The following day, Ron, Hermione and Neville were surprised to find all the DA members, with the exception of Luna, Harry and Ginny of course, impatiently waiting for them at the Gryffindor common room.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ron although he already knew why.
"Because of this, mate. Now, tell us what's wrong." said Lee seriously as he handed them the latest copy of varied newspapers.
"Err ...umm---" he began but was rudely interrupted by an irritating voice.
"I knew it! Harry's been so weird lately. Now, I know why." said Zacharias with a smirk.
"Shut up! Let him talk." snapped the usually jolly twins to him.
"Do you believe what's written there?" asked Hermione shrewdly to the new arrivals.
"Of course not! Harry would never do such a thing!" exclaimed Cho positively.
"Are you kidding? We never believed in the papers at all." said Fred indignantly.
"Yeah, we prefer to hear it from the source." added George with the same incredulous expression.
"Absolutely not!" exclaimed another.
Hermione leaned at Ron for support. "What if we tell you that aside from what you've read, Harry tried to rape Ginny yesterday and escaped after attacking Snape? What would you think then?" A deafening silence filled the room.
"Well, actually, we do not know for sure yet but we have think that someone was impersonating him. I mean -- that's the only logical reason, isn't it?" said Neville calmly.
"Is it? I-I guess I'm not so sure." said Parvati hesitantly.
"Me, too. But Harry is not like that, is he?" said Padma, staring down at her shoes as she did so.
"Clearly, too much solitude and hanging out with Loony unhinged his brain." commented Zacharias sarcastically but no one reacted to his taunt.
"Ron?" The twins, unsure of what to say, turned to their youngest brother in bewilderment.
"Harry was the one who risked his life to prevent Voldemort from getting the Sorcerer's Stone. He saved my sister from his evil clutches, killing a dangerous basilisk in the process. He spared the life of the person who betrayed his parents when he could have had his revenge. And most importantly, he gave us hope when everything was at its worst. If those are not enough to convince you of Harry's innocence, then I pity you." Ron spoke in a hushed tone but everyone was hanging on to his words. "I chose to believe that Harry's not guilty. Had the situation been reversed, I believe he would do the same for me."
"Several times, Harry had been accused of lying but he was always proven innocent in the end. I have no reason to suspect that this case would be different." said Neville with such vehemence that astounded the others.
"But what about the attacks? Many eyewitnesses attested to the fact that it was really him." said Zacharias in confusion.
"No, those are mere illusions." said Hermione defiantly.
"You know this whole thing is laughable. I'm sure dad would set things straight soon." said Fred confidently.
"Hmmm...." began Hermione, trying to discern if it would be wise for them to know what the Order had decided. "Moody told us to go along for now and see where this will lead us. But he also said we have to keep an ear and eye out for clues. If their theories are correct, then a new dark lord could be emerging and using Harry to divide the wizarding community."
"So, are you saying that we have to pretend that we really believe the news?!?" said George incredulously as if he found the idea ridiculous. "What if Harry found out? He'd be mad for sure!"
"Then we'll simply explain. Listen, as of now we don't know what's going on yet so until we discover something, let's go along with the flow but we don't need to announce it to the whole world. A dignified silence will do." said Hermione patiently.
This time no one commented.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'll be writing about Harry's situation and Luna's Recovery next. Please remember to review. Thanks!
Chapter 6 - Not Just a Dream
After the other DA members had left, the three searched the castle once more for any proof of Ginny's whereabouts and procured some books from the Restricted Area which they forgot to explore earlier in their disoriented state. The next day, feeling oddly tired and spent, they made their way half-heartedly to the Great Hall to have their breakfast. It had only been four days since the term had ended and yet it felt like years.
"I honestly thought this was going to be our best vacation ever..." spoke Ron heavily as if the mere effort of speaking drained him of energy.
"Yeah - with Voldemort gone, I had hoped that we could finally get together without the fear of being attaked." agreed Neville. "A party would be nice, I guess, but just hanging out without worrying about dark wizards would be pleasant enough."
"Sometimes, it's really difficult to be friends with Harry. Things always happen to him and we always get involved somehow." said Ron thoughtfully. "The only difference is that we usually do it with him but now, we don't even know where he is or if he's still alive..."
"Now, don't say that Ron..." said Hermione reproachfully and bent her bushy-haired head to continue perusing a book they had acquired the night before. It was really depressing to hear someone say it out loud. It made the whole thing seem more real. But Ron went on as if he had not heard her or if he had, he just chose to ignore her.
"Then, there's the thing with Ginny. Foolish girl, I don't know what came to her - leaving the castle like that, without so much as a note to inform us if she's safe!" He paused for a while to pour himself a drink. "She really scares me sometimes. First, that thing with that Malfoy git and now, this." He had a far away look on his face, then he shook his head slightly as if he was dismissing a negative thought.
"Hey! Look who just arrived." exclaimed Neville suddenly, jerking Ron back from his momentary stupor and startling Hermione into slamming the book shut in surprise. Her eyes immediately widened with bewilderment as she identified the approaching figures.
"Why are you all here again? I thought we all agreed to hunt for clues? We can't gather much information if we're all here." said Hermione in mild annoyance as she saw the former DA members drew near.
"Well, we just found out the hard way that the business atmosphere now is far from accommodating. We decided to close the shop until this whole ridiculous scam is over. People refused to buy our stuff now just because we're friends with Harry and some had already resorted to vandalizing our premises." admitted Fred ruefully.
"The fools seem to think that we had an evil conspiracy with Harry and that our products are basically dark objects in disguise. They didn't mind before though but now....I don't know. People are really gullible sometimes." said George with the same dejected tone.
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Cho and Lee quizzically, not realizing that she presented a very uncanny picture of the stern Headmistress.
"I came here because I have nothing better to do at home and besides, Cho's coming too so I decided to go with her." said Lee sheepishly.
"And I came here for Luna. There's something that I need to discuss with her...if she's okay now, that is." said Cho calmly.
"About Harry?" asked Ron curiously.
"No, about Ginny." replied Cho and decided to change the topic before he could ask any more questions. "Have you found anything useful?" she turned to Hermione.
"Not yet. But maybe you could help us. There's a bunch of books upstairs that we need to explore and it's very time-consuming." she replied. Then she added in a mock undertone. "And of course, knowing Ron and Neville, I reckoned it would be best if I just do the reading myself. Think you're up to it? The books are huge and it would probably take me forever to read it all."
Cho stifled a giggle at that but managed to nod her head solemnly in assent.
"We heard that!" exclaimed Neville and Ron indignantly but the girls just ignored them.
"By the way, has Professor McGonagall permitted you to stay here?" asked Hermione after a while.
The twins immediately shot surreptitious looks with each other while Cho and Lee looked blankly at her. Obviously, they had not thought about it.
"Well, I suppose you could ask her now. It would be highly impolite if you just stay here without informing her." suggested Neville helpfully, seeing their discomfort.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Mister Longbottom. I heard everything and I'm allowing them to stay as long as necessary. You could all stay at Gryffindor Dormitory." They were all surprised to see the Headmistress appear behind them. "Oh, I forgot to mention something. Madam Pomfrey requested for a few days of rest so Miss Lovegood shall be staying with you as well. I trust you know what and what-not to say around her. I don't want her to have a relapse now that she's making so much progress." The headmistress said and turned to leave.
"I hate it when they do that!" said Fred when the headmistress was gone.
"What?" asked Ron. "Always telling us what to do like we're a bunch of stupid kids?"
"No - just appearing out of nowhere. She's just like Dumbledore. Caught us unaware several times before with that stunt." said George.
"What were you doing then?" asked Hermione curiously.
"Must you ask?" said both Fred and George with a grimace.
"Trust me, Hermione, you wouldn't wish to know." said Lee in amusement and gave her a knowing look.
=================================================================
The seven teenagers awkwardly looked on as the Headmistress led a nervous Luna inside the dormitory. For practicality's sake, all the girls had to stay in one room and the boys at another. There was no problem with that arrangement. However, they were still ill at ease at having Luna there since her presence would hamper them from discussing anything related to their present predicament and excluding her will make her feel unwanted.
"Um - Professor, are you sure it's alright with them?" queried Luna as she noticed their strange expressions. The Headmistress glared at the seven before replying.
"Of course, dear. Why would it not be?" She replied kindly and gave her a smile that was rarely seen by students, even those from her own house.
"Oh, okay!" said Luna, still appearing unconvinced but decided to let it pass. "Where's Harry?"
"Harry is on vacation, too. You'll see him soon, don't worry." replied Professor McGonagall and shot warning glances at the other teenagers who still had not spoken a single thing. "I'll be leaving you now. Take care of yourselves."
The awkward silence continued as they watched the Headmistress leave. It seemed that everyone was quite unsure of what to say with one another especially Cho who was currently staring at Luna with such intense concentration but couldn't seem to find the words to express herself. Even Fred and George had nothing funny to say to break the ice. The silence only ended when Luna self-consciously sat down and pre-occupied herself by writing something on a piece of paper.
The boys immediately excused themselves and went back to their room while Hermione suddenly found it imperative to take a shower. Cho, still uncertain of what to do, stayed for a while, thinking that this was the perfect opportunity for them to discuss what she had in mind but she had not even uttered a word yet when Luna smiled weakly at her.
"It's okay, Cho. You don't have to stay just because we're from the same house. I can manage." said Luna before returning to what she was doing.
Cho felt her heart wrench with sympathy as she heard Luna say that. Poor girl! Always assuming that nobody wanted her around. If she only knew that she got the boy every girl was dreaming of, she would not feel so insecure. But she could not tell her yet...or could she? Before the tragic incident, they had already gotten along well and were the only ones to suspect Ginny of deception. She wanted to talk about it with someone who would understand and that someone was Luna. Unfortunately, pushing the issue now might be harmful to her. 'No, this is not yet the time for that.' She thought and she left quietly before she could change her mind.
Luna tried to push away the tears that threatened to fall as she watched Cho leave. She should have stayed in the hospital wing. At least there, she would not feel so hurt if anyone ignored her because nobody else was there aside from Madam Pomfrey who was always busy with her healing potions anyway. Her only visitor was Harry and she was contented with that. He made her laugh with his jokes. He told her funny stories about Hogwarts life...He taught her several magic tricks that she had not even imagined possible before...and most of all, he made her feel special and proud of herself. But he was away now and she was stuck in this dormitory where nobody even bothered to show her around. And they had been acting very odd...very odd indeed.
As she continued her musing, she noticed a newspaper peeking from behind the cover of the sofa on the opposite side. It looked as if it someone had shoved it there rather hastily. Feeling slightly amused and curious at the same time, she pulled the paper and began to read the front page.
HARRY POTTER MURDERED A HUNDRED MUGGLES AT A PARTY IN LONDON!!!
HARRY POTTER GONE DARK TO AVENGE HIS GIRLFRIEND'S FATE!!!
HARRY POTTER -- THE NEXT DARK LORD???
With trembling hands, she forced herself to read the articles underneath the shocking headlines but the tears flooded her vision before she could even finish the first paragraph. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
'This cannot be true!' She thought to herself then her head throbbed painfully as she attempted to process the information she had just discovered. 'So, this is why everyone's acting so weird. But this can't be true...this can't be true...' Then as the painful pounding on her head continued, several alarming images flashed dangerously in her mind. She saw her father screaming in anguish as Voldemort threw her to two death-eaters... She saw Voldemort disarm his opponents... Then, she witnessed as a death-eater shot the killing curse on her father... "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! FATHER!!!!" She struggled to stay conscious but the pain was unbearable. The last thing she heard before her body succumbed to the excruciating sensation was the terrified yells of her current dorm mates.
"LUNA!" called Hermione but was shocked to find her unconscious form lying on the ground with one hand still clutching what looked like the previous day's newspaper. She carefully removed the paper from the girl's grasp to confirm her suspicion. "WHO LEFT THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE LYING AROUND?!?" she angrily asked the others, waving the offensive paper in front of them.
Ron shuffled his feet nervously as he stared from the paper to the sofa. "S-sorry, Herm. I was in a hurry...I guess I di---"
"-- YOU DIDN'T THINK - TYPICAL! HOW WE ENDED UP TOGETHER IS STILL A PUZZLE TO ME!" said Hermione in exasperation then she carefully levitated Luna's body and placed her to a more comfortable place. "McGonagall will be livid. She hasn't even spent one night here and look what happens."
"What are we going to do now? Shall we inform the headmistress?" asked Neville timidly.
"Not right now. Let's wait until Luna comes around first then we'll take it from there." said Cho as she surveyed Luna's face. 'I should have stayed...'
"I think that would be wise. We'll take turns at keeping an eye on her until she wakes up. Cho and I can take the first turn, Fred and George next, then Neville and Lee, then Ron. Ron will have no partner because this is his fault." said Hermione and pushed the boys away before they could voice out any objection.
"I feel terrible..." admitted Cho when the boys were finally out of sight.
"Me, too." said Hermione ruefully. "I should have checked the room but I guess it escaped my mind."
"But what's done is done. Let's just hope that Luna's alright when she wakes up." said Cho in resignation.
"I hope this accident triggers her memory back." said Hermione and they both fell silent as they watched the girl who had already suffered a lot. The first hour had passed...Luna was still unconscious....Second hour....No change at all and the two girls were already feeling their eyelids droop from fatigue and lethargy...Third hour....
"No, don't harm him anymore....please..." The two shot up at once and stared groggily at Luna.
"I guess she's dreaming about her father." whispered Cho, trying her best to stifle a yawn.
"Luna...Luna...wake up!" Hermione shook Luna's shoulders to jerk her away from her nightmare.
"No.....please.....please....don't hurt him..." the girl pleaded and her body convulsed as if she was in terrible pain.
"Cho, you better get McGonagall now...I'll get the boys." said Hermione at once as Luna's cry was replaced by a howl of pain.
Within a few minutes, all were gathered around Luna while Professor McGonagall tried to locate the school nurse immediately.
"LUNA! LUNA! WAKE UP!!!!" They all shouted at once then feeling desperate, Hermione slapped Luna's left cheek forcefully.
"I saw it in a muggle movie once and it worked." she explained as the others stared at her in puzzlement. Amazingly, Luna started to flutter her eyelids slowly until she was able to pry them open. Neville quickly offered a glass of water which she gratefully accepted.
Then Luna glared accusingly at each of them. "Why didn't you tell me? And what is the meaning of those ridiculous articles?"
The others shifted their gaze uneasily. They had never witnessed Luna on an angry fit before and seeing it now made them extremely uncomfortable. She's almost like Harry when he's really upset about something.
"Luna, we wanted to tell you but Madam Pomfrey forbid us to do so. She said we had to let you heal on your own." said Cho in an apologetic tone.
"S-she also said that you might have a nervous breakdown or something...so we had to wait..." said Hermione.
"And what about the news? Haven't you bothered to correct them? That's really preposterous! Harry would never ever do those horrible things! Has the wizarding world conveniently forgot what he did for them? The sacrifices he made? How he almost died so that the others may live?" yelled Luna angrily, ignoring the others' attempt to calm her down.
"Luna, you're right. The news is rubbish. But there's a huge problem and the only thing that could help us right now is to pretend that we believe those stories." said Professor McGonagall who had just arrived along with Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey.
"Luna, drink this potion. It will help you calm down." said Madam Pomfrey as she examined her patient. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, thank you." replied Luna and turned her attention back to her housemates.
"We're sorry about what happened to your father, Luna. It must be really terrible." said Ron sympathetically. He could identify with her because he had almost lost his father at the ministry too.
Luna's expression softened immediately at the mention of her father. She remembered every unpleasant details of her life now. Her father joined Voldemort's army to ensure her safety but in the end, it had all been a lie. Voldemort never kept the promise that he would let her live if her father followed his commands. In the end, her father dropped all pretense and rushed to save his only child but he failed. He was killed mercilessly by one of Voldemort's loyal followers.
"By the way, I'm sorry if I hurt you. You were having a nightmare and we're already getting desperate so I slapped you." said Hermione.
"Nightmare?" Luna looked blank for a moment.
"Yeah...you were pleading for someone not to hurt your father." said Cho. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, especially now that I can recall everything. But who said I'm dreaming about my father?" asked Luna anxiously.
Hermione and Cho looked at one another. "Well, actually, we just assumed that you were having a nightmare about him." said Hermione.
"No, I'm not. It's Harry. He's being tortured." said Luna apprehensively and glanced back at the papers. "That's why those stories cannot be true. They've got him and we need to rescue him NOW."
"Harry?"
"Luna, you know it's just a dream...."
"No, it's not just a dream... I cannot explain it but it's like Harry was sending me a vision of what's happening to him..." said Luna desperately.
"Hey! Maybe it's just like Harry's vision when dad was bitten by a snake!" exclaimed Ron in astonishment.
"But Luna's not a seer!" countered another.
"And neither is Harry - but his vision had been accurate!" said Ron heatedly.
"MERLIN! DON'T YOU WISH TO KNOW WHO GOT HIM?!?" yelled Luna in frustration.
"Who got him?" asked everyone with great interest.
"Voldemort, of course. Who else?" answered Luna with much annoyance as if she thought that it was pretty obvious and that they were just wasting their time talking when Harry urgently needed to be rescued.
"V-Voldemort?" croaked the Headmistress nervously.
"But he's dead!" exclaimed Fred and George at once.
"No, he's not!" she insisted.
"You passed out...you didn't see everything. Harry was able to kill him." Lee argued once more.
"NO, HE DID NOT!"
"Miss Lovegood, please be reasonable. The nightmare is over. Harry defeated the Dark Lord last October." said Professor McGonagall, adopting her stern demeanor once more to settle the brewing dispute.
"NO, HE DID NOT!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!? WE NEED TO GET TO HARRY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" screamed Luna vehemently. This time, the enormous glass jar on one corner of the room suddenly exploded into tiny pieces. Then Luna's pupils vanished and her eyes blazed white with fury, scaring the wits out of those who witnessed the shocking transformation.
"How do you know?" queried Professor Snape stonily as he glanced curiously at the shattered jar and at her glowing eyes.
"Because Harry said so..."
Chapter 7 - The Unholy Alliance (Part 1)
"....and unlike some people I know, I believe him."
The DA members looked nervously at one another. Harry had repeatedly said the same thing to them but they refused to believe him. They purposely closed their eyes to the possibility just because believing otherwise was so much simpler. But they should have known better. After all Harry was the only one who have fought with Voldemort directly before. He was the only one who could tell the difference.
The Headmistress seemed terribly unnerved by Luna's outburst and was not able to say anything so they looked helplessly upon the Potions Master to take charge of the situation.
"If you insist. Tell us what you saw and let's see if it's real." said Professor Snape evenly, his expression unfathomable as he contemplated silently on what he just saw. Luna had always been shy and reserved. It was very disconcerting to see her suddenly burst with power of such magnitude in a fit of anger....just like Harry.
The others waited patiently as Luna pacified herself before she shared her vision with them.
"It would be faster if you see it yourself." said Luna, then with astonishing speed and unbelievable magical release, she conjured a white sheet over the wall and closed her eyes in intense concentration. Unsure of what to expect, they just stared blankly on the white sheet and waited. Then to their amazement, images started to appear on the screen enabling them to clearly visualize Harry's condition.
"H-how ----" Ron began to ask but Professor Snape glared dangerously at him.
"Don't interrupt her!" he whispered angrily.
=======================================================================
Harry's hands were held tightly by two thick silver chains - the only things that were keeping him from falling into the roaring inferno four feet underneath his thin body. Around him were ten hooded figures moving about in a fluid motion while two others were mercilessly taking turns into whipping his already unconscious form. His clothes were torn from the lashes and blood was oozing from his wounds but his tormentors' lust for affliction seemed insatiable.
"Is he weak already?" asked a cold voice of a figure who had arrived to check on the captive's condition. The man had claw-like fingers and ruby eyes. It was Voldemort.
"Yes, Master. We have been doing this for an hour now even after he collapsed from the pain. I don't think he would be doing much magic now." declared one of the whippers proudly.
The dark lord cackled with delight at the news then he flicked his wand slightly at the captive. "ENERVATE!"
At the spell, Harry's eyes weakly opened but he did not seem surprised at seeing Voldemort in front of him. Nor did he appear terrified. In fact, if one would look closely, one would notice a hint of amusement there. Contrary to their assumption, he was not unconscious...He was merely pre-occupied with establishing a connection with his girlfriend so that at least one person would know the truth even if he failed to survive this latest encounter. "Hello, Tom."
"So you're obsessed with pleasantries now, Potter? Don't worry, I can play along." said the dark lord in mock amusement. "Hello, Harry. I'm 'pleased' to meet you."
"No, Tom. I am the one PLEASED to meet you." said Harry and was elated to notice a shadow of uncertainty cross Voldemort's face.
"What do you mean?" asked the evil wizard venomously.
"You mean you don't know?" Harry feigned ignorance and donned a shocked look. "But your minions claimed that you were omnipotent and all-knowing...Oh, well, I guess everybody was entitled to his or her own opinion." Then he smiled widely at the dark lord.
Voldemort stared at the boy in confusion. He was not used to this abrupt change in Potter's attitude towards him. Whereas before, he could easily scare the boy, now it seemed that his long time enemy felt confident enough to scorn him despite of his obvious disadvantage. Maybe the boy was planning another surprise...yes, that must be it.
"Wormtail, bring the captives now!" he yelled instead, hoping to pull a few surprises of his own.
Within minutes, Wormtail arrived with Draco and Ginny and pushed them in front of Voldemort. But Harry still seemed unperturbed.
"What are you up to, Potter?" asked the dark lord coldly.
"Nothing. You were the one who was up to something. Faking your death like that...Merlin! You should be ashamed of yourself... really, imitating Wormtail of all people...tsk...tsk..tsk... I expected more from the DARK LORD." scoffed Harry, putting an emphasis on the 'LORD' part in the most sarcastic tone that he could manage. From his high position, he noticed a slight smirk on Draco's lips and he pondered whether it would be possible that Draco was not as bad as he thought. Maybe Luna was right...
"Yes, I faked my own death. Since I could not get hold of that ridiculous prophesy, I devised another way to find out how you plan to defeat me. Clever, am I not?" said Voldemort and his eerie laughter filled the room once again. "Now, I know your ultimate plan and I'm pleased to inform you that our brother wands won't have to duel with each other again."
"Why? You've forced Mr. Ollivander to make you another wand?" asked Harry nonchalantly. At the look of surprise on Voldemort's face, he added somewhat coolly. "You didn't think I'd figure it out, do you? Mind you, I knew about Bellatrix too. She was the person behind the mask and you put a spell on her voice and taught her enough wandless magic to effect the deception. You just forgot one minor detail, though. Even if you were able to force Ollivander to add Fawkes' feather into her wand, it WAS still HER wand and I happen to know that SHE, NOT YOU, was the one who killed Sirius. You should have gone all out with your juvenile scheme and let her use your wand."
Voldemort was momentarily taken aback by this but he recovered rapidly. He gave him a mock applause. "Splendid! But you're wrong on one account. I happen to like my wand and it will stay that way, whereas yours was already.... broken into half....by your own headmistress." He said slowly to let the devastating news sink more painfully but if he was expecting Harry to look angry or sad, he was severely disappointed. Incensed by his lack of response, he levitated the days' newspaper so that the boy could read the bad news for himself.
"Well?" prompted Voldemort.
"Well what?" said Harry, his face blank.
"What do you think about those little headlines bearing your precious name? Were you shocked that the wizarding world don't see you as a hero now? Even your friends and former allies have deserted you now..." sneered Voldemort malevolently.
"Actually - No. It would take more than that to shock me now. So what do you plan to do after successfully ruining my reputation?" asked Harry with the same blank expression. "You'll threaten to kill me again?" he added disdainfully.
"Threaten? Not threaten, Potter. I'll kill you this time and without your annoying intrusion, I would be free to conquer the wizarding world once more." said Voldemort, his eyes glinting evilly at the prospect of finally being able to remove the most dangerous obstacle in his path.
"Oh please,don't tell me we're back to that again. Honestly, couldn't you come up with a better farewell speech? It loses its sting once heard too often." said Harry, the derision in his voice was unmistakeable.
"Is that so? Maybe it would be more entertaining if someone from your own house kills you instead." He motioned Ginny to come forward gave her a wand then he pointed his own wand at Draco. "Kill him now, child, or I'll kill the young Malfoy."
Harry glanced at the two captives and saw Ginny crying silently as she took the wand handed to her with a trembling hand. Draco mouthed a hasty apology to him and lowered his gaze in defeat to avoid witnessing the event. Harry immediately lost his concentration and the connection with Luna was instantly broken.
"It's okay, Ginny. Do what you must. I understand."
Voldemort became suddenly wary of his easy compliance and decided to hasten the process. "CRUCIO!" he sent the spell at Draco whose weakened body rapidly fell on the ground in pain. Then he turned to the girl impatiently. "DO IT NOW!"
"A-Ave-da K-Ke-dav....ra...." murmured Ginny tearfully and fell to the ground in remorse as she saw the green light struck Harry squarely on the chest. Sobbing hysterically, she now realized that she had indeed foolishly chosen the wrong side. She had just murdered one of her best friends -- the same person who saved her before. How could she? She was even worse than Voldemort!
Seeing her disconsolate state, Voldemort decided that two more commands would be enough. But he did not need to stay. After all, Harry was dead and there was no need for him to waste any more of his precious time.
"Wormtail, I'll leave you here to destroy the evidences. Drop the bodies into the fire." ordered Voldemort wickedly, then he turned to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, due to your father's recent achievement, I'm willing to give you another chance to make up for your earlier disobedience. Dispose of the girl and you can come back to my good graces. You don't want to be a disappointment to your father, do you?"
Draco, whose face was still hidden, changed his expression to one of aristocratic haughtiness before he faced the evil man. "Yes, My Lord. It would be a pleasure." He heard him inform Wormtail that they would be leaving. Maybe, now's their chance to escape...
"Excellent choice, Draco. Your father shall be pleased. We'll be expecting you at the Malfoy Manor soon." said Voldemort and ordered his other servants to disapparate with him.
When Voldemort and the other death-eaters were gone, Draco and Wormtail immediately dropped the pretense and hurried to Ginny's side.
"Ginny, I could erase your memory of this if you want." offered Wormtail but the girl shook her head vigorously.
"No, I want to remember every detail of where my foolishness had led me. I want to instill in my mind that I had just murdered one of the kindest person I know. If I have to go to Azkaban for that, I will." cried Ginny and continued to sob uncontrollably.
"This is all my fault." said Draco in agony and held the weeping figure in his arms.
"Draco, Ginny...that's enough...You must escape now. Don't waste time. Voldemort will get suspicious if I don't turn up at the Manor soon." said Wormtail nervously.
"No, you must come with us. We need your help. We don't know where to go." said Draco in desperation. "And we must take Potter's body with us. The least we could do is give him a proper burial."
Wormtail silently struggled with himself before coming up with a decision. Voldemort would kill him anyway if he found out that he let the two escape. "Alright, I'll come with you." He unlocked the chains on Harry's hands and levitated him carefully to the ground. Then, he took out the portkey that he had prepared earlier in the hope that the opportunity to flee would come up. Within seconds, the four were transported to a place that only Wormtail had any knowledge of.
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The onlookers panicked slightly when the images on the screen disappeared. The last scene they witnessed was that of Voldemort forcing Ginny to slay Harry and using Draco as the instrument to ensure her compliance.
"What happened?" asked Snape, deeply disturbed by the scene. It was very real and the possibility of Harry's survival was almost non-existent.
"The connection was broken even before you woke me up. Harry must have broken it off or something ... I'm not sure what it meant..." replied Luna miserably.
"So what are we going to do now?" asked Fred.
"I don't know."
"Severus, did you recognize the place?" asked the stunned Headmistress.
"Unfortunately not." said Snape with uncharacteristic sadness in his voice.
"Then, I guess we have no way to locate them unless H-harry survived and decided to communicate with Luna again." said Hermione, feeling guilty that they had not taken Harry's warning seriously before.
"Sorry, but I don't think I could forgive you and your sister if she went through with it." said Luna truthfully at Ginny's brothers. "Cho and I already suspected her before but your emotions got in the way."
Ron, Fred and George sadly lowered their heads in shame. What Luna had said was true. If they had not been too stubborn, then they would have found out sooner what Ginny was up to and they would have been in the position to help her return to the right path. They protected her too much...and now, all of them were paying the price. This was war, and in war, ties among friends and families were usually not as strong as the bonds of choice.
Cho looked from the Weasley brothers and the irate Luna and decided that it was time to steer the discussion to a safer topic. "Luna, I was thinking... Can you also communicate with Harry through that mind projection thing?"
"I don't know. I haven't tried it yet." said Luna then furrowed her brow once more in concentration.
"Then maybe you should try." said Cho hopefully.
"I just did but there was no response." said Luna in defeat.
"Well, at least we were able to unravel part of the mystery." said Hermione to cheer everyone up. "Now, we know Voldemort's still around and that he designed a most elaborate plot to divide and conquer the wizarding world and to eliminate his enemy in the worst way possible."
"You consider THAT a good thing?" said Lee in confusion.
"Yes. It is better than not knowing anything at all." agreed Cho.
"By the way, how did you learn to do that?" asked Neville in wonder, pointing at the make-shift screen.
"Harry taught me. I also wondered why he was exerting so much effort into teaching me but now I understand completely. You did not believe him and the DA lost its purpose. But he knew that this is going to happen so he decided to share what he knew with me and we spent most of the time practicing spells. He prepared me for the worst." replied Luna in a cold voice that they had not heard before. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest."
"Luna..." called Snape when she was halfway up the stairs.
"What?"
"Nothing." replied Snape after a moment's hesitation but Luna nodded as if she was able to read the silent question in his mind.
Chapter 8 - The Unholy Alliance (Part 2)
"Ouch! Wormtail, couldn't you have prepared a softer landing spot for us?" complained Draco as they fell on a heap on a marble flooring.
"Oops, sorry. But I was in a hurry." said Wormtail defensively.
"Aahhhh!!!" They heard Ginny yell in fright. They immediately brought their wands out.
"What's the problem?"
"N-nothing. Harry's body just fell on top of me. It was disgusting!" said Ginny tearfully as she scrambled away from the corpse, looking highly embarrassed and scared at the same time. No one noticed the slight twitching of Harry's lips.
"By the way, where the hell are we?" asked Draco after ensuring that Ginny's okay.
"Godric's Hollow - Potter's old house." replied Wormtail.
"WE ARE AT POTTER'S HOUSE!!!" exclaimed Ginny and Draco, clearly unnerved by the revelation.
"Don't overreact. I just thought that this is the last place they would expect to find us...and with certain circumstances...I guess it would be fitting to return Harry's body to where it really belonged." said Wormtail sadly in recollection of his own treachery.
As expected, no one bothered to look at Harry's reaction at the mention of his house but of course, what person in his right state of mind would check for a corpse's reaction? However, had they taken the time to give him even the merest of a glance, they would have noticed his partially covered eyes scanning the room with great interest.
"Harry's parents and he would probably haunt us here forever..." said Ginny nervously.
'Oh, what a brilliant idea! Thanks, Ginny.' thought Harry in amusement. Then trying not to move his hands too much, he caused the furnitures on the room rearrange itself...Afterwards, he levitated his parents' portrait and halted it directly in front of the three.
"Wormtail, I told you so...we had to get out of here fast before it's too late..." cried Ginny but Wormtail was not listening. He knelt on the ground and apologized profusely to his former best friends.
"I'm really sorry for betraying you....Lily..James...Heaven knows I've suffered enough...and your son... He gave me the chance but I let the opportunity slip on my fingers...I was a coward...take me if it could appease your anger...but let the children go... They're still young... They can still change their ways..." said Wormtail remorsefully then he began to punch himself hard for every crime he committed under Voldemort's power.
Draco and Ginny were hugging each other for support as they watched upon Wormtail's act of repentance. It would have been funny if the situation had not been that serious but right now, it looked so creepy.
"M-Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I'm sorry too for making your son's life miserable at Hogwarts.." said Draco in the same penitent tone.
"It's my fault, too. If I had not chosen to follow Voldemort, he would still be alive today... I have been foolish... but that reason is unacceptable... You can punish me...and if that punishment would be death...then so be it." said Ginny as she continued to cry in anguish.
Harry heard their confessions and attempts at an apology but he was not quite finished yet. With another wave of his hand, he moved the portraits out of the way and projected the scene of his parents' death on the wall. Then he levitated himself high up and called their attention.
"YOU, TRAITORS! WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO JOIN THE EVIL SIDE?" his booming voice echoed around the house and the three terrified creatures faced what they thought was a zombie Harry with exceedingly contrite expressions.
"H-harry?" whispered Ginny as her eyes widened in fear.
"No enough reason to justify our actions - it was just plain lust for power and blindness to the truth." stated Draco bravely and resigned himself to his fate.
"WHAT ABOUT YOU, PETER?" his escalated body glowed dangerously as he impatienly waited for his reply.
"I have been stupid....absolutely stupid...If you can find it in your heart to forgive me then I'd be willing to die peacefully in your hands." said Wormtail and he, too, resigned himself to what lay ahead.
"HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT YOU WON'T BETRAY THE LIGHT SIDE AGAIN?" demanded Harry. The three looked up expectantly. It seemed like they were not going to die today after all.
"You're ghost could watch our actions everyday, and if you see us straying again from the path of goodness, then it's your decision to make." replied Wormtail and the other two nodded in agreement.
"Very well, I'll hold on to your words for now." said Harry then feeling the effect of excessive use of power added to the pain he had to endure before, he closed his eyes and was unable to control himself from falling on top of Ginny once more.
"AHHHHH!!!!!!!" screamed Ginny and forced his body away from her. Harry weakly stood up and gave Ginny a mischievous smile.
"Hey, what's wrong? You didn't seem to mind that when we were at the common room." he drawled and gave Draco a half-smile.
Ginny immediately turned scarlet at the reference of her foolishness then as if something just occurred to her, she tentatively touched Harry's cheek. It was warm.
"Y-you're alive?" she asked as if she couldn't believe it was possible.
Draco and Wormtail reluctantly touched his cheek too.
"Y-you're alive!" They both exclaimed incredulously.
"Yeah - that would explain the breathing..." said Harry sarcastically.
"B-but how? We all saw it happen!" Their sighs of relief was unmistakeable.
"Let me show you what really transpired." said Harry then summoning what was left of his strength, he projected his own death scene on the wall in slow motion and the three watched the event carefully.
As Ginny was about to shoot the killing curse on Harry, a drop of tear fell upon the wand and instead of the expected green light, a white beam escaped from its tip instead. Then mere inches after it left the wand, Harry waved his imprisoned hand slightly and the white beam was transformed into a green one.
"That, my friends, is one of the wonders of magic. As what Bellatrix, your former ally, had told me, the words are not enough....you need to really mean it...you have to take intense pleasure in inflicting pain and in my case -- death. You were not meant to be a murderer, Ginny and I'm glad of that fact." said Harry as he halted the demonstration.
"You called us 'friends'?" croaked Wormtail in disbelief.
"Yes, why not? You did not leave my body to rot in that wretched place - that in itself was remarkable enough. Then I heard your apologies earlier and the promise to change. I am not a God but I'm willing to forgive you because I know that it is the right to do." explained Harry.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, Harry. Thank you for being so kind." said Ginny and she kissed him lightly on the cheek in gratitude. Draco did not look too pleased with it, though, but he did not say anything.
"Never mind that. After what I've just shown you, do you still believe that you could have taken me that easily?" said Harry sardonically.
"No, I suppose not. Actually, I wondered about that but I had assumed that the potion was very effective." admitted Ginny.
"It was not that potent for me. If you could remember correctly, I stayed conscious long enough to interrogate you then I allowed myself to 'pass out' so that you could bring me to wherever your master was. To be honest, Voldemort's eerie silence had been bugging me for months and I wanted to meet him soon to end my agony. I have to admit that your little charade was very timely..." said Harry then he gave another taunting grin at Draco. "...and besides, I enjoyed the show...immensely!" He laughed out loud at the sight of Draco's reddened face and tensed expression.
"You're sick, Potter." spat Draco angrily.
"Hey, chill out! I'm just joking! I have a very adorable girlfriend waiting for me you know." said Harry and smiled as he thought about Luna.'I wonder how she's doing now...Maybe I can visit her later...'
"Fine. We can drop that. Anyway, if you're so powerful how come you did not use the killing curse then? You had the perfect opportunity." said Draco.
"I wish I could. I have the ability but unfortunately, I don't have the intent. Not to mention the fact that if I had indeed finished him off, I would be forever wondering about your loyalties. No, I have other plans for Voldemort and I am not just after him ...I want ALL of his devoted supporters and slaves, too. " replied Harry and after a while he added. "Consider yourselves very fortunate that I have decided to spare you."
The three looked at one another and instantly made a resolution not to be swayed by evil temptation again. Harry did not need to elaborate. The heavy threat underlying his cool words was enough.
"I have to go somewhere." said Wormtail uneasily after a while.
"Where are you going?" asked Draco warily.
"I need to get help. We can't stay here forever...we need some place more secure and I know of only one person who could help us." replied Wormtail and waited for Harry's approval.
Harry held his arm where the dark mark was located. A few minutes of excruciating pain followed then Harry waved him off. "Go on but don't take too long."
Wormtail stared at his arm in amazement. The dark mark was gone. Forcing back the lump on his throat, he disapparated silently.
"You trust him?" asked Ginny in wonder after he left.
"I'm trying." replied Harry casually.
"How did you learn all those stuff?" asked Draco curiously, a little confident now that he was certain that Harry was not on a vengeful streak.
"That....is something that I do not wish to divulge as of this moment. Don't forget, you're still under probation. I may be forgiving...but I am definitely not stupid." declared Harry in a cold voice that implied a harsh end for them if they ever betray him once more.
With nothing better to do, Harry wandered around the house with Draco while Ginny prepared some food for them including whoever Wormtail was going to bring with him.
"Your house is not that bad, Potter." said Draco in admiration as they viewed the marvelous collection of books at the mini-library, the wide array of magical objects and all other details that depicted the Potter fortune so lavishly.
"For once, I agree with you." grinned Harry.
"Wanna play wizard chess?"
"No, thanks...It's outside my field of expertise. Ron's the best at that game." said Harry and smiled at Draco's look of disbelief.
"I didn't think Weasley was ever good at anything." said Draco then clamped one hand at his mouth, afraid that he had offended Harry.
"You'd be surprised. Ron's good at a lot of things...and he's very brave too. You know during our first year, Ron beat McGonagall's chess set and he urged us to go on even if he was already injured. Then on our second year, we had to go to the dark forest to follow the spiders. Ron has a phobia with those creatures but he still came with me...amazing!" said Harry, smiling as he recalled his adventures with his best friend.
"Why are you telling me these, Harry?" asked Draco in confusion, not realizing that he had just referred to his former school enemy by his first name. Harry raised one eyebrow before he replied.
"Because you're my friend now and I'm treating you as how I usually treat my friends."
"Oh, okay. Then, I suppose you're going to call me 'Draco' now." said Draco awkwardly. It was weird being friends with Potter but it was surely better than nothing.
"Of course, Draco. I think we better come down. I have a feeling that Wormtail would be back soon." said Harry.
===================================================
"Snape?" Harry and Draco stared incredulously at the Slytherin Head and at Wormtail who was twitching on his seat nervously.
"I see Peter was telling the truth when he told me that you were here, Potter." said Snape and gave everyone a smile.
Harry was dumbfounded. Snape? Smiled? And at him, too. This was weird but he decided to play it cool. "So, Peter, what help could he possibly give us?"
"Snape was one of the most cunning spies of Voldemort before his defection. He could provide us with informations on places where Voldemort would not be able to find us so easily and being free to interact with other wizards, he could also supply us with essential details regarding Voldemort's activities." said Wormtail nervously.
To everyone's amazement, Harry gave a soft chuckle at first, then a slight laugh until finally he couldn't control his hilarity anymore. He rolled with laughter as if someone was tickling his ribs and the onlookers were already suspecting that someone had sent a tickling charm on him.
"Sorry...I just found it rather comical for all of us to bond together like this. This is plainly --- " Harry struggled to find the appropriate description.
"Strange...?" said Ginny. Harry shook his head.
"Odd...?" said Draco but Harry did not find it fitting.
"I was thinking more along the lines of annoying...and disturbing.." said Harry.
"Unholy...." suggested Snape helpfully and Harry's smiled widened.
"Yeah, that's it! UNHOLY ALLIANCE --- I never imagined the time would come when all of us would fight on the same side. Really weird!" said Harry then he turned to Snape. "So, how's school? Is everyone still thinking I'm the next dark lord?"
"No, the DA and Order members believe someone was just impersonating you but we've been pretending that we believe in the stories. Also, Luna has made an amazing recovery." reported Snape.
"Oh, I'm so glad about that. Did she tell you about what happened?"
"No."
Harry's face fell.
"Luna did not TELL us....she SHOWED us."
"She did? That's even better!"
"Yes and it was very enlightening. Where did you learn to do that, Potter?" asked Snape curiously.
"What - the sarcasm? From you, of course." replied Harry dismissively. "So, if this place gets too hot, where else can we hide?"
"Well, you can either choose between Snape Mansion and Dumbledore Palace." replied Snape.
"Dumbledore has a palace?" asked Ginny with much interest.
"I'm rather partial to grandeur myself. I think I prefer Dumbledore's Palace." said Draco enthusiastically.
"Unfortunately for you, pal. I'm choosing Snape Mansion and that's where we are going next." replied Harry and was amused to see the disappointment on the faces of the other two teenagers. However, his decision was not mainly to annoy the them. He wanted to get to know Snape better and a hint of a smile showed that his previous professor was pleased by his choice.
"I would prepare the house and I'll inform you as soon as it is necessary for you to go there." said Snape cheerfully, ignoring the annoyed whispers of Draco and Ginny.
"Thank you, Professor." said Harry. Then adopting a serious tone, he beckoned to Snape and whispered a request. "Listen. Voldemort will soon declare that I'm dead so you better pretend to believe it too. And don't tell anyone that you have seen me. I'm planning a little surprise for everyone. When certain people begin to disappear, offer to look for them. You will act as if you're really exerting an effort into finding them but you're going to come up with nothing. Will you do that?"
"As long as you're on the light side." agreed Snape conditionally.
"Don't worry. I am and always will be." said Harry, appreciating his cautiousness.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It does not take me too long to write the chapters...unfortunately, I don't have internet access at home so it's very hard for me to post more often....anyway, I hoped yo enjoy the last three chapters and don't forget to review. Thanks!
Chapter 9 - Polite Discussion
"You've changed..." observed Snape casually.
"Really? Not the attention-seeking-good-for-nothing-son-of-James-Potter anymore?" queried Harry in a mocking tone. He was surprised when the usually snide professor did not deduct points from his house for his 'disrespectful' attitude.
"What happened to you, Potter?" asked the Professor curiously, for once ignoring his angsty behaviour.
"So we're back to our normal term of endearment. That's a relief! I don't think it would be good for my sanity if we become chummy all of a sudden." said Harry, shuddering slightly for effect. "Well, to answer your question, I've realized that people now find it terribly difficult to believe my stories...I miss the times when Dumbledore only had to say that he believes me and then everyone else will follow." Snape raised one dark eyebrow at that. "... -- most of the people that matters at least -- but since the so-called defeat of Voldemort, people tend to be blind. Maybe it's because they prefer to believe that the evil had passed and that our world is normal again."
"What's your plan then?" said Snape.
"Yeah, we want to hear it, too." said Draco who went closer to join their conversation. Wormtail and Ginny also looked at him expectantly.
Harry groaned at having to go over his plans with them. He still had to adjust to this unexpected truce. Unfortunately, he had to trust them with it in order for his plan to work. "All right, the plan is simple actually. We'll just let Voldemort go on with his plan --"
"What!!! That's the brilliant plan you've been talking about?" exclaimed Draco incredulously.
"Err...not exactly." said Harry somewhat sheepishly.
"You said something about disappearance of some people..." prodded Snape while placing one strong hand on Draco's mouth to refrain him from sputtering other nonsensical garbage.
"I was planning on asking Hermione's help into finding other ways to eliminate the enemies then of course, I also want Luna with me... then train the others until it's time..." The others looked dubiously at him. Harry threw up his hands in defeat. "Okay, fine. I admit the plan is not perfect yet. I'm counting on your knowledge of the dark arts and Voldemort himself to polish it if you're up to the challenge." said Harry, disgruntled. For a second, he seemed like his old self again -- unassuming and vulnerable -- and clearly, he was not pleased with it. He scowled at the others as he waited for their response.
"Um - Harry, do you know about the prophecy?" ventured Wormtail after a moment's hesitation.
"You mean the prophecy that Voldemort was so crazy about? Of course, I knew. Would I be exerting this much effort if I didn't?" retorted Harry angrily. He was expecting some suggestions not irritatingly foolish questions.
"No, not that one. About the other prophecy?" said Wormtail reluctantly.
Harry looked confused. What prophecy was he talking about? He glanced at Snape's puzzled expression. He didn't know about it either. Draco and Ginny was trying to recall something but they, too, appeared blank.
"What do you mean, Peter?" asked Severus mildly but the thin set of his lips revealed his slight irritation about the lengthy introduction.
"T-there was a prophecy made years before you were born but it was never completed." said Wormtail uneasily.
"To whom was the prophecy given? Why was it not completed? How do you know about it?" asked Draco curiously.
"T-to me...Unfortunately, before she could finish the prophecy, the dark lord called me and I left immediately." admitted Wormtail. "She was predicting HOW the chosen one would vanquish the dark lord."
"Oh! Why didn't you let her finish first?" said Ginny in frustration, voicing out the other's own sentiments.
"Do I have to tell you everytime? I was scared...as always. The dark lord is so impatient. Severe punishment is given to those who keeps him waiting and I don't want that." said Wormtail regretfully.
"So, that's what you meant when you said you wanted to turn back the time." commented Ginny in understanding.
"No, not only that." said Wormtail, the strain in his voice was worth a thousand words of regret. "... but I think it was better that way. At least the dark lord did not learn of how you're going to defeat him."
"Unfortunately, I don't either. But maybe we can just ask the seer about it. Who was the seer by the way?" said Harry, in deep thought.
"Sandra Trelawny, the only sister of Sybill. She was killed during the first war." was the reply.
"You mean the prophecy is lost forever?" asked Ginny.
"It is possible that some other seer could pass on that information but it would probably take years to find out who and we could not stand guard to each and everyone of them to wait until they make a similar prophecy." stated Snape.
"Too bad her sister is an old fraud or we could ask for her help with that." said Draco, pursing his lips at the mention of the professor who had a habit of 'predicting' everyone's untimely and violent demise with every chance she got.
"Professor Trelawny may not be consistent but she had already made two correct prophecies. One was that I would be the only one who could defeat the dark lord and the other..." Harry looked directly at Wormtail's eyes before continuing." ....Voldemort's loyal servant would return and help him regain his body." Wormtail averted his gaze in shame. "Unfortunately, she also claimed that seers do not 'see' at will and they could not even tell when a prophecy is going to be made."
Draco shifted his position and turned to look at the decoration as if he was bored to death by the conversation. "I'm not sure about you but I am tired of this talk that only leads to nowhere. Why don't we stick to things that we can control and then worry about that later?"
Harry looked curiously at him. "That's weird! I was thinking of the same thing. We're beginning to think alike. Are you sure it's you, Draco - not my long lost brother or something?"
"Ha-ha, very funny! Be grateful that some of my Slytherin intellect rubbed off on you." said Draco with a slight hint of sarcasm.
"We need to have some inside information regarding the enemies' current activities. The problem is we have no spy there anymore and I'm very much certain that He knows about Draco and Wormtails' defection when they failed to return on time. It's dangerous for any of you and of course, Harry and Ginny are supposed to be dead." declared Snape suddenly, catching the attention of all whose minds were wandering.
"What about my brother Ron? Maybe we could talk him into joining His rank in the guise of avenging me." said Ginny but without much conviction.
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Ginny." said Harry. He would not dare to deliberately put his best friend's life in danger.
"Yes, my thoughts exactly! But I know of one person who could be perfect for that." said Draco.
"Not her, Draco. Too dangerous." reacted Snape at seeing the wary expression of his favorite student. He did not need to hear the person's name. He only had to look at his face and he already knew who he was referring to.
"I know." said Draco in monotone, a clear indication that he did not like it either but she was the only one who could do it.
"Would it be too much to ask who that person is?" asked Harry after failing to figure out who, aside from Ginny, could make him look scared and concerned at the same time.
"My mother."
No one was able to say anything as they all watched Draco stare hard at the ceiling, pretending to admire the magnificent top view that was so much similar to Hogwarts, but they all knew he was just fighting the urge to cry in despair at the prospect of putting his mother's life in peril for defying the dark lord.
Harry could almost feel the turmoil that was hammering inside Draco' head. He was amazed. Draco used to be so cool and collected. His eyes were always like cold ice especially when he stared at him during his taunting moods but now the ice had melted. The Slytherin prince stood before them like a commoner -- capable of feeling. And he was not yet sure if it was a good thing or not.
"Come on. Let's eat. I'm starving." said Harry to break the uncomfortable silence.
"My apologies but I need to go back to Hogwarts now. I don't want the others to get suspicious." said Snape.
"All right. Be careful."
After the