Chapter 9
Harry woke up with a headache. After a restless night, he couldn't really hope for anything better. He had spent most of the night replaying the prophecy in his head. There weren't any doubts about Hermione's part in it, but he wasn't so sure about himself. If nothing else, the whole thing just seemed wrong. It wouldn't be the first time a prophecy was misunderstood. They could be very tricky things. He had to find a catch, and better yet, he had to find a way to fit Ron in his place. He didn't believe Ron would relent otherwise. As much as he tried, though, he couldn't think of anything. Maybe Hermione would have more luck figuring it out. He was sure that as soon as she could think clearly again, she'd devote a good portion of her time to dissecting this prophecy.
At the thought of his best female friend he sighed. If things were bad for him, he couldn't imagine what Hermione was going through. It was just too much to take at once. She'd need all the support she could get. He wanted to be there for her, but was afraid of how Ron would react to any action on his part. With a groan, he decided it was time to leave the bed and take a shower, hoping that it would wake him enough to face the day ahead. He knew that things wouldn't have improved overnight, and that prospect only made his head hurt more.
Fortunately, the bathroom was empty. As much as he longed for something to distract him from his thoughts, he didn't want to talk to anyone yet. Giving in to his pent-up frustration was the last thing he needed. It would make him vulnerable, he knew, but he was unable to stop himself. He brought his right arm back, and hit the wall of the bathroom over and over, until he felt it. Not the pain in his swollen hands, but an increasing ache on his scar. Before he had time to panic, he took a deep breath and closed his mind, hoping beyond hope that he had been quick enough.
Quickly, he turned the shower off, dried and dressed himself, and made his way to the Common Room. He didn't think Voldemort had been fully in his mind, but he had to tell Dumbledore anyway. He'd never forgive himself if put Hermione's life at risk.
As he made his way to the portrait hole, Harry spotted Ron and Ginny sitting close together. They were quiet, looking at the fireplace, seemingly lost in thought. He stopped to consider what he should do. He was torn. He didn't know if he should approach Ron, or just leave him alone for the time being, and continue on his way to the Headmaster's office. Before he could decide, though, Ginny turned to face him. “Oh, good. You're here. Now we can all go to breakfast. I'm starving.”
He felt a surge of relief, when Ron looked up at him and stood. That was a good sign, wasn't it? That they were waiting for him?
“I have to talk to Dumbledore first. Something happened just now, and he needs to know.” He pointed to his scar, and saw Ron's eyes widen. He wanted to reassure Ron that it was nothing serious, but he was a bit worried himself.
“I'm coming with you,” said Ron at once.
“Well, I'll head to the Great Hall then, and wait for Hermione there. You can fill me in later.” Ginny gave them a strained smile and hugged Ron briefly before leaving the Common Room.
“All right. Let's go or we'll be late for classes.” Harry motioned for Ron to follow him, and both of them headed to Dumbledore's office.
They walked through the mostly deserted halls of Hogwarts in an awkward silence. Harry couldn't remember it ever happening before between him and Ron. Not even after their fight in Fourth Year. From their first train ride to this day, Ron was one of the people Harry felt most comfortable with. It was painful to all of a sudden not to know how to act around his best friend. He wasn't sure if he should talk about the events of the day before, or if he should act as if nothing happened.
By the time they reached the gargoyle statue, he still hadn't found an answer to his dilemma. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harry gave the statue the password, and when the passage opened, proceeded to the the spiral staircase with Ron silently in tow. He knocked on the door and a few minutes later he and Ron were seated in the same chairs they had occupied the day before.
The Headmaster was obviously tired, but Harry could tell it ran deeper than the lack of rest. It was the years of secrecy, of having to give his child away, of fearing that one day her safety would be compromised because of who he was, of not knowing what to do now that his daughter knew the truth. Harry had faith that soon Hermione would accept what happened and forgive her birth parents for what they did. Maybe that would help bring the twinkle back to Dumbledore's eyes.
“What brings you here this early, Harry?”
Harry sobered, and took a deep breath. “I was taking a shower, and I got frustrated about everything, and I know I shouldn't, but I let it get the best of me. I started hitting the wall, and before I knew it, my scar started to ache. When I felt it, I closed my mind immediately. I don't think Voldemort was able to see anything, but I thought you should know anyway. I'm sorry.” It was said so fast that the words mingled with one another. The guilt hit him once again, and he fixed his eyes on the floor. He didn't dare look at Dumbledore, much less Ron.
Dumbledore sighed heavily, and leaned forward. “I think you're right. If you closed your mind as soon as you felt it, he probably wasn't able to get any valuable information. I'll look into it, though. I'll ask Severus to see if he can find anything.”
“Thank you, Professor. I'm really sorry.”
“I'd like to believe that Voldemort couldn't get this information if not through you, but I know better than that. The fact that he managed to somehow find out about Hermione's existence, even after all the precautions I took, speaks volumes. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before he knows the truth. Until then, we have to do our best to delay it as much as we can.” He fixed Harry with a look that although not intended as a reprimand, felt very much like it.
“It won't happen again. I wouldn't forgive myself if I put Hermione's life at risk. I'll be more careful from now on.”
“That's all I ask, Harry.”
Harry finally chanced a look at Ron. He was frowning at his hands, looking at the same time worried, miserable, tired, and lost. For a moment, Harry wished he would lash out, and even fight him if it helped get it out of his system. He knew it wouldn't happen, and that he'd have to learn to live with this newly quiet and morose Ron until he found a way around that blasted prophecy.
He turned to Dumbledore to see that he, too, was studying Ron with a sad expression on his face. For a moment, Harry thought that he would say something, and hoped that at least he'd know what to say to help his best friend. When his eyes found Harry's, though, he knew there was nothing to be said at the moment that would make the pain go away. Only time could heal them.
Standing up to leave, Harry thanked the Headmaster again, and called Ron to follow him. After a moment, he seemed to wake up from his trance, and walked out with Harry without a word.
Another unsettling silence fell over them. Harry had to fight to control the new surge of frustration that he felt growing on him. Would the rest of the year be like this?
They made their way to the Great Hall, and approached Gryffindor's table. He had spotted Ginny and Hermione sitting together, and was walking in their direction when Harry felt Ron stiffen beside him. It would be the first time they would all be together after what happened, and once again he didn't know what to do.
A.N. I'm really sorry about the lack of updates. So many things happened in the past few months that I wouldn't know where to begin to explain why I didn't write it sooner. I know this chapter is rather short, and I'm sorry about that, too, but I needed to end it there, since the next one will follow Hermione after she left the Common Room, and I want them to flow easily together.
Many thanks to my betas Kedavra77 and Kjirstyn and to everyone who reviewed. I can't tell you how much your support to this story means to me. If any of you are interested, I have a Live Journal, and I usually give updates on how the writing is going over there. Here is the link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/_deia/
I received a few reviews after the release of HBP asking me to not abandon this story because of the new canon. I want to assure you it won't happen. It may take a little while, but I'll finish this story.