Chapter 9

"I think I died"

It was a quiet evening in Hogwarts castle. Everyone had just finished dinner and had retired to their dorms and private rooms. Only one student was stationed in a hospital bed.

Harry Potter was surrounded with three teachers and three students. Professor Dumbledore, professor McGonagall and professor Snape were standing on the left side of him. Well, Snape was standing next to the door and Dumbledore and McGonagall were sitting next to the bed.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione were sitting on the right side of Harry. Ron was sitting on the next bed and Hermione and Ginny were sitting on one of the chairs. They had been dining with him and chatting about the first days on school. Ginny had been holding his hand for the last hour, but Harry hadn't even noticed.

Cedric had visited just before dinner and they had talked about what had happened. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had arrived shortly after Cedric had left. Jack had been around since the Harry had woken up in the Hospital and Harry was glad. Jack was the only one who understood his 'condition'. Now Jack was sitting at the foot end of his bed, silently smiling.

A silence had fallen upon the group of people. Harry stared them all down. Albus Dumbledore, headmaster and the most insane person in the school. Minerva McGonagall, animagus, teacher and head of Gryffindor house. Severus Snape, ex Death Eater, teacher and head of Slytherin house.

Harry locked eyes with Jack and laughed. "What a pair!"

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, but Harry beat him. "Yes, yes, I know why you are all here. What's the point in delaying it anyway? And you all have your reasons for being here, so what's the point in asking." Harry grinned, but let the grin fall when the left side of his face started to pull.

He winched. "That hurt. Anyway, so you all wanted to know what happened?" He sighted and stared at the light wall of the Hospital Wing. "You all know by now that Cedric and I were taken by the Portkey to the graveyard. I've guessed for weeks why he kept Cedric alive, but I'm not Voldemort, so I have absolutely no idea."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Even you aren't that thick. You must have some idea why he left him alive." They all turned towards him and Harry smiled.

"You are here because you're curious. But curiosity killed the cat, you know."

Snape just rolled his eyes. "Just answer the bloody question."

Harry laughed. "Patience is an art. But I'll tell you anyways. The first thing I thought was; why would he keep Cedric alive in the first place? Well, that's simple. He wanted to humiliate me, drive me to insanity while a bystander was watching helplessly. But he has his Death Eaters for that, I then thought. So why would he keep Cedric alive? Maybe he thought that when he was done with me, used me in his resurrection, that I wouldn't be alive anymore. That I would be useless. So he needed someone to play with. Someone to test his abilities on."

Harry sighted and grinned to all the bystanders. "But who knows what Voldiepants had been thinking. It's not like he's the easiest person to analyze."

Snape's eyebrows seemed to disappear completely, Dumbledore was openly smiling and McGonagall went for a polite cough. On the other side Ron, Hermione and Ginny were openly laughing.

An itching sensation went through Harry's burn and he reached with his hand to it. Feeling the blue salve he went for stroking his hair. Sensing the discomforted glances and the sudden stopping of laughter Harry just struggled his shoulders.

"Anyway, so the rat bound us to the gravestones. You can imagine that I was very glad to see that… that… I don't even have a word for him. So, he started the ritual to bring Voldemort back. I knew what was happening when my scar started to burn, but I couldn't say a thing of course.

Anyway, moving on. Voldemort came from the cauldron, he summoned his Death Eaters, we fought, I sent Cedric back, was rescued and that's it. Oh, and I think I died somewhere in the middle of it all."

Snape scowled. "Even I don't believe you if you say it like that, Potter."

"Yeah Harry," Ron said, looking at his friend in curiosity. "What are you pulling at?"

Harry looked at his best friend in wonder. For him to agree with Severus Snape was something he wouldn't do by accident. But what did they know? They weren't there that day. That horrible day…

Harry felt a chill go down his spine as he brought back the memories of that night, but he grinned nonetheless. He patted Ginny's hand absently and felt the ring beneath his hand. He looked down and smiled.

"Do you like it?" Harry asked softly. He studied the ring. The last time he had seen it, he had hidden it for the Dursley's. It was a golden ring with a red stone in it. The edges were decorated with strange symbols that Harry had yet to figure out.

"I love it," she said, smiling softly at him. "But don't think by changing the subject that we'll leave you alone."

Harry pouted. "You are just no fun at all. All right, you have me. Where was I… ah, yes. So Voldemort came back and summoned his Death Eaters. He rattled on about how he died the night my parents died and how I had survived because of my mother' protection. By taking my blood her protection was broken. He touched me, to prove it."

Harry fell silent. He could remember that touch. It had burned so badly. Ginny softly squeezed his hand and he smiled at her.

"Since I was still quite alive I could duel. But Voldemort cheats and he had me under the Cruciatus before I could even blink. When I was sure I would die, it stopped. I wanted to fight, so I got up, but I was so tired. Tired from the Maze, tired from the resurrection, tired from the fight. But I would not give up I couldn't give up. So I got up and tried to remember every curse and hex I had learned, in my classes, for the tournament.

My defenses broke after a while, but Voldemort had only used half of his powers by then. And even if Voldemort had drained all his powers he would have just captured me and taken me to 'play' at some other time. In the mean time, Cedric was forced to watch everything and tortured every time he tried something.

Voldemort was making all kinds of snide remarks about my parents and that he would attack Hogwarts and that he would destroy everyone who resisted. Then Wormtail made a funny comment about me staying with my aunt and uncle. Voldemort punished him for speaking out of turn, but took up his advice. So he started on about my aunt and uncle, but I just laughed at him in the face.

I told him that my aunt and uncle would rather see me burn in hell then that I came back for the summer. And you know what Voldemort said? He said; 'well they have some twisted sense of humor.' And I said: 'they, humor? In what year?' And Voldemort said; 'Well lets solve their problem and then they only have to worry about me.'

That's when he set me on fire." Silence fell for the second time that evening. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts for a moment before they realized that Harry had stopped speaking.

Ginny was fighting back her tears just like Hermione. Ron had wrapped an arm around Hermione' shoulder and was baiting on his lower lip in thought. McGonagall, who had been silent since she had entered the Hospital Wing, was staring at Harry with a mixture of pity and shock. Dumbledore was staring at Harry silently. The twinkle in his eyes had gone and he had a grave expression on his face. Snape was still leaning against the wall, but his expression had been changing from sneer, to an expression Harry had never seen on the man' face before. Jack, who had heard the story before, was reading a book he had found in the library and was listening to some music.

"So he set you on fire," Hermione asked in a small voice, finally breaking the silence. Harry looked at her. Her eyes were shining with tears, reflecting the worry for her best friend.

"He first hit me with cursed flames. It's healing but it's still pretty painful. Very hard when you want to go to sleep." His friends let out a small laugh and even the professors smiled.

"I guess he liked the idea because drew a circle of flames around me. My wand had gone lost in the flames. I guess it got burned and otherwise it would have been destroyed when I left. Anyway, the flames closed in behind me. They started to eat me up alive and Cedric was still screaming and crying to me.

I wanted to be there for him, to help him get away, to make sure that he would be all right, but there was nothing I could do. But I couldn't just leave him there. So I kept talking to him and I focused all my energy on him. Suddenly I could see through the flames. I saw the cup lying only a few feet away. In a haze of worry and pain I swung my hand towards it and wished for it to take Cedric home. Screams of surprise and rage were heard throughout the graveyard, but Cedric's cries stopped. I was so relieved that I collapsed within the flames.

The last thing I heard before my heart stopped was the cry of the Phoenix."

Everyone had left except Ginny. Jack had given them some room, making the excuse to 'find the kitchen'. Ginny was resting next to Harry, leaning on his shoulder. Harry was lying with his head on her head, playing with the ring on Ginny' hand.

"So how was your summer?" Harry asked breaking the comfortable silence they had been enjoying.

Ginny gave him planted her elbow in his stomach, causing Harry to gasp for air and rubbing his stomach. "It wasn't that funny you know! You had gone and everyone was in tears. Sirius and Remus had started drinking and we all had to divide you stuff."

"Oh right," Harry said. "I guess I have to ask some of it back. But I want you to keep the ring. And I have to talk to Padfoot and Moony tomorrow. I'll ask them over for tea."

Ginny turned and kissed him. "You still haven't told us one thing Harry Potter."

He frowned. "What's that?"

"Jack told us about the Phoenix inside of you, but neither of you have told us how you got it and what it means."

Harry looked thoughtful. "The whole problem is, is that we both don't know what happened. There is a Phoenix inside of me. I know since I always have dreams about it. I think I just have to try to make contact with the Phoenix so I can maybe help it get out of me. But the only problem is that we don't know what will happen once it's gone."

They looked at each other for a few minutes both lost in their own thoughts. Then Ginny kissed him again. "It'll work out Harry, you'll see."

A/N: I hope you don't all hate me now. Tell me what you think. For your information, there are only three Death Eaters left. Draco's parents and Bellatrix. Anyway, reviewing makes me happy. And thanks for everyone who have already reviewed. Kisses and till next time.