27
Sir Harry James Potter, Sir Saint Jimmy, the Chosen One, Our Savior
Bonnie stared at the ring, tears in her eyes. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes and her cheeks as she quietly cried, not knowing what to say.
Harry suddenly looked worried. "Bonnie, if you don't…. You don't have to…." He trailed off but he hated to see her cry like this. He just wanted her to be happy, not make her cry. "Bonnie—"
"Yes," she said quietly. She looked up at him now smiling madly as tears continued to fall onto her cheeks. She laughed slightly. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Harry smiled happily and took the ring out of the box. He took her hand and removed the promise ring and gracefully replaced it with the beautiful circle diamond ring.
She watched as he carefully took her fingers and slid the ring onto her ring finger; it was the perfect size. His finger brushed across the edge of the ring and she looked up at him to see him smiling at her. He leaned in and captured her lips lovingly again. Bonnie pressed her lips softly back onto his and he gently pulled her down on top of him, holding her face, stroking her cheeks. After a few seconds of loving kisses to each other there was an odd cough behind them. They both turned away from each other and looked up to see their friends smiling at them.
"Are we having fun?" Ron asked.
Bonnie carefully crawled off of Harry and stepped onto the floor as Harry scooted to sit at the end of the bed.
"What's with the happy reunion?" Ginny asked.
"Well um…" Harry looked up to Bonnie. She smiled at him. Harry looked back at them. "Bonnie and I are engaged."
There was silence for a second and they were all still smiling. Fish was the first to speak. "What?"
"Me and Bonnie are gonna get married," Harry said. "Fish, you knew this. You were there when I was buying the ring."
"But you said you would be seventeen. I thought you wouldn't purpose until you were seventeen and then get married the next summer. What are you both going to do about school? We just got out of a war and you both want to get married?"
"Fish!" Harry said, shocked. "We're getting married this summer, and we're still going to school. I guess. What's the problem?"
"You're sixteen years old. You just murdered a whole bunch of death eaters; the world still has a little chaos. Her father is going to kill you!"
"He already knows. I asked his blessing the same day I made the speech and the same day I bought the ring."
"You asked for my father's blessing?" Bonnie asked, smiling at him.
"Of course I did."
"Hey! Love birds!" Fish said. "I don't have any more excuses so you have to come over and give me a hug because I'm gonna start freaking out," he said, weeping.
"Oh Fish," Bonnie laughed, walking over and pulling him into a hug.
"Why are we all growing up so fast? You're going to get married and then before we know it, you'll be adopting children and we're all gonna grow apart. You'll both have your lives and we'll all still be at school. You both will be the only married couple in school." He started sobbing. "Harry won't be a pure Christian anymore," he cried, way more then any man should about their friend losing their virginity.
"Why does this upset you?" Harry asked.
"Because that means you're not that innocent guy I knew who didn't understand what foreplay was until I explained it to you when you were fourteen."
Harry lowered his head embarrassedly. "Fish, nothing is going to change. Except that valid point you made and we'll be married and once we're out of school we'll get a house but so will everyone else."
Fish pulled away from Bonnie wiping his eyes. "Alright. I'll be okay with this. But if I start getting less action then you, I'm pulling the plug on your marriage."
Harry shook his head. "Are the rest of you okay?" Harry asked.
"I'm happy for you mate," Ron said, pulling him into a manly hug and patting him on the back.
"Thanks."
The girls started gabbing over the ring.
"You guys, I'm glad you're all happy but I would like for you all to keep this quiet around the parentals. I wanted them to be surprised."
"Oh Harry. Isn't this wonderful?" Bonnie said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you."
"I love you too." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close again and into a soft kiss.
"Are you two always going to be like this now?" Ron whined.
"Harry!" They all turned to the door to see James, Sirius, Remus and Mad-Eye standing at the door. "Why aren't you still in bed?"
"Because I feel fine?" Harry asked.
"You just got out of a war. You were in horrible condition when we found you. You weren't breathing," James said loudly.
"But I'm breathing now."
"I'm getting healers to check you over."
"Fine."
James sighed and didn't seem to be heading to get healers. He walked over to his son and pulled him into a tight hug. "You scared me. If you're alive you're not supposed to stop breathing," he told Harry as he continued to hold him. He pulled away and looked his son over. "You sure you're okay? Physically and mentally."
"Perfect."
"You were never mentally perfect Harry, so obviously something went wrong," Fish claimed.
"You turd." He turned to his father. "So where is my sibling and what is it?" Harry asked with a smile.
"With your mother. Come on," he said, pulling his son along to leave the room. Harry grabbed Bonnie's wrist to pull her along behind him. Everyone else followed along.
They headed down the hall to Lily's room, which she had to herself for a now known reason. James walked in first to the very large room that wasn't near the size of Harry's but big enough since Lily hardly spent any time in here at all. She lay on her bed that was against the left wall near an open door. The wall across adjacent to it was a huge window where the sun was just still coming up.
Lily was lying against her pillows, her blankets pulled up to her waist as she held a beautiful baby in her arms. A nurse maid stood beside her bed, smoothing out her blankets. Lily looked up as they entered. James headed over to her and kissed her forehead and sat down beside her pillows while taking his babies hand.
"Harry dear," Lily said sweetly. "Come say hello to your new baby brother."
Harry smiled at her and headed over to humor her. He walked over and sat down by her knees on the bed.
"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.
"Me, hold him? Um… no that's okay," he smiled.
"Oh come on Harry. He's your brother. You have to be nice," Lily said happily, but her eyes were determined, saying that she would get Harry to do what she said.
"Okay," Harry sighed as Lily sat up and placed the baby in Harry's arms.
"Hold his head," Lily warned.
"I know." Harry looked down at his baby brother who slowly opened his eyes for him. "Don't pee on me okay?" Harry said, pointing a finger at him. "If you do, I will be very unforgiving when you're older." The baby took his finger and wrapped his small fist around it. Harry shook his finger. "Yes, that's so adorable," Harry said, sarcastically.
"Stop being so mean Harry," Lily said.
"What are you naming him?" Harry asked.
"Actually, we're naming him after your godfather. Sirius," James smiled.
Harry looked at Sirius and then at his mother. "You really let dad name him didn't you?"
"I'll regret my stupid decisions till the day I die a second time," Lily sighed.
Harry smiled at her and then looked down at his brother who was staring up at him with deep brown eyes. He then noticed his red hair. "Aww, the boy got mum's hair. The poor things going to look like Ron," Harry said.
"Hey!"
"Sorry Ron. But he doesn't look like a Sirius."
"We'll die his hair when he's older," Sirius smiled.
"You will do no such thing!" Lily yelled. "He'll have red hair and be happy about it."
"Potter!" They all looked up at the door where Madam Pomfrey was standing with potions. "Give the baby back to your mother and get back to your room."
"Why, I feel perfectly fine."
"That's because we filled you with pain relief potion. It's going to wear off soon," she said, walking over to him. She took the baby from his arms as he opened his mouth to protest. She handed the baby off to James and grabbed Harry's arm to drag him toward the door.
"I'll escape again later," Harry said as he was dragged through the door.
Bonnie turned to Harry's parents. "We'll be downstairs checking on everyone and telling them Harry's fine." She headed out of the door trying to make sure she hid the diamond ring on her finger. The others followed.
\-\
Two days later….
Fish ran through the door pulling Bonnie with him and quickly jammed it shut behind him as some banging hands ran against the door. They both looked up to see Harry standing by his window looking at them questioningly. "What?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Bonnie asked.
"Madam Pomfrey filled me up with pain potions. If I'm in my room and she's not here why not make use of the time?" he asked thoughtfully. "What are you two doing up here? Who's banging at the door?"
"Reporters. Don't you watch the TV? The Queen has made an announcement that the evil man, that the muggles have now named just Voldemort, has been deemed dead. And the Minister of Magic had made an announcement that he-who-must-not-be-named is dead and isn't coming back this time. And they both announced how it was you who defeated him, for the second time the Minister said, and how your little crew helped in other countries battling death eaters. They're being awfully nice to us. We're getting money from the Minister. But the Queen wants you knighted."
"That's great. What does this have to do with the banging on the door?"
"Oh, those are the reporters that got into your house because they want to know exactly what happened. How you killed him, how you're feeling, all that crap."
"Well you can tell them I'm not saying anything. And if the Daily Prophet is out there you can tell them to screw themselves. And you can tell them it came personally from my mouth."
"You're extra crabby today. You don't even care that you're going to be knighted."
"They have me on a whole bunch of drugs so I can't feel anything. Even emotion. Sorry," he said, not sounding it in the least bit. He headed back over to his desk; limping they noticed, on one leg, and took another vile of pain relief potion. "I'll be addicted to these damb things for the rest of my life. I took many over the summer and now I'll be taking them for the rest of this summer. They need to think of something else to feed me. Oh! And Madam Pomfrey says I have done serious damage to my leg and will, at least till we get to school; have to put a spell on it daily. And until it seeps in I will have to walk with a cane. Doesn't that sound fun? I'll be the only seventeen year old walking around school with a cane. And I'll be damned if I have to stand with one at our wedding," he said angrily, smashing the glass vile on the floor.
Bonnie walked over to him slowly as he stood angrily. She gently pulled him into her arms and gently ran her hand into his hair as he settled into her neck. Harry gently fell to his knees when his bad one gave out and hugged her waist. "I don't want to walk with a cane Bonnie," he whined, clutching her shirt.
"I know darling but, it's only for a short time." She kneeled on the floor in front of him and placed her forehead against his. "Soon enough you'll be back to normal and everything will be fine. You know what we'll do? Where's the St. Jimmy stick."
"It's being polished. It had a lot of blood on it," Harry said, lowering his head in shame. It was still painful to remember the things he saw and he was trying to block as much of it out as he could.
"No, it just came back," Fish said, "Avin is dragging it upstairs for you."
"He's not scratching it is he?"
"It's wrapped in bubble wrap from the shining place. I made him do it so that he could scare the reporters on his way to the room when he made it up this far."
Bonnie turned back to Harry. "Well, when he gets up here we can use the St. Jimmy stick to be your new cane."
"We'll just fashion a new end," Fish added helpfully. "You carry it around with you everywhere anyway and you would want your trusty stick with you at the wedding anyway right? So what's the difference?"
"I guess that could work. We'll call it the St. Jimmy Cane for a little while I guess."
Bonnie smiled and pulled him into a hug, running her fingers through his hair. "It's the end of the war. Things can only get better from here, right? You've defeated Voldemort, he can't bother you anymore, you have a new baby brother who is happy and healthy, your parents are fine and so are all your friends and we're going to get married. This is just one bad out of the many good things to come out of this. And it can only get better, right?"
Harry nodded, nuzzling into her shoulder.
"Will someone please let me in? I'm being attacked out here. Shove off you bloody wankers," said Avin through the door.
"Harry, go stand over there," Fish said as he was preparing to open the door. Bonnie stood up and pulled Harry up with her and gently took him over toward the bathroom where the reporters wouldn't see them. Fish slowly opened the door a crack and Avin's arm came through the door holding the St. Jimmy stick. Fish took it, said thank you and Avin left again as Fish closed the door. You could hear him threatening the reporters through the door.
The reporters came back a few minutes after.
Fish wandered over to Harry. "Do your parents know about your... um…."
"No, they haven't been to see me yet. And I suspect they won't get through today with all the reporters."
Surprisingly that was when they heard new voices outside the door. "You people don't get out off my house I have seventeen aurors here ready to arrest you. Now get away from my son's bedroom." There were many more feet behind the door and then a lot of yelling about how the public had a right to know. Harry's father didn't sound happy at all. The door burst open and then burst closed again as soon as James was inside. "Bloody reporters." He turned to his son and his friends. "Harry! How are you doing? Feeling any better?"
"I've gotten worse. I have a limp," he said walking forward. "We're going to make the St. Jimmy stick into a cane. I always used to walk with it anyway."
"Well just till school. At least it's not permanent right?" James said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I have to sit down," he said, limping over to his bed and sitting down. "By the way, has anyone gotten me Voldemort's ashes yet?"
"You were serious about that?" Fish asked.
"I told you before I'm going to feed him to his still living death eaters once I've captured them."
"I think they're all dead mate."
"Then I'll put it in a jar and carry it around with me. Then he'll know what it feels like to be trapped in a jar with your body parts staying in tact being a decision of the person who's watching you."
"I told you something went wrong mentally," Fish mumbled to Bonnie, who replied by smacking his head. "I had Tim and Tom go and collect it anyway. They're still downstairs."
"Will you have them bring it up to me now that the reporters are gone?"
"Sure. I'll be right back." Fish headed out of the room and headed downstairs.
James sat down next to his son. "You really wanna have Voldemort's ashes around you?"
"I killed him; I should be able to do whatever I want with his ashes," Harry said, as though it were obvious.
James just nodded agreeably.
"Does anyone know where my cell phone went?" Harry asked. "I seemed to have dropped it at one point."
"I believe Sirius picked it up while he and Remus were heading to the Queen's hiding space."
"Bonnie, could you please go get it from him and call the nearest non-worshiping me priest?"
"Of course. I'll go find Sirius." She went over and kissed his cheek and then left the room closing the door to leave James alone with his son.
Harry put his face in his hands, running his fingers into his hair. James put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright Harry?"
"Dad, could you do something for me?" Harry asked, lifting his head.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can you buy me a private therapist?" he asked, looking his father in the eye.
"A—"
"I saw so many people. I don't even remember half of the people I killed in there. I blacked it all out it was all happening so fast. When it was finally over and I had killed Voldemort I sat down against a wall and when I looked to my side I see Nott, this boy from school. He was dead, with his eyes open and I just kept thinking he was only my age and I took his life away. I didn't even stop to think about it first, it was all instinct. I can't believe I could kill that many people out of instinct."
"Harry its okay. They're all death eaters and they would have ended up in Azkaban anyway. Probably gotten the Dementor's kiss."
"He was sixteen. He could have given up his life of evil and lived out his young life happily."
"You think way too much of people Harry. I highly doubt he would have given up on the Dark Lord just because you spared his life. Most of his followers were used to near death experiences anyway."
"He probably just joined. They don't until they're at least sixteen. We all just turned sixteen. He wasn't even of age and I killed him and probably many others."
"Harry, he was a death eater either way. It's not like you feel bad for killing Voldemort."
"Well I said sorry before I killed him. And Nott was younger and he never did anything to me."
"You said sorry to Voldemort before you killed him?"
"It was a last parting goodbye. He may have made my life miserable but if it wasn't for him a lot of good things that happened to me wouldn't have happened. But he had to die so…"
"Well I'm sure Nott is fine. If he really was a good person at heart he's probably in heaven now right? And if he had stayed alive he probably would have been prosecuted for being a death eater and hauled into Azkaban anyway. And if not he always would have been remembered as one anyway and reminded by that tattoo on his arm. You didn't do anything horrible Harry. They all deserved what they got."
"I killed Voldemort. I murdered him and he lost his life. He deserved that because he did horrible things. Did Nott really deserve the same fate when he did nothing nearly as bad as Voldemort did?"
James ran out of excuses to tell his son. "I'll get you a therapist."
"Thanks," Harry said, looking back at the floor.
"Harry?" James asked.
"Hmm?"
"You're going to be okay though right?" he asked. "You're not going to start checking the salt shakers for tiny cameras are you?" Harry looked at him confused. "I was watching the history channel. World War II." Harry nodded and smiled.
"No, I'm not going to do that."
"Good." He wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder and pulled him close. He stroked back Harry's bangs from his forehead as Harry sighed into his father's shoulder, content with the warm comfort his father gave him. "For the time being, while I search for this therapist who's not going to worship you at the moment, you should think of other things to take your mind off the war. It's over and you should think of the good things that are happening right now."
"Like what?" Harry asked, closing his eyes.
"Like what you're going to say when you propose to your dear Bonnie."
"It's already been done. I purposed to her two days ago. I didn't tell you because I wanted you and everyone to figure it out on your own. But you're too slow so I'm telling you now."
"Oh," he said, trying to seem unsurprised.
"It's okay. Fish wasn't very happy that we're getting married so young. He wants me to continue being his virgin friend. For whatever odd reason I don't know."
"Ah. Well then think about the wedding you're going to have with your beautiful Irish lady. Think about all the stuff you can do by taking advantage of your new and alarming fame." He gasped. "We could sue your uncle in a case that only takes three minutes!"
"I'm not suing Uncle Vernon dad. It's immoral," he said, snuggling into his shoulder as though he were about to fall asleep again. He was thinking about it. All this thinking was making him very tired.
"No it's not. What he did to you was immoral. Cameron told me you once said they had tried to poison you."
"I was a stupid five-year-old, I was a little paranoid. I didn't know what I was talking about," he sighed.
"I saw the bruises once Harry. Even that was enough to file for abuse," he pointed out. "And that small room they kept you in with the locks on the door. It was creepy and—"
"Dad," Harry interrupted, "I know you're having fun thinking about how you can get revenge on my uncle but I don't want to talk about this right now. It's not as comforting to me as it is to you."
"But it's not my revenge it'll be yours."
"Dad. Please?" he asked, quietly to silence the conversation.
James sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry," he said, running his hand through Harry's hair again. Harry sighed tiredly and snuggled into James's shoulder more trying to get comfortable. James just noticed this. "Are you tired?" he laughed slightly.
"No," he lied, knowing that if he said yes his father would tell him he should get back in bed and go to sleep.
"Mm-hmm," he hummed, smiling slightly. He went along with it and continued to sit there with him, holding him in his arm as Harry finally found a comfortable spot on his shoulder and waited till he fell asleep. When his breathing slowed and he was fast asleep James stood and readjusted Harry into his bed so that he was lying down on his pillows. He tucked him in and ran his hand back into his hair while placing a kiss on his forehead. He then let his fingers drift over his son's hair before he walked away and left the room to inform Bonnie and—when he returned—Fish, that Harry was asleep. Then he would head back upstairs, out of the crowd of people in his living room who were speaking foreign languages, and go visit his other son, who had no idea what was going on at the moment.
\-\
Harry stood outside in the rain, alone. He looked up at the sky where the clouds looked as though they weren't going to move anytime soon. They had a business to stay sitting above Harry for a while and they had already started two hours ago. They were floating above him, dark and plump, full of rain. Giving him a reason not to talk to anyone, all who seemed afraid of the rain. He had finally spoken to his other followers and they had headed home to their countries and families to spread stories of how Harry had finally defeated Voldemort and what a wonderful person he was. That was why a week ago Harry had received news that he was going to be knighted next week—in a large ceremony in front of the whole world. It was his life's dream since he was five years old; and suddenly, after all that had happened, it hardly seemed like something he deeply wanted anymore. At the moment, he just wanted to sit in the rain and feel the water pressure force his hair down knowing it would never stay like that after it dried and be happy about it.
So he sat down on the cement, in the middle of the driveway he didn't know his house had; since it didn't have a car, and he placed a large glass jar in front of him that was filled with what looked like dirt. The rain hit it and shot off like a lightning bolt and Harry swore he could see the light flashing like a falling star and made you swear you could make wishes on them.
He didn't care that his mother was watching him anxiously from the porch with his future wife and his little brother, nor that his father was contacting therapists as they spoke, nor that all of his twenty-two closest friends were sitting at his dining room table eating lunch with Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Jackeline. He knew it all was happening behind or outside the walls but he hardly took notice of it as he continued to stare at the jar of ash in front of him.
He put a small force field around himself to protect him from the rain and suddenly opened the glass container that held the last piece of Voldemort—his only enemy who made his life what it was today, which wasn't all that bad compared to some people.
He stuck his hand into the ashes and lifted a handful out and let it sift through his fingers like sand until it all fell back into the container. He sighed and grabbed his wand from his coat pocket and placed it in the jar. He closed the top and lifted it into his hands and looked at it as though he were looking to the other side. He then shook it up and down as though he were making a margarita while hoping nothing broke and when he stopped all the ashes had disappeared. He slowly set the jar back on the ground and lifted the top open to take out his wand. He grabbed a crook in his wand and pulled down as though he were opening a scroll, which it turned out he was. It read:
To my dear Harry,
I know this is strange, me being your arch foe and you being mine and all, but I thought a bit of parting words were in order. First of all, obviously I am dead if you are getting this letter, you wouldn't believe how many spells I've put on myself in case of death. Better safe then sorry I guess. Anyway, now that I am dead, I am afraid I was so caught up in taking over the pathetic world that, like you said, I never found a mate. So that leaves me with all this Slytherin inheritance and no one to heir it to. So since the only people I know are my death eaters I hardly have anyone to give the money to. I know you killed them all so you should know why I say this. So instead of giving to some poor orphans like a human being I'm going to be the two year old, reincarnation of who I once was and give the money to someone who doesn't deserve it and will use it for own personal gain. You.
I will understand if you are not accepting to this idea of mine but I really have nothing else to do with it. So you can be the good boy and give it to the self loving orphans who will no doubt turn out like me one day; and got help from you because you made them rich and cocky. But in the meantime it's yours to keep. If you say the words Tom Riddle's key while pointing your wand at the letter, the key to my vault will appear to you. It goes to all seventeen different vaults. I'm sure your family has almost the same amount but this is yours to use selfishly. You won fair and square; you have the right to it. I'm getting too righteous so I'm moving to the next point.
I'm also leaving you my snake Nagini. I'm sure her and your own snake, Prose, I believe you called him, will get along famously. Think of her as a much delayed or quite early birthday present for your seventieth birthday. If she gets on your nerves too much just kill her; she will come back to me. She will be sitting next to you once you finish this letter. She is been my only close friend, my only confidant, since I was thirteen years old so you had better take special care of her.
As for anything else, tell Draco he would have made a hell of an heir if he had not defied me. He got the mark and he never came to the meetings and Lucius tells me he was yelling at him. I have a feeling Draco will end up killing his father if you do not. If he does not and you have not yet, please do so as quickly as possible, he got on my nerves. He was such a kiss-ass. It is so hard to be the leader of a cult.
Anyway, if you have any questions that you wished you could have asked but—you know—I was trying to kill you, you can always ask Nagini. She may have some juicy gossip with her.
I am glad you inherited my gifts, or at least some of them. Especially parseltongue, as I could not leave Nagini with someone who could not ever talk to her. Snakes get depressed that way. And if you were not the Slytherin I know you should have been I would not have left you with all my money. You are very lucky you are my favorite enemy. You are much more exciting then that old man Dumbledore. I get to watch as you suffer through what you hate most in life for another 70, 80 years: your fame and celebrity. It'll be so fun for me. (Though the money will help you get out of sticky situations. People will do anything if you pay them.)
Those are my parting words and, even if I feared death, this is probably the best way to go. By a worthy opponent.
Your favorite Dark Lord
And secret friend and financier,
Lord Voldemort
Harry was surprised by the words but couldn't get over how sentimental they were. Bonnie was still on search for his priest to confess his sins to and his father was still looking for a therapist but this letter may have been the closure he needed. He still needed closure with Nott but he didn't think killing him would ever be completely acceptable to him. It wasn't something he would be able to do.
Harry slowly looked to his side to find Voldemort's snake Nagini sitting next to him. Bonnie was standing up on the porch with her wand ready to attack it if it attacked Harry. Harry just stared into the snake's eyes as Nagini did the same to him.
"You want to be with your master don't you?" Harry asked knowingly in parseltongue. They had spent a very long time together so it would make sense she would. Nagini only nodded sadly. "I'll send you to him; but I just have one question to ask if you don't mind." She nodded again, waiting patiently. "Why'd he choose me?"
Nagini, if it was possible for a snake, gave him a small, knowing smile. "I thought he told you. He wanted a suitable component," she said, her slithering voice sounding amused.
"But… I was a baby. Wouldn't he guess that the worthy opponent would be the pureblood?" Harry asked.
"Voldemort, as you know was not a pureblood. It wasn't that he wanted someone he knew was like him, or that he would end up killing you in the end anyway because you're a half-blood, it was the fact that being who he was, he knew that half-bloods were more susceptible to power then purebloods. All that marrying your own family clogs up the lines. When your father ended up marrying your mother and having you, he knew the line had been opened up and you would be open to all the power that had skipped all those generations of late purebloods. He knew you would probably kill him off at his first try but he liked that risk."
"Oh. Wow," Harry said, feeling almost unconvinced but he knew he was. It made a lot of sense. "I know I said one but I have another question." Nagini nodded patiently. No wonder Voldemort loved his snake. She's very patient, Harry thought. "Well, I know it's something everyone wants to ask but… why did he want to kill off a line of people he knew would include himself?"
"Because he was ashamed of his heritage. But when he met you he made it a thing to like half-bloods, they were more powerful then anyone else; Pure-bloods and muggleborns together. But he had already started something he decided he had to finish it. But he told me that he was going to pretend that he was fighting for a world ruled by half-bloods, not purebloods. Why do you think he tortured his followers more then he tortured you?"
Harry could only nod, stunned by this thought. He looked Nagini in the eye again. "I guess that's all. Do you uh, want me to…?" He trailed off holding his wand.
"No it's fine. I can do it myself. I hope you have a great life Harry. And don't worry too much about all the people. You did the right thing whether you feel bad or not."
"Thanks. I hope death is something you get to enjoy," he smiled, the first one he had let out since he proposed.
"Thank you." She closed her eyes and her body slowly slipped onto the ground before him as though she was going to sleep. He slightly nudged her but she didn't move. That was when she moved on, she went to be with her master, probably her first and only friend. Harry waved his hand over her very large, coiled up body and it disappeared off the cement.
He felt someone walk up behind him and noticed from the shoes that it was Bonnie. She kneeled down beside him in the rain, her hair dripping rain from her soaking head. "Harry, are you alright? Why was that large snake here?"
"That was Nagini. She died of loneliness so she could go be with her master. She came to me so I could ask her a question," Harry said, staring at the spot where she had been seconds before.
"What did you ask her?"
Harry turned to face her, smiling happily at her. "That's not important love," he said gently. "What is important is that I love you, and you love me. Right?" Bonnie nodded, not able to help the small smile rising off her lips. Harry gently pulled her into a loving kiss while he stroked her cheek. When he pulled away he slipped the letter from Voldemort into his inside coat pocket and closed the glass jar. "Let's go inside. I want to tell Prose how much I love him," he smiled.
Bonnie laughed. "Okay." Harry grabbed her hand and his St. Jimmy stick—now cane—with his other hand and took the shield off himself before he dragged her up to the porch. "I'd give you a hug mum, but I'm all wet," he said stroking his brother's almost bald head. "I'm gonna go talk to Prose." She nodded confused but happy that Harry seemed to be feeling better.
Harry headed inside and quickly headed upstairs to his room, losing Bonnie somewhere along the way. He entered his room and looked around for Prose. He hissed out his name and he suddenly came tiredly slithering out from under his bed. Harry's smile brightened again. He ran over to him and picked him up while throwing himself onto his bed. "Guess what Prose?"
"I don't know master. What has you so excited?" he asked, pretending to be enthralled.
"I love you Prose," Harry smiled.
"That's wonderful master," Prose said, sarcastically.
"You are a grumpy snake. Don't you love me too Prose?"
"I love you ever so much master," he said dully, resting his head on Harry's elbow.
"I know you do, I just wanted you to say it with feeling. I didn't get it." Harry set him down on the bed and turned his back to Prose and sulked like a little kid.
"Oh come on. You don't think I'll fall for the cold shoulder. I'm way colder then you are," Prose said as though he didn't care. Then a few seconds with Harry continuing to pout, it was enough to get Prose to slither up onto his lap and look up at Harry with his small black eyes. "Master," he hissed, trying to sound sad since he couldn't make his own pouty face. "I love you master." He slithered over Harry's thigh and lifted Harry's hand onto his head. Harry looked down at him and smiled. He slid his hand over Prose's scaly skin, almost a soothing motion.
"See Prose, you can be sweet like a puppy dog. And I like you much better anyway. We can have conversations and you tell me when I sound stupid and you're not too fluffy. You're quiet and calming and very sarcastic. Everything I want in a snake."
"Oh please master, you're going to make me cry," he said in a monotone and Harry had to smile again.
Harry sighed and lay back on his bed and set Prose on his stomach. "Prose, will you come with me when I get knighted. I'll have my dad there and Bonnie and all my friends but I'll also have the entire world there to watch me. You're the only one I feel isn't going to judge me about this."
"I'll come with you master, if it pleases you. It's getting tiring to sit in the house all day anyway."
"Good, and when I'm knighted, please don't call me Sir Harry or anything. I deny you the right to it."
"Yes sir."
"We should find Nam. He's so small he seems to have disappeared from us."
Harry spent the next hour searching for Nam, and when Nam was found Harry found himself overly exhausted as though he had run a great length. "Maybe Madame Pomfrey wasn't being overbearing when she said I should take it easy. Moving is so tiring. I'll never make it for my knighting ceremony." He slowly limped over to his bed and before he could make it to climb onto his bed he passed out and fell on the floor.
"Master?" Prose asked worriedly. "Master?"
All he got in response was a groan as Harry lay on the floor.
Prose slithered around the bedpost and went to lie beside him. "Master," he hissed worriedly. Hopefully someone would come in soon to check on him.
\-\
An hour later, Bonnie headed upstairs to check on him and to ask if he was coming to dinner with everyone. She quietly knocked first before inviting herself in and entering. "Harry, I just wanted to know if—" She stopped quickly when she saw him lying on the floor. "Harry!" She quickly ran over and kneeled beside him. "Harry, wake up. Mr. Potter!" she yelled, trying to shake him gently to wake him up but it wasn't working. "Harry, please wake up. You're freaking me out," Bonnie whined.
James entered the room followed by Sirius. "What's wrong?"
"I think Harry passed out. He won't wake up," Bonnie said. She quickly stepped away as James came over. He kneeled over his son and waved his wand over Harry's face whispering, "Enervate."
Harry slowly came to and lifted his head. "Oww," he whined quietly putting his hand on the back of his head.
"Did you hit the floor?" James asked.
"I think I tired myself out. Stupid Madame Pomfrey, she had to be so fucking right all the time," he groaned, setting his head on the floor again.
"Well it's not her fault you didn't follow her orders. You slow down from now on," James ordered. "Are you going to be okay? Maybe you should go back to bed. I'll have someone bring up your dinner."
"That's alright. I'm not hungry," Harry said, pushing himself off the floor. "I'll just go back to bed and pass out again," he said, sitting down on his bed.
James nodded but Bonnie interrupted.
"I think you're fine," Bonnie said. Everyone looked over to her and Harry gave an angry and confused look.
"I just passed out on the floor. I doubt it."
"Well you've probably been lying on the floor for a little while now, haven't you? Maybe you've gotten all the rest you need and you actually need to get up and about for a little while. I mean, the only times you've actually left your room was to stare at Voldemort's ashes in the rain. You're starting to sound a little insane and it's really beginning to freak me out," Bonnie said, her voice sounding angry toward the end of her speech. The three just stared at her almost scared. Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Could you please leave Harry and I alone for a minute? I need to speak to him," she asked Sirius and James.
"Sure. You're his fiancé," James said, stepping away and pulling Sirius with him toward the door.
Once they were gone Bonnie turned back to Harry who continued to look around his room. "Harry, please look at me," she said and Harry turned to her. "What's going on with you? I thought you'd be all over this. All your friends staying in your house together, you've won the war, and even though you're famous you shouldn't be acting like this."
"Acting like what?" Harry asked stupidly.
"Like you've suddenly found your place in the mental institution!" she said angrily. "You don't come out of your room; you sit here all day and don't talk to anyone but Prose. You sit sadly in the rain and talk to Voldemort's ashes and his dead snake and then you come back up here and pass out on your floor. I know you're upset about the war and I know it's depressing but that's no reason to go insane. It's scaring me. You're not the only one who was in the war. All your friends were there to, and so was I." She sat down on the bed next to him and looked into his eyes. "Why are you acting like this?" she asked, stroking his bangs from his hair.
Harry looked down at his knees. "Bonnie, how many people would you say you killed when you were fighting with Fish and the others."
"I don't know I didn't count. Maybe twelve, I guess."
"And Fish? About the same right?"
"Maybe a few more," she answered, confused about the questions.
"I've been having these flashbacks of the night I killed Voldemort and all and I think I now remember every single person I killed. I kind of …blacked out, sometimes when I was fighting so I had lost track of time while I was there. I was confused when Voldemort told me it was night when I thought that only a few hours had passed instead of several. It was because I blocked out what I was doing while I was doing it. But now I remember it all. And I guess I am going a little insane because, I started writing down all the names when I remembered them dying, careful not to repeat anyone. And do you want to know how many people are on that list?"
"Okay," she said, patiently.
"One hundred and fifty-two. And the really depressing part is that I actually knew all of their names. I knew every one of the people that I killed."
"Sweetie, I know you may be depressed because of that but I know it's not the reason you're keeping yourself locked up in your bedroom. Even if you were depressed, which I can safely say you are a bit, you would not keep yourself from your friends or family. You would be worshiping the ground they walk on because they're all still alive. That's the way you are. You can't hide it from me Harry, I know you."
Harry looked away from her and turned over to curl up in a ball on his bed. Bonnie rolled her eyes and crawled over to him. "Kumquat," she said quietly, more patient then she was before. She ran her fingers gently through his hair as she watched him. "Baby, please tell me what's wrong. I don't like to watch you being sad."
"Mm, w-k," Harry mumbled into his pillow.
"What?"
"I said, I'm weak," he repeated, moving away from the pillow. "I've always been this strong person that they all look up to. They think I can deal with anything and that I'm always going to be strong and indestructible. But now I have this stupid leg and i- it's broken and I look so weak because of it," he said, hiding his face in his pillow, ashamed.
Bonnie couldn't help but smile even though her love was in pain. "You are such a little weirdo," she said, trying not to giggle. She ran her hand into Harry's hair again. "Harry, your friends may see you like that, even I must admit that I sometimes see you that. My strong, invincible St. Jimmy. But one limp is not going to make them think any less of you."
"Yes it is. I'm a total weakling and I'll stay in my room till it's completely healed."
"What about our wedding?" Bonnie yelled.
"We'll have it here in my room."
Bonnie looked unconvinced. She sighed and lay back on the bed beside him. He snuggled into her shoulder and clung to her arm as he tried to fall asleep.
"You know that, you continuously staying up in your room and hiding from everyone and talking to your enemy's ashes just makes it seem as though you have been destructed and is just afraid to face everyone. You don't want them all to think you're frail and scared do you?"
Harry's eyes shot open. "They wouldn't think that," he said, placing a kiss on the arm he was clinging to.
"You were just convincing me that they would," she pointed out.
Harry sighed and groaned before letting go of her arm and rolling to the other side of the bed. "Could you go get my now evil cane?"
Bonnie smiled and leaned in to place a kiss on his neck. "I love you," she said happily.
"Yeah, I love you to," he said grudgingly as she went to get his cane. He took it from her and stood up with it. Bonnie took his other hand and led him out of his room. They headed down stairs, taking the longest on the stairs but making it down at a decent time. They walked into the dining room as Mrs. Weasley, Lily, and the maids were helping set the table with food. They all looked up at Harry and Bonnie when they walked in. All the Suburban Children's jaws dropped at the sight of Harry limping toward them along with the few members of the order that were there. "If one of you makes a crack at my cane I'll whack you over the head with it," Harry threatened. They all nodded in agreement. Harry took his seat where he usually sat as it was left open and Bonnie sat beside him. He hooked his cane on the arm of the chair.
"I'm glad you made it down sweetheart," Lily said, kissing his head as she set a tray of food in front of him.
"Yes, so what is everyone else doing after school? Whenever we go back that is," Harry asked.
"Joining a band; after I get emancipated of course! I've given up my dream of being the neighborhood burglar," Fish said.
"Parents haven't come back yet?"
"No. I think they've joined your aunt and uncle in anarchy, which is weird for them since they've always been striving for normal. I think the clashing made them go insane."
"When were they sane?" Harry asked, suspiciously.
The table went into silent thought for a few moments.
"Hey St. Jimmy," Avin said. Harry turned to him. "I like the cane. It's very refined," he said, directing conversation somewhere else.
"Thanks Avin," Harry laughed. "Did you, Ial, and Oye get full during the battle?"
"Oye didn't. Some vampire! He hid in a corner and ate what I threw at him."
"It's not my fault you didn't train me well enough," Oye said, looking down at the table.
"It's Ial's job. She wanted you."
"Not again," Ial whined. "Would you boys stop fighting? You're getting on my last nerve with your whiney crap." Both boys groaned and Ial smiled. "So Bonnie, when are we going to start planning this wedding of yours?"
"Um, I don't know. Harry?" Everyone looked to him.
"Oh, well whenever you want I guess. I thought we would have the wedding after we turned seventeen but before went back to school."
"Well you don't have to worry about timing. Some of the boys and I have already started planning some of it out for you," Fish said. "We've picked out a few cathedrals in Ireland for you to choose from and priests that aren't worshiping you and we chose your favorites. Your wedding should be pretty easy to plan shouldn't it?"
"Why do you say that? And I thought you were angry about our getting married?" Harry asked.
"I'm not angry about you getting married, I'm angry because you won't be your special virgin self anymore. And it'll be easy to plan your wedding because you probably already know exactly what your flowers will be, you know kind of where it's going to be, and…"
"Weddings are more complicated then that Fish," Lily pointed out. "You have a dress to buy, shoes to buy, people to invite, guards to hire, a church, a hall for the reception, a way to get all your guests to Ireland if that's where you're having it. The list goes on."
"We'll get it done by then. Getting everyone to Ireland won't be hard. We'll just use group Portkeys. Invites will be hard though."
"So true. We just have so many friends," Bonnie smiled.
"Are you both sure you want to get married before you even finish school?" Sirius asked. "Before either of you have any jobs."
"We have jobs," Bonnie said. "It's not like Harry could be an auror now. Not with the fame thing."
"I don't think I'll ever get a job. I'll just live on my money I made as a young prodigy."
"How much money could you have possibly made as a child," Lily asked.
"Um, well I sold two large paintings: One for two million American dollars and the other for nine million pounds. And then I sold some smaller paintings for some other money."
"People paid nine million pounds for your paintings?" Remus asked.
"I am a very great artist. And some people are so rich they don't know what to do with their money," he said turning to his parents.
"What?" James asked. "We just let our money sit in the vault for future generations. You can have that money when we die," James smiled.
"I'll be only seven years younger then you when you die again," Harry pointed out. "I doubt I'll need it."
"And if we ever do run out of money I'll cure AIDs or something," Bonnie said.
"If you have the power shouldn't you cure it just because you can and not wait till you can get the money?" Hermione asked.
"I tried doing that once and the government took my cure away and is keeping it away from the public."
"What did you cure? Harry told me about the government taking your projects," James said.
"I'm not allowed to tell. I'll be arrested."
"Not now. No one will arrest Harry's future wife," Sirius pointed out, pouring some wine for him and Jackeline.
"Well, I carried a lot of weird things in my back pack and thought that maybe I would be creative that day. I really didn't care what teachers thought so I ended up, unknowingly, creating a antidote to the draught of death."
"Don't they already have one?" Sirius asked.
"No! Well, it may be the one I made. I won't get any credit because I was eight when I made it."
"That's sad," Ron commented.
"Yes well, I'll make my own potions now and the government won't do anything to take it away from me. And then we'll get money for it. Then the Potter family will surely be the richest family."
\-\
After dinner everyone went back to their rooms, everyone was staying there until further notice. After his parents had headed off to their own room or maybe to visit the baby, Harry snuck into the hallway and headed to Bonnie's room, which was practically next door. He snuck in and snuck over to her as best he could when it was dark. Obviously she was already asleep. He crawled onto her bed and laid down beside her. "Bonnie," he whispered.
"Hmm?" she hummed tiredly.
"I'm sorry for being such a prick lately. I just went a little weird after the war. I should have handled it better. I'm sorry I ignored you."
"It's alright Harry. You deserve to be a prick at least once in your life," she said, cuddling over to him and snuggling into the side of his chest. "As long as you're not like that forever, I'll still marry you."
Harry smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her as they both got more comfortable. "Do you want to get married before we go back to school?"
"I've waited this long just to be your girlfriend St. Jimmy. I'd wait forever to be your wife," she mumbled before falling to sleep.
Harry watched her sleep quietly on his shoulder while he thought over the wedding. He wanted to marry her so badly he wanted to do it as quickly as possible. He wanted to know now that Bonnie was his forever and that there was proof of it. But then again he didn't want to push it along too fast. He knew Bonnie deserved a beautiful wedding that was well planned and well thought-out and perfect for both of them and at a perfect time. And particularly not while Harry was more famous then anyone in the world couldn't even think to wish to be: the wedding would be in every newspaper and every language around the world, his fan club would go mad (not that he cared but they're dangerous), the reporters would be insane, the people helping to plan their wedding would be insane, the people who would like to be invited but don't even know them would be insane. Maybe it wasn't the best timing.
He looked down at the peaceful face of the girl he loved more then anything in the world. If she was able to wait patiently and he was able to wait patiently then maybe that was a good sign that they should. He sighed to tiredness and kissed Bonnie on her head before falling asleep beside her.
\-\
Even the Queen was bowing now. He was so struck by his own fame he couldn't even gain the urge to roll his eyes and just bow back at them. He only stood there and took it till the Queen finally stood up everyone followed so they could cheer.
Harry felt like it was all a dream it was so surreal. Who could imagine themselves living the life of a God on earth? Everyone bowing and scraping and praising the very ground you walk on. It wasn't fascinating to Harry, it was scary and he now cursed the day it became his dream to be knighted. Why did he want that? He was standing in front of the entire country, again, only this time he didn't have to give a speech. Why did he put himself in this position? He didn't want it.
He thanked God when he got to leave the stage and the most honorary of politicians, who he was now a part of, were invited inside. (Wizard politicians were included. People were slowly trying to budge the two together, starting with discriminatory political parties.)
Harry kept Bonnie on his arm; Fish and Ron close, along with four large guards that were a must five minutes after Harry stepped onto the street to the palace. He couldn't step out of a car for three seconds without someone asking for his autograph or trying to steal his arm. He was waiting for the assassination attempts to begin.
People in very expensive suits kept coming up to him, probably dressed by someone they paid, and his guards made a tighter crowd behind him as though preparing themselves for an attack by the man who wants to know how Harry feels about his fame while he stuttered throughout his entire one question. He was sixteen and he made a politician, one that made thousands of speeches in his lifetime, stutter his way through one question, listen to the answer, bow, and nervously walk away to brag to the other politicians that he talked to the Savior.
"While we're bored," Fish said as they sat down on the side of the room, everyone but Harry sipping wine, "why don't we count how many names St. Jimmy has now. Let's start with the first, Harry Potter. Then St. Jimmy, then kumquat, Malfoy called you Pothead I think, then we got The Chosen One, then Our Savior, now The Savior, Sir Harry James Potter, and one of my personal favorites, Sir Saint Jimmy. That sounds so cool."
"None of you are you calling me Sir. Neither are my parents or Sirius or Remus, though my father is having his ultimate joy wandering around freely in the palace with Sirius by using the name Sir Harry Potter's father. It's apparently been a dream of there's to play a prank on Prince William. I don't know if he'll appreciate that very much, he's kind of old."
"His maid will find it when she's cleaning," Bonnie said, leaning on his shoulder.
Harry took both her hands that were in her lap. It was the first time he noticed that one of her hands was covered with a lacy jewel that ran up her hand from her ring in laced black silver and small jewels, up to her wrist where it hooked together like a bracelet.
"Where did you get that?" Harry asked, looking over her hand.
"Oh, when we told our parents that we were postponing the wedding till after we finish school my mother knows you and knew you were worried about guys hitting on me and what not." She gave Harry a light smile as he smirked at her. "So she gave this to me. It's from pureblood families. Before the marriage the girl would wear this to show that she was taken. It's more noticeable then an engagement ring."
"You're going to wear this till we get married?"
"Yes I am. Why, you don't like it?"
"It's nice." He kissed her hand and held it while they waited for the party to end. He may be the Savior but that didn't mean he liked politics or was the least bit interested in adults talking about them as though it was the only thing that went on in the world. So while the adults Harry knew closely talked with the people that run the countries Harry and his friends discussed strange things that were bound to happen while Harry was on this spree of fame at the moment.
