The Evolution of Balance

F.Y.I., the Prologue takes place at the tail end of the fifth year at Hogwarts. If it is a bit surprising, then please know all will be explained in the forthcoming chapters.

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Prologue

The 5th Year Remembered

It was one of the most beautiful days Hogwarts had seen in many years. A gentle wind and brilliant sunshine welcomed the new summer and the soft susurration of the Forbidden Forest could be heard in the distance. A young man walked alone in this clearing at the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, recollections of the last several, memorable weeks replaying in his mind.

* * * * *

A dueling tournament had been held during the revision week before the O.W.L. exams on the grounds of the quidditch pitch. It was the first of what many hoped would be an annual event. It was widely expected that one of the seventh year students would win the tournament because of their advanced defense studies. Against his better judgment, Harry had agreed to compete.

When he'd reached the semifinals, he was more than satisfied with the result. When he made it through to the finals by beating his friend and teammate Angelina Johnson, his anxiety was palpable. The final match paired him against Roger Davies, current Hogwarts' Head Boy and pre-tournament favorite.

After several minutes of defense and counterattack, Davies cast an illusionary spell, hoping to capitalize on the subsequent confusion. Harry quickly fell to the ground to avoid impending attacks and was clearly dazed by the charm.

Roger took the advantage: "Expelliarmus!" Like a keeper acting on instinct, Harry raised his wand hand in defense and the spell deflected harmlessly into the ground. Roger Davies stood motionless, his eyes rendering the disbelief of what he'd just witnessed. The delay was just what Harry needed to recover.

"Impedimenta!" The spell connected and Harry stood slowly and walked over to his opponent. He took Roger's wand and finally noticed the deafening cheers from the students and staff watching the match. He stepped back and removed the spell from his opponent.

In the emotional high that followed, Harry hardly remembered the celebration in Gryffindor tower that night. The positive emotions of that weekend faded quickly, however, at the onset of the O.W.L. exams the following week.

Looking back, Harry remembered the exams as the toughest week of school he could have imagined. He had requested eleven O.W.L. exams and had passed each one, but the week seemed more like a test of endurance than of magical ability.

In retrospect, he might have preferred never to finish the exams.

* * * * *

Hundreds of students and alumni had attended the ceremony one week earlier. Harry had been unable to attend. He took a few more steps and stopped in front of the memorial stone, remembering all too well the events that led him to this spot.

* * * * *

It wasn't customary for students to be allowed into Hogsmeade before the leaving feast, but so many events had been curtailed during the school year that the Headmaster reluctantly agreed to a supervised visit. It was hoped the numerous staff and townspeople would provide a safe visit.

"Ron, hold still, will you," Hermione pleaded, as she stood ready with a muggle camera. Ron smiled wickedly; he and Harry had made it a point to make this a most interesting set of still photographs.

The twins and Lee Jordan burst from The Three Broomsticks. "Oh, that was bloody brilliant. I'll never forget that face," cried Lee between laughs.

Ginny turned from her picture pose. "Oh no, what unsuspecting victim have they found this time?"

Suddenly a dozen dark-robed wizards strode into the intersection and attacked the small group of students. In the confusion that followed, Harry could remember his own actions and little else. Ron had been struck by a Cruciatus Curse and collapsed under the pain.

Hermione had been in the middle of the street with her camera and could barely react before she was stunned. Lee and George, who had faced the bulk of the attackers from the onset, escaped using a recent innovation from the twins: an exploding egg containing floo powder for emergency travel. Despite the best efforts of his twin, Fred had been stunned and captured early in the fight.

Harry managed to defend himself fairly well, his dueling training coming into the fore. He quickly found himself facing overwhelming odds as the others faded from the fight.

Because of their cries for help, dozens of townspeople and patrons of the pub spilled into the street to confront the attackers. Realizing they were well outnumbered, the Death Eaters took the stunned Hermione and Fred captive and disapparated.

* * * * *

Harry scowled when he recalled his next decision. Once again the overwhelming pressure of guilt triggered unwelcome memories. Had he made the right decisions? Had his actions been at fault for the tragedy to follow? So many questions, yet so few answers.

* * * * *

Harry appeared in the Weasley's fireplace not long after the attack, having traveled from the Three Broomsticks' fireplace. "George! Lee!" he cried, knowing the escape powder was designed to transport them directly to the burrow without pronunciation.

"In here," Lee answered from the kitchen.

"Lee, do you have anymore of the escape powder on you?" Harry swiftly entered the kitchen.

"Harry? Are you all right? What happened to the others?" George responded in a desperate voice.

"Hermione and Fred are gone! I know how to find them, but I need a way to get them out. Do you have any floo eggs left over?"

"You're not going alone! How do you expect to find them anyway?"

"George, there's no time for me to explain."

Defiantly, George refused to help without an answer. "Dammit, Harry! You'll need help and I need to find Fred just as badly as you do."

He remembered sighing, knowing George was right. "Hermione has a locator charm cast on her. We did it in case of emergency. It'll take us right to her, but we need to hurry!"

George cast a worried look at Lee, "We need someone to get help. Harry, how does the spell work?" Harry quickly explained the enchantment required and Lee agreed to contact Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible.

The charm transported them to what Harry recalled was a section of the Forbidden Forest well beyond the boundaries of Hogwarts. Hermione was bound to a tree and gagged, while Fred appeared lifeless on the ground at her feet. Without a plan, he and George simply ran at full speed towards the captives, silently hoping the element of surprise would allow their escape. History now showed they were only partly correct.

His friends had escaped; Harry had made sure of that. He'd seen the cloaked wizards in waiting before they did in turn and created the necessary diversion for George to grasp the two captives and escape to the Burrow. Harry had been quickly overwhelmed before he could attempt to escape.

* * * * *

His capture had been the plan all along, he now realized. Hermione, Ron and anyone else that happened into the clutches of the Death Eaters, were simply bait for the trap. They knew he would come after his friends. In fact, that was exactly what Voldemort had planned for the Hogsmeade attack.

An involuntary wretch escaped his insides as his body, more than his mind, remembered the torturous few minutes that followed his last memory. He remembered every agonizing second of the torture, beginning with several rounds of the Cruciatus Curse. Yet as a defense mechanism, he knew reliving those events would only rekindle the pain.

The physical pain was difficult to endure, true, but it would fade with time. The heartrending memory of his rescue would hurt forever.

* * * * *

By the time his rescuers arrived, Harry could barely move and was moments away from losing consciousness. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was the horrifying green light and... the scream. That same awful scream he had heard so many times from his mother in the presence of the Dementors. He knew who had been on the receiving end of this unforgivable curse...

* * * * *

He ran his hand over the smooth surface of the stone, interrupted only by the intricate designs circling the writing. Harry gradually knelt on the soft grass, his head slumping into his palms. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he wept. All of the emotions of the last couple weeks had taken their toll and he was tired of fighting to keep control.

The stone read:

Here lies a man of exceptional size,

who shall be judged by the size of his heart.

You will be forever missed.

Rubeus Hagrid

1929 - 1996