𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

Chapter 10

Fate

Nothing's lost forever. In this world, there's a kind of painful progress ...

A longing for what we've left behind, and dreaming ahead.

At least, I think that's so.

~ Harper Pitt, Angels in America

Darkness, Harry realized, has a way of hiding truths.

When nothing can be seen but the thick black cloak of nothingness, one may ignore the ugly realities lurking about and imagine that the world outside is safe and beautiful and perfect. One may fantasize that, whatever horrors have been witnessed before, the world is still somewhere untouched and unmarred by those sights. That the past, innocent and clean, can be reclaimed, exactly as it was.

The journey through the tunnel leading to Honeydukes was silent, save for the wizards' soft footfalls and the occasional inaudible whispers between Hermione and Ron. Harry had postponed explaining his plan until they reached a safer place; it would be sickeningly ironic for Death Eaters to catch them lollygagging within the castle walls. They walked in near darkness, with only Harry's dimly lit wand illuminating the path ahead, and Harry could almost pretend that they were simply sneaking out to Hogsmeade to buy chocolate frogs and butterbeer.

He could practically smell the rich aroma of chocolate and licorice in the air and see, under the gleaming sunlight, Hogwarts students milling around the streets of the small town on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Harry remembered how unfair life had seemed when he wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade as a Third Year, and how terribly important the privilege had seemed.

But then, everything had seemed terribly important at the time, even when there had been no war and no Thestrals seen and no awareness of how much Harry stood to gain, to have, and to lose.

Harry brightened his wand, glanced at Draco's tense face, and wished with all his heart that they could exit the tunnel into something better than where they had been.

They wordlessly climbed up the worn stairs and, after what seemed like forever, finally reached the trapdoor leading into Honeydukes. With only a moment of hesitation, Harry shoved it open and peered up into the dusty cellar.

"Is it clear?" Draco whispered from behind him.

"Yeah." Harry climbed up into the cellar, holding up his wand to get a better look at the cellar. It, at least, looked unchanged. Crates and stacks of candy were piled around the dusty room, and the smell of mildew hung in the air as it was wont to do in cellars. Behind him, Draco, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron crawled out of the tunnel.

"So this is how you lot always managed to be everywhere at once," Draco mused, brushing the dirt from his robes. "Secret tunnels and turning invisible." He shook his head disdainfully.

"I can't believe you let him use the Cloak," Ron grumbled.

Harry ignored him and headed toward the rickety wooden steps. "Harry," Hermione said hesitantly. "We could just Apparate from here ..."

"I want to see Hogsmeade," he replied firmly. "There're no Death Eaters there, right? I mean, you came through it to get into Hogwarts."

"Well, yes," hemmed Hermione. "But where exactly are we going -"

"I want to see it," Harry repeated. "And then I'll tell you the plan." And he began the ascent up the stairs. He could not explain exactly why he needed to see the town. It would perhaps be easier to simply Apparate away and pretend that Hogsmeade, unlike Hogwarts, hadn't been destroyed by Voldemort. But he had to know.