Harry Potter and the War of Souls

Chapter 28

What Voldemort Wants

"Percy gave up his job at the Ministry so you wouldn't get in trouble?"
"Yep," Harry said to Ron. He had asked Harry to repeat the story so many times it wasn't really a question anymore, it was now a statement of disbelief.

"That job was everything to him. Dad and Mum can't believe it either."

"In his heart, he was still a Weasley," Hermione said. She had moved past Percy's sacrifice days ago. Her focus now was on the Caritara Potion.

"There are some writings about it," she said, barely peeking her nose over a book Harry hadn't thought a single person could lift. "It's believed to be similar to the Devotoro Spell that Bill told us about in Dark Arts class."

"Which spell?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed. "The Devotoro Spell allows you to give your magic to someone else to help them defend themselves. Anyway, that's just a spell. The Caritara is a potion and may have more binding effects, although nobody seems to understand what it's used for. That makes sense, though" she added, almost to herself. "The potion can't take effect unless you give your life for someone you love in the most selfless way, so then you're dead and not around to write about it. But it's all very complicated. Besides, I don't imagine there've been many people throughout history who've been both qualified to make it and willing to use it."

"Could we brew the potion?" Harry asked.

Hermione pondered his question a moment, then shook her head. "Even with the papers you brought back from the Locked Room, I don't think I could replicate the potion. Not yet anyway. I've never even heard of some of these ingredients. And then she didn't write very much about the spell that's used to seal it onto the person being protected."

"Snape would've known the spell," Harry mumbled. "He helped my mum perform it while my dad was holding off Voldemort."

"Even if we did brew it and did know the spell, how would we use it?" Ron asked. "I mean, it doesn't just work for anyone."

"That's why my mum called it The Greatest Love potion, I reckon," Harry murmured. "You have to love someone in a perfectly selfless way, enough so that you're willing to give up your own life so they can live. She wrote that I have to understand the full circle of its power. What do you think that means?"

Hermione looked away and so did Ron. Harry thought of his conversation with Snape, that he, Harry, was very possibly the remaining horcrux. The full circle began with death and must end with death. Harry's parents sacrificed their lives so he could live. Now he must sacrifice his life to destroy Voldemort. That made sense. And he could tell from the behavior of his friends that they had discussed the same thing.

"It's okay, you know," he said. "I'm not afraid to die."

Hermione looked back at him with large tears in her eyes. "Is that what you think will happen?"

"I don't want to die, but I can't think of how else I'll kill him."

"There has to be another way," Ron said. "We'll think of something."

"But just in case, I wanted ask if either of you knew a spell that could give off a big explosion. Something that would take us both out, whether He tried to stop it or not."

Ron's face went blank but Harry could tell Hermione knew the answer. "What is it?" he asked her.

"Ron's right, Harry. There has to be another way. And if I give you that spell, you'll just use it. Then it'll be my fault you've died."

"Hermione, I could find the spell on my own, but I haven't got the time to look."

"No! If you die, it won't be because of me!"

"But if Voldemort lives, it might be." Harry suddenly had the urge to get away and be on his own. "I'm going for a walk."

He began walking outside, but stopped when he heard his name. There was a group of Ravenclaws on the other end of the open-air hallway. He backed up and was able to hear them perfectly, although they could not see him.

"My dad works for the Ministry," a girl was saying. "He thinks the whole conflict between Harry and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is that Harry's parents stole something from Him."

"It's probably buried in the lake," a boy said. "Remember he went in there for some reason a few months ago. Why haven't we heard about that?"

"You know what I think?" another boy said. "I think he's Vo - Professor Weasley said we should say His name, didn't he? I think Harry is really Voldemort's son. Maybe that's what the scar is, a family mark."

"That makes sense," the girl who had spoken first said. "All the death eaters have the mark on their arm, don't they? Well Harry just has it on his forehead, like He - uh Voldemort wanted everyone to know Harry belonged to Him."

"Don't forget what Harry did to Justin when they were only second years," a new girl with a high-pitched voice said. "He set that snake on him."

"I think there was some explanation about that," the first girl said. "But I don't remember what it was."

"Well there can't be any explanation that's good for Harry, is there?" one of the boys said. "I mean, think about everything that's happened since he's been coming to this school, and it always seems to come down to him and Voldemort. You just have to wonder if a piece of Voldemort hasn't been coming to Hogwarts for the past seven years."

"You're right," another boy continued. "He's a nice enough guy now, but who says someday Harry won't become just like Voldemort?"

That was as much as Harry could take. Without even realizing what he had done, that boy had just confirmed the very same feelings he, Ron, and Hermione had. Harry was carrying a piece of Voldemort's soul inside himself. That piece had been working on him, coaxing an evil nature within him. It explained everything.

He turned and started to go back into Hogwarts, then changed his mind. He had no reason to hide from anyone. He rounded the corner and almost enjoyed the open mouths of the Ravenclaws as they saw him coming for them.

"You'd better be more careful," Harry said. "If Voldemort really is inside me, you don't want that piece of Him to hear what you just said. He might not like that."

He turned and headed toward Hagrid's hut. As he got closer, he realized he hadn't considered before how good of a job Hagrid had done rebuilding his home after last year's fire, but it was larger now with taller ceilings and even a nice stone patio out front.. Maybe to accommodate Madame Maxine's visits, he thought.

"'ello Harry," Hagrid said when Harry came to his door. "What's yer business down here?"

"I never did say thanks for your help with the Mermaids and Inferi. Without that dragon's blood..."

"Don't say nut tin' 'bout that. I was a mess til yeh came back, yeh know. Come in."

Harry walked in and smiled. Hagrid had curtains now, with bows. He looked up at Hagrid who grew a little pink in the cheeks. "I think there's a future for her and I," Hagrid said. "She picked those out."

"They're nice." Harry sat at Hagrid's table while Hagrid poured them a cup of tea.

"Yeh okay, Harry? Yeh seem sorta down."

"Have you heard that Voldemort said He was going to kill every day until I give Him what He wants?"

"Yeah. Course I did."

"I don't know what to do."

"Yeh don' give in to Him. That should be obvious." Hagrid paused. "What does He want from yeh?"

"He wants me. He wants me to join Him."

Hagrid drew in a loud breath. "Well, no Harry. Yer not like that." He stopped and studied Harry, who was looking down at his teacup. "Yer not considerin' it, are yeh?"

"No. But, what if that's the way to stop this war - with me on the inside?"

Hagrid shook his head vehemently. "Yeh can't do it. I know what He can do, how evil He is. I'm the one who took yeh from the wreckage of your family's house all those years ago. For Merlin's sake, I buried your parents. If yeh'd seen what I did that night, yeh wouldn' consider joinin' Him, not for a moment."

Harry tilted his head. "Where did I go after Godric's Hollow, Hagrid? You didn't take me straight to the Dursley's?"
"Nah. Took Dumbledore time to convince 'em to take yeh. And yeh have to understand, there was so much confusion that next day. Nobody knew everything, only that something big had happened. Something that had never happened before. Dumbledore and I set off right away for Godric's Hollow. Snape was there, too. He'd been protecting you til we arrived. Sirius came to Godric's Hollow right after Snape had left. He realized what Pettigrew had done and set out for revenge. Gave me his motorbike to use."

"Where did I go until the Dursleys? Was I with you?"

Hagrid smiled down at him. "I loved yeh right from the start, Harry, and I can raise a dragon or hippogriff, but I'm no good with babies. But Lupin wanted yeh. He begged Dumbledore to let him take yeh permanently, but they both knew because of his being a werewolf that could never happen. It was finally decided yeh had to be with the Dursleys. Lupin was angry at us for years over that decision, even though he knew it was the only thing that could be done."

"Why didn't Lupin ever tell me?"

Hagrid shrugged. "Could be he thought yeh'd be angry for not findin' a way to keep yeh. He knew how bad things were at the Dursleys. Maybe he thought yeh'd hate him for it."

Harry nodded. "It's funny. There was always so much about myself I didn't know. I never even thought about all this until just now as we were talking."

"I'm sure you'll continue learning things," Hagrid said as he drank the last of his tea. "Yer parents were two of the finest wizards of their age. You won't be anything less. It's why yeh can't give yerself up to Him, even if people are dying. Yeh owe it to yer parents to live the life they wanted for yeh."

"I may not have a choice," Harry said softly.

"What was that?"

"Er, nothing. Listen, I'd better go. Thanks for talking, Hagrid."

"Anytime. I'll see yeh around later, righ'?"

Harry forced a smile on his face as he looked back at Hagrid from his doorway. "Yeah, sure. See you around."

He walked back toward Hogwarts when he saw a familiar figure walking away with crooked, uneven steps. She was crying loudly and carrying so many papers and books, they kept dropping behind her.

Harry ran up to her. "Professor Trelawney, are you alright?"

She stopped and with her extraordinarily large eyes, stared at him with some mix of horror, fascination, and confusion.

"My dear boy, this is farewell."

"What? Where are you going?"

"I've just had a conversation with the headmistress. It seems not only does she lack the inner eye, she has no respect for its powers."

Harry knew McGonagall's opinion of divination was even lower than was Hermione's, if that was possible. Even Dumbledore had questioned her abilities, but Harry understood he kept her at Hogwarts for her own safety.

"You can't leave," he told her as she continued walking down the grass.

"Three-hundred and thirteen days since Dumbledore died. Three-hundred and thirteen, that is my fated number."

"If you'll just come back to the school-"

"If there is no faith in me, I cannot stay," she said. "Firenze manages most of my classes anyway, and I know the students prefer him. I hear what they say."

"I prefer you," Harry said, at least getting her attention long enough to stop and turn back to him.

"Do you believe?" Trelawney asked.

He knew most of what she said was rubbish, but he believed she was also capable of occasionally giving a real prophecy. "Yeah, I do. We need you here."

She walked closer to him, and the tears behind her glasses were magnified to look like cupfuls of tears were about to spill out onto her cheeks.

"Why are you still alive?" she asked him.

Harry stared at her. "What?"

"Your aura. It's almost gone. You won't see the end of this school year, I'm afraid."

"Fine." Harry threw up his hands. "Listen, wait here. I'm going to get McGonagall." He turned to leave but felt a hand clasp his shoulder. He turned and saw in Trelawney's face the same trance-like appearance he had seen with her before.

When she spoke, it was in the same deep voice. "He who the Dark Lord kills upon the square will stand upon the circle, and all will be ended."

"What does that mean? Professor?"

She sputtered and shook her head. "So?" she asked, back in her normal voice. "Why haven't you died?"

"I'll get around to it," he said. "Listen, wait here. Please?" He ran up to the castle and explained to a startled Professor McGonagall that Trelawney was leaving.

"Just because of what I said?" McGonagall asked. "I merely told her to stop predicting student deaths because it was upsetting them."

They ran back onto the grounds, but Trelawney was nowhere to be found. "Oh dear," McGonagall said. "I must send the order out to find her."

But Trelawney was not found. And no word was heard of her until three days later when The Daily Prophet's front page story read, "Hogwarts Professor Murdered in London."

Hermione, who had read the story to Ron, Harry, and Ginny set the paper down. "The death eaters got to her," she said. "Do you think it's possible Voldemort now knows the entire prophecy?"

"I dunno if Trelawney even remembers about the prophecy," Harry said. He hadn't told any of them about her last one. There was no way to know if it referred to him, any other student at Hogwarts, or for that matter, if it referred to any real future event or not. Even if he knew that, it still didn't have any meaning worth discussing.

"I don't think she was a fraud...entirely," Ginny said. "She said some things in our classes that actually did happen. Nothing big, of course, but whatever the Inner Eye is, I think she's got it."

"But it doesn't matter now anyway," Ron said. "She's dead, and the Inner Eye is closed."

Hermione stifled a grin and smacked him in the shoulder, but he took hold of her hand and pulled her over to him for a kiss. Harry watched them for a moment and from the corner of his eye, saw that Ginny was watching them too. Without a word, he stood and left the common room. He knew by her behavior that she still loved him, and couldn't bear the thought that one day, perhaps very soon, she'd be crying beside his grave.

---------------------------------------------------

The news of Trelawney's death sent shock waves over the students at Hogwarts. The Daily Prophet had begun keeping a record of how many deaths Voldemort and his death eaters had caused since the new year. Hers was #313.

"She said that was her fated number," Harry tried to explain, but no one seemed to hear him. Everyone's attention was on the other death reports that were continually coming in now.

The deaths preceding hers had touched nearly every Hogwarts student in some way. There were losses in immediate families, extended families, and in friendships. Ron and Ginny received a letter from home telling them of the deaths of Harold Tibbet and his wife, Ennis, who Ron explained were old family friends of theirs. Charlie had also written to say there was an attack in the camp where he'd been staying, and three of his best friends were killed.

"People aren't even talking about the really important news," Hermione said, holding her copy of The Daily Prophet open. There's rumors that Voldemort has recruited the Manticores." She looked up but both Ron and Harry's faces were blank. "They're people eaters, and until now they've remained in their wilderness. I don't know if it was a good move or not, though. Manticores aren't known for their loyalty. They'll eat death eaters just as fast as one of our side."

"It's always bad news for us," Ron said wryly. "Haven't you learned that by now?"

Three days after Trelawney's death, Hermione agreed with him after receiving an owl from her parents. She had heard almost nothing from them for weeks, ever since she persuaded them to leave the country for an extended time, until things were safe again.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"Wuz wong?" Ron asked, his mouth full of a violetberry muffin.

"A few days ago our home exploded. My parents just got word of it. They say nobody can figure out what caused it so they think it must be connected to my world." She looked up. "But at least they're safe, right?"

"Right," Ron said, putting an arm around her. "Was anyone hurt?"

"One of the neighbors was hurt, but not seriously. I did have some really valuable books at home though."

"What spell did they use to explode it?" Harry asked. "C'mon Hermione. I know you know it."

"I'm not giving you the means to kill yourself, Harry! You have to find a way to beat Him without you dying."

Other students were reading their letters from home too, and Harry could feel the tension building in the Great Hall. One girl began crying and ran from the room. Another boy smashed his fist into his plate so hard that food went flying into the aisles. Someone from Hufflepuff yelled, "Hey, Harry, what is it going to take? Give Him what He wants!"

"Yeah!" another couple of students yelled.

"It's okay," Hermione said. "Just ignore them."

Then someone threw something at Harry that landed on the back of his robes. He turned and saw milk on the floor all around him.

"Scourgify," Ginny said, and the milk vanished. She stood on the bench and yelled, "Stop this, all of you!" For such a little person, Harry thought she certainly got everyone's attention fast enough.

"It's okay, Ginny," he said, pulling on her hand, but she tugged it away.

"Shut it, Harry. This is my fight." She yelled again, "What do you want from him? Anything he gives Voldemort - that's right VOLDEMORT-" she yelled in the direction of a boy across the aisle who had cringed before. "Anything he gives Voldemort will only make Him stronger."

"How can He be stronger than now?" a boy on the Slytherin table yelled back. "He can kill anyone on a whim. His armies are growing and ours are dying. I say Harry gives Him what He wants and we hope He leaves us alone!"

Ginny started to respond, but Harry grabbed her hand again and stood. This time, the room fell silent. He looked up to the front of the room, and the professors, who until now had looked like they weren't sure how to respond, now stared at him, apparently as interested in what he was going to say as the rest of the students.

"He doesn't want anything I have," Harry said. "He wants me. He wants a duel to the death and when He gets it, He'll probably win because I'm not a great wizard, I don't have any special powers, and I don't know how to defeat Him. I'm just Harry Potter. Not the Boy Who Lived, not the Chosen One, just a kid who seven years ago didn't even know there were such things as wizards."

He hadn't realized he was still holding Ginny's hand, but he released it now and walked from the Hall. There wasn't a sound in the room behind him.

From there, he walked directly up to the seventh floor and passing the blank wall three times, he thought, I need a place to be alone. Almost immediately a door opened and he walked into a small room with an overstuffed chair in front of a fireplace. He closed the door, kicked off his shoes, but he was still too tense with adrenalin to relax. He paced around the room until he was sick of walking and finally fell into the chair.

Gradually his body relaxed and as he stared at the fire, he realized how tired he was. There was so much to think about, so much to do. He closed his eyes and tried to sort through everything, but it soon blended into nothingness.

It didn't start as a dream, just a single image. Of Hogwarts, with smoke rising out of every window. There were students who tried to run, but they were cut down with blasting spells before they made it more than a few steps away. Their bodies piled over each other.

Harry began laughing, enjoying the stir he had created. Then he stopped, still mid-dream. "I am NOT you," he said, and pulled himself away from Voldemort. They stood and faced each other with wands drawn.

"Not yet," Voldemort said. "But you will be." He began walking toward Harry, and with every step, the pain in his scar increased.

Finally, with a scream, Harry ripped himself from the nightmare. He fell onto the ground and lay there until his pain subsided enough for him to begin thinking again. He stood, fumbled for the doorknob, and left the room, feeling dizzy and nauseous.

"There you are," Ginny said, running up and putting her arm around him for balance. "Harry, you look terrible. What's wrong?"

"I've got to talk to McGonagall."

"Yeah, okay. Let's go." She began leading him to McGonagall's office. Harry gradually realized he was leaning much of his weight on her, and though she didn't complain, he could hear her occasional grunt.

"Sorry," he said, letting go of her. "Listen, I'm okay now. I can walk." He took a step forward, then stumbled. "I'm sorry. Maybe we should just sit for a minute."

Ginny led him to a bench in the hallway. "You wait here. I'll get McGonagall." She ran off while he leaned back against the cool stone wall. He didn't want to close his eyes, though. He didn't want to fall asleep.

Ginny and McGonagall arrived several minutes later with Madam Pomfrey not far behind them. "Drink this," she said, holding something to his lips. "It'll clear your head."

He nodded and sipped the potion which was warm and tasted a little like his Uncle Dursley's foot powder had smelled. But he swallowed the entire thing and felt the immediate effects. Madam Pomfrey nodded sharply at him, said, "I'll keep your normal bed ready for you," then left.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ginny said, and slipped away before Harry could think of anything to say to her.

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall said. "What has happened?"

"I think Hogwarts is going to be attacked."

If she was alarmed by this news, it didn't show. "You saw this in a dream?"

He nodded. "I think Voldemort intends this to be the place for His final showdown."

"Do you know when?"

"I think it's soon. I think it's before the end of the year."

"And how confident are you that what you saw is real?"

"It's real."

"Then we must evacuate the school." McGonagall stood. "I will meet with the Order immediately and see if our spies have heard anything. We will begin a quiet evacuation as soon as I return."

After McGonagall left, Ginny came back around the corner and sat beside him. She placed something in his hand. "Sorry, extendable ears. Couldn't help it." When she saw his smile, she continued, more seriously. "You're not evacuating, are you?"

"No."

"Neither am I."

"Ginny-"

"Neither will Ron or Hermione, or Neville, and Luna, and the Creeveys. There'll be more who won't leave."

"Then they'll die."

"There are things worth dying for, Harry."

"And there are things worth living for. Ginny, I want you to leave."

She set her jaw forward in a way that let him know she wasn't negotiating with him. "Why do you care? We're just friends, right?"

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Sorry, Harry. I love you like a brother and none of my brothers get to tell me what to do." She kissed him lightly on the cheek then started walking away.

"You do not love me like a brother," he said, standing and following her. He felt heat in his cheeks and quickly decided she was more difficult than all the rest of the Weasleys put together. "Nor do I love you like a sister."

"Yeah, what is it then?"

"You know what it is. It's complicated."

"Okay, well when you figure it out, you know where to find me - here at HOGWARTS!"

She turned to make a face at him but he caught her around the waist and pulled her close, then kissed her with all the passion he'd been holding back all year. He poured into that moment not only his pain and worry, but also his hunger to be in her life again, to have her look at him as if he were the only man in the world. She responded as warmly and melted her body into his.

At some point, someone whistled at them and they pulled apart. "The Room of Requirement," Ginny suggested.

"Good idea." They walked as casually as they could manage back up to the room, but a nearby class had just let out and the hall was full.

"Watch this," Harry said. He led her to stand behind the tall vase and grabbed his invisibility cloak from his bag. When no one was looking, he tossed it over them.

"This is as much privacy as we're going to get right now," he whispered.

"You're positive they can't see us?" she asked, looking out at the students.

"Positive."

"Okay then." She put her arms around his neck and pulled him in. After several minutes of what he decided was excellent snogging, she leaned back. "What changed your mind about us?"

"I didn't-" This was harder than he thought it would be. "I didn't ever stop loving you, not for a moment. But while I was waiting for you to get back with McGonagall, I realized it wouldn't be fair if I died without letting you know how I feel. I couldn't let you live the rest of your life wondering."

Ginny lowered her eyes. "You told everyone in the Great Hall you'll probably die when you face Him."

He reached up to her face and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "But I have you to live for. That's as good a reason to keep fighting as there ever was."

"You know I love you back," Ginny said. "And you have to keep fighting, because I'm never going to stop loving you, not ever."

When the hallway cleared, Harry kissed her again before he finally forced himself to pull away from her. He removed the cloak and replaced it in his bag. With an unspoken agreement, they barely looked at each other as they walked and reentered the Common Room separately.

"What's the deal?" Ron said. "Lavender grabbed me in the hall and said she saw you and Ginny snogging each other senseless."

Harry grinned. "You're not tired of hearing rumors about me yet?"

"Fine, don't tell me," Ron said. "Then what were you playing at with that speech in the Great Hall? Don't you think your best friends deserve to know Voldemort was after more than the horcruxes?"
Harry stuck a hand into his pocket. "I figure that with all that's happened, you two both already knew what He really wanted."

Ron shifted his weight on his feet. "Well yeah we did, but the way you said it Harry, it sounded so...so final."

"When it comes to the end, it will be final. We're not doing ourselves any favors by pretending otherwise. I think it's clear what's got to happen. I'm not going to let Him walk away alive, even if it means I don't walk away either."