Thicker Than Water: Year Six

Chapter 24 - Trailing Evil

The lunar month flowed to its climax as the moon waxed and the lengthening days got warmer; the Hogwarts lawns and gardens burst into the richness of their blooms. Sixth year students took advantage of the weather to be outdoors, knowing the following spring would hold the crush of pending NEWT exams.

Harry and Ron wolfed down their lunches and were out of their seats long before the puddings had arrived. Harry had promised to show Ron a few new Quidditch moves Remus had taught him the previous autumn, and they hurried out of the Great Hall to get their broomsticks. Though Harry wouldn't risk exposure with too much flying, he figured he could still show Ron a few things while everybody else was still eating.

A lone figure was dashing across the otherwise deserted Entrance Hall when they emerged from the Great Hall. Looking over his shoulder, they glimpsed the aristocratic features of Peter Pevensie, that enigmatic first-year Gryffindor. He turned away and continued quickly for the front doors, pulling the hood of a winter cloak up over his head.

After he exited, Harry turned to Ron and said, "I've seen him sneaking around the grounds and near the Forbidden Forest a few times this year. I wonder what he's up to - and why he's dressed so warmly?"

With one mind, Harry and Ron looked at each other and nodded at the same time. Ron said quietly, "Maybe we should go check it out - make sure the little runt's not going to get himself eaten by one of those beasts in the forest."

Forgetting about their broomsticks, they slipped quietly out the doors and across the grounds. Peter Pevensie's slight form could be seen speeding away towards the Forbidden Forest and, even with their longer legs, Ron and Harry had to walk quickly to catch up. As they reached the trees and began peering into the forest to locate Peter, another sound caught their attention.

Harry quickly pulled Ron behind a tree, and they watched as Malfoy and Crabbe walked past them. Both wore simple black dress robes and carried knapsacks; they were glancing nervously back to make sure no one was around, and picked up the pace. Some distance ahead, they met up with another figure that had stepped out from behind a tree; Harry and Ron couldn't see who it was, but the other person appeared to be a student too.

"They look like fugitives heading to a party," whispered Ron.

Harry said, "Looks like everyone's out mysteriously this afternoon. Those three are definitely more interesting than little Peter, wouldn't you say?"

Ron nodded, and they turned their footsteps away from the forest path where Peter had gone, choosing to follow their nemeses instead. Malfoy, Crabbe, and what turned out to be Theodore Nott were skirting the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry and Ron kept behind the peripheral trees, shadowing the other two boys stealthily.

They kept up the brisk pace for nearly half an hour, heading to the place where the Hogwarts grounds and forest ended abruptly and the fens that bordered Hogsmeade began. The three Slytherins had stopped walking and were shuffling impatiently, waiting for someone to arrive. Harry and Ron crept as close as they could and found cover behind two leafy trees with wide trunks.

"Where is she? Are you sure she's meeting us here?" grunted Crabbe.

Nott gave him a disgusted look, and Malfoy snapped irritably at Crabbe, "Of course she'll be here! We haven't gone to all this trouble just to stand around staring at the trees!"

A few minutes had passed in silence when a tall, cloaked and hooded figure abruptly appeared in front of the boys with a loud crack. At the sounds of her voice, Harry let out a small gasp, stiffened and peered out cautiously from behind the tree, anger coursing through him as he clutched his wand.

"Oh good, our iddy biddy boys are right on time!" she cackled in a low, melodic voice, addressing Malfoy, Nott and Crabbe. "No trouble getting out of the nursery? Wet maids not keeping too close on eye on the babes today?"

"No trouble at all, Aunt Bella," smirked Malfoy. "All our other mates were down at lunch, and we saw no one on the grounds."

Bellatrix Lestrange laughed her deranged cackle again and rubbed her hands delightedly. "Well now, boys, we have a couple hours to get our guests of honour ready for their big event. What say we go find us some nice muggles to take along to the party?"

Nott and Crabbe chuckled nervously, but Malfoy said, "Aunt Bella! Do we have to go looking for them? I know a pretty little specimen at the school that will please the Dark Lord. I believe he used her a few years ago to open the Chamber of Secrets, and I'm sure he'd love to meet that muggle-lover again now that he's back!"

Lestrange eyed him for a moment, thinking, then said, "All right then, Draco, but make it quick! When you get her, take this--" she handed him a roll of parchment, "and it will bring you to meet us. You have half an hour until it activates, and we rendezvous; don't show up empty-handed, though. Don't waste too much time looking for your target, just grab some other muggle-born if you have to."

Malfoy grinned at her, then took the parchment-roll and sprinted off back towards the castle.

The witch's attention then turned back to Nott and Crabbe. "Are you boys ready to leave the crib and join the real world?"

The remaining Slytherins said they were. She led them furtively away towards Hogsmeade. When they were well out of range, Ron turned to Harry, who was clutching his wand and wore a furious expression.

"He's going after Ginny!" said Ron redundantly.

Harry was torn as to which direction he should go, but Malfoy had a few minutes head start at a sprint, and Lestrange, Nott and Crabbe were not going very quickly. Harry answered, "And I'm going after Lestrange!"

He made a decisive move to follow the trio, stepping in the direction of Hogsmeade with Ron in tow. In a sudden flash, a large tawny beast leapt out of the forest and blocked Harry's way. An enormous lion paced hungrily in front of them, emitting a low, threatening growl.

Ron nearly dropped his wand in surprise, and Harry stumbled back wards a few paces. The lion walked towards them, driving Harry and Ron backwards, away from its sharp claws and powerful jaws. They had retreated about a hundred metres and the lion stopped advancing. It continued to pace from side to side, growling menacingly at them.

"We need to follow them to Hogsmeade! How about a distraction?" Harry whispered to Ron out of the side of his mouth.

"What do you want me to do - feed myself to him?" Ron snapped back sarcastically.

"It hasn't attacked us, so it's probably not hungry," reasoned Harry. He began to stroll slowly away from the edge of the forest, hoping to get past the lion to the fens and towards Hogsmeade. Holding up one hand to placate the lion, Harry said, "We'll just be going now, don't mean to disturb you..."

The lion streaked in front of him, once again cutting off any chance of a retreat to the wizarding village. This time it lowered itself into a crouch, ready to spring, and its growls turned into a low roar. Harry pointed his wand and aimed a stunner at the massive lion. It deftly sprang out of the way and advanced towards them again.

"Harry! That lion doesn't seem to want to make nice with Leo! If we hurry, we might still be able to find Ginny first," croaked a terrified Ron. Harry was about to agree, when the lion made up their minds for them. It took a small leap, landing just short of the boys, causing them to turn on their heels and run.

The lion - engaged in an easy romp - kept pace with the boys for a few minutes as they ran ever faster along the edge of the forest. Just as Ron clutched a stitch in his side and Harry was getting winded, they noticed that the lion was no longer following them. It had stopped a short ways back, and resumed its pacing and growling.

"That lion doesn't want us going into Hogsmeade!" Harry panted. "But I'll be damned if I let Malfoy go that easily! Go look for Ginny; I need to get Neville first!"

Ron glanced at his watch and groaned. "Classes start again in one minute and we're not even halfway back to the castle. I've got a free period, but Neville will be in class by now!"

"No, he won't!" Harry remembered. "I'm missing double-potions, and Neville isn't taking that class. He'll also be on a free - let's try the greenhouses!"

"What do you need Neville for, anyway?" asked Ron, but Harry didn't answer. He took off briskly, sprinting for sort periods, leaving Ron little breath to repeat his question. The lion didn't follow them.

Wishing they had brought their broomsticks, the two boys hurried to the castle. Ron ran inside to find his sister, while Harry dashed around the castle and across the grounds to the greenhouses. He burst into Greenhouse Six and found Neville and Eloise perched side by side on stools, tending to an herbal concoction they were preparing for Professor Sprout. Harry stopped to catch his breath as the two Herbologists looked up in alarm.

"Neville," panted Harry. "We've got to go! I've just seen Malfoy, Crabbe and Nott meeting up with her, with Lestrange! I'm going after them, and I need you to come with me."

Neville had gone white at the mention of her name, and he began to unconsciously rub his robe over his heart. Harry noted the gesture, and told himself the pain there was a mark of Voldemort's last reign and the loss of his parents, desperately wanting to believe that was true.

After a moment of introspection, Neville snapped out of his reverie. He leaned suddenly over Eloise and gave her a long kiss. "I love you! Whatever happens, I love you!"

"What's going on, Neville? Where are you going?" Eloise looked at him in shock, her eyes wide. She grabbed his arm as though to keep him from leaving.

"Bellatrix Lestrange... she's the one who... I just have to go! You finish the potion for Professor Sprout. I'll be back, I promise!" Neville leaned in and kissed her again, then extricated his arm from her grasp and followed Harry. He glanced back once at the pale, frightened Eloise, who sat stunned on her stool.

As they strode rapidly back to the castle, Harry quickly filled Neville in on what they had seen and heard. He also told Neville about the fight Pansy had overheard between Malfoy and Goyle in the Slytherin common room. When he mentioned the muggle tortures being planned as part of the Slytherin's initiation, Neville's face took on a look of steely determination.

They climbed the castle steps and wrenched open the large front doors. The boys nearly collided with Professor Panthera, whose eyes burned bright and sported wind-swept hair. The teacher stepped back to let them through the doorway.

"No classes, boys?" he asked in his raspy voice.

"Erm... free period!" Harry instantly replied. Professor Panthera gave each of the boys a slow, penetrating look. To deflect attention, Harry quickly scrambled for something to say. "Er, professor, I thought I saw Peter Pevensie wandering in the direction of the Forbidden Forest about an hour ago."

"Ah, young Peter! Yes, the lad will be all right out there!" exclaimed Panthera languidly. He turned a gaze past the castle walls in the direction of the forest, a warm smile extending from his mouth to his bright eyes. "Perhaps I should check on the boy nonetheless. If you'll excuse me..."

The professor limped out the front door, and Harry led Neville to the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He tried the latest password that he had used before his last trip back to the Manor - ice mice - but it didn't work; he uttered all the other magical sweets he could think of, Neville coming up with a few of his own, but none would open the door.

As they were calling out possible passwords, Ron jogged up, out of breath. "I couldn't find Ginny, she must be in class. That ferret won't be able to scoop her up from under a teacher's nose!"

The door to Dumbledore's office abruptly opened and Professor McGonagall stepped out. She looked at the boys in surprise, and asked, "May I help you with anything?"

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore," said Harry quickly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Evangy. I'm afraid the Headmaster has taken ill, and is in Madame Pomfrey's care at the moment. Can I be of assistance to you?"

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Harry shut him up with a sharp look. He thanked the Transfiguration teacher politely, and they parted company with her at the end of the corridor. When they had mounted a stairway and put some distance between her and them, Ron rounded on Harry and said, "Why didn't you tell her? About Ginny at least?"

"She mustn't know about me!" Harry replied frantically. "At least, not yet; I need to speak with Dumbledore first. Let's go to the hospital wing and see if he's there."

When they reached Madame Pomfrey's domain, they found the hospital wing door locked. Harry rapped a couple of times on the door. It was opened by a tall, distinguished man with brown hair shot with streaks of grey. When Harry recognised Amos Diggory, he felt a plummeting sensation in his stomach, and wondered what else had happened that he didn't know about, that was serious enough to draw the Minister of Magic to Hogwarts at that moment. As he addressed the handsome man, Harry couldn't help but think that this is what Cedric might have looked like in a couple of decades if he hadn't been killed.

"We wanted to see Professor Dumbledore, we heard he was here..." Harry explained quickly, a slight quaver of concern in his voice.

Amos Diggory surveyed them sympathetically, and said, "That's very kind of you lads, but I'm afraid your Headmaster is in no shape to see students today. He needs his rest, he's gravely ill as a matter of fact."

"But... but..." Harry wore a startled look. Dumbledore was the only one at the school he could talk to. He knew he couldn't confide in the Minister of Magic: from what Tonks and Remus had said, though Diggory's intentions were quite all right, his methods were far too aggressive for some of the delicate situations Voldemort had set up. Too many lives were potentially compromised by some of the vigorous responses the Ministry had unleashed following Death Eater attacks.

"Once he awakes, I'll let Albus know his students were asking about him. I'm sure he'll be pleased," Diggory said firmly, and closed the door in their faces. Harry stared at the closed door with mounting dread. He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't go off alone, but at the moment he needed the older man - at the instant when innocent lives were at stake, and he had the knowledge to help them - the Headmaster was unavailable to help.

"I'm stuck alone again. This isn't their battle anymore," Harry murmured softly to himself. Neville touched his arm, and Harry looked up at him. "They all think I'm dead! If something happens to Dumbledore tonight... if he... Those muggles won't be the only deaths. Voldemort won't have anybody left to fear, and all hell will break loose. We have act now! Only you or I can really finish this off, Neville."

Harry dashed up to Gryffindor tower, Ron and Neville sprinting behind him. Concern for the Headmaster twisted Harry's insides into knots of anxiety. When they reached the dorm room, Harry threw himself at his bedside table and pulled out the leather diary he used to correspond with Remus. For a moment, Harry hesitated to contact Remus, envisioning Remus lying injured after the assault on Azkaban returned to Harry. His guardian still wasn't strong enough to enter a fight with Death Eaters. Harry couldn't risk losing the one remaining parent he had; three others had already fallen victim to Voldemort and his supporters. But Remus could alert the Order, and they could come with him...

Remus, are you there? I need to talk! Harry scrawled on the first blank page. He waited for the diary to vibrate in Remus' robe pocket and alert his friend that he was writing. When a minute passed without an answer, Harry wrote again: Remus - this is urgent! Please reply.

"Whom are you writing to?" Neville asked.

"I'm trying to get a hold of Remus Lupin. He's my guardian, and also part of the Order," Harry replied, forgetting that Neville didn't know about the Order of the Phoenix.

"Oh, he won't be there, will he?" said Neville, startled. "It's a full moon: the Herbology club is going to be pollinating the Lunar Star-Jasmine tonight."

"Damn!" Harry exclaimed, pacing back and forth, wondering whom else he could talk to: he didn't know how to reach Tonks during the day, and was sure McGonagall would stall their efforts. She doesn't know about the prophecy, and by the time she contacts people it could be too late for those muggles...

Harry stopped pacing suddenly and asked himself: how many more people would die in this war? If he contacted the Order, they would bail him out this time, but the fact remained that Voldemort's defeat was on his plate. Remus and Tonks might say he was in training, but he would never really be ready, not any more so than he was now.

If Dumbledore dies... the thought instilled panic in Harry. Such a catastrophic event would cause wizards to lose hope, and Voldemort's numbers could swell. Now, at least, Harry had an advantage. He also couldn't see himself living concealed, in secrecy, for much longer. And neither shall live while the other survives... it was no life he was leading now!

"We'll have to go alone, Neville!" Making up his mind, Harry went to his bedside drawer and retrieved a carefully concealed wand, as well as a small potion phial. He thrust the phial into his pocket. "Hermione made this for me. The potion will reverse my cosmetic transformation; it'll take fifteen minutes to work though. We'll have to find a safe room to do it in - I can't risk Seamus or Dean walking in on us. The Room of Requirement is bound to be empty at this hour."

"Do we have the time to wait?" Neville asked.

Harry drew himself up to look at his friend. "If I'm going to face him, it won't be cowering in disguise! My only advantage in a fight would be appearing as Harry; Voldemort and his Death Eaters all think I'm dead."

Neville nodded and asked meekly, "Will you be able to see clearly once you've transformed again?"

"Oh! My glasses!" Harry cried, diving half into his trunk. He found his glasses in a case at the bottom of the trunk; from his bedside table, Harry also grabbed the two-way mirror. His heart wrenched as his head whispered two words of motivation: Sirius! Vengeance! He thrust it quickly into his pocket.

"Is there something you need me to bring?" Harry heard Ron ask.

He turned to the red-head with a pitying sort of look and said, "You're not coming, Ron! I need you to keep looking for Ginny, just in case, and to make sure nobody knows we're gone for a while. If we don't return by dinner - or if you can't find Ginny - you'll have to tell McGonagall."

Ron was dumbstruck, and stared at Harry incomprehensibly. Before Harry and Neville could leave the dorm room, though, Ron found his voice and shouted, "No, Harry! You can't leave me behind! Why on earth are you taking Neville and telling me to stay?"

Harry lowered his voice, hoping to calm Ron down. "The prophecy Hermione told you about! It states that the one with powers to vanquish the Dark Lord was born at the end of July in out year, and had parents who defied him three times in battle. That's me, but it might also be Neville. Look!"

Without warning, Harry whipped around and hexed Neville. Quick as lightening, Neville pulled up his wand and cast a strong shield, deftly deflecting Harry's hex. Harry turned back to Ron and said, "We've been training together for months. It could be Neville, Ron, and he's willing to take this chance and come with me to fight Voldemort. I don't want you getting hurt - or killed. I have enough on my plate without that!"

Harry's voice had dropped and he stifled the emotion. Turning abruptly, he swept out of the room with Neville. Ron stood stunned, stinging from the abandonment but also blaming himself for being left behind.

A minute later, Dean walked into the dorm room, looking grumpy, and slammed a few textbooks on the bed. Ron looked at him and asked, "What's eating you?"

Dean threw a resentful look at Ron. "Your sister stood me up; I was going to walk her to class. I'm going back again to see if she shows up - it's not like her, she didn't even leave a message! I sure hope she's not back on this on-again off-again relationship thing!"

"Maybe she's in class?" Ron asked, a note of panic in his voice.

Dean shook his head. "I saw her bag in the corridor. Maybe I'm overreacting, and she just went to the bathroom." He stumped back out of the dorm room moodily.

Frightened that Malfoy may have gotten her first, Ron contemplated joining Dean in searching for Ginny. Then his head snapped up and he spoke aloud to the empty doorway, "You won't go without me, Harry! I made that mistake last term! If Malfoy's got Ginny, I won't be of much help scouring the library stacks for her!"

Ron bent over to rummage through his friend's trunk and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak. Throwing it over himself, Ron ran out of the dorm room to pursue his friends.

*

The whole moon rose in the afternoon of that day. In the topmost room at number twelve Grimmauld Place, bones still littered the floor as a reminder of the Hippogrif that had been housed there.

The room's present occupant had just finished a goblet of a foul-smelling potion, and magically sealed the door to contain himself within. As the full moon rose, his body twitched and contorted; the pain of unseen bruises from his recent injuries flared with the changes. Even so, the discomfort of his transformation was comparatively mild next to the wrenching pains of his childhood and young adulthood, before the Wolfsbane potion had tempered it.

The thought barely flitted across Remus' mind before the wolf intruded. Dragging himself to the bedroom door, he pawed helplessly at the thick wood and whimpered. His whining increased in pitch, but the wolf - weakened by the potion - could not utter its natural howl. Crawling to a dark corner where a plain wooden chair and several empty boxes stood, the wolf crept halfway into a cavernous box. It curled up, helplessly trying to bay at the unseen moon, with only a few whimpers and yelps for its efforts.

At Hogwarts, Harry felt the moon too. The few drops of blood, the essence Re'em that had been added to his blood protection to strengthen him, surged under the influence of the waxing moon. Harry couldn't have explained it, but his mounting determination, the rising anger, was exacerbated by the Re'em blood and the moon. It propelled him down the corridor, up another flight of stairs, Neville jogging behind him to keep up with his urgent pace.

*

Neville and Harry watched the door materialise on the wall, and entered what appeared to be an unused classroom.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Neville hesitantly.

"I have a fairly good idea where they could be," said Harry. "I'm going to check first, though. If I can use Legilimency to get into Voldemort's head, I'll know for sure where he is. I don't know if I can remain undetected though. Whatever happens, stay out of my line of vision, just in case he turns it on me. You remember those nightmares I used to have last year..."

Neville shuddered and nodded mutely, his face white with apprehension. Harry settled himself on the floor in the lotus position and closed his eyes. He concentrated and channelled his energy into tracing the connection between himself and Voldemort. He had only successfully performed Legilimency on willing subjects with whom he could make eye contact, or who were at close proximity. Relaxing his mind, Harry probed the unconscious, unknown spaces through which his visions and dreams had arrived during the previous year.

All of a sudden, he found Voldemort; he was inside the Dark Lord's thoughts. Unlike last year, Harry now had sufficient control to retreat somewhat. As though spanning an enormous distance, Voldemort's tones seemed muted, his words stretched. The evil man sat in a comfortable chair, his back to a warm fire, as he casually addressed a small crowd of Death Eaters.

"Have they arrived yet?" his high voice retained the sounds of a hiss.

"No, my Lord," answered a witch whom Harry recognised as Narcissa Malfoy. "Bella should be bringing them soon; she is helping them select a few choice victims for their initiation."

An unintended feeling of disgust arose in Harry. Sensing it, Voldemort tensed and Harry immediately withdrew himself. Steeling himself for an assault, Harry tried to relax his mind again and focussed on the vision of Luna's smoky runes from last autumn. That had been sufficiently baffling for Bill over New Year's, and he was hoping it would work again.

With supreme concentration, Harry tried to picture himself floating with those runes under a partially cloudy sky. He simultaneously tried to define the vision as though enclosing it in a box, the walls of which were his Occlumency.

The assault came: Harry felt the push into his mind, and presented Voldemort with a closed, blank wall. The pressure mounted, and his scar began to burn with Voldemort's hatred but also with his fear. Taking deep breaths, Harry willed himself onto the breeze, the smoky runes surrounding him, dissipating into soft mists, randomly reforming again. When Voldemort finally broke through, Harry was able to contain him within this enigmatic vision; no amount of forceful probing by Voldemort yielded any information - either pain or pleasure - to link the rune vision to the person that was Harry.

Neville watched nervously from when Harry first sank into a half-trance, his breathing deep and even. The boy's hands had fallen limply at his sides; after a long while, he tensed and jerked backwards. Some of the tension appeared to trickle out of his body again as Harry's breath returned to an even keel. Suddenly, a helpless Neville saw Harry jerk convulsively, hands flying to his forehead as he fell over onto the floor. Neville stared, paralysed with panic, as Harry let out a shout.

Remembering Harry's warning to keep out of his sight, Neville sank to his knees behind Harry's head. Placing his hands on Harry's forehead, he pried off Harry's hands and felt the invisible scar burning beneath his fingers, beneath the perfect black curls that obscured it.

"Come back!" Neville called softly, purposefully not including a name in the appeal. Come back, wake up now!"

Harry's eyes flew open and he stared wildly, unfocussed. Neville remained beyond his sight, as another convulsion consumed Harry like a seizure. The twitching stopped abruptly, and Harry rolled over, retching. He did not get sick, though, and laboured to control his breathing.

Harry lay panting as Neville gripped his shoulder. Neither boy noticed the door behind them open, then close softly. Ron continued to hold the doorknob through the invisibility cloak, throwing a startled look at Harry lying prone on the classroom floor.

Harry finally got his breath back. Resorting to Remus' best remedy, Neville reached into his robes and pulled out a chocolate frog, holding it out to his friend. Harry shook his head, and whispered loudly to Neville, "I saw it, the room they were in! It's the same room I dreamed of, almost three years ago, and twice last year. They're at the Riddle House, and it's hidden by the Fidelius Charm."

"Does... does that mean we can't find it?" stuttered Neville.

"I can! I've just seen it in Voldemort's mind, that's even better than an invitation." Harry looked suddenly excited, and exclaimed, "I did it, Neville: I got into his mind, and I kept him out of mine!"

"What now?" Neville asked.

Harry reached into his robe pocket and pulled out the vial, removing its stopper. With a decisive swallow, Harry downed the Revellius potion, grimacing at its taste. "We're going to crash Malfoy's party. We haven't got much time, they'll be there soon with the muggles. As soon as I'm myself again, we'll go to the Riddle house."

"But how do we get there?"

"Only I know how to apparate, but not from the school grounds," said Harry, getting to his feet. "I'll just have to make a portkey to get us there."

"You know how to make portkeys...?!" asked an awed Neville.

"I made one during New Year's, when the Death Eaters attacked all those wizarding homes. They managed to get the guy I sent to the Ministry; he was one of a handful they captured that night."

"How did you make the portkey?" the amazed boy asked.

"I don't remember, I was drunk at the time," mumbled Harry, embarrassed by the admission. Neville's mouth had fallen open, and he stared flabbergasted at Harry.

Harry's dark chocolaty skin was rapidly fading. His fingernails narrowed and elongated, while his nostrils felt like they were being pinched. His hair felt like it was being blown by the wind, though there was no breeze in the room. Gradually, the boy who was Leo morphed into Harry.

Vision once more blurred, Harry pulled his glasses out of his pocket and pushed them up his nose. To his surprise, the prescription was no longer correct. Though the glasses were a significant help, he no longer saw objects perfectly clearly across the room. Sighing, he noted that there was nothing he could do about it now.

"How do I look?" he asked Neville.

Neville cracked a wide grin and replied, "Welcome back, Harry! It's nice to finally see you again!"

He shuffled closer to Harry, clapping him on the shoulder in a warm greeting. Ron, too, the unseen observer beneath the invisibility cloak, moved a couple steps closer to his friend. Seeing Harry in his own skin, dark hair sticking out wildly, increased Ron's regret at the rift that he had caused between them by his denial throughout the first term of school. Beneath the cloak, Ron's hand stretched forward towards his best friend; he wished he could turn back time, erase all his unnecessarily rude behaviour over the autumn months, when he had so missed his friend, he hadn't even seen him there.

"Well, it's time," Harry sighed, and pointed at the blackboard. "Accio eraser!"

Harry caught the magical board-wiper in his hand and set it on a desk. He pointed his wand and moved his lips, memories of the graveyard and the night Cedric was killed flooding his mind. The eraser glowed, vibrated, and lay still on the table. Harry unconsciously fingered the mirror in his pocket, vowing silently to Sirius that he would end it all today. And, if not, then perhaps we will meet again, soon... he thought.

"All ready?" he asked. A pale Neville swallowed nervously and nodded. Harry counted down, "Three, two..."

"Wait for me!" shouted Ron, lunging at the other two boys as they reached out for the portkey. He caught Harry around the middle just as Harry and Neville touched the eraser. With an uncomfortable yank, all three boys were whisked madly away, leaving the Room of Requirement still and empty behind them.