THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed for me or reviewed someone else at my behest! I am still working on fixing my yahoo group so that it will accept minors, and hopefully that will be done soon.
Thank you JPx and Wolf’s Scream for beta’ing for me!
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Harry Potter and the Final Flame | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, General Warnings: Death Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 235 Summary: COMPLETED!!! Following the events Harry Potter is focused and determined to fulfill a destiny that only he can fulfill. Simple isn't it? Track down and destroy piece by piece the Darkest Wizard to ever live. If only things were that simple for Harry. Watch as the his best friends come closer together, the Order crumbles with a traitor in their midst, and the people he cares about the most suffer through heartache and trial. Can Harry succeed and if he does will there be anything for him to come home to? Hitcount: Story Total: 175426; Chapter Total: 5537 Author's Notes: |
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Tension was running high among the three friends as September turned lazily into October. They waited nearly a week before they all felt fit enough to travel and Mrs. Weasley had stopped hovering incessantly. More importantly, however, they waited until they were sure that Bill would be all right. Both Mrs. Weasleys pitched an almighty fit that had The Burrow shaking to its foundation. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been summoned later on the day of destroying the locket to hear one furious mother and an equally pissed off part-Veela yell at them and demand an explanation for Bill’s overnight stay at St. Mungo’s. The problem was that the three could not truthfully answer them. Molly Weasley fell into tears that her entire family was falling apart and that Bill had just gotten better. Harry had squirmed guiltily under the deluge of tears but he knew, in his gut, that if anyone but Bill had put on that locket that they wouldn’t have survived. Bill was tough and had been through a lot in his life. Not only that but he had lingering effects still from being attacked by Greyback. He seemed to be stronger now that he was fully recovered than he ever had been. The injuries should have killed him and they hadn’t. He only needed one night of observation before he was back on his feet. In fact, Bill had come to them later and talked to them about what they were doing. While they didn’t offer any further information, he had given them some general guidelines. “Destroy, to the very foundation, whatever it is that is holding the curse.” The way he said ‘curse’ gave Harry the feeling that Bill understood more fully than he was letting on. “Separate it from the object and then destroy the thing that was holding it. You three aren’t Dumbledore, so don’t try to save whatever it is that needs destroying. It would be more dangerous for you to do.” They had thanked him politely as he left with a shrewd, knowing look on his face. After that they had spent as much time as they could in Grimmauld Place, hiding from Molly Weasley. Bill’s near death experience seemed to have reawakened her paranoid obsession with keeping all of her children safe and since Ginny was living with a suspected Death Eater, and therefore out of reach, she had to focus on someone. That someone ended up being Ron, Harry and Hermione, all rolled up in one. “She hasn’t let up!” Ron complained the day before they were planning to leave London. “I am glad we’re getting out of here and maybe now she’ll attach herself to the twins.” Harry shrugged helplessly, “I dunno mate. I mean would you willingly molly-coddle the twins?” Ron snorted, “All right, so maybe she won’t. I do feel bad for her… what with the Ministry and all. I can’t believe they’ve filed a neglect case against Mum and Dad. What if Dad gets fired?” Harry had been more than a little appalled when he had heard that bit of news. The Notts had been given temporary custody of Ginny and pictures had surfaced in the papers about how thin she had been when she showed up at their home. “She is doing great now,” Mr. Nott had told a reporter at The Daily Prophet. “We just want what is best for her. She’s such a sweet girl and I am happy that my son became friends with her this past year at school. We are grateful that we have the chance to give her a proper home.” “This can’t be right, though,” Harry reminded them. “Ginny wouldn’t do this and she hates the Slytherins just has much as we do.” Hermione let out a very Hermione-ish snort and continued to pour through her books. She still wouldn’t clue them in on what Ginny might be up to. “Fine! If you’re so smart then, Hermione, why don’t you lay off us poor sods that weren’t blessed with your brain and fill us in, huh?” Ron got up and threw the paper across the room where it scattered. “No I won’t! It makes perfect sense to me and if you weren’t so blind, Ron, you would see it too! You’re great at picking up on strategies and your prejudice against your sister has kept you from seeing it.” With that Hermione snatched up her book and headed out of the drawing room, slamming the door behind her. Ron rolled his eyes, “I think she enjoys making us feel stupid.” Harry couldn’t really disagree. They left early the next morning for their next destination, Little Hangleton, although they didn’t really expect to find anything there. Hermione wanted to look over Voldemort’s father’s home and to see if they couldn’t get a clue as to where the next artifact would be hidden. “So far,” Hermione told them, “he has only hidden them in magically significant places, so I only want to spend one night here, poking about, but I think it will help us if we can see the lay out. Voldemort spent nearly a year here, after all.” “But what if someone from the Ministry is watching?” Ron asked her sourly. He was still sore over the fight they had had the day before. She frowned and shook her head. “I spoke to Mr. Weasley about it yesterday. He says that the Ministry is too busy to keep watch on it although they are sure that he isn’t there because it is searched periodically.” “Hold on,” Harry interrupted her. “How was the cave magical?” He hitched his backpack higher on his back and continued to walk up the road, past where he knew the Gaunts had once lived. At this point Hermione was nearly out of breath from hauling all of her books up the hill, cursing the fact that she couldn’t use magic in a Muggle location, to the big house. Ron took her bag from her without a word, or acknowledgment of her thanks. He didn’t seem to strain under the weight at all. “I think that the cave is where he performed his first really great feat of magic, even if accidental. I am of the opinion that it would have a lot of emotional significance for him.” “If you say so,” Harry muttered as they rounded the bend and the derelict old house came into view. Harry felt a shudder run through his bones. The last time he had been here, Cedric Diggory had died. This wasn’t a place he had ever wanted to visit again. They set up camp in the woods outside of the house, and Hermione placed the usual concealment charms on their tent. Next they walked up to the big house. Using a pick that he had gotten from Fred the previous day, Harry unlocked the door that was barely visible behind the ivy. That ended up being only half the battle. The door was so swollen from years of rain that it barely budged when they pushed on it. In the end Harry and Ron had to muscle their way into the house with Hermione on their heels. “It’s a good thing Mr. Weasley warned us not to use magic,” Hermione reminded them. “We don’t want the Ministry showing up here.” Harry and Ron simply rolled their eyes and winced at their sore muscles. Dirt covered the floor as they walked inside, and Hermione began her inspection of the old house. Every so often, as they trailed behind her, she would stop and make notes in her book about something. She didn’t speak; they didn’t comment. When she had moved through the entire house, and was satisfied with her examination, they left and went back down to the tent. It was nearly suppertime by the time they arrived back, and they were all covered in the filth that littered that mausoleum of a house. “I need a shower,” Ron muttered as he walked off to take one. “I’ll start dinner then,” Harry told Hermione, “then get a shower as well.” She nodded, not really paying attention, as she sat down to puzzle through all of the things she had learned today. Harry let her do it; it was easier to cook than to try to understand what was going on in her mind. By the time dinner was on the table, Ron was out. Harry gulped down the last bite from his plate and went to take his own shower. By the time he had reemerged, Hermione was waiting, towel in hand. He sat down with Ron at the kitchen table and looked at the storm cloud that was his best mate’s face. “Ginny can’t really want to live with him,” Harry assured him hesitantly. It was the mantra that Harry, himself, had been saying for over a week now. Ron shrugged but didn’t answer. He used his fork to move the last bit of food on his plate around and let out the occasional snort. Harry knew that he was in for a fight, what with Ron being in this bad a temper. Deciding to put it off, Harry stood and said, “I’m going to bed then. Night.” “Night,” Ron muttered without looking up. Harry got ready for bed and lay down just as he heard the sound of Hermione coming into the kitchen. “Harry in bed already?” She asked Ron cautiously. Ron ignored her. Harry heard several things thumps and then Hermione speaking again. “You know, it really isn’t so difficult to figure out what Ginny is up to!” “Oh so it takes a genius to realize she’s shacking up with that pillock!?” Ron shouted, obviously at his breaking point. SMACK! Harry winced, even from across the tent. He wanted to hit Ron too for assuming the worst, but he knew that Hermione had a good arm. “HOW DARE YOU!” Hermione’s voice was taking on octaves that Harry had never heard her use before, but he often equated with Mrs. Weasley. “If you found out that your best friends were leaving you to go off and hunt down Voldemort, how would you feel Ron?!” The question seemed to throw Ron for a moment before finally answering, “I’d feel hurt and left out.” The sarcasm was practically dripping from her words and Harry didn’t have to see her to know that Hermione was beyond furious. “Really? And do you think, for one minute, that your sister would actually sit idly by while we did this?” It was barely audible to Harry but finally Ron answered, “No.” “And if, Ron, you were a girl with little means of helping, and an extremely overprotective mother, not to mention 6 older brothers, what would be the only way you might be able to help?” Finally it all became crystal clear to Harry and he felt like he could just kick himself. Ron seemed to have come to the same conclusion. “I’d… have to leave and try something really sneaky… like moving in with a Death Eater. But Hermione! She could get killed!” “So can we, Ron and don’t be so shallow as to think that Ginny can’t handle herself because she can!” Hermione was still very aggravated as she spoke. “She is an amazing actress with unbreakable Occlumency skills and-” “What?!” Ron yelled and Harry was sitting up in his bed now. “She’s got what?” “Yes, she has them. The thing that we have to practice for daily… Ginny’s already got it.” She gentled her voice again. “Just know that while we don’t know exactly what Ginny is up to, we do know her and we know that she’s loyal to us. She’s helping us.” Ron was quiet for a while and Harry actually laid down again, his brain hurting with the new information it had just gleaned. “So she’s not with Nott, then? I mean… I know she’s really pretty and I’m just-” “I don’t know, Ron, but it isn’t all about looks. If they suspected that she was a traitor, then she wouldn’t have been let into their house, no matter how pretty she is.” Apparently Hermione couldn’t let it go at that. “Not that you wouldn’t fall into that trap.” The bitterness in her voice was so thick that Harry cringed. Oh Ron… he thought desperately. Please don’t mess this up! Ron, however, could not hear Harry’s silent plea. “What? Just what do you mean by that?” “Nothing!” Hermione exclaimed as her words slowly lost their anger. “Forget I said anything.” “No, you brought it up! What are you talking about?” Ron’s voice had risen steadily with each word. Hermione let out an appalled sound and replied. “I just mean that you’re hung up on looks, that’s all.” Ron laughed. “I’m hung up on looks Miss Lockhart’s Fan Club President, am I?” “Well… when I realized he was an idiot, I changed my mind! How long did it take you to break up with Lavender after you finally figured out that there’s nothing but goose feathers between her ears?” Harry wanted to shout at them to stop the argument. He knew it wasn’t going to lead anywhere good, but that would admit eavesdropping and he’d rather not fess up to that. “I dunno… but what does this have to do with anything? I’m not the one that dated a Quidditch star!” Ron’s contempt for Viktor Krum was still evident in his tenor. Hermione finally seemed to lose it. “Well I wouldn’t have gone with him if you’d have asked me!” Silence… And then, “Hermione, I-” “No! Just forget it!” Harry heard Hermione push the chair back and get to her feet. “All you were looking for then was a great looking girl and you haven’t changed any! I’m always waiting on you, Ron, and I should have just given up a long time ago!” “But I-” Ron began but was cut off once more. “JUST SHUT UP! I don’t want to hear the excuses any longer! Fine, if you want it all, I totally understand, but you have got to stop playing with my emotions!” Emotions were now clogging Hermione’s throat. “I am never going to be beautiful like Lavender or Ginny or even Padma Patil! If you are so keen on being with someone who’s got everything then you should have been a bit nicer to Padma! She’s got brains and looks. No! Stop touching me! I can’t take it anymore!” Harry heard Hermione stomp off to her room in their tent and not more than a second later, Ron was on her heels. Unfortunately, that meant that Harry could hear them even more clearly than before. He squirmed in his bed, wishing he could melt into the floor, and thought seriously about pulling his pillow over his head. Harry had always been afraid that their feelings for each other were going to cause problems with their friendship, but he hadn’t even considered this part. “Hermione, wait!” Harry heard Ron rush past and he must have grabbed her arm because she hauled off and hit him again. “Ouch! Damn-it just stop! I- oh hell!” Then there was a sound that Harry knew, and wished, with all his soul, that he didn’t have to hear it right now. Kissing It seemed to go on and on until Harry considered bludgeoning himself just to escape it. When they finally broke apart, Ron said softly, “I’m sorry… I really am a git, you know.” A long pause before, “Yes, I know.” “I just didn’t know how to say it and… I’ve wanted to say it for so long that I was afraid I would just mess it up. Instead I messed up by not saying anything.” His voice was contrite and Harry brought his fingers up to his ears. It didn’t help though. Hermione’s tone came ringing through. “I’m… I’m sorry about the shallow jab. I was just so jealous of Lavender that I-” “You never had a reason to be jealous, though! I only went out with her because… well because Ginny said you had been kissing that git Krum and… I sorta lost it after that.” “And I thought that there was no way I was going to compete against Lavender if you didn’t realize how silly she actually can be even though she’s so pretty and…” More kissing… Harry was now praying for death, even if it was painful. It had to be better than this. Ron finally broke it apart. “I… well… I’m not so good at this but…” “What?” Hermione asked hesitantly. “You are so beautiful… Lavender doesn’t even compare.” There was a long pause and if Harry knew Hermione at all, he was sure she was crying. Then Ron added, “and it doesn’t hurt that you have more than fluff between your ears.” Hermione gave a soggy laugh and this time Harry made no pretenses of being asleep or staying quiet. He pulled the pillow over his head and began to hum… loudly. Less than three minutes later Ron was pulling the pillow off of Harry’s face and crawling into bed. Even in the dark Harry supposed that if he looked up to the top bunk that he would see a goofy grin on Ron face. His two best friends were happy, laughing and on cloud nine the next morning, although they did try to hide it a bit from Harry. He shrugged it off, not really caring as long as he didn’t have to witness too much kissing. He’d always hated that about Lavender anyway, but he was fairly confident that Hermione would be more circumspect. They were eating breakfast when Hedwig came flying through the tent flaps. She landed on the table and stuck out her leg for Harry, who took the parchment with shaking fingers. He had left his owl with Mrs. Weasley and told her to use him if something important came up. “Oh no…” Ron groaned. “Please don’t tell me anyone is dead.” Someone was… “Draco Malfoy was found dead last night by the Ministry outside of St. Mungo’s. His body was completely mutilated.” They were each silent as they looked around at each other. Harry hadn’t liked him, but he had felt a bit of pity for his former classmate. He knew that Voldemort held the lives of his family as collateral. Apparently Draco’s failure to kill Dumbledore had finally cost him everything. “Your Mum says that we’re to be careful, and the next time we are in town to please check in,” Harry read the rest of the note mechanically and out loud. His mind stuck on one fact, though. “We have to get Ginny out of Nott’s house.” Hermione looked on the verge of tears as she shook her head. “If we try, we’ll get her killed for sure. We have to trust her and Tonks knows something too. We have to let her do whatever it is she’s set out to do.” “I don’t want my sister’s life on my hands,” Ron murmured darkly. “She asked you to trust her, Harry. You have to honor that.” Hermione reminded him as she reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “Ginny deserves that much and she cares about you, Harry. She wouldn’t ever do anything to harm you.” Ginny cared about him… yeah, he knew that much. It was the reason that they had split up, so Voldemort wouldn’t know about it too. “What’s the point, then?!” He asked, angrily. “Why did she do this when all I wanted was for her to stay safe!?” “Ah well, there’s the crux of it,” Hermione reminded him gently. “Ginny may have gone along with what you wanted, but she’s not going to sit back and let you do all of the work. I think you know that, too.” Harry did know it… but he didn’t have to like it. Moreover he could completely resent the fact that she wasn’t doing what he had wanted her to but, in the end, she wouldn’t be the girl that made him so happy if she did. |
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