Chapter Seven: The Seventh Child
Twenty Two Years into the Future:
"Good Merlin!" the man said staring at Harry's scar. "Harry? Harry Potter!" all of them stood up from their seats to look at him. "It's Mr. Potter!"
"You saved everyone's lives here more than once, Harry. You started this order. You were our leader. Everyone here owes you their life." Harry looked around and his eyes fell upon a woman in her early thirties with bright blond hair. Besides the hair, and a few scars on her face, the girl looked exactly like Tonks. From the way she stood to the way she smiled. She was Tonks. Harry's heart stopped. Tonks? No. No it couldb't be. But...that's Tonks...
"Harry," the woman said beaming as she hugged him. "It's great to see you again."
"T--Tonks?" Harry asked studying her face. She smiled a little shaking her head.
"No, no. It's Noxolo...Noxi."
"Oh, my God. Noxi?" Harry's eyes widened. "I...wow. You—you're part of the—?"
"Of course I am." Noxolo said smiling kindly at him. "You saved my family, Harry. You're my hero."
"You're a hero to all of us, Harry." Gwen added.
"Arthur," the scarred man said shaking Harry's hand. Harry shook it back. The others introduced themselves each shaking his hand firmly. Erik, Paul, Sebastian, and Leon.
"Voldemort. What happened? He got the book. Did he…did he travel to this time? What'd he do?"
"No," Gwen answered looking at Harry. "He didn't."
"And Snape!" Harry suddenly yelled. "Is he on our side?" Gwen turned to look at Noxolo and Arthur. Both of the looked away.
"Snape—" Gwen began. She wasn't looking at Harry, but instead looking at Noxolo who was fidgeting uncomfortably.
"What?" Harry asked. He looked from Gwen to Noxolo, not understanding why they weren't answering his question.
"Your scar," Arthur said looking at Harry's forehead. Harry reached up and at the exact moment his fingers made contact with the scar, Harry felt it burn like nothing he had ever felt before. The sensation was so excruciating he fell onto his knees, screaming in agony. And suddenly he was somewhere else.
Harry was seated…no not Harry. Voldemort was seated on a throne...at the place where Dumbledore used to sit in the dining hall. To his right was Severus Snape, his black soulless eyes scanning the room. Several other Death Eaters were seated close to Voldemort. In front of him…in front of Voldemort stood a giant of a man with a bushy beard. Horrified, Harry recognized him. It was Hagrid. Hagrid stood almost as if he were a dummy, his head slumped to his chest.
"What news do you have for me?" Voldemort said, his voice as cold and dead as a winter's night. "Speak!" Hagrid looked up slowly, his face burnt and cut beyond recognition.
"We have taken down the last of the Rebellion, my lord. Gwen, Noxolo, and Arthur stands as the last three remaining fully trained witch and wizard they have left. The others can barely throw jinxes even with incantation. The Rebellion is gone, my lord."
"Good, Hagrid. Good. Severus," Voldemort said looking over at the soulless man. "Take some of your men and dispose of that nuisance Seventh Child. Gwen's days are over. I remain supreme ruler of this world." Voldemort paused then inhaled through his slit for nostrils. "Or will you disappoint me by losing to that girl again?" Snape took him a deep breath.
"I will try—but the last time I faced her…" Snape said with hesitation evident in his tone. Something was different about him. Something deep within…he was unsure of himself.
"Worthless." Voldemort said finally. "I shall take down the Seventh Child myself. Bellatrix," Voldemort hissed. To his left, Bellatrix Lestrange stood up.
"Yes, my lord?" she said bowing low. She nearly kissed his feet.
"Prepare the troops. We attack them tonight. This will end once and for all." Then Lord Voldemort stopped. His eyes widened. "He sees us! Harry Potter sees us!"
With that Harry suddenly was back on the ground, screaming in pain. The throbbing on his forehead continued for almost half a minute before it died away.
"Are you alright, Mr. Potter?" came Arthur's voice. Looking up, Harry realized that Arthur was much younger than he had initially thought. The man was probably thirty or thirty one.
"Yeah," Harry said. Arthur helped him up. "I saw…Voldemort. And…Snape? Bellatrix…and Hagrid! Why—"
"Remember how Hagrid just disappeared, Harry? Just suddenly disappeared one day? He was captured by Voldemort. Voldemort wiped out his memory. He has him working for him like drone. He's been completely compromised." Harry looked over at Dean who looked back questioningly.
"What?" Dean questioned.
"Nothing. I'm just thinking. Hagrid…God! This is all going to happen? I can't change it? The Order…down to a few people?" Gwen nodded with a frown on her scared face.
"Unfortunately,"
"So what? We lose? After all that fighting? After all those battles? After all those sacrifices? We lose. That's it?"
"That's not how I remember, you Mr. Potter. No matter the circumstances, you always told me…told us that we could win. That there is always a chance. The Seventh Child is still alive. Gwen is still alive, Mr. Potter. We can win. And with your help…we might." Arthur spoke.
"The Seventh Child? That's what Voldemort called you. Why?"
"Legend has it," Noxolo said hesitantly. "that…the seventh child in a wizard's family…is always the strongest. That's why my ancestor Noxolo the First was so incredibly powerful. But—it depends on the family. The seventh child in a pure family usually is stronger. Like mine…and like the Weasley's. There aren't many pure families left…and not many have seven children. So far as we know…Gwen is the only seventh child left. She's the strongest witch there is…besides Voldemort no one has beat her. Even Snape…"
"Enough, Noxolo." Gwen said putting a hand on Noxolo's arm. Noxolo fell silent. Every time Harry looked at her...at Noxolo, he felt as if he was looking at Tonks. He shifted uncomfortable. Tonks is gone. Time to accept it. Stop thinking about her.
"It isn't necessarily true, Harry. And I'm sure there are plenty of pure blooded people who are the seventh child in the family. I was just gifted with a power I didn't know I had. And the seventh child thing is just to scare Voldemort. He's heard of Noxolo the First's powers. And well…he's scared of mine. He hasn't tried to fight me himself. He's always sent his 'best' Death Eater. I've beat them every time." Harry looked at Gwen in a sort of awe. She was so different. She confident. Strong. She had an air of authority about her. Was this who Ginny was really going to grow up to be? This Gwen was completely different then who Harry had expected Ginny to become when she grew older. But here she was, older, stronger, and in all ways different.
"Wait," Harry said covering his eyes. "I remember…him saying something. No! Voldemort said he's going to attack tonight! He's going to come here tonight! With an army of Death Eaters!"
"Yeah," Gwen said nodding. "I'm expecting it. In our last battle we lost. This is it. This is possibly the final battle." McGonagall took in a deep breath.
"What are you talking about?" she said looking at Gwen in disbelief. "You have to hide. You have to think of a way. You face then now—you die. And then where would the world be?"
"There's nowhere to go. Anywhere you apparate there are Death Eaters."
"So his legion has grown since—my time?" Harry asked with his heart sinking and his stomach twisting at the thought that Voldemort's control had gotten more powerful.
"In a way. He has hundreds of followers…but not many of them are loyal to him though. They only follow him because they are afraid. If he dies…they'll all be more than happy to stop his quest of cleansing the world."
"Did your Harry…did he ever tell you how this battle turned out?"
"No. He said the Ginny from the future didn't know. So I couldn't." Gwen said.
"Like a paradox." Dean said suddenly. Harry looked back at him, then away again.
"Then we'll stay and fight with you." Harry said drawing his wand. "We might be the ones to defeat Voldemort. If so…then I do get to end this war. Even if it's not in my timeline. Even if I get killed by the same man later on." Gwen exchange quick glances with Noxolo.
"That's the Mr. Potter I knew!" Arthur said with a huge smile on his face. "I'm right here with you!"
"It's Harry," Harry said beaming at him. "Just call me, Harry."
"You know," Hermione said finally. Harry looked over, shocked that he had forgotten she was there. "This might sound crazy…but we know that Harry doesn't die…right? Because he comes back to the past and creates the Rebellion. And…we can't change the future…according to Ginny—Gwen. So then…wouldn't it be logical…to have Harry fight off Voldemort—because we know he doesn't die. He can't."
"We're not testing that theory." Noxolo said shaking her head. "I am no where near as sure as Gwen. I'm not a hundred percent sure you can't change the future…past. Whatever. I'm not letting Harry go out there to face those monsters by himself—"
"It was just a thought—" Hermione apologized.
"Well then don't think." Noxolo retorted angrily. Hermione fell silent again.
"She was just trying to help." Harry defended her.
"She just tried to get you possibly killed. I never understood why you always defended her, Harry."
"I—well. I...I did? I bearly know you...so..."
"Well I know you, Harry. And yes, you always defended her." Gwen let out a small laugh.
"Don't take offense, Harry. That's just how Noxolo is. She loves putting people in their place even people she consider her 'hero'..." that was when they heard it. The cracks of apparition. Then the marches of their enemy. All of them took deep breaths and Harry slowly cracked open the wooden door. They each walked out and stood side-by-side in front of the cabin. Their wands were drawn, pointed at the distant villains. And then they saw him. Floating and drifting towards them, Voldemort was at the head of his army. Voldemort and his Death Eaters stopped in front of them. They were within hearing distance.
"Harry Potter?" Bellatrix exclaimed looking over at Voldemort. Voldemort looked over at Snape who had a horrified expression on his usually expressionless face. Snape opened his mouth slowly.
"It—it can't be, my lord. I—he's dead! How—is this possible? I killed him with my own wand! I killed him with my own hand! Harry Potter should be dead!"
