Harry Potter and the Potion of Power

Chapter 1: The Aftermath of the Battle


As he walked through the deserted halls of Hogwarts, Harry replayed that awful night again, as he’d done for what seemed the hundredth time. It took no effort. He couldn’t have put it out of his mind, had he wanted to.

Dumbledore and he had returned from trying to find one of Voldemort’s seven Horcruxes– objects in which he’d stored part of his soul – to find the Dark Mark: the blazing green skull with the serpent tongue; the mark the Death Eaters left whenever they had attacked a building – whenever they had murdered.-- hanging over the school, over the Astronomy Tower.

Flying on broomsticks they’d obtained from Hogsmead, they had arrived at the top of the tower to find it deserted. Although the Dark Mark was above the tower, no corpse or any living person had been in the tower when they had arrived.

Weakened from drinking a potion to get at Voldemort’s Horcrux, Dumbledore had clutched at his chest with his withered, black, hand, the one injured in obtaining another of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, and ordered Harry to find Snape and bring him to the tower.

But as Harry had been about to leave, they’d heard footsteps on the stairs to the tower. Dumbledore had instructed Harry to hide under his invisibility cloak. Harry had heard, “Exspelliarmus,” and had been frozen, but it had been a non verbal spell by Dumbledore which had frozen him. In using it, Dumbledore had sacrificed any chance of defending himself. The few seconds he had spent freezing Harry had given the person coming up the stairs time to rid Dumbedore of his wand. That person had been Malfoy.

Death Eaters, following closely on Malfoy’s heels, had urged him to kill Dumbledore, but Malfoy had seemed to have difficulty doing it. Then Snape had arrived. He had killed Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was dead. The only one left to fight Voldemort was Harry, and he wasn’t yet of legal age. He wasn’t even supposed to do magic when away from Hogwarts; and now that Dumbledore was gone, there was no wizard at Hogwarts strong enough to oppose Voldemort. Professor McGonagall was the most powerful wizard left at Hogwarts, but she’d never been a match for Dumbledore.

Hogwarts would probably be closed after this year anyway. The board was already considering closing it before the end of the school year. After the crowd that had come for Dumbledore’s funeral had left, many taking their children with them, the halls seemed deserted even during the day. Many parents, fearing for their children’s safety, had pulled them out of school.

The protective wards had been reestablished, and the vanishing closet had been destroyed, but without Dumbledore, few had faith that they would keep Voldemort and his death eaters out. Fear pervaded the halls of Hogwarts. Even the teachers seemed afraid, especially Professor Slughorn. Against his better judgement, he’d given his memory of Voldemort to Harry. If Voldemort came to Hogwarts, he knew he’d die a most unpleasant death; but there was nowhere else for him to go. The death eaters were everywhere.

Harry wasn’t coming back to Hogwarts anyway. Without Dumbledore, it wouldn’t have been the same; and he had something else to do. He had to find and destroy – first Vodemort’s remaining Horcruxes – then Voldemort. Whether he was the Chosen One of the prophecy or not, no longer mattered. Voldemort thought he was. He would never rest until Harry was dead. Harry’s only chance at life was to kill Voldemort first – and he planned to do it alone.

Ron and Hermione had said they would help; but Harry was afraid that would only bring about their deaths, as Dumbledore’s assistance had brought about his. No, Harry would have to do it himself– but how? Snape had bested him; and Snape was a child compared to Voldemort. Now, Harry would have to fight both of them.

Harry’s hatred for Snape almost equaled that he felt for Voldemort. Why hadn’t Dumbledore listened to him? Harry had tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened. He had told him that Snape and Malfoy were plotting together. He’d been proven right, but that proof had been the murder of Dumbledore.. He wished he’d been wrong -- wished that Dumbledore were still alive. He’d never felt so alone, even though Ron and Hermione were still around – and Ginny.

He wanted to be with her most of all; but she was the one person he couldn’t have nearby. Voldemort had used her to get at him before. She was the weak link in his armor. He loved her. How could he fight Voldemort if she were in danger? No, he’d have to stay away from Ginny. He couldn’t bear to have something happen to her – for her to die.

Look at those who had already given their lives for him – his mother and now Dumbledore. Harry was convinced Dumbledore had sacrificed himself to save his life. Why else would he have immobilized Harry under the invisibility cloak, giving up his chance to defend himself? Like Harry’s mother, Dumbledore had sacrificed his life for him.

It was almost too much of a burden to bear. Two people he had loved had died to save him; for he realized that he had loved Dumbledore. He’d been more than a teacher. He’d been like a father to him. If the same happened to Ginny – if she died to save him – if he somehow caused her death – he didn’t think he could go on.

Unable to sleep, he’d been walking the halls of Hogwarts for much of the night. Now morning, he was standing in front of the portrait of the fat lady. “Password,” she said.

“Framblehof,” he replied.

“That’s not the password,” said the fat lady in the portrait guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor tower.

“It is so,” said Harry. “I distinctly remember it.”

“Not any longer,” she said, “It changes every night at midnight.”

“I was out last night. I didn’t see the new password.” The password appears on the inside wall beside the door to the commons room so that each student can see it before exiting the room. Framblehof had been there when Harry had left. He’d been wondering the halls since before midnight.

“You couldn’t have been out. No students are allowed out of their houses at night.” She had been asleep when Harry had left and hadn’t awakened since he hadn’t had to use a password to leave.

“But, you know who I am. I’m Harry Potter. You know I belong to Gryffindor.”

“How do I know you’re who you seem.? You could be one of–“ she hesitated, looking around as if to make certain she had someplace to flee to, “You-Know-Who’s people. Anyway, I have strict orders not to let anyone in without the password.”

Harry was exasperated. He would have to wait outside the room until someone inside came out, and he’d hoped to be back inside before everyone – especially Ron and Hermione –awoke. If Ron found his bed empty, he would certainly alert Hermione and Ginny. Then he would have to explain what he had been doing all night – roaming the halls alone against the strictest orders from McGonagall.

In passing, he wondered what would happen if he had been caught by a teacher. Would he get detention? After what he’d been through the last few days, detention didn’t seem to be much of a punishment. He’d been through much worse than detention; even detention with Snape. And he didn’t have to worry about Snape. He was gone.

No matter how he pleaded, the fat lady wouldn’t budge. He would have to wait until the Griffindor students came out for breakfast. Suddenly, the door burst open. Ron came out followed by Hermione and Ginny. All three were still pulling on their clothes. None of them had their robes. Stopping short when they saw Harry, they all said together, "Harry! Where have you been?" Ginny was crying. Even Hermione’s eyes seemed watery.

“I – I went for a walk. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Harry!” said Hermione. “You know that’s against the rules. What if Filch had caught you?”

“Bugger getting caught by Filch,” said Ron. “What if You-Know-Who had found you wondering the halls by yourself?”

Harry didn’t have a chance to reply. Bounding into him with almost enough force to knock him over, Ginny threw her arms around him, clutching him fiercely. “Harry, I was afraid You-Know-Who had you. I was afraid you were dead. Don’t ever do that again, Harry. I – I love you. I would die if something happened to you.”

She’d said it. For the first time she’d said it – said what Harry felt in his heart. She was the first person that had ever – in his life – said that to him. The Dursleys had never showed him any affection, much less love. Oh, he thought that Sirius Black had love him, but he’d never said it – not in those words, anyway.

Of course, he knew his mother had loved him. She’d given her life for him; and he was sure his father had, too. But, he’d been so young when they had died, he couldn’t remember hearing them say it to him. He was almost seventeen and he’d heard someone say, “I love you,” for the first time.

Despite his resolve to stay away from Ginny – and seemingly unaware of the presence of Ron and Hermione – he said, “I love you, too, Ginny;” then he kissed her.

It was a kiss unlike any that had come before. He lost himself in it, forgetting for a moment where he left off and Ginny began. It was if he’d been born just to experience that kiss – as if it were the whole meaning of his existence. For a time, he forgot about Voldemort.

Some time later. He would never be sure how much time had passed, he felt a tug on his sleeve and heard Ron’s voice‚ “Come on, you lot. Come up for air. There’s snogging – then there’s snogging. You should save one like that for when you’re alone.”

His tone indicated that he didn’t approve of his sister’s participation in such a passionate kiss. Either that, or he was envious because he’d never received one like it.

Breaking off the kiss, Harry felt his ears burn. He’d kissed Ginny in front of Ron and Hermione before, but not like that. He felt as if he’d been caught doing something much more intimate. It had been intensely intimate, not because of the physical act of kissing, but because of the feeling accompanying it. Although he was always aroused by Ginny, that kiss had almost made him shoot a wad into his shorts. And if he had, he was sure that the others would have known. Perhaps, a kiss like that was better saved for when they were alone.

For a time, Harry forgot his resolve to stay away from Ginny. But, until he went to the Dursley’s he couldn’t very well avoid her, could he? They were both at Hogwarts, and they would be going to the Weasley’s afterward for Bill’s wedding. Besides, after that kiss, Harry no longer possessed the resolve to stay away from Ginny.

Anyway, they should be safe for now at Hogwarts and then later at the Weasley’s. At least as safe as they would be anywhere. Harry definitely wouldn’t take her with him when he sought out Voldemort, but then, he had already decided to do that alone, not risking the lives of any of his friends. He just hadn’t yet discovered a way to leave Ron and Hermione behind. He’d already discovered how stubborn they could be.

He started to pull away from Ginny, but, clutching him, she placed her mouth next to his ear – the one hidden from Ron and Hermione – and whispered, “Meet me in the common room tonight after everyone is asleep.”

“Did you sleep at all last night?” asked Ron.

“No,” said Harry, “I didn’t.”

“Are you going to sleep or coming to breakfast?”

With his mind full of Ginny, Harry couldn’t have slept; besides, he wasn’t yet ready to let her out of his sight. “I’ll have breakfast,” he said.

He and Ginny, walking behind Ron and Hermione, held hands. Harry saw Hermione cast a glance back at them; then after a moment, reach for Ron’s hand. Each couple walked to the dining hall, hand in hand.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting for them in the dining hall, which was less than half full, so many of the students had left. "Hello, Mum -- Dad," Ron said.

"Hello, Dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "Hello, Harry, Hermione, Ginny. Harry, you look terrible -- tired. Your eyes are red. Didn't you sleep well last night."

"No, I couldn't sleep," he said. But he didn't tell her he'd been wandering the halls all night and, fortunately for him, neither did his friends. Perhaps, none of them wanted to hear the certain lecture that both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would have delivered.

"How's Bill?" asked Ron, "Is he any better?"

Ron's older brother, Bill, had been attacked by a werewolf the night Dumbledore had died. Fortunately, there not having been a full moon, the werewolf had been in human form. Still, since a werewolf's bites are cursed, Madam Pomfrey could work no charm to heal them. Bill's face had been horribly disfigured.

He was still in the hospital wing. He would be a long time healing, and no one -- not even Lupin, a werewolf himself -- knew what effect the bites would have on Bill. He would definitely never look the same, and he might acquire some wolfish characteristics.

Harry could tell by the look on Mrs. Weasley's face that her son wasn't much better. "He's awake," she said. The cuts have closed up some. Madam Pomfrey stitched them up, muggle style. He's going to have some terrible scars -- and he was such a handsome boy," she added, lowering her voice. "Fleur is up with him now. I guess I was wrong about her."

Neither Mrs. Weasley or Ginny had liked Bill's fiancée, but she was standing by him and still wanted to marry him, despite his disfigurement.

The mood in the dining hall during breakfast was somber. Most ate, then left, without engaging in much conversation. Even the ghosts seemed subdued, saying little to any of the students.

Since classes were still suspended, the four friends, joining the Ron's mum and dad, went to visit Bill in the hospital wing. Harry didn't think he looked well. Inflamed, the cuts on his face were puffy and red. Swollen as they were, he was scarcely recognizable. Fleur didn't seen to think so, however. "Don't you theenk 'e looks so much better today?"

She had said that his looks didn't matter, that she was good looking enough for both of them; and she was a beautiful woman.

After visiting Bill and returning to the Griffindor common room, Ginny left to take a shower, and Hermione went to the library. Classes being suspended wouldn't stop her form studying. Ron and Harry went into their room. Ron said something, but the words were were indistinct to Harry; he was so tired. He was just going to lie across his bed for a moment -- but fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


Chapter 2: "Meet Me After Everyone's Asleep," She Said