Matter of heart - 5

Harry stepped back, surprised. Dudley feared his parents turning on him and treating him the way they'd always treated Harry. He suddenly felt a wave of unexpected sympathy for his cousin. "I hear my parents, too," Harry said softly, unwilling to say anymore.

"Does everyone hear their parents?" Dudley asked, confused.

Harry shook his head. "Not if you're lucky," he whispered. "I bet Draco does, though."

"Professor McGonagall told me your parents didn't die in a car crash," Dudley said, staring openly.

"No," Harry replied shortly. Hagrid had said the same thing when he'd first collected Harry from the Dursleys, but he supposed Dudley had been more concerned with the pig's tail Hagrid had given him than to pay attention to what was actually said.

"She said they were murdered by the same psychopath who's trying to kill you now, and that he tried to kill you when he murdered them, too," Dudley said, staring at Harry appraisingly. His eyes narrowed in on Harry's scar, as if just realizing its significance.

Harry didn't know what Dudley was expecting, so he merely nodded.

"You make big enemies," Dudley said, apparently impressed.

Harry couldn't contain himself. He threw back his head and laughed. Maybe it was the massive understatement, or simply because he was actually having a conversation with Dudley about magical things. Perhaps it was Dudley's obvious respect over the fact that someone could actually hate Harry that much, but it suddenly struck Harry as absurdly funny.

Tears formed in the corner of his eyes as Dudley began glancing at him the way he always used to do – as if Harry were some unstable time bomb ready to explode. This struck Harry as even funnier, and he had to grip the table for support. Dudley nodded warily and scurried away.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked, appearing at his side.

Harry's laughter finally faded into small chuckles. "Never better," he replied, kissing the crown of her head. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

*~*~*

Harry trudged wearily down the corridor, hoping to stop by the kitchens for a bite to eat before seeking the warm comfort of his bed. He was bone tired and felt as if he could fall asleep on his feet.

He kept being jarred back into alertness after his eyes would droop, and his shoulder occasionally would brush against the wall as he walked. The day's training had been intense. Kingsley Shacklebolt had run drills, and Harry's muscles were complaining of mistreatment.

Now that Ginny had recovered from her injuries, Harry felt ready to confront Voldemort. He knew with the passing of each day that he was stalling, but he just wasn't ready to really say goodbye. He knew Ron, Hermione, and Ginny wanted to be there at the end, but he was hesitant to let them.

What if Voldemort delivered a fatal blow before Harry could manage to drag them both through the Veil? Voldemort would then turn and immediately kill Harry's friends. Harry wanted to at least give them a chance to go deeper into hiding if his plan failed.

But what if Voldemort didn't arrive by himself at the Ministry after Harry formed the mind-link? His plan was to let Voldemort see him alone in the Department of Mysteries, but that didn't guarantee he would react as Harry wanted. If he brought other Death Eaters with him, Harry would need the help of his friends to keep the Death Eaters back while he fought their leader. Harry was uncomfortably aware that Voldemort's plans involved capturing Harry rather than killing him. Voldemort wanted to keep him a prisoner, safely tucked away. He shuddered at considering that fate – death would be far kinder.