intended plans.

"Fortunately," replied Dumbledore, "we received information of the attack within moments. We had been monitoring your home since the last year. As soon as information reached us of the attack, certain members of the Order including myself, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Mungdungus Fletcher and Elphias Dodge confronted the Death Eaters and rescued your parents. They were on the receiving end for about a couple of minutes before we arrived, and I believe we should be thankful for that. A few moments, and who knows what could have happened?"

"But Professor," exclaimed Harry. "Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on me the year before last and I recollect no other ill after it was removed."

"That is because," Dumbledore slowly replied, "you tried to use your mind to resist it. You see, it is all here in your head. Magic is all about the mind. If you believe you can do something, you will be able to do it. It seems that in the case of your parents, Miss Granger, they accepted the pain and forced their mind to be overcome by it. In all practical respect, they co-operated with the spell which only increased their predicament. As a result, it seems that their mind is still in that stupor that they had imposed upon themselves. That is why their condition is critical. We have got to bring them out of their stupor within the next three days, otherwise I fear there might be irreversible damage."

Hermione gave a sob at this. Harry listened to her and his heart sank. 'What kind of a friend am I? I bring nothing but pain to those who are close to me?' he thought.

Dumbledore seemed to have read his thoughts, since he said kindly, "No Harry. Do not blame yourself for all this. This is not your fault. We are at war here, and I believe these are the first injuries that we have had to suffer in this war."

Hermione nodded. Blinking back her tears, she said, "Yes Harry. There is no point in blaming you. Personally, I don't consider you responsible for any of this. If there is someone responsible, it is Voldemort and I am sure he will pay for all this. Someday, he will." Her eyes flashed angrily as she said this.

She turned to Dumbledore and said, "Sir, but what are we going to do now?"

Dumbledore replied, "I think it is best if Harry stays here with you for the rest of your summer, with your permission, of course. Like I said, we have to make use of the uncertainties that cloud Lord Voldemort's mind. With the state he is in, I don't think he will attack you, Harry, not yet. He is planning something, that we can be sure about, but it isn't something that he will carry out this month, that is for sure. So, we can safely say that anyone who is with you is also safe. That is why, I think that you should stay here Harry."

Both Harry and Hermione nodded. Dumbledore continued, "But there are a few precautions that you must take, Miss Granger. You must not leave the house alone. You must always be accompanied by Harry, wherever you go. When your parents return home, we will review the arrangement and decide upon the next course of action. Till then, this is all we can do. And yes, both of you, you will not leave this house after dark. Wherever you have to go, you must go while it is light. And that includes the hospital."

Both Harry and Hermione understood. They remained silent, signifying that they accepted the arrangements that Dumbledore had suggested.

Then Hermione looked at Dumbledore, her eyes tearful, "Sir, do you think my parents will be okay?"

"I have full faith," Dumbledore replied. "They have almost healed completely in the body. And we are trying our best to heal their mind. We administered a potion earlier in the evening, and by our reckoning they should wake up in two days. But remember this. It is important that they accept this as a part of their memories and go on to live their life as normally as possible. If that does not happen, we can never predict what can occur."

Hermione nodded. Dumbledore's words gave her some hope. His words were like the ray of light that peeks through behind a storm-cloud just after rains cease to fall down.

Dumbledore looked at both of them kindly and said, "I think both of you should have some rest now. It is five-thirty already and two-three hours of rest would hold you in good stead. You can visit the hospital immediately after you wake and freshen up. But before that, I would advise you to eat something. All this waiting and anxiety, it isn't easy, but you ought to ensure that your body holds up to all this. I can conjure up some food for you, if you like."

"No," said Hermione, getting up. "I think I will fix us something from the kitchen." With that, she went to the kitchen. Harry understood that she wanted to be alone for a while.

After Hermione went, Harry noticed that Dumbledore was looking at him with the same penetrating gaze which he had seen on his Headmaster's countenance a number of times on previous occasions.

At last, Dumbledore looked up and said, "Harry, I think you should tell Miss Granger about the prophecy, she has the right to know especially since all this has happened."

"No," said Harry. "I don't think I will tell her. She will be even more terrified then. And then she'll tell Ron...(he remembered what Dumbledore had said about the Burrow being attacked)...Professor, you said that the Burrow was attacked."

"Yes Harry," replied Dumbledore. "The Death Eaters had originally planned to attack both places at once. But fortunately, they were not successful. The Order members succeeded in thwarting the attack on the Burrow. In the process, six out of the fifteen Death Eaters there were caught. Even here, four out of the nine were caught. I interrogated them myself. That is why I know all that I told you about."

"So they are in Azkaban now?" Harry asked.

"No," Dumbledore replied, "The Ministry is aware of the revolt of the Dementors, so the Death Eaters have been kept in anti-apparition cells in a secret place."

"What's the Ministry going to do with them?"

"I think they can do nothing. Cornelius things that the return of Lord Voldemort does not quite mean what his power meant once but I believe he is wrong. This time, Lord Voldemort is even more powerful than before since he has become wiser with his earlier experiences. He had lots of time in hiding, oh yes, he analysed all he'd done and drew out new plans. Although he still hasn't got the greatest prize, that is, you, he still is a very potent force. Unfortunately, Cornelius and I still do not see eye to eye in this matter. The Ministry is still not preparing for Lord Voldemort's assault as it should be."

Dumbledore shook his head out of dejection as he said this. Harry could see why he was disappointed. It was indeed, different to fight Lord Voldemort with the backing of the Ministry of Magic rather than fighting as the Order of the Phoenix alone.

Harry sighed and said, (He needed to get this off his chest) - "Professor, what do you think will happen in the future?"

Dumbledore looked at him and said, "We don't know. We can't worry too much about the future, Harry. It is only our time that we should be concerned with. Okay, it is prudent to give your future generation a better life, but that is only possible when your own life improves. That is why I do not think that we should worry about what is waiting for us out there."

"But I feel so small and powerless, and knowing that the fate of the wizarding world lies in my hands makes me feel all the more weak. Just look at what happened to Hermione's parents. I mean I cannot even protect my friends. Then how am I supposed to rid the wizarding world of its greatest menace?" Harry asked.

"I do not know the answer to that, Harry," said Dumbledore. There was pity and sympathy in his eyes as he spoke. "But one thing that I know is that it is all here, in your head. Magic is all about the mind, Harry. You just have to believe in yourself. If you believe in what you do, anything and everything is possible. You just have to sincerely believe and work hard for what achieving what you want.

"Remember Harry, even the smallest person can change the history of the world. And you are not small, neither are you weak. You are the strongest and bravest person I have even known. To survive the things that you had had to go through since your birth and still be who you are, requires great strength, Harry and that is why you are a strong person. Because you make your choices not on the basis of the power you may get but on the basis of what you think is good and what you think is evil. You have often chosen the difficult path and that is why you have become who you are. That is why you have given us a chance to hope that we will be freed from this evil.

"Remember this Harry. You can defeat him, not because the prophecy says so but because you have the strength. You have been given this chance of destroying evil from our world. Yes, evil will re-emerge someday in some other form, but that is not our job to deal with. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us. The prophecy was made for you, Harry which means that you are the one who has been given this chance. And know this, Harry, this task would never have been appointed to you if you didn't have the strength."

As he finished speaking, Dumbledore looked kindly at Harry and finally said, "Remember Harry, it is all to do with mind. The first step to gaining strength is to master your thoughts and establish full control over your mind. Believe that you can do this, and I am sure you will win."

With that, Dumbledore got up and patting Harry on the back, made his way towards the door. He put his hand on the doorknob, turned and said, "I will get going now. Remember what I told you. In case you need anything, you can contact Remus or Nymphadora. They are there in the hospital."

He nodded at Harry and then with a swish of his cloak, he was gone, leaving Harry feeling better than he had done for the last twelve hours.

* * * * *

Harry suddenly woke up suddenly. It must have been around twelve the next night. He and Hermione had spent the entire day at the hospital. As soon as it was dark, Lupin escorted them back to Hermione's home, where they had just sat together. Hermione had cried a lot, while Harry had tried to comfort her.

As he woke up, Harry remembered. He had just had another nightmare. He had seen Hermione lying tied up on the floor of a dungeon and crying. He could also see Lord Voldemort kneeling over her, his wand pointed at her, his face in a serpent-like contortion, undoubtedly happy with all the torturing he could do.

When he woke up, Harry's vision was all dark and groggy, since the lights were out and he did not have his glasses on. He suddenly heard the door open.
Someone else was in the room and Harry instinctively reached for his wand lying on the bedside table. However, his sense caught up with him, as his fingers left the wand and went on to the torch that was lying beside it.

"Lumos!" he muttered in good humour as he switched on the torch (he was hardly feeling humoured though) and the torch bulb flared up casting its light around and revealing-

"Hermione!" Harry cried out aloud. "What are you doing in here?"

Hermione was standing near the foot of the bed, shaking visibly. She was scared, no, it would be an understatement. She felt positively terrified.

Harry threw aside his covers and not caring that he was clad only in his boxers, he walked up to her and put his arm around her. Then he led her by her hand to the bed, sat her down and switched on the lights. Tears were glistening in her eyes. He took her hands in his own and caressed them softly.

"What's the matter, Hermione? Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Hermione started crying as she said, "Harry, I don't know what to do. I don't know whom to trust. I mean, with Mum and Dad both in hospital after the attack, I just don't know anything. The doctor says they are going to be fine, but when is that going to be? I am scared, Harry; more than I have been my entire life. I want to be strong, but I don't know if I can be. I am worried sick, Harry."

"Is that all?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, that pretty much sums it all up."

"Who's looking after your parents at the hospital now?"

"Dumbledore and Lupin are there. Dumbledore seems to have taken all the responsibility on himself. He told they will be there to look after them, in case they need something."

Hermione shook her head as she said this. It was apparent that she did not believe such a thing would happen. Harry felt his own guilt conscience resurface, but he knew he had much more important things to do. He had to console her, comfort her, like she had tried to do after Sirius' death.

He ignored the guilt that was swelling in the pit of his stomach and said, "Herm, come here. Come on now, give me a hug."

He motioned Hermione towards himself and spread his arms out so that she could embrace him. She came up to him and he gave her a big hug. She was dressed in a thin, blue nightgown and her hair was loose and flying all around. Even as she sobbed against his chest, he felt nervous.

"You know Hermione, this is making me real nervous," Harry said after sometime. They had not yet broken the hug.

"What?" Hermione asked him.

Harry replied with a tongue-in-cheek answer, "Well you know! I am sitting before a beautiful witch who happens to be my best friend, bare-chested and without an ounce of clothing on my body except my boxers."

To his relief, Hermione laughed. Her laughter was like music to his ears.

"Just like Harry Potter!" she said, "always the one to say the right thing to make one happy."

Harry leaned against her and kissed her softly on the cheek. He told her, "You know, Hermione, you are beautiful and I hate to see you crying."

Even as he said it, Harry regretted opening his mouth. She looked stunned for a second but soon, tears came welling into her eyes. Her hazel eyes were hidden behind a veil of water and she took her head in her hands and started sobbing.

Harry seemed to be at a loss regarding what to do. Then he decided to take the straight approach. He put her arm gently around Hermione and spoke softly, "I know it has been difficult for you, Herm. But you need to know that we are all there for you, to help you get through this. And it is not going to be long either, is it? Your parents will be healthy again in some days and everything will return to normal."

"But why did it have to happen to me?" Then noticing the pained expression on Harry's face, she said quickly, "I didn't mean that."

Harry stopped her and said, "You know Herm. At the party while cutting the cake, when you told me to make a wish, I wished that all my friends and their families remained safe. I wished that the factors that have made my life the hell that it is, should never affect any of you. But then, like all of my wishes this wish, too, was not fulfilled."

Now it was Hermione's turn to play the role of comforting Harry. She said, "Don't blame yourself Harry. It's not your fault. It's just that I don't understand. Everything was perfect till yesterday afternoon. And now, my whole world is turned upside down. I don't know how to react to all this. I don't think I am strong enough to deal with all this."

Harry squeezed her hand and said, "Listen to me now. Hermione, you don't need to react to everything all the time. You don't need to be strong all the time. Sometimes, you can afford to be yourself. After all, you are also a human being. You have your own fads and foibles. You too, feel the need to cry sometimes. You feel the need to laugh sometimes. In those times, you have to let yourself go. You must cast aside all aspersions in these times and do what you want to do. You cannot just go around bottling up all your emotions."

Hermione now looked at him as if he had grown right before him. Ignoring her gaze, Harry continued, "You can trust me, Herm. You can trust all of the Order. You can trust us to help you and to be with you when you need us. If you do that, your worries will be greatly reduced. You just need to try. You need to accept what has happened, take it in your own stride and continue to live your life, the way you have. After all, this is not likely to have caused any lasting damage."

It was now Harry's turn to look uncomfortable, though. Hermione was staring at him with the same piercing gaze, that made the object cower under the gaze. She looked up at him and said slowly and quietly, "But that could also apply to you, the way you have dealt with Sirius' death. It seems that it is easier to say these things than to do them actually."

"That...was...a different matter," Harry stuttered unconvincingly.

"But..."

"No, Hermione. I don't think I can talk about that. Not yet, not with all that has happened," Harry interrupted her, before she could complete her sentence.

An extended period of silence followed this. They were both sitting side by side on the bed but no one was talking. Hermione was looking at the floor and Harry was staring at the doorway.

At long last, Hermione broke the silence and asked, "Harry, can I ask you for something?"

"Well, okay."

"Can I sleep with you here tonight?" she asked him.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat. What was Hermione speaking of? Was she really Hermione? What was she playing at?

Hermione read the incredulous expression on his face and said quickly, "No, I don't mean anything like that. It's just that I feel scared to be alone. Whenever I close my eyes, I see Mum and Dad, bloodied and bandaged and lying in the hospital."

Harry understood what she was trying to tell him, perhaps better than anyone else could. He smiled at her, "Very well. You can just lie down here beside me."

She lay down and he put his arm around her, her head resting on his shoulders, hoping to make her more comfortable. She snuggled right into him and Harry felt her locks tingling his ribs. She closed her eyes and said, "Thank you, Harry."

Soon, Hermione felt the warmth that emanated from his body and she felt secure and protected. Just before she fell asleep, she muttered, "I love you, Harry."

Immediately after that, she fell asleep, leaving Harry with very complicated thoughts about what his best friend had just said.

* * * * *

Chapter Four

Of Visions And Confessions

That night, Harry lay awake for a long time, thinking about all that had happened in the last forty-eight hours, and not just about the last thing that Hermione had said. He had always wondered what it was like to have a proper birthday with a cake and all that. He had always wanted to have an 'eventful' birthday, but now that he had had one, he wished that he had no birthday.

Harry always associated himself with the good of the people and as such it was difficult for him to blame anyone but himself for all that had happened. He tried to comfort himself by reminding that if it weren't for the birthday party; not only Hermione's parents but also Hermione and the Weasleys would have been fighting for their life. However, this argument clearly didn't work for Harry who had taken to his heart the notion that only he was to blame for all that had happened.

'I should have disassociated myself from Ron and Hermione long ago,' he thought, 'Maybe I should go now and never show them my face again.'

However, sense caught up with him as he remembered what Dumbledore had said about Hermione being safest with him in view of the current circumstances. He found that he could not sleep and so decided to take a shower. Already, it was six and the sun was rising. He got up quietly and made his way to the door of the room. He had been very careful not to disturb Hermione, who was still sleeping like a baby.

Suddenly, Harry's scar began to throb painfully. In the past few weeks, it had pricked continuously but this was more than an ordinary prick. He felt that something was about to happen and as it did, Harry's scar burst open and he collapsed onto the floor in agony.

Harry felt like he was part of a great creature, coiled and snake-like. Yes, this was the creature that connected him to Voldemort. Why didn't he learn Occlumency? He could have avoided this vision. Harry thought to himself even as he felt the pain recede. He found himself in a dark and vaguely familiar setting. Harry tried to look at himself and realised that he had no control over his movements. With a jolt, he realized where he was. He was inside Lord Voldemort, like the other times last year when he had visions of Voldemort.

Voldemort was apparently waiting for someone. Soon, muffled sounds came down from the staircase nearby. Someone shouted, "Leave us."

Now, it dawned upon Harry where he was. He was at 4, Privet Drive. He was in his aunt and uncle's home. And Voldemort was in there, apparently waiting to torture them. As much as Harry hated the Dursleys, he could not bear the thought of anyone being tortured so by Lord Voldemort. He tried to fight, he tried to break the connection but he was failing miserably.

Finally, Vernon and Petunia Dursley were brought down before Lord Voldemort. Both of them looked at Voldemort with fearful eyes. However, Uncle Vernon did manage to stammer out, "Who are you? Why have you captured me and my wife?"

Lord Voldemort laughed his loud, eerie laugh. Harry felt the same laugh emanating from his own throat. It was sickening. Then suddenly he thought with a jolt, 'He still had control of his mind, even though he was inside Voldemort.'

But his musings were interrupted when Voldemort spoke again, "I am Lord Voldemort. And I have come here to meet you." The voice was undoubtedly Voldemort's version of trying to speak in a falsely cheery voice. But the tone was nothing short of hideous. He walked around and then suddenly rounded upon Aunt Petunia.

Her eyes were fearful, but something was wrong. Harry thought that they did not look fearful enough. No, they didn't. Last year, Aunt Petunia showed her fear even when Harry had said Lord Voldemort's name but this time was different. Harry expected other Muggles to show such fear but Aunt Petunia? No, she knew about the magical world. She even knew a bit about Lord Voldemort, even though she didn't let anything on that. So why would she react so relatively mildly?

But again, Harry had no time to continue his train of thoughts, for Lord Voldemort spoke again, this time in his usual harsh tone, "So, you are Lily Potter's sister, are you? Well, I don't see any resemblance though. No wonder you are a Muggle, just like her."

However, Uncle Vernon interrupted him, "What do you want from us? We don't have anything that you wizards might want."

Again, this struck Harry as odd. He seriously doubted if Uncle Vernon would say out the word 'wizard' loudly even if he were facing certain death. (Not that he was not, at the current moment.)

"What do I want?" Voldemort continued. "I want Harry Potter."

"But he...he is not here," Aunt Petunia stammered.

"I know he is not," replied Lord Voldemort. "But wherever he is, I want to show to him the consequences of defying me. It was the Mudblood's parents first and now it will be you."

With that, Voldemort raised his wand and cried, "Crucio!"

As soon as the spell was uttered, Harry felt the searing pain in his forehead. He suddenly found himself flailing his hands and legs about as he lay on the floor. Hermione was leaning over him. She had his head in her hands and was asking, "What's the matter, Harry? Was it another vision? Are you okay?"

Harry nodded quietly. He thought about what he had seen. To his surprise, he remembered every detail of what had happened. That was quite unusual. Usually, he remembered the visions in bits and snippets but here he was sitting, being able to recount every bit of what he'd seen.

Hermione let go of him slowly and asked, "Harry, what happened?"

Harry replied, "I had this vision."

"About what?" she asked. There was great concern in her eyes.

"I saw," Harry replied, "I saw Voldemort torturing the Dursleys, I mean, my aunt and uncle."

"I know who the Dursleys are," Hermione broke in. "What happened next? Are they okay?"

Harry looked around the room. With every passing second, he could see things more clearly. Apparently, the effect of the vision was wearing off. He remembered all that he had seen once again. It was real, but eerily so. Okay, Voldemort himself was scary. But there was something missing, something that begged to be noticed. As much as he believed that what he had seen was real, Harry's brain began analysing things. Finally, he got it. The vision wasn't real. It was an act, either to warn Harry or to lure him into a trap.

He looked at Hermione who was looking anxiously at him, her eyes fixed upon his face. He said, "I think the vision was a fluke."

"What do you mean?" she asked her.

"I mean, it was just like the other time when Voldemort used Sirius' image to lure me into the Department of Mysteries. I am sure this was a trap as a well, or maybe, a warning."

"A warning?" Hermione said faintly.

"Yes, a warning," Harry continued, "A warning meant for me, so that I realise that Voldemort cannot be defeated. He even mentioned the attack on your parents. I think it was a warning. Yes, it was."

"Harry, but I don't know...," Hermione began. "It could also be very real, for all you know."

Harry looked at her, with sheer disbelief in his eyes. He remembered that it was Hermione who was the only one who had tried to dissuade him from going to the Department of Mysteries. And now, she was the one who was actually saying that the vision he had just had might be real.

"Harry, don't get me wrong," Hermione continued, "But I think that maybe, a part of you does want the Dursleys to get hurt. A part of you wants them to suffer for the way they have always treated you. Maybe, that's why you think that this vision isn't real."

So, this was the problem. She thought that he might just be ignoring it because it was the Dursleys. Harry felt anger boiling inside of him.

"Hermione," he began hotly. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. I THOUGHT YOU KNEW ME. AND NOW I FIND YOU ACCUSING ME OF TURNING A BLIND EYE TO SOMEONE'S PAIN AND SUFFERING. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANYONE, NOT EVEN THE DURSLEYS. THEN HOW CAN YOU ACCUSE ME OF THIS?"

Hermione looked at him, tears in her eyes, "Harry, please calm down."

But Harry continued shouting. He shouted, "CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT I AM ANGRY. IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT I WAS ACCUSED OF SOMETHING BY MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME."

"Harry, please," Hermione said. "Try and understand. For all we know, Voldemort may really have your aunt and uncle as captives at this very moment. He could be torturing them now."

"No," Harry said quietly, "He's not."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"Because of my scar," Harry replied. "If Voldemort would have hurt them, I would have known till now. It would have burnt white. But it is just throbbing a bit, just like the night when I got the vision about Sirius."

"But..." Hermione began. Harry could sense another argument coming his way, so he interrupted her and said, "And it's not just that, Hermione. The people there! I mean it wasn't like the Dursleys at all. In fact, come to think to it, even the house wasn't really like how it should have been."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It was a bit messy," Harry replied patiently. "And knowing the Dursleys, they would never leave their house messy. It was just so unlike them."

"Maybe the mess was created by Voldemort and the Death Eaters," Hermione interjected.

"No," Harry continued. "I don't think so. It wasn't like the mess Voldemort would create. I mean, if I know him, he would prefer devastation and not just a mere mess. It was more like an ordinary home. And that is not like the Dursleys either."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak something. But Harry, sensing a question coming, said quickly, "And that was not all. Aunt Petunia, she was afraid, yes. But I don't think she was afraid enough. I mean, she knows about Voldemort. She knows about what it was like when he was trying to capture. She knows all this. She heard from my mother. And her eyes, they were not really like they should be. There was fear, but only such fear as an ordinary Muggle would have while facing someone with a wand in his hand. If it really had been Aunt Petunia, it would have been terror in those eyes, and not fear."

As he finished saying this, Harry was rather taken aback. What he had just said sounded so much unlike him. It sounded so, so very mature. Just like last night when he had tried to comfort Hermione. Harry was surprised at this, and he wasn't the only one. Even Hermione was looking at him with wonder in her eyes, as if something extraordinary had happened to him before her very eyes. Harry had developed quite a reputation of being a hot-headed person during school last year and it was odd to see him so calm about something that could be so serious.

Hermione finally tore away her gaze from Harry and said, "Are you sure about this Harry? I mean, I think we should at least inform Dumbledore."

"No," Harry replied quickly, "Everything is just fine. It's just that I don't want to inform Dumbledore about such a trivial thing as this false alarm."

"But I think we should at least check on your aunt and uncle. Just for confirmation. We could ask Lupin to do so," she looked at him as she said this. She knew that there was something wrong with Harry's view of Dumbledore. Usually, he'd have been the first to rush to Dumbledore with these things, but in the last nine months or so, he'd always avoided telling Dumbledore about such things.

Hearing Lupin's name, Harry nodded to her, "I think we can do that."

"Wait a minute!" said Hermione, "I will do the necessary. I think you should change though. I'll be back in five minutes."

As Hermione climbed down the stars, Harry realized with a start that he was still clad only in his boxer shorts. He looked around the room and finding a towel and some clean clothes, he walked to the shower and turned on the tap.

It took him about ten minutes to get ready, by which time Hermione was back in his room. She looked pleased about something. As he entered, she said, "Lupin apparated there and checked on the Dursleys. Apparently, they are still sound asleep. He even went to your cousin's boarding school and found that everything was okay."

"So it was a fluke." Harry said with a triumphant, low whistle.

"Apparently yes," Hermione said, "But if you think like I do Harry, you will notice that this is just not like Voldemort. I mean the last time he lured you to the Department of Mysteries, he wanted the prophecy. But what could he want this time?"

"Well, at least everything is okay," Harry said unconvincingly.

"At least for the present," Hermione muttered as she exited the room and left Harry to think about what she had just said for the second time in the last eight hours.

* * * * *

Harry and Hermione were accompanied that day to the hospital by Nick MacPherson, a new recruit for the Order. He was a Muggle-born Healer and Harry was a bit sceptical about what a Healer was doing in the Order. But Lupin had told him that Nick was an excellent student in his time at Hogwarts. He had the chance to choose from two professions: as a Healer or an Auror. Although Nick had chosen the latter, he was still a very able hand at duelling. Lupin had told him that Nick was another Metamorphmagus (like Tonks) and that meant that he could use his abilities to act as an undercover agent for the Order. Personally, Harry had this sneaking suspicion that he was supervising the magical treatment of Hermione's parents.

When they reached the hospital, Harry expected Nick to lead them to the I.C.U. But instead, he led them to another room. Before he knocked on the door, he just looked at both of them, "I think you are in for a pleasant surprise here."

As soon as they heard his words, both Harry and Hermione knew what Nick was trying to say. The same instant when he knocked, a voice came from inside, "Come in."

Hermione rushed inside to find both her parents awake and sitting in their respective beds. Hermione ran to their side and planted herself firmly on a chair in between the two beds. She said, "Mum, Dad! You are okay!"

"Of course, we are, dear," Mrs Granger replied, "Dr or should I say Healer MacPherson has told us everything about what happened. I must say we were very lucky. Must have given you quite a fright."

"Oh, it's nothing," Hermione said, "At least you are okay now."

Harry and Nick left the room in order to give the Granger family some time together. When they got back to the waiting lounge, Harry saw Dumbledore standing there. He motioned Harry towards him.

As soon as Harry reached Dumbledore, he took him by the shoulder and led him to some neighbouring chairs. They sat down and Dumbledore surveyed Harry from head to foot.

"So Harry?" Dumbledore asked fixing his penetrating gaze on him, "Can you tell me why Miss Granger asked Remus to check on the Dursleys early this morning?"

No sooner did he hear this than Harry realize that he would have to tell Dumbledore the truth. So, he told the Headmaster everything about the vision and his conjecture that the vision was a lie. Dumbledore heard everything patiently.

After Harry finished, he said, "Well done, Harry. You have now begun to see past the lies that Voldemort places in your path. I think that is a very good sign."

Then he looked thoughtful and continued, "But then again, I have known Voldemort for years, ever since he was eleven years old and was known as Tom Riddle. He is not one to do anything without a reason. So why did he show you this vision? Was it to test you? Or was it for anything else?

"This is disturbing, Harry. Yes, it is disturbing. Voldemort is up to something that we do not know about and I think the sooner we find it out, the better it will be for us and especially for you. I think that your presence is no longer insurance for the safety of you and your friends. I think it is best if you stay with the Grangers for the rest of the summer. For that time and after that for Miss Granger's parents, one Order member will be indefinitely stationed with them. And remember this Harry, Voldemort has set his plan in motion and if we do not exercise 'constant vigilance' as Moody says, we may find ourselves in problems worse than any we have faced thus far."

Harry nodded. He understood what was required of him.

"Sir," he said, "Mr and Mrs Granger, when did they wake up?"

"They have been awake for about six hours now," Dumbledore replied. "You were not informed since we had to tell them everything first. They are all right now and seem to have accept what had happened to them. They will be in the hospital for seven more days. (Dumbledore shook his head as he said this) The Muggle Doctor believes that he effected a miracle by curing them and he wants to be sure of what he did before he discharges them. Evidently, he wants to write a research paper about their case in a medical journal."

Dumbledore stopped and looked at Harry over his half-moon glasses. There was a twinkle in his eyes. Clearly, he had enjoyed this little joke. 'Poor Doctor!' Harry thought, 'He doesn't even know how his patients were cured and he still opts to write a research paper.'

Dumbledore cleared his throat once again. "I think it is time for me to go. And yes, one more thing! I think this is a time for celebration and so, the Order is giving a small dinner party at the Grangers' home. Although Miss Granger's parents won't be there, I am sure you will be pleased to attend it along with Miss Granger herself. And don't worry, I have already taken her permission for this."

Harry grinned at Dumbledore. He couldn't wait for tonight, especially since things were starting to look up.

* * * * *

Dinner that night was a noisy affair. Besides Harry and Hermione, Lupin, Tonks and Nick were also there. Harry was thoroughly enjoying himself when he felt Hermione taking his hand and pressing a note against it.

Harry opened the note and read:

Harry,

I want to talk to you, alone. Please come to my room.

Hermione.

Harry looked over to where Hermione was standing. She shot him a pointed glance, and started moving upstairs. Harry waited for her to get a start and then excusing himself, he followed her. He reached Hermione's room and yanked the door open. At that moment, he realized that Hermione had been waiting for him in the landing.

Harry entered the room, closely followed by Hermione. As soon as they entered, Hermione closed the door behind her, and stood there, as if waiting for Harry to say something.

At last, Harry could take it no more. He said, "You wanted to talk to me? Alone?"

Hermione nodded.

"What about?" Harry asked her, with a feeling in the pit of his stomach that meant that he already had a very good notion about the subject of this 'talk'. He wondered how much time in the last few days he had spent talking to people. First there was Dumbledore, and now it was Hermione's turn. He began to wonder about the chances of Ron asking him to have a private conversation.

But Hermione did not seem to notice the frown that Harry wore while he thought. She was saying, "About last night. About what happened last night."

"Nothing happened," Harry interjected. "So why do you want to talk about it?"

"I didn't say it was anything to do with-" Hermione began but Harry broke her off, "Okay, fine. Just say what you want to."

Hermione nodded once again. She went closer to Harry and hugged Harry. Harry allowed himself to be embraced but didn't embrace her in return. He wanted to know for sure where this was going. Hermione often did some pretty strange things (though you wouldn't think about them from her demeanour, S.P.E.W. being the most prominent example) and Harry wanted to be sure of what was happening.

Hermione said, "Harry, do you remember what I told you last night?"

"What?" Harry lied as if he did not have a single idea about what she meant.

"That I love you," Hermione said softly.

Harry laughed aloud loudly. He broke off from the embrace and began walking around the room, laughing to himself. Finally, he stopped, seeing the hurt look on Hermione's face and said, "Of course you love me. I am your best friend."

"No, Harry," Hermione said, "It's not love like that of two friends, it's more than that. I am sure that I love you, more than as a friend."

Harry looked into her hazel eyes. What she was saying was undoubtedly true. It could be seen in her eyes. Harry looked into those eyes, mesmerized. He had never really looked at Hermione as a girl. All this time that he had known her, he had considered her as nothing beyond his best friend. But now, there she was, confessing his love for her. Harry thought about this for a moment. Hermione was never one to take impromptu decisions. She must have considered this, for quite some time. After all, she never did something that was rushed and illogical.

Harry thought in his mind, about how she looked when he had met her in Little Whinging a couple of days ago. He scanned her features as her image flashed in his mind. She was not very beautiful, no not really. In fact, she was just plain and simple pretty. Her beauty lay in her thinking and her simple manners, not in her clothes and her makeup or things of that sort. She had this kind of natural freshness around her which Harry thought, every sane person would want. Now Harry begun to understand why Viktor Krum had asked her out for the Yule Ball. Once you began seeing her as a girl (which Harry never had, to be honest), you began to appreciate her beauty, not only of the body but also of her mind.

As Harry thought all this, he gradually found himself in a trance-like condition. Suddenly something snapped in his mind and he shook himself up. He paced around the room once again, muttering to himself, "This cannot be happening...No, this cannot be happening..."

Hermione looked at him with alarm in her eyes. She had never expected her to take things like this and react so unusually. In fact, she did not even know why she had said what she had to Harry. It all seemed illogical and for the first time in her life, Hermione seemed confused.

Harry stopped suddenly and said, "This can't be true, Hermione. I mean, I...we are best friends. This cannot happen between us!"

Hermione said nothing. Harry continued, "Here I am, the most wanted wizard in the eyes of the most powerful Dark Wizard of the century and your best friend, and...I mean I have never ever looked like that at you...And you...you are going out with Ron, who also happens to be our other best friend...And what do we tell him?...I mean, I don't understand...This all seems so illogical, but then again, I have never seen you being illogical."

Hermione walked up to Harry again. He was looking out of the open window, onto the street outside. His back was turned towards her. Hermione walked up to him and put her hand gingerly on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch. He turned around and took her by the shoulders. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, "Hermione, please tell me this is a lie. Please...(he looked pleadingly at her, but seeing no response coming, he continued)...I am confused. I don't know what to do, Hermione."

"Neither do I, Harry," Hermione said, "I had only heard and read till now that love is illogical, but I never believed in it. But I do now, Harry. I know one thing for sure about this, and that is, I love you, with all my heart."

Harry looked at her for a moment. She seemed so weak, so vulnerable at that moment and he desired nothing more than to protect her, to take her in his arms and shield her. She seemed lost, as she stood there waiting for his response.

Suddenly, a sudden urge overtook Harry and he embraced her. He cupped her face in his hands and lifted it upwards, towards his own face. At the same time, he brought his lips down and their lips were locked together. Hermione seemed taken aback by this sudden act but soon, she too, opened up. They opened their mouths and let their tongues intertwine with each other. They tasted each other long and slowly and found themselves falling into a sea of love and warmth.

Suddenly, for the second time in the last few minutes, Harry snapped out of his trance-like state. He pulled away from Hermione and looked away from her.

"I can't Hermione," he said, "As much as I want to, I can't."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I don't know if I am ready for anything like this," came Harry's reply. "I don't know if I am ready for starting a relationship with someone else. Just look at what happened to all the relations that I have had. My parents...they were killed by Voldemort. Sirius...Voldemort's cronies took him away from me. And now, you...I mean the only reason your parents were attacked is that you are my best friend. Just being my best friend got you landed up in this mess, then can you imagine what can happen if you become my girlfriend, or someone dearer that even that to me."

"Harry," Hermione tried to assuage his fears, "You cannot blame yourself for all that has happened. You heard Dumbledore the other night. We are at war and in a war, there are always going to be such incidents. No war can be fought without murder and mayhem, otherwise it wouldn't be called a war. Harry, I don't blame you for anything that has happened. Nobody does. All I want is to be with you, and to help you in whatever you do.

"Don't you get it Harry? Even in this war where you are one of the prime targets, I want to be with you. If that isn't love, nothing is. I love you Harry. It is okay if you say no to me, but don't say that you don't understand. Don't let a murderer come in between you and what you feel."

Harry was greatly calmed by what Hermione said. He took a deep breath.

"Hermione?" asked Harry. "Can I ask you something?" She nodded.

"Why do you love me?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't know when, where, how or why. But I do know one thing about all this, Harry, the one thing that I have confessed to you. I love you and it will always be so."

"But Ron?" Harry asked weakly. "You are going out with him, aren't you? How are we going to tell him? How is he going to react? We cannot do this to our best friend."

"I went out with Ron," Hermione replied, "But only once. It didn't work out. It was just that problem with us, you know. I told you about that in my letter. We are just too different. When he asked me out, I just didn't have the heart to refuse him, but it has become all the more clear to me and I hope, to him, that we are meant to be only friends and nothing more than that."

"What happened?"

"He was over-enthusiastic, as usual, and he began goofing up everything. The Quidditch match...and then the dinner. It was horrible, he continued to goof up and what's worse, I picked on him for every one of those things. Something just took me over and I couldn't stop myself. Finally, he thought that I love someone else, and he took that someone else to be Viktor. We had a big shouting match, that day, before everyone in the restaurant and we went off, our own ways after that. I have spoken to him only once since then, that is the day before your birthday."

Harry nodded. That would certainly, explain many things. "Hermione," he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes Harry," she nodded as she said so. "I love you and nothing is going to change that."

Harry just shifted uncomfortably. He looked away from her again and said softly, "Hermione, I think I need time. I need time to think about this. I need time to decide."

"You can have all the time you want," she said, "You can take all the time you need to decide, Harry and for that, I am prepared to give you my whole life time."

With that, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips. He caught on involuntarily and they kissed passionately once more, enjoying the taste of each others' lips.

'BANG!'

Suddenly, there was a loud noise somewhere and a door flew open. Harry and Hermione broke off their kiss and wand in hand, started trying to figure out what had happened. The question in their minds was: What new evil had come to the Granger home?

* * * * *