CRUSHING DARKNESS (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 34

Ginny's POV

"The river Lethe," Hermione was reading. "Located in the depths of the Underworld, near the palace of Hades, was a churning mixture of hopeless dreams. It's water was considered lethal to anyone who touched it, thus the name Lethe originated. Lord Hades would torture his enemies by making them jump into the river. The river did not torture them physically, nor did it kill them. But It took away what was most precious to them: their memory."

"So this river," Harry said. "It's real?"

"The river is supposed to be in the Underworld in the myth," Hermione answered. "But we know that the Underworld only exists in Greek myths. That is not real." I exhaled. "But the river Lethe....."

"Maybe you should keep reading?" Harry suggested.

"Anyone who so much as touched the water would no longer know his true self. Their memory could be replanted much like a false memory. Hades, after making sure that the victims remembered themselves no more, would trick them into thinking they worked for him and gave them completely new identities. Any victim could be convinced that their name was any Hades chose. If Hades said someone was Bob, then so he was, and so he would be forever. "

I gasped. "They couldn't have done that. I mean, it's just a myth right?" Harry looked at me with concern in his eyes and Hermione continued to read.

"The victims rarely ever found themselves again. The fact that anyone could ever remember the truth about themselves was very rare. But sometimes, a victim would have flashes of his old life, triggered by something very emotional, for example, a person would see their best friend from their old life and the connection would rekindle. But most of the time they would continue as they were, without a clue. They would do whatever Hades convinced them was the right thing. They could murder their own kin if it ever came to it." She breathed slowly, closing the thick book of Greek myths with a thud that resounded around the room.

"So," she said. For a while the three of us just sat there mulling it over in our minds. If the Lethe was real, then the Lethus curse had to be connected to it somehow. Harry's lips were drawn in a frown and his emerald green eyes were filled with worry and panic. Hermione had her knitted eyebrows together and was deep in thought. Her hands were absentmindedly tapping on the cover of the book that had informed us of Ron's impending fate.

"So, do you think they somehow transferred the Lethe's effect into a spell?" I asked in a small voice. Harry nodded while Hermione continued to tap on the book.

"That has to be it," said Harry. "Problem is, how do we break it?"

"Well, it did say that the connection to his old life can be rekindled. Anything could trigger it," I pointed out.

None of us mentioned the fact that the book also said that it was very rare. We sat in my room for what felt like hours, trying to figure out how to break the curse. However, we came to the conclusion that none of us really could know how to do it. We would just have to wait and hope that Ron somehow remembered his old self. Clearly, Abby and Vanessa had plagued his mind by convincing him that we were the enemy and that shutting us all out was the best thing to do. We had to somehow show him that he was wrong. Harry eyes lit up suddenly.

"Didn't Abby and Vanessa say that I can break the spell?"

My mind reeled back to that encounter. They had said that Greyback had taught them the curse and when Hermione had asked how it could be broken, they had said that she was not meant to break it. Harry was. The Chosen One.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed.

"But how do I do that?" Harry asked.

"You'll just have to try talking to him," said Hermione.

"Yeah, and then he'll have a go at my dead parents? No thank you!" Harry replied.

Hermione sighed. "Just try, okay? Tomorrow's Christmas so maybe that will jog some old memory or something."

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"Hey, Potter, pass the salad, will you?" Ron sneered. We were sitting down to lunch and Harry had eventually agreed on trying to get through to Ron, but it wasn't going too well at the moment. Mr and Mrs Granger were due to come at any given moment. Dad had managed to get a portkey for them, and I was rather looking forward to hearing their thoughts on Portkeys. Being muggles, they would never have traveled that way before and it was always fun to hear people's first experiences.

Harry gritted his teeth next to me and mumbled, "Yeah, sure," before leaning over and passing Ron the platter of potato salad.

"So, Ron," he started after a long silence. "Want to play wizard's chess after lunch?" Ron quirked his eyebrows and sneered.

"Why would I want to do that? I'm taking Abby and Vanessa to see our ghoul up in the attic after lunch."

Harry inhaled deeply and said, "That ghoul has spattergrotti remember? You showed it to us last year?" That was not the entire truth. The ghoul was just so disgusting that to the ordinary eye, it looked like someone who had that disease. But maybe this would help Ron remember...

Ron's expression became a little distant, but almost instantaneously, the old sneer took over again. "Why would I do that? Oh maybe to show her," he jabbed his thumb in Hermione's direction. "That it resembles her. Maybe you two should get together? I'll set you up." Harry's hands balled into fists and Hermione's lip trembled. It was obvious that this was not going to go anywhere right now so I decided this called for a good old-fashioned word-brawl.

"And you probably have a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow!" I laughed.

"Really, little sister? Running out of insults aren't you? Because that one is so sixth year!" Ron shot back.

"At least I don't eat like a pig on steroids!"

"Well, you most certainly look like one!"

"Ron , that is enough!" It was mum who decided that the yelling match was getting on everyone's nerves. Personally, I think Harry was trying hard not to laugh.

"Wow, you're the one with the face full of zits!"

"They are freckles, and girls find that attractive!"

"Really?" I shot back. "Because if that's the case, then I pity the poor slob that marries you."

"Ginny, STOP IT!" mum exclaimed. "I will not stand you two squabbling like little children over the table. I thought I raised you better. Meals are meant for family time and happy talk." In the background, I could hear Harry and Hermione whispering to each other.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door and mum went to answer it, throwing angry glares over her shoulder. I guessed that could be Hermione's mum and dad...

My suspicions were proven correct when we heard loud laughter and voices from the living room, and the booming laugh of Mr Granger. I just hoped Ron would not say anything too bad that would make Mr and Mrs Granger dislike him.......

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A/N

So what did you think? Please tell me! And VOTE! and did you catch the Percy Jackson reference? Come on! It was so obvious here :)