In the month that followed, Harry slowly regained slight control of his magic. But this still only allowed him access to the most basic of spells. It would have annoyed him more than it did, but he found himself feeling indifferent to the matter. After all, he had the components needed to forge the Gauntlet of the Magi now. It was just a waiting game until all the parties who wanted to be there could converge. Scrimgeour was still having issues regarding the attack on London that had occurred earlier in the year. In addition, several other figures of power had started to come out of the woodwork, requesting to be present for such a unique event.
If it were up to Harry, he would have undergone the process the day after waking back up. He had been fine, after all. But it just wasn't to be. Balthazar, while not suffering from the constant energy drain, still had to recover his own strength. The forging process, he had warned, would put a great deal of strain on the both of them.
The only thing of note that had taken place in the time since the raid on Azkaban had been Solieyu's funeral. Despite what he had told Malfoy, Harry did, in fact, attend. And while everyone around him had cried a good deal, Harry couldn't see why anymore. There was nothing to be done about it. Crying would solve nothing. Only through their actions could they prevent something like Solieyu's death from happening again.
The event had been a quiet ordeal with only a few dozen people attending. Some of them were obviously Solieyu's family, including what must have been his father, Trevor. He had been one of the last to arrive and seemed conflicted about why he was even there. Maria had rushed over to him, catching him off guard. Harry hadn't paid much attention after that. It was their business, though he did think it would be nice if they would get back together, if only to keep Maria from being lonely.
Everyone eventually went up to the casket to say their goodbyes to Solieyu, who looked healthier in death than he had in his last few years of life. When it was Harry's turn, he had walked up to the coffin slowly. Gazing down at his friend, he had merely smiled and whispered, "You'll be there with the rest of us, in the end, laughing."
Harry had left shortly after that, not wanting to see his friend being lowered into the ground. He would return after he finished the fight.
In regards to Solieyu's wand, Malfoy had accepted the offer set forth by Maria and Luna. He had spent a good deal of time getting used to using two wands. Harry had finally dragged him into the training room to show him how he did things. It was made more difficult by the fact that Harry couldn't actually fire any spells. It didn't seem to matter much in the end, though, as Malfoy claimed his way of fighting differed from Harry's. He was more up close and personal, whereas Harry was better at range.
Malfoy's long-hidden relationship with Hermione had dissolved even further in the time since the attack on the Citadel. Harry had seen Hermione on the arm of some Gryffindor boy he didn't know. And while Malfoy acted as though he didn't care, Harry caught sight of white knuckles caused by gripping a goblet too tightly. It said a great deal of the self control that Malfoy had taught himself that he hadn't yet attacked the Gryffindor.
Luna was handling things far better than anyone expected. In fact, she was one of the very few who hadn't been crying at Solieyu's funeral. She had consoled Maria off and on until Trevor's appearance, but she had remained stoic in the matter. She seemed to view the situation as Harry did - that crying wasn't going to solve anything anymore. A few times, Harry had seen Luna coming out of the training room, drenched in sweat and looking highly satisfied. Whatever spells she was slinging into the practice dummies, they were splintering them quite well.
Voldemort's whereabouts remained unknown. The Citadel had been constantly monitored since the attack on it, including a few trips into the structures of the island. No sign of the Orb that was keeping the place aloft, however. So, at least for the time being, the flying island holding the Citadel was stuck, motionless, in the air.
Slowly, Harry and Balthazar began opening up to one another. And the things that the ghost had relayed to Harry weren't good. Especially concerning Voldemort's future plans. He had finally expounded on what he had meant about Voldemort meddling with the undead. As it turned out, the Dark Lord had had his best men in Germany for months, which explained why all the Death Eaters they had encountered recently were so quickly put down. They were there to dig up the corpses of the dead to use in a slew of unholy experiments. From all Balthazar had told him, these revolved around reanimation in various forms. Harry couldn't help but wish that Boris was still alive. There was no telling if the things Balthazar was saying would have sounded similar to what Boris had seen his former master performing.
One day, toward the end of term, Harry approached Dumbledore to ask something that had been nagging him for some time now. He caught the headmaster just after lunch, when most of the students in the Great Hall had filed out.
"I have a question." He said.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Asked Dumbledore.
"Where am I going this year? Surely not back to Number Four. The wards are dead along with most of my family. So where am I going?" Harry asked.
"I figured you would approach me sooner or later about this. No, Harry, you will not be going back to Vernon Dursley this year. In fact, I wish you to be as far from him as you can be from this point on. You will be returning to Number Twelve this year, as will your friends. While we still have no leads on Voldemort, we are not willing to risk anyone more than necessary." Dumbledore said.
"And the Gauntlet?"
"As it stands, I believe we have a date set. It will be a few days after the end of term. But I ask this of you, Harry - please tell no one of when you will be undergoing this process. If at all possible, I would like to spirit you away at night. We will be performing the process in my quarters, which I feel will provide the safest possible environment. I know you have been waiting a long time for this, and I once again apologize. Rufus is only just finally getting a real break from a constant barrage of work." Dumbledore explained.
Harry nodded. "Understandable. Thanks for being honest with me."
"Of course. I think after all that has happened recently, it is the very least I can do."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Just under a week before the end of term, Dumbledore called Harry up to his office. When he arrived, it was to find the Minister talking with the headmaster, a small crate sitting on his desk. Harry frowned as he crossed the room. When he got closer, he saw that the crate was filled to the top with wands.
"Are those...?" Harry began.
"Almost one hundred wands needed to forge the Gauntlet." Scrimgeour said, nodding. "It's taken awhile, but I've finally collected what we needed. As predicted, many came forth to help. They all seemed to want to contribute something. They all wanted you to let their families continue to live on."
"You said 'almost'..." Harry said.
"Unfortunately. We're two short." Scrimgeour said, sighing.
Harry stared down at the box, eyes narrowing slightly. "...I have Cedric's. Draco has Leon's."
"The wands will be destroyed in the process." Dumbledore said, his voice quiet. "Balthazar has told me as much."
"Out of the question, then." Harry bit down on the inside of his lower lip softly, thinking. There was... one plan he had, but... "If I might make a request?"
"Of course." Said Scrimgeour.
"I'd like to use Ravenclaw's Staff instead. I... have another use for these wands. One far greater than the forging process. I can do it this way, but not the other. In other words, I can't use the staff for what I have planned." Harry said slowly.
"Oh? And what might you have planned for almost a hundred wands?" Dumbledore asked, eyebrows raised.
"I've done a lot of thinking since the mission to Azkaban." Harry said, crossing the room to look out one of Dumbledore's windows. "Voldemort escaped somehow. So I thought 'well, maybe I just need a way to keep him in place next time.' I started searching after that. I found a possible answer in one of the books Sirius gave me, though it was a work of fiction. The theory is sound. But no one's ever been able to replicate the technique. It takes immense amounts of power to even use. And it takes a hundred wands as well. Seems that number's got some kind of mystical connotation to it. It kept popping up. I don't know it it's in relation to the sheer power one would normally need to use the spell or not..."
"You're banking on using a theoretical spell to harm Voldemort?" Scrimgeour asked. "That's a little hard to believe, Harry. Even for you."
"I'm not going to harm him." Harry drawled.
"Harm, kill, whichever." Scrimgeour said, shrugging.
"I'm not going to kill him, either. That's far too kind." Harry said, turning to look at the two men, a calculated grin rising on his face. "I'm going to send him somewhere he'll suffer for the rest of eternity. Somewhere he can't free himself from."
A shadow crossed Dumbledore's face for the briefest of moments before he cleared his throat and asked, "So what is this spell, Harry?"
"I'm not willing to say just yet. As there's a lot of work that needs to be done to it first. I need to alter it. Currently, there's... some unwanted backlash on the caster that I need to figure out how to deal with." Harry said, glancing off.
"Unwanted backlash? What kind of unwanted backlash?" Asked the Minister.
"In the story, the wizard Elias used the spell to send his nemesis into a void between realms, so to speak. The trouble is, the spell also served to kill Elias at the same time. He sacrificed himself to save his planet. But I'm not quite that altruistic. I have no intention of dying anytime soon." Harry said. "And there's the matter of being able to even use that many wands at once. It's something I wouldn't be able to test until after I get the Gauntlet on, to be sure. I'll also need to find the extra wands needed..."
"I do not want you putting all your hope in this, Harry." Warned Dumbledore. "Trying to realize a hypothetical spell in a work of fiction is a difficult, if not impossible, thing to do."
"Oh, there are backup plans. This would just be the simplest." Harry said. "It isn't the only thing I've thought of using. But it has the highest success rate. Trying to outright kill Voldemort would be difficult at this point. And I don't like what Balthazar has told me of Voldemort's goings-on in Germany. If he's trying to turn himself into some kind of lich, it's going to make killing him even harder."
"I don't even want to think about that possibility." Scrimgeour said, sighing. "Hopefully, it won't come to that. But Albus has told me his Order haven't witnessed the Death Eaters doing anything noteworthy yet."
"Let us pray it remains that way and Tom gives up on whatever ideas he has." Dumbledore said.
"Probably not going to happen." Harry said. "So it's a good idea if I got some information on dealing with liches at some point. Just in case. It never hurts to be overly prepared, right?"
"Right you are." Said Dumbledore. "Well then, I think we are done here for the moment. Where will you be putting the wands, Harry?"
Walking over to pick up the crate, Harry winced slightly. "Heavy..."
"Do you need help?" Asked the headmaster.
"Not the type of heavy I meant." Harry said, sighing. "...As for what I'll do with them, I have my ideas. Again, it's something I won't be able to accomplish until after the Gauntlet is reforged."
Scrimgeour nodded slowly. "You're bearing a great burden in your arms right now. Those wands all belonged to people killed by Voldemort's forces. The box is light, but the true weight isn't."
"Exactly." Harry said. "Alright, I'll get going. Store these wands in my truck where I know they'll be safe and whatnot. Is that all, sir?"
"It is." Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded and left with the box of wands. His Occlumency was getting stronger, he thought as he descended the spiral staircase, if Dumbledore didn't call him out when he said he had other plans. There was only one method to getting rid of Tom and he wasn't going to change course for anyone or anything. He had been a thorn in Harry's side for too long. Simply killing him wasn't enough. He was going to ensure that he would scream in torment for the rest of eternity.
Watching the gargoyle slide back in place as he left the door at the bottom, a dark grin passed over Harry's face.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
The night before the end of term, Harry found himself walking Hogwarts' hallways at a little past midnight. Sleep hadn't been coming easy lately. He simply had too much on his mind to be resting. That and his right arm was aching, as though fearing the forging process. No amount of flexing or moving kept it from hurting. Eventually, he cut off the pain receptors to that arm. It took a bit more energy than he liked burning, but it was better than hurting all the damned time.
It was odd, really. Things related to his Occlumency hadn't acted up. In fact, they seemed to have gotten stronger. Which, in retrospect, was quite good. The last thing he needed was to accidentally blow up his own head.
Whether by fate or chance, Harry found himself outside the path leading up to the Nest. He hadn't gone up there for quite some time. Not since Solieyu and Luna had unofficially made it their getaway spot. But a bit of fresh night air sounded good to Harry. It was a nice enough night out, after all. Slipping his hands into his pockets, Harry ascended the stairs leading up to the trap door.
He paused once underneath it. Pulling a hand out, he knocked softly.
"It's not locked." Came Luna's voice from the other side.
Pushing the door up, Harry stepped up into the small tower. "You're up late."
"So are you." Luna replied, smiling at him. She was sitting on the couch.
Throwing himself back into the chair, Harry glanced outside. "Peaceful tonight. So what brings you up here?"
"My thoughts, mostly." Luna said. "And you?"
"Same." Harry said. "Care to share?"
"Oh, it's nothing important." Luna said. "Just wondering what life would have been like if I hadn't befriended the people I did."
"Less chaotic, certainly." Harry suggested, his tone dry. "But who wants that? Normalcy is boring."
Grinning, Luna nodded. "That was the conclusion I was coming to. And though it's been painful at times, I don't think I'd trade it for anything. What about you? What's keeping you awake?"
"Mostly what Voldemort is doing in Germany. I haven't felt a bloody thing in ages. That worries me. Not so much because I'm afraid I won't be able to stop him - that isn't an issue anymore. Or it won't be soon, anyway. I'm more worried for everyone else. The people I can't get to in time." Harry said, gesturing to his side as he gazed back out over the grounds. "I'm not so foolish to believe my merger with the Gauntlet will go seamlessly. In fact, Balthazar has told me that it's going to likely take awhile to get back to where I was before I merged with my other half..."
"And you don't want to let down anyone?"
"I don't want them to die." Harry said, shrugging crookedly. "Once I get back to where I was - once I hit full power and can channel all of my magic the way I want to - Voldemort's as good as dead."
"It's just a matter of hoping for the best until that point." Luna said, nodding.
"I'm aware I can't save everyone." Harry continued. "But that doesn't mean I want to stop trying. Every person killed by Voldemort, his Death Eaters, or any of his other science projects will be avenged in the end. The Susceptor will ensure that."
"The Susceptor?" Luna asked.
Blinking, Harry shook his head quickly. "Uh... nothing. Sorry. I was rambling. I get like that sometimes these days. Side effect of finally being me again. I have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of thoughts to sort through..."
"You really have changed." Luna said, leaning forward slightly.
"Have I? I've asked, but no one's really said anything. I certainly feel different." Harry said, frowning.
"You're more collected and you haven't joked very much. And it seems you're much more cynical of the world around you." Luna said.
Harry tilted his head for a moment before sighing. "I suppose I have been. But that isn't anything I can help. I am who I am now. This is who I should have been from the start. I suppose this is also a side effect of failing so much."
"You haven't failed." Luna said, frowning. "You know I don't blame you or Draco for what happened to Solieyu."
"Perhaps not. But I still hold myself responsible." Harry said. "Their lives were in my hands because we were there on a mission I had to get done. Whatever else I might say to the contrary, I'll never forgive myself for what happened on that island, Luna. I'd appreciate it if word of that didn't get back to anyone else."
"Why is it okay for me to know, but no one else?" Asked Luna, brow creasing.
Letting his head tilt back against the chair, Harry murmured, "Because it's different with you. I feel as though I failed you, personally, by failing to keep the one you loved alive. I realize that might sound silly, as most of the people who went out there didn't return. And most of them had plenty of loved ones to mourn their loss. The rational part of my brain understands this and tells me there's nothing to be done for it. The irrational part of my brain, and possibly a remnant of the old me, tells me that I could have prevented a lot of grief by coming to grips with my own fears sooner. And while that's certainly true, I don't like thinking about it."
Luna moved, sitting on one arm of the chair so Harry could stop avoiding her gaze as much. "You know what your problem is?"
"Oh... I could think of a few ways to answer that, I'm sure. The first thing that comes to mind, though, is 'problem'? Not 'problems'? I think I have more than one problem, Luna." Harry said, looking outside again.
"Your problem," Luna continued, ignoring Harry, "Is that you think too much. Haven't you said that once this war is over, then you'll let yourself grieve?"
"Yes. What of it?" Asked Harry.
"So don't think about Solieyu, those men, or anyone else until that time comes." Luna said.
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." Harry said, shaking his head. "I can't imagine Draco's having an easier time than I am, though. He was actually there to witness the moment of death itself."
"And yet, despite all of what's undoubtedly on his mind, he decided to take our offer up." Luna said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "So what does that say?"
"Well, it says he has a stronger resolve than I do, for one thing." Harry muttered.
"It says that he's willing to not let this eat him away inside." Luna said, squeezing Harry's shoulder gently. "And that you're allowed to remember the past and not work yourself up over something that can't be changed."
"...Yes, I know." Harry said, closing his eyes. "But it's still hard sometimes. I try not to let anyone pick up on it. You and Stargazer are the only ones I've talked about this to so far."
"Sometimes it helps to do that." Luna said.
"True. So who have you talked to to do that with? I can always lend an ear if you want to talk, you know." Harry said, finally looking to his left.
"I know. But I keep in touch with Solieyu's mother regularly. It's helped quite a lot. She's doing better. She and his father might be getting back together, but she isn't sure yet. She's also decided she wants to continue living where she is instead of moving elsewhere." Luna explained.
"Memories can be hard to let go of. If there's anything truly good that came from this whole mess, though... it's that the school seems to have finally come to terms with Leon and what he was. At least in death, it's nice he's finally been accepted. It's just a shame it didn't happen sooner." Harry said.
Luna nodded. "It really is."
"So... mind if I sit up here and think with you for awhile?" Harry asked. "There's still a lot on my mind. We'll probably end up sleeping through most of tomorrow if we stay up all night, but..."
Smiling, Luna replied, "I'd love to have some company. The night's always a little less dark with someone else there."
Smiling back, Harry glanced outside into the night again. Darkness and light, huh? Seemed to be a running theme in his life. Especially lately. And while his own light may have been temporarily diminished, it would get stronger again. It would return to full force and shine brighter than it ever had. And when that happened...
oOoOoOoOoOo
Hopping off the Hogwarts Express, Harry winced as he stretched. "Bloody train seats. Why can't someone design the damned things for comfort?"
"Because no one expects anyone to sleep for that long in that awkward a position, dear." Tonks said, her voice bone dry as she passed by him.
"What can I say, I was tired." Harry said. "Be glad I didn't fall asleep on my dinner plate."
"It would have been a memorable end of the year moment." Luna said, grinning as she stepped off of the train.
"That idiot with the camera from Gryffindor probably would've sold pictures of it to the Prophet if it had happened." Harry scowled. "Let us all be grateful I stayed awake."
"Colin's had that camera confiscated a few dozen times in the last few years." Hermione said, joining her friends. "It got so much worse when he hit puberty and started trying to rig the stupid thing in places it shouldn't be."
Tonks snorted. "He get a picture of you in your underwear, Hermione?"
"Me and most of the other Gryffindor girls before someone found him out. I don't think I've ever seen McGonagall lay into someone that hard. It's a wonder he didn't get outright expelled. I think we all felt bad for him afterwards. Why we did, I'll never know. I've never wanted to strangle anyone until I met him." Hermione said, looking somewhat confused.
"We're missing a few." Harry observed.
"Malfoy and Pansy were hanging back to talk to Blaise, I think." Tonks said. "Dunno where Ginny is, though I'm sure we can all take a wild guess."
"I'd rather not, thanks." Hermione said. "I've already seen more than I want to know. Honestly, why anyone thinks they can get away with things like that in the school library is beyond me."
"Man, if Ron knew what was going on, Dean would be in trouble..." Harry pondered aloud.
"Oh, he's tried to rough Dean up a few times, believe me." Hermione said. "It didn't take many times before Ginny confronted him about that. She can be scary when she's mad."
"Gets it from her mother, I'm guessing?" Harry asked.
"Mrs. Weasley is a saint in comparison." Hermione replied, shaking her head quickly. "Because Mrs. Weasley never swore like a drunken sailor or threatened bodily harm."
"So..." Tonks said, glancing around. "What's everyone gonna be upto this summer? Assuming we all don't wind up directly on Grimmauld Place by sun-up tomorrow, I mean."
"Hard to say." Hermione said. "I'm sure it's going to take some doing to convince my parents to travel via Floo again... and I'm not sure apparating would be any better."
"Shame they can't shift." Harry stated, nodding sagely.
"Shame you can't shift." Tonks corrected, playfully flicking Harry's forehead, causing him to yelp in a highly undignified way.
"Daddy and I are probably going to head straight for Number Twelve." Luna said, looking thoughtful. "I haven't really spent too much time there. I hear there's still a lot of strange things lurking..."
"Yeah. No matter how much we clean the place, a new set of oddities moves in the next day. You'll probably have a blast." Harry said. And then, tilting his head far to one side, he quietly added, "I wonder if Mrs. Weasley'll give me a reason to duct tape her to the ceiling. It's going to be sad if I don't. Sirius would smack me upside the head if I didn't..."
"You're still wanting to do that?" Tonks asked. "What are you, ten?"
"Hey, don't act like you don't wanna see it happen." Harry said. "Remember all the things she said to you after I left that one time. What the hell did she call you again?"
"A 'scarlet woman,' if memory serves." Tonks replied. "That's rich, coming from someone with that many kids. It's not a clown car..."
Harry snorted, as did Hermione, who quickly tried to cover it up with a cough.
"You'd better not let any of the Weasley kids hear you say that." Hermione stated, covering up her slip-up quickly. "Fred and George alone..."
"Yeah. They still have our list. And using it as a basis for most of their products, if the rumors are true." Harry said. Glancing over his shoulder, he sighed. "It's starting to get late. ...Well, 'later,' really. Nym's mother should be waiting for us by now. Wouldn't surprise me if Moony came along."
"You guys go on, then. I may need to hijack Luna long enough to disengage Ginny from Dean. I'm sure we'll see each other in a few days, though." Hermione said.
"Probably." Harry said, getting his cart and making a face. "Why don't we just shrink all this crap before leaving school? Honestly..."
"Because some of us don't have parents or relatives who can legally change them back." Said Hermione, one eyebrow cocked.
"You're saying they couldn't put a timer on it?" Harry asked.
"I'm saying it would be embarrassing to get stuck in traffic or something and suddenly be naked after your clothes ripped up due to your belongings unshrinking." Hermione said.
"... Point taken! Seeya in a few days, ladies." Harry said, waving as he and Tonks headed for the barrier.
"Goodbye!" Luna called. "Have fun!"
As they got a little farther away, Tonks giggled. "She's going to map Number Twelve within an hour of arriving."
"Oh, I have no doubt she will." Harry said, chuckling. "So, Nym, what do you wanna spend the next couple of days away from Grimmauld Place doing?"
"Dunno..." Tonks said. "Haven't really thought about it much. It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed again, though."
"There's no place like home, huh?" Harry asked.
"Something like that." Tonks said.
Grinning, Harry glanced aside and asked, "What if Moony and your mum are... y'know?"
"...Man, I don't wanna think about that. ...Oh damn it all, now I can't help it! Harry, you jackass. Why'd you have to make me think about it?!" Tonks whined.
"Because it's fun seeing you make faces while the idea sinks in." Harry said, smirking. "You get this cute little expression just before it's replaced by total horror."
"Harry, you realize that the minute I stop pushing this cart, I'm gonna smack you, right?"
"You'll have to catch me first. Wench."
"Wench?! I'll wench you, you jackass!"
"You'll wench me? What does that even mean?!"
Heads tilted, Luna and Hermione watched the arguing couple vanish through the barrier. Turning to one another, the two girls simply shrugged.
"Come on. Let's get the lovebirds split apart before they wind up on the return trip." Sighed Hermione. "Hopefully we don't catch them doing anything embarrassing."
"We're friends with Harry. Haven't you learned our chances at things like that are amazingly low? We'll be lucky if they have clothes on." Luna said, crossing her arms behind her head.
"If they are, I'm going to find Draco and make him float the both of them out onto the platform. That'll teach them." Hermione stated.
"Mean streak, huh?"
"You have no idea."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: And so, book 6 unofficially comes to an end. I say 'unofficially' because I hate ending on odd numbers. So I've decided that instead of a side story, I'll just add an epilogue. But what could the epilogue be about? Well, we aren't going to see Harry or his friends in it. So does that mean we'll be seeing the Hogwarts staff? Perhaps members of the Order? Possibly Scrimgeour and his new, secret prison? Nope! Well, that only leaves us a few more options, doesn't it? Take a guess - it'll be fun! What do YOU guys think the epilogue will be about? And more importantly, WHO will it be about?
I'd like to thank everyone for sticking with the R-Series. Especially this year. I can't believe it's been so long since my old PC died back in August of '07. It took awhile, but I think I made up for the unwanted hiatus.
This also marks the LONGEST book in the R-Series so far. By a good deal, in fact. After I post chapter 26, check my profile page out. If I can remember to do it, I'll throw up the numbers of each book in the R-Series, how many words are in them, add in the Gaiden fics, then tally the total number up. If I haven't broken half a million words by now, I'll be shocked.
I'll seeya in the epilogue, kids.