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SIYE Time:21:42 on 28th March 2024
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The War We Fight
By Lady of the Dragon

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Category: Post-OotP
Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fluff
Warnings: Violence
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 175
Summary: This is the story of a war. A war between good and evil, light and dark. This is the war Harry will fight, where he will learn the meanings of life and death, love and friendship, sorrow and betrayal, honor and hardship. This is the war where he will fulfill his destiny.

H/G with some R/H sixth year fic.
Hitcount: Story Total: 94864; Chapter Total: 4066







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A/N: Part two... Sorry the chapter is cut in two, I have no idea why this is happening...

Chapter 12 - part two: Of compromises and further drifting


The door to the study Ginny was in burst open, and Harry stormed in. Things hadn't gone too well at the meeting, then, Ginny thought. Especially if the flash in Harry's eyes and his inability to stand still were anything to go by. Her heart constricted when she realized that, more than angry, Harry was hurt.

Cursing Dumbledore under her breath, she motioned for him to come and sit beside her in the couch. She wanted to know what had happened, but first she needed Harry to calm down some.

He sat, but didn't look at her. She wondered if he was even aware that she was there. He simply let his head fall in his hands, and tried to get a grip on his emotions. Ginny hesitated for a moment, wondering if maybe she should simply leave Harry alone for a while, let him deal with things. But finally, she decided to stay. She was his friend, and she wouldn't leave him alone when he so obviously wasn't fine.

She tentatively reached forward, and put a comforting hand in his hunched back, rubbing it soothingly. She could feel his heartbeat and his quick breathing under her fingers, and it calmed her, knowing that he was there, even if he was an emotional wreck. She waited until he had calmed enough for his hands to stop shaking, and said, “I take it the meeting didn't go well?”

“Understatement, Gin.” Harry mumbled, his voice muffled by his hands.

She didn't want to force him, but she felt compelled to ask, “Do you want to talk about it?”

He sighed deeply, and let his head fall back on the couch, closing his eyes. Ginny felt that he was trying to run away from this whole situation, that all he wanted at the moment was to get as far away from that house and those people as he possibly could. It scared her, for she wondered how much longer he could stand, before he snapped and simply walked away. As far away as he possibly could.

It took a while, but finally he started talking. “Dumbledore…was being Dumbledore. Why does he insist in treating me like a child, Gin? Why does he continue to keep me in the dark? After everything that's happened, everything I've been through, he only sees the stupid eleven year old that arrived at Hogwarts and knew nothing about magic.”

He grew silent, but Ginny knew better than to interrupt him. She knew he wasn't done yet.

“He knows this is my war, and that I can't possibly fight it without information. He knows it will eventually come down to me, and only me.” He gave a mirthless laugh as he continued. “Believe me, this point was brought home pretty effectively last June. Then why doesn't he let me loose? Why?”

Ginny started as she heard the last bit of his diatribe. What did Harry know? What did Dumbledore know that they didn't? He sounded so sure! She was torn between asking, and waiting for Harry to tell her in his own time. Of course, she'd always had a slight suspicion, but it was never confirmed…

Finally her curiosity won, and she asked, “How can you be so sure, Harry? What exactly does Dumbledore know that we don't?”

Harry flinched, and shot her a panicky look. It was obvious he thought he had said too much. Indeed, at the end, Ginny was pretty sure he had forgotten she was in the room, and was talking mostly for his own benefit.

For a moment, Ginny thought he was simply going to change the subject, and she would have to let it drop. But soon a sort of calm fell over his countenance, and he seemed to reach a decision. A moment latter he said, his voice cool and detached, as if he was reciting a well learned lesson, something that he had gone over so many times in his mind that he could go over it even tied up and half dead.

“You remember the prophecy that smashed at the Department of Mysteries?” She nodded and he continued. “Well, that copy was gone, but the Headmaster had heard it from the source, the Seer herself gave it to him, many years ago, just before I was born.”

“Who was the Seer?” Ginny asked, noticing that he was starting to struggle with whatever it was he was trying to say.

“Trelawney,” said Harry, “amazing, right?” She nodded.

“Well, he showed it to me, when we came back. After… After Sirius.” He got a grip on himself once more, and continued. “In short, it says that I'm the only one with the power to vanquish Voldemort, that I have some sort of mysterious power, and that, someday - soon I think - we'll have to face each other, and one of us will not walk out alive. Kill or be killed, basically.”

Ginny nodded, signalling that she had heard what he said. It took her a while longer to process everything. So, as it was, she had been right, and her gut feeling had just been confirmed. It didn't change anything. Not really, she told herself. And with that thought, she turned to Harry and said, “Well, Harry, this isn't such a huge surprise, after all. I had always half expected it to be you. After all, you're the one that saved me from Tom, and defeated him all those years ago. It's logical that you're the one that will have to finish off the job.”

He gave a mirthless laugh at this.

“Well, I never expected anything of the sort. I always assumed it would be Dumbledore - you should have seen him duel at the ministry, Ginny, a sight to see - maybe the Order or the Aurors. No. I never thought it would be me.” He was shaking his head despondently as he said it.”

She smiled comfortingly, and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. “It will be hard Harry, but you won't do this alone. We'll train and study and work our asses off until you're ready for this. You might be the one to the actual Dark Lord chopping, but we'll be there by your side every step of the way.”

“We Gin?” he asked, even if he did smile slightly after what she said. “I don't see anyone else in the room.”

Sighing exasperatedly, Ginny replied, “Yes Harry, we. Ron's being a prat, but he'll have to come round eventually, and Mione's still your friend, she just thinks that Ron needs her attention right now.” Smiling cockily, she continued, “Ron gets Mione, and you get me. Come on, it isn't such a bad deal! At least I don't make you study by force during the holidays!”

Harry grinned, and answered, “That's all a bunch of excuses and you know it Gin. The fact of the matter is that Mione can't keep her eyes off Ron, and is neglecting poor old me!”

“Oh! Ickle Harry is feeling neglected? Isn't there anything I can do to help solve your little problem?” She asked, while laughing delightedly.

Harry slid closer to her as he said, softly, making Ginny's heart catch. “Umm, I think a kiss would probably solve a big part of my problems…”

“You think so?” She answered, leaning closer to him. “I believe I could help you, then.”

Ginny was about to do as he had asked, that is, kissing him senseless, when the door burst open once more and her brother Bill walked in. The two of them jumped apart guiltily.

Bill seeing this, grinned broadly and asked roguishly, “Am I interrupting anything little Gin-Gin?” he laughed at her disgruntled glare and continued. “You should have posted a notice at the door, so no one would bother you.” Then, frowning mischievously, “Is there anything I should know about? You know, I have to fulfil my big brother duties and all…”

“Bill!” Ginny growled, “There was nothing going on that concerns you!” The way his sister was looking at a blushing Harry, and how her eyes were sparkling madly betrayed her however, as far as Bill was concerned.

“Okay, little sis, I was just asking!” He was smiling broadly, however, seeing his sister that happy was a rare thing. “Mum sent me to call you, by the way - dinner will be served in five. You two coming?”



That night, when most of the household was already tucked in bed, Hermione quietly crossed the corridor that separated her room from Harry's, careful not to crack any floorboards and not to make any noise, lest she wake Ron up.

She found the person she was looking seating before a roaring fire, even though it was the middle of summer. His feet were pulled under him, and he had a book propped on his knees. That was new. The Harry she knew didn't usually read for pleasure.

He didn't move when she entered, and did nothing whatsoever to acknowledge her presence, even once she was seated. She waited until he lifted his eyes to her face, before saying, “Hello, Harry”

“Hi Hermione. How nice of you to drop by. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Harry's voice was quiet when he said this, but she felt the badly hidden sarcasm. When had Harry become sarcastic? Hermione felt like she was missing in an essential part of her friend's life, and it hurt her more than she was willing to admit.

“I-I wanted to talk to you.” She said hesitantly, her first eagerness slightly damped by his detached response.

“I wanted to talk to you too. A pity it has to be in the middle of the night, don't you think? A pity we have to hide.” He was staring at her fixedly, and she felt uncomfortable, fighting the urge to fidget.

“What happened to us, Harry? Why did we let it come down to this?” She sighed heavily. “Since when do I have to creep up to your room to try to have a conversation with you? This is ridiculous!”

Harry didn't answer for quite some time, but then said, with a twinge of bitterness in his voice, “I would like nothing more than to talk to you Hermione. The only thing stopping you from doing that is yourself.”

“You know that's not true, Harry! Ron -”

“Is acting like a selfish prat, Hermione.” Harry interrupted harshly. “And yet you chose to stay by his side… Why Mione? I though you knew better. Or is there something else to be taken into account? Something you aren't telling us?”

“I don't agree with what Ron has been doing, Harry!”

“Then why?” They were silent a moment, before Harry said, lowering his eyes. “I needed you, Mione. I needed my friends, when I got back, and you both turned your backs on me. If it weren't for Ginny…” He stopped, and lifted his gaze.

“I understood the message, Hermione. It was crystal clear. From now on, if any of you want to get close, the effort will have to come from your side. I'm done, Hermione. I have too much to deal with right now, to lose my time and energy on Ron's petty emotional issues. And you seem to have chosen a side too, so…”

“Harry, it's not like this!” She exclaimed, pleading. “I didn't want to have to choose between my friends, Harry! That isn't fair, I thought you understood!”

“But you have chosen, Hermione. Don't you see? You chose Ron! I understand, Mione, really, I do, and under normal circumstances I would have been more than happy that the two of you are finally working things out. You did always see him as more than a friend, didn't you? And I won't even mention Ron… He's been crazy about you since fourth year, I think. Maybe even before…” He shook his head, as if to clear it from the memories, and turned back to the matter at hand. “I hope everything works out for you, Mione, for the both of you. But I can't- I can't deal with this right now. I had promised Ginny I'd try, but I can't anymore, not after today. I have so much to do! And I'm just too tired.” Too hurt, too, but he didn't say it aloud.

They sat, and uncomfortable silence seemed to fall in the room. Finally, Harry said, “You should go, Mione. It wouldn't do for Ron to find you out of bed.”

“I don't want to go, Harry. I - you're one of my closest friends, almost my brother! What happened, Harry? We were so good together!” She was blinking furiously, trying to stop the tears from falling. She didn't want to cry, not right now. She was stronger than that!

“Yeah, we were.” He smiled slightly, but his voice still had a bitter twinge to it. “We could even have given the marauders a run for their money. Voldemort happened, Hermione. And Ron's stupid jealousy happened. And now, here we are, meeting secretly, in the middle of the night.” Trying to salvage the last tatters of their friendship. Not that there was much left to work with, Harry thought.

“Do you think,” she seemed to hesitate for a moment, “do you think things will ever be the same again? Do you think everything will go back to normal?”

“That would depend greatly on your definition of normal, Mione.”

“The golden trio, like we used to be?”

“I'm still here, Hermione. I would like nothing better than to have my friends back. And by back, I don't mean empty houses at the dead of the night. I mean really back. But we wouldn't be a trio anymore.” He smiled, the first true sign of emotion she had seen in him that evening.

“Why? What would we be?” She asked, curious.

“A quartet, maybe.” He laughed at the possibilities. But sobered quickly enough when he realized the reason for this discussion. “Ginny, right now, is the only person by my side. She stayed a true friend, even when it felt like the entire word was crumbling around me. I won't simply turn my back on her because the two of you decide to stop acting like babies and come strolling back into my life.” He shook his head. “No, I could never do that to her, I owe her too much. She'll become part of our group, or there won't be a group. At least one that I'm part of.”

Mione sighed heavily.

“Ron won't be pleased. She's his baby sister.”

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously.

“Right now, I couldn't care less what Ron thinks. He lost that privilege long ago, Hermione. He's much more of a baby than Ginny ever was. At least she cares!”

Hermione looked guilty and said defensively, “I have nothing against Ginny, Harry. She's one of my only female friends! It's just that this will make things with Ron even more difficult.”

“Then Ron will simply have to deal with it, won't he?” Harry snapped.

After several minutes of uneasy silence on Hermione's part and quiet thinking on Harry's, the girl could take it no longer, and standing up, said goodbye quietly.

Harry just nodded, barely acknowledging her presence in the room anymore. He was quietly losing himself in his thoughts, hoping that sleep would come for him soon.

Hermione shut the door quietly, and with faint footsteps made her way back. She felt like all she did lately was go back to her room to cry.
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