Harry Potter and the Ring of Reduction

Chapter 22

Three By Three

Harry felt a chill go through him. What is he doing here? he asked himself. He just walks, well, scurries in here and offers himself up? Whatever this is, it can't be good.

"What? What is it?" asked Neville, responding to the others' shocked looks.

Harry realized that Neville couldn't see the silver paw from where he was sitting. "It's Pettigrew." Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, Harry immediately conjured a small cage with four sides and a top but no bottom around Pettigrew. The rat ran up to the side of the cage and tried to squeeze through the bars, but they were too close together. Then, trying to take advantage of the thickness of the carpet, he tried to burrow underneath the bottom of one of the sides, nudging the cage up with his nose. Harry put a stop to that by conjuring a large stone on top of the cage. The cage sank into the carpet and nipped the rat's nose; he squealed and retreated to the center of the cage.

"Was that necessary, Harry?" asked Hermione. "He came in here on his own, after all-"

"And I want to make sure he doesn't change his mind and leave on his own," responded Harry abruptly. "It's pretty easy for a rat to get away, we saw that four years ago." He regarded the rat for a few seconds, then looked at Hermione; he sent that he wanted her to ask Flora to bring McGonagall, and that he intended to ask Fawkes to bring Snape. She nodded, and within seconds, McGonagall and Snape were there.

They looked at Harry quizzically for a second, then looked at the cage; Harry moved the stone off the top so they could see better. McGonagall's eyes went wide as she recognized the rat; Snape's reaction was a smirk. "He just showed up, ran onto the carpet," Harry informed them. "I put the cage there just to be safe."

Snape let out a dark-sounding chuckle. "Though I did not bother to predict this, it was utterly predictable. Once again, he seeks the protection of the side which seems to have the upper hand."

"But why would he come?" asked Pansy. "He must know they're executing Death Eaters."

"He clearly believes," replied Snape, "that Professor Potter will protect him. He has betrayed the Dark Lord, and has useful information which could lead to his final defeat. He wishes to trade that information for his liberty, and protection from the fate he so richly deserves."

"Are you using Legilimens on him? Is that how you know that?" asked Ron.

Snape shook his head. "One cannot gather useful information by performing Legilimens on someone in animal form. I have simply stated what is obvious."

"But he has nothing to bargain with," pointed out Ron. "You, or Harry, or Hermione could just take the information from him. I assume you will."

"Naturally," agreed Snape, his dislike and contempt for Pettigrew clear every time he glanced at the cage. "But he knows that Professor Potter is a person of honor, and Pettigrew's presence is his side of an implicit bargain. He does not think that Professor Potter will take the information and allow him to be executed, though I hope to persuade the professor that it would not be such a bad, or dishonorable, thing."

Harry stared at the cage. He recalled that the person inside it had been the direct cause of his parents' deaths. Pettigrew had as good as killed Sirius, framing him for murder and causing him to spend twelve years locked up for a crime he didn't commit. And he had been instrumental in bringing Voldemort back, making him indirectly responsible for all the deaths Voldemort or Death Eaters had caused since Voldemort's return. Harry started to find Snape's suggestion somewhat appealing.

He didn't want to commit himself. "Let's not worry about that yet, let's just figure out why he's here." He waved his wand, and both of the room's doors slammed shut. Looking at the cage, he said, "I'm going to get rid of the cage. When I do that, you become human, okay?"

The rat seemed to react with panic, scrambling around the walls of the cage. Annoyed, Harry said, "We're not going to get very far if we can't communicate with you. All right, we'll do this anyway. Professor Snape, I assume you know the spell that forces him into human form?"

Snape nodded. "As soon as he starts changing, withdraw the cage." Snape pointed his wand at the now-frantic rat, and the instant the rat started changing, the cage flew off to one side. Within a few seconds he was Peter Pettigrew... and as soon as he was, he started screaming, clearly in horrible pain.

Harry's friends drew back, startled. "Harry, stop!" shouted Hermione, apparently assuming that Harry was using the Imperius Charm.

"I'm not doing anything!" he shouted back, hoping to be heard over Pettigrew's screaming.

McGonagall waved her wand, and Pettigrew transformed back into a rat. Snape shot her a glance which suggested his unhappiness with what she had done. Harry placed the cage back over the rat.

"What was that all about?" asked a stunned Ron. "You'd think someone was doing the Cruciatus Curse on him."

"I cast Legilimens as soon as he transformed," said Snape. "It was not long enough to get much information, but I was able to determine the source of his discomfort." Harry raised his eyebrows at Snape's use of the word; Snape's indifference to Pettigrew's agony reminded Harry of the 'old' Snape. I guess, thought Harry, at least this means I did the reverse Cleansing properly, he obviously still has his dark side.

"Before he left the Dark Lord, the Dark Lord placed a spell on him to prevent him from doing what he is now doing. The spell is meant to cause him intense pain should he even contemplate seeking out Professor Potter, never mind actually doing so. When he is in the form of a rat, however, the spell is ineffective. He has traveled here as a rat, and any return to human form will cause the sort of reaction we just witnessed."

Pretty nasty, thought Harry, but typical of Voldemort. It did seem, however, to raise more questions than it answered. Ron asked one. "Wouldn't Voldemort know that, though? That it wouldn't work on him in his rat form?"

"One would think so," agreed Snape, "which leads me to believe there is at least a reasonable possibility, if not a strong one, that the Dark Lord intended for Pettigrew to do as he has done. Otherwise, why let him live?"

"Maybe he put the spell on Pettigrew a long time ago, soon after he came back, so Pettigrew wouldn't even think of betraying him to me," suggested Harry.

"It is possible," agreed Snape. "Needless to say, we must know more."

"But we can't do Legilimens on him for minutes while he screams and screams," said Hermione, appearing concerned for Pettigrew despite herself.

"Of course, we would Silence him first, and bind him with ropes," said Snape casually. "And before you look at me like that, Mr. Longbottom, remember what he has done."

"It's more the way you say it, like you'd enjoy watching him suffer," responded Neville, giving Snape a wary look, as if wondering how much he could get away with.

"Professor Potter does not seem unduly disturbed at the prospect," noted Snape.

Staring at the rat, Harry nodded. "No, I'm not. He'd have to suffer like that for weeks before he'd suffer a tenth of the misery he's caused. But we won't do that unless we have to. Professor, has he been Cleansed?" Snape nodded. "Okay, then this is what we do. Make him human again; I'll use the Imperius Charm on him. It'll take him fifteen or twenty seconds to go unconscious, and then we can use Legilimens to find out what he knows. Can more than one of us do Legilimens at once?"

"Only one can manipulate the memories," explained Snape. "Others may view the same memories, but not control them. I will be the one to search, of course."

"All right," agreed Harry. "But just be sure to get his last meeting with Voldemort. And don't forget to..." He trailed off as Snape communicated his annoyance without words. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be a backseat driver."

Snape didn't bother to conceal his irritation. "The headmaster found such Muggle idioms to be quaint. Unsurprisingly, I do not. Professors, are you ready?"

Harry and Hermione nodded, and Snape forced Pettigrew to become human again as Harry yanked the cage away. Harry used the Imperius Charm immediately, and Pettigrew's screaming grew even more intense, now that he was in two kinds of pain. Harry focused on keeping the Imperius Charm going, and finally Pettigrew went unconscious. Snape cast Legilimens, then nodded to Harry and Hermione that they could do so as well.

It took a long time, over a half hour, for Snape to view all the memories he thought worth viewing. As they watched, Harry realized that Snape had definitely been the best one to do it; as he had with Harry, Snape effortlessly went from memory to memory, all of them significant to what they were looking for. At one point, Pettigrew started to stir, and Harry had to use the Charm on him again.

"I believe that is all that is necessary for now," Snape eventually said, putting down his wand. McGonagall waved hers, and Pettigrew became a rat again; she then placed the cage Harry had conjured over him again.

"That's quite a story," remarked Harry, amazed at what he had seen. "Now, the question is, who else do we tell?"

"Mr. Shacklebolt, definitely," said Snape. "And the Minister will have to know sooner or later; perhaps it is better that he know now. I cannot think of anyone else with an immediate need to know. Perhaps the two of you would summon them with your phoenixes."

Harry nodded at Hermione, sending to Fawkes that he wanted him to appear near Bright, suggesting he check Bright's home first, then the Ministry. Ten seconds later, Kingsley appeared with Flora; soon thereafter, Fawkes carried Bright into the room. "That was interesting; I've never been summoned in quite that way before," commented Bright, amused. Suddenly turning serious, he asked, "What's going on?"

Everyone had stood while the phoenixes were gone, and Harry had added a bottom to the cage and moved it to the top of a desk. McGonagall gestured to it and said, "Kingsley, Minister... this is Peter Pettigrew."

The two exchanged a startled look, and as one, bent for a closer look at the cage. "Ah, yes, the silver paw," said an impressed Kingsley. "But why is he in the form of a rat?"

Harry explained what had happened before they had arrived, then looked at Snape. "Professor, do you want to tell the story?" He Vanished the carpet, and formed a circle of ten desks. Snape began speaking as they sat.

"I should begin by reminding everyone present that what follows is what Pettigrew knows, or thinks he knows; it is not necessarily the truth.

"Most of the important information is based on a conversation he overheard between the Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy the day he left. Just before this conversation, the Dark Lord dismissed Pettigrew from his service, saying that he had no further use for him. Pettigrew made halfhearted protestations of his fealty and continuing desire to serve, but both he and the Dark Lord knew he was not being truthful. The Dark Lord told him he did not care what Pettigrew did from that point, and that Pettigrew's final reward for his assistance in bringing the Dark Lord back was that, having outlived his usefulness, he would be allowed to live. As the meeting ended, the Dark Lord ordered him to fetch Malfoy into his presence, then cast the spell whose effects we have observed.

"Pettigrew did as he was ordered, but instead of leaving, transformed into a rat and headed back to where the Dark Lord was talking to Malfoy. I will pause in the narrative to point out that this is the crux of whether the information that follows is genuine or not. Would the Dark Lord be so careless as to allow himself to be overheard? Or did he know that Pettigrew would attempt to return to Professor Potter, despite the spell, and stage the conversation so as to be overheard, and plant misinformation? My personal opinion is that it is likely that the conversation was staged, but nonetheless provided true information. I will elaborate on this later.

"The conversation between the Dark Lord and Malfoy was fairly lengthy, and concerned the Dark Lord's long-term plans. The Dark Lord admitted to Malfoy that he thought it possible that Professor Potter could disable or even defeat him; though he expressed contempt at the professor's inability to kill, he appeared to be even more afraid of what the professor might do to him than he would be of dying. 'He means to inflict upon me a living death,' were the Dark Lord's exact words, and that is no doubt how he sees it. They discussed the reports of the change in my behavior, and agreed that Professor Potter had managed to reverse the Cleansing, something which neither would have believed possible.

"The Dark Lord then expressed concern about his future prospects. I pause in the narrative again to say that this is an exceptional conversation for the Dark Lord; it is not like him at all to admit any weakness. His admissions lend verisimilitude to the conversation, but again, we cannot know his intentions. To continue, he said to Malfoy: 'He will not give up, Lucius. I saw this in his mind. I could hide and never be heard from again, and still he would seek me out. Due to that cursed prophecy, he believes that it is his destiny.'" Harry saw his friends looking at him with sympathy, trying to understand the burden he had carried for so long.

"The Dark Lord then explained to Malfoy his plan, which he had been working on in secret for the past month. He said that he had created a Ring of Reduction with a number of highly unusual characteristics; for one, this Ring would be three by three, with a total of nine rooms. This was believed to be impossible, but he has done it; Pettigrew later, as he was leaving, found the Ring and confirmed this.

"The Dark Lord told Malfoy that he would hide in the Ring itself, using a magical form of suspended animation. This was also not known to be possible, but I do not doubt the Dark Lord's ability to accomplish such a thing. He will inhabit the ninth room of the Ring, after having set obstacles in the other eight rooms which he felt would surely eliminate anyone who managed to gain entry. He intends to stay there for two hundred years."

The others wore expressions of awe. "Why two hundred years?" asked Ron.

Harry answered. "He would be long forgotten by then... but more importantly, I would be long dead. If it is true that I'm the only one that can beat him-and since no one else can do the Imperius Charm, that may be the case-then he would come out in two hundred years, and there would be no one capable of beating him. His reputation wouldn't be damaged like it is now; he could start over, be more careful, and probably succeed. He couldn't kill me, but he can avoid me. It makes sense. Whether they let Pettigrew hear that part or not, I'm inclined to believe it's true."

"So that's it then, we're rid of him," said Ron, his tone suggesting he dared not believe it. "If what Pettigrew heard is true, he's gone, he won't be a threat in our lifetime."

"And what about the people two hundred years from now?" challenged Harry.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that anyway, is there?" asked Ron. "You can't get into one of those things unless you're a close family member, and he doesn't have any of those. No one can get in."

Looking around, Harry saw that Hermione was looking down, her expression one of sadness. He saw that McGonagall and Snape knew, too, but no one else did. Snape explained it to Ron. "No, Mr. Weasley, he has no family members. But remember, the blood connection is what is necessary. Having the same blood as the person in question will do nicely."

Realization dawned on the faces of the others, and tears started to come to Ginny's eyes. "Oh, no," she gasped, starting to cry. "You can't, you can't, you can't..."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I have to."

"No, you don't!" she yelled. "He's gone, you can have that normal life you've always wanted! We can have children, they can grow up knowing their father..." The tears stopped her from speaking further; she struggled to stop them.

He took a deep breath. "And what about the people two hundred years from now? He'll come out, they won't know him, they won't be able to stop him-"

"Who knows what might happen then? I don't care about the people two hundred years from now, I care about now! You risked enough, you've done enough..."

"I have to do this," he said. "I have to get him."

"Why, because it's your destiny?" she asked bitterly.

"No. Because I'm the only one who can."

"What if you can't?" she asked desperately. "What if you go in there and get killed? Who knows what he's put in there?"

"I was going to mention, Harry, that it will be very dangerous, probably more dangerous than anything you have ever faced," said McGonagall solemnly. "He will be able to manipulate the rooms in more ways than is usual, set up conditions and environments of his exact choosing. It would not take me long to think of ways to set up rooms that even you could not get past."

"I've always been able to come up with stuff when I've had to," said Harry stubbornly. "I'll do what I have to."

"Excuse me for interrupting," said Bright, "but Harry, I think we should seriously consider the question of whether you should go at all. And not just from the standpoint of your safety, which I care about as well, but of society's. If we let him stay in that box, we're safe, we're rid of him. But he could have it set up that if anyone goes in there and dies, the... suspended animation ends early, and he comes back out. You'd be gone, and if you're the only one that can beat him, we'd be in big trouble. You could be putting our whole society at risk. And Ginny's right, we don't know what will happen in two hundred years. Maybe by then the energy of love will be truly widespread, and they could fight him better. Maybe you're just the only one of this generation who can beat him. Maybe the prophecy didn't consider this question."

"The most recent prophecy," said Snape, "said that the course the headmaster took when he sacrificed himself was the one and only way to defeat the Dark Lord. I do not believe it meant, only within a certain time frame."

"So, you think he should go," said Kingsley.

"Yes, but my opinion is irrelevant," said Snape, with a small shrug. "The fact is, he will go. I have seen his most important memories, from his perspective. I know him better than any of you, perhaps even you, Miss Weasley. He will go; it would be utterly counter to his character to do anything else. And, Miss Weasley..." Looking at Snape, Harry was amazed to see what he was sure was compassion in Snape's eyes. "He will come back."

"I will," Harry affirmed, taking her hand. "I'm sure of it."

"You can't know that," she said, still very emotional. "I'll tell you what, if you're so sure, take me with you. You can take one person. Take me."

Having already thought about it, he sighed. "You're the one I want to take with me. Please believe that. But I should take the person whose coming along makes it most likely that I'll come back."

"If you're so sure that you'll make it, it shouldn't matter who you take with you," she challenged him, but he could see in her eyes that she knew she wouldn't win the argument.

"I am sure, but what I just said is the smart thing to do, the best thing to do."

"I should be the one to accompany you, Professor," said Snape firmly. "My extensive knowledge of Dark magic would be extremely helpful."

"Yes, it would," agreed Harry, "but the problem is, the best person to go is someone with an extensive knowledge of magic, and the ability to use the energy of love. Somehow, I think that's going to be very important."

"Well, I think we all know who he just described," said Ron, looking at Hermione.

She met Neville's gaze. "Neville, if he asked you to go, you would. So, please don't tell me I shouldn't."

Neville slowly nodded. "I know, I would. It's just harder to accept when it's the person you love than when it's you." He looked back and forth at Harry and Hermione and said, "You had already decided this, hadn't you. When you were viewing the memory."

"It was more that we knew than that we decided," said Hermione. "We both knew that he would go, and that I was the person to go with him. We only checked through the phoenixes to make sure, but we both knew."

"I say again, nothing is decided," put in Bright. "Let's not go charging ahead deciding who's doing what. Speaking as the representative of the people, the people deserve a voice in this. You're making decisions that have a far greater effect than yourselves if you're unsuccessful."

Snape gave Bright a disdainful look. "He has risked himself many times to fight the Dark Lord. He has always been the one to make the decision. How is this any different?"

"Because in this case," countered Bright, "there is an alternative to fighting, one where we can live in peace. Before, he was never putting our long-term safety as risk. Here, he might be."

"I would think even you would agree that he has earned the right to make this decision," argued Snape.

"When he's taking risks that are mainly his, yes," said Bright. "But the people-"

"The people are who he has put himself on the line to save, time and time again!" shouted Snape. "The ones who fight, who suffer, who put themselves at risk, they are the ones with the right to choose! The people you represent are the ones who go about living their daily lives, with only a tiny risk of anything happening to them. The way in which you most represent the people of which you speak is that you are the only one in this room who has not actively fought the Dark Lord! Do not speak to me of 'the people!'"

There was a silence, as Snape and Bright looked daggers at each other. "Professor," said Harry quietly, "he did take a risk just by-"

"Thank you, Harry, but I can defend myself," said Bright curtly. Glaring at Snape, he said, "I know what you've done, Professor-"

"You know nothing of what I've done," spat Snape contemptuously

"I know far more than you think," responded Bright confidently. Harry saw Snape's hand subtly reach for his wand, and he wondered if Snape planned on using it, but his hand just rested on it. "You who fight Voldemort may do it for revenge, to protect all people, to protect your loved ones, or just because it's the right thing to do. But whatever your motivation, what you do affects society. Society honors those who do, like Harry and his friends, as they would you if they knew what you have done. If you don't do it for the sake of society, fine. But you cannot decide that you are answerable to no one, no matter how many risks you've taken, or burdens you've carried.

"And Harry, while that wasn't directed at you, it applies to you as well. As I said before, this isn't just about you. You seem to have decided, but I say again, it isn't only your decision to make. I would just ask you to think about it dispassionately."

Harry found that he tended to agree with Snape, that this decision shouldn't be made on the basis of politics or popularity, even given that there was indeed a risk to everyone. "Whether I'm dispassionate or not, there's still the question of those people two hundred years from now," he said, voice slightly raised in annoyance at Bright's attitude, which was exactly what he'd come to expect of a politician. "He's still threatening people, it's just not us anymore. So, we should just let him go? Did he just become 'someone else's problem?'"

Bright managed not to look at Kingsley, though Harry was sure that Bright knew where Harry had heard the phrase. "It's not that simple, Harry," responded Bright, his expression unreadable. "Nor was it when I said that before."

Harry didn't accept that; to him, this was a simple question of right and wrong. Referring to Kingsley but not wanting to use his name, Harry retorted, "He said that you didn't mean it the way it sounded. But right now, it sounds a whole lot like that. I know this isn't going to mean anything to you, but this is just the right thing to do. I mean, it's really obvious, it isn't even close. People are at risk, it's just different people now. If my fighting him was the right thing to do up until now, it's the right thing to do now."

There was a silence; Bright met Harry's gaze, but said nothing. "We may be getting too far ahead of ourselves, in any case," suggested McGonagall, clearly trying to calm things down. "None of this is certain, except that he saw a three-by-three Ring. Did Pettigrew overhear its eventual resting place?"

Harry nodded. "Greenland, was all he heard. It should be easy enough to find, with magic-detection equipment. But, Professor Snape, do you think it's possible that he just neglected to consider that I'd be able to get in?"

"Of course not," said Snape. "He knows you can, and that you will. I do not doubt that he has set up the first eight rooms with the most dangerous possible spells and circumstances that he can think of, and that he is confident that you will not break through them. Otherwise, he would not do this."

"But you think I should go anyway. Why?"

Snape managed to look like he was smiling without actually doing so. "Because he has consistently underestimated you. I believe he has done so again, one last time."

"You wouldn't say that if you loved him," said Ginny angrily.

Snape sighed lightly. "I cannot speak to that. But I do know that the headmaster, who we all agree loved him greatly, would have respected his right to do as he wished. 'We must all make our own decisions,' he would have said," he added wryly, with a glance at McGonagall. Ginny put her head in her hands, which Harry interpreted as an admission of defeat.

"Did you learn anything else of interest from Pettigrew?" asked McGonagall.

"A few things, none of great interest," replied Snape. "Malfoy was to travel to Greenland with the Dark Lord, and assist him in setting up the Ring. There was a vague reference to plans Malfoy had after that, but nothing clear.

"As for Pettigrew, the thought never occurred to him that the conversation might have been staged for his benefit. He tells himself that he does this because he owes Professor Potter a debt for saving him from Lupin and Black, but it is truly because he expects Professor Potter to value this information enough to intercede with the Ministry to spare his life, allowing him to live out his life without fear of being hunted down one day. In addition, he hopes that Professor Potter will be willing to reverse his Cleansing, as he did mine."

Ron let out a cross between a grunt and a chuckle. "I hope you don't do that," he said to Harry. "Get him pardoned, okay, but make him live out his life Cleansed. That'd be punishment enough, for what he's done."

"As much as I agree with the sentiment, Mr. Weasley," said Snape, "letting him be free but Cleansed is not an option. The temptation to commit acts of violence would be too great."

"The Ministry will decide what to do with him," said Bright. "We will take into account the fact that he came here voluntarily, even if it was with selfish motives. When criminals turn themselves in, it is rarely out of remorse or altruism. Kingsley, I assume you will be putting together an expedition to Greenland tomorrow?"

Kingsley nodded. "With magic sensors, of course. It might take a day or two, but if it's there, we'll find it."

"Then I suggest," said Bright pointedly, "that we take this one step at a time. Let's make sure it's even there before considering the next step. Harry, if you would ask Fawkes to return me, I'd appreciate it. And Kingsley, would you take him into custody?"

"I never thought I'd be taking a rat into custody," muttered Kingsley.

"Thank you, Harry," said Bright, as Fawkes hovered above his head.
The others left, and it was just the six of them again.

Harry moved the desks and re-conjured the carpet, and they sat down. As they did, Ginny hugged Harry from a sitting position, clinging to him. "Sometimes, I sit there in class, and think, how did I get so lucky to have you for a life partner. And then something like this happens, and I remember the price I pay for it. I knew this, Harry, I knew this when I fell in love with you. You had already been risking yourself in ways that would drive a partner crazy with worry before you fell in love with me. But like I've said before, and it's still true... knowing that doesn't make it any easier."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just can't live with the idea that he'll come out in two hundred years and terrorize the people then, and I didn't stop him now when I had the chance. But there is something I'll promise you." He broke off the hug and looked into her eyes, his face very close to hers. "You can go out the front entrance of the first room, as well as the last. We'll always be able to go back, and we'll always be able to see what's in the next room. If there's something we can't do, we'll go back. I don't intend to run into a room if I don't know how I'm going to get past it."

"Well, that's something, at least," she said. She kissed him, and put her arms around him, resuming the hug. "I do believe in you, you know. I don't mean I don't think you can do it. It's just that... it's taking all my effort right now not to go on pleading with you not to do it. You know how that is, how it would be if it were me. But Snape is right, and I know it. This is who you are. It's just so ironic, part of what makes you so attractive is the same thing that feels like it could rip my heart apart-how brave you are, how you always want to do the right thing. I know this isn't easy for you. It just isn't easy for me, either."

"No, it's harder for you," said Neville, prompting Hermione to take his hand. "I think Harry knows that."

"I do," said Harry, continuing to hold Ginny. "We'll get through it."

Two days later, Kingsley contacted Harry to tell him that the Aurors had found the Ring. They couldn't yet confirm that Voldemort was inside, but they planned to set up some relays, which would tell them within twelve hours. Harry asked why one relay wouldn't tell them; Kingsley explained that there had to be at least twelve of them in proximity to each other for them to work, which Harry hadn't known. "Otherwise, we could've flown around on brooms with relays, and found him that way," pointed out Kingsley. Harry hadn't thought of that, either.

When Harry entered the staff room with Hermione on Thursday, Dentus had a message for him and McGonagall, who was also there. "I got a fireplace call from Bright just now, before lunch. He said to tell you two that he was giving an interview to the Prophet today, and that 'the whole story' would be in tomorrow's Prophet. Of course, I have no idea what he's talking about, but he said you would."

Angry, Harry looked at McGonagall. "He's making it public? Is that really a good idea?"

"I can understand your annoyance, but it is really not a security matter anymore," she explained. "This is perfectly consistent with his feeling that the matter deserves a public airing. It is simply that, as Minister, he is in a position to give it one. Letting you know was clearly a matter of courtesy, so you would not feel as though he were doing something underhanded."

McGonagall explained the situation to the other teachers, who listened raptly. "And you're going?" asked Sprout fearfully.

"Yes, I am." To the silence, he added, "Well, I should be able to do this; I am the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, after all."

"Yes, I'm sure Lockhart would have been able to," said McGonagall dryly.

"I must say, Harry," said a concerned Sprout, "your humor usually isn't quite this... morbid."

"I do expect to come back, you know," he said. "I wouldn't be taking Hermione with me if I didn't." He almost added, 'I would take Professor Snape,' but decided it wouldn't be appropriate for the staff room, though he would have said it if they had been alone. He did glance at Snape with a small grin, wondering if Snape would fill in the blank.

"It does not surprise me that the Minister has done this," said Snape disdainfully. "He is simply covering himself politically."

Harry glanced at Dentus inquiringly. "Professor Snape's interpretation of the Minister's action is perhaps cynical, but probably not wrong," said Dentus. "If he authorized your doing this without making it known first, he would be responsible for what happened if things went badly. By doing this, he can allow public opinion to form, which he can then react to. If people support the idea, he can do so with little risk. If they oppose it, he'll probably do so as well."

"I'm going to do it anyway, whether he approves or not," said Harry. "I'm pretty sure he knows that." Harry knew that Snape and Dentus would understand that he was referring to Bright's Legilimency.

"That may be, but if you do it over his opposition, and you get killed and Voldemort returns, he won't be blamed," explained Dentus.

Even though he was somewhat knowledgeable about politics by then, Harry was still a little stunned. "If that happens, we have much bigger problems than who gets blamed."

"Of course, that's true," agreed Dentus. "It's really a political reflex."

"Yes, cowardice is a well-known political reflex," said Snape scornfully.

"Isn't it possible that it's what he said, that he just thinks the public deserves to have a say in what happens?" asked Harry. "I didn't get the sense that he was lying."

Snape smirked. "Legilimency does not tell you when people are fooling themselves; you must make that determination yourself. I had thought you had lost enough of your naiveté to not ask that question."

"Apparently not," said Harry. "I do like him, you know."

"Yes, I know," said Snape, his tone making his opinion clear. "Keep in mind, though, that he will always look out for himself first."

"I guess that would be a political reflex too," mused Harry. He glanced at Dentus, who nodded. He can do whatever he wants, thought Harry. It doesn't make any difference to me.

After Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, Harry sat down with Snape to talk about what specific traps Snape thought he might find. Snape had a few ideas, but admitted that for the most part, Voldemort was likely to highly inventive, and to use artifacts. Snape explained that some artifacts could be incorporated into a Ring, and reminded Harry that Voldemort had, at the time Snape's spying had been exposed, been in the process of acquiring an artifact that he felt sure would eliminate Harry. Snape was sure that Harry would encounter this artifact, but again, didn't seem especially worried.

Harry was curious, and asked, "Why are you so sure that nothing's going to happen to me? I mean... to be honest, even though I say that, I think it's more because I won't consider the alternative than because I'm a hundred percent sure. But you seem sure."

"As I said the other night, it is because of what I have seen in your mind. There is something... different about you. You react instinctively in dangerous situations, and never wrongly. You have survived so much that it is difficult to believe that something will defeat you."

"But there have been times when I didn't do it myself," Harry pointed out. "You've saved me before, and the others all have at one time or another, too."

"And that will be Professor Granger's job," said Snape reasonably. "Or, to put it another way, her job will be... to think."

"As long as someone is. You know, I'm sorry, I know you would have preferred to come along. I would've picked you if I couldn't have her for some reason."

Snape nodded at the compliment. "Your reason is valid enough. I still feel I would be of more use, but I agree that the chances of my returning are less than hers. That would not disturb me, of course, but it would greatly disturb you, and your mental state is a very important element in this."

Harry had no particular answer to the comment, and after a short pause, remembered something from Monday night. "When you were arguing with Bright, I saw your hand move to your wand. Were you thinking of attacking him?"

The corner of Snape's mouth curled up. "The idea would have had a certain appeal, but no. He had tapped me." To Harry's puzzled look, Snape explained, "When two people are Legilimens, and each knows that the other is, there is something they do occasionally to exchange information. He used Legilimency to 'tap' me, to cause a certain mental sensation." Snape demonstrated as he spoke, and Harry did indeed feel as if someone were tapping him, in his mind rather than on his shoulder. "If was an offer to show me a memory as we spoke. I touched my wand in order to view the memory. In this case, the memory was information he found when he viewed the memories of some Death Eaters before their executions. There was, for example, Avery's memory of my returning to the Death Eaters three years ago, and what happened then. This was when he said he knew far more than I thought; he assumed, correctly, that I did not know that he had viewed the memories of the Death Eaters as he had. I would not have guessed he had the stomach for it. He did not know much of what I have done, but he knew more than I thought. It is still irrelevant, though; he should not be telling you what to do."

Harry more or less felt the same way, but Bright had touched a nerve with the 'responsible to no one' comment. He had never thought of himself as especially responsible to the Ministry, particularly after the vendetta it had waged against him in his fifth year at Hogwarts. He supposed he felt responsible to Dumbledore first, then McGonagall. Did he have a responsibility to the Ministry? He wasn't sure, and found that he didn't want to think about it.

* * * * *

Harry arrived for breakfast a little late on Friday. Knowing she would have already read the Prophet, he asked Hermione, "So, how bad is it?"

"It could be worse," she said. "He doesn't give an opinion about whether you should go or not. All he says about that is 'we're studying it,' which I've learned is politician-speak for 'I want more information about public opinion before I take a position.'"

"That's good. After the way he was on Monday night, I was afraid he'd be negative about it, and push public opinion that way," said Harry.

Surprised, Ron asked, "Since when do you care about public opinion?"

"Good question," Harry admitted. "I guess I'd feel better about doing it if I knew that people supported it. Maybe I'm used to having public support, and it would be strange not having it. I'm not sure."

"Just to warn you, Harry, you might not get it, or not nearly as much as you're used to," said Hermione. "Everything you've done up until now has had the effect of protecting the community, of helping or rallying the community. What we're going to do doesn't help this community at all, and causes some amount of risk. You're now doing it for the community that's going to exist two hundred years from now, and they don't have any representatives here. There could be a lot of people who think, 'why not leave well enough alone, who knows what'll happen in two hundred years.'"

"Now you're making me feel bad for saying that," said Ginny.

"I wasn't-"

"I know you weren't, and I know you'll say, I have a better reason than anyone to feel that way. But Harry's right, it's just wrong to say to those people, too bad, you're on your own. As it is now, Harry's going to be the most famous wizard of his generation. Wouldn't it be ironic if a generation that read about him in history books ended up getting wiped out because he didn't care enough to take a risk to help them."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "'Tragic' seems more like the right word, but I see what you mean. But I wondered, Harry, couldn't you just wait to do it? He's not going anywhere, you could do it forty years from now, and it would be the same as doing it now."

"I did think of that," he said, with an uneasy glance at Ginny, who had thought of it as well. "The problem is, theoretically, I could die any time. I know it's really unlikely, considering what I've survived, but you never know. And if I die unexpectedly, that's that for those future people. But also, I don't want it hanging over my head for forty years. I want to get it over with." The explanation had not gone over especially well with Ginny; she could understand it, but had felt it was a very small risk, compared to the certainty of a life together.

"Can I see your paper, Hermione?" Harry asked. She handed it to him, and he scanned the front page. The main article, the one in which the whole situation was explained based on the interview with Bright, was the article at the top of page one. The article that focused on Harry, written by Hugo and based on the interview he had conducted with Harry the day before, was off to one side, starting just above halfway up the front page. Good, he thought, at least they didn't bury it. Harry wanted people to know why he wanted to do it, since he didn't expect Bright to touch on the subject much in his interview.

"Are you a lot calmer about this whole thing," Neville asked Ginny, "or am I just imagining it?"

Ginny nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I'd try to talk him out of it if I could. I'm still selfish enough to not want him to do it. But I've accepted that I can't talk him out of it, that like I said, this is just who he is. So, I've decided to join him in his state of denial about the danger. He's convinced that nothing's going to happen to him, so I'll be convinced too. I don't know if I could get by otherwise."

"Whatever works," Neville half-joked. "I can definitely understand it."

Harry still didn't feel that it was denial, so much as a reasonable expectation based on his experience. He didn't see the point of entertaining other possibilities.

* * * * *

"WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE TWO HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW?"

Public Opinion Divided On Question Of Potter's Final Confrontation With Voldemort

(Hogwarts/April 22) Hugo Brantell, Daily Prophet

Three weeks after the Ring of Reduction containing the evil Dark wizard Voldemort was located in Greenland by Aurors, public opinion is still very divided on the question of whether Hogwarts professor Harry Potter should be given permission to enter the Ring in an effort to defeat Voldemort once and for all.

As Prophet readers know, Professor Potter strongly wishes to enter the Ring, accompanied by friend and fellow Hogwarts professor Hermione Granger. The most controversial aspect of his motivation is a prophecy given seventeen years ago which states that a certain person, understood now to refer to Professor Potter, would be 'the one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord,' suggesting that Professor Potter alone is capable of doing so. Supporting the idea is the fact that Voldemort is known to be highly vulnerable to the Imperius Charm, which Professor Potter remains the only wizard capable of performing.

Those who oppose the idea point out that Voldemort is safely out of the way, and will likely remain so for a very long time if the Ring is undisturbed. They fear that if Professor Potter attempts to capture Voldemort and fails, Voldemort could return earlier than planned, threatening the lives of the population in a way that will not occur if Professor Potter does not make the attempt.

At the center of the debate is a question which is very much a matter of judgment, and cannot be decided objectively: what risks are we willing to take for the sake of future generations? Clearly, Professors Potter and Granger are the ones most at risk; it is agreed by experts that Voldemort will have set up highly dangerous obstacles for Professor Potter, which even the energy of love may not be able to defeat. But, of course, the two professors would not be the only ones at risk.

The man who will ultimately make the decision, Minister of Magic Rudolphus Bright, has been guarded in his public comments on the matter. (He declined a request for an interview for this article.) Ministry sources familiar with Bright's thinking say that he is genuinely conflicted; they say he has great confidence in and regard for Professor Potter, but is very concerned about the risk to the population should he and Professor Granger fail.

Professor Potter, on the other hand, is anything but conflicted; he is utterly certain that there is no alternative but to make the attempt. He firmly believes that the prophecy is correct, and that his not making the attempt is tantamount to abandoning the citizens two hundred years from now to the same fate which he has been attempting to prevent befalling the citizens of the present day. He recognizes the potential danger to the current population, but feels it is a risk worth taking.

Ministry of Magic Undersecretary Roger Trent, the only high-ranking Ministry official to speak publicly against Professor Potter's plans, feels that Professor Potter is being too 'cavalier' in dismissing the danger to the population. "He has taken staggering risks on behalf of the wizarding population, which we recognize and appreciate," said Trent recently, in an interview conducted through an intermediary. "But I fear he has taken this to the level of a personal vendetta. Voldemort killed his parents, and others close to him. It must seem to him that Voldemort has slipped away unpunished, and I very much understand why he will stop at nothing to gain revenge. But simply because he is willing to take substantial risks does not mean that he should subject the population involuntarily to those risks. If he has done what he has done for the people, then he and the Minister should listen to those people now. If he has done it for the reasons I fear he has, he should stop and seriously reflect on the possible consequences of his actions."

Trent dismissed the idea that leaving Voldemort where he is could condemn a generation to a difficult struggle and likely defeat. "Two hundred years gives us plenty of time to prepare," said Trent. "Already, over a dozen Hogwarts students have the ability to use the Killing Curse shield; I strongly suspect it will be commonplace in two hundred years. Further advancements in magic may be made by that time, and we can pass down detailed information to future generations, so they can be ready. We may even find a way to destroy or transport the Ring; there are all kinds of possibilities. In his desire for retribution, Harry wants to rush ahead along the riskiest path. I am confident that Minister Bright will have the proper perspective, and act prudently."

In an interview for this article, Professor Granger vigorously denied that Professor Potter's motivation was revenge. "That's ridiculous, as anyone who knows Harry well would understand. He just doesn't work that way. In any case, he wouldn't be able to use the energy of love if he were motivated by revenge; if you asked any of the people Harry's successfully taught, they would tell you the same thing. As for being prepared in the future, that would be nice, and I would hope they would be. But if I've learned anything from my History of Magic classes, it's that political leaders are far more responsive to political opportunism than to the lessons of history. I find it very likely that in two hundred years, Voldemort would be little more than a legend, and warnings handed down from this time would not be taken seriously. More importantly, it would be morally wrong to pass a burden to future generations that we could take care of now, that we have the best chance of dealing with now. Undersecretary Trent is trying to appeal to people's selfish impulses; Harry and I hope that this generation will take the security of their grandchildren's grandchildren as seriously as they take their own."

Interviews with random citizens suggest that most have not deeply thought through the arguments for either side. Those who oppose Professor Potter's plans make various arguments against them, but are largely motivated by fear of Voldemort, and a feeling of 'we should leave well enough alone.' Those who support the action Professor Potter wishes to take do so mostly based on their trust in him; a very representative attitude was voiced by a woman who said, "Look what he's accomplished, think of where we'd be without him. He's earned our trust, and should do what he thinks is best."

The Ministry has given no timetable regarding when a decision on the matter might be forthcoming. Professor Potter is known to wish to make the attempt as soon as possible, but as a Ministry source recently said, "[The Ministry is] in no hurry to make any kind of decision. Without any sense of urgency pressing against them, they'll put it off for years if they can, I suspect. Politicians hate to take risks, and no matter what regard one may have for Professor Potter, this would undeniably be a risk." The wizarding population must now decide whether they agree with Professor Potter that it is a risk worth taking.

* * * * *

The following Saturday, Harry walked out of the castle entrance with the other six members of the Quidditch team for their second match of the season, against Slytherin. Glancing at the rest of the team as they walked, it occurred to Harry for the first time as a conscious thought that aside from him, the team consisted of three brother-sister combinations: two Weasleys, two Creeveys, and two Keplers. Funny how I never noticed that before, Harry thought. Snape would get a chuckle out of it, that I'm not very observant.

"So, Ron," said Dennis, "can you tell me what position I'll be playing today? Beater, maybe?" Harry grinned at Dennis's humorous way of complaining about being made to play Keeper in the last match, having had almost no experience at the position.

"Actually, I was going to tell you this in the changing room, but since you asked now, I might as well tell you," said Ron earnestly. "We're going to do this thing where, to keep the opposition off balance, we change positions every fifteen minutes. I've got it all written down. You'll start out at Seeker, then go to Chaser... hang on, let me get the timetable, I have it all worked out..." Harry and Ginny laughed as Ron pretended to search the pockets of his robes.

"Don't do that again, Dennis," said a relieved-looking Eric. "I thought he was serious." Eric's older sister Lydia joined Harry and Ginny in their laughter.

Grinning now, Ron said, "Well, if I thought it would help..."

"I feel like I should practice at all positions, just in case," said Dennis. Ron had announced at the last practice that the starting lineups would be the same as last time, but Harry and Andrea would switch positions if Gryffindor got out to a big lead, or if Ron determined that he and Ginny scored enough on the Firebolts that Harry could be spared to Seek. Harry didn't assume that would happen, though, considering that Slytherin's brooms were excellent, though they weren't Firebolts. Gryffindor's broom advantage would be nowhere near as pronounced as it had been against Ravenclaw.

They changed and walked out to the stadium. Ravenclaw would play Hufflepuff first, so the Gryffindors would be on the sidelines, watching the match. For the first time in over a year, there would be no Auror patrol over the stadium; with the Death Eaters decimated and Voldemort in a Ring of Reduction, there was little reason to think that security would be a problem.

Standing on Harry's left, Ginny leaned toward Harry and spoke quietly, so only he could hear. "I kind of feel bad for the Slytherins," she said with amusement. "They have to play against their idol."

Not wanting to disappoint her, he frowned at her choice of words. "They did promise me they'd do their best," he said, recalling that he'd been surprised to discover that they were so intimidated at the thought of playing against him.

"I'm sure they will," she said, as Madam Hooch blew the whistle to start the match. "Anyway, it should be interesting to see how Michael does today. He's not up against three Firebolts, so he won't have an excuse if he does poorly today."

Remembering that Hufflepuff had a strong offense last year, and that none of their Chasers had graduated, Harry felt that Corner would have his hands full anyway, and he was right. Thirty minutes into the match, Hufflepuff got the Snitch and the victory, by a score of two hundred ninety to one hundred thirty. Corner didn't look like a good Keeper, thought Harry, but at least he didn't look totally outclassed as he had in the first match.

After the Star of the Match interview, Harry and his teammates walked onto the pitch. Some of the Slytherins nodded at him; a few were looking in other directions. Harry wondered if they'd be intimidated by Ron, too, since Ron had worked with all of them on their flying. Speaking quietly, Harry said to Ron, "At least, this'll be the first time we've played Slytherin where we don't have to worry about them doing something underhanded." Ron chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Captains, shake hands," said Madam Hooch, and Ron and Hedrick exchanged a friendly handshake. She blew the whistle, and the players shot off the ground.

"And they're off, Ginny grabs the Quaffle and heads at top speed to the Slytherin hoops," announced Colin, speaking quickly. "Septus is ready, Ginny sh- no, fakes! Septus goes for the fake just for a half-second, but it's enough, and Ginny shoots past him for the goal, as Gryffindor takes the early lead. Slytherin with the Quaffle, Flatt passes out to Danforth, back to Flatt, who speeds ahead, Ron on him. Flatt continues on into the scoring area, shoots and misses! I don't know whether Dennis would have been able to reach it if it had been good, but it was just wide of the left hoop.

"Dennis passes out to Potter, who passes downfield to Ron as Lydia bats away a Clark Bludger. Ron to Ginny, Flatt covering Ginny, passes to Ron, who shoots, saved by Septus! Nice save there, as Septus passes out to Cook. Cook sends it ahead to Flatt, who speeds ahead, spots a Potter steal attempt at the last second and swerves away, but doesn't see Ginny coming from the other side! She bats it out of his hands, scooped up by Potter, as all three Gryffindor Chasers fly down the pitch, ahead of their Slytherin counterparts."

Harry sped past midfield, thinking about whether he would take the shot himself or pass off to Ron or Ginny. They had decided not to do the blind passing this time, as Slytherin's brooms were not that far in speed from a Firebolt, so they couldn't take it for granted that the target of the pass would always be open. He looked behind him, but didn't see Ron, and Ginny wasn't in a good position to be passed to. Deciding to take the shot himself, he turned his head to look ahead again, just in time to see the Bludger approaching his head at high speed.

Harry slowly opened his eyes, and saw Ginny and a woman in green robes walking toward him; he realized after a second that it was Healer Haspberg. As he glanced around the room, he realized that he was in a private recovery room at St. Mungo's, and that he had a splitting headache. Ginny took his left hand and kissed the back of it. "Oh, thank goodness," she said fervently. "They thought you'd be okay, but I wasn't assuming anything until you woke up. How do you feel?"

"I have an awful headache," he said, as he started to remember how he'd ended up there. "Funny, when I realized where I was, the first thing I thought was, Voldemort again? It's such a reflex, if something happened to me."

"I can understand that, but you'd better not say that to Helen," advised Ginny. "She's just been beside herself, she was terrified that she'd killed you, or permanently injured you. She was just bawling, she was apologizing to me. I've been really worried too, of course, but I didn't want her to feel like that. I told her that if Voldemort hasn't managed to kill you, a Bludger isn't going to do it."

"It almost did," said Haspberg, her expression grave. "It hit you in the forehead... well, you can see it," she added, handing him a hand mirror; he held it up to see a large bump on the left side of his forehead, a half-inch below where his hair started. "You didn't get the full impact. If it had hit you in the center of the forehead, you could very easily have died. That has happened in Quidditch before."

Harry raised his eyebrows at how close it had been. "You should send to Hermione that you're okay, she can start telling people," suggested Ginny. "Everyone's really worried."

"She already knows," said Harry, getting an impression from Hermione as he spoke. "She asked Flora to let her know as soon as I woke up. She's in the Great Hall with a bunch of people; she just send me an image of it." He asked her nonverbally if Helen was in the Hall, and got back a negative answer. Harry made a request of Fawkes, who appeared in a few seconds, Helen in tow.

"Professor!" Helen nearly screamed, and rushed to his bedside. With only a little difficulty, Harry sat up and put his arms around her. She started to sob into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Harry shook his head and patted her back. "No, it was my fault," he said, feeling bad for her suffering. "I wasn't looking well enough. I don't have much experience at Chaser-no, it's true," he added, as she shook her head as she cried. "You have to look out for Bludgers, know where the Beaters are and what they're doing. I've heard that a lot of Chasers have to get clobbered at least once for that to really sink in. As a Seeker, I was usually far enough from the main action that I didn't have to worry about it so much. And Ravenclaw's Beaters weren't very good, so I didn't think about it much last time. But it's not your fault. You did what you were supposed to do. The whole point is to make Chasers hesitate when approaching the hoops."

Helen had stopped crying, and was now sniffling. "I was trying to miss, I really was," she said, obviously desperate for Harry to believe her, though it would never have occurred to him that she would try to hit him in the head. "I was nervous about the match because I knew I'd have to hit Bludgers at you, and I didn't want to. This is like, the worst thing that could have happened."

"I'm sorry," he said again, holding her a little more tightly. "It really wasn't your fault, it really wasn't. And I'm going to be all right."

Helen let go of Harry and turned to Healer Haspberg, looking for confirmation. Haspberg nodded. "We'll do some tests to make sure, but it looks that way. We'll have him do some spells as a test, to help us make sure." She turned and left the room.

Having a sudden idea about doing his own test, Harry reflected that Hermione wouldn't approve, but quickly decided he didn't care. He reached for his wand and cast the Imperius Charm on Helen, giving her no instructions, but reinforcing the idea that it wasn't her fault, that sometimes things just happened.

Helen's face lit up. "Oh, wow... this is amazing!"

"So I hear," said Harry wryly. "I suppose if I can do that, I must be all right. I'm going to withdraw the spell now, okay?"

"Just a little bit longer?" she asked, still looking blissfully happy.

I'm beginning to see why Hermione said I shouldn't do this for people's enjoyment, thought Harry. "Okay, just another half minute," he conceded, still feeling bad for her. Turning to Ginny, he asked, "Why am I here, by the way? Why not the infirmary?"

"Ron and I both dove for you, and Ron got to you first, and levitated you," Ginny explained. "Then he held you over his shoulder, and Fawkes appeared. Ron grabbed his tail, and expected to be taken to the infirmary, but Fawkes took you here instead. Seems like a good idea, to go to the place with the best facilities."

"Well, phoenixes know best," said Harry, only half-joking. "Okay, Helen, I really need to stop that now, all right?"

"Okay," she conceded, with obvious regret. Harry withdrew the spell, and Helen shook her head in amazement. "That was so incredible. I know what Hermione said about not doing it for fun, and I guess she's right. I would've had you do that for an hour, or longer, if you'd agreed. I guess the only reason you did it at all was that I felt so bad."

"You don't feel bad anymore?" asked Ginny.

"No, I still do, but that really distracted me," said Helen. "It's also that he's going to be okay, of course. But if I think about it, I feel bad again."

"Then stop thinking about it," said Harry, with a tone that humorously suggested that he was speaking as a teacher. "I was serious, it really was my fault. What happened with the match, by the way?"

Helen and Ginny exchanged a look of mild annoyance that such a thing could be considered. "We weren't exactly thinking about that," responded Ginny. "Madam Hooch tried to tell us to play on after Ron came back, which was a few minutes after he took you. Everyone was asking Ron about how you were doing, but he didn't know; they didn't tell him anything right away, they probably didn't know. We were all still really worried, so playing was really out of the question."

"I was crying so much, I couldn't have played even if I'd wanted to, even if they started the match again," added Helen. Feeling bad for her again, Harry reached over and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Anyway," continued Ginny, "Ron and Hedrick talked, and agreed that there was no way we were going to continue the match. They walked over to Madam Hooch and told her that they weren't going to continue, and whatever happened from that point was up to her. Then Colin asked Ron to fly over to where he was, obviously not for the Star of the Match interview, but just to tell people what he knew. He told them what they told him at St. Mungo's, and that because of the phoenixes, Hermione would be the first one to know anything. So, Hermione's had a crowd around her ever since then."

Harry nodded, lost in thought. After a short silence, he said, "I just had... a strange thought, but it really made sense. I feel like this was a message from... fate, or whatever, that I need to get into the Ring and get that over with, not let Bright or whoever else put me off anymore."

Reluctantly, Ginny nodded. "I couldn't help but remember that argument we had the day after Pettigrew came back, when I tried to get you to put it off for thirty or forty years. This just shows that you were right. You could've been killed, and then those people in the future would've been in trouble."

"I thought of that too," added Helen, holding onto Harry a little more tightly. "Just you getting killed would be horrible, but thinking about that, too... it was so awful, I'm just so glad you're all right..."

"I'm all right," he assured her. It may have been close, he added silently, but I'm all right.

Harry walked into Dentus's quarters shortly after breakfast the next morning. "How are you feeling?" asked Dentus. "I'm sorry, I know you must be getting asked that by every person you haven't seen since the match, but still..."

"Not that bad," answered Harry as they sat. "Healer Haspberg wanted me to spend the night at St. Mungo's, but really, when you get down to it, it's just a bump on the head."

"Most bumps don't knock people unconscious," pointed out Dentus. "But I know you'll tend to understate such things, so when you say 'bump,' I understand you mean 'concussion.' By the way, how was the match decided?"

Harry rolled his eyes briefly in annoyance at Madam Hooch. "She called it a Gryffindor win, by the score of ten to nothing, which was the score when I got hit. Apparently there's no provision in the rules for what happens if both teams simultaneously decide not to play any more, so she used the rule for what happens if the stadium is destroyed in some natural disaster, which is the closest thing she could find. It just seems to me to be common sense to reschedule the match, but she says once it's started, there has to be some result. I really don't like winning like that, though."

"Understandable," agreed Dentus. "So, what did you want to talk about? Not that you have to have a reason to come here."

Harry nodded. "I guess most of the time I can say what I want in the staff room. I'm getting sick of waiting, Archibald. I want to get the Ring over with. You knew that already, of course, but what happened yesterday..."

"Seemed to give it a new sense of urgency, I would imagine," agreed Dentus. "I can very much understand that. Unfortunately, what happened yesterday doesn't change the political situation."

"I know. By the way, I meant to ask you in the staff room, but I never did... what's going on with this guy Trent? I'd never heard of him before. What's with all that crap about revenge? Who does he think he is, acting like he knows what I'm thinking?"

"He doesn't, of course," said Dentus. "I'm sure I told you a long time ago that in politics, how something looks is often more important than how it is. To someone who doesn't know you, but knows your history, revenge would seem like a very understandable motive for your actions. That's what Trent is playing on. I've explained this sort of political act before: when politicians want to make a case, they put it together in such a way that it appears that it is, or could be, true. Whether it actually is true is irrelevant from their point of view; all they care about is that it can't be directly disproved. What Hermione said in the article was as an effective a refutation as could be given, but he would just say, 'she's his friend, what do you expect her to say?' Anyone who knows you knows that she's right, but he's speaking to those who don't know you, and are nervous about their safety.

"Now, the next question is, why is he doing this," continued Dentus, as Harry nodded. "It's another kind of political game, the kind that gives politicians a bad name. He sees an opportunity; there's a position that no one has staked out, so he is. His game is: suppose you go into the Ring, with Bright's permission, and fail. You die, and Voldemort comes back. Having been the only one to prominently oppose it, people will remember that he was right. That wouldn't make him Minister, by any stretch, though it would increase his influence. But if Bright started taking on water politically for whatever reason-which, of course, Trent would be doing everything possible to assist-Trent could become the logical alternative. Of course, as you've said before, if you fail there are much bigger things to worry about. But it would take a long time for Voldemort to recruit enough to become a true threat again, and Trent would be aiming to be Minister before then.

"There is a risk to him in this: if you defeat Voldemort, Bright having given you permission, then Bright is golden, and Trent's ambitions are dashed, probably for the next ten years at least. But he figures that since in that situation Bright is golden anyway, so if he's damaged a little, it's not so important. No one would be taking the position from Bright for a long time. Also, he can just say that he was being prudent, looking out for people's interests. The key for Trent in this is that since you'd be going into the Ring to save future people-people who have no constituency now-there's no one to punish him politically for disregarding their interests. That's what gives his current position such little risk. If he's wrong, people will forget it fairly quickly. But if Bright's wrong, people will remember it. So, all in all: relatively low risk for Trent, relatively high return if he's right. The only unknown is what the likelihood of your succeeding is."

Harry was silent for a half a minute, letting it all roll around in his mind; he knew that without Dentus's tutoring over the past year, he wouldn't have even understood what Dentus had just said. Still... Finally, he shook his head, and said, "Archibald, do you mind if I use your bathroom? I really feel like I need to throw up."

Dentus nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Even for politics, this is pretty craven. Hugo understood this, of course, which is why he wrote the article the way he did."

"What do you mean, 'the way he did?'" wondered Harry.

"I told you last summer that politicians don't want to be interviewed by Hugo, because he'll see their agenda, and make it clear by the way he writes. Hugo made a special point of noting that Trent only agreed to be interviewed 'through an intermediary,' that is, so Hugo couldn't use his ability. By noting that-which Hugo is ethically well within his rights to do-Hugo is basically making it clear that Trent has something he wants to hide. Now, Trent could have done what Bright did, and just declined comment altogether, but he wanted his point of view in that article, so he did it that way. Another way Hugo made his point was that he let Hermione rebut what Trent said about you, and didn't give Trent a chance to rebut her. Now, someone always has to get the last word; that's unavoidable. By giving it to Hermione, Hugo was making a subtle point. So, if you read between the lines of Hugo's article, he's basically saying the same thing I just explained to you, that Trent is playing a game. Not that many people will understand it properly, of course."

"So, Trent didn't really gain anything by not speaking to Hugo directly, did he?" asked Harry.

"Not really, no."

Despite all he had learned from Dentus, Harry was still incredulous. "So, Hermione and I are going to risk our lives to get rid of Voldemort, and this guy's been spending his time working out a way that he can benefit from it if we die." Dentus nodded. "Well, this says something about how much I've learned from you. Last year, I would've been outraged by this. Now, I'm just disgusted."

"Whereas I, on the other hand, am utterly unsurprised," said Dentus. "If I'm surprised by anything, it's that no one took this position until now. That it took this long, I feel, is an indication of the regard in which you're held in the Ministry, and of your popular support-you haven't been wrong yet, and nobody wants to get on the wrong side of you. People do think you have at least a decent chance of success, since you've done so much already. Many politicians, including Trent, have little or no shame, but I think that many would be ashamed to do what Trent's done. So, that's something."

"You mean, no one wants to make an enemy of me?" asked Harry.

Dentus nodded. "If you succeed, you could do a lot to hurt the career of any politician who opposed you, Trent included."

"When we succeed, the last thing I'm going to do is start sticking daggers in politicians' backs, or having someone do it for me," Harry said emphatically. "I wouldn't lower myself to do that."

"I know that, of course," agreed Dentus. "But the politicians don't, and I'm not going to go announcing it. I'd rather they at least considered the possibility. In fact-and I hope it won't bother you that I've done this, but I didn't think you'd care-I've very subtly let it be known to a few people, who I know will spread the word, that I had something to do with keeping Umbridge out of action. Knowing our relationship, people will assume that it was on your behalf, even if I didn't have your direct consent; they'll assume that I'll do things on your behalf that you might not specifically authorize."

Harry grunted. "Normally, I might be bothered at that idea, but after what you just told me, I'm not sure I care. Do what you think is best." After a short pause, he added, "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Dentus looked at Harry quizzically. "Harry, the whole point of this is that-" Dentus cut himself off as Harry gave him a small grin. Dentus returned the grin as he said, "Ah, you were kidding. That was very good, it was the first time I couldn't tell."

"It's like the first time Neville kidded Ron and I; we weren't expecting it." Harry paused, then sighed. "This is really depressing. I can only imagine where I'd be without your help. Anyway, the main thing I wanted to talk to you about is getting into that Ring, ideally with Bright's blessing, sometime before my hair starts to turn grey. Think there's any chance of that?"

"That's the question, isn't it," mused Dentus. "I think that Hugo's article is right, of course, that Bright would put you off as long as it isn't a matter of urgency. The only thing you can do, really, is make it one. I assume, from having heard you talk about this, that you plan on going whether you have permission or not?"

Harry nodded. "I can do it pretty easily, of course. I could use the Imperius Charm on Aurors to help me, but as Neville has pointed out, some would probably risk their careers to help me voluntarily. They think I should be allowed to go. It's funny: part of me wants to ask people like you what they think of my going without permission, but part of me won't, because I'm so sure that it's the right thing to do. I know it seems bad, but I just can't live with not doing anything.

"By the way, I talked with Kingsley last night, and he gave me permission to tell you about a security matter that very few people know about, since it could have some connection to the delay in Bright's decision." He went on to explain the situation regarding the relays to a fascinated Dentus. "So, Kingsley tells me that almost all populated areas are covered by now," concluded Harry. "If I pushed Bright, he'd probably say that while he can't say it publicly, any decision should wait until the country is completely covered. Kingsley thinks that's just an excuse, though, since Voldemort would probably keep a very low profile if I got killed and he got out; there'd be plenty of time to finish covering the country with relays. So, the immediate risk to England if I fail isn't as bad as the public thinks it is, since we don't want to make the relays public even though Voldemort knows about them. Anyway, what do you think I can do to get Bright to make a decision?"

Dentus thought for a minute. "If what you plan on doing was popular, you'd have leverage. Of course, if it was popular, he'd have agreed already. Unfortunately, the only way I can think of to force a decision from him is to let him know that you'll do it anyway. He may have worked that out for himself anyway, but your making it clear will put him on the spot. He could then support you, oppose you, take no action, or publicly oppose you or make no decision but covertly support you. You would, in any case, get your answer. Naturally, you would have to be ready to follow through if he opposed you, which I gather you would do. This is probably the best thing for you to do, if waiting indefinitely is unacceptable to you, which I sense it is."

Harry nodded again. "If I force him to make a decision, what decision do you think he'll make?"

"I'm just not sure," replied Dentus. "If I were advising him politically, I'd tell him to continue to make no decision, but to covertly provide you support. That's the safe thing to do. But you can make an excellent political case for him supporting you. As I said while explaining the Trent situation, if he agrees and you succeed, he'll benefit a lot politically-not so much for saving the future people, ironically, but from the association with you that it'll bring.

"One other thing, Harry... I'd strongly suggest that I be the one to talk to him about this. What you're doing is basically leaning on him, pressuring him to do something he doesn't want to do. I'm referring to making the decision, not necessarily supporting your going into the Ring. It's better if the one who talks to him is someone he can relate to politically, who truly understands the political aspects of what you're asking of him."

"If you think that's best," agreed Harry. "He'd probably know I wasn't happy with him anyway." To Dentus's inquiring glance, Harry explained, "This waiting hasn't been easy, especially for Neville and Ginny. I see it in Ginny's eyes sometimes, like she's afraid she hasn't got much more time left with me. I want it to be over for her sake more than mine. It's been a month; he doesn't need that long to decide. He might claim it's because of the relays, but I wouldn't believe him. I just don't think he's stopped to think about what it's like for us."

"If he had, he probably would have at least made a gesture to that effect," agreed Dentus. "Now, there's the question of whether or not he should be given a deadline. I'll get a sense from him of how long he plans to take, but I'd like to know from you how long a wait from this point on you'd consider acceptable."

Harry thought for a minute. "He shouldn't need more than a day or two; it's not like he hasn't had a chance to think about it. But I'll give him two weeks; the relays should be done well before that. You can be a little flexible, but really, it's been too long already."

"I understand," said Dentus. "I won't state a deadline unless I have to; it depends on how accommodating he is. Lastly, exactly how much do you want his support?"

"What I want is the ability to have support when we go in," explained Harry. "I want my friends there, I want Kingsley to be able to give me advice and help without having to break the law to do it. You said Bright could openly support me, or quietly let me do it. If I can have what I want, I don't care whether he publicly supports me or not."

Dentus nodded, as if it had been the answer he expected. "All right, then. I'll make an appointment to talk to him, and let you know when it's done." Harry thanked him and left. One of these days I'm going to have to do this sort of thing myself, thought Harry, dreading the notion.

A week later, on a Sunday evening, Harry motioned Bright to a seat in his quarters. He felt he should make some small talk just to be sociable, but he didn't really know what to say. He decided to just say what he was thinking. "I assume Archibald told you that I'm not happy about waiting as long as I have."

"He did," acknowledged Bright. "But he knows as well as I do that decisions that can radically affect a society's security often take longer than a month to make. People need time to mull it over, get used to the idea. He explained why you're impatient, and I do understand. But I think you don't understand that this isn't a small matter for the rest of us, even though we're not the ones risking our lives to do it."

"It may not be a small matter, but the thing to do is pretty obvious," countered Harry.

"Did you ever seriously think about not doing it?" asked Bright; Harry shook his head. "The fact that you wouldn't even consider not doing it, despite the dangers it presents to the people in the here and now, suggests that this isn't exactly a fully rational decision," said Bright. "Now, I don't believe what Trent said for a minute, but can you be sure that it isn't motivated by... not revenge, but a sense of destiny or mission, something like that?"

Harry thought for a bit. "Can anyone be sure of that? I mean, I don't sit around thinking that it's my mission to get him. It's really just something I know, even if I couldn't say why exactly. I know it's not revenge; about the other things, I don't know. But there's something I do remember: if there are two reasons to do a thing, and one is good and one is bad..."

"You mean, your motivations don't matter, that this should just be judged on the merits. Maybe. But one thing that does trouble me about this is the fact that you'll do this even if I explicitly forbid it and attempt to stop you. I know there's no specific law that prevents you from going to Greenland and doing whatever you want, but there are laws that say that the Minister's word is law when it comes to important security matters. Do you really think that you're above the law?"

Harry didn't like it being put that way, which he was sure Bright knew. "I have to admit that I don't have a lot of respect for the law, because I've seen it abused so much since I came to Hogwarts. Fudge threw an innocent Hagrid into Azkaban with no evidence, probably on the authority of the law you just mentioned. But no, I don't think I'm above the law. I can see the reason for the law, and it makes sense, so I should follow it. But in this case, I just couldn't. Those people two hundred years from now... that would weigh on me, every day of my life. Especially after that Bludger, it's more obvious than ever. Even if you forbade it and I didn't do it for that reason, I would still feel that I should have stopped what would happen, that I was responsible for it. Maybe that's obsession, or destiny, I don't know. All I know is it's what I feel. I'm the only one that can stop him, and I have to do it."

"I didn't say obsession," clarified Bright. "I don't think you have an obsession. I do think Snape has an obsession, not to mention a total contempt for the law."

"It's understandable-"

"I know, but he suffered from a handicap that was self-inflicted. I'm not inclined to give him credit for overcoming what he chose himself. But to get back to the issue... I do think respect for the law is important. Part of the reason that occurs to me now is that a few days after Pettigrew came back, I asked Kingsley for his reassurance that if I decided to forbid you from doing this, that he and the Aurors wouldn't help you, and would try to stop you if I asked them to. He said he and they would do as I asked." Bright paused, then continued. "It was the first time he ever lied to me."

Harry was gratified, but he could understand why it upset Bright. "He respects you, Rudolphus."

Bright gave Harry a small nod that suggested that he wasn't reassured. "Maybe, but he respects you more than he does me. It's understandable, and very... human. He would disobey me with regret, not contempt, but on a basic level he agrees with Snape, that the ones who fight hardest and risk the most are the ones who deserve the right to make the decisions. I'm sure you know that the law doesn't apply to Aurors in the same way it does to everyone else, but defying the Minister would be a career-ender. That's how much he respects you. It wouldn't be to save the people two hundred years from now, it would be for you."

"And what do you think, about the people two hundred years from now?" asked Harry, his tone a challenge. "Is it like, 'I'm the Minister of the current people, I can't think about those people?'"

Bright sighed in displeasure. "That's a... vast exaggeration, but I suppose I haven't given you a great deal of reason to think that wouldn't be the case. Of course I think about them, but it is true that I consider my primary responsibility to be to the current citizens. I think it's reasonable that if these people now are being asked to take a risk, that they have a voice in it. And it's a big risk, Harry. Voldemort is in a box-"

"Only because I put him there!" Harry retorted, raising his voice a little.

Bright regarded him calmly for a few seconds, as if waiting to see if Harry's small burst of temper was over. "Yes, that's right. So it seems you agree with Kingsley and Snape that because you did that, you get to decide this. He can't hurt anybody now, but you're saying, let's go double or nothing. It is a lot like gambling, but it's everyone's futures you're gambling with."

Harry tried to calm down. "If we accept that the prophecy is right that I'm the only one that can beat him, and that he will come out in two hundred years, isn't it a bigger risk to do nothing now? I mean, let's say I have a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding. Isn't a fifty-fifty chance now better than a zero percent chance then?"

"Asking people to take risks on behalf of others is a tricky business," said Bright. "You take those risks, but I feel that it's the kind of thing you should have to volunteer for, not have it demanded of you. Maybe Snape is right, maybe you should have a bigger say in it because of what you've done. There's no right or wrong to this. You say this is the right thing to do. Maybe it is, but I have to say, it's not quite that clear to me, even if I don't think about it politically."

"And," said Harry again, "what about the people two hundred years from now?"

Bright nodded, finally answering the question. "If the prophecy is right, they're in serious trouble, maybe done for. I don't dispute that. But he's chosen to fight you on his terms. He has the upper hand."

Harry wasn't even sure why at first, but he smiled. Bright lifted an eyebrow as Harry said, "No, he doesn't. Did you wonder, Rudolphus, why he didn't just kill Pettigrew and go off to Greenland without making sure I knew where to find him? He could have just come out in two hundred years, and we'd have never known where he was. He wouldn't have had to worry about me. Why did he make sure I found out?"

Bright understood. "Because he had to beat you."

Harry nodded. "His ego demands it, he can't deal with it otherwise. This is his best shot at beating me, but he shouldn't even try at all. Two hundred years from now should be no different from now, to him. He has to beat me, that's his weakness. He'll do the best he can, but he has no escape now. If I get to the ninth room, he's trapped, it's over. He obviously doesn't think I can do it, but like Professor Snape said, he's constantly underestimated me. I'm sure he's done it again."

"And what makes you so sure?" pressed Bright.

"Partly just a feeling, partly the prophecy... but mostly, I've come up with something every time I've had to. I have no idea how or why it happens, but it has, every time. That and the energy of love have to be the reasons for the prophecy. That's what'll get me through this."

Bright stared at him with concern. "Harry, thinking you're charmed could be a dangerous business."

Harry stared back calmly. "So was fighting Voldemort."

"Hard to argue with that," Bright muttered. "Well, we could discuss this all day, but there wouldn't be much of a point. I wanted to talk to you personally to... set my mind at ease, I suppose, as much as it can be with this sort of thing. I came to let you know that I've decided to give you official permission and publicly support you."

Harry's eyebrows went high; he had expected nothing more than quiet support. "What made you decide to do that?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Bright. "Part of it is what you've done, but when you get right down to it, I believe the prophecies. And going by the prophecies, this is what you were meant to do. Also, I respected Dumbledore quite a bit, and he believed the prophecies so strongly that based on them, he gave his life so this could happen, so Voldemort could be beaten. My gut feeling is that you're going to succeed."

Harry slowly nodded. "So, politics didn't enter into it?" he asked with a small smile.

Bright smiled in response. "Politics enters into everything, but I know what you mean. But yes, politics affected this much less than most decisions. And though I want you to succeed for all the right reasons, I wouldn't mind seeing Trent taken down a few pegs. Ironically, this is where I benefit by being Minister: I'm not taking nearly as big a chance as he thinks I am, because he doesn't know about the relays. It's still a risk, of course--Voldemort could come up with a solution--just less than it otherwise might be.

"Anyway, it'll be announced in the Prophet sometime this week, and you'll get to go soon after that. You'll hear about it from Kingsley. Obviously, you'll have whatever resources from the Ministry you want, which I'll soon be telling Kingsley as well." He stood, as did Harry. "Good luck," he said simply.

"Thanks," replied Harry. As Bright left, a one-word thought went through Harry's head: finally.

After breakfast the next Saturday, Harry went for a fly with Ron and Ginny, coming back into the castle at a little after ten o'clock. A cat met him at the castle entrance, and he followed it to the Great Hall. It was empty, except for a small group near the head of the Gryffindor table, composed of McGonagall, Kingsley, Hermione, Neville, Pansy, and to his surprise, Molly. "Hi, what's going on?" he asked.

Kingsley and McGonagall looked grave. "We are here to tell you that the preparations are almost finished," said McGonagall. "You can go almost any time, as soon as one hour if you wished to."

"One hour?" exclaimed Ginny. "Why so little time?"

"They can go tomorrow, or next week, if they wish," explained McGonagall. "We knew yesterday that things would be ready today. It was our thought that it might be difficult for you two, and them," as she gestured to Hermione and Neville, "to know that you would go the next day. It might be difficult to sleep, and so forth. This gives you the opportunity to not dwell on it, if you choose."

"I think we've all dwelled on it a fair amount, much more than I'd like to," said Harry firmly. "I want to go today, as soon as possible. Hermione?"

She nodded. "I agree, it sounds good. Thank you, Professor, for doing it that way."

McGonagall nodded. "The Aurors have set up a shelter not far from the Ring. They tried to move the Ring, of course, but it cannot be moved. We have set up a few Portkeys, one to here, and one to the Aurors, so people can travel there without Apparating."

"Who will be there, at the site?" asked Hermione.

"That is up to you," said McGonagall. "Of course you will be able to communicate with us after you go in, through Ginny and Neville on your hands; your pendants will not work from within the Ring to the outside. Ginny and Neville will be relaying messages."

"At least that'll give me something to do besides worry my head off," said Ginny. "I think it's safe to say that Neville and I will be looking at our hands the whole time, unless there's a reason not to."

"Understandable," said McGonagall to Ginny sympathetically. "It is fortunate that both of you have such a way to communicate. In any case, if there is anyone whose input you would like available, they should be at the site. Who would you like to be there?"

"Well, them, obviously," said Harry, gesturing to Ron, Neville, Pansy, and Ginny. "And you two, and Professor Snape... I guess Professor Flitwick too, we might need advice about Charms or Rings of Reduction. I can't think of anyone else... Molly, will you want to be there?"

"Of course," she said, looking as though she was trying to keep down her anxiety, and not doing very well.

"Anyone else?" Harry asked Hermione.

"It would be good if a Healer was on call, at least," suggested Hermione. "Healer Haspberg gave us that basic first aid course, but it might be a good idea to have someone ready immediately if something really bad happens." Harry saw Ginny's expression of worry at the very idea.

"I will set up a Portkey at St. Mungo's; I am sure Healer Haspberg will make herself available should the need arise," said McGonagall.

Hermione shook her head. "I can't think of anyone else."

"We will finish getting things set up, and will let you know when you can come to the site," said McGonagall. "We will give you more information and advice at that time." She and Kingsley stood and headed out of the Hall.

"Thank goodness it's going to be over with soon," said Harry.

"Not all of us feel the same way," said Ginny fearfully. "That denial is starting to wear off, now that it's so close."

"It'll be all right," he assured her. "We'll be fine, we'll make it."

"Could we go outside for a minute?" she asked. He nodded, and they did. They walked to his office, closed the door, and sat down. He saw Ginny's face for the first time since they were in the Great Hall; she looked like she was about to cry. "I didn't want to break down there, with everyone around," she said, starting to sob. "But I can't help it, I'm so worried..."

He held her as she cried into his shoulder, running a hand through her hair. "I'm coming back," he said firmly. "You have to believe that. I wouldn't be going if I didn't think that."

"Yes, you would," she contradicted him, still sobbing. "If your chances were less than even, you'd still go. I know you." She stopped crying for the moment, and raised her head to look at him. "I know you believe that, and I know that if anyone can do this, it's you. It's just that usually when these things happen we don't have warning in advance, I don't have a chance to worry. But when you go in there, it might be the last time I see you."

"It won't, I promise," he assured her. "Remember, we can come back out. If we don't know how to do something, we'll just go back the way we came, and get out."

She looked as though she wanted to say something, but didn't. After a few seconds, she said, "Are you really that sure? You feel completely sure that nothing will happen to you? This is me, Harry. You won't make me worry any more by saying you're not sure, because I'm already worrying massively."

Trying to be as honest as he could, he said, "I know it's not technically impossible that we could get killed," he admitted, feeling as though he didn't want to say even that much. "But I really feel that it's not going to happen. I can't say why, any more than I've already said. It's just a feeling."

She hugged him, clinging to him tightly. "I've always trusted your feelings, I suppose I can do it this time too." They sat in the silence, holding each other.

* * * * *

Harry and Ginny let go of the Portkey, and he looked around to see a room, about the size of a large conference room. The room only had three walls; the empty space where the fourth wall should have been looked out over a bleak snowscape. The room wasn't cold, so Harry assumed there was an invisible shield covering the empty space, protecting them from the weather.

"From the outside, it looks like an ordinary garden shed," said Kingsley, standing behind him. Harry remembered the tents they had stayed in when they had gone to the Quidditch World Cup; obviously this was just a larger version of that. He wondered how they transported it. Kingsley motioned him to a long, narrow table which seated twelve. He said hello to Flitwick as he sat down. Hugo was also there; Harry assumed he had been invited by Kingsley.

"We advise you to follow a certain procedure for communication," began McGonagall. "You should check in before attempting to enter any given room, after you have observed what you can visually. Tell us what you see, and we will tell you what we can, if anything. We are aware, of course, that each room may contain things we did not know were possible for a Ring of Reduction, or perhaps previously unknown magic entirely." Harry saw Ginny wince at the last sentence. "It is then that you will be calling upon your renowned intuition."

Harry wondered if she was being a little sarcastic in using the word 'renowned,' as if she felt that he relied on it too much. "It hasn't failed me yet," he said confidently.

"We'll do that, Professor," said Hermione earnestly. "What else?"

McGonagall gestured to Snape, who said, "I will brief you on the artifacts you will take. Firstly, you will be equipped with clothes which have been enhanced to protect you against most physical damage. Note the use of the word 'most'; you are not advised to march into physical danger relying on the clothes to protect you. They are simply an additional safeguard. Between them and the normal spell that protects against physical damage, you should have adequate protection.

"Next, there is this bracelet," continued Snape. "You, Professor Potter, will wear this. Its function is that it can restore a nearly dead person to total health. But there is an important caveat, so listen carefully. Whether by design or by accident, this bracelet performs its intended function only fifty percent of the time. Once used, it cannot be used again for a year, whether it functions properly or not. My point is that under no circumstances should you do anything unusually risky with the idea that this will restore you if you are injured. It cannot be relied upon; it is only being provided as a desperation measure. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "I have a feeling I won't be needing it anyway. But I assume it could be used for Hermione as well?"

Snape and Hermione spoke at the same time, and Hermione persisted. "No, Harry. It has to be kept for you. And I know what you're going to say, so let's not bother with the argument. You are the one who has to survive. You know that. We can't use it on me, and then be in a position where you need it, but it's used up. Let's move on. Professor Snape?"

Harry said nothing, but fully intended to use it on her whether she liked it or not if the need arose. "Continuing, the next artifact is one you will no doubt find familiar, as you used it to deceive me quite thoroughly four years ago," said Snape reprovingly, as McGonagall handed Harry the Time-Turner. "It has been set to now function in increments of weeks rather than hours, and will hopefully make any use of the bracelet unnecessary. If you should reach a position from which it appears that you can go neither forward nor back, you should use this, turning it six times to go backwards a total of six weeks."

"It'll work inside a Ring of Reduction?" asked Harry, surprised.

McGonagall nodded. "It was tested for this purpose very recently. A volunteer went inside a Ring placed in a remote location and used this, for the purpose of seeing whether it would work in your situation, and it did."

"So, the person had to stay out of sight for six weeks?" asked Harry.

McGonagall smiled wryly. "It had been a little too long since I had a true vacation. I stayed in a secluded beach resort in Malaysia; I read, and spent some time as a cat. I really do not do that often enough; it is very relaxing. Six weeks is the time you must use, because any less time than that risks you simply ending up in the Ring, at an earlier time. If you have to use it, you will end up in this location, outside the Ring. A mile north of here, you will find a blinking light marking a supply of Galleons; you should take them and go somewhere you will not be seen, far from England. You may choose the place, so long as you stay out of sight." Harry found himself wondering how Fawkes and Flora would react to the fact that there would be two Harrys and two Hermiones for six weeks; he assumed Fawkes would know enough not to let the Harry at Hogwarts know about the one wherever they ended up hiding, if it came to that. Then he realized that if they left by using the Time-Turner, it must have happened that way, because he would have remembered if it hadn't. He quickly abandoned the whole line of thought--thinking about the ramifications of using the Time-Turner always gave him a headache--and he focused on the conversation instead.

Snape resumed speaking. "Professor Granger has been equipped with a small backpack containing various supplies, including large quantities of food and water which have been magically reduced in size, first aid equipment, two extra wands, and an Invisibility Cloak, should that for some unforeseen reason become useful. Finally, there is the artifact which Professor Granger wears, the one that stops time. This should be used as necessary, and should definitely be used immediately upon entering the Ring. The first room will be the most dangerous, as you will not have an opportunity to examine its contents before entering, as you will with the other rooms. Naturally, you will have to deal with whatever may be within the device's effective radius, but it will certainly be better to use it than to not use it."

"Do you have any questions or comments?" asked McGonagall, eyeing them both carefully. They shook their heads. "Well, then, you may proceed to the Ring whenever you are ready-"

McGonagall stopped herself as Harry held up a hand in a request for silence. "Just a minute, the phoenixes are trying to tell us something." They materialized and stood on the table, each phoenix in front of its companion. Harry didn't even notice his eyes going wide at the information he was getting, until he happened to see Hermione having the same reaction.

"What?" asked Ginny anxiously. "What is it?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged a worried look before Harry answered. "They told us... well, they sent us that there's something they can do that'll help us. They can't go in with us, of course, but there's something they can do before we go that they think will save our lives. They can't say how, of course, or in what way, it's just something they know. One of those phoenix-intuition things."

"Whatever it is, absolutely, do it," urged Ginny.

"You might not be happy about it," warned Harry.

"I'm very sure I'll like it more than you being dead. What is it?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged another glance, and Hermione explained. "What they're suggesting is something that's only been done once in phoenix history, and it's only possible now because Fawkes and Flora are partners. Apparently they can... modify us, seems like the best phrase. They can give us the ability that phoenixes have to communicate with each other. What this means is that... right now, Harry and I can communicate as phoenixes do, through Fawkes and Flora. What they're suggesting would allow us to communicate as phoenixes do, directly. And... it would be permanent."

Everyone else except Snape had expressions of great surprise. "And they can't say exactly how this is going to help you?" asked Kingsley. "I mean, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would help that much in the situations you'll be in."

"I know, but they're sure," said Hermione.

Harry glanced at Ginny, sitting next to him; she still had an expression of disbelief. He felt vaguely guilty, for more than one reason. He knew she had to feel that fate was playing a particularly cruel trick on her, considering how she felt about the phoenix communication they already did. He also knew that she knew that there was no choice in the matter; if it could save his life, it had to be done. The only alternative was to not go, and that was unacceptable.

He also felt guilty because he knew that Hermione had... not lied, but shaded the facts of what would happen. Fawkes and Flora considered it to be like bonding, that in two members of the same species would represent the closest possible relationship, like marriage. The only other humans this had been done with before, even longer ago than the millennia or so Fawkes and Flora had been alive, had been married. Harry and Hermione could send to each other, but their bond would be roughly like Fawkes and Flora's-sometimes they would feel what the other felt even without sending, if it was strong enough. Harry wondered how he would adapt to such strong intimacy, but he knew there was no other option, so he didn't debate it with himself. He also knew that Hermione had softened her description of what would happen, because she knew that Ginny would have a hard enough time with it.

Looking at Ginny again, Harry could see the anguish on her face, even though she was clearly trying to not let her feelings show. She looked at him, then down for a few seconds. Finally, she looked at Neville, on her other side. "Neville, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," said Neville, and they got up from the table and headed to a door at the end of the room that Harry hadn't noticed before. The table remained quiet as Ginny and Neville closed the door to the other room.

Harry wanted to talk to Hermione, but not out loud. Are they trying to decide whether they're okay with us doing this? Harry sent. We have to, they must know that.

Yes, they know, Hermione sent back. You know how this affects Ginny, we both knew when Fawkes and Flora told us about this. Ginny needs time to adjust to it, and she doesn't have that time right now. She needs to know how Neville feels, and talk to him, since he's the only one who can really understand how she feels. He can help her deal with it. And please don't feel guilty about this. You have no choice, we have no choice.

I feel guilty because part of me welcomes this, even though I know how it affects Ginny, he sent. I like doing this with you, it feels good.

There's nothing wrong with that, she sent. If you could do this with her, even though it meant you couldn't with me, would you?

Yes, he sent back apologetically.

Don't feel bad, she sent. I love you immensely, but I would do this with Neville instead of you if I could, that's the way it should be. As long as you feel that way, you have nothing to feel bad about. Don't use your energy on feeling bad, use it on trying to help her. This is really difficult for her. She doesn't want this to happen, but she knows that we'll die if it doesn't, and that makes her feel bad for not wanting it to happen. You need to tell her that she shouldn't feel bad for not wanting it to happen. Just be patient and tolerant, and make sure she always knows how much you love her.

I'll try, he sent. How do you feel about this?

She sent her feelings, which were similar to his: she enjoyed the communication, the bond with him. Our relationship is what it is, she sent, and it doesn't take away from mine with Neville, or yours with Ginny. It's different, separate. Yes, this makes our relationship very intimate, which is unusual. But it would only be wrong if we were doing this in preference to Neville or Ginny, or to escape from them. That's not the case. This is just something that happened, and your enjoying it is separate from how it affects Ginny. Enjoy it, and do your best to help her.

He sent that he would, and they stopped sending as they waited; Hermione got up and walked around the room a little. After another few minutes, he felt his hand tingle, but was too self-conscious to look at it while sitting at the table. "It's okay, you don't have to look," he heard in his head. "Hermione tells Neville that you feel bad about this. Please don't; it'll only make it worse. I don't blame you. Neville's helped a lot. This is just something I have to adjust to, like you and I had to adjust to losing our privacy when you started helping Snape. It's not instant, and it may be difficult sometimes, but I think I can do it. Right now, the important thing is that you get through this. We can think about this more after that. I love you, I'm coming back in now."

A few seconds later the door opened, and Ginny and Neville walked back to their seats. Ginny stopped at Harry's seat and put her hands on his shoulders from behind. He took her left hand and kissed the back of it, not caring about the others' presence. She patted his shoulder and resumed her seat.

Exchanging a glance, Harry and Hermione walked over to an empty spot and sat on the floor facing each other, legs crossed, knees almost touching. Following the phoenixes' instructions, they reached out and took both of each others' hands, then cleared their minds. "It's best if we have silence," said Hermione to the others, though Harry doubted anyone would have spoken anyway. Closing his eyes, he focused on love, and felt Fawkes perch on his shoulder.

The phoenixes sent the impression that it was done about ten minutes later. Harry didn't feel anything in particular while it was happening, which he supposed meant that his focus had been strong. Not yet opening his eyes, he sent an impression of wondering whether sending would now feel different than it had. She immediately sent back that it felt a little different; stronger, faster, more direct. Getting his first impression from her since the change, he could see what she meant. He sent that he imagined that the first really noticeable change would be when one of them sent something without having intended to; she agreed.

They let go of each other's hands and stood. "Okay, we're ready," said Hermione to McGonagall. McGonagall gestured to the protective clothes, which Harry thought looked like long underwear as he picked them up. He and Hermione went into separate adjoining rooms; he took his robe and clothes off, put on the protective clothes, and put his usual clothes and robe back on over them. He came out, and a minute later, so did Hermione.

He put the Time-Turner around his neck, wrapping the long chain around his neck twice and tucking it under his robe. He reluctantly picked up the silver bracelet and put it on, clasping and unclasping it to make sure he knew how to take it off in case he needed it to help Hermione. He suddenly experienced a feeling of irritation and annoyance, with some affection mixed in. He turned to her and asked, "Was that you?"

"Was what me?" she asked, as the others watched, interested. "What did you get?"

"You were annoyed at me for fiddling with the bracelet," he said, suddenly understanding from her expression that she had unknowingly sent him the feeling. "You don't want me even thinking about using it on you."

"Of course I don't," she said impatiently. "It was obvious that you were thinking about taking it off, to use on me if it seemed like I needed it, even though you were told not to. I understand why, but it still needs to be saved for you."

"Now I'm getting fear," he said. "What exactly are you afraid of? That I'll use it on you, or that you'll have to use it on me?"

She exhaled in frustration. "Harry, this is going to take some getting used to. I'm getting stuff from you, too, that you don't mean to send. This is a very stressful and emotional situation, you can't be quizzing me on everything you get from me, or I you." Harry could see that she had a point, but still wondered what she was afraid of; he reluctantly let it go.

"This seems as though it might be more of a distraction than a help," commented McGonagall. "It must be disconcerting for both of you."

"A bit," admitted Hermione, "but they say it'll save our lives, and I believe them. Are we ready to go?"

Harry nodded. Turning to Ginny, he leaned in to kiss her, but she put her hands on his shoulders and stopped him. "You'll get a kiss when you come out of there," she said with a smile, though her worry showed in her eyes. "It'll give you extra incentive to come back in one piece."

He gave her a small smile and said, "I have plenty of incentive, but I won't forget that." He took her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. "I will be back." He saw Hermione finish saying goodbye to Neville, and his eyes met Ron's, then Pansy's, then Neville's. Turning to McGonagall, he said, "We'll get in touch as soon as we can, once we've dealt with whatever's in the first room."

"Good luck," she said solemnly. He and Hermione nodded, then turned and walked through the empty wall, outside into the cold. They cast the Bubble-Head Charm on themselves, having been advised to do so by Flitwick and Snape in case there was an oxygen-poor environment in the first room. They then cast the Protection Charm on themselves as a precaution.

They stopped in front of the Ring, and Harry reached into his pocked for the Floo powder McGonagall had given him. Flitwick had told him that the name he used to enter had to be the one that the creator felt was his true name, so he would have to say 'Lord Voldemort,' despite the fact that he had always said Voldemort's name but refused to use the title. He took out his wand and looked at Hermione, who had done the same; she nodded her readiness. He took her hand, then threw down the Floo powder.

"Lord Voldemort!" he shouted, and stepped on the Ring.