Chapter 25 – Healing and Dealing

I woke up to a sore body and not being able to move. I opened my eyes a crack to see that Colleen was busying herself with a book and humming. I tried to move but I was just so sore.

"Harry, you're awake. Thank goodness. I had hoped Blaise hadn't done any damage when he flipped you over. Here, can you move?" I groaned but it sounded more like a whimper. My mouth was dry and my voice was all air.

"Oh, you are too sore and drained. Hold on, I'll get Dumbledore, maybe he can help you." She left me and I tried with all my willpower to move. I finally moved my hand up to my chest so that I could use it as leverage. As I pushed my other hand up, Dumbledore came in.

"Harry, don't move yet. You need to wait until Severus arrives with the potion you need. It'll seep into your skin instead of you trying to drink it. Colleen did a wonderful job on you. She was able to take away most of the damage. Are you holding up well?" I groaned again and this time saliva started to moisten the inside of my mouth. Snape came in a couple minutes later and glanced at me before a look of horror crossed his face. I looked at him oddly and I got an image from him as his shield dropped slightly for me. I looked horrible. I was on my stomach so I couldn't see those wounds but my shirt had been removed and so I could see the injuries bleeding on my back. I felt sick humor settle into my stomach. My back looked like it had been whipped and sliced, something I knew Connie's clone had gone through.

"Well, I'll start." He came over and slowly poured the potion over the wounds. I hissed as the potion burnt slightly on them. I felt that burn seep through my skin until it was in me and mixing with my stomach, that rest right under the majority of the slashes. I could feel the healing of the pain take effect as I could move without being debilitated by such pain. I moved to my side and felt my vision blur before focusing again.

"Hey Harry, how are you holding up?" Luna and Blaise entered and I smiled at them. Blaise looked at me and flinched.

"Man, you do look like hell. Hermione and Ron would be here with Neville and Ginny but they couldn't get in past the Slytherins."

"Thanks Blaise." My voice was hoarse but I smiled at him. He smiled back before Luna came over and set a small butterfly glass figure by the bed. I looked at it, my eyes tearing up at what was etched onto the side of it. A small rose was on each wing with HP and CS written gently on them.

"Connie sent it to you so that you would remember. She said that she'll see you soon and that she loves you dearly." I let my tears fall as Snape turned me onto my back and poured the remaining potion on the front wounds. I hissed as they hurt more. I bunched my hands into the blanket and gritted my teeth together as tears continued to drip out of my eyes.

"Everyone leave please. I believe he needs to be alone for a bit." Everyone left as I heard all of their feet move. The door shut but the magical aura never left. I opened my eyes once the burning subsided some and saw Dumbledore sitting where Colleen was. His blue eyes were shining at me as he ran his own hand through my hair.

"Grandpa, it still hurts to know I can't even send her emotions through the bond anymore. I don't know if I can keep my sanity."

"I just want you to rest for a day or two before you attempt to end Nagini's importance. Once you have had time to rest, I will be here as you end that spirit shard. Can you see what happens after you use him to hurt himself?" I closed my eyes and glanced into the future. I saw Nagini being useless now and then Voldemort gathered his army….

"He'll attack a week from that during the evening. If I kill Nagini in a day or so he'll attack on the 14th."

"This coming Saturday?"

"Yeah." Dumbledore got behind me and pulled me close to his chest. I missed this from when I was little and running around the castle. In times like now, I was happy I had some sort of family to turn to.

"I haven't held you like this since you were ten. You've grown into a better man than I could ever hope to be Harry. Your parents, Sirius, Remus, and Fiona, your friends, and Connie are proud of you and love you very much. I do too. I love you my little Harry because you gave this old man the chance to live and experience love in its purest form. You will always be my grandson."

"You'll always be Grandpa to me. I love you."

"I love you too Harry-Bear." I smiled at the use of my old nickname. I let the fatigue eating away at me take over as Dumbledore started humming the old lullaby he used to sing me when I was a little kid.

Two days later, and Dumbledore was sitting with me as I concentrated on using Voldemort's spirit power. It was actually really easy to channel and then I stayed hidden in his mind as he went about looking through books. I saw Nagini crawl up the desk and curl into a ball. I smiled as I let the spirit in her sense its brother. It pulled out of her and as it did, Voldemort panicked as he watched his spirit leave her and then be trapped by white light. He tried to rein it in but my control over the elemental powers was more profound then his. I destroyed the piece by collapsing the white magic around it. I left his mind as he ranted on about attacking Hogwarts.

"It's done. Nagini is no longer a Horcrux. What's wrong?" Dumbledore was sitting there looking happy, but it was forced.

"It's just a hard idea to imagine you fighting him soon to end this nightmare. You are a brave man Harry." He got up and left. I sat on the bed in Connie's room, where I had been since the other night when Wormtail was killed. Now that Nagini was gone, I could concentrate on recuperating fully and readying for battle in a week.

AN: Connie comes back in the next chapter. =D