Because You Love Me

33. Something Wicked

The fire roared in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all gathered around it. Hagrid had walked them personally up to the castle. Hermione and Ron were sitting in chairs and Harry was pacing nervously back and forth in front of them.

"We had it wrong," Harry said. "Whoever wants the Sorcerer's Stone doesn't want it for themselves. They want it for Voldemort."

Hermione and Ron stared at him blankly. He had explained to them about what happened in the forest the moment Hagrid left, but he hadn't mentioned anything about the dark wizard.

"He's alive?" Ron questioned.

Harry didn't hesitate to answer. "Yeah."

Ron gulped.

"With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort would be alright again," Harry said with a gulp. "He'd come back."

"You don't think if he came back he'd try to kill you, do you?"

"I think if he'd gotten the chance he might might have tried to kill me tonight."

Ron gulped again. "And to think, I've been worried about my Potions final."

Harry's nerves were on edge. He didn't remember ever being this anxious about anything in his entire life.

"You're safe at Hogwarts, Harry," Hermione spoke up.

"Even from Voldemort?" he questioned. "I doubt it."

"Don't forget the one person You-Know-Who always feared."

Ron frowned. He had never known anybody that Voldemort feared. "And who is that?"

Hermione smiled. "Dumbledore. As long as Dumbledore's here, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched. Not to mention your mum."

"My mum?"

She nodded. "She seems like an extremely powerful witch."

Harry shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've only seen her do a couple of spells."

"I'm sure she's great is what Hermione's trying to say," Ron assured him. "My mum and dad are."

Harry smiled. "Thanks for making me feel a little better, guys."

"Do you think Professor Evans knows?"

"No. If she did, she would have been in here by now. She's very protective of me, even though she's not my biological mother."

"I didn't know that," Hermione confessed.

"That's a first," Ron commented.

She glared at him and Harry and Ron burst out laughing. They had definitely managed to lighten the mood, despite the impending danger.

~ * ~

Alaina was busily grading homework in her office when the knock came on her door. Her first thought was it was Severus when she looked up at the clock on the mantle. It was late and he was the only one who had ever visited her anyway. She finished writing her note and then got up to answer the door. She was surprised to see Albus Dumbledore standing there in her doorway.

"Oh hello, Albus," Alaina greeted him. She stepped to the side. "Please come in."

Dumbledore walked in and she shut the door behind him. "Thank you, Alaina I've come here to enlighten you."

"About what?"

"Er, there seemed to be a slight situation during Harry's detention. He was nearly attacked by someone and Hagrid said Fierenze, one of the centaurs, thinks it was Voldemort. He was terribly upset about the whole thing."