Eye of the Snake

"Get off!" the Dark Lord yelled at Harry as he kicked him to the rooftop. Harry landed on the roof with a thud. He thought to himself: that was a really stupid move. Yet still, he couldn't let anything happen to them, especially Hermione.

"You might as well go back to the Gryffindor Tower and cry for Mommy!" Voldemort teased as he landed on the Astronomy Tower.

"You know those jokes are getting old, right?" Harry said.

"And so is..." Voldemort hesitated. "Your mom!"

"Voldie, she's dead. You killed her- remember? Oh, no, Oldie Voldie can't even remember who he killed! I guess it's back to preschool with you!"

"Avada Kadavra!" Voldemort yelled.

"Protego!" Harry yelled. He blocked the killing curse- again.

"I really hate you, Potter," Voldemort spat.

"Really? I couldn't tell!"

Voldemort held Hermione and Ron up into the air, each of them dangling over the side of the tower. "You know," he said. "every hero has to do this. Spider-Man, Batman... it's your turn! Choose, Potter! Which one will live?"

Voldemort dropped the kids into the air. Harry had to think fast. He cast the Grapple spell on the ledge of the tower and swung down, grabbing Hermione.

Voldemort saw Harry's plan, and the Dark Lord knew that if Harry saved Ron, he would be happy. He didn't want Harry to be happy. Quickly, he cast the killing curse six times at poor Ron. Harry's best friend was dead.

"You monster!" Harry yelled, swinging back to the top of the tower. "I'm going to kill you!" His arms found their way to the evil lord's neck, and they gripped tightly.

"I'm sorry, Potter," Voldemort said, grinning. "Maybe another time!" Voldemort disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Harry suddenly heard Hermione scream. She was pointing at some cloth-like thing floating toward them.

"Harry, it's a-" The cloth gagged her, surrounding her whole body.

Harry didn't know what to do. He tried a variety of different spells, from Flipendo to Lumos, but nothing worked. He thought maybe he could distract the creature, so he cast the Patronus charm.

The creature exploded and revealed Hermione, gasping for air.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"That was a Lethifold, a very deadly creature. Close cousin to the Dementor."

Harry looked down at Ron's body and cried. "He was my best friend. He would've given his life for me, and I couldn't save him. I want revenge."

"Harry," Hermione said. "what has revenge got you over the years?"

"I don't care! I will avenge Ron Weasley's death. I swear it on his grave!"

He began crying, and Hermione hugged him for comfort. She knew that Harry found this comfortable at times. Harry stopped crying and Hermione told him the truth. If they wanted to kill Voldemort, they needed a plan.

"Let's go see Dumbledore," she said.

The two cast the Grapple spell on a nearby tower and slid down to the ground.

2/6/05