IMPORTANT A/N: Okay, just to stop the on flood of confusion on everyone's part, the first part with Toshiro and Shuhei is exactly 10 minutes after Snape left them. This makes the scene 20 minutes after Lupin discovered Peter Pettigrew on the map, and went after Harry and the other. That makes it a full hour after Harry and the others went to go see Hagrid.
So, by that account, the scenes in the start of this chapter with Toshiro and Shuhei are an hour after Harry and the others have gone to see Hagrid. That sets it at the same time that Ron was being dragged down the tunnel by Sirius. Get it? The scenes with Toshiro and Shuhei take place just before Harry, Hermione, and Ron are in the Shrieking Shack.
Also, as this story is coming to an end within the next ten or less chapters, the chapters might be shorter. I know the next few will be, but don't worry… because there are always… the Sequel… Mwhahaha!
Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 14: The Dog, Wolf, and Dragon; Part 2
"I can't believe that Snape guy left us here… with no food!" Shuhei shouted, again, as he flopped down onto the patch of artificial grass which inhabited the secret training room. Toshiro sat beside him, rolling his eyes as he huffed in annoyance at both his friend's antics and at their constantly growling stomachs.
Hey! They were growing boys! They needed at least five square meals a day!
"Will you shut up, you idiot?" Toshiro snapped as Shuhei's stomach grumbled in protest, "If you're going to complain, then do something about it and find us some food."
"But I can't…"Shuhei whined as he flailed his limbs childishly, "I'm too hun~gry!"
Toshiro only sighed again. Professor Snape, as he preferred to be addressed as, had told them to stay put until he had returned with Potter. That trip, as Snape had said, should only have taken 20 minutes at the most.
The truth was, Snape didn't bother to care for them at all. Whenever he was with them alone, it was most conversation about the state of affairs the Soul Society was in and their own personal lives. Normally when they complained about food, bathing, or other basic necessities, Snape would gain a rather uncomfortable look on his face while his eyes would become dull, as though the man were reliving some horrible experience that ruined children for him forever. Then five minutes later, when the gauntly man was out of his trauma-induced trance, he would shift about awkwardly before flash-stepping from the room to find Ms. Sui-Feng, Lord Kuchiki, or Harry-the-kidnapper-Potter. The guy would then promptly return with one of them so could feed and/or care for him and Shuhei as though Snape was the alone uncle who was forced to look after his nephews for a few weeks…
Hey! He had been around the weird Humans a few times with all of Shuhei's crazy schemes and misadventures! He picked up on things!
Toshiro sighed once more, running a hand through his snow-white hair. This was all Harry the Kidnapper's fault! The guy was okay and all, even a bit awkward when dealing with them at first, but it was still his fault. Him and his protecting them from the Gotei 13 by kidnapping and harboring them as, basically, prisoners. The stupid, good-natured, kind-hearted moron should have just handed them over to the Shinigami when he had the chance. Now they were hungry and had no idea where to get food.
"… and that's the plan! Toshiro… Toshiro. Toshiro!"
"What?" Toshiro yelled back as Shuhei flinched back from the level of volume.
"I was telling you the plan to sneak out and get food." Shuhei said as Toshiro groaned.
"No! No way in Hell are we following another one of your stupid plans! They're the reason we're in this situation in the first place!" Toshiro snapped as he pointed a finger in Shuhei's face while the taller boy pouted.
"But this one's really good, you'll see!" Shuhei whined as Toshiro glared at him icily, "Besides, you've followed my plans since we've been kidnapped."
"That was only out of boredom and desperation. I was still not used to the whole idea of being kidnapped, so that was no fault of my own." Toshiro retorted as Shuhei blinked in confusion at Toshiro's intelligent defense, "Besides, your more recent plans are the reason we're no longer allowed out of this room into Professor Snape's office, why he wouldn't teach us anything… oh, and why we can't get out of these faux bodies now. All thanks to your ingenious plans!"
Shuhei blinked once more in confusion. Truly, Toshiro Hitsugaya was a boy with far too many smarts to be his friend, "Umm… so… what does faux mean…?"
Toshiro groaned. Shuhei could be really one-dimensional sometimes… "It means fake. As in not real. As in bogus, counterfeit, forged, artificial! As in Gigai! We're stuck in fucking Gigai because of you!"
"Umm… Sorry…" Shuhei said as Toshiro sighed deeply, sprawling out on the green grass. For something artificial, it was really nice and kind of pretty.
Like the real thing…
"It's okay… So, what's this plan?" Toshiro asked as he got back up into a sitting position. Shuhei's eyes lit up as he grinned happily.
"You'll love it! It's brilliant!"
"I hate this! It's stupid!" Toshiro whispered harshly in Shuhei's ear while tugging at the shirt collar that was threatening to suffocate his Gigai. Why did these wizards have to wear such tight-fitting robes? Why couldn't they be loose and comfortable like the kimonos were back home?
"Hey! You weren't saying that while that old fart and the see-through dead guy were talking to us about the school!" Shuhei hissed right back as Toshiro glared at him.
"They stopped us, you idiot. They also said that first-years, whatever those are, aren't supposed to be out of their dorms at this time. All we need is to find someone to tell us where the kitchens are, get to them, get some food, and then get our asses back to the training room. Simple, right? Get in, get out." Toshiro said as the two continued to sneak about the castle in plain sight.
"Yeah…" Shuhei said as he peeked around the corner, "Oh, how about that guy? He looks like a wimp- I mean… a helpful person."
After slapping Shuhei upside his head, Toshiro peeked around the corner himself, seeing a mousy young boy talking animatedly with a group of others.
All of them with robes of scarlet and gold… Ugh…
"…and it's like Harry said last week. We have to take photos and properly organize the album in order to create an effective pamphlet on the magical commun-"
"Excuse us, but could we ask your help?" a voice behind Colin said as the mousy boy turned to its source.
Behind him stood a kid of about the same height and build of Colin himself. The only difference, a stark contrast at that, was their physical appearance in comparison with one another. The boy's skin was like a healthy pale peach, compared to Colin's own lighter tone. The boy's hair was as white as a frosted glacier, and his eyes were a strange turquoise color, gleaming like the precious stone themselves. Colin, as he reflected in his once-over glance of the boy, merely had mousy brown hair and eyes to match. Colin found himself so plain as he stared at the boy in front of him.
He wished the boy was his reflection. How he would have loved to stand out so much. To have the boy's appearance, or Harry's self-less and caring attitude… To be like them…
Colin shook his head slightly as he gave the other boy, one as tall as Harry (which was much taller than Colin himself or the boy in front of him), a swift look-over. The boy had short black hair and dark grey eyes. The tall one's carefree expression and the annoyed scowl on the smaller boy's face told Colin nearly all he needed to know about the pair.
"Hey, you're a Ravenclaw." one of Colin's group pointed out as he, quite literally, pointed to the small boy's uniform, and indeed it had the blue which was readily identified with the House of Rowena Ravenclaw.
"Umm… Yeah, so? And I do have a name, if you don't mind. It's Toshiro Hitsugaya." the smaller of the pair, Toshiro Hitsugaya, said with his face set like a sheen of ice as he glared slightly.
"Oh… sorry. Umm… you're in Hufflepuff." the same boy in Colin's group, Colin turned to see that it was Luca Caruso (who no one was really sure where he had been sorted as he wore a different uniform and slept in a different dorm whenever he fancied) who had been pointing these obvious things out as he pointed to Hitsugaya's taller companion.
"I'm Shuhei Hisagi… and what the hell is a Hufflepuff?" Shuhei said before his cheerful expression turned perplexed as he pondered what a Hufflepuff was.
"It's some sort of badger or whatnot." Colin said, waving the conversation on with a smile, "Anyways, what could we help you with?"
"Oh, we were wondering where the kitchens were." Toshiro said, looking a bit surprised that Colin was being so readily helpful instead of suspicious.
"Hey, don't the Hufflepuffs room near the kitchens?" Seamus asked as Dean shrugged.
"Just because they're near it, doesn't mean all of them can find the kitchens. I mean, these two must be first-years. Because they're sneaking about even though it's only a little past dusk." Dean pointed out as Seamus nodded.
"So… about that food- I mean, the kitchens." Toshiro said as his cheeks colored at his slip-up. Colin and his group chuckled jovially while Shuhei sent Toshiro a teasing grin.
"Don't worry, we've all been there. Listen, just go up the stairs down this corridor, take a right at the third statue, go down the first flight of stairs, turn left, and just keep going until you reach some doors. From there, the kitchens should be a straight shot." Seamus said as Toshiro nodded before giving a bow of respect and gratitude.
"Thank you very much for your help. Excuse us." Toshiro said politely as he swept away from the group. Shuhei, at seeing the group's confused looks following Toshiro, he too gave a quick bow before rushing after Toshiro's quick stride.
"So wait… did he say right or left at the statue? Toshiro… Toshiro. Toshiro!" Shuhei said as he ran around the corner after said white-haired boy.
"Hmm… Strange kids these days." Seamus said as he watched the pair leave quickly.
"Maybe." Dean said with a shrug, "But at least they were respectful and civil. Unlike most of those Slytherins…"
"We can discuss those two later. Right now, lets get back to the setup of our magical pamphlet for Muggle-borns." Colin said as the others nodded to Harry's unofficial Second-in-Command.
After all, Colin seemed to have grown a backbone and a personality under Harry's wing…
Harry could, with all the honesty he knew he possessed, say that he had never been a part of a stranger group. Crookshanks was leading the way down the stairs while humming a jaunty tune; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went down the stairs next while Harry and Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at them, looking like entrants in a six-legged race for survival. Next came Snape, who with wand rigid in the air, followed them like an armed-guard swooping down stiffly upon the three as his feet barely touched the wooden floorboards and his robes billowed without effect. Sirius Black and Harry both rolled their eyes at the greasy-haired man as Black followed with Harry and Hermione bringing up the rear.
Getting back into the tunnel had proved difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it, with Lupin still having Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file while Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Black, who looked as though he wouldn't mind having Snape's head bumping his along the low tunnel ceiling. Harry had that if he had knocked Snape out like he had initially planned, then that would happen, and he also got the impression that Black would have made no effort what-so-ever to prevent it.
But then again, when you tried to murder someone before, you probably wouldn't have any quarrels giving the same person brain damage years later…
"You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. Harry nearly jumped in surprise at the fact Black wanted to make small talk while they were moving, but shrugged it off, "Turning Pettigrew in?"
"What? The fact that you'll be free, or the fact that the Ministry of Magic will be in chaos afterward?" Harry asked with a raised brow as Black glanced back at him.
"I get that this most likely isn't the best time, but… You know what, we'll talk when we're out of the tunnel and past the Whomping Willow." Black said.
"That's what I thought." Harry said with a smirk as they continued on their trek.
No one spoke again until they had nearly reached the end of the tunnel. That was when Harry suddenly realized something.
"Umm… Professor Lupin…" Harry called as Lupin turned awkwardly to him.
"Yes, Harry?" Lupin responded.
"Why did you decide to come? Before you had been so adamant about us not seeing you transform and your not leaving the Shrieking Shack. What gave you the change of heart?" Harry asked as Lupin looked a bit confused, like his mind had clouded, before he shook his head clear.
"I'm still set on not exposing you children to my ghastly transformation, but with Peter here." Lupin said as he jabbed his wand at the animated unconscious body of Peter Pettigrew between Ron and himself that Snape was controlling, "… Well, it'd be safer if there were three fully trained wizards instead of just two; especially two that hold a grudge. If we're lucky, we'll make it to the castle before the moon comes out from behind the mountains. If not, then when I begin to feel… Well, I'll just leave if I see moonlight coming…" Lupin finished, looking trapped between the moon and a hard place.
"We understand." Harry said genuinely. And he did. If he were to turn into some horror-film creature, then he'd run away from his friends at the first signs as well. There was no sense in exposing others to him as a dangerous creature; safe or otherwise.
They reached the end of the tunnel as Crookshanks darted up first, evidently pressing his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches lashing out at the ironclad trio.
Black saw Snape up through the hole with a suspicious look, then stood back for Harry and Hermione to pass.
At long last, all of them were out.
The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off.
"Yeah… Umm..." Black said, looking mildly uncomfortable, "I don't know if anyone ever told you, Harry, but… I'm your godfather."
"Yeah, I knew that." Harry said, waving the statement aside.
"Well… your parents appointed me your guardian." Black said stiffly, "If anything happened to them… Well, they wanted me to... watch over you, so I... was wondering if you'd want to come and... l-live with m-me..."
"Sure." Harry said, shrugging causally, when in reality his mind was buzzing.
He was going to leave the Dursleys… He was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents' best friend…! Harry felt dazed and slightly off-balanced… What would happen when he told the Dursleys he was going to live with the convict they'd seen on television…!
Harry didn't get to think much further than that as he saw Snape stop dead and turn to stare at him in disbelief, "You can't be serious, Potter. Your Godfather here tried to kill me."
"I know that, Severus." Harry replied evenly as he saw Snape's eyes twitch in agitation, "So it would be kinda stupid if you had went to live with him. However, he seems to like me, even despite the fact I've mostly just yelled and immobilized him. Besides, you know all about my home life." Harry said casually as Snape rolled his eyes half-heartedly.
Half-hearted because he knew that one's problems at home was not a joke, no matter who it was.
"Oh yes. Like the fact that in addition to being locked in a cupboard when you performed magic, your aunt swings frying pans at your head whenever you mention magic or any other abnormalities. Which, by the way, is also child abuse and attempted murder… like what Black tried to do to me." Snape said as Harry shrugged.
"Quite." Harry said with a smug smile as Snape gave him a deadpan look.
"You're doing this just to annoy me, aren't you?" Snape inquired as Harry's expression didn't change.
"Unlike you, I'm not so petty, but tell me; is it working?" Harry said as Snape turned from him and grumbled lowly under his breath.
"Yeah…" Black said, looking uncomfortable once again, "Listen Harry, you don't have to do anything for my sake. I'd understand if... if..."
Harry waited for the man to finish while Hermione smiled. She might have thought the man was a murder earlier, but since proving his innocence, she could honestly say that she'd be really happy if Harry had a good family with the man once he was cleared officially. The man was one of the last and closest ties Harry had left to his parents, and Hermione desperately wanted that for Harry; she wanted him to have that normality in life for once.
Finally it seemed that Harry couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Have you got a house? When can I move in? Is there a place I can put Hedwig? Is it magical?" Harry asked, firing off questions rapidly as Black turned right around to look at him.
"You really want to?" Black asked slowly, "Y-You're not joking around? You really m-mean it?"
"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry said excitedly as Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it.
The difference that smile made was startling. It was as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask, and for a moment, Black was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.
"One wrong move, Peter…" Lupin said threateningly ahead, his wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest. Harry looked up ahead and saw that Pettigrew was slowly regaining consciousness as they moved on.
Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. And then -
"What is that?" Hermione observed as Harry and the others stopped to see what she was referring to.
They all turned around to Hermione to see that she was pointing up over the mountain ranges in the distance. There, in the sky! It was a like a firecracker slowly ascending into the skies from up by the mountains.
Then the blue streak exploded outward, shifting the clouds in the sky. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party bathed in moonlight as the moon was slowly coming into perfectly rounded view. Everyone slowly turned their heads in horror to Lupin, whose eyes were widest and mouth gaping in self-directed terror.
"Oh dear sweet Merlin, I must run. Quickly! Help me out of these manacles!" Lupin said, not taking his wand off of Pettigrew as Snape rushed forward and shattered the binds with a powerful karate chop.
Remus Lupin, while running back the way they came, had turned pale immediately. Then, a streak of yellow light tripped him. As he fell, he tried hard to get up, but seemed that he couldn't.
"Noooo…" Lupin moaned weakly, "Why now…? How could he have been so stupid? They could have handled it without me…"
Harry could see Lupin's silhouette from where they were. He watched in fascinated horror as he saw that Lupin had gone rigid on the ground. Then his limbs began to shake, as though he were in the middle of a seizure.
"Oh, my —" Hermione gasped, as Black grabbed her and pushed her back toward the castle along with Harry.
"Run." Black whispered harshly, "Run now, and don't look back."
But Harry found that he couldn't run, and Hermione neither. Ron was still chained to Pettigrew as Snape gave Black his wand to keep the rat of a man in check. Lupin suddenly sprang to his feet and thrust out his chest as a strangled scream came from his throat. Snape leapt forward toward Lupin, catching him around the chest and threw him back down the path toward the Whomping Willow.
"Leave it to me — RUN!" Snape shouted as Harry still found himself frozen to the spot.
"Stupefy!" Black shouted as he stunned Pettigrew. The man collapsed to the ground in a heap and took Ron with him, but Black wasn't finished. Ropes shot out from the tip of the wand and wrapped around Pettigrew once more, replacing the slowly fading ones that Lupin had tied him with.
Harry attention snapped back to Snape and Lupin as there was a terrible snarling noise coming from their direction.
Lupin's head was lengthening… and so was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away with narrowed eyes and hissing noises —
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's sight. He had transformed. The enormous, bear-like dog was back as it bounded forward. As the werewolf ripped away the manacle around its wrist, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from everyone else as Snape stood off to the side while he allowed Sirius to handle the situation. The two beasts were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.
Harry stood there, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted him. Harry whirled on the spot as he saw a shadowed and cloaked figure with it's fist extended, and Hermione crumbled on the ground. Harry rushed forward, but he suddenly cut his vision to the side. It was a distraction! He turned on heel to see that Pettigrew had an eye peeked open as he snaked his fingers around Lupin's dropped wand. Ron was groping the ground, trying to get to Hermione as Harry glanced back to see the cloaked figure gone. However, in that mere second he had glanced away, there was a bang, and a burst of light. As Harry turned back, Ron lay motionless on the ground.
"Get Pettigrew, you- agh!" Crookshanks yelled as he pounced toward Pettigrew with claws at the ready, but with another bang, Crookshanks flew backward through the air and back to the earth in a heap, "Dammit… don't let him get away…" Crookshanks said weakly before collapsing into unconsciousness.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled quickly, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight, "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward.
…But he too late, Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.
Harry, in fury, tossed his wand aside as he began firing off Kido-blasts into the graases where he figured Pettigrew was. The only thing that made him stop was sudden a howl and a rumbling growl. Harry turned to see the werewolf taking a twist-kick from Snape before the beast began to take flight; galloping into the forest.
"Sirius, he's gone! Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled as he rushed toward Black and Snape.
Skidding to a stop and dropping to his knees, Harry examined Black quickly. He saw blood, seeing that Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but as Harry's words processed to him, Black scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds in search of the rat. As Harry was about to go with him, Snape appeared in front of him with his arm outstretched, stopping him.
"Your friends lives are more important! Revive them and get them out of here! I'll search the grounds for Lupin!" Snape said sternly as Harry nodded, as it was no time for arguing or petty talk.
Harry quickly shook Hermione awake and before long they both dashed over to Ron to check on him.
"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered.
Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them.
"I don't know…" Harry breathed, looking around desperately. Black and Lupin both gone… they had no one but Snape, who, while nowhere in sight, Harry knew was keeping an eye out for either Pettigrew or Lupin's werewolf form.
"We'd better get Ron up to the castle and tell someone." Harry said, pushing his hair out of his eyes, trying to think straight, "Come on—"
But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain…
"Sirius…" Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.
He had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing they could do for Ron at the moment, and by the sound of it, Black was in trouble —
Harry set off at a run, Hermione right behind him as he didn't bother to tell her to stay back. The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. They pelted toward it, and Harry, running flat out, felt the cold; realizing what it must mean.
"Dementors… I'm ready this time." Harry thought as his face mouth thinned and his eyes flashed with spiritual power, though he couldn't stop the shiver that ran up and down his spine.
The yelping stopped abruptly as they reached the lakeshore, and they saw why. Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.
"Nooo…" Black moaned, "Nooo… please…"
And then Harry saw them as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog starting to obscure his vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them…
"Hermione, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, raising his palms toward the sky while blinking furiously to try and clear his vision. Harry shook his head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside —
"I'm going to live with my godfather. I'm leaving the Dursleys." Harry thought, trying to use positive thoughts to his aid even without his wand as he began firing off any destructive Kido he knew.
Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.
"He'll be all right. I'm going to go and live with him."
"Hermione, help me! Shakkaho!" Harry shouted as Hermione shakily raised her wand, her eyes wide with fear.
"E-Expecto…" Hermione whispered, "E-Expecto… expecto…"
But she couldn't do I as the Dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. Hermione finally collapsed seconds later while the dark creatures were forming a solid wall around her and Harry, drawing closer still…
"Yaahh!" Harry yelled as he finally allowed his Spiritual Pressure to flood him and the are, driving the Dementors back for a short while before they began to push through the dense energy, "Shakkaho! Byakurai! Sokotsu! Hyoga Seiran!" Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears, "Expecto Patronum!"
From his palms came forth a thin wisp of silver, which hovered like mist before him. He was alone… completely alone… Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog began clouding his eyes. With a huge effort, he fought to remember… Sirius was innocent… innocent…
"Yeah… we'll be okay… I'm going to live with him…" Harry thought as he struggled to stay up, to protect Hermione and Sirius.
"Expecto… Patronum!" Harry gasped out.
By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, Harry saw a Dementor halt, very close to him. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist Harry had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.
"No… no…" Harry gasped, feeling his power wan from him slowly and steadily, "He's innocent… you bastards… E-Expecto… Expecto Patronum…"
He could feel them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor seemed to be considering him. Then it raised both its rotting hands…
… and lowered its hood.
Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth… a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
A paralyzing terror filled Harry so that he couldn't move or speak. His Patronus flickered and died. White fog was blinding him. He had to fight… Expecto Patronum… he couldn't see… and in the distance, he heard the familiar screaming…
"Expecto Patronum!" a voice in the distance cried out as Harry groped in the mist for Sirius, and found his arm… They weren't going to take him away from him again…
But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harry's neck. They were forcing his face upward… He could feel its breath… It was going to get rid of him first… He could feel its putrid breath… His mother was screaming in his ears… She was going to be the last thing he ever heard —
"Turn All Things in the Universe to Ash, Ryujin Jakka!" a powerful, sage-like old voice said calm as blazing heat rolled and licked across Harry's skin. Harry felt his skin boil, as though he were quickly roasted atop a pike like a pig.
"Get away from them! Get away from him! Get away! Get away!" a young voice that sounded familiar yelled. Then came a sudden cold spell that seemed to succeed the heat that felt of the sun. The cold was so chilling that Harry felt his feeble body shiver as snow began to fall atop him.
And then, there was light. A light so bright from across the lake that Harry felt at peace as he saw the silvery light in the distance growing brighter and brighter… He felt himself fall forward onto the grass… Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking, Harry opened his eyes the best he could. The Dementor must have released him as the blinding light was illuminating the grass around him… The screaming had stopped, the dark cold of the Dementor was ebbing away… Something or someone was driving the Dementors back… Whatever it was, it was circling around him, Sirius Black, and Hermione like some guardian protector… The Dementors, they were being driven away… They were leaving…
The air was warm again…
And with every ounce of strength he could muster, Harry raised his head a few inches from the grass to see their savior. Blinking away the exhaustion that was quickly creeping on him, Harry saw an animal amid the light, galloping away across the lake, a pillar of flames that stood mightily like a godly torch, and a beautiful dragon of ice reigning around the flame pillar… Eyes blurred with sweat, Harry tried to make out what the creature was that was running away, but it was just so bright… It was as bright as a unicorn…
Fighting to stay conscious, Harry watched it canter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, Harry saw, by its brightness, three figures that stood like solemn guards welcoming the animal back… one of the figures, the middle one was raising their hand to pat it… it was a male… someone who looked strangely familiar… but it couldn't be…
Harry didn't understand as he saw the creature join the dragon in dancing about the tower of flames. Then, one of the figures disappeared and reappeared in front of him. The hems of robes, colored of white and black billowed as they came to a stop in front of Harry. The figure- the person over him bent down and placed a hand in his face. Then… he couldn't think anymore. Harry felt the last of his strength leave him as the hand stayed in his face, waving only slightly once as his head hit the ground. Harry didn't know consciousness anymore as it was then that he fainted, the figure over him grunting as he turned away in the last seconds of Harry's awareness.
"How regrettable…" the figure said as Harry's mind knew no more.