A New Order
Harry woke with a start, breathing in sharply. The dream had returned, only this time, something had woken him up. He�d felt like he was being smothered. He was now breathing heavily, trying to ignore the pain in his oxygen-deprived lungs.
Then, Harry felt his body go numb, his breaths becoming slow and shallow. His legs moved involuntarily, making him stand up. He started walking toward the door. His mind screamed at his legs to stop, but they wouldn�t listen. The just kept moving, carrying Harry along with them.
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Hermione�s eyes snapped open. She was sure it hadn�t been a dream this time. It had seemed too real. An intense feeling of dread washed through her, much as it had just before Harry�s attempted suicide.
Hermione got up and went to the window, pulling back the curtains. Hermione was confused by the image that met her eyes. A pillar of green light was rising from the Forbidden Forest, extending into the sky. Confusion soon became fear as the light broke off and twisted itself into the Dark Mark.
�Harry,� Hermione whispered and took off running, knowing exactly where she had to go. �Please don�t let me be too late,� she gasped, hoping that her prayer would be answered.
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Melissa sat up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn�t seem to fall asleep. Something bad was going to happen. She knew all too well that if she felt like something would happen, it would.
�Melissa, I think you�d better come see this,� Sheila�s voice came from across the room, by the window. Melissa got up and walked across the room slowly, careful not to bump into anything.
She got there just in time to see the green Dark Mark before it faded into the sky. She had a sudden image of Draco, clutching his left arm where the Mark was burned into his skin. She felt a rush of anger, seeing the Mark that had caused the ones she loved pain, both in the past and present. She wasn�t going to let it rule her future.
She looked over at Sheila and they nodded in silent agreement. They hurried toward the door, not running for fear of waking someone up with the noise. They couldn�t afford to be stopped in the halls by a professor while precious moments slipped away.
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Harry�s legs carried him through the school, barely stopping long enough for him to open the doors before charging through. At first, Harry thought it might be the Imperius curse. He tried to fight it off many times unsuccessfully before he realized it couldn�t be. There was no voice telling him what to do, as was usual for the Imperius curse.
Finally, he opened his last door and stepped out onto the grounds. Apparently, this wasn�t where he was going because his legs kept moving, turning toward the Forbidden Forest. Then, Harry heard something from inside the school, distant footsteps getting closer and closer. Without warning, his legs took off, and Harry was forced to run into the forest.
Trees flashed past Harry. He tried desperately to slow himself down, but it was like trying to stop a speeding car. All he could do was throw his arms up to protect his face from branches that threatened to blind him.
Then, he felt himself slow down until he finally came to a stop. He slowly lowered his arms, not wanting to see where he was but knowing he had to. He was standing in a clearing, the one he�d been in earlier in the year by the looks of it. A cloaked figure stood by a cauldron, throwing in various ingredients. They didn�t seem to notice Harry.
�I reveal myself to my Master,� the figure said, raising their arms up over their head. The hood fell back, and the servant�s face was revealed.
It was Professor Felina.
But then, she brought her arms down and grabbed a handful of her own hair. She pulled and a black wig detached, falling to the ground.
The woman who stood there now was someone Harry had only ever seen once before. Her silvery blond hair, once reaching past her shoulders, was now cut extremely short and uneven, but there was no question as to who it was. It was Narcissa Malfoy, Draco�s mother.
�What�re you doing here?� Harry asked, then cursed himself for drawing attention to himself.
Narcissa turned to look at him, confusion written on her face. Then, her expression went blank. �Harry Potter,� she said, her voice sounding distant, �Master will be pleased. I�ll tell you this, you are very hard to track down. Believe me, nothing would please me more than to kill you right here.�
Then, without warning, she collapsed onto her knees and covered her face with her hands. �Please don�t hurt him,� She cried. �For God�s sake, he�s only a child. Get out of my head!� These final words seemed to echo in the silence that was so unusual for the forest.
A black aura appeared around Narcissa, surrounding her. After a few moments, it condensed into a sphere and drifted to hover a few feet away. It started to expand, forming into the silhouette of a person. Finally, it solidified into a man. This man was Lucius Malfoy, Draco�s father.
�Worthless,� he spat, kicking Narcissa so that she fell over and lay motionless. �I told you what you�d get. I�ll take care of him myself.� He raised his wand to perform a curse.
�Now, now, don�t be hasty,� said a voice that Harry knew all to well. �After all, that�s no way to treat a guest.�
A man stepped out from behind a tree. Even if one had never seen this man before, they would know he was evil. With his chalk-white skin, blood-red eyes, and snake-like appearance, he surely couldn�t be anything else. Harry, however, had seen him too many times before to even think anything different. The man, if he could truly be called so, was Lord Voldemort.
�Master,� Lucius said, kneeling down and kissing the hem of Voldemort�s robes.
Voldemort kicked at Lucius, who whimpered and retreated several steps. �My first lesson for you Mr. Potter,� he said, �is to never trust a servant with a lord�s job.�
Harry tried to run, but found that his legs now seemed to be frozen in place. He searched his pockets and cursed himself for not having his wand with him.
�Oh, don�t worry,� Voldemort said, sounding amused. �I�m not going to kill you. Well, at least, not yet anyway. No, I have a business proposition of sorts.�
�Not interested,� Harry growled, clenching his fists.
�Oh, I wouldn�t be so sure if I were you,� Voldemort said, turning to stand in front of the cauldron and saying a spell. �Mutare.�
A muffled explosion escaped from the cauldron and a great deal of red smoke billowed out, obscuring Voldemort from view. After a few minutes, the smoke cleared and in place of Voldemort stood Lily and James Potter.
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Hermione tripped and lay sprawled on the front lawn of Hogwarts. For a moment, she forgot why she was out there. She pulled herself into a sitting position, gingerly touching her bruised arm.
Without warning, Hermione felt her stomach give a jolt and she was on her feet. Trees towered all around her. Right beside her stood Harry, staring at the images of his parents.
It was the dream. Hermione turned to Harry and tried to speak, but all she could do was mouth the word �no.�
Then, she felt another jolt and was back on the ground. She stood and ran toward the forest, hoping against all hope that she would get there in time.
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Harry stared in disbelief at the images of his parents that now stood before him. It couldn�t be them. They were dead, weren�t they?
�I�m giving you a choice,� Voldemort�s voice echoed in the clearing. �You can choose to stay on the side of the Muggle-lovers and you won�t make it two steps from where you stand. Or you can join me and I will spare your life. Then, with our combined powers we could bring them back.�
The image of Harry�s mother held a hand out to him and spoke in a blank, distant voice. �Please help us Harry.�
The last bit of defiance Harry had dissolved, and he took a step forward. This was his chance. He could bring them back, hide them, and get out before he had to hurt anyone. Then, he would go into hiding too, staying away from his friends so they wouldn�t be hurt.
And so Harry took another step, believing that he could pull this off.
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Hermione ran through the forest. Sharp rocks and twigs bit into the heels of her bare feet and branches seemed to reach out to grab at her, but she hardly noticed, even when one branch grazed her shoulder.
Finally, she reached the clearing. Harry was walking toward the image of his mother, who held a hand out toward him.
�Harry, no!� Hermione shouted, but he didn�t seem to hear her. He just kept walking until he stood in front of the image of his mother and took her hand.
The images disappeared, leaving You-Know-Who holding Harry�s hand. You-Know-Who let go of Harry, who just stood there, seeming to be in a trance.
�You�re too late,� You-Know-Who hissed at Hermione.
Hermione closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up. This had to be a dream. It always was before. But, when she opened her eyes again, she knew the truth. It wasn�t a dream this time. It was real. And she was too late.
�Dispose of her,� You-Know-Who ordered, and a person Hermione hadn�t seen earlier, but recognized just the same, stepped forward. It was Lucius Malfoy. He took out his wand and pointed it at Hermione.
Hermione collapse to her knees and cried. Lucius was just about to say a curse when You-Know-Who stopped him.
�On the other hand,� he said, �we could always use more women in our ranks. Just make sure she doesn�t get away. We�ll convince her later.�
Lucius nodded and muttered a spell. Hermione fell over and blacked out.
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Harry took his mother�s hand and felt a burst of pain in his scar. Before he could do anything about it, the pain was gone, replaced by a numbing coldness that flowed through his blood, paralyzing him.
His mind went blank and a single string of words replace his thoughts, a voice that was someone else�s: Listen to Master. Do whatever Master tells you. Don�t question Master�s orders.
Crying could be heard a few feet away. A girl was down on her knees, her face in her hands. A single confused thought popped into Harry�s mind: Hermione?
There is no Hermione, the voice said. She doesn�t exist.
No Hermione, Harry repeated the words in his thoughts and believed them.
Then, the girl was hit by a spell and fell unconscious. Harry didn�t know why, but this sent a surge of anger through him. The voice tried to come back, but Harry pushed it away. He felt a need to say that one word he could remember. One word that meant everything and nothing to him at the same time.
�Hermione,� Harry whispered, and everything came back to him in a rush. The clearing�Narcissa�Lucius�Voldemort�his parents�and�
�Hermione!� Harry shouted, running to see if she was all right. She didn�t seem to be hurt, but she was out cold.
�Bravo!� Voldemort said, clapping. �You fought that off well. That�s exactly what I look for in an heir. So what�s it going to be?�
Harry looked back down at Hermione. �Will you let her go?�
�If there�s one thing I�m not, boy,� Voldemort said, �it�s a liar. I can�t let her go. She knows too much. But I�m a reasonable man. If you want her life to be spared, you may bring her with you.�
�No,� Harry said immediately, �I won�t join you unless you let her go.�
�That�s a shame,� Voldemort said, shaking his head. �I suppose you�ll die together then. Remember, I have your blood now. Your mother can�t protect you anymore.� He raised an arm, and Harry prepared himself for the curse that would surely kill him.
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�We�re going in circles!�
�No, we�re not!� Sheila said stubbornly, pushing through the tree branches. Then she felt a cold wave, starting in the scar on her arm and traveling through her. �Did you feel that?�
Melissa nodded. �We�re getting close.�
�Shh,� Sheila said, �listen.�
Muffled voices came from a few feet to their left. They crept over to the edge of a clearing and hung back, peering through the bushes.
�I have your blood now,� a man said, standing over Harry and Hermione. A distant memory told Sheila that it was Lord Voldemort, the man who had killed their parents. �Your mother can�t protect you anymore.� He raised an arm.
Sheila felt a rush of anger and stepped out into the open.
�Sheila, what�� Melissa said furiously, stepping out after her.
�Trust me,� Sheila whispered. Then, she turned to Voldemort and spoke loudly, �You want to kill them, you�ll have to take me out first.�
�Sheila��
�Just go to Harry,� Sheila said. Melissa nodded and went to where Harry and Hermione were. A man, probably a deatheater, tried to stop her, but she got past him by kicking him in a very unpleasant place. If it had been any other time, Sheila would�ve laughed at the look on the guy�s face.
�Normally I wouldn�t bother,� Voldemort said, turning to Sheila, �but since you insist, Avada Kedavra!� A jet of green light shot from his hand, heading for Sheila.
Instinctively, Sheila lifted her arm to protect her face. She felt a hot pain hit her arm and then, nothing. She lowered her arm and gave a nervous laugh. �I can�t believe it worked!�
�It�s impossible,� Voldemort said, genuine fear showing on his face as it dawned on him, �unless��
�That�s right,� Sheila said, lifting her sleeve off of her right arm to show him her lightning scar. �Never thought you�d run into us again, did you? You�ll need blood from us too if you want to kill all of us.� She went to join Melissa and they shielded Harry and Hermione.
Voldemort�s fear disappeared and he gave a cold, cruel laugh. �You can�t get away. The girl is knocked out, she won�t wake up anytime soon. You can�t save them both. If you move more than a few feet, they�ll be unprotected.�
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Harry cursed the unfairness. Melissa and Sheila weren�t supposed to be here. He didn�t want them to get hurt. He had to get Hermione and them out of here.
�Melissa, Sheila,� Harry said, � just save Hermione. I�ll be fine.�
�No,� Melissa said, shaking her head, �we�re not leaving you. We�re a family, whether you like it or not.�
�I�m not leaving Hermione,� Harry said angrily.
�We won�t have to,� Sheila said suddenly. �Remember when we did that research paper for Defense Against the Dark Arts? Well, I found this really great shield spell. It got me a good grade and I think it�ll help us here. It�ll take all three of us to get it started.�
�I don�t have my wand,� Harry said in a defeated voice. �Besides, you won�t have time to teach us the spell.�
�Just shut up and join hands,� Sheila said, �and stay behind us.� Melissa and she each reached out a hand toward Harry and he took them reluctantly.
This is pointless, Harry thought to himself. I don�t even know the words.
Trust us, Sheila�s voice said in his mind. Harry questioned how it was that she could�ve spoken into his mind for only a moment. It didn�t matter. What mattered is that he heard her, and he trusted her.
�I�ll tap the energy,� Sheila said, closing her eyes.
Harry heard a familiar rushing sound, but it seemed more distant than usual. Then, he felt Sheila�s hand tighten around his as she swayed slightly.
She can�t hold the connection for long, Melissa�s voice said to him. Start the spell.
Harry could only wonder what to do for a moment before it happened. Words floated through his mind and his mouth moved to form them. Later on, when Harry would try to remember the words, he would draw a blank.
Harry felt a rush of dark energy, seeping into his veins and filling his soul. He panicked slightly, but Melissa squeezed his hand reassuringly and he calmed down.
When they finished the spell, the words seemed to echo in the clearing. A transparent wall of light hung in midair, shielding Harry, Melissa, Sheila, and Hermione.
�You guys help Hermione,� Sheila said. �I�ll keep the shield up.�
Harry and Melissa nodded and turned to kneel by Hermione.
�She�s out cold,� Melissa muttered. �There�s no way he can carry her all the way back to Hogwarts.�
Harry knew she was right. They�d never make it back. He was ready to give up when a vaguely familiar voice reached his ears.
�Friend of Hagrid is in need of assistance, is he not?� It was Aragogg, the giant spider Harry had met in his second year. He came out into the clearing, followed by several slightly smaller spiders.
�My children will bring you safely back to Hogwarts,� He said. �You helped us defeat the creature of which we do not speak. We will do the same for you.�
Four spiders scuttled forward. Harry, Melissa, and Hermione were picked up by three of them, and the fourth stood by Sheila.
�Just a second,� Sheila said. �I need to seal the spell, or it�ll disappear.� She whispered the last words and let the spider pick her up.
�Wait!� a hoarse voice said. Narcissa Malfoy had crawled to the edge of the other side of the barrier.
�Who�s that?� Sheila asked.
�Narcissa Malfoy,� Harry said, �and that over there is Lucius Malfoy.�
�Don�t tell Draco,� Narcissa whispered before passing out.
Harry looked back at Melissa, who nodded. She�d heard and they both knew what this meant. They couldn�t tell Draco that his parents had been out here.
�Let�s go!� Sheila said impatiently. �That shield won�t hold more than ten minutes, and that�s if we�re lucky!�
Harry felt the spider�s grip tighten painfully around his waist and they were off, racing through the forest at breakneck speed. The spiders who weren�t carrying them surrounded them like eight-legged bodyguards. Harry was glad Ron wasn�t there, since he was afraid of spiders.
Less than five minutes later, they�d reached the front doors of Hogwarts.
�Here is where we must part ways, friend of Hagrid,� Aragogg said as they were lowered to the ground. �The debt is repaid. Next time, you will not be so lucky.� He left, followed by his many children.
�Ugh,� Melissa groaned, shuddering. �I�m gonna have nightmares for a month after that.�
Harry, Melissa, and Sheila debated for a while over what to do about Hermione. They had to get her up to the hospital wing. Melissa and Sheila were finally able to piece together what they remembered from their classes to conjure a flimsy stretcher that they could carry her on.
As soon as they walked in the door though, this entire plan proved worthless. When Harry stepped in, a cold wave through his veins made his knees buckle and he fell to the floor. Melissa and Sheila fell too, dropping the stretcher. Hermione rolled across the floor coming to stop a few feet in front of Harry.
�He�s calling them here,� Sheila stuttered, as though each word was torture to speak, �his servants.� She collapsed and started twitching violently.
Harry pulled himself up to see what he already knew was there. No less than a dozen dementors were closing in on them. With every rattling breath they drew in, Harry could feel his strength ebbing away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melissa fall.
And then, the voices started. Only this time, they were slightly different than they had been before.
�Lily, take Harry and go! It�s him! Go! Run! I�ll hold him off!�
There was the sound of footsteps, a door opening, and a high-pitched laugh.
Then, the voice of a little girl said, �Daddy?�
�It�s okay Melissa. Girls, go with your mother.�
The voices stopped for a moment before starting again.
�Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!�
�Stand aside, you silly girl�stand aside now��
�Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead��
�Mommy!�
�Girls, hurry, get behind me!�
�Give me the boy and get out of the way!�
�No, please�have mercy�have mercy��
Harry clutched his head as these voices repeated themselves over and over. He forced himself to look around. He saw Melissa, Sheila, and Hermione, all unconscious.
In a last effort to save them, Harry lifted a shaking arm toward the dementors. He felt a slight rush of energy, but it was too late. The cold overtook him and he fell into darkness. His arm fell limp and hit the floor, stretched out in front of him.
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Hermione slowly regained consciousness. Lifting here head slightly, she saw that she was on the floor of the Entrance Hall. Harry was lying a few feet in front of her, unconscious. When she turned her head slightly, she saw Melissa and Sheila halfway across the hall, also unconscious, a stretcher on the floor between them.
A low, rattling sound from behind Hermione made her shiver. She turned over and her blood ran cold. Dementors stood in a line across the hall, closing off any hope for escape, as Hermione knew she didn�t have the strength to open the heavy Entrance door.
Hermione suddenly realized that she wasn�t breathing and drew in a sharp breath. The air hit her in an icy wave, causing her lungs to contract in protest. She coughed weakly, feeling too tired to do much else.
The dementors started drifting forward, closing the space between themselves and the fallen students. Hermione pulled herself up a bit and started crawling backwards. She only made it a little ways, however, before her arms gave out and she fell flat on her face.
Hermione was just about to give up hope when she saw that she was now beside Harry. Her first thought was that at least she�d be with him when she died.
Then, a shadow of a memory drifted through her mind. She remembered reading something, but she couldn�t remember where or when. All she remembered were the words.
One of the most well known myths of the wizarding world is the tapping of powers. According to this legend, once every thousand years, a group of witches and wizards will join together to tap into great powers, using them in a way that will forever affect the future. Some believe that the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were the last ones, and that the new group is out there somewhere, waiting for their time. It is said that the members of the groups share a connection, such as family, friendship, or love, that can link their dreams or visions and let them tap powers from each other in times of great need.
Hermione had no idea why this came to her now. She tried to push the thought away, but it kept coming back, even as she started becoming colder from the presence of the dementors.
Hermione looked at Harry again, and this time her eyes traveled to his outstretched arm. It looked like he had just been trying to do a spell, though his wand was nowhere in sight.
�every thousand years� It had been about a thousand years since the time of the founders.
�share a connection� Hermione loved Harry. He might not love her back, but they had been friends, even if they weren�t really anymore.
�in times of great need. Hermione could feel her consciousness slipping away, little by little. If she blacked out now, all hope for them would be lost.
Hermione summoned the last of her strength and moved her arm so her hand was over Harry�s. An icy wave of energy flowed through her arm, spreading through her body like poison in her blood.
The dementors were only a few feet away now. Hermione raised her arm up to point at them, still keeping one hand on Harry�s. The energy she had tapped moved into her arm and started burning like acid.
�Expecto Patronum!� Hermione gasped. A beam of white light exploded from her hand and formed itself into the shape of a bird. Hermione had seen a bird like it before in a book, but she couldn�t remember what they were called.
The bird soared through the air, its beautiful song echoing in the room in melodic tones. It folded its wings and dove at the dementors, driving them back until they turned and glided away. The bird then flew back, landing in front of Hermione.
�Thank you,� Hermione whispered. The bird disappeared and Hermione passed out.
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Harry woke up and opened his eyes. All he could see was a bright, blurry light. After a few confused seconds, he realized that he didn�t have his glasses on. He groaned and turned onto his side, shutting his eyes again. He heard voices around him.
�Madam Pomfrey, I think he�s awake!�
�Yeah, I just saw him open his eyes!�
�Is he going to be all right?�
�Mr. Potter? Mr. Potter, you need to get up.�
�Am I dead?� Harry asked sarcastically.
�What? Of course not!� Madam Pomfrey�s voice said.
�Then I�m not getting up,� Harry said simply.
�I give up,� Madam Pomfrey said. �If you girls would like to try, you�re more than welcome.� There was a sound of retreating footsteps and a slamming door.
Harry opened his eyes slightly and saw two blurry people get up from beds and walk toward him. They walked close enough for Harry to see that they were Melissa and Sheila.
�Get up,� Sheila said.
�No,� Harry growled, glaring at her.
�Harry,� Melissa said, �we�ve put up with all this crap for too long. We�re done playing games. Now get up!�
�And what�ll you do if I don�t?� Harry asked angrily. �Kill me? Go ahead. Put me out of my misery.�
�Well, that�s it,� Melissa said. �We�ve officially tried everything.�
�We have,� Sheila said, her eyes widening slightly. She walked in the opposite direction of the one Harry faced, out of sight. Her footsteps stopped a few seconds later and her voice could be heard.
�Why don�t you try? He might listen to you.�
The footsteps started again and, when they stopped, Harry could feel that someone was standing behind him.
�Harry,� a voice said, making Harry�s blood run cold, �please get up.� It was Hermione.
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It took all of Hermione�s courage to say those words. The only thing that got her finally say them was that Harry look to have hit rock bottom. She had to do whatever she could to help him.
When she spoke, Harry�s shoulders stiffened slightly, but that was the only indication that he�d heard. She reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled away from her.
�Why�re you acting like this?� Hermione asked. �There are so many people here who care about you and want to help you. Why won�t you let them?�
�People are getting hurt because of me, that�s why,� Harry said suddenly, turning to look at her. �You could�ve died tonight, all three of you. I tried to be nice before and look what happened. If you care as much as you say, then leave me alone. I�m not going to let anyone else get hurt because of me.�
Hermione stumbled back a couple steps, surprised by Harry�s words. She�d known Harry was pushing his friends away, but she�d never imagined that this could be the reason.
She knew what she had to do now. She had to tell him. She�d held off telling him before because she was afraid of making things worse, but now it seemed that was no longer possible.
�Damn it Harry, I love you! There, I said it!� Hermione burst out. Harry turned away, so she continued. �Go ahead! Look away, pretend you didn�t hear, even say you hate me, it won�t change that fact. You think you�re helping your friends by pushing them away, but if you�d actually pay attention, you�d see that you�re hurting them more this way. Tell me to go away and I�ll go, but if you�re in danger I�ll do whatever I can to help you, no matter what you say. No matter what you decide, I don�t want to see you depressed like this either. I�d rather die then see you like this.�
Hermione�s last words hung in the air for several minutes. There was a tense silence, where you could have heard a pin drop from across the room.
Finally, it was Sheila who broke the silence. �We�re your friends Harry, nothing can change that. We would gladly give up our lives for you and there�s nothing you can do about it. You might as well just live with it.�
�And we want you to be happy,� Melissa added. �Can you honestly say you�d be happy if we left?�
This time, the silence lasted only a moment and Harry was the one who spoke. �You don�t understand. Voldemort is after me, not any of you. I�d never forgive myself if one of you got hurt for being in his way.�
�And I�d never forgive myself if you got hurt when there was something I might have been able to do to stop it,� Hermione said.
�Besides,� Sheila said, �now that he�s seen us, he�ll be after us too. You can�t defeat him alone and neither can we. That spell out there wouldn�t have worked half as well as it did if it wasn�t for you.�
Hermione didn�t know what she was talking about, but decided not to say anything. These words seemed to have an effect on Harry. He sat up now, reaching over to the bedside table for his glasses and putting them on.
�Hermione,� he said and turned to look at her. Hermione�s heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes. Those eyes that had been dull and clouded minutes earlier had now become the bright, sparkling green eyes of the boy she felt she�d known forever. He was back.
�Harry,� Hermione said and threw her arms around him. She had no idea how he�d react and she didn�t really care. He was himself again, and that was all that mattered. Then she felt his hands on her back as he hugged her too.
�I missed you,� Harry murmured in her ear. �You could never understand how much.�
�Oh, I think I have an idea,� Hermione laughed a little, a few tears escaping from her eyes. �I missed you too.�
�And�� Harry stopped and pulled back, looking down to avoid eye contact.
�What?� Hermione asked, sitting on the bed so her face was level with Harry�s. �What is it?�
�I�� Harry stopped again, looking nervous.
�Oh, for goodness sake, just say it already!� Melissa burst out, almost making Hermione jump. She�d forgotten Melissa and Sheila were there.
Harry blushed and gave a small laugh. Then, he became serious again, looking back up at Hermione. Hermione stared into Harry�s eyes, unable to look away.
�Hermione,� Harry said. He stopped and took a deep breath before finishing. �I love you too.�
Words could not describe how Hermione felt after hearing this. For a moment, she just sat, trying to adjust to the rush of emotions she now felt. Then, she became aware that Harry was starting to look nervous again.
�Well, what�re you waiting for?� Sheila asked suddenly, and this time Hermione really did jump. �Kiss her already!�
Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a moment and then laughed uncomfortably.
�They sure know how to ruin a moment, don�t they?� Hermione asked, getting up to sit in a chair by the bed.
�Uh-huh,� Harry nodded then turned to Melissa and Sheila. �You hear that? Now you won�t get to see anything.�
�Hey, we saved your arses out there! You owe us!� Sheila said, grinning.
�Harry,� Hermione said, �you won�t mind if I make a compromise, will you?�
�Anything to shut them up,� Harry said.
�Are you implying that we don�t know when to keep our mouths shut?� Melissa asked. She paused for a moment before adding. �Never mind, don�t answer that. Now, on with the negotiations!�
�Okay,� Hermione said, �how about this? You let us off the hook today and I promise, before you go home for the summer, you�ll get to see something.�
Melissa looked at Sheila, who nodded. �Agreed, on one condition,� Melissa said. �It�s gotta be something good. You aren�t getting away with a little peck on the cheek.�
�That all right with you?� Hermione asked Harry.
�Sure, why not?� Harry said. They all burst out laughing. Then, voices from the hallway made them stop to listen.
�Severus, this time you go too far!�
�Oh, and you didn�t when you brought your creatures into the school?�
�That was for the safety of the students!�
�And letting this creature in is for the safety of yourself.�
�I warn you Severus, I will not have one of my staff acting this way.�
�That�s not my problem.�
The door opened and a large black dog ran in, followed by Professor Snape and Fudge.
�Snuffles!� Hermione said, using Sirius� code name.
�I suppose he can stay,� Fudge said, wrinkling his nose at Sirius. �He seems decently trained.�
Sirius gave a loud bark, making Fudge jump.
�Right,� Fudge said a little uneasily, �Severus, will you excuse us a moment. I need to speak to these students.�
�Yes sir,� Professor Snape said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He spun around on the spot and stormed out, his robes billowing out behind him.
Fudge turned to the students, his face twitching with poorly concealed anger. �That was a very imaginative story you told Madam Pomfrey. Now, kindly tell the truth.�
�But it was the truth!� Sheila protested.
�Nonsense,� Fudge said, shaking his head. Then, he looked over at Harry, his eyes flashing with triumph. �From what I heard, Mr. Potter here didn�t participate in the storytelling. Mr. Potter will tell the truth, won�t you?� He gave Harry a look that added, or else�
Hermione jumped to her feet, facing Fudge, and placed a hand on Harry�s shoulder. �Leave him alone!� she said, her voice shaking. �Can�t you see that he�s been through enough?�
�Miss Granger,� Fudge said, all pathetic attempts to hide his fury gone, �I would advise you to hold your tongue! I could expel all of you right now!�
�I don�t think you would,� Melissa said suddenly. �If you expel us, who would stop us from going to the Daily Prophet with our story? You�ve already lost over half of your voters. Do you wanna risk losing the rest?�
Fudge�s face went from beet red to chalk white, a fearful look gathering in his eyes. Hermione gave Melissa a grateful smile and Melissa winked.
�I think we have basis for a business proposition,� Fudge said. �If you would be willing to keep this little story of yours to yourselves, I might be able to give you a leg up for the House Cup. Maybe you can get a few extra points for telling the truth.�
�So basically,� Sheila said, �you�re bribing us to keep out mouths shut. Nice try, but we won�t do it.�
�Maybe Mr. Potter would like a word in this?� Fudge said, glancing at Harry. �Mr. Potter, will you tell me what really happened?�
Hermione tightened her grip on Harry�s shoulder and flinched slightly when she realized that she could feel the bones in his arm. She�d noticed that he�d lost weight, but not this much. This, added to what she�d already known, made it hard for her to stay silent.
Harry took a deep breath and spoke without expression. �I believe that whatever they said is true,� he said. �I have nothing to add.�
�Now, Mr. Potter,� Fudge said, said, stepping forward to stand by Hermione, �I know this has been a difficult year for you, but it doesn�t have to stay that way. Wouldn�t it be great if there could be an article in the Daily Prophet about how you won the House Cup for Gryffindor? I mean, after your little�accident�before Christmas, the newspapers went off on a stories saying you tried to kill yourself.�
�Don�t you dare talk to him about that,� Melissa hissed. �You have no idea what he went through after that. I suggest you leave.�
Fudge looked on the verge of hitting someone. He seethed silently for a moment before bottling his anger for one final statement. �As for you two, I�ll be having a talk with your mother about your behavior. I have business elsewhere that I must attend to. I hope you�ll reconsider, especially you, Mr. Potter.� He left the room before anyone could say anything more.
Hermione felt Harry�s shoulder shift under her hand, and pulled her hand back immediately. �I�m so sorry,� she said, �did I hurt you?�
�No,� Harry shook his head, rolling his shoulder a couple times, �I�m just a little sore, that�s all. How long have I been out?�
�Couple days,� Sheila said. �We woke up yesterday, but Madam Pomfrey kept us here to monitor our recovery.�
A booming bark reminded Hermione that Sirius was still there. She looked over just in time to see Sirius change out of dog form.
�Sirius!� Hermione panicked slightly, glancing at Melissa and Sheila. �Are you sure��
Sirius held up a hand to silence her. �It�s okay,� he said. �They already know. Harry, I think you�d better explain.�
Harry nodded. �Hermione,� he said, �Melissa and Sheila�well�they�re my sisters.�
He went on to tell her everything, or, at least, everything he�d been told. Hermione absorbed all of the details, feeling that if she missed one thing, she would be completely lost. Finally, Harry finished and the room was silent for several minutes.
Then, Hermione turned to Melissa and Sheila and a thought dawned on her. �I knew I recognized you from somewhere,� she said. �You look just like Lily Potter!�
Sirius smiled. �It�s a Potter family trait, it seems,� he said. �The sons look like their fathers and the daughters look like their mothers. At least, that�s what James told me, a long time ago.�
�There�s one thing I don�t understand,� Harry said. �Whenever I go near dementors, I hear my parents� voices, but this is the first time I�ve heard mention of Melissa and Sheila.�
�Yeah,� Melissa agreed, �and before we found out, I always had less severe memories around them.�
�Me too,� Sheila added. �Why is that?�
�Well,� Sirius said, looking uncomfortable, �I can explain a little bit. Girls, before I brought you to Lisa�s house, I did a temporary Memory charm on you, to make you forget that night, until something happened to trigger your memory. I�m guessing Dumbledore did something similar for you Harry, only he just modified your memories, so that you remembered everything except for things to do with your sisters.�
�But I�ve come in contact with dementors many times since I�ve known, so why didn�t my memory change then too?� Harry asked.
�Who knows?� Sirius shook his head. �Maybe Dumbledore�s Memory charm was stronger than mine.�
�Or maybe,� Harry added. �I never really accepted the fact until now.�
Without warning, the door swung open and Madam Pomfrey walked in, followed by Professor Wilson. �You have a visitor�oh my god!� Madam Pomfrey dropped her clipboard with a clatter. �S�Sirius Black?�
�Poppy, it�s okay!� Professor Wilson hissed, grabbing Madam Pomfrey�s arm to keep her from running. �Keep your voice down!�
Madam Pomfrey nodded silently and bent to pick up her clipboard. She went to stand off to the side of the room, keeping an eye on Sirius the whole time.
�Hello Sirius,� Professor Wilson said stiffly.
�Hey,� Sirius muttered, shifting his feet uncomfortably, �it�s been a while. I�m s��
�No,� Professor Wilson shook her head, �don�t say you�re sorry. It�s not your fault. Listen, about what happened. If you�re name is cleared, does the offer still stand?�
�Of course,� Sirius answered. �Do you still have��
�Yeah,� Professor Wilson nodded. They were silent for a moment before she spoke again. �I should go. I have a class.� She turned to leave.
�I�ll write,� Sirius called after her.
Professor Wilson looked back over her shoulder briefly to show that she�d heard and left the room.
Madam Pomfrey gave a little laugh and shook her head. �I always knew you were innocent,� she said. �You may stay as long as you like.� She went to her office.
�Crap!� Sheila said suddenly, reaching over to her bedside table. �In all this excitement, I forgot to take my medicine!� She picked up a small bottle and took out a couple pills.
�Medicine?� Sirius asked, his eyes filled with concern. �Are you all right?�
�Oh yeah, I�m fine,� Sheila said quickly, taking the pills with a glass of water that she�d had on the table by her bed. �It�s just a precaution.�
�For what?� Harry asked.
�Um�� Sheila gave a defeated sigh. �I guess I knew I�d have to tell you someday. When I was little, around four years old, I had medical problems. I had seizures and had to take medicine, kind of like this only stronger. I recovered, but I have to take this medicine sometimes when I have relapses.�
�Is that why the dementors affect you so badly?� Hermione asked hesitantly, knowing it was probably a hard thing to talk about.
�When we were in third year, back at our old school,� Sheila said, �we had a school trip to the local wizard prison. It was a way of scaring us into behaving. There were dementors everywhere. I only got a glimpse of the inside of the building before I blacked out. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital wing of our school and a week had gone by.�
�Yeah,� Melissa said, �you just fell and started flailing around. You gave everyone quite a scare. The teachers didn�t know what to do. They said you almost died.�
�So now when I�m near dementors,� Sheila said, �I hear our parents voices too, but the memory of my illness was never replaced.�
No one spoke for a moment as they allowed these words to sink in. Finally, it was Sirius who spoke. �I should go now. Once word of my escape gets around, I�ll have a hell of a time hiding.�
�How did you escape?� Hermione asked.
�Same way as last time,� Sirius winked and changed into his dog form. He ran out the open door and out into the hallway, out of sight.
�Think he�ll make it out without getting caught?� Harry asked.
�Of course,� Sheila said immediately. �This is Sirius we�re talking about.�
�Yeah,� Melissa agreed, �if there�s a way out, you can bet he�ll find it.�
Hermione nodded. �There�s one thing I still don�t understand. How did the Malfoys get into the Forbidden Forest. They couldn�t have been there already, and they couldn�t have apparated.�
And that�s when Harry told them about Professor Felina. He also mentioned the images of his parents.
�I knew it wasn�t them,� Harry said, �and I can�t really explain what happened. Somehow, I thought that if I saved them, I could leave, and no one else would get hurt.�
�I shouldn�t have been there,� Hermione said. �If I hadn�t been there, it would�ve been easier for you to get away.�
�No,� Harry grabbed Hermione�s hand, �if you hadn�t been there, I wouldn�t have come back. You saved me, not from Voldemort, but from myself. Even if Melissa and Sheila had made it in time, they wouldn�t have been able to convince me to leave with them. No offense,� he added quickly, looking back at Melissa and Sheila.
�None taken,� Melissa said.
Hermione smiled weakly. Harry�s opinion meant everything to her. Needless to say, it was good to know that he didn�t think she�d been in the way.
* * * * * *
The day after they were released from the hospital wing, Harry, Hermione, Melissa, and Sheila, along with Draco, decided it would be nice to spend their Saturday outside. They�d told Draco most of what happened, leaving out the part about his parents, of course. He now sat in front of the lake with Melissa and Sheila, making them tell him the story for the about thousandth time.
Meanwhile, Hermione flipped through the pages of a gigantic book about prophecies. Harry said by her, his chin resting on her shoulder. At first, she thought he was reading the book too, but when she looked at him, she saw that his eyes were unfocused. His warm breath on her cheek made it hard for her to concentrate, but she didn�t mind.
�Are you reading?� she asked, turning to look at Harry, her face just a few inches from his.
�Huh?� Harry blinked a few times. �Oh, yeah.�
�Oh really,� Hermione gave a sly smile and snatched Harry�s glasses off his face. �In that case, tell me what that page said.�
�Hey, give them back!� Harry complained, snatching blindly for his glasses.
�Not until you tell me,� Hermione teased, putting the book down and holding the glasses out of Harry�s reach.
�Come on, I�m serious,� Harry said, grabbing at Hermione�s arm. When he finally caught her wrist, he lost his balance, and they tumbled down a small hill, stopping just a few feet from the lake.
Hermione was now in a very embarrassing position, straddling Harry�s chest and pinning him to the ground. But instead of moving away, she stayed put, unfolded Harry�s glasses and put them on. �Damn,� she said, looking down at Harry�s blurry face, �you�re blind!�
�Thanks,� Harry gasped sarcastically, �you can keep the glasses if you�ll let me up.�
�Oh you know you�re enjoying it,� Hermione said. �Now, admit that you weren�t reading.�
�Fine, I wasn�t, now let me up! My ribs hurt!� Harry groaned.
�And,� Hermione added, smirking, �you have to admit that you got beaten by a girl.�
�Fine, you beat me,� Harry grinned and put his hands behind his head, winking. �I am your humble slave. Do with me what you will.�
�You�re sick,� Hermione said, moving off Harry�s chest to kneel next to him. �Seriously though, are you all right?�
�Well, my head hurts,� Harry said pathetically.
�Poor you,� Hermione said. �I�ll kiss it and make it feel better.� She took off the glasses, smoothed Harry�s bangs back, and kissed his forehead.
�And my shoulder,� Harry said.
�All right,� Hermione kissed his shoulder.
�You know, there is another thing�� Harry started.
�Don�t push your luck,� Hermione warned. She gave him his glasses back.
�Okay, okay,� Harry said, sitting up and putting his glasses on. �Maybe I ought to sit on your chest and see how much you like it.�
�Now that I�d like to see!�
Hermione turned around to see Melissa, Sheila, and Draco a few yards away, all staring at her and Harry.
�By the way,� Sheila said, the deal�s still on. You still owe us something.�
�What?� Hermione asked in disbelief. �That wasn�t enough? Kind of makes me not want to know what we do have to do.�
�Well, nothing really happened there,� Sheila said. �I mean, what you did, I did that once with a guy I barely knew.�
�Yeah, but that was different,� Melissa pointed out. �You ended up flat out kissing that guy.�
�How�d you know that?� Sheila asked, looking at her sister suspiciously.
�Well, it was kind of hard to miss since it happened in the middle of a quidditch match,� Melissa said.
�Oh yeah,� Sheila said, smiling dreamily, �that was a good night.�
�The match was in the morning. Don�t you mean �day?��
�No,� Sheila said slowly, smiling slyly. �I mean �night.��
At that point, Draco smirked and gave a small laugh.
�You find this amusing?� Melissa asked, glaring at him.
�No,� Draco said quickly and stopped smiling.
�I�m kidding,� Melissa said, grinning and wrapping an arm around Draco. �You need to learn not to take me seriously.�
A fluttering of wings made them look up. A giant, scarlet bird flew overhead.
�Fawkes!� Harry said. The bird glided downward, landing in front of him.
�Wow, a phoenix!� Melissa said, rushing forward. �They�re supposed to be really rare!�
�He�s Dumbledore�s,� Harry said, kneeling by the phoenix. �Hello Fawkes.�
�Looks like he has a note,� Sheila said, pointing to Fawkes� leg where a piece of parchment was tied.
Harry took the letter from Fawkes and unfolded it. Hermione peered over his shoulder to read it too.
Harry,
I�m sorry I didn�t warn you. I�ve known for quite some time that Voldemort was there, but I haven�t been able to get a message to you until now. By the way, I�m glad you�re back to normal.
But here, I�m rambling on when there�s something I have to tell you. Remember in your first year, you asked why Voldemort wanted to kill you. I promised I would tell you and I will.
By now, you already know it was because of your and your sisters� special power. Now, I will tell you what the power is, or, at least, was I know. You have the ability to channel energy without using a wand. This means you can do excessive amounts of wandless magic without tiring.
You three also have a more mysterious power. It allows you to tap into the powers of others when needed. Well, it did anyway. From what I�ve gathered, it is my belief that this power was affected by the curse that gave you your scar. You can still tap powers, but only ones that originally came from Voldemort.
There�s another less obvious danger to this. When you tap from Voldemort, you could be absorbing toxic levels of dark magic. Tapping too often could lead to permanent corruption.
Now, also from what I know, I�ve determined that Voldemort may have had one of your powers partially acquired. This is why he seems to be able to do wandless magic, but since he doesn�t have the full power, he still uses his wand when he can.
That�s everything I know. I�m going to try to find more information. By now, you probably know that Sirius is out. If he hasn�t been by yet, I�m sure he�ll be by soon.
Good luck,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry wordlessly handed the letter to Melissa and Sheila. After a few minutes, Melissa looked up while Sheila turned the letter over to look at the back.
�There�s nothing else,� Harry said. �It�s too bad. It�d be great to know what to do next.�
�Really?� Sheila said. �Come over and watch this.�
Harry and Hermione went to stand by Sheila.
Sheila ran her hand over the bottom of the parchment. �Just as I thought.� She put her hand over the paper and whispered, �Resero absconditus.� When she pulled her hand back, three numbers stood out from the paper where there had previously been nothing.
�Little trick I picked up,� Sheila said proudly. �I�ve found that, when the right kind of ink has been used, you can get clues out of a message that weren�t in the original writing. It�s how the old prophecies were translated. It�s also really good to use on homework when you�re a page short and don�t know where to find more information.�
�729,� Hermione read off the numbers. Then, she thought about what Sheila had said. �Prophecies��
Hermione took off, running back up the hill where she�d left her book. She was vaguely aware of the others hurry after her. She grabbed the book and flipped to page 729.
�It�s all here!� Hermione said excitedly. �Tapping powers�linked dreams�the founders�everything!�
�You�ve lost be,� Harry said, staring at the page.
�Sheila,� Hermione said, holding out the book, �do you think you can do that spell on this?�
�Sure,� Sheila said immediately, �does anyone have some blank parchment?�
�Yeah,� Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment she�d been planning to use for her Transfiguration homework.
Sheila took the parchment and got to work. She first put it on the page and shut the book, muttering a quick spell. Then she took the parchment out and handed the book back to Hermione. She covered the parchment with her hand, said the spell, and gave it to Hermione. Hermione read the words on the paper aloud.
�Near the turn of each millennia, a new Order shall prevail, forever changing the course of the future. The Order of the Shield, also known as the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, were the last such group, though it is certain that there is another group is out there somewhere by now. This new Order is said to be composed of five or six beings. Three are kin to each other and two others are brave and caring souls, bound to the group by love. The sixth is tied by friendship, but a disagreement will test these bonds. The sixth�s fate is unknown, but this being�s presence, or lack thereof, won�t affect the final outcome.�
Hermione looked up at the stunned faces of the others. They were silent for several minutes before Draco finally spoke up.
�Is that us?� he asked, a touch of fear in his voice.
�Well, it could hardly be anyone else,� Melissa said. �I count five. Who�s the sixth?�
�Ron?� Harry suggested.
�That makes sense,� Sheila said. �He did leave the group because of an argument.�
�Do you think he�ll come back?� Harry asked.
�I don�t know,� Hermione said. �He seems pretty upset. If he does come back, it won�t be for a long time.�
�We need a name,� Sheila said suddenly.
�What?� Harry asked.
�Well, the founders were the Order of the Shield,� Sheila pointed out. �We need a cool name too: Order of the�something. Melissa, any ideas?�
�None whatsoever,� Melissa said. �Draco?�
�I really don�t care,� Draco said.
�Harry?� Sheila asked.
�I think Hermione should decide,� Harry said, turning to her. �Whatever you decide would be fine with me.�
Hermione was about to turn down the offer when something stopped her. That something was a song, a familiar melody that seemed to echo, even in the absence of barriers to cause echoes.
They all turned in time to see Fawkes take flight, his feathers changing to a golden color where the sunlight hit them. Hermione saw this and remembered her Patronus. It was the same song, the same bird.
�Phoenix,� Hermione said, �the Order of the Phoenix.�
�I like it,� Sheila said. �Just think, someday they�ll write a book about this: �Sheila Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.��
�Why not �Melissa Potter?�� Melissa demanded.
�Hey, why does it have to be a Potter?� Draco asked.
�Wait a minute!� Hermione said. �You told him?�
�Well, we had to,� Melissa said. �When we told him what happened in the forest, it wouldn�t have made much sense to him if he didn�t know we were Harry�s sisters. Now, back to the book��
And so, they walked back up to the school. Melissa, Sheila, and Draco argued about book titles all the way. Hermione shook her head and moved closer to Harry as he put his arm around her shoulders. Who would ever write a book like that?
_____________________________________________________________
Author's note: Yes, I'm the one who would write a book like that. I know, this chapter was really long, but I made too many promises to make it any shorter. Now, on to the analyzation. Let's split it up into 3 basic sections.
First, the forest. Who can truthfully say they were expecting that? Maybe Felina might have been on your list of suspects, but Narcissa Malfoy? I should let you know though, I've been giving little clues since about chapter 17, when the story took it's most drastic turn. Anywho, I also told you the dream would be a major part of the story and look here, we almost played it out exactly.
Next, the hospital wing. Ya'lls prolly can't believe I finally got Harry and Hermione together. As for Sheila's condition, I told ya I'd tell you why she had problems around dementors. Speaking of dementors, I bet ya'lls wouldn't even have thought to ask why the voices of Harry's parents never mentioned Melissa and Sheila, but I explained anyway because I have way too much time on my hands.
And finally, the outside scene. I know, it's fluffy (which, in fan fic terms, means that it's cutsie) when I wrote in that little scene with Harry and Hermione. I figured I needed to give them at least one cute scene. The prophecy is pretty self explanitory. Also, for people who would critisize my spells, I used an English-Latin Dictionary and I don't know anything about Latin grammer. I think that's about it for that.
Is this the end? Hell no. There will be 2 more chapters and an epilogue. I don't care if I have to make one of the chapters 30 pages long, that's the way it's gonna be. Then, after that, you can still look forward to sequels, prequels, and interludes. Anyway, if you have any questions, feeel free to ask. In the next couple chapters, you can look forward to more use of Sheila's message revealing spell, the Quidditch Final, final exams, and more.
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