Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I associated with anything to do with Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, or any of the cast members of the movies.
The following day began early for Harry, as he awoke from yet another dream involving Voldemort. Yet this one wasn’t quite a dream. Harry couldn’t place it, but he felt the dream, more than saw it. He had no memory of anything that happened, which was unusual. In the past, Harry was able to usually remember a few details of these “visions” right after they occurred, but this time he was not. It was just a feeling, but it was a feeling that scared Harry. Voldemort was very pleased, but yet there was something more...something that wasn’t there before in any of Harry’s previous dreams: anticipation. It seemed as though the Dark Lord was waiting for something good to happen, and that was something that put Harry in a nervous mood. Thinking as hard as he could, he couldn’t think of anything that would make Voldemort both happy and excited. Then again, it was very early in the morning, and he wasn’t fully awake. He thought on it for several minutes; then, not being able to come up with a logical solution, he lay back into his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.
The day progressed rather uneventfully. Mr. Weasley left early to start working on his new mission of finding redemption for Percy, and Mrs. Weasley went to check on Ginny. Harry and Hermione later discovered that Fred and George were watching her, so they understood Mrs. Weasley’s over-eagerness to return to the Burrow to check on what was still standing and salvageable from the activity that no doubt took place in her absence. Moody left later that afternoon to run some errands of his own. The only ones left were Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Remus. Remus was keeping himself busy with books and researching magical law, attempting to find a loophole to free Percy and at the same time condemn Fudge. Thus, it was a day without much occasion.
The scene was unbearable for Harry. Here he was, in the house of his late Godfather, with Sirius’ best friend, and his own best friends, and absolutely nothing was going on. Hermione was, of course, buried in a book, and Ron was...doing what Ron does when he’s bored, and that’s sleep. Not wanting to have this boredom continue, he walked up the stairs to the third floor of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He walked into a room with another old friend: Buckbeak.
The hippogriff was set free earlier, but returned of his own accord for seemingly no reason. Remus had placed him in the room he was in before, and that was the room Harry chose to enter. Buckbeak bowed in return to Harry’s bow, and squawked excitedly, grateful for the company. Being in this room, doing what Sirius did for so long, somehow comforted Harry. He felt like his Godfather, being kept in this place, wanting to leave but not having a reason to leave. He grabbed some ferrets on the wall, tied to strings, and started throwing them in the air for Buckbeak to catch. Watching the hippogriff joyfully grab the dead animals made Harry smile.
After some time, Harry once again was at a loss for what to do. He pulled the hippogriff into a hug and told him he’d see him later. Walking down the stairs, he looked at the clock: it was quarter after six in the afternoon. He walked to the kitchen and started collecting dinner. Hermione, Remus, and Ron entered after him and repeated his actions. As the four sat down to eat, there was an awkward silence in the room, as if all that there was to say was said the previous night. All ate quickly to avoid the strange atmosphere of the meal. Shortly after finishing, Harry turned to Hermione and Ron.
“Would you be interested in joining me for a walk?” he asked.
Both nodded in affirmation and the trio got up to leave.
“Harry, be sure to stay in areas where others can see you,” Remus warned. “At this time, although you are able to handle yourselves, should something happen to you, it would be a bad thing indeed for not just you but the rest of us. Alright?”
“Sure, Professor,” Harry quickly responded, grabbing his coat and heading out the door, pursued by his two friends.
The three young wizards walked through a park a few miles away from Grimmauld Place, talking about old times and their adventures. They climbed onto a swing set and started playing around, enjoying this break from reality. Without warning, Ron fell out of his swing, backing away rather quickly. Hermione looked at him with a concerned yet bemused look on her face. Harry followed his gaze to a sight that stopped his heart.
There in front of him was a black dog, wagging its tale. Not just any black dog, though. No, this dog looked rather thin and shaggy, and had a unique smile on its face. Harry wasn’t sure whether to believe his eyes or not. Slowly, he approached the animal, longing to believe it was his beloved Godfather. The dog walked up to Harry’s outstretched hand and started licking him. Overcome with emotion, Harry dropped to his knees, pulling the dog into an enormous hug. It started barking happily as Hermione and Ron approached as well. Harry was crying tears of happiness.
“I knew you would come back, Sirius! I knew you wouldn’t leave me!” he exclaimed.
Ron came over to the dog and started petting it as well. Hermione, however, stood in shock. She looked closely at the dog, hard-pressed to believe that, after all this time, Sirius would suddenly appear exactly where they were at that moment. It was this careful observation that she noticed the dog’s face change from that of happy and innocent to still, and then to a rather unpleasant demeanor.
“Harry, let go of the dog,” she said carefully, just as the dog started growling.
Reluctantly, Harry let go of the dog, then turned to Hermione to try to convince her that Sirius was back. While he turned, it scratched his chest, drawing blood. The dog backed away from Harry, fur on end and teeth bared.
Now it was Harry’s turn to look shocked. Why would Sirius do this to him? Didn’t he know who he was? As he backed away further, he noticed Ron and Hermione both had their wands out, pointed at the dog. Frantically, he jumped in front of the animal.
“Don’t hurt him!” he shouted in a loud voice. He couldn’t let his friends hurt his only family member.
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm as he was dragged to the ground by the dog. Screaming in pain, he locked eyes with the dog. The look he got back shot him in the heart: it was a look of hatred. Before he could do anything to respond, the dog was jinxed by Ron, and sent flying into the bushes across the playground. Both Ron and Hermione dropped to their knees next to Harry to make sure he was alright. It was then all three heard laughter coming from those same bushes. Helping Harry to his feet, the friends exchanged knowing looks: they knew those laughs.
Draco and Lucius Malfoy walked out of their hiding spots and around the stunned animal now lying on the ground. This prompted Harry to pull out his wand as well. All in that park were now armed and ready for a wrong move.
“So emotional, Potter,” Draco taunted. “Oh, Sirius, you’re back! Let’s all celebrate! Pathetic!”
“Indeed,” agreed Lucius. “Honestly, Potter, I didn’t think you’d be that delusional. Although, we assumed you would be. Hence why we took so long to find a dog that looked just like your dead Godfather. I thought we did a rather marvelous job, wouldn’t you agree?”
Harry’s grip on his wand tightened, sending waves of pain through his body. He could care less at the moment. All he wanted was Draco.
“I figured we could have a little fun before school began, Potter,” Draco said. “After all, I am coming back. And with Dumbledore out of the way, it should be a rather pleasant year for me. I mean, without him constantly snooping around, I should be able to do whatever I want.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it, Malfoy,” Harry said fiercely.
“Well, why not put your words to actions, then. We’re alone. There’s not a Muggle in this park. So why not have a go right now? I’ve been waiting for this a long time, Potter. Let’s play.”
Draco drew his wand and pointed it directly at Harry, taking a defensive stance as he waited for Harry to agree, which he knew he would.
“You’re on, Malfoy!” Harry said, and not waiting for a response, he threw his arm out and shouted Immobulus!
Draco froze on the spot, looking horrified. Harry walked up to him, keeping his wand at the ready, in case Lucius tried to interfere. At that moment, Harry let out all his frustrations, not bothering to censure himself or leave anything out.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like leading the life I’ve led, you vial bastard?! Do you think I care what happens to me anymore? I’ve got nothing left to lose! I’m fed up with having you treat people the way you do. You act as if you’re so far above everyone, when you don’t even amount to a bloody thing. You’ve taken just about everything I have left. You tried to take Ginny away from me, then Hermione, and then you succeeded with Dumbledore and Sirius. I’m not letting you get away with what you’ve done. I don’t give a damn what you think about it, or if your dad is with you on this. You will not hurt another person ever again once I’m through with you! And you can tell Voldemort this, Lucius: he can try as hard as he wants to hide, but I will find him, and I’m not stopping until I do.”
“Harry, release him,” a voice said. But it wasn’t Lucius’ voice: it was Hermione’s. Turning around, he saw her walk up to him and gently place a hand on his arm. She looked at Draco and said Enervate! Harry looked at her with confusion as Draco was reanimated to his old self. Shaking, he walked away from the duo. Hermione smiled at him, then whirled around and punched Harry across the face as hard as she could!
Ron almost fell over from shock as he saw his best friend almost knock Harry out cold! Hermione then pointed her wand at the boy on the ground as he slowly got up.
“What was that for, Hermione?” he asked, having absolutely no clue why she would do something like that, and to him of all people! Malfoy would be understandable, but him?
Ron walked up to Hermione to try to perhaps calm her down. He received the same punch Harry did, only in his stomach. With a flick of her wand, Hermione sent Ron skyward with Wingardium Leviosa! He went flying up about fifteen feet when she suddenly let him drop! Harry was up on his feet, running as hard as he could. He caught Ron just before he hit the ground. He quickly got up on his feet again, only to see Hermione advancing towards him, with her wand out and a look of sheer malice on her face. Harry drew his wand reluctantly on his friend. Hermione threw a jinx at him, which he blocked. She threw a couple more, which were also blocked by Harry. His mind was racing. He knew that, in any duel, he had to fight back. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do anything to Hermione. As the two circled each other, Harry walked past Lucius and Draco. He heard a whisper, almost as if it were a breeze, followed by Hermione shouting Crucio!
Harry fell to the ground in excruciating pain, looking up to see Lucius and Draco laughing hard. He couldn’t understand what was going on. Why would his best friend do this out of nowhere?! Suddenly he was released from the Cruciatus Curse. He got to his feet as quickly as he could, his body still wincing from the pain that had just hit him. He looked at Hermione, who still had her wand pointed at him. Only he looked into her eyes, and he saw she was crying. Harry remembered at that moment what Beallix had said during his fifth year: to use an Unforgivable Curse, you had to mean it. He looked at Lucius, who was concentrating on Hermione almost unblinkingly. He whispered something else, and Hermione once again used the Cruciatus Curse. This time, Harry rolled out of the way. Then it finally hit him: Lucius had Hermione under his control with the Imperius Curse! That’s why she was attacking him and Ron!
Harry jumped to his feet and shouted Expecto Patronum! at the two Malfoys. Draco was hit by the silvery stag, but Lucius managed to dissolve it before it reached him. Then Hermione shouted Expelliarmus! This sent Harry flying backwards. He held onto his wand with a death grip, making sure this wouldn’t be the end of the fight. He was slammed against a tree nearly fifty feet from where he was standing, hitting his head hard. He told himself he couldn’t lose consciousness; not now.
Once more, he got to his feet, pain coursing through his body as if it were his blood. He looked over at Ron, who was sitting in awe of the situation. He ran towards him, dodging jinxes and spells from Hermione. As he tackled Ron and rolled the both of them behind a nearby tree, he told Ron his idea.
Both of them left from either side of the tree, running at full speed. Lucius wasn’t sure which to hit first, and his hesitation cost him. Ron shouted first Expelliarmus! to disarm his friend, then Wingardium Leviosa!, sending Hermione into the air. Harry kept on running straight at Lucius, whose face now had a look of fear on it. Harry stopped a short five feet from his opponent and screamed Sectumsempra!
Lucius couldn’t explain what happened next. Blood seemed to be everywhere, and it was his own! Draco grabbed his father as he passed out.
“This isn’t over, Potter,” he shouted with a malicious tone of voice. “Not even close!”
Draco dragged his father to a safe distance, still under the aim of Harry’s wand. Harry wasn’t going to let this end with just the father down and out. Pulling his wand back, he gave Draco the most hate-filled look he could, and shouted Crucio! at his rival, who simultaneously Apparated out of harm’s way. The bush they were standing in front of burst into flames as the spell missed the targets and hit it instead.
Harry looked at the burning bush for a moment, letting go of as much anger as he could. Finally a degree calmer than he was, he remembered Hermione was ten feet above him and Ron. Putting his wand away, he walked over to Ron and told him to release the spell. Ron threw his wand on the ground as Hermione fell into his and Harry’s arms. She didn’t speak, but had a dazed look in her eyes.
“What’s wrong with her, Harry?” Ron asked nervously.
“Lucius put her under the Imperius Curse,” Harry responded. “She’ll be like this until we can get her some help. Help me carry her back to Grimmauld Place.”
The two friends proceeded to do just this. The task was made more difficult, however, as Hermione was still under the Imperius Curse and wasn’t very mobile.
“What the bloody hell was that curse you threw at Draco’s father?” Ron asked. “I’ve never seen that before!”
“Do you remember that curse I told you about in the Prince’s potions book last year? The one that began with an “S” and said “For Enemies”?”
Ron shook his head to confirm this.
“Well, apparently, Snape invented it to punish my father and Sirius for humiliating him. I used it on Draco last year, so that’s how I knew what it did.”
“Could you maybe teach me that one?” Ron asked with a determined look on his face. “It could come in handy if something like this happens again.”
Harry agreed, and told Ron the curse, how to use it, and what it did as a result as they continued towards their destination. Finally, they reached Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Ron let go of Hermione’s legs to open the door, then the boys gently carried her inside and lay her on the couch in the living area. Remus went to greet them, and gasped when he noticed the trio in their present conditions. Harry had blood still running down his arm from the dog attack, and dried blood was on his head from the blows dealt by the tree and other obstacles that he ran into. Ron was paler than ever, and had a bloody nose. Hermione was on the couch with a weathered look on her blank face: a look Remus knew all too well.
“Harry, what on earth happened? I thought I told you to stay in areas that were safe!”
“We did, Professor! We were at that park a few miles from here in plain sight. The Malfoys attacked us there, and put Hermione under the Imperius Curse.”
“I could’ve sworn Lucius was still in Azkaban!” Ron exclaimed.
“He was, until last week’s attack by the Death Eaters,” Remus explained. “Apparently Voldemort wanted all his old followers this time around, which means he’s gathering more strength. This attack is not a good sign at all.”
“Wait a moment! That’s it!” Harry said, startling everybody.
“What’s what?” Ron asked, confused.
“Last night, I had another dream. Well, it wasn’t really a dream, but it was a feeling from Voldemort’s mind. I...err, he, was anticipating something. It was as if he were expecting something good to happen. This had to have been it!”
“In that case, Harry,” Remus started, “you’re lucky to have lived through it. If Voldemort wanted to send those two in particular after you, it was probably not just to play with your mind. It was to weaken you, or perhaps to see how strong you are. Well, you certainly sent him a message! I think that the Malfoys were so intent on taunting the two of you that they waited too long to actually do any lasting harm.”
“Can you help Hermione?” Ron asked.
“Yes, I can,” Remus said in a calm voice. “Sit her up.”
With some effort, the three of them got Hermione into a seated position. Lupin pointed his wand at her and said Imperio Decerpo! Hermione sat straight up with a wide-eyed look on her face, gasping. Then, just as abruptly, she passed out on the couch.
“Well, she’s not under Lucius’ control any longer,” Remus said. “Let’s get her to a bed so she can rest for a while.”
While Hermione rested, Harry and Ron told Remus everything that had happened during that strange afternoon. As they elucidated the prior events, Mad-Eye and the remaining Weasleys walked in, hearing the rest of the story. Molly was shaking with fear after they finished, holding Ron so hard he could hardly continue breathing.
“You could have been killed!” she exclaimed, now grabbing Harry. Ginny, who had come back with her, as had her brothers, tried their hardest not to laugh at the looks on Harry’s and Ron’s faces.
“Come on, Mum,” said Fred sarcastically. “So they’re a little beaten up.”
“Makes ‘em stronger, after all,” concurred George, patting Ron on the back, which made Ron wince in pain.
“At least we know Harry can handle a situation like that,” Fred continued.
“Indeed, that’s right,” said Remus. “Harry has yet again proven he’s capable of handling surprising situations.”
Harry did not want to be in the spotlight on a night like this. He nodded when he needed to, and answered when they asked him a question, but his mind was not on this discussion. He was worried. If they would go so far as to attack him while he was with others around him, what would stop them from doing it again, say, at Hogwarts? What if he wasn’t able to do anything about it? Another question plagued his mind: why did Hermione stop using the Cruciatus Curse when she did? These questions repeated themselves in Harry’s conscience for the remainder of the evening. He was also worried about Hermione, so when he was able, he slipped out of the room where the Order was talking with the Weasleys and walked towards the room where his friend was now resting.
Harry slowly opened the door, so as not to wake her. He closed the door in the same fashion and delicately made his way towards the bed, sitting ever so lightly on the edge of it. He watched Hermione sleeping peacefully, and was grateful that she was able to do so. Had things turned out differently...he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done. He leaned over and put his face in his hands. He knew this year was going to be hard, but if this was a taste of things to come, he wasn’t sure how much of his heart would be left by that last battle.
“Harry, are you alright?” a gentle voice asked him.
Harry sat up and looked at Hermione, who had a look of concern on her face.
“Sorry if I woke you, Hermione.”
“I was waking up anyways,” she assured him. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong? You look rather scared.”
“I was scared. I thought I was going to lose you, today. I wasn’t sure what to do, or what to think. I mean, they’re all telling me that I’m a hero for being able to think on my feet, but I wasn’t sure what to do today. Really, I wasn’t. When you...err, Lucius started attacking me, I was afraid of hurting you.”
“Hurting me? Harry, I was right behind you when you were talking with Lucius. I don’t remember anything after that, though. What exactly happened that scared you?” When he hesitated to answer, she asked, “Does it have something to do with me?”
“He had you under the Imperius Curse, Hermione,” explained Harry, who was now sitting in a chair beside her bed. “He used you to attack me, and I didn’t know why until it was almost too late. I didn’t want to hurt you, nor did I want him to hurt you. Just having him control you tore me apart. You’re one of the best friends I have, and I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t been able to...if you would...”
Tears overcame Harry as his emotions exposed themselves from their hiding places. Hermione grabbed Harry’s hand and squeezed gently, trying to comfort him. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, literally, and it hurt her knowing she couldn’t do anything to help him more. She couldn’t even defend herself! She felt tears starting to form in her eyes. Tears she didn’t want him to see. She pulled Harry to her and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She felt his sporadic breathing against her chest as she started to cry with him. They’d been friends for a long time, and it was hard in a world such as they lived in, to find hope in dark places. After a moment, she pulled away and looked at him. As she locked eyes with him, she felt the urge to tell him what had been on her heart for a long time.
“Harry, I love you. We’ve been friends for the longest time, and I don’t think I would’ve made it this far without you “”
“Me, either. That’s why “”
“Just...please let me say this,” she requested, and Harry stopped talking. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through these past few years, and I wish there was something I could do to help you. But I want you to know that I will always be there for you whenever you need someone. I guess you could say you’re my hero.”
Both of them blushed at this comment as they looked into the other’s eyes.
“I would do anything for you, and...well...I just wanted to let you know that. I’m with you now and forever. You’ll make it through this, Harry, I know you will.”
Harry was getting choked up again. He never expected this from Hermione, who was usually quiet about her feelings. Smiling, he pulled her in for another hug. The two rested in the other’s arms for a couple minutes before the door opened and Ron walked in.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, not wanting to interrupt anything important.
“Yeah, Ron,” Harry said. “We’re fine. I was just checking on Hermione to see if she was alright.”
Ron closed the door and sat on the opposite side of the bed across from Harry and Hermione.
“Today was a close one, that was. I’m just glad you were there, Harry. I’ve got to say, the three of us make a good team.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Harry said sarcastically, and the other two laughed. As the three exchanged looks, it was an unspoken understanding that, no matter the happenings of the future, their friendship would stand through it all and remain true. They’d made it this far, and they would make it through to the end. Hermione started tearing up again, and pulled both Harry and Ron into a group hug. Neither of them left the room until late that evening, as they all told jokes and stories to each other, savoring the moment as long as they could. It was their time, their world, and their friendship. No matter what dark forces lay ahead of them, that truth could not be taken from them, and would be defended no matter what the cost.
Harry Potter & The Silhouette Of Eternal Benevolence by JourneyJosh
Chapter Notes: Harry, Ron, and Hermione take a walk through a park on a summer's afternoon, where they encounter the Malfoys: father and son. A fight takes place, involving a most unique experience for the trio.