An Epic Love Story

13. The Betrayal

"First of all, let me just say thank you.  For telling the students that I am all right, and that I needed rest.  This was true.  Also, thank you for having the 8th years stay together, I'm sure it wasn't easy, but I think that they, that we, are going to be all right.  I don't know how it was possible, but every single emotion coming from them I could feel.  Even in my sleeping state.  It was as if Hogwarts was talking to me in my dreams.  Telling me that everything was going to be fine.  Every emotion I felt was real.  Nothing fake, nothing but absolute realness.  And it calmed me.  I almost think it saved me, and kept me going.  I know it's hard to explain, but this is what I felt, and it was awesome", he said.

Dumbledore looked at him with the famous twinkle, and nodded.  "Yes Harry, all the 8th years have made peace with each other, it's like they are different people.  Now they are all waiting for you to go back to the common room, so that they can share their experiences with you.  It's almost as if Hogwarts and your friends are sending you love to heal Harry, because that is what makes you so unique.  Love.  And they do love you Harry".  Harry smiled at his headmaster.  He too couldn't wait to go back and hear what everyone had to say.  He thought about Malfoy, and the way he had insulted him in the hall.  He was just about to ask, when Dumbledore asked him to please carry on, they had to know what happened to him.

Harry obliged.  "One of the aurors at the ministry, Jacob Summers had asked me to assist on some of the missions trying to find and apprehend death eaters.  We worked well together, and became quite close.  He was like a brother to me, asking always if I needed anything.  If I had any questions, don't hesitate to ask.  We worked on several missions together before the fateful one that I'm sorry to say cost three people their lives".  Harry hated retelling the story.  Having to, he felt an utter disgust at the emotions going through him.  

He stood up suddenly, ran his hand through his hair, and sighed shakily.  He was standing with his back towards them, and slowly turned around.  Giving him time to collect himself, Dumbledore and Snape sat patiently.  "When he called me in for the mission, he said it was highly classified.  I was to tell no one about it.  Stupid really, for two reasons.  One, I never told anyone about my missions, ever, and two, he had never said that before.  I was curious, and a little suspicious, but I left it at that.  Thought I was being stupid.  Anyway I arrived at the designated area, when he introduced me to three young men who had just joined, but were still in training.  They were to be my detail. Junior aurors were allowed to go on missions, on the condition that they follow all rules, and if they thought they couldn't handle it, to apparate immediately.  Which in my opinion is stupid.  Why send junior aurors on serious missions, when they weren't qualified.

We arrived on the outskirts of a small town called Luxberg, and Jacob gave us instructions to wait for a signal.  That there was a death eater in hiding, and we had to apprehend him.  The three juniors were excited.  A little too much if you ask me, but I could understand their passion.  When I asked him who it was that we were here to apprehend, he smiled at me and said, your favorite  person, Peter Pettigrew.  I grew angry at that statement, but I let it slide.  I had given the juniors strict instructions to do what I ordered, and not what Jacob ordered.  They understood this, because they were placed under my protection.  They were a part of my detail, and I don't think they quite understood what that meant.  I should have seen it coming, the whole time, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right.  I kept telling Jacob that we needed more back up, more experienced aurors, and he would just laugh and say, they can handle it Hal".  

Harry had tears in his eyes, and he tried to choke back a sob.  "If I had gone with my gut, if I had been faster, seen what was coming, they wouldn't have died.  If I had stood in front of them, it would have been over faster than what it was.  If I...", Harry started crying.  He didn't care that he was crying in front of grown men.  He was the reason that three men had died on duty.  Because of him, their lives had been taken like they meant nothing.  Dumbledore rose out of his chair, and helped Harry to his bed.