Chapter twelve

Harry continued his story from his sixth year, how Dumbledore died, how he left with his friends to find the rest of the horcruxes, how everyone went into hiding, the ones that could, especially the order. Harry explained that he figured out one was at Hogwarts so Aberforth Dumbledore helped them through a tunnel from his pub to the room of requirement where some of his friends had been hiding. All Harry wanted to do was see Severus, but he knew he couldn't risk it, so he started to look for the horcrux. McGonagall secured the castle and got the staff organised after Severus made it look like he killed two death eaters by accident before leaving. Hundreds of death eaters, snatchers, giants and dementors turned up with Voldemort, lots of order members, the DA and older students started fighting. After all but the snake horcrux had been destroyed Harry explained how he looked into Voldemort's mind and found him in the shrieking shack with the snake. When they got there Voldemort told Nagini to kill Severus.

'I couldn't stop it, Voldemort left so I kept pressure on Sev's neck, trying to stop the bleeding, but his blood flowed through my fingers. He wanted me to take his memories, then he stared into my eyes and I saw it, saw his life leave him, saw my everything disappear and all I could do was watch,' Harry knocked back the rest of his drink before continuing, 'Ron and Hermione went in to be with the rest of the Weasley's, to be with Fred, but I couldn't stand to be with them. They had been there for me for years, supported me, looked after me and I got Fred killed. So I ran, ran all the way up to your office to use the pensieve. You told Sev to tell me something, but he had to wait until Voldemort feared for the life of his snake. The night he killed my parents and tried to kill me he planned to make another horcrux, his sixth, the snake was the Seventh. When he said the killing curse his soul split but because of mum he disappeared and his soul entered me. The only way for Voldemort to die was if I died first. I wanted to die, I wanted to go to Sev, to go to Sirius, to my parents, I had no one, no family. So I walked into the forbidden forest and surrendered to him. He didn't kill me straight away, he kept staring at me. Finally he lifted the wand and I saw it, saw the green light heading towards me, I closed my eyes and welcomed death,' Harry wiped another tear from his cheek, 'We were both knocked out, when we came to I pretended to be dead, I needed to kill the snake. He took his frustrations out on me, cruciatus curse, he likes to use that, the flung me up in the air, let me fall, did that a few times before he made Hagrid carry me back to the castle, with the winning side. Voldemort amplified his voice and told everyone their hero was dead. He blamed me you know, blamed me for everyone dying, I blamed myself, I blamed you, I even blamed Sev. Everyone was looking to me to save them and I couldn't. I was so angry with you, if you told me sooner, I would have surrendered to him sooner, it might have saved more. He decided to torture my friend Neville, Neville kept breaking his silencing charm, saying Dumbledore's army, that's what the DA stood for, we were your army. While everyone concentrated on Neville I slipped the cloak on and started to stun death eaters, all I wanted to do was kill them. The fight started again, Charlie Weasley brought hundreds more people who all heard I was dead. The death eaters started to fall under the weight of people, but the centaurs came out to help when they heard I was dead, the hippogriff led by Buckbeak, Kreacher brought all the Hogwarts house elves to fight for me. Finally there was only Bellatrix and Voldemort left. Bellatrix just missed Ginny with the killing curse, Molly Weasley killed her, and Voldemort, his anger was terrible. I pulled my cloak off to shocked looks and shouts of his alive,' Harry sighed, 'I spoke to Voldemort, told him to try for some remorse, that all his horcruxes were gone. But what shocked him the most was when I said we duel on skill alone, he said and you expect to win, I said one of us was leaving this world forever, I had hoped it was me, but I wanted him gone so no more would suffer. He killed thousands of people, from the time he was a kid. The sunrise burst through the busted walls of the great hall, he said the killing curse, I said the disarming charm, the spells met and rebounded onto him, he fell dead. All I wanted was to die as well, to go to Sev, to go to my family, to leave all the pain and all the suffering. My friends are worried about me, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley think I'm sick and wants me to see a healer, I'm not sick, I just don't want to live anymore. So I thought I'd try one more thing, go back in time and change what happened. I figured if I can stop Sev going to the shrieking shake he would live and we'd have our family. But I wanted Sirius, my parents, I wanted it all. I never got anything I wanted, my life was out of my hands from the time that prophecy was made, it's been hard and painful. So I thought since I was here and before I reversed it I would get to know my parents, a little, then go save Sev.'

'That is a very sad story Harry, but if you try going back in time once more you could die. Can't you feel it Harry, feel it inside you, you're dying right now, we can all see it.' Dumbledore said kindly.

'I don't care, I can't go on without him, he's the only thing that made my life worth living. If I can go see him but I die, then I die with him and we'll be together and I won't suffer any more.'

'Harry, don't you realise what could happen if you die,' Albus knelt down in front of Harry, 'The other Harry could die at the same time, he is you.'

Harry lifted his head to see his parents both holding the other Harry, 'I can't let anyone else die, I have enough blood on my hands. I'll reverse it, but not go back. Can you tell me a bit about your life, about you, anything?'

'Whatever you want to know Harry,' James said sadly.

'Then stay for another hour, hear the things you want to hear then I will escort you back. I can see how weak you are, you probably suffer from severe headaches, you get sick a lot, light headed, maybe faint.'

'I'm always sick, always have a headache, I fainted the other day when I was at the cemetery.'

'That should tell you how sick you are, once more and you would die. When you reverse it you will probably pass out, that is why I will be with you until you do go back to your time.'

'I wish I could see Sev once more, but he's dead now in this world. I was going to change things to save him in both worlds.'

'You can't, it would cost both your lives. Now talk to your parents while you have time, I'll be in the kitchen,' Dumbledore patted Harry's cheek, 'We must have been close.'

'We were, spent a lot of time together, I came to think of you as a grandfather. After losing my parents, Sirius, all I had was you and Sev, you performed our ceremony in your office,' Harry pulled out his wallet, 'Then you took this picture.'

Albus took the small picture, 'Severus is smiling in this, but I can see the love you both have for each other. Do you know Harry that the magic of love "is the most powerful magic in our world" Harry said at the same time making Albus smile, 'It seems I've said that to you before.'

'A few times, I had hoped my love for Sev would have saved him, but it wasn't enough.'

'Talk to your parents and Sirius, get to know them,' Albus stood and walked away with Mad eye leaving this poor young man with the family he never knew. Albus wondered if there was anything he could do to help. But if what he said was true, then he was already dead in Harry's world, so maybe giving him this time is what will help.