unleashed

All across Privet Drive, families were sleeping in their perfect homes, with perfect yards and perfect cars. All of them sleeping peacefully without a care in the world. Even in the home of number 4 Privet Drive, all was still, well except for the occasional loud grunts from a rather portly boy named Dudley. He was also joined by his equally large father, Vernon.

Yes, everything was quiet except for in the room of Harry Potter. Harry was not a normal sixteen year old boy. First, this home was not really his home, but his prison. Forced to be a slave to his uncle, underfed, abused and downright hated, was the story of Harry’s life....or part of it. There was the small secret that only the occupants of number 4 knew...Harry is a wizard.

But these things were not the cause of Harry’s sleepless night. He was pacing in his room waiting for his two best friends to arrive. Ron Weasley, a tall lanky redhead with freckles for days, has been Harry’s best friend for over six years. Hermione Granger, whom he has know as well for six years, was known as the know-it-all by Harry and Ron...and pretty much anyone that ran across her. This trio has been through everything together. They all attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the course of five years they have fought against trolls, dangerous creatures, potions class with Snape and, worse Lord Voldemort. Voldemort was the reason to why Harry was awake tonight. He woke up with his scar prickling, which has happen far too many times. Tonight though, was the night that Harry decided to tell his friends why his scar hurts and why Voldemort wants him dead.

Two hours ago Harry woke up from his hunted dreams, sweating profusely. After pacing his room, he decided that this was the time to tell his friends. He was going to tell them the prophecy. He sat down at his desk and wrote two very frantic letters:

Ron,

Hey, mate, I know that this is old news, but my scar hurt while I was sleeping again. But tonight, I have to see and speak to you. Come to my house, I have to tell you something really important so make sure that no one knows where you are going. Be here at 2 a.m.

HP

Mione,

I am sorry that I have been really distant these past few weeks, but I needed time to get over him leaving me. I know it is late, but I have to see and speak to you. There is something really important that I have to say and now is the best time to tell you before we go back to school. Please don’t be angry with me, but could you meet me at my house at 2 a.m.? I am in dire need to get this out into the open. I will see you then.
Always, Harry

Harry sealed the two notes and waited to Hedwig to come back from hunting. When she flew into the window, Harry gave her the letter. “Hey girl, I know that it is late but I need you to take these letters and give them to Ron and Hermione. Wake them up and make sure they read the letters.....it is important.” Hedwig hooted softly to show that understood.

Harry glanced at the clock. It read 1:45a.m. in bright red numbers. Harry pulled out his wand and muttered a silencing spell on his room so that no one would wake up when his friends got there. Harry was glad that Dumbledore gave him permission to use magic while he was away from school, tonight he needed it. There was also something that he needed that night. A Pensieve. Dumbledore was kind enough to let Harry use his. Just then, he heard a loud BANG! Harry ran to the window and saw his two friends stepping out of the Knight Bus. He ran downstairs to open the front door to let them in. They crept slowly up the stairs to make sure that no one woke up. When they got into his room, Harry, shut the door and muttered a silencing spell on the room so that on one would hear him talking to anyone.

“Hey guys, did anyone see you leaving your houses?”ask Harry looking from one friend to the other.

“No, I left the house and walked to town to flag down the Kight bus to make sure that I won’t be heard. But bloody hell, Harry, couldn’t this wait until morning?” asked Ron while trying to stifle a yawn. Harry noticed that Ron did a bit of growing in the past three weeks, but he still looked the same.

“Ron, have you looked at the time...it is morning. And I am sure that whatever Harry has to say, will be worth coming here this early. I didn’t have to go into town to get the Knight Bus because my parents are muggles, they can’t hear it, remember?” said Hermione. Harry noticed that she had changed a lot over the holiday as well. Her hair was no longer bushy, but sleek with soft curls framing her slender face. She also had curves that Harry had never noticed before. ‘My how do those school robes cover curves like that....WAIT!!! It’s just ‘Mione!’ Shaking the impure thoughts from his mind Harry closed the window and motioned for his friends to sit down.

“Yeah. Thanks, guys, for coming here. I really had to talk to someone. But before I start, I must ask that you guys don’t say anything until I finish and then you can ask questions.” At this, his friends nodded. Harry continued. “Alright, what I am about to say cannot leave this room,” Harry took a deep breath. He now knew how hard it was for Dumbledore to tell Harry this news. “...last year, after our little trip to the ministry, Dumbledore sent me to his office at Hogwarts by portkey. He told me the reason why Tom was so keen to getting that prophecy. It contained information about him and I. It was information on how to destroy each other.”

With that, Harry placed the Pensieve on the bed between Ron and Hermione. He placed his wand to his temple underneath his jet-black hair. Pulling the wand away, a fine gossamer strand attached to the tip of the wand. Harry placed it into the bowl and prodded the substance. Out of the bowl, Trelawney rose out of it and spoke in an echo-like voice:

“THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES....BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES...AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS AN EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWERS THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT...AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES....THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES....”

With that, Trelawney retreated into the bowl. Harry placed his wand into the substance and pulled out the gossamer strand and put the memory back into his head.

“This is my destiny. Dumbledore told me that there was one other person that this could pertain to...it was Neville. Unfortunately, Tom marked me as his equal because he didn’t know the whole prophecy. Do you know what this means? It means that I will have to kill or be killed. This is too much for me to take. Tom will not rest until I am dead and he will take everyone that I care about away from me...including you two. I can’t take that guilt if it does happen. I still have to deal with Siri...him leaving me last month.” his voice cracking at the last statement.

“Harry, that is awful...I can’t imagine having that much to deal with at your age. But you cannot take the blame for Sirius’s death. It was not your fault. It was Riddle’s. You cannot take him on alone, I will not allow it. We all want him dead, so we all will fight by your side.” said Hermione.

“‘Mione’s right, mate. Whatever comes will come and we will be there when it does.” said Ron agreeing with Hermione.

“No! Were you guys not listening? You can’t kill Tom, only I can. I have this ‘power that the Dark Lord knows not’. Hell, I don’t even know what this power is, I mean if it is there, why couldn’t I take him on at the ministry?” objected Harry.

“Harry,” started Hermione, “no one said that you couldn’t take him on. You fought him with the love you have for Sirius. It was in your heart. Something that Riddle can’t take away. He is just a cold monster that will pay his dues in Hell.” Harry, nodded.

Harry looked at the clock on his night stand, it was 4:30 a.m. “You guys better get going, Vernon will wake up soon, meaning that he will be banging on my door to make breakfast.” His friends rose and made their way to the door.

“Ron, I will take a later bus I need to talk to Harry for a minute.” said Hermione. Ron nodded and went out of the door. Hermione waited until Ron went outside, flagged down the bus and board the bus and then turned back to Harry after placing the silencing charm back on the door.

“Listen Harry,” she said while walking towards him and sitting down on the bed next to him. “you know that we will be there for you. You have us and the members of the Order. We love you...I-I love you.” Harry’s head shot up and looked at Hermione, not sure if he heard her correctly.

“Mione, did you say that you loved me?” She nodded. “You can’t love me. I don’t want you to be hurt if I die. And if Tom finds out about this, you will be marked for death.” Harry said, moving away from the bed.

“Harry, I am already marked for death by just knowing you and being your friend. I co-signed my life over when I walked into your compartment on the Hogwarts Express.” said Hermione. She knew that Harry never knew love, and this was her chance to show it to him....if he is willing to take it. Hermione stood up and walked to Harry, kissed him on the cheek and went to the door. Harry walked her downstairs and waited while she flagged down the Knight Bus and disappeared.

Harry rubbed his cheek where Hermione kissed him. ‘ Her lips are so soft. No...she is my friend my best friend and so is Ron. I know that he loves her. I will wait on her. She will see Ron’s love for her and if she is smart she will choose him. I will work hard to make sure she chose him instead of me. I just hope I can hold out until then.’ thought Harry. He rubbed his cheek again and went back to bed waiting for Vernon’s wake-up call.