AUTHOR's-----Okay, I typed a lot and stupidly closed the window....ARRRRRRRGH!!!!!! (expletive) Here's some of what I recovered. Sorry.
There were only four days left in the winter holidays, and so far three of them were boring and uneventful.
Ron had started to recover. At least he wasn't sitting in the attic anymore, instead choosing to spend the time with his two closest friends and Ginny. Who in turn, tried to take his mind off his owl.
The four spent the days either having fun outside in the light snow, or curling up by the fire with a large mug of hot cocoa, playing Gobstones, Chess, or various card games using the Exploding Snap pack.
Harry had decided to ask Hermione one day, his thoughts on the nighttime debate with the twins and Ron that one night clear as day.
"Hermione, have you read the entire book I gave you yet?"
She nodded. "I'm assuming that you have something you want to know?"
"Funny you should ask that," Harry said. "I was wondering whether there was something else, something more powerful than the Ancient Armor."
Hermione thought deeply. "Not that I read....and I tend to read very thoroughly."
Harry had not a doubt that she did, and he sighed resignedly.
"What?" Hermione asked, watching him closely.
"What're your thoughts of the burning of the Great Library?" Harry asked quietly, looking around to see whether anyone was listening.
"Well, You-Know-Who definitely didn't want us to know something," she began. "So obviously it's information that we can use. Good information too, otherwise he wouldn't have burned the entire archive to the ground just to make sure that we wouldn't get it."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Harry said, his heart racing. "The history comes from the witnesses themselves, right? Preserved for who-knows-how-many years. Ron thought it was about an object, even more powerful than the Armor."
"Harry, power of that level..that's almost unimaginable."
"What makes you so sure that it even exists?" Harry asked, nonplussed.
"What makes you so sure that it doesn't exist?" Hermione replied.
Harry remained silent.
"Harry, what did the Lost Prophecy say exactly about the relationship between you and You-Know-Who?"
"It said that he would mark me as his equal...nothing else I can really remember." Harry recalled.
"Exactly!" Hermione said. "It said that he would mark you...he chose you, Harry. And passed some of his gifts, his powers to you. But it didn't say that those which he passed on would give you the ability to face him in combat. It didn't say what means you would undertake to become his equal. Don't you see, Harry...this could be the great equalizer. Whether we find it or not will most likely determine the outcome of this war!"
Harry stared at her, realizing the enormity of what she was saying. Then he recovered himself.
"I thought the Armour might've been the equalizer, though." Harry said, thinking.
"It may well be," Hermione said gravely. "But even with the power that the book described, it might not be enough. You-Know-Who's very powerful."
Harry frowned and slumped back.
"There's something else you might want to know about." Hermione hinted.
"What?"
"I also found a couple of pages about Umulugaylen...the 'Book of the Dead'."
"Is it another legend?" Harry asked, a funny feeling in his gut after hearing the words 'Book of the Dead'.
"Obviously," Hermione replied dryly. "What it does is unknown exactly. But judging from its, I would say that it has the ability to bring someone back to life."
Two emotions immediately arose inside Harry, one in his mind, and one in his heart. Unfortunately, his heart and mind were on two separate planes, and miskudged.
"If this is true, you might be able to bring your dead parents back to life....." his heart told him, lifting. But within Harry's brain...
"No magic can reawaken the dead." Dumbledore said heavily.
"Maybe Dumbledore doesn't know about it," his hopeful feelings persisted. "Or at least doesn't know what it does."
"Harry, I know what you're thinking," Hermione said, watching him carefully. "But don't trust to hope yet, it may blind you."
Those words made Hermione sound like Dumbledore all of a sudden, in Harry's opinion.
***
It was hard to keep his awareness on the affairs of present that evening, but what snapped Harry completely out of it was the realization that Ron was missing from the time they went back inside.
"Where is he?" Ginny asked drowsily.
"I have a feeling," Harry said disappointedly, and got up to check the attic.
But he bumped into Ron halfway up the stairs, who was obviously in a rush to get down. Harry was hard pressed not to trip.
"Hey, watch it - "
"Sorry, Harry."
As the two untangled and dusted themselves off, Harry noticed that Ron was smiling and clutching something in his right hand, what looked like a ball of feathers...
"No way." Harry said, echoing Fred and George on Christmas morning.
"Yes way," Ron was smiling, but it was more of a tired smile - a relieved smile, more than anything. Harry was very strongly reminded of the look on Mrs. Weasley's face last winter when they had found out that Mr.Weasley was going to make it, after being bit by a possessed snake, courtesy of Lord Voldemort.
Harry did the "amen/thank the lord" gesture, and Ron grinned.
"Apparently McGonagall finished her suspicions, but Flitwick dropped by this afternoon and did the rest. He's back, good as new."
"He won't be if you keep squeezing him that hard," Harry laughed. "Better tell the others, they'll be right pleased to know he's alive, well, and unviolated."
When Ginny saw Pig in Ron's hand, she jumped upright so suddenly one might have surmised that she had burned her backside. Hermione sat up like a flash of lightning, and Harry heard her back crick several times.
"He's okay, he's okay." Ron beamed at Harry. "Typical women, eh, mate? Always coo over the cute lil' animals."
Harry smiled happily back, understanding that Ron was back to normal. He hadn't been himself most of this year, and Harry would never take the fact that he was well and his old self for granted. Again.
"Well, it's back to school tomorrow," Ron sighed, but his good mood stayed nobly upright. "At least we didn't have to worry about holiday homework this year."
"Yeah, we should have a week before every Christmas holiday to finish all the Gryffindor's homework." Hermione said thoughtfully. "I usually don't have fun doing homework these days, but that was the time of my life."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Just like old times.
"I seem to believe that the first time at Quidditch practise was the time of your life, too." Harry teased her.
"That too," Hermione said loftily.
***
Harry had never travelled back to the castle by train for Christmas holidays; last year, he had taken the Knight Bus. But security was stepped up(Moody's request, Harry assumed) and when Harry found himself on Platform 9 3/4, he was facing what seemed like half the Order, waiting for him.
"Have a good holiday, Potter?" Moody said quietly, his eye darting to and fro so much it appeared to be vibrating.
"Very eventful, thanks." Harry said cheerfully.
"Well, get on board already," the grizzled Auror told him. "We've booked some compartments - Hagrid'll be in the compartment across from you. Just holler, and he'll come a'running."
"Maybe not exactly 'a'runnin', Alastor." Tonks said, rolling her eyes.
"Whatever," Mad-Eye said indifferently. "We just want to keep you safe, Potter. Be good at school, boy, or I'll have to come after you myself." he gave Harry one of his rare smiles.
Tonks, Ron, and Hermione accompanied Harry to his compartment; Ginny having gone off to sit with some of her fourth-year friends.
"I'm going to go and sit with Hagrid," Tonks told them, after their trunks were safely stored. "I don't think there'll be any trouble, Alastor's in one of his more-paranoid-than-usual moods...(here she rolled her eyes)...but we do as he says. Better safe than sorry."
"Where's Dobby?" Harry asked. The house-elf had not accompanied them to the station.
"He'll be coming with Dumbledore," Tonks replied. "Any other questions? No? Alright, safe trip then."
She shut the door and went to the opposite compartment, where they heard:
"Oh, come on Hagrid. Budge over a bit, I never get the window seat."
"All righ', all righ'." Hagrid grunted.
Luna dropped by for a visit later, just over an hour into the trip. "There you are, Ronald! I've been looking for you all over the train. And thank you so much for your present."
She hugged him, but to Harry it looked more like strangling.
"Luna...Luna, come off it, there're people watching." Ron said, bright red.
"Yeah, Luna," Harry said in mock indignation. "Sprang past me like I was a statue, you did."
Originally posted by Hermione202
i no.Malfoy must of put a forgetting spell on pig or somethin,and sent him to somewhere far.he prob. found or bought an owl almost exactly looking like pig and beheaded it and sent it to ron
Originally posted by potter_luver48
that was g00d. (as always)
but i wonder why ur making Hermione still say He who must not be named.
cuz rite now im re-reading the 5th book in time for the 6th and Hermione says Voldemort in the 5th book. So why do u have her saying you know who?
Originally posted by amkrell
perfect
Originally posted by Hermione202
pppllleeeezzz post more