Chapter 25 – The Future And An End

She sat contemplating the events of her and her friend's lives over the past year that brought them all to this point. She had nearly lost her own life in a botched rescue attempt she knew was wrong, but went anyway because he needed her. She lost her best friend when they were separated for only a short while. Her other best friend almost died to protect her, and she nearly lost him because she couldn't see how his friendship for her had become more to him. She almost lost him too.

She thought about how desperate Harry had been, holding back what he could. Being with Ginny had helped him cope, but he pushed her away too. She reflected on how he almost took his own life and the state she found him in on Halloween, and his slow recovery from that event. She smiled as she remembered helping him recover in those days, helping him release his fear and anger at his past mistakes.

Her feelings for Harry changed sometime after that, and she began to understand her feelings during the Christmas holiday. She admitted to herself she was in love with her best friend, and was also afraid of him rejecting her as he had done with Ginny. She lost count of the times and opportunities she had to tell him how she felt, hoping and praying he would feel the same. That one night she spent in his arms was the best night of her young life, she treasured every minute they shared. She shared her fondest memories of growing up, something he never had. Her best opportunity to tell him was that night, but she never told him, instead, this whole mess of a 'mystery guy' she admitted to being in love with. He did the only thing he could do, tell he to find this guy and tell him. How much she wanted to follow his advice, but she was afraid to loose him.

She was still very much in love with him.

The term was coming to an end. With less then a week left, Hermione had as yet not been able to confront her fear of Harry's rejection, and after their most recent encounter alone, he had begun to withdraw from her. They continued working closely together on his special spell, and was improving each day, but he also began to hide his feelings again, afraid of hurting her. She resigned herself to remaining his closest friend and confidant, a role that brought the two closer in friendship since Christmas.

Every student was anticipating the end of the term and returning home for the summer months, every one except Harry. He knew that as much as he wanted to stay at the Burrow, he was still bound to stay with his aunt and uncle. That thought made him dread the end of the term. That and the fact he'd lose contact with his friends, and possibly repeating last summer.

On the last day of the term, the day of the End of Year Feast, Hermione had been summoned to the Headmaster.

"Miss Granger, please sit." The headmaster began; he had the most solemn look she'd ever seen.

"Sir, if it's about the scar he gave me, I think I know…" She started, thinking that was the reason she was summoned. He raised a hand to interrupt.

"Are you aware or the contents of the prophecy destroyed last June?" He began.

"Yes sir." Confused, she continued. "He told me it before Christmas. It caused him such pain to tell me what he must do; I almost couldn't bear the thought that he's had to carry that burden by himself all this time." She said in almost a whisper.

"This is a very important time for Harry. After the events of last summer, I fear he cannot be left alone, even for a single day. His depression began last year on only his second day on Privet Drive, that fact caused us all great concern. What I must ask you to do must be in the strictest of confidence; neither Harry nor Mr. Weasley can know. You must stay with him while he is away from Hogwarts and the Burrow. He needs a companion that truly understands him and also to be his protector to prevent a recurrence of last summer."

"Why me, if I can ask? Why not Ron? He is, after all, now a member of Ron's family."

"Very true, however, he's not as safe at the Weasley's home as he is with his blood relatives, so, unfortunately he must return there, even if for a short time. The love his mother left in his blood is very powerful, almost as powerful as a true love. The weasley's as a family have loved Harry since the day they met, and that is a powerful thing, but, unfortunately, it is not enough. We've been working on reinforcing the wards at the Burrow, hoping he could stay there, but the magic protecting him on Privet Drive is by far more powerful. I have considered having Mr. Weasley serve in this capacity; however, I believe he has become too distracted with Miss Lovegood."

"Professor, I'll do anything to help him. I know how he got on last year and it nearly broke my heart to see him like that." She tried hard to keep her mask in place, to not give away any emotion.

"Good. There's more, however. This next year, in order to learn what he needs to defeat Voldemort, he must learn the full force of the power he has. I must tell you that even he has no idea what that is. You have been working closely with him since Christmas, and together, I believe the two of you have begun to unlock these secrets."

"We've found some volumes containing various spells not used in more than a millennium, and he's been getting good at them."

"Good. You must continue with that training. And the most important task you must help him complete is about to come, he will finally meet and fall in love with someone special for him. You must help him learn to open his heart, to learn how to love."

Hermione looked at the aged wizard with a confused and puzzled look. She wondered why she was chosen for this over all others.

"You are the only one that can help him in that task, not only because you are his closest friend, but also because you alone know his heart and his secrets. There is another reason, Miss Granger, that you alone must accompany him, that is for your own safety. Ron and Ginny Weasley are safe with their family. You and Harry, living outside the wizarding world, are both in danger. You both have no one to help you, like when he was assaulted last summer. Together, you can protect each other, while you help him learn and find what he must."

"So, this is why he and I have been friends since we met? For me to help him fall in love with someone? I-I don't think I'm the right person." She looked at him with a puzzled look. 'Why do I have to help him fall in love with someone else?' She thought selfishly to herself, 'when I know him better then anyone else, and besides I… No... Hermione, don't start thinking about how you feel about him right now,' she told herself, 'just get through this.'

"Because you have feelings for him?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She blushed at his remark. 'He must know, but how?' she thought.

"That makes you the perfect one to help him with this quest. You know who is right for him and you will help him discover that when the time is right, but he cannot know why you are there. When he discovers what he must, I will come and together they will have to go into hiding until the beginning of the next term."

"Sir, I will do my best to help him find what he needs. I can't say I'm completely happy with this assignment, but I'll do anything to help him."

"Good. Tell him you will be staying until an Order member is dispatched. Now, there is one last thing you must know, but you must keep this to yourself and reveal it to no one, not even Harry. There was another prophecy made. One that I believe includes you. It seems to predict the task I have just given you. The original is in the Department of Mysteries, I'm surprised you did not find it last year."

He pulled his pensieve from its cupboard and tapped his wand to the edge. He pulled a silvery strand from the bowl and placed it to her temple. As it was absorbed into her mind, she could hear the words echo in her thoughts:

As the one the Dark Lord fears most comes of age
He will be rejected and forgotten by his own blood;
One will come to his aid in time of need
Joined by a witch who shines above all others
Her intellect will give him direction and counsel
She will ease his pain
She will help find his life's bond with the lost witch.
Ties to old blood will be forever lost;
Their blood to be joined with that of a past foe
Not of this world will the two be three
And the three shall wield the ultimate force as one.

"Who made this? I don't know the voice."

"It was made by a wise ancient member of the Council of Twelve many years before you were born. Please remember this, his future, as does the future of our world, depends on you. Now go join the others for the End of Year Feast."

The entire student population of Hogwarts assembled in the Great Hall for the end of year feast. The house cup had been won, this year by Ravenclaw, due mostly to the loss they experienced that year; Slytherin had been eliminated in the early days by their harsh and rude remarks about fallen classmates. Gryffindor ran a close second; the deciding factor had been a better Quidditch showing against Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Because of their extraordinary effort, the Ravenclaw house team was invited to the front of the hall, to accept the cup.

The team filed up to the front to stand before the staff table, Cho Chang, being the team captain and this was her last year, accepted the award for her house. All eyes in the school were focused on her and the team, Harry tried to not think about his early feelings for the witch, as he'd held feelings for her ever since his 4th year, even though she was a year ahead of him. She was a graceful and beautiful young witch, but she had feelings for Cedric Diggory. Cedric was arguably the first wizard to die in the opening days of the great wizard war.

Cho's only interest in Harry was his involvement in Cedric's death; he was the only witness to the murder in the graveyard and he was the one to return Cedric home for a proper burial. Cho could never understand what happened that night and never truly forgive Harry for his part in Cedric's death, and this coldness helped Harry forget his boyhood crush on her.

The entire Ravenclaw table stood cheering their success, The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors also celebrated Ravenclaw's good fortune. It was truly a momentous day for the Ravenclaws and for their Quidditch team captain, Cho. Harry cheered her success, with the rest of the school; his feelings for her had long since left him.

No one noticed the three lurking in the shadows in an alcove to the side. They were the companions of the younger Malfoy's, the younger Crabbe and Goyle, who helped set the trap. This was the first time they'd acted without Draco's knowledge and permission. All the skills Harry taught during the DA's sessions couldn't save her from the assassin's blow. That came from Viktor Krum, while he was locked deep in Voldemort's Imperius Curse. Viktor, Crabbe and Goyle hid behind the hooded cloaks that had become the trademark of the Death Eaters. They had been sent to ensure the deed was done. They waited until her name had been called to receive the House cup from Professor Dumbledore. When the moment had come, went to the head table up a couple steps that were next to the alcove that concealed the three assassins.

Voldemort wouldn't let Krum use the Killing Curse. Why should he, when they could cause so much pain and cause more fear with mere knives? She never saw or knew what hit her but she felt every second the blade went through her back, through her heart and out her chest; the ultimate coward's act. He then cast the Morsmordre curse and suspended Cho's lifeless body from it for all to see, but his personal terror was soon realized when he was released from his trance. This being more then he could bear; he turned his own wand to himself and took his own life...

Cho Chang was murdered in the Great Hall for all to see, and the all-out war with evil had begun. Her death was designed to cause pain and grief on Harry, but that only forged his desire to avenge her, Cedric, Hannah Abbott, Padma, and his beloved Godfather, Sirius. What Voldemort had failed to learn prior to the attack, was that, although difficult for Harry, she no longer held his heart. His heart was empty of feelings because of the losses he'd had the year before. Since the loss of Sirius, he wouldn't allow anyone to get that close, never. He had closed his heart to the world.

He needed to spend his summer months under the protection of his only living blood relatives. Muggles though they were, it was the act of a dying mother's love that gave him this protection. Truly, only a deep love could offer this magical protection. He was to experience a change in the coming summer months, and this secret must be kept through the year, even from his closet companion, for fear she could meet Cho's fate. Albus Dumbledore was the only other to know the secret as he was to be the secret keeper.

She died with no one at her side.

TO BE CONTINUED in The Lost Witch-