Note: Hello! Sooooooo, how are you?

Well, first of all, thanks for all your comments, I do love them and I'm very happy you're all on board with me and this fic. I'll just keep writing!

I hope you enjoy this chapter... things are getting a little darker around here.

Ministry of Magic

Draco's office

"Harry, you have to tell us what happened." Harry hears Draco saying but his mind is far away, his body is shaking, his tears wetting his face. I couldn't protect her… I couldn't protect her. "Harry!" Draco claps his hands in front of Harry's face and he finally snaps out of his thoughts.

"I need to be with her." He says, his voice hoarse, barely there. He gets up from the couch they sat that same morning.

Draco stops him, pushing him back to the couch. "You can't. There's nothing you can do right now."

"I don't care!" Tears running down his face. "I have to be with her! She's still alive!" I know she is, I can feel it, I can feel our connection, she's there, faintly, but there.

"Harry, she is but…" another voice says and he turns, it's Ginny. He blinks and notices that Luna and Ron are also there inside Draco's office. "The healers can't explain how they were able to bring her back to some kind of life. She's stable. They're doing their best, but…" Ginny is crying too. "She's in a coma and they- they need to know what happened."

Why Hermione, why would you do something so stupid? "Why are we even here? At the Ministry? Shouldn't we be talking to the healers then? Is no one there with her? What about the girls? What's going on?"

He can't remember how he got there, nor what happened when they arrived at St. Mungo's, his mind can't form logical images. He's drained, everything that happened was too much. It's all a blur of his own shouts and her lifeless body in his arms. She was dead.

"Her parents are there… Lily and Laura still at Hogwarts. We- No one told them what happened yet." Ron says. "And we're here because… things got out of control, Harry. You can't be seen at St. Mungo's."

"What? Why?"

Draco sighs. "Shit, Harry! They suspect you. Hermione is Minister and an attempt at her life is a serious crime. The Department of Law Enforcement is after someone to blame and their first suspect is you."

"That's ridiculous!"

"WE know, Harry! But someone set you up! You need to tell us what happened!"

He closes his eyes, not wanting to think about what happened, but forcing himself to. "It was Jack. Jack and Cho."

And then he starts telling them everything.

Animus Mansion

4 hours ago

"I hate it." She closes her eyes. "It ruined our lives." Harry gets closer to her, not sure of what to say.

"It did." He grabs her hands, the orb in the middle. "But we're going to change things now." He nods, trying to reassure her. She nods back at him with a little smile.

And then Narcissa's voice fills the place:

"Born, from the union of the one who lived and the brightest witch,

The two identical are to be.

Born, is the wicked one,

from the thirst of revenge.

From four to none,

If together they end on the hand of the wicked one.

Through sacrifice is the only way to stay alive,

Apart to grow and fulfill, to mature and thrive.

If in the place of birth they chose to stay,

The wicked one's anger they must face,

Because together none of them can survive,

If there is a wicked one to consume their lives."

They don't talk for a few minutes, his hands holding hers, the orb a dead weight. A word echoes inside him and he realizes it's not him thinking it, it's Hermione. There's a new kind of connection between them, something more solid, more clear. He can pierce her very soul, see her every intent. She widens her eyes at him and he tightens his grip on her hands. He can tell this is big, this kind of connection, but it's soon gone.

"What-" She begins but is interrupted by a slow and loud clapping of hands.

In unison they look at the direction of the sound. Jack is standing there, arms folded in front of him and a vicious smile across his face. He's wearing a dark cloak, a hooded cloak.

"What a beautiful scene." He says and starts walking closer to them, very slowly, taking his time.

"How he got in?" Hermione says, but Harry can tell she's not really looking for an answer, it wouldn't matter now.

Harry takes a step in front of her, his arms guiding her to stay behind him. He can tell she murmurs something to hide the orb again, putting it back to its original place without showing Jack where it is. As each step Jack takes in their direction Harry can feel his hate towards the man growing. "Should we attack him?" She asks.

"No, he's expecting us to do it. Let's wait and see what he'll do."

Jack seems a little throw off by their passivity at his presence. He frowns. "Aren't you happy to see me, Hermione?" She snorts and he pouts sarcastically. "Well, that's sad. And what an anti climatic reunion! Seriously, you two are just boring!" He sneers. Lowering his voice he continues, "Are you two talking inside each other's heads?" He lifts an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but this won't help you." He lifts one finger. "Well, I'm not actually sorry." He shrugs.

Harry can feel the tension straining around them, he knows him and Hermione together can deal easily with Jack, but he doesn't want to underestimate his opponent. That's a first rule he always taught to young Aurors. Be prepared, regardless. He's been training all his life and after his time with Marga he knows he's more than ready to deal with anything. He knows Hermione is more vulnerable than him in a situation like this, but he's sure she can take care of herself like she always did. "We should open ourselves more to the connection. I think we'll fight him better." Hermione says and Harry agrees, instantly he feels her magic there with his, her touch on his soul. He does the same and immediately feels stronger. They focus only on their magic, their feelings aside. "We can do this, Harry." She says and he gently nods. She's by his side now, her hand behind her back, ready for her wand.

Jack is still smirking, waiting, taunting. "Own, it's cute. Seeing you certain you have a chance." He snaps his fingers and Cho appears by Hermione's side, fast, in a blur taking her wand and Harry's, giving them to Jack. "Bitch." Hermione voices. "It's fine. We don't need wands." Harry says, not entirely surprised to see Cho there. She eyes him as Jack pockets their wands. "I hate this situation," Harry says, "they have the upper hand, the surprise effect."

But they don't even consider running away. Harry at least thinks that they should flee if things get out of control, which he doesn't think will happen. As if reading his mind she says, "I tried apparating, we can't. He's doing something to the house wards."

"Well, since you don't seem too eager to have some fun, I guess I'll have to start it." He snaps his fingers again and a dozen hooded figures are there in an instant.

Everything happens at once. Jack sends a Crucio towards Hermione and she protects herself with a powerful deflective spell, at the same time Harry is attacked by three of them, his only response also a defense. "Split." He says to her and they move around the room, going separate ways. From the corner of his eye he sees Cho darting towards Hermione. Jack doesn't move, he just watches as all of the dozen trail behind Harry, wands raised, spells and curses coming down on him.

He keeps moving, the living area is big enough but there's a ballroom just next to it that would give him better chances at this, so he easily lures them inside. Harry stops in the middle of the room and the hooded figures surround him. Let's have some fun. He points to the high ceiling and performs a wandless Ascendio, lifting himself into the air, stopping with an Arresto Momentum he can sustain indefinitely. All heads turn to him from below and Harry starts casting spell after spell, hitting them easily from his advantaged point. Before they can understand what's happening Harry takes out four of them. They just dissolve right in front of his eyes. Harry can tell his magic is stronger because of the way him and Hermione are sharing it through their bond. Even so, to his utter surprise, four hooded figures soar above just like he did. Harry has a shield up, but they start punching him and, a little startled, he dodges the punches while those bellow keep throwing curses at him, weakening his shield. Well, shit. He tries surprising them and dropping to the floor in one motion. It works briefly but effectively. Another four disappear when he hits the floor and simultaneously conjures out of thin air a few sharp arrows. They hit them in the middle of the head.

Harry turns, the others falling from above, now only four of them left. A sudden cry from the living area distracts him. Hermione! He feels a sharp pain, their connection being cut off on her end. NO! He ignores the others hooded figures and starts running, desperate. As a trained Auror he knows this is the emotional reaction he shouldn't have. He knows that when Aurors put emotion over strategy, they're doomed. And he isn't an exception. Jack meets him dead on and punches his stomach with extraordinary force.

Harry feels nauseated from the punch and he barely hears Jack telling the hooded figures to fetch him. However, he's not worried about it now, he's looking for Hermione, his heart pounding. But she's there on the floor, alive. Blood runs down her forehead, a deep cut on it, she's breathing hard. Cho is nowhere to be seen. Hermione looks at him, her eyes telling him everything. Don't give up, love. She has her hands tied to her back, the same way the hooded figures are restraining him. He soon recognizes the cuffs Jack is using. They're able to inhibit the magical powers from the wizard or witch that has them on. It's something the Ministry came up with years ago, a new way to retain dangerous wizards and get them to Azkaban without Dementors. Harry feels his magic painfully concentrating inside him. He grits his teeth and the hooded figure throws him at the floor next to Hermione. He can't touch her, but he leans closer. "Are you okay?" He knows she isn't. But she nods. "Yes. Harry…" Her voice thin.

He knows what she's thinking because he's thinking about them too. Lily and Laura. He can't feel their connection, he can't talk properly to her, he can't tell her to run. He tries doing it with his eyes, he's sure she'll understand what he wants. And she does. But she shakes her head. "I won't leave you." She whispers and touches his lips with hers. Briefly and meaningful.

"You disgust me." Jack says. He's alone in front of them. Cho and the hooded figures are gone. "Since you're so in love with each other, who wants to die first?" Harry's mind is working fast. He needs to find a way to lose this cuffs and put them on Jack. A way to turn this around. "Of course, before anything like that I'll have some fun. Crucio!" Hermione leans over, trying not to scream, her face an expression of pain.

Harry wants to kill him, but he doesn't try anything, he keeps telling himself Hermione is strong even while his heart bleeds for her. After a never ending minute Jack lifts the curse. Hermione cries out in pain. Harry can see her muscles contracting, blood and tears covering her face. But then she purses her mouth, a look of defiance in her.

"Is that all, Jack?" She spits some blood near his foot and Jack laughs, openly.

"You know, Hermione, I really loved you. We were happy, weren't we? We had amazing sex, we shared laughs all day long…" Harry closes his eyes at his words, "You wanted to marry me. But then, this idiot came back," He points to Harry, "and ruined everything."

"What are you saying, Jack? Is this about jealousy?" She asks. Harry realizes she's stalling, making him talk, buying them time to find a way out.

"Of course not, dear. This is about that little prophecy of yours." Without warning a Crucio hits Harry. The pain always blinding and unbelievable, but Harry doesn't close his eyes, he doesn't show his suffering. He only stares at Jack while his body is being pierced by a thousand knives, while he shakes trying to stop the pain. I can do this, I have the power inside me. He can't use his magic because of the cuffs, but Marga taught him this: 'The magic is inside you, Potter, what happens outside doesn't matter, nothing should be able to stop you.' He concentrates, ebbing away the pain. Jack keeps talking, looking at Hermione, who is standing as still as possible by his side. "I won't stop this curse until you tell me where the prophecy is, Hermione. Give it to me or Harry here will soon die." Don't.

"Okay, Jack. Fine."

"Don't." Harry can barely talk.

"Ignore him, love. Tell me, where is it?"

"Are you listening?" She asks and Jack nods. "Good. Come closer, let's share this secret."

Harry can't believe when he sees Jack actually falling for her trick. He's so sure he already defeated us. Jack kneels in front of Hermione, very close to Harry too. He looks at Harry and grabs Hermione by the hair, she flinches a little. He then kisses her. Harry thinks he might explode from anger. Hermione doesn't move, her lips closed. "Just something for you to remember me by. Now, tell me."

She nods and puts her mouth closer to Jack's ear, the one Harry can see. Before she speaks she pointedly warns him. A clear be ready. "You can go fuck yourself, Jack." She says and immediately crashes her head against Jack's, screaming in pain. The Crucio lifts and Harry watches as she frees herself from the cuffs. How? Jack is grunting on the floor and Hermione gets up quickly.

"Whore! I'll end you." Hermione is saying something, her hands extended towards Harry. Jack starts yelling "Avada Ked-" but Harry's cuffs are set loose and he stops the man, tackling him.

Their connection blossoms to life and Harry is amazed by how powerful they feel. He punches Jack. Once, twice, thrice, countless times. Hermione stops him. "Harry, Harry, enough, enough." Jack is bleeding on the floor, totally out. He hugs Hermione and cries. "I thought I'd lost you." He says and she holds him even tighter. Their connection feels bright. Powerful. Perfect.

"Is it over?" She whispers.

"I think so." He answers.

A chilling laugh echoes inside the house and in a flash of blue light, another dozen hooded figures appear inside, one of them in front of the others, clearly the leader. Harry's scar hurts. Hermione grunts with him, maybe feeling it through their connection.

"You wouldn't be so innocent to think that Jack was your biggest threat, would you?"

Harry can't recognize the voice, actually they can't see the person at all with the heavy cloak and hood covering their face. They get up fast, holding onto each other. This time Harry doesn't wait, he attacks and Hermione follows his actions. He first sends a jinx their way, trying to bring down as many hooded figures as possible and Hermione is doing the same, they don't even have to talk about it, they just know. But it doesn't work, any kind of hex, jinx, curse, it all fails. Harry stops, his hand grabbing Hermione's arm. "It's the wicked one." He's so powerful all their efforts are worthless. Harry wants to strike him down and Hermione is already telling him to don't do it, but he does, he doesn't care, this man/woman/creature ruined his life and wants to kill his family. He won't stand for that. A blinding anger takes over him and before he thinks it through, he accio his wand from Jack's pocket and says the unforgivable Avada Kedrava.

It happens slowly. The sound around them is muffled and he watches the green light, he senses Hermione's desperation, he sees the light easily deflecting from the hooded figure. He blinks and everything sets to motion quickly. Without understanding how, he's being dragged towards the gloved hand of the wicked one. He can't resist, he's trapped, his magic useless. "NO!" Hermione screams. He knows there's no way out of this. This is it. The wicked one closes his hand around Harry's neck.

"It will be delightful to watch you die, Harry Potter."

He squeezes and Harry starts suffocating, trying to swat the hand away.

"Harry, I don't want you to ever doubt again how much you mean to me. You're my family. Me, the girls, we're yours. Things could've been different, but right now it doesn't matter. I love you. Always."

He can't quite comprehend her words, but he feels his own magic draining from him and going to her. He can see Hermione with his peripheral vision and she's as still as a statue, the only indication that she's doing something it's her fisted hand. It's getting harder and harder to breathe, his vision is also getting blurry. Hermione keeps doing whatever she's doing. The wicked one doesn't seem to notice. His magic now is all with her. He's able to still feel it, but it doesn't belong to him anymore. Only to her.

Then she moves. Extending her hands towards him, the wicked one and the others. A bright shining light hits all of them and the vicious grip on his neck loosens. Harry hits the floor, gasping for air. His mind slow, processing what just happened. They're all gone. Hermione. Hermione. He can't feel her anymore. His magic is back to him, but weaker. She's lying on the floor, and he crawls to her. No, please, no. It can't be. He cradles her, crying. He can't feel her heart beating, he can't sense her through their connection, it's pure agony.

He screams. "HERMIONE!" He cleans her bloodied face with his hand, "No, please, NO. DON'T LEAVE ME!" He's sobbing. "You can't, you can't. I love you. I love you. Come back to me, come back." He never felt so desperate, so utterly powerless. "I can't live without you, I can't. Why, why would you do that?" He remembers the word she was thinking after they heard the prophecy. Sacrifice. She gave everything she had to push them away, to stop the wicked one from killing him. And it cost her own life.

Harry doesn't notice when Draco apparates inside, he doesn't register his friend desperately sending a patronus to warn the Ministry. It's all a senseless blur. He keeps repeating her name and it takes Draco a few tries and a lot of effort to extricate Harry from her.

Then, he can't remember anything.

Draco's office

"Merlin." Draco murmurs. "Hermione set up a ward able to warn me directly if an Avada Kedrava was casted inside her house. It took me a while to get there." He sighs. Ginny is crying. "And Jack wasn't there, Harry. There was no one there but you."

There's silence until Ron says:

"She knew how to get rid of the cuffs because she practically invented them." His voice failing. Luna is there, very shaken, her arms around him.

"How did we-" Harry starts, confused. "What happened at St. Mungo's?"

"I called the healers, it's procedure when someone dies." Draco says, Ginny holds his hand. "And when we got there, a mob was outside, already blaming you, Harry. I don't know how this happened, I don't know what happened. I had to get you out of there, you were barely making sense." He shakes his head. "Since Hermione is Minister they were obligated to do everything in their power to possibly save her."

"It worked." Ginny whispers.

A knock on the door make they turn their heads. Edgar enters the office, the Prophet in his hands. "It was released this afternoon, a special edition, it said. The reason why people were so angry towards Auror Potter."

He handles Draco the paper. Everyone in the room is silent and still, their sniffs loud, they're all waiting to hear what the Prophet says, but Harry doesn't pay much attention, he can only think of her. Of what she did. How she did it. The wicked one. Everything in an endless repetition. "Hermione, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, know that I'll do the impossible to bring you back." He's sure he'll have endless nightmares of her lifeless body. He closes his eyes, their faint connection feels like a ghost to him right now, a ghost of how it felt minutes before she died. They were one. It was so strange. And so wonderful. If he wanted to he could've seen all her secrets, all her fears, all her regrets, everything she thought. He was tempt to do it, but it wouldn't be fair, they had to talk about it, to understand it.

"Edgar, could you leave us, please?" Draco says and Harry comes back to the moment. After the man is gone, Draco turns to Harry, handing him the Prophet. "Is this true?" Harry frowns. The headline reads:

HARRY POTTER, THE SAVIOR? TRUSTWORTHY SOURCES SHOW OTHERWISE.

And below it a whole article about attacks on the wizarding world made by Harry himself. There are even pictures of him on each location, looking very suspicious. He sighs. He can't deny. He was there and he made questionable decisions while searching for the orbs for Marga, but they never came close to something so drastic. He never killed another wizard while doing it and the article states that he endangered people's lives.

He shakes his head to them. "You know it doesn't look good, Harry." Draco says. "It talks about the time you were gone, no one knew what you were up to and Law Enforcement never believed your interrogation." The paper goes from hand to hand around the room. "I don't think they'll come after you right now, but…" Draco trails.

Harry is silent. He feels so odd.

"You should rest, Harry." Ginny says, "After everything-"

"I want to be with her." He says.

"They won't let you, mate." Ron says. "I'm sorry."

"Who are 'they'? Isn't Draco the Head Auror here?"

"I am, but since the Minister is in a coma, the next in command is the Head of the Law Enforcement and they prohibited you from seeing her. There's nothing I can do, Harry. I really am sorry."

There's a tense exchange of looks between them. "What is it?" Harry asks, totally drained.

"They… they might command me to arrest you, Harry." Draco sighs. "I'll give you a heads up, that's the best I can do at the moment."

Harry gets up from the sofa. "Would you send your best friend to Azkaban?"

"They know you uttered an Unforgivable, Harry. And they won't find a plausible reason for it, it won't matter your position as Auror."

Harry laughs humorlessly and turns to leave. "I can still go home, I gather?"

"Yes." He nods and passes all of them, angry and broken, thinking about his daughters and about Hermione. Someone really set me up, and I'm going to find out who.

St. Mungo's

"She will be fine, honey. We have to believe it." She hears her father saying.

"I always said," Her mother is crying so is a little harder for Hermione to understand her words, "that she put herself in unnecessary danger."

A trembling hand holds hers. She wants to squeeze it, but her body doesn't obey her mind. "It feels unnatural to me that Harry did this." Her father says.

Harry? Did what? She doesn't fully understand yet where she is or what's going on, but she's sure Harry would never hurt her, or anyone else.

She wants to keep hearing them, but she drifts away and it's all blackness as she surrenders to a soothing sleep.

Potter Manor

If he wasn't so numb he would be furious. Hermione is in a coma and his friends are acting like strangers towards him. The wizarding world is after his head and they have every motive to put him into Azkaban. Harry knows it, he can't lie to himself and he's sure it will happen soon. So, I need to act fast.

He storms his room, casting a revealing charm. Just beside his favorite chair, the one he found Hermione sitting and waiting for him weeks ago, a safe appears. He enchanted it making sure that only a drop of his own blood was able to open it. He cuts his finger briefly and pours the blood on top of the safe. It clicks open and he retrieves the items from inside.

I'll let myself get caught. They expect me to run, but I won't. There's just a few things I need to do first.

Hogwarts

Gryffindor Common Room

Minerva allowed him to be there. She trusts him, regardless. So, he sits, waiting in the shadows under his invisibility cloak. He watches kids coming and going, he hadn't seen Lily and Laura, and when the room is finally empty he lets himself get a little nostalgic. Every hour he spent there as a kid and later as a teenager are fresh in his mind, the scents of the room, so unique, take him back to evenings full of homework and teasing between friends. It's warm and cozy just perfectly. If he squints his eyes he can almost picture Hermione siting on her favorite chair and reading an enormous book, glancing at them while they played chess. She laughed every time Ron bested him. We were so young.

He can't be sure it will work, but he has to try. Through the bond he calls his daughters. The same way he was able to see clearly the thread connecting him and Hermione, he can imagine it connecting him to them. His message is clear, Come meet me in the common room. He waits, afraid it won't work.

A minute goes by, then another. And it works. He sees them coming down, their faces a mask of confusion.

"See? Nothing. I told you." Laura says.

"That's strange, I was so sure-"

Harry reveals himself and they gap at him. "DAD!" He motions for them to be quiet and they share a warm embrace. In the moment he forgets everything and just permits their love to be shared. When they part, the first thing both say is:

"Where's mum?"

Harry sighs and sits with them on the couch in front of the fireplace. He casted a spell around the common room so no one will be able to walk in and interrupt them. "There's something I need to tell you." He says.

"She's not okay, is she?" Laura asks, her eyes full of tears. "We felt it." Lily nods, agreeing, her eyes too full of tears. Harry considers lying to them. Then he rejects the idea. He hated when adults didn't tell him the truth - he even fought with Hermione because of that - and he won't do this to his daughters.

"No, she's not okay." They start crying, silently. "Listen to me, girls, you'll have to be strong." He squeezes their hands. They look so much like Hermione and they are so young. "Your mum is in a coma, but we have to believe she will wake up soon and come back to us, okay?"

They nod, their eyes full of questions. Harry can feel them through the connection. "What happened?" Laura asks.

"Someone attacked us. Your mother, as always, was very brave and she-" He shakes his head, "She saved my life. I'm-" He sobs, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her, I tried and-" He stops because they hug him again. Inside his head he hears them, "It's okay, dad" "It's not your fault" He cries a little and then continues, they watch him with careful eyes, "I'm afraid something might happen to me too," He raises his hand, stopping them from talking, "If it does, you need to be ready, okay? Do you understand?" He looks directly into their eyes and sees that they do. "Trust no one except your uncles and aunts, okay? Stay close to them all the time, pay attention to everything. And the most important of all, give your mother all your love, she needs it." He brushes their tears. "She loves you with all her heart, don't you feel?" He pours out his own love on their connection and they smile a little, instinctively doing the same. "I'll always be with you. This thing, this connection between us, try using it if you must. Think of me or mum and try talking to us. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I think you'll know what to do."

"Can we see mum?" Lily asks.

Harry nods. "Someone is coming tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Why don't you take us, dad?" Laura asks.

"I can't, sweetie." He feels gutted by their expressions of sadness. "And I need you to keep this visit a secret. Our secret." They nod and Harry hugs them again, getting up. "I wish I could stay more, but I can't, I'm sorry." Apologizing time after time. I didn't want things to be like this. They are on their feet now too and Harry crouches in front of them, kissing each on a cheek. "I love you. And don't you ever forget you're daughters of the brightest witch of her age." He smiles and blinks at them.

"And of the boy who lived." Laura says.

"Yeah, I guess that too." He hugs them again not wanting to let go, but he finally does.

And is gone in a blink.

St. Mungo's

He enters the Hospital the simplest way: through the front door. Being a magical hospital, wizards and witches often apparate inside and forget about the most logical entrance. Sure, he's under his invisibility cloak so he was able to avoid a few reporters still camping outside and other prying eyes. However, no alarm sounded, no one noticed him, so there's no spell around the Hospital to alarm his presence. He smiles to himself, they didn't think I would be stupid enough to come here. He walks the halls, avoiding people, a silencing charm around himself.

He knows where the coma patients stay, so he goes there directly. After walking half the hallway, he spots Ron and Ginny talking to Hermione's parents. He casts on them a playful jinx that will make this conversation last for a fair share of minutes, enough for him to see Hermione. He can see her room, so he concentrates and apparates inside.

She looks weak and pale. Lifeless. Still under his cloak, he gets closer to her bed, a few spells and enchantments monitoring her vitals. He leans closer and touches his forehead to hers. "Can you hear me, love?" He gently kisses her eyelids. "I am so sorry. Why would you do that, Hermione?" He shakes his head. "You're so much more than me, it wouldn't make a difference for me to be gone, but you… you can't." He holds her hand and its coldness startles him, tears running down his face. He's sure he never cried this much. "The wicked one is after me now, they'll throw me into Azkaban. But I won't give up, I'll find a way to save you, to save us." He caresses her hand with his thumb. "There's something about the prophecy, I can feel it. It seemed odd to me… but I'm not sure why." He looks at the door, watching outside, her parents still talking to Ron and Ginny. "The girls will be here tomorrow," He smiles a little, "They're smart and affectionate like their mother… I know their presence will make you feel better." He wonders if she'll be able to feel their connection, even in a coma. "You're the best part of us, Hermione."

He stands up straight and watches her. Then something catches his attention. What? She's wearing a medical robe that opens in the front and Harry touches the line of her neck, going down. There's a scar. Just above her heart. Identical to his.

He understands in a flash and takes a step back from her. A few weeks ago he saw the same scar, but not on her body… on her other body. Athena. He has certain difficulty breathing. Taking more steps away from her and pressing his fisted hand against his own chest, he can't believe what he just discovered. No, it can't be, maybe I'm wrong, maybe- But he knows he isn't. She knew Marga. And Athena always understood me too well. He wants to be angry at her, but he finds it emotionally impossible. He just feels sad and a little betrayed. Oh, Hermione. He realizes how much she knows, how much he told Athena. She saw me with the Resurrection Stone. He sighs, I can't think about this right now.

But how the hell did she get this scar? Why haven't she told me? Pressing his lips together, he walks closer to her again and shakes his head. You saved my life even more times I can keep count of. He has ambiguous feelings towards this revelation. I guess I'll have a lot to think about in Azkaban. However, he knows that if the circumstances were normal he would be ballistic with her, it would cement his anger and make it almost impossible for him to forgive her. And thinking about it now gives him some kind of perspective, would it be worth it? All the shouting, all the hurting? Again? For what if they can die at any minute, for what if her life is on the line right now? He brushes a few tears away. "Wake up so we can fight about this, love." He gives her another kiss, now on the forehead and doesn't think twice, he has yet a few places to go.

Malfoy Mansion

Draco steps inside the kitchen already looking for him. So, he has a silent alarm on. Harry takes off his cloak and Draco jumps a little at the sudden scare. "Shit, Harry."

They don't talk for a while, it's been a long, long day and Harry is exhausted. His magic still feels odd, his body aches all over and on the top of everything he has a maddening headache reminding him of the existence of his brain.

"Why are you still here? I told you they're coming for you." Draco says. "You need to disappear."

Harry shakes his head. "I won't do that." Draco frowns.

"You can't be serious, man. They want you to rot in Azkaban."

"It won't happen because Hermione is going to get through this, and when she does, she'll tell everyone what happened. Until then, I'm do my time in Azkaban."

"Harry, are you crazy?" Draco is exasperated. "Don't do this, you know what happens to wizards in Azkaban!"

"Yes, I know. They lose their minds and such." He has no energy to discuss. "This isn't open for debate, I'm just letting you know."

Draco sighs, resigned, running his hands through his hair and face. "Okay, okay. But why?"

"This is all a game, Draco." He eyes him. "The wicked one wants me locked up, he wants people to hate me. He wants us on our worst."

"And you're just giving him what he wants?"

"Yes and no. I want him to think that I'm giving up. I want him to believe Hermione is never waking up, I want him to think the girls are unprotected."

"I'm not following you, Harry."

"Azkaban won't break me, Draco. I'm way too powerful for that." Draco raises an eyebrow and Harry waves his hand, dismissing the implication of his lack of modesty. "Hermione is waking up eventually, I can feel." He sighs. "And Lily and Laura are very much protected… Hermione made a love sacrifice this afternoon and she used our connection for that. The girls are part of it too, I have to believe it counted for something." Harry scratches his eyes, trying to keep himself awake. "Besides, you'll take care of them, won't you?" It's a direct question and Harry wants to believe his voice is not so threatening as it sounds. Draco nods.

"Of course I'll, Harry. We all will."

"Good."

"You know we believe you, right? We're on your side, Harry. But-"

"I know. Don't worry about that. Everything is just falling apart." He shrugs.

"Harry, I don't want to think about this possibility, but… what if Hermione doesn't wake up?"

Of course Harry considered this option. Of course it crossed his mind. He needs to be realistic even if it hurts. "Then I'll have to find a way out myself." He doesn't give his friend time to think about his words. "Draco, there's one more thing I want to ask of you."

"Yes, anything."

Harry smiles a little to his friend. "Take me to your mother, I want her to hear the prophecy."

Draco nods.

Malfoy Manor

"Who's there?"

It's dark inside and Harry can't make out Narcissa's form at the top of the stairs, but her voice is coming from there, and he thinks he can see her raising her wand. He squints. Draco sighs by his side.

"It's me, mother." Draco says with disdain.

"Draco?" She seems utterly surprised. "What are you doing here at this hour? Is everything okay? Are the children-"

"Yeah, yeah, everything is fine."

Then the room comes to life with light. Narcissa is indeed at the top of the stairs, her hand on the switch.

"Potter." It's all she says.

Harry can't tell how he feels seeing the woman who saved his life once. This woman who could've ended everything, his life, his friends, this world as they know it. She had the chance. She only had to say to Voldemort that Harry was alive, tell her master his enemy wasn't defeated. But she didn't. And he's counting with this part of her to help him this time around.

"Narcissa." He says, briefly nodding.

She studies him, her posture defensive, then, "You look terrible, Potter." Harry laughs humorlessly. "You're here because of the prophecy." She nods to herself, as if confirming her suspicions. "I imagined since I heard Granger was attacked." She starts descending the stairs and stops in front of them.

"Harry wants you to hear the prophecy, he thinks you might be of some help." Draco says and she turns to him.

"I want to see my grandchildren, Draco. Don't make me beg." Draco gives her an annoyed look, rolling his eyes. "Come to the study, Potter. Let's hear it."

It's strange to walk inside this house. Bizarre to imagine his friend living years of abuse there. Creepy to remember what they went through when captured and torture just a few steps from where he's now. They enter the study and the place is even gloomier than he thought. He takes a deep breath. I was supposed to be doing this with Hermione by my side. He shakes his head and looks at Narcissa. She's watching him.

"Come on, now."

Harry is unsure. Is this really a good idea? He reaches for the orb on the inside pocket of his jacket and stops. Draco said he thought Narcissa could have something to do with this. They're waiting. Hermione wanted her to hear it. That decides it for him. He pulls out the orb and is ready for an attack or anything of the sort, but Narcissa doesn't move, she's just there, one eyebrow raised, looking at him.

In seconds they hear it. It's over fast and he pockets the orb. Narcissa is frowning, deep. "Curious." She says.

"What?" Harry asks. Draco is pale by his side, he knew what the prophecy said but he'd never really heard it.

Narcissa sighs. "I want to help you, Potter. I feel I have to. But I have to be honest with you, I can't remember much, however this words are true, I remember Lucius talking about this." She seems a little agitated. "But there's more, I'm sure of it."

"More?"

"Yes. It's way longer. That's not everything. I believe you have only the top half of it."

Harry's world is crumbling around him. No. It can't be. He's sweating, but his throat is dry, he can't talk. Draco does it for him. "What do you mean, mother? What the bottom half said, then?"

"It-" She presses her fingers on the side of her head, "It spoke of the end." She sighs. "The end of the Wicked One."