DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Harry Potter and the Book of Magical Maladies
CHAPTER 50 - A Coming Storm
The hall was dark and silent. The Dark Mark had faded. The Dementors had left. There were only four occupants left in the room, and two of them were lying limp and all but lifeless on the stone floor. A light flared in the darkness as one of the dark figures held a wand aloft.
"It's done," a voice echoed to the rafters above them all. A moment later, there was a response.
"You're certain?"
"He is all but dead now. The Dementors feed off pleasant emotions: love, hope, celebration. They could not resist, and without him, nothing could stop them from taking her as well."
After a brief pause, a second wand lit up, and a pale light shone off the dusty floor of the hall. "They've all left."
"They've fulfilled their agreement. They have driven off by the wards. Let them wander. They will keep the Aurors busy."
"The Aurors are coming?"
"Dumbledore will come, but the Aurors will find this place first."
"And we will wait here for them?"
"No... No, there will be no here for them find. Burn it down. I want this place destroyed."
"And the bodies?"
"Burn them. Burn them both. Burn it all."
"But... the others— If they don't see the body... They might not believe that he is truly dead."
"They will believe it when I tell them."
"And Dumbledore?"
"He will learn the truth for himself."
"We should at least take the wands, they—"
"No. Destroy it all. Especially the wands."
"What about Rodolphus and Rabastan?"
"This place will be an inferno when they arrive. By morning, it will be a smoldering ruin. It will be forgotten, simply another ruined home of a another wizard too weak to conquer death."
Dumbledore looked very old and very tired as he stood before them. Hogwarts had been sealed ever since the Aurors had left to search for Ginny and Harry. Most of the students had been staying in their common rooms, but most of the D.A. had been permitted to leave to attend the meeting. The Order was there, too, as well as quite a few of the Aurors.
Hermione had been sitting silently next to Ron since the meeting had been announced. They hadn't spoken, and yet she felt as if things had somehow improved between them since last night. Perhaps it wouldn't matter. Dumbledore had been tight lipped about anything he'd learned, and according to the Marauder's Map, he'd spent the entire morning sitting in his office staring at one of his walls.
As she looked around the room, everyone seemed to be in a similar mood. After Dumbledore sent out the Aurors the night before, he'd told the Order that they should know what had happened sometime that night. Most of the Aurors had come back after only a few hours, and those who hadn't, never came back at all. They seemed to have found something, but no one was talking about it. It wasn't a good sign. It was especially discouraging considering Dumbledore's recent and current behavior.
"Last night, after only two hours of searching, one of the teams of Aurors found something of interest," Dumbledore started to explain. "An old cathedral some distance south of here, Ranoch Abbey, was found ruined and burning. We believe that Harry and Voldemort faced each other there. It seems quite likely that Miss Weasley was also nearby."
Dumbledore paused to adjust his glasses. "There were quite a few Dementors in the area. The first to arrive were not prepared to face the number they found in the hills around the abbey. By time the Dementors were turned back, there was nothing left of the abbey."
"How do you know Voldemort was even there?" Lupin asked.
"The Aurors captured Rabastan Lestrange lurking around the burning rubble. Under the influence of Veritaserum he revealed that he was ordered to report there to Voldemort himself. His brother had been with him, but the Dementors were acting more feral than usual that night and they turned on Rodolphus."
"So where is Harry?" Lupin blurted out, finally asking the question that was on everyone's mind.
"I do not know, Remus," Dumbledore answered as he stared at the floor. "Rasbastan was certain that Voldemort was there, and I am certain that Harry went to face him, yet they both seem to have simply disappeared. I think we have to consider the possibility that they both died in the confrontation."
"What about Ginny?" Bill asked.
"I'm afraid we haven't found any sign that Ginny was even there. It does however seem quite likely, considering what Rabastan said. I believe Ranoch Abbey is likely the location from which all movement to and from Hogwarts was organized. If the Portkey Miss Weasley took was indeed intended for Death Eater use, it probably took her here. Of course, if Voldemort is gone, there may yet be some chance that she is alive."
"How do we know that Voldemort is gone?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. "What makes you certain that he would announce his victory?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid," Dumbledore responded. "There have been two more Death Eater attacks this morning, both on the families of Muggle-born Ministry officials, and Death Eaters have been reported across all of Britain. However, I refuse to accept the possibility that Voldemort still lives."
"Why?" Shacklebolt asked. "If the attacks haven't stopped, then—"
"Because if he is still alive, then there is nothing any of us can do."
For a short period of time, the wizarding world seemed to be in a state of shock. No one seemed to know just what to do. There had been an immediate increase in attacks, but it was cut off abruptly only two days after Harry disappeared. The Daily Prophet reported that Voldemort and Harry had managed to destroy each other when their fighting brought Ranoch Abbey down around them, while the Quibbler ran a story claiming that the confrontation never happened at all, and that the whole thing was a story baked up by the Ministry to make everyone feel safe.
Whatever safety they felt was shattered a few days later with a fresh string of attacks. The next day was even worse, and after a week it had gotten so bad that wizarding families across Britain were permanently locking their doors and blocking up their fireplaces.
The Ministry of Magic was the worst hit. The number of Auror recruits plummeted to zero. Any of them who had not fled were quickly pressed into duty. The Death Eaters targeted them especially, and wizards soon grew to fear the Aurors as much as the Death Eaters, since the two were seldom far apart.
As the weeks wore on, the attacks grew less frequent, but more targeted. The Death Eaters were slowly searching out anyone friendly to the Order or Harry himself.
The Order itself had managed to remain safe for the most part, due in large part to the secrecy it maintained. Ron and Hermione were not permitted to leave Grimmauld Place, nor was Lupin or Molly Weasley. Outside Grimmauld Place, a number of other families were similarly hidden: The Longbottoms, the Changs, the Creevy's and a number of others who chose to stay rather than flee to France or Egypt.
Once the attacks started becoming less frequent, the Order had taken a more active approach to stopping them, aided by the witches and wizards around them. They started receiving anonymous owls revealing the locations of Death Eaters. Other times, they found the Death Eaters they had been chasing lying stunned or otherwise disabled without any explanation at all. It appeared that the wizarding world was starting to unite against Voldemort.
At the same time, there was a growing dread among those who openly helped the Ministry and the Order. Every killed or captured Death Eater held the threat of the terrible retribution they might receive from Voldemort at any time. Yet he had not shown himself. The Order toiled on, heedless of the threat. Whatever Voldemort might plan would not change their task.
The start of the next term approached, and rumors of the Order and their work started appearing in the newspapers, along with other, much less believable information. The Quibbler started reporting a series of rumors which claimed that Harry Potter had not died at all, but was living in an abandoned shipyard in Liverpool, or that he'd taken up residence with a circle of old warlocks in Tibet where he was hiding from Lord Voldemort. They'd even distributed a shadowy picture of some dark haired person slipping into Knockturn Alley with a story about Harry joining Voldemort.
Despite the source of all the information, Ron had read each article several times and, though he thought it was a secret, Hermione knew that he was hiding copies of them all in his room under his Quidditch equipment.
When it came time to return to Hogwarts, Ron acted a little more eager than anyone really expected. They left earlier than they planned, though later than Ron had wanted, arriving at King's Cross via Portkey, with only Bill and Emiline Vance with them. As they walked toward the barrier, Hermione couldn't help but feel a little of Ron's hopefulness.
If Harry were alive, he would be there. If some miracle had allowed him to escape Voldemort, she knew Hogwarts would be the place he would find them. It had always been his home, long before he even knew it existed.
And if Harry was alive, he would have Ginny with him.
She frowned as he flattened his fringe for what seemed to be the hundredth time. It was a useless attempt. His hair simply refused to stay in place and cover the scar he hated now more than ever. The long journey, locked in a compartment and hidden away from the other students had worn away her patience.
"Just give it up," she told him. "No one is even going to notice."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that supposed to be a joke? Where exactly have you been for the last six years?"
"Well, it's not your scar that will be drawing all the attention."
"Easy for you to say. No one can see yours."
She felt her jaw lock, as she stiffened in her seat. After a couple deep breaths, she forced herself to ignore the comment and turned to stare out the window as they passed Hagrid's hut. It was empty. All of Hogwarts looked empty. After months of constantly seeing Aurors strolling about, the grounds felt eerily deserted now.
"I'm sorry..." he apologized after the awkward silence. "I'm just a little tense, you know? It's been three months."
"I know," she said flatly as the main door to the castle slid into view. The carriage came to a stop and they both climbed out. Hand in hand, they walked quickly into the castle, completely ignoring Peeves and hoping avoid the students who were not far behind them.
The Great Hall was empty except for the Headmaster and some professors at the head table. They walked in together and silently surveyed the empty room.
"He's not here," she told him. Dumbledore was already walking toward them.
"He's got to be here."
"No. He doesn't. We knew when we came that—"
"There's no where else he would go!" he shouted at her. The first of the students at the door froze upon hearing him yelling. He pressed his hair down over his scar again.
"Good evening, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted them. "I trust the train ride went smoothly."
"Yes, it did," she answered quietly.
"Where is he?" Ron asked almost threateningly. "It's been three months. Why hasn't he shown up?"
"I have nothing more to explain to you now than I did then, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied wearily. "We must all move on, even if there is little hope left. If indeed there is no hope at all, then we would do well to follow the example set by Harry and Ginny. We will fight this, and if we are doomed to failure, then we will fail courageously."
Students were streaming into the Great Hall now, many of them listening to what Dumbledore was saying. "The two of you will have to take his spot. You won't be alone. The war has truly started now, and we will need every witch and wizard who can help us."
Torches blazed to life in Gryffindor Tower, signaling the arrival of the students. At the same time, a pair of cloaked and hooded wizards stepped out of the shadow of a large oak tree just outside the main gate to Hogwarts.
"Is it time?"
"Not yet."
"We have been here for hours. How much longer will we have to wait?"
"Not long, I promise, but it will not be tonight. We will return, but not until it's over —not until everyone who supported him has fallen."
"Then why did we come here? We should go back to Knockturn Alley."
"They will still be there when we return. The Order will not attack anyone tonight, and I have some important business to attend to tonight."
"And what did you plan to do? Did we come for them? They came and passed in the very first carriage. You must have seen them. They were alone. If we were here for them, why not do it then?"
"The other students would have found out. It's not yet time to reveal ourselves."
As they were speaking, a small shape was speeding toward them. As it flew nearer, they both turned to look at it. The owl's wings fluttered a few times as it quickly slowed and dropped toward the oak tree.
The taller figure reached into his cloak and pulled out a piece of parchment. He quickly folded all four sides toward the center, forming a pouch of sorts. From another pocket, he drew a long chain with a small talisman hanging from it and carefully placed it into the pouch.
"I thought you said they would be safer if they thought we were gone."
"They would be safer," he agreed simply.
She stared at him and frowned. "And yet, here we are."
"Yes," he said with a nod. "Here we are."
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Very well," she said as she reached into her hood briefly and slowly extracted a long golden chain carrying a single large jewel which glowed and flickered like a small candle in the dark. She quickly handed it to him.
He took the necklace and gently placed it into the pouch as well, making it glow briefly. He folded over the last flap but couldn't find any way of keeping it shut. Giving up, he pulled out his wand.
"Hold on," she said as she grabbed his arm. "I won't be needing this." She was already reaching into one of her pockets, and when she withdrew her hand, it was holding a small metal pin. She stuck it through the parchment flaps, fastening them together and securing the pouch.
He took the pouch with a smile, and handed it to the owl. "You know who to take this to?" The owl hooted happily. "Alright then. Goodbye for now. I promise I will come back when it's done." With one last hoot, the snowy owl leapt into the air, and headed back to the castle.
"We're endangering them," she said.
"They've always been in danger."
"They will know we were here. What if they tell others?"
"I don't think they ever really believed we were gone. They will know now, and they will also understand."
Before the owl had even reached its destination, the hooded wizards were already gone, leaving no other evidence of their visit. It reached the window to the Gryffindor common room just as the first years were headed up to their dormitories.
The gloomy moods of their oldest prefects had infected the room, and it was uncharacteristically quiet for the night after the Entrance Feast. They were sitting silently on the couch facing the fireplace and trying to find some reason to do anything other than sit and stare at the fire. They didn't even notice the tapping at the window.
"Oy, Ron!" one of the new fifth years shouted. "I... I think you've got an owl from Dumbledore."
Ron turned to give the boy a disgusted glare, but paused upon seeing Hedwig sitting on the ledge outside the window. With a quick look at Hermione, Ron walked over to the window. Dumbledore had been using Hedwig over the summer to send messages to and from Hogwarts, but Ron couldn't imagine what Dumbledore needed Hedwig to tell him now.
He let the owl into the room as Hermione walked over to his side. Hermione warned off a number of students who were crowding around them as Ron took the folded parchment from Hedwig. They both stopped upon seeing the golden prefect's pin holding it closed. Ron quickly pulled the pin free and opened the parchment.
Upon seeing the contents, they froze and stared at each other in shock and confusion. Slowly the empty stares gave way to small, restrained smiles. Ron pocketed the contents and crumpled the parchment and tossed it into the fire.
"What was that about?" Seamus asked.
"Just Head Boy and Girl business," Ron replied dismissively. Together, he and Hermione returned to the couch and stared into the fire. Their expressions were quite different now, but no one had the courage to ask them about it. The rest of the Gryffindors knew not to press either of them, and they all eventually left for their dormitories, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
When the last student had left, Ron drew out the two chains. He handed one to Hermione, and slowly clasped one around his own neck and stared down at the simple snake talisman it held. With a smile Hermione took hers and did the same, letting the jewel flicker and glow in the firelight. Without a word, they both slipped the chains under their robes and shirts, hiding them from the rest of the world.
Author's Notes:
Thus have we reached the final end of our tale. I thank everyone for reading, and hope that any of you who were formerly upset with me, have changed their minds after reading this chapter. If you liked this chapter, and felt it was an excellent way to end the story, then you have 'rdprice52' to thank for that. She was sadly subjected to the original version, but eventually recovered after a few emails and helped me revise the ending to account for the fact that none of you are actually able to read my mind.
Feel free to review if you like. If you actually want any response from me, you'll probably want to go for emails instead. I'll keep an eye on the reviews, but I'll respond faster to emails.
I hope everyone enjoyed the journey. Sorry I could string it out a bit longer. You'll have to endure a whole week or so until Book 6 comes out and pushes all of this into Alternate Universe status.