Harry felt sick when the spinning came to an end. He realised he must have apparated. They were standing in Hogsmeade which looked very different in the dark. A few of the flats had lights on but otherwise it was quiet.
Dumbledore took off towards the castle. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed in silence. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Lupin and Tonks kept a few paces behind them. Harry was trying to take subtle but deep breaths, this throat was constricting horribly and saliva kept flooding his mouth.
They went straight to Dumbledore's office where Snape was waiting for them. He was scowling when they entered.
"Still alive I see" he sneered. Harry just looked at the floor. He must have sent for the order as well there's no way they could have got there so quickly otherwise. He felt so stupid. Sick with anxiety and stupid. He wanted to snap out of it, he wanted Tom to suddenly appear and slap him across the face and bring him back into Dumbledore's office so he could follow what was happening around him.
"Would anyone care for some tea?" Dumbledore asked. Molly scoffed she looked like she didn't know who she should be directing her anger towards.
Soon they all had steaming teacups in front of them although none of them moved to drink them. The silence was deafening.
"It was my fault" Harry looked right at Mr and Mrs Weasley "I had a vision that Sirius was in trouble and I just panicked. Ron and Hermione didn't want to go but wouldn't let me go alone. My fault," His eyes went back to the floor.
"How touching" Snape sneered "how could you be so foolish. What have we been doing if not to block this out?"
"I'm sorry" Harry was trying to avoid Dumbledore's eyes. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or shout and scream.
"Perhaps you could take Ron and Hermione down to the hospital wing. They were in the air for a long time, and I think it would be best to make sure both of them are okay" Dumbledore smiled at the Weasleys. Ron looked like he was about to speak but Dumbledore simply held up his hand.
Only Snape stayed behind.
"Severus, I need to speak to Harry alone about a few matters" Snape looked furious but left the office regardless.
As soon as the door closed Harry apologised again. Dumbledore held up a hand cutting him off.
"I'm disappointed that you would do something so foolish Harry. You could have led your friends into quite the dangerous situation" Harry nodded trying to hold back tears. He realised he was digging his fingernails into his palms so hard he was close to breaking the skin.
"Do you know who that young man was outside the Ministry?" Harry lifted his head and gave a small nod. "What is going on Harry?" blue eyes flashed. Harry wasn't sure he'd ever seen Dumbledore so angry and definitely not with him.
"I don't really know Professor," his voice was low, he'd never felt more like a child.
"He reminded me of someone. Someone who shouldn't exist" Harry gritted his teeth "Harry, start talking."
"I can't say. I made a promise, an oath, a while ago" Harry could see the cogs whirring around in Dumbledore's head.
"The face of Tom Riddle is not one I'll ever forget" Dumbledore sighed "tell me, down in the chamber did you have to make a choice between them?"
Harry gaped at him "of course not! I would never. She was dead, I was too late" Harry finally felt hot tears escape him.
"Tom always was very charming and manipulative. He could read people even before he became so good at legilimency and was able to give them what they wanted or what they thought they wanted," if possible Dumbledore speaking in this low calm voice was making Harry feel worse. He wanted Dumbledore to shout at him and tell him how stupid he was being.
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry was blinking trying to stop the tears.
"Because older and wiser wizards than you have been lured in by Tom Riddle" Dumbledore was smiling at him but Harry heard the patronising tone and it infuriated him.
"Ginny was dead. There was nothing I could do. By the time I killed the basilisk it was done" he spat.
"I would like to speak to him. Do you think when you next encounter him you could ask him to meet with me?"
"I don't know" he shrugged "but I'll try".
A few minutes passed. Harry was relieved when he realised he had stopped crying.
"Professor, why did Voldemort want me to go to the Ministry? What is in the Department of Mysteries that he wants?" Harry didn't expect Dumbledore to answer him but thought it was worth a shot.
"Professor Trelawney made a prophecy when she came here to interview for the Divination position. Only I heard it in its entirety. All prophecies are kept at the Ministry. Voldemort wouldn't have been able to take it from the shelf. He would have needed you to, at the very least, pick it up" Dumbledore threaded his fingers together and surveyed Harry over the top of his glasses.
"Can you remember what it said?" asked Harry.
"Oh yes, it's been stuck in head since the moment I heard it."
"Please can you tell me it?" Again, Harry was convinced Dumbledore would refuse him.
""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 his equal, but he will have power 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...." Dumbledore recited.
"Neither can live while the other survives. That makes it sound like one of us has to kill the other" Harry felt panic bubbling in his throat.
"Yes, Harry I believe that is exactly what it means."
"How do I do that?" Harry ran a hand through his hair.
"It's not something to worry about now. Although, I would suggest that you perhaps don't share this information with your new friend." Harry nodded, not sure what he would do about Tom.
"Does that mean," Harry was trying to think how to word his question, to make it make sense without giving away too much, "do they both have to die? Tom Riddle and Voldemort? I don't understand how it works. I don't understand anything."
"Tom Riddle as he was outside the Ministry tonight should never have come to exist in the first place. For Voldemort to truly die, Tom Riddle must also die. But then, you already knew that didn't you Harry?"
His brain seemed static with energy when he was finally lying down in bed. Both he and Voldemort couldn't live at the same time. What did that mean about Tom? If Tom knew about the prophecy, would he try to kill Harry? Surely not, he cared about him, didn't he it was usually Tom that asked to see him wasn't it? Harry thought about their interactions and the things Tom said to him. When he was in a good mood and wanted Harry, he would say nice things about him but no real expression of care or love. Had Harry been kidding himself this whole time? Or projecting his own feelings onto Tom. Maybe Tom already knew what Dumbledore had said and he was trying to simply keep himself alive.
The twin thoughts of having to kill Tom and Tom feeling nothing for him felt like someone thrusting their hand inside him and pulling at his insides. His breath got caught in the back of his throat and he gasped for air as fresh waves of tears overcame him. The thought that Tom might not care about him was too much to bear and he was furious at himself that that was the thing that was causing his insides to knot and pull and yank.
YOU ARE READING
If I survive you survive
Fanfiction"I tell you what I'll make you a deal" a voice like honey, a smile showing dimples. "What kind of deal?" Harry's shaking his head. "One where we both make it out of here alive." "And Ginny?" "You were too late Harry and she's already dead". ***** Ha...
