AN: Found this fic on my hard-disk earlier today when I was bored and cleaning out my pc. I wrote it somewhere after I had read DH, which is... about two year ago. Since then I haven't picked it up again, so I have no idea if the forest scene is even a little bit correct or not. Thought it was a shame to leave it around collecting virtual dust though, so yeah, here it is.
Oh, and I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. Am using OpenOffice without any spell check so yeah...
The first thing that Harry registered was not the hardness of the ground, nor the woody smell of the forest. No, instead he felt a strange form of detachment. He looked around, faintly noticing that he didn't have to stand up, which was strange since he knew that he had to have fallen on the ground. Looking closer at himself he saw that he was transparant. As in the ghost transparant he became so used to when seeing the Hogwarts ghosts with one difference; apparently no one could see him. At least not yet. It took a minute of panicing before he remembered the lecture Hermione had given about ghosts.
Apparently it took some time before a ghost became visible if it even came to that. Something about the transition of being dead to well... Staying dead but becoming a ghost.
"Oh bugger…"
It seemed almost no time had passed since Voldemort had cast the curse. He could see a tied up Hagrid sobbing, his eyes closed, unable to turn his head away from Harry. Instead of the gloating and cheering he would've expected from Voldemort and his Deatheaters, the clearing was silent apart from Hagrid's cries. The Deatheaters were looking unsure whether to cheer or stay still and Voldemort himself was looking in wonder at the Elder Wand, as if pondering something.
"My Lord? Is… everything alright?" Was the question of a curious Bellatrix. It looked like she was concerned for her lord or just wondering which student she would torture first when they got back to the castle. Frankly Harry wasn't sure and hoped he would never understand the witch.
"Yes, I'm quite alright Bella. I was just wondering… No, never mind. Let us go back to the castle. Without the boy it's ours!" This was all the Deatheaters needed to break out in a cheer. "Take the boy and that big oaf over there" With that Voldemort turned around and ignoring the sniveling Malfoys he started walking to the castle.
As the minutes ticked by the general mood in the castle was turning a bit dark.
Ginny had been looking all over for Harry which had turned out in a full out hunt. "If I get that idiot in my hands I'll…rip his head apart!" Grumbling she asked a passing painting if it had seen Harry. The paintings had turned up again not so long ago. With a negative answer from the little faerie in the painting she turned around, back to the Great Hall, all the while grumbling. With a giggle the faerie winked at, the to humans invisible, Harry who was following Ginny.
Harry had decided that he would be following his friends to look out for their safety. Unfortunately he had only found Ginny. Even though he had at one point loved her, he knew he didn't anymore. At least not like a lover, he loved her more like a sister.
While Harry was pondering this, Ginny, and thus Harry, had reached the Great Hall. At one side of it laid all the fallen bodies with white sheets over them. At the other side the survivors were busy talking about plans.
Ginny had just joined Neville and a couple of others, when the doors of the Great Hall were slammed close. Stunned every inhabitant watched as they startled rattling, as if someone was pushing and pulling at them with… something.
"Quick everyone! Make a barricade against the doors!" Was the quick order from Neville. Astounist Harry watched as everyone did precisely what Neville said. He knew that Neville had changed, but that much..?
In the knowledge that they could handle themselves, and it was not as if he could be of help now, that Harry took of. He figured that the ghosts may be of help. With that thought he went to search for Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost he knew the best. Finally after 5 minutes did he find him.
"Harry? What are you doing here? And why are you a ghost?" Was the surprised greeting from Nearly Headless Nick. "Hi Nick, sorry to cut it short, but I've got no time to explain. We have to group together, do you think you could gather all the Hogwarts ghosts?"
"Well I think so, the Baron might me difficult, but with a little time…" Here Harry interrupted. "That's it, we have no time. Hurry, get them as fast as you can and gather in Myrtle's bathroom. Go!"
With that Nick flew away, determined not to let Harry down. Meanwhile Harry himself was hurrying to the destined bathroom. While he was searching for Nick he had gotten an idea. Ignoring the Deatheaters walking around, that weren't trying to bash in the doors of the Great Hall, he flew through most of them making them shiver.
Upon arriving in the bathroom he tried to go down the drain to the Chamber. Wincing as he was thrown back by an invisible shield, probably build there to make the Chamber even more secure, he tried Parseltongue. "Open up" Was all that was needed for the opening to open. By the time he had done so, Nick had arrived with nearly every ghost in Hogwarts. The Grey Lady, the Baron, Peeves, The Hufflepuff ghost whose name he didn't know and about 6 other who he had never seen before.
Nick clearly was the spokesperson, so Harry was not surprised when he started asking things. "So Harry, will you explain now?" Harry just grinned and pointed to the opening. "Nope, but if you would all go down there, I'd really appreciate it." The Bloody Baron looked up sharply at this. "You can't mean… Is this the Chamber?" The nod from Harry made him almost glow. Remembering that the Baron was the Slytherin ghost, made that understandable.
With little time lost Harry got all the ghosts in the Chamber. The only stop was getting the Baron to move along because he wanted to explore the tunnels. Once inside the Chamber Harry started explaining things.
"Slytherin was a great man. When I was here in my second year, fighting the basilisk here, I noticed something strange, something Tom had fortunately not noticed. No no, don't say anything," he said as one of the ghosts looked like she might protest "It was a hidden chamber. Last year I went down here to explore it. What I found was a curious device which couldn't be touched. But now I know that it was designed after Slytherin became a ghost. Isn't that right Baron?" Every ghost turned to look at the Baron who shrugged.
Turning to the great statue of Slytherin, all the ghosts could see a resemblance now that they looked closer, and hissed "Open" which was al that was needed for the mouth to open. Signaling that the ghosts had to follow him, Harry flew op to it. Entering it all the ghosts stared in shock at the room. It was done in a sort of pearly substance with snake ornaments decorating the walls. In the middle of the not so large room stood a pedestal with one thing on it.
"Here is where I need your help, or at least the help of the Baron," here the Baron nodded "as you know, only you can get the bracelet, so if you could…?" With that the Baron floated to the pedestal and with only a minor resistance managed to grab the bracelet on it. "I trust it to you" was all he said as he gave the bracelet to Harry who bowed in respect. "Thank you" With that the Baron turned and left. Looking at all the ghosts left Harry came up with another plan. "Listen, all of you distract the Deatheaters. I'm sure they wouldn't expect a ghost attack. I'll take care of Voldemort." Some ghosts looked liked they might protest, but one look from Nick made them change their minds.
If anyone was in the halls at that moment, they would've seen a curious sight. All the ghosts of Hogwarts, in neat lines of two, floating to the Great Hall. But as it was, everyone was in the Great Hall. In the time that Harry was busy, the Deatheaters had managed to breach the doors. Still invisible Harry floated inside, signaling to the other ghosts to wait for his signal. He didn't need to make himself intangible to go through the doors. The beautiful carved doors were lying, shattered, all over the floor.
Inside the Hall it looked like Voldemort had completely taken over. All the students and teachers left over were bound and forced to look at Voldemort who sat at the head of the table. Harry's body was spelled to float in the air above him, as if it was a trophy, which it probably was.
It seemed that at this moment Voldemort was holding a speech, which didn't really interest Harry. He was just about to give the signal when something happened.
"… And thus I shall give you all an example of what happens when you follow the 'Light'". With a sadistic grin he signaled a Deatheater who came forth with a prisoner in his grasp. With a gasp Harry saw that it was Ginny. But before he could do anything Voldemort sent a spell at her, so silent that Harry couldn't hear it. With horror he saw that Ginny's once beautiful red hair had started to darken to a pitch black black, all the while growing. The hair started moving on it's own, shoving hair down her throat, choking her. It was also whirling around her throat, the strands cutting deep in her skin. She suffered for 3 minutes like this before she fell down, dead.
"And that, my dear people is why you don't oppose me!" With that the Deatheaters cheered while al the supporters of the Light were looking horrified. Harry growled. How dare that monster kill his friend! With that thought he gave the signal to the ghosts waiting outside. Immediately all the ghosts came in and swarmed the Deatheaters. In all the confusion Harry made his way to Voldemort who was looking bewildered at the scene. Because Harry was still invisible it came as a surprise to Voldemort when he suddenly felt his magic being drained away. Because that is what the bracelet did, it drained away the magic of someone, only to release it with a powerful bolt. After all, magic is powerful and couldn't be contained forever.
With all of his magic gone Voldemort started shivering. His skin started to fall of and even his eye popped out. He was created again with magic. Without it his body couldn't survive. It was with a little bit of mercy that Harry fired the bracelet at him. With the bolt sort of like magic electrocuting him it didn't take long. With a scream that cut through the marrow of the bone Voldemort turned into ash.
After that it didn't take long for the Light to free themselves and capture the Deatheaters.
Giving a wave to the ghosts Harry went to the light. He could already see his parents, Cedric and even Ginny, damn that girl literally moved on fast, beckoning him to join them.
He only felt guilty about leaving Ron and Hermione. Now he couldn't be at their wedding he knew was going to come. After all, you would've thought they would know to use silencing charms during certain activities when their best friend was just a meter away.