Chapter 14

Lupin and Tonks were in the library at Grimauld Place staring at the fire and sharing a pot of tea. They had been talking about things they would like to do once the war was over. Lupin was quite surprised to find out that they shared many of the same goals. She told him that she wanted to teach at the Auror Academy. The war had been very brutal and the whole department would have to practically start over. He told her that he intended to try teaching at Hogwarts again. It was the only time since James had died that he'd been truly happy. He had spent a great deal of time thinking about the strange young woman he was talking with. The subject of her feelings for him had not come up once since the night Albus had died. They were both so busy with their roles in the order that a social life was unimaginable. He had to admit he was impressed with the way she was handling herself in her new role as co-leader of the group. There were many things about this person he didn't know but had finally made up his mind that when all this was over he would find out. He deserved a little happiness after all the suffering he'd endured. He finally made up his mind and now was as good a time as any to discuss the matter.

"Tonks there is something I would like to talk to you about."

"What is it Remus?"

"I've been giving a great deal of thought to what you said the night Albus died. When this is all over…" Lupin noticed movement in the corner of his eye at the door to the room. He looked over to see who it was disturbing them and saw something that turned his blood to ice. It was Draco Malfoy. His clothes were torn and he had blood running down his face from a large number of cuts that still had pieces of stone sticking into them. He was even paler than usual and the look in his eyes was easily recognizable by someone who had been in combat before, it was often referred to as the thousand yard stare and was an early warning sign of shock.

Remus jumped up from his chair and hurried over to Malfoy grabbing him gently by the arms. "Draco what happened? Where's Harry?"

Draco jumped as if he didn't realize anyone was there and violently jerked out of Remus' grasp. He looked around the room and for a moment couldn't remember where he was.

"Draco where's Harry?" Remus shouted at the young man standing before him. Draco shook his head a little and pointed into the next room.

Remus darted through the door and saw Harry lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. This couldn't be happening. Harry couldn't be dead. He ran over to the fallen form of the son he never had and collected him up in his arms. He gently placed him on a nearby sofa as Tonks came into the room.

"Oh Merlin Remus, is he dead?" Tonks asked with her hands pressed against her face. Remus reached out and felt for a pulse on the boy's neck. His heart sank as he waited for what seamed like an eternity. As he was about to give in to his grief he felt a very faint pressure against his finger indicating that Harry's heart had just pumped a small amount of blood through his veins.

"He's not dead. Quickly get Poppy and Minerva." Tonks nodded and headed off to the fireplace to call for help. Draco slowly came back into the room and absently watched as Remus started to remove pieces of stone from Harry's face and scalp. As he stood there it all came back to him in a flood of terrible memories. He buckled at the waist and violently lost his breakfast.

"They're on their way Remus." Tonks shouted as she ran back into the room. She noticed Draco standing in the corner shivering and quickly went to his side.

"Draco what happened?"

Draco just looked up at her as if he didn't understand what she was saying. He started looking at the floor again. Tonks reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, hard.

"For Merlin's sake Draco if Poppy is going to have any chance of helping him we need to know what spell did this."

Draco looked up at her and said in the tiniest of voices "It was the killing curse Nymph; Voldemort hit him with the killing curse."

She let go of him and stared for a few seconds as her mind processed the information. Just as she was about to ask him to repeat himself Poppy and Minerva charged into the room.

"Get out of my way Remus. I need to look at him right away." Poppy pushed Remus aside and started to examine Harry. "Quickly, what did this to him?" She asked as she ran her wand up and down his body.

"Draco says Voldemort hit him with the killing curse." Tonks said with disbelief in her voice.

Poppy didn't bat an eye but quickly moved Harry's hair out of the way to examine his scar. The scar was bright red and a small amount of blood was oozing from the old wound.

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The activity in the old mansion was finally beginning to die down. After Poppy had cleaned up Harry's wounds she quickly announced that there was nothing more she could do for him. Since he was the only person to ever survive the curse, twice now, there was no known treatment. When he was an infant they simply watched him to make sure he didn't slip off in his sleep. She suggested they do the same this time as well.

Draco was another story. He was suffering from a classic case of post traumatic stress. It was very common for a young man to slip into a mild state of shock after an experience such as the one he had just gone through. Poppy cleaned his wounds and put him to bed where he promptly fell asleep. Remus demanded that he be allowed to question him but Poppy threatened to sedate him if he didn't calm down and allow Draco to rest. He could get his answers in the morning.

Ron and Hermione had been upstairs when Harry and Draco returned. Once the Order members started arriving they heard the commotion and came downstairs to investigate. Ron went into the parlor and saw everyone huddled around the lifeless form of his best friend and went mental. He demanded to know what had happened and charged at Draco. Luckily Tonks had been expecting such a reaction and was able to stop him before he was able to begin beating on the virtually mindless teenager.

Ginny and her mother had been outside tending to the garden. When they heard the commotion inside they went in to find out what was going on. Regardless of how hard they tried they had been unable to remove her from Harry's side since.

Hermione handled it better than anyone expected. Her calm logical brain immediately told her that Harry was under the best supervision he could hope for and that only time could provide her with the answers she so desperately wanted. It was her idea not to take him to the wizarding hospital. She reasoned that Poppy could provide excellent care right there at the house and in the long run it may provide them with an advantage.

"So what is this advantage you are speaking of Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked her former pupil. A full meeting of the orders leaders had been called to discuss the events. McGonagall, Moody, Tonks, Remus, Hermione, and Ron all sat at the kitchen table.

"Well Professor we don't really know yet what happened but if Draco was correct Voldemort must think Harry's dead. This could provide us an advantage."

Ron's tactical brain immediately went to work. "Brilliant Hermione, if Voldemort thinks Harry's dead it would definitely be advantageous. When Harry recovers he won't know what hit him."

Hermione smiled and reached for the hand of the young man she had come to love. He was such a source of strength for her at times like this.

"Don't you mean if he recovers?" Moody said as both a question and a fact.

"No, he meant when he recovers!" Lupin shouted. "Harry is the strongest person I've ever met. He's dealt with more adversity in his short life than anyone at this table combined and he has always pulled through. The next person who says "if" he pulls through will have to deal with a very angry werewolf." Lupin slammed his fist down on the table causing everyone but Moody to jump. Moody, for his part, only grunted his acknowledgment.

The rest of the day was tense. People in the house paced from room to room and when night came, sleep did not. Finally the sun rose on a new day and Poppy announced to Remus that it would be alright if he woke Draco now to get the answers he so desperately desired. Remus went into Draco's room to wake him only to find him sitting in a chair in the corner staring out the window.

"How are you feeling Draco?" He asked gently.

"I'm alive, is Harry?"

"Yes Harry's alive. He's been in his room asleep since we cleaned him up. We don't know when he'll wake up but his heart is beating stronger now and his breathing is almost normal."

Draco nodded and let out a long held breath. You could see the tension leave the young man's body.

"Draco we need to know what happened. Can you tell me?" Remus asked. He had planned on demanding answers but as soon as he saw him sitting in the chair with that blank expression he knew Draco was still suffering the effects of the previous day. If Draco needed more time, he would get it.

"It's all kind of a blur but I'll do my best."

"Alright Draco, begin whenever you're ready."

Draco took a deep breath and began. "We left Abe's house and apparated to the cemetery where we were supposed to meet him. The one his father's buried in. We planned to split Snape and Voldemort up. I was going to run one direction while Harry went the other. My job was to keep Snape busy while Harry finished off Voldemort. Once he was finished he would come help me capture Snape. Harry wanted him alive." Draco stopped to give Remus the opportunity to ask any questions. When none came he continued. "When we got there I went one way and he the other just like we planned. Snape followed me, just like we planned. That was the last thing that went according to plan. Snape fired a binding curse at me and it just barely grazed my shoulder. It wasn't enough for the desired effect but when I fell I hit my head on a tombstone. Once I was down he took a piece of my hair and added it to some pollyjuice potion. Voldemort joined him as Snape was turning into me. Snape lay down on the ground and together they waited for Harry. When Harry got there he saw Voldemort pointing a wand at who he thought was me. He fired off a few spells and realized that he didn't have a chance alone against both of them. I snuck over to him and together we planned a distraction. Since they didn't know I was back into the fight I went one way and started firing spells. They thought I was Harry and stopped watching the position I had just left. Harry was able to take out Snape and almost Voldemort but he managed to jump behind a tomb. As we were about to charge the tomb Voldemort fired off the killing curse and hit Harry. I apparated us out after that."

"When you say that Harry took Snape out, what exactly are you saying Draco?" Lupin asked with concern in his voice.

"He killed him. He stood up from behind the tomb, fired the curse, and Snape died." Draco answered with no emotion in his voice. He had told the whole tale as though he were reading it from a book, like it happened to someone else.

"I see. Are you sure Draco?"

"I saw it with my own two eyes."

Lupin sighed and stood up. So Harry had done it. He had killed Dumbledore's murderer.

"Was there anyone else there?"

"Not that I saw. As far as I know it was just the four of us."

"Thank you for getting him out of there. I didn't trust you Draco, but now I'm in your debt. If you ever need me for anything all you have to do is ask. Now if you feel up to it we should get some breakfast and talk to the others."

Draco got up and walked to the door before he stopped. "You don't owe me anything Lupin. I didn't take him out of there for you. I did it for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't know what else to do. I thought Harry was dead and I was scared. I grabbed him and activated the portkey because I didn't want to die. I just watched one of the most courageous displays I have ever even heard of and I ran like a frightened child." Draco turned to look at his former Professor and for the first time since their return from the battle he showed emotion. He had a tear running down his cheek and wore a pained expression. "Everyone was right about me. I'm a coward."

"Listen to me Draco. You didn't just watch that battle you fought in it, and just because you were smart enough to know when to retreat doesn't make you a coward. It means you have common sense. A coward would have never gone there in the first place. I don't think you're a coward, and neither does anyone else."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"I'm sure. Now let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

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Ginny was lying on the bed next to Harry holding his hand. She had only left his side for food and bathroom brakes since they brought him back from the cemetery and she had no intention of changing that now.

They had been through so much over the last year and now there was a good chance she may lose him. There were so many things that were left unsaid, so many things left undone. She knew she could never love anyone the way she loved him. She cuddled up to him and wrapped herself around his torso.

"Harry I don't know if you can hear me or not but if you can I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I will be right here when you wake up so you just take your time and get better."

She put her head on his chest and began to cry again. Just as she was starting to drift off to sleep the door flew open and Ron came quickly into the room.

"Ginny there's been an attack. Voldemort has taken control of Hogwarts."

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who had read, and especially those who have reviewed, for giving me a reason to continue. This is about to really take off. I never thought I would enjoy fan fiction so much but it has really helped me to pass the time during this deployment in Afghanistan. Once again, thank you.