Search:

SIYE Time:23:45 on 28th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


Loss
By EROD37

- Text Size +

Category: Post-HBP
Characters:All
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Romance, Tragedy
Warnings: Death, Violence
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 19
Summary: This story takes place after the events in "Rescue for a Friend". Read what happens when the G.S.F. goes after the hufflepuff Cup.
Hitcount: Story Total: 4475



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
J.K. Rowling owns these characters. As I always strive to make each of my stories stand-alone, I urge you to read my other stories first as they lead up to the events in this story. The order of these stories is as follows: -Intervention -Misunderstandings -Vows and Promises -Incompleteness -Escape and Evasion -Dawn of the G.S.F. -Old Wounds -Rescue for a Friend But if you do read any of my stories, or any stories by any author for that matter, please take the time to leave a review. It means the world to authors when you do this and I’m sure I speak for all authors when I say that we always find it ironic when we get over a thousand hits on our stories but only get a fraction of the reviews. Your feedback, good or bad, is always appreciated.




ChapterPrinter


Loss

Loss

By EROD37

 

WIZARDING ACADEMY FORCED TO CLOSE!

 

The Durmstrang Institute of Northern Europe was ordered to shut down until further notice following allegations that the school has become a hub for Death Eater activity. The Ministry of Magic, acting on eyewitness accounts, raided the school today and arrested several faculty members including the headmaster for questioning.

 

Durmstrang is the second school to be closed due to circumstances involving the war against “He-who-must-not-be-named”. A spokesman for the Ministry issued a statement reporting that all students deemed to be uninvolved in the illegal activity will be released to their prospective parents or guardians.

 

There have been rumors that the G.S.F. had been the individuals who brought the Durmstrang problem to light, but as of the printing of this article, these rumors go unsubstantiated.

 

Nymphadora Tonks stood at the foot of her locked door reading the day’s Daily Prophet which an owl had delivered to her home and left at the foot of her door. She was physically tired having just finished an extra long shift at the Ministry. She was just about to enter her flat for a well deserved rest when the front page article caught her eye.

 

Mentally she could not have been more energetic as the Durmstrang raid was a huge blow against Voldemort’s forces. Even though Padma Patil and the Weasley twins were “officially” listed as the principal witnesses in the Durmstrang case, she knew it was the G.S.F.who were the “unofficial” heroes. Neither the headmaster nor any of the Death Eaters could remember anyone outside of the twins or Padma. But Tonks knew the G.S.F.’s handiwork.

 

She smiled to herself as a whispering voice snapped her from her thoughts, “Maybe you should read that newspaper from the safety of your flat rather than just outside your door.”

 

Being physically tired did not slow Tonks’ reflexes one iota as her wand was drawn a split second later. She pointed it in the direction of the whisper as she ordered, “Come out whereI can see you!”

 

Out of the thin air appeared a pair of disconnected hands, which were up to show they were unarmed, “Now really Tonks, how do you expect to stun me with your wand when you’re holding it on the wrong end?”

 

Tonks grinned as she took a quick look at wand, “I’m holding my wand correctly.”

 

She grabbed the cloaked person by one of the disjointed hands and began pulling him into her flat, her eyes darting up and down the hallway the entire time.

 

“Really, then why did you look?”

 

Tonks locked the door behind her as soon as they were inside, “Wotcher Harry, what in Gandalf’s name are you doing here? Don’t you realize the entire Auror squad has orders to bring you in on sight?”

 

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from his body, “I figured that might be the case. That’s why I wore this.”

 

“Nice work at Durmstrang by the way. We’ll be processing people for a week before all the smoke clears,” said Tonks as she and Harry took a seat in her living room.

 

“What makes you think it was us? The Prophet said there’s no proof the G.S.F. was involved,” replied Harry.

 

“No proof that the Prophet has heard of. But a few of the students we’ve interviewed, who weren’t involved in the illegal activities, said they saw someone on the school grounds that fit your description. I managed to convince them that who they saw wasn’t you,” said Tonks as she waved her wand and called some mugs of tea from the kitchen.

 

Harry’s features went a bit dark as he leaned back in his chair. Tonks noticed the change as she leaned forward, “What’s the matter?”

 

He took a deep breath before speaking, “Tonks, is there a chance that Remus might be working with Voldemort?”

 

Tonks looked shocked, “Is that why you risked coming to see me, to ask me that ridiculous question? Of course not, the only thing he’s been involved with is working to keep the werewolves out of the war.”

 

Harry knew the question hurther. He could see it in her eyes. But he had to be sure because Remus was the last connection he had to his parents and just the thought that he would betray their memories made Harry sick to his stomach.

 

He reached over and touched Tonks’ hand, “I’m sorry if I hurt you by asking that. I didn’t mean to make it sound as if I didn’t trust him. But he may have information that’s vital to the G.S.F.’s mission.”

 

“So basically, you need to question him. Why didn’t you just say so? I can easily arrange a meeting.”

 

Harry sat straight up, “No you can’t. If there’s any chance someone on the wrong side of this war found out he spoke to us, he’s as good as dead.”

 

Tonks seemed confused for a few moments when her face lit up as she realized what Harry was planning, “You mean to grab him up, don’t you!?!”

 

Harry nodded, “I don’t like it anymore than you do, but it’s the only way I can think of to keep him safe. But for it to work no one outside of you can know. My biggest fear is that the G.S.F.’s reputation may suffer because of this.”

 

Tonks touched Harry’s cheek,“That’s the trouble with resistance groups, they always suffer through interpretation. Just promise me you won’t hurt him and I’ll give you the time and location of the next Order meeting.”

 

A smirk came to Harry’s face,“That’s an unnecessary request. I would never hurt Remus…at least not while he’s not in werewolf form.”

 

Tonks smiled, “One day, when this is all over, you’re going to have to sit down and tell me all about the path that Albus Dumbledore set you four on.”

 

Harry returned her smile, “Oh don’t worry, when this is all over, I’m sure someone will write a book about all this and then everyone will know.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Hermione was lost in thought as she stared at a row of two story buildings in a suburb of London. She and Harry were in an alleyway just across the street. She glanced at the small piece of parchment in her hand as she spoke.

 

“H.J., was she sure about this address? It doesn’t seem to be here.”

 

Harry grinned as he continued to scan the building in front of him, “Come now I.Q., you can’t honestly believe that Number 12 Grimmauld Place would be the only place that has a Fidelius charm upon it, do you?”

 

She inwardly scolded herself,“I know, I know. It’s just that there are so many unknowns about what we’re going to do that I’m finding it hard to think clearly.”

 

“I have my misgivings as well. But I need your mind here, right now. This is going to be hard enough to do as it is.”

 

“If that’s the case, why don’t we just grab him up before he appears here?” asked Hermione.

 

“Because you now as well as I do that if we snatched him up without witnesses and the Death Eaters got word of it, the werewolves are liable to tear him apart.”

 

Harry continued, “So it’s best if we grab him up here, in full view of the Order.”

 

“Our reputation is going to suffer because of this. You do realize that, H.J.?” replied Hermione.

 

“I originally had the same thought. But then I thought, better a bad reputation than a dead friend. Besides, since his other half knows what we have planned, it should be safe to say that at least the inner circle of the Order will know we mean our target no harm,” answered Harry.

 

“I just hope we don’t end up having to hurt someone on our side of the w…”

 

Hermione’s eyes went wide in surprise and Harry knew without having to look over his shoulder that their target had picked their particular alleyway to Apparate into. Harry pulled his wand instantly, but Hermione reacted faster as she realized that with no witnesses in the alleyway that Harry’s plan would fail.

 

She gripped his wand with her right hand just above his left as she passed her left hand over Harry’s hair and right cheek. Instantly, Harry’s hair lengthened a few more centimeters and turned from its normal black to a light blonde. Harry noticed that her hair had shortened considerably and changed from brown to black.

 

Before Harry could move or protest, Hermione softly grabbed his face and pulled him into a soft kiss.Harry responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her closer.

 

For several agonizing moments, Harry was sure that Remus would see through their façade. But if Lupin noticed either of them, he never let on as Harry heard Lupin’s footsteps as they went pass him without ever slowing down.

 

Harry opened his eyes and gently broke their kiss. Hermione’s eyes never opened as she leaned her face into his chest.

 

“I.Q., are you alright?”asked Harry.

 

Hermione raised her hand to silently ask Harry to give her a moment. Finally, she looked into his eyes and smiled.

 

“Now…you don’t come close to making me feel like Slugs does when he kisses me. But now I understand what Red means when she says that Cho was an idiot for letting you get away.”

 

Harry gave her a sly grin,“Thanks, but I think it might be best if we never let either of our companions know about the kiss we just shared. Now let’s go see about our quarry.”

 

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Among those who knew him,Remus Lupin had a reputation of always looking rather haggard. But after the return of Voldemort, his appearance had grown steadily worse. Between having to live as a werewolf, being a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and being the only thing between the werewolves and the magical community, it was a miracle that Remus had not fallen completely apart.

 

As he approached the entrance of the concealed meeting place, Remus came face to face with three familiar faces. But he did not seem to recognize any of them as it took a firm voice to snap him from his inner thoughts.

 

“Lupin! What the blazes is wrong with you?”

 

Remus’ eyes finally focused as he acknowledged the gruff voice with a curt nod and a quick handshake.Standing in front of him were Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the love of his life, Nymphadora Tonks. Behind them were several witches and wizards whose names slipped his memory at that exact moment. All were making their way into the meeting.

 

“Sorry Alastor, I’ve just been burning the candle at both ends recently. Shall we step inside?”

 

Tonks had just placed her hand in Remus’ when three figures Apparated between them and the front door.Tonks reached for her wand but was nailed by a Stunning spell before she couldclose her fingers around the grip.

 

Kingsley found himself busy with two wizards as a series of explosions caused the wizards who were entering the building to panic. With a powerful spell he was able to magically usher the bystanders inside and then turn his full attention to the two intruders.

 

Kingsley stole a quick glance to check on Remus. He was busy protecting the unconscious Tonks from one of the dark dressed, masked intruders. Kingsley was just about to help his friend when a spell knocked off his hat and reminded him that he had two problems of his own to solve.

 

Shacklebolt’s two opponents were of two very different heights, but both attacked with equal vigor. They fought as if they knew exactly what the other would do. He was finding it impossible to conjure anything but defensive spells as his opponents kept him backpedaling.

 

Finally, Kingsley found an opening as the larger of his two attackers made the mistake of stepping into arms reach. He stretched out his wand arm and performed a Stunning spell, only to watch in amazement as the large wizard, with a speed that belied his size, dodged the spell intended for him and with a powerful movement of his hands, knocked the wand from Kingsley’s grip.

 

He instantly felt pain along his wrist where the large wizard had struck, but the pain did not have time to register very long in his mind as the smaller of his two opponents had closed the distance between them and took his legs out from under him.

 

Kingsley slammed into the ground face first, causing him to see stars as he was rolled over onto his back and then forced to sit up. What appeared in front of his clearing vision shocked him to his core.

 

Tonks was still unconscious and Remus had stopped fighting his opponent as he saw that Kingsley had two wands trained on him. But it was the sight of Moody that shocked Kingsley the most.

 

He was standing there, leaning against his staff, as if nothing was wrong.

 

“Alastor, are you alright?”

 

Moody smirked, “Not exactly.”

 

A moment later, Shacklebolt fully understood Moody’s answer as a fourth wizard appeared from under an invisibility cloak, his wand pointed directly at the base of Moody’s skull.

 

Before Moody, Remus or Kingsley could protest or pose another question, they found themselves Body Bound and completely unable to speak. Moody and Kingsley could only watch as the four wizards threw a black hood over Remus’ head and Apparated away, leaving them petrified.

 

Less than a minute later, the charm which Kingsley placed on the doors was broken and a group of wizards, led by Arthur Weasley came storming out with their wands drawn. But as they approached their three most powerful members, they knew it was too late to be of any real help.

 

Moody and Shacklebolt found themselves bombarded with questions as soon as they were freed from their spells. Neither had any answers as they took several moments to take account of themselves and get the crowd of wizards to calm down.

 

“Where’s Remus?” asked Arthur.

 

Kingsley was massaging his wrist, “They took him. There was nothing we could do.”

 

“Do you think it was DeathEaters?” asked a small wizard to Arthur’s right.

 

“No, there’s no Dark Mark and they could have killed all of us if they wanted to, but they didn’t,” replied Moody.

 

Kingsley stood up, “Alastor,I’ve never seen abilities like they had. It took all I had just to keep them off…”

 

A voice cut him off, “Look at what I found!”

 

A dark haired witch came through the crowd and handed Kingsley a small card, “I found it on top of Tonks’ chest as I examined her.”

 

Kingsley frowned, “This is a G.S.F. calling card. Sandria, how is Tonks?”

 

“She’ll be knocked out for awhile, but she’s only been stunned. Did you say the G.S.F.? I thought they were against the Death Eaters, not us?”

 

A murmur ran through the crowd as the G.S.F.’s name came to everyone’s lips.

 

Moody drove his staff into the ground causing the crowd to instantly go silent, “Everyone with the exception of myself, Kingsley, and Arthur need to get inside right now. You’re all mucking up the area and we may not be able to track Remus if you all don‘t move now!”

 

After everyone was finally ushered back inside, Arthur spoke, “Alastor, do you honestly believe the G.S.F.was responsible for this? These are my children you‘re talking about.”

 

Oh yes, I’m sure of it. I’d bet my real eye on it,” answered Moody as he recalled Harry being the only person to have snuck up on him in the same manner as tonight.

 

“But why? They’re fully aware that we’re here to help them. Why would they risk losing our assistance by attacking us and kidnapping Remus? In full view of a wizarding crowd, no less!” said Kingsley with a perplexed look on his face.

 

Moody’s face changed as if something had just suddenly occurred to him, “They did it in view of the crowd, and left a calling card…is it safe to say that no one outside the four of us,Tonks included, knows of the G.S.F.’s identities?”

 

They all nodded in agreement as Moody continued, “Have any of you seen any of them recently, to perhaps have given them the time and location of tonight’s meeting?”

 

They were all shaking their heads when, seemingly in unison, they looked at the still unconscious form of Tonks as she lay on the grass.

 

Moody’s magical eye fixed it’s stare on Tonks’ form, “Me thinks little Miss Nymphadora is going to owe all of us a long explanation when she finally wakes up.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Remus’ constricted muscles gave in as soon as the Binding spell was lifted. He wanted to sit up straight but his tired body would not allow him to do so. He expected to collapse to the ground in a holding cell of some kind but instead he landed on what he guessed was a very comfortable sofa. For a few seconds he caught himself wondering why he could not see, but then he scolded himself as he remembered that he had a hood over his head.

 

He pulled the dark material from his face as he expected to be surrounded by his captors. As his eyes adjusted to the candlelight he realized that not only was he not in a holding cell, but that he was in a spacious flat. On a small table in front of him lay a tray of finger foods and a kettle of hot tea. He looked up from the tray to find the faces of Harry and Ginny.

 

Both were wearing apologetic looks.

 

“Harry, Ginny…you’re my abductors?”

 

Before either could answer, Ron and Hermione entered the room. In Hermione’s hands was a stein which looked to contain hot liquid, as steam was rising from the top of it. She laid the stein on the table across from Remus.

 

Remus suddenly loss his patience, “So you four were responsible for tonight! Innocent people could have been hurt or killed! For heaven’s sake, Tonks could be dead for all you know! What were you thinking!?!”

 

Ron was the first to speak up, “Oi! She was just stunned! It was her idea in the first place! How do you think we knew the location of the meeting!?!”

 

Both Remus and Ron had stood from their seats as Harry jumped in between them, “Ron, calm down.”

 

“Calm down? Calm down? Finemate, I’ll calm down. But let’s get something straight professor; thanks to what’s going on out there in the wizarding world, none of us are in school right now…maybe ever again. So please don’t try to scold us as if we were sitting in the middle of a classroom in Hogwarts. I’ll be damned if I’m going to listen to someone who could very well be working with Voldemort himself!”

 

The color drained from Remus’ face as he took his seat again. Hermione took Ron’s hand and gently guided him onto the sofa next to her.

 

After a few more tense moments, Remus’ voice finally returned, “Why on earth would you believe I would ever work with You-Know-Who?”

 

Harry explained the events ofthe past week. Being asked by Moody to investigate Durmstrang, checking on Padma, Harry’s sighting of him leaving the school, and the confession of the school’s headmaster. When Harry finished, an uneasy silence lingered in the room as everyone awaited Remus’ response.

 

Remus ran a hand over his tired face, “I was just trying to keep my cover as acting head of the werewolf clan. I was ordered to deliver a golden cup to the werewolf stronghold that was all. I would never do anything to hurt anyone in the wizarding world.”

 

As the quartet looked into their former professor’s eyes, they knew immediately that he was telling the truth. But before any of them could speak, Remus continued.

 

“So is that why you kidnappedme and stunned Tonks? Simply to find out if I was no better than Wormtail?”

 

Harry felt his heart drop when he heard that. But it was Hermione’s voice that broke the quartet’s silence, “You said it was a golden cup. But the Durmstrang headmaster said the cup was silver. Yet the two of you have both been truthful. How can that be?”

 

“In actuality, the cup is silver. It merely looks golden as it has been layered in gold. I discovered this fact the hard way when I burned my hands removing it from its crate,” replied Remus.

 

Ron looked to Harry, “There’s no way the headmaster knew the cup was silver from a “quick look”. They know we’re coming for it Harry. It’s got to be a trap.”

 

Remus seemed to become annoyed again, “Is that what you four have been doing all these months, stealing artifacts? What is so important about an antique cup?”

 

Ginny turned to him and with a face showing no emotion said, “It’s a Horcrux.”

 

If any of the quartet thought Remus’ face had drained of all color with Ron’s accusation, it was nothing to what his face looked like at Ginny’s answer.

 

Harry magically called a chalkboard into the room and began explaining the events from his sixth year.He left out no details regarding Dumbledore’s mission as he wanted Remus to understand the severity of their quest.

 

When Harry finished Remus’ hands were shaking as he tried to drink some tea, “How can I be of assistance?”

 

“We need a complete understanding of the cup’s location. What we’ll be facing, layouts of the grounds, numbers of opposing forces, any and all information you can give us,” said Harry.

 

“Of course, but you do realize that its going to take several days to pass on the information you need and if the clan is expecting you, I can’t guarantee the layout won’t change.The stronghold is like nothing you ever seen,” answered Remus.

 

Ginny sat next to Remus as she pushed the stein towards him, “We figured as much, which means that were going to have to work through the next full moon. Drink up please.”

 

Remus lifted the stein and took a quick sniff of its contents, “Wolfsbane potion? How did you manage to get this? You couldn’t have made this yourselves, it takes someone at the level of Severus Snape to create this from scratch.”

 

A grin came to Ron’s face,“There’s a lot about us that would surprise you, Remus. Ginny and Hermione brewed that potion, its fine.”

 

The former professor looked to the four young wizards in front of him and realized that Ron’s last few words were an understatement. These four no longer looked the innocent students he remembered from his year of teaching at Hogwarts. They each had a look in their eyes that he only saw in seasoned wizards. But he also saw so much more. What had these children been through?

 

“The four of you have been trained, haven’t you?” asked Remus.

 

“By the best,” answered Harry.

 

Remus Lupin simply nodded as he began drinking his potion.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Tonks sat restlessly in front of a large odd shaped glass. She barely noticed the floating heads each with black holes where their eyes would normally be. Moody’s Foe-Glass was not designed for use as a mirror, but the slight reflection was enough for Tonks to see her own face.

 

Her appearance kept changing every few moments. Her hair would lengthen, shorten, change color, and texture. Her eyes would switch colors every few seconds. Even her skin tone would change moment to moment as her left foot tapped uneasily against the wooden floor.

 

“For the love of Merlin,couldn’t you just sweat or pace like normal wizards do when they’re nervous!?!” screamed Moody as he entered the room.

 

Tonks stood up and immediately fell over one of the legs of the chair she had just been sitting on. She sat up on the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs.

 

“I’m sorry Alastor, but it’s been four days since Remus was taken. I have every right to be nervous. They’ve had him through the full moon. Harry promised me he wouldn’t hurt Remus as long as he wasn’t in werewolf form.”

 

Moody, in an act of frustration, massaged the bridge of his nose, “We’ve already been through this. Harry and his team were most likely aware of the lunar phase. Knowing them,they were fully prepared for the full moon.”

 

Tonks took a deep breath, “I know you’re right. I’m sorry about being so nervous and I’m sorry about not letting you and the others in on Harry’s plan.”

 

“No harm done. Besides, it looks as if his plan worked perfectly. No one outside of the inner circle ofthe Order knows what really happened. So when Remus is brought back to the public, he should be safe from retribution.” said Moody as he took the seat Tonks had just vacated.

 

Tonks got to her feet, “Do you think that maybe we could track them to wherever they’re hiding, to see how Remus is and maybe find out what they are planning with the information he’s giving them?”

 

Moody shook his head, “Not going to happen. Knowing the training we’ve given them, they’re most likely changing locations on a regular basis and redoubling their efforts to cover their tracks. Besides, there’s no way I’m going against the warning Ginny Weasley gave me the last time I showed up unannounced. The look in that young witch’s eye told me she meant business.”

 

Tonks smiled, “You mean she actually put a scare into the Great Mad-Eye Moody?”

 

Moody returned her smile with a smirk, “No, but I always recognize someone willing to kill to protect their loved ones and I’m always going to give a person like that a lot of respect and leeway. Besides, I said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t know what mission Albus put those kids on and I still think it best that we don’t know.”

 

Tonks merely nodded in agreement as she noticed a smile come to Moody’s face, “What’s so funny,Alastor?”

 

“You didn’t see the ease in which the Weasleys took down Kingsley or the way Hermione fought Remus to a standstill. Those kids are amazing!” answered Moody as his smile grew larger.

 

Tonks smiled back, “You really are proud of them, aren’t you?”

 

Moody turned in his chair to face his Foe-Glass, “There’s only one person I’ve ever been prouder of.”

 

“Albus Dumbledore, no doubt,”answered Tonks.

 

Moody continued to look into his glass, “No…you.”

 

Tonks walked behind Moody and wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed her cheek against his, “You’re just a big softy, you know that?”

 

Moody reached up and held one of Tonks’ hands in his own, “Yes, but only where you and those kids are concerned, and if you ever tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

 

Tonks’ only response was to embrace him tighter.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Several days later found the quartet and Remus going over the information he had passed on to them for what seemed the hundredth time. Remus was testing them to make sure that not only did they remember everything he told them but to also make sure he himself did not miss any important details.

 

Ron just finished reviewing the last of the maps that Ginny and he had drawn, when he looked up to Remus and said, “Relax sir, I think we’ve got it. Trust in everything you’ve taught us. After all we’ve got the hard part in all this.”

 

Ginny spoke next, “Harry, we need to get Remus back. You know Tonks has got to be worried sick about him.”

 

Harry nodded as he asked Remus to have a seat. The last few days had had a good effect on his old professor. Between the full night’s rests and just being able to practice his love of teaching, Remus was a totally different man. Even the quartet seemed a bit more jovial, given the task set before them. Harry guessed they all missed being back at Hogwarts as well.

 

Harry shook Remus’ hand,"Thanks for everything, Remus. I apologize for having to put you in danger.”

 

Remus waved him off, “Think nothing of it. I’m a fellow Gryffindor. Danger is our middle name. I just hope the information I’ve provided for you is enough.”

 

Ron stepped up and offered his hand, “I’m sorry as well, sir. I should’ve known better than to think you would work with Voldemort. I apologize for being so disrespectful.”

 

“Apology accepted. I’m just relieved to know that the G.S.F. isn’t just some group of vigilantes. But made up of a group of responsible young adults that I can always say I had a hand in helping develop.”

 

Hermione gave Remus a quick hug and refused to meet his eyes. As she pulled back, he picked up on this,“What’s wrong?”

 

Ginny spoke in Hermione’s place, “We have to Obliviate your memories before we send you back.”

 

“I understand. So I take it that no one, not even the inner circle of the Order knows of your true mission?” asked Remus.

 

Harry nodded.

 

Remus’ eyes grew sad, “It must be difficult knowing the weight of not only the wizarding world but that of the entire world is on your shoulders. I would gladly take that responsibility from you if I could. All four of you deserve to live normal lives, and I hope when this is all over that you are finally allowed to do so.”

 

Remus stood from his chair and took the time to embrace all four of his former pupils.

 

“I am so very proud to have been a part of your lives,” said Remus as he sat again.

 

There were tears in Hermione’s eyes as she raised her wand. Remus gave her a quick grin and closed his eyes, “You know, I still consider you the brightest witch of your age.”

 

Hermione released a sob as she cast her spell.

 

There was not a dry eye in the tent as the quartet prepared to transport Remus back to the wizarding public.

 

“Not as proud as we are to have been a part of yours, Professor,” said Harry as he looked to the others to help him.

 

Hours later, a Body Bound Remus Lupin was found on the steps of St. Mungo’s. His memory Obliviated, body covered in magical superficial wounds and a G.S.F. calling card lying on his chest.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

For the second time in less than thirty days, the quartet found themselves having to face the cold of Northern Europe. As before, preparing ahead of time did not make them completely ready for it as Warming charms were the first order of the day.

 

They arrived by Portkey just before sunrise. While the full moon’s lunar cycle had just passed, they decided to take no chances as their past experience with a werewolf was enough for them to know they did not want to deal with anymore, anytime soon.

 

“I.Q., destroy that Portkey.We won’t be returning to this site,” ordered Harry as Hermione obliged.

 

Harry knew full well he did not have to remind Hermione of this fact as they all had full knowledge that the underground caverns they needed to enter were magically designed to be “one-way”. That once they entered, they would have to continue through to the exit on the other end.

 

The quartet had decided upon Portkeying a good distance from the stronghold as to not set off any magical sensors. They knew they were most likely walking into a trap, so they agreed that the later they sprung the trap, the better the chances they had to escape.

 

They used Anti-detection spells as well as the information that Remus passed on to them to pass through any outer defenses that the werewolf clan had set in place. Nothing in the forest had yet seemed out of place.

 

Ginny tapped Harry’s shoulder, “So far this has been way too easy.”

 

Harry looked over to Ron,“Red is right. How far to the entrance, Slugs?”

 

“According to Mooney’s map it’s roughly one and a half kilometers in that direction,” answered Ron as he pointed toward a small crest.

 

As the sun rose steadily in the sky, the quartet quietly made their way towards the top of the crest. Harry expected to find something breath taking such as a castle or a giant werewolf statue of some sort. But it was just as Remus had described, an average size cave opening leading down into the base of the next hillside. Harry performed the Omniocular charm on his glasses as the others removed their personal Omnioculars from their backpacks.

 

In front of the cave entrance were two guards who both bore scars similar to those Remus had. Inwardly, Harry felt relief that the two guards were in human form. The quartet ducked below the crest of the hill and began checking each other’s equipment. Harry was the first to speak.

 

“Just as Mooney said, two guards at the entrance. Did anyone else see different?”

 

The others shook their heads as Hermione spoke next, “Does everyone remember the list of creatures we could be facing?”

 

“I hate not knowing where and when we could be facing those creatures. Where’s Hagrid when you need him?”said Ron.

 

“I just hope the supplies my brothers gave us will be enough. We’re going to need every break we can get,” replied Ginny.

 

“Remember, once we enter the cave, we use “Table Talk” for as long as possible. Do not split up. Regardless of anything, we stick together. I want all of us to come out of there together. Is that understood?”

 

Everyone nodded as Harry continued, “Now I know that none of you want to hear this, but if it comes down to it, I want you to use all the magic at your disposal to keep yourselves alive.”

 

The others were too stunned to acknowledge that last order. It was the first time since they started their quest that any of them had even hinted at using Unforgivable Curses.

 

Normally, this topic of conversation would bring about a heated debate among the quartet. But in a combat situation, which this most certainly was, Harry’s word was final.

Throughout all they had faced, during their adventures at Hogwarts, throughout training, throughout their quest, Harry had earned that right and none of the others ever debated that. He was their leader, regardless of the outcome.

 

Harry felt his bond with Ginny a split second before she took hold of his hand and pulled him away from Ron and Hermione. He looked into her eyes expecting to see the hard blazing look she reserved for times of action. But instead he saw a look of longing, as if it would be the last time she would ever look into his eyes again.

 

He ran his hand over her cheek, over the very faint scar she had acquired when she squared off against Tonks to prove her worth all those months ago. Harry had grown to love that scar as he always felt it made her even more beautiful.

 

He bent over and kissed her very gently. Savoring the softness of her lips. He could feel through their bond that she was doing the same.

 

Harry finally broke the kiss,“With all my heart and soul, I love you Ginevra.

 

“You have always been my first and only love. I love you, Harry.”

 

As soon as she was done speaking, Ginny’s blazing look appeared to her face as she pulled her wand from it’s holster and magically painted her face black to match her clothing. Harry removed his glasses and allowed her to do the same to him.

 

Hermione did not hear what Harry and Ginny had said to one another, but she did witness the tenderness they shared. She reached up and stroked Ron’s face. His cheeks showed the beginnings of a stubbly beard. Strangely, she found herself enjoying the sensation against the palm of her hand. Ron looked up to find her staring at him. He struggled to say something but he found himself lost in the chocolate brown that made up the color of her eyes.

 

Hermione began to speak when Ron cut her off, “No worries, we’ve got all the information we need. This’ll be a piece of cake.”

 

After which he bent over and kissed her. But when he attempted to break the kiss, Hermione’s hands grabbed his face and she held him to her lips just a few moments longer.

 

When they finally broke the kiss, she gave him a grin and a quick nod. This was enough to tell him that she was now all business. She walked over to Ginny and they shared a hug before she allowed Ginny to paint her face.

 

“You are my sister, Ginny.”

 

“As you are mine, Hermione”

 

Ron looked over to Harry and threw him a thumbs up as Harry pointed back to his best mate in a sign of mutual respect. They had been doing this since their training with Moody.

 

Ron bent over and touched foreheads with Ginny, “Love you, Ginny.”

 

“Love you, big brother,” was her reply as she painted the last of the quartet’s faces.

 

With a quick movement of his hand, Harry communicated to his teammates to move out.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

The quartet was once again at the top of the crest. The sun was now directly behind them, making it impossible for either of the guards to see them through the sun’s glare.

Ron removed his wand from his holster and performed a Levitation charm on his Omnioculars which allowed them to hold steady in front of his eyes. He then carefully propped up his elbows and held his wand gently between his fingertips.

 

Of all the members of the G.S.F., it was Ron who had the best aim when it came to spell casting. He may not have been as quick on the draw as Ginny, as spell knowledgeable as Hermione,or as good with both hands as Harry had proven to be. But when it came to being able to hit a specific target when it needed to be hit, Ron was the wizard for the job.

 

And at this particular moment, Ron’s skill was definitely needed. He chose the maximum zoom setting on his Omnioculars. He needed to time his spells just right, if he got one guard andthe other noticed, then the G.S.F.’s mission would be over before it began.

 

For several long minutes, Ron and the others waited. Patience had never been Ron’s strong suit. But you would never have known this by looking at him at the moment as he held perfectly still.

 

Finally, one of the guards turned to his left, away from the mouth of the cave, most likely looking to patrol the nearby grounds. As he did so, Ron fired a silent spell which hit the guard who was still guarding the mouth of the cave. Ron then turned his attention to the second guard as he nailed him with the same spell only a split second later. Both guards no longer moved.

 

He looked to Harry, who gave his best friend a quick nod of approval. The quartet rapidly made their way down the opposite side of the overlook and then ran towards the mouth of the cave. Ron ran up to one of the guards and ran his hand across the guard’s blankly staring eyes.

 

“Hermione, are you sure about this spell we came up with? I’d feel a lot safer if these prats were knocked out.”

 

Hermione nodded, “One hundred percent sure. The variation of the Confundus charm will keep them in an unaware, awakened state. So when they wake up, to them it will be like they were never hexed.”

 

“How can you be so sure?I’ve never even seen you take the time to test the charm,” asked Ron.

 

Ginny tapped her brother's shoulder and smiled,“Who do you think we tested it on?”

 

Ron’s face grew shocked, “ButI don’t remember anyone using…Hey! That’s not funny!”

 

Harry was barely containing his laughter as Ginny said, “Who said I was joking.”

 

The mirth between the quartet quickly died down as they entered the unlit cave. Harry removed a small box of chocolates on which the likeness of both Fred and George were imprinted. He handed out three pieces to his companions, which they all quickly ate.

 

Ginny, without waiting to be told to do so, took the lead. The darkness in the cave was oppressive but the quartet was able to transverse the dark with no problems.

 

This was for one reason.

 

To an outsider who might have been watching the quartet walking around in the cave, it could have looked as if they were merely fumbling in the pitch blackness. But thanks to the chocolate they had just ingested, the dark was non-existent. As the sweets contained a potion that affected their eyes and worked in conjunction with a modified Lumos charm that gave off a light that only the quartet could see.

 

After roughly twenty minutes of walking, the quartet had encountered nothing but normal cave life. Hermione turned to Ron and spoke.

 

“I’m beginning to agree with you and Ginny, this is way too easy.”

 

Ron’s response was to point at the ground several meters in front of Ginny.

 

On the ground lay something that neither Ron nor Harry had seen since they were twelve years old. But back then what they had found was no where near the size of what they were looking at right then.

 

At their feet lay a Basilisk skin, and it was at least twice as large as the one Harry faced in his second year.

 

“Cripes! There’s a Basilisk in this place? Remus never mentioned a Basilisk,” exclaimed Ron.

 

“But he did mention that no one member of the werewolf clan knew of every creature dwelling in these caves,” replied Harry.

 

“Hence the reason he had us review “Magical Creatures and where to find them” until we knew it back and forth,” added Ginny.

 

“You seem rather calm for someone who has faced one of these things before,” said Ron to his sister.

 

Ginny shrugged her shoulders,“You’re mistaken. Harry was the one who faced that monster. I was busy napping on the floor of the chamber at the time.”

 

Hermione smiled at Ginny’sretort, “Do you think Parcelmouth will work on it, Harry?”   

 

Harry shook his head, “Not a good idea. The Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets had been trained to obey only Tom Riddle. Chances are this one will ignore me as well. But I think I’ve packed something that might work better.”

 

Harry removed his backpack and began rummaging through it as Ron joked, “You’re not looking for a pocket mirror, are you? You do remember how well that worked for Hermione?”

 

Ron instantly felt the sting of two slaps to the back of his head as both Hermione and Ginny hit him at the same time.

 

Harry was about elbow deep into his bag when he found what he was searching for. He pulled out an object that looked like a small black rectangular box.

 

Ginny looked confused, “What’s that?”

 

Harry looked at her, “Just something I picked up the last time I was near the muggle section of London.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Half a kilometer later found the quartet in the first chamber which Ginny had identified on her map. The room itself seemed rather dank as it had a smell that made everyone’s stomach turn.

 

When the chamber’s torches magically came to life, they all had their answer as to why the room smelled the way it did.

 

Scattered across the chamber floor were skeletons of countless animals that were unfortunate enough to have come that far into the cave. Ginny suppressed a shudder as she looked up to find three doors adjacent to one another at the far end of the chamber. All three doors were large enough to accommodate a Basilisk.

 

A pair of hands rested themselves on Ginny’s shoulders as she felt Harry’s presence through their bond. She felt his strength as well as his reluctance as he asked her the question she was dreading to answer.

 

“Which door does the map say to take?”

 

“According to the map the one entrance to three inner chambers changes magically daily.

Two of the doors are dead ends as entering them will trap us in until someone comes to let us out. That’s the good news, because the right door will most likely be guarded by the Basilisk,” answered Ginny.

 

“So what now?” asked Ron.

 

Hermione was deep in thought, quietly tapping her chin with her index finger. She was scanning the chamber’s exit doors when something peculiar caught her eye. The flames from the room’s torches were blowing away from only one set of doors. She quickly passed on this information to the others.

 

Harry licked his fingertips and checked the edges of each set of doors. Sure enough, Hermione was correct.There was a very slight breeze coming from the edges of the door on the left. He could also detect the smell of rotting flesh stronger than the room they were already occupying.

 

Harry ordered the others to the far end of the chamber near the now magically sealed doors, which had closed themselves as soon as they had entered the chamber. They all huddled together and closed their eyes.

 

Harry pulled the black box from his pocket as he aimed his wand at the door with his right hand. Through their bond he could feel Ginny worrying for his safety. While at the same time fighting down her own growing curiosity as she wanted to open her eyes to see what was happening.

 

He silently cast the spell that Remus had taught him to open the door. With the sound of metal rubbing against stone, the large door began to creep open, slowly retracting into the ceiling.

 

As soon as the door had opened wide enough to stick a hand through, he went into action. He gave the black box a slight squeeze until it gave an audible click. He then sent it sliding under the still opening door.

 

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened as the door continued to slide open. Suddenly, Harry heard the recognizable sound of the Basilisk’s roar. It began slamming into the still raising door as if it could smell Harry and his companions on the other side.

 

Finally, the door opened completely as Harry dropped to one knee, closed his eyes and aimed into the darkness of the opened chamber. He hoped that if he had to fire a spell that he would not miss due to the creature’s sheer size.

 

The sound of a thunderous crash caused Harry to open his eyes to investigate. No more than several paces in front of him was the now dead Basilisk. He wanted to move to get the attention of his companions but his quivering legs would not allow him to stand up.

 

Harry felt a small hand close over his. It was not until that moment that he realized he was gripping his wand so tightly that his hand hurt. Ginny’s small fingers stroked the back of his hand as she spoke.

 

“I think we can officially change your nickname from “The-Boy-Who-Lived” to “The-Boy-who-kills-giant-snakes”.”

 

Ron was astounded, “Bloody brilliant! What was the magical box you used to kill it?”

 

Harry walked into the now opened chamber and picked up the box. He gave it a squeeze and the sound of a rooster’s crow radiated from it.

 

“It’s a muggle tape recorder. I made a copy of a rooster’s crow about a week ago.”

 

Hermione smiled, “Nice, but how did you find a rooster to record? There were none anywhere near our campsite.”

 

Harry fished a small piece of candy from his pocket and showed it to the others.

 

Now it was Ron’s turn to smile, “I remember those from our third year. We could make all sorts of animal noises with them. Remind me to apologize to my brothers, I was wrong when I told them those candies were the must useless items in our gear.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Quickly the quartet made their way passed the body of the now dead Basilisk and to the rear of the chamber it had been guarding.

 

“Do you think anyone heard all that noise?” asked Ginny as they reached a set of stairs which were leading down, deeper into the hillside.

 

“We’ll find out soon enough,” said Harry as he took a position just off to the side of the stairs.

 

“Damn, I was hoping the next set of stairs would have been going up,” said Ron as he joined Hermione on the opposite side of the stairs.

 

“I think we were all hoping for the same thing,” replied Hermione as she took aim and waited.

 

For what seemed like the better part of an hour, the quartet stood still, waiting patiently for an attack which did not occur. Harry turned to Ginny to ask her a question only to notice that she was already looking up the answer.

 

She was kneeling in front ofher unfolded map, her wand held out over the parchment to provide a little extra light so that everyone could see.

 

Ginny shook her head,“This is one of the areas that Remus didn’t have much information on. He mentioned that a lot of dark magic was in work here.”

 

Ron smirked, “I remember,he said that we have to get through it to get to our objective.”

 

Harry motioned the others behind him and began quietly leading the way up the stairs.

 

As soon as they entered the next chamber, the doorway slammed shut. The room was pitch black with the exception of a dimly lit doorway at the far end. The quartet walked along slowly, covering one another.

 

Harry could not tell whether the enchanted chocolate was still working as the deeper they went into the chamber, the more he found himself surrounded by a mysterious fog. A flash of fear went through him as the thought of Dementors patrolling the chamber came to his mind. But he quickly dismissed the thought as the temperature in the chamber had not felt any colder. He kept reminding himself to concentrate on the lit doorway and keep his team moving.

 

The quartet was at what Harry guessed was the middle of the chamber. He decided to risk a glance over his shoulder to verify Hermione’s position as she was bringing up the rear, when he realized with a shock that he was completely alone.

 

Ron, Hermione and Ginny had vanished without a trace!

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Ginny Weasley:

 

She felt her heart racing in her chest as her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area. The last time she was in a chamber this size, she was only eleven and she had awakened to find that Harry was beside her. This situation was working in reverse as she entered this chamber with Harry and then turned to find that not only had he disappeared, but that so did her brother and best friend.

 

She searched for the doorway to find it had disappeared as well. The fog was surrounding her was thickening to the point where she could only see just pass the length of her outstretched arm. She was tempted to use one of her brothers’ Liquid Light Licorice wands,but she dismissed the idea as she surmised that if she was having trouble seeing, then anyone who meant her harm would most likely be having the same trouble.

 

She stopped walking as she conjured a goblet of water from thin air and took a quick drink of water. She allowed her heartbeat to return to normal as she could almost hear Mad-Eye Moody’s voice mocking her for being afraid of being alone. But Moody was wrong about that as she reminded herself she could never be alone. Not as long as her connection to Harry remained.

 

She concentrated on sending feelings of warmth and concern to him so that he would know she was still safe, when she felt the exact same feelings almost an instant after she sent hers. It was almost as if her mind had been hit by a powerful echo.

 

The feedback was so powerfully painful that she dropped to her hands and knees.

 

She attempted to get to her feet, when she suddenly found herself swept onto her backside by a huge magical blast of wind, which cleared away the fog around her.

 

To Ginny’s surprise, she found a very familiar looking redheaded young woman standing before her. In the young woman’s hands was a black diary; around her neck she wore a gold locket and her eyes were glowing red with a hard blazing look that said she meant business.

 

Ginny was taken aback by the sight of her doppelganger. Slowly she rose to her feet as her double made no movements or sounds. She was just standing between Ginny and the lit doorway which had reappeared once the fog cleared.

 

A half grin came to Ginny’s face as she shook her head, “A Boggart? I’m insulted that the wizards who set up the defenses in this place couldn’t come up with anything better.”

 

Ginny picked up her wand and with a quick flick of her wrist, fired off a Riddikulus spell. Her spell hit her evil twin in the center of the chest.

 

Nothing happened.

 

“Not a Boggart? Let’s try something a bit stronger then.”

 

Ginny fired a myriad of spells she knew to incapacitate opponents. A series of different colored lights sped from her wand and hit their intended target on several spots of the body.

 

Still nothing happened.

 

Ginny admonished herself, “Stupid, stupid, stupid! You haven’t moved a muscle since I laid eyes on you, and none of my spells have had any effect. I should’ve known you were just a product of an Illusion charm.”

 

Ginny slipped her wand back into its holster and began walking towards the doorway. No sense in wasting time with an illusion which was most likely designed to give the enemy a chance to trap her in the chamber.

 

She was just about to pass her twin when Ginny felt the breath leave her lungs as the doppelganger landed a powerful knee into Ginny’s mid-section. The twin then followed her first attack with a swift blow to the back of Ginny’s head with the diary.

 

Ginny was on the ground writhing in pain as she thought to herself.

 

“O.K. not an illusion, what now Weasley?”

 

But she would not have time to answer herself as her twin grabbed her by the back of her hair and began lifting her from the ground…

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Hermione Granger:

 

Being the smartest among the quartet, Hermione decided that if spells could not work on her twin, then physical force would be the answer.

 

Her double appeared to her wearing a Hogwarts robe with a Ravenclaw patch sewn on it. She looked like the “uglyduckling” she had considered herself in her early days at Hogwarts. This was how she could have turned out if she had never made any friends, an old bookworm in a young woman’s body. Inwardly, Hermione thanked Ron and Harry for looking beyond her “Know-it-all” attitude.

 

Hermione removed all of her gear and wand holster before confronting her twin. She decided upon a defensive fighting style that would allow her to gauge her opponent without taking punishment. Her double picked up on this instantly as she attacked with an offensive style that did not allow Hermione to find an opening.

 

Hermione switched to an aggressive fighting style to try and put her opponent off balance, only to find that the twin had switched to defense. None of Hermione’s strikes landed as it seemed she was always a split second too slow.

 

The double possessed all of Hermione’s fighting knowledge. To make matters worse, the twin had not broken a sweat as Hermione was already breathing hard.

 

She knew it would only be a matter of time before she lost to exhaustion rather than her double.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Ron Weasley:

 

“Blimey! Do I really hit that hard?”

 

Ron was on the ground leaning against one hand and knee as he spat up blood. His twin had appeared to him looking rather disheveled in a faded robe. The double even wore the same blank stare that Ron had been ridiculed for having in his first few years at Hogwarts.

 

Ron made the mistake of underestimating his opponent because of this, and it almost cost him dearly.

 

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and just missed getting a kick to the ribs as he rolled and sprang to his feet.

 

The doppelganger instantly closed the distance between them and began pummeling Ron with both fists. It took all of his skills just to keep from being hit again.

 

Ron had months to study his companion’s fighting styles, to find opening and weaknesses which he could exploit to his own advantage. But in all that time it had never occurred to him to study his own fighting style and it was not until that exact moment that Ron realized one frightening fact.

 

He knew nothing about countering his own fighting style.

 

Ron braced himself as his twin attacked again.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Harry Potter:

 

Harry always knew that the headaches he received from his scars were without equal, but the pain had just received from trying to contact Ginny through their bond ran an extremely close second.

 

He had just finished wiping the tears of pain from his eyes, when a figure appeared in front of him. He caught himself thinking that he was staring at the Mirror of Erised again, when he realized that what he was looking at was not his heart’s desire but something he would never wish upon himself.

 

The Harry Potter in front of him was dressed in a very expensive looking robe. There was a look of arrogance on his face that said that everyone around him was beneath his attention. Harry knew at that moment that he was looking at a version of himself that had grown up in the wizarding world as a celebrity for having dispatched Voldemort .A spoiled rotten young man who spent his money without regard to how much blood was spilt to have earned it. This Harry had an almost “Malfoy-like” air about him.

 

An eerie sense of foreboding passed through Harry’s heart as he realized what he had to do to reach the doorway behind his double. He removed his gear and a small smile came to his face as he relished the idea of setting his doppelganger straight…

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Ginny Weasley:

 

Ginny’s dark twin dropped her diary as she attacked with a controlled ferociousness that Ginny had only been told she herself possessed. Instead of fighting her double to a standstill, she actually found herself having to back peddle against her twin’s attack.

 

Each time she found an opening and was able to strike her double, it came with a harsh price as the double would land a harder blow. Even without a mirror, Ginny knew that if she got through this alive she would be carrying several injuries for a few weeks to come, as she took various strikes to her left eye, both cheeks, and her bottom lip.

 

“I guess kissing Harry for the next few days won’t be a pleasurable experience,” Ginny joked to herself as she blocked yet another fist that was intended to hit her face.

 

Ginny sidestepped and threw a fast right hook which caught the dark Ginny square in the face, causing the twin to slow her attack as blood trickled from her nose.

 

Ginny took advantage by stepping back the way she originally moved, closing inside arms length and driving her elbow into her opponents jaw.

 

She put her entire bodyweight into the strike knowing full well it might kill her twin. But she saw no other recourse as to how this contest would end, as it seemed her double would stop at nothing to win.

 

The strike was solid, but instead of causing the dark twin to collapse into a heap, she used the energy of the strike to spin. When the double came out of the three hundred and sixty degree turn, she smashed her heel into Ginny’s ankle.

 

Time slowed to a crawl as Ginny fell to the ground, a scream of pain escaping her lips. This was the same ankle Ginny injured in the Ministry of Magic almost two years before. Since that time the ankle had given her trouble from time to time. But nothing like the pain she was feeling right then.

 

Her hand reached instinctively for her ankle as she looked up to find her twin looming over her.Ginny could see the doppelganger’s knees as they were bent slightly and her right fist was cocked back, ready to strike.

 

Ginny knew what was coming and if she did not act immediately, her time on this earth was over. She clenched her teeth and prepared herself for what she would have to do.

 

The evil Ginny sprang from the ground in a perfect imitation of Ginny’s leaping punch. She knew it was now or never as she painfully placed her full weight on both her ankles and pushed away from the ground.

 

When Ginny developed her finishing move she knew that it could be a devastating strike, but she also knew it had one major flaw. The person using it had to be sure their opponent was unable to move, because once you left your feet to strike, you left yourself open to attack.

 

The twin made the mistake of assuming that Ginny was helpless because of her smashed ankle. Ginny made herpay for the assumption by meeting the twin in mid-leap and driving a powerful uppercut into the doppelganger’s jaw.

 

The evil twin literally went heels over head as the force of Ginny’s blow caused the back of the twin’s skull to crash into the chamber’s concrete floor with a sickening crunch.

 

Ginny stood on her feet, not that it was easy to do so as her ankle was screaming in protest. She was rubbing the aching knuckles on her right hand as she watched the doppelganger fade into nothingness. An angry smile came to her face as she spoke out loud.

 

“No one beats me with my own move.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Hermione Granger:

 

A sheen of sweat covered Hermione’s face as she found herself once again on the defensive. The double, regardless of what Hermione tried, was able to keep her from getting any closer to the doorway.

 

For Hermione, the entire experience was becoming not only physically, but mentally tiring as well. She threw every fighting technique she learned from Sensei Takahara at her opponent, but nothing worked as the twin countered every move with textbook precision.

 

She backed away and her double put her arms down. The doppelganger simply went back to guarding the doorway exactly as Hermione had originally found her.

 

Hermione took quick stock of herself. She was not really hurt or injured with only a few bruises on her arms from constantly having to block her opponent’s punches and kicks. Her only problem aside from not being able to get pass her twin was the fact that she was tiring.

 

Like her companions, Hermione kept herself in peak condition. But even the greatest athletes had their limits and it seemed that Hermione’s twin was as well versed in human physiology as she was. The twin knew exactly what types of strikes would exert the most energy to block. The whole sorry situation frustrated Hermione to no end.

 

For months during the quartet’s training, Hermione had not only practiced her Sensei’s techniques but had studied every piece of literature on self-defense she could get her hands on. In her mind she knew that among her companions, she was the most knowledgeable on the subject.

 

An abstract memory suddenly entered her mind. It was her first year at Hogwarts and it was the day of her first flying lesson. She remembered having studied stacks of books on the subject of magical flight over the summer just so that she would be prepared for the class. She remembered how certain she was that she would be tops in her class.

 

Unfortunately she found out the hard way that literary study sometimes comes second to natural talent as it took her several minutes just to call her broom to her hand, while the young black haired wizard to her right was able to do it before he could finish pronouncing the “U” in the command “UP”.

 

Strangely enough, that same black haired wizard would teach her a great many things over the years, including the ability to fly a broom like a seasoned witch. It was with this fading thought that Hermione heard Harry’s voice advising her regarding her over analytical mind.

 

“It’s not that you aren’t a physical person. It’s just that you let your mind get in the way of what your body wants to do naturally. For once, forget over thinking every detail and just allow yourself to flow.”

 

Harry’s face quickly faded only to be replaced by her father’s. Shortly before leaving for Hogwarts, he decided to show his daughter how to throw a punch. Like every over protective father, he would not have anyone taking advantage of his little girl, magical world or not.

 

Hermione lifted her arms in a boxer’s style that she had not used since the day she was about to fight Draco and his cronies outside the Shrieking Shack in her third year.

 

A smile came to her lips as she thought of how proud Ron was of her when he watched her slug Draco later that same year.

 

Hermione began bouncing on the balls of her feet. No strategy cluttered her mind as she moved forward. The doppelganger took a quick fighting stance and attacked. As the twin threw kicks and punches, Hermione merely dodged and allowed her opponent to hit nothing but thin air.

 

Two minutes later it was the twin’s face that began to sweat. Her attacks slowed as Hermione landed quick jabs to the double’s face.

 

Hermione saw a look of impatience on the twin’s face that told her this fight was drawing to a close.The double charged as Hermione sidestepped and landed a strong right hook that caught the doppelganger in the area where the jaw hinges to the skull.

 

As the twin collapsed to the ground, Hermione landed another punch to the base the twin’s skull, helping to drive the double’s face into the ground.

 

Hermione was already picking up her belongings as she watched her twin disappear from existence. As she made her way towards the doorway, she found it strange that after what she had just been through; her mind was only thinking one thing.

 

Ron would be just as proud of her right now as he had been the day she slugged Draco.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Ron Weasley:

 

Ron and his twin’s combat could only be described in one word…slugfest. While both seemed trained in an equal amount of self-defense, it was becoming a matter of who would be the lastman standing, as the pair traded blows.

 

Ron rounded on his double as he was forced to slap away a fist directed at his nose. He followed up his block with a vicious front kick that slammed into his twin’s chest.

 

As the double stumbled backwards, Ron closed the distance between them hoping to help his opponent get to the ground faster. But to Ron’s surprise, his twin grabbed him by the arms, rolled gracefully onto his back and tossed Ron onto his own back.

 

A loud grunt issued from Ron as he slammed into the ground. But both opponents were on their feet an instant later. Ron took a quick moment to wipe the blood from his face, which was coming from his mouth, nose and several cuts. His twin looked no better as he joked to himself that they most likely looked like a well beaten up version of Fred and George.

 

Ron thought to himself that if this were a game of chess he would be in the middle of the biggest stalemate of his life. It occurred to him that if he was thinking this, then so was his twin and if the twin was his copy, then in that laid the way to defeat him.

 

Ron took his fighting stance and shuffled forward. When his opponent stepped towards him, he gave a slight shoulder turn as if he were going to throw a punch but instead he performed a leg sweep that caught his evil twin off guard. The double slammed into the ground, after which Ron followed up with a hard backhand to the twin’s eye.

 

Both combatants sprang to their feet as Ron shuffled forward again. He gave another shoulder turn as the doppelganger dropped to guard against Ron’s impending leg sweep. But instead of sweeping, Ron came out of his turn early and leapt into the air.

 

If Ginny’s leaping punch was devastating, then Ron’s version of his sister’s strike could only be seen as totally destructive as he put his full weight, which was more than twice his sister’s, behind his fist. Ron could hear and feel bones shatter as his strike connected with the center of his opponent’s face.

 

As Ron allowed his breathing to return to normal, he realized his knees were a bit shaky. So he took a seat next to where his twin’s body had disappeared from only seconds before and conjured a bucket of water, which he used to clean his face.

 

A serious grin came to his face as he thought, “Ginny’s right, I am predictable. Thanks for the hard lesson, sis.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Harry Potter:

 

In comparison to his peers, Harry was having the easiest time against his double. He allowed his opponent to take advantage of an opening only to see if the strike would be the same as he would use. Afterward, the twin could not get inside Harry’s defense.

 

Harry allowed his twin one more attempt at a kick and then went from a defensive to an offensive fighting style. He was no more skilled at self-defense than anyone else in the quartet. But he had a gift that helped him many times over the years.

 

His ability to mimic was one he had always taken for granted. He never really thought about how easy it was for him to reproduce spells once he saw someone else perform them. It just came to him naturally. Tom Riddle’s Arania Exumai spell that he used against Aragog’s spiders, Snape’s Expelliarmus spell he used against the Potions master in his third year, Tonks Healing charm that she used to fix Harry’s nose, even the Patronus charm that he learned came from watching himself perform it against the Dementors were all examples of this strength.

 

It was only a matter of time before Harry realized he could use this gift to his advantage in all facets of life. But it was his twin that would learn this lesson the hard way as Harry attacked.

 

Harry threw punches, kicks,elbow and knee strikes, of which none missed. The doppelganger looked perplexed as his defense did nothing to stop Harry. The twin just could not fathom that his opponent was using all the quartet’s fighting styles to keep him off balance.

 

Battered and bruised, the twin could barely keep his hands up. But he still refused to move out of the way. Harry decided to end this one-sided contest quickly.

 

It all transpired in a matter of seconds.

 

Harry pulled a wrapped candy from his pocket and stutter stepped forward towards his beleaguered opponent.The double made the grave error of trying to throw a punch as Harry dodged to his opponent’s left and drove a left knee strike into the twin’s chest. As the double’s momentum carried him backward, Harry sent him forward again with an elbow strike to the back of the twin’s skull. With his open left hand he slapped the candy into the twin’s open mouth and then followed that with a right handed uppercut to the twin’s jaw that forced the evil Harry’s teeth to crack the candy.

 

Blue sparks emitted from the doppelganger’s mouth and radiated all over his body. For several more seconds the twin’s body shook against the blue light. At one point the light became so bright that Harry had to shield his eyes from it.

 

The chamber finally went dark as the blue sparks stopped. Harry turned to find that his double had disappeared and that he was alone in the chamber.

 

He strapped on his equipment as he made a mental note to let Fred and George know that they needed to turn down the voltage on their Shocking Sour candies.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Harry walked through the doorway expecting to find his companions waiting for him on the opposite side. But he was surprised to discover that they had reappeared at his sides, as if they all had walked through the doorway together.

 

He saw Ginny’s face and was instantly hit with feelings that told him not to worry. Harry decided this was easier said than done as he made the decision to check on his best friend first.

 

Harry sat Ron on the ground and started checking on his wounds. He bent over and whispered, “So what happened to you, mate?”

 

Ron grinned, “Had a little disagreement with myself back there. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.”

 

“Looks like we all had a little chat with ourselves,” replied Harry as he looked over to see Hermione working on Ginny’s ankle.

 

 Ron’s grin disappeared, “Oi! Work on my nose, it hasn’t stopped bleeding since that pale copy of myself hit me. Stop worrying about Red. She’ll be fine. We still have work to do.”

 

At the sound of Ginny’s code name, Harry snapped out of his worry and quickly charmed Ron’s injuries. A few minutes later, the quartet set out, following yet another set of stairs that went further underground.

 

“How’s your ankle?” asked Harry as they made their way down.

 

“Hermione did what she could. I’ll need more healing charms and maybe a drink of Skele-Gro, but for now its numb and shouldn’t give me too much trouble,” answered Ginny as she tapped her wand to Harry’s cheek to heal the bruise his evil twin had put there.

 

“There, just as handsome as ever,” said Ginny with a smile.

 

“Flatterer,” answered Harry as he returned her smile.

 

Both of the smiles left their faces as they entered the next chamber. It was the largest of the chambers so far as it was at least the size of a quidditch pitch. At its far end was what looked to be a medium size hut which was emitting an all too familiar green glow.

 

“When Remus mentioned this place, I still didn’t expect it to be so vast. What is that?” asked Hermione as she pointed at the chamber floor.

 

Ron bent at the knees and touched the green surface, which spread throughout the chamber’s floor, leading all the way to the hut at the other end.

 

“It looks and feels like ice, but it isn’t cold. Remus never mention this either. They definitely knew we were coming. Who knows what other traps they’ve set for us,” said Ron.

 

“Well that hut is our goal and we’ve come too far to stop now. We just need to be on our guard, even more so now,” answered Hermione.

 

The quartet began its trek across the green surface. While it was not ice, the quartet made it a point towalk carefully as the thought of running into a thin patch and falling through kept them all on their toes.

 

Harry slowly moved forward scanning his surroundings, ready at a moment’s notice to hex anything out of the ordinary. The others were performing in the same manner, never fixating on one area for too long a time or allowing their point of their wands to cross through a teammate.

 

They arrived at the doorway of the hut with little trouble. The building looked to be built rather hastily.The cobblestones that made up the walls were thrown together sloppily. The design struck Hermione as rather rudimentary as it was just walls, roof and the open doorway with the eerie green glow coming from within.

 

Ron got everyone’s attention and then pointed at himself and Hermione. He displayed his index finger pointed towards the ceiling and then two fingers pointing down moving in a circular motion.

 

Harry gave a nod to acknowledge his friend’s plan as Ron and Hermione set out to check the exterior of the hut. Harry knew that regardless of what they found, they would be back in one minute. He watched Ron and Hermione disappear around opposite ends ofthe hut as a feeling of anxiety caused his heart rate to increase. It took him only a moment to realize that this feeling was not coming from him.

 

He turned to find Ginny with her back to the hut. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she jumped from the contact. He walked around to face her and brought himself to her eye level. He touched her face softly as he whispered.

 

“You O.K.?”

 

Ginny’s eyes showed a fear that Harry had not seen since he rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets. It looked as if Ginny was using all of her strength to keep from screaming as she spoke.

 

“I don’t want to go in there.Please, don’t ask me to go in there.”

 

“I won’t. Are you going to be alright?”

 

Ginny slowly nodded her head as the others returned. Harry asked Ron for a report on his findings. Ron gathered them close as he used his wand to draw a simple map as he spoke.

 

“There’s no sign of anyone or anything on the other side either. The hut has no windows or backdoor. So this entrance is the only way in and out. The green ice ends at the rear of this hut and the rear doorway to this chamber is sealed shut. So now what?”

 

“We get what we came here for and worry about the sealed doorwhen the time comes,” answered Harry.

 

Harry, Hermione and Ron were making their way through the doorway, when Ron noticed that his sister was not moving. He was about to go back and get her when Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Ginny is going to stay out here and guard our exit. She’s trying not to overwork her ankle.”

 

Ron was about to say something when a look of understanding came to his face. He turned and followed Harry back into the hut.

 

Harry and Ron tried to catch up to Hermione, who had already made her way down a short hallway and around acorner into the heart of the hut. They were about to turn the corner as well, when Hermione came back around, a worried look on her face.

 

“Boys, I think we have a bit of a problem.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

“I.Q. you’ve always had a talent for understating the obvious,” said Ron as they all surveyed the hut’s interior.

 

On the three walls facing them were hundreds of identical cups, each of them giving off the same green glow that emanated from the exterior of the hut.

 

Hermione turned to Harry,“You do realize that we’re only going to get one guess at this.”

 

Ron nodded in agreement, “I’d hate to think about what sort of curse is going to befall us if we guess wrong.”

 

“Well we can’t use Revealment charms. This place probably has wards in place to block such attempts, anyone have a suggestion?” asked Harry.

 

Ron joked, “I would suggest an Accio spell, but I don’t want to sound like a complete tosspot.”

 

Hermione put a hand on each of the boy’s shoulders, “You know I really hesitate to mention this, but there’s one of us who might be able to pick out the cup we’re looking for.”

 

Harry’s facial features went dark as he turned and started walking back in Ginny’s direction. He could imagine asking Ginny to come inside the hut then he imagined her responding by replacing the bruise she had magically removed from his face…with her fist.

 

A hand on his shoulder stopped his motion. He turned to find Ron facing him, “Let me go ask her, mate.If she’s going to be angry with someone, let it be me. She used to being mad at me.”

 

Ron did not wait for Harry’s answer as he gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and left the room.

 

Ginny was still standing with her back to the doorway when Ron approached her. He took hold of her free hand with his own as he spoke, “We need your help in there.”

 

Ginny refused to meet herbrother’s eyes, “Don’t ask me to go in there.”

 

“Look, I know you’re afraid. All of us are but…”

 

Ginny looked at her brother with fury in her eyes. She pointed her finger in his face as she began speaking in a quiet but angry tone.

 

“You have no idea what I am. None of you do. Of course I’m afraid, but not of what’s inside that hut, but of what’s inside me.”

 

Ron looked as if he wanted to speak, but Ginny cut him off before he could ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue, “Ever since my first experience with Tom Riddle’s diary, a very small part of me still craves that dark power. It’s like that part of me is addicted to it. I’m just afraid that one day I won’t be strong enough to resist it anymore.”

 

Ron grabbed her by the shoulders, “You are stronger than you think. You always have been. You are the strongest of Mum and Dad’s children. The sister I know has never backed down from a challenge, don’t start now. I promise, we rid the world of Voldemort and that small part of you will be silenced forever.”

 

Ginny reached up to bring her brother’s forehead in contact with her own, “When did you get so smart?”

 

“Through osmosis, I’m dating the brightest witch of our age, remember?”

 

She took a deep breath as a determined look came to her eyes. Ginny turned and walked into the hut, leaving Ron to guard its entrance.

 

Ron watched his sister disappear through the doorway as Professor Dumbledore’s voice rang in his thoughts.

 

He spoke out loud to himself, “A test from within ourselves. Don’t worry sis, this is a test I know you’ll pass.”

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

“Wow, that’s a lot of cups,” said Ginny in a bad attempt at humor.

 

Harry looked at her with concern in his eyes, “You don’t have to do this. We can try and figure out another way.”

 

“No, its fine. I want to do this,” replied Ginny as she gave him a weak smile.

 

She stopped at the center of the room and took a long look at the cups that surrounded her. Not a one of them seemed any more brilliant then the others. She had no idea what she could do to pick it out.

 

Ginny shut her eyes and took a long calming breath. She allowed the small dark portion of herself to come to the forefront of her consciousness and guide the way. It started as a small itch and began to grow into an unwelcome feeling that she realized was becoming harder to control with each passing second. She knew that allowed to go unchecked, it would overwhelm her, and for a brief second she felt it had.

 

But at that moment she felt hands take hold of hers as she felt not only Harry’s presence but Hermione’s as well. She felt the overwhelming feeling replaced by love and support. It felt as if they each took a piece of that dark side into themselves, helping to give her the strength to finally put the addiction to rest.

 

She opened her eyes to find her companions by her sides. She was smiling as she had the answer they were looking for.

 

“That one, right there,” said Ginny as she pointed to a cup on the bottom shelf to her left.

 

“You sure?” joked Harry as he removed his backpack.

 

“As sure as I am that I’m in love with you,” answered Ginny as she watched him place the cup into his pack.

 

As soon as Harry zipped up the cup in his backpack, they all heard an incredibly loud noise, like the sound of thunder but made louder due to the enclosed space.

 

“What was that?” asked Ginny.

 

“Something tells me that we really don’t want to know,” answered Harry as he secured his pack.

 

A look of terror came to Hermione’s eyes, “Where is Slugs...Slugs!!”

 

Hermione was just about to make her way back outside when Ron came running in. There was fear on his face as he spoke.

 

“You don’t want to go that way, I.Q. That green ice…all of it suddenly cracked open! But that’s not the bad part. What came out of the green water under it was…”

 

“Inferi!” answered the other three in unison.

 

“An army of them, all headed this way!” answered Ron as they all drew their wands.

 

The sound of the Inferi entering through the hut’s entrance filled their ears.

 

“Come on, we’ll just have to battle our way through them to get outside,” said Ginny.

 

“No, I have a better idea,”said Ron as he pulled a pair of very familiar looking gumballs from his pockets.

 

A smirk came to Harry’s face, “And you say I’m the one with a taste for redecorating houses!”

 

But Ron ignored his best friend as he tapped the gumballs together and hurled them at the rear wall of the hut. The others were just barely able to get their Protego charms up in time as the gumballs exploded.

 

The quartet did not wait for the smoke to clear as they made their way through the gaping hole that was formally the rear wall. Strewn over the ground were large chunks of masonry and counterfeit cups. But it was what lay beyond the rubble that caught everyone’s eyes.

 

There were at least a hundred of Inferi between the quartet and the rear doorway leading out of the chamber. It looked as if the explosion had knocked quite a few of them out of the way,creating a small pocket the quartet could get through.

 

Hesitation was not on the quartet’s menu as they began sprinting through the undead mob. Ron and Harry led the way, using fire spells to keep the Inferi at bay. Hermione and Ginny brought up the rear as fast as Ginny’s ankle would let her.

 

To Ron and Harry’s horror,the rear doorway of the chamber had not opened as the previous ones had. There were also Inferi lined up in front of it, and their numbers were growing every second.

 

The same idea occurred to both Ron and Harry at the same time as two sets of gumballs hit the blocked doorway and exploded it open. The way became clear as the explosion’s shockwave moved the Inferi.

 

As if the sprint through zombies and a blocked door weren’t hard enough, the next set of stairs, led up. But with all their adrenaline pumping, the quartet began making their way upward.

 

Harry, followed closely Ron, reached the top of the stairs to find a landing with a regular sized door at its rear. They also discovered four wizards guarding it.

 

The wizards were surprised to see two teenage wizards as both Ron and Harry took advantage of their hesitation by drawing down and firing. Three of the four wizards went down instantly.

 

The fourth wizard was able to get his magical shield up just before Ron’s spell could nail him. Hermione reached the top of the stairs to find both boys firing spells to keep the last wizard pinned down. She was about to add her own wizardry to her teammates’ attack, when a muffled voice grabbed her attention.

 

Hermione turned to see Ginny’s panic stricken eyes. She had a hand over her mouth as she struggled to break free of the Inferi that had a hold of her. There were more than Hermione could count at the bottom of the stairs and they were dragging Ginny back into the chamber, and to the water within.

 

Hermione felt helpless as shecould not risk hitting her best friend with a spell.

 

 “RED!!”

 

Hermione’s scream had barely left her mouth when she found herself having to jump out of the way as both Harry and Ron stampeded pass her, jumping down the entire flight of stairs and right into the heart of the crowding Inferi. Hermione did not miss a beat as she turned and took over attacking the last wizard on the landing.

 

Ron knew that performing fire spells could quite possibly get his sister hurt or worse. So he and Harry did the next best thing. They worked in tandem to clear space, not to save Ginny, but to allow her enough room to fight her way clear.

 

Watching Harry and Ron fight together was like witnessing a battering ram smashing a wooden door to kindling as neither held back anything in their strikes.

 

Inferi were dropping by the second as the boys drew closer to Ginny. She could hear bones cracking as they had no regard for the undead that had taken her hostage.

 

Less than half a minute later found Ginny free to add her strength to the duo. Physical attacks made way for magical ones as the three wizards, using fire spells, were very easily able to herd the Inferi back into the chamber. Ginny added a Containment charm to the blaze to keep the Inferi locked down.

 

When the three of them arrived back on the landing, Hermione was just finishing up binding the last of the wizard guards. Hermione was relived to see that Ginny was unharmed as she gave her friend a quick hug.

 

Ginny smiled, “I’m O.K. but we should get moving. All this noise is bound to be attracting attention.”

 

Hermione was the first to get to the door as she reached for the knob. Suddenly she pulled away her hand as if she were burned by it.

 

“Is it hot?” asked Ginny.

 

“No, it’s incredibly cold,” answered Hermione as they all noticed the door frosting over.

 

Ron shook his head, “Dementors too? This just gets better and better.”

 

“How many do you suppose are in there?” asked Ginny.

 

Harry had just finished tapping his glasses with his wand, “I can’t tell. None of the modes on my glasses are picking up anything.”

 

“To be honest, it shouldn’t matter how many are in there as long as we use our Patronus charms,” repliedRon.

 

“Agreed, but now might be a good chance to try out the charm I’ve been telling you about,” said Hermione with a bit of excitement in her voice.

 

Harry nodded, “Alright I.Q.,you take the lead and we’ll cover you with our Patronus charms if yours doesn’t work.”

 

“Leave it to I.Q. to make facing Dementors sound like a day at the beach,” commented Ron as he set himself into position.

 

The quartet lined up to enter the room in a quick and efficient manner. Hermione waved her wand and the door flung open. In less than two seconds, the quartet was inside the dimly lit room with Hermione flanked by Harry and Ginny, with Ron guarding her back.

 

At once they felt the cold and gloom closing in as they counted only six Dementors in the room. The dark creatures attempted to close the gap between themselves and the four wizards.

 

Hermione waved her wand in flourish and yelled.

 

“Ingemino Fortunatus!!”

 

All six creatures stopped in midair as they were each struck by a silver blue light from Hermione’s wand. A sphere of pulsating light formed around each of the Dementors as they all seemed frozen in place.

 

Harry and Ginny were in awe as Ron spoke, “Bloody amazing, I.Q., it worked!”

 

“I agree, so how exactly does this charm work again?” asked Harry as he scanned the room for any signs of movement.

 

Hermione smiled proudly as she answered, “As you all know, the Patronus charm uses a happy memory as a shield that the Dementor feeds off, thus protecting the wizard or anyone in close proximity. My charm takes it a step further by using the happy memory to trap the Dementor. It feeds the Dementor continuously by working in a repeating loop. It can still sense us, but it’s busy trying to digest the memory, which can’t be digested because it repeats.”

 

“And since it repeats you don’t have to continually concentrate creating Patroni,” added Ginny.

 

“Exactly," replied Hermione.

 

“So how long do you think the effect will last?” asked Ron as he poked a Dementor with his wand.

 

“I’m not really sure, since this the first time I’ve tested it. But I’m not sticking around to find out,” answered Hermione.

 

The others followed Hermione to yet another set of stairs at the rear of the room of Dementors. Surprisingly, at the top of the stairs was nothing but a set of doors for a common looking lift. The doors were a drab looking red with a call button to the rider’s right.

 

Ginny removed her map from her pack and spread it out on the floor, so that all four could see. After several minutes to get her bearing, she pointed to a spot on the map and spoke.

 

“We’re right here and from our information, this is the part of the trek that none of us likes because it leaves us the most vulnerable to an ambush.”

 

Harry spoke up next,“Unfortunately, the only way out of here is this lift.”

 

“Well things couldn’t get any worse than what we’ve faced so far. Let’s get the heck out of here,” said Ron as he reached for the call button.

 

Ron’s hand was just centimeters from pushing the button when Hermione slapped his hand away.

 

“No! We can’t just call for the lift,” said Hermione.

 

“Why not?” asked Ron as he massaged his hand.

 

She answered, “Weren’t you listening to Remus? There’s a device on the floor where this lift stops and it’s always monitored. The guards will know we’re coming.”

 

“So what do we do now?” asked Ginny.

 

Harry pulled his wand, “We use a Confundus charm to give a false reading on their end. Let’s just hope we don’t end up causing the lift to stop working properly.”

 

Harry pointed his wand and a yellow light flowed from it into the call button.

 

He stopped the charm a few seconds later, “Now we wait. I magically called the lift so it should be here in a few minutes.”

 

As soon as the last word was out of Harry’s mouth the lift’s doors opened. Four more wizards stepped out and both groups froze in their tracks as they saw one another.

 

Harry’s reaction time was faster as he was already holding his wand. The four Death Eaters collapsed in a heap as each was stunned. Ron and Ginny held the lift’s doors open as Hermione Body Bound the freshly knocked out wizards.

 

“I didn’t expect the lift to arrive here so quickly,” said Harry rather sheepishly.

 

“Neither did the rest of us.These four must be the replacements for the guards we took out earlier,” replied Hermione.

 

The quartet filed into the lift as Harry placed a solitary finger above the activation button.

 

“Prepare yourselves.”

 

Everyone checked and secured their equipment and without a word, set themselves facing the lift’s doors.

 

Harry pushed the button.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Members of the werewolf clan were a very ornery group. This was mainly due to being treated as sub-human outcasts by the wizarding world. When Voldemort returned and promised equality in return for their service, it was still difficult for the werewolves to accept normal wizards within their camp. To them; normal wizards, bad or good, were still not to be trusted.

 

So when the Dark lord put the stronghold on high alert, it still split the compound right down the middle.This was never more evident than inside the chamber as it was as if someone drew a boundary down the center of the room between Death Eaters and the werewolves.

 

After a week of being on their guard, the one thing they all had in common was they were growing bored.You could not blame them as they were never informed of what they were guarding or who they were guarding it against. The Death Eaters were happy for an opportunity to prove themselves to the Dark lord. But even the most enthusiastic person could become complacent.

 

The two groups within the chamber were chatting among themselves as a pair of guards watched the lift’s location board. It was another boring night and they had just sent a group of wizards to replace the others on guard duty.

 

One of the guards noticed that the lift had not moved in several minutes. He was about to mention this to the other guard but then thought better of it as it was likely the lift was being held for someone who was lagging behind.

 

The guard went back to looking at the board, when the doors to the lift suddenly slid open. Four wizards came rushing out, none of which the guard recognized. He was just about to alert the others when he and his partner were hit by spells that silenced them straight away.

 

The room of wizards and werewolves were momentarily shocked to see they were under attack. That moment was all the G.S.F. needed to strike with the speed for which they were named.

 

The guards nearest to the lift were hexed by Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Harry threw five black gumballs into the center of the room. Instantaneously, dark green smoke engulfed the chamber as the people affected by lycanthropy succumb to smoke and fell to the floor, unconscious. 

 

Harry and the others began sprinting for the room’s rear doors, which according to Remus, led to a large set of stairs, a landing that led to a long tunnel and then outside to an area that would allow them to Apparate away.

 

The room erupted in a kaleidoscope of colors as the wizards who were still on their feet got over their initial shock and began firing back at the G.S.F.

 

The quartet pressed forward with Harry leading the way and Hermione covering the rear. Ron and Ginny provided defensive magic as they threw up magical shields whenever a Death Eater got a spell off in the quartet’s general direction.

 

Harry threw a pair of gumballs at the exit doors, and then used a Shielding charm to protect his companions while at the same time directing the force of the explosion out through the doors. This proved to be a wise choice as the G.S.F. found six more Death Eaters knocked unconscious on the opposite side of the door.

 

As the others reached the stairs, Hermione turned and magically guided two more gumballs towards the ceiling near the doors they had passed through. The explosion caused a large amount of rubble to fall from the ceiling, blocking the doorway.

 

“Those black gumballs worked pretty well, eh H.J.?” asked Ron as they made their way up the stairs.

 

“Who would have thought you could modify Wolfsbane Potion to a gas form and then use it to help knock out werewolves,” replied Harry.

 

“The twins are going to love that it worked, they were so sure it wouldn’t,” added Ginny, as Harry stopped and ushered both Ron and Ginny passed him.

 

Harry turned his attention to Hermione who was about half the distance behind him, “I.Q., come on, move!”

 

“Don’t worry about me! Just keep moving! I’m right behind you!” answered Hermione as Harry turned and began running up the stairs again.

 

He watched Ron and Ginny disappear as they reached the top of the stairs. This was quickly followed by two bright red flashes.

 

Harry reached the top of the stairs to find Ron and Ginny with two guards at their feet. Both Death Eaters looked to have been stunned into a stupor.

 

The landing was larger than Remus had described, with the floor layered in multicolored tiles. In its center was a seal in the design of the Dark Mark layered out in green and silver tiles. Harry would have thought the architecture beautiful if he did not know what the Dark Mark represented.

 

Harry could see the tunnel just ahead and in the distance was an archway that led to fresh air and a quick getaway. He turned and saw Hermione reach the top of the stairs.

 

Hermione’s face was stern,“Let’s get out of here! I can hear the Death Eaters blasting away at the rubble in front of the doors!”

 

Ron, Ginny and Harry crossed the seal with Hermione on their heels, when a barrier of white energy emerged from seemingly nowhere.

 

Hermione ran into it and fell to the floor.

 

The others turned and ran back to their fallen comrade, when they realized that Hermione was on the opposite side of the wall of magical energy.

 

The barrier ran the width of the landing, as the seal was the boundary between the stairs and the tunnel.

 

Ron wasted no time as he began firing spells of different colors at the barrier. Ginny added her strength to her brother’s as she fired spells in conjunction with his. Harry continuously attempted to Apparate to Hermione’s side, while she looked to betrying the same. They all knew that, given time, the quartet’s combined magic could take the barrier down.

 

But they also knew that time was the last thing any of them had.

 

Ron continued to cast spells as Harry and Ginny stopped what they were doing.

 

“That barrier must have activated when I crossed the seal with the cup,” said Harry

 

“Maybe so, but what do we do!?!” asked Ginny in a worried voice.

 

Ron’s spell casting was getting more desperate with each passing second.

 

“BOMBARDA! BOMBARDA!! BOMBARDA!!!”

 

The barrier did not falter one iota.

 

Ron was magically drained as he stepped forward and started pounding his fist against the barrier. It blocked sound as Hermione silently pleaded with him to stop.

 

Finally, after the better part of a minute, Ron stopped as he saw Hermione’s eyes. He watched helplessly as she mouthed one word.

 

“Go.”

 

Ron shook his head as tears welled up in Hermione’s eyes.

 

“Go.”

 

Ginny’s voice sounded panic stricken, “Harry, no, we can’t just leave her. There’s got to be something we can do.”

 

Harry felt nothing but confusion as Moody’s voice sounded in his mind.

 

“The leadership position can be a lonely one. You will be responsible for making decisions that could very well mean life or death for those around you. But they are decisions you are going to have to make, regardless of the situation.”

 

Harry looked to Ginny, who looked as if she knew exactly what he was about to say, “The two of you, let’s move, now!!”

 

Ron turned from Hermione and looked at his best friend, “No, no!! We can’t leave her!! Please no!!”

 

It took all of Harry’s strength as he walked to Ron and placed a hand on his best mate’s shoulder,“I’m sorry, mate.”

 

After which Harry stunned Ron into unconsciousness.

 

“Get him out of here! I’ll be right behind you!!”

 

Ginny said nothing as she levitated her brother and looked to the face her best friend.

Hermione practically read her mind as she looked to Ginny and mouthed, “You are my sister.”

 

Ginny’s tears fell as she answered, “As you are mine.”

 

She turned and ran down the tunnel with her brother in tow.

 

Harry stepped to the barrier and looked into Hermione’s eyes. He remembered the promise he had made to her just before their training in Japan, the promise that he would die before he let harm come to her, the promise he now knew he would not be able to keep.

 

Harry mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

 

Hermione placed her hand against the barrier as Harry did the same. Her eyes showed a hint of sadness as she mouthed, “Its O.K., now go.”

 

Harry wanted to say something more but did not have the chance as a blast of magical energy hit the barrier just above Hermione’s left shoulder.  Her eyes went from sadness to determination as she tightened the grip on her wand and turned.

 

Through the barrier, Harry could just make out several figures coming over the top of the stairs. He could only watch as Hermione cut loose with her wand, firing different spells in varying directions.

 

Harry refused to leave Hermione as he could only be a silent witness to her battle of futility against the rising numbers coming up the stairs.

 

Then all at once it was over. As no less than three green colored blasts hit Hermione at the same time. Harry was morbidly reminded of Cedric Diggory as he watched her spin in the air and crash into the floor just in front him, her eyes were still open.

 

They were lifeless, as if staring beyond him.

 

He knelt by Hermione as he pounded the barrier with his fists. He fought down the rage in his heart as he hoped against the odds that maybe Hermione was still alive.

 

But those hopes were smashed when he saw a hand check Hermione’s neck for a pulse. He looked up to find the face of someone he had grown to loathe over the last two years.

 

Bellatrix Lestrange.

 

She looked at Harry through the barrier and with a sickeningly evil smile, showed him two fingers, to represent the two loved ones she had taken from him.

 

Sirius Black and now, Hermione Granger.

 

Harry stared back, not with anger, rage, hate or even sadness, but with a cold stare that betrayed nothing. Bellatrix tried to hold his gaze. But his green eyes were so penetrating that Bellatrix’s smile fell off her face as she was forced to turn away. She started yelling at some other wizards to get the barrier down. 

 

When she turned back around only a few seconds later to find Harry, he was gone. It was as if he were never there.

 

Bellatrix felt a cold chill run up her spine.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Before entering the labyrinth, the quartet had established a rallying point that they would Apparate to once they had finally gotten clear. This was a precaution in case someone got separated. The area they were to meet at was located on a small unpopulated beach front roughly thirty kilometers from where the cave was. It was purposely out in the open in case they were followed.

 

When Harry arrived, he found Ginny kneeling on the sand with Ron’s head in her lap. He was still stunned, if anyone else had seen him they would have thought he was sleeping peacefully.

 

Ginny’s eyes were red and swollen from a combination of injuries and tears. She looked at Harry’s face,and through their bond she could feel the answer to the question that was within her.

 

 But she still needed to hear the answer.

 

“Is Hermione…is she?”

 

Harry could only hold her eyes in his for a moment before he nodded that Hermione was dead.

 

Ginny put her right hand over her eyes, bowed her head, and began weeping.

 

Harry took a seat next to Ron and then used his wand to revive him. Ron stirred for a few seconds and then his eyes shot open. He sat up quickly as he yelled.

 

“Hermione!!”

 

Ron got to his feet and began looking in vain for Hermione. Harry stood as well and stopped his friend’s searching as he placed his hands upon his shoulders.

 

“I’m sorry…there was nothing any of us could do.”

 

The next thing Harry saw…was sand, as a fist sent Harry to the ground. Ron’s face went completely red as he screamed.

 

“HOW COULD YOU LEAVE HER!?! YOU LEFT HER TO DIE!! DAMN YOU POTTER!! HOW COULD YOU DO IT!?!”

 

Ron looked as if he were about to hit Harry again when Ginny jumped in front of her brother, “Ron, stop, please! There was no way we could get the barrier down in time! We had no choice! I’m guilty of leaving her as well, are you going to hit me too?”

 

Ron grabbed his sister by the shoulders and shook her, “You don’t understand…you can’t understand!!”

 

Ginny gently placed her hands on his face and looked into his eyes, “Understand what?”

 

“I never…I never…never told…Hermione…that I was in love with her!! Earlier today, before we went into the cave, I could tell she wanted me to say it. But I just made a joke! I acted like it was no big deal…like I had all the time in the world, like we had all the time in the world! Now she’s gone and I’ll never...be able…to tell her!” said Ron as he collapsed to his knees and put his hands to his face.

 

Ginny lowered herself and wrapped her arms around her brother, “She knew, Ron. She knew.”

 

For several minutes she held her brother as he wept into her shoulder. Finally, it was Ron who broke the embrace first. Gone was the sadness on his face, only to be replaced by a seriousness that Ginny had never seen from him before.

 

He rose to his feet, “What does Harry need us to do?”

 

At the mention of Harry’s name it suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen Harry since she began consoling her brother. She looked over her shoulder to find him sitting on the sand several meters away, facing the water.

 

She left Ron to gather their belongings and walked over to Harry. He was oblivious to her approach as she wiped the tears from her eyes and started speaking.

 

“Harry, what do we do now?”

 

He didn’t answer. He did not even turn around.

 

She reached out to him through their connection and felt a split second of overwhelming guilt, and then the bond went dead as if he cut her off from his heart.

 

Ginny rounded on him, “No, don’t you dare shut me out! After almost six years of ignoring me, you don’t have that right anymore! You don’t get to keep me out of your heart anymore!”

 

She knelt in front of him and began pounding him on the chest and shoulders, “You’re my husband and I’m your wife! We were all guilty of leaving Hermione behind! She was my friend too! She was my sister too! Oh God, Hermione! I’m so, so sorry!!”

 

She said nothing more as they held one another and wept for their lost friend.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

It was just about midnight and the house was a simple two story home in the middle of a suburban muggle community. To Harry, Ron and Ginny it was a harsh reminder of what they had lost and of what they were about to do.

 

Harry was about to knock on the door when Ron’s hand stopped him, “No, let me. It’s my responsibility.”

 

Harry and Ginny stepped back from the door as Ron knocked. Harry noted that his best friend’s eyes had gone dark; a light within them had been extinguished, and would never brighten again.

 

“Ron? What are you doing here at this time of night?” said Mrs. Granger as she noticed the three wizards on her doorstep.

 

He could not bring himself to say the words or look Hermione’s mother in the eyes. But he did not have to, as Mrs. Granger read his face perfectly.

 

She shook her head in disbelief as her tears began to fall, “No…no…not Hermione…not Hermione….please no…HER-MY-OH-NEE!!!”

 

Hermione’s father was at the door in seconds. Without a word from his wife, he knew that tragedy had struck his family. Ginny could see that it was taking all of Mr. Granger’s strength to keep not only his wife from collapsing but himself as well.

 

Mrs. Granger broke away from her husband as she walked up to Ron and started slapping him across his face,“You promised us! You gave us your word that you would keep her safe! YOU PROMISED US!!”

 

Ron did not lift a finger to stop Mrs. Granger from hitting him. It was not until Hermione’s father intervened that the slapping stopped.

 

Mr. Granger looked to the three wizards and with very sad eyes begged them to come inside his home. He then turned and guided his crying wife back inside. Ron followed, and Ginny was about to follow as she noticed Harry had not moved.

 

“Harry, come on.”

 

“No, you stay here with Ron and watch the Grangers. There’s something I have to do. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

 

Ginny ran into his arms and hugged him tightly, “You be careful. I love you, my husband.”

 

As soon as Ginny’s arms were clear, Harry Apparated away.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

After her friendly warning from Harry, Tonks had made it a point to always get inside the safety of her home before reading her copy of The Daily Prophet. Unfortunately, she forgot to turn on her candles before she closed her door and ended up tripping in the dark over a small coffee table she had by the door.

 

As she lay on the floor,cursing like no self-respecting woman ever should, she pulled her wand and aimed at a set of candles, when a sad voice stopped her.

 

“Please don’t turn on the lights. I really prefer the dark right now.”

 

Tonks charmed a solitary candle to guide her way and walked into her living area, “Harry, is that you? Is everything alright?”

 

Harry ignored the concern in her voice, “You have to contact the Order and ask them to provide protection for the Grangers, to get them into hiding.”

 

Tonks was confused, “Go into hiding? Why would the Grangers have to go into hi...”

 

Tonks’ questions came to a halt when Harry’s face came into her candlelight. His face was wet as tears dropped from his sad green eyes.

 

“Oh Merlin, not Hermione.”

 

Tonks said no more as her sadness overwhelmed her. She wrapped her arms around Harry as his body began shaking with his sobs.

Reviews 19
ChapterPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear