Harry Potter The Final Straw

Harry's grip had tightened and he drew her closer to his chest before he continued speaking again. "I blasted the door open and…" he could not bring himself to say what he saw but as the images sprang into his mind, the tears began to pour from his eyes. They ran down his cheeks unchecked and splashed into Hermione's hair.

He stopped trying to fight the tears, the floodgates opened, and he began to sob harder while rocking back and forth with Hermione in his arms.

Hermione was worried now. 'What had happened in that hut under the lake?' she thought. Slowly, so as not to disturb Harry, she turned around and pulled him to her chest while gently rubbing his back.

Remus was positively alarmed at this point. What ever had happened down there had really shaken Harry up badly. With a quick flick of his wand, he put up a few extra wards, including a notice me not so they would not be disturbed.

"Harry, it's okay. You don't have to continue if you don't feel up to it." Hermione said softly as she stroked his hair.

After a few more minutes, Harry had finally composed himself enough to finish the tale. He did not move from his position on Hermione's lap so his voice was slightly muffled by her robes.

He whispered so softly that they had to strain to hear his voice. "When I entered the hut I thought that you were dead."

Hermione and Remus both gasped at this revelation. Before either of them could speak, Harry continued with the retelling of the events in the lake.

"You were half floating just off of the floor of the hut with your eyes closed and your mouth open slightly." Harry's voice had taken on a haunted tone as he spoke. "When your body came to rest on the floor I began to swim towards you only to be stopped at spear point by two mermen. They told me that the time limit had passed and that I had to leave you behind for the elder or something." Tears were flowing down his cheeks but he was making no effort to wipe them away.

Hermione was crying silently in horror for what Harry must have gone through seeing her like that. She knew that it would have torn her up inside if she had been in his place.

"One of the guards was trying to tell the other one to let me take you but he refused to listen." Harry sat up and looked into Hermione's eyes pleadingly. "I couldn't leave you down there."

"I know, and thank you." Hermione said solemnly and with complete understanding, as she looked right back into his eyes while pushing feelings of love and gratitude to him through their bond.

Feeling Hermione's emotions helped steel Harry's resolve to continue with the re-telling of events. "In my grief and anger I cursed the guard closest to you and turned my wand to the remaining guard. He dropped his spear and began backing away from you." Harry paused when he finished speaking to take a few deep breaths to regain some semblance of control over his emotions.

Remus was shocked as Harry informed them of what happened in the hut. He was positive that Harry had killed the first guard without hesitation when he sensed that the guard was not going to let him take Hermione with him.

"I grabbed your arm and backed out of the hut once the guard was far enough away. When we were clear of the village, I took a little more gillyweed and swam as hard as I could back to the platform. You know everything that happened after that." Harry finished speaking, completely drained physically and mentally from re-counting the horror that was the second task.

Making a split decision, Remus stood up from his spot on the grass. "Stay here please. I'll be back in a bit. I need to go up to the castle."

The two teens nodded in response to Remus' request and then watched him head up towards the castle.

When Remus reached the castle, he headed off towards the teachers lounge, hoping to find Minerva McGonagall. He knocked upon the door to the staff room and poked his head inside.

'That's odd.' he thought to himself when he didn't find a single staff member present. Someone was usually in here most times of the day, even on weekends.

He checked his watch and noticed that it was lunchtime. Figuring that he would be able to find a teacher in the Great Hall, Remus began the trek back down.

The entrance hall was full of people milling about and the familiar clatter of utensils rang from the Great Hall. Families were in attendance for the remainder of the day because the task took place on a Saturday morning.

The Great Hall was full of students and their families. Since the noise level was so high, no one paid any attention to the former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor walking up the side of the hall towards the staff table.

Remus kept his eyes firmly fixed upon the headmaster as he approached him. "Albus, can we talk privately for a moment?" It was phrased as a question but Dumbledore knew that it was not a request.

"Of course; why don't we use the anteroom?" Dumbledore said while excusing himself from the staff table.

Once they were inside Dumbledore asked, "What can I do for you Remus?"

"I'm actually here for Harry and Hermione's benefit." Remus replied coolly.

Dumbledore was taken aback for a moment. He did not think that anyone would confront him on that situation, especially not the same day that it happened. "I see." he said slowly, allowing himself some time to collect his thoughts. "Why have they not come to me themselves?" he asked in a kind tone, trying to calm Remus down a touch.

The look that he received almost made him flinch. He had not counted on Remus being unsympathetic towards his position. After all, he had talked Remus into staying away from Harry when he was just a little child.

Remus' eyes flashed amber for a moment, the wolf plainly visible in that split second before he regained control. His voice held a clipped tone to it when he finally spoke. "I want to take Harry and Hermione to see Sirius and her parents."

"You know that students can't leave the grounds except for Hogsmeade visits." Dumbledore replied immediately.

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