The Awakening Power

Chapter 25: Breakdown

The Awakening Power

by Sib

Chapter 25: Breakdown

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Harry walked into the Great Hall, music floating through the air. He saw various couples dancing on the floor, spinning about the room. He realized that he didn't have a partner, that he was at the Ball by himself. He needed to find Ginny, she had to be there somewhere...

Walking slowly across the floor, he saw many students that he knew. They smirked at him as they passed, making Harry feel very alone and left out. Finally he spotted Ginny across the floor, dancing with Matt. He anxiously moved toward her... she was angry with him, he needed to talk to her...

"Ginny!" he called out as dancers blocked him frustratingly. If he could just reach her...

"Please! I'm so sorry..." he begged, trying to get her to come to him. She seemed to ignore him as she smiled warmly at Matt, who pulled her in closer. Their faces were very close now...

Harry felt very angry... he felt his wand in his hand, as he gripped it tightly... he could make Matt let her go if he wanted. But he wanted Ginny to come to him...

"Please, Ginny, I wanted to ask you... I'm sorry I took so long..." he said desperately.

Ron and Hermione danced by, looking into each other's eyes happily. Hermione glanced over to him. "She got over you, Harry. Did you really think she would make the same mistake twice?"

Ginny and Matt slowly leaned in together and began kissing... Rage and jealousy flared in Harry as he watched it...They pulled back and Ginny finally looked at him.

"Ginny?" Harry asked tentatively.

She laughed at him. "Really, Harry. Did you think that I would just sit around waiting for you to ask? Give me one good reason why I would want to go with you."

Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out... He couldn't think of a reason.

"I thought so. Goodbye, Harry," she said, and danced away from him.

He stood rooted to his spot, the couples spinning about the floor, all around him, laughing at him... Despair ran through him, he had to talk to her, to try and explain... he began to run after her...

Harry felt a very odd shift...

He walked through a strange tunnel, sharp rocks jutting out, almost seeming to try and reach out to cut him. The air was damp and stale, with a feeling of being deep underground. Torches lit his way as he moved deeper, deeper into the earth...

Harry felt fearful... he was oddly drawn to this place, there were things here... desirable, necessary things. Things were growing in these caverns... transforming, turning from something plentiful to something rare...

And someone needed these things.

He broke out into a huge cavern, the walls very smooth, but the ceiling was too high to see. Boulders larger than himself were strewn about, seeming to form a maze as his view of the entire cavern floor was blocked. He could hear strange sounds echoing within, footsteps, hammers... flames and bellows? Harry wasn't certain...

He was walking among the boulders when suddenly he had a very odd feeling... a coldness filled him, a cold... satisfaction. His plans were coming together nicely. No one suspected...