Xenith
Chapter Forty-eight
Harry had all of his things moved into his summer lodgings with only minimal mishaps on the part of Dobby the house elf. His new bed was to the right side of a cozy, smaller version, of his normal dormitory. The four-poster against the opposite wall, presumably belonging to Terence, was pristine and untouched; only the large black trunk at the end of the bed giving any hint that the wizard had been there.
The end of the year feast was due to start any minute now and he was still only half dressed. He didn't want to go. Didn't want to face the school. He knew, without the shadow of a doubt that Dumbledore would be mentioning Ron and Fred in his closing speech, and therefore, by association drawing attention to Harry. And Harry hated attention.
"Hey," Harry turned to the voice at his door. It was Ginny. "Are you ready?"
"Almost," he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Are you?"
"No," she watched as Harry finished getting dressed. "So I won't see you all summer then?"
"No, I don't think so," he followed her out into his new common room and into the outside corridor. She nodded, her hand creeping into his as they walked.
They continued towards the Great Hall in silence for several minutes before Ginny finally said. "I'll miss you, Harry."
Harry stopped and turned to look her in the eyes. "I'll miss you too Gin." He ran his fingers along her freckled cheek, tucking a stray ginger lock behind her ear. A look of terrified desperation ran through her eyes before she flung her arms around Harry's neck, kissing him with all the passion and fear of the future her small frame possessed.
Harry didn't want to let go, wanted to hang in that moment with her for all of eternity.
They broke apart, hearts racing, breath quick.
By the time they made it to the Great Hall the food was just being cleared and the hall was quieting in preparation for Professor Dumbledore's closing speech.
Harry slid into an empty spot beside Hermione; he was just about to budge over to make room for Ginny but she had moved to the end of the table before he could say anything.
Dumbledore stood at the head table, the already somber hall quieting immediately.
Their Headmaster had changed quite drastically over the past year, his eyes no longer held their sparkle, his face had grown grim, his body had lost its youth-filled bounce, he was quiet . . . old.
Harry gave a half-audible sigh. //This can't be good.//
"Several of our number, strong and brave students," Hermione's mall, trembling hand found Harry's beneath the tabletop. "Are missing tonight. Three, taken-from this school, eight abducted from Hogsmeade. Family, friends, and lovers have been taken from, murdered in, their homes, their places of work. I know not what to say." The silence that followed was maddening. Dumbledore ran a frail hand over his face. Professor McGonagall touched his arm encouragingly, nodding her head slightly. "Today, tonight," he rose his goblet. "We honour them. The brave children who have given their lives for the side of good." Harry chanced a sideways glance at Hermione. Her eyes were red, tears streaming silently down her pale cheeks. "Tonight, we raise our glasses to the students missing from our hallways. For Dean, Dennis, Lauren, Sally-Anne, Fred, Ron, Grahm, Templeton, Cho, Stewart, and Lisa. Tonight we honour our friends and our families." Dumbledore returned to his seat leaving the school in strangled silence.
Hermione wasn't the only one weeping. Harry wrapped his arm around her, letting Hermione burry her face in his shoulder as his eyes moved down the seated Gryffindors. Half-way down the table George was wiping furiously at his eyes before smashing his fist into the table, causing his goblet to topple over. Lee offered none of his usual cheery words of comfort. His elbow was propped on the table (oblivious to the pumpkin juice soaking his robes) and his forehead pressed into his hand. Ginny wasn't any better, although she seemed to be past tears and past anger---past any sort of physical emotion. She was seated at the very end of the Gryffindor table by herself, still as a statue and paler than the Bloody Baron.
A raking sob tore through Hermione, shaking Harry back to her. "Shush," he offered half-heartedly, wrapping his other arm around his best friend and burring his head in her mass of curls---needing to hang on to someone just as much as she did. "He's fine. They're all fine." Another titanic sob was her only reply. "We'll all be fine." He *silently prayed that they would be. They had to be---needed to be. For Ron. He'd be strong.
For Ron.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- the end -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Book six: Losing Hope Coming soon!
Here's a little taste of what's to come:
"How many times do I have to say NO?" Fred and Ron heard an indignant voice say as it passed their dungeon door.
"Fred---doesn't that voice sound familiar?"
"Yeah . . . let me listen." His heart began to pound painfully in his chest.
"You're a member of their Order!" The Death Eater bellowed at the eighteen year-old wizard he had chained to the wall. "Tell me."
"No." The first voice growled.
"Is that---"
"It can't be---" The two Weasley's said at the same time completely dumbfounded.
"Lee!" Both boys leapt from their spots in the corners of the prison and ran for the dungeon door.
There was a massive grunt as the Death Eater hit the young wizard in the chest.
"Fred?" he coughed out. "Ron?"
"Don't speak to the other prisoners!" The Death Eater threw his wand arm behind him. The curse flew through the tiny window in the door, smashing the glass to bits and knocking Ron and Fred to the back of the dungeon. "Now," the cloaked figure rounded on Lee. "You will tell me now and live just a bit longer, or you can make me drag the information out of you and die much sooner. It's your choice."
"And what is it, EXACTly, that you want to know?" he threw a brave, bruised, grin at the man.
"Lee!" Fred was fighting the conflicting emotions that were running through his head. Lee couldn't say anything. Not a word. But it was Lee. LEE. His best friend. He couldn't die . . . not like this.
"Don't be smart with me boy. Tell me who you are working with. Who else is in that bloody Order!"
"I am afraid I am not privy to such confidential information."
"Don't lie! You were on your way to someone."
"I was on a school trip to Hogsmeade!" Lee interrupted.
"You're out of school! Who were you supposed to contact?"
"A mammal." Lee snarled through a barely controlled smirk.
"Demolishio!" There was a terrible crack and a strangled cry as Lee's forearm snapped. "Who was it?!"
"Don't Lee!" Ron bellowed, leaping at the door again. "Lee you can't say anything!" He banged his fists against the thick wood.
"I know you git," he replied through clenched teeth.
"Who?" The Death Eater repeated venomously.
"I'll die first." Lee spat.
"That can be arranged."
"Do something Fred." Ron hissed, turning on his brother.
A/N: so everyone, I finally finished it! Keep an eye out for the next installment of my little trilogy here . . . 'Losing Hope' by me! Xenith. I already have it started, I promise!!!
Please review!
Chapter Forty-eight
Harry had all of his things moved into his summer lodgings with only minimal mishaps on the part of Dobby the house elf. His new bed was to the right side of a cozy, smaller version, of his normal dormitory. The four-poster against the opposite wall, presumably belonging to Terence, was pristine and untouched; only the large black trunk at the end of the bed giving any hint that the wizard had been there.
The end of the year feast was due to start any minute now and he was still only half dressed. He didn't want to go. Didn't want to face the school. He knew, without the shadow of a doubt that Dumbledore would be mentioning Ron and Fred in his closing speech, and therefore, by association drawing attention to Harry. And Harry hated attention.
"Hey," Harry turned to the voice at his door. It was Ginny. "Are you ready?"
"Almost," he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Are you?"
"No," she watched as Harry finished getting dressed. "So I won't see you all summer then?"
"No, I don't think so," he followed her out into his new common room and into the outside corridor. She nodded, her hand creeping into his as they walked.
They continued towards the Great Hall in silence for several minutes before Ginny finally said. "I'll miss you, Harry."
Harry stopped and turned to look her in the eyes. "I'll miss you too Gin." He ran his fingers along her freckled cheek, tucking a stray ginger lock behind her ear. A look of terrified desperation ran through her eyes before she flung her arms around Harry's neck, kissing him with all the passion and fear of the future her small frame possessed.
Harry didn't want to let go, wanted to hang in that moment with her for all of eternity.
They broke apart, hearts racing, breath quick.
By the time they made it to the Great Hall the food was just being cleared and the hall was quieting in preparation for Professor Dumbledore's closing speech.
Harry slid into an empty spot beside Hermione; he was just about to budge over to make room for Ginny but she had moved to the end of the table before he could say anything.
Dumbledore stood at the head table, the already somber hall quieting immediately.
Their Headmaster had changed quite drastically over the past year, his eyes no longer held their sparkle, his face had grown grim, his body had lost its youth-filled bounce, he was quiet . . . old.
Harry gave a half-audible sigh. //This can't be good.//
"Several of our number, strong and brave students," Hermione's mall, trembling hand found Harry's beneath the tabletop. "Are missing tonight. Three, taken-from this school, eight abducted from Hogsmeade. Family, friends, and lovers have been taken from, murdered in, their homes, their places of work. I know not what to say." The silence that followed was maddening. Dumbledore ran a frail hand over his face. Professor McGonagall touched his arm encouragingly, nodding her head slightly. "Today, tonight," he rose his goblet. "We honour them. The brave children who have given their lives for the side of good." Harry chanced a sideways glance at Hermione. Her eyes were red, tears streaming silently down her pale cheeks. "Tonight, we raise our glasses to the students missing from our hallways. For Dean, Dennis, Lauren, Sally-Anne, Fred, Ron, Grahm, Templeton, Cho, Stewart, and Lisa. Tonight we honour our friends and our families." Dumbledore returned to his seat leaving the school in strangled silence.
Hermione wasn't the only one weeping. Harry wrapped his arm around her, letting Hermione burry her face in his shoulder as his eyes moved down the seated Gryffindors. Half-way down the table George was wiping furiously at his eyes before smashing his fist into the table, causing his goblet to topple over. Lee offered none of his usual cheery words of comfort. His elbow was propped on the table (oblivious to the pumpkin juice soaking his robes) and his forehead pressed into his hand. Ginny wasn't any better, although she seemed to be past tears and past anger---past any sort of physical emotion. She was seated at the very end of the Gryffindor table by herself, still as a statue and paler than the Bloody Baron.
A raking sob tore through Hermione, shaking Harry back to her. "Shush," he offered half-heartedly, wrapping his other arm around his best friend and burring his head in her mass of curls---needing to hang on to someone just as much as she did. "He's fine. They're all fine." Another titanic sob was her only reply. "We'll all be fine." He *silently prayed that they would be. They had to be---needed to be. For Ron. He'd be strong.
For Ron.
---
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- the end -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Book six: Losing Hope Coming soon!
Here's a little taste of what's to come:
"How many times do I have to say NO?" Fred and Ron heard an indignant voice say as it passed their dungeon door.
"Fred---doesn't that voice sound familiar?"
"Yeah . . . let me listen." His heart began to pound painfully in his chest.
"You're a member of their Order!" The Death Eater bellowed at the eighteen year-old wizard he had chained to the wall. "Tell me."
"No." The first voice growled.
"Is that---"
"It can't be---" The two Weasley's said at the same time completely dumbfounded.
"Lee!" Both boys leapt from their spots in the corners of the prison and ran for the dungeon door.
There was a massive grunt as the Death Eater hit the young wizard in the chest.
"Fred?" he coughed out. "Ron?"
"Don't speak to the other prisoners!" The Death Eater threw his wand arm behind him. The curse flew through the tiny window in the door, smashing the glass to bits and knocking Ron and Fred to the back of the dungeon. "Now," the cloaked figure rounded on Lee. "You will tell me now and live just a bit longer, or you can make me drag the information out of you and die much sooner. It's your choice."
"And what is it, EXACTly, that you want to know?" he threw a brave, bruised, grin at the man.
"Lee!" Fred was fighting the conflicting emotions that were running through his head. Lee couldn't say anything. Not a word. But it was Lee. LEE. His best friend. He couldn't die . . . not like this.
"Don't be smart with me boy. Tell me who you are working with. Who else is in that bloody Order!"
"I am afraid I am not privy to such confidential information."
"Don't lie! You were on your way to someone."
"I was on a school trip to Hogsmeade!" Lee interrupted.
"You're out of school! Who were you supposed to contact?"
"A mammal." Lee snarled through a barely controlled smirk.
"Demolishio!" There was a terrible crack and a strangled cry as Lee's forearm snapped. "Who was it?!"
"Don't Lee!" Ron bellowed, leaping at the door again. "Lee you can't say anything!" He banged his fists against the thick wood.
"I know you git," he replied through clenched teeth.
"Who?" The Death Eater repeated venomously.
"I'll die first." Lee spat.
"That can be arranged."
"Do something Fred." Ron hissed, turning on his brother.
A/N: so everyone, I finally finished it! Keep an eye out for the next installment of my little trilogy here . . . 'Losing Hope' by me! Xenith. I already have it started, I promise!!!
Please review!