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Harry Potter and the Serpent's Coven | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Fluff, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: R Reviews: 90 Summary: *** The author has been reminded via the e-mail address on file that this story is listed as incomplete and has not been updated in over 2 years *** Harry Potter realises that returning to Hogwarts for his final year is the only way he will succeed in his quest to destroy Lord Voldemort. It is a year of darkness, horror and new discoveries. Ginny Weasley is not only the witch who possesses Harry's heart, but also the true source of his strength as a wizard. Together, they will find new powers within themselves and each other, and find that there are some things that even the darkest magic cannot break. Hitcount: Story Total: 170738; Chapter Total: 4559 |
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Harry and Professor McGonagall arrived with a jolt outside the Burrow. It was a house that Harry had always loved, with its five smoking chimneys and peaceful surroundings that made it a most welcome change from Privet Drive. But on this occasion, he knew that there would be a great deal of tension coupled with this particular visit. Somewhere in that house, Harry reflected, was someone who would most definitely not be giving him a warm welcome, if any at all, even if everyone else did. Somewhere in that house was Ginny Weasley. The Professor knocked loudly on the door. It was opened by Bill Weasley, the eldest son, who Harry knew would shortly be getting married to a French Witch called Fleur Delacour. Bill’s face had been scarred after he had recently been set upon by Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf in the service of Lord Voldemort, but he seemed to be in the highest of spirits. “Hello Professor!” he said, shaking her warmly by the hand, “Come in, both of you; can’t have you hanging about on the doorstep!” After bewitching Harry’s trunk to find its own way up to his room whilst carrying a slightly uncomfortable Hedwig (a charm that Harry had never yet seen the like of), Bill sat them down at the kitchen table. “I’m afraid there’s only a few of us here. Charlie arrived yesterday, but he’s at the ministry with dad. Mum’s gone off to Hogsmead with Fleur and her parents, and Fred and George are still at work in Diagon Alley,” he said apologetically, “Still, you two must be hungry — “ “Actually Bill, do you think I might be able to take a walk with you around the garden”, cut in Professor McGonagall, “there are a few matters of The Order that I would very much like to discuss”. Bill followed McGonagall’s gaze to the other side of the room and nodded. “Erm, okay. Shall we?” Harry was just about to protest that he was being unfairly excluded, when he glanced around to where they had been looking, and for the first time noticed Ron, Bill’s youngest brother, sitting with his back to them on the stairs. He understood perfectly, but was very distracted at how Ron had managed to apparate there un-noticed. “Oh, and Happy Birthday Harry!” Bill smiled as they left the house. A little apprehensively, Harry sidled over and sat down near his friend. “Hi Ron,” he said edgily. Ron grunted in acknowledgement. Harry felt he could have cut the air in here with a knife. Perhaps a little more conversation. “So, how are you?” he enquired. “Mmk, I s’pose.” This was progress at least, he thought. “I’ve seen the last of my aunt and uncle now. Hopefully I managed to get my cousin in real trouble with them.” “Yeah,” came the reply Alright, so not that much progress, but what could he say? “So,” he began, “how is everyone?” This seemed desperate, but Ron finally put down the book of the past year’s greatest Quidditch moments that he was pretending to read, and looked at Harry. “She’s hardly left her room since we got back from school,” he said, getting sharpishly to the point somewhat faster than had Harry bargained for, “I don’t think she’s spent more than half an hour down here in a single day, in fact, she might as well not have been in the house at all a few days ago. Fred rolled out some extendable ears outside her door and said he couldn’t hear movement or even hear her breathing. She’s eating about enough to keep her alive, but not much more.” Harry shifted uncomfortably, wondering whether he preferred the silence to the floodgates he had now opened. “So she told you everything?” he asked. “She didn’t want to,” Ron replied, “When she looked all miserable on the train home and wouldn’t tell me why, I didn’t ask her again, but do you honestly think that with mum, dad, and four of her brothers in the house, nobody managed to get the truth out of her? She may be stubborn, but this family can make anyone fold under pressure.” Harry saw the sense in this. “So everyone knows?” “Well, once mum found out, it was common knowledge within about a day,” said Ron with a roll of his eyes. He could see a genuine look of concern on Harry’s face, and decided that it was time to be a friend to him once again. “Look mate, I can understand why you felt you had to call a halt to the whole thing. It’s not like I can judge you for it, because we’re not in the same boat, but you have to understand that Ginny’s still my sister, and I can’t exactly be thrilled at something that’s turned her like this.” he said. Harry nodded in understanding. He knew what Ron meant, even though he had never had any brothers or sisters. “Anyway, listen I forgot to say, Hermione said she wanted a word with you as soon as you got here,” said Ron. Harry brightened a little. “Oh yeah, I forgot she was here already,” he said, rising to his feet, “but to be honest with you, I’m surprised she isn’t cuddled up beside you”. Ron twitched irritably at this, but Harry could clearly see a bashful smile breaking through. “Alright, so I do like her a lot more than I used to, but there’s no need to be like that about it!” he said indignantly. Harry smiled and made his way past Ron and up the stairs. “She’s in Percy’s old room this time,” Ron called after him. As Harry climbed the stairs, he heard rapid, scurrying footsteps from the third floor, followed by a door slamming. He needed no one to tell him whose footsteps they were. As he opened the bedroom door, he was enthusiastically greeted by Hermione who rushed across the room to give him a hug. “Oh Harry, I’m so glad to see you!” she beamed. “It’s good seeing you too, Hermione” he replied, glancing over her shoulder at the various letters and copied of the Daily Prophet scattered about the room, “What exactly have you been doing here?” “Oh, that’s just me keeping myself informed,” she said casually, “but tell me, what did your aunt and uncle say about you moving out?” “I don’t think they could find the words when I left.” Hermione nodded understandingly and changed the subject. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the wedding. You know, I’ve only ever been to a muggle wedding, when my cousin got married, but I’ve been reading up on how it works in magical circles…” Harry smiled. This was the Hermione he knew, and it was very comforting to know that there were at least some things that would remain familiar and constant in these times of uncertainty. She had been like this since the first time he met her, always the bookworm who had helped him and Ron out on more occasions than he cared to remember. “Yeah, I was curious about that,” said Harry. “Has Bill shown you where it’s all taking place? Oh, and you must meet Fleur’s parents, they’re — “ “Hermione,” he interrupted sternly, “I’ve known you for six years now. Ron said you were anxious to speak to me as soon as I arrived, and you can’t try and tell me this was all about my aunt and uncle or the wedding. Be honest”. Hermione took a deep breath and looked at him with a slightly sorrowful expression. “It’s the calm before the storm, Harry,” she said, “You know that better than most. All we’re doing at the moment is holding on to whatever happiness we have.” This made Harry feel deeply ashamed of himself. She had made a good point, and he realised that there was no excuse for being so harsh. “I’m sorry, I just feel like I can’t put things in perspective anymore,” he said, staring down at the floor. “That’s okay Harry, I understand,” she replied, “And yes, there were other things I needed to speak to you about.” She sat down on the bed and took a few more breaths and bit her lip hesitantly. “It’s about certain choices you’ve made,” she said finally. Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes, I thought we’d be getting around to that sooner or later,” he remarked, fixing a suspicious look on her, “Tell me, how did McGonagall know that I wasn’t planning on going back to Hogwarts?” Hermione didn’t shrink from this line of questioning for a second. “Harry, for your information, she overheard me and Ron talking about it when we didn’t even know she was there. Even if she hadn’t heard it from us, how long do you think it could have been kept secret, especially from her?” Harry opened his mouth to speak, then realised he had no answer to this. “Anyway, she told us that no matter what you were planning to do, you would need to go back there,” she continued, “But she never told us exactly what you’d be doing there”. “She didn’t tell me either” muttered Harry glumly. There followed a few moments of deathlike silence, during which it was plain that Hermione had plenty to say, but was unusually unsure of how to say it. “Is err…Ron still downstairs?” she ventured nervously. “As far as I know,” came the reply. “Did he mention…um…Ginny at all?” she asked, looking as though she were about to try out one of Fred and George’s more hazardous wizard wheezes. “Yes, he did,” replied Harry through clenched teeth, knowing all too well the path this conversation was about to take. “Harry, she’s very upset. She didn’t even want me to share her room.” “I know she’s upset, Ron told me all about it,” he sighed, “but does everyone think that while she’s been upset, I’ve just been having a laugh?” “No, of course not! You know we would never think that!” and then more quietly, “Maybe if you just go and talk to her…” “And what good would that do?” Harry snapped, “You think she wants to see me, of all people, when she won’t even speak to her own family? I did what had to be done, and it’s bad enough dealing with that without everyone else turning on me for it!” Hermione now felt it was time to get a grip on the situation. “And you think what you did was right?” she asked. Harry looked straight at her with a offended look of disbelief. “What is that supposed to mean? Of course it was right! Have you even considered what the alternative was?” “It’s not all painted in black and white, Harry. Surely you must see that there were other ways,” she said. “Other ways?” he asked, irritably wondering what the point of this reasoning was, “Other ways? Do you not think I turned it all over a thousand times in my head before I told her I couldn’t be with her? I didn’t have a choice.” By now he was slowly pacing the length of the room, just as he had in his old room at Privet Drive. “So there’s no doubt in your mind that you did what you had to do?” Hermione offered, attempting to dig deeper. This only served to worsen Harry’s temper. “It’s not exactly a perfect world we’re living in, Hermione, in case you hadn’t noticed. Not all of us have the option of a happy life!” Hermione scowled at this. “I never said it was like that! But I’m sticking with the people I care about, and we can defend each other to the end! Why do you think you can’t do the same for Ginny?” Harry did his best to restrain himself from hexing her at this moment. He raked his fingertips down his face and stared his friend in the eye. “Listen Hermione. I don’t know where I’ll have to go, and only a rough idea of who I’ll have to meet on my way, but I’m not even sure if I can defend myself, never mind anyone else!” She remained unconvinced. “You know more about Voldemort than any of us Harry, and you know more about defence as well. I just —“ “Look, I thought you could see the reality of all this, but it really sounds like you don’t!” He paused to see a confused look of shock on Hermione’s face, and continued, slowly and forcefully. “My parents are dead! Sirius is dead! Dumbledore is dead! It’s only by pure chance, and more than my fair share of luck, that we aren’t sitting here three Weasleys short! Do you somehow think that Voldemort doesn’t know how to hurt me? You think he doesn’t know how to get to me?! I did what I did because I had to! Even if I succeed, I might not live to come back, and I don’t want to see anyone else killed because of me! Don’t you understand?!” After these words had hung in the air for a few seconds, he turned his back and began pacing slowly again. There had been a question burning in Hermione’s mind that she felt had to be asked, but just as she was debating whether now was the right time, she simply blurted it out. “But Harry, is this what you actually want?” Harry spun around and gave her an unwavering look that made her fear he would spontaneously combust on the spot, or even explode, taking the whole of The Burrow with him. “OF COURSE IT’S NOT WHAT I WANT! I LOVE HER WITH ALL MY HEART, AND I ALWAYS WILL! IF THERE IS ANYTHING FOR ME BEYOND DEATH, I WILL LOVE HER THERE TOO! IF I THOUGHT THERE WAS ANY WAY I COULD PROTECT HER TO THE END, I WOULD BE HOLDING HER IN MY ARMS RIGHT NOW!!” Despite the shock of Harry’s outburst, Hermione was now smiling warmly back at him. It was only in the following silence that they heard the quiet, tearful sniffing from outside, and before Harry could even turn towards the door, the sound of footsteps that rapidly ascended to the third floor, and a door slamming. As Harry turned to leave, Hermione rose to her feet and pulled him back. “Now isn’t the time Harry. Just let her be.” Harry trod slowly across the room and sat down on the bed, feeling broken. “Hermione, even if I fought my way through all Voldemort’s followers and killed him, and made it back alive, I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Ginny,” he said, close to tears himself, “or any of you, for that matter. I’d end up in St Mungo’s Hospital for the rest of my life, not caring whether I lived or died.” She looked at him with fierce determination in her eyes. “You will succeed Harry. You will find a way”. |
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