Again, sorry for the long delay. Working through it all slowly, and always happy to recieve any feedback! Just as a warning, this chapter is a little soppy... it won't always be like this, should get more exciting next chapter!
Kit xx
Chapter 10 Miracles do happen
Harry sighed as he looked up at the finished school. He had spent the last two weeks working hard to help restore and replace enough of the building to make it usable again for the start of the school term which was due to open in less than a fortnight. It had been hard work but the fact that everyone, humans and elves alike, seemed so dedicated to bring it back to life meant that the almost finished article looked better than before.
He slumped to the ground, resting his back against the warm stone of Dumbledore's tomb and looked up the green, grassy slope to the front of the school. In the late sunshine it looked magnificent. A lot of the brick work was obviously new, but Harry knew it wouldn't be long before it blended in with the rest of the building.
The inside had been worked on just as hard as the outside. McGonagall had officially become instated as the headmistress and had already revised the previous curriculum, often taking Hermione's advice and that of the returning eighth years' to better suit the generation of today. She had redesigned some of the disused parts of the school, planning on expanding the curriculum and staff, introducing new subjects and utilizing several newly designed classrooms to help with this.
She had gotten rid of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, somewhat due to the lack of competent teachers in the past, but also because she didn't want to chance the "curse" that Voldemort had put on it when he had been denied the position all those years ago. Instead, she had created a Practical Defense class that would be taught in a large dueling hall with targets and practice areas alongside a small teaching area. Harry personally thought it looked very similar to the old DA room that the Room of Requirement had produced but on a much larger scale. Further down the hall – which was quickly becoming known as the DADA corridor, even though the subject had been disbanded, a Dueling theory classroom had been developed that would also cover historic battles and the politics behind them as well as practical techniques and theories behind spells and curses.
A lot of the other classes would remain the same, even Divination had been reluctantly passed as a course that would stay with Madame Trelawney returning as teacher. History of Magic would be taught by another teacher, though the classroom had to be relocated as Professor Binns threatened to haunt the class if he was removed from the teaching post. Harry had found it most amusing that the old ghost had become the most animated anyone had seen him for the best part of century when he had been told he was being relieved of his duties.
Finally, McGonagall had stated she would be developing a more in-depth Muggle studies class that would be mandatory the first three years, and educated not only those that were raised in a magical family about Muggles, but also educate those from non-magical families about the basics of the wizarding world. This would be supported by the history classes and would aim to shorten the divide between the magical and non-magical students and hopefully prevent pure-blood prejudice in the future.
It was an adventurous move, Harry mused whilst he sat in the sun with his legs stretched out, but he was sure that it would make a large difference in the long run as providing the classes were run properly and by respected teachers. He knew McGonagall was working hard with those that were left on the teaching team to ensure that this would be done by the start of the new school year, and now that the repairs had been completed he was looking forward to seeing what the new school year would be like.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard someone walk up behind the tomb and though his hand twitched he refrained from grabbing hold of the Elder wand that had thrummed with a desire to be used as the unknown threat approached. It made him frown slightly with the knowledge that he would soon have to hide it away to prevent himself from becoming hooked to the feeling of power that came with wielding it.
He looked up as a shadow walked around the white stone, and his frown turned to a smile as he saw Ginny standing there.
"I thought you'd be here." She said, walking up to him and dropping to the ground next to him. "It is probably the most peaceful place to be at the moment. The official reopening party will be starting in the Great Hall in a bit and everyone is beginning to crowd around."
Harry nodded. He and the youngest Weasley had been getting along a lot better the past few weeks, the excuse of working together on various aspects of the school meaning that they could get to know each other again without being thrown into awkward situations where the two of them would struggle to find something to say to each other.
Even so, the beast in Harry's chest jumped and growled every time she came near, and he wanted nothing more to grab her and kiss her like he had that time just before Ron, Hermione and himself had disappeared from the wedding. It took a lot to hold himself back from saying something stupid and sometimes he often found himself staring at her until Ron, Neville or another of the DA males would nudge him to get his attention back on the task at hand.
It was no secret between his friends that he still held strong feelings for the red-head, even more so that she had grown into a proper young lady in the time he had been away. In Harry's eyes she was beautiful and he hoped it would only be a matter of time before he could embrace his feelings, but he swore that he would let her make the first move, it would be her decision whether she wanted to be with the boy-who-lived-twice.
He smiled as Ginny settled. "I was just admiring the view." He said. "I can't believe we've managed to get it all done in time."
"I think the Elder wand certainly helped." Ginny added, before she started picking at the skin around her fingernails nervously. Harry tensed slightly, sensing that she was wanting to say something important.
"Harry, I think I need to apologize." She said softly, and when he looked up he saw her soft gaze staring at him sadly. "Ron, Hermione and George collared me the other day and made me realize what a bitch I've been to you. They told me how much you worried about me when you were away. About how much you had missed me. And all I've done since you've got back is push you away or treat you like you mean nothing to me." She took a deep breath. "I hope you realize that isn't true?"
Harry didn't say anything, trying to get his heart to stop pounding so quickly. He bit his lip and looked back at the school, hardly daring to hope that this was the moment he had been waiting for so long.
"I was just scared." She admitted, returning to playing with her fingernails. "I had kept faith all year that you'd be okay. That you and Ron and Hermione would all look after each other. And then you turned up, ready to save the day like always and it was the best feeling I had ever had and I knew everything was going to be over soon. But then Fred died, and the others died, and then I saw Hagrid carrying you up to the school and everything just stopped. You looked so broken and everything I knew seemed to break with you. I felt there was no chance for life, that there was no point in fighting anymore, and it wasn't just because you were the "chosen one" or the-boy-who-lived. It was because I couldn't imagine a life without you and I think it's taken me this long to realize you are real. You really did come back to life, and Voldemort really is gone and we now have the rest of our lives to live without anything getting in the way, or threatening us, or threatening our friends. We can rebuild everything just the way we want, and I honestly can't believe it's taken me this long to realize that."
Harry remained silent, letting Ginny say her piece. His heart ached for this conversation to be going the way he wanted and his breath hitched slightly when he felt something brush the fingers on his right hand. He looked down to see Ginny gently resting her hand over the back of his, but he didn't dare to look up into her face as he knew that his emotions would be clear to see.
"I am so sorry I've let this go on so long, Harry." She said. "And I hope that you'll give me a chance to show how much I regret not being there for you before. I know it hasn't been easy on you, and Hermione told me the other day how much you didn't want to come home when you were out in Australia. But I really have missed you and I really want to be there for you. To be with you. That is, if you want me."
Harry didn't say anything for a long time and he could sense the doubt begin to set-in in the girl next to him. Slowly he turned his hand around underneath hers until they were palm-to-palm and gently interlaced their fingers together.
He looked up to see Ginny's eyes sparkle with happiness and she suddenly leant forward to grab him in a hug. "I've missed you so much." She repeated, her chest hitching slightly as she tried to hold back her tears. "And I was so scared."
Harry frowned at her emotion, Ginny was as fiery as her hair but he had seldom seen her get upset. "Hey," Harry said finally, holding her tight and breathing in the smell of her hair. "It's all okay now. Like you said we have the rest of our lives and I was willing to wait as long as it took for you to be ready to give it another go."
Ginny sniffed slightly as she pulled away. "Really?" she asked.
Harry shrugged slightly, his hands still around her waist. "Well, I'm glad you came to your senses sooner," he said jokingly, trying to lighten the situation slightly. "But seriously, I also couldn't imagine a life without you."
He hesitated slightly. "I walked past you that night, on the way into the woods. I wanted to reach out and touch you, to say goodbye, to explain that what I was about to do was for you so that you could continue to live your life without fear. But I couldn't stop because I knew I wouldn't ever be able to leave you. But I thought about you. After my parents left and I stood in that clearing I thought about you, and Ron, and Hermione, and you were the last things I had in my mind as he cast the spell. It was you that made me strong enough and reminded me of why I was doing what I was doing. And it was my love for you that made sure that my sacrifice wasn't wasted. He was unable to harm any of my friends due to the sacrifice I made, and possibly with a little influence from the Hallows. And when I was given the chance to return, I knew it was the right thing to do. But then you walked away and I just didn't know what to do. Like you said, everything seemed broken and I had no idea how to fix it. I just wanted things to be normal straight away, but deep down even I knew that was impossible."
Ginny's eyes were full of tears but she nodded, understanding what Harry was trying to say. "I should've been there for you." She said. "I knew that you would find returning to normality would be hard, and I know not everyone liked the fact that you survived when so many of their loved ones died. I should've been there for you like the others were. But I wasn't. I don't think I was ready, or maybe I just didn't want to acknowledge what I still felt for you." She laughed, and swiped at the tears running down her face. "Look at me, bawling my eyes out." She said, but Harry reached out and grabbed her hand.
"You're beautiful." He said. "And I would do anything to make you happy." With that he leaned in and gently kissed her.
It wasn't a long kiss, just more of a pressing of their lips, but when he reopened his eyes he saw the twinkle in the dark eyes of Ginny and felt the beast that had been in his chest slowly dissipate in contentment. Ginny smiled in return and leaned in for another, pressing deeper into the kiss and wrapping her hands around his neck.
"So," she said when they broke apart several minutes later. "Can I be classed as the girlfriend of the boy-who-lived-twice?"
Harry frowned and stuck his fingers into her waist just below her ribs, making her squeak and jump away slightly.
"No." he said. "But I would be honored to be the boyfriend of Ginevra Weasley."
"That sounds just as good." Ginny smiled again and settled back against the white stone of the tomb, Harry's arm wrapped around her shoulder and holding her tight against his side.
"Just promise me you'll never leave me again." She said. "If this doesn't work out, fine, but I don't think I'd live if you just left me again."
"I promise. And if I had the choice, I'd never let you go." Harry said and Ginny hummed in contentment as they watched the sun set over the school.
A couple of days later found Harry walking down the ward of St. Mungo's towards the closed ward where Neville's parents were kept. He had broached the subject with Neville a few nights before and explained how he thought that the Elder wand might be able to help their memories following the extended cruciatus curse that they had been subject to, and had asked his permission to see if he could help. Neville had agreed and Harry had decided that he would come down today, a week before returning to Hogwarts.
He smiled shyly at the nurse who was waving enthusiastically at him as he pushed his way into the private room where Frank and Alice Longbottom had been placed a couple of days before so that Harry could have some privacy when he sat with them.
When he walked in he saw Neville sitting on the edge of his father's bed, speaking in a gentle voice and rubbing small circles into the back of his hand. Alice Longbottom was sat in a high backed chair near the window, staring out onto the small courtyard that was sheltered on each side by the hospital and full of more mobile patients enjoying the sunshine.
"Hey" he said as he walked through the door. Neville glanced up and smiled back.
"Hey." He returned then turned to his dad. "I'll be back in a bit." He said, then stood up and walked over to his friend. "They are quite confused about being in a private room." He told Harry, though Harry was dubious about the level of attention either of the curse-damaged couple had to their environment. He supposed Neville would notice the smaller details with his parents after spending most his life coming to visit them. "I have tried to explain what is going on, but dad hasn't really registered anything. But mum…" he pointed to where his mother sat motionless. "I actually think I got a proper hopeful response from her."
He looked to Harry nervously. "I know it sounds strange." He said. "But I honestly believe they are in there. I've always believed it, no matter what my gran told me. They can't communicate that well, other than the sweet wrappers of course, but there are just little things…"
Harry nodded. "It would take a son to know." He said and his friend smiled gratefully.
"Is there anything you need?" Neville asked.
Harry shook his head. He put his hand into his pocket and gripped the handle of the Elder Wand. He had come to know the wand intimately with all the work he had been doing around the school and, in lesser extent, in Diagon Alley. He came to realize that the wand had an acute awareness of what needed to be done around it. If it sensed magic or identified something that Harry would feel needed doing it would start to hum in his hand. The vibration would create a longing inside Harry, a desire to use the wand for the greater good, being it as large as rebuilding a school or as small as making his bed in the mornings. Harry could see how easy it would be to fall into the habit of using the Elder Wand for everything and becoming complacent with the responsibilities that came with it. It was almost with relief that Harry knew that he would soon be hiding the wand away, and regaining control of his own intents and actions.
As he stood looking at Alice Longbottom, Harry could feel the wand warm in his hand. It sensed how much he wanted to help his friend regain the parents he had grown up without and Harry felt the now-familiar feeling that it could help.
He walked up to Alice and squatted down in front of her until he was eye-level, and stared deeply into her eyes. Her attention had quickly moved from the window to his face as he had come across the room, and Harry watched as she now put her hand in her dressing gown pocket, rummaging around until she found what she was looking for. It was with a lump in his throat that Harry accepted the droobles bubblegum wrapper that she held out to him.
"You're the only other person she has offered one to." Neville said in awe.
Harry glanced up at him with a small smile before looking back to his mother. "I really don't know if anything will happen." He said aloud, both to advise her as well as to Neville who he knew was listening. "But it doesn't hurt to try, right?"
He almost swore that he saw her eyes soften slightly and he took a firm grip of the Elder Wand, but didn't draw it from his pocket. He had learnt that the wand didn't need flamboyant arm gestures to work like his holly and phoenix feather wand as it worked purely on intent.
Harry reached out with his other hand and gently placed it over the back of Alice's wrist. He closed his eyes, imagining that she was whole again, laughing and sharing life stories with her son. He imagined the feeling he had when he had seen his parents when his wand had connected with Voldemort's during the Priori Incantatem and also when he had looked into the Mirror of Erised. He imagined the love he felt towards them and how proud they had looked when they hugged him. He wanted to share that feeling with his friend, to let him know how it felt to have parents that were there to support you.
It felt like a lifetime before he reopened his eyes and when he did his gaze immediately met that of Neville's mother, tears filling her eyes as she smiled at him. She reached out with her free and gently cupped his face.
"Thank you" she said, her voice sounding like honey. Harry heard a gasp that almost sounded like a sob behind him and Alice looked up over his shoulder. "My son!" she exclaimed, opening her arms.
Harry pushed himself to his feet, staggering slightly at the light-headedness he experienced. No one else in the room noticed and he watched as Neville hugged his mother properly for the first time since he was a baby. He looked up to Frank where he lay in bed and noticed that he had turned his head to watch the event, even though there was still no facial expression showing on his face.
Harry walked carefully over to the bed, his head feeling better after the initial swoon but still feeling a little hazy. He sat on the mattress and rested his hand over Frank's arm, just like he had with Alice. He closed his eyes once more, the feeling of being loved coming to him a lot quicker than before.
It seemed to take less time on this occasion, but when he opened his eyes he noticed Neville and his mother both standing near him. He glanced down to Frank and saw that there was now interest in his eyes and recognition for his wife and son, though it was evident that his recovery had not been as miraculous as Alice's.
"I'm sorry." Harry said, glancing up at his friend. "I guess there was too much for me to fix."
Alice shook her head as she came up to stand closer to him, "You have done more than we could've ever asked." She said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her husband's head. Frank clearly smiled at her and raised his hand with a clumsy movement and directed it towards his son, though didn't make any effort to speak.
Harry smiled in return, and accepted the clap on the shoulder from Neville who looked too choked up on emotions to be able to do anything else.
He went to stand up again in order to leave the family to get to know each other once more, and immediately felt the world tilt around him. He felt strong arms catch him as he fell and he let everything go black.
"You're making this a habit!" Neville said with a smile when Harry finally felt strong enough to open his eyes. Harry grinned sheepishly back up at him.
"Sorry." He whispered back. He looked up to where Alice and Frank were looking down at him with concern. "I'll be okay though." He said a little stronger and pushing himself up. "I really ought to go and let you three get to know each other again."
Neville shook his head. "Let yourself recover first. Do you want me to call Hermione or Ron to come help you home?"
Harry shook his head. "I'll just go sit in the canteen a little while. I'll be fine, I promise."
He took Neville's hand to assist standing up. He had to take a few deep breaths before nodding that he was steady on his feet before his friend would let him go. Harry smiled at Frank and Alice before saying his goodbyes.
"I don't know if you knew, but I am your godmother." Alice Longbottom told him as she pulled him in for a weak but heartfelt hug. "Maybe we can meet up sometime for a family dinner." She glanced to her son, and then reached out to brush her husband's fringe across his face.
"I'd like that." Harry said with a smile then made his way to the door, gently closing it behind him before taking a deep breath and sinking heavily to one of the chairs that lined the corridor outside the room.
He dropped his woozy head into his hands and suddenly felt rather emotional. He had saved Neville's parents. Granted, Frank would obviously never be the man that he had, but Harry didn't doubt for a second that he would soon be able to find a way to communicate and also be up and about and walking before too long. And Alice, Harry could sense she was still weak from the years of doing nothing but walking from her bed to her chair, but she was already forming full sentences and able to initiate full conversations with her son.
Harry felt a brief thought brush across the front of his mind and immediately felt the wand begin to warm in his pocket. He frowned, knowing that the thought that had crossed his mind was to see his parents once more. Something inside him was telling him that it was possible, that by being in possession of all three Hallows he would be able to cheat death completely. Not just by surviving himself, but by bringing his parents back from the dead. And not only his parents, but Sirius, Remus, Fred, and all the others that had died.
He sucked in a breath as he felt his heart racing and pulled his thoughts into check. When would it stop? If it was possible to bring his parents back, which the wand's response told him was entirely possible, how would he be able to explain to others how he could make the miracle of life happen? And how could he justify bringing back just those he loved rather than everyone who had died in the past war? How could he say no to those people for which bringing back their loved ones would just not be in their best interest? And those he brought back from the dead, would they forgive him?
Harry shook his head slightly, pushing aside the dizziness and made the decision. He felt the wand go still and cold in his pocket as he stood up, almost as if it could sense what he was about to do.
He walked steadily to the apparition point, feeling his strength return slightly by the time he had reached it. He hesitated just a moment, picturing his destination in his mind before spinning on the spot.
An hour later he walked up to the garden path to the rear of the Burrow, seeing his friends sat around the garden table with glasses of fresh lemonade in their hands. Ginny leant forward to pour him one but he stayed standing as he took the glass from her hand and took a couple of long sups.
"How did it go?" She asked as he drank.
"Really well," Harry said. "Alice is already up and talking, I don't think Neville's dad is ever going to make a full recovery, but he seems to be a lot better than he was."
"Oh, Harry." Hermione said, standing up and running around the table to give him a hug. "That's amazing. How's Neville?"
"Over the moon." Harry replied. "His grin was the largest I've ever seen. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy."
His friends grinned back in response.
"Why don't you sit down?" Ginny asked, pulling out the chair next to her. "You look pretty knackered."
Harry nodded, "I did use up quite a lot of magic." He admitted, but he looked to Hermione before taking a seat. "Do you remember what we talked about that morning I fixed up the Burrow's kitchen?"
Hermione frowned momentarily before nodding hesitantly. "About the wand?" she prompted.
Harry nodded. "It is time." He said, looking to his friends. "After healing Neville's parents it took hold of me briefly, made me think I could do anything." He looked back to Hermione. "It's hidden. It's gone. I just need to forget where I put it."
Hermione looked at him, a mixture of surprise and pride on her face.
"Are you talking about the Elder wand?" Ron asked. "What do you mean it's gone?"
"I can't trust myself with it." Harry admitted. "Being in possession of all three Hallow's is a huge responsibility, and I don't trust myself not to slip up at any point. The Cloak is an heirloom, a link to my father that I don't want to get rid of. The stone will only harm the person who foolishly thinks it will bring back the dead. The only Hallow that poses a great risk is the wand, so I've hidden it. Even if someone disarms me and the Wand transfers it's allegiance to another owner, if they don't know where it is…" he let his explanation drift off and was happy to see understanding in his friend's faces.
"I admire you for doing it." Ron said. "But still think you're more than a bit nuts, mate." He said.
Harry shrugged. "Rather nuts than power-hungry" Harry replied, he turned to Hermione. "Can you do it? Can you remove the memory of where I hid it?"
Hermione nodded, "Shall we go inside?" she suggested. "Less distractions in there, and you actually look like you can use a lie-down."
Harry nodded and gave his girlfriend – he didn't think he'd ever get tired of calling Ginny that – a quick kiss on the forehead before leading Hermione inside and up to the room he was temporarily sharing with Ron.
