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Endings but Not the End
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Harry, Ginny, Dudley, Ron, and Hermione stared in shock at the golden apparition infront of them. Wormtail, however, literally quaked with fear. "You - you'er just a ghost! I'm a specter!" he snarled.
"Oh, no, not just a ghost," Sirius shot back. "I'm a revenant!"
Hermione gasped, the only one who knew what a revenant was. It was someone who died with thoughts of revenge on his mind, and a great tragedy before him. They existed solely to destroy the being or beings who caused the tragedy, and then would return to the grave, at peace at last.
"So?" sneered Wormtail. "I've got the boy! You try and come closer, and he dies!"
Sirius snorted. "You do, do you?"
"Yes, see, right... here? HOW did you do that?" he demanded, whipping out Nearly Headless Nick's rapier and backing towards one of the marble walls.
"Peevesy did it, yes indeed! Can't trick a trickster, wormy worm!" cackled the poltergeist, as he dropped the Boy Who Lived on a conveniently placed pile of cushions.
"Get out of here, kids," said Sirius softly. "I have a long history of scores to settle with the rat, here."
"No you don't!" protested the specter. "I've got a sword, and you're unarmed! We can't even do magic against each other!"
No sooner had he finished saying that when the sword popped easily out of his grasp, carried off by the fleeting form or Moaning Myrtle, who had snuck behind him. "Go away, nasty man!" she screeched. "And Sirius, don't dump him near my toilet, please?" she begged, batting her eyelashes at him.
"That's our cue," agreed Ron. "We do NOT want to be in here for this. Dudley, help me drag Harry out of here!"
Harry had not stopped staring at the spirit of his godfather, and tears were openly streaming down his face. He still sat on the cusions Peeves had dropped him on, and was beginning to reach out. "Uncle... uncle Sirius..."
Four hands snatched at him, and began dragging him away. "No! I have to help Uncle Sirius!" he shouted, and began struggling against them.
"I think he's lost it," grumbled his cousin, who used his superior size and strength to manhandle the boy who lived over his shoulder.
The last thing they saw as they left the Room of Requirement was Sirius advancing on Wormtail, surrounded by the Council of Spirits.
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Voices began interrupting the nice nap Harry was having. He recognized the voices as coming from his friends and the Headmistress, but could barely make out what they were saying. Finally, they began to get louder, and he could understand them.
"And when we tried to get him out of there, he just freaked," explained Dudley.
"I see," said Minerva McGonagall. "A revenant... yes, Sirius had much to gain vengeance from Wormtail for."
Harry opened his eyes, wondering what they were talking about, when it all came crashing back. It was less than gentle when it did, and his head throbbed hard. "Gnaaaah," he groaned.
Six faces suddenly appeared in his field of vision. "Harry, you're awake!" exclaimed the one he recognized as Hermione.
"Back off, or I'm kicking you all out. Including you, Headmistres! He's my patient, and he needs rest, and you need to give him some room so he can breathe." protested Madame Pomfrey.
Harry rubbed absently at his temples. "I'm... I'm okay, Madame Pomfrey. I just have a killer headache."
Dudley blushed, and looked at the floor. "I... I'm sorry, Harry."
This confused the young wizard. "Sorry? Why?"
His cousin shrugged sheepishly. "You wouldn't calm down, and were just about going nuts, so I sorta... putyouinasleeperhold..."
"You what?"
Ron grinned slightly. "He put you in a sleeper hold, like we saw on that American wrestling fellytission show we saw over the hols."
"Television," idly corrected Hermione.
"Whatever," Ron replied, smiling slyly at her.
Something about that brief interplay struck Harry as slightly odd, but he let it slide. "So why didn't one of you wizard or witches just stun me?"
Ron shrugged. "Ginny and Hermione weren't much better off - Hermione was simply stunned, and Ginny was almost in a panic about you. I had to try to keep both of them from going psych on me."
Ginny punched him in the shoulder. "I was NOT in a panic!" she protested. "I was just... worried."
Harry smiled a bittersweet smile at her. "Of course." The smile faded, and worry etched every line in his face. "Is there... is there any word?"
The looks on their face told him. "So... none yet."
Headmistress McGonagall unconsciously began wringing her hands. "Not a single one of Hogwart's Ghosts have been seen since you young men and women left the Room of Requirement. And... and it's been over half an hour."
Madame Pomfrey showed up at that moment, holding a bright red potion, and of all things, a small wrapped candy. "Okay, Mr Potter, please chew and swallow the candy, then drink this mild pain potion."
Harry looked up at her curiously. "I understand the pain potion... but why the candy?"
The mediwitch smiled at him, then at Ron and Ginny. "It was something the troublemaking brothers of these two just sent me. And don't worry, it's been tested, and is quite safe. I'll tell you after you drink the potion."
Confused, Harry put the sweet in his mouth. It was slightly tart, like a muggle fruit chew, and was soft and actually quite good. Swallowing it, he took the vial of potion, steeled himself for the awful taste, then drank it swiftly.
"Whoah!" he exclaimed. "But... but how?" He started grinning, momentarily distracted from his worry.
"Huh?" said Ron. "What's the matter?"
"The pain potion - it was cherry flavored! But I thought you couldn't add anything to a potion to make it taste better, or it ruined it!"
Madame Pomfrey smiled, and glanced at the two Weasleys. "Be proud of your brothers, young miss and mister. They figured out how to get around that."
McGonagall smiled wryly. "They always were good at getting around hard and fast rules."
"But how?" insisted Harry.
"It was the sweet," explained Madame Pomfrey. "It's just a normal sweet, but it actualy changes your taste buds for five minutes after chewing it. Then, whatever you consume next will taste like whatever flavor the sweet was designed for. Imagine that sludge Skele-gro tasting like chocolate milk, for example."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Amazing! They're not changing the potion - they're changing the person TAKING the potion!"
"Precisely. Now, up and at 'em, Mr Potter!" barked the Mediwitch. "And I don't want to see you back here again, unless it's to visit, so keep out of trouble, please!"
"I... I can't promise to keep out of trouble," Harry said with a solemn face as he got onto his feet, "but I can promise to at least drop by and visit."
She reached out and ruffled his hair. "I guess that will have to do."
"Right. Umm, I'll see you!" he said, and immediately walked out the door of the Hospital Wing.
The others followed behind, while Headmistress McGonegall headed to her office. Finally, Hermione asked, "Where are we going? This isn't the way back to Gryffindor Tower?"
"It's not," agreed Harry, as he took a staircase that began pivoting to the left.
"Well?" added Ginny.
"Well what?"
"Well, where are we GOING, you prat?"
Harry looked at his girlfriend, no smile on his face. "We're going to wait outside the Room of Requirement until the ghosts come out. If they win, we're celebrating."
"And if they don't?" asked Dudley
"Then we do whatever we can to stop Wormtail."
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Remus Lupin paced across the floor of the kitchen in Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He had just recieved a most disturbing firecall, and what he thought was a mild expression of concern lined his face. Privately, thought both Tonks and Mundungus "Dung" Fletcher, also present, it looked more like heartstopping worry.
Dung leaned over to the bubblegum-haired auror. "Any clue wha's got 'im so worked up?"
Tonks shook her head. "I dunno. All he said was he had just gotten some news from Minerva, and it involved Harry and Wormtail, and the Castle Ghosts."
"Wormtail?" asked Dung, slightly confused.
"That was Pettigrew's nickname in school," explained Tonks. "Remus, Sirius, and Harry refuse to call him anything else, saying 'the real Peter died when he took the Dark Mark'."
"Oh." The two fell silent, and watched their friend pace back and forth for a while.
"Say, Dung... you never did say why you left your, umm, old business last year," noted Tonks.
The shabby man shuddered. "Let's jus' say that Diggory kid found out somethin' really narsty about one o' my... operations, wha' I didn' know meself. Scared me right nice an' proper, it did."
"Umm, right."
"Remus!" came a voice from the fire in the dining room, just outside the kitchen. The werewolf heard this, and bolted through the doorway, closely followed by his two fellows in the Order.
Minerva McGonagall's face was visiblle in the fire, and she looked very tired. "What is it?" asked Remus, ignoring the two behind him.
The Headmistress filled him in on all she had learned, though she had to compose herself to tell him about Sirius' current state. "And Harry just now left the Hospital Wing. I fear he has gone to assist his godfather."
"Step back then, Minerva, I'm coming through," said Lupin.
"So am I!" barked Tonks.
"I mi' as well, too," shrugged Dung.
"No, Mundungus, we need at least one person there at all times," said Minerva. "Very well, give me a moment to get to my desk."
Seconds later, Headmistress McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks were leaving the seventh floor exit of the Headmistress's office, headed towards the Room of Requirement. They turned a corner, and saw a small crowd of youngsters, half asleep, leaning or sitting against the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy, and just waiting.
Harry was more asleep than the others, and his face was buried in Ginny's hair, while Hedwig was perched in his lap, keeping watch. He wasn't really dreaming, but confusing images both horrible and wonderful danced through his mind. Two strong hands softly laid themselves on his shoulders and shook him slightly, as a happy mindcall came from his familiar. "Wha... huh?" He opened his eyes, straightened his glasses, and looked up. "Uncle Remus!" he happily exclaimed.
His exclaimation startled the others. Dudley grinned up at his other 'uncle', while the students glanced sheepishly at the Headmistress. "And just what are you doing here?" said Headmistress asked, secretly relieved they had the sense not to enter on their own.
"Waiting," said Ron.
"Is there... is there any word?" asked Remus.
"Well..." started Hermione, "about ten minutes ago, we saw a green hand reach through the door, then a gold one snatched it by the wrist and yanked it back."
"So we think Uncle Sirius is really givin' it to him good!" smirked Dudley.
The group waited in silence for nearly half an hour longer. The Room of Requirement had apparantly been requested to be soundproof, for there was absolutely no sign of what was happening inside. The various couples leaned into each other, while McGonagall stood straight and unbowed, and Dudley paced back and forth.
Finally, a faintly blue-grey figure shimmered through the door. "It... is done," said the Bloody Baron.
The living beings threw open the door and rushed inside the room. Sirius, still shining gold but far dimmer than he had ben stood over the floating... form... of Wormtail. Two other forms floated as well in the room, and they realized that Hogwarts had now lost the Fat Friar and Moaning Myrtle to the Specter before he could be destroyed.
Peeves seemed to still be quite agitated. He was repeatedly kicking and pounding on the ectoplasmic Wormtail, shouting incoherant things. Nicholas Flamel floated over, along with Miss Perpetua, to flank the Bloody Baron and accompany the mortals.
On hearing the door open, Sirius looked up, and smiled wryly. "Heya, Pup, Dud. Remus. Cuz. Everybody else."
"It's... it's over?" asked Harry.
"Yep."
"Does this mean... does this mean you're going away now?" asked Dudley, voicing the fear that Harry could not manage to.
"That... depends," admitted Sirius, as the golden glow dimmed even further.
"On what?" asked Tonks.
Sirius floated over to Headmistress McGonagall. "I... I might be able to be just a regular ghost, now... and if I can," he said, "woud it be possible for me to make this my haunt?"
Harry gasped. "But... but what unfinished business can you have?"
Sirius smiled and cocked his head. "Why, you and Moony, of course! My unfinished business is making sure the two of you are happy for the rest of your lives."
Remus blinked back tears. "That means... you won't..."
"Right. I'll only be a ghost as long as the two of you are alive. When the last one of you dies, I'll be there to walk beside you to the other side."
"That's my cuz," sniffed Tonks. "Loyal to a fault."
"Be that as it may, he was never a Hufflepuff, and so may not take a position as that House's ghost," noted the Bloody Baron. "Madame Headmistress, may I add my voice to the request that Sirius be allowed to stay?"
Flamel chuckled. "Well, well, the Slytherin House Ghost sticking up for a quintessential Gryffindor."
"He IS my descendant," shrugged the Baron.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron, with Ginny and Dudley right behind them, had wandered over to the inert form of Moaning Myrtle. "She... she never... I mean, nobody ever really..." sniffed Hermione.
Ron pulled her tight. "Maybe... but she helped us. Remember? She kept our secrets, and she helped us back in second year. And just now... she... well, she helped us again."
"Myrtle Abercrombie," noted the Baron. "Not an exceptional student, or an exceptional Slytherin. But n the end, the second one, she became what she always could have been."
McGonagall looked at Sirius. "Young man... you have a home here for as long as you wish." She then wandered over to the Fat Friar. "Friar Maxwell... Always so cheerful and optimistic, even in death..."
Peeves, by this time, had finished venting his anger at Wormtail's cawl, and floated over to join her. "Never got angry with Peeves, he didn't," he moaned. "And laughed with Peeves when Peeves pranked him. Always convinced the Council to give Peeves second chances, he did."
The poltergeist floated silently beside the Hufflepuff House Ghost before floating over to Myrtle. "Andshe... she helped me sometimes, she did. A lookout, she was. She was... she was Peeves' friend." The spirit looked confused, as if he wanted to cry but didn't know how. Finally, he shrugged. "Peeves will be... will be somewhere else a while." And without warning , he faded into nothingness.
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News of the previous night's events flooded the Great Hall the following morning. Harry and his friends were deluged with people wanting to know what happened, especially the Hufflepuffs.
It was two days later when they held the memorial for the Fat Friar and Moaning Myrtle. The Grey Lady briefly showed up, as the Friar had been a good friend to her, and she kissed the ghost of Sirius, still slightly golden tinged, most soundly in thanks for avenging her lover. As the Friar had been considerably older than Sir Nicholas, his memorial was far more crowded, at least from the spirit side. However, Peeves was not present, and the only hint that he even still existed was a pack of empty water baloons, carefully placed from nowhere onto his memorial.
With no Hufflepuff House Ghost, the Council of Spirits was not seen for several days. When they returned, Sirius was among them. He was blue-grey like the rest, no longer golden, but with his trademarked easy smile and flashing eyes.
With them was a newcomer - the new Hufflepuff Ghost. Every male in the Great Hall stared, jaws open, as the seductive spirit slowly sauntered and sashayed up and down the Hall, before settling in at the table. She was absolutely gorgeous, wearing a loose tunic off one shoulder, and a sash tied around her waist over flowing skirt, making her resemble a gypsy. Her long hair flowed down her back like a waterfall, and her eyes flashed merrily as she began conversing with the students now in her care.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce the new Hufflepuff House Ghost - Elladora Ketteridge, who discovered the properties of Gillyweed," announced the Bloody Baron.
Ron leaned over to Harry. "Ten Galleons says next year's firsties have a record number of Hufflepuffs."
Harry shook his head, chanting 'Ginny's for me, Ginny's for me, she's just a ghost' in his head. "No way mate. Sucker bet."
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End Of Chapter
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A/N: Okay, the problem with the spirits os over... now it's time for the REAL action to begin!
